cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multichannel optical communication systems

Many types of multichannel systems, such as time-, wavelength-, space-, and code-division-multiplexed systems, are discussed in this paper. There have been enormous research strides over the past several years, and some of the more important advances are mentioned. Due to the overview nature of this paper, the main body will discuss general concepts and main issues whereas specific systems and trends will only be mentioned briefly near the end. This approach for the written paper will complement the oral presentation which will focus on the exciting and emerging "hot" topics in the general area of Multichannel Optical Communication Systems.
Proximate Mediators of Microvascular Dysfunction at the Blood-Brain Barrier: Neuroinflammatory Pathways to Neurodegeneration

Current projections are that by 2050 the numbers of people aged 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the US may increase threefold while dementia is projected to double every 20 years reaching ~115 million by 2050. AD is clinically characterized by progressive dementia and neuropathologically by neuronal and synapse loss, accumulation of amyloid plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in specific brain regions. The preclinical or presymptomatic stage of AD-related brain changes may begin over 20 years before symptoms occur, making development of noninvasive biomarkers essential. Distinct from neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, plasma or serum biomarkers can be analyzed to assess (i) the presence/absence of AD, (ii) the risk of developing AD, (iii) the progression of AD, or (iv) AD response to treatment. No unifying theory fully explains the neurodegenerative brain lesions but neuroinflammation (a lethal stressor for healthy neurons) is universally present. Current consensus is that the earlier the diagnosis, the better the chance to develop treatments that influence disease progression. In this article we provide a detailed review and analysis of the role of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) as well as coagulation molecules in the onset and progression of these neurodegenerative disorders.
670 GHz FMCW radar for imaging and science applications

Even though there has been excellent progress in terahertz systems for scientific applications, mature imaging systems operating above W-band (75–100 GHz) has been lacking. This ‘THz radar gap’ provides an opportunity for imaginative scientific, commercial, and security applications. Terahertz radars provides several benefits over either shorter or longer wave bands, such as large absolute bandwidth leading to ultra-high range resolution radars; short wavelengths enabling high cross-range resolution with small-diameter, yet still high-gain, antennas; there is appreciable penetration below about 1 THz through certain optically opaque substances such as clothing, dust, and fog; and others [1].
Diet-specific social support, dietary acculturation, and self-efficacy among Chinese living in the United States

This study conceptualizes diet-specific social support from family members and friends as a part of the functional content of social relationships and examines differences in its levels and predict...
Exercise augments the ex vivo expansion of viral-specific T-cells for adoptive transfer immunotherapy via β2-adrenergic receptor signaling

The adoptive transfer of viral-specific T-cells (VSTs) is highly effective in treating viral infections after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, adoptive T-cell therapy is not available for a large number of patients due to logistical constraints associated with isolating and manufacturing enough VSTs from healthy donors. We have shown that a single exercise bout reliably augments the ex vivoexpansion of VSTs and thus might be useful as a clinical adjuvant to boost the manufacture of VSTs from healthy donors. We sought to determine if the augmenting effects of exercise on VST expansion are dependent on β2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR) signaling. Using a randomized cross-over and double-blinded design, ten subjects performed 30-min of steady state cycling exercise 3 h after ingesting (i) a placebo, (ii) a β1 + 2AR antagonist (nadolol), or (iii) a β1AR antagonist (bisoprolol). PBMCs isolated before and after exercise were stimulated with Adenovirus (AdV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) peptide antigens and cultured for 8 days, after which VSTs were enumerated by IFNγ ELISPOT. Compared to resting conditions, exercise augmented the expansion of VSTs in the placebo and bisoprolol trials (38.2% and 57.9% increases), but not in the nadolol trial (3.3% decrease). We conclude that the augmenting effects of exercise on VST expansion are dependent on β2AR signaling, highlighting the β2AR as a potential target to increase the potency of T-cell therapeutics.
Bone marrow chimeric rats reveal the unique distribution of resident and recruited macrophages in the contused rat spinal cord.

Brain and spinal cord inflammation that develops after traumatic injury is believed to differentially influence the structural and/or physiological integrity of surviving neurons and glia. It is possible that the functional dichotomy of CNS inflammation results from the activity of a heterogeneous macrophage population elicited by trauma. Indeed, unique functions have been attributed to macrophages derived from resident microglia versus those originating from infiltrating monocytes. Thus, whether progressive tissue injury or repair is favored could be explained by the disproportionate contributions of one macrophage subset relative to the other. Descriptive neuroanatomical studies are a reasonable first approach to revealing a relationship between microglia, recruited blood monocytes/macrophages, and regions of tissue degeneration and/or repair. Unfortunately, it is not possible to differentiate between CNS macrophage subsets using conventional immunohistochemical approaches. In the present study, we have used radiation bone marrow chimeric rats to definitively characterize the macrophage reaction elicited by experimental spinal contusion injury. In chimeric animals, antibodies raised against unique cell surface molecules expressed on bone marrow-derived cells (BMCs) were used to distinguish infiltrating BMCs from resident microglial-derived macrophages. Our findings indicate that the onset and plateau of macrophage activation (previously shown to be 3 and 7 days postinjury, respectively) is dominated initially by microglial-derived macrophages and then is supplanted by hematogenous cells. While resident macrophages are ubiquitously distributed throughout the injury site, leukocyte-derived monocytes exclusively infiltrate the gray matter and to a lesser extent subpial white matter. Generally, monocyte foci in white matter remain associated with the lumen or abluminal surface of blood vessels, i.e. few cells actually infiltrate the parenchyma. If functional differences exist between CNS macrophage subsets, differences in the time-dependent accumulation and distribution of these cell types could differentially influence the survival of surrounding neurons and glia.
STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS AS PREDICTORS FOR ONLINE COURSE SUCCESS

This study reviews the findings of previous empirical research published between the years of 2000 to 2009 on online effectiveness and student characteristics. A total of six research articles are identified and analyzed in terms of research design and findings. To improve online course effectiveness, research findings are summarized and analyzed. Some inconsistencies have been discovered and discussed.
Children's errors in telling time and a recommended teaching sequence

Their ideal year was twelve months, each containing thirty days. In turn, each day was divided into twelve danna and each danna into thirty ges. One danna was, therefore, roughly equal to two modern hours, and one ges to four modern minutes. A tablet from the first half of the third millennium b.c. mentions danna as a unit of length, presumably derived from the unit of time by the same name. . . . Since the sun travels some 180° of arc in twelve modern hours (or 15° in one modern hour which is fifteen ges), it travels Io of arc in four modern minutes or one ges. That is, it travels 1 /360th of the circumference of a circle in one ges. Thus, ges doubles up as a measure of time and as a measure of angle. Working backwards now, the division of time into three hundred and sixty ges during the period of one complete day suggests the division of the circle into 360°, and vice versa. Historically the division of the day and the division of the circle are intertwined, time being measured by the apparent movement of the celestial sphere. [Lloyd, p. 388]
Particle Shape Evolution in Gas Environments: Particle Shape Control in Supported Metal Catalysis

Summary The evolution of particle shapes in gas environments were examined to see if a sintering process could be used to control particle shapes in supported metal catalysts. Work was done with platinum particles on silica, alumina, and platinum silicide supports. Initially, the particles appear as a series of hill and valley structures having no distinct overall shape. However, after long annealing they convert to an equilibrium shape which is nearly spherical, but has distinct (100) facets, smaller (111) facets, and curved regions in between. The particles are also oriented so that they grow epitaxially on the support. The size of the facets is found to be temperature dependent. Changes in particle shape in hydrogen and nitrogen environments were also examined. It was found that nitrogen has little effect on the final particle shape. However, the presence of hydrogen changes the particle shape greatly. The (100) facets grow, while the (111) facets and all of the curved regions shrink. Initially, the particles show a series of complex surface structures. However, at equilibrium, the particles have a square shape. Finally, simple first-order calculations were done to examine the effects of hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide on the equilibrium crystal shape of the platinum particles in a supported platinum catalyst. The calculations assumed that the main effect of the gaseous environment is to change the surface free energy of the facets on the platinum particles. The calculations indicate that when a clean platinum particle is equilibrated in nitrogen, the shape should not change significantly. However, Pt(100) facets are predicted to grow in hydrogen. Both of these theoretical predictions agree with the experiments. The calculations also indicate that Pt(210) facets should grow in carbon monoxide. These results show that a gaseous environment can be used to control particle shapes in supported metal catalysts.
Vectors and Linear Maps

The familiar two- and three-dimensional vectors can easily be generalized to higher dimensions. Representing vectors by their components, one can conceive of vectors having N components. This is the most immediate generalization of vectors in the plane and in space, and such vectors are called N-dimensional Cartesian vectors. Cartesian vectors are limited in two respects: Their components are real, and their dimensionality is finite. Some applications in physics require the removal of one or both of these limitations. It is therefore convenient to study vectors stripped of any dimensionality or reality of components. Such properties become consequences of more fundamental definitions. Although we will be concentrating on finite-dimensional vector spaces in this part of the book, many of the concepts and examples introduced here apply to infinite-dimensional spaces as well.
Human Action Understanding and Movement Error Identification for the Treatment of Patients with Parkinson's Disease

Traditional physical therapy treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) requires regular visits with the physical therapist (PT), which may be expensive and inconvenient. In this paper, we propose a learning-based personalized treatment system to enable home-based training for PD patients. It uses the Kinect sensor to monitor the patient's movements at home. Three physical therapy tasks with multiple difficulty levels are selected by our PT co-author to help PD patients improve balance and mobility. Criteria for each task are carefully designed such that patient's performance can be automatically evaluated by the proposed system. Given the patient's motion data, we propose a two-phase human action understanding algorithm TPHAU to understand the patient's movements. To evaluate patient performance, we use Support Vector Machine to identify the patient's error in performing the task. Therefore, the patient's error can be reported to the PT, who can remotely supervise the patient's performance and conformance on the training tasks. Moreover, the PT can update the tasks that the patient should perform through the cloud-based platform in a timely manner, which enables personalized treatment for the patient. To validate the proposed approach, we have collected data from PD patients in the clinic. Experiments on real patient data show that the proposed methods can accurately understand patient's actions and identify patient's movement error in performing the task.
Proceedings, 114th Annual Meeting Medical Library Association, Inc. Chicago, IL.

The Medical Library Association (MLA) held its 114th annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois, May 16–21, 2014, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The meeting theme was “Building Our Information Future.” Total attendance for the meeting was 2,021, with 414 participating in continuing education courses. Additional meeting content—including the meeting program and various electronic presentations from the business meetings, plenary sessions, poster sessions, and section programs—can be accessed by all meeting registrants via the MLA ′14 website.
A Multiscale Nonlocal Progressive Damage Model for Composite Materials

In this paper, the advantages of a nonlocal progressive damage formulation are described and demonstrated. An approximation of the nonlocal formulation was implemented coupled with the MAT162 composite damage model as a User defined material model in the LS DYNA environment. A comparison of the local model and the nonlocal model is simulated for an 8-ply laminate under tension is carried for increasing mesh densities. The results show the regularization achieved by nonlocal models by providing mesh independent results.
Engendering the female voice in Sikh devotional music: Locating equality in pedagogy and praxis

The Sikh Gurus promoted gender equality, but still women’s voices are being silenced from playing Gurbānī Kīrtan inside the Golden Temple. The reasons for their exclusion center around the sexualiz...
Thermodynamics and kinetics of ordered and disordered Cu/Au alloys from first principles calculations

Abstract First principles calculations are used to elucidate the thermodynamic stability of Cu–Au alloys. Here, we particularly focus on the Au-rich compositions which lie extremely close to the convex-hull. We find that there are multiple metastable states that are superstructures of the layered L10 Cu0.5Au0.5 ground state. We also examine the effect of epitaxy on the ordered ground states of Cu–Au phases when the underlying substrate is Au. We find that the Au-rich phases remain stable, depending on the growth planes, while the Cu-rich phases are destabilized. We relate these results to the dealloying and nucleation of Au-rich phases observed experimentally. We perform Nudged Elastic Band calculations in both ordered and disordered Cu–Au phases to determine the activation energies of diffusion. The ordered phases show unique minimum energy paths due to uniform local environments of the species, while the disordered phases show a distribution of transition states, governed by the local density and the local bonding environments of diffusing species.
Laboratory Evaluation of Cuff Pressure Control Methods

BACKGROUND: Automatic cuff pressure (Pcuff) control devices for artificial airways are available, yet there are no standards or data to support their use. We hypothesized that airway pressure oscillations during mechanical ventilation are transmitted to Pcuff; and that the change in mean Pcuff (ΔPcuff) is zero during mechanical ventilation with controlled or uncontrolled Pcuff. METHODS: Experiments lasted 12 h, and 2 inspiratory pressure targets (Pinsp) were established. We tested 3 automatic devices (Intellicuff Standalone, PressureEyes, and Tracoe) and one manual method for uncontrolled Pcuff. We utilized a training mannequin with an 8-mm endotracheal tube to assess pressure-controlled continuous mechanical ventilation with the following parameters: breathing frequency = 20 breaths/min, TI = 1.0 s, PEEP = 10 cm H2O, and Pinsp = 10 and 40 cm H2O. For automatic cuff pressure control, we used a data acquisition system. For manual cuff pressure control, Pcuff was set once and measured after mechanical ventilation. Initial Pcuff was 25 cm H2O, and ΔPcuff was calculated as final mean Pcuff − initial mean Pcuff. Data for ΔPcuff were compared with t tests and reported as mean (SD). RESULTS: Airway pressure oscillations during ventilation were observed in Pcuff waveforms. For manual control, ΔPcuff was −9.3 (2.1) cm H2O for Pinsp = 10 cm H2O and −8.1 (1.1) cm H2O for Pinsp = 40 cm H2O (vs 0, P CONCLUSIONS: Automatic devices do not regulate ventilatory pressure oscillations, but they do control mean Pcuff and keep ΔPcuff well below a clinically important threshold. The large ΔPcuff seen with uncontrolled Pcuff warrants periodic monitoring. Further studies are needed to determine the source of ΔPcuff and the physiologic effects of Pcuff oscillations during mechanical ventilation.
Anesthesia for Orthopedic Surgery in Children

Orthopedic surgery is a common reason for anesthesia in children. Reduction of fractures is most often required in children who are otherwise well, but may be at risk of regurgitation of stomach contents and aspiration. An adequate depth of anesthesia reduces the risk of this in children who are not intubated. Stratification of the risk of aspiration can be attempted by considering several factors. Supracondylar fractures frequently require opioid analgesia, and tend to be brought to theater sooner than children with forearm fractures. These children are more at risk of aspiration, and are more commonly intubated. Children with cerebral palsy often require orthopedic surgery to correct hip dysplasia, relieve limb contractures and improve posture, and to improve gait. Pain after surgery can be significant. Scoliosis surgery is performed in specialist centers. Some children have secondary scoliosis caused by neuromuscular disease. Surgery is often to improve posture. Pulmonary function during and after surgery are significant concerns. Spinal cord monitoring may be used during the surgery, and this is affected by many anesthetic drugs, including volatile agents and propofol.
Unexpected Learning Competencies of Grades 5 and 6 Pupils in Public Elementary Schools: A Philippine Report.

The present study tested the assumption of a positive and linear relation between years of schooling and school learning in the Philippine setting. It replicated a 1976 study that had cast doubt on this assumption in the Philippine public educational system. It tested three competing hypotheses for that finding: common sense, the 1976 arrested development hypothesis, and the alternative accelerated development hypothesis. To test these competing hypotheses, two factors were systematically varied: the grade levels of Ss and the levels of the tests used. The competing hypotheses have different predicted outcomes. A total n of 7097 from 96 schools participated in the study. The results showed that on all tests Grade5 showed more competencies than Grades 4 and 6, although Grade 6 continued to perform better than Grade 4. When sub-test level was held constant in multiple comparisons, Grade 5 was learning more Grade 6 competencies, whereas Grade 6 was losing not only Grade 6 but also Grade 5 competencies. It is noted that whereas Grade 6 enjoyed a slight superiority in achievement scores circa 1976, the present study shows that Grade 5 enjoys an impressive superiority over Grade 6 circa 2003. That in Grade 6 one knows more competencies than in Grade 5 seems to be a myth. The common sense hypothesis has been ruled out. The results are consistent with the accelerated development hypothesis. Assessment, Philippines, basic education, comparative education, learning competencies
Vacancy-Ordered Double Perovskites

The related vacancy-ordered double perovskites can be produced by replacing one B-site cation with a vacancy, resulting in a material with the \(\text {A}_2\text {BX}_6\) formula (or \(\text {A}_2\text {B}\square {}\text {X}_6\), where \(\square \) is a vacancy). They crystallise in the \({\text {K}_2\text {PtCl}_6}\) structure (termed antifluorite), containing isolated \(\text {[BX}_6\text {]}^{2-}\) octahedra. The structure is charge balanced by \(\text {A}^{+}\) cations residing in the cuboctahedral void, formed by the 12 nearest-neighbour X site anions (Fig. 6.1). Despite the loss of every other B-site cation, the \({\text {A}_2\text {BX}_6}\) perovskites demonstrate many similar properties to their \({\text {ABX}_3}\) counterparts, in part due to the retention of the close-packed anionic sublattice.
Effects of alloying on in-plane thermal conductivity and thermal boundary conductance in transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers

Two-dimensional 1H transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) provide a platform, analogous to group IV cubic semiconductor alloys (${\mathrm{Si}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}\mathrm{Ge}$), that enables systematic investigations on the effects of alloying in 2D material systems. The existing literature on TMD alloys explores their electrical, magnetic, and optical properties, but lacks a comprehensive analysis of thermal transport in supported and nanostructured systems. Here we employ first-principles-driven phonon Boltzmann transport formalism and a 2D-3D thermal boundary conductance model to systematically study in-plane and cross-plane phonon transport of suspended and ${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ supported single-layer TMD alloys. We find that the thermal conductivity of alloyed TMDs is dependent on system size up to tens of microns and that the combination of mass-difference and substrate scattering can significantly reduce thermal transport even in large systems ($g500$ nm). Beyond in-plane transport, we find that the thermal boundary conductance displays a qualitatively different trend and significantly weaker modulation with alloy composition as compared to the thermal conductivity. Our results help shed light on the in-plane and cross-plane thermal transport properties of 2D single-layer TMD alloys and further their applications in nanoelectronics, sensing, and energy devices.
Optimizing Utilization of Kidneys from Hepatitis C-Positive Kidney Donors.

Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment for kidney failure. Despite significant mismatch in supply and demand, about one out of five kidneys (22.6% in 2018) recovered for transplantation are discarded in the United States. Positive viremic status for hepatitis C virus (HCV) is still a
The Regulation of Nodule Number in Legumes Is a Balance of Three Signal Transduction Pathways

Nitrogen is a major determinant of plant growth and productivity and the ability of legumes to form a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia bacteria allows legumes to exploit nitrogen-poor niches in the biosphere. But hosting nitrogen-fixing bacteria comes with a metabolic cost, and the process requires regulation. The symbiosis is regulated through three signal transduction pathways: in response to available nitrogen, at the initiation of contact between the organisms, and during the development of the nodules that will host the rhizobia. Here we provide an overview of our knowledge of how the three signaling pathways operate in space and time, and what we know about the cross-talk between symbiotic signaling for nodule initiation and organogenesis, nitrate dependent signaling, and autoregulation of nodulation. Identification of common components and points of intersection suggest directions for research on the fine-tuning of the plant’s response to rhizobia.
Five-year growth, biomass, and nitrogen pools of Douglas-fir following intensive forest management treatments

Abstract In young Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. menziesii) stands, intensive forest management has resulted in variable responses in survival and growth and therefore stand biomass due to effects on microclimate and competition for limited resources. As seedling genetics and management practices develop over time, there is a need to re-evaluate how Douglas-fir survival and growth varies with intensive practices. Five-year Douglas-fir diameter at 15 cm (D15) and height growth, biomass, and nitrogen (N) pools after organic matter removals and soil compaction at a recently established site in central Oregon (NARA) were compared to five-year results from three Douglas-fir sites with organic matter removal and vegetation control treatments that were established 10–14 years earlier in central Washington (Fall River and Matlock) and northern Oregon (Molalla). The NARA site contained up to two times greater individual-tree foliar and branch biomass for the same stem D15 than the previously established sites, possibly due to a lower planting density, a warmer climate, and/or improved genetics/different seed sources. Prediction of stem biomass was similar at all sites using D152*height. Periodic D15 and height growth from 1 to 3 years and five-year Douglas-fir biomass was lower in the bole-only (BO) without compaction treatment at NARA compared to other treatment combinations. Greater periodic D15 and height growth after five years of annual vegetation control (Fall River, Matlock, and Molalla) resulted in larger Douglas-fir biomass compared to the initial vegetation control treatments. These results indicate the beneficial effects of vegetation control on early growth across a wide range of conditions. With one exception, whole-tree removal treatments did not affect five-year-old Douglas-fir biomass or N pools, indicating site resilience to increased OM removal across the region. A principal component analysis (PCA) clearly separated all four sites according to climate, soil temperature and moisture, N availability, D15 and height growth, and Douglas-fir and competing vegetation biomass. Within each site, the PCA showed that vegetation control was associated with the greatest differences in Douglas-fir and competing vegetation biomass. This supports the notion that site factors and vegetation control treatments are critically important in mitigating response to intensive management practices.
Endocutter Staple Height Auto-adjusts to Tissue Thickness

ABSTRACT Background Surgeon choice of the appropriate staple height has been cited as a factor in the mechanical integrity of a staple line. However, tissue measured at the industry standard 8 g/mm2 is usually thicker than the formed staple height of the staples that hold it together. This means that the pressure that the staples apply must be greater than 8g/mm2. Additionally, formed staple heights in tissue may be different than formed staple heights of the same cartridge type when fired without tissue. This means that there is likely a compressive limit to the individual staples deployed by the stapling system. The purpose of this study is to establish the degree to which staple heights of endocutter staples auto-adjust to tissue and the compressive limit to tissue that this infers. Materials and methods Excised gastric remnants from laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy were measured for tissue thickness at different external pressures. An optimized experimental staple line was then created in parallel to the clinical staple line. The doubly-stapled gastric sliver then underwent computed tomography with solid modeling software to measure staple heights. Results Staple heights fired in gastric tissue were significantly different than industry labelled and control staple heights. Clinical staple heights were significantly shorter than measured tissue thickness at 8 g/mm2. Staple height more closely approximated tissue thickness under 15 g/mm2 of pressure, rather than the 8 g/mm2 loading pressure used by industry for tissue thickness range labelling. Conclusions Staples deployed in human gastric tissue are taller than commercial labelling. The closed staple height corresponds to tissue thickness under 15g/mm2 of pressure, not the labelled staple height. These results demonstrate that staple heights from modern endocutter staplers adjust to tissue, approximating a maximum compressive force just above 15g/mm2.
Impact of inkjet printing parameters and environmental conditions on formation of 2D and 3D binder jetting geometries

Abstract While Binder Jet Additive Manufacturing (BJAM) has great potential, its implementation is limited by defects in the finished parts. An improved understanding of how printing parameters impact the quality of the printed parts is needed. Prior work on the droplet/powder interactions in BJAM printing focused on individual lines, this work shows that successful layer formation favors larger droplet spacing than is viable in individual lines. When printing layers, the first printed layer was significantly rougher than the spread bed indicating significant powder ejection. However, this difference was eliminated after printing 1–4 additional layers. These results show that prior printed layers have a strong impact on droplet impact and imbibition and that simple droplet or line geometries are not effective for testing printing parameters. The roughness of the first layer may contribute to large pores observed between layers. This paper further examines the impact of key printing parameters including layer thickness, droplet/line spacing, and droplet inter-arrival time on the effective saturation and surface roughness of 2D and 3D parts. The droplet inter-arrival time (print frequency) had negligible impact on surface roughness and saturation under the conditions tested. Printed layers behaved similarly at droplet spacing values comparable to the droplet diameter (44 μm). In contrast, droplet spacing of 60 μm, produced substantially lower saturation. Effective saturation generally increases with increased number of layers. Ambient humidity exposure during printing is shown to have a negligible impact on printing outcomes though higher moisture levels from steam exposure dramatically alter saturation. Drying powder before spreading reduced variation in the printed parts. All tests were based on gas atomized −22 μm 316 SS powder.
Consumer Ethnocentrism Towards Outsourced Services

The trend in outsourcing of services by U.S. firms has been a major concern for politicians and labor leaders alike. While there are negative aspects to outsourcing. it is generally felt that the consumers in the United States who make use of these services benefit tremendously. This paper attempts to address the outsourcing issue through the perspective of ethnocentricity. Previous research on measuring consumer ethnocentricity focused around the imported foreign goods and not much has been written pertaining to services or the service industry. This paper aims to review the literature on the effects of customer attitudes on buying foreign goods and review the characteristics of the services that differentiate them from goods. Since outsourcing of services is the subject being discussed, the focus will be upon the issues faced by the customers and businesses that are the receivers and providers of these services. This paper draws on past research and identifies behavioral issues concerning consumer ethnocentrism in the use of services.
What a Bayesian Analysis Can Do for SLA: New Tools for the Sociolinguistic Study of Subject Expression in L2 Spanish

This study constitutes the first statistical analysis to employ a Bayesian multinomial probit model in the investigation of subject expression in first and second language (L2) Spanish. The study analyzes the use of third-person subject-expression forms and demonstrates that the following variables are important for subject expression: perseveration, switch reference, number of the verb, specificity, verbal tense/mood/aspect, object pronoun, referent cohesiveness, the interaction of switch reference and referent cohesiveness, and the interaction of native language and four independent variables (number, specificity, tense/mood/aspect, and object pronoun). However, only certain parameters of these independent variables predicted use. The analysis highlights that, for advanced L2 speakers and native speakers, all forms of subject expression (i.e., lexical noun phrases, null subjects, personal pronouns, and other pronouns) allow variation and should be examined for a thorough understanding of subject expression in Spanish. The study offers theoretical and empirical evidence for the need to conduct cross-disciplinary research in second language acquisition.
Product Compatibility Choice in a Market with Technological Progress.

In markets where advantages, e.g., network ex ternalities, are significant, firms' product compatibility choices are an import ant determinant of industry performance. This paper compares the private and soc ial incentives to achieve compatibility in a two-period duopoly model with (poss ible stochastic) technological progress. Earlier analysis using static models fo und that the social incentives to achieve industrywide compatibility always exce ed the private incentives. Here the authors find that private firms may have soc ially excessive compatibility incentives because compatibility serves as a means of relaxing price competition during early stages of industry growth. Copyright 1986 by Royal Economic Society.
What Do We Know about the Professional Socialization of Our Students

The purpose of this article is to present and characterize the empirical literature that relates to the professional socialization of social work students and then contrast it with some of the early medical and nursing studies in this area. This article argues that unlike the professional socialization studies in medicine, nursing, and other disciplines, which benefit from the findings of qualitative, exploratory research, social work frequently reduces the study of a complex process to attitude and value dimensions, without empirical agreement on what those dimensions are or how to best measure them. The prevailing structural functionalist stance adopted by social work researchers excludes a broader framework by which socializing forces and their interplay could be discovered and identified. Implications and recommendations for social work education are noted.
Southwest Cardiovascular Curriculum Project: Study Findings for American Indian Elementary Students

Abstract The Southwestern Cardiovascular Curriculum is a multidisciplinary school-based program to promote cardiovascular health behavior change in fifth grade Navajo and Pueblo students. The curriculum was implemented at 11 elementary schools located on or near American Indian reservations in rural New Mexico. The five-year program was designed to be culturally relevant to rural American Indian children in the southwest, incorporating Native American traditions and values into lessons and activities. Participating schools were randomly assigned to curriculum or control conditions. Students in the curriculum group showed significant increases in knowledge when compared with controls for both Navajos and Pueblos. A higher proportion of students in the curriculum group reported a decrease in the frequency of salt use at the table and butter on bread or tortillas. Of students who had tried smoking at baseline, boys and Pueblo students in the curriculum group reported decreasing their smoking habits more than...
Innovative Methods of Reconstruction After Pelvic Tumor Resection

The goals of pelvic tumor treatment are first, to obtain clear margins and prevent tumor recurrence, and second, to preserve limb function whenever possible. Treatment of tumors around the pelvis remains a difficult problem. Challenges include both tumor resection and pelvic reconstruction. We have made significant advances in both treatment and reconstructive efforts over the last decade with advances in imaging techniques and prosthetic design. Nevertheless, reconstruction after pelvic tumor resection must be individualized for each patient. One must consider age, functional status, and the extent of the tumor before deciding on the best reconstruction option. The aim of this paper is to outline the available reconstructive techniques and to discuss our current preferred strategy for reconstruction of the pelvis after tumor resection.
Synthesis of Marine Sponge Alkaloids Oroidin, Clathrodin, and Dispacamides. Preparation and Transformation of 2-Amino-4,5-dialkoxy-4,5-dihydroimidazolines from 2-Aminoimidazoles

The preparation and transformation of 2-amino-4,5-dialkoxy-4,5-dihydroimidazolines A from 2-aminoimidazoles (AIs) is described. The oxidation of 2-aminoimidazole 8 with NCS in methanol affords cyclic guanidine adduct 9 which, upon heating, affords vinylogous AI derivative 3 and 2-aminoimidazolinone (glycocyamidine) 13. Olefin 3 comprises the core structure found in the oroidin alkaloids. Furthermore, oxidation of 8 with Br2 and DMSO affords directly α,β-unsaturated imidazolinone 14 which is the key structural unit comprising the dispacamides (2). A highly facile and practical synthesis of the C11N5 marine sponge alkaloids oroidin (1a), clathrodin (1c), and dispacamides (2) is outlined.
Parent‐Child Relationships and Enmity With Peers: The Role of Avoidant and Preoccupied Attachment

This chapter examines linkages between parenting and peer enemy relationships and looks at the relations between attachment styles and enemy relationships among middle school children.
Plane DLA is not self-similar; is it a fractal that becomes increasingly compact as it grows?

Abstract Using two new methods of geometric analysis, this paper establishes that DLA clusters are definitely not self-similar. Compared to small clusters, the morphology of large clusters (of sizes up to 30 million particles) can be characterized, both visually and quantitatively, as being far more “compact” or less “lancunar”. Qualitatively, the number of “arms” increases during growth. The evidence does not exclude that the cluster remains fractal, and that its fractal dimension remains constant; however, new pitfalls in the estimation of D are revealed. The gradual change in the morphology of DLA opens the possibility that there is continuity between the standard morphology observed for small to medium computer generated DLA clusters and the compact morphology observed in many actual physical phenomena.
Characterization of protein fractions of rice bran to devise effective methods of protein solubilization

ABSTRACT Proteins from the defatted brans of representative rice cultivars were fractionated into albumins, globulins, prolamins, and acid-soluble glutelins, accounting for 34, 15, 6, and 11% of the total bran proteins, respectively. The remaining insoluble residue protein, after treatment with 0.1M sodium hydroxide, resulted in the solubilization of 95% of the residue protein, representing 32% of the total bran protein. The relative molecular mass (Mr) values determined by size-exclusion HPLC were 10–100 kDa, 10–150 kDa, 33–150 kDa, and 25–100 kDa for the fully dissociated polypeptides of albumins, globulins, prolamins, and acid-soluble glutelins, respectively. Despite a breakdown of disulfide bonds of the residue protein during sodium hydroxide solubilization, the Mr of the majority of the fully dissociated polypeptides of this fraction ranged from 45 to 150 kDa. Insolubility of residue protein was due mainly to its strong aggregation and extensive disulfide bond cross-linking. Efficient methods may be ...
Engaging patients and clinicians in treating tobacco addiction.

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Surgeon General's 1964 report on the health consequences of smoking.1 Tobacco use is causally linked to diseases of nearly all bodily organs, overall deficits in health, and considerable medical costs. Annually, 480 000 deaths in the United States are attributed to tobacco, with millions more living with smoking-attributable diseases. Worldwide, tobacco-related deaths are expected to reach 1 billion during the 21st century.2
Preparation of 3H‐labeled ochratoxins

3H-Ochratoxins A, B, and C were obtained by tritiation of the toxins with tritiated water in acetic acid and platinum at 80° C overnight. The toxins were purified by solvent partition and thin layer chromatography with the recovery yield being 80% and the specific activity being 2.6 – 3.0 Ci/mmol. Hydrolysis of 3H-ochratoxin A with carboxypeptidase A revealed that 80.9% of the tritium in ochratoxin A molecule distributed on the phenylalanine residue with only 19.1% in ochratoxin a moiety.
Kimura's disease with oral ulcers: Response to pentoxifylline

We describe a man with Kimura's disease whose presentation included lymphadenopathy and cutaneous nodules, but was most distinctive for painful oral ulcerations. His lesions showed an initially moderate, but ultimately minimal response to monthly triamcinolone injections. With oral pentoxyifylline, he showed resolution of all of his lesions for 14 months. On cessation of his treatment, his disease flared for 3 months. When pentoxyifylline was restarted, his lesions regressed again within 4 weeks. We review the literature on Kimura's disease.
Well-Conditioned Nyström Discretization of the Volume Integral Equation for Eddy Current Analysis

A well-conditioned, high-order Nystrom discretization of a volume integral equation for quasi-magnetostatic, time-harmonic eddy current analysis of magnetic-conducting materials is presented. Good conditioning is contingent on augmenting the system with a charge neutrality constraint. Two forms of the continuity constraint are discussed. An iterative diagonal preconditioning scheme is applied to greatly improve the condition number. Results are presented for canonical problems and the TEAM Workshop Problem 7.
Particle acceleration in the magnetotail

Abstract Very prominent particle acceleration occurs during current disruption in the magnetotail. Although particle acceleration is frequently attributed to magnetic reconnection alone, particle heating and acceleration can equally well be associated with plasma instabilities which can be unrelated to magnetic reconnection. In this paper, the characteristics of particle acceleration for a well observed current disruption event is examined in detail. It is found that particle acceleration during this current disruption event is consistent with that expected from the development of the cross-field current instability. Furthermore, observational evidence of magnetic reconnection not causing particle acceleration during this current disruption event is also found.
Transmission Ratio Distortion in Intraspecific Hybrids of Mimulus guttatus: Implications for Genomic Divergence

We constructed a genetic linkage map between two divergent populations of Mimulus guttatus. We genotyped an F2 mapping population (N = 539) at 154 AFLP, microsatellite, and gene-based markers. A framework map was constructed consisting of 112 marker loci on 14 linkage groups with a total map length of 1518 cM Kosambi. Nearly half of all markers (48%) exhibited significant transmission ratio distortion (α = 0.05). By using a Bayesian multipoint mapping method and visual inspection of significantly distorted markers, we detected 12 transmission ratio distorting loci (TRDL) throughout the genome. The high degree of segregation distortion detected in this intraspecific map indicates substantial genomic divergence that perhaps suggests genomic incompatibilities between these two populations. We compare the pattern of transmission ratio distortion in this map to an interspecific map constructed between M. guttatus and M. nasutus. A similar level of segregation distortion is detected in both maps. Collinear regions between maps are compared to determine if there are shared genetic patterns of non-Mendelian segregation distortion within and among Mimulus species.
Flow vortex quantification in the left atrium

We have developed a novel high temporal resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and image analysis method to quantify vorticity patterns in the left atrium (LA). Our data demonstrates the formation and evolution of atrial vortices during ventricular systole and ventricular diastasis period.
Laparoscopic skills laboratories: current assessment and a call for resident training standards.

Abstract Background Numerous protocols for laparoscopic skills training using simulator-based laboratories have proven effective. However, little is known about the availability and uniformity of such facilities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, utilization, and costs of skills laboratories currently in use. Methods A survey was mailed to 253 general surgery program directors to determine the perceived value, prevalence, equipment, types of training, supervision, and costs of the labs. Results One hundred sixty-two (64%) programs completed the survey. Eighty-eight percent of responders consider skills labs effective in improving operating room performance; however, only 55% have skills labs. Of 89 programs with skills labs, 99% have videotrainer equipment (mean 3.8 trainers per lab, range 1 to 15); 46% have virtual reality trainer equipment (mean 1.7 trainers per lab, range 1 to 7). Eighty-two percent of programs teach basic skills using a variety of tasks (Rosser/Southwestern stations, MIST-VR, MISTELS, department-created); 96% teach suturing (intracorporeal, extracorporeal, suture devices). On average, residents train 0.8 hours per week (range 0 to 6). Training is mandatory in 55% and supervised in 73% of the programs. The mean development cost was $133,000 (range $300 to $1,000,000). Conclusions While a large majority of program directors consider skills labs important, 45% of programs have no such facilities. Moreover, significant variability of equipment and training practices exist in currently available labs. Strategies are needed for more widespread implementation of skills labs, and standards should be developed to facilitate uniform adoption of validated curricula that reliably maximize training efficiency and educational benefit.
Estimating joint preference: A sub-sampling approach

Abstract Individual and joint preference inform about different aspects of a product's marketing strategy. While individual preference is easily measured, joint preference is expensive to obtain. The author proposes a sub-sampling approach that uses MCMC and data imputation techniques to estimate individual and joint preference. It requires individual data from the entire sample and joint data from a fraction of the sample. Empirical evidence suggests that the sub-sampling approach works well when joint data are collected from 25% of the sample. Predictive and correlation tests demonstrate the superiority of the proposed approach. Greater than 50% reduction in data collection cost is shown.
The Use of Survey Methods in A Citizens Campaign Against Discrimination

In 1950 a group of citizens of New York City, working with limited and unpaid professional assistance, organized and carried out a campaign to reduce discrimination in restaurants in an area around the United Nations building. The event is of interest to social science because the group evaluated its success by a systematic comparison of restaurant practices before and after the campaign. While a number of communities have undertaken "self-surveys" of discriminatory practices, this is the only case known to the writer in which the results of the undertaking have been objectively measured.