cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the impacts of multiple generalist fungal pathogens on temperate tree seedling survival

Host-specific mortality driven by natural enemies is a widely discussed mechanism for explaining plant diversity. In principle, populations of plant species can be regulated by distinct host-specific natural enemies that have weak or nonexistent effects on heterospecific competitors, preventing any single species from becoming dominant and thus promoting diversity. Two of the first steps in exploring the role of natural enemies in diversity regulation are to (1) identify potential enemies and (2) evaluate their levels of host specificity by determining if interactions between any one host and its enemy have equivalent survival impacts on co-occurring host species. We developed a bioinformatics framework to evaluate impacts of potential pathogens on seedling survival, for both single and multiple infections. Importantly, we consider scenarios not only if there are specialist pathogens for each plant, but also when generalist pathogens have differential effects on multiple host species, and when co-infection has species-specific effects. We then applied this analytical framework to a field experiment using molecular techniques to detect potential fungal pathogens on co-occurring tree seedling hosts. Combinatorial complexity created by 160 plant-fungus interactions was reduced to eight combinations that affect seedling survival. Potential fungal pathogens had broad host ranges, but seedling species were each regulated by different combinations of fungi or by generalist fungi that had differential effects on multiple plant species. Soil moisture can have the potential to shift the nature of the interactions in some plant-fungal combinations from neutral to detrimental. Reassessing the assumption of single-enemy-single-host interactions broadens the mechanisms through which natural enemies can influence plant diversity.
Collagenase-assisted fat dissociation for autologous fat transfer.

BACKGROUND The quality of fat for autologous transfer procedures has been a major focus of research in the past few years. The primary goal of these efforts is to improve the viability and longevity of the graft in human subjects. One possible factor in the permanence of theses transplants is the size of the adipose tissue grafts. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the effects of collagenase digestion on the viability of human adipose tissue. MATERIALS AND METHODS Samples of fat were obtained from subjects undergoing tumescent liposuction. The tissue was digested in a variety of concentrations of collagenase using optimized methods of processing. The digested fat was also subjected to mock injections through small bore needles. RESULTS Eight subjects completed the study. The viability of the fat using the optimized methods of collagenase digestion was consistently higher than 79%. During the mock injection trials, the viability of fat was improved from approximately 17% to 84% by collagenase digestion. CONCLUSIONS Our results show increased viability of human adipose tissue when digested by collagenase. These techniques can be applied to human autologous lipoaugmentation procedures in an effort to improve longevity of the transplanted tissue.
Anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using tibialis anterior tendon allografts

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a complex structure consisting of 2 functionally independent anatomic bundles, the anteromedial and posterolateral bundles. Anatomic and biomechanical studies have demonstrated distinctive functions for each of these bundles at various degrees of flexion. ACL reconstructions have traditionally focused solely on the reconstruction of the anteromedial bundle, with little consideration for the posterolateral bundle. Recent reports have appeared describing various techniques for anatomic ACL reconstruction in an attempt to recreate the native anatomy. We present an arthroscopic technique of anatomic, double-bundle ACL reconstruction using tibialis anterior tendon allografts. This technique restores the anatomic footprint of the native ACL on both the tibia and the femur. We believe that focusing reconstructive techniques on recreating both bundles of the ACL more closely recreates the biomechanical function of the native ligament.
Approaches to the Diagnosis and Grading of Hiatal Hernia

Hiatus hernia refers to conditions in which elements of the abdominal cavity, most commonly the stomach, herniate through the oesophageal hiatus into the mediastinum. With the most common type (type I or sliding hiatus hernia) this is associated with laxity of the phrenooesophageal membrane and the gastric cardia herniates. Sliding hiatus hernia is readily diagnosed by barium swallow radiography, endoscopy, or manometry when greater than 2 cm in axial span. However, the mobility of the oesophagogastric junction precludes the reliable detection of more subtle disruption by endoscopy or radiography. Detecting lesser degrees of axial separation between the lower oesophageal sphincter and crural diaphragm can only be reliably accomplished with high-resolution manometry, a technique that permits real time localization of these oesophagogastric junction components without swallow or distention related artefact.
Phenomenal access: A moving target

Basically agreeing with Block regarding the need for a distinction between P- and A-consciousness, I characterize the problem somewhat diflerently, relating it more directly to the explanatory gap. I also speculate on the relation between the two forms of consciousness, arguing that some notion of access is essentially involved in phenomenal experience.
Cardiovascular and Respiratory Effects of Endothelin in the Ventrolateral Medulla of the Normotensive Rat

Abstract We studied the relevance of the ventrolateral medulla for the cardiovascular and respiratory effects of endothelin-1 in urethane-anesthetized rats. Microinjection of endothelin-1 into the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) evoked pressor and bradycardic effects followed by sustained decreases in blood pressure, bradycardia, and respiratory depression. These effects were inhibited by endothelin-A receptor antagonists (BQ-123 and BQ-610) but not by endothelin-B antagonists. In the caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM) endothelin-1 decreased blood pressure, renal sympathetic nerve activity, respiratory frequency, and phrenic nerve activity, whereas heart rate increased. Pretreatment with BQ-123 in the CVLM increased respiratory frequency by 15±6 breaths per minute and prevented the effects of intra-CVLM administration of endothelin-1. In separate experiments, the intracisternal administration of endothelin-1 (20 pmol) to rats pretreated with saline in both the RVLM and CVLM resulted in a hypotensive and bradycardic phase that was followed by hypertension (50±15 mm Hg), bradycardia, and 100% mortality. In a separate group, pretreatment with BQ-123 in the RVLM and CVLM completely inhibited the hypotensive phase and reduced by 83% the subsequent rise in blood pressure evoked by endothelin-1. Cardiorespiratory arrest was prevented in all the rats in this group. Selective endothelin receptor blockade in the RVLM attenuated the hypertensive period of intracisternal administration of endothelin-1 and prevented mortality by 33%, whereas in the CVLM the endothelin receptor antagonist inhibited the initial hypotension and reduced mortality by 25%. Our results support the concept that in the ventral medulla, endothelin-1 can modulate cardiovascular and respiratory function.
On a conjecture related to geometric routing

We conjecture that any planar 3-connected graph can be embedded in the plane in such a way that for any nodes s and t, there is a path from s to t such that the Euclidean distance to t decreases monotonically along the path. A consequence of this conjecture would be that in any ad hoc network containing such a graph as a spanning subgraph, two-dimensional virtual coordinates for the nodes can be found for which the method of purely greedy geographic routing is guaranteed to work. We discuss this conjecture and its equivalent forms show that its hypothesis is as weak as possible, and show a result delimiting the applicability of our approach: any 3-connected K3,3-free graph has a planar 3-connected spanning subgraph. We also present two alternative versions of greedy routing on virtual coordinates that provably work. Using Steinitz's theorem we show that any 3-connected planar graph can be embedded in three dimensions so that greedy routing works, albeit with a modified notion of distance; we present experimental evidence that this scheme can be implemented effectively in practice. We also present a simple but provably robust version of greedy routing that works for any graph with a 3-connected planar spanning subgraph.
A universal feedback controller for discontinuous dynamical systems using nonsmooth control Lyapunov functions

The consideration of nonsmooth Lyapunov functions for proving stability of feedback discontinuous systems is an important extension to classical stability theory since there exist nonsmooth dynamical systems whose equilibria cannot be proved to be stable using standard continuously differentiable Lyapunov function theory. For dynamical systems with continuously differentiable flows, the concept of smooth control Lyapunov functions was developed by Artstein to show the existence of a feedback stabilizing controller. A constructive feedback control law based on a universal construction of smooth control Lyapunov functions was given by Sontag. Even though a stabilizing continuous feedback controller guarantees the existence of a smooth control Lyapunov function, many systems that possess smooth control Lyapunov functions do not necessarily admit a continuous stabilizing feedback controller. However, the existence of a control Lyapunov function allows for the design of a stabilizing feedback controller that admits Filippov and Krasovskii closed-loop system solutions. In this paper, we develop a constructive feedback control law for discontinuous dynamical systems based on the existence of a nonsmooth control Lyapunov function defined in the sense of generalized Clarke gradients and set-valued Lie derivatives.
Can the health-care system meet the challenge of pandemic flu? Planning, ethical, and workforce considerations

The federal pandemic influenza plan predicts that 30% of the population could be infected. The impact of this pandemic would quickly overwhelm the public health and health-care delivery systems in the U.S. and throughout the world. Surge capacity for staffing, availability of drugs and supplies, and alternate means to provide care must be included in detailed plans that are tested and drilled ahead of time. Accurate information on the disease must be made available to health-care staff and the public to reduce fear. Spokespersons must provide clear, consistent messages about the disease, including actions to be taken to contain its spread and treat the afflicted. Home care will be especially important, as hospitals will be quickly overwhelmed. Staff must be prepared ahead of time to assure their ability and willingness to report to work, and public health must plan ahead to adequately confront ethical issues that will arise concerning the availability of treatment resources. The entire community must work together to meet the challenges posed by an epidemic. Identification and resolution of these challenges and issues are essential to achieve adequate public health preparedness.
Accountable Metadata-Hiding Escrow: A Group Signature Case Study

A common approach to demands for lawful access to encrypted data is to allow a trusted third party (TTP) to gain access to private data. However, there is no way to verify that this trust is well placed as the TTP may open all messages indiscriminately. Moreover, existing approaches do not scale well when, in addition to the content of the conversation, one wishes to hide one’s identity. Given the importance of metadata this is a major problem. We propose a new approach in which users can retroactively verify cryptographically whether they were wiretapped. As a case study, we propose a new signature scheme that can act as an accountable replacement for group signatures, accountable forward and backward tracing signatures.
Fluoroscopic radiation exposure: are we protecting ourselves adequately?

Background: While traditional intraoperative fluoroscopy protection relies on thyroid shields and aprons, recent data suggest that the surgeon’s eyes and hands receive more exposure than previously appreciated. Using a distal radial fracture surgery model, we examined (1) radiation exposure to the eyes, thyroid, chest, groin, and hands of a surgeon mannequin; (2) the degree to which shielding equipment can decrease exposure; and (3) how exposure varies with fluoroscopy unit size. Methods: An anthropomorphic model was fit with radiation-attenuating glasses, a thyroid shield, an apron, and gloves. “Exposed” thermoluminescent dosimeters overlaid the protective equipment at the eyes, thyroid, chest, groin, and index finger while “shielded” dosimeters were placed beneath the protective equipment. Fluoroscopy position and settings were standardized. The mini-c-arm milliampere-seconds were fixed based on the selection of the kilovolt peak (kVp). Three mini and three standard c-arms scanned a model of the patient’s wrist continuously for fifteen minutes each. Ten dosimeter exposures were recorded for each c-arm. Results: Hand exposure averaged 31 μSv/min (range, 22 to 48 μSv/min), which was 13.0 times higher than the other recorded exposures. Eye exposure averaged 4 μSv/min, 2.2 times higher than the mean thyroid, chest, and groin exposure. Gloves reduced hand exposure by 69.4%. Glasses decreased eye exposure by 65.6%. There was no significant difference in exposure between mini and standard fluoroscopy. Conclusions: Surgeons’ hands receive the most radiation exposure during distal radial plate fixation under fluoroscopy. There was a small but insignificant difference in mean exposure between standard fluoroscopy and mini-fluoroscopy, but some standard units resulted in lower exposure than some mini-units. On the basis of these findings, we recommend routine protective equipment to mitigate exposure to surgeons’ hands and eyes, in addition to the thyroid, chest, and groin, during fluoroscopy procedures.
Editor A.D. Griffin: Envisioning a New Age for Black Oregonians (1896–1907)

Abstract The New Age, a weekly newspaper for Oregon's small but vibrant black community, offers stark insights into race relations in the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the twentieth century. The newspaper also provides details about culture, religion, education, migration, politics, job opportunities, and other topics that were critical to residents. Despite its importance to black Oregonians, scholars who study the black press have overlooked the Portland paper and its editor/publisher, Adolphus D. Griffin. This article addresses that gap in journalism history and aims to restore a forgotten journalist to the canon. More than one hundred issues of The New Age published between 1899 and 1907 were examined using historical methods and interpretive textual analysis. Topics and themes in editorials and news articles were analyzed for denotative and connotative meanings; the content also was viewed through the lens of identity construction and counter-narratives. Census and voting records, and articles pub...
The Federal Funds Interest Rate Meets the Prime Rates

This paper explores the impacts of the Federal Funds Rate (FFR), a significant money market indicator, on the prime lending rates offered by commercial banks. Prior to 1994, the FFR had lagged effects on prime rates, but since the second quarter of 1994, the Federal Reserve Bank has implemented monetary policy which explicitly and publicly target the FFR. Commercial banks have since relied on the FFR to promptly modify the prime rate in response to changing policies. The results of the study signify that transparency in monetary policy targeting can facilitate desired effects, thereby increasing efficiency.
Symposium Introduction: Assessing Peter Schuck's Diversity in America: Keeping Government at a Safe Distance

Peter Schuck's Diversity In America: Keeping Government at a Safe Distance makes a thoughtful and provocative contribution to debate over the value of diversity in society and how government should regulate it. He argues that while diversity is a valuable resource, government should play a limited role in managing it, protecting diversity where it exists but not actively promoting it. Thus, he supports laws that protect existing or emerging diversity - such as laws against discrimination in education, employment, and housing - while criticizing government policies that seek to create, certify, or cultivate diversity - such as affirmative action, hiring quotas, and legally mandated integration.
Optimising health and safety of people who inject drugs during transition from acute to outpatient care: narrative review with clinical checklist

The opioid epidemic in the USA continues to worsen. Medical providers are faced with the challenge of addressing complications from opioid use disorders and associated injection drug use. Unsafe injection practices among people who inject drugs (PWID) can lead to several complications requiring acute care encounters in the emergency department and inpatient hospital. Our objective is to provide a narrative review to help medical providers recognise and address key health issues in PWID, who are being released from the emergency department and inpatient hospital. In the midst of rises in overdose deaths and infections such as hepatitis C, we highlight several health issues for PWID, including overdose and infection prevention. We provide a clinical checklist of actions to help guide providers in the care of these complex patients. The clinical checklist includes strategies also applicable to low-resource settings, which may lack addiction treatment options. Our review and clinical checklist highlight key aspects of optimising the health and safety of PWID.
It is easier to confuse a jury than convince a judge: the crisis in medical malpractice.

Study Design. A study of cervical spine malpractice cases was conducted. Identifying tort reform models may help to resolve a crisis in medical malpractice. Objective. To identify tort reform models that may help to resolve a crisis in medical malpractice. Summary of Background Data. Medical malpractice faces a crisis. Insurance rates are exorbitant, yet many injured patients go uncompensated. Physicians practice defensive medicine for fear of suits, and society pays the price. Methods. Using Verdict Search, 36 malpractice cases involving cervical spine surgery were identified: 20 from California ($250,000 cap on pain and suffering) and 16 from New York (“the sky’s the limit”). Queries included who sued, who was sued, who won, who lost, and why? Six different tort reform models also were identified and explored. Results. Common bases for suits included failure to diagnose and treatment (56%), lack of informed consent (64%), new neurologic deficits (64%), and pain and suffering (72%). All of the six plaintiff verdicts (average, $4.42 million) and four of the nine settlements (average, $1.6 million) involving surgery that resulted in new postoperative quadriplegia appeared to be appropriate. However, the author could discern “no fault” in cases five defendants had settled, and the surgeons did not deserve to lose. On the other hand, the author found “fault” in five defense verdicts rendered to three newly quadriplegic patients and two with new postoperative root injuries. These patients deserved monetary awards, but received no compensation whatsoever. There currently are two models that would work better than the system in place in most states. These include the American Medical Association National Specialty Societies Medical Liability Project with the Alternative Dispute Resolution Model (SSMLP), and the Selective No Fault Models. Among the advantages shared by one or more of these models is their ability to reimburse injured patients while eliminating physician liability, to use malpractice panels rather than trials, and to put a cap on damages. Conclusions. To solve the medical malpractice crisis, Congress, the individual states, or both should adopt tort reform. Two tort reform models compensating injured patients and eliminating physician liability appear to be not only effective but also fair to all concerned parties.
The Role of Parents in Sibilicidal Brood Reduction of Two Booby Species

ABSTRACr.--Parental regulation of the probability and timing of avian brood reduction is expected to exist and evolve because natural selection should favor parents that match brood size to food availability most efficiently. Since food availability varies among species, interspecific variation in this regulation is expected. Comparative study of species with different brood reduction systems is one way to test the hypothesis that these mechanisms evolve as adaptations. Previous work on obligately siblicidal Masked Boobies (Sula dactylatra) and facultatively siblicidal Blue-footed Boobies (S. nebouxii) has shown that their different hatching asynchronies cannot fully explain the qualitative difference in their brood reduction systems. In this study, I report interspecific differences in nest shape that appear to contribute to early siblicide in Masked Boobies, but that suppress early siblicide in Blue-footed Boobies. Bluefooted Booby nest shape is closely regulated by parents. Differences in egg sizes of nest mates do not appear to contribute to the difference in social systems. Received 19 January 1995, accepted 2 July 1995. FATAL SIBLING AGGRESSION, known as "siblicide," often reduces the brood size of a number of bird species (Stinson 1979, Mock et al. 1990). Lack's (1954) brood-reduction hypothesis is the basis for the common evolutionary interpretation of siblicide, and of brood reduction (Ricklefs 1965) in general. When food supply for nestlings cannot be predicted reliably at the time of laying, selection is expected to favor a strategy of hatching as many nestlings as can be raised in the best conditions, and then of eliminating nestlings after hatching, if necessary, to bring demand into line with supply (see also Temme and Charnov 1987, Forbes and Ydenberg 1992). Siblicide provides parents an optimizing tool with a notable advantage: individual nestlings are best able to gauge their own physiological condition and can use that information, in conjunction with a competitive hierarchy, to maximize efficiency of brood reduction (Mock et al. 1987a).
Evaluation of Service-Learning Infused Courses with Refugee Families

This study evaluated the impact of service-learning-infused courses on multicultural competence and social justice advocacy skills among counseling students. The project, in which students acted as job coaches for refugee families, was integrated into 1st- and 2nd-year counseling courses. Results indicated an increase in multicultural knowledge and advocacy skills, with greater changes reported among 1st-year students. Implications for counselor training, including placement of service-learning projects within the counseling curriculum, are discussed. Este estudio evaluo el impacto de cursos con elementos de aprendizaje por medio del servicio en la competencia multicultural y las habilidades de defensoria de justicia social entre estudiantes de consejeria. El projecto, en el cual los estudiantes proporcionaron orientacion laboral a familias de refugiados, estaba integrado en cursos de consejeria de primer y segundo ano. Los resultados indicaron un aumento del conocimiento multicultural y las habilidades de defensoria, con mayores cambios comunicados por los estudiantes de primer ano. Se discuten las implicaciones para la formacion de consejeros, incluyendo la insercion de projectos de aprendizaje por medio del servicio en el curriculum de consejeria.
Predominance of immunoglobulin M antibody to hepatitis B core antigen in chronic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen.

IgM predominance of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) was determined by a modification of a commercial competitive binding radioimmunoassay in 190 chronic carriers of the hepatitis B surface antigen; 16.8% of the chronic carriers had IgM predominance. The carriers with IgM predominance of anti-HBc were more likely to have elevated aminotransferase levels (25% vs . 11%) and chronic active hepatitis by liver biopsy (4 of 7 vs . 2 of 20) than carriers with IgG predominance. IgM predominance of anti-HBc may be an indication of more severe liver involvement in chronic hepatitis B infection.
Law, Morality, and War After Vietnam

James E. Bond, The Rules of Riot: Internal Conflict and the Law of War. Princeton, Princeton University Press, I974, i96 pp., $II.50. James Turner Johnson, Ideology, Reason, and the Limitation of War: Religious and Secular Concepts, I200-I740. Princeton, Princeton University Press, I975, 274 pp., $I2.50. John Norton Moore, ed., Law & Civil War In The Modern World. Baltimore and London, The Johns Hopkins Press, I974, 587 pp., $8.95 paper. Telford Taylor, Nuremberg And Vietnam: An American Tragedy. Chicago, Quadrangle Books, I970, 207 pp., $5.95.
Monolayer endoderm differentiation from human ESCs

When embryonic stem cells are differentiated in the presence of activin A in serum-free conditions, an endoderm progenitor population defined by the coexpression of either Brachyury, Foxa2 and c-Kit, or c-Kit and Cxcr4 is generated. Specification of these progenitors with bone morphogenetic protein-4 in combination with basic fibroblast growth factor and activin A results in the development of hepatic populations highly enriched (45–70%) for cells that express the alpha-fetoprotein and albumin proteins.
Exploring Tau Conformations at the Single-Molecule Level in a Microfluidic Trap

The conformational dynamics of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDP's) are inextricably linked to their roles in signaling, regulation, folding, and diseases. Single-molecule methods can contribute valuable information on the conformational dynamics of biomolecules because they allow the observation of unsynchronized dynamics and characterization of diverse populations. Typically, target biomolecules are immobilized to allow study over a longer time window. However, biomolecules with more fluid structures, like IDP's, are highly susceptible to having their structure dominated by the immobilization environment. A method of studying single solution-phase biomolecules for prolonged periods of time would be highly useful for elucidating protein dynamics over many timescales.In this study, we present the use of a microfluidic trap that is capable of canceling Brownian motion to allow the observation of solution-phase dynamics of IDP's over multiple seconds. We will focus on Tau, a protein contributor to the etiology of Alzheimer's disease. Solution-phase conformations of the monomer and small aggregates will be described. The details of the technique, dynamics of the biomolecule targets, and future applications and directions will be discussed.
A Multi-Band Uncertainty Set Based Robust SCUC With Spatial and Temporal Budget Constraints

The dramatic increase of renewable energy resources in recent years, together with the long-existing load forecast errors and increasingly involved price sensitive demands, has introduced significant uncertainties into power systems operation. In order to guarantee the operational security of power systems with such uncertainties, robust optimization has been extensively studied in security-constrained unit commitment (SCUC) problems, for immunizing the system against worst uncertainty realizations. However, traditional robust SCUC models with single-band uncertainty sets may yield over-conservative solutions in most cases. This paper proposes a multi-band robust model to accurately formulate various uncertainties with higher resolution. By properly tuning band intervals and weight coefficients of individual bands, the proposed multi-band robust model can rigorously and realistically reflect spatial/temporal relationships and asymmetric characteristics of various uncertainties, and in turn could effectively leverage the tradeoff between robustness and economics of robust SCUC solutions. The proposed multi-band robust SCUC model is solved by Benders decomposition (BD) and outer approximation (OA), while taking the advantage of integral property of the proposed multi-band uncertainty set. In addition, several accelerating techniques are developed for enhancing the computational performance and the convergence speed. Numerical studies on a 6-bus system and the modified IEEE 118-bus system verify the effectiveness of the proposed robust SCUC approach for enhancing uncertainty modeling capabilities and mitigating conservativeness of the robust SCUC solution.
Diffractive propagation and recovery of modulated (including chaotic) electromagnetic waves through uniform atmosphere and modified von Karman phase turbulence

In a parallel approach to recently-used transfer function formalism, a study involving diffraction of modulated electromagnetic (EM) waves through uniform and phase-turbulent atmospheres is reported in this paper. Specifically, the input wave is treated as a modulated optical carrier, represented by use of a sinusoidal phasor with a slowly timevarying envelope. Using phasors and (spatial) Fourier transforms, the complex phasor wave is transmitted across a uniform or turbulent medium using the Kirchhoff-Fresnel integral and the random phase screen. Some preliminary results are presented comparing non-chaotic and chaotic information transmission through turbulence, outlining possible improvement in performance utilizing the robust features of chaos.
SU-F-T-368: Improved HPGe Detector Precise Efficiency Calibration with Monte Carlo Simulations and Radioactive Sources

Purpose: To obtain an improved precise gamma efficiency calibration curve of HPGe (High Purity Germanium) detector with a new comprehensive approach. Methods: Both of radioactive sources and Monte Carlo simulation (CYLTRAN) are used to determine HPGe gamma efficiency for energy range of 0–8 MeV. The HPGe is a GMX coaxial 280 cm3 N-type 70% gamma detector. Using Momentum Achromat Recoil Spectrometer (MARS) at the K500 superconducting cyclotron of Texas A&M University, the radioactive nucleus 24 Al was produced and separated. This nucleus has positron decays followed by gamma transitions up to 8 MeV from 24 Mg excited states which is used to do HPGe efficiency calibration. Results: With 24 Al gamma energy spectrum up to 8MeV, the efficiency for γ ray 7.07 MeV at 4.9 cm distance away from the radioactive source 24 Al was obtained at a value of 0.194(4)%, by carefully considering various factors such as positron annihilation, peak summing effect, beta detector efficiency and internal conversion effect. The Monte Carlo simulation (CYLTRAN) gave a value of 0.189%, which was in agreement with the experimental measurements. Applying to different energy points, then a precise efficiency calibration curve of HPGe detector up to 7.07 MeV at 4.9 cm distance away from the source 24 Al was obtained. Using the same data analysis procedure, the efficiency for the 7.07 MeV gamma ray at 15.1 cm from the source 24 Al was obtained at a value of 0.0387(6)%. MC simulation got a similar value of 0.0395%. This discrepancy led us to assign an uncertainty of 3% to the efficiency at 15.1 cm up to 7.07 MeV. The MC calculations also reproduced the intensity of observed single-and double-escape peaks, providing that the effects of positron annihilation-in-flight were incorporated. Conclusion: The precision improved gamma efficiency calibration curve provides more accurate radiation detection and dose calculation for cancer radiotherapy treatment.
Resource allocation for mitigating regional air pollution–related mortality: A summertime case study for five cities in the United States

ABSTRACTAn important issue of regional air quality management is to allocate air quality management funds to maximize environmental and human health benefits. In this study, we use an innovative approach to tackle this air quality management issue. We develop an innovative resource allocation model that allows identification of air pollutant emission control strategies that maximize mortality avoidances subject to a resource constraint. We first present the development of the resource allocation model and then a case study to show how the model can be used to identify resource allocation strategies that maximize mortality avoidances for top five Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) (i.e., New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Philadelphia) in the continental United States collectively. Given budget constraints in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Air Act assessment, the results of the case study suggest that controls of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and primary carbon (PC) em...
Transactionism, Dominionism, and Moral Exceptionalism in Animal Ethics

I advocate an animal ethics view of moral exceptionalism, which can serve as an alternative to what I call transactionism and dominionism. In transactionism, there is stress upon the mutually defining relationships between human and nonhuman animals. In dominionism, there is a belief that humans are fundamentally different from animals and yet are duty-bound to take care of them – at least to some extent. Moral exceptionalism is based on a recognition that humans have a tendency to kill animals while still being friends with them, or kill animals because they believe animals have less moral worth. Appropriate respect for animals, as well as any kind of superiority over them, means that humans have exceptional duties toward the preservation of life, duties which many animals cannot themselves follow. Moral exceptionalism agrees with a pragmatist understanding of the interconnectedness of humans and nonhumans – one promoted by recent authors such as Erin McKenna and Cynthia Willett – but simply holds humans to a higher moral standard with regard to the act of killing.
Bestimmung einer Qualitätsmetrik für FlexRay-Netzwerke

Nicht reproduzierbare Elektronikfehler, die hochstens einen Eintrag im Fehlerspeicher hinterlassen, beeinflussen das Vertrauen eines Fahrers in sein Fahrzeug. Die Streubreite reicht vom Radio, das nach dem Einschalten der Zundung zwar angeht, aber ohne Ton bleibt und erst nach einem Neustart korrekt funktioniert, bis zum ins Auto eingebauten Handy, das kurzzeitig seinen Dienst verweigert. Dieser Beitrag von Agilent Technologies beschreibt Problemursachen und Losungsansatze beim Testen von FlexRay-Netzwerken.
The Southern Military Tradition: Sociodemographic Factors, Cultural Legacy, and U.S. Army Enlistments

Throughout the history of the United States, the South has had higher levels of military service than other regions of the country. Scholars regularly refer to this phenomenon as a “Southern milita...
Youth, competence and punishment : reflections on South Africa's minimum sentencing regime for juvenile offenders

Is the honeymoon over for the minimum sentencing regime for juveniles in trouble with the law? The answer must be in the affirmative. This follows the Centre for Child Law's successful application (to the Constitutional Court) for confirmation of the High Court's declaration that the Criminal Law Amendment Act 105 of 1997 (CLAA) is, to the extent it codifies the changes inserted into it by the Criminal Law (Sentencing) Amendment Act 38 of 2007 (the Amendment Act), unconstitutional. Minimum sentencing for certain serious offences first found its way into South African law through section 51 of the CLAA. Minimum sentencing was introduced on 1998-05-01 as a stop-gap measure for two years, but was repeatedly extended thereafter until the Amendment Act made it permanent. Before the Amendment Act, minimum sentences could be imposed on adults and children under parts (of section 51(3)) that were more different in form than substance.
Performance of fully-coupled algebraic multigrid preconditioners for large-scale VMS resistive MHD

Abstract This work explores the current performance and scaling of a fully-implicit stabilized unstructured finite element (FE) variational multiscale (VMS) capability for large-scale simulations of 3D incompressible resistive magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). The large-scale linear systems that are generated by a Newton nonlinear solver approach are iteratively solved by preconditioned Krylov subspace methods. The efficiency of this approach is critically dependent on the scalability and performance of the algebraic multigrid preconditioner. This study considers the performance of the numerical methods as recently implemented in the second-generation Trilinos implementation that is 64-bit compliant and is not limited by the 32-bit global identifiers of the original Epetra-based Trilinos. The study presents representative results for a Poisson problem on 1.6 million cores of an IBM Blue Gene/Q platform to demonstrate very large-scale parallel execution. Additionally, results for a more challenging steady-state MHD generator and a transient solution of a benchmark MHD turbulence calculation for the full resistive MHD system are also presented. These results are obtained on up to 131,000 cores of a Cray XC40 and one million cores of a BG/Q system.
Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with brain metastasis from NSCLC, RCC, and melanoma.

214Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors are revolutionizing the treatment of multiple advanced malignancies, however, there is limited data on the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade in brain metastasis. We conducted a study to analyze the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) among patients with brain metastasis from Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (NSCLC), Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC), and Melanoma treated with either Nivolumab, Pembrolizumab, Ipilimumab or a combination. Methods: After IRB approval, we retrospectively evaluated patients with brain metastasis treated at our tertiary care institution from 2011-2017 who underwent immunotherapy and one or more of the following; whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT), surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) or systemic chemotherapy. Univariable and multivariable analysis was utilized to analyze OS and PFS. Volumetric analysis to assess treatment response is ongoing. Results: A total of 128 patients were identified with a median age of ...
Finite-horizon covariance control for discrete-time stochastic linear systems subject to input constraints

Abstract This work deals with a finite-horizon covariance control problem for discrete-time, stochastic linear systems with complete state information subject to input constraints. First, we present the main steps for the transcription of the covariance control problem, which is originally formulated as a stochastic optimal control problem, into a deterministic nonlinear program (NLP) with a convex performance index and with both convex and non-convex constraints. In particular, the convex constraints in this nonlinear program are induced by the input constraints of the stochastic optimal control problem, whereas the non-convex constraints are induced by the requirement that the terminal state covariance be equal to a prescribed positive definite matrix. Subsequently, we associate this nonlinear program, via a simple convex relaxation technique, with a (convex) semi-definite program, which can be solved numerically by means of modern computational tools of convex optimization. Although, in general, the endpoints of a representative sample of closed-loop trajectories generated by the control policy that corresponds to the solution of the relaxed convex program are not expected to follow exactly the goal terminal Gaussian distribution, they are more likely to be concentrated near the mean of this distribution than if they were drawn from the latter, which is a desirable feature in practice. Numerical simulations that illustrate the key ideas of this work are also presented.
Ungulate exclusion accentuates increases in woody species richness and abundance with canopy gap creation in a temperate hardwood forest

Abstract Forest biodiversity is declining due to a wide variety of anthropogenic factors. Forest and wildlife management can be part of the problem or part of the solution. Our objective was to examine the influence of white-tailed deer exclusion on the response of understory communities to a gradient in overstory disturbance. We expected that greater overstory disturbance would act synergistically with deer exclusion to increase understory species richness and abundance. In northern Wisconsin, USA, we monitored changes in understory vegetation in a temperate hardwood forest following four overstory treatments (no-harvest controls and three gap sizes) and two deer treatments (deer access or exclosure). By the seventh year following gap creation, understory species richness and the abundance of multiple species groups had increased, especially when deer were excluded. Effects were most pronounced in larger gaps, particularly among saplings of less shade-tolerant tree species. The tree seedling community responded similarly, but less strongly, to treatments. In contrast, change in the short-stature shrub and herbaceous community seven years following gap and deer treatments was limited and species-specific. Environmental conditions at the groundlayer, such as light availability and soil moisture content, rarely differed by treatment in our study. Increased density of understory vegetation at seven years post-treatment may have negated early pulses in resource availability resulting from gap creation. Gap creation alone increased species richness and abundance of woody taxa, whereas deer exclusion alone had little effect on the understory community. When treatments were applied in combination, we saw the greatest change in the plant community. Our study provides evidence that, when accompanied by a reduction in deer population density, relatively intense overstory disturbance (e.g., group-selection harvest) may be an effective management strategy for restoring forest heterogeneity.
Retrospective Analysis of Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin and Unfractionated Heparin in Pediatric Trauma Patients: A Comparative Analysis.

Abstract Background Chemoprophylaxis with either unfractionated heparin (UFH) or Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin (LMWH) are recommended to prevent Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) after trauma. Experimental work has shown beneficial effects of LMWH in animal models, but it is unknown if similar effects exist in humans. We hypothesized that treatment with LMWH is associated with a survival benefit when compared to UFH. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of our level I trauma center database from January 2009 to June 2018. Pediatric patients (age Results A total of 354 patients were included. Patients who received LMWH had lower mortality compared to those who received UFH. After multivariate logistic regression, LMWH was still independently associated with improved survival. No association was found between LMWH and UFH regarding deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) rates. No association was found between LMWH with HLOS. Conclusions LMWH was associated with improved survival compared to UFH in our pediatric trauma patients. This was independent of injury severity or VTE complications. Further studies are required to understand better the mechanisms by which LMWH improves survival. Level of Evidence 3.
Approaches for Addressing Missing Data in Statistical Analyses of Female and Male Adolescent Fertility

Missing data is a pervasive problem in social science research. Allison (2002: 1) has written that “sooner or later, usually sooner, anyone who does statistical analysis runs into problems with missing data. In a typical dataset, information is missing for some variables for some cases. … Missing data are a ubiquitous problem in both the social and health sciences … [Yet] the vast majority of statistical textbooks have nothing whatsoever to say about missing data or how to deal with it.” Treiman (2009: 182) has noted that “missing data is a vexing problem in social research. It is both common and difficult to manage.” In this chapter we undertake two separate analyses, one for females and the other for males, of the likelihood of the respondent reporting having had a teen birth. We use several independent variables in our analyses that have been shown in prior studies to be important predictors of adolescent fertility. We handle the problem of missing data using several different approaches.
Evaluation of Infection Risk Based on Induction Immunotherapy within the First Year after Heart Transplantation

Purpose Heart transplantation (OHT) is now more frequently utilized across the US for management of end stage heart failure. The highest risk of mortality exists between the first 30 days and 12 months after OHT. Induction immunosuppression regimens differ among transplant centers across the U.S. The intent of our study was to identify the incidence of infection stratified by induction immunosuppressive regimen and further delineate potential risk factors that may predispose patients to infection during the first 12 months after OHT. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients that received OHT at Mayo Clinic, FL between January 2014 and January 2019 with follow up for outcomes until October 2019. We performed parametric and non-parametric analysis as appropriate. Kaplan Meier curves and cox proportional hazards regression models were constructed to evaluate the effect of specific variables on mortality. Results 120 patients were identified within the timeframe reviewed. Average age at transplant was 54.6 years. 94 (78%) were male and 26 (22%) were female. A total of 12 (10%) patients received heart-kidney transplantation. Of the heart alone patients, 49 (41%) had left ventricular assist device (LVAD) as bridge to transplantation. 52 patients (43.3%) had infection within 1 year after OHT. Of these, 34 (65%) were bacterial, 6 (12%) viral, 3 (6%) fungal and 9 (17%) with multiple infection types. LVAD infection prior to OHT was not significantly associated with increased risk for infection after OHT (p=0.289). Induction therapy with either thymoglobulin (p=0.469) or basiliximab (p=0.655) was not significantly associated with infection after OHT. Time to weaning off prednisone was found to be the most significant (p=0.025) factor in our cohort. Infected patients remained on prednisone an average of 276 days vs 232 days for those without infection. Overall 12 month survival in our cohort was 87.5%. Conclusion Fifteen patients died within the first year. Infection related deaths occurred in 6 patients (40%). Faster taper of prednisone was associated with significantly reduced rates of infection within the first year after OHT. Limitations of this study are sample size and single center population. Further investigation for rapid prednisone taper in older individuals may decrease mortality related to infection within the first year after OHT.