cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of the Medical Physicist in Managing Radiation Dose and Communicating Risk in CT

OBJECTIVE. This article discusses the discrepancy between the public's perception of radiation risk and the actual risks from low doses of ionizing radiation. Resources from the medical physics community that can be used to manage dose levels in CT examinations are reviewed. An approach is described for presenting information about radiation risks and benefits to patients that supports dose management and acknowledges that risks from the low doses of radiation used in medical imaging either are too low to be reliably detected or do not exist. CONCLUSION. When asked by a patient or a patient's family about the risk of radiation, it is incumbent on each of us to remember the tenet of justification first and foremost: If the examination is needed, the benefit will outweigh any small or potentially nonexistent risk. The next responsibility is to image the patient with care by adjusting the delivered dose to the patient size and to the diagnostic task.
Interpleural bupivacaine for postoperative analgesia following cholecystectomy: a randomized prospective study.

The effect of interpleural analgesia on postoperative hospital course was analyzed in a prospective randomized study of patients undergoing cholecystectomy. Control patients were treated in the standard manner with systemic narcotics alone; catheter patients had an interpleural catheter placed at the end of surgery and, in addition, could receive systemic narcotics if necessary. The catheter group received interpleural 0.5% bupivacaine with epinephrine every six hours for a total of four injections. Thirteen patients were in each group. Pain score, pulmonary function and narcotic requirement were measured over the first postoperative day. Catheter patients had a lower average pain score (visual analog scale (VAS), 3.6 versus 5.2), decreased narcotic requirement in the recovery room and improved oxygen saturation (96% versus 93%). However, there was no statistical difference in amount of morphine (catheter, 25 ± 14 mg; control, 31 ± 15 mg), number of narcotic injections (catheter, 3.8 ± 1.5; control, 3.5 ± 1.5), forced vital capacity (catheter, 44% preoperative control, 41% preoperative), recovery room time (catheter, 129 ± 54 minutes, control, 117 ± 39 minutes) or total hospital stay (catheter, 4.1 ± 0.9 days; control, 3.7 ± 0.8 days). Analysis of hourly VAS scores following a bolus indicated that the analgesia disappeared within approximately four hours. The mean time to a request for narcotic following a bolus was 4.2 hours (excluding 17 of a potential total of 52 instances when narcotic was not requested at all). Therefore, the duration of pain relief for subcostal incisions using interpleural 0.5% bupivacaine is approximately four hours. In conclusion, while there are some advantages conferred to patients treated with the intrapleural catheter, it would appear that a bolus regimen more frequent than every six hours would be necessary to maximize any benefit.
Pipeline Compressor Redesign With the Consideration of Both Noise and Performance

A complete effort to redesign the aerodynamic characteristics of a single-stage pipeline compressor is presented. The components addressed are the impeller, diffuser region, and the volute. The innovation of this effort stems from the simultaneous inclusion of both the noise and aerodynamic performance as primary design parameters. The final detailed flange-to-flange analysis of the new components clearly shows that the operating range is extended and the tonal noise driven by the impeller is reduced. This is accomplished without sacrificing the existing high efficiency of the baseline machine. The body of the design effort uses both Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and vibro-acoustics technology. The predictions are anchored by using the flange-to-flange analysis of the original design and its experimental performance data. By calculating delta corrections and assuming that these deltas are approximately the same for the new design, the expected performance is extrapolated.Copyright © 2000 by ASME
Au@MoS2 Core–Shell Heterostructures with Strong Light–Matter Interactions

There are emerging opportunities to harness diverse and complex geometric architectures based on nominal two-dimensional atomically layered structures. Herein we report synthesis and properties of a new core–shell heterostructure, termed Au@MoS2, where the Au nanoparticle is snugly and contiguously encapsulated by few shells of MoS2 atomic layers. The heterostructures were synthesized by direct growth of multilayer fullerene-like MoS2 shell on Au nanoparticle cores. The Au@MoS2 heterostructures exhibit interesting light–matter interactions due to the structural curvature of MoS2 shell and the plasmonic effect from the underlying Au nanoparticle core. We observed significantly enhanced Raman scattering and photoluminescence emission on these heterostructures. We attribute these enhancements to the surface plasmon-induced electric field, which simulations show to mainly localize within the MoS2 shell. We also found potential evidence for the charge transfer-induced doping effect on the MoS2 shell. The DFT c...
Fuzzy logic based quasi Z-source cascaded multilevel inverter with energy storage for photovoltaic power generation system

The quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverter (QZS-CMI) have the advantages of minimum switches, balanced dc-link voltage, voltage boost capability and save one-third modules compared to conventional voltage and current source inverter. This system combines the QZS-CMI and energy storage by adding an energy stored battery in each module to balance the fluctuations of PV power. The voltage boost/ inversion and energy storage are integrated in a single stage inverter by using Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC). The proposed system can achieve the distributed maximum power point tracking for PV panels, balance the power between different modules and provide the preferred power to the grid with reduced harmonics. A detailed design method of controller parameters is included. And also the MATLAB simulation results is included.
Multilayer stacked-patch antenna optimized for on-body communications

In this paper a low profile stacked-patch antenna with monopole-like radiation characteristics is proposed. The multilayer stacked-patch antenna has a compact footprint of 0.18 λ 0 2 and a total thickness of 0.067 λ 0 . According to the full-wave simulation, the antenna exhibits good on-body performance and low specific absorption rate (SAR) which makes it a good candidate for on-body communication.
Effects of Magnetic Field Intensity on Carbon Diffusion in Pure Iron in Paramagnetic Ferrite Region

Effects of magnetic field intensity on carbon diffusion in pure iron in paramagnetic ferrite region above the Curie temperature were investigated using carburizing technology. It was found that the magnetic field intensity can significantly affect the carbon diffusion behavior in pure iron in paramagnetic ferrite region in the direction parallel to the magnetic field direction, both the carbon diffusion coefficient and the average carbon diffusion distance increase gradually with the increasing of the magnetic field intensity. Magnetic field annealing obviously promotes the carbon diffusion in pure iron in the direction parallel to the magnetic field in paramagnetic ferrite region above the Curie temperature, and promotion effect increases with the enhancement of the magnetic field intensity. The structure defects made by the magnetic field may cause the increasing of carbon diffusion flux.
Elastic properties of lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2)

All solid-state Li-ion batteries offer unprecedented improvements in energy density and safety compared to contemporary Li-ion batteries. As one of the most common oxide cathode materials for tradi...
Mediating the Space Between: Using Photo-Elicitation to Prompt Cultural Consciousness-Raising

This chapter outlines a process for using photographs to elicit dialogue in cross-cultural settings to develop perspective consciousness, one component of global citizenship. The research featured is part of a larger ethnographic study of American pre-service teachers participating in a student-teaching abroad program in Kenya, East Africa. Photo elicitation served as a mechanism to stimulate discussion and prompt cultural consciousness-raising. The prospective teachers were asked to view and reflect on photographs that were captured by Kenyan students as a part of a project documenting a week in their lives. The work draws on Jurgen Habermas’ (Knowledge and human interests. Beacon, Boston, 1971, The theory of communicative action: Volume one—reason and the rationalization of society. Beacon, Boston, 1981, The theory of communicative action: Volume two—lifeworld and system. Beacon, Boston, 1987) concept of mediated understanding to examine the subjective, normative-evaluative and identity claims found in participants’ dialogue. The process allowed the researcher to explore how images and cross-cultural interactions were being viewed and interpreted, as well as which social contexts influence this interpretation. The dialogue surrounding these photographs demonstrates the future teachers’ ability to take on another perspective after their experience abroad. However, these results also indicate instances where the international student teachers were reinforcing the dominant discourse when describing Kenya and did not feel they could adequately challenge the pervasive stereotypes of this region found in American schools, curriculum, and media.
Slave Theater in the Roman Republic: Plautus and Popular Comedy

Roman comedy evolved early in the war-torn 200s BCE. Troupes of lower-class and slave actors traveled through a militarized landscape full of displaced persons and the newly enslaved; together, the actors made comedy to address mixed-class, hybrid, multilingual audiences. Surveying the whole of the Plautine corpus, where slaves are central figures, and the extant fragments of early comedy, this book is grounded in the history of slavery and integrates theories of resistant speech, humor, and performance. Part I shows how actors joked about what people feared - natal alienation, beatings, sexual abuse, hard labor, hunger, poverty - and how street-theater forms confronted debt, violence, and war loss. Part II catalogues the onstage expression of what people desired: revenge, honor, free will, legal personhood, family, marriage, sex, food, free speech; a way home, through memory; and manumission, or escape - all complicated by the actors' maleness. Comedy starts with anger.
The Moot Corp Competition: Catalyst for Entrepreneurship Education and Entrepreneurial Activity

The MOOT CORP Program, developed in 1984 at theMcCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, is describedin detail. Dubbed "The Mother of All Business-Plan Competitions" bySuccess magazine in 1997, the program invites MBA students to formulate,research, and develop a detailed business plan for a venture, which they thenpresent to a panel of experienced business judges. MOOT CORP studentslearn to analyze business opportunities, manage scarce resources, work withteams, and hone their presentation skills. The MOOT CORP Program represents a model of entrepreneurship education thatoffers students both a theoretical foundation and hands-on experience.(SAA)
Lands changing hands: experiences of succession and farm (knowledge) acquisition among first-generation, multigenerational, and aspiring farmers.

Abstract Some are predicting that as much as 70% of the nation’s farmland will exchange hands between 2011 and 2031 (Dean, 2011). Given these changes looming on the food horizon, there is a need to better understand the processes, barriers, and opportunities related to intergenerational farm transfer, especially at the rural-urban interface. I draw upon data collected through interviews with five distinct populations: first-generation farmer, beginning (FGB); first-generation farmer, experienced (FGE); multigenerational farmer, beginning (MGB); multigenerational farmer, experienced (MGE); and first generational farmer, aspiring (FGA). Two questions in particular are addressed: (1) what are the different values, motivations, and perceptions among FGB, FGE, MGB, MGE, and FGA toward farming and how do these experiences shape on-farm practices and (2) what are the barriers to farm entry (structural, economic, social and epistemic) and how have respondents worked to overcome them? The data used to explore these questions are drawn from semi-structured interviews with individuals from each of the aforementioned farm categories located near Omaha, Nebraska, or Des Moines, Iowa.
1H, 13C, and 15N NMR backbone assignments and chemical-shift-derived secondary structure of glutamine-binding protein of Escherichia coli.

1H, 13C, and 15N NMR assignments of the backbone atoms and β-carbons have been madefor liganded glutamine-binding protein (GlnBP) of Escherichia coli, a monomeric protein with226 amino acid residues and a molecular weight of 24,935 Da. GlnBP is a periplasmicbinding protein which plays an essential role in the active transport of L-glutamine throughthe cytoplasmic membrane. The assignments have been obtained from three-dimensionaltriple-resonance NMR experiments on a 13C,15N uniformly labeled sample as well asspecifically labeled samples. Results from the 3D triple-resonance experiments, HNCO,HN(CO)CA, HN(COCA)HA, HNCA, HN(CA)HA, HN(CA)CO, and CBCA(CO)NH, are themain sources used to make the resonance assignments. Other 3D experiments, such asHNCACB, COCAH, HCACO, HCACON, and HOHAHA-HMQC, have been used to confirmthe resonance assignments and to extend connections where resonance peaks are missing insome of the experiments mentioned above. We have assigned more than 95% of thepolypeptide backbone resonances of GlnBP. The result of the standard manual assignment isin agreement with that predicted by an automated probabilistic method developed in ourlaboratory. A solution secondary structure of the GlnBP–Gln complex has beenproposed based on chemical shift deviations from random coil values. Eight α-helices and10 β-strands are derived using the Chemical Shift Index method.
Simultaneous presentation of two distinct plasma cell neoplasms

Plasma cell neoplasms consist of a spectrum of diseases characterized by monoclonal proliferations of plasma cells. We report the simultaneous presentation of two distinct plasma cell neoplasms, a very uncommon situation.
Lignin-Based Polyurethanes from Unmodified Kraft Lignin Fractionated by Sequential Precipitation

Lignin-based polyurethanes were synthesized from three unmodified softwood Kraft lignin fractions as the primary hydroxyl group providers which constituted >40% of the polymeric materials. High-, m...
Book review: Handbook of Logic in Artificial Intelligence and Logic Programming. Volume 1. Logical Foundations. Edited by Dov M. Gabbay, C. J. Hogger, and J. A. Robinson (Claredon Press, Oxford, 1993 )

One of the main goals of Artificial Intelligence is to design programs (automatic systems) capable of reasoning. It is therefore natural that many of these systems use logic, i.e., a well-formalized part of human reasoning. There are different opinions in the AI community on the importance of logic: John McCarthy pioneered the approach in which logic is the main tool, while some other researchers put more hope into domain-specific heuristics, expert's knowledge, simulating physiology (like neural networks), etc. However, most AI researchers, even those who do not consider logic the main basis for AI, agree that logic is important for AI. This book is the first volume of a series that presents logic to AI researchers, with an emphasis on those parts of logic that are applicable and useful to AI.
Impacts of Multiscale Racial Concentration on Neighborhood Foreclosure Risk in Immigrant Gateway Metropolitan Areas

Scholars define emerging gateway metropolitan areas in the United States as regions in which immigrant communities settled after the 1990s. Historically, immigrant and minority neighborhoods are ch...
Magnetic Tunability in RE-DOBDC MOFs via NOx Acid Gas Adsorption.

The magnetic susceptibility of NOx-loaded RE-DOBDC (rare earth (RE): Y, Eu, Tb, Yb; DOBDC: 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid) metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is unique to the MOF metal center. RE-DOBD...
4 – Finite Elements

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on finite elements. Finite elements originated from structural mechanics. The method of Ritz does not include a provision for the systematic inclusion of good basis functions. The underlying idea of finite elements is the construction of a trial function for the Ritz method, consisting of polynomial segments that meet at the joints only, the bare minimal continuity requirements for the use of trial function in the principle of minimum potential energy. An advantage of the finite element trial function over that of Ritz is that the former can easily be visualized in its dependence upon the nodal values. The popularity of the finite element method among structural engineers is because of its ability to routinely deal with complicated elastic structures. A variational, or energetic, formulation is adopted to describe the problem and the total potential energy is computed by the addition of the elastic energies of all structural members.
COVID-19 in recent heart transplant recipients: Clinicopathologic features and early outcomes.

Background The impact of COVID-19 on heart transplant (HTx) recipients remains unclear, particularly in the early post-transplant period. Methods We share novel insights from our experience in five HTx patients with COVID-19 (three within 2 months post-transplant) from our institution at the epicenter of the pandemic. Results All five exhibited moderate (requiring hospitalization, n = 3) or severe (requiring ICU and/or mechanical ventilation, n = 2) illness. Both cases with severe illness were transplanted approximately 6 weeks before presentation and acquired COVID-19 through community spread. All five patients were on immunosuppressive therapy with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and tacrolimus, and three that were transplanted within the prior 2 months were additionally on prednisone. The two cases with severe illness had profound lymphopenia with markedly elevated C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and ferritin. All had bilateral ground-glass opacities on chest imaging. MMF was discontinued in all five, and both severe cases received convalescent plasma. All three recent transplants underwent routine endomyocardial biopsies, revealing mild (n = 1) or no acute cellular rejection (n = 2), and no visible viral particles on electron microscopy. Within 30 days of admission, the two cases with severe illness remain hospitalized but have clinically improved, while the other three have been discharged. Conclusions COVID-19 appears to negatively impact outcomes early after heart transplantation.
Last Electrically Well: Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring for Identification and Triage of Large Vessel Occlusions.

Abstract Introduction Intra-operative stroke (IOS) is associated with poor clinical outcome as detection is often delayed and time of symptom onset or patient's last known well (LKW) is uncertain. Intra-operative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) is uniquely capable of detecting onset of neurological dysfunction in anesthetized patients, thereby precisely defining time last electrically well (LEW). This novel parameter may aid in the detection of large vessel occlusion (LVO) and prompt treatment with endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained AIS and LVO database from May 2018-August 2019. Inclusion criteria required any surgical procedure under general anesthesia (GA) utilizing EEG (electroencephalography) and/or SSEP (somatosensory evoked potentials) monitoring with development of intraoperative focal persistent changes using predefined alarm criteria and who were considered for EVT. Result Five cases were identified. LKW to closure time ranged from 66 to 321 minutes, while LEW to closure time ranged from 43 to 174 min. All LVOs were in the anterior circulation. Angiography was not pursued in two cases due to large established infarct (both patients expired in the hospital). EVT was pursued in two cases with successful recanalization and spontaneous recanalization was noted in one patient (mRS 0–3 at 90 days was achieved in all 3 cases). Conclusions This study demonstrates that significant IONM changes can accurately identify patients with an acute LVO in the operative setting. Given the challenges of recognizing peri-operative stroke, LEW may be an appropriate surrogate to quickly identify and treat IOS.
Strengthening family retention and relationships in home visiting programs through early screening and assessment practices

Abstract Evidence-based home visiting (EBHV) programs for pregnant women and families of young children prevent child maltreatment and improve maternal and child health outcomes. However, home visiting programs often struggle to retain families long enough to achieve positive outcomes. The current study (N = 1,032) sought to understand how home visitor relationship building skills and screening practices predict families’ duration in EBHV. Multilevel modeling revealed that screening practice helped retain families in EBHV programs longer. Interactions between screening practices and home visitors’ relationship building skills further showed screening practices were associated with longer duration in services when home visitor relationship building skills with families were weak. However, when home visitor relationship building skills were strong, screening practices were less influential on duration. Results suggest that screening practices may help build relationships with families which then enhances retention in services and increases the likelihood of achieving positive maternal and child outcomes.
Top cross-sections and single top

This paper summarizes top quark cross-section measurements at the Tevatron and the LHC. Top quark pair production cross-sections have been measured in all decay modes by the ATLAS and CMS collaborations at the LHC and by the CDF and D0 collaborations at the Tevatron. Single top quark production has been observed at both the Tevatron and the LHC. The t-channel and associated Wt production modes have been observed at the LHC and evidence for s-channel production has been reported by the Tevatron collaborations.
Low-Risk Benchmarking Transcends Rebalancing Methods

The dismal performance of managed investment and the success of equal allocation and minimum variance models prompt these questions: Can rebalancing driven by minimum variance and maximum diversification rebalancing outperform naive models? Can a minimum variance model produce higher risk-adjusted returns than a maximum diversification model when security selection favors low-correlated assets? This study uses expected shortfall to measure risk, bootstrapping to transform fat-tailed distributions so they are suitable for t-tests, and factor analysis to help explain the relative performance of the models. The minimum variance and maximum diversification models outperformed naive models, and the minimum variance models produced higher risk-adjusted returns than the maximum diversification model. Market factors adequately explained differences in returns between rebalancing models, but adding a factor for the effect of rebalancing procedures improved all models. All models constrained by the lower risk benchmark produced higher risk-adjusted returns than corresponding models constrained by the higher risk benchmark. This outcome suggests many rebalancing models—perhaps even return-based models—could produce superior risk-adjusted returns if lower risk benchmarks constrain risk. TOPICS:Portfolio theory, portfolio construction, risk management, factor-based models, exchange-traded funds and applications Key Findings ▪ The two minimum variance models produced statistically significant superior risk-adjusted returns. ▪ All models constrained by the lower risk benchmark produced higher risk-adjusted returns than corresponding models constrained by the higher risk benchmark. ▪ Although market factors explained differences in model returns, adjusted R2 values increased when regression models included a rebalancing factor.
Rise of Domestic Banks in EME Cross-border Credit Intermediation

While the volume of cross-border capital inflow to emerging market economies (EMEs) has been increasing since 1970s, the last three decades have witnessed a more pronounced change in the structure of these cross-border capital flows. In this paper, we document the rise of domestic global banks in EMEs and the growingly important role they have played in channeling cross-border capital since the 1990s. We further provide evidence that this structural change in the cross-border capital flow to EMEs is likely to be driven by the transformation of the U.S. money market since the end of the 1980s. Using detailed documentation on cross-border loans, we demonstrate that foreign and domestic lenders have drastically different preferences on lending bases when extending credit to corporations in EMEs: foreign lenders exhibit a much higher reluctance to lend against hard assets as collateral. On the basis of differentiated lending technologies, we show that the rise of domestic global banks in channeling cross-border capital to EMEs has had a profound impact on i) who receives the capital and ii) how the capital is received. Inspired by these micro-level findings, we conduct a cross-country analysis and find that the rise of domestic global banks in transmitting cross-border capital to EMEs can have a far-reaching impact on these economies at the aggregate level. In particular, we find that the rise of domestic global banks in EMEs can greatly i) reshape the industry structure of these economies and ii) increase the economies’ susceptibility to global financing cycles.
Lost Circulation Materials

Numerous LCMs have been proposed for curing lost circulation. However, due to the complexity of formation properties and fluid loss mechanisms, there is not a universal LCM suitable to all types of losses. The selection of LCMs is highly dependent on the formation types, fluid loss mechanisms (e.g. loss into pores, natural fractures, induced fractures, and vugs), and the loss severity. This chapter gives a brief overview of the LCMs that can be used to mitigate fluid losses in high-permeability formations, low-permeability shales, and vugular/fractured carbonates.
What You Do Predicts How You Do: Prospectively Modeling Student Quiz Performance Using Activity Features in an Online Learning Environment

Students using online learning environments need to effectively self-regulate their learning. However, with an absence of teacher-provided structure, students often resort to less effective, passive learning strategies versus constructive ones. We consider the potential benefits of interventions that promote retrieval practice – retrieving learned content from memory – which is an effective strategy for learning and retention. The goal is to nudge students towards completing short, formative quizzes when they are likely to succeed on those assessments. Towards this goal, we developed a machine-learning model using data from 32,685 students who used an online mathematics platform over an entire school year to prospectively predict scores on three-item assessments (N = 210,020) from interaction patterns up to 9 minutes before the assessment as well as Item Response Theory (IRT) estimates of student ability and quiz difficulty. These models achieved a student-independent correlation of 0.55 between predicted and actual scores on the assessments and outperformed IRT-only predictions (r = 0.34). Model performance was largely independent of the length of the analyzed window preceding a quiz. We discuss potential for future applications of the models to trigger dynamic interventions that aim to encourage students to engage with formative assessments rather than more passive learning strategies.
Post-cardiac arrest physiology and management in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Abstract Aim The importance of high-quality post-cardiac arrest care is well-described in adult and paediatric populations, but data are lacking to inform post-cardiac arrest care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The objective of this study was to describe post-cardiac arrest physiology and management in a quaternary NICU. Methods Retrospective descriptive study of post-cardiac arrest physiology and management. Data were abstracted from electronic medical records and an institutional resuscitation database. A cardiac arrest was defined as ≥1 minute of chest compressions. Only index arrests were analysed. Descriptive statistics were used to report patient, intra-arrest, and post-arrest characteristics. Results There were 110 index cardiac arrests during the 5-year study period from 1/2017–2/2021. The majority (69%) were acute respiratory compromise leading to cardiopulmonary arrest (ARC-CPA) and 26% were primary cardiopulmonary arrests (CPA). Vital sign monitoring within 24 hours post-arrest was variable, especially non-invasive blood pressure frequency (median 5, range 1–44 measurements). There was a high prevalence of hypothermia (73% of arrest survivors). There was substantial variability in laboratory frequency within 24 hours post-arrest. Patients with primary CPA received significantly more lab testing and had a higher prevalence of acidosis (pH Conclusions We identified significant variation in post-arrest management and a high prevalence of hypothermia. These data highlight the need for post-arrest management guidelines specific to neonatal physiology, as well as opportunities for quality improvement initiatives. Further research is needed to ascertain the impact of neonatal post-arrest management on long-term outcomes and survival.
Identifying Synergistic Relationships of National Aviation (Blue Ribbon) Commission Reports: A Qualitative Data Analysis Application

By examining the three Blue Ribbon Commission reports focused on the aerospace industry from 1993-2002, the purpose of this paper was to identify significant synergies emerging in the aerospace industry as identified by the commissions’ shared aims. A content analysis of the commission reports’ recommendations revealed fundamental issues that continue to persist even though they have been recognized as problems. The analysis used a combination of concepts and phrases to link the reports together. The research revealed how the aerospace industry has changed during the time periods examined by these commissions as it resonated in the types of recommendations and associated language used in the reports. The analysis revealed three common areas of concern: modernizing the Federal Aviation Administration, forming partnerships between business and government, and investing in longterm research and development. A fourth area emerged in the 1997 and 2002 reports—developing core infrastructure for the safety and security of the entire nation, not just the passengers. Based on the dynamic trends identified in the analysis of the three reports, this study advocates a selective pattern of future policy action based on the Blue Ribbon Commissions’ recommendations.
Using Economics Blogs to Teach Economic Principles

The proliferation of widely-read blogs in the social sciences presents a pedagogical opportunity for instructors of undergraduate courses. This paper describes the introduction of blog assignments by the authors in the fall of 2011 in five principles of microeconomics classes at Western Carolina University. Students were subsequently surveyed in order to assess the impact of blog assignments on their attitudes toward economics. The survey results indicate that the blog assignments appear to have stimulated student interest in economics, while also offering a number of advantages over traditional textbook-based homework assignments. In this paper, we make the case that blog assignments are an effective pedagogical tool in economics and should be similarly successful in other social science courses.
Aeroengine Prognostics via Local Linear Smoothing, Filtering and Prediction

We propose a new method for local linear smoothing, filtering and prediction of noisy data. Its novelty consists in two of its steps: a sliding window filter that uses Student’s t-statistics to perform smoothing and filtering, and a trend change detection scheme that uses a convex hull construction to determine a change of slope or intercept of the local linear trend. The final linear trend detected is used for linear prediction and interval estimation. The application of the scheme to gas-turbine engine prognostics is presented. 1. MOTIVATION Constraints to comprehensive collection of measurements in industrial systems, coupled with the need to predict, diagnose and avert failures of systems for purposes of safety, preventive maintenance, and inventory reduction predicate the need for algorithms that can make meaningful predictions from sparse and nonuniform time series. Ad hoc methods such as fuzzy logic [1] and neural networks [4], while permitting rapid deployment to products, have to be tuned carefully to the specific problem at hand. Moreover, they do not provide a quantitative estimate of the reliability of their extrapolations or predictions.
Cadmium determinant 1 is a putative heavy-metal transporter in Arabidopsis thaliana (617.4)

Cadmium (Cd) is a non-essential toxic heavy metal for most organisms. Accumulation of Cd is toxic to plants, and it also causes serious health concerns in humans as plants are the major staples in human diet. In A. thaliana, cadmium is mainly accumulated in the roots suggesting that root-to-shoot Cd translocation is restricted at the xylem loading. Up to date, two members of HEAVY METAL P1B-ATPase (HMA) family of transporters, namely HMA2 and HMA4, and some YSL transporters have been shown to be responsible for Cd loading into the xylem. Here we present data suggesting CADMIUM DETERMINANT 1 (CDM1) as a previously uncharacterized putative heavy-metal transporter in plants. Expression of CDM1 was induced under Cd treatment in wild-type seedling roots. Elemental analysis of two alleles of cdm1 mutant by ICP-MS showed that the mutants accumulated less Cd and Zn both in shoots and roots after Cd treatment. In addition, root growth of cdm1 mutants showed higher tolerance to Cd toxicity. These data suggest that ...
Hydrogen, lithium, and boron in mantle-derived olivine: The role of coupled substitutions

We report major element, boron, lithium, and water (present as structurally bound hydroxyl) contents for a suite of ten mantle-derived olivine crystals, measured by electron microprobe, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Water measurements are based on re-analysis and/or re-processing of data previously reported in the literature. Analyzed olivines have lithium, boron, and water concentrations of 0.9–7.8 and 0.01–67, and 0.8–61 ppm (by weight), respectively. One olivine from Kingiti, Tanzania (possibly derived from metasomatized peridotite) is anomalous, with boron and lithium contents of 67 and 7.8 ppm, respectively. The remaining olivine samples have lithium and boron contents below 3 and 1 ppm, respectively. Although lithium, boron, and water contents vary substantially, their cation proportions are not strongly correlated, arguing against simple coupled substitutions involving these elements. Importantly, the incorporation of boron and water in olivine by the B(F,OH)Si_(−1)O_(−1) substitution does not appear to be a universal feature of mantle olivine, although it may be significant in those with the highest boron contents. Our data also support suggestions that olivine may be an important reservoir for hydrogen, lithium, and boron in the lithospheric and upper asthenospheric mantle, and may thus play a key role in the geochemical cycling of these elements within the mantle, and between the mantle and crust.
Laparoscopic Outcomes for Pelvic Pathology in Children and Adolescents among Patients Presenting to the Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Service.

Abstract Study Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate surgical indications, outcomes, and common pelvic pathologies presenting to the Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology service in premenarcheal (PMF) and menarcheal females (MF) undergoing laparoscopic surgery. Design A retrospective chart review. Setting An academic children's hospital. Participants Females under 21 years of age, excluding pregnant patients, who underwent laparoscopic surgery for a gynecologic indication presenting to the Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology service at a single children's hospital between July 2007 and January 2012, identified by CPT codes. Main Outcome Measures Pertinent patient demographics, indication for surgery, anesthesia time, estimated blood loss, surgical instruments used, intra-operative findings, surgical pathology, complications, length of stay, and concerns at follow-up appointment. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses of data were performed using SAS 9.3. Results Of 158 cases meeting inclusion criteria, 33 patients were PMF (mean age 8.6 ± 3.2 years) and 125 patients were MF (mean age 14.7 ± 2.3 years). Acute abdominal pain was the most common surgical indication in both groups, but was significantly more likely to be the surgical indication in the PMF group (62.7% vs 52.8%, P = .006). Adnexal torsion was more likely to be present in the PMF group than in the MF group (66.7% vs 27.2%, P Conclusion Minimally invasive surgical techniques represent a safe and well-tolerated method for treating a wide variety of pelvic pathology in both younger children and older adolescent females. For physicians evaluating premenarcheal females with acute-onset abdominal pain, adnexal torsion should be prominent among the differential diagnoses.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VERTICAL TRANSFERS AND NATIVE STUDENTS IN FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTIONS

Data from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 were drawn to compare those who transfer from two-year colleges and those who enroll in four-year institutions immediately after high school. The comparisons were made on background variables, individual characteristics, and financial aid status. Results indicated that transfers came from lower SES families, and had lower academic ability, high school achievement, and educational aspiration than native students. Transfers were less likely than native students to receive scholarships, fellowships, or grants, and they showed lower achievement in the year after transfer. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Three–Dimensional Transient Elastic Thermal Stress Field During Diesel Particulate Filter Regeneration

A displacement based 3D finite element model is developed to simulate thermal stress induced by high temperature and temperature gradient during diesel particulate filter (DPF) regeneration. The temperature field predicted by 3D regeneration model from previous work is used as input. This finite element model agrees well with commercial software. It is a self-contained package capable of implementing meshing body, assembling global stiffness matrix and solving final equilibrium equations. Numerical simulation indicates that it is peak temperature rather than temperature gradient that leads to higher compressive thermal stress during regeneration. The maximum stress always appears at the channel corner located at the end of DPF. Parametric studies are performed to investigate the effects of DPF design on pressure drop, regeneration temperature, and thermal stress. This model provides insights into the complicated DPF working mechanism, and it can be used as design tools to reduce filter pressure drop while enhance its short term and long term durability.
Comparison of Ge(Li) and Anti-Compton Systems for Measurements of Environmental Samples

There are numerous reasons for performing environmental measurements for routine health or safety monitoring and to determine the movement of trace elements or radionuclides through our environment to man. This is often a requirement for the licensing of nuclear power reactors, as well as many other meteorological or environmental research experiments. In this paper a variety of sensitive low-level counting systems have been discussed from an analyst's viewpoint, centering on a variety of NaI(Tl) and Ge(Li) gamma ray spectrometers. The coincident gamma-ray emitters are most sensitively detected through NaI(Tl) multidimensional gamma ray spectrometry, while single gamma ray emitters are very sensitively detected with Ge(Li) detector systems. NaI(Tl) detector systems are superior in general for environmental measurements.
Parental perception of time and decision-making in neonatal research

To assess the impact of time on parental decision-making for research participation for neonates with congenital heart disease. Interviews were conducted with 37 parents of 19 neonates with congenital heart disease who were eligible for three different studies: genetic etiology of congenital heart disease, heart rate variability (HRV) and structural and functional cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). All parents were asked the same questions: (1) ‘Did you have adequate time to make a decision about research?’ and (2) ‘Why?’ Differences between groups (reporting adequate and inadequate time) were evaluated using Fisher's exact tests; central themes were examined using qualitative analysis. Of those parents who reported having adequate time to make their decision (22 of 37), the majority chose to participate when compared to those who reported inadequate time (genetics study, P<0.01; HRV, P=0.05; MRI, P<0.01). For the parents reporting inadequate time, consistent themes emerged: insufficient time to make an educated choice (n=10), consideration of study logistics (n=8), spouse not present at the time of decision (n=7) and insufficient time to discuss the studies (n=4). Parental perception of adequate time to decide about research participation was associated with parental willingness to enroll the child in research. Despite any time limitations, parents were satisfied with the decisions they made. Optimizing the time available for the parental permission process could enhance research participation in the neonatal period.
Validation of Analytical Solution for Depth-of-Correlation in Microscopic Particle Image Velocimetry

Because the entire flowfield is generally illuminated in microscopic particle image velocimetry (microPIV), determining the depth over which particles will contribute to the measured velocity is more difficult than in traditional, light-sheet PIV. This paper experimentally and computationally measures the influence that volume illumination, optical parameters, and particle size have on the depth of correlation for typical microPIV system. First, it is demonstrated mathematically that the relative contribution to the measured velocity at a given distance from the object plane is proportional to the curvature of the local cross-correlation function at the distance. The depth of correlation is then determined in both the physical experiments and in computational simulations by directly measuring the relative contribution to the correlation function of particles located at a known separation from the object plane. These results are then compared with a previously derived analytical model that predicts the depth of correlation from the basic properties of the imaging sytem and seed particles used for the microPIV measurements. Excellent agreement was obtained between the analytical model and both computational and physical experiments, verifying the accuracy of the previously derived analytical model.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Follow-Up of Learning Disabled Children.

Limited longitudinal data on learner characteristics and performance are available in the learning disability field. This study, however, follows the course of reading achievement over a five- to seven-year period of a group of children with learning problems. These students' characteristics are described in detail along with their relationship to reading achievement over time. The data support the premise that academically related deficits persist over time in LD populations.
The Vigorous Immune Microenvironment of Microsatellite Instable Colon Cancer Is Balanced by Multiple Counter-Inhibitory Checkpoints

We examined the immune microenvironment of primary colorectal cancer using immunohistochemistry, laser capture microdissection/qRT-PCR, flow cytometry, and functional analysis of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. A subset of colorectal cancer displayed high infiltration with activated CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) as well as activated Th1 cells characterized by IFNγ production and the Th1 transcription factor TBET. Parallel analysis of tumor genotypes revealed that virtually all of the tumors with this active Th1/CTL microenvironment had defects in mismatch repair, as evidenced by microsatellite instability (MSI). Counterbalancing this active Th1/CTL microenvironment, MSI tumors selectively demonstrated highly upregulated expression of multiple immune checkpoints, including five—PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4, LAG-3, and IDO—currently being targeted clinically with inhibitors. These findings link tumor genotype with the immune microenvironment, and explain why MSI tumors are not naturally eliminated despite a hostile Th1/CTL microenvironment. They further suggest that blockade of specific checkpoints may be selectively efficacious in the MSI subset of colorectal cancer. Significance: The findings reported in this article are the first to demonstrate a link between a genetically defined subtype of cancer and its corresponding expression of immune checkpoints in the tumor microenvironment. The mismatch repair–defective subset of colorectal cancer selectively upregulates at least five checkpoint molecules that are targets of inhibitors currently being clinically tested. Cancer Discov; 5(1); 43–51. ©2014 AACR. See related commentary by Xiao and Freeman, [p. 16][1] This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, [p. 1][2] [1]: /lookup/volpage/5/16?iss=1 [2]: /lookup/volpage/5/1?iss=1
Topography of neovascularity in human prostate carcinoma.

Background. All neoplasms require angiogenesis and resulting neovascularity for growth. The authors and others have confirmed the staging and prognostic significance of quantitative microvascularity density (MVD) in human prostate carcinoma (CAP). In the present investigation, the authors sought to identify the specific site of neovascularity within the neoplasm and adjacent benign tissue. Methods. Histologically benign and malignant tissues from 14 random radical prostatectomy specimens were studied. The tumor edge was defined precisely by immunohistochemistry, suggesting a high molecular weight cytokeratin that stains only the basal cells of benign histology. Microvascularity density quantification was performed using von Willebrand factor antigen immunohistochemistry as previously defined. Five parallel arcs were defined along which vessel density was calculated including arcs within, on the edge, and removed from the neoplasm. Results. In 13 of 14 cases, the highest vessel density was found within the tumor. Significant differences were observed between the edge of the tumor and 2.5 mm within the benign periphery, between the benign and malignant tissue at the border, and between CAP at the edge and CAP 2.0 mm within the neoplasm. These findings suggest a stepwise increase in MVD toward the center of the neoplasm. Conclusions. These data confirm the authors' previous observation that prostate cancer has approximately a two-fold increase in MVD compared with the benign tissue. Moreover, high vascularization of the center explains the rare finding of necrosis in CAP. These data suggest that angiogenic promoters may have their highest activity in the center of the neoplasm. Cancer 1995 ;75 :2545-51.