cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of leaf shape and edge design for faster evaporation in biomimetic heat dissipation systems

In previous projects theromodynamics of plants was identified as an interesting field delivering concept generators for technical, especially architectural application. So leaf morphology is determined by a variety of factors, and also significant for plant water and energy balance. However, how leaf design affects evapotranspiration and, consequently, leaf thermal performance and energy budget, has not been investigated in detail. Many leaf-inspired models in the literature overlook leaf hydraulics, capillarity, wetting phenomena in porous materials and the thermal properties of cellulose. To further the knowledge in this field, we have started to research on the relation between wetting, thermal dynamics and shape. We recorded with a thermal camera free convection of wetted models made of laser-cut paper tissue, soaked in water and drying naturally. Families of shapes were abstracted from leaves of deciduous trees: white oak, for their crenations and lobes; maple, for their relatively large teeth; elm, for their smaller hierarchically-ordered serrations. In this abstracted experimental setup, we observed distinct evaporation rates for models with normalized surface area but different boundary perimeters. Outward teeth prompt dewetting nucleation in shapes only differing geometrically, shedding some light on surface designs for heat dissipation versus designs for moist microclimate retention. The biomimetic approach taken will deliver a better understanding of the biological role of leaf structure and support the enhancement of fluid-assisted heat transfer systems, for which further three-dimensional exploration and scale studies are conceptualized.
Diversity in Master of Public Administration Programs at Minority-Serving Institutions

The concept of diversity among students and faculty in Master of Public Administration programs at minority-serving institutions has remained unexplored over the years. Past studies have reported o...
Factors Affecting Responses to Social Separation in Rhesus Monkeys

The use of nonhuman primates as subjects for useful models of human psychopathology has attracted increasing interest in recent years. Such use reflects the growing sophistication of primate researchers in identifying parallels between human and nonhuman behavioral patterns. It has been motivated by a desire for information difficult, if not impossible, to obtain easily from human patients.
Risk factors associated with healing chronic diabetic foot ulcers: The importance of hyperglycemia

Diabetic foot ulcer management presents a significant challenge for wound care clinicians; numerous approaches to encourage healing in these difficult wounds have been explored. To determine risk factors related to diabetic foot ulcer time to healing and closure, a secondary analysis of data from a prospective randomized study involving 245 patients treated with a bioengineered human dermal substitute (n = 130) or control treatment (n = 115) was conducted. Analyzed variables included age, race, gender, ulcer duration, initial ulcer size, initial hemoglobin (HgbA1c), average HgbA1c, change in HgbA1c, diabetes type, average hours of weight-bearing, study ulcer infection, history of smoking or alcohol use, and laboratory values. Time to healing was significantly affected by initial ulcer size (risk ratio 0.75, confidence interval 0.59-0.96), gender (risk ratio 2.01, confidence interval 1.20-3.40), and wound infection during the study (risk ratio 2.9, confidence interval 1.45-4.22). Initial ulcer size (>2 cm2), male gender, and an episode of infection during the study were associated with an increased risk of nonclosure after 12 weeks of care (P <0.05). In patients whose HgbA1C increased during the study (n = 101), 20.7% of all wounds and 21% of dermal substitute-managed wounds (n = 105) healed; whereas, in patients whose HgbA1C levels remained stable or decreased, 26.3% of all wounds and 47% of dermal substitute-managed wounds healed (P <0.05). Female gender, small ulcer size, and the absence of infection were found to have a positive effect on healing all diabetic foot ulcers; improved glucose control had a significant effect on healing wounds managed with the dermal substitute only. This is the first diabetic foot ulcer study to find a relationship between hyperglycemia and wound healing. Further research into factors that improve healing of wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers, is warranted.
Ankle and foot pain

An approach that allows a consistent, thorough evaluation can be recommended by a mnemonic using the words ankle/foot. The maxim about foot and ankle pain is that "the good exam begins at the back and ends at the toe." During this exam, the cutaneous, vascular, and neural systems need careful evaluation. The exam is directed to the region of maximal discomfort where careful palpation should pinpoint the spot of greatest tenderness. Once this region has been localized and signs and symptoms collected, consider the differential diagnosis specific for that area. This will narrow the focus, make the number of potential pain sources manageable, and often provide the answer. When the diagnosis is still unclear, obtain standard x-rays of the area. A directed evaluation to probe the region is appropriate. This can mean a bone scan to detect early avascular necrosis, stress fractures or osteomyelitis; an EMG-NCS to assess the neural circuitry; and special x-ray views, CAT scan, NMR, or arthrogram to uncover the difficult fracture. At this point, fortunately, the primary physician is not alone. The diagnostic dilemma or the difficult management case can be referred for a second opinion or therapeutic assistance to a podiatrist, rheumatologist, or the orthopedist with a special interest in feet.
The Decline Begins

The third edition of the Formulaire de Mathematiques [110] is dated 1 January, 1901. It essentially marks the end of Peano’s original researches in mathematical logic. The section on logic is almost verbatim the article on logic published the previous July in the Rivista, which was a new elaboration, and hence this edition differed greatly from the second edition of the Formulaire, at least in its treatment of logic. Its mathematical content differed little. Couturat gave it an ample review (nineteen pages) in the Bulletin des Sciences Mathematiques [(2) 25-I (1901), 141–159].
Paradoxical lithium neurotoxicity: a report of five cases and a hypothesis about risk for neurotoxicity.

There have been many reports of probable lithium-induced organic brain syndromes occurring when serum lithium levels are within or close to the therapeutic range. The authors report on five patients who developed clinical syndromes suggestive of severe neurotoxicity during lithium treatment. In all cases lithium levels were between .75 and 1.7 mEq/liter. The patients who developed neurotoxicity had markedly higher global ratings of psychotic symptomatology and anxiety in the pretoxic period than did patients who never deveoped neurotoxicity. When the acute manic state is characterized by marked psychotic symptoms and intense anxiety, it may be associated with increased vulnerability to the development of severe lithium neurotoxicity.
Ionically Conducting Inorganic Crystalline Materials

While we may think of this area of interest as new, due to the rapidly increasing current interest and the hopes for interesting applications to battery systems, this is not really the case. Actually, electrical conduction as the result of the motion of ions in solids has been recognized and attracted scientific attention for a long time.
Flexible Ultra-resolution Subdermal EEG Probes

Scalp Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a popular, noninvasive method to record neural activity, commonly used in the clinical setting as a gold-standard for diagnosing many disorders, including epilepsy. The spatial resolution of scalp EEG is of critical concern for targeting surgical interventions and resultant patient outcomes. However, high-resolution spatial information is filtered and obscured by noise as electrical signals propagate through layers of tissue. We present a novel paradigm of high-density subdermal EEG arrays, capable of being implanted under the scalp to increase spatial resolution of EEG recordings while minimizing invasiveness compared to traditional implantable recording electrode arrays such as electrocorticography (ECoG) surface grids. In addition, our device can be chronically implanted, as opposed to traditional scalp EEG electrodes that need to be removed periodically for re-application of conductive electrode gel. We demonstrate the design, fabrication and electrical characterization of high-density subdermal EEG arrays realized in Parylene C polymer platform using an optimized microfabrication process. Devices are realized in a range of electrode diameters (200 microns – 1000 microns) and pitch (1 mm – 3.5 mm), to study the effects of electrode size and spacing on the spatial frequency content and redundancy of recorded neural signals. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) measurements, show an impedance of <10 kΩ (for 600 micron diameter) at 1 kHz. These high-density subdermal EEG probes will be used to validate our theoretical models of sampling and reconstructing neural activity from electric potentials.
Intracranial Administration of Nicardipine After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Review of the Literature.

Background Intrathecal (IT), intraventricular (IVt), and intracisternal administration of nicardipine deliver treatment directly into the central nervous system. This route of drug delivery is being investigated as a potential treatment of vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Objective The authors reviewed the existing literature regarding the direct administration of nicardipine into the intracranial space for the treatment of vasospasm following aSAH. Methods An electronic search of literature published between 1994 and 2018 was performed using PubMed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines. A variety of combinations of the search terms “intrathecal nicardipine,” “intraventricular nicardipine,” and “nicardipine prolonged-release” were used. Results A total of 17 studies were included in this systematic review, 3 of which were studies in animals. The studies consistently demonstrated that IT nicardipine successfully reverses vasospasm, but the effect, as shown in some studies, was limited to the immediate vicinity of drug release. The data regarding long-term clinical outcomes are variable, with some studies demonstrating marked improvement whereas others fail to demonstrate improved outcomes when compared with patients who receive standard of care. Although adverse sequalae were uncommon, IT and IVt administration and therapy were associated with adverse effects including headache, meningitis, and hydrocephalus. Conclusions Given the findings presented in these studies, IT, IVt, and intracisternal (pellet) nicardipine administration can be useful treatment adjuncts for vasospasm following aSAH, especially in cases refractory to conventional forms of treatment. However, larger, controlled clinical trials are warranted.
If the HSU Fits … An Extension of the Hypothesis Relating Kinship and Culture Developed by Francis L.K. Hsu

In 1966, the anthropologist Francis L.K. Hsu pub I ished a Hypothesis on Kinship and Culture which purports to relate a culturally selected domiant dyad of the nuclear family, through the attribute...
The Moral Responsibility of Multinational Corporations to Be Socially Responsible

In this article Werhane challenges a current preoccupation in much of the management literature with corporate social responsibility. She suggests the term “social” refers to corporate responsibilities to the communities in which they operate, while it largely ignores the importance of moral responsibilities of companies to their other stakeholders including customers, employees, suppliers, and shareholders. As a consequence of this oversight, Werhane argues, the term might be usefully truncated to “corporate responsibility” which can be inclusive of legal, ethical and social obligation.
Examining the "Levels of Analysis" Issue in Understanding Technology Adoption by Groups

“Levels of analysis” has been a controversial topic in group research and has often been ignored by IS researchers leading to “cross-level fallacies” and “aggregation biases.” While the predominant practice in IS research is to assess group behavior by computing the “arithmetic mean of individual members’ behaviors,” recent studies have argued that groups should be treated separate from the individuals who constitute them, and group behavior should be measured using “global” constructs. This study examines the applicability of these two divergent practices in the context of technology adoption by groups, a phenomenon of growing importance in organizations that has not been investigated in-depth in IS research. Preliminary results from an experimental study provide some resolution to the debate surrounding the appropriateness of these two approaches, and highlight the contexts in which aggregation of individual-level measures may not be suitable for understanding group behavior.
A Standardized Cardiac Protocol for Pediatric Drug Ingestion Hospital Admissions.

To optimize patient resource utilization and safety, we created a standard-of-care guideline for pediatric drug ingestion hospital admissions. Methods A multidisciplinary committee developed specific telemetry guidelines for pediatric drug ingestion hospital admissions at a tertiary pediatric hospital. The guidelines stipulated inpatient admission with telemetry monitoring for the following criteria: (1) corrected QT interval (interval between the Q wave and T wave on a standard EKG)≥ 500 ms, (2) ingestion of an antiarrhythmic medication, or (3) ingestion of a tricyclic antidepressant. We created guidelines for electrocardiogram frequency for nontelemetry admissions. We implemented these guidelines in November 2015 in partnership with the Emergency Medicine Department and Poison Control Center. We reviewed medical records of all these admissions between January 1, 2015, and July 31, 2016, and divided patients into preintervention (January 1, 2015 to November 30, 2015) and postintervention (December 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016) groups. We used statistical process control charts and methodology to monitor changes over time. Results There were a total of 622 drug ingestion admissions during the study period. We admitted 69 patients (11%) to the cardiac acute care unit (CACU) for telemetry monitoring. The preintervention period included 61 admissions (5.5 CACU admissions per month). The postintervention period included 8 admissions (1.1 CACU admissions per month). This difference reflects an overall absolute decrease of 87%. There was no evidence of an increase in the rate of intensive care unit utilization, rapid response events, or adverse events in the postintervention period. Conclusions A standardized admission protocol for pediatric drug ingestions can safely improve resource utilization.
Discrepancy-Based Theory and Algorithms for Forecasting Non-Stationary Time Series

We present data-dependent learning bounds for the general scenario of non-stationary non-mixing stochastic processes. Our learning guarantees are expressed in terms of a data-dependent measure of sequential complexity and a discrepancy measure that can be estimated from data under some mild assumptions. Our learning bounds guide the design of new algorithms for non-stationary time series forecasting for which we report several favorable experimental results.
Branching Ratios of the K + Meson

Stopping ${K}^{+}$ mesons were observed in a 12-in.-diam, 10-in.-deep xenon bubble chamber. The branching ratios of the ${K}_{\ensuremath{\mu}2}$, ${K}_{\ensuremath{\mu}3}$, ${K}_{e3}$, ${K}_{\ensuremath{\pi}2}$, $\ensuremath{\tau}$, and ${\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ decay modes were calculated, giving, in percent, 63.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.8, 3.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5, 4.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3, 22.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.8, 5.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2, and 1.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2, respectively. These ratios are compared both with previous experiments and with some theoretical predictions. The ratio of the three-body pionic decay modes is consistent with the $\ensuremath{\Delta}T=\frac{1}{2}$ rule; the ratio of the three-body leptonic-decay modes is consistent with $\frac{{f}_{\ensuremath{-}}}{{f}_{+}}=0$; and the ${K}_{\ensuremath{\mu}2}$ branching ratio does not contradict a recent theory of universality in the two-body leptonic decays of the $\ensuremath{\pi}$ and $K$ mesons.
THE NUCLEOSYNTHETIC IMPRINT OF 15–40 M ☉ PRIMORDIAL SUPERNOVAE ON METAL-POOR STARS

The inclusion of rotationally induced mixing in stellar evolution can alter the structure and composition of pre-supernova stars. We survey the effects of progenitor rotation on nucleosynthetic yields in Population III and II supernovae (SNe) using the new adaptive mesh refinement code CASTRO. We examine piston-driven spherical explosions in 15, 25, and 40 M{sub sun} stars at Z = 0 and 10{sup -4} Z{sub sun} with three explosion energies and two rotation rates. Rotation in the Z = 0 models resulted in primary nitrogen production and a stronger hydrogen burning shell which led all models to die as red supergiants (in contrast to the blue supergiant progenitors made without rotation). On the other hand, the Z = 10{sup -4} Z{sub sun} models that included rotation ended their lives as compact blue stars. Because of their extended structure, the hydrodynamics favors more mixing and less fallback in the metal-free stars than the Z = 10{sup -4} models. As expected, higher energy explosions produce more enrichment and less fallback than do lower energy explosions, and at constant explosion energy, less massive stars produce more enrichment and leave behind smaller remnants than do more massive stars. We compare our nucleosynthetic yields to themore » chemical abundances in the three most iron-poor stars yet found and reproduce the abundance pattern of one, HE 0557-4840, with a zero metallicity, 15 M{sub sun}, 2.4 x 10{sup 51} erg SN. A Salpeter IMF-averaged integration of our yields for Z = 0 models with explosion energies of 2.4 x 10{sup 51} erg or less is in good agreement with the abundances observed in larger samples of extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars, provided 15 M{sub sun} stars are included. Since the abundance patterns of EMP stars likely arise from a representative sample of progenitors, our yields suggest that 15-40 M{sub sun} core-collapse SNe with moderate explosion energies contributed the bulk of the metals to the early universe.« less
Robustness of Brain Structural Networks Is Affected in Cognitively Impaired MS Patients.

The robustness of brain structural networks, estimated from diffusion MRI data, may be relevant to cognition. We investigate whether measures of network robustness, such as Ollivier-Ricci curvature, can explain cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS). We assessed whether local (i.e., cortical area) and/or global (i.e., whole brain) robustness, differs between cognitively impaired (MSCI) and non-impaired (MSNI) MS patients. Fifty patients, with Expanded Disability Status Scale mean (m): 3.2, disease duration m: 12 years, and age m: 40 years, were enrolled. Cognitive impairment scores were estimated from the Minimal Assessment of Cognitive Function in Multiple Sclerosis. Images were obtained in a 3T MRI using a diffusion protocol with a 2 min acquisition time. Brain structural networks were created using 333 cortical areas. Local and global robustness was estimated for each individual, and comparisons were performed between MSCI and MSNI patients. 31 MSCI and 10 MSNI patients were included in the analyses. Brain structural network robustness and centrality showed significant correlations with cognitive impairment. Measures of network robustness and centrality identified specific cortical areas relevant to MS-related cognitive impairment. These measures can be obtained on clinical scanners and are succinct yet accurate potential biomarkers of cognitive impairment.
Strong CO + and ${{\rm{N}}}_{2}^{+}$ Emission in Comet C/2016 R2 (Pan-STARRS)

We report on imaging and spectroscopic observations of comet C/2016 R2 (Pan-STARRS) obtained with the 0.8 m and 2.7 m telescopes of McDonald Observatory in 2017 November and December, respectively. The comet was at a heliocentric distance greater than 3 au during both sets of observations. The images showed a well-developed tail with properties that suggested it was an ion tail. The spectra confirmed that we were observing well-developed bands of CO+ and . The detection was unequivocally cometary and was one of the strongest bands of detected in a comet spectrum. We derived the ratio of these two ions and from that we were able to derive that N2/CO = 0.15. This is the highest such ratio reported for a comet.
Development of community metrics to evaluate recovery of Minnesota wetlands

Monitoring wetland recovery requires assessment tools that efficiently and reliably discern ecosystem changes in response to changes in land use. The biological indicator approach pioneered for rivers and streams that uses changes in species assemblages to interpret degradation levels may be a promising monitoring approach for wetlands. We explored how well metrics based on species assemblages related to land use patterns for eight kinds of wetlands in Minnesota. We evaluated land use on site and within 500 m,1000 m, 2500 m and 5000 m of riverine, littoral, and depressional wetlands (n = 116) in three ecoregions. Proportion of agriculture, urban, grassland, forest,and water were correlated with metrics developed from plant, bird, fish, invertebrate, and amphibian community data collected from field surveys. We found79 metrics that relate to land use, including five that may be useful for many wetlands: proportion of wetland birds, wetland bird richness, proportion of insectivorous birds, importance of Carex, importance of invasive perennials. Since very few metrics were significant for even one-half of the wetland types surveyed, our data suggest that monitoring recovery in wetlands with community indicators will likely require different metrics,depending on type and ecoregion. In addition, wetlands within extensively degraded ecoregions may be most problematic for indicator development because biotic degradation is historic and severe.
Perspectives of women researchers on disarmament, national security, and world order

Synopsis Forty women scholars professionally active in the fields of disarmament, national security and world order from 17 countries responded to questions regarding their own current and planned research, their evaluation of existing work in these fields, their estimates of the possible major steps toward disarmament, and their views on whether women researchers approach disarmament questions differently than men. The respondents divided into (1) those seeking new conceptual frameworks in order to remedy security problems in the existing social order and (2) those searching for new social structure, seeing the existing order as itself an obstacle to peace. Both groups rejected current research as lacking significant concepts, bogged down in meaningless detail, too parochial, with too little attention to process and conflict-management skills. The New Frameworks scholars focus on better process models for describing international interaction. The New Order scholars focus on alternative, more localist models of the international order. Both groups show skill in relating macrolevel data to the human experience of conflict. Most preferred to be recognized as scholars as per se , not as women scholars, but many felt that their marginal status in a predominately male research field made them more objective, gave them a more wholistic view of the problems of war and peace, than their male colleagues. It is recommended that women be given more support as researchers in this field, and that their perspectives be taken account of.
Duty, Environmental Advocacy Organizations, and the Commons

This chapter further explores the notion of “collective imperfect duty.” It uses this notion to further define “the commons” as a conceptual and often legal entity that emerges from “collective imperfect duty.” This phenomenon explains the rise of environmental advocacy organizations that express society’s interests in the most significant problem of our time. By promulgating their expertise into the public sphere, these organizations not only provide the scientific and socio-economic information and expertise necessary for our social discourse to be “reasoned,” but they also assert the “noble nature” of declaring the immorality of environmental destruction. They do this in our public discourse thereby making it “reasoned.” As illustrations, this chapter also examines the history of, and the current contributions of three of these environmental advocacy organizations: The Wilderness Society, The Sierra Club, and The Environmental Defense Fund. The role of a business coalition, the Western Energy Alliance, is also reviewed.
Contributions of strain relaxation and interface modes to thermal transport in superlattices

Superlattice structures are widely used in electronic and optoelectronic devices, many of which depend heavily on thermal management for performance and reliability. It has been observed that silicon/germanium superlattices exhibit an enhancement in thermal conductivity at very short period lengths, which has been attributed to the contribution of coherent phonons. Here we investigate additional potential contributions to enhanced thermal conductivity in superlattices as period length is reduced, finding that a reduction in strain relaxation as well as increased contributions of interface modes that have vibrational character intermediate between those of the two constituent materials offer additional mechanisms for increased thermal conductivity.
Envisioning Eternal Empire: Chinese Political Thought of the Warring States Era – By Yuri Pines

What is perhaps most impressive about this book is its sheer ingenuity through which the author directly pursues the reasons undergirding a fact about China's history that is commonly and casually ...
The Design and Planning of Monitoring, Reporting, and Fact-Finding Missions

The design and planning process is crucial to the implementation of monitoring, reporting, and fact-finding (MRF) mechanisms geared toward investigating violations of international law, including human rights, international criminal law, and international humanitarian law. However, many disagreements exist about how MRF actors should weigh different factors in their design and planning decision-making processes. This paper — to provide a point of reference indicating the implications of different methodological choices — examines areas of methodological agreement and disagreement, trends of professional decision-making, and normative perceptions that practitioners hold about best practices regarding the design and planning of MRF mechanisms. Based on an assessment of fifteen MRF missions implemented over the past decade, this paper analyzes how commissioners on these missions interpreted the mission’s investigative scope, examines the factors that guided decisions about the activities that the mission would undertake, and offers an overview of common staffing dilemmas. Overall, the paper aims to present a portrait of the state of MRF practice, in terms of how practitioners approach fulfilling their mandates.
Sharing lesson plans over the World Wide Web: important components

Teachers differ greatly in the way they plan their lessons, using personalised formats and incorporating specific lesson components. A new resource for lesson ideas is the World Wide Web. Literally thousands of lesson plans can be found online. Are lesson plans on the web different from the lesson plans teachers write? What lesson components should be present to support teachers' needs? A study was conducted comparing the components in teacher-generated lesson plans with components found in web-published lesson plans. Results show that teachers use more logistical references in their plans while web-published lessons present more descriptive information. Combining components that teachers find important with components that are important in communicating a clear and concise description of a lesson resulted in a proposed format for web-published lesson plans. Future research should focus on validating the proposed format, investigating if this format can facilitate cross-cultural sharing of lessons, and creating a web-based lesson plan component database that allows teachers to personalise lesson formats.
A high-speed algorithm for mapping 2-D ambiguity surfaces

The incremented sectionalized Fourier Transform (SFT) is equivalent to basebanding, filtering, and sampling a narrowband signal in the time domain. Spectral windowing is employed to control the pass-band and leakage characteristics of the resulting filter. The ambiguity kernel function and time-shifted SFT's are exploited to map the 2-D cross-coherence between signals. Mapping in the Doppler dimension is expedited through use of the DFT algorithm. The resulting error is tolerable when the time-bandwidth product of the process is less than the inverse of the maximum Doppler ratio employed. The resultant algorithm has proven successful in real-time underwater acoustic applications.
Nursing Home Policies

As several prior special issues of the Journal of Aging & Social Policy have identified, long-term care in the United States has evolved to include a wide variety of home and community services and...
Body image changes during early adulthood

Results from recent studies on body image have revealed differences between college-age individuals and older samples. In this study, adults 17 to 40 years old were evaluated for their body dissatisfaction on the Figure Rating Scale. Females had higher levels of body dissatisfaction than males and these differences did not diminish with age. However, consistent with physical changes in adulthood, current and ideal ratings became more discrepant with age. Interestingly, for women, affective and cognitive dimensions of body dissatisfaction became more consistent. Research on early adulthood personality development is used to help explain these results.
An Examination of Motorcycle Antilock Brake Systems (ABS) in Reducing Crash Risk

To prevent wheel lock up (and possible loss of control and capsize) during hard braking motorcycle manufacturers have equipped motorcycles with Antilock Brake Systems (ABS) either as an option or as standard equipment. Several studies utilizing real-world crash data have been published which estimate the effectiveness of motorcycle ABS in reducing the risk of a crash based on varying assumptions. These investigations have reported mixed results.The present investigation relies upon the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and the Florida police-reported crash databases to further investigate the effectiveness of motorcycle ABS by expanding upon and refining previous approaches. Notably a case-control approach is used whereby crashes involving ABS- and non-ABS-equipped motorcycles are divided into five groups with a varying likelihood that ABS will affect the risk of crashes in that group. The group of crashes with the least likelihood of being influenced by ABS is considered the control group and used as a measure of exposure to crashes. This methodology attempts to reduce any selection biases that might exist in the two motorcycle classes.The results support the hypothesis that ABS is effective in reducing the crash risk in some crash types. However, it was found that the case-control approach does not incorporate all factors that might influence the overall effectiveness of ABS, for example, motorcycle class and operator age. Accounting for these additional factors would likely require the use of regression analyses and would benefit significantly from additional data.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
A scalable MPI_Comm_split algorithm for exascale computing

Existing algorithms for creating communicators in MPI programs will not scale well to future exascale supercomputers containing millions of cores. In this work, we present a novel communicator-creation algorithm that does scale well into millions of processes using three techniques: replacing the sorting at the end of MPI_Comm_split with merging as the color and key table is built, sorting the color and key table in parallel, and using a distributed table to store the output communicator data rather than a replicated table. This reduces the time cost of MPI_Comm_split in the worst case we consider from 22 seconds to 0.37 second. Existing algorithms build a table with as many entries as processes, using vast amounts of memory. Our algorithm uses a small, fixed amount of memory per communicator after MPI_Comm_split has finished and uses a fraction of the memory used by the conventional algorithm for temporary storage during the execution of MPI_Comm_split.
Queer Youth v. the State of California: Interrogating Legal Discourses on the Rights of Queer Students of Color

AbstractFor nearly 2 decades, lawsuits filed on behalf of students who have endured anti‐queer bias in schools have resulted in favorable verdicts and settlements for the plaintiffs, thus spurring an increasing number of school districts across the United States to establish antidiscrimination policies and other initiatives to protect students from homophobic harassment. While these legal victories mark an important turn toward creating safe schooling environments for all students, they also reveal an inattention to the intersections of multiple identities and oppressions that can mediate the harassment experienced by queer students. Drawing upon critical scholarship on queers of color, or a queer of color critique, this article interrogates the absence of race in legal discourses on the rights of queer students in California. Through its focus on the intersections of race and sexual orientation, this article considers new forms of knowledge on queer youth of color that not only may inform legal protectio...
A novel reduced-intensity stem cell transplant regimen for nonmalignant disorders

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) benefits nonmalignant diseases but is limited by regimen-related toxicity, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), donor availability, and graft rejection (GR). To overcome some of these barriers, we developed a new conditioning strategy for these patients. In total, 16 patients received Campath-1H (33/48 mg; days −21 to −19), fludarabine (150 mg/m2; days −8 to −4), melphalan (140/70 mg/m2; day −3), and transplant using related/unrelated stem cells. GVHD prophylaxis included cyclosporine/methylprednisolone for cord cells. Other recipients also received methotrexate. Risk factors for GR included multiple transfusions (6), low stem cell numbers (1), and immunologic/metabolic disorders (3). Donor engraftment was present in 14/16 recipients. Neutrophils (ANC>0.5 × 109/l) and platelets (>50 × 109/l) engrafted at a median of 13 and 24 days. Two patients died of Pseudomonas sepsis prior to engraftment, one of CMV disease, and another of intracranial hemorrhage. With median follow-up of 281 days (78–907), 12/16 are stable/improved, or cured. Acute GVHD was absent (n=10) or mild and transient (grade1–2 skin) (n=4). There was no chronic GVHD. Toxicities were predominantly early infections within 100 days, and correlated with lymphopenia (CD4+ T and B cells). Stable engraftment and low incidence of significant GVHD, irrespective of age or stem cell source, make this reduced-intensity regimen attractive for nonmalignant disorders.
Aggregation and consistency problems in theoretical models of exploitative resource competition

Abstract Results from research in aggregation theory indicate the extreme unlikelihood that dimensionally different models of one system will produce the same dynamic behavior. This raises the question of whether two commonly used constructs in theoretical ecology, competition models and resource-consumer models, are consistent with each other in describing the same system. That is, do both theoretical representations predict the same equilibrium values, have the same stability characteristics, and show the same response behavior in the neighborhood of an equilibrium point. Here, it is proved that the theoretical models are only consistent when the phenomenon of interest, resource competition, is very weak or nonexistent. It is further shown that time scaling plays a critical role in model consistency; some models pairs are consistent at one level of time resolution and not at another. Examples using measured values illustrate the theoretical results and serve to emphasize that lack of a consistent theoretical basis can result in misunderstanding of ecological systems.
Coded signal design for a transmitterscanned sonar

The design of codes for a transmitter scanned sonar system is studied. The code wordsconsist of sequences of c.w. pulses, each pulse of which can have one of N frequencies. The code words have overlapping bandwidths, and are non-orthogonal. The performance of the system when two code word returns arrive at the receiver together is studied in detail. Shaping of the range-bearing response matrix to ensure that ambiguous spikes are minimized and placed near the target cell is discussed. The use of code word rotation to minimize ambiguities on the range-bearing response matrix is investigated when scan-to-scan integration is employed. The simulated performance of these codes in the presence of Gaussian noise is investigated. It is found that the optimum receiver for such a sonar system has two thresholds, rather than one. Such a receiver discriminates more effectively against ambiguities arising from the fact that the code words have overlapping bandwidths. The system is compared with more conventional sonars in terms of time bandwidth product. It is also compared with a transmitter scanned sonar employing a linearly swept FM signal.
Using Value Line’s Median Appreciation Potentialto Forecast Long-Horizon Market Returns

Over the last twenty-five years, there has been extensive research devoted to the study of long-horizon stock return predictability. The potential predictability of long-horizon stock movements is clearly important for wealth managers, institutional investors, and economic policy makers. This is particularly true for investors with an investment horizon of five to 10 years (and beyond in many cases), which characterizes the investment approach of many long-term portfolios. This article shows that a rarely researched valuation measure, the Value Line Median Appreciation Potential (MAP), can also be used to reliably forecast long-horizon stock market movements. It then goes beyond many forecasting papers to show that the long-horizon forecasting ability of MAP can be used to construct a portfolio superior to buy-and-hold.
Clinical Pharmacology of Muscle Relaxants in Patients With Burns

Pathophysiologic changes accompanying burn trauma can alter the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic responses to neuromuscular relaxants. Pathophysiologic changes that can potentially affect kinetics in the hypermetabolic phase of burn injury include increased hepatic blood flow, increased glomerular filtration, and increased protein binding. Except for D-tubocurarine, the pharmacokinetics of neuromuscular relaxants relative to burn trauma have not been studied. The unbound volume of distribution, clearance, and half-life of D-tubocurarine were not significantly different from controls, but the plasma binding and renal elimination at 24 hours was increased in burn patients. The aberrant pharmacodynamic responses to neuromuscular relaxants in burn patients include the potential for lethal hyperkalemia with the administration of depolarizing relaxant, succinylcholine, and a 2.5- to 5.0-fold increase in the dose or plasma concentration requirement for nondepolarizing relaxant, including D-tubocurarine, metocurine, pancuronium, and atracurium. The altered pharmacodynamic responses are probably related to an increase in nicotinic acetylcholine receptor number. An alternative to succinylcholine to produce rapid-onset neuromuscular paralysis include the administration of 3XED95 doses of pancuronium and metocurine in combination (but recovery from paralysis is prolonged). Vecuronium and atracurium have good cardiovascular stability and faster recovery times even in high dosages in healthy patients, but the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of these drugs in patients with burns have not been fully characterized.
Growth and characterization of GaN single crystals

Abstract Up to 3 mm long GaN single crystals were grown by sublimation of cold pressed GaN pellets or evaporation of gallium (Ga) metal under an ammonia (NH 3 ) flow in a dual heater, high-temperature growth system. A growth rate of 500 μm/h along the [0 0 0 1] direction was achieved using a source temperature of 1200°C, a total pressure of 760 Torr, and an NH 3 flow rate of 50 sccm. The resulting crystals were transparent, possessed low aspect ratios and well-defined growth facets. The only impurity present at high concentrations was oxygen (3×10 18 atoms/cm 3 ). Photoluminescence studies conducted at 77 K showed a sharp emission peak centered at 359 nm. Time-dependent photoluminescence measurements revealed optical metastability in bulk GaN. Raman spectroscopy yielded narrow peaks representing only the modes allowed for the wurtzite structure. All characterization studies confirmed excellent crystalline and optical quality of the obtained single crystals.
Undergraduate Material Research in a Land Grant HBCU to Sustain Local Farmers Communities

Land-Grant Universities including those that were developed under the second Morrill Act in 1890 have historically been a key resource for the best scientifically based information for agricultural production. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) is situated on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, a critical area, with small farms and underserved farmers. This unique location serves as an interface between University specialty crop research and those farmers. While prices of crops such as corn and soy, which traditionally have been a major source of income for local farmers, have increased dramatically over the past years, small farms cannot generate enough income from these commodity crops alone, and a need alternatives for extra income. At UMES agricultural, chemical and material research specialists formed a special research and training cluster in which they work jointly on non-traditional and non-food related applications of specialty crops in the field of material research leading to non-traditional applications of such crops. Examples of such research are: (i) blending natural specialty crops extracts with polymers to develop natural and effective anti-foaling coating to prevent biofilm formation on objects including military ships, platforms etc.; (ii) using biocompatible polymeric chitosan-based blends as sorbents for reversible carbon dioxide capturing and controlled release in algae-growing reactors and in the process of transforming biomass into alcohol by fermentation to increase the effectiveness of biomass use. Only about 20% of students-researchers in the cluster are graduate students and the rest are undergraduates. The main focus is to provide undergraduate students with research experience as a powerful tool for their education and career development. Focus on students performing outstanding research through their undergraduate education is the main priority in UMES. Working on the material research projects described above, our material cluster has developed some educational practices for effectively involving undergraduate students into research. These practices include early involvement, the development of special workshops and training settings for fast project starts, working in small groups lead by more experienced students, picking projects that can be easily divided into small tasks suitable to undergraduate student’s schedules, and participation in scientific conferences for undergraduates and others. In this presentation we will review two material research projects for undergraduate students mentioned above and will show how our best practices are implemented in each of these projects.
Particle size distributions of n-alkanes and 210Pb in aerosols off the coast of Peru

Lipid class compounds have been used to determine the sources of organic material in atmospheric aerosols from remote marine areas1–6. Recently, it has been shown that the temporal variability of terrestrial source marker organic compounds in aerosols from the tropical North Pacific is directly related to the seasonality of dust storm activity in China3,4. However, little is known about the detailed emission and transport mechanisms of these compound classes from the continents. We report here, as part of the Sea/Air Exchange Program (SEAREX), the particle size distributions of aliphatic hydrocarbons and 210Pb in aerosols in the upwelling zone off the coast of Peru to elucidate these mechanisms.
Schools effects on Teacher Socialization

ABSTRACT Induction experiences of beginning teachers in schools that were classified as more effective or less effective on the basis of student achievement are compared. Classroom observations, interviews, and a “Beginning Teacher Questionnaire” were used to obtain information from teachers in the two groups. Three areas of socialization were examined: assistance, monitoring, and team‐building. Results indicate that historically more effective schools were more supportive of their beginning teachers. In addition, outcome data regarding teacher performance provides evidence of more effective teaching among teachers in more supportive schools, even though initial teacher effectiveness, levels of experience, and educational attainment were not different for the two groups.
SEA‐BIRD BREEDING SEASONS ON CHRISTMAS ISLAND, PACIFIC OCEAN*

Summary Christmas Island, at 2° N, 157° W in the Central Pacific Ocean, supports 18 breeding species of sea-birds. Data on the breeding seasons collected by the authors and other visitors to the island are analyzed in individual species accounts. Population estimates are given, the distribution of each species on the island is outlined, and for some species information on the sexual and moult cycles of marked individuals is presented. The Discussion concerns the ultimate and proximate factors controlling breeding seasons and the role of social factors in maintaining breeding synchrony in sea-birds, the diversity of the breeding regimes exhibited on Christmas Island (summary and analysis in Fig. 2 and Table 5), and comparison of these regimes with those found in the birds of Ascension Island and the Galapagos Archipelago.