cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural Characteristics of Herbages Under Forest Plantations in Ziwuling Mountains

In order to understand the growth and distribution conditions of the herbage in different forest types of Ziwuling Mountains,we conducted an investigation on the species composition,structural characteristics,and differences under three forest types of Quercus liaotungensis,Pinus tabulaeformis,and Pinus shenkanensis and compared those items with those on south-faced slope. Our results show that the total number of species presenting under the three forest types and on south-faced slope ranges from 21 to 34. The species diversity of herbaceous plants under P. tabulaeformis forest is close to that on south-faced slope. The height,degree of coverage,and herbaceous biodiversity of herbaceous plants in the three forest types are significantly different to those on south-faced slope,but no difference is found among the three forest types. The order of species,by the correlation of herbaceous under the three forest types and on south-faced slope,is Q. liaotungensis species on south-faced slopeP. tabulaeformis P. shenkanensis. Generally speaking,closing environmental closure leads to lower density and less biodiversity of herbaceous in forest. However,density and species biodiversity of herbaceous under well conserved Q. liaotungensis and artificial P. tabulaeformis are improved little bit.
Monocyte recovery at day 100 is associated with improved survival in multiple myeloma patients who undergo allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Monocyte recovery at day 100 is associated with improved survival in multiple myeloma patients who undergo allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation
Political Philosophies, Ideologies, and the Quest for Meaning

The concept of ‘ideology’ originated during the late eighteenth century as a protest against religious superstition and monarchical authority. At the time of the French Revolution, Destutt de Tracy (1754–1836) attacked the divine right of the king to rule and challenged orthodox religious traditions associated with the Roman Catholic Church. Committed to Enlightenment principles, the philosopher de Tracy viewed ideology as a ‘science of ideas’ based on the objective knowledge gained from the physical senses, not from abstract metaphysics or principles of religious faith and sacred political authority. Through reason, logic, education, and empirical investigation, social scientists could not only understand political reality but also control and change the social environment. According to de Tracy, intellectuals must play a critical role in forging sociopolitical change. Because government authorities often distort reality, conceal information, and communicate falsehoods, social scientists had the responsibility to unmask these distortions and illusions. When Napoleon Bonaparte gained power at the start of the nineteenth century and later faced political defeats, he denounced Destutt de Tracy and his philosophical group as ideologues who spread false doctrines that undermined state authority.
Periodontal Infections and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, destructive, autoimmune disorder characterized by autoantibody production and predilection for the joints that can lead to accelerated morbidity, mortality, and disability [1]. Current understanding of RA pathogenesis posits that a combination of host predisposition and risk factors is most likely required for the initiation and sustainability of the inflammatory process. However, the exact combination of factors and the precise timing for clinical manifestations are still insufficiently understood [2]. Mounting evidence suggests that environmental risk factors such as commensal and infectious microbiota may contribute to RA in patients with genetic susceptibility [3]. New findings suggest that germ-free mice, lacking all microbiota, are resistant to development of spontaneous autoimmune arthritis [4]. Intriguingly, recent evidence suggests that, in the right genetic background [5], the presence of certain predisposing factors (i.e., periodontitis (PD) and smoking) [6–9] along with serological markers (i.e., autoantibodies and proinflammatory cytokines) may predict the emergence of RA [10].
Three Dimensional Inverse Scattering Theory and Its relations with Other Problems

Publisher Summary This chapter presents three-dimensional inverse scattering theory and its relations with other problems. It also shows that any solution can be approximated by scattering solutions and derives from it that the scattering data and the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map in a domain containing nonhomogeneity uniquely determine each other. The different theorems in inverse scattering are deduced from the theorem of Sylvester and Uhlmann and its generalizations (methods of complex geometrical optics). In classical scattering theory, a solution to differential equations is generated by the plane wave expression. In many applied situations, they generate fields by point sources. From known results on uniqueness of an elliptic equation with given Dirichlet-to-Neumann map, many important results about uniqueness and stability in inverse scattering are derived.
Investigation Into the Effects of Nucleotide Content on the Electrical Characteristics of DNA Plasmid Molecular Wires

In this study, we investigate the effect of nucleotide content on the conductivity of plasmid length DNA molecular wires covalently bound to high aspect-ratio gold electrodes. The DNA wires were all between $2.20-2.35\mu \text {m}$ in length (>6000bp), and contained either 39%, 53%, or 64% GC base-pairs. We compared the current-voltage ( I-V ) and frequency-impedance characteristics of the DNA wires with varying GC content, and observed statistically significantly higher conductivity in DNA wires containing higher GC content in both AC and DC measurement methods. Additionally, we noted that the conductivity decreased as a function of time for all DNA wires, with the impedance at 100 Hz nearly doubling over a period of seven days. All readings were taken in humidity and temperature controlled environments on DNA wires suspended above an insulative substrate, thus minimizing the effect of experimental and environmental factors as well as potential for nonlinear alternate DNA confirmations. While other groups have studied the effect of GC content on the conductivity of nanoscale DNA molecules (<50bp), we were able to demonstrate that nucleotide content can affect the conductivity of micrometer length DNA wires at scales that may be required during the fabrication of DNA-based electronics. Furthermore, our results provide further evidence that many of the charge transfer theories developed from experiments using nanoscale DNA molecules may still be applicable for DNA wires at the micro scale.
Respiratory Care Received by Individuals With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy From 2000 to 2011.

BACKGROUND: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) causes progressive respiratory muscle weakness and decline in function, which can go undetected without monitoring. DMD respiratory care guidelines recommend scheduled respiratory assessments and use of respiratory assist devices. To determine the extent of adherence to these guidelines, we evaluated respiratory assessments and interventions among males with DMD in the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking, and Research Network (MD STARnet) from 2000 to 2011. METHODS: MD STARnet is a population-based surveillance system that identifies all individuals born during or after 1982 residing in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, and western New York with Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy. We analyzed MD STARnet respiratory care data for non-ambulatory adolescent males (12–17 y old) and men (≥18 y old) with DMD, assessing whether: (1) pulmonary function was measured twice yearly; (2) awake and asleep hypoventilation testing was performed at least yearly; (3) home mechanical insufflation-exsufflation, noninvasive ventilation, and tracheostomy/ventilators were prescribed; and (4) pulmonologists provided evaluations. RESULTS: During 2000–2010, no more than 50% of both adolescents and men had their pulmonary function monitored twice yearly in any of the years; 67% or fewer were assessed for awake and sleep hypoventilation yearly. Although the use of mechanical insufflation-exsufflation and noninvasive ventilation is probably increasing, prior use of these devices did not prevent all tracheostomies, and at least 18 of 29 tracheostomies were performed due to acute respiratory illnesses. Fewer than 32% of adolescents and men had pulmonologist evaluations in 2010–2011. CONCLUSIONS: Since the 2004 publication of American Thoracic Society guidelines, there have been few changes in pulmonary clinical practice. Frequencies of respiratory assessments and assist device use among males with DMD were lower than recommended in clinical guidelines. Collaboration of respiratory therapists and pulmonologists with clinicians caring for individuals with DMD should be encouraged to ensure access to the full spectrum of in-patient and out-patient pulmonary interventions.
Development of Improved Vaccine Adjuvants Based on the Saponin Natural Product QS-21 through Chemical Synthesis

ConspectusVaccines based on molecular subunit antigens are increasingly being investigated due to their improved safety and more precise targeting compared to classical whole-pathogen vaccines. However, subunit vaccines are inherently less immunogenic; thus, coadministration of an adjuvant to increase the immunogenicity of the antigen is often necessary to elicit a potent immune response. QS-21, an immunostimulatory saponin natural product, has been used as an adjuvant in conjunction with various vaccines in numerous clinical trials, but suffers from several inherent liabilities, including scarcity, chemical instability, and dose-limiting toxicity. Moreover, little is known about its mechanism of action. Over a decade-long effort, beginning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and continuing at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), the group of Prof. David Y. Gin accomplished the total synthesis of QS-21 and developed a practical semisynthetic approach to novel variants that ove...
Modeling Serial Argument Goals, Tactics, and Their Effects on Arguers’ Satisfaction in the Case of Three Ethnic Groups in the United States

This manuscript reports research investigating the serial argument process model in the case of Asians/Asian-Americans, Blacks/African-Americans, and Caucasians/European-Americans (N = 581). Indivi...
Understanding the impact of air power

With a lower risk of casualties and a high degree of precision, air power is an attractive foreign policy tool to powerful states that have increasingly relied upon it in recent years. This paper p...
Association of hospital contact precaution policies with emergency department admission time

Summary Background Contact precautions are a widely accepted strategy to reduce in-hospital transmission of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). However, these practices may have unintended deleterious effects on patients. Aim To evaluate the effect of a modification in hospital-wide contact precaution practices on emergency department (ED) admission times. Methods During the study period, the hospital changed its contact precaution policy from requiring contact precautions for all patients with a history of MRSA or VRE to only those who presented with clinical conditions likely to contaminate the environment with pathogens. An interrupted time series analysis of ED admission times for adults for one year preceding and one year following this change was performed at a two-campus hospital. The main outcome was admission time, defined as time from decision to admit to arrival in an inpatient bed, for patients with MRSA or VRE compared with all other patients. The in-hospital MRSA and VRE acquisition rates were evaluated over the same period and have been published previously. Findings At one campus, admission time decreased immediately by 161min for MRSA patients ( P =0.008) and 135min for VRE patients ( P =0.003), and both continued to decrease over the duration of the study. There was no significant change in admission time at the second campus. Conclusions Modifying contact precaution requirements for MRSA and VRE may be associated with improved ED admission time without significantly altering in-hospital MRSA and VRE acquisition.
Shape design sensitivity analysis and optimal design of structural systems

The material derivative concept of continuum mechanics and an adjoint variable method of design sensitivity analysis are used to relate variations in structural shape to measures of structural performance. A domain method of shape design sensitivity analysis is used to best utilize the basic character of the finite element method that gives accurate information not on the boundary but in the domain. Implementation of shape design sensitivity analysis using finite element computer codes is discussed. Recent numerical results are used to demonstrate accuracy that can be obtained using the method. Result of design sensitivity analysis is used to carry out design optimization of a built-up structure.
Interpretation of above-zone pressure influence time to characterize CO2 leakage

Pressure transient analysis has long been used to characterize underground geological formations. Pressure is monitored for evaluating the containment of injected CO2 in the target formations in CO2 geological storage. Pressure interference testing in a permeable zone overlying the storage zone can determine migration of CO2 from the target reservoir. This study focuses on interpretation of interference tests in the above-zone to obtain information on the plume size from pressure influence time. We define a conceptual model with idealization of the CO2 leakage scenario into a 3-region linear composite system. For each region of this system, the governing pressure diffusivity equations and corresponding initial and boundary conditions are presented. An analytical solution is derived by sequentially transforming the equation system into Laplace and Fourier domains. The analytical solution is verified by comparing to numerical simulation results and a limiting analytical solution. Next, the ability of the analytical solution to predict the pressure influence time for an interference test is evaluated. It is shown that the pressure influence time is independent of the plume shape and depends only on the plume size on the line connecting the two interference test wells. This suggests that the measured pressure influence time can be inverted using our analytical solution to obtain the leaked plume size. The influence time is used for an example field application to obtain the plume volume percentage. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sepsis Survivors Admitted to Skilled Nursing Facilities: Cognitive Impairment, Activities of Daily Living Dependence, and Survival.

Objective:Severe sepsis survivors frequently experience cognitive and physical functional impairment. The degree of impairment and its association with mortality is understudied, particularly among those discharged to a skilled nursing facility. Our objective was to quantify the cognitive and physic
Low Nasal NO in Congenital Heart Disease With Systemic Right Ventricle and Postcardiac Transplantation

BackgroundNO bioavailability has not been systematically examined in congenital heart disease (CHD). To assess NO in patients with CHD, we measured nasal NO (nNO) generated by the nasal epithelia, ...
Examining the effectiveness of a supplemental reading intervention on the early literacy skills of English language learners

While the research on effective early reading interventions for English language learners is expanding, the majority of the research focuses on students whose native language is Spanish. This study...
Testing the efficacy of a scaffolded writing intervention with online degree-completion nursing students: A quasi-experimental design.

Abstract Writing should receive dedicated time in the nursing classroom for students to become competent writers, offering practical experiences for them to critically think and organize their ideas into meaningful messages. The purpose of this pre-post quasi-experimental study was to compare implementation of a scaffolded sequence of writing assignments (intervention) to typical writing assignments (comparison) in final coursework for baccalaureate nursing (BSN) completion students. Student writing self-efficacy and writing competency were measured pre and post coursework using the Post Secondary Writerly Self-Efficacy Scale, 6 + 1 Trait scale and Holistic scale. A convenience sample of 78 BSN-completion students at two Midwestern universities in the US were recruited to participate. The sample was primarily female (83%) and Caucasian (81%). There were no significant differences between the two groups on self-efficacy scores (p = 0.594). Significant group differences were noted on writing competency as assessed by the 6 + 1 Trait scale (p = 0.004) but not the Holistic scale (p = 0.024). No significant correlation between writing self-efficacy scores and writing competency were apparent (Holistic scale, p = 0.601; 6 + 1 Trait scale, p = 0.615). Writing skill-building needs attention to assure student competency. Educational interventions implemented in BSN education must be tested for efficacy and effectiveness.
Informal Online Learning Practices: Implications for Distance Education

This qualitative ethnographic study examines five American teenagers’ historical and current digitally-mediated multiliteracy practices within digital popular culture. The participants included three male and two female students of a private high school in the Midwestern United States. The study is framed by the notion that literacy is a socially, culturally, and historically situated discursive construct rather than a purely individualized cognitive endeavor. This social constructivist theory of literacy emphasizes the social conditions necessary to navigate the economic, social, and political worlds of the 21st century. The purpose of the study was to explore the students’ multiliteracy practices that they enact through their activities within digital popular culture. Data collection methods included synchronous interviews facilitated by video conferencing tools as well as observation of the participants’ online activities and member checks conducted via email and instant messaging. The analytic strategy employed during this study was informed by Clarke’s (2005) situational analysis method. The study’s findings indicate that literacy practices in which the study participants have engaged through informal learning activities within digital youth culture have had a much greater impact on enabling them to cultivate the multimodal literacies necessary within a postmodern digital era than have their formal educational experiences
Value-At-Risk

The financial world has always been risky, but for a variety of reasons the risks have increased over the last few decades. One reason is an increase in volatility. Equity returns are more volatile, as can be seen in Figure 11.1 where the average absolute value of daily log returns of the S&P 500 has approximately doubled over the period from 1993 to 2003. Foreign exchange rates are more volatile now than before the breakdown in the 1970s of the Bretton Woods agreement of fixed exchange rates.1 Interest rates rose to new levels in the late 1970s and early 1980s, have risen and fallen several times since then, and are now (in 2003) extremely low. Figure 4.7 shows that interest rate volatility has itself varied over time but has certainly been higher since 1975 than before.
HARDI based pattern classifiers for the identification of white matter pathologies

The paper presents a method for creating abnormality classifiers from high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) data. We utilized the fiber orientation distribution (FOD) diffusion model to represent the local WM architecture of each subject. The FOD images are then spatially normalized to a common template using a non-linear registration technique. Regions of homogeneous white matter architecture (ROIs) are determined by applying a parcellation algorithm to the population average FOD image. Orientation invariant features of each ROI's mean FOD are determined and concatenated into a feature vector to represent each subject. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used for dimensionality reduction and a linear support vector machine (SVM) classifier is trained on the PCA coefficients. The classifier assigns each test subject a probabilistic score indicating the likelihood of belonging to the patient group. The method was validated using a 5 fold validation scheme on a population containing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients and typically developing (TD) controls. A clear distinction between ASD patients and controls was obtained with a 77% accuracy.
From alienated to activists: expressions and formation of group consciousness among Asian American young adults

This study investigates Asian American activist group consciousness to advance understandings of complex racial positioning and political engagement beyond extant frameworks of ethnic/pan-ethnic id...
Combining the Tools of Geometric Morphometrics

The greatest strength of the new geometric morphometrics is the system of interrelated multivariate and graphical procedures it offers for a variety of analytic questions involving landmark data. A typical analysis will begin with the conversion of landmark data into a multivariate statistical representation of shape, will continue with a series of broadly familiar multivariate matrix manipulations, and will conclude by inspection of a considerable variety of diagrams that represent the findings in both the space of shape coordinates per se and the space of the two-or three-dimensional image of the organism. The choices under the first heading, the passage to a multivariate representation of shape, include two-point shape coordinates, partial warp scores, and Procrustes residuals. Each of these except the partial warp scores is unsuitable for some subset of the reasonable matrix manipulations; for instance, shape coordinates do not supply sensible principal components analyses, and Procrustes residuals cannot lead to sound canonical variate analyses without modification. The modes of diagramming data include thin-plate splines, partial warp splines and scatters, Procrustes residual scatters, and resistant-fit scatters, among others. Most analyses benefit greatly from exploiting more than one of these.
Morphological Study of Fatigue Induced Damage in Semicrystalline Polymers

Publisher Summary At high frequencies and/or stress levels, the fatigue life of the polymer is dominated by hysteretic heating. As the stress level and/or test frequency are reduced, another failure mode is observed. This failure mode is more brittle, and postmortem fractographic analyses have shown the failure mechanism is associated with the nucleation and growth of flaws in the material to a critical size. This regime is referred to as the mechanically dominated regime or the high-cycle regime. The total lifetime in the mechanically dominated regime is usually attributed to the nucleation and growth of defects to a critical size. Crack growth kinetics has been measured on a wide range of polymers and has generally shown to follow a Paris-type law once the flaw grows beyond the threshold flaw size. The kinetics of damage evolution is described on the nanometer scale by a thermally activated process and on the rnillimeter scale by a Paris-type law. This chapter summarizes results from the first phase of an investigation to qualitatively and quantitatively describe fatigue damage and its evolution in a commonly used semicrystalline polymer. For this study, isotactic polypropylene (iPP) was selected as a model polymer characteristic of many semicrystalline thermoplastics. Results from an experimental investigation, whereby in situ measurements of dynamic visco-elastic behavior and energy density evolution are complemented by a comprehensive microscopic investigation to describe the kinetics and energetics of damage evolution on the micrometer scale are reported.
Is There a Drawback of Converting a Laparoscopic Colectomy in Colon Cancer

Abstract Background Laparoscopic resection is well established in the treatment of colon cancer. However, conversion rates remain high and the impact of conversion is disputed. Material and methods We retrospectively identified 1347 patients who underwent surgery for colon cancer between 2004 and 2014 at our tertiary center. Morbidity and oncological outcomes were compared between patients who underwent successfully completed laparoscopic surgery (LS), planned open surgery (OS), and conversion to open surgery (CS). Long-term analysis included patients with stage I-III disease. In addition, we performed propensity score matching to adjust for the heterogeneity and selection bias between the treatment groups. Results Of all patients, 505 underwent LS, 789 underwent OS, and 53 underwent CS, which corresponded to a conversion rate of 9.5%. Conversion was associated with male gender, left-sided tumors, and stage III disease. Length of stay, morbidity, and readmission rates were lower for LS patients. Kaplan–Meier curves demonstrated worse overall, disease-specific, and disease-free survival in CS than LS, with similar outcomes to OS. However, after propensity score matching, CS was only associated with admission duration and the requirement of blood transfusion, whereas survival outcomes were comparable between all groups. Conclusions CS is associated with adverse short- and long-term outcomes compared to LS. However, when accounting for differences in baseline and pathologic features, CS remained only associated with a longer length of stay and more blood transfusions. Because outcomes were comparable between CS and OS, regardless of stage and other risk factors, our data support a surgeon's attempt to perform LS in patients with colon cancer.
Quantification of Aggregate Embedment in Chip Seals Using Image Processing

AbstractChip seals are among the most popular preventive maintenance techniques implemented by many Departments of Transportation (DOTs), county road departments, and cities. The deteriorated pavem...
Analyzing Requirements in an Operational Viewpoint

This is the first of three chapters spelling out the MBSAP methodology in detail. The Operational Viewpoint (OV) transforms a customer’s requirements, which may be documented in a Capabilities or Requirements Database, into an architectural context by mapping them into a high-level definition of system structure, behavior, information content, services, and other content. We address the creation of a system requirements baseline, including the important distinction between function and nonfunctional requirements. We describe the successive activities involved in creating the model while recognizing that the process is inherently both parallel and interactive in treating the various Perspectives of the OV. We present the two system examples that are used throughout the book, the E-X Airborne sensor Platform and a family of Smart Microgrids. We then define a set of architecture styles that may shed light on the fundamentals of architecture for a system category. We apply the diagrams and techniques from Chap. 2, especially Block, Use Case, and Activity Diagrams, and introduce the use of model element specifications to fully define the architecture. We discuss in detail the process of creating the Perspectives of the OV. We show briefly the equivalent content of an OV for the very different case of the Smart Microgrid. We conclude the chapter with a short discussion of executable architecture, which will be developed in more detail in later chapters. The chapter objective is the reader will be able to create an OV in a SysML model using the sequence of activities in the MBSAP methodology to create a requirements baseline and transform it into a high-level architecture.
Scalable High-Dimensional Time-Bin QKD

The QKD system demonstrated in Chap. 3 is based on a four-dimensional time-phase encoding scheme in which time basis states are used to generate a secret key and phase basis states are used to monitor the presence of an eavesdropper. The system can generate a secret key at a high rate, mainly due to the greater information content of the high-dimensional quantum states and a multiplexed detection scheme. Given the success of the d = 4 protocol, an important subsequent question to address is: does increasing the dimension beyond d = 4 increase the secret key rate under realistic experimental conditions?
A gene determining temperature sensitivity inParamecium: With one text-figure

Strain 35 of variety 2 ofParamecium aurelia is homozygous for a gene,t, which prevents animals from multiplying at temperatures above 29°C. Other strains are resistant to temperatures of 29–34°C., however, and strain 30 was shown to be homozygous for the allele for temperature resistanceT.T is completely dominant overt. Whentt is changed toTt at conjugation no detectable delay in the time of action of the gene can be seen, but the nature of the experiments is such that a delay in action of up to two or three fissions could not be detected. WhenTt is changed tott at autogamy, 5–9 fissions are required before the influence ofT disappears. TheTT andtt phenotypes are described.
3-maps

Starting with a simple observation about one conventional die, we extend to the three cubic dice based upon Platonic solids and then to cubic maps in general. We take special interest when a 3-region coloring exists, for then 3's abound: we find a 3-edge coloring of a special sort, and also three partitions of the vertex set of the cubic graph which lead to various topological constructions.
Sugar ecologies: their metabolic and racial effects

In this paper, we articulate sugar ecologies as the product of an unequal and racist system of food production and distribution. We trace the flow of sugar from its sources in the postcolony and ra...
Morphological mechanisms and kinetics of large-strain plastic deformation and evolution of texture in semicrystalline polymers

The development of deformation-induced texture in high-density polyethylene is described from the point of view of a micromechanically based composite computer model of crystalline lamellae associated with attached amorphous layers. The predictions of the model are compared and contrasted with detailed recent experimental observations of this process by WAXS, SAXS, TEM, atomic force microscopy, light microscopy and a whole host of conventional and unconventional means of mechanical probing. A separate set of experiments probing the rate controlling process of chain slip in quasi-single-crystalline nylon-6 are also presented together with implications related to the kinetics of long-range dislocation motion in such highly textured solids.
How Are We Testing Interactions in Latent Variable Models? Surging Forward or Fighting Shy?:

Latent variable models and interaction effects have both been common in the organizational sciences for some time. Methods for incorporating interactions into latent variable models have existed si...
Language Learning Motivation as a Complex Dynamic System: A Global Perspective of Truth, Control, and Value.

Research on language learning motivation has typically focused on the strength of different motives in isolation and often out of context. The present study aims to explore the applicability of one global framework of motivation to integrate different perspectives. We investigated how adaptive interactions between learners? motivations for value, truth, and control effectiveness, and contextual factors led to varying motivational trajectories and patterns of emergent stability at different stages of the language-learning experiences of 6 Iranian graduate students learning English in the United States. Using a retrospective-longitudinal design, quasi-narrative accounts of key phases of the learners? language-learning histories were documented through interviews. These data were analyzed following an analytic inductive approach to identify the main events within different contexts, themes associated with each setting, and other bottom-up conceptual categories. Using a process-tracing procedure our results showed that dynamic processes and adaptive or competitive interactions between value-, control-, and truth-related motivations and the context in which they emerged resulted in specific motivational trajectories that shaped these learners? language-learning choices and experiences. We discuss the contribution of these novel frameworks for understanding the complex motivational development of language learners.
Gastrointestinal Findings in a Patient With COVID-19

The novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) that causes coronavirus disease 2019 was discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has rapidly spread across the world becoming a pandemic and disrupting societies, economies, and public health. Digestive symptoms and gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations are increasingly being reported in patients with the virus. There is also a growing body of evidence to suggest that liver injury is frequent. We present a patient diagnosed with coronavirus who presented with several days of GI symptoms and discuss the relevance of GI disease and liver injury in these patients.
Welfare Stereotypes and Conditional Cash Transfer Programmes: Evidence from Brazil’s Bolsa Família:

Some observers claim that conditional cash transfer programmes limit the stigma of taking welfare and thereby promote social inclusion for beneficiaries. This article uses data from the 2014 Americ...
The IBM z15 High Frequency Mainframe Branch Predictor Industrial Product

The design of the modern, enterprise-class IBM z15 branch predictor is described. Implemented as a multi-level look-ahead structure, the branch predictor is capable of predicting branch direction and target addresses, augmented with multiple auxiliary direction, target, and power predictors. Predictions are made asynchronously, and later integrated into the processor pipeline. The design is optimized for the unique workloads executed on these enterprise-class systems, including compute intensive and both large instruction and data footprint workloads. This paper highlights the major operations and functions of the IBM z15 branch predictor, including its pipeline, prediction structures and verification methodology. Explanations as to how the design matured to its current state are also provided.
Aging- and gender-related modulation of RAAS: potential implications in COVID-19 disease

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 is frequently characterized by a marked inflammatory response with severe pneumonia and respiratory failure associated with multiorgan involvement. Some risk factors predispose patients to develop a more severe infection and to an increased mortality; among them, advanced age and male gender have been identified as major and independent risk factors for COVID-19 poor outcome. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is strictly involved in COVID-19 because angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the host receptor for SARS-CoV-2 and also converts pro-inflammatory angiotensin (Ang) II into anti-inflammatory Ang(1-7). In this review, we have addressed the effect of aging and gender on RAAS with emphasis on ACE2, pro-inflammatory Ang II/Ang II receptor 1 axis and anti-inflammatory Ang(1-7)/Mas receptor axis.
The Intergenerational Transfer of Money Attitudes and Behaviors

The purpose of this report is to provide resources to financial educators working with consumers surrounding intergenerational influences in the development of financial attitudes and behaviors. Financial decisions are influenced by our attitudes, which are highly influenced by cultural issues, including family, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. Understanding these influences is important as financial educators implement effective intervention techniques. This paper was completed under contract with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Office of Financial Education, in support of its mission to improve the effectiveness of financial education. Consumers would benefit from financial educators of all kinds implementing effective soft skills in financial education practice. This report outlines strategies financial planners and educators can incorporate into their practice to assist clients in identifying the intergenerational patterns of money attitudes and behaviors.
An Empirical Study on Type Annotations: Accuracy, Speed, and Suggestion Effectiveness

Type annotations connect variables to domain-specific types. They enable the power of type checking and can detect faults early. In practice, type annotations have a reputation of being burdensome to developers. We lack, however, an empirical understanding of how and why they are burdensome. Hence, we seek to measure the baseline accuracy and speed for developers making type annotations to previously unseen code. We also study the impact of one or more type suggestions. We conduct an empirical study of 97 developers using 20 randomly selected code artifacts from the robotics domain containing physical unit types. We find that subjects select the correct physical type with just 51% accuracy, and a single correct annotation takes about 2 minutes on average. Showing subjects a single suggestion has a strong and significant impact on accuracy both when correct and incorrect, while showing three suggestions retains the significant benefits without the negative effects. We also find that suggestions do not come with a time penalty. We require subjects to explain their annotation choices, and we qualitatively analyze their explanations. We find that identifier names and reasoning about code operations are the primary clues for selecting a type. We also examine two state-of-the-art automated type annotation systems and find opportunities for their improvement.
Workforce Development: Guidelines for Community College Professionals: edited by W. J. Rothwell, P. E. Gerity and V. L. Carraway, Lanham, Maryland, Rowman and Littlefield, 2020, xv + 180 pp., $29.99 (paperback), ISBN 978-1-4758-4934-9

Community colleges are on the front line in preparing students for productive careers in various industries (O’Banion, 2019). As the demand for workforce education grows, community colleges must ad...
Working memory prioritization: Goal-driven attention, physical salience, and implicit learning

Abstract Items in working memory (WM) are prioritized if they are relevant to task goals, are physically salient, or have acquired importance from implicit learning. We propose that all forms of prioritization increase the likelihood of recall, but only goal-driven attention will affect the quality of those representations. In a delayed-estimation task with four colors, prioritization was manipulated via a predictive spatial cue (goal-driven attention), a non-predictive peripheral cue (physical salience), or implicit learning of a previously relevant target location. Probabilities of recalling the target (Ptarget) and memory precision were estimated using a Bayesian implementation of the mixture model. Strong evidence was observed that all forms of prioritization increased Ptarget, whereas physical salience and implicit learning had only weak or negligible effects on precision compared to goal-driven attention. We propose that generating and maintaining high-resolution memories is an effortful process that will primarily be invoked when participants voluntarily prioritize memory items.
LiDAR Odometry Methodologies for Autonomous Driving: A Survey.

Vehicle odometry is an essential component of an automated driving system as it computes the vehicle's position and orientation. The odometry module has a higher demand and impact in urban areas where the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signal is weak and noisy. Traditional visual odometry methods suffer from the diverse illumination status and get disparities during pose estimation, which results in significant errors as the error accumulates. Odometry using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) devices has attracted increasing research interest as LiDAR devices are robust to illumination variations. In this survey, we examine the existing LiDAR odometry methods and summarize the pipeline and delineate the several intermediate steps. Additionally, the existing LiDAR odometry methods are categorized by their correspondence type, and their advantages, disadvantages, and correlations are analyzed across-category and within-category in each step. Finally, we compare the accuracy and the running speed among these methodologies evaluated over the KITTI odometry dataset and outline promising future research directions.
Atlas of Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS)

The performance of nerve conduction studies (NCS) is deceptively simple but the importance of standardization in key aspects across laboratories cannot be overemphasized. Accordingly, being consistent and attentive to ensure that the studies are always performed in the same fashion is crucial for reliable NCS results. For the various specific sensory and motor nerve conduction responses, precise placement of electrodes is vital.
Acousto-optic modulation in lithium niobate on silicon nitride heterogeneous waveguides

This work demonstrates the first acousto-optic modulators in heterogeneous waveguides of thin film LiNbO 3 on Si 3 N 4 . Optical modes confined in LiNbO 3 , SiO 2 and Si 3 N 4 are modulated by acoustic waves launched on the surface of LiNbO 3 and electrically detected by cavity detuning from an optical resonance.
Registration error analysis for augmented reality

Augmented reality AR systems typically use see-through head-mounted displays STHMDs to superimpose images of computer-generated objects onto the user's view of the real environment in order to augment it with additional information. The main failing of current AR systems is that the virtual objects displayed in the STHMD appear in the wrong position relative to the real environment. This registration error has many causes: system delay, tracker error, calibration error, optical distortion, and misalignment of the model, to name only a few. Although some work has been done in the area of system calibration and error correction, very little work has been done on characterizing the nature and sensitivity of the errors that cause misregistration in AR systems. This paper presents the main results of an end-to-end error analysis of an optical STHMD-based tool for surgery planning. The analysis was done with a mathematical model of the system and the main results were checked by taking measurements on a real system under controlled circumstances. The model makes it possible to analyze the sensitivity of the system-registration error to errors in each part of the system. The major results of the analysis are: 1 Even for moderate head velocities, system delay causes more registration error than all other sources combined; 2 eye tracking is probably not necessary; 3 tracker error is a significant problem both in head tracking and in system calibration; 4 the World or reference coordinate system adds error and should be omitted when possible; 5 computational correction of optical distortion may introduce more delay-induced registration error than the distortion error it corrects, and 6 there are many small error sources that will make submillimeter registration almost impossible in an optical STHMD system without feedback. Although this model was developed for optical STHMDs for surgical planning, many of the results apply to other HMDs as well.
Early Childhood Oral Health

Acknowledgments ix Notes on contributors x Introduction: Why this book? 1 Joel H. Berg Early childhood caries: Definition and epidemiology 15 Burton L. Edelstein, Courtney H. Chinn, Robert J. Laughlin and Christie L. Custodio ]Lumsden Early childhood caries disease prevention and management 47 Man Wai Ng and Zameera Fida Managing caries: Obtaining arrest 67 Kevin J. Donly Use of fluoride 104 Norman Tinanoff The dental home 120 Arthur J. Nowak and Paul S. Casamassimo Examination of infants and toddlers 134 Adriana Segura Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities 153 Jessica De Bord Anticipatory guidance 169 Arthur J. Nowak and Paul S. Casamassimo Caries risk assessment: Rationale, uses, tools, and state of development 193 James J. Crall, Rocio B. Quinonez and Andrea F. Zandona Family oral health education 221 Tegwyn H. Brickhouse Community programs and oral health 245 Jessica Y. Lee Interprofessional education and practice 258 Melinda B. Clark, Mayumi Willgerodt and Rocio B. Quinonez Building an infant ] and toddler ]friendly practice, 272 David K. Curtis Policy issues in the Affordable Care Act concerning pediatric oral health insurance coverage 302 C. Scott Litch Future directions 317 Rebecca L. Slayton Index 329
A multisubunit transcription factor essential for accurate initiation by RNA polymerase II.

Abstract We have fractionated rat liver and identified a set of transcription factors that are essential for accurate initiation of transcription by RNA polymerase II. These factors were resolved into three distinct enzyme fractions. The factors in two of these fractions have been purified to apparent homogeneity. One fraction contains a single, 35-kDa transcription factor, designated alpha (Conaway, J. W., Bond, M. W., and Conaway, R. C. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 8293-8297). Here we show that the other fraction contains a transcription factor, designated beta gamma, with a native molecular mass of approximately 250 kDa. This factor is composed of 67 kDa (beta) and 31 kDa (gamma) polypeptides. Both the beta and gamma polypeptides are required for runoff transcription. Comparison of purified transcription factors alpha and beta gamma reveals that (i) both factors act at initiation and (ii) neither alpha nor beta gamma is required for assembly of an initial complex that commits the template to be transcribed by RNA polymerase II.
Reducing the Complexity of the Knuth-Bendix Completion-Algorithm: A "Unification" of Different Approaches

The Knuth-Bendix completion procedure for rewrite rule systems is of wide applicability in symbolic and algebraic computation. Attempts to reduce the complexity of this completion algorithm are reported in the literature. Already in their seminal 1967 paper D.E. Knuth and P.B. Bendix have suggested to keep all the rules interreduced during the execution of the algorithm. G. Huet has presented a version of the completion algorithm in which every rewrite rule is kept in reduced form with respect to all the other rules in the system. Borrowing an idea of Buchberger's for the completion of bases of polynomial ideals the author has proposed in 1983 a criterion for detecting "unnecessary" critical pairs. If a critical pair is recognized as unnecessary then one need not apply the costly process of computing normal forms to it. It has been unclear whether these approaches can be combined. We demonstrate that it is possible to keep all the rewrite rules interreduced and still use a criterion for eliminating unnecessary critical pairs.