cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Repeated bronchial relaxation in the treatment of intractable asthma

Abstract 1.1. Repeated bronchial relaxation was carried out in a series of 71 patients with severe intractable asthma by employing the following procedures: 1.1.a. Rectal injection of 0.5 Gm. of aminophylline once or twice daily for a period of one to three weeks. 1.2.b. Inhalation of helium-oxygen mixtures for one to six hours daily for a period of five days. 1.3.c. The use in some cases, of dilaudid, generally in 2 mg. doses, administered in the rectal aminophylline solution. 1.4.d. Continuous ingestion of saturated solution of potassium iodide in doses of 1 to 3 c.c. daily. 1.5.e. Inhalation of the nebulized spray of 1:100 epinephrine, and in some instances of 1 per cent neosynephrin, one to five times daily. 2.2. The summation effect of these procedures to relax the constricted bronchial muscle was employed in 100 courses of therapy administered to 26 hospital and 45 ambulatory patients. The immediate response to treatment was the disappearance of asthma or very mild symptoms in 57 per cent, restoration of epinephrine sensitivity with moderated asthma in 26 per cent, and little or no improvement in 17 per cent. The duration of improvement in 91 courses, administered to a total of 57 patients, was one to four weeks in 36 instances, one to four months in 20 instances, five to twelve months in 20 instances, and one year or more in 15 instances of this therapy. 3.3. The effect of rectal injection of aminophylline over a period of three to five days without other therapy was tested in 40 courses given to 20 patents. In 8 instances a disappearance of asthma or very mild symptoms took place, in 14 a restoration of epinephrine sensitivity with moderated asthma, and in 18 instances little or no improvement. The duration of improvement after rectal injection of aminophylline in 25 courses, administered to 15 ambulatory cases, was one to four weeks in 12 instances, one to four months in 11 instances, and six to twelve months in 2 instances of this type of therapy. 4.4. The beneficial results of combined helium-oxygen and aminophylline therapy were excellent to good in 83 per cent of 100 courses, especially in 15 cases, patients in whom little or no symptoms of asthma were present for periods in excess of one year, and in 20 patients in whom the improvement lasted between five and twelve months. 5.5. Repeated bronchial relaxation by combined aminophylline and helium-oxygen therapy is, therefore, considered an effective measure in terminating intractable asthma in those patients in whom no etiological agent can be discovered. 6.6. Prolonged rectal aminophylline instillation is indicated for those patients with intractable asthma who have, in addition, marked functional pulmonary emphysema.
Pyramidical Model of Schizophrenia

Research and treatment of schizophrenia have been impeded by its heterogeneity and the lack of well-standardized methods for a comprehensive assessment of symptoms, including positive and negative dimensions. To study symptom profiles, therefore, we standardized and administered a well-operationalized 30-item psychiatric symptom scale to 240 schizophrenic inpatients. Principal component analysis suggested a pyramidlike triangular model of uncorrelated but nonexclusive syndromes that encompassed the spectrum of psychopathology. Negative, positive, and depressive features constituted divergent points of a triangular base, and excitement made up a separate vertical axis. Paired syndromes could account for symptoms of the paranoid (positive-depressive), disorganized (positive-negative), and catatonic (negative-depressive) diagnostic subtypes. The transversal positions in this model suggested polarized dimensions in schizophrenia, including a prognostic axis (depression-cognitive dysfunction). The findings imply that (1) negative and positive syndromes show factorial validity and distinction from depression but, alone, are insufficient to accommodate the full diversity of symptoms; (2) schizophrenic subtypes derive from a hybrid between unrelated but co-occurring dimensions that may define the fundamental elements of psychopathology; and (3) the pyramidical model is of heuristic value. The results help to clarify the heterogeneity of schizophrenia and to illuminate the path toward syndrome-specific treatments.
Experimental production of anemia in fetal lambs

An attempt has been made to produce an experimental model in the fetal lamb which would simulate the physicochemical and pathologic phenomena associated with the severe anemia and hydrops seen in severe human erythroblastosis. Profound anemia was obtained by repeated fetal phlebotomy. Hemolytic anemia was induced in the fetal lamb by direct administration of phenylhydrazine, without discernible effect on the health of the maternal ewe. Hydrops fetalis has not been observed after either chronic fetal bleeding or with phenylhydrazine-induced anemia.
Blazing The Trail For Astronomy Education Research

Education research has long considered student learning of topics in astronomy and the space sciences, but astronomy education research as a sub-field of discipline-based education research is relatively new. Driven by a growing interest among higher education astronomy educators in improving the general education, introductory science survey course for non-science majoring undergraduates (“ASTRO 101”), contemporary astronomy education research is led by scholars with significant expertise in astronomy content. In this review, we outline the recent history of the growing field of discipline-based astronomy education research by analyzing graduate degrees earned, faculty involved, and major milestones, such as the appearance of archival, peer-reviewed professional journals. Astronomy education research as a field of discipline-based education research has made notable strides in the past few decades that distinguish it from the K-12 education research realm, and, in spite of some setbacks, continues to move forward as a growing and vibrant community of scholars.
A New Look at Porous Media Fluid Mechanics — Darcy to Turbulent

The purpose of this review paper is to present the results of laser anemometry and flow visualization studies of the flow of liquids in porous structures. Three dimensional velocity profiles and movies of dye streaklines will be shown. The porous media consisted of plexiglas spheres in a hexagonal packing and glass and plexiglas rods arranged in a complex, fixed three dimensional geometry. The liquids used were water, silicone oils, Sohio MDI-57 oil and mineral seal oil. The Reynolds number based on average pore size and average pore velocity ranged from 0.16 to 700.
Disorders of Male External Genitalia: Problems of the Penis and Foreskin

The management of foreskin conditions varies amongst medical practitioners from observation to circumcision. A number of conditions may affect the foreskin and may lead to a specialist referral. This chapter deals with common foreskin problems, their etiology and management in primary/emergency care. Indications for referral will be highlighted. Circumcision will be dealt with in another chapter.
Inactivation of Escherichia coli, Bacteriophage MS2, and Bacillus Spores under UV/H2O2 and UV/Peroxydisulfate Advanced Disinfection Conditions

Ultraviolet light (UV) combined with peroxy chemicals, such as H2O2 and peroxydisulfate (PDS), have been considered potentially highly effective disinfection processes. This study investigated the inactivation of Escherichia coli, bacteriophage MS2, and Bacillus subtilis spores as surrogates for pathogens under UV/H2O2 and UV/PDS conditions, with the aim to provide further understanding of UV-based advanced disinfection processes (ADPs). Results showed that one additional log of inactivation of E. coli was achieved with 0.3 mM H2O2 or PDS at 5.2 × 10–5 Einstein·L–1 photo fluence (at 254 nm) compared with UV irradiation alone. Addition of H2O2 and PDS greatly enhanced the inactivation rate of MS2 by around 15 folds and 3 folds, respectively, whereas the inactivation of B. subtilis spores was slightly enhanced. Reactive species responsible for the inactivation were identified to be •OH, SO4·–, and CO3·– based on manipulation of solution conditions. The CT value of each reactive species was calculated with r...
Susceptibility of Newborn Mice of an Otherwise Apparently “Resistant” Strain to Inoculation with Leukemia.∗

Summary1. A strain of transplantable lymphatic leukemia which originated in a mouse of the Ak line was found to be highly pathogenic for suckling infants of the C3H inbred line. Cell suspensions (20%) prepared from liver, spleen and lymph glands of leukemic mice of the Ak line, reproduced acute leukemia within 12 days when inoculated under the skin (0.05 cc) of newly born suckling mice of the C3H line.2. This striking susceptibility of suckling C3H infants to inoculation with Ak leukemia appears to be limited to their first few days of life. Practically all infants of the C3H line (82 out of 85) developed leukemia when inoculated within the first 7 days of life; only 27 out of 57, however, were found to be susceptible when inoculated at ages varying from 8 to 15 days. Of 60 infants, 16 to 30 days old, only 15 reacted to inoculation.3. Forty-nine adult mice of the C3H line were inoculated subcutaneously and 9 intraperitoneally with large doses (0.2 to 1 cc) of Ak leukemia and none reacted. When, however, o...
CALCIUM AND PHOSPHORUS IN HUMAN PAROTID AND SUBMAXILLARY SALIVA.

SummaryIn a group of 28 adult subjects, acid stimulated parotid saliva was found to contain: a) less total calcium, b) less non-dialyzable calcium, c) more inorganic phosphorus, d) more protein, than stimulated sub-maxillary saliva from the same individual. In both secretions, about 25% of the total calcium was non-dialyzable and presumably protein-bound. Storage at —20°C before dialysis increased this protein binding about 75% in parotid and 200% in submaxillary saliva. Calcium binding could account, in part at least, for the insoluble matter formed when saliva is frozen and thawed or freeze dried and reconstituted.
Hierarchically porous silica prepared from ionic liquid and polymeric bicontinuous microemulsion templates

Polymeric bicontinuous microemulsions (BμE) are unique disordered morphologies found in well-designed ternary blends of two immiscible homopolymers and a diblock copolymer surfactant. By crystallization or vitrification of one component and selective extraction of another, polymeric BμEs are efficient precursors to nanoporous materials having three-dimensionally continuous, ∼100 nm pores. Here, nanoporous polyethylene (PE) derived from a polymeric BμE is used as a rigid template, inside which a so-called silica ionogel is synthesized. The solvent used is a room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), and is incorporated into the silica product, yielding a disordered, bicontinuous arrangement of discrete silica and RTIL networks with ∼10 nm periodicity. Because of the confinement provided by the PE template, the ionogel and PE are also arranged in a disordered, bicontinuous manner with ∼100 nm periodicity. Subsequent selective extraction of the PE template by a suitable solvent generates a three-dimensionally con...
Benefits of Implementing Building Information Modeling for Healthcare Facility Commissioning

Perhaps no other building types benefit more from Building Information Modeling (BIM) than healthcare facilities, in which the coordination of Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) systems is a challenging effort for all parties involved in the project. Research has been developed and focuses on the multitude of benefits resulting from using BIM in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) process of healthcare facilities. BIM provides detailed information for decisionmaking and facilitates information exchanges between different parties in Design and Construction phases. Project commissioning is essentially a communication and validation process that begins as early in the building acquisition process as possible and continues through owner occupancy. The benefits of adopting BIM in healthcare facility commissioning will be discussed throughout this document. A case study of Mary General Hospital (MGH) follows to help illustrate the benefits that have been brought about using BIM in the commissioning process.
The role of solution chemistry in the stability and detachment of cohesive kaolinite particles

The effect of solution chemistry on the behavior of kaolinite in three different situations was investigated: (1) the detachment of kaolinite from glass beads in a fluidized bed, (2) the erosion of kaolinite deposits in a laboratory flume and (3) the determination of the stress-strain rate relationship of concentrated suspensions in a rheometer. The experimental results from these three different approaches could be explained in terms of changes in mode of particle associations which in turn could be characterized in terms of a micromechanical force model which predicts the effect of solution chemistry on the interaction force between adjacent particle surfaces. Understanding the relationship between solution and surface chemistry on the structure, mechanical strength and mechanism of erosion of cohesive sediment deposits is an important step towards developing predictive models of a number of processes including erosion of cohesive sediments in streams and estuaries, and detachment of particles from granular media during filtration and filter backwashing.
Motor evoked potentials facilitation

Intraoperative transcranial motor evoked potentials (MEPs) are routinely used to monitor corticospinal tract function during surgical procedures. MEP may be difficult to obtain in some patients, and when they are obtained with high intensity stimulation, significant movement may limit their use. This may cause surgeons to suspend MEP monitoring during critical phases of surgery as patient movement during these times is unacceptable. In this session, MEP facilitation techniques, including double-train stimulation and others, will be discussed.
Successive Generalizations of Star Graphs

The star graph was proposed as an alternative architecture to hypercube for massively parallel networks. Star graphs have sub logarithmic diameter and degree. However, the number of vertices of star graph form a bottleneck for using them as models for interconnection networks. Two popular remedies were proposed to address this issue, (n,k)-star and arrangement graphs. From another direction, the star graph was recognized as a special case of Cayley graphs whose generators can be associated with a tree. Nevertheless, all these networks appear to be very different and yet share many properties. In this paper, we will solve this mystery by providing a common generalization of all these networks. Moreover, we will show that these networks have good connectivity properties.
Teaching first year engineering students engineering design process and problem solving through service learning projects

This paper presents the authors' practice of teaching first year engineering students the engineering design process and problem solving through service learning projects (SLPs). The SLPs are embedded in the First Year Seminar in Engineering, a first semester freshmen level course that all engineering freshmen at Gannon University are required to take. The SLP, identified by the combined effect from the course instructors, the university SL director, and the project stakeholder, lasts for the entire semester. Students, divided into several design teams, are given very specific step-by-step design guidelines to follow. During the design process, students are practicing how to approach and interpret the engineering design requirements, formulate engineering problems, propose different designs, and eventually solve the problem and evaluate the final product. This paper will walk the readers through each step of SLP from instructing point of view. It will present the challenges faced by students and the instructors and how to overcome them. It will also report on the lessons learned from the project. The student assessment and course evaluation will be presented and discussed as well.
Real-valued Measurable Cardinals and Well-orderings of the Reals

We show that the existence of atomlessly measurable cardinals is incompatible with the existence of well-orderings of the reals in L(ℝ), but consistent with the existence of well-orderings of the reals that are third-order definable in the language of arithmetic. Specifically, we provide a general argument that, starting from a measurable cardinal, produces a forcing extension where c is real-valued measurable and there is a Δ 2 2 -well-ordering of ℝ. A variation of this idea, due to Woodin, gives Σ 1 2 -well-orderings when applied to L[μ] or, more generally, Σ 1 2 (Hom∞) if applied to nice inner models, provided enough large cardinals exist in V. We announce a recent result of Woodin indicating how to transform this variation into a proof from large cardinals of the Ω-consistency of real-valued measurability of c together with the existence of Σ 1 2 -definable well-orderings of ℝ. It follows that if the Ω-conjecture is true, and large cardinals are granted, then this statement can always be forced.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons as Sublimable Adhesives

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are used as adhesives that can be removed on-demand by sublimation without application of solvent or mechanical force. These adhesives are polycrystalline solids that enable bonding of glass, metal, and plastic with lap shear forces ranging from 5 to 50 N cm–2. Systematic examination of factors governing bonding suggests that favorable chemical interactions between bonded surfaces and PAHs, and structural features at the surface of the substrate influence both the lap shear force and the mechanism of failure. Utilizing sublimable PAHs enables sequential bonding and release of substrates, as well as control of actuation of electronic systems through mechanical work.
Exclusion of Elderly People from Randomized Clinical Trials of Drugs for Ischemic Heart Disease.

Objectives To measure exclusion of elderly adults from randomized trials studying drug interventions for ischemic heart disease (IHD) and describe the characteristics of these trials. Design Cross-sectional analysis. Setting Interventional clinical trials studying a drug intervention for IHD that started in 2006 and after were identified in ClinicalTrials.gov. Data were extracted on study features, including age-based inclusion criteria. Data on participants and their age distribution were collected from trial publications, investigator inquiry, and result data in ClinicalTrials.gov. Participants Individuals aged 65 and older. Measurements Proportion of trials excluding individuals based on age, mean age of trial participants, and proportion of enrolled participants aged 65 and older and 75 and older. Results Of 839 identified trials, 446 (53%) explicitly excluded elderly adults. The most-frequent upper age limits were 80 (n = 164) and 75 (n = 114), with a median upper age limit of 80 (interquartile range 75–80). Trials with upper age limit exclusions tended to be smaller (median number of participants 100 vs 201, P < .001) and were more likely to be funded primarily by nonindustry sources (78.3% vs 70.0%, P = .006). The overall mean age of trial participants was 62.7 (mean maximum age 74). The estimated proportion of participants aged 65 and older was 42.5% and the estimated proportion aged 75 and older was 12.3%. Conclusion Despite the high burden of IHD in elderly adults, the majority of drug trials do not enroll participants reflective of age-related prevalence of the disease.
Association of cognitive function and liability to addiction with childhood herpesvirus infections: A prospective cohort study

Liability to substance use disorder (SUD) is largely nonspecific to particular drugs and is related to behavior dysregulation, including reduced cognitive control. Recent data suggest that cognitive mechanisms may be influenced by exposure to neurotropic infections, such as human herpesviruses. In this study, serological evidence of exposure to human herpesvirus Herpes simplex virus Type 1 (HSV-1), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) as well as Toxoplasma gondii was determined in childhood (age ~11 years) in 395 sons and 174 daughters of fathers with or without SUD. Its relationships with a cognitive characteristic (IQ) in childhood and with risk for SUD in adulthood were examined using correlation, regression, survival, and path analyses. Exposure to HSV-1, EBV, and T. gondii in males and females, and CMV in males, was associated with lower IQ. Independent of that relationship, EBV in females and possibly in males, and CMV and possibly HSV-1 in females were associated with elevated risk for SUD. Therefore, childhood neurotropic infections may influence cognitive development and risk for behavior disorders such as SUD. The results may point to new avenues for alleviating cognitive impairment and SUD risk.
The Effects of Four Components of Parental Involvement on Eighth-Grade Student Achievement: Structural Analysis of NELS-88 Data

The present research was undertaken to assess the effects of different components of parental involvement on the academic achievement of eighth graders. Four components of parental involvement cons...
Making Sense of the Now

In this poem, we explore the implications of our emotional and pedagogical choices as teacher educators working in “neutral” academic spaces on November 9, 2016. The poem unveils two different yet simultaneous responses as representative of the internal, emotional wrestling that happened after the presidential election.
Effects of 3 Different Elastic Therapeutic Taping Methods on the Subacromial Joint Space.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 3 different elastic therapeutic taping methods on the subacromial joint space in healthy adults. Methods Pre-/post-test laboratory study method was used in this study. Forty-eight healthy adults with no prior history of shoulder injury or surgery and no history of dominant shoulder pain in the past 6 months were enrolled in the study. Participants were placed into 3 groups (8 males and 8 females per group) on the basis of a consecutively assigned allocation design. A baseline measurement of the acromiohumeral distance (AHD) was taken by using diagnostic ultrasonography for every participant. On the basis of group assignment, participants were then taped according to the Kinesio Tape (Kinesio Tex Classic Tape) guidelines in one of 3 conditions: (1) taping of the supraspinatus from insertion to origin; (2) taping of the anterior and posterior deltoids from insertion to origin; and (3) a combination of both techniques. After a 5-minute wait period, the AHD was remeasured with the tape intervention in place, with each participant serving as his or her own control. Results Data analysis showed a statistically significant increase in AHD when using the taping technique over the anterior and posterior deltoids (Condition 2). The subacromial space increased in both males and females when the supraspinatus was taped from insertion to origin (Condition 1), but not at a statistically significant level. Condition 3, in which both taping techniques were used simultaneously, did not show an increase at a statistically significant level. Conclusions The application of the Kinesio Tape from insertion to muscle origin of the supraspinatus or the anterior and posterior deltoid increased the subacromial joint space.
Nietzsche and Food

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844–1900) was a German philosopher who is quoted as often as he is misunderstood. He is well known for his ideas of the “superman” ( € Ubermensch), the “will to power,” and the “eternal return of the same,” along with his many quotable passages, chief among them is the proclamation that “God is dead.” It would be incorrect, however, to reduce his work to these ideas or even to take them as emblematic of his philosophy. This is no place to engage in a debate over Nietzsche’s philosophical contributions and importance, but a few key (but by no means comprehensive) themes in Nietzsche’s thought will help to guide the reader through Nietzsche’s language of alimentation and digestion. The theme of (1) “health” expresses Nietzsche’s positive valuation of practices and attitudes that affirm life and the power of individuals (“free spirits”) and cultures to grow and transform. Unhealthy individuals or cultures are weak, passive, and “decadent” in Nietzsche’s vocabulary. The process of decadence and weakening over the course ofWestern history is what Nietzsche calls (2) “nihilism,” the realization that there are no more absolute values or irrefutable truths. The utter radicality of Nietzsche’s thinking replaces truths or facts with (3) “interpretation” – Nietzsche’s desire to perform a “transvaluation of all values” is not simply a desire to replace the Christian values of his day with different ones, but rather the full commitment to life as a process of becoming, to live as if no values were absolute and to understand value as the result of a creative and interpretative process. To be a “free spirit” and live with health, strength, and vital force denotes the ability to give oneself over to self-transformation – a process Nietzsche equates with healthy digestion.
Electrochemically Obtained Information Concerning the Atomistics of Fracture in the Presence of Moisture

There are three types of cracking: (1) pure cracking, e.g., glass; (2) metal-metal embrittlement, e.g., sodium-steel; (3) stress corrosion cracking, e.g., most cracks.
An Analytical Solution of Diffusion-Controlled Gasification of Carbon Particles in the Presence of Steam, Oxygen, and Nitrogen

Analytical solutions are derived for diffusion-controlled gasification of carbon particles. The solutions apply to arbitrary gas mixtures containing steam, oxygen, or nitrogen. The solution is developed in stages, beginning with isothermal and isobaric carbon gasification. Solutions are derived for constant values of the product of density and diffusion coefficient.
A Mathematical Description of Quantal Analysis with Applications

The work described here is predicated on a curious fact: transmission at chemical synapses is unreliable. How can we describe the distribution of postsynaptic responses? How does this distribution change as model synaptic parameters change?
It’s All About Relationships: How Human Relational Development and Social Structures Dictate Product Design in the Socio-Sphere

In this chapter, the authors explore the implications of Conway’s Law, which states that product design mirrors the organizational and communication structure of the company creating a product. By taking a deeper look into the modes of human communication, and the relationships that are constructed, the authors propose a model for running successful, high-innovation environments for design in the socio-sphere. After developing a “first principles” understanding of human relational development, the authors construct protocols that take into account the inherent strengths and weaknesses of different human relational modes. In particular, the authors explore the effects of externally defined, non-empathetic relationships (group/culturally driven) and independently generated, trust-based empathetic relationships (individually motivated) and their effects on reliability and innovation in product design.
Do seeds from invasive bromes experience less granivory than seeds from native congeners in the Great Basin Desert

In part, the enemy release hypothesis of plant invasion posits that generalist herbivores in the non-native ranges of invasive plants will prefer native plants to exotic invaders. However, the extent to which this occurs in natural communities is unclear. Here, I examined the foraging preferences of an important guild of generalist herbivores—granivorous rodents—with respect to seeds from a suite of native and invasive Bromus (“brome”) species at five study sites distributed across ≈ 80,000 km2 of the Great Basin Desert, USA. By examining only congeners, I accounted for a potentially large source of interspecific variation (phylogenetic relatedness). In general, granivorous rodents removed seeds from native bromes at a 23% higher rate than seeds from invasive bromes, suggesting a preference for native species. This preference was not entirely explained by seed size, and patterns of seed removal were consistent across study sites. These findings suggest that invasive bromes in the Great Basin might experience less rodent granivory than native congeners, which is consistent with a key prediction derived from the enemy release hypothesis.
Introduction: The Path to Liberation

Chapter 1, Introduction, summarizes the content of the chapters, which present Enrique Dussel’s ethics of liberation in terms of the analectic method, the ethical principles, and the subsumption of these principles in the political and economic fields. It also provides a short biography of Dussel, including a discussion of the first version as well as the second version of the ethics. The biography covers some of the landmarks of Dussel’s intellectual journey from the development of the ideas of totality and alterity through to his magnum opus, Ethics of Liberation in the Age of Globalization and Exclusion.
What is the Connection Between Issues, Bugs, and Enhancements?

Agile teams juggle multiple tasks so professionals are often assigned to multiple projects, especially in service organizations that monitor and maintain large suites of software for a large user base. If we could predict changes in project conditions change, then managers could better adjust the staff allocated to those projects. This paper builds such a predictor using data from 832 open source and proprietary projects. Using a time series analysis of the last 4 months of issues, we can forecast how many bug reports and enhancement requests will be generated the next month. The forecasts made in this way only require a frequency count of these issue reports (and do not require an historical record of bugs found in the project). That is, this kind of predictive model is very easy to deploy within a project. We hence strongly recommend this method for forecasting future issues, enhancements, and bugs in a project.
Day-Level Associations Between Substance Use and HIV Risk Behavior Among a Diverse Sample of Transgender Women.

Abstract Purpose: Transgender women in the United States face elevated rates of HIV and of substance use. Studies measuring overall or aggregate levels of substance use have linked use to increased...
Forests of Nebraska, 2016

This resource update provides an overview of forest resources in Nebraska based on inventories conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the Northern Research Station. For annual inventory years 2001-2013, the sample length was equal to 5 years. Beginning in 2014, the cycle length was changed to 7 years. For the 2016 inventory, estimates for current variables such as area, volume, and biomass are based on 8,247 field plot samples (320 forested) collected from 2011-2016. Change variables, such as net growth, removals, and mortality, are based on 8,228 samples (307 forested) collected in 2006-2011 and resampled in 2011-2016. Estimates from earlier annual and periodic inventories are shown for comparison. See Bechtoldand Patterson (2005), O'Connell et al. (2014) and Gormansonet al. (2017) for definitions and technical details.
“Book Nerds” United: The Reading Lives of Diverse Adolescents at the Public Library

This research asks the question: How does a public library contribute to the literate lives of a diverse community of adolescents? To explore this question, this article presents portraits of three young women, for whom a public library provided transformative opportunities. These portraits come from a larger ethnographic case study that examined a public library’s role in sparking and sustaining adolescent learning. Over 18 months, the author observed library activities involving youth, interviewed library staff and adolescent patrons, and led teen volunteers in a participatory research project. Data were analyzed in a constant comparative method within a sociocultural-historical framework. Through attention to the girls’ activities within the public library, two contributing elements— 1) a democratic space created by library practices, and 2), the diversity in discourse facilitated by the teen librarian—expanded the participants’ literacy practices and perspectives on reading. This article informs our understanding of diversity in adolescent literacy and highlights the practices that libraries and communities can use to foster the next generation of readers.
Eigenstate Entanglement: Crossover from the Ground State to Volume Laws.

For the typical quantum many-body systems that obey the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH), we argue that the entanglement entropy of (almost) all energy eigenstates is described by a single crossover function. The ETH implies that the crossover functions can be deduced from subsystem entropies of thermal ensembles and have universal properties. These functions capture the full crossover from the ground-state entanglement regime at low energies and small subsystem size (area or log-area law) to the extensive volume-law regime at high energies or large subsystem size. For critical one-dimensional systems, a universal scaling function follows from conformal field theory and can be adapted for nonlinear dispersions. We use it to also deduce the crossover scaling function for Fermi liquids in $dg1$ dimensions. The analytical results are complemented by numerics for large noninteracting systems of fermions in $d\ensuremath{\le}3$ dimensions and have also been confirmed for bosonic systems and nonintegrable spin chains.
BWP Bats: A marketing case study of maple bats in Major League Baseball

Brookville Wood Products (BWP) is a company created in 1965 and located in rural Pennsylvania. The company grows ash and maple trees on their 5,000 acres of land and sold timber to furniture manufacturers in the United States. In the late 1990s, BWP reduced their workforce due to furniture manufacturing moving to China. To stay in business, the company diversified into making baseball bats with a customer focus on the Major League Baseball teams. The case begins with the creation of BWP Bats in 1999 and the introduction of the maple bat to Major League Baseball players, followed by an analysis of their marketing challenges
The Cricket Gryllus bimaculatus: Techniques for Quantitative and Functional Genetic Analyses of Cricket Biology.

All extant species are an outcome of nature’s “experiments” during evolution, and hence multiple species need to be studied and compared to gain a thorough understanding of evolutionary processes. The field of evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) aspires to expand the number of species studied, because most functional genetic studies in animals have been limited to a small number of “traditional” model organisms, many of which belong to the same phylum (Chordata). The phylum Arthropoda, and particularly its component class Insecta, possesses many important characteristics that are considered favorable and attractive for evo-devo research, including an astonishing diversity of extant species and a wide disparity in body plans. The development of the most thoroughly investigated insect genetic model system to date, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster (a holometabolous insect), appears highly derived with respect to other insects and indeed with respect to most arthropods. In comparison, crickets (a basally branching hemimetabolous insect lineage compared to the Holometabola) are thought to embody many developmental features that make them more representative of insects. Here we focus on crickets as emerging models to study problems in a wide range of biological areas and summarize the currently available molecular, genomic, forward and reverse genetic, imaging and computational tool kit that has been established or adapted for cricket research. With an emphasis on the cricket species Gryllus bimaculatus, we highlight recent efforts made by the scientific community in establishing this species as a laboratory model for cellular biology and developmental genetics. This broad toolkit has the potential to accelerate many traditional areas of cricket research, including studies of adaptation, evolution, neuroethology, physiology, endocrinology, regeneration, and reproductive behavior. It may also help to establish newer areas, for example, the use of crickets as animal infection model systems and human food sources.
'Capture it while you can': revisiting SIGCOMM 99's technical history of the internet

This editorial gives a brief overview of a project historicizing the "Technical History of the Internet," a tutorial held at SIGCOMM's 1999 meeting at Harvard University. Organized in part by the late computer scientist and historian Chris Edmondson-Yurkanan, the tutorial brought together 19 key players from the development of the Internet to reflect on their foundational work. Using both digital and physical records from Edmondson-Yurkanan's archive, we discuss the importance of this event in generating a robust discussion and historical record about the Internet's technical evolution. Historical work about this tutorial also raises important questions on the ways in which records about the Internet's development are preserved or neglected.
Spenser, Elizabeth, and the Problem of Flattery

The charge by Karl Marx and others that Spenser is a flatterer sets him at odds with the strictures of virtually all the principal ethical authorities he knew, from Aristotle and Plato to Cicero, Plutarch, and the authors of the Bible. This chapter examines the tension between the poet’s life-long project of literary self-promotion and his intense dislike of flatterers, as expressed in his Mother Hubberds Tale and The Teares of the Muses. In Astrophil and Stella, he provides a way to resolve the tension by mingling Platonic idealization of his future wife, Elizabeth Boyle, with criticism of her faults. Not only are his lofty representations of Elizabeth Tudor arguably true on Christian Humanist assumptions, but they are balanced by reproofs of her failings.
Haralick texture analysis of prostate MRI: utility for differentiating non-cancerous prostate from prostate cancer and differentiating prostate cancers with different Gleason scores

To investigate Haralick texture analysis of prostate MRI for cancer detection and differentiating Gleason scores (GS). One hundred and forty-seven patients underwent T2- weighted (T2WI) and diffusion-weighted prostate MRI. Cancers ≥0.5 ml and non-cancerous peripheral (PZ) and transition (TZ) zone tissue were identified on T2WI and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, using whole-mount pathology as reference. Texture features (Energy, Entropy, Correlation, Homogeneity, Inertia) were extracted and analysed using generalized estimating equations. PZ cancers (n = 143) showed higher Entropy and Inertia and lower Energy, Correlation and Homogeneity compared to non-cancerous tissue on T2WI and ADC maps (p-values: 7: p = 0.0069) and lower Energy (GS 6 vs. 7: p = 0.0116, 6 vs. >7: p = 0.0039). ADC map Energy (p = 0.0102) and Entropy (p = 0.0019) were significantly different in GS ≤3 + 4 versus ≥4 + 3 cancers; ADC map Entropy remained significant after controlling for the median ADC (p = 0.0291). Several Haralick-based texture features appear useful for prostate cancer detection and GS assessment. • Several Haralick texture features may differentiate non-cancerous and cancerous prostate tissue. • Tumour Energy and Entropy on ADC maps correlate with Gleason score. • T2w-image-derived texture features are not associated with the Gleason score.
Association of Karnofsky Performance Status with Waitlist Mortality among Older and Younger Adults Awaiting Kidney Transplantation.

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have impaired functional status compared with the general population. We sought to explore the association between Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) and death/delisting from the kidney transplantation waitlist and whether this association differed by age. Patients listed for single-organ kidney transplantation in the United Network for Organ Sharing/Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network from January 1, 2015, to January 1, 2018, were included. We performed competing-risk regression analyses to determine the association between KPS ("Severely impaired", "Moderately impaired", "Non-impaired") and death/delisting, with deceased-donor kidney transplantation as a competing risk. We tested for interactions between age and KPS on death/delisting. Of the 89,819 patients analyzed, 39% were impaired (KPS < 80) and 20% were aged ≥ 65 years. Older age and lower KPS were independently associated with higher risk of death/delisting (age 45-64 years, HR 1.97 [95% CI 1.73-2.24]; age ≥ 65 years, HR 3.62 [95% CI 3.33-3.92] compared with age < 45 years; moderately impaired, HR 1.68 [95% CI 1.45-1.95]; severely impaired, HR 4.80 [95% CI 3.71-6.21] compared with non-impaired). Lower KPS was associated with higher risk of death/delisting among all ages, but this effect was slightly less pronounced among individuals aged ≥ 65 years. Performance status should be used when counseling patients with ESRD on their risks for death/delisting.
Competitive Poaching in Search Advertising: A Randomized Field Experiment

Keyword searches with brand names occur very commonly on search engines, which enables firms to infer not only when customers are searching for them, but also when customers are searching for their competitors. In other words, firms can generate traffic from search engine advertising by bidding not only on their own keywords but also on competitors’ keywords. The strategy of bidding on competitors’ keywords, known as competitive poaching, presents unique opportunities for academic research. In this research, we examine the factors that influence the effectiveness of competitive poaching, specifically the role of different ad copies and the type of competitor (poached brand) that a brand is “poaching” from. We also examine how competing sponsored ads from the poached brand and other advertisers have an impact on competitive poaching. We run a field experiment for a three-month period with a business school in northeastern United States, by bidding on keywords of competing schools and randomly displaying different types of ad copies. We find that ad copies that feature vertical differentiation are more effective than other ad copies when poaching on keywords of high-quality brands. We also find that when poaching from low-quality brands, ad copies featuring horizontal differentiation perform better than other ad copies. We further show that the presence of the poached brand’s own ad leads to a positive impact when that brand is high-quality, and a negative impact if the poached brand is low-quality. Finally, we also find that the presence of other advertisers using quality signals in their ad copies has a positive impact on clicks. However, use of vertical differentiation ad copies by the focal brand negatively moderates the impact of the presence of other advertisers using quality signals. The academic and managerial contributions are also discussed.
CHAPTER FIVE – REFLEXIVE FRAMEWORKS

In this chapter we develop a framework, called a reflexive observer framework, in which the objects of perception of an observer O are themselves observers having the same X, Y, E, and S as has O. We display the relationship between reflexive observer frameworks and environments for extended semantics. We illustrate the definition of reflexive observer framework with several examples.
Respiratory Muscle Strength Training to Improve Vocal Function in Patients with Presbyphonia.

Summary Background and Objective The effects of presbyphonia are compounded by the decline in respiratory function that occurs with age. Commonly recommended exercises to optimize the use of respiratory muscles during speech, such as diaphragmatic breathing, are unlikely to be intensive enough to induce respiratory changes and impact vocal function. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of adding a targeted intervention, respiratory muscle strength training, to voice exercises in a sample of patients with presbyphonia. Methods/Design In this prospective, randomized-controlled trial, 12 participants received either (1) vocal function exercises (VFE), (2) VFE combined with inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST), or (3) VFE combined with expiratory muscle strength training (EMST). Data collected prior to and following 4 weekly intervention sessions included respiratory measures (pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength) and voice measures (videostroboscopy, acoustic, auditory-perceptual, aerodynamic, and self-assessment measures). Results Participants who received IMST improved their voice quality during connected speech (smoothed cepstral peak prominence and ratings of overall voice quality) and their scores on the three self-assessment questionnaires with large to very large within-group effect sizes (|d| = 0.82–1.61). In addition, participants in the IMST group reduced their subglottal pressure with a large effect size (d = −0.92). Participants who received EMST improved their maximum expiratory strength and smoothed cepstral peak prominence with large effect sizes (d = 0.80 and 0.99, respectively) but had limited improvements in other outcomes. Participants who received only VFE decreased their amount of vocal fold bowing, improved their voice quality on a sustained vowel (amplitude perturbation quotient), and improved their Glottal Function Index score with large effect sizes (|d| = 0.74–1.00). Conclusion Preliminary data indicate that adding IMST to voice exercises may lead to the greatest benefits in patients with presbyphonia by promoting improved subglottal pressure control as well as increasing air available for phonation, resulting in improved self-assessment outcomes.
Time to Presentation after Symptom Onset in Endophthalmitis: Clinical Features and Visual Outcomes.

Purpose To investigate the impact of time from symptom onset to presentation on the clinical course and outcomes of eyes with endophthalmitis. Design Retrospective, longitudinal cohort study. Participants One hundred thirty-three eyes of 130 patients with endophthalmitis. Methods Adults diagnosed with endophthalmitis at the Duke Eye Center from January 1, 2009, through January 1, 2018, were identified using the Duke Enterprise Data Unified Content Explorer. Patient demographics, time of symptom onset, presenting clinical features, management, and outcomes were recorded by retrospective review. Patients were divided into those seeking medical care either early (within 2 days) or later (delayed, i.e., 3 days or longer) with regard to symptom onset. Clinical features, management, and visual outcomes of eyes with early or delayed presentation were compared. Main Outcome Measures Mean corrected visual acuity (VA) at presentation and at 6 months. Results In eyes with delayed presentation, VA was significantly worse on initial examination (delayed, 20/2941 vs. early, 20/1124; P = 0.009) and at 6 months (delayed, 20/547 vs. early, 20/173; P = 0.01). When controlling for time to presentation, VA before endophthalmitis was correlated significantly with VA at 6 months (Pearson r = 0.55; R2 = 29%; P 0.05). Conclusions Delayed presentation was associated with worse VA on initial examination and at 6 months in eyes with endophthalmitis. Presence of pain did not prompt earlier presentation. Visual acuity before endophthalmitis was associated with VA at 6 months, regardless of time to presentation. Further investigation may help to improve anticipatory guidelines for at-risk patients.
Underemployment of Skilled Self-Initiated Expatriates -- A Skill Mismatch or Categorisation?.

Despite excellent education and a rich working experience in their home countries, skilled expatriates struggle to find employment that matches their qualifications. This article goes beyond the do...