cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Testing recent geomagnetic field models via magnetic flux conservation at the core-mantle boundary

Abstract The 28 candidate main field models submitted for the International Geomagnetic Reference Field Model Revision 1985 reveal that a dramatic increase in the rate of decline of the Earth's total pole strength began around 1960. Nevertheless, all but one field model conserves the absolute magnetic flux linking the core-mantle boundary (CMB) fairly well during the 40 year time span 1945–1985. This supports the frozen-flux approximation on global length and decade time scales. Geostrophic fluid motion at the top of a frozen-flux core conserves the total magnetic flux linking either geographic hemisphere of the CMB. This constraint is poorly satisfied by the candidate secular variation (SV) models. Yet other SV models truncated at higher degree, and models based upon temporal interpolation rather than extrapolation, satisfy this constraint very well. These results lead us to make several recommendations for the 1985 and future IGRF revisions.
In Defense of Reductionism & Autonomy: a Modest Proposal

In our arguments over various alternatives, if you win and I lose, are you really the one who knows? What if I win? Does one of us truly know and the other not, or is it that both of us know and both of us not? If you and I are unable to know where we stand, others will surely be in the datk because of us. And who shall we get to decide the matter? One who agrees with you, with me, with neither or with both? If they are already of a certain party, how can they impartially decide? Hence, you and I and they are all unable to decide where we stand, and shall we bring in someone else?
The Pathophysiology of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Induced by Transforming Growth Factor-β in Normal and Malignant Mammary Epithelial Cells

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an essential process that drives polarized, immotile mammary epithelial cells (MECs) to acquire apolar, highly migratory fibroblastoid-like features. EMT is an indispensable process that is associated with normal tissue development and organogenesis, as well as with tissue remodeling and wound healing. In stark contrast, inappropriate reactivation of EMT readily contributes to the development of a variety of human pathologies, particularly those associated with tissue fibrosis and cancer cell invasion and metastasis, including that by breast cancer cells. Although metastasis is unequivocally the most lethal aspect of breast cancer and the most prominent feature associated with disease recurrence, the molecular mechanisms whereby EMT mediates the initiation and resolution of breast cancer metastasis remains poorly understood. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a multifunctional cytokine that is intimately involved in regulating numerous physiological processes, including cellular differentiation, homeostasis, and EMT. In addition, TGF-β also functions as a powerful tumor suppressor in MECs, whose neoplastic development ultimately converts TGF-β into an oncogenic cytokine in aggressive late-stage mammary tumors. Recent findings have implicated the process of EMT in mediating the functional conversion of TGF-β during breast cancer progression, suggesting that the chemotherapeutic targeting of EMT induced by TGF-β may offer new inroads in ameliorating metastatic disease in breast cancer patients. Here we review the molecular, cellular, and microenvironmental factors that contribute to the pathophysiological activities of TGF-β during its regulation of EMT in normal and malignant MECs.
Control and identification of linear time-varying plants using I/O methods

The purpose of this paper is to discuss some results on the identification and control of linear time-varying (LTV) plants. The authors adopt an input-output (I/O) framework whereby the LTV plant is described in terms of differential operators. Such a description provides a factorization of the I/O operator of the LTV plant which is convenient for parametric identification and design of 'pole-placement'-type controllers.
An application of connection matrix to magnetohydrodynamic shock profiles

In this note we shall summarize how to use the connection matrix to show the existence of a viscous profile to the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations. Although Freistuhler [1] has obtained various intermediate shock profiles in a different parameter regime, our technique is different and interesting to know. This is a technique based on algebraic topology and an extension of Con-ley’s index. As the detailed version will be appearing elsewhere [2], in this note we concentrate on how to use the connection matrix.
Successful transcatheter ablation of congenital junctional ectopic tachycardia in a ten-month-old infant using radiofrequency energy.

Congenital functional tachycardia is a difficult-to-control rhythm in children which has a high mortality rate with current management. A 10-month-old child followed since birth with the diagnosis of congenital functional ectopic tachycardia is reported. He failed treatment with multiple antiarrhythmic agents, and underwent an electrophysiology study. The Junctional focus was successfully ablated using transcatheter radiofrequency energy. This technique may be safer than high voltage DC shock ablation, particularly in small children.
Climate Change and Global Agriculture: Recent Findings and Issues

This paper (a) reviews existing findings on the global impacts of climate change on agriculture, (b) identifies limitations of these findings, and (c) discusses three issues of interest on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The three issues are as follows: regional effects versus global efficiency: the issue of hunger; climate change, agriculture and economic development; cost and disruption of adaptation to climate change. 45 refs., 3 tabs.
UAS Measured Response: The Effect of GCS Control Mode Interfaces on Pilot Ability to Comply with ATC Clearances

The present study examined the effects of three different control mode interfaces on unmanned aerial system (UAS) pilots’ ability to comply with air traffic controller (ATC) traffic clearances. Pilots controlled a simulated UAS with a waypoint-only interface, an auto-pilot interface and a manual, stick and throttle interface. Researchers recorded pilots’ ‘measured response’ at several stages of ATC-pilot interaction, which consisted of verbal response times, initial response times, initial edit times, total edit times, and overall compliance times. Results indicate that pilots are best able to comply with ATC clearances when provided with auto-pilot and manual control inputs. Limitations to the present study and future analyses are discussed.
ESTIMATION OF MULTIPLE GAMMA SCALE-PARAMETERS: BAYES ESTIMATION SUBJECT TO UNIFORM DOMINATION

Simultaneous estimation of p gamma scale-parameters is considered under squared-error loss. The problem of minimizing, subject to uniform risk domination, the Bayes risk (or more generally the posterior expected loss) against certain conjugate or mixtures of conjugate priors is considered. Rather surprisingly, it is shown that the minimization can be done conditionally, thus avoiding variational arguments. Relative savings loss (and a posterior version thereof) are found, and it is found that in the most favorable situations, Bayesian robustness can be achieved without sacrificing substantial subjective Bayesian gains.
Feasibility of mapping unidirectional Pi‐to‐ATP fluxes in muscles of the lower leg at 7.0 Tesla

Purpose To assess the feasibility of mapping the kinetics and unidirectional fluxes of inorganic phosphate (Pi) to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) reactions in the entire volume of the lower leg muscles using a three-dimensional saturation transfer (ST) phosphorus (31P) imaging sequence. Theory and Methods We imaged the lower leg muscles of five healthy subjects at 7.0 Tesla. The total experimental time was 45 min. We quantified muscle-specific forward reaction rate constants (k′f) and metabolic fluxes (Vf) of the Pi-to-ATP reaction in the tibialis anterior, the gastrocnemius, and the soleus. Results In the tibialis anterior, k′f and Vf were 0.11 s−1 ± 0.03 (mean ± standard deviation) and 0.34 mM s−1 ± 0.10, respectively. In the gastrocnemius, k′f was 0.11 s−1 ± 0.04 and Vf was 0.37 mM s−1 ± 0.11, while in the soleus muscle k′f was 0.10 s−1 ± 0.02 and Vf was 0.36 mM s−1 ± 0.14. Conclusion Our results suggest that mapping the kinetics and unidirectional fluxes from Pi-to-ATP in both the anterior and posterior muscles of the lower leg is feasible at ultra-high field and may provide useful insights for the study of insulin resistance, diabetes and aging. Magn Reson Med 74:225–230, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Learning and Teaching on the World Wide Web

From the Publisher: The World Wide Web has had a significant impact on learning and teaching since it was created. Forty percent of college courses now list Web resources in the syllabus, and more than a quarter have their own Web page. This book draws from a broad range of psychological theory and research to create an "intra-disciplinary" perspective on Web-based learning and teaching. It starts with the psychology of the learner and considers how best to fit Web technology to the student. Thus it includes a wide range of materials from the perception of moving graphics to how strangers can create "virtual communities of learners." The book considers many Internet technologies, but focuses on the World Wide Web and new "hybrid" technologies that integrate the Web with other communication technologies. This book will be indispensable to psychologists and educational researchers interested in learning. Teachers and trainers who use the Web in their teaching will find this an especially useful compilation of relevant psychological theory and research. Imperative for the researcher, this book is nonetheless accessible to students.
REFINED ENGINEERING BEAM THEORY BASED ON THE ASYMPTOTIC EXPANSION APPROACH

A systematic derivation of a refined engineering theory governing the response of elastic beams is presented. The method employed to accomplish this is that of asymptotic expansion that combines dimensional analysis with the expansion in powers of a small parameter of the solution of the three-dimensional linear elasticity theory. The present beam theory contains more information than the classical Timoshenko theory. A new shear coefficient is defined and compared with existing ones.
Optical polishing pitches: impact frequency responses and indentation depths

The short-term dynamic properties of a wide range of commercially available optical polishing pitches were determined with an impact frequency response test. A simple dynamic model is presented to evaluate the relevance of the measurement variations across the range of pitches tested. Test results show that harder pitches have higher natural frequencies and lower damping ratios. Strong correlations between pitch hardness (as measured by the indent test) and the natural frequency only existed among pitches from the same series, i.e., the Gugolz or Acculap series. This implies that pitches with similar hardness values from different manufacturers have different dynamic properties.
Progress toward personalized medicine for glaucoma

How will you respond when a patient asks, "Doctor, what can I do to prevent myself from going blind from glaucoma like mom?". There is optimism that genetic profiling will help target patients to individualized treatments based on validated disease risk alleles, validated pharmacogenetic markers and behavioral modification. Personalized medicine will become a reality through identification of disease and pharmacogenetic markers, followed by careful study of how to employ this information in order to improve treatment outcomes. With advances in genomic technologies, research has shifted from the simple monogenic disease model to a complex multigenic and environmental disease model to answer these questions. Our challenges lie in developing risk models that incorporate gene-gene interactions, gene copy-number variations, environmental interactions, treatment effects and clinical covariates.
New directions in superconducting radio frequency cavities for accelerators

Superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities used in present-day accelerators for the acceleration of charged particles near the speed of light are based on the axially symmetric TM010 mode of a pillbox cavity. Future accelerators such as the Linear Collider require high accelerating gradients to limit the length of the linac. Two techniques to improve the gradient are being explored: a cavity that is half reentrant to improve the electromagnetic characteristics, and improved heat transfer via cooling channels and surface modification at the helium interface. These changes could potentially increase the gradients and reduce the cryogenic losses. For other applications more important criteria are simplicity, acceleration of high beam current, or the ability to use advanced materials such as Nb/sub 3/Sn or high-T/sub c/ superconductors. A new type of cavity based on the TM01p pillbox mode with p>0 offers such improvements.
Surviving Scandal: An Exploration of the Immediate and Lasting Effects of Scandal on Candidate Evaluation

Objective This study explores the immediate and long-term effects of scandal on candidate evaluation. Because scandals involve politicians behaving in ways inconsistent with prevailing moral standards, an immediate negative reaction to such information is largely unavoidable. However, the present study examines whether there are any long-term effects of scandal. Methods Results from a longitudinal experiment are presented. The nature of the design facilitated the exploration of the immediate and lasting effects of exposure to scandal and the consistency of these effects across individuals. Results Exposure to scandalous information about a candidate had an immediate negative effect on evaluation, but the magnitude of this negative effect declined over time, especially among the candidate's supporters. Conclusion This research suggests that understanding the effects of scandal requires distinguishing between immediate and long-term effects.
A comparative evaluation of transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography for measurement of left ventricular systolic strain using speckle tracking.

Objective The authors hypothesized that the measurement of strain by speckle tracking with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is feasible and comparable to transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Design A prospective observational comparative study. Setting A university hospital. Participants Adult patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. Interventions Structured intraoperative TTE and TEE examination. Measurements and Main Results Images were obtained after the induction of anesthesia from 25 patients to enable speckle tracking of the left ventricle in comparable short- and long-axis (SAX and LAX) views using TTE and TEE. Left ventricular strain was measured offline using both modalities and correlation assessed using the Pearson test with assessment of bias using the Bland-Altman method. Significantly more segments were tracked by TEE than TTE in LAX views but not SAX views. Correlation was moderate between TTE and TEE (r = 0.5-0.6) for longitudinal strain in the LAX views, whereas it was poor for regional radial strain (r = 0.07). Correlation for global circumferential strain was higher for the apical SAX views (r = 0.7) than the basal or mid- SAX views. Speckle tracking by TEE showed excellent reproducibility with small bias. Conclusions Strain measured by speckle tracking in TEE correlated moderately with TTE for global strain and poorly for regional strain. This may be explained by differences in scanning frequency and other imaging factors. Nevertheless, because of the high degree of reproducibility, it may be a useful tool to quantify intraoperative changes in ventricular function with TEE. However, equivalence between TTE and TEE cannot be assumed, and limits of comparability should be recognized.
A 1000-Fold Overdose of Clonidine Caused by a Compounding Error in a 5-Year-Old Child With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

A 5-year-old child who weighed 17.5 kg received 50 mg of clonidine. The amount ingested was confirmed by analysis of the suspension administered (clonidine HCl 9.78 mg/mL). To our knowledge, this represents the largest ingestion in a child and the largest ingestion on a milligram per kilogram basis in the medical literature. The child's initial presentation included hyperventilation, an unusual feature of clonidine toxicity. The child was discharged without sequela 42 hours after admission. A serum concentration of clonidine 17 hours postingestion was 64 ng/mL, the highest reported to date in a pediatric patient. The intoxication was traced to a pharmacy compounding error in which milligrams were substituted for micrograms. Increased prescribing of clonidine in young children coupled with the requirement to compound clonidine in a suspension and the narrow therapeutic index suggests that the frequency of severe ingestions in children will increase in the future.
Defending abortion philosophically : A review of david boonin's a Defense of Abortion

This article is a critical review of David Boonin's book, A Defense of Abortion (Cambridge University Press, 2002), a significant contribution to the literature on this subject and arguably the most important monograph on abortion published in the past twenty years. Boonin's defense of abortion consists almost exclusively of sophisticated critiques of a wide variety of pro-life arguments, including ones that are rarely defended by pro-life advocates. This article offers a brief presentation of the book's contents with extended assessments of those arguments of Boonin's that are his unique contributions to the abortion debate and with which the author disagrees: (1) Boonin's critique of the conception criterion and his defense of organized cortical brain activity as the acquired property that imparts to the fetus a right to life: (2) Boonin's defense of J. J. Thomson's violinist argument and his distinction between responsibility for existence and responsibility for neediness and its application to pregnancy.
An extended algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) for density-gradient projections: laser speckle photographic tomography

An extended algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) is presented for tomographic image reconstruction from the density-gradient projections, such as laser speckle photography. The essence of the extended ART is that the density-gradient projection data of speckle photography (Eq. (1)) are first numerically integrated to the algebraic representation of interferometric fringe number data (Eq. (12)), which ART can readily reconstruct into the cross-sectional field. The extended ART is numerically examined by using two computer synthesized phantom fields, and experimentally by using asymmetric single and double helium jets in air. The experimentally reconstructed images were also compared with the direct measurements of helium concentration using an oxygen analyzing probe. The extended ART method shows an improved accuracy and is proposed to use to tomographically reconstruct the density-gradient projections over the previous Fourier convolution (FC) method (Liu et al. 1989).
A ruler for determining the position of proteins in membranes.

Both the oxygen diffusion rate and the oxygen solubility vary with depth into the interior of biological membranes. The product of these two gradients generates a single gradient, a permeability gradient, which is a smooth continuous function of the distance from the center of the membrane. Using electron paramagnetic resonance and the spin-probe method, the relaxation gradient of oxygen, which is directly proportional to the permeability gradient, is the quantity that can be directly measured in membranes under physiological conditions. The gradient obtained provides a calibrated ruler for determining the membrane depth of residues either from loop regions of membrane-binding proteins or from the membrane-exposed residues of transmembrane proteins. We have determined the relaxation gradient of oxygen in zwitterionic and anionic phospholipid membranes by attaching a single nitroxide probe to a transmembrane α-helical polypeptide at specific residues. The peptide ruler was used to determine the depth of pe...
Deterministic contact mechanics model applied to electrode interfaces in polymer electrolyte fuel cells and interfacial water accumulation

Abstract An elastic deterministic contact mechanics model is applied to the compressed micro-porous (MPL) and catalyst layer (CL) interfaces in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) to elucidate the interfacial morphology. The model employs measured two-dimensional surface profiles and computes local surface deformation and interfacial gap, average contact resistance, and percent contact area as a function of compression pressure. Here, we apply the model to one interface having a MPL with cracks and one with a crack-free MPL. The void size distributions and water retention curves for the two sets of CL|MPL interfaces under compression are also computed. The CL|MPL interfaces with cracks are observed to have higher roughness, resulting in twice the interfacial average gap compared to the non-cracked interface at a given level of compression. The results indicate that the interfacial contact resistance is roughly the same for cracked or non-cracked interfaces due to cracks occupying low percentage of overall area. However, the cracked CL|MPL interface yields higher liquid saturation levels at all capillary pressures, resulting in an order of magnitude higher water storage capacity compared to the smooth interface. The van Genuchten water retention curve correlation for log-normal void size distributions is found to fit non-cracked CL|MPL interfaces well.
Pollen Storage Effects on Early Seedling Growth in Maize

Maize (Zea mays L.) has been subjected to many generations of deliberate sporophytic selection followed, in each generation, by pollination with excess quantities of fresh pollen. Under this pollination procedure, extreme pollen genotype selection and variance reduction for genetic factors affecting pollen competitive ability could occur. Changes in this pollination scheme may amplify pollen transmission differences in these heterogeneous pollen populations previously exposed to pollen genotype selection. Extended pollen storage at 2°C prior to pollination has produced differential pollen transmission of alleles at various qualitative loci in maize (Pfahler 1974b). This storage effect has not been examined for quantitative characters associated with vigor and heterosis. Early seedling growth has been positively correlated with heterozygosity level and vigor expressed later in the life cycle (Whaley 1952).
Observations on the Stabilization of HIV Seroprevalence Among Injecting Drug Users

HIV seroprevalence among injecting drug users (IDUs) has stabilized in a large number of cities, including New York,1 Stockholm,2 Vienna,3 Amsterdam,4 San Francisco,5 and Innsbruck.6 This stabilization has occurred at very different levels of HIV seroprevalence, from the 50% in New York to the 12% in San Francisco. The precise reasons why the stabilization has occurred at such differing levels have yet to be determined, but probably include: the extent to which HIV had already spread among the local group of IDUs (prior to large-scale AIDS risk reduction); and the extent to which the local legal, geographic, and social organization of the “community” of IDUs facilitates the multi-person use of injection equipment. Stabilization of HIV seroprevalence among IDUs in various cities has now occurred often enough that it can be considered a “normal” outcome of an HIV epidemic among IDUs.
Supplementary Online Material, PASTA: ultra-large multiple sequence alignment

Supplementary Online Material for S. Mirarab, N. Nguyen, and T. Warnow. "PASTA: ultra-large multiple sequence alignment." To appear In Proc. ISMB 2014, 2014.
The Electrochemical Synthesis of Transition-Metal Acetylacetonates

The electrochemical synthesis of transition-metal acetylacetonates described here can form the basis of assisting in the transformation of an entry-level laboratory course into a research-like environment where all members of a class are working on the same problem, but where each member has a personal responsibility for the synthesis and characterization of a specific compound. General student-oriented protocols are described, and typical student results are presented.
Direct Evidence of Diffusion of Self-Interstitials in Silicon

High temperature (1200°C) HCI oxidation treatment has been employed to float-zone (FZ) silicon wafers (625µm thick) containing swirl defects in order to study their diffusion characteristics. In treated wafers, swirl defects can be eliminated from both surfaces up to a depth of ∼30µm. In the bulk of the wafers, however, large swirl defects (A-swirls) rearrange themselves into many small defects. The untreated portions of wafers contain large swirl defects (A-swirls) that extend up to both surfaces. Since swirl defects are primarily clusters of silicon self-interstitials, their rearrangement in the bulk and elimination from the surfaces demonstrate that migration of interstitials takes place on a large scale and is not confined to SiO2/silicon interface only. The above observations appear to provide direct evidence for the dominant role of self interstitials for diffusion mechanism in silicon at high temperature and can be rationalized in terms of an interstitialcy mechanism. Alternatively, however, dominance of interstitials can be related to a higher migration energy of vacancies proposed in a model where both species coexist at high temperature. The preference of one model over another must await theoretical calculations of diffusion energetics derived from both models.
FFT-based Alignment of 2d Closed Curves with Application to Elastic Shape Analysis

For many shape analysis problems in computer vision and scientific imaging (e.g., computational anatomy, morphological cytometry), the ability to align two closed curves in the plane is crucial. In this paper, we concentrate on rigidly aligning pairs of closed curves in the plane. If the curves have the same length and are centered at the origin, the critical steps to an optimal rigid alignment are finding the best rotation for one curve to match the other and redefining the starting point of the rotated curve so that the starting points of the two curves match. Unlike open curves, closed curves do not have fixed starting points, and this introduces an additional degree of freedom in the alignment. Hence the common naive method to find the best rotation and starting point for optimal rigid alignment has O(N2) time complexity, N the number of nodes per curve. This can be slow for curves with large numbers of nodes. In this paper, we propose a new O(N logN) algorithm for this problem based on the Fast Fourier Transform. Together with uniform resampling of the curves with respect to arc length, the new algorithm results in an order of magnitude speed-up in our experiments. Additionally, we describe how we can use our new algorithm as part of elastic shape distance computations between closed curves to obtain accurate shape distance values at a fraction of the cost of previous approaches.
315 IMPROVEMENT IN DOCUMENTATION AND DRUG DOSING AFTER IMPLEMENTATION OF A STANDARD ORDER SET FOR PEDIATRIC SEDATION.

Background Medical errors are common in hospitals. Pediatric sedation requires many dosage calculations and a plethora of available equipment. Thus, there are many possible medical errors. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine if preprinted forms and prepared packets for pediatric sedations at our institution would improve documentation compliance, reduce medication ordering errors, and thus reduce the number of adverse events during pediatric sedations. Methods Our pilot study includes 42 sedations before the intervention and 26 after the intervention. Charts were reviewed for correct dosage of medicine and completeness of medical documentation. Results The mean ages of the patients being sedated were 71 months in the “before” group and 45 months in the “after” group. After the implementation of preprinted physician orders, consent forms, and prepared packets, 4% of order forms and 11% of consent forms were still handwritten. One hundred percent documentation compliance on consent forms increased from 32% before to 69% after. Dating and timing of order forms decreased (98 to 73%; 81 to 65%), and ordering of resuscitation equipment, ASA class, listing of allergies, and postsedation orders increased (93 to 100%; 0 to 81%; 64 to 100%; 43 to 100%). Our procedure notes (PNs) and sedation monitoring forms (SMFs) were not changed in the process; documentation compliance increased 90 to 96% (PNs) and 81 to 100% (SMFs). Medications were ordered using mg/kg or mcg/kg in 56% of the handwritten order forms as compared to 100% on the preprinted order forms. Medication dosages for Versed, fentanyl for 12 years and younger, fentanyl for greater than 12 years, and ketamine that fell within the recommended dosage range using the Lexis-Comp9s Pediatric Dosage Handbook, 12th edition (± 10%) before using preprinted orders were 68%, 100%, 71%, and 67% compared with 100%, 95%, 100%, and 100% after implementation. Reversal agents were ordered using mg/kg in 56% before and 100% after. Handwritten orders did not have adequate reversals at all in 8% of patients. There were not enough adverse events in either group to show a difference between the two groups. Conclusions Using preprinted physician orders, consent forms, and prepared packets increased our documentation compliance in pediatric patients being sedated by the inpatient service. Medication dosage errors were decreased and ordering of reversals and resuscitation equipment increased by using the preprinted documentation packets.
Left atrial--left ventricular conduit for relief of congenital mitral stenosis in infancy.

Severe congenital mitral stenosis in the infant poses a difficult problem. We present the case history of an infant in whom a left atrial-left ventricular apical conduit was used to bypass a severely hypoplastic mitral valve. Associated coarctation of the aorta, patent ductus arteriosus, and ventricular septal defect were corrected at the same time. This method of circumventing the mitral valve offers a new approach to the relief of congenital mitral hypoplasia in small infants.
The road to “reader-friendly”: US newspapers and readership in the late twentieth century

AbstractReadership has always been a necessary element in news transmission, but it took on added importance with journalism's widespread commercialization in the 1800s. It became an increasingly urgent issue, particularly for US newspapers, toward the end of the twentieth century. Readership was unexpectedly in steady decline and the cause didn't appear to be clearly identifiable. As readers left, the print industry pulled together to find out why—and to strategize, collaboratively, on ways to win readers back, keep the ones they still had, and attract new ones. A key focus became making content “reader-friendly.” This paper delves deep into some of the dynamics and outcomes of that time. Newspaper readership continues to decline in the early part of the twenty-first century, but readership online is on the rise. The study suggests that readership itself may not have been the problem; newspaper readership was.
Rare Event-Prediction with a Hybrid Algorithm Under Power-Law Assumption

We present an algorithm for predicting both common and rare events. Statistics show that occurrences of rare events are usually associated with common events. Therefore, we argue that predicting common events correctly is an important step toward correctly predicting rare events. The new algorithm assumes that frequencies of events exhibit a power-law distribution. The algorithm consists of components for detecting rare event types and common event types, while minimizing computational overhead. For experiments, we attempt to predict various fault types that can occur in distributed systems. The simulation study driven by the system failure data collected at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) shows that fault-mitigation based on the new prediction mechanism provides 15 % better system availability than the existing prediction methods. Furthermore, it allows only 10 % of all possible system loss caused by rare faults in the simulation data.
Aintno: Demonstration of Information Accountability on the Web

Information Accountability aims to encourage responsible use of information by combining clearly expressed usage policies with systems for detecting misuse, and offering the social tools to provide redress. Unlike conventional access control systems, accountable systems allow access to the data, but specify the purposes for which that access is allowed via policies. Information consumers, in such a system, are implicitly bound by a contract (social or legal) to those policies and should be able to provide an account of how the information owner's data were used. However, most of the current systems on the Web are not accountable. We have developed a simplified information accountability model and built an experimental platform that allows individuals to explore how their information may be at risk. We present a scenario in which a person denied insurance can explore and determine exactly why he was rejected and what actions he can take to prevent such an action in the future. A number of open problems remain, including identifying necessary incentives for participants in an information accountability setting, determining the consequences of applying excessive usage restrictions, coping with information originating for arbitrary sources, and applying context to understanding how to interpret information.
Analysis on strategies of suppressing secondary arc current in UHV system with controllable shunt reactors

To solve the contradiction between UHV transmission line's over-voltage limitation strategy and its reactive power compensation strategy, China plans to apply controllable shunt reactors in its UHV system. The paper briefly introduces the UHV power transmission system using controllable shunt reactors. The structure and basic operating principle of the controllable shunt reactors is described. Through analyzing the characteristic of controllable shun reactors and the mechanism of secondary arc current, two strategies are proposed to suppress secondary arc current in the system with controllable shunt reactors. Their applicability is analyzed by simulation on China's planned UHV transmission project with controllable shunt reactors. The result shows that, when the neutral point of the controllable shunt reactors connects to the ground through a fixed reactor, by switching the capacity of controllable shunt reactors to the maximum capacity when a single phase to ground fault happens, the secondary arc current can be suppressed effectively.
Dosimetry in Micro-computed Tomography: a Review of the Measurement Methods, Impacts, and Characterization of the Quantum GX Imaging System

X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) is a widely used imaging modality in preclinical research with applications in many areas including orthopedics, pulmonology, oncology, cardiology, and infectious disease. X-rays are a form of ionizing radiation and, therefore, can potentially induce damage and cause detrimental effects. Previous reviews have touched on these effects but have not comprehensively covered the possible implications on study results. Furthermore, interpreting data across these studies is difficult because there is no widely accepted dose characterization methodology for preclinical μCT. The purpose of this paper is to ensure in vivo μCT studies can be properly designed and the data can be appropriately interpreted. Studies from the scientific literature that investigate the biological effects of radiation doses relevant to μCT were reviewed. The different dose measurement methodologies used in the peer-reviewed literature were also reviewed. The CT dose index 100 (CTDI100) was then measured on the Quantum GX μCT instrument. A low contrast phantom, a hydroxyapatite phantom, and a mouse were also imaged to provide examples of how the dose can affect image quality. Data in the scientific literature indicate that scenarios exist where radiation doses used in μCT imaging are high enough to potentially bias experimental results. The significance of this effect may relate to the study outcome and tissue being imaged. CTDI100 is a reasonable metric to use for dose characterization in μCT. Dose rates in the Quantum GX vary based on the amount of material in the beam path and are a function of X-ray tube voltage. The CTDI100 in air for a Quantum GX can be as low as 5.1 mGy for a 50 kVp scan and 9.9 mGy for a 90 kVp scan. This dose is low enough to visualize bone both in a mouse image and in a hydroxyapatite phantom, but applications requiring higher resolution in a mouse or less noise in a low-contrast phantom benefit from longer scan times with increased dose. Dose management should be considered when designing μCT studies. Dose rates in the Quantum GX are compatible with longitudinal μCT imaging.
Heart rate variability indices as bio-markers of top-down self-regulatory mechanisms: A meta-analytic review.

Abstract Theoretical perspectives posit that heart-rate variability (HRV) reflects self-regulatory capacity and therefore can be employed as a bio-marker of top-down self-regulation (the ability to regulate behavioral, cognitive, and emotional processes). However, existing findings of relations between self-regulation and HRV indices are mixed. To clarify the nature of such relations, we conducted a meta-analysis of 123 studies (N = 14,347) reporting relations between HRV indices and aspects of top-down self-regulation (e.g., executive functioning, emotion regulation, effortful control). A significant, albeit small, effect was observed (r = 0.09) such that greater HRV was related to better top-down self-regulation. Differences in relations were negligible across aspects of self-regulation, self-regulation measurement methods, HRV computational techniques, at-risk compared with healthy samples, and the context of HRV measurement. Stronger relations were observed in older relative to younger samples and in published compared to unpublished studies. These findings generally support the notion that HRV indices can tentatively be employed as bio-markers of top-down self-regulation. Conceptual and theoretical implications, and critical gaps in current knowledge to be addressed by future work, are discussed.
Fluorescence Energy Transfer Reagents for DNA Sequencing and Analysis

A novel set of fluorescent reagents for DNA sequencing and analyses was developed using a fluorescence energy transfer principle with synthetic chemistry. These reagents are markedly superior when compared to single dye-labeled primers and dideoxynucleotides in DNA sequencing and in PCR-fragment analysis. Examples of construction, characterization, and application of these fluorescent reagents are described.
Nontarget Losses of Granular Herbicide Applied to Container-grown Landscape Plants

Abstract Nontarget losses of granular material applied over widely spaced containers were reduced from 87% with a broadcast rotary applicator to 72–86% with a drop-type spreader and to 48–75% with a drop spreader modified to band apply the material. Plant species and container spacing configuration had a significant effect on material loss. With a drop spreader, losses ranged from a low of 10% with pot-to-pot spaced juniper to 86% with liriope on 30-cm centers. With a pot-to-pot hexagonal configuration, the losses varied from 10.2% with juniper to 19.9% with liriope. With a pot-to-pot square configuration, the losses varied from 15.1% with azalea to 31% with liriope. There were no significant differences in loss with the wide-spaced configuration with respect to plant species.
State Feminism in Soviet Central Asia:Anti-Religious Campaigns and Muslim Women in Tajikistan, 1953–1982

The Khrushchev regime viewed the patriarchal practices that still existed in rural Tajikistan as the primary reason for rural women’s lower educational rates and high unemployment in the republic. As a result, the state came to view the eradication of these practices as a prerequisite for women’s entrance into workforce and their subsequent liberation. The Khrushchev regime renewed its attack on religion and put the women’s councils (zhensovety) in charge of this campaign in rural Tajikistan. Analyses of the zhensovety’s propaganda messages as communicated from the regime in Moscow reveal the state’s unsophisticated understanding of rural culture and traditions in the Tajik periphery. Despite the regime’s overwhelming propaganda against Islam, the rural female populace of Tajikistan continued traditional religious practices.
Valvular Insufficiency and Heart Failure

Abstract Valve insufficiency or regurgitation is an important cause of heart failure (HF) in children and is most often due to a congenital valve abnormality. Leakage of the tricuspid and pulmonary valves leads to right-sided HF, while regurgitation of the mitral and aortic valves leads to left-sided failure. In all lesions, the affected ventricle suffers from chronic volume overload and ultimately failure of systolic function. In patients with HF due to valve insufficiency, medical therapy is largely ineffective leaving invasive surgical or transcatheter valve interventions as the cornerstone of therapy.
Phosphorylation potential and adenosine release during norepinephrine infusion in guinea pig heart.

This study tested the hypothesis that adenosine released from isolated guinea pig hearts in response to norepinephrine is related to the cellular phosphorylation potential (PP;(ATP)/(ADP)(P{sub i})), where P{sub i} is inorganic phosphate. {sup 31}P-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to measure the relative concentrations of P{sub i}, phosphocreatine (PCr), and ATP. After a control period, norepinephrine was infused for 20 min during which {sup 31}P-NMR spectra and samples of venous effluent were collected every minute. With norepinephrine infusion, PCr decreased rapidly to 72% of control by 8 min and then recovered to 80% of control for the remaining 12 min. ATP fell slowly to 70% of control over 20 min. P{sub i} increased to a peak at 2 min, then declined slowly to a steady state from 8 to 20 min. Adenosine release increased at 7 min and then slowly fell to a steady state from 10 to 20 min. There is hyperbolic relationship between adenosine release and PP; when the PP declines, a level is reached below which there is a rapid increase in adenosine release. These data support the hypothesis that adenosine release is regulated by the cellular PP as a closely related variable.
Soil and clay stabilization with calcium- and non-calcium-based additives: A state-of-the-art review of challenges, approaches and techniques

Abstract Soil stabilization is a technique to improve the engineering and geotechnical properties of soils such as mechanical strength, permeability, compressibility, durability and plasticity. Much has been learned about soil stabilization techniques and additives over the past century. The state of the practice in stabilization techniques and challenges is presented with a discussion. Moreover, available studies regarding the effects of various types of stabilizing agents on the engineering and geotechnical properties of stabilized soils are reviewed here. These stabilizing agents include both calcium-based and non-calcium-based additives. Eco-friendly additives as alternative materials to conventional stabilizing agents are also discussed in this paper. In addition, the problems associated with the presence of disruptive salts and sulfate as well as the techniques to overcome these problems in soil stabilization projects are reviewed.
Detecting accidental punctures and lacerations during cholecystectomy in large datasets: Two methods of analysis.

Abstract Background After the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report To Err Is Human highlighted the impact of medical errors, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) developed Patient-Safety Indicators (PSI) to improve quality by identifying potential inpatient safety problems. PSI-15 was created to study accidental punctures and lacerations (APL), but PSI-15 may underestimate APLs in populations of patients. This study compares PSI-15 with a more inclusive approach using a novel composite of secondary diagnostic and procedural codes. Methods We used Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data (2000–2012) from AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (H-CUP). We analyzed PSI-15-positive and -negative cholecystectomies. Cross tabulations identified codes that were significantly more frequent among PSI-15-positive cases; these secondary diagnostic and procedural codes were selected as candidate members of a composite marker (CM) of APL. We chose cholecystectomy patients for study because this is one of the most common general operations, and the large size of NIS allows for meaningful analysis of infrequent occurrences such as APL rates. Results CM identified 1.13 times more APLs than did PSI-15. Patients with CM-detected APLs were significantly older and had worse mortality, comorbidities, lengths of stay, and charges than those detected with PSI-15. Further comparison of these two approaches revealed that time-series analysis for both APL markers revealed parallel trends, with inflections in 2007, and lowest APL rates in July. Conclusions Although CM may yield more false positives, it appears more inclusive, identifying more clinically significant APLs, than PSI-15. Both measures presented similar trends over time, arguing against inflation in PSI-15 reporting. While arguably less specific, CM may increase sensitivity for detecting APL events during cholecystectomies. These results may inform the interpretation of other large population studies of APLs following abdominal operations.
General Considerations in Epidemiologic Research

Fundamental considerations in human research studies include the study design, study population, measurements of the study data, and procedures for follow-up. These characteristics bear directly on the ability of a study to answer the proposed question of interest.
Neuroimmunotoxicology of the heavy metal toxicant lead

Abstract Dynamic regulatory multidirectional interactions exist among the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems, which collectively are becoming known as the immune-neuroendocrine network (INEN). Several environmental toxins and toxicants are known to disrupt this network, including the heavy metal toxicant lead (Pb). The present review discusses how Pb affects cross-talk within the INEN and how this may impact health. Although it was first observed that Pb had profound deleterious effects on the nervous system, its adverse effects on the immune system became evident in the form of decreased host resistance to pathogens; the resulting inflammation may disrupt many organ systems. Pb may skew innate and adaptive T cells toward IL-4 secretion. The ability of Pb to polarize antigen-presenting cells (APCs) toward type 2 immunity may in part be due to increased oxidative stress within cells created by the presence of Pb and altered communication among organelles such as lysosomes, mitochondria, and peroxisomes. Increased oxidative stress with Pb is characterized by a decreased intracellular glutathione (GSH) concentration and an increased presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cytosolic calcium ions (Ca2 +). How these elements interact with mTOR signaling to affect neuronal, APC and lymphocyte function and viability as well as apoptosis and autophagy are discussed. Pb may directly increase the expression of pro-inflammatory factors in neurons or may indirectly affect neurons by Pb influences on glia or immune cells, which may lead to neuronal aberrance or death. Pb also may interfere with hypothalamus-pituitary-endocrine activities; compromised endocrine function may modify CNS and immune functions.