cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Commentary: NEPA Reform: Effects on Citizen Participation in Environmental Decision Making

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has been hailed as one of the most successful environmental statutes ever written, and has been used as a model for environmental stewardship throughout the world. One of the primary objectives of this act is to provide citizens with a voice in governmental decisions. However, recent efforts to make the NEPA process more efficient, less costly, and less time-consuming threaten to undermine achievements in public participation and participatory policy making gained during the last 30 years. This article examines public participation under NEPA and demonstrates that the recent rise in the use of the Environmental Assessment (EA) as the primary document for NEPA compliance, and the corresponding decrease in the use of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), is due to efforts to streamline NEPA as part of the overall movement to reinvent government. The article examines recent trends in NEPA implementation and public involvement requirements for EISs and EAs, and concludes that the increased use of Environmental Assessments significantly limits the public's ability to respond to environmental impacts caused by federal actions, thereby damaging one of the most effective vehicles for citizen participation in government. Finally recommendations are provided to increase opportunities for public involvement in the EA process without sacrificing improvements in efficiency.
Predicting ephemeral gully erosion with RUSLER and EphGEE

Abstract. Ephemeral gully erosion is not included in predictions made with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation, version 2 (RUSLE2). A new distributed application called RUSLER (RUSLE2-Raster) predicts distributed soil loss and its output can be linked with the new Ephemeral Gully Erosion Estimator (EphGEE). These models were applied to a 6.3 ha research watershed near Treynor, Iowa, USA, where runoff and sediment yield were measured from 1975 to 1991. Using a 3-m raster DEM, results indicate that ephemeral gully erosion contributed about one-third of the amount of sheet and rill erosion, and that considerable deposition of sediment originating from both sources occurred within the grassed waterway. For ambient conditions, predicted annual average watershed sediment yield was 17.5 Mg ha−1 year−1, 20% greater than the measured value of 14.6 Mg ha−1 year−1.
Deterring drunk driving fatalities: An economics of crime perspective

Econometric studies of public policies that might deter driving-under-the-influence (DUI) offenses generally adopt, either explicitly or implicitly, the basic framework provided in Becker’s (1968) expected utility model of criminal behavior. The literature has generally not provided consistent evidence of any particular source of direct deterrence due to the probability and/or severity of punishment for DUI, however. This may reflect the fact that only indirect DUI deterrence through alcohol control policies such as beer taxes and drinking age is consistently considered in these studies. Forced to select among many policy variables to keep regressions manageable, researchers have virtually always controlled for beer taxes and drinking-age laws in reduced-form models, but the selection of other variables (laws establishing sanctions for DUI, law enforcement efforts and laws that facilitate this effort, the potential for civil action against drivers or against bar owners who sell to drunk drivers, determinants of liquor price and availability, attitudes toward drinking, etc.) has been much less consistent. Furthermore, because there is no direct measure of state-level DUI offenses, some proxy must be used as a dependent variable (generally, some measure of traffic fatalities is employed) in studies using state-level data, and the proxy or proxies chosen can also vary from study to study (e.g., total fatalities, night-time fatalities, single-occupant fatalities, and fatalities involving young drivers). Thus, one study may find some specific laws or policies to be effective, but those same variables may have insignificant coefficients in another study while other variables seem significant, implying that no robust results can be found.
The Utility of Circulating microRNAs as Biomarkers in Viral Infection-Associated Cancers

Since their discovery, the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been expanding. These small, non-coding RNAs have been associated with gene regulation by binding to 3’ UTRs. Specific miRNA expression profiles are associated with cancer development and may serve as markers of malignancy. Many of these cancers are also associated with viral infections. As some viruses express their own miRNAs, research has begun to investigate if cellular or viralencoded miRNAs could also serve as specific markers of these virus-associated cancers. Discovery of miRNAs in both tissues and serum have been reported in patients with virus positive tumors. These miRNAs may emerge as important, non-invasive diagnostic tools for detecting tumor development and progression and improving cancer treatment.
Cross‐cultural experiential learning for teachers

(1986). Cross‐cultural experiential learning for teachers. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 26, Educational Perspectives, Then and Now, pp. 519-527.
Different parts of erector spinae muscle fatigability in subjects with and without low back pain.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: There is conflicting evidence regarding erector spinae muscle fatigability because previous studies have not considered the thoracic and lumbar components separately. These muscles have very different mechanical responses and, therefore, would be recruited differentially for the chosen task. PURPOSE: The present study was conducted to compare whether fatigability differences exist in the thoracic and lumbar parts of the erector spinae muscles in subjects with and without low back pain (LBP). STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Motion Analysis Lab at Cleveland State University. PATIENT SAMPLE: The study sample included 40 subjects with LBP and 40 subjects without LBP. OUTCOME MEASURES: The fatigability of the erector spinae muscles was compared based on median frequency of electromyography (EMG) versus time. The level of pain of each subject was also compared using the Oswestry Disability Index. METHODS: Fatigue measurements were evaluated between groups based on the assessed sides as well as the thoracic and lumbar parts of the erector spinae muscles using surface EMG. A modified version of the isometric fatigue test as introduced by Sorensen was used to test the endurance of the erector spinae muscles. RESULTS: There were significant median EMG frequency (F(1, 78)528.82, p5.001) differences in the thoracic and lumbar parts of the erector spinae muscles between subjects with and without LBP. The thoracic part had a significantly lower median EMG frequency than the lumbar part in subjects with LBP. The thoracic and lumbar parts of the erector spinae muscles had interactions with group (F(1, 78)547.88, p5.01] and age (F(1, 78)516.51, p5.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggested that subjects with LBP demonstrated higher fatigability of the erector spinae muscles at the thoracic part than at the lumbar part. The increased fatigability of the thoracic part needs to be emphasized in rehabilitation strategies for subjects with LBP. In addition, as age increased, the median frequency of the lumbar part of the erector spinae muscles significantly decreased. Understanding the anatomical and biomechanical characteristics of the erector spinae muscle may enhance clinical outcomes and rehabilitation strategies for subjects with LBP. 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Numerical modeling of fluvial strath-terrace formation in response to oscillating climate

Many river systems in western North America retain a fluvial strath-terrace rec ord of discontinuous downcutting into bedrock through the Quaternary. Their importance lies in their use to interpret climatic events in the headwaters and to determine long-term incision rates. Terrace formation has been ascribed to changes in sediment supply and/or water discharge produced by late Quaternary climatic fluctuations. We use a one-dimensional channel- evolution model to explore whether temporal variations in sediment and water discharge can generate terrace sequences. The model includes sediment transport, vertical bedrock erosion limited by alluvial cover, and lateral valley-wall erosion. We set limits on our modeling by using data collected from the terraced Wind River basin. Two types of experiments were performed: constant- period sinusoidal input histories and variable-period inputs scaled by the marine δ 18 O rec ord. Our simulations indicate that strath-terrace formation requires input variability that produces a changing ratio of vertical to lateral erosion rates. Straths are cut when the channel floor is protected from erosion by sediment and are abandoned—and terraces formed—when incision can resume following sediment-cover thinning. High sediment supply promotes wide valley floors that are abandoned as sediment supply decreases. In contrast, wide valleys are promoted by low effective water discharge and are abandoned as discharge increases. Widening of the valley floors that become terraces occurs over many thousands of years. The transition from valley widening to downcutting and terrace creation occurs in response to subtle input changes affecting local divergence of sediment-transport capacity. Formation of terraces lags by several thousand years the input changes that cause their formation. Our results suggest that use of terrace ages to set limits on the timing of a specific event must be done with the knowledge that the system can take thousands of years to respond to a perturbation. The incision rate calculated in the field from the lowest terrace in these systems will likely be higher than the rate calculated by using older terraces, because the most recent fluvial response in the field is commonly downcutting associated with declining sediment input since the Last Glacial Maximum. This apparent increase in incision rates is observed in many river systems and should not necessarily be interpreted as a response to an increase in rock-uplift rate.
A Contact Model of Nominally Flat Rough Surfaces Based on a Visco-Elasto-Adhesive Interaction

Approximate closed-form equations are derived for normal contact force between nominally flat rough surfaces in dry contact. The formulation is based on the asperity-level interaction in which adhesive forces between two asperities and elastic and rate-dependent forces are included. The elastic and time rate-dependent portion of force is derived using a viscoelastic interaction of the two asperities. Statistical consideration of rough surfaces then furnishes the mathematical formulation of total normal force due to adhesion, elastic, and rate-dependent properties of the solids in contact. The probabilistic formulation of contact force leads to integral equations. From these are derived approximate closed-form expressions that relate the microscale properties of the surfaces to the macroscale behavior in the form of the total normal contact force between the surfaces. The approximate equations for visco-elasto-adhesive contact of rough surfaces illustrate the dependence of the contact force on the time rate of approach based on a combination of 1/6, 1/3, and 1 power laws.
Wall of Wind Full-Scale Destructive Testing of Coastal Houses and Hurricane Damage Mitigation

Abstract Damages during extreme wind events highlight the weaknesses inherent in coastal residential building construction and underscore the need for improving the structural performance of typical residential buildings. Also, there is a tremendous concern for the existing stock of buildings that are not sufficiently designed and constructed to an acceptable building code. Conducting research to better understand simultaneous hurricane-induced wind, rain, and debris effects on the built environment will lead to innovative design technologies that can mitigate hurricane wind damage. The International Hurricane Research Center (IHRC) at the Florida International University (FIU) has developed a new research approach to better understand categories 1 to 5 hurricane-induced effects on residential buildings and other structures through full-scale, destructive testing, much the same way that the automobile industry tackled the crash worthiness issue or the earthquake community approached building safety. This ...
Mitogen and substrate differentially affect the lineage restriction of adult rat subventricular zone neural precursor cell populations.

The effects of specific mitogens and substrates on the proliferative capacity and the differentiated phenotypic plasticity of neural precursor cell populations isolated from the adult rat subventricular zone (SVZ) were examined. SVZ cells were grown on uncoated tissue culture plastic, extracellular matrix, or poly-d-ornithine with either laminin or fibronectin. SVZ neural precursor cells could not be generated with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor, stem cell factor, heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF), granulocyte colony stimulating factor, or ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), but could be with EGF, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), and FGF2 plus heparin. Varying combinations of substrate and mitogen resulted in very different expansion rates and/or lineage potential. Neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes differentiated from all cultures, but EGF-generated neural precursor cells were more restricted to an astrocytic lineage and FGF2-generated neural precursor cells had a greater capacity for neuronal differentiation. In both EGF- and FGF2-generated cell populations, CNTF increased the number of differentiated astrocytes, triiodothyronine oligodendrocytes, PDGF neurons, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor neurons only from EGF cells. Electrophysiological analysis of differentiated cells showed three distinct phenotypes, glial, neuronal, and presumed precursor cells, although the neuronal properties were immature. Collectively, these data indicate that CNS neural precursor cell populations isolated with different mitogens and substrates are intrinsically different and their characteristics cannot be directly compared.
Comparison of Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing and Pulse-Amplitude Modulation in Indoor Optical Wireless Links

We evaluate the performance of three direct-detection orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) schemes in combating multipath distortion in indoor optical wireless links, comparing them to unipolar M-ary pulse-amplitude modulation (M-PAM) with minimum mean-square error decision-feedback equalization (MMSE-DFE). The three OFDM techniques are DC-clipped OFDM and asymmetrically clipped optical OFDM (ACO-OFDM) and PAM-modulated discrete multitone (PAM-DMT). We describe an iterative procedure to achieve optimal power allocation for DC-OFDM. For each modulation method, we quantify the received electrical SNR required at a given bit rate on a given channel, considering an ensemble of 170 indoor wireless channels. When using the same symbol rate for all modulation methods, M-PAM with MMSE-DFE has better performance than any OFDM format over a range of spectral efficiencies, with the advantage of (M-PAM) increasing at high spectral efficiency. ACO-OFDM and PAM-DMT have practically identical performance at any spectral efficiency. They are the best OFDM formats at low spectral efficiency, whereas DC-OFDM is best at high spectral efficiency. When ACO-OFDM or PAM-DMT are allowed to use twice the symbol rate of M-PAM, these OFDM formats have better performance than M-PAM. When channel state information is unavailable at the transmitter, however, M-PAM significantly outperforms all OFDM formats. When using the same symbol rate for all modulation methods, M-PAM requires approximately three times more computational complexity per processor than all OFDM formats and 63% faster analog-to-digital converters, assuming oversampling ratios of 1.23 and 2 for ACO-OFDM and M-PAM, respectively. When OFDM uses twice the symbol rate of M-PAM, OFDM requires 23% faster analog-to-digital converters than M-PAM but OFDM requires approximately 40% less computational complexity than M-PAM per processor.
Concatenated Network Coding for Large-Scale Multi-Hop Wireless Networks

We present "concatenated" network coding technique that incorporates multilevel coding across a network of relays in large-scale, multi-hop, noisy wireless networks. A key feature of the proposed approach is that more powerful code can be constructed, hence more errors can be corrected, as the information travels through the network. The decomposition of large-scale network into several small-scale networks and concatenation of small-scale network codes along the route path simplifies both encoding (forwarding) and decoding processes. This is particularly important, because the nodes need to make block encoding based on local information only. This framework is inherently self scalable, in that each new node and each additional hop contribute reliability enhancement. We analyze the probability of decoding error and the normalized throughput as a function of network configuration and number of decoding iterations.
SensorFlock: an airborne wireless sensor network of micro-air vehicles

An airborne wireless sensor network (WSN) composed of bird-sized micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) enables low cost high granularity atmospheric sensing of toxic plume behavior and storm dynamics, and provides a unique three-dimensional vantage for monitoring wildlife and ecological systems. This paper describes a complete implementation of our SensorFlock airborne WSN, spanning the development of our MAV airplane, its avionics, semi-autonomous flight control software, launch system, flock control algorithm, and wireless communication networking between MAVs. We present experimental results from flight tests of flocks of MAVs, and a characterization of wireless RF behavior in air-to-air communication as well as air-to-ground communication.
The Interaction of Neuroticism and Gender and Its Impact on Self-Efficacy and Performance

Self-efficacy has been linked to performance in many areas of human endeavor. Examinations of personality correlates of self-efficacy suggest that emotional stability or neuroticism is consistently related to self-efficacy. Other findings suggest a gender difference in emotional stability. In this article, it is proposed that emotional stability and gender interact to affect self-efficacy and that efficacy, in turn, affects performance. The hypothesized interaction and mediation are confirmed using longitudinal data collected from college students. The model and results also provide evidence of one mechanism whereby personality affects performance even in the absence of direct personality–performance relationships.
Environmental effects on allergen levels in commercially grown non-genetically modified soybeans: assessing variation across north america.

Soybean (Glycine max) is a hugely valuable soft commodity that generates tens of billions of dollars annually. This value is due in part to the balanced composition of the seed which is roughly 1:2:2 oil, starch, and protein by weight. In turn, the seeds have many uses with various derivatives appearing broadly in processed food products. As is true with many edible seeds, soybeans contain proteins that are anti-nutritional factors and allergens. Soybean, along with milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, and wheat, elicit a majority of food allergy reactions in the United States. Soybean seed composition can be affected by breeding, and environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, moisture, insect/pathogen load, and/or soil nutrient levels). The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of genotype and environment on allergen and anti-nutritional proteins in soybean. To address genetic and environmental effects, four varieties of non-GM soybeans were grown in six geographically distinct regions of North America (Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Ontario, and Pennsylvania). Absolute quantification of proteins by mass spectrometry can be achieved with a technique called multiple reaction monitoring (MRM), during which signals from an endogenous protein are compared to those from a synthetic heavy-labeled internal standard. Using MRM, eight allergens were absolutely quantified for each variety in each environment. Statistical analyses show that for most allergens, the effects of environment far outweigh the differences between varieties brought about by breeding.
Shockley surface states in photonic crystal

The Shockley surface states in photonic crystals are demonstrated for the first time. In crystals with simple unit cell, surface states are shown to be the Tamm-like rather than the Shockley states as commonly believe.
Peptide length variants p2Ca and QL9 present distinct conformations to L(d)-specific T cells.

Recent advances have provided insights into how the TCR interacts with MHC/peptide complexes and a rationale to predict optimal epitopes for MHC binding and T cell recognition. For example, peptides of nine residues are predicted to be optimal for binding to H2-L d , although 8 mer epitopes have also been identified. It has been predicted that 8 mer and 9 mer length variant peptides bound to L d present identical epitopes to T cells. However, in contrast to this prediction, we demonstrate here that the 8 mer peptide p2Ca and its 9 mer length variant QL9, extended by an N-terminal glutamine, assume distinct conformations when bound to L d . We generated self-L d -restricted CTL clones specific for p2Ca that recognize L d /QL9 poorly if at all. This result is in sharp contrast to what has been observed with L d -alloreactive T cells that possess a much higher affinity for L d /QL9 than for L d /p2Ca. Alanine substitutions of the N-terminal residues of the QL9 peptide rescue detection by these self-L d /p2Ca-specific T cells, but decrease recognition by the L d -alloreactive 2C T cell clone. In addition, 2C T cell recognition of the p2Ca peptide is affected by different alanine substitutions compared with 2C T cell recognition of the QL9 peptide. These data clearly demonstrate that the p2Ca and QL9 peptides assume distinct conformations when bound to L d and, furthermore, demonstrate that there is flexibility in peptide binding within the MHC class I cleft.
Influence of diabetes mellitus on outcome in patients over 40 years of age with the long QT syndrome.

Diabetes mellitus can affect ventricular repolarization, and we investigated the impact of diabetes on the risk for cardiac events in older patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS). The study population consisted of 1,152 patients with QTc interval ≥450 ms who were enrolled in the United States portion of the International Long QT Syndrome Registry and survived >40 years of age. Patients were categorized as having diabetes if they received oral diabetic medication or insulin. End points after 40 years of age included first cardiac event (syncope, aborted cardiac arrest, sudden cardiac death, whichever occurred first) and all-cause mortality. Follow-up extended from 41 to 75 years of age. Risk factors for end points were evaluated by the Cox model. During follow-up, 193 patients had a first cardiac event, and 99 patients died. Of patients with LQTS, development of diabetes in adult patients with LQTS was not associated with an increased risk of first cardiac events dominated by syncope. Risk factors for mortality were syncope before 41 years of age, QTc interval ≥500 ms, heart rate >80 beats/min, and diabetes; there was no mortality interaction involving diabetes and QTc interval ≥500 ms. In conclusion, diabetes and prolonged QTc interval contributed independent mortality risks in adult patients with LQTS, with no interaction between these 2 risk factors.
Modeled Effects on Permittivity Measurements of Water Content in High Surface Area Porous Media

Time domain reflectometry (TDR) has become an important measurement technique for determination of porous media water content and electrical conductivity due to its accuracy, fast response and automation capability. Water content is inferred from the measured bulk dielectric constant based on travel time analysis along simple transmission lines. TDR measurements in low surface area porous media accurately describe water content using an empirical relationship. Measurement discrepancies arise from dominating influences such as bound water due to high surface area, extreme aspect ratio particles or atypical water phase configuration. Our objectives were to highlight primary factors affecting dielectric permittivity measurements for water content determination in porous mixtures, and demonstrate the influence of these factors on mixture permittivity as predicted by a three-phase dielectric mixture model. Modeled results considering water binding, higher porosity, constituent geometry or phase configuration suggest any of these effects individually are capable of causing permittivity reduction, though all likely contribute in high surface area porous media.
Helix‐bundle membrane protein fold templates

In the fold recognition approach to structure prediction, a sequence is tested for compatibility with an already known fold. For membrane proteins, however, few folds have been determined experimentally. Here the feasibility of computing the vast majority of likely membrane protein folds is tested. The results indicate that conformation space can be effectively sampled for small numbers of helices. The vast majority of potential monomeric membrane protein structures can be represented by about 30-folds for three helices, but increases exponentially to about 1, 500, 000 folds for seven helices. The generated folds could serve as templates for fold recognition or as starting points for conformational searches that are well distributed throughout conformation space.
Correlation-reduced scan-path design to improve delay fault coverage

Experimental data is presented for eleven benchmark circuits to show how test pattern correlation in a scan-path design circuit adversely affects delay fault coverage, and to demonstrate that most undetected delay faults caused by the test pattern correlation are close to latch outputs. Topology-based latch correlation measures are introduced and used by a companion latch arrangement algorithm to guide the placement of latches in a scan-path design, with the objective of minimizing the effect of the test pattern correlation and maximizing the delay fault coverage. Experimental results with benchmark circuits indicate that the scan-path found by the algorithm clearly achieves better delay fault coverage than a scan-path having no deliberate arrangement, and, in fact, achieves nearly the coverage that can be gotten by unrestricted application of the test vectors to the circuit without a scan-path. The data also indicates that the algorithm is most effective in covering delay faults that are located nearest the latch outputs of the circuit. The approach has an advantage over other arrangement schemes in that it is simple to implement and does not require significant computational time even for large circuits. CPU-time and memory required by this algorithm to find an optimal latch arrangement may increase exponentially with the circuit size. Consequently, a more efficient algorithm is sought. In this paper, we fvst present experimental data for eleven benchmark circuits to show how latch correlation affects the delay fault coverage in a scan-path design circuit. The experiment demonstrates that latch correlation adversely affects delay fault coverage. and that most undetected delay faults caused by the test pattern correlation are close to latch outputs. We then introduce topology-based latch correlation measures to guide the placement of latches in a scan-path design with the objective of minimizing the effect of the test pattern correlation and maximizing the delay fault coverage. We also develop a latch arrangement algorithm that uses the proposed latch correlation measures. Experimental results with eleven benchmark circuits indicate that the scan-path found by the algorithm clearly achieves better fault coverage than a scan-path having no deliberate arrangement. and, in fact, achieves nearly the coverage that can be gotten by unrestricted application of the test vectors to the circuit without a scan-path.
A Framework for Conducting Critical Dialectical Pluralist Focus Group Discussions Using Mixed Research Techniques

Although focus group discussions (FGDs) represent a popular data collection tool for researchers, they contain an extremely serious flaw: FGD researchers have ultimate power over all decisions made at every stage of the research process—from the conceptualization of the research, to the planning of the research study, to the implementation of the research study, to the dissemination of FGD findings. Yet, exercising 100% control over all decisions in FGD research can be detrimental for some participants, especially for under-represented, underserved, and marginalized populations. Thus, in this article, we introduce a new type of participant-directed FGD, which we call a critical dialectical pluralist FGD , wherein participants are maximally empowered to make decisions at every stage of the mixed research process. We outline the stages of critical dialectical pluralist FGDs and provide a real-life example of this approach.
The Effect of a Mechanical Arm System on Portable Grinder Vibration Emissions

Mechanical arm systems are commonly used to support powered hand tools to alleviate ergonomic stressors related to the development of workplace musculoskeletal disorders. However, the use of these systems can increase exposure times to other potentially harmful agents such as hand-transmitted vibration. To examine how these tool support systems affect tool vibration, the primary objectives of this study were to characterize the vibration emissions of typical portable pneumatic grinders used for surface grinding with and without a mechanical arm support system at a workplace and to estimate the potential risk of the increased vibration exposure time afforded by the use of these mechanical arm systems. This study also developed a laboratory-based simulated grinding task based on the ISO 28927-1 (2009) standard for assessing grinder vibrations; the simulated grinding vibrations were compared with those measured during actual workplace grinder operations. The results of this study demonstrate that use of the mechanical arm may provide a health benefit by reducing the forces required to lift and maneuver the tools and by decreasing hand-transmitted vibration exposure. However, the arm does not substantially change the basic characteristics of grinder vibration spectra. The mechanical arm reduced the average frequency-weighted acceleration by about 24% in the workplace and by about 7% in the laboratory. Because use of the mechanical arm system can increase daily time-on-task by 50% or more, the use of such systems may actually increase daily time-weighted hand-transmitted vibration exposures in some cases. The laboratory acceleration measurements were substantially lower than the workplace measurements, and the laboratory tool rankings based on acceleration were considerably different than those from the workplace. Thus, it is doubtful that ISO 28927-1 is useful for estimating workplace grinder vibration exposures or for predicting workplace grinder acceleration rank orders.
Wildland Arson as Clandestine Resource Management: A Space–Time Permutation Analysis and Classification of Informal Fire Management Regimes in Georgia, USA

Forest managers are increasingly recognizing the value of disturbance-based land management techniques such as prescribed burning. Unauthorized, "arson" fires are common in the southeastern United States where a legacy of agrarian cultural heritage persists amidst an increasingly forest-dominated landscape. This paper reexamines unauthorized fire-setting in the state of Georgia, USA from a historical ecology perspective that aims to contribute to historically informed, disturbance-based land management. A space-time permutation analysis is employed to discriminate systematic, management-oriented unauthorized fires from more arbitrary or socially deviant fire-setting behaviors. This paper argues that statistically significant space-time clusters of unauthorized fire occurrence represent informal management regimes linked to the legacy of traditional land management practices. Recent scholarship has pointed out that traditional management has actively promoted sustainable resource use and, in some cases, enhanced biodiversity often through the use of fire. Despite broad-scale displacement of traditional management during the 20th century, informal management practices may locally circumvent more formal and regionally dominant management regimes. Space-time permutation analysis identified 29 statistically significant fire regimes for the state of Georgia. The identified regimes are classified by region and land cover type and their implications for historically informed disturbance-based resource management are discussed.
The Social Architecture of Anxiety and Potential Role of Music Therapy

Selon l'Organisation mondiale de la sante (OMS, 2004), l'anxiete est devenu une menace internationale serieuse pour la sante mondiale , la productivite et la sensibilite . Quand une personne souffre d'anxiete , il touche tous les aspects de leur bien-etre ainsi que celui des personnes qui leur sont proches . Ce document traite de la presence et l'impact de l'anxiete comme une experience multisensorielle , relationnelle , et incarne qui se produit a la suit e de facteurs de stress sociaux - environnement ales internes et externes . Il soutient la theorie selon laquelle l'impact individuel et collectif de l'anxiete est une construction sociale operationnelle produite a partir d'une histoire profondement enracinee de l'individualisme concurrentiel , pouvoir dans les relations et les questions de difference dans la societe . La facon dont le domaine de la musico therapie conceptualise actuellement anxiete suggere que d'autres etudes sont necessaires pour cibler specifiquement les contextes relationnels et sociaux plus larges de l'anxiete . Ainsi , en fournissant le potentiel d'accroissement de l'ensemble des connaissances pour le champ et les possibilites de musicotherapeutes a penser et a la pratique d'un tel point de vue critique.
A Calorimetric Study of the Kinetics of Al3Ni Nucleation and Growth during Reactions in Al/Ni Thin Films

Our experiments and analyses suggest the following sequence of events during reactions at Al/Ni interfaces: 1) Interdiffusion precedes Al3Ni nucleation, leading to the fonnation of metastable solid solutions. 2) Al3Ni nucleates in the interdiffused region at a fixed number of sites whose areal density changes as a function of the bilayer thickness, because of correlated changes in the population of grain boundary triple junctions. 3) Al3Ni coalesces into a continuous layer with a thickness of about 10 nm and the thickening of this layer is diffusion limited. These observations are consistent with the thermodynamic properties of the AI-Ni phases and suggest that pre-nucleation interdiffusion as well as nucleation itself are both key factors to consider in understanding phase selection in thin-ftlm reactions. The authors wish to thank Jerry Floro for depositing UHV samples, and mM for providing support for this project.
Nonradiative Recombination via Conical Intersections Arising at Defects on the Oxidized Silicon Surface

Nonradiative recombination of excitations in semiconductors limits the performance of photovoltaics, light-emitting diodes, photocatalysts, and other devices. Herein we investigate the role that two known defects on the oxidized surface of silicon play in nonradiative recombination in silicon nanocrystals. We apply ab initio multiple spawning and multireference electronic structure methods to model the nonradiative processes which follow excitation of two cluster models of silicon epoxide defects that differ in the oxidation state of their respective silicon atoms. We find conical intersections in both clusters, and these intersections are found to be accessible at energies corresponding to visible wavelengths. In both cases, photochemical opening of the epoxide ring precedes nonradiative decay. These results support the hypothesis that conical intersections associated with specific defect structures on the oxidized surface of silicon nanocrystals facilitate nonradiative recombination. Discussion regardin...
Watching Chemical Reactions and Dynamics with Ultrafast Multidimensional Infrared Spectroscopy

Using equilibrium and non-equilibrium multidimensional infrared spectroscopy, we can track chemical reactions with exquisite detail. Examples we will discuss include: ultrafast chemical exchange, bimolecular recombination, charge transfer and solvation dynamics.
Investigation on the psychological health and influential factors of methadone maintenance treatment in certain district of Changsha city

Objective:To understand the psychological health and influential factors of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT), provide references for improving MMT effects and psychological health. Methods: National unified MMT questionnaire and SCL-90 were used on 243 cases of heroin addiction in MMT in the district of Changsha during Jan 1-Jun 30, 2010. Results: ①The top five adverse psychological factors were somatization, depression, enforcement, hostility and anxiety. ②Unconditioned Logistic regression analysis shows gender, time of drug taking during past one month, cost of drug taking during past one month, current working condition and time of join in the MMT had different effects. Conclusion: ①Psychological health of the heroin addicts in MMT from the district of Changsha was lower than normal people; ②Main factors affect psychological health of heroin addicts were gender, time of drug taking during past one month, cost of drug taking during past one month, current working condition and time of join in the MMT.
Endogenous origin of glomerular endothelial and mesangial cells in grafts of embryonic kidneys

To address origins of glomerular endothelial and mesangial cells in embryonic mammalian kidneys, we established interspecies grafts between rats and mice, in which fetal kidneys were implanted into the anterior eye chamber of adult hosts. After 5-7 days, hosts bearing grafts received intravenous injections with species-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to matrix components. In all cases, glomerular basement membranes and mesangial matrices labeled solely for donor-derived matrix. Additionally, microvessel extracellular matrices within grafts were usually of donor origin. To examine directly the origin of glomerular endothelial and mesangial cells, we grafted embryonic gestational days 11-12 (E11-12) kidneys from normal mice into anterior eye chambers of host reverse-orientation splice acceptor 26 mice, which are transgenic animals that express beta-galactosidase in every cell. When grafts were developed for beta-galactosidase activity, host cells were seen in peripheral vessels, but the majority of glomerular endothelial cells were of donor, not host, origin. Where host-derived-endothelial cells were found in glomeruli, donor endothelial cells were present as well. Mesangial cells were always of donor origin. When E11 mouse kidneys were labeled with the endothelial cell-specific Bandeiraea simplicifolia isolectin B4, we determined that endothelial cells are present from the inception of metanephrogenesis. Together, the evidence shows that cells of endogenous kidney origin were almost entirely responsible for development of the glomerular microvasculature in oculo. External vessels from the host, although important for graft maintenance, were not major contributors to the glomerulus.
Return on Reputation in Online Auction Markets

This research develops an assurances framework to assess the effect of a seller’s feedback “reputation” on the closing price of an online auction. The framework treats bidders as if they were ‘intuitive statisticians’ in their use of reputation cues. The framework leads to hypotheses about how information-based assurances (particularly feedback scores and the seller’s provision of information about the product) may be used by buyers to reduce their trading risks. The hypotheses are tested using data collected from the eBay web site on auctions of Palm Pilot personal digital assistants. It is found that the higher the seller’s reputation the higher is the average closing price of the auction, which constitutes a return on reputation (ROR). Thus the reputation infrastructure rewards good behavior with positive economic outcomes and helps to sustain a virtuous cycle in the online ecosystem. More specifically, it is found that: (a) negative comments are weighted more heavily than positive ones (b) negative feedback is subject to diminishing returns (c) the assurance offered by reputation is more salient among risk-averse buyers and (d) a high level of information about the merchandise also provides another form of assurance. However, when faced with a high level of information, risk-averse buyers seem to rely less on the sellers reputation score for assurance (a three way negative interaction between risk aversion, reputation and high information). The economic impact of these findings is that the seller of a Palm Pilot who has a high reputation can expect to receive as much as 12.6% more for the item than if he had a low reputation score. Of course, eBay also participates in this upside through its commission structure as well as the wider impact that the feedback seems to have. It is argued that the market for assurances is a contributor to eBay’s success and is also essential to the optimal functioning of any online market.
Eradicating Health Care Disparities in the Surgical Management of ProstateCancer

Racial disparities in the arena of prostate cancer epidemiology and survival outcomes are conjectured to extend to the surgical management of this disease, particularly to the extent that African-American men encounter less favorable curative opportunities and disease control impact among racial groups in this regard. A literature review was performed to examine the utilization trends and therapeutic efficacy aspects of radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer in African-American men. African-American men carry an adverse prostate cancer risk profile, with distinctive tumor biologic implications, although multiple risk factors across disease, patient, and provider domains are contributory. Delayed screening for this disease in African-American men, relative to Caucasian-American men, coupled with racial variations in patterns and quality of care, are highly relevant variables accounting for decreased radical prostatectomy utilization. Reports exist both in support of and in opposition to therapeutic efficacy equivalence among racial groups after radical prostatectomy. The racial variation in surgical care for prostate cancer can be addressed by applying both pattern and quality of care improvements in the delivery of surgical treatment. Future research advances will also be beneficial for advising optimal treatment based on targeted risk profiles.
Dual-side cooled novel IPM and improved capability of inverter for elevated-temperature operations

Novel two-side cooling for integrated power modules (IPM) is developed for elevated-temperature operations. This approach applies and improves commercially off-the-shelf (COTS) products of IPM without significantly changing the original packaging design and manufacture's fabrication process. It can reduce the p-n junction temperature rise of the power devices inside by 20% at an equivalent load, thus increasing operating ambient temperatures, which is desirable for integrated motors and elevated-temperature applications. The size and volume associated with conventional cooling mechanism can be shrunk. Dc-link capacitor reduction with adaptive PWM control is also discussed.
The impact of preoperative ASA score and serum albumin on early complication and survival rate of patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer.

4576 Background: American Society of Anesthesiologist Score (ASA-S) is used to evaluate patient physical status before surgery. Serum albumin (Alb) is also a marker of nutritional status. We evalua...
A computational model predicts genetic nodes that allow switching between species-specific responses in a conserved signaling network

Cell signaling networks regulate a variety of developmental and physiological processes, and changes in their response to external stimuli are often implicated in disease initiation and progression. To elucidate how different responses can arise from conserved signaling networks, we have developed a mathematical model of the well-characterized Caenorhabditis vulval development network involving EGF, Wnt and Notch signaling that recapitulates biologically observed behaviors. We experimentally block a specific element of the EGF pathway (MEK), and find different behaviors in vulval development in two Caenorhabditis species, C. elegans and C. briggsae. When we separate our parameters into subsets that correspond to these two responses, they yield model behaviors that are consistent with observed experimental results, despite the initial parameter grouping based on perturbation in a single node of the EGF pathway. Finally, our analysis predicts specific parameters that may be critical for the theoretically and experimentally observed differences, suggesting modifications that might allow intentional switching between the two species' responses. Our results indicate that all manipulations within a signal transduction pathway do not yield the same outcome, and provide a framework to identify the specific genetic perturbations within a conserved network that will confer unique behaviors on the network.
Perceptually Salient Sound Distortions and Apraxia of Speech: A Performance Continuum.

Purpose We sought to characterize articulatory distortions in apraxia of speech and aphasia with phonemic paraphasia and to evaluate the diagnostic validity of error frequency of distortion and dis...