cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Racial Disparities in Disability: Recent Evidence From Self-Reported and Performance-Based Disability Measures in a Population-Based Study of Older Adults

Methods. Our data came from a longitudinal, population-based study of 6,158 Black and White adults aged 65 and older from the south side of Chicago. Data were collected during three face-to-face interviews between 1993 and 2002. We ascertained disability using three self-report measures and a performance-based measure of physical function. Using longitudinal data analysis, we examined overall racial differences in disability and the degree to which they varied by age and gender. Results. After an average of 6 years of follow-up, Blacks reported significantly higher disability levels than Whites after adjustment for age and sex. There was a significant increase in disability during follow-up on all four measures. Racial differences in disability did not vary consistently by age at baseline or over time but were greater among women. Findings were largely similar for self-reported and performance-based measures of disability. Adjustment for socioeconomic status substantially reduced racial differences in disability, although some of the differences remained significant, especially among women. Conclusions. Racial disparities in disability have not been eliminated, are greater among women, and have their origins earlier in adulthood.
Research on psychiatric outcomes and interventions subsequent to disasters: a review of the literature

Tragic events such as those of September 11, 2001, underscore the increasingly prominent role that psychiatrists play in aiding survivors, emergency workers, and broader communities to cope with disaster. The present review was undertaken to identify whether there exists a scientific basis for the practice of psychiatry in the aftermath of disasters. Most of the extensive literature over the past 30 years suggests that disasters have psychopathological consequences as well as medical and social ones. Pre-existing mood and anxiety disorders, although surprisingly not psychotic illness, appear to be risk factors for further psychopathology after a disaster. Thus, both acute psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions at disaster sites may prevent long-term sequelae, although their efficacy remains uncertain. Future controlled treatment trials are needed to determine the optimal treatment strategy.
Enhanced selective tungsten encapsulation of TiW capped aluminum interconnect

With the use of the encapsulation barrier metal technique, the metal 1 thickness can be reduced due to the structure's high resistance to electromigration. With the thinning of metal 1, the thickness of the interlevel dielectric can be reduced within capacitance constraints with minimal concern for hillocking during the oxide deposition. With the thinning of metal 1, the interlevel deposition topography becomes more planar. This process enhancement permits the use of selective tungsten plugging of vias in that the tungsten fluorine barrier acts as a seed layer at the base of the via. This technique can be used in an n-level metalization process by repeating the metal 1 encapsulation process on subsequent metal interconnect levels. >
Church and State in Ireland in the Nineteenth Century

I should first like to refer to some documents which I found during my research this summer in the Propaganda Archives in Rome. Then, I should like to show how they help towards a better understanding of the very complicated historical relation between Church and State in Ireland in the nineteenth century. The first of these documents is a series of three letters from an Irish priest to his agent in Rome in January, 1823, concerning the impending appointment of a new Archbishop to the See of Cashel. The second is a long letter from the Bishop of Elphin to the Cardinal Prefect of Propaganda, in February,1826,protesting the charges leveled against him at Rome by the Augustinians of his diocese. These two men, priest and bishop, peasant and aristocrat, represent the essential faces of the clergy in Ireland in the nineteenth century. More often than not, however, the priest or the bishop was not simply the one or the other, but rather an interestingly complex amalgam of these two representative types. Their letters, then, tell us a great deal not only about the Church in their time, but give us historical insight into the Church of their posterity.
Beta hemolytic streptococcus group f causing pelvic inflammatory disease in a 14-year-old girl.

Abstract Background Pelvic inflammatory disease in prepubertal and non-sexually active adolescents is rare and poorly understood. Various organisms have been named as causative agents in adolescent pelvic infections. Early diagnosis and treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease in young girls is imperative to future fertility and long term sequela. Case We present a 14-year-old, menarchal, non-sexually active female with a 3-week history of abdominal pain and fever. Surgical exploration and cultures revealed Stage IV pelvic inflammatory disease caused by Beta Streptococcus Group F. Conclusion Various organisms including Streptococcal infections should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease in young girls without risk factors.
Causal role of the prefrontal cortex in top-down modulation of visual processing and working memory

This study uses a combination of TMS, fMRI and EEG to provide causal evidence for the role of the prefrontal cortex in the modulation of selective attention. Participants with greater decrement in visual association cortex modulation when TMS was used to knock out the prefrontal contribution had greater working memory performance decline.
Sexual dimorphism in neonate and adult snakes

Sex differences in body size and head dimensions are widespread in adult snakes, but because data are scarce for neonates, it is unclear whether differences are present from birth or arise post-natally. Here we analyse patterns of sexual dimorphism in neonates and adults of four species of natricine snakes, Nerodia sipedon, Storeria dekayi, Thamnophis radix, and T. sirtalis. Two measures of body size (snout–vent length, mass), four measures of head morphology (head length, head width, jaw length, and interocular distance), and tail length were obtained from wild-caught adults and from offspring born to wild-caught females. Among neonates, significant sexual dimorphism was found in body size for S. dekayi and T. sirtalis, in head dimensions for S. dekayi, T. radix, and T. sirtalis, and in tail length for all four species. Among adults, significant sexual dimorphism was found in body size, head dimensions, and tail length for all four species. The degree of sexual dimorphism in body size among adults greatly exceeded that among neonates. In contrast, the degree of sexual dimorphism in head dimensions was similar between neonates and adults. The presence of significant sexual dimorphism among neonates suggests that hypotheses regarding the evolutionary significance of sexual dimorphism in snakes should consider newborns as well as adults.
Acute dispersion of glial cells following transplantation into the myelin-deficient rat spinal cord.

Evaluation of glial cell migration following transplantation can be difficult as the force of the injection itself may cause the cells to become immediately dispersed. In this study we evaluated the extent of spread of cells after injection of 1 μl of a dissociated cell suspension (50,000 cells/μl) into the dorsal columns of the thoracolumbar spinal cord in the neonatal myelin-deficient (md) rat. Spinal cords were examined at 0, 4, and 24 h after injection to determine the dispersion of cells away from the initial site of deposition. Examination of skip-serial sections collected at 50-μm intervals rostral and caudal to the site of transplantation showed that the injection could result in a spread of transplanted cells up to 1,600 μm. Migration should therefore be defined as the detection of cells beyond the rostral-caudal boundaries defined by the injection deposition. Cell dispersion should be taken into account when evaluating the results of migration in previous and future experiments concerning glial cell transplantation. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Chemical Durability of Na2O-K2O-CaO-SiO2 Glasses

The mixed-alkali effect on chemical durability was evaluated for bulk and powdered Na2O-K2O-CaO-SiO2 glasses. Two contributions to this effect are discussed, i.e. those of glass structure and corrosion solution. The magnitude of the mixed-alkali effect depends on the pH of the corroding solution. For pH<9, alkali-ion leaching is the major mode of glass corrosion, and the mixed-alkali effect is large. However, for pH≥9 congruent glass dissolution is the rate-controlling corrosion mechanism, and the effect is diminished. When ion exchange is the rate-controlling corrosion mechanism the magnitude of the mixed-alkali effect depends on the extent of reaction. Since the kinetics of corrosion are influenced by the ratio of glass surface area to solution volume (SA/V), results obtained when this ratio is large may be misleading if extrapolated to smaller ratios. Physical evidence of the mixed-alkali effect in bulk glasses was obtained using scanning electron microscopy and ir reflection spectroscopy.
TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE: SOME EVIDENCE FROM GHANA

RECENT studies of the magnitude of inefficiency generated by distorted foreign trade structures have focused attention on the role of inappropriate choice of technique in reducing the social profitability of investments in LDC's. Steel (1972) examining the performance of thirty-nine industrial firms in Ghana, finds a significant relationship between low social profitability, inappropriate factor proportions, and excess capacity engendered by the structure of protection. Similar conclusions emerge from the work of Bela Balassa and Associates, (1971) and from project analyses of existing investments in developing countries. These findings have produced substantial debate on the scope for factor substitution and the determination of the choice of technique in LDC manufacturing.' Concurrently, a literature has developed suggesting that poor economic performance may arise largely from low levels of technical efficiency. Pack (1974) observed significant variations in technical or "X-efficiency" among firms in six industries across several countries, and in a more detailed study of the manufacturing sector in Kenya (1976) concluded that managerial training and competence exercise a major influence on economic performance. Leibenstein (1966) has argued that the social costs of "Xinefficiency" may substantially outweigh those arising from misallocation of resources, and Bergsman (1974) has attempted to quantify the costs of protection arising from tariff induced reductions in X-efficiency. This paper seeks to clarify the relationship between technical (or managerial) efficiency, the choice of technique, and economic performance. The first section draws upon the concepts of technical and price efficiency developed by Farrell (1957) to establish the relationship between technical efficiency, choice of technique, and a commonly used measure of economic performance, the "Domestic Resource Cost" (DRC) criterion. Section 2 summarizes the results of DRC estimates of economic efficiency for firms in three Ghanaian industries. In Section 3 estimates of the industry production function are employed to measure the extent of technical inefficiency and inappropriate choice of technique. Section 4 utilizes the computed indices of technical, price, and economic efficiency to assess the significance of the choice of technique, and technical inefficiency as components of measured
Adaptations of cognitive therapy for depressed adolescents

Abstract This paper suggests methods for adapting cognitive therapeutic techniques to the treatment of nonpsychotic depressed adolescents. Adolescents differ from adults in regard to the differential diagnosis of depression, optimal methods to elicit thinking deficits, a need to identify unique modes of communication, management of the therapeutic alliance, and defining the role of parents in therapy. A proposal for a treatment model of cognitive therapy for this age group is presented and illustrated.
Rapid search for spherical objects in aerial photographs

A methodology is presented for designing detectors which locate specific features in an image. The method is applied to the detection and segmentation of spherical features. A vital part of the detection and segmentation is the use of the gradient angle transform. An analysis of the gradient angle for ideal spheres is presented, with a discussion of how this may be used to locate the boundaries of the sphere. The algorithms used by a program which detects and segments spherical features are then presented. The results of applying the program to images with man-made spherical features are given. >
Design of a DNA probe using barium strontium titanate

A DNA probe assembly was developed using barium strontium titanate (BST) grown on a gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrate, using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). To verify the binding of probe material to BST, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) techniques were used. The binding of the DNA probe strand was verified using capacitance measurement. Using this probe, the existence of the second strand can be sensed.
A LOCALIZED ZONE OF INCREASED CONDUCTANCE PROGRESSES OVER THE SURFACE OF THE SEA URCHIN EGG DURING FERTILIZATION

Although activation of a sea urchin egg by sperm leads to three phases of membrane conductance increase in the egg, the mechanism by which the sperm causes these conductance changes is not known. We used the loose patch clamp technique to localize the conductance changes in voltage clamped eggs. A patch of the egg's membrane was isolated from the bath by pressing the loose patch clamp pipette against the egg surface. Sperm added to the bath attached to the surface of the egg in a region other than at the isolated membrane patch. During phase 1 of the activation current, no changes of the membrane conductance were detected. At the time of, and subsequent to the onset of phase 2, large currents recorded between the interior of the patch pipette and the bath were attributed to changes of the seal resistance between the surface of the egg and the pipette. A local change of membrane conductance was observed during phase 2 despite the changes of seal resistance. During phase 2, the large amplitude and short duration of the local membrane conductance increase relative to the membrane conductance increase for the whole egg during phase 2 indicated that the conductance increase occurred over the entire surface of the egg, but not simultaneously. The time when the peak conductance for the membrane patch occurred, relative to the time of onset for phase 2 in the whole egg, depended on the distance, measured in a straight line, between the site of sperm attachment and the tip of the pipette. These data indicate that the localized conductance increase progressed over the surface of the egg from the site of sperm attachment to the opposite pole of the egg. It is proposed that the local conductance increase, the cortical reaction, and the change of seal resistance are all evoked by a common cytoplasmic message that progresses throughout the cytoplasm of the egg from the site of sperm attachment to the opposite pole of the egg.
A PERCEPTUAL APPROACH FOR SEMANTIC IMAGE RETRIEVAL

The rapid growth of digital imaging technology and the accumulation of large collections of digital images has created the need for efficient and intelligent schemes for image classification and retrieval. Since humans are the ultimate users of most retrieval systems, it is important to organize the contents semantically, according to meaningful categories. We propose a novel approach for assigning semantic labels to image segments, which together segment layout information can lead to content-based image classification and retrieval. The proposed approach relies on a perceptually based, spatially adaptive, color-texture segmentation scheme. We derive segment-wide features (color and spatial texture). These features serve as medium level descriptors that can effectively bridge the "semantic gap" between low and high level descriptors. The segment classification into semantic categories is based on linear discriminant analysis techniques. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach on a database that includes 5000 segments from approximately 2000 photographs of natural scenes.
Signal parameter estimation based on one-bit quantized data from multiple sensors

We consider the problem of signal parameter estimation using a collection of distributed sensors. Each sensor quantizes its data to one-bit information and sends it to a fusion processor for the estimation of the parameter. Estimation of a constant signal in additive noise is considered. Since the emphasis is for the case of a moderately large number of sensors, we consider in this study two cases of estimation with 8 sensors and 20 sensors. We formulate several estimators based on one-bit sensor data and evaluate their mean squared error performances through simulation studies. Two parametric noise densities are simulated to ascertain the efficacies of various estimators. Results from this study show that robust estimation of parameter is possible by using a moderately large number of one-bit quantized sensor data.
Lack of relationship between prolactin and adrenal steroidogenesis in the ovine fetus

The role of fetal prolactin (PRL) as a fetal adrenotropic hormone was investigated in eight chronically catheterized fetal lambs. Catheters were placed for measurement of plasma prolactin (PRL), cortisol (F), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), and androstenedione (A). Daily (9 AM) samples were obtained until the onset of labor. In four animals 2-Br-alpha-ergocryptine (BC) was administered subcutaneously (1 mg/12 hours) for 11 to 21 days prior to delivery. Four animals served as controls. No difference between groups was noted in the duration of gestation. PRL increased in the control animals from 8.4 +/- 2.4 to 43.0 +/- 5.6 ng/ml (mean +/- SEM) at the time of delivery whereas in animals that received BC it decreased within 24 hour of administration and remained below 3 ng/ml throughout the study period. No differences were noted in the concentration of F, DHEA, DHEA-S, and A between groups. These results suggest that PRL does not play a role in adrenal steroidogenesis or in the initiation of parturition.
Expanding the Repertoire of Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease: Targeted and Non-targeted Approaches.

The first biofluid markers developed for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) used targeted approaches for discovery. These initial biomarkers were directed at key protein constituents of the hallmark brain lesions in AD. Biomarkers for plaques targeted the amyloid beta protein (Aβ) and for tangles, the microtubule-associated protein tau. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of Aβ and tau have excellent diagnostic utility and can be used to monitor aspects of therapeutic development. Recent research has extended our current concepts of AD, which now include a slow buildup of pathology during a long presymptomatic period, a complex cascade of pathological pathways in the brain that may accelerate once symptoms develop, the potential of aggregated proteins to spread across brain pathways, and interactions with vascular and other age-associated brain pathologies. There are many potential roles for biomarkers within this landscape. A more diverse set of biomarkers would provide a better picture of the staging and state of pathological events in the brain across the stages of AD. This aim of this review is to focus on methods of biomarker discovery that may help to expand the currently accepted biomarkers. Opportunities and approaches for targeted and non-targeted (or –omic) biomarker discovery are highlighted, with examples from recent studies. How biomarker discoveries can be developed and integrated to become useful tools in diagnostic and therapeutic efforts is discussed.
Neonatal Medical and Surgical Lung Diseases

Respiratory distress is a common problem in the neonate, and imaging plays an important part in the initial diagnosis and management of these infants. This chapter discusses the most common medical and surgical conditions of the lung encountered in the newborn, with emphasis on the role of a multi-modal evaluation for surgical planning.
Solubility of bovin fibrinogen in ethanol-water mixtures.

Summary(1) The solubility of bovine fibrinogen in ethanol-water mixtures has been studied. The behavior was qualitatively similar to that of the human protein, but the influence of pH was much smaller. (2) A procedure for refractionating bovine Fraction I to give a 90% clottable product is described.
Periodicity in the cytoplasm of freeze-cleaved sheep erythrocytes.

SummarySheep red blood cells have been freeze-cleaved and the exposed fracture faces have been replicated with carbon, shadowed at a 45° angle with carbon-platinum, and examined in the electron microscope. The cytoplasm appears to be filled with tightly packed particles, the replicas of which measure approximately 120A° in diameter. In large areas, these particles occasionally form extended linear configurations which may be straight or curved. Typically, large numbers of these lines are parallel to one another. It is suggested that the lines in these replicas may represent areas of molecular packing within the cytoplasm of sheep erythrocytes. The possibility that the individual particles may represent a contaminant adsorbed onto the cold freshly cleaved surface prior to replication or that the orderly pattern seen in replicas may be an artifact introduced during glycerination, freezing, or cleaving cannot be entirely eliminated by this data.The authors thank Mrs. Marilyn Schaefer for typing the manuscrip...
Integration Management of Effectuating Standards: A Solution Based on ERP

This thesis is from the perspective of enterprises' effectuating standards. At first, this thesis presents the essentiality and possibility of integration management by analyzing both problems and disadvantages in the effectuating standards procession. Secondly, through analyzing and summarizing the theory of integration management about effectuating standards, it provides a solution for enterprises' effectuating standards according to the advanced technology and theory of ERP, which settles the management problems of different systems and sections and realizes resources sharing in personnel, capital and information.
Using Political Journalists’ Definitions of Public Opinion to Predict Source Use in Political News

This study examined political journalists’ definitions of public opinion and how these definitions influence the structure of political news stories. After considering prior conceptualizations of public opinion, a scale of two distinct definitions of public opinion was created, consisting of the optimist’s and the pessimist’s definitions. Using a survey of political journalists in the United States, these public opinion definitions were significant predictors of the use of particular sources in political news stories. Importantly, the two definitions had opposite influences on the use of opinion polls, shedding light on the discrepancy in use and perception of poll results in political news.
An Undiagnosed Fracture of the Radial Neck in a Young Child: The Radial Neck Fleck Sign: A Case Report.

In children, the development of the elbow involves multiple ossification centers that appear at variable stages of maturation. The unique anatomy makes radiographic evaluation of an elbow challenging in the presence of acute trauma. Understanding the developmental anatomy provides insight in terms of normal findings compared with abnormal findings on radiographs1,2. However, pediatric patients who have not undergone secondary ossification may not show the typical signs of a fracture. We report a rare case of a three-year-old boy with an undiagnosed completely displaced radial neck fracture associated with a nondisplaced olecranon fracture. The radial neck fracture was diagnosed when the follow-up radiograph showed a small, displaced ossified portion of the radial metaphysis, which we have termed the “radial neck fleck sign.” The child required closed reduction and intramedullary pinning under general anesthesia. The patient’s parent was informed that data concerning the case would be submitted for publication, and consent was provided. A three-year-old boy landed on the left elbow after jumping, and he was taken to another institution’s emergency department for evaluation and treatment. He was diagnosed with an olecranon fracture, which was treated with a long arm splint. The patient continued to have pain that was exacerbated by movement and, ten days later, presented to our orthopaedic clinic. Physical examination revealed a moderate amount of swelling at the anterior aspect of the elbow. The patient had no neurologic or vascular deficit. He refused active range of motion, but the arm was passively flexed to 90° and extended to 30°, …
Examination of a Multi-Element Intervention on College Students' Electricity Consumption in On-Campus Housing

Use of electricity is a significant contributor to climate change. Results from several studies have demonstrated short-term success but long-term success is rarely assessed, and weather is rarely measured despite its effects on energy use. We evaluated the long-term effects of a multi-element intervention package including visual prompts, feedback, and incentives on energy usage in two sorority houses over two years (four semesters) using a multiple baseline with reversal design while also accounting for weather fluctuations over that time period. Although daily graphs suggested intervention houses reduced their relative energy use compared to baseline, functional control over behavior was not established because reductions in energy consumption were observed approximately halfway through baseline, due possibly to reactivity; control houses showed no such pattern. Moreover, bubble graphs accounting for weather suggested an increase in energy use for the intervention house during Semester 1. We discuss the limitations of this study, suggestions for future research, and use of innovative methods of graphing energy use to better understand usage patterns and account for weather fluctuations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Discrete-Time Hazard Model of a New Golf Course

The influence of several covariates on golf course choice behavior are investigated using a discrete-time hazard model. This model is able to predict whether an individual will playa new golf course (probability) and, if so, when in terms of weeks after the course opens for play (timing). Results suggest that choice behavior is a function of the golfer’s handicap, the academic standing of the golfer, the number of rounds played per month, and the innovativeness of the golfer
A Systematic Review of Health Impact Assessments in the Criminal Justice System

This study is a systematic review of the current and potential role of a public health tool or process called a health impact assessment (HIA) within the criminal justice system. The review explores the range of criminal justice policies, programs, and projects and their health impacts that have been evaluated by HIAs, and identifies strengths, challenges, and opportunities for the utilization of HIAs in the criminal justice system. Employing HIA clearinghouses and online databases, we conducted a two-phase sample selection that yielded 20 HIAs from the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand for inclusion. The review analyzed key characteristics of the HIAs including setting, topic, stakeholder engagement levels, funding sources, methods, and recommendations. Factors like high stakeholder engagement, adequate time and staff capacities, and community leadership made HIAs more influential on decisions made. Three case studies highlight the impacts and successful application of HIAs conducted on criminal justice issues. Health impact assessments have potential as an influential tool or process to lead better policy and program decisions in criminal justice by contributing to increasing equity and improving health.
The effect of exercise training on biventricular myocardial strain in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Aims High-intensity interval training (HIIT) improves peak oxygen uptake and left ventricular diastology in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, its effects on myocardial strain in HFpEF remain unknown. We explored the effects of HIIT and moderate-intensity aerobic continuous training (MI-ACT) on left and right ventricular strain parameters in patients with HFpEF. Furthermore, we explored their relationship with peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak). Methods and results Fifteen patients with HFpEF (age = 70 ± 8.3 years) were randomized to either: (i) HIIT (4 × 4 min, 85–90% peak heart rate, interspersed with 3 min of active recovery; n = 9) or (ii) MI-ACT (30 min at 70% peak heart rate; n = 6). Patients were trained 3 days/week for 4 weeks and underwent VO2peak testing and 2D echocardiography at baseline and after completion of the 12 sessions of supervised exercise training. Left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) average global peak systolic longitudinal strain (GLS) and peak systolic longitudinal strain rate (GSR) were quantified. Paired t-tests were used to examine within-group differences and unpaired t-tests used for between-group differences (α = 0.05). Right ventricular average global peak systolic longitudinal strain improved significantly in the HIIT group after training (pre = −18.4 ± 3.2%, post = −21.4 ± 1.7%; P = 0.02) while RV-GSR, LV-GLS, and LV-GSR did not (P > 0.2). No significant improvements were observed following MI-ACT. No significant between-group differences were observed for any strain measure. ΔLV-GLS and ΔRV-GLS were modestly correlated with ΔVO2peak (r = −0.48 and r = −0.45; P = 0.1, respectively). Conclusions In patients with HFpEF, 4 weeks of HIIT significantly improved RV-GLS.
Recommending Personalized Tips on New Courses for Guiding Course Selection

Selecting right courses, while crucial for assuring student academic success, can be challenging. Typical resources available to students during the course selection process such as course descriptions, course syllabi, course evaluations, and comments from previous students provide the same information to all students. However, personalized information about new courses will help individual students better find their right courses and eventually achieve their academic goals. In this paper, we propose a new application of recommender systems for course selection in the education domain. The proposed course tip recommender is based on the multi-criteria rating collaborative filtering-based recommender system, using students' characterizations of courses with respect to a set of course characterization criteria. It can provide individual students with a variety of personalized tips on new courses and serve as a useful personalization tool to guide students in the course selection process.
Strokes Unfolding Unexplored World: Drawings as an Instrument to Know the World of Aadivasi Children in India

This paper is based on an analysis of the drawings of Aadivasi children in Maraharashtra, a state in India. It presents the otherwise neglected world of the Aadivasi children, namely, the children's perspectives towards their environment and culture as expressed in the drawings. It also discusses the influence of the geographical and cultural environment on the drawing style of Aadivasi children, emphasizing special features of the drawings, i.e., their collective creation. It further analyzes the intellectual attributes Aadivasi children exhibit through their art work using the theory framework of multiple-intelligence. The drawings exhibit different aspects of visual-spatial intelligence and a strong emotional bond between Aadivasi children and nature. The paper offers leads for understanding the visual-spatial intelligence and naturalistic intelligence among these children. It also discusses the possibility that the high ability of coordination and cooperation among Aadivasi children acquired through socialization in their communities could be attributed as interpersonal intelligence. The paper comments on the design of the Indian Education System, which is characterized by an insensitive approach towards the specific cultural context and intellectual attributes of tribal children.
Parallel Deep Convolutional Neural Network Training by Exploiting the Overlapping of Computation and Communication

Training Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is a computationally intensive task whose parallelization has become critical in order to complete the training in an acceptable time. However, there are two obstacles to developing a scalable parallel CNN in a distributed-memory computing environment. One is the high degree of data dependency exhibited in the model parameters across every two adjacent minibatches and the other is the large amount of data to be transferred across the communication channel. In this paper, we present a parallelization strategy that maximizes the overlap of inter-process communication with the computation. The overlapping is achieved by using a thread per compute node to initiate communication after the gradients are available. The output data of backpropagation stage is generated at each model layer, and the communication for the data can run concurrently with the computation of other layers. To study the effectiveness of the overlapping and its impact on the scalability, we evaluated various model architectures and hyperparameter settings. When training VGG-A model using ImageNet data sets, we achieve speedups of 62.97× and 77.97× on 128 compute nodes using mini-batch sizes of 256 and 512, respectively.
The Unpredictability of Future Science

(1) It is difficult — indeed impossible — to predict the future of science. For we cannot forecast in detail even what the questions on the agenda of future science will be. (2) Viewed not in terms of itsaims but in terms of itsresults, science is inescapablyplastic: it is not something fixed, frozen and unchanging, but something variable and protean — given to changing not only its opinions but its very form as well. (3) We thus cannot discern the substance of future science with sufficient clarity to say just what it can and cannot accomplish. (4) Setting domain limitations to science — putting entire ranges of phenomena outside its explanatory grasp — is a risky and unprofitable business.
Research Methods and Statistics

Research Methods and Statistics provides a seamless introduction to the subject, identifying various research areas and analyzing how one can approach them statistically. The text provides a solid empirical foundation for undergraduate psychology majors, and prepares the reader to think critically, and evaluate psychological research and claims they might hear in the news or popular press. The text can be used in all statistics, methods and experimental psychology courses.
Tuning the electrocaloric effect by varying Sr concentration in ferroelectric Ba 1 − x Sr x TiO 3

The electrocaloric effect is investigated systematically in ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{x}{\mathrm{TiO}}_{3}$ ferroelectrics using a semiclassical direct computational approach. The data are reported for the technologically important range of Sr concentrations of 0.0--0.6, electric fields up to 1000 kV/cm, and temperatures ranging from 5 to 600 K. A detailed comparison of computational data with experimental data from the literature reveals semiquantitative agreement and suggests the origin of discrepancies. The electrocaloric change in temperature $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}T$ shows strong dependence on Sr concentration which offers a way to tune electrocaloric response. In particular, the maximum electrocaloric $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}T$ is found to decrease with the increase in Sr concentration, whereas the location of the maximum shifts towards lower temperatures following the Curie point of the ferroelectric. Surprisingly, the width of the peak in the dependence of $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}T$ on the initial temperature is independent of the Sr concentration but shows a strong dependence on the applied electric field. Computational data are used to propose a compositionally graded ferroelectric ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{0.70}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{0.30}{\mathrm{TiO}}_{3}/{\mathrm{Ba}}_{0.55}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{0.45}{\mathrm{TiO}}_{3}/{\mathrm{Ba}}_{0.50}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{0.50}{\mathrm{TiO}}_{3}/{\mathrm{Ba}}_{0.45}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{0.55}{\mathrm{TiO}}_{3}$ whose $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}T$ shows almost no temperature dependence in the technologically important range of temperatures and electric fields. Such a desirable feature could potentially lead to the enhancement of relative cooling power.
Small differences in ombrotrophy control regional-scale variation in methane cycling among Sphagnum-dominated peatlands

Although methane (CH4) dynamics are known to differ at broad scales among peatland types and with climate, there is limited understanding of the variability associated with anaerobic carbon (C) cycling, and, the mechanisms that control that variability, among low pH, Sphagnum moss-dominated peatlands within a geographical region with similar climate. This is important because upscaling of CH4 emissions to regional and global scales often considers peatlands as a single, or at most two, ecosystem type(s). Here, we report the results from two studies exploring the controls of CH4 cycling in peatlands from the Upper Midwest (USA). Potential CH4 production and resultant CO2:CH4 ratios varied by several orders-of-magnitude among these soils. These differences were only partially explained by pH and fiber content (a measure of degree of decomposition in peat), suggesting other, more complicated controls may drive CH4 cycling in ombrotrophic peat soils. Based in part on the results from this survey, we more intensively examined CH4 dynamics in three bog-like, acidic, Sphagnum-dominated peatlands in northern Minnesota that differed in their degree of ombrotrophy. Net CH4 flux was lowest in the peatland with well-developed hummocks, and the isotopic composition of the CH4 along with methanotroph gene expression indicated a strong role for CH4 oxidation in controlling net CH4 flux. There were limited differences in porewater chemistry (CH4 and dissolved inorganic C concentrations) or microbial community composition among sites, and potential CH4 production was also similar among the sites. Taken together, these experiments demonstrate that high variation in CH4 cycling in seemingly similar peatlands within a single geographical region is common. We suggest a one peatland represents all approach is inappropriate—even among Sphagnum-dominated peatlands—and caution must be used when extrapolating data from a single site to the landscape scale, even for outwardly very similar peatlands. Instead, the macroscale development of peatlands, and concomitantly their microtopography as expressed in the proportion of hummocks, hollows, lawns and pools, need to be considered as central controls over CH4 emissions.
Performance improvement with respiratory gated PET using simultaneous PET-MRI

1477 Objectives Respiratory motion blurs lung lesions and deteriorates precision on activity concentration and size estimates. Simultaneous gated PET-MRI can compensate for this effect as MRI provides additional location information for PET quantitation. We determine the theoretical improvement that can be achieved with PET-MRI compared to gated or ungated PET. Methods We use the hybrid Cramer-Rao lower bound (HCRLB) to allow for inclusion of prior information and to determine estimation performance for lung lesions of two sizes (r=0.3, 1cm). Realistic NCAT Monte-Carlo simulations (SimSET) are used to generate PET data with respiratory motion. Our performance metric is the estimation SNR, defined as the ratio of the parameter value to the sqrt of HCRLB. Five imaging conditions are considered: 1. Ideal PET– gold standard data with no location uncertainty; 2. Ungated PET; 3-4. Gated PET– data binned into 8 gates using a belt system with no prior lesion location information. Performance is calculated both from 1 (end-inspiration) or 8 gates; 5. PET/MRI– information on lesion location is provided from MRI with 4 levels of precision, at each of the 8 gates. Results Size estimation SNR were 7.87 (ideal), 3.17 (ungated), 2.75 (1 gate), 6.82 (8 gates), 7.62 (PET/MRI- 1mm precision), yielding an 8% (12%) SNR improvement in activity (size) estimation performance for a 0.3cm lesion (equivalent to 17% (25%) improvement in sensitivity). Improvement is greater for size than activity estimation (~50%). Conclusions PET/MRI yields promising improvement in quantitation of lesion activity and size by providing information about lesion location at no additional cost in terms of scanning time or radiation dose. Research Support RO1-EB5876
New Product Design Strategy Analysis: A Modeling Framework

The development of new products inevitably leads to tradeoffs among product performance, time to market, and development costs. In addition, the unit cost of the product, which is determined by the product performance, is also affected by the design process. In this paper, we present a model framework that examines the interaction of these factors. We derive several managerial insights that have important implications for new product strategy planning. The model framework is applied to evaluate five industry practices: 1) the traditional approach (iterative), 2) the target costing approach, 3) the target performance approach, 4) the target timing approach, and 5) an approach based on minimizing break-even time. Each practice is a restricted case of an optimal procedure which considers all factors simultaneously. Our model framework allows us to benchmark each practice against the optimal procedure with respect to the size of the development team, time to market, new product performance level target, and unit cost of the product.
Isomerization of hexane by zeolite HZSM-5: The effect of cyclic hydrocarbons

Abstract The main products of hexane (H) isomerization on HZSM-5 at 160°C in liquid phase are the isomers 2-methylpentane (2MP) and 3-methylpentane (3MP), accompanied by cracking and disproportionation products, but no alkenes. 2MP and 3MP are not formed by a simple carbocationic isomerization of H, because the 2MP/3MP ratio, (6–7)/1 is higher than the equilibrium ratio of 2.1 and does not change with conversion between 1 and 10%. The same observation applies to the small amounts of 2,3-dimethylbutane formed. Methylcyclopentane (MCP) has a minor accelerating effect on the conversion of H only at ratios 1:1. No hydride transfer catalysis operates. At the same ratio (1:1), cyclopentane (CP) has a somewhat greater effect than MCP on the conversion of H. The redistribution of the label in the conversion of H-u-d4.3 containing 4–5% MCP and of H containing 5% MCP-1-d showed that the products were formed from alkenes, which are the major intermediates of the reaction, even though none of them is found in the products desorbed. Each alkene exchanges hydrogen with the catalyst several times before being desorbed. The direct H/D exchange between the alkene (or its mechanistic equivalent) and the alkane, if it occurs, is less important. Thus, the usual mechanistic representation for alkane conversion, borrowed from reactions in superacid solutions, does not apply to the reaction with the zeolite catalyst.
Data-driven identification of interpretable reduced-order models using sparse regression

Abstract Developing physically interpretable reduced-order models (ROMs) is critical as they provide an understanding of the underlying phenomena apart from computational tractability for many chemical processes. In this work, we re-envision the model reduction of nonlinear dynamical systems from the perspective of regression. In particular, we solve a sparse regression problem over a large set of candidate functional forms to determine the structure of the ROM. The method balances model complexity and accuracy by selecting a sparse model that avoids overfitting to accurately represent the system dynamics when subjected to a different input profile. By applying to a hydraulic fracturing process, we demonstrate the ability of the developed models to reveal important physical phenomena such as proppant transport and fracture propagation inside a fracture. It also highlights how a priori knowledge can be incorporated easily into the algorithm and results in accurate ROMs that are used for controller synthesis.
The Short Guide to Aging and Gerontology by Kate De Medeiros.

As a scholar in the field of gerontology, de Medeiros explains how she struggled to find a disciplinary home in her introduction to The Short Guide to Aging and Gerontology. She describes a common ...
Integration of electrocatalysts with silicon microcone arrays for minimization of optical and overpotential losses during sunlight-driven hydrogen evolution

Microstructured photoelectrode morphologies can advantageously facilitate integration of optically absorbing electrocatalysts with semiconducting light absorbers, to maintain low overpotentials for fuel production without producing a substantial loss in photocurrent density. We report herein the use of arrays of antireflective, high-aspect-ratio Si microcones (μ-cones), coupled with light-blocking Pt and Co–P catalysts, as photocathodes for H2 evolution. Thick (∼16 nm) layers of Pt or Co–P deposited onto Si μ-cone arrays yielded absolute light-limited photocurrent densities of ∼32 mA cm−2, representing a reduction in light-limited photocurrent density of 6% relative to bare Si μ-cone-array photocathodes, while maintaining high fill factors and low overpotentials for H2 production from 0.50 M H2SO4(aq). The Si μ-cone arrays were embedded in a flexible polymeric membrane and removed from the Si substrate, to yield flexible photocathodes consisting of polymer-embedded arrays of free-standing μ-cones that evolved hydrogen from 0.50 M H2SO4(aq).
A reflection on critical realism and ethics

Drawing on my own work and experience, this paper brings together the various connections between critical realism (CR) and ethics. It argues that, against both determinism and physicalist reductio...
What NSF Expects in Project Evaluations for Educational Innovations

The National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsors a range of programs to fund innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Are these programs effective? Only by monitoring the outcomes of funded projects can this question be answered. For that reason, NSF requires that each education proposal include specific plans for project evaluation and that each funded project submit a final report including results of the evaluation. The complexity of the evaluation process is likely to increase with the magnitude of the project, but any new educational strategy benefits from three principal stages of evaluation: planning, formative, and summative. The planning stage is designed to assess clarity of project goals, objectives, strategies, and time lines. Ideally, the evaluator begins work during proposal preparation, helping to define the problem, the stakeholders and their primary concerns, the participants to be served, the strategies and time lines, and (most important) the measurable outcomes desired. The format...