cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Model of a Four-Wheel-Drive HMMWV

There is a need for HMMWV dynamic models for autonomous control of these vehicles. Currently, such four-wheel-drive vehicle models are unavailable. This paper derives the kinematics, dynamics and computation aspects of the problem. The subsystem models, e.g. tire, brake and powertrain, are presented as well. Our results show agreement with published simulations of the HMMWV. The current simulations in Mat-lab execute 30 times slower than real-time. Future work will implement this model in a planning algorithm for autonomous vehicle control.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
World-lines andN-body gauge-independent equations of motion

The construction of world-lines in a relativistic Hamiltonian theory is necessarily gauge dependent. Solutions to equations of motion in any gauge are constructed from the gauge-independent solutions. The choice of gauge is restricted by the physical requirements of causality and cluster decomposition.
Prolonged survival of a patient with advanced colonic cancer.

A 39-year-old man who survived 14 years following the diagnosis of advanced colonic carcinoma is reported. The presence of metastatic lesions had been well documented at the time of abdominal surgery on three different occasions and at autopsy. The possible mechanism for his unusually prolonged survival time is discussed.
Buckwalter-based Lookup Tool as Language Resource for Arabic Language Learners

The morphology of the Arabic language is rich and complex; words are inflected to express variations in tense-aspect, person, number, and gender, while they may also appear with clitics attached to express possession on nouns, objects on verbs and prepositions, and conjunctions. Furthermore, Arabic script allows the omission of short vowel diacritics. For the Arabic language learner trying to understand non-diacritized text, the challenge when reading new vocabulary is first to isolate individual words within text tokens and then to determine the underlying lemma and root forms to look up the word in an Arabic dictionary.
Practical Results from Theoretical Studies of Magnetrons

The effect of space charge in. magnetrons is found to have a profound effect upon performance even though the critical motions of the electrons may be correctly determined by disregarding it. The inclusion of space charge gives a simple picture based on a rotating cloud of space charge. Possible vibration modes for this space-charge cloud are discussed and their relation to the impedance seen from an external circuit is correlated with the possibility of oscillation production. For obtaining mathematical solutions, the approximation of assuming the filament cylinder to be infinitely small in diameter has been necessary. Places where this assumption causes trouble are pointed out. Finally, the opposite case of a very large filament diameter is discussed briefly in terms of a planar structure. The description of the results is visualized by comparison with well-known problems of electrotechnics, such as alternators or cyclotrons.
Pool Boiling Using Thin Enhanced Structures Under Top-Confined Conditions

An experimental study of pool boiling using enhanced structures under top-confined conditions was conducted with a dielectric fluorocarbon liquid (PF 5060). The single layer enhanced structures studied were fabricated in copper and quartz, had an overall size of 10X 10 mm 2 , and were 1 mm thick. The parameters investigated in this study were the heat flux (0.8-34 W/cm 2 ) and the top space S (0-13 mm). High-speed visualizations were performed to elucidate the liquid/vapor flow in the space above the structure. The enhancement observed for plain surfaces in the low heat fluxes regime is not present for the present enhanced structure. On the other hand, the maximum heat flux for a prescribed 85°C surface temperature limit increased with the increase of the top spacing, similar to the plain surfaces case. Two characteristic regimes of pool boiling have been identified and described: isolated flattened bubbles regime and coalesced bubbles regime.
Comparative physical and chemical aspects of vegetable protein functionality

Economic and political reasons may make it advantageous to be able to substitute one source of vegetable protein for another. Just how feasible this proposition is will depend to a large extent on the degree of similarity exhibited in the properties of these various proteins. The latter are utilised in food systems for their functional properties, conferring desired processing behaviour or product attributes. These functional properties must in some way be related to the physico-chemical properties of the proteins, which in turn must be a function of their inherent composition and structure. For example, the physico-chemical properties of a protein which might conceivably contribute to a functional property such as solubility, are hydrophobicity, net surface charge and molecular weight. At a more fundamental level these properties can be regarded as functions of the amino acid composition, primary sequence and structure (conformation). Similarities in these basic characteristics of proteins can, therefore, be assumed to imply a similarity in both their physico-chemical and functional properties. To what extent this statement applies to vegetable proteins is considered in this discussion. Soyabean, field bean, and pea are taken as the principle examples and certain aspects of their structural, physico-chemical and functional properties compared.
Comparative glycomic profiling in esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Objective Aberrant glycosylation has been implicated in various types of cancers. Cancerous cells with altered glycosylation of their surface proteins shed such proteins into the circulating fluids. Glycomic profiling of such fluids shows the altered glycosylation. We performed glycomic profiling of serum from patients with no known disease, Barrett's without dysplasia, with high-grade dysplasia, and with esophageal adenocarcinoma in an attempt to delineate distinct differences in glycosylation among these groups. Methods Serum samples from patients with Barrett's metaplasia (N = 5), high-grade dysplasia (N = 11), and esophageal adenocarcinoma (N = 50) were collected; samples from 18 healthy volunteers were used as control. Serum N-glycans were enzymatically released and then applied to both C18 Sep-Pak (Waters, Milford, MA) cartridges and activated charcoal cartridges. N-glycans were permethylated and then spotted directly onto a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization plate. Mass spectra were acquired using the Applied Biosystems 4800 MALDI TOF/TOF Analyzer (Applied Biosystems Inc, Framingham, Mass). The obtained matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry data were processed using DataExplorer files (Applied Biosystems Inc) listing m/z values and intensities. Results The intensities of 98 glycans were significantly different among the 3 groups; 26 of these corresponded to known glycan structures. Pairwise comparisons showed that 8 glycans were significantly different in all 3 pairwise comparisons. Conclusion We demonstrated that comparative glycomic profiling of esophageal adenocarcinoma reveals a subset of glycans that can be selected as candidate biomarkers. These markers can differentiate normal from high-grade dysplasia, normal from esophageal adenocarcinoma, and high-grade dysplasia from esophageal adenocarcinoma. Further validation will be necessary to determine the clinical utility of these glycan biomarkers.
Simulation of surgical glenoid resurfacing using three-dimensional computed tomography of the arthritic glenohumeral joint: the amount of glenoid retroversion that can be corrected.

Hypothesis The magnitude of glenoid retroversion that can be surgically corrected in total shoulder arthroplasty and still enable implantation of a glenoid component has not been established. We hypothesized that increased retroversion will require smaller glenoid components for successful implantation when the glenoid is surgically corrected and that correction beyond 20 degrees of retroversion is not feasible without peg penetration. Methods Using 3-dimensional models created from computed tomography of 19 patients with advanced shoulder osteoarthritis, we simulated glenoid resurfacing on varying degrees of retroverted, osteoarthritic glenoids using an in-line 3-peg glenoid component and asymmetric reaming to correct version. Results Glenoids with preoperative retroversion of less than 12° could always be implanted with 46-mm and 52-mm glenoid components at neutral version without vault violation. Conversely, glenoids with greater than 18° of preoperative retroversion could not be implanted at neutral version due to vault violation from the pegs. The average preoperative glenoid retroversion of patients in which a 46-mm glenoid was implanted at neutral version was 8.9° ± 6.4° compared with 19.0° ± 7.1° for those that could not be implanted at neutral ( P = .005). Discussion Computer-aided surgical simulation shows that glenoid retroversion is a critical factor in determining successful glenoid implantation. Smaller sized glenoid components allow for greater version correction and less residual postsimulation retroversion when an in-line pegged component is used. Level of evidence Level 2.
Enhanced detection of olefins using ambient ionization mass spectrometry: Ag+ adducts of biologically relevant alkenes

Spray solvent doped with silver ions increases the ease of olefin detection by desorption electrospray ionization (DESI). Characteristic silver adducts were generated in up to 50 times greater abundance when compared to conventional DESI spray solvents for the biologically significant olefin, arachidonic acid, in the positive ion mode. In the analysis of 26 lipids, silver adduct formation was highly favorable for fatty acids, fatty acid esters and prostaglandins but not applicable to some other classes (e.g., polar lipids such as ceramide and its derivative cerebroside sulfate). An investigation exploring competitive Ag(+) cationization with a mixture of components demonstrated that polyunsaturated compounds form Ag(+) adducts most readily. Silver cationization allowed the distinction between three sets of isomers in the course of multiple-stage collision-induced dissociation, so providing insight into the location of the olefin bonds. A silver ion-doped solvent was used in DESI imaging of normal and tumor canine bladder tissue sections. The Ag(+) fatty acid adducts permitted post facto differentiation between the normal and tumor regions. In addition, silver adduct formation in the course of DESI imaging of tissue sections revealed the presence of triacylglycerides, a class of compounds not previously identified through DESI imaging. A simple silver nitrate spray solvent has the potential to further improve DESI analysis of unsaturated biomolecules and other molecules containing π-bonds through selective silver cationization.
Micro-channel heat sink optimization

An increasing demand for a higher heat flux removal capability within a smaller volume for high power electronics led us to focus on micro channels in contrast to the classical heat fin design. A micro channel can have various shapes to enhance heat transfer, but the shape that will lead to a higher heat flux removal with a moderate pumping power needs to be determined. The micro channel geometries explored are pin fins (staggered) and parallel plates. The problem solved here is a conjugate problem involving two heat transfer mechanisms; (1) porous media effective conductivity and (2) internal convective heat transfer coefficient. Volume averaging theory (VAT) is used to rigorously cast the point wise conservation of energy, momentum and mass equations into a form that represents the thermal and hydraulic properties of the micro channel (porous media) morphology. Using the resulting VAT based field equations, optimization of a micro channel heated from one side is used to determine the optimum micro channel morphology. A standard commercial size and design is chosen for analysis and to demonstrate the utility of the VAT based process.
Symplectic calculation of magnetic footprints in the DIII-D with low mn and magnetic noise and error fields perturbations

The symplectic mathematical maps in natural canonical coordinates for forward and backward integration of magnetic field lines in the DIII-D tokamak [Luxon, J.L.; Davis, L.E. Fusion Technol. 1985, 8, 441] are used to calculate the magnetic footprints and their associated parameters on the inboard and outboard collector plates from the low mn magnetic perturbation with and without internal topological noise and magnetic field errors. The Grad–Shafranov solver equilibrium fit (EFIT) results from the experimental data for the DIII-D shot 115467 at 3000 ms [Lao, L.; St John, H.; Peng, Q.; Ferron, J.; Strait, E.; Taylor, T.; Meyer, W.; Zhang, C.; You, K. Fusion Sci. Technol. 2005, 48, 968] is used to construct an analytic expression for the equilibrium Hamiltonian function for the field line trajectories. The equilibrium Hamiltonian accurately represents the magnetic geometry of the DIII-D. The inboard and outboard footprints consist of a single toroidally winding stripe. Noise and error fields do not change t...
Continued Rise in Rates of Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Device Infections in the United States: Temporal Trends and Causative Insights

Background: Cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) infections have been increasing out of proportion to the number of devices implanted, based on data available through 2003. We investigated recent trends and possible causes of the increasing numbers of CIED infections. Methods: We analyzed the occurrence of CIED infections and the associated changes in characteristics of CIED recipients, using the National Hospital Discharge Survey database from 1996 through 2006. Results: The number of CIED implantations continued to increase after 2003 from 199,516 in 2004 to 222,940 in 2006, representing a 12% increment. In the same period, the number of CIED infections increased from 8,273 in 2004 to 12,979 in 2006, representing a 57% increment. From 1996 to 2006, comorbid illnesses in recipients of new CIED devices became more prevalent with an increasing percentage of patients with end-organ failures (6.5% in 1996 vs 8.0% in 2006, P < 0.001) and diabetes mellitus (14.5% in 1996 vs 16.5% in 2006, P = 0.005). The proportion of Caucasian recipients also decreased (65.6% in 1996 vs 57.6% in 2006, P < 0.001). During that same period, the number of implanted cardiac resynchronization devices increased dramatically while the age of CIED recipients did not change. Conclusion: The number of patients with CIED-related infections in the United States continues to increase out of proportion to the increase in implantation rates. Possible causes for this on-going epidemic include sicker patients with varying racial backgrounds, and more complex procedures. These insights may help improve our ability to best select patients for CIED implantation in "real-life" settings. (PACE 2010; 414–419)
Longer breastfeeding duration reduces the positive relationships among gestational weight gain, birth weight and childhood anthropometrics

Background The relationship between gestational weight gain (GWG) and childhood growth remains controversial. An examination on whether infant feeding practices mediate this relationship may improve our understanding of it. Methods We investigated whether the relationships among GWG, birth weight and childhood anthropometrics were mediated through infant feeding practices (breastfeeding duration and age at introduction of solid foods) in a cross-sectional multiethnic study of 1387 mothers and their children aged 0–5.9 years in the USA (2011–2012). Child anthropometrics included age-specific and sex-specific z-scores for weight-for-age (WAZ), height/length-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-height/length (WHZ) and body mass index-for-age (BMIZ); and ulnar length, a marker for limb growth. We used structural equation modelling to calculate standardised path coefficients and total, direct and indirect associations of GWG, birth weight and infant feeding practices with child anthropometrics. Results Maternal GWG had a positive indirect association with all anthropometrics mediated via birth weight, whereas longer breastfeeding duration reduced the positive associations of GWG and birth weight with WAZ, WHZ and BMIZ in non-Hispanics (β=−0.077, −0.064 and −0.106, respectively). Longer breastfeeding duration and introducing solid foods at a later age were positively associated with ulnar length (β=0.023 and 0.030, respectively) but not HAZ, suggesting a distinct association, for the first time, with limb growth. Conclusions Findings suggest that promoting longer breastfeeding duration among women with excessive GWG who had high birthweight newborns may mitigate the potential for their offspring to develop obesity. In addition, findings reinforce the importance of promoting appropriate GWG and preventing high birth weight, which are positively associated with childhood anthropometrics.
Aflatoxin levels in corn available as wild turkey feed in Georgia.

Samples of corn available as wildlife feed from retailers throughout Georgia (USA) were collected during April 1997 and analyzed for aflatoxin to determine if levels harmful to wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) were present. Three of 31 (10%) samples collected from a 40-country area were positive. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay qualitatively determined that two samples contained from 0 to 20 ppb aflatoxin. A chromatography analysis of a third sample measured 380 ppb total aflatoxin. A small percentage of our sample of wildlife feed collected during one season contained levels of aflatoxin that may cause harm to turkeys, especially poults. However, because aflatoxin levels ranging from 100 to 400 ppb may cause liver dysfunction and immunosuppression in turkey poults and other wildlife, grains known to be contaminated with aflatoxin at levels unacceptable for domestic animal feeds (≥100 ppb) should not be sold as wildlife feed. Further analyses of grains sold as wildlife feed should be conducted to a...
Stellar Mixing - IV. The angular momentum problem

We present a formalism that provides the Reynolds stresses needed to solve the angular momentum equation. The traditional Reynolds stress model assumes that the only contribution comes from shear (a down-gradient flux), but this leads to an extraction of angular momentum from the interior that is far too small compared to what is required to explain the helio seismological data. An illustrative solution of the new Reynolds stress equations shows that the presence of vorticity in a stably stratified regime, such as the one in the radiative zone, contributes a new term to the angular momentum equation that has an up-gradient flux like the one provided by the IGW model (internal gravity waves). The time scale entailed by such a term may be of the same order of 10 7 yrs produced by the IGW model. It would be instructive to solve the new angular momentum equation together with the formalism developed in Paper III to study not only the solar angular momentum distribution vs. helio data, but also the evolution of elements such as 7 Li and 4 He. These results would allow a more quantitative assessment of the overall model. The complete model yields Reynolds stresses that include differential rotation, unstable/stable stratification, double diffusion, radiative losses (arbitrary Peclet number), and meridional currents.
The contextual brain: implications for fear conditioning, extinction and psychopathology

Contexts surround and imbue meaning to events; they are essential for recollecting the past, interpreting the present and anticipating the future. Indeed, the brain's capacity to contextualize information permits enormous cognitive and behavioural flexibility. Studies of Pavlovian fear conditioning and extinction in rodents and humans suggest that a neural circuit including the hippocampus, amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex is involved in the learning and memory processes that enable context-dependent behaviour. Dysfunction in this network may be involved in several forms of psychopathology, including post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and substance abuse disorders.
Mtunya : Famine in Central Tanzania, 1917–20

In the Dodoma Region of central Tanzania the people called Wagogo name a famine that struck between 1917 and 1920 the Mtunya—‘The Scramble’. This famine came after both German and British miliary requisitions had drained the arid region of men, cattle and food. The famine, which killed 30,000 of the region's 150,000 people, is more than just a good example of what John Iliffe has called ‘conjunctural poverty’. The Mtunya and the response to it by both the people of the region and the new colonial government also shaped the form of the interaction between local economy and society and the political economy of colonial Tanganyika. The Gogo, in their own interpretation of the famine, stress the ways in which this famine made them dependent on the colonial economy. For them, this famine represented a terrible loss of autonomy, a loss of the ability to control the reproduction of their own society.
Music: a metaphor for industrial ecology

The term industrial ecology (IE) with its emphasis on symbiotic factories represents a metaphor for how the manufacturing sector can be reconstituted and sent down the path of sustainable development (SD). However, that journey cannot proceed until several obstacles have been removed or circumvented. The one discussed and analysed in this paper deals with how to initiate organisationally an IE undertaking composed of multiple members. Transaction cost economics provides the conceptual foundation for revealing why the exchanges among the IE members are problematic. These exchange difficulties have been aggravated by the universalist stance usually implied in the SD literature. To counter this, the music metaphor (emphasising performers working together) provides the mental vehicle for demonstrating that IE projects can be hypothetically organised both universally and particularly. To put realism into this conjecture, brief vignettes of industrial icons from the European Union, India, and the USA show that cultural preferences for industrial organisation do exist. These 'national' preferences (labelled conductor, master, and star) when applied to the universal cement kiln introduced herein show that there are culturally superior methods for organising national IE undertakings and moving industrial actors in a more sustainable direction.
Summary: the modified nucleosides of RNA

A comprehensive listing is made of posttranscriptionally modified nucleosides from RNA reported in the literature through mid-1994. Included are chemical structures, common names, symbols, Chemical Abstracts registry numbers (for ribonucleoside and corresponding base), Chemical Abstracts Index Name, phylogenetic sources, and initial literature citations for structural characterization or occurrence, and for chemical synthesis. The listing is categorized by type of RNA: tRNA, rRNA, mRNA, snRNA, and other RNAs. A total of 93 different modified nucleosides have been reported in RNA, with the largest number and greatest structural diversity in tRNA, 79; and 28 in rRNA, 12 in mRNA, 11 in snRNA and 3 in other small RNAs.
Social Regulation of Gene Expression in the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis

Review of how the reception of information in a social context causes genomic changes at each level of the HPG axis.
Complete excavation and mapping of a Texas leafcutting ant nest

A medium-sized nest of the Texas leafcutting ant, Atta texana (Buckley), in northern Louisiana was excavated completely, and a three-dimensional model of its external and subterranean features was constructed. In total, 97 fungus gardens, 27 dormancy cavities, and 45 detritus cavities were located. At the lower center of the funnel-shaped nest was a large central cavity, which in winter functions as a domicile for the colony and where the alate brood is reared. Vertical tunnels, possibly as deep as 32 m, may serve as wells leading to the water table. Winter mean annual temperatures within the central cavity may limit the northern geographical range of A. texana to ≈33° N latitude. The inquilines Attaphila fungicola Wheeler, Pholeomyia comans Sabrosky, Ceuthophilus sp., Lobopoda subcuneatus Campbell, Geomysaprinus nr. formicus (Hinton), species of Aleocharinae, and a species of Annelida were seen in nest cavities and galleries.
Treaties, International Law, and Constitutional Rights

Can a treaty override an individual right protected under the Constitution? There is perhaps no element of the foreign relations law canon more universally held than the proposition that constitutional rights prevail as against inconsistent international agreements; a consensus of commentators, courts, and other constitutional actors has long held that, in this respect, the Constitution stands supreme. This essay questions the hegemony of domestic constitutional rights, in both historical and contemporary contexts. In at least three nineteenth-century contexts - extradition, the settlement of foreign claims, and the operation of consular courts - treaty regimes resulted in the override of otherwise tenable constitutional entitlements. In the modern era, international human rights norms played an important part in the expanded conception of domestic civil rights, while other individual rights were constrained in the face of foreign relations concerns; no account of twentieth-century constitutional rights is complete without international geopolitical referents. The transforming global architecture may now allow for an open assault on constitutional hegemony. Although constitutional subordination is unlikely to be adopted as a matter of doctrine, the analysis supplies an additional platform for considering other deployments of international norms in the realm of U.S. constitutional law. If one can establish a basis for privileging international rights determinations over domestic ones, then international law can be put to lesser tasks as an interpretive tool.
Fasciotomy for Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome of the Leg

Surgical release of the anterior and lateral compartments of the lower leg has been shown to relieve the symptoms of chronic exertional compartment syndrome. We utilize a technique that allows the surgeon to perform anterior and lateral compartment fasciotomies through a single incision while safely identifying the superficial peroneal nerve. After positioning the patient supine on the operating table with the operative extremity prepared and draped, anatomic landmarks are identified on the patient's skin. The major steps of the procedure are (1) identifying the distal end of the fibula, anterior fibular diaphysis, tibial crest, fibular head, and lateral aspect of the patella; (2) drawing the skin incision, beginning 6 to 8 cm proximal to the distal end of the fibula centered between the tibial crest and anterior fibular diaphysis and extending it 6 cm proximally; (3) making a skin incision longitudinally and dissecting the subcutaneous tissue to allow identification of the fascia and superficial peroneal nerve; (4) performing gentle neurolysis; (5) identifying the anterior and lateral compartments, making small incisions in the fascia of each compartment, and then performing fasciotomy of the lateral and then anterior compartments while protecting the superficial peroneal nerve; and (6) irrigating the wound, closing it in layers, and applying a soft, compressive dressing. Postoperatively, the patient is allowed to bear as much weight as he or she can tolerate. Current literature indicates that good-to-excellent outcomes can be expected for 90% to 95% of patients treated with fasciotomy. Military personnel and patients with posterior compartment involvement may have less reliable outcomes.
Modeling and measuring the transport and scattering of energetic debris in an extreme ultraviolet plasma source

A theoretical model for describing the propagation and scattering of energetic species in an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light lithography source is presented. An EUV light emitting XTREME XTS 13-35 Z-pinch plasma source is modeled with a focus on the effect of chamber pressure and buffer gas mass on energetic ion and neutral debris transport. The interactions of the energetic debris species, which is generated by the EUV light emitting plasma, with the buffer gas and chamber walls are considered as scattering events in the model, and the trajectories of the individual atomic species involved are traced using a Monte Carlo algorithm. This study aims to establish the means by which debris is transported to the intermediate focus with the intent to verify the various mitigation techniques currently employed to increase EUV lithography efficiency. The modeling is compared with an experimental investigation. © 2016 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) (DOI: 10.1117/1. JMM.15.1.013503)
Inverse Kinematics for the Control of Hyper-Redundant Binary Mechanisms with Application to Solar Concentrator Mirrors

Solar thermal systems require precision mirror concentrators. Their shape is expensive to manufacture and difficult to control. Here, a concept is proposed to control the shape of a solar concentrator using parallel binary actuators embedded in a mirror’s structure. The actuators can only move a set distance between two bi-stable positions. Since the actuators have fixed displacements and the kinematic parameters of the hyper-redundant mechanism are not well known, determining the actuator inputs to correct a mirror shape error is a challenge. In this paper, a linearized kinematic model is developed that can be used for control. System models and laboratory experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.
Field Soil Water Retention of the Prototype Hanford Barrier and Its Variability with Space and Time

Engineered surface barriers are used to isolate underlying contaminants from water, plants, animals, and humans. To understand the flow processes within a barrier and the barrier’s ability to store and release water, the field hydraulic properties of the barrier need to be known. In situ measurement of soil hydraulic properties and their variation over time is challenging because most measurement methods are destructive. A multiyear test of the Prototype Hanford Barrier (PHB) has yielded in situ soil water content and pressure data for a nine-year period. The upper 2 m layer of the PHB is a silt loam. Within this layer, water content and water pressure were monitored at multiple depths at 12 water balance stations using a neutron probe and heat dissipation units. Valid monitoring data from 1995 to 2003 for 4 depths at 12 monitoring stations were used to determine the field water retention of the silt loam layer. The data covered a wide range of wetness, from near saturation to the permanent wilt point, and each retention curve contained 51 to 96 data points. The data were described well with the commonly used van Genuchten water retention model. It was found that the spatial variation of themore » saturated and residual water content and the pore size distribution parameter were relatively small, while that of the van Genuchten alpha was relatively large. The effects of spatial variability of the retention properties appeared to be larger than the combined effects of added 15% w/w pea gravel and plant roots on the properties. Neither of the primary hydrological processes nor time had a detectible effect on the water retention of the silt loam barrier.« less
Biological and Sociocultural Factors During the School Years Predicting Women's Lifetime Educational Attainment†

BACKGROUND: Lifetime educational attainment is an important predictor of health and well-being for women in the United States. In this study, we examine the roles of sociocultural factors in youth and an understudied biological life event, pubertal timing, in predicting women's lifetime educational attainment. METHODS: Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 cohort (N = 3889), we conducted sequential multivariate linear regression analyses to investigate the influences of macro-level and family-level sociocultural contextual factors in youth (region of country, urbanicity, race/ethnicity, year of birth, household composition, mother's education, and mother's age at first birth) and early menarche, a marker of early pubertal development, on women's educational attainment after age 24. RESULTS: Pubertal timing and all sociocultural factors in youth, other than year of birth, predicted women's lifetime educational attainment in bivariate models. Family factors had the strongest associations. When family factors were added to multivariate models, geographic region in youth, and pubertal timing were no longer significant. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide additional evidence that family factors should be considered when developing comprehensive and inclusive interventions in childhood and adolescence to promote lifetime educational attainment among girls. Language: en
Phase-space optics, one photon at a time

The relationship between the Wigner Distribution Function and the spectral photon radiance is discussed for both physical optics and quantum optics. Computational methods and applications are surveyed, and photon-by-photon phase-space imagers are introduced.
The inhibitory action of saliva on the diphtheria bacillus: hydrogen peroxide, the inhibitory agent produced by salivary streptococci.

Except where otherwise noted, all tests for inhibition were made by placing standard drops of he materials to be tested on the surfaces of agar pour plates containing various concentrations of diphtheria bacilli. The zones of growth inhibition around the drops were measured after suitable incubation. Details of the method, description of the medium and of the diphtheria bacillus strain used in the tests were given in the previous
Informal and Formal Mechanisms of Coordination in Hybrid Food Value Chains

The challenges of meeting growing consumer demand for local food, especially from larger, institutional buyers, has sparked many to look beyond direct marketing to alternative models of produce aggregation and distribution. Value chains that incorporate conventional food system infrastructure are one such model for local food system development, but little research has studied their functioning and outcomes. Arrangements where conventional produce distributors handle local food can be viewed as "hybrid" food value chains, since they include both local and global resources, and combine conventional food system infrastructure with the more alternative goal of building local food systems. This qualitative study examines three hybrid food value chains that revolve around conventional, wholesale produce distributors located in rural, urban, and exurban regions of Pennsylvania. Theories of local and social embeddedness inform the analysis of how participants negotiate and coordinate their interactions through informal mechanisms, such as their social relationships, and formal mechanisms, such as contracts and labels. Case study findings reveal distinctions between the rural and exurban cases on the one hand, where participants combined both personal and market-based mechanisms to coordinate their relationships, and the urban case, where the sale of specialty products to a niche market both fostered and inhibited the use of more formal mechanisms of coordination. In all cases, commercial conventions tended to take precedence over social relationships, despite the role that personal trust may have played. These findings suggest that when value chains incorporate conventionally oriented businesses, they would benefit from more deliberate commitment to non-economic goals in order to establish successful mechanisms of interorganizational coordination.
What fosters concern for inequality among American adolescents

Understanding cultural beliefs about social and economic inequality is vital to discerning the roadblocks and pathways to addressing that inequality. The foundation of concern for inequality is laid during adolescence, yet scholars understand little about the factors that influence whether and how adolescents come to express such concern. Arguing that structural and cultural contexts are just as consequential as whether adolescents themselves are members of disadvantaged groups, I draw on four theoretical perspectives to identify factors that influence adolescents' concern for addressing inequality: the underdog thesis, intergroup contact theory, the education enlightens thesis, and ideological buttressing. Using representative restricted-use Educational Longitudinal Survey data, I find that 12th-graders' beliefs are indeed influenced by more than their own demography: the diversity of their social milieu, the content of education in and out of the classroom, and ideological buttressing via political region and entertainment all influence whether they express concern for addressing inequality. These findings suggest extensions and amendments to the four theoretical perspectives and underscore the importance of studying structural and cultural factors that shape beliefs about inequality. The results also point to several interventions that may increase students' concern for inequality: involvement in civic-oriented extracurricular activities, more education in academic subjects that consider inequality, nurturing of cross-race friendships, and increased leisure reading.
Outputs Available from Objective Monitors

Physical activity epidemiologists are focused upon the prevalence and patterns of physical activity and sedentary behavior in a population, as well as the causes and effects of these behaviours. Of utmost importance to such research is the careful and precise measurement of physical activity, historically reliant on self-reported behaviours. However, with the introduction, development, and enhancement of various body-worn accelerometer devices, the objective monitoring of physical activity has progressed from the simple recording of step counts obtained via pedometry to the objective assessment of a much broader range of time-stamped free-living behaviors. Most public health physical activity guidelines have been framed in terms of the recommended minimum weekly time to be spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and researchers thus focused initially on translating manufacturers’ activity count outputs into a comparable measure. Initial calibration research sought to establish instrument-specific activity count cut-points that were associated with absolutely defined intensity levels (indicated by metabolic equivalents or METs). However, it became increasingly apparent that any established cut-points were sample- and instrument-specific, hampering the generalization of findings and limiting epidemiological studies to an assessment of relative rankings of physical activity within a data set. Potential solutions to this issue advanced to date have considered data obtained from additional physiological sensors (there is little evidence as yet that these yield improved measurements), and the use of increasingly more complex statistical models, focused on additional features of the raw accelerometry signals. Success realized in the laboratory has been somewhat illusive under free-living conditions, and the scale of technical data storage was initially daunting. The steady emergence of a wide variety of consumer wearable monitors has opened up new opportunities for wireless data collection, but it has also complicated the landscape of measurement choices for epidemiologists and other investigators. We may thus need to enter a phase of reflection, followed by a right-sizing of epidemiological expectations and public health needs, in order to standardize more simple, translatable, and generalizable physical activity data.
Operative fusion of multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy: Impact of patient demographics.

Abstract Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is the most common cause of spinal cord dysfunction in patients older than age 55, with operative management being a widely adopted approach. Previous work has shown that private insurance status, gender and patient race are predictive of the operative approach patients receive (anterior-only, posterior-only, combined anterior–posterior). The Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2001 to 2010 was used to assess the potential role of multilevel CSM as a contributing factor in determining which operative approach CSM patients receive, as it is rare for an anterior-only approach to be sufficient for CSM patients requiring fusion of four or more involved levels. Multivariate analyses revealed that female sex (OR = 3.78; 95% CI = 2.08–6.89; p
Season, molt, and body size influence mercury concentrations in grebes ☆

We studied seasonal and physiological influences on mercury concentrations in western grebes (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Clark's grebes (A. occidentalis) across 29 lakes and reservoirs in California, USA. Additionally, at three of these lakes, we conducted a time series study, in which we repeatedly sampled grebe blood mercury concentrations during the spring, summer, and early fall. Grebe blood mercury concentrations were higher among males (0.61 ± 0.12 μg/g ww) than females (0.52 ± 0.10 μg/g ww), higher among Clark's grebes (0.58 ± 0.12 μg/g ww) than western grebes (0.51 ± 0.10 μg/g ww), and exhibited a strong seasonal pattern (decreasing by 60% from spring to fall). Grebe blood THg concentrations exhibited a shallow, inverse U-shaped pattern with body size, and was lowest among the smallest and largest grebes. Further, the relationship between grebe blood mercury concentrations and wing primary feather molt exhibited a shallow U-shaped pattern, where mercury concentrations were highest among birds that had not yet begun molting, decreased approximately 24% between pre-molt and late molt, and increased approximately 19% from late molt to post-molt. Because grebes did not begin molting until mid-summer, lower grebe blood mercury concentrations observed in late summer and early fall were consistent with the onset of primary feather molt. However, because sampling date was a much stronger predictor of grebe mercury concentrations than molt, other seasonally changing environmental factors likely played a larger role than molt in the seasonal variation in grebe mercury concentrations. In the time series study, we found that seasonal trends in grebe mercury concentrations were not consistent among lakes, indicating that lake-specific variation in mercury dynamics influence the overall seasonal decline in grebe blood mercury concentrations. These results highlight the importance of accounting for sampling date, as well as ecological processes that may influence mercury concentrations, when developing monitoring programs to assess site-specific exposure risk of mercury to wildlife.
Comparing Electrical Stimulation With and Without Ultrasound Guidance for Phenol Neurolysis to the Musculocutaneous Nerve

Abstract Background Ultrasound guidance is increasingly being used for neurolytic procedures that have traditionally been done with electrical stimulation (e-stim) guidance alone. Ultrasound visualization with e-stim−guided neurolysis can potentially allow adjustments in injection protocols that will reduce the volume of neurolytic agent needed to achieve clinical improvement. Objective This study compared e-stim only to e-stim with ultrasound guidance in phenol neurolysis of the musculocutaneous nerve (MCN) for elbow flexor spasticity. We also evaluated the ultrasound appearance of the MCN in this population. Design Retrospective review. Setting University hospital outpatient clinic. Participants Adults (N = 167) receiving phenol neurolysis to the MCN for treatment of elbow flexor spasticity between 1997 and 2014 and adult control subjects. Methods For each phenol injection of the MCN, the method of guidance, volume of phenol injected, technical success, improved range of motion at the elbow postinjection, adverse effects, reason for termination of injections, and details of concomitant botulinum toxin injection were recorded. The ultrasound appearance of the MCN, including nerve cross-sectional area and shape, were recorded and compared between groups. Main Outcome Measures The volume of phenol injected and MCN cross-sectional area and shape as demonstrated by ultrasound. Results The addition of ultrasound to e-stim−guided phenol neurolysis was associated with lower doses of phenol when compared to e-stim guidance alone (2.31 mL versus 3.69 mL, P P P = .95). Both methods of guidance had high technical success, improved ROM at elbow postinjection, and low rates of adverse events. In comparing the ultrasound appearance of the MCN in patients with spasticity to that of normal controls, there was no difference in the cross-sectional area of the nerve, but there was more variability in shape. Conclusions Combined e-stim and ultrasound guidance during phenol neurolysis to the MCN allows a smaller volume of phenol to be used for equal effect, both at initial and repeat injection. The MCN shape was more variable in individuals with spasticity; this should be recognized so as to successfully locate the nerve to perform neurolysis. Level of Evidence IV
A novel, SCR-based, distributed power supply ESD network for advanced CMOS technologies

In this work, a novel, Dual-Diode ESD cell with Embedded Lateral SCR between power supplies is presented (DDELSCR). The triggering voltage of the DDELSCR is remotely modulated through the triggering circuit of the Power Supply ESD cell. A highly area-efficient distributed SCR ESD Network is demonstrated.
Implementing the template method pattern in genetic programming for improved time series prediction

Modularity is an ongoing focus in genetic programming research. Enhanced modularity can accelerate solution convergence and increase human understanding and knowledge gained from evolved programs. Prior advances in modularity research have addressed programming language elements such as functions, modules, and recursion. This paper proposes improving modularity by considering non-language elements, specifically software design patterns. A new genetic programming technique implementing the template method pattern is described. This technique was tested and compared to existing genetic programming approaches in the prediction of nonlinear time series subject to abrupt changes in the underlying data generation process. Such series are often seen in areas such as finance and meteorology and have proved challenging for genetic programming to model and predict. Experimental results demonstrate the potential for incorporating additional software design patterns into genetic programming and applying these techniques to additional problem domains.
The Rationalization of College Attainment through a Color-Blind Lens among Latina(o) Students.

This research addresses how Latinas(os) frame their own college attainment by relying on the color-blind ideology, an underexplored area. Using interviews with Latina(o) students who attend a prima...
Leveraging Litigation: Enforcing Sovereign Debt Obligations in Nml Capital, Ltd. v. Republic of Argentina

In the sovereign debt market, the typical remedies to resolve sovereign default are either the negotiation route or a unilateral exchange offer. However, as a result of increasing insecurity in the sovereign debt market due to rogue sovereign debtors who take advantage of their immunity to opportunistically default and create unfavorable restructuring deals, creditors began resorting to a previously limited remedy: litigation. Although litigation to resolve sovereign default was not a new concept in the sovereign debt market, it was ineffective due to the creditor’s inability to actually recover the money judgment from the sovereign debtor. In NML Capital v. Argentina, the Second Circuit determined that the injunctive remedy was necessary to motivate sovereign debtors to meet the obligations to their creditors and to reduce the nonpayment risk in the sovereign debt market. By establishing an enforcement mechanism for a creditor against a sovereign debtor, the Second Circuit increased certainty for investors by ensuring collectability and providing an incentive to invest in sovereign debt markets.