cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is meconium passage a risk factor for maternal infection in term pregnancies

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To study the association between meconium and maternal infection. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of 678 pregnant women. All term deliveries during a 31-month period with meconium passage were included. Each meconium delivery was matched with a consecutive delivery without meconium at the same gestational age. RESULTS: The overall infection rate was 16%, with 13% of the infections directly related to the pregnancy, labor, and delivery. The endometritis rate was 5%, with 7.1% and 3% in the meconium and no-meconium group, respectively. The chorioamnionitis rate was 8.3%, with 9.5% in the meconium and 7.1% in the no-meconium group. Factors found to be associated with overall obstetric infections had the following odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs): meconium (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1, 2.8), internal monitoring (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.9, 5.9), amnioinfusion (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.3, 3.3), number of vaginal exams (OR 4.5, 95% CI 2.8, 7.1), length of labor (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.8, 4.4), and cesarean (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.9, 5.1). Logistic regression analyses revealed the following ORs and 95% CIs: 1) for endometritis—cesarean (OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.9, 8.9), internal monitoring (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.1, 5.9), and meconium (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.1, 5.5), and 2) for chorioamnionitis—length of labor greater than 10 hours (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.4, 5.6), number of vaginal exams greater than seven (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.7, 6.6), and use of internal monitors (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2, 5.3). CONCLUSION: Meconium passage increases the risk of postpartum endometritis but not chorioamnionitis. Length of labor, internal monitoring, and number of vaginal exams are risk factors for chorioamnionitis.
A Phenomenological Investigation of Information and Communications Technology at a Multinational Enterprise from India

AbstractThis article introduces the qualitative research methodology of “phenomenology ” and argues that it can be successfully utilized to investigate incipient global issues in information technology. Phenomenology was applied to investigate issues related to the deployment of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) at one of the largest government sector multinational banks in India. The study finds that the emerging architecture of ICT strategy in this organization, according to survey respondents, contains five categories of issues. In declining order of their importance, these categories are (1) ICT Culture in Organization, (2) Organizational ICT Politics, (3) Organizational ICT Sociology, (4) the Economics of ICT, and (5) the Infrastructure of ICT. The significance of these findings is discussed in the article with some examples that demonstrate that a phenomenological approach can reveal the hidden dimensions and root causes of the ICT related problems which may not be clear from empirical...
The use of Microsoft Excel as a user interface for biological simulations

Abstract We used Microsoft Excel 4.0 for Windows running on a PC-486 to develop a user interface for two biological simulation models: a lung fluid balance model and a fractal model of the pulmonary circulation. The simulation programs were written in the C programming language, while the user interface was written in the macro language of Excel. The interface builds input data files for the simulation programs and provides a mechanism for displaying relevant information from output files produced from the simulations. Input fields arc partially protected so that the user cannot modify certain portions of the spreadsheet. The Excel interface is used to build models from different available components and to select appropriate parameters for these models. The developed interface was also useful for running models in the batch mode. After selecting changes in lung fluid balance parameters, the interface allows users to find new steady state values by automatically running the model and adjusting initial conditions. Several different graphical options allow users to easily investigate the effects of selecting particular models and parameters. Techniques used in developing our user interface can be extended to most biological simulation programs which manipulate input and output data files.
Planar stacking effect on elastic stability of hexagonal boron nitride

The elastic stability of five hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) stacking sequences is investigated with density functional theory. All components of the elasticity tensor are computed and used to evaluate the Born stability criteria. Phonon spectra are computed for one elastically stable and one elastically unstable h-BN structure and the normal modes associated with instability are identified. Charge density difference contour plots provide a qualitative connection between elastic stability and charge transfer.
The relationship between physician practice location and medical school area: An empirical model

Abstract An empirical model of physician migration from the area of the medical school for practice is developed in this paper. Linear discriminant function analysis is employed to study the criterion variable of a physician electing to locate a practice in the same state as the medical college attended, or to migrate from the state, using medical school admissions, medical training and practice data as predictor variables. The results indicate that physicians who remain in the state for practice are more likely to be remaining where they were reared and where they were trained as interns. Those having ties to the state in the form of being prior residents of the state or those having religious ties to the state are also more likely to remain there to establish practices. To a lesser extent, prior residency in states having high population densities and having high science MCAT scores are associated more with those physicians who migrate to establish practices. Health care administrators and medical students can use the results of this study in medical school admissions or practice location decisions. Other regional medical centers may desire to utilize a similar methodology and multivariate procedure to study the practice location selection process of their graduates.
Benthic phosphorus regeneration in the Potomac River Estuary

The flux of dissolved reactive phosphate from Potomac riverine and estuarine sediments is controlled by processes occurring at the water-sediment interface and within surficial sediment. In situ benthic fluxes (0.1 to 2.0 mmoles m-2 day-1) are generally five to ten times higher than calculated diffusive fluxes (0.020 to 0.30 mmoles m-2 day-1). The discrepancy between the two flux estimates is greatest in the transition zone (river mile 50 to 70) and is attributd to macrofaunal irrigation.
A new mechanism of oxidation in ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene caused by squalene absorption.

Although synovial fluid lipids were found to absorb in ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) total joint implants in vivo, their effect on the oxidation of the polymer was not known. Current understanding of the oxidation and oxidative stability of UHMWPE joint implants is focused on the presence or elimination of radiation-induced free radicals, which are long-lived and can react with oxygen over the long term. Recently, we found unexplained oxidation in irradiated and melted UHMWPE components that were exposed to bodily fluids then stored on the shelf despite being free of detectable free radicals at the time of implantation. Thus, we hypothesized that lipids absorbed from the synovial fluid in vivo could initiate and accelerate oxidation of UHMWPE even in the absence of detectable residual free radicals. We found that squalene, a precursor in cholesterol synthesis and a synovial fluid lipid with unsaturated bonds, accelerated oxidation in irradiated and melted UHMWPE under in vitro accelerated aging conditions. This result represents a paradigm shift in our understanding of oxidative stability of UHMWPE and prompts further investigation of in vivo oxidation mechanisms as well as the development of relevant in vitro aging models. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2012.
A Penalized Mixture Model Approach in Genotype/Phenotype Association Analysis for Quantitative Phenotypes

A mixture normal model has been developed to partition genotypes in predicting quantitative phenotypes. Its estimation and inference are performed through an EM algorithm. This approach can conduct simultaneous genotype clustering and hypothesis testing. It is a valuable method for predicting the distribution of quantitative phenotypes among multi-locus genotypes across genes or within a gene. This mixture model’s performance is evaluated in data analyses for two pharmacogenetics studies. In one example, thirty five CYP2D6 genotypes were partitioned into three groups to predict pharmacokinetics of a breast cancer drug, Tamoxifen, a CYP2D6 substrate (p-value = 0.04). In a second example, seventeen CYP2B6 genotypes were categorized into three clusters to predict CYP2B6 protein expression (p-value = 0.002). The biological validities of both partitions are examined using established function of CYP2D6 and CYP2B6 alleles. In both examples, we observed genotypes clustered in the same group to have high functional similarities. The power and recovery rate of the true partition for the mixture model approach are investigated in statistical simulation studies, where it outperforms another published method.
Fragrance material review on d-menthol.

A toxicologic and dermatologic review of d,l-menthol when used as a fragrance ingredient is presented.
The Influence of Bit Patterned Medium Design and Imperfections on Magnetoresistive Playback

Magnetoresistive playback off bit patterned magnetic recording media is studied. Three playback configurations are compared: not shielded sensors, shielded sensors commonly used in magnetic recording systems, and shielded differential sensors. Influence of patterned medium parameters including bit-filling ratio, bit shape, bit position jitter, bit-size variation on the playback signal is studied. Playback signal amplitude, D50, and signal-to-noise ratio are used to compare different playback sensor configurations. It is found that in general, shielded differential readers offer superior performance as compared to both shielded single sensor readers and not shielded readers
How should clinical care of the aged differ

1) begins in the third decade and occurs in each organ system independently of changes in other organ systems and is influenced by diet, environment, and personal habits as well as by genetic factors. From this concept it follows that individuals become more dissimilar as they age, belying any stereotype of age; that an abrupt decline in any system or function is always due to disease rather than “normal ageing”; that “normal ageing” can be attenuated by modification of risk factors such as increased blood pressure, smoking, and sedentary lifestyle; and that “healthy old age” is not a paradox for, in the absence of disease, homoeostenosis results in neither symptoms nor restrictions in activities of daily living at any age. These deceptively simple ideas have important implications for care, research, education, and health policy. We will focus on the clinical implications, summarised as six principles of care for the elderly. Because of impaired physiological reserve in older patients, disease often presents at an earlier stage At any age, symptoms reflect an imbalance between disease severity and intrinsic compensatory mechanisms (figure 1). Since these mechanisms are generally intact in younger individuals, disease can progress further before causing symptoms. In older patients compensatory mechanisms may be impaired by pre-existing disease or by physiological decline and even mild disease may tip the balance—eg, heart failure may be precipitated by mild hyperthyroidism, significant cognitive dysfunction by mild hypercalcaemia, urinary retention by mild prostatic enlargement, and nonketotic hyperosmolar coma by mild glucose intolerance. Thus treatment of the underlying disease may be easier. An old person with hypercalcaemia-induced cognitive dysfunction often needs a drug, not parathyroidectomy, those with hyperosmolar coma do not usually need chronic insulin, patients with urinary retention often do not require prostatectomy, and congestive heart failure often can be managed by diet or thiazides rather than potent diuretics. 2
Increasing lifetime of wireless sensor networks using controllable mobile cluster heads

In a static wireless sensor network (WSN), sensors close to the base station (BS) run out of energy at a much faster rate than sensors in other parts of the network. This is because the sensor close to the BS always relays the data for other sensors, resulting in an unequal distribution of network residual energy. In this paper, we propose a scheme for enhancing the network lifetime using multiple mobile cluster heads (CHs) that can move in the WSN in a controllable manner. The CH controllably moves toward the energy-rich sensors or the event area, offering the benefits of maintaining the remaining energy more evenly, or eliminating multihop transmission. Therefore, the proposed scheme increases the network lifetime. We theoretically analyze the energy consumption in our scheme and propose three heuristical mobility strategies. We further study the collaboration among CHs in order to maintain their connectivity to the BS to ensure the delay requirement for real-time applications. Simulation shows that network lifetime is increased by upto 75p over existing approach by making CHs always move toward a stable equilibrium point. Our connectivity algorithm provides a best case improvement of 40p in transmission delays over existing schemes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. A scheme for enhancing sensor network lifetime is proposed using multiple mobile CHs. The CHs controllably move toward the energy-rich sensors maintaining remaining energy more evenly, eliminating multihop transmission. Collaboration among CHs is considered to maintain their continuous connectivity to the base station (BS) to reduce the delay in communication. Network lifetime is increased by 75p by making CHs always move towards a stable equilibrium point whereas connectivity algorithm provides 40p improvement in transmission delays over existing schemes.
Reactive and preplanned control in a mobile robot

An architecture for robot navigation that combines reactive and preplanned control and has been demonstrated on an actual robot is presented. The system shares features of reactive control with other systems, but it is unique in its integration of planning with reactive control. It is believed that the organization could be effective for nonmobile robots as well. The result of this novel organization is robust, flexible, autonomous, real-time robot control; this organization has been demonstrated on a mobile robot that explores the peopled hallways of a large office building. >
Toward a cloud computing research agenda

The 2008 LADIS workshop on Large Scale Distributed Systems brought together leaders from the commercial cloud computing community with researchers working on a variety of topics in distributed computing. The dialog yielded some surprises: some hot research topics seem to be of limited near-term importance to the cloud builders, while some of their practical challenges seem to pose new questions to us as systems researchers. This brief note summarizes our impressions.
Laboratory studies on mechanisms for the degradation of aldicarb, aldicarb sulfoxide and aldicarb sulfone

Experiments were performed in order to better define the degradation mechanisms and kinetics for aldicarb and its two metabolites, aldicarb sulfoxide and aldicarb sulfone. The mechanisms studied were oxidation in surface soil and saturated zone soil samples, degradation in saturated zone soil samples and distilled water hydrolysis. The studies showed that soil is an important mechanistic factor, probably because surface catalysis occurs. Temperature and pH are important factors in determining degradation rates. The experiments seem to indicate that microbial oxidation is an important degradation mechanism in the surface soil, but the breakdown of aldicarb residues to noncarbamates is largely the result of chemical hydrolysis. The reduction of aldicarb sulfoxide to aldicarb was observed in the presence of limestone but only after an incubation period of two to six months. No reduction of aldicarb sulfone to aldicarb sulfoxide was observed in these experiments. The complexity of degradation is such that laboratory studies can augment but not replace well-designed experiments conducted under actual field conditions.
Methane on Uranus: The case for a compact CH4 cloud layer at low latitudes and a severe CH4 depletion at high-latitudes based on re-analysis of Voyager occultation measurements and STIS spectroscopy

Abstract Lindal et al. (Lindal, G.F., Lyons, J.R., Sweetnam, D.N., Eshleman, V.R., Hinson, D.P. [1987]. J. Geophys. Res. 92 (11), 14987–15001) presented a range of temperature and methane profiles for Uranus that were consistent with 1986 Voyager radio occultation measurements of refractivity versus altitude. A localized refractivity slope variation near 1.2 bars was interpreted to be the result of a condensed methane cloud layer. However, models fit to near-IR spectra found particle concentrations much deeper in the atmosphere, in the 1.5–3 bar range (Sromovsky, L.A., Irwin, P.G.J., Fry, P.M. [2006]. Icarus 182, 577–593; Sromovsky, L.A., Fry, P.M. [2010]. Icarus 210, 211–229; Irwin, P.G.J., Teanby, N.A., Davis, G.R. [2010]. Icarus 208, 913–926), and a recent analysis of STIS spectra argued for a model in which aerosol particles formed diffusely distributed hazes, with no compact condensation layer (Karkoschka, E., Tomasko, M. [2009]. Icarus 202, 287–309). To try to reconcile these results, we reanalyzed the occultation observations with the He volume mixing ratio reduced from 0.15 to 0.116, which is near the edge of the 0.033 uncertainty range given by Conrath et al. (Conrath, B., Hanel, R., Gautier, D., Marten, A., Lindal, G. [1987]. J. Geophys. Res. 92 (11), 15003–15010). This allowed us to obtain saturated mixing ratios within the putative cloud layer and to reach above-cloud and deep methane mixing ratios compatible with STIS spectral constraints. Using a 5-layer vertical aerosol model with two compact cloud layers in the 1–3 bar region, we find that the best fit pressure for the upper compact layer is virtually identical to the pressure range inferred from the occultation analysis for a methane mixing ratio near 4% at 5°S. This strongly argues that Uranus does indeed have a compact methane cloud layer. In addition, our cloud model can fit the latitudinal variations in spectra between 30°S and 20°N, using the same profiles of temperature and methane mixing ratio. But closer to the pole, the model fails to provide accurate fits without introducing an increasingly strong upper tropospheric depletion of methane at increased latitudes, in rough agreement with the trend identified by Karkoschka and Tomasko (Karkoschka, E., Tomasko, M. [2009]. Icarus 202, 287–309).
An improved model for determining the electromagnetic bias

Recent experiments have shown fundamental differences id the electromagnetic (EM) bias between different regions of the world. In order to account for these difference, various sea and weather parameters are analyzed. A new parameter called wave slope is derived. Using data from the Gulf of Mexico Experiment (GME) and the Bass Strait, Australia Experiment (BSE) the correlation between EM bias and wave slope is investigated. A high degree of correlation is seen between the wave slope and EM bias in these two experiments. This correlation indicates that wave slope my be highly indicative of the regional differences in the EM bias throughout the world.
Convective Momentum Transport Observed during the TOGA COARE IOP. Part II: Case Studies

Abstract Convective momentum transport (CMT) associated with the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), tropical waves, squall and nonsquall mesoscale convective systems (MCSs), and the diurnal cycle is studied by examining the momentum budget residual X = (X, Y) deduced from the objectively analyzed in situ observations during the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE) intensive observing period (IOP; November 1992–February 1993). Using wavelet transform, time evolution of signals of these disturbances in the time series of |X| and ITBB (an index for deep convection), averaged over the intensive flux array (IFA), is analyzed. Signals of disturbances with periods ≥1 day in |X| generally evolve in phase with those in ITBB. During the convective phase of MJO, signals in both |X| and ITBB with shorter periods are also enhanced. Frequency distribution of IFA-mean E = −v · X in the troposphere is examined. The mean E is positive, that is, kinetic energy (K) transfe...
Adaptive Positioning Systems for Cognitive Radios

Location awareness is a prominent characteristic of cognitive radio technologies. Realizing such awareness in cognitive radios require an underlying advanced positioning system that have cognition capabilities. In this paper, an innovative cognitive positioning system (CPS) that have cognition capabilities by means of adjusting positioning accuracy adaptively in both indoor and outdoor environments is proposed. Bandwidth determination and hybrid overlay and underlay enhanced dynamic spectrum management (H-EDSM) are two main components that form the proposed CPS technique. Bandwidth determination equations are derived through Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). H-EDSM that provides optimum available bandwidth to the CPS is proposed. A switching mechanism that manages the transition between overlay and underlay spectrum usage modes for the H-EDSM algorithm is presented. Theoretical analysis of the mechanism is carried out using two-slope model. Simulation results, challenges and complexity options for the implementation of the CPS are outlined. Our study reveals the existence of a trade-off between accuracy and complexity in the adaptive positioning systems for cognitive radios.
Chemotherapy Use, Performance Status, and Quality of Life at the End of Life

Importance Although many patients with end-stage cancer are offered chemotherapy to improve quality of life (QOL), the association between chemotherapy and QOL amid progressive metastatic disease has not been well-studied. American Society for Clinical Oncology guidelines recommend palliative chemotherapy only for solid tumor patients with good performance status. Objective To evaluate the association between chemotherapy use and QOL near death (QOD) as a function of patients’ performance status. Design, Setting, and Participants A multi-institutional, longitudinal cohort study of patients with end-stage cancer recruited between September 2002 and February 2008. Chemotherapy use (n = 158 [50.6%]) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status were assessed at baseline (median = 3.8 months before death) and patients with progressive metastatic cancer (N = 312) following at least 1 chemotherapy regimen were followed prospectively until death at 6 outpatient oncology clinics in the United States. Main Outcomes and Measures Patient QOD was determined using validated caregiver ratings of patients’ physical and mental distress in their final week. Results Chemotherapy use was not associated with patient survival controlling for clinical setting and patients’ performance status. Among patients with good (ECOG score = 1) baseline performance status, chemotherapy use compared with nonuse was associated with worse QOD (odds ratio [OR], 0.35; 95% CI, 0.17-0.75;P = .01). Baseline chemotherapy use was not associated with QOD among patients with moderate (ECOG score = 2) baseline performance status (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.51-2.21;P = .87) or poor (ECOG score = 3) baseline performance status (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 0.46-3.89;P = .59). Conclusions and Relevance Although palliative chemotherapy is used to improve QOL for patients with end-stage cancer, its use did not improve QOD for patients with moderate or poor performance status and worsened QOD for patients with good performance status. The QOD in patients with end-stage cancer is not improved, and can be harmed, by chemotherapy use near death, even in patients with good performance status.
Noninvasive transesophageal cardiac thermal ablation using a 2-D focused, ultrasound phased array: a simulation study

This simulation study proposes a noninvasive, transesophageal cardiac-thermal ablation using a planar ultrasound phased array (1 MHz, 60 /spl times/ 10 mm/sup 2/, 0.525 mm interelement spacing, 114 /spl times/ 20 elements). Thirty-nine foci in cardiac muscle were defined at 20, 40, and 60-mm distances and at various angles from the transducer surface to simulate the accessible posterior left atrial wall through the esophageal wall window. The ultrasound pressure distribution and the resulting thermal effect in a volume of 60 /spl times/ 80 /spl times/ 80 mm/sup 3/, including esophagus and cardiac muscle, were simulated for each focus. For 1, 10, and 20-s sonications with 60/spl deg/C and 70/spl deg/C peak temperatures in cardiac muscle and without thermal damage in esophageal wall, the transducer acoustic powers were 105-727, 28-117, 21-79 W and 151-1044, 40-167, 30-114 W, respectively. The simulated lesions (thermal dose in equivalent minutes at 43/spl deg/C /spl ges/240 minutes) at these foci had lengths of 1-6, 3-11, 3-13 mm and 3-15, 5-19, 6-23 mm, respectively, and widths of 1-4, 2-7, 3-9 mm and 3-9, 4-13, 4-17 mm, respectively. As a first step toward feasibility, controllable tissue coagulation in cardiac tissue without damage to the esophagus was demonstrated numerically.
Multidisciplinary management of locally advanced and widely metastatic paraganglioma in a patient with life-threatening compressive symptoms.

Background Patients presenting with locally advanced, metastatic paraganglioma with life-threatening compressive symptoms of critical anatomic structure pose a significant management challenge. Methods We present a case of a 15-year-old patient with enlarging right neck mass causing dysphagia and respiratory compromise from near complete obstruction of the oropharynx. Results Evaluation of the patient's family history led to the identification of a mutation in the succinate dehydrogenase subunit B (SDSD) gene (G725A). Laboratory and imaging workup revealed an 8.8 × 6.6 × 4.1 cm metabolically and biochemically active right neck mass, a tumor in the left para-aortic region, and multiple bony lesions consistent with widely metastatic disease. Multidisciplinary management included preoperative clinical optimization, coil embolization, and palliative resection of the neck mass. Conclusion Although the currently available treatment options for patients with advanced metastatic paraganglioma render no survival benefit, a multidisciplinary management approach aimed at relief of tumor-related symptoms and catecholamine excess should be undertaken. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2015
Circadian rhythms in blood glucose and the effect of different lighting schedules, hypophysectomy, adrenal medullectomy and starvation

With other environmental factors rigidly standardized, normal Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained under the following lighting schedules: (1) LD 12:12, artificial light from 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. alternating with 12 hours of darkness; (2) DL 12:12, reversal of the first schedule; (3) DD, constant darkness; and (4) LL. constant illumination. During each lighting regimen, blood glucose levels were determined on separate subgroups of 11 to 18 animals at bi-hourly intervals during a 24-hour period. Significant circadian fluctuations or rhythms under all lighting conditions were found when the mean blood glucose values for each bi-hourly group were plotted as a function of time. Rats maintained under LD 12:12 conditions showed approximately a 25% difference between the maximum and minimum values. When the phasing of the peaks and troughs of blood glucose rhythm in Sprague-Dawley rats was compared with that of a separate colony of Wistar rats, it was noted that they were similar. Starvation of the LD rats for 66 hours did not abolish the characteristic rhythm, although a lower level of blood glucose resulted. The LD 12:12 blood glucose pattern was reversed by reversing the LD cycle 180 degrees. Under LL and DD the troughs and crests seen in the glucose curves were out of phase with those of LD and with each other; this suggested that under LL or DD the rhythm had become free-running because of the absence of the light-dark synchronizer. Hypophysectomy modified the phasing of the normal LD pattern but did not abolish its fluctuating nature; this suggested that the LD cycle of light no longer was an effective entraining agent. Adrenal medullectomy caused an overall 13% decrease in the 24-hour mean but did not alter the phasing of the LD pattern. The significance of periodicity analysis in relation to bioassay is discussed.
Predicting Health Behaviors From Attitudes and Subjective Norms: Between‐Subjects and Within‐Subjects Analyses

Much previous research (Trafimow & Fishbein, 1994a, 1994b) indicates that some behaviors are mostly under attitudinal control and some are mostly under normative control. Further, other research (Trafimow & Finlay, 1996) demonstrates that people, as well as behaviors, can be generally under attitudinal or normative control. The present research applies these ideas to the domain of health behaviors. Analyses conducted between-subjects for each behavior, and within-subjects across all of the behaviors, demonstrate that both behaviors and people can be under attitudinal or normative control when responding to items pertaining to health.
Foster Care Independent Living Services: Youth Perspectives:

Emerging adulthood is a phase in the life course recently identified by developmental theorists. For youth in foster care, recent federal legislation in the United States has engendered new programs, typically called independent living programs, to help them become successful adults. This qualitative study reports the findings of interviews with a diverse sample of 27 current and former foster youths in a Midwestern state, focusing on the quantity and quality of independent living services received. The youths reported hopeful expectations and plans for their futures, widespread support for postcustody benefit programs, mixed opinions about the utilization and effectiveness of existing independent living programs, significant educational delays associated with frequent placements while in out-of-home custody, and strong attachments to families of origin.
Coronary Artery Development

Lineage mapping studies have shown an extracardiac origin for the coronary vasculature. Mesothelial cells arising from septum transversum mesenchyme contact the developing myocardium via a transient structure called the proepicardial organ (PEO). Proepicardial cells first extend over the surface of the heart to form the epicardial layer. Then, a subset of epicardial cells transform from epithelial to mesenchymal cells, migrate into the myocardial wall, and serve as progenitor cells for formation of the coronary vessels. Epicardial-derived mesenchymal cells (EPDCs) produce soluble factors that stimulate proliferation of myocardial cells in the compact zone of ventricular myocardium. Genetic studies have begun to identify the molecules that control and coordinate this complex process that ensures adequate perfusion of the myocardium during development of the heart.
Should The CEO Also Be Chairman Of The Board

For some time, practitioners and academics have been trying to determine whether it is better for a company's shareholders to allow the CEO of the company to also be Chairman of the Board (a unitary leadership structure) or whether another person (an independent director) should hold the board Chair position (a dual leadership structure) Not surprisingly, most executives believe one person should hold both positions while academics hold mixed views on the subject. The empirical results presented in this study suggest that a dual leadership structure is superior for most firms because it allows the board to better control the opportunistic behavior of the firm's managers. Specifically, as agency theory predicts, dual leadership firms pay lower compensation to their CEOs, have lower selling, general, and administrative expenses, use more debt in their capital structures, pay out more of their free cash flows to investors, and are more profitable than unitary leadership firms. Each of these results indicates less opportunistic behavior by the managers of dual leadership firms.
What Should Be Done About Farm Tenancy

Tenancy has an important place in the capitalistic system of commercial agriculture. The question is not whether tenancy should exist, but rather, how much tenancy and what kind of tenancy will yield the maximum well-being for farmers and for the nation. There is more ground for surprise that 26 per cent of the farmers of the United States were tenants in 1880 than that 42 per cent were tenants in 1935. In 1880, free land was abundant and was rapidly being taken up under the Homestead and other federal Acts. In 1935, a generation had passed since good free land was available. A study of the annals of American agriculture shows that during the time when there was plenty of free land on the frontier, many families preferred to "stay behind and live" rather than press forward, suffering the hardships of pioneer life, in order to take advantage of the opportunity to become the owners of farms. At the present time, there are many families which prefer the security and the profits of tenant farming on good land, under a good landlord, to venturing upon the precarious task of buying a farm on credit, with no assurance as to the future prices of farm products in their relation to the fixed indebtedness which would have to be incurred.
Scrubbing the Web for Association Rules: An Application in Predictive Text

Modern smartphones have led to an explosion of interest in predictive text. Predicting the next word that a user will type saves precious time on the compact keyboards that smartphones use. By leveraging the vast amounts of text data available on the Internet, we can easily gather information on natural human writing. We can then use this data with association rules to efficiently determine the probability of one word appearing after another given word. In this paper, we explore the gathering of text data from online social media. We also examine the use of association rules for predictive text, and develop an algorithm that can quickly and efficiently generate rules for predictive text. The results of the presented algorithm are compared to Google's Android keyboard.
Structure and Reactivity in Oxidation of Elastomers

Abstract Oxidation of hydrocarbons is a much studied and much reviewed subject, yet much remains to be understood about complexities of competing reactions that take place as hydrocarbons react with oxygen. The generally accepted free radical mechanism for low temperature reaction (below 200° C) stems from kinetic studies by Semenov, Hinshelwood, Farmer, Gee, Bolland, and Bateman of hydrocarbon and olefin oxidation in the gas and liquid phase: Such a chain mechanism appears to be straightforward, but studies of autoxidations are complicated by sensitivity to trace metals, which decompose hydroperoxides, and to the nature of reaction products, which may function as inhibitors or accelerators. The character of the reaction may vary considerably with time as these reaction products accumulate. Hydroperoxides may decompose by unimolecular or bimolecular pathways to produce alkoxy, peroxy, or hydroxyl radicals. These are known to have various selectivities and hence will produce different propagating species w...
Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Intermediate-Volatility Organic Compounds: Cyclic, Linear, and Branched Alkanes

Intermediate volatility organic compounds (IVOCs) are an important class of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) precursors that have not been traditionally included in chemical transport models. A challenge is that the vast majority of IVOCs cannot be speciated using traditional gas chromatography-based techniques; instead they are classified as an unresolved complex mixture (UCM) that is presumably made up of a complex mixture of branched and cyclic alkanes. To better understand SOA formation from IVOCs, a series of smog chamber experiments was conducted with different alkanes, including cyclic, branched, and linear compounds. The experiments focused on freshly formed SOA from hydroxyl (OH) radical-initiated reactions under high-NOx conditions at typical atmospheric organic aerosol concentrations (COA). SOA yields from cyclic alkanes were comparable to yields from linear alkanes three to four carbons larger in size. For alkanes with equivalent carbon numbers, branched alkanes had the lowest SOA mass yields, ...
Imaging Technology for Studying Gene Transcription in Living Cells

Transcription is a key regulatory step in gene expression and underlies basic processes of human development and diseases. Interests have recently surged on imaging gene transcription in living cells. This article summarizes the ongoing technology advancements and outlines potential future growth in this area of research.
Design and Application of Synchronous Control System Model for a Multi-break Optically Controlled Vacuum Circuit Breaker

Higher breaking capacity can be obtained by using multi similar optically controlled vacuum circuit breakers to create a multi-break vacuum circuit breaker in the form of series/parallel,while the excellent properties of short vacuum gap could be made full use of.It can cause uneven distribution of voltage and current between the breaks in the process of breaking large fault current.It raises a very high request to the accuracy of the synchronization control system can provide.In order to solve this problem,a synchronous control system for multi-break vacuum circuit breaker is designed and implemented in this paper.The hardware is based on the digital signal processor(DSP) TMS320LF2812 and the field programmable gate array(FPGA) SPARTAN3 as the core,and the bus backboard and function board is used as the hardware architecture.In the aspect of software,the voltage and current zero detection algorithms are realized,the communication protocol between control system and vacuum circuit breaker is designed,and the synchronization control algorithm is improved.Because the actual operation of synchronous controller operates in the complex electromagnetic environment,a number of strict electromagnetic compatibility tests are conducted for the whole control system,and the results show that the system has high reliability and stability.
Physical properties of raw materials used in producing rare earth silicide alloy by carbon thermal reduction method(I) ——Thermophysical properties and specific resistance

The thermal conductivity of raw materials, used in the process of producing rare earth silicide alloy by carbon thermal reduction method, was measured from 288 K to 1 573 K by unsteady state hot wire method. The relation between thermal conductivity ( λ ) of raw materials and temperature ( T ) can be written as λ =2.56×10 -2 +7.8×10 -4 ? T . The thermal conductivity, the thermal diffusivity, and the specific heat capacity of the rare earth silicide alloy were also measured from 288 K to 1 273 K. The dependence of the thermal conductivity ( λ ) of the alloy on temperature ( T ) follows a linear equation: λ =14.30-7.4×10 -3 ? T . The specific resistance was also determined for two kinds of rare earth carbon compact roasted at 773 K and 1 273 K respectively.
Interventional cardiac procedures in neonates and infants: state of the art.

With increased experience with interventional cardiac procedures and improved equipment and techniques, some of these interventions have been adapted for the treatment of congenital heart disease in neonates and infants. Our results, and those from the literature, are discussed in this review.
Host genotype and age shape the leaf and root microbiomes of a wild perennial plant

Bacteria living on and in leaves and roots influence many aspects of plant health, so the extent of a plant's genetic control over its microbiota is of great interest to crop breeders and evolutionary biologists. Laboratory-based studies, because they poorly simulate true environmental heterogeneity, may misestimate or totally miss the influence of certain host genes on the microbiome. Here we report a large-scale field experiment to disentangle the effects of genotype, environment, age and year of harvest on bacterial communities associated with leaves and roots of Boechera stricta (Brassicaceae), a perennial wild mustard. Host genetic control of the microbiome is evident in leaves but not roots, and varies substantially among sites. Microbiome composition also shifts as plants age. Furthermore, a large proportion of leaf bacterial groups are shared with roots, suggesting inoculation from soil. Our results demonstrate how genotype-by-environment interactions contribute to the complexity of microbiome assembly in natural environments.
Original Intent in the First Congress

Most of the literature on this country's Founding Era concludes that at least in the very early years, the Founders did not look to original intent to construe the Constitution. However, this study looks not at what the Founders said they believed, but how they acted. In the First Federal Congress, the members did use arguments based on original intent. This study identifies their originalist arguments and categorizes them into five rhetorical categories. It concludes that these arguments did not dominate the debates, but were one type of argument among many.
Galaxy–galaxy lensing estimators and their covariance properties

We study the covariance properties of real space correlation function estimators -- primarily galaxy-shear correlations, or galaxy-galaxy lensing -- using SDSS data for both shear catalogs and lenses (specifically the BOSS LOWZ sample). Using mock catalogs of lenses and sources, we disentangle the various contributions to the covariance matrix and compare them with a simple analytical model. We show that not subtracting the lensing measurement around random points from the measurement around the lens sample is equivalent to performing the measurement using the lens density field instead of the lens over-density field. While the measurement using the lens density field is unbiased (in the absence of systematics), its error is significantly larger due to an additional term in the covariance. Therefore, this subtraction should be performed regardless of its beneficial effects on systematics. Comparing the error estimates from data and mocks for estimators that involve the over-density, we find that the errors are dominated by the shape noise and lens clustering, that empirically estimated covariances (jackknife and standard deviation across mocks) are consistent with theoretical estimates, and that both the connected parts of the 4-point function and the super-sample covariance can be neglected for the current levels of noise. While the trade-off between different terms in the covariance depends on the survey configuration (area, source number density), the diagnostics that we use in this work should be useful for future works to test their empirically-determined covariances.
Impairment of Common Mode Rejection by Mismatched Electrode Impedances: Quantitative Analysis

ABSTRACT.Mismatched input electrode impedances can lead to noisy EEG and evoked potential recordings even if the electrode impedances are low. This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the phenomenon and illustrative examples.At each amplifier input, the recording electrode impedance and the amplifier's input impedance form a voltage divider. When input electrode impedances are unequal, a common mode signal that is present equally at the two locations on the patient's body appears at different magnitudes at the two (inverting and noninverting) inputs of the amplifier; thus, part of the common mode signal is amplified as if it were a differential signal. The effective common mode rejection ratio (CMRR) of the amplifier is reduced to a value that can be expressed mathematically as a function of the amplifier's ideal CMRR, its input impedance, and the impedance difference between the two input electrodes.Balanced input electrode impedances are particularly important during intraoperative monitoring, whe...
The Effects of Musician's Earplugs on Acoustic and Perceptual Measures of Choral and Solo Sound.

Summary Objectives The purpose of this investigation was to assess the effects of earplugs on acoustical and perceptual measures of choral and solo sound. Methods The researcher tested the effects of musician's earplugs on choral and solo timbre and singer perceptions. Members of an intact women's university choir recorded Dona Nobis Pacem under two conditions, no earplugs and with earplugs over time. Approximately half of the choir members also participated as soloists, recording Over the Rainbow under the same two conditions. All recordings were analyzed using long-term average spectra (LTAS). After participating in each recording session, the participants responded to a questionnaire about ability to hear self (solo and choral context) and ability to hear others (choral context) under two conditions, no earplugs and with earplugs. Results LTAS results revealed that wearing earplugs in a choral setting caused decreased mean signal energy (>1 dB), resulting in less resonant singing. LTAS results also indicated that wearing earplugs in a solo setting had less effect on mean signal energy, resulting in a mean difference Conclusions In the context of this study, it seems that wearing earplugs had more effect on timbre and the ability to receive sufficient auditory feedback in a choral setting than it did in a solo setting. Findings from this study could provide important information when structuring hearing conservation strategies.
Perioperative management of oral anticoagulation in patients undergoing implantation of subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator

Background The perioperative anticoagulation management during subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) implantation is still evolving. Objective The purpose of this study was to assess whether it is safe to perform S-ICD implantation with uninterrupted warfarin. Methods This is a single-center retrospective review of patients undergoing S-ICD implantation between October 1, 2012 and June 30, 2017. One hundred thirty-seven patients underwent successful S-ICD implantation during the study period. The most common indication for implantation was primary prevention of sudden cardiac death. In 24 (17.5%) patients, warfarin was continued without any interruption (warfarin group). In 113 (82.5%) patients, no warfarin was used in the perioperative period (nonwarfarin group). The incidence of clinically significant lateral pocket hematoma was compared in the 2 groups. Results The mean international normalized ratio was 1.83 ± 0.47 in the warfarin group and 1.09 ± 0.18 in the nonwarfarin group. A total of 8 patients developed a hematoma at the lateral pocket. No patient developed a hematoma at the parasternal pockets. Six patients (25%) in the warfarin group and 2 (1.5%) in the nonwarfarin group developed a significant lateral pocket hematoma (P = .001). The mean length of stay was longer in the warfarin group (1.23 ± 0.46 days) than in the nonwarfarin group (1.02 ± 0.18 days) (P = .0008). An international normalized ratio of >1.8 predicted the risk of hematoma. The concomitant use of dual antiplatelet therapy did not increase the risk of hematoma. None of the patients with a hematoma developed infection or required hematoma evacuation. Conclusion Uninterrupted warfarin in the perioperative period during S-ICD implantation is associated with an increased risk of significant lateral pocket hematoma that results in prolonged hospital stay.