cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Vehicle Mix Decision in Emergency Medical Service Systems

We consider the problem of selecting the number of advanced life support (ALS) and basic life support (BLS) ambulances—the vehicle mix—to deploy in an emergency medical service (EMS) system, given a budget constraint. ALS ambulances can treat a wider range of emergencies, whereas BLS ambulances are less expensive to operate. To this end, we develop a framework under which the performance of a system operating under a given vehicle mix can be evaluated. Because the choice of vehicle mix affects how ambulances are dispatched to incoming calls, as well as how they are deployed to base locations, we adopt an optimization-based approach. We construct two models—one a Markov decision process, the other an integer program—to study the problems of dispatching and deployment in a tiered system, respectively. In each case, the objective function value attained by an optimal decision serves as our performance measure. Numerical experiments performed with both models suggest that, under reasonable choices of inputs, ...
Indicators of potential for rupture for ectopics seen in the emergency department

Background : Emergency departments (ED) frequently evaluate patients with probable ectopic pregnancies who go home and may rupture. It would be beneficial to know which patient factors are associated with rupture and which are not. Objectives : The purpose of this study was to determine which ED patients with ectopic pregnancies are at risk for rupture. Materials and Methods : This study was a retrospective chart review of all women aged ≥18 years during a 5-year period who were diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy to a level I ED. Data collected included basic demographic information, medical, surgical, obstetric and gynecologic history, social and sexual history, findings on physical examination, and laboratory values such as urine pregnancy test, b-hCG, and complete blood count. Results : There was a significant difference using a multivariate regression analysis with 95% CI in history findings of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and urinary tract symptoms. There was a significant difference in physical examination of pulse, diastolic pressure, abdominal tenderness, peritoneal signs, cervical motion tenderness, and adnexal tenderness. There was also a significant difference in b-hCG, hemoglobin and hematocrit results and ultrasound findings of free peritoneal fluid, intrauterine pregnancy and cardiac findings between those who ruptured and those who did not. None of these tests was able to differentiate those that would go on to rupture. Conclusion : The result of the study did not find any single sign, symptom, or test that could reliably differentiate patients who have a ruptured ectopic from those who do not. However, b-hCG over 1500 mIU was the best variable in explaining the variation between those who would or would not go on to rupture after their ED visit.
Light‐induced plasticity in leaf hydraulics, venation, anatomy, and gas exchange in ecologically diverse Hawaiian lobeliads

Summary Leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) quantifies the capacity of a leaf to transport liquid water and is a major constraint on light-saturated stomatal conductance (gs) and photosynthetic rate (Amax). Few studies have tested the plasticity of Kleaf and anatomy across growth light environments. These provided conflicting results. The Hawaiian lobeliads are an excellent system to examine plasticity, given the striking diversity in the light regimes they occupy, and their correspondingly wide range of Amax, allowing maximal carbon gain for success in given environments. We measured Kleaf, Amax, gs and leaf anatomical and structural traits, focusing on six species of lobeliads grown in a common garden under two irradiances (300/800 μmol photons m−2 s−1). We tested hypotheses for light-induced plasticity in each trait based on expectations from optimality. Kleaf, Amax, and gs differed strongly among species. Sun/shade plasticity was observed in Kleaf, Amax, and numerous traits relating to lamina and xylem anatomy, venation, and composition, but gs was not plastic with growth irradiance. Species native to higher irradiance showed greater hydraulic plasticity. Our results demonstrate that a wide set of leaf hydraulic, stomatal, photosynthetic, anatomical, and structural traits tend to shift together during plasticity and adaptation to diverse light regimes, optimizing performance from low to high irradiance.
Improving Global Outcomes in Mineral and Bone Disorders

Disturbances in mineral and bone metabolism are prevalent in chronic kidney disease and an important cause of morbidity, decreased quality of life, and extraskeletal calcification that have been associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO)'s Global Mineral and Bone Initiative has sought to update the definition, evaluation, and classification of this mineral and bone disorder; improve standardization of assessment tools; enhance education about these complications; and stimulate research. In addition, this international organization sponsored a Controversies Conference in 2005 to define these complications better. The recommendations from that conference were that (1) the term "renal osteodystrophy" be used exclusively to define alterations in bone morphology that are associated with chronic kidney disease and (2) the term "chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder" (CKD-MBD) can be used to describe the broader clinical syndrome that develops as a systemic disorder of mineral and bone metabolism as a result of chronic kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease-related mineral and bone disorders is manifested by an abnormality of any one or a combination of the following: Laboratory (abnormalities of calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, or vitamin D metabolism), bone (changes in bone turnover, mineralization, volume, linear growth, or strength), and calcification (vascular or other soft tissue calcification). The use of a common, internationally accepted terminology should ease the comparison of studies in this field and eventually improve patient care worldwide.
Review of Lacrosse-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries in High School and Collegiate Players.

CONTEXT: Participation in lacrosse has dramatically increased since 2001. Changes in the game rules, sport equipment, and athlete characteristics have all contributed to the injury patterns in lacrosse over time. OBJECTIVE: A summary of lacrosse-related musculoskeletal injuries. DATA SOURCES: Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for articles relating to the epidemiology and mechanisms of lacrosse injuries in high school and collegiate lacrosse players. STUDY SELECTION: The search strategy used the following keywords: lacrosse, injury, musculoskeletal, high school, intercollegiate, knee, shoulder, fracture, ankle, foot, concussion, and surveillance. Studies were included if they reported injury risk, injury type, or injury mechanism in high school or collegiate lacrosse players. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4. DATA EXTRACTION: Injury type, frequency, and mechanism as well as population were extracted. RESULTS: Thirteen cohort studies and an additional 15 case series and reports were included. For all lacrosse players, ankle, knee, and hand/wrist were key sites for acute injury. Among collegiate players, preseasonal play elicits more injuries than seasonal play. Female players incur more noncontact and overuse injuries than male players. Boys have 3 to 5 times the risk for sustaining a fracture compared with girls in competition and practice. Women experienced fewer concussions but more facial fractures than men. Injuries to the foot/ankle, head, face, and wrist/hand more often required surgery in girls than in boys. CONCLUSION: Male players incur more injuries than female players. However, because of the collisional nature of play, more shoulder, arm, and upper leg injuries occur in male players. Fractures to the head and hand occur relatively more frequently in female players. Injury risk can be modified with appropriate training regimens and by respecting the game rules. Language: en
THE QUMRAN COMMUNITY: ESSENE OR SADDUCEAN?

Qumran est connue pour ses fameux manuscrits mais aussi parce qu'il passe pour le centre nevralgique de la communaute essenienne. Mais ce monastere etait-il reellement peuple d'Esseniens ? N'etaient-ce pas plutot des Sadduceens ? C'est la question que pose l'A. dans ces pages, c'est la these qu'il entend aussi defendre par la meme occasion. Pour ce faire, il s'appuie sur certains manuscrits retrouves dans la quatrieme grotte de Qumran, dont le contenu n'est pas sans faire penser aux croyances sadduceennes et a leur conception de la Mishnah
Distributionally Robust Monte Carlo Simulation: A Tutorial Survey

Abstract Whereas the use of traditional Monte Carlo simulation requires probability distributions for the uncertain parameters entering the system, distributionally robust Monte Carlo simulation does not. According to this new theory, instead of carrying out simulations using some rather arbitrary probability distribution such as Gaussian for the uncertain parameters, we provide a rather different prescription based on distributional robustness considerations. Motivated by manufacturing considerations, a class of distributions ℱ is specified and the results of the simulation hold for all f ∈ ℱ. This new method of Monte Carlo simulation was developed with the robustician in mind in that we begin only with bounds on the uncertain parameters and no a priori probability distribution is assumed.
Technical Review Panel for the PIMS Model : Final Report

In April of 2013, the Pension Research Council of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania convened a Technical Review Panel, comprising ten experts whose task it was to review the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation’s (PBGC) Pension Insurance Modeling System (PIMS), including inputs, outputs, and model assumptions. The review was intended to provide a formal evaluation of the technical adequacy of the model by outside experts. Each expert participating on the Technical Panel was asked to review background material (see References) and focus on a particular aspect of the PIMS model. The list of panelists and topics was developed by the Council in discussion with the Social Security Administration (SSA). This report and the appended papers herein from our Technical Panel comprise the Final Report under this project.The Panel’s key findings may be summarized as follows:1. The PIMS models are an important and valuable tool in modeling the Agency’s liability risk. To the best of our knowledge, there is no other model that can do a comparable job.2. Nevertheless, some improvements could be integrated in the Agency’s approach to modeling. Those deserving highest priority attention in the experts’ view are the following:a) Incorporating systematic mortality risk (i.e., treat mortality and longevity as stochastic variables);b) Including new asset classes increasingly found in defined benefit plan portfolios (e.g. commercial real estate, private equity funds, infrastructure, hedge funds, and others);c) Developing a more complex model for the term structure of interest rates; andd) Incorporating an option value approach to pricing the insurance provided.3. The Agency could also do more to communicate the range of uncertainty and potential for problems associated with the PBGC’s financial status. This could include additional information including the Conditional Value at Risk (CVaR), and perhaps an ‘intermediate,’ ‘optimistic’, and ‘pessimistic’ set of projected outcomes, as well as the expected ‘date of exhaustion’ for assets backing pension benefits insured by the PBGC.
Stability of nonlinear time-delay systems with parameter uncertainties with an application to neural networks

First considers a family of nonlinear time-delay systems with uncertainties and establishes sufficient conditions for the asymptotic stability of an equilibrium for this family. The authors then apply these results to the stability analysis of a class of artificial neural networks with transmission delays. These results require the verification of the definiteness of a certain matrix or the verification of a certain inequality. The authors' results provide also a method of estimating the domain of attraction of an asymptotically stable equilibrium of the time-delay neural networks.
The optimal value selection of decoupling capacitors based on FDFD combined with optimization

This paper describes a novel decoupling capacitor attachment method, which can promptly guide engineers to select the optimal value of decoupling capacitors to suppress low, middle and high frequency noise for board/package/system design. Analysis of a 6 layer PCB indicated the methodology could efficiently and automatically guide engineers to attach suitable valued decoupling capacitors to boards, packages and chips.
Virtual Environment System in Support of a Traditional Orientation and Mobility Rehabilitation Program for People Who Are Blind

Abstract BlindAid, a virtual environment system developed in part for orientation and mobility training of newly, adventitiously, and congenitally blind persons, allows interaction with different virtual structures and objects via auditory and haptic feedback. This research examined whether and how the system might help people who are blind develop orientation and mobility skills within a traditional rehabilitation program. Nine clients at The Carroll Center for the Blind (Newton, MA) explored VEs and performed virtual orientation tasks in addition to their traditional orientation and mobility training. The virtual training gave the participants additional time to learn systematic exploration and orientation strategies and their performance was evaluated using qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings supply strong evidence that practicing with the BlindAid system does enhance traditional orientation and mobility training in these areas.
Vibration sensitivity of optical components: A survey

Building optical fiber-based systems presents different challenges than free-space architectures due to the inherent vibration sensitivity of the fiber and the associated components. A survey of the vibration sensitivity of an assortment of commonly used fiber-based optical components is presented to identify problematic parts of a fiber-based design. The measurement of vibration sensitivity is challenging due to the difficulty of separating the sensitivity of the components from the measurement apparatus itself. The noise introduced by the interconnecting fibers bridging between the stationary measurement system and the vibrating device under test can dominate and mask the noise of the device being measured. We propose and demonstrate a novel technique to measure the vibration sensitivity of fiber-based optical components. It uses a common-arm counter-propagating frequency-shifted interferometer that cancels the vibration-induced phase noise of the interconnecting fibers. The proposed technique improves the vibration-induced phase noise floor by more than 30 dB compared to a conventional frequency-shifted Mach-Zehnder interferometer and allows measurement of low vibration sensitive devices.
Relative motion parallax and the perception of structure from motion

Empirical findings are reported that delineate properties of the process underlying the perception of structure from motion (SfM). First, it is shown that the usual rotating kinetic depth displays generally involve at least two sources of information: relative motion parallax and changes in the projected envelope of the rotating object. Then, evidence is presented that even when variations in projected envelope are minimized, altering the 3-D motion of an object can greatly affect its perceived shape in ways that hint at properties of the underlying process. It is also shown that circular patterns of relative motion parallax not associated with a rigidly moving object can elicit the perception of depth variation, and that added image rotations which by themselves do not elicit apparent depth variation can nevertheless influence the apparent shape of such circular patterns. >
Influence of exercise on cancellous bone of the aged female rat

Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and dynamic histomorphometry were used to examine the effect of treadmill exercise on the bone density and cancellous bone formation and resorption in the proximal tibia and fifth lumbar vertebra (L5) of the aged female rat. Female rats aged 14 months were divided into four groups: 8 controls and 10 exercised for a 9 week study and 8 controls and 9 exercised for a 16 week study. Exercise consisted of running on a flat-bed treadmill, 17 m/minute, 1 h/day, 5 days/week. Tibial metaphysis and L5 vertebral density of each rat were measured in the 16 week study by DXA at weeks 0, 9, and 16. Compared to the control group, a significant increase in bone density in both metaphyseal tibia and L5 vertebra was apparent at 16 weeks after exercise training (P = 0.046 and 0.025, respectively, by two-way ANOVA). Histomorphometric analysis showed that the trabecular bone eroded surface and the ratio of eroded to mineralizing surface in tibial metaphysis were significantly lower in the exercised than in the respective control group in both the 9 and 16 week studies. In L5 vertebra, these decreases by exercise were apparent only in the 16 week study. A significant increase in the bone formation rate was apparent in the cancellous bone of the tibia but not of the vertebra after 16 weeks of exercise (P < 0.05). The trabecular architecture (bone number and separation) of the L5 vertebra in the exercised rats did not differ from that of the controls in either study. The trabecular bone volume and trabecular number of the tibial metaphysis were higher and the separation was less in the exercised rats but not significantly different from the control at each time point. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that the tibial metaphyseal and L5 vertebral bone density were higher in the treadmill-exercised than in the nonexercised adult rat. Increased bone formation and suppressed resorption could account for the beneficial effect of exercise on cancellous weight-bearing bone. In cancellous non-weight-bearing bone, it could be primarily in suppressing bone resorption and inhibiting age-related loss.
Structuring Supplier Involvement in New Product Development: A China–U.S. Study

Buying and supplying organizations rely on each other for developing better products in an efficient manner, which explains the popularity of involving suppliers in new product development (NPD). However, such involvement is not always successful, partially due to the challenges of structuring a buyer–supplier team to manage joint dependence and dependence asymmetry. This study adopts an organizational dependence view to examine how three types of intergroup structures—administrative (formalization and centralization), task (task interdependence), and physical (colocation)—influence project performance and buyer learning in NPD projects. Furthermore, adopting a contingency theory perspective, we study whether the national context moderates the effects of intergroup structures on project outcomes. We adopt a two-group structural equation modeling approach to test hypotheses with survey responses from a sample of NPD projects in the United States (US) and China. Results show different ways in which intergroup structures influence project performance and buyer learning in the two culturally, economically, and institutionally distinct countries. We discuss the implications of these new findings and present directions for future research.
Gender Differences in Emotion Expression in Low-Income Adolescents Under Stress

Gender roles in mainstream US culture suggest that girls express more happiness, sadness, anxiety, and shame/embarrassment than boys, while boys express more anger and externalizing emotions, such as contempt. However, gender roles and emotion expression may be different in low-income and ethnically diverse families, as children and parents are often faced with greater environmental stressors and may have different gender expectations. This study examined gender differences in emotion expression in low-income adolescents, an understudied population. One hundred and seventy nine adolescents (aged 14–17) participated in the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Trained coders rated adolescents’ expressions of happiness, sadness, anxiety, shame/embarrassment, anger, and contempt during the TSST using a micro-analytic coding system. Analyses showed that, consistent with gender roles, girls expressed higher levels of happiness and shame than boys; however, contrary to traditional gender roles, girls showed higher levels of contempt than boys. Also, in contrast to cultural stereotypes, there were no differences in anger between boys and girls. Findings suggest gender-role inconsistent displays of externalizing emotions in low-income adolescents under acute stress, and may reflect different emotion socialization experiences in this group.
Genauigkeit bei der Diagnose von Wurzelangulationen: Panoramaröntgen vs. DVT

In der Praxis ist es eine der grosten Herausforderungen, einen kieferorthopadischen Fall einmal mit Brackets zu bekleben und dann samtliche Zahnwurzeln parallel zueinander auszurichten. Es ist beinahe immer erforderlich, nicht parallel zueinander stehende Zahnwurzeln zu erkennen und die Brackets neu zu positionieren. Stehen Zahnwurzeln zu eng beisammen, kann es zur Schadigung des interproximalen Knochens kommen. Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Studie wurde in einem ersten Schritt die Genauigkeit bei der Bestimmung der Angulation der Zahne mithilfe eines Typodont-Modells untersucht. Dazu wurde die Langsachse jedes Zahnes mit 2 radiopaken Markierungen gekennzeichnet. Anschliesend wurden von diesem Modell eine Panoramaschichtaufnahme und ein digitales Volumentomogramm angefertigt und vermessen. Im Vergleich zur Panoramaschichtaufnahme bildete die digi­tale Volumentomografie die mesiodistale Angulation der Zahne genauer ab. Im klinischen Teil der Studie wurden Panoramaschichtaufnahmen und digitale Volumentomogramme von 25 Patienten der Abteilung fur Kieferorthopadie der University of California in San Francisco ausgewertet. Insgesamt 56 Bilder (50 Originale und 6 Duplikate) wurden randomisiert und individuell von 10 Kieferorthopaden untersucht. Die Frage dabei lautete: „Welche Zahne mussen neu ausgerichtet werden, damit die Zahnwurzeln parallel zueinander stehen?“. Mit den beiden bildgebenden Verfahren wurden unterschiedliche Zahne, unterschiedliche Zahnstellungen und unterschiedliche Richtungen fur die Neuausrichtung ermittelt. Die grosten Unterschiede ergaben sich fur die oberen seitlichen Schneidezahne, die Eckzahne und die zweiten Pramolaren sowie die unteren ersten Pramolaren. Die Panoramaschichtaufnahme bildete die oberen seitlichen Schneidezahne und die Eckzahne zu weit mesial geneigt ab und legte damit eine Kippung der Wurzeln nach distal nahe. Die oberen Pramolaren und die unteren zweiten Pramolaren wurden demgegenuber zu weit distal geneigt abgebildet. In der Praxis kann die Verwendung von Panoramaschichtaufnahmen also dazu fuhren, dass die falschen Zahne neu ausgerichtet und andere Zahne ubersehen werden. Bei der Frage nach der diagnostischen Sicherheit bei den beiden bildgebenden Verfahren gab die Mehrheit der Bearbeiter an, sich bei ihren diagnostischen Entscheidungen mit der digitalen Volumentomografie sicherer zu fuhlen.
Adsorption of nitrate on kaolinite surfaces: a theoretical study.

The interactions of HNO3 and NO3– with kaolinite surfaces are important in the reaction of airborne clay mineral particles with atmospheric trace gases. Theoretical calculations at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level were performed on surface clusters of HNO3 on kaolinite, on monodentate, on bidentate, and on two bridged complex structures of NO3– on kaolinite and on gas phase and solvated NO3–. The results are compatible with the ranges assigned in the literature for NO3– on mineral surfaces for the frequency of the vibrational symmetric stretches (ν1) and for the low-frequency branch of the asymmetric stretches (ν3), with slightly higher frequencies reported for the bridged models. For the higher-frequency branch of the asymmetric stretches measured on kaolinite (Angelini et al.), our calculations match the assigned values for the monodentate surface complex, while predicting an inverse assignment for the frequencies of the bidentate and bridged complexes.
On rates and mechanisms of OH and O3 reactions with isoprene-derived hydroxy nitrates.

Eight distinct hydroxy nitrates are stable products of the first step in the atmospheric oxidation of isoprene by OH. The subsequent chemical fate of these molecules affects global and regional production of ozone and aerosol as well as the location of nitrogen deposition. We synthesized and purified 3 of the 8 isoprene hydroxy nitrate isomers: (E/Z)-2-methyl-4-nitrooxybut-2-ene-1-ol and 3-methyl-2-nitrooxybut-3-ene-1-ol. Oxidation of these molecules by OH and ozone was studied using both chemical ionization mass spectrometry and thermo-dissociation laser induced fluorescence. The OH reaction rate constants at 300 K measured relative to propene at 745 Torr are (1.1 ± 0.2) × 10^(−10) cm^3 molecule^(−1)s^(−1) for both the E and Z isomers and (4.2 ± 0.7) × 10^(−11) cm^3 molecule^(−1)s^(−1) for the third isomer. The ozone reaction rate constants for (E/Z)-2-methyl-4-nitrooxybut-2-ene-1-ol are (2.7 ± 0.5) × 10^(−17) and (2.9 ± 0.5) × 10^(−17) cm^3 molecule^(−1)^s(−1), respectively. 3-Methyl-2-nitrooxybut-3-ene-1-ol reacts with ozone very slowly, within the range of (2.5−5) × 10^(−19) cm^3 molecule^(−1)s^(−1). Reaction pathways, product yields, and implications for atmospheric chemistry are discussed. A condensed mechanism suitable for use in atmospheric chemistry models is presented.
All-Atom Molecular Dynamics of Virus Capsids as Drug Targets

Virus capsids are protein shells that package the viral genome. Although their morphology and biological functions can vary markedly, capsids often play critical roles in regulating viral infection pathways. A detailed knowledge of virus capsids, including their dynamic structure, interactions with cellular factors, and the specific roles that they play in the replication cycle, is imperative for the development of antiviral therapeutics. The following Perspective introduces an emerging area of computational biology that focuses on the dynamics of virus capsids and capsid–protein assemblies, with particular emphasis on the effects of small-molecule drug binding on capsid structure, stability, and allosteric pathways. When performed at chemical detail, molecular dynamics simulations can reveal subtle changes in virus capsids induced by drug molecules a fraction of their size. Here, the current challenges of performing all-atom capsid–drug simulations are discussed, along with an outlook on the applicabilit...
Lifestyle: An Expression of Class Identification

We all have stereotyped notions about how different sorts of lifestyles imply different political attitudes. We all have presumptions as to the sort of people who drive Priuses and sip lattes. Of course, our stereotypes change over time. Going back a few decades, driving a Volvo, drinking Perrier water, and eating brie invoked the same sort of cultural stereotypes. Yet with very few exceptions (e.g., Lipset and Ladd’s work on automobiles and political opinions among academics, Pierre Bourdieu’s analysis of French data) scholars have not bothered to find out whether the stereotypes have any basis in fact and, if they do, what it means.
Photoinduced Homolytic Bond Cleavage of the Central Si-C Bond in Porphyrin Macrocycles Is a Charge Polarization Driven Process.

Photoinduced cleavage of the bond between the central Si atom in porphyrin macrocycles and the neighboring carbon atom of an axial alkyl ligand is investigated by both experimental and computational tools. Photolysis and electron paramagnetic resonance measurements indicate that the Si–C bond cleavage of Si–phthalocyanine occurs through a homolytic process. The homolytic process follows a low-lying electronic excitation of about 1.8 eV that destabilizes the carbide bond of similar bond dissociation energy. Using electronic structure calculations, we provide insight into the nature of the excited state and the resulting photocleavage mechanism. We explain this process by finding that the electronic excited state is of a charge transfer character from the axial ligand toward the macrocycle in the reverse direction of the ground state polarization. We find that the homolytic process yielding the radical intermediate is energetically the most stable mechanistic route. Furthermore, we demonstrate using our com...
Precise motion control of a hybrid magnetic suspension actuator with large travel

A novel hybrid magnetic suspension actuator (HMSA) that can be used for positioning applications with sub-micron resolution and millimeter range has been developed. The proposed actuator can generate levitation with reduced power consumption by using permanent magnets to provide repulsive force and a coaxial coil for the attractive force. It will enable modular implementation of millimeter-range multi-DOF magnetically suspended platforms with large load capacity and fast response by controlling independent axis of motion with low power consumption and resolution only limited by the accuracy of the sensing system. To achieve precise positioning over a long range of travel while keeping fast response, an enhanced digital quasi-sliding mode controller with reaching law has been implemented and its performance compared to that of standard feedback linearization. The controller has been implemented in a DSP platform and its performance evaluated and compared through stabilization and tracking experiments. A fast reaching rate with low chattering has been demonstrated, showing the advantages of the proposed actuator and controller in magnetic suspension applications requiring both long range of travel and fast response.
Is It Time to Join the Cult? Radial Access and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

In the first report of complications after balloon angioplasty in the seminal National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute registry, myocardial infarction and coronary artery dissection are each reported in 5% of patients. The phrase “blood loss” is mentioned twice, the word “bleeding” is mentioned once, and “transfusion” is not mentioned at all.1 As the former set of events becomes increasingly uncommon, considerable attention has been redirected from preventing ischemia to bleeding avoidance strategies.2 A search of PubMed (accessed May 11, 2015) using the terms and yielded 1851 hits. An academic consortium to address the issues posed by bleeding3 is already 4 years old, and a considerable body of literature now documents the association between bleeding and subsequent mortality. The effort to manage bleeding has largely consisted of a 2 pronged approach: the adoption of transradial access (TRA) for angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and the modification of pharmacological regimens. The transradial approach was first described by Campeau4 >25 years ago. Since that time, procedural success rates have equaled those for transfemoral access (TFA), with crossover to the transfemoral route occurring ≈6% of the time.5 Meta-analyses have suggested its superiority to TFA6–9 for reduction of bleeding, vascular access complications, and probably mortality. Two large randomized trials, RIVAL (A Randomized Comparison of Radial vs Femoral Access for Coronary Intervention in ACS) and MATRIX (Minimizing Adverse Hemorrhagic Events by Transradial Access Sites and Systemic Implementation of AngioX) Access, including >15 000 patients have provided more concrete evidence of its superiority to TFA in patients with acute coronary syndromes.5,10 Two modestly sized trials11,12 and a prespecified substudy of RIVAL13 suggest that this benefit may be greatest in patients undergoing PCI for ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction, presumably because …
Clostridium perfringens Sialidases: Potential Contributors to Intestinal Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Targets

Clostridium perfringens is a major cause of histotoxic and intestinal infections of humans and other animals. This Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium can produce up to three sialidases named NanH, NanI, and NanJ. The role of sialidases in histotoxic infections, such as gas gangrene (clostridial myonecrosis), remains equivocal. However, recent in vitro studies suggest that NanI may contribute to intestinal virulence by upregulating production of some toxins associated with intestinal infection, increasing the binding and activity of some of those toxins, and enhancing adherence of C. perfringens to intestinal cells. Possible contributions of NanI to intestinal colonization are further supported by observations that the C. perfringens strains causing acute food poisoning in humans often lack the nanI gene, while other C. perfringens strains causing chronic intestinal infections in humans usually carry a nanI gene. Certain sialidase inhibitors have been shown to block NanI activity and reduce C. perfringens adherence to cultured enterocyte-like cells, opening the possibility that sialidase inhibitors could be useful therapeutics against C. perfringens intestinal infections. These initial in vitro observations should be tested for their in vivo significance using animal models of intestinal infections.
New developments in high harmonic generation and applications in imaging and materials science

It is now possible to coherently manipulate the spectral, temporal and polarization of high harmonic generation using visible laser beams, to sculpt this quantum light source for specific applications.
Basic research: Suffocating the heart to stimulate regeneration

Ischaemic cardiomyopathy leads to destruction of cardiomyocytes beyond the regenerative potential of the adult human heart. The murine heart can regenerate in utero and shortly after birth, but oxidative stress eventually arrests cardiomyocyte division. Chronic hypoxia in mice has now been shown to induce the cell cycle in cardiomyocytes, resulting in cardiac regeneration.
Dry matter and nitrogen uptake, partitioning, and removal across a wide range of soybean seed yield levels

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] growers are concerned that soybean yield is restricted by limitations on biological N₂ fixation and soil nitrogen (N) mineralization. However, a comprehensive study characterizing actual soybean N requirements across wide-ranging seed yield environments is nonexistent for modern soybean production systems. Using six site-years and eight soybean varieties, plants were sampled at six growth stages and partitioned into their respective plant parts and analyzed. For each kilogram increase in yield, total dry matter accumulation, harvest index, and total N uptake increased by 1.45 kg, 0.0034%, and 0.054 kg, respectively, but all varied by environment at any specific yield level, whereas N removal did not (0.055 kg N kg⁻¹ grain). Nitrogen harvest index (NHI) increased (0.0019–0.004% kg⁻¹ grain) with yield but varied by environment and yield level, resulting in indices between 73 and 90%. Peak uptake rates for N were 3.6 to 4.3 kg ha⁻¹ d⁻¹ between R4 and R5, depending on the yield level. After R5.5, 66 to 69% of vegetative N was remobilized to the seed, which accounted for 50.4% of seed N at the low yield level (3608 kg ha⁻¹), but only 38.9% at the high yield level (5483 kg ha⁻¹). Moreover, higher yields attained a greater portion of their total N uptake after R5.5 (40.1%) compared with the low yield level (29.7%). These results highlight greater remobilization efficiencies and late-season N uptake in conjunction with greater NHI to support higher yields per unit of N uptake in current production realities.
Double hysteresis loops at room temperature in NaNbO3-based lead-free antiferroelectric ceramics

Polarization-field double hysteresis loops have hardly ever been observed at room temperature in polycrystalline NaNbO3, one of a few lead-free antiferroelectric compounds. In this Letter, it is sh...
Using Dispositional Surveys to Improve Individual and Program Quality in Educational Leadership

Assessment of dispositions provides valuable information for preparing new educational leaders. By using three dispositional instruments to meet national and state standards, we assess candidates at multiple points throughout a master’s degree leadership preparation program. The Educational Leader Candidate Belief Scale (ELCBS) had been previously validated, and the most recent revision focused on diversity and social justice issues. Comparing the results from the ELCBS to the expected responses, changes were made to the program and future needs were identified. In addition, results are used to provide remediation for individual students in facilitating the acquisition of dispositions. Assessment of dispositions is complex and consistent with accreditation standards and requirements for program approval, yet vital in ensuring students are able to lead inclusive schools.
Age, Sociology of

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by A. Foner, M.W. Riley, volume 1, pp. 275–278, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
The Management of an Ectopic Ovary in an Adolescent Patient with Gastroschisis.

Abstract Background Gastroschisis is an abdominal wall defect through which the bowel herniates into the amniotic cavity. Surgical correction of gastroschisis is performed during infancy. Gynecologic concerns have not been described in this population as either an associated anomaly or complication of surgical repair. Case A 15-year-old nulliparous female patient presented with abdominal pain with a history of gastroschisis requiring 4 surgeries in infancy. Computed tomography scan showed an ovary located in the right upper quadrant, which was concerning for torsion. She was taken for a laparotomy with right oophorectomy after conservative management had failed. Summary and Conclusion Long-term gynecologic outcomes of patients with gastroschisis are not well documented. Because gastroschisis patients are known to have abdominal pain later in life, this case shows that the differential diagnosis should include etiologies beyond the gastrointestinal tract.
Biomagnetic Sources and Their Models

Over the past twenty-five years, the study of biomagnetic phenomena has evolved into an interdisciplinary research effort involving individuals whose primary training has most often been in either biology, engineering, medicine, physics, or psychology. The goal of this tutorial is to present to a similarly eclectic audience the essential physics and electrophysiology required to describe the biological sources of magnetic fields, the spatial variation of these fields, and how the sources and their fields can be modeled mathematically. Introductory physics courses tend to concentrate on simple systems such as isolated electric charges in vacuum, currents flowing in circular coils, and circuits with discrete batteries, wires, and resistors. Introductory biology courses seldom address bioelectric phenomena in detail. As a result, many of us enter biomagnetism with an intuition that is ill-prepared to describe how biological cells produce currents that flow throughout an inhomogeneous body that has a complicated geometry. It is even harder to understand the spatial variation and information content of the magnetic fields associated with these currents. In complex systems such as the human heart or brain, the simple equations presented in an introductory physics course must be written in a more general form, usually involving vector or tensor calculus. Rigorous and quantitative treatment of this material can be found in several chapters in the volume edited by Williamson et al. (1983), in the text by Hobbie (1988), and in the review by Wikswo et al. (1979). Kuffler et al. (1984) and Macfarlane and Lawrie (1989) provide comprehensive treatments of neurophysiology and cardiac electrophysiology, respectively. In this tutorial, I will concentrate on presenting a more qualitative, pictorial approach to the subject than do any of these references. I hope that I will describe the concepts in a manner that will allow someone whose background does not span all of physics, mathematics, and biology to develop an appreciation for the interdisciplinary subtleties of the subject without the distraction of numerous equations or extensive physiological descriptions. Because of space limitations, I will not discuss how magnetic materials, either of biological origin or from contamination, can produce magnetic fields.
Modeling Thin Inclusions in Poroelastic Medium by Line Discontinuities

A concept of an inclusion in poroelastic medium is commonly implemented in earth sciences applications1, in particular, for modeling hydrocarbon reservoirs2,3,4,5. In-situ stress changes caused by reservoir depletion may have various consequences ranging from reactivation of nearby faults6 (inherent in most petroleum formations7) to shearing boreholes drilled through the fault zone8 to inducing seismicity9 to drastically affecting the formation permeability4,5. Since typically, the thickness of petroleum reservoirs is much smaller than their lateral dimensions, a model of thin inclusions becomes of a particular importance in this case.
DEPENDENCE OF CHARGE DENSITY AND ELECTRIC FIELD WITHIN THE CAGES OF X AND Y ZEOLITES ON THE CATION: PHOTOPHYSICAL PROBES

ABSTRACT Pyrene, pyrenealdehyde and para-dimethylaminobenzonitrile have been used as photophysical probes to monitor the polarity of zeolite interior. As per pyrenealdehyde and para-dimethylaminobenzonitrile the cage is highly polar or possess high electric field when the cation is Li or Na. Also the polarity/electric field of the cage decreases with the cation size (Li>Na>K>Rb>Cs). Furthermore, the polarity of the supercages is higher in the case of X than in Y zeolites. Although the results with pyrene are generally consistent with those of the other two probes, pyrene fails to sense the difference between Li, Na and other cations. The photophysical technique described here is established to be general and has been utilized to estimate the polarity of other members of zeolite family.
Scaling embedded in-situ indexing with deltaFS

Analysis of large-scale simulation output is a core element of scientific inquiry, but analysis queries may experience significant I/O overhead when the data is not structured for efficient retrieval. While in-situ processing allows for improved time-to-insight for many applications, scaling in-situ frameworks to hundreds of thousands of cores can be difficult in practice. The DeltaFS in-situ indexing is a new approach for in-situ processing of massive amounts of data to achieve efficient point and small-range queries. This paper describes the challenges and lessons learned when scaling this in-situ processing function to hundreds of thousands of cores. We propose techniques for scalable all-to-all communication that is memory and bandwidth efficient, concurrent indexing, and specialized LSM-Tree formats. Combining these techniques allows DeltaFS to control the cost of in-situ processing while maintaining 3 orders of magnitude query speedup when scaling alongside the popular VPIC particle-in-cell code to 131,072 cores.
Heterogeneity, urgency, generalizability, and enrollment: The HUGE balance in ALS trials

Most clinical trials in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have not produced successful new drugs.1 Putative new therapies may not work to slow ALS for a number of reasons: perhaps the target is not pertinent or the drug characteristics are unacceptable (e.g., inadequate CNS penetration). If a drug is ineffective in treating ALS, it is best to declare this quickly and move on. If it looks promising, it is best to hasten development. Thus, conducting high-quality, rapid trials is a meaningful goal for ALS trialists. Yet, there are numerous challenges in ALS drug development. Perhaps chief among them is that ALS is a heterogeneous disorder.2 This heterogeneity is most obvious to clinicians and clinical researchers as differences in location of onset, duration of diagnostic delay, and rate of ALS progression.3 This phenotypic heterogeneity can also be threatening: it reduces statistical power, resulting in larger, longer ALS trials. Participant selection criteria are 1 trial design tool that ALS trialists use to try to manage this challenge.
Enhancement of lung levels of antibiotics by ambroxol and bromhexine.

Introduction: Major unmet needs remain for improved antibiotic treatment in lung infections. While development of new antibiotics is needed to overcome resistance, other approaches to optimize ther...
Menu-Based Pricing for Profitable Electric Vehicle Charging with Vehicle-to-Grid Service

The paper considers a bidirectional power flow model of the electric vehicles (EVs) in a charging station. The EVs can inject energy by discharging via a Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) service which can enhance the profits of the charging station. However, frequent charging and discharging degrade the battery life. A proper compensation needs to be paid to the users to participate in the V2G service. We propose a menu-based pricing scheme, where the charging station selects a price for each arriving user for the amount of battery utilization, the total energy, and the time (deadline) that the EV will stay. The user can accept one of the contracts or rejects all depending on their utilities. The charging station can serve users using a combination of the renewable energy and the conventional energy bought from the grid. The charging station is not aware of the exact utilities, finding the optimal price is computationally difficult. We show that a guaranteed fixed profit pricing scheme in a myopic scenario can maximize the expected profit over a large class of distribution function. In the menu-based pricing, when the harvested renewable energy is small the users have higher incentives for the V2G service.
Quantum coherence and the localization transition

A dynamical signature of localization in quantum systems is the absence of transport which is governed by the amount of coherence that configuration space states possess with respect to the Hamiltonian eigenbasis. To make this observation precise, we study the localization transition via quantum coherence measures arising from the resource theory of coherence. We show that the escape probability, which is known to show distinct behavior in the ergodic and localized phases, arises naturally as the average of a coherence measure. Moreover, using the theory of majorization, we argue that broad families of coherence measures can detect the uniformity of the transition matrix (between the Hamiltonian and configuration bases) and hence act as probes to localization. We provide supporting numerical evidence for Anderson and many-body localization (MBL). For infinitesimal perturbations of the Hamiltonian, the differential coherence defines an associated Riemannian metric. We show that the latter is exactly given by the dynamical conductivity, a quantity of experimental relevance which is known to have a distinctively different behavior in the ergodic and in the many-body localized phases.
Diagnostic Imaging Advances

Safe and efficient high-dose radiation delivery to target tissue, while minimizing the exposure and toxicity of adjacent non-target organs, is considered the paramount goal of stereotactic radiosurgery. With the expanding applications of stereotactic radiosurgery, the requirement for imaging tools to precisely and accurately guide treatment planning and posttreatment disease monitoring has also grown. As radiosurgery pioneers many frontiers in noninvasive personalized medicine, the need for reliable imaging biomarkers is particularly evident in oncologic practice where differentiation of treatment-related changes from tumor recurrence is of critical importance. This chapter reviews entity-specific and technical considerations of advanced imaging in the planning and follow-up of a variety of benign and malignant intracranial lesions, as well as lung and prostate carcinomas.