cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FACTS devices ownership in restructured electricity markets

At this time, the restructuring of power system is going to pass the early stages and become a well-known concept. However, it is impossible to say that supplying electricity is perfect now. There are still many works undergoing to increase the efficiency and functionality of restructured electricity markets. In this paper, a new concept for electricity markets has been proposed. This new concept is FDO which stands for FACTS Devices Owner. In this paper it has been tried to introduce this new participant and clarify some of its duties. Removing the Transmission Owner market power by increasing the line capacity, optimum unit commitment by distributing the generation, less emission by using units with lower emission and renewable energies which directly affects on social health and welfare, are some of the benefits that come along with FDOs. In the case study part, the FDO has been implemented on an assumed market with two areas and four Generation Companies and it is shown that introducing FDO to the market is a useful action toward full free competition vision.
Sensitivity of the discrete‐time Kaplan–Meier estimate to nonignorable censoring: Application in a clinical trial

Untestable assumptions about association between survival and censoring times can affect the validity of estimates of the survival distribution, including the Kaplan-Meier (KM) nonparametric MLE. This article explores the sensitivity of the KM curve to nonignorable censoring by extending the index of local sensitivity to nonignorability (ISNI) (Troxel et al. 2004, Zhang and Heitjan 2006) to the case of a nonparametric survival model. The method involves first specifying a coarse-data selection model to describe the association between the failure and censoring processes, then evaluating the slope of the nonparametric survival MLE ordinate with respect to a nonignorability parameter in the neighborhood of the ignorable model. We define the nonparametric MLE of the survival curve for a fixed value of the nonignorability parameter, and show in a simulation that ISNI analysis effectively captures local sensitivity to nonignorability. The method measures sensitivity in the sense of identifying functionals of the nonparametric MLE that nonignorability, if present, can affect substantially. We demonstrate the method with an application to a trial comparing mechanical assistance to optimal medical management in the treatment of end-stage heart failure.
Interventional catheterization performed in the early postoperative period after congenital heart surgery in children.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to examine the safety and efficacy of interventional catheterization performed early after congenital heart surgery. BACKGROUND Transcatheter interventions performed in the early postoperative period are viewed as high risk. To date, there have been limited published data regarding these procedures. METHODS All catheterizations performed within six weeks after congenital heart surgery between August 1995 and January 2001 were retrospectively reviewed. A cardiac anesthesiologist, cardiac intensivist, cardiac surgeon, and operating room team were available for all cases. Interventional procedures were performed based on clinical indications, regardless of the time elapsed from surgery. RESULTS Sixty-two patients, median age four months (2 days to 11 years), weight 4.7 kg (2.3 to 45 kg), underwent 66 catheterizations on median postoperative day 9 (0 to 42 days). Thirty-five cases involved 50 interventional procedures. Nine patients required extracorporeal cardiopulmonary support. Success rates by procedure were: angioplasty, 100%; stent implantation, 87%; vascular/septal occlusion, 100%; and palliative pulmonary valvotomy, 75%. Complications included stent migration (one patient), cerebral vascular injury (one patient), and left pulmonary artery stenosis (one patient). Thirty procedures involved angioplasty or stent implantation, including 26 involving a recently created suture line. Suture disruption or trans-mural vascular tears were not observed. There was no procedural mortality. Thirty-day survival for patients undergoing intervention was 83%. CONCLUSIONS Transcatheter interventions can be successfully performed in the early postoperative period. These procedures can have a positive impact on patient outcome; however, they should be performed only by a pediatric interventional cardiologist supported by a multi-disciplinary team.
ISHYS: designing an intelligent software hypertext system

The authors describe the design of ISHYS, an intelligent software hypertext system, and discuss novel applications that such a system can support. In designing ISHYS, they sought to support the software life cycle from a 'web of computing' framework, which necessarily requires the consideration of sociotechnical factors influencing and influenced by the software life cycle. ISHYS supports functionalities that include influencing work interactions on the basis of social interactions and determining tools and their options on the basis of project status information. Implementation of required enhancements to DIF (documents integration facility), the authors' current software hypertext system, has been completed using Prolog, C, and X Windows. >
ALTERNATIVE SCENARIOS OF ENERGY USE IN U.S. CROP PRODUCTION

Agriculture has been among the most productive sectors of the U.S. economy. The agricultural sector uses only four percent of the labor force to produce food needed for both domestic use and export demand. Consumers in the U.S. spend only about 17 percent of their disposable income on food, the smallest percentage of any country in the world. That energy has been recognized as the propelling force for current and continuing agricultural productivity, along with the prospect of much higher costs, have given rise to a growing interest in technologies or systems of agriculture that are less energy intensive. Possible future adjustments in agriculture may affect output levels, costs and conservation of land and water qualities.
Evaluation of Vancomycin Dosing and Corresponding Drug Concentrations in Pediatric Patients

Objective: To describe the relationships between dosing strategy, age, and vancomycin trough concentrations in pediatric patients. Methods: This is a retrospective review of hospitalized pediatric patients between 2 months and 17 years of age treated with intravenous vancomycin from 2008 to 2011. The primary outcome was the number of patients achieving a target trough concentration of 10 to 20 μg/mL in each age group and dosing group. The secondary outcomes were the number of patients in each group to achieve a trough concentration of 15 to 20 μg/mL and the incidence of vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity. Results: A total of 102 patients were included in the analysis. Forty-six of 159 evaluated troughs (28.9%) were within the target range of 10 to 20 μg/mL. Dose was found to have a statistically significant effect on the ability to achieve a trough within the target range (P = .01). Of the 159 trough concentrations evaluated, only 11 (6.9%) were within the range of 15 to 20 μg/mL. Nephrotoxicity occurred in 7 patients and was not associated with supratherapeutic trough concentration or dose. Conclusions: The number of trough concentrations within the target range of 10 to 20 μg/mL was low, and younger patients often needed doses >60 mg/kg per day to achieve a trough concentration in this range. The dose of vancomycin was found to have a statistically significant effect on the ability to achieve a trough concentration within the target range.
FAA's system-wide analysis capability

A collection of slides from the author's conference presentation is given. Topics include: system-wide analysis capability (SWAC); modernized NASPAC environment; future traffic generation; fleet evolution; equipage evolution; Java trajectory module; oceanic separation; Ground Delay Program generator; airport capacity modeling; airspace capacities; graphical user interface; and project Wiki.
Projection-resolved optical coherence tomographic angiography.

Shadowgraphic projection artifacts from superficial vasculature interfere with the visualization of deeper vascular networks in optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A). We developed a novel algorithm to remove this artifact by resolving the ambiguity between in situ and projected flow signals. The algorithm identifies voxels with in situ flow as those where intensity-normalized decorrelation values are higher than all shallower voxels in the same axial scan line. This “projection-resolved” (PR) algorithm effectively suppressed the projection artifact on both en face and cross-sectional angiograms and enhanced depth resolution of vascular networks. In the human macula, the enhanced angiograms show three distinct vascular plexuses in the inner retina and no vessels in the outer retina. We demonstrate that PR OCT-A cleanly removes flow projection from the normally avascular outer retinal slab while preserving the density and continuity of the intermediate and deep retinal capillary plexuses.
The Curriculum as a Work of Art: Conceptualizing Change in the Context of Social Transformation

Social transformation changed the curriculum regarded the art education. Artists to create a work of art offers significant insights into the creative process required to undertake curriculum transformation focusing on particular social and cultural context that constitutes their life-world. Curriculum transformation in this paper focusing on six key elements of curriculum; content, participants, rationale, resources, implementation, and outcomes. The virtue of a curriculum is a decisions made about each of the elements. But the most important one is to connect elements and the overall vision produced by the sum of all those decisions in the current social and educational context.
Charge Transport of Polyester Ether Ionomers in Unidirectional Silica Nanopores

Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy is employed to investigate charge transport properties of two polyester ether ionomers in the bulk state and when confined in unidirectional nanoporous membranes (average pore diameter = 7.5 nm). Under nanometric confinement in nonsilanized pores, the macroscopic transport quantities (dc conductivity and characteristic frequency rate) are lower by about 1.4 decades compared to the bulk. The remarkable decrease of transport quantities in nonsilanized nanoporous membranes can be quantitatively explained by considering the temperature dependence of the interfacial layer between the ionomer and the silica membrane surfaces. On the other hand, an enhancement of dc conductivity is observed when the surfaces of the pores are treated with a nonpolar organosilane. This effect becomes more pronounced at lower temperatures and is attributed to slight changes in molecular packing density caused by the two-dimensional geometrical constraint.
An Important Functor in Analysis and Topology

(1978). An Important Functor in Analysis and Topology. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 85, No. 1, pp. 41-43.
The Decline and Present Status of the Imperial Woodpecker of Mexico

THE largest woodpecker in the world, Camnpephilus imperialis, is appropriately known as the Imperial Woodpecker (Figure 1). It has frequently been called the Mexican Ivory-billed Woodpecker because of its close relationship to the Ivory-billed Woodpecker of the United States, C. principalis, but this name causes confusion because of other Mexican woodpeckers, especially Phloeoceastes guatemalensis, which are often called "ivory-billed" woodpeckers. The Imperial WVoodpecker's most widely used common name in Mexico is "pitoreal." In the western part of the State of Durango I found that this name was also used for Phloeoceastes guatemalensis. Indian names for the Imperial Woodpecker include the Naihuatl name "cuauhtotomomi" (Miller, 1957) and the Tarahumar name "cumecocari" (C. W. Pennington, Univ. of Utah, letter). The most complete description of the appearance and habits of the Imperial Woodpecker, based on observations of the species, is Nelson's (1898). In 1962 my son David Tanner and I went to Mexico in search of the Imperial Woodpecker. My primary objective was to compare this species with the American Ivory-bill, which I had studied intensively (1942). We were not successful in finding the woodpeckers, but we did learn something about the present status of the species and about the cause of its decrease. The trip was supported by grants from the Frank M. Chapman Fund, American Museum of Natural History, and from the International Committee for Bird Preservation.
Infrared behavior of aluminum nanostructure sculptured thin films

We report on fabrication, structural and infrared optical characterization of nanostructure aluminum sculptured thin films prepared by glancing angle deposition (GLAD) and controlled substrate motion on p-type silicon. We discuss two structures, one with plate-like and one with screw-like (chiral) morphology. While the plate-like sample possesses a metal Drude behavior in the infrared spectral range, the chiral nanowire sample behaves non-metallic and reveals a series of intriguing resonances, which are equally spaced in frequency by ∼7.5 THz. We suggest that formation of 3D nano resonator circuits consisting of inductances and capacitances has occurred within the screw-like conductive aluminum wire sample, which might be responsible for the observed resonances. We suggest conductive GLAD nanostructures in combination with Schottky diodes to facilitate active or passive THz detector and transmitter devices.
Still here after all these years: the persistence of the Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly

The US federally endangered Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly (Boloria acrocnema) lives in isolated alpine habitats of the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, USA. Its apparent extirpation from the type locality and its low genetic diversity raised concern in the late 1980s, thus monitoring for this species has continued and genetic samples were collected in 2008 and 2009 from all but one known site, each on a separate peak. Data for five new microsatellite markers were collected from 316 total specimens, including 26 from wings preserved from 1987 and 1988 seasons. Only three main colonies had high enough sample sizes for adequate analyses. We estimated levels of genetic variability and structure, and effective population size. Despite low demographic numbers at these sites, the species has maintained relatively high heterozygosity ranging from 0.41 to 0.46 at three sites. Allelic richness corrected by sample size ranged from 5.3 to 5.9. Genetic structure assessed with non-spatially explicit methods indicated that despite separation on high mountain peaks, colonies were fairly well mixed, which is surprising for these weak fliers with very short growing and adult flight seasons. Estimates of effective population sizes were low, reflecting the life history and limited habitat range for the species. Comparisons at the site with historic and modern specimens revealed a consistent pattern in genetic indices. Our data suggest that the three focal butterfly colonies exist as a metapopulation that persists due to low-level migration between sites and “temporal leakage” via flexibility in development time in this biennial species.
Effects of a Risk and Resilience Course on Stress, Coping Skills, and Cognitive Strategies in College Students

This study tested the impact of the skills-building component of a two-semester risk and resilience (R&R) course on the stress, coping skills, and cognitive style of 36 undergraduates compared to 62 students enrolled in a child and adolescent psychopathology course. In the fall, students learned about risk taking and decision-making as well as coping skills and positive cognitive styles. In the spring, students taught these skills to ninth graders. Upon completion of the fall semester, R&R students reported improvements in stress, coping, and dysfunctional attitudes. Although maintained, these gains did not increase after the spring semester. We conclude that the course, particularly the fall semester, is an effective, practical classroom intervention for reducing stress and improving resilience in undergraduates.
Distribution of cardiac output in ovine pregnancy

Cardiac output and organ blood flows were measured in 6 nonpregnant and 24 pregnant ewes from 38 to 141 days of gestation employing radionuclide-labeled microspheres. From the nonpregnant state to term increases in cardiac output, from 73.7 +/- 4.6 ml/min-kg of maternal weight to 148 +/- 2.4 ml/min-kg, and heart rate, from 88.5 +/- 10.3 to 106 +/- 4.6 beats/min, were noted, while mean arterial blood pressure was unchanged. Near term, the blood flows to the uterus and mammary gland represented approximately 18% of cardiac output. The blood flow to nonreproductive organs increased from 76.6 +/- 6.8 ml/min-kg of nonreproductive tissue in the nonpregnant state to 132 +/- 3.5 ml/min-kg at 130-140 days' gestation (P less than 0.01). No significant changes in renal blood flow were detected.
A Comparative Study of How the U.S. Products are Ranked by Canadian and Turkish Consumers

Data were collected in Winnipeg, Manitoba-Canada and Kayseri-Turkey on three different classes of products: clothing, automobiles, and electronics. The rankings of the U.S. products in comparison to the products from other countries were examined on the selected attributes. Recommendations were made for improving the export opportunities in Canada and Turkey for the U.S. firms.
Field strength and gadolinium enhancement in the clinical setting

while the efficacy of gadolinium-based contrast agents in routine MRI has been well described, there has been little exploration of differences in contrast enhancement at differing field strengths. We measured the signal intensity of the nasal mucosa and the thalamus before and after contrast medium administration. Imaging was on 0.1 T and 0.3 T units and two 1.5 T units. Enhancement was found to be greater at the high-field than of the low-field MRI, the mid-field MRI having an intermediate value. Overall, we noted less contrast enhancement at lower field strengths and feel that in appropriate clinical situations, consideration should be given to higher contrast dose, or other means of increasing contrast on infused scans, when low-field MRI units are used.
Outcomes After Frontal Sinus Surgery: An Evidence-Based Review

Endoscopic sinus surgery is an effective intervention at improving quality of life for patients with medically refractory chronic rhinosinusitis. The evidence supporting frontal sinusotomy is limited to single institution case series. However, the data for Draf IIa frontal sinusotomy do demonstrate that most patients experience lasting frontal sinus patency on postoperative endoscopic examination and improvements in quality of life. Salvage endoscopic frontal sinus surgery via a Draf III shows high rates of neo-ostium patency and subjective improvements in symptoms at a 2-year time point in case series.
Teaching With Microcomputers

A number of articles have been written on how useful microcomputers can be for teaching social science research methods, which generally means statistical analysis. Microcomputers are useful for that purpose because students can quickly obtain output from archived data or inputted data and then experiment with changing the inputs and the procedures to gain insights as to the effects and meaning of various aspects of statistical analysis’. That can be done while the instructor lectures, explains, and discusses what is or should be happening. Microcomputers can also be used by students for organizing data, drafting reports, retrieving information, and interacting with other people. It is the purpose of this chapter to describe a way in which microcomputers can be used to teach public policy substance, rather than methods or office practice, especially where the substance involves controversial issues.1
Constitutive Assumptions and the Second Law

Let a fixed reference configuration R be assigned for the body B under consideration, and identify each of the material points X of B with the place in space that X occupies when B has the configuration R. A thermodynamic process of B is a collection of functions of and time compatible with the laws of balance of momentum and energy.
The Long-Term Preservation of Digital Historical Geospatial Data: A Review of Issues and Methods

For quite some time, librarians and archivists have been concerned with the long term preservation of all manner of digital objects in their collections. More recently, scholars who have often spent years developing Geographic Information Systems for historical analysis have come to the realization that the more information technology evolves, the less likely it is that the historical geospatial data which they have painstakingly created will be accessible for many years to come. Further complicating the issue is the multiplicity of data structures that can make up the collection of geospatial information necessary for the instantiation of a map view. While there are currently no permanent solutions to these issues, there are a number of prudent steps that can be taken to preserve such data past the short-term, thus making it more likely that these valuable cultural resources can be migrated in step with advancing technologies well into the future.
Efficacy of Perioperative Lumbar Drainage following Endonasal Endoscopic Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak Repair A Meta-analysis

Objective Perioperative lumbar drain (LD) use in the setting of endoscopic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak repair is a well-established practice. However, recent data suggest that LDs may not provide significant benefit and may thus confer unnecessary risk. To examine this, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the effect of LDs on postoperative CSF leak recurrence following endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea. Data Sources A comprehensive search was performed with the following databases: Ovid MEDLINE (1947 to November 2015), EMBASE (1974 to November 2015), Cochrane Review, and PubMed (1990 to November 2015). Review Method A meta-analysis was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Results A total of 1314 nonduplicate studies were identified in our search. Twelve articles comprising 508 cases met inclusion criteria. Overall, use of LDs was not associated with significantly lower postoperative CSF leak recurrence rates following endoscopic repair of CSF rhinorrhea (odds ratio: 0.89, 95% confidence interval: 0.40-1.95) as compared with cases performed without LDs. Subgroup analysis of only CSF leaks associated with anterior skull base resections (6 studies, 153 cases) also demonstrated that lumbar drainage did not significantly affect rates of successful repair (odds ratio: 2.67, 95% confidence interval: 0.64-11.10). Conclusions There is insufficient evidence to support that adjunctive lumbar drainage significantly reduces postoperative CSF leak recurrence in patients undergoing endoscopic CSF leak repair. Subgroup analysis examining only those patients whose CSF leaks were associated with anterior skull base resections demonstrated similar results. More level 1 and 2 studies are needed to further investigate the efficacy of LDs, particularly in the setting of patients at high risk for CSF leak recurrence.
Breakdown of the Stokes-Einstein Relation for the Rotational Diffusivity of Polymer Grafted Nanoparticles in Polymer Melts.

We report observations of breakdown of the Stokes–Einstein relation for the rotational diffusivity of polymer-grafted spherical nanoparticles in polymer melts. The rotational diffusivity of magnetic nanoparticles coated with poly(ethylene glycol) dispersed in poly(ethylene glycol) melts was determined through dynamic magnetic susceptibility measurements of the collective rotation of the magnetic nanoparticles due to imposed time-varying magnetic torques. These measurements clearly demonstrate the existence of a critical molecular weight for the melt polymer, below which the Stokes–Einstein relation accurately describes the rotational diffusivity of the polymer-grafted nanoparticles and above which the Stokes–Einstein relation ceases to apply. This critical molecular weight was found to correspond to a chain contour length that approximates the hydrodynamic diameter of the nanoparticles.
Evaluating impacts of imaging spectrometer calibration on mineral identification and mapping using airborne data collections in Alaska, USA, and Khandahar, Afghanistan

Calibration of spectrometer data to reflectance is important to obtain accurate and robust results in identifying surface materials. Among the aspects that affect calibration are: sensor characterization, including channel wavelength position and bandpass, radiometric accuracy, and atmospheric correction. For the detection of surface minerals in soils and bedrock, inaccuracies in any of these aspects generally decrease the degree of mineral discriminations that can be made, for example, separating carbonates, serpentines, chlorites, and amphiboles. Because of their design, pushbroom spectrometers can have variable wavelength position and bandpass in the across-track direction. Well-calibrated airborne imaging spectrometer data collected using HyMap were used to examine the effects of inaccuracies in Hyperion wavelength position on mineral identifications and to explore empirical methods for calibrating data to reflectance. On steep terrains, at high latitudes, it is difficult to atmospherically correct imaging spectrometer data to surface reflectance. Using HyMap data collected in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska, a simple atmospheric correction, assuming a single elevation and flat terrain, was compared to a complex atmospheric correction accounting for pixel-by-pixel variations in elevation and sensor viewing and illumination geometry.
Structured Abstract: Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Women and Minorities: Evidence from Franchise Industries

Public policy in the USA strives to provide greater opportunity for women and minorities to participate in the economic mainstream. In the present paper, we examine the role that franchising plays in meeting these inclusive policy goals. Franchising serves as a natural private sector means for providing self-employment opportunities to individuals unable to acquire the skills or resources to operate an independent business independently (Hunt 1972: Williams 1999). Moreover, because franchisees gain access to established brands and publicly recognized service concepts, franchising may help overcome consumer reluctance to patronize women and minority-run businesses and become an attractive vehicle for incentivizing this segment to start their own businesses. The data in the present study reveal that (1) women and minorities are indeed represented in franchising in disproportionately higher numbers than men and non-minorities, and (2) that this representation is sector specific.
Legal liability for environmental damage: The United Nations Compensation Commission and the 1990–1991 Gulf War

The United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) adapted the traditional bilateral compensation model to address the substantial environmental damage that resulted from the 1990–1991 Gulf War. Exercising its authority under chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the UN Security Council established the UNCC to provide financial compensation for losses resulting from Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990. The Commission reviewed over 2.6 million claims from individuals, corporations, international organizations, and governments seeking a total of approximately US$352 billion in compensation for a wide range of losses. By declaring Iraq liable for the environmental damage caused by its invasion and occupation of Kuwait, Security Council Resolution 687 recognized environmental harm as a compensable loss for the first time in international law and establish legal accountability for protection of the common natural heritage. The UNCC proved to be an innovative institution that implemented a law-based approach to the transition from conflict to peace and to the restoration of war-damaged environmental resources. The aftermath of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait points to several measures that can be used to advance peacebuilding, environmental integrity, and respect for international law. The more than US$5 billion in environmental damage that was verified and valued by the UNCC is a strong argument for preventive measures. This point is strengthened by the severity of the damage to coastal and desert areas, where recovery will be long, slow, and incomplete. Preventive measures should include more stringent legal prohibitions on attacks on the environment and natural resources, stronger social values emphasizing stewardship, and more effective prevention and response mechanisms. To ensure that post-conflict environmental assessment and remediation occurs, consistent use should be made of international compensation institutions. An international standing fund — which would be replenished by levies on the belligerents — should be established to finance timely response and cleanup. Such an international fund and compensation regime should demand transparency from all participants, with respect to both proceedings and any research produced as a result of the program’s work. Early attention to the human population is appropriate as a step in the recovery of traumatized nations, but long-term planning to mend the environment must be part of the basic peacebuilding model.
Chondrotoxicity of Injectable NSAIDs and Narcotics

Objectives:The administration of intra-articular NSAIDs and narcotics has been frequently performed to augment pain control and to decrease inflammation. The chondrotoxicity of these medications have not been evaluated.Methods:Normal human cartilage was arthroscopically harvested from the intercondylar notch in patients undergoing routine ACL reconstruction (N =16 patients). Medication and treatment duration used in this study includes one NSAID, ketorolac at 0.3% and 0.6% for 10 hours, and three narcotics, fentanyl at 0.0005% and 0.001% for 7 hours, meperidine at 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% for 6 hours, and morphine at 0.01%, 0.02%, and 0.04% for 4 hours. Each medication was delivered in a custom bioreactor over its clinical duration of action. To validate the chondrogenic characteristics of cultured cells, RT-qPCR was applied for the expression of cartilage-specific proteoglycan, aggrecan, the chondrogenic transcription factor, SOX9, the major collagen in cartilage, type II collagen, and the chondrocyte differen...
Stent-based delivery of adeno-associated viral vectors with sustained vascular transduction and iNOS-mediated inhibition of in-stent restenosis

In-stent restenosis remains an important clinical problem in the era of drug eluting stents. Development of clinical gene therapy protocols for the prevention and treatment of in-stent restenosis is hampered by the lack of adequate local delivery systems. Herein we describe a novel stent-based gene delivery platform capable of providing local arterial gene transfer with adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors. This system exploits the natural affinity of protein G (PrG) to bind to the Fc region of mammalian IgG, making PrG a universal adaptor for surface immobilization of vector-capturing antibodies (Ab). Our results: 1) demonstrate the feasibility of reversible immobilization of AAV2 vectors using vector tethering by AAV2-specific Ab appended to the stent surface through covalently attached PrG, 2) show sustained release kinetics of PrG/Ab-immobilized AAV2 vector particles into simulated physiological medium in vitro and site-specific transduction of cultured cells, 3) provide evidence of long-term (12 weeks) arterial expression of luciferase with PrG/Ab-tethered AAV2Luc, and 4) show anti-proliferative activity and anti-restenotic efficacy of stent-immobilized AAV2iNOS in the rat carotid artery model of stent angioplasty.
iPhone Sensors in Tracking Outcome Variables of the 30-Second Chair Stand Test and Stair Climb Test to Evaluate Disability: Cross-Sectional Pilot Study.

Background: Performance tests are important to characterize patient disabilities and functional changes. The Osteoarthritis Research Society International and others recommend the 30-second Chair Stand Test and Stair Climb Test, among others, as core tests that capture two distinct types of disability during activities of daily living. However, these two tests are limited by current protocols of testing in clinics. There is a need for an alternative that allows remote testing of functional capabilities during these tests in the osteoarthritis patient population. Objective: Objectives are to (1) develop an app for testing the functionality of an iPhone’s accelerometer and gravity sensor and (2) conduct a pilot study objectively evaluating the criterion validity and test-retest reliability of outcome variables obtained from these sensors during the 30-second Chair Stand Test and Stair Climb Test. Methods: An iOS app was developed with data collection capabilities from the built-in iPhone accelerometer and gravity sensor tools and linked to Google Firebase. A total of 24 subjects performed the 30-second Chair Stand Test with an iPhone accelerometer collecting data and an external rater manually counting sit-to-stand repetitions. A total of 21 subjects performed the Stair Climb Test with an iPhone gravity sensor turned on and an external rater timing the duration of the test on a stopwatch. App data from Firebase were converted into graphical data and exported into MATLAB for data filtering. Multiple iterations of a data processing algorithm were used to increase robustness and accuracy. MATLAB-generated outcome variables were compared to the manually determined outcome variables of each test. Pearson’s correlation coefficients (PCCs), Bland-Altman plots, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), standard errors of measurement, and repeatability coefficients were generated to evaluate criterion validity, agreement, and test-retest reliability of iPhone sensor data against gold-standard manual measurements. Results: App accelerometer data during the 30-second Chair Stand Test (PCC=.890) and gravity sensor data during the Stair Climb Test (PCC=.865) were highly correlated to gold-standard manual measurements. Greater than 95% of values on Bland-Altman plots comparing the manual data to the app data fell within the 95% limits of agreement. Strong intraclass correlation was found for trials of the 30-second Chair Stand Test (ICC=.968) and Stair Climb Test (ICC=.902). Standard errors of measurement for both tests were found to be within acceptable thresholds for MATLAB. Repeatability coefficients for the 30-second Chair Stand Test and Stair Climb Test were 0.629 and 1.20, respectively. Conclusions: App-based performance testing of the 30-second Chair Stand Test and Stair Climb Test is valid and reliable, suggesting its applicability to future, larger-scale studies in the osteoarthritis patient population.
Dwelling Poetically: A Heideggerian Interpretation of Ssu-K’ung T’ u’ s Poetics

According to Heidegger, the only (authentic) way for human beings to dwell, i.e. to “have their sojourn on earth,”1 is to dwell poetically.2 This Heideggerian tendency to see in poetry a paradigm of (authentic) human existence is by no means foreign to the Chinese tradition. A case in point is The Twenty-four Modes of Poetry (Erh-shih-ssu shih-p’in, or Shih-p’in for short) by a ninth century Chinese poet/critic, Ssu-K’ung T’u. This very influential work of literary criticism is “a set of twenty-four poems dividing poetry into different categories and illustrating these with vivid images.”3 The most striking feature about this work is its indirectness in terms of signification.
Design and Production of Customized Field Shaping Devices for Electron ARC Therapy

A key element in the implementation of electron arc therapy is the use of customized field shaping devices on or near the patient's surface to protect normal tissue surrounding the treatment surface. Techniques for design and production of field shaping devices have evolved to meet the requirements of improved efficiency, patient comfort and protection, and reproducibility of patient set-up. Techniques in current use at the University of Utah are described and illustrated.
Self-similarity and conditional stationarity

The purpose of this paper is twofold. From the viewpoint of engineering, it presents a model of certain random perturbations that appear to come in clusters, or bursts. This is achieved by introducing the concept of a “self-similar stochastic point process in continuous time.”
Formation of Ceramic Composites and Coatings Utilizing Polymer Pyrolysis

This paper reports the utilization of polymer pyrolysis for the fabrication of ceramic composites and for the improvement of the oxidation resistance of carbon materials by infiltration and coating. The dominant features of the pyrolysis process are: The evolution of pyrolysis gases which may result in pore formation and growth; and shrinkage which may result in micro- and macro-cracking.
Social Network Analysis: Historic Circles of Friends and Acquaintances

The sixth, and final, of the Digital Humanities assignments, Social Network Analysis, is presented in this chapter, beginning with a brief introduction to network analysis as an analytical method of great interest to humanities programmers. The assignment description (written in a form and with a point-of-view suitable to be copied and pasted into materials given directly to students), required support files and resources, skills utilized in the assignment (which include library imports in Python, object instantiation and use, and dictionaries as data structures), assignment management techniques and issues (mostly involved with helping students learn about the concept of code re-use, and how to install and review documenation for Python libraries), atomic code for the assignment (the in-class tutorial), expected output from student submitted work in this assignment, and variations for a number of student skill levels are provided.
Phenol adsorption and desorption with physically and chemically tailored porous polymers: Mechanistic variability associated with hyper-cross-linking and amination.

Understanding phenol adsorption-desorption mechanisms allows adsorbent tailoring to improve capacity and adsorbent reuse. Amberlite™ XAD4, a commercial styrenic polymer that is convenient to physically and chemically modify, was functionalized with dimethylamine (DMA) or trimethylamine (TMA) and/or hyper-cross-linked with 1,2-dichloroethane. These modifications were applied to enhance individual and/or synergistic phenol adsorption mechanisms, including hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and π-π dispersion forces. While XAD4-DMA adsorbs more phenol at pH = 6, XAD4-TMA has 23% higher capacity at pH = 11 due to adsorbate deprotonation that increases electrostatic interactions. Combining hyper-cross-linking with amination maximizes adsorption capacity due to synergistic impacts associated with increased micropore volume and surface affinity. Amine groups reduce desorption efficiency by 6-94% due to stronger adsorbate-adsorbent interactions compared to π-π dispersion forces. Isobutanol, which forms hydrogen bonds, is the most efficient desorption solvent, followed by chloroform, which has the same polarity index but does not hydrogen bond. n-Hexane only desorbs phenol removed with π-π dispersion forces and is not appropriate to regenerate aminated polymers. 0.1 N NaOH is an environmentally benign solvent for regenerating as-received XAD4 and XAD4-DMA, but not XAD4-TMA. Understanding phenol adsorption mechanisms allows development of physiochemically modified polymers with increased phenol adsorption capacity and regeneration efficiency.
ComPETEnce in Educational Gymnastics: Shaping PETE Students' Attitudes.

Many physical education teacher education (PETE) programs include content courses designed to develop their students' knowledge and skills in various physical activities. One such course that PETE ...
A Modular Sensor Suite for Underwater Reconstruction

This paper presents the design, development, and application of a sensor suite, made with the explicit purpose of localizing and mapping in underwater environments. The design objectives of such an underwater sensor rig include simplicity of carrying, ease of operation in different modes, and data collection. The rig is equipped with stereo camera, inertial measurement unit (IMU), mechanical scanning sonar, and depth sensor. The electronics are enclosed in a water-proof PVC tube tested to sixty meters. The contribution of this paper is twofold: first, we open-source the design providing detailed instructions that are made available online; second, we discuss lessons learned as well as some successful applications where the presented sensor suite has been operated by divers.
On the origin of δ spots

Mount Wilson sunspot drawings from 1966 through 1980 were used in conjunction with Hα filtergrams from Big Bear Solar Observatory to examine the origin of δ spots, spots with bipolar umbrae within one penumbra. Of the six cases we studied, five were formed by the union of non-paired spots. They are either shoved into one another by two neighboring growing bipoles or by a new spot born piggy-back style on an existing spot of opposite polarity. Proper motions of the growing spots take on curvilinear paths around one another to avoid a collision. This is the shear motion observed in δ spots (Tanaka, 1979). In the remaining case, the δ spot was formed by spots that emerged as a pair. Our findings indicate no intrinsic differences in the formation or the behavior between δ spots and spots of normal magnetic configuration.
Key Odorants from the Fermentation Broth of the Edible Mushroom Ischnoderma resinosum

Eighteen odorants were identified by applying aroma extract dilution analysis in the liquid fermentation broth of the edible mushroom Ischnoderma resinosum (P. Karst). Eight compounds with flavor dilution factors ≥16 were quantitated in a 16-day sample using stable isotope dilution assays. Odor activity values (OAV) revealed anise-smelling 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (OAV; 1639), vanilla-smelling 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde (OAV; 51), and cherry-smelling benzaldehyde (OAV; 14) as key contributors to the pleasant "candy-like" odor of the fermentation broth. Odor simulation experiments revealed a mixture of five compounds in their natural concentrations mimicked the odor of a 16-day-old fermentation broth. A 30-day time course study was conducted to monitor the production of three odorants in the fungal fermentation broth, where it was revealed that both 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde (10.7 ± 1.0 mg/kg) and benzaldehyde (4.5 ± 0.1 mg/kg) peaked on day 16, whereas 4-methoxybenzaldehyde peaked on day 24 (104.9 ± 4.9 mg/kg).
Investigation of Hybrid Silicon-Nitride/Polymer Waveguides for Second-Harmonic Generation

We propose a hybrid silicon-nitride (Si3N4 or SiN for short)/nonlinear polymer waveguide to achieve second-harmonic generation of an input 1550 nm signal by modal phase-matching between zero-order spatial mode at 1550 nm and second-order mode at 775 nm. We explore and optimize two cases, single channel waveguide and slot waveguide, by varying the waveguide dimensions. For TE polarized light, the optimum slot waveguide exhibits an effective interaction area A eff of about 16 μ m2, which is an order-of-magnitude improvement over the single channel waveguide and can translate to a high value of effective nonlinearity. We also show that the optimum slot waveguide geometry is robust with respect to fabrication uncertainties and bending effects.
Linearly Convergent Algorithms for Learning Shallow Residual Networks

We propose and analyze algorithms for training ReLU networks with skipped connections. Skipped connections are the key feature of residual networks (or ResNets) which have been shown to provide superior performance in deep learning applications. We analyze two approaches for training such networks — gradient descent and alternating minimization — and compare convergence criteria of both methods. We show that under typical (Gaussianity) assumptions on the d-dimensional input data, both gradient descent and alternating minimization provably converge in a linearly convergent fashion, assuming any good enough initialization; moreover, we show that a simple "identity" initialization suffices. Furthermore, we provide statistical upper bounds which indicate that $n = \tilde O\left( {{d^3}} \right)$ suffice to achieve this convergence rate. To our knowledge, these constitute the first global parameter recovery guarantees for shallow ResNet-type networks with ReLU activations.
A racial re-framing of Modernity and the Jews:

Goldberg presents a nicely argued examination that demonstrates how sociology’s foundational thinkers used the experience of Jews to make sense of the transition from traditional to modern societie...
Hybrid Plasmonic Photoreactors as Visible Light-Mediated Bactericides.

Photocatalytic compounds and complexes, such as tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II), [Ru(bpy)3]2+, have recently attracted attention as light-mediated bactericides that can help to address the need for n...
Cosmic Background Radiation

The existence of essentially isotropic homogeneous cosmic background radiation with the spectrum of a 3 K blackbody places important limits on cosmological speculations. This radiation has been the subject of intensive experimental investigation for more than a decade. Current research centers around measurements of the spectrum of the cosmic background radiation at submillimeter wavelengths, and measurements of the anisotropy of this radiation from centimeter to submillimeter wavelengths. In this talk we will discuss some of the difficulties of making these measurements and summarize the present status of the field. In 1948, Alpher and Herman [1] reported theoretical investigations of “big bang” cosmological models in an effort to explain the abundance of the chemical elements. They concluded that their model universe was filled with isotropic homogeneous blackbody radiation with a characteristic temperature of a few degrees Kelvin. This radiation was emitted by the ∼ 3,000 K cosmic plasma and has not interacted with matter since the plasma cooled sufficiently to form hydrogen. Because of the subsequent expansion of the universe, this radiation has cooled to the present temperature of ∼ 3 K.
Perception of tertiary care clients toward the availability of physical therapy service at primary health care centers in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional survey.

[Purpose] To explore the views of clients referred for physical therapy in a tertiary care setting regarding the integration of physical therapy service at primary health care centers. [Participants and Methods] A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to eligible Saudi clients. The questionnaire consisted of three sections including demographic information section; closed-ended section with 6 Likert scale items on the perceptions of potential advantages of physical therapy service at the primary health care level; and open-ended section on potential disadvantages and barriers of implementing physical therapy service. The surveys were described and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. [Results] A total of 412 participants were included in the analysis (56.8% females). Participants' mean age was 35.7 ± 21.9 years; 67.2% were Riyadh city residents; and 38.1% had musculoskeletal conditions. Seventy-five percent responded in support for the availability of physical therapy service at the primary health care level. Demographic characteristics had no effect on the level of support to the service availability. [Conclusion] The results of this survey demonstrated high positive support for the integration of physical therapy service at primary health care centers in Saudi Arabia. However, challenges and barriers identified by the study results require attention when physical therapy services are to be established.