cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
American Heart Association Diabetes and Cardiometabolic Health Summit: Summary and Recommendations.

In the United States, 23.4 million adults have physician‐diagnosed diabetes mellitus (DM),1 81.6 million have prediabetes, and ≈18 000 people under age 20 years are diagnosed with type 1 DM each year.2 Approximately 90% to 95% of all adult DM cases are type 2.2 As such, data mentioned throughout will primarily comprise patients with type 2 DM. Patients with DM are 2 to 4 times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than patients without DM. The prevalence of patients living with DM and prediabetes continues to increase, putting these individuals at greater risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Often patients with DM have multiple other health problems and must also manage other cardiometabolic health risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, and high cholesterol. Because of the direct impact DM and related cardiometabolic disorders have on CVD, the American Heart Association (AHA) is building a multifaceted initiative to (1) unite the primary care, cardiology, endocrinology, and other specialty care provider communities in a comprehensive approach to caring for and treating patients with cardiometabolic conditions such as DM; (2) educate and empower people living with cardiometabolic disorders and DM to better self‐manage their condition(s) and improve their cardiovascular health. By expanding AHA's efforts to include initiatives and programs to reduce the prevalence and impact of cardiometabolic risk factors (such as prediabetes) and conditions (such as DM), the AHA will progress toward its mission of building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. To launch this new initiative, AHA held its first Cardiometabolic Health and Diabetes Summit on December 5, 2017, in Dallas, Texas. The objective was to identify and prioritize opportunities to improve cardiometabolic health and DM care in the United States (Figure 1). Open in a separate window Figure 1 American Heart Association Summit key opportunities.
Machine learning uncovers new cosmological information

Large cosmological datasets have been probing the properties of our universe and constraining the parameters of dark matter and dark energy with increasing precision. Deep learning techniques have shown potential to be smarter, and to greatly outperform human-designed statistics.
Relation of Quantitative Eye Movements with Cognitive Dysfunction in Patients with Concussion (S16.004)

Objective: To assess the relation of quantitative eye movements with cognitive dysfunction in concussion. Background: Inter-saccadic interval (ISI) prolongation during rapid number naming on King-Devick (K-D) testing has been shown to underlie longer test times in patients with a history of concussion. The ISI is a measure of time between saccades, representing saccadic latency and fixation duration. Prolongation may result from increased saccade latency either as a result of, or in concert with, impaired attention and/or cognition. We sought to determine the relation of ISI prolongation and neuropsychological testing in a range of cognitive domains in concussion. Design/Methods: Analysis of sixteen patients with a concussion history (mean age 41.7 +/−13.6 years, range 24–65) who performed K-D with eye movement recordings (EyeLink 1000+) and underwent neuropsychological testing. Primary neuropsychological measures included tests assessing effort, pre-morbid intellectual functioning, processing speed, attention and working memory, executive function, and mood as part of a concussion battery. Spearman rank-correlations were performed to examine the relation of ISI and neuropsychological measures. Results: Among 16 participants, aged 41.7 +/− 13.6 years, mean K-D test time was 72.6s +/−20.7; this is longer than the expected control value of 41.5s (prior studies). Mean ISI was 379.1 msec +/−199.1. Greater ISI prolongation was associated with lower scores on measures of processing speed and attention/working memory: Trails Making Test Part A ( r s =−0.64, P =0.009); Stroop Color Word ( r s =−0.69, P =0.003); Digit Span Backward ( r s =−0.59 P =0.02) and Digit Span Total ( r s =−0.65 P =0.006). Conclusions: Results demonstrate associations between ISI prolongation and worse neuropsychological scores among patients with a history of concussion. Such deficits may reflect involvement of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and subcortical structures in concussion, as these facilitate saccades, processing speed, and working memory. Ongoing studies will further refine cognitive function domains most associated with eye movement physiology in concussion. Disclosure: Dr. Gold has nothing to disclose. Dr. Martone has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lee has nothing to disclose. Dr. Childs has nothing to disclose. Dr. Matsuzawa has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fraser has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ricker has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dai has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rizzo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hudson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Selesnick has nothing to disclose. Dr. Galetta has nothing to disclose. Dr Balcer has nothing to disclose. Dr Rucker has nothing to disclose.
Refining existing knowledge and management of bladder cancer.

For the management of bladder cancer, 2018 has been characterized by deepened knowledge on the molecular basis of invasive bladder cancer and its potential interaction with existing therapies, optimization of the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors, and emerging early signals on new therapeutic classes for advanced disease.
Evolution of leaf-cutter behavior in bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) as inferred from total-evidence tip-dating analyses

Abstract A unique feature among bees is the ability of some species of Megachile s.l. to cut and process fresh leaves for nest construction. The presence of razors between the female mandibular teeth (interdental laminae) to facilitate leaf-cutting (LC) is a morphological novelty that might have triggered a subsequent diversification in this group. However, we have a limited understanding of the evolutionary origins of this behavior and associated structures. Herein, we use total-evidence tip-dating analyses to infer the origin of LC bees and patterns of variation of interdental laminae. Our datasets included five nuclear genes, representatives of all fossil taxa, 80% of the extant generic-level diversity of Megachilidae, and the full range of generic and subgeneric diversity of Megachilini. Our analyses support the notion of a recent origin of LC bees (15–25 Ma), casting doubts on Eocene trace fossils attributed to these bees. We demonstrate that interdental laminae developed asynchronicaly from two different structures in the mandible (teeth or fimbrial ridge), and differ in their phenotypic plasticity. Based on the phylogenetic results, we propose robust classificatory solutions to long-standing challenges in the systematics of Megachilidae. We discuss the implications of our findings as a foundational framework to develop novel evolutionary, ecological, and functional hypotheses on this behavior.
Status of Information Education for Geoscientists in the United States and Canada

In the past decade, teaching information retrieval skills has become more prevalent throughout the United States and Canada. In 1978 a survey of 465 colleges and universities showed that both libraries and academic departments are engaged in teaching geoscience students how to find information in their field. While there is widespread activity and great variety in methods used, no one really knows how many students receive this kind of instruction. Survey results suggest the proportion is small compared with the total number of geology students.
What Machine Learning Predictor Performs Best for Mobility Prediction in Cellular Networks

It is envisaged that the future cellular networks (5G) will be able to meet the promising capacity and quality of experience requirements through extreme network densification and conglomeration of diverse technologies. It is easy to fathom that efficient management of such a convoluted network will be one of the big challenges faced by 5G. To cope with this challenge, Self-Organizing Networks (SONs) that were originally designed for legacy networks with reactive approach needs to be transformed to proactive paradigm. This radical transformation is possible only if the future network state can be predicted beforehand by harnessing historical network data. Mobility prediction is one of the key enablers of Proactive SON which enables efficient resource management. In this paper, we perform comparative analysis of four mobility predictors: Deep Neural Network (DNN), Extreme Gradient Boosting Trees (XGBoost), Semi-Markov, and Support Vector Machine (SVM). Our investigation is based on realistic synthetic dataset of eighty-four mobile users generated through realistic Self-similar Least Action Walk (SLAW) mobility model. We evaluate the effectiveness of each model not only based on the model&#x0027;s ability to predict the future location of mobile users but also the time each algorithm takes to be fully trained and perform such prediction. XGBoost stands out as clear winner among all predictors considered with high accuracy of 90%. Its high prediction accuracy enables high energy saving gain of above 80% when it is employed for driving proactive energy saving SON solution.
Pregnancy Coercion as a Risk Factor for HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Young African American Women.

Background:Pregnancy coercion (PC), defined as a restriction of women's reproductive autonomy, may be associated with increased HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk. However, there are few empirical studies defining the association between PC and HIV risk, particularly among vulnerable
Needle Bearing Axial Thrust Study

This paper discusses the mechanics of axial forces generated by needle skew in full complement, continuous rotation needle bearings. Experimental measurements of the axial forces and observed needle skew angles are presented for single and double row bearings. Various mechanisms causing the needles to skew are discussed along with design modifications for eliminating or reducing the axial thrust.
Are Bacteria Sensitive or Susceptible? A Micro-Comic Strip.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of the journal or of ASM. Many clinical microbiologists and infectious disease specialists have strong opinions about the use of “sensitive” or “susceptible” to describe bacteria that are inhibited by an antibiotic.
Entity Profile Based Approach in Automatic Knowledge Finding.

Abstract : We focus on the problem of profile building in this year s KBA track and proposed two methods. The first method is a baseline, which selects the stream items that has exact string match with the query entity. All the matched documents are assigned with the same relevance score. In the second method, we propose to use the related entities to help us identify the information related to the query entity. In particular, we retrieve the wikipedia pages for the query entities and extract the anchor text in all the internal links within the wikipedia page. These anchor text are treated as the related entities of the query entity and they are used to build the profile of the query entity. Given a stream item (i.e., a document), the relevance score is estimated by integrating the match with the query entity and the match with the related entities. Results on the training data show that the second method is more effective.
P48 Identifying Nutrition Education Strategies for Refugees in Western Countries: A Scoping Review

Background A growing number of refugees are resettling in Western countries. Refugees face many challenges upon resettlement including a new food environment. In the United States, government and private entities provide nutrition education to refugees, which may help them navigate their new environment. A literature review on the effectiveness of nutrition education with resettled refugee populations in Western countries has not been previously published. Objective To identify different strategies used in nutrition education targeting refugees. Study Design, Settings, Participants Scoping review of nutrition education with refugees in the United States and other Western countries. Methods A scoping review of peer-reviewed articles published between 1980 and 2018 was conducted. The methodology was based on the method of Lavec. A systematic article search was done using electronic databases. Of 1,655 identified articles, 20 met the inclusion criteria. Results The scoping review identified 13 outcome-focused studies and 7 curriculum development and evaluation studies. Seven studies used a rigorous design and showed positive impacts on the nutrition knowledge and behaviors of refugees. Topics included in nutrition education programs are relevant to challenges refugees face such as using SNAP benefits and shopping at grocery stores. Strategies used to enhance effectiveness included needs assessment prior to delivering nutrition education, a client-centered approach, and iterative and collaborative approaches with refugee communities. Conclusions The scoping review showed that nutrition education improved refugees’ nutrition knowledge and behavior. However, more research with rigorous design is needed to further determine the most effective nutrition education methods for these populations.
Precious metals and gems

Precious metals and gems were among the first minerals to be valued by civilization and they have kept their attraction for millennia. Even in their raw state, gems and precious metals are easily recognizable as truly special and beautiful. Although other minerals, such as pyrite ( fool's gold ), might be confused for gold, it is rare to confuse gold for another mineral. Its rich color and luster are simply unique. The same is true for the brilliant play of light and color from gemstones. On top of it all, precious metals and gems are rare. We even use special nomenclature to discuss their abundances. Gold and silver abundances are commonly reported in terms of the troy ounce, which equals about 31 g; prices of precious metals are commonly quoted in troy ounces, and we have used them (referred to here as ounces) to describe the metal endowment of individual deposits. Weights of diamonds and other precious gems are measured in an even smaller unit, the carat, which amounts to 0.2 g. Because these non-metric units are widely understood, we use them in parts of this discussion. In spite of their rarity, precious metals and gems are a big business, with world production worth almost $200 billion (Figure 11.1). Gold is the most important of the group, with silver, diamonds, platinum-group elements (PGEs), and the colored gems emerald, ruby, and sapphire following in that order. Gold production increased in the 1990s, but has declined annually since 2000 in all countries except China. Global production of PGEs increased by more than 1,000% from 1960 to 2008, and plateaued thereafter. Production of gem diamonds increased by almost 1,400% at the start of the twenty-first century, dropped slightly during the economic crisis of 2008–2010, and leveled off after that. Mine production of industrial diamonds, which are discussed further in Chapter 13, increased from 1960 to 2008, although with cyclicity, but fell dramatically after 2008 owing to the proliferation of synthetic diamonds for industrial applications.
Distributed energy cost recovery for a fragile utility: The case of Électricité du Liban

Abstract Previous research on distributed solar PV (DPV) systems in Lebanon has focused on studying these systems from the perspective of developers. This study examines the impact of DPV expansion from the perspective of a fragile and inefficient power utility, Electricite du Liban. Specifically, this paper studies the economics and policy options of on-grid systems via a net-metering scheme. The analysis yields two primary recommendations: In the absence of tariff reform for cost recovery, DPV policies should promote self-consumption; and after cost recovery is achieved, DPV tariff should ensure an adequate price differential that balances the interests of EDL and prosumers.
Bringing imagination back to the classroom: A model for creative arts in economics

Abstract This paper draws from the cognitive and neuroscience literature to develop theoretical support for the use of creative arts in college economics classrooms. The research suggests that creative arts activate important neurological pathways that aid the transfer of information from short- to long-term memory, where it can be retrieved for future problem-solving. To encourage meaningful learning and economic literacy, students must be able to mentally organize and retain information from their classroom experiences. The fresh metaphors and imagery present in creative arts such as poetry can deepen and clarify conceptual meaning, and allow students to learn and express their understanding of economics in a more personal and memorable way.
QCA Should Set Aside the Algorithms

Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) has received substantial attention from qualitative scholars seeking to systematize their research. This method has valuable goals: understanding context, interactions, and causal complexity, including asymmetric causation. These objectives are pursued with central attention to case knowledge. However, simulations suggest that QCA’s core analytic procedures— its algorithms—provide a weak foundation for pursuing its goals. What began as a refreshingly simple method has, counterproductively, become much more complicated. QCA scholars should turn their attention to more traditional qualitative tools: case studies and process tracing. With such tools, they can pursue the important methodological objectives that motivated Charles Ragin to create QCA, unencumbered by algorithms that may well be obstacles to achieving these goals.
Constitutive Androstane Receptor

The regulation of gene networks that define hepatic metabolism is a complex but critical process that directs the in vivo disposition of xenobiotics and endogenous compounds, which often determines the toxic fate of chemical exposures. The constitutive androstane receptor (CAR; CAR1; NR1I3) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily that regulates expression of genes whose products act at all three phases of hepatic metabolism and transport including phase I monooxygenation, phase II conjugation, and phase III transporters that include multidrug resistance-associated proteins and organic anion transporting polypeptides. CAR is expressed primarily in the liver and intestinal enterocytes. An increasingly important role of CAR as a regulator of physiological processes has become apparent, in part due to the ability of the receptor to modulate the disposition of endogenous substances including bile acids, thyroid hormone, heme, and steroids. In addition, CAR activity impinges upon cholesterol homeostasis and signaling pathways that control food consumption. Thus, the biological and toxicological processes regulated by this receptor are integral to health. This chapter provides a brief history of the background and events leading to the discovery of CAR and reviews several of the functional attributes of the receptor in the context of its role as a key regulator with the nuclear receptor superfamily.
Multidimensional Characterization of Single-Molecule Dynamics in a Plasmonic Nanocavity

Nanoscale manipulation and characterization of individual molecules is necessary to understand the intricacies of molecular structure, which governs phenomena such as reaction mechanisms, catalysis, local effective temperatures, surface interactions, and charge transport. Here we utilize Raman enhancement between two nanostructured electrodes in combination with direct charge transport measurements to allow for simultaneous characterization of the electrical, optical, and mechanical properties of a single molecule. This multi-dimensional information yields repeatable, self-consistent, verification of single-molecule resolution, and allows for detailed analysis of structural and configurational changes of the molecule in situ. These experimental results are supported by a machine-learning based statistical analysis of the spectral information and calculations to provide insight into the correlation between structural changes in a single-molecule and its charge-transport properties.
O middle ground

In the Great Lakes region of North America from the mid-17th to the mid-18th century, Algonkin natives and French colonial agents interacted in the midst of the complex process of colonial contact. The conditions of existence in that space impelled Algonkins and French to reciprocal support to achieve specific goals. This happened in such a way that they produced common conceptions of adequate ways of acting, that is, what we call middle ground. The inevitable need for communication in terms of the other generated a process of opportune and creative mutual misunderstandings, which produced new cultural contents that, when they became conventions between the parties involved, became a new reference that guided the actions of historical subjects. The theoretical approach of this concept is discussed in this text through the analysis of the daily relationships in which Algonkins and French produced this zone of mutual intelligibility. Cultural congruencies, which formed the middle ground, were responses to problems and controversies that revolved around issues such as sex, violence and trade. The analysis of the measures taken in these relational fields exposes that the hybrid contents arose from repeated attempts to find connections between French normative references and Algonquin customs. The responses produced in these situations were not exclusively French or Algonkin notions, but rather improvisations and creations that emerged at points where cultures intersected and promoted an intermediate cultural zone in which the expectations of each side could find an acceptable degree of satisfaction.
Single-cell chemical imaging of engineered strains reveals heterogeneity in fatty acid production

Engineered microbes can produce valuable chemicals, however production strains often require extensive optimization before they can be used at industrial scales. To quantify production, metabolic engineers typically employ mass spectrometry, which offers excellent chemical specificity. However, with this approach samples are derived from bulk cultures, obscuring potential cell-to-cell differences in production, and precluding selection methods that rely on measurements of a single cell9s phenotype, such as directed evolution. Here, we use stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) based chemical imaging to directly visualize free fatty acids in metabolically engineered Escherichia coli. We uncover substantial heterogeneity in fatty acid production among and within colonies. We then demonstrate longitudinal SRS imaging, allowing fatty acids to be linked with the cells that generated them. Further, using the hyperspectral images, we develop an approach for compositional analysis that determines the chain length and unsaturation of the fatty acids in living cells. Our results demonstrate that cell-to-cell heterogeneity in production of metabolic targets can be substantial and indicate that controlling this to eliminate low producers represents a critical area for future optimization. Further, because SRS imaging is rapid, chemically specific, and can be acquired longitudinally, it is a promising method for metabolic engineers, allowing for direct imaging of biosynthesis at the single-cell level.
Electrical Component Modeling and Sizing for EV Simulation

A method for modeling electric vehicles has been developed and applied in the prediction of electric vehicle performance and range over variable driving cycles. This model is also applicable for studies of the size, power rating, and costs of electrical drivetrain components. The details of the battery and motor simulation used in the model are described. The battery simulation characteristics are compared with the results of life-cycle tests performed on lead-acid batteries. A method for sizing and rating a battery for electric vehicle applications is suggested. /SAE/
From State to Market: A Survey of Empirical Studies on Privatization

This study surveys the literature examining the privatization of state-owned enterprises(SOEs). We overview the history of privatization, the theoretical and empirical evidence on the relative performance of state owned and privately owned firms, the types of privatization, if and by how much has privatization improved the performance of former SOEs in both non-transition and transition countries, how investors in privatizations have fared, the impact of privatization on the development of capital markets and corporate governance. We concentrate on the empirical evidence on the effects of privatization on firm performance. In most setting privatization "works" in that the firms become more efficient, more profitable, financially healthier, and reward investors. While this holds in both transition and non-transition economies, there is more variation in transition economies. Especially in transition economies, the identity of the new owners and managers is important in determining post-privatization performance.
Integrated project development as applied to public projects

All projects pursue a perfect triad of cost, schedule and quality, but unfortunately, these three are highly difficult to accomplish concurrently. As such, the tendency is to believe that a well-designed and specified project will yield a quality project that can be built in an acceptable timeframe. Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is a project delivery method that incorporates all stakeholders during the life of the project. By including the various stakeholders throughout the entirety of the project, the owner and project benefit from the collaborative talents and viewpoints of all participants in order to provide an effect project in an efficient timeframe. All parties enter into a singular, multi-party contract that shares both the risks and the rewards of IPD. The higher of level of communication and collaboration between the owner, architect, and constructor yield a project that optimizes project results, increases value to the project, reduces waste and maximizes efficiency throughout all aspects of the project, from conception to completion. This study compares the benefits and shortcomings of the tradition Design, Bid, Build Delivery method to the IPD method in order to make a recommendation to improve public projects.
Discovery of Web Robot Sessions Based on their Navigational Patterns

Web robots are software programs that automatically traverse the hyperlink structure of the World Wide Web in order to locate and retrieve information. There are many reasons why it is important to identify visits by Web robots and distinguish them from other users. First of all, e-commerce retailers are particularly concerned about the unauthorized deployment of robots for gathering business intelligence at their Web sites. In addition, Web robots tend to consume considerable network bandwidth at the expense of other users. Sessions due to Web robots also make it more difficult to perform clickstream analysis effectively on the Web data. Conventional techniques for detecting Web robots are often based on identifying the IP address and user agent of the Web clients. While these techniques are applicable to many well-known robots, they may not be sufficient to detect camouflaged and previously unknown robots. In this paper, we propose an alternative approach that uses the navigational patterns in the click-stream data to determine if it is due to a robot. Experimental results on our Computer Science department Web server logs show that highly accurate classification models can be built using this approach. We also show that these models are able to discover many camouflaged and previously unidentified robots.
HIPAA privacy regulations and nursing research.

" Background: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy regulations, which became effective on April 14, 2003, should have a significant impact on the conduct of nursing research. " Approach: The requirements of the regulations are discussed in three key areas of the research process, accessing data (including recruitment and using medical records), creating data (including intervention studies, survey, and interview research), and disclosing data to others such as colleagues at other institutions. " Results: N/A. " Discussion: HIPAA will certainly impact nurses' ability to conduct research but to an unknown degree.
The American marketing association code of ethics: Instructions for marketers

This article addresses the two main obstacles — ignorance and conflict — that block the pathway to ethically proper conduct, both generally in business and specifically in marketing. It begins with a brief examination of theories of the moral good which emphasizes the Greco-Roman humanistic tradition and the Judeo-Christian religious tradition. A professional code of ethics, such as the code of the American Marketing Association, is meaningful only if human beings are regarded as making moral judgments that, objectively speaking, are morally wrong, that is only when the code is considered a set of moral absolutes.
Human hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells in culture produce von Willebrand factor and contain Weibel-Palade bodies.

— Human hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells were derived from cadaveric human livers. Cells were grown in culture for several weeks to produce small patches of confluent endothelial cells. The ultrastructure of sinusoidal endothelial cells was examined, cell monolayers were stained immunocytochemically for von Willebrand factor antigen, and antigen in cell culture media was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Human hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells contained von Willebrand factor antigen and Weibel-Palade bodies, were fenestrated, and released von Willebrand factor antigen into media in a time-dependent manner. Although in some respects human hepatic endothelial cells were different from vascular cells, there was no evidence that there were qualitative differences in their capacity to produce von Willebrand factor.
Aureomycin in staphylococcemia, complicating agranulocytosis following tridione

Summary 1. A case of agranulocytosis, anemia, and exfoliative dermatitis with staphylococcemia following five weeks of Tridione is presented. 2. The response to treatment with withdrawal of the drug and the administration of aureomycin was prompt and dramatic. 3. Weekly examinations of the blood cells and platelets should be made early in therapy with tridione, and examinations at bimonthly intervals should be made throughout the course of therapy. 4. Appearance of cutaneous changes may be the earliest sign of drug toxicity, and asthmatic wheezes with rhinorrhea and fever may be present. Tridione should be stopped immediately in the presence of any of these findings.
Turbulence in journal bearings from a nonlocal point of view

Abstract Turbulence in journal bearing flows is studied using a nonlocal constitutive model for the turbulent stresses. The analysis, based on a thin film approximation, makes use of a surface functional approach to incorporate long-range interactive forces involved in turbulent momentum transfer. The model developed not only provides for a Reynolds stress closure but also for the inclusion of convective inertia forces and employs an expansion in the clearance ratio as a small parameter with no restriction on the eccentricity of the bearing. Expressions for velocity and pressure fields of the mean flow, the load carrying capacity, the torque and friction stress are obtained. It is found that turbulence with the inclusion of inertia forces enhances the load carrying capacity but with friction losses. Comparison of the theory with some of the existing experimental results is made and the agreement is encouraging.
A new flame process for synthesis of Si3N4 powders for advanced ceramics

The possibility of employing a gaseous self-sustaining reaction to prepare pure ceramic powders, particularly silicon nitride, for use in advanced ceramic materials has been explored. The thermodynamics of the process were first examined to determine possible operating conditions. Ignition experiments were then carried out in a closed bomb in which the reactant gases were silane and either hydrazine or a mixture of hydrazine and ammonia. Intense fuse wire ignition sources were used to determine the ignition limits over a broad range of initial conditions. These experiments were followed by flame propagation experiments through a tube into which the reactants were constantly fed and the flame repeatedly ignited at one end in order to produce product for preliminary determination of the powder properties. These experiments showed the feasibility of the flame synthesis process. A flat flame burner apparatus was then designed and constructed. A large number of experiments were carried out to demonstrate the regions of flame stability and to prepare product for evaluation. Flames were stable over a broad range of conditions: equivalence ratios from 0.1 to 1.1, unburned gas flow velocities from 20 to 150 cm/s and adiabatic flame temperatures from about 900 to 2000 K. High quality Si 3 N 4 powders have been prepared in this (small) laboratory flame apparatus at the rate of 10 g/min, and at yields of close to 100%.
Interpretation of the HJ interval of the normal ballistocardiogram based on the principle of conservation of momentum and aortic ultrasonic Doppler velocity measurements during left ventricular ejection

The principle of conservation of momentum and the observation that blood acceleration in the ascending aorta is approximately constant during ventricular ejection was applied to develop a new interpretation of the HI and IJ intervals of the normal ballistocardiogram. The results indicate that the acceleration (A), velocity (V), and displacement (D) of the ballistocardiogram in the HI and IJ phases may be expressed by a set of equations which, when evaluated numerically, give theoretical acceleration, velocity, and displacement curves. The theoretical A, V, and D curves corresponded closely to those observed on the normal ballistocardiogram record during the HJ interval.
Parental Knowledge and Aititudes of Minnesota Laws Concerning Adolescent Medical Care

Background Medical care of adolescents is affected by consent to care laws and reconcilation of patients’ needs for consent and confidentiality with the need for parents to be informed and involved. Anticipatory guidance on consent and confidentiality should consider parental knowledge and Aititudes of slale laws governing adolescent health care. Methods We hypothesized that parents are not aware of MN laws concerning consent, confidentiality, and payment of medical care for adolescents. Parents of 7–12th graders were surveyed to determine their understanding of pertinent MN laws. Results Our results show that first, parents are not knowledgeable of the laws that affect adolescent medical care, achieving a mean score of 24.6% correct on a test of knowledge. Second, parents generally do not have strong opinions about these laws. Overall opinion was weakly positive (+0.22 on a scale where −1 signifies “a bad law” and +1 signifies “a good law”). Exceptions include emergency medical care and access to medical information and records. 80% of parents favored provision of emergency care without parental consent. 87.5% favored physicians informing parents about treatment despite an adolescent's objections when the physician believes it is in the best interest of the adolescent. 72% opposed the right of adolescents to deny their parents access to medical records. Third, parents are not aware that they are affected by laws concerning adolescent medical care. 77.4% report that the laws have not had an effect on them or their children. Conclusions These results demonstrate both a lack of knowledge and the presence of certain attitudes that clinicians should address by incorporating medicolegal education into their care of adolescents and their families. The results are especially timely in light of pending legislation which would provide parents greater authority over their children's medical care
Comparison of Dual-Syringe and Syringeless Power Injectors in Outpatient MDCT Practice: Impact on the Operator's Performance, CT Workflow, and Operation Cost

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare enhancement quality, performance efficiency, technologists' satisfaction, and operation costs between 2 different power injectors (PIs) in an outpatient setting. Methods In this prospective study, 275 consecutive outpatients (135 men, 140 women) scheduled for contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) were randomized and scanned using either of 2 multidetector CT scanners (16 adjacently placed detectors) fitted with a dual-syringe contrast injector or a syringeless contrast injector. The corresponding CECT studies were subjectively reviewed by 2 radiologists in consensus to rate the quality of contrast enhancement in each study. The equipment preparation time (contrast media [CM], saline loading), releasing time (unloading of saline and CM), and CM wastage incurred for each PI were recorded by one operator. Technologists' satisfaction with the use of the PIs was rated on a 10-point scale. Statistical analyses were performed using Student's t tests. Results A total of 140 patients were examined using the dual-syringe system, and 135 with the syringeless system, and CECT examination quality was comparable for both PI systems ( P > .05). Equipment preparation time and releasing time per examination for dual-syringe and syringeless PIs were 139 ± 39 and 32 ± 14 seconds and 48 ± 31 and 8 ± 3 seconds, respectively ( P P P Conclusion Given comparable CECT examination quality, the syringeless PI was more user-friendly and improved outpatient CT workflow and CT throughput while allowing 11-mL CM saving per examination compared with the dual-syringe injector.
Aromatic Amino Acids as Probes of Protein Affinity for Lipid Membranes

We investigate protein-lipid interactions using the fact that the H1 NMR and UV absorption spectra of aromatic amino acids depend on environment. For calibration, we first generate reference spectra using isopropanol-water solutions to mimic changes in hydrobobicity, and correlate UV with 1H NMR chemical shifts. We then apply this method to measure the interaction of tyrosine (Tyr), tryptophan (Trp) and phenylalanine (Phe) with 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) and 1,2-Dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoserine (DOPS) lipid membranes. By measuring characteristic shifts of aromatic residues we can characterize protein affinity to lipid membranes.
Superfast computations of dual and tight Gabor atoms

We consider a class of Gabor-type matrices and develop simplified Gabor-type matrix operations. As applications to discrete Gabor transforms, we propose `superfast' algorithms for determining the inverse of Gabor frame operators and the square roots of the Gabor frame operators as well as the dual Gabor and tight Gabor atoms. Besides, we summarize briefly some additional results.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Two experiments on the spectral boundary conditions for nonlinear additivity of simultaneous masking

The present paper describes the results from two experiments which explored the spectral boundaries for the nonlinear additivity of simultaneous masking. The first experiment measured the threshold for detection of a 2‐kHz tone in the presence of two 800‐Hz‐wide bands of noise that had varying degrees of spectral overlap with each other and the 2‐kHz signal. Results revealed an abrupt transition from linear to nonlinear additivity of masking as the spectral separation between the two maskers varied from some overlap to none. The second experiment examined alternative explanations for the data. Explanations based on restricted‐listening or distortion‐product‐detection hypotheses were not supported by the results of this experiment. These data indicate that nonlinear additivity of simultaneous masking holds for maskers that do not overlap within the critical band centered on the signal frequency. This interpretation is also consistent with a large body of data on the monaural and binaural summation (additivity) of loudness.
Liquid extraction during drop formation: Effect of formation time

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of internal droplet convection on the extraction that occurs during generation of a dispersed phase. A photographic determination of dispersed-phase controlled mass transfer from liquid droplets in the formation stage demonstrates a strong dependence on formation time. Convection appears to control mass transfer during rapid drop formation, but an abrupt transition in transfer coefficient occurs as time of formation increases. Diffusion calculations overestimate total extraction for long formation times.
Experimental investigation of cement, Topopah Spring tuff, and water interactions at 200°C

Abstract The stability of minerals that tend to form in cementitious materials at elevated temperatures has been investigated experimentally. This information is needed to predict the effect of these materials on the performance of geologic radioactive waste repositories. Reaction of large amounts of cement used to build the repository with the surrounding rock and groundwater may cause changes in the hydrologic properties of the repository, impact metal canister and waste form corrosion rates, and alter the mobility of actinides in the subsurface. We have determined that 11 A-tobermorite, calcite and quartz is the stable (or at least metastable) mineral assemblage at 200°C of complex experiments containing mixtures of cement, Topopah Spring tuff, diesel fuel and 3 mM NaHCO3 from analyses of the solids and solutions. Mesolite did not form in these experiments, despite predictions that it is the most stable phase. A solubility constant for 11 A-tobermorite was calculated to be equal to 1039.4(±1.3) at 200°C for the following reaction: Ca 5 ( SiO 2 ) 6 ( OH ) 10∗ 0.5 H 2 O +10 H + =5 Ca 2+ +6 SiO 2( aq ) +10.5 H 2 O . (1) AA − tobermorite } This work shows that reaction periods of at least 20 days are required to reach local equilibrium or steady-state.
Arterial Blood Gas Changes in Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy During Mechanical Ventilation

Fiberoptic bronchoscopy was performed during mechad- 5.2 mm Hg, respectively, during bronchoecopy examinacal ventilation in ten patients in whom excessive secretions tion, tho~lght to be dne to the 6xed &ow ob6twJction and/or atelectasis were thought to be interfering with created by the bronchoscope in the airway. A mean imalveolar ventilation and oxygenation. Arterial blood gases provement in Pa02 of 14.3 mrn Hg m maintained dter obtained before, during, and after the procedure demon- the pnmdnre, while P.col ntnratd to previooa levels. strated mean incream in Pam and Pacoz of 10.0 and n the enthusiasm which has accompanied wideI spread use of the flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope, it was not initially appreciated that arterial hypoxemia was a potential danger during routine diagnostic procedures.' However, several recent reports have documented drops in oxygen tension (Pam) in most patients during fiberoptic bronchoscopic examinati~n.~ Karetzky and associates' found decreases in Pa* from 2 to 21 mm Hg (average 12 mm Hg) during all of 14 consecutive diagnostic bronchoscopic examinations, while Albertini et a14 observed a drop of from 4 to 38 mm Hg (average 20 mm Hg) in each of 16 patients studied. While the mechanism for this hypoxemia has not been precisely defined, both loss of effective tidal volume through suctioning and bronchial la~age,~ and ventilation-perfusion imbalance initiated by mechanically-triggered reflex mechanisms: have been proposed. Use of the fiberoptic bronchoscope in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation has been de~cribed,~.' although to date only one report has mentioned arterial blood gas Endings during the procedure, and no sign$cant changes were ob~erved.~ We have performed bronchoscopic examinations on ten ventilator-dependent patients and have produced, rather than hypoxemia, an increase in average Pam during the procedure.
Navigating the Flow of Value-Streams to the Seas of Collection Management, Acquisitions, and Preservation

Our process of repairing damaged items had no clear ownership and an ever growing amorphous backlog consisting of approximately 2,800 items at the start of the process review. This backlog continues to hinder access to materials in the collection. We are currently in multistage process review which incorporates Lean methodologies to improve workflow across a number of departments. At the core of these improvements is gathering data to measure current levels of work. From that perspective, we can see where value is needed in the workflows, including areas of collection access, level of repair needed, item replacement/weeding, and meeting user/stakeholder needs. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas University Libraries consists of one main library and three branch locations serving a campus population of approximately 30,000 students, staff, and faculty. With changes in the economy and frozen staff positions, the libraries needed to look more closely at how processes were organized in order to save time and money. Improved methods and streamlined service were needed to meet user needs for obtaining materials. Steps toward process improvement were based off of Lean management methods to improve how work was done as well as institute a culture change in the libraries’ zeitgeist to identify and remove wastes in activities. A reorganization was implemented to bring the units and departments primarily responsible for handling the collection along the supply chain into one division. Ordering and Receiving, Acquisitions, Cataloging, Stacks, and Interlibrary Loan (ILL) were now under Technical Services renamed Logistics and Resources Distribution Services (LRDS). Once the reorganization was complete, the division held a “job fair” to introduce the newly joined departments to each other’s responsibilities and skill sets. From these discussions, it soon became apparent that there was no set procedure for transferring damaged materials to the Preservation Lab (P-Lab, for short) and back to the Stacks. Items removed from the collection could number dozens at a time and not return for several months. Occasionally, items being repaired would be requested by users; however, they would not be accessible. ILL would then need to look off campus for the item to satisfy the user’s request. Since this process (dubbed “Needs Repair”) potentially impacted three divisions, seven departments, and four libraries, it was selected for review.
On $n$-dimensional Riemannian spaces admitting a group of motions of order $n(n-1)/2+1$

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on n-dimensional riemannian spaces admitting a group of motions of order n(n-1)/2+ 1. If an n-dimensional Rieinannian space admits a group of motions of the maximum order n(n+l)/2, then, the space is of constant curvature. An n-dimensional finslerian space for n>2, n ≠4, admits a group of motions of order greater than n(n-l)/2+ 1, then the space is Riemannian and of constant curvature(2). The largest group of motions in a space of constant curvature being of order n(n+1)/2, if it denote it by G, then Gr must be a subgroup of G. In an n-dimensional Euclidean space for n ≠4, n ≠8, any subgroup of the rotation group of order (n - 1) (n - 2)/2 fixes one and only one direction. If an n-dimensional Riemannian space for n ≠4 admits a group of motions of order n(n - 1)/2+ 1, then the group is transitive.