cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
No Part of Our Life: Local and Official Constructions of Meaningful Work in Contemporary Newfoundland

SOME CRITICS have seen the pace and nature of Newfoundland's economic development as evidence of an ambivalent embrace of modernization. Such readings of provincial economic history may acknowledge significant exogenous obstacles to regional growth — noting, for example, the foreign exploitation of provincial resources, the alteration of aqua-environments and the challenges of geographical isolation—but tend to reserve the most vigorous finger-pointing for Newfoundlanders themselves.' Provincial labourers, in particular, have been censured for perpetuating the underdevelopment of their region through attachments to "backward" or "traditional" workways and through their tepid support of government-sponsored growth initiatives. Deliberate resistance to the processes, institutions and "spirit" of industrial capitalism has been marked in workers' reluctance to abandon traditional sectors, disdain for retraining programs and unwillingness to relocate. Newfoundland workers, according to this version of
The impact of individual, competitive, and collaborative mathematics game play on learning, performance, and motivation

The present research examined how mode of play in an educational mathematics video game impacts learning, performance, and motivation. The game was designed for the practice and automation of arithmetic skills to increase fluency and was adapted to allow for individual, competitive, or collaborative game play. Participants (N 58) from urban middle schools were randomly assigned to each experimental condition. Results suggested that, in comparison to individual play, competition increased in-game learning, whereas collaboration decreased performance during the experimental play session. Although out-of-game math fluency improved overall, it did not vary by condition. Furthermore, competition and collaboration elicited greater situational interest and enjoyment and invoked a stronger mastery goal orientation. Additionally, collaboration resulted in stronger intentions to play the game again and to recommend it to others. Results are discussed in terms of the potential for mathematics learning games and technology to increase student learning and motivation and to demonstrate how different modes of engagement can inform the instructional design of such games.
Task Scheduling in a Finite-Resource, Reconfigurable Hardware/Software Codesign Environment

This paper describes how static task-scheduling methods using stochastic search techniques can be applied to digital systems that are composed entirely of reconfigurable hardware. Such reconfigurable hardware is characterized by the property that its low-level logical functionality is not determined at the time of manufacture, but rather that this functionality becomes set only shortly before or during the invocation of the targeted application. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the basic framework for applying static scheduling theory to arbitrarily-structured task systems targeted to be implemented in prefabricated resource-constrained reconfigurable hardware. The paper also describes initial solutions to this heterogeneous task-scheduling problem that combine a distributed list-based scheduling technique with three probabilistic search strategies. The techniques introduced produce detailed task scheduling and high-level hardware configuration information that can serve as inputs to the software and reconfigurable hardware design automation tools used in the hardware/software codesign process.
Design of film–substrate single-reflection linear partial polarizers*

The results of a preceding paper [ J. Opt. Soc. Am.65, 1464, ( 1975)] are viewed from a different angle as providing the basis for the design of film–substrate single-reflection linear partial polarizers (LPP), which also operate as reflection optical rotators. The important characteristics of a comprehensive set of discrete designs of SiO2-Si LPP’s at λ = 6328 A are shown graphically.
Removal Rate, Uniformity and Defectivity Studies of Chemical Mechanical Polishing of BPSG Films

Wafers where deposited with BPSG films having phosphorus concentration varying from 3.65 to 6.25% and boron concentration varying from 4 to 5.7%. These wafers were polished using CMP and the rates were found to depend on dopant concentrations. A fit to the data indicated that removal rates were more than 3 times as sensitive to boron concentration compared to phosphorus concentration. For a constant phosphorus concentration of 5%, each percent increase in boron increases CMP removal rate by 340 A/min. For a constant boron concentration of 5%, each percent increase in phosphorus increases CMP removal rate by 96 A/min.
Numerically deciding the arithmetically Cohen-Macaulayness of a projective scheme

In numerical algebraic geometry, a witness point set W is a key object for performing numerical computations on a projective scheme X of pure dimension d 0 defined over C . If X is arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay, W can also be used to obtain information about X, such as the initial degree of the ideal generated by X and its Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity. Due to this relationship, we develop a new numerical algebraic geometric test for deciding if X is arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay using points which lie (approximately) on a general curve section C of X. For any curve, we also compute other information such as the arithmetic genus and index of regularity. Several examples are presented showing the effectiveness of this method, even when the ideal of X is unknown.
Macrostructure and Nomenclature of Plant and Animal Food Sources

The purpose of the study was to search for accurate and generally accepted terminology to describe changes observed in the macrostructure of certain plant and animal foods. The foods selected for investigation were apple, pineapple, cabbage, bean sprouts, potato, rice, egg, fish, chicken, and beef. A survey of the available published horticultural, botanical, and zoological sources revealed many discrepancies in structural identifications. Such lack of agreement derived in part from customary usage in applied sciences. Verification of terminology thus became the essential first step in this research. Preliminary diagrams of each food product were drawn. Morphological details and nomenclature were referred to experts for verification. This was supplemented by reference to published sources. After revision, macrostructural illustrations with nomenclature were prepared. When generally accepted technical names were associated with the major tissues of the raw foods, it was possible to use this terminology to describe changes observed in cooked or preserved products.
NIR luminescence of gadolinium porphyrin complexes

Abstract Most lanthanide porphyrin derivatives exhibit ‘normal’ absorption spectra with Q and B bands. The rare earth ions have little effect on the absorption spectra, which are much like those of other closed-shell metalloporphyrins. However, their emission spectra vary according to which lanthanide ion is present. We observe two types of emissions: (i) a line emission arising from the lanthanide ion f–f transitions and (ii) π-π∗ emission from the triplet state of porphyrin. In this Letter, we focus on the emission from gadolinium porphyrin complexes. The oxygen sensitivity was measured in solution and polymeric film. Both intensity and lifetime Stern–Volmer plots were measured.
SpFGFR, a New Member of the Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Family, Is Developmentally Regulated during Early Sea Urchin Development

We describe the cloning of a new fibroblast growth factor receptor, SpFGFR1, that is differentially regulated at the level of transcript abundance during sea urchin embryogenesis. Sequence representing the conserved tyrosine kinase domain was obtained by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction using degenerate primers, and the entire open reading frame was obtained by standard cDNA library screening methods. SpFGFR contains a series of domains characteristic of FGFRs: three immunoglobulin-like motifs, an acid box, a transmembrane domain, a relatively long juxtamembrane sequence, a split tyrosine kinase domain, and two conserved intracellular tyrosine residues. Alternative splicing of SpFGFR generates two variants (Ig3L and Ig3S), which differ by insertion in the center of the Ig3 domain of 34 extra amino acids, encoded by an additional exon. Transcripts encoding both variants accumulate when morphogenesis begins with mesenchyme cell ingression and gastrulation. SpFGFR transcripts accumulate in all cell types of the embryo, although in situ hybridization shows that they are somewhat enriched in cells of oral ectoderm and endoderm. Transcripts encoding the Ig3S variant, whose structure resembles more closely that of vertebrate receptors, are enriched in endomesoderm, suggesting that the SpFGFR variants could play distinct roles in the sea urchin embryo.
State Pollution Control Programs - a Review

: This review of state pollution control programs suggests that states have brought imaginative thought to environmental programs. While manpower and funds have been concentrated in such traditional areas of concern as air and water quality enforcement, many states have attempted to defray the industrial costs of pollution control by increasing public waste treatment facilities, providing tax incentives for pollution control equipment and authorizing pollution control revenue bond financing.
Nano-resonators for RF-enabled networked-control

Several types of microfabricated mechanical filters are analyzed for RF communica- tions applications and their advantages over the traditional SAW or FBAR filters are described. GHz frequency operation requires sub-micron dimensions. This work focuses on the modeling of a filter with torsional mode vibration. Ansys finite element simulation has been performed to make comparison with the analytical modelling. These devices enable a networked approach to control along with a specific application to velocity estimation in servocontrol.
In vitro phenotypic characterization of hepatitis C virus NS3 protease variants observed in clinical studies of telaprevir.

ABSTRACT Telaprevir is a linear, peptidomimetic small molecule that inhibits hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication by specifically inhibiting the NS3·4A protease. In phase 3 clinical studies, telaprevir in combination with peginterferon and ribavirin (PR) significantly improved sustained virologic response (SVR) rates in genotype 1 chronic HCV-infected patients compared with PR alone. In patients who do not achieve SVR after treatment with telaprevir-based regimens, variants with mutations in the NS3·4A protease region have been observed. Such variants can contribute to drug resistance and limit the efficacy of treatment. To gain a better understanding of the viral resistance profile, we conducted phenotypic characterization of the variants using HCV replicons carrying site-directed mutations. The most frequently observed (significantly enriched) telaprevir-resistant variants, V36A/M, T54A/S, R155K/T, and A156S, conferred lower-level resistance (3- to 25-fold), whereas A156T and V36M+R155K conferred higher-level resistance (>25-fold) to telaprevir. Rarely observed (not significantly enriched) variants included V36I/L and I132V, which did not confer resistance to telaprevir; V36C/G, R155G/I/M/S, V36A+T54A, V36L+R155K, T54S+R155K, and R155T+D168N, which conferred lower-level resistance to telaprevir; and A156F/N/V, V36A+R155K/T, V36M+R155T, V36A/M+A156T, T54A+A156S, T54S+A156S/T, and V36M+T54S+R155K, which conferred higher-level resistance to telaprevir. All telaprevir-resistant variants remained fully sensitive to alpha interferon, ribavirin, and HCV NS5B nucleoside and nonnucleoside polymerase inhibitors. In general, the replication capacity of telaprevir-resistant variants was lower than that of the wild-type replicon.
Effectively integrating broadband communications within wireless multimedia systems

This paper defines a conceptual framework necessary for leveraging wireless broadband communications to support the implementation of various advanced multimedia services. This framework provides guidance on deploying wireless multimedia systems, supported by the broadband communications systems, in addressing interoperability needs for successful end-to-end communications of the multimedia service. The components of the framework are summarized as follows: 1. Context: Associate a common set of context-aware parameters with the content being distributed. 2. Content: Align the QoS levels within application profiles, for the content being delivered, to the QoS levels within service flows and class identifiers, for the communications infrastructure. 3. Communications: Analyze the use of CLD amongst all layers in the communications protocol stack, to ensure that adequate network resources are available to properly support the QoS requirements. 4. Connectivity: Assess the impact that internetworking, between differing broadband infrastructure solutions, has on the content-to-QoS relationships.
Definitive Band Gaps for Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes

We report ab initio quantum mechanical calculations of band structures of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) using the B3LYP flavor of density functional theory. In particular, we find excellent agreement with the small band gaps in “metallic” zigzag SWNTs observed by Lieber et al. [0.079 vs 0.080 eV for (9,0), 0.041 vs 0.042 eV for (12,0), and 0.036 eV vs 0.029 eV for (15,0)]. This contrasts with the results from LDA and PBE, which lead to band gaps 70−100% too small, and with those from the GW correction to LDA, which leads to a gap two times too large. Interestingly we find that the (5,0) system, expected to be a large gap semiconductor, is metallic. These results show that B3LYP leads to very accurate band gaps for CNTs, suggesting its use in designing CNT devices. We find that the effective mass of the CNT (significant in designing CNT devices) scales inversely proportional to the square of the diameter.
Instance similarity and the effectiveness of case injection in a genetic algorithm for binary quadratic programming

When an evolutionary algorithm addresses a sequence of instances of the same problem, it can seed its population with solutions that it found for previous instances. This technique is called case injection. How similar must the instances be for case injection to help an EA's search? We consider this question by applying a genetic algorithm, without and with case injection, to sequences of instances of binary quadratic programming. When the instances are similar, case injection helps; when the instances differ sufficiently, case injection is no help at all.
A Two-Dimensional Search Algorithm for Dose-Finding Trials of Two Agents

Existing algorithms for identifying the maximum tolerated combination in dose-finding trials of two agents are mostly one-dimensional. Moreover, these algorithms use only the frequency of observed dose-limiting toxicities as the basis for dose escalations and deescalations. In this article, we propose a two-dimensional algorithm that uses not only the frequency but also the source of dose-limiting toxicities to direct dose escalations and deescalations. In addition, when the doses of both agents are escalated simultaneously, a more conservative design replaces a default aggressive design to evaluate the resulting dose combination. Our method aims to increase in-trial patient safety without unnecessary increase in sample size.
Bank Privatization in Argentina: A Model of Political Constraints and Differential Outcomes

In describing outcomes, the literature on privatization has paid little attention to politicians' incentives, perhaps because it lacked the kinds of evidence needed to do so. Evidence from the privatization of provincial Argentine banks in the 1990s indicates that transaction contract features vary systematically with proxies for politicians' incentives. Will variation in transaction features have implications for post-privatization performance? Based on results from country case studies, many researchers have claimed that political constraints affect bank privatization transactions, which in turn affect the post-privatization performance of the banking sector. But no study has either econometrically tested how political constraints affect bank privatization transactions or theoretically modeled the privatization transaction. Clarke and Cull present a simple theoretical framework that models the inherent tradeoffs faced by governments and potential buyers in privatization transactions involving banks. The potential buyer is concerned about the probability that the bank will remain solvent, about the profits it will earn after privatization, and about the price paid for the assets and liabilities. The government is concerned about the price received for the assets, about layoffs, and about service coverage after privatization. The evidence from bank privatization transactions in Argentina in the 1990s supports several of their theoretical predictions. In particular, provinces with high fiscal deficits were willing to accept layoffs and to guarantee a larger part of the privatized bank's portfolio in return for a higher price. The tequila crisis (Mexico's economic crisis in 1994-95) meant that politicians could protect fewer jobs and had to assume a greater share of their public banks' assets. Evidence of better performance at banks privatized after Mexico's crisis suggests that, by tying politicians' hands, the crisis may have brought unforeseen benefits. This conjecture awaits further empirical validation, but Clarke and Cull hope that by explicitly incorporating the incentives politicians face, analysis can begin to address the question of why some privatizations succeed more than others. This paper - a joint product of Regulation and Competition Policy and Finance, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to understand the causes and consequences of bank privatization. The authors may be contacted at gclarke@worldbank.org or rcull@worldbank.org.
Enhanced ferromagnetism induced by structural phase transitions in Co2As1−xPx

Abstract P doping in Co 2 As induces two structural transitions, resulting in an enhanced ferromagnetic state at intermediate P compositions. In Co 2 As 1− x P x , doping induces a room temperature α -to- β structural distortion around x =0.04, similar to what temperature ( T =725 K) does in the parent compound ( x =0). The resulting β phase displays an enhanced ferromagnetic ground state. Close to x =0.85, a hexagonal-to-orthorhombic phase transition occurs, concomitant with the quenching of the magnetic order. Band structure calculations for the three different phases confirm the experimental observations while revealing remarkably high charge carrier polarization rate for the β phase.
The Effects of Verbal Instruction of Speed and Accuracy Upon the Learning of a Motor Skill

(1952). The Effects of Verbal Instruction of Speed and Accuracy Upon the Learning of a Motor Skill. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 231-240.
Deployment and coverage maintenance in mobile sensor networks

Deployment of mobile nodes in a region of interest is a critical issue in building a mobile sensor network because it affects cost and detection capabilities of the system. The deployment of mobile sensors in essence is the movement of sensors from an initial position to a final optimal location. Considerable attention has recently been given to this deployment issue. Many of the distributed deployment schemes use the potential field method. In most cases, the negative gradient of the potential function becomes the feedback control input to a node. This assumes that the potential function is differentiable over the entire region. This assumption is valid primarily when the topology of the network is fixed. In this research, we analyze the stability of a network that uses piecewise smooth potential functions. A gravitation-like force is proposed to deploy a group of agents and to form a certain configuration. We use a nonsmooth version of the Lyapunov stability theory and LaSalle’s invariance principle to show asymptotic stability of the network which is governed by discontinuous dynamics. We propose a hierarchical structure using potential fields for mobile sensor network deployment. A group of mobile nodes first form a cluster using a potential field method and then cluster heads are used to establish a hexagonal structure that employs a higher level potential field. We consider specifically the problem of deploying a mobile sensor network so that a certain area coverage is realized and maintained. And we propose an algorithm for maintaining the desired coverage that assumes the availability of a stochastic sensor model. The model reflects the decline of the sensor accuracy as the distance increases from the sensor. It is further assumed that each node’s sensor has a different sensing range to represent sensor performance deterioration due to power decay. The network deployment scheme combines artificial forces with individual sensor ranges. The validity and the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm are compared to the conventional methods in simulations. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms with respect to a defined performance metric.
Revisiting the Piracy Problem: Rising Risks in Counter-Piracy Operations and the Need for a Multi-Dimensional Solution

This note discusses how the international community must respond to the complexity of modern Piracy with a framework that enumerates regulations for Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel in concert with deterrence, regional support, and prosecution efforts. The dramatic increase in incidents of Piracy at sea off the coast of Somalia exacerbates the danger and expense faced by those in the commercial shipping industry and negatively impacts the efficiency of global trade. Escalation in Piracy has thus necessitated deployment of both naval vessels and privately contracted armed guards operating under an obscure legal framework that is largely undefined. The failure to provide a sustainable or efficient solution under the prevailing approach to counter-piracy requires that new strategic alternatives be further developed through greater understanding of counter-piracy operations by drawing upon its historical and contemporary necessity and the lessons learned from its operation in addition to the strengths and weaknesses of legislative responses within the international community. In this note, I first provide an introduction to the modern piracy epidemic so as to provide a contextual background for the reader and highlight the necessity of a multi-dimensional solution. Second, I present an overview of the legal framework under which privately contracted armed security companies operate, including recent initiatives undertaken to promote their regulation and accountability. Third, I demonstrate a trend towards ultimate acceptance and promotion of these actors among key industry players and states. Finally, I advance that the restructuring and re-framing of issues affords an extension of conceivable solutions, which permit integration of local knowledge and lessons learned in advancement of local support and prosecution efforts to achieve a sustainable and effective solution.
Organometallic Complexes of Bulky, Optically Active, C3-Symmetric Tris(4S-isopropyl-5,5-dimethyl-2-oxazolinyl)phenylborate (ToP*)

A bulky, optically active monoanionic scorpionate ligand, tris(4S-isopropyl-5,5-dimethyl-2-oxazolinyl)phenylborate (ToP*), is synthesized from the naturally occurring amino acid l-valine as its lithium salt, Li[ToP*] (1). That compound is readily converted to the thallium complex Tl[ToP*] (2) and to the acid derivative H[ToP*] (3). Group 7 tricarbonyl complexes ToP*M(CO)3 (M = Mn (4), Re (5)) are synthesized by the reaction of MBr(CO)5 and Li[ToP*] and are crystallographically characterized. The νCO bands in their infrared spectra indicate that π back-donation in the rhenium compounds is greater with ToP* than with non-methylated tris(4S-isopropyl-2-oxazolinyl)phenylborate (ToP). The reaction of H[ToP*] and ZnEt2 gives ToP*ZnEt (6), while ToP*ZnCl (7) is synthesized from Li[ToP*] and ZnCl2. The reaction of ToP*ZnCl and KOtBu followed by addition of PhSiH3 provides the zinc hydride complex ToP*ZnH (8). Compound 8 is the first example of a crystallographically characterized optically active zinc hydride. We...
Practicing Pinayist Pedagogy

To further examine the growth of Pinayism, this essay focuses on Pinayist pedagogical praxis. In this article, I collaborate with Jocyl Sacramento, a recent graduate of San Francisco State University's Asian American Studies Master's Program. Her work develops the notion of Pinayist pedagogy, which further expands on the "Pinayism proposal" and how it has become a transformative curricular praxis. From the onset, one of the main objectives was to create a Pinayism that would be useful in the everyday lives of Pinays. Our aim is to explore the ways in which Pinayist pedagogy fulfilled this objective in spaces both in and outside of the classroom.
152. Subjective feelings of social isolation are associated with differential intra-nuclear Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) signaling

Social isolation is a psychosocial risk factor for age-related disease morbidity and mortality, with inflammation being a mediator in this relationship. It has also been related to a reduction in anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid-induced genes and an increased expression of pro-inflammatory molecules such as NF-κB. These previous findings also indicated activations of the JAK/STAT pathway suggesting the importance of STATs in the pro-inflammatory response. We hypothesized that socially isolated older adults would exhibit a marked difference in STAT signaling after direct cellular stimulation challenge with known pro-inflammatory cytokines. Males and females (ages 60–84), who were socially integrated ( n = 76) or socially isolated ( n = 56) in subjective feelings of social isolation, were recruited using random telephone survey of over 1600 older adults in nearby UCLA communities. Multivariate analyses examined intra-nuclear signaling of STAT1, STAT3, and STAT5 after stimulation. The results show that socially isolated older adults have higher levels of STAT5 in PBMCs, monocytes, and lymphocytes ( p p = 0.055) as compared to levels in socially integrated elderly, adjusted for age and sex. No group differences in stimulated levels of STAT3 were found. These findings support the hypothesis that social isolation primes immune cells to have an enhanced inflammatory response through STAT signaling. These findings contribute to growing evidence that an enhanced intracellular pro-inflammatory response is a key mechanism through which social isolation may impact disease risk.
Three New Species of Efferia from Southern California and Arizona (Diptera: Asilidae)

Three new species of Efferia Coquillett are described from southern California and Arizona: E. imperialis and E. macroxipha in the Anomala group and E. anza in the Staminea group. Efferia macroxipha and E. anza are known only from the area of the type localities. Male genitalia of the three species and the ovipositor of E. macroxipha are shown in figures.
Objective Airport Warnings over Small Areas Using NLDN Cloud and Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Data

AbstractLightning can have a significant impact on ground-crew and other operations at airports, resulting in a cascade of delays beyond the immediate locations. Measures of these impacts have not been presented previously in a comprehensive approach for a variety of factors. Prior approaches typically used lightning data within outer observation radii of varying sizes to anticipate cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes in a smaller inner warning area such as an airport. The goal of this paper is to address issues related to the balance between safety and the efficiency of lightning warnings for such situations. The first of two topics addressed in this study is to examine the value of adding cloud pulses to CG strokes. The detection efficiency of the U.S. NLDN for cloud pulses increased to about 50% by late summer 2013, so NLDN data during the entire 2014 summer are considered at 10 locations. Verification is performed for the occurrence of NLDN-detected CG strokes at the airports. Cloud pulses were found to impr...
Disentangling Verbal Instructions, Experimental Design, and Sample Characteristics: Results of Curriculum-Based Measurement of Reading Research

Abstract Directions used in curriculum-based measurement of reading (CBM-R) currently ask students to “do your best reading.” The purpose of this study was to examine whether varying these verbal directions would affect CBM-R performance and whether these alternative directions would influence the important relation between CBM-R performance and reading comprehension. Previous studies have varied in their findings, though they also varied in the alternative verbal directions they used and in their methodology. Third-grade students (N = 104) from two schools that differed in terms of their demographic characteristics were randomly assigned to one of two sets of direction conditions used in previous research. Results from a mixed between-subjects/within-subjects factorial analysis of variance found that, regardless of school setting, CBM-R performance was significantly influenced by one set of directions but not by the other set of directions. Possible methodologic explanations for these differences in resu...
Differences in continuous spectra of fractionated electrograms in paroxysmal versus persistent atrial fibrillation

IntroductionQuantitative measurements are helpful to discern fractionated electrograms in paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation (AF), and may be useful to detect optimal ablation sites. However, electrical activation events can be transient, leading to erroneous estimates of electrogram properties. Measurement of continuous changes in electrogram frequency content may improve analysis. MethodFractionated local electrograms from 10 paroxysmal and 10 persistent AF patients were acquired from outside the pulmonary vein ostia and left atrial free wall using the distal bipolar ablation catheter electrode, and analyzed over continuous 16 second intervals. A New Spectral Estimator (NSE) updated the frequency spectrum and spectral parameters once per millisecond. The tallest spectral peak (dominant frequency or DF) was determined. Statistical tests of variability were used to determine significant differences between paroxysmal and persistent AF. ResultsChanges in the value of the DF over 16 seconds were caused by transient drifts in the frequency of the dominant peak, or by changes in which peak had the highest amplitude. The continuous DF and the spectral profile parameters were more highly variable in paroxysmal as compared with persistent AF patients (p<0.001). There was found to be a gradient from high to low variability of DF in paroxysmal AF, from the left superior pulmonary vein antrum to the left atrial free wall. ConclusionsThe results suggest that atrial electrical activation becomes more stable and focused at a narrow frequency range in persistent as compared to paroxysmal AF. The NSE implemented for continuous update of spectral parameters, enables a rapid characterization of fractionated electrograms with high time-frequency resolution and low computational cost.
Radar detection of the brine extent at McMurdo Ice Shelf, Antarctica, and its control by snow accumulation†

We derive the surface density and brine infiltration depth/extent at McMurdo Ice Shelf, Antarctica, from combined analysis of radar profiles and radar statistical reconnaissance of the surface from 2011-2012 austral summer airborne observations. Most of the brine boundaries appear controlled, directly or indirectly, by the snow accumulation pattern. The infiltration is bounded westward by an ablation area and resides just above the pore close-off depth over most of its extent. The eastern brine limit matches a light-snow corridor, suggesting a reversed pressure gradient at depth that might sharply slow down the infiltration. Brine into ice is confirmed at the deepest locations north and east of Williams Field. The ice-ocean interface is undetected west of the infiltrated zone, except in localized patches. We hypothesize this echo-free zone to be due to high scattering below the surface, possibly from a network of accreted ice and/or ice platelets at the ice-ocean interface.
Intraventricular blood after "traumatic" lumbar puncture: a report of two cases.

Blood was detected in the lateral ventricles on head computed tomograms performed after “traumatic” lumbar punctures in two children. This finding has not previously been observed or reported. The likely mechanisms by which blood from the spinal thecal sac reached the ventricles are discussed. This potentially confusing observation, if not correctly accounted for, may lead to an unnecessary, fruitless search for the site of a supposed “primary” intraventricular haemorrhage.
Birds, pollination reliability, and green flowers in an endemic island shrub, Pavonia bahamensis (Malvaceae).

Pavonia bahamensis (Malvaceae) is a shrub that is endemic to the southeastern Bahama Islands. Here I present the first detailed descrip tion of its pollination biology. On San Salvador Island, P. bahamensis appears to be pollinated exclusively by two bird species, Bananaquits and Bahama Woodstars. This pollination dependence was dramatically demonstrated in one season when hurricanes decimated these bird populations, and pollen deposition and fruit set of P. bahamensis was significantly reduced. However, the lack of pollination limitation of fruit set during two other flowering sea sons and the relatively low pollen/ovule ratio (607) suggests that pollination of P. bahamensis by these birds is generally reliable. Flowers show traits typical for a bird pollination syndrome, except that the corolla is green. Flow ers are held horizontally on the shrub, rather than vertically, suggesting that passerine birds (Bananaquits) rather than hummingbirds have been the most effective pollinator and major selective agent for the floral traits in this spe cies. Individual Bahama Woodstars are ineffective pollinators, depositing few or no pollen grains on stigmas per visit; however, they maintained pollination in one season when visits by Bananaquits were infrequent, and they contrib uted to the reliability of pollination for this endemic species.
PT-Symmetric Laser and Anti-Laser

We experimentally demonstrate lasing and anti-lasing in a single cavity using parity-time (PT) symmetry. This opens the door for extreme light control towards infinitely large modulation depth and a compact on-chip multifunctional optical device.
Application of Incident Command Structure to clinical trial management in the academic setting: principles and lessons learned

Clinical trial success depends on appropriate management, but practical guidance to trial organisation and planning is lacking. The Incident Command System (ICS) is the ‘gold standard’ management system developed for managing diverse operations in major incident and public health arenas. It enables effective and flexible management through integration of personnel, procedures, resources, and communications within a common hierarchical organisational structure. Conventional ICS organisation consists of five function modules: Command, Planning, Operations, Logistics, and Finance/Administration. Large clinical trials will require a separate Regulatory Administrative arm, and an Information arm, consisting of dedicated data management and information technology staff. We applied ICS principles to organisation and management of the Prehospital Use of Plasma in Traumatic Haemorrhage (PUPTH) trial. This trial was a multidepartmental, multiagency, randomised clinical trial investigating prehospital administration of thawed plasma on mortality and coagulation response in severely injured trauma patients. We describe the ICS system as it would apply to large clinical trials in general, and the benefits, barriers, and lessons learned in utilising ICS principles to reorganise and coordinate the PUPTH trial. Without a formal trial management structure, early stages of the trial were characterised by inertia and organisational confusion. Implementing ICS improved organisation, coordination, and communication between multiple agencies and service groups, and greatly streamlined regulatory compliance administration. However, unfamiliarity of clinicians with ICS culture, conflicting resource allocation priorities, and communication bottlenecks were significant barriers. ICS is a flexible and powerful organisational tool for managing large complex clinical trials. However, for successful implementation the cultural, psychological, and social environment of trial participants must be accounted for, and personnel need to be educated in the basics of ICS. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02303964 . Registered on 28 November 2014.
Squib: feature-matching and case and number dissociation in Hiaki

There is a broad range of theoretical proposals regarding the implementation of the feature-copying or feature-matching operation that must lie behind the phenomenon of agreement in natural language. A particularly current subtopic in this broader landscape of theoretical debate concerns whether features in a single bundle can get their values from independent targetsâ€” the ‘All-or-nothing' question (Bejar 2008). In this preliminary investigation, data from Hiaki DPs illustrate a case in which features on a single X° are valued by separate controllers, and raise locality issues for theories of concord and agreement.
Variation in urban forest productivity and response to extreme drought across a large metropolitan region

The growth and survival of urban trees and maintenance of urban forest canopy are important considerations in adaptation of urban regions to climate change, especially in relation to increasing frequency of extreme climatic events such as drought. However, urban forest growth and drought response may vary considerably within large urban landscapes across gradients in land use, urbanization, forest composition and structure, and environmental factors. We quantified urban forest growth and resilience and resistance to extreme drought in the greater Chicago metropolitan region based on patterns of annual basal area production from increment core analysis. We evaluated variation in growth and drought response in relation to a broad urban to rural gradient, land-use categories, local-scale environmental predictors, and forest community characteristics. Urban forest growth varied greatly among land-use classes and major genera. Plot-level variation in productivity was predicted most strongly (R2 = 0.53) by total plot-level basal area, canopy height, species composition, soil and ground-cover characteristics, and position within the urban-rural gradient. Urban forest growth was strongly related to regional meteorological drought. In periods of extreme drought conditions growth declined in the year of the drought (i.e., was not resistant to drought effects), but was highly resilient to drought in the subsequent 5 year period. Drought response did not vary consistently across land-use classes or among major genera, and site or community characteristics had little explanatory power in predicting drought response. Improved understanding of factors driving variation in urban forest growth and drought response could help inform adaptation-focused urban forest management strategies.
Dental anomalies in pediatric patients with familial adenomatous polyposis

Familial adenomatous polyposis patients often present with non-malignant extra-intestinal manifestations which include dental anomalies that may be evident prior to the appearance of the colonic adenomas. The aims of this study were to describe the prevalence and type of dental anomalies and the relationships between gene mutations and dental anomalies in these patients. Twenty-two pediatric familial adenomatous polyposis patients and 46 controls, who were age and gender matched participated. Familial adenomatous polyposis patient’s had a dental examination with panoramic radiograph and medical record review for age at diagnosis, the presence of the adenomatous polyposis coli gene mutation, and determination of other extra-intestinal manifestations on the body. The control group was identified from a retrospective chart review and selected if there was a current panoramic radiograph. The only significant difference between familial adenomatous polyposis patients and controls were the presence of jaw osteomas and sclerosis (p = .0001). Patients with a mutation in, or upstream of codon 1309 had a higher frequency of osteomas (77.8%) and jaw-bone sclerosis (44.4%), and 77% of these had at least one dental anomaly. This preliminary study showed an association between a genetic variant at, or upstream of codon 1309, and radiographic dental anomalies.
Cultivar mixtures: a meta-analysis of the effect of intraspecific diversity on crop yield

Extensive research has shown that greater plant community diversity leads to higher levels of productivity and other ecosystem services, and such increased diversity has been suggested as a way to improve yield and agricultural sustainability. Increasing intraspecific diversity with cultivar mixtures is one way to increase diversity in agricultural systems. We examined the relationship between intraspecific diversity and yield in cultivar mixtures using a meta-analysis of 91 studies and >3,600 observations. Additionally, we investigated how environmental and management factors might influence this relationship, and if the yield stability of cultivar mixtures differed from that of monocultures. We found that the yield increased by 2.2% overall in cultivar mixtures relative to their monoculture components. Mixtures with more cultivars and those with more functional trait diversity showed higher relative yields. Under biotic stressors, such as disease pressure, and abiotic stressors, such as low levels of soil organic matter and nutrient availability, this diversity effect was stronger, resulting in higher relative yields. Finally, cultivar mixtures generally showed higher yield stability compared to monocultures, especially in response to annual weather variability at a site over time. This practice of mixing cultivars can be integrated into intensified cropping systems where species monocultures dominate, as well as in smallholder cropping systems where low-cost improvements are in demand. Overall, these results suggest that cultivar mixtures are a viable strategy to increase diversity in agroecosystems, promoting increased yield and yield stability, with minimal environmental impact.
How to define the mean square amplitude of solar wind fluctuations with respect to the local mean magnetic field

Over the last decade it has become popular to analyze turbulent solar wind fluctuations with respect to a coordinate system aligned with the local mean magnetic field. This useful analysis technique has provided new information and new insights about the nature of solar wind fluctuations and provided some support for phenomenological theories of MHD turbulence based on the ideas of Goldreich and Sridhar. At the same time it has drawn criticism suggesting that the use of a scale dependent local mean field is somehow inconsistent or irreconcilable with traditional analysis techniques based on second order structure functions and power spectra which, for stationary time series, are defined with respect to the constant (scale independent) ensemble average magnetic field. Here it is shown that for fluctuations with power-law spectra, such as those observed in solar wind turbulence, it is possible to define the local mean magnetic field in a special way such that the total mean square amplitude (trace amplitude) of turbulent fluctuations is approximately the same, scale by scale, as that obtained using traditional second order structure functions or power spectra. This fact should dispel criticism concerning the physical validity or practical usefulness of the local mean magnetic field in these applications.
Real-time spectral characterization of a photon pair source using a chirped supercontinuum seed

We perform joint spectral intensity measurements by studying stimulated four wave mixing in a birefringent fiber photon pair source. Seeding the process with a chirped supercontinuum beam, measurements are acquired in as little as 5s.
Multimodal ophthalmic imaging using handheld spectrally encoded coherence tomography and reflectometry (SECTR)

Scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) provides high-speed, noninvasive en face imaging of the retinal fundus. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is the current “gold-standard” for ophthalmic diagnostic imaging and enables depth-resolved visualization of ophthalmic structures and image-based surrogate biomarkers of disease. We present a compact optical and mechanical design for handheld spectrally encoded coherence tomography and reflectometry (SECTR) for multimodality en face spectrally encoded reflectometry (SER) and cross-sectional OCT imaging. We custom-designed a double-pass telecentric scan lens, which halves the size of 4-f optical relays and allowed us to reduce the footprint of our SECTR scan-head by a factor of >2.7x (volume) over our previous design. The double-pass scan lens was optimized for diffraction-limited performance over a ±10° scan field. SECTR optics and optomechanics were combined in a compact rapid-prototyped enclosure with dimensions 87 x 141.8 x 137 mm (w x h x d). SECTR was implemented using a custom-built 400 kHz 1050 nm swept-source. OCT and SER were simultaneously digitized on dual input channels of a 4 GS/s digitizer at 1.4 GS/s per channel. In vivo human en face SER and cross-sectional OCT images were acquired at 350 fps. OCT volumes of 1000 B-scans were acquired in 2.86 s. We believe clinical translation of our compact handheld design will benefit point-of-care ophthalmic diagnostics in patients who are unable to be imaged on conventional slit-lamp based systems, such as infants and the bedridden. When combined with multi-volumetric registration methods, handheld SECTR will have advantages in motion-artifact free imaging over existing handheld technologies.
Using network graphs to visualize changing documentation styles in an oncology practice before and after opennotes implementation

OpenNotes is an international effort that provides patients with open access to their electronic health records (EHR). Whether or not OpenNotes has had any detectable influence on provider clinical note documentation practices (e.g., word choice, sentence structure, note length, etc.), especially in “high-stakes” clinical situations such as cancer diagnosis and treatment, remains largely unknown. To investigate this possibility, we present a visually driven method to portray word-level changes in clinical documentation via network graphs. Using EHR data collected from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) before and after OpenNotes implementation, we analyzed hematology-oncology notes for changes in word co-occurrences. We have portrayed this data in a variety of network graphs in which words of interest are the nodes, and the edges connecting them depict the words' co-occurrences. By representing our data through network graphs, we have derived novel findings about the BIDMC hematology-oncology notes. Our preliminary approach towards OpenNotes portrays how network graphs may be a useful tool in unveiling word-level changes to clinical documentation.