cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brain Tumor and Epilepsy

A 30-year-old patient had a 3- to 4-year history of recurrent focal seizures. He was diagnosed with localization-related epilepsy manifested as recurrent focal seizures associated with a sudden behavioral arrest, vacant stare, and right upper extremity dystonic posturing. The duration was brief and was associated with postictal amnesia and word-finding difficulties. Rare nocturnal generalized tonic-clonic seizures also occurred. His neurological examination was unremarkable except for the mental status testing that demonstrated abnormal short-term memory. Routine EEG shows bitemporal epileptiform discharges which were most prevalent on the left during sleep. A CT of the brain was normal. The patient’s seizures were refractory to phenytoin, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, and levetiracetam. MRI brain showed a focal lesion in the left medial temporal lobe (Fig. 12.1). The appearance suggested a primary brain tumor.
Research Note: Regional Dynamics of Tibetan Population Change in Eastern Tibet, ca. 1940–1982

A fertility survey was conducted in the Kandze Tibetan autonomous prefecture of western Sichuan as part of Chinas 1982 census. The female sample population numbered 45212 and included 29779 agrarian women and 15433 pastoral women aged 15-64. Findings indicated that regional structure had a significant impact on premodern Tibetan fertility. The impact of the regional structure on premodern Tibetan fertility varied according to the location of agrarian and pastoral resources. Data showed that farmers had higher average fertility than herders with farmers averaging 4.6 children each and herders averaging 3.4; however a larger percentage of the children of herders survived. Higher rates of spontaneous abortions secondary to frequent riding or depressed male sperm counts are possible explanations for lower fertility among herders. The 1982 fertility survey of the Kandze prefecture offers important insights into the regional dynamics of population change.
Ultra-sensitive CO 2 fiber-optic sensors enhanced by metal-organic framework film

We demonstrated an ultra-sensitive near-infrared (NIR) absorption CO 2 fiber-optic sensor at 1.57μm wavelength enhanced by metal-organic framework. We achieved 20 ppm detection limit with only 5cm length with 500× NIR enhancement from the MOF film.
Performance analysis of constraint solvers for coverage directed test generation

Constraint random testing (CRT) is the most common verification technique used nowadays. Coverage driven constraint random test generation (CDTG) is a methodology based on CRT. In this methodology, constraints which give maximum coverage are used to randomly generate input stimuli for testing. The efficiency of CDTG depends on the technique used to generate the automated feedback path and on the constraint solver used. In this paper, a comparative study is conducted to measure the effectiveness of VCS2009.06 against other commercially available constraint solvers. Our results are obtained by solving N Queens problem and car sequencing problem using the different solvers.
An analysis of a digital variant of the Trail Making Test using machine learning techniques.

BACKGROUND The goal of this work is to develop a digital version of a standard cognitive assessment, the Trail Making Test (TMT), and assess its utility. OBJECTIVE This paper introduces a novel digital version of the TMT and introduces a machine learning based approach to assess its capabilities. METHODS Using digital Trail Making Test (dTMT) data collected from (N = 54) older adult participants as feature sets, we use machine learning techniques to analyze the utility of the dTMT and evaluate the insights provided by the digital features. RESULTS Predicted TMT scores correlate well with clinical digital test scores (r = 0.98) and paper time to completion scores (r = 0.65). Predicted TICS exhibited a small correlation with clinically derived TICS scores (r = 0.12 Part A, r = 0.10 Part B). Predicted FAB scores exhibited a small correlation with clinically derived FAB scores (r = 0.13 Part A, r = 0.29 for Part B). Digitally derived features were also used to predict diagnosis (AUC of 0.65). CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that the dTMT is capable of measuring the same aspects of cognition as the paper-based TMT. Furthermore, the dTMT's additional data may be able to help monitor other cognitive processes not captured by the paper-based TMT alone.
Regenerative Medicine and the Biliary Tree

Despite decades of basic research, biliary diseases remain prevalent, highly morbid, and notoriously difficult to treat. We have, however, dramatically increased our understanding of biliary developmental biology, cholangiocyte pathophysiology, and the endogenous mechanisms of biliary regeneration and repair. All of this complex and rapidly evolving knowledge coincides with an explosion of new technological advances in the area of regenerative medicine. New breakthroughs such as induced pluripotent stem cells and organoid culture are increasingly being applied to the biliary system; it is only a matter of time until new regenerative therapeutics for the cholangiopathies are unveiled. In this review, the authors integrate what is known about biliary development, regeneration, and repair, and link these conceptual advances to the technological breakthroughs that are collectively driving the emergence of a new global field in biliary regenerative medicine.
Technology Transfer: From the Research Bench to Commercialization: Part 1: Intellectual Property Rights—Basics of Patents and Copyrights

Summary Progress in medicine hinges on the successful translation of basic science discoveries into new medical devices, diagnostics, and therapeutics. “Technology transfer” is the process by which new innovations flow from the basic research bench to commercial entities and then to public use. In academic institutions, intellectual property rights do not usually fall automatically to the individual inventor per se, but most often are the property of the institution. Technology transfer offices are tasked with seeing to it that such intellectual property rights are properly managed and commercialized. This 2-part series explores the technology transfer process from invention to commercialization. Part 1 reviews basic aspects of intellectual property rights, primarily patents and copyrights. Part 2 will discuss the ways in which inventions become commercialized through startup companies and licensing arrangements with industry players.
Rehabilitation Traumatology: A Narrative Review

Abstract Rehabilitation traumatology has developed within the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation as a specialized area of knowledge in which the physiatrist works with the traumatology team to enhance the functional outcome of trauma patients. Based on the definition of traumatology in the American Heritage Dictionary, the authors propose rehabilitation traumatology be "the branch of medicine that deals with the treatment of serious wounds, injuries, and disabilities," "to restore [the patient] to good health or useful life." This article reviews the history of traumatology, special considerations of the traumatology patient through the continuum of care, and concepts toward the creation of a rehabilitation traumatology program. Level of Evidence V
Mechanical Properties of Nanolaminates Based on Graphene Nanoplatelets

Abstract Graphene-based nanocomposites assume different architectures depending on manufacturing process, e.g., paper-like structures received great success for supercapacitor application due to their outstanding electrical and thermal conductivity. Recently, a nacre-like architecture, named nanolaminate, attracted the attention of scientists since it should be considered as bulk material. There are several micromechanics models for the prediction of the elastic properties of nanocomposite materials, based on the geometry, orientation of the filler, elastic properties of the filler and matrix. The stiff constituent phases (graphene platelet) in the structural materials bonded together by the soft constituent phases result in the so-called brick-and-mortar (B-and-M) structure. The effect of filler properties will be discussed by considering the analytical and numerical procedures available in literature for bidimensional filler composites. Several critical physical mechanisms may affect the reinforcing effects, including the agglomeration, stacking up, and rolling up of graphene sheets.
Resonant electronic Raman scattering of below-gap states in molecular-beam epitaxy grown and liquid-encapsulated Czochralski grown GaAs

Resonant electronic Raman (ER) scattering is used to compare the below-gap excitations in molecular-beam epitaxially grown GaAs and in undoped semi-insulating GaAs substrates. The measurement geometry was designed to eliminate common measurement artifacts caused by the high optical transmission below the fundamental absorption edge. In epitaxial GaAs, ER is a clear Raman signal from the two-electron transitions of donors, eliminating an ambiguity encountered in previous results. In semi-insulating GaAs, ER occurs in a much broader dispersive band well below the bound exciton energies. The difference in the two materials may be due to the occupation of the substrate acceptor states in the presence of the midgap state EL2.
Social Complexity I: Origins and Measurement

Social complexity is a fundamental concept in Computational Social Science (CSS), based on Simon’s theory of artifacts and the complex adaptive systems paradigm. This is the first of three chapters on social complexity. The emphasis in this chapter is primarily on descriptive aspects. After providing some initial working definitions of social complexity—which are further developed in the next two chapters—the chapter examines empirical, descriptive aspects of where, when, and how social complexity originated in the “cradles of civilization.” This material on descriptive origins of social complexity is critical for a factual understanding of social complexity as a global, cross-cultural phenomenon. Important conceptual aspects of social complexity also include a closer examination of bounded rationality and near-decomposability, ideas central to CSS theory and research. The social complexity that exists today originated thousands of years ago at specific locations under specific circumstances, not in some arbitrary way. How do we know this from a scientific perspective? This chapter addresses this question by examining current methods for measuring social complexity, including the use of multiple lines of evidence and quantitative scales of complexity and related phenomena.
Public Information Activities: Evaluation with Variable Coefficient Models

Public agencies inform and educate consumers and producers about products and production techniques, their respective uses, and costs. Proposals to expand these activities are common. For, when heads of firms and households are imperfectly informed or cannot evaluate technical information about products or production processes, they may make economically inefficient choices and experience profit or welfare losses. The rationale for public information and certain education activities is that such losses may be reduced, perhaps by enough to exceed the costs associated with these activities.
Comparing Many Mean Values

One-way analysis of variance generalizes two-sample comparison of means (as developed in Basic Business Statistics). Rather than be limited to two groups, a one-way analysis of variance (anova) allows the comparison of several groups, identifying which group (if any) has the highest or lowest mean value.
The influence of temperature on red cell deformability.

This study was undertaken to examine the influence of temperature on physical properties of red cell membranes. Red cells adhering to cover slips were subjected to fluid shear stress in a rotating disc apparatus for 1 min or for 10 min at temperatures ranging from 2 degrees to 50 degress C. They were fixed while subject to shear stress by addition of glutaraldehyde and then processed for examination and photography by reflected-light microscopy. Cell dimensions were obtained with a computerized planimeter. At shear stresses under 2 dynes/sq cm, cells changed shape from biconcave discs to tear drops, the dimensions of which were influenced very little by temperature or duration of shear stress. Above 2 dynes/sq cm, filamentous processes or “tethers” developed at attachment points of cells to cover slips. Tether length and the percentage of cells possessing tethers increased markedly with increasing temperature and duration of shear stress. At approximately 48 degrees C, a dramatic change occurred over a narrow temperature range such that cells were markedly elongated and irregularly deformed by a shear stress of 1 dyne/sq cm or less. These observations demonstrate that elongation of human red cells subjected to fluid shear stress in a rotating disc system is markedly influenced by temperature as well as by magnitude and duration of shear stress. They also indicate that significant increases in red cell membrane fluidity occur between 2 degrees and 24 degrees-37 degrees C and again between 48 degrees and 50 degrees C.
Network Structure During Encoding Predicts Working Memory Performance

Working memory operates through networks that integrate distributed modular brain activity. We characterize the structure of networks in different electroencephalographic frequency bands while individuals perform a working memory task. The objective was to identify network properties that support working memory function during the encoding, maintenance, and retrieval of memory. In each EEG frequency band, we estimated a complex-valued Gaussian graphical model to characterize the structure of brain networks using measures from graph theory. Critically, the structural characteristics of brain networks that facilitate performance are all established during encoding, suggesting that they reflect the effect of attention on the quality of the representation in working memory. Segregation of networks in the alpha and beta bands during encoding increased with accuracy. In the theta band, greater integration of functional clusters involving the temporal lobe with other cortical areas predicted faster response time, starting in the encoding interval and persisting throughout the task, indicating that functional clustering facilitates rapid memory manipulation.
Contribution of the BioFire® FilmArray® Meningitis/Encephalitis Panel: Assessing Antimicrobial Duration and Length of Stay

Introduction. Traditional evaluation of meningitis includes cerebrospinalfluid (CSF) culture and gram stain to pinpoint specific causalorganisms. The BioFire® FilmArray® Meningitis/Encephalitis (ME)Panel has been implemented as a more timely evaluation method.This study sought to assess if the BioFire® ME Panel was associatedwith a decreased length of stay or decreased antimicrobial durationwhen used in the diagnosis of meningitis or encephalitis.Methods.xA case, historical-control, chart review was performed onpatients admitted to a regional medical center with CSF pleocytosisduring Cohort 1 (the year prior to BioFire® ME Panel implementation)and Cohort 2 (the year after BioFire® ME Panel implementation).Length of hospital stay, duration of antimicrobials, and BioFire® MEPanel result were gathered and analyzed.Results. Average length of stay for both cohorts was about fourhospital days. Approximately three-fourths of all patients receivedantibiotic/antiviral treatment with an average of three days duration.No significant differences were observed between groups. The mean(median) duration of antimicrobials in the year prior to and afterthe BioFire® ME Panel implementation was 3.6 (3) and 3.1 (2) days,respectively (p = 0.835). The mean (median) length of stay in the yearprior to and after the BioFire® ME Panel implementation was 5.8 (4)and 5.4 (4) days, respectively (p = 0.941). Among the patients admittedafter the implementation of the BioFire® ME Panel, 4.3 % (n =2) had a positive bacterial result, 38.3% (n = 18) had a positive viralresult, and 57.4% (n = 27) had a negative result. Of the 27 negativeresults, 77.8% (n = 21) were treated with antimicrobial medication.Conclusions. This study suggested there is no difference betweenlength of stay or antimicrobial duration in presumed meningitis casesassessed with traditional methods as compared to the BioFire® MEPanel. Kans J Med 2019;12(1):1-3.
Applying MCDA to weight indicators of seaport vulnerability to climate and extreme weather impacts for U.S. North Atlantic ports

This paper describes a case study applying multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to weight indicators for assessing the exposure and sensitivity of seaports to climate and extreme weather impacts. Researchers employed the analytic hierarchy method (AHP) of MCDA to generate weights for a subset of expert-selected indicators of seaport exposure and sensitivity to climate and extreme weather. The indicators were selected from the results of a survey of port-experts who ranked candidate indicators by magnitude of perceived correlation with the three components of vulnerability; exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. As those port-expert respondents found significantly stronger correlation between candidate indicators and the exposure and sensitivity of a port than with a port’s adaptive capacity, this AHP exercise did not include indicators of adaptive capacity. The weighted indicators were aggregated to generate composite indices of seaport exposure and sensitivity to climate and extreme weather for 22 major ports in the North East United States. Rank order generated by AHP-weighted aggregation was compared to a subjective expert-ranking of ports by expert-perceived vulnerability to climate and extreme weather. For the sample of 22 ports, the AHP-generated ranking matched three of the top four most vulnerable ports as assessed subjectively by port-experts. These results suggest that a composite index based on open data weighted via MCDA may eventually prove useful as a data-driven tool for identifying outliers in terms of relative seaport vulnerabilities, however, improvements in the standardized reporting and sharing of port data will be required before such an indicator-based assessment method can prove decision-relevant.
Accounting for the Distribution of Benefits and Costs in Benefit–Cost Analysis

Benefit–cost analysis (BCA) is often viewed as measuring the efficiency of a policy independent of the distribution of its consequences. The role of distributional effects on policy choice is disputed; either: (a) the policy that maximizes net benefits should be selected and distributional concerns should be addressed through other measures, such as tax and transfer programs or (b) BCA should be supplemented with distributional analysis and decision-makers should weigh efficiency and distribution in policy choice. The separation of efficiency and distribution is misleading. The measure of efficiency depends on the numeraire chosen for the analysis, whether monetary values or some other good (unless individuals have the same rates of substitution between them). The choice of numeraire is not neutral; it can affect the ranking of policies by calculated net benefits. Alternative evaluation methods, such as BCA using a different numeraire, weighted BCA, or a social welfare function (SWF), may better integrate concerns about distribution and efficiency. The most appropriate numeraire, distributional weights, or SWFs cannot be measured or statistically estimated; it is a normative choice.
Improving predictions of transitional and separated flows using RANS modeling

Abstract In this paper, new concepts are presented from the aspects of viscous modeling and numerical scheme in an attempt to improve the prediction of rotor hover performance and associated viscous flow physics under a RANS statistic modeling framework. An improved viscous modeling is proposed to address the overprediction of flow separations faced by RANS modeling, which modifies the linear eddy viscosity models based on a new separation correction method. This concept is seamlessly implemented into two popular eddy viscosity models: the Spalart-Allmaras one-equation model and Menter's shear stress transport two-equation model. A new high order unstructured grid WENO scheme is adopted to improve the prediction of mean flow resolutions as well as viscous flow structures around the hovering rotor. Numerical results show significant improvements achieved in the prediction of rotor hover performance as well as viscous flow phenomena including boundary layer transitions and flow separations.
The effects of prolonged exposure to hypoxia and Florida red tide (Karenia brevis) on the survival and activity of stone crabs.

Abstract Florida red tides are harmful algae blooms caused by the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, which occur along Florida's gulf coast almost annually. In recent years Florida red tide blooms have become more common, frequent, and intense. Florida's southwest coast, from Manatee to Collier County, has experienced repeated and prolonged K. brevis blooms since 2011 with the most recent bloom in 2017 lasting 17 months and resulting in both hypoxic and anoxic events. We therefore determined the survival and level of lethargy (e.g., lack of responsiveness or reduction in behavioral reactions) of sublegal stone crabs to K. brevis and hypoxia as both singular and simultaneous stressors. Crabs were randomly assigned to one of six treatments that included: 1) high concentration of toxic K. brevis (> 1 million cells L−1) maintained at normoxic levels (7.2 mg L−1 ± S.D. 0.47 dissolved oxygen), 2) moderate hypoxia (1.6 mg L−1 ± S.D. 0.42 dissolved oxygen) with no K. brevis, 3) moderate hypoxia (1.5 mg L−1 ± S.D. 0.43 dissolved oxygen) with a high concentration of K. brevis, 4) severe hypoxia with no K. brevis (0.69 mg L−1 ± S.D. 0.36 dissolved oxygen), 5) severe hypoxia (0.63 mg L−1 ± S.D. 0.40 dissolved oxygen) with a high concentration of K. brevis, and 6) a normoxic control (7.3 mg L−1 ± S.D. 0.61 dissolved oxygen) with no K. brevis. Survival and stone crab lethargy or responsiveness was monitored every 10–12 h for six days. Crabs simultaneously exposed to K. brevis and severe hypoxia exhibited a 43% decrease in survival and experienced increased lethargy within 24 h relative to the control (7% decrease in survival, no increase in lethargy). The increase in stress level and sluggish behavior during exposure to hypoxia was evident by a general lack of responsiveness or movement which indicates that nearshore populations of stone crabs are unlikely to emigrate away from such conditions suggesting that future harvests may be reduced following prolonged K. brevis blooms and hypoxic events.
Imagery Rehearsal Therapy

In this era of empiric assessment of therapy results, the association between nightmares and PTSD has become even more important. Any therapy that reduces nightmare frequency and/or distress will have a positive effect on all four PTSD symptom categories; intrusion and re-experiencing, arousal, avoidance, and negative mood. Imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) focuses on changing the storyline of a nightmare.
Effects of the hierarchy in hierarchical, multi-label classification

Abstract The consequences of the choice of a hierarchy in hierarchical multi-label classification (HMLC) have previously not been considered in any detail. Three hierarchy-related factors in HMLC are examined here: hierarchy structure, class location in the hierarchy, and class distribution in feature space. Four general model groups are found to exist in HMLC modeling: "non-informative”, "semi-informative”, "comparable”, and "hierarchical”. Studies of synthetic and real data show that the choice of hierarchy used in the modeling is important in setting the relative error rates of false positives and false negatives. The choice of hierarchy depends upon the relative consequences of false positive and false negative errors produced by the resulting model. A low false negative error rate results from use of a "comparable” HMLC model with a hierarchy designed to maximize intergroup separation. A low false positive error rate results from use of a "hierarchical” HMLC model using any hierarchy. Modest differences in accuracy and F1 measure occur between the best-performing HMLC models built on several external and internal hierarchies for a complex, multiclass dataset. HMLC methods using "comparable” and "hierarchical” HMLC models and phylogenetic hierarchies examined slightly outperform a conventional classification using the same classifier on the Dalbergia data. Brief Studies of synthetic and real data show that the structure of a multi-label hierarchy in hierarchical, multi-label classification (HMLC) is important in setting the relative error rate of false positives and false negatives. A low false negative error rate results from use of a "comparable” HMLC model with a hierarchy designed to maximize inter-class separation. A low false positive error rate results from use of a "hierarchical” HMLC model with any hierarchy.
The Nature and Correction of Diabatic Errors in Anyon Braiding

The future of quantum computing hinges on minimizing and correcting computational errors. Researchers investigate errors from the time evolution in systems of exotic quasiparticles, known as anyons, that could provide a well-protected platform for quantum computing.
Proteomic signatures of inflammatory skin diseases: a focus on atopic dermatitis.

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterized by cutaneous and systemic inflammation and barrier abnormalities. Over the past few decades, proteomic st...
The relationship between faculty perceptions and implementation of elements of transactional distance theory and online web-based course completion rates

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between faculty perceptions, selected demographics, implementation of elements of transactional distance theory and online web-based course completion rates. This theory posits that the high transactional distance of online courses makes it difficult for students to complete these courses successfully; too often this is associated with low completion rates. Faculty members play an indispensable role in course design, whether online or face-to-face. They also influence course delivery format from design through implementation and ultimately to how students will experience the course. This study used transactional distance theory as the conceptual framework to examine the relationship between teaching and learning strategies used by faculty members to help students complete online courses. Faculty members’ sex, number of years teaching online at the college, and their online course completion rates were considered. A researcher-developed survey was used to collect data from 348 faculty members who teach online at two prominent colleges in the southeastern part of United States. An exploratory factor analysis resulted in six factors related to transactional distance theory. The factors accounted for slightly over 65% of the variance of transactional distance scores as measured by the survey instrument. Results provided support for Moore’s (1993) theory of transactional distance. Female faculty members scored higher in all the factors of transactional distance theory when compared to men. Faculty number of years teaching online at the college level correlated significantly with all the elements of transactional distance theory. Regression analysis was used to determine that two of the factors, instructor interface and instructor-learner interaction, accounted for 12% of the variance in student online course completion rates. In conclusion, of the six factors found, the two with the highest percentage scores were instructor interface and instructor-learner interaction. This finding, while in alignment with the literature concerning the dialogue element of transactional distance theory, brings a special interest to the importance of instructor interface as a factor. Surprisingly, based on the reviewed literature on transactional distance theory, faculty perceptions concerning learner-learner interaction was not an important factor and there was no learner-content interaction factor.
Ethanol withdrawal induced CYP2E1 degradation in vivo, blocked by proteasomal inhibitor PS-341.

The aim of this study was to characterize CYP2E1 degradation in vivo using PS-341, a potent proteasome inhibitor. Previously, only in vitro evidence showed that CYP2E1 induced by ethanol is degraded by the proteasome. Male Wistar rats were given ethanol intragastrically for 30 d. Ethanol was withdrawn at the same time that PS-341 was injected, 24 h before the rats were sacrificed. The liver proteasomal chymotrypsin-like activity (ChT-L) in rats fed ethanol was inhibited. After ethanol withdrawal, the proteasomal ChT-L activity returned to control levels. In the ethanol-withdrawn rats injected with PS-341, the ChT-L activity was significantly inhibited before withdrawal (p < .001). Ethanol treatment induced a 3-fold increase in CYP2E1 levels determined by Western blot. When ethanol was withdrawn, CYP2E1 decreased to control levels. In ethanol-withdrawn rats injected with PS-341, CYP2E1 remained at the induced level. These results show, for the first time, that the proteasome is responsible for ethanol-induced CYP2E1 degradation in vivo. Supported by NIH/NIAAA 8116.
Quantitative models of sedimentary basin filling

Summary Quantitative modelling of the filling of sedimentary basins was begun in earnest in the 1960s. Dozens of themes and variations have been proposed since then, and have yielded an abundance of idealized stratigraphic patterns as functions of both imposed changes and basin properties. Post-plate-tectonic modelling began with ‘rigid-lid' models, which show the stratigraphic signature of subsidence variation. This work introduced the connection between stratigraphy and the rheology of the lithosphere. Rigid-lid models are the simplest type of geometric model, in which the sediment surface is assigned prescribed geometries, usually corresponding to different depositional environments. These can reproduce many aspects of overall stratal geometry but are formally restricted to relatively long timescales, for which quasi-steady surface topography can be assumed. So-called dynamic models attempt to represent the morphodynamics of the sediment surface by abstracting and averaging short-term transport processes. Most of the dynamic models proposed to date can be seen as special cases of a single general morpho-dynamic equation. The most important result of the first wave of quantitative basin-filling models is that even relatively simple models can produce reasonable stratal patterns. We now have a wide array of tools for exploring scenarios, searching for general behaviours and effects, and making initial quantitative predictions. We have also learned that basin response to external forcing as recorded in stratigraphy can be as sensitive to the characteristics of the basin as to the forcing. The main brake on the development of basin modelling is not computing power but lack of methods and data for testing the models we have already developed. Physical experiments, which are only just beginning, are one means of doing this. Experimental stratigraphy is a bridge to quantitative field tests, which will require collaboration among academic researchers from a wide range of areas, and between academia and industry, on projects of greater scale and degree of integration than we have seen so far. The advancement of quantitative sedimentary geology will also require significant changes in the way the subject is taught, at all levels.
Asymptotic hz.shtsls;12-expansions in classic particle limit of non-relativistic quantum mechanics

Abstract The unitary group describing the evolution of the quantum fluctuation around any classic phase orbit has a perturbative strongly asymptotic expansion in the small parameter h z.shtsls; 1 2 . Likewise, the mean values of the observables position and momentum in suitable time-dependent states have an asymptotic expansion in h z.shtsls; 1 2 , whose zeroth-order term satisfies the classic canonical equations. Similar expansions are found for the squared quantum dispersions.
Carolyne Wright as "Scholar Gipsy"

Carolyne Wright's latest poetry collection, A Change of Maps, may remind those with keen memories of Matthew Arnold's poem "The Scholar Gipsy," in which a mysterious male figure abandons the safety of Oxford's "dreaming spires" to wander the world in search of truth. Poet and scholar Wright has also wandered the world, both in her life and in this new book. The collection reveals a ship's log of discovery and loss that will resonate especially with women of intel lect who navigate the shoals of career and love at home or abroad. Wright has worked her way across the United States, Latin America, and Asia with an astonishing list of earned scholarships, awards, fellowships, grants and visiting writer posts. With a Ph.D. in English and Creative Writing from Syracuse University, she spent years in India, Bangladesh, and Chile on Fulbright projects and other grants that led to publication of three volumes of translations from Bengali and Spanish poetry. Forthcoming in 2008 from White Pine Press is an anthology of translations, Majestic Nights: Love Poems by Bengali Women. Prior to the current book, a collection of her own poetry with Latin American background called Seasons of Mangoes and Brainfire won the Blue Lynx prize from Eastern Washington University Press, as well as the American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation. Wright reveals the strength of her intelligence, energy, and ambition in this present book. The opening poem, a tour de force abecedarium called "Studies with Miss Bishop," paints a humorous but devastating picture of an aging, financially pressed poet-in-residence, Elizabeth Bishop, who reluctantly presides over a "dazed / clutch of undergraduates." Adopting the formalism Bishop imperiously demanded of her young students, Wright crafts twenty-six couplets that not only begin with the requisite abcs and end with subtle slant rhymes, but also entertain the reader with colorful vignettes and playful language. By
Destruction, Disinvestment, and Death: Economic and Human Losses Following Environmental Disaster

The immediate physical damages caused by environmental disasters are conspicuous and often the focus of media and government attention. In contrast, the nature and magnitude of post-disaster losses remain largely unknown because they are not easily observable. Here we exploit annual variation in the incidence of typhoons (West-Pacific hurricanes) to identify post-disaster losses within Filipino households. We find that unearned income and excess infant mortality in the year after typhoon exposure outnumber immediate damages and death tolls roughly 15-to-1. Typhoons destroy durable assets and depress incomes, leading to broad expenditure reductions achieved in part through disinvestments in health and human capital. Infant mortality mirrors these economic responses, and additional findings -- that only female infants are at risk, that sibling competition elevates risk, and that infants conceived after a typhoon are also at risk -- indicate that this excess mortality results from household decisions made while coping with post-disaster economic conditions. We estimate that these post-typhoon "economic deaths" constitute 13% of the overall infant mortality rate in the Philippines. Taken together, these results indicate that economic and human losses due to environmental disaster may be an order of magnitude larger than previously thought and that adaptive decision-making may amplify, rather than dampen, disasters' social cost.
Experiences using RT-Linux to implement a controller for a high speed magnetic bearing system

Control systems based on embedded DSP boards often require specialized programming and development tools, lack interoperability with standardized architectures and tools, lack flexibility when computational requirements change, and are often relatively expensive. A potentially attractive alternative is to implement the control system using RT-Linux, a free modification to Linux intended to support hard real-time computation. The combination of RT-Linux and commodity PCs offer low-cost development that results in flexible and reusable code that satisfies performance requirements. This paper describes a case study in the use of RT-Linux for implementing a control system for a high speed magnetic bearing system. Experiences designing the software architecture, defining the timing requirements of the control tasks, implementing the control tasks in RT-Linux, and measuring the predictability of RT-Linux for this application are discussed. Insights provided by the paper can be used as guidelines for other hard real-time system developers considering using RT-Linux.
Stormy Regulation: The Problems that Result when Stormwater (and Other) Regulatory Programs Neglect to Account for Limitations in Scientific and Technical Information

On paper, the regulation of stormwater discharges in the United States appears to be a massive and growing enterprise. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website educating the public and regulated parties about its extensive stormwater requirements provides dozens of reports, including detailed engineering assessments, best practices options, fact sheets, and EPA guidance documents, some of which are so enormous that they are almost too large to download.1 Federal stormwater regulatory requirements involve two separate phases, multiple categories of regulated parties—each of which enjoys individualized treatment—and menus of best management practices (BMPs) to fit virtually any type of land use that creates polluted stormwater.2 The EPA is currently in the midst of promulgating a revised “NPDES Stormwater Multi-Sector General Permit for Industrial Activities” (MSGP),3 one of almost a dozen separate stormwater permit programs.4 The stormwater regulatory program is so substantial that private companies have formed to help regulated parties navigate the requirements.5 State and local programs only magnify the growing complexity. The State of California,
Astrophysics: the answer is blowing in the wind.

A source of astoundingly energetic γ-rays associated with a star cluster might provide a clue to a century-old question: where do the cosmic rays that constantly bombard Earth come from?
Ninhydrin staining of tissue sections.

This method represents a considerable improvement over earlier ninhydrin procedures. Celloidin sections were stained after mounting in a medium which clears with incubation at 55 °C. There appears to be no reason why paraffin section cannot be used. The sections were not placed in a large volume of ninhydrin (0.25% triketohydrindene hydrate in n-butanol) but only a small volume was sprayed onto the slide. Distortion resulting from heating in boiling water to develop the color was avoided by a slower treatment of 3 days' incubation at 55 °C. The use of water as a solvent in staining is also avoided, thus minimizing the possibility of color migration and insuring against the development of the intensely colored products of the ninhydrin reaction that occur in aqueous solution. Slides need not be observed upon the day of preparation, since the color was stable for about a week after its formation.
An overview of virtual and cloud computing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to define and describe virtualization of servers and cloud computing. Understanding the differences and similarities between the two technology models will help digital library managers make better decisions related to hosting of application services.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a general overview of the principles and techniques of virtualization and cloud computing.Findings – Both virtualization and cloud computing can be effective methods of optimizing hardware resources used to run digital library applications; however, system managers should not overlook the potential for security problems and management problems given the outsourced nature of the computing resources.Originality/value – The paper fills a gap in the digital library project management literature by providing an overview of the server virtualization and cloud computing models which could be applied to digital library projects.
Management of ascites.

The word ascites, derived from the Greek word askos, meaning a bag, describes the pathologic accumulation of fluid within the peritoneal cavity. The initial evaluation of a patient with ascites should include a directed history, a focused physical examination, and diagnostic paracentesis with ascitic fluid analysis. The treatment of ascites depends on the cause of fluid retention. The serum-ascites albumin gradient (SAAG) is useful in determining the cause of ascites and subsequently guiding the management. Diuretics and salt restriction are the mainstay of treatment for patients with high SAAG, whereas a number of second-line therapeutic modalities are reserved for refractory cases. Among patients with a low SAAG, management varies depending on the cause of ascites.
Synthesis of (1R)‐(1‐acetamido‐2‐phenylethyl)boronic acid‐1‐13C

(1R)-(1-Acetamido-2-phenylethyl)boronic acid-1-13C, which is the boron analogue of N-acetylphenylalanine, has been synthesized via a modification of the route previously established for the unlabelled compound. The 13C label is derived from dichloromethane-13C. The previous conditions utilized excess dichloromethane, but it has now been found that a stoichiometric amount of dichloromethane suffices for the preparation of (dichloromethyl)lithium and its reaction with a boronic ester. Thus, the method has broad potential for the synthesis of compounds bearing 13C lebels at chiral sites. The 1H and 13C NMR spectra of the target compound and the intermediates leading to it are discussed.
Assessment of diabetic cardiac autonomic neuropathy in type I diabetic mice

Diabetic cardiac autonomic neuropathy (DCAN) is one of the most common complications of diabetes. One reason why the pathogenesis of DCAN is unclear is that non-invasive assessment of DCAN in humans and animals has been problematic. To overcome this limitation, we utilized a sensitive and non-invasive method to assess cardiac autonomic dysregulation from ECG records. The method, which could be easily applied to humans, is based on principal dynamic mode (PDM) analysis of heart rate variability (HRV). The method is unique, in that is able to separately identify the activities of the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems without pharmacological intervention. In our study, ECG was measured via telemetry in ten sex- and age-matched (4 month old male) C57 (n=5) and Akita (n=5) mice, a model of insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes. The results indicate significant reduced cardiac autonomic function in the diabetic mice in comparison to the controls. Further, both immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses show a reduction in nerve density in Akita mice as compared to the control mice, thus, corroborating our PDM data analysis of HRV records.
A Note on Robust G-Stability

A method to evaluate robust G-stability of a given polynomial is proposed. The suggested approach allows a determination of a radius of a robust G-stability hypersphere containing all perturbations of a G-stable polynomial under consideration, which do not affect G-stability. The maximal stability hypersphere is considered as well.
Exhaust catalyst development for methanol-fueled vehicles

Abstract Formaldehyde oxidation was examined in a laboratory reactor over alumina-supported Pt, Pd, Rh, Ag, Cu-Cr, and Pd-Ag catalysts as part of a program to develop catalysts for lean-exhaust methanol-fueled vehicles. In general, the H 2 CO oxidation behavior of the catalysts paralleled the CH 3 OH oxidation behavior reported in Parts 1 and 2 of this series [Appl. Catal. 27 (1986) 83; J. Catal. 103 (1987) 419]. Principal similarities were: (i) high activity of Pt when there was no carbon monoxide (CO) in the feed, but strong inhibition by added CO, (ii) lower activity of Ag and Cu-Cr catalysts, but only weak inhibition due to added CO, (iii) enhanced activity of the Pd-Ag catalyst compared to Pd and Ag alone for feeds containing CO in addition to H 2 CO, and (iv) relatively poor activity of the Rh catalyst. The most unusual behavior was observed with the Pd catalyst, which showed local minima in the H 2 CO conversion vs. temperature profiles. These saddles were similar to, but more pronounced than, those observed in CH 3 OH oxidation. The depths of the saddles in the H 2 CO and CH 3 OH conversion profiles correlated with the feed equivalence ratio, with the deepest saddles occurring in feeds containing a large excess of O 2 . A mathematical model was developed which accounts for the local minima in terms of changes in the oxidation state of Pd with both temperature and feed composition. These results indicate that catalyst design must be tailored to the particular operating characteristics (exhaust composition, temperature, etc.) of the vehicle in question.
Emotions and Student Roles in an Online Course.

A study examining an online graduate-level course for evidence of distributed emotion yielded many findings, including emotion being socially distributed. In particular, it was found that many students played distinct and constant emotional roles which impacted all class members. These roles fall into the following categories: cognitive task-based, perspective-based, emotion-based, or a combination. The implications of this finding include the effect that distributed emotion has on collaborative online work groups and the lessening of the emotional load often felt by online instructors as distributed emotion is taken into account.
Phosphorous and Potassium Fertilizer Recommendation Variability for Two Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain Fields

Fertilizer recommendations for variable rate treatments developed from grid soil sampling protocols are unproven for mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain soils. The objectives of this study were to compare soil test results for P and K fertilizer recommendations for two fields utilizing two grid sampling sizes (0.33 ha and 0.83 ha), sampling by soil type, and standard composite sampling. The study location contained alluvial soils ranging from a loamy sand to a silt loam. The two fields totaled approximately 21 ha and were sampled on grids 18.5 by 30.4 m. Samples consisted of composites of eight cores to a 20-cm depth that were analyzed for Mehlich I extractable P and K. Two statistical models were developed for comparing the extractable P and K data and the resulting fertilizer recommendations. The first model, following a precision farming approach, implies sources of variation are systematic and attributable to narrow geographic locations. The second model, associated with composite sampling, utilizes less specific patterns of variability. Comparisons showed that the smaller grid (0.33 ha) produced more precise estimates of extractable K in only one field (with 67% of tested locations receiving appropriate fertilizer rates), with no improvement for extractable P in either field. Both grid-sampling systems improved estimate precision for extractable P and K (with a smaller average misapplication rate) compared with a whole-field composite. The composite-by-soil-type approach was superior to the whole-field composite for estimating extractable P and K with a lower average misapplication and higher percentage receiving appropriate fertilizer rates. The composite-by-soil approach produced the most precise fertilizer recommendations for small systematic variation and required fewer laboratory measurements. It approached the grids-sampling system precision of fertilizer recommendations for large in-field variation. Only when strong trends in extractable P and K exist would grid sampling be recommended over the composite-by-soil-type sampling approach.