cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Language skills of children with early cochlear implantation.

Objective: This study investigated factors contributing to the comprehension and production of English language by children with prelingual deafness after 4 to 7 yr of multichannel cochlear implant use. The analysis controlled for the effects of child and family characteristics so that educational factors most conducive to maximum implant benefit could be identified. Design: A battery of language tests were administered to 181 8- and 9-yr-old children from across the United States and Canada who received a cochlear implant by age 5. Tests of comprehension, verbal reasoning, narrative ability and spontaneous language production were administered either in speech and sign or in the child’s preferred communication mode. These constituted the Total Language measures. Spoken Language measures were derived from a speech-only language sample. Type and amount of educational intervention since implantation constituted the independent variables. Characteristics of the child and the family were considered intervening variables. A series of multiple regression analyses determined the amount of variance in Total Language and Spoken Language ability accounted for by the intervening variables and the amount of additional variance attributable to the independent variables. Results: More than half of the children (with performance intelligence quotients in the average range) exhibited language skills that were similar to those of hearing 8 to 9 yr olds on measures of verbal reasoning, narrative ability, utterance length, and lexical diversity. Significant predictors of language ability were similar for Total and for Spoken Language outcomes and included greater nonverbal intelligence, smaller family size, higher socio-economic status and female gender. Age at receiving an implant did not affect language outcome. After the variance due to these variables was controlled, the primary rehabilitative factors associated with linguistic outcome were amount of mainstream class placement and an educational emphasis on speech and auditory skills. Conclusions: Use of a cochlear implant has had a dramatic impact on the linguistic competence of profoundly hearing-impaired children. More than half of the children in this sample with average learning ability produced and understood English language at a level comparable with that of their hearing age mates. Such mature language outcomes were not typical of children with profound hearing loss who used hearing aids. Use of a visual (i.e., sign) language system did not provide the linguistic advantage that had been anticipated. Children educated without use of sign exhibited a significant advantage in their use of narratives, the breadth of their vocabulary, in their use of bound morphemes, in the length of their utterances and in the complexity of the syntax used in their spontaneous language. An oral educational focus provided a significant advantage for both spoken and total language skills. (Ear & Hearing 2003;24;46S–58S)
Increase in intracellular calcium induced by the polycation-coated latex bead, a stimulus that causes postsynaptic-type differentiation in cultured Xenopus muscle cells.

Abstract The polycation-coated latex bead is a potent stimulus for the induction of postsynaptic-type differentiation in cultured Xenopus myotomal muscle cells. Specializations characteristic of the neuromuscular junction, such as clusters of acetylcholine receptors and other postsynaptic-specific proteins, develop at the bead-muscle contact. Previous studies have shown that a deprivation of extracellular calcium inhibits the effect of the beads in causing the development of these specializations. This suggests that an increase in intracellular Ca 2+ is a necessary condition for the development of this specialization. In this study, we tested whether an increase in intracellular calcium is observable upon the bead-muscle contact. The measurement was carried out on cells loaded with the fluorescent calcium indicator fura-2 AM by digitized video microscopy. When polycation-coated beads were added to cells, an increase in intracellular calcium concentration in the range of 5 to 57% of the resting level was observed within 10 sec after bead-muscle contact. Afterward, the calcium level gradually returned to the resting level with a time course of about 3 min. Uncoated beads, which do not induce the formation of acetylcholine receptor clustering, failed to elicit this calcium transient. Removal of extracellular calcium as well as blocking calcium channels with 50 μ M verapamil also suppressed this transient induced by the polycation-coated beads. Both treatments are known to suppress the formation of receptor clusters by these beads. These results suggest that the polycation-coated beads cause an influx of calcium by increasing the membrane conductance to this ion. This process may underlie the signaling of the postsynaptic differentiation.
A Computational Database System for Generatinn Unstructured Hexahedral Meshes with Billions of Elements

For a large class of physical simulations with relatively simple geometries, unstructured octree-based hexahedral meshes provide a good compromise between adaptivity and simplicity. However, generating unstructured hexahedral meshes with over 1 billion elements remains a challenging task. We propose a database approach to solve this problem. Instead of merely storing generated meshes into conventional databases, we have developed a new kind of software system called Computational Database System (CDS) to generate meshes directly on databases. Our basic idea is to extend existing database techniques to organize and index mesh data, and use database-aware algorithms to manipulate database structures and generate meshes. This paper presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of a prototype CDS named Weaver, which has been used successfully by the CMU Quake project to generate queryable high-resolution finite element meshes for earthquake simulations with up to 1.22B elements and 1.37B nodes.
Simultaneous correction of the chest wall deformity and prosthetic augmentation mammaplasty in a case of Poland's syndrome.

Abstract Alfred Poland described a syndrome in 1841 consisting of syndactyly and partial absence of the pectoralis major muscle on the same side. Involvement of the rib cage was reported by Ehrenhoftet al. (1966) while aplasia or atrophy of the breast and/or nipple, strabismus, hypoplasia of the forearm, brachydactyly and microdactyly have been reported by others (Rovitch, 1960; Clarkson, 1962). The deformity of the rib cage may be corrected by division and rearrangement of the skeletal elements or by an implant. In the present case an implant was used and a breast prosthesis inserted at the same time.
Anticorrelations from power-law spectral disorder and conditions for an Anderson transition

We resolve an apparent contradiction between numeric and analytic results for one-dimensional disordered systems with power-law spectral correlations. The conflict arises when considering rigorous results that constrain the set of correlation functions yielding metallic states to those with nonzero values in the thermodynamic limit. By analyzing the scaling law for a model correlated disorder that produces a mobility edge, we show that no contradiction exists as the correlation function exhibits strong anticorrelations in the thermodynamic limit. Moreover, the associated scaling function reveals a size-dependent correlation with a smoothening of disorder amplitudes as the system size increases.
Testing success factors for manufacturing BPR project phases

This study aims to identify prescriptions for success proposed in the literature and empirically test the relationships between proposed success factors and the extent to which each business process reengineering (BPR) project phase benefited from their presence. A usable sample of 212 top manufacturing managers (plant managers or above) shared their organizations’ experience regarding their last BPR project implementation. The sample shows good representation based on company size (gross revenues industry subsectors), self-rated IT sophistication, top managers titles, and self-rated degree of knowledge about the specific BPR project implementation they have addressed. Results indicate that some success factors are more or less important to a particular project phase. Except for the insignificant relationship between project inception and process change/redesign phase, the relationships between the other phases are all significant and in some cases seem to represent a major determinant of success in the subsequent phase. The most important limitation is that new company processes will be developed in the future owing to changing regulations, improved services, new managerial policy, and/or new technologies. These processes may require different success factors; thus, researchers must continue their efforts to identify new success factors and empirically test their importance in practice. Managers can increase the chances for overall BPR project success and success in each phase by ensuring that the prescribed success factors are in place before they start or as they pursue the project. Several managerial insights and implications are discussed. BPR projects by their very nature are very expensive to prototype, forcing companies to follow a sequential methodology for changing and implementing new processes. This is the first study identifying and testing the success factors for each BPR project phase.
Relation of Skin Conductance and Rotary Pursuit during Extended Practice

During alternate blocks of practice and rest, there are some changes in skin conductance that vary from S to S and have resisted analysis. However, most Ss shoa. a sharp increase in conductance when warned to get ready to work, and again when warned to stop work and to rest (Kling, Williams, & Schlosberg, 1959). Since these observations were made on naive Ss, it is possible that the "ready" and "rest" rises represent surprise or startle when unexpected commands from E are received. However, if these are general features of a work-rest cycle, they should be found in the conductance patterns of sophisticated and skilled Ss. One pertinent set of data is available from an S who served in nine sessions, each of which included three 5-min. blocks of massed (continuous) rotary pursuit practice, separated by 5-min. rests. (Rest 1 for Sessions 6 and 7 was 12 min. to allon, for ingestion of hot water and tea, respectively.) S remained seated on a stool throughout the session. Plantar electrodes permitted determination of skin conductance every I 5 sec.
A Mathematical Model to Overcome the Discrepancies Between Continuous Systems and Their Discrete Approximation

The classical finite element and finite difference formulation in structural dynamics leads to an algebraic eigenvalue problem whereas the continuous model however leads to a transcendental eigenvalue problem. This paper demonstrates the discrepancies between continuous systems and their discrete approximations and, introduces a finite dimensional transcendental eigenvalue method, which approximates the spectrum of the continuous system accurately. Illustration of the effectiveness and applicability of such a model has been shown with an example of an axially vibrating tapered rod.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
A philosophical obituary: Dr. Jack Kevorkian dead at 83 leaving end of life debate in the US forever changed.

Jack Kevorkian, died June 3, 2011, but not by his own hand or through physician-assisted suicide (Schneider 2011). Kevorkian is best known as the physician who helped dozens of people end their liv...
Development of the Relative Economic Weights for Linear and Quadratic Bioeconomic Objectives in Commercial Broilers

Abstract The approach of Harris (1970) and Harris et al. (1984) was used to develop mathematical profit functions for describing the bioeconomic objectives in an integrated three-way cross commercial broiler production system. The reproductive and productive performances of the pureline maternal grandparent female and the single cross female parent were included to reflect the impact of the traits expressed in those populations. The resulting complex function was approximated with linear and quadratic equations. Inputs (costs) in the system included feed, housing, labor and facilities, and processing. Outputs (returns) included salvage value of the cull hens and the processed cut-up broilers. A systematic procedure was developed to calculate relative economic values of the traits in the breeding objective from the bioeconomic function. The traits were boiler livability, boiler weight, proportion of carcass, proportion of breast-thigh-leg, broiler feed consumption, grower livability, layer livability, rate of lay, settability, fertility, and hatchability. The relative economic values thus obtained were 1.51, 1.00, 5.99, 3.21, —.20, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0 in paternal grandparent; 4.48, 1.00, 5.99, 3.21, —.20, 3.00, 3.10, 4.58, 2.97, 3.04 and 3.04 in maternal great-grandparent male; and 9.30, 1.00, 5.99, 3.21, —.20, 7.88, 8.15, 12.06, 7.80, 7.97, and 7.97 in maternal great-grandparent female, for the traits in the above order.
Outcome of nicotine replacement therapy in patients admitted to intensive care unit: A randomized case-control double blinded prospective pilot study

Introduction: The effects of nicotine withdrawal in smokers admitted to ICUs are not well understood and therefore the role of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) in patients admitted to ICUs is controversial. Aims: To prove that NRT in ICU patients decreases the use of sedatives and analgesics, the number of days on ventilator, and the total ICU stay. Methods: The study was performed in the 20 bed ICU. Forty patients meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomized into either an interventional or control group. Patients in the interventional group received a 21mg nicotine patch every day until the patient was discharged from the ICU, transferred to the general medical floor, or until 10 weeks. Patients in the control arm received fake patch.The use of sedatives and analgesics during ICU stay, and use and duration of invasive mechanical ventilator were noted. The length of ICU stay was also compared in both the groups. Results: Twenty-seven patients were male,13 were female. The mean age of the interventional group patients was 57.4 years and 52.5 years in the control group.The mean APACHE II score was 14.3 in the interventional group vs. 13.8 in the control group.The mean length of ICU stay in the interventional group was 4.5 days while in the control group mean length of ICU stay was 7 days. The mean number of days on ventilator in interventional group was 1.9 days vs. 3.5 days in the control group. The number of days on sedation and analgesia was also less in the interventional group compared to the control group. Conclusion: The length of ICU stay and the number of days on ventilator decreases in the patients receiving NRT.
The Beet Armyworm, Spodoptera exigua; an Economic Pest of Citrus in California

Larvae of the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hbn.), caused substantial economic losses in approximately 500 acres of young, recently planted citrus trees and nursery stock during the summer and fall of 1957, 1958, and 1959 in most California citrus areas. The larvae may destroy each succeeding flush of growth and the terminal shoots. The attacks of the larvae have a pruning effect on the young trees, and subsequent retarded tree growth causes infested trees to develop only half as fast as noninfested trees. The new rootstock-scion combinations currently being planted grow two or more times as rapidly as former combinations; consequently, the continuous supply of young and succulent foliage provides food for optimum development of beet armyworm larvae. The facts seem to explain the recent “adaptation” of the beet armyworm, enabling it to infest citrus and cause serious economic losses. The life cycle of this insect lasts 30 to 60 days during the summer and fall, and there are four or more generations a year on citrus in California. No parasites have been taken on citrus thus far. Chemical control measures utilizing DDT and parathion provided excellent but short-term control, since reinfestation was continuous.
The peaking phenomenon revisited: The case with feature selection

For a fixed sample size, a common phenomenon is that the error of a designed classifier decreases and then increases as the number of features grows. Historically this peaking phenomenon has been studied without taking into account feature selection, which is commonplace in high-dimensional settings. This paper revisits the peaking phenomenon in the presence of feature selection. The error curves tend to fall into three categories: peaking, settling into a plateau, or falling very slowly over a long range of feature-set sizes. It can be concluded that one should be wary of applying peaking results found in the absence of feature selection to settings in which feature selection is employed.
Implications of hypoxia for the brain size and gill morphometry of mormyrid fishes

The mormyrids are well known for their remarkable electrogenic and electrolocation capabilities and exceptionally large cerebellum that may account for much of their total oxygen consumption. Mormyrids living in oxygen-deficient waters may use oxygen efficiently, protecting the brain from hypoxia damage; and/or brain size may be reduced. This study compares the TFL, gill lamellar density, gill lamellar area, total gill surface area, and brain size of two species of mormyrids from extremely hypoxic waters in Uganda (Gnathonemus victoriae and Petrocephalus catostoma) to two open-water species (Mormyrus kannume and Gnathonemus longibarbis) from the same region. In addition, interdemic variation was considered by comparing swamp populations of G. victoriae and P. catostoma to open-water populations of the same species. Total gill surface area of all species fell within the upper range for freshwater fishes. However, there were both intraspecific and interspecific differences in gill characters. Interdemic comparisons showed larger gill size in swamp-dwelling populations. Brain size varied among species; larger brains were characteristic of species from well-oxygenated waters. Large gill surface area may permit survival of mormyrids in oxygen-stressed environments; however, mechanisms compensating for hypoxia seem to be inadequate to support a brain size as large as that seen in fish from well-oxygenated waters.
The Control of Transpiration. Insights from Arabidopsis

Stomatal complexes in the epidermes of aerial plant parts are critical sites for the regulation of gas exchange between the plant and the atmosphere. Stomata consist of microscopic pores, each flanked by a pair of guard cells. Guard cells can increase or decrease the size of the pore via changes in
Has Epidemiology Become Infatuated With Methods? A Historical Perspective on the Place of Methods During the Classical (1945–1965) Phase of Epidemiology

Before World War II, epidemiology was a small discipline, practiced by a handful of people working mostly in the United Kingdom and in the United States. Today it is practiced by tens of thousands of people on all continents. Between 1945 and 1965, during what is known as its “classical” phase, epidemiology became recognized as a major academic discipline in medicine and public health. On the basis of a review of the historical evidence, this article examines to which extent classical epidemiology has been a golden age of an action-driven, problem-solving science, in which epidemiologists were less concerned with the sophistication of their methods than with the societal consequences of their work. It also discusses whether the paucity of methods stymied or boosted classical epidemiology's ability to convince political and financial agencies about the need to intervene in order to improve the health of the people.
Activation of Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells-(NFAT) and Activating Protein 1 (AP-1) by Oncogenic 70Z Cbl Requires an Intact Phosphotyrosine Binding Domain but Not Crk(L) or p85 Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Association

The Cbl proto-oncogene product is a complex adapter protein that functions as a negative regulator of protein tyrosine kinases. It is rapidly tyrosine-phosphorylated and associates with Crk(L) and p85 phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) upon engagement of numerous receptors linked to tyrosine kinases. Elucidation of the mechanism(s) underlying Cbl deregulation is therefore of considerable interest. The 70Z Cbl oncoprotein shows increased baseline tyrosine phosphorylation in fibroblasts and enhances nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) activity in Jurkat T cells. Its transforming ability has been proposed to relate to its increased phosphotyrosine content. We demonstrate that 70Z Cbl shows increased basal and activation-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and association with Crk(L) and p85 PI3K in Jurkat T cells. 70Z Cbl, however, retains the ability to enhance NFAT and activating protein 1 (AP1) activity in the absence of Crk(L)/p85 PI3K association. In contrast, the G306E mutation, which inactivates the phosphotyrosine binding domain of Cbl, blocks NFAT/AP1 activation by 70Z Cbl. We conclude that 70Z Cbl-induced NFAT/AP1 activation requires the phosphotyrosine binding domain but not Crk(L)/p85 PI3K association. We hypothesize that 70Z Cbl acts as a dominant negative by blocking the negative regulatory function of the Cbl phosphotyrosine binding domain on protein-tyrosine kinases.
PRODUCTIVITY PATTERNS OF C3 AND C4 FUNCTIONAL TYPES IN THE U.S. GREAT PLAINS

We analyzed the productivity of C3 and C4 grasses throughout the Great Plains of the United States in relation to three environmental factors: mean annual tem- perature, mean annual precipitation, and soil texture. Productivity data were collected from Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) rangeland survey data. Climate data were interpolated from weather stations throughout the region. Soil texture data were obtained from NRCS State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) databases. A geographic information system was used to integrate the three data sources. With a data set of spatially random points, we performed stepwise multiple regression analyses to derive models of the relative and absolute production of C3 and C4 grasses in terms of mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP), percentage sand (SAND), and percentage clay (CLAY). MAT, MAP, and soil texture explained 67-81% of the variation in relative and absolute production of C3 and C4 grasses. Both measures of production of C3 grasses were negatively related to MAT and SAND, and positively related to CLAY. Relative production of C3 grasses decreased whereas absolute production of C3 grasses increased with MAP. Produc- tion of C4 grasses was positively related to MAT, MAP, and SAND, and negatively related to CLAY. MAP was the most explanatory variable in the model for C4 absolute production. MAT was the most explanatory variable in the three other models. Based on these regression models, C3 grasses dominate 35% of the Great Plains under current climatic conditions, mainly north of Colorado and Nebraska. Under a 20C increase in MAT, C3 grasses recede northward and retain dominance in only 19% of the region. MAT, MAP, and soil texture are important variables in explaining the abundance and dis- tribution of C3 and C4 grasses in the Great Plains. Accordingly, these variables will be important under changing CO2 and climatic forcings.
Twin screw extrusion devolatilization: From foam to bubble free mass transfer

The present research program, based upon the experimental performance of a 20 mm counter-rotating, non-intermeshing twin screw devolatilizer with several polymer/solvent systems has developed theoretical approaches to modeling both the bubble growth dominated mass transfer regime as well as the essentially bubble free regime (1, 2). This work encompasses the area of transition from the bubbling to the non-bubbling areas. This transition to some degree, probably exists in nearly all real devolatilization processes. The work combines a foam simulation model, which integrates elementary bubble processes, with the mass transfer from single phase liquid films through a penetration theory based model. The modeling is successful at correlating the experimental data and shows realistic effects with regard to residence time, surface area, and average mass transfer coefficient as functions of vent loading.
Rollo May as Friend to Man

Rollo May's life, so rich in its contribution to the field of psychological theory and practice, must be understood within the context of the cultural tradition of his boyhood and early manhood, that of the small town, Protestant Midwest. If Tillich, Adler, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, and others shaped May's mature intellectual life, it is also true that the basic precepts of his upbringing and his first career choice-that of the ministry with its ethic of helping and healing-determined the way May would apply his later understandings within the sphere of the world.
Peripheral nerve regeneration in the absence of glial fibrillary acidic protein

Axonal loss is a consistent and undesirable event even in primary demyelinating neuropathies, and is responsible for most disabling and permanent deficits. In fact, in several peripheral neuropathies the physiological ability of nerve to regenerate is lost or dramatically reduced. Schwann cells play a central role in nerve regeneration and the laminin-laminin receptor-cytoskeleton pathway is fundamental to control numerous Schwann cell functions and Schwann cell-axon interaction. A model to reproduce the events involved in axonal degeneration and regeneration is recapitulated in the stereotyped model of crush injury of the sciatic nerve in rodents. With this tool, we investigated the efficiency of nerve regeneration in mice lacking the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) intermediate filament, a Schwann cell specific cytoskeleton constituent. The peripheral nerves of GFAP null mice normally develop and function, and we did not detect gross differences in laminin and laminin receptor expression. However, after injury, the GFAP null mice showed a delay in the early phase of nerve regeneration.
Temporal pattern of the posterior expression of Wingless in Drosophila blastoderm.

In most animals, the antero-posterior (A-P) axis requires a gradient of Wnt signaling. Wnts are expressed posteriorly in many vertebrate and invertebrate embryos, forming a gradient of canonical Wnt/b-Catenin activity that is highest in the posterior and lowest in the anterior. One notable exception to this evolutionary conservation is in the Drosophila embryo, in which the A-P axis is established by early transcription factors of maternal origin. Despite this initial axial establishment, Drosophila still expresses Wingless (Wg), the main Drosophila Wnt homologue, in a strong posterior band early in embryogenesis. Since its discovery 30 years ago this posterior band of Wg has been largely ignored. In this study, we re-examined the onset of expression of the Wg posterior band in relation to the expression of Wg in other segments, and compared the timing of its expression to that of axial regulators such as gap and pair-rule genes. It was found that the posterior band of Wg is first detected in blastoderm at mid nuclear cycle 14, before the segment-polarity stripes of Wg are formed in other segments. The onset of the posterior band of Wg expression was preceded by that of the gap gene products Hunchback (hb) and Kruppel (Kr), and the pair-rule protein Even-skipped (Eve). Although the function of the posterior band of Wg was not analyzed in this study, we note that in temperature-sensitive Wg mutants, in which Wg is not properly secreted, the posterior band of Wg expression is diminished in strength, indicating a positive feedback loop required for Wg robust expression at the cellular blastoderm stage. We propose that this early posterior expression could play a role in the refinement of A-P patterning.
Telling a Story that Must Be Heard: Participatory Indicators as Tools for Community Empowerment

This article argues that community planners can better engage residents of marginalized communities by using indicators as tools for community empowerment. Using case studies from Oakland, California, and Lane County, Oregon, we demonstrate how participatory processes to develop formative indicators can legitimize local stories as valid sources of knowledge, facilitate community problem-solving, and translate community concerns into pathways for change. We conclude that these practices have the potential to facilitate more meaningful engagement with residents of marginalized communities and promote community empowerment.
Writing Secure Code: Writing secure code

Security forums and discussion groups are pebbled with descriptions of software vulnerabilities that will lead to a loss of data and application integrity. These warnings primarily focus upon popular commercially available software, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. As any security consultant or penetration tester worth their salt can testify, custom applications designed and tuned to satisfy the many demands of a business are typically riddled with flaws, and therefore ripe for attack and exploitation.
The Time Varying Effect of Monetary Policy Surprise on Stock Returns: Bursting Bubble Beating Forward Guidance

We study the time varying effects of monetary policy on the stock returns in order to capture changes in the effectiveness of monetary policy over time. We find that a one percentage point surprise federal funds rate increase decreases the one-day stock return by 1.33% during the period 1989 to 2000, and by 7.47% during the period 2001 to 2007, i.e., over five times more. Also, surprises of monetary policy announcements do not have significant effects on the stock returns for most of the 1990s, but have significant effects during the 2000s. The significant period coincides with higher transparency and greater efforts from the Federal Reserve to communicate with the public, especially in the grounds of future policy, i.e., forward guidance. Higher transparency could increase the effectiveness of monetary policy. At the same time, the insignificant period coincides with the period of stock prices’ bubble. Recent work (Gali, 2014; Gali and Gambetti, 2015) has suggested that monetary policy might be ineffective during periods of bubbles. In order to distinguish between the two explanations, we explore the evolution effect of monetary policy surprise on bond returns. We find uniform response of bond returns before and after the 2000s. Thus, we conclude that our finding of low monetary policy effectiveness during the 1990s is specific to the stock market, making the theory of rational bubbles the prevailed explanation.
Modeling and Analysis of GFRP Bridge Deck Panels Filled with Polyurethane Foam

This paper presents finite-element analyses and analytical models of innovative, small-scale, prototype deck panels examined under monotonic bending. The deck panels consisted of two glass fiber–reinforced polymer (GFRP) facesheets separated by webs formed from E-glass–woven fabric placed around trapezoidal-shaped, low-density, polyurethane foam segments. The proposed panel exhibited a higher structural performance in terms of flexural stiffness, strength, and shear stiffness than those of conventional sandwich panels. Analytical models were used to predict critical facesheet wrinkling in the sandwich panel. Furthermore, a three-dimensional model using simulation software was developed for analysis of the proposed panel system under monotonic four-point loading. The finite-element results in terms of strength, stiffness, and deflection were found to be in good agreement with those from the experimental results. A parametric study was also conducted to further evaluate the effects of the stiffness of the top facesheet fiber layers, the mass density of the polyurethane foam, the existence of web layers, and the introduction of an overlay above the top facesheet. A flexural beam theory approach was used to predict the flexural strength of the sandwich panel.
Computational Approaches to Modeling of Molecular Interactions in Multicellular Systems

Cells in metazoans co-exist as multicellular communities, where coordinated interactions within and between cells determine the phenotype of the cell community as a whole. With the recent technological advances in cell sorting and genome-wide molecular profiling techniques, it is now possible to perform unbiased systems analyses of heterogeneous cell populations within multicellular systems. Functional analyses of such multi-layered high throughput data is greatly facilitated by computational tools to build coherent models of molecular interactions in multicellular systems. I will discuss different computational techniques of pathway-level analyses of genomic data, and the recent efforts of their extension to the analyses of heterogeneous cell populations.
Control Theory In Strategic Human Resource Management: The Mediating Effect Of Administrative Information

This study examined the relationship between strategic context, viewed in terms of product-market variation, work flow integration, and firm size, and executive use of human resource management con...
Chromophore Dynamics in Sol-Gel Glasses and Xerogel Clad Fiber Optic Sensors

Time-resolved depolarization measurements are used to investigate rotational diffusion and optical energy transfer dynamics of chromophores incorporated into silica and aluminosilica solutions, gels, and glasses. The use of an organically doped sol-gel clad waveguide as a novel intrinsic fiber optic sensor device is also demonstrated, and advantages of time-resolved detection of the fiber optic sensor are illustrated.
Determination of the physical properties of functional gradient materials

Based on appraisal of several methods used to estimate the physical properties of functional gradient materials(FGM),the parameter correction method combining the measuring method with the law of compound average was put forward,and other method determining physical properties of FGM according to several measuring points was also obtained.The thermal conductivity and the specific heat capacity of a new C-ceramic material of FGM-C/C/Al_2O_3 were calculated .Through comparing the calculated results,it is shown that the methods have better practicability and disposibility.
Experimental Vertical Transmission of Saint Louis Encephalitis Virus by Florida Mosquitoes

Vertical transmission of St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) virus to F1 larval progeny was demonstrated in 8 species of mosquitoes which occur in Florida: Culex quinquefasciatus, Cx. nigripalpus, Cx. salinarius, Cx. restuans, Cx. opisthopus, Anopheles quadrimaculatus, An. albimanus, and Aedes taeniorhynchus. Relatively high rates of such transmission were observed in Ae. taeniorhynchus and vertical transmission to F1 adult progeny and venereal transmission from males to females also were demonstrated with this species. Larval rearing temperature affected transstadial transmission of the virus in Ae. taeniorhynchus, especially to the adult stage. Such transmission was observed with a larval rearing temperature of 18 degrees C but not at 27 degrees C. Because of the abundance and distribution of Ae. taeniorhynchus in Florida, and the relatively high rates of vertical transmission of SLE virus observed in the present experiments, this mosquito species warrants further investigation as a possible overwintering host for the virus in that locality.
Importance sampling over sets: a new probabilistic inference scheme

Computing expectations in high-dimensional spaces is a key challenge in probabilistic inference and machine learning. Monte Carlo sampling, and importance sampling in particular, is one of the leading approaches. We propose a generalized importance sampling scheme based on randomly selecting (exponentially large) subsets of states rather than individual ones. By collecting a small number of extreme states in the sampled sets, we obtain estimates of statistics of interest, such as the partition function of an undirected graphical model. We incorporate this idea into a novel maximum likelihood learning algorithm based on cutting planes. We demonstrate empirically that our scheme provides accurate answers and scales to problems with up to a million variables.
Universities and the Humanities, Then and Now.

AbstractOver the centuries, universities have functioned as gatekeepers and treasurers of received knowledge, while concomitantly furthering innovative contributions to society. Yet, when cultivating research ‘silos’, universities encourage scholars to explore in seeming isolation. Out of such tensions, universities have supported, and will continue to pursue, different kinds of, and approaches to, furthering knowledge and creativity. In the past, the humanities had been central to this mission. More recently, however, the efficient and global acceleration of consumer-oriented ‘knowledge production and consumption’ seems to form a critical factor upsetting the centrality of the humanities in university cultures. In this context, exploring the academic communities of the late middle ages proves to be a useful exercise. Forged in strong relationships with ecclesiastical and secular powers, mediaeval universities nonetheless share critical concerns with today’s academic institutions; thus, they too were cons...
Rapid Classification of Hippocampal Replay Content for Real-time Applications.

Sharp-wave ripple (SWR) events in the hippocampus replay millisecond-timescale patterns of place cell activity related to the past experience of an animal. Interrupting SWR events leads to learning and memory impairments, but how the specific patterns of place cell spiking seen during SWRs contribute to learning and memory remains unclear. A deeper understanding of this issue will require the ability to manipulate SWR events based on their content. Accurate real-time decoding of SWR replay events requires new algorithms that are able to estimate replay content and the associated uncertainty, along with software and hardware that can execute these algorithms for biological interventions on a millisecond timescale. Here we develop an efficient estimation algorithm to categorize the content of replay from multiunit spiking activity. Specifically, we apply real-time decoding methods to each SWR event and then compute the posterior probability of the replay feature. We illustrate this approach by classifying SWR events from data recorded in the hippocampus of a rat performing a spatial memory task into four categories: whether they represent outbound or inbound trajectories and whether the activity is replayed forward or backward in time. We show that our algorithm can classify the majority of SWR events in a recording epoch within 20 ms of the replay onset with high certainty, which makes the algorithm suitable for a real-time implementation with short latencies to incorporate into content-based feedback experiments.
The Admiralty Jurisdiction of the Court of Requests

During the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, the English Court of Requests played a substantial role within the sphere of the parallel and competing jurisdictions of the Westminster courts. It served as a jack-of-all-trades court, a court of last resort, and a quasi-appellate forum in which a certain subset of litigants could have their cases heard or reheard in what they apparently considered to be a more favorable venue. Admiralty disputes made up a small but not insignificant part of the Court’s docket from the beginning. This chapter details the types of admiralty disputes heard in Requests and the various ways litigants used the Court.
Detecting a heavy neutrino electric dipole moment at the LHC

Abstract The milliQan Collaboration has proposed to search for millicharged particles by looking for very weakly ionizing tracks in a detector installed in a cavern near the CMS experiment at the LHC. We note that another form of exotica can also yield weakly ionizing tracks. If a heavy neutrino has an electric dipole moment (EDM), then the milliQan experiment may be sensitive to it as well. In particular, writing the general dimension-5 operator for an EDM with a scale of a TeV and a one-loop factor, one finds a potential EDM as high as a few times 10−17 e-cm, and models exist where it is an order of magnitude higher. Redoing the Bethe calculation of ionization energy loss for an EDM, it is found that the milliQan detector is sensitive to EDMs as small as 10−17 e-cm. Using the production cross-section and analyzing the acceptance of the milliQan detector, we find the expected 95% exclusion and 3σ sensitivity over the range of neutrino masses from 5–1000 GeV for integrated luminosities of 300 and 3000 fb−1 at the LHC.
Physical, psychosocial, menstrual changes/risks and addiction in the female marathon runner.

From a sample of marathon (N = 57) and nonmarathon (N = 38) female runners physical, psychosocial, menstrual changes/risks and addictive behaviors were identified. There was a high incidence of knee injury in both groups of runners. Marathon runners had a significantly higher incidence of both heel pain and stress fractures. Psychosocial variables of anxiety, self‐esteem, family/spouse relationships and addictive behaviors did not differ significantly in the two groups. In addition, those reporting more addicitive behaviors did not report a significantly higher incidence of physical injury; however, there was an association between higher addiction scores and lower self‐esteem.
A Hypothesis of Technological Change

This chapter reviews the history of subsistence technology in Amazonia. The chapter examines the problem of cultural development in the tropical forest. The tropical forest presents limitations on the use of intensive agriculture. The limitation on the production of protein by agriculture explains why animal protein constitutes the limiting factor on population density. The amount of animal protein per hectare available is small; therefore, the density of human population that can be supported by aboriginal subsistence is low. The tropical forest habitat determines a technology that acts to inhibit the development of social stratification and centralization of political power. The characteristics of the tropical forest subsistence system determine that there is no storable surplus for a superordinate group to control. Surplus manioc could not be an economic surplus because in terms of the tropical forest subsistence system, calories are not scarce. Animal flesh, which is scarce, could not provide an economic surplus because it cannot be stored for long. The storability of surplus material is a matter of importance.
Steric Assistance in Solvolytic Processes

The dissociation of molecular addition compounds provided a powerful new tool to explore steric effects in organic molecules.1,2 To illustrate the application of this tool, the behavior of trimethylamine and triethylamine with trimethylborane may be reviewed. Triethylamine (pKa 10.75) is a somewhat stronger base than trimethylamine (pKa 9.75). Consequently, one would anticipate that the stronger base would form the more stable addition compound with the Lewis acid. However, the reverse is true: ΔH dissoc.(CH3)3N:B(CH3)3, 17.6 kcal mol−1: ΔH dissoc.(C2H5)3N:B(CH3) 3,~10kcal mol−1
Der grosse Mann

Even in the early stages of his career at the university, Werner was regarded by the faculty as “der grosse Mann”, an unapproachable celebrity known to all yet really known by none. He is depicted in Weihnachtskommers cartoons both as a genius who could put atoms through their paces and as a sphinx — a towering, unshakable, inscrutable figure cloaked in mystery.
A Student Reflection on Doctoring With Confidence: Mind the Gap.

This commentary discusses ways in which the field of medicine can work to close the “confidence gap,” the discrepancy in confidence between male and female physicians and trainees.
Climate change, uncertainty and allostatic load

Context: Humans constantly respond to environmental stressors challenging their somatic stability. Allostasis, an evolved neuroendocrine/physiological stressor response system, is our main pathway ...
Crime news, fear of crime, and mistrust: an examination of protective factors against influences of local crime news

This study investigates interpersonal communication ties and a neighborhood context as moderators of the influences of local crime news on fear of crime and mistrust. Data from a web survey of resi...
Understanding Safety Concerns and Protection Behaviors of Rideshare Drivers

Rideshare drivers provide rides for strangers and are exposed to safety-related issues as much as passengers. We used a qualitative research approach to understand the safety concerns of rideshare drivers. The questions investigated were: What makes rideshare drivers feel unsafe? How do rideshare drivers ensure their safety? What are the factors related to rideshare companies that are perceived by rideshare drivers to have a contribution to their safety? We conducted 20 interviews with rideshare drivers in the U.S. to understand their perception of their safety while driving passengers. The study found that rideshare drivers felt unsafe due to passengers' intoxication, and harassment; drivers felt unsafe for personal reasons as well. Rideshare drivers ensured their safety with different means that are sometimes against the companies' Terms of Service.
Recognition and Management of Angioinvasive Fungal Infections

To describe the clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of angioinvasive fungal infections. Candida auris is a recently discovered species with multi- to pan-drug resistance to azoles, amphotericin B, and echinocandins. The SECURE trial showed that isavuconazole was non-inferior to voriconazole for treatment of Aspergillus. Additionally, the VITAL study showed that there was no difference in mortality between those treated with either isavuconazole or amphotericin B. Isavuconazole is now approved by the FDA for the treatment of Aspergillus and Mucor. Invasive fungal infections are a well-known cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in patients with diabetes or significant immunosuppression related to organ transplantation, chemotherapy, or hematologic malignancy. Angioinvasive fungi have the capacity to enter blood vessels, where they can cause local vascular occlusion, thrombosis, and eventual ischemia and tissue necrosis. The brain, eyes, lungs, liver, spleen, and skin are common sites of fungal infection, although any organ can be affected. Fungi capable of angioinvasion include Candida, Aspergillus, Mucormycetes, Fusarium, and hyaline and dematiaceous molds. Given the severe complications associated with angioinvasive fungi, and that immunosuppression often blunts presenting symptoms such as fever, clinicians must have a high suspicion for these organisms in order to expeditiously diagnose and treat these devastating infections.