cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of knowledge gaps in neurosurgery through analysis of responses to the self-assessment in neurological surgery (SANS)

Objective To examine the gaps in knowledge of neurosurgeons responding to the Self-Assessment in Neurological Surgery (SANS). Methods From 2008–2010, 267 neurosurgery residents and 993 attending neurosurgeons completed the 245 available question in SANS. Mean scores were calculated and assessed according to 18 major neurosurgical knowledge disciplines. Statistical analysis was carried out to evaluate for knowledge gaps among all users and differences in performance between residents and practicing neurosurgeons. Results The mean overall score was 66% ± 12. Of the 18 major knowledge categories in SANS, respondents answered questions incorrectly ≥30% of the time in half of the categories. Mean scores in anatomy (76%) were the highest, and mean scores in vascular (60%) were the lowest ( P P P Conclusions SANS demonstrated areas of knowledge gaps in a broad group of neurosurgeons. There were also significant differences between residents and attending neurosurgeons. Identification of areas of deficiency could prove useful in future educational endeavors. • Peer-Reviewed Article
Fusion rates for deuterium in titanium clusters

Abstract Ab initio Hartree-Fock self-consistent field calculations for hydrogen atoms in a titanium atom matrix have been performed. Computed potential energy surfaces for the deuterium motion are used to calculate fusion rates. These calculations suggest that no stable state of titanium deuteride exists with the small inter-deuteron distances required for measurable fusion rates.
Background Subtraction Based on Pulse Coupled Neural Network

Dynamic environments often bring great challenges to moving object detection. Solving this problem will promote expansion of application fields of moving object detection. Unlike those background subtraction methods using local feature-based background models, inspired by integrity of human visual perception, we present a background subtraction method for moving object detection in dynamic environments, building its background models based on global features extracted by pulse coupled neural network. We employ the pulse coupled neural network to take good advantage of their global coupling characters, in order to imitate the human biological visual activity. After sensing images via the pulse coupled neural network, we extract global information of the scenes and then build background models robust to background disturbances based on the global features. Experimental results prove that, our method behaves well in terms of visual and quantitative evaluations for dynamic environments.
Apparatus for Continuous Fluorescent X-Ray Spectrographic Analysis of Solutions

This paper describes a continuous solution analyzer and is an extension of a previous investigation on fluorescent x-ray spectrographic analysis of solutions (1). Although this laboratory was primarily interested in studies of limited duration, the apparatus is also suitable for con- tinuous process control.
Comparison of AnnAGNPS and SWAT model simulation results in USDA‐CEAP agricultural watersheds in south‐central Kansas

This study was conducted under the USDA-Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) in the Cheney Lake watershed in south-central Kansas. The Cheney Lake watershed has been identified as ‘impaired waters’ under Section 303(d) of the Federal Clean Water Act for sediments and total phosphorus. The USDA-CEAP seeks to quantify environmental benefits of conservation programmes on water quality by monitoring and modelling. Two of the most widely used USDA watershed-scale models are Annualized AGricultural Non-Point Source (AnnAGNPS) and Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The objectives of this study were to compare hydrology, sediment, and total phosphorus simulation results from AnnAGNPS and SWAT in separate calibration and validation watersheds. Models were calibrated in Red Rock Creek watershed and validated in Goose Creek watershed, both sub-watersheds of the Cheney Lake watershed. Forty-five months (January 1997 to September 2000) of monthly measured flow and water quality data were used to evaluate the two models. Both models generally provided from fair to very good correlation and model efficiency for simulating surface runoff and sediment yield during calibration and validation (correlation coefficient; R2, from 0·50 to 0·89, Nash Sutcliffe efficiency index, E, from 0·47 to 0·73, root mean square error, RMSE, from 0·25 to 0·45 m3 s−1 for flow, from 158 to 312 Mg for sediment yield). Total phosphorus predictions from calibration and validation of SWAT indicated good correlation and model efficiency (R2 from 0·60 to 0·70, E from 0·63 to 0·68) while total phosphorus predictions from validation of AnnAGNPS were from unsatisfactory to very good (R2 from 0·60 to 0·77, E from − 2·38 to 0·32). The root mean square error–observations standard deviation ratio (RSR) was estimated as excellent (from 0·08 to 0·25) for the all model simulated parameters during the calibration and validation study. The percentage bias (PBIAS) of the model simulated parameters varied from unsatisfactory to excellent (from 128 to 3). This study determined SWAT to be the most appropriate model for this watershed based on calibration and validation results. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Manipulating Actin Dynamics Affects Human In Vitro Decidualization

The differentiation of uterine stromal fibroblasts into decidual cells is critical for establishing pregnancy. This process, called decidualization, requires the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, which mainly depends on actin dynamics and the phosphorylation status of the myosin light chain. We manipulated actin dynamics with jasplakinolide (100 nM) and latrunculin B (1 μM), both of which significantly inhibited the synthesis of decidualization markers induced by 6 days of treatment with embryo-mimicking stimulus interleukin 1beta (IL1B) and steroid hormones (SHs; 17beta-estradiol and medroxyprogesterone acetate) in the human uterine fibroblast (HuF) in vitro model. However, only jasplakinolide had long-lasting effects on the G-actin:F-actin ratio and prevented decidualization induced by the artificial stimulus cAMP (and SHs). Actin-binding protein cofilin mainly colocalized with G-actin in the nucleus as well as the cytoplasm. Only some spots of colocalization between cofilin and F-actin were detected in the cytoplasm. Brief extraction of cytosolic proteins from living cells revealed that in cells treated with IL1B or cAMP (and SHs) for 6 days, cofilin was mainly detected in the nucleus. The translocation of cofilin from cytosol to nucleus was also detected in HuFs treated for 12 days with SHs, IL1B and SHs, and cAMP and SHs. The same significant translocation was confirmed in primary baboon stromal uterine fibroblasts. We conclude that changes in actin dynamics, particularly the stabilization of F-actin, have a significant negative impact on decidualization, and the translocation of cofilin to the nucleus is a key feature of this process in the primate.
Landscape Management: Diversity of Approaches and Points of Comparison

Forest scientists and managers have long considered landscapes important entities to be studied and managed, although only in the past two decades has the term “landscape” become widely adopted in these fields (Harris 1984, Franklin and Forman 1987, Szaro et al. 1999). Contemporary forest management issues at landscape scales have been framed as concerns about cumulative watershed effects, species viability, fire hazard, and ecosystem health or integrity (Szaro et al. 1999). Because many issues emerge at the landscape scale, it is an essential scale for addressing compatibility and tradeoffs among land use objectives when policy decisions are made.
Quantification and detection of DcR3, a decoy receptor in TNFR family

A soluble decoy receptor, DcR3, belongs to the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) family, and this receptor is known to bind to three TNF family ligands, namely Fas ligand (FasL), LIGHT, and TL1A. To aid our understating of the role of DcR3 in the immune system, we have developed quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect soluble DcR3 in human biological fluids. Two monoclonal antibodies, MD3E2 and MD3B1, that recognized different epitopes on the DcR3 molecule were selected as capture and detection antibodies, respectively, to be paired in ELISA. The assay had a detection limit of 36 pg/ml with a dynamic range of 0.25-16 ng/ml. The recovery range was 91-112% for cell culture supernatant and 90-108% for human sera. Intra- and inter-assay CVs were less than 7.2% and 11.2%, respectively. Among a panel of cell lines tested, colon adenocarcinoma cell line, SW480, secreted the highest levels of DcR3 at 3.2 ng/ml. From the screening of human sera samples, we discovered that 39 healthy individuals, 59 tumor patients, and 46 patients with renal failure expressed an average (mean+/-S.D.) 0.56+/-0.52, 2.3+/-1.6, and 4.6+/-2.8 ng/ml DcR3, respectively. To confirm the specificity of ELISA, we have purified native DcR3 from SW480 cell culture supernatants and identified a native DcR3 in a clinical serum by immunoprecipitation. Taken together, our data demonstrated that the ELISA developed in this study was specific and sensitive to quantify soluble DcR3 in a variety of human biological fluids and that the assay would be useful for studying the regulation of DcR3 in certain pathophysiological conditions.
An efficient method for the coupling of a fully-explicit Time-Domain solid-state hydrodynamic simulator with FDTD EM solvers

This paper examines the implications of decoupling the FDTD grids between and FDTD Electromagnetic (FDTD-EM) and an FDTD Hydrodynamic semiconductor simulator. Excitation methods and responses are examined to determine feasibility for decoupling the space and time grids for significant computational savings. Additionally, a new fully-explicit leap-frog discretization of the Hydrodynamic model is is benchmarked with respect to several well known discretization methods.
Representation and Problem-Solving: The Foundations of Engineering Design

Engineering design, a discipline of vital importance to US industry, is often perceived as lacking rigor and structure. An operational definition of engineering design is offered, to stress that representation is the key element in design. Recent developments in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) provide new techniques for design representation that enable better explication of design concepts. Further, the increased power and the flexibility of Al-based, computer-aided design tools offer opportunities for automating routine design and for creating designer's assistants to support the exploration of design alternatives.
Condor-a hunter of idle workstations

The design, implementation, and performance of the Condor scheduling system, which operates in a workstation environment, are presented. The system aims to maximize the utilization of workstations with as little interference as possible between the jobs it schedules and the activities of the people who own workstations. It identifies idle workstations and schedules background jobs on them. When the owner of a workstation resumes activity at a station, Condor checkpoints the remote job running on the station and transfers it to another workstation. The system guarantees that the job will eventually complete, and that very little, if any, work will be performed more than once. A performance profile of the system is presented that is based on data accumulated from 23 stations during one month. >
PMD monitoring by tracking the chromatic-dispersion-insensitive RF power of the vestigial sideband

We demonstrate a simple technique for polarization-mode-dispersion (PMD) monitoring that is insensitive to chromatic dispersion (CD). By monitoring the extracted radio-frequency clock power from the vestigial sideband, a CD-insensitive PMD feedback signal is realized. For a 10-Gb/s return-to-zero (RZ) system, experimental results show that the fluctuation of the feedback clock power due to CD is reduced from /spl sim/20 to /spl sim/3 dB. In the presence of all-order PMD, the distribution of the clock power is essentially unchanged as the inline CD varies. Simulation results for a 40-Gb/s RZ system are also presented.
Micro-damage diagnostics using Nonlinear Elastic Wave Spectroscopy (NEWS)

Nonlinear elastic wave spectroscopy (NEWS) represents a class of powerful tools which explore the dynamic nonlinear stress–strain features in the compliant bond system of a micro-inhomogeneous material and link them to micro-scale damage. Hysteresis and nonlinearity in the constitutive relation (at the micro-strain level) result in acoustic and ultrasonic wave distortion, which gives rise to changes in the resonance frequencies as a function of drive amplitude, generation of accompanying harmonics, nonlinear attenuation, and multiplication of waves of different frequencies. The sensitivity of nonlinear methods to the detection of damage features (cracks, flaws, etc.) is far greater than can be obtained with linear acoustical methods (measures of wavespeed and wave dissipation). We illustrate two recently developed NEWS methods, and compare the results for both techniques on roofing tiles used in building construction.
Training for and maintaining interviewer consistency with the ASI

Abstract A short quiz of Addiction Severity Index (ASI) coding conventions was developed to identify coding inconsistencies within a large group of trained interviewers, as one step in an overall program of quality assurance monitoring. Problem items, in which less than 75% of the quiz respondents answered correctly, existed in almost every ASI section. The ASI quiz has proven helpful in identifying "drift" from the ASI standard procedures. Individually reviewing the results of the quiz with the respondents helped to reinforce the recognized coding rules. The authors discuss a system-wide quality assurance program for maintaining interviewer consistency. It is believed that coding convention measures of this type could be useful in the maintenance of standards in other research interviews and procedures.
Computer-Aided Fatigue Design of Power Transmission Shafts Using Three-Dimensional Finite Shaft Element and Updated Mean Stress Diagram

A three-dimensional flexural shaft element is developed for elastic analyses of power transmission shafts and geared systems. It is used for the computer-aided fatigue design of three-dimensionally loaded power transmission shafts on many rigid or elastic bearings. Bagci’s mean stress diagram—which removes the flaw related to the load line slope of zero value in the presently used mean stress theories—is used to determine the failure value of the reduced fatigue strength of the shaft at the critical sections considered. Basic stresses are defined using maximum energy of distortion theory. An interactive computer program is prepared for fatigue design of power transmission shafts, in which some of the strength reducing factors for each notch location are determined using generalized expressions. The program initially locates the weakest section on the shaft, then it redefines the dimensions for the desired factor of safety, reliability and the fatigue life at that section. An application example is included.
The infant's physical attractiveness: Its effect on bonding and attachment

The results of a project concerned with studying infants' physical attractiveness are reviewed. Information on what makes an infant cute and what the effects of infant cuteness are, is provided. These findings and hypotheses derived from them are then discussed in relation to the bonding and attachment phenomena. It is suggested that adults' initial reactions to the appearance of any infant are similar to what occurs during bonding, whereas differential reactions to infants varying in appearance are similar to the variability observed in the construction of an attachment relationship. Adults' reactions to atypical appearance are also discussed.
Innovation Relies on the Obscure A Key to Overcoming the Classic Problem of Functional Fixedness

A recent analysis of real-world problems that led to historic inventions and insight problems that are used in psychology experiments suggests that during innovative problem solving, individuals discover at least one infrequently noticed or new (i.e., obscure) feature of the problem that can be used to reach a solution. This observation suggests that research uncovering aspects of the human semantic, perceptual, and motor systems that inhibit the noticing of obscure features would enable researchers to identify effective techniques to overcome those obstacles. As a critical step in this research program, this study showed that the generic-parts technique can help people unearth the types of obscure features that can be used to overcome functional fixedness, which is a classic inhibitor to problem solving. Subjects trained on this technique solved on average 67% more problems than a control group did. By devising techniques that facilitate the noticing of obscure features in order to overcome impediments to problem solving (e.g., design fixation), researchers can systematically create a tool kit of innovation-enhancing techniques.
Competitive Strategies in the Health Care Sector in Mexico

This case study provides the basis for identifying the importance of obtaining knowledge about the five major forces in industry analysis, as well as the role of strategic alliances in business strategies of the Mexican industry. The Grupo Columbia is a Mexican organization whose major business activity is related to the health care sector. This organization, facing a new global environment, identified an important area for improvement in information management within its industry, and established a strategy towards its competitive position based on this approach. In order to implement the process, Grupo Columbia has selected information systems as the most suitable instrument to achieve its strategy and to create a profitable business unit called ColSis—seeking to encourage a culture of information technology in the health care sector.
Toxin-Antitoxin (TA) Systems are Prevalent and Transcribed in Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

The percentage of bacterial infections refractory to standard antibiotic treatments is steadily increasing. Among the most problematic hospital and community-acquired pathogens are methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA). One novel strategy proposed for treating infections of multidrug-resistant bacteria is the activation of latent toxins of toxin–antitoxin (TA) protein complexes residing within bacteria; however, the prevalence and identity of TA systems in clinical isolates of MRSA and PA has not been defined. We isolated DNA from 78 MRSA and 42 PA clinical isolates and used PCR to probe for the presence of various TA loci. Our results showed that the genes for homologs of the mazEF TA system in MRSA and the relBE and higBA TA systems in PA were present in 100% of the respective strains. Additionally, reverse transcriptase PCR analysis revealed that these transcripts are produced in the clinical isolates. These results indicate that TA genes are prevalent and transcribed within MRSA and PA and suggest that activation of the toxin proteins could be an effective antibacterial strategy for these pathogens.
Influence of Solution Composition on the Exfoliation of Organic Matter from a Model Soil System

It has recently been demonstrated that small perturbation of hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding via small changes in solution composition can greatly alter the conformation of dissolved organic matter. This work investigates if the same holds for in-situ soil organic matter (SOM) by exfoliating it with solvent systems (SSs) of different compositions. The effects of aqueous solutions composed of 4.6 × 10−3 mol·L−1 acetic acid (AA), acetonitrile (ACN), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), hydrochloric acid (HCl), and methanol (MeOH) as well as 18 MΩ H2O were investigated. Only the ACN SS showed marked difference in the amount and type of organic matter exfoliated compared to that exfoliated by H2O only, as monitored by UV/Vis absorbance, fluorescence, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared (ATR-FTIR), and 13C cross polarization magic angle spinning (CP-MAS) spectroscopy. It was found that after 20 days the ACN exfoliation solution had turned brown while the other solutions remained yellow, and that this color change could be attributed to more of the humified materials being exfoliated. It was also found that an additional 25 days allowed for a larger amount of the less humified material to be subsequently exfoliated. Based on these findings, a solvation model is put forward along with an explanation for the differences seen for the ACN SS. Both are relevant to hydrophobic organic compound sorption, remediation, and soil wetting processes.
explICU: A web-based visualization and predictive modeling toolkit for mortality in intensive care patients

Preventing mortality in intensive care units (ICUs) has been a top priority in American hospitals. Predictive modeling has been shown to be effective in prediction of mortality based upon data from patients' past medical histories from electronic health records (EHRs). Furthermore, visualization of timeline events is imperative in the ICU setting in order to quickly identify trends in patient histories that may lead to mortality. With the increasing adoption of EHRs, a wealth of medical data is becoming increasingly available for secondary uses such as data exploration and predictive modeling. While data exploration and predictive modeling are useful for finding risk factors in ICU patients, the process is time consuming and requires a high level of computer programming ability. We propose explICU, a web service that hosts EHR data, displays timelines of patient events based upon user-specified preferences, performs predictive modeling in the back end, and displays results to the user via intuitive, interactive visualizations.
Informal Social Group Influence on Consumer Brand Choice

This article discusses the influence of small, informal social groups on member brand choice. Two determinants of group influence, cohesiveness and group knowledge of member behavior, were found to...
Production of High Value Solid Fuels From Cellulosic Feed Materials by the Koppelman Process

When wet cellulosic material is heated to 500 C in an autoclave at 100 atmospheric pressure, the resulting solid product is dry and has a heating value ranging from 6700 to 7800 cal/g (12,00 to 14,00 Btu/lb). This treatment is the basis for the Koppelman Process covered in U.S. Patent 4,052,168. Test results and product characteristics are described.Copyright © 1979 by ASME
Knowledge and Behavior of Schistosomiasis Control Among Rural People in Pujiang County,Sichuan

Objective To investigate the status of knowledge and behavior of schistosomiasis control among rural people in Pujiang county so as to provide scientific evidence for schistosomiasis control strategies. Methods A total 621 local residents were investigated by questionnaires. And the status of groups with different features was compared and analyzed. Results The local people showed certain schistosomiasis control knowledge and correct behaviors. The rates of schistosomiasis control knowledge and correct behavior in historical more serious epidemic area was higher. There was a phenomenon of mutual deviation in the knowledge and correct behavior. Conclusion Health education work can not ignored in less serious epidemic area. More efforts should be made on behavior formation. Health education program should be pointedly carried out against the weaknesses.
Comparative Analysis on Electromagnetic Environment of ±500 kV DC Transmission Lines with Vertical and Horizontal Pole Arrangements

According to the geometry configuration characteristics of HVDC transmission lines with vertical and horizontal pole arrangements, on the basis of considering different corona onset field strengths of positive and negative poles as well as different mobilities of positive and negative ions, the comparative analysis on the electromagnetic environmental characteristics of ±500kV DC transmission lines with vertical and horizontal pole arrangements is performed. Research results are shown as follows. For the same pole spacing and the same minimal attitude of pole above ground, comparing with transmission lines with horizontal pole arrangement, the total electric field strength at ground level, space charge density and ion current density of transmission lines with vertical pole arrangement and the lower negative pole possess larger maximal values, and radio interference level and audio noise level of this type of lines are lower; whereas the total electric field strength at ground level, space charge density and ion current density of transmission lines with vertical pole arrangement and the lower positive pole possess smaller maximal values, and radio interference level and audio noise level of this type of lines are higher.
Considering context: reliable entity networks through contextual relationship extraction

Existing information extraction techniques can only partially address the problem of exploiting unreadable-large amounts text. When discussion of events and relationships is limited to simple, past-tense, factual descriptions of events, current NLP-based systems can identify events and relationships and extract a limited amount of additional information. But the simple subset of available information that existing tools can extract from text is only useful to a small set of users and problems. Automated systems need to find and separate information based on what is threatened or planned to occur, has occurred in the past, or could potentially occur. We address the problem of advanced event and relationship extraction with our event and relationship attribute recognition system, which labels generic, planned, recurring, and potential events. The approach is based on a combination of new machine learning methods, novel linguistic features, and crowd-sourced labeling. The attribute labeler closes the gap between structured event and relationship models and the complicated and nuanced language that people use to describe them. Our operational-quality event and relationship attribute labeler enables Warfighters and analysts to more thoroughly exploit information in unstructured text. This is made possible through 1) More precise event and relationship interpretation, 2) More detailed information about extracted events and relationships, and 3) More reliable and informative entity networks that acknowledge the different attributes of entity-entity relationships. © (2016) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Imagined Communities, School Education, and Unequal Access to Bilingualism

While the previous five chapters provided detailed narratives of the policies and practices of each of the five schools, this chapter takes a step back and compares the five schools. By analyzing the relationship among imagined communities, school policies and practices, and student bilingualism and identities, I aim to provide insights as to why access to bilingualism is given freely to some children but not to others.
Interpreting the Results of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Tests

Once the data collection portion of the cardiopulmonary exercise test has been completed, the final task is to interpret the results of the test. This section of the primer provides general information regarding test interpretation as well as suggestions for the content and format of the final report. It also reviews one of the key components of test interpretation—identification of the ventilatory threshold.
Coal Miners' Health Care: The First Ten Years of the Medical Care Program of the United Mine Workers of America Welfare and Retirement Fund

This paper analyzes the origins and development of the m ical care program of the United Mine Workers America Welfare and Retirement Fund. This pr gram was unique In the histo of health care organ­ Ization in the United States In that Its policies and practices represented a depa ure from the dominant m e of organizing and financing health care. From 1948 to 1978 it was viewed by many as a model for a national health se ice as opposed to a national health Insurance program. The purpose of this a icle Is to analyze the origins of the Fund medical care program and the early development of Its policies. The histo of the program contains impo ant lessons concern­ Ing the politics of health care In the United States and the relationship be n who controls the provision health care se ices and the cost and the quality of those se ices.
Dilute acid pretreatment of softwoods

Selective thinning of forests in the western United States will generate a large, sustainable quantity of softwood residues that can be an attractive feedstock for fuel ethanol production. The major species available from thinning of forests in northern California and the eastern Rocky Mountains include white fir (Abies concolor), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa). Douglas fir chips were soaked in 0.4% sulfuric acid solution, then pretreated with steam at 200 – 230°C for 1 – 5 min. After pretreatment, 90 – 95% of the hemicellulose and as much as 20% of the cellulose was solubilized in water, and 90% of the remaining cellulose can be hydrolyzed to glucose by cellulase enzyme. The prehydrolysates, at as high as 10% total solid concentration, can be readily fermented by the unadapted yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae D5A.
RP-check: An architecture for spaceflight command sequence validation

NASA Mars Rover operations are planned anew every day, in contrast to traditional deep space missions where operations can be planned weeks or months in advance. Verification of the rovers' spacecraft commands must be performed quickly, implemented robustly, and must consider multiple possible outcomes. In this paper we discuss the architecture behind one component of our system, a software tool named RP-check that evaluates command sequences created by the Rover Planner (RP) team. RP-check is one component of the Rover Sequencing and Visualization Program (RSVP), our primary tool for commanding and validating the mobility, arm, and turret subsystems on the rovers. RP-check is the spacecraft sequencing equivalent of programming language analyzers like lint [6]. It automates the analysis of sequences of commands, evaluating their conformance to best practices described by mission-spanning Flight Rules and Rover Planner team-specific recommendations. It checks hundreds of rules and typically completes its assessment in less than 30 seconds, enabling Rover Planners to continuously validate and refine their command sequences many times a day while planning activities. RP-check owes its success to a simple framework that enables it run quickly and makes it easy to add new rules. Built and maintained by members of the Rover Planner team, new rules and test cases can be validated and deployed quickly to ensure that any issues of concern that arise during operations will be addressed in all future plans.
Cardiovascular MR function and coronaries: CMR 15 minute express

Background CMR imaging has become a recognized gold-standard diagnostic technique for evaluating cardiovascular function, but has limited success in developing coronary imaging as a screening tool. With the faster image acquisition and reconstruction schemes, CMR can now be utilized as a non-invasive and robust screening modality of cardiovascular function and coronary disease in only 15 minutes of scanning. The 15 Minute Express Screening will enable further CMR imaging while maintaining a reasonable study length. To develop a high image-quality, repeatable, robust, and rapid clinical CMR diagnostic screening workflow, shorter than 15min, for cardiovascular function and coronary arteries.
Estimating the Antimicrobial Log Reduction: Part 1. Quantitative Assays

In quantitative antimicrobial assays, the responses are counts of viable microbes in two treatment groups. One group is treated with a chemical germicide and the other group is control, treated with an inactive chemical. This is part 1 of a pair of papers that pertain to assays that estimate the log reduction (LR), in the density of viable microbes, attributable to the germicide treatment (part 2 is concerned with presence/absence responses). Such assays are used by producers, consumers, and regulatory agencies to assess the efficacy of liquid germicides. We define and compare the two different mathematical formulations for LR that are commonly used in practice when there are replicate density measurements. One LR parameter is based on the mean of the log-transformed densities; the other is based on the logarithm of the mean of densities. We build a statistical model relating microbial count data to the LR parameters, derive maximum likelihood and method of moments estimators for each LR parameter, and compare the estimators according to both their asymptotic characteristics and the results of a simulation study utilizing realistic sample sizes. Standard error formulas for the estimators are derived, and they are evaluated via simulation studies. The results of this investigation lead us to recommend the method of moments estimator, regardless of which definition of LR is chosen.
The Impact of Rhythm and Meter on Form in Two Works by David Maslanka: Mother Earth: A Fanfare (2003) and Symphony No. 8 (2008)

THE IMPACT OF RHYTHM AND METER ON FORM IN TWO WORKS BY DAVID MASLANKA: MOTHER EARTH: A FANFARE (2003) AND SYMPHONY NO. 8 (2008) MAY 2014 RENEE KATHERINE MORGAN, B.S.ED., WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY M.M., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Brent Auerbach For pieces that do not lend themselves to an analysis of form based completely on tonal harmony and thematic material, an analysis based on rhythm and meter can enrich the reading of a piece and prove to be a more successful endeavor for the analyst. This thesis will provide such a form analysis of Mother Earth: A Fanfare (2003) and Symphony No. 8 (2008) by David Maslanka, paying special attention to the rhythmic and metrical events in addition to shifts in theme, texture, and harmony. Chapter 1, “Introduction,” addresses information about the composer, the need for research, and challenges that the music poses to the analyst. Chapter 2, “Methodology,” outlines analytical techniques used in the study, which are largely based on a method of metrical dissonance categorization designed by Harald Krebs. Chapters 3 and 4, “Mother Earth: A Fanfare (2003)” and “Symphony No. 8 (2008),” provide a form analysis of the two pieces, focusing on the behavior of meter and rhythm in each work. Chapter 5 offers conclusions that draw together the two analyses and suggest avenues for further research.
Understanding the Career Development of Underprepared College Students

The purpose of this study was to examine the career development of underprepared college students using relational career theory. Specifically, the constructs of family influence, locus of control,...
María De Zayas's 'Tarde Llega El Desengaño' and the Contradictions of Modernity

Through an analysis of Maria de Zayas’s story, ‘Tarde llega el desengano’ (1647), this essay argues that Zayas highlights moments when her characters, in failed attempts to categorize other people, experience admiratio, or marvel. These scenes unveil the limits of epistemology in the face of contradictory phenomena. In this way, Zayas’s stories offer us an intriguing use of literature as a tool of philosophy during the Baroque period. Zayas employs the interpolated story to demonstrate to her readers how the attempt to shed illusion (desenganar) and achieve certainty through narrative explanation – which, in this case, comes in the form of an interpolated story that purports to explain the contradictions contained in the frame story – leads only to more uncertainty. By exposing the contradictory claims of different social categories, Zayas’s stories point to the tragic outcome of the competing values of modernity.
Folding and Misfolding of Human Membrane Proteins in Health and Disease: From Single Molecules to Cellular Proteostasis

Advances over the past 25 years have revealed much about how the structural properties of membranes and associated proteins are linked to the thermodynamics and kinetics of membrane protein (MP) folding. At the same time biochemical progress has outlined how cellular proteostasis networks mediate MP folding and manage misfolding in the cell. When combined with results from genomic sequencing, these studies have established paradigms for how MP folding and misfolding are linked to the molecular etiologies of a variety of diseases. This emerging framework has paved the way for the development of a new class of small molecule "pharmacological chaperones" that bind to and stabilize misfolded MP variants, some of which are now in clinical use. In this review, we comprehensively outline current perspectives on the folding and misfolding of integral MPs as well as the mechanisms of cellular MP quality control. Based on these perspectives, we highlight new opportunities for innovations that bridge our molecular understanding of the energetics of MP folding with the nuanced complexity of biological systems. Given the many linkages between MP misfolding and human disease, we also examine some of the exciting opportunities to leverage these advances to address emerging challenges in the development of therapeutics and precision medicine.
Adult Cord Blood Transplantation (CBT) Recipients Have a High Incidence of Early Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and AKI Increases Long-Term Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Risk

Introduction While adult double unit CBT (dCBT) has disease-free survival comparable to that of HLA-matched adult donor allografts, frequent patient (pt) comorbidities combined with chemotherapy/TBI & cyclosporine-A (CSA) contribute to AKI risk. Using KDIGO criteria, we analyzed renal injury incidence & risk factors in adults undergoing dCBT. Methods Adult dCBT pts transplanted 2006-2016 for hematologic malignancies using Cy/ Flu/ Thio/ TBI 400 cGy & CSA (therapeutic range 250-450)/ MMF were analyzed. Using day 0 - 100 creatinines, maximum grade (gr.) AKI [gr. 1 (1.5 - 3-fold baseline)] was calculated. If pts had multiple episodes, the highest grade was analyzed. The 2-yr CKD incidence (> 90 days of GFR Results 153 pts [median 51 years (range 23-65), 114/153 (75%) acute leukemia, 27/153 (18%) African, 88/153 (58%) CMV seropositive] were transplanted. No patient had chronic kidney disease pre-dCBT; 32/153 (21%) had hypertension & 12/153 (8%) were diabetic. Median aaHCT-CI was 3 (range 0-9) with 92/153 (60%) pts having a score > 3. 34 (22%) pts had High-Very High rDRI diagnoses. Median pre-dCBT albumin was 4 (range 2.6 - 5.2). 96% of pts engrafted, 76% had grade II-IV acute GVHD by day 100 & 90% were alive & disease-free at day 100 (11 TRM, 3 relapse). 127 pts had AKI (45 gr. 1, 60 gr. 2, & 22 gr. 3) for a day 100 grade 1-3 AKI cumulative incidence of 83% (95%CI: 77-89) (median onset 40 days, range 0-96) & 54% (95%CI: 46-62) for gr. 2-3 AKI (median onset 43 days, range 0-96) (Figure 1). The mean of the 3-day mean CSA level preceding AKI onset was high at 360 ng/ml. African ancestry, CMV seropositivity & low day -7 albumin level & post-dCBT variables of ICU admission, nephrotoxic drug exposure & bacteremia were associated with gr. 1-3 AKI (Table 1A). In multivariate analysis, low day -7 albumin, ICU admission & nephrotoxic drugs were significant (Table 1B). With a median 40 months (range 12-125) survivor follow-up, 34/109 (31%) evaluable pts had CKD at 2-yrs with 1 pt requiring long-term dialysis. Grade 2-3 AKI prior to day 100 was associated with a higher likelihood of having CKD at 2-yrs: 38% vs 25% (Figure 2). Conclusion dCBT recipients are at significant risk for AKI which increases the likelihood of long-term CKD. Early recognition of impending AKI & prompt intervention is critical to mitigate severe kidney injury & long-term impairment. Prevention strategies include adequate hydration, tight CSA level control & substitution of non-nephrotoxic medications (e.g. Letermovir CMV prophylaxis instead of pre-emptive foscarnet, non-aminoglycosides antibiotics, azoles rather than amphotericin, PO cidofovir instead of IV). Investigation of novel GVHD prophylaxis that could permit lower CSA dosing & early AKI detection using biomarkers should also be investigated.
Shaping an eDDA Program through Assessment

Due to budget constraints and rising costs of short-term loans (STLs), the University of Kansas (KU) Libraries were forced to reexamine their demand-driven acquisition (DDA) program and try...
Mantle cell lymphoma with unusual Burkitt-like morphologic features.

![Figure][1] A 77-year-old man presented with self-observed splenomegaly after intentional weight loss. His complete blood count (CBC) showed an elevated white blood cell count at 45.5 × 109/L, normocytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia. The peripheral blood smear shows a population of large
THE WASHINGTON PUBLIC POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM NUCLEAR SITING STUDY

Publisher Summary This chapter illustrates the decision analysis approach to siting of energy facilities. The specific problem involves a potential nuclear power facility in the state of Washington. The chapter discusses a study conducted by Woodward–Clyde Consultants in 1975, which is one of the first studies that explicitly contained each of the five steps of decision analysis for the siting of an energy facility. The region of interest consisted of approximately 170,000 square miles, including the entire state of Washington, the basins of major rivers in Oregon and Idaho that flow into Washington Rivers, and the major river basins of the Oregon coast. As the purpose of the study was to find new sites, all areas within a 10-mile radius of the ERDA-Hanford reservation and other site areas for which electric generating facilities were formally proposed or were under development were excluded. The results of the ranking process indicated that six of the nine candidate sites were superior to the other three under all reasonable variations of the preference structure and assessed consequences. The six sites include the Lewis sites, Grays Harbor, Linn, and Wahkiakum. Considering both rankings, the three sites recommended for detailed site-specific evaluation were Lewis 1, Lewis 2, and Linn. If liquefaction potential was studied first and found not to exist at Grays Harbor and Lewis 3, the three sites recommended for site-specific studies were Lewis 2, Lewis 3, and Grays Harbor.
Drought risk insurance and sustainable land management: what are the options for integration?

Abstract Preparedness for drought can reduce the often disastrous but preventable consequences of droughts on people's livelihoods and ecosystems. Risk transfer through insurance is one of the policy options for reducing vulnerability, especially for agricultural losses due to droughts. One of the recent innovations is agricultural index insurance. Rainfall index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, and area yield agricultural index are three of the most common indices used to build agricultural index insurance contracts. This chapter focuses on rainfall index which links insurance payouts to historical rainfall data from reliable weather gauging stations and relates it to crop and livestock losses. The system works in such a way that if the data show the rainfall amount is below the threshold, the insurance pays out. If implemented effectively, it has the potential to revolutionize access to formal insurance by smallholders. It has a drawback in that it depends on the availability and reliability of quality data, which is a significant challenge in most developing countries. But perhaps most importantly, index insurance is vulnerable to basic risk (the remaining risk from other rainfall deviations and from other hazards) such that insurance payouts do not match actual losses. Accordingly, the selection of an appropriate index is important not only to reduce crop and livestock losses due to low rainfall but also to minimize the basis risk. Designing an innovative insurance product which addresses not only ex post drought impact but also reduces land degradation through adoption of appropriate ex ante strategies is crucial to forming holistic policies for reducing vulnerability to drought. To achieve the twin goals of land sustainability and resilience to drought, sustainable land management practices can be used as a condition or contractual obligation to provide a reduced or free premium to farmers who decide to participate in the insurance scheme. This chapter attempts to address the importance of designing such an innovative insurance product which does not only address drought impacts but also minimize land degradation.
The Green New Deal in Brief Outline

This chapter explains the Green New Deal itself. In particular, it lays out its animating vision—a vision of justice, efficiency, prosperity, and sustainability—and enumerates its multiple interacting project fields. The chapter organizes the exposition by reference both to the ‘deal’ that is the Green New Deal, and to what is both ‘green’ and ‘new’ about it. The aim is hereby not only to afford better understanding of the Green New Deal itself, but also to illuminate why a finance plan of the kind elaborated in the book will be necessary to assure project success.
Performance Portable Supernode-based Sparse Triangular Solver for Manycore Architectures

Sparse triangular solver is an important kernel in many computational applications. However, a fast, parallel, sparse triangular solver on a manycore architecture such as GPU has been an open issue in the field for several years. In this paper, we develop a sparse triangular solver that takes advantage of the supernodal structures of the triangular matrices that come from the direct factorization of a sparse matrix. We implemented our solver using Kokkos and Kokkos Kernels such that our solver is portable to different manycore architectures. This has the additional benefit of allowing our triangular solver to use the team-level kernels and take advantage of the hierarchical parallelism available on the GPU. We compare the effects of different scheduling schemes on the performance and also investigate an algorithmic variant called the partitioned inverse. Our performance results on an NVIDIA V100 or P100 GPU demonstrate that our implementation can be 12.4 × or 19.5 × faster than the vendor optimized implementation in NVIDIA’s CuSPARSE library.
Vigilante youths and counterinsurgency in Northeastern Nigeria: the civilian joint task force

Building on the broader literature on vigilantism, communal war and conflict, this paper examines why and how the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in northeastern Nigeria mobilized into a pro-gover...
Young people's information practices in library makerspaces

Abstract While there have been a growing number of studies on makerspaces in different disciplines, little is known about how young people interact with information in makerspaces. This study aimed...