cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heavy-Ion Targets

Characteristics of targets required in heavy-ion accelerator physics experiments cause new and more subtle preparative difficulties as compared with the fabrication of targets employed in light-ion physics experiments. Although target parameters such as thickness (atoms per square centimeter) , thickness uniformity, chemical purity, compound form, substrate material, and plane parallelism (flatness) are of concern in light-ion experiments, these parameters assume far more importance in heavy-ion interaction studies. Such importance may be apparent to the investigator, but not necessarily apparent to the casual target maker. (In many cases it is only after target failure that detailed consideration is given to those features affecting target lifetime and optimal experimental conditions.) To best discuss and illustrate the unique characteristics of heavy-ion targets, a cursory review of the effects of target parameters on heavy-ion experimental results is warranted. Target fabrication and characterization techniques used to minimize experimental problems during heavy-ion bombardment are described.
Parenting Effects are in the Eye of the Beholder: Parent-Adolescent Differences in Perceptions Affects Adolescent Problem Behaviors

Although it is known that parents and adolescents hold different views regarding adolescent characteristics (e.g., inter-rater agreement on adolescent behaviors between parents and adolescents is low), we know little about parent-adolescent (dis)agreement in their perceptions of parenting. The current study used 220 parent-adolescent dyads (M age = 13.3 years; 50.5 % female) to address this gap and examined how the discrepancy between parents’ and adolescents’ perceptions of the parent’s negative reactions toward an adolescent’s anger affects the adolescent’s problem behaviors. Results suggested the direction of the disagreement between the two parties is important: when adolescents viewed parenting more negatively than parents did, adolescents showed elevated levels of broadband externalizing behaviors and, specifically, aggressive behaviors. This finding suggests the importance of adolescents’ subjective views of how mothers and fathers react to them. The findings are discussed in terms of methodology in family studies and implications toward future research.
Building for Success through edTPA Portfolios: A Top 10 List for Pre-Service Teacher Candidates

Pre-service teacher candidates have been assessed for their knowledge of teaching theory and specific content knowledge, such as Social Science, Elementary, Special Education, etc. by passing written exams. When successful, they are recommended for a teaching certificate allowing them to practice their craft as classroom instructors.
The Prognostic Importance of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid CXCL9 During Minimal Acute Rejection on the Risk of Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction

The clinical significance and treatment strategies for minimal acute rejection (grade A1), the most common form of acute rejection (AR), remain controversial. In this retrospective single-center cohort study of 441 lung transplant recipients, we formally evaluate the association between minimal AR and chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) and test a novel hypothesis using bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) CXCL9 concentration during minimal AR as a biomarker of subsequent CLAD development. In univariable and multivariable models adjusted for all histopathologic injury patterns, minimal AR was not associated with CLAD development. However, minimal AR with elevated BAL CXCL9 concentrations markedly increased CLAD risk in a dose-response manner. Minimal AR with CXCL9 concentrations greater than the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile had adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for CLAD of 1.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.8-1.6), 1.6 (95% CI 1.1-2.3), and 2.2 (95% CI 1.4-3.4), respectively. Thus we demonstrate the utility of BAL CXCL9 measurement as a prognostic biomarker that allows discrimination of recipients at increased risk of CLAD development after minimal AR. BAL CXCL9 measurement during transbronchial biopsies may provide clinically useful prognostic data and guide treatment decisions for this common form of AR, as a possible strategy to minimize CLAD development.
Modeling long-term effects of hairy vetch cultivation on cotton production in Northwest Louisiana

Abstract The use of hairy vetch as a winter cover crop for cotton production in Northwest Louisiana has contributed to sustaining cotton production as well as improving soil quality. To test the efficacy of hairy vetch (HV) cultivation as a natural N supplement for cotton production, a long-term field experiment lasting 27 years was evaluated using the Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) model. Different N fertilization practices, including 0 kg N ha− 1 (PL_1), HV alone (PL_2), 44.8 kg N ha− 1 (PL_3), and 67.3 kg N ha− 1 (PL_4), were compared to evaluate nitrogen (N) response to cotton yield. Measured crop yield from each treatment was used to calibrate and validate the model. The DNDC model was employed to test the effects of N application scenarios on cotton yields and HV incorporation on N balance under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions. In model calibration, statistical indices for the model performance on cotton seed yield showed that PL_1 had a normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) value of 24.5%, a model efficiency (ME) value of 0.51, and a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.87 (P
Simulation of the brightness temperatures observed by the visible infrared imaging radiometer suite instrument (Erratum)

Clouds play a large role in the Earth’s global energy budget, but the impact of cirrus clouds is still widely questioned and researched. Cirrus clouds reside high in the atmosphere and due to cold temperatures are comprised of ice crystals. Gaining a better understanding of ice cloud optical properties and the distribution of cirrus clouds provides an explanation for the contribution of cirrus clouds to the global energy budget. Using radiative transfer models (RTMs), accurate simulations of cirrus clouds can enhance the understanding of the global energy budget as well as improve the use of global climate models. A newer, faster RTM such as the visible infrared imaging radiometer suite (VIIRS) fast radiative transfer model (VFRTM) is compared to a rigorous RTM such as the line-by-line radiative transfer model plus the discrete ordinates radiative transfer program. By comparing brightness temperature (BT) simulations from both models, the accuracy of the VFRTM can be obtained. This study shows root-mean-square error <0.2 K for BT difference using reanalysis data for atmospheric profiles and updated ice particle habit information from the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer collection 6. At a higher resolution, the simulated results of the VFRTM are compared to the observations of VIIRS resulting in a <1.5 % error from the VFRTM for all cases. The VFRTM is validated and is an appropriate RTM to use for global cloud retrievals.
The Effect of Object Surfaces and Shapes on Hand Grip Function for Heavy Objects

Successful grasp, transfer, and release of objects with the hand are important movements for completing everyday tasks. This study’s objective is to understand the effect of an object’s surface and shape on hand grip function for heavy objects in a young age group. For their functional prevalence and significance, grasp and release movements have been incorporated into many clinical hand function assessments, such as the Box and Block Test (BBT), a common test used to assess people’s hand grip function. In the BBT, subjects transport a block from one side of a box to the other while crossing a partition and repeat the procedure as fast as possible. In this study we measured performance on the BBT in 20 right handed subjects between ages 20 to 30 years old. There were no statistically significant effects of object surfaces and shapes on hand grip function for heavy objects.
Poverty and Child Maltreatment

Poverty is among the most robust correlates of child maltreatment. This chapter explores the evolving knowledge on the relationship between poverty and child abuse and neglect. Poverty is defined and key aspects of poverty relevant to child maltreatment are detailed. We suggest that the commonly found tendency towards increased maltreatment among the poor and in poor communities is a genuine finding, and not merely an artifact of bias resulting in overreporting of the poor. A range of theoretical positions are explored which can provide ways of understanding the link between poverty and maltreatment, ranging from the societal to the individual. Empirical findings are presented, describing macroeconomic effects and the influence of specific factors at the family level. The need for work in the area of developing evidence based practice with regard to poverty and child maltreatment is highlighted. General policy implications are presented.
Thermodynamics of Plastic Deformation

The paper gives an outline of a thermodynamic theory of metal plasticity reduced to its simplest terms. The theory is based on classical thermostatics as it applies to elastic deformations and argues that a system which undergoes plastic deformation traverses a densely spaced, alternating sequence of stable and unstable unconstrained equilibrium states. These occur on a scale which is not easily observed during macroscopic experiments and are confined to a microscale of the order of the size of a crystallite. The transition from a stable state to an unstable state can be treated as a reversible process but the further transition from an unstable to a stable state occurs through an intrinsically dissipative, irreversible “jump”.
Training preservice general education teachers in response to intervention: A survey of teacher educators throughout the United States

AbstractResponse to intervention (RTI) is an evidence-based approach to educational service delivery that is being increasingly adopted by schools across the country. To effectively implement RTI models, teachers require specialized training. Little is currently known, however, about the extent to which this training is being provided at the preservice level. The purpose of this survey study was to learn more about RTI-related training provided to preservice general educators in undergraduate elementary education programs. Respondents included 95 program directors of accredited college/university teacher education programs across the United States. Participants reported providing varying levels of didactic and applied training related to each of the six core components of RTI (i.e., multitiered service delivery, universal screening, progress monitoring, data-based decision making, evidence-based interventions, and fidelity of implementation). Although most teacher educators were familiar with the overall ...
Dietary supplementation with turmeric polyherbal formulation decreases facial redness: a randomized double-blind controlled pilot study.

Abstract Background Facial redness is multifactorial in nature and may be a sign of many different conditions, including rosacea, photo damage and flushing. Herbal medicines have been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of dermatological conditions. Turmeric (Curcuma longa) and its constituents have been shown to mediate dilation and constriction of peripheral arterioles and have demonstrated anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. Objective To investigate the effects of turmeric and turmeric-containing polyherbal combination tablets versus placebo on facial redness. Design, setting, participants, and interventions This was a prospective, double-blind, randomized pilot study. Thirty-three healthy participants were recruited from the dermatology clinic at the University of California, Davis and nearby community from 2016 to 2017. Thirty participants were enrolled, and 28 participants completed the study. The enrolled participants were randomized to receive one of three interventions (placebo, turmeric or polyherbal combination tablets) and were told to take the intervention tablets by mouth twice daily for 4 weeks. Facial redness was assessed at baseline and 4 weeks after intervention by clinical grading and by image-based analysis. Main outcome measures The primary outcome measure was image-based facial quantification of redness using a research camera and software analysis system. The investigators performed an intention-to-treat analysis by including all subjects who were enrolled in the trial and received any study intervention. Differences were considered statistically significant after accounting for multiple comparisons. Effect sizes for clinical grading were calculated with a Hedges’ g where indicated. Results Twenty-eight participants completed the study and there were no reported adverse events. Based on clinical grading, facial redness intensity and distribution down trended in the polyherbal combination group after 4 weeks (P = 0.1). Under photographic image analysis, the polyherbal combination group had a significant decrease in redness of 40% compared to baseline (P = 0.03). The placebo and turmeric groups had no statistically significant changes in image analysis-based facial redness. Conclusion Polyherbal combination tablet supplementation improved facial redness compared to the turmeric or placebo. Overall, our findings suggested further investigations into the effects of turmeric and polyherbal formulations in skin conditions associated with facial redness would be warranted. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03065504.
Data-mining the diaryl(thio)urea conformational landscape: Understanding the contrasting behavior of ureas and thioureas with quantum chemistry

Abstract The conformations adopted by urea and thiourea functional groups influence catalysis and binding. We combine data-mining with quantum chemical calculations to understand the differences in conformational behavior for these two important structural motifs. We developed a Python tool to automate the compilation of X-ray structural information and perform conformational clustering and visualization, based on SMILES input. While diarylureas have an overwhelming preference for the anti,anti-conformer, diarylthioureas adopt a mixture of anti,anti- and anti,syn-conformers. Computations show the anti,anti-thiourea conformer is destabilized by out-of-plane rotations which avoid a steric clash with the sulfur atom. These conformational preferences were studied computationally under a variety of conditions, and apart from in the gas-phase, a preference for anti,anti-ureas was found. Consistent with experiments, this preference increases in more polar environments. Quantitative predicted ratios are sensitive to the computational treatment of solvation effects, with COSMO-RS giving more realistic amounts of the anti,anti-conformer in THF and DMSO.
Glycosylation of gigaxonin regulates intermediate filaments: Novel molecular insights into giant axonal neuropathy

Gigaxonin (also known as KLHL16) is an E3 ligase adaptor protein that promotes the ubiquitination and degradation of intermediate filament (IF) proteins. Mutations in human gigaxonin cause the fatal neurodegenerative disease giant axonal neuropathy (GAN), in which IF proteins accumulate and aggregate in axons throughout the nervous system, impairing neuronal function and viability. Despite this pathophysiological significance, the upstream regulation and downstream effects of normal and aberrant gigaxonin function remain incompletely understood. Here, we report that gigaxonin is modified by O-linked-beta-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc), a prevalent form of intracellular glycosylation, in a nutrient- and growth factor-dependent manner. Mass spectrometry analyses of human gigaxonin revealed nine candidate sites of O-GlcNAcylation, two of which - serine 272 and threonine 277 - are required for its ability to mediate IF turnover in novel gigaxonin-deficient human cell models that we created. Taken together, these results suggest that nutrient-responsive gigaxonin O-GlcNAcylation forms a regulatory link between metabolism and IF proteostasis. Our work may have significant implications for understanding the non-genetic modifiers of GAN phenotypes and for the optimization of gene therapy for this disease.
Longitudinal Changes in Disability Rating Scale Scores: A Secondary Analysis Among Patients With Severe TBI Enrolled in the Epo Clinical Trial.

Objectives Long-term neurological response to treatment after a severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) is a dynamic process. Failure to capture individual heterogeneity in recovery may impact findings from single endpoint sTBI randomized controlled trials (RCT). The present study re-examined the efficacy of erythropoietin (Epo) and transfusion thresholds through longitudinal modeling of sTBI recovery as measured by the Disability Rating Scale (DRS). This study complements the report of primary outcomes in the Epo sTBI RCT, which failed to detect significant effects of acute treatment at 6 months post-injury. Methods We implemented mixed effects models to characterize the recovery time-course and to examine treatment efficacy as a function of time post-injury and injury severity. Results The inter-quartile range (25th-75th percentile) of DRS scores was 20-28 at week1; 8-24 at week 4; and 3-17 at 6 months. TBI severity group was found to significantly interact with Epo randomization group on mean DRS recovery curves. No significant differences in DRS recovery were found in transfusion threshold groups. Conclusions This study demonstrated the value of taking a comprehensive view of recovery from sTBI in the Epo RCT as a temporally dynamic process that is shaped by both treatment and injury severity, and highlights the importance of the timing of primary outcome measurement. Effects of Epo treatment varied as a function of injury severity and time. Future studies are warranted to understand the possible moderating influence of injury severity on treatment effects pertaining to sTBI recovery. (JINS, 2019, 25, 293-301).
Concrete Pavement Blowup Considering Generalized Boundary Conditions

AbstractAn analytical expression for static stability of a rectangular slab with two simply supported and two elastically restrained edges is presented. The linear elastic isotropic slab can repres...
Residents’ perspective on professionalism in the learning environment

All accrediting organizations for medical education in the US require teaching hospitals to ensure the learning environment fosters professionalism behaviors of trainees and faculty. This study analyzes the learning environment of professionalism from the perspective of residents. An on-line anonymous survey that explored the learning climate of professionalism was sent to all residents at the University of Virginia in 2013–14. Residents rated their personal commitment, their residency program's, and the institution's commitment to demonstrating professionalism behaviors, described professionalism education, reasons for not participating in curricular offerings, the quality of role modeling, and barriers to professionalism. Nearly half the residents completed the survey (47%, N = 365/771). Residents rated their personal commitment and commitment of their residency program significantly greater than the institution's commitment to demonstrating professionalism.(p
Counter-framing effects of user comments

Past research shows that news frames shape audience reactions to news messages. As individuals receive more of their news online, where many news messages are accompanied by opportunities for audience members to comment, it has become important to investigate how such comments influence message framing effects, especially when they compete with the original news article. Therefore, this study examines the framing effects of user comments opposing a news editorial by directly challenging the editorial or featuring an alternative perspective to view the issue in focus. Findings demonstrate that the nature and tone of counter-framed comments can influence the editorial’s impact.
Enactive spectatorship, critical making, and dramaturgical analysis: building Something Wicked, the Macbeth video game

ABSTRACTThis article examines the design, construction, and dramaturgical concerns of Something Wicked, the author’s combat video game adaptation of a scene from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In a...
Flipped classroom versus a didactic method with active learning in a modified team-based learning self-care pharmacotherapy course.

Abstract Background and purpose To examine the educational outcomes comparing flipped classroom method versus a didactic method with active learning in two semesters of a modified team-based learning (TBL) self-care pharmacotherapy course and explore student-identified preferences for teaching modality. Educational activity and setting Grade performance on readiness assurance processes, both individual (iRAP) and team (tRAP), and exam questions were compared in two semester-long course offerings. Additionally, students were surveyed pre- and post-course. Findings The mean iRAP scores were 81.9% for the didactic method and 80.7% for the flipped method (p = .092). The mean tRAP scores were 93.6% for both didactic and flipped methods (p = .979). Mean exam performance for content taught using didactic and flipped methods were 83.3% and 83.5%, respectively (p = .730). Pre-course respondents indicated the following preferences: didactic (27.7%), flipped (9%), combination (58.2%), no preference (5.1%). Post-course, 46.8% preferred didactic, 5.7% preferred flipped, and 47.5% preferred a combination. Respondents perceived the didactic method helped develop deeper understanding, stimulated greater interest, and improved retention; however, they felt the flipped method improved critical thinking and application. Summary There were no statistically significant differences in student outcomes comparing teaching methods while student preference for the flipped classroom decreased.
A novel stromal fibroblast-modulated 3d tumor spheroid model for studying tumor-stroma interaction and drug discovery

Tumor-stroma interactions play an important role in cancer progression. Three-dimensional (3D) tumor spheroid models are the most widely used in vitro model in the study of cancer stem/initiating cells, preclinical cancer research, and drug screening. The 3D spheroid models are superior to conventional tumor cell culture and reproduce some important characters of real solid tumors. However, conventional 3D tumor spheroids are made up exclusively of tumor cells. They lack the participation of tumor stromal cells and have insufficient extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, thus only partially mimicking the in vivo conditions of tumor tissues. We established a new multicellular 3D spheroid model composed of tumor cells and stromal fibroblasts that better mimics the in vivo heterogeneous tumor microenvironment and its native desmoplasia. The formation of spheroids is strictly regulated by the tumor stromal fibroblasts and is determined by the activity of certain crucial intracellular signaling pathways (e.g., Notch signaling) in stromal fibroblasts. In this article, we present the techniques for coculture of tumor cells-stromal fibroblasts, time-lapse imaging to visualize cell-cell interactions, and confocal microscopy to display the 3D architectural features of the spheroids. We also show two examples of the practical application of this 3D spheroid model. This novel multicellular 3D spheroid model offers a useful platform for studying tumor-stroma interaction, elucidating how stromal fibroblasts regulate cancer stem/initiating cells, which determine tumor progression and aggressiveness, and exploring involvement of stromal reaction in cancer drug sensitivity and resistance. This platform can also be a pertinent in vitro model for drug discovery.
Simulation and experimental results of an unmanned towed system

This report investigates the flight dynamics of a small-scale (2 ft) towed system using a quadcopter and actively controlled payload. A towed system includes a main driver to propel the system forw...
New York’s lonely streets: Constructions of soledad in Colombianx migrant experiences

Urban life in New York City is structured in ways that accentuate the affective dimensions of migration experiences for Colombianx migrants, who describe soledad as an integral quality of their life, despite being surrounded by the second largest group of Colombianxs in the United States. This ethnographic study draws on more than 8 years of fieldwork to describe the social forces at work in the normalization of migrant solitude. This article describes soledad, simultaneously an invisible and quotidian element of migrant life, as actively produced in/through the spatialized practices of city life. Grounded in the descriptions and voices of Colombianx migrants, soledad is a phenomenon that is collectively experienced yet articulated as an individual experience. The city shapes Colombianxs’ uses of both space and time in a way that exacerbates the effects of its racialized, spatial hierarchies and creates painful and stark differences in transnational migrant life that make New York’s streets lonely.
Synthesis of α,β-unsaturated epoxy ketones utilizing a bifunctional sulfonium/phosphonium ylide

Herein, a new protocol for rapid synthesis of α,β-unsaturated epoxy ketones utilizing a bifunctional sulfonium/phosphonium ylide is described. This approach comprises two sequential chemoselective reactions between sulfonium and phosphonium ylides and two distinct aldehydes, which allows for the rapid construction of a variety of unsymmetric α,β-unsaturated epoxy ketones. This methodology allows the rapid construction of the core reactive functionality of a family of lipid peroxidation products, the epoxyketooctadecenoic acids, but can be further broadly utilized as a useful synthon for the synthesis of natural products, particularly those derived from oxidized fatty acids. Accordingly, a protocol utilizing this approach to synthesize the epoxyketooctadecenoic acid family of molecules is described.
Associations between forensic loci and neighboring gene expression levels may compromise medical privacy

A set of 20 short tandem repeats (STRs) is used by the United States criminal justice system to identify suspects, and to maintain a database of genetic profiles for individuals who have been previously convicted or arrested. Some of these STRs were identified in the 1990s, with a preference for markers in putative gene deserts to avoid forensic profiles revealing protected medical information. We revisit that assumption, investigating whether forensic genetic profiles reveal information about gene expression variation, or potential medical information. We find six significant correlations (FDR = 0.23) between the forensic STRs and the expression levels of neighboring genes in lymphoblastoid cell lines. We explore possible mechanisms for these associations, with evidence compatible with forensic STRs causing expression variation, or being in LD with a causal locus in three cases, and weaker or potentially spurious associations in the other three cases. Together, these results suggest that forensic genetic loci may reveal expression level and, perhaps, medical information.
Multimodal analgesia: Opioid-sparing strategies for pain management

Abstract Opioid-sparing strategies for pain management are increasingly being implemented, especially in concert with the Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) program. In this chapter, we discuss the current landscape of the following opioid-sparing agents and strategies to utilize them during the perioperative period: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, gabapentinoids, glucocorticoids, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, alpha-2 agonists, local and regional anesthetics, transversus abdominal plane (TAP) block, and other novel therapies. We also discuss our institutional opioid-sparing protocol, including surgical techniques. Narcotic-sparing postoperative protocols are associated with high level of patient satisfaction and pain control and should be considered standard of care.
Using Confluence to Control Parallel Production Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter describes how to test a class of production rule sets for confluence. The chapter focuses on future research to produce a tool that will in converting a non-confluent rule set into a confluent one. Production systems can be thought of as term rewriting systems if the focus is changed from rewriting terms to rewriting sets of literals. The chapter reviews term rewriting systems, including the notions of confluence and convergence. The chapter also explains the procedure to determine confluence in production rule sets. The chapter also explains how confluence testing can be applied to certain types of rule systems that have metacontrol schemes. Confluence testing has the potential of helping to verify rule sets. If there are multiple normal forms for each given starting state, then the task of verification is likely to be simplified by analyzing an equivalent, completed rule set that yields only one normal form per starting state.
Social Work and Labor: A Look at the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation

The North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC), a side agreement to NAFTA, provides an instructive example of an attempt to link global trade to labor standards. While this side agreement was created in order to bolster the internationalization of trade, it has brought Labor, human rights groups and governments together to scrutinize and challenge the ways that each NAFTA member country ensures the provision of basic health, safety, and human rights on the job. Effective enforcement of the Agreement will come only with political pressure from a wide variety of groups interested in improving quality of life for workers and their families, However, despite growing recognition of the importance of international social welfare efforts, social work groups have yet to become involved in monitoring the effect of trade on worker quality of life. This lack of involvement is reflective of social work's general estrangement from organized labor, despite many common goals. Increased cooperation between unions and social welfare groups would benefit their respective, and frequently shared, clientele
Nonvisual influences on visual-information processing in the superior colliculus.

Although visually responsive neurons predominate in the deep layers of the superior colliculus (SC), the majority of them also receive sensory inputs from nonvisual sources (i.e. auditory and/or somatosensory). Most of these 'multisensory' neurons are able to synthesize their cross-modal inputs and, as a consequence, their responses to visual stimuli can be profoundly enhanced or depressed in the presence of a nonvisual cue. Whether response enhancement or response depression is produced by this multisensory interaction is predictable based on several factors. These include: the organization of a neuron's visual and nonvisual receptive fields; the relative spatial relationships of the different stimuli (to their respective receptive fields and to one another); and whether or not the neuron is innervated by a select population of cortical neurons. The response enhancement or depression of SC neurons via multisensory integration has significant survival value via its profound impact on overt attentive/orientation behaviors. Nevertheless, these multisensory processes are not present at birth, and require an extensive period of postnatal maturation. It seems likely that the sensory experiences obtained during this period play an important role in crafting the processes underlying these multisensory interactions.
Performance prediction of PVM programs

As workstation clusters gain popularity as a parallel computing platform, there is an increasing need for performance tools that support these platforms. Performance prediction is important for performance analysis of scalable parallel applications. Although there are several performance tools available that work with PVM programs, none are capable of performance prediction. We have developed the APACHE (Automated PVM Application Characterization Environment) performance prediction system for PVM programs running on workstation clusters. We review the system implementation and present some experimental results obtained with the system.
Comparative Review of Outcomes in Patients With Congenital Heart Disease Requiring Cardiopulmonary Support for Failure to Wean From Cardiopulmonary Bypass or for Refractory Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Background:We reviewed the outcomes of patients who underwent cardiopulmonary support (CPS) for either refractory sudden cardiac arrest or failure to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).Methods:...
Testing IT: An Off-the-Shelf Software Testing Process

Testing IT provides a complete, off-the-shelf software testing process framework for any testing practitioner who is looking to research, implement, roll out, adopt, and maintain a software testing process. It covers all aspects of testing for software developed or modified in-house, modified or extended legacy systems, and software developed by a third party. Software professionals can customize the framework to match the testing requirements of any organization, and six real-world testing case studies are provided to show how other organizations have done this. Packed with a series of real-world case studies, the book also provides a comprehensive set of downloadable testing document templates, proformas, and checklists to support the process of customizing. This new edition demonstrates the role and use of agile testing best practices and includes a specific agile case study.
Recovery of vocal fold immobility following isolated patent ductus arteriosus ligation.

Abstract Objective Identify laryngoscopic and functional outcomes of infants with vocal fold immobility (VFI) following patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation and identify predictors of recovery. Methods Retrospective review of patients with VFI following PDA ligation from 2001 to 2012 at a single institution. Inclusion criteria were: (1) PDA ligation as only cardiac surgical procedure; (2) left VFI documented by laryngoscopy; (3) minimum follow up 120 days, with at least 2 laryngoscopies performed. Resolution of VFI was determined at follow-up laryngoscopy. Univariate logistic regression models were used to identify variables associated with VFI recovery. Results 66 subjects were included with median follow up of 3.0 (±2.1) years. The mean gestational age was 24.5 ± 1.4 weeks, mean birth weight 673 ± 167 g, and mean age at procedure was 18.6 ± 14.3 days. Patients presented with respiratory symptoms (39%), dysphonia (78%) and dysphagia (55%). Resolution of VFI was observed in 2/66 (3%) patients. Recovery was documented at 20 days and 11 months respectively. Respiratory symptoms, dysphagia, and dysphonia persisted at last follow up in 11%, 47%, and 20% of patients. Conclusions VFI associated with ligation of the ductus arteriosus has a low rate of recovery. Clinical symptoms frequently persist, and as such regular follow-up by otolaryngologists to mitigate morbidity is indicated.
Enemy at the gate: threats to information security

A firm can build more effective security strategies by identifying and ranking the severity of potential threats to its IS efforts.
Differential sensitivity of naïve and memory subsets of human CD8+ T cells to TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis.

In this investigation, we have examined the relative sensitivity of human naive, central memory (T(CM)), and two types of effector memory CD8+ T cells (T(EM) and T(EMRA)) to TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis. Our data show that naive and T(CM) CD8+ T cells were sensitive, whereas T(EM) and T(EMRA) CD8+ T cells were relatively resistant to TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis. The apoptosis profile correlated with the activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3. However, no correlation was observed between relative sensitivity of four CD8+ T cell subsets to apoptosis and the expression of TNFR-I or TNFR-II. T(EM) and T(EMRA) CD8+ T cells displayed increased phosphorylation of IKKalpha/beta and IkappaB and increased NF-kappaB activity as compared to naive and T(CM) CD8+ T cells. Bcl-2, Bcl-x(L) and FLIP(L) expression was higher and Bax expression was lower in T(EM) and T(EMRA) CD8+ T cells as compared to naive and T(CM) CD8+ T cells. These data suggest that signaling molecules downstream of TNFRs may be responsible for differential sensitivity among subsets of CD8+ T cells to TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis.
Minimum chi-square estimation and tests for model selection

Abstract This paper studies the problem of model selection based on Pearson chi-square type statistics. Such goodness-of-fit statistics have been considered by Moore (1978) and diagnostic tests based on them have recently been extended to general econometric models by Andrews (1988a, b). Here we consider another important use of these statistics. Specifically, we propose some convenient asymptotically standard normal tests for model selection based on chi-square type statistics. Following Vuong (1989), the null hypothesis is that the competing models are equally close to the data-generating process (DGP) vs. the alternative hypotheses that one model is closer to the DGP where closeness of a model is measured according to the discrepancy implicit in the Pearson type statistic used. Our model selection tests have the desirable feature that neither model needs to be correctly specified nor nested in each other. As a prerequisite, we study the corresponding class of minimum chi-square estimators.
An analysis of the relationship between mandibular alveolar bone loss and a low Frankfort-mandibular plane angle

A group of complete denture patients was studied to determine the effect of a low Frankfort-mandibular plane angle on the loss of residual ridge height in the mandible. Measurements were made from tracings of cephalometric films. The low-FMA group did not experience statistically greater amounts of alveolar ridge loss when compared with the group with an FMA larger than 20 degrees. The loss of residual ridge height for both groups followed a linear relationship from year 5 to year 20. There was some indication that the residual ridge height was smaller initially in the low-FMA group. The relative effect of the loss of residual ridge height, combined with smaller residual ridge height originally, indicates that the low-FMA patients are more likely to have anatomic deficiencies and problems with complete dentures associated with this lack of mandibular residual ridge height.
Help Needed for EDF

For example, he ends on a relatively low note by saying of the Environmental Defense Fund, "EDF hopes to have the wherewithal to continue 'doing the same thing the NAACP did' in civil rights-establish in the courts a body of common law . . . ." If EDF is to be successful in obtaining a common law ruling condemning DDT as an environmental pollutant, it's going to need more wherewithal than it now has. And
Genetically encoded sensors for ions and metabolites

Abstract Many of the genes encoding important trans porters and metabolic enzymes have been identified over the last ten years. Moreover it has been possible to study the biochemical properties of the corresponding proteins in great detail. It is expected that by 2,010 biochemical functions will have been assigned to many of the products of the approximately 30,000 Arabidopsis genes. We will get closer to understanding the biological function of the gene products by systematic analysis of mutants using knock-out and TILLING approaches. Metabolomics initiatives complement these approaches by providing insight into the changes in cellular ion and metabolite profiles in the mutants, thus giving information essential for the construction of cellular and whole plant models. However, one important dataset especially relevant to multicellular organisms is lacking: the knowledge of the spatial and temporal profiles of ions and metabolite levels at cellular and subcell ular levels. To address this issue, we have d...
SHOT: single-beam holographic tomography

A novel single-beam holographic tomography (SHOT) based technique is used for the recording and reconstruction of 3D shapes of water droplets, leading to quantification of the radii of curvatures along the surface, droplet separation, and number density.
“Sim Wars”: A New Edge to Academic Residency Competitions

Introduction: Simulation training is an educational modality that is increasingly being utilized by emergency medicine programs to train and assess residents in core competencies. During a recent national conference, patient simulators were used in a competition to highlight multitasking, teamwork, and patient care skills. The combination of audience participation and an expert panel provided a creative forum for learning. Methods: the Foundation for Education and Research in Neurological Emergencies (FERNE) and the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association (EMRA) sponsored an innovative competition between emergency medicine residencies during the 2008 Scientific Assembly of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). This competition used high-fidelity simulations to create scenarios on neurologic emergencies. Six teams were selected to participate in the three-hour single-elimination competition. The three-member resident teams were then randomly paired against another institution. Three separate 10 minute scenarios were created for the initial round, allowing paired teams to compete on the same scenario. An expert panel provided commentary and insight on the management by each team. In addition, the experts provided feedback in the areas of communication and team training. Each round's winners were determined by the audience using an interactive system. Results: Based on the immediate feedback from participants, audience members and the expert panelists, this event was an entertaining and successful learning experience for both residents and faculty. Like the Clinical Pathological Cases (CPC) competitions, “Sim Wars” provides a showcase for residencies to demonstrate practice philosophies while providing a unique emphasis on teamwork and communication skills. The ability to expand this program to include regional competitions that lead to a national contest could be the framework for future exciting and educational events.
Can anthracycline therapy for pediatric malignancies be less cardiotoxic

Anthracyclines have a central role in the treatment of cancer in pediatric patients but confer an increased risk of cardiac dysfunction. Several strategies have been employed to help reduce anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity, including pretreating the patient with the iron chelator dexrazoxane and infusing the dose of anthracycline over a longer period. Much focus has also been placed on the development of methods that decrease the toxicity of parent compounds, specifically through the use of drug carriers such as liposomes, and on the development of new, potentially less toxic anthracycline derivatives, such as amrubicin and pixantrone. We provide a review of these strategies, focusing on studies in pediatric patients when available, and support the idea that anthracycline therapy can be less cardiotoxic in pediatric patients.
The low frequency sound from multipole sources in axisymmetric shear flows, with applications to jet noise

A closed-form solution for the sound radiation from multipole sources imbedded in an infinite cylindrical jet with an arbitrary velocity profile is obtained. It is valid in the limit where the wavelength is large compared with the jet radius. Simple formulae for the acoustic pressure field due to convected point sources are also obtained. The results show (in a simple way) how the mean flow affects the radiation pattern from the sources. For convected lateral quadrupoles it causes the exponent of the Doppler factor multiplying the far-field pressure signal to be increased from the value of 3 used by Lighthill to 5.
The Economics of Suicide, Revisited

attempts are more likely when future income may be positively affected by the attempt, conditional on survival. Data from the National Comorbidity Survey show that ex post, individuals who made a suicide attempt had higher incomes than peers who seriously considered suicide but who never made a suicide attempt. Moreover, those who reported making the most serious attempts experienced the largest subsequent effects on income. Economists have contributed important insights into the motivations underlying suicidal behavior. In particular, economists have formalized the notion that utility maximization plays a role in shaping suicidal behavior and have found empirical evidence suggesting that suicide rates respond to economic factors in ways predicted by economic theory. At the very least, economists have established that suicide is not an act arising purely from social isolation or mental illness. Rather, even for this most drastic of behavioral choices, at some level individuals respond to the same types of incentives that govern other aspects of their economic and social lives.
Subjective symptoms and mobile phones

Several months ago, the summary from a workshop on Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity was made available on the World Health Organizations EMF Project website [12]. In addition to the World Health Organization, the meeting had the cosponsored of the European Commission Coordinated Action EMF-NET, the European Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST 281), and the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic. The report concluded that electromagnetic hypersensitivity is characterized by a variety of nonspecific symptoms that differ from individual to individual. The symptoms are certainly real and can vary widely in their severity. For some individuals the symptoms can change their lifestyle. Moreover, it had suggested that there also are some indications that these symptoms may be due to preexisting psychiatric conditions as well as stress reactions as a result of worrying about believed electromagnetic health effects, rather than the electromagnetic exposure itself.
Review of MARFE phenomena in tokamaks

Abstract This paper presents a review of MARFEs and detached plasmas. A MARFE is a toroidally symmetric tokamak phenomenon occuring at minor radii near the plasma boundary, defined by a limiter or magnetic separatrix. The MARFE poloidal width is approximately 30° in extent at the smaller major radius edge of the plasma. It is characterized by greatly increased radiation, high ion densities and density fluctuations, and relatively low electron temperature. These changes in the edge plasma are consistent with the MARFE being the manifestation of a thermal instability. MARFEs tend to occur in most tokamaks at similar values of ρ = n e κJ , a fraction of the density disruption limit. A related phenomenon, the detached plasma, is different in that the boundary layer radiation emission is poloidally symmetric. The radiated power, in this case, is approximately equal to the input power, thereby reducing power flows to the limiter to negligible values. A review of experimental data and theoretical treatments of MARFEs and detached plasmas are provided herein. The relationship between boundary layer parameter scalings, the MARFE threshold and the density limit is explored.