cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human Wound Assessment: Status Report and Implications for Clinicians

Wound care has long been carried out by professional nurses. Yet, as a result of their increasing qualifications and changes in health care practices, the nurse's role in and responsibility for wound care has expanded. Despite this, there is a paucity of valid and reliable methods by which nurses and physicians alike can evaluate healing status. This chapter provides an overview of the instruments designed to evaluate healing in humans, focusing particular attention on those intended to measure healing noninvasively. Implications for clinical practice and suggestions for research also are offered. Additionally, this article is written to raise clinicians' awareness to the need for concentrated efforts in devising clinically usable, valid, and reliable instruments to evaluate human tissue repair.
Narrow line width tunable DIAL LIDAR detector

We will describe a field testable prototype DIAL LIDAR detector employing the use of a narrow line width Acousto-Optic Tunable Filter (AOTF) on the receiver of a DIAL-LIDAR system.
Laboratory Assessment of 73 Insecticides Against the Oriental Fruit Fly, Melon Fly, and Mediterranean Fruit Fly

From 1952 to 1968, several hundred insecticides were assayed in the laboratory (by topical applications to the thoracic mesonotum) for toxicity to the 3 species of tephritids found in Hawaii: oriental fruit flies, Dacus dorsalis Hendel; melon flies, D. cucurbitae Coquillett; and Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). The results with 73 insecticides are reported by computed dosemortality curves LD50 levels in eg toxicant/fly, the upper and lower limits at the 95% confidence level, and the slopes. Malathion was the standard for comparison. LD50’s were not established for chlorobenzilate, dicofol, Zinophos® O, O -diethyl O -pyrazinyl phosphorothioate), and tetradifon. At any dose tested, no LD50 against oriental fruit flies was established for carbaryl; no LD50 against the melon fly was established for DDT, methoxychlor, and Pyrazoxon® (diethyl 3-methylpyrazol-5-yl phosphate); and no LD50 against oriental fruit flies and melon flies was established for Terbeno® (polychlorinated terpene). Dimethoate and naled were generally the most toxic of the insecticides against all 3 species when they were applied in this manner.
B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Testing in the Era of Neprilysin Inhibition: Are the Winds of Change Blowing?

> There is nothing permanent except change. > > —Heraclitus of Ephesus The care of patients with heart failure (HF)2 and reduced ejection fraction has traditionally included therapies resulting in inhibition of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system; specifically, current clinical practice guidelines articulate use of either angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) or angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) as first-line therapy for patients with HF and left ventricular ejection fraction <40% (1). Accordingly, the use of ACEi or ARB therapy for such patients had been viewed as a foundation of HF care until recently. In spring 2014, however, the medical community received startling news of the premature suspension of the Prospective Comparison of ARNI [Angiotensin Receptor–Neprilysin Inhibitor] with ACEI to Determine Impact on Global Mortality and Morbidity in Heart Failure (PARADIGM-HF). The trial was suspended because of overwhelming evidence that treatment of HF and reduced ejection fraction with the combination ARB (valsartan)/neprilysin inhibitor (sacubitril) resulted in substantial reduction in a wide array of cardiovascular complications compared with the gold standard ACEi comparator, enalapril. The magnitude of benefit from valsartan/sacubitril is hard to overstate: compared with well-dosed ACEi therapy, those treated with neprilysin inhibition in the PARADIGM-HF trial experienced 20% reduction in cardiovascular death or hospitalization for HF ( P = 4.0 × 10−7) and 16% reduction in all-cause mortality ( P < 0.001) (2). Results such as those from PARADIGM-HF are a rarity in HF trials, where development of new classes of therapeutics has been challenging. Neprilysin is a neutral endopeptidase that is responsible for the degradation of several endogenous vasoactive substances, including natriuretic peptides [atrial natriuretic peptide, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), and C-type natriuretic peptide], bradykinin, and adrenomedullin. Given that neprilysin degrades vascular peptides, its blockade results in a net vasodilatory effect, potentiated by its combination with an ACEi or ARB; …
Personal branding: a perspective from the professional athlete-level-of-analysis

The purpose of this study was to investigate the branding strategies of professional athletes. While recent research has emphasised the importance of branding individual athletes, several issues have been overlooked. For example, while fans and corporate sponsors derive value from associations with athlete brands, limited research has been conducted from the athlete level-of-analysis. This research makes a unique contribution to this area of inquiry by examining branding through the lens of professional athletes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with professional golfers (N = 15), among three professional golf levels, living in the USA. Themes that emerged in the data were athletic success, differentiation, and relationships with corporate sponsors, which were identified by the sample as the most important personal brand-building strategies. Upon further analysis, however, it was discovered that the athletes were faced with several marketing challenges. These challenges were identified as lack of knowledge, lack of time and/or support, and differences in career stage. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed and recommendations for future research are suggested.
A Compensation Algorithm to Improve the Immunity of Geomagnetic Sensor from Interference

With the high-speed development of mobile terminals,the MEMS Geomagnetic Sensor wins widespread use right now. But because of the characteristic of Geomagnetic Sensor,it may encounter many constraints in the engineering designs. On the one hand these limits may bring the inconvenience and difficulty into design. On the other hand it confines the development of Geomagnetic Sensor. The research focuses on the problem which it doesn't permit the big current signal to go around the Geomagnetic Sensor. By means of theoretical analysis and practical validation,a complete set of adaptive compensation algorithm are put forward. It not only breaks through that limit,but also improves the immunity of Geomagnetic Sensor from interference and brings engineering design convenience. As a result,its effect is very good in mass produce.
Design of Environmental Noise Measuring Instrument Based on Virtual Instrumentation Technology

For the purpose of measuring environmental noise of urban area at any moment,a new kind of virtual environmental noise automatic measuring instrument has been developed based on the LabVIEW.This design is according to GB3096-2008 environmental quality standard for noise.The hardware system is based on sound pressure sensor and personal computer.With the application of the virtual instrument technology,high integration was realized for the functions of the traditional sound level meter by software.The layout of controls and indicator in front panel is rational.The measure range of this instrument is from 25 dB to138 dB,with the accuracy of ±1.5 dB and the resolution of 0.1 dB.Using the VI,it can be measured and noted that the ambient noise dB(A) level,the transient dB(A) level, equivalent continuous dB(A) level and the maximum and minimum dB(A) levels at any moment.The VI can real-time display the ambient noise signal waveform and frequency spectrum.At the same time it can give the alarm when the dB(A) level state exceeds standard automatically and recode the correlation data.
Class Structure, Status Hierarchies and Inequality in the Labour Market

This chapter focuses on the interplay among class, status and labour market outcomes in contemporary Japan. In the preceding chapters we analyzed separately the status attainment process and the patterns of class mobility. In this chapter, the relationship between class and the process of socioeconomic attainment will be examined. We will (1) investigate the relationship between class and the distribution of status characteristics, (2) compare the effect of class on rewards in the labour market (income, home ownership and stock holdings) with the effects of education and occupational status, and (3) examine the effect of class on the relationship between education and labour market rewards.
Disregard of Unconstitutional Laws in the Plural State Executive

In the past several years, top state officials from both major political parties have begun refusing to defend controversial laws against constitutional challenges. At the same time that they have rejected a duty to defend these laws, however, they have proclaimed a duty to continue enforcing them until the issuance of court judgments. In light of an emerging scholarly consensus that most state attorneys general (and, presumably, other top state officials) owe no legal duty to defend state laws that they consider unconstitutional, this paper argues that the supposed duty to enforce unconstitutional laws is no more real than the duty to defend them. Reviewing the text and structure of state constitutions, the paper contends that all state constitutions require governors to disregard unconstitutional laws, six state constitutions require the same of other top officials, and none prohibit the practice. The paper also explains that state constitutions place executive disregard in a more defensible position than does the federal Constitution. It then explores likely political and strategic motivations for the enforce-but-don’t-defend tactic. Finally, the paper recommends that non-enforcement accompany non-defense, suggesting — perhaps counterintuitively — that tying these two together will help ensure that statewide officials employ non-defense to advance genuine constitutional views rather than political agendas.
A cognitive forensic framework to study and mitigate human observer bias

In response to calls for research from the National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. Congress, and the U.S. Intelligence Community, we constructed a cognitive forensic framework to investigate methods to mitigate human observer bias and restore analytic objectivity. In this paper, we describe relevant research findings with a focus on the impact of relevance, omission, invalidation, and focality on investigative judgment. We discuss prior work in mitigating observer bias in strongly related disciplines such as forensic science, intelligence analysis, and medical diagnosis. Our research framework was developed with two goals in mind: 1. study the manifestation of human observer bias in an ecologically valid test environment, and 2. evaluate the efficacy of specific mitigation techniques compared to purely intuitive analysis. The test protocols and the test environment are described, and the findings reported here should motivate further research on this topic in order to identify effective techniques that help investigators and analysts to avoid cognitive pitfalls in their work.
X-ray echo spectroscopy (Conference Presentation)

X-ray echo spectroscopy, a counterpart of neutron spin-echo, was recently introduced [1] to overcome limitations in spectral resolution and weak signals of the traditional inelastic x-ray scattering (IXS) probes. An image of a point-like x-ray source is defocused by a dispersing system comprised of asymmetrically cut specially arranged Bragg diffracting crystals. The defocused image is refocused into a point (echo) in a time-reversal dispersing system. If the defocused beam is inelastically scattered from a sample, the echo signal acquires a spatial distribution, which is a map of the inelastic scattering spectrum. The spectral resolution of the echo spectroscopy does not rely on the monochromaticity of the x-rays, ensuring strong signals along with a very high spectral resolution. Particular schemes of x-ray echo spectrometers for 0.1-meV and 0.02-meV ultra-high-resolution IXS applications (resolving power > 10^8) with broadband ~5-13 meV dispersing systems will be presented featuring more than 1000-fold signal enhancement. The technique is general, applicable in different photon frequency domains.\\ [1.] Yu. Shvyd’ko, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, accepted (2016), arXiv:1511.01526.
A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF COLCHICINE ADMINISTRATION TIMING ON THE INCIDENCE OF POST-OPERATIVE ATRIAL FIBRILLATION AFTER A NON TRANSPLANT CARDIAC SURGERY

Background: Colchicine has been established to decrease the incidence of post-operative atrial fibrillation(POAF). This study aimed to determine relationship between the timing of colchicine administration and the incidence of POAF in cardiac surgical patients. Methods: This is a retrospective
Intratumoral Cancer Cell Intravasation Can Occur Independent of Invasion into the Adjacent Stroma

Intravasation, active entry of cancer cells into the circulation, is often considered to be a relatively late event in tumor development occurring after stromal invasion. Here, we provide evidence that intravasation can be initiated early during tumor development and proceed in parallel to or independent of tumor invasion into surrounding stroma. By applying direct and unbiased intravasation-scoring methods to two histologically distinct human cancer types in live-animal models, we demonstrate that intravasation takes place almost exclusively within the tumor core, involves intratumoral vasculature, and does not involve vasculotropic cancer cells invading tumor-adjacent stroma and migrating along tumor-converging blood vessels. Highlighting an additional role for EGFR in cancer, we find that EGFR is required for the development of an intravasation-sustaining intratumoral vasculature. Intratumoral localization of intravasation supports the notion that overt metastases in cancer patients could be initiated much earlier during cancer progression than appreciated within conventional clinical tumor staging systems.
Forecasting and Assessment of Cropping Systems in Northwest Iowa

In 2018, the Forecasting and Assessment of Cropping sysTemS (FACTS) project continued with the objective of forecasting in-season soil water-nitrogen dynamics, in-season plant growth, and end-of-season grain yields. This concept was initiated to help farmers and agronomists make in-season management decisions, plus review the past growing season to see what management practices could have been changed to improve grain yields and net profits, but also reduce nitrogen loss.
Assertive Discipline: An Effective Classwide Behavior Management Program:

Although Assertive Discipline is widely advocated as a classroom management system, there currently exists specious evidence to support this approach. The basic philosophy, necessary competencies, ...
Causal learning is collaborative: Examining explanation and exploration in social contexts

Causal learning in childhood is a dynamic and collaborative process of explanation and exploration within complex physical and social environments. Understanding how children learn causal knowledge requires examining how they update beliefs about the world given novel information and studying the processes by which children learn in collaboration with caregivers, educators, and peers. The objective of this article is to review evidence for how children learn causal knowledge by explaining and exploring in collaboration with others. We review three examples of causal learning in social contexts, which elucidate how interaction with others influences causal learning. First, we consider children’s explanation-seeking behaviors in the form of “why” questions. Second, we examine parents’ elaboration of meaning about causal relations. Finally, we consider parents’ interactive styles with children during free play, which constrains how children explore. We propose that the best way to understand children’s causal learning in social context is to combine results from laboratory and natural interactive informal learning environments.
Nanogap near-field thermophotovoltaics.

Conversion of heat to electricity via solid-state devices is of great interest and has led to intense research of thermoelectric materials1,2. Alternative approaches for solid-state heat-to-electricity conversion include thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems where photons from a hot emitter traverse a vacuum gap and are absorbed by a photovoltaic (PV) cell to generate electrical power. In principle, such systems may also achieve higher efficiencies and offer more versatility in use. However, the typical temperature of the hot emitter remains too low (<1,000 K) to achieve a sufficient photon flux to the PV cell, limiting practical applications. Theoretical proposals3–12 suggest that near-field (NF) effects13–18 that arise in nanoscale gaps may be leveraged to increase the photon flux to the PV cell and significantly enhance the power output. Here, we describe functional NFTPV devices consisting of a microfabricated system and a custom-built nanopositioner and demonstrate an ~40-fold enhancement in the power output at nominally 60 nm gaps relative to the far field. We systematically characterize this enhancement over a range of gap sizes and emitter temperatures, and for PV cells with two different bandgap energies. We anticipate that this technology, once optimized, will be viable for waste heat recovery applications. The power output of a thermophotovoltaic device featuring an emitter and a photovoltaic cell increases by more than an order of magnitude when the gap size between the emitter and the cell is reduced to the nanoscale.
Solving Potential Problems Using the Best Approximation Method

From Eq. (5.2.2), a linear operation equation such as involved in potential problems may be solved using the Best Approximation Method by use of the inner product $$\rm(u,v)= \ \int\limits_\Gamma \ uvd\Gamma + \ \int\limits_\Omega \ Lu \ Lv \ d\Omega$$ (7.1.1) where the integration over Γ includes both the spatial and temporal boundary conditions (i.e., initial conditions in a diffusion problem).
The Topology of Large Scale Structure: Observations

The genus-threshold density relation provides a quantitative measure of the topology of large scale structure. This measure has been applied to several large galaxy redshift surveys. On scales greater than about twice the galaxy correlation length, the topology of the galaxy distribution is consistent with Gaussian density fluctuations. On a scale ~ 600 km/s, the observed genus curves display a shift in the direction of a “meatball” topology. We find no evidence for “bubbles” in the galaxy distribution, although simulated data sets suggest that we could have detected them if they were present.
Abstract 5499: A potent BH3 mimetic targeting BCL-XL induces apoptosis regulated by PTEN loss and integrin alpha 5 in prostate cancer cells

Background: PTEN-loss is a highly prevalent genomic event associated with higher risk of metastatic progression and resistance to hormonal therapy in prostate cancer. Akt inhibitor therapy in combination with abiraterone demonstrates early promise in the clinical control of PTEN-deficient prostate cancers. We have previously implicated BCL-XL in the survival of PTEN-null PC-3 prostate cancer cells in vitro, regulated by integrin alpha 5 (ITGA5) (Ren, MCR 2016). Toward advancing therapeutic strategies in PTEN-deficient prostate cancer we further assessed the link between PTEN and BCL-XL mediated prostate cancer cell survival. Methods: Isogenic PTEN knockdown stable cell lines (VCAP and DU145) were generated by lentiviral transduction of pLKO-control-shRNA and two pLKO-PTEN-shRNAs, respectively. PTEN was exogenously expressed in PTEN-null prostate cancer cell lines (PC-3, LNCaP and C4-2B) by 1) transfecting cells with pCMV-Flag-vector or pCMV-Flag-PTEN 2) transfecting cells with pcDNA3-GFP-PTEN and then sorting GFP-PTEN-negative and GFP-PTEN-positive cells by flow cytometry. Cells were then treated with a single agent BCL-XL inhibitor (A1331852 or navitoclax (ABT263); AbbVie), PI3K (buparlisib; Selleck Chem) or Akt (ipatasertib, Selleck Chem) inhibitors or combined PI3K and BCL-2 family inhibitors. Cell survival was assessed by cell viability assay. Expression of pAkt, ITGA5 and apoptotic markers was assayed by Western blot analysis and/or flow cytometry. Results: Notwithstanding the reduction of phospho-bad expression with PI3K inhibition, the potent BCL-XL-targeting BH3 mimetic, A1331852, compared to single agent PI3K or Akt inhibitors in titrated doses was alone sufficient to induce apoptosis and loss of cell viability in all PTEN-null prostate cancer lines tested. PTEN expression reversed the apoptotic response to BCL-XL targeting and blocked the anti-proliferative effect of PI3K or Akt inhibition in PTEN-mutant cells. PTEN knockdown induced membrane expression of ITGA5 whereas PTEN overexpression diminished ITGA5 expression. Conclusions: PTEN regulates the apoptotic threshold in prostate cancer cells via BCL-XL independent of the PI3K/Akt pathway. The induction of ITGA5 membrane localization by PTEN loss defines a potential upstream signaling mechanism for the BCL-XL regulated apoptotic threshold in these cells. Highly potent BCL-XL inhibition requires further investigation as a therapeutic strategy in PTEN-deficient prostate cancer. Citation Format: Wenying Ren, Raghav Joshi, Paul Mathew. A potent BH3 mimetic targeting BCL-XL induces apoptosis regulated by PTEN loss and integrin alpha 5 in prostate cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5499.
Scaling of petawatt-class lasers to multi-kHZ repetition rates

Petawatt laser applications, such as laser plasma acceleration, EUV generation, neutron generation, and materials processing are average-power limited. However, the highest average-power petawatt-class laser to date has an average power of less than 1 kW. Scaling Petawatt-class lasers beyond 10 kW of average power requires a paradigm shift in laser design. To date, average power scaling has been accomplished by increasing the repetition rate of single-shot lasers, in which each shot represents a complete pump/extraction cycle. We propose an alternative scheme, multipulse extraction, in which the gain medium is pumped continuously and the upper state population is extracted over many pulses. This method has two primary benefits: First, because efficient extraction is not necessary in a single pulse, the extraction fluence (and hence the B-integral) can be much lower than in a single pulse design. Second, there isn’t a need to pump within a single inverse lifetime, and therefore less expensive, less complex, and more efficient CW pump sources can be used. Multipulse extraction requires that the gain material have an inverse lifetime significantly less than the desired repetition rate. The design and optimization two multipulse extraction amplifiers, a 10 kHz-100 fs-30J amplifier and a 200 Hz-240 fs-240 J amplifier, will be presented. These point designs have applications in laser plasma acceleration and neutron generation, respectively
Hispanic Parents’ Self-Evaluation on Assessment Knowledge

Parents play a critical role in helping in their children’s success in education, yet we know little about how much information they have regarding assessment. Using a poll with closed-ended questi...
Double optical gating for generating high flux isolated attosecond pulses in the soft X-ray regime.

Double optical gating (DOG) technique was implemented with a two-cycle, 1.7 µm driving field to generate isolated attosecond pulses in the 100–250 eV spectrum range. The strong ellipticity dependency of the high harmonics from the 1.7 µm driving field makes polarization based gating method very efficient. When a second harmonic (SH) field is introduced, complete gating can be achieved with less ionization from the leading edge of the driving field, which yields supercontinua with a pulse energy of 0.3 nJ. We perform an attosecond streaking measurement to confirm the generation of isolated attosecond pulses.
Acken, J. Gregory, ed. Blue-Blooded Cavalryman: Captain William Brooke Rawle in the Army of the Potomac, May 1863–August 1865: Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 352 pp., $49.95, ISBN 978-1-60635-372-1, Publication Date: April 2019

In Blue-Blooded Cavalryman, J. Gregory Acken tells the story of William Brooke Rawle, a well-to-do Philadelphian descended from an illustrious family of lawyers. His elite education included a degr...
Structure and Organic Matter Storage in Agricultural Soils

Introduction Analysis of Soil Organic Matter Storage in Agroecosystems, M.R. Carter Mechanisms and Processes Soil Architecture and Distribution of Organic Matter, M.J. Kooistra and M. van Noordwijk Formation of Soil Aggregates and Accumulation of Soil Organic Matter, J.M. Tisdall Carbon in Primary and Secondary Organomineral Complexes, B.T. Christensen Storage of Soil Carbon in the Light Fraction and Macroorganic Matter, E.G. Gregorich and H.H. Janzen Impact of Climate, Soil Type, and Management Aggregation and Organic Matter Storage in Cool, Humid Agricultural Soils, D.A. Angers and M.R. Carter Aggregation and Organic Matter Storage in Meso-Thermal, Humid Soils, R.J. Haynes and M.H. Beare Aggregation and Organic Matter Storage in Sub-Humid and Semi-Arid Soils, R.C. Dalal and B.J. Bridge Aggregation and Organic Matter Storage in Kaolinitic and Smectitic Tropical Soils, C. Feller, A. Albrecht, and D. Tessier Organic Carbon Storage in Tropical Hydromorphic Soils, H.W. Scharpenseel, E.-M. Pfeiffer, and P. Becker-Heidmann Assessment of Soil Organic Matter Storage Conservation Strategies for Improving Soil Quality and Organic Matter Storage, D.L. Karlen and C.A. Cambardella Models to Evaluate Soil Organic Matter Storage and Dynamics, W.J. Parton, D.S. Ojima, and D.S. Schimel Methods to Characterize and Quantify Organic Matter Storage in Soil Fractions and Aggregates, M.R. Carter and E.G. Gregorich Index
Object detection and localization for an indoor assistive environment scenario

The purpose of this work is to detect and localize objects in a laboratory setting. For our experiments, we use fixed objects as reference points, based on which the robot achieves localization. We investigate the performance of the system on two classification categories in which labels were automatically acquired (humans, chairs).
The luminosity functions and redshift evolution of satellites of low-mass galaxies in the COSMOS survey

The satellite populations of the Milky Way, and Milky-Way-mass galaxies in the local universe, have been extensively studied to constrain dark-matter and galaxy-evolution physics. Recently, there has been a shift to studying satellites of hosts with stellar masses between that of the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Milky Way, since they can provide further insight on hierarchical structure formation, environmental effects on satellites, and the nature of dark-matter. Most work is focused on the Local Volume, and little is still known about low-mass host galaxies at higher red-shift. To improve our understanding of the evolution of satellite populations of low-mass hosts, we study satellite galaxy populations as a function of host stellar mass $9.5 < \log(M_*/M_\odot) < 10.5$ and redshifts $0.1 < z < 0.8$ in the COSMOS survey, making this the first study of satellite systems of low-mass hosts across half the age of the universe. We find that the satellite populations of low-mass host galaxies, which we measure down to satellite masses equivalent to the Fornax dwarf spheroidal satellite of the Milky Way, remain mostly unchanged through time. We observe a weak dependence between host stellar mass and number of satellites per host, which suggests that the stellar masses of the hosts are in the power-law regime of the stellar mass to halo mass relation $(M_*-M_{\text{halo}})$ for low-mass galaxies. Finally, we test the constraining power of our measured cumulative luminosity function to calculate the low-mass end slope of the $M_*-M_\text{halo}$ relation. These new satellite luminosity function measurements are consistent with ${\Lambda}$CDM predictions.
OCCUPATIONAL EYE LENS DOSE OVER SIX YEARS IN THE STAFF OF A US HIGH-VOLUME CANCER CENTER

This paper summarizes the dose to the eye lens of workers of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a high-volume US oncologic and associated diseases facility. The doses presented in this report were collected from personal dosemeter readings using optically stimulated luminescence badges to estimate Hp(3). Doses were collected for 5950 clinical and research workers between January 2012 and December 2017. The median eye lens dose for all monitored workers was 0.23 mSv y-1. Workers performing, or supporting, fluoroscopy procedures received the highest unprotected eye lens dose of all workers with a median eye dose of 10 mSv. The use of leaded glasses by this group reduced the actual doses to the lens. Nurses and technicians involved in positron emission tomography injections received median eye lens dose of 1.2 mSv.
First-principles calculation of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction: A Green's function approach

We present a Green's function approach to calculate the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions (DMIs) from first-principles electronic structure calculations that is computationally more efficient and accurate than the most commonly employed supercell and generalized Bloch-based approaches. The method is applied to the (111) Co/Pt bilayer where the Co and/or Pt thickness dependence of the DMI coefficients is calculated. Overall, the calculated DMIs are in relatively good agreement with the corresponding values reported experimentally. Furthermore, we investigate the effect of strain in the DMI tensor elements and show that the isotropic N\'eel DMI can be significantly modulated by the normal strains ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{xx}$ and ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{yy}$ and is relatively insensitive to the shear strain ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{xy}$. Moreover, we show that anisotropic strains, $({\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{xx}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{yy})$ and ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{xy}$, result in the emergence of anisotropic N\'eel- and Bloch-type DMIs, respectively.
Movement behaviors, comorbidities, and health-related quality of life among adults with visual impairments.

The purpose of this study was to examine (a) discrete and integrative associations of physical activity (PA), sitting-time (ST), and sleep duration (SD) with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) ...
Association of the Pattern of Retinal Capillary Non-Perfusion and Vascular Leakage with Retinal Neovascularization in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

Purpose: To explore the correlation between retinal capillary non-perfusion and the distribution of retinal neovascularization and vascular leakage (VL) in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Methods: Ultra-widefield angiograms of 96 eyes of 69 patients with PDR were reviewed for the proportion of non-perfused area to total gradable area, and for the presence of neovascularization and VL. Results: Retinal neovascularization was distributed as such: neovascularization elsewhere (NVE), 57.3%; neovascularization of the disc (NVD), 11.5%; both neovascularization of the disc and elsewhere (NVED), 31.3%. The proportion of non-perfused retina, so-called ischemic index, was greater in eyes with NVED compared to eyes with NVE only, but not when compared to NVD only. Overall, 83% of eyes had VL. The presence and the extent of VL correlated with the proportion of the ischemic index. While VL and ischemic index were more severe in the mid-periphery and far-periphery, the majority of NVE was located in the posterior pole. Conclusions: The presence of both NVD and NVE is associated with a greater ischemic index than NVE alone. Although both VL and ischemic index is significantly higher in peripheral zones, the majority of neovascularization occurs at the posterior pole.
Bullying patterns and their associations with child maltreatment and adolescent psychosocial problems

Abstract Introduction This study aimed 1) to identify underlying heterogeneous patterns of bully-victim; 2) to examine whether the different types of child maltreatment predict the patterns of bully-victim; and 3) to investigate the association between patterns of bully-victim and adolescent psychosocial problems (depression, trouble at school, and substance use). Methods This study included a sample of 1139 (48.7% girls, 53.4% Black) drawn from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Children’s self-reported bullying victimization at age 9 was used using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Child Development Supplement III. Teacher’s reported bullying perpetration at age 9 was used using Social Skills Rating System. Child maltreatment types were assessed at age 5 using the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale Coding. At age 15, adolescent depression was measured using modified Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; trouble at school was measured using modified Add Health In-School Questionnaire; and self-reported substance use was used. Results Latent class analysis produced four classes: bully-victim (19.8%), victim (16.3%), no bully-victim (38.9%), and bully (24.9%). Individuals who have been neglected are more likely to be in the victim class compared to all other classes. Physical abuse to be at heightened risk of involvement in the bully-victim, compared to victim class. Additionally, individuals in the victim group are greater risk for depression, problems at school, and alcohol, as compared to those in the other classes. Conclusions This study augments the knowledge base on bully/victim, child maltreatment, and behavioral health outcomes and elucidates several suggestions for research and policy.
Psychic Phenomena and the Brain Hemispheres: Some Nineteenth-Century Publications

This is a review of publications discussing psychic phenomena and the brain hemispheres that appeared between the 19th century and the first decade of thge 20th century. Authors included are and anonymous author, Crowe, Lombroso, Myers, Sommer, and Word.
Using the PODCI to Measure Motor Function and Parent Expectations in Children with Cerbral Palsy.

OBJECTIVE Involving parents in the evaluation of their child with cerebral palsy (CP) is associated with enhanced neurodevelopmental outcomes. The pediatric outcomes data collection instrument (PODCI) is a patient-reported outcome measure primarily used to assess motor function following orthopedic surgical intervention or for older children with more independent motor function. The PODCI expectations scale has infrequently been reported in previous studies. This study aims to determine the relationship between parent-reported motor performance using the PODCI and motor capacity assessed by pediatric therapists for young children with CP across all ability levels and to explore the use of the PODCI expectations scale for quantifying therapy-related parent expectations. METHODS This prospective cohort study included 108 participants with CP, 2 to 8 years of age, gross motor function classification systems (GMFCS) levels I to V. Measures included the PODCI, gross motor function measure (GMFM), and GMFCS. RESULTS There were moderate (r = 0.513) to large (r = 0.885) relationships between PODCI and GMFM scores. PODCI scores were significantly different across GMFCS levels. Weak, significant relationships (r = -0.28) were found between function expectations scores and measures of function. CONCLUSION The PODCI, GMFM, and GMFCS provide different, but strongly related, information about the abilities of young children. The GMFM measures motor capacity. Parents report daily function and health-related quality of life for their child using the PODCI. Parent expectations for intervention outcomes may relate to a child's motor function. IMPACT These study results are consistent with those for older children with greater independent mobility, indicating an opportunity for expanded use of the PODCI for measuring motor performance for younger children with CP across all ability levels. A strategy is provided for using the PODCI expectations scale to quantify parent therapy-related expectations in future research and clinical settings. Therapy-related expectations may relate to child outcomes.
All the Dogs that Didn't Bark: Understanding the Dearth of Online Conservative Infrastructure

This paper stems from an observation about the recent wave of technological innovations sweeping through political and legislative campaigns. With the rise of YouTube, social networking sites, blogs, and other social media tools, the 2008 campaign season was awash in tactical experimentation. Nowhere was this more evident than in the Obama Presidential campaign, which relied on an internet-supported field program to win crucial victories in caucus states during the Democratic primary, and would go on to raise over $500 million in online donations during the course of the election. With Obama's campaign victory, political scientists and political observers have started to take seriously the possibility that the internet has had a major impact on political campaigning.
Remote sensing of nighttime F region peak height and peak density using ultraviolet line ratios

[1] We present a newly developed algorithm for simultaneously inferring the peak height and peak density of the O+ ions in the nighttime ionosphere. The technique relies on the simultaneous observation of the emissions of atomic oxygen at 130.4 and 135.6 nm that are primarily produced by radiative recombination, a natural decay process of the ionosphere. The 135.6 nm emission has become the workhorse for sensing O+ distribution from space from low-Earth platforms where it has been used to infer the peak electron density. A previous study showed that the line ratio of the intensity of the 130.4/135.6 nm radiances is sensitive to the peak height of the ionosphere, as the ratio of the two radiances is dependent on the overlap of the O+ distribution with the thermospheric O layer. We present a new parametric study of these emissions using a new algorithm that permits the retrieval of the peak electron density and the peak height of the F region ionosphere from the measured radiances of the 135.6 and 130.4 nm emissions. We examine the sensitivity of the retrievals to the ionospheric and thermospheric state and to the signal-to-noise ratio of the observations. This new technique enables the determination of the peak height and peak density of the nighttime F region ionosphere as functions of latitude and longitude from nadir-viewing geostationary satellites.
Input-output decoupling for a class of composite nonlinear control systems

In this paper, the definitions of similarities for two nonlinear control systems and composite nonlinear systems are given respectively, the conditions under which input-output decoupling problem and total linearization problem are solvable for a class of composite nonlinear systems with similarities are derived respectively. An applicational example is used to illustrate the efficiency of the technique. >
Children's Medicaid entitlement: what have we got to lose?

Medicaid9s efficacy as a safety net for children has been lost in the heated health policy debates of the last 2 years. The second year of the last Congress was dominated by competing proposals that would have cast aside Medicaid and assured universal coverage through comprehensive private health insurance plans. The first year of the current Congress has been spent debating legislation designed to reduce the federal government9s role in the provision of health care services through constrained funding, regulatory rollback, and broadened latitude for state programs dependent on federal dollars, (eg, Medicaid). Over the past 2 years, taking the position that the Medicaid program should be exempt from proposed changes (at least with respect to children) has not been in vogue.
On the appropriate architecture of the water/wastewater allocation problem in process plants

Abstract We discuss the definition of the water/wastewater allocation problem as it was originally defined by Takama et al (1980), how this concept was modified and simplified through time, as well as additional issues that are still not properly addressed. We review a few attempts where parts of our view were pointed out and we further investigate the impact that proper modeling has on predictions of freshwater consumption and total annual cost.
Synaptic plasticity of GABAergic circuitry in the RVLM during Ang II-dependent malignant hypertension (874.6)

The rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) is a critical component of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) mediating regulation of cardiovascular function, including arterial blood pressure (ABP). It has been shown that decreased inhibition of RVLM neurons increases SNS activity and thereby elevates ABP. However, very little is known about the control of this region of the brain in hypertensive states; in particular, in transgenic rats [TGR(Cyp1a1Ren2)] with inducible Ang II-dependent malignant hypertension. In the present study we used the transsynaptic retrograde viral tracer, PRV-152 to identify preautonomic neurons in the RVLM. We found that chronically (8 days) increased plasma Ang II levels significantly potentiate glutamatergic and decrease GABAergic synaptic transmission. Moreover, our data revealed significantly reduced amplitude of inhibitory GABAA-mediated extrasynaptic tonic current in the RVLM neurons. The results of our study demonstrate that GABAergic activity is decreased in the RVLM of Cyp1...
Measuring instabilities and chaos in the real world: applications in rotating machinery

Rotor dynamic instabilities have resulted in seldom understood and costly failures in high-performance rotating machinery. At times, machines test perfectly in the lab, yet fail under load and cannot achieve their designed capacities in the field. Nonlinear dynamics offers a way to help understand and possibly prevent these problems. Computed order tracking prepares experimental data for dynamical analysis by resampling data in real time to match a time-varying forcing function which in this instance is the rotational speed of the machine. A commercially available instrument can be used to view Poincare diagrams of a rotor test set as it begins to exhibit signs of instability. >
Simulation study on boil-off gas minimization and recovery strategies at LNG exporting terminals

Abstract Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is becoming one of the prominent clean energy sources with its abundance, high calorific value, and low emission and price. Vapors generated from LNG due to heat leak are called boil-off gas (BOG). As world-wide LNG productions are in an increasingly growth, BOG generation and handling problems become more critical subject to more intense global competitions and stricter environmental regulations. In this study, typical C3-MR process, storage facilities, and loading facilities are modeled and simulated to study BOG generation at LNG exporting terminals, including LNG processing, storage, and berth loading areas. Factors causing BOG are presented, and quantities of BOG generated due to each factor at each location are calculated under different LNG temperatures. Various strategies to minimize, recover, and reuse BOG are also studied for their feasibility and energy requirements. The study would help proper handling of BOG problems in terms of minimizing flaring at LNG exporting terminals, and thus reducing waste, saving energy, and protecting surrounding environments.
Approaches to the sellar and parasellar region: anatomic comparison of the microscope versus endoscope.

Objective Traditionally, surgical approaches to the sellar region require the use of the operating microscope. Over the past decade endoscopic surgery has gained much popularity because of advances in optics and illumination. Endoscopic surgery of the sellar region has been performed successfully. The goal of the present study was to quantify the amount of exposure to the sellar and suprasellar region that the endoscope provides versus the microscope, with three different anterior approaches to the sellar region. Methods The transethmoidal, endonasal-transsphenoidal, and sublabial-transsphenoidal approaches were performed on 14 formalin-fixed cadaver heads with a 0 degrees endoscope and repeated with the operative microscope. The distances of relevant surgical landmarks and the amount of exposure superior and anterior to the dorsum sella, as well as the lateral exposure, were measured. The mean distances were then used to calculate the volume of exposure for each of the approaches. Results It was found that the endoscope provided greater view than the operating microscope in all three approaches. The difference was statistically significant using a paired Student t test and a signed-rank test (P Conclusion The authors believe that endoscopic surgery of the sellar region can be performed safely and effectively, while providing the surgeon with a view that is superior to that afforded by the operating microscope.
The Prevalence and Response to Therapy of Strongyloides stercoralis in Patients With Asthma From Endemic Areas

Study objective To evaluate the prevalence and response to therapy of Strongyloides stercoralis infection in immigrant patients with asthma from areas endemic for Strongyloides. Design and interventions In all patients, we performed a complete history and physical examination, complete blood cell counts (CBC), S stercoralis serologic tests, spirometry, and evaluated three stool samples for ova and parasites. Patients treated for S stercoralis infection had follow-up CBC, spirometry, serologic tests, and at least three additional stool examinations to confirm eradication of the parasite. Setting Ambulatory and hospitalized patients who were referred to the respiratory medicine clinic of a general hospital for the evaluation and treatment of asthma. Patients Forty-five asthmatic adults, representing 12 endemic countries, ranging in age from 20 to 76 years, were prospectively evaluated. Results Six of 45 patients were infected with S stercoralis , which yielded a prevalence of 13 percent. The patients with asthma and S stercoralis infection had higher blood eosinophil counts (p=0.006) and were younger (p=0.006) compared with patients with only asthma. There was no difference in the duration of asthma, spirometry, or steroid use between the two groups. Patients with S stercoralis and asthma tended to be more recent immigrants (p=0.05). Five of the six patients with S stercoralis agreed to be treated with thiabendazole but only four returned for follow-up evaluation. All four patients had eradication of S stercoralis infection confirmed by negative stool examinations and a decline in S stercoralis serology (160 ± 25 percent vs 13 ± 13 percent, p=0.03). All four patients had a decline in total blood eosinophil counts (2,476 ±832 cells per cubic millimeter vs 551 ± 138 cells per cubic millimeter, p=0.03) without a clinical improvement in asthma. Conclusions Our data suggest that patients with asthma from areas endemic for S stercoralis , who have elevated peripheral blood eosinophil counts, should be screened for S stercoralis infection. Successful eradication of S stercoralis , however, may not result in a clinical improvement of asthma.