cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
WILSON BENTLEY'S AURORAL OBSERVATIONS

Abstract Wilson Bentley's auroral observations in northern Vermont were made over the period from 1883 to 1931, thus encompassing the solar activity minimum at the beginning of the twentieth century. Long term series of auroral observations by a single observer in a region of reasonable frequency of occurrence are rare, and are important for the study of solar-terrestrial relationships. Bentley's data have been abstracted from manuscript materials. The annual variation and the secular variation over the entire period are presented. The results are compared with the variations of sunspot and magnetic activity during this period. The auroral activity minima, comparable to the similar sunspot minima, in the periods around 1902 and 1912 are clearly evident. Changes in the spring/fall ratio of auroral occurrence frequency over the entire period under study are also evident.
What Makes Companies Green? Organizational and Geographic Factors in the Adoption of Environmental Practices

Abstract: In this paper we advance the hypothesis that organizational factors play a key role in the adoption of environmental innovations, referred to as environmentally conscious manufacturing (ECM) practices. We distinguish among three classes of organizational factors: organizational resources, organizational innovativeness, and performance monitoring systems. The research also explores the interplay of organizational factors and spatial or geographic factors (such as proximity to customers and suppliers) in the adoption of ECM practices. We employ a structured field research design, involving “matched pairs” of plants, to address these issues. The findings confirm the hypothesis. Organizational factors matter significantly in the process of ECM adoption. Furthermore, two classes of organizational factors are particularly significant to ECM adoption: organizational resources and performance monitoring systems. Performance monitoring systems composed of quantitative goals and related metrics are a particularly key factor. The research finds that geographic or spatial factors have little effect on the adoption of ECM practices, reflecting the significant geographic distance between customers and suppliers in the sample. There may be reason to expect that geographic factors play a more significant role, but this is a subject for future research.
Grothendieck’s Inequality and the Grothendieck-Lindenstrauss-Pelczynski Cycle of Ideas

In this section we prove a profound inequality due, as the section title indicates, to Grothendieck. This inequality has played a fundamental role in the recent progress in the study of Banach spaces. It was discovered in the 1950s, but its full power was not generally realized until the late 1960s when Lindenstrauss and Pelczynski, in their seminal paper “Absolutely summing operators in ℒp spaces and their applications,” brutally reminded functional analysts of the existence and importance of the powerful ideas and work of Grothendieck. Since the Lindenstrauss-Pelczynski paper, the Grothendieck inequality has seen many proofs; in this, it shares a common feature of most deep and beautiful results in mathematics. The proof we present is an elaboration of one presented by R. Rietz. It is very elementary.
Building strong communities: an evaluation of a neighborhood leadership program in a diverse urban area

The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate an intervention used to train neighborhood leaders about community organizing and to enhance leadership skills. A mixed-method design was used which included (a) a pre- and posttest assessment of 83 participants, and (b) qualitative descriptive interviews of 33 participants. Over half of the participants in the study were from ethnic minority groups (Latino or Cambodian). At posttest assessment, the participants improved in leadership skills (p=.001) and experience (p=.001) subscales. The qualitative interviews revealed that participants continued to be active in their communities by implementing neighborhood programs or starting community organizations. It is recommended that community practitioners and activists support neighborhood leadership programs to foster growth and enrichment in communities, and researchers/practitioners evaluate these projects with multiple methods to broaden scholarship in this important arena. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Perceived versus reported social referent approval and romantic relationship commitment and persistence

The current study examined social network influence processes on romantic relationship outcomes by obtaining the reported opinions of social referents as well as romantic relationship members’ perceptions of social network members’ opinions. Participants were 254 (151 women) college students from the United States involved in romantic relationships along with a male and female friend who all completed surveys regarding the participants’ romantic relationship. This work demonstrated that perceived normative beliefs of social network members significantly mediated the effects of reported social network approval on relationship commitment. Participants’ reports of relationship commitment were found to mediate the effect of subjective norms on relationship persistence. Along with network members’ relationship approval, participants’ satisfaction was found to predict participants’ normative beliefs.
Non-Newtonian heat transfer in the thermal entrance region of uniformly heated, horizontal pipes

Experimental data were obtained for laminar forced flow in the thermal entry region of a uniformly heated pipe with fluids exhibiting a range of non-Newtonian behavior. The Graetz number range was between 240 and 38,000. Contributions to heat transfer made by non-Newtonian fluid behavior, temperature-dependent fluid properties, viscous heating, and secondary flow due to buoyancy were evaluated. Results indicate that heat transfer is controlled by local wall shear rates. Local wall shear is affected much more by temperature variation of fluid rheological properties than by the degree of pseudoplasticity. Viscous heating was not detected in any of the tests. Natural convection effects were apparent in all cases; however, the heat transfer rates showed contributions due to buoyancy only at the lowest flow rates with low viscosity fluids.
Cystinosis: A defect of lysosomal cystine efflux

The metabolic defect which results in the accumulation of cystine within tissues of children with the recessively inherited disease cystinosis has baffled investigators for almost half a century. Investigations by numerous laboratories have finally culminated in the delineation of the basic defect in this unusual disorder.
Activation and Detection of Facilitation as Studied by Presynaptic Voltage Control at the Inhibitor of the Crayfish Opener Muscle

Vyshedskiy, Andrey and Jen-Wei Lin. Activation and detection of facilitation as studied by presynaptic voltage control at the inhibitor of the crayfish opener muscle. J. Neurophysiol. 77: 2300–2315...
Successive Magnetic-Field-Induced Transitions and Colossal Magnetoelectric Effect in Ni3TeO6

We report the discovery of a metamagnetic phase transition in a polar antiferromagnet Ni_{3}TeO_{6} that occurs at 52 T. The new phase transition accompanies a colossal magnetoelectric effect, with a magnetic-field-induced polarization change of 0.3 μC/cm^{2}, a value that is 4 times larger than for the spin-flop transition at 9 T in the same material, and also comparable to the largest magnetically induced polarization changes observed to date. Via density-functional calculations we construct a full microscopic model that describes the data. We model the spin structures in all fields and clarify the physics behind the 52 T transition. The high-field transition involves a competition between multiple different exchange interactions which drives the polarization change through the exchange-striction mechanism. The resultant spin structure is rather counterintuitive and complex, thus providing new insights on design principles for materials with strong magnetoelectric coupling.
Mothers teach daughters because daughters teach granddaughters: the evolution of sex-biased transmission

Cultural transmission in nonhuman animals is often sex biased, with females more frequently or efficiently learning cultural behaviors than males. The evolutionary origins of sex-biased cultural transmission have been a mystery, though it has been proposed that female offspring may gain greater reproductive benefit from cultural traits than sons—the "disparate benefits" hypothesis. I propose a different, "uniparental teaching," hypothesis where sex-biased transmission evolves in uniparental species if mothers teach, that is, invest in their offsprings’ learning. I show, with theoretical models, that mothers evolve to invest more in teaching daughters than sons because teaching daughters results in greater inclusive fitness benefits. Teaching a son gives him a reproductive benefit for one generation. However, I show that because daughters may teach future generations, teaching a daughter can be a better long-term investment. I also model the disparate benefits hypothesis and show that the uniparental teaching hypothesis better fits the empirical patterns of sex-biased transmission in the well-studied example of "sponging" in bottlenose dolphins. Uniparental teaching may also explain sex-biased transmission in other species, including chimpanzees. My findings suggest that controversial mechanisms of cultural transmission in nonhumans, such as teaching, may be inferred from population-level patterns of transmission even when it is difficult to observe transmission directly in the field or laboratory.
Psyche and Logos in the Fragments of Heraclitus: The Origins of the Concept Of Soul

Former students of Francis MacDonald Cornford report that the distinguished Cambridge historian was fond of what he called his "parable of the coins." The point of the parable's instruction was that words, especially philosophers' words, are like coins in that they retain their "shape" or visual appearance over decades and even centuries while their "purchasing power" or meaning may be shifting drastically. The image of a coin with an enduring shape but a varying purchasing power is especially appropriate for the semantic career of one of the most important of Gr?pk philosophical words, psyche, traditionally rendered "soul." Visually, psyche retained its shape from the earliest Greek literature known to us, which is of course Homer, down to the age of the koine spoken in the time of Christ and later used to record the gospels. That was a period of a thou sand years of varied and often intense philosophical and religious explora tion and development; in those centuries, the meaning of psyche, unlike its shape, was far from static. Among scholars there is at present a widely held view, perhaps ap proaching consensus, that Socrates played a role in that development which was decisive, epoch marking if not epoch making, so that the last quarter of the fifth century becomes a crucial period1 in the developmental history of Greek ideas concerning soul. Less widely recognized is the fact that for the centuries preceding Socrates, the first significant changes in usage and meaning for the word psyche are to be found in the text of the philosopher Heraclitus who, in a radical break from popular and Homeric belief, claims that the psyche of a living person has a logos which is "deep" (B45) and "self-augmenting" (B115) and that its discovery requires extensive explora tion on the part of the individual (B45). Moreover, this is a cognitive and linguistic task (B107 supported by B87, 114, passim), an effort of intellect, which is accomplished only as an individual becomes "awake" or com prehending (Bl, 2, 34, 72, 73, passim)2 of the cosmos around him as well as in him, and only when that individual learns to listen to, and understand, a proper language or discourse, a logos (Bl, 2, 50, passim). It is the failure of anthropoi, most contemporary Hellenes, to listen to this logos, and conse quently their inability to participate cognitively and linguistically at a level of discourse demanded by the philosopher, which so many of the sayings, perhaps a majority, so elegantly castigate.3 If the argument offered in this paper proves correct, Heraclitus' statements about the logos of psyche are
Identifying Calcium Oxalate Crystals in Urine

Proper identification of urine crystals is essential in the routine microscopic examination of urine sediment. Knowledge of structure, solubility, and pH characteristics of urine crystals comes with training and experience. References are available that provide excellent photographs and illustrations to assist with recognition. In addition, these references provide guidelines for specialized testing or polarization characteristics of specific urine crystals to further assist in identification. Although crystals most often seen in urine generally are unrelated to pathology and are considered normal, they must be properly identified and reported because, occasionally, they may have clinical significance. For example, calcium oxalate has been considered one of the normal crystals, but it has been linked to lithiasis. This is the second article in a three-part continuing education update series on urinalysis. Other articles in the series focus on urine sediment diagnosis and urine cytodiagnostics.
Increasing the Number of Oncology Nurses Serving on Boards

Nurses have knowledge about quality, safety, and the patient experience that is valuable to governing boards. In 2011, the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommended that nurses be prepared and enabled to lead change to advance health care. Five years after the recommendation, work toward this goal is still needed. .
Law as a constraint on bailouts: Emergency support for central counterparties

Abstract Increased awareness of the importance of non-bank financial infrastructures has brought increased concern about the potential for bailouts and the resultant moral hazard problem. This paper examines the question with regard to derivatives central counterparties. We consider the layers of protection that derivatives central clearing parties (CCPs) have established in the absence of an expectation of regulatory rescue. We then provide a model of the tension between the desire for ex post rescue of a systemically important financial infrastructure and the desire to maintain ex ante discipline on the infrastructure. The model illustrates the factors that should lead to relaxation or tightening of the financial regulator's discretion for rescue. We consider examples of failures of derivatives CCPs in order to highlight the importance of these considerations.
Proactive Cyber Defense

There is great interest to develop proactive approaches to cyber defense, in which future attack strategies are anticipated and these insights are incorporated into defense designs. This chapter considers the problem of protecting computer networks against intrusions and other disruptions in a proactive manner. We begin by leveraging the coevolutionary relationship between attackers and defenders to derive two new proactive filter-based methods for network defense. The first of these filters is a bipartite graph-based machine learning algorithm that enables information concerning previous attacks to be “transferred” for application against novel attacks, thereby substantially increasing the rate at which defense systems can successfully respond to new attacks. The second approach involves exploiting basic threat information (obtained from, for example, network security analysts) to generate “synthetic” attack data for use in learning appropriate defense actions, resulting in network defenses that are effective against both current and (near) future attacks. The utility of these two filter-based methods is demonstrated by showing that they outperform standard techniques for the task of detecting malicious network activity in two publicly available cyber datasets. We then consider the problem of anticipating and characterizing impending attack events with sufficient specificity and timeliness to enable mitigating defensive actions to be taken, and propose a novel early warning method as a solution to this problem. The warning method is based upon the fact that certain classes of attacks require the attackers to coordinate their actions, and exploits signatures of this coordination to provide effective attack warning. The potential of the warning-based approach to cyber defense is illustrated through a case study involving politically motivated Internet attacks.
Expanding the Confucian Framework: Consequences and Character

Typically, Western moral philosophy has sought to understand questions of right and wrong in the absence of Eastern tradition. Yet, Aristotelian ethics has long been used as a lens with which Chinese philosophy can be read from a Western perspective. Since Confucianism, in particular, seems to acquiesce rather well with a virtue ethics, other moral philosophies are seldom applied to the Confucian canon. In this paper, I apply a consequentialist ethics, in support of existing philosophical papers following a similar consequentialist approach. Through this, Confucianism can be seen as a system designed to optimize collective efficacy in society, by stressing actions which lead to positive consequences. This lens allows for an expansion of consequentialist ethics into Confucian philosophy, while also opening Western moral philosophy to a new perspective.
Management of failed endovascular aortic aneurysm repair with explantation or fenestrated-branched endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.

Abstract Objective The incidence of failed endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is increasing, and understanding the different methods of management and repair is paramount. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical management and rescue of failed EVAR by either explantation or fenestrated-branched EVAR (F/B-EVAR). Methods A retrospective analysis (1999-2016) of 247 patients who underwent either explantation (n = 162) or F/B-EVAR (n = 85) for failed EVAR was performed. F/B-EVAR was performed under a physician-sponsored investigational device exemption. Demographics of the patients, clinical presentation and failure etiology, perioperative management, rate of reinterventions, morbidity, and mortality were analyzed. Those undergoing surgical explantation were compared with those undergoing F/B-EVAR conversion. Statistical analysis included multivariable logistic regressions, Fisher exact test, and χ2 test. Results The majority of patients were male (n = 216 [87%]), with a mean age of 75 years (range, 50-93 years). The mean time from primary EVAR was higher in F/B-EVAR (46 ± 7 months vs 69 ± 41 months; P Conclusions Explantation and F/B-EVAR are necessary options in treating patients with failed EVAR, and both techniques have competitive results. Different modes of failure may point to a preferred method of treatment; consequently, rescue of failed EVAR should be individualized according to each patient’s presentation and resources available.
Corproate environmental strategy and practices: Antecedence and consequences

This study examines the antecedents and consequences to environmental practice and strategy and summarizes what constitutes environmental practices. We conducted a survey to study the environmental strategy among manufacturing firms in Iowa and examined the relationship between factors influencing practices and strategies, environmental practices and strategies and corporate performance, which include operational cost, product, and relations. Findings show that environmental strategy and practices do not lead to the reduction of operational cost of firms while supply chain is significant in product marketing. Top management value and public/community exert strong influence on corporate relationship with its stakeholders.
Pancreas, Liver, and Adrenal Glands in Obesity

Obesity is now recognized as a worldwide epidemic. The complex physiologic consequences of obesity are manifest in every body system and organ.
Review of the Tunable Alexandrite Laser Performance

The growth of alexandrite crystals by Czochralski methods was begun at Allied Corporation in the early 70’s by Carl Cline and Robert Morris. The crystals produced were adequate for laser rod fabrication and preliminary laser work was performed. In 1977, Hans Jenssen and John Walling discovered tunable, vibronic laser emission from alexandrite. This discovery led Allied to develop the material for commercial and military markets. Since then, other similar solid state lasers having the same basic (vibronic) mode of operation, have been discovered increasing the scope of material properties available to the laser designer. Alexandrite has a unique compliment of intrinsic properties that provide high performance, comparable to Nd:YAG, ruby and Nd:glass, today’s dominant fixed frequency solid state soruces. Tunability, and extended versatility, based on a temperature dependent emission cross section, should also be emphasized. The performance obtained from alexandrite indicates a comparatively advanced level of development among lasers of this class of operation.
Integral Manifolds and Foliations

Suppose V is a nonvanishing vector field on a manifold M. The results of Chapter 17 imply that each integral curve of V is an immersion, and that locally the images of the integral curves fit together nicely like parallel lines in Euclidean space. The fundamental theorem on flows tells us that these curves are determined by the knowledge of their tangent vectors.
Superconductor-Silicon Heterostructures

The dramatic recent discoveries of oxide superconducting materials having transition temperatures (Tc) exceeding 120 K have led to great expectations for electronic applications (1,2). There is now an apparent convergence of semiconductor technology, with growing low temperature applications such as liquid nitrogen cooled high speed computers, and superconductor technology, which now offers the possibility of superconductors which function at or above 77 K. Although significant technical difficulties must be overcome before any hybrid technology can be practical, there is already significant interest in the use of superconducting interconnects between semiconductor circuits (1,3). Applications for high Tc superconducting devices, taking advantage of the convenience of higher operating temperature or improvements in parameters such as the energy gap, are also expected. However, the lack of generally useful three-terminal superconducting devices (4) should lead to an increased interest in new devices, including superconductor-semiconductor hybrids (5).
The Hydrodynamic Level of Description

The hydrodynamic level of description is an extension of the thermodynamic level that takes into account the dependence of the extensive variables on spatial coordinates. Even an ensemble in which the systems are spatially uniform on the average involves fluctuations that differ from one position to another. Consider, for example, the particle mass density, ρ(r, t), in a simple fluid like water. In an equilibrium ensemble the average density, ρ e , will be constant in the absence of an external field. Because of the molecular nature of water it is clear that at a given time t and position r different members of the ensemble will possess different values of the number density. We have already encountered this at the Boltzmann level of description in Sections 3.2 and 3.3. There it was necessary to keep track of the number of particles with a given range of positions and momenta. The hydrodynamic level is intermediate between the Boltzmann and thermodynamic levels and adds the momentum to the basic extensive thermodynamic variables. At the hydrodynamic level one has a closed description of the spatial dependence of the densities of extensive variables throughout a system.
Age-Related Decline in Learning Deterministic Judgment-Based Sequences.

Objectives Because sequence learning is integral to cognitive functions across the life span, the present study examined the effect of healthy aging on deterministic judgment-based sequence learning. Methods College-aged, younger-old (YO), and older-old (OO) adults completed a judgment-based sequence learning task which required them to learn a full sequence by chaining together single stimulus-response associations in a step-by-step fashion. Results Results showed that younger adults outperformed YO and OO adults; older adults were less able to acquire the full sequence and committed significantly more errors during learning. Additionally, higher sequence learning errors were associated with advancing age among older adults, even when controlling for other factors known to contribute to sequence learning abilities. Such impairments were selective to learning sequential information, because adults of all ages performed equivalently on postlearning probe trials, as well as on learning simple stimulus-response associations. Discussion This pattern of age deficits during deterministic sequence learning challenges past reports of age preservation. Though the neural processes underlying learning cannot be determined here, our patterns of age deficits and preservation may reflect different brain regions that are involved in the task phases, adding behavioral evidence to the emerging hypothesis of frontostriatal declines despite spared hippocampal function with age.
PW 1744 Monitoring implementation and outcomes for the centers for disease control & prevention’s national initiative to prevent sexual violence

Sexual violence (SV) is a global public health problem that is impacted by social norms and gender inequity. In the United States, nearly 1 in 5 women have experienced rape or attempted rape and 1 in 17 men have been made to sexually penetrate someone in their lifetime. SV also shares many risk and protective factors with other violence types experienced throughout the lifespan. Researchers and practitioners still face challenges with tracking implementation of SV prevention strategies and demonstrating public health impacts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) administers the national Rape Prevention Education Program (RPE) to address SV risk and protective factors and prevent first SV occurrences. From 2016–2017, RPE’s 50 state and four territorial recipients funded 485 local organizations to implement prevention strategies in over 1 300 sites. CDC monitored implementation and risk and protective factors addressed by its recipients. In addition, CDC supported 12 recipients to use publicly available data to track SV outcomes within their state. The majority of prevention strategies (75%) were developed in practice settings, but most of these strategies aligned with CDC’s STOP SV technical package, a core set of SV prevention strategies based on the best available evidence. Most recipients implement educational strategies intended to impact knowledge and behaviors and community strategies to impact social norms. Fewer strategies, however, focus on improving gender equity through economic and leadership opportunities. RPE recipients identified publicly available data to measure some SV outcomes, as well as other data sources within their states. RPE is the first U.S. national program to track implementation of prevention strategies and linked SV indicators. Recipients may need greater support to implement gender equity-focused strategies. Publicly available combined with state-specific data sources may be an effective way for CDC to build the case for national public health impacts.
Modeling acoustic propagation in an ice-covered environment using a hybrid finite element-ray theory approach

Although models of acoustic propagation in an ice-covered environment have been calculated using only finite elements, ray theory models can cover longer distances and higher frequency ranges much more efficiently. In this study, a hybrid approach is taken by calculating the reflection coefficient of the ice using finite elements over a range of frequencies and angles. These values are then inserted into a ray-theory model. Using this model, a study of the sensitivity of common approximations of the ice cover on acoustic propagation is conducted. For example, the ice can be described simply as a pressure release surface or much more complexly as an elastic body with range and depth geo-acoustic property variations. The hybrid finite element-ray theory model will be verified numerically by comparing it to a full finite element propagation model for appropriate ranges and frequencies. [Work sponsored by ONR, Ocean Acoustics.]Although models of acoustic propagation in an ice-covered environment have been calculated using only finite elements, ray theory models can cover longer distances and higher frequency ranges much more efficiently. In this study, a hybrid approach is taken by calculating the reflection coefficient of the ice using finite elements over a range of frequencies and angles. These values are then inserted into a ray-theory model. Using this model, a study of the sensitivity of common approximations of the ice cover on acoustic propagation is conducted. For example, the ice can be described simply as a pressure release surface or much more complexly as an elastic body with range and depth geo-acoustic property variations. The hybrid finite element-ray theory model will be verified numerically by comparing it to a full finite element propagation model for appropriate ranges and frequencies. [Work sponsored by ONR, Ocean Acoustics.]
Determination of ochratoxin A in grape juice and wine using nanosponge solid phase extraction clean-up and liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

Ochratoxin A is mycotoxin that can contaminate a variety of agricultural commodities, including fruit juices and wines. A detection method of ochratoxin A in grape juice and wine is reported that u...
Effects of reducing particle size of corn in lactation diets on energy and nitrogen metabolism in second-parity sows.

Thirty-eight second-parity sows were used to determine the effects of particle size of corn in lactation diets on nutrient metabolism. The sows were fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet with the corn ground to targeted average particle diameters of 1,200, 900, 600, and 400 microns. Loss of BW and backfat and litter performance were not influenced by treatment (P > .10). However, as particle size was reduced from 1,200 to 400 microns, apparent digestibilities of DM (linear effect, P .20), but there was a trend (P < .08) for the greatest apparent biological values at the intermediate particle sizes (i.e., 900 and 600 microns). Thus, with increased apparent digestibility and no increases in urinary loss, N retention was increased by 22% as particle size of corn was reduced from 1,200 to 600 microns (quadratic effect, P < .04). Digestible energy and ME concentrations of the diets were increased as particle size of corn was reduced from 1,200 to 400 microns (linear effects, P < .001), with a ME value of 3,745 kcal/kg for the diet with corn at 400 microns compared with 3,399 kcal/kg for the diet with corn at 1,200 microns.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A new method to measure propped fracture width and proppant porosity in shale fractures

Abstract Hydraulic fracturing is the main stimulation method used to economically produce from shale formations. The method requires the injection of a fracturing fluid at a pressure, which is high enough to fracture the formation, and as a result, improves the well productivity. A proppant is pumped with the fracturing fluid to prevent the closure of the induced fractures after the treatment. The proppant inside the fracture is subjected to a high earth closure stress, which causes proppant crushing, embedment, and compaction mechanisms. The subsequent reduction of the fracture width and proppant porosity reduces the fracture conductivity and could be crucial to the success of the fracturing treatments. The available methods to evaluate such reduction do not take into account downhole stress or the compression of rock under stress. The objective of this study is to experimentally evaluate the reduction of the propped fracture width and proppant porosity between two shale samples using a new method that allows the direct viewing of the fracture at downhole conditions. A new experimental model was designed to measure fracture width and porosity of proppant under downhole conditions. Outcrop shale samples were used. Varies proppant types and sizes were used including: sand, resin-coated sand, and ceramic proppants of the sizes 20/40, 40/70, and 100-mesh. The proppants were tested at concentrations of 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 lb/ft 2 . A high-pressure core holder with modified fittings was used to subject the fracture model to different closure stresses up to 8000 psia. A new method was used to evaluate the change in the propped fracture width and proppant porosity as a function of closure stress. The fracture width was measured by viewing fracture under stress using a digital borescope. The change in the proppant porosity was calculated at each stress and a sieve analysis was conducted to quantify the crushed proppant because of the applied stress. A set of tables were provided for the values of fracture width and proppant porosity under stress for each proppant type, size, and concentration. The proppant porosity under stress was found to be directly proportional to the proppant concentration and inversely proportional to the proppant size. The reduction in fracture width and proppant porosity due to stress ranged from 5.68 to 25.88%, and from 7.88 to 44.16%, respectively. The crushing of sand proppant was found to be as high as 28.03% at 8000 psia and 0.2 lb/ft 2 proppant concentration, and reduced by increasing its concentration or decreasing its size. The embedment of ceramic proppant at 8000 psia reduced the fracture width by 29.2 and 32.5% for the Eagle Ford and Marcellus shale, respectively. The propped fracture width and porosity under stress can be used as inputs to well production models, reservoir simulation models, and fracture design calculations. The results can also be used in the proppant selection process to improve the fracture conductivity and maximize the well productivity of shale formations.
Clinical and pharmacokinetic interactions between oral fluconazole and intravenous ketamine and midazolam in dogs

Abstract Objective To evaluate drug interactions between fluconazole and the intravenous (IV) anesthetic induction agents, ketamine and midazolam. Study design Randomized parallel study. Animals A group of 12 adult healthy Beagle dogs. Methods Dogs were randomly allocated to two groups of six dogs. Dogs in group KM were administered IV ketamine (7 mg kg–1) and IV midazolam (0.25 mg kg–1), and dogs in group KMF were administered fluconazole (5 mg kg–1) orally 12 and 24 hours prior to ketamine–midazolam using the same doses as KM. Sedation scores (0–4) were assigned by investigators unaware of group assignment. Heart rate (HR) and times to sternal and standing were obtained and compared between groups for differences with p Results The times to sternal, mean 32.3 and 24.6 minutes, for groups KMF and KM, respectively, were not different between the groups. The time to standing, 73 and 36 minutes in groups KMF and KM, respectively, was significantly different (p = 0.002). The duration of elevated HR compared with baseline was longer in KMF (110 minutes) than in KM (25 minutes) (p Conclusions and clinical relevance A significant interaction between oral fluconazole and IV ketamine–midazolam occurred, but the effects appear minor in healthy dogs. Based on these data, a single dose of ketamine–midazolam is not contraindicated in dogs treated with fluconazole, but the duration of effects and pharmacokinetics are altered.
The identification of trained nonnative speech sounds improve after a daytime nap

Perceptual ability of nonnative speech sounds improves in the 24 hours that follow learning, in the absence of further training (Earle and Myers, 2015a, 2015b). These improvements are particularly salient in the morning, that is, immediately following the overnight between-session interval. These observations are moreover associated with rudimentary measures of sleep duration (Earle et al., 2017). While we have attributed these perceptual gains to memory consolidation during sleep (Marshall and Born, 2007), there yet remains the possibility that consolidation of acoustic information occurs during a relative period of absence of interfering auditory input that is related to time spent in sleep. In this study, we trained a group of college students in the identification of the Hindi dental-retroflex contrast at noon, and then recorded their electroencephalographic (EEG) activity during an in-lab nap immediately following training. We measured perceptual performance on the trained nonnative contrast immediately before and after a daytime nap. Data from a preliminary sample of 8 participants demonstrate a trending association between changes in perceptual behavior and the number of sleep spindles observed during stage N2 post-training sleep. This association may indicate the role of sleep, and hippocampal memory consolidation, in the formation of speech sound representations.Perceptual ability of nonnative speech sounds improves in the 24 hours that follow learning, in the absence of further training (Earle and Myers, 2015a, 2015b). These improvements are particularly salient in the morning, that is, immediately following the overnight between-session interval. These observations are moreover associated with rudimentary measures of sleep duration (Earle et al., 2017). While we have attributed these perceptual gains to memory consolidation during sleep (Marshall and Born, 2007), there yet remains the possibility that consolidation of acoustic information occurs during a relative period of absence of interfering auditory input that is related to time spent in sleep. In this study, we trained a group of college students in the identification of the Hindi dental-retroflex contrast at noon, and then recorded their electroencephalographic (EEG) activity during an in-lab nap immediately following training. We measured perceptual performance on the trained nonnative contrast immediat...
The Bree Collaborative Bundle for Lumbar Fusion: Evolution of a Community Standard for Quality

Lumbar fusion is the treatment of choice when neurological function is threatened by spinal instability due to trauma, tumor, infection, or congenital anomalies. The benefits of this procedure are much less certain, however, when lumbar fusion is applied to nonurgent conditions such as chronic back pain without neurologic findings. For this large cohort of patients, high and variable charges, high complication rates, and escalating utilization rate across the United States – coupled with uncertain benefits – have provoked increased scrutiny from purchasers and the provider community alike. The current state is not only costly for purchasers and sometimes dangerous for patients, but it is harmful to the credibility of those providers working to improve the safety, appropriateness, reliability, effectiveness, and affordability of lumbar surgical techniques.
Imagined Examples of Painful Experiences Provided by Chronic Low Back Pain Patients and Attributed a Pain Numerical Rating Score.

Objective The pain numerical rating scale (NRS) is widely used in pain research and clinical settings to represent pain intensity. For an individual with chronic pain, NRS reporting requires representation of a complex subjective state as a numeral. To evaluate the process of NRS reporting, this study examined the relationship between reported pain NRS levels and imagined painful events reported by study subjects. Design A total of 149 subjects with chronic low back pain characterized by the NIH Research Task Force Recommended Minimal Dataset reported current pain NRS and provided imagined examples of painful experiences also attributing to these an NRS. We present a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the 797 pain examples provided by the study subjects. Results Study subjects tended to be able to imagine both highly painful 10/10 events and non-painful events with relative agreement across subjects. While NRS for the pain examples tended to increase with example severity, for many types of examples there was wide dispersion around the mean pain level. Examination of pain examples indicated unexpected relationships between current pain and the intensity and nature of the imagined painful events. Conclusions Our results indicate that the pain NRS does not provide a reliably interpretable assessment of current physical pain intensity for an individual with chronic pain at a specific moment.
Chapter 14 – A Note on the SSOR and USSOR Iterative Methods Applied to p-Cyclic Matrices

In this note, we determine a new functional equation ) which couples the nonzero eigenvalues of the USSOR (unsymmetric successive overrelaxation) iteration matrix Tω,ω with the eigenvalues of an associated block Jacobi matrix B in the p-cyclic case. Such function equations are of course direct descendants of the now famous functional equation (λ+ω-1)2=λω2μ2 derived in 1950 by David M. Young, Jr. in his Harvard University thesis.
Critical affective civic literacy: A framework for attending to political emotion in the social studies classroom

Abstract Heightened political polarization challenges civic educators seeking to prepare youth as citizens who can navigate affective boundaries. Current approaches to civic education do not yet account for the emotional basis of citizenship. This paper presents an argument for critical affective literacy in civic education classrooms. Drawing from concepts and theories in critical emotion studies, affective citizenship, and agonistic political theory, critical affective civic literacy challenges the rationalistic bent of civic education, and offers instructional strategies for educating the political emotions of students. The voices of late-arrival migrant youth enacting affective citizenship are featured in order to help illuminate the contributions of critical affective literacy to social studies research and practice.
Clinical manifestations of Langerhans cell histiocytosis with multisystem involvement in 53 children

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics and long-term outcome of Langerhans cell histiocytosis with multisystem involvement (MS-LCH) in children, and to evaluate the efficacy of modified DAL-HX83/90 protocol. Methods: This retrospective study included 53 patients with MS-LCH admitted to the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2011 to May 2019. Modified DAL-HX83/90 protocol was used in all patients as an initial treatment. The patients were divided into the group with (RO+) or without (RO-) risk organ involvement. The RO+group was further divided into two groups, as RO+Ⅰ group (lung involvement only) and RO+Ⅱ group (extra-pulmonary, with or without lung involvement). The clinical characteristics and the long-term outcome were summarized. Event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) curves were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analysis of prognostic factors including age, sex, risk organ involvement and response to 6-week induction were analyzed with Log-Rank test and Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Among the 53 children with MS-LCH, 34 were male and 19 were female. The age of onset was 21 months (3 months-13 years). There 22 were in RO+group, with 12 in RO+Ⅰ group and 10 in RO+Ⅱ group, and 31 in RO-group. The follow-up period was 51 (12-144) months. The overall response rate of 6-week induction was 89% (47/53), and the recurrence rate was 30% (16/53). The 5-year EFS and OS were (67±6) % and (83±5) %, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the 5-year EFS and OS of patients who responded well to 6-week induction chemotherapy were significantly higher than those who had no response ((76±6) % vs. 0, (88±4) % vs. (41±22) %, χ2 = 34.743, 10.608, both P 0.05). Cox proportional hazard regression model showed that response to 6-week induction chemotherapy was the independent risk factor for EFS (HR=13.114, 95%CI 3.759-45.742, P<0.01) and OS (HR=7.748, 95%CI 1.542-38.920, P=0.013). Conclusions: Most of the children without risk organ involvement treated with modified DAL-HX83/90 protocol could achieve long-term survival. However, the children involved liver, spleen, or hematopoietic system had a high risk of disease progression and recurrence.
Prognostic factors for progression in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia in complete molecular response within 3 months of therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Background The achievement of a 3-month complete molecular response (CMR) is a major prognostic factor for survival in patients with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, 25% of patients relapse during therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Methods The authors reviewed 204 patients with Ph-positive ALL who were treated between January 2001 and December 2018 using the combination of hyper-CVAD (hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone) plus a TKI (imatinib, 44 patients [22%]; dasatinib, 88 patients [43%]; or ponatinib, 72 patients [35%]). Progression-free survival (PFS) was defined as the time from the start date of therapy to the date of relapse, death, or last follow-up. Overall survival (OS) was defined as the time from the start date of therapy to the date of death or last follow-up. Results Overall, a 3-month CMR was observed in 57% of patients, including 32% of those who received imatinib, 52% of those who received dasatinib, and 74% of those who received ponatinib. The median follow-up was 74 months (imatinib, 180 months; dasatinib, 106 months; ponatinib, 43 months). Among 84 patients in 3-month CMR, 17 (20%) proceeded to undergo allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The 5-year PFS and OS rates were 68% and 72%, respectively. By multivariate analysis, ponatinib therapy was the only significant favorable independent factor predicting for progression (P = .028; hazard ratio, 0.388; 95% CI, 0.166-0.904) and death (P = .042; hazard ratio, 0.379; 95% CI, 0.149-0.966). ASCT was not a prognostic factor for PFS and OS by univariate analysis. Conclusions In patients with Ph-positive ALL, ponatinib is superior to other types of TKIs in inducing and maintaining a CMR, thus preventing disease progression. ASCT does not improve outcome once a 3-month CMR is achieved.