cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social interaction among deaf preschoolers. The effects of language ability and age.

This study examined the relationship between deaf preschoolers' language abilities and their play behavior. Twenty-nine deaf children aged three to five years were observed during outdoor free play throughout the school year. Their language abilities varied widely and did not correlate with age. On the basis of two language tests, they were divided into three language ability groups--high, middle, and low. Language ability was found to be related to several aspects of play and social interaction. The children with high language ability were more likely than the other children to play with two partners at the same time (i.e., engage in triadic interaction), to interact with teachers, to prefer to play with children of similar language ability, to use language, and to receive language from their partners. Most of these effects seemed to be due solely to differences between the children with high language ability and those in the other two groups. Children in the low and middle language ability groups behaved similarly. Language ability was not related to any other aspect of peer relations. Thus, the impact of language ability seems limited. These results, in conjunction with past research, suggest that, for the most part, deaf preschoolers' language and social skills develop independently from each other. Language: en
Development of portal CT reconstruction using MLS-ART technique and the kinestatic charge detector imaging system: I. Low-energy x-ray studies

We investigate the use of the kinestatic charge detector (KCD) together with the multi-level scheme algebraic reconstruction technique (MLS-ART) for computer tomography (CT) reconstruction, to be used in position verification in radiotherapy. The KCD offers very good contrast resolution, which is especially useful given the low number of projections we are aiming at. We present the images reconstructed using a head phantom (Rando-phantom) using a total of 95 projections, and a standard low contrast CT phantom using 63 projections. The reconstruction was carried out using MLS-ART technique, in this technique satisfactory images are generally obtained after one or two iteration, which in effect makes ART a noniterative algorithm. We also present the CT images obtained using the back projection technique for comparison purposes.
In Situ Charge Characterization of TiO 2 and Cu–TiO 2 Nanoparticles in a Flame Aerosol Reactor

Charge distribution characteristics were investigated for nanoparticles synthesized in a diffusion flame aerosol reactor. The nanoparticles considered were pristine TiO2 and Cu–TiO2, with Cu dopant concentrations ranging from 1 to 5 wt% with particle size from 25 to 60 nm. In situ measurements were conducted by integrating a tandem differential mobility analyzer (TDMA) experimental setup with the flame aerosol reactor. A charging model was used to identify the important parameters that govern the two charging mechanisms (diffusion and thermo-ionization) in the flame and their relative importance at different operating parameters. The results indicate that TiO2 and Cu–TiO2 nanoparticles carry single as well as double unit charges. The charged fraction depends on particle size as well as on dopant concentration. The charged fraction increased with increasing particle size and decreased with copper dopant concentration. Measured charged fractions were similar for both the polarities at different mobility diameters. Based on the flame operating parameters, the calculations indicate that diffusion charging is dominant in the flame, which is consistent with the experimental results.
Measurement process context effects in empirical tests of causal models

Abstract The purpose of this research is to examine the issue of measurement context effects in empirical tests of attitudinal models. The specific issue examined concerns the degree to which the measurement process affects the objects of measurement (i.e., various attitudinal and related concepts). The primary method of investigation is a controlled experiment in which a model specified by Dodds, Monroe and Grewal [J Mark Res 28 (1991) 307] provides the theoretical model setting and in which measurement procedures are experimentally manipulated. Based upon the memory accessibility–diagnosticity theory specified by Feldman and Lynch [J Appl Psychol 73 (1988) 421] and the concept of spreading activation [Psychol Bull 103 (1988) 299; Anderson J. Language, memory, and thought. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1978; Anderson J. The architecture of cognition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press, 1983; Psychol Rev 82 (1975) 407; J Advertising 19 (1990) 3], the effects of context questionnaire items on answers to, and estimated relationships among, target questionnaire items are examined. The findings indicate that measurement context affected the linkages between the experimentally manipulated brand and price information and subsequent endogenous variables as well as linkages among the endogenous variables.
Do weight status and television viewing influence children's subsequent dietary changes? A National Longitudinal Study in the United States.

Do weight status and television viewing influence children’s subsequent dietary changes? A National Longitudinal Study in the United States
Multiplexed-Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics Method for Protein Folding Simulation

Simulating protein folding thermodynamics starting purely from a protein sequence is a grand challenge of computational biology. Here, we present an algorithm to calculate a canonical distribution from molecular dynamics simulation of protein folding. This algorithm is based on the replica exchange method where the kinetic trapping problem is overcome by exchanging noninteracting replicas simulated at different temperatures. Our algorithm uses multiplexed-replicas with a number of independent molecular dynamics runs at each temperature. Exchanges of configurations between these multiplexed-replicas are also tried, rendering the algorithm applicable to large-scale distributed computing (i.e., highly heterogeneous parallel computers with processors having different computational power). We demonstrate the enhanced sampling of this algorithm by simulating the folding thermodynamics of a 23 amino acid miniprotein. We show that better convergence is achieved compared to constant temperature molecular dynamics simulation, with an efficient scaling to large number of computer processors. Indeed, this enhanced sampling results in (to our knowledge) the first example of a replica exchange algorithm that samples a folded structure starting from a completely unfolded state.
Poets House Showcase – selected titles 2009

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present an annotated bibliography of the new poetry volumes from the Poets House 2009 Poetry Showcase.Design/methodology/approach – The titles were selected from the Poets House 2009 Poetry Showcase as titles that are both challenging and accessible.Findings – This list provides the librarian and reader with a guide to collection development in poetry.Originality/value – This is one of the few lists of its kind showcasing contemporary poetry.
Cardiac hypertrophy. Mechanical, neural, and endocrine dependence.

Cardiac hypertrophy usually follows an increase in work load that is imposed on the heart. Usually, greater work is due to increased afterload in patients with hypertension or after myocardial infarction in whicfh the remaining muscle must assume the work of the segment that was lost as a result of myocardial cell death and scar formation. In some instances, increased pressure or volume work of the left ventricle is associated with increased release of neurotransmitters or plasma concentrations of hormones that may also have direct effects on cardiac myocyte growth, including activation of the sympathetic nervous system, pheochromocytoma, hyperthyroidism, and high renin hypertension
Thromboxane modulating agents. 1. Design of 1-[(arylsulfonyl)amino] alkylindole derivatives as dual thromboxane synthase inhibitor/thromboxane receptor antagonists.

Abstract The design of a series of dual thromboxane synthase inhibitor/thromboxane receptor antagonists based on an indole thromboxane synthase inhibitor template is described. The indole-5-propanoic acid derivatives 17, 22 and 23 were found to be potent dual agents in vitro.
Effects of gibberellic acid and zeatin on the growth response of cucumber cotyledons

In contrast to cytokinin, gibberellic acid has no effect on the growth of the isolated cucumber cotyledon in darkness. Like cytokinins in light, gibberellic acid causes increases in fresh weight and area of the cotyledon at concentrations from 10−7 to 10−3 M. Radiant energies in the blue, red, and far-red regions of the spectrum all induce the growth responses to gibberellic acid. The effect of the far red is greater than that of the red, which is greater than that of the blue. Gibberellic acid is ineffective in the promotion of chlorophyll development, whereas cytokinins are very effective. Although zeatin and gibberellic acid both cause an increase in fresh weight and area of the cotyledons in light, they appear to have entirely separate actions in the growth responses.
Quality of life and employment after liver transplantation

1. In general, the health-related quality of life (QOL) of transplant recipients is impaired before and improves after liver transplantation. 2. Transplant recipients report largest gains in those aspects of QOL most affected by physical health and smaller improvements in areas affected by psychological functioning. 3. No utility-based measures have been used with liver transplant recipients; therefore, the necessary QOL weights for use in cost-effectiveness evaluations of liver transplantation are lacking. 4. Pretransplantation, the percentage of candidates with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) who work is less than that of candidates without ALD. However, there is no difference in rates of employment posttransplantation. 5. No study has described types of wages and benefits associated with jobs before or after transplantation or the extent to which health insurance benefits associated with employment motivate changes in work status. 6. Many studies in this field used non-validated heterogeneous instruments to measure QOL and employment, thus limiting the opportunity to combine results across studies and compare outcomes for liver transplant recipients with other patient populations.
Environmental Effects on Interface Behavior in Graphite / Epoxy Single Fiber Composites

Toray M40 graphite fiber / Epon 828 epoxy resin single fiber composites with both sized and unsized fibers were exposed to distilled water at 50°C and 100°C, 10% NaOH and HCl aqueous solutions at 50°C, and air at 100°C. Micro Raman spectroscopy was used to measure the strain and interfacial shear stress profiles as a function of environmental exposure. It was found that the degradation mechanism is primarily a mechanical failure of the fiber/matrix interface.
Opportunities and Challenges to Improving End-of-Life Care for Seriously Ill Elderly Patients: A Qualitative Study of Generalist Physicians

Background: End-of-life care quality deficiencies have in part been linked to inadequate physician skill in the technical and communication domains of palliative care. Yet few studies have examined...
Directional specificity of postural muscles in feed-forward postural reactions during fast voluntary arm movements

Healthy subjects performed bilateral fast shoulder movements in different directions while standing on a force platform. Anticipatory postural adjustments were seen as changes in the electrical activity of postural muscles as well as displacements of the center of pressure and center of gravity. Postural muscle pairs of agonist-antagonist commonly demonstrated triphasic patterns starting prior to the first electromyographic (EMG) burst in the prime-mover muscle. Proximal postural muscles demonstrated the largest anticipatory increase in the background activity during movements in one of the two opposite directions (forward or backwards). These changes progressively decreased when movements deviated from the preferred direction and frequently disappeared during movements in the opposite direction. The patterns in distal muscles varied across subjects and could demonstrate larger anticipatory changes during movements forward and backwards as compared to movements in intermediate directions. Bilateral addition of inertial loads to the wrists did not change the general anticipatory patterns, while making some of their features more pronounced. Anticipatory postural adjustments were followed by later changes in the activity of postural muscles, also reflected in the mechanical variables. Changes in leg joint angles revealed a „hip-ankle strategy” during shoulder flexions and an „ankle strategy” during shoulder extensions. The study demonstrates different behaviors of proximal and distal muscles during anticipatory postural adjustments in preparation for fast arm movements. We suggest that the proximal muscles produce a general pattern of postural adjustments, while distal muscles take care of fine adjustments that are more likely to vary across subjects.
Deadly Connections: Culture, Poverty, and the Direction of Lethal Violence

For over a century, studies have consistently reported high rates of homicide in the Southern section of the United States. Some researchers argue that cultural differences tied to region are of primary importance in explaining this pattern, while others attribute high levels of homicide in the South to structural influences, particularly severe poverty. We examine the effects of structural poverty and regional influence, i.e., "Southernness," on state lethal-violence rates (LVRs) and suicide-homicide ratios (SHRs) for blacks and whites. Supporting past research that explains the link between economic deprivation and violence by a modified frustration-aggression model, we find that severe poverty is positively associated with lethal-violence rates for both races. Percent born in the South, our measure of regional influence, has no significant impact on the LVR, but it affects the mix of violence by increasing the proportion that is expressed as homicide among both blacks and whites. On the other hand, poverty increases the level of suicide relative to homicide for whites, but it does not for blacks. Implications for future research designed to unravel the social forces affecting the volume and type of lethal violence in populations are discussed.
Mechanisms for early microvascular injury in obesity and type II diabetes

Obesity in the absence of hyperglycemia carries a low risk for microvascular disease compared with type II diabetes. The occurrence of hyperglycemia seems to be an important, if not the most important, distinction between obesity and obesity plus diabetes mellitus for microvascular disease. In vitro and in vivo human and animal studies of the early microvascular consequences of hyperglycemia indicate an immediate detrimental suppression of vasodilatory microvascular mechanisms that might be even worse with pre-existing obesity. The overall concept emerging from a very large research base is that hyperglycemia activates protein kinase C, increases oxidant formation, elevates constrictor prostanoid species to the detriment of beneficial prostanoids, and suppresses flow-mediated regulation with the nitric oxide generated by endothelial cells. The end result is decreased blood flow and loss of microvascular reactivity to endothelial-dependent vasodilatory stimuli that persists for 3 to 6 hours.
Gene expression profiling in pediatric heart transplant rejection

Kenneth R. Knecht ⁎, Stewart L. MacLeod , Charlotte A. Hobbs , Ming Li , W. Robert Morrow a a Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, United States b Division of Biostatistics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, United States c Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, United States
Simultaneous Confidence Intervals for Several Quantiles of an Unknown Distribution

Given a sample of independent observations from an unknown continuous distribution, it is standard practice to construct a confidence interval for a specified quantile of the distribution using the binomial distribution. Furthermore, confidence bands for the unknown cumulative distribution function, such as Kolmogorov’s, provide simultaneous confidence intervals for all quantiles of the distribution, which are necessarily wider than the individual confidence intervals at the same confidence level. The purpose of this article is to show how simultaneous confidence intervals for several specified quantiles of the unknown distribution can be calculated using probabilities from a multinomial distribution. An efficient recursive algorithm is described for these calculations. An experimenter may typically be interested in several quantiles of the distribution, such as the median, quartiles, and upper and lower tail quantiles, and this methodology provides a bridge between the confidence intervals with individua...
A compact all-optical subcarrier label-swapping system using an integrated EML for 10-Gb/s optical label-switching networks

We propose a compact and simple all-optical subcarrier-multiplexed (SCM) label-swapping system employing an integrated electroabsorption modulation laser and a semiconductor optical amplifier based Mach-Zehnder interferometer wavelength converter. The experiments demonstrated error-free all-optical label swapping for the 155-Mb/s label and 10-Gb/s payload over two optical label-switching network nodes with less than 0.7-dB power penalty on the payload. The majority of the components in this SCM label-swapping system can be realized on a semiconductor platform (e.g., InP), which implies a step toward possible monolithic or hybrid integration of the all-optical label-swapping system in the future.
The Magma Reservoirs That Feed Supereruptions

The vigor and size of volcanic eruptions depend on what happens in magma reservoirs in the Earth’s crust. When magmatic activity occurs within continental areas, large reservoirs of viscous, gas-rich magma can be generated and cataclysmically discharged into the atmosphere during explosive supereruptions. As currently understood, large pools of explosive magma are produced by extracting interstitial liquid from long-lived “crystal mushes” (magmatic sponges containing >50 vol% of crystals) and collecting it in unstable liquid-dominated lenses.
Inhibition of Initiation, Elongation, and Termination of Eukaryotic Protein Synthesis by Trichothecene Fungal Toxins

The 12,13-epoxytrichothecenes, specific inhibitors of protein synthesis in eukaryotes, can be subdivided further in terms of their mode of action. In addition to the I-type (initiation inhibitors) and E-types (elongation inhibitors), we found that some E-types apparently exhibit inhibition of chain termination at low concentrations. The nature of substituents on C4 may determine the type of inhibitory activity observed.
Liposarcoma complicating pregnancy.

Abstract Background. An adnexal mass in pregnancy is a common occurrence. Malignancy is uncommon and only seven cases of liposarcoma have been reported in association with pregnancy. Case. We present a case of a pregnant patient who was diagnosed with an adnexal mass detected by ultrasound at 13 weeks gestation. The mass was surgically removed postpartum, when it was found to be a liposarcoma. Postoperatively she received chemotherapy but eventually succumbed to her disease. Conclusions. Liposarcoma is rarely found in association with pregnancy and may follow an aggressive course.
Phenotypic Relationships of Common Health Disorders in Dairy Cows to Lactation Persistency Estimated from Daily Milk Weights

The objective of this study was to investigate the phenotypic relationship between common health disorders in dairy cows and lactation persistency, uncorrelated with 305-d yield. The relationships with peak yield and days in milk (DIM) at peak were also studied. Daily milk weights and treatment incidence records of 991 Holstein lactations from experimental dairy herds at Virginia Tech and Pennsylvania State University were used. Persistency was calculated as a function of daily yield deviations from standard lactation curves, developed separately for first (FL) and later lactations (LL), and deviations of DIM around reference dates: 128 for FL and 125 for LL. Days in milk at peak and peak yield were computed for each lactation by using Wood's function. The disease traits studied were mastitis (MAST) only during the first 100 d (MAST1), only after 100 DIM (MAST2), both before and after 100 DIM (MAST12), and at any stage of lactation (MAST1/2), as well as metritis, displaced abomasums, lameness, and metabolic diseases. Each disease was defined as a binary trait, distinguishing between lactations with at least one incidence (1) and lactations with no incidences (0). The relationships of diseases to persistency, DIM at peak, and peak yield were investigated separately for FL and LL for all disease traits except MAST12, which was investigated across parities. The relationships of persistency to probability of the diseases in the same lactation and in the next lactation were examined using odds ratios from a logistic regression model. Metritis and displaced abomasums in FL and LL were associated with significantly higher persistencies. Metabolic diseases and MAST1 in LL were significantly related to higher persistencies. The relationships of MAST2 in both FL and LL, and MAST12 across parities were significant but negative. Cows affected by MAST tended to have less persistent lactations. Most of the diseases had a significant impact on DIM at peak in LL. In LL, metritis, metabolic diseases, and displaced abomasums tended to significantly delay DIM at peak. Mastitis only after 100 DIM was associated with significantly earlier DIM at peak in LL. Increasing persistency was associated with low MAST2 and MAST1/2 in primiparous cows. None of the diseases studied was significantly related to persistency of the previous lactation.
Charge modulations versus strain waves in resonant x-ray scattering

A method is described for using resonant x-ray scattering to separately quantify the charge (valence) modulation and the strain wave associated with a charge density wave. The essence of the method is a separation of the atomic form factor into a ``raw'' amplitude ${f}_{R}(\ensuremath{\omega})$ and a valence-dependent amplitude ${f}_{D}(\ensuremath{\omega})$ which in many cases may be determined independently from absorption measurements. The advantage of this separation is that the strain wave follows the average quantity ${\ensuremath{\mid}{f}_{R}(\ensuremath{\omega})+⟨v⟩{f}_{D}(\ensuremath{\omega})\ensuremath{\mid}}^{2}$, whereas the charge modulation follows only ${\ensuremath{\mid}{f}_{D}(\ensuremath{\omega})\ensuremath{\mid}}^{2}$. This allows the two distinct modulations to be quantified separately. A scheme for characterizing a given CDW as Peierls-like or Wigner-like follows naturally. The method is illustrated for an idealized model of a one-dimensional chain.
Reasoning about Natural Selection: Diagnosing Contextual Competency Using the ACORNS Instrument.

Studies of students' thinking about natural selection have revealed that the scenarios in which students reason evoke different types, magnitudes, and arrangements of knowledge elements and misconceptions. Diagnostic tests are needed that probe students' thinking across a representative array of evolutionary contexts. The ACORNS is a diagnostic test that treats different evolutionary contexts as unique scenarios worthy of focused assessment and targeted instruction. Our investigations revealed that ACORNS scores produce valid and reliable inferences about students' thinking about natural selection. We urge biology teachers at all educational levels to begin assessing and attending to their students' reasoning across a broader array of evolutionary contexts, as competency in one context is often not indicative of competency in another.
Convergent blooms of Karenia brevis along the Texas coast

] A numerical model of wind-driven surface flow in theGulf of Mexico is used to examine physical controls onharmful algal bloom formation along the Texas coast.Karenia brevis, which blooms frequently in the Gulf ofMexico, has a relatively slow growth rate (doubling times of2–3 days). Increases in K. brevis concentration cannot beexplained simply in terms of growth. We hypothesize thatthe primary mechanism responsible for bloom formation inthe western Gulf of Mexico is convergence due todownwelling at the coast. Convergence along the Texascoast caused by seasonal downwelling winds canconcentrate the plankton up to 1000 times. This issurprising because the modeled cells do not grow; thesimulated increase in concentration is due to physicalprocesses alone. The numerical model qualitativelyreproduces both the timing and magnitude of bloominitiation along the coast, but does not predict the detailsof the migration of the bloom along the coast after it hasformed, or the destruction of the bloom. The result of thissimulation is significant because it implies that K. brevisblooms may be caused primarily by physical processes andthat cell division is not an important factor in bloomformation.
Deterioration of Transformer Oil and Paper Insulation by Temperatures

SEVERAL YEARS ago, the question of overloading transformers for short times arose. This in turn brought up the question of insulation deterioration with both temperature and time.
What is Conscious

a quasi-political position. We could see ourselves as the Last of the Mohicans, as the ultimate defenders of poetry, as prestigious resisters to technoglobalization. But this lack (meaning also the change in the media's horizon characterizing our era) also represents an opportunity to do the history of the beliefs and the legitimations that enabled something like the literary field or the literary institution to hold its own over the last three or four decades. To do this history in order not to repeat it, though in any case it's not possible to repeat it, for history never comes around again in the same way. Today we must reinvent the uses and even the limits of literature. But for that, no doubt we must begin by evaluating the old usages, and eventually renouncing them. This would be the direction/meaning of a history of literary criticism and theory as developed over the last half-century: the pleasures of self-criticism, or of what some no doubt would call denial, if not betrayal. I prefer to speak of a taste for change. "Je est un autre"-I am another-and even several others.
Good Enough Governance Revisited

The concept of good enough governance provides a platform for questioning the long menu of institutional changes and capacity-building initiatives currently deemed important (or essential) for development. Nevertheless, it falls short of being a tool to explore what, specifically, needs to be done in any real world context. Thus, as argued by the author in 2004, given the limited resources of money, time, knowledge, and human and organisational capacities, practitioners are correct in searching for the best ways to move towards better governance in a particular country context. This article suggests that the feasibility of particular interventions can be assessed by analysing the context for change and the implications of the content of the intervention being considered.
Impact of critical hub airport configuration in the next generation air transportation system

Approximately 69 percent of all US passenger enplanements occur at 30 (hub) airports, which are located in major metropolitan centers. Projections and forecasts show that most of the hub airports will need to undergo significant redevelopment in order to accommodate the predicted traffic volumes. Even though closely spaced parallel approaches increase the throughput capacity, an optimal taxiway layout is necessary to minimize gate-runway time and reduce incursions. This paper presents an airport layout which aims to minimize ground incursions. The airport configuration has been modeled and various scenarios have been tested using different traffic scenarios. The results show an increased level of safety with just a 30% increase in taxi times.
Groundwater Quantity and Quality

The world’s population is facing a water crisis, which is expected to worsen dramatically during the 21st century. Problems due to over exploitation of groundwater, as well as from natural and anthropogenic contamination are major challenges facing humanity. This Special Issue contributes a selection of topics on groundwater quantity and quality issues that face different parts of the world.
FREQUENCY AND PREDICTORS OF PACEMAKER IMPLANTATION AFTER CATHETER ABLATION OR CARDIOVERSION FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

Sinus node dysfunction requiring pacemaker implantation is commonly associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) but may not be clinically apparent until restoration of sinus rhythm with ablation or cardioversion. We sought to determine frequency, time course and predictors for pacemaker implantation
Expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase in metastatic malignant melanoma recruits regulatory T cells to avoid immune detection and affects survival

The mechanism by which malignant melanoma (MM) cells survive in lymph nodes is poorly understood. One possible mechanism by which MM cells can escape immune surveillance is through upregulation of immunomodulatory enzymes such as indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). In this study, 25 cases of MM lymph node metastases from patients with long and short survival were evaluated for expression of IDO and the number of Forkhead box p3 (FOXP3)-expressing regulatory T cells. Moderate to strong cytoplasmic IDO expression was present in all (15/15) MM lymph node metastases in patients with poor survival. Eight of 10 patients with metastatic MM and long survival were negative or only weakly positive for IDO. Upregulation of IDO in metastatic MM cells was associated with an increased number of regulatory T cells (Tregs). There was a statistically significant association between shorter survival and both a stronger IDO expression (p = 0.0019) and a higher number of FOXP3 expressing Tregs (p < 0.001). Using RT-PCR analysis, we showed that IDO expression in MM cells is induced by interferon-gamma. These data support the notion that metastatic MM cells select for expression of IDO to evade immunologic detection. Therefore, inhibition of IDO in MM patients may be a useful treatment strategy.
Three-dimensional radar imaging techniques and systems for near-field applications

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed three-dimensional holographic (synthetic aperture) radar imaging techniques and systems for a wide variety of near-field applications. These applications include radar crosssection (RCS) imaging, personnel screening, standoff concealed weapon detection, concealed threat detection, throughbarrier imaging, ground penetrating radar (GPR), and non-destructive evaluation (NDE). Sequentially-switched linear arrays are used for many of these systems to enable high-speed data acquisition and 3-D imaging. In this paper, the techniques and systems will be described along with imaging results that demonstrate the utility of near-field 3-D radar imaging for these compelling applications.
Surgical treatment of aneurysms of the inferior left ventricular wall

Experience with surgical treatment of 10 patients with aneurysms of the inferior wall of the left ventricle is presented. Six of the 10 aneurysms were false (pseudoaneurysms), and four were classified as true aneurysms. All except one resulted from myocardial infarction. Combined procedures, performed at the time of aneurysm resection, included mitral valve replacement (five patients), coronary artery bypass grafting (four patients), and closure of an interventricular septal defect (one patient). Three of four patients with true inferior aneurysms had mitral valve dysfunction, whereas only two of six patients with false aneurysms required mitral valve replacement (one because of infective endocarditis). Nine of the 10 patients survived operation, and all are functionally improved except one. On the basis of this and previously reported experience, it is concluded that a substantial proportion of inferior left ventricular aneurysms exhibit the pathological features of false aneurysms. Because of the associated propensity toward rupture of such lesions, an aggressive surgical approach is recommended.
Capturing Air–Water Interface Biofilms for Microscopy and Molecular Analysis

Described here is a simple and versatile technique for capturing small samples of the thin biofilm that is located at the meniscus of almost every air-water interface (AWI), an electrostatically distinct aquatic domain/habitat. The method uses a microscope slide (and other supporting surfaces) coated in the lab with a collodion membrane, which has a strong affinity for the upper surface of the AWI biofilm. The structural integrity of the biofilm is maintained during the capture process, and components of the biofilm are effectively separated from the subtending liquid. The captured thin biofilm can be analyzed in many ways including almost any form of light, electron, and atomic force optics; and spatially significant molecular analyses may be performed on the captured biofilm or its components.
Protective ribs for connectors.

Currently available connectors for IV lines are not well protected against contamination. This also pertains to urinary and peritoneal catheters, as well as any other infusion or drainage system. The male portions of the connectors are particularly vulnerable to accidental contact with the environment, eg, the fingers of caretakers or the patient himself under the conditions of home therapy. Contamination of catheter hubs is well-documented and has recently been implicated as a cause of nosocomial infections with Malassezia furfur in neonates.
Product Safety Regulations and Product Liability Actions: An Empirical Analysis

This paper examines the relationship between product safety regulations and product liability actions. It employes regression analysis to test the hypothesis that an increase in product safety regulations has been accompanied by a corresponding increase in product liability actions. Using linear regression equations of the form y = m + bx, two regressions were run. In both sets of regression the independent variable was found to explain a major part of the variance in the dependent variable.
Surgical Treatment of Nerve Entrapment Syndromes

Options for surgical treatment of nerve entrapments include release and perhaps transposition of the entrapped nerve, as well as nerve transfer or grafting. Patient selection, meticulous technique, and postoperative rehabilitation all contribute to successful outcomes.
Abstract 364: Valproic Acid Induced Reprogramming of Adult Somatic Cells for Cardiac Differentiation

Aims: Owing to the ethical concerns for use of embryonic stem cells (ESC), adult somatic cells are attractive stem cell sources for reprogramming to pluripotency. We report here non-viral approach ...
Kidney Organoids: A Translational Journey

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are attractive sources for regenerative medicine and disease modeling in vitro. Directed hPSC differentiation approaches have derived from knowledge of cell development in vivo rather than from stochastic cell differentiation. Moreover, there has been great success in the generation of 3D organ-buds termed 'organoids' from hPSCs; these consist of a variety of cell types in vitro that mimic organs in vivo. The organoid bears great potential in the study of human diseases in vitro, especially when combined with CRISPR/Cas9-based genome-editing. We summarize the current literature describing organoid studies with a special focus on kidney organoids, and discuss goals and future opportunities for organoid-based studies.
Revisiting the crystal structure of [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2 using synchrotron powder diffraction: to what extent single-crystal diffraction from 1960s got it right?

The crystal structure of the purpureo salt, [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2, first reported in 1963 and later revised in 1968 (in both cases from single-crystal diffraction) in the space group Pnma (No. 62), has been recently re-examined from synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction using direct methods and the software EXPO2013. The comparison of the Rietveld analysis results using the two published models and the atomic coordinates obtained from powders leads to an improved crystal structure description in the lower symmetry space group Pn21 a (No. 33). As a result, the overall atom connectivity and crystal packing remain similar; however, the symmetry and internal geometry of the coordination complex are changed. The distortions from an idealized geometry in Pnma (No. 62) are likely because of energetically favorable hydrogen-bonding motifs in the crystal. The three models are compared, and their validity and limitations are discussed.
The Long and Winding Road: Thoracic Myelopathy Associated With Occipitocervical Dural Arteriovenous Fistula.

Objectives Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) have diverse presentations. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reveals spinal cord swelling in only 45% to 74% of cases. We present an unusual case of a 57-year old man with a craniocervical junction DAVF in which the edema appeared in the thoracolumbar region, skipping the cervical spinal cord. Methods A case report and literature review from a tertiary referral center are provided. Results In our patient, symptoms progressed over 3 months from low back and radicular pain to weakness, saddle anesthesia, and urinary retention. MRI showed T2 hyperintensity from T3-4 to the conus medullaris. The results from initial brain and spine angiograms were negative. Repeated angiography with the patient under anesthesia revealed a DAVF in the craniocervical junction composed of a cervical branch arising from the right vertebral artery and entering the nidus at the foramen magnum. A prominent intradural draining vein extended inferiorly along the posterior aspect of the cervical spinal cord. The patient was taken to the operating room, where the extradural vertebral artery was dissected and a suboccipital craniectomy was performed. After the dura was opened, the arterialized vein was visualized and clipped. Somatosensory evoked potentials and motor evoked potentials remained at baseline throughout the occlusion. The dura and fistula were removed en bloc, and the draining vein was confirmed to lose flow on indocyanine green. Postoperatively, the patient's symptoms completely resolved, and he experienced full strength in the lower extremities and perineal sensation. A review of 19 cases of DAVF at the craniocervical junction with cord edema shows that >90% involve the brainstem or cervical cord. Only 1 other patient had a similar “skip lesion,” in which the cord edema first appeared in the thoracic cord. Conclusions This rare presentation highlights the importance of diagnostic persistence when unexplained cord findings are seen on MRI. Repeated angiography and the inclusion of proximal vascular lesions may be considered in the evaluation of isolated thoracic edema.
An unsupervised anomaly detection approach using energy-based spatiotemporal graphical modeling

AbstractThis paper presents a new data-driven framework for unsupervised system-wide anomaly detection for modern distributed complex systems within which there exists a strong connectivity among sub-systems, operating in diverse modes and encountering a large variety of anomalies. The framework is based on a spatiotemporal feature extraction scheme built on the concept of symbolic dynamics for discovering and representing causal interactions among subsystems. The extracted features from the spatiotemporal pattern network (STPN) are then used to learn system-wide patterns via a Restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM), to form an energy based anomaly detection approach. While STPN is treated as a weak learner of system modes (in terms of difficulty in discovering true graphical representations), RBM is treated as a boosting approach to form a strong learner of system characteristics. Case studies with simulated data and real data from an integrated building system are used to validate the proposed approach. The...
Impact of ICT on agricultural extension services delivery: evidence from the Catholic Relief Services SMART skills and Farmbook project in Kenya*

Purpose: The study was carried out to assess the impact of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Skills for Marketing and Rural Transformation (SMART) skills and Farmbook information communication tec...
Short-Distance Translocation as a Management Option for Nuisance Maritime Pocket Gophers

Geomys personatus maritimus (Maritime Pocket Gopher) is a genetically distinct subspecies of pocket gopher that occurs only in deep, sandy soils located in Nueces and Kleberg counties of southern Texas. The US Fish and Wildlife Service considers it a species of concern. Pocket gophers are considered a nuisance because they dig burrows and create mounds in landscaped areas. Lethal control options are not advised because of the Maritime Pocket Gopher's rarity status and recent public attitude disfavoring lethal methods. However, short-distance translocation might be a management option, but research to determine its viability is lacking. We captured 15 Maritime Pocket Gophers from athletic fields and commercial properties in Corpus Christi, TX. For all captured gophers, we subcutaneously or intraperitoneally implanted a radio transmitter, translocated the animals to private property within 2 km from their capture site, and radio-tracked their movements for ≤4 months to determine if their behavior and activity differed from 4 control gophers. Subcutaneous transmitters implanted in the scapular region were lost by 86% of the gophers (n = 12 of 14), while 100% (n = 5) of the gophers retained intraperitoneal-implanted transmitters. Relocated Maritime Pocket Gophers did not return to their site of origin. Gopher movements generally were away from their homing lines (i.e., an imaginary line drawn between each translocated gopher's capture site and release site), and they did not become successively closer to their respective sites of capture. Therefore, short-distance translocation has the potential to be a management option for nuisance gophers.
Extracting Modifiable Risk Factors from Narrative Preventive Healthcare Guidelines for EHR Integration

General criteria of preventive healthcare based on the preventive care guidelines have been integrated with Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems through decision support systems and led to improved performance in healthcare delivery. Advanced integration which considers factors such as ethnicity, social history, medical history, family history need to be investigated. Integrating the preventive healthcare guidelines with the EHR based on above factors requires the extraction of the relevant information from these guidelines using text mining and natural language processing techniques. In this research, we propose a framework to extract information according to the EHR modules. Our results show that the proposed framework successfully extracts terms and concepts, and adequately maps them to the proposed data interchange structure that is based on the EHR functional modules. The extracted information and the populated data interchange structures eases the integration of the modifiable risk factors with the patient's records in the EHR. The proposed framework can be extended to other clinical healthcare guidelines where modifiable risk factors are critical.
Grazing and resource availability control soil nematode body size and abundance–mass relationship in semi‐arid grassland

Body size is a central functional trait in ecological communities. Despite recognition of the importance of above ground-below ground interactions, effects of above-ground herbivores on size and abundance-size relationships in soil fauna are almost uncharted. Depending on climate and soil properties, herbivores may increase basal resources of soil food webs, or reduce pore space, mechanisms expected to have contrasting effects on soil animal body size. We investigated how body size and shape of soil nematodes responded to mammalian grazers in three semi-arid grassland sites, along a gradient of soil texture and organic matter (OM) in a long-term herbivore removal study. We analysed nematode mass, length, diameter, body size distribution and biomass distribution. We formulated two mechanistic hypotheses to assess whether resource availability or pore space was the dominant abiotic control and modulated the effects of grazing. In ungrazed soils, average and maximum nematode size, as well as abundance and biomass of large nematodes, were greater in the high-OM than in the low-OM soil, and intermediate in the medium-OM soil. Grazing promoted larger sizes in the low-OM soil, where it had been shown to increase OM and microbial biomass, and led to more homogeneous average size and body size distribution across sites. The results support the hypothesis that nematode size was controlled by basal resource availability rather than by pore space. However, body shape might have been constrained by small pores in the fine-texture, high-OM soil, where nematodes were more elongated. Grazing may facilitate larger sizes in soil nematode communities by boosting basal resources where these are limiting, with important implications for estimations of nematode biomass and contribution to carbon and nutrient cycling. These findings contribute to the insofar-limited mechanistic understanding of how herbivores can shape functional traits of soil fauna and demonstrate that animals at one trophic level may control patterns in body size and abundance-size relationships in other trophic levels without a direct predator prey or competitive linkage between them.
Value Presuppositions of Diagnosis: A Case Study in Diagnosing Cervical Cancer

Through diagnosis a clinician approaches disorders by applying an explanatory account that allows the patient to be cast in a clinical category and therapy role. Because diagnosis usually involves understanding and undertaking clinical problems through pathoanatomical and pathophysiological frameworks, clinical diagnosis is theory-ladened. Diagnosis also involves judgments about the worthiness of particular conditions for special attention. These judgments involve evaluative considerations, and turn in part on accepted norms of scientific investigation and therapeutic success. As a result, diagnosis is pursued not solely for its own sake, but also for the sake of satisfying certain evaluative frameworks. In other words, clinicians seek to know well, as opposed to simply knowing truly the character of clinical problems. In short, diagnosis is contextual and intervention-oriented.
Oceanic Nutrient Cycles

The perception that the euphotic zone of nutrient-impoverished oceanic waters is a steady state system has been based, to a large extent, on the choice of temporal and spatial scales upon which the pertinent biological and chemical measurements typically are made. For example, subsamples obtained from well-mixed, large volume samples (liters to tens of liters) commonly are used at sea both for a variety of analytical measurements and for long-term (tens of hours) bottle incubations to determine rates of primary production and nutrient turnover. The results of such measurements consistently demonstrate that nutrient concentrations in oligotrophic surface waters are below detection limits (Carpenter and McCarthy, 1975; McCarthy and Carpenter, 1979), and that both standing stocks of primary and secondary producers and rates of biological activity are uniformly low (Eppley et al., 1973).