cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Outside Employment on Student Achievement in Macroeconomic Principles

Bonello and Attiyeh, Bach and Lamsden have studied the impact of different teaching methods on academic performance. The role of student attitudes in determining student performance has been analyzed in Karstensson-Vedder, and Ramsey, Johnson and Adams. The influence of age and sex has been studied by Lewis and Orvis. Both Yates and Allison have called for production function theories of learning which would study the impact on academic achievement of many different variables simultaneously. However, to the author's knowledge the research has not included a systematic empirical analysis of the association between learning in a given course and employment in an outside job. There are a number of relationships between these two variables that can be hypothesized. Perhaps the most obvious one is an inverse relationship between the amount of hours students are employed outside of school and student productivity in the classroom. This would be based on the idea that the more hours students work, the less time they could devote to their studies. A study by Wetzel shows a statistically significant inverse relationship between effort and hours worked. A second type of interaction is also possible. Some students may have a positive attitude toward their job because they receive personal satisfaction from their work. Other students may have a negative attitude toward their market position. They are working simply for the monetary reward. A positive relationship between attitude toward employment and scholastic performance seems reasonable. The student who finds his employment personally rewarding would have less need for leisure time. The purpose of this paper is to test statistically the two hypotheses concerning outside employment and student achievement in economic principles courses.
The Challenge To Photography For Information Recording

It has been reported that Confucius said, "A picture is worth a thousand words". Unfortunately, the historian did not leave us information as to the number of bits contained in each word. However, to my meager knowledge the Chinese language is developed about a multiconcept word structure, so that the bit content of a word is higher than our own language. Yet, his comparison must still be considered a distinct understatement.© (1969) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The effects of shear constraints on the lattice rotation of FCC crystals in (011) channel-die compression

Abstract T he evolution of texture during channel-die compression is examined analytically for a range of crystal orientations with a (011) compression axis. The analysis considers the effects of longitudinal transverse shear on the rotation of the crystal lattice along the α-fiber, with particular attention toward the evolution of Brass texture. Closed-form expressions are obtained for the lattice rotation rate in terms of the current orientation and the applied deformation. A relation between the lattice orientation and compressive strain is found for simple deformation histories. The results show that the rate of texture evolution can be enhanced or impeded by applied shear and that the lattice rotation is faster if the shear is restrained. Thus. for crystals with orientations restricted to the α-fiber, a stable Brass texture will develop in a full constraint Taylor model ; but lattice rotation along this fiber is not predicted in a model where longitudinal transverse shear is permitted. The results also suggest that the stress state required to deform crystals of this orientation in a Taylor model may be unrealistic.
Identifying interpersonal stance in threatening discourse: An appraisal analysis

Ideologies about threatening language from scholarly and practitioner communities of practice reflect a genre replete with stances of violence and threatener control, wherein authorial intent is more strongly attributed to threats possessing characteristics that strengthen a threatener’s role in or commitment to the act (e.g. commitment modals, certainty adverbs) (Gales, 2010). Using the resources of Appraisal analysis (Martin and White, 2005), this article examines the ways in which interpersonal stances, or a speaker or writer’s commitment to or attitudes about a person or proposition (Biber et al., 1999), are manifested and function in a realized threat of violence. The analysis reveals that threateners use myriad rhetorical strategies to convey interpersonal meaning (Martin and Rose, 2003) and take stances that both strengthen and weaken their apparent level of commitment, thus contradicting the one-sidedness of threatening language ideologies and demonstrating the need for further research on stancet...
Ether-bonded lipids of insects: a quantitative comparison of the glyceryl ethers associated with ethanolamine and choline phosphoglycerides☆

Abstract 1. 1. Alkyl and alk-1-enyl glyceryl ethers occur almost exclusively in the ethanolamine phosphoglycerides of the tobacco budworm. Only traces of ether-bonded material can be found in the choline phosphoglycerides, and very little in the serine and inositol phosphoglycerides. 2. 2. In the mature larvae, 20·6 per cent of the PE fraction is ether-bonded, and four-fifths of this is the alk-1-enyl glyceryl ether (plasmalogen) form. The glyceryl ethers, therefore, cannot be considered as minor phospholipid constituents, because they make up a significant fraction of the ethanolamine phosphoglycerides.
Laminar condensation heat and mass transfer to a moving drop

This paper presents numerical solutions to the nonlinear, coupled boundary-layer equations governing laminar condensation heat and mass transfer in the vicinity of the forward stagnation point of a spherical cold water droplet translating in a saturated mixture of three components. The environment surrounding the droplet is composed of a condensable (steam), a noncondensable and nonabsorbable (air), and a third component which is noncondensable but absorbable (Elemental Iodine, for example). The dispersed and the continuous phases have been treated simultaneously. Results obtained here show excellent agreement with experimental results where available. An important conclusion is that for laminar condensation on a freely falling droplet, for a given thermal driving force and noncondensable gas concentration in the bulk, the dimensionless heat transfer decreases with increasing saturation temperature of the outside medium.
Research report: Susto and pesticide poisoning among Florida farmworkers

This paper discusses research designed to investigate farmworker interpretation of a serious incident of pesticide poisoning, specifically, whether this incident was considered to precipitate the Mexican folk illness “susto.” The study revealed that a total of 23% of the population interviewed felt that they definitelyor possibly had developed susto as a result of the pesticide exposure. These patients complained of more residual symptoms from the pesticide exposure than did those who had been affected by the poisoning but who did not feel they suffered from susto. The findings have implications for medical providers working with these populations. A self diagnosis of “susto” may indicate that a patient is indeed sicker than other indicators suggest, and point to a need for increased follow-up.
Bigamy in Northern Mockingbirds: Circumventing Female-Female Aggression

Description de deux cas de bigamie chez Mimus polyglottos et discussion sur l'influence de la bigamie sur l'agression entre femelles
Educating first responders to provide emergency services to individuals with disabilities.

OBJECTIVE: Individuals with disabilities experience more negative outcomes due to natural and manmade disasters and emergencies than do people without disabilities. This vulnerability appears to be due in part to knowledge gaps among public health and safety emergency planning and response personnel (responders). We assessed the effectiveness of an online program to increase emergency responder knowledge about emergency planning and response for individuals with disabilities. METHODS: Researchers developed an online course designed to teach public health, emergency planning and management, and other first response personnel about appropriate, efficient, and equitable emergency planning, response, interaction, and communication with children and adults with disabilities before, during, and after disasters or emergencies. Course features included an ongoing storyline, exercises embedded in the form of real-life scenarios, and game-like features such as points and timed segments. RESULTS: Evaluation measures indicated significant pre- to post-test gains in learner knowledge and simulated applied skills. CONCLUSION: An online program using scenarios and simulations is an effective way to make disability-related training available to a wide variety of emergency responders across geographically disparate areas. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;8:533-540). Language: en
Making Sense Out of Regulatory Enforcement

This study of enforcement of building codes addresses two issues in the growing body of research about regulatory enforcement. One issue is the definition of key concepts. We undertake empirical analyses to clarify distinctions between enforcement philosophy and strategy. We identify two enforcement philosophies that underlie agency actions and that are consistent with prior theorizing. A second issue is the distinction between descriptions of stylized enforcement strategies and what actually happens in practice. We find that code enforcement agencies vary in the degree to which they have embraced the two enforcement philosophies. This, in turn, leads them to pursue one of three different enforcement strategies that we identify. Two of these – what we term strict enforcement and creative enforcement– correspond to previous conceptualizations. The third strategy, which is also one of the most frequently used, is an accommodative enforcement strategy found where enforcement philosophies are highly unsystematic, are only moderately facilitative, and entail little overall agency effort.
Exploring end user preferences for location obfuscation, location-based services, and the value of location

Long-term personal GPS data is useful for many UbiComp services such as traffic monitoring and environmental impact assessment. However, inference attacks on such traces can reveal private information including home addresses and schedules. We asked 32 participants from 12 households to collect 2 months of GPS data, and showed it to them in visualizations. We explored if they understood how their individual privacy concerns mapped onto 5 location obfuscation schemes (which they largely did), which obfuscation schemes they were most comfortable with (Mixing, Deleting data near home, and Randomizing), how they monetarily valued their location data, and if they consented to share their data publicly. 21/32 gave consent to publish their data, though most households' members shared at different levels, which indicates a lack of awareness of privacy interrelationships. Grounded in real decisions about real data, our findings highlight the potential for end-user involvement in obfuscation of their own location data.
Neurofilament proteins in avian auditory hair cells

The distribution of middle-weight neurofilament protein (NF-M), an intermediate filament of neurons, was examined in the developing and mature avian inner ear by using immunocytochemical techniques. NF-M was detected in auditory hair cells and VIIIth cranial nerve neurons. NF-M-positive hair cells are first detected at embryonic day 11 (E11) in superior hair cells in the midproximal (midfrequency) region of the chicken basilar papilla. With time, increasing numbers of hair cells express NF-M. Two developmental gradients occur: 1) a radial gradient, in which superior hair cells are labeled first, and progressively more inferiorly located hair cells are labeled during ontogeny, and 2) a longitudinal gradient, in which hair cells in the midproximal region are labeled first, and then progressively more distal (low-frequency) hair cells are labeled. There is also a small proximally directed progression of NF-M expression. By E19, NF-M-positive hair cells are found throughout the distal and midproximal regions, and this expression is maintained through 3 weeks posthatching. By 22 weeks posthatching, NF-M staining in hair cells is markedly diminished; staining is seen in only a few tall hair cells in the distal one-fourth of the papilla and in short hair cells in the distal one-half of the papilla. NF-M is never expressed by hair cells at the proximal (high-frequency) end of the papilla at any time examined. These findings suggest that some cell types that have traditionally been classified as nonneural may express neurofilament and that the basilar papilla of the neonatal chicken is not morphologically mature. J. Comp. Neurol. 379:603‐616, 1997. r 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Comparative techno-economic analysis of biohydrogen production via bio-oil gasification and bio-oil reforming.

Abstract This paper evaluates the economic feasibility of biohydrogen production via two bio-oil processing pathways: bio-oil gasification and bio-oil reforming. Both pathways employ fast pyrolysis to produce bio-oil from biomass stock. The two pathways are modeled using Aspen Plus ® for a 2000 t d −1 facility. Equipment sizing and cost calculations are based on Aspen Economic Evaluation® software. Biohydrogen production capacity at the facility is 147 t d −1 for the bio-oil gasification pathway and 160 t d −1 for the bio-oil reforming pathway. The biomass-to-fuel energy efficiencies are 47% and 84% for the bio-oil gasification and bio-oil reforming pathways, respectively. Total capital investment (TCI) is 435 million dollars for the bio-oil gasification pathway and is 333 million dollars for the bio-oil reforming pathway. Internal rates of return (IRR) are 8.4% and 18.6% for facilities employing the bio-oil gasification and bio-oil reforming pathways, respectively. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that biohydrogen price, biohydrogen yield, fixed capital investment (FCI), bio-oil yield, and biomass cost have the greatest impacts on facility IRR. Monte-Carlo analysis shows that bio-oil reforming is more economically attractive than bio-oil gasification for biohydrogen production.
The endocrine effects of mercury in humans and wildlife

Mercury (Hg) is well studied and research continues as our knowledge of its health risks increases. One expanding area of research not well emphasized to date is the endocrine effects of Hg. This review summarizes the existing literature on the effects of Hg on the endocrine system and identifies gaps in the knowledge. It focuses on the thyroid, adrenal, and reproductive systems, including the accumulation of Hg in the endocrine system, sex differences that are manifested with Hg exposure, reproductive effects in male and female animals including humans, and Hg effects on the thyroid and adrenal systems. We concluded that there are five main endocrine-related mechanisms of Hg across these systems: (a) accumulation in the endocrine system; (b) specific cytotoxicity in endocrine tissues; (c) changes in hormone concentrations; (d) interactions with sex hormones; and (e) up-regulation or down-regulation of enzymes within the steroidogenesis pathway. Recommendations for key areas of research to better understand how the endocrine effects of Hg affect human and wildlife health were developed, and include increasing the amount of basic biological information available about Hg and wildlife species, exploring the role of Hg in the presence of other stressors and chemicals, understanding sublethal and indirect effects of Hg on adverse outcomes, developing better methods to extrapolate effects across species, and understanding the effects of Hg on multiple organ systems following exposure of an animal. Greater inclusion of endocrine endpoints in epidemiological and field studies on humans and wildlife will also advance the research in this area.
Hardware/software co-synthesis with memory hierarchies

This paper introduces the first hardware/software co-synthesis algorithm of distributed real-time systems that optimizes the memory hierarchy along with the rest of the architecture. Memory hierarchies (caches) are essential for modern embedded cores to obtain high performance. They also represents a significant portion of the cost, size and power consumption of many embedded systems. Our algorithm synthesizes a set of real-time tasks with data dependencies onto a heterogeneous multiprocessor architecture that meets the performance constraints with minimized cost. Unlike previous work in co-synthesis, our algorithm not only synthesizes the hardware and software portions of the applications, but also the memory hierarchies. It chooses cache sizes and allocates tasks to caches as part of cosynthesis. The algorithm is built upon a task-level performance model for memory hierarchies. Experimental results, including examples from the literature and results on real-life examples such as an MPEG-2 encoder, show that our algorithm is efficient, and compared with existing algorithms, it can reduce the overall cost of the synthesized system.
Sport, Culture, and Nation Among the Hibernians of Philadelphia Irish American Civic Engagement and Cultural Nationalism, 1880–1920

The Irish Americans of Philadelphia, prompted by an awakening of cultural nationalism across the Atlantic in native Ireland, constructed their own community of Irish culture, nationalism and ethnic...
Sex differences and the effects of ovariectomy on the β-adrenergic contractile response

The presence of sex differences in myocardial β-adrenergic responsiveness is controversial, and limited studies have addressed the mechanism underlying these differences. Studies were performed using isolated perfused hearts from male, intact female and ovariectomized female mice to investigate sex differences and the effects of ovarian hormone withdrawal on β-adrenergic receptor function. Female hearts exhibited blunted contractile responses to the β-adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol (ISO) compared with males but not ovariectomized females. There were no sex differences in β(1)-adrenergic receptor gene or protein expression. To investigate the role of adenylyl cyclase, phosphodiesterase, and the cAMP-signaling cascade in generating sex differences in the β-adrenergic contractile response, dose-response studies were performed in isolated perfused male and female hearts using forskolin, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), and 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (CPT-cAMP). Males showed a modestly enhanced contractile response to forskolin at 300 nM and 5 μM compared with females, but there were no sex differences in the response to IBMX or CPT-cAMP. The role of the A(1) adenosine receptor (A(1)AR) in antagonizing the β-adrenergic contractile response was investigated using both the A(1)AR agonist 2-chloro-N(6)-cyclopentyl-adenosine and A(1)AR knockout (KO) mice. Intact females showed an enhanced A(1)AR anti-adrenergic effect compared with males and ovariectomized females. The β-adrenergic contractile response was potentiated in both male and female A(1)ARKO hearts, with sex differences no longer present above 1 nM ISO. The β-adrenergic contractile response is greater in male hearts than females, and minor differences in the action of adenylyl cyclase or the A(1)AR may contribute to these sex differences.
Initial surface interaction of blood and blood components with Al2O3 and TiO2

The success of material implants in the vascular system has been limited by the fact that the intial events of blood coagulation on foreign material surfaces are not understood. Many materials have been evaluated in the search for a suitable implant material in this system. Recent success of porous ceramic materials in bone-ceramic compatibility studies stimulated the feeling that these materials should be tested in other body tissues such as the blood. Ceramic disks of Al2O3 and TiO2 were evaluated using a contact angle measurement technique to determine the characteristics of these material surfaces before and after exposure to a blood environment. This technique involved measuring the contact angle of sessile drops of various liquids on these surfaces with a microscope fitted with a goniometer eyepiece. By plotting these contact angles according to the procedure of Zisman, the characteristics of the surfaces could be evaluated. The clean ceramic disks were found to be extremely wettable even after exposure to a physiological saline environment. On exposure of these disks to a blood environment, it was observed that some type of film was adsorbed from the blood onto the ceramic surface during the initial minutes of exposure. This film had wetting characteristics consistent with layers of fibrinogen.
Capitalize on dimensionality increasing techniques for improving face recognition grand challenge performance

This paper presents a novel pattern recognition framework by capitalizing on dimensionality increasing techniques. In particular, the framework integrates Gabor image representation, a novel multiclass kernel Fisher analysis (KFA) method, and fractional power polynomial models for improving pattern recognition performance. Gabor image representation, which increases dimensionality by incorporating Gabor filters with different scales and orientations, is characterized by spatial frequency, spatial locality, and orientational selectivity for coping with image variabilities such as illumination variations. The KFA method first performs nonlinear mapping from the input space to a high-dimensional feature space, and then implements the multiclass Fisher discriminant analysis in the feature space. The significance of the nonlinear mapping is that it increases the discriminating power of the KFA method, which is linear in the feature space but nonlinear in the input space. The novelty of the KFA method comes from the fact that 1) it extends the two-class kernel Fisher methods by addressing multiclass pattern classification problems and 2) it improves upon the traditional generalized discriminant analysis (GDA) method by deriving a unique solution (compared to the GDA solution, which is not unique). The fractional power polynomial models further improve performance of the proposed pattern recognition framework. Experiments on face recognition using both the FERET database and the FRGC (face recognition grand challenge) databases show the feasibility of the proposed framework. In particular, experimental results using the FERET database show that the KFA method performs better than the GDA method and the fractional power polynomial models help both the KFA method and the GDA method improve their face recognition performance. Experimental results using the FRGC databases show that the proposed pattern recognition framework improves face recognition performance upon the BEE baseline algorithm and the LDA-based baseline algorithm by large margins.
Performance of MHPM in Rician and Rayleigh fading mobile channels

This paper evaluates the error probability of the rectangular frequency pulse multi-h modulation (MHPM) scheme in slowly-fading, frequency-nonselective or frequency-selective Rician and Rayleigh channels. The evaluation is performed with a method combining analysis and computer simulation. Performance degradations are evaluated for various direct-to-reflected signal ratio, Doppler shifts, and relative time delays in Rician fading channels. Compared with minimum shift keying (MSK), MHPM schemes appear to have retained their coding gains.
Preparing to take the USMLE Step 1: a survey on medical students’ self-reported study habits

Background The USA Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 is a computerised multiple-choice examination that tests the basic biomedical sciences. It is administered after the second year in a traditional fouryear MD programme. Most Step 1 scores fall between 140 and 260, with a mean (SD) of 227 (22). Step 1 scores are an important selection criterion for residency choice. Little is known about which study habits are associated with a higher score. Objective To identify which self-reported study habits correlate with a higher Step 1 score. Methods A survey regarding Step 1 study habits was sent to third year medical students at Tulane University School of Medicine every year between 2009 and 2011. The survey was sent approximately 3 months after the examination. Results 256 out of 475 students (54%) responded. The mean (SD) Step 1 score was 229.5 (22.1). Students who estimated studying more than 8–11 h per day had higher scores (p 2000 practice questions also obtained higher scores (p 40 preparation days did not achieve higher scores. Conclusions Certain self-reported study habits may correlate with a higher Step 1 score compared with others. Given the importance of achieving a high Step 1 score on residency choice, it is important to further identify which characteristics may lead to a higher score.
The Surge Model of the Well-Trained Human Operator in Simple Manual Control

A new model of the human operator, termed the surge model, is developed. It is dual mode, containing a linearized constant coefficient model and an optimum second-order controller model. The equations describing its performance are written in the time domain. When the absolute values of the system error and of the first error derivative are less than certain specified bounds, the linear constant coefficient model is employed; and when the absolute values of the system error and of the first error derivative exceed these bounds, the optimum second-order controller model is employed. The surge model accurately predicts actual human operator performance in situations where the present widely used constant coefficient models yield unrealistic results, namely, when the signal being tracked contains discontinuous as well as continuous components, of either a random or a predictable nature. An Applied Dynamics 256 analog computer and a Control Data 3600 digital computer were employed, respectively, to simulate a real-time tracking problem and to solve the surge model equations characterizing the tracking task. Results presented in graphical form clearly indicate the superiority of the surge model in simulating tracking situations where discontinuities may occur.
Discoid Lateral Meniscus of the Knee Joint

Dr. Emanuel B. Kaplan wishes to call the attention of the readers of The Journal to the fact that one of the drawings used to illustrate his article Discoid Lateral Meniscus of the Knee Joint contains an error in labeling (J. Bone and Joint Surg., 39-A: 77-87, Jan. 1957). On page 81 in Figure 4, what the artist has labeled Popliteus (sup. segment) should have been labeled Semi-membranosus.
Effect of acute hypoxemia on brain blood flow and oxygen metabolism in immature fetal sheep.

Studies of cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism during acute hypoxic hypoxia in fetal sheep have been confined to late gestation, a time when brain development in this species is largely compl...
RNA - Protein Recognition and Basic Mechanisms of Translational Repression in Prokaryotes

The expression of many prokaryotic genes is regulated at the translational level by the binding of specific repressor proteins to mRNA. The first example of this kind of translational repression was the shut-off of RNA phage replicase translation by the phage coat protein (Nathans et al., 1969). Many other examples from phages have been described since, and translational repression contributes to the regulation of most of the ribosomal proteins (Nomura et al., 1984). Although the phenomenon has been known for 20 years, the mechanisms by which repression takes place are only now beginning to be understood. The problem of translational repression can be divided conveniently into two main questions. First, how do a protein and mRNA associate specifically? (I have avoided phrasing this as “how does a protein recognize an mRN”, to emphasize the participation of the RNA in this process.) Only in the last few years has atomic-resolution data on protein-RNA complexes become available, and it contains some surprises not anticipated from studies of protein-DNA complexes. The second question is how a protein bound to an RNA is able to inhibit the process of translation. Again, the first detailed studies of these mechanisms have given surprising answers to this question. The current understanding of these two questions will be reviewed here.
Stepping Out of the Morass of Duress Cases: A Suggested Policy Guide

Traditional coercion theories and elements are simply inadequate as an exclusive focus of analysis in duress cases. This Article does not propose a new theory of duress. Instead, it suggests a refinement of doctrine in which the courts candidly articulate certain key policy goals and develop elements based on them. These policy goals include efficiency, disclosure of unexpected risks, judicial capability, reliance, and economic incentives. If decisionmakers adopted the policy analyses suggested here, the predictability of judicial decisionmaking would be enhanced and a supplemental analysis would be available when the doctrinal elements become difficult to apply. Moreover, this approach would preserve limited judicial resources, contribute to the efficient prevention of resource misallocation, reduce judicial capability problems,43 discourage one party from speculating at the expense of another, provide incentives for economic industriousness, and discourage economic negligence.
Civil In Rem Forfeiture and Double Jeopardy

The Double Jeopardy Clause and the ancient practice of civil in rem forfeiture, until recently, occupied two spheres that did not overlap. After Halper's holding that double jeopardy was implicated in certain civil trials which punish the defendant, and Austin's holding that certain civil in rem forfeiture actions act as punishment of the owner of the property at issue, these two venerable legal doctrines collided. This collision was the inevitable result of the Court's laudable attempt to look beyond the "civil" or "criminal" legislative label placed upon an action, in order to determine whether it is actually remedial or punitive. If punitive, the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment and the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment would limit the action. This brief but shining attempt to curb the legislature's ability to escape all criminal procedural guarantees by a "civil" appellation ended last term with the decision in U.S. v. Ursery. This Article argues not only that civil in rem forfeitures are best described as punitive, but further that parallel civil in rem forfeiture and substantive criminal actions, when based upon the same underlying conduct, ought to be barred under the successive prosecution prong of the double jeopardy clause. The historical justifications for civil in rem forfeiture actions--(1) the governmental necessity of receiving revenue and compensating victims regardless of the guilt of the property owner, (2) the inability to identify or obtain personal jurisdiction over certain property owners, and (3) the government obligation to protect the public from dangerous goods--are inapplicable to modern forfeiture actions, especially in the drug and money laundering areas. Prosecutors are bringing successive criminal and civil actions solely to reap procedural advantages and to punish the property owner even after a criminal acquittal. Since these actions serve the punitive goals of the criminal law and oppress defendants in the same manner as multiple criminal trials, they ought to be treated as such. Whether Ursery's reasoning can be limited to forfeitures is doubtful.
Changes in Topological Relations when Splitting and Merging Regions

This paper addresses changes in topological relations as they occur when splitting a region into two. It derives systematically what qualitative inferences can be made about binary topological relations when one region is cut into two pieces. The new insights about the possible topological relations obtained after splitting regions form a foundation for high-level spatio- temporal reasoning without explicit geometric information about each object’s shapes, as well as for transactions in spatio-temporal databases that want to enforce consistency constraints.
Estimating Telomere Length Heritability in an Unrelated Sample of Adults: Is Heritability of Telomere Length Modified by Life Course Socioeconomic Status?

Telomere length (TL) is a widely used marker of biological aging and is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Recently, there has been evidence for an association between TL and socioeconomic status (SES), particularly for measures of education and childhood SES. Individual differences in TL are also influenced by genetic factors, with heritability estimates from twin and sibling studies ranging from 34 to 82 percent. Yet the additive heritability of TL as a result of measured genetic variations and the extent to which heritability is modified by SES is still unknown. Data from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative cohort of older adults (mean age 69 years), were used to provide the first estimates of molecular-based heritability of TL using genome-wide complex trait analysis (GCTA). We found that additive genetic variance contributed 28 percent (p = .012) of total phenotypic variance of TL in the European American sample (n = 3,290). Estimation using the GCTA and KING Robust relationship inference methods did not differ significantly in this sample. None of the variance from the gene-by-SES interactions examined contributed significantly to the total TL variance. Estimation of heritability and genetic interaction with SES in the African American sample (n = 442) was too unstable to provide reliable estimates.
The Biology of Temelucha sp., platensis group (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), a Primary Parasite of the Potato Tuberworm

Temelucha sp., platensis group, a primary, solitary, endo-larval parasite of Phthorimaca operculella (Zeller), was studied under laboratory conditions of 26.7±1°C and 50±2% RH. The milky-white, oblong, slightly curved egg is deposited in the body cavity of the host larva where the larvae develop. There are 3 instars, the first being caudate and the other two hymenopteriform. Mature larvae emerged from the host larvae after the latter had spun cocoons, spinning their own cocoons inside those of the host. The total developmental time from egg to adult was ca. 22 days; egg, 3-4 days; 1st instar, 6-7 days; 2nd and 3rd instars, 1-2 days each; prepupa, 1 day; and pupa, 7 days. Adult emergence was stimulated by light, and copulation occurred soon after emergence of either sex. Males mated more than once, females only once. Unmated females produced males only, mated females both males and females. The preoviposition period, if one exists, in less than 12 h. Without food and water, adults died within 3-6 days; with both honey and water, females lived an average 15.2 days and males, 22.3 days. Twenty females had an average ovipositional period of 15.4 days (maximum 20) and produced an average of 556.0 progeny (maximum 782). Longevity of ovipositing females averaged 20.6 days (maximum 28). The sex ratio (♂ : ♀) of their progeny averaged 1.68:1.0. Average production of progeny remained above 40 per day through the first 8 days of oviposition, reaching a peak of 62.6 progeny per day on the 4th day.
Cholesterol solubilization by solutions of bile salts and bile salts plus lecithin.

SummaryModel synthetic solutions were used to study cholesterol solubilization by the 6 conjugated bile salts found in human bile individually and as a mixture, and by lecithin in combination with bile salts. In the range of concentrations found in bile, bile salts alone solubilized only about one third as much cholesterol as might be found in comparable concentrated human gallbladder bile. Between 0.023 and 0.046 mmoles of cholesterol were solubilized per mmole of bile salts. Addition of lecithin to a bile salt solution increased the quantity of cholesterol dissolved to values observed in bile; 0.36 mmoles of cholesterol was solubilized per mmole of added lecithin. Cholesterol solubilization by lecithin was independent of the concentration and nature of the bile salt.
Numerical Prediction of Mainstream Pressure Gradient Effects in Film Cooling

A documented, systematic, computational methodology is applied to singularly investigate the effects of mainstream pressure gradients on film cooling over a flat surface for realistic gas turbine parameters. Key aspects of the study include: (1) validation of the ability of computational fluid dynamics to simulate film cooling in regions of mainstream pressure gradients, accomplished through the isolation of this parameter and the careful modeling of a published experimental study; (2) documentation of the effects of the applied pressure gradient on film cooling adiabatic effectiveness, as compared to the zero-pressure gradient case; and (3) detailed discussion of the pertinent physical mechanisms involved, with appropriate flowfield results. The imposed pressure gradient is typical of the suction surface of a gas turbine airfoil, with a strong favorable pressure gradient (the acceleration parameter was K = 1.5×10−6 at injection) transitioning to a mild adverse pressure gradient region beyond 30 diameters downstream. A single row of cylindrical film-cooling holes had an injection angle of 35°, with hole length-to-diameter ratio of 4.0 and a lateral spacing of 3.0 diameters. The simulated mass flux ratios were M = 0.6, 1.0, and 1.5, and the density ratio was held constant at 1.6. Solutions were obtained using a multi-block, multi-topology grid and a pressure-correction based, fully-implicit Navier-Stokes solver. A “realizeable” k-e turbulence model, which eliminates the documented unrealistic turbulence production of the standard k-e model in regions of large flow strain, was employed to obtain practical results economically. The applied pressure gradient resulted in a small advantage in center-line effectiveness, while laterally averaged effectiveness was slightly lower as compared to the zero-pressure gradient reference case. The results of this study demonstrate the ability of the applied computational methodology to accurately model film cooling in the presence of mainstream pressure gradients and resolve one of the key fundamental issues in turbine airfoil film cooling.Copyright © 1999 by ASME
The Immunologic Mechanisms of Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic allergic inflammatory disease that is triggered by food and/or environmental allergens and is characterized by a clinical and pathologic phenotype of progressive esophageal dysfunction due to tissue inflammation and fibrosis. EoE is suspected in patients with painful swallowing, among other symptoms, and is diagnosed by the presence of 15 or more eosinophils per high-power field in one or more of at least four esophageal biopsy specimens. The prevalence of EoE is increasing and has now reached rates similar to those of other chronic gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn's disease. In recent years, our understanding of the immunologic mechanisms underlying this condition has grown considerably. Thanks to new genetic, molecular, cellular, animal, and translational studies, we can now postulate a detailed pathway by which exposure to allergens results in a complex and coordinated type 2 inflammatory cascade that, if not intervened upon, can result in pain on swallowing, esophageal strictures, and food impaction. Here, we review the most recent research in this field to synthesize and summarize our current understanding of this complex and important disease.
Studies on sacral-evoked potentials

AbstractThe bulbocavernosus reflex may be evoked electrically with a latency of approximately 35msec, in normal male subjects. We have studied the sacral-evoked response in 116 individuals, 10 of whom were normal controls. For each study ipsilateral and contralateral responses were obtained from each side, resulting in 4 latency values. We herein describe the abnormalities in 54 patients with a variety of documented neurologic lesions. Our investigation reveals that the bulbocavernosus reflex has the characteristics of a cutaneous polysynaptic bilateral flexor response. The use of bilateral stimulation and recording techniques permits more effective localization of neurologic lesions involving the conus medullaris or cauda equina roots.
The Disposition and function of Elastic and Collagenous Fibers in the Tunic of the Corpus Cavernosum

Abstract The arrangement of elastic and collagen fibers in human tunica albuginea corresponds to a simple pattern in which elastic fibers are oriented transversely. Collagenous fibers are abundant in all orientations. The relationship of this pattern to the mechanical stresses placed on this tissue by the inherent geometry of the corpora is discussed.
Trends and Differences Among Three New Indicators of HIV Infection Progression.

OBJECTIVE This study proposes three indicators of, and assesses the disparities and trends in, the risk of HIV infection progression among people living with diagnosed HIV infection in the United States. METHODS Using data reported to national HIV surveillance through June 2012, we calculated the AIDS diagnosis hazard, HIV (including AIDS) death hazard, and AIDS death hazard for people living with diagnosed HIV infection for each calendar year from 1997 to 2010. We also calculated a stratified hazard in 2010 by age, race/ethnicity, mode of transmission, region of residence at diagnosis, and year of diagnosis. RESULTS The risk of HIV infection progression among people living with diagnosed HIV infection decreased significantly from 1997 to 2010. The risks of progression to AIDS and death in 2010 were higher among African Americans and people of multiple races, males exposed through injection drug use (IDU) or heterosexual contact, females exposed through IDU, people residing in the South at diagnosis, and people diagnosed in 2009 compared with white individuals, men who have sex with men, females with infection attributed to heterosexual contact, those residing in the Northeast, and those diagnosed in previous years, respectively. People aged 15-29 years had the highest AIDS diagnosis hazard in 2010. CONCLUSION Continued efforts are needed to ensure early HIV diagnosis as well as initial linkage to and continued engagement in HIV medical care among all people living with HIV. Targeted interventions are needed to improve health-care and supportive services for those with worse health outcomes.
Measures of Concerns with Public Image and Social Evaluation

People differ in the degree to which they are attuned to other people’s evaluations of them, are motivated to make desired impressions on others, experience distress when their public images are damaged or others’ evaluations of them are unfavorable, and use various tactics to convey public impressions of themselves to others. This chapter focuses on measures of nine personality characteristics that reflect individual differences in such concerns, including public self-consciousness, self-monitoring, approval motivation, social anxiety, social scrutiny fear, social physique anxiety, embarrassability, self-presentation tactics, and impression management styles. Each measure is described, along with psychometric information regarding its reliability and validity.
Surface and degradation properties of thermoplastic blends from albumin and zein-based plastics

The use of traditional petroleum-based thermoplastics in food packaging applications pose an environmental hazard, as their lack of biodegradability creates waste that environmental systems are unable to cope with. To address this issue, the investigation of surface, biodegradation, and water solubility properties of the albumin and zein thermoplastic blends plasticized with glycerol and mixed with varying amounts of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is conducted. When subjected to soil burial, albumin as a bioplastic completely biodegrades within two months, while a zein-based bioplastic is more resilient to attacks from microbes within the soil (4.34% of intial mass remains). If albumin and zein proteins are used in the production of thermoplastics in tandem with LDPE, it could be possible to produce a plastic that will naturally biodegrade over time, decreasing the environmental impact of the use of thermoplastics in medical and food packaging applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 44646.
Earlier school start times are associated with higher rates of behavioral problems in elementary schools

Abstract Background Early school start times may curtail children's sleep and inadvertently promote sleep restriction. The current study examines the potential implications for early school start times for behavioral problems in public elementary schools (student ages 5-12 years) in Kentucky. Method School start times were obtained from school Web sites or by calling school offices; behavioral and disciplinary problems, along with demographic information about schools, were obtained from the Kentucky Department of Education. Estimated associations controlled for teacher/student ratio, racial composition, school rank, enrollment, and Appalachian location. Results Associations between early school start time and greater behavioral problems (harassment, in-school removals, suspensions, and expulsions) were observed, although some of these associations were found only for schools serving the non-Appalachian region. Conclusions Findings support the growing body of research showing that early school start times may contribute to student problems, and extend this research through a large-scale examination of elementary schools, behavioral outcomes, and potential moderators of risk.
Mindfulness Is Associated With Treatment Response From Nonpharmacologic Exercise Interventions in Knee Osteoarthritis.

Abstract Objective To examine the association between baseline mindfulness and response from exercise interventions in knee osteoarthritis (OA). Design Cohort study; responder analysis of a clinical trial subset. Setting Urban tertiary care academic hospital. Participants Participants with symptomatic, radiographic knee OA (N=86; mean age, 60y; 74% female; 48% white). Interventions Twelve weeks (twice per week) of Tai Chi or physical therapy exercise. Main Outcome Measures Treatment response was defined using Osteoarthritis Research Society International criteria indicating meaningful improvements in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain, WOMAC function, or Patient Global Assessment scores. At baseline, participants completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (mean total score, 142±17) and were grouped into 3 categories of total mindfulness: higher, medium, or lower. Relative risk (RR) ratios were used to compare treatment response across groups. Results Participants with higher total mindfulness were 38% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–1.83) more likely to meet responder criteria than those with lower mindfulness. We found no significant difference between medium and lower mindfulness groups (RR=1.0; 95% CI, 0.69–1.44). Among the 5 mindfulness facets, medium acting-with-awareness was 46% (95% CI, 1.09–1.96) more likely to respond than lower acting-with-awareness, and higher acting-with-awareness was 34% more likely to respond, but this did not reach significance (95% CI, 0.97–1.86). Conclusions In this study, higher mindfulness, primarily driven by its acting-with-awareness facet, was significantly associated with a greater likelihood of response to nonpharmacologic exercise interventions in knee OA. This suggests that mindfulness-cultivating interventions may increase the likelihood of response from exercise.