cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pros and cons of gastrostomy feeding in children with cerebral palsy

Abstract At least a third of children with moderate to severe cerebral palsy (CP) will have feeding difficulties. Malnutrition should not be considered normal in children with CP. Early, persistent, and severe feeding difficulties are a marker for subsequent poor growth and developmental outcomes. Growth patterns in children with cerebral palsy are associated with their overall health and social participation. Growth restriction increases progressively with age and thus mandates early nutritional intervention. In children with severe CP such nutritional intervention is increasingly being administered by gastrostomy feeding tube but controversy surrounds the evidence-base for this approach. Moreover, mothers' decisions about gastrostomy feeding are complex and difficult and must be taken into account in making therapeutic recommendations. This paper discusses the available research evidence and psychosocial issues around gastrostomy feeding in children with severe CP. It seeks to provide a basis for rational clinical decision-making based upon the integration of the best available research evidence with clinical experience and patient values.
Nephrolithiasis in inflammatory bowel disease

In a series of 885 patients with inflammatory bowel disease, 64 (7.2%) also had nephrolithiasis. Forty-three patients (6.4%) had ulcerative colitis, and 21 (10.1%) had “granulomatous” inflammatory bowel disease. The majority of patients were young men with ulcerative colitis. The average duration of the bowel disease prior to the clinical diagnosis of renal calculi was 10 years. Calcium radiopaque stones were identified by chemical analysis or X-ray appearance in 46 patients. Uric acid radiolucent calculi similarly were identified in 12 patients. In 6 patients the stones could not be classified. Increased concentration and excretion of urinary crystalloids, possibly related to the administration of adrenal corticosteroids, persistent excretion of an acid urine, and intestinal surgery, may be important factors in the pathogenesis of nephrolithiasis in inflammatory bowel disease; but further metabolic studies are necessary to clarify this problem.
Species are Processes: A Solution to the ‘Species Problem’ via an Extension of Ulanowicz’s Ecological Metaphysics

The ‘species problem’ in the philosophy of biology concerns the nature of species. Various solutions have been proposed, including arguments that species are sets, classes, natural kinds, individuals, and homeostatic property clusters. These proposals parallel debates in ecology as to the ontology and metaphysics of populations, communities and ecosystems. A new solution—that species are processes—is proposed and defended, based on Robert Ulanowicz’s metaphysics of process ecology. As with ecological systems, species can be understood as emergent, autocatalytic systems with propensities for centripetality and mutuality in the course of dynamically balancing ascendency (order and persistence) and overhead (randomness and change). The species-as-processes perspective accords with the Ulanowicz’s postulates of process ecology and it can be accommodated by existing theories of species—particularly in a reframing of Richard Boyd’s metaphysics such that species are homeostatic process clusters. Rather than contending that process-based metaphysics is the only, best or true account of species, a pluralist-realist approach is advocated based on the pragmatic principles that are reflected in modern view of species and ecology. If species are understood to be comprised of processes and to be emergent processes themselves, there are important implications for the life sciences, including: animal models in medical and environmental studies, conservation biology, extinction, biodiversity, restoration ecology, and evolutionary biology.
The Ionic State Of Ceramide 1-phosphate Affects Raft Domain Morphology And Fluidity

Ceramide 1-phosphate (Cer1P) is involved in cell survival, cell proliferation, inflammation and phagocytosis processes. Physiological processes that have been associated with Cer1P have been shown to be in some cases lipid raft dependent. Lipid rafts are proposed to exist in a liquid-ordered state it has been suggested that raft domains are involved in a variety of important biological processes. It has been shown that ceramide forms gel phase domains within the liquid-ordered raft domains and the question arises what kind of phase state Cer1P adopts when immersed in a raft domain. The physicochemical behavior of Cer1P is mainly routed in the protonation state of the phosphate headgroup. To investigate the phase behavior of Cer1P in raft domains, giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) composed of POPC/Sphingomyelin/Chol (1:1:1) with different concentrations of Cer1P were studied by fluorescence microscopy at buffers with different pH (pH5, pH7 and pH9). For a pH 7 buffer, the presence of Cer1P disrupted raft domains and induced lipid phase reorganization and the appearance of a Cer1P-enriched gel phase. In contrast to the large platforms reported for ceramide, the presence of Cer1P disrupts rafts. For pH 5 buffer, with increasing concentrations of Cer1P, the domain patterns were totally different from those observed for pH 7 buffer. The Cer1P gel phase disappeared completely and the raft type liquid disordered phase became dominant. In pH 9 buffer, the ability of Cer1P to disrupt rafts was attenuated. These experiments demonstrate that the protonation state of the phosphate headgroup affects the phase behavior of Cer1P within the raft. The headgroup of Cer1P might function as an electrostatic switch that drives the lipid in and out of gel phase domains which may modulate its availability to the relevant proteins.
Frictional performance and near-surface evolution of nanocrystalline Ni–Fe as governed by contact stress and sliding velocity

Abstract While early reports on the wear performance of nanocrystalline alloys have suggested enhanced behavior consistent with their higher hardness compared to conventional microcrystalline alloys, there is still limited understanding of the mechanisms and limits of this enhanced behavior. In the present study, we examine the frictional response of a nanocrystalline Ni–20Fe alloy with 34-nm average grain size compared to the same film annealed to an average grain size of 500-nm. We examine the sliding friction performance of these films in contact with a 3.125 mm diameter Si 3 N 4 spherical counterface under a range of normal forces (0.1–1.0 N) and sliding speeds (0.25–3.75 mm/s) in a non-oxidizing dry nitrogen environment. Under all conditions, the initial break-in coefficient of friction (COF) starts high, μ ≈0.5–0.8, typical of uncoated metallic friction. However, there is an evolution in the COF which depends on normal force and sliding speed. At low sliding speeds (or normal forces), the steady-state COF decreases to μ ≈0.2 whereas at higher sliding speeds and normal forces, the steady-state COF remains high at μ ≈0.8. Focused ion beam cross-sectioning and TEM imaging reveal that in all cases, a multilayer substructure is formed in the deforming film: a refined ultrananocrystalline layer at the top surface, over a region of coarsened grains, atop the parent nanocrystalline alloy. The key distinction between the high-friction and low-friction conditions appears to lie in the triggering of a delamination process: high-friction conditions are associated with a thickening of the UNC layer through repeated delamination, whereas low-friction conditions are associated with a thin UNC layer that does not delaminate. Finite element analysis is used to aid in the understanding of how the magnitude and location of stresses drive these two distinct regimes.
The social behavior of adult male-infant pairs of Rhesus macaques in a laboratory environment.

Adult males in nonhuman primate societies exhibit a wide range of behaviors toward immature members of their social group, ranging from virtually continuous nurturance to systematic infanticide. Among macaques, rhesus monkey males in the wild display perhaps the least degree of paternalistic behavior toward conspecific infants. But adult male-infant rhesus attachments have not as yet been explored in a controlled longitudinal study, even though the mother-infant bond has received careful attention for several decades. In the present study two pairs of adult male and infant rhesus macaques were housed together without the mother for a period of at least seven months. To minimize the probability of physical harm to the infants, one adult male was present at the birth of the infant with whom it was paired and the other was visually familiarized with the infant for several weeks before being paired with it. Both pairs have shown much less ventral-ventral contact than mother-infant pairs and the infants have rarely attempted to gain nipple contact. The female infant now initiates and maintains ventral-ventral contact much more frequently than the male infant in spite of the higher degree of aggression directed toward her by the male. The adults frequently groom their infants and exhibit varying degrees of both tolerance and aggression. Rough-and-tumble play appeared quite early in both pairs and is much more vigorous than mother-infant play. Recently the male-male pair has exhibited reciprocal mounting and thrusting. Comparisons are made with data obtained in an earlier study of mother-infant pairs conducted under nearly identical experimental circumstances. The effects of separating the adult males and infants at seven months are also described.
Effective macular translocation without scleral imbrication

Abstract PURPOSE: To describe a case of effective macular translocation accomplished without scleral imbrication or extensive retinotomy. METHODS: A case report of a 59-year-old woman with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization in her left eye who underwent vitrectomy with macular detachment and fluid–air exchange. RESULTS: The macula was translocated approximately 500 μm inferiorly, allowing for photocoagulation of extrafoveal neovascularization. CONCLUSION: Limited macular translocation may be attained without scleral imbrication or significant retinotomy.
Thermal Properties of Copy Paper Sheets

The thermal conductivity and specific heat of paper are important in determining its response to heat pulses encountered in applications such as copying or digital printing. This work reports measurements of the thermal conductivity, contact resistance, and specific heat for a number of commercial copy paper sheets. The experimental setup was designed to measure transient and steady-state temperature distribution in stacks of paper sheets from which the thermal properties were determined. Steady-state measurements of the temperature difference were used to determine the thermal contact resistance and the thermal conductivity of the sheets. The specific heat was determined from the transient temperatures recorded during heat-up and cool-down periods. The thermal conductivity depends upon the sheet density, filler content, and nature of the fibers. It also showed a small increase with temperature of approximately 10−4 W/(mK)/K. Models of thermal conductivity based on the resistance of the fibers and the fil...
ON THE SPATIAL USES OF PREPOSITIONS

At first glance, the spatial uses of prepositions seem to constitute a good semantic domain for a computational approach. One expects such uses will refer more or less strictly to a closed, explicit, and precise chunk of world knowledge. Such an attitude is expressed in the following statement:"Given descriptions of the shape of two objects, given their location (for example, by means or coordinates in some system of reference), and, in some cases, the location of an observer, one can select an appropriate preposition."This paper shows the fallacy of this claim. It addresses the problem of interpreting and generating "locative predications" (expressions made up of two noun-phrases governed by a preposition used spatially). It identifies and describes a number of object characteristics beyond shape (section 1) and contextual factors (section 2) which bear on these processes. Drawing on these descriptions, the third section proposes core meanings for two categories of prepositions, and describes some of the transformations these core meanings are subject to in context. The last section outlines the main directions of inquiry suggested by the examples and observations in the paper.
Automatic speech recognition using acoustic sub-words and no time alignment

The authors have developed a very successful new approach to automatic speech recognition which incorporates speech knowledge into a mathematical framework and does not require a computationally intensive time alignment/dynamic programming scheme. They transform the speech signal into the spectral domain, segment it into sub-word units and, in turn, perform an additional transformation in the spectral domain to capture the spectral structure within each sub-word unit. The system was shown to perform robustly in hand segmented whole word digit recognition in clean as well as noisy speech. They have now augmented the system with an automatic acoustic sub-word segmentation routine and tested the performance of this integrated system with the TI isolated word database and the confusable E set. >
Heterogeneity and dynamics in China's emerging urban housing market: two sides of a success story from the late 1990s

Abstract China's emerging housing market plays a pivotal role in the ongoing economic reforms. The complete abandonment of the socialist housing allocation system in the late 1990s has led to profound changes in housing provision and consumption in urban China. This paper, through analysis of 2000 Chinese census data and other comparable data sets, studies housing trends in urban China and in its four autonomous municipalities in the late 1990s. It is found that urban homeownership increased dramatically and urban housing conditions improved by almost all accounts, while housing gaps were widening. Occupation and education became much more deciding factors in housing distribution. Both intra- and inter-municipality disparities in housing quality were evident, due in part to the differences in the reform measures undertaken. The drastic changes in the housing sector manifest the phenomenal socioeconomic changes as a result of 20 years’ economic reforms. Housing reform seems to be successful in increasing distributional inequality as a way to introduce market-based incentives and improve productivity. However, those who were in power appear to have maintained and extended their advantages in the new system. Therefore, while the market is in the making, demographic and institutional factors instead of economic factors are more relevant in housing provision and residential behavior.
A study of I/O system organizations

With the increasing processing speeds, it has become important to design powerful and efficient I/O systems. In this paper, we look at several design options in designing an I/O system and study their impact on the performance. Specifically, we use trace driven simulations to study a disk system with a nonvolatile cache. Some of the considered design parameters include the cache block size, the fetch size, the cache size and the disk access policy. We show that decoupling the fetch size and the cache block size results in significant performance improvements. A new write-back policy is presented that is shown to offer significant performance benefits. We show that optimal block size in a two-level memory hierarchy is dependent only on the latency, data rate product of the second level as previously conjectured. We also present results showing the effect of a split access operation of a disk read/write head.
Relation between the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program cycle and dietary quality in low-income African Americans in Baltimore, Maryland

Background: There has been limited research regarding the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and recipients’ dietary quality during the days and weeks after benefit disbursement. Objective: We examined the relation between participants’ stages in the SNAP cycle and their macronutrient consumption, Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores, and fruit and vegetable intake. Design: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed single 24-h dietary recalls collected from 244 African American SNAP participants recruited near 24 corner stores in Baltimore City. A multiple linear regression analysis and bootstrapping were used. Results: Among participants who received a SNAP benefit ≤15 d before being surveyed, energy intake adjusted for minimum energy requirements (−4.49%; 95% CI: −8.77%, −0.15%) and HEI dairy scores (−0.12; 95% CI: −0.22, −0.01) were lower for each 1-d increase in the time since SNAP distribution (TSSD). Among participants who received SNAP benefits >15 d before being surveyed, energy intake (1.35%; 95% CI: 0.01%, 2.73%), energy intake adjusted for minimum energy requirements (3.86%; 95% CI: 0.06%, 7.96%), total fat intake (1.96%; 95% CI: 0.29%, 3.8%), saturated fat intake (2.02%; 95% CI: 0.23%, 4.01%), and protein intake (2.09%; 95% CI: 0.70%, 3.62%) were higher per each 1-d increase in the TSSD. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the relation between the TSSD and macronutrient intake might be U-shaped, with higher intake of calories, fat, and protein in individuals in the very early and late stages of their SNAP cycles. Foods high in these nutrients might be cheaper, more accessible, and have a longer shelf-life than healthier options, such as fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, for SNAP participants when their benefits run out. Additional efforts are needed to investigate the effect of the TSSD on dietary intake by using a longitudinal design and to improve the quality of dietary intake in African American SNAP participants.
Temporal course of depressive symptoms during the development of Alzheimer disease

Objective: To characterize change in depressive symptoms before and after the onset of dementia in Alzheimer disease (AD). Method: We used data from the Chicago Health and Aging Project, a longitudinal cohort study of risk factors for AD in a geographically defined population of old people. Two subsets were analyzed. In 357 individuals who developed incident AD during the study, self-report of depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) was obtained at 3-year intervals for a mean of 8 to 9 years. In 340 individuals who agreed to annual data collection, informant report of depressive symptoms (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) was obtained for a mean of 3 years after a diagnosis of AD (n 107), mild cognitive impairment (n 81), or no cognitive impairment (n 152). Results: The incident AD group reported a barely perceptible increase in depressive symptoms during 6 to 7 years of observation before the diagnosis (0.04 symptoms per year) and no change during 2 to 3 years of observation after the diagnosis except for a slight decrease in positive affect. In those with annual follow-up, neither AD nor its precursor, mild cognitive impairment, was associated with change in informant report of depressive symptoms during a mean of 3 years of observation. Conclusion: Depressive symptoms show little change during the development and progression of AD to a moderate level of dementia severity. Neurology ® 2010;75:21–26
Testing of fault-tolerant hardware through partial control of inputs

The problem of testing fault-tolerant redundant digital systems is investigated. To test redundant systems through normal voter outputs, independent control of the output of each replicated unit is required. In the past it was assumed that independent control of the output of a replicated unit requires independent control of all of its inputs. The authors show that partial control of inputs is actually required. The critical input set problem, which is the problem of finding a set of inputs that need to be independently controlled, is formulated. Solutions are offered for different testing strategies, including exhaustive testing and deterministic testing, and for different levels of circuit description. >
Integration of Rock Physics, Reservoir Simulation, and Time-Lapse Seismic Data for Reservoir Characterization at Weyburn Field, Saskatchewan

Summary An integrated rock/fluid physics and reservoir modeling process relates changes in fluid pressure and composition to changes in the seismic properties of the reservoir. Through calibration of the model with petrophysical relations, a quantitative interpretation of time-lapse seismic data is made. At Weyburn Field this process is used successfully to track a miscible CO2 flood. In further research, the forward model developed in this work could be extended to joint inversion of production and seismic data. The reservoir fluids at Weyburn field are brine, original oil, CO2, and mixtures of oil and CO2. The acoustic properties of brine are modeled with the relations in FLAG (Fluid Acoustics for Geophysics) software. A CO2-based phase with dissolved light hydrocarbons forms when the concentration of CO2 is higher than is miscible in oil. The composition, transport properties, and density of the oil-based and CO2-based phases are modeled in the Eclipse reservoir simulator with the Peng-Robinson equation of state (EOS) (Peng and Robinson, 1965). The option that works best for modeling the bulk modulus of the oil-CO2 system is a cubic EOS based on Van der Waals equation, with coefficients optimized specifically for Weyburn oil-CO2. In this EOS, composition of the fluid is described by average molecular weight, which is computed from the reservoir simulation output. The fluid properties are combined with dry rock properties in a pressure-dependent, anisotropic rock physics model for the seismic response of a saturated, fractured, fluid-rock system. The dry rock properties model consists of two parts: the model for the isotropic matrix and the fracture parameters. The pressure-dependence of the dry rock moduli for the upper and lower (Marly and Vuggy) reservoir zones is estimated from ultrasonic measurements on core samples. The average moduli for the reservoir zones and the porosity-dependence of moduli are taken from the geophysical logs.
The phenotype of the minichromosome maintenance mutant mcm3 is characteristic of mutants defective in DNA replication.

Abstract MCM3 is an essential gene involved in the maintenance of minichromosomes in yeast cells. It encodes a protein of 971 amino acids that shows striking homology to the Mcm2 protein. We have mapped the mcm3-1 mutation of the left arm of chromosome V approximately 3 kb centromere proximal of anp1. The mcm3-1 mutant was found to be thermosensitive for growth. Under permissive growth conditions, it was defective in minichromosome maintenance in an autonomously replicating sequence-specific manner and showed an increase in chromosome loss and recombination. Under nonpermissive conditions, mcm3-1 exhibited a cell cycle arrest phenotype, arresting at the large-bud stage with an undivided nucleus that had a DNA content of nearly 2n. These phenotypes are consistent with incomplete replication of the genome of the mcm3-1 mutant, possibly as a result of limited replication initiation at selective autonomously replicating sequences leading to cell cycle arrest before mitosis. The phenotype exhibited by the mcm3 mutant is very similar to that of mcm2, suggesting that the Mcm2 and Mcm3 protein may play interacting roles in DNA replication.
The Status of Cockerell's Bumblebee, Bombus (Pyrobombus) cockerelli Franklin, 1913 (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Abstract Herein I summarize what is known about Cockerell's bumblebee, Bombus cockerelli Franklin, a New Mexican bumblebee species whose existence has been largely overlooked for decades because of a combination of rarity, geographic restriction, and taxonomic confusion. It is noteworthy that the known distribution covers only about 777 km2, giving it the smallest known range of any bumblebee in the world. There are 34 known specimens, and I present historical details regarding their collection (dates, places, and host plants), deposition, and identification; hopefully, this information will allow others to locate additional specimens of this species. It is further notable that most of the known specimens are late-season queens, and males remain unknown, suggesting that the species may nest and forage in areas of dense forest.
Jung's views on causes and treatments of schizophrenia in light of current trends in cognitive neuroscience and psychotherapy research I. Aetiology and phenomenology

Jung's writings on schizophrenia are almost completely ignored or forgotten today. The purpose of this paper, along with a follow-up article, is to review the primary themes found in Jung's writings on schizophrenia, and to assess the validity of his theories about the disorder in light of our current knowledge base in the fields of psychopathology, cognitive neuroscience and psychotherapy research. In this article, five themes related to the aetiology and phenomenology of schizophrenia from Jung's writings are discussed:1) abaissement du niveau mental; 2) the complex; 3) mandala imagery; 4) constellation of archetypes and 5) psychological versus toxic aetiology. Reviews of the above areas suggest three conclusions. First, in many ways, Jung's ideas on schizophrenia anticipated much current thinking and data about the disorder. Second, with the recent (re)convergence of psychological and biological approaches to understanding and treating schizophrenia, the pioneering ideas of Jung regarding the importance of both factors and their interaction remain a useful and rich, but still underutilized resource. Finally, a more concerted effort to understand and evaluate the validity of Jung's concepts in terms of evidence from neuroscience could lead both to important advances in analytical psychology and to developments in therapeutic approaches that would extend beyond the treatment of schizophrenia.
Implicit 3-D depth migration by wavefield extrapolation with helical boundary conditions

Waveeld extrapolation in the (! x) domain provides a tool for depth migration with strong lateral variations in velocity. Implicit formulations of depth extrapolation have several advantages over explicit methods. However, the simple 3-D extension of conventional 2-D waveeld extrapolation by implicit nite-dierencing requires the inversion of a 2-D convolution matrix which is computationally difcult. In this paper, we solve the 45 wave equation with helical boundary conditions on one of the spatial axes. These boundary conditions reduce the 2-D convolution into an equivalent 1-D lter operation. We then factor this 1-D lter into causal and anti-causal parts using an extension of Kolmogoro ’s spectral factorization method, and invert the convolution operator ecien tly by 1-D recursive ltering. We include lateral variations in velocity by factoring spatially variable lters, and non-stationary deconvolution. The helical boundary conditions allow the 2-D convolution matrix to be inverted directly without the need for splitting approximations, with a cost that scales linearly with the size of the model space. Using this methodology, a whole range of implicit depth migrations may now be feasible in 3-D.
Tele-health: lessons and strategies from specialists in poison information.

Abstract Objective The use of the telephone for providing healthcare is growing. The aim of this exploratory study was to describe tele-health lessons and strategies as discussed by specialists who provide information and recommendations on poison control hotlines. Methods Three focus groups of 25 participants who work as specialists in poison information in poison control centers were conducted. Group discussions were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results Themes that emerged from the data on strategies for telephone communication include: taking control of the call, developing a therapeutic relationship, tailoring communication to fit each caller, preventing information overload, confirming caller understanding, and hands-on training for the development of telephone communication skills. Conclusion Specialists in poison information identified challenges specific to communicating with patients over the telephone and reported several types of strategies they used to manage them. Practice implications Telephone communication training may be needed to assist health care providers in improving their communication skills.
Statistical testing for cleanroom software engineering

Cleanroom software engineering requires statistical testing by an independent agent for the purpose of certifying software quality. Statistical software testing is a formal process that involves sampling from the intended usage environment and the precise measurement of properties of random variables inherent in such a statistical experiment. The first step in conducting a statistical test is to determine the usage distribution for the software in its intended environment. This distribution is the basis for a random generator of test sequences for the software. In order to achieve this distribution, a usage analysis is performed using the software specification and any available usage information. The usage analysis consists of a top down, structural investigation of the specification document that establishes a set of usage states and defines an ordering on this set. The paper describes in detail the usage analysis and inference procedure including various computations on the ensuing Markov chains. Stopping criteria are developed and a discrete software reliability model is presented. >
Patients' attitudes and experiences related to receiving contraception during abortion care.

Abstract Background High risk for additional unintended pregnancies among abortion patients makes the abortion care setting an ideal one for facilitating access to contraception. This study documents attitudes of abortion patients about contraceptive services during their receipt of abortion services and identifies patient characteristics associated with desire for contraception and interest in using a long-acting reversible contraceptive method (LARC). Study Design Structured surveys were administered to 542 patients at five US abortion-providing facilities between March and June of 2010. Supplementary information was collected from 161 women who had had abortions in the past 5 years through an online survey. Results Among abortion patients, two thirds reported wanting to leave their appointments with a contraceptive method and 69% felt that the abortion setting was an appropriate one for receiving contraceptive information. Having Medicaid and having ever used oral contraceptives were predictive of wanting to leave with a method. Women having a second or higher-order abortion were over twice as likely as women having a first abortion to indicate interest in LARC, while black women were half as likely as white women to indicate this interest. Conclusion Many women are interested in learning about and obtaining contraceptive methods, including LARC, in the abortion care setting.
ANALYTICAL METHOD FOR MAPPING FUNCTION TO FAILURE DURING HIGH-RISK COMPONENT DEVELOPMENT

Communicating failure mode information during design and manufacturing is a crucial task for failure prevention. Most processes use Failure Modes and Effects types of analyses, as well as prior knowledge and experience, to determine the potential modes of failures a product might encounter during its lifetime. When new products are being considered and designed, this knowledge and information is expanded upon to help designers extrapolate based on their similarity with existing products and the potential design tradeoffs. This paper makes use of similarities and tradeoffs that exist between different failure modes based on the functionality of each component/product. In this light, a function-failure method is developed to help the design of new products with solutions for functions that eliminate or reduce the potential of a failure mode. The method is applied to a simplified rotating machinery example in this paper, and is proposed as a means to account for helicopter failure modes during design and production, addressing stringent safety and performance requirements for NASA applications.
Use of Fabric Weed Barriers for Tree Establishment in the Central Great Plains

Abstract Black walnut and Scotch pine seedlings were planted alternately on a cultivated site and weeds were controlled with one of two thicknesses of a polypropylene fabric weed barrier or herbicide. In the third year, walnut trees were about 60% taller and had 15% greater survival when grown with the woven plastic fabrics. Pine showed no difference in height between treatments, but survival was about 25% less with herbicides. Both barriers seem to be practical for use in tree establishment under environmental conditions of the Great Plains.
First-Person Political: Musings from an Angry Asian American Disabled Girl

The author writes about her experiences as an angry disabled Asian American child attempting to understand a bewildering world. Recounting some of her formative moments, the author connects those experiences to her growing understanding of disability as a social construct. While early memories and experiences centered on changes in mobility, the essay highlights how disability is more than an impairment or medical diagnosis—discrimination, social attitudes and physical barriers can be just as disabling as a congenital condition. To the author, anger, as a primal and destructive force, can be useful in fueling change in one's life
Variant minihelix RNAs reveal sequence-specific recognition of the helical tRNA(Ser) acceptor stem by E.coli seryl-tRNA synthetase.

Aminoacylation rate determinations for a series of variant RNA minihelix substrates revealed that Escherichia coli seryl-tRNA synthetase (SerRS) recognizes the 1--72 through 5--68 base pairs of the E.coli tRNA(Ser) acceptor stem with the major recognition elements clustered between positions 2--71 and 4--69. The rank order of effects of canonical base pair substitutions at each position on kcat/Km was used to assess the involvement of major groove functional groups in recognition. Conclusions based on the biochemical data are largely consistent with the interactions revealed by the refined structure of the homologous Thermus thermophilus tRNA(Ser)-SerRS complex that Cusack and colleagues report in the accompanying paper. Disruption of an end-on hydrophobic interaction between the major groove C5(H) of pyrimidine 69 and an aromatic side chain of SerRS is shown to significantly decrease kcat/Km of a minihelix substrate. This type of interaction provides a means by which proteins can recognize the binary information of 'degenerate' sequences, such as the purine-pyrimidine base pairs of tRNA(Ser). The 3--70 base pair is shown to contribute to recognition by SerRS even though it is not contacted specifically by the protein. The latter effect derives from the organization of the specific contacts that SerRS makes with the neighboring 2--71 and 4--69 acceptor stem base pairs.
Exporters and the environment

This paper documents a relationship between international trade and environmental performance at the plant level. Using a panel of establishment-level data from 1990–2006, I estimate the relationship between export orientation, import competition and pollution emissions. I find a robust relationship between international trade and pollution levels. Exporters emit 9% to 13% less after controlling for output, but there is significant heterogeneity across industries. Import competition is associated with the exit of the smallest, most pollution-intensive plants. There is no evidence that this result is caused by polluting firms relocating to countries with low levels of environmental regulation and importing back into the US.
Your Data to Explore: An Interview with Anne Wojcicki.

How can we not be intrigued by secrets held within our genomes? 23andMe erupted onto the biotech landscape in 2006 to satisfy that curiosity with its promise of genetics fun. For a little bit of spit and a few hundred dollars, we could check out genetic predictions for traits we already know we have—perhaps blonde hair or blue eyes—as well as susceptibilities for diseases we may have yet to develop, such as cancer or diabetes. While other small companies took on sober analysis of disease traits and data delivery back to the physician or patient with genetic counseling, 23andMe eschewed the traditional paternalism of American medicine and espoused direct-to-consumer testing. Added to that moxie was a snappy high-tech pedigree. The company was founded by Anne Wojcicki, Linda Avey, and Paul Cusenza and bankrolled in some measure by Google’s Sergey Brin, with whom Wojcicki has two children but from whom she is now divorced.
Health insurance coverage and healthcare utilization among homeless young adults in Venice, CA.

Background Homeless young adults are a vulnerable population with great healthcare needs. Under the Affordable Care Act, homeless young adults are eligible for Medicaid, in some states, including California. This study assesses homeless young adults' health insurance coverage and healthcare utilization prior to Medicaid expansion. Methods All homeless young adults accessing services at a drop-in center in Venice, CA, were invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire; 70% of eligible clients participated (n = 125). Results Within this majority White, heterosexual, male sample, 70% of homeless young adults did not have health insurance in the prior year, and 39% reported their last healthcare visit was at an emergency room. Past year unmet healthcare needs were reported by 31%, and financial cost was the main reported barrier to receiving care. Multivariable logistic regression found that homeless young adults with health insurance were almost 11 times more likely to report past year healthcare utilization. Conclusions Health insurance coverage is the sole variable significantly associated with healthcare utilization among homeless young adults, underlining the importance of insurance coverage within this vulnerable population. Service providers can play an important role by assisting homeless young adults with insurance applications and facilitating connections with regular sources of health care.
Performance of SBR and BR Tread Compounds as a Function of Carbon Black Dispersion, Surface Chemistry, and Structure

Abstract A study has been made of the effect of carbon black dispersion, oxygen volatile, and extremes in chain structure development on vulcanizate properties and treadwear. The effect of poorly dispersed carbon black is to reduce wear resistance, tensile strength, strain energy, and groove cracking resistance. Other vulcanizate properties are not as noticeably affected. The role of oxygen functionality in reinforcement was investigated in a series of oxidation and devolatilization experiments. Added oxygen functionality of a critical amount reduces modulus, strain energy and treadwear resistance. Attempts to raise these properties through added acceleration results in greatly reduced treadwear. Carbon black-elastomer adhesion is indicated once again as the sine qua non of wear resistance. Carbon blacks possessing an unusually high level of reticulate chain structure require a lower level of chemical crosslinking than carbons of normal structure level for maximum treadwear resistance. This finding is con...
Vibration Analysis of Thin Plates Subject to Piezoelectric Actuation: A New Perspective in Modeling and Numerical Analysis

This paper undertakes model development and numerical simulations of vibration problem of piezoelectrically actuated thin plates with a holistic perspective. Constitutive laws governing piezoelectric actuator are integrated with the potential and kinetic energies of combined plate-actuator system. The equations of motions are derived using variational approach and verified with results obtained by Newton’s equilibrium approach. It is verified that the field coupled components associated with piezoelectric actuator appear as distributed moments over the area of the actuator. The equations of motion are solved using modal analysis deploying Raleigh Ritz method utilizing Boundary Characteristic Orthogonal Polynomials (BCOP). The shape functions generated using this method is used in Assumed Mode Method (AMM) to numerically simulate forced vibration analysis. Since Raleigh Ritz analysis with BCOP can be deployed with the plates of all the geometries, minor modifications in selecting the shape functions enables one to use the same method to calculate natural frequencies of annular plate as well.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Increasing Intraoperative Patient Safety: Monitoring Drug Concentrations

Monitors that show intravenous drug and effect concentrations currently do not exist. However, using real-time displays of intravenous anesthetic concentrations and effects could significantly enhance intraoperative clinical decision-making and patient safety. Pharmacological models are available to estimate drug concentrations in the brain, and to predict the drug's associated physiological effects. An interdisciplinary research team developed a graphic display incorporating these models to show the predicted present and future concentrations and effects of anesthetic drugs in real-time. The results of this study show that anesthesiologists using the display controlled hemodynamic patient variables better than a control group. Additionally, when using the drug display the procedure was shorter than in the control group. Taken together, the availability of a drug display has the potential to increase patient safety significantly.
Visual observation of scapulohumeral rhythm: Let's take a look

As physiotherapists we are taught to use our senses to help examine people for dysfunction found throughout the body. This includes vision, touch, sound, smell and hopefully not taste. Two of the most common traits we assess with observation are gait in patients with lower limb injury and scapulohumeral rhythm in patients with shoulder dysfunction. This clinical commentary aims to shed some light on evidence surrounding the use of visual observation for scapulohumeral rhythm for patients seeking treatment for shoulder dysfunction. Abnormal scapular movement is commonly referred to as scapular dyskinesis and has traditionally been linked to various types of shoulder dysfunction. Research indicates that between 64–100% of patients seeking treatment for shoulder instability and impingement respectively have abnormal scapular movements or dyskinesis [1]. Motions of the scapula, relative to the thorax, include upward/downward rotation about an anterior/posterior axis, internal and external rotation about a superior/inferior axis, and anterior/posterior tilt about a medial/lateral axis [2]. Generally, the scapula should progressively upwardly rotate and posteriorly tilt during humeral elevation [3]. Movement into internal or external rotation is more variable depending on plane and angle of humeral elevation [3]. Biomechanically, many studies have attempted to link abnormal scapular movements with specific shoulder dysfunctions, most commonly subacromial impingement syndrome. A recent systematic review looked at nine studies in an attempt to determine if patients with subacromial impingement syndrome exhibited alterations in scapular movements compared to unimpaired people [4]. When all studies were compiled, it was noted that patients with impingement demonstrated decreased upward rotation and decreased external rotation during humeral elevation compared to uninjured people [4]. Clinically, decreased upward rotation would present as decreased movement of the inferior angle superolaterally and decreased external rotation would appear as prominence of the medial scapular border (commonly referred to as winging). These alterations were most noticeable during elevation in the scapular plane [4]. These biomechanical studies allow a thorough understanding of changes found in patients but often lack translation to the clinical setting. There are several options, from a research perspective, available to guide clinicians on the appropriateness of any clinical measure, namely, reliability and diagnostic accuracy. Reliability coefficients provide insight into the agreement between multiple clinicians or agreement when one clinician performs the same task on multiple occasions. Reliability coefficients vary in calculation but generally output a value between 0 and 1 which is sometimes represented as 0–100. Measurements are recommended to have reliability coefficients greater than 0.90 or 90 to be considered sufficient for clinical
Detection Results of Laboratory-confirmed Measles Cases in Changde from 2007 to 2009

Objective To know the situation and epidemiological features of measles and rubella serology in Changde from 2007 to 2009,to provide a scientific basis for achieving the goal of elimination of measles on schedule and promoting the development of expanded program on immunization(EPI).Methods The epidemiological features and laboratory test results of suspected measles cases in Changde during the period of 2007～2009 were analyzed.Results Totally 1,057 samples of suspected measles cases were detected during the period of 2007～2009,of which 360 were positive for measles IgM,with the positive rate of 34.1%.The suspected measles cases were inspected in different districts(counties and cities).The peak time of measles was from March to June.Measles occurred mainly in children aged 1 to 5 years.Conclusions Non-vaccination and non-full-course vaccination are the main reasons for measles onset.The key to control of measles is the implementation of immunization against measles,the enhancement of disease surveillance,the improvement of laboratory diagnosis,and timely control of local outbreaks of measles.
Alternative and complementary therapies: integration into cancer care.

1. Cancer survivors and caregivers in the workplace are using complementary and alternative therapies and expect nurses to know about them. 2. Therapies such as acupuncture, acupressure, homeopathy, herbal preparations, imagery, and Therapeutic Touch among others may help with cancer symptoms or treatment effects. 3. Specific strategies, e.g., staff stress management programs, inservice or continuing education, inclusion of therapies on assessment forms, can be used to begin integrative efforts. 4. The ideal health care system is one that integrates alternative and complementary healing therapies into conventional care.
Genre and the Test of Time

Besides allowing the Western European reader to fill in blank spots on the map of the Old World, Reysen transcended contemporary travel accounts in Dutch and other languages both because it was compiled from an unusual number of sources. Its structure around a mere sailor’s memories reveals a further debt to a specifically Dutch publishing tradition, although the alleged author’s humble post was a unique twist. In an eclectic manner, the work also was influenced by the conventions of a great variety of genres. Some of these had found defined form in the course of a long tradition, whereas others were still developing their shape. Reysen’s hybrid genre resulted from both intentional and unwitting efforts to reflect evolving Western European aesthetics. It combined elements of autobiography, travel journal, chorography, quasi-Biblical parable, Dutch epic, picaresque story, sensationalist pamphleteering, early journalism, and odyssey, while the letters with which the book opens herald the arrival of a new fiction genre.1 They reflect an already existing subgenre of travel accounts in letter form, which would develop into the epistolary novel after 1700.2