cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gulf War Mediation Efforts Offered Too Little, Too Late

The attempts to mediate a settlement and avoid armed confrontation between the United States and Iraq after the August 2, 1990 invasion of Kuwait offered too little, too late. The time to mediate was before the invasion, when the dis­ pute was between Iraq and Kuwait and the defeat of Saddam Hussein was not a condition of the settlement. In addition, the mediation had to be done by states with leverage over the disputants - in this case, the most effective team would have been the United States and the Soviet Union. To evaluate the impact mediation might have had before August of 1990, it is important to identify the ways in which the pre-invasion scenario differed from the events that followed. First, the issues in dispute between Iraq and Kuwait had been clearly stated. Saddam had made it known that his country could not afford to repay the huge debt it had accumulated during the Iran­ Iraq war. To alleviate this economic pressure, Saddam listed four demands of the Kuwaiti government: to continue to observe the agreed-upon quotas for oil production, thus permitting an increase in oil prices; to forgive the debt to Kuwait that Iraq had incurred during its war with Iran; to cease the Kuwaiti exploitation of the Rumaila oilfields, which lay on the Iraqi border and which make up one-quarter of Iraq's oil reserves; and to agree to some new arrange­ ments on Iraqi access to the islands of Bubiyan and Warba at the top of the Gulf, which control access to Iraq's only Gulf port. With this rich array of issues, a mediator could have helped the parties construct many possible options for settlement. Secondly, Saddam had not yet been ''demonized'' in the eyes of the world. His ruthlessness toward the Iraqi Kurds and his desire for expanding his influence within the Middle East were well known. But before the invasion, there would have been more willingness in the international community to allow Saddam to save face, and therefore more opportunity for constructing a workable settle
Sensor fusion for vehicle health monitoring and degradation detection

Health monitoring and degradation detection systems help to address problems at an earlier stage and reduce maintenance costs. A vehicle problem is characterized by high bandwidth vibration signals and oil data that allow one to diagnose a wide variety of failures from relatively few measurements. Reliable health monitoring and degradation detection require the integration of research in the diverse fields of instrumentation, data acquisition/storage, signal processing, approximate reasoning, feature extraction techniques and multi-sensor data fusion. Data fusion is the synergistic use of information from multiple resources in order to assist in the overall understanding of the condition of a system. It offers a more complete view of the whole situation and a more accurate evaluation of the condition based on information from individual sensors. Vibration analysis and oil debris analysis can be sensitive to failures of different type or degradation stages. So the combination of these two types of information should give more reliable and accurate detection of vehicle degradation and failure.
Methodik der Empirischen Untersuchung

Das Ziel der empirischen Untersuchung ist die Beurteilung der einzelbetrieblichen und branchenbezogenen Wirksamkeit der EG-Oko-Audit-Verordnung aus umweltpolitischer Sicht. Grundlage hierfur sind die von den Unternehmen veroffentlichten Umwelterklarungen. Aus dem Blickwinkel der Offentlichkeit sollen anhand der zur Verfugung stehenden Veroffentlichungen Schlusse uber die Darlegung und Bewertung der Umweltleistung gezogen werden.
Visual experience promotes the isotropic representation of orientation preference

Within the visual cortex of several mammalian species, more circuitry is devoted to the representation of vertical and horizontal orientations than oblique orientations. The sensitivity of this representation of orientation preference to visual experience during cortical maturation and the overabundance of cardinal contours in the environment suggest that vision promotes the development of this cortical anisotropy. We tested this idea by measuring the distribution of cortical orientation preference and the degree of orientation selectivity in developing normal and dark-reared ferrets using intrinsic signal optical imaging. The area of the angle map of orientation preference representing cardinal and oblique orientations was determined; in addition, orientation selectivity indices were computed separately for cardinal and oblique difference images. In normal juvenile animals, we confirm a small, but statistically significant overrepresentation of near horizontal orientations in the cortical angle map. However, the degree of anisotropy did not increase in the weeks that followed eye opening when orientation selectivity matured; rather, it decreased. In dark-reared ferrets, an even greater cortical anisotropy emerged, but angle maps in these animals developed an apparently anomalous overrepresentation of near vertical orientations. Thus, the overrepresentation of cardinal orientations in the visual cortex does not require experience with an anisotropic visual environment; indeed, cortical anisotropy can develop in the complete absence of vision. These observations suggest that the role of visual experience in cortical maturation is to promote the isotropic representation of orientation preference.
Rationale for Recently Writing a Textbook "First Course on Power Systems" with a Tightly-Integrated Software Laboratory

This paper describes the rationale for recently writing a textbook on First Course in Power Systems, in spite of many textbooks written over the years, and in use. By means of presenting the rationale for writing this textbook, this paper highlights the perceived shortcomings of traditional courses in power systems and proposes solutions to overcome them.
Urban high school students' learning about HIV/AIDS in different contexts

Science education researchers increasingly focus on the use of controversial science topics in the classroom to prepare students to make personal and societal decisions about these issues. However, researchers infrequently investigate the diverse ways in which students learn about controversial science topics outside the classroom, and how these interact with school learning. Therefore, this study uses qualitative, ethnographic research methods to investigate how 20 high school students attending a New York City public school learn about a particular controversial science topic—HIV/AIDS—in different contexts, as well as how different sources of learning interact. In addition to finding that learning about HIV/AIDS happens across seven contexts of students' lives in diverse ways, including and beyond school settings, this study finds that students integrate learning that happens in these different contexts to shape their understandings and perspectives on HIV/AIDS issues. These findings are used to discuss the place of school learning within students' thinking about HIV/AIDS, highlighting ways in which students both value and discount their school learning in relation to other sources of learning. On the basis of our analysis, we make suggestions for bringing different sources of learning into the classroom to facilitate critical analysis of controversial science topics. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed95: 87–120, 2011
Optimal current waveforms for five-phase permanent magnet motor drives under open-circuit fault

This paper presents a new solution for calculating optimal sinusoidal current waveforms for five-phase permanent magnet motor drives under open-circuit fault condition. The current waveform obtained in this study minimizes the total stator ohmic loss under single-phase open-circuit fault. Closed form expressions are derived to calculate the optimal fault-tolerant sinusoidal currents. A concept to relate the fault-tolerant currents in the spatially symmetrical phases is introduced. Instantaneous power-balance theory is applied for the derivation of the optimal current set. The new optimal solution is compared with the existing solution reported in the literature. It is found that the optimal current set produces less stator ohmic loss than the existing solution. Finite element analysis results of a five-phase IPM are presented for validation of the new solution.
Considering counter-narratives: Narrating, resisting, making sense

Michael Bamberg and Molly Andrews (eds.), Considering counter-narratives: Narrating, resisting, making sense. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2004. Pp. x, 381. HB $126.00.Growing out of two special issues of the journal Narrative Inquiry, this volume assembles six chapters that “contemplate the meaning of counter-narratives and their relationship to master or dominant narratives” (p. x). The book also contains six clusters of commentaries written in response to each of the focal chapters, along with rejoinders by the six “primary” authors. As the editors point out in their introduction to the book, the format of dialogue and contestation is meant to synergize with the main subject of the volume, since the concept “counter-narrative” is itself “a positional category, in tension with another category” (x). By and large, the organization of the volume is effective and makes for stimulating reading; occasionally, however, commentators treat the chapter to which they are ostensibly responding less as an opportunity for dialogue than as a platform for showcasing their own explanatory frameworks or descriptive nomenclatures (see, e.g., the commentary by Jaan Valsiner, 245–76). More generally, the range of issues explored by the 29 different contributors to the volume – the range of contexts in which the authors and commentators show narrative and narrative analysis to be pertinent concerns – suggests the extent to which the “narrative turn” has taken hold in fields such as social psychology, gender studies, sociolinguistics, public health, and the other domains of research represented in the book. But by the same token, the volume raises the question of whether the contributors share a sense of what narrative is and how it functions – that is, whether they are in fact investigating a common object (or set of common objects: narrative, master narrative, counter-narrative), or rather operating with more or less distinct conceptions of stories and methodologies for studying them.
Understanding developmental changes in the stability and flexibility of spatial categories based on object relatedness.

Two experiments examined the flexibility and stability with which children and adults organize locations into categories on the basis of object relatedness. Seven-, 9-, and 11-year-olds and adults learned the locations of 20 objects belonging to 4 categories. Displacement patterns revealed that children and adults used object cues to organize the locations into groups. The organization remained the same following a 7-day delay for all 4 ages, demonstrating stability. Moreover, for 11-year-olds and adults, this organization shifted after a new pattern of object–location pairings was introduced. The pattern was less clear for the younger children, suggesting that flexibility increases across childhood. Discussion focuses on the dynamics of organization processes, particularly stability and flexibility, and the integration of objects and locations.
Alternatives to Serologic Testing for Diagnosis of Lyme Disease

Although serologic testing remains the gold standard for laboratory diagnosis of Lyme disease, the antibody response may take several weeks to increase greater than the limit of detection. Because of this extended time frame, it is necessary to identify new diagnostic methods for earlier diagnosis and appropriate treatment of Lyme disease. Alternative diagnostic modalities, such as Borrelia culture or nucleic acid amplification testing, may be beneficial in specific clinical scenarios. In early phases of acute infection, before the development of an immune response, detection of Borrelia DNA from clinical specimens may help establish the diagnosis sooner than serologic methods.
Selective vulnerability and the cerebellum in neonates.

In this issue of the AJNR , Drs. Connolly, Widjaja, and Griffiths report involvement of the anterior portion of the cerebellar vermis after profound perinatal hypoxia.[1][1] This is not a new observation; it has been previously reported in this journal.[2][2] What is clear is that many of us are
Drainage of a Pancreatic Pseudocyst via a Spontaneous Cyst Duodenostomy.

51-year-old woman presented with 5 days of Aacute-onset severe epigastric and right upperquadrant pain associated with nausea and vomiting. Laboratory test results showed obstructive jaundice and acute pancreatitis. An abdominal ultrasound showed multiple stones within the gallbladder and a dilated common bile duct (CBD). A computed tomography (CT) scan showed evidence of severe necrotizing pancreatitis and the patient was started on intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Three days later, as a result of progressive obstructive jaundice and possible cholangitis, an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was performed that showed a distal CBD stricture. Complete ductal clearance of stones could not be achieved and a plastic stent was placed. Symptoms improved and she was discharged home for elective cholecystectomy. Ten weeks later she returned with fevers, chills, and severe abdominal pain. The gallbladder and biliary stent were in place and liver function test results were normal. A CT scan of the abdomen now showed a 15 12.5 cm pancreatic pseudocyst (Figure A). Endoscopic cyst-gastrostomy was attempted 1 day after the CT scan. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a large opening within the duodenal bulb leading into the pseudocyst cavity (Figure B). Minimal fluid was seen within the pseudocyst cavity along with trace amounts of adherent debris along the walls (Figure B). Endoscopic ultrasound confirmed a partially drained cystic collection. She returned 11 weeks later for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, stent removal, and clearing of the CBD stones. The cyst-duodenostomy appeared well healed without evidence of a residual cyst cavity (Figure C); this was confirmed on CT scan (Figure D).
On the Mathematics of Duration Crossovers

In this paper, we present, mathematically, the conditions under which longer maturity, lower coupon bonds have shorter durations than shorter maturity, higher coupon bonds. We consider differences in the timing and size of coupon payments, yields-to-maturity, and maturity in the calculation of duration.
Inhibition of histamine whealing in human skin by pyribenzamine hydrochloride using iontophoretic technique.

SummaryUsing the iontophoretic technics it was observed that pyribenzamine hy-drochloride inhibited histamine wheal formation in the human skin whereas sodium chloride, ephedrine hydrochloride, ephedrine sulphate and procaine hydrochloride failed to produce this effect in the concentrations used.
Blood and plasma volume and thiocyanate space of normal chicks.

SummaryThe blood and plasma volumes and thiocyanate space in normal chicks from 13 to 35 days of age have been determined.
Phase II study of N-methylformamide (N-MF) (NSC 3051) in patients with advanced squamous cancer of the cervix. A Gynecologic Oncology Group study.

Twenty patients with advanced measurable, squamous carcinoma of the cervix were treated with 25 courses of N-MF at doses ranging from 600–800 mg/m2, intravenously, daily for 5 days every 28 days. Nineteen patients are evaluable for toxicity and 17 for response. All patients had prior radiation and had received one prior chemotherapy regimen while only 10 patients had had prior surgery. All patients were Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) performance status 0, 1, or 2. No responses were seen. Hematologic adverse effects were extremely rare as predicted by early clinical trials. One unusual toxicity was a syndrome consisting of pain, anorexia, lethargy, and declining performance status (pain/lethargy syndrome) that was reversible with discontinuation of the drug. This adverse effect was a reason for discontinuation of N-MF in two patients. As reported in previous studies with this drug, hepatic toxicity was also common, usually reversible, and also a cause for discontinuation of the drug. The lack of clinical activity and the unpleasant adverse effects in this population of patients with previously treated cervix cancer makes it unlikely that this drug will play any significant role in treatment.
Resistance of commensal rodents to anticoagulant rodenticide in Shanghai

Objective To investigate the resistance of commensal rodents to the first and the second anticoagulant rodenticide in Shanghai,and provide theoretical evidence for the use of rodenticide.Methods The experienta was done according to the method of feeding without selectivity proposed by national rodent resistance cooperation group.Results The resistance rate of Rattus tanezumi to warfarin was 8.22%,and resist-warfarin Rattus norvegicus and Mus musculus individual was not detected.The resistance rate of Rattus tanezumi to bromadiolone was 5.77%,resist-bromadiolone Rattus norvegicus and Mus musculus individual was not detected.The death times and lethal dose tended to the normal distribution after the house rat feed toxic baits.Conclusion The resistance of Rattus norvegicus to warfarin and bromadiolone tends to decline,but the resistance level of Rattus tanezumi has no change,and Mus musculus is still susceptible to two kinds of rodenticide.
Regulation of cytochrome P-450-dependent microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes by nickel, cobalt, and iron.

The effects of metals as modifiers of the activity of microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes were studied with the use of nickel, cobalt, and iron. These metals were found to impair cellular heme-dependent metabolism by affecting both the heme biosynthetic and heme degradative pathways, inhibiting the former and inducing the latter. As powerful cellular toxins, metals depress respiratory activity and indirectly reduce drug-detoxifying ability of cells. Metals also perturb cellular glutathione content and thus may alter the activity of glutathione-dependent enzymes. The toxicity of metals is cumulative depending on concentration and degree of cellular exposure to one or to several closely related metals. On the other hand, these metal effects on cellular heme metabolism could also have selective therapeutic application in circumstances in which it may be desirable to suppress heme synthesis in order to decrease drug biotransformation, i.e., when a certain drug metabolite is more toxic than the parent compound.
Management of Patients With Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices in Dental, Oral, and Maxillofacial Surgery

The prevalence of cardiovascular implantable electronic devices as life-prolonging and life-saving devices has evolved from a treatment of last resort to a first-line therapy for an increasing number of patients. As these devices become more and more popular in the general population, dental providers utilizing instruments and medications should be aware of dental equipment and medications that may affect these devices and understand the management of patients with these devices. This review article will discuss the various types and indications for pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, common drugs and instruments affecting these devices, and management of patients with these devices implanted for cardiac dysrhythmias.
Experiments on Parity Nonconservation in Nuclear Forces. I. Gamma Transitions in Ta 181 and Lu 175

We report measurements of the circular polarization of $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays from unpolarized sources of ${\mathrm{Hf}}^{181}$ and ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{475}$ of 100-1000-Ci strength, using a Compton polarimeter in a forward-scattering geometry. Our technique consisted of integrating the total detector current and digitizing the charge. Several aspects of this novel method are discussed, such as the role of the switching pattern in optimizing the signal-to-noise ratio. All possible causes of false asymmetries are investigated. Control experiments are carried out with ${\mathrm{Ru}}^{103}$ sources. The contribution to the observed circular polarization due to bremsstrahlung has been calculated, as well as determined experimentally. Our results for the circular polarization are ${P}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}=(\ensuremath{-}3.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ for the 482-keV transition in ${\mathrm{Ta}}^{181}$, and ${P}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}=(6.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.0)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ for the 396-keV transition in ${\mathrm{Lu}}^{175}$. These findings confirm the existence of a parity-nonconserving term in the nuclear Hamiltonian.
Malignant Melanoma of the Penis

AbstractMalignant melanoma of the penis is rare and accounts for only a small percentage of penile carcinomas. We report the largest series and the longest followup of patients with this disease. The tumor usually presents as a small, brown or black lesion, often ulcerating, on the glans penis. Stage I disease (confined to the penis) can be treated conservatively by distal penectomy and results in excellent survival. Palpable inguinal lymph nodes and nodes associated with thick cutaneous lesions require surgical exploration. Stages II (node positive) and III (metastatic) diseases carry a poor prognosis, mainly because of the lack of effective adjuvant systemic therapy.
Pediatric PIP Joint Injuries

Pediatric proximal interphalangeal joint dislocations occur infrequently in comparison to pediatric finger fractures secondary to the anatomy of the skeletally immature hand. Although majority of pediatric PIP joint dislocations can be successfully treated with closed reduction, more complex or unstable injuries (crush injuries, fracture-dislocations) may require open reduction and fixation for improved stability. Closed treatment in children may warrant sedation in addition to a local anesthetic. Outcomes following reduction are generally favorable with stiffness occurring more commonly following a volar PIP dislocation than a dorsal dislocation. Complications include persistent instability, stiffness, and premature physeal closure.
Sites for new eyes

Cerro Tolonchar, an isolated mountain peak rising 4475 m in the Atacama region of north-eastern Chile, is the most remote of five sites considered as locations for a huge new astronomical facility known as the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). Reaching the closest settlement involves a five-hour drive on an unpaved road across a dried-up and desolate lake. That gets you to the village of Socaire (population about 500) high up in the Andes across the border from Argentina. But you are still hours away from the peak itself.
Bone Histomorphometry and Bone Quality in Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a relatively common disorder that is often asymptomatic in the western world. Reports of the devastating effects of excess parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion on the skeleton are both part of the history of the disease and seen now in settings where routine biochemical screening tests are not widespread and vitamin D deficiency is prevalent. Severe bone involvement is now distinctly uncommon. However, the question of bone involvement and fracture risk in PHPT, as part of the current phenotypic presentation of the disease, is an important issue. The introduction of bone densitometry helped to focus attention on the extent and sites of bone loss in mild, asymptomatic PHPT, especially with regard to involvement of the two major skeletal compartments, cortical and cancellous bone. Application of the technique of bone histomorphometry to the percutaneous bone biopsy has also provided much new insight into the effects of mild PHPT on the skeleton. Furthermore, the biopsy sample can be used to investigate the material properties of both the mineral and organic components of the bone matrix. This chapter reviews the histomorphometric characteristics of bone involvement in PHPT and the effects of the disease on the material properties of bone matrix.
The Development and Evaluation of the Self-Injurious Behavior Inhibiting System

I was asked to write this chapter to describe my experiences during the development and initial evaluation of a new technology. Specifically, the new technology is called the Self-Injurious Behavior Inhibiting System, or SIBIS. As anyone who has been working in the field of behavior disorders in individuals with mental retardation or developmental disabilities over the last few years knows, SIBIS has become a focal point in the controversy regarding the use of aversive procedures. The reason for focusing upon SIBIS is, no doubt, attributable to its utilization of contingent electrical stimulation (or “electric shock”) as a punishing stimulus. It should be stated at the outset that SIBIS was never conceptualized as the sole treatment or the sole method of intervention for individuals who have self-injurious behavior. Unfortunately, at times during the controversy, individuals and opposing advocacy groups have attempted to paint this issue as one between treatment with this method and treatment with exclusively positive educational methods.
Cell size assays for mass cytometry

Mass cytometry offers the advantage of allowing the simultaneous measurement of a greater number parameters than conventional flow cytometry. However, to date, mass cytometry has lacked a reliable alternative to the light scatter properties that are commonly used as a cell size metric in flow cytometry (forward scatter intensity-FSC). Here, we report the development of two plasma membrane staining assays to evaluate mammalian cell size in mass cytometry experiments. One is based on wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) staining and the other on Osmium tetroxide (OsO4 ) staining, both of which have preferential affinity for cell membranes. We first perform imaging and flow cytometry experiments to establish a relationship between WGA staining intensity and traditional measures of cell size. We then incorporate WGA staining in mass cytometry analysis of human whole blood and show that WGA staining intensity has reproducible patterns within and across immune cell subsets that have distinct cell sizes. Lastly, we stain PBMCs or dissociated lung tissue with both WGA and OsO4 ; mass cytometry analysis demonstrates that the two staining intensities correlate well with one another. We conclude that both WGA and OsO4 may be used to acquire cell size-related parameters in mass cytometry experiments, and expect these stains to be broadly useful in expanding the range of parameters that can be measured in mass cytometry experiments. © 2016 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
Slave Families and the Hato Economy in Puerto Rico

Caribbean slavery is usually associated with sugar production, a system in which high mortality rates and a reliance on the transatlantic slave trade largely prevented enslaved people from forming ...
Pleural Effusions and Pneumothoraces.

1. Katherine Cashen, DO* 2. Tara L. Petersen, MD† 1. *Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Michigan/Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 2. †Division of Critical Care, Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin/The Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI * Abbreviations: BTS: : British Thoracic Society CHF: : congestive heart failure CT: : computed tomography VATS: : video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery 1. Clinicians should be aware of the causes and clinical presentation of pleural effusions and pneumothoraces. 2. Clinicians should understand the current role of diagnostic tests, imaging modalities, and timing of minimally invasive treatments. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the pathogenesis of pleural fluid accumulation. 2. Identify the most likely causes of pleural effusion and pneumothorax. 3. Understand the basic clinical presentation, diagnostic tests, and management of pleural effusions and pneumothoraces. 4. Differentiate between transudative and exudative pleural effusions. 5. Understand the natural history of spontaneous pneumothorax. The pleural space is created by the parietal and visceral pleura that line the chest wall and the lung surface, respectively. Normally, only a small amount (0.3 mL/kg) of hypotonic fluid is present within the pleural space due to homeostatic balances in physiologic fluid production and absorption. Various infectious and noninfectious processes can lead to pathologic filling of the pleural space with fluid (effusion) or air (pneumothorax). Such pathologic changes create a true space that can interfere with normal lung mechanics and, in severe cases, cardiac function. Although much less common in pediatric than adult populations, pleural effusions and pneumothoraces in both groups can lead to substantial complications, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality if unrecognized or untreated. Overall, the cause of pleural effusions and pneumothoraces differs in children compared to adults. In adults, congestive heart failure (CHF) and malignancy account for a substantial number of pleural effusions, but these are uncommon causes in children. Infectious pleural effusions in the setting of pneumonia (parapneumonic effusions) remain the most common cause of effusions in both children and adults. Unlike the adult population, children experience spontaneous …
Least cost testing 2016

Testing a system frequently involves repeated independent identical tests with a pass/fail decision being the result of testing. The number of tests to be done typically is fixed in advance of the start of testing. This is a flawed methodology. Test conduct should depend on the outcome of testing to date. If one is confident of the outcome (pass or fail), one should be prepared to quit early. If the outcome is ambiguous, precisely then should testing continue. The testing approach discussed here adopts a Bayesian formalism and fixes, not the number of tests, but the expected number of tests to be done. In the limit that one expects to do several tens of tests, the optimal stopping strategy to minimize probability of pass/fail decision error is well modeled using a diffusive stochastic process. The stopping strategy in this limiting situation is simply expressed as a dimensionless positive real valued function of a single dimensionless positive real variable. Doing enough sequences of tests that expected numbers of tests become numbers of tests, an improvement in testing strategy can be wrought. For fixed number of tests, probability of decision error is decreased. Fixing probability of decision error, the number of tests required is decreased. The decreases can be dramatic. Though the diffusive test strategy function is a limiting case approximation, a Monte Carlo simulation shows how effective the scheme can be. This approach is effective in many testing situations.
Spectral Analysis of the Uranyl Squarate and Croconate System: Evaluating Differences between the Solution and Solid-State Phases

The design of hybrid materials relies on an understanding of the structural building units present in the reaction, but identifying these building units in solution can be hampered by difficulties in the interpretation of the characteristic spectroscopic signals. The importance of speciation and intermolecular interactions in identifying building units was explored in the uranyl squarate and croconate system with the isolation and characterization of six compounds: (USq1) [C4H12N2][(UO2)(C4O4)2(H2O)]·(H2O), (USq2) [C5H6N][(UO2)(C4O4)(μ2-OH)]·2H2O, (USq3) [C2H10N2]2[(UO2)6(C4O4)3(μ3-O)2(μ2-OH)6], (UCr1) [C4H12N2]2[(UO2)(C5O5)3(H2O)]·3H2O, (UCr2) [C5H6N]4[(UO2)4(C5O5)4(μ2-OH)4(H2O)4], and (UCr3) [C2H10N2]5[(UO2)6(C5O5)6(μ3-O)2(μ2-OH)6(H2O)4]. These compounds are built upon the traditional monomeric, dimeric, and trimeric uranyl oligomers that occur upon hydrolysis of the metal center. A combined solid and solution spectroscopic approach was used to understand the impact of uranyl oligomerization, ligand coo...
Single Cell Neurometabolomics.

Metabolomics, the characterization of metabolites and their changes within biological systems, has seen great technological and methodological progress over the past decade. Most metabolomic experiments involve the characterization of the small-molecule content of fluids or tissue homogenates. While these microliter and larger volume metabolomic measurements can characterize hundreds to thousands of compounds, the coverage of molecular content decreases as sample sizes are reduced to the nanoliter and even to the picoliter volume range. Recent progress has enabled the ability to characterize the major molecules found within specific individual cells. Especially within the brain, a myriad of cell types are colocalized, and oftentimes only a subset of these cells undergo changes in both healthy and pathological states. Here we highlight recent progress in mass spectrometry-based approaches used for single cell metabolomics, emphasizing their application to neuroscience research. Single cell studies can be d...
The community corrections perspective toward sex offender management policies and collateral consequences: does contact with sex offenders matter?

Since the 1990s, numerous policies have been enacted aimed at managing sex offenders in the community. Two of the most prominent management policies are registries for sex offenders and residence r...
Consumer Assessment of Lamb Loin and Leg from Australia, New Zealand, and United States

Lamb was sourced from 3 countries [Australia (AUS), New Zealand (NZ), and United States (US)] representing 2 muscle types (semimembranosus and longissimus lumborum) to evaluate the palatability of lamb loin and leg chops according to US consumers (n = 360). For tenderness, flavor, and overall liking, there was an interaction detected between source country and muscle (P < 0.05). Overall, US loin chops had the highest (P < 0.05) consumer sensory scores, were rated the most acceptable (P < 0.05), and were placed in better than everyday quality or premium quality categories more often than all other treatments. Leg samples sourced from AUS and NZ were rated the lowest (P < 0.05) for consumer sensory scores for tenderness, flavor liking and overall liking, as well as being the least acceptable (P < 0.05) for flavor liking and overall liking. Both source country and muscle impacted (P < 0.01) juiciness scores, as well as tenderness and juiciness acceptability. US chops were juicier and more acceptable for tenderness and juiciness than chops sourced from AUS or NZ, regardless of muscle; consumers rated loin chops juicier and more acceptable for tenderness and juiciness than legs chops, regardless of source country (P < 0.05). Overall, consumers detected differences in palatability between muscle type and the source country. Loin chops were preferred over leg chops for all palatability traits. US consumers preferred the domestically sourced lamb over the lamb sourced from AUS and NZ; however, complete animal background (diet, gender, and age) and knowledge of potential differences in slaughter and chilling conditions, as well as control over postmortem aging, is needed to help differentiate if differences in flavor were due to diet, genetics, or other environmental factors.
Challenges in Porting Enterprise Applications to Mobile Platforms

The popularity of the client-server model of application development in the 1990s has led to a rapid growth in the number of computer applications for enterprise organizations around the world. The worldwide market for enterprise applications (EAs) is expected to reach $208 billion by 20201. This indicates that the enterprise software growth trend has not slowed down. However, in a recent survey,2 it was found that the time spent on mobile devices surpassed desktop web access in 2014 and the trend has only grown since. Mobile devices have become an integral part of the personal and professional lives of most people. This means that people now prefer to access not just personal, but also work-related enterprise and corporate applications via their mobile devices.
The State of the Rhizoinhabitants in Bridging the Gap Between Plant Productivity and Persuasiveness During Remediation

Plants in association with rhizobacteria have the ability, one way or other, to scavenge chemicals and/or nutrients from the environment for their enhanced productivity and very existence. Without these remediator plants and other microbial decomposers, our ecosystems would be packed with chemicals and biological toxicants from nature. Similarly, without the combinatorial interactions between plants and microbes, man-made synthetic compounds would be accumulating to noxious levels day by day and would be affecting every category of the aquatic and terrestrial biomes globally. The ability of plants, in association with microbial partners, to take up and concentrate contaminants in their biological tissues without destroying the environment has been considered as a conceptual methodology for the clean-up of contaminants. Such a plant-based green-remediation process depends on the amalgamation of the abilities possessed by the plants and by the plant’s rhizobial inhabitants to deal with various classes of chemical contaminants. However, the success of such green remediation and plant productivity is closely associated with the state of the rhizobial inhabitants, environmental factors and the function of the ecosystem that the plants inhabit. In recent years, the state of rhizobial inhabitants has emerged as a potential keystone concern among agrobiologists because it plays a major role in plant productivity and ecosystem fitness. The experience gained through in-situ microbial remediation of contaminated sites over the last two decades and the knowledge of remediator plant species (as well as chemical toxicants and their speciation) have yielded comprehensive data to help in bridging the gap between plant productivity and persuasiveness (i.e. ability to spread through the contaminated site). Insights into the selection of plants and their rhizobacteria for precise remediation processes have made phytomicrobial remediation one of the most promising green technologies for amalgamated chemoremediation and plant productivity. This chapter addresses how plants hold their rhizobial cohorts and help them thrive and discusses how various interactions, such as plant–plant, plant–microbe and plant–chemical, can enhance plant productivity while promoting the clean-up of chemicals. It also deals with the state of the rhizobacteria, in-situ chemical speciation and the influencing factors for plant productivity.
Pathology of Lung Rejection: Cellular and Humoral Mediated

Acute rejection is an important risk factor for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, the clinical manifestation of chronic airway rejection in lung allograft recipients. Patients with acute rejection might be asymptomatic or present with symptoms that are not specific and can be also seen in other conditions. Clinical tests such as pulmonary function tests and imaging studies among others usually are abnormal; however, their results are also not specific for acute rejection. Histopathologic features of acute rejection in adequate samples of transbronchial lung biopsy of the lung allograft are currently the gold standard to assess for acute rejection in lung transplant recipients. Acute alloreactive injury can affect both the vasculature and the airways. Currently, the guidelines of the 2007 International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation consensus conference are recommended for the histopathologic assessment of rejection. There are no specific morphologic features recognized to diagnose antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) in lung allografts. Therefore, the diagnosis of AMR currently requires a “triple test” including clinical features, serologic evidence of donor-specific antibodies, and pathologic findings supportive of AMR. Complement 4d deposition is used to support a diagnosis of AMR in many solid organ transplants; however, its significance for the diagnosis of AMR in lung allografts is not entirely clear. This chapter discusses the currently recommended guidelines for the assessment of cellular rejection of lung allografts and summarizes our knowledge about morphologic features and immunophenotypic tests that might help in the diagnosis of AMR.
Passivity-based Input Observer

Abstract A passivity-based input observer is proposed. The problem is motivated by reaction rate and heat estimation in control of chemical reaction systems. The input observer assumes measurement of the output, and its first order time derivative. The observer gives asymptotically converging estimation when both are accurately available, the so-called ideal case. In the nonideal case, where the derivative is not available, differentiators can be used to reconstruct the derivative with some error. Simulation results show performance results using a deadbeat differentiator for derivative reconstruction.
Effectiveness and Safety of Percutaneous CT-Guided Rib Biopsy.

Abstract Purpose To retrospectively evaluate effectiveness and safety of percutaneous CT-guided rib biopsy. Materials and Methods CT-guided core rib biopsies were performed in 249 consecutive patients between January 2002 and June 2016. Mean patient age was 64.8 years ± 13.8. Additional patient demographics, rib lesion characteristics, and procedural techniques were reviewed. Diagnostic yield was assessed, and complications were classified using SIR criteria. Results Mean maximal diameter of 249 rib lesions was 2.7 cm ± 1.8, and 107 (43%) rib lesions had an associated extraosseous soft tissue component. Of rib lesions, 172 (69%) were lytic, 75 (30%) were sclerotic, and 2 (1%) were identifiable only with positron emission tomography/CT correlation. Specimens from 241 (96.8%) biopsies were adequate for pathologic diagnosis, whereas 8 (3.2%) were nondiagnostic. Of diagnostic biopsies, 168 (69.7%) were positive for malignancy; 73 (30.3%) revealed benign etiologies. There was a significant difference in diagnostic biopsy rate depending on size of the rib lesion (mean 2.8 cm ± 1.8 for diagnostic biopsies vs mean 1.3 cm ± 0.5 for nondiagnostic biopsies; P = .007). Of rib lesions, 170 (99%) lytic lesions and 69 (92%) sclerotic lesions yielded diagnostic biopsies; diagnostic biopsy rate was significantly higher for lytic lesions than sclerotic lesions (P = .01). There were 14 (5.6%) minor complications and no major complications. Conclusions Percutaneous CT-guided core rib biopsy resulted in high diagnostic yield and low complications. Diagnostic biopsy rates were higher with larger lesion size and lytic rib lesions.
Society and the Classroom: Teaching Truths and Bridging Diversity in a Discordant Era

A generation of learners is growing up in one of the most polarized eras in modern US history, where demands for credible connections and pluralistic policies are countered with divisive rhetoric. ...
Clinical and Translational Research Informatics Education and Training

Clinical and translational research often involves the generation, collection, storage, management, analysis, and dissemination of heterogeneous and multi-dimensional data, information, and knowledge resources. Addressing such fundamental informatics needs and requirements is a challenging problem that usually requires the collaboration of multi-disciplinary teams. Central to the ability to form and operate such teams is the development of a workforce with sufficient expertise at the basic and applied science levels as relevant to the clinical and translational science domain. Over the last decade, significant advances have been made in education and training programs targeting such workforce development. While still early in their maturity, such efforts have already begun to impact the advancement of biomedical science and human health, and serve to illustrate the critical nature of computational and informatics theories and methodologies across the broader translational research spectrum.
Trade and Development in an Era of Multipolarity and Reterritorialization

This essay will consider two phenomena emergent within international trade law and policy: multipolarity (the emergence of new global powers alongside existing hegemons) and reterritorialization (the rise, sometimes in quite virulent form, of economic nationalism as a basis for asserting State controls over, and barriers to, cross-border trade). These new dynamics present serious challenges and dangers. This essay will consider whether they might also create opportunities for reshaping the international economic order to be more supportive of the longstanding concerns of developing States. In doing so, the essay will elucidate key aspects of both the global political economy and the international norms and institutions that have helped to shape it.
IoT end user programming models

The advent of smart devices and sensors (the Internet of Things or IoT) will create increasing demands for the automation of devices based on sensor, time, and other inputs. This is essentially a programming task with all the problems and difficulties that programming entails, for example, modularity, feature interaction, debugging, and understanding. Moreover, much of the programming for smart devices is going to be done not by professional programmers but by end users, often end users without any programming experience or computational literacy. Our research is aimed at exploring the programming space and the associated issues using a case study of a smart sign that can be controlled using a variety of sensors. We have developed a general system for programming smart devices and, in this paper, explore a variety of different user interfaces for programming this system for our smart sign.
Development and Calibration of the TBI-QOL Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities and TBI-QOL Satisfaction With Social Roles and Activities Item Banks and Short Forms

Abstract Objective To develop traumatic brain injury (TBI)-optimized versions of the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QoL) Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities and Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities item banks, evaluate the psychometric properties of the item banks developed for adults with TBI, develop short form and computer adaptive test (CAT) versions, and report information to facilitate research and clinical applications. Design We used a mixed methods design to develop and evaluate Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities and Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities items. Focus groups defined the constructs, cognitive interviews guided item revisions, and confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory methods helped calibrate item banks and evaluate differential item functioning related to demographic and injury characteristics. Setting Five TBI Model Systems centers in the United States. Participants Community-dwelling adults with TBI (N=556). Interventions None. Outcome Measures Traumatic Brain Injury–Quality of Life (TBI-QOL) Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities and TBI-QOL Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities item banks. Results Forty-five Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities and 41 Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities items demonstrated good psychometric properties. Although some of the items are new, most were drawn from analogous banks in the Neuro-QoL measurement system. Consequently, the 2 TBI-QOL item banks were linked to the Neuro-QoL metric, and scores are comparable with the general population. All CAT and short forms correlated highly (>0.90) with the full item banks and demonstrate comparable construct coverage and measurement error. Conclusion The TBI-QOL Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities and TBI-QOL Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities item banks are TBI-optimized versions of the Neuro-QoL Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities and Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities item banks and demonstrate excellent measurement properties in individuals with TBI. These measures, particularly in CAT or short form format, are suitable for efficient and precise measurement of social outcomes in clinical and research applications.