cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 5279: Prevalence and correlates of perceived harmfulness and addictiveness to traditional and alternative tobacco products among US adults

Purpose: Beliefs about addictiveness and harmfulness of tobacco products are associated with intentions to use them. This study aimed to (1) evaluate perceived harmfulness and addictiveness patterns towards multiple tobacco products and (2) examine sociodemographic variables that influence those perceptions. Methods: Weighted multivariate ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed on 5,474 US adults aged ≥18 years who participated in the 2015 and 2017 cycles of the Health Information National Trends Survey-FDA. The two primary outcomes were perceived harmfulness and addictiveness of traditional (cigarette, cigar, and pipe filled with tobacco) vs alternative tobacco (e-cigarette, hookah, and “roll your own” cigarettes). All models were adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, household income, census region, and smoking status. Results: Overall, 7.9% of adults in the U.S. perceived alternative tobacco as “not harmful at all” compared to 2.4% for the traditional products. Similarly, 16.2% of adults perceived alternative tobacco as “not addictive at all” compared to 13.6% for the traditional products. Beliefs about the harmfulness and addictiveness of traditional and alternative tobacco products differed by sociodemographic characteristics and smoking status: Those who believed traditional and alternative tobacco products are more harmful were more likely to be female, older (compared with those aged 18-34), Black (compared with White), former or never smokers (compared with current smokers), and adults living in West (compared with Northeast). Similarly, those who believed traditional and alternative tobacco products are more addictive were more likely to be female, older, Black, and adults living in West. However, no association between smoking status and perceived addictiveness was noted. Conclusion: Adults in U.S. perceive tobacco harmfulness and addictiveness differently based on their sociodemographic characteristics and smoking status. These findings are potential areas for targeted behavioral interventions to increase individuals9 perceived risk of harm and addiction to all forms of tobacco products in the United States. Citation Format: Kahee A. Mohammed, Martin W. Schoen, Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters, Ahmad M. Al-Taee, Gebran W. Khneizer, Lauren D. Arnold, Leslie Hinyard, Thomas E. Burroughs. Prevalence and correlates of perceived harmfulness and addictiveness to traditional and alternative tobacco products among US adults [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5279.
Evidence for Occupational Therapy Intervention With Employment and Education for Adults With Serious Mental Illness: A Systematic Review.

Objective Many of the estimated 9.8 million American adults with serious mental illness (SMI) want to engage in employment and education, yet the majority report a need for more skills training. This review presents evidence for the effectiveness of interventions that occupational therapy practitioners can provide to help people with SMI improve and maintain performance and participation in employment and education. Method Citations, abstracts, and full-text articles in databases including MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, OTseeker, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were reviewed for inclusion and analysis. Results Fifty-seven articles met criteria for inclusion. For employment, strong evidence was found for the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model and cognitive interventions. For education, moderate evidence was found for supported education interventions. Conclusion This systematic review supports the role of occupational therapy practitioners in promoting the implementation of IPS, cognitive-based, and social skills programs to improve vocational and educational outcomes for adults with SMI.
Compaction and Spall of UHPC Concrete Under Shock Conditions

Several dozen impact experiments were conducted utilizing gun-driven, parallel-plate impacts in several complimentary configurations to produce weak shock waves in an ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) known as “cortuf.” This UPHC variant was developed and fabricated at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, MS with no fiber reinforcement or coarse aggregate. The Hugoniot of the material in the range of 0–21 GPa is reported, although at lower shock pressures the material is highly dispersive and does not transmit a shock, leading to some ambiguity when conveying the results in the construct of a shock. The results, when compared with similar studies on other concrete variants, suggest that Portland cement based concretes without fiber reinforcement display shock behavior below 3 GPa which is dependent on the formulation and curing, but above 3 GPa, most can be represented by the empirical shock relation US = 2.35 km/s + 1.66uP up to at least the maximum pressure investigated in this work (21 GPa). Furthermore, it is shown that of the three types of porosity present in most concrete, in the concrete examined, only the entrapped air acts as porosity that is compacted during the shock. This investigation shows that although different grades of concrete vary widely in quasi-static compressive and tensile strength, under dynamic shock loading (uniaxial strain), most have similar yield points that can be described as a Hugoniot elastic limit of ~ 0.5 GPa or a yield strength of 0.4 GPa. In cortuf, the dynamically determined compressive yield point agrees closely with the quasi-statically determined yield (in conditions of uniaxial strain), implying very little strain-rate strengthening in UHPC, but in low strength (conventional) concrete, the dynamically determined yield is much higher than the corresponding quasi-static yield point. Therefore, the yield point of concrete in high-rate uniaxial strain is found to be independent of unconfined yield strength, and limited to an upper bound of ~ 0.4 GPa (HEL = 0.5 GPa). Post-yield compaction is strain-rate dependent in cortuf as well as other formulations for which literature data is available. In uniaxial-strain tension, cortuf has a spall strength of ~ 50 MPa, in rough agreement with the limited spall data available elsewhere, and the work shows that the spall and tensile behavior of cortuf loosely follows trends recently proposed by others.
Building Transformative Global Nursing Partnerships.

Background and purpose Global nursing is a relatively new term identifying nurses contributing to global health. While personally and professionally rewarding, global health projects present unique challenges to global nurses that impact partnerships. The aim of this article was to describe the role of global nursing, and focus on relational-cultural theory as the foundation of transformative partnerships. Methods This article is based upon a review of literature related to global health and relational inquiry. Peer-reviewed papers and research articles published within the past 10 years were used to support this discussion. Publications considered to be classics in the field of relationship inquiry were also utilized. Results Global nursing is a relatively recent conceptualization in describing the role of nursing. Global nursing practice based upon relational-cultural theory and mediated by cultural humility provides a strong foundation for the development of transformative global nursing partnerships. Implications for practice This article provides a theoretical foundation for global nurses practicing in local and global contexts with diverse populations. Nursing partnerships in both local and global contexts can be challenging to initiate and manage, but global nurses are responsible for creating partnerships which are ethically sound, based on theory, and transformative in nature. Cultural humility plays a central role in the ongoing process of disconnecting and re-connecting for transformational partnerships with individuals, communities, and other health-care providers.
Mapping the calcium signalsome during Drosophila wing development

Abstract Second messengers such as calcium (Ca2+) play critical roles in signal integration for complex, multicellular processes. However, how components of Ca2+ signaling regulates tissue development is poorly studied. Recently, we have discovered that perturbing Ca2+ signaling differentially across the developing Drosophila wing results in three-dimensional distortions to the final wing architecture. This finding prompted us to pursue a comprehensive high-content screen for phenotypes generated by perturbing known calcium-related genes. The rapidly-expanding dataset includes deep coverage (~30 wings/perturbation) and a high-resolution dataset of over 7,000 fly wing images. Preliminary findings indicate that perturbation of Ca2+ signaling leads to several classes of wing developmental phenotypes including thickening of veins, bifurcations, and wing crumpling. High-dimensional fingerprinting of these phenotypes revealed several clusters of genes, implying mechanistic interactions as well as novel roles for calcium-related genes in morphogenesis. Future work will focus on validation of interactions within gene clusters and identifying novel consequences of perturbation of Ca2+ signaling on development.
Using Conjunctive Methods to Explore Factors Associated with On-Time Grade Attainment Among High Risk Youth

AbstractThis study examines risk and protective factors associated with on-time grade attainment among a cohort of high risk elementary age youth 3 years post truancy intervention. Conjunctive Anal...
Editorial for the AAAI-18 Workshop on Affective Content Analysis

The first AAAI-18 Workshop on Affective Content Analysis was an interdisciplinary platform that focused on the analysis of emotions, sentiments, and attitudes in textual, visual, and multimodal content for applications in psychology, consumer behavior, language understanding, and computer vision. The program comprised interdisciplinary keynotes, original research presentations, a poster session and short pitches for datasets and pre-published work.
Building a Medical Education Outcomes Center: Development Study.

Background: Medical education and clinical data exist in multiple unconnected databases, resulting in 3 problems: (1) it is difficult to connect learner outcomes with patient outcomes, (2) learners cannot be easily tracked over time through the education-training-practice continuum, and (3) no standard methodology ensures quality and privacy of the data. Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop a Medical Education Outcomes Center (MEOC) to integrate education data and to build a framework to standardize the intake and processing of requests for using these data. Methods: An inventory of over 100 data sources owned or utilized by the medical school was conducted, and nearly 2 dozen of these data sources have been vetted and integrated into the MEOC. In addition, the American Medical Association (AMA) Physician Masterfile data of the University of Minnesota Medical School (UMMS) graduates were linked to the data from the National Provider Identifier (NPI) registry to develop a mechanism to connect alumni practice data to education data. Results: Over 160 data requests have been fulfilled, culminating in a range of outcomes analyses, including support of accreditation efforts. The MEOC received data on 13,092 UMMS graduates in the AMA Physician Masterfile and could link 10,443 with NPI numbers and began to explore their practice demographics. The technical and operational work to expand the MEOC continues. Next steps are to link the educational data to the clinical practice data through NPI numbers to assess the effectiveness of our medical education programs by the clinical outcomes of our graduates. Conclusions: The MEOC provides a replicable framework to allow other schools to more effectively operate their programs and drive innovation.
Erdős-Lovász Tihany Conjecture for graphs with forbidden holes

Abstract A hole in a graph is an induced cycle of length at least 4. Let s ≥ 2 and t ≥ 2 be integers. A graph G is ( s , t ) -splittable if V ( G ) can be partitioned into two sets S and T such that χ ( G [ S ] ) ≥ s and χ ( G [ T ] ) ≥ t . The well-known Erdős–Lovasz Tihany Conjecture from 1968 states that every graph G with ω ( G ) χ ( G ) = s + t − 1 is ( s , t ) -splittable. This conjecture is hard, and few related results are known. However, it has been verified to be true for line graphs, quasi-line graphs, and graphs with independence number 2. In this paper, we establish more evidence for the Erdős–Lovasz Tihany Conjecture by showing that every graph G with α ( G ) ≥ 3 , ω ( G ) χ ( G ) = s + t − 1 , and no hole of length between 4 and 2 α ( G ) − 1 is ( s , t ) -splittable, where α ( G ) denotes the independence number of a graph G .
Abstract 330: Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) MR evaluation of renal oxygenation is unaffected by water loading in atherosclerotic renovascular disease

Background: Renal hypoxia is a complex function of post-glomerular medullary blood flow, active solute transport and is considered a major risk element for acute kidney injury. Previous studies indicate that sodium balance, diuretic administration and some drugs affect tissue oxygenation. Water loading in younger subjects lowers medullary deoxyhemoglobin. We sought to evaluate the effects of water loading on the day of BOLD imaging in older subjects undergoing protocol evaluation of atherosclerotic renovascular disease (ARVD). METHODS: Inpatient studies were performed in patients with hemodynamically severe ARVD (n=15, Doppler US velocity >270 cm/sec), during 150 mEq Na+ intake and ACE/ARB Rx. Two groups were studied: Group A (n=10) received oral water loading (20 ml/kg), whereas Group B (n=5) had none. Tissue R2* (index of deoxyhemoglobin levels) and fractional kidney hypoxia (medullary estimate) (% of renal coronal area with R2*>20/s) were measured in stenotic kidneys by BOLD-MRI at 3T, before and after IV injection of Furosemide (20gm). RESULTS: Cortical R2* and fractional tissue hypoxia were similar for the 2 groups (P =0.6 and 0.7). Both groups reduced cortical R2* and fractional hypoxia after furosemide injection to the same degree. Table CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that water loading on the day of BOLD evaluation in older subjects with ARVD does not materially alter cortical or medullary estimates of oxygenation. Our results extend previous studies indicating that water loading in older individuals fails to alter medullary oxygenation unlike alterations in sodium intake, diuretic administration or blockade of the renin-angiotensin system.
Iowa's Numbers: 150 Years of Decennial Census Data with a Glance to the Future

Review of: "Iowa's Numbers: 150 Years of Decennial Census Data with a Glance to the Future," by Willis Goudy.
Parent-teen communication predicts treatment benefit for depressed and suicidal adolescents.

Objective Although there are currently several efficacious treatments for depressed and suicidal adolescents, less is known about predictors and moderators of adolescents' treatment response. A growing literature has identified family functioning as a prognostic indicator of adolescents' likelihood of benefiting from treatment. The current study tested both observational and perceived measures of family functioning as indicators of adolescents' response to 2 treatment conditions. Method The sample consisted of 129 depressed and suicidal adolescents (Mage = 14.96, 82.9% female, 56% Black/African American) who were randomized to attachment-based family therapy or family-enhanced nondirective supportive therapy (Diamond et al., 2019). Baseline assessments of family functioning included ratings of parent-adolescent communication coded with the Goal-Corrected Partnership in Adolescence Coding System (Lyons-Ruth, Hennighausen, & Holmes, 2005) and adolescent and parent reports of Family Conflict and Cohesion from the Self-Report of Family Functioning (Bloom, 1985). Results Adolescents who engaged in more uncooperative communication with their parents during a 10-min conflict discussion showed greater reductions in depressive symptoms in both treatments. Adolescents from traditionally underserved (non-White or lower income) families showed greater reductions in suicidal ideation in both treatments. Conclusions Attachment-based family therapy and family-enhanced nondirective supportive therapy were most effective for adolescents from traditionally underserved families and adolescents who engaged in less cooperative communication with their caregivers. Observational ratings of parent-adolescent communication were better prognostic indicators of treatment response than were self-reported indicators of global family functioning. Implications for generalizing these results to other treatments for depressed and suicidal adolescents are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Contemporary application of autologous muscle-derived cells for urinary sphincter regeneration

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) remains a prevalent condition with substantial economic and quality-of-life impact. Treatment for incontinence historically culminates with invasive surgical procedures with recognized complication profiles. Innovative directions for SUI therapeutics are on the horizon, including the utilization of adult autologous muscle-derived cells for urinary sphincter regeneration (AMDC-USR). Herein, we visit fundamental concepts of innovative regenerative medicine technologies for urologic applications. Synopsis of contemporary literature review regarding adult autologous muscle-derived cells for urinary sphincter regeneration is presented. Current published literature presents safety and efficacy data regarding AMDC-USR injection in 80 patients at 12-month follow-up. In these early studies, no long-term adverse events were reported and patients undergoing cellular injection at higher doses revealed at least 50% reduction in stress leaks and pad weight at 12-month follow-up. All dose groups demonstrated statistically significant improvement in patient-reported incontinence-specific quality-of-life scores at 12-month follow-up. Conclusions from the pooled analyses indicate that injection of AMDC-USR across a range of dosages appears safe. Efficacy data suggest a dose response with more patients responsive to the higher doses of AMDC-USR. Applications for utilization of autologous cellular therapies for treatment of SUI, and conceivably multiple additional indications, are approaching realization. Multiple Phase III randomized, placebo-controlled studies for AMDC-USR are concluding or ongoing to launch this regenerative option for the millions of patients who may ultimately benefit.
Lexical Profiles of Student Academic Presentations

Some of the main functions of speech adjustment are to manage comprehension and accessibility of information in order to lighten listeners’ processing cognitive load. An observable aspect of this kind of accommodation behavior is reflected in the lexical choices speakers make—an aspect which has received relatively little attention in academic context, particularly with regard to student academic presentations. The chapter focuses on what is lexically “typical” of successful student presentations, the extent to which the lexical composition of presentations contributes to the formal or informal aspect of this oral academic sub-register, and how student presenters’ lexical choices possibly facilitate both the online production of speech and its online processing by the audience.
Gold nanostar-enhanced multimodal photoacoustic microscopy and optical coherence tomography for the visualization of laser-induced choroidal neovascularization in living rabbits

Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) is a novel and hybrid optical and acoustic technique for imaging. This modality can be used for label-free imaging of the retinal microvasculature with ultrahigh resolution and excellent image contrast. However, it is hard to distinguish newly developed microvasculature from native vessels. An exogenous photoabsorber contrast agent can boost the sensitivity and enhance the PAM image contrast. The focus of this study is to investigate the potential application of gold nanostars (GNS) as a contrast agent for multimodal PAM and OCT. GNS were validated on Rose Bengal laser-induced retinal vein occlusion choroidal neovascularization (CNV) rabbit model. Four New Zealand white rabbits were administrated with Rose Bengal (5 mg/kg) followed by laser illumination at a power of 300 mW. CNV developed at day 28 post laser illumination. The rabbit model before and after treatment was monitored by a multimodal imaging system including OCT, PAM, color fundus photographs, fluorescein angiography, (FA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). At day 28 post laser treatment, the rabbits received an intravenous injection of 400 μL GNS at a concentration of 2.5 mg/mL. Multimodal PAM and OCT monitored the GNS at various time points: 1 h, 2 h, 8 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, day 4, day 7, day 9, day 11 and day 14. The experimental results show that the PA signal was enhanced 24-fold and OCT intensity increased 184% 24 h post injection. Histological analysis and TUNEL assay show no evidence of any change in cell nuclear morphology suggesting no damage or cell death. In addition, the liver function tests showed normal liver and kidney function, indicating that GNS induced no toxicity in the rabbit at the treated concentration. Therefore, GNS may provide a safe and potential contrast agent for the detection of the microvasculature in the eye.
Management of Aromatase Inhibitor–Induced Musculoskeletal Symptoms

Aromatase inhibitor-induced musculoskeletal symptoms (AIMSS) were first recognized as a distinct entity in 2001, 5 years after the approval of the first aromatase inhibitor, anastrozole. Musculoskeletal symptoms can severely affect patients' quality of life and also lead to premature discontinuation of aromatase inhibitor therapy. Several interventions for managing AIMSS have been investigated in the last decade, with some demonstrating promise. This article provides an evidence-based summary to guide practicing oncologists in regard to the epidemiology, prevention, and treatment of AIMSS.
Prosthetic valve thrombosis during extracorporeal life support for postcardiotomy shock

Postcardiotomy shock is a complication after open-heart surgery that may be alleviated with extracorporeal life support (ECLS). Postcardiotomy shock patients on ECLS with prosthetic valves are at a high risk of valve thrombosis. We retrospectively reviewed patients supported with ECLS after the development of postcardiotomy shock at our centre, 90 of which had prosthetic valves. Nine patients developed prosthetic valve thrombosis, an incidence of 10%. Patients who developed prosthetic valve thrombosis were more often supported via central cannulation (78% vs 38%, P = 0.034) and had a higher median initial flow (4.4 vs 3.2 l/min, P = 0.018). Central cannulation was associated with valve thrombosis by multivariable logistic regression (odds ratio 7.56; 95% confidence interval 1.12-149.87). Central cannulation with high flow is thought to reduce intracardiac blood flow, thereby increasing the risk of stasis and thrombus formation. Patients with prosthetic valve thrombosis were treated with anticoagulation or surgical intervention and 4 patients (44%) survived to discharge.
Comparative study of fluxional processes at two different classes of eight-coordinate rhenium(V) polyhydride complexes

Abstract Two different structural types of dodecahedral rhenium(V) tetrahydride complexes were identified as capable of providing insight into a pseudorotational exchange of ligands at such complexes. One type of complex afforded an inequivalent set of NMR-active phosphorus atoms that occupy B sites in the rhenium coordination sphere along with four hydride ligands in the dodecahedral A sites. A second type of complex afforded the potential to inhibit the pseudorotational exchange of ligands at such complexes due to the presence of a chelating bidentate ligand. A pair of each type of complexes were studied by variable temperature NMR measurements and simulation of those measurements. The first type of complex exhibited pseudorotation of both the A site hydride ligands and the B site triphenylphosphine ligands. The first type of complexes also exhibited a pairwise exchange of the two inequivalent hydride ligands on the complexes. The second type of complex did not exhibit pseudorotational exchange of the A site hydride ligands, presumably due to the chelating bidentate ligand bound to rhenium. Instead, the A site hydride ligands of the second type of complex exhibited only exchange with the single B site hydride ligand through either a pairwise or a turnstile type of mechanism. Neither type of complex exhibited any direct intermolecular exchange of protons from the hydride ligand set with adventitious water from the solvent matrix. The value of ΔG‡240 for each of the identified fluxional processes was close to 12 kcal/mol. The values of ΔS‡ for each fluxional process suggest that none of the processes are dissociative in nature.
Coexistence of TDP-43 and C5b-9 staining of muscle in a patient with inclusion body myositis.

While sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) is the most commonly acquired inflammatory myopathy above 50 years of age, its refractory response to conventional immunosuppressive treatments raises questions about its perplexing pathogenesis. Muscle biopsy typically reveals major histocompatibility complex I antigens and CD8+ T cell endomysial infiltrates invading non-necrotic muscle fibres early in the disease course with rimmed vacuoles, protein aggregates and amyloid inclusions later in the disease. Transactive response DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43), a protein implicated in transcriptional repression in neurodegenerative diseases, is also found in sIBM. C5b-9 membrane attack complex, an effector protein involved in the complement cascade of the immune response, is commonly found in dermatomyositis, but has rarely been reported in IBM. We describe a novel case of IBM with simultaneous C5b-9 and TDP-43 staining on quadriceps biopsy, raising the question of a possibility of concurrent immune-mediated inflammatory and myodegenerative pathogenesis.
Perspective and Complements

We have explored a number of topics motivated by concrete applications. It is time to stitch together these ideas into a complete panorama. In addition, we provide some complements.
Floodplain forest structure and the recent decline of Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch (northern pecan) at its northern latitudinal range margin, Upper Mississippi River System, USA

Abstract Floodplain hardwood forests that exist on islands and immediately adjacent to channels along the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) are ecologically important due to high floral and faunal biodiversity. The recent decline and regeneration failure of hard mast species—e.g. Quercus spp. and Carya spp.—along the UMRS has been well documented, but causes of these trends have not been widely examined and are thus poorly understood. To investigate the mechanisms of this decline, we installed three 0.20-ha plots within the floodplain forests of the UMRS amongst communities known to contain the northernmost documented individuals of Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch, a regionally imperiled, yet ecologically, economically, and culturally important hard mast species. Tree density ( > 5 cm dbh) averaged 355 stems ha−1 (n = 239, 12 representative species across 9 genera) and mean basal area was 77 m2 ha−1 across the three sites. Acer saccharinum L. was the most dominant species (49.0 m2 ha−1). The diameter distribution of trees demonstrated a negative exponential pattern, generally indicative of uneven-aged, regenerating forests. Over the past ca. 120 years, decadal-scale pulses of tree establishment across species show linkages with riparian engineering installments and flood and drought events. C. illinoinensis demonstrated a consistent establishment pattern since at least the 1860s through the 1950s, but experienced regeneration failure over the past ca. 50 years. Widespread ecological growth releases in C. illinoinensis are linked with known large-scale flood events along the UMRS (1965, 1993, 2001, 2011 CE). Correlation analysis revealed relationships between C. illinoinensis growth rings and drought, precipitation, maximum temperature, and river flow to be temporally unstable with an inflection point at the beginning of the lock and dam era (ca. 1930s–1940s). The coincidental decoupling of climate and flow variability with tree growth in the post-lock and dam era suggests that peripheral, disjunct populations of C. illinoinensis are sensitive to impacts from anthropogenic land and hydrologic modifications. Forest structure, disturbance history, and climate analyses demonstrate that without management intervention, C. illinoinensis will no longer have a significant presence within floodplain forests of the UMRS in the near future, contributing to loss in diversity. Direct forest restoration techniques, such as planting and creation of canopy gaps via regeneration-focused harvesting, are needed if C. illinoinensis is to return to historical abundance and distribution.
Dual-Scale Porosity Effects on Crack Growth in Additively Manufactured Metals: 3D Ductile Fracture Models

Abstract The presence of microstructural defects resulting in unpredictable failure behavior has limited the use of additively manufactured (AM) metals in structural applications. In addition to the distributed porosity responsible for ductile fracture in conventional metals, larger defects (20-50 μm) can be introduced during additive manufacturing resulting in a dual-scale porosity failure process in AM metals. Here, we subject a three-dimensional, small-scale yielding boundary layer model containing a centerline crack to remote mode I K-field loading to study the effects of such dual-scale porosity on crack-defect interactions in an AM Ti-6Al-4V alloy. We model the background porosity implicitly within the fracture process zone viz. several rows of void-containing computational cell elements governed by the Gurson porous material relation, while the larger AM void defects are discretely represented based on size and porosity distributions of actual AM Ti-6Al-4V specimens characterized using optical and electron microscopy. Results show that AM defects can contribute to an increased apparent toughness of the AM metal over its conventional counterpart by activating isolated and/or clustered damage zones surrounding the crack, which shields and blunts the crack-tip and promotes crack tortuosity. However, the presence of planar clusters of AM defects can also accelerate crack growth and cause premature failure by forming preferential crack paths.
MISO antenna array OC pre-RAKE transmitter with MRC post-RAKE receiver

The optimal independent space independent time (ISIT) pre-correction transmit equalizer solution is derived for a multiple-in single-out (MISO) antenna array wireless communication system using an input referred noise model. A combined time division multiplexed (TDM) spread spectrum (SS) system is analyzed. Using knowledge of the channel state, the transmit equalizer solution combats frequency selective channel induced multipath (MP) interchip interference (ICI). The time invariant subset of the optimal ISIT solution is defined equal to the optimal combining (OC) pre-RAKE equalizer. The maximum of the OC pre-RAKE weights is proposed as a spatial only transmit weight, suitable for a multiuser CDMA downlink, and compared to a weight based upon the maximum eigenmode of the channel state. Bit error rate (BER) simulations illustrate that pre-correction weights derived from the optimal ISIT solution outperform the maximal ratio combining (MRC) pre-RAKE and the eigenmode based solution.
The presence or absence of an impalpable testis can be predicted from clinical observations alone.

Objective To evaluate, in a prospective study, the accuracy of predicting the presence or absence of unilateral or bilateral impalpable testes from a clinical examination, particularly whether the contralateral descended testis (CDT) is hypertrophied. Patients and methods Whether the ipsilateral scrotal appendages were palpable, and the size of the CDT, were determined before surgery in a series of patients, and compared with age-matched controls. Between 1992 and 2000, 100 impalpable testes in 86 consecutive patients (mean age at orchidopexy 45 months, range 6–223; 66% <36 months) were evaluated and treated. In addition to the presence or absence of palpable ipsilateral scrotal appendages, the size of the CDT, when present, and the intraoperative findings were recorded. Logistic regression analysis was used to model the probability of the presence or absence of the testis, as determined by the preoperative clinical findings alone. Results Of the 86 testes that were located at surgery, 50 (58%) were intracanalicular, 28 (32%) intra-abdominal and the remainder (10%) were in the superficial inguinal pouch. Of 13 patients with the ‘vanishing testis syndrome’, the atrophic testicle was intracanalicular in nine, in the upper scrotum in three and intra-abdominal in only one. All viable testes were successfully relocated in the scrotum, with one atrophic after surgery. The positive predictive value (PPV, with 95% confidence interval) of a testis being present when the ipsilateral appendages were palpable and the CDT was not hypertrophied was 0.93 (0.83–0.97). Conversely, the PPV of the impalpable testis being absent when the appendages were impalpable and the CDT was hypertrophied was 0.95 (0.64–0.99). Conclusion When evaluating and surgically treating impalpable testes, the presence of palpable ipsilateral scrotal appendages and a CDT with no hypertrophy is associated with a 93% likelihood of discovering a testis that can be successfully relocated to the scrotum. Conversely, when the ipsilateral scrotal appendages cannot be palpated and the CDT is hypertrophied, there is a 96% probability that the impalpable testis is absent (vanishing testis syndrome). This readily available information may be valuable in preoperative counselling and planning.
Determination of pyrite particle size distribution in coal by merging analyses of size distributions at different microscopic magnificiations: Optimum allocation of number of observations to different size groups

Abstract In the characterization of particle size distributions, it is often useful to measure the size of smaller particles using optical magnifications that are higher than the magnifications used to measure relatively large particles. This results in an examination of a smaller area in the sample specimen. This paper considers the question of how many fields should be microscopically analysed at different k magnifications to arrive at an efficient estimate of the mean particle diameter (by count). The resolution of this question depends upon the following three factors: 1, the relative sizes of areas scanned under different magnifications; 2, the expected number of particles of a given size range per optical field under a given magnification; and 3, the standard deviation within each size range scanned under the same magnification. A formula is provided for the optimum allocation of field counts at each magnification when measuring particle sizes in various size ranges. Numerical examples are also provided. The discussion in this paper is illustrated by reference to the measurement of pyrite particle sizes in a given coal. It is well known that the size distribution of pyrites in coal influences the potential amount of sulphur reduction that can be achieved by physical coal cleaning methods.
A controlled study of the use of prophylactic antimicrobials in premature infants; bacteriologic observations.

Studies of the aerobic bacterial flora of the nose and throat were made during the first month of life in premature infants born in the hospital and selected by cyclic rotation for treatment with either penicillin plus streptomycin, sulfadiazine, oxytetracycline, or saline for a period of 10 days. The initial cultures made during the first few hours after birth yielded no growth in 90% of those from the nose and in 80% of those from the throat; in nearby every instance in which bacterial growth occurred in the initial cultures, the conditions either in the pregnancy, the delivery or the infant at birth were such as to predispose the baby to contamination. Staphylococci were most often the first organisms to appear in both nose and throat and were also the most prevalent and most persistent. Coagulase-positive strains were the most frequent in nasal cultures and coagulase-negative ones in those from the throat; the latter variety was particularly prevalent during the first 10 days. Strains of Str. viridans ranked next in incidence; they were recovered predominantly from the throat cultures and with increasing frequency through the thirtieth day. Enterococci were cultured only between the third and fifteenth days. Beta hemolytic streptococci were repeatedly recovered from a few infants in the sulfadiazine-treated group and H. influenzae was grown once from each of three infants but these organisms did not cause any overt infections. Coliform organisms first appeared during the second week and increased in frequency through the thirtieth day. The strains of staphylococci were predominantly resistant to all of the antimicrobials used, including sulfadiazine, whereas the various streptococci were almost all sensitive to these agents; however, most of the enterococci were resistant to streptomycin alone and moderately resistant to oxytetracycline. The coliform organisms were nearly all resistant to penicillin and to sulfadiazine and most of them except the strains of pseudomonas were sensitive to streptomycin, alone or in combination with penicillin and also to oxytetracycline; however, the strains of proteus were either moderately resistant or resistant to oxytetracycline. Antimicrobial therapy appeared to have only minor and limited effects on the bacteriologic findings. Enterococci were most frequently isolated during antimicrobial therapy, particularly with sulfadiazine or oxytetracycline, but strains of Str. viridans or of E. coli were rarely isolated during treatment with the latter. Implantation and persistence of beta hemolytic streptococci were not prevented by treatment with sulfadiazine although the strains isolated were sensitive to that agent in vitro. The strains of staphylococci, particularly the coagulase-positive ones, which were isolated from the infants treated with oxytetracycline included a smaller proportion that were sensitive and more that were resistant to all the antibiotics with which they were tested as compared with those obtained from the babies in any of the other therapeutic groups.
Evaluation of the Stiffness of a Composite–Metal Joint by the Method of Digital Image Correlation

On the basis of the method of digital correlation image processing, we develop a procedure for the determination of the stiffness of mechanical joints of layered carbon-filled plastics, which takes into account the nonuniformity of the distribution of strains over the surface of a composite specimen. We also describe the technique of measurements and the algorithm of image processing and present the experimental results.
Executive Compensation and the Covenant Structure of Debt

I examine how the debt covenant structure of a firm varies with managerial risk-taking incentives via CEO compensation sensitivities to stock return volatility (Vega). I build a comprehensive firm debt covenant index by including both public and private debt issues. I find a robust negative relation between CEO compensation Vegas and firms’ debt covenant structures, even after considering alternative estimation procedures and endogeneity. I also find that a firm’s debt maturity is decreasing in Vega, and the cost of debt induced by Vega is reduced by the presence of a covenant. Taken together, my results suggest that managers with high Vegas preserve their financing and investment flexibility by using few covenants, and that they use short-term debt and/or the higher cost of debt to reduce agency conflicts with creditors.
Colonoscopy Utilization in the Black Women's Health Study

Cancer screening is important for health promotion and is a key element in reducing the disparities in cancer morbidity and mortality. Mortality rates for colorectal cancer are more than 40% higher among African Americans than among other ethnic populations in the United States. The primary objective of the present study is to determine correlates of colonoscopy utilization in the Black Women's Health Study. Our study sample comprised 10992 black women from the Black Women's Health Study whose ages ranged from 50 to 72 years at baseline in 1997; colonoscopy use in the subsequent 8 years was ascertained. The strongest correlate of colonoscopy use was mammography use: women who utilized mammography had 2.5 times the odds of having a colonoscopy, compared with those who never screened for breast cancer. Women who reported having health insurance had 2 times the odds of having a colonoscopy compared with women who did not have health insurance. Higher level of education was also associated with colonoscopy screening. Concurrent promotion of cancer screenings, ie, mammography and colonoscopy, may be a good approach to increasing colonoscopy utilization among women.
A reverse order interview does not aid deception detection regarding intentions

Promising recent research suggests that more cognitively demanding interviews improve deception detection accuracy. Would these cognitively demanding techniques work in the same way when discriminating between true and false future intentions? In Experiment 1 participants planned to complete a task, but instead were intercepted and interviewed about their intentions. Participants lied or told the truth, and were subjected to high (reverse order) or low (sequential order) cognitive load interviews. Third-party observers watched these interviews and indicated whether they thought the person was lying or telling the truth. Subjecting participants to a reverse compared to sequential interview increased the misidentification rate and the appearance of cognitive load in truth tellers. People lying about false intentions were not better identified. In Experiment 2, a second set of third-party observers rated behavioral cues. Consistent with Experiment 1, truth tellers, but not liars, exhibited more behaviors associated with lying and fewer behaviors associated with truth telling in the reverse than sequential interview. Together these results suggest that certain cognitively demanding interviews may be less useful when interviewing to detect false intentions. Explaining a true intention while under higher cognitive demand places truth tellers at risk of being misclassified. There may be such a thing as too much cognitive load induced by certain techniques.
A new degradable hydroxamate linkage for pH-controlled drug delivery.

A new drug delivery system based on a hydrodegradable hydroxamate linkage was evaluated. The carrier support system was poly(N-hydroxyacrylamide), which was synthesized via free radical polymerization of acryloyl chloride in 1,4-dioxane, initiated with 2,2‘-azobisisobutyronitrile. The poly(acryloyl chloride) was modified in two steps. First, N-hydroxysuccinimide was added to give the imide ester of poly(acryloyl). In the second step, the imide ester of poly(acryloyl) was reacted with either hydroxylamine or N-methylhydroxylamine to give the corresponding hydroxamic acid. The hydroxamide functionality was then used to link the model drug ketoprofen. All products and intermediates were characterized by elemental analysis and FTIR and 1H NMR spectra. In vitro drug release was performed under specific conditions to elucidate the influence of the pH, polymer microstructure, and temperature on the hydrolysis rate of the amido−ester bond that linked the drug to the macromolecule. The drug release rate from N-met...
Identification of a DNA supercoiling activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A relaxed plasmid DNA is shown to become positively supercoiled in cell extracts from top1 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This positive supercoiling activity is dependent on the presence of bacterial DNA topoisomerase I and ATP (or dATP), and the positive supercoils generated in this reaction are not constrained by protein(s). Non-hydrolyzable ATP analogs cannot substitute for ATP in this supercoiling reaction, and the supercoiling activity is not due to RNA synthesis. The presence of an ARS sequence in the DNA does not alter the activity. Furthermore, this activity is equally active against UV irradiated or intact DNA. Extracts prepared from rad50 and rad52 mutant cells exhibited the same activity. Partial purification of this activity suggests that a protein factor with a native molecular weight of approximately 150 kDa is primarily responsible for the activity. The possibility that this supercoiling activity may be due to tracking of a protein along the intact duplex DNA is discussed.
Slavery and emancipation in rural New York: Evidence from nineteenth-century accounting records

Contributing to a more inclusive history, this study explores slavery and emancipation in the northeastern USA, using accounting ledgers maintained in New York’s mid-Hudson River valley during the first half of the nineteenth century. The social and economic circumstances faced by rural blacks prior to emancipation are examined using the accounting records maintained by Ann DeWitt Bevier, a wealthy widow who managed an estate staffed by both slave and free labor. Aspects of rural life after emancipation are revealed by the personal account books maintained by John Hasbrouck. These first-hand records document Hasbrouck’s employment and compensation after emancipation, and show how one African-American family adapted to freedom. This study facilitates a comparison of the practice of slavery in the North and the South, and illustrates how these differences were reflected in the type of information included in the accounting records.
Methodology for predicting performance of distributed and parallel systems

Abstract This paper describes an accurate and efficient method to model and predict the performance of distributed/parallel systems. Various performance measures, such as the expected user response time, the system throughput and the average server utilization, can be easily estimated using this method. The methodology is based on known product form queueing network methods, with some additional approximations. The method is illustrated by evaluating performance of a multi-client multi-server distributed system. A system model is constructed and mapped to a probabilistic queueing network model which is used to predict its behavior. The effects of user think time and various design parameters on the performance of the system are investigated by both the analytical method and computer simulation. The accuracy of the former is verified. The methodology is applied to identify the bottleneck server and to establish proper balance between clients and servers in distributed/parallel systems.
Heterarchical control of highly distributed manufacturing systems

The use of heterarchical architectures to control manufacturing systems is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to conventional hierarchical architectures as the density and level of distribution of computing resources in manufacturing systems grows. In this paper, design principles for heterarchical systems are reviewed that have evolved to promote reduced complexity, increased extensibility, selfconfigurability, and adaptation in real time. Challenges that arise in adhering to these principles such as cooperation between autonomous entities and potential for chaotic behaviour are discussed. Finally, heterarchical control is described for arrival time of parts at a machine where using local feedback control, system stability and convergence to meritorious states can be guaranteed, leading to confidence in system performance.