cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From Efficacy Research to Large-Scale Impact on Undernutrition: The Role of Organizational Cultures

Undernutrition in low-income countries is receiving unprecedented attention at global and national levels due to the convergence of many forces, including strong evidence concerning its magnitude, consequences, and potential solutions and effective advocacy by many organizations. The translation of this attention into large-scale reductions in undernutrition at the country level requires the alignment and support of many organizations in the development and implementation of a coherent policy agenda for nutrition, including the strengthening of operational and strategic capacities and a supportive research agenda. However, many countries experience difficulties achieving such alignment. This article uses the concept of organizational culture to better understand some of the reasons for these difficulties. This concept is applied to the constellation of organizations that make up the “National Nutrition Network” in a given country and some of the individual organizations within that network, including academic institutions that conduct research on undernutrition. We illustrate this concept through a case study involving a middle-income country. We conclude that efforts to align organizations in support of coherent nutrition agendas should do the following: 1) make intentional and sustained efforts to foster common understanding, shared learning, and socialization of new members and other elements of a shared culture among partners; 2) seek a way to frame problems and solutions in a fashion that enables individual organizations to secure some of their particular interests by joining the effort; and 3) not only advocate on the importance of nutrition but also insist that high-level officials hold organizations accountable for aligning in support of common-interest solutions (through some elements of a common culture) that can be effective and appropriate in the national context. We further conclude that a culture change is needed within academic departments if the discipline of nutrition is to play a central role in translating the findings from efficacy trials into large-scale reductions in undernutrition.
The reconstruction of a multidimensional sequence from the phase or magnitude of its Fourier transform

This paper addresses two fundamental issues involved in the reconstruction of a multidimensional sequence from either the phase or magnitude of its Fourier transform. The first issue relates to the uniqueness of a multidimensional sequence in terms of its phase or magnitude. Although phase or magnitude information alone is not sufficient, in general, to uniquely specify a sequence, a large class of sequences are shown to be recoverable from their phase or magnitude. The second issue which is addressed in this paper concerns the actual reconstruction of a multidimensional sequence from its phase or magnitude. For those sequences which are uniquely specified by their phase, several practical algorithms are described which may be used to reconstruct a sequence from its phase. Several examples of phase-only reconstruction are also presented. Unfortunately, however, even for those sequences which are uniquely defined by their magnitude, it appears that a practical algorithm is yet to be developed for reconstructing a sequence from only its magnitude. Nevertheless, an iterative procedure which has been proposed is briefly discussed and evaluated.
Changes in galanin immunoreactivity in rat lumbosacral spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia after spinal cord injury

Alterations in the expression of the neuropeptide galanin were examined in micturition reflex pathways 6 weeks after complete spinal cord transection (T8). In control animals, galanin expression was present in specific regions of the gray matter in the rostral lumbar and caudal lumbosacral spinal cord, including: (1) the dorsal commissure; (2) the superficial dorsal horn; (3) the regions of the intermediolateral cell column (L1-L2) and the sacral parasympathetic nucleus (L6-S1); and (4) the lateral collateral pathway in lumbosacral spinal segments. Densitometry analysis demonstrated significant increases (P < or = 0.001) in galanin immunoreactivity (IR) in these regions of the S1 spinal cord after spinal cord injury (SCI). Changes in galanin-IR were not observed at the L4-L6 segments except for an increase in galanin-IR in the dorsal commissure in the L4 segment. In contrast, decreases in galanin-IR were observed in the L1 segment. The number of galanin-IR cells increased (P < or = 0.001) in the L1 and S1 dorsal root ganglia (DRG) after SCI. In all DRG examined (L1, L2, L6, and S1), the percentage of bladder afferent cells expressing galanin-IR significantly increased (4-19-fold) after chronic SCI. In contrast, galanin expression in nerve fibers in the urinary bladder detrusor and urothelium was decreased or eliminated after SCI. Expression of the neurotrophic factors nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was altered in the spinal cord after SCI. A significant increase in BDNF expression was present in spinal cord segments after SCI. In contrast, NGF expression was only increased in the spinal segments adjacent and rostral to the transection site (T7-T8), whereas spinal segments (T13-L1; L6-S1), distal to the transection site exhibited decreased NGF expression. Changes in galanin expression in micturition pathways after SCI may be mediated by changing neurotrophic factor expression, particularly BDNF. These changes may contribute to urinary bladder dysfunction after SCI.
The use of statistical process control charts in hospital epidemiology.

Hospital epidemiologists rely on sound scientific and analytical principles in the conduct of surveillance, studies, investigations, etc. The demonstration of differences in occurrence of events (eg, nosocomial infections) in different time periods generally has used traditional hypothesis testing statistical models. However, repetitive hypothesis testing is impractical for frequent analysis of accumulating data, especially when there is no apparent outbreak. Clearly, a statistical procedure that simplifies hypothesis testing to detect acute variations in certain occurrences is desirable. Ongoing analysis of trends also would be desirable.Many United States hospitals have espoused continuous quality improvement (CQI) or similarly identified programs as a means to improve both patient care and operating efficiency. With this trend, the scientific method has become interjected into all aspects of patient management, and no longer is confined to formal research studies. Many scientific quality management techniques that long have been used in industrial settings have been applied to healthcare settings. Noteworthy is the use of statistical methods to describe the variation in processes, which is known as statistical process control (SPC). The term statistical quality control (SQC) often is used interchangeably, but some authors refer to SQC only when statistical methods also are used to improve a process. This article will describe the basic theory and simple application of SPC in hospital epidemiology.
Steady-state multiplicity of a nonadiabatic bubble column with fast reactions

A steady-state model is developed for a nonadiabatic bubble column with fast pseudo-nth-order reactions. A priori bounds are obtained for steady-state temperature and conversion, and analytic necessary and sufficient criteria are derived for the prediction of uniqueness and multiplicity of the steady states as a function of system physico-chemical parameters. For the special case of pseudo-first-order reactions, the occurrence of multiple steady states is shown to be more possible in a bubble column than in a gas-liquid CSTR for equivalent system parameters.
Selective convective brain cooling during hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass in dogs

Abstract Background . Neurologic complications, primarily resulting from ischemic insults, represent the leading cause of morbidity and disability, and the second most common source of death, after cardiac operations. Previous studies have reported that increases (as occur during the rewarming phase of cardiopulmonary bypass [CPB]) or decreases in brain temperature of a mere 0.5° to 2°C can significantly worsen or improve, respectively, postischemic neurologic outcome. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate a novel approach of selectively cooling the brain during hypothermic CPB and subsequent rewarming. Methods . Sixteen dogs were anesthetized with either intravenous pentobarbital or inhaled halothane (n = 8 per group). Normocapnia (alpha stat technique) and a blood pressure near 75 mm Hg were maintained. Temperatures were monitored by placing thermistors in the esophagus (ie, core), parietal epidural space, and brain parenchyma at depths of 1 and 2 cm beneath the dura. During CPB, core temperature was actively cycled from 38°C to 28°C, and then returned to 38°C. Forced air pericranial cooling (air temperature of approximately 13°C) was initiated simultaneous with the onset of CPB, and maintained throughout the bypass period. Brainto-core temperature gradients were calculated by subtracting the core temperature from regional brain temperatures. Results . In halothane-anesthetized dogs, brain temperatures at all monitoring sites were significantly less than core during all phases of CPB, with one exception (2 cm during systemic cooling). Brain cooling was most prominent during and after systemic rewarming. For example, during systemic rewarming, average temperatures in the parietal epidural space, and 1 and 2 cm beneath the dura, were 3.3° ± 1.3°C (mean ± standard deviation), 3.2° ± 1.4°C, and 1.6° ± 1.0°C, cooler than the core, respectively. Similar trends, but of a greater magnitude, were noted in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs. For example, during systemic rewarming, corresponding brain temperatures were 6.5° ± 1.7°C, 6.3° ± 1.6°C, and 4.2° ± 1.3°C cooler than the core, respectively. Conclusions . The magnitude of selective brain cooling observed in both study groups typically exceeded the 0.5° to 2.0°C change previously reported to modulate ischemic injury, and was most prominent during the latter phases of CPB. When compared with previous research from our laboratory, application of cold forced air to the cranial surface resulted in brain temperatures that were cooler than those observed during hypothermic CPB without pericranial cooling. On the basis of the assumption that similar beneficial brain temperature changes can be induced in humans, we speculate that selective convective brain cooling may enable clinicians to improve neurologic outcome after hypothermic CPB.
Relationship of insulin concentration to blood metabolites in the dairy cow.

Abstract Jugular blood samples were taken at regular intervals from 31 ketosis-prone cows from 2 wk prepartum to 7 wk postpartum. Eleven cows exhibited elevated blood ketones and depressed blood glucose indicative of subclinical ketosis. There were no significant differences between means of normal and subclinically-ketotic cows in serum insulin or blood metabolites prior to calving. However, in early lactation, those cows which developed ketosis showed depressed serum insulin, blood glucose, and plasma triglycerides with elevated ketones, acetate in blood, and free fatty acids and cholesterol in plasma. Milk production was also lower in ketotic cows. Correlations within cow between serum insulin and glucose, total ketones, acetate of blood and free fatty acids, triglycerides, and cholesterol in plasma were .014, −.307, .080, −.421, .413, and −.002 for normal cows and .348, −.425, −.324, −.317, .298, and −.131 for subclinically-ketotic cows. It is suggested that low insulin during ketosis is a reflection of depressed blood glucose and, consequently, adipose lipolysis and hepatic ketogenesis are accentuated while acetate utilization and hepatic triglyceride release are depressed.
Whole genome sequencing and complete genetic analysis reveals novel pathways to glycopeptide resistance in Staphylococcus aureus

The precise mechanisms leading to the emergence of low-level glycopeptide resistance in Staphylococcus aureus are poorly understood. In this study, we used whole genome deep sequencing to detect differences between two isogenic strains: a parental strain and a stable derivative selected stepwise for survival on 4 µg/ml teicoplanin, but which grows at higher drug concentrations (MIC 8 µg/ml). We uncovered only three single nucleotide changes in the selected strain. Nonsense mutations occurred in stp1, encoding a serine/threonine phosphatase, and in yjbH, encoding a post-transcriptional negative regulator of the redox/thiol stress sensor and global transcriptional regulator, Spx. A missense mutation (G45R) occurred in the histidine kinase sensor of cell wall stress, VraS. Using genetic methods, all single, pairwise combinations, and a fully reconstructed triple mutant were evaluated for their contribution to low-level glycopeptide resistance. We found a synergistic cooperation between dual phospho-signalling systems and a subtle contribution from YjbH, suggesting the activation of oxidative stress defences via Spx. To our knowledge, this is the first genetic demonstration of multiple sensor and stress pathways contributing simultaneously to glycopeptide resistance development. The multifactorial nature of glycopeptide resistance in this strain suggests a complex reprogramming of cell physiology to survive in the face of drug challenge.
Velopharyngeal function during vocalization in infants.

Abstract Objective: To determine the age at which infants achieve velopharyngeal closure during vocalization. Design: Longitudinal with repeated measures. Setting: Laboratory. Participants: Six healthy infants were studied monthly from ages 2 to 6 months while they interacted with a parent and an investigator. Main Outcome Measures: The presence or absence of velopharyngeal closure, as determined by sensing ram pressure at the anterior nares. Results: The velopharynx was open for windups, whimpers, and laughs, and it was closed for cries, screams, and raspberries, regardless of age. The frequency with which the velopharynx closed during syllable utterances increased significantly with age. Conclusions: Velopharyngeal closure for speech-like utterance increases with age, but is not complete and is still undergoing development at 6 months of age. Velopharyngeal closure during infancy may be influenced by pressure demands of the utterance; however, support for this speculation is stronger for other types of ...
What Cause Obesity? And Why Has it Increased so Much? An Alternative View

The purpose of this paper is to explain the main social and economic facts concerning obesity in a way that substantially improves upon existing economic theory. In contrast to existing theory, a number of recent health science writers have explained persuasively that weight gain or loss is not strictly determined by net calorie consumption. These writers have explained that what food people eat and the effect these foods have on hormones such as insulin and hormonal balance are the crucial factors. To understand the rising prevalence of obesity, it is necessary to take into account the growing infrastructure of obesity. This infrastructure includes food processing firms, notably their behavior relating to the qualities of processed food, their marketing of “junk food” and fast food, and their food cost reducing technological changes. Another factor in rising obesity levels are the human capital resources of people, most notably their social capital, personal capital, and health capital. There is evidence that people who are poor in these intangible capacities are the ones with the highest rates of obesity. The essence of the theory is that obesity is the expected result when vulnerable people with low intangible capital resources encounter the many influences of the infrastructure of obesity. These people have gotten stuck in dysfunctional eating and exercise patterns which societal influences have unfortunately encouraged.
Epitaxial Sb-doped SnO2 and Sn-doped In2O3 transparent conducting oxide contacts on GaN-based light emitting diodes

Abstract We demonstrate the growth of epitaxial (100)-oriented, rutile Sb-doped SnO2 (ATO) and (111)-oriented, cubic Sn-doped In2O3 (ITO) transparent conducting oxide (TCO) contacts on top of an InGaN/GaN(0001) light emitting diode (LED) by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE). Both oxides form rotational domains. The in-plane epitaxial alignment of the two ITO(111) rotational domains to the GaN(0001) was: GaN [21-10]|| ITODomain1[‐ 211]|| ITODomain2[‐ 1‐12]. A growth temperature as low as 600 °C was necessary to realize a low contact resistance between ATO and the top p-GaN layer of the LED but resulted in non-optimal resistivity (3.4 × 10− 3 Ω cm) of the ATO. The current–voltage characteristics of a processed LED, however, were comparable to that of a reference LED with a standard electron-beam evaporated ITO top contact. At short wavelengths, the optical absorption of ATO was lower than that of ITO, which is beneficial even for blue LEDs. Higher PAMBE growth temperatures resulted in lower resistive ATO but higher contact resistance to the GaN, likely by the formation of an insulating Ga2O3 interface layer. The ITO contact grown by PAMBE at 600 °C showed extremely low resistivity (10− 4 Ω cm) and high crystalline and morphological quality. These proof-of-principle results may lead to the development of epitaxial TCO contacts with low resistivity, well-defined interfaces to the p-GaN to help minimize contact losses, and enable further epitaxy on top of the TCO.
Infectious Cognition: Risk Perception Affects Socially Shared Retrieval-Induced Forgetting of Medical Information

When speakers selectively retrieve previously learned information, listeners often concurrently, and covertly, retrieve their memories of that information. This concurrent retrieval typically enhances memory for mentioned information (the rehearsal effect) and impairs memory for unmentioned but related information (socially shared retrieval-induced forgetting, SSRIF), relative to memory for unmentioned and unrelated information. Building on research showing that anxiety leads to increased attention to threat-relevant information, we explored whether concurrent retrieval is facilitated in high-anxiety real-world contexts. Participants first learned category-exemplar facts about meningococcal disease. Following a manipulation of perceived risk of infection (low vs. high risk), they listened to a mock radio show in which some of the facts were selectively practiced. Final recall tests showed that the rehearsal effect was equivalent between the two risk conditions, but SSRIF was significantly larger in the high-risk than in the low-risk condition. Thus, the tendency to exaggerate consequences of news events was found to have deleterious consequences.
Cross-Sectional Versus Longitudinal Studies

The conceptual basis for this consideration of research design in the interrelationships between physical anthropology, as a discipline, and nutritional status, as a parameter, rests on the assumption that the morphology and body composition of the individual, and the biomass of a population, are functions of the quantity, the quality, and the utilization of the diets of its members. While there are other determinants that contribute to the above features, and that prevent a simplistic application of resulting data, the use of measurements as indicators of the nutritional adequacy of a group has been shown to be of sufficient utility1–3 to suggest that such an approach be significantly informative under appropriate conditions.4
Resistance in Postharvest Pathogens of Citrus in the United States

Among citrus postharvest pathogens, fungicide resistance in the United States to date has only been reported for species of Penicillium. Except for the inorganic salts, widespread resistance has developed to all of the older fungicides such as the still registered phenylphenols o-phenylphenol and sodium o-phenylphenate, the methyl benzimidazole carbamate, thiabendazole, and the demethylation inhibitor imazalil. The almost simultaneous introduction of several new compounds in the early 2000s that include the anilinopyrimidine pyrimethanil, the phenylpyrrole fludioxonil, and the quinone outside inhibitor azoxystrobin offered a unique opportunity in keeping the development of resistance to a minimum. Fungicide modes of action could be mixed and rotated from the first introduction before resistance had occurred. Resistance to pyrimethanil, however, has developed in some packinghouse populations of P. digitatum because end users did not follow these guidelines and used the fungicide exclusively. For azoxystrobin, resistance in P. digitatum has only been described for laboratory mutants and for fludioxonil only in mass platings of conidia on selective media in the laboratory or in packinghouse air samplings. Thus, practical resistance to azoxystrobin and fludioxonil has not occurred. Natural resistance frequencies and molecular mechanisms for thiabendazole, imazalil, pyrimethanil, fludioxonil, and azoxystrobin have been studied, and resistant pathogen isolates have been evaluated for their fitness. Anti-resistance strategies focus on sanitation of fruit, equipment, and storage rooms; limitation of pathogen sporulation and spore dispersal; use of fungicide mixtures, pre-mixtures, and rotations; as well as the early detection of resistance.
Vulcanization. Part VII. Kinetics of Sulfur Vulcanization of Natural Rubber in Presence of Delayed-Action Accelerators

Abstract The scheme and treatment of the kinetics of scorch-delay vulcanization proposed in a previous paper were applied to natural rubber sulfur vulcanization accelerated by 2,2′-thiobisbenzothiazole (MBTS), 2-(N-cyclohexyl)benzothizaolesulfenamide (CBS), 2-(N-morpholinothio)benzothiazole (MOR), or 2-(N,N-diisopropyl)benzothiazolesulfenamide (DPBS). According to the scheme (see PDF for diagram) where the subscript x = a positive integer. The specific rates k1 and k2 and the ratiok4/k3′ were related to starting concentrations of accelerator, sulfur, and stearic acid. In general, an increase in stearic acid concentration or a decrease in accelerator concentration induces an increase in k1 or k4/k3′ but a decrease in k2. An exception to this is that, when the highly hindered sulfenamide DPBS is used as the accelerator, k1 does not change with changes in starting concentrations. It is interesting that k2 does not respond appreciably to changes in sulfur concentration when sulfenamides are used, unless the s...
Fertility of metapelites and metagraywackes during leucogranite generation: an example from the Black Hills, U.S.A.

In order to elucidate how mineralogy and composition of crustal sources influences production of leucogranite magmas, we modelled the potential fertility of a sequence of metapelites and metagraywackes from the Black Hills, South Dakota, U.S.A., using a least-squares mixing approach. Rocks analogous to the Black Hills schists were the sources of the Harney Peak leucogranite. Both muscovite and biotite fluid-absent melting reactions (MM and BM, respectively) were investigated. Using the Harney Peak Granite composition as the melt analogue and mineral compositions from the schists for mixing calculations, it is shown that MM of metapelites would lead to highly variable residue mineralogy in the investigated samples. The average residue includes 36 wt.% biotite, 32 wt.% quartz, 12 wt.% plagioclase, 8 wt.% K-feldspar, 9wt.% sillimanite and 2 wt.% garnet. Melt production ranges from 5% to 23% with an average of 14%. It is limited by the amount of H 2 O that must be in the melt at the conditions of melting, relative to the amount that is in muscovite in the source rocks. Plagioclase-rich metagraywackes contain little to no muscovite, thus MM cannot occur in them. Although BM is continuous over a wide temperature range, for the purposes of modelling melting at 975 °C and 10kbar was chosen. The temperature is near the terminal stability of biotite, thus the calculations give near-maximum melt production. At this temperature, the mineralogy of the model residues from both metapelites and metagraywackes is dominated by garnet. The potential melt production in the metapelites ranges from 0% to 58% with an average of 32%. It is limited by the availability of plagioclase in the source rocks. Potential melt production in the metagraywackes ranges from 9% to 37% with an average of 23%. At the chosen conditions of melting, melt production is limited by the available K in biotite, although at lower temperatures, the available H 2 O limits melt production. The total potential melt production (MM + BM) in the metapelites is higher because they have on average a low normative An/Ab ratio (0·14) that approaches the ratio in the leucogranites (0·04). The paragonite component in muscovite significantly contributes to the low ratio in the metapelites. The higher ration (0·27) in the metagraywackes is defined by the feldspar composition. Using the calculated melt fractions and residue mineralogies, we modelled the concentrations of Rb, Sr and Ba in the melts, as these elements are important indicators of melt-generating processes. The results indicate that both Sr and Ba are likely to be heterogeneous in extracted melt batches and will be depleted in partial melts relative to their pelitic sources, irrespective of whether the melting is fluid-absent or fluid-present.
The turbulent Alfvénic aurora.

It is demonstrated from observations that the Alfvenic aurora may be powered by a turbulent cascade transverse to the geomagnetic field from large MHD scales to small Alfven wave scales of several electron skin depths and less. We show that the energy transport through the cascade is sufficient to drive the observed acceleration of electrons from near-Earth space to form the aurora. We find that regions of Alfven wave dissipation, and particle acceleration, are localized or intermittent and embedded within a near-homogeneous background of large-scale MHD structures.
Seasonal changes in feeding on cattle and reproduction by Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) under field conditions.

Significant predictors ( P = 0.05) of response to human breath and handling by adult Amblyomma americanum (L.) were temperature for 1 wk and daylength for 1 mo preceding stimulation ( R 2 = 0.669 for males, R 2 = 0.657 for females). A significant predictor of this response in nymphs was temperature for 6 wk preceding observation ( R 2 = 0.708). Predictors of feeding time on cattle were temperatures for 1 wk before host contact and while on the host for both nymphs and females, the speed of daylength increase or decrease for 2 mo before host contact for nymphs ( R 2 = 0.910), and daylength and daylength increase or decrease on the day of host contact for females ( R 2 = 0.974). Predictors of engorged weight in female ticks were temperatures for 7 wk before host contact and while on the host and daylength increase or decrease 2 mo before host contact ( R 2 = 0.179). Daylength on the day of host contact was a predictor of oviposition and fecundity. Temperature on the host and temperature for 2 wk following detachment were additional predictors of oviposition ( R 2 = 0.719). The weight of the engorged female, temperature 3 and 4 wk before host contact, and temperature 8 wk after detachment were additional predictors of fecundity ( R 2 = 0.653). Predictors of natality ( R 2 = 0.735) were the number of eggs laid, temperature on the host, and temperature for 6 wk after detachment from the host.
Novel machine vision applications of ultrahigh speed variable focus TAG lenses

The ultrahigh speed TAG Lens provides the ability to simultaneously acquire information from multiple locations in a volume leading to important implications for industrial machine vision applications.
Nonlinear characterization of a bolted, industrial structure using a modal framework

Abstract This article presents measurements from a sub assembly of an off-the-shelf automotive exhaust system containing a bolted-flange connection and uses a recently proposed modal framework to develop a nonlinear dynamic model for the structure. The nonlinear identification and characterization methods used are reviewed to highlight the strengths of the current approach and the areas where further development is needed. This marks the first use of these new testing and nonlinear identification tools, and the associated modal framework, on production hardware with a realistic joint and realistic torque levels. To screen the measurements for nonlinearities, we make use of a time frequency analysis routine designed for transient responses called the zeroed early-time fast Fourier transform (ZEFFT). This tool typically reveals the small frequency shifts and distortions that tend to occur near each mode that is affected by the nonlinearity. The damping in this structure is found to be significantly nonlinear and a Hilbert transform is used to characterize the damping versus amplitude behavior. A model is presented that captures these effects for each mode individually (e.g. assuming negligible nonlinear coupling between modes), treating each mode as a single degree-of-freedom oscillator with a spring and viscous damping element in parallel with a four parameter Iwan model. The parameters of this model are identified for each of the structure׳s modes that exhibited nonlinearity and the resulting nonlinear model is shown to capture the stiffness and damping accurately over a large range of response amplitudes.
The Plastic Ethyl Methacrylate in Routine Laboratory Technic

The use of ethyl methacrylate as a permanent, transparent, colorless medium for mounting in toto invertebrate and vertebrate embryos and small adults is demonstrated.The liquid monomer is partially polymerized by heating over a hot-plate, the reaction being aided by the use of benzoyl peroxide as a catalyst. The object to be mounted is fixed, stained, dehydrated, and cleared in the usual manner, and is then infiltrated with the partially polymerized ethyl methacrylate. It is oriented on a hardened base in a glass or porcelain dish, and the mold is then allowed to harden (polymerize) completely at a temperature of 38-40° C. under a 250-watt infra-red, ultra-violet bulb. After the block is removed from the dish it may be polished by the ordinary metallurgical methods. More than 40 species of animals have been satisfactorily treated in this manner.
Ideology and Threat Perceptions: American Public Opinion toward China and Iran

What determines threat perceptions in the context of potential interstate conflict? We argue that such perceptions are to an important extent driven by domestic political cleavages and ideological differences. The ideology effects are often surprising and are more complex than the conventional wisdom would indicate. We specify the conditions under which conservatives may favor the economic rise of rising powers. Concern about budget deficits affects not only domestic political preferences but also threat perceptions. Finally, civil libertarianism in certain contexts can lead to isolationist preferences. We test these claims using the 2012 American National Election Studies data about the perceptions of American citizens of the economic and military rise of China, and of potential American responses to Iran’s nuclear program.
‘¡Hable Bien M’ijo o Gringo o Mx!’: language ideologies in the digital communication practices of transnational Mexican bilinguals

ABSTRACTThis article examines Facebook conversations between members of a transnational social network of US- and Mexico-born English/Spanish bilinguals. Extending Bourdieu’s theory of language and symbolic power, the article uses the framework of language ideologies to explore how members establish identity and membership differently depending on whether they communicate primarily in Spanish or English. I argue that they use commonly held ideologies of language as tools to contest identities and establish membership. For example, US-born English-dominant members use Spanish to index language ideologies of standardization, correctness, and separation with other English-dominant members to bolster Mexicanness. However, when faced with Spanish-dominant and Mexico-born members, English-dominant members use an ideology of language elitism to position their English-Spanish bilingualism as more highly valued within their transnational network. The findings of this study also reveal that Facebook is an empowerin...
Manipulating the Material Code. The Transformation of Material Meaning in Contemporary Japanese Design.

Materiality is known to be a critical dimension in the design of products and environments, yet the influence of material properties on the user experience is not well understood. A collection of examples produced by representatives of the current Japanese design vanguard reveals an astute understanding of audience expectations of material behaviors. By intentionally manipulating the expected material properties in their designs, these practitioners demonstrate the extent to which the act of transforming material characteristics can elevate user consciousness. This chapter highlights five primary strategies of material transformation employed by these designers: sensory manipulation, quasi-mimesis, transliteration, repurposing, and aggregation. Although these methods are presented in the context of Japanese design, the intent is to address universally applicable strategies that are not limited to a single culture or society.
The Advocates: A Retrospective on an Important — And Still Relevant — Innovation in Public Affairs Television

Before Roger Fisher founded the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, he was nationally recognized for having created an award-winning public affairs television show, The Advocates, which aired on the Public Broadcasting System. Over the course of its five seasons, beginning in 1969 (plus additional shows in 1978-79 and in 1984), The Advocates previewed some of the ideas that appeared in Roger’s many writings and, eventually, as part of the Program on Negotiation itself. The Advocates was produced initially through a joint effort by WGBH in Boston and KCET in Los Angeles, two flagship stations in the public broadcasting network. The Advocates addressed issues ranging from civil disobedience to same-sex marriage. In some cases, the shows are more than four decades old, but many of the issues are still timely. The Advocates used a modified trial format to debate what Fisher called an “important public trouble,” not in the abstract, but in terms of what Fisher called “a decidable question” — a situation where someone, whether a public figure or an individual citizen at home, had to decide what to do. Viewers in the studio audience or at home in their living rooms were invited to weigh in by mail, and during the first season, a remote audience on location somewhere else in the country offered their opinions as well. He saw this as part of an effort to help citizens make “public affairs your affairs.” This article provides background on The Advocates, describes Roger Fisher’s role in it, and offers some of the lessons the show has for us even after over forty years. The article also includes links to clips from several episodes available in the WGBH Open Vault and contains a list of other The Advocates shows that were produced.While Professor Fisher is no longer with us, we can continue to learn from his example.
Access Control, Access Badges, and Biometrics Characteristics for Schools

This chapter discusses access control, access badges, and biometric characteristics for schools. It is meant to be a general overview of how to keep the perimeter secure, both from outside physical intrusions and by taking preventative measures. When staff or students leave your school, it’s important to remove their access because you may never get the keys back.
Early Origins of Adult Cancer Risk Among Men and Women: Influence of Childhood Misfortune?

Objective: To examine the effect of five childhood misfortune domains—parental behavior, socioeconomic status, infectious diseases, chronic diseases, and impairments—on all-site and selected site-s...
Fundraising: A selected list of Internet resources

La philanthropie fait partie de la culture americaine a part entiere depuis de nombreuses annees et les assciations a but non lucratif se sont developpees ces dernieres annees pour la collecte de fonds et les bibliotheques de tout type se sont developpees dans ce domaine. Internet et le Web sont donc devenus des lieux privilegies pour ces collectes de fonds. Cet article propose donc une liste des ressources elctroniques susceptibles d'etre utiles aux collecteurs de fonds. Les bibliotheques de collectes de fonds accessibles sur Internet sont donc decrites, ainsi que les collectes de fonds plus generales, les journaux electroniques et les autres ressources
Machine Learning for Author Affiliation within Web Forums -- Using Statistical Techniques on NLP Features for Online Group Identification

Although there have been previous studies performing authorship attribution to a specific individual, we find a shortage of efforts to group authors based on their affiliations. This paper presents our work on classification of website forum posts by the author's group affiliation. Specifically, we seek to classify translated website forum posts by the (inferred) political affiliation of the author. The two datasets that we attempt to classify consist of real-world data discussing current issues -- Israeli/Palestinian dialogue (Bitter Lemons corpus) and translated Extremist/Moderate forum entries (from internet websites). To achieve our goal of reliable authorship affiliation, we extract term frequency-based features (that are conventional in document classification) along with less commonly used linguistic style-based features. The resulting set of stylometric features are then utilized in two widely used supervised classification algorithms, namely k-Nearest Neighbor algorithm and Support Vector Machines. Specifically, we used k-NN with cosine distance and Support Vector Machines with two different kernel functions. In addition to the popular RBF kernels, we also evaluate the applicability and performance of the recently introduced arc-cosine kernels for group affiliation. The results of our experiments show strong performance across a range of pertinent metrics.
Single Particle Dynamics

The general equations of motion, characterized by an abundance of perturbation terms on the right-hand side of, for example, ( 6.95), ( 6.96) have been derived in the previous chapter. If these perturbation terms were allowed to become significant in real beam transport systems, we would face almost insurmountable mathematical problems trying to describe the motion of charged particles in a general way. For practical mathematical reasons it is therefore important to design components for particle beam transport systems such that undesired terms appear only as small perturbations. With a careful design of beam guidance magnets and accurate alignment of these magnets we can indeed achieve this goal.
The "Hand-in" Project: Jump-starting Communication Between Inpatient and Outpatient Providers

OBJECTIVES Communication between hospitalists and primary care providers (PCPs) upon discharge has been much discussed, but the transition from outpatient to inpatient has received less attention. We questioned whether a brief, standardized e-mail from the hospitalist to the PCP upon admission could facilitate information exchange, increase communication, elucidate PCP preferences, and improve outcomes. METHODS This prospective single-center study with a preintervention-to-postintervention design involved 300 inpatient admissions from June 2015 through October 2015 in the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System. Hospitalists e-mailed an encrypted notification of admission along with standardized questions to PCPs within 1 day of admission. Measurements included the number of communications between PCPs and hospitalists, length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmissions, 30-day emergency department (ED) utilization rates, PCP preferences with regard to communication, and follow-up. RESULTS Preintervention data for 94 patients during a 6-week period revealed 0.11 communications per patient, an LOS of 4.18 days, 30-day readmissions of 28.7%, and 30-day ED visits of 32%. Postintervention data on 206 patients during the next 12 weeks showed statistically significant increased communications per patient (0.5), and a nonsignificant decrease in LOS (3.96 days), 30-day readmissions (22.3%), and 30-day ED visits (31%). P values were <0.001, 0.67, 0.4, and 0.79, respectively. PCPs preferred e-mail communication upon discharge (40%) to telephone (25%) or instant messaging (13%), and 39% wanted a follow-up appointment within 2 weeks, regardless of what transpired. CONCLUSIONS A hospitalist-led transition-of-care intervention designed to improve communication and information exchange between PCPs and hospitalists at the time of admission demonstrated that encrypted e-mail could be used as a tool to obtain useful additional medical and psychosocial information and to better understand PCP attitudes and preferences. The increased level of communication did not yield statistically significant decreases in LOS, 30-day readmission rates, or 30-day post-discharge ED visits, however.
‘Mexicans love red’ and other gentrification myths: Displacements and contestations in the gentrification of Pilsen, Chicago, USA:

This article uses experiences from a decade-long community-based research project in the Pilsen neighbourhood of Chicago, a Mexican-American neighbourhood whose residents are both experiencing and ...
High resolution time series reveals cohesive but short-lived communities in coastal plankton

Because microbial plankton in the ocean comprise diverse bacteria, algae, and protists that are subject to environmental forcing on multiple spatial and temporal scales, a fundamental open question is to what extent these organisms form ecologically cohesive communities. Here we show that although all taxa undergo large, near daily fluctuations in abundance, microbial plankton are organized into clearly defined communities whose turnover is rapid and sharp. We analyze a time series of 93 consecutive days of coastal plankton using a technique that allows inference of communities as modular units of interacting taxa by determining positive and negative correlations at different temporal frequencies. This approach shows both coordinated population expansions that demarcate community boundaries and high frequency of positive and negative associations among populations within communities. Our analysis thus highlights that the environmental variability of the coastal ocean is mirrored in sharp transitions of defined but ephemeral communities of organisms. Whether marine microbes form strongly differentiated communities over time remains unknown. Here, Martin-Platero and colleagues develop a time series analysis to characterize marine bacteria and Eukarya communities at a fine temporal grain, revealing cohesive but rapidly changing communities.
On the application of multipoint Root-Solvers for improving global convergence of fracture problems

Abstract Achieving accelerated global convergence of finite element analysis is advantageous especially when implementing complex fracture models. This exploratory study investigates the performance of cubic, fourth order and fifth order multipoint root-solvers that require only first order derivatives for solving the nonlinear equations encountered in the global finite element problem in the context of fracture analysis. To this end, influence of various parameters – including number of loading steps, problem size and convergence criterion used while implementing a typical fracture model (Gurson model) – on the computational time, rate of convergence and number of iterations consumed by various higher order root-solvers is studied. Although with an additional computational overhead, the higher order root-solvers exhibited superior convergence rates and consumed less number of global iterations when compared to the Newton Raphson method during fracture analysis. In addition, new hybrid root-solvers are introduced to alleviate the convergence issues encountered in fracture analysis to accelerate the performance of higher order root-solvers.
Hot Tea and Esophageal Cancer

The editorialists discuss Yu and coworkers' findings in light of what is known about thermal irritation and cancer.
Design and performance of OAM modes generated using dipole arrays with different feeds

This paper presents 2 types of 4-element arrays generating mode 1 orbital angular momentum (OAM) radio beams at 73 GHz (E-band) using dipole antennas. We investigate the performance of a corporate feed array that uses 2 T-junction dividers and that of a series feed array which uses only 1. Design details are shown in the paper and both of the arrays are fabricated on 0.127 mm FR4 substrate with relative permittivity of 3.65 and loss tangent of 0.013. Fabricated antennas are measured using an Agilent vector network analyzer for input match and NSI 700S-360 spherical near-field scanner for radiation patterns. The results are compared with ANSYS HFSS at 73 GHz.
Defects affecting SiC power device reliability

As silicon carbide power devices enter the silicon-dominated power electronics market, there is an increased interest in the reliability of SiC power devices. This work discusses the role of materials defects, specifically, the effects of extended defects such as dislocations and stacking faults — as opposed to point defects. Dislocations and stacking faults have been shown to adversely affect SiC devices by introducing leakage paths and by reducing conductivity in the device drift region. The introduction of extended defects arises from all phases of SiC devices production: substrate growth, epitaxial layer growth and device fabrication. While many of these extended defects reduce the yield of device fabrication, basal plane dislocations (BPDs) are the primary defect affecting device reliability.
Cognitive radar utilizing multifunctional reconfigurable antennas

Cognitive radar is a novel concept for next-generation radar systems, which as part of the perception-action cycle to improve the measurement process based on dynamic changes in the environment. Although most work in this area to-date have focused on adaptation on the transmitted waveform, in this paper, we propose adaptive control of novel multifunctional reconfigurable antennas (MRAs) as a mechanism for action within the cognitive radar framework. Reconfigurable parasitic layer based MRAs have the capability of dynamically and simultaneously changing its electromagnetic characteristics (mode of operation), e.g. antenna beam pattern, polarization, center frequency, or a combination of thereof. Different modes of an MRA are controlled via RF switches interconnecting the pixels of the reconfigurable parasitic layer. This enhanced capability can be controlled using adaptive mode selection schemes. In particular, an array of MRAs provides more degrees of freedom, where each element of an array can be controlled to generate one of many modes depending on the environmental measured variables as a feedback mechanism. In this work, a designed and fabricated reconfigurable parasitic layer based MRA operating over 4.94-4.99 GHz band with 25 different radiation patterns, i.e., modes of operation, is utilized for cognitive direction-of-arrival (DoA) estimation and target tracking. A novel computationally efficient iterative mode selection (IMS) technique for MRA arrays is developed, where the modes are cognitively selected to minimize the DoA estimation error in target track. It is demonstrated that the proposed cognitive mode selection for MRA arrays achieves remarkably lower estimation errors compared to uniform pattern arrays without adaptive capability.