cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The advantages of logarithmically scaled data for electromagnetic inversion

S U M M A R Y Non-linear inversion algorithms traverse a data misfit space over multiple iterations of trial models in search of either a global minimum or some target misfit contour. The success of the algorithm in reaching that objective depends upon the smoothness and predictability of the misfit space. For any given observation, there is no absolute form a datum must take, and therefore no absolute definition for the misfit space; in fact, there are many alternatives. However, not all misfit spaces are equal in terms of promoting the success of inversion. In this work, we appraise three common forms that complex data take in electromagnetic geophysical methods: real and imaginary components, a power of amplitude and phase, and logarithmic amplitude and phase. We find that the optimal form is logarithmic amplitude and phase. Single-parameter misfit curves of log-amplitude and phase data for both magnetotelluric and controlled-source electromagnetic methods are the smoothest of the three data forms and do not exhibit flattening at low model resistivities. Synthetic, multiparameter, 2-D inversions illustrate that log-amplitude and phase is the most robust data form, converging to the target misfit contour in the fewest steps regardless of starting model and the amount of noise added to the data; inversions using the other two data forms run slower or fail under various starting models and proportions of noise. It is observed that inversion with log-amplitude and phase data is nearly two times faster in converging to a solution than with other data types. We also assess the statistical consequences of transforming data in the ways discussed in this paper. With the exception of real and imaginary components, which are assumed to be Gaussian, all other data types do not produce an expected mean-squared misfit value of 1.00 at the true model (a common assumption) as the errors in the complex data become large.We recommend that real and imaginary data with errors larger than 10 per cent of the complex amplitude be withheld from a log-amplitude and phase inversion rather than retaining them with large error-bars.
Active Q-control for improved insertion loss micromechanical filters

The use of active feedback in closed-loop with two electrodes of a four-electrode capacitive-gap transduced wineglass disk resonator has enabled boosting of the effective resonator Q and independent control of insertion loss across the two other electrodes. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, two such Q-boosted resonators wired as a parallel-type micro-mechanical filter achieve a tiny 0.001% bandwidth passband centered around 61 MHz with only 2.7 dB of insertion loss - something not possible with the intrinsic resonator Q of 57,000, but quite possible with Q's actively boosted to 670,000. In the feedback loop, the gain and phase of the active circuit are controlled to precisely add or cancel resonator damping while maintaining a suitable loop gain (i.e., less than unity if the feedback is positive). Unlike past kHz-frequency efforts, the split electrode design used here removes the amplifier feedback loop from the signal path allowing independent control of input-output coupling, Q, and frequency, the last of which comes about via either electrical stiffness changes or intentional changes in active circuit phase shift. The ability of this scheme to both raise and decrease resonator Q not only allows creation of narrow channel-select filters with insertion loss lower than otherwise achievable with un-boosted Q's, but also opens the possibility of maximizing the dynamic range of a communication front-end without the need for a variable gain LNA.
Population genetics of black abalone, Haliotis cracherodii, along the central California coast

Over the past three decades, the black abalone, Haliotis cracherodii, has experienced precipitous declines in abundance over portions of its range in southern and central California. The potential for recovery of these populations is dependent in part on dispersal processes; that is, can distant populations serve as sources of recruits to locales that no longer harbor H. cracherodii? Here we use population genetic analysis to assess levels of population subdivision and infer recruitment processes. Epipodial tissue samples were obtained from over 400 black abalone from seven geographic sites between Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara counties in central California. Allelic frequencies were determined for each population at three polymorphic enzyme-encoding loci (GPI, AAT-1 and PGM). Significant allelic frequency differentiation among sites was observed at all three loci. Genetic distance was found to be independent of geographic distance over the approximately 300-km sampling range. In addition, a limited number of DNA sequences (total N 5 51) were obtained for the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene (COI) from five of the populations. Since the same common COI haplotype dominated each population, this analysis had little statistical power and failed to detect population structure. The observed level of population differentiation at allozyme loci was three-fold higher than that observed in California red abalone, H. rufescens. The species differ in their breeding period and it is suggested that the relatively short, summer breeding season of black abalone limits dispersal because larvae experience reduced variance in oceanographic conditions relative to red abalone that spawn year-round. Based on these results, rates of recolonization and recovery of locally depressed or extirpated black abalone populations are likely to be slow despite harvest restrictions. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Blending Conceptual and Evolutionary Couplings to Support Change Impact Analysis in Source Code

The paper presents an approach that combines conceptual and evolutionary techniques to support change impact analysis in source code. Information Retrieval (IR) is used to derive conceptual couplings from the source code in a single version (release) of a software system. Evolutionary couplings are mined from source code commits. The premise is that such combined methods provide improvements to the accuracy of impact sets. A rigorous empirical assessment on the changes of the open source systems Apache httpd, ArgoUML, iBatis, and KOffice is also reported. The results show that a combination of these two techniques, across several cut points, provides statistically significant improvements in accuracy over either of the two techniques used independently. Improvements in recall values of up to 20% over the conceptual technique in KOffice and up to 45% over the evolutionary technique in iBatis were reported.
Novel Fluorescence-Based Screen To Identify Small Synthetic Internal Ribosome Entry Site Elements

We report here a novel fluorescent protein-based screen to identify small, synthetic internal ribosome entry site (IRES) elements in vivo. A library of bicistronic plasmids encoding the enhanced blue and green fluorescent proteins (EBFP and EGFP) separated by randomized 50-nucleotide-long sequences was amplified in bacteria and delivered into mammalian cells via protoplast fusion. Cells that received functional IRES elements were isolated using the EBFP and EGFP reporters and fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and several small IRES elements were identified. Two of these elements were subsequently shown to possess IRES activity comparable to that of a variant of the encephalomyocarditis virus IRES element in a context-independent manner both in vitro and in vivo, and these elements functioned in multiple cell types. Although no sequence or structural homology was apparent between the synthetic IRES elements and known viral and cellular IRES elements, the two synthetic IRES elements specifically blocked poliovirus (PV) IRES-mediated translation in vitro. Competitive protein-binding experiments suggested that these IRES elements compete with PV IRES-mediated translation by utilizing some of the same factors as the PV IRES to direct translation. The utility of this fluorescent protein-based screen in identifying IRES elements with improved activity as well as in probing the mechanism of IRES-mediated translation is discussed.
Catholic/Jesuit Values in an Introductory Religious Studies Course

A growing interest in the communication to students of the mission and identity of a higher education institution prompted this study about the presence of Catholic, Jesuit values in the introductory religious studies course at a faith-based university. To conduct this study a survey instrument was developed, piloted, further refined, and then administered again to about four hundred and fifty students. The study's results showed that the introductory course had a positive effect on the majority of students surveyed, namely, those who had no Catholic schooling or only had a Catholic elementary school education. Statistically significant advances in several areas of knowledge about Catholic teachings endorsed by Catholic bishops and the pope occurred. Although less extensive, knowledge of Jesuit values also advanced in the course.
Sonar signal processing using tangent clusters

Describes a novel approach to the extraction of geometric features from sonic data. As is well known, a single measurement using a standard POLAROID sensor, though yielding relatively accurate information regarding the range of a reflective surface patch, provides scant information about the location in azimuth or elevation of that patch. This lack of sufficiently precise localization of the reflective patch hampers any attempt at data association, clustering of multiple measurements or subsequent classification and inference. The problem is particularly apparent in uncertain environments with unknown geometry, such as is found underwater. Moreover, the underwater environment precludes the usual (office-environment) simplification of two-dimensionality. The authors propose a multi-stage approach to clustering which aggregates sonic data accumulated from arbitrary transducer locations in an on-line fashion. It is computationally tractable and efficient despite the inherent exponential nature of clustering, and is robust in the face of noise in the measurements. It therefore lends itself to applications where the transducers are fixed relative to the mobile platform, where remaining stationary during a scan is both impractical and infeasible, and where deadreckoning errors can be substantial. The approach may be used both for map-building during exploration and for feature identification during navigation. >
Management of refractory chronic rhinosinusitis in children.

Abstract Objective Pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) continues to be a difficult problem for the medical community. Traditionally, oral antibiotic therapy has been the cornerstone of treatment, but some patients, who are resistant to multiple trials of oral antibiotics, require alternative therapeutic modalities. One such option, the use of intravenous (IV) antibiotics, has shown a high success rate in a limited study. Our goal is to estimate the success of a therapy consisting of culture directed IV antibiotics, adenoidectomy, and sinus aspiration in ameliorating long-term (>12 months) clinical symptoms of CRS in pediatric patients who are resistant to oral antibiotic therapy. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of 22 patients who received treatment, focusing on patient age, initial CRS presenting symptoms, computed tomography scan finding, length, duration, and type of prior oral antibiotic treatment, length and type of IV antibiotic treatment, and long-term follow-up of clinical symptom resolution. Results Initial clinical improvement after cessation of IV therapy was achieved in all 22 (100%) patients. Seventeen (77%) of the patients demonstrated long-term resolution of clinical symptoms of CRS. Excluding 4 immunocompromised patients, 16 of 18 (89%) of patients demonstrated long-term amelioration of CRS symptoms. Conclusions The results suggest that IV antibiotics may prove beneficial for pediatric patients who demonstrate CRS not responsive to traditional oral therapy. Although other treatment options are currently available for this subpopulation of patients, this IV antibiotic therapy provides both a maximally effective outcome while using a relatively minimally invasive intervention.
Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs)

DOACs are a new group of blood-thinner medications that may have some advantages over warfarin. A health care provider will look at several different factors to help patients decide if a DOAC is a good choice. Patients taking DOACs should discuss medication changes, a plan for taking the DOAC before and after a surgery, and any bleeding side effects with their health care provider.
Programming parallel apriori algorithms for mining association rules

Many parallel programming languages provide a set of low-level parallel constructs which lead to programs that are difficult to design, implement, debug, and maintain. In this paper, we present a parallel programming paradigm using a sequential programming language that encapsulates low-level details of distributed and concurrent programming techniques and makes the details transparent to programmers. This paradigm allows programmers to program on several different platforms in a sequential language that they are most familiar with. In addition, the paradigm provides high-level language constructs for programmers to implement various distributed and parallel algorithms. The programming paradigm is illustrated with two parallel Apriori algorithms in data mining.
Lower bounds on minimal distance of evaluation codes

In (J Pure Appl Algebra 196:91–99, 2005), the authors point out that the methods they use to find a lower bound for the minimal distance of complete intersection evaluation codes should apply to the case of (arithmetically) Gorenstein evaluation codes. In this note we show this is the case and we study other lower bounds on the minimal distance coming from the syzygies.
New technologies and architectures for laser systems: revolutionary beam control (Keynote Address)

This paper discusses revolutionary laser system architecture capable of dramatically reducing the complexity of laser systems while increasing capability. The architecture includes 3 major subsystems. The first is a phased array of laser sources. The second provides wavefront control and electronic beam steering. The third is sub-aperture receiver technology. Combining these three technologies into a new laser systems architecture results in a system that has graceful degradation, can steer to as wide an angle as individual optical phased array sub-apertures can steer, and can be scaled to high power and large apertures through phasing of a number of sub-apertures.© (2004) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Optical micro-scale mapping of dynamic biomechanical tissue properties

Mechanical forces such as adhesion, shear stress and compression play crucial roles in tissue growth, patterning and development. To understand the role of these mechanical stimuli, it is of great importance to measure biomechanical properties of developing, engineered, and natural tissues. To enable these measurements on the micro-scale, a novel, dynamic, non-invasive, high-speed optical coherence elastography (OCE) system has been developed utilizing spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and a mechanical wave driver. Experimental results of OCE on silicone phantoms are in good agreement with those obtained from a standardized indentation method. Using phase-resolved imaging, we demonstrate OCE can map dynamic elastic moduli of normal and neoplastic ex vivo human breast tissue with a sensitivity of 0.08%. Spatial micro-scale mapping of elastic moduli of tissue offers the potential for basic science and clinical investigations into the role biomechanics play in health and disease.
Endothelium-Derived Nitric Oxide Plays a Larger Role in Pulmonary Veins Than in Arteries of Newborn Lambs

In perinatal lungs, veins contribute substantially to total pulmonary vascular resistance. The present study was designed to determine the role of endothelium-derived nitric oxide (EDNO) in modulating the responsiveness of pulmonary veins and arteries in newborn lambs. Fourth-order pulmonary arterial and venous rings of newborn lambs were suspended in organ chambers filled with modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solution (95% O2/5% CO2, 37 degrees C), and their isometric force was measured. Nitro-L-arginine had no effect on the resting tension of pulmonary arteries but caused an endothelium-dependent contraction of pulmonary veins. During contraction to endothelin-1 or U46619, acetylcholine, bradykinin, and calcium ionophore A23187 induced larger endothelium-dependent relaxation in pulmonary veins than in arteries. The endothelium-dependent relaxation of pulmonary vessels was abolished by nitro-L-arginine. In vessels without endothelium, nitric oxide induced significantly greater relaxation in pulmonary veins than in arteries. All vessels relaxed similarly to 8-bromo-cGMP. Radioimmunoassay showed that the basal level of intracellular cGMP of pulmonary veins with endothelium was higher than that of arteries with endothelium. Acetylcholine, bradykinin, and calcium ionophore A23187 induced a significantly larger endothelium-dependent increase in the intracellular content of cGMP in pulmonary veins than in arteries. In vessels without endothelium, nitric oxide induced a larger increase in cGMP content in pulmonary veins than in arteries. The present study suggests that EDNO may play a larger role in modulation of pulmonary venous than arterial reactivity, which may be mainly due to a difference in the activity of soluble guanylate cyclase in vascular smooth muscle.
The Age of Migration in China

This paper presents a data analysis of the 1987 and 1995 China One Percent Population Sample Surveys to describe patterns of migration during 1982-95. Overall the findings demonstrated the increasing importance of temporary migration since the late 1980s. Such increase in temporary migration is attributed to the countrys transition to a market-oriented economy and the continuing legacy of the household migration system. In this regard increasing migration patterns that involve long distances and the crossing of province boundaries are noted. It is noted that the volume of migration in the country has contributed in the transformation of the agrarian society into a modern industrialized society. In addition it has created social mobility and has challenged the traditional hierarchy of social and economic stratification. Furthermore migration becomes a part of the strategy for survival among rural households. As such the policy implications of the governments policy known as "urbanization from below" that promotes development in rural areas are assessed according to the emerging migration patterns.
A procedure for blending and mass balancing fine particle size data

An increased interest in the development of new techniques for fine grinding has resulted in a growing concern over the accuracy of size distributions for extremely fine particles. Since most particle size analyzers have lower detection limits, care must be taken when comparing size distributions which have not been properly mass balanced. An automated technique has been developed in which a completely mass balanced size distribution can be obtained using an Elzone 80XY particle size analyzer. A computer program is used to blend the data from successively smaller orifice tubes, and to determine the weight percent of material finer than the lower detection limit of the analyzer. This result is then used to correct the distribution for the missing fine material. Experimental results indicate that size distributions obtained using this procedure are reproducible and compare favorably with those obtained using other size analysis techniques.
Hamsa: fast signature generation for zero-day polymorphic worms with provable attack resilience

Zero-day polymorphic worms pose a serious threat to the security of Internet infrastructures. Given their rapid propagation, it is crucial to detect them at edge networks and automatically generate signatures in the early stages of infection. Most existing approaches for automatic signature generation need host information and are thus not applicable for deployment on high-speed network links. In this paper, we propose Hamsa, a network-based automated signature generation system for polymorphic worms which is fast, noise-tolerant and attack-resilient. Essentially, we propose a realistic model to analyze the invariant content of polymorphic worms which allows us to make analytical attack-resilience guarantees for the signature generation algorithm. Evaluation based on a range of polymorphic worms and polymorphic engines demonstrates that Hamsa significantly outperforms Polygraph (J. Newsome et al., 2005) in terms of efficiency, accuracy, and attack resilience.
Deracialization or Racialization: The Making of a Black Mayor in Jackson, Mississippi

In 1997, Harvey Johnson made history by becoming the first black to be elected as mayor of Jackson, Mississippi. Four years prior, Johnson failed to make the Democratic primary runoffs. The following research question is addressed: what explains Johnson’s victory in 1997, when compared to his defeat in 1993? In answering this question, I rely heavily on elite-level interviewing and newspaper accounts. I also examine the black and white vote for Johnson, using aggregate-level election and census data. Gary King’s Ecological Inference technique is used to examine these data. Based on the findings, I conclude that Johnson ran a deracialized campaign in 1993 and a racialized campaign in 1997. The deracialized campaign failed to attract white voters and attenuated his black support. In 1997, however, he was able to almost double his support from black voters. This increase can be attributed in part to his racialized campaign strategy. Lord have mercy! We’re going to have a black mayor in Jackson, Mississippi. —An anonymous black woman quoted in Chappell (1997, 76)
Transcendence of cardinals

In this paper, by a function of ordinals we understand a function which is defined for all ordinals and each of whose value is an ordinal. In [7] (also cf. [8] or [9]) we defined recursive functions and predicates of ordinals, following Kleene's definition on natural numbers. A predicate will be called arithmetical, if it is obtained from a recursive predicate by prefixing a sequence of alternating quantifiers. A function will be called arithmetical, if its representing predicate is arithmetical. The cardinals are identified with those ordinals a which have larger power than all smaller ordinals than a. For any given ordinal a, we denote by a the cardinal of a and by 2a the cardinal which is of the same power as the power set of a. Let x be the function such that X(a) is the least cardinal which is greater than a. Now there are functions of ordinals such that they are easily defined in set theory, but it seems impossible to define them as arithmetical ones; x is such a function. If we define x in making use of only the language on ordinals, it seems necessary to use the notion of all the functions from ordinals, e.g., as in [6]. If we call a predicate with quantifiers on functions of ordinals 'analytic' in the theory of ordinals in comparison with the theory of natural numbers, the notion of cardinals seems to be essentially 'not arithmetical' but 'analytic', i.e., it seems that cardinals are not reachable by means of arithmetical functions of ordinals. It seems quite plausible that, together with other powerful hypotheses, e.g., the generalized continuum hypothesis, this would be an important hypothesis on set theory. Thus we present the following schema: HYPOTHESIS OF TRANSCENDENCE OF CARDINALS. If / is arithmetical and
Qualitative exploration of rural focus group members' participation in the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, USA.

Introduction: Nearly half of rural residents in the USA have at least one chronic condition, and meeting the complex needs of these individuals has become a challenge for the current healthcare system. A self-management approach enables individuals with chronic illnesses to gain skills needed to improve the management of their conditions. Rural areas have a higher proportion of individuals who are likely to be affected by chronic conditions. Based on these factors, it is necessary to provide programs to help rural residents self-manage their health. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory study is to explore the benefits perceived by rural residents due to their participation in six weekly group sessions, which are referred to as the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP). Methods: Individuals who completed the CDSMP were recruited to participate in a focus group regarding their experience with the program. Thirty-four of the 45 respondents (75%) who completed the CDSMP participated in six focus groups. When the respondents returned for the scheduled focus groups, they were asked to share their experience with the CDSMP. Each focus group was located at the same site that housed the program in their community. Phenomenological and consensual qualitative approaches were used in the data analysis for the present study. Findings: The majority (91%) of the participants were female. Of those, 97% were non-Hispanic whites. The mean number of chronic conditions was two, with a range between one and eight chronic conditions per participant. Two prominent themes emerged from the six focus groups: respondent interaction in behavior change and prioritizing health behavior change.
Looks-Based Hiring and Wrongful Discrimination

Popular clothing retailer Abercrombie and Fitch (A&F) is well-known for hiring attractive store sales clerks. While the economic benefits of this hiring practice for the company are undeniable, many commentators contend that it constitutes wrongful discrimination against unattractive job seekers. In this article, I explore the ethics of A&F-style lookism and challenge two common perspectives on this issue. I argue that on one hand, looks-based hiring cannot be defended based on its economic benefits alone, as race-based hiring also can be profitable in some circumstances. At the same time, I reject arguments that looks-based hiring is not “job relevant” given its economic impact in many contexts. Through a comparison between race- and looks-based hiring, I conclude that at least for businesses that are relevantly similar to A&F—firms for which lookism produces clear economic benefits—looks-based hiring is permissible.
Nitric oxide donor SIN-1 inhibits mammalian cardiac calcium current through cGMP-dependent protein kinase

The effect of the nitric oxide (NO) donor SIN-1 (3-morpholino-sydnonimine) on the calcium current (ICa) was examined in guinea pig ventricular myocytes. SIN-1 had little effect on basal ICa. After moderate stimulation of ICa with 10 nM isoproterenol (ISO), 10 microM SIN-1 caused either stimulation or inhibition of ICa; 100 microM SIN-1 consistently caused inhibition. SIN-1 (1-100 microM) inhibited ICa equally following considerable enhancement of ICa by either 1 microM ISO or 100 microM 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, a nonspecific phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor. SIN-1 (100 microM) also inhibited ICa equally following enhancement by either 10 microM pipette adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) or hydrolysis-resistant 8-bromo-cAMP. Thus the inhibitory effect of SIN-1 appears independent of PDEs. Addition of LY-83583 (a blocker of guanylate cyclase) to the pipette or superfusion with KT-5823 [a blocker of the guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase] suppressed the inhibitory effect of SIN-1. We conclude that NO is an important modulator of beta-adrenergic effects on ICa and that the mechanism of NO inhibition of ICa in mammalian cardiac cells involves the cGMP-dependent protein kinase.
Leveraging the power of peer-led learning: investigating effects on STEM performance in urban high schools

The Peer Enabled Restructured Classroom (PERC) is an instructional innovation developed to address gaps in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in urban high schools. The PERC model changes instruction from teacher led to peer led by bringing peer students into the classroom to lead small-group work. Our study sought to provide empirical evidence in support of the peer-led model as a means of improving STEM learning for tutored students in urban schools. We used propensity score matching to evaluate the innovation's impact on students’ achievement on standardized end-of-course tests in two 9th-grade courses – Integrated Algebra and Biology. Results suggest that by the 2nd year of implementation, enrolment in PERC Biology increased the likelihood of passing. Similar effects were not observed for PERC Integrated Algebra, but when comparing cohorts, we found that the 2nd year was twice as likely to pass as the 1st year. We discuss implications for programme improvement.
Butchering and Stone Tool Function

Experiments were performed to determine the effectiveness of obsidian tools with different forms of edge treatment for animal processing. For most butchering tasks, primary flakes with unmodified working edges were more effective than bifacially pressure-flaked tools. The data presented indicate considerable variability among animal species in the demands placed on tools used for specific butchering tasks. It is suggested that consideration by prehistoric hunters of factors such as tool longevity and raw material availability could have resulted in the use of butchering tools with less than optimal cutting characteristics.
Buckling analysis of woven fabric under uniaxial tension in arbitrary direction

The buckling of a fabric sheet subjected to a uniaxial tension in a direction making arbitrary angle, θ (0°<θ<90°) say, with respect to that of warp is investigated. The equation to determine the buckling direction angle, β say, was obtained and, as illustration, the solution curves of the equation for θ=45° and θ=30° were plotted. It is shown that when the fabric sheet is subjected to tension in non-warp/non-weft direction the out-of-plane buckling of fabric is possible, two buckling modes (flexural and extensional modes) and the both corresponding buckling conditions are obtained. The results given by ZHANG and FU (2001) are the special cases of this paper.
In Vivo Retinal Vascular Oxygen Tension Imaging and Fluorescein Angiography in the Mouse Model of Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy

PURPOSE Oxygenation abnormalities are implicated in the development of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). The purpose of this study is to report in vivo retinal vascular oxygen tension (PO2) measurements and fluorescein angiography (FA) findings in the mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). METHODS We exposed 19 neonatal mice to 77% oxygen from postnatal day 7 (P7) to P12 (OIR), while 11 neonatal mice were kept under room air (control). Using phosphorescence lifetime imaging, retinal vascular PO2 was measured followed by FA. Repeated measures ANOVA was performed to determine the effects of blood vessel type (artery and vein) and group (OIR and control) on PO2. Avascular retinal areas were measured from FA images in OIR mice. RESULTS There was a significant effect of vessel type on PO2 (P < 0.001). The effect of group on PO2 was not significant (P = 0.3), indicating similar PO2 between OIR and control mice. The interaction between group and vessel type was significant (P = 0.03), indicating a larger arteriovenous PO2 difference in OIR mice than control mice. In control mice, FA displayed normal vascularization, while FA of OIR mice showed abnormalities, including dilation and tortuosity of major retinal blood vessels, and avascular regions. In OIR mice, the mean percent avascular retinal area was 33% ± 18%. CONCLUSIONS In vivo assessment of retinal vascular oxygen tension and vascularization patterns demonstrated abnormalities in the mouse model of OIR. This approach has the potential to improve understanding of retinal vascular development and oxygenation alterations due to ROP and other ischemic retinal diseases.
Chernobyl: Answers Slipping Away

(1990). Chernobyl: Answers Slipping Away. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Vol. 46, Radiation and Health, pp. 19-23.
Bad News Deserves Better Communication: A Customizable Curriculum for Teaching Learners to Share Life-Altering Information in Pediatrics.

Abstract Introduction Learners have repeatedly expressed a desire for more structured training in communicating with families, especially when sharing life-altering information and breaking bad new...
Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment

Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) can be used to treat a variety of conditions, most notably low back pain. This article provides an overview of OMT and the physicians who practice it.
Optimization design and experimental research of eddy current sensor based on semi-analytical model

Aiming at requirement of characteristics and real-time monitoring of fatigue crack located at the hole of metallic bolted-joint structure,a kind of eddy current array sensor based on flexible plane is proposed. A real-time scheme for fatigue crack propagation monitoring is designed. Semi-analytical model for sensor damage monitoring is constructed,and platform of real-time monitoring on fatigue crack extension based on eddy array sensor is bulit.The characteristic parameters of eddy current sensor array are optimized and the monitoring sensitivity of the sensor is determined through simulation on eddy array sensor and experimental research on fatigue crack extension.Research results indicate that the substrate layer impedes the electromagnetic coupling between exciting windings and sensing windings. The thickness of substrate layer should be as thin as possible. While the thickness scope of conductive layer of eddy array sensor is 0. 12~ 0. 18 mm,the optimal width of exciting coil is 0. 8 mm and that of sensing coil is 0. 5 mm,and the sensitivity of damage monitoring of sensor is the highest.
‘Dropping the Pilot’ — Kaiser Wilhelm II and the New Course

The rapid transitions between the dignified monarchy of Wilhelm I, to the brief, tragic reign of Friedrich, followed by the accession of the much younger Wilhelm II, produced a wide variety of reactions from cartoonists of the comic weeklies.1 While the response to the death of Wilhelm I was uniformly respectful (and that towards the cancer-stricken Friedrich similarly courteous), the advent of the impetuous, energetic Wilhelm II was met with expressions ranging from ridicule or outright suspicion of the young monarch’s military pretensions, to a quiet willingness to await the outcome of events before passing judgement on the new regime.2 Just as in the Bismarckian, so too in the Wilhelmine period, the image of Germany itself became subsumed under representations of a single individual, and ideas about his personal character as well as political standing. But even more so than Bismarck (or the other monarchs who acted as ‘deputies’ (Stellvertreter) for their respective cartoon nations), Wilhelm II seemed not only a representative, but the very incarnation of the ‘waxing vigour’ of his nation; his upturned moustache and preference for personal display all but ensuring that he would become a favourite of cartoonists of all persuasions.3 The very youth of the Kaiser himself (he was only 29 when he ascended the throne), combined with his insistence upon inaugurating a ‘Personal Regime’ in Germany, and his status as the grandson of Queen Victoria, were all combined to form an ironic image of a child-Kaiser.4
Kantianism at the Nano-scale

The smallest object that the human eye can detect has dimensions of around 50 microns. So there is a sense in which a sphere that is, say, 10 microns in diameter, is invisible to us. Some philosophers have argued that the invisibility, to us, of a 10 microns sphere has epistemological significance that, in particular, our knowledge about and our understanding of such things may be qualitatively different from our knowledge and understanding of directly observable objects. Along with many other philosophers, I find this view untenable. It seems clear that although they are not directly observable to us, 10 microns spheres are nonetheless the same sort of thing as their larger cousins (the 50 microns spheres). Indeed, there are creatures whose visual apparatus works more or less as ours does that can directly see 10 microns spheres.
Gulf Ribbed Mussels ( Geukensia granosissima ) Increase Methane Emissions from a Coastal Spartina alterniflora Marsh

Understanding methane emissions from natural sources is becoming increasingly important with future climactic uncertainty. Wetlands are the single largest natural source of methane; however, little attention has been given to how biota and interactions between aboveground and belowground communities may affect methane emission rates in these systems. To investigate the effects of vegetative disturbance and belowground biogeochemical alterations induced by biota on methane emissions in situ, we manipulated densities of Littoraria irrorata (marsh periwinkle snails) and Geukensia granosissima (gulf ribbed mussels) inside fenced enclosures within a Spartina alterniflora salt marsh and measured methane emissions and sediment extracellular enzyme activity (phosphatase, β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, peroxidase, and phenol oxidase) over the course of a year. Changes in snail density did not have an effect on methane emission; however, increased densities of ribbed mussels significantly increased the emission of methane. Sediment extracellular enzyme activities for phosphatase, cellobiohydrolase, N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, and phenol oxidase were correlated to methane emission, and none of the enzymes assayed were affected by the snail and mussel density treatments. While methane emissions from salt marsh ecosystems are lower than those from freshwater systems, the high degree of variability in emission rates and the potential for interactions with naturally occurring biota that increase emissions warrant further investigations into salt marsh methane dynamics.
An educational tool and teaching guidelines for nonlinear systems with sparse inputs

In this work, a software package and its associated teaching plan are provided for computationally efficient analysis and simulation of nonlinear systems. This MATLAB based tool can be used during senior undergraduate and graduate level. The students can use this software for system level design and simulation of the effect of nonlinearity and noise in communication transceivers or fast implementation of Volterra filters for a class of sparse vectors.
The Fight Against Skyrocketing Textbook Prices (a)

A young graduate student finds himself in hot water when he is sued by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., for reselling textbooks overseas for a profit. This case explores the first-sale doctrine—a section of the Copyright Act of 1976—as well as citation of three additional decisions. The B case reveals the Supreme Court verdict. This case is used in a business law course elective at the McIntire School of Commerce. Excerpt UVA-G-0638 Mar. 16, 2015 The Fight Against Skyrocketing Textbook Prices (A) Supap Kirtsaeng, a graduate student at the University of Southern California, anxiously opened the letter he had just received from the U.S. Supreme Court. His eyes quickly scanned the page, and he smiled. The court had granted him a writ of certiorari, meaning that his appeal in the case against textbook publisher Wiley & Sons, Inc., would be heard. Perhaps he wouldn't have to forfeit all the profit he had made in the past few years selling cheap international editions of textbooks on eBay. Supap Kirtsaeng Supap Kirtsaeng was born in Thailand and lived there throughout his teenage years. As a teenager he excelled academically and, desiring the educational opportunities the United States provided, he applied and was accepted to Cornell University. As with most college students, Kirtsaeng was budget minded. He couldn't do much about living costs, but during his trips back to Thailand he realized that nearly identical versions of the textbooks he was using in class were available for a fraction of the price. After buying books for himself, Kirtsaeng realized he could turn international textbook sales into a profitable business. He opened up an eBay account and created listings for eight different textbooks that were both available in Thailand and popular in the United States. His family and friends back home would ship the textbooks to the United States, Kirtsaeng would reimburse them, and then he would pocket the profit from each sale. Despite the time commitments of his newfound business, Kirtsaeng continued to do well, and he decided to pursue a graduate degree in mathematics at the University of Southern California. By 2008, just a handful of years after he began selling, he had earned total revenue of more than $ 1million. . . .
Mood-dependent retrieval in visual long-term memory: dissociable effects on retrieval probability and mnemonic precision

Although memories are more retrievable if observers' emotional states are consistent between encoding and retrieval, it is unclear whether the consistency of emotional states increases the likelihood of successful memory retrieval, the precision of retrieved memories, or both. The present study tested visual long-term memory for everyday objects while consistent or inconsistent emotional contexts between encoding and retrieval were induced using background grey-scale images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). In the study phase, participants remembered colours of sequentially presented objects in a negative (Experiment 1a) or positive (Experiment 2a) context. In the test phase, participants estimated the colours of previously studied objects in either negative versus neutral (Experiment 1a) or positive versus neutral (Experiment 2a) contexts. Note, IAPS images in the test phase were always visually different from those initially paired with the studied objects. We found that reinstating negative context and positive context at retrieval resulted in better mnemonic precision and a higher probability of successful retrieval, respectively. Critically, these effects could not be attributed to a negative or positive context at retrieval alone (Experiments 1b and 2b). Together, these findings demonstrated dissociable effects of emotion on the quantitative and qualitative aspects of visual long-term memory retrieval.
Study of young patients with myocardial infarction: Design and rationale of the YOUNG-MI Registry

The YOUNG-MI registry is a retrospective study examining a cohort of young adults age ≤ 50 years with a first-time myocardial infarction. The study will use the robust electronic health records of 2 large academic medical centers, as well as detailed chart review of all patients, to generate high-quality longitudinal data regarding the clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients who experience a myocardial infarction at a young age. Our findings will provide important insights regarding prevention, risk stratification, treatment, and outcomes of cardiovascular disease in this understudied population, as well as identify disparities which, if addressed, can lead to further improvement in patient outcomes.
Determining Palliative Care Penetration Rates in the Acute Care Setting

Abstract Context Intermountain Healthcare, in collaboration with Cerner Corporation, developed a hospital-based electronic palliative care algorithm. Objectives This study aims to improve identification of patients who would benefit from palliative care services, and calculate palliative care penetration rates. Methods This study used a mixed-methods nonrandomized retrospective study design. Three 30-day iterations of clinical data were analyzed for patients identified by the electronic algorithm. During the second and third 30-day iterations, palliative care clinicians conducted chart reviews on a weekly basis for identified patients and determined whether the patients were appropriate for a palliative care consult. Positive predictive values (PPVs) were calculated. Based on the PPV, palliative care consult penetration rates were also calculated. Results During the first iteration, the algorithm triggered 2995 times on 1384 unique patient encounters (69.3% of the total inpatient population). In the second iteration, the algorithm triggered 851 times on 477 unique patient encounters (26.4% of the total inpatient population). Eight hundred twenty-one chart reviews were completed on 420 unique patient encounters. The PPV was 68.3%. Based on the PPV, the projected palliative care penetration rate was 17.6%. During the third iteration, the algorithm triggered 1229 times on 539 unique patient encounters (33.3% of the total inpatient population). Nine hundred sixty-seven chart reviews were completed on 505 unique patient encounters. The PPV was 80.1%. Based on the PPV, the projected palliative care penetration rate was 26.4%. Conclusion This study successfully optimized an electronic palliative care identification algorithm with a PPV of 80.1% and indicates appropriate palliative care penetration rates may be as high as 26.4% of the total inpatient population.
Anatomic findings associated with epispadias in boys: Implications for surgical management and urinary continence.

Summary Introduction Pre-operative physical examination of male epispadias allows for classification of epispadias level as glanular (GE), penile (PE) or penopubic (PPE), and for delineation of anatomic anomalies. The incidence of associated extragenital abnormalities, such as vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), bladder neck (BN) abnormality and abnormal pubic diastasis (PD), and their impact on urinary continence has not yet been systematically studied. Objective The goal of this study was to evaluate whether the more proximal level of epispadias correlated with associated extragenital anatomic anomalies seen on initial imaging or endoscopic evaluation, and whether these pre-operative findings contributed to subsequent surgical management and impacted on achieving urinary continence. It was hypothesized that the more severe forms of epispadias may be associated with a higher frequency of associated anomalies. Study design The study was an IRB-approved, retrospective case study of all male patients treated initially for isolated epispadias at the current institution between 1994 and 2011. Data collection was achieved by chart and radiology review evaluating PD, BN appearance, presence of VUR, surgical treatment, and urinary continence. Results A total of 26 patients were identified and divided into three groups based on appearance at physical examination: four glanular (GE), eight penile (PE), and 14 penopubic (PPE); 17 patients had an abnormal BN. Reflux was noted in nine of 20 patients who had a voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG), two of which had an episode of pyelonephritis. Of the 22 patients past the age of toilet training, 17 were continent (64% (9/14) penopubic, 63% (5/8) penile, and 75% (3/4) glanular). Discussion Anatomic classification for male epispadias did not provide sufficient information regarding extragenital findings. This study provided new information regarding PD, BN appearance, presence of reflux, and ultimate urinary continence. Pubic diastasis and BN abnormalities were more frequently seen in more severe forms of epispadias, whereas VUR seemed more prevalent in less severe forms. A template for pre-operative evaluation was outlined. Limitations of the study were its retrospective design and relatively small cohort of patients, which reflected the rarity of the condition. Conclusion Based on the information generated, additional anatomic information was generated regarding boys with epispadias. This information will help guide the evaluation and the management of these patients in the future.