cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phase and Microstructural Development of Sol-gel-derived Strontium Barium Niobate Thin Films

Microstructural changes in sol-gel-derived SrxBa1−xNb2O6 (SBN) thin films were monitored as a function of Ba-to-Sr ratio (from x = 0 to x = 1), choice of substrate (Si or MgO), and processing variations. Sols were created using Ba, Sr, and Nb alkoxides dissolved in acetic acid. The relatively high decomposition temperature for the organics led to a tendency to form defects, but careful control of thermal process parameters could be used to produce a uniform film microstructure. An unexpected phase, interpreted as a hexagonal (pseudo-orthorhombic) variant of hexagonal BaNb2O6, was encountered in Ba-rich sol-gel-derived SBN powders and thin films annealed at 750 °C. Increased (001) orientation was observed for SBN thin films deposited on (100) MgO when fast thermal processing was used.
Acoustic radiation force on an air bubble and soft fluid spheres in ideal liquids: Example of a high-order Bessel beam of quasi-standing waves

The partial wave series for the scattering of a high-order Bessel beam (HOBB) of acoustic quasi-standing waves by an air bubble and fluid spheres immersed in water and centered on the axis of the beam is applied to the calculation of the acoustic radiation force. A HOBB refers to a type of beam having an axial amplitude null and an azimuthal phase gradient. Radiation force examples obtained through numerical evaluation of the radiation force function are computed for an air bubble, a hexane, a red blood and mercury fluid spheres in water. The examples were selected to illustrate conditions having progressive, standing and quasi-standing waves with appropriate selection of the waves’ amplitude ratio. An especially noteworthy result is the lack of a specific vibrational mode contribution to the radiation force determined by appropriate selection of the HOBB parameters.
The use of an approximate dielectric constant to blend solvent systems.

The technique of solvent blending by manipulation of dielectric constants may be summarized as follows: from the literature or experiment determine a single solvent for the concentration desired; determine the dielectric constant of the single solvent; assemble those solvents, chosen as applicable, that are soluble or miscible among themselves; and use alligation to determine the percentages of solvents required to produce the desired approximate dielectric constant.
Stiffness characterisation of full-scale airfield test pavements using computational intelligence techniques

The falling weight deflectometer (FWD) is a non-destructive test equipment used to assess the structural condition of highway and airfield pavement systems and to determine the moduli of pavement layers. The backcalculated moduli are not only good pavement layer condition indicators but are also necessary inputs for conducting mechanistic based pavement structural analysis. In this study, artificial neural networks (ANNs)-based backcalculation models were employed to rapidly and accurately predict flexible airport pavement layer moduli from realistic FWD deflection basins acquired at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's National Airport Pavement Test Facility (NAPTF). The uniformity characteristics of NAPTF flexible pavements were successfully mapped using the ANN predictions.
Are conservatives overconfident

Recent studies suggest psychological differences between conservatives and liberals, including that conservatives are more overconfident. We use a behavioral political economy model to show that while this is undoubtedly true for election years in the current era, there is no reason to believe that conservative ideologies are intrinsically linked to overconfidence. Indeed, it appears that in 1980 and before, conservatives and liberals were equally overconfident.
Genomic Analyses of Sperm Fate Regulator Targets Reveal a Common Set of Oogenic mRNAs in Caenorhabditis elegans

Germ cell specification as sperm or oocyte is an ancient cell fate decision, but its molecular regulation is poorly understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the FOG-1 and FOG-3 proteins behave genetically as terminal regulators of sperm fate specification. Both are homologous to well-established RNA regulators, suggesting that FOG-1 and FOG-3 specify the sperm fate post-transcriptionally. We predicted that FOG-1 and FOG-3, as terminal regulators of the sperm fate, might regulate a battery of gamete-specific differentiation genes. Here we test that prediction by exploring on a genomic scale the messenger RNAs (mRNAs) associated with FOG-1 and FOG-3. Immunoprecipitation of the proteins and their associated mRNAs from spermatogenic germlines identifies 81 FOG-1 and 722 FOG-3 putative targets. Importantly, almost all FOG-1 targets are also FOG-3 targets, and these common targets are strongly biased for oogenic mRNAs. The discovery of common target mRNAs suggested that FOG-1 and FOG-3 work together. Consistent with that idea, we find that FOG-1 and FOG-3 proteins co-immunoprecipitate from both intact nematodes and mammalian tissue culture cells and that they colocalize in germ cells. Taking our results together, we propose a model in which FOG-1 and FOG-3 work in a complex to repress oogenic transcripts and thereby promote the sperm fate.
Fitting In and Stalling Out: Collegiality, Mentoring, and Role Strain among Professors in the Sciences at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution

Findings from studies conducted at Research Oriented Institutions (ROI) have identified distinct patterns in the academic workplace that disadvantage women professors in the promotion process, particularly in science disciplines. This study uses a mixed-methods approach to investigate whether three of these patterns exist in a Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI), where occupational expectations include teaching and extensive service, as well as research productivity. Qualitative interviews and quantitative survey data are used to demonstrate that there are important differences between institution types. First, we test whether a hostile workplace climate and isolation are pronounced for women scientists. While interviews parallel findings from ROIs, surveys found few differences by gender or discipline in a wide variety of climate measures, including personal and professional isolation. We attribute this to collegial relationships across campus, linked to distinct patterns of mentorship: men reported more informal mentors within their departments, while women, and especially women scientists, identified more informal mentors elsewhere on campus. The formation of these relationships is consistent with ROI research indicating that women are more likely to engage in campus-wide service activities as a means of reducing isolation and combatting hostile climates within their own departments. Our data suggest, however, that women devote no more time, on average, to service activities than men, which again contradicts findings from ROIs. Since neither climate nor involvement in service explain gender inequality in professional advancement at the PUI, we suggest that unequal responsibilities between men and women professors for non-work and particularly family responsibilities account for these differences.
Generalizing Lessons from Behavioral Economics Across Many Biases

I analyze a general model of consumer behavioral biases and firms' equilibrium reactions to them, in which I nest several different biases such as self-control issues, overconfidence, and inattention to salient prices, among others. I show that, absent other market failures, the existence of a behavioral bias lowers social welfare due to suboptimal consumption. When other market failures are present (such as the standard monopolist pricing distortion or adverse selection that induce underconsumption), behavioral bias might increase social welfare by counteracting the market failure (by inducing relative overconsumption) and moving the equilibrium closer to first-best. I show that many of the results that were previously shown for particular biases still hold in this more general setup. In particular, I show that consumers being able to purchase more products can exacerbate biases (even if the consumers perceive the utility from newly accessible products correctly), perfect competition does not "cure" the bias, that eliminating the bias can result in a lower consumer surplus and social welfare, and that firms do not have an incentive to educate naive consumers because (due to cross-subsidization) sophisticated consumers prefer to patronize firms that also sell to naive consumers.
A methodology for measuring usability evaluation skills using the constructivist theory and the Second Life virtual world

The skills of usability analysts are crucial to software success, so mastery of these skills is essential. This study presents a methodology for teaching and measuring usability evaluation skills of graduate students using the constructivist theory, diaries, checklists, and final reports. As part of the study, students spent 4 months as active participants in Second Life, an online virtual world. In the end, most students had a manageable amount of measurable usability evaluation skills in that they could identify a number of heuristic problems with the Second Life software. A smaller number of students had a greater amount of skill; they could explain a heuristic problem with the software and then explain why it was problematic.
Diagnosis and Treatment of 15Patients With Congenital Esophageal Atresia

Objective To discuss the diagnosis and treatment of congenital esophageal atresia(CE-A).Methods Experience of early diagnosis and treatment of15patients with CEA in the recent 4years was analyze d retrospectively.Results All the patients were diagnosed definitely by chest X-ray and esophagobronchial contrast examination.Twelve patients underwent operations.Ten of them were survived after operations(83.3%)and two patients died from postoperative complications.One with ventricular septal defect simultaneously suffering from pneumonia,the other suffering from gastric fistula,peritonitis,scleredema neonatorum,which leaded to cardiopulmonary failure.Three patients abandoned operative therapy,one case of them belongs to TypeⅡCEA;other two had congenital anus atresia besides CEA.Conclusions Early diagnosis,improvement of the contrast medium,carefully operation,perioperative monitoring in NICU,and prevention of postoperative complications are also very important to improve the postoperative survival of patients with CEA.
Mean myoglobin oxygen tension in skeletal and cardiac muscle.

We have utilized the concept first developed by Millikan (1936, 1937) that myoglobin may be a useful indicator of intracellular oxygen tension. We have not made spectrophotometric measurements of oxymyoglobin % saturation, as did Millikan, since the presence of hemoglobin interferes with this measurement, but instead compute a mean myoglobin oxygen tension from measurements of carboxymyoglobin saturation (MBCO). This method has been described previously (Coburn and Mayers, 1971; Coburn et al, 1973). The basis of the method is illustrated in Fig. 1. Binding of O2 and CO to myoglobin is competitive, therefore, at a given partial pressure of CO, MBCO is a function of the oxygen tension in proximity to myoglobin molecules. This figure also illustrates that mean tissue Pco is equal to mean capillary Pco since CO is neither produced nor consumed at a significant rate.
Prevention of Brain Ischemia After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Measures to prevent ischemic stroke after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage include management of fluids to avoid dehydration, use of calcium entry blocking drugs, and when necessary, therapy with drug-induced hypertension and hypervolemic hemodilution. Promising treatments that may also prove to be effective include 21-aminosteroids, intrathecal thrombolytic therapy, and transluminal angioplasty.
Gender, Experience, and Knowledge in Adult Learning: Alisoun’s Daughters

In this wide-ranging book, Elana Michelson invites us to revisit basic understandings of the `experiential learner’. How does experience come to be seen as the basis of knowledge? How do gender, class, and race enter into the ways in which knowledge is valued? What political and cultural belief systems underlie such practices as the assessment of prior learning and the writing of life narratives? Drawing on a range of disciplines, from feminist theory and the politics of knowledge to literary criticism, Michelson argues that particular understandings of `experiential learning’ have been central to modern Western cultures and the power relationships that underlie them. Presented in four parts, this challenging and lively book asks educators of adults to think in new ways about their assumptions, theories, and practices: Part I provides readers with a short history of the notion of experiential learning. Part II brings the insights and concerns of feminist theory to bear on mainstream theories of experiential learning. Part III examines the assessment of prior experiential learning for academic credit and/or professional credentials. Part IV addresses a second pedagogical practice that is ubiquitous in adult learning, namely, the assigning of life narratives. Gender, Experience, and Knowledge in Adult Learning will be of value to scholars and graduate students exploring adult and experiential learning, as well as academics wishing to introduce students to a broad range of feminist, critical-race, materialist and postmodernist thinking in the field.
Earthquake Activity Associated with Underground Nuclear Explosions

Underground nuclear explosions often cause a release of tectonic stress in the vicinity of the shot itself, and within a few seconds of the time of the shot. The evidence for the release is found in field studies of the static deformation of the ground in the vicinity of the shot point. It sometimes appears that the shot has triggered slip on nearby fault surfaces. Evidence for tectonic release is also found in studies of the seismic waves caused by the explosion and recorded at distances up to several thousands of kilometers. It often appears as if the waveforms and their amplitudes are caused not by the explosion alone (which would be expected to radiate signals roughly equally in different directions), but by some type of earthquake faulting source superimposed on the explosion itself.
Uncertainty Visualization by Representative Sampling from Prediction Ensembles

Data ensembles are often used to infer statistics to be used for a summary display of an uncertain prediction. In a spatial context, these summary displays have the drawback that when uncertainty is encoded via a spatial spread, display glyph area increases in size with prediction uncertainty. This increase can be easily confounded with an increase in the size, strength or other attribute of the phenomenon being presented. We argue that by directly displaying a carefully chosen subset of a prediction ensemble, so that uncertainty is conveyed implicitly, such misinterpretations can be avoided. Since such a display does not require uncertainty annotation, an information channel remains available for encoding additional information about the prediction. We demonstrate these points in the context of hurricane prediction visualizations, showing how we avoid occlusion of selected ensemble elements while preserving the spatial statistics of the original ensemble, and how an explicit encoding of uncertainty can also be constructed from such a selection. We conclude with the results of a cognitive experiment demonstrating that the approach can be used to construct storm prediction displays that significantly reduce the confounding of uncertainty with storm size, and thus improve viewers’ ability to estimate potential for storm damage.
Cerebral Lipids in Rett Syndrome

The lipid membrane composition of cerebral tissue from five patients, age 12-30 years, and from 14 age-matched controls was studied at the Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry and Pediatrics, University of Goteborg, Goteborg, Sweden.
The Zebrafish Ortholog of Hemojuvelin Participates in Notochord and Somite Development, but Fails to Regulate Embryonic Hepcidin Expression

Hemojuvelin ( hjv ), a member of the repulsive-guidance molecule (RGM) family upregulates the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin in a BMP-dependent manner in mammalian cells. A mutation interfering with hjv’s ability to bind neogenin has been identified in patients with juvenile hemochromatosis, while furin cleavage of hjv has also been implicated in its function. Previously, we demonstrated that hepcidin expression in zebrafish embryos increases in response to iron loading or activation of the BMP pathway. We hypothesized that hjv would regulate hepcidin expression in zebrafish embryos and used whole mount in situ hybridization and morpholino knockdowns to study the expression and function of hjv . We found that hjv is strongly and sequentially expressed in the notochord and somites and that knockdown of hjv resulted in severe defects in these structures. Hjv was not expressed in the liver and knockdown of hjv failed to affect the timing, intensity, or location of hepcidin expression. Furthermore, knockdown of hjv failed to prevent the upregulation of hepcidin expression caused by overexpression of BMP2b . Zebrafish hjv exhibits conservation at the site required for binding neogenin, however zebrafish hjv and all nonmammalian RGM’s lack the furin cleavage motif. We found that morpholino knockdown of the zebrafish orthologs of neogenin or furin failed to affect hepcidin expression. Taken together, these data indicate that regulation of hepcidin expression in the zebrafish embryo is BMP-responsive, but independent of hjv , furin , or neogenin zebrafish hjv participates in notochord and somite development, which we propose as the ancestral function of hjv .
The Flipped Classroom and Learning Analytics in Histology

The success of the flipped classroom relies upon the preparation of students before class and their participation in class. Learning analytics allows faculty to determine the extent to which students are prepared. In a histology course utilizing the flipped classroom, learning analytics showed that only some students prepare for class. However, learning analytics also enabled faculty to determine problematic content in advance of the session.
An exploratory study of facilitation in three species of Raoulia

ABSTRACTIn order to determine the roles that size, temperature, moisture and pH play in ecological facilitation, we investigated facilitation in two cushion plant species (Raoulia eximia and R. bryoides) and one semi-compact creeping cushion (R. australis) on South Island, New Zealand. We measured canopy moisture, pH and temperature as a function of size to determine if these species might have different microenvironments within their canopies and whether these abiotic factors might correlate to increased facilitation. We found that R. eximia showed increasing canopy moisture and decreasing pH with increasing size, indicating microenvironment changes with canopy of the cushion. Temperature at 2 cm canopy depth did not differ with size in any species, nor did it differ from 2 cm depth in open soil. Only R. eximia exhibited plant facilitation by showing more species within the canopy than in nearby soil. This work supports the importance of cushion microclimate in facilitation.
Preferential responses of young chimpanzees to food and social rewards

Three young chimpanzees were permitted to choose between social rewards presented by humans and food. In the first experiment the independent variables were type of social reward (play or petting) and degree of food deprivation. Play was chosen consistently more than petting, and the effect of food deprivation was to reduce the frequency of social choices. Under low deprivation, two Ss selected play reliably more often than food. In the second experiment the same social rewards were compared with food of high, moderate, and low preference. Play was again more effective than petting, and the frequency of social choices increased with decreasing food preference. Two Ss preferred play over food under all conditions.
Breast cancer screening in transgender patients: findings from the 2014 BRFSS survey.

Transgender patients undergoing transitions often receive cross-sex hormonal therapies, placing them at uncertain risk for developing breast cancer. There is limited population-based information about the extent to which transgender patients undergo mammography screening. Our purpose was to determine the extent to which transgender patients undergo mammography screening using nationally representative survey data. Transgender participants between ages 40–74 in the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey were included. Proportions undergoing mammography screening in the last year or two years were calculated stratified by age category and transition status [male to female(MtF), female to male(FtM), non-conforming]. For each transition status, predictors of mammography screening were calculated using logistic regression. 220 transgender patients were within 40–74 years old(35% were MtF, 51% were FtM, 14% were non-conforming). 60.0% underwent mammography screening within the last year (MtF—54.5%, FtM—64.3%, non-conforming—58.1%). 74.1% underwent screening within the last two years(MtF—70.1%, FtM—75.9%, non-conforming—77.4%). For all transgender patients, income category (OR 1.16, 0.82–1.64), higher education category (OR 1.09, 0.31–3.86) and health insurance (OR 0.38, 0.10–1.41) were not associated with increased adherence to mammography screening. Transgender patients were comparably likely to undergo mammography screening compared with non-transgender patients (Adjusted OR 0.97, 0.58–1.62). High proportions of transgender survey respondents undergo mammography screening (57.9–66.1% within the last year, 71.9–74.4% within the last two years) in our sample, proportions comparable to non-transgender survey respondents.
A rational asymmetric reaction to news: evidence from English football clubs

Using a large dataset of matches played between two publicly traded English football (soccer) clubs, we test for and confirm an asymmetric market reaction to winning and losing and that the stock market respond stronger and slower to bad news (losing) than good news (winning). In contrast to previous studies, we show that financial fundamentals help explain this asymmetry. In particular, club short-term financial performance is negatively impacted by losing but not impacted by winning. Furthermore, losing is a significantly stronger predictor of future match outcomes than winning.
Spatiotemporal dynamics of information encoding revealed in orbitofrontal high-gamma.

High-gamma signals mirror the tuning and temporal profiles of neurons near a recording electrode in sensory and motor areas. These frequencies appear to aggregate local neuronal activity, but it is unclear how this relationship affects information encoding in high-gamma activity (HGA) in cortical areas where neurons are heterogeneous in selectivity and temporal responses, and are not functionally clustered. Here we report that populations of neurons and HGA recorded from the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) encode similar information, although there is little correspondence between signals recorded by the same electrode. HGA appears to aggregate heterogeneous neuron activity, such that the spiking of a single cell corresponds to only small increases in HGA. Interestingly, large-scale spatiotemporal dynamics are revealed in HGA, but less apparent in the population of single neurons. Overall, HGA is closely related to neuron activity in OFC, and provides a unique means of studying large-scale spatiotemporal dynamics of information processing. High gamma activity (HGA) and local neurons encode similar information, but it’s unclear if this is true when neurons are heterogeneous, as in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Here, Rich & Wallis show that HGA in OFC is closely related to neuron firing, but reveals clearer spatiotemporal dynamics.
The Limits of Black Hole Complementarity

Black hole complementarity, as originally formulated in the 1990’s by Preskill, ’t Hooft, and myself is now being challenged by the Almheiri-Marolf-Polchinski-Sully firewall argument. The AMPS argument relies on an implicit assumption—the “proximity” postulate—which says that the interior of a black hole must be constructed from degrees of freedom that are physically near the black hole. The proximity postulate manifestly contradicts the idea that interior information is redundant with information in Hawking radiation, which is very far from the black hole. AMPS argue that a violation of the proximity postulate would lead to a contradiction in a thought-experiment in which Alice distills the Hawking radiation and brings a bit back to the black hole. According to AMPS the only way to protect against the contradiction is for a firewall to form at the Page time. But the measurement that Alice must make, is of such a fine-grained nature that carrying it out before the black hole evaporates may be impossible. Harlow and Hayden have found evidence that the limits of quantum computation do in fact prevent Alice from carrying out her experiment in less than exponential time. If their conjecture is correct then black hole complementarity may be alive and well. My aim here is to give an overview of the firewall argument, and its basis in the proximity postulate; as well as the counterargument based on computational complexity, as conjectured by Harlow and Hayden.
Uniting geospatial assessment of neighborhood urban tree canopy with plan and ordinance evaluation for environmental justice

Abstract Trees are not evenly distributed across urbanized areas and there is evidence that Black, Hispanic, and low-income residents have lower proximal tree canopy coverage. The complex interplay between social policy and the built/physical environment contributes to these outcomes, but much of the research on environmental justice focuses on either producing evidence of inequity or assessing policy to determine its effect on the physical environment. This paper attempts to unite those two approaches by 1) measuring the urban tree canopy (UTC) at a scale that reflects local socio-political decision making and 2) assessing how the local policy documents regulating UTC acknowledge and attempt to remediate disparity. A maximum likelihood supervised classification of 1-m resolution imagery for a purposive sample of twelve historically racially segregated neighborhoods in two North Carolina cities estimated UTC at the block level. Using a spatial autoregressive model, we found a statistically significant negative association between UTC coverage, percentage of non-White population, the presence of nonresidential zoning, and percentage of parcel within the right-of-way. Content analysis found the municipal comprehensive plans and development management ordinances lack city-wide canopy coverage goals, do not utilize neighborhood geographies to target action and evaluation, and do not account for, or attempt to reduce, the potential inequitable distribution of urban trees. Existing policies could further contribute to disparate UTC outcomes by allowing neighborhoods to create their own UTC coverage standards and by crafting ordinances with variable standards for neighborhoods with non-residential zones. As a result, communities unable to counteract intensive zoning and/or advocate for enhanced tree canopy provisions are at a disadvantage in the remediation of UTC disparities. These findings highlight the need for analytical approaches that integrate the identification of disparities with the evaluation of present-day policy frameworks that may perpetuate and/or exacerbate inequitable outcomes.
Associated Toxicities: Assessment and Management Related to CAR T-Cell Therapy.

Background The impressive disease response observed with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is accompanied by the potential for unique and severe toxicities. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurologic toxicities have emerged as prominent toxicities associated with this treatment modality. Objectives This article presents an overview of pathophysiology, assessment, and evidence-based management of CAR T-cell therapy-associated toxicities, with particular attention paid to CRS and neurologic toxicity management. Implications for nursing practice are included for prominent toxicities to guide clinical practice. Methods An overview of recent guidelines and evidence for CAR T-cell therapy toxicity assessment and management is provided. Findings Evidence-based approaches to CAR T-cell therapy toxicities continue to evolve. As organizational and institutional guidelines emerge, nurses must be aware of anticipated toxicities and interventions used in clinical practice to provide timely and effective care.
Changes in prospectively collected longitudinal patient-generated health data are associated with short-term patient-reported outcomes after total joint arthroplasty: a pilot study

Data from wearable technology may correlate with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). The objective of this prospective pilot study of 22 total joint arthroplasty patients was to determine if sensor-generated data are predictive of short-term PROMs in total joint arthroplasty. Data on "average daily step count" and "average daily minutes active" were generated by the provided wearable sensor preoperatively and up to 6 weeks postoperatively. PROMs were collected preoperatively and at 6 weeks postoperatively. Changes in PROMs were calculated as "Δ". Linear regression of the sensor data and PROMs generated R2 values. Changes in the average daily step count from preop to 6-week postop strongly associated with changes in Veterans Rand 12 Physical Component Score (R2 = 0.4532) from preop to 6 weeks. Changes in average daily minutes active from preop to 6-weeks postop were strongly associated with ΔHOOS/KOOS (R2 = 0.4858).
Underreporting of alcohol use in trauma patients: A retrospective analysis.

Background: This study assessed the inconsistencies between self-reported alcohol consumption and blood alcohol content (BAC) in trauma patients. We aimed to identify the incidence of positive BAC ...
Oil and Community Agitation

The ongoing discovery and extraction of oil in West Africa has led to a sharp rise in community agitations in the oil-producing zones across the subregion. Oil communities frustrated by the real or perceived injustices (alienation, dispossession, insecurity, loss of authority, environmental degradation, and neglect) meted out to them by oil companies and by the state have resorted to various means of seeking redress. Such community exasperation has found expression in the use of violent communal disturbances often led by various shades of subethnic militant groups as well as nonviolent peaceful protest organized by various civil society groups against the incursions of petro-capitalism into the region. This chapter discusses the unavoidable link between oil and grievances at the community level in West Africa. It explores the eclectic nature of these grievances and the wide array of actions adopted by oil-producing communities in seeking redress for perceived injustices emanating from the region’s emerging petroleum industry. It outlines the sources and types of grievances and their linkages to the various social and age gradations. The chapter also focuses on the creative strategies used by various local communities to gain concessions from the international oil companies and the host or producer governments. The chapter concludes that the failure of West Africa’s petroleum industry to translate oil wealth into human-centered development that meets the socioeconomic aspirations of the oil host communities in particular and the countries in the region as a whole has the potential to undermine the region’s shaky peace and stability.
Biomechanical Comparison of External Fixation and Double Plating for Stabilization of a Canine Cadaveric Supracondylar Humeral Fracture Gap Model.

Objective Successful stabilization of comminuted supracondylar humeral fractures is challenging, and biomechanical studies are scarce. This study compares double-plate (DB-PLATE) and linear external fixator with an intramedullary pin tie-in (ESF-IMP) fixation techniques in a cadaveric gap model. The hypothesis was the DB-PLATE construct would be stiffer, stronger and more resistant to repeated loading than the ESF-IMP construct in both cyclic and load-to-failure axial compression testing. Study Design A 2 cm ostectomy was performed on 10 pairs of canine cadaveric humeri proximal to the supratrochlear foramen. Stabilization was with DB-PLATE (n = 10) or ESF-IMP (n = 10). Cyclic testing was performed by applying a 200 N load at 2 Hz for 63,000 cycles. Axial compressive load to failure testing followed. Data analysed included dynamic stiffness, stiffness and yield load. Results No constructs failed during cyclic testing or lost stiffness over time. Mean dynamic stiffness over the final 100 cycles was greater for DB-PLATE compared with ESF-IMP. Mean stiffness of DB-PLATE in load-to-failure testing was not different than ESF-IMP. Yield load of DB-PLATE was higher than ESF-IMP. Conclusion Both DB-PLATE and ESF-IMP survived cyclic testing with no change in dynamic stiffness. DB-PLATE was stronger than ESF-IMP in load-to-failure testing, which may make this construct preferable when prolonged healing or poor patient compliance is anticipated. Results suggest that either method may be appropriate for fixation of comminuted supracondylar humeral fractures.
Every Front Line Has a Back Line: What Nursing Can Learn from Rugby

Dozens of iv pumps lining hallways;countless boxes of gowns, gloves, masks, and rubber shoes scattering the unit;ventilator alarms sounding;coworkers with surgical caps and masks, only identifiable by their eyes The once medical-surgical unit transformed into a critical care unit equipped to care for COVID-19 patients
Grammatical and Lexical Development during Short-Term Study Abroad: Exploring L2 Contact and Initial Proficiency.

This study examined linguistic development among both intermediate and advanced college-level second language (L2) learners during short-term study abroad summer programs in Spain. Participants completed a measure of overall proficiency, as well as assessments of receptive grammatical (morphosyntactic) and lexical (semantic) abilities at the beginning and end of their programs. They also reported their use of and exposure to the target language on a weekly basis while abroad. Analyses explored (a) whether learners in each group made gains in these receptive abilities, and (b) to what extent contact with the L2 and/or initial proficiency accounted for variability in linguistic development across all learners. Results indicated that learners in both groups evidenced significant linguistic gains, in both morphosyntactic and lexical domains for the intermediate-level learners, and in the lexical domain for the advanced learners. In analyses across all learners, L2 contact did not account for variability in either morphosyntactic or lexical development, whereas higher initial proficiency facilitated some morphosyntactic and lexical development. Results suggest that learners at both intermediate and advanced levels can experience linguistic gains during short-term study abroad, and that initial proficiency plays a limited role in explaining variability in gains among these learners.
Analysis of National Outcomes for Simple Versus Complex Nasal Dermoid Cyst Excision.

ABSTRACT Nasal dermoid cysts represent a spectrum of complexity from dermal sacs to multiloculated sinus tracts with intracranial extension with treatments ranging from outpatient excision to transcranial procedures involving dissection of the dermoid from the dura mater. In this study, the authors examined national outcomes across the spectrum utilizing the NSQIP database. Interestingly, complication rates were uniformly low at 1.2% even though those requiring transcranial excision required significantly longer surgical procedures (P = 0.001), and were significantly more likely to be admitted as inpatients (P < 0.001). Risk factors for longer surgery included patients with comorbidities (P = 0.006), patients requiring rhinoplasty (P = 0.001), and patients requiring a craniotomy (P = 0.023). While uncommon (0.3%), infectious complications remain primary drivers of postoperative morbidity. The NSQIP database does not allow for calculation of recurrence risk, likely a driver of poorer long-term outcomes, and efforts to quantify recurrence risk will be the subject of future research.
Through the eyes of an academic library: understanding the significance of the strategic planning process

Strategic planning in academic libraries can help libraries develop and grow as an organization. The planning process can also be an opportunity to communicate the value of the library to the insti...
An observational pilot study of a novel loss of resistance syringe for locating the epidural space.

Abstract Background The EpiFaith® syringe is a novel loss-of-resistance syringe that utilizes a spring-loaded plunger that automatically moves forward within the syringe when there is a loss of resistance. We evaluated the syringe in a clinical setting among a cohort of pregnant women receiving neuraxial labor analgesia. Methods In a non-randomized observational study, four anesthesiologists used the EpiFaith® syringe 10 times each while placing epidural catheters for labor analgesia. The anesthesiologists scored each placement on an 11-point Likert scale (−5 = absolutely worse, 0 = the same, and 5 = absolutely better than using their regular loss-of-resistance syringe technique). Results All 40 neuraxial placements correctly located the epidural space. Air was used in the syringe in 35 of the 40 cases. In 50%, 27.5% and 22.5% of cases the anesthesiologists reported that using the EpiFaith® syringe was better than, the same as, or worse than using their regular syringe, respectively. There were no inadvertent dural punctures. Conclusions This feasibility study found that three of the four anesthesiologists scored the EpiFaith® syringe as better or the same as using their regular loss-of-resistance syringe. More extensive studies are required to determine if the EpiFaith® syringe reduces adverse outcomes such as unintentional dural punctures.
Identifying novel ovarian tumor biomarkers through mining of the transcriptome of circulating immune cells: A proof-of-concept study.

Objective Treatment of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) will benefit from early detection of cancer. Here, we provide proof-of-concept data supporting the hypothesis that circulating immune cells, because of their early recognition of tumors and the tumor microenvironment, can be considered for biomarker discovery. Methods Longitudinal blood samples from C57BL/6 mice bearing syngeneic ovarian tumors and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy postmenopausal women and newly diagnosed for HGSOC patients were subjected to RNASeq. The results from human immune cells were validated using Affymetrix microarrays. Differentially expressed transcripts in immune cells from tumor-bearing mice and HGSOC patients were compared to matching controls. Results A total of 1282 transcripts (798 and 484, up- and downregulated, respectively) were differentially expressed in the tumor-bearing mice as compared with controls. Top 100 genes showing longitudinal changes in gene expression 2, 4, 7, and 18 days after tumor implantation were identified. Analysis of the PBMC from healthy post-menopausal women and HGSOC patients identified 4382 differentially expressed genes and 519 of these were validated through Affymetrix microarray analysis. A total of 384 genes, including IL-1R2, CH3L1, Infitm1, FP42, CXC42, Hdc, Spib, and Sema6b, were differentially expressed in the human and mouse datasets. Conclusion The PBMC transcriptome shows longitudinal changes in response to the progressing tumor. Several potential biomarker transcripts were identified in HGSOC patients and mouse models. Monitoring their expression in individual PBMC subsets can serve as additional discriminator for the diagnosis of HGSOC.
Opportunity costs of undergoing surgical resection and perioperative chemotherapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

398Background: Treatment of early stage pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) includes surgical resection and either neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy. Due to the intensity of treatment and pe...
How Does Variety Seeking Affect Product Usage

An experiment was conducted to determine if consumers purchased products with many more functions than they actually used, and if so why. It was found that, in the case of calculators, the higher the variety seeking drive of the consumer, the higher his level of anticipated usage of functions in the future, and hence higher the number of functions purchased. It was also found that the actual number of functions used by a consumer relative to the total number of functions available in a product increased rapidly for a short time following purchase, and then stabilized. Further, the disconfirmation with product usage was found to decrease over the life of the product. The implications for future research have also been discussed.
Quantum Noise Limited Readout of Spectrographic Data Using Image Intensifies and a Reticon Photodiode Array

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the quantum noise limited readout of spectrographic data using image intensifiers and a reticon photodiode array. It describes the results of laboratory tests and actual performance of several analogue detector schemes. Image intensifiers, magnetically focused, and electrostatically focused or proximity focused are the primary detector devices employed in these systems. Reticon photodiode arrays, either lens coupled or fibre optic coupled, are used for analogue conversion of the image intensifier output. The versatility of these detectors is extended by developing systems in which the photocathode device used as the primary photon detector and the electronic analogue readout device are separate assemblies. This yields an advantage of flexibility in the design of systems for special purposes, especially in the choice of photocathodes in order to optimize particular spectral responses and to effectively utilize existing proven components.
Charm Production from 400 and 800 GeV/c Proton-Proton Collisions

This is a report on charm particle production from pp interactions at 400 and 800 GeV/c as measured in experiments NA27 (CERN) and E743 (Fermilab). The 400 GeV/c data is final. It provides the most accurate charm production cross section measurement to date. The 800 GeV/c data is preliminary. The combined data provide a measurement, with small systematic error, of the energy dependence of charm hadroproduction from 27 to 39 GeV. These data are compared to the predictions of charm particle production via the QCD fusion model with various charm quark fragmentation schemes.
Bounded variation in the mean

It is shown that the concept of bounded variation in the mean is not a meaningful generalization of ordinary bounded variation. In fact, it is a characterization of functions which differ from functions of bounded variation on a zero set. Let f be a real-valued function in L1 on the circle group T. We define the corresponding interval function by f (I) = f (b) -f (a), where I denotes the interval [a, b]. Let 0 = to < tj < ... < t4 = 27r be a partition of [0, 27r], and Ikx = [x + tkl-, X+tk]. If ,n Vm(f) =sSUP{j E If(Ikx) I dx} < oo, Tk=1 where the supremum is taken over all partitions, then f is said to be of bounded variation in the mean (or of bounded variation in the L1 norm). We denote the class of all functions which are of bounded variation in the mean by BVM. This concept was introduced by Moricz and Siddiqi [MS], who investigated the convergence in the mean of the partial sums of S[f], the Fourier series of f. If f is of bounded variation (f E BV) with variation V(f, T), then
Phenomenology of ``inos'' in the Light Gaugino Scenario and Possible Evidence for a $\sim 53$ GeV Chargino

The tree-level-massless gaugino scenario predicts that the lighter chargino mass is less than m_W and that gluino and lightest neutralino masses are $\lsi 1$ GeV. In this case the dominant decay mode of charginos and non-LSP neutralinos is generically to three jets. The excess of "4j" events with total invariant mass $\sim 105$ GeV observed in LEP running at 130-136 GeV is noted to be consistent with pair production of $\sim 53$ GeV charginos. Data at 161 and 172 GeV from Fall, 1996, cannot conclusively test this hypothesis (because cuts to eliminate $W^+W^-$ background reduce the efficiency significantly) but is suggestive that the signal persists.
Packaging RF Devices and Modules

RF packaging technologies are advancing rapidly. This article provides basic knowledge to understand the technology advances. Most packaging issues common to those for microelectronics packaging will not be covered here, and they can be found in other articles. The following sections will focus on unique issues for RF packaging. Representative packages and assembly technologies will be reviewed. Critical consideration of RF performance and reliability will be introduced. The reliability section will cover both thermal management and mechanical integrity. A case study will be presented to illustrate a typical design procedure considering various factors. In addition, computer-aided-design (CAD) issues and advanced packaging concepts will be introduced, to understand future challenges. Keywords: compuer-aided design; radiofrequency packaging; thermal management; mechanical integrity; integrated circuit
From Printed Transistors to Printed Smart Systems

Printing as a manufacturing technique is a promising approach to fabricate low-cost, flexible, and large area electronics. Over the last two decades, a wide range of applications has been explored, among them displays, sensors, and printed radio-frequency identification devices. Some of these turned out to be challenging to commercialize due to the required infrastructure investment, accuracy or performance expectations compared to incumbent technologies. However, the progress in terms of material science, device, and process technology now makes it possible to target some realistic applications such as printed sensor labels. The journey leading to this exciting opportunity has been complex. This review describes the experience and current efforts in developing the technology at PARC, a Xerox Company. Printed smart labels open up low-cost solutions for tracking and sensing applications that require high volumes and/or would benefit from disposability. Examples include radiation tags, one-time use medical sensors, tracking the temperature of pharmaceuticals at the item level, and monitoring food sources for spoilage and contamination. Higher performance can be achieved with printed hybrid electronics, integrating microchip-based signal processing, wireless communication, sensing, multiplexing, as well as ancillary passive elements for low-profile microelectronic devices, opening up further applications. This technology offers custom circuitry for demanding applications and is complementary to mass printed transistor circuits. As an example, we describe a prototype sense-and-transmit system, focusing particularly on issues of integration, such as impedance matching between the sensor and circuits, robust printed interconnection of the chips, and compatible interface electronics between printed and discrete parts. Next-generation technologies will enable printing of entire smart systems using microchip inks. A new printing concept for the directed assembly of silicon microchips into functional circuits is described. The process is scalable and has the potential to enable additive, digital manufacturing of high-performance electronic systems.