cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application and development of controllable solid rocket motor

Several thrust control technical schemes of solid rocket motor and application of controllable thrust chambers in attitudecontrol and orbitcontrol motor are presented.
Single-photon-sensitive solid-state image sensors for flash lidar

MIT Lincoln Laboratory has developed lidar systems based on Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes using both silicon and InGaAs. This technology has enabled terrain mapping and foliage penetration systems with exquisite sensitivity and high area coverage rate.
Transferring software testing tools to practice

Achieving successful technology adoption in practice has often been an important goal for both academic and industrial researchers. However, it is generally challenging to transfer research results into industrial products or into tools that are widely adopted. What are the key factors that lead to practical impact for a research project? This talk presents experiences and lessons learned in successfully transferring tools from two testing projects as collaborative efforts between the academia and industry. In the Pex project (research.microsoft.com/pex) [3], nearly a decade's collaborative efforts between Microsoft Research and academia have led to high-impact tools that are now shipped by Microsoft and adopted by the community. These tools include Fakes [2], a test isolation framework shipped with Visual Studio 2012/2013, IntelliTest, an automatic test generation tool shipped with Visual Studio 2015, and Code Hunt (www.codehunt.com) [1] (evolved from Pex4Fun [4]), a popular serious gaming platform for coding contests and practicing programming skills, which has attracted 350,000+ players from May 2014 to August 2016, and has been adopted in large-scale Microsoft Imagine Cup and Beauty of Programming contests. In the WeChat testing project, recent collaborative efforts [5], [6] between Tencent and academia have developed effective techniques for testing Android apps, by improving Google's Monkey, a popularly used Android testing tool in industry. The developed techniques have been applied to test WeChat, one of world's most popular messenger apps with over 800 million monthly active users.
Niccolò Scaffai. Il lavoro del poeta. Montale, Sereni, Caproni. Rome: Carocci, 2015. 248 pp.

Il lavoro del poeta takes as its point of departure the concrete existence of poetry in the world as a practical form of literature whose necessity is found at the convergence of experience and tec...
Rapid flare of immune thrombocytopenia after stopping ibrutinib in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Approximately 4.3–9.7% of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients will present with an autoimmune cytopenia (AIC) at some point during the course of their disease [1]. Autoimmune hemolytic anem...
The Evolution of the Meta-Data Concept: Dictionaries, Catalogs, and Repositories

The concept of storing and using data about data -- metadata -- has been implemented in a wide variety of products. These include passive and active data dictionaries, relational catalogs, relational storage of dictionary data, an ANSI standard and, recently, repositories and object-oriented DBMS catalogs. This article traces the evolution of these developments, noting their origins, their contributions, and representative commercial products based on them. In particular, it goes into the repository and the OODBMS catalog and draws conclusions about the importance of their relationship for the future of the IS environment.
Study of the Gear Fault Detective Method Based on CWT and ANN

The gear fault signal analysis based on the wavelet transform and artificial neural network (ANN) is studied. Firstly, the gear fault characteristics are analyzed, and the wavelet transform is used to decompose the vibration acceleration signals of gear faults to different scales, and the resonance frequency band is extracted. Afterward, the Hirbert transform is used to demodulate the signals, and the frequency analysis of the signals demodulated has been done to obtain the wavelet spectra from which the fault characteristic information of gear are obtained. The combination of association memory function, nonlinear mapping ability of ANN multi-source data of data fusion made it better and analysis, synthesis and reasoning ability to than traditional approaches. Then, we use the feature selection method based on ANN to select these features. At last, we construct the structure ANN, and use it to diagnose the selected features intelligently. The results show that the method is very effective.
The necessity of God incarnate

La doctrine chretienne de l'incarnation pose plusieurs problemes philosophiques. Parmi ceux-ci, on peut retenir celui de la nature de cette incarnation. Les defenseurs de l'incarnation doivent demontrer que cette doctrine n'est pas logiquement ou conceptuellement absurde. D'autre part, ils ont a proposer un expose ontologique positif de Jesus a la fois humain et divin. L'A. montre que la doctrine de l'incarnation navigue actuellement entre deux extremes: celui d'un Dieu uni avec l'univers cree et celui d'un Dieu totalement transcendent ou a l'ecart de l'univers cree
Spermatogenesis and its regulation

Abstract The adult testis produces spermatozoa from spermatogonial stem cells via spermatogenesis under the tight control of hormones and growth factors. Spermatozoa develop embedded in Sertoli cells which form seminiferous tubules; these are surrounded by various somatic cell types including contractile peritubular myoid cells, testosterone-producing Leydig cells, immune cells and vasculature. Factors that regulate maturation of the male germ cell are considered as potential targets for therapies to enhance fertility for therapeutic purposes, and may similarly inform strategies for reproductive control.
Dyadic Examination of Parental Support, Basic Needs Satisfaction, and Student–Athlete Development During Emerging Adulthood:

Using self-determination theory and the theory of emerging adulthood as frameworks, the present study investigated dyadic associations for the effect of parental support on college student–athletes...
The Historical Role of Neuropsychology in Neurosurgery

Abstract Neuropsychology as the study of how the brain and its structures influence thought and behavior is arguably unique to the human brain. While the brain and nervous system have been studied by some in the past, it is only within the last century with advances in pioneering surgery on the brain that the field of Neuropsychology has bourgeoned. In this chapter, we highlight the major advances and those proponents who have truly developed the field into the robust discipline we know today.
Greek Piety and the Charge against Socrates

In this essay, I review some features of Greek religion at the time of Socrates. Since Socrates was accused of impiety, we need to have an informed, contextualized understanding of how Socrates’ co...
Medical Therapy for Glaucoma-IOP Lowering Agents

Pharmacologic agents that lower intraocular pressure (IOP) are the first line of treatment for the majority of glaucoma patients. Classically these medications can be split into two groups: those that suppress aqueous production, and those that enhance aqueous outflow. Multiple formulations and combinations now exist in order to limit side effects and improve adherence. This chapter will review glaucoma medications that are currently available, those that will be available in the near future, and some “farther-down-the-road” technologies.
Setting up and Using ROS-Kinetic and Gazebo for Educational Robotic Projects and Learning

This paper is to introduce readers to the Robot Operating System (ROS) and Gazebo, a robot simulator, for educational use. The paper covers setting up a proper environment for ROS Kinetic and the steps needed to properly install ROS into the setup environment. It includes an explanation of ROS and its inner workings, notably nodes and packages. This includes, but is not limited to, information on messages, topics, subscribers, and publishers. After a foundation of ROS understanding is established, Gazebo is introduced for the reader to test nodes without need of a physical robot. The Gazebo sections include an understanding of Gazebo, using a model, building a map/environment, running nodes, and sensors. Furthermore, this paper introduces the current project along with our team's current progress. The use of teleop and lidar within a project. Lastly, the paper covers future works and direction of the current project.
A tunable triboelectric wideband energy harvester

The ability to efficiently convert mechanical energy into electrical energy has become an important topic of discussion and research in the last decade. Triboelectric generators have recently been ...
Environmental Attributes of Person-Centered Care

The purpose of this study was to document the existing environmental, organizational, and operational patterns of PEAK 2.0 participating homes at early stages of adoption and the patterns of sustai...
What makes them different? An exploration of mentoring for female faculty, residents, and medical students pursuing a career in surgery.

Abstract Background This qualitative study examines the roles of mentoring and gender in choosing and continuing in a surgical career for women across the continuum. Methods Semi-structured interviews were held with a purposive sample of 24 female surgical faculty, residents, and aspiring medical students from one institution between November 2018 and January 2019. Interview transcripts were analyzed using traditional thematic analysis methods aided by computerized software. Results The use of a mosaic approach in seeking mentoring to match one's personal and career-relevant support needs was described frequently. Same-gender role models were more important for early career women, while leadership mentoring and coaching were more desired by later career women. Gender differences in mentoring were identified but some of these differences may apply equally to women and men. Conclusions Study findings contribute mentoring insights relevant to both women and men interested in pursuing and thriving in surgical careers.
Impact of Hemocompatibility on Emergency Resource Utilization in Ventricular Assist Device Patients

Purpose Although the risk of bleeding complications is well known for patients with ventricular assist devices (VADs), there is minimal data describing how bleeding events impacts the ambulatory VAD population's emergency department (ED) resource utilization or outcomes. Methods We utilized ED-encounter level data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS). Patients age ≥19 years with VADs from 2006 to 2014 were identified via ICD-9 diagnoses. Primary diagnoses were queried for bleeding events. Encounters were also queried for ED and inpatient bleeding driven procedures. Overall inpatient and ED charges and mortality were assessed. Results Over a nine-year period, 17,356 VAD-related ED visits were identified, of which bleeding events were the second most common primary diagnosis (25%). Bleeding events were less common in young adults (19 to 44 years) compared to middle (45 to 64 years) and older (≥65 years) adults (16% vs. 25% vs. 29%, p Conclusion This is the largest study to date investigating resource utilization and outcomes among ambulatory VAD patients presenting to the ED with a bleeding event. A bleeding event was the primary diagnosis for 1 in 4 ED encounters, representing the second most common primary diagnosis in this population. Bleeding events were associated with older age, frequent procedures, trend towards higher charges, and—when requiring a blood transfusion—higher mortality.
Neoliberal Aesthetics and the Struggle against Redevelopment in an Italian Postindustrial Periphery

Much has been written about the neoliberal aestheticization of cities and its role in fostering consumption not just in, but also of, urban space. However, at a time when the pursuit of aesthetic e...
Targeting anti-apoptotic bcl-2 family members with ABT-737 compliments the activity of bortezomib and conventional agents in in vitro models of lymphoproliferative malignancies

4892 Over-expression of anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family have been observed in more that 80% of B-cell lymphomas and contribute to tumor initiation, progression and resistance to therapy. ABT-737 is a small molecule inhibitor of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-XL and Bcl-w. We investigated the cytotoxicity of ABT-737 alone or in combination with conventional and new agents in different lymphoma and myeloma cell lines (RL and SKI: diffuse large B-cell, HBL-2: mantle cell (MCL), H9: T-cell line, JJN-3: myeloma) and its effects on the mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) and apoptosis. For all cytotoxicity assays, luminescent cell viability was performed using CellTiter-GloTM followed by acquisition on a Fluoroskan Ascent FL fluorometer/luminometer. Cells were also stained with JC-1 dye with or without annexinV - APC then analyzed by flow-cytometry to assess the Δψm and apoptosis. For statistical analysis, multiple comparisons were handled using resampling within an analysis of variance model. All significance testing was done at the p The IC50 ranged from 0.023 to 7.853 µM after a 48 hour exposure and from 0.025 to 6.71 µM after a 72 hour exposure. Specifically, the IC50 after 48 and 72 hours respectively was as follows: RL - 0.239 µM and 0.283 µM; SKI - 0.164 µM and 0.097 µM; HBL-2 - 0.023 µM and 0.025 µM; JJN3 - 7.182 µM and 4.796 µM; H9 - 7.853 µM and 6.71 µM. We also combined ABT-737 at 0.1 µM for up to 72h with 0.01 uM rituximab (R), etoposide (E), bortezomib (B), doxorubicin (D), 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide (H), or pralatrexate (PDX) given for a 24h period starting from time zero, or after 24h or 48h from the beginning. Multiple comparison analysis revealed that ABT+B was significantly superior to every group except PDX alone after 24h (p=0.0891), and to every group after 48h. After normalization of each group to the correspondent control, the time dependent effects of ABT-737 were exemplified by the superior cytotoxicity of ABT-737 administered 24 hours or less prior to exposure to bortezomib. Preliminary studies to assess the effects of ABT-737 on the Δψm in the RL and HBL-2 cell lines showed that incubation for 24h with ABT-737 from 0.001 μM to 10 μM was associated with concentration dependent depolarization. The MCL line showed more sensitivity compared to the large B-cell line in accordance with the cytotoxicity data: the exposure to ABT at 0.05 μM was associated with a decrease of less than 10% for RL against more than 80% for HBL-2. When ABT-737 was combined with B for up to 48h, we also observed an increase in apoptosis associated with depolarization. These data suggest that targeting Bcl-2 family members with both conventional cytotoxic agents and bortezomib may help chemosensitize lymphoma to conventional therapies, especially MCL. In vivo experiments are now underway.
Preliminary design of a set of four beamlines for the DLSR upgrade of the advanced light source

The upgrade of the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab to a Diffraction-Limited Storage Ring (DLSR) will feature four new and upgraded beamlines, designed to take full advantage of the coherence and high brightness of the insertion device source operating mostly in the soft x-ray regime (100–2000 eV). The round and highly coherent beam drives specific design choices for the photon transport optics and monochromator, and technical challenges in terms of performances, optical tolerances and stability. We have used the simulation tools Shadow (for raytracing) or SRW (wavefront propagation), and their implementation in OASYS and Sirepo to refine tolerance specifications, using their scripting capabilities and new add-ons to perform a comprehensive beamline analysis and confirm that specifications matched our performance requirements, taking into account partial coherence and issues related to heatload.
Vertebral Artery Stump Syndrome Due to Chronic Complicated Aortic Dissection.

Background Vertebral artery (VA) stump syndrome arises when thrombi of an occluded proximal VA propagate to the brain and cause posterior circulation strokes. This phenomenon has been described in limited reports to date. Case Description A 39-year-old man with a remote history of endovascular repair of a type B aortic dissection experienced type Ia endoleak causing expansion of the false lumen associated with the dissection. This required combined open debranching and endovascular reconstruction of the thoracic aortic arch. He experienced recurrent posterior circulation strokes 6 months postoperatively. The left VA origin was occluded and remained sequestered to the proximal subclavian artery, in continuity with the false lumen of the dissection. We suspected the aortic dissection extended into the VA and caused the occlusion, while pressure from the false lumen propelled thrombi from the occluded VA stump into the posterior circulation. Repeat imaging shortly after symptom onset showed spontaneous recanalization of the VA. Open surgical ligation of the proximal left VA led to symptom resolution. Conclusions We describe a unique mechanism of VA stump syndrome due to VA occlusion and pressure waves from an aortic dissection and present the first report of VA stump syndrome treatment by surgical exclusion of the VA.
Unveiling the Dynamics of KRAS4b on Lipid Model Membranes

Small GTPase proteins are ubiquitous and responsible for regulating several processes related to cell growth and differentiation. Mutations that stabilize their active state can lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation and cancer. Although these proteins are well characterized at the cellular scale, the molecular mechanisms governing their functions are still poorly understood. In addition, there is limited information about the regulatory function of the cell membrane which supports their activity. Thus, we have studied the dynamics and conformations of the farnesylated KRAS4b in various membrane model systems, ranging from binary fluid mixtures to heterogeneous raft mimics. Our approach combines long time-scale coarse-grained (CG) simulations and Markov state models to dissect the membrane-supported dynamics of KRAS4b. Our simulations reveal that protein dynamics is mainly modulated by the presence of anionic lipids and to some extent by the nucleotide state (activation) of the protein. In addition, our results suggest that both the farnesyl and the polybasic hypervariable region (HVR) are responsible for its preferential partitioning within the liquid-disordered (Ld) domains in membranes, potentially enhancing the formation of membrane-driven signaling platforms.
Outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis: a N3C Study

Background and Aims In patients with chronic liver diseases (CLD) with or without cirrhosis, existing data on the risk of adverse outcomes with SARS-CoV-2 infection have been mixed or have limited generalizability. We used the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) Data Enclave, a harmonized electronic health record (EHR) dataset of 5.9 million nationally-representative, diverse, and gender-balanced patients, to describe outcomes in patients with CLD and cirrhosis with SARS-CoV-2. Methods We identified all chronic liver diseases patients with and without cirrhosis who had SARS-CoV-2 testing documented in the N3C Data Enclave as of data release date 5/15/2021. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality. Survival analysis methods were used to estimate cumulative incidences of death, hospitalization, and mechanical ventilation, and to calculate the associations of SARS-CoV-2 infection, presence of cirrhosis, and demographic and clinical factors to 30-day mortality. Results We isolated 217,143 patients with CLD: 129,097 (59%) without cirrhosis and SARS-CoV-2 negative, 25,844 (12%) without cirrhosis and SARS-CoV-2 positive, 54,065 (25%) with cirrhosis and SARS-CoV-2 negative, and 8,137 (4%) with cirrhosis and SARS-CoV-2 positive. Among CLD patients without cirrhosis, 30-day all-cause mortality rates were 0.4% in SARS-CoV-2 negative patients and 1.8% in positive patients. Among CLD patients with cirrhosis, 30-day all-cause mortality rates were 4.0% in SARS-CoV-2 negative patients and 9.7% in positive patients. Compared to those who tested SARS-CoV-2 negative, SARS-CoV-2 positivity was associated with more than two-fold (aHR 2.43, 95% CI 2.23-2.64) hazard of death at 30 days among patients with cirrhosis. Compared to patients without cirrhosis, the presence of cirrhosis was associated with a three-fold (aHR 3.39, 95% CI 2.96-3.89) hazard of death at 30 days among patients who tested SARS-CoV-2 positive. Age (aHR 1.03 per year, 95% CI 1.03-1.04) was associated with death at 30 days among patients with cirrhosis who were SARS-CoV-2 positive. Conclusions In this study of nearly 220,000 CLD patients, we found SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with cirrhosis was associated with 2.43-times mortality hazard, and the presence of cirrhosis among CLD patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 were associated with 3.39-times mortality hazard. Compared to previous studies, our use of a nationally-representative, diverse, and gender-balanced dataset enables wide generalizability of these findings.
It Takes Two to Empathize: One to Seek and One to Provide

Empathy describes the capacity to feel, understand, and emotionally engage with what other people are experiencing. People have recently started to turn to online health communities to seek empathetic support when they undergo difficult situations such as suffering from a life-threatening disease, while others are there to provide empathetic support to those who need it. It is, therefore, important to detect the direction of empathy expressed in natural language. Previous studies only focus on the presence of empathy at a high-level and do not distinguish the direction of empathy that is expressed in textual messages. In this paper, we take one step further in the identification of perceived empathy from text by introducing IEMPATHIZE, a dataset of messages annotated with the direction of empathy exchanged in an online cancer network. We analyze user messages to identify the direction of empathy at a fine-grained level: seeking or providing empathy. Our dataset IEMPATHIZE serves as a challenging benchmark for studying empathy at a fine-grained level.
Ferrimicrobium acidiphilum Exchanges Electrons With a Platinum Electrode via a Cytochrome With Reduced Absorbance Maxima at 448 and 605 nm.

Ferrimicrobium acidiphilum is a Gram-positive member of the Actinobacteria phylum that can respire aerobically or anaerobically with soluble Fe(II) or Fe(III), respectively, in sulfuric acid at pH 1.5. Cyclic voltammetry measurements using intact Fm. acidiphilum at pH 1.5 produced fully reversible voltammograms that were highly reproducible. The maximum current observed with the anodic peak was considerably less than was the maximum current observed with the cathodic peak. This difference was attributed to the competition between the platinum electrode and the soluble oxygen for the available electrons that were introduced by the cathodic wave into this facultative aerobic organism. The standard reduction potential of the intact organism was determined to be 786 mV versus the standard hydrogen electrode, slightly more positive than that of 735 mV that was determined for soluble iron at pH 1.5 using the same apparatus. Chronocoulometry measurements conducted at different cell densities revealed that the intact organism remained in close proximity to the working electrode during the measurement, whereas soluble ionic iron did not. When the cyclic voltammetry of intact Fm. acidiphilum was monitored using an integrating cavity absorption meter, the only small changes in absorbance that were detected were consistent with the participation of a cellular cytochrome with reduced absorbance peaks at 448 and 605 nm. The cytochrome that participated in the exchange of electrons between the intact organism and extracellular solid electrodes like platinum was the same cytochrome whose oxidation was previously shown to be rate-limiting when the organism respired aerobically on extracellular soluble iron.
Perioperative Management of the Cancer Patient

Assessing perioperative risk in cancer patients presents special challenges. In addition to sharing common morbidities with the general population, cancer patients incur additional risks related to their malignancies and to their cancer therapies. These unique features carry over into the postoperative period as well and decision-making in the perioperative period can be complex. This chapter will illustrate some of the key issues in treating the perioperative cancer patient.
Imbalanced Sex Ratios and Violent Victimization in Mexico

The migration of young men from Mexico to the United States generates a deficit of men and a relative abundance of women in many Mexican communities, but the implications of this imbalanced sex ratio for Mexicans’ risks of criminal victimization has received little attention. We merge individual-level data from 19,551 inhabitants of 136 municipalities covered in the 2002 Mexican Family Life Survey with aggregated data from the 2000 Mexico population census to examine the association between the municipality-level percentage of men at ages 15 to 39 and self-reports of recent violent victimization. Multilevel logistic regression modeling reveals a curvilinear relationship between percent male and the likelihood of experiencing a violent victimization, with victimization risks lowest in municipalities characterized by either unusually low or unusually high numbers of men. Respondents residing in municipalities having a more balanced sex composition experience the highest risk of victimization. The risk of experiencing a violent victimization also varies sharply by age, gender, socioeconomic status, and community characteristics.
Association Between Local Anesthetic Dosing, Postoperative Opioid Requirement, and Pain Scores After Lumpectomy and Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy with Multimodal Analgesia.

BACKGROUND Multimodal analgesia (MMA) during breast surgery reduces postoperative pain and opioid requirements, but the relative contribution of local anesthetic dosing as a component of MMA is not well defined among patients undergoing lumpectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). PATIENTS AND METHODS We identified consecutive patients who underwent lumpectomy and SLNB with MMA from 1/2019 to 4/2020. Univariable and multivariable linear and logistic regression were used to examine associations between local anesthetics, opioid requirements in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), and pain scores in the PACU and on postoperative day (POD) 1. RESULTS In total, 1603 patients [median tumor size, 14 mm (interquartile range 8-20 mm)] were included. The median PACU opioid requirement was 0 morphine milligram equivalents (interquartile range 0-5). PACU maximum pain was none or mild in 58% of patients and moderate to severe in 42%; among 420 survey respondents, 56% reported no or mild pain and 44% reported moderate to severe pain on POD 1. On multivariable analysis that adjusted for routine components of MMA, increasing doses of 0.5% bupivacaine were associated with reduced PACU opioid requirements (β -0.04, 95% confidence interval -0.07 to -0.01, p = 0.011) and lower odds of moderate to severe pain (odds ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval 0.97-0.99, p < 0.001). Local anesthetics were not associated with pain scores on POD 1. CONCLUSIONS Higher amounts of local anesthetics reduce acute postoperative pain and opioid requirement after lumpectomy and SLNB. Maximizing dosing within weight-based limits is a low-risk, cost-effective pain control strategy that can be used in diverse practice settings.
La influencia de la emancipación de Estados Unidos en la independencia de Hispanoamérica

El articulo revisa los antecedentes politicos y las tradiciones ilustradas hispanoamericanas como preambulo del pensamiento autonomista y la cultura politica de los reinos espanoles en America. Se analiza el marco politico y social de la emancipacion de las trece colonias norteamericanas, asi como el contexto especifico que caracterizo la independencia en Hispanoamerica. Se pone especial atencion en la coyuntura de la crisis de la monarquia espanola, durante la invasion francesa a la peninsula, y la reaccion politica de las ciudades hispanoamericanas.
Principal minor ideals and rank restrictions on their vanishing sets

Abstract All matrices we consider have entries in a fixed algebraically closed field K. A minor of a square matrix is principal means it is defined by the same row and column indices. We study the ideal generated by size t principal minors of a generic matrix, and restrict our attention to locally closed subsets of its vanishing set, given by matrices of a fixed rank. The main result is a computation of the dimension of the locally closed set of n × n rank n − 2 matrices whose size n − 2 principal minors vanish; this set has dimension n 2 − n − 4 .
Influential Journals, Institutions and Researchers in Real Estate

A threshold citation approach is used to measure the research influence of academic real estate journals, institutions and individual researchers. Real Estate Economics followed by The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics and Journal of Real Estate Research are the most influential real estate journals. Almost 63% of heavily cited works in core real estate journals are published in real estate journals. Twenty-one percent of the heavily cited works are published in Real Estate Economics. An overwhelming 80% of the citations of the 21 most heavily cited papers in real estate come from articles published in real estate journals. Even when real estate articles are published in top-tier finance and economics journals, the majority of the citations associated with these articles come from top real estate journals. This provides strong evidence of the existence of a distinct real estate research discipline. As compared to prior studies, an expanded universe of institutions is found to influence real estate research. Research-extensive universities generating high-quality economics, statistics and finance research influence the real estate discipline. The individuals that are most influential, however, are generally those with substantial real estate discipline specific research.
Self-compensating laser-based ultrasound sensor using integrated photo-induced EMF detection and time-delay interferometry

Summary form only given. Laser ultrasonics offers a technique for nondestructive, noncontact ultrasonic inspection. Progress has been made, which may enable this novel diagnostic to find its way into the manufacturing arena. We describe a novel technique, which may result in a compact, high-bandwidth low-cost laser based interferometric ultrasonic receiver.
Mineral dissolution rates in plot-scale field and laboratory experiments

Abstract Mineral dissolution rates were measured on identical mineral material in field and laboratory experiments. Field dissolution rates were measured in 6 small (2 m2) plots on a spodosol in eastern Maine, U.S.A. The plots were irrigated with HCl at pH's 2, 2.5 and 3; soil solutions were collected by tension lysimeters at 25-cm depth. The composition of the soil solutions, together with the grain-size distribution and mineralogy of the soil, were used to calculate mineral dissolution rates. Laboratory dissolution experiments were performed on the 75–150-μm size fraction of soil from the site in flow-through reactors at pH-values corresponding to the pH of the bulk soil solution. The use of small plots and “untreated” minerals from the same plots eliminates many of the uncertainties encountered in previous field-laboratory comparisons. Dissolution rates observed in the field, normalized on the basis of geometrical mineral surface area, were smaller than laboratory rates by a factor of ∼200–400. The discrepancy can be explained by a number of factors. The major reason is probably imperfect contact between soil minerals and percolating solution. Macropore flow or limited exchange between water in micropores and the bulk soil solution could reduce the mineral surface area participating in the dissolution process. Retention of water in micropores could result in elevated pH-values and solute concentrations (particularly Al) near the mineral surface, resulting in lower dissolution rates. Differences in mineral surface characteristics between field and laboratory experiments can be largely excluded as a reason for the observed discrepancy since identical mineral material was used in both sets of experiments. However, part of the discrepancy might be explained by the dissolution rate not scaling with geometrical surface area.
Electromagnetic tracker accuracy in the CyberKnife suite

Electromagnetic trackers have found inroads into medical applications as a tool for navigation in recent years. Their susceptibility to interference from both electromagnetic and ferromagnetic sources have prompted several accuracy assessment studies in past years. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first accuracy study conducted to characterize measurement accuracy of an NDI AURORA electromagnetic tracker within a CyberKnife radiosurgery suite. CyberKnife is a frameless, stereotactic radiosurgery device used to ablate tumors within the brain, spine and in recent years, the chest and abdomen. This paper uses a data collection protocol to collect uniformly distributed data points within a subset of the AURORA measurement volume in a CyberKnife suite. The key aim of the study is to determine the extent to which large metal components of the CyberKnife stereotactic radiosurgery device and robot mount contribute to overall system performance for the AURORA electromagnetic device. A secondary goal of the work is to determine the variation in accuracy and device behavior with the presence of ionizing radiation when the LINAC is turned on.
Observed increase of TTL temperature and water vapor in polluted clouds over Asia

AbstractSatellite observations are analyzed to examine the correlations between aerosols and the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) temperature and water vapor. This study focuses on two regions, both of which are important pathways for the mass transport from the troposphere to the stratosphere and over which Asian pollution prevails: South and East Asia during boreal summer and the Maritime Continent during boreal winter. Using the upper-tropospheric carbon monoxide measurements from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder as a proxy of aerosols to classify ice clouds as polluted or clean, the authors find that polluted clouds have a smaller ice effective radius and a higher temperature and specific humidity near the tropopause than clean clouds. The increase in water vapor appears to be related to the increase in temperature, as a result of increased aerosols. Meteorological differences between the clouds cannot explain the differences in temperature and water vapor for the polluted and clean clouds. The authors ...
An in vitro model for studying the toxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin to human thymus

A coculture system of human thymic epithelial (HuTE) cells and thymocytes (T lymphocyte precursors) has been established and characterized as an in vitro model for assessing the potential toxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) to human thymus. HuTE cells in culture were responsive to TCDD as judged by induction of the cytochrome P1-450 monooxygenase activities, 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase (ECOD) and 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD). Measurement of the responsiveness of thymocytes cocultured on TCDD-pretreated HuTE monolayers to the mitogens concanavalin A (Con A) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) indicated that TCDD can act directly on HuTE cells to suppress thymocyte maturation (at a concentration of 10 nM, TCDD produced a 25 to 50% inhibition of thymocyte responsiveness to Con A and PHA). Both the induction of cytochrome P1-450 monooxygenase activity (EC50 values approximately 1 nM) and immunosuppressive responses elicited by TCDD in HuTE cells were concentration-dependent and stereospecific (as judged by the relative activities of chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran isomers), indicating involvement of the Ah receptor which was detected in all HuTE strains examined. Initial characterization of these Ah receptor-mediated responses in several strains of HuTE cells indicated marked interstrain differences in maximally inducible ECOD and EROD activities which did not appear to directly correlate with measured concentrations of the cytosolic Ah receptor, and in certain strains examined, differences in sensitivity and magnitude were observed for TCDD-evoked immunotoxic responses but not always for the induction response. These data on the actions of TCDD on cultured HuTE cells suggest that human thymus is a target for TCDD and related halogenated aromatic compounds. In HuTE cells, measurement of either the Ah receptor concentration or of marker responses such as the induction of cytochrome P1-450 alone cannot provide an accurate quantitative assessment of susceptibility to TCDD-induced thymus toxicity.
Cooking Methods and Heating Effects on DDT in Chicken Tissues

SUMMARY: DDT incorporated into chicken tissues during the growing period was reduced in concentration during cooking by either baking, frying, or steaming and during heating of tissues in closed containers for varying lengths of time. DDT was converted to DDD in each of the treatments, but the concentration of DDE was not altered significantly. Total losses of residue were greater when tissues were fried or steamed than when the samples were either baked or heated in closed containers. Losses of residue from chicken tissue occurred primarily through leaching of fat during the cooking process.
LEGIBILITY RATINGS FOR HANDWRITING SAMPLES: A PRAGMATIC APPROACH

Raring pupils' handwriting samples for legibility at fairly frequent intervals can yield information useful in motivating pupils and in establishing a basis for corrective teaching. Yet, in practice the awkwardness of using the typical legibility rating scales probably prevents most teachers from making such assessments very often. The notion underlying this study was that once teachers have established a set of criteria for making legibility iudgments by using scales, they should be able to make reasonably reliable judgments even when the formal use of scales is discontinued. Handwriting samples were obtained by having 240 fourth and sixth grade pupils write a paragraph containing two sentences which include all the letters in the alphabet and which are the standard sentences for the California and Wisconsin scales, respectively: "The quick brown fox just came over to greet the lazy poodle" and "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." Thus, there were two standard sentence samples from each pupil. Three judges independently rated the samples for legibility. First, the California scale, a 7-point scale that is provided as a part of the California Achievement Test battery (Tiegs & Clark, 1957), and the Wisconsin scale, a 7-point scale devised for the present smdy by procedures outlined by Herrick and Erlebacher (cf. Herrick, 1961, pp. 207-231), were used to assign a legibility rating to the appropriate sample from each pupil. Then the judges assigned a legibility rating of 1 to 7 to each sample without using a scale. Inter-judge reliability coefficients (Pearsonian) were .77, .72, and .69 with the California scale and 3 5 , 80. and .74 with the Wisconsin scale; the between-scales correlation was . 79 When raclnys were made without scales, the inter-judge coefficients were .79, .91, and .85 with the Cal~fornia sentence samples and .72, .74, and .86 for the Wisconsin sentence samples; the between-samples r was .82. The judges did about as well, then, without the scales as with them, and there was no loss in the reliability of the ratings for individuals when the scales were not used. When each judge's ratings of the California sample sentences with and without the scale were correlated, the rs were .77, .83, and .76; with the Wisconsin sentences rs were .76, .85 and .73. These results indicate there was no significant loss in the magnitude of judges' reliability ratings when the use of scales was discontinued. The implication appears to be that, given a background of experience in making such judgments, teachers do nor need to use scales to make reliable judgments regarding the legibiliy of pupils' handwriting. Further research is needed to determine optimum procedures for establishing criteria for judging. Meanwhile, a preliminary period of scale-based judging appears to be useful.
Experimental and Numerical Assessment of Woodframe Sheathing Layer Combinations for Use in Strength-Based and Performance-Based Design

AbstractWoodframe buildings are unique in that the nonstructural finishes such as gypsum wall board and stucco provide significant stiffness and strength relative to the lateral force resisting system, e.g., wood shear walls. Wall finishes, or components within a woodframe wall subassembly, can consist of multiple layered modern and/or archaic elements such as wood planks, drywall, plaster on lathe, stucco, or plywood. There exist significant differences in ductility among these materials, raising questions about how best to superimpose single-degree-of-freedom hysteretic models or backbone curves during nonlinear time history analysis or when combining backbone curves for design and retrofit. This paper presents the method and results of an experimental study of 18 walls installed with one, two, or three of the previously described finishes. Testing was performed to determine the best approach to add the sheathing layers numerically when combining the backbone curves for analysis and design. Nonlinear dy...
Knowledge variables in cross-national social inquiry

Objectives. This article examines the impact of “don't know” responses on cross-national measures of knowledge regarding science and the environment. Specifically, we explore cross-national variance in aggregate knowledge levels and the gender gap in knowledge in each of 20 nations to determine whether response-set effects contribute to observed variance. Methods. Analyses focus on a 12-item true-false knowledge battery asked as part of a 1993 International Social Survey Program environmental survey. Whereas most research on knowledge codes incorrect and “don't know” responses identically, we differentiate these response forms and develop procedures to identify and account for systematic differences in the tendency to guess. Results. Substantial cross-national variance in guessing rates is identified, variance that contributes markedly to variance in observed “knowledge” levels. Also, men are found to guess at higher rates than women, a tendency that exaggerates the magnitude of the observed gender gap in knowledge. Conclusions. Recent research has suggested that “don't know” responses pose threats to the validity of inferences derived from measures of political knowledge in the United States. Our results indicate that a similar risk exists with cross-national measures of knowledge of science and the environment. It follows that considerable caution must be exercised when comparing data drawn from different nations and cultures.
Environmental legal regulations in dealing with noise

In the Polish legislation, as well as in the EU legislation environmental protection against noise is based on actions aiming at preventing noise generation and reducing its level, where it is necessary, in order to fulfil the requirements specified by the law. Regulations concerning noise protection apply mainly to such economic branches as road transport, rail transport, and air transport. Legal measures, which contribute to the provision of the best acoustic condition of the environment, are: development of environmental protection programmes against noise, maintaining noise emissions limits, integrated permits or permits for noise emissions to the environment. Acoustic maps, whose purpose is to separate the areas exposed to noise, are of high importance in the context of noise protection. In reality a map gives an estimate of the environmental impact, giving the answer to at least the following questions: what is the state of the environment; what are the crucial issues with regards to the environment; what are the effects for the environment related to the realization of the analysed actions; how to prevent the negative effects; what protective measures should be implemented1. Acoustic maps should contain a descriptive and a graphical part, and the data included could be used as a base for actions taken by public administration in the scope of noise protection. The development of civilization has contributed not only to the improvement of quality of life but also had a negative impact on the environment, natural resources have been used excessively and without any major restrictions. Along with the economic development noise appeared, which is one of the main problems of the modern world to this day. In this paper basic information regarding environmental protection from noise governed by the Environmental Protection Act of 27 April 2001 is presented. Such issues as noise, noise level limits, noise emissions and pollution are discussed in detail. Moreover, the problem of the compliance of solutions adopted by the Polish legislator with the regulations of the European Union in this scope is discussed.
Multisite mutagenesis of interleukin 5 differentiates sites for receptor recognition and receptor activation.

Multisite mutagenesis of single-chain and monomeric forms of human interleukin 5 (IL-5) was performed to investigate mechanistic features of receptor activation and the possibility of differentiati...
Implementing Nurse-Based Systems to Provide American Indian Women With Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening

Objective To describe the factors critical to implementation of a nurse-based system to increase access for American Indian women to breast and cervical cancer screening. Material and Methods We report the experience of 103 nurses at 40 clinics who were trained to use the nurse-based screening system. In addition, the critical elements are discussed in the context of one particularly successful site. Results Fifteen factors were identified as critical to the implementation of a nurse-based cancer screening process once a nurse had been trained to perform clinical breast examinations and collect Papanicolaou (Pap) test specimens: knowledge of benefit, skills, organization, adequate return, perceived patient demand, perceived effectiveness, legitimacy, confidence, commitment, adequate resources, a data-driven iterative approach to program implementation, an objective measure of quality, leadership, the passage of time, and a focus on delivering the service to the patient. For example, in one site that was particularly successful, the nurses, administrators, and other key health-care professionals contributed their respective resources to implement the screening program. The program was also supported by the lay community, the state board of nursing, and the state health department breast and cervical cancer control program. During the 3-year study period, the 103 nurses performed screening tests on 2,483 women, and only 18 of the Pap test specimens were unsatisfactory. Conclusion Nurse-based systems designed to collect high-quality Pap test specimens and perform detailed clinical breast examinations can be implemented if the factors that are critical to implementation are identified and addressed.