cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Magnetic Anisotropy for Binder Jet Printed Fe 93.25 Si 6.75

Isotropic magnetic properties are important for electrical machine topologies that require 3D flux paths. Soft magnetic composites, which have been used to manufacture magnetic cores for these designs, have limitations. Additive manufacturing technologies provide flexibility to fabricate ferromagnetic structures that can overcome challenges inherent in manufacturing soft magnetic composites. In this paper, the magnetic anisotropy of binder jet printed iron silicon samples is quantified and compared with commercial soft magnetic composite material.
Short-term Wind Power Forecasting Based on Variable Time Window and Feature Extraction

With the rapid development of wind power, the impact on the grid of ramping events of large scale highly-concentrated wind power generation becomes serious. The intermittence and variability of wind speed definitely causes of the fluctuation and predication accuracy of wind power. This paper proposes a combined model based on variable time window and feature extraction in wind speed for short-term wind power prediction. At first, a multifractal spectrum is applied to investigate wind speed characterizations. Then on the basis of the wind fluctuation definition, an abstracting feature extraction approach is proposed by use of a sliding variable time window algorithm which could self-adaptively adjust the size of time window width. The historical data is classified according to the fluctuation events abstracting results. Different prediction models are developed by selecting the specific parameters after analyzing the fluctuation events characteristics. The presented method employs the spectrum analysis to correct the power error, aiming at the complexity and multiformity of output wind power in different time period. Finally, case studies are carried out to verify and evaluate the availability of the proposed model. Results shows that the short-term forecasting accuracy of wind power has been improved in various wind situations.
The disruptive effect of ridesourcing services on for-hire vehicle drivers’ income and employment

Abstract Ridesourcing services provided by Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft are spreading across the United States and are thriving. As a result of TNCs' expansion, there has been concern that ridesourcing is disrupting the traditional for-hire vehicle market, and those drivers are suffering. Based on 12-year Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) datasets from 2005 to 2016, we investigate how the income, worker classification, and employment status of for-hire vehicle drivers in the United States had changed after Uber entered their local markets. We find that with the entry of Uber, the hourly wage income of for-hire drivers had decreased, the percentage of self-employed drivers had increased, and the likelihood of being employed had increased in “Uber-adopted” metropolitan areas. The results confirm the disruptive effect of ridesourcing services on the for-hire vehicle industry and its labor force in the United States. The analysis for the five largest metropolitan areas provides more detailed evidence of the effect of ridesourcing.
Measuring the Topological Robustness of Transportation Networks to Disaster-Induced Failures: A Percolation Approach

AbstractThis paper presents a framework that integrates network theory methods into infrastructure network assessment in order to investigate transportation network robustness from a topological pe...
Energetics of Interfacial Interactions of Hydrocarbon Fluids with Kerogen and Calcite Using Molecular Modeling

Understanding of the fluid–rock interactions is essential to characterize the behavior of petroleum fluids in reservoir formations. Such knowledge is difficult to obtain due to the heterogeneous na...
Harnessing Big Data in Neurocritical Care in the Era of Precision Medicine

To survey the literature around “big data” and “artificial intelligence” use, its challenges, and examples in clinical and research domains within neurocritical care. Innovations in digital data storage and integration technology have motivated the active development of data-driven tools for neurocritical care practice. There has been progress towards harmonization of data dictionaries within the field to boost generalizability of studies. Numerous collaborative groups have cultivated datasets that will enable further study of disease detection, prediction, and management of critically ill neurologic patients. Essential to the effective analysis of big data in neurocritical care are the increasing relationships between clinicians and data scientists. There are multiple challenges related to the efficient and ethical use of big data, including data complexity, database stewardship and governance, data quality, and safe implementation of data-driven conclusions. Continued efforts towards optimally harnessing data will be crucial in neurocritical care. Critically ill neurologic patients generate an abundant amount of data in the course of routine management. Clinical research is evolving from benefiting the “average patient” to aiming to deliver more precise treatment to the individual patient. In neurocritical care, this has manifested through big data—for triage decisions, enhancing workflow, event detection, and outcome prediction.
Bayesian Hidden Physics Models: Uncertainty Quantification for Discovery of Nonlinear Partial Differential Operators from Data

What do data tell us about physics-and what don't they tell us? There has been a surge of interest in using machine learning models to discover governing physical laws such as differential equations from data, but current methods lack uncertainty quantification to communicate their credibility. This work addresses this shortcoming from a Bayesian perspective. We introduce a novel model comprising "leaf" modules that learn to represent distinct experiments' spatiotemporal functional data as neural networks and a single "root" module that expresses a nonparametric distribution over their governing nonlinear differential operator as a Gaussian process. Automatic differentiation is used to compute the required partial derivatives from the leaf functions as inputs to the root. Our approach quantifies the reliability of the learned physics in terms of a posterior distribution over operators and propagates this uncertainty to solutions of novel initial-boundary value problem instances. Numerical experiments demonstrate the method on several nonlinear PDEs.
RESEARCH ARTICLE: ‘Wasting time inside my mind’: Exploring student pharmacists’ perspectives on engaging in mindfulness oriented meditation using concepts from education research

Background: Pharmacy students are subject to high levels of stress. An emerging way student pharmacists and pharmacists have reported managing stress and developing professional resilience is through mindfulness. Objectives: To 1) describe how student pharmacists appraise the threat of stress; and 2) identify student perceptions of mindfulness-oriented meditation (MOM) as a stress management strategy and how MOM may fit in the pharmacy curriculum. Methods: A descriptive qualitative research study was conducted using focus groups comprised of first-year, second-year, and third- year pharmacy students at a college of pharmacy within the United States. A facilitation guide based on the study objectives was designed to guide focus group discussion and a basic interpretivist paradigm was used to underpin a phenomenological approach to interpreting the data. Representative quotes were identified by the authors to illustrate the main concepts from the focus groups. Results: In total, fourteen students participated across the three class-year focus groups. Students expressed a general interest in mindfulness, but their interest conflicted with feelings of business and time-constraints. Offering a certificate or other tangible reward made engaging in mindfulness and MOM more appealing. Conclusions: The concepts of the student’s academic perspective and learning motivation appear to influence mindfulness interest and reasons for participation. Colleges may need to change their criteria for judgment for wellness initiatives like MOM to be more widely adopted.
Testing the Cognitive Reserve Index Questionnaire in an Alzheimer's Disease Population.

Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and has no cure or progression prevention. The Cognitive Reserve (CR) theory poses that constant brain activity earlier in life later helps to deter pathological changes in the brain, delaying the onset of disease symptoms. Objective To determine the reliability and validity of the Cognitive Reserve Index questionnaire (CRIq) in AD patients. Methods Primary data collection was done using the CRIq to quantify CR in 90 participants. Correlations and multivariable linear regressions were used to assess reliability and validity. Results Reliability was tested in 34 participants. A Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.89 (p < 0.001) indicated a strong positive correlation. Validity was tested in 33 participants. A Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.30 (p = 0.10) indicated an insignificant weak positive correlation. Conclusion The CRIq was found reliable. Gaining a better understanding of how CR tools can be used in various cognitive populations will help with the establishment of a research tool that is universally accepted as a true CR measure.
Influence of Participation in a Quality Improvement Collaborative on Staff Perceptions of Organizational Sustainability

Sustainability capacity (SC), which is an organization’s ability to implement and maintain change, is influenced by internal attributes, environmental contextual influencers, and intervention attributes. Temporal changes in staff SC perceptions, as well as the influence of quality improvement collaborative (QIC) participation, has generally not been explored. This project addresses this gap, measuring staff SC perceptions at four time points (baseline and every 9 months) for clinics participating in an intervention – the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment QIC initiative (called NIATx200). A mixed linear model repeated measures analysis was applied to matched staff members (n = 908, representing 2329 total cases) across the evaluation timeframe. Three separate statistical models assessed potential predictors of SC perceptions: Time (Models I-III); NIATx200 intervention, staff job function, and tenure (Models II I and NIATx200 participation hours and four organizational variables (Model III). For Model I, staff perceptions of total SC increased throughout most of the study (t1,4 = − 6.74, p < .0001; t2,4 = − 3.100, p < .036; t3,4 = − 0.23, p = ns). Model II did not change Model I’s overall Time effect, but combined NIATx200 services (t = − 2.23, p = .026), staff job function (t = − 3.27, p = .001), and organizational administrators (t = − 3.50, p = .001) were also significantly associated with greater perceptions of total SC. Inclusion of additional variables in Model III demonstrated the importance of a higher participation level (t = − 3.09, p < .002) and being in a free-standing clinic (t = − 2.06, p < .04) on staff perceptions of total SC. Although staff exposure to sustainability principals was minimal in NIATx200, staff perceptions about their organization’s SC significantly differed over time. However, an organization’s participation level in a QIC became the principal predictor of staff SC perceptions, regardless of other factors’ influence. Given these findings, it is possible to develop and introduce specific sustainability content within the structure of a QIC to assess the impact on staff SC perceptions over time and the sustainment of organizational change. ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT00934141 . Registered July 6, 2009. Retrospectively registered.
Slider Swatch: an inconspicuous switch design solution for electronic textiles: Development of a slider switch from a simple on/off mechanism to different outputs

In this paper we would like to explain our approach to the development of this swatch, from the idea to the possible applications of the final product. We will explain how we came up with the basic idea, which questions we asked ourselves and what kind of materials we used to achieve the desired result. Furthermore, we will also explain what problems we had to deal with during the development process and how we found a way to solve them. Moreover, we will have a look at how our Swatch can be integrated into everyday life and what possibilities its use could offer. It is important to us to convey our way of thinking and working during the process, so we also added a little step by step guide that tells how the swatch is made.
Effectiveness of using a simulation combined with online learning approach to develop discharge teaching skills.

Abstract Background Despite evidence of the impact of discharge teaching on patient outcomes, nursing students are poorly prepared in the pedagogical skills necessary for their role as patient and family educators in clinical practice. This study evaluated the effectiveness of simulation combined with online learning to improve nursing students’ discharge teaching skills. Methods The module included simulations before and after an online module on patient/family teaching for hospital discharge. Evaluation measures were student and independent rater evaluations using the Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale- Evaluation form (QDTS-E). Results Students (n = 153) improved their performance on both content and delivery subscales of the QDTS-E by 20% (student self-evaluations) and 18% (independent raters). However, correlations between student and rater scores were low (r = 0.08-0.22). Conclusion Use of simulation with online learning in a discharge teaching module can help students build patient education skills to improve post-discharge patient outcomes, contributing to national health priorities to reduce hospital readmissions. With further refinement and testing, the learning module and QDTS-E evaluation form may also be useful for evaluation and continuing education of clinical nursing staff.
An Analysis of Potentially Implementing Standardized Canisters in the U.S. Commercial Waste Management System

This analytical study focuses on loading standardized transportation, aging, and disposal canisters (STADs) at commercial reactor sites and subsequent transportation, e.g., to a consolidated interi...
Hydrodynamical response of a circumbinary gas disc to black hole recoil and mass loss

Finding electromagnetic (EM) counterparts of future gravitational wave (GW) sources would bring rich scientific benefits. A promising possibility, in the case of the coalescence of a supermassive black hole binary (SMBHB), is that the prompt emission from merger-induced disturbances in a supersonic circumbinary disc may be detectable. We follow the post-merger evolution of a thin, zero-viscosity circumbinary gas disc with two-dimensional simulations, using the hydrodynamic code FLASH. We analyse perturbations arising from the 530 km s -1 recoil of a 10 6 M ⊙ binary, oriented in the plane of the disc, assuming either a non-radiative gamma-law or a pseudo-isothermal equation of state for the gas. We find that a single-armed spiral shock wave forms and propagates outwards, sweeping up ∼40 per cent of the mass of the disc. The morphology and evolution of the perturbations agrees well with those of caustics predicted to occur in a collisionless disc. Assuming that the disc radiates nearly instantaneously to maintain a constant temperature, we estimate the amount of dissipation and corresponding post-merger light curve. The luminosity rises steadily on the time-scale of months, and reaches few × 10 43 erg s -1 , corresponding to ≈10 per cent of the Eddington luminosity of the central SMBHB. We also analyse the case in which gravitational wave emission results in a 5 per cent mass loss in the merger remnant. The mass loss reduces the shock overdensities and the overall luminosity of the disc by ≈15-20 per cent, without any other major effects on the spiral shock pattern.
Childhood sexual abuse history amplifies the link between disease burden and inflammation among older adults with HIV

As they age, people living with HIV (PLWH) experience greater rates of inflammation-related health conditions compared to their HIV-negative peers. Because early life adversity can exaggerate proinflammatory effects of later physiological challenges, inflammation may be higher among PLWH with these combined risks, which could inform intervention approaches to mitigate multimorbidity. In this cross-sectional analysis, we investigated individual and combined effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) history and physiological burden (Veterans Aging Cohort Study Index scores) on serum cytokine and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels among PLWH. Participants (n ​= ​131; age 54 and older) were patients at an outpatient HIV clinic who completed a psychosocial survey and biomedical research visit as part of a larger study. 93% were virally suppressed, and 40% reported experiencing sexual abuse in childhood. Composite cytokine levels (summarizing IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ), CRP, and disease burden did not differ significantly between those who had a history of CSA and those who did not. Participants with greater disease burden had higher composite cytokine levels (r ​= ​0.29, p ​= ​0.001). The disease burden by CSA interaction effect was a significant predictor of composite cytokine levels (but not CRP), and remained significant after controlling for age, sex, race, BMI, anti-inflammatory medication use, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor use, depressive symptoms, and smoking status (F(1, 114) ​= ​5.68, p ​= ​0.02). In follow-up simple slopes analysis, greater disease burden was associated with higher cytokine levels among those with CSA history (b ​= ​0.03, SE ​= ​0.008, p<0.001), but not among those without CSA history. Further, in the context of greater disease burden, individuals with a CSA history tended to have higher cytokine levels than those without a CSA history (b ​= ​0.38, SE ​= ​0.21, p ​= ​0.07). These data suggest that the physiological sequelae of childhood trauma may persist into older age among those with HIV. Specifically, links between physiological burden and inflammation were stronger among survivors of CSA in this study. The combined presence of CSA history and higher disease burden may signal a greater need for and potential benefit from interventions to reduce inflammation, an area for future work.
Automated En Masse Machine Learning Model Generation Shows Comparable Performance as Classic Regression Models for Predicting Delayed Graft Function in Renal Allografts.

BACKGROUND Several groups have previously developed logistic regression models for predicting delayed graft function (DGF). In this study, we used an automated machine learning (ML) modeling pipeline to generate and optimize DGF prediction models en masse. METHODS Deceased donor renal transplants at our institution from 2010 to 2018 were included. Input data consisted of 21 donor features from United Network for Organ Sharing. A training set composed of ~50%/50% split in DGF-positive and DGF-negative cases was used to generate 400 869 models. Each model was based on 1 of 7 ML algorithms (gradient boosting machine, k-nearest neighbor, logistic regression, neural network, naive Bayes, random forest, support vector machine) with various combinations of feature sets and hyperparameter values. Performance of each model was based on a separate secondary test dataset and assessed by common statistical metrics. RESULTS The best performing models were based on neural network algorithms, with the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.7595. This model used 10 out of the original 21 donor features, including age, height, weight, ethnicity, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, hypertension history, donation after cardiac death status, cause of death, and cold ischemia time. With the same donor data, the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for logistic regression models was 0.7484, using all donor features. CONCLUSIONS Our automated en masse ML modeling approach was able to rapidly generate ML models for DGF prediction. The performance of the ML models was comparable with classic logistic regression models.
Behavioral Interventions at a Community Level

Individual and small group counseling efforts are appropriate and necessary when assisting help-seeking clients who are at risk for AIDS. However, in spite of the media attention that AIDS receives and the fear that AIDS can engender, it is not likely that most persons at risk for the syndrome will seek out individual risk-behavior-change assistance even from care-providers who are trusted. The stigma associated with acknowledging that one is at risk for AIDS and concerns regarding potential breaches in confidentiality make it unlikely that large numbers of persons will initiate requests for assistance in reducing their personal AIDS risk. Many investigators in the primary prevention area have also noted that traditional mental health service provision systems that require persons to “come to” therapy may be useful for a small number of help-seeking individuals but are generally ineffective in promoting behavior change on the wide-scale level needed for community prevention (Fredericksen, Solomon, & Brehony, 1984; Rosen & Solomon, 1985). Even if all persons at risk for AIDS were willing to seek out assistance to reduce their exposure risk, traditional mental health and therapy-based counseling systems could not possibly accommodate them (Solomon, 1986).
Caught between two worlds: genes and environment influence behaviour of plains × Grevy's zebra hybrids in central Kenya

Hybridization between related species has been documented in many animal groups, but little work has been done on the behaviour of hybrids relative to the parental species. Hybrid individuals generally possess physical characteristics of both parents, but behaviour may vary depending on complexity of gene interaction and the extent to which behaviours are learned from one species or the other. Studying hybrid behaviour can be an opportunity to separate environmental or learned traits from genetic ones. Here we report on the behaviour and sociality of natural plains–Grevy's zebra hybrids (Equus quagga × Equus grevyi) from central Kenya. All hybrids were born to plains zebra mothers and raised exclusively in the plains zebra society. When leaving natal groups, hybrids showed no interest in and did not interact with Grevy's zebras. Therefore, any behavioural differences between hybrids and plains zebra may result from genetic influences of their Grevy's zebra fathers. We found several significant behavioural differences between hybrids and plains zebra. Hybrid females were more vigilant than plains zebra females and showed equivalent levels of vigilance to Grevy's zebra females. Male hybrids were seen alone more often (a Grevy's zebra trait) and in a greater diversity of behavioural states (bachelor, satellite, challenger, stallion, alone), and changed state more often than plains zebra males, indicating conflicting environmental and genetic cues. Adult hybrid males appear to show a divergence in behavioural paths, with some behaving like plains zebra males challenging for harems and others setting up territories as Grevy's males do. Both male and female hybrids stayed with their natal harems longer than either plains or Grevy's juveniles.
First‐past‐the‐post, PR, Michael Pinto‐Duschinksy, and the empirical evidence

As a ‘reluctant convert to PR’, Arend Lijphart takes issue with Michael Pinto‐Duschinsky's arguments in favour of the first‐past‐the‐post system.
Abstract 15485: The Natural History of Subjects with Isolated Metabolic Syndrome Compared to Metabolic Syndrome- a Population Based Study

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) as defined by the presence ≥3 ATP-NCEP-III criteria is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Isolated MS is defined as metabolic syndrome subjects that do not meet the diagnosis of hypertension and diabetes and are not on therapy for either, despite having elevated blood pressure and hyperglycemia. Objectives: To determine the natural history of isolated MS as compared to those with MS. Methods: Data was collected prospectively on a population-based random sample of 2042 Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents aged 45 years or older who underwent clinical evaluation, medical record abstraction, and echocardiography (Visit 1 [1997-2000]). After 4 years, participants returned for Visit 2 (2001-2004). From visit 2, we have a median (IQR) of 8.3 (7.3, 9.2) years of follow-up. Results: We identified 232 subjects with isolated MS, 190 subjects with MS and compared them to 701 healthy controls. Subjects with isolated MS were older (61±9 years vs 59±9 years, p= Conclusion: Subjects with isolated MS have significant LV remodeling and neurohumoral activation as compared to healthy controls but less than those with MS. Isolated MS is associated with increased risk for the development of hypertension and diabetes but not increased mortality or development of HF over an 8 year period compared to healthy controls. Future studies should determine if aggressive management of risk factors in isolated MS will prevent the progression to MS.
Frequencies of two functionally significant SNPs and their haplotypes of organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B1 SLCO1B1 gene in six ethnic groups of Pakistani population.

Objective(s):Organic anion transporter polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1) encoded by solute carrier organic transporter 1B1 (SLCO1B1) gene; a transporter involved in the uptake of drugs and endogenous compounds is present in hepatocyte sinusoidal membrane. Aim of this study was to investigate the frequencies of functionally significant SNPs (388A>G and 521T>C) and their haplotypes in 6 ethnic groups of Pakistani population through the development of rapid and efficient Tetra amplification refractory mutation system (T. ARMS) genotyping assay. Materials and Methods: Frequencies of alleles, genotype, and haplotypes of two functionally significant Single nucleotide polymorphism in 180 healthy Pakistani subjects and distributions in six ethnic groups by using a single step T. ARMS genotyping assay. Results: The allelic frequency for 388A>G SNP was 50% in total Pakistani population with distributions of 9.7%, 15.1%, 19.4%, 16.1%, 18.3%, and 21.5% in Punjabi, Sindhi, Balouchi, Pathan, Kashmiri and Hazara/Baltistan groups respectively; and for 521T>C SNP it was 23.9% in total Pakistani population with distributions of 11.1%, 8.9%, 15.6%, 11.1%, 31.1% and 22.2% in Punjabi, Sindhi, Balouchi, Pathan, Kashmiri, and Hazara/Baltistan groups. Both functionally significant SNPs occurred in four major haplotypes with a frequency of 35.5% for 388A/521T (*1A), 40.5% for 388G/521T (*1B), 14.4% for 388A/521C (*5), and 9.4% for 388G/521C (*15) with varying distributions among six ethnic groups. Conclusion: The 388A>G and 521T>C genotypes and corresponding haplotypes are present at varying frequencies in various ethnic groups of Pakistani population. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic
Healthy Baby, Healthy Marriage? The Effect of Children's Health on Divorce

This paper investigates whether the health of children affects the likelihood that their parents divorce. Using data from the 1988 National Health Interview Survey, the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health, and the 1970 British Birth Cohort Study, I find that low birth weight children are at a higher risk of experiencing parental divorce than children of normal birth weight in the US, but not in the UK. As children with divorced parents are significantly more likely to live in poverty, this finding suggests that children's health problems could be the cause rather than the result of children's economic status.
Development of a Sustainability Scoring Method for Manufactured Automotive Products: A Case Study of Auto Body Panels

Undoubtedly, motor vehicles are among the most important, yet difficult to maintain and environmentally damaging consumer products on the planet. In light of the ongoing climate change discussion, sustainability considerations are currently taking a more prominent role in material selection decisions for automotive applications. This paper presents a new sustainability evaluation methodology for computing the potential benefits of using lighter materials, such as aluminum, in auto body applications, through a “Sustainability Scoring” method. When evaluating the “level of sustainability” built in any product, several major contributing factors (sustainability elements) need to be taken into consideration. Six major integral sustainability elements considered in this work are: product’s environmental impact, societal impact, functionality, resource utilization and economy, manufacturability and recyclability/remanufacturability. Each of these elements has corresponding sub-elements and influencing factors which are categorized as having varying levels of importance to the product. The paper compares the use of aluminum with the traditional use of steel alloys in a given automotive application using the newly developed comprehensive sustainability scoring method by considering all sustainability elements and sub-elements associated with a vehicle over its total life-cycle.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Surface oxidation of Alloy 617 in low oxygen partial pressure He–CO–CO2 environments at 750–850 °C

Abstract Surface Cr oxidation mechanism of Alloy 617 was investigated in He–CO–CO2 environments with P CO / P CO 2 of either 9 or 1320 at temperatures 750–850 °C. The activation energy for surface oxidation was 169.0 ± 13.2 kJ/mol in He – P CO / P CO 2 = 9 and 234.4 ± 8.9 kJ/mol in He – P CO / P CO 2 = 1320 . The ambient oxygen partial pressure dependence of the measured oxidation rates was consistent with n-type behavior of Cr2O3, in which Cr interstitials are the primary mobile species. The oxidation rates measured were greater than that can be sustained only by lattice diffusion of Cr in Cr2O3, indicating that grain boundary diffusion of Cr plays a role in the Cr2O3 growth kinetics.
Decision Analysis Applied to Tunnel Exploration Planning. I: Principles and Case Study

Exploration planning is a process of decision making under uncertainty. This paper, Part I of two dealing with the exploration problem, briefly reviews the decision analytical procedure for tunnel exploration, and provides practical techniques to do so. Specifically, this paper presents an approach by which the effect of additional exploration can be assessed before actually committing to exploration, through a process of so-called virtual exploration. This is practically done with an easy-to-use software package developed in Visual Basic for Applications in Microsoft Excel, called the Decision Aids for Tunnel Exploration. Part II will describe the uncertainties that enter into the tunnel exploration decision procedure, and will provide practical techniques to asses the effects of these uncertainties on the exploration decision making.
Cofermentation of sweet sorghum juice and grain for production of fuel ethanol and distillers' wet grain

Abstract In an attempt to reduce the costs associated with fuel ethanol production from grain, the authors used sweet sorghum juice as a partial or complete replacement for tap-water in mash preparation and fermentation. This juice, which was an unutilized by-product of sweet sorghum silage preservation by the Ag-Bag method, contained 6·5–7·6% (wt/wt) reducing sugar and produced up to 3·51% (v/v) ethanol beers after fermentation. Varying amounts of this juice were mixed with water and corn or wheat, either before or after liquefaction (front-end or back-end loading, respectively). When over 60% juice replacement was used in front-end loading trials, salt buildup, due to required pH adjustments during cooking, inhibited yeast metabolism and thereby reduced yields. This inhibition was not observed during back-end loading trials since acid and base usage during cooking were reduced. However, in all trials we noted yeast inhibition by some factor(s) present in juice from sweet sorghum variety NK 8368. This inhibition was not observed with variety NK 405. If sweet sorghum juice is used to replace 40% of the water and either 12·5% of the corn or 12% of the wheat in mash preparation, production costs can be reduced by $0.032/liter ($0.12/US gallon) for corn and $0.040/liter ($0.15/US gallon) for wheat.
REASSESSING TRAINING LEVELS FOR PREHOSPITAL EMS PERSONNEL

One of the major questions confronting prehospital care services today concerns determining the appropriate level of training for EMS personnel that will provide the most cost effective systems. Unfortunately there are no studies which assess this problem. Various communities have modified or expanded the roles of prehospital personnel beyond the traditional training of EMTs and paramedics. Continuing education and skills maintenance are ongoing problems faced by all EMS systems, which have been addressed in various ways by individual locales.
Gene therapy for ulcerations of the gastrointestinal tract

Ulcer healing requires cell proliferation, migration (re-epithelialization) and angiogenesis - all ultimately leading to scar formation. All these processes are controlled by growth factors. Gene therapy has shown only limited promise for effective treatment of congenital diseases. This is due to time-limited gene expression, adverse immune responses and/or complications related to viral vectors. However, short- term expression of genes encoding angiogenic growth factors appears to be ideal for treatment of chronic ulcers and wounds, which require only limited temporal gene overexpression. Since angiogenesis is essential for wound and ulcer healing, the genes encoding proangiogenic growth factors have been utilized for treatment of experimental esophageal, gastric and duodenal ulcers. These studies demonstrated that a single local injection of plasmids expressing vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin-1 dramatically accelerates the healing of duodenal, gastric and esophageal gastric ulcers. Preliminary data indicate that such treatment can also be effective for the healing of experimental colitis.
THE CREDIT EXPANSION EQUATIONS OF AN INDIVIDUAL BANK

WHEN ALL the varied economic forces that determine the power of an individual bank to increase or decrease the supply of money are taken into account, it can be shown that this power depends primarily on the trading relations between the bank and its depositors and the rest of the world economy rather than primarily on the lending activity of the individual bank relative to that of other banks. In this paper I propose to express this relationship systematically and to relate the model with which I will work to the classical model of C. A. Phillips.'
The epidemiology and control of gonorrhea and syphilis: a reappraisal.

Abstract This paper analyses possible causes for the increase of venereal disease and reviews some postulated reasons for the striking difference in gonorrhea and syphilis incidence in the United States. Although there has been a large increase in reported syphilis incidence in recent years, the bulk of the venereal disease epidemic is caused by the large increase in gonorrhea (624,371 reported cases in fiscal 1971). No simple solutions are apparent for the prevention and control of these communicable infections. Past experience suggests that epidemiologic control, but not eradication, of syphilis is possible with adequate education and funding. The only preventive measure presently available for gonorrhea that holds promise of some success is prophylaxis. Prophylactics of some efficacy, e.g., the readily available condom and many vaginal spermicides, could theoretically reduce the gonorrhea rate to negligible levels in five years. In contrast to the dismal outlook for present control efforts, this approach deserves immediate investigation.
Direct stereoselective total synthesis of (±)-seychellene

Abstract A very short total synthesis of seychellene is described in which the tricyclic ring system is prepared by a cycloaddition-Michael reaction approach.
Inaccurate Hemoglobin A1C Levels in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes and Hereditary Persistence of Hemoglobin F

We report 2 African-American boys with type 1 diabetes and hereditary persistence of hemoglobin F. The diagnosis came to light after both patients exhibited inconsistent hemoglobin A 1C (HbA 1C ) levels with respect to serum glucose measurements. This demonstrates the importance of frequent glucose monitoring and interpreting the HbA 1C level in light of serum glucose measurements.
Ramos de olivos, estrellas y espejos: la iconografía literaria de las damas de la corte de los Habsburgo en la poesía femenina de la temprana modernidad española

Seventeenth-century Spanish poets Clara de Barrionuevo y Carrion, Antonia de Nevares and Beatriz Jimenez Cerdan highlight in their sonnets addressed to the most outstanding women of the Habsburg courts the remarkable political role carried out by these exceptional ladies. In their poems, the authors seek to laud the figures of Margarita of Austria, Philip III′s wife, on the occasion of the birth of her son; Isabella of Bourbon, Philip IV′s spouse, after her death, and Isabel de Velasco, wife of the powerful Count-Duke of Olivares. These poets do not limit themselves to praising these ladies for their ability to provide their husbands with heirs. On the contrary, through the use of an imagery richer than that commonly used in the Baroque artistic works, the poets underline not just the moral qualities that adorn the ladies, and that coincide with the ideal of the good wife developed by Vives or Fray Luis de Leon, but also their diplomatic contributions to the country and to the Crown. In contrast to the limited iconography in the court portraits of these women painted by artists such as Pantoja de la Cruz and Velazquez, whose main objective was to register the royal dignity and high status of their models, the poets utilize images such as the olive branch, the diamond, the sun and the mirror in order to convey the sense of moral exemplarity and political savvy of these women whom they praise and with whom they aim to be associated.
P-Wave Dispersion: A Novel Predictor of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Background: The prolongation of intraatrial and interatrial conduction time and the inhomogeneous propagation of sinus impulses are well known electrophysiologic characteristics in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). Previous studies have demonstrated that individuals with a clinical history of paroxysmal AF show a significantly increased P-wave duration in 12-lead surface electrocardiograms (ECG) and signal-averaged ECG recordings. Methods: The inhomogeneous and discontinuous atrial conduction in patients with paroxysmal AF has recently been studied with a new ECG index, P-wave dispersion. P-wave dispersion is defined as the difference between the longest and the shortest P-wave duration recorded from multiple different surface ECG leads. Up to now the most extensive clinical evaluation of P-wave dispersion has been performed in the assessment of the risk for AF in patients without apparent heart disease, in hypertensives, in patients with coronary artery disease and in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. P-wave dispersion has proven to be a sensitive and specific ECG predictor of AF in the various clinical settings. However, no electrophysiologic study has proven up to now the suspected relationship between the dispersion in the atrial conduction times and P-wave dispersion. The methodology used for the calculation of P-wave dispersion is not standardized and more efforts to improve the reliability and reproducibility of P-wave dispersion measurements are needed. Conclusions: P-wave dispersion constitutes a recent contribution to the field of noninvasive electrocardiology and seems to be quite promising in the field of AF prediction. A.N.E. 2001;6(2):159–165
Marine sand and gravel production in areas off the northeast coast of the United States

Abstract Agencies responsible for issuing permits authorizing excavation of marine sands and gravels have provided information on the amounts of aggregates removed from coastal waters off the New England and Middle Atlantic states. This information is reported herein. Major increases in marine mining are projected. The significance to fisheries of mining marine aggregates is discussed.
Sampling statistics and considerations for single-shot analysis using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Abstract A statistical analysis of single-shot spectral data is reported for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Fluctuations in both atomic emission and plasma continuum emission are investigated in concert for a homogenous gaseous flow, and fluctuations in plasma temperature are reported based on iron atomic emission in an aerosol-seeded flow. Threshold irradiance for plasma initiation and plasma absorption were investigated for pure gaseous and aerosol streams, with detailed statistical measurements performed as a function of pulse energy in the breakdown regime. The ratio of the analyte atomic emission intensity to the continuum emission intensity (peak/base) provided a robust signal for single-shot LIBS analysis. Moreover, at optimal temporal delay, the precision of the LIBS signal was maximized for pulse energies within the saturation regime with respect to plasma absorption of incident energy. Finally, single-shot temperature measurements were analyzed, leading to the conclusion that spatial variations in the plasma volume formation and subsequent plasma emission collection, play important roles in the overall shot-to-shot precision of the LIBS technique for gaseous and aerosol analysis.
Endoscopic treatment for vesicoureteral reflux: let's not get carried away!

t r t V t j c c t l a a s c t he first reports describing endoscopic treatment for vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) or subureteral eflon injection (STING) procedure appeared 20 ears ago.1 Initially touted as an alternative to open urgical treatment for VUR, the procedure has yet o receive widespread acceptance or to replace eiher open intravesical or extravesical ureteroneoystostomy. Let us examine why. On the positive ide, endoscopic treatment is minimally invasive, erformed on an outpatient basis, and technically traightforward, with a relatively short learning urve and low complication rate. On the negative ide, the procedure may have to be repeated up o three times to achieve successful resolution of UR, follow-up testing by voiding cystourethrogaphy (VCUG) is necessary to assess the status of he VUR, and long-term persistence of the injected aterials has yet to be demonstrated. The basic principle of the procedure is straightforard: a compound in the form of a paste is injected sing a needle under and around the refluxing ureeral orifice in such a way as to establish an anireflux mechanism. Historically, the first bulking gent used was Teflon. However, in the United tates, this compound failed to gain popularity or ood and Drug Administration approval because f concerns related to migration of the Teflon paricles. Nevertheless, Teflon appeared to be an effecive bulking agent, and the initial results were enouraging, with up to 80% of patients experiencing isappearance of VUR.2 The next compound to be sed was cross-linked bovine collagen. Although he initial success in treating VUR was reported to e similar to that for Teflon, over time, a significant ncidence of VUR recurrence, coinciding with colagen degradation was noted.3 Success in eradicat-
Thailand in 2004: The ““Crisis in the South””

News about Thailand in 2004 was dominated by the ““Crisis in the South.”” Daily assassinations of local police, soldiers, religious leaders, and other civilians marked a level of insurgency beyond that in other regions of Southeast Asia and one not seen in Thailand for over 30 years. The recurrent violence represents a serious challenge to the nation and at this juncture, it is unclear whether Thailand will concede to irredentism, initiate more local autonomy, or settle for a protracted period of political unrest. These events dominated the political picture in preparation for parliamentary elections scheduled for February 2005 and clouded the premise of a stabilizing economy and programs of government change unprecedented in recent Thai history.
Implementation of dual simultaneous microelectrode recording systems during deep brain stimulation surgery for Parkinson's disease: technical note.

OBJECTIVE: Microelectrode recording during deep brain stimulation surgery improves the likelihood of successful target localization and enables the electrophysiological characterization of human neural structures. Many clinical recording systems do not support the ability to capture research-quality recordings. Established clinical centers already using such equipment may be prevented from acquiring human intracranial data because of the need to completely change recording systems to obtain research-quality recordings. This technical note describes the novel design and implementation of a recording system that significantly improves research capabilities without disrupting the existing clinical setup. METHODS: This design introduces a second recording system (including pre-amplifier, differential amplifier, analog-to-digital converter, and computer with analysis software) that divides the microelectrode signal into two independent streams. RESULTS: This design preserves the existing intraoperative recording setup, but significantly improves research-level recording, data storage, and analysis capabilities. CONCLUSION: We provide the first description of such a system using components that are all commercially available and relatively inexpensive. This approach presents an appealing alternative to the purchase of an entirely new system for surgical teams that already perform intraoperative recordings to assist in stereotactic target localization, yet wish to expand their neurophysiological recording capabilities.
Fisuras en los monopolios discursivos de dos narradores: el indio inexistente de «Huasipungo» y el indio ausente de «Raza de bronce»

Two were the main concerns in Latin America during the first half of the twentieth century: the consolidation of the nation-State and the incipient development of capitalism. In the Andes the “Indian problem” added complexity to these concerns. This article proposes a comparative analysis of how Alcides Arguedas, with Raza de bronce (1919), and Jorge Icaza, with Huasipungo (1934) –despite similarities in their social projects, the racism of their speeches and the stories that they address– differ in how they incorporate indigenous issues into the novel. If Huasipungo’s social realism responds to a need for change in the relations of production, Raza de bronce’s critical realism responds to a fear of an indigenous uprising. The above is not, however, the central difference. The latter consists of a monopolistic coherence in the narrative discourse of Icaza versus the fissures that literary modernism produces in Arguedas’ positivism. As a result, the social narrative of these writers creates a bourgeois responsibility in Huasipungo (where the indigenous cultural universe is reduced to a non-existence) and a dangerous indigenous potential in Raza de bronce (where the reader does not feel the presence of the Andean cultural world, but neither its non-existence).