cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcomes research in pediatric settings: recent trends and future directions.

Objective. Pediatric outcomes research examines the effects of health care delivered in everyday medical settings on the health of children and adolescents. It is an area of inquiry in its nascent stages of development. Methods. We conducted a systematic literature review that covered articles published during the 6-year interval 1994–1999 and in 39 peer-reviewed journals chosen for their likelihood of containing child health services research. This article summarizes the article abstraction, reviews the literature, describes recent trends, and makes recommendations for future work. Results. In the sample of journals that we examined, the number of pediatric outcomes research articles doubled between 1994 and 1999. Hospitals and primary care practices were the most common service sectors, accounting for more than half of the articles. Common clinical categories included neonatal conditions, asthma, psychosocial problems, and injuries. Approximately 1 in 5 studies included multistate or national samples; 1 in 10 used a randomized controlled trial study design. Remarkably few studies examined the health effects of preventive, diagnostic, long-term management, or curative services delivered to children and adolescents. Conclusions. Outcomes research in pediatric settings is a rapidly growing area of inquiry that is acquiring breadth but has achieved little depth in any single content area. Much work needs to be done to inform decision making regarding the optimal ways to finance, organize, and deliver child health care services. To improve the evidence base of pediatric health care, more effectiveness research is needed to evaluate the overall and relative effects of services delivered to children and adolescents in everyday settings.
Long-Term Changes in the Equatorial Pacific Trade Winds

Abstract Past work has shown that surface zonal equatorial wind stress, zonally integrated from one side of the Pacific to the other, is the key variable for estimating long-term El Nino behavior in the eastern Pacific. The long-term behavior of this key variable is difficult to determine directly because of the paucity of the equatorial wind observations and because of false trends in the wind data introduced by gradual changes in the methods of wind measurement. However, surface pressure data generally does not suffer from these false trends and theory suggests that this key wind variable is linearly related to the difference (Δp) of surface atmospheric pressure between the eastern and western equatorial Pacific. Detrended COADS pressure in the eastern and western equatorial Pacific and post 1960 detrended equatorial wind stress zonally averaged across the Pacific were used to verify this relationship. Pressure difference and zonally averaged equatorial zonal windstress (τ) were highly correlated (r = −...
Characteristics and survival of BCR/ABL negative chronic myeloid leukemia: a retrospective analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database.

BCR/ABL negative or atypical chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a rare hematologic malignancy with an estimated incidence of 1–2% of BCR/ABL positive CML. Clinical features of BCR/ABL negative CML resembles those of BCR/ABL positive CML but does not have BCR/ABL fusion gene; rearrangement of platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)-A, PDGFR-B or FGFR1 is also absent [Vardiman et al. 2008]. BCR/ABL negative CML, however, is associated with mutations in CSF3R (up to 40%), SETBP1 (~10%) and JAK2V617F (~5%) [Gotlib et al. 2013]. KRAS or NRAS mutations may also be common in BCR/ABL negative CML (35% in a multicenter study) [Wang et al. 2014]. In addition, a study utilizing whole-exome sequencing has revealed the presence of ETNK1 mutations in 8–13% of patients with BCR/ABL negative CML [Gambacorti-Passerini et al. 2015]. World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for the diagnosis of BCR/ABL negative CML additionally include the presence of leukocytosis ⩾13 × 109/l with circulating neutrophil precursors ⩾10%, monocytes <10% and minimal basophils (usually <2%); bone marrow hypercellularity with granulocytic proliferation and dysplasia; and blood and bone marrow blast count of <20% [Vardiman et al. 2008]. The rarity of the disease has largely precluded conduction of any prospective study to optimize treatment strategy of BCR/ABL negative CML. Similarly, the mutations associated with the disease were hitherto undiscovered, which prevented identification of therapeutic targets and drug development. Consequently, BCR/ABL negative CML has been managed with palliative therapy such as hydroxyurea, low-dose cytarabine and interferon, which results in a median overall survival (OS) of approximately 2 years in small retrospective studies [Onida et al. 2002; Breccia et al. 2006]. A recent multicenter study demonstrated that BCR/ABL negative CML is distinct from unclassifiable myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms and has a worse OS (12 versus 22 months) and acute myeloid leukemia-free survival (11 versus 19 months) [Wang et al. 2014]. A population-based study on the outcomes of BCR/ABL negative CML is lacking. In this population-based study, we utilized the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database to analyze the characteristics and outcomes of BCR/ABL negative CML. Such information is useful for patient education and may provide background information for clinical trials in the future.
A triphasic constrained mixture model of engineered tissue formation under in vitro dynamic mechanical conditioning

While it has become axiomatic that mechanical signals promote in vitro engineered tissue formation, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Moreover, efforts to date to determine parameters for optimal extracellular matrix (ECM) development have been largely empirical. In the present work, we propose a two-pronged approach involving novel theoretical developments coupled with key experimental data to develop better mechanistic understanding of growth and development of dense connective tissue under mechanical stimuli. To describe cellular proliferation and ECM synthesis that occur at rates of days to weeks, we employ mixture theory to model the construct constituents as a nutrient-cell-ECM triphasic system, their transport, and their biochemical reactions. Dynamic conditioning protocols with frequencies around 1 Hz are described with multi-scale methods to couple the dissimilar time scales. Enhancement of nutrient transport due to pore fluid advection is upscaled into the growth model, and the spatially dependent ECM distribution describes the evolving poroelastic characteristics of the scaffold-engineered tissue construct. Simulation results compared favorably to the existing experimental data, and most importantly, distinguish between static and dynamic conditioning regimes. The theoretical framework for mechanically conditioned tissue engineering (TE) permits not only the formulation of novel and better-informed mechanistic hypothesis describing the phenomena underlying TE growth and development, but also the exploration/optimization of conditioning protocols in a rational manner.
Energy-efficient Active Silicon Photonic Components

We review the link budget for a low-power silicon photonic interconnect and present progress towards a sub-picojoule/bit link.
Children with ADHD Show Increased Variability in Sequential Finger Movements (P07.144)

Objective: The primary objectives of this study were to determine whether children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) exhibited greater motor variability during a timed sequential finger tapping task compared to their typically developing (TD) peers and to examine associations with variability on a traditional measure of response selection/inhibition (Go/No-Go task). Background One of the most consistent findings in ADHD is increased reaction time variability on computerized measures of response selection/inhibition (e.g., Go/No-go, Stop-signal, and Flanker tasks). An important question that has not yet been addressed is whether this variability is evident on measures of basic motor control, particularly those requiring self-initiated repetitive and sequential movements. Design/Methods: 37 ADHD (mean age 10.0 years, 27 male) and 40 TD (mean age 10.5 years, 24 male) children (all right-handed) completed a timed sequential finger sequencing task involving repeated thumb apposition to index-middle-ring-pinky fingers. An electronic goniometer on the index finger was used to measure speed and variability of repeated sequences. A standard Go/No-Go task was also completed by 56 of these children (26 ADHD). Results: Across subject groups, finger sequencing was faster with the right hand (F(1,75)=17.4, p Conclusions: Children with ADHD exhibit slower speed and greater variability in performance of both self-initiated, timed sequential movements and measures of response selection/inhibition. Supported by: R01 MH078160. Disclosure: Dr. Mostofsky has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shiels has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dirlikov has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gilbert has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Pediatrics Review and Education Program R11. Dr. Gilbert has received research support from Psyadon Pharmaceuticals and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals.
STUDIES ON FOOD SIZE AS A SELECTION PRESSURE ON BODY SIZE. I. EFFECTS OF FOOD SIZE ON FITNESS OF TWO SIZE STRAINS OF ACHETA DOMESTICUS L.

The concept that food size acts as a selection pressure on consumer size is one of the underlying assumptions of much of current evolutionary and ecological theory. Although rarely explicitly stated, it is assumed that certain biotic interactions lead to changes in the food size spectrum, that the resulting food size distribution acts as a selection pressure, and that these events result in a change in the distribution of the consumer phenotype. Such considerations appear to be the basis for some kinds of character displacement (Brown and Wilson, 1956), optimization of predator size (Schoener, 1969; McNab, 1971; Hespenheide, 1973), species packing (MacArthur and Wilson, 1967), and niche width considerations (Van Valen, 1965; MacArthur, 1972). This assumption, that food size acts as a selection pressure on consumer size, is based primarily on energetic arguments involving cost-benefit ratios of variously sized food particles. A consumer is expected to be constrained, either energetically or mechanically, to food particles within a certain size range. A substantial amount of correlative data has been collected to test ideas about the relationship between food size and consumer phenotype. The size of prey chosen by many predators has been shown to be directly related to the size of some character and/or body size of the predator., This relationship seems to apply to many taxa, including fish (Allen, 1935; Keast, 1968), starfish (Menge, 1972), birds (Storer, 1966; Hespenheide, 1975), and insects (Davidson 1977); and in birds, prey size is more highly correlated with body size than character size, e.g. bill size (Hespenheide, 1975). However, these data, at best, offer circumstantial evidence that food size acts as a selection pressure on consumer size. The object of our study was to test this assumption by measuring the average fitness of two size strains of a cricket species when reared in environments with various food sizes. The hypothesis would then be rejected if the individuals from both strains were shown to be equally fit in all food environments. The house cricket, Acheta domesticus L., has a relatively short life span, handles its food items one at a time, and has no diapausing stage, and was therefore chosen as the experimental animal.
Modified quasilinearization algorithm for optimal control problems with nondifferential constraints

This paper considers the numerical solution of optimal control problems involving a functionalI subject to differential constraints, nondifferential constraints, and terminal constraints. The problem is to find the statex(t), the controlu(t), and the parameter ? so that the functional is minimized, while the constraints are satisfied to a predetermined accuracy. A modified quasilinearization algorithm is developed. Its main property is the descent property in the performance indexR, the cumulative error in the constraints and the optimality conditions. Modified quasilinearization differs from ordinary quasilinearization because of the inclusion of the scaling factor (or stepsize) ? in the system of variations. The stepsize is determined by a one-dimensional search on the performance indexR. Since the first variation ?R is negative, the decrease inR is guaranteed if ? is sufficiently small. Convergence to the solution is achieved whenR becomes smaller than some preselected value. In order to start the algorithm, some nominal functionsx(t),u(t), ? and nominal multipliers ?(t), ?(t), μ must be chosen. In a real problem, the selection of the nominal functions can be made on the basis of physical considerations. Concerning the nominal multipliers, no useful guidelines have been available thus far. In this paper, an auxiliary minimization algorithm for selecting the multipliers optimally is presented: the performance indexR is minimized with respect to ?(t), ?(t), μ. Since the functionalR is quadratically dependent on the multipliers, the resulting variational problem is governed by optimality conditions which are linear and, therefore, can be solved without difficulty. To facilitate the numerical solution on digital computers, the actual time ? is replaced by the normalized timet, defined in such a way that the extremal arc has a normalized time length Δt=1. In this way, variable-time terminal conditions are transformed into fixed-time terminal conditions. The actual time ? at which the terminal boundary is reached is regarded to be a component of the parameter ? being optimized. The present general formulation differs from that of Ref. 3 because of the inclusion of the nondifferential constraints to be satisfied everywhere over the interval 0?t?1. Its importance lies in that (i) many optimization problems arise directly in the form considered here, (ii) there are problems involving state equality constraints which can be reduced to the present scheme through suitable transformations, and (iii) there are some problems involving inequality constraints which can be reduced to the present scheme through the introduction of auxiliary variables. Numerical examples are presented for the free-final-time case. These examples demonstrate the feasibility as well as the rapidity of convergence of the technique developed in this paper.
Archaeological Investigations at Pine Gap (Kuyunba), Northern Territory

Two rockshelters at Pine Gap on the southern flank of the MacDonnell Ranges near Alice Springs were investigated by test excavations conducted during January 1980. The excavations at Pine Gap are part of a long-term program of archaeological research which has been conducted by the writers and their associates in central Australia during the past several years. The excavations are not the most recent of our endeavours, but are reported at this time because radiocarbon dates are now available for both rockshelters, and an adjacent site, Kuyunba 6, has recently been tested, radiocarbon dated, and reported upon by Smith (1983). While the radiocarbon dates of the two sites which we excavated are not of a high order of antiquity, the dates and specimens obtained during the course of the limited test excavations, combined with the data from Kuyunba 6, augment the growing fund of information pertaining to the prehistory of central Australia.
Correlation of Local Strain in a TEM Sample and in the Bulk for a Recessed SiGe CMOS Structure

The strain distribution of a strained Si channel in a embedded SiGe PMOS test structure was investigated with experimental convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) measurements and finite element (FE) calculations. The strain distribution both in a TEM sample and in the bulk sample was examined and correlated. It was found that the magnitude of the longitudinal strain, ex along the [-1,1,0] channel direction, is about 20% higher in the TEM sample than in the bulk; whereas the transverse strain, ey along [-1,-1,0] parallel to the TEM sample thinning direction, is tensile in the TEM sample due to the loss of constraints, while it is zero in the bulk. This combined approach can be sued to successfully explain data from other CBED studies of strained Si devices and is generally applicable for nano scale strain determination in advanced generation CMOS technology nodes.
Application of image classification techniques to multispectral lidar point cloud data

Data from Optech Titan are analyzed here for purposes of terrain classification, adding the spectral data component to the lidar point cloud analysis. Nearest-neighbor sorting techniques are used to create the merged point cloud from the three channels. The merged point cloud is analyzed using spectral analysis techniques that allow for the exploitation of color, derived spectral products (pseudo-NDVI), as well as lidar features such as height values, and return number. Standard spectral image classification techniques are used to train a classifier, and analysis was done with a Maximum Likelihood supervised classification. Terrain classification results show an overall accuracy improvement of 10% and a kappa coefficient increase of 0.07 over a raster-based approach.
Epidemic situation of schistosomiasis in the region moved from outside embankment to town in Maanshan City,Anhui Province

Objective To observe the potential impact of environmental changes on epidemic situation of schistosomiasis in the region moved from outside embankment to town,so as to provide evidence for making out control measures in the future.Methods Xiaohuangzhou village in Maanshan City,which disuse both inhabitance and cultivation,was selected as a pilot area.From 2002 to 2005,the distribution of snails,the infection situation of schistosomiasis in residents and cattle,and the contamination of faeces in the pilot area were investigated by routine methods,the environmental changes was observed,in order to analyze the changing tendency of epidemic situation of schistosomiasis in the pilot area.Results There was a decline trend in the density of living snails,the density of infected snails and the infection rate of snails reduced by 74.28% and 37.93% respectively in 2005 compared with 2002.There was a decline trend in the positive rate of schistosomiasis among residents which were examined by IHA method.In 2002 and 2003,the positive rate of Schistosoma japonicum eggs in faeces was 2.70% and 36.54% respectively,there were no faeces with S.japonicum eggs after 2003.The exploitation of marshland in the pilot area was strengthened after moved from outside embankment to town.Conclusion It is a effective measure to control the epidemic situation of schistosomiasis that moved from outside embankment to town.
Incidence and Demographics of Post-Operative Naloxone Administration: A 13-Year Experience at a Major Tertiary Teaching Institution.

Background Perioperative use of opioids is associated with the risk of opioid-induced respiratory depression. Naloxone is a competitive opioid antagonist typically administered to reverse opioid-induced respiratory depression. Postoperative administration of naloxone may be considered a proxy for significant postoperative opioid-induced respiratory depression and data regarding its use may be utilized as a quality measure. Few large studies have been done to characterize the population and define an incidence of naloxone recipients in the postoperative inpatient setting. Objectives We aimed to characterize the demographics of patients receiving postoperative naloxone, as well as the incidence of administration in the first 72 post-operative hours at a large urban academic medical center in the United States. Study design This is a retrospective cohort study. Setting Major urban tertiary teaching institution. Methods The robust electronic record database of The Department of Anesthesiology at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, as well as the institution's data warehouse were instrumental in allowing almost 450,000 surgical cases performed between 2001 and 2014 to be screened for naloxone administration within the first 72 postoperative hours. Organ harvests, outside of OR intubations, cancelled cases, and patients age less than or equal to 18 were excluded from the total case count. Results Naloxone was administered 433 times in a total of 442,699 postoperative cases. This yielded an incidence of 0.1%. Additionally, the demographics of the group receiving naloxone were described. The mean age was 60, mean body mass index (BMI) was 27, 60% were women, and the mean American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) status was 3. Average time to naloxone administration was 21 hours (standard deviation 7) after surgery. Thirteen percent of the cases were emergent. Breakdown of anesthetic technique revealed that 81% of the cases were performed under general anesthesia, 7% with monitored anesthesia care (MAC), and 12% under neuraxial anesthesia. This study lays the groundwork for further elucidating risk factors for postoperative administration of naloxone. Limitations This is a retrospective study. Conclusion The overall incidence of postoperative naloxone administration over a 13 year period in approximately 450,000 patients was 0.1%. Demographics of this group were older, ASA 3 women, qualifying as overweight, but not obese, undergoing elective surgery with a general anesthetic technique. Average time to administration was 21 hours postoperatively.
Effective stress-strain relationships for analysis of noncompact and slender filled composite (CFT) members

Abstract Fiber-based section analysis methods are widely used to model and predict the fundamental axial force-bending moment-curvature ( P - M - ϕ ) behavior and the strength interaction ( P - M ) of concrete-filled steel tube (CFT) members. The accuracy of these predictions is governed by the uniaxial effective stress-strain relationships assumed for the steel tube and concrete infill of the CFT section. Prior research has developed these effective stress-strain relationships for compact CFT members. This paper presents the development and verification of effective stress-strain relationships for the steel tube and concrete infill of noncompact and slender CFT members. These relationships are developed using results from comprehensive 3D finite element analyses of CFT members with a wide range of geometric and material parameters. The 3D finite element models, which were developed and benchmarked previously by the authors, accounted explicitly for the effects of steel yielding and tube local buckling, concrete cracking and compression inelasticity, and the transverse interaction leading to steel hoop stresses and concrete confinement. As a result, the developed effective stress-strain relationships also accounted (implicitly) for these complexities (yielding, local buckling, confinement, etc.) of behavior. These effective stress-strain relationships are implemented in a nonlinear fiber analysis (NFA) macro model, and used to predict the behavior of noncompact and slender CFT members in the experimental database. The conservatism of the predictions using the effective stress-strain relationships is evaluated.
Acute and Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease of the Skin

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is one of the most challenging diseases to diagnose and manage in both children and adults. Despite significant research and advances, GVHD remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the post-hematopoietic stem cell transplant population. Given that skin is the most common organ affected in both acute and chronic forms of GVHD, it is imperative for dermatologists not only to recognize cutaneous manifestations but also to familiarize themselves with first-line therapies for these conditions. In this chapter, we describe four unique cases of acute and chronic GVHD, and discuss the differential diagnosis, diagnostic pearls, and therapeutic approach to these diseases. We begin with a case of classic acute GVHD, and review characteristic clinical features, risk factors, differential diagnosis, and first-line therapies. We then move on to a rare case of toxic epidermal necrolysis-like acute GVHD and discuss second- and third-line agents for treatment-refractory disease, including interventions that saved the patient’s life. In case 3, we transition to a discussion of chronic GVHD, and present a patient with sclerotic disease, reviewing clinical features, risk factors, and first-line therapies for this condition. Lastly, we conclude our chapter with a discussion of an atypical nonsclerotic form cutaneous chronic GVHD associated with a good prognosis.
The Effect of Friendship and Tutoring Roles on Reciprocal Peer Tutoring Strategies

Intelligent Tutoring Systems that employ a teachable agent or reciprocal tutoring agent are designed to elicit the beneficial effects of tutoring, known as the tutor learning effect. However, untrained tutors do not spontaneously use beneficial tutoring strategies, and in a reciprocal format, it is unclear how the tutor learning effect affects those tutors' future problem-solving. Here, we examine the effect that the relationship between tutor and tutee has on their likelihood to use various tutoring and learning strategies, and the impact those strategies have on tutees' future problem-solving in a reciprocal format. We find that among friends, tutees tend towards more verbalization of their problem-solving, with their tutors adopting a more questioning tutoring style, while among strangers, tutees use more shallow questions, with more procedural instruction from their tutor.
Apparatus for the measurement of α-γ angular correlations

Abstract Equipment for measuring α-γ angular correlations is described. The detectors employed are a 2″ × 2″ NaI(Tl) crystal for γ rays, and a silicon surface barrier counter for α rays. At an energy of 6 MeV, the α-ray counter achieves a resolution of 100 keV at 5700 counts per second, and provides a signal suitable for a coincidence circuit with a 9 × 10 −9 sec resolving time.
The Local Langlands Conjectures for Non-quasi-split Groups

We present different statements of the local Langlands conjectures for non-quasi-split groups that currently exist in the literature and provide an overview of their historic development. Afterwards, we formulate the conjectural multiplicity formula for discrete automorphic representations of non-quasi-split groups.
Disruption of Integrated Neuronal and Astrocytic Signaling Contributes to Alcohol Use Disorder

Recent research into the pathophysiology of alcohol use disorder suggests that the behavioral and physical manifestations of AUD are produced by hierarchical dysfunction at the cellular, synaptic, and circuit levels. Synaptic and circuit function are highly dependent upon the activity and function of astrocytes. Therefore, dysregulation of astrocytic function may compromise synaptic activity and produce maladaptive modifications of circuit strength. In this commentary, we discuss the extensive crosstalk between neurons and astrocytes that determine synaptic strength and bioenergetic integrity, expounding upon the extensive interactions between glutamatergic neurotransmission and cellular metabolism. Furthermore, we discuss how dysregulation of astrocyte function in AUD may alter astrocyte function and compromise both excitatory neurotransmission and CNS bioenergetics.
What Would a Data Scientist Ask? Automatically Formulating and Solving Predictive Problems

In this paper, we designed a formal language, called Trane, for describing prediction problems over relational datasets, implemented a system that allows data scientists to specify problems in that language. We show that this language is able to describe several prediction problems and even the ones on KAGGLE-a data science competition website. We express 29 different KAGGLE problems in this language. We designed an interpreter, which translates input from the user, specified in this language, into a series of transformation and aggregation operations to apply to a dataset in order to generate labels that can be used to train a supervised machine learning classifier. Using a smaller subset of this language, we developed a system to automatically enumerate, interpret and solve prediction problems. We tested this system on the Walmart Store Sales Forecasting dataset found on KAGGLE, enumerated 1077 prediction problems and built models that attempted to solve them, for which we produced 235 AUC scores. Considering that only one out of those 1077 problems was the focus of a 2.5 month long competition on KAGGLE, we expect this system to deliver a thousandfold increase in data scientist's productivity.
Reactive hot pressing of Al2O3-Ni composites

Reactive hot pressing has been used to form Al2O3-Ni composites from Al and NiO. The effect of attrition milling on the precursor powder and subsequent composite formation was examined. The surface area, phase assemblage, reaction temperature, and morphology of precursor powders were characterized as a function of milling time, which ranged from 0 (unmilled) to 480 min (8 hrs). During milling, particle surface area increased from less than 1 to more than 11 m2/g as the size of the Al and NiO particles decreased. At the same time, the temperature at which Al and NiO reacted to form Al2O3 and Ni decreased from more than 1000°C to around 600°C. Formation of Al2O3 or Ni during milling was not detected, regardless of time. Precursor milling time also affected the morphology and phase assemblage of composites produced by reactive hot pressing. Composites formed from unmilled powders contained a small amount of unreacted NiO and had a Ni ligament size greater than 10 μm. The composite forming reaction went to completion when powders milled for one hour or more were hot pressed. Based on microstructural evidence and analogy to similar reactions, it appears that the composite forming reaction proceeds by Al diffusing into and reacting with NiO.
SNEM: Full S-Parameter Synthesis From Near-End Measurement

A novel method called SNEM (full S-parameter synthesis from near-end measurement) is proposed to obtain the full S-parameter matrix by probing only a subset of all the ports of a passive linear time-invariant network. Other ports that are not probed need to be terminated by various impedance values. The traditional open-short-load method is a special case in the SNEM framework. A termination error correction algorithm and a guideline for choosing termination impedance values have also been developed to make the method robust, accurate, and efficient. Examples are included in this paper to demonstrate the applications of the SNEM method in integrated circuit package, on-die structure, and socket/connector characterizations. Simulation results also show that the SNEM method can be applied to power line communication system characterization. The SNEM method has been validated by both simulations and lab measurements.
Four indicators that explain world grain and oilseed market developments

Growth in crop yields, population, Chinese demand and biofuel production can explain important developments in world grain and oilseed markets over the last 35 years. The same indicators provide clues about what to expect between now and 2050. Proportional rates of growth in both crop yields and population are slowing. Chinese demand and biofuel production account for the entire net increase in world per-capita grain and oilseed consumption since 1980. If biofuel expansion and Chinese consumption growth slow, a key question is whether a new engine of demand growth will emerge. Decisions made by farmers, agribusinesses, policy makers and consumers will all affect future food supplies and prices. [EconLit citations: Q11, Q13, Q18]
Validation of quasi-invariant ice cloud radiative quantities with MODIS satellite-based cloud property retrievals

Similarity relations applied to ice cloud radiance calculations are theoretically analyzed and numerically validated. If τ(1-ϖ) and τ(1-ϖg) are conserved where τ is optical thickness, ϖ the single-scattering albedo, and g the asymmetry factor, it is possible that substantially different phase functions may give rise to similar radiances in both conservative and non-conservative scattering cases, particularly in the case of large optical thicknesses. In addition to theoretical analysis, this study uses operational ice cloud optical thickness retrievals from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Level 2 Collection 5 (C5) and Collection 6 (C6) cloud property products to verify radiative similarity relations. It is found that, if the MODIS C5 and C6 ice cloud optical thickness values are multiplied by their respective (1-ϖg) factors, the resultant products referred to as the effective optical thicknesses become similar with their ratio values around unity. Furthermore, the ratios of the C5 and C6 ice cloud effective optical thicknesses display an angular variation pattern similar to that of the corresponding ice cloud phase function ratios. The MODIS C5 and C6 values of ice cloud similarity parameter, defined as [(1-ϖ)/(1-ϖg)]1/2, also tend to be similar.
Parkour injuries presenting to United States emergency departments, 2009–2015

Abstract Background Few studies have examined injuries resulting from practicing parkour. The current study provides details on more parkour-related emergency department visits than existed in the combined research literature. Methods Cross-sectional data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission‘s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System were used to examine parkour-related injuries presenting to U.S. emergency departments over a seven year period. Results Most parkour injuries were reportedly caused by landing or from striking objects. Common diagnoses included fractures, sprains/strains, abrasions/contusions, and lacerations. More than half of reported injuries (57.7%) affected the patients' extremities. In this data, there appears to be a trend of increasing parkour injuries over time. Patients as young as 8 years old have presented to emergency departments with parkour-related injuries in recent years. Conclusions Given the relatively severe injuries obtained by youth participants, more research is needed to guide injury prevention efforts. Understanding the nature of parkour-related injuries may help inform prevention efforts. However, more systematic monitoring of participation in parkour and related injuries is needed.
Hier Ist Keine Frau [No Woman Here]: Sex, Sight, and the Body between Ingeborg Bachmann and Jean Baudrillard

This is the thesis I submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.Phil. in European Literature at Oxford University in 2001. It is an investigation of the body in the works of the Austrian writer Ingeborg Bachmann and the French philosopher Jean Baudrillard. The thesis focuses on Bachmann's poems in Ich weis keine bessere Welt, her novel Malina, and the short story “Undine geht.” Baudrillard’s texts Simulacres et simulation and Le crime parfait provide a significant theoretical intersection with Bachmann’s writings, insofar as they interrogate techniques of representation and their effects on cultural memory and human interaction. The crucial questions are the relationships among sex, sight, and the body, and the attendant questions of memory, sexuality, and representation. Le crime parfait in many ways is a text about the disappearance of women, and how that disappearance has been effected by and through, among other things, the mass media. This is not, of course, a literal disappearance, but rather an ideological extermination, paradoxically executed in the image of woman herself. Bachmann’s meditations on and strategies around the burden of the (female) body, and the related questions of sexuality and suffering, will be the primary focus of this study. Bachmann’s techniques of dis-embodiment, acorporeality, identification across ethnic, religious, and biological lines (i.e., identification with animals), are viewed as an anticipatory engagement with, possible means of resistance against, and correction for Baudrillard’s theorizations on the replacement of history and the memory of suffering with a mass produced media loop.
From humor to horror: genre and narrative purpose in abortion stories on American television

A recent increase in the number of comedic films and television programs that include abortion stories has prompted a cultural conversation about whether this is an appropriate treatment for such a...
Communicating like an artist: Disciplinary literacy instruction in elementary visual arts

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how preservice teachers constructed meaning of the disciplinary literacies instructional practices in visual arts. Using social constructiv...
An Adaptive Hierarchical Approach to Lidar-based Autonomous Robotic Navigation

Planetary missions are typically confined to navigationally safe environments, leaving areas of interest in rugged and/or hazardous terrain largely unexplored. Identifying and avoiding possible hazards requires dedicated path planning and limits the effectiveness of (semi-)autonomous systems. An adaptable, fully autonomous design is ideal for investigating more dangerous routes, increasing robotic exploratory capabilities, and improving overall mission efficiency from a science return perspective. We introduce hierarchical Lidar-based behavior motifs encompassing actions, such as velocity control, obstacle avoidance, deepest path navigation/exploration, and ratio constraint, etc., which can be combined and prioritized to form more complex behaviors, such as free roaming, object tracking, etc., as a robust framework for designing autonomous exploratory systems. Moreover, we introduce a dynamic Lidar environment visualization tool. Developing foundational behaviors as fundamental motifs (1) clarifies response priority in complex situations, and (2) streamlines the creation of new behavioral models by building a highly generalizable core for basic navigational autonomy. Implementation details for creating new prototypes of complex behavior patterns on top of behavior motifs are shown as a proof of concept for earthly applications. This paper emphasizes the need for autonomous navigation capabilities in the context of space exploration as well as the exploration of other extreme or hazardous environments, and demonstrates the benefits of constructing more complex behaviors from reusable standalone motifs. It also discusses the integration of behavioral motifs into multi-tiered mission architectures, such as Tier-Scalable Reconnaissance
Spatio-Temporal Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery: Issues Overview

Data mining or knowledge discovery refers to a variety of techniques having the intent of uncovering useful patterns and associations from large databases. The initial steps of data mining are concerned with preparation of data, including data cleaning intended to resolve errors and missing data and integration of data from multiple heterogeneous sources. Next are the steps needed to prepare for actual data mining including the selection of the specific data relevant to the task and the transformation of this data into a format required by the data mining approach. Finally, specific data mining algorithms such as class description, association rules and classification clustering are applied. There are specific characteristics of spatial and temporal data, as found in GIS and multi-media data, that make knowledge discovery in this domain more complex than in mining ordinary data such as found in typical business sales applications. Here we provide a survey of work in spatio-temporal data mining emphasizing the special characteristics. An overview is given of different sources and types of geospatial, oceanographie and meteorological data and the associated issues inherent in their use in knowledge discovery.
The impact of 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging on radiation treatment planning for patients with non-small cell lung cancer

1686.5 Objectives: Non-contrast CT is the standard of care for radiotherapy (RT) planning. There is evidence that FDG PET overlay over CT impacts delineation of the gross target volume (GTV), decreases the interobserver variability between radiation oncologists, and changes the treatment from curative to palliative. Most studies in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been performed using FDG PET superimposed to CT using software packages. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of integrated FDG PET/CT imaging and radiation therapy CT for patients with NSCLC. Methods: Fifteen patients with NSCLC underwent a radiation planning non-contrasted CT of the chest and whole body PET/CT imaging with an integrated PET/4-slice CT system using a standard FDG PET protocol and low-dose CT without contrast. The patients were positioned in the same immobilization devices for all imaging. DICOM PET/CT images were transferred to the radiation planning system (Eclipse 6.5, Varian Medical Systems). The non-contrasted CT images were contoured by consensus of a radiologist and radiation oncologist. On the fused PET/CT images, the anatomical limits of the FDG-avid lesions were contoured by consensus of a nuclear physician and radiation oncologist. The GTVs were measured and compared. The lymph node metastases were recorded as a tumor volume separate from the primary tumor volume. The difference in GTV was considered significant if greater than 25%. Treatment was considered changed from curative to palliative if distant metastases were detected. Results: When FDG PET/CT was used for contouring compared to radiation planning CT, the primary tumor GTV was decreased in 33% by differentiating atelectasis/post-obstructive pneumonia from tumor and increased in 20% of patients detecting additional tumor burden. An increased nodal disease burden was detected in 27% of patients. The use of PET/CT changed treatment from curative palliative by detecting distant metastases in 20% of patients. Conclusions: Integrated PET/CT imaging is a promising tool in RT planning. In this preliminary study on patients with NSCLC, contouring on PET/CT compared to CT alone changed the GTV in 53% of patients and treatment changed from curative to palliative in 20% due to detection of distant metastases.
Linguistic Quantity Spaces

This chapter discusses the linguistic quantity space. A linguistic quantity space is a partially ordered set of linguistic variables. The basic motivation of the linguistic quantity space is to provide a qualitative extension to the parameter value representation in QP theory. This will enable the incorporation of quantitative value measurements into measurement interpretation, as well as the estimation of the effects of continuous control actions (the latter when combined with the extended functional characterization described in the next chapter). We first describe the notion functionally, in terms of the operations it supports, and then discuss some implementation considerations. The chapter concludes with a discussion of measurement interpretation, and shows how it can be extended to include linguistic estimates of parameter magnitudes.
Computer-Assisted Testing and Assessment: Current Status and Implications for the Future.

This article provides a rationale for computer-assisted testing and assessment, describes systems currently in use, and examines potential benefits, potential problems, and future implications.
Caremark as Soft Law

This Essay, included in Temple Law Review’s symposium issue on Caremark, assesses the influence of “Caremark duties.” Under Caremark, directors have duties to monitor their corporations for wrongdoing. Caremark has been extremely influential; firms spend considerable amounts of time and money “complying” with what are now called Caremark duties. But liability for breach of Caremark duties is exceedingly unlikely, and, in almost all cases, is completely avoidable with only minimal effort, far less than is typically expended. This Essay considers how Caremark can be both influential and legally toothless—that is, how it operates as “soft law.” As soft law, Caremark can have a considerable penumbra beyond what law requires, encompassing other aspects of corporate good citizenship. I argue here that the Caremark penumbra, together with other forces promoting greater attention to societal interests, is bringing about a considerable convergence between profit maximization and corporate social responsibility, broadly construed.
Hearing Rhythm and Meter: Analyzing Metrical Consonance and Dissonance in Common-Practice Period Music

Hearing Rhythm and Meter: Analyzing Metrical Consonance and Dissonance in Common-Practice Period Music is the first book to present a comprehensive course text on advanced analysis of rhythm and meter. This book brings together the insights of recent scholarship on rhythm and meter in a clear and engaging presentation, enabling students to understand topics including hypermeter and metrical dissonance. From the Baroque to the Romantic era, Hearing Rhythm and Meter emphasizes listening, enabling students to recognize meters and metrical dissonances by type both with and without the score. The textbook includes exercises for each chapter and is supported by a full-score anthology. PURCHASING OPTIONS Textbook (Print Paperback): 978-0-8153-8448-9 Textbook (Print Hardback): 978-0-8153-8447-2 Textbook (eBook): 978-1-351-20431-6 Anthology (Print Paperback): 978-0-8153-9176-0 Anthology (Print Hardback): 978-0-367-34924-0 Anthology (eBook): 978-1-351-20083-7
Tolerance and dependence following chronic alprazolam treatment: quantitative observation studies in female rhesus monkeys

In order to understand mechanisms underlying tolerance and dependence following chronic benzodiazepine treatments, quantitative and reproducible behavioral models of these phenomena are required. This research evaluated the ability of chronic treatment with a commonly prescribed benzodiazepine, alprazolam, to induce tolerance to sedative effects and physical dependence using a novel set of behavioral measurements in rhesus monkeys. Four female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were implanted with chronic intravenous catheters and administered i.v. alprazolam (1.0 mg/kg every 4 h, 38 days total). Quantitative observation measures were obtained during the 38 days of treatment. Acute administration of the benzodiazepine receptor antagonist flumazenil (0.1, 0.3 mg/kg, i.v.) was given to assess precipitated withdrawal. On day 39, saline was substituted for alprazolam and withdrawal signs were assessed for 7 days. Maximal sedation (“deep sedation”) was evident on day 1 but was not significantly different from baseline levels by day 4 and was absent for the remainder of the 38 days of treatment. A milder form of sedation, “rest/sleep posture,” emerged by day 3 and did not decline over 38 days. Cessation of alprazolam treatment resulted in significant withdrawal signs (nose rub, vomit, procumbent posture, tremor/jerk, rigid posture) that dissipated by day 3. These signs also were observed with flumazenil (0.3 mg/kg). Chronic alprazolam treatment resulted in rapid tolerance to some behaviors (e.g., deep sedation) but no tolerance to others (e.g., rest/sleep posture). Physical dependence was observed via both spontaneous and precipitated withdrawal. Based on previous research, these phenomena may reflect differential plasticity at GABAA receptor subtypes.
What Are Friends for? The Effect of Geographic Proximity on Primary Turnout in Gubernatorial Elections:

“Friends and neighbors” voting is the tendency of candidates to earn a higher than expected share of the vote in their home counties and states. This hometown effect has been witnessed across an ar...