cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developing a database for Genbank information.

The thesis project, Gene Database, was done to create a way for the bioinformatics research group at the University of Louisville to have access to GenBank EST information in the form of a database. This database allows for a programmable front end to be used to conduct further research with the use of EST information. The database backend used is Oracle and was populated through a custom Java program. The loader was created in lieu of using Oracle's SQL*Loader because of the limitations in SQL*Loader. Previous ways of accessing the GenBank information included downloading the compressed files and using them locally as raw file formats or using the NCBI Website remotely. This Gene Database allows for a central location for bio-information of the GenBank to be kept at the University of Louisville. The database was initially populated with the human EST information. The database is versatile enough to allow for other organisms to be stored in the database as well. It also allows for custom queries for specific research goals that are spawned by having this information readily available for researchers.
A Reply to Romberg, Montgomery, and Peaker

S OF FUTURE ARTICLES Comparison of Teacher-written and Empirically-derived Distractors to Multiple-choice Test Questions, Floyd L. Coppedge and Gerald S. Hanna A comparison was made of the discrimination power of multiple-choice geometry test question alternatives supplied by (a) students taking an ex- perimental test in completion format, (b) experienced teachers, and (c) student teachers. Neither experienced teachers nor student teachers were successful in supplying multiple-choice item distractors that best discrimi- nated between highand low-scoring students on the completion test. It was concluded that the most discriminating multiple-choice item distractors are produced by administering items in completion format, item analyzing the results, and selecting the most discriminating student errors. Attitudes of Elementary School Pupils and Their Parents toward Mathematics and Other Subjects of Instruction, George Levine A forced choice questionnaire was administered to a sample of 144 third, fourth, and sixth-grade pupils, a similar questionnaire was com- pleted by the parents of these pupils, to investigate the attitudes of pupils and their parents toward mathematics, English, science, and social studies. Analysis of the data was made on the basis of the grade level and sex of the children. Among pupils, mathematics was ranked higher than the other 3 areas with respect to importance, enjoyment, success, and additional cri- teria related to pupils' conception of parental attitudes. Parents recalled enjoying and doing best in English, but ranked mathematics and English equally high in importance, and as the subjects in which they hope their children do best. Representational Modes as They Interact with Cognitive Development and Mathematical Concept Acquisition of the Retarded to Promote New Mathematical Learning, Jenny R. Armstrong A critical goal of mathematics instruction is to gradually enable pupils to transverse from the enactive to the symbolic mode of internal representa- tion of mathematical ideas. Nevertheless, during certain periods of the pu- pil's mental and cognitive development, the use of selected representational modes in the instructional presentation of ideas would seem to be better than others in promoting mathematical learning. In 2 related studies the mathematical learning of Trainable Mentally Re240 Journal for Research in Mathematics Education This content downloaded from 157.55.39.180 on Mon, 25 Apr 2016 06:20:49 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
Conversion of Results of Concentrated Samples to Density Estimates of Egg and Larval Populations of the Northern Corn Rootworm

To maximize results from labor effort, samples for egg and larval populations of the northern corn rootworm, Diabrotica longicornis (Say), and the western corn rootworm, D. virgifera LeConte, have been taken at the sites of population concentrations. While the results of such samples are useful on a relative basis, they do not show the densities as number of eggs or larvae per acre. The densities of eggs and larvae in different locations in the space occupied by a plant hill were determined. Based upon these densities. the factors to convert the numbers of eggs and larvae in concentrated samples to the number per acre were developed. Under the conditions of the study, the factors are: (a) The number of eggs per acre in 40-in. rows = the number of eggs per 4-in. core, taken next to and south of the plant hill, × 8 × the number of hills per acre. (b) The number of larvae per acre in 40-in. rows = the number of larvae per 5-qt sample taken over the plant, & 2.5 & the number of plants per acre. (c) The number of larvae per acre in 30-in. rows = the number of larvae per 5-quart sample taken over the plant, & 1.9 & the number of plants per acre.
Price Stabilization Attempts in the Grocery Trade in California

EDITOR'S NOTE: Business competition is undergoing many changes. This article by Mr. McHenry and the following one by Mr. Berna present important aspects of the general problem. How decisions concerning production and prices are to be made, by whom, and in whose interest, are matters that are receiving much attention and experimentation at present. It seems worthwhile to have as complete a record of the various experiments as possible in order that the mistakes of the present may be avoided in the future.
Experimental Confirmation of Nonlinear-Model- Predictive Control Applied Offline to a Permanent Magnet Linear Generator for Ocean-Wave Energy Conversion

To further maximize power absorption in both regular and irregular ocean wave environments, nonlinear-model-predictive control (NMPC) was applied to a model-scale point absorber developed at the University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA. The NMPC strategy requires a power-takeoff (PTO) unit that could be turned on and off, as the generator would be inactive for up to 60% of the wave period. To confirm the effectiveness of this NMPC strategy, an in-house-designed permanent magnet linear generator (PMLG) was chosen as the PTO. The time-varying performance of the PMLG was first characterized by dry-bench tests, using mechanical relays to control the electromagnetic conversion process. The on/off sequencing of the PMLG was tested under regular and irregular wave excitation to validate NMPC simulations using control inputs obtained from running the choice optimizer offline. Experimental results indicate that successful implementation was achieved and absorbed power using NMPC was up to 50% greater than the passive system, which utilized no controller. Previous investigations into MPC applied to wave energy converters have lacked the experimental results to confirm the reported gains in power absorption. However, after considering the PMLG mechanical-to-electrical conversion efficiency, the electrical power output was not consistently maximized. To improve output power, a mathematical relation between the efficiency and damping magnitude of the PMLG was inserted in the system model to maximize the electrical power output through continued use of NMPC which helps separate this work from previous investigators. Of significance, results from latter simulations provided a damping time series that was active over a larger portion of the wave period requiring the actuation of the applied electrical load, rather than on/off control.
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS ON SPALLING EFFECTS OF STEEL PLANE UNDER CONTACTING EXPLOSION LOAD

Based on AutoDyn soft,the spalling process of steel plate under contacting explosion load was numerically simulated and compared with tests.The stress wave propagation process and characteristics were discussed,and the spalling mechanism was analyzed.It was pointed out that the spalling effects of steel plate were a damage and energy accumulation process under tensile wave.The calculation shows that charge height,steel thickness and material property are the core factors which influence spalling occurring,developing and failure effects.The test and calculation results provide technical references for the application of the steel plate in protective structures.
Nucleosomes determine their own patch size in base excision repair.

Base excision repair (BER) processes non-helix distorting lesions (e.g., uracils and gaps) and is composed of two subpathways that differ in the number of nucleotides (nts) incorporated during the DNA synthesis step: short patch (SP) repair incorporates 1 nt and long patch (LP) repair incorporates 2–12 nts. This choice for either LP or SP repair has not been analyzed in the context of nucleosomes. Initial studies with uracil located in nucleosome core DNA showed a distinct DNA polymerase extension profile in cell-free extracts that specifically limits extension to 1 nt, suggesting a preference for SP BER. Therefore, we developed an assay to differentiate long and short repair patches in ‘designed’ nucleosomes containing a single-nucleotide gap at specific locations relative to the dyad center. Using cell-free extracts or purified enzymes, we found that DNA lesions in the nucleosome core are preferentially repaired by DNA polymerase β and there is a significant reduction in BER polymerase extension beyond 1 nt, creating a striking bias for incorporation of short patches into nucleosomal DNA. These results show that nucleosomes control the patch size used by BER.
Human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family molecular structure

ERBB receptors and their cognate ligands provide a rich and complex multilayered network of signaling control. Multiple layers of control act to safeguard against unwanted ERBB receptor activation, including the “closed” conformations of ligand-unbound EGFR, ERBB3, and ERBB4, auto-inhibited interactions among “open” conformation extracellular domains (ECDs), a vast repertoire of receptor-specific ligands (with, in some cases, a myriad of isoforms), the potential to form high-order complexes with associated proxy phosphorylation, and receptor-mediated endocytosis with associated recycling and degradation pathways. Despite these extensive safeguards, the deregulation of ERBB receptors is observed in multiple tumor types. In the case of ERBB2, the use of therapeutic antibodies aimed at distinct epitopes within the extracellular domain has resulted in marked improvements in clinical efficacy, and greater understanding of biology of ERBB2 receptor trafficking following receptor-mediated endocytosis has led to important insights in the development of an antibody-drug conjugate targeting this receptor. The multilayered nature of ERBB signaling offers a broad spectrum of future points for consideration of therapeutic interventions.
Preoperative Evaluation Clinic Visit Is Associated with Decreased Risk of In-hospital Postoperative Mortality.

Background:As specialists in perioperative medicine, anesthesiologists are well equipped to design and oversee the preoperative patient preparation process; however, the impact of an anesthesiologist-led preoperative evaluation clinic (PEC) on clinical outcomes has yet to be fully elucidated. The au
The story of gravity

The Universal Force by Louis Girifalco is an excellent introduction to the fundamental concepts underlying our modern theory of gravity that contains some engagingly written descriptions of the work of the people who contributed to its development. What is more, the book succeeds well in making itself accessible to a popular audience: it is not long; it employs a wealth of useful and interesting thought experiments drawn primarily from everyday experience to illustrate the concepts it discusses; and yet it still provides a reliable and thought-provoking insight into the foundations of modern gravitational theory. Wisely, Girifalco has chosen to do just one thing well and has not tried to write a history of gravity, except in so far as that history serves to entertain readers and to motivate the more important of today's physical concepts.
The Price of Bond Market-Stock Market Correlation Risk

Bonds are attractive investment instruments that complement a broad-based equity portfolio. As the correlation between stocks and bonds increases, investors lose diversification benefits. Stocks that pay out more in states in which the aggregate stock-bond correlation is high will be deemed more attractive and their expected returns should be lower. Our hypothesis is then that the stock market-bond market correlation is a risk factor. To test this, we extract the riskless bond-stock market correlation using several different methods that include the BEKK and the Dynamic Conditional Correlation methods. We examine the price of bond-stock correlation risk in the cross section of stock returns. We find that aggregate correlation carries a statistically significant negative price of risk of about 3 percent that cannot be explained by the market return, size, book-to-market, default spread, term spread, unexpected inflation and other known risk factors.
Re: Two-Step Process for ED UTI Screening

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) represent a significant cause of serious bacterial infection in the pediatric population. Recently there has been much discussion surrounding the screening and diagnosis of UTIs. The American Academy of Pediatrics 2011 guidelines1 recommend suprapubic aspiration or catheterization in patients who cannot spontaneously void. Lavelle et al2 recently proposed a 2-step approach for the … E-mail: elaine.chiang{at}chp.edu
Does Universal Insurance Mitigate Racial Differences in Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy

Abstract Study Objective To determine if racial differences exist in receipt of minimally invasive hysterectomy (defined as total vaginal hysterectomy [TVH] and total laparoscopic hysterectomy [TLH]) compared with an open approach (total abdominal hysterectomy [TAH]) within a universally insured patient population. Design Retrospective data analysis (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting The 2006–2010 national TRICARE (universal insurance coverage to US Armed Services members and their dependents) longitudinal claims data. Patients Women aged 18 years and above who underwent hysterectomy stratified into 4 racial groups: white, African American, Asian, and “other.” Intervention Receipt of hysterectomy (TAH, TVH, or TLH). Measurements and Main Results We used risk-adjusted multinomial logistic regression models to determine the relative risk ratios of receipt of TVH and TLH compared with TAH in each racial group compared with referent category of white patients for benign conditions. Among 33 015 patients identified, 60.82% (n = 20 079) were white, 26.11% (n = 8621) African American, 4.63% (n = 1529) Asian, and 8.44% (n = 2786) other. Most hysterectomies (83.9%) were for benign indications. Nearly 42% of hysterectomies (n = 13 917) were TAH, 27% (n = 8937) were TVH, and 30% (n = 10 161) were TLH. Overall, 36.37% of white patients received TAH compared with 53.40% of African American patients and 51.01% of Asian patients (p Conclusion We demonstrate that racial minority patients are less likely to receive a minimally invasive surgical approach compared with an open abdominal approach despite universal insurance coverage. Further work is warranted to better understand factors other than insurance access that may contribute to racial differences in surgical approach to hysterectomies.
Developing Electronic Health Record (EHR) Strategies Related to Health Center Patients' Social Determinants of Health

Background: “Social determinants of heath” (SDHs) are nonclinical factors that profoundly affect health. Helping community health centers (CHCs) document patients9 SDH data in electronic health records (EHRs) could yield substantial health benefits, but little has been reported about CHCs9 development of EHR-based tools for SDH data collection and presentation. Methods: We worked with 27 diverse CHC stakeholders to develop strategies for optimizing SDH data collection and presentation in their EHR, and approaches for integrating SDH data collection and the use of those data (eg, through referrals to community resources) into CHC workflows. Results: We iteratively developed a set of EHR-based SDH data collection, summary, and referral tools for CHCs. We describe considerations that arose while developing the tools and present some preliminary lessons learned. Conclusion: Standardizing SDH data collection and presentation in EHRs could lead to improved patient and population health outcomes in CHCs and other care settings. We know of no previous reports of processes used to develop similar tools. This article provides an example of 1 such process. Lessons from our process may be useful to health care organizations interested in using EHRs to collect and act on SDH data. Research is needed to empirically test the generalizability of these lessons.
Technical Note: The effect of 2D excitation profile on T1 measurement accuracy using the variable flip angle method with an average flip angle assumption.

Purpose To study the accuracy and precision of T1 estimates using the Variable Flip Angle (VFA) method in 2D and 3D acquisitions. Methods Excitation profiles were simulated using numerical implementation of the Bloch equations for Hamming-windowed sinc excitation pulses with different time-bandwidth products (TBP) of 2, 6, and 10 and for T1 values of 295 ms and 1045 ms. Experimental data were collected in 5° increments from 5° to 90° for the same T1 and TBP values. T1 was calculated for every combination of flip angle with and without a correction for B1 and slice profile variation. Calculations were also made for flat slice profile such as obtained in 3D acquisition. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to obtain T1 measurement uncertainty. Results VFA T1 measurements in 2D without correction can result in a 40–80% underestimation of true T1. Flip angle correction can reduce the underestimation, but results in accurate measurements of T1 only within a narrow band of flip angle combinations. The narrow band of accuracy increases with TBP, but remains too narrow for any practical range of T1 values or B1 variation. Simulated noisy VFA T1 measurements in 3D were accurate as long as the two angles chosen are on either side of the Ernst angle. Conclusions Accurate T1 estimates from VFA 2D acquisitions are possible, but only a narrow range of T1 values within a narrow range of flip angle combinations can be accurately calculated using a 2D slice. Unless a better flip angle correction method is used, these results demonstrate that accurate measurements of T1 in 2D cannot be obtained robustly enough for practical use and are more likely obtained by a thin slab 3D VFA acquisition than from multiple-slice 2D acquisitions. VFA T1 measurements in 3D are accurate for wide ranges of flip angle combinations and T1 values.
Prototyping a query compiler using Coq (experience report)

Designing and prototyping new features is important in many industrial projects. Functional programming and formal verification tools can prove valuable for that purpose, but lead to challenges when integrating with existing product code or when planning technology transfer. This article reports on our experience using the Coq proof assistant as a prototyping environment for building a query compiler intended for use in IBM's ODM Insights product. We discuss the pros and cons of using Coq for this purpose and describe our methodology for porting the compiler to Java, as required for product integration.
Lifestyle and Pharmacotherapy for Weight Loss in Preventing or Delaying Diabetes

Preventing or delaying the conversion of prediabetes to overt diabetes can reduce mortality and morbidity rates, improve health-related quality of life, and reduce other comorbid complications associated with diabetes. Studies have shown that a modest weight loss is one strategy for preventing or delaying diabetes diagnosis. First-line therapy in preventing progression of prediabetes to overt diabetes is weight loss through lifestyle modifications; however, pharmacotherapy for weight loss may be initiated if lifestyle alone is ineffective. The purpose of this article is to describe the pharmacotherapeuptic options for weight loss that can be used in conjunction with lifestyle in the prevention or delay of diabetes in patients with prediabetes.
A Case Study Application of the Aggregate Exposure Pathway (AEP) and Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) Frameworks to Facilitate the Integration of Human Health and Ecological End Points for Cumulative Risk Assessment (CRA).

Cumulative risk assessment (CRA) methods promote the use of a conceptual site model (CSM) to apportion exposures and integrate risk from multiple stressors. While CSMs may encompass multiple species, evaluating end points across taxa can be challenging due to data availability and physiological differences among organisms. Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) describe biological mechanisms leading to adverse outcomes (AOs) by assembling causal pathways with measurable intermediate steps termed key events (KEs), thereby providing a framework for integrating data across species. In this work, we used a case study focused on the perchlorate anion (ClO4–) to highlight the value of the AOP framework for cross-species data integration. Computational models and dose–response data were used to evaluate the effects of ClO4– in 12 species and revealed a dose–response concordance across KEs and taxa. The aggregate exposure pathway (AEP) tracks stressors from sources to the exposures and serves as a complement to the AOP....
Phenomenological Modeling of Confined Phonon States in TMD Quantum Dots

Several reports have shown band-gap tuning in TMDs, from indirect band gap in the bulk material to a direct gap in single layer due to the absence of interlayer coupling. This unique property stems from the modified electronic states. The phononic properties are extremely modified as well, due to layered effect and quantum size effect. There are several reports on layered effect; however, reports on the confined phonon states in these structures are limited. Thus, we present a preliminary studies of the confined phonon states in TMDs (WS2 and MoS2) quantum dots, and elucidate on the evolution of the phonon lineshape with diameter using a phenomenological model with an envelop function that truncates the phonon wave at the surface of the quantum dot. Furthermore, we delineate the layered effect from the quantum size effect in the phonon lineshape of WS2 and MoS2
Selective Inhibition of Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Oxidative Burst and CD11b/CD16 Expression by Prostaglandin E2

Following injury, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is released from stimulated mononuclear cells. Abnormally elevated levels of PGE2 have been measured in supernatants of macrophages obtained from burned mice [1], and in posttraumatic patients PGE2 suppresses interleukin-2 production by T lymphocytes [2]. Human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) contain on their surface an adhesion glycoprotein, identified as the receptor for C3bi (CR3) [3]. CR3 is a heterodimer composed of a 170-kDa α-chain (CD11b) and an invariant 95-kDa β-chain (CD18). Also contained on the PMN surface are several receptors for the Fc portion of immunoglobulins (FcγR). In particular, the 50 to 70-kDa FcγR III is a low-affinity receptor that binds immune-complexed IgG and has been designated CD16 [4]. Together, these two surface proteins have been used to identify phenotypic subclasses of PMN [5].
Laying the Foundations: Information Architecture for HealthePeople

There is an endless variety of ways to implement a set of system requirements. We can approach HealthePeople in a traditional way and choose from a wide array of system designs.With diligence and effort, almost any design we select will meet surface requirements. But a more thoughtful look exposes a system that is anything but ordinary. In the first section of this book, Kolodner, Christopherson, and others describe an uncommon opportunity to profoundly transform individual lives and community health. If it were somehow possible to design a system that in and of itself behaved as a transformational information system, then HealthePeople the health system and HealthePeople the information system taken together could leap beyond simply “punching the ticket.” The approach could trigger a multiplier effect, shaping and then tipping the whole health delivery system, transforming it for the better. This is no ordinary opportunity. Producing transformational systems is anything but traditional. These systems are not yet well understood or defined. There are no popular cookbook designs or industry standard methodologies for constructing them. Most transformational systems have come about by accident, not by the hand of man. Fortunately, our knowledge of them is growing. Careful retrospective examinations have begun to identify qualities common to information systems that produce transformations. Perhaps the most striking example is the World Wide Web. Clearly it has profoundly transformed our culture and done so with an utterly simple architecture comprised of just three technologies: IP, HTTP, and HTML. (That these technologies are recognized by their acronyms alone speaks to their pervasive acceptance; most Word Wide Web users are hard pressed to come up with their full names: Internet Protocol, Hypertext Transfer Protocol, and Hypertext Markup Language.) Interestingly, the World Wide Web falls into a larger and better defined group called complex adaptive systems. Not limited to information systems, this group includes systems found throughout nature and everyday life. In areas as diverse as biology, economics, and astronomy, these systems share common patterns known to produce transformational behaviors. We believe it possible to engineer into HealthePeople many of the desired principles and properties of complex adaptive systems. By deliberately not launching from today’s requirements and technology but rather first laying a foundation of core principles, behaviors, and goals, we can maximize the value of HealthePeople. By thoughtfully balancing between new possibilities and best-of-breed traditional information architecture practices, we can craft a bold yet sensible approach.
Split cord malformation: Part II: Clinical syndrome.

Thirty-nine patients with split cord malformations (SCM) were studied in detail with respect to their clinical, radiographic, and surgical findings as well as their outcome data. Eight patients were adults and 31 patients were children. According to the classification endorsed by Part I of the SCM study, 19 patients had Type I SCM (6 adults and 13 children), 18 patients had Type II SCM (2 adults and 16 children), and 2 patients had composite SCM with both lesion types situated in tandem. Six SCMs were cervical, 2 were thoracic, and 31 were in the lumbar region. All 8 adults had pain and progressive sensorimotor deficits at diagnosis. Only 16 of the 31 children had symptoms, and among these, 14 had progressive sensorimotor deficits, but only 6 had pain. The difference in the clinical picture between adults and children is similar to that described in the tethered cord syndrome, except for left-right functional discrepancy, which was prominent in 8 children with SCM but rarely seen in tethered cord syndrome due to other causes. Cutaneous manifestations of either occult or open dysraphic states were present in all but 3 patients; hypertrichosis was by far the best predictor of an underlying SCM, being found in 56% in the series. Neurological deterioration in SCM was independent of the lesion type: the Type I:Type II ratio for symptomatic progression was 13:11. It was also independent of the location of the lesion: 67% of patients with cervical SCMs had symptomatic progression versus 64% of patients with thoracolumbar lesions. High-resolution, thin cut, axial computed tomographic myelography using bone algorithms was more sensitive than magnetic resonance imaging in defining the anatomical details of the SCM. Radiographic classifications of the SCM, using the nature of the median septum and the number of dural tubes as criteria, was always possible without ambiguity. However, whereas every Type I bone septum was identified preoperatively, only 5 Type II fibrous septa were revealed by preoperative imaging, even though a fibrous septum and/or other fibroneurovascular bands were found tethering the hemicords in every Type II case at surgery. Complete imaging studies also showed that all lumbar SCMs had low-lying coni and at least one additional tethering lesion besides the split cords, whereas only 1 of 7 cervical and high thoracic SCMs had a low conus and a second tethering lesion. The surgical goal for SCM was release of the tethered hemicords by eliminating the bone spurs, dural sleeves, fibrous septa, or any fibroneurovascular bands (myelomeningoceles manque) that might be transfixing the split cord. Type I cases were technically more difficult and had a slightly higher surgical morbidity than Type II cases, especially if an oblique bone septum had asymmetrically divided the cord into one larger hemicord and one smaller, hence, very delicate, hemicord.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Non-invasive determination of the O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation status in glioblastoma (GBM) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

2051Background: MGMT promoter methylation is associated with better prognosis and increased benefit from temozolomide in patients with GBM. The methylation status of the MGMT promoter is typically ...
Stay-out adjustments and multi-year regulatory rate plans

Abstract Multi-year regulatory rate plans are becoming more common. An agreement to “stay out” of the rate revision process removes an option for the utility company or regulatory commission to request a modification to tariff rates in response to changes in interest rates. We develop an objective approach to adjust the utility’s required return on equity to account for these lost options.
Medical students' perceptions of feedback in a busy ambulatory setting: a descriptive study using a clinical encounter card.

Background Residents and medical students have expressed repeated concerns over the years about the inadequate amounts and quality of feedback in the clinical setting. Despite innovative ways to teach the skill of giving feedback, the problem has not been fixed. Methods In this study, the author introduced the clinical encounter card to the ambulatory setting for faculty to use as a cue to provide feedback to students. At the end of the 4-week rotation, students anonymously reported on the amount, frequency, and quality of feedback they received. Results Students reported that the learning climate for giving/receiving feedback was very good to excellent. They rated the quality and amount of feedback they received from faculty as high on the Likert scale and the frequency just above the mean. Most of the feedback was directed toward knowledge and skills, and there were few reports of demeaning behavior. Feedback was timely, and students reported using the feedback to improve their performance. The clinical encounter card improved feedback to students in a busy ambulatory setting. Whereas the author did not monitor how often the clinical encounter card was used, there were ample cards on each student to provide mid-rotation feedback and summative evaluations. The students rated the process as the best of any clerkship rotation. Conclusions The clinical encounter card is an effective tool to enhance feedback in a busy pediatric ambulatory setting. It is not known if these results are generalizable, but readers are encouraged to repeat the study in other settings.
Maize root distributions strongly associated with water tables in Iowa, USA

Root distributions determine crop nutrient access and soil carbon input patterns. To date, root distribution data are rare but needed to improve knowledge and prediction of cropping system sustainability. In this study, we sought to (i) quantify variation in maize (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) roots by depth and environment across Iowa, USA and (ii) identify environmental factors explaining the most variation. Over three years we collected soil cores from 0 to 210 cm in 16 maize and 12 soybean field experiments at grain filling. Root mass, length, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) were determined at 30 cm increments, coupled with crop, soil, management, and weather-related measurements. Percentage of root mass located in the top 30 cm varied from 52 to 94% in maize and 54–84% in soybean. Variation in maize root distributions was strongly associated with depth to water tables, variation in soybean with soil physical attributes. Root C:N ratios were highly variable with no depth-pattern, averaging 20 and 30 for soybean and maize, respectively. In both crops, specific root lengths increased with depth to 60 cm, and thereafter remained constant. Field studies of roots should consider depth to water tables and soil moisture measurements, as they influence vertical root distributions.
System performance analyses of sulfur-based thermal energy storage

Abstract Elemental sulfur is a promising storage material for low to high temperature thermal energy storage (TES) applications due to its high chemical stability, high heat transfer rate, and low cost. In this study, we investigate the performance of sulfur-based TES systems (SulfurTES) in a single-tank thermal battery configuration. In general, the results show that a moderate shell aspect ratio and standard tube diameters can be used to provide a range of high performance. An experimentally validated 2D numerical model is used here. The model predicts system-level performance based on the energetic and exergetic efficiencies for a range of geometric parameters and operating mass flow rates. This analysis shows the competing effects of the design and operating conditions on the performance parameters, and reveals governing parameter spaces unique to the specified performance targets. We have proposed a strategy to identify this parameter space, for which, the SulfurTES system will achieve required thermal performance, and a design procedure to incorporate such parameter space in system design. This work provides a systematic approach in TES performance investigation, and establishes an important framework to design industrial-scale SulfurTES systems that will offer high thermal performance using low-cost materials.
Ibrutinib-based therapy for the treatment of marginal zone lymphoma with central nervous system involvement

Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) is an indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) that can be further classified into 3 sub-types: nodal, extra-nodal and splenic [1]. MZL rarely involves the central ne...
Types of White Identification and Attitudes About Black Lives Matter

Objective Until recently, whiteness was not considered a politically significant social identity. This study builds on recent work and explores empirically the different ways in which white people understand their whiteness with the objective of recognizing how variations in white identification shape attitudes about the Black Lives Matter movement. Methods I use qualitative analysis of in‐depth semistructured interviews to develop a theoretical framework for understanding how white Americans understand and identify with their whiteness and apply this typology to expressed attitudes about Black Lives Matter. Results I find three distinct patterns of white identification that characterize how white people understand their own race and privilege. These patterns subsequently affect how white Americans understand the experiences of minorities, specifically analyzed through opinions about Black Lives Matter. Conclusion Variations in the way that white Americans understand their whiteness have tangible effects on the way they approach racial politics, with this article focused specifically on white attitudes about the Black Lives Matter movement. As the movement engages a broad multiracial coalition it is very possible that those who were previously unaware of their whiteness will come to see it as important, with potentially wide‐ranging impacts on the future of racial politics in the United States.
Intention and empathy

This essay challenges some assumptions of prevalent theories of empathy. The empathizer, according to these theories, must have an emotion or a representation that matches the recipient’s emotion o...
Just What the Doctor Ordered: Biochemical Analysis of Historical Medicines from Downtown Tucson, Arizona

In the last decade, historical archaeologists in the American West have begun conducting biochemical analyses of contents in bottles recovered from archaeological sites dating to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Archaeological excavations conducted at the Alameda-Stone Cemetery Site provided a large amount of data about the residents of a Tucson, Arizona neighborhood that existed between 1889 and the 1950s. This was a transformative period in the pharmaceutical industry when university-trained pharmacists advanced their field and advocated against the use of mass-produced patent and proprietary medicines. The discovery of two sealed medicine bottles with intact contents provided an opportunity to examine medicinal products from bygone days. This analysis centered on the main question: What can archaeologists discover about the contents of historical bottles that were discarded and have been subjected to environmental conditions for decades? The bottle contents from Tucson were analyzed by gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to reveal the ingredients of the medicines and were compared with biochemical medicine analysis conducted at other sites in the American West. These results, in conjunction with historical and archaeological data, demonstrate archaeologically recovered medicines can provide insight into pharmacy and medicine ingredients used in the American West during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
An Approach for Incorporating Community-Engaged Learning in Intensive Online Classes: Sustainability and Lean User Experience

Based on two user experience (UX) classes, this article describes an approach for incorporating community-engaged learning into intensive online classes. This approach relies on (1) sustainability ...
Al-Dāraquṭnı̄'s (d. 385 ah) Faḍā’il al-Ṣaḥāba: Mild anger and the history of emotions in religious merits literature

This essay analyses the sole extant chapter of a fourth/tenth-century Faḍā'il al-Ṣaḥaba work by the ḥadith critic and scholar Al-Ḥasan ʿAli ibn ʿUmar ibn Aḥmad Ibn Mahdi ibn Masʿūd al-Dāraquṭni (d. 385/995). As scholars have noted, faḍā’il literature beyond the chapters on religious merits of the Companions in the Ṣaḥiḥayn is among a number of sub-genres of tradition-based literature (alongside, for example, targhib wa tarhib), which tends largely to be comprised of weak, non-canonical ḥadith. This has generally been interpreted as evidence of the acceptability of “lower standards” for the inclusion of ḥadith in exhortatory or edifying literature (lower when compared to standards for the authentication of ḥadith in relation to law). This conceptualization both centres law as the dominant lens through which to view the reception of ḥadith in general, and contributes to the marginalization of faḍā’il literature as merely folkloric. Using a history of emotions perspective to elucidate the nature and mechanisms of edification and pious instruction in faḍā’il texts, this essay argues that far from being marginal, faḍā’il works were central to the formation of emotional communities and to the construction of pious subjects in the Būyid period. Al-Dāraquṭni's fragmentary text reflects how a well-known and highly respected fourth-century ḥadith scholar capitalized on the emotional resonances and sectarian ambiguities made available by the abundance of non-legal and non-prophetic ḥadith generated during the second and third centuries ah.
Physician Compensation in the United States – Through the Lens of the MS Neurologist

Abstract Purpose of review : To explore the elements that are typically considered when determining physician compensation in the United States and to examine if the compensation of neurologists with expertise in multiple sclerosis (MS) care is commensurate with that for other neurological specialists and medical specialists that also employ complex therapies, e.g., oncology. Recent findings : The complexity in the diagnosis and management of MS requires increasing specialization. Additionally, changing models for the delivery of MS care has resulted in the MS neurologist generating significant contribution margins. In fact, the revenue to compensation ratio for the MS neurologist may be significantly higher than that of any other discipline in neuroscience service lines. However, while the contribution margin is often a key justification of compensation of interventional and intensive care practitioners in neuroscience service lines, it is generally not considered in the MS neurologist's compensation. Compensation models for MS neurologists typically depend heavily on the absolute number of relative value units associated with evaluation and management (E&M) codes making other fields of neurology financially more attractive to trainees. Summary : In considering the shortage of MS specialists, the demands of their discipline, and the revenue to compensation ratios, the MS neurologist is significantly undercompensated relative to other neurological specialists and to physicians in other disciplines. Compensating the MS neurologist appropriately and supporting the necessary infrastructure for MS care will likely attract more trainees to this discipline and help reverse the current scarcity of MS neurologists in the United States.
Structured and Unstructured (Hybrid) Modeling in Precision Medicine

Abstract One of the key objectives in precision medicine is to determine the right dose for the individual patient at the right time so that the desired therapeutic effect is achieved. The focus of this work is on modeling of pharmacokinetic/ pharmacodynamic data to facilitate the achievement of this goal. One novelty of our approach is to use structured models, such as physiologically-based compartment models and un-structured models, such as artificial neural networks or Gaussian Processes in a hierarchical fashion. The reason for using a hierarchical structure is that there are available well-established empirical compartmental and mechanistic physiologically based models, which do not explicitly account for various predictive covariates such as co-administered drugs or different laboratory measurements such as total protein, blood urea nitrogen, or urine output. Thus, we extend the structured models with the second hierarchical layer of an un-structured model and utilize the unstructured model to capture the effects of those covariates. Secondly, we employ Bayesian inference which allows direct quantification of uncertainty in the model predictions. Thirdly, utilization of Bayesian inference for the unstructured models (specifically Bayesian neural networks) allows the determination of important predictive covariates such as serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, or urine output.
Plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase as a target for volatile anesthetics.

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes several studies to determine whether the Ca 2+ -ATPase is a suitable model for studies of the mechanism of action of volatile anesthetics on plasma membrane proteins. The aim in these studies has been to determine whether the function of the Ca 2+ pump in the plasma membrane is indeed altered by anesthetics. It is demonstrated that the function of red cell Ca 2+ -ATPase is altered by volatile anesthetics. The observed inhibition of enzyme activity occurs at clinically relevant concentrations of the studied volatile anesthetics. Furthermore, the inhibition is dose dependent and reversible. Thus the enzyme meets the crucial criteria for a target for anesthetic action. Several proteins have been reported to be altered by anesthetics in a way suggesting that they could be targets. Some proteins are inhibited by certain agents but not by others, indicating that general anesthetics selectively affect certain proteins. The chapter provides an example supporting the specificity of the anesthetic action on the plasma membrane Ca 2+ -ATPase by showing that the Ca 2+ -independent Mg 2+ -ATPase present in the same red cell membrane is not inhibited by the anesthetics at clinical concentrations. The Ca 2+ -ATPase is inhibited by all four volatile anesthetics as well as by alcohols. A suitable model of an integral membrane protein on which different aspects of anesthetic action can be investigated has been established. An additional advantage of the model is the fact that the enzyme is activated by several modes that are quite frequent in biological systems. These include activation by calmodulin binding, by self-association of enzyme molecules, as well as activation by lipids, proteolysis, and kinase-dependent phosphorylation.
JAEC reservation and booking system

The Jepson Alumni Executive Center (JAEC) at the University of Mary Washington (UMW) has now been open for more than two years. The building houses a number of offices, conference rooms, and entertainment space as well as several guest rooms in an adjoining section called Kalnen Inn.
Implementation of a "perfect launch" process to improve the effectiveness of automotive new product ramps

Automotive new product ramps demand that product-to-market times are shorter than ever to face the ongoing competitive challenges of the future. Implementation of a "perfect launch" process is a key factor driving the continuous improvement process aimed at providing parts meeting all customer requirements with zero anomalies. The QS-9000 Production Part Approval Process for General Motors requires an Early Production Containment (GP-12) procedure, "to document the supplier's effort to gain control of its processes during start-up and acceleration, so that any quality issues that may arise are quickly identified and corrected at the supplier's location and not at the GM customer's manufacturing location". Our process at Harris Semiconductor expands this concept to Ford and Chrysler (beyond QS-9000 requirements) to optimize our systems effectiveness aimed at the elimination of all returns and failures.
Measurement of Carbon Dioxide Emissions Plumes from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska Oil Fields

Large carbon dioxide plumes with concentrations up to 45 ppm aboveambient levels were measured about 15 km downwind of the Prudhoe Bay, Alaskamajor oil production facilities, located at 70° N Lat. above the ArcticCircle. The measured emissions were 1.3 × 103 metrictons (C) hour-1 (11.4× 106 metric tons(C) year-1), six times greater than the combustion emissionsassumed by Jaffe and coworkers in J. Atmos. Chem. 20 (1995), 213–227,based on 1989 reported Prudhoe Bay oil facility fuel consumption data, andfour times greater than the total C emissions reported by the oil facilitiesfor the same months as the measurement time periods. Variations in theemissions were estimated by extrapolating the observed emissions at a singlealtitude for all tundra research transect flights conducted downwind of theoil fields. These 30 flights yielded an average emission rate of1.02 × 103 metric tons (C) hour-1 with astandard deviation of 0.33 × 103. These quantity ofemissions are roughly equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions of7–10 million hectares of arctic tussock tundra (Oechel and Vourlitis,Trends in Ecol. Evolution 9 (1994), 324–329).