cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrical conduction and dielectric breakdown in aluminum oxide insulators on silicon

Leakage currents and dielectric breakdown were studied in MIS capacitors of metal-aluminum oxide-silicon. The aluminum oxide was produced by thermally oxidizing AlN at 800-1160/spl deg/C under dry O/sub 2/ conditions. The AlN films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on p-type Si (100) substrates. Thermal oxidation produced Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ with a thickness and structure that depended on the process time and temperature. The MIS capacitors exhibited the charge regimes of accumulation, depletion, and inversion on the Si semiconductor surface. The best electrical properties were obtained when all of the AlN was fully oxidized to Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ with no residual AlN. The MIS flatband voltage was near 0 V, the net oxide trapped charge density, Q/sub 0x/, was less than 10/sup 11/ cm/sup -2/, and the interface trap density, D/sub it/, was less than 10/sup 11/ cm/sup -2/ eV/sup -1/, At an oxide electric field of 0.3 MV/cm, the leakage current density was less than 10/sup -7/ A cm/sup -2/, with a resistivity greater than 10/sup 12/ /spl Omega/-cm. The critical field for dielectric breakdown ranged from 4 to 5 MV/cm. The temperature dependence of the current versus electric field indicated that the conduction mechanism was Frenkel-Poole emission, which has the property that higher temperatures reduce the current. This may be important for the reliability of circuits operating under extreme conditions. The dielectric constant ranged from 3 to 9. The excellent electronic quality of aluminum oxide may be attractive for field effect transistor applications.
Invariance in motion analysis of videos

In this paper, we propose an approach that retrieves motion of objects from the videos based on the dynamic time warping of view invariant characteristics. The motion is represented as a sequence of dynamic instants and intervals, which are automatically computed using the spatiotemporal curvature of the trajectory of moving object in the videos. Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) method matches trajectories using a view invariant similarity measure. Our system is able to incrementally learn different actions without any initialization mode, therefore it can work in an unsupervised manner. The retrieval of relevant videos can be easily performed by computing a simple distance metric. This paper makes two fundamental contribution to view invariant video retrieval: (1) Dynamic Instant detection in trajectories of moving objects acquired from video. (2) View-invariant Dynamic Time Warping to measure similarity between two trajectories of actions performed by different persons and from different viewpoints. Although the learning algorithm is relatively simple in our approach, we can achieve high recognition rate because of the view-invariant representation and the similarity measure using DTW.
Time series modeling as an approach to automatic feedback control of robotic positioning errors

The author attempts to learn from, understand, and apply the use of a time series modeling approach to feedback control for improvement of the positioning capability in an industrial robotic positioning process. The underlying goal is to develop a generic process control methodology for use with various sensor-assisted, computer-controlled, automated industrial processes in the effort to understand, control, and improve their performance. While this quality control methodology may be transferable to different types of sensor-assisted automated equipment, the specific results obtained cannot be directly applied to the control of other similar robotic positioning applications. >
On the Evolution of CAE Research

Less than a decade ago it seemed that a new paradigm of engineering–called computer-aided engineering (CAE) – was emerging. This emergence was driven in part by the success of computer support for the tasks of engineering analysis and in part by a new understanding of how computational ideas largely rooted in artificial intelligence (AI) could perhaps improve the practice of engineering, especially in the area of design synthesis. However, while this “revolution” has failed to take root or flourish as a separate discipline, it has spawned research that is very different from traditional engineering research. To the extent that such CAE research is different in style and paradigm, it must also be evaluated according to different metrics. Some of the metrics that can be used are suggested, and some of the evaluation issues that remain as open questions are pointed out.
Percutaneous balloon coarctation angioplasty: long-term results.

One hundred and ten patients, age 2 days to 35 years (mean 7.0 ± 7.0 years), have undergone 118 percutaneous balloon angioplasty procedures for discrete coarctation of the aorta since April 1982. The mean systolic gradient was significantly decreased from 48 ± 22 to 8 ± 7 mmHg after angioplasty (P < 0.0001). Long-term results were evaluated in 95 patients, by follow-up catheterization in 30 and Doppler echocardiography in 65 patients. The follow-up period was 1–9 years (4.2 ± 2.1). At follow-up the mean residual gradient was 9 ± 8 mmHg. On the basis of follow-up data, four groups of patients were identified:group I consisted of 53 patients over 3 months of age with native coarctation of the aorta; group II consisted of 13 patients with postoperative coarctation restenosis; group III consisted of 21 infants 3 months of age or younger with native coarctation of the aorta; and group IV consisted of eight infants who developed postdilatation restenosis. Patients in groups I and II had good results and required no redilatation or surgical repair. In group III successful redilatation in eight and surgical repair in seven infants were performed 1 month to 5 years after the initial dilatation. There were no mortalities related to the 118 dilatation procedures. Of the seven patients who had surgical repair of the coarctation and the associated cardiac anomalies, four expired in the immediate postoperative period. Percutaneous balloon coarctation angioplasty is an effective definitive treatment for native as well as postoperative aortic coarctation in patients over the age of 3 months. Infants with coarctation of the aorta associated with other cardiac anomalies may require repeat dilatation or surgical repair.
An operator satisfying Dunford's condition (C) but without bishop's property (β)

For X a complex Banach space and U an open subset of the complex plane С, let O (U, X) denote the space of analytic X- valued functions defined on U. This is a Frechet space when endowed with the topology of uniform convergence on compact subsets, and the space X may be viewed as simply the constants in O(U, X). Every bounded operator T on X induces a continuous mapping TU on O(U, X) given by (Tuf)(λ) = (λ – T)f(λ) for every f e O(U, X) and λ e U. Corresponding to each closed F ⊂ С there is also an associated analytic subspace XT(F) = X ∩ ran(7c//F). For an arbitrary T e L(X), the spaces XT(F) are T-invariant, generally non-closed linear manifolds in X.
Response to: “Comment on: Does the number of nodes removed impact survival in vulvar cancer patients with node-negative disease? Madeleine Courtney-Brooks, Paniti Sukumvanich, Sushil Beriwal, Kristin K. Zorn, Scott D. Richard, Thomas C. Krivak. Gynecological Oncology 117 (2010) 308-311”

We read the study of Courtney-Brooks et al. with great interest. They concluded that removal of greater than 10 lymph nodes was associated with a significant improvement in DSS in patients with stage III node-negative vulvar carcinoma. The extent of the removal of lymph nodes in vulvar cancer remains controversial, and many countries have conflicting guidelines. The strength of the study of Courtney-Brooks et al. is that they include more than 1000 patients. However, some issues need clarification:
Development of a digital mobile solar tracker

Abstract. We have constructed and deployed a fast digital solar tracker aboard a moving ground-based platform. The tracker consists of two rotating mirrors, a lens, an imaging camera, and a motion compensation system that provides the Euler angles of the mobile platform in real time. The tracker can be simultaneously coupled to UV–Vis and Fourier transform infrared spectrometers, making it a versatile tool to measure the absorption of trace gases using solar incoming radiation. The integrated system allows the tracker to operate autonomously while the mobile laboratory is in motion. Mobile direct sun differential optical absorption spectroscopy (mobile DS-DOAS) observations using this tracker were conducted during summer 2014 as part of the Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Experiment (FRAPPE) in Colorado, USA. We demonstrate an angular precision of 0.052° (about 1/10 of the solar disk diameter) during research drives and verify this tracking precision from measurements of the center to limb darkening (CLD, the changing appearance of Fraunhofer lines) in the mobile DS-DOAS spectra. The high photon flux from direct sun observation enables measurements of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) slant columns with high temporal resolution and reveals spatial detail in the variations of NO2 vertical column densities (VCDs). The NO2 VCD from DS-DOAS is compared with a co-located MAX-DOAS instrument. Overall good agreement is observed amid a highly heterogeneous air mass.
Evolution of eukaryal tRNA-guanine transglycosylase: insight gained from the heterocyclic substrate recognition by the wild-type and mutant human and Escherichia coli tRNA-guanine transglycosylases

The enzyme tRNA-guanine transglycosylase (TGT) is involved in the queuosine modification of tRNAs in eukarya and eubacteria and in the archaeosine modification of tRNAs in archaea. However, the different classes of TGTs utilize different heterocyclic substrates (and tRNA in the case of archaea). Based on the X-ray structural analyses, an earlier study [Stengl et al. (2005) Mechanism and substrate specificity of tRNA-guanine transglycosylases (TGTs): tRNA-modifying enzymes from the three different kingdoms of life share a common catalytic mechanism. Chembiochem, 6, 1926–1939] has made a compelling case for the divergent evolution of the eubacterial and archaeal TGTs. The X-ray structure of the eukaryal class of TGTs is not known. We performed sequence homology and phylogenetic analyses, and carried out enzyme kinetics studies with the wild-type and mutant TGTs from Escherichia coli and human using various heterocyclic substrates that we synthesized. Observations with the Cys145Val (E. coli) and the corresponding Val161Cys (human) TGTs are consistent with the idea that the Cys145 evolved in eubacterial TGTs to recognize preQ1 but not queuine, whereas the eukaryal equivalent, Val161, evolved for increased recognition of queuine and a concomitantly decreased recognition of preQ1. Both the phylogenetic and kinetic analyses support the conclusion that all TGTs have divergently evolved to specifically recognize their cognate heterocyclic substrates.
The Chicken Malic Enzyme Gene: Structural Organization and Identification of Triiodothyronine Response Elements in the 5′-Flanking DNA

Abstract In vivo, feeding stimulates and starvation inhibits transcription of the malic enzyme gene. In chick-embryo hepatocytes in culture, triiodothyronine (T3) stimulates and glucagon inhibits transcription of this gene. As a first step in the characterization of the involved regulatory mechanisms, fragments of genomic DNA spanning the structural and 5′-flanking regions of the chicken malic enzyme gene were cloned. The coding region of the gene is organized into 14 exons and 13 introns and is greater than 106 kb in length. The size of the gene, the number and lengths of the exons, and positions at which introns are inserted into the coding regions are virtually identical in the chicken and rat genes. When transiently transfected into chick-embryo hepatocytes, 5800 bp of 5′-flanking DNA conferred T3 responsiveness to a linked chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene. Using deletion and site-specific mutations of 5′-flanking DNA, we identified a complex T3 response unit that contains one major T3 response element (T3RE) and several minor ones. The major element contains two degenerate copies of the hexamer, RGGWMA, separated by 4 bp and was a strong repressor in the absence of ligand. Endogenous levels of T3 receptor are sufficient to allow the T3 response elements in the upstream region of the malic enzyme gene to confer responsiveness to T3, suggesting that they are physiologically relevant.
Velocity saturation in the extrinsic device: a fundamental limit in HFET's

We have carried out an experimental study revealing that velocity saturation (/spl upsi//sub sat/) occurring in both the extrinsic source and drain sets a fundamental limit on maximum drain current and useful gate swing in HFET's. Using AlGaAs/n/sup +/-InGaAs HFET's as a vehicle, we find that first g/sub m/ and eventually f/sub T/ decline at high currents in two stages. Initially, the approach of /spl upsi//sub sat/ in the extrinsic device causes the small-signal source and drain resistances (r/sub s/ and r/sub d/) to rise dramatically, primarily degrading g/sub m/. As the current increases further, the large-signal source and drain resistances (R/sub s/ and R/sub d/) grow significantly as well, pushing the intrinsic HFET toward the linear regime. Combined with the rapid rise of r/sub s/ and r/sub d/, the accompanying increase in gate-drain capacitance forces f/sub T/ to decline through a strongly enhanced Miller effect. We associate this two-fold mechanism with a new regime of HFET operation, which we call the parasitic-resistance blow-up regime. >
An experimental and theoretical study of natural convection in the annulus between horizontal concentric cylinders

An experimental and theoretical-numerical investigation has been carried out to extend existing knowledge of velocity and temperature distributions and local heat-transfer coefficients for naturel convection within a horizontal annulus. A Mach—Zehnder interferometer was used to determine temperature distributions and local heat-transfer coefficients experimentally. Results were obtained using water and air at atmospheric pressure with a ratio of gap width to inner-cylinder diameter of 0·8. The Rayleigh number based on the gap width varied from 2·11 × 104to 9·76 × 105. A finite-difference method was used to solve the governing constant-property equations numerically. The Rayleigh number was changed from 102 to 105 with the influence of Prandtl number and diameter ratio obtained near a Rayleigh number of 104. Comparisons between the present experimental and numerical results under similar conditions show good agreement.
Minimum Convex Cost Dynamic Network Flows

This paper presents and solves in polynomial time the minimum convex cost dynamic network flow problem, an infinite horizon integer programming problem which involves network flows evolving over time. The model is a finite network in which each arc has an associated transit time for flow to pass through it. An integral amount of flow is to be sent through arcs of the network in each period over an infinite horizon so as to satisfy conservation of flow from some fixed period on. Furthermore, the net amount of flow “in transit” is assumed fixed over the infinite horizon. The objective is to minimize the average convex cost per period of sending flow. This problem is a generalization of the minimum convex cost network flow problem, the maximum throughput dynamic network flow problem, and the minimum cost-to-time ratio circuit problem. Furthermore, the model has applications in periodic production and transshipment, airplane scheduling, cyclic capacity scheduling, and cyclic staffing. To solve the dynamic network flow problem, one first obtains an optimal continuous-valued flow which repeats every period. The fractional variables of this solution may be rounded in such a way as to obtain an optimal integral flow which repeats every q periods, where q is the least common denominator of the fractional parts of the continuous flow. Furthermore, this integral flow is also an optimal continuous flow.
Medicare Home Visit Program Associated With Fewer Hospital And Nursing Home Admissions, Increased Office Visits

Clinical home visit programs for Medicare beneficiaries are a promising approach to supporting aging in place and avoiding high-cost institutional care. Such programs combine a comprehensive geriatric assessment by a clinician during a home visit with referrals to community providers and health plan resources to address uncovered issues. We evaluated UnitedHealth Group’s HouseCalls program, which has been offered to Medicare Advantage plan members in Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, South Carolina, and Texas since January 2008. We found that, compared to non-HouseCalls Medicare Advantage plan members and fee-for-service beneficiaries, HouseCalls participants had reductions in admissions to hospitals (1 percent and 14 percent, respectively) and lower risk of nursing home admission (0.67 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively). In addition, participants’ numbers of office visits—chiefly to specialists—increased 2–6 percent (depending on the comparison group). The program’s effects on emergency department use wer...
Grand Strategy in Grand Complexity Consolidating Ideas, Interests, and Resources in a Postmodern World

Grand Strategy in Grand Complexity Consolidating Ideas, Interests, and Resources in a Postmodern World For Liddell Hart, war is a prerequisite for grand strategy. In his view, grand strategy should “look beyond the war to the subsequent peace” and seek to combine all instruments of national power and the nation’s resources “to avoid damage to the future state of peace – for security and prosperity”. On the contrary, the U.S. engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq suggest that a grand strategy is not a prerequisite to age war. Hence, why not think about grand strategy before the next war? The problem is, of course, that the future cannot be predicted.
3-D unsteady effects in annular cascades with swirl and comparison with 2-D strip theory

Three-dimensional effects introduced by swirling mean motion on an annular cascade unsteady aerodynamic and aeroacoustic responses to an incident vortical disturbance are examined. The results are compared with the 2-D model of a gust impinging on a linear cascade. The correspondence of gust definitions in both cases is first established, followed by the analysis of cascade radiation conditions for the 2-D and 3-D models. The annular cascade aerodynamic response in unsteady swirling motion reveals a significant deviation from the linear cascade predictions.
Hybridization between Aedes hendersoni and Aedes triseriatus.

Field collections extended the range of Aedes hendersoni Cockerell east into Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. One field-collected larva had characters of both A. hendersoni and A. triseriatus (Say) and was very similar to laboratory produced F1 hybrids. A. hendersoni was successfully colonized, and hybridized to A. triseriatus in the laboratory by the forced-copulation technique. In crosses of A. hendersoni females to A. triseriatus males, F1 females and males were fertile. However, in the reciprocal cross the F1 females were fertile, but the males had abnormal genitalia and could not mate. Backcrosses and the F2 cross showed that several characters, which are used for specific separation of larvae of A. hendersoni and A. triseriatus, behave as if they were controlled by single genes. These characters segregated in simple Mendelian ratios and may be useful in studies of the genetics of the two species.
Oral plaques and dysphagia in a young man.

A 23-year-old man presents with oral plaques, a sore throat, dysphagia, malaise, and weight loss. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Addition of high concentration of inorganic selenium in orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) hay diet does not interfere with microbial fermentation in mixed ruminal microorganisms in continuous cultures1

ABSTRACT The current literature lacks information on ruminal microbial metabolism in response to high selenium (Se) concentration in the diet. The current study was performed to investigate changes in ruminal fermentation when high concentration of Se was administered in mixed ruminal cultures in fermentors. Two mature beef cows, fitted with a rumen cannula, were grazed on tall-fescue pasture and used as donor animals for ruminal contents. Filtered ruminal contents were allowed 11 d of adaptation to diets followed by 3 d of data collection. A dual-flow continuous culture system was used in a completely randomized design (n = 4) to test 2 dietary treatments: control (no Se addition) and 50 mg/kg of Se addition. Orchardgrass hay (20 g of DM/d) containing 0.12 mg/kg of Se was added to the fermentors in 2 equal portions at 0800 and 1700 h. Selenium (sodium selenate) was added to the Se-addition treatment by gradually increasing the concentration from 2 to 50 mg/kg over the 11-d adaptation period. Culture pH averaged 6.04 and was not affected by treatment. Total VFA concentration averaged 52.2 and 55.5 mM in the control and Se treatment cultures, respectively, and addition of Se did not affect the total VFA concentration. Molar proportions of acetate and propionate did not differ because of Se addition, resulting in a similar acetate-to-propionate ratio. However, addition of Se tended to increase (P = 0.09) ammonia-N concentration and methane production (P = 0.10). Selenate-respiring microorganisms were detected by the most probable number enumeration technique in 3 of the 4 replications receiving Se. Addition of 50 mg/kg of Se in orchardgrass-hay diet had no negative effects on ruminal fermentation, as was observed in similar culture pH and VFA concentration. However, addition of Se affected microbial metabolism in the mixed cultures by increasing ammonia-N concentration and methane production. Overall data in this study suggest that the addition of Se up to 50 mg/kg would not interfere with in vitro ruminal metabolism by microbiota and that some adaptation of Se-reducing microbes may occur.
ISO 14000: The Emerging Global Standard for Environmental Management. Is Marketing Ready?

A variety of forces have thrust the issue of environmental management standards to the top of the global agenda. The International Organization for Standardization, based in Geneva, is supervising the development of global environmental management standards system, ISO 14000, which will stipulate a universal procedure for environmental management. The paper briefly discusses this evolvement, the benefits, problems and strategies marketers can use to overcome barriers, be active participants in the process and prepare for implementation and potential certification.
Outpatient Advance Care Planning Internal Medicine Resident Curriculum: Valuing Our Patients' Wishes.

Abstract Background: Although many studies have illustrated the discomfort that resident physicians feel when discussing end-of-life (EOL) issues with their patients, fewer studies have addressed interventions to directly increase medical resident proficiency and comfort in conducting these discussions and for translating these beliefs into a formal advance care plan. Objectives: We report on an innovative curriculum conducted at The University of Chicago (NorthShore) internal medicine residency to improve residents’ proficiency and comfort in leading outpatient advance care planning (ACP) discussions. Methods: Four educational components were executed. First, residents completed an on-line module introducing ACP and guiding residents to complete their own ACP. Second, residents attended a didactic “How To” lecture given by physicians with expertise in ACP that emphasized ACP communication tools and a video demonstration. Third, residents completed a video-recorded simulation-based ACP discussion with a s...
Measurement of Uranium Isotope Ratios in Keratinous Materials: A Noninvasive Bioassay for Special Nuclear Material.

Hair, toenail, and fingernail are noninvasive, integrative biological monitors routinely used to assess mineral intake.1−4 In this study, we demonstrate the feasibility of distinguishing between exposure to natural, depleted, and enriched U by measuring the 235U/238U, 234U/238U, and 236U/238U ratios in the hair, fingernails, and toenails of occupationally exposed workers and control volunteers. The exposure history of cases and controls to non-natural U was assessed through voluntary self-reporting using a simple questionnaire. The measured U isotope ratios and U concentration in the hair, toenail, and fingernail of cases were compared to a nonexposed control group. No difference was observed in the uranium concentration between the two groups. Significant differences between the cases and the control group were observed in the 235U/238U and 236U/238U isotope ratios but not the 234U/238U. This is the first time that hair, fingernail, and toenail have been demonstrated to be sensitive to occupational expos...
Innovational combinational therapies utilizing tumor-targeted oncolytic and adoptive T-cell therapy for lung cancer and mesothelioma

O laboratory has developed innovative tumor-targeted biological therapies – a) oncolytic viral therapy, geneticallyengineered replicative-competent attenuated viruses that can selectively infect, replicate, lyse cancer cells sparing normal tissue, and b) Adoptive T-cell therapy, engineering patient’s own immune cells to target a specific antigen expressed on cancer cells sparing normal tissues. Following extensive preclinical development, we now are conducting phase I clinical trials to assess safety and maximum tolerable dose. To further the incorporation of these novel therapies, we have strong preclinical data combining these therapies with current standard of care chemotherapy and radiation therapy. More importantly, our innovative approach includes administering this biological therapeutics regionally into the pleural cavity by use of tunneled pleural catheters. Our unpublished data shows that early therapeutic agent activation by regional administration facilitates better local as well as systemic immune responses. These innovative combinational therapies will facilitate better tumor eradication and long-term prognosis.
A New Approach to Public Sector Hiring in India for Improved Service Delivery

This paper argues that the current structure of public sector labor markets in India severely limits the ability of the state to effectively deliver services across a wide variety of core functions including policing, education, healthcare, and public health. Sources of inefficiency include: too few front-line employees, caused in part by entry-level salaries that are too high; life-time jobs offered without assessing candidate fit for the position; ineffective training and skilling; inadequate rewards for performance; and spatial mismatch between population needs and employees' preferred work locations. I propose a new approach to hiring frontline service providers to address these issues. The key idea is to introduce a three to five year long apprenticeship for entry-level service providers, giving priority to local candidates, and interspersing modular training and certification of skills that are consistent with the new National Skills Framework. Hiring into regular full-time positions will be unchanged for the most part, but performance-linked credit will be provided for each successful year as an apprentice. One-time exit payments will be made to apprentices who do not get selected for regular positions. I illustrate this approach with teachers and police officers as examples, and argue that such an approach can improve the quantity and quality of front-line service providers, in a fiscally feasible way. Additional benefits include reducing youth unemployment, improving their skills, and increasing female labor force participation and empowerment. Since most front-line service delivery responsibilities are under the jurisdiction of state governments, I conclude by noting that the increased fiscal devolution to states under the Fourteenth Finance Commission constitutes an especially promising opportunity for a few states to try out this approach.
Vibration Qualification of Commercial Computers for Use in Military Tactical Environments

Commercial computers are generally designed for commercial use and lack industry specification for tactical use, other than the shipping environment. In order to use commercial computers in rugged military tactical environments, appropriate mounting trays and fixtures with vibration isolators must be designed for installation in tactical wheeled and tracked vehicles. This paper describes the vibration test profiles used in testing a commercial computer and monitor, as isolated, to determine the survivability limitations of these components when subjected to simulated tactical wheeled and tracked vehicle vibration environments.
Focus group methodology. Part 1: Design considerations

Background/Aims: There is a strong tradition of quantitative research in the health sciences, but qualitative research designs are now being used more frequently to investigate certain areas of rehabilitation, such as patients' views of health care services, and how clinicians make decisions during evaluations and treatment. Many qualitative approaches are available for conducting these types of inquiries, such as interviews, participant observation, and focus groups. Methods: This article will review these components of focus group research design, as well as highlight other important considerations for planning and conducting focus groups. Issues specific to analysis and trustworthiness of focus group data will be addressed in the second part of the series. Conclusions: Focus groups are an extremely useful method for exploring people's thoughts, ideas, attitudes, and experiences in relation to a particular topic. The interaction that occurs between participants in focus groups is a powerful stimulus for...
Altering the Water Cycle

Beaver ponds require a supply of water, which ultimately comes from precipitation. Although most of northern Minnesota’s precipitation is received in the summer months, snowmelt is the main driver of peak streamflow in the spring. I analyzed NOAA snowpack records and USGS streamflow records to show that peak annual streamflow was significantly related to maximum snow water equivalent during the winters of 2005–2016. We conducted intensive field studies of water fluxes in a Kabetogama Peninsula beaver meadow, measuring evapotranspiration, pond level, groundwater, streamflow, and runoff from watershed side slopes. Evapotranspiration was a significant source of water loss from the beaver meadow during late summer, with discernable diurnal effects on streamflow, water table, and pond level. Groundwater measurements showed recharge (i.e., water flowing from the surface into the ground) occurring within most of the beaver meadow, but periodic discharge (i.e., water flowing from the ground toward the surface) in sites closer to the stream flowing through the beaver meadow. “Edge collectors” positioned around the perimeter of the beaver meadow showed that lateral fluxes of runoff into the beaver meadow were spatially variable, such that the temporal pattern of flow in a gently sloping portion of the catchment with >0.3 m of soil was different than that for three sites with steeper slopes and shallower soils over bedrock. A spatially explicit model that routed flow within the beaver meadow catchment successfully replicated this difference.
Impact of School-Based Prevention Programs on Friendship Networks and the Diffusion of Substance Use and Delinquency

This chapter focuses on the role of school-based friendship networks in prevention programs during adolescence. These programs intersect with a life course perspective because they are designed to create a turning point at which adolescents’ developmental trajectories will shift away from problem behaviors such as substance use and delinquency. Evaluations of such programs provide a unique opportunity to clarify the dynamic interplay between friendship networks and problem behavior. Specifically, program participants are embedded in friendship networks that may expose non-participants to program messages and effects. The PROSPER Peers project was designed to leverage social network methods and measures to clarify how friendship networks shape the impact of a community-level randomized field trial intended to reduce adolescent substance use. In this chapter, we first describe the project’s conceptual framework regarding peers and prevention. We then summarize what we have learned about the interplay between adolescents’ social networks and prevention effects on problem behavior. Specifically, we demonstrate two ways in which individual-level changes induced by prevention programs can shape the broader peer network and potentially create developmental turning points away from problem behavior: by altering the overall influence-potential of youth who exhibit problem behavior; and by diffusing intervention effects through the social medium of the network to influence youth who did not themselves participate in the prevention program.
Effects of Opiate Antagonists and Agonists on Behavioral and Neuroendocrine Variables

Since 1977, we in the Department of Psychiatry of the University of California at San Diego have been exploring the possibility that the endogenous opioids play a role in the etiology of the major psychiatric disorders. We have employed neuroendocrine and behavioral measures to evaluate the effects of the narcotic antagonist naloxone and the opiate agonist methadone and have studied normal controls and patients with schizophrenia and affective disorders.
Statistical considerations for vaccine immunogenicity trials: Part 1: introduction and bioassay design and analysis

The foundation for any vaccine immunogenicity trial is the identification of appropriate correlates for protection and the measurement of these quantities with well-designed bioassays. An important requirement for developing bioassay protocols is the standardization of each procedure, so it is performed in a uniform manner within a facility and, in the case of multicenter trials, across laboratories. It is also crucial to recognize that the selection and use of techniques used to quantify assay endpoints (e.g., antibody concentration) will affect their accuracy and precision and these methods must also be defined and uniformly applied within and across laboratories. This paper discusses a number of methodological issues related to bioassay design and analysis that would ultimately lead to highly accurate assay endpoint determinations with minimum variance that would be comparable across laboratories. Guidelines are presented for the development of bioassay and data analysis protocols. Strengthening vaccine immunogenicity trial protocols will ensure that these quantities are estimated with the greatest degree of reliability and facilitate the subsequent evaluation of new vaccine formulations. Following these guidelines will give other researchers as well as regulatory authorities more confidence in evaluating and comparing the differences in immunogenicity levels elicited by new and developing vaccines.
Acetic Acid Production

Acetic acid (CH3COOH) is the principal constituent of vinegar. The first vinegar was probably a result of spoiled wine, considering that the Latin word acetum means sour or sharp wine. Thus, it has been produced as long as wine making has been practiced and therefore dates back to at least 10 000 BC.
Animal Models for Cardiovascular Research

With advances in molecular and genomic research offering novel insights into cardiovascular diseases, many transgenic animal models have been recently developed and characterized. Currently, more than 90 percent of all laboratory animal experiments are conducted in mice and rats. Although there are many scientific advantages to using small animal models, it has been recently recognized that many exciting therapeutic targets identified in small animals are not validated in clinical trials in patients. Thus, suitable large animal models, particularly under conscious state with appropriate direct measurements of cardiovascular function, are needed to serve as a better translational bridge between preclinical and clinical studies. In this chapter, we primarily focus on surgically instrumented large animal models of common cardiovascular disease studied in the conscious state. In addition, several important physiological factors that influence the characteristics of the models, as well as the importance of proper data interpretation, will also be discussed.
Breaking down walls: inter-organizational collaboration in ‘The Trifecta’

ABSTRACTCommunication education relies heavily on experiential learning, but such an approach rarely provides opportunities for students to participate in inter-disciplinary collaborations and buil...
An experimental translocation identifies habitat features that buffer camouflage mismatch in snowshoe hares

Conservation for species impacted by climate change often occurs at scales impractical for local land managers. Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are one of the most well‐documented species declining from climate change–specifically a reduction in snowcover–yet clear management strategies have yet to emerge. To test whether camouflage mismatch is reducing hare survival we translocated 96 hares to a site recently extirpated of snowshoe hares, and monitored coat color change, mismatch with snow, habitat use, and weekly survival in winter‐spring of 2017. Hare survival was low during periods of camouflage mismatch, and mismatched hares were 3.2 × less likely to survive, but this pattern varied by habitat. We found that aspen‐alder stands >5 hectares negated the mortality costs of mismatch. We provide experimental evidence that mismatch is driving the range contraction of snowshoe hares, and identify specific habitats to buffer the consequences of climate change on this declining winter specialist.
Investigating the use of robotics to increase girls’ interest in engineering during early elementary school

Men continue to outnumber women in many Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields, particularly technical fields such as engineering and computer science. Educational interventions aimed at addressing the gender disparity between men and women have generally focused on increasing the interest of girls and women during high school and college. There is limited research on interventions that take place during the formative early childhood years. This study addresses this gap by working with young children (ages 5–7) and exploring their newly forming attitudes and interest in technology and engineering. The study asked the following research questions: (1) What are children’s initial attitudes and ideas about technology and engineering? (2) Do boys and girls differ in their initial attitudes about technology and engineering? (3) Does participation in a 7-week KIBO robotics curriculum have an impact on children’s attitudes and ideas about technology and engineering? (4) Do boys and girls perform differently on robotics and programming tasks in early childhood? To answer these questions, public school children in Kindergarten through second grade (N = 105) participated in an introductory KIBO robotics curriculum. Data was collected on their attitudes toward technology and engineering before and after participation in the curriculum as well as their mastery of programming concepts taught. Results provide preliminary evidence that a developmentally appropriate robotics curriculum can increase girls’ interest in engineering.
ИНФОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ СИСТЕМА АНАЛИТИЧЕСКОГО МОНИТОРИНГА ДАННЫХ В НЕСТРУКТУРИРОВАННЫХ ИНФОРМАЦИОННЫХ РЕСУРСАХ

In operation the way of solving the problem of quick search of information in unstructured information resources is offered. Four main units realizing information search in semantic values are constructed and described. In article the algorithm of the decision of the task of assessment of compliance of semantic contents of text documents of the given data domain is offered. The offered infologichesky approach is executed on the basis of data analysis of patent search, the published scientific operations and the conducted pilot studies of effective methods of automatic assessment of maintenance of unstructured information resources for the organization of processes of information and analytical support of scientific activities. In operation the method of assessment and comparison of a subject directivity of data in unstructured information resources, on a basis use of infologichesky system is offered. This method assumes carrying out a clustering of text documents by comparing of semantic contents of the researched text and the anthology. The structure of the retrieval subsystem having the service-oriented client-server architecture with the thin client (web observer) is described. The described method was approved on a set of the texts received as a result of monitoring of open public infocommunication Internet resources without restriction of a subject (more than 1 million copies of texts are received and processed). Among the received texts by an expert way learning selection for the following types of texts was created: artistic texts, scientific technical articles, the pseudoscientific texts received as a result of operation of systems, a spam automatically generated - the containing texts. The composition is offered and the general architecture of the software of infologichesky system is described, principal components of system are cross-platform. On the basis of results of the pilot studies the basic possibility of implementation of automated assessment of subject similarity of documents on the example of infologichesky processing of texts of working programs of disciplines is shown, requirements imposed to the program interface of interaction of a prototype with external search engines are created.Key words: infological system, assessment of the thematic similarity, information resource working program of discipline, competence, semantic analysis, meaning.
Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teaching: A Research Synthesis

The purpose of this article is to synthesize empirical research conducted on culturally responsive mathematics teaching (CRMT) with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners. Thirty-five published studies between 1993 and 2018 met the criteria for inclusion in this review. Criteria included: (a) the study was published in a peer-reviewed journal, (b) the study was conducted within a K-12 U.S. public school context with practicing teachers, (c) culturally responsive teaching or culturally relevant pedagogy was part of the study’s theoretical framework, and (d) information about methods was reported. Findings reveal the value of CRMT in fostering equitable and inclusive mathematics learning environments. More research on CRMT with CLD students in school settings is warranted. Implications for policy, practice, and research are discussed.
Spin-orbit coupling and transport in strongly correlated two-dimensional systems

Measuring the magnetoresistance (MR) of ultraclean GaAs two-dimensional holes for a large ${r}_{s}$ range of 20--50, two striking behaviors in relation to the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) emerge in response to strong electron-electron interaction. First, in exact correspondence to the zero-field metal-to-insulator transition (MIT), the sign of the MR switches from being positive in the metallic regime to being negative in the insulating regime when the carrier density crosses the critical density ${p}_{c}$ of MIT (${r}_{s}\ensuremath{\sim}39$). Second, as the SOC-driven correction $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}\ensuremath{\rho}$ to the MR decreases with reducing carrier density (or the in-plane wave vector), it exhibits an upturn in the close proximity just above ${p}_{c}$ where ${r}_{s}$ is beyond 30, indicating a substantially enhanced SOC effect. This peculiar behavior echoes with a trend of delocalization long suspected for the SOC-interaction interplay. Meanwhile, for $pl{p}_{c}$ or ${r}_{s}g40$, in contrast to the common belief that a magnet field enhances Wigner crystallization, the negative MR is likely linked to enhanced interaction.
Unmasking white fragility: how whiteness and white student resistance impacts anti-racist education

The authors analyse how white undergraduate pre-service teachers resist anti-racist teacher education courses, and how acts of white fragility and white student resistance are employed against Blac...
Changes in US Nursing Home Infection Prevention and Control Programs From 2014 to 2018

Abstract Objective Burgeoning rates of antibiotic resistance have resulted in a shift in national focus to improve infection prevention and control programs in US nursing homes (NHs). We sought to evaluate the changes in nursing home infection prevention and control programs over time. Design Retrospective comparative analysis of national nursing home survey data from 2014 and 2018. Setting and participants We used survey data from 2 nationally representative samples of US nursing homes (945 NHs in 2014 and 888 in 2018). Methods Three indices measuring antibiotic stewardship, outbreak control, and urinary tract infection prevention (ranging from 0 to 100) were developed to measure the change in infection prevention and control programs. Multivariable linear regression models were used to identify facility and infection preventionist characteristics associated with each index. Decomposition models were used to identify contributions of factors on the differences in each index over time. Results From 2014 to 2018, we saw strengthening of antibiotic stewardship practices by 33 percentage points, outbreak control practices by 13 percentage points, and urinary tract infection prevention practices by 6 percentage points. Although we found several predictors of these improvements, much of the improvement was due to the difference in time. Conclusions and Implications Policy mandates and greater national attention are likely important factors in improving nursing home infection prevention and control practices. Further work is needed to evaluate the effect of these programs on resident outcomes.
The Epidemiology of Metatarsal Fractures Among Older Females With Bisphosphonate Exposure

ABSTRACT Bisphosphonates (BP) are used to treat osteoporosis, although rare atypical femur fractures have occurred with long-term exposure, especially among Asians. Metatarsal fractures have also been reported with atypical femur fracture. We examined the epidemiology of metatarsal fractures among 48,390 females aged ≥50 years who initiated oral BP and were followed for a median 7.7 years, including 68 females who experienced an atypical femur fracture. Incident metatarsal fractures after BP initiation were identified by clinical diagnoses and validated by record review. The association of BP, clinical risk factors, race/ethnicity, and metatarsal fracture was examined by using Cox proportional hazard analyses. Among 1123 females with incident metatarsal fracture, 61.0% had an isolated fifth metatarsal fracture. The incidence of metatarsal fracture was 312 per 100,000 person-years of follow-up and was substantially lower for Asians. The adjusted relative rate for metatarsal fractures was 0.5 (95% confidence interval 0.4 to 0.6) for Asians compared with whites. Younger age, prior fracture, other risk factors, and current BP were associated with an increased relative rate of metatarsal fracture, but BP duration was not. Females with atypical femur fracture were not more likely to experience metatarsal fracture (2.9% versus 2.3%, p = .7), but only 68 females had an atypical fracture and stress fracture of the metatarsals was not examined. Except for age, the demographic profile for metatarsal fracture after initiating BP was similar to that for osteoporotic fracture, with Asians at a much lower risk. Although metatarsal fractures were not associated with BP duration or atypical femur fracture, the subset of metatarsal stress fractures was not specifically examined.