cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physician interviewing and counseling training

There is an important need to enhance the skills of physicians in conducting medical interviews. The medical interview consists of the primary tasks or content of the medical history. It is the basis for establishing a therapeutic relationship with the patient, ascertaining a clinical diagnosis, and implementing an appropriate treatment plan or health maintenance. Effective medical interviewing skills are prerequisites for learning the skills which are essential for patient counseling. This paper describes the medical interview, reviews videotape feedback models for training, and gives suggestions for the training of physicians as counselors.
Short-term regulation of fatty acid synthesis in isolated alveolar type II cells from adult rat lung. Effects of free fatty acids and hormones.

We measured the total rate of fatty acid synthesis in alveolar type II cells freshly isolated from the lungs of adult rats. The rate of incorporation of 3H from 3H2O into cellular fatty acids was linear during 3-hr incubations and was very brisk [18 ng-atoms 3H/106 cells/hr ± 2 (mean ± SD, n = 23)]. When the nutrient medium (Minimum Essential Medium) was supplemented with various hormones or free fatty acids, the long-chain fatty acids (C14-C20) caused a decrease in the rate of 3H incorporation to a variable degree depending on the species of fatty acid. Stearate (10-4 M) and palmitate (10-4 M) caused the greatest inhibition of de novo cellular fatty acid synthesis, followed by myristate, arachidonate, and oleate. Insulin (10-7 M), glucagon (10-8 M), terbutaline (10-5 M), 8-bromo-cyclic AMP (10-3 M), the essential fatty acid linoleate (10-4 M), and the medium-chain-free fatty acids laurate and octanoate (10-4 M) did not alter the rate of fatty acid synthesis in type II cells. We demonstrated that the alve...
The CORDIC Householder algorithm

A novel n-dimensional (n-D) CORDIC algorithm for Euclidean and pseudo-Euclidean rotations is proposed. This algorithm is closely related to Householder transformations. It is shown to converge faster than CORDIC algorithms developed earlier for n=3 and 4. Processor architectures for the algorithm are presented. The area and time performance of n-D CORDIC processors are evaluated. For a comparable time performance, the processors require significantly less area than parallel Householder processors. Furthermore, arrays of n-D Euclidean CORDIC processors are shown to speed up the QR decomposition of rectangular matrices by a factor of n-1 in comparison with a 2-D CORDIC processor array. >
Error analysis in indirect rotor position sensing of switched reluctance motors

The phase excitation pulses of a switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive need to be properly synchronized with the rotor position for optimum torque production. Accuracy of this position information determines the efficiency and smoothness of the drive operation. This paper presents a method of analyzing the errors inherent to indirect rotor position sensing schemes. The error analysis in this paper breaks down the position error to its fundamental components in the position sensing system. As an illustration, the method is applied to two different indirect position sensing schemes. The same basic approach can be applied to evaluate other SRM position sensing schemes. The results are helpful in comparing the various sensing schemes, as well as focusing improvement efforts on the appropriate segment of the system. >
Anatomical segmentation for guided Fluorescence Molecular Tomography in small animals

In this work, we investigate the performances of segmentation algorithms applied to micro-CT images of small animal to derive anatomical templates for guided Fluorescence Molecular Tomography. We report on the performances of Active Contours methods to retrieve the boundary surface of the specimen and the internal distribution of a fluorescent probe. The spatial information gained from this segmentation procedure is used to cast an accurate light propagation forward model and used as spatial prior to constrain the optical inverse problem.
Reconfiguration of spanning trees in networks in the presence of node failures

Connectivity among a set of user entities in a network can be provided by a network level abstraction of an acyclic graph (or spanning tree). The authors discuss the reconfiguration of a graph in the presence of failures of network nodes. A reconfiguration manifests itself as a graph fragmentation problem, whereby two or more disjoint subgraphs attempt to connect with one another to form a composite graph. Fragment interconnection requires contention resolution between fragments to avoid cycles. Two classes of contention resolution algorithms applicable for environments with a potentially large number of fragments are presented. They are based on preestablished ranking among fragments and random arbitration among fragments. The algorithms have been evaluated by simulation and compared. The algorithms are useful in supporting data multicasting across workstations and distributed computations involving data on different machines. >
Characterization of Homologous and Heterologous Rotavirus-Specific T-Cell Responses in Infant and Adult Mice

During primary rotavirus (RV) infection, CD8+ T cells play an important role in viral clearance as well as providing partial protection against reinfection. CD4+ T cells are essential for maximal development of RV-specific intestinal immunoglobulin A. In this study, we took advantage of the cytokine flow cytometry technique to obtain a detailed map of H-2b- and H-2d-restricted CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell epitopes from the RV proteins VP6 and VP7. Three new CD8+ T-cell epitopes (H-2d and H-2b restricted) and one new CD4+ T-cell epitope (H-2d and H-2b restricted) were identified. Using these newly identified targets, we characterized the development and specificity of cellular immune responses in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice during acute infection of infants and adults. We found that both the CD4+ and CD8+ responses peaked on days 5 to 7 after infection and then declined rapidly. Interestingly, both the response kinetics and tissue distributions were different when epitopes on VP6 and VP7 were compared. VP6 elicited a response which predominated in the intestine, while the response to VP7 was more systemic. Additionally, the T-cell responses elicited after homologous versus heterologous infection differed substantially. We found that during homologous infection, there was a greater response toward VP6 than that toward VP7, especially in the intestine, while after heterologous infection, this was not the case. Finally, in suckling mice, we found two peaks in the CD8 response on days 7 and 14 postinfection, which differed from the single peak found in adults and likely mimics the biphasic pattern of rotavirus shedding in infant mice.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of Flow in a Straight Flume for Sediment Erodibility Testing

Computational fluid dynamics calculations of flow in a straight flume for sediment erodibility testing were conducted. The calculations allowed improved postprocessing of the erosion data collected and better understanding of scour pit formation that is sometimes found in the flume’s test section. The flume is a 3-m -long, rectangular ( 13-cm -wide by 10-cm -high) water conduit, which is placed on the sediment water interface during the sediment transport tests. The flume consists of a 1.6-m inlet section, followed by a 1.1-m test section, where the flowing water contacts the sediment. After erosion has occurred in the test section, the flow entering from the inlet section is an expanding flow. It generates a circulation cell and nonuniform bottom stress and pressure. Flow calculations were conducted for four different erosion depths (0, 1, 2, and 4 cm ) and for two different flow velocities (1 and 0.5 m∕s ). After erosion had occurred, the effective stress in the test section was within 15% of the bottom...
Comparative Alcohol Concentrations in Blood and Vitreous Fluid With Illustrative Case Studies

The Toxicology Bureau of the New Mexico Department of Health performs drug and alcohol testing on approximately 2800 medical examiner cases each year across the entire state. Although blood is usually the preferred specimen for alcohol analysis, the importance of multiple specimen analysis in alcohol-related death investigation is well understood. Quantitative alcohol determination in a variety of postmortem specimens may provide important interpretive information. In a total of 322 consecutive cases, blood and vitreous alcohol concentrations were compared. No alcohol was detected in either specimen in only 27 of the cases. In the remaining 295 investigations, alcohol was detected in the vitreous fluid, blood, or both. Analysis of the data and presentation of case studies reinforce the need for multiple specimen analysis in alcohol-related death investigation. Postmortem blood and vitreous alcohol concentrations were compared in a series of 295 alcohol-positive cases. The vitreous alcohol concentration (VAC) exceeded the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in 209 cases (71%). Blood alcohol concentrations exceeded vitreous concentrations in 81 cases (27%), and the concentrations were equivalent in 5 cases (2%). For the purpose of this study, samples that were negative in both specimens were excluded. In casework where the VAC > BAC, linear regression analysis indicated an R2 value of 0.958 (n = 209) and a VAC approximately 16% higher than the BAC. The VAC/BAC ratio was more variable at lower BACs ( VAC, a total of 24 cases indicated no vitreous alcohol. The range of blood alcohol concentrations among these cases was widely variable (0.01 to 0.30 g/100 mL). Unlike the VAC/BAC data set which consisted of 97% femoral blood, the source of blood in the BAC > VAC data set was slightly more variable. Of the 81 cases where BAC > VAC the blood source consisted of femoral (n = 68), heart (n = 8), pleural cavity (n = 2), carotid (n = 1), jugular (n = 1), and chest blood (n = 1). All analyses were conducted using dual-column gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection (GC-FID) with a reporting limit of 0.01 g/100 mL ethanol in postmortem samples. A series of case studies are used to demonstrate postmortem interpretive issues and the benefits associated with multiple specimen analysis. Cases include postmortem production of ethanol, rapid or unexpected death during the absorptive phase, and site-dependent differences following traumatic injury. Actual case studies involving other volatile organic compounds are also presented including isopropanol and acetone from endogenous and exogenous sources. Many of these cases studies highlight the difficulty associated with postmortem alcohol interpretation in the absence of multiple specimens or adequate case history.
Improved Laboratory Transition Probabilities for Hf II and Hafnium Abundances in the Sun and 10 Metal-poor Stars

Radiative lifetimes from laser-induced fluorescence measurements, accurate to ~±5%, are reported for 41 odd-parity levels of Hf II. The lifetimes are combined with branching fractions measured using Fourier transform spectrometry to determine transition probabilities for 150 lines of Hf II. Approximately half of these new transition probabilities overlap with recent independent measurements using a similar approach. The two sets of measurements are found to be in good agreement for lines in common. Our new laboratory data are applied to refine the hafnium photospheric solar abundance and to determine hafnium abundances in 10 metal-poor giant stars with enhanced r-process abundances. For the Sun we derive log e(Hf) = 0.88 ± 0.08 from four lines; the uncertainty is dominated by the weakness of the lines and their blending by other spectral features. Within the uncertainties of our analysis, the r-process-rich stars possess constant Hf/La and Hf/Eu abundance ratios, log e(Hf/La) = -0.13 ± 0.02(σ = 0.06) and log e(Hf/Eu) = +0.04 ± 0.02 (σ = 0.06). The observed average stellar abundance ratio of Hf/Eu and La/Eu is larger than previous estimates of the solar system r-process-only value, suggesting a somewhat larger contribution from the r-process to the production of Hf and La. The newly determined Hf values could be employed as part of the chronometer pair, Th/Hf, to determine radioactive stellar ages.
IscR Controls Iron-Dependent Biofilm Formation in Escherichia coli by Regulating Type I Fimbria Expression

Biofilm formation is a complex developmental process regulated by multiple environmental signals. In addition to other nutrients, the transition metal iron can also regulate biofilm formation. Iron-dependent regulation of biofilm formation varies by bacterial species, and the exact regulatory pathways that control iron-dependent biofilm formation are often unknown or only partially characterized. To address this gap in our knowledge, we examined the role of iron availability in regulating biofilm formation in Escherichia coli. The results indicate that biofilm formation is repressed under low-iron conditions in E. coli. Furthermore, a key iron regulator, IscR, controls biofilm formation in response to changes in cellular Fe-S homeostasis. IscR regulates the FimE recombinase to control expression of type I fimbriae in E. coli. We propose that iron-dependent regulation of FimE via IscR leads to decreased surface attachment and biofilm dispersal under iron-limiting conditions.
A constraint solver for software engineering: finding models and cores of large relational specifications

Relational logic is an attractive candidate for a software description language, because both the design and implementation of software often involve reasoning about relational structures: organizational hierarchies in the problem domain, architectural configurations in the high level design, or graphs and linked lists in low level code. Until recently, however, frameworks for solving relational constraints have had limited applicability. Designed to analyze small, hand-crafted models of software systems, current frameworks perform poorly on specifications that are large or that have partially known solutions. This thesis presents an efficient constraint solver for relational logic, with recent applications to design analysis, code checking, test-case generation, and declarative configuration. The solver provides analyses for both satisfiable and unsatisfiable specifications—a finite model finder for the former and a minimal unsatisfiable core extractor for the latter. It works by translating a relational problem to a boolean satisfiability problem; applying an off-the-shelf SAT solver to the resulting formula; and converting the SAT solver's output back to the relational domain. The idea of solving relational problems by reduction to SAT is not new. The core contributions of this work, instead, are new techniques for expanding the capacity and applicability of SAT-based engines. They include: a new interface to SAT that extends relational logic with a mechanism for specifying partial solutions; a new translation algorithm based on sparse matrices and auto-compacting circuits; a new symmetry detection technique that works in the presence of partial solutions; and a new core extraction algorithm that recycles inferences made at the boolean level to speed up core minimization at the specification level. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
High Winds Generated by Bow Echoes. Part II: The Relationship between the Mesovortices and Damaging Straight-Line Winds

Abstract Airborne radar analysis of a mesovortex that developed near the apex of a bow echo is presented. The mesovortex was shown to play a critical role in determining the location of intense “straight-line” wind damage at the surface. The perturbation pressure gradient force (in natural coordinates) along the parcel path accelerated the horizontal winds; however, intense mesovortices modified the low-level outflow and largely determined the locations where the strongest winds occurred. Regions of maximum winds are accounted for as a superposition of the vortex and the flow in which it is embedded. The strongest winds occur on the side of the vortex where translation and rotation effects are in the same direction. This model explains the observed tongue of high wind speeds that were confined to the periphery of the mesovortex. The origin of the mesovortex is also examined. Similarities and differences of this bow echo event with recent modeling studies are presented.
Clinician confidence and comfort in providing perinatal palliative care

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze and report the differences in perceptions of physicians and advance practice nurses, their comfort in providing and referring neonatal patients to perinatal palliative care (PPC), and their confidence in delivering such care. Design A cross‐sectional survey design using the Perinatal Palliative Care Perceptions and Barriers Scale. Setting A survey was administered using Qualtrics, a Web‐based tool. Recruitment was completed via e‐mail invitation and list servs. Participants Physicians ( n = 66), advance practice nurses ( n = 146), and other clinicians ( n = 90). Methods t test and Mann‐Whitney U were used to examine differences in clinician perspectives, comfort, and confidence in delivering PPC. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to test the hypothesis that clinician perceptions, barriers to PPC, years in clinician practice, referral comfort, and personal comfort and case history explain variation in confidence. Results Physicians and nurses have fundamentally similar perspectives but report significant differences in their comfort with providing and referring patients to PPC and their confidence in delivering such care. There was a significant regression equation with an overall R 2 of .56 explained variation in confidence. Conclusion Palliative care involves physicians and nurses making unique and positively synergistic contributions to the care of families expecting an infant with a life‐limiting diagnosis. Clinicians share ethical perspectives regarding PPC and are positioned to collaboratively develop PPC programs. Barriers to PPC delivery exist and clinicians can benefit from interventions aimed at modifying practice environments. Supportive interventions and educational initiatives may increase clinician comfort and confidence with palliative care delivery.
Location-based e-campus web services: from design to deployment

In our previous work, we have designed, using a network-based approach, and are currently deploying on Purdue wireless infrastructure, a Web service for location discovery of 802.11-based mobile devices. This paper presents a novel web-based application called remote printing service (RPS) which is entirely built on top of our location discovery service (LODS). RPS is not only capable of locating the nearest printers but also allows mobile users to print without having to install any printer drivers. Most of the time users can print even without having to download the file to the mobile device. We have also designed a prototype for a network-based personal paging system that provides active paging and active email notification capability for mobile users. These value-added wireless services contribute to the building and promotion of an e-campus community.
Maternal and perinatal outcomes of extreme obesity in pregnancy.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effects of extreme obesity (pre-pregnancy BMI≥50.0kg/m 2 ) in pregnancy on maternal and perinatal outcomes. Methods We conducted a population-based cohort study using the Newfoundland and Labrador Perinatal Database to compare obstetric outcomes in women with extreme obesity and those with a normal BMI (pre-pregnancy BMI 18.50 to 24.99kg/m 2 ). We included women with singleton gestations who gave birth between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2011. Maternal outcomes of interest included gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, Caesarean section, shoulder dystocia, length of hospital stay, maternal ICU admission, postpartum hemorrhage, and death. Perinatal outcomes included birth weight, preterm birth, Apgar score, neonatal metabolic abnormality, NICU admission, stillbirth, and neonatal death. A composite morbidity outcome was developed including at least one of Caesarean section, gestational hypertension, birth weight≥4000g, birth weight Results A total of 5788 women were included in the study: 71 with extreme obesity and 5717 with a normal BMI. Extremely obese women were more likely to have gestational hypertension (19.7% vs.4.8%) (aOR 1.56; 95% CI 1.33 to 1.82), gestational diabetes (21.1% vs.1.5%) (aOR 2.04; 95% CI 1.74 to 2.38), shoulder dystocia (7.1% vs.1.4%) (aOR 1.51; 95% CI 1.05 to 2.19), Caesarean section (60.6% vs.25.0%) (aOR 1.46; 95% CI 1.29 to 1.65), length of hospital stay more than five days (excluding Caesarean section) (14.3% vs.4.7%) (aOR 1.42; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.89), birth weight≥4000g (38.0% vs. 11.9%) (aOR 1.58; 95% CI 1.38 to 1.80), birth weight≥4500g (16.9% vs.2.1%) (aOR 1.87; 95% CI 1.57 to 2.23), neonatal metabolic abnormality (8.5% vs.2.0%) (aOR 1.50; 95% CI 1.20 to 1.86), NICU admission (16.9% vs.7.8%) (aOR 1.28; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.52), stillbirth (1.4% vs.0.2%) (aOR 1.68; 95% CI 1.00 to 2.82) and composite adverse outcome (81.7% vs.41.5%) (aOR 1.57; 95% CI 1.35 to 1.83). Conclusion Women with extreme obesity have increased risks of a variety of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. As approximately 6 per 1000 women giving birth in our population have extreme obesity, it is important to address these risks pre-conceptually and encourage a healthier BMI before pregnancy.
BRANCH AND BOUND FOR GLOBAL NLP: NEW BOUNDING LP

We present here a new method for bounding nonlinear programs which forms the foundation for a branch and bound algorithm presented in the next chapter. The bounding method is a generalization of the method proposed by Swaney [34] and is applicable to NLPs in factorable form, which include problems with quadratic objective functions and quadratic constraints as well as problems with twice differentiable transcendental functions. This class of problems is wide enough to cover many useful engineering applications including the following which have appeared in the literature: phase and chemical equilibrium problems [5, 15, 16], complex reactor networks [5], heat exchanger networks [5, 23, 38], pool blending [36, 37], and flowsheet optimization [5, 28]. Reviews of the applications of general nonlinear and bilinear programs are available in [1, 5].
Use of the mean-square-error matching metric in a model-based automatic target recognition system

We examine the use of mean squared error matching metrics in support of model-based automatic target recognition under the Moving and Stationary Target Acquisition and Recognition (MSTAR) program. The utility of this type of matching metric is first examined in terms of target discriminability on a 5-class problem, using live signature data collected under the MSTAR program and candidate target signature features predicted from the MSTAR signature feature prediction (MSTAR Predict) module. Analysis is extended to include the exploitation of advanced model-based candidate target signature feature prediction capabilities of MSTAR Predict, made possible by the use of probability distribution functions to characterize target return phenomenology. These capabilities include the elimination of on-pose scintillation effects from predicted target signature features and the inclusion of target pose uncertainty and intra-class target variability into predicted target signature features. Results demonstrating the performance advantages supported by these capabilities are presented.
The Management of Pregnancy in Patients with Advanced Liver Disease Before and After Liver Transplantation

Pregnancy in cirrhotic women carries a significant risk of morbidity and mortality to both mother and fetus. Fetal complications include higher rates of spontaneous abortion, prematurity, and perinatal death. Maternal complications in a patient with established cirrhosis include portal hypertension, potentially life-threatening variceal hemorrhage, hepatic decompensation, postpartum hemorrhage, and splenic artery aneurysm rupture. Most of these adverse outcomes are associated with the severity of liver disease; however, physiologic hypervolemiain pregnancy leads to an additional increase in portal hypertension. Preconception liver transplantation mitigates some of these complications but also introduces added risks of hypertension/preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and fetal growth restriction. Delaying conception by at least 1 year after transplantation minimizes fetal exposure to high doses of immunosuppressant medication and allows demonstration of good graft function prior to pregnancy. Thus, contraception counseling shortly after the transplant is imperative. Long-acting reversible contraception, which includes intrauterine devices and contraceptive implants, provides the most effective contraception for this population. Once pregnancy is planned and achieved, women need to maintain stable immunosuppression to prevent allograft rejection. Given the complexity of these patients, a multidisciplinary approach and close monitoring are essential to achieving successful outcomes.
The Weak Ultrafilter Axiom

The main theorem is that the Ultrafilter Axiom of Woodin (J Math Log 11(2):115---37, 2011) must fail at all cardinals where the Axiom I0 holds, in all non-strategic extender models subject only to fairly general requirements on the non-strategic extender model.
Understanding schemas

Before the problem of schema integration and translation can be adequately addressed, a precise understanding of schemas is needed. The authors present an analysis of the notion of schema as used by existing integration methodologies. They show how inherent ambiguities and imprecision in traditional definitions of schema can hamper the development of formal schema integration methodologies. Specifically, traditional notion of schema contain data in the form of metadata, as well as superfluous structuring information that is not semantically meaningful. It is important to cleanly separate structural information from data, and remove from consideration artifacts of a specific data model or design methodology. To this end, they introduce the notion of a schema intension to capture the semantic content of a schema. >
Be the Leader of Your Career: A Self-Centered Approach to Strategic Career Management

The role of the Information Technology (IT) professional has changed drastically in the last ten (10) years. Emerging technologies, organizational restructuring, and reduction in IT spending; has not only lead to uncertainty, but opportunity. To maintain relevance in a fast paced evolving field and achieve a high level of career satisfaction; IT professionals must employ the same tactical approach used to implement high-quality IT solutions-- to managing their own careers. While organizations provide a wealth of tools to support career development, key individual elements to ensure career success are: strategy, ownership, and action. A strategic framework for managing one's career, increases the probability for a satisfying and viable career in IT. Professionals should develop a career strategy that merges their career goals with organizational resources to achieve a high-quality optimal career. This paper presents a framework for a person centered approach to career development that leverages organizational resources and individual actions to build a strategic plan for optimal career satisfaction.
Shape-Dependent Surface Reactivity and Antimicrobial Activity of Nano-Cupric Oxide

Shape of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) can be used as a design handle to achieve controlled manipulation of physicochemical properties. This tailored material property approach necessitates the establishment of relationships between specific ENM properties that result from such manipulations (e.g., surface area, reactivity, or charge) and the observed trend in behavior, from both a functional performance and hazard perspective. In this study, these structure–property-function (SPF) and structure–property-hazard (SPH) relationships are established for nano-cupric oxide (n-CuO) as a function of shape, including nanospheres and nanosheets. In addition to comparing these shapes at the nanoscale, bulk CuO is studied to compare across length scales. The results from comprehensive material characterization revealed correlations between CuO surface reactivity and bacterial toxicity with CuO nanosheets having the highest surface reactivity, electrochemical activity, and antimicrobial activity. While less active ...
Shell coiling in gastropods; analysis by stereographic projection

Shell coiling is readily visualized as a revolution and expansion of the shell's aperture around the coiling axis. Stereographic projections provide an effective tool for plotting the orientations of the aperture through timelspace. In isometric growth, poles to the aperture (e.g., perpendiculars to the aperture plane) plot on a small circle on the stereographic projection, and the center of the small circle defines the orientation of the shell's coiling axis. The stereographic analysis requires no a priori determinations of the coiling axis position in the shell. Stereographic analyses consider shell growth in terms of rigid body motions of the entire aperture, as opposed to conventional methods that consider only the form of individual spiral trajectories (single points on the aperture). Stereographic projections offer a novel and instructive approach to the analysis of shell coiling.
A Visiting Lecture Program for Secondary Schools in Maine

(1974). A Visiting Lecture Program for Secondary Schools in Maine. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 81, No. 4, pp. 400-403.
Laminar Fully-Developed Flow in a Microchannel With Patterned Ultrahydrophobic Walls

Microfluidic transport is finding increasing application in a number of emerging technologies. At these scales, classical analysis shows that the required fluid driving pressure is inversely proportional to the hydraulic diameter to the fourth power. Consequently, generating fluid motion at these physical scales is a challenge. There is thus considerable incentive for developing strategies to reduce the frictional resistance to fluid flow. A novel approach recently proposed is fabrication of micro-ribs and cavities in the channel walls which are treated with a hydrophobic coating. This reduces the surface contact area between the flowing liquid and the solid wall, yielding walls with no-slip and shear-free regions at the microscale. The shear-free regions consist of a liquid-vapor meniscus above the cavities between micro-ribs. Reductions in the flow resistance are thus possible. This paper reports results of an analytical and experimental investigation of the laminar, fully-developed flow in a parallel plate microchannel whose walls are microengineered in this fashion. The micro-ribs and cavities are oriented parallel to the flow direction. The channel walls are modeled in an idealized fashion, with the shape of liquid-vapor meniscus approximated as flat and characterized by vanishing shear stress. Predictions are presented for the friction factor-Reynolds number product as a function of relevant governing dimensionless parameters. Comparisons are made between the smooth-wall classical channel flow results and predictions for the microengineered channel walls. Results show that significant reductions in the frictional pressure drop are possible. Reductions in frictional resistance increase as the channel hydraulic diameter and/or micro-rib width are reduced. The frictional pressure drop predictions are in good agreement with experimental measurements made at dynamically similar conditions, with greater deviation observed with increasing relative size of the shear-free regions.© 2005 ASME
Designed Synthesis, Structure, and Properties of a Family of Ferecrystalline Compounds [(PbSe)1.00]m(MoSe2)n

The targeted synthesis of multiple compounds with specific controlled nanostructures and identical composition is a grand challenge in materials chemistry. We report the synthesis of the new metastable compounds [(PbSe)1.00]m(MoSe2)n using precursors each designed to self-assemble into a specific compound. To form a compound with specific values for m and n, the number of atoms within each deposited elemental layer was carefully controlled to provide the correct absolute number of atoms to form complete layers of each component structural unit. On low-temperature annealing, these structures self-assemble with a specific crystallographic orientation between the component structural units with atomically abrupt interfaces. There is rotational disorder between the component structural units and between MoSe2 basal plane units within the MoSe2 layers themselves. The lead selenide constituent has a distorted rock salt structure exactly m bilayers thick leading to peaks in the off-axis diffraction pattern as a ...
Reminiscing about Gordon Tullock

Some thoughts about my year with Gordon Tullock and his intellectual contributions,notably rent-seeking.
Damming the Rivers — III: The Diversion Imperative

To continue with our examination of the problem of reaching amicable interstate agreement on water resource exploitation among co-riparian states, we explore in this chapter the diversion imperative. By this we refer specifically to the drive in two countries of Himalayan Asia — China and India — to overcome marked regional disparities in freshwater availability by tapping into river waters in water-surplus parts of the country and redistributing these waters via massive infrastructural diversion schemes to water-scarce, drought-stricken areas of the country. If the schemes drew exclusively upon domestic water supplies, there would be little requirement to discuss them in this book. The fact of the matter, of course, is that the two schemes we consider — India’s River Linking Project (RLP) and China’s South-North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP) — either do already include plans for tapping extensively into transboundary waters (the RLP) or are being considered for proposed expansion that would entail drawing upon transboundary waters (the SNWDP). As will be shown, these two schemes (or their potential extensions) have generated enormous and variously motivated controversy, both in the countries giving birth to the scheme and between them and lower riparian neighbors. The controversy’s intensity has derived in considerable part from the inevitable distortion, obfuscation, and exaggeration of facts inevitable where actual consequences of the yet-to-be-implemented schemes can only be guessed; but it has also come from the reasonable conviction of many observers that the consequences could very well be highly injurious — and not only to the lower riparians.
Understanding grid parity

This paper reviews grid parity issues of solar photovoltaic power generation technology. While grid parity is accepted amongst most experts as inevitable, the authors of the literature reviewed in this study exhibit a wide range of differentiation in the means and timeframe for reaching it. The paper discusses the emergence of grid parity as a term used amongst the solar PV community. An overview is provided for two major forecasting tools used for calculating and predicting grid parity. An interpretive policy analysis is summarized based on several articles relevant to a mass emergence of PV in future energy markets. From our study, grid parity will be reached on a location-by-location basis based on market prices and solar insolation. With current technology solar PV generation cannot operate as a stand-alone per-megawatt replacement for conventional generation methods. Grid parity will be reached for small grid level generation independently from utilities scale generation. Further, the market for solar PV will need to be self-sustaining without incentives and government price setting.
Effects of Upper Extremity Immobilization and Use of a Spinner Knob on Vehicle Steering

Background: A person’s ability to safely drive while immobilized is not well defined. Steering ability with a spinner knob during immobilization is unknown. The goal of this study is to further clarify the effect of immobilization on steering reaction time and accuracy with and without a steering wheel spinner knob. Methods: Twenty participants were enrolled in this crossover trial using a driving simulator with an automatic transmission. Five conditions were tested in a counterbalanced order. Steering reaction time and accuracy (number of errors on a dynamic steering task at 2 difficulty levels) were measured. Participants were allowed to steer with the immobilized extremity. Results: No significant differences in reaction time were observed between any conditions. Both immobilized conditions and difficulty level of the steering task led to diminished accuracy compared with controls, resulting in significantly more errors. The use of a spinner knob significantly improved the accuracy for the condition wi...
The Financial Reporting Effects of Tax-Deductible Goodwill Impairments

We investigate whether special tax deductions for goodwill impairments influence financial reporting decisions. Unlike most countries, Luxembourg allows tax deductions for goodwill impairments without the need to dispose of any assets. We predict and find that multinational firms with subsidiaries in Luxembourg are more likely to write-down goodwill, and write down larger amounts of goodwill on average, than multinational firms without subsidiaries in Luxembourg. However, we find that conditional on recording a goodwill impairment, the amount of each goodwill write-down does not differ between multinational firms with and without Luxembourg subsidiaries. This is consistent with tax deductibility of goodwill impairments inducing more timely, rather than larger, impairments. We contribute to the literature on the interaction between book and tax reporting, the determinants of goodwill impairments, and the effects of book-tax conformity. This is one of the few studies that looks at the mechanisms through which firms avoid tax, in particular, examining a previously unexplored aspect of tax haven usage.
Camera system considerations for geomorphic applications of SfM photogrammetry

The availability of high-resolution, multi-temporal, remotely sensed topographic data is revolutionizing geomorphic analysis. Three-dimensional topographic point measurements acquired from structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry have been shown to be highly accurate and cost-effective compared to laser-based alternatives in some environments. Use of consumer-grade digital cameras to generate terrain models and derivatives is becoming prevalent within the geomorphic community despite the details of these instruments being largely overlooked in current SfM literature. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. A practical discussion of camera system selection, configuration, and image acquisition is presented. The hypothesis that optimizing source imagery can increase digital terrain model (DTM) accuracy is tested by evaluating accuracies of four SfM datasets conducted over multiple years of a gravel bed river floodplain using independent ground check points with the purpose of comparing morphological sediment budgets computed from SfM- and lidar-derived DTMs. Case study results are compared to existing SfM validation studies in an attempt to deconstruct the principle components of an SfM error budget. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Greater information capacity of source imagery was found to increase pixel matching quality, which produced 8 times greater point density and 6 times greater accuracy. When propagated through volumetric change analysis, individual DTM accuracy (6–37 cm) was sufficient to detect moderate geomorphic change (order 100,000 m3) on an unvegetated fluvial surface; change detection determined from repeat lidar and SfM surveys differed by about 10%. Simple camera selection criteria increased accuracy by 64%; configuration settings or image post-processing techniques increased point density by 5–25% and decreased processing time by 10–30%. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Regression analysis of 67 reviewed datasets revealed that the best explanatory variable to predict accuracy of SfM data is photographic scale. Despite the prevalent use of object distance ratios to describe scale, nominal ground sample distance is shown to be a superior metric, explaining 68% of the variability in mean absolute vertical error. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Covet Thy Neighbor or “Reverse Policy Diffusion”? State Adoption of Performance Funding 2.0

Performance funding has become an increasingly prevalent state policy to incentivize student retention and degree completion at public colleges. Using a Cox proportional hazards model on state-level data from years 2000 to 2013, this study analyzes the latest wave of policies that embed base appropriations into the state budget to fund student outcomes. Results indicate that having a greater proportion of bordering performance funding states diminishes the likelihood of policy adoption, capturing a “reverse policy diffusion” effect. States with Republican-controlled legislatures, more professionalized legislatures, and rapid growth in unemployment rates are more likely to adopt the policy, while those with higher educational attainment levels and more bachelor’s degrees awarded per student are less likely. Implications include the surprising finding of reverse policy diffusion, which suggests that states are delaying adoption until after they can observe the political consequences and impacts of the policy in neighboring states. Findings point to a policy learning effect—by observing other state’s experiences, policymakers can make more informed decisions about whether to pursue performance funding as an accountability tool.
Approximation of wave action flux velocity in strongly sheared mean flows

Abstract Spectral wave models based on the wave action equation typically use a theoretical framework based on depth uniform current to account for current effects on waves. In the real world, however, currents often have variations over depth. Several recent studies have made use of a depth-weighted current U ˜ due to [Skop, R. A., 1987. Approximate dispersion relation for wave-current interactions. J. Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Eng. 113, 187–195.] or [Kirby, J. T., Chen, T., 1989. Surface waves on vertically sheared flows: approximate dispersion relations. J. Geophys. Res. 94, 1013–1027.] in order to account for the effect of vertical current shear. Use of the depth-weighted velocity, which is a function of wavenumber (or frequency and direction) has been further simplified in recent applications by only utilizing a weighted current based on the spectral peak wavenumber. These applications do not typically take into account the dependence of U ˜ on wave number k, as well as erroneously identifying U ˜ as the proper choice for current velocity in the wave action equation. Here, we derive a corrected expression for the current component of the group velocity. We demonstrate its consistency using analytic results for a current with constant vorticity, and numerical results for a measured, strongly-sheared current profile obtained in the Columbia River. The effect of choosing a single value for current velocity based on the peak wave frequency is examined, and we suggest an alternate strategy, involving a Taylor series expansion about the peak frequency, which should significantly extend the range of accuracy of current estimates available to the wave model with minimal additional programming and data transfer.
Extracorporeal Life Support: Indications and Use in Severely Poisoned Patients

Abstract The primary cause of death in patients with severe poisonings is cardiopulmonary failure. Meticulous supportive care remains the mainstay of treatment. However, early aggressive hemodynamic support with extracorporeal life support (ECLS) can be beneficial in patients with severe refractory toxin-induced shock. Although ECLS cannot neutralize toxins or facilitate poison removal, it can restore end-organ perfusion until elimination of the toxin and/or end-organ recovery occur. Preferentially, ECLS is used as a “bridge to recovery,” and as such, severe poisoning is perhaps one of the most ideal indications for its use. The aim of this article is to review the history of ECLS and provide an overview of basic physiologic principles, current techniques, indications, contraindications, complications, and its role in the treatment of the severely poisoned patient with refractory cardiovascular collapse.
Condensed Mastery Profile Method for Setting Standards for Diagnostic Assessment Systems.

The purpose of this study was to develop a standard-setting method appropriate for use with a diagnostic assessment that produces profiles of student mastery rather than a single raw or scale score value. The condensed mastery profile method draws from established holistic standard-setting methods to use rounds of range finding and pinpointing to specify cut points between performance levels. Panelists are convened to review profiles of mastery and specify cut points between performance levels based on the total number of skills mastered. Following panelist specification of cut points, a statistical method is implemented to smooth cut points over grades to decrease between-grade variability. Procedural evidence, including convergence plots, standard errors of pinpointing ratings, and panelist feedback, suggest the condensed mastery profile method is a useful and technically sound approach for setting performance standards for diagnostic assessment systems.
Enantioselective Crossed Photocycloadditions of Styrenic Olefins by Lewis Acid Catalyzed Triplet Sensitization

The synthesis of unsymmetrical cyclobutanes by controlled heterodimerization of olefins remains a substantial challenge, particularly in an enantiocontrolled fashion. Shown herein is that chiral Lewis acid catalyzed triplet sensitization enables the synthesis of highly enantioenriched diarylcyclobutanes by photocycloaddition of structurally varied 2'-hydroxychalcones with a range of styrene coupling partners. The utility of this reaction is demonstrated through the direct synthesis of a representative norlignan cyclobutane natural product.
Sleep Disorders in Peripheral Neuropathy

The relationship between sleep apnea and peripheral neuropathy is complex. Neuropathy can cause or worsen sleep apnea while sleep apnea can be an independent risk factor for neuropathy. Both central and peripheral mechanisms operate in neuropathic conditions and can result in both central and obstructive sleep apnea syndromes. Along with sleep apnea, neuropathies can also be associated with hypoventilation, restless legs syndrome, and insomnia. In this chapter, we attempt to go over the sleep issues seen in common neuropathies.