cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health-Care Counter-Reform

Abstract The debate preceding passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, of 2010, was divisive amongst United States Catholics. Supporters of this flawed legislation dissented from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Threats to human dignity persist for the most vulnerable, including the unborn, elderly, immigrants, and poor. Third parties will increase intrusion upon the doctor-patient relationship. Unsustainable spending trends portend health-care rationing. Catholic social teaching offers clear, and universal, principles for citizens of good will to guide amelioration of these fundamental health-care policy concerns.
Optical trapping of high-index particles suspended in high-index fluids

Previous work has shown that single-beam gradient traps are unable to trap high index particles in fluids where the index contrast is large. However, by changing the refractive index of the surrounding medium to more closely match the index of refraction of the particle, trapping of high index particles is possible. We report preliminary efforts to trap high index glass particles having indices of about 1.9. The experimental trap stiffness data of polystyrene beads with radius 1.8 and 10 µm suspended in water is presented. The next step is to trap high index particles as well as determine the trap stiffness for those particles having diameters in the 3-10 μm range suspended in fluids having refractive indices in the range of 1.4 to 1.6.
Reduction of perchloroalkanes by ferrioxalate-generated carboxylate radical preceding mineralization by the photo-fenton reaction

Perhalogenated aliphatic compounds in water are difficult to degrade by advanced oxidation processes that rely on hydroxyl radical as the reactive oxidant. We have successfully degraded carbon tetrachloride and hexachloroethane in UV-illuminated (300−400 nm) acidic oxic or anoxic solutions containing Fe(III) and oxalate. Kinetic and product studies were carried out to elucidate the mechanism and role of O2. The initial step is a one-electron reduction of the perhaloalkane by CO2•-, which is generated by photolysis of iron(III) oxalate complexes. The products are lower-chlorinated compounds, several of which are unreactive toward CO2•-. In the presence of O2, the reaction is catalytic in Fe(III) due to the re-oxidation of Fe(II) by oxo-radical intermediates; however, O2 also retards the rate by scavenging CO2•-. After the perhalogenated substrate has been transformed, the system can be made oxidizing by the addition of H2O2, resulting in mineralization of the remaining organochlorine intermediates by a pho...
International Reserves and Fiscal Policy in Developing Countries

This paper investigates empirically the relationship between the pattern of fiscal policy and the demand for international reserves in developing countries, and how this relationship is associated with political risk and conditional access to global capital markets. It finds evidence that for developing countries with low political risk, countercyclical (procyclical) fiscal policies are associated with higher (lower) international reserve holdings in economic downturns. The relationship is stronger when the countries with low political risk rely heavily on external financing. For developing countries with high political risk, the link between reserves holdings and fiscal policy pattern is not clear-cut.
STATE-TO-STATE INELASTIC SCATTERING FROM S1 GLYOXAL WITH THE RARE GAS SERIES : UNIFORM ROTATIONAL VS CHANGING VIBRATIONAL CHANNEL COMPETITION

To provide data for the complete series of rare gases, relative cross sections are obtained for the crossed molecular beam state-to-state rotationally and rovibrationally inelastic scattering of S1 (1Au) glyoxal (CHO−CHO) in its 00, K‘ = 0 states by Ne, Ar, and Xe. When added to cross sections from a new analysis of Kr data and to published data for H2 and He, sets of cross sections for the entire rare gas series are available that show the competition among more than 25 rotational and rovibrational channels. The latter all involve Δυ7‘ = +1 where ν7‘ = 233 cm-1 is the lowest frequency mode. Despite large variations in the collisional kinematics and in the interaction potential energy surfaces, the competition among rotationally inelastic channels is essentially identical for the gases Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe. In turn, those cases differ from H2 and He solely by the fact that orbital angular momentum constraints with the light gases limit scattering to only those states with ΔK ≲ 15. In contrast, the competiti...
Revisiting the Factor Structure of the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory

Summary The original Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory, used to measure innovative (as opposed to adaptive) individual cognitive styles, has been reported to have three factors: Sufficiency of Originality, Efficiency, and Rule/Group Conformity. In exploring the construct validity of the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory, findings from a 2003 study by Im, Hu, and Toh showed the existence of two subdimensions of the Sufficiency of Originality factor—Idea Generation and Preference for Change. In this study, using a sample of 356 household participants, with an average age of 56.0 yr. (SD = 14.0), average income of $39,700 (SD = $19,200), and average of 15.0 yr. of education (SD = 2), from the Arkansas Household Research Panel, we conducted factor analyses. The results specific to our selected sample indicate that a four-factor model recognizing the two subdimensions of Sufficiency of Originality has a better fit than the original three-factor model.
Influence of Ionic Charge on Diffusion in the Surface Layer of Magnesia

The diffusion of 57Co isotope on the MgO (100) surface was investigated by the edge-source method. The surface diffusion parameter, αDsδ, where α is the segregation factor, Ds the surface diffusion coefficient, and δ the thickness of the high-diffusivity layer, was determined over the temperature region 750° to 1250°C. An Arrhenius plot shows a break at ∼1100°C. Below this temperature ionic or localized transport predominates and above it nonlocalized transport seems to predominate. The divalent Co ion diffuses faster than the trivalent Cr ion in the surface layer. The apparent activation energies for the localized surface diffusion of 57Co and 59Cr are 59±12 and 110±12 kj/mol, respectively.
Two-way avoidance learning in pigeons after olfactory nerve section

Abstract In two experiments, pigeons with bilaterally sectioned olfactory nerves reached criterion performance in two-way shock avoidance sooner than sham-operated and unoperated control birds. The CS was red light added to a constant background of green houselight, the US was footshock, and the avoidance response was moving from one compartment to the other through an intervening V-shaped opening. In the first experiment, intertrial responses delayed CS onset; in the second experiment, the ITI was fixed and intertrial responses had no effect. This contingency made no difference in the results. Differences in rate of extinction were not significant but the lesioned groups showed a consistent tendency toward a slower rate. Heart rate was recorded from each bird while partially restrained during simulated trials in which the CS was presented but not the US. These data suggested that the experimental birds were less likely to habituate to the CS. A similar effect has been found in other experiments with both rats and pigeons that had sustained olfactory lesions.
Exclusive therapeutic apheresis delivery system.

The demand for plasma exchange has grown significantly since the early 1980s after the publication of articles describing the benefits of this treatment modality in a number of serious medical conditions [1–4]. New indications for cytapheresis procedures have expanded the demand for therapeutic apheresis (TA) even further. [5,6] Most TA procedures before the 1980s were usually performed in a research setting [1–4]. With the development of clear clinical indications for TA [7,8], the need for medically and technically competent TA providers became obvious. The Bay Area Mobile Apheresis Program (BAMAP) was conceived as an entity that would: one, provide exclusively TA services to patients who needed them, two, provide a setting for training of physicians and nurses in this new field, and three, be in the forefront of research through participation in clinical trials. Twenty years later, BAMAP continues to be an exclusive TA provider serving patients throughout the state of California. This paper discusses the development, organization and function of this stand-alone TA delivery system.
Memory access: the effects of fact-oriented versus problem-oriented acquisition.

This study examined the effects of similarity between the processing of acquisition and the processing of test materials on performance in a problem solving task. Previous work by Perfetto, Bransford, and Franks (1983) demonstrated that uninformed subjects’ failure to utilize relevant acquisition information in a later problem solving task is the result of a failure to spontaneously access such information. The present study demonstrated that spontaneous access can be enhanced when both acquisition and test materials are processed in a similar manner, that is, in a problem-oriented manner. Furthermore, the present findings indicate that the processing similarity leading to enhanced access is specific to particular acquisition and test items, rather than a general problem solving set induced at acquisition and the subsequent testing situation. Results are interpreted within a transfer-appropriate processing perspective.
Reexamination of cell contents in Pennsylvanian spores and pollen grains using Raman spectroscopy

Abstract Permineralization offers exceptional structural preservation to the level of cellular components, many of which are found within fossilized plant specimens. In some cases, structures within plant cells, particularly those found within spores and pollen grains, have been interpreted as nuclei. Although these structures have been studied morphologically and ultrastructurally, little is known about their composition and origin. This study uses petrographic thin sections and ultraviolet (UV) Raman spectroscopy to reexamine cellular inclusions within three types of Pennsylvanian spores and pollen grains with the intent to interpret the molecular composition and therefore, the identity of these structures. Thin sections are examined using Raman spectroscopy, which indicates the presence of disordered carbonaceous material and calcite. There is no significant difference in the chemical composition between the intracellular inclusions and surrounding areas within each specimen. This study represents one of the first applications of Raman spectroscopy in which the internal cell contents of fossil plant taxa are analyzed. Results do not support the presence of nuclei, although further examination is recommended to elucidate the origin and identity of the intracellular inclusions.
Homography-based ground detection for a mobile robot platform using a single camera

This paper presents a practical approach to ground detection in mobile robot applications based on a monocular sequence captured by an on-board camera. We formulate the problem of ground plane detection as one of estimating the dominant homography between two frames taken from the sequence, and then design an efficient algorithm for the estimation. In particular, we analyze a problem inherent to any homography-based approach to the given task, and show how the proposed approach can address this problem to a large degree. Although not explicitly discussed, the proposed method can be used to guide the maneuver of the robot, as the detected ground plane can in turn be used in obstacle avoidance
Computation spreading: employing hardware migration to specialize CMP cores on-the-fly

In canonical parallel processing, the operating system (OS) assigns a processing core to a single thread from a multithreaded server application. Since different threads from the same application often carry out similar computation, albeit at different times, we observe extensive code reuse among different processors, causing redundancy (e.g., in our server workloads, 45-65% of all instruction blocks are accessed by all processors). Moreover, largely independent fragments of computation compete for the same private resources causing destructive interference. Together, this redundancy and interference lead to poor utilization of private microarchitecture resources such as caches and branch predictors.We present Computation Spreading (CSP), which employs hardware migration to distribute a thread's dissimilar fragments of computation across the multiple processing cores of a chip multiprocessor (CMP), while grouping similar computation fragments from different threads together. This paper focuses on a specific example of CSP for OS intensive server applications: separating application level (user) computation from the OS calls it makes.When performing CSP, each core becomes temporally specialized to execute certain computation fragments, and the same core is repeatedly used for such fragments. We examine two specific thread assignment policies for CSP, and show that these policies, across four server workloads, are able to reduce instruction misses in private L2 caches by 27-58%, private L2 load misses by 0-19%, and branch mispredictions by 9-25%.
Viscosity of G-ADP and G-ATP actin.

Abstract The intrinsic viscosities of several preparations of G-ADP actin and G-ATP actin have been measured at 0 °. An intrinsic viscosity of 3.7 ml per gram was found for G-ADP actin in the presence of 0.1 or 0.2 m monovalent salt. In 0.1 m m MgCl 2 , using Cannon Master viscometers, an intrinsic viscosity of about 5 ml per gram was obtained for G-ADP and G-ATP actin, suggesting identical conformations for the two molecules. These viscosities are substantially lower than those previously reported for globular actin, and indicate axial ratios between 1 and 4. These values provide direct confirmation from actin in solution for the shape of the globular actin obtained from electron micrographs by Hanson and Lowy and by Rowe.
Weathering of the Eaton Sandstone (Pennsylvanian), Grand Ledge, Michigan: Geochemical Mass-Balance and Implications for Reservoir Properties Beneath Unconformities

The Eaton Sandstone (Pennsylvanian), which crops out near Grand Ledge, Michigan, has been modified by weathering. Qualitative and quantitative modifications in detrital and diagenetic mineralogy are identified by comparing outcrop samples with subsurface counterparts collected from depths ranging from 22 to 41 meters below surface grade. Mass-balance calculations suggest that most major elements are removed from the sandstone during weathering, but iron appears to be conserved within the sandstone, with local Fe redistribution occurring on the scale of meters from joint-block interiors to 1-2 cm thick zones of ferruginous cementation (groundwater ferricretes) at joint faces. Dissolution of detrital schistose lithic fragments has converted a sublitharenite to a quartz arenite. Two possible sequences of weathering events for the Pennsylvanian Eaton Sandstone are proposed: (1) simultaneous cement dissolution and case hardening involving formation of groundwater ferricretes simultaneously with weathering of ferrous sulfides and carbonates; dissolved iron generated during degradation of these phases diffused to the joint faces for groundwater ferricrete formation; and (2) sequential cement dissolution and case hardening where weathering of ferrous carbonates and pyrite resulted in replacement by ferric oxyhydroxides initially, followed by the dissolution of the ferric oxyhydroxides in dilute reducing waters. The latter step liberated iron, which contributed to the formation of the groundwater ferricrete at the joint faces. The subaerially exposed and weathered Eaton Sandstone serves as a modern analog of weathering products commonly preserved beneath unconformities in sedimentary sections. Carbonate cements have been dissolved from the subaerially exposed sandstone, resulting in rejuvenation of primary intergranular porosity. Kaolinite in the Eaton Sandstone is an early burial diagenetic mineral and is unrelated to subaerial weathering of K-feldspar; K-feldspar appears to be stable in outcrop. Kaolinite is presently dissolving, with the Al3+ being mobilized into the aquifer. These observations suggest that: (1) kaolinite may be destroyed as well as formed beneath an unconformity, and (2) kaolinite is not a reliable indicator of an unconformity. The ferruginous-cemented joint faces have the potential to create seals with respect to fluid flow within the sandstone. The seals have strong implications for aquifer and reservoir compartmentalization.
Assessment of Clinical Competence: Written and Computer-Based Simulations

ABSTRACT Written and computer‐based clinical simulations have been used in the health professions to assess aspects of clinical competence for many years. However, this review of the dozens of studies of their psychometric characteristics fmds little evidence to justify their continued use. While studies of the fidelity of simulations have demonstrated that examinees feel they are realistic and have good face validity, reliability studies have repeatedly shown that scores are too imprecise for meaningful interpretation, unless unpractically large numbers of simulations are included in a test. Validity studies have demonstrated that simulations have the expected relationships with a host of criterion measures, but it appears that similar assessment information can be obtained using clinically‐oriented multiple choice questions in much less testing time. Some common methodological weaknesses in study design and analysis are identified, and some research directions are suggested to improve the psychometric c...
Effect of the Dimensions of a Stepped-Pole Writer on Side Erasure and Recording Performance

Micromagnetic simulations are used to investigate side erasure as a function of write transducer geometry for shingled recording on a non-oriented barium-ferrite particulate tape media without a soft-underlayer. A ring-type writer with a short stepped pole is shown to produce very little transition curvature compared to conventional writers and to almost eliminate the erase band at the shingled track edge. In addition, the effect of the stepped pole on side erasure is found to be essentially independent of the writer gap size. However, the dimensions of the stepped pole do affect the system recording performance and should not be selected arbitrarily. We find that intermediate stepped-pole lengths produce smaller broad-band signal-to-noise ratio (BB-SNR) than a conventional writer, or require much larger deep-gap fields, whereas writers with short stepped poles (typically below 100 nm) provide more than 1 dB BB-SNR uplift at 200 kfci for only a moderate increase of writer deep-gap field. Finally, we find that the effect of the stepped pole on write performance also depends on the writer gap size.
Popular Culture and the Aesthetization of Politics: Hegemonic Struggle and Postcolonial Nationalism in Trinidad Carnival

This paper has twin objectives: one, to interrogate the conjuncture of culture and power within the Trinidad carnival; and two, to explore the relationship between the carnival and the project of postcolonial nation-building in Trinidad and Tobago. It accomplishes this by historicizing the trinity of the modern carnival: mas, calypso, and pan. Addressing the role of popular culture in the construction of hegemony, it traces the long, serpentine process of struggle over control of the festival. Elite balls gave way to the carnival of the underclass, after the abolition of slavery in 1838. As Trinidad's population became more culturally diverse, class conflict over the carnival escalated. This paved the way for the gradual appropriation of carnival by the Creole middle class. Middle-class hegemony was further consolidated during World War II by "American Occupation," which facilitated its commodification and commercialization. Although calypso has retained its character as protest music, it too, has been commoditized since the turn of the century, enhanced by the American presence. New forms of resistance in song have emerged, such as Rapso. The steelband movement (pan) emerged in the pre-war years as a revolution both in the soundscape and social landscape of Trinidad, but acquired legitimacy through political patronage. In the post-independence era, carnival has been constructed as official "national culture," a performance of solidarity powerful enough to constitute a sense of brotherhood in a population fractured by competing racial, ethnic, and class loyalties. But, as a symbol, carnival cannot be "owned," and remains the stage on which conflicting ideas and values are contested.
What is the role of renin inhibition in the treatment of diabetic kidney disease

Inhibition of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) plays a pivotal role in preventing and treating diabetic nephropathy. However, despite documented beneficial effects of RAAS inhibitors in diabetic patients with nephropathy, reversal of the progressive course of this disorder or at least long-term stabilization of renal function are often difficult to achieve, and many patients still progress to end-stage renal disease. Incomplete inhibition of the RAAS has been postulated as one of the reasons for unsatisfactory therapeutic responses to RAAS inhibition in some patients. Inhibition of renin, a rate-limiting step in the RAAS activation cascade, is the logical approach to overcome at least some of the above-mentioned problems associated with the treatment with traditional RAAS inhibitors. This article focuses on experimental and clinical studies evaluating the two principal approaches to renin inhibition: direct renin inhibition with competitive inhibitors (eg, aliskiren) and inhibition of the (pro)renin receptor.
A low molecular weight, heat‐labile factor enhances neutrophil fc receptor–mediated lysosomal enzyme release and phagocytosis

When exposed to solid-phase immune complexes, polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) degranulate and release proteases capable of degrading the major structural macromolecules of the joint. Evidence indicates that the PMN response to such activators may be modified by factors present at the sites of inflammation. We have evaluated the effects of a low molecular weight factor present in synovial fluid from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients on Fc receptor-mediated PMN degranulation and phagocytosis. Synovial fluid samples from 11 RA patients were studied; 10 of them contained factor(s) which augmented phagocytosis and degranulation mediated through the Fc receptor. This factor(s) alone, however, did not initiate neutrophil degranulation: its MW is less than 10,000 daltons and it is unstable when heated to 56 degrees C. We also examined supernatants that were produced by coculturing adherent human mononuclear cells stimulated by IgG-coated sheep red blood cells with autologous nonadherent mononuclear cells. A factor(s) with properties similar to those found in the synovial fluids (i.e., heat-labile at 56 degrees C and capable of augmenting Fc receptor-mediated degranulation and phagocytosis) was found in the stimulated human mononuclear cell culture supernatants. Filtration studies indicated that the MW of this factor(s) is between 2,000 and 10,000 daltons. No such activity was detected in culture supernatants of unstimulated mononuclear cells. Production of the cytokine was blocked by cycloheximide, indicating that protein synthesis was necessary. This factor(s), by enhancing PMN degranulation, may augment PMN-mediated tissue destruction in diseases such as RA.
Genetic and Biochemical Studies of Medium Chain Fatty Acid Synthesis in Cuphea

Cuphea mutants displaying altered seed oil fatty acid profiles have been isolated following EMS mutagenesis. The phenotypes of single and double homozygous mutants are discussed. cDNA clones encoding putative acyl-ACP thioesterases and β-ketoacyl synthases have been isolated from a C. wrightii embryo library.
The intracerebral administration of phenytoin using controlled-release polymers reduces experimental seizures in rats

Abstract Purpose: An alternative strategy for the treatment of intractable seizures may be to administer anticonvulsants directly into the brain near the site of a seizure focus using controlled-release polymers. We describe the pharmacokinetics of a phenytoin–ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVAc) controlled-release polymer and report the reduction of seizures in a cobalt-induced rat model of epilepsy with the intracerebral delivery of phenytoin using surgically implanted polymers. Methods: In the pharmacokinetics study, the drug release rate of 50%-loaded phenytoin–EVAc polymers ( n =3) was determined in vitro over 15 weeks initially and then several months later (over a 2-week period after 1 year of in vivo release). In the efficacy study, 85 rats underwent implantation of skull-mounted cortical electrodes for electrocorticography (ECoG) and then underwent application of cobalt chloride to the cerebral cortex for the induction of seizures. Rats in the treatment group ( n =9) underwent surgical implantation of phenytoin–EVAc polymers and rats in the control group ( n =10) underwent implantation of empty EVAc polymers. In the morbidity study, the potential histologic pathology of the intracerebral delivery of increasing doses of phenytoin from the polymer (10, 20, 30, and 50% loading) was assessed. Results: Phenytoin was released in vitro from EVAc polymers in a controlled fashion with an initial release of 0.20% of the total loaded dose per week and a continued release of 0.70% of the total loaded dose per week after 365 days of implantation in the brain. The intracerebral controlled-release of phenytoin resulted in a statistically significant reduction in seizure activity in the treatment group as evidenced by lower Racine scores. The four groups of rats ( n =5 per group) that underwent intracerebral implantation of 10, 20, 30, or 50%-loaded phenytoin–EVAc polymers displayed expected average weight gain and normal behavior over 365 days. One rat in the 50% group, however, died 354 days after polymer implantation for undetermined reasons. Conclusions: The intracerebral delivery of phenytoin using an EVAc polymer, which will release this drug for a calculated period of 3.5 years, resulted in a significant reduction in seizures in a rat model of cobalt-induced epilepsy by both behavioral and ECoG criteria. In rats, the long-term interstitial delivery of phenytoin in the brain was not associated with any deleterious effects.
Software reliability analysis with component-level fault tolerance

This paper presents, an approach to assess the reliability of an application taking into consideration component-level fault tolerance is developed. Fault tolerance mechanisms represent an effective way of improving the reliability of a software application. When fault tolerance is employed for only a subset of application components it is necessary to analyze the reliability of the application taking into consideration the impact of component-level fault tolerance within the context of application architecture.
Climatic criteria for land application of municipal wastewater effluent

Climatic characteristics of the coastal region require design considerations for land application systems that have been largely ignored or the bases for which have been unavailable. For example, the amount of effluent flow in a land application system increases when precipitation occurs, while at the same time the net water requirement of plants decreases. Therefore extra storage and extra land acreage is needed, but the amount required has not been established. Additionally, frequent rainfall coupled with high humidity creates an evaporation regime in the coastal region that inhibits the efficiency and viability of the land application disposal method. The bases of these problems are climatological; therefore, this study uses a climatological analysis to provide design considerations regarding the capability of this disposal method in the coastal region. The availability of long-term digitized daily weather data offers the opportunity to test the design of such systems by simulating multiple years of operation. Simulation using 30 years of weather data for a 3800 m3/d (1 mgd) plant in the southeastern coastal region of the United States shows that the best design requires a 256 ha (640 A) application field and a 16 ha (40 A) storage pond 3.7 m (12 ft) deep. These specifications provide system success ranging from 99% in 6 months of the year to 90% in March and prevent any failures in 90% of the years.
An Evaluation of a Multicomponent Early Literacy Program for Students With Severe Developmental Disabilities

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a multicomponent early literacy curriculum that included phonics and phonemic awareness in comparison to a sight word approach. A total of 93 students with severe developmental disabilities who were enrolled in Grades K through 4 were randomly assigned to either a multicomponent early literacy curriculum or a sight word comparison curriculum. The instructional interventions were implemented over an academic school year. Results indicated that students in the multicomponent early literacy curriculum had significantly higher mean literacy scores than the students in the sight word condition, with small to moderate effect sizes (.30–.49). Further analysis indicated that phonics skills appeared to contribute most to the differences between the two curriculum approaches. Implications for teaching decoding skills, one of the components needed for students to become fully literate, are discussed.
Overcoming Silences: Comment on “Teaching as an Encounter with the Self: Unraveling the Mix of Personal Beliefs, Education Ideologies, and Pedagogical Practices”

In this reflection on her practice as a teacher educator, Linda S. Gibson breaks the compact of silence with her friends, family, and students. It is a welcome decision that originates with Wind-Wolf and Jordan. Robert Lake's concerns for his son Wind-Wolf and Felicia's worries for Jordan enable Gibson and her students to begin exploring more expansive notions of what is worth knowing and what it means to educate all our children. These parents' hopes for their children remind us of a central school purpose-to help children feel at home in both worlds, family and school, and to equip them to travel with confidence, capability, and ease from one setting to the other. The stories about Wind-Wolf and Jordan themselves have important meaning for us all about children's struggles with membership in two cultures, about the denigration and pain in seeing oneself through the eyes of "unknowing" others-the peculiar sensation of double consciousness that W. E. B. Du Bois (1965) described almost one hundred years ago. Yet it is Gibson's deliberations on the subsequent conversations with her students that startle her to new understandings of herself and her teacher educator role. I suggest that she is "witnessing whiteness," to borrow Michelle Fine's (1997) term-bringing voice to the double-edged sword that so many people of color living in the United States grow up learning: racism not only disadvantages certain groups, it privileges and empowers others. As Julian Bond noted recently, "Acknowledging and understanding white-skin privilege is the vital first step in any honest dialogue about race" (1998:2). That recognition is difficult for most who are privileged; exposing it seems especially hard. In revealing her own "experience of privilege," Gibson's raised consciousness opens the possibility for engaging with her students in a different and important kind of teaching and learning. I also teach preservice teachers and I continually question how to help future-teacher students develop a knowledge and will to enact a vision of powerful learning for every child, regardless of what children look like, what language is spoken at home, who they live with, and where they live. Moreover, how will my students develop an expectation of
Libertarian Propositions on Violence within and between Nations: A Test against Published Research Results

This article subjects the following propositions to systematic tests against the quantitative literature: that violence does not occur between libertarian states; that the more libertarian two stat...
Inverting the Turing jump in complexity theory

The paper investigates the invertibility of certain analogs of the Turing jump operator in the polynomial-time Turing degrees. If /spl Cscr/ is some complexity class, the /spl Cscr/-jump of a set A is the canonical /spl Cscr/-complete set relative to A. It is shown that the PSPACE-jump and EXP-jump operators are not invertible, i.e., there is a PSPACE-hard (resp. EXP-hard) set that is not p-time Turing equivalent to the PSPACE-jump (resp. EXP-jump) of any set. It is also shown that if PH collapses to /spl Sigma//sub k//sup p/, then the /spl Sigma//sub k//sup p/-jump is not invertible. In particular, if NP=co-NP, then the NP-jump is not invertible, witnessed, in particular, by G/spl oplus/SAT, where G is any 1-generic set. These results run contrary to the Friedberg (1957) Completeness Criterion in recursion theory, which says that every (recursive) Turing degree above 0' is the Turing jump of another degree. The sets used in the paper to witness /spl Cscr/-jump noninvertibility are all of the form G/spl oplus/C, cohere G is 1-generic and C is some /spl Cscr/-complete set. Other facts regarding 1-generics G and G/spl oplus/SAT are also explored. In particular, G always lies in NP/sup A/-P/sup A/ for some A/spl les/G/sub tt//sup P/, but if A/spl les//sub /spl oplus/P-tt//sup p/ G/sub /spl oplus//SAT/spl les//sub T//sup P/SAT/sup A/ for some A, then G/spl les//sub T//sup P/A/spl oplus/SAT, which in turn implies either G/spl les//sub T//sup P/ A or P/spl ne/NP.
Graduates of orthopaedic residency training are increasingly subspecialized a review of the American board of orthopaedic surgery part II database

Background: Orthopaedic fellowships first gained popularity in the U.S. in the 1970s, and since that time, the percentage of orthopaedic residency graduates pursuing subspecialty fellowship training has increased. Prior reports have shown an increase in subspecialization from 1988 through 2002; however, the current number and proportion of graduates pursuing fellowship training since 2002 are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of recent graduates who pursue fellowship training and the proportion of procedures that these graduates perform within their area of fellowship training. Methods: Data from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Part II examination for board certification were used to determine the number and percentage of fellowship-trained and non-fellowship-trained applicants from 2003 to 2013. The percentage of cases performed by fellowship-trained applicants within their area of fellowship training was calculated and was analyzed as a function of time and a function of fellowship training category. Linear regression was used to determine trend as a function of time. Results: The percentage of fellowship-trained applicants increased from 76% in 2003 to 90% in 2013. Of the 1,257,161 procedures performed by fellowship-trained applicants, 981,077 (78%) were performed within the surgeon’s area of fellowship training. Spine and hand-trained applicants performed more than 85% of their procedures within their area of fellowship training. Conclusions: From 2003 to 2013, the percentage of fellowship-trained applicants taking the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Part II examination gradually increased to 90%. In the same time period, fellowship-trained surgeons performed an increasing proportion of procedures within their area of subspecialty training. Orthopaedic graduates have become increasingly subspecialized over the past decade.
Introduction to competence-based social work: The profession of caring, knowing, and serving, by Michael E. Sherr and Johnny M. Jones

This book is ideal for students who are in the early stages of introduction to the social work discipline. It is sectioned into three comprehensive parts that describe each of the amalgamated units...
An "Officer" and a G[old]man: The Third Circuit Finds Ambiguous Corporate Titles Jeopardize Right to Advancement Under Delaware Law in Aleynikov v. Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

On its face, _Aleynikov_ addresses a basic question: in what circumstances do which corporate actors receive the rights of advanced legal fees? In a narrow sense, the court’s holding cautions corporate practitioners to reexamine the clarity of their clients’ bylaws and to encourage investment in liability insurance to protect individuals in high managerial positions. More broadly, however, the _Aleynikov_ holding gives precedential leeway for companies who benefit from employees with “inflated” VP titles to do so without culpability for their actions.
Performance tells it slant

The National Communication Association [NCA], the professional organization that sponsors TPQ, recently celebrated its 100th anniversary and, significantly, performance scholars have been influential in defining the academic discipline from its inception. Currently, these scholars call their work performance studies, a label that includes those interested in the “study, criticism, research, teaching, public awareness, and application of the artistic, humanistic, and cultural principles of performance” (Performance Studies). Yet, for NCA's first 75 years, these scholars identified their work using terms that signified conspicuous aesthetic performance practices: elocution, expression, oral interpretation. During these years, scholars understood performance as performing art, literary study, communicative act, self-development, or some amalgam of these perspectives (Whitaker, “Critical Reasons” 192). For each of these approaches, performance was an act comprised of some combination of performer, text, and audience. While these approaches endure, and many remain invested in traditional notions of performer, text, and audience, expanded definitions of these elements, as well as a growing interest in the contexts of performance, warranted a name change to performance studies, which necessarily broadened what we might study as well as how we might proceed.
Tobacco Budworm: Penetration of Several Insecticides into the Larva

The rate of penetration of four 14C-labeled insecticides into the cuticle and internal tissues of larvae of 2 strains of Heliothis virescens (F.), was measured at specific times after topical application. One strain was resistant to methyl parathion and other organophosphates; the second was Susceptible. The insecticides were DDT, endrin, carharyl, and malathion. All the insecticides penetrated more rapidly and reached higher concentrations in internal tissues of larvae of the susceptible strain. Differences between strains in rate of penetration were largest with malathion and DDT. With both strains the penetration rate from fastest to slowest was in order carbaryl > malathion > cndrin > DDT.
Exploratory Analysis of Marketing Data: A Reply

The major problem is that Crocker misinterprets the intent of our article. Before considering the specific points he raises, let me restate the basic intent: regression analysis is commonly used in the development of predictive models in marketing. Some evidence now exists to suggest that, in certain situations, this practice may not be optimal. An alternative method, tree analysis, may lead to better predictive models in these situations. We tested the above hypothesis in a situation where regression analysis is often used in an exploratory manner-the site location problem. For example, Kotler [4, p. 442] implied that the Rayco Company was following good practice when it used stepwise regression to develop a model to predict volume at retail locations. And I am aware of at least one oil company which has used stepwise regression for location of service stations. In our judgment, problems with the data in the site location problem should tend to render the exploratory use of regression analysis less effective than the use of trees. In short, we were attempting to demonstrate that there are situations where trees are expected to be more effective than regression. I would now like to consider the specific points raised in Crocker's article.
Modification of a commercial thromboelastography instrument to measure coagulation dynamics with three-dimensional biomaterials

Three-dimensional synthetic constructs with complex geometries have immense potential for use in a multitude of blood-contacting applications. Understanding coagulation phenomena is arguably the most critical aspect for applications involving synthetic biomaterials; however, real-time evaluation of the clot formation while interfacing with these materials is difficult to achieve in a reproducible and robust manner. Here, work representing first steps toward addressing this deficit is presented, wherein modified consumables for a clinical instrument (a Thromboelastograph®) have been fabricated. Thromboelastography (TEG) measures viscoelastic properties throughout clot formation and therefore provides clinically relevant coagulation measurements in real time (i.e., kinetics and strength of clot formation). Through our modification, TEG consumables can readily accommodate three-dimensional materials (e.g., those for regenerative tissue applications). The authors performed proof-of-concept experiments using p...
Exploring Patterns of Awareness and Use of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has shown promise as a safe and effective HIV prevention strategy, but there is limited research on awareness and use among young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Using baseline data from the “Keep It Up! 2.0” randomized control trial, we examined differences in PrEP awareness and use among racially diverse YMSM (N = 759; mean age = 24.2 years). Participants were recruited from study sites in Atlanta, Chicago, and New York City, as well as through national advertising on social media applications. While 67.5 % of participants reported awareness of PrEP, 8.7 % indicated using the medication. Awareness, but not use, varied by demographic variables. PrEP-users had twice as many condomless anal sex partners (ERR = 2.05) and more condomless anal sex acts (ERR = 1.60) than non-users. Future research should aim to improve PrEP awareness and uptake among YMSM and address condom use.
Classification of Compact 2-manifolds

Classification of Compact 2-manifolds George Winslow It is said that a topologist is a mathematician who can not tell the difference between a doughnut and a coffee cup. The surfaces of the two objects, viewed as topological spaces, are homeomorphic to each other, which is to say that they are topologically equivalent. In this thesis, we acknowledge some of the most well-known examples of surfaces: the sphere, the torus, and the projective plane. We then observe that all surfaces are, in fact, homeomorphic to either the sphere, the torus, a connected sum of tori, a projective plane, or a connected sum of projective planes. Finally, we delve into algebraic topology to determine that the aforementioned surfaces are not homeomorphic to one another, and thus we can place each surface into exactly one of these equivalence classes. Thesis Director: Dr. Marco Aldi Classification of Compact 2-manifolds
Friends and social contexts as unshared environments: a discordant sibling analysis of obesity- and health-related behaviors in young adolescents.

Friends and social contexts as unshared environments: a discordant sibling analysis of obesity- and health-related behaviors in young adolescents
NAFTA 2.0 – What Should Be Next?

The Trump Administration’s plan to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has spurred renewed attention to the Agreement among scholars and analysts as well as in the media. Much of the commentary regarding the impacts of NAFTA on the United States has centered on the role of NAFTA-induced trade between the United States and Mexico. Trade-based analyses are clearly important and useful, but there are other, largely unstudied, ways by which NAFTA has impacted the US economy. In this article, we widen the scope of the debate by exploring the overall impact of NAFTA, with attention to trade, foreign direct investment (FDI), employment, immigration, technology, labor interests, and the environment. We then recommend policy changes, centering on updating the Agreement to bring it into line with more recent US trade agreements and with the realities of the current economic and technological landscape.
Instance Selection Using Genetic Algorithms for an Intelligent Ensemble Trading System

Abstract Instance selection is a way to remove unnecessary data that can adversely affect the prediction model, thereby selecting representative and relevant data from the original data set that is expected to improve predictive performance. Instance selection plays an important role in improving the scalability of data mining algorithms and has also proven to be successful over a wide range of classification problems. However, instance selection using an evolutionary approach, as proposed in this study, is different from previous methods that have focused on improving accuracy performance in the stock market (i.e., Up or Down forecast). In fact, we propose a new approach to instance selection that uses genetic algorithms (GAs) to define a set of target labels that can identify the buying and selling signals and then select instances according to three performance measures of the trading system (i.e., the winning ratio, the payoff ratio, and the profit factor). An intelligent ensemble trading system with instance selection using GAs is then developed for investors in the stock market. An empirical study of the proposed model is conducted using 35 companies from the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the New York Stock Exchange, and the Nasdaq Stock Market from January, 2006 to December, 2016.
Young millennials, environmental orientation, food company sustainability, and green word-of-mouth recommendations

Threats loom for the global food supply. Food companies are taking action, yet consumer awareness lags. A sustainability materiality (SM) index was created that asked young millennials if issues re...
Mixed epistemic-aleatory uncertainty quantification using reduced dimensional polynomial chaos and parametric ANOVA

In this paper, a reduced dimensional PC approach is presented to model the impact of both aleatory (random) and epistemic (ignorance based) uncertainty on the response of distributed transmission line networks. The key feature of this approach is the development of a parameterized analysis of variance (PANOVA) strategy to identify which of the aleatory dimensions have minimal impact on the response of the network over the entire multidimensional support of the epistemic dimensions. By removing these statistically insignificant dimensions, a highly compact PC representation of the response can be developed to capture the mixed epistemic-aleatory effects.
COMPUTER SIMULATIONS OF DOMAIN GROWTH

A review is given of the use of lattice gas models to simulate the kinetics of first-order phase transitions. In particular we discuss domain growth in the non-conserved Ising model, a prototypical example which simulates, for example, the order-disorder transition in binary alloys. Other models will also be discussed.