cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The george edelstyn memorial lecture: Radiation in the management of malignant soft tissue tumours

Abstract Consistently good results in patients with sarcoma of soft tissue are more likely if they are managed by a sarcoma team in a centre which sees large numbers of such patients. The results of treatment of 258 patients at Massachusetts General Hospital (1971–1986) by radiation with surgery are described. The rationale for combining radiation and surgery is considered. Local control rates (actuarial at 5 years) are 86% and 91% for radiation administered postoperatively and pre-operatively respectively. In the most recent period, 1980–1986, the results were 92% and 97% respectively (63 and 82 patients). Preoperative radiation treatment is judged to be more effective than postoperative radiation, especially for the larger sarcomas. Currently, several strategies are being employed in the management of patients with sarcoma of soft tissues: radical ablative surgery, surgery combined with radiation (pre- or postoperatively, and or intra-operatively), and surgery combined with radiation and intra-arterial chemotherapy. High local control rates are being achieved by these diverse treatment methods. There is an obvious need to assess the cosmetic and functional results achieved by the different treatment methods so as to determine the most clinically effective approach. Chemotherapy in patients with stage M 0 disease has not been proven to yield a clinical gain.
Stability of detonations for an idealized condensed-phase model

The stability of travelling wave Chapman-Jouguet and moderately overdriven detonations of Zeldovich-von Neumann-Doring type is formulated for a general system that incorporates the idealized gas and condensed-phase (liquid or solid) detonation models. The general model consists of a two-component mixture with a one-step irreversible reaction between reactant and product. The reaction rate has both temperature and pressure sensitivities and has a variable reaction order. The idealized condensed-phase model assumes a pressure-sensitive reaction rate, a constant-y caloric equation of state for an ideal fluid, with the isentropic derivative y = 3, and invokes the strong shock limit. A linear stability analysis of the steady, planar, ZND detonation wave for the general model is conducted using a normal-mode approach. An asymptotic analysis of the eigenmode structure at the end of the reaction zone is conducted, and spatial boundedness (closure) conditions formally derived, whose precise form depends on the magnitude of the detonation overdrive and reaction order. A scaling analysis of the transonic flow region for Chapman-Jouguet detonations is also studied to illustrate the validity of the linearization for Chapman-Jouguet detonations. Neutral stability boundaries are calculated for the idealized condensed-phase model for one- and two-dimensional perturbations. Comparisons of the growth rates and frequencies predicted by the normal-mode analysis for an unstable detonation are made with a numerical solution of the reactive Euler equations. The numerical calculations are conducted using a new, high-order algorithm that employs a shock-fitting strategy, an approach that has significant advantages over standard shock-capturing methods for calculating unstable detonations. For the idealized condensed-phase model, nonlinear numerical solutions are also obtained to study the long-time behaviour of one- and two-dimensional unstable Chapman-Jouguet ZND waves.
Measurement of the Effect of Monovalent Cations on RNA Hairpin Stability

Using optical tweezers, we have measured the effect of monovalent cation concentration and species on the folding free energy of five large (49-124 nt) RNA hairpins, including HIV-1 TAR and molecules approximating A·U and G·C homopolymers. RNA secondary structure thermodynamics are accurately described by a model consisting of nearest-neighbor interactions and additive loop and bulge terms. Melting of small (<15 bp) duplexes and hairpins in 1M NaCl has been used to determine the parameters of this model, which is now used extensively to predict structure and folding dynamics. Few systematic measurements have been made in other ionic conditions or for larger structures. By applying mechanical force, we measured the work required to fold and unfold single hairpins at room temperature over a range of cation concentrations from 50 to 1000 mM. Free energies were then determined using the Crooks Fluctuation Theorem. We observed the following: 1. In most cases, the nearest neighbor model accurately predicted the free energy of folding at 1M NaCl. 2. Free energy was proportional to the logarithm of salt concentration. 3. Substituting potassium ions for sodium slightly decreased hairpin stability. The TAR hairpin also misfolded nearly twice as often in KCl, indicating a differential kinetic response. 4. Monovalent cation concentration affects RNA stability in a sequence-dependent manner. G·C helices were unaffected by changing salt concentration, A·U helices were modestly affected, and the hairpin loop was very sensitive. Surprisingly, the UCU bulge of TAR was found to be equally stable in all conditions tested. We also report a new estimate for the elastic parameters of single-stranded RNA.
Understanding Leadership Through Leadership Understandings

In 1992, Margaret Wheatley urged leadership scholars to search for “new ways of understanding” (Wheatley, 1992/2006, p. 160). The search, with some exception, has stalled. Leadership studies remains mired in a philosophical understanding grounded in positivism. Within the current paper, an exploration of how an understanding is informed by its core philosophical assumptions is presented. An alternative framing for understandings is explored through the reconstruction of these same core philosophical assumptions. The benefits of dwelling within the alternative framing are sketched.
Electron paramagnetic resonance, electrical resistivity, and magnetization studies in the high Tc superconductors EuBa2Cu3O9−xandEuBa2 (Cu1−yMy)3O9−x (M = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, ORZn)

Abstract We have measured electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), electrical resistivity, and dc magnetic susceptibility from 2 K – 300 K for the high T c oxide superconductor EuBa 2 Cu 3 O 9−x , either undoped or doped with 3d ions (Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, or Zn), which presumably substitute at the Cu sites. We have observed an EPR line at low temperatures (T ≤ 40 K), which exhibits an increase in intensity and decrease in field for resonance as the temperature is lowered. The EPR linewidth is also temperature dependent and exhibits a minimum at about 15 K. In some of the samples another EPR signal is observed over the entire temperature range studied, with properties that depend on sample preparation conditions. This signal is likely to be due to small amounts of an additional phase. The behavior and origin of these EPR signals are discussed. The variation of T c with 3d ion concentration over the range (1 – 8%) is also presented.
The Hidden Curriculum: Value Added in Dental Education

Optimum dental school student learning integrates biomedical science and clinical dentistry and provides numerous examples of their application and relation to life and dental practice. While the formal curriculum is the nucleus for learning, the largely uncatalogued “hidden” curriculum is the
Surgery and Anesthesia for Children who have Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a spectrum of signs and symptoms resulting from an injury to the brain during its developmental stage. Children with cerebral palsy have disorders that impact their anesthetic management. In particular, abnormalities of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal system, and neuromuscular system must be considered. There is emerging evidence for abnormalities in their neuromuscular junction that potentially increase their anesthetic risk. In addition, there are recent data explaining possible reasons for increased bleeding in these children.
Conversion of Peripheral Blood NK Cells to a Decidual NK-like Phenotype by a Cocktail of Defined Factors

NK cells that populate the decidua are important regulators of normal placentation. In contrast to peripheral blood NK cells, decidual NK (dNK) cells lack cytotoxicity, secrete proangiogenic factors, and regulate trophoblast invasion. In this study we show that exposure to a combination of hypoxia, TGF-β1, and a demethylating agent results in NK cells that express killer cell Ig-like receptors, the dNK cell markers CD9 and CD49a, and a dNK pattern of chemokine receptors. These cells secrete vascular endothelial growth factor (a potent proangiogenic molecule), display reduced cytotoxicity, and promote invasion of human trophoblast cell lines. These findings have potential therapeutic applications for placental disorders associated with altered NK cell biology.
Targeted delivery of GABA via ultrasound-induced blood-brain barrier disruption blocks somatosensory-evoked potentials

This study investigated whether targeted delivery of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), a small molecule (103 Da) that normally does not reach the brain with systemic administration, can temporarily block brain activity after ultrasound-induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption.
Preliminary Results on the Simultaneous Excitation of the Tm 010 and Te 011 Modes in a Single Cell Niobium Cavity

Simultaneous excitation of both TM 010 and TE 011 mode has been carried out on a CEBAF single cell cavity. The cavity has two beam pipe side-ports for each mode for input and pick-up couplers. Coupling to the TE 011 mode is done by magnetic loop couplers while for the TM 010 mode coaxial antennas are used. Simultaneous excitation of both TM and TE modes has been proposed recently for superconducting photoinjector applications to take advantage of the accelerating electric field of the TM mode, combined with the focusing magnetic field of the TE mode. The TE 011 mode has the property of having zero surface electric field, surface magnetic field orthogonal to the one in the TM 010 mode and concentrated in the iris/wall regions of the cavity. The presence of both modes in the cavity at the same time can also be used to investigate the so-called high field Q-drop in the TM 010 mode. This paper will present some preliminary result on the test of the single cell cavity at 2 K.
On-Chip photonic interconnects for scalable multi-core architectures

In this paper, we propose PROPEL, a photonic network-on-chip (NoC) that improves performance and power with energy-efficient opto-electronic components for future chip multiprocessors (CMPs). Our analytical and simulation results indicate that PROPEL improves throughput and reduces power over optical and electrical networks for various traffic traces while requiring fewer photonic components and devices.
System identification of the vestibulo-ocular reflex: application of the recursive least-squares algorithm

A discrete-time model of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) can be obtained by step-invariant transformation of the two-pole continuous-time model frequency used to describe the system. Simulations show that for sum-of-sines input, output predictions of the two VOR models are in agreement except during an initial period. The discrete model allows for parameter estimation by the recursive-least-squares (RLS) algorithm. RLS data yields values that are easily transformed back into continuous model parameters. RLS identification of actual data from electro-oculographic recordings is complicated by noise induced by data recording and nystagmus algorithms. Valid VOR models can be obtained by RLS without the large amounts of data required by frequency response methods. >
Infectious Disease Ontology

In the last decade, technological developments have resulted in tremendous increases in the volume and diversity of the data and information that must be processed in the course of biomedical and clinical research and practice. Researchers are at the same time under ever greater pressure to share data and to take steps to ensure that data resources are interoperable. The use of ontologies to annotate data has proven successful in supporting these goals and in providing new possibilities for the automated processing of data and information. More recently, ontologies have been shown to have significant benefits both for the analysis of data resulting from high-throughput technologies and for automated reasoning applications, and this has led to organized attempts to improve the structure and formal rigor of ontologies in ways that will better support computational analysis and reasoning. In this chapter, we describe different types of vocabulary resources and emphasize those features of formal ontologies that make them most useful for computational applications. We describe current uses of ontologies and discuss future goals for ontology-based computing, focusing on its use in the field of infectious diseases. We review the largest and most widely used vocabulary resources relevant to the study of infectious diseases and conclude with a description of the Infectious Disease Ontology (IDO) suite of interoperable ontology modules that together cover the entire infectious disease domain.
Web portal functionality and state government e-service

This paper reports the results of a study investigating the role of Web portals in state government electronic service delivery. We describe the functionality of the fifty US state Web portals and examine several factors which explain why some states are have higher functioning web portals than others. We find that the nearly every state Web portal is in the early stages of development. Most state Web portals provide information and access to limited set of government services. However; the level of integration necessary to provide advanced transaction capabilities is not present in most portals. We further find that the strategic IT approach employed by the state and the extent to which the state has adopted e-government friendly laws are key factors in the development of high-functioning state Web portal.
Optical quantization of microwave signals via distributed phase Modulation

Optical phase modulators and a continuous-wave laser diode were used to quantize microwave signals with frequencies up to 25 GHz. A 2- and 3-b optical quantizer and photonic analog-to-digital converter are demonstrated. The quantizer system is primarily limited in the optical domain by the speed of the phase modulators. Converting the optical binary data into the electrical domain limits the data acquisition to the electronic readout circuitry.
The Timing of CEO Stock Option Grants: Scheduled versus Unscheduled Awards

This study seeks to provide insights into companies' decisions to issue stock options to CEOs on a scheduled or an unscheduled basis. We first document that unscheduled option awards provide CEOs with greater flexibility to influence the grant date stock price that leads to a lower exercise price of options and a higher accreted value realized at exercise. We then investigate whether the choice between unscheduled and scheduled awards is affected by the degree of CEO influence and the importance of stock options in CEO compensation. Consistent with expectations, we find that firms with greater CEO influence over compensation committees and boards and firms with greater use of stock options in CEO compensation are more likely to issue options to CEOs on an unscheduled basis. We also examine whether compensation committees and boards are effective in limiting CEOs' option timing manipulation for unscheduled awards and information timing manipulation for scheduled option awards. We find that, for firms that issue unscheduled options, boards that are less independent of management and that receive a greater proportion of director compensation from stock options allow greater management opportunism with respect to the timing of option awards. In contrast, for firms that issue scheduled options, we find no significant impact of board independence and director option compensation on the extent of management opportunism with respect to the timing of information releases around option awards.
The Work-Family Time Binds of Low-Income Mothers: Nurse Aides Struggle to Care

ABSTRACT Nurse aides at Convalescent Center, a for-profit nursing home in a low-income county in Michigan, struggle to accommodate routine care of children, using relative and informal care, and to deal with sudden, urgent demands related to parenting. The nursing home has relatively rigid workplace scheduling and attendance policies and practices, based upon state and corporate staffing rules and constraints on labor costs, with some limited elements of flexibility. Both rigid demands to work all scheduled hours, regardless of unpredictable child-related urgencies, and opportunities to select the preferred shift characterize the work environment. The dilemmas of the nurse aides who are mothers are the consequence of public policies that fail to protect families from workplace demands, compounded by public health reimbursement practices that constrict staffing options at the nursing home.
Use of Shredded Tires as Lightweight Backfill Material for Retaining Structures

Each year in the United States, approximately 242 million automobile, truck and specialty tires are discarded. Almost 78% of these scrap tires wind up in overcrowded landfills, and thousands more are strewn across the country’s empty lots, highways and illegal tire dumps. Used tires pose both a serious public health and an environmental threat. Therefore, economically feasible alternatives for scrap tire disposal must be found. Some of the current uses of scrap tires are tire-derived fuel, barrier reefs, and crumb rubber as an asphalt additive. However, all of the recycling, re-use and recovery practices combined only consume about 22% of the discarded tires. Thus, a need still exists for the development of additional uses for scrap tires. This paper addresses one potential use of scrap tires within the civil engineering field. Specifically, the feasibility of using shredded tires as a lightweight backfill material for retaining walls has been investigated. In this study, laboratory tests were first performed to determine the engineering properties of shredded tires. Based on sieve analyses, the shredded tires used for this study can be classified as uniformly graded material. The unit weight of shredded tires was found to range from 35 to 38 lbs ft -3 (pcf), and the hydraulic conductivity was determined to be 0.03 cm s -1 . The values of shear strength parameters, cohesion and angle of internal friction, were determined to be 147 lbs ft -2 (psf) and 27 degrees, respectively. Using these properties, retaining walls of various heights were then designed using shredded tires as the backfill material. Retaining walls were also designed using conventional sand as the backfill material for comparison purposes. When comparing the overall cost for the retaining wall using shredded tires with the retaining wall using sand, a substantial cost saving was realised by the use of shredded tires. An increase in the factor of safety was also a result of using shredded tires instead of sand as backfill. The results of this study indicate that shredded tires have a definite potential to be used as a backfill material for retaining structures. ” 1996 ISWA
Effect of type 1 diabetes on carotid structure and function in adolescents and young adults: the SEARCH CVD study.

OBJECTIVE Type 1 diabetes mellitus causes increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in adults. We evaluated IMT in young subjects with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Participants with type 1 diabetes ( N = 402) were matched to controls ( N = 206) by age, sex, and race or ethnicity. Anthropometric and laboratory values, blood pressure, and IMT were measured. ANCOVA was used to assess differences controlling for demographic risk factors, cardiovascular risk factors, and HbA 1c . RESULTS Subjects were 18.9 ± 3.3 years old (50% male, 82.7% non-Hispanic white). Youth with type 1 diabetes had thicker bulb IMT, which remained significantly different after adjustment for demographics and cardiovascular risk factors. Age, sex, adiposity, and systolic blood pressure were consistent significant determinants of IMT. Adjustment for HbA 1c eliminated the difference, suggesting the difference was attributable to poor glycemic control. CONCLUSIONS Carotid IMT may be increased in youth with type 1 diabetes at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Better control of diabetes may be essential in preventing progression of atherosclerosis.
Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and therapy of infections caused by dematiaceous fungi

The dematiaceous (brown-pigmented) fungi are a large and heterogenous group of moulds that cause a wide range of diseases including phaeohyphomycosis, chromoblastomycosis, and eumycotic mycetoma. Among the more important human pathogens are Alternaria species, Bipolaris species, Cladophialophora bantiana, Curvularia species, Exophiala species, Fonsecaea pedrosoi, Madurella species, Phialophora species, Scedosporium prolificans, Scytalidium dimidiatum, and Wangiella dermatitidis. These organisms are widespread in the environment, being found in soil, wood, and decomposing plant debris. Cutaneous, subcutaneous, and corneal infections with dematiaceous fungi occur worldwide, but are more common in tropical and subtropical climates. Infection results from traumatic implantation. Most cases occur in immunocompetent individuals. Dematiaceous moulds are also important causes of invasive sinusitis and allergic fungal sinusitis. Infection is thought to follow inhalation. Although cerebral infection is the commonest form of systemic phaeohyphomycosis, other localized deep forms of the disease, such as arthritis, and endocarditis, have been reported. Disseminated infection is uncommon, but its incidence is increasing, particularly among immunocompromised individuals. Scedosporium prolificans is the most frequent cause. A number of dematiaceous fungi are neurotropic, including Cladophialophora bantiana, Ramichloridium mackenziei, and Wangiella dermatitidis. Although cases have occurred in immunocompromised persons, cerebral phaeohyphomycosis is most common in immunocompetent individuals with no obvious risk factors. Most forms of disease caused by dematiaceous fungi require both surgical and medical treatment. Itraconazole is currently the most effective antifungal agent for chromoblastomycosis and subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis, while ketoconazole remains useful for mycetoma. Extensive surgical debridement combined with amphotericin B treatment is recommended for chronic invasive sinusitis. Long-term treatment with itraconazole has led to improvement or remission in some patients that had failed to respond to amphotericin B. Allergic fungal sinusitis requires surgical removal of impacted mucin combined with postoperative oral corticosteroids. Antifungal treatment is not usually of benefit, but post-operative itraconazole may reduce the need for reoperation. The clinical outcome of cerebral and other deep-seated forms of phaeohyphomycosis is dismal, with long-term survival being reported only when complete surgical resection of discrete lesions is possible. The development of new antifungal agents and combination treatment may help to improve the management of these infections.
Climate-induced changes in the small mammal communities of the Northern Great Lakes Region

We use museum and other collection records to document large and extraordinarily rapid changes in the ranges and relative abundance of nine species of mammals in the northern Great Lakes region (white-footed mice, woodland deer mice, southern red-backed voles, woodland jumping mice, eastern chipmunks, least chipmunks, southern flying squirrels, northern flying squirrels, common opossums). These species reach either the southern or the northern limit of their distributions in this region. Changes consistently reflect increases in species of primarily southern distribution (white-footed mice, eastern chipmunks, southern flying squirrels, common opossums) and declines by northern species (woodland deer mice, southern red-backed voles, woodland jumping mice, least chipmunks, northern flying squirrels). White-footed mice and southern flying squirrels have extended their ranges over 225 km since 1980, and at particularly well-studied sites in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, small mammal assemblages have shifted from numerical domination by northern species to domination by southern species. Repeated resampling at some sites suggests that southern species are replacing northern ones rather than simply being added to the fauna. Observed changes are consistent with predictions from climatic warming but not with predictions based on recovery from logging or changes in human populations. Because of the abundance of these focal species (the eight rodent species make up 96.5% of capture records of all forest-dwelling rodents in the region and 70% of capture records of all forest-dwelling small mammals) and the dominating ecological roles they play, these changes substantially affect the composition and structure of forest communities. They also provide an unusually clear example of change that is likely to be the result of climatic warming in communities that are experienced by large numbers of people.
Chirped pulse amplification of HGHG-FEL at DUV-FEL facility at BNL

The DUV-FEL facility has been in operation in the High Gain Harmonic Generation (HGHG) mode producing a 266-nm output from 177-MeV electrons for 1 year. In this paper, we present preliminary results of the Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA) of the HGHG radiation. In the normal HGHG process, a 1-ps electron beam is seeded by a chirped 9 ps long, 800-nm Ti:Sapphire laser. The electron beam sees only a narrow fraction of the seed laser bandwidth. However, in the CPA case, the seed laser pulse length is reduced to 1 ps, and the electron beam sees the full bandwidth. We introduce an energy chirp on the electron beam to match the chirp of the seed pulse, enabling the resonant condition for the whole beam. We present measurements of the spectrum bandwidth for various chirp conditions.
Development of long-term larval indices for Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) on the northeast US continental shelf

Richardson, D. E., Hare, J. A., Overholtz, W. J., and Johnson, D. L. 2010. Development of long-term larval indices for Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) on the northeast US continental shelf. - ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 617-627.The incorporation of data from ichthyoplankton programmes into the stock assessment process has lagged far behind the use of data from comparable adult-monitoring programmes. This can in part be attributed to a mismatch between established analytical approaches to larval-index development and the inconsistencies in sampling for many long-term ichthyoplankton datasets. Along the northeast US continental shelf, ichthyoplankton surveys have been carried out by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NMFS/NOAA) multiple times annually since 1971, but the spatial and seasonal allocation of sampling has varied substantially. Here, we present a non-linear least-squares approach to larval-index development. We use the age structure and abundance of larvae on each survey to derive the larval index, along with parameters describing the survival of larvae and the seasonal cycle of hatching. Application to Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) revealed a large drop in the index around 1976, an increase in the index through the late 1980s, and another large drop in 2004. This index was correlated with the stock assessment estimate of Atlantic herring spawning-stock biomass from 1971 to 2003, but differed substantially during 2004. Our results demonstrate that our approach to larval-index development is flexible to the inconsistencies in sampling effort.
Dispersion of an Elevated Release in a Coastal Region

Abstract This paper presents a study on air pollutant dispersion from an elevated accidental release from the space shuttle tower at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida under the influence of a stratified onshore flow. The temperature difference between land and ocean can generate a local sea-land circulation and a thermal internal boundary layer. Both play a significant role in the coastal dispersion. Results from a Gaussian dispersion model and those from numerical simulations show that the concentrations obtained from these two distinctly different methods are of the same order of magnitude and have similar patterns. Numerical simulations were performed by combining the Advanced Regional Prediction System with an Eulerian pollutant dispersion model. Numerical sensitivity experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of upwind stability, coastal topography, and calm wind condition. Numerical results also show that the dispersion pattern from a continuous release is significantly different from t...
Finite Element Displacement Method for Framed Structures

In this chapter we revisit the Displacement Method for structures such as trusses, beams, and frames which are composed of member type elements. Our objective is to identify the basic steps involved in applying the Displacement Method that can be represented as computer procedures. We utilize matrix notation since it is the natural language of computation, and systematically reformulate the different steps as a sequence of matrix operations. This reformulation is referred to as the Finite Element Displacement Method. It is relatively straight forward to convert these matrix operations into computer code once one selects a computer language.
3D Assessment of Features Associated With Transvalvular Aortic Regurgitation After TAVR: A Real-Time 3D TEE Study

Abstract Objectives This study of 3-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) aimed to demonstrate features associated with transvalvular aortic regurgitation (AR) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and to confirm the fact that a gap between the native aortic annulus and prosthesis is associated with paravalvular AR. Background The mechanism of AR after TAVR, particularly that of transvalvular AR, has not been evaluated adequately. Methods All patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent TAVR with the Sapien device (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California) had 3D TEE of the pre-procedural native aortic annulus and the post-procedural prosthetic valve. Results In the 201 patients studied, the total AR was mild in 67 patients (33%), moderate in 21 patients (10%), and severe in no patients. There were 20 patients with transvalvular AR and 82 patients with paravalvular AR. Fourteen patients had both transvalvular and paravalvular AR. Patients with transvalvular AR had larger prosthetic expansion (p Conclusions 3D TEE successfully demonstrated the features associated with transvalvular AR, such as large prosthetic expansion, elliptical prosthetic shape, and anti-anatomical position of prosthesis. Additionally, effective area oversizing was associated with paravalvular AR.
The Concept of a Minimum Market Share

Market share is the key ratio in marketing. The purpose here is to discuss the concept of minimum market share. There is some minimum value below which it is not practical to think in terms of market share. It is not within the scope of this paper to determine quantitatively what constitute a minimum market share. Shepherd (1972, p. 25n) talks in terms of significant and trivial market shares, Cohen (1966, pp. 9–12) threshold market share and Zabriskie (1963, pp. 17–20) an important market share. There are two aspects of a minimum market share. One minimum is the leading firm that characterize an industry as an oligopoly. The other is, the minimum market share is associated with survival and barriers to entry? These two aspects are at the extremes of the viable distribution of market shares within an industry. The minimum which signifies that an industry is oligopolistic can become the maximum in an industry while the minimum market share associated with barriers to entry and survival becomes the market share of the smallest viable firm in that industry.
“A Bit of a Missionary Number”: Reading Identity in Fae Myenne Ng's BONE

Fae Myenne Ng's novel Bone presents a bifurcated vision of San Francisco's Chinatown—at first glance, a stereotypical, close-knit community dependent on the preservation of traditions and appearanc...
A Critical Approach to Social Emotional Learning Instruction Through Community-Based Service Learning:

The traditional teaching of reading, writing, and arithmetic alone will not fully prepare students to lead with integrity, govern fairly, analyze problems, and work collectively with people differe...
A Testbed for Multi-Domain Communication Networks Using Lego Mindstroms

Airborne networks (ANs) with flight-to-flight communication have gained significant research interests over the years, due to the advantages such as transportability, flexibility, and broad-coverage. Airborne networks can also connect with ground networks to form multi-domain communication networks, which find broad applications such as search-andrescue, the generation of on-demand disaster communication networks, etc. In order to understand the challenges on developing robust ANs and multi-domain communication networks, and to evaluate possible solutions, flight field tests are typically conducted. However, as flight tests are costly, they are not easily accessible to many AN researchers. We build a preliminary LEGO robot-based test-bed to facilitate the study of ANs and multidomain communication networks. This ground test-bed can mimic ANs and multi-domain communication networks as it captures their specific mobility patterns and communication properties. In this paper, we discuss the theory, implementation details, the results of using this test-bed for multi-domain search-and-rescue applications.
The Absence of Social Equity Measurement in Municipal Service Privatization: Are Residents Feeling Dumped on?

As privatization of municipal service becomes commonplace, empirical evidence is necessary to ensure that services delivered are equitable and responsive to all citizens. This article looks specifically at social equity measures in municipal service privatization. Using panel data analysis with survey data from a large southwest city, it examines how privatization affects citizens’ reported quality ratings of solid waste service in communities of different ethnicities. The findings show that customers of privately delivered services generally report lower ratings than publicly delivered services; and in Latino-concentrated areas, these ratings are significantly lower. This article closes with policy suggestions to address the lack of attention to social equity measures in evaluation efforts of current service privatization practices.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Chromogenic and Fluorogenic Substrates for High-Throughput Detection of Enzymes That Hydrolyze Inorganic Polyphosphate

Inorganic polyphosphates, linear polymers of orthophosphate, occur naturally throughout biology and have many industrial applications. Their biodegradable nature makes them attractive for a multitude of uses, and it would be important to understand how polyphosphates are turned over enzymatically. Studies of inorganic polyphosphatases are, however, hampered by the lack of high-throughput methods for detecting and quantifying rates of polyphosphate degradation. We now report chromogenic and fluorogenic polyphosphate substrates that permit spectrophotometric monitoring of polyphosphate hydrolysis and allow for high-throughput analyses of both endopolyphosphatase and exopolyphosphatase activities, depending on assay configuration. These substrates contain 4-nitrophenol or 4-methylumbelliferone moieties that are covalently attached to the terminal phosphates of polyphosphate via phosphoester linkages formed during reactions mediated by EDAC (1-ethyl-3-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl)carbodiimide). This report identi...
Ubiquity of Benford's law and emergence of the reciprocal distribution

Abstract We apply the Law of Total Probability to the construction of scale-invariant probability distribution functions (pdf's), and require that probability measures be dimensionless and unitless under a continuous change of scales. If the scale-change distribution function is scale invariant then the constructed distribution will also be scale invariant. Repeated application of this construction on an arbitrary set of (normalizable) pdf's results again in scale-invariant distributions. The invariant function of this procedure is given uniquely by the reciprocal distribution, suggesting a kind of universality. We separately demonstrate that the reciprocal distribution results uniquely from requiring maximum entropy for size-class distributions with uniform bin sizes.
Biology of Ixodes Muris Bishopp and Smith (Ixodidae)

Ixodes muris was described in 1937 by Bishopp and Smith2 from larvae, nymphs, males, and females collected in Massachusetts. The hosts reported in this paper were the jumping mouse, the meadow mouse, the white-footed mouse, the Norway rat, the short-tailed shrew, and the muskrat. The localities from which collections were made were Cape Cod and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. There have been no subsequent publications on this species, and the biology was unknown at the time this study was started.
Interrelationships among Water Quality, Climate and Diet on Feedlot Performance of Steer Calves

Four experiments involving 16 pens of 8 to 10 crossbred steer calves each were conducted at Yuma, Arizona. Initial and final weights were approximately 170 and 275 kg, respectively. The experimental design was a 2 x 2 x 4 factorial replicated over 2 yr with main effects for season (summer, winter), diet (H = ground alfalfa hay, H + G = 50% ground alfalfa, 47.5% dry-rolled wheat and 2.5% molasses) and water source (N = normal, S = saline) during two consecutive 56-d periods in each experiment (N-N, N-S, S-N, S-S). Normal water contained approximately 1,300 ppm, and saline water contained approximately 6,000 ppm, total dissolved salts. Steers on the H + G diet gained 32% faster (P less than .01) and consumed 4% less (P less than .01) feed than those on the H diet. Gain and feed intake during winter were greater than during summer (20% and 7%, respectively, P less than .01). Gain and feed intake were reduced approximately 9% (P less than .01) on S water combinations compared with N-N water. Depression in gain and feed intake due to heat stress (summer season) or S water ingestion was greater on the H diet (diet x water source and diet x season interactions, P less than .02). Although season x water source interactions were not significant, saline water ingestion tended to be more detrimental during periods of heat stress (summer). Apparent adaptation to saline water occurred on the H + G diet, but not on the H diet.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
AlGaN/GaN power device technology for high current (100+ A) and high voltage (1.2 kV)

This paper extends our 650V rated GaN device technology to current ratings in excess of 100A. For the first time, devices with single digit Ron values are reported. A record low value of 6mΩ is measured at 100A. The device technology is shown to be fully current collapse free, over the complete voltage and temperature window. Intrinsic reliability test data up to Vds=900V, and T=200°C is provided. In addition, by using a thicker GaN buffer, 20A rated GaN power devices up to 1.2kV are presented, with leakage current ∼100nA. This is a first step to allow AlGaN/GaN power devices to compete with Si IGBTs and SiC MOSFETs.
Managing a fractured one-piece zirconia abutment with a modified plastic periodontal probe: A clinical report

This clinical report describes the management of a fractured 1-piece zirconia stock abutment from an implant with an internal connection using a modified plastic periodontal probe. This minimally invasive approach allows for the retrieval of fractured prosthetic components without causing irreversible damage to the implant's platform or its internal threads and does not require special equipment or costly instruments.
Teamwork in the NICU Setting and Its Association with Health Care-Associated Infections in Very Low-Birth-Weight Infants.

Background and Objective Teamwork may affect clinical care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) setting. The objective of this study was to assess teamwork climate across NICUs and to test scale-level and item-level associations with health care–associated infection (HAI) rates in very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants. Methods Cross-sectional study of the association between HAI rates, defined as any bacterial or fungal infection during the birth hospitalization, among 6,663 VLBW infants cared for in 44 NICUs between 2010 and 2012. NICU HAI rates were correlated with teamwork climate ratings obtained in 2011 from 2,073 of 3,294 eligible NICU health professionals (response rate 63%). The relation between HAI rates and NICU teamwork climate was assessed using logistic regression models including NICU as a random effect. Results Across NICUs, 36 to 100% (mean 66%) of respondents reported good teamwork. HAI rates were significantly and independently associated with teamwork climate (odds ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.73–0.92, p = 0.005), such that the odds of an infant contracting a HAI decreased by 18% with each 10% rise in NICU respondents reporting good teamwork. Conclusion Improving teamwork may be an important element in infection control efforts.
OER evaluation as a means of teaching information literacy in individual and small group settings

ABSTRACTOpen education resources represent a great opportunity to reduce textbook costs, but many of them have not been evaluated for quality. Librarians and former students in an introduction to engineering course collected and evaluated open education resources to supplement the course textbook in future semesters. Both searching for and evaluating these resources created opportunities for the librarians to evaluate information literacy skills of these students and to provide instruction to improve these skills.
The Behavior of Wild White-Faced Capuchins: Demography, Life History, Social Relationships, and Communication

Abstract Cebus capucinus has converged with Old World monkeys by having strong, long-term social bonds among related females that are characterized by linear dominance hierarchies, frequent grooming, and coalition formation, biased toward maternal kin. Males also maintain long-term relationships with kin, by comigrating with close male relatives. Males need male allies to take over groups with mature females. The alpha male sires virtually all offspring born to females who are not his direct descendants. Thus, the males who assist the alpha male in gaining and preserving access to breeding females typically must delay breeding until the alpha male's daughters have matured. Infanticide by alpha males is the primary cause of infant death. Females support the current alpha male, thereby preventing disruptive takeovers that could result in infanticide. Some alpha males maintain their position for up to 18 years. Under such conditions, survival rates and the average degree of relatedness within a group are high. High male reproductive skew, frequent coalitionary lethal aggression, and infanticide put selective pressures on both males and females to engage in coalition formation. The rich repertoire of stereotyped recruitment signals suggests a long evolutionary history of coalition formation. The unusual diversity of traditional dyadic social conventions in this species may also be a consequence of selection for ability to test the quality of social bonds.
Lesion Techniques for Behavioral Experiments

Historically, the lesion method has been one of the most popular techniques used for the study of brain-behavior relationships. The basic theory of lesioning is conceptually very simple: The function of a brain area is inferred by observing the deficits that are produced when the area is removed from the brain. This method of establishing brain-behavior relationships has been used in humans; damage to a brain area through injury or degenerative disease, although not intentionally placed, can still be used to assess brain function. Indeed, much of the very early neurological literature was established by observing the behavioral performance of brain damaged individuals (e.g., Broca, 1861; Hughlings-Jackson, 1931).
Management of Recurrent Stress Urinary Incontinence After Failed Mid-Urethral Sling Placement

Our objective is to review the current literature on recurrent stress urinary incontinence after mid-urethral sling placement, focusing on evidence-based management considerations for this complex clinical problem. Conservative, minimally invasive surgical therapies are currently available for management of persistent or recurrent SUI after a previous mid-urethral sling (MUS). Our review of the literature does not show a clear benefit of one approach over others and emphasizes that the ideal management for these complex patients should be determined using an individualized approach with a detailed discussion of patient symptoms, past surgical history, and goals. For symptomatic patients who are surgical candidates and desire intervention, trans-urethral bulking agents, repeat retropubic (RP) MUS, or salvage autologous pubovaginal (PV) sling appear to be the most well-described management strategies.
Cardiac Structure–Function MRI in Patients After Heart Transplantation

BACKGROUND Following heart transplantation (Tx), recipients are closely monitored using endomyocardial biopsy, which is limited by cost and invasiveness, and echocardiography, which is limited regarding detailed structural and functional evaluation. PURPOSE To test the feasibility of comprehensive structure-function cardiac MRI as a noninvasive modality to assess changes in myocardial structure and function. STUDY TYPE Prospective. SUBJECTS MR was performed in 61 heart transplant recipients (age 47.9 ± 16.3 years, 39% female) and 14 age-matched healthy controls (age 47.7 ± 16.7 years, 36% female). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE 1.5T; 2D CINE steady state free precession (SSF)P imaging, T2 -mapping, pre- and postgadolinium contrast T1 -mapping, and tissue-phase mapping (TPM). ASSESSMENT Quantification of myocardial T2 (as a measure of edema), pre- and post-Gd T1 (allowing calculation of extracellular volume (ECV) to estimate interstitial expansion), and TPM-based assessment of peak regional left ventricular (LV) velocities, dyssynchrony, and twist. STATISTICAL TESTS Comparisons between transplant recipients and controls were performed using independent samples t-tests. Relationships between structural (T2 , T1 , ECV) and functional measures (myocardial velocities, dyssynchrony, twist) were assessed using Pearson correlation analysis. RESULTS T2 and T1 were significantly elevated in transplant recipients compared to controls (global T2 : 50.5 ± 3.4 msec vs. 45.2 ± 2.3 msec, P < 0.01; global T1 : 1037.8 ± 48.0 msec vs. 993.8 ± 34.1 msec, P < 0.01). Systolic longitudinal function was impaired in transplant recipients compared to controls (reduced peak systolic longitudinal velocities, 2.9 ± 1.1 cm/s vs. 5.1 ± 1.2 cm/s, P < 0.01; elevated systolic longitudinal dyssynchrony, 60.2 ± 30.2 msec vs. 32.1 ± 25.1 msec, P < 0.01). Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between T2 and ECV (r = 0.45,P < 0.01). In addition, peak systolic longitudinal velocities demonstrated a significant inverse relationship with T2 (global r = -0.29, P = 0.02), and systolic radial dyssynchrony was positively associated with peak T2 and peak T1 (r = 0.26,P = 0.04; r = 0.27,P = 0.03). DATA CONCLUSION MR techniques are sensitive to structural and functional differences in transplant recipients compared to controls. Structural (T2 , T1 ) and functional (peak myocardial velocities, dyssynchrony) measures were significantly associated, suggesting a structure-function relationship of cardiac abnormalities following heart transplant. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2 Technical Efficacy Stage: 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;49:678-687.