cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sampling the Arabidopsis Transcriptome with Massively Parallel Pyrosequencing

Massively parallel sequencing of DNA by pyrosequencing technology offers much higher throughput and lower cost than conventional Sanger sequencing. Although extensively used already for sequencing of genomes, relatively few applications of massively parallel pyrosequencing to transcriptome analysis have been reported. To test the ability of this technology to provide unbiased representation of transcripts, we analyzed mRNA from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings. Two sequencing runs yielded 541,852 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) after quality control. Mapping of the ESTs to the Arabidopsis genome and to The Arabidopsis Information Resource 7.0 cDNA models indicated: (1) massively parallel pyrosequencing detected transcription of 17,449 gene loci providing very deep coverage of the transcriptome. Performing a second sequencing run only increased the number of genes identified by 10%, but increased the overall sequence coverage by 50%. (2) Mapping of the ESTs to their predicted full-length transcripts indicated that all regions of the transcript were well represented regardless of transcript length or expression level. Furthermore, short, medium, and long transcripts were equally represented. (3) Over 16,000 of the ESTs that mapped to the genome were not represented in the existing dbEST database. In some cases, the ESTs provide the first experimental evidence for transcripts derived from predicted genes, and, for at least 60 locations in the genome, pyrosequencing identified likely protein-coding sequences that are not now annotated as genes. Together, the results indicate massively parallel pyrosequencing provides novel information helpful to improve the annotation of the Arabidopsis genome. Furthermore, the unbiased representation of transcripts will be particularly useful for gene discovery and gene expression analysis of nonmodel plants with less complete genomic information.
Human Security Workers Deployed in Austere Environments: A Brief Guide to Self-Care, Sustainment, and Productivity

Since the early 1990s, the human security movement has sought to expand the concept of security beyond the traditional military defense of national borders to focus on the intra-state security needs of populations at the individual level. Specific initiatives frequently address problems of population health, ethnic conflict, religious extremism, human rights, environmental or natural disasters, and other critical issues. For expatriate human security workers in the field, the environment may present meaningful challenges to their wellbeing and productivity. This can be especially so for those who have relatively more experience in academic, business, or administrative settings, and less in the field. The authors' goal is to illuminate practices that have demonstrated their efficacy in enhancing wellness, sustainment, and productivity for human security and other humanitarian and development workers deployed to austere environments. The content represents a synoptic consensus of best general practices and guidance from a range of resources comprising United Nations agencies and activities, national and international non-governmental organizations (NGO's), private volunteer organ­izations (PVO's), national military services, and international business concerns.
Dissected paleotopography and base-level changes in a Triassic fluvial sequence

At one stratigraphic level in Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, fluvial mudrocks of the Chinle Formation are truncated by areally extensive deep scours that are filled dominantly by pedogenically modified mudrocks. Color differences between paleosols, developed on scoured and scour-fill deposits, facilitate recognition of the dissected interval. The mudstone-filled scour system records a period of channel incision and widespread gullying caused by lowered base level. Although it is difficult to document subsidence rates in the Chinle basin, the tectonic setting suggests that the enormous scour system could be the result of fluctuations in regional thermal activity during Late Triassic time. Similar scour and fill should occur in other fluvial sequences; however, because they both truncate and are filled by mudrocks, identification can be difficult. Recognition of them is important because they are indicators of base-level fluctuations and thus are useful in unraveling the depositional history of a basin.
Intraosseous diazepam suppression of pentylenetetrazol-induced epileptogenic activity in pigs

Intravenous access for the administration of antiepileptic drugs can be both time-consuming and difficult in an actively seizing infant. We conducted a study to examine the intraosseous route as an alternate means of vascular access for the administration of diazepam in a pentylenetetrazol-seizure model in pigs. Epileptogenic activity was induced with pentylenetetrazol 100 mg/kg in 15 domestic swine that had undergone craniotomies for electrocortical recording. Diazepam (0.1 mg/kg) was administered IV (n = 5) or intraosseously (n = 5); control animals received no drug (n = 5). Epileptogenic activity was suppressed below control levels within one minute in the IV group and within two minutes in the intraosseous group. A two-way analysis of variance did not show a significant difference between the IV and intraosseous routes; however, both were significantly different when compared to the control. There also was no significant difference in plasma diazepam levels between the two groups at one, two, five, ten, 15, and 20 minutes. Our study demonstrated that the intraosseous route is a rapid and effective alternative for diazepam administration.
Exchange transfusion and hypernatremia: Possible role in intracranial hemorrhage in very-low-birth-weight infants

The association between neonatal intracranial hemorrhage and hypernatremia has been reported. 1 Transient hypernatremia has been noted in newborn infants following exchange transfusionY An increased incidence of intracran]al hemorrhage in association with exchange transfusion, however, has not been reported. The present communication suggests a relationship of intracranial hemorrhage, exchange transfusion, and hypernatremia. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty-two infants included in this retrospective study represented all.of the neonatal deaths over a 2~A-year period in our hospital.All were infants who survived eight or more hours, who had at least one serum sodium determination recorded, and on whom an autopsy was performed. Hypernatremia was defined as a sodium concentration of 150 mEq per liter or more. Exchange transfusion was performed with either packed ACD or CPD blood, less than five days old, reconstituted with freshly thawed plasma. Sodium bicarbonate was neither infused during the exchahge nor added to the donor blood. RESULTS The study population was divided into three groups: Group I, seven infants, had no intracranial hemorrhage; Group II, 19 infants, had germinal plate, subependymal, or intraventricular hemorrhage; and Group III, six infants, had subarachnoid, subdural, or cortical hemorrhage. The mean Apgar scores at five minutes for all groups were similar. The proportion of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (< 1,501 gm) was similar in Groups II and III, but significantly less in Group I (P < 0.025). All infants in Groups II and III required mechanical ventilation �9 for respiratory distress, except �9 for two infants in Group II. The frequencies of exchange transfusion in the three groups were significantly different (P < 0.025), since 11 of the 12 trans'fused infants were from Group II. Hypernatremia was documented in. 14 infants: 13 in Group II, one in Group I, and n0ne:'in Group III. These differences were highly significant (P < 0.005). The incidence of hypernatremia in the VLBW infants in contrast with that in larger infants was significantly greater (P < 0.05) (Table 1). Ten of the 13 VLBW infants in Group II had exchange transfusions. Six of these ten infants were normonatremic and four Werehypernatremic prior to exchange transfusion. Nine of the infants either remained hypernatremic or became hypernatremic after exchange transfusion. Only one of the five VLBW infants in Group II! had an exchange transfusion and that infant remained normonatremic.
Rethinking the Vanguard: Aesthetic and Political Positions in the Modernist Debate, 1917–1962

John W. Maerhofer, Rethinking the Vanguard: Aesthetic and Political Positions in the Modernist Debate, 1917–1962 (New Castle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009) How has political revolution figur...
Baum-Welch training for segment-based speech recognition

The use of segment-based features and segmentation networks in a segment-based speech recognizer complicates the probabilistic modeling because it alters the sample space of all possible segmentation paths and the feature observation space. This paper describes a novel Baum-Welch training algorithm for segment-based speech recognition which addresses these issues by an innovative use of finite-state transducers. This procedure has the desirable property of not requiring initial seed models that were needed by the Viterbi training procedure we have used previously. On the PhoneBook telephone-based corpus of read isolated words, the Baum-Welch training algorithm obtained a relative error reduction of 37 % on the training set and a relative error reduction of 5 % on the test set, compared to Viterbi trained models. When combined with a duration model, and more flexible segmentation network, the Baum-Welch trained models obtain an overall word error rate of 7.6 %, which is the best result we have seen published for the 8000 word task.
A Retrospective Comparison of Daptomycin Thrice-Weekly versus Q48H Dosing in Hemodialysis Patients with Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) or Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Bacteremia

Background. Multi-drug resistant bacteria are a growing concern in healthcare. Daptomycin is being used with increasing frequency in the treatment of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremias in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Thrice-weekly dosing of daptomycin in this population would allow for coordination of dosing with common outpatient HD schedules. The aim of this study is to determine if thrice-weekly dosing of daptomycin is equivalent to dosing every 48 hours in patients receiving chronic intermittent hemodialysis. Equivalence will be assessed with regard to microbiological cure, clinical cure, hospital length of stay, and mortality. Methods. All patients with positive blood cultures who received at least one dose of daptomycin between January 1st 2009 and December 31st 2010 at Indiana University Health Methodist and University Hospitals were identified. Adult patients with end-stage renal disease on a stable thrice-weekly hemodialysis regimen, confirmed VRE or MRSA bacteremia, and at least three doses of inpatient daptomycin therapy were enrolled in the study. Results. Twelve patients met criteria for inclusion in this study. Nine received daptomycin every 48 hours for the treatment of bacteremia, and three received daptomycin thrice-weekly after dialysis. There was no difference in time to clearance of blood cultures between the Q48H and thrice-weekly groups (2.11±2.15 days vs. 4.33±4.16 days; p=0.241).Length of hospital stay was not statistically significantly different between the two groups (22.8 days vs. 14.9 days; p=0.065).Conclusions. Thrice-weekly dosing of daptomycin may be effective for the treatment of bacteremia in hemodialysis patients.
Evaluation of a Large‐Scale Frozen Blood Program

The characteristics of previously frozen red blood cells, prepared in a large-scale frozen blood program using the Red Cross method were evaluated. The use of the method as originally described resulted in approximately 91 per cent freeze-thaw-wash recovery of red blood cells. When the glycerolization step was modified by adding the partially glycerolized erythrocytes into 300 ml of 6.2M glycerol, freeze-thaw-wash recoveries were decreased. However, gradient addition of glycerol to the red blood cells without the use of stylet, resulted in acceptable in vitro recoveries. Thawing frozen units in waterbath, to which no antiseptic was added, could introduce bacteria into units of previously frozen red blood cells. Therefore, it seems advisable to use dry heat thawing procedures. Previously frozen red blood cells prepared in the large scale maintained normal levels of ATP and 2,3 DPG. Therapeutic transfusions had acceptable 24-hour survival in vivo.
ASIAN OR HUMAN VALUES: A NEVER-ENDING DISPUTE

he debate as regards the universality of Human Rights is continuing in the dialogue between the East and the West and has scratched, somehow, the merit of relations between the world chief civilizations and their leaders. There are two schools of thought about this: those who cling to the positivist view of international law anticipate a ‘globalized’ dimension for the attributes of human dignity and those who foresee signs and reasons of distinction either by a culturalbiased world vision or by a communitarian view that puts the collective above the individual and his demands of self-reliability and autonomy. In this article the author follows a liberal assessment of the question and seeks to explain why Asian nations by adhering to the international covenants that depart from the United Nations Charter had lent their hand to construct, by themselves, a concurrent idiosyncrasy of rights and of the relationship between the State and the individual. The article looks in detail at the humanist tradition of Kantian-led Human Rights and to the collective-inspired Asian values and concludes that the disregard for that universality is basically biased and serves national and authoritarian purposes. Looking at the biggest power in Asia, China has given ammunition to this quarrel, raising the argument of interference whenever it is pressed by the U.S. or the E.U. about its low observance of the international standards in the area of Human Rights, but this isolated stand enters into contradiction with its long-esteemed ambitions to become a regional leader and to the sectorial dialogues China maintains with the E.U. and several of its member states.
Transistor-Level Synthesis for Low-Power Applications

An important factor which greatly affects the power consumption and the delay of a circuit is the input capacitance of its gates. High input capacitances increase the power consumption as well as the time for charging and discharging the inputs. Current approaches address this problem either through gate-level only resynthesis and optimization, or indirectly through transistor-level synthesis aimed for transistor count reduction. In this paper a method is presented to synthesize complex gates at the transistor level with explicit consideration of the switching activity profile for the gate. The method finds a power efficient implementation by giving priority to transistor inputs with higher switching activity, while keeping the overall number of required transistors low. Experimental results demonstrate the benefit of the approach
Effects of nicotine and caffeine, separately and in combination, on EEG topography, mood, heart rate, cortisol, and vigilance

Effects of nicotine and caffeine, separately and in combination, were assessed in 12 male habitual smokers in a repeated-measures design. Caffeine (0-mg vs. two 150-mg doses administered in a decaffeinated/sugar-free cola drink post-baseline and 90 min later) was crossed with nicotine (ad libitum own dosing vs. 1.0-mg machine-delivered dose vs. 0.05-mg machine-delivered dose). Participants smoked a total of five cigarettes at 30-min intervals over a 2-hr period. Caffeine and nicotine had large effect sizes on electroencephalogram (EEG) power; however, these effects were modulated by the eyes open versus closed condition, the other drug, and electrode site. EEG effects of open versus closed eyes tended to be of the same size and direction as those of nicotine and caffeine. However, whereas nicotine increased EEG power in some higher frequency bands in some conditions, caffeine decreased EEG power across almost all conditions. Serum cortisol concentration, vigor, and pleasantness were increased by nicotine, but not by caffeine. Level of depressive mood depended on an interaction of caffeine and nicotine. Vigilance performance was enhanced significantly by caffeine and was increased almost significantly by nicotine. The findings were interpreted in terms of common and differential mechanisms of the two drugs.
Magnetic study of basalts from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, lat 37°N

An intensive paleomagnetic and rock magnetic study has been carried out on the basalt samples from the FAMOUS area of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at lat 37 °N. In addition to the samples obtained by the submersible Alvin from the floor and walls of the central rift valley, dredge and rock-drill samples were taken on a line perpendicular to the axis of the ridge out to a distance of 30 km from the central valley. Although the rocks from the floor of the central valley were roughly uniformly magnetized, a strong decrease in remanence intensity occurred at the valley walls. This progressive decrease continued until the remanent intensity was reduced by a factor of 5 at a distance 10 km and farther from the ridge axis. The other magnetic parameters of weak-field susceptibility, median demagnetizing field, Q , and Curie temperature were also roughly constant in samples from the valley floor. However, the rise in Curie temperature, which began at the valley walls, was well correlated with the decrease in remanent intensity and Q , an increase in the median demagnetizing field, and a sharp increase and then slow decrease in susceptibility; this rise can be attributed to the low-temperature oxidation of titanomagnetite to titanomaghemite. Of the 9 vertically oriented samples that were obtained from the valley floor and inner west wall, seven were normally magnetized and two were reversely magnetized. The two reversely magnetized units from the valley floor and east wall may be from blocks of older, pre-Brunhes crust that have not yet moved out of the rift valley. Comparison of the magnetic results of the surface rocks with models of the associated magnetic anomalies suggests that the oceanic magnetic layer can be represented by a permeable zone of pillow basalts roughly one km thick and that the oxidation state of these pillows progressively increases with time.
Homogenous repair of singlet oxygen-induced DNA damage in differentially transcribed regions and strands of human mitochondrial DNA

Photoactivated methylene blue was used to damage purified DNA and the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of human fibroblasts in culture. The primary product of this reaction is the DNA lesion 7-hydro-8-oxo-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG). The DNA damage was quantitated using Escherichia coli formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (Fpg) in a gene-specific damage and repair assay. Assay conditions were refined to give incision at all enzyme-sensitive sites with minimal non-specific cutting. Cultured fibroblasts were exposed to photoactivated methylene blue under conditions that would produce an average of three oxidative lesions per double-stranded mitochondrial genome. Within 9 h, 47% of this damage had been removed by the cells. This removal was due to repair rather than to replication, cell loss or degradation of damaged genomes. The rate of repair was measured in both DNA strands of the frequently transcribed ribosomal region of the mitochondrial genome and in both strands of the non-ribosomal region. Fpg-sensitive alkali-resistant oxidative base damage was efficiently removed from human mtDNA with no differences in the rate of repair between strands or between two different regions of the genome that differ substantially with regard to transcriptional activity.
THE RATE AND PATTERN OF CLADOGENESIS IN MICROBES

Theories of macroevolution rarely have been extended to include microbes; however, because microbes represent the most ancient and diverse assemblage of organismal diversity, such oversight limits our understanding of evolutionary history. Our analysis of phylogenetic trees for microbes suggests that macroevolution may differ between prokaryotes and both micro- and macroeukaryotes (mainly plants and animals). Phylogenetic trees inferred for prokaryotes and some microbial eukaryotes conformed to expectations assuming a constant rate of cladogenesis over time and among lineages; nevertheless, microbial eukaryote trees exhibited more variation in rates of cladogenesis than prokaryote trees. We hypothesize that the contrast of macroevolutionary dynamics between prokaryotes and many eukaryotes is due, at least in part, to differences in the prevalence of lateral gene transfer (LGT) between the two groups. Inheritance is predominantly, if not wholly, vertical within eukaryotes, a feature that allows for the emergence and maintenance of heritable variation among lineages. By contrast, frequent LGT in prokaryotes may ameliorate heritable variation in rate of cladogenesis resulting from the emergence of key innovations; thus, the inferred difference in macroevolution might reflect exclusivity of key innovations in eukaryotes and their promiscuous nature in prokaryotes.
Fast physical optics calculation for SAR imaging of complex scatterers

The physical optics (PO) approximation is often used to the approximate the scattering from electrically large, perfectly conducting (PEC) objects. To quickly generate radar cross section data of a large range of aspect angles and frequencies, several methods are used to accelerate the PO calculation. There are: (1) multi-level Z-buffering for self-shadowing calculations, (2) Gordon's method for integration, (3) accelerated frequency sampling, and (4) Fourier interpolation of the RCS. The results show the utility of combining these methods, which typically have been applied individually.
Intersecting gender with race and religiosity: Do unique social categories explain attitudes toward homosexuality?:

Although attitudes toward homosexuality have been widely studied over the past 30 years, few studies have scrutinized the interaction effects between gender and race, and gender and religiosity, on attitudes toward homosexuality. This article analyzes US data from the fifth wave of the World Values Survey, collected in 2006 – a nationally representative sample of individuals residing in the United States. Contrary to previous research, no significant interaction is found between gender and race on attitudes toward homosexuality. This finding challenges conventional thinking on essentialized differences regarding racial groups and their attitudes toward homosexuality. The interaction between gender and religiosity, though, suggests that religiosity has a greater effect on women’s attitudes than men’s. Finally, the article shows that most of the difference in attitudes toward homosexuality between men and women is explained by differences in gender role beliefs.
An Electrotactile Display

An explorable electrotactile display has been constructed and tested. A thus far neglected sensation was identified and has been shown to be more useful than the more common electrotactile sensations. Exploration of the surface of the electrotactile display elicits a sensation describable as texture. Experiments have indicated that the intensity of this texture sensation is due primarily to the peak applied voltage rather than to current density as is the case for the classical electrotactile sensation. For subjects employing the texture sensation, experimental results are given for approximate thresholds and for the effect of electrode area on these thresholds. A boundary-localization measurement is offered as a measure of the usefulness of the display for textured-area presentation, and form-separation measurements are given as a measure of usefulness for line-drawing presentations. A proposed model for the mechanism producing the texture sensation is offered as a guide for future experimentation and display-engineering development.
High speed inverse model implementation for real-time control of ferroelectric and ferromagnetic transducers operating in nonlinear and hysteretic regimes

Ferroelectric (e.g., PZT), ferromagnetic, and ferroelastic (e.g., shape memory alloy) materials exhibit varying degrees of hysteresis and constitutive nonlinearities at all drive levels due to their inherent domain structure. At low drive levels, these nonlinear effects can be mitigated through feedback mechanisms or certain amplifier architectures (e.g., charge or current control for PZT) so that linear models and control designs provide sufficient accuracy. However, at the moderate to high drive levels where actuators and sensors utilizing these compounds often prove advantageous, hysteresis and constitutive nonlinearities must be incorporated into models and control designs to achieve high accuracy, high speed control specifications. In this paper, we employ a homogenized energy framework to characterize hysteresis in this combined class of ferroic compounds. We then use this framework to construct highly efficient inverse models that can be used to approximately linearize actuator dynamics for subsequent linear control design. For applications such as high speed tracking (e.g., kHz rates) or broadband vibration attenuation, the efficiency of the inverse construction proves crucial for realtime control implementation. We demonstrate aspects of the inverse model implementation in the context of rod models used to characterize PZT and magnetic actuators presently employed in applications ranging from nanopositioning to high speed milling of automotive components.
Exchange rate co-ordination for surmounting the East Asian currency crises

Keynote Speech, 6th Convention of the East Asian Economic Association 4-5 September 1998, Kitakyushu, Japan(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
Cardiac manifestations of cutaneous disorders

A number of cutaneous disorders encountered by the dermatologist have overlapping cardiac pathology. In recent years, many genetic linkages common to pathological processes in the cutaneous and cardiovascular systems have been identified. This review will describe primary cutaneous disorders with potential cardiac manifestations, including congenital syndromes, inherited cutaneous disorders associated with later cardiovascular disease, and syndromes associated with early cardiovascular pathology. The dermatologist may be the first to diagnose cutaneous findings associated with underlying cardiovascular disease; therefore, it is of prime importance for the dermatologist to be aware of these associations and to direct the appropriate workup.
MSCs: The Sentinel and Safe-Guards of Injury

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were originally named because they could differentiate in a variety of mesenchymal phenotypes in culture. Evidence indicates that MSCs arise from perivascular cells, pericytes, when the blood vessels are broken or inflamed. These pericyte/MSCs are situated on every blood vessel in the body. The MSCs sense the micro-environment of the injury site and secrete site-specific factors that serve several important reparative functions: first, a curtain of molecules from the front of the MSCs provide a barrier from the interrogation of the over-aggressive immune system. Second, from the back of the MSCs, a different set of bioactive agents inhibit scar formation and establish a regenerative micro-environment. Third, if bacteria are sensed by the MSCs, they produce powerful protein antibiotics that kill the bacteria on contact. Last, the MSCs surround and encyst intruding solid objects like a piece of wood (a "splinter") or other foreign objects. The MSCs act as a combination paramedic and emergency room (ER) staff to survey the damage, isolate foreign components, stabilize the injured tissues, provide antibiotics and encysting protection before a slower, medicinal sequence can be initiated to regenerate the damaged tissue. The MSCs, thus, act as sentinels to safeguard the individual from intrusion and chronic injury. A societal treatment system has evolved, paramedics and ER procedures, which mirror in a macro-sense what MSCs orchestrate in a micro-sense. Key to this new understanding is that MSCs are not "stem cells," but rather as Medicinal Signaling Cells as the therapeutic agents.
The Interstices of Copyright Law and Contract Law II: Finding the Terms of an Implied Nonexclusive License in the Absence of Joint Authorship

In a 1999 article, I explored the problem that arises when one party -- whom I called the hiring party -- commissions a work from another party -- whom I called the hired party. The hired party is generally found to be the sole author of the work. The question then becomes: If the hired party is the copyright owner, what rights does the hiring party have to use the work? The article argued that in the absence of a written agreement addressing the issue, under contract law principles, the hired party as copyright owner has granted the hiring party an implied nonexclusive license to use the work. The scope of that license can be deduced from the facts and circumstances using principles of contract law. The article suggested that courts apply a use test, under which the hiring party will be granted an implied nonexclusive license when the facts and circumstances indicate that the hiring party intended to use the work. The scope of that license is limited to the use reasonably contemplated. This article explores a similar problem that arises when one party -- whom we will call the secondary party -- contributes to the work of another party -- whom we will call the primary party -- and claims that a joint work has been created. In the problematic cases, the contribution of the secondary party is likely made temporally after the primary party has largely completed the work, and spatially usually consists of a small part of the completed work. This article argues that principles of contract law should be used to determine whether the work is a joint work. If the work is determined not to be a joint work, and the primary party has incorporated into the work material in which the secondary party is entitled to copyright protection, this article argues that the situation is analogous to the relationship between the hiring party and the hired party under a failed work for hire agreement. The secondary party has granted the primary party an implied nonexclusive license to use the work and principles of contract law will again be used to determine the scope of that license.
Using U-Pace instruction to improve the academic performance of economically disadvantaged undergraduates

This study was undertaken to evaluate whether the student success associated with the U-Pace instructional approach, which integrates mastery-based learning with proactive instructor support in an online learning environment, would replicate for both economically disadvantaged students and students who are not economically disadvantaged. Undergraduates were enrolled in U-Pace intervention or comparison sections of a gateway course at two universities with different learning management systems. Course content was held constant. At both universities, intervention students earned a significantly greater percentage of objectively determined final grades of A or B. This academic success was found for both economically disadvantaged intervention students and intervention students who were not economically disadvantaged. Improvement from the beginning to the end of the semester in intervention students' rate of mastering concepts was found at University 1, but not at University 2. The assessment of learning conducted at University 1, independent of final course grades, showed that intervention students scored significantly higher on the proctored cumulative exam than comparison students. Findings suggest that the U-Pace instructional intervention holds promise for increasing the success of undergraduates regardless of economic status.
The Spiral Staircase: A Narrative Approach to Pastoral Conversation.

The following is a patient-centered pastoral conversation paradigm to be used by chaplains, pastors, or any other spiritual care provider, in engaging in healing conversation with patients, clients...
Reconstruction of Normal Surface Velocities of a Simply-Supported Baffled Plate Using Helmholtz Equation Least Square Method

The normal surface velocities of highly a non-spherical object are reconstructed based on the measurement of field acoustic pressures using Helmholtz equation least-squares (HELS) method. The objectives of this study are to numerically examine the feasibility and accuracy of reconstruction and the impacts of various parameters involved in reconstruction of vibro-acoustic responses using HELS. The vibrating object is a simply-supported and baffled thin plate. The reasons for selecting this object are that plate is the most challenging source geometry for HELS method, and it represents a class of structures that cannot be exactly described by the spherical Hankel functions and spherical harmonics, which are primarily embedded in the HELS formulation, yet the analytic solutions to vibro-acoustic responses of a baffled plate are readily available so the accuracy of reconstruction can be checked in detail. The Rayleigh integral is used to generate the input field acoustic pressures for reconstruction. The Euler’s equation is employed to establish the system model of reconstruction of vector velocities. Regularization associated with the truncated singular value decomposition is utilized to compromise the resultant accuracy and stability of the vector velocity reconstruction. The reconstructed normal surface velocities are validated against the benchmark values, and the out-of-plane vibration patterns at several natural frequencies are compared with the natural modes of a simply-supported plate. The impacts of various parameters such as the measurement points, measurement distance, the location of origin of coordinate system, microphone spacing, and ratio of measurement aperture size to the area of source surface of reconstruction on the resultant accuracy of reconstruction are examined.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Novel surgical therapies for epilepsy.

BACKGROUND D espite advances in antiepileptic drug (AED) development, only 50 to 70% of epileptic patients are controlled with pharmacotherapy. With a point prevalence of 0.5 to 1.0% of the United States population afflicted with epilepsy, there are estimated to be hundreds of thousands of epileptics who are not seizure free on medical therapy. At least one-third of these patients are likely candidates for epilepsy surgery. 4 However, as shown in Figure 17.1, there is great variability in the percentage of patients rendered seizure free for different surgical pathologies and procedures. A clinical need exists for novel epilepsy treatments. Table 17.1 outlines novel surgical therapies for epilepsy that are under investigation now or may be available in the near future. Complete discussion of all of these is beyond the scope of this presentation. The therapies marked with an asterisk will be highlighted.
A Study of College Students′Personality Education

College students are the successors of socialist construction with Chinese characteristics.However,at present,the personality development of college students in China is far from being satisfactory.The imbalance education of more attention on intelligence and less attention on personality should be corrected as soon as possible.Based on the above situation,this article analyzes the present situation of college students,and discusses the ways on how to improve the personality education of college students.
Ultrasound diagnosis and prognosis study of fetal simple hydronephrosis during second trimester pregnancy

Objective To explore the relationship between the degree of simple hydronephrosis during second trimester and its prognosis. Methods Eighty -eight fetuses with simple hydronephrosis confirmed by ultrasonography were examined, the results were compared with those of the third trimester, postnatal outcome or pathologic findings. Results One hundred and forty—four renal pelvis dilation were found in 88 fetuses in second trimester, the distance was (4. 21±2. 66) mm, and 74 renal pelvis dilation were found in third trimester, the distance was (3. 68±4. 50) mm, there was no significant difference between the second trimester and third trimester (P0.05). 91.2% (124/136) of renal pelvis dilation less than 10 mm in the second trimester bacame normal, and 2/8 of renal pelvis dilation more than 10 mm became normal (P0. 01 ). Conclusion Most simple hydronephrosis in second trimester is transient, most patients with mild peviectasis can return to normal without any intervention, and simple hydronephrosis in fetus needs ultrasonic observation and follow-up.
Spectroelectrochemical Signatures of Capacitive Charging and Ion Insertion in Doped Anatase Titania Nanocrystals.

Solution-processed films of colloidal aliovalent niobium-doped anatase TiO2 nanocrystals exhibit modulation of optical transmittance in two spectral regions—near-infrared (NIR) and visible light—as they undergo progressive and reversible charging in an electrochemical cell. The Nb-TiO2 nanocrystal film supports a localized surface plasmon resonance in the NIR, which can be dynamically modulated via capacitive charging. When the nanocrystals are charged by insertion of lithium ions, inducing a well-known structural phase transition of the anatase lattice, strong modulation of visible transmittance is observed. Based on X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy, the conduction electrons localize only upon lithium ion insertion, thus rationalizing the two modes of optical switching observed in a single material. These multimodal electrochromic properties show promise for application in dynamic optical filters or smart windows.
An Schwartz-Neumann Alternating Method for the Elastic-Plastic Analysis of Elliptical Cracks in 3D Body

Elliptical cracks are very important in the assessment of residual strength of structures, because an actual flaw in the structural component can be modelled as an ellipse or a part of an ellipse. After Vijayakumar and Atluri[1] derived a general solution procedure for an embedded elliptical crack subject to arbitrary crack surface load in an infinite solid, the Schwartz-Neumann Alternating Method[3] became a very efficient and accurate method in the analysis of elliptical cracks. The Finite Element Alternating Method(FEAM)[2] uses the FEM to solve the uncracked body subject to the external loading. It uses the analytical solution to solve the elliptical crack in the finite body, subject to the crack surface loading. Since the crack is not modelled explicitly, it is not necessary to refine the mesh at the crack front. Thus, the FEM model involved is much simpler than those modelling the crack explicitly. Consequently, FEAM is much more efficient than the traditional FEM in solving the fracture mechanics problems. Further more, it is much easier to generate a mesh without any refinement at the crack front. Recently, Nikishkov and Atluri[4] developed the alternating method for the elastic-plastic analysis of cracks. We present here the elastic-plastic analysis of elliptical cracks.
Exposure to Sexual Economics Theory Promotes a Hostile View of Heterosexual Relationships

Proponents of sexual economics theory argue that women exchange sex for men’s resources. This idea is likely to promote a competitive view of gender relationships that undermines gender equality by characterizing women as manipulative and financially dependent on men. Heterosexual college students (N = 474) who were randomly exposed to a popular YouTube video describing sexual economics theory increased their (1) behavioral support for sexual exchange concepts, (2) endorsement of the theory, and (3) adversarial views of heterosexual relationships, compared with a control group of students. Sexual exchange theory endorsement and adversarial heterosexual beliefs positively covaried, and both attitudes were related to participants’ sexism. Reading a critique of sexual exchange theory, that emphasized mutual respect and affection as precursors to heterosexual intimacy, counteracted the consequences of exposure to the theory. The findings provide evidence that disseminating sexual exchange theory via video on ...
The Development of the Eurasian Livestock and Grain Economies

The major agricultural countries of Eurasia (Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan) have become increasingly important for world agriculture, mainly as a large grain-exporting region. However, Russia is also a large agricultural and food importer, especially of livestock products. The rise in grain exports marks a reversal of the region’s status during the Soviet period as a major grain importer. This chapter examines the development of the Eurasian livestock and grain sectors since these countries began their transition from planned to market economies, and also provides an outlook. The key element in the relationship between the two sectors is livestock producers’ demand for animal feed, which reduces the grain surpluses available for export. The major changes in the region’s agricultural trade since the Soviet period appear to be consistent with its underlying cost-competitiveness, or comparative advantage, vis-a-vis world agricultural markets.
Scientists learn to use the “L” word

In may the US Senate voted by an overwhelming 85 to 14 to amend its budget plan to restore the biomedical research funding that had just been slashed by the House of Representatives. Why should the Senate have responded so differently from the House? Perhaps it was just the increased concern with health that comes with advancing years; on average, senators are seven years older than their House colleagues, and 93% of them have a Y chromosome. Every inflamed prostate gland is, I would guess, a vote for health research.
The E-Textiles Bracelet Hack: Bringing Making to Middle School Classrooms

In this paper, we present an electronic textiles project called the "bracelet hack" that is intended to facilitate the introduction of making activities into classrooms. The project's design significantly decreases the costs and amount of classroom time that must be spent on the construction aspects of the project while still engaging students in design challenges. To test our hypothesis that the bracelet hack would allow just as much introduction to coding as more complicated, sewn LilyPad Arduino projects, we introduced the bracelet hack in the context of a professional development workshop for middle school science teachers. We analyzed teachers' audio recorded interactions while completing the bracelet hack and found that teachers were able to learn computational concepts, practices, and perspectives through the activity.
Using simulation to illuminate process improvement opportunities in a U.S. naval aircraft overhaul facility

AbstractFleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRC SW) is the largest aerospace industrial complex in the U.S. Navy. The FRC SW conducts maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities on five major airframes with many of them being more than 20 years old. With demand for the aircraft in the field high, management at FRC SW were under enormous pressure to shorten the turn-around times of aircraft – the time between an aircraft being inducted for overhaul and the time it was returned to the warfighter for use in active military operations. Leadership at FRC SW requested the development of a simulation model that would incorporate all the important aspects of the complex and variable operating environment of their MRO facility and lend insight into how various factors and changes could affect the throughput time of aircraft across the facility. This research describes how the development and use of a simulation model uncovered several significant opportunities for management at FRC SW to increase turn-around t...
Non-adherence to eye care in people with diabetes.

Objective Evaluate individual factors that impact adherence to eye care follow-up in patients with diabetes. Design and methods A 4-year retrospective chart review was conducted for 1968 patients with diabetes over age 40 from an urban academic center. Data collected included demographics, insurance, visual acuity, smoking status, medications, dates of dilated fundus examinations (DFE), and reported hemoglobin A1C and blood glucose levels. The primary outcome was timely DFE follow-up adherence following the initial eye exam visit. Results Overall, 41.6% of patients adhered to initial follow-up eye care recommendations. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that patients with severe diabetic retinopathy (DR) were more adherent than patients with mild DR (OR 1.86). Other variables associated with increased adherence were visual impairment and reported A1C or blood glucose. Smoking was associated with decreased adherence. Ethnicity and insurance were also significantly associated with adherence. Longitudinal follow-up rates were influenced by additional factors, including ethnicity and neighborhood deprivation index. Conclusions Patients with moderate to severe DR and/or visual impairment were more likely to adhere to timely DFE follow-up. This could relate to the presence of visual symptoms and/or other systemic manifestations of diabetes. Smokers were less likely to adhere to timely DFE follow-up. One hypothesis is patients who smoke have other symptomatic health problems which patients prioritize over asymptomatic ocular disorders. In order to reduce vision loss from DR, practitioners should be aware that patients with mild and moderate DR, patients with normal vision, and smokers are at greater risk for poor follow-up eye care adherence.
Understanding Muslim Terrorism, Islamic State Terrorism and the Rise of Muslim Gangs

This chapter presents a shift in the understating of terrorism threats from a criminological paradigm to a sociological one, introducing the public health and public resilience approach within a terrorism and security discourse, particularly focusing on the practices of mobbing, bossing, straining and bullying used as terrorism strategies and tactics.
Economic and environmental performance of dryland wheat-based farming systems in a 1.5 °C world

In 2015, the United Nations challenged the scientific community to evaluate development pathways consistent with the goal of limiting global average temperature increase to 1.5 °C. This study reports analysis that was carried out as part of a project responding to that challenge. Using recently developed methods for regional integrated assessment of agricultural systems, this study evaluates the economic and environmental performance of dryland farming systems in the United States of America (U.S). Pacific Northwest, a major wheat (Triticum aestivum) production region, under greenhouse gas mitigation and policy scenarios consistent with the 1.5 °C goal. A novel feature of this study is to combine bio-physical and economic models with site-specific life cycle analysis to evaluate both the economic performance of current and possible alternative farming systems. The analysis shows that these farming systems could be adapted through changes in management to reduce soil emissions of greenhouse gases and incorporation of new biofuel crops, and could be affected by changes in prices and costs of production associated with greenhouse gas mitigation policies. These changes could result in a win-win outcome for those farms in the Pacific Northwest region where site-specific conditions are suited to these adaptations, providing both higher farm incomes and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions reductions. A key implication for mitigation and adaptation strategies is the need to coordinate climate policy design and development of technologies needed to achieve policy goals.