cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Covariates and Mixture Modeling: Results of a Simulation Study Exploring the Impact of Misspecified Effects on Class Enumeration

For some time, there have been differing recommendations about how and when to include covariates in the mixture model building process. Some have advocated the inclusion of covariates after enumeration, whereas others recommend including them early on in the modeling process. These conflicting recommendations have led to inconsistent practices and unease in trusting modeling results. In an attempt to resolve this discord, we conducted a Monte Carlo simulation to examine the impact of covariate exclusion and misspecification of covariate effects on the enumeration process. We considered population and analysis models with both direct and indirect paths from the covariates to the latent class indicators. As expected, misspecified covariate effects most commonly led to the overextraction of classes. Findings suggest that the number of classes could be reliably determined using the unconditional latent class model, thus our recommendation is that class enumeration be done prior to the inclusion of covariates.
Cytochemical Diagnosis of Acute Myelomonocytic Leukemia

Blood and bone-marrow smears from adult patients with acute leukemias were stained for esterase reaction, consecutively with naphthol AS D-chloracetate (chloracetate esterase) followed by alpha naphthyl butyrate (nonspecific esterase). The two substrates were, respectively, granulocyte- and monocyte-specific. By this method three subgroups of acute nonlymphocytic leukemias could be distinguished. Leukemic cells may be positive for either chloracetate esterase or nonspecific esterases, and the authors believe these two subgroups represent "true" granulocytic and "pure" monocytic leukemias. In a third group, leukemic cells contained both esterases in the same cell, and it is believed this group may represent "true" myelomonocytic leukemias. In the majority of patients in this group, leukemia evolved from a preleukemic phase. When only Romanowsky-stained smears are used, the monocytoid feature and absolute elevated monocyte counts in acute granulocytic leukemia may lead to an erroneous diagnosis of the leukemia as acute myelomonocytic leukemia. This happened in five of the 13 cases in the study. The presence of granulocyte- and monocyte-specific esterases in a single cell supports the concept of a common origin of granulocytes and monocytes. The authors conclude that the combined esterase reaction can distinguish among acute granulocytic leukemia, acute monocytic leukemia, and acute myelomonocytic leukemia.
Highly Stable Perovskite Solar Cells Fabricated Under Humid Ambient Conditions

Organometallic perovskite solar cells have gained immense attention due to their rapid increase in efficiency and compatibility with low-cost fabrication methods. However, the material's instability in humid ambient conditions has remained a key challenge for the large-scale fabrication and application of such cells. In this paper, we present devices fabricated under 50% humidity with significantly improved long-term stability through three parallel approaches. First, the small molecule hole transport material, 2,2′,7,7′-Tetrakis[N,N-di(4-methoxyphenyl)amino]-9,9′-spirobifluorene (spiro-MeOTAD) is replaced by a polymeric material Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). Second, the device stability is further enhanced by increasing the thickness of the mesoporous titania scaffold. Finally, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) is used as a processing additive in the perovskite precursor solution to form an in situ protective layer. On our optimized device, a remarkable long-term device stability of more than 1200 h is achieved. X-ray diffraction patterns suggest more than 2500 h of material stability.
Korean screen cultures: interrogating cinema, TV, music and online games

In Korean Screen Cultures: Interrogating Cinema, TV, Music and Online Games, Andrew David Jackson and Colette Balmain have compiled and edited more than a dozen essays which open multiple conversat...
Modelling the Multi-directional Distribution of ASR-Induced RC Expansions

Deterioration attributed to alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is plaguing concrete infrastructure throughout the world. While ASR development in new concrete construction is easily mitigated through the use of nonreactive aggregates, low-alkali cements, and/or supplementary cementitious materials, engineers are challenged to identify and manage ASR effects in existing structures. At present, the implications of ASR on the structural performance of existing structures remains an area of great uncertainty. With an increasing inventory of ageing concrete infrastructure, there is a growing need for practical tools that can be used to reliably assess the performance of ASR-affected structures. This paper presents a simple modelling procedure used to estimate the multiaxial distribution of ASR-induced expansions in reinforced concrete (RC) elements. The model is principally based on classical concepts of RC element strain compatibility, force equilibrium, and RC-relevant constitutive relations; however, the model has also been developed in light of experimental results obtained from a recently performed ASR-affected RC cube element monitoring study conducted by the same authors. An overview of the development and resulting formulation of the proposed modelling procedure is presented, and the model is verified against experimental data currently available in the literature. Using only basic, easily defined input parameters (e.g., the concrete modulus of elasticity), expansion distribution patterns for the RC cube elements, and ASR-affected elements monitored by other researchers, are generated and shown to provide high-accuracy estimates of experimental measurements with limited computational effort.
On the Adaptive Identification of a Multicompartmental Model for Kinetics of Cell Proliferation

Abstract A stable model reference adaptive approach is used to develop an algorithm for identifying the parameters of a multicompartmental model which portrays the progression of cells through the different phases of the cell cycle. The identification procedure is tailored to utilize a popular form of data that can be easily collected from cytokinetic experimentation viz., multiple DNA distribution curves via microfluorometry studies. Details of some necessary modifications of the procedure to overcome certain practical limitations of data collection are described.
Experiencing Research Firsthand: The “unClassroom” Experiential Learning Approach to Teaching Research Methods in an LIS Master’s Program

Research methods education in LIS master’s degree programs is facing several difficult questions: should a methods course be required, what content should be taught in that course, and what is the most effective mechanism for teaching that content. There is little consensus about what should be taught or how, but the American Library Association, LIS educators, and many practitioners seem to agree that research methods are vital skills for 21st century LIS practitioners. This paper reports on an experiential learning opportunity called the “unClassroom,” which afforded LIS master’s students the chance to complete a research project in one semester for an outside client (a statewide library consortium). The effectiveness of the unClassroom to teach research methods surpassed expectations and provides a model that may be of interest to other research methods educators in LIS master’s programs.
Resisting and reifying racialization among urban American Indians

This paper looks at the internalization and strategic utilization of racialized ideas about “Indianness” among urban American Indians (AIs). Based on 2½ years of ethnographic research in two urban ...
Drug Interactions of Non-HIV Antiviral Agents

Critically ill and immunocompromised patients, particularly within the transplant and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected populations, are at higher risk for severe viral infections such as those caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV), adenovirus, and disseminated herpes simplex virus (HSV). Infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is common, and many new antiviral regimens have come into use for management of infected patients. Influenza continues to be a significant public and global health problem as well. Many of the currently available antiviral agents have been in clinical use for many years, and clinically significant drug interactions are reasonably well characterized, while interaction data are often unavailable for newer antiretroviral and immunosuppressant agents. Some of the non-HIV antiviral drugs such as acyclovir, famciclovir, oseltamivir, and amantadine are associated with relatively few clinically significant drug interactions. However, there are a number of significant interactions which must be considered for the safe and effective use of drugs such as ganciclovir, foscarnet, cidofovir, ribavirin, and the interferons. This chapter summarizes available data regarding pharmacokinetic and toxic interactions with the current antiviral agents, excluding those used specifically for HIV infections as well as the newer direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs for HCV.
A cytoskeletal activator and inhibitor are downstream targets of the frizzled/starry night planar cell polarity pathway in the Drosophila epidermis.

Abstract The frizzled pathway regulates the planar polarity of epithelial cells. In insects this is manifested by the polarity of cuticular structures such as hairs (trichomes) and sensory bristles. A variety of evidence has established that this is achieved by regulating the subcellular location for activating the cytoskeleton in the epithelial cells. How this is accomplished is still poorly understood. In the best-studied tissue, the Drosophila pupal wing two important cytoskeletal regulators have been identified. One, shavenoid (sha), appears to be an activator while the second multiple wing hairs (mwh), appears to be an inhibitor. In vitro biochemistry has confirmed that the Multiple Wing Hairs protein inhibits the elongation of F-actin chains and surprisingly that it also bundles F-actin. These two activities can explain the multifaceted mwh mutant phenotype.
Second-order equations: hyperbolic equations for functions of two independent variables

We start with the general quasi-linear second-order equation for a function u(x,y): $$ a{u_{xx}} + 2b{u_{xy}} + c{u_{yy}} = d, $$ (1.1) where a,b,c,d depend on x,y,u,u x ,u y . Here the Cauchy problem consists of finding a solution u of (1.1) with given (compatible) values of u,u x ,u y on a curve γ in the xy-plane. Thus, for γ given parametrically by $$ x = f\left( s \right),{\rm{ }}y{\rm{ = }}g\left( s \right), $$ (1.2) we prescribe on γ $$ u = h\left( s \right),{\rm{ }}{u_x} = \phi \left( s \right),{\rm{ }}{u_y} = \psi \left( s \right). $$ (1.3)
Price Elasticity of Demand for Medical Care: The Evidence since the RAND Health Insurance Experiment

The estimates of elasticity of demand for medical services provided by the RAND Health Insurance Experiment (HIE) of the 1970s have largely served as the gold standard for our understanding of how cost-sharing affects patient decisions to consume medical care. Owing to evolution in benefit design and a desire to test the generalizability of the HIE estimates, several studies of demand response to aspects of medical care have been conducted since the HIE. Demand response for pharmaceuticals is found to be slightly more responsive and associated with decreased utilization of other medical services, which suggests that pharmaceuticals and other medical services are substitutes. Evidence also suggests that supply-side mechanisms may limit the generalizability of the RAND estimates of demand response.
Learned color taste associations in a repeated brief exposure paradigm.

Abstract Individuals can learn to associate tastes with odors through repeated exposure. We adapted this paradigm, testing whether individuals can learn to associate tastes with colors, and whether these learned color-taste associations generalize to unconditioned, but qualitatively similar stimuli. Experiment 1 tested if individuals could learn color-taste associations for prototypical tastes, while Experiment 2 tested if individuals could learn to discriminate specific bitter compounds using color-taste associations. Conditioned stimuli in Experiment 1 consisted of solutions representing four different prototypical taste qualities. Conditioned stimuli in Experiment 2 consisted of three different bitter stimuli and a sucrose control. Both experiments consisted of six laboratory visits. On day 1, participants rated intensities of conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. On days 2–5 participants completed triangle tests, where a color was systematically paired with high/low intensity combinations of the conditioned stimuli. On day 6, participants matched colorless solutions containing the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli to one of four colors in a forced choice task. In Experiment 1, group performance was significantly above chance (25%) when matching the conditioned taste stimulus to the previously paired color. Also, learning generalized to unconditioned stimuli with a similar taste quality. In Experiment 2, group performance versus chance (25%) indicated participants learned associated sweetness with the previously paired color, both for sucrose (conditioned stimulus) and aspartame (unconditioned stimulus). However, matching performance did not exceed chance for the three different bitterants. These data suggest that particular color-taste associations can be learned with repeated exposure, even when the exposure period is relatively brief.
Using Video Modeling to Teach Geometry Word Problems: A Strategy for Students With Learning Disabilities:

As K-12 mathematics standards shift toward emphasizing both conceptual and procedural knowledge in secondary courses such as algebra and geometry, the struggles for students with disabilities becom...
Near-Optimal Bayesian Ambiguity Sets for Distributionally Robust Optimization

We propose a Bayesian framework for assessing the relative strengths of data-driven ambiguity sets in distributionally robust optimization (DRO) when the underlying distribution is defined by a fin...
MiVideo: Personalized video visit summaries for cancer patients.

e20709 Background: Physicians providing oncologic care seek to cure or palliate patients by having them adhere to complicated treatment plans. However, patients and relatives are often overwhelmed ...
Spatial external noise and detection

In vision, a change in target position can cause an otherwise stationary target to perceptually “pop out,” thereby increasing its detectability. Previous work in this lab and others has shown that there is no corollary effect for auditory detection. The explanation most often given for this “null result” is that, while vision is encoded spatiotopically, audition is encoded tonotopically, and therefore changes in sound source position should not be expected to impact auditory detection in the way that target movement affects visual detection. This argument assumes that detection is largely a peripheral task. However, Green, Watson, and others have shown that auditory detection is affected by listener uncertainty about the frequency of presented target tones—this “external noise,” in terms of frequency, suggests that detection involves processing at higher levels beyond the periphery (e.g., attention). It therefore stands to reason that auditory target stimuli may be less detectable when sound source location is randomized—a spatial manifestation of external noise. We will present data testing this hypothesis. In vision, a change in target position can cause an otherwise stationary target to perceptually “pop out,” thereby increasing its detectability. Previous work in this lab and others has shown that there is no corollary effect for auditory detection. The explanation most often given for this “null result” is that, while vision is encoded spatiotopically, audition is encoded tonotopically, and therefore changes in sound source position should not be expected to impact auditory detection in the way that target movement affects visual detection. This argument assumes that detection is largely a peripheral task. However, Green, Watson, and others have shown that auditory detection is affected by listener uncertainty about the frequency of presented target tones—this “external noise,” in terms of frequency, suggests that detection involves processing at higher levels beyond the periphery (e.g., attention). It therefore stands to reason that auditory target stimuli may be less detectable when sound source locat...
Haunted Trauma Narratives of Inclusion, Race, and Disability in a School Community

By typical definitions in the special education world, inclusion would not be recognizable as it exists at Memorial Elementary. Memorial is responding to a widely documented trend in public schools...
Inside astronomically realistic black holes.

The singularity of a spherical (Schwarzschild) black hole is a surface, not a point. A freely-falling, non-rotating observer sees Hawking radiation with energy density diverging with radius as $\rho \propto r^{-6}$ near the Schwarzschild singular surface. Spacetime inside a rotating (Kerr) black hole terminates at the inner horizon because of the Poisson-Israel mass inflation instability. If the black hole is accreting, as all realistic black holes do, then generically inflation gives way to Belinski-Khalatnikov-Lifshitz oscillatory collapse to a strong, spacelike singular surface.
Mass transport and solidification phenomenon in dissimilar metals arc welding

Abstract A 3D transient numerical simulation is developed to study the arc welding of dissimilar metals for three sets of processing parameters. The model is used to investigate the fluid flow impacts on mass transport during the process. The predicted mass distribution agrees well with experimental composition measurements obtained from electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. The temperature distribution and the top surface shapes also match well with the experimental data. The morphology of the weld metal has a crucial impact on the weldment’s mechanical properties, and the prediction of solidification structure is key to improving weld quality. To this end, thermal results are applied to analyze the solidification behavior of the weld pool. The solidification parameters are calculated at the weld pool interface and the results are compared with the observed morphology from the experiments. The experimental observations confirm the presence of asymmetric solidification as demonstrated by the proposed model.
Relating Texture and Thermomechanical Processing Variables in Mg–Zn–Ca Alloys

It is well known that the strong basal texture commonly produced in magnesium alloy sheets leads to poor formability at room temperature. A sizable body of work has explored how changing the alloy composition and rolling conditions can yield more desirable textures; however, important thermomechanical variables, such as the feed rate during rolling, are often not included in the literature, making it difficult to correlate how changes in processing affect the final crystallographic texture. This work explores the texture evolution and grain refinement in Mg–Zn–Ca alloys during plane strain compression (PSC) using a Gleeble thermomechanical simulator. This instrument allows for precise control and capture of the thermomechanical history of the sample. The texture and grain morphology of the compressed samples were characterized using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The texture results will be used to identify which alloys and processing conditions should be scaled up for future rolling studies.
Mobile Application Use in Technology- Enhanced DCTs

In response to calls for improving the quality of DCTs as data-gathering instruments, this study investigates the effectiveness of technology-enhanced discourse completion tasks (TE-DCTs) as a method for eliciting nonverbal speaker data. We used a mobile application to administer four TE-DCTs to native speakers (L1) and intermediate and advanced second-language (L2) speakers of Spanish. Each TE-DCT contained two scenarios with the goal of capturing nonverbal devices used in the speech act of attention-getting (i.e., devices used to draw the interlocutor's attention). The written description of each DCT scenario was supplemented with a short video clip to provide participants with nonverbal factors such as distance to interlocutor, bodily stance, and orientation of interlocutors. To capture nonverbal cues as part of the participant responses, the participant video recorded their oral responses to each scenario. The mobile application used was successful in capturing a variety of attention-getting elements, including nonverbal devices, in the majority of both L1 and L2 participant responses for all DCT scenarios. Drawing on this data, we argue for the use of mobile applications as an ecologically valid way to measure one type of pragmatic ability. In addition, we advocate their integration into L2 pedagogical practice.
Review: Architecture of the Newars: A History of Building Typologies and Details in Nepal by Niels Gutschow

Niels Gutschow Architecture of the Newars: A History of Building Typologies and Details in Nepal Chicago: Serindia Publications, 2011, 3 vols., 1,030 pp., 1,801 b/w illus. $450, ISBN 9781932476545 For a scholar or interested reader of Nepalese cultural and visual history, several classic studies, such as Sylvain Levy’s Le Nepal (1920s), Mary S. Slusser’s Nepal Mandala: A Cultural Study of the Kathmandu Valley (1982), and Robert Levy’s Mesocosm: Hinduism and the Organization of a Traditional Newar City in Nepal (1990), have become indispensable masterworks in the field. Niels Gutschow’s monumental three-volume tome, Architecture of the Newars: A History of Building Typologies and details in Nepal , will certainly follow in the ranks of these publications as a landmark encyclopedic reference work on the forms and typologies of Nepalese architecture. This excellently produced book is indeed the magnum opus of an architectural and cultural historian who has spent an illustrious career of more than forty years on scholarly research into various aspects of Newar architecture in the Kathmandu Valley and beyond. Trained as an architect, Gutschow began his study of Nepalese architecture in 1971 as part of the architectural restoration and survey team under the auspices of the German Research Foundation. Distinctive in his approach to the study of architecture was his extensive research on Newar rituals and their intersections with urban and sacred spaces. His initial survey of an urban ritual of Bhaktapur’s Bisket Jatra began in 1973, and was followed by his first major publication, Stadtraum und Ritual der newarischen Stadte im Kathmandu-Tal (1982), which explored Hindu and Buddhist religious architecture analyzed through the metanarratives of sacred space. The documentation of traditional building techniques as well as characteristic elements of Newar architecture were subsequently published in a coauthored volume, Newar Towns and Buildings: An Illustrated Dictionary of Architectural Terms, Newari-English (1987), and in The Nepalese Caitya (1997), which discusses Buddhist stupa typologies in the Kathmandu Valley.1 Gutschow’s extensive field research took shape in the form of photographic …
Launching Werner Complexes into the Modern Era of Catalytic Enantioselective Organic Synthesis.

ConspectusReactions catalyzed by transition metal complexes almost always entail binding of one or more reactants to the metal center, and nearly every corner of the “chiral pool” has been picked o...
Learner Perceptions of Construct-Centered Feedback on Oral Proficiency

Oral proficiency assessments typically elicit performances that may serve as the basis for an evaluation of proficiency but may also be used as the basis for more elaborate, learning-oriented feedback that can be useful to learners and teachers. In this chapter, I discuss how descriptive comments from raters may be used to provide detailed feedback using a construct-centered approach: explicitly aligned with a relevant conceptualization of oral proficiency and reflecting different levels and dimensions of performance. I report the results of a small-scale study of learners’ perceptions of construct-centered feedback in the context of high-stakes oral proficiency assessment for international teaching assistants, and conclude with a discussion of how the construct-centered approach to feedback may be used by teachers to complement other approaches to feedback.
Reduction of HDAC2 expression in human induced pluripotent stem cell derived neurons improves neuronal maturation, mitochondrial dynamics and cellular neurodegenerative disease phenotypes

Histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) is a major HDAC protein in the adult brain and has been shown to regulate many neuronal genes. Aberrant expression of HDAC2 and subsequent dysregulation of neuronal gene expression is implicated in neurodegeneration and brain aging. Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons (hiPSC-Ns) are widely used models for studying neurodegenerative disease mechanisms, but the role of HDAC2 in hiPSC-N differentiation and maturation has not been explored. In this study, we show that levels of HDAC2 progressively decrease as hiPSCs are differentiated towards neurons. This suppression of HDAC2 inversely corresponds to an increase in neuron-specific isoforms of Endophilin-B1, a multifunctional protein involved in mitochondrial dynamics. Expression of neuron-specific isoforms of Endophilin-B1 is accompanied by concomitant expression of a neuron-specific alternative splicing factor, SRRM4. Manipulation of HDAC2 and Endophilin-B1 using lentiviral approaches shows that knock-down of HDAC2 or overexpression of a neuron-specific Endophilin-B1 isoform promotes mitochondrial elongation and protects against cytotoxic stress in hiPSC-Ns, while HDAC2 knock-down specifically influences genes regulating mitochondrial dynamics and synaptogenesis. Furthermore, HDAC2 knock-down promotes enhanced mitochondrial respiration and reduces levels of neurotoxic amyloid beta peptides. Collectively, our study demonstrates a role for HDAC2 in hiPSC-neuronal differentiation, highlights neuron-specific isoforms of Endophilin-B1 as a marker of differentiating hiPSC-Ns, and demonstrates that HDAC2 regulates key neuronal and mitochondrial pathways in hiPSC-Ns.
Cognitive decline in older adults: What can we learn from optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based retinal vascular imaging?

Introduction Accumulated vascular damage contributes to the onset and progression of vascular dementia and possibly to Alzheimer's disease. Here we evaluate the feasibility and utility of using retinal imaging of microvascular markers to identify older adults at risk of cognitive disease. Methods The "Eye Determinants of Cognition" (EyeDOC) study recruited a biracial, population-based sample of participants from two sites: Jackson, MS, and Washington Co, MD. Optical coherence tomographic angiography (OCTA) was used to capture vessel density (VD) from a 6 × 6 mm scan of the macula in several vascular layers from 2017 to 2019. The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area was also estimated. Image quality was assessed by trained graders at a reading center. A neurocognitive battery of 10 tests was administered at three time points from 2011 to 2019 and incident mild cognitive impairement (MCI)/dementia cases were ascertained. Linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate associations of retinal vascular markers with cognitive factor score change over time. Results Nine-hundred and seventy-six older adults (mean age of 78.7 (± 4.4) years, 44% black) were imaged. Gradable images were obtained in 55% (535/976), with low signal strength (66%) and motion artifact (22%) being the largest contributors to poor quality. Among the 297 participants with both high-quality images and no clinically significant retinal pathology, the average decline in global cognitive function factor score was -0.03 standard deviations per year. In adjusted analyses, no associations of VD or FAZ with longitudinal changes in either global cognitive function or with incident MCI/dementia were found. Conclusions In this large biracial community sample of older adults representative of the target population for retinal screening of cognitive risk, we found that obtaining high-quality OCTA scans was infeasible in a nearly half of older adults. Among the select sample of healthier older adults with scans, OCTA markers were not predictive of cognitive impairment.
Freestyle Aortic Bioprostheses in Patients 60 Years old and Younger

Evaluate outcomes of the Freestyle stentless aortic bioprosthesis in patients 60 years old and younger. All patients, 60 years old and younger, between January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2015 who underwent implantation of a Freestyle aortic valve at a single institution were reviewed. Medical records and telephone interviews were utilized for data collection. 515 patients were identified with an average age of 51.3 years. Mean follow up was 11.1 years. 225 full root replacements and 290 subcoronary implants were performed. Overall survival, including patients with concomitant procedures, at 15 years was 63.7% (95% CI 58.3-68.5). Isolated subcoronary implants (58%,167/290) had a 15-year survival of 71.6% (95% CI 62.6-78.7) vs 78.4% (95% CI 69.7, 84.9) for isolated root replacements (63%,141/225) which was not statistically significant (P = 0.397). No significant difference in operative SVD at 15 years occurred between full root replacements 37.6% (95% CI 27.2-50.2) vs subcoronary implants 39.4% (95% CI31.1, 49.0). 110 patients required reoperation solely for intrinsic SVD. 93% (102/110) failed due to aortic insufficiency. Of reoperative interventions for SVD, 37% (41/110) of patients required urgent reoperation and 4.5% (5/110) required emergent reoperation. Pseudoaneurysms developed in six of the full root replacements. Freestyle aortic valves have a high rate of acute failure requiring urgent or emergent reintervention in patients 60 years old and younger. This has led our group to shift practice away from their implantation.
Optimal Design of Functionally Graded Power Cable Joint Utilizing Silicone Rubber/Carbon Nanotube Composites

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) used in electrical insulation have spatially inhomogeneous dielectric properties (i.e., permittivity or conductivity), which can be applied to relieve localized electric field (E-field) intensification and improve insulation performance. However, previous research shows some limitations in inadequate considerations on the material feasibility, and insufficient universality on material grading type and voltage form. In this study, a material study of silicone rubber (SiR) nanocomposites containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is conducted to determine the practical variation range of dielectric properties (both permittivity and conductivity) in joint insulation materials. Then, the optimal design of both multilayer and pointwise FGM joint insulation is investigated under both AC and DC voltage, in which the lower and upper limits of permittivity and conductivity were derived from the experimental results. Experimental results on SiR/CNT nanocomposites indicate that low-amount doping of the CNTs (0-0.5% wt%) can effectively increase the permittivity and conductivity of joint insulation materials. The successive simulation study indicates that compared to uniform joints, cable joints employing optimally designed FGM insulation show a considerable increase in the E-field utilization factor (from 0.08-0.17 to 0.23-0.56), indicating elevated E-field uniformity. Finally, the optimal range of CNT doping ratios is determined to be 0-0.3 wt% from both experimental and simulation results. This study systematically verifies the applicability of FGMs in enhancing the performance of power cable accessories, which can show some guidance to the design and fabrication of advanced power cable systems.
Research-Your-Way-To-An-A: A Model For Cross-Campus Collaboration

Four university partners (the University Libraries' Teaching & Learning Team, Learning Services, the Writing Center, and the Communications Center) leveraged their unique skills and expertise to provide students with a comprehensive, week-long research workshop series called "Research Your Way to An A." This timely series was meant to equip students with necessary research and life skills during one of the most critical points in the semester and in their academic careers. Our lightning talk focuses on the origins of the cross-campus partnership, the details of the outreach event, and lessons learned. It also features the results of the workshop series, including data on the number and type of students attracted as well as student-generated data rating the space, food, instruction, topics, and timeliness of the workshops. We hope to provide faculty and staff with a model for forging valuable partnerships as well as suggestions for how to make similar outreach events successful. We also hope to generate a conversation about other types of workshops that might help our undergraduate and graduate populations develop transferable skills to be used both inside and outside of the classroom.
The Social Costs of Underemployment: Inadequate Employment as Disguised Unemployment

Preface 1. Disguised unemployment and changing forms of work 2. The social costs of unemployment 3. Data source and methods 4. Reverse causation: findings on the selection hypothesis 5. Leaving school: self-esteem in an unwelcoming economy 6. Early adulthood: alcohol misuse and underemployment 7. Settling down: psychological depression and underemployment 8. Extending the employment continuum: well-being in welfare transitions 9. The next generation: underemployment and birth weight 10. Conclusions 11. New directions Appendices References Name index Subject index.
Surface Traffic Management Research

This presentation discusses an overview of the surface traffic management research conducted by NASA Ames. The concept and human-in-the-loop simulation of the Spot and Runway Departure Advisor (SARDA), an integrated decision support tool for the tower controllers and airline ramp operators, is also discussed.
Interleukin-6 mediates enhanced thrombus development in cerebral arterioles following a brief period of focal brain ischemia

Objective The cerebral microvasculature is rendered more vulnerable to thrombus formation following a brief (5.0 min) period of focal ischemia. This study examined the contribution of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a neuroprotective and prothrombotic cytokine produced by the brain, to transient ischemia-induced thrombosis in cerebral arterioles.
Inner Products and Orthogonal Projections

A wavelet representation of a signal constitutes an orthogonal projection, like a shadow, of the signal on a space of wavelets. Therefore, this chapter reviews the linear algebra underlying the concept, theory, and applications of orthogonal projections. The theory reviewed here also appear in several textbooks, for instance, in linear algebra [14], [15], [24], or in functional analysis [45].
Testing for Licensing and Certification Outside Education

What can educators learn from testing in and for noneducational occupations? In response to this question, I would like to share some of the lessons learned from, the studies of licensing and certification at the Center for Occupational and Professional Assessment, a unit of the Educational Testing Service. At the outset, however, it might be helpful to clarify the terms “licensing” and “certification” and how they relate to employment.
A variable pulse-length electron beam from the back-lighted thyratron

A variable pulse-length electron beam source capable of 100's /spl mu/sec pulses to DC operation is reported. Long-pulse electron beam generation was based on the steady-state hollow cathode discharge mode of operation of the back-lighted thyratron and achieved by modification of circuit parameters that control the discharge. Three different discharge circuits were used in the experiment. An RC circuit (16 nF, 1 k/spl Omega/ at -20 kV) was used to generate an electron beam with duration /spl ap/100 /spl mu/sec. The energy of the beam is associated with the cathode voltage and a current density /spl ap/10 A/cm/sup 2/ was measured. To further increase the pulse-length a discharge circuit with 100 /spl mu/F and 500 /spl Omega/ was used. The pulse-length was extended to 50 msec FWHM. The third circuit was a pulse forming network which generated a non-decaying amplitude electron beam with a duration of 200 msec FWHM. DC operation has also been achieved. The results demonstrate the feasibility of controlling the electron beam pulse-length with modifications of external circuitry. The device is simple, robust, and compatible with a plasma environment. Applications include electron beam ionized lasers, an electron beam ion trap, electron beam assisted atomic layer epitaxy and plasma-filled microwave generators. >
Probing metabolic stability of CdSe nanoparticles: alkaline extraction of free cadmium from liver and kidney samples of rats exposed to CdSe nanoparticles.

Cadmium selenide nanoparticles (CdSe NPs) exhibit novel optoelectronic properties for potential biomedical applications. However, their metabolic stability is not fully understood because of the difficulties in measurement of free Cd from biological tissues of exposed individuals. In this study, alkaline dissolution with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) is demonstrated for selective determination of free Cd and intact NPs from liver and kidney samples of animals that were exposed to thiol-capped CdSe NPs. Aqueous suspensions of CdSe NPs (3.2 nm) were used to optimize the conditions for extracting free Cd without affecting NPs. Nanoparticles were found to aggregate when heated in TMAH without releasing any significant Cd to solution. Performance of the method in discriminating free Cd and intact NPs were verified by Dogfish Liver (DOLT-4) certified reference material. The samples from the animals were digested in 4 mL TMAH at 70 °C to extract free Cd followed by analysis of aqueous phase by ICP-MS. Both liver and kidney contained significant levels of free Cd. Total Cd was higher in the liver, while kidney accumulated mostly free Cd such that up to 47.9% of total Cd in the kidney was free Cd when NPs were exposed to UV-light before injection.
Antecedents and consequences of social media utilization in college teaching: a proposed model with mixed‐methods investigation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the antecedents and consequences of social media utilization in teaching by college faculty.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on literature review, the author's observations, and qualitative and quantitative information reported by 249 full‐time and part‐time faculty members.Findings – There are four antecedent factors for social media utilization in teaching: faculty personal social media involvement and personal readiness; external pressures from peers, supervisors, students and their employment; expected benefits; and perceived risks. Two factors are important to assess the consequences of social media utilization in teaching: perceived student satisfaction and student learning outcomes.Research limitations/implications – Data were obtained from only one university. This paper includes only simple statistical analysis, although structural equation analysis is more appropriate for testing the model.Practical implications – The establis...
Multiprocessor-based automatic hail-flow image processing system

In hail flow analysis, hail characteristics such as isolated hail size histogram and hail velocity distribution are very important. An innovative automatic hail flow measuring system is described in this paper. The system applies Rewo filter based image processing, automatic learning, and multiprocessor techniques to analyze both temporal and spatial features of multiple hail flow video frames. The testing results of five hundred hail frames having a total of more than two thousand hail particles show the advantages of this system in automatic, robustness, statistic reliability and accuracy compared to radar and manual calculation.
Glycoprotein lbα peptides inhibit thrombin and SFLLRN-induced platelet aggregation

The platelet glycoprotein Ib(alpha) (GPIb(alpha)) receptor contains a high-affinity binding site for thrombin that, when occupied, augments platelet activation and aggregation in part via the 7-transmembrane domain receptor (7-TMDR). We have constructed a series of peptides derived from GPIb(alpha) that encompass the amino acid sequence F216-T240. We have studied the effect(s) of these peptides on platelet aggregation induced by thrombin or by the 7-TMDR peptide SFLLRN. Twenty-four peptides were synthesized from the peptide sequence F216-T240. Several of the peptides derived from the sequence W219-V227 of GPIb(alpha) inhibited platelet aggregation, which was primarily dependent on the presence of the amino acid sequence A224-N226 (AEN). These data suggest that a region within the GPIb(alpha) chain modulates the platelet aggregation induced by alpha-thrombin. These GPIb(alpha) peptides did not interfere with platelet aggregation induced by other agonists--for example, collagen, ristocetin, calcium ionophore, or botrocetin--which indicates that these GPIb(alpha) peptide-platelet interaction(s) are specific. Our studies provide another potential mechanism for modulating platelet activation and aggregation via synthetic and natural peptides.
Discussion of a statistical theory of fragmentation processes

Abstract Microcracking comes into play in many cases of brittle response of solids to applied load. Since the cracks are readily observable and their behavior is a subject of both common experience and extensive scientific investigation, it is natural that one would try to take explicit account of them in modeling deformation behavior. Several interesting problems arise in devising mathematical representations of crack distributions that are simple enough to use in continuum models and still apply to the entire range of observed behavior. In this note, I compare two conventional mathematical representations of cracks with three observed configurations.
FLIGHT TESTS OF ATTITUDE DETERMINATION USING GPS COMPARED AGAINST AN INERTIAL NAVIGATION UNIT.

Attitude determination using GPS carrier phase has been applied successfully to aircraft in experiments by a number of researchers. In an effort to formally characterize its accuracy and bandwidth performance, a GPS attitude determination system was flight tested against an inertial navigation unit (INU). Based on completely separate physical principles, this testing provides an independent means of evaluating overall performance. For the flight experiments, a twin-engine turboprop transport aircraft was outfitted with a specially designed attitude determination receiver. A strapdown ring laser gyro INU was operated in the main cabin as the independent reference. For system evaluation, a number of test maneuvers were executed, including pitch angles to ± 30 deg and bank angles to ± 60 deg. Performance in moderate turbulence was measured. The impact of structural flexure during aircraft maneuvering was evaluated.
Reducing communication costs in robust peer-to-peer networks

Several recent research results describe how to design Distributed Hash Tables (DHTs) that are robust to adversarial attack via Byzantine faults. Unfortunately, all of these results require a significant blowup in communication costs over standard DHTs. For example, to perform a lookup operation, all such robust DHTs of which we are aware require sending O(log^3n) messages while standard DHTs require sending only O(logn), where n is the number of nodes in the network. In this paper, we describe protocols to reduce the communication costs of all such robust DHTs. In particular, we give a protocol to reduce the number of messages sent to perform a lookup operation from O(log^3n) to O(log^2n) in expectation. Moreover, we also give a protocol for sending a large (i.e. containing @W(log^4n) bits) message securely through a robust DHT that requires, in expectation, only a constant blowup in the total number of bits sent compared with performing the same operation in a standard DHT. This is an improvement over the O(log^2n) bit blowup that is required to perform such an operation in all current robust DHTs. Both of our protocols are robust against an adaptive adversary.
Dynamic current oscillations in the quantum hall effect

Abstract Possible new phenomena in the quantum Hall effect (QHE) are discussed. According to the Faraday's law, in the QHE, an applied voltage V can be replaced by a solenoid with a varying magnetic flux φ = − c ∫ SV d t . Because of gauge-invariance, at zero temperature, the ground state energy is periodic in φ with a period φ 0 = 2 πch / e . Therefore, a dc voltage in the QHE may produce an ac current with angular frequency eV/ħ . On the other hand, an injected dc current I c coupled with a microwave source illuminating the quantum Hall system will produce dc voltage peaks at frequencies ω = nI c R H / h s where R H is the Hall resistance and n and s are two integers. The more impurities are present, the stronger are these effects. Under the present experimental condition, we estimated that these effects can be observed.
Square pulse thermography in frequency domain as adaptation of pulsed phase thermography for qualitative and quantitative applications in cultural heritage and civil engineering

Abstract A methodical approach for qualitative and quantitative non-destructive testing of near-surface structures in civil engineering (CE) with active thermography is presented. It adopts the non-destructive testing (NDT) method of pulsed phase thermography (PPT) for the special requirements of CE and cultural heritage. The concept might be understood as a square pulse thermography (SPT) in frequency domain or an amplitude-expanded PPT with square pulse heating. After a discussion of the material spanning concept and qualitative results in cultural heritage a new approach for quantitative non-destructive testing (NDT) of near-surface structures in CE with active thermography is introduced and tested by investigations on concrete specimen with artificial defects. It is based on the thermal diffusivity of the material and the characteristic frequency of the first extrema of phase and amplitude contrast and aims at complementing the established approaches for defect depth calculation for measurements with long heating and observation times. It should be easily extendable to other fields of application.
Plasma distribution, disappearance half-time, metabolic clearance rate, and degradation of synthetic ovine corticotropin-releasing factor in man.

The plasma distribution, disappearance halftime, MCR, and degradation of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) were studied in normal men who received a pulse injection of synthetic ovine CRF (oCRF). Graded iv doses of oCRF produced a linear increase in plasma immunoreactive oCRF (IRoCRF). The calculated total plasma content of IR-oCRF 2 min after injection represented 41.7 ± 2.5% (mean ± se) of the injected dose. The disappearance of IR-oCRF from plasma was characterized by a biexponential decay curve, with initial distribution and subsequent metabolic t½ values of 6.1 ± 0.5 and 55 ± 3.8 min (mean ± se), respectively. In two subjects who were studied for 14–16 h after being given the largest dose of oCRF, there was third phase of disappearance, with a t½ of 198 ± 54 min. The MCR of IR-oCRF was 2.4 ± 0.2 ml/min·kg (146 ± 12 l/m2·day) and was relatively constant over a 3000-fold dose range. The volume of distribution of IR-oCRF was 6.2 ± 0.6 liters. The plasma IR-oCRF component, examined at increasing inter...