cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bile-Esculin Test for Presumptive Identification of Enterococci and Streptococci: Effects of Bile Concentration, Inoculation Technique, and Incubation Time

The bile-esculin test is used to differentiate enterococci and group D streptococci from non-group D viridans group streptococci. The effects on test performance of the concentration of bile salts, inoculum, and duration of incubation were examined with 110 strains of enterococci, 30 strains of Streptococcus bovis, and 110 strains of non-group D viridans group streptococci. Optimal sensitivity (>99%) and specificity (97%) of the bile-esculin test can be obtained with a bile concentration of 40%, a standardized inoculum of 106 CFU, and incubation for 24 h.
Representing process variation with a process family

The formalization of process definitions has been an invaluable aid in many domains. However, noticeable variations in processes start to emerge as precise details are added to process definitions. While each such variation gives rise to a different process, these processes might more usefully be considered as variants of each other, rather than completely different processes. This paper proposes that it is beneficial to regard such an appropriately close set of process variants as a process family. The paper suggests a characterization of what might comprise a process family and introduces a formal approach to defining families based upon this characterization. To illustrate this approach, we describe a case study that demonstrates the different variations we observed in processes that define how dispute resolution is performed at the U.S. National Mediation Board. We demonstrate how our approach supports the definition of this set of process variants as a process family.
Laparoscopic splenectomy offers advantages in selected patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura

Abstract Background: Splenectomy plays a crucial role in the management of selected patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Laparoscopic splenectomy has been suggested as an alternative to open techniques. Materials and methods: A retrospective chart review was made for all patients undergoing splenectomy for ITP at our institution from June 1987 to August 1994. Results: Twenty-one patients underwent splenectomy for ITP. Fourteen open procedures (group 1) and 7 laparoscopic procedures (group 2) were performed. Eleven of 14 patients in group 1 and all 7 patients in group 2 had appropriate increases in platelet count following surgery. There were 3 complications in group 1 and no major complications in group 2. Operative time was longer in group 2 (154 versus 68 minutes, P P P P Conclusions: Laparoscopic splenectomy is safe and effective in the management of select patients with ITP and offers advantages over open techniques.
Shifting Boundaries between the Public and Private Sectors: Implications from the Economic Crisis

What are the differences between the public and private sectors as well as their interrelationships in light of the recent financial crisis? Has the global economic crisis fundamentally shifted the boundaries between the two sectors? This essay examines the nature and extent of the shift. The authors present an analysis of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to highlight the massive transformations that are taking place and to introduce lessons for future policy initiatives. Between financial rescue missions and the economic stimulus program, government spending accounts for a bigger share of the nation’s economy—26 percent—than at any time since World War II. The government is financing 9 out of 10 new mortgages in the United States. If you buy a car from General Motors, you are buying from a company that is 60 percent owned by the government. If you take out a car loan or run up your credit card, the chances are good that the government is financing both your debt and that of your bank. —Edmund Andrews and David Sanger, New York Times, 2009
An adaptive feedback neural network approach to job-shop scheduling problem

Job-shop scheduling problem is a typical representative of NP-complete problems and it is also a popular topic for the researchers during the recent decades. Lots of artificial intelligence techniques were used to solve this kind of problems, such as: genetic algorithm, tabu searching method, simulated annealing and neural network. Based on the previous research of Zhou and Willems, this paper proposes a neuro-dynamic model with two heuristics to solve job-shop scheduling problems. The stability of this neural network is proven by using Lyapunov stability theorem. Both small-size and big-size problems are used to test this neural network. Simulation results of some tested samples are given. And the performance of this neural network is compared with several other neural works under experimental conditions.
Low Need Achievers' Performance The Positive Impact of a Self-Determined Goal

The following study was designed to investigate individual differences in anagram performance using differential methods of goal setting. Subjects were 63 female college undergraduates who were divided into high and low need achievers. Goals for performance task were either assigned by the experimenter or determined by the subject. Low need achievers who received externally imposed goals performed more poorly on the task than did low need achievers with self-set goals or high need achievers with imposed goals. These results were discussed in regard to Locke's goal-setting theory and provide direction for future research in the area of individual differences in goal setting and performance.
Semiparametric nonhomogeneity analysis

Abstract Let ξ(x, ω) be a ‘piecewise stationary’ random field, defined as an embedding of stationary random fields ξi(x, ω) via the polytomous field m(x, ω). The domain of definition is partitioned into disjoint regions Ri. Denote the marginals for each ξi(x, ω) by xi(ξ) so that ξ(x, ω) ∼ αi(ξ) for x ∈ Ri. Define homogeneity as the situation in which all the αi are identical versus nonhomogeneity in which there exist at least two regions with differing marginals. To perform a test of these hypotheses without assuming parametric structure for the αi or choosing a specific type of nonhomogeneity in the alternative requires estimates \ ga i for each region. However, the competing requirements of estimation without restrictive assumptions versus small-area investigation to determine the unknown locations of potential nonhomogeneities lead to an impasse which cannot easily be overcome and has led to a dichotomy of approaches — parametric versus nonparametric. This paper develops a borrowed strength methodology which can be used to improve upon the local estimates which are obtainable by either fully nonparametric methods or by simple parametric procedures. The approach involves estimating the marginals as a generalized mixture model, and the improvement derives from using all the observed data, borrowing strength from potentially dissimilar regions, to impose constraints on the local estimation problems.
A parallel low-rank multilevel matrix compression algorithm for parasitic extraction of electrically large structures

Simulation of distributed electromagnetic effects of electrically large structures is no longer a luxury but a necessity in the accurate prediction of modern day circuit performance. In this regard, integral equation based methods have steadily gained in popularity but suffer from the time and memory bottlenecks arising from the resultant dense matrix. Fast linear complexity solvers have been introduced in the past but with the growing complexity of circuit layouts parallel implementations are the only viable options in addressing practical circuit layouts. In this paper, we present a parallel implementation of the low-rank compression based fast solver with linear cost reduction capacity with respect to the number of processors. The main problems in parallelizing a hierarchical algorithm are discussed and the advantages of the implemented scheme are highlighted. The new solver enables the simulation of full-chip problems consisting of millions of unknowns with acceptable accuracy and modest time and memory requirements.
Geographic mapping of choroidal thickness in myopic eyes using 1050-nm spectral domain optical coherence tomography

Purpose: To provide a geographical map of choroidal thickness (CT) around the macular region among subjects with low, moderate and high myopia. Methods: 20 myopic subjects (n = 40 eyes) without other identified pathologies participated in this study: 20 eyes of ≤ 3 diopters (D) (low myopic), 10 eyes between -3 and -6D (moderate myopic), and 10 eyes of ≥ 6D (high myopic). The mean age of subjects was 30.2 years (± 7.6 years; range, 24 to 46 years). A 1050 nm spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) system, operating at 120 kHz imaging rate, was used in this study to simultaneously capture 3D anatomical images of the choroid and measure intraocular length (IOL) in the subject. The 3D OCT images of the choroid were segmented into superior, inferior, nasal and temporal quadrants, from which the CT was measured, representing radial distance between the outer retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer and inner scleral border. Measurements were made within concentric regions centered at fovea centralis...
WNT-LRP5 Signaling Induces Warburg Effect through mTORC2 Activation during Osteoblast Differentiation

Summary WNT signaling controls many biological processes including cell differentiation in metazoans. However, how WNT reprograms cell identity is not well understood. We have investigated the potential role of cellular metabolism in WNT-induced osteoblast differentiation. WNT3A induces aerobic glycolysis known as Warburg effect by increasing the level of key glycolytic enzymes. The metabolic regulation requires LRP5 but not β-catenin and is mediated by mTORC2-AKT signaling downstream of RAC1. Suppressing WNT3A-induced metabolic enzymes impairs osteoblast differentiation in vitro. Deletion of Lrp5 in the mouse, which decreases postnatal bone mass, reduces mTORC2 activity and glycolytic enzymes in bone cells and lowers serum lactate levels. Conversely, mice expressing a mutant Lrp5 that causes high bone mass exhibit increased glycolysis in bone. Thus, WNT-LRP5 signaling promotes bone formation in part through direct reprogramming of glucose metabolism. Moreover, regulation of cellular metabolism may represent a general mechanism contributing to the wide-ranging functions of WNT proteins.
Accuracy assessment of kinect body tracker in instant posturography for balance disorders

The accuracy of the body-tracking algorithm of Microsoft Kinect SDK was investigated with the aim to apply the device to the medical care of balance disorders. We focused on the inclination of body posture, assuming that Kinect is used for instant posturography in the test of balance. Subjects were asked to participate in several balance tests and the positions of motion-capture markers on subjects were recorded simultaneously with Kinect body-tracking measurements. After calibrating coordinates and compensating for temporal delay between the two sensor systems using a hybrid marker, the correspondence between the body-part locations of Kinect and those of motion capture was modeled by a linear combination model of neighboring markers with optimal parameters, which were estimated according to the criterion of trajectory minimization. The experiment for six healthy adults showed that our method can track body motion at the accuracy required for standard balance tests.
Treatment effects of the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib on hepatoblastoma cell lines and xenografts in NMRI‐Foxn1nu mice

Background Multidrug resistance is a major reason for poor treatment results in advanced hepatoblastoma (HB). Several alternative treatment options are currently under investigation to improve the prognosis of affected patients Aims This study aimed to analyse the impact of sorafenib on the viability of HB cells and xenotransplanted HB tumours. Methods Cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated in two HB cell lines (HUH6 and HepT1) after treatment with sorafenib using MTT and Caspase 3 activation assay. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation was investigated using Western blot. In addition, sorafenib (30 mg/kg) was administered orally to NMRI mice bearing subcutaneous HUH6 derived tumours. Tumour progression and viability were monitored by tumour volume and α-fetoprotein (AFP) levels, and apoptosis was assessed using TUNEL assay. Tumour angiogenesis and mean vascular density (MVD) was determined using CD31 staining, ERK phosphorylation was detected using indirect immunofluorescence. Results Treatment with sorafenib led to decreased ERK phosphorylation, reduced cell viability and induction of apoptosis in HepT1 and HUH6 cells. In HB xenografts, sorafenib significantly reduced tumour growth compared with control (P < 0.05). AFP levels were lower in the sorafenib group (P = 0.07). Relative apoptotic areas detected using TUNEL assay were increased (P = 0.003). CD31 staining revealed inhibition of angiogenesis, and mean vascular density was lower in the sorafenib group (P = 0.02). ERK phosphorylation was reduced in tumours tissues after sorafenib treatment. Conclusion Treatment with sorafenib led to a potent inhibition of cell viability, tumour progression and angiogenesis. Sorafenib might therefore also be a promising treatment option for high risk or recurrent HB.
Education for data professionals: a study of current courses and programs

In response to the current data-intensive research environment, iSchools are beginning to build new programs and enhance existing programs to meet workforce demands in data curation, data management, and data science. To understand the state of education in the field, we studied current programs and courses offered at iSchools and other schools of Library and Information Science. Here we present an overview of the methods and results. Courses are divided into four categories: data centric, data inclusive, digital, and traditional LIS. The analysis reveals trends in LIS education for data professionals and identifies particular areas of expertise and gaps in LIS education for data professional.
Suppression of Boll Weevil Infestations (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Occurring on Fallow-Season Cotton in Southern Texas by Augmentative Releases ofCatolaccus grandis(Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)

Abstract Augmentative releases of Catolaccus grandis (Burks) were conducted in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in an attempt to suppress infestations of boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, occurring in stands of “fallow-season” cotton (i.e., fields in violation of the 1 September stalk destruction deadline mandated by Texas law). In each of five release sites monitored during the study period (October, 1994–March 1995), augmentative releases of C. grandis were accompanied by an appreciable increase in the incidence of parasitized boll weevils (primarily third-stage larvae and pupae infesting abcised cotton squares) within a relatively brief time period. The relatively high incidence of host mortality caused by C. grandis in each release site was largely indispensible (i.e., would not have occurred in the absence of the parasite) and served to destroy significant numbers of immature boll weevils that appear to have been predisposed to successfully overwinter. The potential role of parasite augmentation in the management of the overwintering boll weevil population in southern Texas is discussed.
(Re)defining the Filipino: Notions of Citizenship in the New K+12 Curriculum:

In June 2012, the Philippine government implemented what it called the K+12 Curriculum which reformed its basic education system by adding two more years of schooling to the then existing 10-year structure. Complicated by the long experience and participation of the Filipinos in the diaspora, the constantly lingering thought of leaving for greener pastures, and economic insecurities, the ‘K+12’ not only marks a policy and structural change but also a discursive shift in so far as the imagination of the Filipino's place within the nation and the world are concerned. This article explores (1) how the politics and economics of the state shape Philippine education in the context of the diaspora; (2) the transformations of the notion of Filipino citizenship brought about by the maneuvering of the state; and (3) who the new educated Filipino citizen is in the age of mass migration as constructed by the state through the curriculum.
National Security Interests and India Ocean: China's Perspective

This paper presents China’s perspective on their national interests in the Indian Ocean. The author discusses the global significance of the Indian Ocean Region and the increasing importance it will hold in the future with India and China emerging as global powers.
Strategic Voting and Proxy Contests

We analyze proxy fights where privately informed shareholders are uncertain about the management ability of the raider. We show that the shareholders vote towards compensating for the initial bias formed by supermajority amendments and the shares that the incumbent controls. Consequently, the amount of support given to the raider is an increasing function of the initial bias favoring the incumbent. This compensating behavior may reverse the effects of the incumbent's defensive strategies. More specifically, we show that anti-takeover measures may increase the likelihood of a takeover by an inferior raider. In contrast to earlier sincere voting models we also show that simultaneous (strategic) voting can serve as a Pareto dominant voting mechanism for aggregating dispersed information.
Argentina Should Abolish Its Central Bank

Prof. Hanke expresses his concerns over the monetary system in Argentina shortly after it's establishment in 1991.
Effect of a Garden-Based Nutrition Education Program on the Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables by Hispanic Children

Objective: A garden-based nutrition education program was developed to increase the fruit and vegetable intake among 6-to-12-year old children in an after-school setting in southern California. It was hypothesized that the intervention would increase intake and preference for fruits and vegetables. Methods: A 4-month curriculum using social cognitive theory was developed for participants at a Boys and Girls Club. A pre and post-test validated survey assessed measured fruit and vegetable intake and participants’ height and weight were measured to calculate BMI. We pilot tested an observational method of assessing snack preference. Results: Forty participants completed the study, 83% of which were Hispanic. Significant results were found in fruit and vegetable servings consumed daily (p<0.05). Self-reported scores for daily fruit servings increased from 2.23±4.18 to 4.13±2.16. Self-reported scores for daily vegetable servings increased from 2.17±1.82 to 3.07±1.87. Upward trends were shown in fruit and vegetable snack preference. Conclusions and Implications: No other garden-based nutrition education interventions have targeted primarily Hispanic youth in an extramural setting. Continued research using SCT curricula and quantitative measurements is warranted.
A Review and Update of Treatment Options and Controversies in the Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Objective:To review the current management, outline recent advances and address controversies in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Summary of Background data:The treatment of HCC is multidisciplinary involving hepatologists, surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiol
Heterogeneity in Tumors and Resistance to EGFR TKI Therapy-Response.

We read with great interest the letter from Suda and colleagues ([1][1]) regarding our recent article titled “Intratumoral Heterogeneity in EGFR-Mutant NSCLC Results in Divergent Resistance Mechanisms in Response to EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibition” ([2][2]). We believe that most of their
An assessment of the mean annual precipitation needed to sustain Lake Sambhar in Rajasthan, India, during mid-Holocene time

An application of a simple hydrological model to likely climatic conditions of Lake Sambhar provides tighter bounds on the range of increased precipitation seen during the early- to mid-Holocene than those inferred from paleoclimatic proxies. To examine past lake levels, we developed a simple lake model, based on hydrological principles of a watershed balance between precipitation, evaporation, and runoff from the watershed to calculate daily depth and volume. Calculations reveal that early- to mid-Holocene rainfall was most likely in a range of 40–65% greater than present levels, resulting in lake depths of ~6–8 m. This estimate incorporates all major sources of uncertainty into the lake model, but it is likely that the value of mid-Holocene precipitation lies in the lower part of the 40–65% range. Additionally, a 40–65% greater precipitation could have led to greater interannual variability in lake levels, which may account for the lack of clear shorelines. We find, however, that it is unlikely that Lak...
Phase III trials of toremifene vs tamoxifen.

Abstract Three pivotal phase III trials conducted in North America and Europe served as the basis for the application for approval of toremifene (Fareston) by the FDA. These trials demonstrated that 60 mg/d of toremifene is safe and effective in the treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The studies also indicated that, on the basis of antitumor efficacy, as well as safety, toremifene is at least equivalent to tamoxifen and may have some long-term advantages.
Evaluation of postoperative pain after sinonasal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Pain after sinonasal surgery concerns both patients and surgeons. Factors affecting sinonasal postoperative pain have not been examined extensively. METHODS: Using a prospective survey design, sinonasal surgery patients evaluated postoperative pain (on a scale of 0-10), pain location, and medication use. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-seven patients consented to participate. One hundred fifteen patients returned surveys, with 100 patients appropriate for analysis over the 6-day postoperative period. Pain score and medication use were evaluated with respect to sex, primary/revision case, nasal packing, and other factors. Repeated measures analysis of variance and chi-square analysis were conducted (p < 0.05). Pain ratings and analgesic use declined significantly over the postoperative period (p < 0.05). Mean pain score on postoperative day (POD) 1 was 3.61 and on POD 6 was 1.72. Mean medication use was 1.37 tablets on POD 1 and 0.55 tablets on POD 6. Additionally, a significant interaction existed, such that narcotic medication use declined from 1.91 tablets on POD 1 to 0.52 tablets on POD 6, whereas nonnarcotic medication use remained steady (p < 0.05). Periorbital pain was most frequent (46.3%), with unilateral facial pain reported least (4.1%). A significant difference existed for distribution of pain location (p < 0.05). Finally, the difference in pain rating between primary and revision procedure for women (0.65) was less than for men (1.12); this interaction was significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Multiple patient and operative factors affect pain rating and medication use after sinonasal surgery. Generally, pain level should be low with little analgesic use postoperatively.
Influence of Third-Year Clerkships on Medical Student Specialty Preferences.

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to investigate influences on third-year medical students' specialty preferences. Method – A survey questionnaire was mailed to third-year medical students at two medical schools. The questionnaire asked students to rate the degree to which various aspects of the third-year curriculum and perceived specialty characteristics influenced their specialty preferences. Results – A total of 214 (70%) of eligible students responded, of whom 46% were female and 57% preferred primary care (PC) specialties. The most frequently cited influential clerkship was internal medicine. Most clerkships (72%) had a positive influence on students' preferences. PC clerkships had more positive influences than non-primary care (NPC) clerkships, especially among PC-oriented students. The most influential aspects of clerkships were faculty and residents, especially in PC clerkships. For both PC- and NPS-oriented students, the diagnostic and patient-related characteristics of their preferred specialties were highly influential. PC-oriented students were more likely to be attracted to prevention and biopsychosocial aspects of specialties, and NPC-oriented students to the opportunity to do procedures and intervene in illnesses. Student gender appeared to have little influence on response patterns, except as a proxy for specialty preference, which, for women, was more likely to be a primary care specialty. Conclusion – These findings suggest that the third-year clerkships, especially at non-university sites, play an important role in specialty choice, and that factors attracting students to PC differ significantly from those attracting students to NPC.
Transient force analysis and bubble dynamics during flow boiling in silicon nanowire microchannels

Abstract A study on bubble growth mechanisms and underlying physical phenomena of flow boiling in silicon nanowire (SiNW) microchannels has been performed and compared these results with plainwall microchannels. A new approach in studying bubble dynamics and forces acting on liquid–vapor (L–V) interface of growing bubble has been proposed based on theoretical, experimental and visual studies. Bubble size, liquid film thickness, interfacial properties are measured and L–V interfaces are detected from high speed visualization data and results are analyzed by vision-based approach. Force analysis during instantaneous bubble growth from bubble nucleation to formation of annular flow regime has been performed for both the SiNW and plainwall microchannel configurations. Results from force analysis show the dominance of surface tension at L–V interface of growing bubble which resulted higher heat transfer contact area, lower thermal resistance and higher thin film evaporation. Whereas, inertia force is dominant at L–V interface of fully grown bubble and it helps in bubble removal process and rewetting before flow reversal. Significant differences between SiNW and plainwall microchannels have been observed in bubble growth mechanism, heat transfer mode and forces acting on L–V interface.
Historical and Critical Perspectives

Like the liberal economic approach, an historical and critical approach links social groups, the forms of states and state policies, and international institutions or world order. This perspective also provides concepts and theoretical claims which explain the role of the state in India during the period of state-led planned development and during the transition to the promotion of market relations and liberalized communications policies. However, the portrayal of these shifts and the implications for Indian communications, India's democracy and India's international role are significantly different from those of the neo-liberal account.
Radio Resource Allocation in Heterogeneous Networks

Intra-cell coordinated multiple point (CoMP) transmission is discussed in Chap. 2. Downlink intra-cell cooperative transmission and optimal intra-cell CoMP resource allocation schemes are investigated in heterogeneous networks with cooperative relays in [1–3]. In this chapter, radio resource allocation schemes for two-tier heterogeneous networks in LTE are further discussed. Radio resource allocation schemes with intra-cell CoMP and in-band wireless backhaul are studied, and an optimal framework with resource allocation strategy is presented that is asymptotically optimal on the proportional fairness metric.
A Simple Distance Based Seizure Onset Detection Algorithm Using Common Spatial Patterns

Existing seizure onset detection methods usually rely on a large number of extracted features regardless of computational efficiency, which reduces their applicability for real-time seizure detection. In this study, a simple distance based seizure onset detection algorithm is proposed to distinguish seizure and non-seizure EEG signals. The proposed framework first applies the common spatial patterns (CSP) method to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio and reduce the dimensionality of EEG signals, and then uses the autocorrelation of the averaged spatially filtered signal to classify incoming signals into a seizure or non-seizure state. The proposed approach was tested using CHB-MIT dataset that contains continuous scalp EEG recordings from 23 patients. The results showed \(\sim \)95.87 % sensitivity with an average latency of 2.98 s and 2.89 % false detection rate. More interestingly, the average process time required to classify each window (1–5 s of EEG signals) was 0.09 s. The outcome of this study has a high potential to improve the automatic seizure onset detection from EEG recordings and could be used as a basis for developing real-time monitoring systems for epileptic patients.
Idiopathic systemic capillary leak syndrome (Clarkson disease).

In 1960, Dr Bayard Clarkson described a woman experiencing sporadic recurrent episodes of shock and anasarca. Plasma from an acute attack induced a shock-like syndrome when injected into rats. The enigmatic systemic capillary leak syndrome (SCLS) named for Dr Clarkson is characterized by transient and severe but reversible hemoconcentration and hypoalbuminemia caused by leakage of fluids and macromolecules into tissues. Although less than 500 cases of SCLS have been reported in the literature since 1960, the condition is probably underdiagnosed because of a lack of awareness and a high mortality without treatment. Allergists should be vigilant of this diagnosis because its presentation can resemble more common plasma leakage syndromes, including angioedema or systemic anaphylaxis. Although the precise molecular cause of SCLS remains unknown, substantial advances over the last 5 years have increased our understanding of SCLS pathogenesis.
FLC based optimization of AGC controller parameters for an interconnected power system

The aim of Automatic Generation Control (AGC) in any power system is to restore the frequency and tie line power in a smooth way to its nominal value in the shortest possible time if any load disturbance occurs at any area of the system. A two area interconnected power system is investigated in this paper under several load conditions, taken into account the various system nonlinearities to ensure the robustness of the proposed control strategy. A dc tie line is integrated in parallel with the ac tie line to stabilize the frequency of oscillation and based on it a comprehensive mathematical model is developed. Initially the gains and frequency bias parameters of the controller are tuned on the basis of performance index. Online Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) is then employed to generate the controller parameters of each area, in accordance to the rapid changes of small load perturbation (SLP). It may be apprehended from the simulation results that the proposed FLC controller is more efficient to minimize the effect of SLP.
The Past in the Present: The Historic Reach of the “Tyler Rationale”

This chapter contextualizes the struggle for the American curriculum in various historical movements, which illustrate the conflation of curriculum and teaching and the instrumentalism associated with the institution of education operating within a broader system of disciplinary power. The chapter focuses on the “Tyler Rationale” to demonstrate its persistence in contemporary curriculum design. The chapter also advocates for the disentangling of curriculum from teaching, particularly as both have been subsumed under assessment, and poses questions through which curriculum scholars and teachers might consider how they can embody counter-conducts against the institutionalization of Tyler’s portrayal of curriculum as a “functioning instrument of education.”
Engineered Niches and Naturalized Aesthetics

Recent scientific approaches to aesthetics include evolutionary theories about the origin of art behavior, psychological investigations into human aesthetic experience and preferences, and neurophysiological explorations of the mechanisms underlying art experience. Critics of these approaches argue that they are ultimately irrelevant to a philosophical aesthetics because they cannot help us understand the distinctive conceptual basis and normativity of our art experience. This criticism may seem plausible given the piecemeal nature of these scientific approaches, but a more comprehensive naturalistic framework can help us understand the conceptual basis and normativity of art. In particular, the ecology of art, an understanding of how individuals interact within particular environments, can help us understand the engineered art niches in which we create and experience art. Each niche is associated with a particular deme, or set of individuals that interact within that niche, and a set of cognitive, epistemic, and pedagogical technologies that form the conceptual basis of a niche-dependent normativity. This is to be contrasted with the niche-independent normativity revealed by many of the scientific approaches. This framework, and the conflicting streams of normativity it reveals, allows us to better understand conflicts in normativity and the implausibility of unequivocal and universal normative principles.
Tinnitus and its risk factors in african americans: The Jackson Heart Study

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS To describe the prevalence of reported tinnitus and tinnitus handicap in the all-African American Jackson Heart Study (JHS) cohort, with assessment of the relationship to cardiometabolic risk and depression. STUDY DESIGN Prospective cohort study. METHODS Audiologic data were obtained from a sample of 1,314 participants of the JHS. Reported tinnitus was assessed dichotomously (yes/no) by interview and with the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). The statistical relationship of reported tinnitus and tinnitus handicap to various cardiometabolic risks (i.e., hypertension and waist circumference) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) was assessed with logistic and gamma regression procedures. RESULTS Tinnitus was found to be a highly prevalent condition (29.5%), with an additionally high rate of individuals who report at least slight tinnitus handicap (35%). Hypertension (β = 1.344, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.015-1.780, P = .039) and waist circumference (β = 1.009, 95% CI: 1.001-1.018, P = .021) were found to have a statistically significant relationship with THI score, depending on the level of covariate adjustment. Depression, as measured by the CES-D, was found to have a statistically significant relationship with both reported tinnitus (odds ratio [OR]: 1.051, 95% CI: 1.030-1.072, P < .001) and THI score (β = 1.029, 95% CI: 1.013-1.047, P = .001), which persisted for all levels of covariate adjustment in statistical models. CONCLUSIONS Tinnitus was found to be highly prevalent in the JHS, and certain measures of cardiometabolic risk are weakly related to both reported tinnitus and level of tinnitus handicap. A consistent relationship between depression and tinnitus/level of tinnitus handicap was observed. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2b. Laryngoscope, 128:1668-1675, 2018.
Cerebral blood vessel damage in traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury is a devastating cause of death and disability. Although injury of brain tissue is of primary interest in head trauma, nearly all significant cases include damage of the cerebral blood vessels. Because vessels are critical to the maintenance of the healthy brain, any injury or dysfunction of the vasculature puts neural tissue at risk. It is well known that these vessels commonly tear and bleed as an immediate consequence of traumatic brain injury. It follows that other vessels experience deformations that are significant though not severe enough to produce bleeding. Recent data show that such subfailure deformations damage the microstructure of the cerebral vessels, altering both their structure and function. Little is known about the prognosis of these injured vessels and their potential contribution to disease development. The objective of this review is to describe the current state of knowledge on the mechanics of cerebral vessels during head trauma and how they respond to the applied loads. Further research on these topics will clarify the role of blood vessels in the progression of traumatic brain injury and is expected to provide insight into improved strategies for treatment of the disease.
Outcomes in subsequent pregnancies after wedge resection for interstitial ectopic pregnancy: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate pregnancy outcomes in patients with a history of wedge resection for interstitial ectopic pregnancy (WRIEP).Methods: Retrospective cohort study...
Gesture helps learners learn, but not merely by guiding their visual attention.

Teaching a new concept through gestures––hand movements that accompany speech––facilitates learning above-and-beyond instruction through speech alone (e.g., Singer & Goldin-Meadow, 2005). However, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are still under investigation. Here, we use eye tracking to explore one often proposed mechanism––gesture’s ability to direct visual attention. Behaviorally, we replicate previous findings: Children perform significantly better on a posttest after learning through Speech+Gesture instruction than through Speech Alone instruction. Using eye tracking measures, we show that children who watch a math lesson with gesture do allocate their visual attention differently than children who watch a math lesson without gesture–––they look more to the problem being explained, less to the instructor, and are more likely to synchronize their visual attention with information presented in the instructor’s speech (i.e., follow along with speech) than children who watch the no-gesture lesson. The striking finding is that, even though these looking patterns positively predict learning outcomes, the patterns do not mediate the effects of training condition (Speech Alone vs. Speech+Gesture) on posttest success. We find instead a complex relation between gesture and visual attention in which gesture moderates the impact of visual looking patterns on learning––following along with speech predicts learning for children in the Speech+Gesture condition, but not for children in the Speech Alone condition. Gesture’s beneficial effects on learning thus come not merely from its ability to guide visual attention, but also from its ability to synchronize with speech and affect what learners glean from that speech.
Lifelong Learners Influencing Organizational Change

Organizational change occurs in every organization that deals with growth and transition. Organizational leaders develop a commitment to lifelong learning throughout their careers. As the organizational leader grows, the organization in which they lead grows as well. Organizational leaders are characterized by how they develop their strategic plan that will influence change. Discipline is essential to the development of a leader influencing organizational change. Organizational leaders create psychological contracts with employees to build trust, confidence, and business relationships. Psychological contracts motivate employees intrinsically, and in ways that go beyond the confines of the physical contract signed between employees and management. Organizational leaders honor psychological contracts to take advantage of the talented employees that can benefit the organization. Psychological contracts assist leaders guiding their organization through changes by creating intrinsic motivators to develop an understanding of expectations. Changes that need to occur should be well communicated and implemented at a time that offers the organization and advantage rather than a setback. Leadership differs from management by requiring an alternative approach when dealing with employees and how to direct change at the individual, group, or larger system level. Organizational leaders create an environment for change that must be nurtured for the employees to commit to following the leader. Organizational change develops throughout the life cycle of an organization and is dependent on the organizational leader’s willingness to continue to learn.
Cost effectiveness of monitoring warfarin therapy using standard versus capillary prothrombin times.

The authors assessed the cost effectiveness of monitoring warfarin therapy guided by standard plasma prothrombin times performed on blood samples obtained by venipuncture versus prothrombin times performed on capillary whole blood samples obtained by fingerstick. Twenty patients receiving long-term oral anticoagulation had either standard or capillary prothrombin times determined every other week for eight weeks in a cross-over design. All time intervals were monitored, including receptionist, secretarial, nursing, phlebotomy, etc ., and costs for all materials, procedures, and labor were calculated. The total cost per test by the capillary whole blood prothrombin time method was significantly less than by standard prothrombin time methods ($7.55 vs . $15.64) even though the nurse–patient encounter time was greater per test for the capillary method (12.4 minutes vs . 8.3 minutes). The management of oral anticoagulation guided by prothrombin times performed on instrumentation designed to sample capillary whole blood should result in a significant cost savings, and because of the immediate availability of results, provide the potential for improved health care.
Dermatological Disorders in Parkinson’s Disease

The first suggestion of an increased risk of melanoma in Parkinson disease (PD) patients was reported by Skibba et al. (Arch Pathol 93:556–561, 1972) in 1972. They reported a 55-year-old male with PD who developed a local recurrence of a primary melanoma and multiple primary melanomas 4 years after primary excision and 4 months after starting levodopa. Since levodopa is a metabolite in the biosynthesis of dopamine and melanin involving the enzyme tyrosinase, and increased tyrosinase activity is found in melanoma, they speculated that levodopa “could enhance and stimulate growth on any residual melanoma tissue”.
Pulse Dipolar Electron Spin Resonance: Distance Measurements

In recent years electron spin resonance (ESR) has provided the means to obtain structural constraints in the field of structural biology on the nanoscale by measuring distances between paramagnetic species, which usually have been nitroxide spin-labels. These ESR methods enable the measurement of distances over the wide range from ca. 6–10 A to nearly 90 A. While cw methods may be used for the shortest distances, it is the pulse methods that enable this wide range, as well as determination of the distributions in distance. In this chapter we first describe the underlying theoretical concepts for understanding the principal pulse methods of double quantum coherence (DQC)-ESR and double-electron–electron-resonance (DEER), which we collectively refer to as Pulse-Dipolar ESR Spectroscopies (PDS). We then provide technical aspects of pulse ESR spectrometers required for high quality PDS studies. This is followed by an extensive description of sensitivity considerations in PDS, based largely upon our highly sensitive 17.3 GHz pulse spectrometer at ACERT. This description also includes a comparison of the effectiveness of the respective PDS pulse methods. In addition, the newer methods of 5-pulse DEER, which enables longer distances to be measured than by standard DEER, and 2D-DQC, which provides a convenient mapping for studying orientational coherence between spin labels and their interspin vector, are described.
Mounting Tensions: Materializing Strategies and Tactics on National Park “Social Trails”

This essay builds from Samantha Senda-Cook's 2013 article, “Materializing Tensions,” to explore the material rhetorics of the so-called “social trails” of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. These improvised, foot-worn pathways, diverging from and running alongside official Park Service trails, materialize a tension between what Michel de Certeau termed “strategies” and “tactics,” revealing how both are always at play in park and preserve trailspace and how the movements of the individual trail walker actualize and perpetuate a common concept of place. The study demonstrates and advocates close rhetorical attention to material aspects of the biophysical environment and the way that physical traces of many individuals over time can influence the subsequent actions and interpretations of others. The final discussion argues that as further tensions in trailspace rhetorics are identified rhetorical analysis must not fail to account for them.
Impact of salivary hypofunction on incidence of orofungal infections with use of topical steroids for management of oral lichen planus and xerostomia.

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine if salivary hypofunction increases the incidence of oral fungal infections (OFIs) after topical steroid use for the management of oral lichen planus (OLP). Study Design Patients with a diagnosis of OLP, treated for at least 2 weeks with topical steroids, had baseline salivary flow evaluations completed, and had a follow-up visit within 5 weeks of steroids being prescribed were assessed. Patients were evaluated for clinical signs of fungal infection at follow-up visits. Results Forty-Seven patients (91% female) met the inclusion criteria, with 21.3% developing an OFI after topical steroid use. Demographic characteristics, type of OLP, steroid used, and antifungal used did not impact the development of an OFI. The mean stimulated salivary flow was significantly lower in the group that developed an OFI compared with the group that did not develop an OFI (8.31 mL/15 min vs 15.4 mL/15 min, respectively; P = 0.0006). A higher incidence of OFIs occurred in the low stimulated flow group versus the normal flow group (39% vs 4%, respectively). Most patients in the OFI group received a preventative antifungal (90%). Conclusions OFIs increased after steroid treatment in patients with OLP who had low stimulated salivary flows. Antifungals (90%) were not effective in preventing OFIs in patients with OLP who had salivary hypofunction and were treated with topical steroids.
Perceptions of romantic partners' responsiveness during a period of stressful uncertainty

Whether awaiting biopsy results, a grade on a midterm, or a decision from a journal editor, people feel distressed as they wait for uncertain news. In the present study, we investigated how people's perceptions of their romantic partner, specifically their partner's responsiveness to their support needs, corresponds with key aspects of the waiting experience. In a longitudinal study of 184 law students awaiting their result on the California bar exam, we examined changes in perceived responsiveness over time and associations between perceived responsiveness and expectation management strategies, health, and well-being. Results revealed temporal patterns in perceived responsiveness, with the greatest responsiveness perceived at the start and end of the wait. Perceived responsiveness was also intertwined with efforts to manage one's expectations while awaiting uncertain news and was associated with more positive emotions, better subjective coping, and greater self-reported sleep quality during the wait. (PsycINFO Database Record