cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular effects of sevoflurane in Holstein calves.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the cardiovascular effects of sevoflurane in calves. Study design Prospective experimental study. Animals Six, healthy, 8–12–week–old Holstein calves weighing 80 ± 4.5 (mean ± SEM) kg were studied. Methods Anesthesia was induced by face–mask administration of 7% sevoflurane in O 2 . Calves tracheae were intubated, placed in right lateral recumbency, and maintained with 3.7% end–tidal concentration sevoflurane for 30 minutes to allow catheterization of the auricular artery and placement of a Swan–Ganz thermodilution catheter into the pulmonary artery. After instrumentation, administration of sevoflurane was temporarily discontinued until mean arterial pressure was > 100 mm Hg. Baseline values were recorded and the vaporizer output increased to administer 3.7% end–tidal sevoflurane concentration. Ventilation was controlled to maintain normocapnia. The following were recorded at 5, 10, 15, 30 and 45 minutes after collection of baseline data and expressed as the mean value (± SEM): direct systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures; cardiac output; mean pulmonary arterial pressure; pulmonary arterial occlusion pressure, heart rate; and pulmonary arterial temperature. Cardiac index and systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance values were calculated using standard formulae. Arterial blood gases were analyzed at baseline, and at 15 and 45 minutes. Differences from baseline values were determined using one–way analysis of variance for repeated measures with post–hoc differences between mean values identified using Dunnet's test ( p Results Mean time from beginning sevoflurane administration to intubation of the trachea was 224 ± 9 seconds. The mean end–tidal sevoflurane concentration at baseline was 0.7 (± 0.11)%. Sevoflurane anesthesia was associated with decreased arterial blood pressure at all sampling times. Mean arterial blood pressure decreased from a baseline value of 112 ± 7 mm Hg to a minimum value of 88 ± 4 mm Hg at 5 minutes. Compared with baseline, arterial pH was decreased at 15 minutes. Pulmonary arterial blood temperature was decreased at 15, 30 and 45 minutes. Arterial CO 2 tension increased from a baseline value of 43 ± 3 to 54 ± 4 mm Hg (5.7 ± 0.4 to 7.2 ± 0.3 kPa) at 15 minutes. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure was increased at 30 and 45 minutes. Pulmonary arterial occlusion pressure increased from a baseline value of 18 ± 2 to 23 ± 2 mm Hg at 45 minutes. There were no significant changes in other measured variables. All calves recovered from anesthesia uneventfully. Conclusion We conclude that sevoflurane for induction and maintenance of anesthesia was effective and reliable in these calves and that neither hypotension nor decreased cardiac output was a clinical concern. Clinical relevance Use of sevoflurane for mask induction and maintenance of anesthesia in young calves is a suitable alternative to injectable and other inhalant anesthetics.
Molecular aspects of legume seed storage protein synthesis

The seed proteins of crop plants will provide an ever‐increasing proportion of protein in the human diet in the future. Research is currently under way with a variety of crop plants to try to identify the molecular mechanisms that regulate the production of seed proteins. This review, however, will be limited to studies of soybean (Glycine max) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). The accumulation of storage proteins during seed maturation, the characteristics of the different proteins, and the results of studies of the messenger RNAs encoding the seed proteins have revealed a number of similarities as well as differences between common beans and soybeans. Ongoing research in the isolation and characterization of the genes encoding the seed proteins will provide the much needed background to further explore the molecular mechanisms that regulate the synthesis of these proteins.
Projective Covers and Perfect Rings

A morphism f: A → B of R-modules is said to be minimal provided that ker f is a superfluous submodule of A. For example, for a right ideal I, the canonical map R → R/I is superfluous if and only if I ⊆ rad R 18.3. A module A is a projective cover (proj. cov.) of B provided that A is projective and there exists a minimal epimorphism A → B. This notion is dual to that of injective hull, and yet, although each R-module has an injective hull, projective covers of modules may fail to exist. For example, as is shown in this chapter, a necessary condition that every right R-module have a projective cover is that R/rad R be semisimple, and rad R be a nil ideal.
Charge transport in bulk CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite

The variation of leakage current and polarization hysteresis properties for bulk CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite was studied as a function of temperature to understand the reported hysteresis in photocurrent and the role of ferroelectricity. The leakage current decreased by two orders of magnitude when the temperature was lowered from 350 K to 100 K. The transitions in leakage current were observed at structural phase transition temperatures. The temperature dependence study allowed the identification of current conduction mechanism based on various models for ferroelectrics and insulating materials. Our results show that the leakage current is governed by the space charge limited conduction mechanism which should be considered in addition to ion conduction and ferroelectricity when analyzing current-voltage hysteresis for thin film and bulk materials. The Mott's variable range hopping model fits well to the experimental data indicating the charge conduction is through hopping mechanism from 300 K to 160 K and poss...
Effects of Roundup formulations, nutrient addition, and Western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) on aquatic communities

Aquatic communities can be affected by herbicides, nutrient addition, and non-native fish species. We conducted a mesocosm experiment to examine the direct and interactive effects of three stressors: (1) Roundup formulations (Roundup Weed and Grass Killer® and Roundup Poison Ivy and Tough Brush Killer Plus®), (2) nutrient addition, and (3) the presence of the non-native Western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), on experimental pond communities. Roundup formulations had the most widespread effects on the zooplankton community, but effects varied between formulations and among taxa. The only significant effect of nutrient addition was a lowering of Daphnia abundance in the nutrient addition treatments. The abundances of Daphnia, mid-sized cladocerans, and total zooplankton were lowered by mosquitofish, but no other taxa showed significant mosquitofish effects. We found several two-way and three-way interactions among the stressors, but these varied among zooplankton taxa. Chlorophyll a levels were higher with nutrient addition but were not significantly affected by Roundup formulation or mosquitofish. Our results suggest toxicity of Roundup formulations varies among taxa, and Roundup formulations differ in their toxicity to zooplankton, but with no cascading effects on primary producers. In addition, interactions among stressors affected the zooplankton community.
Essays in Contemporary Economic Problems: Disinflation

This is the seventh volume of AEIA¢Â€Â™s annual series on Contemporary Economic Problems. It is the last to be edited by William Fellner, the distinguished scholar who conceived the project for AEI and guided it until his death on September 15, 1983.
The Axioms for Euclidean Domains

(1971). The Axioms for Euclidean Domains. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 78, No. 10, pp. 1127-1128.
Participating With Pictures: Promises and Challenges of Using Images as a Technique in Technical Communication Research

Image-based research conducted on and by research participants holds promise to extend participatory studies in technical communication by delivering research techniques that have been used for Policy Research in Public Health and other areas of participatory research (e.g., community-based participatory research). Even though they can expand policy (or even user design work), the use of participants’ images is not without challenges. The article discusses those challenges and suggests practices that stabilize the research logistically, relationally, and thematically; it also presents the approach as attractive for use in arenas that reward scrutiny even though they have traditionally been difficult to study.
Phosphatidylcholine-Preferring Phospholipase C from B. cereus. Function, Structure, and Mechanism

The PLC class of enzymes has been studied extensively over the past 15–20 years because of their involvement in signaling pathways in which extracellular messages are delivered to the cell to induce a response. Of the PLC isoenzymes, the PI-PLCs have perhaps been examined in the greatest detail because of their key role in initiating cellular response by hydrolyzing the phosphodiester bond of phosphatidylinositols and their phosphorylated derivatives to release the second messengers IP3 and DAG. However, the extended release of DAG that is critical to maintaining the stimulatory response arises from hydrolysis of the more abundant phosphatidylcholine by PC-PLC or by PLD followed by phosphatidic acid phosphatase. Because no eukaryotic PC-PLC has been cloned or isolated in pure form, the phosphatidylcholine-preferring PLC from B. cereus (PLCBc) has emerged as a focal point for investigation and as a putative model for mammalian PC-PLCs. The similarity of the active site of PLCBc with other phosphoryl transfer enzymes has also served as a stimulus for mechanistic studies. The present account details recent studies of this important member of the PLC superfamily of enzymes.
World Population Growth and Future Food Supplies

Food enough—there is no greater problem facing the world today. Food requirements are absolutely related to the number of people living on the earth. And this number is increasing at a rate never before experienced in human history. If the world’s population growth is maintained at its present rate, the number of people who must be fed will quadruple in the average lifetime of the readers of these words. This means that in 70 years four times as much food as is available now will be required to feed the hungry. The enormity of the problem is hard to grasp for most Americans, who, as a nation, have never experienced hunger. Such has been the bounty of U.S. agriculture and the efficiency of the food industry—both fruits of the advent of modern science coupled with good fortune in natural resources. But even in the United States food problems of diverse kinds will continue to get more and more public attention—rising prices; crop failures due to drought, floods, and freezing weather; food shortages, famine, and starvation in various parts of the world; international trading of food on a scale never before seen; food trade and the balance of payments. Such attention is evidence of increasing public awareness of the need for more food—the challenge facing all of us.
Steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency in congenital adrenal hyperplasia

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) refers to a group of inherited genetic disorders involving deficiencies in enzymes that convert cholesterol to cortisol within the adrenal cortex. There are five key enzymes involved in the production of cortisol. Of these key enzymes, deficiency of 21-hydroxylase is the most commonly defective enzyme leading to CAH representing more than 90% of cases. The low adrenal cortisol levels associated with CAH affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal negative feedback system leading to increased pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) production, which overstimulates the adrenal cortex in an attempt to increase cortisol production resulting in a hyperplastic adrenal cortex. The deficiency of enzyme 21-hydroxylase results from mutations or deletions in the CYP21A2 gene found on chromosome 6p. The disorder is transmitted as an autosomal recessive pattern and specific mutations may be correlated to enzymatic compromise of varying degrees, leading to the clinical manifestation of 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) CAH.
Corrected TGA-VSD: The Double Switch Procedure

Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries (ccTGA) is a rare, complex condition that is characterised by atrio-ventricular and ventriculo-arterial discordance. There are a great variety of associated defects, of which VSD is commonest. The VSD is usually perimembranous but is variable in size. Patients with large VSD may require early pulmonary artery (PA) banding to prevent congestive cardiac failure.
Different Country, Same Work: The Income Advantage of Industrial Channeling Among Mexican Immigrants

This study builds on recent work investigating the process of migration channeling between analogous sectors of the Mexican and U.S. labor markets. In this study, the authors take up the question of whether channeling between Mexico and the United States promotes immigrants’ economic integration. Drawing on previous research on channeling, and using insights from human capital theory, the authors test the hypothesis that immigrants who are able to use their industry-specific knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired in Mexico within the same industry in the United States achieve higher levels of economic integration. Using a sample of Mexican immigrants from the New Immigrant Survey, we find that industrially channeled immigrants experience a wage premium of over $5,000, on average, in the United States. Our study concludes with a discussion of what industrial channeling means for Mexican immigrants’ broader integration into U.S. society.
Topology-dependent emissive properties of zirconium-based porphyrin MOFs

Highly ordered chromophoric linkers positioned within the metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have the potential to mimic natural light-harvesting complexes. Herein we report topological control over the photophysical properties of MOFs via modular interchromophoric electronic coupling to manifest different steady-state singlet emission spectra and their corresponding fluorescence lifetimes.
Improved Safety and Loadability of Coated DBX-1

ABSTRACTSeveral additives such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinyl butyral (PVB), and ethyl cellulose (EthocelTM) were selected to improve the flowability and safe pressing of copper(I) 5-nitrotetrazolate (DBX-1), a green replacement for lead azide currently under development. These properties are important for pressing the material into small-volume detonators, especially during manufacturing when saving cost, while maximizing efficiency and safety, is critical. Sensitivity tests such as ball drop impact, Bundesanstalt fur Materialprufung (BAM) friction, and electrostatic discharge (ESD) along with compatibility testing and performance testing in M55 stab detonators were conducted. For comparison, all testing was done on both uncoated DBX-1 (control sample) and DBX-1 coated with various additives. DBX-1 coated with PVP and PVB showed better flowability compared to the Ethocel additive. Moreover, a considerable safety improvement during pressing was observed with all coated DBX-1 samples compared to ...
The weight of obesity: Hunger and global health in postwar Guatemala

The weight of obesity is a thoughtful and well researched anthropological examination of the growing concerns over obesity and the ‘diseases of modernity’ in Xela, Guatemala. The city, like many ot...
Minimally Invasive Middle Fossa Keyhole Craniectomy for Repair of Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence.

Background Superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) presents with varying degrees of auditory and vestibular dysfunction. The condition is confirmed on high-resolution computed tomography (CT) imaging, and symptoms are often improved by surgical repair. Although a classic middle fossa craniotomy has been used with good results, recent advances in technique have allowed for modification of the traditional approach into a smaller skin incision and a minimally invasive middle fossa keyhole craniectomy roughly 1.7 cm in diameter. Objective To delineate this novel approach and describe the technique for accurate localization of the dehiscence using preoperative measurements and intraoperative image guidance, thereby minimizing the need for a larger skin incision and craniotomy. Methods Patients were independently diagnosed with SSCD by the senior authors. Once relevant imaging was acquired, the novel keyhole technique was performed. Patients' vestibular and auditory symptoms before and after the procedure were assessed. Outcomes from a series of patients treated with this keyhole approach were tabulated and reported. Results Twelve cases from 11 patients were included in this series. Auditory symptoms had high rates of resolution with pulsatile tinnitus, internal amplification of sounds, and autophony being resolved in a majority of cases. Only 2 cases reported hearing decline. Sound/pressure induced vertigo and disequilibrium also demonstrated high rates of resolution. No complications were reported. Conclusion The minimally invasive middle fossa keyhole craniectomy is a novel approach for the repair of SSCD. This approach may contribute to resolved auditory and vestibular symptoms with low morbidity and quick recovery.
Topological photonics: Come to light

Topological concepts have been demonstrated in microwave photonic systems but laser-written waveguides show the way to topological physics for light at optical frequencies.
Buspirone in Children and Adolescents with Anxiety: A Review and Bayesian Analysis of Abandoned Randomized Controlled Trials

Abstract Objectives: An increasing number of abandoned clinical trials have forestalled efforts to advance the evidence base for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. With this in mind, we sought to present and validate a Bayesian approach for the reanalysis of summary data in abandoned clinical trials and to review and re-evaluate available pharmacokinetic, tolerability, and efficacy data from two large, randomized controlled trials of buspirone in pediatric patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Methods: Prospective, randomized, parallel-group controlled trials of buspirone in pediatric patients with GAD as well as associated pharmacokinetic studies were identified and data were extracted. In addition to descriptive statistics, marginal posterior densities for each variable of interest were determined and a Monte Carlo pseudosample was generated with random draws obtained from the Student's t-distribution to assess, with inferential statistics, differences i...
Glial overexpression of Dube3a causes seizures and synaptic impairments in Drosophila concomitant with down regulation of the Na+/K+ pump ATPα

Duplication 15q syndrome (Dup15q) is an autism-associated disorder co-incident with high rates of pediatric epilepsy. Additional copies of the E3 ubiquitin ligase UBE3A are thought to cause Dup15q phenotypes, yet models overexpressing UBE3A in neurons have not recapitulated the epilepsy phenotype. We show that Drosophila endogenously expresses Dube3a (fly UBE3A homolog) in glial cells and neurons, prompting an investigation into the consequences of glial Dube3a overexpression. Here we expand on previous work showing that the Na+/K+ pump ATPα is a direct ubiquitin ligase substrate of Dube3a. A robust seizure-like phenotype was observed in flies overexpressing Dube3a in glial cells, but not neurons. Glial-specific knockdown of ATPα also produced seizure-like behavior, and this phenotype was rescued by simultaneously overexpressing ATPα and Dube3a in glia. Our data provides the basis of a paradigm shift in Dup15q research given that clinical phenotypes have long been assumed to be due to neuronal UBE3A overexpression.
Balancing autonomy and beneficence at the time of psychiatric discharge.

As in much of the world, mental health law in Israel has evolved over the past half-century toward greater protection of patients’ liberty and an increased emphasis on due process. Part of that process in Israel involved taking decisions about prolonged involuntary hospitalization out of the hands of treating psychiatrists and turning them over to independent review panels. Argo and colleagues examined outcomes of discharge decisions made by these panels compared with treating psychiatrists. In this brief commentary, we describe related trends in mental health law in other countries, especially the U.S., consider countervailing perspectives on the role of review panels, and suggest how the Argo et al. study might be followed up with additional research.
Robotic resection of recurrent pediatric lipoblastoma

This case demonstrates successful resection of a rare, recurrent presacral-pelvic lipoblastoma in a 19-year-old female patient. Because of the anatomical location of the mass and its proximity to vital structures, the robotic approach allowed for both optimal visualization and effective debulking of the mass. Furthermore, with the use of an articulating laparoscopic camera, key visualization of the posterior lateral pelvis was possible. Using a wide breadth of technologies and resources is essential to broadening the surgical armamentarium and achieving resectability in otherwise challenging cases.
Effects of flight activity and age on oxidative damage in the honey bee, Apis mellifera.

ABSTRACT Frequent and highly aerobic behaviors likely contribute to naturally occurring stress, accelerate senescence and limit lifespan. To understand how the physiological and cellular mechanisms that determine the onset and duration of senescence are shaped by behavioral development and behavioral duration, we exploited the tractability of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) model system. First, we determined whether a cause–effect relationship exists between honey bee flight and oxidative stress by comparing oxidative damage accrued from intense flight bouts to damage accrued from d-galactose ingestion, which induces oxidative stress and limits lifespan in other insects. Second, we experimentally manipulated the duration of honey bee flight across a range of ages to determine the effects on reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and associated enzymatic antioxidant protective mechanisms. In bees fed d-galactose, lipid peroxidation (assessed by measuring malondialdehyde levels) was higher than in bees fed sucrose and age-matched bees with a high and low number of flight experiences collected from a colony. Bees with high amounts of flight experience exhibited elevated 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine, a marker of oxidative DNA damage, relative to bees with less flight experience. Bees with high amounts of flight experience also showed increased levels of pro-oxidants (superoxide and hydrogen peroxide) and decreased or unchanged levels of antioxidants (superoxide dismutase and catalase). These data implicate an imbalance of pro- to anti-oxidants in flight-associated oxidative stress, and reveal how behavior can damage a cell and consequently limit lifespan.
Sources of Students' Anxiety in a Multidisciplinary Social Statistics Course.

To what extent, and why, do social science undergraduates experience anxiety about taking statistics courses? Despite holding assumptions of rampant statistics anxiety among students, sociologists ...
The role of dobutamine stress echocardiography based projected aortic valve area in assessing patients with classical low-flow low-gradient aortic stenosis

Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease in the US (1). The prevalence of AS increases with age from 0.2% in those aged 50–59 years to 2.8% in adults older than 75 years and up to 9.8% in octogenarians (2,3). It is estimated that AS is responsible for yearly 85,000 aortic valve replacement and 15,000 deaths in North America (4).
Chapter 10 Calculating Portfolio Credit Risk

Abstract This chapter provides an overview of modeling and computational issues associated with portfolio credit risk. We consider the problem of calculating the loss distribution in a portfolio of assets exposed to credit risk, such as corporate bonds or bank loans. We also discuss the pricing of portfolio credit derivatives, such as basket default swaps and collateralized debt obligations. A portfolio view of credit risk requires capturing dependence between the assets in the portfolio; we discuss models of dependence and associated computational techniques. A standard modeling framework takes the assets to be conditionally independent given a set of underlying factors, and this is convenient for computational purposes. We discuss a recursive convolution technique, transform inversion, saddlepoint approximation, and importance sampling for Monte Carlo simulation.
Chapter 11 The economics of the local public sector

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the demand side of the public sector and focuses on normative rather than positive models. The political economy of the local public sector has been studied by both political scientists and economists, but efforts to combine the two have had limited success. The addition of supply-side-political assumptions to Tiebout models has led largely to negative conclusions about the existence and efficiency of the local public competitive analogy. The Tiebout model has provided one useful, albeit somewhat artificial, model of a more or less competitive local public sector. However, the value and usefulness of the Tiebout model is likely to diminish in the future, and an alternative or alternatives are needed. Several monopoly models of local government have been suggested to provide a useful counterpart to the Tiebout approach. Public goods are viewed as brands that differ in one or more of the attributes. The extent to which local governments compete among themselves in the supply of the public good becomes issues that are studied using modern techniques of industrial organization. Local public economics is a subject area that is rich with empirical work, but a good deal of high quality work remains to be undertaken. The relationship between the mobility of households and the provision of local public services is one area that typifies work in local public finance. A well-specified and correctly estimated model helps to evaluate the correct method by which the demands for local public goods are determined.
RVE-based multilevel method for periodic heterogeneous media with strong scale mixing

A Representative Volume Element based multilevel (multigrid) solution method for wave propagation problems in periodic heterogeneous media is developed. The intergrid transfer operators are constructed from the solution of the Representative Volume Element (RVE) problem. It is shown that the convergence of the RVE-based multilevel method improves with increasing material heterogeneity and decreasing time integration step. Numerical results confirm theoretical estimates.
Parallel Multigrid Methods

Multigrid methods have proved to be among the fastest numerical methods for solving a broad class of problems, from many types of partial differential equations to problems with no continuous origin. On a serial computer, multigrid methods are able to solve a widening class of problems with work equivalent to a few evaluations of the discrete residual (i.e., a few relaxations). Many research projects have been conducted on parallel multigrid methods, and they have addressed a variety of subjects: from proposed new algorithms to theoretical studies to questions about practical implementation. The aim here is to provide a brief overview of this active and abundant field of research, with the aim of providing some guidance to those who contemplate entering it.
REDUCING THE COST OF STUDYING SURVEY MEASUREMENT ERROR: IS A LABORATORY APPROACH THE ANSWER?

Publisher Summary One of the reasons for the paucity of information on the impact of non-sampling errors is that the current survey error models imply that field experiments are needed to quantify the impact of errors and that a survey design information system should not be dependent upon either the development of complex total error models or upon models that require field experiments to quantify. A survey design information system should employ a variety of approaches for quantifying the effects of errors. This chapter discusses the measurement error models, the Pearson laboratory experiment, and various considerations for the laboratory experiment approach. It is further suggested that a survey design information system should not wait for a grand total error model that integrates information on many or all types of survey errors.
Secure Computation with Differentially Private Access Patterns

We explore a new security model for secure computation on large datasets. We assume that two servers have been employed to compute on private data that was collected from many users, and, in order to improve the efficiency of their computation, we establish a new tradeoff with privacy. Specifically, instead of claiming that the servers learn nothing about the input values, we claim that what they do learn from the computation preserves the differential privacy of the input. Leveraging this relaxation of the security model allows us to build a protocol that leaks some information in the form of access patterns to memory, while also providing a formal bound on what is learned from the leakage. We then demonstrate that this leakage is useful in a broad class of computations. We show that computations such as histograms, PageRank and matrix factorization, which can be performed in common graph-parallel frameworks such as MapReduce or Pregel, benefit from our relaxation. We implement a protocol for securely executing graph-parallel computations, and evaluate the performance on the three examples just mentioned above. We demonstrate marked improvement over prior implementations for these computations.
Working fluid parametric analysis for recuperative supercritical organic Rankine cycles for medium geothermal reservoir temperatures

Abstract The conversion efficiency of geothermal energy is very low. For low-temperature resources, such as geothermal energy, a supercritical organic Rankine cycle (ORC) has been shown to be more efficient than an ORC. Recuperative supercritical ORCs have been proven to yield even higher efficiencies for cases where the heat source is limited above the ambient temperature. Most studies on these cycles have focused on turbine inlet temperatures between 80 and 130 °C. Only a few studies have explored other working fluids between 180 and 350 °C but did not analyze optimum turbine inlet pressures. Turbine inlet temperatures ranging from 170 to 240 °C were tested with the heat source provided by a medium temperature geothermal reservoir. A parametric analysis was performed for various turbine inlet pressures and temperatures. Numerous environmental and nontoxic fluids were analyzed. Temperatures and pressures were selected for each tested fluid to achieve the maximum plant efficiency and net work. The best performing binary cycle fluid was R1233zd(E) with a plant efficiency of 16.2% and a second law efficiency of 52.3% for a turbine inlet temperature of 240 °C. This cycle was compared to a single flash plant. The binary cycle plant produced over double the work and had significantly less exergy destruction.
Abstract P314: Regulatory Dendritic Cell Treatment Prevents the Development of Vasopressin-Induced Preeclampsia

The concept that persistent feto-placental intolerance is important in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia (PE) has been demonstrated by our lab and others. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) infusion during ...
Islamic Schools Future: Elementary Education (La Plume, Eva de Vitray) and New Trends (MHS, Salafi, Clandestine, Non-contracted Schools by Choice, and Homeschooling)

This chapter investigates the recent trend of opening elementary rather than secondary schools. It focuses on two primary schools: La Plume in Grenoble, the first Muslim elementary school in France, and Eva-de-Vitray in Mantes-la-Jolie, the first Muslim elementary school in metropolitan France to get a contract with the state. The second part discusses schools at both ends of the spectrum: a secular school with Muslim ethics (MHS), a school reported to be Salafi, a clandestine school, a school that might not want a contract with the State, and homeschooling. Only the first one granted me access; I describe what I learned during unsuccessful attempts at visiting the others.
A HISTORY OF THE ACADEMY OF ACCOUNTING HISTORIANS 1973–1988

This paper traces the evolution of The Academy of Accounting Historians from its formation in 1973 through 1988. The Academy has evolved from an idea to an important international organization.
National Trends in Centralization of Surgical Care and Multimodality Therapy for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

Studies have demonstrated that multimodality therapy and surgery at high volume centers are associated with a longer survival. However, it is unknown if these data have translated into national changes in care delivery. Patients with stages I–III pancreatic adenocarcinomas who underwent resections between 2004 and 2010 were identified from the National Cancer Data Base. The primary outcome was a 3-year overall survival. Temporal trends in survival outcomes and treatment variables were measured. A mediation analysis using the Lin method was used to discern the relative contribution of changes in treatment variables towards improvements in survival over time. A total of 22,196 patients were identified. Between 2004 and 2010, a 90-day peri-operative mortality remained unchanged (8.5 % to 8.4 %, p = 0.488), 3-year overall survival improved from 26 to 30% (p 10 cases/year in 2004 vs. 65 % in 2010, p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, 32 % of the improvement in survival over time was attributable to receipt of chemotherapy, while 12 % was due to the shift of patients towards high volume centers (p < 0.001). Over the period from 2004 to 2010, a 3-year survival increased for patients undergoing resection for pancreatic cancer. This survival improvement can be partially attributed to the increasing utilization of chemotherapy and centralization of surgical care at high volume centers. A continued emphasis on these factors will likely result in further prolongation of a survival following resection.
Opacity, Fragility, and Power: Lessons from the Law Enforcement Response to the Financial Crisis

The Case for the Corporate Death Penalty, by Mary Kreiner Ramirez and Steven A. Ramirez, argues that the limited law enforcement response to the 2008 financial crisis represented an unprecedented failure of the rule of law. The book maintains that the weak law enforcement response was caused by the economic and political power of the largest financial institutions and those who run them. It concludes that the failure to vigorously prosecute the people for the crisis risks continued and even heightened crime in the financial industry. This book review suggests that the concentration on prosecutions is misguided. There are good reasons for the limited prosecutorial response to the crisis. Better regulation, not more prosecutions, would best address the problems that led to the 2008 crisis. Whether one favors a prosecutorial or regulatory response, however, The Case for the Corporate Death Penalty serves as a valuable contribution to understanding the financial crisis and the factors that contributed to it. The book introduces the reader to the history of white collar prosecutions in America, before providing a clear, well-written, and carefully-sourced tour of greed, recklessness, and fraud. For those who want to better understand how our financial system so nearly failed, or how it might happen again, this book is the place to start.
[Effect of cementing ditch-based project on schistosomiasis control in Dingshen River basin in Shitai County].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of cementing ditch-based project on schistosomiasis control in the irrigation area of Dingshen River basin in Shitai County, Anhui Province. METHODS The data of Oncomelania hupensis snail surveys from 2009 to 2015 and the data of schistosome infections in humans and livestock from 2009 to 2015 were collected, and the changes of the epidemic situation were analyzed and compared before and after the project. RESULTS In the cementing ditches, the occurrence rate of living snails decreased by 68.79% and the average density of living snails decreased by 97.78%, whereas in the control areas without ditch hardening, the occurrence rate of living snails increased by 72.49% and the average density of living snails increased by 37.16%. The infection rate in humans decreased by 100%. Of 161 bovines examined with the egg-hatching method during the period, no infections were found. CONCLUSIONS The cementing ditch-based project has a good effect on reducing the density of snails and controlling schistosomiasis.
Landform pattern recognition and classification for predicting soil types of the Uasin Gishu Plateau, Kenya

Abstract Information obtained from landform classification is fundamental for understanding physical, chemical, and biological soil processes. Digital elevation models (DEMs) can be used for landform classification using a geomorphic pattern recognition and classification approach such as geomorphons. In this study, we used geomorphons to predict soil types of the Uasin Gishu Plateau in western Kenya with the aim of improving the existing soil type maps. We ran the geomorphons classification on the 30 m Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) DEM using the module r.geomorphons “add-on” in GRASS GIS with look up distance (L) values of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 cells (300 m to 3,000 m) and flatness threshold values of 2, 0.5 and 0.01 degrees. We grouped the resulting geomorphons into three classes: upland summits, upland midslopes, and bottomlands. We then assigned soil types according to the World Reference Base soil classification system to these three landscape positions after dividing the study area into the Lower Plateau and the Upper Plateau based on elevation and geomorphology. The predicted soil types were quantitatively evaluated against 50 soil point observations based on overall accuracy, precision, recall and Cohen’s kappa coefficient (k) metrics. Evaluation results showed that an L value of 20 cells performed best (k = 0.52; overall accuracy = 0.62) followed by an L value of 30 cells (k = 0.50; overall accuracy = 0.58). L values of 60, 70 and 80 cells performed worse (k = 0.35; overall accuracy = 0.48). Although an L value of 20 cells performed slightly better than an L value of 30 cells, the L value of 30 cells better captured the geomorphology and soil-landscape relationships based on our own expert knowledge, legacy data, and the fact that the bottomlands pattern was more continuous for an L value of 30 cells than for an L value of 20 cells. Upland summits occurred over ~ 32% of the plateau and were occupied by Nitisols on the Upper Plateau and Ferralsols on the Lower Plateau. Upland midslopes occurred over ~ 42% of the plateau and were occupied by Acrisols on the Upper Plateau and Acrisols/Ferralsols on the Lower Plateau. Bottomlands occurred over ~ 26% of the plateau and were occupied by Luvisols/Gleysols on both the Upper and Lower Plateau. Geomorphons, as a method of landform classification, correlated to geomorpho-pedological processes and captured soil variations and differences in the study area. The approach is computationally efficient and can be used for large areas, but is limited in that it only classifies landscapes according to shape. This means that the algorithm does not separate or identify soil types with different parent materials occurring within one landform class. Thus, Regosols and Cambisols on very steep slopes and Acrisols and Ferralsols on gentle slopes could not be separated.
A Long-term Study of Home Range of Coachella Fringe-Toed Lizards, Uma inornata

Long-term field studies of relatively long-lived lizards can reveal environmental influences and ontogenetic responses over the lifetime of an individual that would not be apparent in data from short-term field studies. Hence, we initiated a long-term (31-yr) study of a population of the Coachella Fringe-Toed Lizard, Uma inornata, to determine demographic (sex, size/age, population density) and environmental (rainfall) influences on HR size of individuals. Mark-and-recapture data and observations on marked individuals provided sufficient sightings to estimate HR size using minimum convex polygons for 45 males and 40 females varying from age 0 (birth year) to age 5. Home range size was positively correlated with age and body size and was nonlinearly correlated with individual growth. Males grew faster and attained larger body size than did females and had larger HRs than did females of similar age. However, the mean body size–adjusted HR size for adult U. inornata did not differ significantly by sex. Home range size was inversely related to density in males but showed no relationship to density in females. There was a significant inverse relationship between HR size and winter rainfall preceding a field season. Within individuals, HRs shifted geographically and increased in size over sequential years as individuals grew. The location of an HR's centroid shifted between 4 and 62 m between years (mean 28 m for males, 15 m for females). Hence, combining HR data from multiple years will overestimate the actual spatial usage of an individual during any single year.
COMPARISON OF RANKING MODELS TO EVALUATE DESKTOP 3D PRINTERS IN A GROWING MARKET

Abstract While additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, has been in existence commercially for ∼30 years, desktop 3D printers are a relatively new and rapidly growing market segment. Both well-established AM companies and an increasing number of new enterprises are designing and retailing desktop systems of various sizes, capabilities, and prices. With the abundance of desktop systems now on the market, a consumer may benefit from determining which system best serves their needs. This research highlights differences amongst 45 desktop 3D printers and suggests a method by which to evaluate such differences. For this, a standard part consisting of various geometric features was designed and printed using each system. An updated version of a previously developed quantitative ranking model was utilized to rate the build precision of each system as well as other features, including build volume, size, cost, weight, and layer resolution. In addition, the research team observed part aesthetics and quantified mechanical properties. The criteria evaluated in this ranking model may be modified by each user, to extend this methodology to other desktop AM systems, including professional-grade machines. The results from the model presented in this research were compared with other commonly used ranking methods to help evaluate each technique. These included a simple ascending order rank based model adjusted for ties (1-best and 45-worst), a percentile value based model evaluating the factor contribution values presented in this paper; and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) which evaluated separation measures from ideal and worst solutions. As expected, the comparisons demonstrated that each model had slightly different rankings as compared to the model presented in this paper, with some outliers. Consequently, it was observed that percentile value based models (such as one presented in this paper) provide rankings different from separation value based models (from ideal and worst solutions) such as TOPSIS.
Teaching students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to calculate cost after discounts via schematic diagrams.

Abstract Background/aims/methods Life skills instruction is important for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and an emerging research base exists in which schema instruction is used to support students with IDD. In this single-case multiple probe across participants study, researchers explored the use of a schematic diagram in conjunction with the system of least prompts (SLP) to support the acquisition, fluency, maintenance, and generalization of life skills mathematics for secondary students with IDD. Procedures/outcomes Researchers collected data relative to student accuracy and independence in solving problems involving finding the cost of an item after a discount (i.e., sale or coupon). Researchers collected data across baseline, intervention, maintenance, and generalization phases. Results/conclusion Researchers found a functional relation between the intervention package and accuracy for all three students. Students were successful with the schematic diagram, however, the data for generalization to when no schema was provided were more idiosyncratic. Implications This research holds implications for the use of a schematic diagram to support students with IDD learning life-skills mathematical problem solving.
How to project onto an arbitrary single-photon wave packet

The time-frequency degree of freedom of the electromagnetic field is the final frontier for single-photon measurements. The temporal and spectral distribution a measurement retrodicts (that is, the state it projects onto) is determined by the detector's intrinsic resonance structure. In this paper, we construct ideal and more realistic positive operator-valued measures (POVMs) that project onto arbitrary single-photon wave packets with high efficiency and low noise. We discuss applications to super-resolved measurements and quantum communication. In doing so we will give a fully quantum description of the entire photodetection process, give prescriptions for (in principle) performing single-shot Heisenberg-limited time-frequency measurements of single photons, and discuss fundamental limits and trade-offs inherent to single-photon detection.