cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhanced oil recovery from high-temperature, high-salinity naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs by surfactant flood

Abstract Water floods are often very inefficient in naturally fractured carbonate oil reservoirs because many of these reservoirs are mixed-wet or oil-wet as well as extremely heterogeneous. Naturally fractured reservoirs are challenging targets for chemical flooding because they typically have a high permeability contrast between the fractures and the matrix with a low matrix permeability. Some of the world׳s largest oil reservoirs are fractured carbonates with a high reservoir temperature and a high salinity formation brine. Some of them also have low API gravity oils, which also increases the difficulty of recovering the oil. A surfactant formulation has been developed that shows promising results for such difficult reservoirs. Ultra-low interfacial tension (IFT) and good aqueous stability were achieved with this new carboxylate surfactant in a hard brine at a high reservoir temperature of 100 °C. Both static and dynamic imbibition experiments were conducted using a fractured carbonate core. 65.9% Oil recovery was obtained in fractured coreflood compared to 33.3% oil recovery in static imbibition test. The surfactant retention was low at 0.086 mg/g of rock. The oil recovery is excellent taking into account that the temperature and salinity conditions were harsh, the core was extremely vuggy and fractured, no mobility control was used, and only a small surfactant slug was injected. The coreflood results were interpreted using a mechanistic chemical reservoir simulator. It showed that both the mechanisms of IFT reduction and wettability alteration were important for oil recovery. Neither IFT reduction nor wettability alteration alone recovered oil as high as the combined contributions from both.
High Intensity Picosecond Photoexitation of Semiconductors

In the past half-decade, studies of the optical properties of high-density electron-hole plasmas, generated in undoped semicon ductors by the direct absorption of intense, ultrashort pulses from mode-locked lasers, have provided direct information concerning ultrafast electronic processes (the reader is referred to a previous chapter by Smirl, which reviews these studies, and to the Bibliography accompanying this paper). Generally, early experimental studies in this area employed mode-locked pulses, obtained from a Nd-glass laser, as an excitation source to generate the electron-hole plasma. This source produces optical pulses that are approximately 10 psec in duration and that often have peak powers in excess of 108 watts at a wavelength of 1.06 μm. These pulses when focused on the surface of a thin semiconductor sample can produce a measured irradiance of 10-2J/cm2. Direct absorption of such an optical pulse can create carier densities exceeding 1020cm-3. Germanium was chosen as a candidate for study, in many of these early investigations, primarily because it is a readily-available, well-characterized semiconductor whose bandgap energy is comparable to but less than the energy of a photon at a wavelength of 1.06 μm (1.17 eV).
Your American Dairy Science Association Heritage

Mr. Chairman, Student Affiliates, Members of the Association, guests: greetings to you all. I welcome the opportunity to appear before you today. I consider it a rare privilege and distinct honor to be guest speaker at your annual luncheon. The largo attendance indicates genuine interest that student affiliates manifest in the parent Association. When invited to be your speaker on this occasion, I asked a distinguished, long-time member of the Association what I should talk about. "About 20 minutes" he replied without hesitation, with a tone o f finality. So, with due respect to my adviser I shall keep that subject in mind while visiting w i t h you on "Your ADSA Heritage." I am mindful of the woeful lack of time to treat the topic adequately and also of your patience.
Systematic x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopic study of La1−xSrx‐based perovskite‐type oxides

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used to analyse systematically a group of La1−xSrx-based mixed-metal perovskite-type oxides of interest in the development of oxygen separation membranes. Angle- and temperature-resolved studies reveal compositional variations that correlate with the segregation of various elements during annealing. The complex O 1s, Sr 3d5/2 and La 3d5/2 spectra could be curve-fitted systematically with two La 3d5/2, three Sr 3d5/2 and five O 1s contributions, respectively, using fixed binding energies and full widths at half-maximum. The trends are discussed and assignments are made on the basis of peak intensity and composition variations noted during the angle- and temperature-resolved studies, literature data and nearest-neighbor electronegativities. In all cases, elements present at the outermost surface revealed higher binding energies than their bulk-bound counterparts. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Least squares approximation and polyphase decomposition for pipelining recursive filters

Current techniques used in pipelining recursive filters require significant hardware complexity. These techniques attempt to preserve the exact frequency response of the original circuit while seeking to construct a pipelined architecture. We present a technique that relaxes the need to preserve the exact frequency response and instead considers a least-squares formulation in conjunction with the pipelined architecture. The benefit of this design is that it reduces the complexity of the pipelined circuit immensely, while enabling a simple pipelined architecture based on a polyphase decomposition of the original filter.
Voiced-unvoiced-silence classifications of speech using hybrid features and a network classifier

Voiced-unvoiced-silence classification of speech was done using a multilayer feedforward network. The network performance was evaluated and compared to that of a maximum-likelihood classifier. Results indicated that the network performance was not significantly affected by the size of the training set and a classification rate as high as 96% was obtained. >
The mediating role of hyperactivity and inattention on sex differences in paediatric injury risk

Background Extensive research suggests that risk of injury is higher among young boys versus young girls. The present study examined a mediational model to identify mechanisms that may explain differences in injury risk. Methods Reports of child behaviour and two indices of injury risk among 114 children in early childhood were obtained from parents in community-based paediatric medical centres. Results Regression analyses and post-hoc examination of indirect effects supported a mediation model in which the relationship between child sex and child injury risk was explained by hyperactivity and inattention. Conclusions Interventions that promote child well-being by targeting constellations of externalizing behaviour problems may simultaneously decrease paediatric injury risk. Language: en
N-Acetylcysteine Prevents Lung Inflammation After Short-Term Inhalation Exposure to Concentrated Ambient Particles

Lung inflammation is a key response to increased levels of particulate air pollution (PM); however, the cellular mechanisms leading to this response are poorly understood. To determine whether oxidants are implicated in PM-dependent lung inflammation, we tested the ability of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to prevent lung inflammation in a rat model of short-term exposure to concentrated ambient particles (CAPs). Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to either CAPs aerosols (CAPs mass concentration 1060 300 g/m 3 ) or filtered air (Sham controls) for 5 h. NACtreated rats received 50 mg/kg (ip) NAC 1 h prior to exposure to CAPs. Oxidative stress and recruitment of inflammatory cells into bronchoalveolar lavage were evaluated 24 h after removal of the animals from the exposure chamber. Rats breathing CAPs aerosols showed significant oxidative stress, determined by the accumulation of thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS, 90 15 pmol/mg protein; sham control: 50 5 pmol/mg protein, p < 0.02) and oxidized proteins (1.6 0.4 nmol/mg protein, sham: 0.70 0.02 nmol/mg protein, p < 0.01) in their lungs. CAPs-induced oxidative stress was associated with increased numbers of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) (9 2%; sham: 1.6 0.5%, p < 0.001) and slight lung edema (wet/dry ratio: 4.77 0.03, sham: 4.69 0.02). No significant change was found in BAL protein concentration, total cell count, or lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. NAC pretreatment effectively prevented CAPs-induced TBARS accumulation (30 10 pmol/mg protein, p < 0.006), lung edema (4.64 0.08, p < 0.05), and polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) influx into the lungs (2.1 0.5%, p < 0.001), but did not alter the protein carbonyl content. Histological evaluation of tissue samples confirmed the BAL findings. CAPs-exposed animals showed slight bronchiolar inflammation and thickened vessels at the bronchiole, whereas NAC treated animals showed no histological alterations. Regression analyses showed strong associations between increased TBARS accumulation and the CAPs content of Al, Si, and Fe, and trends of association between carbonyl content and Cr and Na concentrations, and between BAL PMN count and Cr, Zn, and Na. These
Counting of deep-level traps using a charge-coupled device

Quantization in dark current generation has been observed for the first time through the use of a virtual-phase charge-coupled device. Two sites for bulk silicon dark current have been identified with capture cross sections of 1.8 × 10-15cm2and 5.4 × 10-16cm2, and concentrations of 1.3 × 109cm-3and 1.5 × 108cm-3, respectively.
AN ELASTICITY SOLUTION FOR FUNCTIONALLY GRADED BEAMS

An elasticity solution is obtained for a functionally graded beam subjected to transverse loads. The Young’s modulus of the beam is assumed to vary exponentially through the thickness, and the Poisson ratio is held constant. The exponential variation of the elastic stiffness coefficients allow an exact solution for the elasticity equations. A simple Euler–Bernoulli type beam theory is also developed on the basis of the assumption that plane sections remain plane and normal to the beam axis. The stresses and displacements are found to depend on a single non-dimensional parameter for a given variation of Young’s modulus in the functionally graded direction. It is found that the beam theory is valid for long, slender beams with slowly varying transverse loading. Stress concentrations occur in short or thick beams. The stress concentrations are less than that in homogeneous beams when the softer side of the functionally graded beam is loaded. The reverse is true when the stiffer side is loaded. # 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
ADSORPTION KINETICS OF PENTACHLOROETHANE BY IRON-BEARING SMECTITES

The oxidation state of structural Fe greatly alters surface chemistry, which may have a large influence on clay-organic interactions. The effect of structural-iron oxidation state on chlorinated hydrocarbons at the clay-water interface was examined. Pentachloroethane (5CA) was reacted with oxidized, reduced, and reoxidized forms of three different smectites: montmorillonite, ferruginous smectite, and nontronite in aqueous suspension under controlled-atmosphere conditions. Pentachloroethane was found to adsorb at different rates for the three smectites. A series of 5CA-adsorption rate constants in the presence of these clays showed a strong correlation with the Fe(II) content of the clay ( r 2 = 0.98). The clay surface behaves as a Bronsted base and promotes 5CA dehydrochlorination. The adsorption kinetics at the clay-water interface were described by the formation of a precursor complex prior to 5CA dehydrochlorination.
Dynamic Portfolio Optimization with Transaction Costs: Heuristics and Dual Bounds

We consider the problem of dynamic portfolio optimization in a discrete-time, finite-horizon setting. Our general model considers risk aversion, portfolio constraints (e.g., no short positions), return predictability, and transaction costs. This problem is naturally formulated as a stochastic dynamic program. Unfortunately, with nonzero transaction costs, the dimension of the state space is at least as large as the number of assets, and the problem is very difficult to solve with more than one or two assets. In this paper, we consider several easy-to-compute heuristic trading strategies that are based on optimizing simpler models. We complement these heuristics with upper bounds on the performance with an optimal trading strategy. These bounds are based on the dual approach developed in Brown et al. (Brown, D. B., J. E. Smith, P. Sun. 2009. Information relaxations and duality in stochastic dynamic programs. Oper. Res. 58(4) 785--801). In this context, these bounds are given by considering an investor who has access to perfect information about future returns but is penalized for using this advance information. These heuristic strategies and bounds can be evaluated using Monte Carlo simulation. We evaluate these heuristics and bounds in numerical experiments with a risk-free asset and 3 or 10 risky assets. In many cases, the performance of the heuristic strategy is very close to the upper bound, indicating that the heuristic strategies are very nearly optimal. This paper was accepted by Dimitris Bertsimas, optimization.
DemoWiz: re-performing software demonstrations for a live presentation

Showing a live software demonstration during a talk can be engaging, but it is often not easy: presenters may struggle with (or worry about) unexpected software crashes and encounter issues such as mismatched screen resolutions or faulty network connectivity. Furthermore, it can be difficult to recall the steps to show while talking and operating the system all at the same time. An alternative is to present with pre-recorded screencast videos. It is, however, challenging to precisely match the narration to the video when using existing video players. We introduce DemoWiz, a video presentation system that provides an increased awareness of upcoming actions through glanceable visualizations. DemoWiz supports better control of timing by overlaying visual cues and enabling lightweight editing. A user study shows that our design significantly improves the presenters' perceived ease of narration and timing compared to a system without visualizations that was similar to a standard playback control. Furthermore, nine (out of ten) participants preferred DemoWiz over the standard playback control with the last expressing no preference.
Canopied trans-chelating bis(N-heterocyclic carbene) ligand: synthesis, structure and catalysis.

The terphspan scaffold was employed to support a bis(N-heterocyclic carbene) ligand (1) that provides a m-terphenyl canopy over one side of its metal complexes. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies on a silver complex of {[Ag(1)]AgBr2}2 revealed an unusual tetranuclear silver core with a Ag–Ag bond distance of 3.0241(8) A with 1 as a trans-chelating ligand (C–Ag–C = 171°). A preliminary X-ray structure of pseudo-square planar [PdCl2(1)] showed a similar binding mode of 1 (C–Pd–C = 177°). High yields were obtained in Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions utilizing [PdCl2(1)] as the procatalyst and the results were compared with analogous complexes of trans-spanning diphosphine (2) and diphosphinite (3) complexes. The diphosphinite complex, [PdCl2(3)], decomposes to [μ-ClPd(PPh2OH)(PPh2O)]2 at room temperature.
A new method for the extraction of fetal ECG from the composite abdominal signal

We developed a wavelet transform-based method to extract the fetal electrocardiogram (ECG) from the composite abdominal signal. This is based on the detection of the singularities obtained from the composite abdominal signal, using the modulus maxima in the wavelet domain. Modulus maxima locations of the abdominal signal are used to discriminate between maternal and fetal ECG signals. Two different approaches have been considered, In the first approach, at least one thoracic signal is used as the a prior to perform the classification whereas in the second approach no thoracic signal is needed, A reconstruction method is utilized to obtain the fetal ECG signal from the detected fetal modulus maxima. The proposed technique is different from the classical time-domain methods, in that we exploit the most distinct features of the signal, leading to more robustness with respect to signal perturbations. Results of experiments with both synthetic and real ECG data have been presented to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method.
Regulation of luteinizing hormone release by pulsatile and continuous administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone to superfused rat and hamster pituitary cells.

Regulation of LH release by GnRH was studied in superfused anterior pituitary cells from 30-day-old female rats or hamsters. Dispersed cells were cultured 4-6 days on Cytodex beads, then loaded into water-jacketed columns, and perfused with medium (0.5 ml/min) at 37 C. Three-minute fractions of effluent were assayed for LH by RIA. LH release was dose related between 10−10 and 10−7 M GnRH. Rat and hamster cells released LH at peak rates of 11.3 and 12.5 ng/(min·106 cells), respectively, when first exposed to 10−8 M GnRH. Short pulses (6 min) of 10−8 M GnRH given at 30-min intervals had little effect on the rate of LH release by rat pituitary cells; however, if the interpulse interval was reduced to 12 min, release declined 72% by the fifth pulse. In contrast, pulses of 10−6 M GnRH at 30-min intervals desensitized rat cells. Hamster cells were desensitized by 10−8 M GnRH after a single pulse regardless of whether a second pulse was given 30 min or 2.5 h later. Similar desensitization also occurred at other ...
High performance thylakoid bio-solar cell using laccase enzymatic biocathodes

Thylakoid membranes have previously been used for electrochemical solar energy conversion, but the current output and open circuit voltage are low, in part due to limitations of the cathode. In this paper, a thylakoid bioanode and laccase biocathode were combined in the construction of a bio-solar cell capable of light-induced generation of electrical power. This two-compartment cell showed a greater than 5-fold increase in short circuit current density and an open circuit voltage 0.275 V larger than that of a thylakoid bio-solar cell incorporating an air-breathing Pt cathode. The electrodes were then tested in several solutions of varying pH to evaluate the possibility of constructing a compartment-less bio-solar cell. This membrane-less cell, operating at pH 5.5, generated a short circuit photocurrent density of 14.0 ± 1.8 μA cm−2 which is 25% larger than the two-compartment cell and a similar open circuit voltage of 0.720 ± 0.018 V.
Loss models for shaped foil windings on low-permeability cores

The cross section of foil windings used in ungapped, low-permeability cores can be modified to reduce total winding loss. The optimal cross-section shape is determined to have a linear cut out and a loss model is developed to calculate the winding loss in foil windings with this cross-section. The loss model shows excellent accuracy when compared to the loss determined by finite-element analysis. The loss model has been used to implement an optimization that determines the lowest loss cross-section for a particular application.
Occurrence of Nosema oryzaephili in Cryptolestes ferrugineus and transfer to the genus Paranosema.

Abstract A microsporidium that closely resembles Paranosema species at the level of the light microscope was isolated from the rusty grain beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus . It’s identity as Nosema oryzaephili (originally described from Oryzaephilus surinamensis ) was confirmed by comparison with a known isolate of N. oryzaephili based on spore size, small subunit rDNA sequence, and relative infectivity to O. surinamensis , Tribolium castaneum , and Ephestia kuehniella . Phylogenetic analysis of the small subunit rDNA indicates clearly that this species belongs in the genus Paranosema and thus the designation Paranosema oryzaephili (Burges, Canning and Hurst) is proposed. In spite of the abundance, economic importance, and world-wide distribution of C. ferrugineus , this is the first report of a microsporidial infection in this species. This is also the first report of P. oryzaephili in the new world.
A Partial Forwarding Scheme for Dynamic Window Resizing in Live P2P Streaming Systems

Peer-to-peer (P2P) streaming systems, in which individual nodes or peers operated by ordinary Internet users collaborate to serve video streams, have recently aroused considerable interest in both academia and industry. An important problem in P2P streaming systems is how to reduce their consumed bandwidth, which is a major concern of Internet service providers. Our work is motivated by the fact that a user may dynamically change the size of a window displaying a video stream according to his/her personal choice, a scenario we refer to as dynamic window resizing. In this paper, we propose a scheme called the partial forwarding scheme (PFS) based on layered coding, in which users with small windows help in forwarding a part of the enhancement layer. PFS significantly reduces the total consumed bandwidth while still maintaining the desired streaming quality. Our extensive simulation results show that PFS can reduce the total consumed bandwidth by up to 40% while still maintaining satisfactory streaming quality.
Spatial Contagion of Male Juvenile Drug Offending Across Socioeconomically Homogeneous Neighborhoods

This research investigates the influence of spatial contagion and neighborhood socioeconomic character on drug offense juvenile delinquency and recidivism among urban male youth. For this purpose we use a data set of all juvenile delinquents sentenced to court-ordered programs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1996 to 2003. U.S. Bureau of the Census data are used to capture various dimensions of socioeconomic character, including concentrated disadvantage, ethnicity, and residential mobility. A regionalization algorithm is used to generate neighborhood boundaries that maximize within-unit socioeconomic homogeneity while preserving large counts of juveniles so that reliable rates of drug offense delinquency may be calculated. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and spatial econometric modeling are employed to model the effects of neighborhood socioeconomic character and, where appropriate, spatial contagion, on delinquency, drug offense delinquency, and repeat drug offense delinquency outcomes. Results indicate that concentrated disadvantage enhances not only delinquency generally but also drug delinquency and repeat drug delinquency. In addition, modeled drug delinquency indicates spatial contagion among neighborhoods, while controlling for the influence of concentrated disadvantage, providing evidence for cross-neighborhood peer contagion.
BRAF inhibitor treatment of primary BRAF-mutant ameloblastoma with pathologic assessment of response

Objective Molecular characterization of ameloblastoma has indicated a high frequency of driver mutations in BRAF and SMO. Preclinical data suggest that Food and Drug Administration–approved BRAF-targeted therapies may be immediately relevant for patients with ameloblastoma positive for the BRAF V600E mutation. Methods A neoadjuvant treatment regime of dabrafenib was given to a patient with recurrent BRAF-mutant mandibular ameloblastoma. The patient subsequently underwent left mandible composite resection of the tumor and pathologic evaluation of treatment response. Results The ameloblastoma had a slow but dramatic response with >90% tumor volume reduction. The inner areas of the tumor underwent degeneration and squamous differentiation, and intact ameloblastoma was present in the outer areas associated with bone. Conclusions Targeted neoadjuvant therapy for ameloblastoma may be useful in certain clinical settings of primary ameloblastoma. These might include tumors of advanced local stage when a neoadjuvant reduction could alter the extent of surgery and instances of local recurrence when surgical options are limited.
The D3 Science-to-Design Methodology: Automated and Cognitive-Based Processes for Discovering, Describing, and Designing Complex Nanomechanical Biosystems

New opportunities in design often surface with scientific advances, however, the rapid pace of scientific findings in biological domains, and their complexity, may impede effective technological design. This paper addresses such challenges through weaving phases of scientific discovery, analytical description, and technological design in an integrative “d3 Methodology.” The method is implemented using human-guided automated processes developed with cognitive-based considerations. A case study of designing myosin bio-libraries is specifically investigated, and optimization results suggest that bio-libraries of designed synthetic isoforms have advantages over natural isoforms. The findings are motivating for future scientific endeavors to investigate the benefits of designed myosins, thus demonstrating reciprocity among design and science. The successes in implementing each d3 phase suggests the methodology is a feasible approach for nanoscale biosystems design, and is well-suited for driving the scientific inquiries of today towards the novel technologies of tomorrow.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Are classic predictors of voltage valid in cardiac amyloidosis? A contemporary analysis of electrocardiographic findings

Abstract Background Low voltage electrocardiography (ECG) coupled with increased ventricular wall thickness is the hallmark of cardiac amyloidosis. However, patient characteristics influencing voltage in the general population, including bundle branch block, have not been evaluated in amyloid heart disease. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed of patients with newly diagnosed cardiac amyloidosis from 2002 to 2014. ECG voltage was calculated using limb (sum of QRS complex in leads I, II and III) and precordial (Sokolow: S in V1 plus R in V5–V6) criteria. The associations between voltage and clinical variables were tested using multivariable linear regression. A Cox model assessed the association of voltage with mortality. Results In 389 subjects (transthyretin ATTR 186, light chain AL 203), 30% had conduction delay (QRS >120ms). In those with narrow QRS, 68% met low limb, 72% low Sokolow and 57% both criteria, with lower voltages found in AL vs ATTR. LV mass index as well as other typical factors that impact voltage (age, sex, race, hypertension, BSA, and smoking) in the general population were not associated with voltage in this cardiac amyloidosis cohort. Patients with LBBB and IVCD had similar voltages when compared to those with narrow QRS. Voltage was significantly associated with mortality (p Conclusion Classic predictors of ECG voltage in the general population are not valid in cardiac amyloidosis. In this cohort, the prevalence estimates of ventricular conduction delay and low voltage are higher than previously reported. Voltage predicts mortality after multivariable adjustment.
A spectral algorithm for electromagnetic wave scattering in the time domain - Application to RCS computation

A numerical method for solving Maxwell's equations in the time domain has been developed. Spectral collocation based on Chebyshev and Fourier polynomials is used to approximate the spatial derivatives. The system is evolved in time using the third order explicit Adams-Bashforth-Moulton predictor-corrector scheme. A procedure for treating the boundary conditions and a domain decomposition method have also been developed. The equations are solved in curvilinear coordinates on body conforming meshes using the scattered field formulation. Calculations for the scattering from perfectly conducting circular and square cylinders are presented, using both single and multiple domains. Computations of bistatic radar cross section and induced surface current show excellent agreement with analytic and method of moments solutions. These results demonstrate the accuracy of the method and its resolution capability on coarse meshes.
Using AutoLISP to Program Drawing Frame and Draw with Solid Works

This paper is focused on an engineering drawing including three key steps.First,during drawing in AutoCAD,AutoLisp can be used in the programming to create a standard drawing frame with such drawing surrounding parameters as layer,line type,color,font,scale and so on;second,using the ability of SolidWorks in easily creating solid entities and accurately transforming 3D entities into 2D drawing,a engineering drawing is created from 3D to 2D;last,a 2D engineering drawing is completed after marking necessary drawing elements such as dimension,roughness,jointing symbols and so on.
Pregnant women, infants, and the cost savings of smoking cessation.

charge smokers more because of their risk. This somewhat perversely means that insurers have less incentive to modify risk. Remember that the time horizon is a disincentive for many employ ers. One final recommendation is to use tax incentives to reward employers who invest in smoking cessation and may not recover their costs. Giving a tax incentive?whether it be at the State or federal level?aligns private-payer incentives with lifetime benefits, thus saving considerable social costs often borne by the government. When the distinctions between employer and society time horizons are blurred, government and taxpayers?often the insurers of last resort?will both benefit. When you are selling smoking cessation, you must think in terms of the market.
Educational methods for inverted-lecture computer science classrooms to overcome common barriers to STEM student success

New educational pedagogies are emerging in an effort to increase the number of new engineers available to enter the workforce in the coming years. One of the re-occurring themes in these pedagogies is some form of the flipped classroom. Often the additional classroom time gained from flipping is used to reinforce learning objectives. This paper suggests that it might be more beneficial to students if some of that time is used to address common non-cognitive barriers that prevent students from succeeding in the major. This experiment was conducted on a freshman Introductory Computer Science course with students whom are less traditionally prepared. Three different pedagogies were compared: a hybrid lecture-active learning pedagogy, a fully flipped classroom pedagogy, and a fully flipped classroom with added barrier interventions pedagogy. All three groups were in SCALE-UP classrooms. While fully flipping the classroom showed a slight increase to student progression over the hybrid classroom, it was not significant. When barrier interventions were added to address motivation and interest, opportunity, psychosocial skills, cognitive skills, and academic preparedness a significant increase in student progression occurred. This suggests that students might benefit from some classroom time being spent on non-technical skills.
Incorporating Human Error Education into Software Engineering Courses via Error-based Inspections

In spite of the human-centric aspect of software engineering (SE) discipline, human error knowledge has been ignored by SE educators as it is often thought of as something that belongs in the realm of Psychology. SE curriculum is also severely devoid of educational content on human errors, while other human-centric disciplines (aviation, medicine, process control) have developed human error training and other interventions. To evaluate the feasibility of using such interventions to teach students about human errors in SE, this paper describes an exploratory study to evaluate whether requirements inspections driven by human errors can be used to deliver both requirements validation knowledge (a key industry skill) and human error knowledge to students. The results suggest that human error based inspections can enhance the fault detection abilities of students, a primary learning outcome of inspection exercises conducted in software engineering courses. Additionally, results showed that students found human error information useful for understanding the underlying causes of requirement faults.
A Qualitative Analysis of the Experience of Female Chinese American Church Leaders: Associations with Gender Role, Culture, and Work-Family Balance

This qualitative study explored the unique experiences of seven Chinese American female church leaders, providing examples of the barriers they faced as women and those resulting from cultural conflicts, as well as the impact these factors had on their roles in church ministry. Specifically, the findings addressed the impact of gender roles and culture on these leaders’ experiences and the extent to which they were able to achieve work-family balance. The study highlighted the challenges of working with a culturally diverse population as well as the struggles these female leaders faced in a male-dominated field. Furthermore, the factors influencing work-family balance were examined along with strategies for avoiding burnout. Taken together, these findings provided insight into the distinctive experiences of female leaders in ministry and the ways in which churches might be able to better provide for these leaders.
"It Ruined My Life": the effects of the War on Drugs on people who inject drugs (PWID) in rural Puerto Rico

Abstract Background The War on Drugs has raised the incarceration rates of racial minorities for non-violent drug-related crimes, profoundly stigmatized drug users, and redirected resources from drug prevention and treatment to militarizing federal and local law enforcement. Yet, while some states consider shifting their punitive approach to drug use, to one based on drug treatment and rehabilitation, nothing suggests that these policy shifts are being replicated in Puerto Rico. Methods This paper utilizes data from 360 PWID residing in four rural towns in the mountainous area of central Puerto Rico. We initially recruited 315 PWID using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) and collected data about risk practices and conducted HIV and HCV testing. During a second phase, we conducted 34 micro-ethnographic assays, in which we randomly recruited 34 participants from the first phase and included their ego networks in this phase. Our ethnographic inquiry produced significant data regarding the effects of the war on drugs on the local drug trade, drug availability, and injectors' social networks. Results Findings suggest that repressive policing has been ineffective in preventing drug distribution and use among those in our study. This type of law enforcement approach has resulted in the disproportionate incarceration of poor drug users in rural Puerto Rico, and mainly for nonviolent drug-related crimes. In addition, incarceration exposes PWID to a form of a cruel and unusual punishment: having to quit heroin "cold turkey" while the prison environment also represents a HIV/HCV risk. In turn, the war on drugs not only diverts resources from treatment but also shapes treatment ideologies, punishing non-compliant patients. Conclusion Shifting the emphasis from repression to treatment and rehabilitation is likely to have a positive impact on the health and overall quality of life of PWID and their communities.
Broadband monostatic simultaneous transmit and receive reflector antenna system

A broadband reflector antenna with monostatic simultaneous transmit and receive (STAR) capability is introduced. The proposed antenna operates over 4–8GHz with VSWR 21dBic (with a maximum gain of 28dBic @ 8GHz), and high isolation. A dual-polarized coaxial cavity antenna is designed and used as reflector feed. The monostatic STAR capability is achieved by the use of a simple beamformer network and circulators arranged to cancel any signal leakage from TX to RX paths leading to hypothetically infinite system isolation. Practically, the proposed system achieves isolation > 30dB limited by the imperfections of the used COTS components.
Backdating German neoliberalism: Ordoliberalism, the German model and economic experiments in eastern Germany after 1989:

Since the 2007–8 financial crisis and subsequent difficulties in the eurozone, Germany’s recent economic history has been much studied. However, less attention has been paid to neoliberalisation in...
Simulation of the EMR Spectra of High-Spin Iron in Proteins

Very detailed information about the energy levels and orientations of d orbitals in heme proteins has been obtained by combining EMR studies of paramagnetic samples with other structural information from X-ray crystallography and optical studies. As a result, the chemistry of heme enzymes can be discussed in detail. While the aim of this chapter is to review progress in bringing the chemistry of mononuclear iron centers in nonheme proteins to a similar level of knowledge, our understanding of line shape analysis for high-spin iron is dominated by the vast literature on heme samples. We begin this introduction with some of the history of EMR spectroscopy of methemoglobin and metmyoglobin.
Multiple Equilibria and Their Effects on Impact Damage in an Air-Handling Assembly

Nonlinear dynamic systems can have multiple equilibriumstates, which together with the system properties,initial conditions, input. and nonlinear feedback dictatehow nonlinear systems respond. In systems with impacts,stiffness discontinuitiescan lead to deterioration in function and eventual failureafter many vibration cycles. This article demonstrateshow multiple static equilibria can potentially accelerate impactdamage. Based on experimental data and observations froman air-handling assembly with clearance and Coulomb frictionnonlinearities, a low-order model is developed to describethe observed behavior. It is demonstrated that motion inthe neighborhood of an equilibriumpoint causes more severe vibration impact damage due to aloss of tolerance away from the design point.
Prudence and Pedantry in Early Modern Cosmology: the Trade of AL Ross

Alexander Ross fut un auteur prolifique attire par la connaissance de la religion, de la philosophie et des sciences naturelles. Dans ses travaux litteraires, il representa un complexe de culture et de politique, alliant quantite, intensite et futilite
Supergroups and Their Representations

About a decade ago a new kind of symmetry principle appeared in physics, namely supersymmetry. The novel feature of this symmetry is that it operates between bosons and fermions which have different space-time (or spin and statistics) properties. The generators of supersymmetry transformations form a Lie superalgebra whose even subalgebra is an ordinary Lie algebra and the odd generators, which mix bosons and fermions, close under anti-commutation to the even part.
Bladder-Control Problems and Self-Catheterization

Bladder-control problems are, for the most part, defined by societal norms and attitudes. Starfield (1972) noted that the age at which children’s bed-wetting normally stops varies across cultures and social class. In countries of the Western hemisphere, Starfield reports that 20% of children were still wetting the bed at a high frequency by age 4–5 years. Bed-wetting was reported at a rate of 13% for children 6–7 years and 2–3% in children 14 years old. These data are consistent with those reported by Vogt (1975) taken from the U.S. National Health Survey. The U.S. data showed that bed-wetting was reported by parents at the rate of 15% in the age range of 6–11 years and 5% in ages 12–17 years.
LONGITUDINAL ATTRITION AND RETENTION IN THE MIDLIFE IN THE U.S. STUDY.

The MIDUS study offers unique opportunities for examining the nature of longitudinal retention and the challenges of retaining participants in a national study of health and well-being across time. Begun in 1995, MIDUS (Midlife in the U.S.) investigates aging as an integrated bio-psycho-social process (http://midus.wisc.edu/) and completed three waves of survey data collection as of 2015; retention characteristics of the sample will be modelled and profiled for waves 2 and 3. Additionally, the presentation will discuss a new MIDUS project designed to convert living participants who have dropped out, examine the extent to which attrition is ignorable, and test the effectiveness of different imputation strategies for modelling missing data due to attrition. Finally, administrative and outreach strategies for maintaining contact with longitudinal participants will be reviewed.
The Future of Chinese Gambling: A Cultural Conclusion

In anticipating the future of gambling in Hong Kong and Macao, two self-administrative regions (SARs) in the People’s Republic of China, Chan et al. (2016) wrote: “-----We have witnessed gambling in Macao changing and evolving from a city of sin in the past to today’s city of dreams. We do look forward to seeing the transformation of Macao from a city of gambling to a metropolitan city of global tourism and leisure destination-------- An Asian icon of gaming and prosperity. And as long as commercial gambling is carried out responsibly and morally, it will, definitely, offer hopes and dreams of a better livelihood for the 640,000 residents in this small enclave in the southern part of China.” While the authors are optimistic that regulated commercial gambling can bring prosperity and hope for the people of Macao, their studies only focus on gambling in Hong Kong and Macao. What is the future of gambling in Mainland China, then? As we have outlined the historical development of gambling in China in Chap. 1, we understand that contemporary illegal gambling is a serious problem in this country with a population of 1.4 billion. How would the Chinese government tackle this legal and moral problem? How the concepts of responsible gambling are received in China? With the rapid expansion and proliferation of casino gambling across Asia, will the PRC government, a political regime built upon solid socialist principles of Marxism-Leninism, legalize commercial gambling? In other words, will casino resorts be built in China? This last chapter in our studies intends to give answers to these questions. To begin with, we will start with a discussion on the problem of illegal gambling in China.
The Impact of Qualified Health Claims on Advertising Evaluations: The Cases of POM Wonderful and Minute Maid

Recently, there has been increasing attention to and importance placed on qualified health claims both on industry and policy fronts. All parties have been advocating for broader qualified health claims to improve the information that consumers possess so that they can make more informed decisions. This research attempts to inform this discussion by examining consumer responses to qualified health claims and the scientific certainty that supports the health claim. The results of this study have important implications for consumers who are prospective buyers of these products as well as policymakers and industry members.
The Relevance of Information Systems Research: Informing the IS Practitioner Community; Informing Ourselves

Discussion of the relevance of Information Systems research to the practitioner community began in the 1990s. Though the issue has faded from top-tier journals, the problem remains. This article provides the first comprehensive consideration of the major papers relating to IS research relevance. It also recognizes that the problem of relevance is not one that is likely to be solved at the global IS level, or even the university level. Rather, the relevance of IS research ultimately will be determined by each individual researcher. To facilitate individual researchers’ progress in moving toward greater relevance, this research provides a concise plan of specific actions that are within the control of each individual IS researcher. These actions involve both how researchers attempt to inform the practitioner community about their work, and how researchers inform themselves about the concerns of practitioners. Several specific actions for improving the relevance of individual research are detailed.
The prevalence of eye injury in the United States, estimates from a meta-analysis

Purpose: The burden of vision impairment and blindness is typically focused on the most common causes of these conditions, namely cataract, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. However, the burden of less common but more preventable causes such as eye injury has not been quantified. The goal of this study is to estimate the prevalence of eye injury and eye injury-associated vision impairment and blindness in the United States.Methods: A systematic review was conducted to identify peer-reviewed population-based studies reporting the prevalence of eye injury. The relevant qualitative and quantitative results were extracted from these studies and the latter pooled using a random-effects model. The model results were then applied to the United States population counts to estimate the number of individuals impacted by eye injury.Results: A total of 20 population-based studies met the inclusion criteria for the study. The pooled prevalences of eye injury and eye injury-associated vision impairment and blindness were 7.5 per 100, 4.4 per 1000 and 5.1 per 1000, respectively. These estimates suggest that an estimated 24 million persons in the United States have ever suffered an eye injury, of whom 1.5 million are visually impaired and 1.7 million and 147,000 are partially blind or totally blind, respectively.Conclusions: Eye injury is an important contributor to the burden of vision impairment and blindness in the United States. Prevention efforts should be enhanced to reduce the incidence of these largely preventable events and as should effective therapies to minimize the visual consequences of those currently affected.
Disabling Theologies and Student Learning11

AbstractThis paper will address how the study of religion and key theological claims of the Christian religion can provide fundamentally positive conditions for talking about bodies, and—at the sam...
Reconstruction for axillary hidradenitis suppurativa using one-stage local tissue rearrangement: A retrospective analysis of 53 cases

Wide local excision offers a potential cure for severe axillary hidradenitis suppurativa. However, the gold standard for reconstruction has yet to be defined. Here, we describe our rotation advancement flap technique, which allows for one-stage closure of large axillary defects, with minimal functional morbidity to the axilla. We performed a retrospective review of all patients who underwent one-stage surgical management for axillary hidradenitis suppurativa at a single-centre tertiary care hospital from 2009 to 2018. We identified 34 patients, with a total of 53 operative sites. The majority were female (85%) with a mean age of 31 years and body mass index 35 kg/m2 . The median defect size was 84 cm2 and the majority were treated using the rotation advancement flap technique (86%). A quarter of operative sites experienced minor complications with only one requiring re-operation. At a median follow-up of 32 months, two (4%) sites showed decreased range of motion. However, all patients had achieved remission without any further recurrence of disease. We describe a one-stage rotation advancement flap technique for management of moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa that achieves a high local cure rate, minimal functional morbidity, and acceptable wound complication rates.