cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nanoscale path planning and motion control

This paper addresses nanoscale path planning and motion control, which is essential in key nanomanufacturing applications such as microstereolithography (/spl mu/STL), dip-pen-nanolithography (DPN), and scanning applications for imaging and manipulation of nanoscale surface phenomena, with the magnetic-levitation (maglev) technology. We identified motion trajectories commonly used in industrial applications along with the challenges in optimal path planning to meet the nanoscale motion-control objectives and achieve precise positioning and maximum throughput simultaneously. Key control parameters in path planning are determined, and control design methodologies including a well-damped lead-lag controller and an optimal linear quadratic regulator are proposed to satisfy the positioning requirements. The proposed methodologies, individually and collectively, were implemented, and experimental results are presented in this paper to illustrate their effectiveness in planning optimal trajectories. The damped lead-lag controller exhibited the command overshoot of as small as 0.37%, and the multivariable LQ controller reduced the dynamic coupling between the axes by 97.1% as compared with the decoupled single-input-single-output (SISO) lead-lag controllers. The position resolution of 5 nm was achieved in x and y with the errors in command tracking as small as 4.5 nm. The maglev stage demonstrated excellent performances for the chosen nanomanufacturing applications in terms of position resolution and accuracy, and speed.
Temporal and geographic variation in maturity at length and age of Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) from the Canadian north-west Atlantic with implications for fisheries management

Maturity at size and age of Greenland halibut in the Canadian north-west Atlantic were investigated using three separate data sources: (1) Canadian fall research vessel surveys from 1978 to 1994 in NAFO Div. 2J and 3K; (2) Canadian deep water surveys in NAFO Div. 3K, 3L and 3M in 1991, 1994 and 1995; and (3) Canadian commercial deep water gillnet fishery in 1993 and 1994 in Div. 0B, 2G, 2H, 3K and 3L. Estimated proportion of fish mature in each length group showed large spatial and temporal variability from all data sources. Proportions mature at age (only available from the Canadian deepwater surveys) also exhibited inconsistency with the age at 50% maturity ranging from 9.5 to 15.0 years for females and from 8.2 to 11.6 for males. There were no apparent trends in this variation, which may be a result of irregularities in the maturation process and spawning of Greenland halibut, leading to variability in the distribution of adult fish. The inavailability of precise estimates of maturity at age and size will make the measurement of the eVect offishing practices on spawning stock biomass and yield per recruit and/or advice on minimum fish size to protect juveniles extremely diYcult. A synoptic survey of the entire stock area may be the only way to obtain an accurate reflection of the maturity schedule of the population. ? 1997 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
Sonographic assessment of suture artifact obscuring visualization of the digital nerve.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to grade the severity of sonographic artifact produced by four suture materials and to determine whether these artifacts affect visualization of a digital nerve. Methods: A needle was placed into a pig foot to mimic a normal volar digital nerve. Incisions superficial to the needle were closed with different suture types, specifically nylon (N), chromic (C), vicryl (V), and prolene (P). Sonographic images were obtained using a high-frequency transducer. Twenty radiology residents and attending physicians graded the severity of artifact and nerve obscuration. Two image types were shown: one suture type per image and a composite image of each suture type, adjacent to one another. Results: Severity of nerve obscuration was as follows: composite image: P = N = V > C; individual images: P > N > V > C. Severity of artifact was: composite image: V = N > P > C; individual image: P > N > V > C. Conclusion: Although all sutures produced artifact, only C produced mild artifact, which did not significantly obscure visualization of the nerve model. Muscle Nerve, 2012
Challenges for psychosocial interventions in pediatric oncology. Editorial

Bob F Last1,2† & Martha A Grootenhuis3 †Author for correspondence 1Emma Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Psychosocial Department, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 2270
Religion and Superstition in Nineteenth-Century France

Superstition is the religion of others: their credulousness about beliefs we do not share. Religion is the belief in gods that some hold false, behaviour or practice others consider contrary to reason, but that provides a bond (religio) among its votaries. So, religion and superstition are two sides of the same coin at least in the nineteenth-century France with which the books under review occupy themselves. The eighteenth century opened the way to heterodoxy, but only for a minority, most of whom knew or learned the virtues of discretion. But the Revolution sent the church tumbling and, with it, the public disciplines and restraints which kept superstition that is, nonconformity to official religion in its place: in the shadows. After I 8o i, even after i814, Catholicism was no more than the religion of a majority of the French, the church that once enforced it represented one opinion among others. More overtly than ever, at least within living memory, piety took many forms. Chateaubriand had warned that witches' lairs would open when the temples of the Lord were closed. But witches had been around for a long time; and when the temples of the Lord reopened, sorcerers and soothsayers were still around to challenge their offerings, their prophecies and ceremonies. Never, it seems, at least in modern times, were religion and superstition more active in France than during the heyday of irreligion and anticlericalism. Betting on horses that have won, accounts of the age emphasize irreligion and its struggle against traditional beliefs, but pay less heed to widespread religious preoccupations, let alone persistence. We acknowledge the nineteenth century's fascination with religion, from piety to faddishness, but minimize the relevance of an obsessive religious quest. Even historians of mentalite's, myself included, have tended to play down less obvious linkages between broader religious activities, culture and politics. The late-eighteenth-century revival of millenarian beliefs, and the conjunction of millenarianism and mundane politics, offer a good example of the sort of thing we know but gloze. The Revolution of 1789, and even more its brood, had been about changing mankind and altering human nature. Even when it foundered, revolutionary experience suggested a radical transformation in progress, and changes of cosmic significance just around the corner. Apocalyptic speculation was reinforced by circumstance. E. P. Thompson has referred to the chiliasm of despair. There was also, of course, a chiliasm of hope: specific or diffuse, present terror bred hope of future regeneration. Even the persecution of the church suggested the coming of the Joachimite third age. Fourscore years ago, Albert Mathiez described such messianic
DELTAV REQUIREMENTS FOR DEFT SCENARIO OBJECTS

Mission design for Earth-NEO (Near Earth Object) encounters often focuses on the ability to impart an impulse to the NEO that will move the object so that the miss distance increases by an acceptable amount. However, this does not necessarily reduce the probabilistic risk that the NEO poses to an acceptable level. Dynamically induced (and therefore unavoidable) covariance growth between the time of last tracking and the conjunction time represents a significant uncertainty in the NEO trajectory, and hence the miss distance at closest approach. If this uncertainty is not accounted for, optimistic impulse solutions may result. In essence, proper maneuver analysis requires actual risk reduction, not simply increasing the miss distance. It is shown in this report that covariance-based maneuvering will yield significantly different answers than deterministic maneuvering for asteroid threats. The Defined Threat (DEFT) scenarios constructed for this conference are used as examples.
Inhibition of phagocytosis by Haemophilus ducreyi requires expression of the LspA1 and LspA2 proteins

Haemophilus ducreyi previously has been shown to inhibit the phagocytosis of both secondary targets and itself by certain cells in vitro. Wild-type H. ducreyi strain 35000HP contains two genes, lspA1 and lspA2, whose encoded protein products are predicted to be 456 and 543 kDa, respectively. An isogenic mutant of H. ducreyi 35000HP with inactivated lspA1 and lspA2 genes has been shown to exhibit substantially decreased virulence in the temperature-dependent rabbit model for chancroid. This lspA1 lspA2 mutant was tested for its ability to inhibit phagocytosis of immunoglobulin G-opsonized particles by differentiated HL-60 and U-937 cells and by J774A.1 cells. The wild-type strain H. ducreyi 35000HP readily inhibited phagocytosis, whereas the lspA1 lspA2 mutant was unable to inhibit phagocytosis. Similarly, the wild-type strain was resistant to phagocytosis, whereas the lspA1 lspA2 mutant was readily engulfed by phagocytes. This inhibitory effect of wild-type H. ducreyi on phagocytic activity was primarily associated with live bacterial cells but could also be found, under certain conditions, in concentrated H. ducreyi culture supernatant fluids that lacked detectable outer membrane fragments. Both the wild-type strain and the lspA1 lspA2 mutant attached to phagocytes at similar levels. These results indicate that the LspA1 and LspA2 proteins of H. ducreyi are involved, directly or indirectly, in the antiphagocytic activity of this pathogen, and they provide a possible explanation for the greatly reduced virulence of the lspA1 lspA2 mutant.
Approaches to time-resolved diffraction using an XFEL

We describe several schemes for time-resolved imaging of molecular motion using a free-electron laser (XFEL), in response to the many challenges and opportunities which XFEL radiation has created for accurate time-resolved measurement of structure. For pump–probe experiments using crystals, the problem of recording full Bragg reflections (not partials) in each shot arises. Two solutions, the use of the large bandwith which necesarily results from using attosecond pulses, and the use the coherent convergent beam mode are suggested. We also show that with attosecond recording times shorter than the temporal coherence time, Bragg reflections excited by different wavelengths from different reflections can interfere, providing structure factor phase information. For slower processes, a mixing jet sample-delivery device is described to allow snapshot solution scattering during molecular reactions on the microsecond scale. For optically excited membrane proteins, we suggest the use of the lipid cubic phase sample delivery device operating at atmospheric pressure. The use of two-color and split-and-delay schemes is suggested for improved accuracy in the Monte-Carlo method of serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX).
Riotous Performances: The Struggle for Hegemony in the Irish Theatre, 1712–1784. By Helen M. Burke. Notre Dame: Notre Dame University Press, 2002; pp. 356. $70 cloth, $35 paper.

While Irish theatre history and criticism has closely linked performance, nationalism, and identity politics throughout the twentieth century, far less attention has been paid to the Irish theatre's profound role in nation building in previous centuries. Cheryl Herr, John Harrington, and others have reminded us of the nineteenth-century popular theatre's role in subverting British opinions of Irish history and identity. But the eighteenth century, the century of Thomas Sheridan, John O'Keeffe, and Smock Alley, as well as Jonathan Swift, the United Irishmen, and Grattan's Parliament, has received surprisingly little attention from the point of view of theatre history.
The new dual frequency (C- and L-band) TOPSAR airborne interferometric SAR

Describes the implementation and initial results of the new NASA/JPL dual frequency C- and L-band interferometric SAR. The AIRSAR/TOPSAR system has been reconfigured to enable the simultaneous collection of C- and L-band interferometric radar data. This allows the quantitative study of penetration characteristics of various Earth terrain types in addition to producing digital elevation data.
Down-Regulation of the kps Region 1 Capsular Assembly Operon following Attachment of Escherichia coli Type 1 Fimbriae to d-Mannose Receptors

A differential-display PCR procedure identified the capsular assembly gene kpsD after Escherichia coli type 1 fimbrial binding to mannose-coated Sepharose beads. Limiting-dilution reverse-transcribed PCRs confirmed down-regulation of the kpsD gene, and Northern blot and lacZ fusion analyses showed down-regulation of the kpsFEDUCS region 1 operon. KpsD protein levels fell, and an agglutination test showed less K capsular antigen on the surface following the bacterial ligand-receptor interaction. These data show that binding of type 1 fimbriae (pili) to d-mannose receptors triggers a cross talk that leads to down-regulation of the capsule assembly region 1 operon in uropathogenic E. coli.
When health insurance is not a factor: national comparison of homeless and nonhomeless US veterans who use Veterans Affairs Emergency Departments.

Objectives. We examined the proportion of homeless veterans among users of Veterans Affairs (VA) emergency departments (EDs) and compared sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of homeless and nonhomeless VA emergency department users nationally.Methods. We used national VA administrative data from fiscal year 2010 for a cross-sectional study comparing homeless (n = 64 091) and nonhomeless (n = 866 621) ED users on sociodemographics, medical and psychiatric diagnoses, and other clinical characteristics.Results. Homeless veterans had 4 times the odds of using EDs than nonhomeless veterans. Multivariate analyses found few differences between homeless and nonhomeless ED users on the medical conditions examined, but homeless ED users were more likely to have been diagnosed with a drug use disorder (odds ratio [OR] = 4.12; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.97, 4.27), alcohol use disorder (OR = 3.67; 95% CI = 3.55, 3.79), or schizophrenia (OR = 3.44; 95% CI = 3.25, 3.64) in the past year.Conclusions. In a...
Why the Gap? Determinants of Self-Employment Earnings Differentials for Male and Female Millennials in the US

We investigated gender differences in self-employment earnings for US Millennials, and whether differences could be attributed to individual characteristics, business characteristics, or factors related to household formation, such as marriage and parenthood. Using a nationally representative dataset of US youth, we found significant earnings differences favoring men and suggestive evidence of a “motherhood earnings penalty” (Budig and England 2001, p. 204–225). After controlling for business characteristics, however, the effect of gender itself was not statistically significant and the effect of motherhood only approached statistical significance, suggesting that gendered choices and paths explain earnings differences, not gender or motherhood per se. Future work would benefit from a larger dataset and should explore the role of work location and education in earnings.
Energy performance of an adaptive façade system

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of an adaptive facade system on the energy performance of a hypothetical office building located in a cold climate. The design of a nine-story office building was selected from an advanced design studio taught by the authors, and used as a case study to carry out a whole building energy simulation. The energy simulation was run by a state-of-the-art simulation tool, DesignBuilder, using EnergyPlus weather data in Minneapolis, MN and Houston, TX. An adaptive facade system was developed, consisting of a typical curtainwall system and an operable shading system. The energy performance of the adaptive facade system was numerically verified using Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) software, and was used as input variables in DesignBuilder. The results of the analysis revealed the adaptive facade system consumes less heating energy compared to its static facade counterpart. The study addresses the importance of adaptive facade systems that contribute to aesthetics, technical innovation and building sustainability.
Stochastic models for the Trojan Y-Chromosome eradication strategy of an invasive species

The Trojan Y-Chromosome (TYC) strategy, an autocidal genetic biocontrol method, has been proposed to eliminate invasive alien species. In this work, we develop a Markov jump process model for this strategy, and we verify that there is a positive probability for wild-type females going extinct within a finite time. Moreover, when sex-reversed Trojan females are introduced at a constant population size, we formulate a stochastic differential equation (SDE) model as an approximation to the proposed Markov jump process model. Using the SDE model, we investigate the probability distribution and expectation of the extinction time of wild-type females by solving Kolmogorov equations associated with these statistics. The results indicate how the probability distribution and expectation of the extinction time are shaped by the initial conditions and the model parameters.
The Meanings of Leisure

W ITH modern social trends, the time which people have for leisure activities is tending to increase. This phenomenon has come to be of concern to those who feel that people may not be equipped to make the most satisfying use of their leisure. The problem is a particularly pertinent one as retirement age tends to fall, but is not unimportant at earlier stages of life. Empirical studies of leisure activity have tended to concentrate on the allocation of available time to various types of activity with the relative neglect of dynamic variables related to motivations behind the choice of leisure activities or to satisfactions which such activities afford. The aim of the present study is to find out about the meanings that people perceive in their leisure activities, and how these meanings are related to the content of leisure, to age, sex, social class, and personality characteristics. The approach used is to ask people what their favorite leisure activities are and what satisfactions they get from these activities. The expression of a felt satisfaction or a reason for carrying on a particular leisure activity, such as watching television, or gardening, is called a "meaning." Thus the definition of a "meaning of leisure," as here used, is what the actor says a favorite activity means to him in terms of the satisfactions he gets from it. What we did was to study the meanings attributed to their favorite leisure activities by a sample of people. A spontaneous choice of favorite activity, together with the satisfactions derived therefrom, afforded salient responses at the behavioral level. A related study of leisure has been reported by one of the authors,' in which the two favorite leisure activities of people were analyzed in terms of a set of "significance" variables. "Significance" was a general term applied to a set of 19 variables which are assumed to be characteristic of leisure activity and which presumably have some personal and social significance. In this case the significance variables were defined by the research team and were applied by means of rating scales to the interviews in which the respondent talked about his favorite leisure activities and what they meant to him. Thus "significance" was what a reader of the interview assessed as characteristic of a leisure activity for a particular person, while "meaning" was the kind of satisfaction the person himself said he obtained from a leisure activity. Some of the meaning and significance variables were quite similar (e.g., "creativity" was a significance variable and "to be creative" was a meaning variable) while others were not parallel. There were two principal hypotheses to be tested: 1. Meanings are systematically related to the content of preferred leisure activities. 2. Meanings are systematically related to age, sex, social class, and personal characteristics. A third and subordinate hypothesis was that adults in New Zealand and the United States would find similar meanings in their favorite leisure activities.
Scientific publishing needs disruption.

Steve Jobs, visionary and co-founder of Apple Inc, and famed for his competitive streak, commented at the launch of the Kindle, Amazon's new electronic book reader, that ‘it doesn't matter how good or bad the product is; the fact is that people don't read anymore’.[1][1] Scientific publishing
And the Blind Shall Lead the Blind: Reaction to a Floating Memoir

My anger at the fishermen, I realize, was directed at the conspicuous costliness of their gear, the excessiveness of the new van, because otherwise, I would have to acknowledge them as other versions of myself. Frustrated because they were where I wanted to be and were doing what I wanted to do, I tried to divert the issue to how they were going about it all. I tried to make it an argument about character rather than envy.1
UAV Collision Avoidance based on the Solution of the Suicidal Pedestrian Differential Game

We consider the following differential game of pursuit and evasion involving two unmanned aerial vehicle agents (UAVs): an evading UAV (“evader”), which has limited maneuverability, and a pursuing UAV (“pursuer”), which is assumed to be completely agile. The two UAVs move on the Euclidean plane with different but constant speeds. Whereas the pursuer can change the orientation of its velocity vector arbitrarily fast, that is, she is a “pedestrian” a la Isaacs, the evader cannot make turns having a radius smaller than a specified minimum turning radius. This problem can be seen as a reversed roles Homicidal Chauffeur game, hence the name “Suicidal Pedestrian” differential game. The aim of this paper is to derive the optimal strategies of the two players and characterize the initial conditions that lead to capture if the pursuer acts optimally, along with the states that guarantee evasion regardless of the pursuer’s strategy. Both proximity-capture and point-capture are considered. This is a rare instance where a complete solution of a differential game can be obtained in closed-form. Utilizing the connection to Zermelo’s Navigation Problem, the two-player solution is generalized under some assumptions for the case of multiple pursuer UAVs. The results are directly applicable to collision avoidance, in the sense that safety regions are delineated in which no collision is possible, even in the worst case of malicious intent by one of the pursuers.
Reliability of Score Differences on the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence

In this analysis data from the WPPSI manual were examined to determine the reliability of the Verbal IQ-Performance IQ differential (r = .81), of the differences between subtest scores (r = .69), and of the differences between subtest scores and IQs (r = .72). These findings indicated that WPPSI score differences were more reliable (because intercorrelations among scores were lower) than corresponding differences on the other Wechsler scales.
THE STUDY OF GEOLOGY COURSE AND EXPERIMENT SIMULATION FORFORMING ULTRA-LOW WATER SATURATION IN TIGHT SANDSTONES GAS RESERVOIRS

Recognizing the water saturation in tight gas reservoirs directly affects reserves evaluation and development measurement of the gas reservoirs. Sealed coring and log interpretation show there is an ultra-low water saturation in tight gas reservoirs in northern Ordos basin, the initial water saturation in tight gas reservoirs is between 20% and 30%, which is far below the irreducible water saturation. This article believe that the mechanism of forming ultra-low water saturation in tight gas reservoirs is the result of the process of removing water during hydrocarbon generating, then proving the conclusion by an experiment. The effects of isolation of mudstone, the variation of relative permeability between water and gas in gas and water transitional zone, the continual gas accumulation increasing the pressure in tight gas reservoirs are main issues for sustaining ultra-low water saturation.
Effect of CrossFit™ on Health-related Physical Fitness: A Pilot Study

CrossFit™ is a novel training modality but empirical support of its effectiveness is lacking (1). The purpose of the current study was to: 1) examine the effect of CrossFit™ on health-related physical fitness, and 2) to compare the effects of CrossFit™ against matched participants in a traditional training program. Pre- and post-assessments of aerobic capacity, body composition, upper-body muscular endurance, muscular power, and hamstring flexibility were conducted. CrossFit™ participants improved aerobic capacity (6%) and muscular endurance (22%) with the mean change in endurance differing significantly from the traditional training group (p = .004).
Are Social Marketing and Advertising Communications (SMACs) Meaningful?: A Survey of Facebook User Emotional Responses, Source Credibility, Personal Relevance, and Perceived Intrusiveness

ABSTRACTAs users of social networking sites increase, placing ads on social network site (SNS) platforms is necessary for the medium and the advertiser. This placement does not come without significant concerns the impact of diverse social marketing and advertising communications. To provide a deeper understanding of the feelings of SNS users to marketing and advertising communications, this study measured the emotional responses in the three-dimensional form of appeal, engagement, and empowerment. The study also examined the cognitive or rational variables personal relevance, perceived intrusiveness, and source credibility, to determine their effect and relationship to emotional response on social marketing and advertising communications (SMACs) on Facebook. An online survey among college students revealed that more positive emotional and rational responses were generated toward SMACs that Facebook users re-promoted than toward those SMACs that are directly promoted by marketers. The re-promoted marketin...
Radiotherapy for iris metastasis from esophageal carcinoma: A series of three cases.

Background: Description of three cases of metastatic esophageal carcinoma to the iris and focus on management strategies. Methods: A 48-year-old man (Case 1) with previously treated stage IV esophageal carcinoma presented with blurred vision in the left eye (OS) for 3 weeks. Initial fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) was negative for malignant cells, so incisional biopsy was performed and confirmed metastatic carcinoma. A 53-year-old man (Case 2) with previously treated stage III esophageal cancer experienced 2 months of pain and 1 month of blurred vision OS. Documented tumor growth suggested esophageal carcinoma metastasis. A 65-year-old man (Case 3) with previously treated stage IV esophageal carcinoma developed hyphema in the right eye (OD), and FNAB confirmed metastatic carcinoma. Results: Case 1 was treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), delivered over 16 days which resulted in complete tumor regression. Case 2 received stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) over 21 days leading to complete tumor regression. Case 3 was treated with plaque radiotherapy over 4 days, resulting in complete tumor regression. Conclusions: In all three cases, radiotherapy was employed, and enucleation was avoided. Plaque radiotherapy achieved tumor control in a shorter period of time (4 days) compared to EBRT (16 days) or SBRT (21 days). Knowing the short life expectancy of these patients, plaque radiotherapy appears most favorable.
Temperature-Dependent Crystal Structure Study of a Small Heterobicycle, C 9 H 12 O 4

1,7,7-Trimethyl-2,6-dioxabicyclo[2.2.2]octan-3,5-dione is a dipseudoacyl ketal formed by a double intramolecular dehydration/cyclization of 2-carboxy-3,3-dimethyl-5-oxohexanoic acid. The compound is a volatile, colorless crystalline solid (mp 137 °C) which forms prisms and plates from ethanol by slow solvent evaporation. Crystals are orthorhombic, space group P212121 (#19), a = 8.0557(2) A, b = 10.3545(3) A, c = 10.7583(3) A, V = 897.37(11)A3 (101 K). The crystal and molecular structure has been determined on a single prismatic specimen at 280, 250, 200, 150 and 101 K (±1 K). The ostensibly rigid molecule possesses mirror symmetry, which is not retained in the solid state. Each six-membered ring has a boat conformation, with torsions-0.2°, 1.3°, −2.7° (101 K). Carbonyl groups are eclipsed with a common methine C–H bond, and the OCC(H) bond angles are enlarged to 126.9°, 127.0°, while the intraring CCO angles are contracted to 112.0, 112.1° (uncorrected for libration). The coefficients of thermal expansion are 3.34 × 10−4, 6.97 × 10−4 and 6.54 × 10−4A/K for the three orthorhombic axes, respectively, over the range studied. A rigid-body librational model fit to the anisotropic librational parameters grows worse at lower temperatures, suggesting at least two lower frequency internal modes make contributions to the librational terms. A bicyclic rigid dipseudoacyl ketal shows libration which on analysis of the thermal motion from 280 to 101 K suggest two active low frequency vibrational modes.
Repair of large airway defects with bioprosthetic materials

Abstract Objective Patients with complicated airway defects that exceed the limits of primary repair represent a challenging clinical problem and require alternative techniques for repair. The aim of this study was to evaluate bioprosthetic reconstruction of large tracheal and bronchial defects. Methods Retrospective chart review of patients treated at a single tertiary center from 2008 to 2015 who underwent repair of tracheal or bronchial defects with a bioprosthetic device, namely aortic homograft or acellular dermal matrix. Results Eight patients, 3 men and 5 women with a mean age of 54 ± 13 years, underwent closure of complex central airway defects with bioprosthetic material. All but 1 patient underwent prior operative or stenting procedures. Three patients had isolated airway defects, whereas 5 had fistulas between the airway and enteric tract. Defects involved the membranous wall of the trachea (n = 5), the anterior wall of the trachea (n = 1), or the main stem bronchus (n = 2). Five reconstructions were with aortic homograft and 3 with acellular dermal matrix. Bioprosthetic material was buttressed with muscle flap (n = 4), omentum (n = 2), or left unbuttressed (n = 2). The airway defect was successfully closed in all patients. There was no postoperative mortality or recurrence of the airway defect in short-term follow-up. Two patients required debridement of granulation tissue and 1 additional patient required airway balloon dilation. Progression of underlying metastatic disease explained the majority of long-term mortality (75%). Conclusions Bioprosthetic materials represent a viable option for management of large airway defects, including airway-enteric fistulae, that exceed the limits of primary repair.
An electric field model developed for multi-physics plasma-fluid simulation for atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge actuators

Immersed bodies such as struts and vanes in gas turbine flow systems will, except at the lowest of flow velocities, shed separated wakes. One means to mitigate this is through active flow control by the use of pulsed DC plasma actuation. A two-dimensional, plasma-fluid model and code, multi-PHysics Analysis of Fluid-plasma Numerical Integration algoRithm (PHAFNIR), that couples electrodynamics, plasma reaction kinetics, and fluid mechanics has been developed and validated extensively to experiment. Further, numerical verification has also been performed on this code.
Labor and Alternative Food Networks: Challenges for Farmers and Consumers

Although alternative food networks (AFNs) have made strides in modeling socially just and environmentally sound agrifood system practices, the next step is to make these innovations available to more people, or to increase participation in AFNs. However, there are several barriers to expanding the impact of AFNs. The labor intensity of producing and consuming foods in AFNs is sometimes overlooked but poses a significant challenge to alternative agrifood systems’ long-term viability. This paper brings together two independently conducted empirical research studies, one focused on sustainable food production and one focused on food provisioning in the sphere of consumption. Farmers engaged in small-scale alternative food production are investing significantly more time in maintaining the health of their soils by practicing crop rotation, growing a greater diversity of crops and building organic matter with cover crops and compost. Because much of this work is unpaid, the added labor requirements pose an obstacle to the financial viability and social sustainability of alternative production methods. On the consumption side, the labor intensity of food provisioning for women engaged in AFNs, combined with other socio-demographic factors, at times, constrains AFN participation. By identifying the ways in which labor may limit the ability of AFNs to expand to a larger portion of the population, this paper helps shed light on ways of increasing the environmental, social and health benefits of AFNs.
Forecasting supercritical and subcritical Hopf bifurcations in aeroelastic systems

Abstract A novel method of forecasting bifurcations based on only the observation of the pre-bifurcation regime is proposed. The method is an extension of previous approaches with a focus on oscillatory systems. The method also enables the use of much less measurement data. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate that this new approach predicts the post-bifurcation regime accurately and to explore the robustness of this method to process noise.
Sensor Nodes (SNs), Camera Sensor Nodes (C-SNs), and Remote Sensor Nodes (RSNs)

A wireless sensor network (WSN) consists of a large number of sensor nodes (SNs) that transmit a volume of data to a central station, commonly known as a base station (BS) or sink node in a multi hop fashion.
Employment and quality of life (QOL) in human papillomavirus-related (HPV+) oropharynx cancer treated with definitive chemoradiation (CTRT).

9587 Background: HPV+ oropharynx cancer affects younger patients and is often treated with CTRT. We aimed to assess the impact of CTRT on employment and QOL in these patients. Methods: We completed...
Meta-Analysis of Trauma-Focused Therapies for Treating the Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

This meta-analysis of 46 between-groups studies published between 1997 and 2015 detected treatment effects ranging from large to small when comparing trauma-focused therapies with no treatment (g = −1.05), supportive interventions (g = −0.91), other interventions (g = −0.57), and non-trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapies (g = −0.08) for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The independent random-effects models detected modest publication bias and a negligible influence of moderating variables on treatment outcomes. Considerations for counselors who treat PTSD and suggestions for researchers are provided.
How Should Tax Reform Treat Employee Stock and Options

This brief documents how the US tax system treats the most common forms of equity compensation, including stock, restricted stock units, and stock options. In most cases, these forms of equity compensation are taxed just like cash wages, salaries, and bonuses. Employees pay ordinary income taxes on the value they get from stock and most options. Employers deduct that value from their taxable income. And both employees and employers pay payroll taxes. The tax system thus creates a level playing field between equity and cash compensation. The large deductions businesses sometimes get for equity compensation—most famously when Facebook went public—are not a concern since they are accompanied by large tax payments by employees. Policymakers should maintain this equal treatment in any tax reform.
Overkill: Black Lives and the Spectacle of the Atlanta Cheating Scandal:

This article examines the 2015 Atlanta cheating scandal trials and sentencing. Using critical race theory, the authors argue that cheating is a natural outgrowth of market-based school reform and t...
Influence on the structural and magnetic properties of pre-alloyed gas-atomized Fe49Co49V2 powders during mechanical milling

Abstract The influence on the structural and magnetic properties of pre-alloyed gas-atomized Fe49Co49V2 powders during mechanical milling was investigated. The powders were mechanically milled for up to 45 h. The powders, before milling, were principally comprised of α-phase. No noticeable phase transformation was observed during mechanical milling of the pre-alloyed powders. Mechanical milling resulted in a gradual decrease in crystallite size to as low as ~10 nm, accompanied by an increase in lattice strain to ~1.2–1.5%. Mechanical milling led to an appreciable reduction in the particle size while the morphology of the milled powders appeared similar once the steady-state was attained. The lattice parameter of the nanostructured powders at steady-state was estimated as 0.2857 ± 0.0004 nm. The saturation magnetization (MS) of the nanostructured powders milled for ~45 h was ~211 ± 1 Am2/kg, and it decreased only by ~6% compared to that of the pre-alloyed gas-atomized powders before mechanical milling. The intrinsic coercivity (HCI) of the pre-alloyed powders was estimated as ~1.4 ± 1% kA/m. The HCI peaked to ~8.4 kA/m during the initial stages of milling and subsequently remained between ~6.5 kA/m to ~6 kA/m, during the later stages of milling. As would be expected, the HCI was strongly dependent on the crystallite size. The ferromagnetic exchange length of the nanostructured powders was estimated to be ~27 nm. The magnetic properties of nanostructured Fe49Co49V2 powders obtained by mechanical milling of pre-alloyed powders had relatively superior magnetic properties compared to the nanostructured powder obtained by mechanical alloying of the constituent elemental powders.
The Bond between Positive and Normative Economics

This essay clarifies the relations between positive economics and mainstream normative economics. If rationality can be characterized by conditions on preferences and choices and, in addition, people are, to a reasonable degree of approximation rational, then economists can invoke the theory of rationality to explain choices. If people are also, as in positive economics, largely self-interested and reasonably well-informed, then their preferences will also indicate their level of well-being. Modeling both choice and welfare in terms of rational preferences thus unites positive and normative economics. In explaining market outcomes in terms of individual choices, explaining choices by preferences, and taking preferences to indicate well-being, economists who are concerned with welfare defend a normative theory that piggybacks on their positive theory. This traditional mainstream normative theory is problematic, but because of its unity and its connection to positive economics, it is also very powerful.
The Female Factor in Aid

Sufficient information has accumulated in the literature to permit the conclusion that a complicated interaction between the fertility potentials of each partner determines a couple’s fertility. 1,6 Artificial insemination with donor semen (AID) is one of the techniques utilized to overcome the presence of a severe male factor. AID is practiced usually after a relatively brief evaluation of the female, primarily directed towards exclusion of major disturbances (E.G. tubal disease, anovulation). The analysis of the data obtained in this type of patient population is frequently utilized for the assessment of the efficacy of AID. The recipients are considered as a homogeneous group as far as their fertility potential is concerned. The success rates of AID reported in the literature vary greatly ; pregnancy rates as low as 40% and as high as 80% have been reported.7,8 It is difficult to compare the various reports. Not only do the techniques of insemination and quality of the donor semen probably vary in the different reports but also, and more importantly, the makeup of the recipient population is most likely heterogeneous, being a function of the extent of evaluation and therapy of the AID recipients.
Imaging of Boston Keratoprosthesis Type 1

Boston keratoprosthesis is an important surgical alternative for visual rehabilitation in patients with end-stage corneal or ocular surface disease. However, due to potential postoperative complications including inflammation, infection, and scarring, frequent examination and monitoring are required. Clinical examination techniques such as slit lamp biomicroscopy and gonioscopy provide limited observation of the anterior segment and angle anatomy. Recent advances in imaging techniques including ultrasound biomicroscopy and optical coherence tomography (anterior segment, optic nerve head, macula) are valuable and noninvasive tools that provide detailed visualization of ocular anatomy and augment current clinical examination methods. Thus, evaluation and monitoring of postoperative complications such as infection, corneal melt, retroprosthetic membrane formation, glaucoma, and macular edema may be improved. Furthermore, these imaging modalities may play an important role in evaluating and improving current device design and surgical technique as further details of KPro-anterior segment dynamics become better understood.
A Simulation model for economic analysis of flexible manufacturing systems

Abstract A simulation model for economic analysis of flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) was introduced in this paper. All factors for operating FMS are decomposed into measurable monetary elements. These elements are combined into two groups. One group contains time-related events such as depreciation and maintenance; the other consists of job-related events such as number of jobs produced and number of defective jobs. Data needed for developing this model include: initial investments for each NC machine and robot, tax rate, material cost of each type of job, price of finished job, and other operating costs. All data are available within the cost accounting department of a company. Two dynamic variables are built into the model for the individual machine: down time, and job defect rate. Both variables are increased with system operation life. These two variables introduce additional reality into the operation of the simulation model. The simulation model functions as a dynamic cost accounting system dedicated to the FMS in operating in real time. A walk-through example with multiple jobs, multiple machines, and one automatic guided vehicle (AGV) is described in this paper. The operational model is coded in SIMAN. The source code is included in the Appendix.
Hybrid base-isolation of a nonlinear building using a passive resettable stiffness damper

Abstract The resetting semi-active stiffness damper (RSASD) has been shown to be effective at protecting civil structures subject to near-field earthquake ground motions. Recently, a modified version of the RSASD was proposed in which the semi-active components of the damper were replaced by a novel mechanism for achieving resetting of the damper force. The resulting resetting passive stiffness damper (RPSD) represents a more reliable and robust alternative to its semi-active counterpart. The objective of the research presented herein is to investigate the RPSD for hybrid base-isolation of a nonlinear building subject to a suite of near-field earthquake ground motions. The performance of the RPSD is benchmarked through a comparison with other passive, semi-active, and hybrid seismic protective systems. It is shown that the RPSD is effective in reducing the peak base drifts while maintaining the building response within the elastic range. Furthermore, it is shown that the performance of the RPSD generally compared well with the other protective systems in terms of reducing the peak base drifts, but was not as effective at reducing the peak base absolute accelerations or floor drifts.
Differential regulation of the unfolded protein response in outbred deer mice and susceptibility to metabolic disease

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been causatively linked to the onset of various pathologies. However, whether and how inherent variations in the resulting unfolded protein response (UPR) affect predisposition to ER-stress-associated metabolic conditions remains to be established. By using genetically diverse deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) as a model, we show that the profile of tunicamycin-induced UPR in fibroblasts isolated at puberty varies between individuals and predicts deregulation of lipid metabolism and diet-induced hepatic steatosis later in life. Among the different UPR targets tested, CHOP (also known as Ddit3) more consistently predicted elevated plasma cholesterol and hepatic steatosis. Compared with baseline levels or inducibility, the maximal intensity of the UPR following stimulation best predicts the onset of pathology. Differences in the expression profile of the UPR recorded in cells from different populations of deer mice correlate with the varying response to ER stress in altitude adaptation. Our data suggest that the response to ER stress in cultured cells varies among individuals, and its profile early in life might predict the onset of ER-stress-associated disease in the elderly.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
TG/MS capillary interface

A TA Instruments Thermal Analysis System (TG) has been interfaced to the Hewlett Packard 5972 quadrupole mass spectrometer. An OSS-2 variable outlet splitter was plumbed between the TG and the mass spectrometer. This interface allows continuous monitoring of the ion intensities of mass peaksm/e=18 (water) andm/e=44 (carbon dioxide) used to elucidate the TG transitions attributable to residual moisture in freeze-dried biological products. Moisture specifications must be met in order to insure product stability throughout the approved shelf life. TG/MS results are discussed for BCG Vaccine, BCG Live (Intravesical) and U. S. Standard Antihemophilic Factor. Karl Fischer and TG/MS moisture results are compared.
Micro-Mechanistic Interpretation of Cyclic Crack Growth Behavior in 17-4 PH Stainless Steels

A fracture mechanics and fractographic study has been made of cyclic crack growth in heat-treated samples of 17-4 PH stainless steel. Two ½-in. (1.27-cm) thick rolled plates were studied: a vacuum-melted (VM) sample in the H1050 condition and an argon-oxygen melted (AOM) sample in the H1050 and H1150 conditions. Crack-growth rates, da/dN, were obtained in ambient laboratory air as a function of stress-intensity factor range, ΔK, using single-edge-notched (SEN) tension specimens. Stress ratio, R, values of 0.04, 0.40, 0.67, and 0.80 were investigated. Microscopic modes of crack extension were determined by electron fractography and were utilized to explain differences in macroscopic crack-growth behavior. Cleavage and microvoid coalescence can appear as modes of cyclic crack propagation in this family of steels, to the detriment of cyclic crack-growth resistance. In particular, the following notable features were observed: (1) the amount of cleavage present appears to be independent of AK over a wide spectrum of AK levels; (2) the incidence of cleavage (and accelerated cyclic crack-propagation rates) increases significantly with R; (3) heat treatment can be adjusted to minimize the incidence of cleavage; and (4) slight variation in alloy processing serves to eliminate cleavage and promote striation formation, while enhancing the fracture toughness.