cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Moral imperatives, professional interventions and resilience, and educational action in chaotic situations: the souls of children amidst the horror of war

Drawing from the research on children of war in Bogota, Beirut and Bosnia, this paper serves as a framework for dialogue about the criminalization of children by armed conflict and other forms of violence. Furthermore, it addresses the aching question of how best to care for these children so that they have every chance to become illuminated and not carbonized (Restrepo, 1999, p. 209) by the tragic circumstances of their environments. The author posits that educators everywhere bear a moral imperative to provide opportunities for children to reclaim hope, reintegrate socially, learn well, reflect deeply, and act justly. Specifically, this essay reflects on varied approaches aimed at fostering resilience, as well as cognitive and moral growth and development in children who are witness and/or victims of social, political, and violent struggles.
In vitro phagocytosis of Trypanosoma lewisi by rat exudative cells.

Abstract Data presented in this report indicated the following: 1. 1. Phagocytosis of Trypanosoma lewisi by normal rat peritoneal exudative cells occurred in vitro under appropriate conditions. This occurred when about equal numbers of cells and protozoans were incubated at 37 °C in a medium of serum and saline in small petri dishes. 2. 2. Evidence is presented for the presence of an opsonin in immune serum as an enhanced phagocytic effect over that produced by normal rat serum was observed. In addition, absorption of immune rat serum by living trypanosomes removed this enhanced phagocytic effect. 3. 3. Some evidence is presented that there is a common antigen shared by T. lewisi and T. cruzi which is responsible for an enhancement of phagocytic activity of serum taken from rats which had been previously infected with T. cruzi .
Space-variant interconnections based on diffractive optical elements for neural networks: architectures and cross-talk reduction

Optical architectures for fully connected and limited-fan-out space-variant weighted interconnections based on diffractive optical elements for fixed-connection multilayer neural networks are investigated and compared in terms of propagation lengths, system volumes, connection densities, and interconnection cross talk. For a small overall system volume the limited-fan-out architecture can accommodate a much larger number of input and output nodes. However, the interconnection cross talk of the limited-fan-out space-variant architecture is relatively high owing to noise from the diffractive-optical-element reconstructions. Therefore a cross-talk reduction technique based on a modified design procedure for diffractive optical elements is proposed. It rearranges the reconstruction pattern of the diffractive optical elements such that less noise lands on each detector region. This technique is verified by the simulation of one layer of an interconnection system with 128 × 128 input nodes, 128 × 128 output nodes, and weighted connections that fan out from each input node to the nearest 5 × 5 array of output nodes. In addition to a significant cross-talk reduction, this technique can reduce the propagation length and system volume.
Numerical simulation of scattering from simple and composite random surfaces

Numerical simulation studies of backscattering from one-dimensional, statistically known, perfectly conducting random surfaces are carried out to examine (1) the scattering characteristics in the intermediate-frequency region, where neither the low- nor the high-frequency approximation is applicable, (2) the validity of the two-scale concept in rough-surface scattering, and (3) applicability of the wavelength filtering concept to simple and composite surfaces. It is found that in the intermediate-frequency region the angular scattering curves for both the horizontal and vertical polarizations decrease at a slower rate than that predicted by a first-order small perturbation solution and that the Kirchhoff solution always lies between the two polarizations. In addition, the level difference between the horizontal and vertical polarization scattering coefficients is smaller than that of the perturbation solution. The two-scale concept has no general applicability. Its application is restricted to two-scale surfaces where one scale satisfies the Kirchhoff approximation and the other the small perturbation assumptions such that the two scales dominate scattering in different angular regions. The concept of wavelength filtering is applicable to simple surfaces or to each component of a composite surface in the low-frequency region where scattering is dominated by a narrow band of surface frequency components but loses its validity gradually as we approach the high-frequency limit where scattering is determined by the surface slope distribution. It is not the explanation of why the surface components of a composite surface may dominate scattering over different angular regions.
IBP is a form of PLS and should be distinguished from PBP

Dear SirIn their article entitled ‘Isolated bulbar phenotype of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis’, Burrel et al. defined isolated bulbar phenotype of ALS (IBP) as “relative isolation of clinical sympt...
Testing the suitability of Markov chains as Web usage models

Markov chains have been used to model Web usages and served as the basis for statistical testing, performance evaluation, and reliability analysis. However, most of such applications of Markov chains were carried out without answering the question: "Can Web usage be accurately modeled by Markov chains?" In this paper, we propose a set of tests, which are easy to perform based on information about Web link usage frequencies gathered from Web server logs, to answer this question. We applied this approach to our university's Web site, and our results indicate that Markov chains can provide fairly accurate models of Web usages.
A predictive degree-days model for small broomrape (Orobanche minor) parasitism in red clover in Oregon

Abstract Weeds of the genus Orobanche parasitize many dicotyledonous species, causing severe damage to vegetable and field crops worldwide. In Oregon, the number of red clover fields contaminated with small broomrape has increased in recent years. Small broomrape parasitism in red clover is temperature related. In this study, the temperature-dependent relationship was developed into a predictive model based on growing degree-days (GDD) for small broomrape parasitism in red clover. The model was developed in greenhouse studies and validated in the field during three growing seasons. A strong relationship between GDD and parasite size allowed for the creation of a simple predictive model for tubercle number based on GDD. The proposed model is based on a temperature range realistic to western Oregon climatic conditions and predicts lag, log, and maximum phases for four parasitism sizes in relation to GDD. Small broomrape parasitism in red clover began at about 400 GDD, but red clover biomass accumulation was...
Using object-oriented typing to support architectural design in the C2 style

Software architectures enable large-scale software development. Component reuse and substitutability, two key aspects of large-scale development, must be planned for during software design. Object-oriented (OO) type theory supports reuse by structuring inter-component relationships and verifying those relationships through type checking in an architecture definition language (ADL). In this paper, we identify the issues and discuss the ramifications of applying OO type theory to the C2 architectural style. This work stems from a series of experiments that were conducted to investigate component reuse and substitutability in C2. We also discuss the limits of applicability of OO typing to C2 and how we addressed them in the C2 ADL.
Differentiable cortical networks for inferences concerning people’s intentions versus physical causality

Cortical activity associated with generating an inference was measured using fMRI. Participants read three-sentence passages that differed in whether or not an inference needed to be drawn to understand them. The inference was based on either a protagonist's intention or a physical consequence of a character's action. Activation was expected in Theory of Mind brain regions for the passages based on protagonists' intentions but not for the physical consequence passages. The activation measured in the right temporo-parietal junction was greater in the intentional passages than in the consequence passages, consistent with predictions from a Theory of Mind perspective. In contrast, there was increased occipital activation in the physical inference passages. For both types of passage, the cortical activity related to the reading of the critical inference sentence demonstrated a recruitment of a common inference cortical network. This general inference-related activation appeared bilaterally in the language processing areas (the inferior frontal gyrus, the temporal gyrus, and the angular gyrus), as well as in the medial to superior frontal gyrus, which has been found to be active in Theory of Mind tasks. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that component areas of the discourse processing network are recruited as needed based on the nature of the inference. A Protagonist monitoring and synthesis network is proposed as a more accurate account for Theory of Mind activation during narrative comprehension.
Sub-30-ps ECL circuit operation at liquid-nitrogen temperature using self-aligned epitaxial SiGe-base bipolar transistors

The authors report the operation of emitter coupled logic (ECL) circuits at liquid-nitrogen temperature using self-aligned epitaxial SiGe-base bipolar transistors. A minimum ECL gate delay of 28.1 ps at 84 K was measured; this is essentially unchanged from the room-temperature value of 28.8 ps at 310 K. This delay number was achieved under full logic-swing (500-mV) conditions and represents an improvement of greater than a factor of 2 over the best reported value for 84 K operation. Lower-power ECL circuits have switching speeds as fast as 51 ps at 2.2 mW (112-fJ power-delay product) at 84 K. These results suggest that silicon-based bipolar technology is suitable for very-high-speed applications in cryogenic computer systems. >
Geometric morphometric approaches to the study of sexual size dimorphism in mammals

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) has been extensively documented in many organisms, from vascular plants to vertebrates, including mammals. Geometric rnorphornetric methods offer new, powerful tools for the study of SSD. The investigation of shape variability has not been previously pursued in traditional SSD studies and is an uniquc contribution of geometric morphometrics to this field. The combining of Procrustes methods with multivariate statistical analyses supports all tradi- tional SSD experimental designs and allows new studies of shape variability and it's relationship with size and other variables. Intraspecific and interspecific examples comparing traditional and geomet- ric morphometric approaches to the study of SSD within several mammalian taxa are presented.
The file-assignment and query-processing problems in local multiaccess networks

In this paper the distribution-design and query-processing problems for distributed databases on local multiaccess computer networks are studied. The broadcast capability of these networks allows information to be distributed efficiently. In the distribution-design problem, the distribution of independent files are studied. With the broadcasts of updates, the distribution of multiple copies of a single file can be solved optimally in polynomial time. However, the general problem with storage-capacity constraints is still NP-hard, and an efficient branch-and-bound method is proposed. In the query-processing problem, the semi-join concept is adopted. The propagation of reduction on dependent attributes is studied. Although the problem is NP-hard, less data transmission is needed with the broadcast of information.
Reduction in medical care cost associated with radiofrequency catheter ablation of accessory pathways

Abstract The cost of definitive therapy was compared in 25 patients who underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation of accessory pathways in 1990 and 25 patients who underwent surgical ablation of accessory pathways in 1989. In the radiofrequency group, 23 of 25 patients had a single accessory pathway and the remaining 2 patients each had 2 accessory pathways. In the surgical group, 20 patients had a single accessory pathway and 5 patients each had 2 accessory pathways. The success rate was 96% in each group. The mean duration of hospitalization was 3 ± 1 days in the radiofrequency group and 9 ± 4 days in the surgical group (p
Acoustic discrimination of sympatric morphs in Darwin's finches: a behavioural mechanism for assortative mating?

Populations with multiple morphological or behavioural types provide unique opportunities for studying the causes and consequences of evolutionary diversification. A population of the medium ground...
Dietary Bile Acids and Lipid Metabolism. VI. Protective Effect of Cholic Acid in Lithocholic Acid Fed Chicks

SummaryDietary lithocholic acid increased plasma lipid levels, decreased liver fat, increased liver size and induced a marked biliary hyperplasia in chicks fed either a cholesterol-free or supplmented diet. Lithocholic acid increased liver cholesterol levels in chicks fed a cholesterol-free diet and decreased liver cholesterol in chicks fed a cholesterol-supplemented diet. Cholic acid supplementation partially prevented the changes in liver size and plasma liver lipid levels resulting from ingestion of a lithocholic acid-supplemented cholesterol-free diet. In cholesterol-fed chicks, cholic acid afforded almost complete protection against the effects of dietary lithocholic acid.
A belief-driven method for discovering unexpected patterns

Several pattern discovery methods proposed in the data mining literature have the drawbacks that they discover too many obvious or irrelevant patterns and that they do not leverage to a full extent valuable prior domain knowledge that decision makers have. In this paper we propose a new method of discovery that addresses these drawbacks. In particular we propose a new method of discovering unexpected patterns that takes into consideration prior background knowledge of decision makers. This prior knowledge constitutes a set of expectations or beliefs about the problem domain. Our proposed method of discovering unexpected patterns uses these beliefs to seed the search for patterns in data that contradict the beliefs. To evaluate the practicality of our approach, we applied our algorithm to consumer purchase data from a major market research company and to web logfile data tracked at an academic Web site and present our findings in the paper.
A Perspective on Forward Research and Development Paths for Cost‐Effective Solar Energy Utilization

Solar electricity has long been recognized as a potential energy source that holds great promise. Several approaches towards converting sunlight into energy are elaborated in this Viewpoint, and discussed with respect to their feasibility for large-scale application.
Should Age Limit the Use of Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis Results of National Survey

OBJECTIVE To determine whether advanced age should be a contraindication to catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) based on hemorrhagic complication rate. METHODS A survey was generated via Survey Monkey and sent out to vascular surgeons who were members of the society of vascular surgery (SVS). RESULTS Of the responders, 32.7% state they do not have an age limit for tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) infusion, and the remaining 29.2% of the responders use 80 years of age as their limitation. When asked why place limits on age for TPA infusion, 56.6% stated concern for intracranial hemorrhage. Major complications were access site hemorrhage (58.4%) and intracranial hemorrhage (41.6%). Chi-square analysis did not show age as a limiting factor to thrombolysis. Furthermore, when asked in which age-group complications occurred most commonly, 72.4% were less than 80. CONCLUSION Among vascular specialist, there seems to be no consensus on age limitations for TPA infusion. Serious complications do not seem to be age related and thus age alone should not be a contraindication for catheter-directed thrombolysis.
State Ownership, Soft-Budget Constraint and Cash Holdings: Evidence from China’s Privatized Firms

We study the relation between state ownership and cash holdings in China’s share-issue privatized firms from 1993 to 2007. We find that the level of cash holdings declines as state ownership increases. This negative relation is attributable to the soft-budget constraint (SBC) inherent in state ownership. The Chinese financial system is dominated by the state-owned banks, an environment very conducive for the SBC effect. We further examine and quantify the effect of state ownership on the value of cash and find that the marginal value of cash declines as state ownership increases. The next RMB added to cash reserves of the average firm is valued at RMB 0.94 by the market. The marginal value of cash in firms with zero state ownership is RMB 0.33 – RMB 0.47 higher than in firms with majority state ownership. The SBC effect exacerbates agency problems inherent in state-controlled enterprises, contributing to the lower value of cash.
Payload interoperability testing for the Mars '01 landed mission

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project (MSOP) is sending its next pair of spacecraft, an orbiter and a lander, to Mars in 2001. Success of the Mars '01 lander's primary mission objectives relies heavily on the interaction of the various payloads. The Payload Interoperability Testbed (PIT) is being developed at JPL to serve as a key verification facility for the Mars '01 project. The PIT provides a facility for testing payload interoperability functionality and sequences as well as an environment to train personnel for landed surface operations. This paper defines and describes the rationale for the PIT, its architecture, and the current test plan that has been developed for the PIT activities in support of the Mars '01 landed mission.
Business process re‐engineering concepts and tools effectiveness: a survey of practitioners

Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) has been embraced by business organizations as an approach to implement and manage change. Managers are being trained to apply several concepts and techniques to successfully manage the change process. However, there is little empirical evidence to support claims of the effectiveness of concepts and techniques in practice. This paper reports results of a survey conducted to assess the perceived effectiveness of BPR concepts and tools among business practitioners. The survey also gathered data on demographic variables to investigate relationships between the nature of work and the duration of experience with the perceptions of BPR concepts and tools. The results indicate that surveyed practitioners perceived BPR concepts and tools as effective. Practitioners in financial and manufacturing fields of business in particular found benchmarking and use of customer data as effective techniques in BPR implementation. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and Cornwallis Emmanuel Ltd.
If It Quacks Like a Comet...

Some researchers interpreted the failure to detect gas emission in the coma of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 as evidence that the SL-9 fragments were not active as they orbited Jupiter. However, detailed thermal modeling of the cometary fragments was performed, and it showed that the expected gas production rates are well below the upper limits set by observers. Thus, the comet could easily have been active. Additional evidence is provided suggesting that the comet fragments were indeed active.
Developmental Changes in Ionic Composition of the Brain in Hypo and Hyperthyroidism

Disturbances in the levels of thyroid hormones are known to affect the normal function of the central nervous system (CNS), manifested most dramatically when they occur during development. Lack of thyroid hormones at critical stages of CNS maturation can result in an irreversible condition, which, when not diagnosed and treated early, leads to severe mental retardation. With specific reference to the developing CNS, not only is the basic mode of action of thyroid hormones not known, but the particular alteration(s) that characterizes the cretinoid condition also remains to be established, despite reported findings from many laboratories that numerous biochemical parameters important to brain growth and differentiation are altered in hypothyroidism (see Geel and Timiras, 1970; Balazs et al., 1971; Hamburgh et al., 1971). One parameter of special significance to normal CNS growth and function is that of its ionic composition; maturational disturbances in the levels of various ions would be expected to have their repercussions on the development of specialized CNS functions. In the present study, the ionic composition of the “hypothyroid brain” is described and, in order to distinguish those alterations that are specific to neural tissue, ionic changes in other body tissues are presented in parallel and related to corresponding observations reported by others. The effects of exogenous thyroxine administration also are presented in order to ascertain the influence of the hormone on normal brain development and on the alterations induced by hypothyroidism.
Evaluation of high moisture and dry feed with and without hay fed to feeder calves subjected to transportation shrink

Two backgrounding trials evaluated effects of high-moisture diet or dry feed with or without a hay offering 48 h before shipment on shrink and subsequent weight recovery postshipment. In trial 1, 48 steers (initial BW 351 ± 26.9 kg) were assigned randomly to 1 of 2 diets: 1) 82% corn silage and 18% pelleted corn gluten feed or 2) 20% pelleted corn gluten feed, 40% pelleted peanut hulls, and 40% soybean hull pellets. Bermudagrass hay was offered to half of the calves on each diet 48 h before a 21-h transport period. There were 3 pens/diet and 4 steers/pen. Half of the steers from each pen were shipped (24 shipped; 24 unshipped). In trial 2, 118 calves (54 heifers; 64 steers; initial BW 297 ± 32.4 kg; 320 ± 36.3 kg) were assigned randomly to 1 of 2 diets used in trial 1 (3 pens/diet; 9 or 10 calves/pen). A total of 59 calves shipped, and the other 59 remained in their pen of origin. For trial 1, shipped calves shrank 7.1%, and BW remained different throughout the recovery period (P < 0.01). In trial 2, shipped calves shrank 8.4%, and BW remained different (P < 0.01) for calves throughout the recovery weigh period. Neither diet nor hay offering significantly affected shrink in either trial. Likewise, diet had no effect on postshipment BW recovery; however, offering hay 48 h before transport did affect subsequent weight recovery in trial 2 (P < 0.05).
VARIATION AT THE DNA LEVEL: SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Pretentiousness notwithstanding, if there is such a thing as a central paradox in biology it is that all organisms resemble one another but at the same time are different. Darwin, of course, recognized the universality of this paradox, and it led him to a theory of descent with modification, the foundation of our modern theory of evolution.
Network Reliability and Resilience of Rapid Transit Systems

The recent increase in demand and transportation security highlights the importance of the public transit system in the United States. This study explores how potential failures on nodal disruptions affect transit system flows and examines the change in the reliability of transit systems with a case study of the Greater Metropolitan Area of Washington, DC. For methodology, we employ network reliability and system flow loss and assess the criticality of stations under a variety of simulated nodal disruptions. We evaluate network resilience by identifying the best and worst geographical impact scenarios on networks.
European Corn Borer Moth: Sex Attractant and Sex Attraction Inhibitors,

Sex attraction in Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner) was demonstrated in the field. A synthetic sex attractant of the borer, cis -tetradecenyl acetate ( cis -ll-tda), was discovered. Field traps baited with 14 μg cis -11-tda formulated in olive oil were as competitive for wild borer males as traps baited with 4 virgin female moths. However, sex attractant analogues trans -ll-tetradecenyl acetate and 11-tetradecynyl acetate are potent inhibitors of the borer's mate-finding ability.
Outcomes for symptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program

Background Historically, symptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) were found to have intermediate mortality compared with asymptomatic and ruptured AAAs; but with wider use of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), a more recent study suggested that mortality of symptomatic aneurysms was similar to that of asymptomatic AAAs. These prior studies were limited by small numbers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mortality and morbidity associated with symptomatic AAA repair in a large contemporary population. Methods All patients undergoing infrarenal AAA repair were identified in the 2011 to 2013 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, vascular surgery targeted module. We excluded acute conversions to open repair and those for whom the surgical indication was embolization, dissection, thrombosis, or not documented. We compared 30-day mortality and major adverse events for asymptomatic, symptomatic, and ruptured AAA repair, stratified by EVAR and open repair, with univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression. Results There were 5502 infrarenal AAAs identified, 4495 asymptomatic aneurysms (830 open repair, 3665 [82%] EVAR), 455 symptomatic aneurysms (143 open repair, 312 [69%] EVAR), and 552 ruptured aneurysms (263 open repair, 289 [52%] EVAR). Aneurysm diameter was similar between asymptomatic and symptomatic AAAs when stratified by procedure type, but it was larger for ruptured aneurysms (EVAR: symptomatic 5.8 ± 1.6 cm vs ruptured 7.5 ± 2.0 cm [ P P P = .14) but lower in asymptomatic AAAs (20%; P P = .001]; symptomatic vs 22% ruptured [ P P = .08]; symptomatic vs 34% ruptured [ P Conclusions Patients with symptomatic AAAs had a twofold increased risk of perioperative mortality compared with patients with asymptomatic aneurysms undergoing repair. Furthermore, patients with ruptured aneurysms have a sevenfold increased risk of mortality compared with patients with symptomatic aneurysms.
Reconstruction of Far-Field Tsunami Amplitude Distributions from Earthquake Sources

The probability distribution of far-field tsunami amplitudes is explained in relation to the distribution of seismic moment at subduction zones. Tsunami amplitude distributions at tide gauge stations follow a similar functional form, well described by a tapered Pareto distribution that is parameterized by a power-law exponent and a corner amplitude. Distribution parameters are first established for eight tide gauge stations in the Pacific, using maximum likelihood estimation. A procedure is then developed to reconstruct the tsunami amplitude distribution that consists of four steps: (1) define the distribution of seismic moment at subduction zones; (2) establish a source-station scaling relation from regression analysis; (3) transform the seismic moment distribution to a tsunami amplitude distribution for each subduction zone; and (4) mix the transformed distribution for all subduction zones to an aggregate tsunami amplitude distribution specific to the tide gauge station. The tsunami amplitude distribution is adequately reconstructed for four tide gauge stations using globally constant seismic moment distribution parameters established in previous studies. In comparisons to empirical tsunami amplitude distributions from maximum likelihood estimation, the reconstructed distributions consistently exhibit higher corner amplitude values, implying that in most cases, the empirical catalogs are too short to include the largest amplitudes. Because the reconstructed distribution is based on a catalog of earthquakes that is much larger than the tsunami catalog, it is less susceptible to the effects of record-breaking events and more indicative of the actual distribution of tsunami amplitudes.
Analysis of test results of hand foot and mouth disease in Quzhou in 2008

Objective:To study the genotype of enterovirus of hand foot and mouth disease(HFMD) from the cases in Quzhou region during the HFMD epidemic season of 2008 to provide basis for formulating reasonable prevention and control measure.Methods:The specimens of 226 cases with HFMD occurred in Quzhou were collected,Enterovirus(EV),Coxsackievirus A16(CoxA16) and Enterovirus71(EV71) gene fragment were detected by the methods of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and Real time fluorescent quantitative PCR.Results:Among the 226 patients,175 cases were positive for EV,82 cases were positive for EV71,no case was positive for CoxA16.In 226 cases,the infant case under five years was the highest one,which accounted for 84.07%.The infectious rate of EV in boy and girl was 81.69% and 70.24% respectively,however the rate of EV71 was 40.84% and 28.57% respectively.Conclusions:EV71 is the primary pathogen of HFMD in Quzhou city in 2008.HFMD tends to occur in younger children less than five years old,the infection of enterovirus in boy and girl is of no significant difference.
Analysis of Metabolomic Profiling Data Acquired on GC–MS

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is one of the three most popular analytical platforms for metabolomics and is largely employed for the study of oncometabolism. Large volumes of data are usually generated in a GC-MS experiment, and many analytical steps are required to extract biologically relevant information from GC-MS data. These steps include (1) spectrum deconvolution, to convert raw data into a peak list; (2) metabolite identification, to recognize metabolites associated to chromatographic peaks; (3) quantification, to compare the abundance of a specific metabolite in different samples; (4) association network analysis, to reveal correlations among the changes in the abundance of multiple metabolites; and (5) pathway analysis, to understand the biochemical interrelationship between several metabolites that vary in a coordinated or differential manner. Here, we describe in detail the analytical steps that are necessary to interpret a GC-MS dataset.
The MOOC and the Multitude

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) take university lectures and other educational materials and make them available for free as online “courses.” Liberal and neoliberal MOOC supporters laud these courses for opening up education to the world while incorporating market dynamics to improve quality and drive down costs. Skeptics claim MOOCs are a bald attempt to privatize higher learning, thus creating an apartheid educational system with traditional universities serving the wealthy while everyone else is left with cut-rate online learning. This essay draws on the political theory of autonomist Marxism, arguing that MOOCs are capital's defensive reaction to the threats of resistant universities on one side, and unmanageable Internet-based learning on the other. It then looks at which MOOC designs would support education for the “multitude,” which is the term used by autonomist Marxism to describe an autonomous, diverse, networked political body.
Personalized Reminders Increase Screening for Stroke Risk in Children with Sickle Cell Anemia.

Objectives Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) effectively identifies children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) who are at increased risk of stroke. We evaluated a low-cost quality improvement (QI) intervention to increase the proportion of children screened by TCD. Methods We measured the proportion of children with SCA receiving appropriate TCD screening for increased cerebral blood velocity, a marker of stroke risk, for time periods before (April 1, 2009-July 1, 2010) and after (October 1, 2010-January 1, 2012) the implementation of a QI program. We sent eligible families personalized reminder letters, information on screening, and a refrigerator magnet imprinted with the recommended date of TCD screening. Results Only 54% (60/112) of children (median age 8 years, range 2.2-16.7 years) had a TCD in the baseline period compared with 79% (87/110; P = 0.0001) after implementation of the QI initiative. The odds of appropriate TCD screening decreased with older age in the baseline period (odds ratio 0.86, 95% confidence interval 0.78-0.94/year; P = 0.001), but not after implementation. Neither predicted travel time by car (median 20 minutes, range 2-164) nor distance traveled (median 9.7 mi, range 0.4-132) was significantly associated with appropriate TCD screening before or after QI implementation. The number needed to treat was four. Conclusions We demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of a low-cost QI intervention to increase TCD screening. This approach was more successful than other related intervention models and is easily implemented by smaller sickle cell programs without full-time personnel.
A storm in Sāmoa: an environmental microhistory

AbstractEnvironmental historians generally consider longue duree processes, such as geological, biological, and evolutionary changes, as useful bases for undergirding narratives of the human past. Yet singular, momentary events offer just as much insight into history’s big questions of empire, capitalism, globalization, and environmental change. The story of a tropical cyclone – as it blows in from stage left, wreaks havoc at center stage, and then exits stage right – calls for a different kind of storytelling, more fast-paced, yet no less attuned to the interplay among human and non-human forces. In this essay, I look at 24 h within the story of a tropical cyclone that hit Apia, Sāmoa, on March 16, 1889, to demonstrate just how many stories can be told within the environmental microhistory of a singular event. I employ several unorthodox narrative devices – blending real dialog with a fictionalized internal monolog; jumping back and forth through time and space; and, pitting two odd, yet very real, chara...
Sensitivity of L-1 regularization on subspace-based SIMO blind channel identification in sample channel measurements

Single Input Multiple Output (SIMO) Blind Channel Identification (BCI) using Subspace-based Methods, notably the Cross-Relations (CR) and Noise-Subspace (SS) Methods, are sensitive to selection of the channel order. Previous work on model order selection shows that at low SNR, accurate selection is not always possible, and in some cases, there is difficulty obtaining good estimates using any order. This makes these methods difficult to use in practice. Later works proposed using linear constraints and/or l-1 regularization in order to avoid channel order selection issues and improve performance for sparse channels, though they still depend heavily on parameter selection. In this work, the sensitivity of channel estimates using the CR and SS methods with and without l-1 regularization under a linear constraint, on a BPSK signal, is examined through simulation on real sample channel measurements that had been used in previous work on model order selection.
Altered sensorimotor cortical oscillations in individuals with multiple sclerosis suggests a faulty internal model

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease that results in a broad array of symptoms, including impaired motor performance. How such demyelination of fibers affects the inherent neurophysiological activity in motor circuits, however, remains largely unknown. Potentially, the movement errors associated with MS may be due to imperfections in the internal model used to make predictions of the motor output that will meet the task demands. Prior magnetoencephalographic (MEG) and electroencephalographic brain imaging experiments have established that the beta (15-30 Hz) oscillatory activity in the sensorimotor cortices is related to the control of movement. Specifically, it has been suggested that the strength of the post-movement beta rebound may indicate the certainty of the internal model. In this study, we used MEG to evaluate the neural oscillatory activity in the sensorimotor cortices of individuals with MS and healthy individuals during a goal-directed isometric knee force task. Our results showed no difference between the individuals with MS and healthy individuals in the beta activity during the planning and execution stages of movement. However, we did find that individuals with MS exhibited a weaker post-movement beta rebound in the pre/postcentral gyri relative to healthy controls. Additionally, we found that the behavioral performance of individuals with MS was aberrant, and related to the strength of the post-movement beta rebound. These results suggest that the internal model may be faulty in individuals with MS. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4009-4018, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Retraumatization : assessment, treatment, and prevention

Follette, Duckworth, Introduction to the Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention of Retraumatization. Zayfert, Cognitive Behavioral Conceptualization of Retraumatization. Kudler, A Psychodynamic Conceptualization of Retraumatization. King, Liberzon, Neurobiology of Retraumatization. Schumn, Doane, Hobfoll, Conservation of Resources Theory: The Central Role of Resource Loss and Gain in Understanding Retraumatization. Bonow, Follette, A Functional Analytic Conceptualization of Retraumatization: Implications for Clinical Assessment. Courtois, Retraumatization and Complex Traumatic Stress: A Treatment Overview. Alexander, Retraumatization and Revictimization: An Attachment Perspective. Kuhn, Hoffman, Ruzek, Multiple Experiences of Combat Trauma. Iverson, Monson, Street, Dual Combat and Sexual Trauma During Military Service. Papa, La Bush, Multiple Traumas in Civilian Casualties of Organized Political Violence. Ghimire, Follette, Revictimization: Experiences Related to Child, Adolescent, and Adult Sexual Trauma. Fruzzetti, Lee, Multiple Experiences of Domestic Violence and Associated Relationship Features. Duckworth, Iezzi, Shearer, Retraumatization Associated with Disabling Physical Injuries. Batten, Naifeh, Controversies Related to the Study and Treatment of Multiple Experiences of Trauma. Duckworth, Follette, Conclusions and Future Directions in Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention of Retraumatization.
Legal Prostitution Systems in Europe

This chapter examines selected European prostitution and trafficking policies and law enforcement practices. I first present two analytical approaches relevant to European policy regimes, and conclude that they are severely flawed either because of problematic assumptions or because the data are insufficient to support the conclusions drawn by the analysts. I then examine (1) issues regarding sex trafficking, (2) public opinion in various European states, and (3) recent political struggles over prostitution policy in the Netherlands and Germany, which illustrates the kinds of debates that may arise after prostitution has been decriminalized.
Communication Education, Modeling, and Protocols Transform Clinicians to Agents of Empowerment.

Ubel and colleagues correctly note that communication style, and a lack of clarity in what is being communicated, often lead to ineffective patient empowerment (Ubel, Scherr, and Fagerlin 2017). Fo...
Reactive oxygen species damage drives cardiac and mitochondrial dysfunction following acute nano-titanium dioxide inhalation exposure.

Nanotechnology offers innovation in products from cosmetics to drug delivery, leading to increased engineered nanomaterial (ENM) exposure. Unfortunately, health impacts of ENM are not fully realized. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is among the most widely produced ENM due to its use in numerous applications. Extrapulmonary effects following pulmonary exposure have been identified and may involve reactive oxygen species (ROS). The goal of this study was to determine the extent of ROS involvement on cardiac function and the mitochondrion following nano-TiO2 exposure. To address this question, we utilized a transgenic mouse model with overexpression of a novel mitochondrially-targeted antioxidant enzyme (phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase; mPHGPx) which provides protection against oxidative stress to lipid membranes. MPHGPx mice and littermate controls were exposed to nano-TiO2 aerosols (Evonik, P25) to provide a calculated pulmonary deposition of 11 µg/mouse. Twenty-four hours following exposure, we observed diastolic dysfunction as evidenced by E/A ratios greater than 2 and increased radial strain during diastole in wild-type mice (p < 0.05 for both), indicative of restrictive filling. Overexpression of mPHGPx mitigated the contractile deficits resulting from nano-TiO2 exposure. To investigate the cellular mechanisms associated with the observed cardiac dysfunction, we focused our attention on the mitochondrion. We observed a significant increase in ROS production (p < 0.05) and decreased mitochondrial respiratory function (p < 0.05) following nano-TiO2 exposure which were attenuated in mPHGPx transgenic mice. In summary, nano-TiO2 inhalation exposure is associated with cardiac diastolic dysfunction and mitochondrial functional alterations, which can be mitigated by the overexpression of mPHGPx, suggesting ROS contribution in the development of contractile and bioenergetic dysfunction.
Vaidya walk: A sampling algorithm based on the volumetric barrier

The problem of sampling from the uniform distribution over a polytope arises in various contexts. We propose a new random walk for this purpose, which we refer to as the Vaidya walk, since it is based on the volumetric-logarithmic barrier introduced by Vaidya in the context of interior point methods for optimization. We show that the Vaidya walk mixes in significantly fewer steps compared to the Dikin walk, a random walk previously studied by Kannan and Narayanan. In particular, we prove that for a polytope in Rd defined by n constraints, the Vaidya walk mixes in O (√n/d) fewer steps than the Dikin walk. The per iteration cost for our method is at most twice that of the Dikin walk, and hence the speed up is significant for polytopes with n » d. Furthermore, the algorithm is also faster than the Ball walk and Hit-and-Run for a large family of polytopes. We illustrate the speed-up of the Vaidya walk over the Dikin walk via several numerical examples and discuss possible new and faster algorithms for sampling from polytopes.
Amplitude and phase retrieval with simultaneous diversity estimation using expectation maximization

Iterative amplitude and phase retrieval algorithms have been proven to accurately reconstruct arbitrary wavefronts from multiple intensity measurements when system parameters are known exactly, given the ability to induce phase diversity between images. Such sets of intensity images with phase diversity can be generated by moving a lens in the optical system, but any position error on the lens will degenerate the reconstruction result. We demonstrate the use of an expectation-maximization algorithm with Kalman smoothing for recovering both the complex field and the lens position from a stack of intensity images. Our method successfully reduces the mean-squared-error of the estimated wavefront in comparison to an approach without position error estimation. We present and discuss the results of using a Kalman smoother and nonlinear least-squares optimization for the estimation of the moving lens position.
Energy Storage for Medium- to Large-Scale Applications

Most of the highly visible applications of advanced energy storage technologies are for relatively small applications, such as in portable computers or implanted medical devices, where the paramount issue is the amount of energy stored per unit weight or volume, and cost is not always of prime importance. Such energy storage components and systems have occupied much of the attention in this text, especially the later chapters related to electrochemical cells and systems.
Search for an M 0 transition in Yb 170

We have examined the suggestion that an M0 transition occurs between the 2819.6-keV ${0}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ level of $^{170}\mathrm{Yb}$ and the ${0}^{+}$ ground state by internal-conversion electron emission. Gamma rays, internal-conversion electrons, and internal ${\mathit{e}}^{+}$${\mathit{e}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ pairs were detected from the ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\beta}}}^{+}$ and electron capture decay of two-day $^{170}\mathrm{Lu}$ (${0}^{+}$). At an upper limit of 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}8}$ electron per $^{170}\mathrm{Lu}$ decay, no evidence was obtained for M0 decay of the 2819.6-keV level of $^{170}\mathrm{Yb}$ by single-electron emission.
Congruences for Generalized Tau Functions on Page 178

In this brief chapter, we examine only one page in the lost notebook. On this page, Ramanujan records congruences for analogues of his tau-function arising from products of Eisenstein series and the Delta function, the generating function for τ(n).
Bedside Iohexol Ventriculography for Patients with Obstructive Colloid Cysts: A Protocol to Identify Auto-Fenestration of the Septum Pellucidum.

Objective Patients with hydrocephalus secondary to third ventricular colloid cysts can require bilateral external ventricular drain (EVD) placement while awaiting surgery. However, some patients could develop auto-fenestration of the septum pellucidum (AFSP) and only require 1 EVD. We evaluated our experience with bedside iohexol ventriculography and staged EVD placement for patients with obstructive hydrocephalus. Methods We retrospectively identified 34 patients who had been treated for third ventricular colloid cysts (2013–2016). The preoperative and postoperative data, including age, sex, colloid cyst size, preoperative hydrocephalus, preoperative EVD placement, preoperative iohexol ventriculography, operative approach, intraoperative findings, and postoperative ventriculoperitoneal shunt requirements, were reviewed. Results Hydrocephalus was found in 23 patients (68%) on initial presentation. Nine patients (26%) had EVDs placed before surgery. Six patients (18%) underwent iohexol ventriculography after insertion of a right-sided EVD. Five patients (15%) demonstrated no evidence of ventricular communication. Four patients (67%) required left-sided EVD placement. One patient (17%) had robust communication between the lateral ventricles after intraventricular iohexol injection, which was managed with a single EVD. AFSP was observed during surgical resection of this patient’s colloid cyst. One other patient who did not undergo preoperative EVD placement was noted to have AFSP intraoperatively, resulting in 2 of 34 patients (6%) with AFSP in our series. Conclusions A subset of patients with obstruction at the foramina of Monro can develop AFSP. Iohexol ventriculography after unilateral EVD placement allows clinicians to assess for the presence of AFSP and identify patients who can be treated with a single EVD before surgery.