cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Quasi-Experimental Study of Medicaid Expansion and Urban Mortality in the American Northeast

Objectives: To investigate the association of state-level Medicaid expansion and non-elderly mortality rates from 1999 to 2018 in Northeastern urban settings. Methods: This quasi-experimental study utilized a synthetic control method to assess the association of Medicaid expansion on non-elderly urban mortality rates (1999-2018). Counties encompassing the largest cities in the Northeastern Megalopolis (Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston) were selected as treatment units (n=5 cities, 3,543,302 individuals in 2018). Cities in states without Medicaid expansion were utilized as control units (n=17 cities, 12,713,768 individuals in 2018). Results: Across all cities, there was a significant reduction in the neoplasm (Population-Adjusted Average Treatment Effect = -1.37 [95%CI -2.73, -0.42]) and all-cause (Population-Adjusted Average Treatment Effect = -2.57 [95%CI -8.46, -0.58]) mortality rate. Washington D.C. encountered the largest reductions in mortality (Average Treatment Effect on All-Cause Medical Mortality=-5.40 monthly deaths per 100,000 individuals [95%CI -12.50, -3.34], -18.84% [95%CI -43.64%, -11.67%] reduction, p=<0.001; Average Treatment Effect on Neoplasm Mortality=-1.95 monthly deaths per 100,000 individuals [95%CI -3.04, -0.98], -21.88% [95%CI -34.10%, -10.99%] reduction, p=0.002). Reductions in all-cause medical mortality and neoplasm mortality rates were similarly observed in other cities. Conclusion: Significant reductions in urban mortality rates were associated with Medicaid expansion. Our study suggests that Medicaid expansion saved lives in the observed urban settings.
Environmental Politics: Scale and Power

Shannon O'Lear brings a geographer's perspective to environmental politics. The book considers issues of climate change, energy, food security, toxins, waste, and resource conflict to explore how political, economic, ideological and military power have contributed to the generation of environmental issues and the formation of dominant narratives about them. The book encourages the reader to think critically about the power dynamics that shape (and limit) how we think about environmental issues and to expand the reader's understanding of why it matters that these issues are discussed at particular spatial scales. Applying a geographer's sense of scale and power leads to a better understanding of the complexity of environmental issues and will help formulate mitigation and adaptation strategies. The book will appeal mainly to advanced students and researchers from a geography background, but also to social and political scientists who wish to look at the topic from this different perspective.
Concept Of Soil

Publisher Summary The basic concept of soil, since humankind as an entity worthy of attention first recognized it, seems to have been that of a thin mantle over the land surface. The past conceptions of soil are both the foundations and major building stones for the conceptions prevailing now. The examination of some earlier conceptions of soil and the ways these developments can throw light on the nature of present conceptions. The conceptions of soil held at various times and places in the past are reviewed in this chapter, as a medium for plant growth, as one of the four basic components of all matter, as products of rock weathering, and as organized natural bodies worthy of scientific study. The chapter also discusses the nature of basic soil entities and considers their functions in the mapping and classification of soils. Soil resources in the industrialized nations are being used more and more in the construction of highways, as foundations for homes, for the disposal of sewage, and for parks and playgrounds. The uses of soils that are not directly related to the production of crops, pasture, and trees require attention for the study of soil characteristics that were of little consequence in the past.
A Novel 3D Wheelchair Simulation System for Training Young Children with Severe Motor Impairments

Young children with severe motor impairments face a higher risk of secondary impairments in the development of social, cognitive, and motor skills, owing to the lack of independent mobility. Although power wheelchairs are typical tools for providing independent mobility, the steep learning curve, safety concerns, and high cost may prevent children aged 2–5 years from using them. We have developed a 3D wheelchair simulation system using gaming technologies for these young children to learn fundamental wheelchair driving skills in a safe, affordable, and entertaining environment. Depending on the skill level, the simulation system offers different options ranging from automatic control (i.e., the artificial intelligent (AI) module fully controls the wheelchair) to manual control (i.e., human users are fully responsible for controlling the wheelchair). Optimized AI algorithms were developed to make the simulation system easy and efficient to use. We have conducted experiments to evaluate the simulation system. The results demonstrate that the simulation system is promising to overcome the limitations associated with real wheelchairs meanwhile providing a safe, affordable, and exciting environment to train young children.
Research Based Recommendations for Child Custody Evaluation Practices and Policies in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence

This article reviews recent research on child custody evaluations in intimate partner violence (IPV) cases. Specifically, it covers assessment methods, evaluator selection, evaluator education, guidelines, differential assessment, and state policies. Special attention is given to new methods of bias reduction, the need to focus on coercive and controlling abuse, and the need to interpret psychological tests within a trauma framework. Recommendations are made in each area reviewed.
Mechanism of cholestasis. 3. Interaction of synthetic detergents with the microsomal cytochrome P-450 dependentbiotransformation system in vitro. A comparison between the effects of detergents, the effects of bile acids, and the findings in bile duct ligated rats.

Abstract Synthetic nonionic and anionic detergents interact with the cytochrome P-450 dependent microsomal biotransformation system in three somewhat overlapping stages depending on dose and time of exposure. In the first stage, the detergents bind to P-450, presumably to a lipoprotein region (binding site I). This is reflected in a spectral change of P-450, the enhancement of the P-450 reductase, and the competitive inhibition of the metabolism of other Type I substrates, like aminopyrine. In the second stage the mixed inhibition of the aminopyrine demethylation without a proportional loss of P-450 suggests a blocking or solubilization of the lipoprotein binding site. In the third stage, degradation of P-450 and solubilization of P-450 reductase reflects the breakdown of the enzyme system. These stages correspond to the effect on microsomes of dihydroxy bile acids in vitro and to some degree of bile duct ligation in vivo . These observations suggest a detergent effect of bile acids as an explanation of the alterations of the endoplasmic reticulum in cholestasis.
Interleukin 1β is expressed predominantly by enterocytes in experimental colitis

The cytokine interleukin 1 beta is an important mediator of inflammatory processes capable of inducing eicosanoid production, T-cell activation, and increased vascular permeability. In this study, in situ hybridization techniques were used to delineate the kinetics and cellular source of induced interleukin 1 beta in acute experimental colitis. The induction of interleukin 1 beta messenger RNA was an early phenomenon and occurred predominantly in undifferentiated cells located in the basal part of the mucosal crypts but not in differentiated enterocytes. The undifferentiated enterocytes retained the messenger RNA during differentiation and migration to more apical parts of the crypts. These results suggest that induction of interleukin 1 beta messenger RNA in enterocytes is causally related to the subsequent inflammatory changes seen in acute experimental colitis.
Examining Contemporary Issues for Green Buildings from Contractors’ Perspectives☆

Abstract Sustainable planning and design is a mass movement for changes in the construction industry. Among many other green building rating systems, the USGBC's LEED has been gaining momentum throughout the years since its advent. With sustainable design and construction, people could live in a more environmentally friendly world which would ensure that our future generations to come would have the necessary resources to live their lives comfortably and thrive. To implement the LEED process, construction contractors need to modify and enhance the way they have historically planned and executed design and construction work. With the rising change in the way a building is built to satisfy the LEED green building intents and requirements, there comes added fears and negative perceptions due to the lack of knowledge from the contractors’ perspectives. Thus, this paper presents a comprehensive analysis of 40 surveys collected from the contractors with previous experience in green building projects. The main issues include increased time demand, fear of change, increased equipment costs, fear of auditing of construction documents and many more. By examining the main issues contractors revealed with the green building delivery method, this study will serve as a platform in which future researchers may continue and expand on the issues and/or concerns in order to make the green building delivery method more acceptable to the general contractors and subcontractors.
Effects of isomers of conjugated linoleic acid on porcine adipocyte growth and differentiation.

Abstract Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) decrease fat deposition in mammals, including pigs. To determine mechanisms for CLA effects on adipocyte growth, porcine stromal-vascular cells (preadipocytes) were isolated and plated in medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum. After 24 h, differentiation factors (insulin + hydrocortisone + transferrin) were added. Oleic acid (200 μM) was added to some plates as a positive control. One of two isomers of CLA (50 μM cis 9, trans 11 or 50 μM trans 10, cis 12), or a mixture of the two isomers (25 μM each) was added to other plates. The cell number increased 7+ times in 7 days after initiation of differentiation, and was not different among treatment groups. By 7 days, Oil Red O-stained material (OROSM), expressed per cell, increased 10+ times in control cells and 64 times in oleic acid-treated cells. Addition of either isomer of CLA or the mixture caused OROSM/cell to increase 10+ times at 2 days, with no further increase at later times. In CLA-treated cells there was no increase in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) or lipoprotein lipase mRNA concentrations. The increased OROSM/cell may represent triacylglycerol synthesis from medium CLA using existing biosynthetic capacity or provision of a limiting ligand for PPARγ already present. The results are different from those observed with rodent-derived clonal cells (3T3-L1 cells), wherein proliferation and differentiation are inhibited by CLAs, and the active isomer is trans 10, cis 12-CLA. The results suggest distinctions between clonal and primary preadipocytes, or species differences.
Regulation of differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells

The vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) in mature animals is a highly specialized cell whose principal function is contraction. The fully differentiated or mature SMC proliferates at an extremely low rate and is a cell almost completely geared for contraction. It expresses a unique repertoire of contractile proteins, ion channels, and signaling molecules that are required for its contractile function and that when taken in aggregate clearly distinguish it from any other cell type. During vasculogenesis, however, the SMC's principal function is proliferation and production of matrix components of the blood vessel wall. Moreover, even in mature animals, the SMC retains remarkable plasticity, such that it can undergo relatively rapid and reversible changes in its phenotype in response to changes in local environmental cues normally required for maintenance of its differentiated state. A key to understanding SMC differentiation is to identify the key environmental signals and factors that induce or maintain the differentiated state of the SMC and to determine the molecular mechanisms that control the coordinate expression of genes encoding for proteins that are necessary for the contractile function of the SMC. The purpose of this review is to summarize our current knowledge of the regulation of SMC differentiation, with a particular emphasis on consideration of how this process is controlled during normal vascular development and how these control processes might be altered in vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, which are characterized by marked alterations in the differentiated state of the SMC.
A Theoretical Analysis of Host Community Resident Reactions to Tourism

This research organizes resident reactions to tourism in the context of a theoretical paradigm based on the principles of social exchange theory. A path model based on social exchange theory principles explains how residents weigh and balance seven factors that influence their support for tourism. The analysis demonstrates that potential for economic gain, use of the tourism resource, ecocentric attitude, and attachment to the community affect resident perceptions of the impacts and modify, both directly and indirectly, resident support for tourism.
Effect of chain flexibility on master curve behavior for diffusion coefficient

The diffusion coefficients of simple chain models are analyzed as a function of packing fraction, η, and as a function of a parameter C that is the density raised to a power divided by temperature to look at scalar metrics to find master curves. The central feature in the analysis is the mapping onto an effective hard site diameter, d. For the molecular models lacking restrictions on dihedral angle (e.g., freely jointed), simple mappings of molecular potential to d work very well, and the reduced diffusion coefficient, D*, collapses into a single-valued function of η. Although this does not work for the dihedral angle restriction case, assuming that d is inversely proportional to temperature to a power results in collapse behavior for an empirically selected value of the power. This is equivalent to D* being a single-valued function of C. The diffusion coefficient of a single-site penetrant in the chain systems also is found to be a scalar metric that can reduce the chain diffusion data for a given system to a single master curve.
DSS-induced colitis is exacerbated in STAT-6 knockout mice

Background: Several transcription factors have been proposed to regulate IBD including the signal transducer and activator of transcription-6 (STAT-6). Methods: The role of STAT-6 was examined in the 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced murine model of colitis using STAT-6−/− and wildtype mice. Results: The disease activity index (DAI) revealed a significant increase in DAI in STAT-6−/− mice over STAT-6+/+ mice given DSS. Both STAT-6−/− and wildtype mice displayed severe inflammation and crypt damage. Additionally, STAT-6−/− mice showed significant injury to the proximal colon compared with their littermate controls. Furthermore, STAT-6−/− mice receiving DSS had dramatically higher levels of serum nitrite/nitrate than all other groups. STAT-6−/− animals also displayed higher levels of inteferon-γ than wildtype mice. Conclusions: Because STAT-6 has been reported to regulate the expression and activity of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), our data suggest that, in DSS colitis, STAT-6 may modulate iNOS, to limit NO formation and control the extent of inflammation in the colon. We conclude that STAT-6 may normally play an important regulatory role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease, possibly through modulation of iNOS and interferon-γ.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) associate with zwitterionic phospholipids: Insight into the mechanism and reversal of NSAID-induced gastrointestinal injury

The molecular basis of the injurious actions of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is only partly understood. In this study we have obtained evidence, employing both in vitro and in vivo systems, that five NSAIDs have the ability to form a chemical association with zwitterionic phospholipids. Since this same class of phospholipids line the luminal aspects of the mucus gel layer to provide it with non-wettable properties, this intermolecular association may be the mechanism by which NSAIDs attenuate the hydrophobic barrier properties of the upper GI tract. Preassociating a number of NSAIDs with exogenous zwitterionic phospholipids prevented this increase in surface wettability of the mucus gel layer and protected rats against the injurious GI side-effects of these drugs, while enhancing their lipid permeability, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activity.
Removal of solid particles from a solid surface by a turbulent air stream.

Abstract Ground silica dust (Mg = 1.3 μ, σg — 1.7) was deposited on Tyler 100 mesh screen at velocities from 3.8 to 27 fps. Particles adhering to the screen were then blown off by filtered air at velocities greater than deposition. Air drag on particles submerged in the laminar boundary layer was calculated from a simple irrotational fluid flow model and compared to particle adhesion force determined in a companion study. Air drag calculated in this manner failed to account for observed particle re-entrainment. Particle re-entrainment, defined in terms of screen pressure loss, was more difficult to achieve as deposition velocity increased. A blowoff velocity of 132 fps, based on screen free cell area, removed essentially all adhering dust from a single screen. During both deposition and dust blowoff procedures, the collector acted as a particle agglomerator and increased particle size by a factor of approximately 2x.
Effect of Addition of Macerated Tissues on Healing of Granulating Wounds.

ConclusionI. No tissue investigated caused any striking accelerating of healing. 2. The healing time of the control wounds was predicted by calculation with an average error of 18% for the whole series.
Real-Time Image Reconstruction for Time-of-Flight Positron Emission Tomography (TOFPET)

Several researchers have proven the benefits of using time-of-flight data in Positron Emission Tomography (TOFPET). One of the characteristics of TOFPET which has not been previously explored is the ability to carry out real-time image reconstruction. The advantages of real-time reconstruction are four-fold: 1) Immediate visual feedback of image build-up, 2) Substantial savings of image memory, 3) Faster thoughput of patients through the system and 4) Region-of-interest reconstruction for further memory savings. We present a generalized mathematical model describing this technique together with computer simulations demonstrating its feasibility. We also discuss the implementation of this real-time reconstruction scheme in the TOFPET scanner currently under construction at our institution.
Health Measures and Diet in Mexican American Adolescents in Chicago An Exploration of Relationships

Recent trends in health patterns place Mexican American (MA) youth at risk for future problems. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of risk factors for chronic disease, characterize nutrient intake, and explore their relationships in MA adolescents. A total of 50 adolescent-parent pairs were recruited from a predominantly MA high school in Chicago. Student data included information on glucose, lipids, blood pressure, anthropometrics, and diet recalls. Family history and anthropometric measures were obtained from a parent. Prevalence of overweight (OW) and obesity were 18% and 26%, respectively. Body mass index was positively associated with systolic blood pressure, LDL, waist circumference, and parental weight status and inversely related to intake of calories, carbohydrate, folate, grains, and the healthy eating index. Prevalence of undesirable fasting glucose was 28%, undesirable total cholesterol was 33%, undesirable LDL was 22%, and undesirable HDL was 24.5%. The metabolic syndrom...
Transpersonal psychology and deep ecological philosophy: Exploring linkages and applications for social work

Summary This article broadens the way social work understands the ways humanity defines and shapes its individual and collective realities in relation to nature. It incorporates and links relevant knowledge from transpersonal psychology and deep ecological philosophy in an effort to formulate fresh avenues for defining, pursuing, and resolving the many challenges that humankind faces at the dawn of this new millenium. The article concludes by suggesting some points of connection for generating a trans/ecological approach to social work and how this may portend important shifts of focus in social work theory and practice.
Fluorescein-assisted laparoscopy in the identification of arterial mesenteric ischemia

Accurate identification of acute mesenteric ischemia remains a challenge. It was hypothesized that fluorescein-assisted laparoscopy (FAL) may have a role in the identification of acute arterial mesenteric ischemia. Arterial ischemic small-bowel segments were prepared in 11 dogs. Following 2.5 h of ischemia, laparoscopy was performed with a standard light source followed by FAL with an argon laser. These two techniques were immediately compared with open inspection. Standard laparoscopy correctly identified 10 ischemic segments. FAL correctly identified 9 ischemic segments and the combination of the 2 techniques allowed laparoscopy to correctly identify all 11 ischemic segments. Standard laparotomy with and without fluorescein correctly identified 10 ischemic segments. The difference between laparoscopy and laparotomy was not significant (P>0.6, Fisher's exact test). The combination of laparoscopic evaluation with and without fluorescein allowed identification of small-bowel ischemia in all subjects in this canine model. Further studies are warranted to delineate the accuracy of laparoscopy in other patterns of mesenteric insufficiency before clinical application.
Synthesis and structure of platinum and palladium complexes of dimesitylphosphine

Abstract Treatment of Pd(tmeda)Me2 with dimesitylphosphine (PMes2H, L) gave cis-PdL2Me2 (1). trans-ML2Cl2 (M=Pd (2), Pt (3)) were prepared from a variety of starting materials. The reaction of Pt(cod)Cl2 with L gave cis-PtL2Cl2 (4), which reacted with PPh3 to yield cis-Pt(L)(PPh3)Cl2 (5). cis-PtL2(Me)(Cl) (6) was prepared from L and Pt(cod)(Me)(Cl), while reaction of L with Pt(cod)(Et)(I) gave cis-PtL2(Et)(I) (7), which isomerized to trans-PtL2(Et)(I) (8). The phosphine–borane PMes2H·BH3 (9) was made by reaction of L with BH3·SMe2. Crystal structures of 2·2CH2Cl2, 4·CH2Cl2, 5·2CH2Cl2, 6, and 9 provided 7information on the steric bulk of L (cone angle ca. 149°). Restricted rotation about the PtP and PC bonds in complexes 4–8 was studied by variable temperature NMR spectroscopy.
2-Methylene analogs of 1alpha-hydroxy-19-norvitamin D3: synthesis, biological activities and docking to the ligand binding domain of the rat vitamin D receptor

Abstract In continuing efforts towards the synthesis of biologically active vitamin D compounds of potential therapeutic value, new 2-methylene-1α-hydroxy-19-norvitamin D 3 analogs 3 and 4 with modified alkyl side chains have been synthesized. The key synthetic step involved Lythgoe-type Wittig–Horner coupling of Windaus–Grundmann type ketones 9 , possessing different 17β-alkyl substituents, with the phosphine oxide 10 prepared from (-)-quinic acid. The prepared vitamins 3 and 4 were ca. eight times less potent than 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 (1α,25-(OH) 2 D 3 ) ( 1 ) in binding to the rat intestinal vitamin D receptor (VDR). In comparison with the hormone 1 they exhibited slightly lower cellular HL-60 differentiation activity. When tested in vivo; the analog 3 was characterized by very high bone calcium mobilizing potency and intestinal calcium transport activity. Unexpectedly, the 25-methyl compound 4 showed marked calcemic activity in both assays. Computational docking of the vitamin 3 into the binding pocket of the rat vitamin D receptor is also reported.
Unique pathways of sterol metabolism in the Mexican bean beetle, a plant-feeding insect.

Radiolabeled sterols,14C-cholesterol,14C-cholestanol,3H-stigmasterol,3H-stigmastanol, and3H-sitosterol, were fed to larvae of the Mexican bean beetle,Epilachna varivestis Mulsant, by coating soybean leaves. Free sterol and sterol ester fractions from treated insects were isolated and analyzed, and in each case nearly 30% or more of total radiolabeled sterols retained by the insect were found in the sterol ester fraction after 8 days. Δ5 sterols were readily reduced to stanols, and C29-stanols thus produced were dealkylated to cholestanol. Significant amounts of labeled lathosterol were formed from Δ5-C29 sterols; little, if any, radiolabeled cholesterol was detected in insects fed either of the labeled Δ5-phytosterols, stigmasterol or sitosterol. Sterol metabolism of this insect thus differs considerably from that found for most phytophagous insects.
Elastic properties of imperfectly bonded short fiber composites

The effect of debonding on various moduli of short fiber composites was studied by developing an analytical model. It was assumed that debonding of the fiber-matrix interface initiated at the end of the fibers and progressed to the center. Debonding along only a few percent of the fiber length substantially reduced the moduli of the composite, especially for relatively high-volume fractions of reinforcement. Results were compared to an existing model, in which debonding was assumed to occur in a sector around the fiber and all along the length of the fiber. It was found that debonding along the length of the fiber reduced the modulus of the composite significantly more than debonding around a sector, for the same percentage of the fiber debonded. It was not just the percentage of the fiber debonded which effected the moduli, but also the manner in which the debonding occurred.
Relation of environmental factors to breeding status of royal and sandwich terns in South Carolina, USA

The population ecology of the royal tern Sterna maxima and sandwich tern Sterna sandvicensis was investigated in South Carolina from 1970 through 1977. Royal and sandwich terns nested together in all of the colonies that we located. The peak in egg laying usually occurred in early May; peak hatching occurred from late May to mid-June. Clutch size for both species was one egg. Tidal flooding was the major factor in egg loss. The breeding population was 15,499 pairs in 1974 and 18,096 pairs in 1975; sandvicensis made up about 5% of the breeding population. The average number of young fledged per nest ranged from 0·36 to 0·44. Residues of organochlorine pollutants in most eggs and tissues were low and posed no identifiable threat to the terns. There was a decline in DDE and dieldrin residues in eggs of maxima. The future of royal and sandwich terns in South Carolina seems fairly secure as the population is apparently at or near carrying capacity and most of the major nesting sites are dedicated to protection of nesting birds.
Performance of Rainbow Trout as Affected by Amount of Dietary Protein and Feeding Rate

Abstract Rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) with an initial average weight of 13 g were fed four experimental dry pelleted diets (1-4) and a commercial trout feed at a hatchery constant of 18 for 266 d, 23 for 244 d, or 28 for 196 d. The components of diets 1-4 included about 13% crude fat and 23.9-38.5% crude protein (19.7-31.9% digestible protein). The minimum amounts of dietary crude protein and digestible protein required for satisfactory fish performance were near 33 and 28%, respectively, with 13% dietary fat. Weight gain, feed conversion, and percent dress-out weight of fish fed this diet were equal to or better than those noted for fish fed any other diet at a hatchery constant of 28. The feed cost per kilogram of fish produced was somewhat lower for fish fed this diet than any other diet at the three feeding rates. Manipulating the growth rate of rainbow trout by altering the diet formulation is far less efficient and less economical than feeding a single diet with an optimum amount of protein and f...
Body Concern, Body Image and Nudity

100 nudists and 60 controls were compared on several aspects of figure drawings and the Secord-Jourard inventories of body- and self-cathexis. The results showed important effects of sex differences and testing milieu on test responses and tended to support findings of an earlier study indicating that nudists present more body-image distortion and signs of body-image disturbance than controls. However, nudists claim to be more gratified with the appearance, if not function, of their bodies. It is suggested that bodily conflict leads to somatic emphasis, that nudist behavior is not necessarily psychopathological and may serve adaptive purposes for certain individuals.
Analysis of a Magnetohydrodynamic Ejector

This paper reports the results of a theoretical first-order analysis of a constant-area ejector for incompressible, inviscid, conducting fluids which uses induced magnetohydrodynamic forces rather than viscous forces for mixing. Performance characteristics in dimensionless form are given in terms of dimensionless parameters which can be controlled by the experimenter. The range of validity of the inviscid model is established in dimensionless form and it is shown by example that experiments for which the analysis is valid are possible.
1981 Analysis and Control of Harmonic Current in Systems with Static Power Converters

In the last 50 or 60 years, the development of rectifier and semiconductor technology has led to new products and applications for drives in all industries. These semiconductor converters produce harmonics in the ac power system. With the widespread application of these economical power supplies, problems are arising that should be approached from a logical standpoint and preventive measures taken. The theory of the problem and the solution to it is discussed.
Longitudinal and lateral dispersion in packed beds: Effect of column length and particle size distribution

Longitudinal and lateral dispersion coefficients were measured at various axial positions in a packed bed in the Peclet number range from 102 to 104. Three different types of packings were used: uniform size particles, a narrow size distribution, and a wide size distribution. For the case of uniform particles the longitudinal dispersivities were found to be strong functions of position in the bed unless the dispersion length satisfies a constraint dependent on the value of the Peclet number. Generally, the larger the Peclet number, the larger the required length for constant axial dispersivities to be achieved. For the case of the wide size distribution, longitudinal dispersivities were larger than in the uniform particle case, and they required a longer dispersion length to achieve a constant value. This suggests a characteristic length for dispersion larger than the mean hydraulic radius. The lateral dispersivities were found to be insensitive to the distribution of particle sizes or location in the bed.
A Fundamental Force that Regulates Nano-Clustering of Proteins in Biological Membranes

Using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate the nature of the membranophobic effect -- a proposed phenomenon that governs self-assembly of inclusions within a lipid bilayer, inspired by the statistical mechanics of the hydrophobic effect. We study the nature of this effect on membrane inclusions of various chemistries and sizes. We identify the range of hydrophobic thicknesses over which this phenomenon occurs and characterize the effects of the proposed phenomenon on small inclusions such as cholesterol versus larger, multidomain transmembrane proteins. Our results show that this effect can provide a force for assembly and reorganization in a lipid bilayer based on the in-plane size and hydrophobic thickness of the inclusion, and the melting temperature of the surrounding lipids. We propose that this effect provides a physical framework that can explain lipid raft formation.
Earnings Management, Litigation Risk, and Asymmetric Audit Fee Responses

This study empirically examines the asymmetric association between the auditor's assessment of litigation risk and earnings management, using publicly available fee data. Following the experimental work of Barron et al. (2001), we document decreases (increases) in audit fees with clients' risk of managing earnings downward (upward). We also find that the positive fee association is greater for clients facing greater litigation risk resulting from negative earnings surprises. We test our hypotheses with a sample of 429 public, non-regulated, Big 5-audited companies, using fee data for the year 2000. We interpret these findings as consistent with auditors' assessments of decreased (increased) litigation risk imposed by conservative (aggressive) clients. This interpretation is consistent with the positive relation between accruals and auditor litigation (Heninger 2001; Lys and Watts 1994), the relation between restatement and larger accruals (Richardson et. al 2003) and the relation between restatements and auditor litigation (Palmrose and Scholz 2000).
Diagnosing atmosphere-ocean general circulation model errors relevant to the terrestrial biosphere using the Köppen climate classification

[1] Coupled atmosphere-ocean-land-sea ice climate models (AOGCMs) are often tuned using physical variables like temperature and precipitation with the goal of minimizing properties such as the root-mean-square error. As the community moves towards modeling the earth system, it is important to note that not all biases have equivalent impacts on biology. Bioclimatic classification systems provide means of filtering model errors so as to bring out those impacts that may be particularly important for the terrestrial biosphere. We examine one such diagnostic, the classic system of Koppen, and show that it can provide an “early warning” of which model biases are likely to produce serious biases in the land biosphere. Moreover, it provides a rough evaluation criterion for the performance of dynamic vegetation models. State-of-the art AOGCMs fail to capture the correct Koppen zone in about 20–30% of the land area excluding Antarctica, and misassign a similar fraction to the wrong subzone.
Spontaneous epidural hematoma of the spine in pregnancy

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematomas are uncommon. Progressive neurologic deficits that are associated with epidural hematomas can develop rapidly and require prompt treatment. We present a case of spontaneous epidural hematoma of the thoracic spine that complicated a term pregnancy.
Legal Aid in Mental Hospitals

This report on the experience of five in-hospital legal aid projects and one community-based project for the deinstitutionalized examines the workloads of the lawyers and paralegals who labor in this setting and the various approaches and predispositions they bring to the job or learn while they are at it. The caseloads as well as interviews and observations reveal enormous differences in approach from project to project. The work of some lawyers and their aides confirms the utility and importance of making legal aid directly available to patients on the hospital grounds. But the experience of a couple of other projects warns that certain styles of lawyering can be counterproductive and damaging. In general, lawyers in the mental hospital setting must avoid the legalistic and overly adversarial approach to the problems that are brought to them—many of which are of uncertain legal content, credibility, or psychological makeup. Lawyers must also be careful not to have their own legal priorities get in the way of the best interests of their patient-clients or even those of the hospital as a total institution. The best approach to lawyering in the institutional setting is one that softens the “traditional” legal and adversarial aspects in favor of a more mediatory stance in which fact finding, counseling, and the resolution of issues by compromise are dominant functions. And significant legal attention should be devoted to each of the major categories of problems faced by patients—commitment-discharge, institutional, and civil—if the institutional lawyer's credibility and effectiveness are to be maintained both with the patients and the staffs in charge of their treatment and custody.
Energy-size relationship for breakage of single particles in a rigidly mounted roll mill

The breakage of single particles in rigidly mounted rolls has been analyzed from a fairly general expression for the thrust profile on the roll surface. The model permits one to estimate an equivalent particle-nip diameter for irregularly shaped particles which is about 90% of the nominal sieve diameter. In agreement with the model, the energy expended in breakage of single particles of quartz, dolomite, limestone and hematite is strongly dependent on the difference between the equivalent diameter and the roll gap. For various combinations of feed size and roll gap tested, a reduction ratio index increases linearly with energy consumed. This seemingly is a consequence of the highly efficient utilization of energy in this mode of size reduction. The slopes of the reduction ratio-energy plots provide a uniform measure of grindability that is least distorted by energy losses terms, such as those which occur in media mills.
Using Initial Condition and Model Physics Perturbations in Short-Range Ensemble Simulations of Mesoscale Convective Systems

Two separate numerical model ensembles are created by using model configurations with different model physical process parameterization schemes and identical initial conditions, and by using different model initial conditions from a Monte Carlo approach and the identical model configuration. Simulations from these two ensembles are investigated for two 48-h periods during which large, long-lived mesoscale convective systems develop. These two periods are chosen because, in some respects, they span the range of convective forecast problems routinely handled by operational forecasters. Calculations of the root-mean-square error, equitable threat score, and ranked probability score from both ensembles indicate that the model physics ensemble is more skillful than the initial-condition ensemble when the large-scale forcing for upward motion is weak. When the large-scale forcing for upward motion is strong, the initial-condition ensemble is more skillful than the model physics ensemble. This result is consistent with the expectation that model physics play a larger role in model simulations when the large-scale signal is weak and the assumptions used within the model parameterization schemes largely determine the evolution of the simulated weather events. The variance from the two ensembles is created at significantly different rates, with the variance in the physics ensemble being produced two to six times faster during the first 12 h than the variance in the initial-condition ensemble. Therefore, within a very brief time period, the variance from the physics ensemble often greatly exceeds that produced by the initial-condition ensemble. These results suggest that varying the model physics is a potentially powerful method to use in creating an ensemble. In essence, by using different model configurations, the systematic errors of the individual ensemble members are different and, hence, this may allow one to determine a probability density function from this ensemble that is more diffuse than can be accomplished using a single model configuration.
An adsorption-diffusion isotherm and its application to the growth of carbon filaments on iron catalyst particles

Abstract Nanometer-sized Fe particles can decompose methane and extrude graphitic filaments which grow as rapidly as millimeters per minute. The filaments are found to lengthen uniformly for a number of minutes at a constant rate until the Fe catalyst particles are deactivated. Steady state carbon surface coverage on these filament-growing particles is determined by the balance between the surface adsorption rate and the rate of diffusion through the solid particle to the filament. A simple isotherm having these characteristics is derived and found to be consistent with observed fiber growth rates. Comparing the experimental lengthening rate data to the model shows that methane forms a gas phase intermediate before adsorption on the Fe particle's surface. The cessation of filament lengthening occurs at a time corresponding to that required to deposit a 2.8 nm layer of carbon on the filaments. This is compatible with the hypothesis that filament growth ceases when the catalytic particle suffers a collision with a reactively condensed viscous hydrocarbon particle.
Metastatic breast cancer masquerading as gastrointestinal primary

Seven patients with metastatic breast cancer presenting as gastrointestinal primary are described. These included six gastric and one colonic lesions. None of the patients had known systemic metastases at the time of diagnosis. The mean age at presentation was 66.7 yr (range 55-78). Median interval between breast cancer and gastrointestinal metastasis diagnosis was 6 yr (range 0.25-12.5). Original breast cancer histology included infiltrating lobular cancer (n = 4), infiltrating ductal cancer (n = 1), and a mixed type (n = 2). All patients with gastric involvement presented with epigastric pain and early satiety; the patient with colonic involvement had heme-positive stool. In three cases of gastric tumor and the one case of colonic tumor presentation, a definitive diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer was only confirmed after surgical resection of a presumed primary gastric or colonic malignancy. In the other three cases, pathological diagnostic confirmation was obtained through endoscopic biopsies and comparison to breast biopsy material, and operative treatment was avoided in favor of systemic cytotoxic therapy. The diagnosis was confirmed through similarities between mammary and gastric histopathology with regard to growth pattern, hormone receptor status, or gross cystic disease fluid protein. A high level of suspicion for metastatic breast cancer and a detailed pathological analysis will help avoid unnecessary surgical treatment in patients with a history of mammary carcinoma presenting with a newly diagnosed gastrointestinal neoplasm.
The Older Learner’s Journey to an Ageless Society Lifelong Learning on the Brink of a Crisis

Although educational programs for midlife and older learners may seem unrelated to social ideologies about aging, work, retirement, and the economy, nothing could be further from the truth. Following the older learner’s path through a 70-year journey starting in the 1950s and ending in a projected year 2020 reveals correlations between theories of aging, rationales for older learner programs, and changes in public policy regarding retirement, social and health care insurance, and other age-based entitlement programs and social policies (mainly in North America but also with reference to other countries). If, as is asserted here, we are on the verge of an age-irrelevant society, then these lifelong learning programs hover on the brink of a crisis that may or may not be averted.
Modeling coordinated foreign exchange market interventions: The case of the Japanese and U.S. interventions in the 1990s

During the past thirty years, central banks often intervened in foreign exchange markets. Sometimes they carried out foreign exchange market interventions on a unilateral basis. However, central banks often coordinated their foreign exchange market interventions. We develop a quantitative reaction function model that renders it possible to study the factors that made central banks switch from unilateral to coordinated interventions. We apply our model to the intervention policies of the Japanese monetary authorities and the U.S. Federal Reserve in the yen/U.S. dollar market during the period 1991–2001. To this end, we use recently released official data on the foreign exchange market interventions of the Japanese monetary authorities. JEL no. F31, F33, G14, G15
Epidermal growth factor-like module containing mucin-like hormone receptor 2 expression in gliomas

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) module-containing mucin–like receptor 2 (EMR2) is a member of the seven span transmembrane adhesion G-protein coupled receptor subclass. This protein is expressed in a subset of glioblastoma (GBM) cells and associated with an invasive phenotype. The expression pattern and functional significance of EMR2 in low grade or anaplastic astrocytomas is unknown and our goal was to expand and further define EMR2’s role in gliomas with an aggressive invasive phenotype. Using the TCGA survival data we describe EMR2 expression patterns across histologic grades of gliomas and demonstrate an association between increased EMR2 expression and poor survival (p < 0.05). This data supports prior functional data depicting that EMR2-positive neoplasms possess a greater capacity for infiltrative and metastatic spread. Genomic analysis suggests that EMR2 overexpression is associated with the mesenchymal GBM subtype (p < 0.0001). We also demonstrate that immunohistorchemistry is a feasible method for screening GBM patients for EMR2 expression. Protein and mRNA analysis demonstrated variable expression of all isoforms of EMR2 in all glioma grades, however GBM displayed the most diverse isoforms expression pattern as well as the highest expression of the EGF1–5 isoform of EMR2. Finally, a correlation of an increased EMR2 expression after bevacizumab treatment in glioma cells lines is identified. This observation should serve as the impetus for future studies to determine if this up-regulation of EMR2 plays a role in the observation of the diffuse and increasingly invasive recurrence patterns witnessed in a subset of GBM patients after bevacizumab treatment.