cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Student Attitudes Regarding Active Learning In Health Professions Microbiology Course

While many active learning strategies are evidence-based, it is unclear as to which methods are preferred by most students. In the present study students in an undergraduate health professions microbiology course were assigned four projects (“types” 1 – 4) that included elements of active learning and that required students to apply microbiological concepts to health care or public health. A type 1 project involved the student consulting professional journals, textbooks and/or websites and preparing an informative brochure on an infectious disease suitable for reading by the lay public. A type 2 project involved the student shadowing a health care professional. A type 3 project involved the student performing a community service. A type 4 project involved the student designing and conducting an original lab research study. A survey was used to assess student attitudes about doing these projects. I report that while some students preferred particular project types, no project type was preferred by a majority of students. In addition, students ranked all four project types highly and considered them all to have equal educational value and relevance to course content. These results suggest that instructors should avoid using a “one size fits all” active learning approach. Students value the use of diverse pedagogical approches that engage their learning in different ways and that connect course concepts to real-world applications.
Abstract 184: Aortic Pulse Wave Velocity Does Not Correlate with Flow Wave Velocity or Mean Arterial Pressure in Robust, in Vitro Cardiovascular Hemodynamic Simulation

Introduction: Arterial compliance is a marker for cardiac burden in atherosclerotic disease, with the pressure Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) correlated to compliance. Current clinical practice employs ...
Impact of Coordinated Behavioral Health Management on Quality Measures of Antipsychotic Use

A state Care Management Entity (CME) using the wraparound practice model provided intensive care coordination for youth with severe mental illness, those most likely to receive antipsychotics. The model has led to improved clinical/functional outcomes, but little is known about the impact on antipsychotic prescribing and safety monitoring. A pre-post study was conducted to evaluate antipsychotic dosing, concomitant antipsychotic use, and metabolic monitoring among CME-enrolled and non-CME-enrolled comparison groups. CME-enrolled youth had greater decrease in concomitant antipsychotic use than non-CME-enrolled youth, but no difference in dosing or metabolic monitoring. More education of prescribing antipsychotics and team-based engagement in care coordination are needed.
An initial application of a biopsychosocial framework to predict posttraumatic stress following pediatric injury.

Author(s): Marsac, Meghan L; Kassam-Adams, Nancy; Delahanty, Douglas L; Ciesla, Jeffrey; Weiss, Danielle; Widaman, Keith F; Barakat, Lamia P | Abstract: ObjectiveEach year millions of children suffer from unintentional injuries that result in poor emotional and physical health. This study examined selected biopsychosocial factors (i.e., child heart rate, peritrauma appraisals, early coping, trauma history) to elucidate their roles in promoting emotional recovery following injury. The study evaluated specific hypotheses that threat appraisals (global and trauma-specific) and coping would predict subsequent posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), that coping would mediate the association between early and later PTSS, and that heart rate would predict PTSS and appraisals would mediate this association.MethodParticipants were 96 children hospitalized for injury and assessed at 3 time points: T1 (within 2 weeks of injury), T2 (6-week follow-up), and T3 (12-week follow-up). Participants completed measures of trauma history and appraisals at T1, coping at T2, and PTSS at T1, T2, and T3. Heart rate was abstracted from medical records. Structural equation modeling was employed to evaluate study hypotheses.ResultsHeart rate was not associated with PTSS or appraisals. Models including trauma history, appraisals, coping, and PTSS were constructed to test other study hypotheses and fit the data well. T1 global and trauma-specific threat appraisals were associated with T1 PTSS; T2 avoidant coping was a significant mediator of the relation between T1 and T3 PTSS.ConclusionFindings confirm a role for appraisals and coping in the development of PTSS over the weeks following pediatric injury. Early appraisals and avoidant coping may be appropriate targets for prevention and early intervention. Future researchers should further explicate the utility of a biopsychosocial framework in predicting PTSS. (PsycINFO Database Record
Selectivity and Desorption Free Energies for Methane–Ethane Mixtures in Covalent Organic Frameworks

We show how expanded Wang–Landau simulations can be used to study the adsorption of methane–ethane mixtures in COF-102, COF-105, and COF-108. This approach has several advantages. First, a single simulation run is performed to determine key thermodynamic properties such as the adsorption isotherms and selectivity. Second, the combination of the expanded method with the Wang–Landau sampling in the grand-canonical ensemble provides direct access to the grand potential Ω = −kBT ln[Θ(μ1,μ2,V,T)] via a numerical evaluation of the grand-canonical partition function. From there, we calculate several thermodynamic quantities of adsorption, including the Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy, which give important insights into the mechanism of adsorption for the methane–ethane mixtures in covalent organic frameworks (COFs). In particular, using a solution thermodynamics approach, we identify a direct correlation between the separation efficiency (selectivity) of a given COF and its energetic efficiency (through...
The Use of Social Science Methods to Predict Player Characteristics from Avatar Observations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which real world characteristics of massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) players can be predicted based on the characteristics and behavior of their avatars. Ground truth on participants’ real world characteristics was obtained through the administration of validated measures of personality and authoritarian ideology, as well as a demographics form. A team of trained assessors used quantitative assessment instruments to evaluate avatar characteristics, behavior, and personality from a recorded session of the participant’s typical gameplay. The statistical technique of discriminant analysis was then applied to create predictive models for players’ real world characteristics such as gender, approximate age, and education level, using the variables generated through observational assessment of the avatar.
The effect of time of cord clamping and maternal blood pressure on placental transfusion with cesarean section

Abstract We measured the residual placental blood volume (RPBV) of 20 infants delivered at term by cesarean section of women not in labor. In all cases, the umbilical cord was clamped within 40 seconds of birth. RPBV decreased significantly with increasing age at cord clamping. In addition, RPBV for infants with cords clamped within 20 seconds of birth correlated inversely with maternal systolic blood pressure (mean RPBV = 54.8 ml. per kilogram at 105 torr and 28.4 ml. per kilogram at 148 torr). However, RPBV did not correlate with maternal blood pressure for the whole group of 20 infants or for those with cords clamped later than 20 seconds after birth. These data indicated that in infants delivered by cesarean section placental transfusion is time related during the first 40 seconds of life and that maternal blood pressure also influences the magnitude of placental transfusion during the first 20 seconds after birth. Analysis of data from this study combined with data from a previous study shows that after 40 seconds the net flow between placenta and infant reverses and that cord clamping delayed beyond this point is accompanied by a rise in RPBV back to the level found when the cord was clamped before 20 seconds.
Using Testing to Provide Feedback to Support Instruction: A Reexamination of the Role of Assessment in Educational Organizations

Presently used assessment practices mainly focus on summative evaluation and ignore the important function of formative evaluation. Formative evaluation is needed to provide Information and feedback to the learner as well as to teachers and school administrators in the instructional program. This paper demonstrates how a technology based Information Referenced Testing (IRT) concept can be used to provide formative evaluation feedback to the instructional leadership triad of learner, instructor and educational administrator. Illustration of various IRT generated feedback reports and a survey of applications to educational organizations are provided.
“Destiny Is Not Set in Stone”: Social Actors, Cooperatives, and Local Coalition Building

This Chapter concentrates on an analysis of the types of actors that have been and could again be involved in bringing about social change. The chapter first provides an overview of the history of social movements and union activities in Sao Paulo and the types of programs and policies being implemented between 1996 and 2003 to deal with the unemployment crisis. In the chapter I examine the Municipalities of Sao Paulo and Diadema governed by Worker’s Party mayors. I explore the link of national and local politics with labor as an additional dimension to the story of labor market restructuring. I then examine several coalitions, focusing on the Regional Chamber of the ABC Region and its development arm, the Agency for Economic Development, composed of a group of trade union activists, workers, businessmen, and government strategizing together to change the regional economy and social problems. These case studies provide a starting point for a discussion of several issues including the role of the state, regional governance, citizen participation, the possibility of working within the global economic system while increasing social justice, as well as private/public partnerships. Like Brecher and Costello (Global village or global pillage. South End Press, Boston, 1994) in their analogy of the Lilliputians, I contend that solutions cannot be found through the actions of a single group of actors, but with coalitions of actors working at all levels.
State Takeover and Tender Offer Regulations Post-Mite: The Maryland, Ohio, and Pennsylvania Attempts

Following the Supreme Court's decision in Edgar v. MITE Corp., striking down portions of Illinois' takeover laws, a number of commentators predicted that state efforts to regulate takeovers could no longer be successful. However, a number of states have adopted new laws in the wake of MITE, seeking to provide a continuing role for the states in the tender offer field. This article examines three such attempts: Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania. These three statutes represent a variety of approaches to the problems of takeover regulation and provide a basis for a model of constitutionally permissible state regulation. The article examines the three statutes, and concludes with a suggested analytical model for constitutional adjudication in this context.
Making Tax Havens Work: The Necessity of Tax Professionalism

ABSTRACT The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 overhauled the U.S. corporate tax system, lowering the statutory rate, exempting foreign earned income, and strengthening anti-abuse provisions. However, ...
Aerosolization of Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium abscessus from a household ultrasonic humidifier.

Purpose. To measure the aerosolization of Mycobacterium avium subspecies hominissuis and Mycobacterium abscessus subspecies abscessus from ultrasonic humidifiers. Methodology. An ultrasonic humidifier was filled with sterile tap water and inoculated with water-acclimated cells of either the M. avium or M. abscessus strains to achieve a range of densities similar to those of mycobacteria found in drinking waters. During operation of the humidifier, aerosols were collected using an Andersen 6-Stage Cascade Sampler. Results. Cells of the M. avium and M. abscessus strains were readily aerosolized and recovered in particles (1–5 µm diameter); small enough to enter the furthest reaches of the human lung. Aerosolization of M. abscessus was significantly reduced in the presence of a normal drinking water bacterial flora. Significantly greater numbers of M. avium cells were aerosolized from high-density suspensions (1200 c.f.u. ml−1), than from low-density (120 c.f.u. ml−1) and very low-density (12 c.f.u. ml−1) suspensions. Conclusions. This report documents the potential for M. avium subspecies hominissuis and M. abscessus subspecies abscessus cells in drinking water to be aerosolized from one type of portable humidifier; an ultrasonic humidifier. Care should be taken in using an ultrasonic humidifier where an individual at risk for mycobacterial pulmonary disease could be exposed.
Personalized therapeutic delivery in the neurosurgical operating room.

Effective treatments for gliomas remain elusive despite decades of work investigating the biological basis of these tumors. There have been many recent advances in knowledge that have leveraged the tools of genetics, genomics, epigenetics, and proteomics to allow investigators to more finely subclassify and make more detailed prognostic assessments (1). However, many of the barriers that prevent the implementation of clinically effective therapeutics remain unbroken: intrinsic therapeutic resistance mechanisms, biological heterogeneity within and between the same type of tumor in different patients, and the presence of blood–brain and blood–tumor barriers that prevent most systemic therapeutics from reaching their tumor targets within the CNS at effective concentrations (2). More recently, there has been substantial interest in the development of therapeutics that do not require molecular access to the CNS, for example, antiangiogenic agents (3) and immunotherapeutics (4), which act on intravascular or systemic, non-CNS targets. These novel agents are being developed mostly for the treatment of higher grade gliomas, and glioblastoma (WHO grade IV glioma, GBM) in particular, and have yet to demonstrate survival benefit in randomized trials. For lower grade gliomas there have been few novel therapeutic options and treatment remains restricted to the conventional modalities of biopsy or surgical resection (to the extent feasible), radiation therapy, and cytotoxic chemotherapy. It is in the low-grade gliomas (WHO grade II, LGG) where an interesting molecular genetic discovery has been made: a tumor-initiating mutation in the IDH1 or IDH2 gene (5). These mutations result in a metabolic change within the Krebs cycle of tumor cells that renders the cells susceptible to depletion of NAD+ (6). While this finding is of considerable excitement to oncologists in general, neurooncologists have recognized that pharmacological depletion of NAD+ with use of systemically administered small-molecule inhibitors targeting nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) is unlikely to produce meaningful … [↵][1]1Email: vogelbm{at}ccf.org. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Factors Shaping the Agency of Beginning Science Teachers Working in High-Poverty Schools

The national shortage of science teachers and the substantial teacher turnover rate in high-poverty schools are outcomes of multiple issues. Using a framework built on 2 constructs—teacher agency (...
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry, and Damn the Dictatorship: Concepts and Conduct of Well-Being in Uzbekistan

Studies of well-being focus on physical attributes of the subject or subjects, and many focus on physical health. This article scrutinizes well-being from the standpoint of emotional contentedness. Rather than making claims about overall contentedness, my interest is in instantiating contentedness in ordinary situations based on 20 years of fieldwork. I suggest that we sometimes miss out on contentedness because we focus too much on a trying political or economic state. Because anthropologists tend to write about postsocialism as joyless and painful—owing to the collapse of communism and its replacement by authoritarianism—we also owe it to readers to document instances of the “good life.” Using ethnographic narration, I offer portals to feasting, drinking, and field labors in villages to represent ordinary ways in which Uzbeks embody a joie de vivre. Dreary politics and economics aside, people do live their lives and take great pleasure in them.
Treatment strategies for the yellow zone.

Abstract Objective To evaluate relevant studies and documents that address treatment strategies for acute loss of asthma control (yellow zone). Data Sources Publications available on various treatment strategies for the yellow zone, Global Initiative for Asthma, and FDA Drug Safety Communication. Study Selections Studies that assessed the effectiveness of specific therapies as yellow zone strategies were included in this review. Results Multiple yellow zone strategies exist, but only a few have been shown consistently effective. No specific evidence suggests that scheduled SABA can prevent exacerbation. Results for intermittent leukotriene receptor antagonist use have been mixed. Strong evidence supports intermittent inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) dosing for preschool-aged children with intermittent viral-induced wheeze, but data regarding this strategy for older children and adults are limited. As for short-term increase in scheduled ICS controller, doubling the dose seems to be ineffective, whereas results for a more substantial increase in ICS dose (quadrupling and quintupling) have been mixed. Dynamic dosing appears most promising, because symptom-driven ICS in tandem with rescue beta agonist use (whether short- or long-acting) is the strategy with the most robust data demonstrating reduction in exacerbations while minimizing ICS exposure. Conclusion Varying study designs and the heterogeneity of asthma itself likely account for the difference in outcomes seen with the various yellow zone intervention strategies studied. More studies are needed to determine the right yellow zone therapies for the right patients, but this is likely to be most effective through a personalized approach.
Estimating Representative Group Intrinsic Circadian Period from Illuminance-Response Curve Data.

The human circadian pacemaker entrains to the 24-h day, but interindividual differences in properties of the pacemaker, such as intrinsic period, affect chronotype and mediate responses to challeng...
4H-silicon-carbide-on-insulator for integrated quantum and nonlinear photonics

Optical quantum information processing will require highly efficient photonic circuits to connect quantum nodes on-chip and across long distances. This entails the efficient integration of optically addressable qubits into photonic circuits, as well as quantum frequency conversion to the telecommunications band. 4H-silicon carbide (4H-SiC) offers unique potential for on-chip quantum photonics, as it hosts a variety of promising colour centres and has a strong second-order optical nonlinearity. Here, we demonstrate within a single, monolithic platform the strong enhancement of emission from a colour centre and efficient optical frequency conversion. We develop a fabrication process for thin films of 4H-SiC, which are compatible with industry-standard, CMOS nanofabrication. This work provides a viable route towards industry-compatible, scalable colour-centre-based quantum technologies, including the monolithic generation and frequency conversion of quantum light on-chip. Monolithic photonics devices based on SiC are fabricated by a wafer bonding and thinning technique. The strong enhancement of single-photon emission from a colour centre and optical frequency conversion with an efficiency of 360% W−1 are demonstrated.
Relativistic three-body effects in hierarchical triples

The hierarchical three-body problem has many applications in relativistic astrophysics and can play an important role in the formation of the binary black hole mergers detected by LIGO/Virgo. However, many studies have only included relativistic corrections responsible for the precession of the pericenter of the inner and outer binaries, neglecting relativistic interactions between the three bodies. We revisit this problem and develop a fully consistent derivation of the secular three-body problem to first post-Newtonian order. We start with the Einstein-Infeld-Hoffman equations for a three-body system and expand the accelerations as a power series in the ratio of the semimajor axes of the inner (${a}_{1}$) and outer (${a}_{2}$) binary. We then perform a post-Keplerian, two-parameter expansion of the single-orbit-averaged Lagrange planetary equations in $\ensuremath{\delta}={v}^{2}/{c}^{2}$ and $\ensuremath{\epsilon}={a}_{1}/{a}_{2}$ using the method of multiple scales. Using this method, we derive previously identified secular effects at $\ensuremath{\delta}{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{5/2}$ order that arise directly from the equations of motion. We also calculate new secular effects through $\ensuremath{\delta}{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{4}$ order that can lead to eccentricity growth over many Lidov-Kozai cycles when the tertiary is much more massive than the inner binary. In such cases, inclusion of these effects can substantially alter the evolution of three-body systems as compared to an analysis in which they are neglected. Careful analysis of post-Newtonian three-body effects will be important to understand the formation and properties of coalescing binaries that form via three-body dynamical processes.
Post-operative urinary retention (POUR) score – Can incomplete bladder emptying after surgery be predicted?

Abstract Introduction And Objectives Post-surgical urinary retention is a significant potential adverse event which may result in prolonged hospital stay, patient discomfort and avoidable returns to the Emergency Department. While predisposing factors of urinary retention have been previously described, tools to accurately predict post-operative urinary retention (POUR) risk do not currently exist. We aimed to devise an accurate predictive score for POUR. Methods A single center, retrospective study of patients undergoing ventral, umbilical or inguinal hernia repair between 01/2017 and 1/2018 was performed. POUR was defined as the inability to void within six hours after surgery with bladder scan or catheterized volume >400 ml. Risk factors were identified using simple and multiple logistic regressions. Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) was utilized to select the best model. Area under Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUC) curve was used to evaluate model predictive properties. Results A total of 244 patients were included in the study. POUR was significantly associated with low body mass index (BMI) (OR 0.9, p 2 h (OR=2.9, p = 0.01). Beta blocker use was protective (OR 0.2, p = 0.02). Surprisingly, neither a previous diagnosis of benign prostate hyperplasia (OR 1.4, p = 0.6) nor male sex (OR 2.1, p = 0.2) were associated with POUR risk. The final parsimonious model with the smallest AIC was used to generate a POUR risk score = 13*(if surgery > 2 h) + 20*(if diagnosed with CHF) + 13*(if diagnosed with DM) - BMI - 15*(if taking beta blockers). Using a cutoff score of -15, patients with a POUR score greater than -15 were most likely to develop POUR. The sensitivity and specificity of the devised model were 71% and 79%, respectively. Conclusions A model showing surgery length, CHF, diabetes, low BMI and beta blocker use predicted POUR risk. The simplistic tool may be utilized to streamline care protocols for patients with higher likelihood for POUR.
Optimized hydroentanglement processing parameters for nonwoven fabrics composed entirely of cotton fibers

A study was conducted on a commercial grade hydroentanglement system to assess the effects of jet strip configuration in terms of both orifice diameter (0.10 mm, 0.12 mm, and 0.14 mm) as well as th...
Epigenetic response to hyperoxia in the neonatal lung is sexually dimorphic

Sex as a biological variable plays a critical role both during lung development and in modulating postnatal hyperoxic lung injury and repair. The molecular mechanisms behind these sex-specific differences need to be elucidated. Our objective was to determine if the neonatal lung epigenomic landscape reconfiguration has profound effects on gene expression and could underlie sex-biased differences in protection from or susceptibility to diseases. Neonatal male and female mice (C57BL/6) were exposed to hyperoxia (95% FiO, PND 1-5: saccular stage) or room air and euthanized on PND 7 and 21. Pulmonary gene expression was studied using RNA-seq on Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform and quantified. Epigenomic landscape was assessed using Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP-Seq) of the H3K27ac histone modification mark, associated with active genes, enhancers, and super-enhancers. These data were then integrated, pathways identified and validated. Sex-biased epigenetic modulation of gene expression leads to differential regulation of biological processes in the developing lung at baseline and after exposure to hyperoxia. The female lung exhibits a more robust epigenomic response for the H3K27ac mark in response to hyperoxia. Epigenomic changes distribute over genomic and epigenomic domains in a sex-specific manner. The differential epigenomic responses also enrich for key transcription regulators crucial for lung development. In addition, by utilizing H3K27ac as the target epigenomic change we were also able to identify new epigenomic reprogramming at super-enhancers. Finally, we report for the first time that the upregulation of p21 (Cdkn1a) in the injured neonatal lung could be mediated through gain of H3K27ac. These data demonstrate that modulation of transcription via epigenomic landscape alterations may contribute to the sex-specific differences in preterm neonatal hyperoxic lung injury and repair.
A Framework for Software Health Management using Bayesian Statistics: Position Paper

As size and complexity of safety-critical software systems increase, Software Health Management (SWHM) must make sure that the software always remains in safe and healthy regions of the state space. Boundaries between healthy and unhealthy regions are important for the detection of violations and health management. In this position paper, we present a framework, which employs techniques from Bayesian statistical modeling and active learning to efficiently characterize health boundaries in high-dimensional spaces. We will discuss, how this framework supports SWHM during design time and during operation of learning/adapting software systems.
Biofluid Mechanics: Analysis and Applications

Condensing 40 years of teaching experience, this unique textbook will provide students with an unrivalled understanding of the fundamentals of fluid mechanics, and enable them to place that understanding firmly within a biological context. Each chapter introduces, explains, and expands a core concept in biofluid mechanics, establishing a firm theoretical framework for students to build upon in further study. Practical biofluid applications, clinical correlations, and worked examples throughout the book provide real-world scenarios to help students quickly master key theoretical topics. Examples are drawn from biology, medicine, and biotechnology with applications to normal function, disease, and devices, accompanied by over 500 figures to reinforce student understanding. Featuring over 120 multicomponent end-of-chapter problems, flexible teaching pathways to enable tailor-made course structures, and extensive Matlab and Maple code examples, this is the definitive textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying a biologically-grounded course in fluid mechanics.
Design Rules, Volume 2: Chapter 8—Rationalizing Flow Processes

The purpose of this chapter is to examine the value structure of flow production processes and to explain why it is necessary to rationalize flow processes using the tools of systematic management. I first explain the problems facing managers of multi-step flow production processes at the end of the 19th Century. I map the value structure of a production process made up of interdependent steps and define the production bottleneck of the process. I go on to derive two general properties of multi-step flow processes with bottlenecks. These properties imply a need for ongoing managerial oversight and intervention. Without active systematic management to address production bottlenecks, large-scale flow processes can easily collapse into chaos. I then argue that that the use of automated machinery, large (or growing) markets, and systematic management are supermodular complements: each attribute makes the other two more valuable. The next chapter will explore how the technological requirements of multi-step flow production processes affect the optimal design of organizations implementing these technologies.
Development and retinal remodeling in the brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei)

BackgroundThe fovea, a pit in the retina, is believed to be important for high-acuity vision and is a feature found in the eyes of humans and a limited number of vertebrate species that include certain primates, birds, lizards, and fish. At present, model systems currently used for ocular research lack a foveated retina and studies investigating fovea development have largely been limited to histological and molecular studies in primates. As a result, progress towards understanding the mechanisms involved in regulating fovea development in humans is limited and is completely lacking in other, non-primate, vertebrates. To address this knowledge gap, we provide here a detailed histological atlas of retina and fovea development in the bifoveated Anolis sagrei lizard, a novel reptile model for fovea research. We also further test the hypothesis that retinal remodeling, which leads to fovea formation and photoreceptor cell packing, is related to asymmetric changes in eye shape. ResultsAnole retina development follows the conventional spatiotemporal patterning observed in most vertebrates, where retina neurogenesis begins within the central retina, progresses throughout the temporal retina, and concludes in the nasal retina. One exception to this general rule is that areas that give rise to the fovea undergo retina differentiation prior to the rest of the retina. We find that retina thickness changes dynamically during periods of ocular elongation and retraction. During periods of ocular elongation, the retina thins, while during retraction it becomes thicker. Ganglion cell layer mounding is also observed in the temporal fovea region just prior to pit formation. ConclusionsAnole retina development parallels that of humans, including the onset and progression of retinal neurogenesis followed by changes in ocular shape and retinal remodeling that leads to pit formation in the retina. We propose that anoles are an excellent model system for fovea development research. Key FindingsO_LIRetina mounding that occurs in foveal areas prior to retinal differentiation progressively disappear as foveal regions of the eye elongate. C_LIO_LIThe central and temporal foveal areas undergo retina differentiation before the rest of the retina. C_LIO_LIGCL mounding prior to pit formation occurs in the area of the temporal fovea but not the central fovea. C_LIO_LIWhen the eye is experiencing ocular retraction, photoreceptor cell packing, and pit formation are observed within foveal regions. C_LI
How 50 Years of Technology Development Has Transformed Millimeter-THz Astronomical Spectroscopy

Millimeter wavelength astronomical spectroscopy started about 50 years ago, with the detection of carbon monoxide in interstellar space. The detection of massive clouds of molecular material in the Milky Way answered a long-standing question of from what stars form, but understanding the formation, structure, and evolution of these clouds demanded ever more sensitive receivers operating throughout the millimeter/submillimeter//THz range. Fractional frequency resolution R>3x105 is required to measure the motions in star-forming regions, with the result that heterodyne systems have become the dominant technology for detailed kinematic studies. To unravel the complexity of chemistry in molecular clouds, higher sensitivity was required. To achieve this, the Schottky diodes initially used as nonlinear elements were first cooled to reduce noise, but then replaced by superconductor insulator superconductor (SIS) and hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers. Noise temperatures dropped from many thousands of K to < 100 K. Local oscillators (LOs) evolved from vacuum tubes to solid state devices. Large efforts were devoted to the development of frequency multipliers which allow mixers up to several THz to operate, starting with spectrally pure, tunable sources below 100 GHz. These allowed unbiased "spectral scans" and better use of observing time. The quantum cascade laser LO has allowed exploiting frequencies to 5 THz and beyond. Single antennas grew by more than an order of magnitude in collecting area. Interferometric arrays providing unprecedented angular resolution have allowed detailed observations of sources ranging from planet-forming disks to star-forming regions in distant galaxies. The interplay between technology and astronomical spectroscopy has been hugely productive, and continues, with new types of mixers for individual pixels and sophisticated focal plane arrays being developed for ground and space-based applications.
Machine Learning for Military Trauma: Novel Massive Transfusion Predictive Models in Combat Zones.

ABSTRACT Background Damage control resuscitation has become the standard of care in military and civilian trauma. Early identification of blood product requirements may aid in optimizing the clinical decision-making process while improving trauma related outcomes. This study aimed to assess and compare multiple machine learning models for predicting patients at highest risk for massive transfusion on the battlefield. Methods Supervised machine learning approaches using logistic regression, support vector machine, neural network, and random forest techniques were used to create predictive models for massive transfusion using standard prehospital and arrival data points from the Department of Defense Trauma Registry, 2008-2016. Seventy percent of the population was used for model development and performance was validated using the remaining 30%. Models were tested for accuracy and compared by standard performance statistics. Results A total of 22,158 patients (97% male, 58% penetrating injury, median age 25-29 y/o, average Injury Severity Score 9, with an overall mortality of 3%) were included in the analysis. Massive transfusion was required by 7.4% of patients. Overall accuracy was found to be above 90% in all models tested. Following cross validation and model training, the random forest model outperformed the alternatively tested models for precision, recall, and area under the curve. Conclusion Machine learning techniques may allow for more optimal and rapid identification of combat trauma patients at highest risk for massive transfusion. These powerful approaches may uncover novel correlations and help improve triage, activation of massive transfusion resources, and trauma-related outcomes. Further research seeking to optimize and apply these algorithms to trauma-centered research should be pursued.
The Dark Side of Online Food Businesses: Harms to Consumers and Main Street Businesses

When faced with the extraordinary successes of Internet companies such as Amazon and Google and the advantages they provide to both their customers and affiliated businesses, it is perhaps difficult to see the harm that Internet-based companies can create. This chapter is intended to temper the sentiment about the virtues of the Internet. It examines three popular Internet-based, food-related companies and discusses how each has caused harm to either consumers or main-street businesses. More specifically, the chapter studies the restaurant reservations company OpenTable and how consumer expectations that restaurants will add online reservation systems burden restaurant owners with high costs and may harm the ambience of restaurants; the online coupon company Groupon and how businesses can be harmed by spikes in demand and changed expectations of consumers; and the restaurant reviewing company Yelp and how it can ruin the surprise factor for new patrons, lead to hostilities between owners and reviewers, and harm restaurants through unsavory sales practices.
Attendance Rates and Academic Achievement Do Attendance Policies and Class Size Effects Impact Student Performance

This paper investigates the impact of a mandatory attendance policy on student grades. Data collected from 301 students in microeconomics principles classes taught by the same instructor are used to estimate performance. The empirical analysis controls for the endogeneity of attendance rates and class size. Results indicate that GPA prior to taking the course and SAT scores are consistent predictors of student performance, even after accounting for student withdrawals. In addition, attendance rates are not found to be significant indicators of exam grades after accounting for simultaneity. Since class size and the attendance policy do not appear to influence grades, it is suggested that instructors encourage, but not mandate attendance in both small and large lecture settings.
Strain Smoothing for Stabilization and Regularization of Galerkin Meshfree Methods

In this paper we introduce various forms of strain smoothing for stabilization and regularization of two types of instability: (1) numerical instability resulting from nodal domain integration of weak form, and (2) material instability due to material strain softening and localization behavior. For numerical spatial instability, we show that the conforming strain smoothing in stabilized conforming nodal integration only suppresses zero energy modes resulting from nodal domain integration. When the spurious nonzero energy modes are excited, additional stabilization is proposed. For problems involving strain softening and localization, regularization of the ill-posed problem is needed. We show that the gradient type regularization method for strain softening and localization can be formulated implicitly by introducing a gradient reproducing kernel strain smoothing. It is also demonstrated that the gradient reproducing kernel strain smoothing also provides a stabilization to the nodally integrated stiffness matrix. For application to modeling of fragment penetration processes, a nonconforming strain smoothing as a simplification of conforming strain smoothing is also introduced.
Prototype development of a geo stationary synthetic thinned aperture radiometer (GeoSTAR)

Weather prediction and hurricane tracking would greatly benefit of a continuous imaging capability of a hemisphere at millimeter wave frequencies. We are developing a synthetic thinned aperture radiometer (STAR) prototype operating from 50 to 56 GHz as a ground-based testbed to demonstrate the technologies needed to do full earth disk atmospheric temperature soundings from geostationary orbit with very high spatial resolution. The prototype consists of a Y-array of 24 MMIC receivers that are compact units implemented with low noise InP MMIC LNAs, second harmonic I-Q mixers, low power IF amplifiers and include internal digital bias control with serial line communication to enable low cost testing and system integration. Furthermore, this prototype STAR includes independent LO and noise calibration signal phase switching circuitry for each arm of the Y-array to verify the operation and calibration of the system.
An intelligent tutoring system for basic electronics

A design is presented of an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) in the domain of basic electronics which specifically consists of a set of problems in the area of operational amplifier applications, including simple inverting and noninverting configurations, summing, differentiating, and integrating amplifiers. A discussion is presented of the overall system model with emphasis placed on trade-offs between the ITS components which are necessary to adequately prototype the ITS. >
The Irawq of Tanzania: Negotiating Rural Development

The Irawq of Tanzania: Negotiating Rural Development. Katherine A. Snyder. Cambridge, MA: Westview Press, 2005. 196 pp.
Internal Radiation Dosimetry

Radiation can cause detrimental effects on human tissues, and these effects depend on various factors, such as dose, dose rate, time of exposure and so on. This chapter describes the method of calculating absorbed doses in various organs from radionuclides ingested internally either purposely (e.g., medical procedures) or accidentally.
Lead-calcium interactions : Involvement of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D

Interactions between dietary calcium (Ca) and lead (Pb) which influence serum levels of the vitamin D hormone, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), intestinal Ca and Pb absorption, and body Pb retention were investigated in chicks. In a 5 x 5 (levels of Ca and Pb) design, response surface modeling was used to describe and compare the various interactions. Lead ingestion and Ca deficiency alone or in combination generally increased serum 1,25(OH)2D levels over most of the range of dietary Ca and Pb. However, in severe Ca deficiency, Pb ingestion resulted in marked decreases in hormone concentration. Overall similarities in response profiles for 1,25(OH)2D, intestinal Ca absorption and calbindin-D suggest that major interactions between Pb and Ca are mediated via changes in circulating 1,25(OH)2D concentration, rather than direct effects on the intestine. The response profiles for Ca and Pb absorption differed, in part, suggesting that intestinal transport of the two cations may not be identical. Kidney and bone Pb content also differed in response to varying Ca and Pb levels, providing evidence for additional tissue-specific interactions not related to 1,25(OH)2D. The present study provides a comprehensive basis on which to interpret the results of previous clinical and experimental results.
Process monitoring of the production of γ-interferon in recombinant chinese hamster ovary cells

The production of recombinant gamma-interferon was monitored using high-performance liquid chromatographic methods. These methods were able to distinguish between glycosylated and non-glycosylated forms of gamma-interferon by complexing the carbohydrate with borate. Sufficient quantities of standard glycosylated gamma-interferon were not available for peak identification so immunological techniques were used to identify gamma-interferon variants. These techniques were validated with the non-glycosylated form. The non-glycosylated form was then shown to be retained only on a cation-exchange column, while the glycosylated form, complexed with borate, was retained only on an anion-exchange column. Samples were drawn at 2-h intervals over a 60-h production cycle and analyzed by both anion- and cation-exchange chromatography. Results indicated that the production of each form was coincidental and that the glycosylated form of gamma-interferon is produced in greater abundance than non-glycosylated.
Effect of Joint Imperfections on Static Control of Adaptive Structures as Space Cranes

Effect of imperfections in the joints of an adaptive structure on its slow (no inertia forces) motion along a prescribed trajectory as a space crane is studied. Two mathematical models to predict the effect of joint imperfections are proposed. The two models are used to obtain estimates of the deviations of the node of the space crane to which the end-effector is attached, from its prescribed trajectory. An application of the models to a two-section space crane is given.
A population-based study of lung carcinoma in Pennsylvania: comparison of Veterans Administration and civilian populations.

BACKGROUND Lung carcinoma remains the major cause of cancer death in North America and is even more common among military veterans. The objective of this study was to determine whether there were differences in the characteristics and survival of Pennsylvania patients with lung carcinoma in the Veterans Administration (VA) hospital system compared with patients in the rest of the state. METHODS The Pennsylvania Cancer Registry was used to identify all patients who were diagnosed with lung carcinoma in the State of Pennsylvania from 1995 to 1999. Patients who were treated within the Veterans Administration Health Care Network were identified by hospital code. Survival from the date of diagnosis of lung carcinoma was determined by using the Pennsylvania state mortality files from 1995 to 2001. RESULTS From 1995 to 1999, 48,994 patients were newly diagnosed with lung carcinoma in Pennsylvania (41.2% women), including 856 patients in the VA system (6 women). The current analysis was restricted to male patients (n = 28,798 men). There was no major difference in age of VA patients compared with non-VA patients, and the proportions of patients who had localized or regional stage disease were similar (49% of VA patients vs. 48% of non-VA patients). The proportion of black patients was much higher in the VA population (23%) compared with the non-VA population (9%). The median survival was 6.3 months for VA patients compared with 7.9 months for patients in the rest of the state, and the 5-year overall survival rate was 12% for VA patients compared with 15% for patients in the rest of the state. When survival was analyzed according to race, there was a significant difference in the age-adjusted survival of white patients in the VA system compared with patients in the rest of the state (P = 0.0007), but no significant difference was observed among black patients (P = 0.92). CONCLUSIONS The overall survival of VA patients with lung carcinoma in Pennsylvania was inferior to that of patients in the remainder of the state and this was due primarily to differences in survival among the white patients. Further investigation will be necessary to determine whether this disparity was caused by differences in socioeconomic status or comorbidities or whether there are systematic differences in the diagnosis, staging, or treatment of lung carcinoma between VA patients and civilian patients. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Quadrupolar coupling and structural instability in PrAg17−xCux

Abstract Results are reported for magnetization and neutron diffraction studies of the pseudobinary compounds PrAg 1−x Cu x . As x is raised from zero to 0.25, the structure remains cubic CsCl-type and the bilinear exchange is nearly unchanged, whereas the effective quadrupolar coupling deduced from the detailed magnetization-field behavior above the antiferromagnetic Neel point ( ≈ 10 K) increases three-fold in magnitude. The x = 0.5 compound, when cooled below ≈ 150 K, transforms from CsCl-type to an orthorhombic FeB-type structure. Detailed comparison of these structures shows that the instability of the CsCl-type may derive from the softening of zone-boundary phonons. Such phonons, via the dynamic Jahn-Teller mechanism, would account for the quadrupolar interactions of negative (antiferro) sign which grow with increasing x .
A Saint-Venant principle for shear band localization

A type of Saint-Venant principle is derived for a two-dimensional model of shear band formation in thermoviscoplastic solids. To establish that the thermal energy generated during the formation process remains highly localized, a spatially decaying upper bound on the temperature is derived. It is found that the temperature bound decays exponentially along the direction perpendicular to the band, with a rate that decreases in time. The result is established by using maximum principles for second-order nonlinear parabolic partial differential equations.