cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using students' representations constructed during problem solving to infer conceptual understanding

The differences in the types of representations constructed during successful and unsuccessful problem-solving episodes were investigated within the context of graduate students working on problems that involve concepts from 2D-NMR. Success at problem solving was established by having the participants solve five problems relating to material just encountered within a computer-based tutorial. The results indicate that representations constructed during successful problem-solving episodes tend to be more accurate and more complete, but not as abstract as those constructed during unsuccessful problem-solving episodes. When more than a single representation was constructed, however, the additional representations associated with successful problem solving tended to be more abstract than those constructed during unsuccessful problem solving. The authors contend that the constructs of accuracy, abstractness, and completeness are useful for characterizing the differences in the representations constructed during...
Terrestrial-Passage Theory: Failing a Test:

Terrestrial-passage theory proposes that the ‘moon’ and ‘sky’ illusions occur because observers learn to expect an elevation-dependent transformation of visual angle. The transformation accompanies daily movement through ordinary environments of fixed-altitude objects.Celestial objects display the same visual angle at all elevations, and hence are necessarily non-conforming with the ordinary transformation. On hypothesis, observers should target angular sizes to appear greater at elevation than at horizon. However, in a sample of forty-eight observers there was no significant difference between the perceived angular size of a constellation of stars at horizon and that predicted for a specific elevation. Occurrence of the illusion was not restricted to those observers who expected angular expansion. These findings fail to support the terrestrial-passage theory of the illusion.
Flares Observed by the Normal Incidence X-Ray Telescope on 1989 September 11

Two solar flare events have been observed in soft X-rays during a sounding-rocket flight of the Normal-Incidence X-ray Telescope payload on September 11, 1989. The flare in X-rays involves a single bright loop crossing the neutral line, and having its footpoints at the southern ends of the ribbons; this loop accounts for more than 66 percent of the emission. Within the remainder of each of the flare ribbons, a complex coronal structure is also observed to be interacting with the main flare loop. A second event, in an active region at the limb, has a strong correlation with H-alpha images obtained at the same time. This indicates the coexistence, and indeed the close proximity, of coronal and chromospheric temperature material. Interpretations of this phenomenon are discussed.
The ulnar impaction syndrome: Follow-up of ulnar shortening osteotomy

Thirty wrists of 27 patients with ulnar impaction syndrome who underwent ulnar shortening osteotomy were retrospectively reviewed. The average follow-up was 51 months. The wrists were graded preoperatively and postoperatively according to a wrist-grading system modified from Gartland and Werley. The parameters of grading included pain, function, range of motion, grip strength, radiographic analysis, bony union, and complications. Twenty-four wrists were graded excellent, 4 good, 1 fair, and 1 poor after the surgery in comparison with 28 poor and 2 fair before the operative treatment. Complications were rare, with no ulnar nonunions. This long-term follow-up study revealed that distal ulnar shortening osteotomy is an excellent procedure for the treatment of ulnar impaction syndrome.
Silent myocardial ischaemia and long-term coronary artery disease outcomes in apparently healthy people from families with early-onset ischaemic heart disease.

Aims A family history of premature coronary artery disease (CAD) in an apparently healthy individual conveys an increased risk of future CAD. The extent to which inducible myocardial ischaemia exists and is associated with long-term incident CAD in apparently healthy siblings of early-onset CAD patients is unknown. Methods and results Asymptomatic siblings ( n = 1287, aged 30–59 years) of patients with onset of CAD <60 years of age underwent risk factor screening and maximal graded treadmill testing with nuclear perfusion imaging, and were followed for incident CAD events for up to 25 years. Incident CAD occurred in 15.2% of siblings (68% acute coronary syndromes); mean time to first CAD event was 8.2 ± 5.2 years. Inducible ischaemia was highly prevalent in male siblings (26.9%), and was independently associated with incident CAD. Male siblings ≥40 years of age who were low or intermediate risk by traditional risk assessment, had a prevalence of inducible ischaemia and a 10-year risk of incident CAD that were near or ≥20%. In female siblings ≥40 years of age, the presence of inducible ischaemia was also independently associated with incident CAD, but the prevalence of inducible ischaemia was markedly lower, as was the risk of incident CAD. Conclusion Inducible ischaemia is highly prevalent in male siblings, suggesting a previously unknown long quiescent period before the occurrence of a clinical event. While inducible ischaemia is associated with a worse prognosis, male siblings with negative tests still bear a high risk of incident disease, such that we propose that in male siblings over 40 years of age, aggressive primary prevention interventions be instituted without nuclear testing. For women, the prevalence of ischaemia was so low as to not warrant screening, but the incidence of CAD was high enough to at least warrant lifestyle interventions.
Brain oxygen and metabolism is dependent on the rate of low-flow cardiopulmonary bypass following circulatory arrest in newborn piglets.

Objective: To determine the optimum rate of low-flow hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (LF), following circulatory arrest (DHCA) on brain oxygenation (bO2), extracellular dopamine (DA), phosphorylation of select neuroregulatory proteins responsible for neuronal injury, and survival following ischemic brain injury: CREB, Erk1/2, Akt, Bcl-2, and Bax. Methods: The piglets were placed on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and cooled to 18 8C. They were then subjected to 30 min of DHCA followed by 1 h of LF at 20, 50, or 80 ml/(kg/min), rewarmed, separated from CPB, and maintained for 2 h. ThebO2was measured byquenchingof phosphorescence; DA bymicrodialysis; phosphorylation of CREB,ERK1/2, Akt,Bcl2, and Bax by Western blots. The results are means SD for seven experiments. Results: Pre-bypass bO2 was 47.4 4.2 mmHg and decreased to 1.9 0.8 mmHg during DHCA. At the end of LF at 20, 50, and 80 ml/(kg/min), bO2 was 11.8 1.6, 26 1.8, and 33.9 2.6 mmHg, respectively. The DA increased 510-fold relative to control (p < 0.001) by 15 min of LF-20 with maximum increase occurring at 45 min. With LF-50, increase in DA was not statistically significant and no increase was observed when LF-80 was used. Bcl-2 immunoreactivity increased after LF-50 and LF-80 (140 14.5%, p < 0.05 and 202 34%, p < 0.05, respectively). Neither flow increased Bax immunoreactivity. The ratio of Bcl-2/Bax, pCREB, pAkt, pErk increased significantly with increasing the flow rate of LF. Conclusions: The protective effect of LF following DHCA on brain metabolismis dependentontheflowrate.Flow-dependentincreaseinpCREB,pErk1/2,pAkt,increaseinBcl-2/Bax,anddecreaseinDAindicated that to minimize DHCA-dependent neuronal injury, LF flow should be above 50 ml/(kg/min).
Image enhancement by edge-preserving filtering

Image enhancement is useful when the details in an image are lost due to various reasons. It is common to subtract a mask from a given image to enhance the details. The trick is how to obtain a good mask. We describe here how an edge-preserving filter can be used to generate a mask which is smooth over areas with fine details, yet preserving most of the edges. Experiments with real images show that our scheme is very effective. >
Providing care in temporary volunteer dental clinics and programs

Q state and many others hold oneor twoday volunteer dental programs. Many of these programs are called “Mission of Mercy.” The American Dental Association also sponsors “Give Kids A Smile Day.” These events often amount to temporary dental clinics. After reading recently about possible hepatitis B virus transmission at one of these clinics, I wonder what the ethical implications of these events and clinics might be.
UML-based representation of role-based access control

In role-based access control (RBAC) permissions are associated with roles, and users are made members of appropriate roles thereby acquiring the roles' permissions. The principal motivation behind RBAC is to simplify administration. Several framework for the development of role-based systems have been introduced. However, there are a few works specifying RBAC in a way which system developers or software engineers can easily understand and refer to develop role-based systems. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a general-purpose visual modeling language in which we can specify, visualize, and document the components of a software system. In this paper we represent the RBAC model with this well-known modeling language to reduce a gap between security models and system developments. We specify the RBAC model with three views: static view, functional view, and dynamic view. In addition, we briefly discuss about the future directions.
Welcome the Diaspora: Slave Trade Heritage Tourism and the Public Memory of Slavery

This article examines the emergence of the public memory of slavery and the Atlantic slave trade in the Republic of Benin, by explaining how the heritagization of slavery was crucial for the development of a local tourism industry. The article shows that the rise of the public memory of the Atlantic slave trade in Benin is not an isolated venture and that similar initiatives were also developed in other West African countries. The article also discusses how the plural memories of slavery are articulated with the expectations of African American and Afro-Caribbean tourists, who are the main target of projects focusing on slavery cultural heritage and roots tourism. The article concludes that although slavery heritage tourism helped to place Benin among the international slavery tourist destinations, it also contributed to make visible the plural memories of slavery and to commodify African tangible and intangible heritage.
A mutation in GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase causes conditional hypersensitivity to ammonium, resulting in Arabidopsis root growth inhibition, altered ammonium metabolism, and hormone homeostasis

Ascorbic acid (AA) is an antioxidant fulfilling a multitude of cellular functions. Given its pivotal role in maintaining the rate of cell growth and division in the quiescent centre of the root, it was hypothesized that the AA-deficient Arabidopsis thaliana mutants vtc1-1, vtc2-1, vtc3-1, and vtc4-1 have altered root growth. To test this hypothesis, root development was studied in the wild type and vtc mutants grown on Murashige and Skoog medium. It was discovered, however, that only the vtc1-1 mutant has strongly retarded root growth, while the other vtc mutants exhibit a wild-type root phenotype. It is demonstrated that the short-root phenotype in vtc1-1 is independent of AA deficiency and oxidative stress. Instead, vtc1-1 is conditionally hypersensitive to ammonium (NH4+). To provide new insights into the mechanism of NH4+ sensitivity in vtc1-1, root development, NH4+ content, glutamine synthetase (GS) activity, glutamate dehydrogenase activity, and glutamine content were assessed in wild-type and vtc1-1 mutant plants grown in the presence and absence of high NH4+ and the GS inhibitor MSO. Since VTC1 encodes a GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase, an enzyme generating GDP-mannose for AA biosynthesis and protein N-glycosylation, it was also tested whether protein N-glycosylation is affected in vtc1-1. Furthermore, since root development requires the action of a variety of hormones, it was investigated whether hormone homeostasis is linked to NH4+ sensitivity in vtc1-1. Our data suggest that NH4+ hypersensitivity in vtc1-1 is caused by disturbed N-glycosylation and that it is associated with auxin and ethylene homeostasis and/or nitric oxide signalling.
Testing Translocation as a Recovery Tool for Pink (Haliotis corrugata) and Green (Haliotis fulgens) Abalone in Southern California

ABSTRACT Population declines of pink (Haliotis corrugata) and green (Haliotis fulgens) abalone in southern California forced the closure of the fisheries in 1995. Overfishing was the main factor contributing to decreasing landings, and in 2004 both pink and green abalone were identified as species of concern. Translocation of adults, moving solitary abalone together to create dense aggregations, is one of the strategies that has been proposed to overcome Allee effects and to enhance spawning success and recovery. Pink (n = 35) and green (n = 113) abalone were tagged and translocated to recovery sites with preexisting pink (n = 13) and green (n = 26) abalone. Translocation and preexisting abalone were tagged and monitored to determine their long-term survival, persistence at the site, and movement at 2 islands in southern California. The mortality associated with the tagging and translocations was low (<5%) including 1 dead pink abalone and 5 dead green abalone. The density of translocated pink abalone at ...
Parasitoid Mark-Release-Recapture Techniques-- II. Development and Application of a Protein Marking Technique for Eretmocerus spp., Parasitoids of Bemisia argentifolii

In this study, we validate and apply techniques for marking and capturing small parasitoids of the silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring [ = B. tabaci (Gennadius), strain B] for mark-release-recapture (MRR) studies. The marker is the purified protein, rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG), which was applied externally by topical spray or internally by feeding. Marked parasitoids were then assayed using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the presence of the protein marker using an antibody specific to rabbit IgG. Virtually all of the externally marked Eretmocerus sp. (Ethiopia, M96076) (98.0%) contained enough rabbit IgG to be easily distinguished from unmarked parasitoids, regardless of the amount of protein applied or the post-marking interval. A field MRR study was then conducted to examine the dispersal characteristics of E. emiratus Zolnerowich & Rose. Parasitoids marked externally and internally with protein were released on three separate trial dates into the cent...
Sleep apnoea in older people

Educational Aims To provide a comprehensive, up-to-date review of the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnoea in older people To describe the mechanisms of central and obstructive sleep apnoea in older people To outline the symptoms of sleep apnoea in older people To discuss the evidence base for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome in older people. Summary Obstructive sleep apnoea is a common disorder in older people, with between 13 and 32% of people over 65 yrs old having some sleep apnoea. The variation in the estimated prevalence is likely to reflect the different health status of the older populations studied and the definitions of the disease. This review will address the prevalence and aetiology of sleep apnoea in older people; outlining the possible consequences and treatment options. Age-related changes in chemosensitivity, and sleep architecture may promote central sleep apnoea in older people; while obstructive sleep apnoea is likely to be the result of increased collapsibility of the upper airway; possibly due to changes in upper airway anatomy and muscle function. The consequences of sleep apnoea in older people are unclear, since both sleep apnoea and aging reduce sleep quality and cognitive function. Moreover, there may be a survival advantage of mild sleep apnoea on the cardiovascular system in older people. Therefore the therapeutic advantages of continuous positive airway pressure in older people require further investigation. If future studies demonstrate that continuous positive airway pressure therapy produces a therapeutic benefit in older people this could result improvements in care.
SOCIAL PHYSIQUE ANXIETY: PERSONALITY CONSTRUCTS, MOTIVATIONS, EXERCISE ATTITUDES, AND BEHAVIORS

Social physique anxiety is a feeling of distress associated with the perceived evaluation of one's physical self. Since its inception, the construct has been associated with a variety of exercise-related constructs including perceived competence, self-consciousness, and the exercise milieu individuals choose. The present purpose was to relate social physique anxiety to participants' attitudes toward exercise, adherence behaviors, participation motivation, personality variables, and emotional attitude toward exercise, 326 university fitness-center participants were surveyed and asked for demographic information, to self-report their exercise habits, and to answer questions measuring the construct, motivation, personality, and attitudes toward exercise. Women had higher scores on the Social Physique Anxiety Scale than men; individuals who scored high were more likely to endorse extrinsic motives for exercise than individuals scoring low on the scale, and high scores were indicative of higher public body awareness. Individuals with high scores on the Social Physique Anxiety Scale exhibited an emotional profile similar to addicted exercisers. Given these results, implications for alleviation of such anxiety were discussed.
Supersymmetric Spin Networks and Quantum Supergravity

We define supersymmetric spin networks, which provide a complete set of gauge invariant states for supergravity and supersymmetric gauge theories. The particular case of Osp(1|2) is studied in detail and applied to the non-perturbative quantization of supergravity. The supersymmetric extension of the area operator is defined and partly diagonalized. The spectrum is discrete as in quantum general relativity, and the two cases could be distinguished by measurements of quantum geometry.
Direct Detection of Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Parainfluenza Virus, and Adenovirus in Clinical Respiratory Specimens by a Multiplex Reverse Transcription-PCR Assay

Diagnosis of respiratory virus infections currently involves detection by isolation or antigen detection, which usually identifies only a single suspected agent. To permit identification of more than one respiratory virus in clinical specimens, a rapid detection method involving a single-step, multiplex reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assay was developed. The assay included five primer sets that amplified the RNA of respiratory syncytial virus subtypes A and B, parainfluenza virus types 1, 2, and 3, and adenovirus types 1 to 7. Initially the assay was tested on tissue culture-grown virus and was found to be specific for all 12 prototype viruses tested, with no interassay cross amplification or amplification of other respiratory viruses. Assay sensitivity allowed a detection range of 0.2 50% tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50) for adenovirus to 250 TCID50 for parainfluenza virus type 1. The multiplex RT-PCR assay was also able to directly detect viruses in respiratory specimens, with virus being detected in 41 of 112 samples as compared to 34 of 112 samples detected by direct immunofluorescence or antigen detection following specimen culture. This suggests that the multiplex RT-PCR assay can be used as a rapid and sensitive diagnostic method for major respiratory viruses.
Goal setting with type 2 diabetes: a hermeneutic analysis of the experiences of diabetes educators.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explicate and interpret common experiences of diabetes educators (DEs) with patient goal setting for patients with type 2 diabetes in diabetes education.Meth...
Nondestructive Evaluation of FRP Design Criteria With Primary Consideration to Fatigue Loading

Design of FRP tanks and pressure vessels is based on criteria developed in the late 1960s using materials and procedures that represented the state of the art at the time. Maximum strain has been the controlling factor selected for the design of these vessels at an allowable level of 0.001. With the development of newer materials and systems with recorded performances of better than 0.001 this is now an inefficient limit in the design. Tests performed in the programs described in this paper indicate that newer materials perform well at higher strains. Results of strength tests performed here indicated that strains of 0.002 to 0.003 or better are possible in the safe design of tanks and pressure vessels. In addition, more accurate determination of design limits is possible if methods like acoustic emission are incorporated in the design process.
Biofeedback, competitive set, and type A/type B interactions with female college students.

From a pool of female college students who volunteered and took the modified Jenkins Survey (Form T), 22 subjects were classified as Type A (scores of 11 or above) or as Type B (scores of 5 or below). Subjects were subdivided into six groups (Type A/B) as control, biofeedback/relaxation, or biofeedback/relaxation with competitive set. EMG (frontalis muscle tension) scores were assessed over five blocks of five trials. Pre- and postanxiety self-report measures were also obtained for all subjects. Analysis suggested an interaction of Type (A or B) with set (competitive only). EMG scores indicated that Type A subjects were more tense and remained more tense than Type B subjects under a competitive set. EMG tension scores diminished over trials for all groups. Pre- and postanxiety scores indicated a reduction in self-reported state anxiety for all groups combined, but no differential reductions with respect to group, condition, or set.
The concept of shared mental models in healthcare collaboration.

Aim To report an analysis of the concept of shared mental models in health care. Background Shared mental models have been described as facilitators of effective teamwork. The complexity and criticality of the current healthcare system requires shared mental models to enhance safe and effective patient/client care. Yet, the current concept definition in the healthcare literature is vague and, therefore, difficult to apply consistently in research and practice. Design Concept analysis. Data sources Literature for this concept analysis was retrieved from several databases, including CINAHL, PubMed and MEDLINE (EBSCO Interface), for the years 1997–2013. Methods Walker and Avant's approach to concept analysis was employed and, following Paley's guidance, embedded in extant theory from the team literature. Results Although teamwork and collaboration are discussed frequently in healthcare literature, the concept of shared mental models in that context is not as commonly found but is increasing in appearance. Our concept analysis defines shared mental models as individually held knowledge structures that help team members function collaboratively in their environments and are comprised of the attributes of content, similarity, accuracy and dynamics. Conclusion This theoretically grounded concept analysis provides a foundation for a middle-range descriptive theory of shared mental models in nursing and health care. Further research concerning the impact of shared mental models in the healthcare setting can result in development and refinement of shared mental models to support effective teamwork and collaboration.
Salvage external beam radiotherapy for clinical failure after cryosurgery for prostate cancer.

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the role of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) as salvage treatment of prostate cancer after cryosurgery failure. Methods and Materials: Between 1993 and 1998, 6 patients underwent EBRT with curative intent for local recurrence of prostate cancer after cryosurgery. All 6 patients had biopsy-proven recurrence and palpable disease on digital rectal examination at the time of EBRT. The median follow-up was 34 months (range 8–46). The median prostate-specific antigen level was 2.3 ng/mL (range 0.8–4.1). No patient had evidence of metastatic disease. Two patients received hormonal therapy before beginning EBRT. No patient received hormonal therapy after EBRT completion. The median elapsed time between cryosurgery and EBRT was 3 years (range 1.5–4). The median delivered dose was 66 Gy (range 62–70.2) using a 10-MeV photon beam. An in-house-developed three-dimensional treatment planning system was used to plan delivery of the prescribed dose with conformal radiotherapy techniques. Results: After EBRT, all patients had complete resolution of palpable disease. Four patients (66%) were disease free at the time of the last follow-up. Two patients developed biochemical failure as defined by the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology consensus definition. One of these patients had a prostate-specific antigen level of 97 ng/mL before cryosurgery. No patient developed distant metastasis during follow-up. Two patients (33%) developed proctitis; 1 case resolved with Rowasa suppositories and 1 required blood transfusion. Conclusions: Our preliminary results suggest that EBRT can render a significant number of patients biochemically free of disease and can cause complete resolution of clinically palpable disease after initial cryosurgery. The results also showed that EBRT can be given without excessive morbidity. EBRT should be considered as a treatment option in these potentially curable cases.
Scaling of Multimillion-Atom Biological Molecular Dynamics Simulation on a Petascale Supercomputer.

A strategy is described for a fast all-atom molecular dynamics simulation of multimillion-atom biological systems on massively parallel supercomputers. The strategy is developed using benchmark systems of particular interest to bioenergy research, comprising models of cellulose and lignocellulosic biomass in an aqueous solution. The approach involves using the reaction field (RF) method for the computation of long-range electrostatic interactions, which permits efficient scaling on many thousands of cores. Although the range of applicability of the RF method for biomolecular systems remains to be demonstrated, for the benchmark systems the use of the RF produces molecular dipole moments, Kirkwood G factors, other structural properties, and mean-square fluctuations in excellent agreement with those obtained with the commonly used Particle Mesh Ewald method. With RF, three million- and five million-atom biological systems scale well up to ∼30k cores, producing ∼30 ns/day. Atomistic simulations of very large...
Assessment of WRF/Chem PM2.5 forecasts using mobile and fixed location data from the Fairbanks, Alaska winter 2008/09 field campaign

Abstract Weather Research and Forecasting model inline coupled with a chemistry package PM 2.5 forecasts were assessed using fixed-site PM 2.5 concentration and specification, and mobile PM 2.5 concentration and temperature measurements from the Fairbanks winter 2008/09 field campaign. Performance differs with concentrations, varies among months and sites, and best results are achieved for PM 2.5 concentrations between 15 and 50 µg/m 3 . On average over half-a-year and all sites, 24 h-average PM 2.5 concentrations have a fractional bias and error, and a normalized mean bias and error of 22%, 67%, 13% and 71%, respectively. The skill scores derived from the mobile measurements indicate that high data density increases the representativeness of the observations and enhances the evaluation of spatial details. The model performed well for organic carbon and acceptably for sulfate, but underestimated ammonium significantly. PM 2.5 concentrations measured by two different devices at the same site indicate that measurement errors at extremely low temperatures and humidities explain up to 24% of the normalized mean error. Some discrepancies can be attributed clearly to errors in emissions, chemical boundary conditions and meteorology.
Supporting the specification of logic programs

The system described was designed to assist in the specification, implementation, and maintenance of correct and efficient logic programs, encouraging the separation of logic and control concerns by providing an environment that maintains separate declarative and control specifications. While the support environment consists of many subsystems, including a logic interpreter, a Prolog generator, specification editors, and debugging, analysis, and verification tools, the author focuses on the specifications developed with the system. After providing a brief overview of the system, he describes the form of the initial specifications provided by the user, and then the control and declarative specifications developed interactively from the initial specifications. >
Decreased Arteriolar Sensitivity to Shear Stress in Adult Rats is Reversed by Chronic Exercise Activity

Objective:We tested the hypothesis that the decline in endothelium-dependent arteriolar dilation in adult rats is reversed by chronic exercise activity. Methods:Rats were divided into young (8–10 weeks)-sedentary (SEDY), adult (29–32 weeks)-sedentary (SEDA), and adult-exercised (EXA, treadmill exercise for 18–20 weeks) groups. Responses of isolated arterioles (∼50 µm at 80 mm Hg) of gracilis muscle were assessed to increases in perfusate flow and vasoactive agents. Results:With no differences in basal tone, maximal flow-induced dilations were not different between arterioles of SEDYand SEDArats (71 ± 2 and 72 ± 2% of passive diameter, respectively), yet the sensitivity of arterioles to shear stress (WSS50) was significantly less in SEDAthan in SEDYrats (35 ± 4 vs. 23 ± 3 dyne/cm2, respectively). In vessels of EXArats, maximal flow-induced dilation was significantly augmented (88 ± 2% of passive diameter) and WSS50(15 ± 1 dyn/cm2) was significantly reduced. Dilation to acetylcholine was enhanced in arterio...
Discrete probability estimation for classification using certainty-factor-based neural networks

Traditional probability estimation often demands a large amount of data for a problem of industrial scale. Neural networks have been used as an effective alternative for estimating input-output probabilities. In this paper, the certainty-factor-based neural network (CFNet) is explored for probability estimation in discrete domains. A new analysis presented here shows that the basis functions learned by the CFNet can bear precise semantics for dependencies. In the simulation study, the CFNet outperforms both the backpropagation network and the system based on the Rademacher-Walsh expansion. In the real-data experiments on splice junction and breast cancer data sets, the CFNet outperforms other neural networks and symbolic systems.
Using Historical Court Cases to Explore Prohibition

The intrigue of prohibition tales and the intricacy of court records present a unique opportunity for classroom use. Integrating historic court records into your social studies curriculum can help strengthen students’ literacy skill set and build historical understanding of social tensions and cultural conflicts of the 1920s.
Mesozooplankton grazing during spring sea-ice conditions in the eastern Bering Sea

Abstract Mesozooplankton (copepods and euphausiids) grazing rates and prey preferences were determined during a series of three research cruises to the eastern Bering Sea in spring 2008, 2009, and 2010. Chlorophyll was dominated by large cells (>5 µm), especially at bloom locations where they usually comprised greater than 90% of the total chlorophyll biomass. The relative importance of microzooplankton to the prey field biomass decreased with increasing chlorophyll concentration, and was less than 10% of the total prey biomass in ice-edge bloom regions. Overall, microzooplankton was the preferred prey of the mesozooplankton, although phytoplankton/ice algae were the dominant component of the diet because of their much greater biomass, especially during blooms. There were differences between mesozooplankton species in their prey preferences: Metridia pacifica, Pseudocalanus spp. and Calanus spp. had the strongest preference for microzooplankton prey, while euphausiids (Thysanoessa spp.) and Neocalanus flemingeri/plumchrus appeared to feed non-selectively on all prey items. Mesozooplankton exhibited a saturating feeding response to chlorophyll concentration (Holling׳s type II) that could be modeled by Michaelis–Menten equations. Taxa-specific maximum ingestion rates generally followed allometric theory, with smaller zooplankton having higher feeding rates than larger zooplankton, and ranged from about 4–30% body carbon day−1. Trophic cascades during grazing experiments could result in a substantial underestimate of chlorophyll ingestion rates, especially for those taxa that had a strong preference for microzooplankton. Grazing impacts by mesozooplankton on the integrated chlorophyll biomass and primary production were 2.7±4.4 and 26±48% day−1, respectively. Impacts increased significantly with increasing mesozooplankton biomass, which increased from early to late spring. However, grazing impacts were extremely low in ice-edge bloom regions. Our findings suggest that even when grazing by microzooplankton is included in our grazing impact estimates, about 50% of the primary production in phytoplankton blooms during spring on the eastern Bering Sea shelf is not grazed and is available for direct export to the benthic community.
Giant amplification of light in non-hermitian photonic materials (Presentation Recording)

In photonics and quantum optics, a key challenge facing any technological application has traditionally been the mitigation of optical losses. Recent work has shown that a new class of optical materials, called Parity-Time symmetric materials, that consist of a precisely balanced distribution of loss and gain can be exploited to engineer novel functionalities for propagating and filtering electromagnetic radiation. Here we show a generic property of optical systems that feature an arbitrary distribution of loss and gain, described by non-Hermitian operators, namely that overall lossy optical systems can transiently amplify certain input signals by several orders of magnitude. We present a mathematical framework to analyze the dynamics of wave propagation in media with an arbitrary distribution of loss and gain and construct the initial conditions to engineer such non-Hermitian power amplifiers.
Overreaction in the Futures-Implied Petroleum Refining Margin?

The futures-implied petroleum cracking spread is examined for overreaction and subsequent mean reversion via a mechanical trading rule: when the implied margin is greater (less) than estimated refining costs a short (long) spread position is entered. The trading rule results in statistically significant profits and displays market timing ability. Monthly trading returns have negative systematic market risk with respect to securities (CAPM), and they are driven primarily by price volatility in the energy sector and unanticipated changes in short-term interest rates (multifactor model). The correlation of returns with proposed risk factors and a concentration of positive profits in the Gulf War period make overreaction conclusions tenuous.
The role of finite population size and linkage in response to continued truncation selection : I. Additive gene action.

In an attempt to analyse long-term response in finite dioecious populations, selection processes are simulated on a computer with situations of parental population size, linkages between loci, selection intensity, and heritability, specified in a 34 factorial design. A diploid polygenic system of 40 loci on 4 chromosomes is considered for additive genes. Linkage levels are specified as free recombinations, adjacent loci 5 map units apart, and as clusters on chromosomes with a distance of only .5 units between adjacent loci. Parental populations of 8, 16, and 64, truncation selection of 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 of the progeny each generation, and initial heritability of 1, 1/3, and 1/9 are simulated for various populations.
Psychological Contracts in two U.S. Combat Units in Iraq: What Happens when Expectations and Realities Diverge?

U.S. soldiers deploying to Iraq in 2003 were told that the war was necessary to rid Saddam Hussein of weapons of mass destruction and had expected to fight a near-peer enemy using conventional tactics. Instead, they encountered a very different battlefield and, to date, no weapons of mass destruction have been found. This paper focuses on this apparent violation of soldiers' expectations. We analyze oral histories collected from two units of Ft. Carson-based soldiers who served in Iraq during 2003-2004 and were on the verge of redeployment in 2005. Our findings suggest that soldiers maintained a high level of commitment to their units and the Army. We offer an explanation of the factors at work in maintaining commitment under disconnects between expectations and realities and speculate about the application of them to full-spectrum warfare.
Toxicity of Certain Pyrethroids and Carbamates to the CS Strain of Oncopeltus fasciatus

Log-dosage vs. probit mortality curves have been determined for a few pyrethroid and many carbamate insecticides on adults of the CS strain of the large milkweed bug reared on cashew and sunflower seeds for 12 generations. The very prolonged knockdown and the close correlation of LD50 values with those for synergist-treated house flies, Musca domestica L., suggest that detoxication in O. fasciatus is extremely slow. LD50 values for many carbamates do not differ markedly from values obtained on milkweed-reared O. fasciatus and correlate closely with those for Lygus Hesperus Knight. Males are somewhat more susceptible than females; 5th instar nymphs tend to be less susceptible and more variable than adults. Adult virgin males show no change in susceptibility during the 1st 2 months of life; adult virgin females are as susceptible as males during the 1st week but become slightly more tolerant after egg maturation and laying start. The ease of rearing very large numbers of this O. fasciatus strain on commercially available seeds, their wry limited power of detoxication, and their long useful life indicate that they will be valuable hemipterans for insecticide screening and toxicological experimentation.
Weaving the world of the ancestors: Early incised stones from the Kincaid Shelter in west Central Texas

Incised stones recovered from the Kincaid Shelter in west Central Texas are the focus of inquiry in this paper. Despite the inherent problems in interpretation of the portable forms, I utilize multiple lines of information gathered from diverse sources to inform the ideas presented here. I provide detailed evidence to support my conclusion that the imagery incised on the stones depicts weaving techniques (twining, plaiting, cordage motifs, and netting). The additional presence of an incised orb spider web on some stones echoes its metaphoric relationship to weaving and the female spider's role in the myths and legends of North America. The context of the incised stones in the Kincaid rock shelter provides support for a plausible explanation that women, typically the producers of woven items such as baskets and mats in many North American cultures, were the creators of the Kincaid incised stones. I discuss the difficulty in discovering meaning across time and place and propose that the incised imagery was ...
Revised Diagnostic Criteria of Tuberous Sclerosis

A consensus conference sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the National Tuberous Sclerosis (TS) Association in July 1998 provided a revised list of diagnostic criteria of TS.
Calibration of clot-based, coagulation factor assays using a first-order exponential equation and the method of nonlinear least squares

A nonlinear mathematical model has been developed which relates the time to calcium-initiated formation of a detectable clot in citrated, factor-deficient plasma to the clotting activity of the factor deficient in the plasma. The data of clot-based factor assays fit well the exponential expression of this scheme, which can be used conveniently in the clinical laboratory to calibrate the clotting activity of individual coagulation factors in samples of citrated plasma. Aside from its clinical utility, the model may prompt the formulation of testable hypotheses not otherwise prompted by the existing, empiric approach to the quantitation of coagulation factor activity.
On the Mitigation of Solar Index Variability for High Precision Orbit Determination in Low Earth Orbit

Abstract : Effective satellite mission operations are directly impacted by the ability to generate accurate and precise orbit predictions. High precision orbit determination processes rely on detailed force models to propagate an orbit solution and predict future orbit behavior. While gravity forces are typically well understood, the modeling of non-conservative forces is often more challenging, causing increased difficulty in achieving and maintaining high precision orbit predictions for satellites operating in low Earth orbit. In particular, the atmosphere models used to predict the drag force experienced by a satellite may rely on input parameters such as solar flux and geomagnetic indices, which are often difficult to predict. Multiple methods of selecting the solar flux and geomagnetic index parameters are examined in combination with a number of current and historically recommended atmospheric density models to assess the impact of uncertainty in the predicted index values. Geodetic satellites with high precision satellite laser ranging data are used as test cases for the Naval Research Laboratory's Orbit Covariance Estimation and ANalysis (OCEAN) tool to evaluate solution accuracy and predictive capabilities of each combination. In all test cases examined, using either the Naval Research Laboratory Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scatter Radar 2000 or Jacchia-Bowman 2008 atmospheric density model with solar flux and geomagnetic index values held constant, rather than using the predicted index values, provided the most accurate orbit predictions. Surprisingly, the exponential atmospheric density model, which does not take into account atmospheric parameters, yielded more accurate orbit predictions than any model using predicted solar flux and geomagnetic indices.
Understanding Faculty and Trainee Needs Related to Scholarly Activity in a Large, Nonuniversity Graduate Medical Education Program.

CONTEXT Graduate medical education (GME) programs must develop curriculum to ensure scholarly activity among trainees and faculty to meet accreditation requirements and to support evidence-based medicine. OBJECTIVE Test whether research-related needs and interests varied across four groups: primary care trainees, specialty trainees, primary care faculty, and specialty faculty. DESIGN We surveyed a random sample of trainees and faculty in Kaiser Permanente Southern California's GME programs. We investigated group differences in outcomes using Fisher exact and Kruskal-Wallis tests. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Research experiences, skills, barriers, motivators, and interests in specific research skills development. RESULTS Participants included 47 trainees and 26 faculty (response rate = 30%). Among primary care faculty, 12 (71%) reported little or no research experience vs 1 (11%) for specialty faculty, 14 (41%) for primary care trainees, and 1 (8%) for specialty trainees (p < 0.001). Submission of research to the institutional review board, an abstract to a conference, or a manuscript for publication in the previous year varied across groups (p = 0.001, p = 0.003, and p < 0.001, respectively). Overall self-reported research skills also differed across groups (p < 0.001). Primary care faculty reported the lowest skill level. Research barriers that differed across groups included other work roles taking priority; desire for work-life balance; and lack of managerial support, research equipment, administrative support, and funding. CONCLUSION Faculty and trainees in primary care and specialties have differing research-related needs that GME programs should consider when designing curricula to support scholarly activity. Developing research skills of primary care faculty is a priority to support trainees' scholarly activity.
Inversion of vegetation canopy reflectance models for estimating agronomic variables. III - Estimation using only canopy reflectance data as illustrated by the suits model. IV - Total inversion of the SAIL model

The possibility of estimating agronomic and spectral parameters for a vegetation canopy from the canopy reflectance (CR) data in the infrared region is investigated for a set of solar/view directions. It is shown that such an estimation is possible, in principle, for the Suits (1972) model for a homogeneous canopy. The technique is then applied to a more complex model, the SAIL (scattering by arbitrarily inclined leaves) model which explicitly includes the leaf angle distribution in the computation of the canopy reflectance. It is concluded that, given the expected accuracy of CR measurements and the accuracy of the SAIL model in representing CR in the infrared region, the agronomic parameters, leaf area index, and leaf angle distribution can be estimated fairly accurately using ancillary data on spectral parameters.
Migration of a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt catheter into a back incision of a patient with previous spinal fusion

This case examines a unique, longitudinal presentation of an abandoned, migrating VP shunt which presents as multiple complications, including a weeping abscess in the patients back. We believe that the latter complication was potentially caused by the wound from the patient’s previous history of spinal fusion surgery. The patient presents with an associated type 2 Chiari malformation, hydrocephalus, and a previous history of posterior spinal fusion (T4–L5 anterior fusion and T2–L5 posterior fusion) at age 11. The patient had undergone shunt revisions in early adolescence as well. At 22, the patient is admitted into emergency care due to recurrent infections caused by a migrating VP shunt. Due to complications in corrective surgery at the time, the shunt was forced to be abandoned. This resulted in the most recent presentation of a weeping abscess at the patient’s spinal fusion surgery wound; the culprit was the abandoned, migrating VP shunt.. An initial course of broad-spectrum antibiotics was started. However, the abscess continued to recur. Eventually, the catheter was surgically removed, a tailored antibiotic regiment was started, and a 6-month patient follow-up was performed. The patient is no longer symptomatic and off of antibiotics. In abandoned VP shunts, migration into a non-sterile cavity dictates prompt removal, especially after symptoms of infection present. Additionally, careful monitoring for signs of peritonitis or other symptoms for a dedicated period of time is necessary. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first case of an occult shunt migration through the patient’s back that presented with a weeping abscess.
Disproportionate Sterilization of Latinos Under California's Eugenic Sterilization Program, 1920-1945.

Objectives. To compare population-based sterilization rates between Latinas/os and non-Latinas/os sterilized under California’s eugenics law.Methods. We used data from 17 362 forms recommending institutionalized patients for sterilization between 1920 and 1945. We abstracted patient gender, age, and institution of residence into a data set. We extracted data on institution populations from US Census microdata from 1920, 1930, and 1940 and interpolated between census years. We used Spanish surnames to identify Latinas/os in the absence of data on race/ethnicity. We used Poisson regression with a random effect for each patient’s institution of residence to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and compare sterilization rates between Latinas/os and non-Latinas/os, stratifying on gender and adjusting for differences in age and year of sterilization.Results. Latino men were more likely to be sterilized than were non-Latino men (IRR = 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.15, 1.31), and Latina women experience...