cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Child Abuse and Neglect: Controversies and Solutions

Government intervention in the lives of families, in cases of suspected child abuse and neglect, is a controversial subject. This article explores criticisms leveled at the child protection system in the United States, describes the weaknesses of that system, discusses the multitude of child maltreatment problems resulting in child protective service agency involvement, and analyzes the difficulty in assuring a more appropriate response to cases alleging child neglect. Reforms are proposed to help assure that child victims of severe abuse or neglect are kept out of dangerous homes. Legislative proposals are offered for improving the nation’s child protection infrastructure and otherwise helping protect the legal rights and interests of maltreated children.
CHARACTERIZATION OF LEACHED SURFACE LAYERS ON SIMULATED HIGH-LEVEL WASTE GLASSES BY SPUTTER-INDUCED OPTICAL EMISSION

The leaching process in simulated waste encapsulant glasses was studied by measuring the compositional depth-profiles of H (from water), the glass framework formers Si and B, the alkalis Na and Cs, the alkaline earths Ca and Sr, the transition metals Mo and Fe, the rare-earths La, Ce, and Nd, using the technique of sputterindiced optical emission. The leaching process of these glasses is highly complex. In addition to alkali/hydrogen exchange, there is breakdown of the glass framework, build-up of barrier layers on the surface, and formation of layered reaction zones of distinctly different chemistry all within the outer micrometer of the glass.
Gendering War and Peace in the Gospel of Luke

In this book, Caryn A. Reeder examines the gendered language and imagery of war and peace in the Gospel of Luke. Peace is represented with the blessing of fertility, pregnancy, and newborn infants. Pregnant and nursing women, women and children in general, and feminized Jerusalem also represent the horrors of war in the Gospel - abandoned, crushed to the ground, subject to woe and distress, to the point that barren wombs and dry breasts become a blessing. Reeder argues that the representation of peace with pregnant women and newborn infants, the most vulnerable in the population, indicates that victory belongs to God. This message is clarified by the encouragement of surrender and flight from besieged Jerusalem, rather than an active defense. Notably, there are no men to defend Jerusalem in Luke's warnings of war. The Gospel undermines the masculinization of war commonly found in Greco-Roman texts by redirecting the means of making peace from the violence of victory to the unmanly act of surrender.
Understanding experiences of patients and family caregivers in the Mayo Clinic Care Transitions program: a qualitative study

Background Care transitions programs are increasingly used to improve care and reduce re-admission of patients after hospitalization. To learn from the experience of patients who have participated in the Mayo Clinic Care Transitions (MCCT) program and to understand the patient experience, we sought perspectives of patients, caregivers, and providers who worked with participants of the MCCT program. Methods Investigators interviewed 17 patients and nine of their caregivers about their experience with the MCCT program. Eight health care providers described provider experiences with the MCCT program. Data from semistructured interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and evaluated through content analysis. Inductive coding methods were used to elicit themes about patient experience with the MCCT program. Results Patients, caregivers, and providers emphasized that the MCCT program prevented hospitalizations and contributed to the health and quality of life of participants. All three stakeholder groups emphasized the value of the home visit and provision of the visit on a patient's "home turf" as central to the program. Patients appreciated speaking to a provider without the stress and exertion of a trip to the clinic. Caregivers appreciated improved communication provided in the home visit and felt that home visits gave them peace of mind. Patients, caregivers, and providers also identified the need for improved phone triage and communication. Conclusion Patients, caregivers, and providers acknowledged the care transitions problem and emphasized the benefits of seeing patients on their home turf rather than in an office visit. This qualitative study of patient, caregiver, and provider experiences further validates the importance of the MCCT program.
Development of lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite perovskite electrodes of solid oxide fuel cells – A review

Abstract There is an enormous driving force in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) to reduce the operating temperatures from high temperatures (800–1000 °C) to intermediate and low temperatures (400–800 °C) in order to increase the durability, improve thermal compatibility and thermal cycle capability, and reduce the fabrication and materials costs. One of the grand challenges is the development of cathode materials for intermediate and low temperature SOFCs with high activity and stability for the O2 reduction reaction (ORR), high structural stability as well as high tolerance toward contaminants like chromium, sulfur and boron. Lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite (LSCF) perovskite is the most popular and representative mixed ionic and electronic conducting (MIEC) electrode material for SOFCs. LSCF-based materials are characterized by high MIEC properties, good structural stability and high electrochemical activity for ORR, and have played a unique role in the development of SOFCs technologies. However, there appears no comprehensive review on the development and understanding of this most important MIEC electrode material in SOFCs despite its unique position in SOFCs. The objective of this article is to provide a critical and comprehensive review in the structure and defect chemistry, the electrical and ionic conductivity, and relationship between the performance, intrinsic and extrinsic factors of LSCF-based electrode materials in SOFCs. The challenges, strategies and prospect of LSCF-based electrodes for intermediate and low temperature SOFCs are discussed. Finally, the development of LSCF-based electrodes for metal-supported SOFCs and solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) is also briefly reviewed.
Execution Methods in a Nutshell

In the wake of numerous cruel and troubling execution methods, lethal injection seemed to be the answer to this country’s centuries-long search for a medically humane means of putting an inmate to death. However, lethal injection is currently being subjected to an unprecedented degree of scrutiny due to various factors, including botched executions, problematic protocols, and drug shortages and restrictions. An historical overview puts these circumstances in context. In 1977, a year after Gregg v. Georgia, Oklahoma became the first state to adopt lethal injection, despite the fact that the procedure had never been medically or scientifically studied on human beings. Even without proper medical justification, 38 more states adopted lethal injection between 1977 and 2009. As more states began utilizing lethal injection, the method faced more challenges, leading to a decrease in the number of executions being performed. The Supreme Court attempted to address these challenges in Baze v. Rees (2008), in which the Court upheld the constitutionality of Kentucky’s lethal injection protocol. Contrary to some commentators’ predictions, executions continued their downward trend post-Baze. In 2015, the Supreme Court faced another lethal injection challenge in Glossip v. Gross, which involved Oklahoma’s use of midazolam as a lethal injection drug. The Court held 5–4 that three death row inmates failed to establish that midazolam created "a substantial risk of severe pain" when used as the first of three drugs in state's lethal injection procedure. This chapter discusses the Glossip Court’s unwillingness to address key aspects of death penalty history and the blame the Court places on unidentified “anti-death-penalty advocates” for the factors driving lethal injection’s troubles – troubles which threaten the future of the death penalty.
A Solvothermal Route to High-Surface-Area Nanostructured MoS2

We describe a simple route to nanostructured MoS2 based on the decomposition of the cluster-based precursor (NH4)2Mo3S13·xH2O in solvothermal toluene at 653 K. Solvothermal decomposition results in nanostructured material distinct from that obtained by decomposition of the precursor in sealed quartz tubes at the same temperature. When carried out in the presence of the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), the decomposition results in unusual string-like morphologies of highly disordered MoS2 lamellae, with high surface areas. An attempt to understand representative sizes and structures of the nano-MoS2 produced by the different methods has been made using DIFFaX simulations of the powder X-ray diffraction patterns.
Toward Automated Firmware Analysis in the IoT Era

Firmware for Internet of Things devices can contain malicious code or vulnerabilities, which have already been used in devastating attacks. In this article, we discuss the problems in analyzing firmware for security, offer case studies, and propose challenge tasks to improve firmware analysis.
Joint Torque Estimation using Base Force-Torque Sensor to Facilitate Physical Human-Robot Interaction (pHRI)

To detect forces during physical Human-Robot Interaction (pHRI), a force-torque sensor (FTS) is generally attached at the wrist of a robot manipulator. Alternatively, collaborative robots can measure interaction forces via torque sensing at their joints. Yet another direction toward safe and interactive robots is to cover them in smart skins with embedded tactile sensors. In this paper, we explore another idea to facilitate pHRI using an FTS placed at the base of a robot arm. The resulting base force-torque sensor (BFTS) is able to sense external forces and torques applied anywhere along the robot body. We formulate a model-free, on-line learning controller to estimate the interaction forces on the robot from the BFTS data. The controller does not require a robot dynamic model to operate, and has Lyapunov stability guarantees. We conduct experiments to validate the mean-square estimation error of our scheme using a custom 6-DOF robotic arm under real-time control. Results show that the measured torques at individual joints closely follow the estimated values. In the future, this controller can be used for adaptive pHRI with non-collaborative robots or robot manipulators.
Transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of the SMC-selective blood pressure-associated gene, ARHGAP42

First, RBPJ and TEAD1 converge at an intronic enhancer to regulate ARHGAP42 expression in SMCs. Second, TEAD1 and RBPJ interact physically and bind cooperatively to the ARHGAP42 enhancer. Third, mi...
Preventing Imitation Learning with Adversarial Policy Ensembles

Imitation learning can reproduce policies by observing experts, which poses a problem regarding policy privacy. Policies, such as human, or policies on deployed robots, can all be cloned without consent from the owners. How can we protect against external observers cloning our proprietary policies? To answer this question we introduce a new reinforcement learning framework, where we train an ensemble of near-optimal policies, whose demonstrations are guaranteed to be useless for an external observer. We formulate this idea by a constrained optimization problem, where the objective is to improve proprietary policies, and at the same time deteriorate the virtual policy of an eventual external observer. We design a tractable algorithm to solve this new optimization problem by modifying the standard policy gradient algorithm. Our formulation can be interpreted in lenses of confidentiality and adversarial behaviour, which enables a broader perspective of this work. We demonstrate the existence of "non-clonable" ensembles, providing a solution to the above optimization problem, which is calculated by our modified policy gradient algorithm. To our knowledge, this is the first work regarding the protection of policies in Reinforcement Learning.
Insights Into Provider Bias in Family Planning from a Novel Shared Decision Making Based Counseling Initiative in Rural, Indigenous Guatemala.

Race, ethnicity, and indigenous status should be considered as potential drivers of provider bias in family planning services globally. Efforts to confront provider bias in family planning counseling should include concrete strategies that promote provider recognition of biases and longitudinal curriculums that allow for sustained feedback and self-reflection.
Does Obtaining a Diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome Improve Symptoms or Quality of Life? A Cross-sectional Questionnaire-Based Study.

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate whether receiving a clinical diagnosis of interstitial cystitis (IC) or bladder pain syndrome (BPS) improves patients' symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), or ability to cope with their symptoms. Methods In this cross-sectional study, participants with self-reported IC/BPS completed an online questionnaire recalling their perceived change in symptoms after diagnosis and treatment. The questionnaire included demographic information, overall HRQOL measured on a visual analog scale (VAS), O'Leary-Sant Interstitial Cystitis Problem Index, the Urinary Impact Questionnaire, and questions regarding patient beliefs about diagnosis. HRQOL and symptom impact scales were compared before and after diagnosis and treatment. Demographic data, symptom data, and beliefs were examined for correlation with improvement in quality of life after diagnosis. Results A total of 1052 participants initiated the survey and were included in the analysis; most of them identified as female, non-Hispanic, and white (90%). Before symptom onset, median VAS HRQOL score was 87 (interquartile range [IQR], 77-95). Median scores nadired at 34 (IQR, 20-59) after symptom onset before diagnosis, but improved to 61 after diagnosis and treatment (IQR, 38-74; all P 0.05). Age, insurance type, and improvement in scores on the symptom impact scale predicted improvement in HRQOL after diagnosis and treatment in the multivariable model. Conclusions Participants reported improvements on global and symptom-specific quality of life measures after diagnosis and treatment for IC/BPS.
Multimodal feature binding in object memory retrieval using event-related potentials: Implications for models of semantic memory

Abstract To test the hypothesis that semantic processes are represented in multiple subsystems, we recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) as we elicited object memories using the modified Semantic Object Retrieval Test, during which an object feature, presented as a visual word [VW], an auditory word [AW], or a picture [Pic], was followed by a second feature always presented as a visual word. We performed both hypothesis-driven and data-driven analyses using event-related potentials (ERPs) time locked to the second stimulus. We replicated a previously reported left fronto-temporal ERP effect (750–1000 ms post-stimulus) in the VW task, and also found that this ERP component was only present during object memory retrieval in verbal (VW, AW) as opposed to non-verbal (Pic) stimulus types. We also found a right temporal ERP effect (850–1000 ms post-stimulus) that was present in auditory (AW) but not in visual (VW, Pic) stimulus types. In addition, we found an earlier left temporo-parietal ERP effect between 350 and 700 ms post-stimulus and a later midline parietal ERP effect between 700 and 1100 ms post-stimulus, present in all stimulus types, suggesting common neural mechanisms for object retrieval processes and object activation, respectively. These findings support multiple semantic subsystems that respond to varying stimulus modalities, and argue against an ultimate unitary amodal semantic analysis.
Evaluation and Treatment of Disorders of Phosphate Balance

The purpose of this article is to review (1) the molecular mechanisms and hormonal factors involved in phosphate handling and regulation, (2) how to appropriately interpret serum and urine phosphate measurements in pediatric patients, (3) the pathophysiology of hypophosphatemic and hyperphosphatemic conditions, and (4) current strategies for treatment of hypophosphatemia and hyperphosphatemia in pediatric patients. For decades, treatment of some hypophosphatemic conditions like X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLH), characterized by a primary increase in fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) activity, consisted of non-specific therapy with phosphate supplementation and calcitriol administration. However, in the past few years, burosumab, a targeted anti-FGF23 antibody, has been developed, representing a promising new medication for the treatment of pediatric XLH patients. The treatment of hyperphosphatemic conditions like chronic kidney disease (CKD) consists of dietary phosphate restriction and enteral phosphate binders; however, the development of new binders and inhibitors of cellular phosphate transporters may offer additional treatment options in the future. The evaluation and treatment of disorders of phosphate balance in children is complex, as numerous interrelated mechanisms and hormones are involved in phosphate handling and regulation. Knowledge of the pathophysiology of hypophosphatemic and hyperphosphatemic conditions informs optimal diagnostic and treatment strategies.
Electrical properties of MgO/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor structures

Abstract Electrical properties of metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitors were measured with MgO/Al2O3 gate dielectrics deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on GaN. For an Al2O3 (1 nm)/MgO (20 nm) dielectric layer, a leakage current density of 0.25 mA/cm2 at 1 V was measured for the MOS capacitor. A peak capacitance of ~0.1 μF/cm2 was obtained from the C-V measurements with significant hysteresis observed. In addition, a 15-minute forming gas anneal at 450 °C resulted in an increased leakage current density of 1 A/cm2 at 1 V while also increasing the peak capacitance by approximately 30%. To improve the performance, an Al2O3 (20 nm)/MgO (20 nm) dielectric stack was deposited that exhibited a leakage current density of ~1 × 10−5 mA/cm2 at 1 V, which corresponds to ~4 orders of magnitude lower current density than that of the single layer dielectric. Additionally, a 3-layer Al2O3 (10 nm)/MgO (20 nm)/Al2O3 (10 nm) stack also shows a leakage current density reduction of ~4 orders of magnitude, and a reduced density of interface states while remaining a high-k dielectric. The density of interface states was estimated to be between 6.8 × 1011 eV−1 cm−2 and 1.5 × 1012 eV−1 cm−2 for the 3-layer stack using the photo-assisted C-V method.
Evaluation of Ground Reaction Forces and Limb Symmetry Indices Using Ground Reaction Forces Collected with One or Two Plates in Dogs Exhibiting a Stifle Lameness.

Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficiency and consistency in the collection of ground reaction forces using one or two force plates from dogs with stifle lameness. Animals Twenty-two client-owned dogs with unilateral stifle lameness were used. Methods In a prospective study design, data were collected at a single time point using both one- and two-plate collection methods. Ground reaction forces collected included peak vertical force, vertical impulse and associated symmetry indices. Additionally, time required to obtain valid trials and the total number of trials were also recorded for both one-plate and two-plate collections. Linear mixed models were used to analyse differences in peak vertical force, vertical impulse and symmetry indices between the collection methods. A paired-T test was used to compare trial number and time of trial collection. The significance threshold was p Results It took significantly longer to collect valid trials using one-plate both in time (16.1 ± 8.0 minutes vs, 8.0 ± 4.3 minutes with two plates) and number of trials (33.8 ± 14.8 trials vs. 16.4 ± 8.8 trials with two plates) (p Conclusion The total time and number of trials needed to collect valid trials in dogs with stifle lameness were minimized through the use of two force plates. However, there was no significant difference in the ground reaction force or symmetry index values collected between the two systems.
Structure activity relationship of novel antiviral nucleosides against Enterovirus A71.

Abstract Various (North)-methanocarba adenosine derivatives, containing rigid bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane ribose substitution, were screened for activity against representative viruses, and inhibition was observed after treatment of Enterovirus A71 with a 2-chloro-N6-1-cyclopropyl-2-methylpropan-1-yl derivative (17). µM activity was also seen when testing 17 against other enteroviruses in the Picornaviridae family. Based on this hit, structural congeners of 17, containing other N6-alkyl groups and 5′ modifications, were synthesized and tested. The structure activity relationship is relatively narrow, with most modifications of the adenine or the methanocarba ring reducing or abolishing the inhibitory potency. 4′-Truncated 31 (MRS5474), 4′-fluoromethyl 48 (MRS7704) and 4′-chloromethyl 49 nucleosides displayed EC50 ~3–4 µM, and 31 and 48 achieved SI ≥10. However, methanocarba analogues of ribavirin and N6-benzyladenosine, shown previously to have anti-EV-A71 activity, were inactive. Thus, we identified methanocarba nucleosides as a new scaffold for enterovirus inhibition with a narrow structure activity relationship and no similarity to previously published anti-enteroviral nucleosides.
Accurately Diagnosing COPD: A Clinical Challenge With Important Consequences.

COPD is an irreversible chronic inflammatory process in the lungs that afflicts millions of patients around the world.[1][1] Although COPD is usually considered primarily an inflammatory airway obstructive process, it also encompasses pathologic changes in smaller more distal membranous airways (“
Transolecranon Fracture Dislocations

Transolecranon fracture dislocations, or Monteggia variants, involve injuries potentially more problematic than the name by association implies. The dislocation of the radial head can be with annular ligament rupture, or the crista supinatoris insertion can be avulsed. The fracture has four main components, and the importance of the coronoid fixation, in particular, is addressed.
Cannabinoid receptor-1 signaling in hepatocytes and stellate cells does not contribute to NAFLD

The endocannabinoid system regulates appetite and energy expenditure and inhibitors of the cannabinoid receptor-1 (CB-1) induce weight loss with improvement in components of the metabolic syndrome. While CB-1 blockage in brain is responsible for weight loss, many of the metabolic benefits associated with CB-1 blockade have been attributed to inhibition of CB-1 signaling in the periphery. As a result, there has been interest in developing a peripherally restricted CB-1 inhibitor for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that would lack the unwanted centrally mediated side effects. Here, we produced mice that lacked CB-1 receptors in hepatocytes or stellate cells to determine if CB-1 signaling contributes to the development of NAFLD or liver fibrosis. Deletion of CB-1 receptors in hepatocytes did not alter the development of NAFLD in mice fed a high sucrose high fat diet or high fat diet (HFD). Similarly, deletion of CB-1 deletion specifically in stellate cells also did not prevent the development of NAFLD in mice fed the HFD nor did it protect mice for carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced fibrosis. Combined, these studies do not support a direct role for hepatocyte or stellate cell CB-1 signaling in the development of NAFLD or liver fibrosis.
Performing Calcitonin Immunocytochemistry on an Additional ThinPrep Slide in Fine-Needle Aspiration Diagnosis of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma.

Objectives This study reviewed the institutional experience of performing calcitonin immunostain on an additional ThinPrep slide in fine-needle aspiration (FNA) diagnosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Methods Thyroid FNA cases with MTC suspected or included in the differential diagnosis during cytologic evaluation and calcitonin immunostain performed were retrieved and reviewed. Results Calcitonin immunostain was performed in 132 cases with 41 positive, 81 negative, and 10 indeterminate results. All calcitonin-positive cases had a cytologic diagnosis of MTC while all calcitonin-negative cases were cytologically classified as non-MTCs except for two cases suspicious for MTC. In 10 cases with an indeterminate calcitonin result, diagnoses of non-MTC and suspicious for MTC were rendered in 6 and 4 cases, respectively. Histopathologic follow-up was available in 85 (64%) cases. All cytologically diagnosed MTC cases were confirmed on histopathology. In 3 MTC cases with an indeterminate calcitonin result, 1 case was misclassified cytologically as follicular neoplasm. The calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of calcitonin immunostain were all 100% for diagnosing MTC. Conclusions Our study demonstrates the feasibility of performing calcitonin immunostain on an additional ThinPrep slide. Calcitonin immunocytochemistry is a valuable adjunct test for FNA diagnosis and differential diagnosis of MTC.
Risk Communication: The Need for Incentives

In this paper we emphasize that a major problem in public understanding of risk is a failure of the various actors to communicate. We believe that this is largely due to a lack of desire to communicate rather than to an ignorance of how to communicate. We show this by four examples and discuss ways this can be changed within the framework of U.S. society.
Recovery and Identification of World War II Dead: American Graves Registration Activities in Europe

About two thirds of the 281 000 Americans who died in World War II (WWII) fell in the European Theater. Of the 148 000 bodies recovered from Europe, nearly 99% were identified. Through the efforts of the Graves Registration Service and the American Graves Registration Command, more than 171 000 Americans who died overseas worldwide during WWII were eventually returned to the United States for final burial. The procedures used at the Central Identification Point in Strasbourg, France, for the identification of unknown remains is illustrated by the case of an Eighth Air Force crewman killed over Germany in 1943 whose body was recovered in 1947.
Microtubule motors in mitosis

The mitotic spindle uses microtubule-based motor proteins to assemble itself and to segregate sister chromatids. It is becoming clear that motors invoke several distinct mechanisms to generate the forces that drive mitosis. Moreover, in carrying out its function, the spindle appears to pass through a series of transient steady-state structures, each established by a delicate balance of forces generated by multiple complementary and antagonistic motors. Transitions from one steady state to the next can occur when a change in the activity of a subset of mitotic motors tips the balance.
Generalized Q-space MRI reveals macroscopic patterns of tumor architecture in vivo

Current approaches for studying tumor activity in patients involve molecular characterization in excised tissue or biopsied samples. Recognizing that tumors are composed of heterogeneous arrays of cells and their environment, there is a compelling rationale to explore the macroscopic organization of tumor tissue. We present a novel methodology for probing the micro-structural constituents of tumors in vivo utilizing generalized Q-space MRI. This approach employs varying magnetic field gradients and diffusion sensitivities to yield voxel-scale probability distribution functions of proton diffusivity, and then maps multi-voxel cellular alignment with tractography. Using this methodology, we describe the presence of macroscopic organizational features in patients with head and neck cancers, specifically depicting regional differences between the geometrically coherent periphery and incoherent core region. Such methods may comprise a method for assessing attributes of tumor biology in vivo and for predicting the response of such tumors to various drugs and interventions.
ISS and integral-ISS disturbance attenuation with bounded controls

We consider the problem of achieving disturbance attenuation in the input-to-state stability (ISS) and integral-ISS sense for nonlinear systems with bounded controls. For the ISS case we derive a "universal" formula which extends an earlier result of Lin and Sontag (1991) to systems with disturbances. For the integral-ISS case we give two constructions, one resulting in a smooth control law and the other in a switching control law. We also briefly discuss some issues related to input-to-state stability of switched and hybrid systems.
Modeling 3-D coupled variably saturated flow, reactive chemical transport, and heat transfer under complex and mixed reaction systems

A three-dimensional numerical model HYDROGEOCHEM 5.0 has been developed to study coupled variably saturated subsurface flow, reactive chemical transport, and heat transfer under complex (multiple reaction types, including aqueous complexation, adsorption-desorption, ion-exchange, redox, precipitation-dissolution, and acid-base reaction) and mixed (equilibrium and kinetic) reaction systems. The theoretical bases and numerical implementations are summarized and one designed example is presented. The complex example simulates steady flow and transient reactive chemical transport in a 3-D domain. It incorporates complexation, adsorption, ion-exchange, and mineral dissolution in a system of mixed equilibrium and kinetic reactions.
Total time-lag factor of technology licensing data of U.S. research institutions incorporating multiple paths in the licensing process

Performance evolution of universities' licensing practice has been a favorable interest in literature. However, the existing studies implicitly or explicitly states their limitation of ignoring time-lag effects of the licensing variables such as expenditure, patents, start-up licensing income. A statistics process detecting time-lag coefficients of licensing variables of U.S. research institutions were developed at authors' previous study which provided insights of the time-lags of all the licensing variables. This study follows up the previous study and suggests an approach incorporating multiple paths in the licensing process with the time-lag coefficients. The time-lags identified from the previous study include both direct and indirect relationships presenting time duration among licensing activities. As a result multiple time-lag relations are involved in multiple paths from a licensing activity to another activity. In order to use the identified time-lag effect for the evaluation of the whole licensing process, an approach to connect the lag effects of all other licensing variables to the output variable at the final licensing process is required. For this purpose, this study defines a time-lag transform function which is applied for all possible licensing paths, and generates total time-lag factored licensing data.
The origins of electromechanical response in polyurethane elastomers

Electric-field-induced strains of polyurethane elastomers have been measured. The mechanical constrains and flexure motion of the samples which can cause large experimental error were excluded from the measured strain signals. The longitudinal and transverse strain coefficients are evaluated as functions of frequency. The dielectric and elastic properties and their temperature and frequency dependencies have also been studied. The experimental results show that strain larger than 2% can be obtained and that the sample processing conditions can affect the strain level. The contributions from Maxwell stress effect and electrostriction to the strain responses are examined. The results suggest that Maxwell stress effect plays an important role in electromechanical response of the materials.
Angioscopic evaluation of unilateral aortic graft limb thrombectomy: is it helpful?

Abstract Purpose: Graft thrombectomy is often an effective method for restoring inflow in an occluded limb of an aortobifemoral graft. A major determinant for its success is the completeness of thrombus removal from the graft, verification of which can be performed by angioscopy. Methods: A retrospective review since January 1989 identified 51 unilateral graft limb thrombectomy operations in 35 patients. At the discretion of the surgeon 20 of these procedures included angioscopic inspection of the graft for significant retained thrombus, which was found and retrieved in 11 (55%). Results: Visualization of the graft limb was very good, but inspection of the graft body was not possible. There were no angioscopy-related complications. Within the first 4 months after graft limb thrombectomy and reconstruction, four of 20 patients in the group inspected by angioscopy and nine of 31 in the conventionally treated group had reocclusion of the treated limb. Conclusions: These results suggest that angioscopy can be a helpful adjunct in the successful inflow management of aortic graft limb thrombectomy to verify the completeness of clot removal. (J VASC SURG 1993;17:1069-76.)
Management of Idiopathic Anaphylaxis: When Is Bone Marrow Examination Essential?

Idiopathic anaphylaxis is not an uncommon entity within the Allergy and Immunology field. Management of such patients can be extremely challenging at times. A thorough history, including an emphasis on possible mast cell disease, is an absolute necessity. A bone marrow biopsy is not only appropriate, but essential, when evaluating patients with recurrent anaphylaxis if a clonal mast cell disease is suspected as the underlying etiology. Clinical predictors for underlying clonal mast cell disease have been studied and include an elevated baseline tryptase, presence of hypotensive syncopal episodes, and absence of urticaria and angioedema during anaphylactic episodes. In the acute setting, there is no alternative to self-injectable epinephrine for treatment of suspected anaphylaxis of any type. It should be administered with repeated doses as deemed necessary to establish resolution of symptoms such as hypotension, bronchospasm, or cardiovascular collapse. Once the diagnosis of idiopathic anaphylaxis is made, we recommend starting maintenance therapy with a regimen of H1 antihistamines. Cases who are refractory to H1 antihistamine therapy alone will require the addition of at least low dose immune suppression with corticosteroids to provide continued relief from recurrent episodes. In many cases these medications can be weaned in less than a year without recurrent symptoms. In refractory cases or corticosteroid-dependent idiopathic anaphylaxis, adjunctive therapy with second line agents including montelukast or omalizumab has been used with some success.
A Look at the Future of Networked and Mobile Entertainment

Summary form only given. Networked and mobile entertainment requires an RD cognition and games, MMOG analysis and interaction; immersion, novel input devices and emotion-cognizant games; and design, non-traditional IP directions and game-based education. We will end the talk by showing some of the latest work addressing this agenda from the USC GamePipe Laboratory.
Photoemission and Bremsstrahlung isochromat spectra of mixed valence and Kondo lattice materials

Abstract Through a pedagogical treatment of the Gunnarsson-Schonhammer calculation, the relevance of electron spectra to ground state properties in the presence of relaxation and screening is described.
The time-dependent Schrödinger equation at turning points

Abstract The Lagrange Manifold (WKB) formalism enables the determination of the asymptotic series solution of linear hyperbolic and parabolic differential equations at turning points. Here this formalism is applied to determine the asymptotic solution of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation at turning points. We also use this approach to study some physical phenomenology associated with the time-dependent Schrodinger equation at caustics, the locus of turning points.
Spatial control of functional properties via octahedral modulations in complex oxide superlattices.

Structural properties have been a key factor that controls the electronic and magnetic behaviour at the interface of two oxide materials. Here the authors achieve a spatial control over these functional properties in oxides through the formation of octahedral superstructures in manganite superlattices.
Intellectual structure of Southern Negro children.

In the 1950's the WISC was given by the same examiner to a selected sample of 84 Negro children in each of five Southern states. Ages which ranged from 5 yr., 7 mo., to 12 yr., 6 mo., and sexes were equally distributed within each state. Analysis of the data showed that the Verbal IQ was significantly higher (p = .01) than the Performance IQ for both sexes, all ages, and all but one location. There were few sex differences. Except for its influence on the factor structure of the 12 verbal and performance tests, age was not an interesting classification of the data. In all, geographical groups differed much more in WISC performance than did age or sex groups. This is consistent with strong regional differences in Negro intellectual performance apparent from a review of previous studies.
Adjointness in recursion

On reexamine la construction des completions d'espaces constructifs introduits par Ersov. On etablit une nouvelle caracterisation des completions constructives
Key West's Conch Republic: Building sovereignties of connection

Abstract This article examines the Conch Republic, a semi-farcical micro-state that was established in Key West, Florida in 1982. Although the Conch Republic has its origins in a direct challenge to state power, it is now a relatively depoliticized statement of the island's eclecticism as well as a marketing tool for the island's all-important tourism industry. Thus, the Conch Republic could easily be dismissed as an entity that has little in common with actual sovereign states. In this article, however, three literatures that shed light on Key West's culture and economy – the queer theory, tourism, and critical island studies literatures – are used to reframe sovereignty not as a stable category but as a strategic tool that is employed to improve the environment in which one engages in interactions. The story of the Conch Republic thus is used to demonstrate how sovereignty is sometimes less about the power to isolate and exclude than it is about the right to maintain some degree of control, or at least dignity, in a world of connections, inclusions, and fragmented, unstable identities.
A Computer Application to Reliable Circuit Design

The problem of reliable electronic circuit design by statistical methods is described. After a brief account of the history of this problem, we give the principle of one successful method-Monte Carlo. Two implementations of this method, as digital-computer programs, are given. The first program analyzes the reliability of a given circuit. The second program picks component values to optimize the circuit behavior with respect to several performance aspects. Examples illustrating the nature of the input and output information are included. ``... Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them ....'' -A. N. Whitehead
The functional relation of visual evoked response and reaction time to stimulus intensity.

Latency of the average visual evoked response (VER) and motor reaction time (RT) were studied as a function of stimulus intensity for brief photic stimuli subtending 4° and 1.5 of visual angle in two subjects. Both VER latency and RT showed an accelerating increase for each tenfold diminution in intensity down to the region of foveal threshold. Below foveal threshold no responses were obtained for the 1.5° stimuli; there was an inflexion in the VER latency and RT curve of responses to the 4° stimuli. Over the photopic range of intensities, VER latency and RT were closely described by power functions varying in exponent from −0.29 to −0.44. The values for VER were −0.36 for the 4° stimuli and −0.40 for the 1.5° stimuli, which were significantly different ( p < 0.01). Although latency of VER was the same for both subjects for each stimulus condition, RT showed a consistent difference between subjects of about 25 msec. RT is considered to be determined by at least two independent mechanisms. The first, retinal in location, follows a power function of intensity; the second is related to variability in efferent processes.
Did Expanding the EITC Promote Motherhood

During the 1990’s the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) emerged as a primary means of providing income support for low-income families in the United States. In an effort to keep the program well targeted, the credit largely restricts eligibility to tax filers with children. One potentially unintended consequence of this design is that it might encourage childbearing. We raise the question of whether the EITC, through its generous benefits to families with children, actually increases fertility. We approach this topic for three reasons. The first is to expand upon an existing literature of economic incentives and fertility using the EITC expansion as a large exogenous variation in the price of childbearing. Findings in the welfare literature are inconclusive (Robert A. Moffitt, 1998), and the income tax literature typically finds small, but statistically significant effects of the income-tax system on fertility behavior (e.g., Leslie A. Whittington et al., 1990). Second, declining fertility rates in many Western counties raise the general issue of whether the tax system can be used as a tool for encouraging fertility. Finally, by considering the link between the EITC and fertility, we question a common, yet untested, assumption in the literature on the EITC and the labor supply of single parents: that the presence of a child is exogenous to the value of the EITC.
Changing the world: tolerance and creativity aspirations among American youth

Having a purpose is a form of intrapersonal giftedness. An even rarer giftedness is motivation to positively change society or culture. This exploratory chi‐square and ANOVA study reports the prevalence, age distribution, stability over time, and characteristics of two change oriented aims in American adolescents. In a sample of 270, 12%, who tend to be older and more other‐oriented, have tolerant aspirations to bridge across group differences, focusing on peace, justice, racial unity, or immigrant inclusion to relieve suffering. Sixteen per cent, who tend to be more self‐oriented and spread across ages, have creative aspirations to introduce new ideas, primarily through arts and media. Both aims are difficult to maintain over time without connections to structure engagement with the aim.
Infrared/Charge Coupled Devices (IR/CCD) Hybrid Focal Planes

The use of charge transfer devices on the focal plane allows signals from a large number of detectors to be multiplexed onto a few video lines, thereby reducing the leadout complexity and making possible focal planes with many thousands of individual detectors, with a resultant increase in performance over present systems. Hybrid technology, which interfaces silicon CCDs with optimum infrared detector materials, offers a high performance, near term solution for advanced focal planes. The electrical and mechanical aspects of hybrid technology are addressed, and reasonable solutions are presented for both PC and PV detectors multiplexed by a CCD with minimum loss in S/N. The systems implications of this approach to large focal planes are described. Finally, experimental results obtained at Honeywell on detector and detector/CCD performance are presented. Progress in this area has been rapid, and the large hybrid focal planes will begin appearing in infrared systems in the next few years.
Structural insights into the molecular mechanism of calcium-dependent vesicle-membrane fusion.

Abstract The fusion of vesicles with target membranes is controlled by a complex network of protein–protein and protein–lipid interactions. Recently determined structures of the SNARE complex, synaptotagmin III, nSec1, domains of the NSF chaperone and its adaptor (SNAP), and Rab3 and some of its effectors provide the framework for developing molecular models of vesicle fusion and for designing experiments to test these models. Ultimately, knowledge of the structures of higher-order complexes and their dynamic behavior will be required to obtain a full understanding of the vesicle fusion protein machinery.
Perceived community participation in tsunami recovery efforts and the mental health of tsunami-affected mothers: findings from a study in rural Sri Lanka.

Background: The 2004 tsunami seriously affected millions of families in several developing countries by destroying their livelihoods, houses and communities, subsequently damaging social and physical resources. Disaster studies have documented that both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression develop during the first six months following disaster exposure for the majority of those afflicted. Aims and Methods: Using data from 325 tsunami-affected families living in southern Sri Lanka, the current study investigates whether community social resources such as residents' perceived community participation in tsunami recovery efforts reduce mental health risks (PTSD and depressive symptoms) of tsunami-affected mothers. The analysis is based on structural equation modelling. Results and Conclusions: The findings of structural equation modelling supports the main hypothesis that residents' perceived community participation directly and indirectly (through collective family functioning and mental health service use) reduces mental health risks (both PTSD and depressive symptoms) of tsunami-affected mothers after controlling for pre-tsunami family adversities. In addition, the results show that residents' perceived community participation buffers the influence of trauma exposure on PTSD symptom levels of mothers. The identification of specific social and family processes that relate to mental health can be useful for post-disaster interventions and recovery programmes.
Multimodal transport network systems interface, interaction coordination: A specification for control systems integration

In a general multimodal system, interface and interaction coordination involves the deliberate assembly of modal movement units MMU's (i.e., vessel, vehicle, or rail car) activities into schedules such that interfaces are facilitated, and the joint variable cost of coordination of intermodal interaction is minimized. In this paper, two methods of nonstochastic scheduling coordination are described, and their application in a globally integrated transport system network model is shown [1]. The first method expresses the scheduling problem in the form of the Hitchcock transportation problem in accordance with a method derived by Dantzig and Fulkerson [2]. The second method is derived from network flow theory and is based on the 'out-of-kilter' method devised by Fulkerson [3]. This paper seeks to provide a basis for implementing dedicated logistics submodels such as MMU and staff scheduling submodels, and to examine MMU staffing requirements on a selected real system. These minimize the ratio of labor for scheduling modal interactions, and modal coordination to the frequency of arrivals/departures at a consolidation node, thereby maximizing MMU availability, and minimizing MMU system maintenance costs.