cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laser glazing of vacuum plasma spray coated NARloy-Z

Abstract A CO 2 laser was used to modify the surface layer of vacuum plasma sprayed NARloy-Z (Cu-3 wt.%Ag-0.5 wt.%Zr). The laser glazing dramatically reduced voids and cavities originally present in the alloy matrix. In addition, grain boundary precipitates were eliminated. A highly refined microstructure was obtained with extended solid solubility of solute atoms (Ag and Zr) into the matrix. A theoretical model was developed to predict the melt pool depth that occurred during laser glazing.
Transient heat transfer effects on the pseudoelastic behavior of shape-memory wires

Abstract Experimental results of a displacement-controlled elongation of a shape-memory wire of nickel-titanium are presented. It is observed that the hysteretic strain-stress curves depend strongly on the strain rates at which the wire is extended. A theoretical model is proposed to explain this phenomenon. This model couples the fully time-dependent heat transfer in the wire to its quasi-static mechanical behavior through the temperature dependence of the transformation stress of the alloy. It accounts quantitatively for experimentally observed changes in the pseudoelastic hysteresis. The model presented here is different from others proposed in the literature, as it does not make use of a kinetic relation and accounts for the observed changes in the pseudoelastic hysteresis without parameter fitting. The results show that a model consisting of a single moving austenite-martensite interface is sufficient to predict the response of the wire over several decades of strain rate.
Herniated Hash Tables: Exploiting Multi-Level Phase Change Memory for In-Place Data Expansion

Hash tables are a commonly used data structure used in many algorithms and applications. As applications and data scale, the efficient implementation of hash tables becomes increasingly important and challenging. In particular, memory capacity becomes increasingly important and entries can become asymmetrically chained across hash buckets. This chaining prevents two forms of parallelism: memory-level parallelism (allowing multiple prefetch requests to overlap) and memory-computation parallelism (allowing computation to overlap memory operations). We propose, herniated hash tables, a technique that exploits multi-level phase change memory (PCM) storage to expand storage at each hash bucket and increase parallelism without increasing physical space. The technique works by increasing the number of bits stored within the same resistance range of an individual PCM cell. We pack more data into the same bit by decreasing noise margins, and we pay for this higher density with higher latency reads and writes that resolve the more accurate resistance values. Furthermore, our organization, coupled with an addressing and prefetching scheme, increases memory parallelism of the herniated datastructure. We simulate our system with a variety of hash table applications and evaluate the density and performance benefits in comparison to a number of baseline systems. Compared with conventional chained hash tables on single-level PCM, herniated hash tables can achieve 4.8x density on a 4-level PCM while achieving up to 67% performance improvement.
Selective release and purification of two periplasmic Alteromonas B-207 aminopeptidases

Abstract Two periplasmic aminopeptidases were selectively released from Alteromonas B-207 when its outer membrane and peptidoglycan layer were systematically removed. Neither enzyme was detected in cytoplasmic materials. The first enzyme (aminopeptidase II) was isolated and purified 160-fold from the supernatant of osmotically shocked cells. The second enzyme (aminopeptidase I) was obtained from the peptidoglycan fraction of lysozymetreated mureinoplasts and purified 15-fold. The two enzymes are distinguished by molecular weights, subunit structures, temperature profiles, pH optima, effects of EDTA and substrate specificities. Aminopeptidase I has a molecular weight of approx. 450 000 and appears to be a tetramer; while aminopeptidase II is a stable monomer with a molecular weight of 81 000–88 000. Aminopeptidase II has higher pH and temperature optima than does aminopeptidase I. Aminopeptidase II has broader peptide specificity than aminopeptidase I. This is particularly evident when amino acid β-naphthylamides are used as substrates. Aminopeptidase I shows its greatest activity against l -α-Asp-β-naphthylamide and l -Ala-β-naphthylamide, whereas aminopeptidase II shows a decided preference for l -Leu-β-naphthylamide. Aminopeptidase I appears to be more sensitive to EDTA than aminopeptidase II, but both enzymes apparently require Zn 2+ .
Heat shock-induced dendritic cell maturation is coupled by transient aggregation of ubiquitinated proteins independently of heat shock factor 1 or inducible heat shock protein 70.

Abstract The transition of dendritic cells (DCs) from immature to mature states is critical for the optimal priming of the adaptive immune response. This highly regulated process is accompanied by structural and functional alterations of DCs, including rapid and dramatic redistributions of MHC class I and class II molecules to cell surfaces, nuclear translocation of NF-κB, and transient appearance of dendritic cell aggresome-like induced structures (DALIS) in the cytosol. We have previously found that DCs can be matured by a non-inflammatory stress stimulation, i.e., heat shock. In this study, we examined if thermomanipulation could induce DALIS formation. We found that heat shock of DCs, but not of other cell types, led to the appearance of aggresome-like structures that were structurally indistinguishable from DALIS induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Furthermore, the induction of DALIS in DCs by heat, but not by LPS, correlated with the increased ability of DCs to cross-present exogenous antigens to MHC I. Since the canonical biochemical response to heat shock is the induction of heat shock proteins (HSP) by heat shock factors (Hsf), we studied the contribution of both HSP and Hsf in heat shock-mediated DALIS formation using gene knockout mice. We demonstrated that neither inducible HSP70 nor the major mammalian heat shock transcription factor Hsf1 was involved in the formation of DALIS. Our results highlighted the important roles of heat shock in modulating the function of DCs, and they further suggested that heat-mediated immune regulation can be uncoupled from heat shock response.
A parametric experimental study of the interference effects and the boundary-condition coefficient of slotted wind-tunnel walls

An experimental study of slotted upper and lower walls in a two-dimensional transonic wind tunnel with solid sidewalls is reported. Results are presented for several slot spacings and slot openness ratios. The experimental data are pressure measurements which were made on an airfoil model and on a sidewall near one of the slotted walls. The slotted-wall boundary-condition coefficient, which relates the pressure and streamline curvature near the wall, is determined from the wall pressure measurements. The measured wall-induced interference is correlated with the experimental values for the boundary-condition coefficient. This correlation is compared with theory.
Pre- and post-operative management of infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome

Abstract Infants born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) present a significant challenge to medical institutions involved in the care of children with congenital heart disease. Prior to the development of the Fontan-type univentricular repair and the Norwood palliation, the majority of infants diagnosed with HLHS died in the newborn period. These two operations in addition to more recent technical modifications have led to significantly improved overall survival for children with HLHS. An important component of the improved outcome for patients with HLHS is a larger emphasis on the pre- and postoperative medical management in the cardiac intensive care unit. This review article describes our institutional approach to the perioperative intensive care of infants and children with HLHS at each stage of their operative repair. These management strategies have had a positive impact on the morbidity and mortality for children with this previously uniformly fatal cardiac lesion.
Hybrid Bayes factors for genome-wide association studies when a robust test is used

Bayes factor (BF) is often used to measure evidence against the null hypothesis in Bayesian hypothesis testing. In the analysis of genome-wide association (GWA) studies, extreme BF values support the associations detected based on significant p-values. Results from recent GWA studies are presented, which show that existing BFs may not be consistent withp-values when a robust test is used due to using different genetic models in the BF and p-value approaches and this may result in misleading conclusions. Two hybrid BFs, which combine the advantages of both the frequentist and Bayesian methods, are then proposed for the markers showing at least moderate associations (p-value <10^-^5) based on a robust test. One is Bayesian model averaging using a posterior weighted likelihood and the other is the maximum BF using a profile likelihood. The proposed hybrid BFs and p-values of robust tests do not depend on a single genetic model, but instead, consolidate information over a set of models. We compare the hybrid BFs with two existing BF approaches, including an existing Bayesian model averaging method, in terms of false and true positive rates by simulations. The results show that, for markers showing at least moderate associations, both the hybrid BFs have higher true positive rates than the two existing BFs, while all false positive rates are similar. Applications of the two hybrid BFs to the markers associated with bipolar disorder, type 2 diabetes and age-related macular degeneration are presented. Our hybrid BFs provide better and more robust measures to compare significantly associated markers within and across GWA studies.
The association between primary language spoken and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients.

Abstract Purpose The study objective was to investigate the association between primary language spoken and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients. Materials and Methods We performed a cohort study on 48 581 patients 18 years or older who received critical care between 1997 and 2007 in 2 Boston hospitals. The exposure of interest was primary language spoken determined by the patient or family members who interacted with administrative staff during hospital registration. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Associations between language and mortality were estimated by bivariable and multivariable logistic regression models with inclusion of covariate terms thought to plausibly interact with both language and mortality. Adjustment included age, race, sex, Deyo-Charlson index, patient type (medical vs surgical), sepsis, creatinine, hematocrit, white blood count, and number of organs with acute failure. Results Validation showed that primary language spoken was highly accurate for a statement in the medical record noting the language spoken that matched the assigned language. Patients whose primary language spoken was not English had improved outcomes (odds ratio 30-day mortality, 0.69 [95% confidence interval, 0.60-0.81; P Conclusions In a regional cohort, not speaking English as a primary language is associated with improved outcomes after critical care. Our observations may have clinical relevance and illustrate the intersection of several factors in critical illness outcome including severity of illness, comorbidity, and social and economic factors.
Triad of spinal pain, spinal joint dysfunction, and extremity pain in 4 pediatric cases of “Wii-itis”: a 21st century pediatric condition

Objective This article describes 4 pediatric cases of overuse injuries related to playing Nintendo Wii (Nintendo, Redmond, WA). A brief discussion is also presented regarding other 21st century problems found in the literature, such as problems associated with playing the Nintendo DS portable electronic device, text messaging, and Blackberry (Research in Motion, Waterloo, Ontario) thumb.
Gold Nanoparticles as a Versatile Platform for Optimizing Physicochemical Parameters for Targeted Drug Delivery

The development of targeted vehicles for systemic drug delivery relies on optimizing both the cell-targeting ligand and the physicochemical characteristics of the nanoparticle carrier. A versatile platform based on modification of gold nanoparticles with thiolated polymers is presented in which design parameters can be varied independently and systematically. Nanoparticle formulations of varying particle size, surface charge, surface hydrophilicity, and galactose ligand density were prepared by conjugation of PEG-thiol and galactose-PEG-thiol to gold colloids. This platform was applied to screen for nanoparticle formulations that demonstrate hepatocyte-targeted delivery in vivo. Nanoparticle size and the presence of galactose ligands were found to significantly impact the targeting efficiency. Thus, this platform can be readily applied to determine design parameters for targeted drug delivery systems.Modified gold nanoparticles are a suitable model for nanoparticle-based gene carriers.
Ocean Surface Currents From AVHRR Imagery: Comparison With Land-Based HF Radar Measurements

We focus on inverting the surface temperature (or heat) equation to obtain the surface velocity field in the coastal ocean and compare the results with those from the maximum cross correlation (MCC) technique and with the in situ velocity fields measured by the Rutgers University Coastal Ocean Dynamics Radar (CODAR). When compared with CODAR fields, velocities from the heat equation and MCC have comparable accuracies, but the heat equation technique better resolves the finer scale flow features. We use the results to directly calculate the surface divergence and vorticity. This is possible because we convert the traditionally underdetermined heat inversion problem to an overdetermined one without constraining the velocity field with divergence, vorticity, or energy statements. Because no a priori assumptions are made about the vorticity, it can be calculated directly from the velocity results. The derived vorticity field has typical open-ocean magnitudes ( ~ 5 times 10-5/s) and exhibits several structures (a warm core ring, Gulf Stream filament, and a diverging flow) consistent with the types of flows required to kinematically deform the sea surface temperature patterns into the observed configurations.
Effects of the low loss polymers on the dielectric behavior of novel aluminum-filled high-k nano-composites

Passive components, active components, and interconnecting substrates are the fundamental building blocks for an electronic system, and nowadays, a large percentage of the printed circuit board (PCB) surface area is taken up by the surface-mounted discrete passive components. Embedding these discrete components into the board structure has become the primary method to further miniaturize electronic systems. Besides the size reduction, embedded passives offer many other advantages. Reduced cost and improved electrical performance can be expected, and are actually another two major driving forces of embedded passive technology. To enable embedded passives, materials that satisfy the requirements of fabrication, electrical performance, and mechanical performance need to be developed. We report the innovative development of a low-cost high dielectric constant polymer-based composite that combines the advantages of polymer-ceramic and polymer-metal systems for embedded capacitor application. This novel material uses low cost self-passivated aluminum particles as the filler for the polymer composites. The thin self-passivated Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ layer forms a nanoscale insulating boundary outside of the metallic spheres, which has dramatic influence on the electrical behavior of the resulting composites. The nanoscale insulating oxide layer allows the aluminum composites to have a high dielectric constant as a percolation system; on the other hand, the insulating oxide layer confines the electrons within an aluminum particle, thus keeping a very low loss of the composites.
Investigating factors contributing to reduced embryo survival in farm‐raised Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.

Embryo mortality of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, has been increasing for more than a decade in the State of Maine, a leading producer of this species in the United States. Increasing embryo mortality not only creates a financial bottleneck for farms but also prevents the sale of surplus eggs as an additional source of revenue. Blood and egg samples were collected at three Maine Atlantic salmon farms from female broodstock at the time of spawning over a 2-year period. Correlative factors for reduced embryo survival were investigated by measuring egg and maternal plasma concentrations of 17β-estradiol (E2), 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT), testosterone and calcium, as well as maternal hepatic ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity and fork length. Significant positive correlations were found between maternal plasma concentrations of E2 and 11-KT and embryo survival. Interestingly, there was no correlation with egg concentrations of sex steroids and embryo survival, suggesting that embryo mortality does not likely rest with the maternal deposition of sex steroids into the egg, but with another hormone regulated process related to egg assembly, ovulation or post-ovulatory ageing.
Bipolar Disorder As a Risk Factor for Repeat DUI Behavior

Abstract Background Bipolar disorder (BD) is more prevalent among people with substance use disorders (SUD) than the general population. SUD among recidivist driving under the influence (DUI) populations are extremely prevalent; not surprisingly, recent evidence suggests that rates of BD also are elevated among DUI offenders. Studies of BD patients with SUD have found high prevalence of other psychiatric disorders and relatively low rate of treatment engagement. This study examines both the prevalence of other mental disorders and treatment status among a cohort of DUI offenders with BD and SUD. Methods A consecutively selected cohort (N = 729) of repeat DUI offenders attending a two-week inpatient treatment program completed a standardized diagnostic interview (the Composite International Diagnostic Interview: CIDI). The CIDI generated DSM-IV diagnoses. Results This study yielded three main results for this repeat DUI offender sample: (1) BD is associated with significantly higher lifetime prevalence of alcohol, drug, and non-substance psychiatric disorders (e.g., PTSD); (2) approximately one quarter of BD participants have not discussed their mania with a professional; and (3) only half of the BD participants in this cohort have had mania treatment they consider effective and even fewer have had any treatment during the past twelve months. Limitations Participants were predominantly Caucasian males attending treatment as a sentencing option in a single Massachusetts DUI program. Conclusion These findings suggest that clinicians in DUI treatment settings should consider both evaluating for BD and initiating therapy.
Cutting Across the Disciplines

Multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary- these terms are all the buzz in engineering and computing curriculum design. Throughout their career, most graduates will work on project teams with people from multiple fields of expertise. The author mentions that engineering and computing educators must accordingly design curricula that require students to work outside of their own domain. This opportunity can range from small-group collaboration in a single course to large-scale efforts that span every program at an institution.
Making sparse matrices sparser: computational results

Many optimization algorithms involve repeated processing of a fixed set of linear constraints. If we pre-process the constraint matrixA to be sparser, then algebraic operations onA will become faster. We consider the problem of making a given matrix as sparse as possible, theSparsity Problem (SP). In a companion paper with S. Frank Chang, we developed some theoretical algorithms for SP under a non-degeneracy assumption (McCormick and Chang, 1988). Here we investigate what must be done to make those algorithms applicable in practice. We report encouraging computational results in making linear programming constraint matrices sparser. We also find that the Simplex Algorithm can solve the reduced LPs faster. Comparisons are made to a heuristic algorithm for SP of Adler et al. (1989).
Europe in the nineteenth-century American mind: The literary perspectives

(1983). Europe in the nineteenth-century American mind: The literary perspectives. History of European Ideas: Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 257-274.
Phylogeographic evidence for a Florida panhandle–peninsula discontinuity in the distribution of Melitara prodenialis Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), a native cactus‐boring moth

Insects are highly underrepresented in the phylogeographic literature of the coastal plain region of the southeastern U.S., but they may contribute much to understanding the phylogeographic history of the area. The present study uses Melitara prodenialis Walker, a cactus-boring moth, to test two alternative hypotheses: Pleistocene changes in environment and coastline associated with population geographic change resulted in (i) a homogeneous Florida, USA, population of M. prodenialis or (ii) isolated subpopulations that gave rise to genetic divergence between regions. Melitara prodenialis larvae were collected from 23 sites (n = 42 larvae sampled). For each larva, a 791 bp sequence of the COI mitochondrial gene was sequenced. Bayesian and parsimony approaches were used to investigate relationships among haplotypes. Phylogeographic and demographic analyses were conducted to identify geographic patterns in haplotype diversity distribution and infer population dynamics over time. Bioclim climate variables from the last interglacial period and the present were used to assess the potential contribution of environmental conditions to phylogeographic patterns observed. Melitara prodenialis populations in the Florida panhandle and peninsula are distinct, and the geographic segregation between these regions is correlated with current and historic climate patterns. Results suggest that populations of M. prodenialis in the Florida peninsula have more recently expanded than those in the panhandle. These findings are consistent with M. prodenialis populations changing in size and distribution following land area and climatic shifts associated with North American cycles of glaciation, with panhandle and peninsula populations remaining segregated over the relevant timeframes.
Growing old with cystic fibrosis - the characteristics of long-term survivors of cystic fibrosis.

Summary Background The proportion of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) who are middle-aged is increasing – and is likely to continue to do so. We surveyed a population of long-term CF survivors to assess their burden of illness and profile their disease characteristics. Methods A case series ( n =112) of patients from one specialist centre who had reached their 40th birthday without transplantation. Hospital records and annual review data were examined. Results The median age of the group was 43.1 years (range 40–71.1); 57% were men. 68% were diagnosed before 16 years of age. 30% were ΔF508/ΔF508, 76% having at least one ΔF508 allele. When compared with the total adult CF population, the older patients were significantly less likely to have a ΔF508 mutation or colonisation with Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and MRSA; but more likely to have pancreatic sufficiency, colonisation with Pseudomonas aeruginosa or allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. On average they required less than one hospital admission a year; lung function and body mass index were relatively well preserved. Many were married and working. Conclusions We describe one of the largest surveys to date of CF patients aged more than 40 years. The full spectrum of disease is represented in this population and, importantly, 30% are ΔF508 homozygous. Provision needs to be made for the healthcare needs of this increasing population of older patients.
Magic angle spinning NMR methods for internuclear distance measurements

Abstract Substantial progress has been made during the past year in applying magic angle spinning NMR methods to the measurement of weak dipolar couplings in proteins and peptides. Internuclear distances derived from these measurements have been used to characterize local secondary structures and tertiary interactions, and to determine the conformation of bound inhibitors and prosthetic groups.
Reassessing the Link Between City Structure and Fiscal Policy Is the Problem Poor Measures of Governmental Structure

This study assesses the proposition that local government structure affects municipal expenditure levels. Despite decades of research, this question remains unsettled. Early on, analyses of this topic confirmed a linkage between municipal structure and fiscal policy, but more recent works have challenged this finding. Despite the widespread view that municipal structures are increasingly complex, many scholars continue to use simple measures of structure based on the use of the mayor—council or council—manager form. This gap between structures in practice and the measures used in research designs may explain the increasing frequency of studies with null findings. This proposition is examined through an analysis of the link between the per capita expenditures of 263 Michigan cities and four approaches to classifying local government structure. Regardless of the approach used or the complexity of the measure, no evidence was found that city structure is linked to per capita spending in these cities.
Low-sidelobe limited diffraction optical coherence tomography

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a relatively new type of imaging system for medical diagnosis. Because most current OCT systems use a sharply focused beam in tissues, they have a short depth of field (high image resolution is near the focus only). In this paper, limited diffraction beams of different orders are used to increase depth of field and to reduce sidelobes in OCT. Results show that the proposed OCT system has a lateral resolution of about 4.4 wavelengths (the central wavelength of the source is about 940 nm with a bandwidth of about 70 nm) and lower than -60 dB sidelobes over an entire depth of field of 4.5 mm with the diameter of the objective lens of 1 mm.
Risk-reducing shrinkage estimation for generalized linear models

to generalized linear models in a manner retaining the original spirit of shrinkage estimation, which is to reduce risk. The investigation identifies two classes of simple, all-purpose prior distributions, which supplement such non-informative priors as Jeffreys's prior with mechanisms for risk reduction. One new class of priors is motivated as optimizers of a core component of asymptotic risk. The methodology is evaluated in a numerical exploration and application to an existing data set.
Aspects of auditing in clinical laboratories

Quality and patient safety are terms that both providers and recipients of healthcare are very familiar with. Accreditation is another term that is closely linked to quality and patient safety. Audit is a systematic, independent, and documented process for obtaining evidence and evaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which audit criteria are fulfilled. Accreditation and audit are integral components of the same process. Three different types of audit are well recognized—internal, external, and co-operative. Reading of relevant documents, observation of laboratory practices, and asking open-ended probing questions are important auditing techniques. For auditing to be successful, experienced, qualified, and well trained auditors are essential. Furthermore, the auditor should be open-minded, not prejudiced, a team player and effective communicator, both in writing and verbally. In many instances, the emphasis for seeking laboratory accreditation has shifted from building quality systems—to produce reliable results and ensure patient safety—to just passing the inspection. Recently, the emphasis for laboratory quality improvement has been placed on pre and post-analytical processes in preference to analytical quality. The analytical quality of laboratory results is still far from ideal and it may be detrimental if less emphasis is placed on this aspect of laboratory medicine. Auditing or on-site inspection as a regulatory tool does not work or present a realistic picture of laboratory quality. A continuous quality improvement approach will help laboratories to build quality into their systems.
Animal Models in Head and Neck Cancer

Publisher Summary This chapter explores the use of animal models for head and neck cancer research. The chapter outlines the history of experimental head and neck cancer research. Commonly used animal models as well as emerging genetic models for head and neck cancer research are discussed in the chapter. An integrative human-based discovery and animal testing and validation approach to head and neck cancer research is presented in the chapter. The hamster buccal pouch experimental cancer model, based on the topical application of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), is the most widely used experimental model for the study of oral cancer. Genetic approaches to head and neck cancer research have lagged considerably until very recently through the employment of gene overexpression in transgenic mice and targeted gene ablation in the embryonic stem cells of mice. The advantages of genetic models in mice are several, including the ability to recapitulate human carcinogenesis in large numbers of animals, the dissection of the molecular basis for the different stages of carcinogenesis, the availability of mouse-specific molecular reagents, and the application of novel chemopreventive and therapeutic approaches.
Development of scanning capacitance spectroscopy of CIGS solar cells

We successfully applied scanning capacitance spectroscopy (SCS) on CIGS solar cells. In SCS, a high-quality insulating layer is needed to block the AC and DC conductance between the probe and sample. A sample preparation procedure was developed on CIGS/CdS cross-sectional samples for optimal and reproducible results. Spectra taken with 10-nm intervals showed clear p- and n-type behaviors of CIGS and CdS, respectively. Rapid changes in spectra in the depletion region allowed us to locate the electrical junction with fine resolution of 10–30 nm.
Further Assessment of Closed-Wall Wind Tunnel Blockage Using CFD

The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based wind tunnel blockage correction method proposed in [1] was extended in the present study to production vehicles with detailed underhood and underbody components, fascia and grills. Three different types of vehicles (sedan, SUV, and pickup truck) were considered in the study. While the previous CFD based wind tunnel blockage correction method was for vehicle aerodynamic drag, the blockage effect on vehicle cooling airflow is also included in the present study, and a CFD based blockage correction method for vehicle cooling airflow is proposed. Comparisons were made between the blockage effects for the production vehicles and the blockage effects for the generic vehicles.
Service-Learning and Leadership Life Skills: An Experimental Study

This study examined the effect of service activities on the development of leadership life skills in youth and (queried) if having a reflection component as part of the activity makes a difference. Additionally, the study examined the impact of selected demographics including age, gender, type of service completed monthly and 4-H membership on the development of leadership life skills. Participants in the study were from two samples. One group represented the El Paso National Youth Service Day, the other represented the District 11 4-H Leadership Lab in Branham, Texas. Participants were randomly assigned to a control (no reflection) or treatment (with reflection) group. Youth participants self rated their leadership life skills using a 33-question post-test only questionnaire. Demographics were reported in nine additional questions. The major findings of the study are as follows: 1) Overall, the participants reported their perceived leadership life skills to be high in four of the five subscales; 2) The inclusion of a reflection component did not significantly affect perceived leadership life skills; 3) Type of service, whether direct or indirect, had a significant impact on perceived leadership life skills; 4) 4-H membership had a significant impact on the Personal Leadership Development subscale.
Bringing the Company Back In: A Firm-Level Analysis of Foreign Direct Investment

ABSTRACTThe industry standard for studying multinational corporations (MNCs) has been to evaluate patterns in aggregate country-level measures of foreign direct investment (FDI). Though certainly related, these data are at best a proxy for the actual commercial and productive activities of multinationals that most political scientists purport to be interested in. Simply put, this is a very indirect way of testing theories about the sociopolitical and economic factors that motivate MNCs’ choice of host countries. This article introduces a new firm-level data set designed to get around this problem by permitting more direct analysis of multinationals’ foreign operations. It then revisits the relationship between regime type and direct investment, finding evidence that MNCs are more likely to establish new subsidiaries in democracies than in nondemocracies. However, further analysis reveals that the strength of this relationship varies by context. Specifically, MNCs rely on regime type as an indicator of pol...
Adjacent segment disease after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in a large series.

Background Adjacent segment disease (ASD) development is known to occur after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Objective To study the relationship between index ACDF levels and the location of ASD development (above/below), as well as the effect of fusion length on ASD development. Methods We report 888 patients who underwent ACDF for cervical spondylosis over a twenty-year period at a single institution. Of these patients, 108 had re-do surgery due to symptomatic ASD. Patients were followed for an average of 92.4 ± 52.6 months after the index ACDF. Results In agreement with previous ACDF case series, we found the highest rates of cervical spinal degenerative disease requiring surgery at C5/C6, followed by C6/C7. Interestingly, neither the inherent location of index ACDF nor the length of instrumented arthrodesis appeared to correlate with the propensity to develop ASD. However, patients were more likely to develop ASD above the index level of fusion. This was true even for patients undergoing a second revision surgery due to recurrent ASD. Importantly, our data are consistent with existing in vitro biomechanical data in cadaveric spines. Conclusion We describe in detail the location and length of arthrodesis for index ACDFs, as well as first and second revision fusion surgeries in one of the largest Western cohorts in the literature. Our findings support the theory that iatrogenically introduced stress and instability at adjacent spinal segments contribute to the pathogenesis of ASD.
Gait changes in response to subthalamic nucleus stimulation in people with Parkinson disease: a case series report.

Background and purpose For individuals with advanced Parkinson disease (PD), stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) reduces tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia, but the effects of stimulation on gait and mobility are not fully understood. The purpose of this paper is to describe the effects of unilateral and bilateral STN stimulation on gait following staged stimulator implantations in a series of individuals with PD. Case descriptions Participants were 6 individuals with PD who underwent staged stimulator implantation surgeries. The effects of stimulation on gait were assessed in the optimally medicated state using items from the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) related to gait and self-reported mobility, time to complete the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and quantitative gait analysis. Gait was evaluated with stimulation turned off and with stimulation turned on after unilateral stimulator implantation and again after implantation of the second stimulator. Outcomes Variable effects of unilateral and bilateral STN stimulation on gait were observed on UPDRS self-reported mobility, TUG time, and gait velocity, but changes were not detected using the UPDRS gait item. Minimal gait changes, either positive or negative, were detected with unilateral stimulation. With bilateral stimulation, gait improved for 3 individuals but worsened for the other 3 individuals. Discussion The ability to detect changes in gait after STN stimulation using the UPDRS gait item was limited, but variable effects were detected by self-report, TUG time, and gait velocity. For half of the individuals studied, bilateral stimulation improved these measures, but gait worsened for the remaining individuals. Future research is needed to better understand factors that influence the effect of STN stimulation on walking, and assessment of gait changes in people with PD should include self-report and performance-based measures, such as the TUG test or gait velocity.
First-Principles Analysis of Cation Diffusion in Mixed Metal Ferrite Spinels

Ferrite spinels are metal oxides used in a wide variety of applications, many of which are controlled by the diffusion of metal cations through the metal oxide lattice. In this work, we used density functional theory (DFT) to examine the diffusion of Fe, Co, and Ni cations through the Fe3O4, CoFe2O4, and NiFe2O4 ferrite spinels. We apply DFT and crystal field theory to uncover the principles that govern cation diffusion in ferrite spinels. We found that a migrating cation hops from its initial octahedral site to a neighboring octahedral vacancy via a tetrahedral metastable intermediate separated from octahedral sites by a trigonal planar transition state (TS). The cations hop with relative activation energies of Co ≈< Fe < Ni; the ordering of the diffusion barriers is controlled by the crystal field splitting of the diffusing cation. Specifically, the barriers depend on the orbital splitting and number of electrons which must be promoted into the higher energy t2g orbitals of the tetrahedral metastable in...
Microphallus: Clinical and Endocrinological Characteristics

The clinical and endocrinological features of 15 male subjects with small but normally formed external genitalia are reviewed. Nine of these patients had a simple microphallus alone, while the other 6 patients exhibited associated central nervous system defects. The endocrine data obtained from both groups were the same and were consistent with defective hypothalamic function. Parenteral testosterone seems to be the present treatment of choice but we believe it should be started early in life to take advantage of the greater hyperplastic response of the young.
A 2-year Experience with the Wolf Piezoelectric Lithotriptor: Impact of Repeat Treatment On Results and Complications

AbstractDuring a 2-year period, 884 extracorporeal, piezoelectric lithotripsy treatments have been performed on stones in 388 renal units (kidney and upper ureter) using a Wolf Piezolith device.* Lithotripsy routinely was performed on an outpatient basis without use of anesthesia or premedication. Often, the maximum number of pulses allowable by a Food and Drug Administration protocol (4,000) was delivered and retreatments frequently occurred on successive days.Of the patients 75% were stone-free 3 months after treatment, while another 20% had only residual small fragments. No intrarenal or perinephric hematomas were observed and only 1 patient has had hypertension requiring medication. Renal colic from passage of stone fragments occurred in only 10% of the patients. An aggressive treatment policy using repeat treatments as necessary provides for superior results with this device without an incision or complication.
‘Made to write “whore” upon?’: Male and Female Use of the Word ‘Whore’

Anita strode into the room smiling, attired in earrings, high heels, and a red dress. That did not seem anomalous to me: she always had a sunny disposition, and she was scheduled to present her research paper for my graduate seminar in Renaissance Drama that day; sometimes my students dress up a little more than usual to do their oral presentations. I was always particularly proud of Anita. She had transferred to my university, before completing her undergraduate work, from a small Bible college, where she had met and married her husband. The first of several courses that she had taken from me was my undergraduate Shakespeare course, in which she began as a good student and became the best, and on her course and instructor evaluation form, she had written what remains the most unconventional comment on my teaching that I have yet received: ‘Her Shakespeare course improved my sex life with my husband!’ I remember reading it and wondering what the committees that would be evaluating my file for tenure consideration would make of that. Anita was definitely the one who had written it, because she had made the same remark directly to me, further explaining that after class she would go home and share with her husband the sexual implications of various passages that we had covered in class discussion, and apparently that had an effect similar to the one experienced by Dante’s Francesca and Paolo as they read the tale of Lancelot and Guinevere.
Bird response to future climate and forest management focused on mitigating climate change

Global temperatures are projected to increase and affect forests and wildlife populations. Forest management can potentially mitigate climate-induced changes through promoting carbon sequestration, forest resilience, and facilitated change. We modeled direct and indirect effects of climate change on avian abundance through changes in forest landscapes and assessed impacts on bird abundances of forest management strategies designed to mitigate climate change effects. We coupled a Bayesian hierarchical model with a spatially explicit landscape simulation model (LANDIS PRO) to predict avian relative abundance. We considered multiple climate scenarios and forest management scenarios focused on carbon sequestration, forest resilience, and facilitated change over 100 years. Management had a greater impact on avian abundance (almost 50% change under some scenarios) than climate (<3% change) and only early successional and coniferous forest showed significant change in percent cover across time. The northern bobwhite was the only species that changed in abundance due to climate-induced changes in vegetation. Northern bobwhite, prairie warbler, and blue-winged warbler generally increased in response to warming temperatures but prairie warbler exhibited a non-linear response and began to decline as summer maximum temperatures exceeded 36 °C at the end of the century. Linking empirical models with process-based landscape change models can be an effective way to predict climate change and management impacts on wildlife, but time frames greater than 100 years may be required to see climate related effects. We suggest that future research carefully consider species-specific effects and interactions between management and climate.
Entity Normalization in Life Cycle Assessment: Hybrid Schemes Applied to a Transportation Agency Case Study

Summary Government agencies, companies, and other entities are using environmental assessments, like life cycle assessment (LCA), as an input to decision-making processes. Communicating the esoteric results of an LCA to these decision makers can present challenges, and interpretation aids are commonly provided to increase understanding. One such method is normalizing results as a means of providing context for interpreting magnitudes of environmental impacts. Normalization is mostly carried out by relating the environmental impacts of a product (or process) under study to those of another product or a spatial reference area (e.g., the United States). This research is based on the idea that decision makers might also benefit from normalization that considers comparisons to their entity's (agency, company, organization, etc.) total impacts to provide additional meaning and aid in comprehension. Two hybrid normalization schemes have been developed, which include aspects of normalization to both spatially based and entity-based impacts. These have been named entity-overlaid and entity-accentuated normalization, and the schemes allow for performance-based planning or emphasizing environmental impact types that are most relevant to an entity's operational profile, respectively. A hypothetical case study is presented to demonstrate these schemes, which uses environmental data from a U.S. transportation agency as the basis for entity normalization factors. Results of this case study illustrate how entity-related references may be developed, and how this additional information may enhance the presentation of LCA results using the hybrid normalization schemes.
Nonlinear mode conversion for intermodal four-wave mixing Stokes and anti-Stokes in a multimode fiber

In this paper we study, both experimentally and by theory, a new nonlinear dynamic in multimode optical fiber where intermodal four-wave mixing (IM-FWM) and Kerr-induced nonlinear mode coupling (NLC) are strongly interacting. We show that presence of phase-matched IM-FWM and strong nonlinear mode coupling results in an unprecedented saturable mode conversion in the FWM anti-Stokes beam. We investigate the evolution of modal conversion as a function of fiber length and show that the result of this novel nonlinear dynamic is a controllable, length independent mode conversion. Our theoretical calculations suggest that the converted anti-Stokes beam can also be amplified via IM-FWM. We observe a mode conversion with an efficiency as high as 90 percent.
Yearlong semi-continuous operation of thermophilic two-stage anaerobic digesters amended with biochar for enhanced biomethane production

Abstract This study aimed to scale up an integrated waste-to-energy system for producing pipeline-quality biomethane from shake flasks experiments to two-stage digester systems with semi-continuous operation. The yearlong operation was successfully conducted to compare the performance of thermophilic anaerobic digestion (AD) of sewage sludge amended with corn stover biochar (CSBC) and pine biochar (PBC) to the control under various conditions. Both CSBC and PBC promoted the substrate utilization, methane productivity, and process stability of AD, while CSBC showed superior potential. CSBC enhanced methane content in biogas (CH4%) and methane production rate ( P C H 4 ) by up to 25% and 37% respectively in comparison to the control, with maximum CH4% of 95% and CH4 yield of 0.34 L/g volatile solid (VS)-added being achieved at steady state. The biochar supplementation also led to a substantial increase of the macro- and micro-nutrients (P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe) by up to 33 times in the digestate, increasing its fertilizer value. Microbial community structure and dynamics were also investigated and compared, and in particular, CSBC promoted the abundance of Clostridia and Methanosarcina. Collectively, this study proves that pyro-biochar as an effective additive material enhances AD performance with continuous operation and that CSBC shows greater potential.