cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Z-Pinch (LiF)2-BeF2 (flibe) Preliminary Vaporization Estimation Using the BUCKY 1-D Radiation Hydrodynamics Code

The post-explosion material vaporization characteristics of the proposed Z-pinch reactor design were simulated using the BUCKY 1-D radiation hydrodynamics code. To model the 3-D variations in the reactor chamber design, three separate BUCKY simulations were performed - one in each of the cylindrical coordinate geometries: +z, -z, and r. The simulations were run to a time of 80 mus and the chamber material characteristics were analyzed. These results were compared to a simple analytical model to verify the vaporization radii in each of the three modeled directions. The +z material vaporization has been estimated to be at a radius 53.71 cm, compared to an analytic result of 79.00 cm. The -z material vaporization has been estimated to be at a radius of 101.92 cm, compared to an analytic result of 102.78 cm. The r material vaporization has been estimated to be at a radius of 73.86 cm, compared to an analytic result of 77.63 cm. These simulation results confirm the idea that we can model the exploding Z-Pinch target and its resulting thermal effects on the reactor chamber using the BUCKY 1-D radiation hydrodynamics code. This model is appropriate for analysis of the Z-Pinch reactor because it is a massive structure and because most of the energy coupling to the surrounding structure is via X-rays (30%) rather than expanding ionic debris (4%). Furthermore, we have confirmed the viability of performing three different 1-D simulations in each of the +z, -z, and r directions and merging the three results. Such an approximation to a 3-D phenomenon is valid for times where the outward blast and energy transfer remain nearly spherical
Current status of dilatation catheters and guiding systems

Both balloon catheters and guiding catheters for PTCA are high-quality instruments with an advanced degree of reliability and practicality. The standard set-up at Emory University consists of a steerable 3.0-mm balloon catheter and a Judkins-type guiding catheter.
Structural modifications of RNA influence the 5' exoribonucleolytic hydrolysis by XRN1 and HKE1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract Two 5′ exoribonucleases, XRN1 and HKE1, ofSaccharomyces cerevisiaehave been found to have very important cellular roles, XRN1 playing a key role in mRNA turnover and HKE1 in pre-rRNA processing. Here, an analysis of strong secondary structures in RNA that cause blocks or stalls (accumulation of RNA fragments that are shortened from the 5′ end to the site of the secondary structure insertion) in the processive exoribonucleolytic hydrolysis reactions is reported. With both enzymes, oligo(G) tracts of lengths 18, 16, and 9 stall quite effectively, and the stalls are close to the start of the oligo(G) stretch. Two strong stem-loop structures cause measurable but low-level stalls with both enzymes. If the stem-loop structure is placed close to the 5′ end of the RNA, substantial inhibition of overall RNA hydrolysis occurs with HKE1 and less, but measurable, inhibition with XRN1. RNA structural modification caused by protein complexing has been investigated by using poly(A) binding protein. The hydrolysis of poly(A) by XRN1 is inhibited by poly(A) binding protein, while HKE1 activity is not affected.
Loop transfer recovery for nonminimum phase plants

A study of what happens when the loop transfer recovery (LTS) procedure is applied to nonminimum-phase (NMP) plants, how design limitations due to right-half-plane zeros manifest themselves in the LTR procedure, and how this knowledge can be incorporated into design is presented. Explicit expressions are given for the asymptotic behavior of the loop transfer and sensitivity functions resulting from application of the LTR procedure to nonminimum-phase plants. It is shown that there exists a tradeoff between the feedback properties of the state feedback loop and the ability to recover those properties using the LTR procedure. >
Simplified soy molasses-based medium for reduced-cost production of sophorolipids by Candida bombicola

A simplified medium containing only soy molasses and oleic acid as ingredients was developed for the production of sophorolipids (SLs) from Candida bombicola. We achieved a product yield of 53 ± 3 g of purified sophorolipids per liter of starting culture volume, which is 71 ± 4% of the yield obtained with growth medium that also additionally contains the costly yeast extract and urea as nitrogen source. The large majority of the SL components existed in the lactone form (87%), and the predominant component is SL containing (ω-1)-hydroxyoleic acid as the lipid moiety. The study demonstrated for the first time the usefulness of the low-value soy molasses as a combined nitrogen- and carbon-source for SL production at a reduced cost.
Elucidation of some fragmentations of small peptides using sequential mass spectrometry on a hybrid instrument

Sequential daughter-ion-scanning analyses of small peptides have been performed using a hybrid tandem instrument of BEqQ configuration. Precursor ions are selected by B and allowed or induced (by high-energy collisional activation) to decompose in the region preceding E. Decoupling of E from the accelerating voltage permits the selection of the first-generation daughter ion whilst retaining appropriate float voltages for the quadrupole assemblies. The daughter ion selected by E is further subjected to low-energy collisional-activation dissociation (CAD) in q and the fragment-ion spectrum is obtained by scanning Q. The sequential daughter-ion-scanning technique has been used to establish that 'internal' fragments of the types, (AY') and (BY'), are formed via initial Y-type cleavage. Fragmentation of a protonated peptide (angiotensin III) by loss of the C-terminal amino acid residue, yielding a (B'n + OH) ion, is reported for the first time. This process is analogous to that previously described for metal-cationized peptides.
Endomyocardial Fibrosis: A Surgical Approach

Abstract Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF), a disease encountered in tropical areas, characteristically in Uganda, produces progressive endocardial restriction, heart failure, and ultimately death. To the present time no treatment has been effective in controlling the evolution of the process. The case of a young girl with EMF and unrelenting congestive heart failure is presented. Following an open-heart operation with excision of the fibrotic endocardium and replacement of the mitral valve, the patient is asymptomatic and has resumed normal life. This is the first case of endomyocardial fibrosis treated successfully and illustrates the feasibility of a new therapeutic approach to the entity. Open-heart operation should be considered in patients affected by this lethal disease.
Diabetes distress and its association with clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with pramlintide as an adjunct to insulin therapy.

Abstract Objective: This study was designed to assess diabetes-related distress and its association with clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes using basal insulin who were treated with pramlintide. Methods: In a 16-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study 211 patients using insulin glargine with or without oral antidiabetes agents were randomized to addition of pramlintide or placebo. Clinical outcomes (change in A1C, postprandial glucose, daily basal insulin dose, and weight) and during-trial hypoglycemia were assessed, along with the Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS). The DDS assesses overall diabetes distress and four subdomains: regimen distress (RD), emotional burden (EB), interpersonal distress (ID), and physician-related distress (PD). Hierarchical, stepwise multiple regression was used to assess the association of clinical outcomes and during-trial hypoglycemia with DDS score changes during the study. Results: Pramlintide use was associated with a significant reduction in total DDS an...
Comparative pathogenesis of Helicoverpa zea S nucleopolyhedrovirus in noctuid larvae

We used a recombinant of Helicoverpa zea S nucleopolyhedrovirus containing the hsp70/lacZ reporter cassette (HzSNPV-hsp70/lacZ) to quantify mortality relationships and to elucidate early pathogenesis in two permissive hosts, Heliothis virescens and Helicoverpa zea, and one semi-permissive host, Trichoplusia ni. Fourth instar T. ni were highly resistant to fatal infection both by oral injection of occlusions and by intrahaemocoelic injection of budded virus, indicating the presence of both midgut and systemic mechanisms of resistance. In bioassays, newly moulted (40) H. zea were significantly more susceptible than 40 H. virescens to fatal infection, but mortality levels were the same for larval cohorts inoculated 16 h after the moult (416). Developmental resistance was stronger in H. zea and in both hosts, partially reversed by administration of the optical brightener M2R. In both species, developmental resistance was correlated with a reduced ability of HzSNPV to establish and/or maintain primary midgut infections. In time-course experiments using a dosage of 15 occlusions (∼LD90), lacZ expression marking the onset of primary and secondary infection was first observed in midgut columnar and tracheal cells at 4 and 12 h, respectively. Inoculation of 40 larvae resulted in approximately twofold more foci in H. zea larvae than in H. virescens, but H. zea larvae sloughed infected midgut cells at a faster rate. For both heliothines, interaction of occlusion-derived virus with primary cellular targets within the midgut epithelium was critical to the outcome of infection and a key process underlying acquisition of developmental resistance.
A new mixture model approach to analyzing allelic-loss data using Bayes factors.

Background Allelic-loss studies record data on the loss of genetic material in tumor tissue relative to normal tissue at various loci along the genome. As the deletion of a tumor suppressor gene can lead to tumor development, one objective of these studies is to determine which, if any, chromosome arms harbor tumor suppressor genes.
A Conditional Mouse Model of Synovial Sarcoma: Insights into a Myogenic Origin

Synovial sarcoma is an aggressive soft-tissue malignancy marked by a unique t(X;18) translocation leading to expression of a chimeric SYT-SSX fusion protein. We report here a mouse model of synovial sarcoma based on conditional expression of the human SYT-SSX2. Using this model, we have identified myoblasts as a potential source of synovial sarcoma. Remarkably, within the skeletal muscle lineage, while expression of the oncoprotein in immature myoblasts leads to induction of synovial sarcoma with 100% penetrance, its expression in more differentiated cells induces myopathy without tumor induction. We also show that early widespread expression of the fusion protein disrupts normal embryogenesis, causing lethality.
Estimating relative population sizes from simulated data sets and the question of greater African effective size.

Previous genetic and craniometric studies have suggested greater genetic diversity and a larger effective size in Africa. Several demographic scenarios can explain a larger African effective size, and anthropological geneticists have attempted to obtain better estimates of relative population sizes among continental regions in the Old World. A least-squares approach of estimating relative population weights was developed by Relethford and Harpending ([1994] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 95:249-270), who applied it to craniometric and genetic data sets and concluded that the ratio of African, Asian, and European effective sizes was 3:1:1, respectively; another data set of short tandem repeat (STR) markers yielded a similar estimate of 7:1:2. However, an estimate from restriction site polymorphism (RSP, also known as restriction fragment length polymorphism, or RFLP) data yielded a very different estimate of 1:1:8. Thus, the European and not the African effective size was largest. Simulations showed that this was the result of ascertainment bias in which polymorphic markers were originally identified in a small panel of Caucasians, leading to inflated heterozygosity in the European sample and thus an inflated population weight. This paper extends those computer simulations to incorporate not only ascertainment bias but also interpopulation gene flow and demographic expansion in two types of genetic data, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, which are similar but not precisely identical to RSPs) and STRs. The effects of these three parameters on SNP and STR relative weight estimates are described. Simulations show that the ascertainment scheme affects SNP data but not STR data. Gene flow has a noticeable effect on the bias and efficiency of the estimates in both types of genetic data. Population expansions have a large effect only in one ascertainment scheme in the simulated SNP data and no effect in STR data. Relative population weight estimates from four published STR data sets are also reported. These estimates are similar to each other: all show a larger African weight and a European weight somewhat larger than the Asian weight. Because the STR simulations show that when gene flow is greater than 0.01 migrants per generation the African population weight is biased upward, it is likely that the African weights in the four STR data sets are inflated. However, the simulations suggest that the African effective size is still largest of the three regions and is probably at least as great as the sum of the Asian and European effective sizes.
Classwide Functional Analysis and Treatment of Preschoolers’ Disruptive Behavior

Relatively few functional assessment and intervention studies have been conducted in preschool classrooms with children of typical development who engage in high incidence problem behaviors. Moreover, limited studies have used functional assessment procedures with the class as the unit of analysis. This study included functional analyses and a function-based differential reinforcement procedure for 2 preschool classrooms referred for behavioral consultation services because multiple students were engaging in disruptive behavior. Results indicated that function-based differential reinforcement interventions resulted in reductions in children's disruptive behavior and teachers rated assessment and intervention procedures as acceptable. The authors discuss the results in terms of functional assessment and function-based intervention research and practice in preschool classrooms.
Ab initio and RRKM evidence that the McLafferty rearrangement of ionized n-butanal is stepwise

Hartree-Fock calculations with geometry optimization at a series of C(2)C(3) distances predict a negligible reverse critical energy for the second step of the McLafferty rearrangement of ionized n-butanal, in contrast to a previous conclusion. The most favorable geometry for departure of the C2H4 has a dihedral angle of about 90° between the parting fragments. RRKM calculations were used to estimate rates of reactions associated with the McLafferty rearrangement These calculations indicate that the McLafferty rearrangement of the n-butanal ion is stepwise. The RRKM calculations predict competition of H exchange with decomposition up to much higher energies than actually occurs.
Power semiconductor loss evaluation in voltage source IGBT converters for three-phase Induction Motor drives

This paper addresses the timely issues of power loss calculation methods in the most common voltage source three phase PWM converters (VSC). There are mainly two kinds of power semiconductor losses to be considered, the conduction losses and the switching losses. A reconfigurable Induction Motor (IM) drive is controlled by the conventional PWM and space vector PWM based methods. The power losses will be evaluated with the different control strategies and verified based on the test-bed using a control system rapid prototyping environment such as dSPACE.
Pseudo-spectral time-domain analysis of second harmonic generation in 2-D nonlinear photonic crystals

This study employs a direct Maxwell's equations solver based on a pseudo-spectral time-domain (PSTD) method to numerically investigate second harmonic generation (SHG) processes in nonlinear photonic crystals (NPCs). Compared to a standard finite-difference time-domain technique, the implemented fourth-order-accurate-in-time PSTD algorithm offers significant improvements in computational efficiency and accuracy for modeling phase-sensitive electromagnetic wave interactions in nonlinear optical materials.
Comparison of EKBF-based and Classical Friction Compensation

In servo control, traditionally, models that attempt to capture the friction-velocity curve and interactions at contacting surfaces have been used to compensate for friction-introduced tracking errors. Recently, however, extended Kalman-Bucy filter (EKBF)-based approaches that do not use a phenomenological or structured model for friction have been proposed. In addition to being cast as a friction estimator, the EKBF can also be used to provide parameter adaptation for simple friction models. In this paper, a traditional motor-driven inertia experiment is used to demonstrate the usefulness of EKBF in friction compensation. In addition, a numerical simulation is used to test the robustness of the new methods to normal force variations. Using root mean square position tracking error as the performance metric, comparisons to traditional model-based approaches are provided.
Defect production mechanisms in metals and covalent semiconductors

Abstract We discuss how defect production mechanisms in displacement cascades vary according to the nature of the irradiated material. Our discussion is based on Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation studies and reveal very different mechanisms for metals and covalent semiconductors. For metals we show how melting of the cascade core, in combination with long replacement collision sequences along low index crystallographic directions leads to the production of large number of defects in clusters and a small (≈ 10%) fraction of isolated interstitials well separated from the cascade region. In silicon, we show how the energy deposition process leads to the production of local amorphous regions and very few isolated Frenkel pairs. Because replacement collision sequences are extremely short in the open diamond lattice, very few or no isolated interstitials result. We argue that these observations provide a basis to understand the very large difference in freely migrating defect production efficiency in metals and silicon. The results provide an underlying cause for the extremely high bulk recombination efficiency observed in ion implanted and annealed silicon and provide a physical basis for the “+1” interstitial model in ion implanted silicon.
Phonetic inventory constraints in young children: Factors affecting acquisition patterns during treatment

The restricted phonetic inventories of six phonologically impaired preschool children were compiled and classified using a typological characterization described by Dinnsen, Chin, Elbert, and Powell (1990). Each subject was taught to produce word-initial [r] and one other sound that was absent from his or her phonetic inventory within a multiple-baseline across-behaviours experimental research paradigm. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the resulting longitudinal data were completed. The children's acquisition of new sounds was gradual, and overapplication of sound usage was documented. The ability to imitate sounds in isolation and in syllables (i.e. sound stimulability) emerged as an important factor in the acquisition process: stimulable sounds were almost always added to the phonetic inventories. The observed additions to the children's phonetic inventories were consistent with predictions formulated using the Dinnsen et al. (1990) phonetic inventory typology.
Systemic Venous Drainage of Pancreas Allografts as Independent Cause of Hyperinsulinemia in Type I Diabetic Recipients

To evaluate the metabolic consequences of pancreas transplantation with systemic venous drainage on beta-cell function, we examined insulin and C-peptide responses to glucose and arginine in type I (insulin-dependent) diabetic pancreas recipients (n = 30), nondiabetic kidney recipients (n = 8), and nondiabetic control subjects (n = 28). Basal insulin levels were 66 +/- 5 pM in control subjects, 204 +/- 18 pM in pancreas recipients (P less than 0.0001 vs. control), and 77 +/- 17 pM in kidney recipients. Acute insulin responses to glucose were 416 +/- 44 pM in control subjects, 763 +/- 91 pM in pancreas recipients (P less than 0.01 vs. control), and 589 +/- 113 pM in kidney recipients (NS vs. control). Basal and stimulated insulin levels in two pancreas recipients with portal venous drainage were normal. Integrated acute C-peptide responses were not statistically different (25.3 +/- 4.3 nM/min in pancreas recipients, 34.2 +/- 5.5 nM/min in kidney recipients, and 23.7 +/- 2.1 nM/min in control subjects). Similar insulin and C-peptide results were obtained with arginine stimulation, and both basal and glucose-stimulated insulin-C-peptide ratios in pancreas recipients were significantly greater than in control subjects. We conclude that recipients of pancreas allografts with systemic venous drainage have elevated basal and stimulated insulin levels and that these alterations are primarily due to alterations of first-pass hepatic insulin clearance, although insulin resistance secondary to immunosuppressive therapy (including prednisone) probably plays a contributing role. To avoid hyperinsulinemia and its possible long-term adverse consequences, transplantation of pancreas allografts into sites with portal rather than systemic venous drainage should be considered.
Parity Redundancy in a Clustered Storage System

Distributed storage systems must provide highly available access to data while maintaining high performance and maximum scalability. In addition, reliability in a storage system is of the utmost importance and the correctness and availability of data must be guaranteed. Adding parity redundancy to distributed storage systems has been problematic because of the impact on performance. In this paper, we investigate mechanisms to add redundancy to the Lustre cluster file system with minimal effect on overall system performance. With data spread across multiple nodes, ensuring the consistency of the data requires special techniques. We describe fault tolerant algorithms to maintain the consistency and reliability of the data. We show how these techniques guarantee data integrity and availability of systems for read and write even under failure mode scenarios.
Between free trade and protectionism: strategic trade policy and a theory of corporate trade demands

Conventional theories of the political economy of trade argue that industries in import-competing businesses favor protectionism, while multinational firms and export-dependent corporations advocate unconditional free trade. However, many multinational industries have recently advocated “strategic” trade policies: that is, they are willing to support free trade at home only if foreign markets are opened or foreign governments reduce subsidies to their firms. If demands for strategic trade policy were adopted by the United States, they could represent a threat to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the multilateral trading system. This article seeks to explain the emergence of these new corporate trade demands and thereby broaden theories of the political economy of trade. The article begins with the widely supported position that multinational and export-oriented firms prefer unconditional free trade. Building on concepts from theories of industrial organization and international trade, the article then hypothesizes that rising economies of scale and steep learning curves will necessitate that these firms have access to global markets via exports. If growing dependence on world markets is combined with foreign government subsidies or protection, the trade preferences of firms will shift from unconditional free trade to demands that openness at home be contingent on openness overseas. The manner in which firm demands then get translated into industry demands will vary with the industry's structure. If the industry consists of firms with symmetric strategies, it will seek strategic trade policy; but if the industry is highly segmented, it will turn toward protectionism. The article concludes with a preliminary test of these hypotheses in four brief studies of the politics of trade in the semiconductor, commercial aircraft, telecommunications equipment, and machine tool industries.
Design of an All-Magnetic Computing System: Part I-Circuit Design

This paper describes the circuits used in a decimal arithmetic unit which utilizes ferrite magnetic elements and copper conductors only. The arithmetic operations of addition, subtraction, and multiplication are performed with a product and sum capacity of three decimal digits. The sole logical building block of this system is a two-input inclusive-OR module with a fan-out capability of three with any desired logical positive and negative combination. The system involves the use of some 325 modules, each of which contains two magnetic multiaperture devices (MAD's). This paper gives a complete description of the circuit and physical arrangement of the machine. The system is controlled from a manual keyboard, and readout from the machine is via incandescent lamps controlled directly from the MAD elements, no intermediate elements being required. The "worst case" drive-pulse amplitude range for the completed machine, varying all clock pulses simultaneously, is ± 10 per cent.
Nanostructure and mechanical properties of WC–SiC thin films

The mechanical properties of WC-SiC thin films deposited by dual radio frequency magnetron sputtering were investigated. The films were characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to evaluate the details of the microstructure and degree of amorphization. The results indicate that small additions of SiC (<25%) can significantly increase hardness compared to a pure WC film, but higher SiC contents do not strongly affect hardness. XRD studies show the SiC had a disordering effect. TEM results showed that WC films had coarse porous structure, but films with a low silicon carbide content (approximately 10 to 25 at%) had a denser nanocrystalline structure. Samples with greater than 25% SiC were amorphous. The initial hardness increase at lower SiC contents correlated well with the observed densification, but the transition to an amorphous structure did not strongly affect hardness.
A prosodic approach to filler syllables

As Peters points out in this and other work, the treatment of filler syllables continues to be problematic. To the extent that theoretical linguistic approaches to language acquisition have addressed the problem of morphology at all, this has been almost entirely in the domain of syntax. Thus, the phonological and prosodic characteristics of filler syllables in children's early speech have been largely ignored, the assumption being that the appearance of grammatical morphemes is ‘triggered’ by the maturation of syntactic representations (e.g. Radford, 1990). If this were the case, we would not expect to find crosslinguistic differences in the timing of the acquisition of determiners (Lleo & Demuth, 1999), nor the variable appearance of grammatical morphemes in some contexts and not others (Demuth, 1994, Gerken, 1996). These cases of crosslinguistic and within-language variation call for a more comprehensive account of early morpheme acquisition which can explain their variable presence or absence.
STUDIES ON COCCIDIOIDES IMMITIS II. Physiological Studies on In Vitro Spherulation

Brooks, Lula D. (Arizona State University, Tempe) and William T. Northey. Studies on Coccidioides immitis. II. Physiological studies on in vitro spherulation. J. Bacteriol. 85:12-15. 1963.-Studies on the amino acids assayed in Edamine revealed that the amino acids phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, in addition to the amino acid derivatives dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), epinephrine, tyramine monohydrochloride (tyramine HCl), and pyrocatechol play an important role in the Coccidioides immitis conversion process. In the presence of phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, DOPA, pyrocatechol, dextrose, and biotin, conversion as well as maturation was demonstrated. However, in epinephrine and tyramine HCl combinations, conversion occurred without maturation of the spherules. The availability of increased amounts of melanin precursors is suggested as a possible explanation for the increased susceptibility of the dark-skinned races to disseminated coccidioidomycosis. Conversion and maturation were also noted when lactic and fumaric acids served as carbon sources. The conversion of a limited number of arthrospores to spherules and their subsequent maturation in the presence of only phenol and biotin suggest the possibility that the key to the C. immitis conversion process lies in the availability of certain ring structures.
Randomized, controlled clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of pulsed signal therapy in dogs with osteoarthritis.

Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of pulsed signal therapy (PST) in reducing pain and increasing function in dogs with osteoarthritis (OA) using a randomized, blinded, controlled clinical trial. Study Design Randomized, controlled, blinded clinical trial. Animals Adult dogs (n = 60) with moderate-to-severe clinical signs of OA. Methods Dogs were randomized by age into 2 groups: dogs ≥ 9 years and dogs < 9-years old. The control group received 1 hour of rest in hospital for 9 consecutive days and dogs in the treatment group received PST for 1 hour on 9 consecutive days. Goniometry and gait analysis were performed, and the Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI) questionnaire was given to the owners to fill out without supervision. Outcome measures were repeated at the end of treatment (Day 11) and 6 weeks after beginning treatment (Day 42). Results The PST group performed significantly better than the control group as measured by the CBPI Severity and Interference scores (P < .01). Extension (P = .04) and peak vertical force (PVF) (P = .03) were not statistically significant after adjusting for multiple comparisons. Conclusions The group receiving PST performed better than the treatment group according to owner assessment.
“Macho Men” and Preventive Health Care: Implications for Older Men in Different Social Classes

The gender paradox in mortality—where men die earlier than women despite having more socioeconomic resources—may be partly explained by men's lower levels of preventive health care. Stereotypical notions of masculinity reduce preventive health care; however, the relationship between masculinity, socioeconomic status (SES), and preventive health care is unknown. Using the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, the authors conduct a population-based assessment of masculinity beliefs and preventive health care, including whether these relationships vary by SES. The results show that men with strong masculinity beliefs are half as likely as men with more moderate masculinity beliefs to receive preventive care. Furthermore, in contrast to the well-established SES gradient in health, men with strong masculinity beliefs do not benefit from higher education and their probability of obtaining preventive health care decreases as their occupational status, wealth, and/or income increases. Masculinity may be a partial explanation for the paradox of men's lower life expectancy, despite their higher SES.
Transfer-Printing of Tunable Porous Silicon Microcavities with Embedded Emitters

Here we demonstrate, via a modified transfer- printing technique, that electrochemically fabricated porous silicon (PSi) distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) can serve as the basis of high-quality hybrid microcavities compatible with most forms of photoemitters. Vertical microcavities consisting of an emitter layer sandwiched between 11- and 15-period PSi DBRs were constructed. The emitter layer included a polymer doped with PbS quantum dots, as well as a heterogeneous GaAs thin film. In this structure, the PbS emission was significantly redistributed to a 2.1 nm full-width at half- maximum around 1198 nm, while the PSi/GaAs hybrid microcavity emitted at 902 nm with a sub-nanometer full-width at half-maximum and quality-factor of 1058. Modification of PSi DBRs to include a PSi cavity coupling layer enabled tuning of the total cavity optical thickness. Infiltration of the PSi with Al2O3 by atomic layer deposition globally red-shifted the emission peak of PbS quantum dots up to ∼18 nm (∼0.9 nm per cycle), while introducing a cavity coupling layer with a gradient optical thickness spatially modulated the cavity resonance of the PSi/GaAs hybrid such that there was an ∼30 nm spectral variation in the emission of separate GaAs modules printed ∼3 mm apart.
Antibiotics in agriculture: When is it time to close the barn door?

Everybody knows that bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a bad thing, at least for humans and animals, if not for bacteria. Drugs that were effective for treating community- and hospital-acquired infections are no longer so because the target bacteria are resistant to their action. To be sure, it may be some time before we really enter the predicted “postantibiotic era” in which common infections are frequently untreatable. Even now, however, the consequences of resistance in some bacteria can be measured as increases in the term and magnitude of morbidity, higher rates of mortality, and greater costs of hospitalization for patients infected with resistant bacteria relative to those infected with sensitive strains (1). Dozens of new antimicrobial compounds have been licensed in the U.S. during the last half century, but almost all “new antibiotics” introduced in the last 40 years have been relatively minor chemical variants of compounds to which bacteria have already developed resistance. As a result, bacteria have rapidly adapted existing resistance mechanisms to evade the new compounds. Indeed, only a single chemically novel class of antibacterial agents, the oxazolidinones, has been introduced into clinical use since the 1970s.
Chiropractic and Energy Medicine: A Shared History

Background: The history and philosophy of chiropractic shares similarities with contemporary research into subtle energies and the theoretical models of energy medicine. Objective: To illustrate the similarities and provide examples in order to advance the understanding of the philosophy of chiropractic and contribute in a meaningful way toward a new approach to chiropractic research. Discussion: Three bodies of evidence are discussed in order to plainly show the similarities. The examples are: the body of research into subtle energies and energy medicine, the original studies and writings of DD Palmer, and the research conducted in the BJ Palmer Research Clinic in the 1930s and 1940s. It is argued that these three examples are compelling in their interconnections and point the way toward a new vision of research and philosophy in chiropractic. Conclusion: The philosophy of chiropractic and chiropractic scientific research can best be understood by first understanding the latest research within energy medicine and how this relates to chiropractic’s history. (J Chiropr Humanit 2008;15:27-54) Key Indexing Terms: Philosophy; Chiropractic; History; Vital Energy (Philosophy); Electromagnetic Fields; Complementary Therapies
Generation Y: Unchartered Territory

Businesses continue to be challenged with workforce diversity and how to best manage the differences that exist in race, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, color, etc. The general theme is that managers should focus on minimizing tension that exists resulting from generational differences. Unfortunately, there is more agreement and discussion as to how generations are different than there is on how to manage these differences.
Managing Inmate Risk in the United States: Construct and Predictive Validity of the Prison Inmate Inventory

To assess the construct and criterion validity of the Prison Inmate Inventory (PII), this study examined the ability of four PII scales to predict measures representing the potential for criminal recidivism and return/increased duration of prison sentence in a large population of prisoners (N = 31,954) in the United States. Criminal history measures used to test the construct and criterion validity included self-reported number of felony arrests, parole violations, probation violations, and escape attempts. Four PII scales including truthfulness, violence, adjustment, and stress coping abilities were examined. Mean difference testing between first and multiple offenders was used to assess construct validity and Poisson regression models controlling for criminal demographics were used to assess criterion validity. Results indicated that the select PII scales exhibited good construct and predictive validity in terms of identifying potential criminal recidivists and inmates who may attempt to escape.
Aluminium in food and daily dietary intake assessment from 15 food groups in Zhejiang Province, China

Aluminium was measured in 2580 samples of 15 food groups and dietary exposure was estimated. Samples were purchased and analysed during 2010 to 2014. High aluminium levels were found in jellyfish (mean 4862 mg/kg), laver (mean 455.2 mg/kg) and fried twisted cruller (mean 392.4 mg/kg). Dietary exposure to aluminium was estimated for Zhejiang residents. The average dietary exposure to aluminium via 15 food groups in Zhejiang Province was 1.15 mg/kg bw/week, which is below the provisional tolerable weekly intake of 2 mg/kg bw /week. Jellyfish is the main Al contributor, providing 37.6% of the daily intake via these 15 food groups. This study provided new information on aluminium levels and assessment of aluminium (Al) dietary exposure in Zhejiang Province of China.
Introduction: Rethinking Practices for Enhancing Diversity in the Discipline

When students consider higher education, they often ask, “Where should I go to college?” Meanwhile departments ask, “Where do we find a more diverse faculty and student body?” These questions hint ...
P2P Based Media Telecom Network

By combining the P2P technology and telecom service platform, the Media Telecom Network (MTN) can provide high Quality of Service (QoS), and secure and creditable digital media services. Compared with current Client/Server (C/S) and Content Delivery Network (CDN)-based digital media system, MTN adopts P2P technology and utilizes user terminals' resources to enormously reduce investment in the network and service platform; it has advantages such as low cost and high scalability. P2P-based MTN can motivate the digital media industry, and it has a wide market prospect.
Understanding the Problem Solving Approaches of Special Educators through the Lens of Adaptive Expertise

UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM SOLVING APPROACHES OF SPECIAL EDUCATORS THROUGH THE LENS OF ADAPTIVE EXPERTISE By Serra Turgay De Arment, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2016 Director: Evelyn Reed, Ph.D. Associate Professor Emerita Department of Counseling and Special Education The purpose of this research was to investigate special educators’ problem solving approaches through the lens of adaptive expertise. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used with participants of varying experience levels and teaching contexts from one Mid-Atlantic state. Participants responded to a researcher-developed survey about their orientations to problem solving (N = 162), then a purposive sample completed semi-structured interviews (N = 8). Following survey measure refinement and validation, quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, z-scores, correlation, and chi-square test of independence. Subsequently, qualitative data were analyzed through iterative cycles of hypothesis and open coding. Finally, quantitative and qualitative data were linked through mixed methods analysis. Results of exploratory factor analysis identified an 18-item, two-factor structure within the survey measure. Survey results indicated most special educators had more adaptive than routine expertise orientations to problem solving; for some these orientations were balanced,
Results of Carbon Dioxide Laser Therapy and Topical 5-Fluorouracil Treatment for Subclinical Condyloma Found by Magnified Penile Surface Scanning

Previously we demonstrated a 68 per cent recurrence rate for subclinical penile human papillomavirus infections found by magnified penile surface scanning and treated with the carbon dioxide laser. In this report it is shown that the addition of a regimen of adjuvant topical 5-fluorouracil does not lower the recurrence rate. This knowledge combined with the evidence for a subclinical urethral reservoir of human papillomavirus implies that any strictly topical therapy will fail at 4 months of followup and that improved systemic therapy may be needed.
Donald I. Ray and P. S. Reddy, eds. Grassroots Governance? Chiefs in Africa and the Afro-Caribbean . Calgary, Canada: University of Calgary Press, 2003. ix + 313 pp. Photographs. Bibliography. Index. Price not reported. Cloth.

POLITICS Donald I. Ray and P. S. Reddy, eds. Grassroots Governance? Chiefs in Africa and the Afro-Caribbean. Calgary, Canada: University of Calgary Press, 2003. ix + 313 pp. Photographs. Bibliography. Index. Price not reported. Cloth. "Governance" is a new policy vogue in Africa, driven mostly by aid donors in an effort to push through "democratization" processes. In the last several years, the policy has usually emphasized "local governance." This is the level at which the importance of "traditional authorities," defined in the book as "kings, other aristocrats holding offices, heads of extended families, and office holders in other decentralized polities, as long as their offices are rooted in pre-colonial states and other political entities" (3), is paramount. Yet these traditional authorities, referred to by the generic name of "chiefs," have had a long history of neglect, which in part reflects the central problem of how to integrate them into democratic systems of local government. The institution of chieftaincy has gone through many vicissitudes in both the colonial and the postcolonial state. During the fifties and sixties, the institution was generally under attack from various quarters, including politicians and intellectuals who came to view it as primitive and resistant to change. To the fashionable modernization theorists of the time, the ascriptive nondemocratic and therefore antimodern character of the institution would not guarantee its survival in the face of "modernization." To the dependency theorists, the appropriation of chiefs as agents of rule by colonial and postcolonial states undermined their ability to mobilize for sociopolitical change. Yet half a century into the establishing of the post-colonial state, chieftaincy continues to belie the predictions of these theorists. On the contrary, it has demonstrated exceptional resilience, not only because chiefs remain influential with their subjects, but also because modern elites from all walks of life strive to get chiefs to become their active allies in the pursuit of power. It is this evidence of "retraditionalization" in many parts of Africa that has rekindled interest in the study of chieftaincy. The book under review falls into this category. It is the result of a number of conferences organized to bring the issue of chieftaincy back to center stage in the debates on "rural local government," since rural areas have been badly neglected by postcolonial governments. As an edited volume, it suffers from the usual lack of balance: More than half the book deals with southern Africa, two chapters are concerned with Ghana (the only country represented from West Africa), while a single chapter on Jamaica is all that represents the Afro-Caribbean. …
Statistical associations between housing quality and health among Finnish households with children - Results from two (repeated) national surveys

Abstract The overall aim of the study was to assess housing and health issues related to Finnish housing stock and possible changes occurring in the course of time. Based on two housing and health questionnaire surveys, first one in 2007 and the second one in 2011, we examined factors associated with housing satisfaction and health symptoms that residents themselves reported on a general population level. A special emphasis was on housing quality and health issues among households with children. The total number of survey responses was 2674, response rate being slightly lower in the 2011 (29%) survey than in 2007 (43%). Differences in housing and health issues observed between 2007 and 2011 surveys were relatively small. From the various housing factors studied, largest differences between surveys were seen in thermal comfort during summer, which could be attributed to climate factors. From the five health outcome variables studied, only self-reported upper respiratory symptoms appeared to have significant temporal variation between the surveys. Overall, issues related to crowding, inaccessibility, use of chemicals, indoor air quality (e.g. ventilation adequacy), and dampness and mold could cause more unsatisfactory housing conditions among the families with children. Respondents who had children reported respiratory symptoms less commonly, whereas risk for respiratory infections was increased among these respondents. Modeling self-reported health symptoms led to selection of nine to twelve statistically significant housing variables together with up to five socio-economic variables, i.e. complex models which are difficult to interpret quantitatively. The models' sensitivity for properly indicating symptoms was rather low, varying from 4% to 22%, which illustrates that it is quite impossible to predict individuals' symptoms with a set of housing characteristics. However, the associations observed on the population level may be used to develop policies that are protective of public health.
Factors affecting the distribution of mallards wintering in the Mississippi alluvial valley

La temperature, les conditions hydrologiques, la taille de la population affectent le choix de l'habitat chez Anas platyrhynchos qui presentent une repartition hivernale tres flexible en relation avec ces facteurs
Proper Specification of Nonproportional Hazards Corrections in Duration Models

Parametric and nonparametric duration models assume proportional hazards: The effect of a covariate on the hazard rate stays constant over time. Researchers have developed techniques to test and correct nonproportional hazards, including interacting the covariates with some function of time. Including this interaction term means that the specification now involves time-varying covariates, and the model specification should reflect this feature. However, in situations with no time-varying covariates initially, researchers often continue to model the duration with only time-invariant covariates. This error results in biased estimates, particularly for the covariates interacted with time. We investigate this issue in over forty political science articles and find that of those studies that begin with time-invariant covariates and correct for nonproportional hazards the majority suffer from incorrect model specification. Proper estimation usually produces substantively or statistically different results.
Training Radiology Residents to be Stewards in Healthcare Value

Medical imaging procedures have become a national target in the campaign to reduce wasteful practices. At a minimum, radiology residency programs must integrate high-value curricula and train residents to practice in accordance with value-based principles and new healthcare policy. A greater portion of radiology resident education needs to be devoted to appropriateness education and consultancy training. Ideally, radiology training programs will instill in residents the importance of embracing the movement and leading the change.