cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Case-Driven Theory-Building in Comparative Democratization: The Heuristics of Venezuela’s “Democratic Purgatory”

This chapter outlines the utility for employing case study methodologies to provide sufficient external validity upon which to craft policy relevant to maintaining healthy democratic politics. The broader theoretical context is an investigation into the conditions that might structurally condition democracies to fail via democratic means. Venezuela’s democratic decline serves as the basis for the heuristic case study, wherein the objective is to identify the failures of the Venezuelan case in a larger framework that addresses the complexity of institutional design in democratic political systems states broadly. Cases are selected based upon the objective of the researcher, and similarly, the case study methodology chosen rests firmly on their research goals. Lastly, the chapter outlines the research design necessary for satisfying broader inquiry within the more modest approach to how heuristic case studies can be used to inform both theory and policy.
Fertilizer subsidies and the role of targeting in crowding out: evidence from Kenya

The impact of input subsidy programs depends on the extent to which they increase fertilizer use. We used panel data of smallholder farm households from Kenya to analyse the targeting criteria of two fertilizer subsidy programs in Kenya and how these targeting criteria affected farmers’ commercial demand for fertilizer and total fertilizer use. We found that every kilogram of subsidized fertilizer allocated to farmers reduced the quantity of commercial fertilizer purchased by 0.40 kg, a crowding-out effect that is double those found recently in Malawi and Zambia. The large magnitude of crowding out is driven by the fact that neither subsidy program focused on reaching households that had not previously been purchasing commercial fertilizer. There is little evidence that these programs systematically focused on relatively poor households either. The programs crowded out commercial fertilizer use most severely in medium/high potential zones (relative to low), and among households in the upper half of landholding/asset distributions (relative to the lower half). Different targeting criteria could substantially increase the contribution of these subsidy programs to total fertilizer use and hence to national food production and food security.
A consistent spatially adaptive smoothed particle hydrodynamics method for fluid–structure interactions

Abstract A new consistent, spatially adaptive, smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method for fluid–structureinteractions (FSI) is presented. The method combines several attributes that have not been simultaneously satisfied by other SPH methods. Specifically, it employs the second-order consistent discretization for differential operators ; it allows for resolutions spatially adapted with moving (translating and rotating) boundaries of arbitrary geometries; and, it accelerates the FSI solution as the adaptive approach leads to fewer degrees of freedom without sacrificing accuracy. The key ingredients in the method are a posteriori error estimator/distance-based criterion of adaptivity and a particle-shifting technique. The method is applied in simulating six different flows or FSI problems in two dimensions. The new method’s convergence, accuracy, and efficiency attributes are assessed by comparing the results it produces with analytical, finite element, and consistent SPH uniform high-resolution solutions as well as experimental data.
Routes of Administration for Chemical Agents

Publisher Summary Choice of an appropriate route of administration for chemical agents is a crucially important aspect of the experimental design of fish exposures. This chapter discusses several approaches for administering chemical agents to fish and describes their potential research applications. Numerous methods exist for exposing fish to waterborne chemicals. Exposure chambers can be simple containers such as beakers or fish tanks, using solvent-rinsed glass containers for organic chemical exposures and acid-washed (2% nitric acid) plastic containers for metal exposures. Many types of in-situ cages are available for fish exposure to contaminants in the natural environment. For adult or juvenile fish, cages are usually constructed of aquaculture mesh stretched over a cylindrical or rectangular frame fabricated from metal or PVC pipe. Dietary administration is often the method chosen for administration of therapeutic agents in aquaculture. Fish can also be exposed to many types of chemical agents through consumption of contaminated prey. This method works best with contaminants that are easily bioaccumulated by the prey species, including many hydrophobic organic compounds and heavy metals. The most common method of administering a bolus dose to fish is by injection. Ideally the chemical agent is dissolved directly in physiological saline. However, hydrophobic chemicals may be dissolved in very small quantities of a co-solvent prior to dilution with saline.
The Impact of Reproductive Cancers on Women’s Mental Health

Today, one in three women in the USA will develop cancer in her lifetime. Women with breast and gynecologic cancers account for 30 % of all cancer survivors. Survivorship begins with a woman’s initial diagnosis and continues through her active treatment, its long-term side effects, and for the rest of her life. Because of advances in early detection and treatment, cancer is quickly becoming viewed as a chronic illness associated with long-term side effects of treatment, including decreased functional capacity, pain, fatigue, and decreased fertility and sexual function. The treatment itself, and even the diagnosis of cancer, leaves many women vulnerable to changes in their mental health, particularly anxiety and depression. The psychological impact of a cancer diagnosis varies with disease origin, age at diagnosis, physiologic alterations as a consequence of surgery, and the stage to which the disease has advanced. In this chapter, we discuss issues that often have a psychological impact on a woman after she receives a cancer diagnosis, specifically addressing the needs of reproductive cancer survivors. These issues are the physiologic, psychosocial, reproductive, and sexual changes experienced by female cancer survivors.
Surveillance of Infectious Diseases

Surveillance is the ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data essential to public health practice for public health action, closely integrated with the timely dissemination of these data to those who need to know. Modern surveillance systems must meet the challenges of a dynamic emergence of infectious diseases and the factors that influence it, including human demographics and behavior, technology, economic development and land use, international travel and commerce, microbial adaptation and change, breakdown of public health measures, and potential acts of bioterrorism. Globally, the use of public health surveillance systems to track occurrences of infectious diseases and other public health threats has never been more important, and all countries have agreed to commit to conduct surveillance under the World Health Organization International Health Regulations (2005). Modern information technology can facilitate linking diverse sources of data, rapid analysis and synthesis of large amounts of information, and development of the communications and networks needed globally for surveillance and response to infectious diseases. Continued development of diagnostic and molecular laboratory methods, when effectively combined with epidemiologic information, can make prevention, recognition, and response to outbreaks faster and more effective.
Chapter 13 – Collective efficacy, social capital and resilience: An inquiry into the relationship between social infrastructure and resilience after Hurricane Katrina

Abstract Not all communities are equally resilient. Not all communities have the ability to positively adapt to, withstand and recover from risk, adversity, and socioenvironmental shocks. This qualitative research of 155 in-depth semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of pertinent stakeholders, conducted over a period of 2 years, identifies how the complex relationships between social cohesion, trust, and equality can impact social capital and collective efficacy. This research also examines the ability of communities to withstand the deleterious impacts of structural violence and economic neoliberalization and to ultimately improve community resilience and well-being in the wake of disasters and humanitarian crises. The predominantly Vietnamese community of New Orleans East serves as a case example that illustrates the importance and centrality of collective efficacy and social capital in fostering resilient communities.
Intracarotid Sodium Amytal Test and Language

Many individuals suffering from epilepsy are refractory to medical management. Uncontrolled seizures are psychologically and socially disruptive. Brain surgery affords many individuals the opportunity to lead normal lives by dramatically reducing, or eliminating seizure activity. Surgery, however, carries the risk of postoperative cognitive decline. One way to minimize this risk is to undergo intracarotid sodium amytal testing (IAT). This article familiarizes the reader with the IAT and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of this particular approach to the presurgical examination of the epilepsy patient. Contributions of the IAT to our understanding of the neuroanatomical substrates of language will also be discussed.
The Diverse Microbiology of (Per)Chlorate Reduction

In 1997, following the development of a highly sensitive analytical method for perchlorate, monitoring studies identified perchlorate as a contaminant of major drinking water resources in the southwestern U.S.1,2,3 The only known natural source of perchlorate is associated with mineral deposits found in Chile where the perchlorate may represent as much as 6–7% of the total mass.4 Although these Chilean deposits have been extensively mined as a mineral and nitrate source for fertilizer manufacture, this is not thought to represent a significant source of perchlorate in the environment. The primary industrial use of perchlorate is as an oxidant in munitions manufacture and the unregulated release of perchlorate-containing wastestreams from munition manufacturing and handling facilities has been identified as the predominant source of this contaminant in the U.S.1,3
Noninfectious Uveitis: Emerging Therapies

This chapter provides an overview of the up-and-coming therapies for the treatment of uveitis. The current era is by far the most exciting time to be a uveitis specialist in terms of our understanding of disease mechanisms as well as the expanding array of therapy options we have for our patients. There are multiple novel therapeutic agents, from small molecules to peptides to biologics that have shown promise in preclinical or early clinical studies. Additionally, there are biologic therapies that have been newly developed for systemic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases that have been unevaluated for uveitis. New methods of drug delivery are also reviewed, as targeted drug delivery to the eye promises to be one of the most effective methods of treating uveitis. This includes novel drug delivery devices as well as nanotechnology, dissolvable polymers, and liposomal drug delivery.
Riparian landowner decision-making in the context of flooding: an application of the theory of planned behavior

This study centers upon understanding pro-environmental behavior to reduce flood risk among the private land-owning populace. As the trend of increasing number and severity of extreme rainfall events that cause flooding in the northeastern United States continues, such research can produce timely insights—especially given the preponderance of privately owned land in the United States. In this study, we were particularly interested in uncovering the role of ascription of personal responsibility to self and others, motivational and resource barriers, and risk in landowner behaviors to reduce flood risk. We surveyed riparian landowners in the Hudson Valley region of New York State to gain insight on landowner decision-making and behavior regarding the pro-environmental behavior of planting or maintaining riparian buffers on their property. We administered a quantitative survey to streamside landowners using an adapted theory of planned behavior model. Results show that past experience with flooding, attitude towards riparian buffers, past behavior, along with personal responsibility for oneself, personal motivation for the act, and norms were all significant predictors of planting or maintaining a riparian buffer. As the flood risk in the Hudson Valley continues to increase, the results of this study have important implications for understanding what motivates riparian private landowners to manage their land in a way that can mitigate flooding.
Vehicle Rollover Propensity Detection Based on a Mass-Center-Position Metric: A Continuous and Completed Method

Rollover index is an essential metric to detect vehicle rollover propensity, which is used to warn a driver or trigger an active rollover prevention system to perform corrective action. To give continuous and completed rollover information, this paper presents a novel rollover index based on a mass-center-position (MCP) metric. The MCP is first determined by estimating the positions of the center of mass of the vehicle, which consists of one sprung mass and two unsprung masses with two switchable roll motion models, before and after tire liftoff. The roll motion information can then be provided through the MCP continuously without saturation for both tripped and untripped rollovers. Moreover, to describe the completed rollover status, different criteria are derived from D'Alembert's principle and the moment balance conditions based on the MCP. In addition to tire liftoff, three new rollover statuses, “rollover threshold,” “rollover,” and vehicle jumping “in the air,” can be all identified by the proposed criteria. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis is conducted on some key parameters, such as the sprung/unsprung masses and the height of the center of gravity, to validate the robustness of the proposed detection method. Compared with an existing representative rollover index, lateral load transfer ratio, the fishhook maneuver simulation results in CarSim for an electric vehicle show that the MCP metric can successfully predict vehicle impending rollover status continuously and completely for both untripped and tripped rollovers.
Correction to: Transcriptome analyses of tumor-adjacent somatic tissues reveal genes co-expressed with transposable elements.

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported errors in Table 2 wherein all "KZFP” in the gene names should be changed to “ZNF”.
Gillette: Cutting Prices to Regain Share

After losing market share to low-priced competitors such as Harry’s and Dollar Shave Club for several years, Gillette decided to fight back by launching new products and increasing advertising. When these efforts failed to stem the losses, Gillette decided to cut the prices on its razors and blades in April 2017. Bonnie Herzog, an equity analyst at Wells Fargo, must assess how the recently announced price cuts are likely to affect Gillette’s earnings and its parent company’s earnings (Procter & Gamble owns Gillette). As part of her analysis, Herzog must estimate the price elasticity of demand for Gillette’s razors and blades. The case contains scanner data which allows students to calculate both price elasticities for a sample of Gillette products, and sufficient data to estimate the financial impact. This case explores the economic impact of a dramatic price cut and the wisdom of starting a price war with significantly smaller rivals offering lower-priced products. It was designed to teach students how to estimate price elasticities of demand, to draw inferences based on those estimates (i.e., how the price cut will affect profitability), and to critique the estimation process (i.e., what is being assumed, what might affect the validity of the estimates, etc.). The case also allows for a more open discussion of price wars and competitive dynamics in markets characterized by a large incumbent and small, low-priced entrants with new business models (e.g., subscription services).
Pemimpin Transformatif dalam Pendidikan Kristen

This paper aims to explain the essence of transformative leaders carried out by Christian leaders in the field of education both formal and informal. This research is based on the background of the problem of the minimal changes made by leaders due to competent competence. The research method used in this paper is a literature study by examining various literatures related to the topics discussed. Leadership basically explains a number of skills and abilities of leaders in carrying out leadership tasks. Specifically for Christian leaders, this task is done not with mere ability but based on gifts and talents given by God. The results of transformative leadership in education create breakthroughs, changes in values and systems and have an impact on themselves and the people they lead. and bring them to recognize the work of God in their lives and leadership. Abstract Tulisan ini bertujuan menjelaskan esensi dari pemimpin transformatif yang dilakukan oleh pemimpin kristen dalam bidang pendidikan baik formal maupun informal. Penelitian ini didasakan pada latar belakang masalah minimnya perubahan-perubahan yang dilakukan pemimpin disebabkan kompetensi yang tidak mumpuni. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam tulisan ini ialah studi kepustkaan dengan mengkaji berbagai literatur yang berkaitan dengan topik yang dibahas. Kepemimpinan pada dasarnya menjelaskan sejumlah kecakapan dan kemampuan pemimpin dalam menjalankan tugas-tugas kepemimpinan. Secara khusus bagi pemimpin Kristen, tugas ini dilakukan bukan dengan kemampuan semata melainkan berdasarkan karunia dan talenta yang diberikan Allah. Hasil kepemimpinan transformatif dalam pendidikan terciptanya terobosan, perubahan nilai dan sistem serta berdampak bagi diri sendiri dan orang yang yang dipimpinnya. dan membawa mereka mengakui karya Allah dalam hidup dan kepemimpinan mereka.
Rape myth acceptance among students attending a historically black college (HBCU): implications for intervention design

This study examines rape myth acceptance among students attending a Historically Black College (HBCU).One hundred and thirty two students participated in the study. Methods: A survey consisting of ...
Morphologic Severity of Acute Pancreatitis on Imaging Is Independently Associated with Opioid Dose Requirements in Hospitalized Patients

Prior studies have evaluated clinical characteristics associated with opioid dose requirements in hospitalized patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) but did not incorporate morphologic findings on CT imaging. We sought to determine whether morphologic severity on imaging is independently associated with opioid dose requirements in AP. Adult inpatients with a diagnosis of AP from 2006 to 2017 were reviewed. The highest modified CT severity index (MCTSI) score and the daily oral morphine equivalent (OME) for each patient over the first 7 days of hospitalization were used to grade the morphologic severity of AP and calculate mean OME per day(s) of treatment (MOME), respectively. Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of MOME with MCSTI. There were 249 patients with AP, of whom 196 underwent contrast-enhanced CT. The mean age was 46 ± 13.6 years, 57.9% were male, and 60% were black. The mean MOME for the patient cohort was 60 ± 52.8 mg/day. MCTSI (β = 3.5 [95% CI 0.3, 6.7], p = 0.03), early hemoconcentration (β = 21 [95% CI 4.6, 39], p = 0.01) and first episode of AP (β = − 17 [95% CI − 32, − 2.7], p = 0.027) were independently associated with MOME. Among the 19 patients undergoing ≥ 2 CT scans, no significant differences in MOME were seen between those whose MCTSI score increased (n = 12) versus decreased/remained the same (n = 7). The morphologic severity of AP positively correlated with opioid dose requirements. No difference in opioid dose requirements were seen between those who did versus those who did not experience changes in their morphologic severity.
Attempting to Break the 2 GJ/tonne CO2 Barrier; Development of an Advanced Water-Lean Capture Solvent From Molecules to Detailed Process Design

Solvent-based post-combustion CO2 capture is an energy-intensive process primarily driven by the energy required to regenerate the CO2 capture solvent. Researchers are currently focused on developing drop-in solvent replacements for commercial amine solvents with lower regeneration energies. One approach to reducing the regeneration energy of a solvent is to reduce its water content, thereby reducing unnecessary condensing and consequent boiling in the process. There are a number of water-lean solvent formulations currently under development that allow for water contents below 10% by weight, versus more than 60% for commercial aqueous amines. One solvent class, CO2-Binding Organic Liquids (CO2BOLs), shows promise to reduce the parasitic load to a coal-fired power plant but has been impeded by high viscosities at high CO2 loadings. In this paper, we perform a preliminary modeling study of a new low-viscosity CO2BOL solvent and assess the energetics of different process stripper configurations. By tailoring the process configuration with the unique aspects of the solvent reboiler duties below 2 GJ/tonne CO2 could be achievable. Further, this study suggests that there is no one-size-fits-all process optimum configuration for solvents, and therefore optimal configurations will be solvent specific.
Marjolin's Ulcer: Mesh-Related Vaginal Cutaneous Fistula With Superimposed Osteomyelitis and Neoplastic Transformation.

Marjolin's ulcer is a rare, often aggressive squamous cell malignancy identified in previously injured areas or those affected by chronic inflammation. It often develops in deep wounds that are slow to heal or allowed to heal by secondary intention. Few reports and small case series about Marjolin's ulcer have been published. We present a unique case with well-differentiated keratinized squamous cell carcinoma arising from a mesh-related vaginocutaneous fistula with superimposed osteomyelitis. The risk of cancerous transformation leading to Marjolin's ulcer in non-healing traumatic wounds is 8.1% and 2.6% in a fistula associated with purulent-inflammatory bone diseases. Approximately 1.7% of chronic cutaneous ulcers undergo neoplastic transformation, with a disposition to squamous cell carcinoma. Women experiencing mesh complications may require multiple procedures to address these issues and, therefore, should have them addressed in a timely manner to allow for the best patient outcome. Treatment optimization on a whole should incorporate the goals outlined by the American Urogynecologic Society and the International Urogynecological Association. These include the use of relevant evidence to help guide the management of mesh complications as well as identifying the gaps in currently available evidence, developing a treatment algorithm to be used for shared decision making, and identifying provider and healthcare facility characteristics that may optimize treatment outcomes specific to mesh complications.
THE EFFECTS OF INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM CHARACTERISTICS ON SIMULATION-ENHANCED CRITICAL THINKING: A MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS

Given the applied nature of business disciplines, simulations are useful in helping students bridge theory learned in the classroom and practical skills needed to succeed in industry. Much of the l...
Chapter 9 Sustainability in the Automotive Industry

This book is focused on the use of plastics in automobiles for traditional applications, as well as for more advanced uses such as under-the-hood components. Engineering thermoplastics offer the ability to tailor-make components from polymers, and to design parts for enhanced performance, new functionality, part integration, and elimination of secondary operations. Parts made from engineering thermoplastics can be manufactured within specified cost constraints, and using manufacturing methods that offer a wide range of production flexibility. A decade of research and real-world applications is presented by the authors on application technology development for various aspects of automotive design – concept design, CAD modeling, predictive engineering methods through CAE, manufacturing method simulation, and prototype and tool making. Additional advantages of plastics are covered and include greater styling, improved energy absorption, and enhanced performance over traditional materials, all while fostering environmental sustainability and reducing overall vehicle weight for next generation automobiles.
Processing of 3' Phosphate DNA Termini by the Herpes Simplex Virus-1 DNA Polymerase: a Novel 3' Phosphatase Activity

3' phosphate terminated DNA ends may arise directly following breakage of the phosphodiester bond or by enzymatic processing of DNA damage including βδ elimination catalyzed by NEIL 1 and NEIL 2 du...
Principles of Pulse Code Modulation

Publisher Summary Pulse code modulation (PCM) involves important principles, such as sampling, quantizing, encoding, pulse shaping, and decoding. This chapter discusses the most advanced PCM equipment developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories. It describes the basic principles of PCM, namely one channel and video transmission. In a PCM system, the primary signal function with its subtle amplitude variations is transformed into a secondary signal. This signal is merely a sequence of on-off pulses, or marks and spaces where the pulse amplitude, the pulse width, or the pulse position does not vary. The only criterion at the receiver is whether at a predetermined time instant a pulse occurs. This makes it possible to use not only an amplitude filter, but also a time filter (gate) that opens the receiver only at these predetermined time instants. In spending all available signal power at the transmitter just for 2 discrete amplitude levels, on and off, there is a good chance that the receiver can distinguish between the mark and space even in the presence of considerable noise.
On the Implementation Complexity of Specifications of Concurrent Programs

We present a decision algorithm for the following problem: given a specification, does there exist a concurrent program which both satisfies the specification and which can be implemented in hardware-available operations in a straightforward manner, i.e, without long correctness proofs, and without introducing excessive blocking and/or centralization? In case our decision algorithm answers “yes,” we also present a synthesis method to produce such a program. We consider specifications expressed in branching time temporal logic. Our result gives a way of classifying specifications as either “easy to implement” or “difficult to implement,” and can be regarded as the first step towards a notion of “implementation complexity” of specifications.
L-Kuramoto–Sivashinsky SPDEs in one-to-three dimensions: L-KS kernel, sharp Hölder regularity, and Swift–Hohenberg law equivalence

Abstract Generalizing the L-Kuramoto–Sivashinsky (L-KS) kernel from our earlier work, we give a novel explicit-kernel formulation useful for a large class of fourth order deterministic, stochastic, linear, and nonlinear PDEs in multispatial dimensions. These include pattern formation equations like the Swift–Hohenberg and many other prominent and new PDEs. We first establish existence, uniqueness, and sharp dimension-dependent spatio-temporal Holder regularity for the canonical (zero drift) L-KS SPDE, driven by white noise on { R + × R d } d = 1 3 . The spatio-temporal Holder exponents are exactly the same as the striking ones we proved for our recently introduced Brownian-time Brownian motion (BTBM) stochastic integral equation, associated with time-fractional PDEs. The challenge here is that, unlike the positive BTBM density, the L-KS kernel is the Gaussian average of a modified, highly oscillatory, and complex Schrodinger propagator. We use a combination of harmonic and delicate analysis to get the necessary estimates. Second, attaching order parameters e 1 to the L-KS spatial operator and e 2 to the noise term, we show that the dimension-dependent critical ratio e 2 / e 1 d / 8 controls the limiting behavior of the L-KS SPDE, as e 1 , e 2 ↘ 0 ; and we compare this behavior to that of the less regular second order heat SPDEs. Finally, we give a change-of-measure equivalence between the canonical L-KS SPDE and nonlinear L-KS SPDEs. In particular, we prove uniqueness in law for the Swift–Hohenberg and the law equivalence—and hence the same Holder regularity—of the Swift–Hohenberg SPDE and the canonical L-KS SPDE on compacts in one-to-three dimensions.
Reversed-phase chromatography of Escherichia coli ribosomal proteins: Correlation of retention time with chain length and hydrophobicity

The elution times of 52 bacterial ribosomal proteins from a C4 reversed-phase column have been predicted. The prediction is based upon the use of the hydrophobicity coefficients for the protein amino acid content as defined by Guo et al. [J. Chromatogr., 359 (1986) 499-518]. A strong positive correlation was observed when the difference between predicted and observed protein retention time was plotted against the product of net hydrophobicity and natural log of protein chain length. Observations with this class of related proteins strengthens and extends the observations of Mant et al. [J. Chromatogr., 476 (1989) 363-375]. Observed deviations from predicted chromatographic behavior can be explained for several proteins which elute as dimers or which have modified amino acid residues.
Identification of a Developmentally Regulated Gene for a 140-kDa Secretory Protein in Salivary Glands of Chironomus tentans Larvae

Secretory proteins are synthesized in salivary glands of the insect, Chironomus tentans, and assemble in vivo into silk-like threads which aquatic larvae use to construct tubes for filter feeding and pupation. Thus far, all known secretory protein genes contain repetitious protein-coding sequences and are located in cytological structures known as Balbiani rings, giant puffs found on polytene secretory cell chromosomes. In this paper we describe the identification of another secretory protein gene which is comprised of repeated sequences; however, this gene is not located in a Balbiani ring. Two partial cDNA clones from a 3.6-kilobase pair poly(A)+ RNA were sequenced and found to contain two open reading frames for protein synthesis. Antibodies were raised against synthetic oligopeptides whose sequences were derived from these two open reading frames. An immunoaffinity-purified antibody for one of these peptides bound specifically to a 140-kDa secretory protein (sp140). The cDNA sequences contain tandem repeats of 42 base pairs which encode a repeat of 14 amino acids with a composition and oligopeptide sequence similar to other secretory proteins. The C. tentans genome contains about 70 copies of this 42-base pair repeat organized as a contiguous block of 3 kilobase pairs or less. The sp140 gene was mapped by in situ hybridization to polytene chromosome band I-17-B. Developmental studies of protein accumulation, steady-state levels of mRNA, and relative transcription rate suggested that the sp140 gene is developmentally regulated so that maximal expression is achieved during the prepupal stages of the fourth larval instar. Based upon these results we proposed that sp140 gene belongs to a prepupal class of secretory protein genes. While the sp140 gene shares structural and expression characteristics with other secretory protein genes, its unique chromosomal location shows that this multigene family is not restricted to Balbiani rings.
Chemical kinetics: Smaller, faster chemistry

Two chemicals must be mixed much faster than the reaction rate for that rate to be measured. Rapid enough mixing is difficult, especially for the many important liquid-phase and biological reactions with millisecond or shorter-timescale dynamics. But a tiny silicon device, built using the fabrication techniques of microelectronics, can reduce the mixing timescale to less than 10 ms by focusing the flow of one chemical into a thread only nanometres across.
Face, content, construct and concurrent validity of dry laboratory exercises for robotic training using a global assessment tool.

Objectives To evaluate robotic dry laboratory (dry lab) exercises in terms of their face, content, construct and concurrent validities. To evaluate the applicability of the Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills (GEARS) tool to assess dry lab performance. Materials and Methods Participants were prospectively categorized into two groups: robotic novice (no cases as primary surgeon) and robotic expert (≥30 cases). Participants completed three virtual reality (VR) exercises using the da Vinci Skills Simulator (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA), as well as corresponding dry lab versions of each exercise (Mimic Technologies, Seattle, WA, USA) on the da Vinci Surgical System. Simulator performance was assessed by metrics measured on the simulator. Dry lab performance was blindly video-evaluated by expert review using the six-metric GEARS tool. Participants completed a post-study questionnaire (to evaluate face and content validity). A Wilcoxon non-parametric test was used to compare performance between groups (construct validity) and Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to assess simulation to dry lab performance (concurrent validity). Results The mean number of robotic cases experienced for novices was 0 and for experts the mean (range) was 200 (30–2000) cases. Expert surgeons found the dry lab exercises both ‘realistic’ (median [range] score 8 [4–10] out of 10) and ‘very useful’ for training of residents (median [range] score 9 [5–10] out of 10). Overall, expert surgeons completed all dry lab tasks more efficiently (P < 0.001) and effectively (GEARS total score P < 0.001) than novices. In addition, experts outperformed novices in each individual GEARS metric (P < 0.001). Finally, in comparing dry lab with simulator performance, there was a moderate correlation overall (r = 0.54, P < 0.001). Most simulator metrics correlated moderately to strongly with corresponding GEARS metrics (r = 0.54, P < 0.001). Conclusions The robotic dry lab exercises in the present study have face, content, construct and concurrent validity with the corresponding VR tasks. Until now, the assessment of dry lab exercises has been limited to basic metrics (i.e. time to completion and error avoidance). For the first time, we have shown it is feasibile to apply a global assessment tool (GEARS) to dry lab training.
Distribution of blood flow during exercise after blood volume expansion in swine

To study the distribution of blood flow after blood volume expansion, seven miniature swine ran at high speed (17.6-20 km/h, estimated to require 115% of maximal O2 uptake) on a motor-driven treadmill on two occasions: once during normovolemia and once after an acute 15% blood volume expansion (homologous whole blood). O2 uptake, cardiac output, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and distribution of blood flow (with radiolabeled microspheres) were measured at the same time during each of the exercise bouts. Maximal heart rate was identical between conditions (mean 266); mean arterial pressure was elevated during the hypovolemic exercise (149 +/- 5 vs. 137 +/- 6 mmHg). Although cardiac output was higher and arterial O2 saturation was maintained during the hypervolemic condition (10.5 +/- 0.7 vs. 9.3 +/- 0.6 l/min), O2 uptake was not different (1.74 +/- 0.08 vs. 1.74 +/- 0.09 l/min). Mean blood flows to cardiac (+12.9%), locomotory (+9.8%), and respiratory (+7.5%) muscles were all elevated during hypervolemic exercise, while visceral and brain blood flows were unchanged. Calculated resistances to flow in skeletal and cardiac muscle were not different between conditions. Under the experimental conditions of this study, O2 uptake in the miniature swine was limited at the level of the muscles during hypervolemic exercise. The results also indicate that neither intrinsic contractile properties of the heart nor coronary blood flow limits myocardial performance during normovolemic exercise, because both the pumping capacity of the heart and the coronary blood flow were elevated in the hypervolemic condition.
Toward a Methodology of Encounters: Opening to Complexity in Qualitative Research

I consider how poststructural orientations to thinking about epistemology and ontology have been enriched by feminist materialist readings of quantum physics. In light of these developments, I suggest that greater complexity might involve opening up qualitative research to a methodology of encounters, an array of interruptive, aleatory practices, attending to encounters that are both accidental and on purpose. I show how this approach has informed my work, intervening in habitual analytics involving scholarly critique and inspiring new ways of dealing with and expanding what might be thought of as data in qualitative research. Refusing the repositivation of qualitative research, I believe that what is at stake is more than just the knowledge we make, it’s the worlds we would like to make, the kinds of people we want to be, the kind of work we want to do in the world.
The Underpopulated Interest Communities of the South: Partially Decomposing a Dummy Variable

To better understand interest community density in the American states, a regional perspective first pioneered by Hrebenar and Thomas is employed to assess the underpopulation of interest communities in southern states and how it has changed from 1980 to 1990. An attempt is then made to account for the differences in density that remain between southern and nonsouthern states using several substantive explanations, an effort that is only partially successful. Finally, there is speculation about the source of the remaining unexplained density deficit in southern state interest systems and its implications for understanding interest community density.
A programmer's interface to graphics dynamics

The term “graphics dynamics” is used in this paper to describe a capability which permits the application programmer to specify a relationship between various graphics input devices and aspects of the graphics output presentation. Subsequent use of the input devices results in continuous real-time changes to the picture. An experimental graphics system is described, in which a powerful programmer's interface to graphics dynamics was implemented. This interface appears suitable for use as an extension to any of the existing standards and standards proposals, including, CORE, GKS, and PHIGS.
The value and feasibility of evaluation research on teacher development: contrasting experiences in Sri Lanka and Mexico☆

Abstract This article discusses the value and feasibility of carrying out evaluation research on teacher development and uses as points of reference the author's experiences in two countries, Sri Lanka and Mexico. In Sri Lanka, an evaluation study was designed to understand the effectiveness and costs of teacher development at the elementary level linking teacher preparation with classroom practice and student achievement. The study also evaluated costs and analyzed the possible impact of the results for future policy. The study in Mexico illustrates the challenges of doing evaluation research in an environment dominated by a central state and teacher union politics, and where systemic empirical research on teacher development has been rare. It constituted an initial attempt at looking at the content and the anticipated effects across different approaches to teacher development in Mexico. New calls for greater accountability and better understanding of the reach and limitations of general education worldwide are prompting systems to examine teacher development program effectiveness. In this analytical article, the author discusses strategies and possibilities in the emerging field of teacher development program evaluation.
Laparoscopic liver surgery for everyone: The hybrid method

Minimally invasive techniques have been described recently for liver resections. We have developed a surgical approach to liver resection that combines the benefits of minimally invasive surgery with the safety of open liver resection. We have applied this hybrid approach to selected cases, and we feel that it can be adopted by most hepatobiliary surgeons, even those with minimal or no laparoscopic experience. Briefly, this technique consists of laparoscopic mobilization of the target liver lobe, followed by standard open liver resection through the extraction site. The required incisions parallel those needed for hand-assisted laparoscopic liver resections. We have compared these hybrid procedures with contemporaneous laparoscopic, hand-assisted, and open liver resections at our institution and have found that they compare favorably with minimally invasive procedures. A wider utilization of this approach by both general and hepatobiliary surgeons will result in a more generalized acceptance of minimally invasive liver resection that ultimately will advance the field and benefit patients in need of liver surgery.
State Estimation for Polyhedral Hybrid Systems and Applications to the Godunov Scheme for Highway Traffic Estimation

This paper investigates the problem of estimating the state of discretized hyperbolic scalar partial differential equations. It uses a Godunov scheme to discretize the so-called Lighthill–Whitham–Richards equation with a triangular flux function, and proves that the resulting nonlinear dynamical system can be decomposed in a piecewise affine manner. Using this explicit representation, the system is written as a switching dynamical system, with a state space partitioned into an exponential number of polyhedra in which one mode is active. We propose a feasible approach based on the interactive multiple model (IMM) which is a widely used algorithm for estimation of hybrid systems in the scientific community. The number of modes is reduced based on the geometric properties of the polyhedral partition. The k-means algorithm is also applied on historical data to partition modes into clusters. The performance of these algorithms are compared to the extended Kalman filter and the ensemble Kalman filter in the context of Highway Traffic State Estimation. In particular, we use sparse measurements from loop detectors along a section of the I-880 to estimate the state density for our numerical experiments.
Measurement of hydroxyl radical in the upper atmosphere using lidar from the Space Shuttle

The paper examines the measurements of hydroxyl radical in the upper atmosphere using lidar from the Space Shuttle. The measurement of the latitudinal and diurnal variation of OH would provide tests for stratospheric and mesospheric chemistry; two lidar systems aboard the Space Shuttle are described with the first providing the best signal to noise ratio for nighttime measurements at altitudes above 40 km, and the second giving a better performance during the day and at lower altitudes.
Wavelength Shift Analysis: A Simple Method to Determine the Contribution of Hemoglobin and Myoglobin to In Vivo Optical Spectra

The ability to quantify the contributions of hemoglobin (Hb) and myoglobin (Mb) to in vivo optical spectra has many applications for clinical and research use such as noninvasive measurement of local tissue O(2) uptake rates and regional blood content. Recent work has demonstrated an approach to independently measure oxygen saturations of Hb and Mb in optical spectra collected in vivo. However, the utility of this approach is limited without information on tissue concentrations of these species. Here we describe a strategy to quantify the contributions of Hb and Mb to in vivo optical spectra. We have found that the peak position of the deoxy-heme peak around 760 nm in the optical spectra of the deoxygenated tissue is a linear function of the relative contributions of Hb and Mb to the optical spectra. Therefore, analysis of this peak position, hereafter referred to as wavelength shift analysis, reveals the relative concentration of Hb to Mb in solutions and intact tissue. Biochemical analysis of muscle homogenates confirmed that the wavelength shift of the combined Hb/Mb peak in in vivo spectra reflects the ratio of concentrations (Hb/Mb) in muscle. The importance of quantifying the Hb contribution is illustrated by our data demonstrating that Hb accounts for approximately 80% of the optical signal in mouse skeletal muscle but only approximately 20% in human skeletal muscle. This advance will facilitate comparison of the metabolic properties between individual muscles and provides a fully noninvasive approach to measuring local respiration that can be adapted for clinical use.
Between the Diaspora and Zion: Cecil Roth and his American friends

Near the start of his career (1925–1930) Cecil Roth developed a vision of the significance of the Diaspora to Jewish life, which he articulated during his tenure at the Intercollegiate Menorah Society Summer School of 1930. For Roth, Jewish creativity could be expressed only by possessing a firm grasp of Jewish history and its essentials. In his summer school lectures Roth sought to integrate Jewish history into the broader sweep of European history, while at the same time he introduced students to historical sources beyond traditional Jewish texts. In the aftermath of World War II Roth entered into a prolonged correspondence with the American Jewish historian Jacob Rader Marcus, who had recently founded the American Jewish Archives, whose purpose was to forward the study of Jewish history by collecting the documents that would enable future research. In their correspondence, Roth and Marcus enunciated an approach to Jewish history that would influence the field for a generation.
Role of Home Total Parenteral Nutrition in Management of Obliterative Peritonitis

Two patients with obliterative peritonitis complicating enterocutaneous fistulae received total parenteral nutrition prior to surgical closure. One patient managed on home parenteral nutrition for 8 mo experienced psychosocial and nutritional rehabilitation at a daily cost of $37. Experience with the other patient confirmed that a significant resolution of obliterative inflammatory changes can occur during a 4-mon period of bowel rest when septic foci have been drained adequately. In-hospital management was required by this patient, and daily charges greatly exceeded those accrued by the other patient who could be managed at home. A home parenteral nutrition program is a cost-effective means of providing time for resolution of obliterative peritonitis.
A rigorous coupled-wave analysis and crossed-diffraction grating analysis of radiation and scattering from three-dimensional inhomogeneous objects

A rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) algorithm useful for studying the radiation and scattering from three-dimensional (3-D) inhomogeneous objects is developed. A spherical electromagnetic (EM) state variable (SV) form of Maxwell's equations is presented. The RCWA method is used to numerically study EM dipole radiation within and exterior to an inhomogeneous spherical shell.