cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Disturbed and Undisturbed Soil Core Methods to Estimate Nitrogen-Mineralization Rates in Manured Agricultural Soils

Ion exchange resin / soil cores are a common in situ approach to estimating soil nitrogen (N) mineralization rates. However, no studies compare the two common methods of core preparation (disturbed and undisturbed). The objective of our study was to compare N mineralized and soil temperature in disturbed versus undisturbed cores of manured agricultural soils. Undisturbed cores were prepared by driving aluminum tubes (25 cm long with 10 cm inner diameter) into soil, removing the tubes, and then inserting an ion-exchange resin bag beneath the soil at the bottom of the tube. Disturbed cores were prepared with the same materials, but soil was excavated, mixed, and then filled into tubes fitted with ion-exchange resin bags at the bottom. Soil from six agricultural fields (five of which had more than 10 years of regular dairy manure application) was incubated over four time periods during summer and winter. A total of 13 soil / incubation-period combinations were tested. Disturbed cores tended to have more N mi...
Diagnostic and therapeutic approach to pancreatic cancer

Summary Adenocarcinoma of the pancreas ranks fourth as a cause of cancer death in adults in the United States and is the second most common cause of cancer deaths of all GI-related carcinomas. It usually presents late in its course. The clinical features are discussed, with emphasis on those that allow early detection of the disease, as well as a review of diagnostic methods and pre- and perioperative staging, which will allow the appropriate application of surgical and palliative therapeutic modalities. Despite the significant progress that has been made, further research studies are needed to advance our therapeutic approach to this aggressive cancer.
Dual Mechanisms for Neural Binding and Segmentation

We propose that the binding and segmentation of visual features is mediated by two complementary mechanisms; a low resolution, spatial-based, resource-free process and a high resolution, temporal-based, resource-limited process. In the visual cortex, the former depends upon the orderly topographic organization in striate and extrastriate areas while the latter may be related to observed temporal relationships between neuronal activities. Computer simulations illustrate the role the two mechanisms play in figure/ground discrimination, depth-from-occlusion, and the vividness of perceptual completion.
Predictors of preterm infant feeding methods and perceived insufficient milk supply at week 12 postpartum.

As part of a large, nonexperimental, prospective, longitudinal study, 94 pump-dependent mothers of a nonnursing preterm infant were queried via telephone at weeks 8 to 12 post-partum about their in...
Fault-Tolerant Asynchronous Networks

The design of fault-tolerant asynchronous networks has been an unsolved problem. In this paper, necessary and sufficient conditions on state assignments for fault-tolerant asynchronous networks are given. Three design techniques, based on Liu's 2so - 1 assignment, Friedman et al.'s (2, 2) separating system, and (2s o + 1) assignments, are given for fault-tolerant asynchronous networks. The earlier Liu's upper bound on state variables for USTI assignment for 2so rows is improved to 2so - 2so?3.
Interactive object definition in medical images using multiscale, geometric image descriptions

The medical image object definition method, which involves automatic computation of a region-based image description, along with a region containment directed acyclic graph (RCDAG) induced from the description by multiscale analysis of image structures, is described. The information resulting from this computation provides the basis for interactive object definition, during which the human user inserts semantics into the image description through additions to and alteration of the automatically computed RCDAG. A tool for interactive object definition, the Image Hierarchy Editor (IHE) is also described. Design criteria and resulting design decisions for this tool are presented, followed by a discussion of preliminary image segmentation and object definition results. For comparison papers see ibid., p.94-101 and ibid., p.102-7. >
Modeling scattered EM field from a periodic building facade

Modeling the interaction between realistic building walls/facades and electromagnetic (EM) waves is important for accurate propagation prediction for wireless communications systems [1, 2]. Due to the complex and often periodic structure of building walls/facades, the EM fields scattered from or transmitted through the wall/facade usually have complicated patterns which could not be accurately modeled by simple ray tracing methods. In [1], based on numerical simulation and experimental verification, a ray-model is proposed to simulate the transmission of EM waves through metal-framed windows. In [2], a statistical model for scattered EM fields from building facade has been developed. It is proposed to classify the scattered fields into two categories according to the specular and non-specular directions. This idea can be integrated into ray tracing algorithms although the accuracy and computational cost are yet to be experimentally tested.
A Wireless Sensor Network Simulation for Highway Intersection Collision Prevention

A number of innovative methodologies have been developed in an effort to stem the number of collisions that occur at intersections. A number of collision avoidance systems involve the deployment of sensors before the intersection to relay important information to the base station (BS) which controls a stop/warning signal visible to the driver. To this end a study of the limitations that sensor-intersection distance, sensor spacing, the number of sensors, measurement noise and variance in acceleration of a vehicle are examined through simulation of a sensor network. Specifically, a network employing magnetic field sensors that communicate wirelessly with the BS is examined, with the idea that general design principles can be applied to various other types of sensor networks. Special emphasis is placed on rural intersections which typically have static intersection driver directions (stop/yield signs) rather than traffic lights. Thorough analysis of the simulated system performance under ideal and non-ideal conditions is provided.
Concept to commit: A pattern designed to trace code changes from user requests to change implementation by analyzing mailing lists and code repositories

The concept to commit pattern is used for tracing code changes from user requests (analyzing the mailing list) to change implementation (analyzing the code repository). The analysis is done via text mining of both emails and commits descriptions in 4 stages. The first stage is identifying a search time window for the mailing list by evaluating a targeted commit time stamp. Once a window is established, the body of the mailing list is reduced to match the search window. The next stage involves basic text mining processing (tokenization, stemming, and document matrix creation). The final step is to perform frequency analysis (word cloud, heat map, or dendrogram).
Feline hypertrophic cardio-myopathy: Variations on a theme

The history and the physical, radiographic, electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, haemo-dynamic and angiocardiographic findings from 18 cats with idiopathic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are described. These data document a diverse spectrum of clinical manifestations of this disease in cats. The variety and complexity of feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy complicate the diagnosis and challenge the idea that this disorder is a single disease entity.
Types of Puritan Piety

The Practice of Piety by Lewis Bayly was one of the most famous treatises ever penned by a Puritan. This devotional manual went through numerous editions and was translated into six languages, including into German by Philip Jacob Spener. Piety is the term that best expresses Puritan religiousness. Spirituality was a term seldom employed by Puritans, and when used it never referred to their essential religiousness. Today spirituality is used as a description of all forms of piety, though originally it referred to a particular kind of piety, namely that which developed out of monasticism. Roman Catholic spirituality, whether lay or clerical, has been shaped by the massive presence of monasticism. But Protestant piety has been shaped by the massive absence of that monastic ideal. Hence, the term piety will be used in an effort to delineate Puritan religiousness.
Deduction of a Model for Sperm Storage in the Oviduct of the Domestic Fowl (Gallus domesticus)

Abstract The mechanism of sperm storage in the fowl oviduct has remained a mystery since the 1960s, when sperm storage tubules (SST) were discovered between the shell gland and vagina. Previously, it was known that only motile sperm could ascend the vagina and enter these tubules. However, the means by which sperm resided therein was not clear. Research with computer-assisted sperm motion analysis has demonstrated that 1) seminal plasma glutamate acts as a motility agonist via N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors; 2) motility depends on extracellular Ca2+ and Na+; 3) straight-line velocity is a variable with a skewed distribution; 4) sperm cell trajectory is a function of straight-line velocity; and 5) specific inhibition of phospholipase A2 renders sperm immotile. An additional experiment demonstrated that Ca2+ acts as a second messenger and thereby modulates the content of long-chain acylcarnitine within sperm. Therefore, it is proposed that 1) the release of endogenous fatty acids fuels sperm as they ascend ...
THE FUNDAMENTAL GROUP OF THE DOUBLE OF THE FIGURE-EIGHT KNOT EXTERIOR IS GFERF

We prove that the fundamental group of the double of the figure-eight knot exterior admits a faithful discrete representation into SO(4,1; R), for which the image group is separable on its geometrically finite subgroups.
Adiposity is The Enemy: Body Composition and Insulin Sensitivity

It was once thought that declining insulin sensitivity was associated with age—the older you get, the more insulin resistant you become. However, since the advent of advanced imaging techniques in the 1980s and 1990s, it has become apparent that insulin resistance is actually associated with the increase in body fatness that occurs during aging, rather than aging per se. In addition, these imaging techniques have fueled the debate about which regional adipose depot—total body fat, subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, or deep subcutaneous fat—contributes most significantly to insulin resistance. This debate, in turn, has spurred investigation into the mechanisms behind the detrimental effect of body fat on insulin sensitivity. So, the goal of this chapter is to unravel some of the literature dedicated to assessing the effect of body composition on insulin sensitivity and to track the effect of body fatness on insulin sensitivity through the human lifespan—from childhood precursors to adult disease.
Double-level metallurgy defect study

A double-level metallurgy (DLM) test chip having purposely induced nonrandom quartz insulation defects (cracks and holes) is used to study the behavior of the defects under accelerated temperature-voltage stress conditions. Data obtained from this stress are analyzed and used to calculate activation energies for an Arrhenius-voltage dependent model.
A Notional Worlds Approach to Confusion

: People often become confused, mistaking one thing for another, or taking two things to be the same. How should we assign semantic values to confused statements? Recently, philosophers have taken a pessimistic view of confusion, arguing that understanding confused belief demands significant departure from our normal interpretive practice. I argue for optimism. Our semantic treatment of confusion can be a lot like our semantic treatment of empty names. Surprisingly, perhaps, the resulting semantics lets us keep in place more of our everyday interpretive practices in the face of confused belief.
A Mediation Hypothesis to Account for the Sex Difference in Reported Number of Sexual Partners

Abstract Men may gauge their own status by comparing themselves to other men in terms of how many sexual partners they have had. In so doing, men who have had more sexual partners appear to have higher status than a man with fewer past sexual partners. In Study 1, men were more likely than women to use their perceived amount of sexual success as a means of assessing status: accounting for the sex difference in reported number of sex partners. In Study 2, men viewed sexual success as more prestigious than women, as demonstrated experimentally. Men may be more likely to boost reports about their sex life both in real-life and in surveys as functions of (1) their perception that with more sex comes more prestige and (2) the desire to enhance their perceived status among others.
Context matters: A model of the factors associated with the effectiveness of youth entrepreneurship training

Government and development organizations are increasingly turning to entrepreneurship training programmes as a means of assisting those caught in poverty to develop the skills needed to find or create employment. Drawing on case studies from East Africa, this article argues that while such programmes offer a potentially useful strategy for enabling youth to access and create employment opportunities, they are, in and of themselves, an insufficient strategy for sustained improvement in the livelihood of participants. The article presents a model of contextual factors that it argues have broader applicability and relevance than the models currently in wide use. Without sufficient attention to those factors, the shift toward entrepreneurship training as an approach to poverty alleviation may place undue burdens and unachievable expectations on the very youth such programmes are designed to support.
DenseSense: interactive crowd simulation using density-dependent filters

We present a novel algorithm to model density-dependent behaviors in crowd simulation. Our approach aims to generate pedestrian trajectories that correspond to the speed/density relationships that are typically expressed using the Fundamental Diagram. The algorithm's formulation can be easily combined with well-known multi-agent simulation techniques that use social forces or reciprocal velocity obstacles for local navigation. Our approach results in better utilization of free space by the pedestrians and has a small computational overhead. We are able to generate human-like dense crowd behaviors in large indoor and outdoor environments; we validate our results by comparing them with captured crowd trajectories.
Cognitive Profiles of Normal Human Aging

Age-related changes in cognition are evident in a number of cognitive domains. However, recent evidence indicates that it is not the result of widespread neuronal loss, as previously thought. Instead it appears that other neurobiologic factors are primarily responsible for age-related changes in cognition, including molecular changes within memory circuits and focal neuronal loss within subcortical nuclei that project widely to cortex.
Reduction of experimental vein graft intimal hyperplasia and preservation of nitric oxide-mediated relaxation by the nitric oxide precursor L-arginine

BACKGROUND: Previous studies in animals and human beings have shown that vein bypass grafts exhibit diminished endothelium-dependent relaxation and the development of intimal hyperplasia. This study examines the effect of L-arginine on experimental vein graft endothelial cell function and the development of intimal hyperplasia. METHODS: Common carotid vein bypass grafts were performed in 24 New Zealand White rabbits: 12 were controls and 12 received L-arginine (2.25%) orally 7 days before operation and thereafter until harvest 28 days after operation. Intimal and medial dimensions were determined by planimetry on pressure-fixed vessels. Relaxation to acetylcholine, serotonin, calcium ionophore (A23187), and sodium nitroprusside was performed on precontracted vessel rings. RESULTS: Arginine-treated vein grafts showed a 47% reduction in mean intimal thickness (p < 0.001) compared with controls. By scanning and transmission electron microscopy, all vein grafts showed a confluent endothelium. In contrast to control grafts, which do not relax to acetylcholine and serotonin, arginine-treated vein grafts relaxed in response to both agonists. There was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the maximal relaxation to calcium ionophore (A23187) in arginine-treated vein grafts compared with control grafts. Non-endothelium-dependent responses to sodium nitroprusside were equivalent in all vein grafts. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that oral L-arginine supplementation significantly reduces intimal hyperplasia and preserves nitric oxide-mediated relaxation in experimental vein grafts, suggesting a role for nitric oxide in the regulation of the cellular events that lead to intimal hyperplasia.
Use of Pericranial Flap Coverage in Cochlear Implantation of the Radical Cavity Rationale, Technique, and Experience

Cochlear implant (CI) surgery in the setting of an open mastoid cavity is evolving. Two strategies are commonly pursued: a staged approach, clearing the disease, closing the meatus or the external auditory canal (EAC), and reevaluating in 3 to 6 months prior to implantation, or a single-stage procedure with mastoid obliteration without EAC closure. Meatal closure is often employed in the setting of an open mastoid cavity to reduce the risk of electrode extrusion and infection. An open cavity offers the advantages of being a single-stage procedure, permitting direct surveillance for recurrent cholesteatoma, and reducing the need for repeat computed tomography scans. We describe an approach to the coverage of a CI within a dry, open mastoid cavity using an anteriorly-based postauricular pericranial flap.
Sex education and the prevention of child sexual abuse

AbstractThe current focus on what children can do to prevent child sexual abuse overlooks the power of the offender in determining whether abuse takes place. At the present there is enough known about the offender to begin designing and implementing programs to prevent the development of sexually abusive behaviors in the first place. This paper summarizes information about the offender and outlines the components of a prevention program, including universal sex education, the development of self-esteem, and a clear understanding of what constitutes exploitative behavior. The prevention of child sexual abuse will entail wide-spread social change, and require the cooperation of many individuals from many walks of life: parents, educators, researchers, clinicians, school board members, and legislators.
Heart Rate Variability as a Predictor of Death in Burn Patients

Heart rate variability (HRV), a noninvasive technique used to quantify fluctuations in the interval between normal heart beats (NN), is a predictor of mortality in some patient groups. The aim of this study was to assess HRV in burn trauma patients as a predictor of mortality. The authors prospectively performed 24-hour Holter monitoring on burn patients and collected demographic information, burn injury details, and in-hospital clinical events. Analysis of HRV in the time and frequency domains was performed. A total of 40 burn patients with a mean age of 44 ± 15 years were enrolled. Mean %TBSA burn was 27 ± 22% for the overall population and was significantly higher in those who died compared with those who survived (55 ± 23% vs 19 ± 13%; P < .0001). There was a statistically significant inverse linear correlation between SD of NN intervals and %TBSA (r = -.337, R = 0.113, 95% CI = -0.587 to -0.028, two-tailed P = .034), as well as with ultra low frequency power and %TBSA burn (r = -0.351, R = 0.123, 95% CI = -0.152 to -0.009; P = .027). The receiver-operator characteristic showed the area under the curve for %TBSA as a predictor of death was 0.82 (P < .001), for SDANN was 0.94 (P < .0001), and for ultra low frequency power was 0.96 (P < .0001). Deranged HRV in the early postburn period is a strong predictor of death.
Tilted Aligned Epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 Nanocolumnar Films with Enhanced Low-Field Magnetoresistance by Pulsed Laser Oblique-Angle Deposition

Single-phase epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) thin films with significantly enhanced low-field magnetoresistance (LFMR) properties (23% at 20 K) are demonstrated in this work. The LSMO films on SrTiO3 (001) substrates exhibit tilted and well-aligned nanocolumn structure achieved by pulsed laser oblique-angle deposition (PLOAD) followed by subsequent postannealing. The tilted aligned nanocolumnar (TAN) arrays have been achieved at relative high deposition angles (≥30o) and low deposition temperatures (≤450 °C). More attractively, the tilted grain boundaries (GBs) can be systematically manipulated by the postannealing process and so can the LFMR values of the LSMO TAN films. These results demonstrate that the tilted nanocolumnar films achieved by PLOAD and the GB tailoring by postannealing may provide a new approach to control and manipulate the magnetotransport properties of single-phase manganite perovskite films for device applications that require large LFMR effects, high epitaxial quality, and low resis...
Electronic inhomogeneity in n - and p -type PbTe detected by 125 Te NMR

${}^{125}$Te nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and spin-lattice relaxation of $n$- and $p$-type PbTe, self-doping narrow band-gap semiconductors, have been studied and compared to those of $p$-type GeTe. Spin-lattice relaxation in GeTe can be fit by one component, while that in both PbTe samples must be fit by at least two components, showing electronically homogeneous and inhomogeneous materials, respectively. For PbTe-based materials, the spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/${T}_{1}$ increases linearly with carrier concentration. The data for GeTe fall on the same line and allow us to extend this plot to higher concentrations. Long and short ${T}_{1}$ components in both PbTe samples reflect ``low,'' \ensuremath{\sim}10${}^{17}$ cm${}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$, and ``high,'' \ensuremath{\sim}10${}^{18}$ cm${}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$, carrier concentration components. Carrier concentrations in both $n$- and $p$-type PbTe samples obtained from the Hall and Seebeck effects generally match the ``high'' carrier concentration component, and to some extent, ignore the ``low'' one. This demonstrates that the Hall and Seebeck effects may have a limited ability for the determination of carrier concentration in complex thermoelectric PbTe-based and other multicomponent materials.
Molecular defects in rare bleeding disorders : Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia

Vascular diseases may mimic coagulopathies by presenting as a haemorrhagic state. The archetypal example of an inherited disorder resulting in haemorrhage from dilated vessels of the microvasculature (telangiectasia) is Hereditary Haemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT, Rendu-Osler-Weber syndrome). This autosomal dominant disorder is characterised by haemorrhage from nasal, mucocutaneous and gastrointestinal telangiectasia, in addition to vascular anomalies in other organs, particularly in the pulmonary, hepatic and cerebral circulations. Linkage analyses have indicated there are at least three HHT loci, including the genes for endoglin on chromosome 9, and activin-like receptor kinase (ALK1) on chromosome 12. Mutations in these genes, together with recent data on the normal function of the encoded proteins highlight the role of TGF-b family members in the pathogenesis of HHT. Complimentary information from other telangiectatic states indicates potential precipitants, and indicate a critical role for TGF-beta ligand-receptor interactions in vascular homeostasis.
Rocaglates convert DEAD-box protein eIF4A into a sequence-selective translational repressor

Rocaglamide A (RocA) typifies a class of protein synthesis inhibitors that selectively kill aneuploid tumour cells and repress translation of specific messenger RNAs. RocA targets eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A), an ATP-dependent DEAD-box RNA helicase; its messenger RNA selectivity is proposed to reflect highly structured 5' untranslated regions that depend strongly on eIF4A-mediated unwinding. However, rocaglate treatment may not phenocopy the loss of eIF4A activity, as these drugs actually increase the affinity between eIF4A and RNA. Here we show that secondary structure in 5' untranslated regions is only a minor determinant for RocA selectivity and that RocA does not repress translation by reducing eIF4A availability. Rather, in vitro and in cells, RocA specifically clamps eIF4A onto polypurine sequences in an ATP-independent manner. This artificially clamped eIF4A blocks 43S scanning, leading to premature, upstream translation initiation and reducing protein expression from transcripts bearing the RocA-eIF4A target sequence. In elucidating the mechanism of selective translation repression by this lead anti-cancer compound, we provide an example of a drug stabilizing sequence-selective RNA-protein interactions.
Equality, the Family, and the Law

Limitations on the rights of women cannot be adequately challenged without due process and equality of access and resources. The law is one of the many instruments that women can utilize in their efforts to gain justice in an unjust society. But laws that are not founded on reality are more likely to be abusive. Major parts of our lives are dominated by assumptions which are based on tradition and the notions of bygone eras which no longer hold within them the ring of truth. Outworn assumptions weigh heavily on each of us, and on humanity as a whole. Unless we find the courage and integrity to tap our own raw experience, rather than ready made preparations, we fall victim to a crime that is never taken up in a book of law — the crime of thoughtlessness. This was the message of Clara Wichmann, a Dutch lawyer and women’s advocate of the early 1900s (van Walsum, 1989). It remains the challenge of the world of women and their families as we approach the 21st century.
Rapid dissolution of plutonium metal in sulfamic acid followed by conversion to a nitric acid medium

Plutonium metal that does not meet product purity specifications and aged plutonium metal into which /sup 241/Am has grown must be recycled through a recovery and purification process. At the Savannah River Plant (SRP), the initial recycle step is dissolution of the metal. Since about 1962, sulfamic acid has been the accepted dissolvent in the SRP process. This paper dicusses the dissolving of plutonium metal in sulfamic aid. 4 refs.
Child marriage and intimate partner violence: a comparative study of 34 countries.

Background : Studies in South Asia suggest that child marriage is a strong risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV), but evidence outside the region is lacking. Methods : This study uses standardized data from demographic and health surveys in 34 countries to test the hypothesis that young women (age 20-24) who married as children are at increased risk of past year physical and/or sexual IPV as compared with those women who married as adults. Results : Globally, 9% of respondents were married before they turned 15; another 25% were married between the ages of 15 and 17. Past year physical and/or sexual IPV was higher among women who married as children (29%) compared with those who married as adults (20%). This difference persisted in logistic regression models that adjust for sociodemographic characteristics [odds ratio (OR) 1.41 (1.30-1.52) for marriage before 15, and 1.42 (1.35-1.50) for marriage at 15-17]. However, there was considerable heterogeneity between countries: marriage before age 15 was associated with a combined measure of past year physical and/or sexual IPV in nine countries; women married between 15 and 17 were at increased risk of physical and/or sexual IPV in 19 countries. This heterogeneity was most evident in sub-Saharan Africa, and warrants further investigation in so far as it may help identify protective policies and norms. Conclusion : Substantial reductions in IPV will likely require interventions to combat child marriage itself and to protect women from IPV within child marriages.
Uncovering difficulties in learning for the intermediate programmer

Within computer science education, we have spent considerable effort on the introduction to the discipline (particularly to programming) and the teaching of novice programmers. However, we do not often think about the teaching and learning for the intermediate students. Having data about student's perceptions coming into a second year data structures course, it became of interest to systematically analyze the data to see what if any interesting patterns or results we could see in this information. Using the data from a first day of class general survey, we were able to gather information about student's perceived level of difficulty with some of the major topics that they have studied up until this point in the curriculum. The first half of the survey consisted of ten Likert-type items representing ten different topics in the previous courses. We are able to present quantitative analysis of the students perceived level of difficulty with these topics. The second half of the survey asked several open-ended questions about their learning. In this paper, we also provide analysis of the first of these questions which asked them to identify a topic that they studied previously that they still do not understand well. While not yet giving us the ability to generalize, this data shows some interesting information about students' perceived difficulty at a point in the curriculum that is not often studied, the intermediate years, and the results make an interesting case for further exploration of this problem with a larger group of students at more and diverse institutions.
Parental attachment, romantic competence, relationship satisfaction, and psychosocial adjustment in emerging adulthood

Research has found significant relations between attachment to parents and psychosocial adjustment. This study explored parental attachment and psychosocial adjustment during emerging adulthood with romantic competence and relationship satisfaction as mediators. In a sample of 188 emerging adult college students, results revealed that mother and father attachment uniquely predicted greater life satisfaction and less distress. Regression analyses showed that romantic competence predicted better psychosocial adjustment, controlling for attachment style and mutuality, and significantly mediated, along with relationship satisfaction, the link between mother attachment and psychosocial adjustment. Additionally, patterns of secure parental attachment, when compared with avoidant or ambivalent attachment, were associated with better psychosocial adjustment. Clearly, secure attachment provides a template for successful romantic relationship development and thereby contributes to greater psychosocial adjustment.
Major Payoffs: Postcollege Income, Graduate School, and the Choice of “Risky” Undergraduate Majors

Although the bachelor’s degree is considered the “great equalizer,” returns vary substantially by field of study, particularly in the years immediately following graduation. In the first section of...
Adaptive Dc link voltage control scheme for single phase inverters with dynamic power decoupling

Power density and efficiency are important metrics for power converters in many applications including renewable energy interface. Combined with the desire to replace the bulky, unreliable electrolytic dc link capacitors with film or ceramic capacitors due to reliability concerns, this has led to the trend of allowing increasingly higher double line frequency dc link voltage ripple. This paper discusses a scheme to improve the system overall efficiency by implementing an adaptive dc link voltage control scheme under different operating conditions for a recently introduced class of single phase inverter topologies that operate with very large dc link voltage ripple. The relationship between the minimum necessary dc link voltage for different input voltage, apparent power and power factor are analyzed and the optimal dc link voltage average value are derived analytically. The analysis and benefits of the proposed scheme are validated on a single-phase inverter hardware prototype employing SiC MOSFETs and DSP28335 for control implementation. The scheme can decrease the dc link voltage average value by 24.1% while decreasing the total loss of the inverter by around 20% compared to a design that does not use the adaptive dc link approach.
First-Season Crop Yield Response to Organic Soil Amendments: A Meta-Analysis

Author(s): Wortman, SE; Holmes, AA; Miernicki, E; Knoche, K; Pittelkow, CM | Abstract: Organic soil amendments are increasingly promoted as a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilizers and as a tool for building soil quality through improved chemical, physical, and biological properties. However, short-term yield response to organic amendments is highly variable. A meta-analysis of 53 studies was conducted to (i) develop a global estimate of first-season crop yield response to organic amendments, and (ii) determine the effect of crop type, amendment characteristics, soil properties, cultural practices, and climate on the magnitude of this yield response. Yield response ratios were calculated (organic amendment yield compared to a non-fertilized control) and differences among groups were determined using 95% bootstrap confidence intervals (CI). Across all studies, crop yield increased 43±7% (95% CI) in the first-season after an organic amendment. Yield response was greatest for leafy crops (71±26% increase) and lowest for root/tuber/ bulb crops (29±10% increase). Poultry manure/compost was the most commonly used amendment and provided a yield increase of 76±21%. In contrast, plant-based amendments increased yield by only 27±9%. Amendment application rate alone was not an effective predictor of yield response, and there were not enough studies available to explore the possible interaction between amendment type and rate. Yield benefits of organic amendments were muted in soils with high organic matter and in arid climates. These results help identify options for maximizing the agronomic value of organic amendments, and suggest research is needed to improve agronomic efficiency of amendments in arid regions with poor soil quality.
Is It Time to Abandon Hospital Accreditation

Hospitals contracting with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must comply with Conditions of Participation (CoP), enforced by 4 certified independent accrediting organizations (AOs) or individual state survey. Recent work documents that the system fails to achieve consistent clinical outcomes, allowing several-fold variation in mortality and patient safety. Other publicly reported evidence shows weaker clinical performance by state-surveyed hospitals, inexplicable variation in individual state surveys, and recurring disagreement between initial and audit surveyors. Although the leading AOs and CMS are committed to continuous improvement, a proven management system that is extensively documented in hospitals, accreditation has not achieved it. Requiring an auditable public annual report by each hospital, including improvement targets and analogous to the 10K reports required of publicly listed corporations, might create a more effective system. Updating the CoP and refocusing the on-site in...
Head and neck size and neck strength minimise the head acceleration during repeated head impacts

Objective To identify factors that contribute to head acceleration during purposeful soccer heading. Design Prospective. Setting Biomechanics laboratory. Participants One-hundred soccer players (42 male, 58 female, 17.1±3.5 years (range: 12-24years), 168.5±20.3 cm, 61.5±13.7 kg). Exclusionary criteria: history of neurologic disorder, cervical spine injury, or head injury in the past 6 months. Interventions We implemented a soccer heading paradigm that consists of controlled soccer heading (12 headers at 11.2m/s from a JUGS machine) while measuring 3D motion capture kinematics (torso and head-to-torso range-of-motion), sternocleidomastoid and upper trapezius EMG activity (peak and area), and linear and rotational accelerations using a triaxial accelerometer and gyroscope. Head mass, neck girth, and sternocleidomastoid and upper trapezius strength were also evaluated. Outcome measures Linear and rotational accelerations at the head center-of-gravity. Main results Multiple regression analyses suggest that the ten variables predicted linear (R2=0.272, p=0.002) and rotational (R2=0.259, p=0.004) acceleration; however none of the predictors individually made a significant contribution to the model. Linear and rotational accelerations were correlated with head mass (r=-?0.447, p Conclusions Our findings suggest that head mass, neck girth, and neck strength are important in minimising head acceleration, whereby greater size and strength are associated with lower head accelerations. Soccer players with smaller head-neck segment masses and lower neck strength, may be at risk for greater head acceleration. These athletes may experience a theoretical bobble-head effect, when the neck strength is not great enough to control the mass of the head. Competing interests None.
Language and Thought: The Modern Whorfian Hypothesis

Does the form of one's language influence the form of one's thought? In the first half of the twentieth century it was widely believed that this is so. Changes in linguistic theory that began about 1950 came to another conclusion. The newer argument was that thought takes place in a species-universal internal language, which is then expressed through a culture-specific spoken language. While it is not now, and may never be, possible to distinguish clearly between these positions, many psychologists take an intermediate position. The different natural languages do not control thought, but they do influence it. These influences may be quite subtle. For instance, in English, choices of pronouns require the speaker–writer to discriminate between males and females, calling attention to a biological distinction. However, modern English does not force a distinction between social roles and levels of intimacy between people addressed, as is done in many languages that use a tu–vu form. Many other examples can be given. While it is probably true that any thought expressed in one language can be translated into another, the different natural languages may facilitate but not dictate certain forms of thought.
Community Health Workers in the United States: Challenges in Identifying, Surveying, and Supporting the Workforce

Community health workers (CHWs) are members of a growing profession in the United States. Studying this dynamic labor force is challenging, in part because its members have more than 100 different job titles. The demand for timely, accurate information about CHWs is increasing as the profession gains recognition for its ability to improve health outcomes and reduce costs. Although numerous surveys of CHWs have been conducted, the field lacks well-delineated methods for gaining access to this hard-to-identify workforce. We outline methods for surveying CHWs and promising approaches to engage the workforce and other stakeholders in conducting local, state, and national studies. We also highlight successful strategies to overcome challenges in CHW surveys and future directions for surveying the field.
Identification of a new North American hantavirus that causes acute pulmonary insufficiency

In May 1993, a pulmonary disease syndrome with novel clinical and epidemiologic features was identified in the southwestern United States. Healthy young adults developed a febrile prodrome followed by the rapid onset of often lethal acute respiratory distress. Although an infectious disease was suspected, intensive investigations initially failed to identify the causative agent. Multiple specialized microbiology laboratories at the National Center for Infectious Diseases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) applied classic serologic and culture methods as well as recently developed molecular biological techniques to samples collected from field investigations of the patients. Serologic tests detected the presence of an active immune response to a hantavirus. Reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction amplification of RNA extracted from human tissues used primers designed from sequences of known hantaviruses to demonstrate genomic sequences of a novel hantavirus. Immunohistochemistry showed the presence of hantavirus antigens in the endothelium of lung tissues from patients and provided the final pathogenetic link to this group of viruses. These methods were concordantly positive in virtually all samples available from 18 patients with compatible clinical histories identified between January and July 1993. Test results of control subjects and searches for other agents in identified cases were negative. This newly recognized hantavirus causes a novel syndrome of acute pulmonary edema and shock; the pathogenesis is related to the presence of virus antigens in the pulmonary capillaries. The virus may be an important cause of severe and fatal disease presenting as adult respiratory distress syndrome in otherwise healthy persons.
Static And Dynamic Response Of A Pile

Static and dynamic load tests were conducted on a 450-mm-diameter reinforced concrete pile driven 17 m into a deposit of uniform silty sand. The static tests consisted of measuring the lateral load versus horizontal deflection of the pile at the mud line. The dynamic load tests were conducted to determine the amplitude-frequency response of the pile for vertical and horizontal vibrations. The natural frequency of free vibration in the horizontal direction was also measured. The soil properties were determined by conducting in-situ and laboratory tests. A comparison of the predicted and the observed pile response for static and dynamic loading conditions has been presented.
Optical Holographic Detection of Ultrasonic Waves

The use of holographic techniques for the detection of ultrasonic waves and the measurement of some of their characteristics is investigated. A quantitative relationship between these characteristics and the radiance distribution in the holographic reconstruction is obtained from coherence considerations on the basis of a previously developed theory. The reconstructed image is a “side-view” picture of the sound wave and, under certain conditions, is identical to the image formed by the familiar Schlieren system.
Magneto-Acoustic Stress Responses of Various Rail Metallurgies

The magneto-acoustic stress measurement technique has been evaluated by the authors as a means of revealing information on residual and applied stresses in ferromagnetic materials. Past work has included: documentation of the response of carbon steels to various test configurations [1], the effect of grain size and cooling rates in medium carbon alloy steels [2], test results obtained with a railroad rail sample [3], and investigations performed with a prototype device for examining full railroad wheels [4]. Other published papers have sought to provide detailed reviews of the test theory and model behind this technique in light of the accumulated test data [5,6].
The Effect of Interparticle Forces on the Separation of Fine Powders from Gas-Solid Two Phase Flow

The effect of fine powder’s interparticle forces on the powder classification efficiency in Turbo-type classifiers was experimentally investigated. The fine calcium carbonate powders (2–100 micron) were used as sample powders, which have different particle interaction force in accordance with its particle properties.
First-Person Activity Forecasting from Video with Online Inverse Reinforcement Learning

We address the problem of incrementally modeling and forecasting long-term goals of a first-person camera wearer: what the user will do, where they will go, and what goal they seek. In contrast to prior work in trajectory forecasting, our algorithm, Darko , goes further to reason about semantic states (will I pick up an object?), and future goal states that are far in terms of both space and time. Darko learns and forecasts from first-person visual observations of the user's daily behaviors via an Online Inverse Reinforcement Learning (IRL) approach. Classical IRL discovers only the rewards in a batch setting, whereas Darko discovers the transitions, rewards, and goals of a user from streaming data. Among other results, we show Darko forecasts goals better than competing methods in both noisy and ideal settings, and our approach is theoretically and empirically no-regret.
Mapping the terrain of person-centered supportive conversations

ABSTRACTThis study explores the conversational terrain of supportive conversations that vary in person centeredness (PC). Our team transcribed and unitized 223 conversations in which a discloser ta...
Cell Aggregation and Aerobic Respiration Are Important for Zymomonas mobilis ZM4 Survival in an Aerobic Minimal Medium.

ABSTRACT Zymomonas mobilis produces ethanol from glucose near the theoretical maximum yield, making it a potential alternative to the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae for industrial ethanol production. A potentially useful industrial feature is the ability to form multicellular aggregates called flocs, which can settle quickly and exhibit higher resistance to harmful chemicals than single cells. While spontaneous floc-forming Z. mobilis mutants have been described, little is known about the natural conditions that induce Z. mobilis floc formation or about the genetic factors involved. Here we found that wild-type Z. mobilis forms flocs in response to aerobic growth conditions but only in a minimal medium. We identified a cellulose synthase gene cluster and a single diguanylate cyclase that are essential for both floc formation and survival in a minimal aerobic medium. We also found that NADH dehydrogenase 2, a key component of the aerobic respiratory chain, is important for survival in a minimal aerobic medium, providing a physiological role for this enzyme, which has previously been found to be disadvantageous in a rich aerobic medium. Supplementation of the minimal medium with vitamins also promoted survival but did not inhibit floc formation. IMPORTANCE The bacterium Zymomonas mobilis is best known for its anaerobic fermentative lifestyle, in which it converts glucose into ethanol at a yield surpassing that of yeast. However, Z. mobilis also has an aerobic lifestyle, which has confounded researchers with its attributes of poor growth, accumulation of toxic acetic acid and acetaldehyde, and respiratory enzymes that are detrimental for aerobic growth. Here we show that a major Z. mobilis respiratory enzyme and the ability to form multicellular aggregates, called flocs, are important for survival, but only during aerobic growth in a medium containing a minimum set of nutrients required for growth. Supplements, such as vitamins or yeast extract, promote aerobic growth and, in some cases, inhibit floc formation. We propose that Z. mobilis likely requires aerobic respiration and floc formation in order to survive in natural environments that lack protective factors found in supplements such as yeast extract.