cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scaling of Machine Size as a Teaching Aid

There is a great educational value in solving a particular problem which relates the characteristics and parameter values of a machine to its size. By multiplying each linear dimension of a machine by a certain factor, its size is changed. The example used is a transformer, but the similarity to other devices is noted. The quantitative relations between size and characteristics are shown in the example. While these are themselves of some importance, it is the educational value of the problem which is featured. The author assigns such a problem to electrical engineering juniors and, in solving it, they must review or learn the theory associated with that kind of machine. More importantly, it leads to discussions with them on the characteristics and applications of the machine. Some of these are suggested in this paper.
Current projects in display metrology at the NIST flat panel display laboratory

The NIST Flat Panel Display Laboratory (FPDL) is operated through the Display Metrology Project (DMP) of the Electronic Information Technology Group in the Electricity Division of the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory of NIST. The DMP works to develop and refine measurement procedures in support of ongoing electronic display metrology, and applies the results in the development of national and international standards for flat panel display characterization.
Spontaneous activity of opsin apoprotein is a cause of Leber congenital amaurosis.

Mutations in Rpe65 disrupt synthesis of the opsin chromophore ligand 11-cis-retinal and cause Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), a severe, early-onset retinal dystrophy. To test whether light-independent signaling by unliganded opsin causes the degeneration, we used Rpe65-null mice, a model of LCA. Dark-adapted Rpe65−/− mice behaved as if light adapted, exhibiting reduced circulating current, accelerated response turn-off, and diminished intracellular calcium. A genetic block of transducin signaling completely rescued degeneration irrespective of an elevated level of retinyl ester. These studies clearly show that activation of sensory transduction by unliganded opsin, and not the accumulation of retinyl esters, causes light-independent retinal degeneration in LCA. A similar mechanism may also be responsible for degeneration induced by vitamin A deprivation.
Guniting the lining of steel-teeming ladles by means of the “Orion” kit

The Rustavi Metallurgical Factory is the first one in the Soviet Union to adopt the “Orion” set of equipment for mechanized guniting of the lining of steel-teeming ladles. The Suvorov Ore Board and the Semiluk Refractory Factory have manufactured experimental batches of guniting masses from chamotte and refractory clay, and their use has given good results.
Effect of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibition on Myocardial Fibrosis and Function in Hypertrophied and Failing Myocardium From the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat

Background After a period of stable hypertrophy, male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) develop heart failure between 18 to 24 months of age, with depression of active myocardial function and increased passive stiffness. We tested the hypothesis that chronic ACE inhibition by captopril would prevent and possibly reverse impairment of myocardial function. Methods and Results Male SHR and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were assigned to no treatment or captopril treatment (2 g/L in drinking water) begun at ages 12, 18, and 21 months; animals were studied at 24 months of age, or earlier when evidence of heart failure was found in SHR (mean age, 19±2 months). In an additional group, captopril treatment was begun when SHR developed heart failure; surviving animals were studied at 24 months of age. In untreated SHR, relative to WKY, isometric stress development at Lmax, maximum rate of stress development, and shortening velocity were depressed, whereas passive stiffness was increased, in association wi...
Dependency of Fatigue Predictions on the Form of the Crack Velocity Equation

A computer search technique was developed to analyze fatigue strength data using both exponential and power law forms of the subcritical crack velocity equation. All crack velocity equations would fit a given set of fatigue data equally well in the data range but failure predictions based on the different crack velocity equations diverge from each other outside the data range. The exponential form of the crack velocity equation best fit both the static and dynamic fatigue data of hot-pressed Si3N4 and optical glass fibers, whereas the power law form best fit the static and dynamic fatigue data of soda-lime glass and A12O3. To determine the most appropriate crack velocity equation for a given material/environment system, it is recommended that fatigue data be obtained under different loading conditions and the data numerically regressed using the computer search technique with each of the possible crack velocity equations to find which best fits the data.
Furan-mediated uncoupling of hepatic oxidative phosphorylation in Fischer-344 rats: an early event in cell death.

Abstract Furan is a potent rodent hepatotoxicant and carcinogen. The present study was done to examine the effects of furan on hepatic energy metabolism both in vivo and in vitro in male F-344 rats. Furan produced concentration- and incubation time-dependent irreversible reductions in ATP in freshly isolated F-344 rat hepatocytes. Furan-mediated depletion of ATP occurred prior to cell death and was prevented by including 1-phenylimidazole, a cytochrome P450 inhibitor, in the suspensions. Male F-344 rats were treated with furan (0–30 mg/kg, po) and killed 24 hr later to prepare hepatic mitochondria. Furan produced dose-dependent increases in state 4 respiration and ATPase activity. Both of these changes were prevented by 1-phenylimidazole cotreatment. In a separate series of experiments, mitochondria were prepared from isolated rat hepatocytes following incubation with furan (2–100 μ m ) for 1–4 hr. Furan produced incubation time- and concentration-dependent increases in state 4 respiration and ATPase activity. Furan-mediated mitochondrial changes were prevented by adding 1-phenylimidazole to the hepatocyte suspensions. These results indicate that the ene-dialdehyde metabolite of furan uncouples hepatic oxidative phosphorylation in vivo and in vitro. In vitro studies using an isolated hepatocyte suspension/culture system demonstrated that the concentration response for furan-mediated mitochondrial changes in suspension corresponded with the concentration response for cell death after 24 hr. Including 1-phenylimidazole or oligomycin plus fructose in hepatocyte suspensions prevented furan-induced cell death after 24 hr in culture. The results of this study indicate that furan-induced uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation is an early, critical event in cytolethality both in vivo and in vitro.
Distributed sparing in disk arrays

The authors propose and examine a technique called distributed sparing, which improves the performance of disk arrays by utilizing otherwise unused spare disks in the system. Performance is not only improved in normal mode but it is also improved in degraded mode when a disk has failed and during rebuild. The authors illustrate four methods by which the distributed sparing approach can be applied to large systems with many arrays. By and large, the analysis shows that distributed sparing is particularly effective in small systems with few drives, but it can also be effective in large systems. Unrelated to the performance benefit, the distributed sparing approach also provides an elegant way of ensuring that the spare drives are operational when they need to be used. Without special background testing of the spare drives, traditional sparing approaches have no guarantee that such drives will be operational when needed. >
An investigation of the Therac-25 accidents

Between June 1985 and January 1987, the Therac-25 medical electron accelerator was involved in six massive radiation overdoses. As a result, several people died and others were seriously injured. A detailed investigation of the factors involved in the software-related overdoses and attempts by users, manufacturers, and government agencies to deal with the accidents is presented. The authors demonstrate the complex nature of accidents and the need to investigate all aspects of system development and operation in order to prevent future accidents. The authors also present some lessons learned in terms of system engineering, software engineering, and government regulation of safety-critical systems containing software components. >
Broadband characteristics of capacitively loaded monopole antennas

The narrowband frequency characteristics of straight-wire antennas can be overcome by proper loading of the antenna. The bandwidth characteristics of the loaded antennas are investigated through an optimization routine. A bandwidth ratio of 7.58:1 is achieved with a 0.75 meter long capacitively loaded antenna and a simple matching network. The current distribution of the antenna is determined numerically by the method of moments (MoM). The input impedance can then be calculated easily with the knowledge of the excitation voltage across the terminals of the antenna.
Project planning using an interactive, structured modeling environment

Planning construction projects typically makes use of the activity network based critical path method (CPM), since it is very simple to use and reasonably versatile. Most other planning techniques are either aimed at specialized types of construction work (such as linear scheduling techniques) or are peripheral tools to be used in conjunction with these tools (such as n-D CAD). Discrete-event simulation has also been used for construction planning, and while it is extremely versatile, it lacks the simplicity in use of CPM and so has not been widely adopted within the industry. This paper goes back to first principles, identifying the needs of construction project planning and how existing tools meet (or fail to meet) these requirements. Based on this, it proposes a new modeling paradigm better suited to contemporary construction project planning. The principles of the method are demonstrated with a range of examples from construction.
New and improved ways to treat hydrocephalus: Pursuit of a smart shunt.

The most common treatment for hydrocephalus is placement of a cerebrospinal fluid shunt to supplement or replace lost drainage capacity. Shunts are life-saving devices but are notorious for high failure rates, difficulty of diagnosing failure, and limited control options. Shunt designs have changed little since their introduction in 1950s, and the few changes introduced have had little to no impact on these long-standing problems. For decades, the community has envisioned a “smart shunt” that could provide advanced control, diagnostics, and communication based on implanted sensors, feedback control, and telemetry. The most emphasized contribution of smart shunts is the potential for advanced control algorithms, such as weaning from shunt dependency and personalized control. With sensor-based control comes the opportunity to provide data to the physician on patient condition and shunt function, perhaps even by a smart phone. An often ignored but highly valuable contribution would be designs that correct the high failure rates of existing shunts. Despite the long history and increasing development activity in the past decade, patients are yet to see a commercialized smart shunt. Most smart shunt development focuses on concepts or on isolated technical features, but successful smart shunt designs will be a balance between technical feasibility, economic viability, and acceptable regulatory risk. Here, we present the status of this effort and a framework for understanding the challenges and opportunities that will guide introduction of smart shunts into patient care.
Fine tuning total knee replacement contact force prediction algorithms using blinded model validation.

The purpose of this study was to perform a blinded comparison of model predictions of total knee replacement contact forces to in vivo forces from an instrumented prosthesis during normal walking and medial thrust gait by participating in the “Third Grand Challenge Competition to Predict in vivo Knee Loads.” We also evaluated model assumptions that were critical for accurate force predictions. Medial, lateral, and total axial forces through the knee were calculated using a previously developed and validated parametric numerical model. The model uses equilibrium equations between internal and external moments and forces to obtain knee joint contact forces and calculates a range of forces at instances during the gait cycle through parametric variation of muscle activity levels. For 100 instances during a normal over-ground gait cycle, model root mean square differences from eTibia data were 292, 248, and 281 for medial, lateral, and total contact forces, respectively. For 100 instances during a medial thrust gait cycle, model root mean square differences from eTibia data were 332, 234, and 470 for medial, lateral, and total contact forces, respectively. The percent difference between measured and predicted peak total axial force was 2.89% at the first peak and 9.36% at the second peak contact force for normal walking and 3.94% at the first peak and 14.86% at the second peak contact force for medial thrust gait. After unblinding, changes to model assumptions improved medial and lateral force predictions for both gait styles but did not improve total force predictions. Axial forces computed with the model compared well to the eTibia data under blinded and unblinded conditions. Knowledge of detailed knee kinematics, namely anterior-posterior translation, appears to be critical in obtaining accurate force predictions.
Anthracycline- and/or taxane-resistant breast cancer: results of a literature review to determine the clinical challenges and current treatment trends.

Abstract Background: As many as 30% of women diagnosed with early breast cancer (BC) will eventually progress to or relapse with locally advanced or meta-static BC. Resistance to the commonly used chemotherapies anthracyclines and taxanes, as well as the approval of new pharmacologic options for treating BC, present important clinical, cost-effectiveness, and societal challenges. Objectives: The aims of this work were as follows: (1) to review published evidence for potential management strategies, particularly with new therapies, for women with resistant, recurrent, or metastatic BC who have been previously treated with anthracyclines and/or taxanes; and (2) to discuss the wider burden of disease on the patient and society, and potential implications for payers and health care decision makers. Methods: The PubMed database and relevant congress abstract databases were searched to identify clinical data with relevance to the treatment of recurrent or metastatic BC resistant to anthracyclines and/or taxanes. No date limits were applied, and the search was current as of April 17, 2009. No specific inclusion or exclusion criteria were applied; preference was given to Phase II or III clinical trials published within the past 10 years, although older studies were included if they contained data that guides current clinical practice. Results: Sixteen of the most relevant Phase II or III studies were identified for the 4 agents currently approved for use in this setting, including capecitabine alone (2 studies), capecitabine plus docetaxel (2 studies), ixabepilone alone (5 studies), ixabepilone plus capecitabine (3 studies), gemcitabine plus paclitaxel (1 study), and nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (3 studies), with overall response rates (complete plus partial responses) ranging from 11.5% to 57%. Other relevant studies are discussed for liposomal doxorubicin, docetaxel, paclitaxel, larotaxel, and vinorelbine, as well as for the addition of biologic agents such as trastuzumab, lapatinib, and bevacizumab to ongoing chemotherapeutic regimens in resistant or metastatic BC. However, only 4 studies discussed the cost of care and cost-effectiveness of current treatment options. Conclusions: Previous research has reported the efficacy of capecitabine, gemcitabine, nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel, and ixabepilone in the treatment of metastatic BC in patients who have already been treated with anthracyclines and/or taxanes. Such patients previously had few treatment options. Ongoing investigations into novel combination regimens with these agents, including combinations with targeted agents, may further build on this progress. Further research is needed to understand the economic implications of these regimens, including the broader societal effects and the value to patients.
A LOW INTENSITY PERMANENT LIQUID LIGHT STANDARD ACTIVATED BY RADIOACTIVITY

— The total radiant flux from a solution containing a radioactive compound, hexadecme-l-14C, plus an appropriate scintillator, has been determined. The procedure used involves comparison of its luminescent emission with the light scattered by glycogen illuminated with a monochromatic homogeneous light beam of known photon flux. These standards are particularly convenient for use with chemiluminescent and bioluminescent reactions, since the geometry of the emission may be duplicated exactly.
Validity in Qualitative Research

Much contemporary dialogue has centered on the difficulty of establishing validity criteria in qualitative research. Developing validity standards in qualitative research is challenging because of the necessity to incorporate rigor and subjectivity as well as creativity into the scientific process. This article explores the extant issues related to the science and art of qualitative research and proposes a synthesis of contemporary viewpoints. A distinction between primary and secondary validity criteria in qualitative research is made with credibility, authenticity, criticality, and integrity identified as primary validity criteria and explicitness, vividness, creativity, thoroughness, congruence, and sensitivity identified as secondary validity criteria.
The experience of complete neuromuscular blockade in awake humans

Abstract Study Objective: To describe the subjective experience and the physiologic effects of endotracheal intubation and complete neuromuscular block in unsedated humans. Setting: Metropolitan V.A. Hospital. Patients: 4 healthy, unsedated volunteers. Interventions: Subjects' tracheas were incubated using topical anesthesia, then subjects were completely paralyzed with vecuronium and mechanically ventilated at various endtidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide (P ET CO 2 ) levels, all without sedation. Measurements and Main Results: Heart rate (HR), blood pressure, oxygen saturation by pulse oximeter (SpO 2 ), and P ET CO 2 were measured. Sul bjects' verbatim descriptions of their experiences and answers to systematic questions were recorded after the experiments. All subjects reported that tracheal intubation was a very unpleasant experience. None of the subjects found paralysis itself to be distressing, and it did not affect mention. Subjects felt breathless when P ET CO 2 was even slightlyelevated. HR was increased by intubation, but not by paralysis. All subjects reported sore throat, muscle aches, fever, and fatigue lasting up to 24 hours after the experiment. One subject experienced nausea and vomiting. Another subject experienced a sore throat that persisted for weeks due to a vocal cord ulcer, which resolved spontaneously. All subjects' SPO 2 levels after the experiment were below their pre-experiment baselines. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that paralysis of healthy, knowledgeable, and psychologically well-prepared subjects for experimental purposes is feasible but may result in unpleasant, self-limiting after effects. Further, we conclude that, in any case of awake paralysis, close attention should be paid to arterial PCO 2 , adequate sedation and analgesia, minimization of pain during procedures, psychological support, and maintenance of communication when possible.
Interactions: Solar and Laser Beams in Stratus Clouds, Fractals & Multifractals in Climate & Remote-Sensing Studies

Recent research on cloud structure and cloud-radiation interaction at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is presented as a show case of interdisciplinary work where fractals and multifractals play a central role. Focus has been primarily on stratocumulus because of their first-order effect on the Earth's energy balance (hence the global climate) due to their unusual horizontal extension and persistence. These cloud layers have quasi-flat upper/lower boundaries and appear to be quite uniform but are highly variable inside. The general strategy has been: utilization of spatial statistics of in situ and remotely sensed data pertaining to cloud structure to constrain stochastic cloud models used in turn for radiative transfer simulations where artificial radiation fields are generated; these fields are compared to actual measurements. and so on, until a degree of closure is achieved. The major trends have been: i) computation and understanding of cloudradiative properties from the large scales of interest to Global Climate Models (over 102 km) down to the smallest observable scales (less than 10 m); ii) from predicting the outcome of "ideal" measurements to those of "real" ones with limited accuracy, sampling and averaging; iii) from passive to active remote-sensing methods; and iv) shifting from standard to wavelet-based analysis/modeling techniques. In terms of potential for impact on geophysical research at large, the most important contributions are: a) criteria for and measures of nonstationarity and intermittency in scale-invariant data; b) so-called "bounded" multifractal cascade models having a continuously variable degree of nonstationarity: c) a parameterization of the bulk effect of fractal variability on large-scale planetary albedo; and d) the basic scaling theory of radiative "smoothing" that explains non-trivially related multiple scattering phenomena in both solar- and lidar-based remote sensing. The last item also suggests new methods of observing clouds and new ways of processing cloud radiance data to retrieve physical cloud properties.
Turbidity reduction for the West and Rhode Rivers

The West and Rhode Rivers (WRR), two mezohaline sub-estuaries of the Chesapeake Bay, contain a total volume of 26 million m3 of water and have a 78 km2 watershed. Due to local runoff and the excess nutrients and total suspended solids (TSS) entering the WRR from the Chesapeake Bay, water quality in these sub-estuaries has steadily declined over the last forty years. Models and data analysis have shown that as much as 90% of nutrient and TSS inputs to the WRR enter via inflowing tidal water from the Chesapeake Bay; therefore, community outreach efforts are predicted to have little impact on water quality. Three alternative designs have been identified that have the potential to decrease turbidity and stimulate growth in subaquatic vegetation (SAV): addition of eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), soft-shell clams (Mya arenaria), and living shoreline restoration (LSR). The oysters and clams act as water filters, while LSR prevents runoff from entering the water. A 2-D Tidal Mixing Model (2DTMM) was developed to simulate the dynamic interaction between these alternatives and the nutrients and TSS entering the sub-estuary. The goal of this project is to find the design alternative, amount, and placement that would maximize the water quality in the WRR at minimum cost. The optimal placement and dollar-value configurations for each design alternative were further modeled in the Estuarine Eutrophication Model, which simulates improvements in dissolved oxygen concentrations and provides more precise water clarity calculations than the 2DTMM. An analysis of cost versus utility (water quality improvement, sustainability, and public approval) shows that the addition of approximately 20 million clams would be the most cost-effective alternative.
The Perversity of Preferences The Generalized System of Preferences and Developing Country Trade Policies, 1976-2000

Industrial countries maintain special tariff preferences, namely the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), for imports from developing countries. Critics have highlighted the underachieving nature of such preferences, but developing countries continue to place the GSP at the heart of their agenda in multilateral negotiations. What effect do such preferences have on a recipient's own trade policies? Ozden and Reinhardt develop and test a simple theoretical model of a small country's trade policy choice, using a dataset of 154 developing countries from 1976 through 2000. They find that countries removed from the GSP adopt more liberal trade policies than those remaining eligible. The results, corrected for endogeneity and robust to numerous alternative measures of trade policy, suggest that developing countries may be best served by full integration into the reciprocity-based world trade regime rather than continued GSP-style special preferences. This paper - a product of Trade, Development Research Group - is part of a arger effort in the group to study global trade regimes.
Influence of Operating Conditions and Vessel Size on Oxygen Transfer During Cellulase Production

The production of low-cost cellulase enzyme is a key step in the development of an enzymatic-based process for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol. Although abundant information is available on cellulase production, little of this work has examined oxygen transfer. We investigated oxygen transfer during the growth of Trichoderma reesei, a cellulase-producing microorganism, on soluble and insoluble substrates in vessel sizes from 7 to 9000 L. Oxygen uptake rates and volumetric mass transfer coefficients (k L a) were determined using mass spectroscopy to measure off gas composition. Experimentally measured k L a values were found to compare favorably with a k L a correlation available in the literature for a non-Newtonian fermentation broth during the period of heavy cell growth.
Restoration of binary and gray-scale images using the contour mid-crack codes description

The chain code is a widely-used description for a contour image. Recently, a mid-crack code algorithm has been proposed as another more precise method for image representation. A simple and fast algorithm for the restoration of binary images based on the mid-crack codes description is presented. The algorithm developed has the advantages of speed, simplicity, and less storage. The algorithm also can be applied to gray-scale images with multiple regions efficiently. >
Future Research in the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences with the Panel Study of Income Dynamics

There are extraordinary opportunities to address the next generation of research challenges in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences that build on the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). First, PSID offers untapped opportunities to examine questions of relevance to our understanding of environmental sustainability. Second, cross-national harmonization of PSID with other national panel surveys will be instrumental for developing and facilitating new research on the effects of policies and institutions. Third, measuring genetic information in PSID will open a wide range of new studies on social and economic behavior and outcomes. Advances in these areas will provide a foundation for future research and for new interdisciplinary collaborations. Abstract word count (200 word limit): 108 words Main Word Count (2000 word limit): 1950 words
The C-terminal unique region of desmoglein 2 inhibits its internalization via tail–tail interactions

Desmosomal cadherins, desmogleins (Dsgs) and desmocollins, make up the adhesive core of intercellular junctions called desmosomes. A critical determinant of epithelial adhesive strength is the level and organization of desmosomal cadherins on the cell surface. The Dsg subclass of desmosomal cadherins contains a C-terminal unique region (Dsg unique region [DUR]) with unknown function. In this paper, we show that the DUR of Dsg2 stabilized Dsg2 at the cell surface by inhibiting its internalization and promoted strong intercellular adhesion. DUR also facilitated Dsg tail–tail interactions. Forced dimerization of a Dsg2 tail lacking the DUR led to decreased internalization, supporting the conclusion that these two functions of the DUR are mechanistically linked. We also show that a Dsg2 mutant, V977fsX1006, identified in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy patients, led to a loss of Dsg2 tail self-association and underwent rapid endocytosis in cardiac muscle cells. Our observations illustrate a new mechanism desmosomal cadherins use to control their surface levels, a key factor in determining their adhesion and signaling roles.
Validity frameworks for outcome evaluation

This chapter discusses the concept of validity as it applies to outcome evaluation. We address the historical adoption and contributions of the Campbellian typology to evaluation. We also discuss related criticisms and controversies and address future directions. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association.
The invasive shrub European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica, L.) alters soil properties in Midwestern U.S. woodlands

European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), a prevalent invasive shrub in relict woodlands throughout Northeastern Illinois, alters certain soil properties in a manner that may have importance for the long-term conservation management of these systems. We found that soil in areas of the woodland where buckthorn dominates have higher percentage of nitrogen (N) and carbon (C), modified nitrogen mineralization rates, elevated pH, and higher soil moisture than those areas where buckthorn was not present. Although there were small C:N ratio differences at two of the three sites, there was no overall difference in C:N ratios between the sites. Since the long-term management for these systems often calls for restoration to pre-invaded conditions, the likelihood that the invasive shrub is creating a legacy effect of altered ecosystems properties may call for reassessed management strategies.
Influence of Incentives on Performance in a Pre-College Biology MOOC.

There is concern that online education may widen the achievement gap between students from different socioeconomic classes. The recent discussion of integrating massive open online courses (MOOCs) into formal higher education has added fuel to this debate. In this study, factors influencing enrollment and completion in a pre-college preparatory MOOC were explored. University of California at Irvine (UCI) students of all preparation levels, defined by math Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) score, were invited to take a Bio Prep MOOC to help them prepare for introductory biology. Students with math SAT below 550 were offered the explicit incentive of an early change to the biology major upon successful completion of the MOOC and two additional onsite courses. Our results demonstrate that, among course registrants, a higher percentage of UCI students (>60%) completed the course than non-UCI registrants from the general population (<9%). Female UCI students had a greater likelihood of enrolling in the MOOC, but were not different from male students in terms of performance. University students entering with low preparation outperformed students entering who already had the credentials to become biology majors. These findings suggest that MOOCs can reach students, even those entering college with less preparation, before they enter university and have the potential to prepare them for challenging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses.
Child Custody Evaluations

This chapter focuses on the role of the forensic psychologist in conducting a child custody evaluation, whether in a current divorce or post decree matter. An overview of the process is delineated, including techniques and strategies in interviewing adults, children, and collateral sources, parent–child observations in the office and home, and the use of collateral sources and information. The use of psychological testing in custody cases is also explored. Tests evaluated include the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (both the MMPI-II and the MMPI-II-RF), the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III), and projective tests including the Rorschach Inkblot Test. A number of parenting inventories are also discussed. Specific instruments for custody litigants, including the various Bricklin scales and the ACCESS, are explored as well. In addition, best interest factors and best practice guidelines are offered. Furthermore, special issues are addressed including recommendations in cases involving removal, supervised visitation, domestic violence, substance abuse, sexual abuse, mental illness, nontraditional religious practices, as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender parents. In addition, the issue of parental alienation is discussed.
Further Studies of Inelastic Beam-Column Problem

Previous work on the solution of an eccentrically loaded beam-column under a concentrated load at the mid-span is extended. Expressions are derived for the moment expressed explicitly in terms of curvature and thrust for various shapes of structural sections with or without the influence of residual stress. Using these results, interaction curves relating axial thrust, lateral load, and slenderness ratio with various values of end eccentricities are presented for the maximum load carrying capacity of the beam-columns. The analytically obtained results are compared with those obtained previously by the numerical integration procedure and good agreement is observed.
Kinetic mechanism of molecular energy transfer and chemical reactions in low-temperature air-fuel plasmas

This work describes the kinetic mechanism of coupled molecular energy transfer and chemical reactions in low-temperature air, H2–air and hydrocarbon–air plasmas sustained by nanosecond pulse discharges (single-pulse or repetitive pulse burst). The model incorporates electron impact processes, state-specific N2 vibrational energy transfer, reactions of excited electronic species of N2, O2, N and O, and ‘conventional’ chemical reactions (Konnov mechanism). Effects of diffusion and conduction heat transfer, energy coupled to the cathode layer and gasdynamic compression/expansion are incorporated as quasi-zero-dimensional corrections. The model is exercised using a combination of freeware (Bolsig+) and commercial software (ChemKin-Pro). The model predictions are validated using time-resolved measurements of temperature and N2 vibrational level populations in nanosecond pulse discharges in air in plane-to-plane and sphere-to-sphere geometry; temperature and OH number density after nanosecond pulse burst discharges in lean H2–air, CH4–air and C2H4–air mixtures; and temperature after the nanosecond pulse discharge burst during plasma-assisted ignition of lean H2-mixtures, showing good agreement with the data. The model predictions for OH number density in lean C3H8–air mixtures differ from the experimental results, over-predicting its absolute value and failing to predict transient OH rise and decay after the discharge burst. The agreement with the data for C3H8–air is improved considerably if a different conventional hydrocarbon chemistry reaction set (LLNL methane– n -butane flame mechanism) is used. The results of mechanism validation demonstrate its applicability for analysis of plasma chemical oxidation and ignition of low-temperature H2–air, CH4–air and C2H4–air mixtures using nanosecond pulse discharges. Kinetic modelling of low-temperature plasma excited propane–air mixtures demonstrates the need for development of a more accurate ‘conventional’ chemistry mechanism.
“I Wanted to Know How They Perceived Jail”: Studying How One Early Educator Brought Her Students’ Worlds into Her Standardized Teaching Context

Policymakers’ demands for standardization and improved student achievement increasingly define what early childhood educators working in publicly funded programs teach. Doing so has made it difficult for educators to engage in practices with children that incorporate their sociocultural worlds into their instruction. To begin to address this challenge, this article examines the experiences of one pre-kindergarten teacher who participated in a professional development course that asked her and her colleagues to implement culturally relevant lessons with their students in their high-stakes urban teaching context. She took up this challenge by examining the issue of parental incarceration with her culturally and linguistically talented students. Analyzing her and her students’ experiences in this investigation provides insight into how early educators can begin to address their students’ sociocultural worlds through culturally relevant pedagogical practices within their standardized teaching contexts.
Effect of Acid–Base Interactions on Conformation of Adsorbed Polymer Chains

Sum frequency generation spectroscopy (SFG) and attenuated-total-reflection IR (ATR-IR) were used to investigate polymer adsorption on solid surfaces in CCl4 (neutral), CHCl3 (acidic), and acetone (basic) solvents. Fowkes showed that the adsorbed amount of the polymer from acidic and basic solvents is less than that from a neutral solvent (Ind. Eng. Chem. Prod. Res. Dev. 1978, 17, 3–7). Here, we show that besides the differences in adsorbed amount, chains adsorbed from an acidic solvent adopted a flat conformation with a much smaller ratio of segments of loops and tails to trains compared to those adsorbed from a neutral solvent. Sapphire (Al2O3) surfaces were saturated by train segments at 1.3 × 10–5 volume fraction for both CCl4 and CHCl3 solutions, with a large fraction of the surface sites occupied by the PMMA segments, which was different from what was expected based on Fowkes’ experiment. In contrast, PMMA segments were not able to replace acetone molecules from the surface in a time period of 2 h. ...
Zora Neale Hurston and Mary Austin: A Case Study in Ethnography, Literary Modernism, and Contemporary Ethnic Fiction

As "regional" or "ethnic" writers, Zora Neale Hurston and Mary Hunter Austin have suffered from a neglect of their literary strategies in favor of an analysis of the cultural context of their narratives. By focusing on the incorporation of this content, we might reconsider the place of each author in the modernist canon. Far from simply recording or romanticizing "primitive" African and Native American cultures, these two authors critique the relationships among narrator, subject, and audience and construct complex narrative structures which incorporate oral forms. Their narrative techniques link them to so-called high modernists like James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and William Faulkner, whose experiments with multiple points of view and oral narrative are not, consequently, unique. Although modern psychology's influence on the development of stream of consciousness narrative is widely recognized, anthropology's effect on fiction writers of the modernist period is often overlooked.1 Many people know that Zora Neale Hurston trained under anthropologist Franz Boas at Columbia University in the late 1920s, and some literary critics have studied Hurston's anthropological writings. But few have focused on how Hurston used her training in ethnography to develop new fictional forms. Likewise, critics analyze Mary Austin's stories about Native American cultures in the southwestern United States without considering seriously how her theories of what she termed "Amerindian" folklore may have affected her own literary methods. Unlike Hurston, Austin never studied directly with Boas or any other anthropologist; nevertheless, as I will demonstrate in this "case study," the two authors were influenced both directly and indirectly by new anthropological concepts developed by Boas and his contemporaries. During the early part of the twentieth century, a schism was occurring in anthropology between the evolutionists and the historians.
Psychologic Disorder and Sexual Dysfunction in Elders

Psychologic disorders are found in conjunction with sexual dysfunction commonly enough that clinicians must regularly assess for their presence. The types of psychopathology seen in sex clinics are typically fairly limited, with by far the largest proportion being alcohol abuse and depression. Patients’ presenting complaints and treatment outcomes do not appear to differ significantly between patients with psychologic disorders and those without them. Psychologic issues should not be ignored in patients with obvious medical factors, and medical issues should not be ignored in patients with obvious psychologic factors.
Infrarenal aortic aneurysms: New technologies

Nearly two decades after the first successful endovascular aortic repair (EVAR), steady advancements in device technology, deployment techniques, and imaging capabilities have allowed this treatment modality to replace traditional open aortic repair as the treatment of choice for patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. EVAR now accounts for greater than half of all AAA repairs; however, certain challenges to EVAR remain including anatomic limitations and graft durability. These limitations are now being addressed with new technology and deployment modalities. Surveillance and surgical repair remain the primary focus of therapy for AAA, and this chapter aims to discuss developments in disease surveillance, interventional techniques, and the evolution of endograft devices for EVAR.
A Possible Differential Role for Plant Acyl Carrier Protein Isoforms in Higher Plants

Acyl carrier protein (ACP) dependent fatty acid synthesis (FAS) in plant leaf tissues is exclusively localized in the chloroplast (1). Two forms of ACP have been purified from spinach and barley leaf, but, only one ACP isoform predominates in spinach seed tissue (2, 3). Oleic acid is the major product of fatty acid synthesis by isolated chloroplasts (4). The regulation of plant lipid metabolism is believed to involve the export of oleic acid from its site of synthesis (plastid) to sites of complex lipid metabolism (eg. ER). This pathway requires the initial release of oleic acid from ACP by oleoyl-ACP thioesterase (5). In addition, the oleoyl moiety may also enter glycerolipid synthesis within the plastid through the action of acyl-ACP acyl-transferase (6). The preferred substrate for both the thioesterase and glycerol-3-phosphate acyl transferase reactions is 18: 1-ACP (6, 7).
C-band phase and gain control MMIC

A C-band phase and gain control MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) has demonstrated a maximum gain of 31+or-2 dB with 20 dB of gain control from 5-6 GHz. The 6-bit phase shifter has an RMS phase error of less than 3.1 degrees . Lumped elements result in a small (5.4-mm*2.15-mm), low-cost MMIC. The variable-gain-amplifier features a segmented dual-gate FET. Sensitivity analysis was used to select a phase-bit design with minimum sensitivity to process variations. >
Sports and Youth Development Programs: Theoretical and Practical Implication of Early Adolescent Participation in Multiple Instances of Structured Out-of-School (OST) Activity

Among today’s youth, the most ubiquitous OST activity is sports. However, many of these youth are also participating in at least one other OST activity along with their participation in sports. Using longitudinal data from 1,622 youth (56.8% female) from the first three waves (Grades 5, 6, and 7) of the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development (PYD), we employed a pattern-centered approach to assess differences in adolescent functioning depending on what types of OST activities youth were participating in along with their sports participation. Our findings suggest that youth benefit from their sports participation differently depending on what other types of additional activities they participate in during their out-of-school time. In particular, a participation pattern characterized by high participation in sports and Youth Development Programs was found to be the most effective activity profile for promoting PYD and preventing youth problems. Implications of these findings in research and practice are discussed.
Mobility Effects and Cumulative Mobility Contexts

As the last chapter demonstrated, findings on mobility effects have been mixed, largely because of differences in outcome domains, measurements, and the type and frequency of household mobility under study. Researchers who find evidence in support of mobility effects have proposed several explanations for why. This chapter discusses some of the principal mechanisms used to explain mobility effects. A proposed framework highlights the importance of preexisting resources and risk factors, the move context, and the accumulation of context-related stressors. To provide preliminary support for the cumulative context framework, several components of the model are explored using data from the NLSY79 linked mother–child files.
Evaluation of a hierarchical agglomerative clustering method applied to WIBS laboratory data for improved discrimination of biological particles by comparing data preparation techniques

Abstract. Hierarchical agglomerative clustering (HAC) analysis has been successfully applied to several sets of ambient data (e.g., Crawford et al., 2015; Robinson et al., 2013) and with respect to standardized particles in the laboratory environment (Ruske et al., 2017, 2018). Here we show for the first time a systematic application of HAC to a comprehensive set of laboratory data collected for many individual particle types using the wideband integrated bioaerosol sensor (WIBS-4A) (Savage et al., 2017). The impact of the ratio of particle concentrations on HAC results was investigated, showing that clustering quality can vary dramatically as a function of ratio. Six strategies for particle preprocessing were also compared, concluding that using raw fluorescence intensity (without normalizing to particle size) and logarithmically transforming data values (scenario B) consistently produced the highest-quality results for the particle types analyzed. A total of 23 one-to-one matchups of individual particles types was investigated. Results showed a cluster misclassification of < 15 % for 12 of 17 numerical experiments using one biological and one nonbiological particle type each. Inputting fluorescence data using a baseline +3σ threshold produced a lower degree of misclassification than when inputting either all particles (without a fluorescence threshold) or a baseline +9σ threshold. Lastly, six numerical simulations of mixtures of four to seven components were analyzed using HAC. These results show that a range of 12 %–24 % of fungal clusters was consistently misclassified by inclusion of a mixture of nonbiological materials, whereas bacteria and diesel soot were each able to be separated with nearly 100 % efficiency. The study gives significant support to clustering analysis commonly being applied to data from commercial ultraviolet laser/light-induced fluorescence (UV-LIF) instruments used for bioaerosol research across the globe and provides practical tools that will improve clustering results within scientific studies as a part of diverse research disciplines.
Therapeutic agents used in the treatment of calf diarrhea

This article discusses various therapeutic agents that have been used in the treatment of calf diarrhea, such as antibiotics, modulators of intestinal motility, gastrointestinal protectants and absorbents, astringents, agents affecting secretion, steroids, antiadhesives, antitoxins, and monoclonal antibodies. The roles of nutrition and the administration of colostrum following onset of diarrhea are also discussed.