cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Changing Status of Ejection Fraction as a Predictor of Early Mortality Following Surgery for Acquired Heart Disease

Several reports in the literature and our experience prior to 1974 support the thesis that operative risk in patients with acquired heart disease and poor ventricular function (as assessed by a biplane ejection fraction [EF] $$ 0.40) was very significantly increased over the risk in patients with normal ventricular function. These results led to disagreement in the literature regarding the advisability of surgery in patients with poor ventricular function. Various EFs from less than 0.31 to less than 0.50 were suggested as contradicting elective surgery, while more aggressive groups recommended surgery in all patients with angina. Precise comparison of the results reported by different groups was not always possible because of the common reliance on single-plane right anterior oblique ventriculograms, which tend to underestimate EF and overestimate operative risk. Using biplane ventriculograms for accurate estimation of EF, we have demonstrated a significant reduction in 30-day operative risk to a clinically acceptable 3 percent (1/32) for single valve replacement and aortocoronary surgery patients with poor ventricular function (EF $$ 0.40) during 1974. Considering the high risk of medically treated patients with reduced ventricular function, these results support further evaluation of surgical palliation for patients with valvular or coronary heart disease and reduced ventricular function.
The design and optimization of high-performance, double-poly self-aligned p-n-p technology

The device design and performance of double-poly self-aligned p-n-p technology, featuring a low-resistivity p/sup +/ subcollector, thin p-epi, and boron-doped poly-emitter are described. Device isolation is provided by deep and shallow trenches which reduce the collector-to-substrate capacitance while maintaining a high breakdown voltage (>or=40 V). By utilizing a shallow emitter process in conjunction with an optimized arsenic-base implant, devices with emitter-base junction depths as shallow as 20 nm and base widths of less than 100 nm were obtained. Cutoff frequencies of up to 27 GHz were obtained, and the AC performance was demonstrated by an NTL-gate delay of 36 ps and an active-pull-down (APD) ECL-gate delay of 20 ps. This high-performance p-n-p technology was developed to be compatible with existing double-poly n-p-n technologies. The matching speed of p-n-p devices opens up new opportunities for high-performance complementary bipolar circuits. >
Effectiveness of instructor-led collaborative learning in the classroom

Purpose – Collaborative learning was examined as a pedagogy to determine if students could improve standardized exam scores when the professor led the sessions in class. The purpose of this paper is to design a quasi-experiment to test the predictive ability of this pedagogy using a randomly allocated treatment vs control group. An externally administered standardized exam was used as the instrument. Design/methodology/approach – A post-positivist ideology was employed, quantitative data were collected from standardized exit exams scores and from the experiment factors. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis along with a General Linear Model (GLM) ANCOVA were applied to test the hypothesis at the 95 percent confidence level. Findings – A statistically significant model was developed using multiple regression in a Generalized Linear Model. The regression model developed in this study was able to capture 51 percent of variance on the exam score, using four predictors were (in order of importance): SAT...
Handsaw: tangible exploration of volumetric data by direct cut-plane projection

Tangible User Interfaces are well-suited to handling three-dimensional data sets by direct manipulation of real objects in space, but current interfaces can make it difficult to look inside dense volumes of information. This paper presents the Handsaw, a system that detects a virtual cut-plane projected by an outstretched hand or laser-line directly on an object or space and reveals sectional data on an adjacent display. By leaving the hands free and using a remote display, these techniques can be shared between multiple users and integrated into everyday practice. The Handsaw has been prototyped for scientific visualizations in medicine, engineering and urban design. User evaluations suggest that using a hand is more intuitive while projected light is more precise than keyboard and mouse control, and the Handsaw system has the potential to be used effectively by novices and in groups.
Logic Synthesis and Optimization Benchmarks for the 1986 Design Automation Conference

In order to compare logic synthesis and optimization systems, a set of benchmarks has been submitted to a number of authors. The results obtained are reported in the present proceedings. This short paper introduces the benchmarks as well as a set of criteria to measure the quality of logic synthesis systems.
Long-term bonded retention after closure of maxillary midline diastema

Introduction The objectives of this study were to evaluate fixed bonded palatal surface retainers between the maxillary central incisors that were placed to maintain midline diastema closure and record their longevity, proclivity for damage, and periodontal health of the central incisors in patients 5 or more years after treatment. Methods Twenty-nine subjects were contacted and interviewed by phone concerning the status of their bonded retainer and midline diastema. Eleven subjects with intact retainers came for a periodontal health evaluation of the maxillary central incisors. The measures used were the plaque index, the periodontal screening and recording score, and the gingival index. A split-mouth design was used. Statistical analyses of retainer duration, damage probability, and gingival health were performed. Results Of the 29 subjects, 52% of the initial retainers were in place for an average of 23 years. For the total of 34 bonded retainers, the mean longevity was 17 years. The risk of breakage for any particular year the retainer was in place was 2%. The mean differences in scores between the maxillary central incisors and the control teeth were −0.06 for the plaque index, −0.14 for the periodontal screening and recording score, and −0.11 for the gingival index. Statistical tests on the differences indicated no evidence that the long-term presence of the bonded palatal surface retainer adversely affected the periodontal health of the maxillary central incisors. Conclusions The study's sample demonstrated that a bonded retainer for maintaining closure of a maxillary midline diastema can last an average of 17 years or more, with a yearly 2% chance of breakage and with no expected adverse effects on the periodontal health of the maxillary central incisors.
Transcutaneous electrical stimulation versus traditional dysphagia therapy: a nonconcurrent cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this investigation was to critically evaluate the efficacy of electrical stimulation (ES) in treating persons with dysphagia and aspiration. STUDY DESIGN: Nonconcurrent cohort study. METHODOLOGY: The charts of 40 consecutive individuals undergoing ES and 40 consecutive persons undergoing traditional dysphagia therapy (TDT) were reviewed. Pre- and post-therapy treatment success was compared utilizing a previously described swallow severity scale. A linear regression analysis was employed to adjust for potential confounding variables. RESULTS: The swallow severity scale improved from 0.50 to 1.48 in the TDT group (P < 0.05) and from 0.28 to 3.23 in the ES group (P < 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounding factors, persons receiving ES did significantly better in regard to improvement in their swallowing function than persons receiving TDT (P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this nonconcurrent cohort study suggest that dysphagia therapy with transcutaneous electrical stimulation is superior to traditional dysphagia therapy alone in individuals in a long-term acute care facility.
Spectral Short-circuiting and Wake Production within the Canopy Trunk Space of an Alpine Hardwood Forest

Using synchronous multi-level high frequency velocity measurements, the turbulence spectra within the trunk space of an alpine hardwood forest were analysed. The spectral short-circuiting of the energy cascade for each velocity component was well repro- duced by a simplified spectral model that retained return-to-isotropy and component-wise work done by turbulence against the drag and wake production. However, the use of an aniso- tropic drag coefficient was necessary to reproduce these measured component-wise spectra. The degree of anisotropy in the vertical drag was shown to vary with the element Reynolds number. The wake production frequency in the measured spectra was shown to be consistent with the vortex shedding frequency at constant Strouhal number given by fvs = 0.21 ¯ u/d, where d can be related to the stem diameter at breast height (dbh )a nd¯
Poly-HEMA sponge: a biocompatible calcification implant.

Poly-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (Poly-HEMA) was investigated for biocompatibility and calcification potential. S.C. and I.M. implants and transplants to subperiosteal sites were examined. The material was judged to be tolerated by the host tissue since no inflammatory or degenerative changes were observed. This study established that calcification does occur. This calcification does not simulate bone formation; osteoblasts were not observed. The x-ray diffraction pattern resembles that of calcium hydroxyapatite.
Protein structure determination with paramagnetic solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

Many structures of the proteins and protein assemblies that play central roles in fundamental biological processes and disease pathogenesis are not readily accessible via the conventional techniques of single-crystal X-ray diffraction and solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). On the other hand, many of these challenging biological systems are suitable targets for atomic-level structural and dynamic analysis by magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR spectroscopy, a technique that has far less stringent limitations on the molecular size and crystalline state. Over the past decade, major advances in instrumentation and methodology have prompted rapid growth in the field of biological solid-state NMR. However, despite this progress, one challenge for the elucidation of three-dimensional (3D) protein structures via conventional MAS NMR methods is the relative lack of long-distance data. Specifically, extracting unambiguous interatomic distance restraints larger than ∼5 A from through-space magnetic dipole-dipole couplings among the protein (1)H, (13)C, and (15)N nuclei has proven to be a considerable challenge for researchers. It is possible to circumvent this problem by extending the structural studies to include several analogs of the protein of interest, intentionally modified to contain covalently attached paramagnetic tags at selected sites. In these paramagnetic proteins, the hyperfine couplings between the nuclei and unpaired electrons can manifest themselves in NMR spectra in the form of relaxation enhancements of the nuclear spins that depend on the electron-nucleus distance. These effects can be significant for nuclei located up to ∼20 A away from the paramagnetic center. In this Account, we discuss MAS NMR structural studies of nitroxide and EDTA-Cu(2+) labeled variants of a model 56 amino acid globular protein, B1 immunoglobulin-binding domain of protein G (GB1), in the microcrystalline solid phase. We used a set of six EDTA-Cu(2+)-tagged GB1 mutants to rapidly determine the global protein fold in a de novo fashion. Remarkably, these studies required quantitative measurements of only approximately four or five backbone amide (15)N longitudinal paramagnetic relaxation enhancements per residue, in the complete absence of the usual internuclear distance restraints. Importantly, this paramagnetic solid-state NMR methodology is general and can be directly applied to larger proteins and protein complexes for which a significant fraction of the signals can be assigned in standard 2D and 3D MAS NMR chemical shift correlation spectra.
EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON GROWTH AND RESPIRATION OF ECTOTROPHIC MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI

with those of other colors, the per cent of ectotrophic mycorrhizae formed by Cenococcum graniforme (Sow.) Ferd. & Winge on Pinus virginiana Mill. has been shown to increase as moisture decreases in soils (Palmer 1954, Worley and Hacskaylo 1959). Whether or not temperature may effect or determine the fungus component in the ectotrophic mycorrhiza and the survival, spread, and activity of such soil fungi is unknown. The variable optima and ranges of such fungi, mostly European, that have been studied in pure culture (Melin 1925, Mikola 1948, Moser, 1956, 1961, Norkrans 1950), indicate that responses to temperature may limit their distribution and activity and therefore their performance in form? ing ectotrophic mycorrhizae with particular species of trees. Many mycorrhizal fungi cannot be isolated in pure culture from mycorrhizae, by germination of basidiospores, or from sporophore tissue transplants. The viability of a large number of those which can be cultured declines during subsequent subculturing. Since many of the Hymenomycetous fungi do not lyophilize or freeze-dry with predictable success, storage of isolates requires constant subculturing and often results in decline or loss of isolates about which a knowledge of genetic composition and physiological performance exists. To better predict competitive performance in the field or in pot culture after inoculation, to successfully isolate in vitro, to reduce decline
Alyawara Site Structure and Its Archaeological Implications

Ethnoarchaeological research has shown that the assumptions formerly guiding the investigation of hunter-gatherer site structure are invalid, at least as general rules. Further research is now required to identify the determinants of site structure and assess their effect. Here I describe those aspects of Alyawara behavior that shape site structure at residential base camps. I then compare certain features of the Alyawara case with those of the !Kung and the Nunamiut. I tentatively infer that most of the variability in site structure in these cases is a function of differences in the degree of reliance on food storage, seasonal variation in weather, household population size, and the length of time activity areas are in use. Predator pressure and the relative importance of interhousehold food sharing may also be involved. The apparent importance of food storage suggests that variation in site structure may parallel Binford's (1980) forager-collector continuum. Further research is required to determine if this is so, and whether other aspects of behavior also affect site structure. These observations have important implications for the conduct of archaeological research, especially for the spatial scales at which analyses of site structure are undertaken, and for the sizes of refuse items considered in such analyses.
Prenatal Glucocorticoid Administration and the Development of the Epinephrine-Forming Enzyme.

SummaryThe administration of the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone to pregnant rats raised the activity of the adrenal epinephrine-forming enzyme (PNMT) in the 21-day-old offspring. Adrenal epinephrine content was also elevated at 21 and 45 days. Heart PNMT activity was raised in the immediate postnatal period in the progeny of steroid-treated mothers, although enzyme activity returned to control values at 21 days. Brain PNMT activity was unaffected by steroid treatment.
An integrated software package to enable predictive simulation capabilities

The power grid is rapidly evolving with the deployment of smart grid technologies. Such technologies vastly increase the size and complexity of power grid systems for modeling and simulation. This increasing complexity necessitates not only the use of high-performance-computing (HPC) techniques, but a smooth, well-integrated interplay among HPC applications. This paper presents a new software package that integrates HPC applications and a web-based visualization tool based on a middleware framework. This framework can support data communication between different applications. Case studies with a large power system demonstrate the predictive capability brought by the integrated software package, as well as better situational awareness provided by the web-based visualization tool in a live mode. Test results validate the effectiveness and usability of the integrated software package.
The effects of a standardized belly dance program on perceived pain, disability, and function in women with chronic low back pain.

Background An alternative approach to facilitate movement and control through the trunk and pelvis is belly dancing. Investigations of belly dancing mechanics indicate similar muscular activation patterns of those known to influence chronic low back pain (cLBP). However, no documented studies have examined its effectiveness as a treatment for cLBP. Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of a standardized belly dance program in women with cLBP. Methods A single subject design was used to evaluate weekly outcomes during a three-week baseline period, six-week belly dance program, and again at a two-month follow-up. Outcome measures for pain, disability, function, and fear-avoidance beliefs were utilized. Results Two subjects completed the program. No significant differences were noted during the baseline assessment period. At two months, subject one demonstrated change scores of -1.12, -1%, and 2.2 for pain, disability, and function respectively while subject two demonstrated change scores of 5.4, 5%, and 1.1 for pain, disability, and function, respectively. Subject one showed a clinically significant change score for both fear avoidance of work and physical activity, with score changes of 4 and 3.3, respectively. Conclusion The results of this study suggest a standardized belly dance program may positively influence pain and function in women with cLBP.
Systematic drug repositioning through mining adverse event data in ClinicalTrials.gov

Drug repositioning (i.e., drug repurposing) is the process of discovering new uses for marketed drugs. Historically, such discoveries were serendipitous. However, the rapid growth in electronic clinical data and text mining tools makes it feasible to systematically identify drugs with the potential to be repurposed. Described here is a novel method of drug repositioning by mining ClinicalTrials.gov. The text mining tools I2E (Linguamatics) and PolyAnalyst (Megaputer) were utilized. An I2E query extracts "Serious Adverse Events" (SAE) data from randomized trials in ClinicalTrials.gov. Through a statistical algorithm, a PolyAnalyst workflow ranks the drugs where the treatment arm has fewer predefined SAEs than the control arm, indicating that potentially the drug is reducing the level of SAE. Hypotheses could then be generated for the new use of these drugs based on the predefined SAE that is indicative of disease (for example, cancer).
Quantifying Liquid Transport and Patterning Using Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides unique insight into the nanoscale properties of materials. It has been challenging, however, to use AFM to study soft materials such as liquids or gels because of their tendency to flow in response to stress. We propose an AFM-based technique for quantitatively analyzing the transport of soft materials from an AFM probe to a surface. Specifically, we present a method for loading an AFM probe with a single 0.3 to 30 pL droplet of liquid and subsequently measuring the mass of this liquid by observing the change in the vibrational resonance frequency of the cantilever. Using this approach, the mass of this liquid was detected with picogram-scale precision by a commercial AFM system. Additionally, sub-femtoliter droplets of liquid were transferred from the probe to a surface with agreement found between the real-time change in mass of the liquid-loaded probe and the volume of the feature written on the surface. To demonstrate the utility of this approach in studying nanoscale capillary and transport phenomena, we experimentally determine that the quantity of liquid transported from the tip to a surface in a given patterning operation scales as the mass of liquid on the probe to the 1.35 power. In addition to providing new avenues for studying the dynamics of soft materials on the nanoscale, this method can improve nanopatterning of soft materials by providing in situ feedback.
Hedonic scaling: assumptions, contexts and frames of reference

The role of assumptions, contexts and frames of reference in hedonic scaling are reviewed and discussed. The assumption that affect is bipolar is a long-held one, but recent studies in the food science literature have challenged this assumption through the use of separate scales for liking and disliking. These data and other theoretical and empirical arguments show that the bipolarity assumption is yet to be resolved. More certain are the effects of contextual variables in hedonic scaling. Recent research on the nature, relative degree of liking/disliking, and similarity of other stimuli to the target stimulus, the role of end-anchor labels on hedonic scales, and the impact of the framing of hedonic questions and their influence on the consumer’s ‘consideration set’ are reviewed and discussed. The goal of the review is to inform food scientists about assumptions and contextual influences that operate in hedonic testing, so that these influences may be controlled and/or taken into account when using hedonic scales in consumer testing.
The Pursuit of a Collegial Model of Clinical Practice: The Story of One University

ABSTRACTThis study addresses the urgent need for change in clinical experiences that better prepare teacher candidates to negotiate the changing landscape of educational and accreditation policies and practices affecting P-12 classrooms. Specifically, the article examines the impact of a comprehensive 4-year initiative to transform traditional student teaching into yearlong, cotaught clinical experiences in a large state university that prepares approximately 1,000 prospective teachers each year in one of 22 initial certification programs. To document the effectiveness of the new practices, school–university researchers used a variety of mixed methodologies in a number of small studies. Although the overall findings are preliminary, they are being effectively used to identify promising practices and to inform future developments.
Emergence of male-sterile Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) backcross moths at a central release point and their resulting spatial distribution.

Heliothis virescens backcross moths are most effectively released in wide-area release programs from pupae placed in the field prior to moth emergence. A significantly greater moth emergence was ob...
Nationalism and war for territory: from ‘divisible’ territories to inviolable homelands

AbstractHow did the rise of nationalism affect patterns of interstate wars? The conventional wisdom in mainstream security studies tends to treat the rise of nationalism as a ‘force amplifier’ that allowed states to wage war on an unprecedented scale, leading to deadlier—and, consequently, less frequent—wars. By building on emerging interdisciplinary research on territory and territoriality, this essay suggests that there was a second mechanism—complementary to the ‘force amplifier’ logic—through which the rise of nationalism affected the patterns of interstate war: nationalism changed the ‘character’ of territories in the modern state system, which, in turn, transformed state preferences over their territorial belongings. Before the rise of nationalism, state elites viewed their territories more as ‘divisible’ goods, which created strong incentives for states to wage frequent yet limited wars. The rise of nationalism, in this context, rendered territory controlled by a state more of an ‘inviolable homela...
n-Ethyl Pentylone-Related Deaths in Alabama.

n-Ethyl pentylone (NEP) is a chemical substance derived from cathinone. Synthetic cathinones are an evolving group of drugs with stimulating, mind-altering effects sometimes referred to as novel or new psychoactive substances (NPS). There is scarce information in the medical literature regarding forensic cases in which NEP is detected in toxicological testing. We present four fatalities involving NEP from Alabama in 2017. Deaths were attributed to NEP toxicity in two cases (peripheral blood concentrations of 0.121 and 0.953 mg/L) and injuries caused by gunshot wounds in two cases (peripheral blood concentrations of 0.045 and 0.031 mg/L). One case involving NEP described an individual who exhibited classic CNS-stimulant induced erratic behavior before being found dead. These cases enhance the forensic literature regarding specific NPS like NEP and provide contextual reference for professionals considering the significance of NEP in toxicological interpretation.
Production and characterization of drug-loaded toroidal vortices from a novel ocular drug delivery device

For the last several decades, the predominant method for delivering medicine to the surface of the eye has been the standard multiuse eye dropper. While being the most popular, this method has significant limitations. Recently, an effort has been made to explore the use of a directed toroidal vortex or “smoke ring” aerosol delivery system that may help overcome these limitations and enable delivery of precise amounts of formulation and drug to the ocular surface. Promising preliminary in vitro studies indicated dosing control, but the physical characteristics of the toriodal aerosol device performance and impaction forces related to patient comfort have yet to be established. Here, we experimentally investigate the mechanics and dynamics of these ocular aerosol vortices, including translational and rotational velocities, spatial droplet size distributions, and relative impaction forces in order to optimize the device performance and evaluate potential for clinical use. Maximal droplet velocity at various actuation forces was determined, and they were found to be all less than 6 m/s even at the highest actuation forces. Moreover, plume impaction forces were determined across a range of conditions and were all less than about 4.5 μN. Collectively, these studies showed that the physical and mechanical properties of the emitted drug-loaded vortices would be suitable for ocular administration.
Russians in Iran: Diplomacy and Power in the Qajar Era and Beyond

Although Iran has been closely associated with Russia since the early nineteenth century, sometimes in tense and overwhelming ways, the historiography of Iran’s relationship with Russia is limited....
Modes of Experience and Understanding: Parenting Assessment for Mothers with Serious Mental Illness and Child Protective Service Involvement

This chapter described and illustrated four modes of experience and understanding that comprise a parenting assessment for mothers with serious mental illness and child protective service involvement. The first mode introduces assessors to the immediate problems that led the child protective service to become involved with the family. The second mode seeks to understand how mothers’ past experiences, their support networks, and mental illness have influenced their parenting and their ability to form and maintain relationships with others. The third mode provides information on children’s attachment and developmental needs and on their experiences in being parented by their mothers. The fourth mode provides information from others who have known or treated the mother in different capacities. The assessment process involves a dialectical interplay of all four modes, each held in generative tension, each augmenting, confirming, and negating the others. Clinical illustrations are presented addressing different experiences and understanding gained from each individual mode. To formulate understandings in a new way, assessors must let go of preconceived ideas gained from one mode alone.
Dynamic selection of models

This dissertation develops an approach to high-stakes, model-based decision making under scarce computation resources, bringing together concepts and techniques from the disciplines of decision analysis, statistics, artificial intelligence, and simulation. A method is developed and implemented to solve a time-critical decision problem in the domain of critical-care medicine. This method selects models that balance the prediction accuracy and the need for rapid action. Under a computation-time constraint, the optimal model for a model-based control application is a model that maximizes the tradeoff of model benefit (a measure of how accurately the model predicts the effects of alternative control settings) and model cost (a measure of the length of the model-induced computation delay). This work describes a real-time algorithm that selects, from a graph of models (GoM), a model that is accurate and that is computable within a time constraint. The DSM algorithm is a metalevel reasoning strategy that relies on a dynamic-selection-of-models (DSM) metric to guide the search through a GoM that is organized according to the simplifying assumptions of the models. The DSM metric balances an estimate of the probability that a model will achieve the required prediction accuracy and the cost of the expected model-induced computation delay. The DSM algorithm provides an approach to automated reasoning about complex systems that applies at any level of computation-resource or computation-time constraint. The DSM algorithm is implemented in Konan, a program that performs dynamic selection of patient-specific models from a GoM of quantitative physiologic models. Konan selects models that allow a model-based control application (a ventilator-management advisor) to make real-time decisions for the control settings of a mechanical ventilator.
Diskrete Fourier-Transformation

Um die Fourier-Transformation direkt zu implementieren, mus man Integrale mit stark oszillierenden Integranden auswerten. In seltenen Fallen, wie zum Beispiel fur gewisse Verteilungen oder fur einige einfache Funktionen, kann dies analytisch vorgenommen werden. Eine exakte analytische Formel liefert betrachtliche Einsicht in ein Problem, aber die Fourier-Transformation ist viel zu nutzlich, um sie nur auf solche seltene Spezialfalle zu beschranken. Im allgemeinen Fall konnen wir ein Verfahren der numerischen Integration verwenden wie zum Beispiel die zusammengesetzte Simpsonregel ([2], S.605ff); das rasche Oszillieren von e ikx fur grose |k| erfordert aber eine Aufteilung in viele kleine Teilintervalle und fuhrt zu betrachtlichem Aufwand. Daruber hinaus liefert die Simpsonregel nur dann gute Approximationen, wenn die zu transformierende Funktion vier stetige Ableitungen besitzt.
Radio Emission from WR Stars

In principle radio observations of WR stars offer the best possibility of determining the rate of mass loss, since for a simple model of the extended atmosphere the mass loss rate depends primarily on quantities--the flux density, the velocity, and the distance--which are observable (Barlow 1979). Until now, detections of Wolf-Rayet stars have been limited by the sensitivity and resolution of available telescopes. The advent of the Very Large Array makes a search for emission from a large number of these stars feasible.
Identification of aliphatic and aromatic acids in root and seed exudates of peas, cotton, and barley

We detected aromatic and aliphatic acids in root and seed exudates of aseptic cultures of pea, cotton and barley plants by thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography. There were traces of p-hydroxybenzoic acid in the root and seed exudates of all three plant species. Acid hydrolysis of pea and barley seed exudates yielded p-hydroxybenzoic, and of cotton seed exudates yielded p-coumaric acid, as the predominant aromatic acid constituents of materials exuded by the germinating seeds. Lactic was the predominant aliphatic acid detected in pea and barley root exudates whereas malic acid was predominant in cotton exudates. With the exception of citric acid in peas, malic acid was the predominant acid found in pea, cotton and barley seed exudates. The germinating seed was responsible for a large portion of the total aliphatic and aromatic acid exudation of the seedling plant grown aseptically for 14 days.
The Complexity of Transnational Distance Students: A Review of the Literature

Transnational education is a rapidly evolving and constantly changing field. The Internet has enabled virtually global access to distance education opportunities, however transnational distance students in particular have often been miscategorized, oversimplified, or overlooked in prior research. This literature review synthesizes research and publications over a ten-year period focusing on the emerging phenomenon of transnational distance students. Contrary to the allure of flexible, any time, any place learning often ascribed to distance education, diverse and complex situations are highlighted that paint a more nuanced picture of student circumstances and motivations, counterintuitive and underrepresented conditions that may influence students in their decisions to enrol in transnational distance education programs.
Defining Secondary Mitral Regurgitation: Evidence that the 2017 Updated Guidelines Got it Right

In 2017, the ACC/AHA Updated Guidelines for Valvular Heart Disease were updated to include new information from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on transcatheter aortic valve replacement and secon...
Race, gender, and language concordance in the care of surgical patients: A systematic review.

Abstract Background No consensus exists on whether patient-provider race, gender, and language concordance provides benefits to surgical patients. We report a systematic review of the association between patient-provider concordance and patient preferences and outcomes in surgery. Methods A systematic review of the literature was performed in Medline and PubMed using defined search terms to identify studies related to patient-provider concordance in surgical patients. We included studies with full manuscripts published in English within the United States (1998 to July 2018). Results Out of 253 titles screened, 16 studies met inclusion criteria. Five studies had level 4 evidence and 11 studies had level 3 evidence. The majority of patients preferred providers with a similar background (n = 4/6). Race, gender, and language-concordance had no effect on adherence to provider recommendations (n = 3/3). No effect of race concordance on the quality of care was seen (n = 2/3). Gender concordance was associated with improved quality of care (n = 2/3). There were mixed effects of concordance on the effectiveness of communication (n = 2). Conclusion Few studies examine patient-provider concordance. Most patients prioritize culturally, technically, and clinically competent providers over concordance. Future research is needed regarding the influence of concordance on patient outcomes in surgery within specific patient populations and clinical settings.
Effective floating volume: a highly parallelizable mesh-free approach for solving transient multiphysics problems in multi-scale geometries with non-linear material properties

A novel numerical method is proposed for the solution of transient multi-physics problems involving heat conduction, electrical current sharing and Joule heating. The innovation consists of a mesh-free Monte Carlo approach that eliminates or drastically reduces the particle scattering requirements typical of conventional Monte-Carlo methods. The proposed algorithm encapsulates a volume around each point that affects the solution at a given point in the domain; the volume includes other points that represent small perturbations along the path of energy transfer. The proposed method is highly parallelizable and amenable for GPU computing, and its computational performance was substantially increased by the elimination of scattered interpolation. The accuracy and simulation time of the proposed method are compared against a finite element solution and also against experimental results from existing literature. The proposed method provides accuracy comparable to that of finite element methods, achieving an order of magnitude reduction in simulation time.
The {\alpha}-divergences associated with a pair of strictly comparable quasi-arithmetic means

We generalize the family of $\alpha$-divergences using a pair of strictly comparable weighted means. In particular, we obtain the $1$-divergence in the limit case $\alpha\rightarrow 1$ (a generalization of the Kullback-Leibler divergence) and the $0$-divergence in the limit case $\alpha\rightarrow 0$ (a generalization of the reverse Kullback-Leibler divergence). We state the condition for a pair of quasi-arithmetic means to be strictly comparable, and report the formula for the quasi-arithmetic $\alpha$-divergences and its subfamily of bipower homogeneous $\alpha$-divergences which belong to the Csisar's $f$-divergences. Finally, we show that these generalized quasi-arithmetic $1$-divergences and $0$-divergences can be decomposed as the sum of generalized cross-entropies minus entropies, and rewritten as conformal Bregman divergences using monotone embeddings.
Tracking Intervention Dosage to Inform Instructional Decision Making

Intervention dosage is an often-overlooked aspect of implementation fidelity. Tracking intervention dosage is critical for ensuring students with disabilities were present for and received the inte...
Noninvasive electromagnetic source imaging of spatiotemporally distributed epileptogenic brain sources

Brain networks are spatiotemporal phenomena that dynamically vary over time. Functional imaging approaches strive to noninvasively estimate these underlying processes. Here, we propose a novel source imaging approach that uses high-density EEG recordings to map brain networks. This approach objectively addresses the long-standing limitations of conventional source imaging techniques, namely, difficulty in objectively estimating the spatial extent, as well as the temporal evolution of underlying brain sources. We validate our approach by directly comparing source imaging results with the intracranial EEG (iEEG) findings and surgical resection outcomes in a cohort of 36 patients with focal epilepsy. To this end, we analyzed a total of 1,027 spikes and 86 seizures. We demonstrate the capability of our approach in imaging both the location and spatial extent of brain networks from noninvasive electrophysiological measurements, specifically for ictal and interictal brain networks. Our approach is a powerful tool for noninvasively investigating large-scale dynamic brain networks. Noninvasive electromagnetic measurements are utilized effectively to estimate large scale dynamic brain networks. Sohrabpour et al. propose a novel electrophysiological source imaging approach to estimate the location and size of epileptogenic tissues in patients with epilepsy.
The correlation between molecular characteristics and treatment outcomes in patients (pts) with grade 2-3 (G2-3) gliomas.

e14551Background: In a retrospective study, we investigated the correlation between the molecular characteristics and treatment outcomes in pts with G2-3 glioma. Methods: Pts with G2-3 glioma and k...
Compensation of Systematic Errors in ZUPT-Aided Pedestrian Inertial Navigation

We present a method to identify and compensate systematic errors in the ZUPT-aided pedestrian inertial navigation. We considered two main categories of systematic errors resulting in an underestimate of the length of the trajectory and a drift in the heading of the trajectory. In this study, we identified the dominant factors resulting in the trajectory length and heading errors to be residual velocity during the stance phase and g-sensitivity error of the gyroscopes, respectively. Magnetic motion tracking system was used to record the velocity of the foot during the stance phase. Rate table, tilt table, and shaker were used to calibrate the IMU g-sensitivity. After compensation, a more than $6\times$ systematic error reduction was demonstrated from 3.24m to 0.50m during a 100m straight line trajectory. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first attempt to reduce the systematic errors in the ZUPT-aided pedestrian inertial navigation algorithmically, without adding extra sensing modalities.
Transforming the Culture of Juvenile Justice in the Wake of Youth Prison Closures

In 2019, the Governor of California vowed to fundamentally transform the state’s juvenile justice system. The legislature endorsed this commitment by enacting SB 823, which begins a phased closure of state-run youth prisons in 2021. California is not the first state—nor will it be the last—to close facilities in light of decreased juvenile crime and greater awareness of the harms associated with incarceration. Although a welcomed development, the closure of youth prisons should not be viewed as the culmination of reform; rather, it is only the beginning. To achieve far more impactful change, state and local jurisdictions must confront the long-standing punitive culture within juvenile justice systems that persists both inside and outside the walls of youth prisons. This article argues that the science of adolescent development embraced by the U.S. Supreme Court and the substantial evidence regarding what works to prevent juvenile reoffending provides states with the tools to transform the culture of juvenile justice. A proposed legislative agenda includes updating statutory purpose clauses and enacting statewide policies rooted in the lessons of history and the findings of contemporary research. With the novel concerns raised by a global pandemic and a renewed focus on racial injustice, this is an opportune time for California and other states to revisit and rebuild their systems to ensure they promote the well-being and safety of all children and their communities.
Feedback Free Distributed Transmit Beamforming using Guided Directionality

Distributed transmit beamforming enables cooperative radios to act as one virtual antenna array, extending their communications' range beyond the capabilities of a single radio. Most existing distributed beamforming approaches rely on the destination radio sending feedback to adjust the transmitters' signals for coherent combining. However, relying on the destination radio's feedback limits the communications range to that of a single radio. Existing feedback free approaches rely on phase synchronization and knowing the node locations with sub-wavelength accuracy, which becomes impractical for radios mounted on high-mobility platforms like UAVs. In this work, we propose and demonstrate a feedback free distributed beamforming approach that leverages the radio's mobility and coarse location information in a dominant line-of-sight channel. In the proposed approach, one radio acts as a guide and moves to point the beam of the remaining radios towards the destination. We specify the radios' position requirements and verify their relation to the combined signal at the destination using simulations. A proof of concept demo was implemented using software defined radios, showing up to 9dB SNR improvement in the beamforming direction just by relying on the coarse placement of four radios.
Performance Assessment of Oil Supply Chain Infrastructure Subjected to Hurricanes

AbstractThe petroleum industry in the United States relies heavily on facilities in hurricane-prone regions, such as the Gulf Coast. Past hurricanes have demonstrated the vulnerability of petroleum...
An Arduino-Based Robot with a Sensor as an Educational Project.

This paper presents a demonstration of a project for teaching robotics in secondary schools regarding the emerging concept of so-called thinking (Computational thinking), which is supported by the PRIM project (Support for the Development of Computational Thinking). The PRIM project aims to support a change in the orientation of the school subject of informatics from user control of ICT towards the basics of informatics as a field. In the light of the ongoing Industry 4.0 revolution, the rapidly growing need for both IT professionals and general education in the field of informatics is perceived. The project responds to similar activities in several developed countries, where computational thinking comes to the forefront of the attention of schools and creators of the national curriculum. As part of the project, a set of textbooks covering the teaching of programming across all levels of educational institutions in the Czech Republic was created. This concept also created textbooks for teaching the basics of robotics, using the Micro: Bit and Arduino platforms. The paper presents a sample of projects that try to meet the emerging concept and copy the tested structure of teaching materials.
Bonding Family Social Capital and Agency Among Native-Born and Immigrant College Women With Low Parental Financial Support:

Using in-depth interviews with 23 immigrant and native-born college women who receive little to no financial support from their parents, this study finds that variation in bonding family social cap...
Prejudiced by the Presence of God:Keeping Religious Material Out ofDeath Penalty Deliberations

of Washington, June 2002. The author would like to thank his wife, Hannah Egland, without whose support he would not succeed. The author is also indebted to Professors Roger Groot, Ronald Krotoszynski, Darryl Brown, and the members of the Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse, especially Janice Kopec and Meghan Morgan, whose dedication and willingness to help never ceases to amaze. And, as always, the author is grateful for the love and support of his parents through years of questionable decisions and aimless wanderings. 1. Michael Graczyk, Texas Executes Karla Tucker: Texas Gov. George Bush and the U.S. Supreme Court Refused to Stop the Execution, YORK DAILY REC., Feb. 4, 1998, at A4, available at 1998 WL 6211038. This line was delivered by then-Texas Governor George W. Bush in an announcement denying Karla Faye Tucker’s request for a pardon. Id. Governor Bush concluded by saying, “May God bless Karla Faye Tucker and God bless her victims and their families.” Id. 2. Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153, 188 (1976) (plurality opinion) (citing Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238, 313 (1972)) (recognizing “that the penalty of death is different in kind from any other punishment imposed under our system of criminal justice”). 3. See Gregory M. Ashley, Note, Theology in the Jury Room: Religious Discussion as “Extraneous Material” in the Course of Capital Punishment Deliberations, 55 VAND. L. REV. 127, 136 (2002) (“The jury system is ingrained in the American criminal forum to such a degree that administering our criminal law system without it is unthinkable.” (internal quotation marks omitted)). The United States Supreme Court, through a long line of cases, has protected the primacy of the jury as finder of fact except in the two following instances: (1) the presence of extraneous material in deliberations; and (2) outside influence on the jury. See Parker v. Gladden, 385 U.S. 363, 365 (1966) (finding outside
Pseudomembranous supraglottitis with airway compromise in a patient with recurrent tonsillar carcinoma

Purpose: In this report, we discuss a patient with acute pseudomembranous supraglottitis complicating recurrent tonsillar carcinoma and describe the ramifications of these disorders on perioperative management.