cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Selective Growth of Epitaxial Sr 2 IrO 4 by Controlling Plume Dimensions in Pulsed Laser Deposition

We report that epitaxial Sr2IrO4 thin-films can be selectively grown using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Due to the competition between the Ruddlesden-Popper phases of strontium iridates (Srn+1IrnO3n+1), conventional PLD methods often result in mixed phases of Sr2IrO4 (n = 1), Sr3Ir2O7 (n = 2), and SrIrO3 (n = ∞). We have discovered that reduced PLD plume dimensions and slow deposition rates are the key for stabilizing pure Sr2IrO4 phase thin-films, identified by real-time in-situ monitoring of their optical spectra. The slow film deposition results in a thermodynamically stable TiO2\\SrO\IrO2\SrO\SrO configuration at an interface rather than TiO2\\SrO\SrO\IrO2\SrO between a TiO2-terminated SrTiO3 substrate and a Sr2IrO4 thin film, which is consistent with other layered oxides grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Our approach provides an effective method for using PLD to achieve pure phase thin-films of layered materials that are susceptible to several energetically competing phases.
Whole Execution Traces

Different types of program profiles (control flow, value, address, and dependence) have been collected and extensively studied by researchers to identify program characteristics that can then be exploited to develop more effective compilers and architectures. Due to the large amounts of profile data produced by realistic program runs, most work has focused on separately collecting and compressing different types of profiles. In this paper we present a unified representation of profiles called Whole Execution Trace (WET) which includes the complete information contained in each of the above types of traces. Thus WETs provide a basis for a next generation software tool that will enable mining of program profiles to identify program characteristics that require understanding of relationships among various types of profiles. The key features of our WET representation are: WET is constructed by labeling a static program representation with profile information such that relavent and related profile information can be directly accessed by analysis algorithms as they traverse the representation; a highly effective two tier strategy is used to significantly compress the WET; and compression techniques are designed such that they do not adversely affect the ability to rapidly traverse WET for extracting subsets of information corresponding to individual profile types as well as a combination of profile types (e.g., in form of dynamic slices of WETs). Our experimentation shows that on an average execution traces resulting from execution of 647 Million statements can be stored in 331 Megabytes of storage after compression. The compression factors range from 16 to 83. Moreover the rates at which different types of profiles can be individually or simultaneously extracted are high.
Decitabine-Based Salvage Therapy in Adults with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Abstract Abstract 2063 Poster Board II-40 Introduction: Adults with primary refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have a poor prognosis with complete responses to salvage therapy from 13-15% and a median survival of 1.5-6 months[1, 2]. From 2006-2009, 79 patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia were given salvage chemotherapy with decitabine 20mg/m2 daily for 10 days or decitabine 20mg/m2 × 5 days with gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) 3mg/m2 on day 5 at Weill Cornell Medical Center. Methods: Medical records of 79 patients who received decitabine-based salvage therapy were reviewed from September 2006 through July 2009 at Weill Cornell Medical College. Survival was calculated by the Kaplan Meir method and differences in survival calculated by the log-rank test using STATA software. Results: Twenty-five patients received decitabine-based therapy as first salvage, 32 patients as second salvage, and 22 patients as third or greater salvage. Fifty-one patients were treated with decitabine/GO and 29 patients received decitabine alone. Median age of patients was 65.5 years with a range of 24 -89 years (first salvage 75 years, second salvage 62 years, and third or greater salvage 64 years). Median survival of all patients was 205 days, range 7-732 days. Overall 34% patients responded: 16% CR ( 1000 and Plts > 100,000) with median survival not yet reached; 5% CRp ( 1000 and plts 1. Sievers, E.L., et al., Efficacy and safety of gemtuzumab ozogamicin in patients with CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia in first relapse. J Clin Oncol, 2001. 19(13): p. 3244-54. 2. Giles, F., et al., Outcome of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia after second salvage therapy. Cancer, 2005. 104(3): p. 547-54. Disclosures: Off Label Use: Phase I trial of decitabine in AML is off-label .
Investigation of the Effect of Bilayer Composition on PKCα-C2 Domain Docking Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

The protein kinase Cα (PKCα) enzyme is a member of a broad family of serine/threonine kinases, which are involved in varied cellular signaling pathways. The initial step of PKCα activation involves the C2 subunit docking with the cell membrane, which is followed by interactions of the C1 domains with diacylglycerol (DAG) in the membrane. Notably, the molecular mechanisms of these interactions remain poorly understood, especially what effects, if any, DAG may have on the initial C2 docking. To further understand this process, we have performed a series of conventional molecular dynamics simulations to systematically investigate the interaction between PKCα-C2 domains and lipid bilayers with different compositions to examine the effects of POPS, PIP2, and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycerol (POG) on domain docking. Our results show that the PKCα-C2 domain does not interact with the bilayer surface in the absence of POPS and PIP2. In contrast, the inclusion of POPS and PIP2 to the bilayer resulted in strong dom...
Peer Group Ethnic Diversity and Social Competencies in Youth Attending Rural Middle Schools

This study examines concurrent and short-term longitudinal (i.e., academic year) relations between peer network racial/ethnic diversity and indicators of social and academic competence in a sample ...
The Challenge of Treating Myelodysplastic Syndromes/Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Myelodysplastic syndromes/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN) comprise a spectrum of myeloid disorders with both dysplastic and proliferative features, arising from hematopoietic stem cells. MDS/MPN are neither MDS nor MPN but a distinct World Health Organization-defined subclassification of diseases that, by definition, do not arise from a pre-existing MDS or MPN, inherently creating diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Appropriately recognizing and classifying MDS/MPN is paramount for appropriately formulating treatment strategies and accurate prognostication. Highlighting the unique molecular, morphologic, and clinical characteristics among the subclassifications of MDS/MPN can assist in the appropriate diagnosis and aid in choice of therapeutic strategies. We describe the challenges of the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of MDS/MPN.
SELFIE: Self-Aware Information Extraction from Digitized Biocollections

Biological collections store information with broad societal and environmental impact. In the last 15 years, after worldwide investments and crowdsourcing efforts, 25% of the collected specimens have been digitized; a process that includes the imaging of text attached to specimens and subsequent extraction of information from the resulting image. This information extraction (IE) process is complex, thus slow and typically involving human tasks. We propose a hybrid (Human-Machine) information extraction model that efficiently uses resources of different cost (machines, volunteers and/or experts) and speeds up the biocollections' digitization process, while striving to maintain the same quality as human-only IE processes. In the proposed model, called SELFIE, self-aware IE processes determine whether their output quality is satisfactory. If the quality is unsatisfactory, additional or alternative processes that yield higher quality output at higher cost are triggered. The effectiveness of this model is demonstrated by three SELFIE workflows for the extraction of Darwin-core terms from specimens' images. Compared to the traditional human-driven IE approach, SELFIE workflows showed, on average, a reduction of 27% in the information-capture time and a decrease of 32% in the required number of humans and their associated cost, while the quality of the results was negligibly reduced by 0.27%.
Cost-effectiveness of alternative strategies for provision of HIV preexposure prophylaxis for people who inject drugs.

BACKGROUND Oral HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been recommended as a means of HIV prevention among people who inject drugs (PWIDs) but, at current prices, is unlikely to be cost-effective for all PWID. OBJECTIVE To determine the cost-effectiveness of alternative strategies for enrolling PWID in PrEP. DESIGN Dynamic network model that captures HIV transmission and progression among PWID in a representative US urban center. OUTCOME MEASURES HIV infections averted, discounted costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. INTERVENTION We assume 25% PrEP coverage and investigate four strategies: first, random PWID are enrolled (Unselected Enrollment); second, individuals are randomly selected and enrolled together with their partners (Enroll Partners); third, individuals with the highest number of sexual and needle-sharing partnerships are enrolled (Most Partners); fourth, individuals with the greatest number of infected partners are enrolled (Most Positive Partners). RESULTS PrEP can achieve significant health benefits: compared with the status quo of no PrEP, the strategies gain 1114 QALYs (Unselected Enrollment), 2194 QALYs (Enroll Partners), 2481 QALYs (Most Partners), and 3046 QALYs (Most Positive Partners) over 20 years in a population of approximately 8500 people. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of each strategy compared with the status quo (cost per QALY gained) is $272 000 (Unselected Enrollment), $158 000 (Enroll Partners), $124 000 (Most Partners), and $101 000 (Most Positive Partners). All strategies except Unselected Enrollment are cost-effective according to WHO criteria. CONCLUSION Selection of high-risk PWID for PrEP can improve the cost-effectiveness of PrEP for PWID.
A Method for Identifying Midlatitude Mesoscale Convective Systems in Radar Mosaics. Part II: Tracking

AbstractThis research is Part II of a two-part study that evaluates the ability of image-processing and select machine-learning algorithms to detect, classify, and track midlatitude mesoscale conve...
The Value of Non-Pecuniary Characteristics of Crop Biotechnologies: A New Look at the Evidence

In this chapter we examine the non-pecuniary aspects of the earliest crop biotechnologies. We analyze the stated values of the non-pecuniary aspects, taken from three farm-level surveys. We focus particularly on the phenomenon of part-whole bias, which is the empirical finding that the sum of the stated part-worths (the value of each non-pecuniary characteristic) is greater than the stated total value of all the non-pecuniary characteristics. We analyze the empirical evidence of part-whole bias in the surveys, while decomposing it to further understand the phenomenon and to rescale the stated values of the non-pecuniary characteristics in the surveys. We find for all three surveys that the degree to which part-worths should be rescaled is about 60 percent.
Vibrational Instabilities and Pulsational Properties of Cool White Dwarfs

Attention is focused on those aspects of the theory that may be relevant in understanding the nature of ZZ Ceti-type variable white dwarfs. Recent calculations show that the opacity mechanism can drive a large variety of oscillation modes, including the ones that fit observed periods. An estimate of nonlinear effects shows that resonant mode coupling plays a dominant role in determining the finite amplitude behaviour of oscillations and is also probably responsible for rapid amplitude changes observed in these variables.
Collaborating to Compete: The Case of Northwest Ohio’s Greenhouse Industry

Faced with increasing international competition that is threatening their livelihood a number of greenhouse owners in northwest Ohio have adopted a cluster-based strategy in an attempt to remain competitive. Initiated and designed by university researchers and supported by funding from the United States Department of Agriculture this strategy centered around getting individual greenhouse owners to work collaboratively to address industry-wide challenges. The challenges addressed by this strategy are too large or too complex for individual growers to tackles by themselves. Challenges such as high energy costs and the lack of a market presence are beyond the scope of individual greenhouse owners to address.
A dynamic model of timber markets

Un modele theorique de la dynamique du marche des bois, fonction de la demande, de la croissance de la foret et du loyer foncier, est developpe. Un processus d'ajustement dans le temps a la suite de changements imprevus de la demande est analyse. Ce processus d'ajustement, prenant en compte les consequences a court et long terme des changements de conditions economiques, est caracterise par une variation brusque du prix initial, suivi d'une periode relative longue d'evolution des prix, de l'âge de recolte et des taux de recolte. Cette adaptation a l'evolution de la demande permet un retour a un etat d'equilibre, caracterise par une foret pleinement controlee, geree selon les rotations de Faustmann. Une simulation est effectuee avec une foret hypothetique de Pinus taeda
Paying the Hidden Bill: How Public Health Can Support Older Adults and Informal Caregivers.

The article explores how public health systems in the U.S. can support older adults and informal caregivers. Topics discussed include how informal caregivers, an unpaid labor pool, are the cornerstone of long-term care in the U.S., forming a national caregiving strategy and ways these caregivers could be paid through medicaid, paid sick leave and providing tax credits.
DETEKSI DINI KEBUNTINGAN PADA SAPI BALI MENGGUNAKAN ASAM SULFAT (H2SO4).

The purpose of this study was to determine the appropriate dosage, time and method of diagnosing pregnancy in Balinese cattle using a mixture of urine and aquadest which was reacted with Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4). This research was conducted in February - March 2018 in Bongo village, Wonosari sub-district, Boalemo Regency, Gorontalo Province. The material used is urine urine samples, which have been artificially inseminated. Concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) of 0.3 ml, 0.5 ml, 0.7 ml, 0.9 and 0.11 ml (according to treatment). The variables observed were fluorescence gas in solution, change in color of solution, time of change in solution. Data were analyzed using unidirectional variance analysis. The results showed pregnancy detection in Balinese cows who had been on IB in each treatment gave a very significant effect (P <0.01. The results of the BNT test revealed that the age of 6 days had the fastest time in detecting pregnancy with ± 6 seconds, at age 11 and 16 days have the fastest time in detecting pregnancy, with an average time of ± 5 seconds the pregnancy can be detected.
Small-Scale versus Large-Scale Spatial Reasoning: Educational Implications for Children Who Are Visually Impaired.

People process small-scale and large-scale spatial information differently. Although these differences are part of normal cognitive development, they may also be the result of substantial neurologi...
Cross-Sector Emergency Information Networks on Social Media: Online Bridging and Bonding Communication Patterns

A key challenge for public administrators is facilitating communication among diverse actors. This article illustrates the information seeking and sharing preferences of notable emergency informati...
Prebiotic amino acids bind to and stabilize prebiotic fatty acid membranes

The membranes of the first protocells on the early Earth were likely self-assembled from fatty acids. A major challenge in understanding how protocells could have arisen and withstood changes in their environment is that fatty acid membranes are unstable in solutions containing high concentrations of salt (such as would have been prevalent in early oceans) or divalent cations (which would have been required for RNA catalysis). To test whether the inclusion of amino acids addresses this problem, we coupled direct techniques of cryoelectron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy with techniques of NMR spectroscopy, centrifuge filtration assays, and turbidity measurements. We find that a set of unmodified, prebiotic amino acids binds to prebiotic fatty acid membranes and that a subset stabilizes membranes in the presence of salt and Mg2+ Furthermore, we find that final concentrations of the amino acids need not be high to cause these effects; membrane stabilization persists after dilution as would have occurred during the rehydration of dried or partially dried pools. In addition to providing a means to stabilize protocell membranes, our results address the challenge of explaining how proteins could have become colocalized with membranes. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and our results are consistent with a positive feedback loop in which amino acids bound to self-assembled fatty acid membranes, resulting in membrane stabilization and leading to more binding in turn. High local concentrations of molecular building blocks at the surface of fatty acid membranes may have aided the eventual formation of proteins.
Influence of Upstream Perturbations on Wall Heat Transfer via Large-Scale Motions

We propose a new method to separate the energetic large-scale motions (LSM) and small-scale motions (SSM) using proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) in a turbulent channel flow with spanwise jets for a frictional Reynolds number, \(Re_{\tau } = 394\). The results show that the upstream perturbations enhance streamwise heat flux via energetic LSM and also create a secondary peak of scalar production in the log-layer showing that the perturbations alter LSMs to enhance the heat transfer.
How to draw a dust storm

On the evening of 5 July 2011, a wall of dust barrelled in from the Sierra Madre Occidental in northern Mexico and gathered speed as it moved northwest through the Santa Cruz River Valley into Ariz...
The cultural construction of preterm birth in the United States

This commentary explores four features of the cultural construction of pregnancy and childbirth in the United States: risk categorization as an aspect of reproductive governance, medicalization, in...
RECURRENT MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION AFTER STEMI VS. NSTEMI

Recurrent myocardial infarction (MI) after index MI is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, but there is a paucity of evidence describing recurrent MI events. The purpose of this study was to assess the association of index MI type (ST-segment elevation MI, STEMI vs. non-ST-segment
Effect of sleep on upper airway dynamics in obese adolescents with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

STUDY OBJECTIVES The biomechanical basis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) may influence upper airway dynamics. In this study, we investigate dynamic changes during respiration in wakefulness and sleep in obese adolescents with and without OSAS. METHODS Respiratory-gated dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the retropalatal and retroglossal regions was performed with simultaneous measurement of SpO2 and nasal-oral mask airflow and pressure. Airway cross-sectional area (CSA) was determined using AMIRA. Percent change in CSA was calculated from five continuous tidal breaths in states of wakefulness and sleep. Mixed effects models were used to evaluate interactions between group (OSAS/control), site (retropalatal/retroglossal), and stage (wake/sleep). RESULTS We studied 24 children with OSAS (mean age 15.49 ± 2.00 years, mean apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] 16.53 ± 8.72 events/h) and 19 controls (mean age 14.86 ± 1.75 years, mean AHI 2.12 ± 1.69 events/h). Groups were similar in age, sex, height, weight, and BMI Z-score. Participants with OSAS had a 48.17% greater increase in percent change of airway CSA during sleep than controls (p < 0.0001), while there was no difference between groups during wakefulness (p = 0.6589). Additionally, participants with OSAS had a 48.80% increase in percent change of airway CSA during sleep as compared with wakefulness (p < 0.0001), whereas no such relationship was observed in controls (p = 0.5513). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates significant effects of sleep on upper airway dynamics in obese children with OSAS. Dynamic MRI with physiological data can potentially provide further insight into the biomechanical basis of OSAS and assist in more effective management.
Comment on “Statistical Issues and Recommendations for Clinical Trials Conducted During the COVID-19 Pandemic”

COVID-19 has imposed significant difficulties in the conduct and analysis of clinical trials. The full extent of the consequence of COVID-19 will not be known for some time. Nonetheless, the impact...
Outcomes for allogeneic stem cell transplantation in refractory mycosis fungoides and primary cutaneous gamma Delta T cell lymphomas

We report results on 23 patients with cutaneous T cell lymphoma (7 primary cutaneous γδ T cell lymphoma [PCGDT], 16 mycosis fungoides/Sezary syndrome [MF/SS]) who underwent allogeneic stem cell tra...
Kendall Heitzman. Enduring Postwar: Yasuoka Shōtarō and Literary Memory in Japan. Nashville: Vanderbilt up, 2019. 225 pp

Kendall Heitzman’s comprehensive and attentive Enduring Postwar: Yasuoka Shōtarō and Literary Memory in Japan is simultaneously a needed intervention in scholarship on post-World War II Japanese li...
“No nos importaba a nadie”: Navegando en la búsqueda del éxito académico en Oaxaca, México

Access to higher education, and success once there, depends on many variables. In this article, I unpack the major obstacles low income and indigenous high school and college students perceive that they face in Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico. In combination with a structural analysis of the context of Oaxaca based in comparative historical literature, I use political ethnography and qualitative interviews to situate testimonies from recent high school and college graduates about their schooling experiences and obstacles they face in the quest for academic and professional success. I document the matrix of obstacles students name in their educational pathways, including financial resources, mental health, motivation, Oaxacan political instability, physical insecurity, hostile school climates, and discrimination against indigenous people. I draw on the case study of a non-governmental academic support organization, the Institute for Community Integration and Counseling (IIAC), based in Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico.
Slaves Lives Matter

First-hand accounts are by far one of richest and most accurate methods of qualitatively collecting data. An in-depth look into the oppressed and complicated lives of slaves is certainly a story best told by the people that lived it. Slave narratives have proven to provide some of the most intimate details of Black lives during slavery. Contrary to what may seem to be the obvious summation of the slave experience, the slave narratives of those that survived slavery in Arkansas in the late 1800's, tell a surprisingly unexpected story. Their narratives tell a story of hope, faith, and forgiveness.
A new look at an old problem: A positive psychology lens on discrimination – identity builders and work-related outcomes

Abstract Although many scholars and practitioners continue to emphasize the benefits of a diverse workforce, discrimination remains an impediment to diversity and inclusion. For African Americans, who are uniquely stigmatized in the United States as descendants of enslaved people, merely having a “black name” or Afro-centric hairstyle can result in employment discrimination. Despite these outcomes, many African Americans remain resilient while facing discrimination. Utilizing positive organizational scholarship and the positive work-related identity typology as a framework, we propose a conceptual model that examines how African Americans' experiences enable them to shape a positive identity and serve as protective buffers against discrimination. Importantly, we suggest this identity process empowers African Americans to overcome discrimination, still perform well, and not voluntarily quit. We conclude with a discussion of our model's impact on African Americans and other stigmatized minorities and suggestions for future human resource management research and practice.
Lagrangian Deformation Tracking for Microwave Ablation Zones

Minimally invasive treatments, namely microwave ablation (MWA), show promise in extending liver cancer patients survival particularly when surgical resection and transplantation are not viable. However, for MWA, treatment success requires an imaging modality for visualizing ablative zones and margins. Ablative margins ideally contain 5–10 mm of normal tissue surrounding the tumor to reduce recurrence, while retaining as much normal functioning liver tissue as possible. Conventionally, this role is filled by contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) (clinical gold standard) however some shortcomings exist. An alternative approach, electrode displacement elastography, shows potential for visualizing ablation zones, yet motion artifacts from physiological motion degrade consistent delineation. We present a Lagrangian deformation tracking (LDT) algorithm to track tissue movement thereby reducing decorrelation noise and motion artifacts. Results are shown on a single spherical inclusion phantom scanned freehand with both qualitative and quantitative comparisons. In this paper, we demonstrate greater consistency among visualized LDT strain tensor images showing a standard deviation in inclusion radius of only 0.4 mm while conventional Eulerian tracking resulted in 1.5 mm over 0.5 seconds of tracking the 1.25 cm radius inclusion. Phantom results are validated using in vivo data on human subjects where consistency of LDT strain tensor tracking is demonstrated by the improved Dice and Pearson's correlation coefficient values obtained with respect to CECT, where the Eulerian approach performs worse when compared to LDT. Additionally, as Lagrangian tracking accumulates displacements over time, LDT increased visualization success rate from 75% seen with Eulerian tracking to 100% visualization. LDT therefore provides higher confidence that clinicians can determine ablative margins for defining ablation efficacy.
Stock Investors' Returns are Exaggerated

The stock market generates less wealth than it appears. We show that total shareholder return (TSR), the standard measure of stock investor performance, substantially exaggerates returns earned by these investors in aggregate, and thus by most investors. The main reason: from investors' collective perspective, dividends cannot be reinvested in public equity, as TSR assumes, but only in other lower-yielding assets. In addition, TSR is inflated by well-timed repurchases and equity issuances that merely transfer value among investors. We put forward another measure--"all-shareholder return" (ASR)--which better captures the wealth generated by the stock market for investors. We estimate that the ASR equity premium is 17 to 73% lower than the TSR-implied equity premium, depending on the investment alternative. We also estimate that the wedge between ASR and TSR is primarily driven by the reinvestment effect. However, over time, the reinvestment effect declines while the timing effect of cash flows increases, consistent with rising stock issuances and buybacks.
Coronary Artery Problems Late After Arterial Switch Operation for Transposition of the Great Arteries

Background The incidence of late coronary artery abnormalities after arterial switch operation (ASO) for d-loop transposition of the great arteries may be underestimated. Methods and results We retrospectively reviewed coronary artery morphology in 40 of 97 patients who survived the first year after ASO. Seven asymptomatic patients developed significant late coronary artery abnormalities. One patient died suddenly at home with severe left coronary artery (LCA) ostial stenosis at age 3.8 years. The second patient collapsed during exercise at age 9.6 years due to ventricular fibrillation and severe LCA ostial stenosis despite prior negative exercise stress test (EST) and myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). The third patient was found to have moderate ostial stenosis of the LCA with negative EST and MPI. The fourth patient with exercise-induced ST-T depression and myocardial perfusion defect was shown to have complete LCA occlusion with collateral vessel formation. Three other patients had complete proximal obliteration of either of the coronary arteries with collateral supply. An additional 4 asymptomatic patients had trivial-mild narrowing of the LCA on routine selective coronary angiogram. Conclusions Incidence of late coronary stenosis or occlusion was not infrequent after ASO (11.3%) and presented usually without preceding symptoms and often after negative non-invasive screening. We advocate routine coronary imaging in all patients after ASO before they participate in competitive sports.
The effects of acoustic variability on absolute pitch categorization: Evidence of contextual tuning

Absolute pitch (AP) is defined as the ability to label a musical note without the aid of a reference note. Despite the large amounts of acoustic variability encountered in music, AP listeners generally experience perceptual constancy for different exemplars within note categories (e.g., recognizing that a C played on a tuba belongs to the same category as a C played on a piccolo). The present studies investigate whether AP possessors are sensitive to context variability along acoustic dimensions that are not inherently linked to the typical definition of a note category. In a speeded target recognition task, AP participants heard a sequence of notes and pressed a button whenever they heard a designated target note. Within a trial the sequence of notes was either blocked according to note-irrelevant variation or contained a mix of different instruments (Experiment 1), amplitude levels (Experiment 2), or octaves (Experiment 3). Compared to the blocked trials, participants were significantly slower to respond in the mixed-instrument and mixed-octave trials, but not the mixed-amplitude trials. Importantly, this performance difference could not be solely attributed to initial performance differences between instruments, amplitudes, or octaves. These results suggest that AP note identification is contextually sensitive.
Sensação e conhecimento da existência do corpo nas Meditações de Descartes

O artigo examina duas maneiras como as concepcoes do sujeito meditante acerca da cognicao sensivel evoluem ao longo das Meditacoes , e procura argumentar que em cada caso a mudanca e menos radical do que se poderia pensar. A primeira maneira diz respeito a necessidade de oferecer um argumento satisfatorio para a existencia do corpo. O artigo mostra que nem esta necessidade nem o argumento indicam um compromisso com a tese de que nossa cognicao sensivel termina nas ideias e nao nas coisas corporais. Ou seja, Descartes nao defende uma concepcao que o compromete com um veu de ideias. A segunda maneira diz respeito a rejeicao da tese de que a cognicao sensivel envolve semelhanca. O artigo mostra que essa rejeicao nao significa que Descartes abandone uma descricao da cognicao sensivel em termos de estrutura partilhada substituindo-a por uma mera covariância causal. O que Descartes procura fazer e solicitar uma certa latitude na interpretacao da "semelhanca", latitude esta suficiente para que a realidade que percebemos sensivelmente possa existir em nossas mentes "obscuramente" e "confusamente", e tambem para que nao tentemos apreender a metafisica basica das qualidades sensiveis a partir de nossas ideias sensiveis e acabemos comprometidos com a concepcao de quente e frio, ou branco e verde, como realidades primitivas. Abstract In this paper, I have traced two ways in which the meditator's views on the senses evolve over the course of the Meditations , and I've argued that in each case the shift is less radical than one might have thought. First, the meditator comes to appreciate the need for an argument for the existence of body and find an argument that remedies that lack. The paper shows that neither the need nor the argument bespeaks a commitment to a veil of ideas; neither shows a commitment to the thesis that our sensory cognition terminates at ideas rather than in corporeal things. Second, the meditator comes to reject the resemblance thesis. The paper shows that this does not mean that the meditator throws over a picture of sensory cognition drawn in terms of shared structure in favor of mere causal covariance. Rather, what Descartes is really doing is asking for a certain amount of latitude in how we construe the "resemblance"â€”i.e., enough latitude so that the reality that we sense can exist in our minds "obscurely" and "confusedly" and enough so that we don't find ourselves trying to read the basic metaphysics of sensory qualities off from our sensory ideas and wind up committed to hot and cold or white and green as primitive realities. Recebido em 08/2009 Aprovado em 10/2009
A discrete element approach to elastic properties of layered geomaterials

SUMMARY Discrete element methods (DEMs) are used for layered geomaterials to investigate the dependency of traditional engineering constants on material properties and loading conditions. Shear deformations and compression tests parallel and perpendicular to layering are conducted on samples of varying kerogen volume fractions, confining pressures, porosities, and layer geometries. The goal of this article is to develop a method to better characterize oil shale (a transversely isotropic layered geomaterial) while eliminating high experimental costs. The DEM simulations conducted in this study demonstrate strong dependencies of Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and shear modulus on kerogen volume fraction and porosity. Furthermore, a rule of thumb for layer thickness and particle resolution is proposed for simulation design. Results agree well with robust effective medium theories, solidify the ability of DEM to model the mechanical properties of layered heterogenous materials, and encourage the use of DEM to study more complicated layered media and material failure. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Alignment of schlieren and Rayleigh optical systems in the ultracentrifuge. I. Focusing of the camera and cylindrical lenses.

Abstract Special efforts were devoted toward increasing the sensitivity and accuracy of focusing the camera and cylindrical lenses of the schlieren and interference optical systems of the ultracentrifuge. Through the use of appropriate masks containing double slots the sensitivity in focusing each of the lenses was enhanced considerably so that the lenses could be positioned properly to better than ±0.25 mm. In addition, much of the subjectivity in judging the correct focal position was eliminated. Equations were presented relating the physical and optical parameters of the various components of the system and tests were included which demonstrated the validity of the procedure. These equations permit the calculation of the correct position of the camera lens and the relevant magnification factor for any level in the ultracentrifuge cell such as the 2 3 position. This information is essential for accurate molecular weight determinations from high-speed sedimentation equilibrium experiments in which there are large concentration gradients near the bottom of the solution column.
Limited Engagements: Revisiting the Non-encounter between American Buddhism and the Shin Tradition

An apparent discrepancy exists between (on one hand) recent interests among non-Asian American Buddhists (that is, persons of European extraction, hereafter referred to as NAABs) in inventing a democratic, egalitarian form of the Buddhism and (on the other hand) the simultaneous, continuing disinterest regarding conversation with the large Shin Buddhist tradition in Japan. The discrepancy is not best explained by "Asian ethnicity" in the familiar sense. A better analysis considers the peculiar minority position of any relatively "communalist" religion in the USA. The sector of Americans who are currently communalist are Judeo-Christian and are not "shopping" for Buddhism; on the other hand the NAAB sector, which is looking for non-Christian alternatives, may express a surface interest in egalitarianism but at the same time favors individualistic, non-communalistic forms of religious practice. In the absence of deeper cultural shifts, the pattern suggests that social or "engaged Buddhism" in the USA will remain quite limited in scope.
Fast Isosurface Generation Using the Cell-Edge Centered Propagation Algorithm

Isosurface generation algorithms usually need a vertex-identification process since most of polygon-vertices of an isosurface are shared by several polygons. In our observation the identification process is often costly when traditional search algorithms are used. In this paper we propose a new isosurface generation algorithm that does not use the traditional search algorithm for polygon-vertex identification. When our algorithm constructs a polygon of an isosurface, it visits all cells adjacent to the vertices of the polygon, and registers the vertices to polygons inside the visited adjacent cells. The method does not require a costly vertex identification process, since a vertex is registered in all polygons that share the vertex at the same time, and the vertex is not required after the moment. In experimental tests, this method was about 20 percent faster than the conventional isosurface propagation method.
Heartbeat detection in a microwave monitor using an adaptive least squares lattice filter

A portable low-energy microwave device has been developed to monitor remotely a human hear rate in a hazardous environment. The chest wall is illuminated with a microwave signal. Heartbeat information is encoded in the microwave returns through Doppler shifts of the microwave signal caused by movement in the chest due to the heart beating. In order to gain insight into the development of a heartbeat-detection algorithm, autoregressive modeling of the microwave returns was performed. The results of this analysis showed that the heartbeat signal can be reasonably modeled as the output of a fourth-order all-pole filter excited by a train of impulses of varying weights. The analysis also indicated that the likelihood variable has a predictable pattern during one heartbeat. It is concluded that this approach can be used to detect heartbeat. >
A Social Neuroscience Perspective on Stress and Health.

Psychological stress is a major risk factor for the development and progression of a number of diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis, and major depression. A growing body of research suggests that long term, stress-induced activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may lead to increases in inflammation, which is known to play a key role in the pathophysiology of a variety of diseases. Furthermore, the burgeoning fields of social neuroscience and health neuroscience have begun to identify the neurocognitive mechanisms by which stress may lead to these physiological changes. Here we review the literature examining the neurocognitive correlates of stress-induced SNS, HPA, and inflammatory responses. Specifically, we summarize the results of neuroimaging studies that have examined the neural correlates of stress-related increases in SNS, HPA, and inflammatory activity. A set of neural systems involved in threat processing, safety processing, and social cognition are suggested as key contributors to stress-related changes in physiology. We conclude by offering suggestions for future research in the exciting new field of health neuroscience.
Late Pleistocene fault slip rate, earthquake recurrence, and recency of slip along the Pyramid Lake fault zone, northern Walker Lane, United States

[1] Up to 25% of Pacific-North America plate relative transform motion is accommodated east of the Sierra Nevada. Most of that 25% is taken up by deformation in the Walker Lane, a discontinuous zone of strike-slip and normal faults approximately parallel to the San Andreas. The Pyramid Lake fault zone is a northwest trending right-lateral fault in the northern Walker Lane, Nevada. Recent geodetic surveys report 6 ± 2 mm/year of right-lateral shear strain accumulation across the northern Walker Lane. Interpretation of displaced geomorphic features preserved in post-Lake Lahontan (∼15,500 cal. yr B.P.) surfaces indicate the Pyramid Lake fault zone has accommodated at least 2.6 ± 0.3 mm/year of right-lateral shear during the late Pleistocene. Additionally, a minimum of two earthquakes have occurred since deposition of the Mazama tephra (∼7630 cal. yr B.P.), and at least four earthquakes have occurred on the fault after desiccation of Lake Lahontan (∼15.5 ka), with the most recent earthquake occurring after 1705 ± 175 cal. yr B.P. The observations indicate that the Pyramid Lake fault zone accommodates the major portion (≥25%–70%) of right-lateral slip east of the Sierra Nevada at the latitude of ∼39°45′N.
HAMP: The CPU Domain of Bacterial Chemoreceptors

The transmembrane chemoreceptors that mediate chemotactic behaviors in E. coli contain a HAMP domain at the cytoplasmic face of the membrane that governs their input-output signaling transactions. The four-helix HAMP bundle receives stimulus signals from the periplasmic chemoeffector-binding domain via a five-residue control cable connection to a transmembrane helix (TM2). HAMP in turn, through its structural interactions with an adjoining four-helix methylation (MH) bundle, modulates the activity of CheA, a cytoplasmic histidine autokinase bound at the membrane-distal tip of the receptor molecule.To investigate the mechanism of HAMP signaling in Tsr, the E. coli serine chemoreceptor, my lab has characterized the serine sensitivities and response cooperativities of a large collection of mutant receptors that have amino acid replacements in the TM2 - control cable - HAMP - MH bundle region, using an in vivo FRET-based assay of CheA kinase activity.Signaling by wild-type Tsr follows a two-state model of shifts between kinase-activating and kinase-deactivating outputs. Both states correspond to ensembles of mutationally distinct HAMP conformations. A variety of HAMP structural lesions, including ablation of the entire domain, shift receptor output toward the kinase-on state, indicating that the signaling role of HAMP is not to activate CheA, but rather to down-regulate kinase activity in response to chemoattractant ligands. Stimulus signals from TM2 and the control cable probably trigger output responses by modulating the packing stability of HAMP: A loosely packed HAMP bundle allows kinase activity; a tightly packed HAMP bundle deactivates CheA. These signaling shifts occur through an opposing structural interplay of packing stability in the HAMP and MH bundles. Loosely packed methylation helices produce kinase-off output and serve as substrates for subsequent receptor modifications that enhance MH packing during the sensory adaptation phase of an attractant response.
The effect of aggregation on nonlinearity

This paper investigates the interaction between aggregation and nonlinearity through a monte carlo study. Various tests for neglected nonlinearity are used to compare the power of the tests for different nonlinear models to different levels of aggregation. Three types of aggregation, namely, cross-sectional aggregation, temporal aggregation and systematic sampling are considered. Aggregation is inclined to simplify nonlinearity. The degree to which nonlinearity is reduced depends on the importance of common factor and extent of the aggregation. The effect is larger when the size of common factor is smaller and when the extent of the aggregation is larger.
Archaeological site survey in wooded environments : A field study from the Tombigbee National Forest,, north-central Mississippi

The effects of soil screening have seldom been explicitly addressed in field studies designed to evaluate different site survey strategies. On the Tombigbee National Forest, north-central Mississippi, several quarter-sections that had been surveyed without screening in the 1980s were resurveyed using screens. The survey method involved using a combination intuitive/systematic approach, where areas of high site potential that fell between standard testing intervals were investigated. Besides shovel testing and screening, visual survey was used whenever conditions allowed. Nearly four times as many sites were found as had been previously recorded. The use of screens not only aided in the locating of sites, but also provided for more accurate measurements of site sizes. Data amenable to fine-scale chronological and wide-scale settlement pattern analyses were retrieved from the survey. The method yielded promising results while allowing for a relatively rapid rate of survey.
Mechanical behavior of hybrid hydrogels composed of a physical and a chemical network

Abstract High modulus, high strength hydrogels were prepared from crosslinked copolymers of N , N -dimethylacrylamide (DMA), 2-(N-ethylperfluoro-octane sulfonamido) ethyl methacrylate (FOSM) and cinnamoyloxyethylacrylate. These FOSM-Cinnamate hybrid hydrogels were composed of a physical network and a chemical network, both attached to the same polymer backbone, and the physical network was derived from a nanophase-separated microstructure of hydrophobic nanodomains. These hybrid hydrogels were viscoelastic with high shear modulus (30–400 kPa), which was mainly contributed by the physical crosslinks formed by the FOSM nanodomains. The covalent network provided a permanent shape for the hydrogel and the physical network provided a mechanism for high energy dissipation (tan δ reached values of 0.65 at high temperature). The dynamic properties were dependent on temperature, frequency and FOSM content. The hybrid hydrogels exhibited excellent tensile and compressive properties with tensile modulus of 51–184 kPa, ultimate tensile stress of 210–540 kPa, tensile elongation to break of 500–600%, fracture toughness of 52–188 J m −2 ; compressive modulus of 0.40–1.58 MPa, compressive strengths of 10.3–34.5 MPa and compressive strains of 80–85%. Compared to a physical hydrogel without covalent crosslinks, the hybrid hydrogels had much higher stiffness and strength, but lower extensibility. The hybrid hydrogels could be compressed over 80% without breaking and completely recovered their original shape when the stress was removed.
Phenytoin, methysergide, and penicillamine in hereditary muscular dystrophy of the chicken.

Abstract Chickens with an inherited muscular dystrophy (line 413) were treated from days 1 through 90 ex ovo with either phenytoin, methysergide, or d -penicillamine. Under the conditions of the study, phenytoin and methysergide were equally effective in improving the righting ability of dystrophic birds, but penicillamine had little or no effect. Phenytoin and penicillamine decreased the abnormally high creatine kinase activity in dystrophic plasma, but only phenytoin reduced the high acetylcholinesterase activity in plasma and fast-twitch muscles of dystrophic birds. Beneficial effects of methysergide and phenytoin were also shown in trials as short as 25 days. None of the treatments, improved the abnormal histological appearance of dystrophic muscles.
Slow Research: Thoughts for a Movement in Global Health

Slow research, like slow food, is good for health.The impetus for this article arises from a shared desire for rethinking our approach to Global Health. The field of Global Health, arising from the...