cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Natriuretic peptide testing for the evaluation of critically ill patients with shock in the intensive care unit: a prospective cohort study

Amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is useful in evaluating heart failure, but its role in evaluating patients with shock in the intensive care unit (ICU) is not clear. Forty-nine consecutive patients in four different ICUs with shock of various types and with an indication for pulmonary artery catheter placement were evaluated. Analyses for NT-proBNP were performed on blood obtained at the time of catheter placement and results were correlated with pulmonary artery catheter findings. Logistic regression identified independent predictors of mortality. A wide range of NT-proBNP levels were observed (106 to >35,000 pg/ml). There was no difference in median NT-proBNP levels between patients with a cardiac and those with a noncardiac origin to their shock (3,046 pg/ml versus 2,959 pg/ml; P = 0.80), but an NT-proBNP value below 1,200 pg/ml had a negative predictive value of 92% for cardiogenic shock. NT-proBNP levels did not correlate with filling pressures or hemodynamics (findings not significant). NT-proBNP concentrations were higher in patients who died in the ICU (11,859 versus 2,534 pg/ml; P = 0.03), and the mortality rate of patients in the highest log-quartile of NT-proBNP (66.7%) was significantly higher than those in other log-quartiles (P < 0.001); NT-proBNP independently predicted ICU mortality (odds ratio 14.8, 95% confidence interval 1.8–125.2; P = 0.013), and was superior to Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score and brain natriuretic peptide in this regard. Elevated levels of NT-proBNP do not necessarily correlate with high filling pressures among patients with ICU shock, but marked elevation in NT-proBNP is strongly associated with ICU death. Low NT-proBNP values in patients with ICU shock identifed those at lower risk for death, and may be useful in excluding the need for pulmonary artery catheter placement in such patients.
Tracking known three-dimensional objects

A method of visually tracking a known three-dimensional object is described. Predicted object position and orientation extrapolated from previous tracking data are used to find known features in one or more pictures. The measured image positions of the features are used to adjust the estimates of object position, orientation, velocity, and angular velocity in three dimensions. Filtering over time is included as an integral part of the adjustment, so that the filtering both smooths as appropriate to the measurements and allows stereo depth information to be obtained from multiple cameras taking pictures of a moving object at different times.
Committee Specialization in U.S. State Legislatures during the 20th Century: Do Legislatures Tap the Talents of Their Members?

The authors use an informational-theoretical perspective to examine the appointment of legislative committees, using new measures of knowledge and expertise as well as a unique database. While competing theories (distributive and partisan) do not deny that legislative committees are a source of vital knowledge and expertise necessary for legislative policy making, information theory places the wisdom and expertise needs of collective decision making—that is, specialization—on very complex topics by legislative generalists as the raison d'etre for a committee system. Thus, the authors investigate one of the fundamental arguments of information theory—that committees are formed to meet the basic knowledge and expertise needs of a legislative body. The findings from U.S. state legislative data indicate that significant member differences regarding prior knowledge and expertise exist by committee jurisdiction, state, and session, reinforcing the applicability of information theory while also suggesting the impact of setting and organizational factors. The authors also explore implications of these findings.
Dynamically growing hypertext collections

Many approaches have been pursued over the years to facilitate creating, organizing, and sharing collections of materials extracted from large information spaces. Little attention, in the context of hypertext collections, has been paid to the addition of new materials to these collections over time. Traditionally, human maintainers manually incorporate new materials into existing collections as they appear in the underlying network. In this paper we address the issues involved in supporting the creation and maintenance of dynamically growing hypertextual collections. We describe a prototype implementation for automatically including additional, relevant materials into Web-based collections. Our prototype uses the metaphor of hypertextual paths, a proven technique for layering metastructure atop existing hypertextual materials, which is particularly well suited to accommodating growing collections.
Have we entered the brown adipose tissue renaissance

In the 1970s and 1980s, it was observed that rodents could offset excess calories ingested when they were fed a human-like 'cafeteria diet'. Although it was erroneously concluded that this so-called diet-induced thermogenesis was because of brown adipose tissue (BAT), it led to efforts to test whether variations in brown fat in humans may explain the susceptibility to obesity. However, from evidence on the inability of ephedrine or beta-3 adrenergic agonists to induce BAT thermogenesis, it was concluded that the thermogenic role of BAT was unimportant in adult humans largely because humans had low numbers of brown adipocytes. Solid evidence on the actual numbers of brown adipocytes in humans was not available. We are now re-evaluating the role of BAT for the treatment of obesity given the following recent observations (i) studies in nuclear medicine by using PET/CT scanning reveal the presence of BAT in adult humans; and (ii) recent data suggest that a new transcription factor called PDRM16 may control the induction of BAT. These recent discoveries should revamp our effort to target the molecular development of brown adipogenesis in the treatment of obesity.
The flow induced by a disk oscillating in its own plane

The flow field due to the oscillations of a disk is governed largely by diffusion near the boundary, but the inertia forces cannot be neglected at large distances. The solution is obtained as a single expansion for the case when the disk is performing small-amplitude sinusoidal oscillations.
A Parallel Point Matching Algorithm for Landmark Based Image Registration Using Multicore Platform

Point matching is crucial for many computer vision applications. Establishing the correspondence between a large number of data points is a computationally intensive process. Some point matching related applications, such as medical image registration, require real time or near real time performance if applied to critical clinical applications like image assisted surgery. In this paper, we report a new multicore platform based parallel algorithm for fast point matching in the context of landmark based medical image registration. We introduced a non-regular data partition algorithm which utilizes the K -means clustering algorithm to group the landmarks based on the number of available processing cores, which optimize the memory usage and data transfer. We have tested our method using the IBM Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/B.E.) platform. The results demonstrated a significant speed up over its sequential implementation. The proposed data partition and parallelization algorithm, though tested only on one multicore platform, is generic by its design. Therefore the parallel algorithm can be extended to other computing platforms, as well as other point matching related applications.
Optical Push by Geographical Slant Affects Postural Sway

This study shows that perceived geographical slant affects postural stability. In 2 experimental conditions participants stood on a force platform that measured center of pressure (COP) during quiet stance while looking at a rigid, flat ramp surface of varying geographical slants. Using an otherwise identical procedure, participants in the second condition also provided verbal estimates of the steepness of the surface in degrees. Several measures of postural stability offered converging evidence that COP sway gradually increased as geographical slant decreased to 0 (horizontal ground). Specifically, COP was sensitive to changes in surface slant. Both the range and the standard deviation of COP showed the same trend of increased variability with decreasing geographical slant angles in both conditions. The area of the ellipse covering COP sway (based on a principal components analysis) showed the same tendency: ellipse area got larger for smaller, more horizontal slants. Nonlinear fractal dynamics of COP sw...
Meeting in the circle: examining identity, attitudes, and pedagogy in the context of an early childhood teacher education program in the United States

As a team of teacher educators at a university in the United States, we engage in participatory action research to reflect on how reflective tools which we design engage teacher candidates (TCs) in their reflecting on teaching. In this paper, we describe how we invite TCs to write in-class reflections, respond to self-assessment probes, and practice problem-solving processes. We critically analyze our approaches and identify further intentional approaches to promote university students’ understandings of (1) links between the self and working with children and families and (2) connections between attitudes and pedagogy towards social justice and inclusion. We conclude that we must continue to explore how the teaching practices we use affect students’ understandings of social justice in education. Doing so demands our focus on examining attitudes through self-reflection among and between faculty and university students so that identity, relationships, attitudes, inclusion, and social justice are prioritize...
Differential modulation by carbachol of four separate excitatory afferent systems to the rat subiculum in vitro.

The subiculum is a limbic cortical region that receives inputs from hippocampus and other parahippocampal regions. We used horizontal brain slices to study the modulatory effects of muscarinic receptor activation on excitatory afferent systems of the subiculum. Multiple inputs are preserved in these slices. Carbachol (CCh, applied to the bath) induced a decrease in the field responses (40–50% at 50 μM; 60% at 100 μM) to CA1, presubicular (PreS), and medial entorhinal (MEC) stimulation. Subicular responses to lateral entorhinal (LEC) stimuli were not depressed. The M1 receptor antagonist pirenzepine at 1 μM was sufficient to reverse most of the CCh-induced depression of afferent excitation, but 10 μM concentrations were required to eliminate the CCh-induced firing in the isolated subiculum. A partial reversal of the CCh-induced depression of afferent excitation was achieved by the M2 receptor antagonist methoctramine (1 or 10 μM), but these concentrations did not prevent CCh-induced firing. When CA1 afferents were repetitively activated with submaximal stimuli in the presence of CCh, population excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) showed modest summation, but every response was smaller than a corresponding events in normal media. Population spikes, particularly late spikes in a train, showed pronounced facilitation during CCh exposure. The NMDA receptor antagonist CPP (10 μM) prevented facilitation of responses to repetitive stimulation in the presence of carbachol. We conclude that CA1, PreS, and MEC afferents to the subiculum exhibit CCh sensitivity similar to that established for area CA3 afferents to CA1, and LEC afferents to subiculum exhibit CCh resistance. Our data suggest that much of the hippocampal formation circuitry is modulated by CCh and the properties of this modulation can explain some specific firing characteristics of hippocampal formation neurons in “cholinergic” versus “noncholinergic” brain states. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A method for growing NiF2 single crystals

Abstract To control the high vapor pressure of NiF 2 at high temperature, an enclosed graphite crucible was designed in which NiF 2 single crystals could be grown from the melt in an induction furnace.
Effect of Chain Length in Multiscale Constitutive Modeling of Polymer Materials

A series of molecular models have been developed to predict the bulk elastic properties of polyimide and polycarbonate polymer systems. Specifically, the two polymer systems have been modeled for a range of polymer chain lengths to predict the influence of molecular weight on Young’s modulus. In general, the results show that as the chain length increases the predicted properties also increase. This result matches observed behavior and is consistent with the concept of larger polymer chain lengths having increased steric hindrances on the molecular level, thus providing stiffer bulk-level materials.
In vivo effects of acute changes in osmolality and sodium concentration on myocardial contractility

Effects of acute changes in osmolality and sodium concentration (Na) on myocardial contractility (MC) were examined in anesthetized dogs. Using a carotid to left anterior descending bypass, 4 cc of NaCl and/or dextrose of varying osmolality as injected and the percentage of change in MC measured. At Na = O mEq/L, a positive inotropic response occurred, which varied inversely as osmolality increased from 300 (MC = 100 +/- 23%) to 700 mOsm/L (MC = 39 +/- 10%, p less than 0.01). Similar ranges of positive responses of lesser magnitude were noted at Na = 75 mEq/L. At Na = 150, 190, or 350 mEq/L, similar increments in osmolality caused an increasingly negative inotropic response. An inverse relationship between Na and MC was noted with osmolality held constant. Injections of the nonionic contrast agent, P297, in 5% dextrose or 0.9% NaCl, resulted in 28 +/- 3% or -17 +/- 4% (p less than 0.01) change in MC, respectively. Sodium concentration and osmolality have independent effects on MC. Hyperosmolality/hypernatremia causes a negative inotropic response while hyponatremia causes a positive one.
MSAT interference analysis and simulation

The interference experienced by the mobile receiver in the MSAT scenario using two geosynchronous relay satellites under the MSAT frequency reuse scheme is quantified. Interference produced by the modulation spectrum and the mobile motion due to the desired MSAT as well as the interfering MSAT satellite under the frequency reuse scheme is considered. The effect of mobile antenna tracking jitters on the power received from the desired satellite as well as the interfering MSAT satellite is taken into account. The interference produced by an interfering satellite due to its frequency, modulation, and orbital position, and Doppler due to its motion is quantified. The interfering satellite orbit may be elliptical or circular, inclined or equatorial, geosynchronous or nongeosynchronous. Results of a computer simulation taking into account the above mentioned effects are presented. >
Bone growth after osteotomy and internal fixation in young rabbits

The factors leading to overgrowth following fixation of long-bone fractures in children have never been clearly understood. The amount of trauma and the type of fixation may play a role. A rabbit model was used to investigate the influence of a femoral osteotomy and plate fixation on subsequent growth. Unilateral midshaft femoral osteotomy was performed in 6-week-old rabbits, and the bone was fixed internally with a plate and screws. End-to-end reduction was performed either at full length or with a segment removed. Bone length measurements at the end of growth revealed no significant difference in growth between the control femur and the femur that had undergone osteotomy and plate fixation. Shortened plated femora also showed no tendency to grow longer or faster than full-length fixed femora or controls. Interestingly, in the ipsilateral tibia a small but statistically significant length increase, equivalent to about 2% increase in additional growth, was observed, whereas technetium-99 methylene diphosphonate uptake was reduced in the tibial physes. In the context of the rabbit experimental model chosen, these results suggest that significant femoral over-growth does not occur following femoral osteotomy and plate fixation.
Sugar‐beet treatments, water supply and depth of sowing

Summary With variation in rainfall patterns, evaporation, seedbed soil structure and depth of sowing, sugar-beet seed and seedlings can be subjected to damaging extremes of water availability. Under controlled conditions, seed given progressively longer pre-sowing treatments (steeped for 12 h at 25°C or advanced for 4 days at 25°C) was more tolerant of non-optimal conditions than seed given a brief steep (20 min at 15°C). The prolonged steep treatment accelerated emergence and increased establishment (3% on average) in the field, compared with the brief steep. Advanced seed consistently gave the quickest emergence, produced as many plants as the prolonged steep, and was less affected by depth of sowing so its introduction should improve the establishment phase of the sugar-beet crop.
Horizontal Path Lifting for General Connections

!^ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Critical Race Theory: An Annotated Bibliography 1993: A Year of Transition

Updates original 1993 bibliography of 200 critical race theory articles divided into ten themes. Responding to a substantial increase in writing by and about women of color, it contains an additional theme — critical race feminism. Comments on quality and quantity of new work, an upsurge in criticism of the movement, how and whether it is assimilating into mainstream legal scholarship, and then lays out four scenarios for its future.
On Representing Special Languages with FLBC: Message Markers and Reference Fixing in SeaSpeak

SeaSpeak is “English for maritime communications.” It is a restricted, specially-designed dialect of English used in merchant shipping and accepted as an international standard. This paper discusses, in the context of SeaSpeak, two key problems in the formalization of any such restricted, specially-designed language, viz., representing the illocutionary force structure of the messages, and formalization of such reference-fixing devices from ordinary language as pointing and use of demonstratives. The paper conducts the analysis in terms of Kimbrough’s FLBC agent communication language.
Associations among Head Start Fathers' Involvement with Their Preschoolers and Child Language Skills.

ABSTRACTThis study examined the associations among child language competence during father–child play interactions, fathers’ time spent volunteering in their preschool-age child's Head Start classroom over the course of one school year, amount of father play and reading to the child at home, and fathers’ positive control during play. The sample of 68 primarily African-American and Hispanic low-income fathers were videotaped interacting normally with their children during two equal length activities: a free play situation with farm toys and a more ‘academic-like’ situation with wordless picture books and puzzles. These videotaped language samples were obtained at the beginning and end of the school year. The findings showed a significant positive association between child language competence at the end of the school year and fathers’ reading to the child. Fathers’ positive control behaviour during play was negatively associated with child language.
Library and Information Science Research Literature is Chiefly Descriptive and Relies Heavily on Survey and Content Analysis Methods

A Review of: Aytac, S. & Slutsky, B. (2014). Published librarian research, 2008 through 2012: Analyses and perspectives. Collaborative Librarianship, 6(4), 147-159. Objective – To compare the research articles produced by library and information science (LIS) practitioners, LIS academics, and collaborations between practitioners and academics. Design – Content analysis. Setting – English-language LIS literature from 2008 through 2012. Subjects – Research articles published in 13 library and information science journals. Methods – Using a purposive sample of 769 articles from selected journals, the authors used content analysis to characterize the mix of authorship models, author status (practitioner, academic, or student), topic, research approach and methods, and data analysis techniques used by LIS practitioners and academics. Main Results – The authors screened 1,778 articles, 769 (43%) of which were determined to be research articles. Of these, 438 (57%) were written solely by practitioners, 110 (14%) collaboratively by practitioners and academics, 205 (27%) solely by academics, and 16 (2%) by others. The majority of the articles were descriptive (74%) and gathered quantitative data (69%). The range of topics was more varied; the most popular topics were libraries and librarianship (19%), library users/information seeking (13%), medical information/research (13%), and reference services (12%). Pearson’s chi-squared tests detected significant differences in research and statistical approaches by authorship groups. Conclusion – Further examination of practitioner research is a worthwhile effort as is establishing new funding to support practitioner and academic collaborations. The use of purposive sampling limits the generalizability of the results, particularly to international and non-English LIS literature. Future studies could explore motivators for practitioner-academic collaborations as well as the skills necessary for successful collaboration. Additional support for practitioner research could include mentorship for early career librarians to facilitate more rapid maturation of collaborative research skills and increase the methodological quality of published research.
Familial Risk in Patients With Carcinoma of Unknown Primary

Importance Carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) accounts for 3% to 5% of all cancers and is associated with poor prognosis. Familial clustering of different cancer sites with CUP is unknown and may provide information regarding etiology, as well as elevated cancer risks in relatives. Objective To quantify the risk of cancer by site in first- and second-degree relatives and first cousins of individuals with CUP. Design, Setting, and Participants Nested case-control study of patients who received a diagnosis of CUP between 1980 and 2010 identified from the Utah Cancer Registry. Population controls with no CUP diagnosis were sex and age matched 10:1 to patients with CUP. Data about relatives were drawn from the Utah Population Database. Main Outcomes and Measures Familial aggregation of cancer risk in relatives of cases compared with controls using Cox regression analysis. Results For the 4160 index patients (median [interquartile range] age, 72 [62-81] years; 47.6% male) who had received a diagnosis of CUP, first-degree relatives were at an elevated risk of CUP themselves (hazard ratio [HR], 1.35 [95% CI, 1.07-1.70]), as well as lung (HR, 1.37 [95% CI, 1.22-1.54]), pancreatic (HR, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.06-1.54]), myeloma (HR, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.01-1.62]), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (HR, 1.16 [95% CI, >1.00-1.35]) cancers compared with controls without CUP. When the analysis was restricted to relatives of cancer-free controls, additional increased risks for colon (HR, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.06-1.33]) and bladder (HR, 1.18 [95% CI, >1.00-1.38]) cancers were observed. Second-degree relatives of patients with CUP were at a slight increased risk of lung (HR, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.03-1.26]), pancreatic (HR, 1.17 [95% CI, 1.01-1.37]), breast (HR, 1.09 [95% CI, 1.02-1.16]), melanoma (HR, 1.09 [95% CI, >1.00-1.19]), and ovarian (HR, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.02-1.39]) cancers. Conclusions and Relevance Relatives of patients with CUP are at increased risk of CUP and several other malignant neoplasms, including lung, pancreatic, and colon cancer. The present data may suggest sites of origin for CUP and provide cancer risk information for relatives of patients with CUP that can lead to effective intervention. Relatives of patients with CUP should be aware of the elevated risks for lung, pancreatic, and colon cancer and encouraged to modify risk factors and adhere to site-specific population cancer screening.
Constitutive model for third harmonic generation in elastic solids

Abstract In this article, we present a new constitutive model for studying ultrasonic third harmonic generation in elastic solids. The model is hyperelastic in nature with two parameters characterizing the linear elastic material response and two other parameters characterizing the nonlinear response. The limiting response of the model as the nonlinearity parameters tend to zero is shown to be the well-known St Venant–Kirchhoff model. Also, the symmetric response of the model in tension and compression and its role in third harmonic generation is shown. Numerical simulations are carried out to study third harmonic generation in materials characterized by the proposed constitutive model. Predicted third harmonic guided wave generation reveals an increasing third harmonic content with increasing nonlinearity. On the other hand, the second harmonics are independent of the nonlinearity parameters and are generated due to the geometric nonlinearity. The feasibility of determining the nonlinearity parameters from third harmonic measurements is qualitatively discussed.
Sustaining the Andes?: Social capital and policies for rural regeneration in Bolivia

This paper extends debates about social capital to an analysis of the role of local institutions in establishing environmentally-sustainable development in the Bolivian Andes. Currently, neo-liberal orthodoxies assume an Andean environmental crisis without acknowledging that local adaptation by local inhabitants may reduce exposure to risk, and also enhance economic performance. Conversely alternative development orthodoxy refuses to accept that some regions may indeed be in irreversible decline. The paper questions each of these "orthodoxies". It begins by outlining a framework linking environmental and rural economic regeneration to social capital formation, and then illustrates this in relation to case studies from the departments of Potosi and La Paz. Evidence suggests that local organizations have helped localities negotiate more effectively with state, market, and other civil society actors, as well as provide access to new, cleaner technology, financial resources, and new markets. However, the impact of local institutions in reversing processes of rural decline varies among locations, and for some areas progressive decline and out-migration seem likely. Rural regeneration is only likely to occur in these areas through concerted policy commitment to highland small farm production. This is unlikely in the absence of effective social mobilization at a national level. RESUME Priservation des Andes? Capital social et politiques de reconstruction en Bolivie. Cet exposee largit le debat sur le capital social 'a une analyse du rble des institutions locales dans la mise en place d'un developpement des Andes boliviennes viable sur le plan de l'environnement. Actuellement, Les orthodoxies neolibr inversement, I'orthodoxie alternative de dv umgekehrt weigert sich die alternative Entwicklungsorthodoxie anzuerkennen, daB sich manche Regionen tatsichlich in einem irreversiblen Niedergang befinden. Der Text stelltjede dieser ,,Orthodoxien" in Frage. Er beginnt damit, einen Rahmen zu umreiBen, in dem eine Regeneration der Umwelt und der l~ndlichen Wirtschaft mit der Bildung sozialen Kapitals in Verbindung gebracht wird und veranschaulicht dies an Hand von Fallstudien aus den Bezirken Potosi und La Paz. Die Fakten lassen darauf schlieBen, daB lokale Organisationen dazu beigetragen haben, daB man in solchen Gegenden effektiver mit dem Staat, dem Markt und anderen Akteuren der biirgerlichen Gesellschaft umgeht und somit ein Zugriff auf neue, sauberere Technologien, Geldquellen und neue M.rkte m6glich wird. Der EinfluB, den lokale Institutionen darauf haben, den Niedergang lIndlicher Regionen riickgiingig zu machen, istjedoch von Gebiet zu Gebiet unterschiedlich, und in manchen Regionen ist ein Fortschreiten dieses Niederganges und ein Abwandern wahrscheinlich. Eine Regeneration ist in solchen Gebieten nur durch eine konzertierte Hinwendung zur Produktion in Kleinbetrieben des Hochlands zu erwarten. Eine solche Entwicklung ist in Abwesenheit einer effektiven sozialen Mobilmachung auf nationaler Ebene jedoch unwahrscheinlich.
Whose geography? Which publics?

In this response, the members of a professional development graduate seminar at the University of Kentucky reflect on key implications and questions which arose from our reading of the Kitchin et a...
Longitudinal trajectories of everyday function by diagnostic status.

Generalized linear mixed models were used to examine longitudinal trajectories of everyday functional limitations by diagnostic stability/progression. Older adults (N=384) were followed an average 3.6 years; participants were grouped by diagnosis at study baseline and last follow-up (normal cognition, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia at each time point). At study baseline there were clear group differences; most notably, among participants initially characterized as cognitively normal, those who developed MCI or dementia over follow-up already demonstrated greater functional impairment compared to those who remained cognitively normal. Change in functional impairment progressed slowly in the early disease groups, but showed an accelerated worsening in those converting to dementia.
Improving efficacy attribution in a self-directed learning environment using prior knowledge individualization

Models of learning in EDM and LAK are pushing the boundaries of what can be measured from large quantities of historical data. When controlled randomization is present in the learning platform, such as randomized ordering of problems within a problem set, natural quasi-randomized controlled studies can be conducted, post-hoc. Difficulty and learning gain attribution are among factors of interest that can be studied with secondary analyses under these conditions. However, much of the content that we might like to evaluate for learning value is not administered as a random stimulus to students but instead is being self-selected, such as a student choosing to seek help in the discussion forums, wiki pages, or other pedagogically relevant material in online courseware. Help seekers, by virtue of their motivation to seek help, tend to be the ones who have the least knowledge. When presented with a cohort of students with a bi-modal or uniform knowledge distribution, this can present problems with model interpretability when a single point estimation is used to represent cohort prior knowledge. Since resource access is indicative of a low knowledge student, a model can tend towards attributing the resources with low or negative learning gain in order to better explain performance given the higher average prior point estimate. In this paper we present several individualized prior strategies and demonstrate how learning efficacy attribution validity and prediction accuracy improve as a result. Level of education attained, relative past assessment performance, and the prior per student cold start heuristic were employed and compared as prior knowledge individualization strategies.
278 COMPARISON OF THE MEASURES OF ARTERIAL PULSATILE FUNCTION BETWEEN ASYMPTOMATIC YOUNG ADULT SMOKERS AND FORMER SMOKERS: THE BOGALUSA HEART STUDY

Cigarette smoking, an established cardiovascular (CV) disease risk factor, is known to impair pulsatile arterial function. However, information is scant in this regard among asymptomatic young adult former smokers. As part of the Bogalusa Heart Study, we examined the arterial pulsatile function of 277 smokers (69% white and 47% male) and 104 former smokers (81% white and 42% male) aged 18 to 44 years. Arterial pulsatile function was measured noninvasively in terms of large artery (capacitive) compliance, small artery (oscillatory) compliance, and systemic vascular resistance by radial artery pressure pulse contour analysis. Former smokers vs. smokers had higher body mass index (29.6 vs. 27.7 kg/m2, p = .01), after adjusting for age, race, and sex; comparable levels of blood pressure and lipoprotein cholesterols and higher levels of glucose (94.8 vs. 85.3 mg/dL, p = .01) and insulin (1.5 vs. 1.1 μU/mL, p = .01), after adjusting for age, race, sex, and BMI. With respect of measures of pulsatile arterial function, former smokers vs. smokers had similar large artery compliance (15.1 vs. 15.1 mL/mm Hg × 10), higher small artery compliance (6.5 vs. 5.9 mL/mm Hg × 100, p = .001), and lower systemic vascular resistance (1292.2 vs. 1376.9 dyn.sec.cm-5, p = .002), after adjusting for race, sex, and age. A comparison of current smokers vs. those who quit less than 10 years vs. those who quit at least 10 years or more showed increases in small artery compliance (p for trend = .02) and decreases in systemic vascular resistance (p for trend = .02) with increasing years of smoking cessation, after adjusting for race, sex, and age. The odds ratio of smokers vs. former smokers for having adverse small artery compliance (bottom 10 percentile) and systemic vascular resistance (top 10 percentile) were, respectively, 3.0 (p = .02) and 4.3 (p = .01), independent of race, sex, age, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. These findings, although cross-sectional in nature, indicate the potential for improvement in arterial wall dynamics after smoking cessation.
Smearing Fingerprints: Changing the Game of Web Tracking and Differential Privacy Transcript of Discussion

So we're calling this one composite privacy, and we want to talk about shifting costs for web tracking or for user tracking. In previous years at this workshop we've presented ideas on a variety of subjects. We've talked about what we can learn from locks and from safecracking, we've talked about eVoting systems, we talked about the benefit you get from the attackers learning curve early in a vulnerability lifecycle, we've talked about the P25 radio systems and the problems with those, and we've also presented information on the lessons you can learn from casino security, and from military strategy.
Three New Cyperaceae from the Cuyuni-Mazaruni Region of Guyana (South America)

Three new species of Cyperaceae are described and illustrated from the Cuyuni-Mazaruni Region of Guyana, South America: Cephalocarpus glabra M. T. Strong, Everardia spongiosa M. T. Strong, and Scleria attenuatifolia M. T. Strong. Comparisons to similar taxa are discussed for each.
Spectrophotometric method for measurement of lactose in milk and milk products by using dialysis

Le lactose est dialyse contre de l'eau et dose, apres coloration par le reactif de Teles. La methode est simple et ne necessite pas les etapes prealables de precipitation, filtration ou centrifugation
Socializing Statecraft: Wining and Dining Congress in the Jefferson Presidency

Political leaders expend considerable time and effort planning, conducting, and attending social events such as cocktail parties, dinners, receptions, and rounds of golf. These encounters often bring elites together with their political allies and adversaries, and therefore offer opportune occasions for social statecraft. Despite the ubiquity and potential of these events, political scientists have paid little or no attention to social statecraft. Here, we examine a preeminent case of this art: Thomas Jefferson's use of frequent, intimate dinner parties to bring together members of Congress. Further, we present three theoretical frameworks for understanding Jefferson's strategy and goals. In addition to the familiar aims of bargaining and persuasion, we introduce a third possibility, "social knitting." We define social knitting as the art of designing social networks with qualities that are unlikely to emerge naturally, such as networks with relatively low levels of clustering, which thereby have the potential to bridge existing divides and eliminate structural holes. By analyzing patterns in Jefferson's invitations, measuring the effects of dinner invitation on future roll call votes, and exploring the qualities of the social networks that Jefferson curated, we ultimately conclude that Jefferson used these dinners to knit the Congress together rather than to bargain with or persuade members.
Abstract 1660: JP4-039/F14 treatment of E13 pregnant mice 24 hours after total body irradiation (TBI) improves survival, growth and development of fetal mice

Purpose: A practical radiation mitigator must be safe in pregnant females. Irradiation during pregnancy can induce fetal death, stunt growth, and/or lead to teratogenic and carcinogenic effects dependent on stage of gestation. We evaluated the mitochondrial targeted GS-nitroxide mitigator JP4-039 for effects on total body irradiated (TBI) pregnant mice. Methods: Timed pregnant C57Bl/6NHsd mice at E13 were irradiated to 3 Gy, subgroups were injected IV 24 hr later (E14) with JP4-039 in F14 emulsion (4 ug JP4-039 in 100 ul of F14). Mice were followed for number of pups born, weight of pups at day 5 after birth, and for number of survivors at time of weaning. In other studies of irradiation effects, new- born pups, on the day of delivery, were euthanized, fixed, sectioned and examined microscopically. Results: Nonirradiated mice showed 97 ± 2% of newborn surviving until weaning. Pups born to 3 Gy irradiated E13 pregnant mice had decreased survival (8.3 ± 8.7%) (p Conclusions: Treatment of total body irradiated E13 pregnant mice at E14 with JP4-039/F14 was safe and effective as a radiation mitigator, led to increased numbers of surviving newborns, improved growth and development, and after weaning over 21 days, and increased body weight with no late deaths. Supported by NIAID/NIH U19-AI068021 Citation Format: Michael W. Epperly, Lora Rigatti, Tracy Dixon, Song Li, Joel S. Greenberger. JP4-039/F14 treatment of E13 pregnant mice 24 hours after total body irradiation (TBI) improves survival, growth and development of fetal mice. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1660.
Ceramic Exchange Within the Kayenta Anasazi Region: Volcanic Ash-Tempered Tusayan White Ware

ABSTRACTMicroscopic examination of ceramic collections from nearly 300 sites, coupled with petrographic analysis of selected sherds, establishes that volcanic ash was often used as temper in Tusayan White Ware by the Kayenta Anasazi. Based on distributional data, oxidation experiments, and geologic sourcing of both clays and volcanic ash, a production zone for the ash-tempered white ware is isolated. The occurrence of this pottery on Kayenta sites outside of the production zone is interpreted as resulting from intraregional exchange that started during Pueblo II. By middle Pueblo III production and exchange of the ash-tempered white ware intensified, so that by late Pueblo III this pottery constituted a majority of the white ware at many Kayenta sites. Based on our research findings, we suggest avenues for future investigation of intraregional Kayenta ceramic exchange.
Measurements of High Frequency Reverberation in Shallow Water

In September 1991, the first of a series of measurements was made with high frequency (≥ 10 kHz) sonar in shallow waters (35–55 m) of Block Island Sound. Approximately 250 sonar echoes were collected with sonar heads mounted on a remotely controlled, submersed system towed by a surface ship over various bottom types. For ten types of transmit waveform, the output from each transducer in the sonars’ (8x8) arrays was individually recorded digitally. Concurrent oceanographic and geologic measurements included vertical and horizontal profiles of conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD); current; wave height spectra of the sea-surface; side scan sonar mapping and stereo photography of the bottom; ambient noise; bottom cores; underwater video. Air-filled steel spheres were moored at the site as a distributed target for acoustic imaging experiments. Moreover, data have been analyzed to characterize boundary reverberation for two cases representative of the variability encountered during the experiment.
Prognosis of Partial Epilepsy

Children with onset of partial seizures from 10 mos to 13 yrs (average 4.9 yrs) were followed for an average period of 7.4 yrs at the Instituto di Neuropsichiatria, Rome, Italy.
Microbial bioremediation of hexavalent chromium

H chromium is known to be carcinogenic and has been identified as a potential threat to human health. Due to the increasing incidence of hexavalent Chromium (Cr-VI) contamination in soil and wastewater, different remediation strategies have been adopted to remediate the Cr (VI) from contaminated matrix. Use of microorganism for the bioremediation of Cr (VI) appears as an inexpensive environmentally friendly method of bioremediation. The microbes and algae are known to be capable of remediating Cr (VI) from soil and wastewater by bio-reduction and bio sorption. Bioremediation studies using Bacillus sphaericus and Chlorella vulgaris are presented. The adaptation of microorganisms to withstand pollutant stress has been topic great interest to environmental chemists and biotechnologists. Such adaptations include induction of cellular enzymes for bio-reduction of Cr (VI) through redox systems and by removing reactive oxygen species (ROS) via superoxide dismutase (SOD) and other free radical scavenging systems. The development of metal resistance by microorganisms adds extra advantage in bioremediation. Bio-adsorption of chromium can also occur via physicochemical interactions of metal with the metal binding polymeric substances in the membranes of microorganisms. Algal availability of numerous charged metal binding sites, capable of bio-adsorption greatly influences the removal of chromium from contaminated water. The algal membranes possess reactive functional groups such as carboxylic, hydroxyl, amino groups with ionic binding characteristics. The presentation reviews and shed light on recent studies on the mechanisms of removal of Cr (VI) by biosorption either by intracellular microbial bioreduction and extracellular phyisico chemical chromium adsorption on the algal membrane structures.
Do Clinical Results and Return-to-Sport Rates After Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction Differ Based on Graft Choice and Surgical Technique?

Background:Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (UCLR) has become a common procedure performed in overhead-throwing athletes of many athletic levels.Purpose/Hypothesis:The purpose of this study was to determine whether clinical outcomes and return-to-sport (RTS) rates differ among patients undergoing UCLR based on graft choice, surgical technique, athletic competition level, handedness, and treatment of the ulnar nerve. We hypothesized that no differences would exist in clinical outcomes or RTS rates between technique, graft choice, or other variables.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:All patients who underwent UCLR from January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2014 at a single institution were identified. Charts were reviewed to determine patient age, sex, date of surgery, sport played, handedness, athletic level, surgical technique, graft type, and complications. Patients were contacted via telephone to obtain the RTS rate, Conway-Jobe score, Timmerman-Andrews score, and Kerlan-Job...
On the Interplay Between Adhesion Strength and Tensile Properties of Thermal Spray Coated Laminates—Part I: High Velocity Thermal Spray Coatings

Adhesion of thermal spray (TS) coatings is an important system level property in coating design and application. Adhesive-based pull testing (ASTM C633) has long been used to evaluate coating/substrate bonding. However, this approach is not always suitable for high velocity spray coatings, for example, where adhesion strengths are routinely greater than the strength of the adhesive bonding agent used in the testing. In this work, a new approach has been proposed to evaluate the adhesion of TS coatings. A systematic investigation of the effects of substrate roughness on both the uniaxial tensile yield strength and traditional bond pull adhesive strength of HVOF Ni and Ni-5wt.%Al, as well as cold-sprayed Ni-coated laminates revealed a strong correlation between these two test methodologies for the respective materials and processes. This approach allows measurement of the adhesion response even where the adhesive method is not applicable, overcoming many of the issues in the traditional ASTM C633. Analysis of cracking patterns of the coatings after 10.5% strain was used to assess the adhesion and cohesion properties. The mechanisms which determine the load transfer between the substrate and the coating are also briefly discussed.
Effect of Short-Term Antiretroviral Therapy Interruption on Levels of Integrated HIV DNA.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health [AI125109, AI068634, AI068636, UM1 AI106701, UM1 AI126617, AI120011]; Gilead Sciences; Merck
Games of Two Players

Probability models on games involving two opposing players or teams are discussed with particular emphasis on the relative probability of a server in a play. Two examples (i.e. the tennis and badminton games) are presented. Several comments and suggestions are made regarding their game rules.
Night as Metaphor

If we, like Odysseus, are to embark on an intrinsic trek ‘back home’ to our authentic inner selves, we must be prepared to confront monsters attempting to impede our journey. In the physical world, a conscious knowledge of ourselves as teachers and productive citizens defines our reality. The monsters we fight (i.e. ignorance, illiteracy, injustice, inequality) are outside of ourselves.
The Concept of the Historic Bay

The first five chapters dealt with the growth of a general set of rules to accommodate this peculiarity of the earth’s crust called a bay. We have seen that, for purposes of ascertaining when in international law a bay exists, and when the littoral State has the right to claim as her internal waters some or all of the area of the bay, certain criteria have been formulated and generally agreed upon. But in Chapter Six, we have examined an exception to some of these criteria. Earlier, we have noted the sixth and final paragraph of Article 7 of the 1958 Geneva Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone. To repeat, this paragraph reads: 6. The foregoing provisions shall not apply to the so-called “historic bays,” or in any case where the straight base-line system provided for in article 4 is applied.
Management of high risk cardiac conditions in pregnancy: Anticoagulation, severe stenotic valvular disease and cardiomyopathy

Cardiovascular disease contributes to approximately one third of all maternal mortality and remains a significant source of peri‑ and postpartum morbidity. As more women at risk for and with cardiovascular disease are desiring pregnancy, it is imperative that general cardiologists and obstetricians participate collaboratively in preconception counseling and are more facile with management of these lesions during peri‑ and postpartum periods. This review aims to address this growing need and highlights the management strategies for some of the major high risk cardiac conditions encountered during pregnancy including anticoagulation, cardiomyopathies as well as severe mitral and aortic stenosis; aortopathy, pulmonary hypertension, and severe congenital heart lesions will not be addressed.
Advancing a Decolonial Rhetoric

Dominant stories and narratives are violent: They disregard and erase the humanity of so much of the world, with some of us emerging as the dis/figured and inept beings that can, and, apparently, s...