cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fractal Analyses of Steady Infiltration and Terrain on an Undulating Agricultural Field

Analysis of spatially distributed quasi-steady infiltration measurements is important because of the effects of infiltration capacity on spatial patterns of soil water, nutrients, and plant development and production. We explored fractal models of quasi-steady infiltration rates, emphasizing apparent changes in scaling exponents with domain size. Quasi-steady infiltration rates were measured using single-ring (0.30-m-diameter) constant-head infiltrometers at 150 locations over 10 landscape positions (30 by 30 m, or approximately 0.1 ha) across a field (approximately 100 ha). At each landscape position, 15 rings were distributed randomly in nested patterns. The field in northeastern Colorado comprises undulating agricultural terrain cropped with dryland winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) under conventional tillage. Data were analyzed for multifractal and monofractal behavior. A monofractal model fit the infiltration data best, while terrain attributes other than elevation deviated from monofractals to different degrees. The Hurst exponent ( H ) was estimated by fitting power-law variograms at different scales across the field. Values of H changed with the maximum lag distance, peaking near H = 0.9 at approximately 200 m, which represents a typical hillslope length. Spatial persistence in steady infiltration was not observed at long distances (>300 m). Using dense and sparsely sampled terrain attributes as proxy data indicated that the observed spatial scaling of infiltration was not solely due to the clustering of infiltration measurements. These results shed new light on research needed to address spatial variability of soil hydraulic properties, with implications for hillslope process interactions between land areas when modeling distributed infiltration, runoff and run-on, and plant water use.
Use of Transtelephonic Electrocardiography in Patients With Symptoms Suggesting Cardiac Arrhythmia

Fast or irregular heartbeats in childhood may be described as palpitations or fluttering in the chest or throat; they may or may not represent true arrhythmias. Documentation of these symptoms as true arrhythmias is imperative before treatment can be instituted but is difficult if these symptoms occur less than once a day or for a duration of less than one hour. No therapy is indicated if the symptoms arise from occasional ectopic beats or variations of sinus rhythm, and selection of those patients for whom therapy is indicated, as well as the selection of antiarrhythmic medication, is dependent on demonstration that the arrhythmia originates from a supraventricular or ventricular focus.
Atomistic modeling of alloy self-growth by vapor deposition: Ni and Al on NiAl(110)

A multisite lattice-gas (msLG) model with realistic and precise surface diffusion kinetics is applied to provide a reliable description of the initial stages of non-equilibrium self-growth of a NiAl alloy by simultaneous stoichiometric codeposition of Ni and Al on the NiAl(110) surface. Deposition at 300 K produces intermixing but poor alloy ordering. Increasing temperature enhances alloy ordering to near perfection at 600 K, but island shapes remain un-equilibrated.
Employee creativity and the role of risk

Creative efforts and creative outcomes are identified as distinct in employee creative performance. It is argued that an employee's willingness to take risks is an important antecedent of creative efforts. Behavioral consequences experienced by employees following creative efforts are discussed in relation to future creative efforts considered and the subsequent willingness to take risks. A model and propositions are developed to guide future research and are considered in light of the current creativity literature.
Study of Direct Quenching and Tempering Process of a Low Carbon Equivalent 960 MPa Grade Steel

The chemical composition of a 960 Mpa grade high strength steel with low carbon equivalent was designed. Effect of direct quenching and tempering process on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the experimental steel was studied. Results showed that fine lath martensite was obtained after controlled rolling and direct quenching. With tempering temperature increasing, the mechanical properties showed different trends for different tempering stages. And this had a direct relationship with the microstructure evolution. The matrix recovery softening, carbon desolution and precipitation of nanomicroalloy carbides influenced the strength change. With increase of tempering time, the strength decreased and toughness improved. Experimental steel tempered at 450 °C for 40min could obtain the best mechanical properties, which meet the requirement with a large impact energy margin.
Linkages between below and aboveground communities: Decomposer responses to simulated tree species loss are largely additive

Inputs of aboveground plant litter influence the abundance and activities of belowground decomposer biota. Litter-mixing studies have examined whether the diversity and heterogeneity of litter inputs affect decomposer communities in ways that can be predicted from monocultures. They have mainly attempted to detect non-additive effects of litter mixing, although individual species effects (additivity) as well as species interactions (non-additivity) may alter decomposition rates. To determine potential impacts of plant species loss on aboveground-decomposer linkages, we assessed both additive and non-additive effects of litter mixing on decomposer communities. A full-factorial litterbag experiment with leaves from four deciduous tree species was conducted, to assess responses of bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and microarthropods. Data were analyzed using a statistical method that first looked for additive effects based on the presence or absence of species and then any significant species interactions. We observed almost exclusively additive effects of all four litter species on decomposer biota, with each species exerting effects on different aspects of the community. These results imply that the consequences of species loss for the decomposer community will be largely predictable from knowledge of single species litter dynamics. The two species at opposite ends of the quality spectrum exerted the most effects. HighqualityLiriodendron tulipiferasupported a more diverse arthropod community and drove bottom-up effects on the decomposer food web. Low-qualityRhododendron maximumhad negative effects on most groups of biota. Litter of mid-quality species exerted fewer effects. The influence of litter species richness on the Tylenchidae (nematodes) was the only non-additive effect of litter mixing. Together, these data demonstrate an effect of plant community composition on decomposer biomass, abundance, and diversity, confirming a link between above and belowground communities. We were able to identify the species to which the decomposer community is most sensitive, aiding predictions of the consequences of the loss of these dominant species on the decomposer community, with potential feedbacks for organic matter and nutrient turnover.
Elucidation of adsorbate structure and dynamics from photofragment angular distributions

The dynamics of photofragments produced in ordered molecular layers adsorbed on surfaces are intimately connected to the electronic properties of the surface and the physical structure of the layer. These dynamics have been most often studied by examining the gaseous fragments expelled into the vacuum by using angularly-resolved time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS), with or without internal (vibrational and rotational) state selectivity. The angular distribution of these fragments can be correlated with collisional encounters that occur in specific oriented and aligned geometries. Controlling the adlayer structure, and hence the photodynamics, is therefore a possible method for control of surface chemical reaction. Examples from recent studies of methyl halides adsorbed on LiF(001), NaCl(001), MgO(001) and TiO2(110) will be presented to illustrate how angle- resolved TOF-MS data can be used to provide insight into both the structure and photodynamics of adsorbed molecules. In at least one of these cases, the unique collision dynamics of the adsorbed state produced reaction products that were not observed in gas phase molecule photochemistry.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
From Idealized to Actualized Instruction: Two Elementary Teachers’ Enactment of the ELA Common Core State Standards in Instructional Scripts

Educational policies in the United States often adhere to society’s ideal scenario for the perfect college and career ready student, but the realities of and differences in classroom instruction are often not considered. Whether or not policies will effectively improve student performance is unknown until implementation. The Common Core State Standards were designed to create equitable learning opportunities for all students, readying them to enter America’s workforce and higher education institutions. This study investigates the first year of implementation of the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards and highlights the literacy learning opportunities presented to students in two primary classrooms. The current study pairs a cultural historical activity framework with Gutierrez’s script analysis to illustrate how two teachers’ instructional scripts altered students’ meaning-making opportunities when using the same literacy curriculum standards.
The perceived visual similarity of realtors: an exploratory study

Subjects rated the (dis)similarity of pair–wise combinations of female and male salesperson realtors. The selected realtors represent the range of appearance features, in terms of physical traits, grooming, and adornment. Subject responses were analysed using multidimensional scaling (MDS) to generate male and female perceptual maps, with 19 female and 19 male realtors shown as points in their respective appearance spaces. Their relative positions are interpreted to determine which aspects of appearance most differentiate between them. Those aspects that most differentiate between women realtors are hair length, mode of dress, apparent age, and hair colour, in that order. Those aspects that most differentiate between male realtors are apparent age, hair colour, and mode of dress. Other visual elements playing lesser differentiating roles are eyeglasses and, for men, facial hair. Based upon the findings, theoretical and managerial implications are presented.
Too Lonely to Die Alone: Internet Suicide Pacts and Existential Suffering in Japan

Most striking in the recent rise of suicide in Japan are the increase in suicide among young Japanese and the emergence of Internet suicide pacts. An ethnography of suicide-related Web sites reveals a distinctive kind of existential suffering among visitors that is not reducible to categories of mental illness and raises questions regarding the meaning of an individual “choice” to die, when this occurs in the context of an intersubjective decision by a group of strangers, each of whom is too afraid to die alone. Anthropology’s recent turn to subjectivity enables analyses of individual suffering in society that provide a more nuanced approach to the apparent dichotomy between agency and structure and that connect the phenomenon of suicide in Japan to Japanese conceptions of selfhood and the afterlife. The absence of ikigai [the worth of living] among suicide Web site visitors and their view of suicide as a way of healing show, furthermore, that analyses of social suffering must be expanded to include questions of meaning and loss of meaning and, also, draw attention to Japanese conceptions of self in which relationality in all things, including the choice to die, is of utmost importance.
A Bypass Transition Model Based on the Intermittency Function

An intermittency model that is formulated in local variables is proposed for representing bypass transition in Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) computations. No external data correlation is used to fix transition. Transition is initiated by diffusion, and a source term carries it to completion. A sink term is created to predict the laminar region before transition, then it vanishes in the turbulent region. Both the source and sink are functions of a wall-distance Reynolds number and turbulence scale. A modification is introduced to predict transition in separated boundary layers. The transition model is incorporated with the k−ω RANS model. The present model is implemented into a general purpose, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. The model is validated with several test cases. Decent agreement with the available data is observed in a range of flows.
Context optimization for SIMD execution

One issue that SIMD compilers must address is generating code to change the machine context, i.e., disabling processors not involved in the current computation. We present two compiler optimizations that reduce the cost of context changes. The first optimization, context partitioning, reorders the Fortran 90 code so that as subgrid loops are generated, as many statements as possible that require the same context are placed in the same loop nest. The second optimization, context splitting, splits the iteration space of the subgrid loops into sets that have invariant contexts. This allows us to hoist the code that sets the machine context out of the subgrid loops. >
David Kolb's Experiential Learning Machine

This article is a review of David Kolb's program of work on learning styles and experiential learning, which I find to be a problematic instance of psychologism. I argue that Kolb's approach ignores the process nature of experience and that attractive as it may be instrumentally, it ultimately breaks down under the weight of its structuralist reductions. Kolb attempts to account for experiential learning without a coherent theory of experience, such as might have been found in phenomenology, which he virtually ignores. Thus, Kolb neglects the constitutive effects of the noetic-noemic corelationship and the intentional reality of the person. I contrast Kolb's formulations with John Dewey's much more resilient conception of "habit" and close with a critical analysis of various ways in which Kolb's learning-style instruments are used for aggressive intervention in people's lives.
Role of the amygdala in fear extinction measured with potentiated startle

Although much is now known about the neural basis of excitatory fear conditioning, much less is known about the neural basis of inhibitory conditioning. One type of inhibitory conditioning is extinction, a process in which stimuli that elicit fear by virtue of previous associations with aversive stimuli such as shock (excitatory fear conditioning) are now presented in the absence of the aversive stimuli (extinction training). As a result, the ability of the conditioned stimulus to elicit fear gradually diminishes. Extinction is different from forgetting and does not reflect an erasure of the original fear memory. Instead, extinction is an active form of inhibitory learning that competes with excitatory fear conditioning. Infusions into the amygdala (a brain area essential for excitatory fear conditioning) of either NMDA receptor antagonists or inhibitors of the NMDA-receptor-linked mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade block extinction learning. Conversely, the NMDA receptor agonist D-cycloserine facilitates extinction after either systemic administration or intra-amygdala infusion. Because therapeutic interventions based on extinction procedures are commonly used to treat fear disorders, and because D-cycloserine is a widely available and safe compound, D-cycloserine or similar agents might be usefully combined with traditional extinction-based approaches in the treatment of clinical fear.
Effect of Fading Knowledge of Results on Acquisition, Retention, and Transfer of a Simple Motor Task

45 subjects employing procedures for continuous, intermittent, or faded knowledge of results exhibited for drawing a 7.5-cm line no significant difference in acquisition, retention, or transfer to a 5-cm line.
ANTI-LITTER PROCEDURES IN AN URBAN HIGH-DENSITY AREA†

In urban high-density areas, litter has become an increasingly obvious and pervasive problem. In the present study, repeated measures of the amount of litter on randomly selected yards in an urban low-income housing project were used to evaluate the effectiveness of a series of anti-litter procedures directed at the children residing in the project. Paying children for volume of trash collected resulted in only a small decrease in the number of litter pieces present. Paying them for cleaning assigned yards markedly decreased the level of litter in all sampled yards. Thus, children can be employed to maintain a clean neighborhood in spite of the rapid accumulation of new litter in urban yards.
A National Survey of the Assessment and Treatment of Pain and Agitation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

A national survey was conducted to determine beliefs about neonatal pain and agitation, current methods of assessment, and standards for treatment. The results indicated a lack of consistency in both attitudes and practices among neonatal intensive care unit staff with regard to pain assessment and management in neonates. Methods for assessing the presence of pain or evaluating the effectiveness of treatment appeared inadequate for critically ill infants, particularly intubated and paralyzed infants. Agitation in neonatal intensive care unit infants was identified as a problem by a majority of the respondents surveyed. Infants with chronic lung disease were identified as being particularly affected by agitation. These infants were noted to have an increased incidence of feeding problems and were more often medicated for agitation.
Thoracocentesis: Clinical Value, Complications, Technical Problems, and Patient Experience

A prospective study of 129 consecutive thoracocentesis in 86 patients at a university medical center evaluated the clinical value, complications, and patient experience with thoracocentesis. Pleural fluid analysis in conjunction with the clinical presentation placed 78 pleural fluids into diagnostic categories: definitive 14 (18 percent), presumptive 44 (56 percent), and nondiagnostic 20 (26 percent). Fourteen of 78 (18 percent) of the nondiagnostic fluids were useful, while only six (8 percent) were not useful clinically; therefore, 92 percent of thoracocentesis provided clinically useful information. Using sequential data analysis, initial diagnostic categorizations of eight of 78 patients were upgraded from presumptive or nondiagnostic to definitive based on data available 24 hours following thoracocentesis. Thus, 70 patients were categorized based on the pleural fluid data obtained within the first 24 hours of thoracocentesis. Thirty-four objective complications occurred in 26 of 129 (20 percent) thoracocentesis. The most common complications were pneumothorax, 15 of 129 (12 percent), and cough, 12 of 129 (9 percent). Sixty-five subjective complications occurred in 56 of 123 (46 percent) thoracocentesis. Anxiety, 26 of 123 (21 percent), and site pain, 24 of 123 (20 percent), were the most common subjective complications noted. Thirty technical problems occurred in 129 (23 percent) thoracocentesis with blood contamination, 14 of 129 (11 percent), and dry tap, nine of 129 (7 percent), being the most common. We conclude that diagnostic thoracocentesis is a clinically valuable procedure if used in conjunction with the patient presentation with an understanding of its limitations for providing a specific etiologic diagnosis. When performed by physicians in training, the number of complications are substantial and the operator often underestimates the degree of patient discomfort. Awareness of the clinical value and complications of thoracocentesis should lead to improved use and safety of this procedure.
Intensive and Temporal Determinants of Thermal Pain

The search for peripheral neural determinants of pain is aided by the attempt to correlate measurements of pain sensation with neural activity in peripheral afferent nerve fibers. Those fibers that respond only to noxious stimulation of their receptive fields are called “nociceptive afferents” and their distal endings, “nociceptors”. The word “nociceptive” is derived from the Latin word for “injury”; yet a biologically useful function of neural activity in nociceptive afferents may be to evoke pain in order to signal the threat of injury before it actually occurs (Burgess and Perl, 1973). Evidence for this comes from the close correlation between neural activity in nociceptive afferents in the peripheral nerve of conscious humans and simultaneous reports of pain during noxious stimulation of the skin (Torebjork and Hallin, 1974; van Hees and Gybels, 1972). Heating the skin is an effective method of quantifying noxious stimulation. It is well known that the magnitude of pain, evoked by heating the skin, is determined to a large extent by the stimulus temperature. Much less is known about the temporal determinants of pain and the way is which the duration and frequency of heating interact with intensity to influence the magnitude of pain. I will describe our analyses of these variables in psychophysical studies in humans, and in studies of heat-sensitive nociceptors in the monkey.
Delayed Reinforcement Effects

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with the effects of the delay of reward or the time interval separating response from reward. Although some of the more important animal studies are reviewed, the emphasis is on research with human subjects (Ss), particularly children. Research dealing with individual differences in the ability to delay gratification of desires is also reviewed. It is believed that an analysis of the characteristics of those who are able to postpone reinforcement in anticipation of long-range rewards may yield useful information about the mechanisms involved in learning under delayed reinforcement conditions. A review of animal studies is also included. Experimental research with children is reviewed and experiments employing adults as Ss are examined. Cross-cultural investigations of children's preferences for immediate and delayed reward are also reviewed. The results of studies at the human level, especially with children, are much more contradictory and difficult to interpret. This is, in part, because of the fact that the experimental conditions prevailing in the experiments with human Ss differ sharply. Finally, the chapter discusses theoretical considerations and conclusions relating to the research reviewed.
The scope and limits of simulation in automated reasoning

In scientific computing and in realistic graphic animation, simulation - that is, step-by-step calculation of the complete trajectory of a physical system - is one of the most common and important modes of calculation. In this article, we address the scope and limits of the use of simulation, with respect to AI tasks that involve high-level physical reasoning. We argue that, in many cases, simulation can play at most a limited role. Simulation is most effective when the task is prediction, when complete information is available, when a reasonably high quality theory is available, and when the range of scales involved, both temporal and spatial, is not extreme. When these conditions do not hold, simulation is less effective or entirely inappropriate. We discuss twelve features of physical reasoning problems that pose challenges for simulation-based reasoning. We briefly survey alternative techniques for physical reasoning that do not rely on simulation.
Ten Indicators of a Potential Problem Client

It has perhaps never been more important that a tax professional make wise decisions as to which clients to serve. A more aggressive enforcement effort by the IRS, the existence of ever more exotic tax planning devices, and swings in the economic successes and failures of the client all have raised the stakes for the tax professional in working ethically as the taxpayer's advocate in an engagement. There are a number of "red flag" indicators that must be observed and contemplated by the tax professional, any one or more of which might serve as a tip-off that it may be time to reconsider whether the client should be retained.
Effective Organizational Structures and Processes: Addressing Issues of Change

This chapter describes organizational structures and processes at the institutional and project levels for the development and support of distance learning initiatives. It addresses environmental and stakeholder issues and explores principles and strategies of effective leadership for change creation and management.
13C NMR spectroscopy for the quantitative determination of compound ratios and polymer end groups.

13C NMR spectroscopic integration employing short relaxation delays was evaluated as a quantitative tool to obtain ratios of diastereomers, regioisomers, constitutional isomers, mixtures of unrelated compounds, peptoids, and sugars. The results were compared to established quantitative methods such as 1H NMR spectroscopic integration, gas chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography and were found to be within <3.4% of 1H NMR spectroscopic values (most examples give results within <2%). Acquisition of the spectra took 2–30 min on as little as 10 mg of sample, proving the general utility of the technique. The simple protocol was extended to include end group analysis of low molecular weight polymers, which afforded results in accordance with 1H NMR spectroscopy and matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight spectrometry.
All-optical message encoding, double bit error detection and single bit error correction

The feasibility of a complete all-optical message encoding, error detection and correction system based in the (7,4) Hamming code is demonstrated. The results show a realistic optical simulation working at 10 Gbps.
Induction of interferon in lymphoblastoid cell lines.

SummaryLymphoblastoid cell lines derived from normal individuals and from patients with a variety of myelo- and lym-phoproliferative disease states were examined for spontaneous interferon production. Interferon was synthesized by 17 of 21 lines investigated. No correlation was found with the disease state, and cultures from normal individuals produced interferon. Interferon production by lymphoblastoid cell lines is not correlated with infection of the cultures by EBV. The other nonviral inducers of interferon were studied and excluded as being responsible for the spontaneous production. It is proposed that interferon production by these cell lines is the result of a derepression of gene expression associated with the lymphoblastoid state analogous to interferon synthesis induced by lymphocyte mitogens.The senior author is grateful to several investigators for helpful discussions during the course of this work: to Drs. M. A. Fink, and M. Goldman, immunofluorescence of EBV; Drs. J. A. Rose, K. Berns, and ...
CFD-Based Optimization of a Flooded Bed Algae Bioreactor

Algae show great potential as an energy feedstock, but its production costs must be reduced to be competitive with traditional energy sources. To this end, CFD-based (computational fluid dynamics-based) optimization studies provide a robust method of determining the maximum algae production. This study presents a framework for maximizing algae production in a packed bioreactor using an artificial neural network as the reduced order model of a reactive computational fluid dynamics simulation of algae growth. The optimized reactor with the kinetic properties of Chlorella species is presented and discussed. It is concluded that convection vortices centered on the packed region, caused by low column aspect ratios (height-to-diameter) and high ratios of gas to liquid Reynolds numbers, produce higher algae growth rates.
Epidemiological analysis of measles in Tongzhou district,Beijing during 2006～2010

Objective To study epidemiological characteristics of measles in Tongzhou district,Beijing during 2006~2010 to provide scientific evidence for its control and elimination.Methods Descriptive epidemiological method was used in data analysis.Results During 2006-2010,a total of 727 cases of measles were reported,with an average annual incidence of 13.19 per 100000;and 61.21 percent of the cases occurred in March to May.Towns of Ciqu,Yongshun,Liyuan,Maqiao and Xinhua ranked the top five places in measles incidence.Incidence of measles in 0-yeas-old group was the highest among all age-groups and 18.98 percent of measles cases were vaccinated before onset,whereas 43.47 percent did not have immunization history.Conclusion Measles mainly aggregated in the areas lived by dense floating population and in children less than one year old.The important way to control and eliminate measles is enhancing and improving regular measles immunization,paying attention to prevention and control of measles in adults,as well as strengthening its surveillance and monitoring.
Development and Application of Quality Inspection and Management Platform of Measuring Instruments for Electric Power

A quality inspection and management platform of measuring instrument for electric power is introduced.Quality inspection and management of measuring instruments for electric power is achieved via this platform,which provides functions of quality analysis and evaluation by varieties and manufacturers,and streamlined and information-based quality inspection and management of measuring instruments for electric power is implemented.The platform has been put into operation in Guangdong Power Grid Corporation,and preferable results of application have been obtained.
Intestinal perfusion studies in tropical sprue. I. Transport of water, electrolytes, and d-xylose.

Segmental jejunal perfusion studies were performed to assess water, sodium, chloride, and d-xylose transport in 10 carefully selected patients with untreated tropical sprue who had diarrhea at the time of perfusion, and in 8 control subjects. All of the patients with tropical sprue were found to be in a net secretory state in regards to water, sodium, and chloride as compared with control subjects. d-Xylose absorption was impaired in patients with tropical sprue as compared with control subjects. A significant correlation was demonstrated between the absorption of xylose as measured by the segmental perfusion technique and the 5-hr urinary xylose excretion as well as the peak serum xylose level obtained with a standard xylose absorption test utilizing a 25-g dose of xylose when combined data from control and tropical sprue subjects are analyzed. The net secretory state for water, sodium, and chloride observed in patients with tropical sprue may be of relevance in explaining, at least partially, the pathogenesis of the diarrhea seen in this syndrome. Contamination with coliform bacteria has been reported in tropical sprue, and, more recently, certain of these organisms have been shown to produce enterotoxins. Whether these enterotoxins account fully for the derangements in water and electrolyte transport found present in patients with tropical sprue remains undetermined.
Cerebrovascular responses to soman: time and dose dependent effects.

The effects of convulsant and subconvulsant doses of soman on cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and permeability-capillary surface area products (rPS) were examined in 15 brain regions at 1 hr, 24 hr and 1 week after injection in male, Sprague-Dawley rats. Brain histology was examined 3 days after injection. A convulsant dose of soman 170 μg/kg, sc) produced large increases in blood flow in all brain regions 1 hr after injection. Such elevations were still observed in 7/15 brain regions 1 day later and in 2/15 regions (septal area and basal ganglia) 1 week later
Risk stratification by cardiac computed tomographic angiography: key questions?

The importance of risk stratification in the management of symptomatic patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease is well recognized. Risk stratification not only informs the clinician's response to queries regarding prognosis but also helps the clinician choose appropriate therapy.1 Cardiac computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) is a relatively new tool for this purpose. Single-center studies have suggested its potential utility in estimating the prognosis of patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD).2 In this issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging , Chow et al3 report the findings of a large international multi-center registry (CONFIRM) that examines the value of CCTA for risk stratification. The strengths of the study include its large size (27 125 patients), its multicenter nature (12 participating centers in 6 different countries), its prospective nature, and the use of all-cause mortality as an end point. Although the authors describe their use of all-cause mortality as a potential limitation, Lauer et al have argued that this end point is actually preferred.4 Article see p 463 To their credit, Chow et al performed a stepwise analysis incorporating first clinical variables, then clinical variables and the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by CCTA, and then clinical variables, LVEF, and CAD severity assessed by CCTA. The authors also calculated the net reclassification improvement. This approach tries to quantify the prevalence of clinically meaningful change in individual patients. Past studies considered this concept,5,6 but statistical rigor has recently been added.7 The authors conclude that CCTA measures of LVEF and CAD severity are incremental to clinical variables in predicting all-cause mortality. These results add significantly to the evidence base for CCTA. The remainder of this editorial will consider the implications of these data for the evidence-based clinician evaluating a symptomatic patient with suspected …
Interruptions of time: The coverage of the missing Malaysian plane MH370 and the concept of ‘events’ in media research:

The article makes a case for foregrounding ‘event’ as a key concept within journalism studies before, during, and after the digital age. The article’s first part presents an overview of the existing research on events in philosophy, sociology, historiography, and journalism studies, arguing that the concept of ‘event’ has not received sufficient attention in journalism studies. The article’s second part demonstrates the need to consider ‘event’ as an essential concept of journalism studies through an empirical case study: the news coverage of the disappeared Malaysian Airlines plane MH370 (8 March 2014) in four American news outlets, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and CNN. This article argues that journalists employed two strategies in their coverage: (1) they created and/or covered what the article calls ‘substitute events’, defined as minor events in the present that journalists perceived as new happenings and that led to further reporting and (2) turned to the past and...
Health, Disease, and the Basic Aims of Medicine

The concepts, health and disease, have received considerable attention in philosophy of medicine. The first goal of this paper is to demonstrate that three prominent analyses of health and disease can be synthesized if one assumes that medicine is both theoretical and practical, and, therefore, value-laden. The second goal of this paper is to give an account of one route by which evaluative and factual claims come together in medical knowledge, during medical conversations between clinicians and patients. Accomplishing these two goals together yields an epistemology of medicine that moves past debates about health and disease. On this view the conceptual foundations of medicine rest on subjective and objective claims about health states and their evaluations. By making subjective and objective claims, patients and clinicians negotiate whether patients’ health states are sufficiently dysfunctional to warrant medical intervention, leading to the formation of complementary illness narratives, which are anchored to different degrees in personal experience and medical theory. On this view, health and disease are supplanted as the conceptual foundations of medicine. Rather, medicine is better understood in terms of two basic aims: The first aim of medicine is to fully understand patients in scientific and personal terms; the second aim is to intervene upon patients’ states of illness in ways that are consistent with full understanding.
In vivo Reprogramming of Cancer Metabolism by MYC

The past few decades have welcomed tremendous advancements toward understanding the functional significance of altered metabolism during tumorigenesis. However, many conclusions drawn from studies of cancer cells in a dish (i.e., in vitro) have been put into question as multiple lines of evidence have demonstrated that the metabolism of cells can differ significantly from that of primary tumors (in vivo). This realization, along with the need to identify tissue-specific vulnerabilities of driver oncogenes, has led to an increased focus on oncogene-dependent metabolic programming in vivo. The oncogene c-MYC (MYC) is overexpressed in a wide variety of human cancers, and while its ability to alter cellular metabolism is well-established, translating the metabolic requirements, and vulnerabilities of MYC-driven cancers to the clinic has been hindered by disparate findings from in vitro and in vivo models. This review will provide an overview of the in vivo strategies, mechanisms, and conclusions generated thus far by studying MYC's regulation of metabolism in various cancer models.
Carl Schmitt Confronts the English-Speaking World

George Schwab, The Challenge of the Exception: An Introduction to the Political Ideas of Carl Schmitt between 1921-1936. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, 1970. Carl Schmitt, The Concept of the Political by Carl Schmitt; Translation, Introduction, and Notes by George Schwab ; with Comments on Schmitt's Essay by Leo Strauss. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. 1976.
A Parallel Algorithm for Large-Scale Nonconvex Penalized Quantile Regression

ABSTRACTPenalized quantile regression (PQR) provides a useful tool for analyzing high-dimensional data with heterogeneity. However, its computation is challenging due to the nonsmoothness and (sometimes) the nonconvexity of the objective function. An iterative coordinate descent algorithm (QICD) was recently proposed to solve PQR with nonconvex penalty. The QICD significantly improves the computational speed but requires a double-loop. In this article, we propose an alternative algorithm based on the alternating direction method of multiplier (ADMM). By writing the PQR into a special ADMM form, we can solve the iterations exactly without using coordinate descent. This results in a new single-loop algorithm, which we refer to as the QPADM algorithm. The QPADM demonstrates favorable performance in both computational speed and statistical accuracy, particularly when the sample size n and/or the number of features p are large. Supplementary material for this article is available online.
Drill-induced Cochlear Injury During Otologic Surgery: Intracochlear Pressure Evidence of Acoustic Trauma.

Hypothesis:Drilling on the incus produces intracochlear pressure changes comparable to pressures created by high-intensity acoustic stimuli.Background:New-onset sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) following mastoid surgery can occur secondary to inadvertent drilling on the ossicular chain. To investig
Abstract P130: Cardiogenic Shock Complicating Acute Coronary Syndromes: The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events

Introduction: Cardiogenic shock (CS) is the leading cause of death for patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Despite impressive advances in the management of ACS, the frequency of CS amon...
Molecular Imaging in Urology

Imaging plays an integral role in urology by providing anatomical detail and diagnostic insight of urologic diseases. Cross-sectional imaging technologies including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound (US) are used primarily for initial diagnosis, surgical planning, and disease surveillance. In the operating room setting, optical imaging based on white light has provided the illumination for endourologic procedures of the upper and lower urinary tracts, as well as complex abdominal and pelvic surgeries increasingly performed through the laparoscopic/robotic approach. Nevertheless, current imaging technologies still carry limitations such as inadequate sensitivity in early detection of metastases (CT and MRI) and suboptimal diagnostic accuracy (e.g., white-light cystoscopy). Molecular imaging offers the possibility of improved early detection, intraoperative surgical guidance with molecular specificity, and therapeutic monitoring. This review focuses on this exciting emerging field within urology.
Spirohexene-Tetrazine Ligation Enables Bioorthogonal Labeling of Class B G Protein-Coupled Receptors in Live Cells

A new bioorthogonal reactant pair, spiro[2.3]hex-1-ene (Sph) and 3,6-di(2-pyridyl)-s-tetrazine (DpTz), for the strain-promoted inverse electron-demand Diels–Alder cycloaddition, that is, tetrazine ligation, is reported. As compared to the previously reported strained alkenes such as trans-cyclooctene (TCO) and 1,3-disubstituted cyclopropene, Sph exhibits balanced reactivity and stability in tetrazine ligation with the protein substrates. A lysine derivative of Sph, SphK, was site-selectively incorporated into the extracellular loop regions (ECLs) of GCGR and GLP-1R, two members of class B G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in mammalian cells with the incorporation efficiency dependent on the location. Subsequent bioorthogonal reactions with the fluorophore-conjugated DpTz reagents afforded the fluorescently labeled GCGR and GLP-1R ECL mutants with labeling yield as high as 68%. A multitude of functional assays were performed with these GPCR mutants, including ligand binding, ligand-induced receptor inter...
AHP Models with Sub-criteria Using v3

In many situations, it is necessary to add sub-criteria to one or more of the original criteria. The process is very straightforward as it will be shown here. Also, readers are encouraged to review all the Super Decisions documentation provided by the software developer (www.superdecisions.com).
Extracorporeal Life Support

This chapter provides a review of the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for the support of acute, refractory respiratory failure in children. A brief history of ECMO use is provided, as is a discussion of the indications for pediatric ECMO support and patient selection. Equipment used in ECMO support is reviewed, including the differences in centrifugal and roller-head pumps and newer types of oxygenators. Differences in the two primary modes of ECMO support – venoarterial and venovenous – are discussed extensively. The chapter reviews principles of gas exchange in the ECMO circuit as well as hemodynamic effects of ECMO. A section on patient management issues, including anticoagulation, renal support, sedation, nutrition, and weaning from ECMO is included. Complications of ECMO, including mechanical complications, central nervous system complications, bleeding, and infection are reviewed. The chapter highlights recent literature regarding the outcomes of patients supported with ECMO for respiratory failure and discusses the use of ECMO is specific situations, such as extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR), patients with septic shock, “non-traditional” patient populations, and adults with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure.
Cortical neural arousal is differentially affected by type of physical exercise performed.

Critical flicker frequency (CFF) threshold is a visual discrimination task designed to assess cortical neural arousal, where higher values are associated with increased information processing and improved cognitive function. Previous studies using CFF assessments before and after exercise have only used one type of exercise (e.g., short, fatiguing, steady state, time to exhaustion, etc.). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of exercise type and intensity on neural arousal. 22 recreational runners (10 men, 12 women; age 25 ± 6 years) volunteered to participate in the study. They completed a VO2max test (short, fatiguing trial), and three 30-min treadmill runs (longer, steady-state trials) at rating of perceived exertion (RPE) levels of 13, 15, and 17. Before and after each exercise test, subjects were asked to complete the CFF test; Mtot and Mdi were calculated, which are the average and difference of the ascending/descending frequency trials, respectively. There were no main effects found for either intensity (p = 0.641) or time (p = 0.283); there was, however, a significant interaction found (intensity*time; p = 0.001). In the VO2max test and in the longer, steady-state runs at RPE13 and 15, there was no change in Mtot. There was a significant increase in Mtot after the run at RPE17 (p = 0.019). For Mdi, the VO2max test elicited a significant decrease (p = 0.005), but there was no change after the steady-state runs. The results suggest that short, fatiguing and longer, steady-state exercise affect cortical neural arousal differently. Increases in arousal, and perhaps the related domain of information processing, are more likely to come from steady-state exercise at a vigorous intensity.
A quasi-Newton method with sparse triple factorization for unconstrained minimization

A new quasi-Newton method for unconstrained minimization is presented. It uses sparse triple factorization of an approximation to the sparse Hessian matrix. At each step a new column and a corresponding row of the approximation to the Hessian is determined and its triple factorization is updated. Our method deals with the same updating problem as in J. Brauninger's paper [2]. However, we make use of a rank-two instead of a rank-one updating scheme. Our method saves over half the number of operations required in J. Brauninger's method. Moreover, our method utilizes the sparsity and, therefore, only the nonzero entries of the factors need to be stored. The positive definiteness can be preserved easily by taking suitable precautions. Under reasonable conditions our method is globally convergent and locally superlinearly evenn-step ρ-order convergent.
Surgery for Abnormal Vulvar and Perineal Conformation in the Mare

Reproductive failure in mares can present a challenge to the attending veterinarian. Although many causes of failure to conceive or to carry to term may be easy to diagnose and treat effectively, others may be difficult. In some cases, more than one problem will be present, and both medical therapy and surgical intervention will be required to achieve a successful outcome. Pneumovagina and its sequelae remain a common cause of reproductive failure in mares. Depending on the case involved, different surgical techniques may be required to correct the problem.
Identifying Hydra Species

Hydra species differ in morphology, development, physiology, and ecology. Repeatability of experiments therefore will depend upon correct identification. I outline a procedure for distinguishing between the types of hydra used most frequently in research. Three major criteria are used: (1) presence or absence of symbiotic algae, (2) arrangement of tentacles on buds, and (3) shape of the holotrichous isorhiza nematocyst.