cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ROLE OF FINITE ELEMENTS IN COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the role of finite elements in computer-aided design. Computer-aided geometric design addresses the techniques necessary for the geometric, and logical definition of complex two-, and three-dimensional objects. Early approaches were based on drafting systems and produced wire frame models, which provided an incomplete but useful, three-dimensional representation of key line and curve information with whose help the user could visualize the geometry of the object. Such models were inadequate for many engineering applications. Geometric modeling systems were introduced, which were based on boundary representation. While the integration of analysis and CAD is highly desirable, it must be approached with caution. In many instances, the expectations are too high and the results disappointing.
Treatment patterns and disease outcomes for pediatric patients with refractory or recurrent Hodgkin lymphoma treated with curative-intent salvage radiotherapy.

Abstract Background and purpose The use of radiotherapy (RT) for pediatric patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) experiencing disease progression or recurrence (15%) is controversial. We report treatment patterns and outcomes for pediatric patients with refractory/recurrent HL (rrHL) treated with curative-intent RT. Materials and methods Forty-six patients with rrHL treated with salvage RT at our institution were identified. All received risk-adapted, response-based frontline therapy and were retrieved with cytoreductive regimens followed by RT to failure sites, with or without autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT). Cumulative incidence (CIN) of local failure (LF) and survival were estimated after salvage RT and regression models determined predictors of LF after salvage RT. Results RT was administered as part of frontline therapy in 70% of patients, omitted for early response assessment in 13%, or deferred for primary progression in 17%. AHCT was omitted in 20% of patients. Median initial and salvage dose/site were 25.5 Gy and 30.6 Gy, respectively. Eight patients experienced progression. Two died without progression (median follow-up from salvage RT = 3.8 years). The 5-year CIN of LF after salvage RT was 17.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.2–30.2%). The 5-year freedom from subsequent treatment failure and overall survival (OS) was 80.1% (95% CI, 69.2–92.6%) and 88.5% (95% CI, 79.5–98.6%), respectively. Inadequate response to salvage systemic therapy (p = 0.048) and male sex (p = 0.049) were significantly associated with LF after salvage RT. Conclusion rrHL is responsive to salvage RT, with low LF rates after moderate doses. OS is excellent, despite refractory disease. Initial salvage therapy response predicts subsequent LF.
External Sampling

We initiate the study of sublinear-time algorithms in the external memory model [1]. In this model, the data is stored in blocks of a certain size B , and the algorithm is charged a unit cost for each block access. This model is well-studied, since it reflects the computational issues occurring when the (massive) input is stored on a disk. Since each block access operates on B data elements in parallel, many problems have external memory algorithms whose number of block accesses is only a small fraction (e.g. 1/B ) of their main memory complexity. However, to the best of our knowledge, no such reduction in complexity is known for any sublinear-time algorithm. One plausible explanation is that the vast majority of sublinear-time algorithms use random sampling and thus exhibit no locality of reference. This state of affairs is quite unfortunate, since both sublinear-time algorithms and the external memory model are important approaches to dealing with massive data sets, and ideally they should be combined to achieve best performance. In this paper we show that such combination is indeed possible. In particular, we consider three well-studied problems: testing of distinctness , uniformity and identity of an empirical distribution induced by data. For these problems we show random-sampling-based algorithms whose number of block accesses is up to a factor of $1/\sqrt{B}$ smaller than the main memory complexity of those problems. We also show that this improvement is optimal for those problems. Since these problems are natural primitives for a number of sampling-based algorithms for other problems, our tools improve the external memory complexity of other problems as well.
Are All Games the Same

Researchers have lauded games for their ability to promote situated activity, problem solving, and collaboration. Unfortunately, the characteristics of games vary widely (e.g., content, graphics, technological affordances). Some games constrain player’s experience to a left to right narrative experience (e.g., Mario Brothers) while others immerse the user in a 3D environment with thousands of peers (e.g., EverQuest). Each game is developed using different paradigms, tools, and underlying models; each provides distinct opportunities for learning. However, decades of research has documented that learning benefits are best achieved when we design technology to be closely integrated with objectives for learning and student and teacher interactions. It follows that effective assessment practices must take pedagogical objectives, environment characteristics, and learning affordances into account. As a result, this chapter examines three separate games, educational activities associated with those games, and the distinct assessment approaches involved. Informed by a learning sciences framework and Schrader’s (AACE J 16(4):457–475, 2008) model of technology and learning, we examine assessment of knowledge and skill acquisition as a result of learning from game content in BrainAge2, performance assessment and learning with SPORE, and direct observation assessment strategies when exploring the cognitive and behavioral interactions situated in the World of Warcraft. In each example, we outline the salient properties of these games, the pedagogical implications for learning, and the assessment philosophies and practices they imply.
Normalizing Disability: Tagging and Disability Identity Construction through Marvel Cinematic Universe Fanfiction

The exploration of identity is a common practice in fanfiction, and scholarship has consistently investigated this fan practice. Yet, despite the presence of disability and disabled characters in fanfiction, this aspect of identity exploration is only sparsely represented in scholarship. This article explores the intersection of disability studies and fanfiction studies through the lens of labelling and tagging, key elements of both fields. Labelling and classification in disability communities are often associated with medicalization, stereotyping, and erasure of individuality, while tagging in fanfiction provides a communicative framework between authors and readers. These differences in functions of labelling and tagging provide the foundation that enables tagging in fanfiction to function inclusively as a normalizing force, despite the problematic role of labelling in disability communities. Three trends in the ways disability is tagged in fanfiction are explored through a close reading of a selection of fanfiction from the Marvel Cinematic Universe: (1) disability is primarily tagged when it is a significant component of the plot, (2) the disability of canonically disabled characters is primarily tagged when that disability directly influences the plot of the story, and (3) mental disability/illness is significantly more represented than physical disability.
Meaning/fulness through Family: Discourses of Work among Poor and Working Class Youth

Rooted in neoliberal discourses, the current sociopolitical environment (including academia) delegitimizes work done by youth and people of color, positioning work as an individual accomplishment w...
Relationship Distress in Couples With and Without Reported Existing Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Making a Case for Relationship Education (RE):

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States, costing billions of dollars per year in direct and indirect costs, and its prevalence is projected to increase expon...
Repeatability of Scotopic Sensitivity and Dark Adaptation Using a Medmont Dark-Adapted Chromatic Perimeter in Age-related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose Functional studies of rods in age-related macular degeneration using the Medmont Dark-Adapted Chromatic Perimeter (DACP) have demonstrated impairments in scotopic sensitivities and dark adaptation (DA). We investigated the intersession repeatability of scotopic sensitivity and DA parameters including the rod intercept time recorded from the Medmont DACP. Methods Scotopic thresholds (14 test points) and DA using a 30% photobleach (eight test points) were measured on two separate days from participants 50 years of age or older with a range of age-related macular degeneration severity at loci superior and inferior to the fovea. Repeatability coefficients were calculated for prebleach scotopic sensitivity, and for DA parameters including rod intercept time. Results Twelve participants (mean age, 79.7 ± 8.1 years) repeated Medmont DACP testing within 50 days. Repeatability coefficients for prebleach scotopic sensitivity to long wavelength (red, 625 nm) and short wavelength (cyan, 505 nm) were 5.9 dB and 7.2 dB, respectively. The DA curve-derived repeatability coefficients for cone threshold was 3.9 dB, final threshold 5.3 dB, with an R value of 0.075 decades/min, rod intercept time 7.6 minutes, and RITslope 0.54 min/degree. Conclusions This study establishes repeatability coefficients for scotopic thresholds and multiple DA parameters obtained with the Medmont DACP in patients with age-related macular degeneration. These repeatability coefficients will serve as the basis for determining clinically meaningful change in rod function in future clinical trials. Translational relevance Measures of repeatability parameters of scotopic thresholds and DA are essential to the accurate interpretation of results in future studies and trials using these measures.
Traffic Flow Breakdown Prediction using Machine Learning Approaches

Traffic flow breakdown is the abrupt shift from operation at free-flow conditions to congested conditions and is typically the result of complex interactions in traffic dynamics. Because of its sto...
Microscopic Mechanism of Stripe Pairing Phase Formation

Stripe phase formation in manganite compounds with the colossal magnetoresistance is discussed on the basis of the cooperative Jahn-Teller effect theory. It is shown that the stripes are the result of a peculiar structural phase transition. The microscopic mechanism of this structural ordering is considered and it is found that the interference of two symmetry types of distortion ordering takes place, that of totally symmetrical and Jahn-Teller distortions. The quadratic electron-phonon interaction after two-mode canonical transformation leads to a three center interaction responsible for the stability of a combination of local distortions around the nearest neighbor Mn3+-Mn4+-Mn3+ ions as a structural unit of a stripe. The described combination of the local distortions is in agreement with the experimentally observed electron diffraction pattern.
Implications of Monitoring Mechanisms on Bring Your Own Device Adoption

ABSTRACTBring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs permit employees to use personal devices to access organizational information. Users gain convenience, while employers benefit from increased productivity and reduced IT expense. Security boundaries must extend to personal devices to mitigate data exfiltration, thereby infringing on employees’ privacy by monitoring their personal devices. These monitoring mechanisms play a critical role in employee participation in a BYOD program. Our results demonstrate that the BYOD monitoring mechanisms and privacy concerns suppress the benefits of increased job performance expectancy when evaluating whether to participate in a BYOD program. This research identifies that tasks measured, frequency of monitoring, and organizational control are significant impediments to behavioral intention for BYOD participation.
Cross-Feeding of Escherichia coli Mutants Defective in the Biosynthesis of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide

Mutants of Escherichia coli defective in the biosynthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) are able to grow in a Casamino Acids medium lacking NAD and its immediate precursors, nicotinic acid and nicotinamide. This property has allowed the development of a system to measure cross-feeding between a nadA and a nadB mutant. This system provides a means of isolating the intermediate, prequinolinic acid, as well as a biological assay for the compound. The nadB mutant feeds the nadA mutant, indicating that the nadA enzyme occurs first in the pathway and the nadB enzyme second. No cross-feeding was detected between nadA and nadC or between nadB and nadC.
Beer Goes to War

AbstractIn the Second World War, American brewers launched a massive public relations and advertising campaign to combat a resurgence of prohibitionism. This paper examines how brewers gained the stature of an essential wartime industry—a classification that gave them access to rationed goods denied other industries—despite dry protestations that beer wasted vital foodstuffs. It argues that brewers achieved such success by repoliticizing beer as an emblem of American national identity and linking their fortunes to other wartime food crusades. Brewers convinced military and government officials that brewers' yeast, a byproduct of brewing, provided a rich source of vitamin B complex that could enrich soldiers' rations and boost the productivity of factory workers. By the war's end, the once illicit associations of brewers' yeast with Prohibition-era homebrew had acquired entirely new patriotic associations with victory over fascism and freedom from want. A previously suspect commodity had gained new legitimacy.
Video‐graphic study of the behaviour of juvenile Brown kiwi Apteryx mantelli females at Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington, DC

The kiwi, indigenous to New Zealand, is a small flightless bird that is unique in the avian world. Detailed studies in kiwi behaviour are limited because of the nocturnal nature of the species. In this study, two juvenile Brown kiwi Apteryx mantelli chicks were monitored using a video camera for about 24 hours over a period of 2 months. Primarily, this study focused on the budgeting of 26 distinct behaviours during different time periods. Many of the behaviours, such as ‘feeding’, ‘drinking’ and ‘probing’, had similar totals, compared with other behaviours, such as ‘aggression’, ‘stretching body’ and ‘jumping’, which were predominantly expressed by one individual. Certain behaviours, such as ‘pacing’, ‘running’ and ‘jumping’, were often seen more frequently at certain time periods. Territoriality, including changes pertaining to the individual and their size of territory, was also noted as the observations progressed. This study provides a better understanding of the behaviour of Brown kiwi chicks in terms of budgeting different behaviours and interactions between juvenile ♀♀.
Inviz: Low-power personalized gesture recognition using wearable textile capacitive sensor arrays

Home automation and environmental control is a key ingredient of smart homes. While systems for home automation and control exist, there are few systems that interact with individuals suffering from paralysis, paresis, weakness and limited range of motion that are common sequels resulting from severe injuries such as stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury and many chronic (guillian barre syndrome) and degenerative (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) conditions. To address this problem, we present the design, implementation, and evaluation of Inviz, a low-cost gesture recognition system for paralysis patients that uses flexible textile-based capacitive sensor arrays for movement detection. The design of Inviz presents two novel research contributions. First, the system uses flexible textile-based capacitive arrays as proximity sensors that are minimally obtrusive and can be built into clothing for gesture and movement detection in patients with limited body motion. The proximity sensing obviates the need for touch-based gesture recognition that can cause skin abrasion in paralysis patients, and the array of capacitive sensors help provide better spatial resolution and noise cancellation. Second, Inviz uses a low-power hierarchical signal processing algorithm that breaks down computation into multiple low and high power tiers. The tiered approach provides maximal vigilance at minimal energy consumption. We have designed and implemented a fully functional prototype of Inviz and we evaluate it in the context of an end-to-end home automation system and show that it achieves high accuracy while maintaining low latency and low energy consumption.
The Advisory Role of Foreign Directors in U.S. Firms

We study the role of foreign directors in U.S. firms. We conclude that foreign directors, especially those from countries that are dissimilar to the U.S. in terms of business environment (i.e., dissimilar directors), are chosen by multinational corporations (MNCs) to provide advice, and this advice is valuable. We measure director dissimilarity along the dimensions of legal regime, language, trust, and religion. Our conclusion is supported by two findings. (i) Firms with operations in countries that are dissimilar to the U.S. in terms of business environment are more likely to choose dissimilar directors. (ii) The average announcement period return to the appointment of foreign directors is significantly positive, and is due to appointments by MNCs, and within MNCs, to dissimilar directors. Analysis using Tobin’s q leads to similar inferences.
A Self-Study on Preparing Future School Leaders.

This paper presents a self-study project that goes beyond the surface of praxis to examine the internal academic teaching process of a PK-12 school leader educator. The study systematically relates one professor's intrapersonal struggle and professional challenge in addressing his lived contradiction of teaching aspiring school leaders. Results address salient questions that teachers of leaders must pose for themselves about their work—particularly pertaining to the scholarship of teaching and learning. Self-study, a disciplined professional development practice, lends important insights as a research genre into school leadership preparation.
Nonlinear dispersion relations

We examine how nonlinear dispersion relations (NLDR) can be used as a simple, universal algebraic tool to provide information for the localized, nonlinear solutions of PDE that model physical systems. Such scaling relations between width, amplitude and velocity are of great help for numerical investigations of nonlinear solutions. The methodology is applied to a variety of examples from diverse branches of physics, both Hamiltonian as well as dissipative ones. The limitations of the approach are also discussed.
Observation of the full time evolution of the nuclear collective-decay mode in crystalline 57Fe2O3 excited by synchrotron radiation.

The full time evolution of the coherent deexcitation of the 14.4-keV nuclear resonance, excited by synchrotron radiation in a single crystal of the simple antiferromagnet $^{57}\mathrm{Fe}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$, has been measured. The buildup from zero decay probability at time zero following excitation, increasing to a maximum 2.4 nseclater, has been observed experimentally for the first time. The results are in good agreement with calculations based on the dynamical theory of nuclear Bragg scattering.
Reductive methylation as a probe of the heat-labile α-bungarotoxin-acetylcholine receptor membrane complex: Evidence for surface interactions

Abstract α-Bungarotoxin (α-Bgt) is a potent postsynaptic neurotoxin which blocks neurotransmission by binding very tightly to the acetylcholine-receptor (AcChR) protein. We have previously shown ( P. Calvo-Fernandez, and M. Martinez-Carrion (1981) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. , 208 , 154–159 ) that α-Bgt free in its native solution conformation incorporates 12 methyl groups when reductively methylated using formaldehyde and sodium cyanoborohydride. We now show that when the α-Bgt molecule is bound to the AcChR contained in native membranes prepared from Torpedo californica electroplax, the number of accessible methylation sites is significantly reduced. This favors a model of α-Bgt-AcChR interaction involving significant numbers of lysyl moieties distributed over a reasonably large surface of the toxin molecule. In addition, this paper presents a novel procedure for the rapid and nondestructive dissociation of the toxin-AcChR membrane complex which takes advantage of the thermal instability of the complex.
Network quantification despite biased labels

The increasing availability of participatory web and social media presents enormous opportunities to study human relations and collective behaviors. Many applications involving decision making want to obtain certain generalized properties about the population in a network, such as the proportion of actors given a category, instead of the category of individuals. While data mining and machine learning researchers have developed many methods for link-based classification or relational learning, most are optimized to classify individual nodes in a network. In order to accurately estimate the prevalence of one class in a network, some quantification method has to be used. In this work, two kinds of approaches are presented: quantification based on classification or quantification based on link analysis. Extensive experiments are conducted on several representative network data, with interesting findings reported concerning efficacy and robustness of different quantification methods, providing insights to further quantify the ebb and flow of online collective behaviors at macro-level.
Efficacy and tolerability of lovastatin in hypercholesterolemia in patients with systemic hypertension

Abstract A previously published study reported on an open-label, multicenter study of the efficacy and tolerability of lovastatin in the management of nonfamilial primary hypercholesterolemia. In the present report the results from the 213 hypercholesterolemic patients with systemic hypertension are presented. At baseline mean ± SD of total serum cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and the ratio of total serum cholesterol to HDL cholesterol were 268 ± 24, 189 ± 22 and 43 ± 10 mg/dl and 6.6 ± 1.6, respectively. Of the 213 hypertensive patients only 24 were not receiving antihypertensive or related cardiac medication. Baseline mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 140 ± 20 and 84 ± 9 mm Hg, respectively. Within 1 month of lovastatin therapy the observed significant reductions in total serum cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol were 19, 27 and 24%, respectively. HDL cholesterol was increased by 6%. Diastolic blood pressure did not change significantly during this 1-month period. The 1-month lipid results were maintained over the full 6 months of the study. The dosage of lovastatin was 20 mg/day for the first month of therapy and could subsequently be adjusted to response, up to a maximum of 80 mg/day. Again, without changes in diastolic blood pressure, lovastatin was generally effective in improving the serum lipids of hypercholesterolemic hypertensive patients regardless of the type of antihypertensive medications received (including diuretics and β blockers). Lovastatin was generally well tolerated.
Numerical modeling of crossover and other junction discontinuities in two-layer microstrip circuits

A mixed-potential, spatial-domain integral equation approach is used to model the coupling and junction effects when microstrip structures in two different layers of a common substrate are crossing each other. A Galerkin method, together with the so-called pseudo-mesh current distribution for the basis functions, is then applied to accurately characterize multiport junctions. As an example, a four-port crossover of two microstrip transmission lines is characterized in terms of the S-parameters. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Flux-hole motion and the peak effect in superconductivity

Abstract The resistive behaviour of type II superconductors in the neighborhood of the “peak effect” is described in terms of the motion of holes in the flux-lattice.
Polyoma T (tumor) antigen species in abortively and stably transformed cells.

Stable neoplastic transformation of cells by polyoma virus requires the participation of two viral genes, designated ts-a and hr-t. The effects of mutations in these two genes on the patterns of T-antigen synthesis during productive infection have been previously described: ts- a mutants are affected in the “large” (100K) nuclear T antigen, and hr-t mutants are affected in the “middle” (36K, 56K, 63K) and “small” (22K) T agtigens. The latter are associated predominantly with the plasma membrane (56K) and cytosol fractions, rrespectively. Here we examine the expression of the various forms of polyoma T antigen in nonproductive infection (abortive transformation) as well as in stably transformed cell lines of different species. The results on abortive transformation are essentially the same as those described above for productive infection. In stably transformed cells, the middle and small T antigens are seen to various extents. The large T antigen, however, is often absent or present below the level of detection. Clones lacking the large T antigen are found most often among mouse transformants, but are also seen among rat transformants. Retention of the 100K species in transformed cells therefore appears to be, at least in part, an inverse function of the level of permissivity of the host toward productive viral infection. These findings indicate that the induction of the transformed phenotype in both abortively and stably transformed cells generally does not require the large T antigen, but rather the products of the hr-t gene.
Numerical simulation of the 3-dimensional combustion of aluminized heterogeneous propellants

Abstract We report the first 3-dimensional simulations of aluminized propellant combustion, accounting for heat conduction in the solid, combustion in the gas-phase, and coupling of these via the irregularly moving propellant surface, one that can not be defined by a single-valued height function. The simulations are used to examine the dynamics of aluminum particles in the near-neighborhood of the surface after detachment, and to provide an estimate of the time to ignition of the particles, and their speed and height above the surface at ignition. In addition, we examine the temperature history of the particles during their rise to the surface, determine whether they melt or not, and in this way test Cohen’s well-known melting criterion. And, we discuss a simple model which provides insights into how aluminum particles floating on a binder melt layer would migrate because of surface tension effects, and calculate an average migration distance that is consistent with previous agglomeration studies.
Erythroid progenitor cells that survive benzene exposure exhibit greater resistance to the toxic benzene metabolites benzoquinone and hydroquinone.

Benzene is a well known hematotoxicant which induces hematopoietic dyscrasias of varying intensities in different individuals and even in different strains of the same experimental animal species. Although there is ample evidence that diverse responses to benzene are related to differences in benzene metabolism, we have recently provided evidence implicating differences in host target cell susceptibility to these diverse responses to benzene. The present study extends our previous work and concerns strain-specific differences in marrow progenitor cells that survive benzene exposure. Two mouse strains (Swiss-Webster and C57B1/6J) which respond to benzene exposure with different intensities of bone marrow cytotoxicity were used. Bone marrow cells from benzene-exposed and untreated mice were cultured with one of five benzene metabolites: 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ), catechol (C), hydroquinone (HQ), muconic acid (MA) or phenol (P) and the abilities of these cells to produce erythroid (CFU-e) or granulocyte/macrophage colonies (GM-CFU-c) were assessed. In both strains, marrow cells isolated from benzene-exposed mice showed a higher percentage of plated CFU-e surviving culture with BQ, HQ or MA than marrow cells isolated from control mice. In contrast, both strains of benzene-exposed mice displayed decreased percentages of plated CFU-e surviving culture with catechol than cells isolated from control mice. Only one condition (the culturing of cells with HQ under GM-CFU-c forming conditions) showed any strain-specific difference in plating efficiency. In all, 20 possible combinations of benzene metabolites and cell types were examined (5 metabolites × 2 progenitor cell types × 2 strains). With seven of these combinations, the colony-forming efficiencies were higher for plated cells isolated from benzene-exposed mice than from untreated mice. With three combinations, the colony-forming efficiencies were lower for cells from benzene-exposed mice, and for ten combinations, there were no changes in plating efficiencies. Possible mechanisms for an acquired resistance to the toxicities of benzene metabolites were explored by measuring the concentrations of hepatic and bone marrow sulfhydryl (SH) groups in cells isolated from benzene-exposed and untreated mice. In both strains, benzene exposure induced no changes in hepatic SH concentrations, but the SH content of bone marrow was more than doubled after benzene exposure in both strains. These results suggest that a fraction of hematopoietic progenitor cells are able to survive severe benzene exposure and produce progeny because of a marked increase in marrow SH groups which react with electrophilic benzene metabolites. Moreover, this protective mechanism occurs in two mouse strains with differing susceptibilities to benzene.
Why Do Cationic Carbon Monoxide Complexes Have High C−O Stretching Force Constants and Short C−O Bonds? Electrostatic Effects, Not σ-Bonding

A significant increase in the C−O stretching force constant (FCO) and a decrease in C−O bond length (rCO) result upon coordination of carbon monoxide to various cationic species. We report a study designed to elucidate the factors responsible for this effect. In particular, we distinguish between an explanation based on electrostatic effects and one based on withdrawal of electron density from the 5σ orbital of CO, an orbital generally considered to have some antibonding character. Ab initio electronic structure calculations on CO in the presence of a positive point charge (located on the carbon side of the bond axis) reveal that a simple Coulombic field increases the C−O stretching force constant and decreases the bond length. Coordination of CO to a simple cationic Lewis acid such as H+ or CH3+ is calculated to increase FCO (and decrease rCO) to extents slightly less than those engendered by a point charge at the same distance from the carbonyl carbon. These results indicate that electron donation from ...
Employee perceptions of manager humor orientation, assertiveness, responsiveness, approach/avoidance strategies, and satisfaction

The goal of this study was to learn more about the communication behaviors of managers who use humor. More specifically, this study examined relationships among employees’ perceptions of managers’ humor orientation, assertiveness, responsiveness, avoidance strategies, approach strategies, and overall manager satisfaction. Participants were 164 individuals that work 30 hours per week. Employees’ perception of manager humor orientation (HO) was positively and significantly correlated with perceptions of manager responsiveness, satisfaction, and approach strategies. Manager HO was also negatively and significantly associated with avoidance strategies. Findings from this study were, for the most part, consistent with those from previous humor research in the corporate and educational contexts (Rizzo, Wanzer, & Booth‐Butterfield, 2000; Wanzer & Frymier, 1999).
Transesophageal Echocardiography Screening in Subjects with a First Cerebrovascular Ischemic Event

Our goal was to develop decision guides to predict the presence of a high-risk source of embolus and to predict a change in management following transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in subjects who present with a first cerebral ischemic event. We conducted a retrospective review of subjects age ≥18 years who underwent TEE after a first ischemic event and were admitted to our stroke service between 2004 and 2007 (n = 287). A high-risk source of embolus and a change in clinical management (including medication changes or subsequent testing) were analyzed as separate endpoints, using multivariate techniques and receiver operating characteristic curves. We found that 14.3% of the subjects had a high-risk source, and an additional 61.3% had a potential (or low-risk) source of embolus. Increasing age and no history of diabetes mellitus were independently associated with a high-risk source of embolus. TEE would be recommended for nondiabetic individuals age ≥66 years (sensitivity, 68%; specificity, 76%). The area under the curve (AUC) for detecting a high-risk source was 0.773. TEE results changed medications or clinical management in 30.3% of the subjects. Current smokers were less likely to undergo a change in management. The AUC was uninformative (0.56) for predicting changes in management. Subjects presenting with a first ischemic event age ≥66 years may benefit from TEE. Although changes in management occurred in at least 30% of our cohort, no factors that predicted a change in management better than chance alone could be identified.
Influence of the equilibration process in supernova remnant shocks on their X-ray and coronal iron surface brightnesses

SNR model computation results have been obtained which indicate that the radial distribution of soft X-ray and forbidden coronal Fe surface brightnesses in adiabatic, middle-aged SNRs can be used as a basis of discrimination for whether the equilibration time is short or long, by comparison with the ionization time-scale. These models are based on a grid of Sedov-Taylor models with time-dependent, nonequilibrium collisional ionization of 13 chemical elements; the two extreme equilibration conditions assumed are T(ion) = T(e) and a Coulomb equilibration of ion and electron temperatures. The models are compared with data taken from X-ray images of the Cygnus Loop and Puppis A.
Quantitative Visualization of the Flow in a Centrifugal Pump With Diffuser Vanes—I: On Flow Structures and Turbulence

Particle image velocimetry measurements are used to identify the unsteady flow structures and turbulence in a transparent centrifugal pump with a vaned diffuser. The experiments are being performed in a special facility that enables simultaneous measurements of the flow between the impeller blades, the gap between the impeller and the diffuser, between the diffuser vanes and in the volute. A custom-made 2 KX2 K digital camera with a unique digital image-shifting feature is used to record the images. For the measurements made close to design conditions, phase averaged velocity and vorticity fields are presented along with the corresponding turbulent stresses at different impeller blade orientations (relative to diffuser vanes). The statistically converged results show that the entire flow field is dominated by wakes generated by impeller blades, diffuser vanes, and unsteady separation phenomena. The boundary layer structure in the diffuser and the associated turbulence are strongly affected by the unsteadiness generated by the impeller. The impact of the impeller blade orientation includes direct effects, jetting ahead and a trailing wake behind the blade, as well as indirect effects, such as two types of flow separation within the diffuser
Finitely recursive process models for discrete event systems

A class of discrete-event models called finitely recursive processes (FRP) is introduced. These models are motivated by problems in supervisory control, while some of the formal structure is based on C.A.R. Hoare's (1985) communicating sequential processes. Although only preliminary work is presented, it is believed that for many problems it offers a formalism that is superior to that of finite-state machines recently introduced in control theory. Simple examples illustrate the calculus of operators for FRPs. A more complex exercise is worked out to show how the formalism is used to construct a scheme for handling connections in a data network. This preliminary work needs to be extended in several directions, especially in directions that can assist implementation of real controllers based on the FRP formalism. Some specific suggestions towards this end are made. >
Massive Intra-Abdominal Imatinib-Resistant Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor in a 21-Year-Old Male

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) in adolescence are far less common than adult GISTs and have varied GIST genotypes that present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Here, we discuss a 21-year-old male with diagnosis of unresectable, imatinib-resistant GIST. At initial evaluation, a neoadjuvant treatment approach was recommended. As such, the patient received imatinib over the course of one year. Unfortunately, the GIST increased in size, and a subsequent attempt at surgical resection was aborted fearing infiltration of major vascular structures. The patient was then referred to our institution, at which time imatinib therapy was discontinued. Surgical intervention was again considered and the patient underwent successful resection of massive intra-abdominal GIST with total gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy. Since pediatric GISTs are typically resistant to imatinib, we performed genotype analysis of the operative specimen that revealed KIT mutations associated with imatinib sensitivity and resistance. Given the sequencing data and operative findings, the patient was started postoperatively on sunitinib. This case illustrates the importance of understanding both adult and pediatric GISTs when implementing appropriate treatment regimens. Since the genotype of GISTs dictates phenotypic behavior, mutational analysis is an important component of care especially for adolescents whose disease may mirror the pediatric or adult population.
DNA LESION RECOGNITION BY THE BACTERIAL REPAIR ENZYME MUTM

MutM is a bacterial DNA glycosylase that removes the mutagenic lesion 8-oxoguanine (oxoG) from duplex DNA. The means of oxoG recognition by MutM (also known as Fpg) is of fundamental interest, in light of the vast excess of normal guanine bases present in genomic DNA. The crystal structure of a recognition-competent but catalytically inactive version of MutM in complex with oxoG-containing DNA reveals the structural basis for recognition. MutM binds the oxoG nucleoside in the syn glycosidic configuration and distinguishes oxoG from guanine by reading out the protonation state of the N7 atom. The segment of MutM principally responsible for oxoG recognition is a flexible loop, suggesting that conformational mobility influences lesion recognition and catalysis. Furthermore, the structure of MutM in complex with DNA containing an alternative substrate, dihydrouracil, demonstrates how MutM is able to recognize lesions other than oxoG.
A Multi-Institutional Experience of Isolated Limb Infusion: Defining Response and Toxicity in the US

Background Isolated limb infusion (ILI) is a minimally invasive approach for treating in-transit extremity melanoma, with only two US single-center studies reported. Establishing response and toxicity to ILI as compared with hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion is important for optimizing future regional chemotherapeutic strategies in melanoma. Study Design Patient characteristics and procedural variables were collected retrospectively from 162 ILIs performed at 8 institutions (2001 to 2008) and compared using chi-square and Student's t -test. ILIs were performed for 30 minutes in patients with in-transit melanoma. Melphalan dose was corrected for ideal body weight (IBW) in 42% (n = 68) of procedures. Response was determined at 3 months by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors; toxicity was assessed using the Wieberdink Limb Toxicity Scale. Results In 128 evaluable patients, complete response rate was 31%, partial response rate was 33%, and there was no response in 36% of patients. For all patients (n = 162), 36% had Wieberdink toxicity grade ≥3 with one toxicity-related amputation. On multivariate analysis, smaller limb volumes were associated with better overall response (p = 0.021). Use of papaverine in the circuit to achieve cutaneous vasodilation was associated with better response (p Conclusions In the first multi-institutional analysis of ILI, a complete response rate of 31% was achieved with acceptable toxicity demonstrating this procedure to be a reasonable alternative to hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion in the management of advanced extremity melanoma.
Characterization of single crystal films of molybdenum (011) grown by molecular beam epitaxy on sapphire (112̄0) and studied by low-energy electron microscopy

Abstract Films of molybdenum grown on the (1120) plane of sapphire (Al 2 O 3 ) are characterized using low-energy microscopy and low-energy electron diffraction. Stress fields observed on the Mo surface originate at dislocations and at miscut steps of the buried molybdenum–alumina vicinal interface. As-grown films contain small-angle grain boundaries. These are largely eliminated upon heating to 1700 K as edge dislocations that form the boundaries become extremely mobile. Edge dislocations attract and annihilate one another, and the small-angle grain boundaries disappear. Mobility of edge dislocations is correlated with rapid diffusion of carbon, which apparently pins dislocations up to temperatures that allow diffusion of carbon from dislocations into the bulk. The main contaminants of the Mo surface are carbon, oxygen and carbon monoxide. The most stable impurities are carbides that persist to 1700 K. Oxygen promotes bunching of monatomic steps into groups of two, three and four. Electron beams dissociate CO with energy less than 1 eV and deposit residues of carbon. Fairly ideal single crystal films of Mo produced by annealing exhibit monatomic surface step and terrace structure, and a minimum of dislocations. The quality of surfaces on these films exceeds that of typical single crystal bulk samples and is well suited for fundamental studies in surface science.
Delivering an Evidence-Based Mental Health Treatment to Underserved Populations Using Telemedicine: The Case of a Trauma-Affected Adolescent in a Rural Setting

Abstract Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based psychological treatment that can effectively ameliorate symptoms of depression and anxiety that are common responses to trauma exposure. However, access to high-quality mental health services can be problematic, especially for traditionally underserved populations such as rural/remote residents, racial/ethnic minorities, and those from low socioeconomic strata. Individuals living in remote areas encounter additional obstacles to care, including long travel distances to reach services, increased time out of work or school, lack of access to transportation, and childcare difficulties. Many rural/remote communities struggle with scarcity of resources in general, and specialized mental health resources specifically, which may inadvertently exclude patients from obtaining the most appropriate health care. Telemedicine, or the use of Internet-based video conferencing, allows a patient live and direct virtual access to specialized mental health care providers. This article examines the application of TF-CBT via telemedicine to treat trauma exposure in a teenager living in a rural setting. Though this case example originates in the rural southeastern United States, the barriers and concepts addressed are generalizable to other remote areas in the United States and worldwide. Specific attention is given to evidence-based treatments for trauma, the merits of the telemedicine modality, and confidentiality considerations when using Internet-based teleconferencing for the application of psychological services.
Syntheses and Model Complexation Studies of Well-Defined Crown Terminated Polymers

A TEMPO-based free radical initiator (4a) containing a dibenzo-24-crown-8 (DB24C8, 2a) moiety was synthesized. A similar initiator (4b) based on bis(m-phenylene)-32-crown-10 (BMP32C10, 1b) was also synthesized. The crown-based initiators were used to prepare crown ether terminated polystyrenes of narrow molecular weight distribution (PDI). The DB24C8-terminated polymer 5 was demonstrated to form a pseudorotaxane complex (18) with dibenzylammonium hexafluorophosphate (17), but because of its small cavity, 5 cannot complex bulky N,N‘-dialkyl-4,4‘-bipyridinium (paraquat or viologen) salts. On the other hand, the BMP32C10-terminated polymer 11 complexed N,N‘-bis(p-tert-butylbenzyl)-4,4‘-pyridinium bis(hexafluorophosphate (paraquat salt, 23) strongly, but did not interact with dibenzylammonium hexafluorophosphate (17) to a detectable extent. Therefore, these new polymeric hosts are capable macromolecular building blocks for supramacromolecular chemistry using pseudorotaxane complexation, and furthermore, both ...
The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Responsibilities of An Employer

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed by Presiden Bush on July 26, 1990. The law eventually will affect all private employers with 15 or more workers and all places and services open to the public. The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, public services and transportations, public accommodations, and telecommunications services. Senator Robert Dole states: “I supported ADA from the beginning because 43 million disabled Americans deserve to be brought into the mainstream of American life‐to enjoy a meal at a restaurant, to see their favorite movie, to travel on public transportation, to communicate by telephone, or to cheer at a ballgame. The ADA's unmistakable message to America is that inequality and prejudice are unacceptable. The ADA's important message to people with disabilities is that your time has come to live independently with dignity, to exercise your rights to participate in all aspects of American life” [2, p. xiii].
Benign Anorectal and Rectovaginal Fistulas

Although infrequently life-threatening, rectovaginal fistulas are an aggravation to both patients and surgeons. Passing flatus or stool through the vagina is understandably distressing to patients; the lack of a uniformly successful repair is frustrating to surgeons.
Photoproduction of vector mesons with a 16 GeV bremsstrahlung beam

Abstract The high energy cross sections and t distributions for ω and ⊘ photoproduction have been measured. Using our published ϱ o data, these results, and their vector dominance model we calculate the total hadronic photon-photon cross sections obtaining values in good agreement with direct measurements.
Child resiliency in inner-city families affected by HIV: the role of family variables

This study examined the role of family variables in child resiliency within a sample of African-American, inner-city children whose mothers are HIV-infected. Variables from three dimensions of the family were included: family structural variables, maternal variables, and mother-child (parenting) variables. The participants were 82 children between the ages of 6 and 11 and their HIV-infected mothers. Correlational analyses indicated that resiliency was associated only with three parenting variables: parent-child relationship, parental monitoring, and parental structure in the home. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated a multiplicative relationship between parental monitoring and parent-child relationship and between parental monitoring and parental structure in the home, suggesting that parenting variables potentiate each other. Clinical implications of the findings are considered.