cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acquired Wharton's duct stenosis after dental radiographs treated with sialendoscopy

Salivary gland trauma may result in ductal stenosis and chronic sialadenitis. We describe a case of an 81-year-old woman with a history of intermittent left submandibular swelling that began after recent dental examination and radiographs. Diagnostic sialendoscopy was performed and demonstrated a near complete distal stenosis. It was determined that trauma experienced during dental radiography may have resulted in the patient9s ductal obstruction and subsequent sialadenitis. This case illustrates an unusual presentation of non-sialolith-related ductal obstruction in the submandibular gland, treated with sialendoscopic-assisted sialodochoplasty.
The partition of energy in hydromagnetic turbulence

Abstract The partition of energy between the velocity and the magnetic fields in hydromagnetic turbulence is discussed. It is pointed out that in the framework of a universal theory the discussion must be restricted to the inertial range of eddy sizes which does not include the largest energy containing eddies. On a particular theory of stationary, homogenous, and isotropic turbulence it is shown that in this inertial sub-range the spectra of the magnetic and kinetic energies are both Kolmogorovian with a constant ratio of amplitudes; further, that in this range, the energy in the magnetic field is 1.6265 times the energy in the velocity field.
ChemXSeer: a digital library and data repository for chemical kinetics

In this paper, we describe the ChemXSeer system that hosts data and scholarly articles related to chemical kinetics. Domain scientists have different needs that are not served by general search engines. ChemXSeer enables chemists (and others) to search for chemical formulae. As part of the project, we have designed TableSeer that extracts data from PDF documents and enters them into a database. Scientists also submit the raw data obtained as results of their experiments to the data repository. Metadata is associated with the data and can be searched. A mediated system allows searching across data and documents using the same search query interface using keyword queries.
A sequential GRASP for the therapist routing and scheduling problem

This paper presents a new model and solution methodology for the problem faced by companies that provide rehabilitative services to clinic and home-bound patients. Given a set of multi-skilled therapists and a group of geographically dispersed patients, the objective is to construct weekly tours for the therapists that minimize the travel, treatment, and administrative costs while ensuring that all patients are seen within their time windows and that a host of labor laws and contractual agreements are observed. The problem is complicated by three factors that prevent a daily decomposition: (i) overtime rates kick in only after 40 regular hours are worked during the week, (ii) new patients must be seen by a licensed therapist on their first visit, and (iii) for some patients only the frequency and not the actual days on which they are to be seen is specified. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear program but after repeated attempts to solve small instances with commercial software failed, we developed an adaptive sequential greedy randomized adaptive search procedure. The phase I logic of the procedure builds one daily schedule at a time for each therapist until all patients are routed. In phase II, several neighborhoods are explored to arrive at a local optimum. Extensive testing with both real data provided by a U.S. rehab company and datasets derived from them demonstrated the value of the purposed procedure with respect to current practice. The results indicated that cost reductions averaging over 18.09 % are possible.
The mesoglea of hydra. II. Possible role in morphogenesis

Examination of histological sections and isolated mesogleas in Hydra pseudoligactis reveals that the mesoglea is not a uniform structure but changes in form in different body regions and during asexual reproduction. At the extremities of the body column, the rim of the mouth and aboral pore, the fiber system of the mesoglea is strongly developed and appears to occlude the cementing matrix which usually surrounds the fibers. Cells, on reaching these extremities, pass over the fiber mass and slough off the body column. The mesoglea of the gastric region is well-developed but the fibers here are thinner than those in the peduncle. During budding the fiber system breaks down throughout the gastric and budding region while the fiber system in the peduncle persists. It is suggested that cells moving down the gastric column, because their basal processs can no longer attach to the fiber system, cannot readily enter the peduncle where attachment sites are already occupied. These cells will pass out into the budding tissue. It is suggested that the spindle orientation of dividing cells is probably perpendicular to the oral-aboral axis of the parents in the area of the bud. The adhesiveness of the two cell layers in various body regions is discussed.
Spatial resolution properties of nonquadratically regularized image reconstruction for PET

This paper examines the spatial resolution properties of non-quadratically regularized image reconstruction methods for positron emission tomography (PET). It is well known that quadratic regularization tends to over-smooth edges. Many types of edge-preserving nonquadratic penalties have been proposed to overcome this problem. However, there has been little research on quantitative analysis of nonquadratic regularization due to its nonlinear nature, whereas quadratic regularization is fairly well-understood in terms of its resolution and variance properties. We analyze the spatial resolution property of nonquadratic regularization by the local perturbation response. Our analysis shows that one can design a non-quadratic penalty to yield improved shift-invariant spatial resolution properties by using the certainty-based method based on the assumption of localized perturbations and locally uniform backgrounds. We also derive a useful scaling property of nonquadratic regularization. Simulations of 2D PET scans illustrate the validity of our analysis.
’Witch’s Milk’: Galactorrhea in the Newborn

• For a five-month period, infants examined on admission and discharge from the newborn nursery and at twoweek and two-month well-baby visits were examined for breast nodule size and the presence of galactorrhea. Nine hundred eighty-four examinations were performed on 640 children. Forty-five examinations (4.6%) on 38 infants revealed galactorrhea. "Witch's milk" was noted at all ages studied, including 1.8% of examinations at 2 months of age. All the infants with galactorrhea were born at term, with neither sex predominating. Children with galactorrhea had breast nodules significantly larger than those of children without galactorrhea. None of these infants was hypothyroid. This study concludes that witch's milk is a common occurrence, associated with larger than average breast nodules, and may persist until 2 months of age in normal newborns. (AJDC1986;140:252-253)
Using ultrasonic guided wave mode cutoff for corrosion detection and classification

Tools are developed from ultrasonic guided wave theory to be implemented in a corrosion detection and classification scheme. In particular, the concept of monitoring mode cutoff is examined for application to the detection and classification problem.
Interaction of coupled-vector optical vortices

Beginning with the Maxwell’s equations for an isotropic nonlinear medium, we have obtained vector slowly varying amplitude equations. The equations are a nonparaxial vector generalization of the well-known scalar 3D+1 nonlinear Schrodinger equation. We have determined the dispersion region and medium parameters necessary for experimental observation of wave propagation described by these equations. We show that these equations admit exact vortex solutions with spin l=1. For the case of two vortices, we also obtain exact analytical expressions describing their interaction. Stability and interaction properties of these vortices are also investigated numerically by a split-step Fourier method. Finally, we discuss applications of these vortices in the area of nuclear fusion and the stabilization of laser pulses.
Stochastic Characteristics of Freeway Traffic Speed During Breakdown and Recovery Periods

In recent years, major urban freeways have been experiencing frequent and prolonged congestion throughout the day. Freeways, which are the primary source of mobility, are now operating at conditions near or beyond capacity. Such conditions typically lead to cyclic breakdown and recovery periods during which traffic undergoes dynamic transitions between steady state conditions and unsteady state conditions. Such transitions are probabilistic in nature in that breakdown and recovery events are not necessarily observed under the same conditions all the time. This study examines the basic stochastic characteristics of freeway traffic behavior under a wide range of traffic conditions, with emphasis on transient periods of breakdown and recovery. The study used 30-s speed data as an indicative measure of traffic conditions. Transition probabilities were estimated from real-world speed observations and categorized into negative or positive transitions. On the functions of negative and positive transition probability, five critical points were identified by their probability values (minimum, maximum, and a value of .5). The comparison of critical states at different lanes and locations showed similar characteristics in relation to the speed values at which those states were observed. For each transition, the expected magnitude of change (negative or positive) in speed was also calculated, and three states were identified on the expected transition curves. The stochastic characteristics revealed in this study could help traffic agencies gain a better understanding of the behavior of freeway traffic during breakdown and recovery periods when they are applying appropriate freeway management strategies such as demand packaging, ramp metering, and short-term traffic prediction, among others.
Epidermal growth factor receptor and response of head-and-neck carcinoma to therapy.

Abstract Purpose To present an overview of the significance of erbB tyrosine kinase family members as prognostic-predictive factors and as targets of therapeutic intervention in patients with head-and-neck carcinomas (HNCs). Methods and materials The data of clinical studies addressing the correlation between the expression of erbB family tyrosine kinases, particularly epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and the prognosis and pattern of failure were reviewed, along with the response of HNCs to EGFR antagonists such as a chimeric monoclonal antibody and a couple of small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Results Correlative biomarker studies showed that most HNCs express high levels of EGFR and/or other members of the erbB family. Several studies have demonstrated that patients with EGFR-overexpressing tumors had significantly worse overall survival. Compelling evidence has emerged showing that EGFR-overexpressing HNCs respond more poorly to radiotherapy (RT), although data of its impact on the response to chemotherapy are scarce. Clinical studies have so far showed that tyrosine kinase inhibitors have rather limited antitumor activities when given alone. Stimulated by promising preclinical data, the value of EGFR antagonists in the combined modality setting, particularly with RT, is being addressed in clinical trials. Conclusion Members of the erbB receptor tyrosine kinase family, particularly EGFR, were found to be a strong biomarker for poor prognosis and HNC resistance to RT. The available data showed that EGFR antagonists given as single modality therapies yield rather limited antitumor activity. The results of trials testing the efficacy of combining EGFR antagonist with RT or chemotherapy will emerge within the next few years.
Towards ferro-microfluidics for effective and rapid cellular manipulation and sorting

We present a rapid and completely label-free cellular manipulation and separation scheme that employs biocompatible, water-based ferrofluids within microfluidic devices. Application of localized magnetic fields through integrated electrodes exerts strong magnetic forces on any micro- particle that forms a magnetic void within the ferrofluid medium in a channel. The magnetic force on each micro-particle depends sensitively on its size (tens of pN for 2 mum diameter) and is an order of magnitude larger than what can be achieved by traditional methods, such as optical tweezers and dielectrophoresis. As such, cellular manipulation and hundreds of microns of separation can easily be accomplished within ferro- microfluidic devices on a time scale of a few seconds, even under low and moderate current values.
The evolution of antisocial punishment in optional public goods games

Cooperation, where one individual incurs a cost to help another, is a fundamental building block of the natural world and human society. It has been suggested that costly punishment can promote the evolution of cooperation, with the threat of punishment deterring free-riders. Recent experiments, however, have revealed the existence of 'antisocial' punishment, where non-cooperators punish cooperators. While various theoretical models find that punishment can promote the evolution of cooperation, these models a priori exclude the possibility of antisocial punishment. Here we extend the standard theory of optional public goods games to include the full set of punishment strategies. We find that punishment no longer increases cooperation, and that selection favours substantial levels of antisocial punishment for a wide range of parameters. Furthermore, we conduct behavioural experiments, showing results consistent with our model predictions. As opposed to an altruistic act that promotes cooperation, punishment is mostly a self-interested tool for protecting oneself against potential competitors.
Evaluating the value of contractor involvement in the design phase

The use of alternative project delivery methods for transportation projects has grown in the in the U.S. out of a necessity to upgrade a rapidly deteriorating transportation infrastructure. As a result, contracting methods including design-build (DB), construction manager/general contractor (CMGC), early contractor involvement (ECI), public private partnership (P3), and alliancing have all been implemented in an effort to accelerate project schedules, manage risk and achieve enhanced project quality. The distinguishing feature of alternative project delivery methods is the ability to involve the construction contractor in the preconstruction phase of a project, providing input to the planning and design processes. Furthermore, the quality of a constructed project is a function of the quality of its design. Therefore, this research evaluates the value added to a project by involving the contractor in the preconstruction phase. Three research objectives are developed to address contractor added value. First, understand the factors that go into maximizing the benefit possible from cooperation during the design phase. Secondly, investigate the relationship between construction document quality, preconstruction costs, and early contractor involvement. Then finally, validate the major benefits of contractor preconstruction involvement given in literature. Research instruments including literature reviews, content analyses, case studies, and cost data analyses form the methodology for this thesis in order to evaluate data from 404 transportation projects, 44 case studies, and sufficient literature. This thesis finds that involving the contractor in the preconstruction phase increases cost certainty, produces cost and time savings, and inherently enhances project quality by contributing to the development of effective construction documents.
Dual prediction-based reporting for object tracking sensor networks

As one of the wireless sensor network killer applications, object tracking sensor networks (OTSNs) disclose many opportunities for energy-aware system design and implementations. We investigate prediction-based approaches for performing energy efficient reporting in OTSNs. We propose a dual prediction-based reporting mechanism (called DPR), in which both sensor nodes and the base station predict the future movements of the mobile objects. Transmissions of sensor readings are avoided as long as the predictions are consistent with the real object movements. DPR achieves energy efficiency by intelligently trading off multihop/long-range transmissions of sensor readings between sensor nodes and the base station with one-hop/short-range communications of object movement history among neighbor sensor nodes. We explore the impact of several system parameters and moving behavior of tracked objects on DPR performance, and also study two major components of DPR: prediction models and location models through simulations. Our experimental results show that DPR is able to achieve considerable energy savings under various conditions and outperforms existing reporting mechanisms.
Improving Graduation and Employment Outcomes of Students with Disabilities: Predictive Factors and Student Perspectives

This article reports on findings from two studies that examined secondary and transition practices. The first study examined student and program factors that predicted participants' graduation with a standard high school diploma and placement in employment and continuing education. The second study examined participants' perceptions of the program and staff characteristics that were most important in helping them achieve their education and transition goals. Findings from these studies indicate that career-related work experience and completion of student-identified transition goals were highly associated with improved graduation and employment outcomes. Individualization of services around student goals and personalized attention from staff were highly valued by participants. Recommendations for policy and practice are discussed.
Assessment of Behavioral Mechanisms Maintaining Encopresis: Virginia Encopresis-Constipation Apperception Test

Objective To develop and test a scale for parent and child, evaluating theoretical and clinical parameters relevant to children with encopresis. Encopretic children were hypothesized to have more bowel-specific, but not more generic, psychological problems, as compared with nonsymptomatic control children. In addition, mothers were also believed to be more discerning than children. Methods The Virginia Encopresis-Constipation Apperception Test (VECAT) consists of 9 pairs of bowel-specific and 9 parallel generic drawings. Respondents selected the picture in each pair that best described them/their child. It was administered to encopretic children (N = 87), nonsymptomatic siblings (N = 27), and nonsymptomatic nonsiblings (N = 35). The mothers of all the participants also completed the VECAT. Encopretic children were retested 6 and 12 months posttreatment with Enhanced Toilet Training. Results The VECAT demonstrated good test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Encopretic children and their mothers reported more bowel-specific, but not more generic, problems. Bowel-specific scores improved significantly posttreatment only for those patients who demonstrated significant symptom improvement. Mothers were significantly more discerning than children. Conclusion The VECAT is a reliable, valid, discriminating, and sensitive test. Bowel-specific problems appear to best differentiate children with and without encopresis.
A Sensitive Electrochemical Assay for Early Detection of HIV-1 Protease Using Ferrocene-Peptide Conjugate/Au Nanoparticle/Single Walled Carbon Nanotube Modified Electrode

A rapid and simple electrochemical detection method has been developed to detect the presence of protease (HIV-1 PR) in HIV patients' sera. In this assay format, disposable screen printed gold electrode (SPGE) surface was modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) or thiolated single-walled carbon nanotubes/gold nanoparticles (SWCNT/AuNPs). Thiol-terminated ferrocene (Fc)-pepstatin was then self-assembled on such modified surfaces. The interaction between the Fc-pepstatin modified substrates and HIV-1 PR was confirmed by scanning electron (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) and probed by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). A linear relationship was observed between the shift in peak potential and the increasing number of HIV-1 viral replications in the HIV-infected serum samples.
Mechanical Analysis of Salt Dome Growth in East Texas Basin: ABSTRACT

Analysis of the early pillow phase of salt dome growth is used to interpret observations of salt dome growth in the East Texas basin. Two limiting models are those of "redistribution" (R), in which erosion and sedimentation keep the overburden surface planar, and "no redistribution" (NR), in which the topography induced by dome growth is not modified. Spacing between nearest neighbor domes, (13 ± 4 km) and initial salt thickness (h = 1.8 ± 0.3 km) yields a spacing/thickness ratio of 7, with range from 4 to 11. If salt viscosity (^eegr) is less than overburden viscosity (^eegr1), and overburden thickness is h1 >= h, this implies 0.01 < ^eegr/^eegr1 < 1 for both (R) and (NR). Growth rate is proportional to amplitude (dA/dt = A/t*), where A is half the relief between the pillow top and the lowest point of the peripheral sink, and t* is a characteristic time. For a salt viscosity of 1018 poise, and a density contrast of 0.2 g/cm3 , t* ranges from 0.1 to 1 m.y. for (R), with values 2-5 times larger for (NR). For the former, a dome with 100-m amplitude grows at rates ranging from 1,000 to 100 m/m.y.; maximum reported rates of 40-100 m/m.y. are in fair agreement. Both facies patterns around domes and slower growth rates can be explained by the presence of substantial dome-induced topography. Spatial patterns and growth histories of groups of domes are investigated by following the development of a variety of local perturbations. End_of_Article - Last_Page 269------------
Fusion of decisions transmitted over fading channels in wireless sensor networks

Information fusion by utilizing multiple distributed sensors is studied. We derive the optimal likelihood based fusion statistic for a parallel decision fusion problem with fading channel assumption. This optimum fusion rule, however, requires perfect knowledge of the local decision performance indices as well as the fading channel. Several alternatives are presented that alleviate these requirements. At low SNR, the likelihood based fusion rule reduces to a form analogous to a maximum ratio combining statistic; while at high SNR, it leads to a two-stage approach using the well known Chair-Varshney fusion rule. A third alternative, in the form of an equal gain combiner, is also proposed; it requires the least amount of information regarding the sensor/channel. Simulation shows that the two-stage approach, which considers the communication and decision fusion as two independent stages, suffers performance loss compared with the other two alternatives for a practical SNR range.
The RCSB Protein Data Bank: redesigned web site and web services

The RCSB Protein Data Bank (RCSB PDB) web site (http://www.pdb.org) has been redesigned to increase usability and to cater to a larger and more diverse user base. This article describes key enhancements and new features that fall into the following categories: (i) query and analysis tools for chemical structure searching, query refinement, tabulation and export of query results; (ii) web site customization and new structure alerts; (iii) pair-wise and representative protein structure alignments; (iv) visualization of large assemblies; (v) integration of structural data with the open access literature and binding affinity data; and (vi) web services and web widgets to facilitate integration of PDB data and tools with other resources. These improvements enable a range of new possibilities to analyze and understand structure data. The next generation of the RCSB PDB web site, as described here, provides a rich resource for research and education.
A review of childhood and adolescent obesity interventions.

Obesity is one of the largest health problems facing Americans. Figures produced by the National Center for Health Statistics show that in 1999–2002, 15.8% of 6–11-year-olds were overweight as were 16.1% of adolescents aged 12–19. Some have proposed that interventions in childhood may be the best place to focus efforts to reduce the growing obesity epidemic. This paper examines several of the popular intervention strategies that have been proposed for youth and assesses the potential of these interventions for meaningful public health impacts. Findings show that most childhood obesity interventions completed to date produced only meager results, creating need for more well-designed studies that are tailored to the needs of specific age, ethnic and economic groups.
Assessment and Management of North American Horseshoe Crab Populations, with Emphasis on a Multispecies Framework for Delaware Bay, U.S.A. Populations

The horseshoe crab fishery on the US Atlantic coast represents a compelling fishery management story for many reasons, including ecological complexity, health and human safety ramifications, and socio-economic conflicts. Knowledge of stock status and assessment and monitoring capabilities for the species have increased greatly in the last 15 years and permitted managers to make more informed harvest recommendations. Incorporating the bioenergetics needs of migratory shorebirds, which feed on horseshoe crab eggs, into the management framework for horseshoe crabs was identified as a goal, particularly in the Delaware Bay region where the birds and horseshoe crabs exhibit an important ecological interaction. In response, significant effort was invested in studying the population dynamics, migration ecology, and the ecologic relationship of a key migratory shorebird, the Red Knot, to horseshoe crabs. A suite of models was developed that linked Red Knot populations to horseshoe crab populations through a mass gain function where female spawning crab abundance determined what proportion of the migrating Red Knot population reached a critical body mass threshold. These models were incorporated in an adaptive management framework wherein optimal harvest decisions for horseshoe crab are recommended based on several resource-based and value-based variables and thresholds. The current adaptive framework represents a true multispecies management effort where additional data over time are employed to improve the predictive models and reduce parametric uncertainty. The possibility of increasing phenologic asynchrony between the two taxa in response to climate change presents a potential challenge to their ecologic interaction in Delaware Bay.
Ostwald Isolation to Determine the Reaction Order for TiO2(e–)|S+→ TiO2|S Charge Recombination at Sensitized TiO2 Interfaces

Kinetic isolation conditions were identified that enabled determination of the reaction order for interfacial charge recombination at a sensitized mesoporous TiO2 thin film. An external bias was used to maintain a fixed and known number of oxidized sensitizers, S+, or TiO2 electrons, TiO2(e–)s. Pulsed laser excitation resulted in excited state injection and the subsequent TiO2(e–)|S+ → TiO2|S reaction was quantified spectroscopically. The data provide compelling evidence that the rate law for charge recombination under reverse bias is r = k[S+]1[TiO2(e–)]1 with k = 5.0 × 10–16 cm3 s–1 (∼3 × 105 M–1 s–1). Under forward bias, the data were more complex. A recombination mechanism that incorporates a pre-equilibrium diffusional encounter between injected electrons and oxidized sensitizers is proposed. This and previously reported data indicate that diffusion limits recombination when the number of TiO2(e–)s is small and electron transfer becomes more dominant when the number is large.
Electrical Conductivity and Metallization of Fluid Hydrogen in the Pressure Range 90-180 GPa (0. 9-1. 8 Mbar)

Conductivity measurements indicate that hydrogen becomes a metallic fluid at 140 GPa, ninefold initial liquid density, and ∼3000 K. Metallization occurs when the electronic energy gap Eg is reduced by pressure to kBT . High pressures and temperatures were obtained by a shock wave reverberating in hydrogen between stiff Al2O3 anvils. Resistivity decreases four orders of magnitude from 93 to 140 GPa and is constant from 140 to 180 GPa. About ∼5% of the H2 molecules are dissociated at metallization . The free-electron Fermi energy is ∼12 ev. The measured conductivities of hydrogen are essentially the same as those of fluid Cs and Rb at 2000 K undergoing the same transition. The transition to the metal occurs at a Mott-scaled density of Dm1/3a*=0. 30, where Dm is the metallization density and a* is the Bohr radius of the molecule. The measured metallic conductivity is in good agreement with (1) the calculated minimum conductivity of a metal, (2) the conductivity of hydrogen calculated with the strong-scattering free-electron model, (3) a preliminary calculation by Louis and Ashcroft using the weak-scattering Ziman model for a molecular liquid metal, and (4) tight-binding molecular dynamics calculations by Lenosky et al.
Immunological alterations in patients with treated Whipple's disease.

The immunological competence of 9 patients with treated Whipple’s disease was evaluated 10 months to 16 years after antibiotic therapy; 7 patients were hospitalized and 2 returned as outpatients for partial study. Each patient was in clinical remission; laboratory studies and measurements of intestinal absorption were normal in the 7 hospitalized patients. By electron microscopy, intestinal mucosal biopsies revealed variable numbers of periodic acid-Schiff staining macrophages and macrophage “fingerprint-like” particles in the lamina propria of 6 patients studied between 10 months and 11 years after treatment. Similar cells and particles were not present in multiple biopsy sections from the patient treated 16 years previously. Serum immunoglobulin concentrations (IgG, IgA, and IgM) and complement activity were normal in all patients and immunofluorescent assays of antinuclear factor antibodies were negative. Cutaneous hypersensitivity was assessed by quantitative assay with 23 antigens. Immediate hypersensitivity reactions were slightly depressed, but generally intact; delayed hypersensitivity reactions were significantly depressed in all 7 patients tested—5 patients exhibited no delayed reactions to all antigens. Phytohemagglutinin-induced tritiated thymidine incorporation by peripheral lymphocytes cultured in autologous plasma was consistently decreased in 8 patients in comparison with similar studies of 11 control subjects. These observations suggest that compromised delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity in patients with Whipple’s disease is associated with an in vivo alteration of lymphocyte function. Impaired delayed hypersensitivity persists at a point in the natural history of Whipple’s disease when treated patients are clinically well and exhibit only the variable presence of periodic acid-Schiff positive macrophages in intestinal biopsies.
Setting the Strategic Direction and it’s Influence on Church Growth in Kenya

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to determine how the setting of the church’s strategic direction influences the infrastructural growth of the church in Kenya. As known, great organizations are crystal clear about where they are going, why they are going there, how they will get there and the rules of the journey (also called the strategic direction). According to the conventional textbook wisdom, the setting of an organization’s strategic direction is done by leaders at the strategic level of the organization, and is then cascaded down through the rest of the organization. Views of customers, employees and other stakeholders may be taken into account but it is in essence a top-down process. The setting of an organization’s strategic direction entails mapping of the strategy, which refers to the strategic objectives, success measures, strategy to achieve these objectives and internal strategy to build the organizational capacity needed to implement the strategy, which are the leadership, staff, systems and processes, financial resources and infrastructure, and institutional competencies. This was a descriptive research in which both quantitative and qualitative data was collected. The study population comprised of one hundred and twenty six (126) Bishops and four thousand, six hundred and sixty seven (4667) clergy serving with the five major Christian denominations in Kenya, namely, the Roman Catholic Church (R.C.C), the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK), the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA), the African Inland Church and the Methodist Church in Kenya (MCK). A Stratified random sampling technique was used to choose a sample size of 95 bishops and 368 clergy drawn from the five churches. The data collection tool used was a self-administered structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were presented in the form of frequency distributions, means and pie charts, while factor analysis, correlations, chi square, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and regressions were used to present inferential statistics. Regression was used to test the hypothesis. The data was analyzed using the statistical program for social sciences (SPSS) as a tool. A regression analysis which was done to determine the relationship between setting the strategic direction and the church’s infrastructural growth had a strong correlation. In the model summary, R 2 is 0.673 which indicates that the setting of the church’s strategic direction causes a 67% variation in the infrastructural growth of the church. On the other hand, the ANOVA tests showed a regression of less than 0.05, which was significant and which established that the setting of the church’s strategic direction has a significant influence on the infrastructural growth of the church. The study concluded that the determination of the church’s strategic direction positively influences its infrastructural growth and recommends further studies to determine the different leadership styles that are key in ensuring sustainable growth of the church and faith-based organizations in general.
Concurrent Active Piezoelectric Control and Energy Harvesting of Highly Flexible Multifunctional Wings

Both active actuation and energy harvesting of highly flexible wings using piezoelectric transduction are studied in this paper. The piezoelectric effect is included in a strain-based geometrically nonlinear beam formulation. The resulting structural dynamic equations for multifunctional beams are then coupled with a finite-state unsteady aerodynamic formulation, allowing for piezoelectric energy harvesting and actuation with the nonlinear aeroelastic system. With the development, it is possible to provide an integral aeroelastic and electromechanical solution of concurrent active piezoelectric control and energy harvesting for wing vibrations, with the consideration of the geometrical nonlinear effects of slender multifunctional wings. In this paper, linear quadratic regulator and linear quadratic Gaussian controllers are developed for the active control of wing vibrations. The controllers demonstrate effective gust alleviation capabilities. Furthermore, concurrent active vibration control and energy har...
Frequency Regulation Services from Connected Residential Devices: Short Paper

This paper demonstrates potential benefits that residential buildings can provide for frequency regulation services in the electric power grid. In a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) implementation, simulated homes and a physical laboratory home are coordinated via a grid aggregator, and it is shown that their aggregate response has the potential to follow the regulation signal on a timescale of seconds. Connected (communication-enabled) devices in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) received demand response (DR) requests from a grid aggregator, and the devices responded to meet the signal while satisfying comfort bounds and physical hardware limitations. Future research will address the issues of cybersecurity threats, participation rates, and reducing equipment wear-and-tear while providing grid services.
Results in Combined Cataract Surgery With Prosthetic Iris Implantation in Patients With Previous Iridocyclectomy for Iris Melanoma

Purpose To present visual and functional results following implantation of iris prosthesis combined with cataract surgery in eyes with previous iridocyclectomy for iris melanoma or presumed iris melanoma. Design Retrospective noncomparative case series. Methods Sixteen patients (16 eyes) with iris defects after iridocyclectomy for iris melanoma in 15 cases and iris adenoma in 1 case underwent prosthetic iris device implantation surgery. Prosthetic iris implantation was combined with phacoemulsification and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. The visual acuity, subjective glare and photophobia reduction, anatomic outcome, and complications were reviewed. Results Best-corrected visual acuity was improved in 13 eyes (81.25%), remained stable in 2 eyes (12.25%), and decreased in 1 eye (6.25%). Photophobia and glare improved in every case except for 1 (93.75%). Notably, after surgery 12 patients (75.00%) reported no photophobia and 10 patients (62.50%) reported no glare. The median postoperative follow-up was 29.5 months, with a minimum of 5 months and a maximum of 189 months. All iris devices were in the correct position, and all eyes achieved the desired anatomic result. The IOL optic edges were covered in all areas by either residual iris or opaque portions of a prosthetic iris device. Conclusions In patients who have undergone previous iridocyclectomy for presumed iris melanoma, combined cataract surgery and iris prosthesis placement, with or without iris reconstruction, can lead to visual improvement as well as reduction of both glare and photophobia.
William M. Feinberg Award for Excellence in Clinical Stroke: Big Pictures and Small Vessels.

Clinicians and patients tend to think of stroke as big acute brain injury, but small progressive vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) represent arguably a much greater societal burden. Dementia is certainly the preeminent public health threat of our time, estimated to affect 35.6 million individuals worldwide in 2010 and projected to double every 20 years to a staggering 115.4 million in 2050,1 including >13 million Americans.2 Abundant lines of evidence have implicated small vessel brain disease as a major contributor to this dementia tsunami. Clinical–pathological correlation in ROS-MAP (Religious Orders Study and Rush Memory and Aging Project) shows that each level of greater severity of small or large vessel disease pathology confers higher likelihood of a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and that these associations with vascular disease are independent of actual AD pathology.3 Similar findings are seen in clinical–radiological correlation: individuals with clinically silent brain infarcts in the Rotterdam Study have more than double the hazard of subsequent dementia.4 Realizing that most age-related dementia represents a mix of neurodegenerative and vascular pathologies5 may sound like a reason to lose hope that this tsunami can be slowed, but should be considered the opposite: more contributors mean more opportunities to intervene. The very real possibility that improved vascular health has already reduced dementia incidence is highlighted by the Framingham Heart Study finding of a steady fall in the 5-year age- and sex-adjusted cumulative hazard rate for dementia per 100 persons from 3.6 for individuals with baseline exams in the 1978 to 1983 period to 2.8 for 1986 to 1991, 2.2 for 1992 to 1998, and 2.0 for 2004 to 2008.6 Some of this decline may reflect important nonvascular factors such as improving education, but it coincides notably with sizable improvements in …
UTeach Maker: A Micro-Credentialing Program for Preservice Teachers

Abstract“Making” has been used to describe an internally motivated iterative design process that embodies notions of playful building and tinkering. Recently, interest in applying making to PK–12 e...
Urolithiasis—Patient Evaluation and Medical Treatment

The surgical management of urinary stone disease has evolved in the last three decades from traditional open surgery to minimally invasive techniques including extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. ureteroscopy, and percutaneous surgery. Although similar dramatic advances in the medical treatment of urolithiasis have not occurred, much progress has been made in understanding factors that are important in the genesis and prevention of urinary calculi.
Quotidian Report: Grassroots Data Practices to Address Public Safety

We examine the local data practices of citizens in Mexico who use Facebook sites as a platform to report crimes and share safety-related information. We conducted 14 interviews with a variety of participants who collaborate as administrators and contributors of these online communities. The communities we examined have two central components: the citizens who crowd-source data about instances of crime in different neighborhoods in and around Mexico City, and the administrators of the Facebook sites who use the crowd-sourced data to intervene and collaborate with other stakeholders. From our interviews, we identify the community, data, and action practices used by group administrators to collect, curate, and publish information about public safety that would otherwise go unreported. The combination of these practices improves the reputation of the groups on Facebook, increases trust, and encourages sustained participation from citizens. These practices also legitimize data gathered by group members as an important grassroots tool for responding to issues of public safety that would otherwise not be reported or acted upon. Our findings contribute a growing body of work that aims to understand how social media enable political action in contexts where people are not being served by existing institutions.
Investigations into the Accuracy of the NRC Monocomparator

The NRC monocomparator is described briefly, followed by a detailed discussion of the individual factors that affect comparator measurements. The major error characteristics of the comparator are e...
Do In-Prison Correctional Programs Affect Postrelease Employment and Earnings?

The objective of this research is to examine the effects of general educational development (GED) attainment in prison and therapeutic community participation on postrelease employment and earnings...
WALKING AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT USED TO BE: THE SHARP NEIGHBORHOOD WALKING PROGRAM FOR OLDER AFRICAN AMERICANS

The Sharing History through Active Reminiscence and Photo-Imagery (SHARP) study aims to preserve African American cognitive health through neighborhood walking and social engagement in a way that celebrates Black culture. For 6 months, African Americans aged 55+ (2016 n=19; 2017 n=21) grouped in triads walked 1-mile routes accessible via the SHARP application. Routes included historical image prompts about Portland, Oregon’s historically Black neighborhoods. Participant focus groups at months 1, 3, and 6 drove program development and refinements, and provided valuable insight into the program’s meaning for participants. Discussions were thematically coded. Emergent themes included “suggested improvements,” “technology,” “mental health impact,” “cultural incongruence,” and “cultural significance.” Participants suggested improvements to the application’s navigational aspects and expressed willingness to engage technology despite initial apprehension. The triadic structure and place-based memory prompts aided reminiscence, allowing participants to make meaningful links between their own life experiences and their walking partners’. Neighborhood walking brought to the surface participant concerns about a lack of understanding between African American generations, and between long-time residents and whiter, wealthier demographics moving in. Some participants found it emotionally taxing to walk in the now gentrified historically Black neighborhoods, but still saw the program overall as useful, interesting, and necessary--to their physical and cognitive health, to their mental health as they processed neighborhood changes and community loss, and as an important contribution to preserving community history. Addressing individual health alongside pressing issues affecting older African Americans’ sense of well-being and community may make cognitive health programs more meaningful and applicable.
The Vulcan Version 3.0 High-Resolution Fossil Fuel CO 2 Emissions for the United States

Abstract. Estimates of greenhouse gas emissions, quantified at fine space and time scales, has become a critical component of new multi-constraint flux information systems in addition to providing relevant information to decisionmakers when considering GHG mitigation opportunities. The Vulcan Project is an effort to estimate bottom-up fossil fuel emissions and CO2 emissions from cement production (FFCO2) for the entire United States landscape at space and time scales that satisfy both scientific and policy needs. Here, we report on version 3.0 of the Vulcan emissions which quantifies FFCO2 emissions for the U.S. at a spatial resolution of 1 km × 1 km and hourly temporal resolution for the 2010–2015 time period. We provide a complete description of the updated methods, data sources, results, and comparison to a global gridded FFCO2 data product. We estimate FFCO2 emissions for the year 2011 of 1589.3 TgC with a 95 % confidence interval of 1299/1917 TgC (+18.3 %/−20.6 %), implying a one-sigma uncertainty of ~p10%. We find that per capita FFCO2 emissions are larger in states dominated by the electricity production and industrial sectors and smaller in states dominated by onroad and residential/commercial building emissions. The center of mass (CoM) of FFCO2 emissions in the US are located in the state of Missouri with mean seasonality that moves on a NE/SW near-elliptical path. Comparison to ODIAC, a global gridded FFCO2 emissions estimate shows large differences in both total emissions (100.1 TgC for year 2011) and spatial patterns. The spatial correlation (R2) between the two data products was 0.38 and the mean absolute difference at the individual gridcell scale was 80.04 %. The Vulcan v3.0 FFCO2 emissions data product offers an immediate high-resolution estimate of emissions in every city within the U.S., providing a large potential savings of time and effort for cities planning to develop self-reported city inventories. The Vulcan v3.0 annual gridded emissions data product can be downloaded from the data repository at Oak Ridge National Laboratory ( https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1741 , Gurney et al., 2019).
Improving Conservation Techniques Through Graph Theoretic Models

While concerns for local and global ecological issues increase, there is a growing need for the conservation of functioning ecosystems; as land management evolves in scope and emphasis, land managers are in need of new tools. Graph theory, a relatively efficient mathematical modeling approach, has been used for modeling and analyzing an array of networks and as a result proving itself as a potential framework for landscape modeling with its adaptable measures. Through an in-depth review of two unique examples of graph theoretic habitat modeling, we will see how these models compare to the more complex and biologically accurate spatially explicit population models, and what they can tell us about habitats that have had no previous analysis. It will then be seen that graph theoretic modeling approaches are important to habitat conservation research in various ways. Acknowledgements: Special thanks to my research advisor Professor Jo Ellis-Monaghan for her encouragement and guidance in taking this research well beyond the scope of the original project. I would additionally like to thank my wife for being a constant source of editorial and moral support. PAGE 94 RHIT UNDERGRAD. MATH. J., VOL. 15, NO. 1