cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimization of a Bend-Twist-and-Sweep Compliant Mechanism

The overall goal of this research is to develop design optimization methodologies for compliant mechanisms that will provide passive shape change. Our previous work has focused on designing two separate contact-aided compliant elements (CCE): one for bend-and-sweep deflections, called the bend-and-sweep compliant element (BSCE), and another for twist deflection, called the twist compliant element (TCE). In the current paper, all three degrees of freedom, namely bending, twist, and sweep, are achieved simultaneously using a single passive contact-aided compliant mechanism. A new objective function for a contact-aided compliant mechanism is introduced and the results of the optimization procedure are presented. A bend-twist-and-sweep compliant element (BTSCE) can be inserted into the leading edge spar of an ornithopter, which is an avian-scale flapping wing un-manned air vehicle. The multiple objective functions of the optimization problem presented in this paper are: for upstroke, maximize tip bending and sweep deflections, maximize twist angle, and minimize the mass and peak von Mises stress in the BTSCE, and for downstroke, minimize tip bending and sweep deflections, minimize twist angle, and minimize the mass and peak von Mises stress in the BTSCE. This allows a designer to select a CCE from a set of optimal designs to accomplish all three displacement goals. The BTSCE was modeled using a commercial finite element program and optimized using NSGA-II, a genetic algorithm. The results for a single angled compliant joint (ACJ) for quasi-static upstroke loading conditions are presented. Two optimal designs are discussed and compared, one with a moderate peak stress and moderate deflections, the other with a high peak stress and large deflections. The optimization results are then compared to the previous results for the two independent CCEs. A design study showed that the angle of the ACJ needs to be obtuse to achieve a positive twist angle during upstroke, and an acute contact angle reduces peak stress. The deflection objective functions were relatively insensitive to eccentricity for upstroke and downstroke compared to the other parameters, and a high stress penalty was paid for any gains in deflection. The downstroke objective functions were relatively insensitive to all parameters compared to the upstroke objective functions, and were much smaller in magnitude. The optimization showed that under simplified upstroke loading conditions, the BTSCE with a single ACJ allowed bending deflection near 30% of the length of the BTSCE, twist angle near 0.14 radians, and sweep deflection near 5% of the length of the BTSCE.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Optimizing Early Development and Understanding Trajectories of Resiliency After Extreme Prematurity

Over the past 2 decades, advances in obstetrics and neonatal medicine have resulted in a >70% survival rate of extremely preterm infants ( 90% survival rate of very preterm infants (<32 weeks' gestation).1 Although the rates of cerebral palsy (CP) may have decreased, the rate of developmental delay as measured by the Mental Developmental Index (MDI = 71–84) and cognitive disability (MDI < 70) still remains high.2–4 In addition, there are concerns that the majority (50%) of survivors will require support for deficits in attention, executive function, language, coordination, perception, and academic achievement during their school years.4 Two articles in this issue of Pediatrics provide us with important information on both the short-term and early-adolescent outcomes of these vulnerable children. In the first article, Gargus et al5 describe the correlates of unimpaired developmental outcomes at 20 months of age in the 1998–2001 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Network multicenter cohorts of 6090 inborn infants weighing between 401 and 1000 g. Overall, mortality rates were high, with 1 in 3 dying before NICU discharge and an additional 1.3% dying before their 18-month developmental assessment. Gargus et al describe children who weighed between 401 and 1000 g at birth, survived to NICU discharge, and were free of CP, neurosensory impairment, cognitive delay (MDI = 71–84), or cognitive disability (MDI < 70) at 18 to 22 months. One of the strengths of the study was the large number ( N = 3345) of children who were followed with a neurologic examination, reviews of visual and hearing status, developmental assessments with the Bayley II scales, and functional assessment of swallowing, self-feeding, and mobility. The central outcome of the study was that only 1 in 4 NICU survivors in this cohort were … Address correspondence to Michael E. Msall, MD, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, J.P. Kennedy Research Center on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Comer Children's and LaRabida Children's Hospitals, Section of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 950 E 61st St, SSC Room 207, Chicago, IL 60637. E-mail: mmsall{at}peds.bsd.uchicago.edu
Targeting glycogen synthase kinase-3 in Alzheimer's disease

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) has been implicated in the generation of multiple pathological lesions associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), including β-amyloid production, neurofibrillary tangle formation, and neuronal apoptosis. Thus, drugs that inhibit GSK-3 could prevent or reverse AD pathology through multiple mechanisms. This brief review discusses the role of GSK-3 in AD and describes several classes of GSK-3 inhibitors that have been tested in experimental models.
Research methods in library and information science: A content analysis

Abstract A total of 1162 research articles, published from 2001 to 2010 in three major journals of library and information science (LIS), are analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively in order to address some recurring themes about research method selection and application in the scholarly domain. This study shows that LIS scholars utilize a greater number and wider variety of research methods than before. Replacing the dominant positions that questionnaire survey and historical method previously held, content analysis, experiment, and theoretical approach have become the top choices of research methods in the field. This study also examines two recurring themes regarding research methods in the LIS field, namely, use of multiple methods in one study and adoption of the qualitative approach, but finds no conclusive evidence of increased implementation of either practice. More efforts in the form of education, training and advocacy are therefore needed to help LIS scholars gain a better understanding of research methods and make more informed decisions on research method selection and implementation in their scholarly endeavors.
Discover common properties of human observers' visual search and mathematical observers' scanning PART I: theory and conjecture

Abstract  There is a lack of consensus in measuring observer performance in search tasks. To pursue a consensus, we set our goal as to obtain metrics that are practical, meaningful and objective. We consider a metric practical if it can be implemented to measure human and computer observers perfo rmance. To be meaningful, we propose to discover metrics that reflect the intrinsic properties of search observers. Thus, the meaningfulness of the me trics is ensured by the discovered properties being intrinsic . We set our success criteria as that the discovered properties can make ve rifiable predications. Thus the objectivity of the metrics is ensured by their prediction ability. The goal of this work is to present a theory and a conjecture toward two intrinsic properties of sear ch observers: rationality in classification as measured by the location-known-exactly ROC curve and location uncertainty as measured by the effective set size. These two properties are used to develop s earch models in both single-res ponse and free-response search tas ks. To confirm whether these properties are intrinsic, in a companion paper, we investigate their ability in predicting search perfo rmance of both human and scanning channelized Hotelling observers. Keywords visual search, effective set size, ROC curve, search performance, power-law-shaped ROC curve, uncertainty model, decision theory, normative approach, equi valent ideal observer, rational observer
Dose in the buildup region outside the primary beam

The dose received in the buildup region outside the primary beam has been measured for 6 0Co gamma rays and 6‐ and 18‐MV x rays. The variation of this dose with field size and depth was evaluated. The effect of blocking trays and the importance of their design was determined.
Transport and deposition of Holocene sediment on La Jolla Deep Sea Fan, California

Abstract Near-surface sediments on La Jolla Fan have been studied using over 100 cores, mostly 60 cm long box cores. Sediment distribution on the fan is apparently related to processes acting along the prominent fan valley, which cuts deeply into Pleistocene sediments. The Holocene sediments in the fan valley consist of sands with some interbedding muds; a few of these muds are in thin beds in which the low sand content is graded. All the other muds are bioturbated. On the open fan away from the fan valley, sands are thinner and rarer. In a 5 km 2 area on the lower fan, two sand layers have been correlated among ten cores. Sedimentary structures within the sands suggest they were deposited from relatively powerful currents, of gradually declining competence, carrying large amounts of sediment in suspension; these are thought to be turbidity currents. Much of the mud also appears to have been deposited from turbidity currents. The Holocene sediments on the fan are about 2 m thick, indicating that about 90% of the sediment being supplied to La Jolla Canyon is by-passing the fan.
A new characterization of the experimental implications of causal Bayesian networks

We offer a complete characterization of the set of distributions that could be induced by local interventions on variables governed by a causal Bayesian network. We show that such distributions must adhere to three norms of coherence, and we demonstrate the use of these norms as inferential tools in tasks of learning and identification. Testable coherence norms are subsequently derived for networks containing unmeasured variables.
Corrosion Resistance of Titanium Alloys with Oxynitride Coatings in Concentrated Inorganic Acids

We study the corrosion behavior of VT1-0, VT6s, and VT14 titanium alloys after thermodiffusion oxynitriding in 20 and 30% aqueous solutions of hydrochloric acid and in 40, 80, and 85% solutions of sulfuric acid. It is shown that the oxynitride coatings better protect titanium alloys than oxide and nitride coatings. This is explained by the specific features of the structure and chemical bonds between the atoms in the crystal lattice of titanium oxynitride. It is also shown that the formed oxynitride layer guarantees high corrosion resistances of titanium alloys in hydrochloric acid, whereas the layered structure containing the oxide and oxynitride components better protects titanium alloys in sulfuric acid.
Chain Equivalences and Schanuel's Lemma.

Let R be a ring with identity and X={Xn ,dn}n> o, Y={Y,,d.}, 0 positive chain complexes over R. Denoting the set of chain homotopy equivalence classes of homomorphisms from A to B by [A, B], a chain homomorphism f : X--~ Y induces a homomorphism f~ : [P, X] ~ [P, Y] for all positive chain complexes P. It is well known that if X and Y are projective, f : X ~ Y is a chain equivalence if and only if f induces isomorphisms on homology. We define a sequence of additional invariants which determine whether or not f is a chain equivalence (X and Y arbitrary). These are used to obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for f# : [P, X] ~ [P, Y] to be injective for all P of dimension o(XziO Y2i+l)~.Oi>_o(X2i+l 0 Y2i). Yhis~r be regarded as a generalized version of Schanuel's Lemma since the hypothesis of Schanuel's Lemma (and related corollaries) implies that two associated chain complexes are chain equivalent.
Interaction of Gravity Waves with Ionospheric Plasma: Implications for Jupiter's Ionosphere

Abstract The J0-ingress radio occultation of the Galileo orbiter by Jupiter exhibits a system of well-defined, regularly spaced electron layers in the altitude range where the presence of gravity waves have been previously inferred. Based on the terrestrial analog of sporadic E and spread F ionospheric layers, we argue that the observed layers are a result of dynamical processes rather than chemistry. We consider the impact of upward propagating gravity waves on the plasma distribution in a H + dominated ionosphere. The relevant physics is discussed and illustrated with an analytic, small-amplitude model. A time-dependent, 2D, large-amplitude model is developed to simulate the observed large excursions in the J0-electron density profile. We show that gravity waves with parameters consistent with the thermal structure of Jupiter's upper atmosphere are capable of creating large peaks in the electron density similar to the observed ones. The ionospheric response is extremely anisotropic with respect to the direction of wave propagation. We demonstrate that the location of the J0-ingress radio occultation on Jupiter favors large ionospheric response for waves propagating along the magnetic meridian. A wave driven plasma flux results in plasma removal above the altitude of maximum ionospheric response and plasma deposition in the region below, significantly modifying the initial steady state electron density profile.
The impact of a second breast cancer diagnosis on health related quality of life.

A growing of research documents the negative impact of recurrent breast cancer on quality of life (QOL), however few prospective investigations are available that compare QOL outcomes across different types of second cancer events (e.g., local/regional recurrence (LR) versus distant/metastatic recurrence (DR) versus a new primary breast cancer (NP)). In addition, although participant attrition is a major issue in this group of cancer patients, the potential impact of attrition or response bias on QOL outcomes is not typically examined. To address these issues, we prospectively examined QOL data obtained from a sample of women (n=140) participating in the Women’s Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) Study who experienced a second cancer event (LR, DR or NP). Women in our study reported significant worsening in most areas of QOL, except for emotional wellbeing, from pre- to post-second cancer event. Although the patterns of change to QOL differed slightly within each category (LR versus DR versus NP), participants were more similar than different in their QOL ratings. However, the perceived health status of women with DR was significantly lower than women with LR or NP. We also identify important sources of response bias that should be considered when interpreting findings. Specifically, women diagnosed with DR (a) were more likely to decline to complete the post-recurrence QOL questionnaire (27% refusal rate versus 14% LR and 13% NP), and (b) had higher death rates (28% death rate versus 4% LR and 6% NP) after agreeing to but before completing the post-second diagnosis QOL questionnaire.
Polarization of a spherical cell in a nonuniform extracellular electric field.

Polarization of cells by extracellular fields is relevant to neural stimulation, cardiac pacing, cardiac defibrillation, and electroporation. The electric field generated by an extracellular electrode may be nonuniform, and highly nonuniform fields are produced by microelectrodes and near the edges of larger electrodes. We solved analytically for the transmembrane voltage (Φm) generated in a spherical cell by a nonuniform extracellular field, as would arise from a point electrode. Φm reached its steady state value with a time constant much shorter than the membrane time constant in both uniform and nonuniform fields. The magnitude of Φm generated in the hemisphere of the cell toward the electrode was larger than in the other hemisphere in the nonuniform field, while symmetric polarization occurred in the uniform field. The transmembrane potential in oocytes stained with the voltage sensitive dye Di-8-ANEPPS was measured in a nonuniform field at three different electrode-to-cell distances. Asymmetric biphasic polarization and distance-dependent patterns of membrane voltage were observed in the measurements, as predicted from the analytical solution. These results highlight the differences in cell polarization in uniform and nonuniform electric fields, and these differences may impact excitation and poration by extracellular fields.
Factors Affecting the Emulsifying Capacity of Bovine Muscle and Muscle Proteins

Semitendinosus muscle samples were excised prerigor from 64 crossbred beef animals. Eight animals of each sex condition (bullocks and steers) were slaughtered when they reached age end–points of 8-, 12-12-, 16- and 20-months. The results indicated a significant effect of sex on all hydrometric muscle properties. The values for these traits were generally higher in muscle from bullocks. These differences were especially pronounced in animals 16 months and older. Sex had little effect on muscle pH or the percentages of salt soluble, extractable, and total muscle protein. However, most traits were highly correlated with age. No significant effects of sex regardless of age on emulsifying capacity were noted and many of these traits were unaffected by animal age between 16 and 20 months. Although older animals have less salt soluble protein, its emulsifying capacity is greater and more efficient.
Stop-smoking medications: who uses them, who misuses them, and who is misinformed about them?

This study assessed smokers’ beliefs about nicotine and the safety of nicotine medications and examined how these beliefs influence the use of nicotine medications. The data for this paper came from a nationally representative, random-digit-dialed telephone survey of 1,046 adults (18 years of age and older) current cigarette smokers conducted between May and September 2001. Respondents were questioned about their use of stop smoking medications, beliefs about nicotine, and the safety/efficacy of nicotine medications. Nearly all adult smokers in our survey had heard of nicotine patches (97%) or gum (94%), with lower levels of awareness reported for the nicotine inhaler (41%), and nasal spray (9%). Thirty-eight percent of smokers had previously used nicotine medications, with the nicotine patch being the most commonly used medication. The data reveal that most smokers are misinformed about the health risks of nicotine and the safety/efficacy of nicotine medications. Approximately half incorrectly reported that the reduction in nicotine in cigarettes has made cigarettes less dangerous to health and only one-third correctly reported that nicotine patches were less likely to cause a heart attack than smoking cigarettes. Smokers who were more knowledgeable about the health risks of nicotine and the safety and efficacy of nicotine medications were more likely to report past use of nicotine medications. Misperceptions about the health risks of nicotine and the safety/efficacy of nicotine medications may discourage some smokers from considering the use of these medications to help them stop smoking.
Non-equilibrium magnetic colloidal dispersions at liquid–air interfaces: dynamic patterns, magnetic order and self-assembled swimmers

Colloidal dispersions of interacting particles subjected to an external periodic forcing often develop nontrivial self-assembled patterns and complex collective behavior. A fundamental issue is how collective ordering in such non-equilibrium systems arises from the dynamics of discrete interacting components. In addition, from a practical viewpoint, by working in regimes far from equilibrium new self-organized structures which are generally not available through equilibrium thermodynamics can be created. In this review spontaneous self-assembly phenomena in magnetic colloidal dispersions suspended at liquid-air interfaces and driven out of equilibrium by an alternating magnetic field are presented. Experiments reveal a new type of nontrivially ordered self-assembled structures emerging in such systems in a certain range of excitation parameters. These dynamic structures emerge as a result of the competition between magnetic and hydrodynamic forces and have complex unconventional magnetic ordering. Nontrivial self-induced hydrodynamic fields accompany each out-of-equilibrium pattern. Spontaneous symmetry breaking of the self-induced surface flows leading to a formation of self-propelled microstructures has been discovered. Some features of the self-localized structures can be understood in the framework of the amplitude equation (Ginzburg-Landau type equation) for parametric waves coupled to the conservation law equation describing the evolution of the magnetic particle density and the Navier-Stokes equation for hydrodynamic flows. To understand the fundamental microscopic mechanisms governing self-assembly processes in magnetic colloidal dispersions at liquid-air interfaces a first-principle model for a non-equilibrium self-assembly is presented. The latter model allows us to capture in detail the entire process of out-of-equilibrium self-assembly in the system and reproduces most of the observed phenomenology.
Automating the extraction of data from HTML tables with unknown structure

Data on the Web in HTML tables is mostly structured, but we usually do not know the structure in advance. Thus, we cannot directly query for data of interest. We propose a solution to this problem based on document-independent extraction ontologies. Our solution entails elements of table understanding, data integration, and wrapper creation. Table understanding allows us to find tables of interest within a Web page, recognize attributes and values within the table, pair attributes with values, and form records. Data-integration techniques allow us to match source records with a target schema. Ontologically specified wrappers allow us to extract data from source records into a target schema. Experimental results show that we can successfully locate data of interest in tables and map the data from source HTML tables with unknown structure to a given target database schema. We can thus "directly" query source data with unknown structure through a known target schema.
Migrating into Genomics with the Neural Crest

Neural crest cells are a fascinating embryonic cell type, unique to vertebrates, which arise within the central nervous system but emigrate soon after its formation and migrate to numerous and sometimes distant locations in the periphery. Following their migratory phase, they differentiate into diverse derivatives ranging from peripheral neurons and glia to skin melanocytes and craniofacial cartilage and bone. The molecular underpinnings underlying initial induction of prospective neural crest cells at the neural plate border to their migration and differentiation have been modeled in the form of a putative gene regulatory network. This review describes experiments performed in my laboratory in the past few years aimed to test and elaborate this gene regulatory network from both an embryonic and evolutionary perspective. The rapid advances in genomic technology in the last decade have greatly expanded our knowledge of important transcriptional inputs and epigenetic influences on neural crest development. The results reveal new players and new connections in the neural crest gene regulatory network and suggest that it has an ancient origin at the base of the vertebrate tree.
A canary in the coal mine: Documenting citizenship and identity in the State of Massachusetts

Abstract Objectives The U.S. federal government requires original documentation of citizenship and identity for applicants to qualify for coverage under Medicaid. The purpose of this investigation is to identify what challenges one state Medicaid agency has faced when implementing this requirement; and to identify what strategies this agency and other interested parties (e.g., providers, community advocates) adopted to help overcome them. Methods The setting for this study is MassHealth, the Medicaid agency for the State of Massachusetts. Data derive from archival documents, direct observation, and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, including state officials, provider agencies, community health centers, and beneficiary advocates. Results While MassHealth has met several of the implementation benchmarks put forth in federal regulations and guidance letters, the agency has fallen short in several respects. This includes assisting applicants seeking to enroll in MassHealth and maintaining a seamless documentation submission process. The result has been an increase in application processing time and misinterpretations in the MassHealth community; for example, that legal immigrants should not apply for coverage even though the new requirement does not affect them. Assuming a prominent role in informing and assisting MassHealth applicants has been providers and community-based organizations. Consumer advocacy groups have also worked to streamline the process for demonstrating citizenship and identity. Synergies have been formed between MassHealth and these other organizations as well. Conclusions Findings suggest a number of lessons for state Medicaid agencies wishing to address the challenges posed by federal requirements to demonstrate citizenship and identity. These include working to ensure the readability, comprehension and non-English translation of materials provided to program applicants. It also includes strengthening the document handling process and forming partnerships with providers, beneficiary advocates, and other community organizations.
A test-rework process yield performance model for estimation of printed wiring board assembly cost

Abstract This paper proposes a new test-rework process yield performance (TRePYP) model, combined with an assembly cost estimation algorithm, for an accurate representation of current practice in printed wiring board (PWB) assembly, especially in the design phase. The model captures the “dedicated” feature of PWB assembly activities and, instead of adopting lumped parameters, utilizes easy-to-measure process parameters so that both assembly performance and assembly cost can be evaluated. In the case study, changes in assembly cost due to lead-free conversion are estimated. Care is taken to ensure that the TRePYP method can account for both quality degradation issues and changes in the test-rework workload.
Persistent bacterial infections and primary immune disorders.

Mycobacteria, Salmonella and Helicobacter species have all evolved mechanisms to evade host defenses and cause persistent infection in humans. Host control of mycobacteria and Salmonella is largely achieved by the IFN-γ/IL-12 pathway. Immune disorders affecting this pathway are characterized by disseminated infections with environmental or nontuberculous mycobacteria. Helicobacter is a predominantly extracellular bacterium that uses its remarkable genetic diversity (as well as other mechanisms) in order to evade host defenses. The importance of humoral immunity in containing Helicobacter infections to the mucosal surface is illustrated by the primary immune disorder, X-linked agammaglobulinemia in which patients are prone to chronic bacteremia and skin infections by Helicobacter and related species such as Flexispira and Campylobacter. Exploration of these particular infections in their specific immune defects sheds light on both host and bacterial mechanisms that have implications for pathogenesis and therapy.
Modes of growth stability breakdown in the seeded crystallization of microzone-melted silicon on insulator

Abstract Some of the characteristic modes of growth breakdown as observed in the energy-beam recrystallized thin film silicon on insulating substrates are discussed from a solid-liquid interface stability point of view. Observations include elemental modes of breakdown, such as faceted, cellular and dendritic configurations, as well as transient and composite configurations thereof. Each of these primary modes of breakdown then leads to a secondary mode of breakdown which constitutes the sub-boundaries. The outcome of each primary and secondary mode of breakdown seems to depend on the local thermal conditions and crystal growth directions.
How Peer Proximity Moderates Indirect Media Influence on Adolescent Smoking

This study examines direct and indirect impacts of antismoking media messages on adolescents' smoking attitudes and intentions to smoke. Elaborating on the influence of presumed influence model, this study incorporates the moderating role of peer proximity (i.e., proximal versus distal peers). Analyzing direct effects in a survey of 1,687 middle school students, we find that antismoking media messages have unexpected effects among both ever-smokers (experimenters and established smokers) and never-smokers. But analysis of indirect paths reveal significant effects in the intended direction. In addition, these effects are moderated by peer proximity. Respondents' perception that proximal peers, but not distal peers, are more influenced by such messages lead to a significant decrease in their favorable thoughts toward smoking and intention to smoke. The data suggest that antismoking messages may only achieve their desired effect via the indirect influence path.
Testosterone Differentially Influences Sex-Specific Pheromone-Stimulated Fos Expression in Limbic Regions of Syrian Hamsters

The results of the present study indicate that (1) pheromones differentially stimulate neurons in males and females within a pathway that regulates copulatory behavior; and (2) testosterone (T) differentially regulates these sex differences. Exposure to the pheromones in FHVS (female hamster vaginal secretions) induces Fos immunoreactivity (Fos-IR) in the posterior subdivision of the medial nucleus of the amygdala (MeP) and the posteromedial subdivision of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTpm) of both sexes and stimulates the magnocellular subdivision of the medial preoptic nucleus (MPNmag) in males but not in females. Males also show more Fos in the MeP and BNSTpm than females. In the absence of T, gonadectomized males show greater FHVS-stimulated Fos-IR in the BNSTpm and MeP than gonadectomized females. T in females eliminates the sex difference in these regions. Only T-treated males show FHVS-stimulated Fos-IR within the MPNmag, and T has no effect on FHVS-stimulated Fos-IR within MPNmag in females. Thus, T influences FHVS-stimulated Fos-IR in the BNSTpm and MeP of females and the MPNmag of males. T also increases investigation (sniffing and licking) of FHVS in both males and females, but increases copulatory responses only in males. Our results indicate that T in the adult hamster differentially influences neural and behavioral responses to pheromone exposure in males and females. T only partially accounts for observed sex differences, and it is likely that neural organization during development also plays a role in influencing responses to pheromones.
Psychometric Effects of Altering the Ceiling Criterion on the Passage Comprehension Test of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Revised:

The Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Revised was administered to 59 adolescent subjects. For each subject, the Passage Comprehension test was scored using the ceiling criterion recommended in the test manual (i.e., six consecutive errors ending with the last item on a test page). The Passage Comprehension test was then rescored using three alternate ceiling criteria: (a) five consecutive errors, (b) five errors in six consecutive responses and (c) five errors in seven consecutive responses. With regard to internal consistency reliability, all three scoring methods were found to be equivalent to the scoring method recommended in the test manual. Strong positive correlations were found between raw scores obtained by each of the four scoring methods, and between each group of raw scores and an external measure, full scale intelligence quotient. Statistically significant differences were found between raw score means for each scoring method. Bivariate regression equations were provided so that scores obtained b...
“‘A Sweat Shop of the Whole Nation’: The Fair Labor Standard Act and the Failure of Regulatory Unionism”

The history of the American welfare state is often recounted as a long line of missed opportunities. As the story goes, the absence of a labor party, or American exceptionalism, helped create a weak welfare state. Initially, some political scientists, labor economists, and historians attributed American exceptionalism to the pure and simple unionism of the American Federation of Labor (AFL). In the 1990s, however, a number of political scientists and legal historians revised their understanding of American exceptionalism. Given the legal bias within the common law that benefited individuals rather than groups, conservative state and federal court judges pursued peremptory legal strategies, like the labor injunction, that shaped the course of the American labor movement. It was repressive state action, the revisionists argue, that explains why organized labor, and the unions that came to dominate the movement, pursued a less expansive vision of trade unionism and the American state.
PROGESTERONE METABOLISM BY HUMAN FETAL AND PLACENTAL TISSUES: INTERCONVERSION OF PROGESTERONE AND 20α-HYDROXYPREGN-4-EN-3-ONE IN THE FETO-PLACENTAL UNIT IN VITRO

The metabolism of progesterone in the feto-placental unit in vitro was studied. Homogenates of four fetal livers (after 22-28 weeks gestation) were incubated with progesterone-4-14C with an NADPH generating system, and a large amount of 20α-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one and smaller amounts of 5β-Apregnane-3α-o1-20-one and 5β-pregnane-3α, 20α-diol were identified. It is therefore considered that the major pathway of progesterone metabolism was: progesterone→20α-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one, and that the activity of Δ4-3-keto steroid hydrogenase in fetal liver was significantly lower than after birth. The conversion of 20α-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one to progesterone was shown to take place in vitro in a homogenate of human placenta with added NADP. These results suggest that the interconversion of progesterone and 20α-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one occurs in the feto-placental unit, permitting the reutilization of progesterone which is indispensable for maintenance of pregnancy.
Parking infrastructure: energy, emissions, and automobile life-cycle environmental accounting

The US parking infrastructure is vast and little is known about its scale and environmental impacts. The few parking space inventories that exist are typically regionalized and no known environmental assessment has been performed to determine the energy and emissions from providing this infrastructure. A better understanding of the scale of US parking is necessary to properly value the total costs of automobile travel. Energy and emissions from constructing and maintaining the parking infrastructure should be considered when assessing the total human health and environmental impacts of vehicle travel. We develop five parking space inventory scenarios and from these estimate the range of infrastructure provided in the US to be between 105 million and 2 billion spaces. Using these estimates, a life-cycle environmental inventory is performed to capture the energy consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases, CO, SO2, NOX, VOC (volatile organic compounds), and PM10 (PM: particulate matter) from raw material extraction, transport, asphalt and concrete production, and placement (including direct, indirect, and supply chain processes) of space construction and maintenance. The environmental assessment is then evaluated within the life-cycle performance of sedans, SUVs (sports utility vehicles), and pickups. Depending on the scenario and vehicle type, the inclusion of parking within the overall life-cycle inventory increases energy consumption from 3.1 to 4.8 MJ by 0.1–0.3 MJ and greenhouse gas emissions from 230 to 380 g CO2e by 6–23 g CO2e per passenger kilometer traveled. Life-cycle automobile SO2 and PM10 emissions show some of the largest increases, by as much as 24% and 89% from the baseline inventory. The environmental consequences of providing the parking spaces are discussed as well as the uncertainty in allocating paved area between parking and roadways.
"When You Tell a Personal Story, I Kind of Perk up a Little Bit More": An Examination of Student Learning from Listening to Personal Stories in Two Social Diversity Courses.

This article explores the role of personal storytelling about social identity-related experiences in two diversity courses that were informed by social justice education pedagogies with a focus on race/ethnicity and racism. The two courses included racially diverse groups of students in two undergraduate diversity courses at two Northeast universities (a social diversity and oppression course, and a race/ethnicity intergroup dialogue course). Participants describe a variety of learning outcomes after listening to personal stories. Findings also indicate that students across identities value storytelling, describing it as engaging, enjoyable, and integral to their learning. This underscores the value and impact of face-to-face, synchronous learning as a valid, transformative, and critical educational method in diversity courses.
Isostatic rebound and power-law flow in the asthenosphere

Summary Laboratory experiments indicate that the asthenosphere probably deforms as a power-law fluid. The experimental flow law for high-temperature peridotite and olivine is Cė-1/n=s where ė is strain-rate, s deviatoric stress, n the power (observed to be about 3), and C a proportionality constant which is a function of composition, temperature, and confining pressure. However, most theoretical treatments of isostatic rebound have assumed that the asthensophere deforms as a Newtonian fluid. In this paper, numerical solutions are found for the relaxation of a sinusoidal surface deflection above a power-law medium. These solutions are applied to an analysis of isostatic rebound data. First, following Post & Griggs (1973), it is shown by dimensional analysis that the rate of maximum uplift of a surface depression should be proportional to the maximum amount of remaining depression raised to the power n, where n is the power of the flow law. The rebound data from Fennoscandia and Canada yield in-situ estimates of n between 2 and 4, in good agreement with the experimental results. Second, using the finite-difference method, the proportionality constant is determined which relates the rate of uplift to the amount of remaining depression. Using this constant and assuming n= 3, the rebound data from Fennoscandia, Canada, and Lake Bonneville yield in-situ estimates of about 1010 Ns1/3 m-2 for the creep coefficient C in the flow law. This is consistent with laboratory measurements for the creep of dry olivine at 1200°C. However, all three rebound areas give different values for C. Reasonable lateral temperature and compositional differences in the asthenosphere can explain the observed variations, but it is noticed that the estimates of C increase with increasing width of the rebound area. This suggests that the value of C increases with depth in the asthenosphere. Two models of increase of C with depth are examined and it is found that both can explain the rebound data without invoking lateral variations in the asthenosphere. First, if the asthenosphere has a rigid base, that base is at a depth of about 170 km below the lithosphere. Second, if C increases exponentially with depth, it increases by a factor of e every 135 km. An exponential increase of this magnitude is expected from the increase in confining pressure with depth.
Right and Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) affecting both the right and left ventricular (RV and LV) outflow tracts is rare, and the mechanism of obstruction is different in each ventricle. A 21-year-old man with a family history of HOCM and sudden death was referred with breathlessness (New York Heart Association grade II) and occasional presyncope. There had been no discharges of an implantable defibrillator inserted 2 years earlier, and the sole medication …
Systems theory and cascades in developmental psychopathology

In the wake of prominent theoreticians in developmental science, whose contributions we review in this article, many developmental psychologists came to endorse a systems approach to understanding how the individual, as it develops, establishes functional relationships to social ecological contexts that from birth to school entry rapidly increase in complexity. The concept of developmental cascade has been introduced in this context to describe lawful processes by which antecedent conditions may be related with varying probabilities to specified outcomes. These are understood as processes by which function at one level or in one domain of behavior affect the organization of competency in later developing domains of general adaptation. Here we propose a developmental sequence by which the developing child acquires regulative capacities that are key to adjustment to a society that demands considerable control of emotional and cognitive functions early in life. We report empirical evidence showing that the acquisition of regulative capacities may be understood as a cascade of shifts in control parameters induced by the progressive integration of biological, transactional, and socioaffective systems over development. We conclude by suggesting how the developmental process may be accessed for effective intervention in populations deemed "at risk" for later problems of psychosocial adjustment.
Malassezia furfur skin colonization in infancy.

Malassezia furfur , a lipophilic yeast, has become recognized as a cause of sepsis in infants receiving parenteral fat emulsions via indwelling deep venous catheters. Colonization of infants' skin may be a prerequisite to colonization of the intravascular catheter and subsequent infection with M furfur . Three hundred ninety-three surveillance cultures were performed on 146 infants during their first 12 weeks of hospitalization in the intensive care unit (ICU) or the neonatal transitional unit (NTU). In addition, 47 full-term newborn infants and 38 healthy infants in the well-baby clinic were cultured. Colonization rates were greatest (48%) during the second month of hospitalization for the infants in the ICU/NTU group. In contrast, 0 of 47 newborn infants and 2 of 38 healthy infants were colonized. Prematurity and a prolonged length of stay were identified as risk factors for colonization.
Lichen sclerosus in childhood.

SUMMARY Lichen sclerosus in childhood involves predominantly the genital area, often with purpura and erosions, which raises concerns of sexual abuse. Potent topical corticosteroids give a good clinical response over several months, although maintenance with weaker formulations is usually required. The long-term prognosis remains uncertain.
Particle pressures generated around bubbles in gas-fluidized beds

The particle pressure is the surface force in a particle/fluid mixture that is exerted solely by the particle phase. This paper presents measurements of the particle pressure on the faces of a two-dimensional gas-fluidized bed and gives insight into the mechanisms by which bubbles generate particle pressure. The particle pressure is measured by a specially designed particle pressure transducer. The results show that, around single bubbles, the most significant particle pressures are generated below and to the sides of the bubble and that these particle pressures steadily increase and reach a maximum value at bubble eruption. The dominant mechanism appears to be defluidization of material in the particle phase that results from the bubble attracting fluidizing gas away from the surrounding material; the surrounding material is no longer supported by the gas flow and can only be supported across interparticle contacts which results in the observed particle pressures. The contribution of particle motion to particle pressure generation is insignificant. The magnitude of the particle pressure below a single bubble in a gas-fluidized bed depends on the bubble size and the density of the solid particles, as might be expected as the amount of gas attracted by the bubble should increase with bubble size and because the weight of defluidized material depends on the density of the solid material. A simple scaling of these quantities is suggested that is otherwise independent of the bed material. In freely bubbling gas-fluidized beds the particle pressures generated behave differently. Overall they are smaller in magnitude and reach their maximum value soon after the bubble passes instead of at eruption. In this situation, it appears that the bubbles interact with one another in such a way that the defluidization effect below a leading bubble is largely counteracted by refluidizing gas exiting the roof of trailing bubbles.
Linking external and internal search: investigating the site searching patterns of referred searchers

In this research, we investigate the relationship between external search on a major search engine and the subsequent internal search on an individual web site. Insights in the relationship can be a competitive advantage for websites. We use 295,271 searching sessions of an online Spanish entertainment business collected over a five month period. We develop a classification scheme for external and internal search queries using the referral query as the starting point. Using an n-gram approach, we identify query patterns for 295,271 searching episodes. We aggregate and identify six searching patterns. The three major searching strategies are Explorers (47%, a broad query for external search and then multiple broad queries during internal search), Navigators (16%, a navigational query for external search and then specific queries during internal search), and Acquirers (15%, transaction queries for both external and internal search). The remaining three patterns are Shifters (12%), Persisters (7%), and Orienteers (3%). Identification of searching patterns and related content can be a competitive advantage for websites dependent on providing relevant, fresh, and locatable information.