cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phase unwrapping using discontinuity optimization

In SAR interferometry, the periodicity of the phase must be removed using two-dimensional phase unwrapping. The goal of the procedure is to find a smooth surface in which large spatial phase differences, called discontinuities, are restricted to places where their presence is reasonable. The pioneering work of Goldstein et al. identified points of local unwrap inconsistency called residues, which must be connected by discontinuities. This paper presents an overview of recent work that treats phase unwrapping as a discrete optimization problem with the constraint that residues must be connected. Several algorithms use heuristic methods to reduce the total number of discontinuities. Constantini has introduced the weighted sum of discontinuity magnitudes as a criterion of unwrap error and shown how algorithms from optimization theory are used to minimize it. Pixels of low quality are given low weight to guide discontinuities away from smooth, high-quality regions. This method is generally robust, but if noise is severe it underestimates the steepness of slopes and the heights of peaks. This problem is mitigated by subtracting (module 2/spl pi/) a smooth estimate of the unwrapped phase from the data, then unwrapping the resulting residual phase. The unwrapped residual is added to the smooth estimate to produce the final unwrapped phase. The estimate can be computed by lowpass filtering of an existing unwrapped phase; this makes possible an iterative algorithm in which the result of each iteration provides the estimate for the next. An example illustrates the results of optimal discontinuity placement and the improvement from unwrapping of the residual phase.
Equalization and near-end crosstalk (NEXT) noise cancellation for 20-Gb/s 4-PAM backplane serial I/O interconnections

Limitations in current backplane environments impede high-speed data transmission above 5 Gb/s. A system architecture to extend the transmission capacities of legacy backplanes is proposed. The incentives for using a four-level pulse amplitude modulation (4-PAM) scheme are also presented. The architecture is built from feed-forward equalizer and tunable filter elements for near-end crosstalk noise cancellation. Each of the circuits is implemented in a standard 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS process. The building blocks of the architecture, which include an LC ladder, a modified Gilbert-cell multiplier with improved headroom, and a tunable active high-pass filter are described in detail. Results of the architecture are shown demonstrating 20-Gb/s 4-PAM signal transmission.
Source Selection in Prescription Drug Information Seeking and Influencing Factors: Applying the Comprehensive Model of Information Seeking in an American Context

This study investigates source selection in prescription drug information seeking and influencing factors on selection and seeking behaviors applying a modified Comprehensive Model of Information Seeking in an American context. Survey results suggest consumers engage in prescription drug information search before and after visiting a doctor, but search is not extensive. Consumers turn to the Internet, pharmacists, and doctors most frequently for prescription drug information. Information-seeking behaviors are rather universal across demographic and health-related characteristics; however, higher income consumers are more likely to search. Although our study shows some support for the modified Comprehensive Model of Information Seeking, the results indicate influencing factors vary by information source types examined, suggesting the model is more complex than predicted. The study advances research on health communication, information-seeking behaviors, and prescription drug decision making.
Sequential analyses of postural reactions in nonhandicapped infants.

The purpose of this study was to identify an empirically validated sequence of automatic postural reactions in a sample of 40 nonhandicapped infants. Using a cross-sectional design, we tested infants between the ages of 2 and 10 months for the presence of full and partial righting, equilibrium, and protective reactions. Two types of sequential analyses were performed. The Thurstone absolute scaling technique identified an age-related sequence, and the scalogram technique yielded a measure of the variability of the sequence. The sequence of postural reactions defined in this study is in general agreement with the sequence reported in previous clinical reports, although some differences in ordering are noted. A consistency index of .727 indicated that the sequence of postural reactions had fairly good predictive ability. This study contributes a data-based sequential model of postural reactions and an indication of the degree of sequential variability in the order of emergence of postural reactions in nonhandicapped infants. Definition of the sequence and the observed variability in nonhandicapped infants is an initial step in the understanding of the processes underlying the development of postural reactions.
Magnetic components contributing to the NRM of Middle Siwalik red beds

Abstract The components of the NRM in Middle Siwalik red beds are carried by two phases of hematite, a red pigment phase and a specular hematite phase. We present evidence in the form of a conglomerate test that the specularite phase carries a remanence acquired during or shortly after deposition. The red pigment, however, post-dates deposition, in many cases by at least one reversal boundary. This secondary component has a higher coercivity but a lower blocking temperature in these rocks and can therefore be selectively removed by thermal demagnetization to reveal a primary magnetization useful for magnetostratigraphic studies.
Are the kids alright? A critique and agenda for taking youth cultures seriously:

Researchers have long been fascinated with youth subcultures. Decades of study have yielded several competing paradigms, which attempt to interpret these subcultures in diverse ways, with each succeeding paradigm criticizing, and attempting to improve on, those that came before it. Rather than offering criticism of a specific youth studies paradigm, this article provides a critique of this body of theory as a whole by delineating several theoretical assumptions that have persisted across these perspectives. These include: (1) the tendency to group all youth phenomena under a monolithic conceptual umbrella; (2) a preoccupation on the part of researchers with style and the consumption of goods; and (3) the assumed lack of rational behavior found in subcultures and an accompanying inability on the part of subcultures to achieve real goals or effect social change. It is argued that such assumptions trivialize subcultures, have led to a priori understandings of these without adequate empirical grounding, and must be addressed if subcultures are to be adequately understood and appreciated. Language: en
Titrating lovaza from 4 to 8 to 12 grams/day in patients with primary hypertriglyceridemia who had triglyceride levels >500 mg/dl despite conventional triglyceride lowering therapy

Omega-3 fatty acids are important in treatment of severe primary hypertriglyceridemia (HTG). In 15 patients with severe primary HTG (TG >500 mg/dl despite conventional TG lowering therapy), we assessed efficacy-safety of sequential monthly treatment with Lovaza, 4 to 8 to 12 g/day. With TG >500 mg/dl despite Type V diet, hyperinsulinemia and diabetes control, and fibric acids, Lovaza (4 g/d) was added for 1 month, and if TG remained >500 mg/dl, increased to 8 g/d for 1 month, and then to 12 g/d for 1 month, and subsequently reduced to 4 g/day for 4 months. Primary HTG, median TG 884 mg/dl, 14 men, 1 woman, all white, age 50 ± 7 years, 12 non-diabetic, 3 with stable diabetes control. Weight and diet held stable throughout. In 5 patients, after 1, 2, and 3 months on 4 g/day, TG fell <500, mean 1390 to 234 (−83%, p<.0001), to 135 (−90%, p<.0001), and 158 mg/dl (−89%, p<.0001), with a negative TG slope, p=.0013. Non-HDLC fell from 320 to 177 (−45%, p=.001), to 152 (−53%, p=.0002), and to 163 (−49%, p=.0004), with a negative slope, p=.01. In 10 patients, with Lovaza increased from 4 to 8 to 12 g, 3 failed to respond. In 7 of these 10 patients, TG fell 37% from 1075 to 672 on 4 g (p=.006), to 577 on 8 g (−46%, p=.0009), and to 428 mg/dl (−60%, p<.0001) on 12 g/day, with a negative TG slope, p=.0018. TG on 12 g/day was lower than on 8 g/day, p =.03. Non-HDLC fell from 245 to 217 mg/dl (−11%) on 4 g/day, to 203 (−17%, p=.01) on 8 g/day, and to 192 (−22%, p=.003) on 12 g/day, with a negative slope, p=.016. Compared to pre-Lovaza baseline, no abnormal measures developed in safety tests. The 4, 8, and 12 g/d Lovaza doses were well tolerated. Titration of Lovaza from 4 to 8 to 12 g/d safely offers an effective way to lower TG beyond conventional 4 g therapy.
A comparison of optical distribution and steering mechanisms for phased array antennas

Considerations currently being given to large phased-array antennas, particularly for spacecraft applications, make phased arrays an attractive target for fiber-optic applications. The authors explore some of the ways optical technology can be applied in the beam control aspect of phased-array antennas. They present a brief survey and comparison of emerging technologies and approaches. The aspects of phased-array design emphasized are frequency synchronization and beam steering. System performance and implementation aspects of both issues in fibre-optic control are addressed. >
Developing a sustainability non-functional requirements framework

Requirements engineers are in a unique position to encourage the consideration of sustainability at a formative phase in the software development life cycle. In this paper, we look at how we can develop sustainability as a non-functional requirement (NFR). We describe an NFR framework that is informed by sustainability models and discuss how it can be used to appropriately elicit and describe sustainability related requirements of the software system to be developed. We outline a roadmap for how we may integrate sustain- ability in requirements engineering from a theoretical NFR framework to an applicable software quality and relevant software standards.
PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND SHELF-LIFE CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW-FAT GROUND BEEF PATTIES FORMULATED WITH WAXY HULL-LESS BARLEY

Ten percent hydrated, cracked waxy hull-less barley was incorporated into 90/10 (percentage lean/percentage fat) ground beef to produce a low-fat beef-barley patty which had substantially higher cook yields and water retention than either of the controls (80/20 beef, 90/10 beef). Instron texture profile analysis revealed that the beef-barley burger was less chewy, springy, cohesive, gummy, and hard than the controls. Aerobic plate counts indicated that, after six days of refrigerated storage, the beef-barley patty did not spoil any faster than the control. Thiobarbituric acid numbers (an indication of lipid oxidation) suggested that waxy barley incorporated into ground beef may have an antioxidant effect when patties are stored frozen for more than 90 days.
Initiation of Crevice Corrosion I . Experimental Investigations on Aluminum and Iron

The mechanism of passivity breakdown within crevices was investigated for aluminum in 0.05M NaCl and for iron in dilute mixtures of NaCl, Na/sub 2/SO/sub 4/, and NaNO/sub 2/. The pH, electrode potential, and current distribution were monitored continuously in segmented crevices which simulated realistic corrosion conditions. Variation in the crevice geometry was found to have a significant effect on the current distribution behavior during initiation of crevice corrosion. Breakdown of passivity on aluminum typically took place within a matter of hours and was accompanied by hydrogen bubble evolution within the crevice at a pH near 4.1. The behavior for iron was qualitatively different than that for aluminum, indicating that the mechanism of passivity breakdown is different for the two metals. 39 refs.
Acetylcholine receptors and myasthenia gravis.

ConclusionsThis review has dealt with recent advances in the understanding of myasthenia gravis. The fundamental abnormality affecting the neuromuscular junctions of myasthenic patients is a reduction of ACh receptors, due to an autoimmune attack directed against the receptors. Antibodies to ACh receptors are present in most patients, and there is evidence that they have a path-ogenetic role in the disease. The mechanism of antibody action involves acceleration of the rate of degradation of ACh receptors, attributable to crosslinking of the receptors by the antibody. In addition, antibodies produce blocking of the ACh receptors. The possibility that cell-mediated mechanisms may participate in the immune responses in some myasthenic patients remains to be explored. Perhaps the most important gap in the present understanding of myasthenia gravis concerns the origin of the autoimmune process, although there is in direct evidence that the thymus gland may be involved. Future research will be directed toward d...
An epidemiological investigation on infectious diarrhea outbreak caused by norovirus

Objective To perform investigation and analysis on the status of a Norovirus diarrhea outbreak occurring in a geriatric ward of a hospital in Beijing,in order to provide basis for its prevention and cure. Methods The epidemic and clinical situations were collected by epidemiological investigation and the samples were examined by FQ-PCR. Results A total of 18 individuals were involved in the epidemic occurred from Jan 17 to 21. Among the 7 collected ordure samples,the positive rate is83. 33%,2 pieces of positive samples by gene sequencing analysis of is New Norovirus Strain GII. 4 Sydney 2012. Conclusion The outbreak of norovirus induced infectious diarrhea was probably due to the consumption of the contaminated water and close contact. In addition to general sanitation measures,treatment of patients and nosocomial infection control,we cleaned pipeline and no new case was then found.
Viability, dormancy, germination, and intraspecific variation of Bolboschoenus maritimus (alkali bulrush) seeds.

Abstract Bolboschoenus maritimus (alkali bulrush) is a globally distributed, clonal wetland plant. In the Great Salt Lake (GSL) Basin, USA, the focal region for this study, this species forms large, monotypic stands that provide critical wetland habitat for millions of migratory birds. I conducted a series of seed trait studies with B. maritimus seeds sourced from five GSL Basin populations. Seed viability was high (87–98%) and varied little among the five source populations. Chemical scarification with 3% bleach for 24 or 48 h broke dormancy in seeds from all five source populations; there was substantial intraspecific variation (up to two-fold differences in germination) in response to scarification. The conditions suitable for germination included high light, summer temperatures (32/15 °C or 35/18 °C), and flooding. Results of this study suggest conditions under which recruitment from seed may play a role in B. maritimus patch dynamics. Furthermore, study results can be used to improve restoration of this important habitat species through the development of more effective seed revegetation following invasive Phragmites australis removal in GSL wetlands.
Librarian on the Loose: A Roving Reference Desk at a Small Liberal Arts College

If our reference desk had an odometer, it would have rolled over several times by now. Since 2008, the Rodney A. Briggs Library at the University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM) has provided a roving re...
Locating rationalities in planning: market thinking and its others in the spaces, institutions, and materials of contemporary urban governance

The three articles of this special feature in Urban Geography examine how market rationality is deployed and resisted as a dominant framework for planning and making urban space. Planning involves ...
With a Little Help From My Friends: An Empirical Study of the Interplay of Students' Social Activities, Programming Activities, and Course Success

Computing education researchers have become increasingly interested in leveraging log data automatically collected within computer programming environments in order to understand students' learning processes and tailor instruction to student needs. While data on students' programming activities has been positively correlated with their learning outcomes, those data tell only part of the story. Another part of the story lies in students' social activities, which, according to social learning theory, can also be predictive of students' learning outcomes. In order to gain further insight into how computing students' learning processes influence their learning outcomes, we present an empirical study that explores the interplay of students' social activities, programming activities, and course outcomes in an early computing course. By analyzing log data collected through a programming environment augmented with a social networking-style activity stream, we found that answers to questions posed through the activity stream were positively correlated with students' ability to make programming progress, and their eventual success in the course. Based on our findings, we present recommendations for the design of pedagogical environments to support a more social programming process.
Restoration of the iconic Pando aspen clone: emerging evidence of recovery

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is being stressed across the America West from a variety of sources including drought, herbivory, fire suppression, development, and past management practices. Rich assemblages of plants and animals that utilize aspen forests, as well as economic values of tourism, grazing, hunting, and water conservation, make aspen ecosystems among the most valuable vegetation types in this region. The 43-ha Pando clone near Fish Lake, Utah, is an iconic example of an aspen community undergoing rapid decline due to overstory mortality and chronic recruitment failure. As part of a larger project to restore Pando, we fenced, treated, and monitored a portion of this famous grove with the intent of documenting regeneration responses and using such practices at larger scales. Twenty-seven randomly stratified monitoring plots were placed across this landscape in order to better understand herbivory and regeneration responses to distinct treatment categories: protected and unprotected, and passive (fenced only) and active (burning, shrub removal, selective overstory cutting) treatments. At each site, we measured basal area and mortality on mature trees, made counts of juvenile and intermediate suckers, documented browse levels and herbivore scat presence, and characterized environmental conditions in terms of aspen and common juniper cover, treatment type, elevation, slope, and aspect. Our results confirmed a positive regeneration response to browsing cessation after fencing, whereas non-fenced areas showed no improvement. Within the fence, there was a significantly better response of active treatment vs. passive and there was no significant difference between treatment types in terms of level of regeneration. Both active and passive management produced regeneration levels that were sufficient to replace dying canopy trees if managers continue to protect suckers until they exceed the reach of browsers. These results support a growing body of research suggesting managers need to invest in continuous protection from herbivory in stable aspen forests, as well as targeting additional post-treatment protection, to ensure adequate regeneration. We examine ramifications of these results for broader restoration purposes in the remainder of Pando, as well as other aspen communities regionally, with the ultimate goal of restoring ecological process toward greater ecosystem resilience.
Towards Integrated Facility-Wide Data Acquisition and Analysis at NSLS-II

The National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) is the newest, highly optimized third-generation synchrotron facility in the world. NSLS-II accommodates a wide range of scientific research, from materials and energy science to biological applications, which take advantage of its unprecedented brightness, photon flux, and beam stability in infrared, soft and hard X-rays. New X-ray facilities like NSLS-II provide brighter beams than their predecessors, and new X-ray detectors have been built to take advantage of those higher-intensity beams. As a result, acquisition rates and detector sizes have dramatically increased. Both the raw volume of data to process and the metadata to organize it present new challenges. The technology to acquire, manage, and make full scientific use of this data is just emerging.
Employing spaceborne multispectral stereo pairs and pedestrian flow modeling to support disaster response activities in urban environments

Pedestrian flow modeling applies geocomputational techniques to understand the patterns of human movement within an environment. A key principle is that the “cost” (time, distance, energy, etc.) of travel along different routes is affected by environmental factors, such as terrain variation or land cover. High-probability travel routes can therefore be estimated by performing a least-cost analysis on base geographic data layers. The primary data input to these methods are 3D structural information related to the Earth topography and the objects upon its surface. However, generating and analyzing such data at high resolution (1 m) has only recently become viable at scale. We present a data fusion approach that combines recent advances in dense stereo reconstruction, in conjunction with multispectral-derived land cover, towards exploring the travel routes of pedestrians in urban environments. Most previous studies focus on rural areas; this analysis provides a novel entry into understanding the flow of pedestrians in more densely populated areas, with applications to humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR).
Identifying Factors Underlying the Decision for Sickle Cell Carrier Screening Among African Americans Within Middle Reproductive Age

Guidelines recommend that African Americans know their sickle cell trait status to inform reproductive health decisions. Few studies have applied a behavioral theory to identify factors associated with sickle cell trait screening to inform intervention targets to increase this behavior. We applied a Sickle Cell Trait Screening Framework to identify factors associated with African Americans’ intention to ask for sickle cell trait screening. Participants (N = 300), ages 18 to 35, completed a cross-sectional survey. A three-step sequential ordinary least squares regression analysis identified factors influencing intention. Results indicated socio-demographic factors (age, education), knowledge and fear beliefs (screening knowledge, perceived threat), and reasoned action approach (RAA) constructs were associated with intention. RAA constructs influenced intention over knowledge and fear beliefs with an increase in R2 of .468. Perceived behavioral control was more predictive of intention (β = .576, p < .001). Attitude and perceived norm also had significant weights (β = .325 and β = .192, both p < .001, respectively). Findings from this study can inform strategies (e.g., eliminating costs associated with screening, reducing fear of painful tests) to increase sickle cell trait screening among African Americans. Ultimately, more sickle cell carriers will become aware of their trait status and be able to make informed reproductive health decisions.
Protein a resin lifetime study: Evaluation of protein a resin performance with a model-based approach in continuous capture

A modified shrinking core model (MSCM) has been used to describe the mechanism for the degradation of Protein A resin particles taking place under continuous chromatographic operation. The model is...
Temperature-influenced energetics model for migrating waterfowl

Abstract Climate and weather affect avian migration by influencing when and where birds fly, the energy costs and risks of flight, and the ability to sense cues necessary for proper navigation. We review the literature of the physiology of avian migration and the influence of climate, specifically temperature, on avian migration dynamics. We use waterfowl as a model guild because of the ready availability of empirical physiological data and their enormous economic value, but our discussion and expectations are broadly generalizable to migratory birds in general. We detail potential consequences of an increasingly warm climate on avian migration, including the possibility of the cessation of migration by some populations and species. Our intent is to lay the groundwork for including temperature effects on energetic gains and losses of migratory birds with the expected consequences of increasing temperatures into a predictive modeling framework. To this end, we provide a simulation of migration progression exclusively focused on the influence of temperature on the physiological determinants of migration. This simulation produced comparable results to empirically derived and observed values for different migratory factors (e.g., body fat content, flight range, departure date). By merging knowledge from the arenas of avian physiology and migratory theory we have identified a clear need for research and have developed hypotheses for a path forward.
Prediction of wind turbine noise propagation

In order to meet the US Department of Energy’s projected target of 35% of the US energy coming from wind by 2035, there is a strong need to look into the management and development of wind turbine ...
Juvenile Papillomatosis of the Breast: A Benign Proliferative Lesion of Uncertain Precancerous Potential

Juvenile papillomatosis is a benign proliferative lesion, which may include atypical duct hyperplasia, that occurs most often in women 15 to 30 years of age. About one third of the patients have a positive family history of breast cancer. Breast carcinoma only rarely has been detected in patients with juvenile papillomatosis but long-term follow-up, which is not yet available, will be necessary to assess the precancerous risk of this condition.
Principles of Clinical Diagnosis of Hemorrhagic Stroke

Hemorrhagic stroke comprises approximately 10–15% of all strokes. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of hemorrhagic stroke is essential for clinical management of such patients. Hypertension-related deep perforating vasculopathy and cerebral amyloid angiopathy are the two most frequent primary causes of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). The less common secondary causes include hemorrhagic infarction, arteriovenous malformation (AVM)- or dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF)-related hemorrhage, cavernous malformations, neoplasm related, coagulopathy/bleeding dyscrasias including iatrogenic supratherapeutic anticoagulation, thrombolytic therapy, venous sinus thrombosis, septic emboli associated, CNS infections like herpes, mycotic aneurysm, vasculitis, moyamoya disease, and vasoactive drugs. Clinical diagnosis of hemorrhagic stroke besides history and physical examination necessitates routine blood tests including most importantly coagulation parameters. Neuroimaging plays a key role in diagnosis, treatment, and prognostication of patients with ICH. Non-contrast CT is the initial investigation modality with MRI including blood-sensitive T2* and susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence (FLAIR), and post-contrast T1W sequences providing additional information to narrow down the differential diagnosis. Vascular imaging is performed by CT angiography (CTA), MR angiography (MRA), and digital subtraction angiography (DSA), which provides additional information about vascular status including ruptured aneurysms, vasculitis, and venous sinus thrombosis. Transcranial Doppler is a noninvasive effective diagnostic tool to detect and monitor vasospasm in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to ruptured aneurysms in critical care settings.
On the Optimal Design of Low Frequency Actuators

Consider a linear time-invariant dynamical system. The well-known linear quadratic regulator (LQR) provides feedback controller that stabilizes the system while minimizing a quadratic cost function in the state of the system and the magnitude of the control. The optimal actuator design problem then consists of choosing an actuator that minimizes the cost incurred by an LQR. While this procedure guarantees a low overall cost incurred, it only takes into account the magnitude of the control signals the regulator sends to the actuator. Physical actuators are, however, also limited in their ability to follow rapid change in control signals. We show in this paper how to design actuators so that the high-frequency content of the control signals is limited, while insuring stability and optimality of the resulting closed-loop system.
Performance Analysis and Comparison of Distributed Machine Learning Systems.

Deep learning has permeated through many aspects of computing/processing systems in recent years. While distributed training architectures/frameworks are adopted for training large deep learning models quickly, there has not been a systematic study of the communication bottlenecks of these architectures and their effects on the computation cycle time and scalability. In order to analyze this problem for synchronous Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD) training of deep learning models, we developed a performance model of computation time and communication latency under three different system architectures: Parameter Server (PS), peer-to-peer (P2P), and Ring allreduce (RA). To complement and corroborate our analytical models with quantitative results, we evaluated the computation and communication performance of these system architectures of the systems via experiments performed with Tensorflow and Horovod frameworks. We found that the system architecture has a very significant effect on the performance of training. RA-based systems achieve scalable performance as they successfully decouple network usage from the number of workers in the system. In contrast, 1PS systems suffer from low performance due to network congestion at the parameter server side. While P2P systems fare better than 1PS systems, they still suffer from significant network bottleneck. Finally, RA systems also excel by virtue of overlapping computation time and communication time, which PS and P2P architectures fail to achieve.
Paul’s social network in Colossians: Friends and coworkers in the Lycus Valley:

Various friends and coworkers are associated with the social network of the Apostle Paul and his connection to the church at Colossae: Timothy, Tychicus, Aristarchus, and Archippus. A close examina...
The impacts of a wildfire in a semiarid grassland on soil nematode abundances over 4 years

Fire is the most common disturbance in arid regions and is expected to become more common in many areas as a result of climate change. In this study, I followed the impacts of a wildfire on soil nematode abundances and soil moisture and organic matter (SOM) content in a semiarid grassland for 4 years, using paired burned and unburned sites. I also used a laboratory microcosm experiment to determine the capacity of nematodes to recover under favorable conditions and the importance of surface litter in their recovery. Immediately following the fire, bacterivorous, fungivorous, and herbivorous nematodes in burned sites were 49, 73, and 76% less abundant than in unburned reference sites. Although microbivores recovered rapidly in the microcosm experiment, this recovery was dependent on surface litter, which was reduced by 86% in burned sites in the field. The recovery of microbivores took more than 3 years in the field, and herbivores did not recover during the study period. It is not clear why herbivores did not recover in the field, given that plants seemed to, but it may be related to longer generation times or slower dispersal. Burned sites also had 22% less SOM than unburned sites over the study period and lower soil respiration and pH 14 and 21 months, respectively, after the fire. Soil moisture was lower in burned sites for at least 14 months. The slower recovery of nematode abundances in the field, compared to microcosms, may be related to the exacerbation of moisture limitation at burned sites in this semiarid region. Changes in fire regime may, therefore, have widespread impacts on soil food webs and processes in semiarid climates.
Leiomyosarcoma of the rectum

Two cases of leiomyosarcoma of the rectum are reported. One patient died of local extension and distant metastases. In the other patient the disease was palliated by cryosurgery to relieve obstruction and, eight months later, the patient was doing well.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Lip Infections

Purpose Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive, facultative anaerobic, cocci bacterium that naturally colonizes the skin. S aureus can cause a mild to severe infection depending on the location, depth of invasion, and immune status. Guidelines regarding treatment of patients with lip infections are scant. The purpose of this study was to present the diagnosis, management, and outcome of a cohort of patients with lip infections caused by S aureus. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with a lip infection caused by S aureus treated by Emory Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service (Atlanta, GA). Predictor variables were patient demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, laboratory findings, imaging characteristics, intervention, and length of stay. The outcome variable was infection resolution or persistence. Data were collected using a standardized collection form. Descriptive statistics were computed. Results Seven patients (mean age, 38 years) with lip swelling met the inclusion criteria. The patients did not undergo recent hospitalization and/or recent surgery. Patients had immunodeficiency virus or other medical comorbidities. Radiographic findings were consistent with abscess formation. Management consisted of antibiotics only or surgical intervention with antibiotics. Lip cultures showed S aureus with methicillin-sensitive or -resistant S aureus. Treatment was intravenous followed by oral antibiotics. The average length of inpatient stay was 4 days. There were no postoperative complications. All lip infections achieved complete clinical resolution. Conclusions In this cohort, treatment of lip swelling caused by S aureus required surgical intervention and/or antibiotics. Immune compromise and antibiotic resistance should be considered in a patient with a similar presentation.
Comparative analysis of BIA, IBC and DXA for determining body fat in American Football players.

BACKGROUND Body composition is frequently measured by sports, fitness, and healthcare professionals. Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) analysis is a validated measurement of body composition and is considered a criterion or "gold-standard" measurement. However, due to long scan times, accessibility and cost, conducting DXA scans on larger athletes (i.e., football players) is difficult. Hence fitness professionals, notably strength and conditioning coaches, typically use other methods to measure body composition. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) and Integrative Body Composition (IBC) techniques to DXA body fat percent (BF%) in collegiate American Football players. METHODS Participants performed all three modes of body composition measurement: DXA, BIA (BIA-A [athlete]and BIA-NA [non-athlete modes]), and IBC, on the same day during early morning hours in a fasted state. RESULTS The BF% measured via all methods significantly correlated with BF% measured via DXA (i.e., BIA-A [P<0.001, r=0.903], BIA-NA [P<0.001, r=0.891], and IBC [P<0.001, r=0.867]). However, values obtained via BIA-A (athlete) (P<0.001) and IBC (P<0.001) methods under predicted BF%. CONCLUSIONS BIA and IBC can be used as an alternative to DXA for measuring BF% in American Football players. The BIA-A and IBC under predicted BF% compare to DXA, therefore, a correction formula can be utilized by coaches and athletes to predict BF% more accurately compared to IBC and BIA-A methods in American Football players.
Does inhomogeneous big bang nucleosynthesis produce an inhomogeneous element distribution today

Inhomogeneous big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) produces a spatially inhomogeneous distribution of element abundances at $T\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{9}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{K}$, but subsequent element diffusion will tend to erase these inhomogeneities. We calculate the cosmological comoving diffusion length for the BBN elements. This diffusion length is limited by atomic scattering and is therefore dominated by diffusion when the atoms are neutral, between the redshifts of recombination and reionization. We find that the comoving diffusion length today is ${d}_{\mathrm{com}}\ensuremath{\approx}70\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{pc}$ for all of the elements of interest except $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$, for which ${d}_{\mathrm{com}}$ is an order of magnitude smaller because $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ remains ionized throughout the relevant epoch. This comoving diffusion length corresponds to a substellar baryonic mass scale and is roughly equal to the horizon scale at BBN. These results lend support to the possibility that inhomogeneities on scales larger than the horizon at BBN could lead to a spatially inhomogeneous distribution of elements today, while purely subhorizon fluctuations at BBN can result only in a homogeneous element distribution at present.
Pumping gaseous CO2 into a high-pressure, constant-volume storage cylinder: A thermodynamics analysis

Abstract A thermodynamic model is developed to predict the pressure, temperature, and density of CO2 when it is compressed into a high-pressure, constant-volume storage cylinder. The model incorporates the effects of the compressibility of the fluid. Heat loss to the surrounding environment and heating of the cylinder walls are also considered. The basic equations are non-dimensionlized. Variations of CO2 pressure, temperature, and density inside the cylinder during the pumping process are investigated using the heat loss to the surrounding, the heat used to heat the cylinder walls, and the compression power as the parameters. The results show that CO2 pressure is not sensitive to the heat loss, but it does depend on the compression power. For the range of the heat loss and the cylinder heating that are found in many practical situations, CO2 temperature inside the cylinder increases to a maximum value of about 7 K above the surrounding temperature, and the pumping can be modeled as a polytropic process, where P V n = c o n s t a n t with the polytropic exponential power n = 0.995.
Electroconvulsive Therapy in Elderly Patients With Cerebral Aneurysms: A Systematic Review With Clinical Recommendations.

Introduction Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is commonly used in the elderly due to its proven efficacy and safety profile. However, presence of cardiovascular comorbidities such as cerebral aneurysms may complicate the course of treatment. Our knowledge about the possible risk factors and precautionary measures remains limited. Methods We performed a systematic review of published case reports of elderly patients with cerebral aneurysms treated with ECT. Results A total of 11 cases were included for the review. One patient died because of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) secondary to ictal hypertensive surge during treatment with ECT. Discussion Risk factors such as history of hypertension, age of the patient, extent of the ictal surge in blood pressure, efficacy of prophylactic treatment to control surge in blood pressure and characteristics of cerebral aneurysm each elevated the risk of complication in these cases. We reviewed safety measures based on the evidence from the current literature available. Conclusion ECT is safe in elderly patients with cerebral aneurysms provided appropriate safety measures are employed. Screening for cerebral aneurysms in high risk patients, effective prevention and management of blood pressure elevation acutely during ECT is the best practice to avoid adverse outcomes.
Next Wave of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome Survivors: Black Women Resisters in Academia

This study seeks to deepen our understanding of the survival adaptive behaviors, particularly features of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS), identified by Black women professionals who exist at the margins in academia and society. To date, exploration of posttraumatic growth has not been researched concomitantly with PTSS. By examining these variables collectively, this study’s model provides an original contribution to a growing but insufficient literature on Black women professionals who endure institutional racism. Using the Listening Guide, this study presents data from seven (7) Black women professionals in higher education. The study finds interviewees adopt Angry Black Women and Strong Black Woman schema, and PTSS features as a survival strategy stemming from gender discrimination rooted in proximity to Whiteness and habitual attacks on their professional acumen. Congruently, learnings revealed (1) Identity and Positionality, (2) Generational [In]visibility, (3), Professional Rage Located, and (4) Voices of PPTTG—Prayers, People, Trials, Tribulations and God. Dismantling White Supremacy must center Black women's survival herstories and healing at the intersection of anti-Black racism and hidden systematic policies. Practice models that nuance PTSS trauma-informed assessments, the addition of PTSS to the DSM, and widely accepted African-centered paradigms are essential for this wave of race work
The Dynamics of Multidimensional Non-Neutral Productivity

This paper studies the effects of different productivity on current and future period output under a nonseparable production function with multiple productivity. This model relaxes two widely used assumptions in production function literature: the parametric production function structure and one single productivity. This paper establishes a novel nonparametric identification of all the unspecified elements. Concerning estimation, this paper proposes easy-to-implement kernel estimators and shows they are consistent and asymptotically normal by the functional delta method. The model is then applied to study Spanish firms' behaviors. I find that change in current period capital productivity plays a more crucial role than change in current period Hicksian productivity on current period output. Their effects on next period output become smaller and similar. Moreover, I find such effects depend on the levels of productivity.
Statins: potent vascular anti‐inflammatory agents

Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial condition that can result in cardiovascular disease. Statin therapy is thought to mediate cardioprotective effects that influence endothelial function, inflammatory responses, plaque stability and thrombus formation, processes involved in atherosclerosis. Although reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) potentially plays a role in all of these effects, several lines of evidence also implicate nonlipidmediated 'pleiotropic' effects. For example, statin therapy confers a lower risk for coronary heart disease than placebo in patients with comparable serum cholesterol levels, and confers a greater magnitude of clinical benefit than expected based on LDL-C levels alone. Moreover, while nonstatin lipid-lowering therapy does not necessarily reduce stroke risk, statins have shown a significant reduction in stroke. Statins exert their pleiotropic effects, in part, by improving endothelial function via up-regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase enzyme activity. Markers of inflammation such as high sensitivity C-reactive protein have been also shown to add further prognostic information about patients at risk of cardiovascular disease who may benefit from statin therapy. Further studies are still needed to determine whether statins have direct effects on inflammatory pathways.
Light Scattered by Air

Sky in a Bottle. By Peter Pesic. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2005. 270 pp. $24.95, £16.95. ISBN 0-262-16234-2. The author weaves together observations and considerations of light, color, atmosphere, and vision to chart the development of our understanding of why Earth9s sky is blue.
Applying model-based testing to healthcare products: preliminary experiences

Healthcare software systems are becoming more and more complex since they will be highly integrated to support a wide variety of healthcare workflows (e.g., financial, administration, diagnosis, and treatment). In addition, healthcare software systems will be more safety-critical as they will provide medical decision support for doctors. All of those require systematic and thorough testing of the systems before they are put into use or upgraded. Model-Based Testing (MBT) is an approach to apply formal, explicit system use-models to generate the test cases for testing the system behaviors under different input data sets. This paper describes our experiences in applying this approach to testing some Siemens healthcare software systems. We will report the benefits and challenges in using MBT for testing healthcare software systems.
Chapter 159 Surface magnetism of the lanthanides

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses surface magnetism of the lanthanides. To understand the surface magnetism of the lanthanides, one needs to understand the electronic structure. The conduction electrons are the medium of exchange interaction between adjacent 4f moments, so that electron itinerancy plays a strong role in lanthanide magnetism. Both the surface magnetic properties and the surface electronic structure of the lanthanide metals differ from that of the bulk. The chapter describes bulk magnetic and electronic structure so that comparisons between the bulk and the surface can be made more readily. The lanthanide surfaces have an enhanced Curie temperature: a surface Curie temperature higher for the surface than for the bulk. The higher surface Curie temperature implies that there is enhanced magnetic order at the surface relative to the bulk. The higher surface Curie temperature has been extensively studied with various statistical models. The two fundamental elements of magnetism are magnetic moment and exchange coupling—are both determined by the electronic structure of the system.
Changing forest disturbance regimes and risk perceptions in Homer, Alaska

Forest disturbances caused by insects can lead to other disturbances, risks, and changes across landscapes. Evaluating the human dimensions of such disturbances furthers understanding of integrated changes in natural and social systems. This article examines the effects of changing forest disturbance regimes on local risk perceptions and attitudes in Homer, Alaska. Homer experienced a spruce bark beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) outbreak with large-scale tree mortality and a 5,000-acre fire in 2005. Qualitative interviews and quantitative analysis of mail surveys are used to examine community risk perception and relationships with land managers pre- and post-fire. Results show a decrease in the saliency of the spruce bark beetle as a community issue, a coalescence of community risk perceptions about fire, and conflicting findings about satisfaction with land managers and its relationship with risk perception.