cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computation of near-optimal control policies by trajectory approximation: Hyperbolic-distributed parameter systems with space-independent controls

Trajectory approximations have been used to compute near-optimal control policies for a number of lumped-parameter systems. In this paper the technique is generalized to distributed-parameter systems. The essence of the method is the approximation of the state and adjoint variables of the problem by a linear combination of spatially dependent trial functions and time-dependent mixing coefficients. Application of the method of weighted residuals to the spatial variations reduces the problem to one involving a system of ordinary differential equations for the mixing coefficients. Results are presented of an application of the algorithm to the determination of nearoptimal control policies for a tubular plug-flow heat exchanger with uniform wall flux forcing. The results compare favorably with the optimal solutions and indicate that the method could be of considerable value in implementing optimal control for a wide class of systems.
Towards A Better Understanding of Public Service Motivation and Mission Valence in Public Agencies

AbstractResearch has not fully considered how public service motivation (PSM) and mission valence may work together to influence job satisfaction, extra-role behaviours, and turnover intentions. As a result, a causal model was developed and tested on local, state, and federal government employees in the United States. The results indicate that PSM had a direct effect on mission valence and extra-role behaviours. They also revealed that mission valence fully mediated the relationship between PSM and job satisfaction and partially mediated the relationship between PSM and extra-role behaviours. On the other hand, mission valence did not mediate the relationship between PSM and turnover intentions. These findings are thoroughly discussed in this article.
Contractual Mix in Southern Agriculture since the Civil War: Facts, Hypotheses, and Tests

In the South after 1865, workers and property owners employed a variety of contracts—wage payment, crop sharing, and land rental—to bring together cooperating resources in agricultural production. The contractual mix varied over time and space, depending on the relative resource endowments of the contracting parties, the prevailing risk conditions, and the transactions costs of alternative contractual arrangements. To understand the contractual mix, certain empirical distinctions must be made, and the major hypotheses advanced to explain the mix must be seen as complementary rather than mutually exclusive. These hypotheses, however, differ in their demonstrated ability to account for the empirical variance. In addition to factual clarification and theoretical explication, the paper presents a new sample of plantation data and a new econometric procedure for performing more detailed and better controlled tests of hypotheses.
Stress outsourced: a haptic social network via crowdsourcing

Stress OutSourced (SOS) is a peer-to-peer network that allows anonymous users to send each other therapeutic massages to relieve stress. By applying the emerging concept of crowdsourcing to haptic therapy, SOS brings physical and affective dimensions to our already networked lifestyle while preserving the privacy of its members. This paper first describes the system, its three unique design choices regarding privacy model, combining mobility and scalability, and affective communication for an impersonal crowd, and contrasts them with other efforts in their respective areas. Finally, this paper describes future work and opportunities in the area of haptic social networks.
Choice Models of Deterrence: Another Look

Choice models of deterrence emphasize the importance of including rewards and costs for both crime and noncrime in capturing the process whereby criminal decisions are made. A review of the literature indicates that these models also include probabilities as well as magnitudes for both rewards and costs of crime, but exclude probabilities for law-abiding behavior, treating rewards for noncrime as opportunity costs while eschewing their chance of occurrence. Here we provide experimental data comparing the explanatory power of 2 choice models, one that includes probabilities for rewards and costs for noncrime and another that omits these probabilities altogether. Findings show that the more inclusive model explains approximately twice as much variation in the dependent variable, thereby providing additional support for earlier findings.
THE PRESENT STATUS OF THE GERM‐CELL PROBLEM IN VERTEBRATES

Summary (i) Morphological studies relating to the origin and differentiation of the definitive germ cells in vertebrates have, as indicated, resulted in conflicting views. In many instances two or more competent investigators who have studied the same form have reached different conclusions. (2) Some contend that the germ cells are set aside from the soma during the early stages of embryonic development, and that these alone serve as the progenitors of the functional sex cells. (3) Others recognize an early differentiation of sex cells but hold that these are supplemented by others produced from the somatic epithelium of the gonad in late embryonic or post-embryonic stages. (4) Another group recognizes the early differentiated cells as germ cells but contend that these all degenerate and that the definitive ones are formed from the germinal epithelium. These degenerating germ cells are believed by certain authors to be a phylogenetic recapitulation of the condition in lower forms. (5) Finally, yet another group contends that the so-called primordial germ cells are not germ cells at all but are enlarged cells in some stage of mitosis or in some specific metabolic phase. This group believes that all germ cells are derived from the somatic cells of the germinal epithelium. (6) Experimental work supports the view that the primordial germ cells, which are recognized early, are the progenitors of the definitive sex cells. When these primordial germ cells are prevented from reaching the site of the developing gonad the individual fails to develop sex cells, although a sterile gonad and its associated structures may develop. (7) I suggest that the observed proliferation of germ cells from the germinal epithelium, reported by numerous investigators, can be interpreted in another way by a thorough study of the enlarged germ cells in relation to the epithelium. It seems probable that the cells of the epithelium, which form functional sex elements, are not and never were a part of the mesothelial covering, but are cells which were segregated early, and are merely stored in the epithelium.
An Andean ice-core record of a Middle Holocene mega-drought in North Africa and Asia

An ice core from the Nevado Huascaran col in the Cordillera Blanca of northern Peru contains high-resolution time series of dust concentrations and size distributions since the end of the last glacial stage. A large dust peak, dated � 4500 years ago, is contemporaneous with a widespread and prolonged drought that apparently extended from North Africa to eastern China, evidence of which occurs in historical, archeological and paleoclimatic records. This event may have been associated with several centuries of weak Asian/Indian/African monsoons, possibly linked with a protracted cooling in the North Atlantic. During the second half of the 20th century, high austral-summer dust concentrations in the Huascaran record are significantly correlated with atmospheric conditions, such as sea-level pressure and zonal wind velocities that are consistent with El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) indices, and with aridity in North Africa, southwest Asia and the Middle East. Therefore, the dominant submicron fraction of the dust may have been transported by more intense northeasterly trade winds from the African dry regions across the tropical Atlantic during a period of frequent and/or intense ENSO activity. The proposed ENSO conditions that may have been linked with drought in the monsoon region may also have contributed to aridity in tropical South America, including the Cordillera Blanca.
Clinical relevance of the i(12p) marker chromosome in germ cell tumors.

BACKGROUND Germ cell tumors in men are curable at all stages and are among the most sensitive of all cancers to chemotherapy. An isochromosome of the short arm of chromosome 12, i(12p), has been reported to be a frequent marker of these tumors and to have diagnostic and prognostic significance. PURPOSE We evaluated the possible association between this cytogenetic marker and clinical outcome for men with germ cell tumors. METHODS One hundred seventy-eight germ cell tumor samples from 150 men were studied using conventional and molecular cytogenetic techniques. Of these samples, 171 were evaluable. Patient characteristics, disease stage, treatment outcome, and disease status were correlated with the observed cytogenetic changes. In addition, 28 biopsy specimens obtained from 28 patients with tumors of uncertain histogenesis were evaluated to determine whether the presence of i(12p) could serve as a diagnostic marker of a germ cell origin for these tumors. RESULTS Of the 171 evaluable tumor accessions, 101 (59%) yielded abnormal karyotypes. i(12p) was determined to be present in 79 of the 101 (79%) abnormal karyotypes, which were derived from all cell types and primary sites. An abnormal karyotype was more frequently obtained from nonseminomatous tumors (91/137 [81%]) than from seminomas (10/34 [30%] [P < .001]). Tumors resulting in a cytogenetic failure were more likely to respond completely to chemotherapy than tumors with an abnormal karyotype (P = .004). i(12)p copy number was not associated with response or survival. Fluorescence in situ hybridization using a chromosome 12 centromere-specific probe detected i(12p) in 47 of 47 tumors (100%) already shown to have i(12p) by cytogenetic analysis and in 13 of 49 tumors (27%) exhibiting either an abnormal karyotype or a cytogenetic failure. One or more copies of i(12p), excess 12p copy number, or a deletion on the long arm of chromosome 12 was found in seven of 28 (25%) midline tumors of uncertain histogenesis, thus establishing a diagnosis of a germ cell tumor in these patients. One partial and five complete responses were observed in these seven patients. Only two partial responses were seen in the 17 patients who had no detectable germ cell tumor-related cytogenetic marker (P = .009). CONCLUSIONS i(12p) is a highly nonrandom chromosomal marker seen in about 80% of male germ cell tumors with evaluable cytogenetic abnormalities. The presence of this isochromosome has diagnostic and possibly prognostic importance for patients with these tumors. IMPLICATIONS Cytogenetic studies of germ cell tumors in prospective clinical treatment trials are warranted to define more precisely the relationship between histologic subtype, serum tumor marker production, and prognosis.
Density dependence in insect performance within individual plants: induced resistance to Spodoptera exigua in tomato

Net intraspecific density dependence experienced by insect herbivores at the scale of single plants can be a function both of induced resistance in the plant and other interactions among individual herbivores. Theory suggests that non-linearity in the form of this density dependence can influence the effects of plants on herbivore population dynamics. This study examined both net density dependence at the scale of single plants, and changes in plant quality with herbivore density for Spodoptera exigua caterpillars on tomato plants. One experiment measured the growth of caterpillars moving freely about the plant at different densities, the distribution of damage by these caterpillars, and the quality of the plant as food for caterpillars (growth of caterpillars on undamaged leaf tissue excised from the plant). A second experiment measured plant quality for plants with different amounts of damage by caterpillars confined to particular leaves in mesh bags. Growth of S. exigua caterpillars was found to be negatively density dependent, and this was in part due to decreases in plant quality both as herbivore density increased and as the amount of damage increased. The response of plant quality to herbivores was found to have non-linear features; there was both a threshold below which no significant decreases in quality (as measured by herbivore growth) occurred, and the decrease in herbivore performance saturated at the highest damage levels. In addition, it was found that caterpillar damage was significantly more aggregated than expected when multiple caterpillars occupy a single plant. This study confirms that host plants have the potential to be a source of density dependence that affects herbivore performance.
Growth, Health, and Blood Glucose Concentrations of Calves Fed High-Glucose or High-Fat Milk Replacers

The influence of age, carbohydrate-fat ratios of milk replacers, and development of ruminal function on growth, health, and blood glucose concentrations were evaluated in calves. Colostrum-fed, 3-day-old Holstein bull calves were fed to 12 wk on one of three dietary treatments: 1) a high carbohydrate, low fat (60.5% glucose, 9.5% lactose, and 3% lard) milk replacer; 2) a low carbohydrate, high fat (23% glucose, 12.5% lactose, and 30% lard) milk replacer; and 3) weaning at 6 wk of age from high-fat replacer to a standard calf starter. The high fat milk replacer was superior to low fat milk replacer for total weight gains and efficiency of feed conversion. Rates of weight gain of starter calves were similar to those of calves fed low fat. Calves fed the diet with low fat had a high incidence of diarrhea, an occasional outbreak of a yeast-related ethanol intoxication syndrome, and high concentrations of glucose in urine. Irrespective of milk replacer composition or development of ruminal function, plasma and whole blood glucose concentrations declined rapidly in the first 6 wk. Corpuscular glucose declined steadily with age in all calves. This age-related decrease of blood glucose concentration of calves seems to be a constitutive phenomenon.
Hepatic iron concentration as a predictor of response to interferon alfa therapy in chronic hepatitis C

Background/Aims: It has been reported that hepatic iron concentration (HIC) may influence response to therapy in chronic viral hepatitis. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between HIC and response to interferon alfa therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Methods: HIC was measured in liver biopsy specimens from 58 patients with chronic hepatitis C treated at three centers. Three patients had mild chronic hepatitis C, 35 had moderate to severe chronic hepatitis C, and 20 had active cirrhosis. Serum ferritin levels were measured in 51 of these 58 patients. Response to therapy was defined as normalization of alanine aminotransferase levels at the end of treatment. Results: Twenty-four patients (41%) responded to therapy. HICs were generally within the normal range ( 1100 μg/g and 87% of patients with an elevated serum ferritin concentration did not respond to interferon alfa therapy. Conclusions: HIC seems to influence response to interferon alfa therapy among patients with chronic hepatitis C. A subgroup of patients with chronic hepatitis C has been identified for which an HIC of >1100 μg/g predicted nonresponse in 88% of patients.
Improving identification and treatment of children & adolescents with cystic fibrosis related diabetes (CFRD)

Introduction: Our CF center performed a quality improvement project to improve identification and treatment of CFRD. Our primary goal was to screen at least 80% of patients ≥8 years of age with oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) in 2011. Our secondary goal was to improve the mean HbA1c of CFRD patients. Methods: With CF family and staff involvement, we identified barriers in our existing screening process and after multiple PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) cycles implemented new processes: Screening 1) Changed lab protocol for patients receiving OGTT to improve screening efficacy 2) Scheduled annual labs at the first clinic visit of the year 3) Improved mesosystem relationships via weekly huddles between pulmonary and endocrine teams 4) Developed protocol for follow-up of identified patients with CFRD Protocol Design to Improve HbA1c 1) Plan endocrine consult and transition to endocrine clinic using principles of clinical microsystems 2) Implement system to contact families who failed clinic appointment 3) Provide additional education of staff and families Results: Screening of outpatients with OGTT improved from 2010 (66%) to 2011 (99%). The mean HbA1c in patients with CFRD in 2010 was 7.0 (n=4). Their levels improved to 6.6 in 2011, and the mean for all patients including newly identified patients with CFRD in 2011 was 6.0 (n=17). Conclusion: The development of an outpatient screening process successfully identified patients with CFRD. We successfully screened 99% of our patients with OGTTs, and reduced the mean HbA1c in CFRD patients.
Laboratory environments and rodents' behavioural needs: a review.

Summary Laboratory housing conditions have significant physiological and psychological effects on rodents, raising both scientific and humane concerns. Published studies of rats, mice and other rodents were reviewed to document behavioural and psychological problems attributable to predominant laboratory housing conditions. Studies indicate that rats and mice value opportunities to take cover, build nests, explore, gain social contact, and exercise some control over their social milieu, and that the inability to satisfy these needs is physically and psychologically detrimental, leading to impaired brain development and behavioural anomalies (e.g. stereotypies). To the extent that space is a means to gain access to such resources, spatial confinement likely exacerbates these deficits. Adding environmental ‘enrichments’ to small cages reduces but does not eliminate these problems, and I argue that substantial changes in housing and husbandry conditions would be needed to further reduce them.
2-Methoxyestradiol overcomes drug resistance in multiple myeloma cells

2-Methoxyestradiol (2ME2) an estrogen derivative, induces growth arrest and apoptosis in leukemic cells and is also antiangiogenic. In this study, we demonstrate that 2ME2 inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines and patient cells. Significantly, 2ME2 also inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in MM cells resistant to conventional therapies including melphalan (LR-5), doxorubicin (Dox-40 and Dox-6), and dexamethasone (MM.1R). In contrast to its effects on MM cells, 2ME2 does not reduce the survival of normal peripheral blood lymphocytes. Moreover, 2ME2 enhances Dex-induced apoptosis, and its effect is not blocked by interleukin-6 (IL-6). We next examined the effect of 2ME2 on MM cells in the bone marrow (BM) milieu. 2ME2 decreases survival of BM stromal cells (BMSCs), as well as secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and IL-6 triggered by the adhesion of MM cells to BMSCs. We show that apoptosis induced by 2ME2 is mediated by the release of mitochondrial cytochrome-c (cyto-c) and Smac, followed by the activation of caspases-8, -9, and -3. Finally, 2ME2 inhibits MM cell growth, prolongs survival, and decreases angiogenesis in a murine model. These studies, therefore, demonstrate that 2ME2 mediates anti-MM activity directly on MM cells and in the BM microenvironment. They provide a framework for the use of 2ME2, either alone or in combination with Dex, to overcome drug resistance and to improve outcome in MM.
Threshold amounts of organic carbon needed to initiate reductive dechlorination in groundwater systems

Aquifer sediment and groundwater chemistry data from 15 Department of Defense facilities located throughout the United States were collected and analyzed with the goal of estimating the amount of natural organic carbon needed to initiate reductive dechlorination in groundwater systems. Aquifer sediments were analyzed for hydroxylamine and NaOH-extractable organic carbon, yielding a probable underestimate of potentially bioavailable organic carbon (PBOC). Aquifer sediments were also analyzed for total organic carbon (TOC) using an elemental combustion analyzer, yielding a probable overestimate of bioavailable carbon. Concentrations of PBOC correlated linearly with TOC with a slope near one. However, concentrations of PBOC were consistently five to ten times lower than TOC. When mean concentrations of dissolved oxygen observed at each site were plotted versus PBOC, it showed that anoxic conditions were initiated at approximately 200 mg/kg of PBOC. Similarly, the accumulation of reductive dechlorination daughter products relative to parent compounds increased at a PBOC concentration of approximately 200 mg/kg. Concentrations of total hydrolysable amino acids (THAA) in sediments also increased at approximately 200 mg/kg, and bioassays showed that sediment CO2 production correlated positively with THAA. The results of this study provide an estimate for threshold amounts of bioavailable carbon present in aquifer sediments (approximately 200 mg/kg of PBOC; approximately 1,000 to 2,000 mg/kg of TOC) needed to support reductive dechlorination in groundwater systems. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The pathophysiology of acne vulgaris in children and adolescents, part 2: Tailoring treatment

Various pathophysiologic factors are involved in the development of acne lesions, microcomedones, comedones, and inflammatory lesions. These factors include follicular hyperkeratosis, increased colonization of follicles by Propionibacterium acnes, increased sebum production, and inflammatory mediators. Optimal treatment of acne involves the use of agents that address these various underlying pathogenetic factors.
Expression of c-jun during macrophage differentiation of HL-60 cells

Cellular transcription factors are important in the regulation of cellular genes. Recent studies have indicated that a class of cellular genes known as early response genes are important in the control of cellular growth properties. Two of these genes, c-jun and c-fos, play an important role in the control of cellular differentiation. Because the acute myelogenous leukemia cell line, HL-60, is capable of differentiating to either macrophages or granulocytes, it provides a good model to understand differential gene expression. To determine if the modulation of c-jun was important in the differentiation of HL-60 cells to either macrophages or granulocytes, expression of c-jun mRNA was determined by Northern analysis at various times following treatment with a variety of differentiating agents, including 12- tetradeconyl-phorbol 13-acetate (TPA), retinoic acid (RA), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), or 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25 (OH)2 D3]. Both TPA and 1,25(OH)2D3, which induce HL-60 cells to differentiate to macrophages, resulted in marked increases in c-jun mRNA; while RA and DMSO, which induce HL-60 cells to differentiate to granulocytes, did not greatly alter c-jun mRNA expression. HL-60 cell lines resistant to macrophage differentiation after exposure to either 1,25(OH)2D3 or TPA did not result in increases in c-jun mRNA. These results suggest that elevation of c-jun mRNA in HL-60 cells correlated temporally with differentiation to macrophages. Thus, c-jun may be a critical cellular transcription factor involved in macrophage differentiation.
Abstract TMP67: Microglia Transplantation Reduces Stroke Injury

Microglia are activated after stroke and may contribute to ischemic brain injury by producing mediators such as inflammatory cytokines and free radicals that are toxic to neurons. Microglia are als...
Evolution of Ordered Metal Chalcogenide Architectures through Chemical Transformations

Metal chalcogenides are important materials for a myriad of devices, but the ability to control their porosity is lacking. We report a method of inducing hierarchically ordered porosity using surface-treated nanocrystals and complementary architecture-directing agents. The resulting mesoporous materials are robust to thermal annealing and chemical transformations.
Life history of Megamelus davisi with descriptions of immature stages.

The life history of Megamelus davisi Van Duzee was investigated in southern Illinois from February to November 1979, and the immature stages were described. This insect was also reared in the laboratory. M. davisi feeds and reproduces on waterlily, Nuphar advena (Aiton), is trivoltine, and overwinters as a 5th instar in leaf litter along the shoreline. This insect was reared on pieces of waterlily leaves. The incubation time for eggs was not determined. Durations of the five nymphal stadia were 6.0, 3.7, 4.1, 4.5, and 6.7 days, respectively. Eggs are parasitized by a species (or species) of mymarid wasp, and adults are parasitized by a pipunculid fly, Pipunculus varius Cresson. Nymphs are preyed upon by a water treader, Mesovelia mulsanti White.
Determination of45Calcium and14Carbon ascorbic acid in bone using a liquid scintillation system

Methods were developed for the determination of45Ca plus L-[1-14C] asorbic acid in bones of animals following administration of both isotopes. Asorbic acid and calcium were extracted quantitatively with 6% trichloracetic acid from fresh bone under such mild conditions that asorbic acid was not destroyed. The chemical determinations of calcium and ascorbic acid according to standard procedures were performed in aliquots of the same extract. The determination of the radioactivity of calcium and ascorbic acid were then carried out in aliquots of the same extract. A Triton-containing liquid scintillation fluid was employed for the radioassay of45Ca and L-[1-14C] ascorbic acid in the liquid scintillation spectrometer. A procedure allowing the determination of both isotopes in the same extract is described. A number of criteria were applied to each step, in order to determine the validity and limitations of the procedure.
Food pantry selection solutions: a randomized controlled trial in client-choice food pantries to nudge clients to targeted foods.

Background Food pantries and food banks are interested in cost-effective methods to encourage the selection of targeted foods without restricting choices. Thus, this study evaluates the effectiveness of nudges toward targeted foods. Methods In October/November 2014, we manipulated the display of a targeted product in a New York State food pantry. We evaluated the binary choice of the targeted good when we placed it in the front or the back of the category line (placement order) and when we presented the product in its original box or unboxed (packaging). Results The average uptake proportion for the back treatment was 0.231, 95% CI = 0.179, 0.29, n = 205, and for the front treatment, the proportion was 0.337, 95% CI = 0.272, 0.406, n = 238 with an odds ratio of 1.688, 95% CI = 1.088, 2.523. The average uptake for the unboxed treatment was 0.224, 95% CI = 0.174, 0.280, n = 255, and for the boxed intervention, the proportion was 0.356, 95% CI = 0.288, 0.429, n = 188 with an odds ratio of 1.923, 95% CI = 1.237, 2.991. Conclusions Nudges increased uptake of the targeted food. The findings also hold when we control for a potential confounder. Low cost and unobtrusive nudges can be effective tools for food pantry organizers to encourage the selection of targeted foods. Trial Registration Number NCT02403882.
Survey of HIV knowledge among Myanmar women married to Chinese in Longling County along China-Myanmar boder

Objective To understand HIV related knowledge among Myanmar women married to Chinese alongMyanmar-China boder. Methods Census method was used for surveying the AIDS/HIV related knowledge among Myanmarwomen married to Chinese from 2010 to 2011 in Longling county along China-Myanmar border. Results A total of 845Myanmar women with average age of 28.5 years were surveyed with a response rate of 100%. ADDS/HIV knowledge, theawareness rate of weight core knowledge and the total unfamiliar rate among the Myanmar women were 66.0%, 41.5% and17.8%, respectively. The main risk factors influencing HIV related knowledge among the Myanmar women were age group,education level, marital status in Myanmar, different time period of getting into China, the difference of occupation in Myanmarand the detection of HIV infection in Myanmar(P0.05). Conclusions HIV related knowledge rate among women married toChinese across the Myanmar-China border was generally low. Therefore health education be carried out to enhance the HIVrelated knowledge rate among daughters–in-law across China-Mynamar border.
Self- and Social Motivation to Interact with a Brand on Facebook: The Moderating Roles of Self-Expression and Brand Engagement in a Student Sample.

Abstract This study investigated the roles of self- and social motivation in interacting with a brand on Facebook. An online survey was conducted using 11 familiar global brands randomly selected from Interbrand's 100 Best Global Brands. The result demonstrated that congruence between actual/ideal self and personality of a brand (i.e., self-motivation) positively influenced users' interaction with a brand on Facebook. In this relationship, self-expressive motivation and brand engagement emerged as moderators. Additionally, social identity as a social motivation positively affected users' interaction with a brand. Although not all components of social motivation influenced users' interaction with a brand, this study showed that two exclusive motivations, self and social, positively influenced users' interaction with a brand on Facebook. Managerial and practical implications were also proposed for marketing a brand on Facebook.
Sperm Penetration into Cervical Mucus In Vitro. II. Human Spermatozoa in Bovine Mucus

Human spermatozoa penetrate estrous bovine cervical mucus readily in vitro and maintain good motility and viability for a number of hours. They show pronounced unidirectional motion in mucus that has been aligned linearly. Data from tube preparations indicate that human spermatozoa from a given ejaculate travel more rapidly in estrous bovine mucus than in human midcycle mucus. They are prevented from penetrating luteal phase bovine mucus. The results are discussed in relation to a model of the molecular structure of cervical mucus, derived from laser light-scattering spectroscopy. In addition, it is suggested that bovine cervical mucus could be developed as a possible substitute for human cervical mucus in cases of infertility due to deficient endogenous mucus.
QRS Spatial curves in infants: Maturational changes from birth to 4 months of age: Influence of sample size on curve contours☆

Abstract Spatial QRS curves derived from digital computer analysis of Frank lead recordings from 113 newborn infants and from paired observations of 110 of these infants studied again at 4 months of age showed the following changes: There was a slight increase in peak spatial magnitude, a slight decrease in peak spatial velocity, a leftward and inferior shift in ventricular depolarization forces with relatively little change in the anterior orientation of these forces. The outstanding observation of this study is the very meager change that occurred in the spatial QRS curves during this period of time.
APPROXIMATION AND COMPENSATOR ORDER DETERMINATION IN OPTIMAL CONTROL OF FLEXIBLE STRUCTURES

Abstract The design of finite dimensional compensators to produce optimal or near-optimal performance has become an important problem in the control of large flexible space structures, whose dynamics are infinite dimensional due to their distributed character. For a given performance index, the optimal compensator is almost always infinite dimensional. Hence some approximation, or truncation, is necessary to obtain an implementable compensator, which must be finite dimensional. Truncation introduces modeling errors that can degrade the preformance of the closed-loop system. Since higher performance generally demands more accurate modeling, the order of a near–optimal compensator is tied to the performance requirements for the system. Recent research has combined approximation theory for optimal control of distributed systems with methods from finite dimensional control theory to produce guidelines for determining the order of near-optimal finite dimensional compensators for flexible structures. This paper presents an application in the control of a complex structure.
Designing the Old English Newsletter bibliography database

The annual bibliography of the Old English Newsletter is a reference work of first resort in the field of Anglo-Saxon studies; the Bibliographies from 1973 to 2002, formerly available only in back issues of OEN, are now available online in a searchable database. This essay describes how this database was conceived and created using MySQL and PHP. It discusses the structure of the data tables used to contain the bibliography items, the system used to insert new items, the search functions used to access the database, and the routines used to retrieve items and present them to the user. While doing so it also reflects on the trial and error involved in discovering the best methods and practices for creating such a system, on problems of online hosting and maintenance, and on directions for future development of the database.
Increasing Positive Playground Interaction for Kindergarten Students at Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders.

Students who experience social withdrawal and anxiety (internalizing difficulties) are often overlooked in schools due to the covert nature of their symptoms. The literature lacks empirically supported preventive approaches for kindergarten students who are socially withdrawn and behind their peers in developing social skills. Furthermore, research suggests that parents often are not adequately involved in interventions during this critical period of social development. In response to this need, a school-based intervention was implemented to increase the positive social interaction of three kindergarten students on the playground. Treatment consisted of (a) social skills training, (b) adult mediation, (c) self-evaluation and reinforcement, and (d) parent involvement through home notes. The effects of this intervention were assessed on the playground during recess using partial interval recording of target students’ positive interactions. During implementation of the intervention, all target students demonstrated improvements in social interaction. Future studies should investigate whether addressing the limitations of this study would yield stronger results with this underserved population.
Defects and Self-Compensation in Semiconductors

Defect formation and doping limits in semiconductors are discussed in terms of the amphoteric defect model (ADM). It is shown that the nature of defects, acceptor-like or donor-like, depends on the location of the Fermi energy relative to a common energy reference, the Fermi level-stabilization energy. The maximum free electron or hole concentration that can be achieved by doping is an intrinsic property of a given semiconductor and is fully determined by the location of the semiconductor band edges with respect to the same energy reference. The ADM provides a simple phenomenological rule that explains experimentally observed trends in free carrier saturation in a variety of semiconductor materials and their alloys. The predictions of a large enhancement of the maximum electron concentration in III–N–V alloys have been recently confirmed by experiment.
Phytoremediation of Soils: Prospects and Challenges

Contamination of the environment (i.e. soil and water) by toxic metals has become of paramount interest worldwide, owing to increasing industrialized and municipal waste affecting large areas of agricultural land. The problem of land pollution in areas such as China, America and Western Europe has led to one-sixth of the world’s total arable land being unsuitable for farming. In recent years, phytoremediation has acquired great popularity as a leading technology for the management of soil pollution. Phytoremediation refers to the use of plants to mitigate concentrations of both organic and non-organic pollutants in soil. More than 400 plant species worldwide have been identified that have the ability to extract heavy metals from the soil. This technology is more cost-effective, environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing than former physical approaches such as excavation, leaching using acids and reverse osmosis. Phytoremediation technology has been split into several categories, chief among which are phytoextraction, phytofiltration, phytodegradation and phytostabilization. This chapter focuses on how different plant species with hyperaccumulating abilities have been put to use extracting large concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper, mercury, lead and zinc from various soil types in many countries. However, certain limitations attributed to this technology, such as time consumption, season dependency and less efficient plant morphological features, have raised serious concerns regarding its widespread use. To overcome these obstacles, the use of plant biotechnology to develop new crop species with enhanced metal-extracting capabilities via mutagenesis, protoplast fusion and breeding techniques, has been the new centre of focus for plant geneticists.
Colloid silica nanoparticles trapped morphology of polymer blends during solvent evaporation

Abstract During the solvent evaporation induced phase separation of PS and PMMA blends with silica nanoparticles, the dispersed and bicontinuous morphologies need to be stabilized by the absorption of silica nanoparticles at the interface. In order to accomplish this, the silica nanoparticles need to be chemically neutral to PS and PMMA homopolymers. For this purpose, their surfaces were modified by attaching mono-hydroxyl group terminated polystyrene poly(methyl methacrylate) random (PS-r-PMMA-OH) copolymer via the condensation reaction between the hydroxyl groups of silica particles and copolymer. The resulting morphology was found to be affected by the rate of solvent evaporation, blend compositions, particle loading and size. In the symmetric blend system, the dispersed phase was observed at low evaporation rate and bicontinuous morphology was obtained at high evaporation rate. The silica nanoparticles were found to be densely packed at the interface of PS and PMMA. For asymmetric blend system, only dispersed phase was observed at both low and high evaporation rates. The size of phase separated domains decreases with increasing solvent evaporation rate and particle loading. The silica nanoparticles with smaller size resulted in relatively smaller domain size due to their higher surface area to volume ratio. Porous membranes with partially exposed nanoparticles were fabricated by etching PMMA phase in acetic acid.
High Temporal Resolution Rainfall Runoff Modelling Using Long-Short-Term-Memory (LSTM) Networks

Accurate and efficient models for rainfall runoff (RR) simulations are crucial for flood risk management. Most rainfall models in use today are process-driven; i.e. they solve either simplified empirical formulas or some variation of the St. Venant (shallow water) equations. With the development of machine-learning techniques, we may now be able to emulate rainfall models using, for example, neural networks. In this study, a data-driven RR model using a sequence-to-sequence Long-short-Term-Memory (LSTM) network was constructed. The model was tested for a watershed in Houston, TX, known for severe flood events. The LSTM network's capability in learning long-term dependencies between the input and output of the network allowed modeling RR with high resolution in time (15 minutes). Using 10-years precipitation from 153 rainfall gages and river channel discharge data (more than 5.3 million data points), and by designing several numerical tests the developed model performance in predicting river discharge was tested. The model results were also compared with the output of a process-driven model Gridded Surface Subsurface Hydrologic Analysis (GSSHA). Moreover, physical consistency of the LSTM model was explored. The model results showed that the LSTM model was able to efficiently predict discharge and achieve good model performance. When compared to GSSHA, the data-driven model was more efficient and robust in terms of prediction and calibration. Interestingly, the performance of the LSTM model improved (test Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency from 0.666 to 0.942) when a selected subset of rainfall gages based on the model performance, were used as input instead of all rainfall gages.
A tool for top-down performance analysis of GPU-accelerated applications

To support performance measurement and analysis of GPU-accelerated applications, we extended the HPCToolkit performance tools with several novel features. To support efficient monitoring of accelerated applications, HPCToolkit employs a new wait-free data structure to coordinate measurement and attribution between each application thread and a GPU monitor thread. To help developers understand the performance of accelerated applications, HPCToolkit attributes metrics to heterogeneous calling contexts that span both CPUs and GPUs. To support fine-grain analysis and tuning of GPU-accelerated code, HPCToolkit collects PC samples of both CPU and GPU activity to derive and attribute metrics at all levels in a heterogeneous calling context.
Noninvasive measurement of arterial blood pressure in patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices: a systematic review.

Accurate mean blood pressure determination is essential to prevent adverse events in patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CFLVAD). We sought to evaluate the accuracy of noninvasive methods of blood pressure measurement compared with invasive intra-arterial recordings in patients with CFLVAD. Systematic electronic search was performed on four online databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Knowledge) for the terms “Blood Pressure” AND (“Heart-Assist Devices” OR “Left ventricular Assist Devices”). Only studies that compared an intra-arterial and noninvasive blood pressure measurement were included. Electronic search of scientific literature identified 5968 articles. After deduplication, screening of titles and abstracts, full-text review, and excluding incorrect populations and comparator, a total of 12 studies with 502 participants were included, of those 402 participants who had intra-arterial blood pressure measurement. Doppler mean arterial blood pressure showed a very high correlation with mean intra-arterial blood pressure (r = 0.97, r = 0.87) in low pulsatility situations. When the pulsatility was not evaluated, the correlation was high moderate (r = 0.63, r = 0.741). In low pulsatility situations, the correlation was moderate to high moderate (r = 0.42 to r = 0.65). Oscillometer automatic blood pressure cuff showed a moderate to very high correlation with intra-arterial mean arterial blood pressure (r = 0.42, r = 0.86) but also could be low in the context of low pulsatility associated with inconsistent success in noninvasive measurement (r = 0.25). Studies correlating intra-arterial with noninvasive techniques were performed in the context of routine clinical care using fluid-filled catheters. The degree of correlation between both methods is at least moderate.
Plasticity: Toward a Better Understanding of Innovation

While most studies of innovation focus on the idea or solution itself, such investigations typically view innovation as isolated from the system within which it emerges; therefore, such investigations are incomplete. From philosophy, the idea of synergetics provides a more holistic perspective on innovation by asserting that “emergence” and “enslavement” are necessary for delineating its complexity (Meynhardt et al., J Bus Res 69(8):2981–2989, 2016). In this chapter, we build a framework for thinking about how innovation emerges in complex, dissonant environments (Chandler et al., J Serv Res 22(1):75–89, 2018). The framework is based on plasticity, which is the ability of a system to take and retain form. Because disruption has become the new norm, a keen understanding of plasticity has become fundamental for managing value in the digital economy (Chandler et al., J Serv Res 22(1):75–89, 2018). Based on the plasticity principles of recursivity, temporality, complementarity, and continuity, the proposed framework is then used in subsequent sections to explicate innovation viewed from micro, meso, and macro perspectives.
Have pure-play internet banks caught up with traditional and hybrid banks over the past decade?

This paper investigates the performance of pure-play internet (PPI) banks compared to their traditional and hybrid counterparts over the past 18 years. All 11 surviving PPI banks were hand screened and matched with 110 control banks randomly selected based on total assets from the FDIC website. Our pooled OLS regressions with robust errors show that PPI banks have lower profitability and are less cost efficient than their counterparts. This may be because PPI banks still need time to accumulate experience and scale effects. PPI banks also do not attract more deposits or invest more in securities than traditional and hybrid banks. However, they do have less risk in terms of bad loans than traditional and hybrid comparables.
Stakeholder Development of an Online Program to Track Arthritis-Related Patient-Reported Outcomes Longitudinally: Live Yes! INSIGHTS.

Objective Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly used in clinical settings but may not provide benefits to patients outside of health encounters. The Arthritis Foundation's Live Yes! Network provides an opportunity for PROM use by individuals and the network that assists individuals with managing their arthritis between encounters. Our objective was to develop a patient-reported outcomes platform for the network, Live Yes! INSIGHTS, using mixed methods and extensive stakeholder input. Methods A mixed methods longitudinal transformation design was used, starting with semistructured interviews to specify the main priorities of the program, literature review to identify potential PROMs, modified Delphi and nominal group technique to select final PROMs, and focus groups to guide program implementation, messaging, and use of results. We gathered input from 93 participants, including from individuals living with arthritis (74% of participants), caregivers, providers, researchers, and measurement experts. Results Our mixed methods study resulted in the selection of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-29, PROMIS Emotional Support Short Form v2.0, and the Health Care Empowerment Questionnaire, to be deployed through a Qualtrics platform. Triangulation of data resulted in identification of potential risks and benefits, including confidentiality, ability to personally track and share data, and an opportunity to contribute to research. Conclusion An accessible measurement system backed by psychometrically strong PROMs, created with robust stakeholder engagement, and linked to a national patient network sets the stage for individuals with arthritis to better monitor and improve health outcomes both outside and inside health care settings and for the network to customize programming to meet needs.