cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corneal thickness as a risk factor for visual field loss in patients with preperimetric glaucomatous optic neuropathy.

Abstract Purpose To determine whether central corneal thickness (CCT) is a risk factor for visual field loss development among patients diagnosed with preperimetric glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON). Design Observational cohort study. Methods The study included 98 eyes of 98 patients with GON, with a mean follow-up time of 4.3 ± 2.7 years. Diagnosis of GON was based on masked assessment of optic disk stereophotographs. All patients had normal standard automated perimetry visual fields at baseline. Criteria for visual field abnormality were derived from a prior study. Several clinical factors (CCT, intraocular pressure, vertical cup-to-disk ratio, refraction, age, gender, family history of glaucoma, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and migraine) were investigated to ascertain whether there is an association with development of repeatable visual field loss. Cox proportional hazards models were used to obtain hazard ratios (HR) and identify factors that predicted which individuals developed glaucomatous visual field loss during the follow-up period. Results Thirty-four patients (35%) developed repeatable visual field abnormality during follow-up. In multivariate analysis, risk factors that predicted the development of visual field loss were a thinner CCT (adjusted HR = 1.62/40 μm thinner; P = .023; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07–2.45), higher baseline intraocular pressure (adjusted HR = 1.07/mm Hg; P = .022; 95% CI: 1.01–1.14), and larger baseline vertical cup-to-disk ratio (adjusted HR = 1.63/0.1 larger; P = .009; 95% CI: 1.13–2.35). The mean ± standard deviation CCT of GON patients who developed visual field loss was 543 ± 36 μm compared with 565 ± 35 μm of those who did not develop visual field abnormalities (P = .005, Student t test). Conclusion Central corneal thickness is a risk factor for development of visual field loss among patients diagnosed with preperimetric GON. It is important to consider CCT when establishing target intraocular pressure of patients with GON.
Specific release of a 9-kDa extrinsic polypeptide of photosystem I from spinach chloroplasts by salt washing.

The newly reported 9-kDa polypeptide in photosystem I [(1991) FEBS Lett. 280, 332–334) is an extrinsic component located on the lumenal side of the thylakoid membrane. This subunit can be solubilized with high salt buffer and does not bind any cofactors. The photosystem I electron transfer chain remains intact and functional in the absence of this component as characterized by the photoreduction of NADP*.
Fragment-Based Learning of Visual Object Categories

Summary When we perceive a visual object, we implicitly or explicitly associate it with a category we know [1–3]. It is known that the visual system can use local, informative image fragments of a given object, rather than the whole object, to classify it into a familiar category [4–8]. How we acquire informative fragments has remained unclear. Here, we show that human observers acquire informative fragments during the initial learning of categories. We created new, but naturalistic, classes of visual objects by using a novel "virtual phylogenesis" (VP) algorithm that simulates key aspects of how biological categories evolve. Subjects were trained to distinguish two of these classes by using whole exemplar objects, not fragments. We hypothesized that if the visual system learns informative object fragments during category learning, then subjects must be able to perform the newly learned categorization by using only the fragments as opposed to whole objects. We found that subjects were able to successfully perform the classification task by using each of the informative fragments by itself, but not by using any of the comparable, but uninformative, fragments. Our results not only reveal that novel categories can be learned by discovering informative fragments but also introduce and illustrate the use of VP as a versatile tool for category-learning research.
The X-ray crystal structures of the mononuclear silyllithium species Li(THF)3SiPh3 and Li(THF)3Si(SiMe3)3

Abstract The organosilyllithium tetrahydrofuranate complexes Li(THF) 3 SiPh 3 ( 1 ) and Li(THF) 3 Si(SiMe 3 ) 2 ( 2 ) were crystallized and structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. Both compounds possess monomeric structures with relatively long ( ca . 2.67 A) LiSi bonds. In addition, the lithium-bound silicons have distorted tetrahedral geometries with low CSiC and SiSiSi angles of 101.3° (av.) ( 1 ) and 102.6° (av.) ( 2 ). Compound 1 , which has not been reported as an isolated species, has been characterized by 1 H, 7 Li, 29 Si NMR and IR spectroscopy. These studies indicate that the LiSi bond remains intact in THF solution at −80°C.
Factorial analysis of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates for optimization of zeaxanthin production from Flavobacterium multivorum

Aims To study the effect of intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle on the production of zeaxanthin from Flavobacterium multivorum in order to optimize production of this xanthophyll carotenoid. Methods and results The concentration of selected TCA cycle intermediates (malic acid, isocitric acid and alpha-ketoglutarate) was optimized in shake flask culture, using a statistical two-level, three-variable factorial approach. The carotenoid production profile was also studied in the optimized medium at various growth phases. Optimized medium resulted in a sixfold increase in volumetric production of zeaxanthin (10.65 +/- 0.63 microg ml-1) using malic acid (6.02 mm), isocitric acid (6.20 mm) and alpha-ketoglutarate (0.02 mm). The majority of zeaxanthin was produced in the late logarithmic growth phase whereas a substantial amount of beta-cryptoxanthin and beta-carotene were observed in the early logarithmic phase. Significance and impact of the study This study demonstrates improvement of zeaxanthin production from F. multivorum which might aid in the commercialization of zeaxanthin production from this microbe.
Use of a ground-based scanning lidar for estimation of biophysical properties of western larch (Larix occidentalis)

Ground-based laser scanners represent a relatively new technology that promises to enhance the ability to remotely sense biophysical properties of vegetation. In this study, we utilized a commercially available discrete-return ground-based laser scanning system to sample properties of western larch (Larix occidentalis) in a northern Idaho forest. Three young trees <5 m in height were scanned before and after leaf abscission in the autumn of 2004. Leaf areas represented by the number of laser returns were estimated by subtracting leaf-off laser returns from leaf-on returns. Leaf areas represented by number of laser returns were significantly correlated with manual-based estimates of leaf area (r 2 = 0.822). Ratios of woody-to-total tree area were estimated based on number of laser returns from woody material. Ratios of woody-to-total area ranged from 0.24 to 0.58 for nine one-metre sections of tree for which estimates were made. Ratios of woody-to-total area were also estimated using intensity of laser returns and fell near the range of estimates made using the number of laser returns. Improved estimation of leaf area, woody-to-total area ratios, and other biophysical parameters using ground-based laser scanning technology may be possible with a careful consideration of instrument specifications and sampling design.
Effects of external beam radiation in the rat tibial nerve after crush, transection and repair, or nerve isograft paradigms.

Introduction: In head and neck surgery, radiation therapy is often administered to an injured nerve. Previous studies have examined the effects of either preoperative or postoperative radiation on nerve regeneration in rodents. In these studies, histomorphometric analysis was performed up to 8 month postoperatively. Given the exceptional neuroregenerative capacity of rodents, significant differences in nerve regeneration may go undetected if nerves are evaluated at such distant postoperative time points. This study is designed with a more appropriate model and investigates the effects of radiation after three common nerve injury paradigms. Methods: Sixty-four Lewis rates were randomized to 8 groups corresponding to uninjured, tibial nerve crush, transection and repair, or reconstruction with isografts. Half of the animals in each of these paradigms (n = 8 per group) were treated with 10 Gy of external beam radiation to the site of nerve injury at 7 days postoperatively. On postoperative day 28, functional recovery and histomorphometric assessment was performed. Results: For a given paradigm of nerve injury, no significant differences in nerve fiber number, neural density, neural debris, or fiber width were noted between the control and radiated groups, and radiation did not affect functional recovery. Conclusion: Radiation had no discernible effect on nerve regeneration or functional recovery in the rodent nerve injury models studied. All assessments were made at time points suitable for detecting differences in nerve regeneration between groups. These findings suggest that administration of radiation to fields containing injured peripheral nerve is unlikely to adversely affect functional outcomes.
Frequency of Seal Disruption with the Sarns Centrifugal Pump in Postcardiotomy Circulatory Assist

: We have used the Sarns centrifugal pump for uni- or biventricular assist in 58 patients with postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock. This device utilizes a spinning impeller pump that is magnetically coupled to a motor imparting rotary motion to incoming perfusate. Nine patients (16%) experienced 22 device failures, which consisted of a nonvisible disruption of the seal within the pumphead. This allowed fluid to accumulate between the pumphead and the motor necessitating change of the pumphead. The time to seal disruption was 10–149 h (median 48). Of the 22 seal disruptions, 18 occurred in 73 left ventricular pumps (25%), and 4 occurred in 38 right ventricular pumps (11%) p = 0.015. Left ventricular pumps failed at 10–144 h (median 48), and right ventricular pumps failed at 48–149 h (median 83) p = 0.02. The Sarns centrifugal pump is dependable for its intended use of cardiopulmonary perfusion. However, when used for postcardiotomy assist, seal disruption should be expected. It occurs sooner and is more common during left ventricular assist. We recommend inspection of the magnet chamber for evidence of seal disruption every 12 h with left ventricular assist and every 24 h with right ventricular assist.
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: From Creation to Evolution—An Evidence‐Based Review

In the past decade, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), achieved by simultaneous left and right ventricular pacing, has emerged as a potent therapeutic option for patients with congestive heart failure. Electrical dyssynchrony, most often manifested by left bundle branch block on the surface 12-lead electrocardiogram, results in mechanical dyssynchrony of the left ventricular septum and free wall, which decreases cardiac efficiency. In patients with ejection fractions 120 ms, CRT improves clinical parameters such as 6-minute walk distances, quality-of-life scores, and NYHA functional class. Long-term reverse remodeling of the failing ventricle results in reductions in congestive heart failure hospitalizations and mortality independent of defibrillator therapy. While most patients show significant improvement, a small proportion fail to respond. Appropriately identifying patients who will benefit most from CRT and timing the initiation of resynchronization therapy remain areas of intense investigation.
Evolutionarily conserved T-cell epitopes on FIV for designing an HIV/AIDS vaccine

This review will discuss the current state of the human HIV-1 vaccine trials including the safety consideration of vaccine composition and difficulties in determining and defining protective immunity and epitopes to HIV-1. Vaccines in animal models of lentivirus infection are compared. In particular, the findings from the prototype FIV vaccine and the HIV-1 protein immunizations studies in cats are discussed, as well as the resulting research regarding a potential HIV-1 vaccine design based on evolutionarily conserved T-cell epitopes.
Ice Nanocolumns: A Molecular Dynamics Study

Ice nanocolumns parallel to the c axis of hexagonal ice are studied by molecular dynamics simulations. It is found that the columns have a very stable hexagonal cross section and are wetted by a th...
Human Research and Complexity Theory

The disavowal of positivist science by many educational researchers has resulted in a deepening polarization of research agendas and an epistemological divide that appears increasingly difficult to span. Despite a turning away from science altogether by some, and thus toward various forms of poststructuralist inquiry, this has not held back the renewed entrenchment of more narrow definitions by policy elites of what constitutes scientific educational research. The new sciences of complexity signal the emergence of a new scientific paradigm that challenges some of the core assumptions of positivism, while offering the potential to develop a new kind of social science that demands both rigour and imagination in coming to understand the emergence and behaviours of social systems and the subsystems that comprise them. The language, concepts and principles of complexity are central to the development of a new science of qualities to complement the science of quantities that has shaped our understanding of the ...
Phylogeny and Diversification in the Melanesian Schefflera Clade (Araliaceae) Based on Evidence from Nuclear rDNA Spacers

Abstract The Pacific species of the polyphyletic genus Schefflera belong to three main clades, of which the Melanesian Schefflera clade is best represented in the archipelagos of New Caledonia, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands. Previous studies have helped to establish the monophyly of Melanesian Schefflera, but an informal, morphology-based classification system that recognizes five subgeneric groupings within this clade remains largely untested. To examine relationships among Melanesian Scheffleras, DNA sequence data from two spacer regions (ITS and ETS) of the nuclear rRNA genes were gathered from a nearly comprehensive sample of species and analyzed phylogenetically. Results confirm the monophyly of four of the five informal groupings, including ‘Plerandra’ (from Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and New Guinea), ‘Gabriellae’ (from New Caledonia, Fiji, and Vanuatu), ‘Canacoschefflera’ (New Caledonia), and ‘Dictyophlebes’ (Fiji and Solomon Islands). However, rDNA data do not agree with morphology i...
Upper critical fields of layered superconducting NbSe2 at low temperature

Abstract The upper critical field versus temperature Hc2 (T) is presented for several NbSe2 samples. Hc2 (T) is above the dirty or clean limit, and at low T is greater than the paramagnetic limiting field. No simple T-dependence is observed. The anisotropy is 3.23 ± 0.03 for 0 ⩽ Ho ⩽ 150 kG and for 1.2 K ⩽ T ⩽ 4.2 K.
Synthesis of a phosphotyrosyl analogue having χ1, χ2 and φ angles constrained to values observed for an SH2 domain-bound phosphotyrosyl residue

Abstract Src homology 2 (SH2) domains provide connectivity in protein-tyrosine kinase (PTK)-dependent signaling through their high affinity association with phosphotyrosyl (pTyr)-containing peptide sequences. Because recognition of pTyr residues is central to SH2 domain-binding affinity, design of pTyr-mimicking residues has been one component of SH2 domain signaling antagonist development. Reported herein is the synthesis of (±)-(rel-1R,2R,5S)-3-acetyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydro-8-O-phosphoryl-1,5-methano-3-benzazocine-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester ( 3c ) as a monomeric pTyr-mimicking analogue that constrains three torsion angles (χ1=168°; χ2=−85°; φ1=−113°) to values approximating those observed for a pTyr residue bound to the Grb2 SH2 domain (χ1=182°; χ2=−89°; φ1=−132°). Compound 3c differs from our previously reported analogue, (±)-(rel-1R,2R,5S)-3-acetyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydro-1-methyl-1,5-methano-3-benzazocin-8-ol, in lacking a methyl substituent at the bridgehead 1-position. Molecular modeling studies had indicated that this methyl group could potentially hinder SH2 domain binding. Synthesis of the desmethyl derivative was achieved by formation of the methanobenzazocine ring system using an intramolecular electrophilic cyclization that proceeds through an activated acyliminium intermediate. Importantly, the correct relative (2R) stereochemistry at the ‘α-carboxyl’-bearing carbon is obtained through base-catalyzed equilibration of a (2S/2R) diastereomeric mixture that results from intramolecular ring closure. Comparison of Grb2 SH2 domain-binding affinity of 3c (IC50=1167 μM) with conformationally flexible phosphorylated (±)-N-acetyl-tyrosine methyl ester ( 15 ; IC50=1469 μM) revealed no apparent enhancement in affinity. This apparent ineffectiveness of ‘local conformational constraint’ on SH2 domain-binding affinity of the monomeric pTyr mimetic is consistent with previous reports obtained by conformationally constraining pTyr-mimicking residues that were contained within peptide platforms. Although not providing high binding affinity in its current form, the novel 1,5-methano-3-benzazocine ring system may afford a novel platform for further elaboration and development of small molecule SH2 domain signaling antagonists.
1175 ENHANCED SURVIVAL OF INFANT RATS WITH OVERWHELMING HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE TYPE B (Hib)SEPSIS BY POLYMYXIN B (PB) - ENDOTOXIN (ETX) INTERACTION

1175 ENHANCED SURVIVAL OF INFANT RATS WITH OVERWHELMING HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE TYPE B (Hib)SEPSIS BY POLYMYXIN B (PB) - ENDOTOXIN (ETX) INTERACTION
PERIOPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS OF ROBOTIC RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY AFTER THE LEARNING CURVE

ABSTRACTPurpose: We assessed the incidence of and analyzed factors that contributed to perioperative complications in patients undergoing robotic radical prostatectomy, that is Vattikuti Institute prostatectomy (VIP), at our institution.Materials and Methods: We recorded operative and postoperative data on 300 consecutive patients who underwent VIP at our institution during a 1-year period. All operations were performed by 1 of 2 surgeons (MM or JOP). We reviewed the complications seen in these patients.Results: There was no operative mortality and no case was converted to open surgery. A total of 269 (89.7%) patients were considered to have an ideal postoperative course, ie they were discharged home within 48 hours with no unscheduled office visits or complications. There were 14 unscheduled postoperative visits (4.7%) for transient urinary retention after early catheter removal (13) or hematuria (1). There were 17 complications, of which 16 (5.3%) were related to surgery and 1 was related to anesthesia....
Comment on "Age and Evolution of the Grand Canyon Revealed by U-Pb Dating of Water Table–Type Speleothems"

Polyak et al. (Reports, 7 March 2008, p. 1377) reported speleothem data leading to their inference that the western Grand Canyon incised much earlier than previously thought. This contradicts several lines of published geological knowledge in the region, hinges upon unjustified hydrogeological assumptions, and is based on two anomalous data points for which we offer alternative explanations.
Body-size scaling of metabolic rate in the trilobite Eldredgeops rana

We infer the body-size scaling slope of metabolic rate in a trilobite by applying a cell-size model that has been proposed to explain metabolic scaling in living organisms. This application is especially tractable in fossil arthropods with well-preserved compound eyes because the number and size of eye facets appear to be useful proxies for the relative number and size of cells in the body. As a case study, we examined the ontogenetic scaling of facet size and number in a ∼390-Myr-old local assemblage of the trilobite Eldredgeops rana, which has well-preserved compound eyes and a wide body-size range. Growth in total eye lens area resulted from increases in both facet area and number in relatively small (presumably young) specimens, but only from increases in facet area in large (presumably more mature) specimens. These results suggest that early growth in E. rana involved both cell multiplication and enlargement, whereas later growth involved only cell enlargement. If the cell-size model is correct, then metabolic rate scaled allometrically in E. rana, and the scaling slope of log metabolic rate versus log body mass decreased from ∼0.85 to 0.63 as these animals grew. This inferred age-specific change in metabolic scaling is consistent with similar changes frequently observed in living animals. Additional preliminary analyses of literature data on other trilobites also suggest that the metabolic scaling slope was <1 in benthic species, but ∼1 in pelagic species, as has also been observed in living invertebrates. The eye-facet size (EFS) method featured here opens up new possibilities for examining the bioenergetic allometry of extinct arthropods.
Using Action Verbs as Learning Outcomes: Applying Bloom's Taxonomy in Measuring Instructional Objectives in Introductory Psychology

We used a set of action verbs based on Bloom’s taxonomy to assess learning outcomes in two college-level introductory psychology courses. The action verbs represented an acronym, IDEA, comprising skills relating to identifying, defining or describing, evaluating or explaining, and applying psychological knowledge. Exam performance demonstrated that higher level cognitive skills in Bloom’s taxonomy represented by the action verbs evaluating and explaining were the most difficult for students to acquire and also showed the highest item discrimination index in differentiating between better and poorer students. This study provides a heuristic framework for evaluating areas of relative strength and weakness in acquired skills in college coursework.
Analysis of multi-configuration density functional theory methods: theory and model application to bond-breaking

We consider the extension of the standard single-determinant Kohn–Sham method to the case of a multi-configuration auxiliary wave function. By applying the rigorous Kohn–Sham method to this case, we construct the proper interacting and auxiliary energy functionals. Following the Hohenberg–Kohn theorem for both energy functionals, we derive the corresponding multi-configuration Kohn–Sham equations, based on a local effective potential. At the end of the analysis we show that, at the ground state, the auxiliary wavefunction must collapse into a single-determinant wave function, equal to the regular KS wavefunction. We also discuss the stability of the wavefunction in multi-configuration density functional theory methods where the auxiliary system is partially interacting, and the remaining (residual) correlation is evaluated as a functional of the density. As an example showing both the challenges and the possibilities, we implement such a procedure for the perfect pairing wavefunction, using a residual cor...
Single-Layer InAs Quantum Dots for High-Performance Planar Photodetectors Near 1.3 $\mu\hbox{m}$

The potential of InAs quantum-dot (QD) photodetectors for room-temperature high-speed operation at wavelengths near 1.3 μm is evaluated. Specifically, planar metal-semiconductor-metal structures on GaAs substrates containing one absorption layer of self-assembled InAs QDs embedded in Ga(In)As matrices are fabricated, characterized, and analyzed. Light absorption, optically generated carrier transport, and collection mechanisms are studied. The role of the QD embedding matrix in the lateral transport of the photogenerated carriers is also studied by comparing structures with QDs in GaAs and In0.15Ga0.85As matrices. Devices show low dark currents in tens of nanoamperes and high light sensitivity when adjusted to QD volumes, whereas external quantum efficiency remains in the range 10-5-10-4 for all fabricated samples. The time response of the fabricated devices is obtained using an excitation wavelength resonant with QD interband transitions, thus allowing the photogeneration of electron-hole pairs inside the dots. Results prove detection capability of a single layer of QDs in a common photodetector structure with a full-width half-maximum time response on the order of 10 ps. A long tail, about 100 ps, but at a small fraction of the peak response amplitude, is also observed, suggesting mechanisms for charge transport and collection.
Historical Changes in the Mississippi-Alabama Barrier-Island Chain and the Roles of Extreme Storms, Sea Level, and Human Activities

Abstract Barrier-island chains worldwide are undergoing substantial changes, and their futures remain uncertain. An historical analysis of a barrier-island chain in the north-central Gulf of Mexico shows that the Mississippi barriers are undergoing rapid systematic land loss and translocation associated with: (1) unequal lateral transfer of sand related to greater updrift erosion compared to downdrift deposition; (2) barrier narrowing resulting from simultaneous erosion of shores along the Gulf and Mississippi Sound; and (3) barrier segmentation related to storm breaching. Dauphin Island, Alabama, is also losing land for some of the same reasons as it gradually migrates landward. The principal causes of land loss are frequent intense storms, a relative rise in sea level, and a sediment-budget deficit. Considering the predicted trends for storms and sea level related to global warming, it is certain that the Mississippi-Alabama (MS-AL) barrier islands will continue to lose land area at a rapid rate unless ...
Marked Difference: Tattooing and its Association with Deviance in the United States

Despite historical associations with deviance and marginality, tattooing is practiced by a diverse population in the United States today, leading some to argue that it has grown beyond its negative associations. Drawing on a nationally representative data set (n = 500) comprised of both tattooed and non-tattooed respondents, this analysis examines the social characteristics of those who are tattooed and the associations of tattooing with deviant behavior. Findings indicate that while tattooing has developed a broad demographic appeal, there remain some strong associations with deviance, particularly criminality. Specifically, highly visible placement of tattoos appears to be most strongly associated with deviant behaviors.
HIV-positive mothers' disclosure of their serostatus to their young children: a review.

One challenge faced by mothers living with HIV (MLWHs) is the decision about whether or not to disclose their HIV status to their young children, and how best to carry out the disclosure. Disclosure of their serostatus has emerged as one of the main concerns MLWHs have, and that decision can result in high levels of psychological distress. Concerns are exacerbated among MLWHs with younger children, due to the fact that they face additional worries, such as whether the child is old enough to understand, or will be able to keep the information confidential. A great deal of recent research—within approximately the past decade—has been conducted to investigate maternal disclosure of HIV, and the outcomes on children. This paper reviews the current state of the research literature, focusing on factors that appear to influence whether or not mothers chose to disclose; characteristics of children who have been made aware of their mothers' serostatus relative to children who remain unaware; factors that appear to influence children's reactions to maternal disclosure; and implications of this research as well as future research directions.
A Signed Directed Graph and Qualitative Trend Analysis-Based Framework for Incipient Fault Diagnosis

In this article a combined signed directed graph (SDG) and qualitative trend analysis (QTA) framework for incipient fault diagnosis has been proposed. The SDG is the first level in this framework and provides a possible candidate set of faults based on the incipient response of the process. The search for the actual fault is performed based on a QTA (level 2), which uses the temporal evolution of the sensors for further resolution. Thus, this framework combines the completeness property of SDG with the high diagnostic resolution property of QTA. Methods to address the problem of incorrect diagnosis arising due to incorrect measurement of initial response have also been presented. The proposed approach is tested on the Tennessee Eastman (TE) case study. Correct fault diagnosis is performed in all possible single fault scenarios. It is shown that this framework provides fast, reliable and accurate incipient fault diagnosis.
Metric for optimizing spatially partially coherent beams for propagation through turbulence

A performance metric Δ is described that can be used to determine the parameters of a partially coherent beam for near-optimal performance of a free-space optical link. The metric is defined as the mean received irradiance minus the standard deviation of the irradiance, and maximizing Δ balances the effects of beam spread and scintillation. An analytic form of Δ is developed for a Gaussian Schell-model beam, where the optimization parameter is the transverse coherence length. Comparisons of the metric performance are made with the more conventional probability-of-fade metric. The metric Δ is applied to determine the characteristics of the optimized coherence length as a function of a variety of link parameters and scenarios. In general, the optimized coherence length tends to decrease with increasing turbulence strength and propagation distance but increases with wavelength, although the behavior of specific scenarios can vary.
Dopaminergic control of male sex behavior in rats: Effects of an intracerebrally-infused agonist

Systemically-administered dopaminergic drugs have been found to facilitate sexual behavior of men and male rats. The present experiments investigated the localization within the brain of dopaminergic effects on copulation of male rats. Apomorphine, a dopamine agonist, was microinfused into the medial preoptic area, caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens, lateral septum and lateral ventricle. The lowest dose of apomorphine (0.2 microgram) infused into the ventricle reduced the number of ejaculations, slowed the rate of intromitting and decreased the percentage of mounts on which the male gained vaginal intromission. The higher two doses (0.5 and 2.0 micrograms) infused into the medial preoptic area and, in some cases, the ventricle, increased the number of ejaculations and the percentage of mounts with vaginal intromission, increased the rate of intromitting and decreased the latency to ejaculate and the postejaculatory interval before resuming copulation. Infusions into the caudate-putamen and lateral septum were without effect. Those into nucleus accumbens produced only a slight dose-related decrease in latency to begin copulating. The copulatory impairments associated with infusions of the lowest dose into the ventricle may have resulted from stimulation of autoreceptors, or from preferential stimulation by low doses of an undetermined area. The facilitative effects of the two higher doses into the medial preoptic area and lateral ventricle may have been due to stimulation of dopaminergic postsynaptic receptors.
Utility of in-house fluconazole disk diffusion susceptibility testing in the treatment of candidemia

Among 302 first candidemia episodes, 210 (69.6%) were initially treated with an echinocandin or polyene (E/P) antifungal drug. In 137 (72.5%) patients with fluconazole-susceptible isolates, treatment was changed to fluconazole based on disk diffusion susceptibility testing. Clinical outcomes were not compromised in patients receiving E/P who were de-escalated to fluconazole for treatment of candidemia based on disk diffusion results.
A Review of “Academic and Professional Publishing”

The academic publishing industry has been challenged by rapid change and technological development in the past two decades. Academic and Professional Publishing is a collection of 20 chapters, auth...
SOCIAL TIES AND MORTALITY IN EVANS COUNTY, GEORGIA

In an attempt to replicate Berkman and Syme's study of social networks and mortality in Alameda County, California, the authors investigated the relationship between a social network index and survivorship from 1967 to 1980 in the Evans County, Georgia, cohort. They constructed an index modeled after the Berkman Social Network Index and tested it in race- and sex-specific proportional hazards models for 2,059 subjects who were examined in 1967-1969 during the Evans County Cardiovascular Epidemiologic Study. The present study emphasized a priori specification of the social network index and statistical hypothesis test. Descriptive analyses were consistent with a modest social networks effect (e.g., hazard ratio (95 per cent confidence interval) of 1.6 (1.2-2.2) ). Among white males, the age-adjusted hazard ratio comparing the lowest to the highest value of our six-level index was 2.0 (1.2-3.4), but control for potential confounders (principally cardiovascular disease risk factors) reduced this value to 1.5 (0.8-2.6). The social networks effect among white females, black males, and black females was weaker and clearly nonsignificant. Exploratory analyses suggested that marital status, church activities, and an alternate social network index predicted survivorship, but not in a dose-response fashion. Reduced survivorship among older subjects with few social ties was the most important feature of the data.
The Byzantine Role in the Making of the Corpus of Classical Greek Historiography: A Preliminary Investigation

The selective survival of the corpus of ancient Greek historiography was in large part due to Byzantine historical and religious interests, combined with the ancient valorization, on literary grounds, of the three Classical historians. Our corpus generally reflects the Byzantine interest in Roman history, especially regime-changes, and sacred history, especially the Hellenistic context of Jewish history. Selections from ancient historians dealing with those themes were, in some cases, circulating independently already from the tenth century. The Byzantines had little interest in Hellenistic or local histories. This paper concludes by examining two moments (or ‘indices’) of survival and selection, Photios' Bibliotheke and the Constantinian Excerpta. Our corpus was largely in place by the time of the Excerpta, and the loss of some texts read by Photios may have been facilitated by the process of transliteration but was due to the same selective interests.
Effects of Age of Bird and Season of the Year on Egg Quality 1. Shell Quality

Abstract In these experiments, 2560 eggs from commercial laying hens were examined to determine the effects of age of bird and season of the year on selected egg shell quality characteristics. Shell thickness was significantly lower in the summer months. Specific gravity was significantly higher in the younger birds and during the cooler seasons. Age and season significantly affected shell weight and percentage of shell. Shell weight increased with increasing age of bird while percentage of shell decreased. During the spring and summer months both shell weight and percentage of shell decreased. Shell density was not significantly affected by age of bird but increased during the warmer months of the year. Shell weight per unit of egg surface area decreased during warmer months and no significant age effect was observed.
Emerging Strategies to Access Peptide Macrocycles from Genetically Encoded Polypeptides

Macrocyclic peptides have emerged as attractive molecular scaffolds for the development of chemical probes and therapeutics. In this synopsis, we highlight contemporary strategies to access peptide macrocycles from ribosomally produced polypeptides. Challenges that have been tackled in this area involve orchestrating the desired macrocyclization process in the presence of unprotected polypeptide precursors and expanding the functional space encompassed by these molecules beyond that of canonical amino acid structures. Applications of these methodologies for the discovery of bioactive molecules are also discussed.
Mental retardation in early childhood. A study of 143 infants.

Almost 20 per cent of 143 children referred to a mental retardation project were found not to be mentally retarded. About 5 per cent had preventable forms of mental retardation resulting from conditions such as hypothyroidism, phenylketonuria and galactosemia.Continued sympathetic care by the physician is mandatory. Except in forms of mental retardation known to be hereditary, such as Tay-Sachs disease, one may advise parents that the chance is quite small (about 3 per cent) that more mentally retarded children will be born to them.
Prediction of model scale turbofan exhaust tone noise

This paper describes in detail the process for predicting, from first principles, the rotor–stator interaction tone levels for two realistic model-scale fans that are representative of high bypass ratio and ultrahigh bypass ratio turbofans. The prediction scheme relies on a suite of three-dimensional computational tools that include Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes aerodynamic models and linearized inviscid aeroacoustic models. The goal of the study was to assess the accuracy of tone-level predictions for realistic fans operating under realistic conditions. The predictions were carried out over a wide range of operating conditions that include, but were not limited to the approach, cutback, and sideline conditions for each of the two fans. The in-duct and external tonal sound fields were computed at a representative blade passing frequency harmonic tone. The predicted tone sound pressure level and sound power level have been compared with the measurements acquired at a NASA anechoic wind tunnel. The data–t...
Training Simulation System Design of a Certain Gun Fire Control System

A new kind of fire control system of anti-aircraft gun was difficult to keep long time during operational training.Half size simulation platform of fire control system was built up by means of a project of keeping control console of fire control system separation from HWIL simulation platform.Master computer was used to response to operational action of 254 keys and rotation knobs.Master computer was longitudinal interconnected by means of interface communication.The system software can perform real-time calculation of target impact problem,TV monitor simulation of battlefield environment,display of PPI tactical data 3D graphics and real-time data interaction.Simulation platform can be used to carry out complete training and real-time evaluation of training results,and the design solution can be used as design reference of other simulation system.
Design and Realization of Power Grid Electrical Equipment Knowledge Base Management System

According to the characteristics of power grid electrical equipment knowledge and the requirements of knowledge study of power grid Corporation,a power grid electrical equipment knowledge base management system is designed based on database technology and lucene search engine technology.The system realizes the conversion form tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge in power grid Corporation,constructs a knowledge share and learning platform and promotes the secure,stable and economic operation of power network.
Teacher Preparation and Inner-City Schools: Sustaining Educational Failure

This article argues that the great majority of teacher education programs have become a sustaining part of urban education's cycle of failure, in particular through the values, stereotypes, and curricular and pedagogical patterns that teacher education inculcates in incipient teachers about difference, minorities, and urban schools and communities. Teacher education's capability lies chiefly in how it understands and treats programmatic minority students, how it encourages a negative perception of urban teaching itself, and how it discourages its students from understanding difference and diversity through the use of an assimilatory multiculturalism, leaving its students stereotypically uninterested in and/or unprepared for urban teaching.
The Productive Years: “The Diesel Effect”

The editor asked me for “my particular perspective” in becoming an emergency physician/educator/innovator/traveler. First disclaimer: I am an emergency physician – residency trained and board certified – so my perspective may not apply to other critical care specialists. Second disclaimer: I was incredibly lucky, finding opportunities and mentors along the way that I can only wish for others. And third disclaimer: my wife and I decided early in our relationship that we did not want children; this decision made it possible for me to do many things that people raising a family would never be able to do.
Gender Remade: Citizenship, Suffrage, and Public Power in the New Northwest, 1879–1912

Gender Remade explores a little-known experiment in gender equality in Washington Territory in the 1870s and 1880s. Building on path-breaking innovations in marital and civil equality, lawmakers extended a long list of political rights and obligations to both men and women, including the right to serve on juries and hold public office. As the territory moved toward statehood, however, jury duty and constitutional co-sovereignty proved to be particularly controversial; in the end, 'modernization' and national integration brought disastrous losses for women until 1910, when political rights were partially restored. Losses to women's sovereignty were profound and enduring - a finding that points, not to rights and powers, but to constitutionalism and the power of social practice as Americans struggled to establish gender equality. Gender Remade is a significant contribution to the understudied legal history of the American West, especially the role that legal culture played in transitioning from territory to statehood.
Idaho National Laboratory Test Area North: Application of Endpoints to Guide Adaptive Remediation at a Complex Site

Complex sites in the subsurface are defined as those with difficult access, deep, and/or thick zones of contamination, large areal extent, heterogeneities that limit the effectiveness of remediation, or where long-term remedies are needed to address contamination (e.g., because of long-term sources or large extent). The Test Area North at the Idaho National Laboratory, developed for nuclear fuel operations and heavy metal manufacturing, is a complex site that demonstrates the endpoints strategy for adaptive remediation. Liquid wastes and sludge from experimental facilities were disposed in an injection well, which contaminated the subsurface aquifer located deep within fractured basalt. The mixed wastes included organic, inorganic, and low-level radioactive constituents, with the focus of this study on the remediation of trichloroethylene within a systems-based, regulatory framework. The framework facilitates site, regulator, and stakeholder interactions during the remedial planning and implementation process by using a conceptual model description as a technical foundation for decisions identifying endpoints. Endpoints are defined as interim remediation targets or decision points on the path to an ultimate end, and maintaining protectiveness during the remediation process. Results demonstrate that the three-component remedy used at Test Area North as an example of the structured framework is largely functioning as intended and is projected to meet remedial action objectives by 2095. The remedy approach is being adjusted as new data become available. The framework provides a structured process for evaluating and adjusting the remediation approach, allowing site owners, regulators, and stakeholders to manage contamination at complex sites where adaptive remedies are needed. ©2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Electromagnetic field couplings for EMC applications in FEM simulation environment

Special aspects of the Finite Element Method (FEM) are presented regarding one and two-way electromagnetic field couplings. Methods of using different incident field representations like near or far fields, including measured data are also discussed. A new numerical method of near to far field transformation is presented when only E or only H measured field is available. Examples demonstrate the applicability and efficiency of the presented methods to EMI/EMC problems.
A retrospective cohort study of hemostatic agent use during hysterectomy and risk of post-operative complications

Objective To determine if the use of intraoperative hemostatic agents was a risk factor for post-operative adverse events within 30 days of patients undergoing hysterectomy. Method A population-based retrospective cohort study included data from patients undergoing hysterectomy for any indication between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2014, at 52 hospitals in Michigan, USA. Any individuals with missing covariate data were excluded, and multivariable logistic regression and propensity score-matching were used to estimate the rate of post-operative adverse events associated with intra-operative hemostatic agents independent of demographic and surgical factors. Results There were 17 960 surgical procedures included in the analysis, with 4659 (25.9%) that included the use of hemostatic agents. Hemostatic agent use was associated with an increase in predicted hospital re-admissions (P=0.007). Among all hysterectomy approaches, and after adjusting for demographic and surgical factors, hemostatic agent use during robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy was associated with an increased predicted rate of blood transfusions (P=0.019), an increased predicted rate of pelvic abscess diagnoses (P=0.001), an increased predicted rate of hospital re-admission (P=0.001), and an increased predicted rate of re-operation (P=0.021). Conclusion Hemostatic agents should be used carefully owing to associations with increased post-operative re-admissions and re-operations when used during hysterectomy.
Cost Effectiveness of Rivaroxaban Versus Warfarin for the Prevention of Recurrent Venous Thromboembolism.

Abstract 3177 Background: Rivaroxaban is an oral anticoagulant administered once daily that works by direct inhibition of factor Xa. It has been found to be noninferior to warfarin in the prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE). Whether rivaroxaban is cost effective in the prevention of recurrent VTE, however, is not known. Methods: To assess the cost effectiveness of rivaroxaban compared with warfarin in the prevention of recurrent VTE, we built a Markov state transition model over a 10-year time horizon. The base case analysis consisted of a hypothetical cohort of 60-year-old patients who were diagnosed with their first VTE and received secondary prophylaxis with either rivaroxaban or warfarin for 6 months. Cost estimates were derived from the Healthcare and Utilization Project (HCUP) and other sources. Probabilities for VTE recurrence and mortality and for major and minor bleeding were based on the EINSTEIN PE trial (NEJM 2012; 366: 1287–97). Outcomes included costs in 2011 United States dollars, quality adjusted life years (QALYs), and incremental cost effectiveness ratios (ICERs) over 10 years from a societal perspective. Results: Base case results are shown in the Table, showing total medication and other medical costs associated with each strategy. Compared with warfarin, the rivaroxaban strategy cost less ($4057 vs $7004) and was more effective (9.30 QALYs vs 9.16 QALYs). Thus, warfarin was dominated by rivaroxaban. In sensitivity analyses, results were most sensitive to changes in the probability of major bleeding with rivaroxaban. As shown in the Figure, when major bleeding with rivaroxaban (base case 1.1%) was less than 4.5%, the ICRE was within the $100,000 per QALY gained acceptability threshold range. Results favoring rivaroxaban were robust to individual variation of other parameter values. Conclusion: Prophylactic anticoagulation with rivaroxaban appears to be a cost effective, and perhaps cost saving, alternative to warfarin for the prevention of recurrent VTE. Disclosures: Off Label Use: Rivaroxaban - Prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism.