cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of Echocardiography in Atrial Fibrillation Ablation

Radiofrequency catheter ablation is an increasingly adopted strategy for difficult-to-manage patients with atrial fibrillation. Echocardiography is the key imaging modality to assess left atrialstructure and function. In this review, the role of echocardiography in atrial fibrillation ablationbefore, during and after ablation is discussed. Currently established roles of echocardiography inpatient selection pre-ablation and peri-procedural guidance, as well as newer echocardiographic techniques including the assessment of atrial mechanics are reviewed in the context of atrial fibrillation ablation.
Magnesium isotopic composition of achondrites

Abstract Magnesium isotopic compositions of 22 well-characterized differentiated meteorites including 7 types of achondrites and pallasite meteorites were measured to estimate the average Mg isotopic composition of their parent bodies and evaluate Mg isotopic heterogeneity of the solar system. The δ26Mg values are −0.236‰ and −0.190‰ for acapulcoite–lodranite and angrite meteorites, respectively and vary from −0.267‰ to −0.222‰ in the winonaite–IAB-iron silicate group, −0.369‰ to −0.292‰ in aubrites, −0.269‰ to −0.158‰ in HEDs, −0.299‰ to −0.209‰ in ureilites, −0.307‰ to −0.237‰ in mesosiderites, and −0.303‰ to −0.238‰ in pallasites. Magnesium isotopic compositions of most achondrites and pallasite meteorites analyzed here are similar and reveal no significant isotopic fractionation. However, Mg isotopic compositions of D′Orbigny (angrite) and some HEDs are slightly heavier than chondrites and the other achondrites studied here. The slightly heavier Mg isotopic compositions of angrites and some HEDs most likely resulted from either impact-induced evaporation or higher abundance of clinopyroxene with the Mg isotopic composition slightly heavier than olivine and orthopyroxene. The average Mg isotopic composition of achondrites (δ26Mg = −0.246 ± 0.082‰, 2SD, n = 22) estimated here is indistinguishable from those of the Earth (δ26Mg = −0.25 ± 0.07‰; 2SD, n = 139), chondrites (δ26Mg = −0.28 ± 0.06‰; 2SD, n = 38), and the Moon (δ26Mg = −0.26 ± 0.16‰; 2SD, n = 47) reported from the same laboratory. The chondritic Mg isotopic composition of achondrites, the Moon, and the Earth further reflects homogeneity of Mg isotopes in the solar system and the lack of Mg isotope fractionation during the planetary accretion process and impact events.
Women Martyrs in Passion and Paradise

Martyrologies provided the theological basis and models for women martyrs during the Christian persecution in early modern Japan. The biblical stories of Christ’s passion empowered women in their own pursuit of passion. Christian assurance of salvation in paradise opposed the Buddhist doctrine, which condemned women to the blood lake. The hope of mystical union with Christ also liberated women from the marriage alliances in Confucian society. In martyrdom, women showed their ultimate loyalty not to their patriarchs, feudal lords, or shoguns, but to Christ and their companions. The stories of the early church women saints demonstrated women’s strength as apologists, scholarly disputants, leaders of women’s communities, and leaders of resistance to imperial inquisitors. Early women saints overcame torture with their “manly” determination while remaining in their female bodies. Records of the actual women martyrs show some evidence of their appropriation of these early models in martyrologies in their own context.
Design Methodologies of VLSI Neural Networks

Purely analog signal processing approach has a significant potential in the case of performing a massive number of computing tasks because the transistors in the subthreshold region can consume very low power. Design methodology using the transistors biased in the subthreshold region is a critical approach to greatly reduce the power dissipation. Several advantages are associated with the subthreshold-conduction approach [1, 2, 3].
Making the World Safe for Standard Setting

The stance of antitrust oversight of standard setting activities remains a work-in-progress. Over time, antitrust authorities have grown increasingly hospitable to cooperative standard setting efforts whereby jointly developed standards will facilitate the development of new products or services. In the information industries, such standards are ubiquitous and, moreover, are set by international standard setting organizations (SSOs) like the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). To be successful, SSOs must develop strategies to prevent firms from patenting technologies used in official standards and charging exorbitant royalties once a standard is adopted. In particular, SSOs face a range of options in terms of policies that govern the use of patents in official standards - even within the popular strategy of mandating reasonable and non-discriminatory (RAND) access to patents necessary to practice a standard. With multi-jurisdictional oversight of SSOs, the role of antitrust law - if inconsistent and overly aggressive - could be counterproductive. This paper argues that international antitrust authorities should be humble about second guessing policies of standard setting bodies related to patent policies or playing an aggressive enforcement role. By so doing, antitrust authorities will signal to standard setting bodies that they must rely fundamentally on their own strategies for ensuring compliance with their own policies. Such policies, for example, could include a mandate that firms disclose the relevant licensing terms and conditions before the body decides to endorse a particular technology as part of a standard. To be sure, there is still a role for antitrust authorities to sanction egregious abuses of the standard setting process, such as the Federal Trade Commission's action in Rambus, but such actions should be exceptional and not viewed as an alternative to a standard setting body's safeguards against abuses by firms that obtain patents on technologies necessary to practice the standard.
Silent pericentromeric repeats speak out

Pericentromeres are essential structural components of the chromosome that function to ensure proper sister chromatid segregation during cell division. These chromosomal domains are composed of major satellite DNA repeats whose constitutively heterochromatic structure facilitates kinetochore formation (1). Characteristically demarcated by the silencing histone mark trimethyl-histone-3-lysine-9, pericentromeres had long been thought to be transcriptionally silent. However, recent reports have demonstrated that transcription from pericentromeric satellite repeats is required for proper chromosome formation during differentiation (2, 3). Aberrant transcription from these regions has also been observed in certain cancers (4, 5). Thus far, the biological relevance of the resulting RNA products has remained a mystery. In PNAS, Bersani et al. (6) and Tanne et al. (7) have now ascribed distinct functional properties to a specific class of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) that are produced from pericentromeric satellite repeats in cancer cells. The findings from these complementary studies have broad implications for the role of repeat-derived ncRNAs in cancer development and prognosis.
An Electrical Model of the Heart

The paper uses electrical principles and the electrophysiology of the heart to develop an electrical model of the heart that is suitable for lectures on bioelectrical engineering. The model computes the electrocardiogram (ECG) that is in agreement with that from the normal heart.
Covariation of climate and long-term erosion rates across a steep rainfall gradient on the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i

Erosion of volcanic ocean islands creates dramatic landscapes, modulates Earth’s carbon cycle, and delivers sediment to coasts and reefs. Because many volcanic islands have large climate gradients and minimal variations in lithology and tectonic history, they are excellent natural laboratories for studying climatic effects on the evolution of topography. Despite concerns that modern sediment fl uxes to island coasts may exceed long-term fl uxes, little is known about how erosion rates and processes vary across island interiors, how erosion rates are infl uenced by the strong climate gradients on many islands, and how modern island erosion rates compare to long-term rates. Here, we present new measurements of erosion rates over 5 yr to 5 m.y. timescales on the Hawaiian island of Kaua‘i, across which mean annual precipitation ranges from 0.5 to 9.5 m/yr. Eroded rock volumes from basins across Kaua‘i indicate that million-year-scale erosion rates are correlated with modern mean annual precipitation and range from 8 to 335 t km –2 yr –1 . In
Processing and Characterization of Al2O3 and Al2O3 / Cu Alloy Composites

Fused deposition of ceramics (FDC) has been used to fabricate macroscopically graded ceramic skeletons. These Al2O3 skeletons were subjected to binder removal and sintering treatments. The sintered skeletons were infiltrated with copper alloys. Both the skeletons and composites were characterized for micro and macrostructure using scanning electron microcopy. Potential applications for the macroscopically graded ceramic/metal composites focus primarily on impact.
Almost-Periodic Functions

(1981). Almost-Periodic Functions. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 88, No. 7, pp. 515-526.
Multiple-Answer Items and Chance Success

Two previous articles by the writer (Aiken, 1965, in press) are concerned with certain implications o!: a response-stimulus paradigm of objective test items. The paradigm considers all objective test items as variecies of a generalized matching item in which each response option is to be paired with no more than one stimul~~s option and each stimulus option with exactly one response option. Of particular significance is the derivation of a general formula from which the probability of obtainicg one or more correct matchings by chance may be determined. Thus, the prcbability of obtaining at least ni matchings correct by chance is equal to where n, = the number of stimulus options, n,. = the number of response options (n, 2 n,), C(n,, n,) is the number of combinations of n, options taken n, at the time, and P(n,., n .) is the number of permucations of n, options taken n, at the time. Formula 1 may be recognized as the solution co a special case of the classical occupancy problem (see, e.g., Feller, 1957). But the formi~la is inappropriate for estimating the probability of chance success on many-to-many matching items, where one or rtzore response options may be appropriately matched with one or more scim~~lus options. Correction procedures appropriate for such items were presented in one of the earlier articles (Aiken, in press). A variety not discussed in that paper, however, is the "multiple-answer" item, a multiple-choice item in wh~ch more than one option may be correct. Since it is often quite difficult to construct equally plausible disuactors for multiple-choice icems, it mzy be suitable to include more than one answer among the options for some items. But if this is done, the test directions should inform the examinees that on some items more chan one answer may be correct. Concerning the matter of chance success on such multiple-answer items, it is
Preferred Temperatures of Two Species of Lycosid Spiders, Pardosa sierra and P. ramulosa

Pardosa sierra Banks and P. ramulosa (MacCook) were tested for their preferred temperatures in a temperature gradient, at 43% relative humidity. Tests were conducted on the spiders within 3 days of capture, and duplicate trials were carried out on cold-acclimated spiders kept at 7Â°C for 20 days. Both species were divided into 4 groups; unsexed immatures, adult males, adult females without egg sacs, and females with egg sacs. The mean preferred temperatures for nonacclimated P. sierra and P. ramulosa were 33.8 and 26.3Â°C, respectively. Acclimation to 7Â°C had no significant effect on the thermal preferences of these spiders. In both species, the immatures selected lower temperatures than did the males, which in turn selected lower temperatures than did the females. The females with egg sacs had the highest preferred temperatures in both species. This feature may be due to a behavioral mechanism which allows the eggs and spiderlings in the egg sacs to be exposed to an incubation temperature which may be necessary for their proper development. There were significant differences between the selected temperatures of both species in each of the groups, under both nonacclimated and acclimated conditions.
Selection of Blood for Patients With Anti-AnWj

This article describes two examples of qnti-AriWj. The antibody was once thought to be two different antibodies— anti-An (Lu 15) and anti-Wj. In case 1, anti-AnWj was shown to be an autoantibody. The antibody described in case 2 showed serological characteristics of an alloantibody. Patients demonstrating anti-AnWj in their serum should be evaluated on an individual basis so that rare Lu(a−b−) blood is utilized wisely.
Holocene evolution of diatom and silicoflagellate paleoceanography in Slocum Arm, a fjord in southeastern Alaska

Abstract Diatom and silicoflagellate assemblages in cores EW0408-47JC, -47TC, -46MC (57° 34.5278′ N, 136° 3.7764′ W, 114 m water depth) taken from the outer portion of Slocum Arm, a post-glacial fjord in southeastern Alaska, reveal the paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic evolution of the eastern margin of the Gulf of Alaska (GoA) during the past 10,000 years. Between ~ 10 and 6.8 cal ka, periods of low salinity and cool water conditions alternated with brief intervals marked by the increased influx of oceanic, more saline and likely warmer waters. Increased surface water stability characterized by a middle Holocene interval between ~ 6.8 and 3.2 cal ka is typified by increased abundances of northeastern Pacific Thalassiosira spp. that are indicative of spring coastal blooms and decreased abundances of warm and higher salinity oceanic diatoms. At ~ 3.2 cal ka, an abrupt increase in both the relative contribution of oceanic diatoms and silicoflagellates suggestive of cooler upwelling conditions occurred in the -47JC record. A stepwise increase in alkenone sea surface temperature in northern GoA core EW0408-85JC and increase in southern sourced precipitation in the carbonate δ 18 O record of Jellybean Lake (Yukon) present evidence that this ~ 3.2 cal ka event coincided with the onset of enhanced positive Pacific Decadal Oscillation-like (PDO) conditions in the GoA. These positive PDO-like conditions persisted until ~ 1.0 cal ka and were followed by high amplitude fluctuations in the relative abundance of diatom and silicoflagellate assemblages.
Left ventricular outflow enlargement by the Konno procedure

The optimal management of patients with small aortic anulus or left ventricular outflow tract obstruction remains unclear. Between 1976 and March, 1982, 18 patients have undergone enlargement of their left ventricular outflow tract by means of the Konno or a modification of the Konno procedure. Fourteen of these 18 patients had previous operations for aortic stenosis or tunnel left ventricular outflow tract, and two patients had undergone three previous operations. All 18 patients had symptoms of either heart failure or chest pain, or had electrocardiographic evidence of strain. They ranged in age from 4 years to 58 years, with 13 of the 18 patients being less than 20 years of age. A Dacron patch was used to enlarge the left ventricular outflow tract after incising down the ventricular septum. In all patients, at least a 21 mm valve could be placed, with between 50% and 65% of the valve anulus being made up of natural tissue. The remaining portion of the valve anulus was constructed from the Dacron patch. The patch was extended up to enlarge the ascending aorta, and a pericardial patch was used to close the defect in the right ventricular outflow tract. In all 18 patients the gradient was obliterated at the time of operation. There was one early death in a patient who had previous insertion of a left ventricular apical-aortic conduit in which the heterograft valve had degenerated. There has been one late death because of bacterial endocarditis in a child who also had a parachute mitral valve and evidence of pulmonary hypertension. The remaining 16 patients are functioning well after the Konno procedure. Three are receiving warfarin sodium, and 13 are receiving aspirin. These results suggest that this is an acceptable method of treating patients with small aortic anulus or left ventricular outflow tract obstructions and would appear to have advantages over a left ventricular apical-aortic conduit.
Complexities in Ferret Influenza Virus Pathogenesis and Transmission Models

Ferrets are widely employed to study the pathogenicity, transmissibility, and tropism of influenza viruses. However, inherent variations in inoculation methods, sampling schemes, and experimental designs are often overlooked when contextualizing or aggregating data between laboratories, leading to potential confusion or misinterpretation of results. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of parameters to consider when planning an experiment using ferrets, collecting data from the experiment, and placing results in context with previously performed studies. This review offers information that is of particular importance for researchers in the field who rely on ferret data but do not perform the experiments themselves. Furthermore, this review highlights the breadth of experimental designs and techniques currently available to study influenza viruses in this model, underscoring the wide heterogeneity of protocols currently used for ferret studies while demonstrating the wealth of information which can benefit risk assessments of emerging influenza viruses.
Imaging spectrometry from nature's own atomic lenses.

Introducing SARIS (scattering and recoiling imaging spectrometry), a method for quickly probing surface layers with subangstrom resolution.
Vibration Analysis for Preventive Maintenance: A Classical Case History

Description du programme d'analyse des vibrations de l'Academie Maritime de Californie pour l'entretien preventif a bord du navire d'entrainement Golden Bear
American Cold War Propaganda Efforts during the First Eisenhower Administration

No US president during the Cold War understood or exploited propaganda as well as Dwight D. Eisenhower. This was no accident, as Eisenhower had a deep appreciation of what propaganda could and could not accomplish from his days as Supreme Allied Commander in the Second World War. As soon as Eisenhower took office in 1953, he began to focus on the political warfare issue by appointing a high-level commission, the Jackson Committee, to study and make recommendations regarding US information and psychological warfare programs.1 Eisenhower’s activity in the political warfare arena continued until his last days in office, when another committee headed by New York industrialist Mansfield D. Sprague, titled the Committee on Information Activities Abroad, reported to Eisenhower on the progress and future direction of American propaganda programs.2 This report provided the incoming Kennedy Administration in 1961 with a blueprint of the goals and requirements for American information programs that shaped American propaganda policy into the 1960s.
Culprit Lesion Atherothrombectomy During Acute Myocardial Infarction

A 70-year-old man presented to the emergency department with chest discomfort, hypotension, and bradycardia. The initial ECG revealed an ST-segment elevation inferoposterior myocardial infarction (MI). The patient was treated with aspirin, atropine, dopamine, unfractionated heparin, and eptifibatide, and was then referred for emergent cardiac catheterization. After temporary pacemaker placement, coronary angiography revealed a subtotal occlusion of the mid-right coronary artery (RCA) that was associated with a large intracoronary thrombus (Figure 1 …
The power of international criminal courts: Strategic behavior and accountability networks

ABSTRACTInternational criminal courts are often given mandates without the authority or resources to enforce those directives. Given this, how do they achieve their objectives? We argue that in the case of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the court strategically developed an accountability network comprised of governmental and nongovernmental actors, using its expertise and position to provide information and a framework of accountability. Simultaneously, it reached out to a range of actors to ensure that governments and international organizations would push Balkan states to cooperate with the ICTY, thereby amplifying the court's power. Utilizing correspondence data, we create a unique dataset that traces the development of this accountability network, demonstrating how this institution engaged networks to pursue its goals. In general, we demonstrate that, although institutions may lack compulsory power, they can engage in strategic behavior using networks to project ...
The assessment of data sources for influenza virologic surveillance in New York State

BACKGROUND Following the 2013 USA release of the Influenza Virologic Surveillance Right Size Roadmap, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) embarked on an evaluation of data sources for influenza virologic surveillance. OBJECTIVE To assess NYS data sources, additional to data generated by the state public health laboratory (PHL), which could enhance influenza surveillance at the state and national level. METHODS Potential sources of laboratory test data for influenza were analyzed for quantity and quality. Computer models, designed to assess sample sizes and the confidence of data for statistical representation of influenza activity, were used to compare PHL test data to results from clinical and commercial laboratories, reported between June 8, 2013 and May 31, 2014. RESULTS Sample sizes tested for influenza at the state PHL were sufficient for situational awareness surveillance with optimal confidence levels, only during peak weeks of the influenza season. Influenza data pooled from NYS PHLs and clinical laboratories generated optimal confidence levels for situational awareness throughout the influenza season. For novel influenza virus detection in NYS, combined real-time (rt) RT-PCR data from state and regional PHLs achieved ≥85% confidence during peak influenza activity, and ≥95% confidence for most of low season and all of off-season. CONCLUSIONS In NYS, combined data from clinical, commercial, and public health laboratories generated optimal influenza surveillance for situational awareness throughout the season. Statistical confidence for novel virus detection, which is reliant on only PHL data, was achieved for most of the year.
Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Nightmares at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

The effectiveness of medications for PTSD in general has been well studied, but the effectiveness of medicatio.ns prescribed specifically for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) nightmares is less well known. This retrospective chart review examined the efficacy of various medications used in actual treatment of PTSD nightmares at one Veteran Affairs Hospital. Records at the Salem, VA Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) were examined from 2009 to 2013 to check for the efficacy of actual treatments used in comparis.on with treatments suggested in three main review articles. The final sample consisted of 327 patients and 478 separate medication trials involving 21 individual medications plus 13 different medication combinations. The three most frequently utilized medications were prazosin (107 trials), risperidone (81 trials), and quetiapine (72 trials). Five medications had 20 or more trials with successful results (partial to full nightmare cessation) in >50% of trials: risperidone (77%, 1.0–6.0 mg), clonidine (63%, 0.1–2.0 mg), quetiapine (50%, 12.5–800.0 mg), mirtazapine (50%; 7.5–30.0 mg), and terazosin (64%, 50.0–300.0 mg). Notably, olanzapine (2.5–10.0) was successful (full remission) in all five prescription trials in five separate patients. Based on the clinical results, the use of risperidone, clonidine, terazosin, and olanzapine warrants additional investigation in clinically controlled trials as medications prescribed specifically for PTSD nightmares.
Present and the Future of Chaos Computing

We study chaos computing as a new approach for reconfigurable computing and present some of our latest results and discuss what this new direction to computing means and implies. We discuss the advantages and challenges that come with this new paradigm of computing and envision its future.
Entre el puente y la horca: la ‘paradoja del mentiroso’ y la narración de la conciencia moderna en Don Quijote (II, 51)

AbstractEste estudio examina la apropiacion por parte de Miguel de Cervantes de la ‘paradoja del mentiroso’ en uno de los casos presentados a Sancho Panza durante su gobierno de la insula de Barataria en la Segunda parte del Quijote (1615). Considerando la autocontradiccion y autorreflexividad inherentes a las paradojas logicas, se propone que Cervantes introduce y transforma esta paradoja bien conocida en su obra para reflexionar sobre la experiencia del sujeto moderno y su representacion en la literatura. Por un lado, se sugiere que Cervantes, al revelar un desfase entre el lenguaje y la realidad y la fragmentacion e inestabilidad de la conciencia moderna, presenta un enigma irresoluble que pone en tela de juicio la fijeza del sujeto y la existencia de la ‘verdad’ absoluta. Por otro, se argumenta que la incorporacion de simbolos del poder politico que dialogan con esta nocion de la subjetividad sirve para socavar las identidades “cerradas” impuestas por la ley en la Espana del siglo XVII. Finalmente, al...
Creating Inheritable Digital Codebooks for Qualitative Research Data Analysis

In qualitative, mixed methods, and multi-methodology research, a codebook captures how research data may be analyzed for insight. Codebooks serve multiple purposes: they enable researchers to explore data; identify patterns; advance their research, and develop insights. Codebooks, also referred to as code lists, may be created using emergent methods (based on researcher interaction with the target data), a priori methods (based on theories, frameworks, models, and other extant sources), and combined approaches (informed by a priori sources and insights from the coding). With the affordances of Computer Assisted Qualitative Data AnalysiS (CAQDAS) tools, contemporary codebooks may originate in more ways than manual coding. NVivo 11 Plus enables the development of semi- and fully autocoded codebooks based on three main methods: sentiment autocoding (unsupervised), automated theme extraction (unsupervised), and coding by existing pattern (supervised). The use of technologies fundamentally influences the evolution of codebooks and the applied coding to the research data. This work introduces some of these interaction effects between a researcher and a CAQDAS technology in the development of a codebook from initial conceptualization through the evolution and finalization of a digital codebook for qualitative research. Further, this work suggests that contemporary digital codebooks may be designed to be inheritable or transferable, which is an assumption more common in fields using mostly quantitative research approaches. If there are more common distribution channels for qualitative, mixed methods, and multi-methodology research codebooks, research may be advanced in many areas.
Value from Fit with Distinct Motivational Field Environments

ABSTRACTFor almost forty years gun ownership and the motivational underpinnings of why guns are valued has received little attention in psychology. Using motivation science tools that explain value...
Effects of tuition discounting on university’s financial performance

We study how tuition discounting affects the financial decisions of universities, their student recruitment, and reputation. Using a large panel data of U.S. private and public four-year institutions, we find that tuition discounting helps institutions enhance their short-term operating surplus, increase admission yield, and reduce drop-out rate. However, it does not appear to improve the graduation rate or the quality of the incoming students. Institutions relying more on tuition discounting have more financial leverage, less equity, and experience lower liquidity and asset turnover—indicating greater financial risk. These results are stronger for private universities. Finally, out-of-sample tests show that tuition discounting may not help enhance the reputation of private universities.
Economic evaluation using mathematical models : the case of misoprostol prophylaxis

Using misoprostol prophylaxis as an example, many of the methods employed in economic analyses that incorporate mathematical models were described. These included : decision analysis, cost effectiveness analysis (including incremental cost effectiveness analysis), one-way, multi-way, and probabilistic sensitivity analysis, and the estimation of quality adjusted life years for use in cost utility analysis. In the case of misoprostol prophylaxis, the cost effectiveness analysis demonstrated that, compared to the no prophylaxis alternative, prophylaxis cost an extra $650, on average, for every additional ulcer prevented, and was potentially cost saving for some high risk groups. The cost utility analysis demonstrated that prophylaxis resulted (on average) in modest additional costs and no additional quality of life benefits. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that, at worst, prophylaxis reduced qualify of life ; at best, the incremental cost effectiveness ratio was $9333 for each quality adjusted life-year gained by prophylaxis compared to no prophylaxis. The results of the cost utility analysis also showed that prophylaxis may be cost saving in high risk groups, confirming the results of the cost effectiveness analysis. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this analysis illustrated the importance of incorporating measures of health related quality of life into economic evaluation.
An Equilibrium Approach to Optimal in-Core Fuel Management for Pressurized Water Reactors

AbstractAs an equilibrium core configuration is reached after only a few refueling cycles, equilibrium core energy costs dominate plant economics. Optimization of these costs can therefore lead to nearly optimum energy costs over plant life. A simple reactor state model has been developed that can predict equilibrium core conditions without reference to previous cycles. By coupling this model to an assignment and direct search algorithm, the refueling procedure and core power at equilibrium are determined so that energy costs are minimized. The equilibrium core parameters are then used to establish pre-equilibrium core conditions.
Leadership and Mobilization

What causes revolution? Historians and social scientists have alike put forward a myriad causes, but there is really only one: mobilization. Should a regime fall without mass mobilization, it is defined as a victim of a coup d’etat, usually by a military cabal. Mobilization – not revolution – then is the concept that foremost requires explanation. How is it that on one particular occasion, a gathering of one hundred people or even hundreds of thousands act against their government? From a theoretical point of view, this question is the same as asking why 30 workers act against their firm. The puzzle of mobilization focuses on why anyone acts at all. Most do not, as Mancur Olson (1965) pointed out. About few to 5% of the local population might act under risk, and exactly why they do so has remained mysterious.We have stories, anecdotes, and examples on mobilization, but until recently there was no theoretical explanation about how mobilization actually arises. Mark Lichbach (1995, 1996) spent the better part of a decade grappling with this problem. His work clarifies how dissident mobilization occurs. In this chapter, we examine the theoretical implications of his and other formal theorists’ work in terms of real-world mobilization.
Implementation of Models for Speech Recognition with Very Large Scale Integrated Circuit Technology

System design requires matching of several different structures, including the algorithm, the architecture, and the technology. In this paper, we examine how these factors influence the design of practical speech recognition implementations. In some parts of the system, custom integrated circuits can be useful to provide high-speed low-cost functionality, while in other parts conventional processors are used. Analog and digital technologies are examined, and predictions for future trends are made.
The Relative Importance of Parental Configuration for Latinx Students’ Educational Attainment:

Although many studies have examined the importance of parental configuration for Latinx students’ educational attainment, few have considered the longitudinal impact of one versus two-parent househ...
Why Do Clinical Research

We need more good clinical research sites in the United States. If a drug, device, or treatment is to be approved in the United States, it needs to be tested in a sample representative of the entire population, including children and the elderly, both genders, all races and ethnicities, in patients with concomitant illnesses and medications, and those living in urban and rural environments. Reasons to participate in clinical research include enrolling a widely generalizable population in clinical research, involve enlightened clinical research personnel and protocols in the work being done, and meaningfully contribute to how medicine is practiced today.
Model to estimate abdominal wall thickness in children undergoing placement or replacement of gastrostomy devices.

Abstract Objectives Abdominal wall thickness (AWT) is a key measurement when placing or replacing low profile gastrostomy devices. This measurement varies, depending on nutritional status and body habitus. We developed a mathematical model to estimate AWT using a compendium of body measurements. Methods Ultrasonography was used to measure AWT at the initial gastrostomy site in subjects aged 22 days to 24 years old. Other body measurements (height, weight, waist circumference and distance from xiphisternum to pubis) were also obtained. Multiple linear regression was used to develop two separate models using age of 2 years to separate the groups. For analysis, AWT is log transformed. Results Data from 97 subjects were used for analysis. The final model for those ≤ 24 months old is the following: ln(Estimated AWT) = − 1.255 + 0.082*(1 if age 3–24 months, 0 if The final model for those > 24 months old is the following: ln(Estimated AWT) = − 1.335 + 0.271*(1 if age >84 months, 0 if 24–84 months) + 0.082*(BMI) Conclusion This model to estimate AWT is useful for determining the length of a gastrostomy device at initial placement and with subsequent changes. More data are needed to refine and further validate the model. Level of evidence Level IV, study of prognostic test.
Current Use of Biological Scaffolds in Plastic Surgery.

Background Properly designed biodegradable scaffolds facilitate repair or regeneration of stromal tissues. Over the past 50 years, a variety of synthetic, semisynthetic, and decellularized scaffolds have been developed that provide surgeons with tools to reconstruct a wide array of structural defects. Methods The authors review the literature of biological degradable scaffolds in current clinical use in the United States and highlight their design principles and products in common use. Results Host tissues populate scaffolds with inflammatory cells, fibroblasts, blood vessels, nerves, and lymphatics. Cells lay down extracellular matrix macromolecules, whereas enzymes degrade the scaffold. Over time, the scaffold can be totally replaced by host tissues. Conclusions The greatest use of scaffolds in plastic surgery is in skin replacement, breast reconstruction, abdominal wall reconstruction, and peripheral nerve repair. Other areas of importance are cartilage and bone replacement and support for lining replacements such as bowel, bladder, mucosa, and dura. The wide range of research being performed in this field is likely to provide surgeons with more choices and improved materials to repair and regenerate stromal structures.
Asclepias Syriaca (Common Milkweed) flowering date shift in response to climate change

The consequences of altered flowering dates due to climate change can be severe, especially for plants that rely on coordinated flower and pollinator emergence for reproduction. The plant Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) relies on pollinators for movement of its pollen and evidence suggests that it has recently been declining. Given these factors and this plant’s importance as a host species for the declining Danaus plexippus (Monarch Butterfly), it is critical to determine if its flowering is being modified by climate change. As a first step to answering this question I quantified the relationship between climate and flowering date for A. syriaca using data from the USA National Phenology Network repository and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. I found that temperatures were higher than they had been historically (1895–2010) and mean flowering dates occurred earlier with higher temperatures. Additionally, there is a significant negative interactive effect of temperature and year on flowering date indicating that from 2011 through 2016 higher temperatures are correlated with increasingly earlier flowering dates. The change in flowering appears to be symmetrical in regards to the flowering time distribution, in that along with the mean, both maximum and minimum flowering dates are occurring earlier, as well. There is no evidence that earlier flowering is due to earlier initial growth or results in later fruit ripening. Consequences of this shift in flowering can only be speculated upon at this point, but due to the ecological importance of A. syriaca and its susceptibility to phenological mismatch, they should be considered when developing conservation plans for A. syriaca and the organisms for which it is a host.
Predictors of disordered eating and acceptance of cosmetic surgery among drag queen performers.

Abstract In this study, we examined the relations between drag queens’ gendered performance styles and body change attitudes and behaviors. We also examined potential mediating and moderating variables in these links via two moderated mediation models. Participants consisted of 192 drag queen performers who completed a web-based survey. Hyper-feminine but not gender fluid drag was positively related to disordered eating, acceptance of cosmetic surgery, internalization of cultural standards of beauty, and upward appearance comparison. Both internalization of cultural standards of beauty and upward appearance comparison mediated the hyper-feminine drag and disordered eating link. Beauty internalization also mediated the hyper-feminine drag and acceptance of cosmetic surgery link but upward appearance comparison did not. We discovered two significant conditional indirect effects, in which the indirect effect of the hyper-feminine drag on both disordered eating and acceptance of cosmetic surgery via internalization of cultural standards of beauty were stronger for those with high levels of drag identity salience. Finally, we found a conditional direct effect, where hyper-feminine drag predicted acceptance of cosmetic surgery among drag queens with high and average levels of drag identity salience but not low levels.
International findings with the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA): applications to clinical services, research, and training

The purpose of this invited article is to present multicultural norms and related international findings obtained with the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) by indigenous researchers in over 50 societies. The article describes ASEBA instruments for which multicultural norms are available, plus procedures for constructing the multicultural norms. It presents applications to clinical services, including use of multi-informant data for assessing children and their parents. The Multicultural Family Assessment Module (MFAM) enables mental health providers to view side-by-side bar graphs of child and parent scores on syndromes, DSM-oriented scales, Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problems. Evidence-based assessment of progress and outcomes is facilitated by the Progress & Outcomes App (P&O App). Research applications are outlined, including longitudinal and outcomes research. Applications to training mental health providers include having trainees study standardized multi-informant assessment data prior to interviewing children and their parents. Trainees can also sharpen their clinical skills by completing assessment forms to describe children and their parents, and then using ASEBA software to compare their ratings with ratings by children, parents, and other informants. Practical evidence-based assessment instruments with multicultural norms enable mental health providers, researchers, and trainees to perform intake, progress, and outcome assessments of children and their parents in terms of a standardized international clinical data language.
Novel model of distal myopathy caused by the myosin rod mutation R1500P disrupts acto-myosin binding

Abstract Introduction More than 400 mutations in β-myosin, a slow myosin motor, can cause both cardiac and skeletal myopathy in humans. A small subset of these mutations, mostly located in the myosin rod, leads to a progressive skeletal muscle disease known as Laing distal myopathy (MPD1). While this disease has previously been studied using a variety of systems, it has never been studied in the mammalian muscle environment. Here, we describe a mouse model for the MPD1-causing mutation R1500P to elucidate disease pathogenesis and to act as a future platform for testing therapeutic interventions. Methods Because mice have very few slow skeletal muscles compared to humans, we generated mice expressing the β-myosin R1500P mutation or WT β-myosin in fast skeletal muscle fibers and determined the structural and functional consequences of the R1500P mutation. Results The mutant R1500P myosin affects both muscle histological structure and function and the mice exhibit a number of the histological hallmarks that are often identified in patients with MPD1. Furthermore, R1500P mice show decreased muscle strength and endurance, as well as ultrastructural abnormalities in the SR & t-tubules. Somewhat surprisingly because of its location in the rod, the R1500P mutation weakens acto-myosin binding by affecting cross-bridge detachment rate. Conclusions While each group of MPD1-causing mutations most likely operates through distinct mechanisms, our model provides new insight into how a mutation in the rod domain impacts muscle structure and function and leads to disease.
Smart Home Monitoring System via Footstep-Induced Vibrations

Instead of using traditional intrusive surveillance technologies such as cameras or body sensors, we propose a smart home system sensing the footstep-induced vibrations to feature the same functions which can be used for the assisted-living purpose. Based on distributed sensing and processing units, we adopt a distributed computing approach to preprocess the time-series data, recognize footstep signals, and extract vibration features locally. Through communications over the sensor networks, our system is capable to estimate the occupancy via counting the number of occupants. Besides, based on the multicomponent seismometer sensing system, we propose a novel indoor footstep localization method called angle constrained time difference of arrivals relying on both angle and arrival information of the recorded waveforms. According to separated pedestrian locations, different trajectories of multiple people can be tracked. From the location-tracking history, the resident's daily activities and social interactions can be inferred. In our experiments, the proposed system obtains promising results. Specifically, the location error is 0.14 m with a 0.11 m standard deviation. And the multipeople identification accuracy is above 87.83%.
Therapeutic Efficacy of Immune Stimulatory Thymidine Kinase and fms-like Tyrosine Kinase 3 Ligand (TK/Flt3L) Gene Therapy in a Mouse Model of High-Grade Brainstem Glioma.

Purpose Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) bears a dismal prognosis. A genetically engineered brainstem glioma model harboring the recurrent DIPG mutation, Activin A receptor type I (ACVR1)-G328V (mACVR1), was developed for testing an immune-stimulatory gene therapy. Experimental design We utilized the Sleeping Beauty transposase system to generate an endogenous mouse model of mACVR1 brainstem glioma. Histology was used to characterize and validate the model. We performed RNA-sequencing analysis on neurospheres harboring mACVR1. mACVR1 neurospheres were implanted into the pons of immune-competent mice to test the therapeutic efficacy and toxicity of immune-stimulatory gene therapy using adenoviruses expressing thymidine kinase (TK) and fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L). mACVR1 neurospheres expressing the surrogate tumor antigen ovalbumin were generated to investigate whether TK/Flt3L treatment induces the recruitment of tumor antigen-specific T cells. Results Histologic analysis of mACVR1 tumors indicates that they are localized in the brainstem and have increased downstream signaling of bone morphogenetic pathway as demonstrated by increased phospho-smad1/5 and Id1 levels. Transcriptome analysis of mACVR1 neurosphere identified an increase in the TGFβ signaling pathway and the regulation of cell differentiation. Adenoviral delivery of TK/Flt3L in mice bearing brainstem gliomas resulted in antitumor immunity, recruitment of antitumor-specific T cells, and increased median survival (MS). Conclusions This study provides insights into the phenotype and function of the tumor immune microenvironment in a mouse model of brainstem glioma harboring mACVR1. Immune-stimulatory gene therapy targeting the hosts' antitumor immune response inhibits tumor progression and increases MS of mice bearing mACVR1 tumors.
What makes climate change adaptation effective? A systematic review of the literature

Abstract Increased understanding of global warming and documentation of its observable impacts have led to the development of adaptation responses to climate change around the world. A necessary, but often missing, component of adaptation involves the assessment of outcomes and impact. Through a systematic review of research literature, I categorize 110 adaptation initiatives that have been implemented and shown some degree of effectiveness. I analyze the ways in which these activities have been documented as effective using five indicators: reducing risk and vulnerability, developing resilient social systems, improving the environment, increasing economic resources, and enhancing governance and institutions. The act of cataloging adaptation activities produces insights for current and future climate action in two main areas: understanding common attributes of adaptation initiatives reported to be effective in current literature; and identifying gaps in adaptation research and practice that address equality, justice, and power dynamics.