cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contraction Dynamics of Flight and Stridulatory Muscles of Tettigoniid Insects

1.Isometric contraction kinetics and force-velocity relations were examined in wing muscles of two tettigoniid insects, Neoconocephalus robustus and N. triops . The muscles were first tergocoxal muscles of the mesothoracic and metathoracic segments. The metathoracic muscle is a flight muscle. The mesothoracic muscle is used in flight and in stridulation. 2.In the field, the wing stroke frequency during stridulation by N. triops is about 100 Hz; the thoracic temperature during singing is about 30 C; and the temperature gradient between the thorax and surround is about 15 C. Published data for N. robustus give the wing-stroke frequency during stridulation as about 200 Hz at a thoracic temperature of 35–40 C. The wing-stroke frequency during flight by both species is approximately 20 Hz at 25 C. 3.The twitch time course is similar in equivalent muscles of the two species. At 35 C the twitch duration (onset to 50% relaxation) is 5.5-6.5 ms for mesothoracic muscles and 11–13 ms for metathoracic ones. Twitch and tetanic tension per unit area are about twice as great in the metathoracic muscles as in the faster, mesothoracic ones. 4.Despite the differences in isometric contraction kinetics, the maximum shortening velocity (V max ) is similar in mesothoracic and metathoracic wing muscles. V max values (lengths per second, 35 C), determined by extrapolation of force-velocity curves, were 10.1 (mesothoracic) and 11.1 (metathoracic) for N. robustus ; 12.2 (mesothoracic) and 16.1 (metathoracic) for N. triops . With N. triops , V max was also determined from the time taken to re-develop tension following quick release. The values obtained were somewhat higher than from extrapolation of force-velocity curves, but again similar for mesothoracic and metathoracic muscles. 5.Twitch time course becomes more rapid and V max increases with increasing temperature. Neither twitch nor tetanic tension is greatly affected by temperature change in the range 25–35 C. 6.As for many other fast muscles, force-velocity plots for these muscles have little curvature. It is suggested that the relative straightness of these plots is a consequence of internal viscosity.
Measurement of local cerebral glucose utilization and its relation to local functional activity in the brain.

The average normal, human male brain represents approximately 2% of total body weight but consumes about 20% of the total body basal oxygen consumption (Sokoloff, 1989). The substrate for this high rate of energy metabolism is normally almost exclusively glucose (TABLE 1) (Sokoloff, 1960). In fact, more glucose is consumed than can be oxidized completely to carbon dioxide and water by the oxygen consumption, indicating that the glycolytic rate exceeds the rate of oxidation of the products of glycolysis, normally by about 20% (Table 1). The excess carbon derived from glycolytic utilization of glucose is probably distributed in many, e.g., lactate, pyruvate, and other intermediates of the glycolytic and tricarboxylic acid cycle pathways that leave the brain in amounts too insignificant to be detected in the cerebral blood, and also into several neurotransmitter pools, such as acetylcholine, glutamate, GABA, etc.
Advanced Anisotropy Concepts

In the preceding two chapters we described steady-state and time-resolved anisotropy measurements and presented a number of biochemical examples which illustrated the types of information available from these measurements. Throughout these chapters, we stated that anisotropy decay depends on the size and shape of the rotating species. However, the theory which relates the form of the anisotropy decay to the shape of the molecule is complex and was not described in detail. In the present chapter we provide an overview of the rotational properties of nonspherical molecules, as well as representative examples.
Delivery and Dosimetry Verification in IMRT

Dose distribution delivered in multiple complex field irradiations can often be improved significantly by modulation of the 2-D intensity profiles of each beam [?, ?]. Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) delivered with dynamic multileaf collimators (MLC) promises increased local control of certain tumors by providing improved dose localization within the target volume and minimal damage to surrounding tissues with low tolerance to ionizing radiation. With this irradiation technique, the tumor dose can be substantially escalated, thereby improving the probability of tumor control [?].
Twenty-Five Years of Hidden Profiles in Group Decision Making A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis summarized findings from 65 studies using the hidden profile paradigm (101 independent effects, 3,189 groups). Results showed (a) groups mentioned two standard deviations more pieces of common information than unique information; (b) hidden profile groups were eight times less likely to find the solution than were groups having full information; (c) two measures of information pooling, including the percentage of unique information mentioned out of total available information (the information coverage measure) and the percentage of unique information out of total discussion (the discussion focus measure), were positively related to decision quality, but the effect of information coverage was stronger than that of discussion focus; and communication medium did not affect (d) unique information pooling or (e) group decision quality. Group size, total information load, the proportion of unique information, task demonstrability, and hidden profile strength were found to moderate these effec...
Therapeutic targets and emerging treatment options in gastrointestinal acute graft-versus-host disease.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) continues to be the major lethal complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) but the standard of care, high dose steroids, has not changed in 40 years. Approximately 50% of GVHD patients will develop steroid refractory disease, typically involving the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which has a very poor prognosis. Newly developed GVHD biomarker-based risk scores provide the first opportunity to treat patients at the onset of symptoms according to risk of steroid failure. Furthermore, improvements in our understanding of the pathobiology of GVHD, its different signaling pathways, involved cytokines, and the role of post-translational and epigenetic modifications, has identified new therapeutic targets for clinical trials.Areas covered: This manuscript summarizes the pathophysiology, diagnosis, staging, current and new targeted therapies for GVHD, with an emphasis on GI GVHD. A literature search on PubMed was undertaken and th...
Mixed methods research in music therapy research

Background Music therapists have an ethical and professional responsibility to provide the highest quality care possible to their patients. Much of the time, high quality care is guided by evidence-based practice standards that integrate the most current, available research in making decisions. Accordingly, music therapists need research that integrates multiple ways of knowing and forms of evidence. Mixed methods research holds great promise for facilitating such integration. At this time, there have not been any methodological articles published on mixed methods research in music therapy. Objective The purpose of this article is to introduce mixed methods research as an approach to address research questions relevant to music therapy practice. Methods This article describes the core characteristics of mixed methods research, considers paradigmatic issues related to this research approach, articulates major challenges in conducting mixed methods research, illustrates four basic designs, and provides criteria for evaluating the quality of mixed methods articles using examples of mixed methods research from the music therapy literature. Conclusions Mixed methods research offers unique opportunities for strengthening the evidence base in music therapy. Recommendations are provided to ensure rigorous implementation of this research approach.
Hearing Aid Patient Education Materials: Is There Room for Improvement?

Purpose The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the readability of patient education materials (PEMs) from leading manufacturers of behind-the-ear style hearing aids and popular hearing aid information Web sites to determine if they meet guidelines recommended by public health agencies. Research design Analysis of hearing aid PEMs. Methods Printed user guides from six of the leading manufacturers of BTE hearing aids and 15 of the most popular hearing aid-information Web sites were accessed online and analyzed for readability using the Gunning-Fog Index, New Fog Count, Raygor Estimate Graph, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, and Flesch Reading Ease score. Results Overall average grade-level readability for all six printed manufacturer user manuals was calculated to be written at a 10th grade reading level. Overall average grade-level readabilities for all 15 popular online hearing aid-information Web sites representing professional organizations, suppliers, and health information services were calculated to be written at 10th, 10th, and 11th grade reading levels, respectively. Average Flesch Reading Ease scores for all printed guides and online patient information Web sites were calculated to fall within the fairly difficult category for readability. Conclusions PEMs provided by top hearing aid manufactures and popular hearing aid Web sites are written well above the reading level recommended by the National Institutes of Health. Consideration should be given toward simplifying these materials in order to enhance user experience and increase compliance among behind-the-ear hearing aid users.
Transforming Adverse Cognition on the Path of Bhakti: Rule-Based Devotion, "My-Ness," and the Existential Condition of Bondage

Early Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava theologians developed a unique path of Hindu devotion during the 16th century through which an aspirant cultivates a rapturous form of selfless love (premā) for Kṛṣṇa, who is recognized as the supreme and personal deity. In the course and consequence of cultivating this selfless love, the recommended practices of devotion are claimed to free one from the basic existential condition of bondage that is of concern for a wide range of South Asian religious and philosophical traditions. One of the principle cognitive tendencies characterizing this condition is to have thoughts and feelings of possessiveness over objects of the world, or what is referred to as the state of “my-ness” (mamatā), e.g., my home, my children, or my wealth. Using the therapeutic model of schema therapy as a heuristic analogue, this article explores the relationship between recommended practices of rule-based devotion (vaidhi-bhakti) and the modulation of thoughts and feelings of possessiveness towards mundane objects. I argue that such practices function as learning strategies that can systematically rework and modulate how one relates to and responds to these objects in theologically desirable ways. I conclude by suggesting that connectionist theories of cognition and learning may offer a promising explanatory framework for understanding the dynamics of this kind of relationship.
Sparsity-Constrained Games and Distributed Optimization with Applications to Wide-Area Control of Power Systems.

Multi-agent networked dynamic systems attracted attention of researchers due to their ability to model spatially separated or self-motivated agents. In particular, differential games are often employed to accommodate different optimization objectives of the agents, but their optimal solutions require dense feedback structures, which result in high costs of the underlying communication network. In this work, social linear-quadratic-regulator (LQR) optimization and differential games are developed under a constraint on the number of feedback links among the system nodes. First, a centralized optimization method that employs the Gradient Support Pursuit (GraSP) algorithm and a restricted Newton step was designed. Next, these methods are combined with an iterative gradient descent approach to determine a Nash Equilibrium (NE) of a linear-quadratic game where each player optimizes its own LQR objective under a shared global sparsity constraint. The proposed noncooperative game is solved in a distributed fashion with limited information exchange. Finally, a distributed social optimization method is developed. The proposed algorithms are used to design a sparse wide-area control (WAC) network among the sensors and controllers of a multi-area power system and to allocate the costs of this network among the power companies. The proposed algorithms are analyzed for the Australian 50-bus 4-area power system example.
Imaging Shallow Crustal Structure in the Upper Mississippi Embayment Using Local Earthquake Waveform Data

A 1D normal moveout (NMO)‐corrected and stacked pseudoprofiling method was applied to analyze the characteristic features shown on primary P ‐ and S ‐wave coda and on Sp waveforms from local microearthquakes in an attempt to image prominent reflectors and to resolve shallow crustal velocity structure (∼5 km) in the upper Mississippi embayment. Acoustic well log data were used to constrain the P ‐wave velocity in the upper 5 km. Events at close distances and with clear P and S arrivals were selected to ensure reliable NMO correction for reflections and transmissions. The observed reflections and transmissions are important controlling factors on modeling waveforms. We analyzed local earthquake data recorded at all broadband and one short‐period station of the Cooperative New Madrid Seismic Network. Despite polarity differences among P , S , and Sp waveforms, consistent reflectors in the sedimentary section can be imaged across the three wave types. Correlation with a basement‐penetrating well indicates that reflectors at the base of the Upper Cretaceous–Holocene Mississippi Embayment Supergroup, the base of the Cambrian–Ordovician Knox Group, and the high‐velocity lower Upper Cambrian Bonneterre Formation are shown in pseudoprofiles among stations in the upper Mississippi embayment. Our study finds that a one‐layer homogeneous velocity model of sediments in the ranges of 1.95–2.42 km/s for V P and 0.60–0.73 km/s for V S overlying a half‐space of Paleozoic rocks with velocities in the ranges of 6.0–6.2 km/s for V P and 3.26–3.6 km/s for V S can represent shallow crustal structure in the upper Mississippi embayment. Differential times of P – PpPhp and S – SsShs appear linearly proportional to sediment thicknesses, which best fits a one‐layer sediment structure with average V P 2.042±0.041 km/s and V S 0.709±0.051 km/s, in the least‐squares sense predicted by the wave propagation effects. Online Material: Figures illustrating seismograms, process procedure, imaged reflectors, and resolved velocity structure for six broadband stations and one short‐period station.
Development of a Modified Embedded Atom Force Field for Zirconium Nitride Using Multi-Objective Evolutionary Optimization

Zirconium nitride (ZrN) exhibits exceptional mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties, which make it attractive for a wide range of technological applications, including wear-resistant coatings, protection from corrosion, cutting/shaping tools, and nuclear breeder reactors. Despite its broad usability, an atomic scale understanding of the superior performance of ZrN, and its response to external stimuli, for example, temperature, applied strain, and so on, is not well understood. This is mainly due to the lack of interatomic potential models that accurately describe the interactions between Zr and N atoms. To address this challenge, we develop a modified embedded atom method (MEAM) interatomic potential for the Zr–N binary system by training against formation enthalpies, lattice parameters, elastic properties, and surface energies of ZrN (and, in some cases, also Zr3N4) obtained from density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The best set of MEAM parameters are determined by employing a multiobj...
How not to create tigers, August 1999

O ew'ge Nacht! Wann wirst du schwinden? Wann wird das Licht mein Auge finden? –Tamino Long-time readers of Physics Today may recall a series of conversations with my opinionated friend and colleague Professor Mozart, reported in Reference Frame columns early in this decade (Chapters 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13.) In answer to inquiries about his long silence, I can now reveal that Mozart mysteriously disappeared at the height of the Gingrich revolution in late 1995, demoralized by the growing obsession with “strategic research.” I have just learned and am happy to report that he is alive and well, the proprietor of a small tobacco plantation in central Connecticut. I had transcribed one of my last conversations with Bill Mozart in early 1995, but before I could negotiate his permission to report it in these pages, he vanished without a trace. As soon as I rediscovered his whereabouts, I sent him a brief note of inquiry, enclosing the text reproduced below, and was delighted to get it back decorated with the familiar scrawl I had despaired of ever seeing again: “PT-OK-WAM.” I am publishing our four-year-old conversation today both for the insight it sheds on the state of mind that led so productive a physicist to drop out of the profession at so early an age, and also because Professor Mozart's views on the state of our discipline in the mid-1990s remain relevant to the difficult situation in which we find ourselves today, at the brink of the new millennium. A little background: Several years before the conversation reported below, Professor Mozart had become deeply involved in satisfying the congressional demand for international assistance in the construction of the Superconducting Super Collider. In seeking contributions from abroad he had given free range to his prodigious imagination, and for several years after the cancellation of that visionary undertaking, he was fully occupied with the unwinding of his far-flung operations. His normally sunny disposition was clouded by his ongoing dismay at the failure of the great dream. To aid younger readers in understanding what follows, I should also explain that well into the mid-1990s there were people—even a few in the State Department—who remembered that Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, […]
Worm Disc and Document Image Processing

Like CD-ROM, worm disc is a digital non-erasable medium, but there are significant differences in its characteristics and use: The technology has no other purpose but to hold computer generated data, and the recording conventions are designed for doing so as efficiently as possible. Worm disc is an archiving and storage medium rather than a publishing medium; there is no mastering/mass-production process, and the contents are not usually for public sale. The same equipment is used to read and write the data, and discs are normally filled up over a period of time rather than written all at once. Both the storage and retrieval process may be integrated with other information processing tasks within the user organisation. Industry standardisation is not yet a powerful force. The most commonly used disc sizes are 12-inch and 5.25-inch, but even basic physical parameters such as cartridge thickness vary from one manufacturer to another, and so, at the system level, do parameters such as recording density and data formats. Worm discs are not intended for interchange of data between machines of different type; they are normally formatted, written, and afterwards read on the same system. Worm discs currently represent the highest capacity mass storage system available within the data processing world. A typical 12-inch disc holds 2–5 gigabytes of data; and up to 280 discs may be installed in large “jukebox” devices, with a worst-case access time of 25 seconds. 5.25-inch discs have a capacity of from 600mb to one gigabyte; jukebox storage is more compact and typical access times are 7–10 seconds.
An algorithm for L1 nearest neighbor search via monotonic embedding

Fast algorithms for nearest neighbor (NN) search have in large part focused on L2 distance. Here we develop an approach for L1 distance that begins with an explicit and exact embedding of the points into L2. We show how this embedding can efficiently be combined with random projection methods for L2 NN search, such as locality-sensitive hashing or random projection trees. We rigorously establish the correctness of the methodology and show by experimentation that it is competitive in practice with available alternatives.
CHAPTER 273 – Nuclear Receptor Coactivators

Nuclear receptors (NRs) comprise a family of DNA-binding transcription factors that regulate programs of gene expression related to cellular growth, differentiation, and homeostasis in a ligand-dependent manner. In addition to receptors for ligands such as steroid hormones, retinoids, and metabolites of fatty acids, the NR family also includes several so-called “orphan receptors”, representing members for which regulatory ligands are not known. NRs activate transcription by binding as monomers, dimers, or heterodimers to specific hormone response elements (HREs) within target genes. The central highly conserved DNA-binding domain (DBD) mediates sequence-specific recognition of HREs. This chapter discusses general molecular mechanisms responsible for ligand-dependent interactions among NRs and coactivator proteins and provide examples of different classes of coactivators that have been linked to NR function. The identification and functional characterization of nuclear receptor coactivators represent major current efforts being undertaken in the nuclear receptor field. Many fundamental questions remain to be answered, including why so many of these proteins exist, and how they exert their transcriptional effects. The study of these proteins could have practical benefits in that it may be possible to selectively regulate patterns of gene expression by developing synthetic NR ligands that differentially recruit coactivators to the LBD.
Quantifying Fundus Autofluorescence in Patients With Retinitis Pigmentosa

Purpose Using quantitative fundus autofluorescence (qAF), we analyzed short-wavelength autofluorescent (SW-AF) rings in RP. Methods Short-wavelength autofluorescent images (486 nm excitation) of 40 patients with RP (69 eyes) were acquired with a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope equipped with an internal fluorescent reference. Mean qAF was measured in eight preset segments (qAF8) and in region of interest (ROI)-qAF (200-700 μm) within and external to the borders of the rings at superior, temporal, and inferior sites relative to the ring. For both groups, qAF in patients with RP was compared to age-similar and race/ethnicity-matched healthy eyes at equivalent retinal locations. Results In 71% of eyes of RP patients, qAF8 acquired internal to the inner border of the ring, was within the 95% confidence interval (CI) for healthy eyes, while in the remaining RP eyes qAF8 was either higher or lower than the CI. Measured external to the ring, qAF8 values were within the CI in 47% of RP eyes with the other eyes being higher or lower. In 28% of sites measured by ROI-qAF within the SW-AF ring, values were above the 95% CI of healthy controls. Region of interest-qAF measured just external to the ring was within the CI of healthy eyes in 74% of locations. The average local elevation in qAF within the ring was approximately 15%. In SD-OCT scans, photoreceptor-attributable reflectivity bands were thinned within and external to the ring. Conclusions Increased fluorophore production may be a factor in the formation of the SW-AF rings in RP.
Perceptions of Hospitality Faculty and Students of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

ABSTRACTOver the past few years, higher education has been introduced to the new concept of massive open online courses (MOOCs). MOOCs deliver free courses to thousands of students around the globe, and the impact they will have on higher education has become a topic of discussion. This study investigated perceptions of hospitality students and faculty with regard to MOOCs. The study found significant differences for several attributes and behavioral aspects. Overall, students expressed more enthusiasm compared to faculty regarding MOOCs. Perhaps faculty may have a deeper understanding of the MOOCs concept and the challenges that they may bring.
Teen Titans and a Generational Movement of the 60s and 70s

A caption jumps out from the cover page, "THEY JUST COULDN'T WAIT TO START THEIR OWN MAG!" Approved by the Comics Code Authority and officially sealed with the Superman DC National Comics brand, the cover reveals four super powered teenagers in the midst of a struggle for their very lives. "NO, YOU"RE NOT SEEING THINGS! THAT'S ROBIN, WONDER GIRL, KID FLASH and AQUALAD-- ALL FIGHTING THE SAME VILLAIN... The BEAST-GOD of XOCHATAN!" Young readers across the nation could get their hands on this thrilling first issue and debut of a newly formed superhero team for only twelve cents, a decent price for nearly forty pages of entertainment. Young adults and children thought so too, back in 1966 when this comic book issue was first published. As exhilarating as it would be to see the Teen Titans battle a Beast-God named Xochatan, however. What is more important, historically that is, was what was being implicitly expressed through this series. During a time when a multitude of social movements were rapidly progressing towards social equality for most Americans, their own superheroes now seemed to be joining them.1
Controlled radical polymerization of vinyl ketones using visible light

Herein we report the photoinduced electron transfer–reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization of a range of vinyl ketone monomers including methyl, ethyl and phenyl derivatives, using Eosin Y as an organic photoredox catalyst and visible light. The protocol is amenable to a range of conditions and facilitates controlled polymerization in the presence of air and even in the absence of catalyst. This approach is versatile and scalable as demonstrated by the multi-gram scale synthesis of poly(vinyl ketones) with increased polymerization rates being achieved upon the addition of triethylamine as a reducing agent. High chain-end fidelity was demonstrated by ESI-MS and 1H NMR with successful chain extension yielding a library of novel diblock copolymers.
An Autonomous Approach to Observing the Seasonal Ice Zone in the Western Arctic

The Marginal Ice Zone and Arctic Sea State programs examined the processes that govern evolution of the rapidly changing seasonal ice zone in the Beaufort Sea. Autonomous platforms operating from the ice and within the water column collected measurements across the atmosphere-ice-ocean system and provided the persistence to sample continuously through the springtime retreat and autumn advance of sea ice. Autonomous platforms also allowed operational modalities that reduced the field programs’ logistical requirements. Observations indicate that thermodynamics, especially the radiative balances of the ice-albedo feedback, govern the seasonal cycle of sea ice, with the role of surface waves confined to specific events. Continuous sampling from winter into autumn also reveals the imprint of winter ice conditions and fracturing on summertime floe size distribution. These programs demonstrate effective use of integrated systems of autonomous platforms for persistent, multiscale Arctic observing. Networks of autonomous systems are well suited to capturing the vast scales of variability inherent in the Arctic system.
Reproductive Dilemmas: Global and Intimate Lives in the Philippines

This chapter introduces the Philippines’ controversial reproductive health law (or ‘RH Law’), which aims to bring modern reproductive and family services to a largely Roman Catholic country. In Metropolitan Manila specifically, debates on the law occur in a continuously globalizing context—the metropolis is expanding at a relentless pace, and intimacies themselves are fraught by the transnational absences of labor migration policies. How then are reproductive livelihoods and predicaments produced within these globalizing circumstances alongside conservative ideas on family, sexuality, and gender? Collantes argues that politics, religious discourses, the effects of global change, and even traditional gender dynamics intertwine and help shape complicated reproductive dilemmas in Metro Manila, and that these dilemmas also reveal tensions between the global and the intimate.
Book Review: The Routledge Companion to Non-Market Strategy

The Routledge Companion to Non-Market Strategy is an attempt at presenting readers the current state of the field in non-market research. The edited work by Lawton and Rajwani does well to balance a discussion of the history of non-market behavior in organizations along with a current view and possible future directions of academic research on the topic. In addition, they provide an overview of both the theoretical lenses which have helped to advance non-market academic research along with the practical state of non-market behavior by organizations.
Safety and Efficacy of Inpatient Initiation of Dofetilide versus Sotalol for atrial fibrillation.

Background: We sought to investigate and compare the safety and efficacy of two commonly used antiarrhythmic drugs, Dofetilide (DF) and Sotalol (SL), during inpatient drug initiation in patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: We performed a single center retrospective study of consecutive patients, admitted for initiation of either DF or SL, for AF between 2012 and 2015. Rates of successful cardioversion, QT interval prolongation, adverse events and drug discontinuations were calculated and compared. A two-tailed p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of 378 patients, 298 (78.8%) received DF and 80 (21.2%) SL, mean age was 64 ± 11 years, 90% were Caucasians and 66% were males. Among the patients who remained in AF upon admission (DF: 215/298 (72%) vs. SL: 48/80 (60%)), no significant differences were noted in pharmacological cardioversion rates (DF: 125/215(58%) vs. SL: 30/48 (62.5%); p = 0.58). Baseline QTc was similar between the groups, with higher dose dependent QTc prolongation with DF (472.25± 31.3 vs. 458± 27.03; p = 0.008). There were no significant differences in the rates of adverse events such as bradycardia (7.4% vs. 11.3%; p = 0.26), Torsades de pointes (1.3% vs. 1.2%; p = 1.00), and drug discontinuation (9.0% vs. 5.0%; p = 0.47) between the two groups. Conclusion: In our large, single center experience, we found that the use of Dofetilide resulted in significantly higher QTc without differences in the rates of successful cardioversion, adverse events, and drug intolerance when compared to Sotalol in AF patients.
Modern Notations and Ancient Logic

To what extent does ancient logic admit of accurate interpretation in modern terms? Blanche [3] and Durr [14] published general surveys of research on ancient logic in the mid-1950’s. My aim in the present paper is to identify studies made available during the quarter-century 1945–1970 that illustrate the influence modern notations have had on our understanding of ancient logical texts. Accepting Bochenski’s division of ancient logic into four temporally distinct stages, I mention research on the Prearistotelian, Aristotelian, Stoic and Commentatorial logics in Sections 1–4. In Section 5, I offer some generalizations on the utility of modern notations in writing the history of ancient logic.
The History of Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are sets of tests in medical research which help determine efficacy and safety of various interventions, including drugs, diagnostics, procedures, and devices. Clinical trials evolved over time along with medicine, from ancient times to the modern era. They have undergone significant changes both in form and in ethics, with increased regulation and safety awareness. This chapter provides a brief look at the storied evolution of clinical trials of the modern world.
The Potential of Theology for Ethics

This is to be an essay on ‘the potential of theology for ethics’ with special reference to bio-ethics; I am asked to provide a philosopher’s ‘conceptual exposition and analysis of the relationship, significance, and contribution of theology to bio-ethics’ or to ‘normative moral judgment in medicine and health care’. The general topic of the relation of religion or theology to ethics is not new, but perhaps it takes on a somewhat different cast when it is posed by way of the question of what theology can or might do for ethics in the context of contemporary discussion in medical ethics and related fields. I take it that the motivation for the choice of this topic is the fact that many people appeal to theology in these discussions, while others do not or even oppose making such an appeal. With this fact in mind I shall write some prolegomena that may be helpful to anyone reflecting favorably or unfavorably on the use of theology in bio-ethical debate or decision-making.
Contrasting effects of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and antagonist on the secretion of free α subunit

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists and antagonists have initial divergent effects on the pituitary secretion of intact biologically active gonadotropins and long-term divergent effects on the secretion of free alpha-subunit. The antagonists appear to function as true competitive inhibitors, blocking the stimulatory effects of endogenous GnRH without evoking any known postreceptor activity. The agonists, in contrast, initially stimulate pituitary secretion and then incompletely desensitize the gonadotrope, resulting in suppression of intact gonadotropin, but not free alpha-subunit, secretion. The mechanisms by which GnRH-a produce this incomplete gonadotrope desensitization and facilitate limited postreceptor activity remain to be elucidated.
Genetic and nutritional effects on lamb flavor

ABSTRACT: Annual per capita consumption of lambin the United States has declined throughout the last40 yr to 0.32 kg on a retail weight basis. In a recentsurvey, consumers identiﬁed taste as one of the mostimportant factors when purchasing meat products andranked lamb last among other meats (beef, chicken,ﬁsh, pork, turkey, and veal) for taste and overall prefer-ence. Research has shown that meat ﬂavor resides inthe water-soluble fraction but that species-speciﬁc ﬂa-vors are located in the lipid fraction of meat. In lamb,branched chain fatty acids of 8 to 10 carbons are be-lieved to strongly contribute to its characteristic ﬂavor.Oxidation products from long-chain unsaturated fattyacids also contribute to ﬂavor intensity in lamb. Re-search has shown differences in ﬂavor intensity due tobreed or sire breed; however, the results have beeninconsistent and depend on the type of sensory panelKey Words: Fatty Acids, Flavor, Lambs 2001 American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved.
Beyond challenge-seeking and skill-building: Toward the lifespan developmental perspective on flow theory

The current developmental perspective on flow theory focuses mainly on the growth of skills. Such perspective, however, may overlook how individuals find flow in the face of developmental losses. T...
Factors that Influence Longitudinal Growth from Birth to 18 Months of Age in Infants with Gastroschisis.

Objective This study aimed to investigate factors that influence growth in infants with gastroschisis. Study Design Growth parameters at birth, discharge, 6, 12, and 18 months of age were collected from 42 infants with gastroschisis. Results The mean z-scores for weight, length, and head circumference were below normal at birth and decreased between birth and discharge. Lower gestational age correlated with a worsening change in weight z-score from birth to discharge (rho 0.38, p = 0.01), but not with the change in weight z-score from discharge to 18 months (rho 0.04, p = 0.81). There was no correlation between the day of life when the enteral feeds were started and the change in weight z-score from birth to discharge (rho 0.12, p = 0.44) or discharge to 18 months (rho −0.15, p = 0.41). Conclusion Our study demonstrates that infants with gastroschisis experience a significant decline in weight z-score between birth and discharge, and start to catch up on all growth parameters after discharge. Prematurity in gastroschisis infants is associated with a greater risk for weight loss during this time. This information emphasizes the importance of minimizing weight loss prior to discharge in premature infants with gastroschisis and highlights the need for optimal management strategies for these infants.
Towards out-of-chamber damage-free fabrication of highly conductive nanoparticle-based circuits inside 3D printed thermally sensitive polymers

Abstract Combining metal nanoparticle (NP) printing and additive manufacturing has high potential for integration of 3D conductive elements and electronic devices inside objects. Current processes used to achieve desired electrical resistivity of the printed NP circuits entail a compromise between resistivity, throughput, and thermal damage of the structure. We aim to break this tradeoff. We explore the mechanisms underlying the combination of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and Polylactide (PLA) polymer structures, printing of silver NPs (mixed nanowires and nanospheres), and out-of-chamber Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) sintering of the printed circuits. IPL of only-nanosphere based circuits on the FFF-made structure thermally damages the polymer without any resistivity reduction. In a significant advance, the addition of nanowires achieves a resistivity several times lesser than the state-of-the-art (13.1 μΩ-cm or 8 x bulk silver) without any thermal damage and within 0.75 s of IPL. Electromagnetic analysis and Molecular Dynamics simulations show that nanowire addition concurrently reduces IPL temperature and accelerates the kinetics of resistivity reduction. Subsequent FFF over the post-IPL conductive pattern causes a non-monotonic change in resistivity, surprisingly effecting a resistivity reduction down to 11.8 μΩ-cm. The mechanisms underlying this observation are discussed. The developed approach is used to demonstrate multilayer sensing of internal temperature and a light sensing circuit with embedded interconnects. Finally, we discuss how these insights may guide the creation of a machine tool that creates a seamless form of the proposed process.
Extrinsic Multi Sensor Calibration under Uncertainties

Highly accurate extrinsic sensor calibration is crucial for environment perception of robots as it allows to fuse information from different sensors. On todays robotic platforms, e.g. autonomous cars, a variety of different sensors with different measurement characteristics is used. Current calibration approaches ignore the individual sensor characteristics. In this work, we derive an approach for optimal calibration in a probabilistic sense under consideration of these characteristics. Our method can be used with any type of sensors e.g. camera, 3D LiDAR, line scanner and radar. We show in simulation and on real data that our approach significantly outperforms state-of-the-art approaches.
Gaining Cyberspace 'Sea Legs': A Proposal for a Judicial Cyber Education Program in District Courts

As the Internet becomes increasingly integrated into everyday life, maintaining control over the portrayal of one’s image becomes exceptionally difficult. Speech over the Internet, or “cyberspeech,” enhances the means by which people communicate to the masses. Other increases in technology have created the permanence of online activity. For example, search engine sophistication makes cyberspeech permanent, “divorced from context,” and available to all. The permanence of an online footprint poses devastating consequences for those “dogged by the digital scarlet letter.” Courts have largely interpreted § 230 of the Communications Decency Act (“CDA”) to grant blanket immunity to online intermediaries from civil liability for content posted by third parties. This broad immunity leaves defamation victims without recourse since third-party posters often hide under the veil of anonymity. The First Amendment undeniably gives publishers the freedom to speak through various Internet platforms, but this freedom cannot exist in a vacuum. Eventually, the demand for accountability will increase when those freedoms are more frequently abused. One way to reduce harmful online speech would be for online norms to shift, perhaps through education, towards discouragement of such speech. That would not likely be enough, however, because the public seems to have an insatiable appetite for scandal, drama, and gossip, particularly online. With the speed of technological progress, statutes regarding technology quickly become outdated. At the same time, judges are constantly having to reevaluate precedent to account for new factual and technological contexts. Yet, courts resist judicial reevaluation of CDA § 230 because the statute lies in the cyberspace domain where judges “feel most at sea.” Cyberspace requires a new understanding of how law interacts with technology. Courts need enhanced training to play the active role society demands in the contexts of cyberspace and technology. This Comment argues that judges’ lack of technological and sociological cyberspace knowhow inhibits them from clawing back at CDA § 230 immunity, and performing adequate analysis in other cases involving online intermediaries. As a remedy, this Comment proposes a Judicial Cyber Education Program to be implemented at the district court level.
Numerical modeling of the ductile-brittle transition

Numerical studies of the ductile-brittle transition are described that are based on incorporating physically based models of the competing fracture mechanisms into the material's constitutive relation. An elastic-viscoplastic constitutive relation for a porous plastic solid is used to model ductile fracture by the nucleation and subsequent growth of voids to coalescence. Cleavage is modeled in terms of attaining a temperature and strain rate independent critical value of the maximum principal stress over a specified material region of the order of one or two grain sizes. Various analyses of ductile-brittle transitions carried out within this framework are discussed. The specimens considered include the Charpy V-notch test and cracked specimens under mode I or mode II loading conditions. The fracture mode transition emerges as a natural outcome of the initial-boundary value problem solution.
Quantifying hole quality through geometry accuracy and surface qualities in rotary ultrasonic machining of carbon fiber–reinforced plastic composites:

Rotary ultrasonic machining has been approved as an effective and efficient hole making process for carbon fiber–reinforced plastic composites. Hole quality plays an important role in assembling ca...
Fish and Shellfish-Derived Anti-Inflammatory Protein Products: Properties and Mechanisms

The interest in utilizing food-derived compounds therapeutically has been rising. With the growing prevalence of systematic chronic inflammation (SCI), efforts to find treatments that do not result in the side effects of current anti-inflammatory drugs are underway. Bioactive peptides (BAPs) are a particularly promising class of compounds for the treatment of SCI, and the abundance of high-quality seafood processing byproducts (SPB) makes it a favorable material to derive anti-inflammatory BAPs. Recent research into the structural properties of anti-inflammatory BAPs has found a few key tendencies including they tend to be short and of low molecular weight (LMW), have an overall positive charge, contain hydrophobic amino acids (AAs), and be rich in radical scavenging AAs. SPB-derived anti-inflammatory BAPs have been observed to work via inhibition of the NF-κB and MAPK pathways by disrupting the phosphorylation of IκBα and one or more kinases (ERK, JNK, and p38), respectively. Radical scavenging capacity has also been shown to play a significant role in the efficacy of SPB-derived anti-inflammatory BAPs. To determine if SPB-derived BAPs can serve as an effective treatment for SCI it will be important to understand their properties and mechanisms of action, and this review highlights such findings in recent research.
Association mapping of sponge cake volume in U.S. Pacific Northwest elite soft white wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract Sponge cake quality is an essential end-use trait for U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW) soft white (SW) wheat, primarily measured by the volume of a cake. The baking of each cake is relatively expensive, labor intensive, and requires a substantial amount of flour. As a result, sponge cake baking is conducted in later generations on a limited number of breeding lines. Insight into the genetic architecture of sponge cake volume would help provide an alternative to cake baking. Here we describe the analysis of 387 wheat genotypes spanning 27 crop years with a total of 685 environments for sponge cake volume. Genotyping by sequencing was used to generate molecular markers in wheat representing elite germplasm of the PNW. A genome wide association study was conducted to discover marker trait associations, while accounting for population structure and kinship. A total of six significant marker trait associations were identified on chromosomes 1AB, 2A, 3BD, 4A, and 6A. Collectively these marker trait associations explained 29.9% (ranging from 0.3 to 14.2%) of the sponge cake volume variation. Previous research detected associations with agronomic, grain, flour, milling and baking traits on each of these chromosomes, however, none for sponge cake volume. This study serves as a foundation experiment by providing insights into the genetic architecture of sponge cake volume in a historical dataset.
Human motion capture system in sports performance based on Internet of Things technology and wireless inertial sensor

Taking human movements has very good prospects of application in sports, animated projects, medicine and health and other areas. This article aims to study the human motion capture system in sports performances based on the Internet of Things technology and wireless inertial sensors. This article first introduces the theory and characteristics of the Internet of Things and motion capture; next, according to the different characteristics of the sensors in the inertial motion capture system, a two-step Kalman filter is proposed to process the accelerometer and the magnetometer separately and, finally, the structure of this article. The human body motion model is used to analyze the acceleration dynamic error that occurs during the motion. In addition, an inertial motion capture system is constructed to obtain and visualize the structure of each motion node. The experimental results in this paper show that the Kalman filtering algorithm can ensure the accuracy of angle estimation under different motion states and has good fault tolerance to external interference. Among them, the error of the static state is reduced by 23.1%.
Mapping new and old worlds with laser altimetry

Spaceborne laser altimeter systems intended to operate at lunar and Martian orbits are reviewed. Laser altimeter systems capable of long lifetimes with centimeter precision ranging electronics are considered to be essential components of NASA's EOS.
An Aspect of the Infinite: New Zealand Talks

Fresh encounters with Māori treasures first seen by the author at the Metropolitan Museum in 1984 revealed the concentrated power of these objects and the importance of their presence among the beliefs and continuities of their makers’ culture. A masterwork viewed in a museum may evoke a strong and sometimes inarticulate response. We might say the inability to articulate reflects a larger dimension—an aspect of the infinite—residing in the object. Museum objects return us to the human culture and knowledge we carry with us; they stimulate reflective impulses essential to the shared threads of democracy. They allow us to locate ourselves and each other, and our shared horizons.