cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulation environments for the design and test of an intelligent controller for autonomous underwater vehicles

Intelligent controllers usually consist of a hybrid system that includes both discrete and continuous processes. This hybrid construction poses difficulties in validating and verifying their design. As the use of intelligent controllers proliferates throughout society, the development of simulation techniques that support both the construction and testing of these controllers becomes increasingly important. At the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) of the Pennsylvania State University, we have gained insight over the last ten years (1989-99) into the design, implementation and testing of intelligent controllers for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV). However, as AUV missions become more complex, simulation environments must be provided that achieve complete state coverage of the discrete processes of the controller while still fully exercising the continuous processes with high fidelity Monte Carlo simulations. As an illustrative example, the paper describes the current utilization of simulation in the development and testing of intelligent mission controllers for AUVs using ARL's own intelligent control architecture. Then our new paradigm for simulation based design and testing for intelligent controllers is formulated and discussed.
Respiratory control in the longjaw mudsucker, Gillichthys mirabilis

Abstract 1. 1. Respiratory control has been studied in the facultative airbreathing goby Gillichthys mirabilis . 2. 2. Fish gulped in oxygenated water when CO 2 was greater than 65 ml/l., and when less than 5 ml/l. if gills were infected with parasites. 3. 3. Injections of acetylcholine, ligation of gill arteries and CO saturated water did not cause gulping or stopping of opercular movements. 4. 4. Sudden decreases in external oxygen concentrations caused opercular stoppage. 5. 5. Fish gulped at progressively higher oxygen concentrations and at higher consumption rates as they were consecutively stressed. 6. 6. The rapidity of the gulping response in deoxygenated water was related to the rate at which oxygen consumption decreased before gulping.
Risk and protective factors of alcohol use disorders among Filipino Americans: location of residence matters.

Background: Despite the growing number of Asian Americans (AA) in the United States, research on alcohol abuse in this population is sparse. Although AA have few alcohol use disorders (AUD) as an aggregate group, within-group variations in AUD need to be explored among specific ethnic groups in this population. Objectives: This study compared correlates of 12-month prevalence of AUD between Filipino Americans who currently drink alcohol andliveinSanFrancisco(SF)orHonolulu.Methods:Datafromthe 1998‐1999 Filipino American Community Epidemiological Survey (N = 537) were used to test two hypotheses: 1) current drinkers in SFandHonoluluwilldifferinthecharacteristicsandprevalenceof AUD and 2) current drinkers in SF and Honolulu do not share the same protective and risk factors of AUD.Results: Current drinkers from the two regions substantially differed in age, years of education,ageatfirstdrink,religiosity,ethnicidentity,psychologicaldistress, the nativity status, as well as the prevalence of AUD. Logistic regression models revealed that AUD risk factors were different for SF current drinkers (higher psychological distress, U.S.-born, and lower religiosity) compared to Honolulu drinkers (more years of education and lower emotional support). Conclusion: Filipino American drinkers living in SF and Honolulu have different risk and protective factors for AUD. Health professionals need to be aware of this difference when screening for factors associated with AUD among Filipino Americans. Scientific Significance :T he current study revealed the importance of socioenvironmental context (location of residence) in predicting AUD among an Asian ethnic group.
The performance of native and non-native turfgrass monocultures and native turfgrass polycultures: An ecological approach to sustainable lawns

As environmental impacts and life-cycle costs (water use, water, fertilizer, pesticides and mowing) of the constructed landscape come under increasing scrutiny, the development of methods to reduce resource inputs for managed turf are increasingly important. While the use of a number of native turfgrass species as alternatives to non-natives has been previously examined, only a few are presently commercially available, and many species have been perceived as failing to perform to the level required by industry and consumers. Furthermore, the use of polycultures of native turfgrasses has not been extensively investigated, but could offer an alternative to the conventional lawn. We hypothesize that because native short grass species would be expected to be well-adapted to climate and soil conditions in areas with infrequent and erratic rainfall, their performance in terms of drought resistance, resilience to disturbance, and efficient resource use, will exceed that of a non-native species. Moreover, ecological theory predicts that a polyculture of coexisting native species may exhibit additional performance benefits. One native (Bouteloua dactyloides) and one commonly-used, non-native monoculture (Cynodon dactylon) and two native polyculture assemblages (two and seven species including B. dactyloides, Bouteloua gracilis, Bouteloua rigidiseta, Hilaria belangeri, Erioneuron pilosum, Bouteloua hirsuta, Sporobolus vaginiflorus) were compared for leaf density and weed resistance under two irrigation regimens, traffic regimes and mowing intensities. The native turfgrass and turfgrass assemblages generally had 30% higher leaf densities in the early growing season, and up to 50% lower weed density than the non-native monoculture. There was no difference among species tested in response to traffic or irrigation regimens, suggesting that all assemblages could be subjected to both higher traffic frequencies and reduced water inputs. Even though native species can have slower growth rates compared to the non-native species they maintained a higher or equivalent leaf density than the non-native turfgrass. This is a potentially important finding because of the large impact that mowing has on the total carbon footprint of turfgrass, and the corresponding reduction in that carbon footprint that could be realized through a reduced mowing frequency and corresponding reduction in life-cycle cost. This study suggests that regionally adapted native grass species are worth investigating as mono- and polycultures for performance advantages and lower resource inputs, and consequently may be suitable alternatives to conventional non-native turfgrasses in many applications. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Racial Respect and Racial Socialization as Protective Factors for African American Male Youth

African American adolescents must negotiate the transition to adulthood in a society that makes the achievement of positive cultural identity and self-respect difficult. Frequently, young men turn ...
Decentralizing execution of composite web services

Distributed enterprise applications today are increasingly being built from services available over the web. A unit of functionality in this framework is a web service, a software application that exposes a set of "typed'' connections that can be accessed over the web using standard protocols. These units can then be composed into a composite web service. BPEL (Business Process Execution Language) is a high-level distributed programming language for creating composite web services. Although a BPEL program invokes services distributed over several servers, the orchestration of these services is typically under centralized control. Because performance and throughput are major concerns in enterprise applications, it is important to remove the inefficiencies introduced by the centralized control. In a distributed, or decentralized orchestration, the BPEL program is partitioned into independent sub-programs that interact with each other without any centralized control. Decentralization can increase parallelism and reduce the amount of network traffic required for an application. This paper presents a technique to partition a composite web service written as a single BPEL program into an equivalent set of decentralized processes. It gives a new code partitioning algorithm to partition a BPEL program represented as a program dependence graph, with the goal of minimizing communication costs and maximizing the throughput of multiple concurrent instances of the input program. In contrast, much of the past work on dependence-based partitioning and scheduling seeks to minimize the completion time of a single instance of a program running in isolation. The paper also gives a cost model to estimate the throughput of a given code partition.
Economic, Patient Preference, and Health-Related Quality of Life Considerations for Intranasal Corticosteroids in Allergic Rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis, as a medical condition, merits attention because of its prevalence in the population as well as the substantial economic impact of treating it. By virtue of their efficacy and low adverse effect profile, intranasal corticosteroids have gained recognition by healthcare providers as the first-line therapy for allergic rhinitis. For managed care decision makers, the use of intranasal corticosteroids as the gold standard of treatment in allergic rhinitis makes comparative economic and humanistic (patient preference or health-related quality of life [HR-QOL]) data between the various intranasal corticosteroids increasingly important for formulary decisions. Although the equal efficacy and safety of intranasal corticosteroid products in the treatment of allergic rhinitis is well documented, research that compares the different economic and humanistic aspects of intranasal corticosteroid products is limited and less conclusive. In this article, we review published studies reporting pharmacoeconomic and humanistic analyses of intranasal corticosteroids in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and make recommendations for managed care decision makers in the selection of intranasal corticosteroids for allergic rhinitis. Based on inclusion/exclusion criteria, 15 pharmacoeconomic and 19 patient preference/HR-QOL studies were selected and reviewed. The literature reviewed does not provide evidence of the superiority of a single intranasal corticosteroid product with respect to pharmacoeconomic, patient preference, or HR-QOL considerations. This finding is primarily owing to the lack of published head-to-head studies comparing pharmacoeconomic or humanistic outcomes between the different intranasal corticosteroids. Without further head-to-head studies on intranasal corticosteroids for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, cost minimization results may be the best decision strategy for managed care organizations (MCOs). Ideally, the results of cost-effectiveness or cost-utility studies comparing the different intranasal corticosteroids should guide the final formulary decision. In the absence of such studies, pharmacoeconomic and humanistic outcomes data from studies reported in the literature should be included into a pharmacoeconomic model, which considers the prevalence of allergic rhinitis in the MCOs to guide formulary inclusion decisions. Managed care decision makers will increasingly need to request this information from drug manufacturers if an informed, evidence-based decision is to be made.
Real-time discrete control law synthesis for hybrid systems using MILP: application to congested airspace

We use mathematical model based on hybrid automata theory to describe air traffic flow in arrival regions near airports. We show that the problem of scheduling the arrival flow subject to airspace and airport metering constraints may be formulated as a mixed integer linear program (MILP). We demonstrate an implementation of this program, which accepts air traffic control (ATC) data, performs the scheduling, and generates a set of ATC commands directly executable by the aircraft. Simulations indicate an empirical upper bound on the number of aircraft the program can treat while still resolving the problem in real time.
Examining the Market Orientation-Performance Relationship: A Context-Specific Study

This study developed a comprehensive measure of market orientation and examined the market orientation-performance relationship in the health care industry. A survey of 159 hospitals yielded a strong positive relationship between market orientation and various measures of organizational performance. Additionally, the study found that market turbulence, competitive hostility, and supplier power moderated the market orientation-performance relationship.
The role of size preference in prey selection of Amphiuma means

Abstract. The two-toed amphiuma, Amphiuma means, is a large aquatic salamander and a potentially important predator of crayfish. However, little is known about the effects of predation by A. means on crayfish communities. This study was carried out to determine if there is a size preference in A. means predation on crayfish. A. means was expected to prefer medium sized crayfish in accordance with the optimal foraging theory because they were more energetically rewarding than smaller crayfish but easier to capture than larger crayfish. Seven similarly-sized A. means were placed in individual aquatic mesocosms. Six crayfish of the subgenus Scapulicambarus, two from each of three size categories, were also placed in each tub. The percent mortality and location of the crayfish in the tub were observed for 11 days. A. means had a significant preference for medium-sized crayfish on day four, but there were no significant differences among predation rates by the final day. Small crayfish had the lowest predation...
Optimal training length for MIMO frequency-selective channels with time-variation

In this paper, we investigate the multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) frequency-selective channel estimation performance under the impact of both channel time-variation and noise contamination. The total mean square error (MSE) using orthogonal training sequences is derived so that the optimal training length can be easily determined numerically instead of by extensive simulation. We prove that the overall MSE is irrelevant to the type of orthogonal training sequences employed and only depends on the time-varying channel model under some, fairly general, conditions. Our results are validated by considering two types of orthogonal sequences: cyclically shifted Chu sequences and zero-correlation-zone (ZCZ) sequences using Jake's model. Applications to underwater acoustic(UWA) communications are considered.
Evaluation of 4H-SiC DMOSFETs for power converter applications

This paper presents an evaluation of state-of-the-art 1.2 kV 4H-SiC DMOSFETs for DC-DC power converter applications. Initial electrical measurements on large area DMOSFET die ~ 0.221 cm2 (4.7mm x 4.7mm) gives a low specific on-resistance (Rsp,on) of 17 Omega*cm2 for Vgs = 15 V at room temperature. The on-state characteristic for a packaged DMOSFET, where the drain-to-source on-resistance (Rds(on)) is measured to be 96 mOmega at room temperature and 94 mOmega at 150 degC at 20 A forward current. The inset of Figure 1 plots the measured Rds(on) values over a temperature range of 25 degC to 150 degC, demonstrating stable device operation. Although the MOS channel resistance at elevated temperatures is reduced due to the negative shift in threshold voltage (Figure 2), the total on-resistance of the device increases due to the decrease in mobility in the drift layer region. Figure 3 shows the DMOSFET drain leakage at temperature for 1.2 kV blocking with less than 30 muA of measurable current. Figure 4 shows the sub-threshold behavior with 1.8 V of gate bias needed to keep the drain current below 1 muA at 25 degC, as opposed to 1.3 V needed at 150 degC. To ensure normally-off operation a positive subthreshold voltage is desired.
Reference regions of two or more dimensions

Despite being proposed over 30 years ago, the multivariate reference region (MRR) remains an interpretive tool with uncertain value in clinical practice. This paper reviews the mathematical theory of the MRR, presents topics in the clinical application of MRRs, and examines the advantages and disadvantages of MRRs. Finally, some thoughts are offered regarding future directions for work in this field.
An expectation/maximization nuclear vector replacement algorithm for automated NMR resonance assignments

We report an automated procedure for high-throughput NMR resonance assignment for a protein of known structure, or of an homologous structure. Our algorithm performs Nuclear Vector Replacement (NVR) by Expectation/Maximization (EM) to compute assignments. NVR correlates experimentally-measured NH residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) and chemical shifts to a givenaprioriwhole-protein 3D structural model. The algorithm requires only uniform 15 N-labelling of the protein, and processes unassigned H N - 15 N HSQC spectra, H N - 15 NR DCs, and sparse H N -H N NOE’s (dNNs). NVR runs in minutes and efficiently assigns the (H N , 15 N) backbone resonances as well as the sparse dNNs from the 3D 15 N-NOESY spectrum, in O(n 3 ) time. The algorithm is demonstrated on NMR data from a 76-residue protein, human ubiquitin, matched to four structures, including one mutant (homolog), determined either by X-ray crystallography or by different NMR experiments (without RDCs). NVR achieves an average assignment accuracy of over 99%. We further demonstrate the feasibility of our algorithm for different and larger proteins, using different combinations of real and simulated NMR data for hen lysozyme (129 residues) and streptococcal protein G (56 residues), matched to a variety of 3D structural models. Abbreviations: NMR, nuclear magnetic resonance; NVR, nuclear vector replacement; RDC, residual dipolar coupling; 3D, three-dimensional; HSQC, heteronuclear single-quantum coherence; H N , amide proton; NOE, nuclear Overhauser effect; NOESY, nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy; dNN, nuclear Overhauser effect between two amide protons; MR, molecular replacement; SAR, structure activity relation; DOF, degrees of freedom; nt., nucleotides; SPG, Streptococcal protein G; SO(3), special orthogonal (rotation) group in 3D; EM, Expectation/Maximization; SVD, singular value decomposition.
Electromagnetic N-Δ transition in a light-cone quark model

Abstract The magnetic N-Δ transition form factor is calculated from a conserved current using relativistic three quark wave functions for the nucleon and Δ(1232). A gauge condition at q 2 = 0 is satisfied by orthogonality of the non-static N and Δ wave functions. The dominant M 1 transition form factor markedly improves by the inclusion of relativistic effects.
Hexavalent chromium and lung cancer in the chromate industry: a quantitative risk assessment.

The purpose of this investigation was to estimate excess lifetime risk of lung cancer death resulting from occupational exposure to hexavalent-chromium-containing dusts and mists. The mortality experience in a previously studied cohort of 2,357 chromate chemical production workers with 122 lung cancer deaths was analyzed with Poisson regression methods. Extensive records of air samples evaluated for water-soluble total hexavalent chromium were available for the entire employment history of this cohort. Six different models of exposure-response for hexavalent chromium were evaluated by comparing deviances and inspection of cubic splines. Smoking (pack-years) imputed from cigarette use at hire was included in the model. Lifetime risks of lung cancer death from exposure to hexavalent chromium (assuming up to 45 years of exposure) were estimated using an actuarial calculation that accounts for competing causes of death. A linear relative rate model gave a good and readily interpretable fit to the data. The estimated rate ratio for 1 mg/m 3 -yr of cumulative exposure to hexavalent chromium (as CrO3), with a lag of five years, was RR = 2.44 (95% CI = 1.54‐3.83). The excess lifetime risk of lung cancer death from exposure to hexavalent chromium at the current OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) (0.10 mg/m 3 ) was estimated to be 255 per 1,000 (95% CI: 109‐416). This estimate is comparable to previous estimates by U.S. EPA, California EPA, and OSHA using different occupational data. Our analysis predicts that current occupational standards for hexavalent chromium permit a lifetime excess risk of dying of lung cancer that exceeds 1 in 10, which is consistent with previous risk assessments.
Aspects of the Natural History of Neochlamisus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): Fecal Case-Associated Life History and Behavior, with a Method for Studying Insect Constructions

Leaf beetle taxa belonging to the Camptosomata use their fecal material to construct cases within which their larvae develop. Despite this intriguing behavior, the fine-scale natural history of very few camptosomates has been determined. Here, we present a highly detailed account of fecal case construction and associated behaviors and life history patterns in Neochlamisus casebearers. This study documents diverse elements of oviposition and egg case construction, larval development and case enlargement, pupal case formation, and adult maturation and emergence. Using an independently derived method, we further document temporal and spatial aspects of larval case architecture. Assays of 10 Neochlamisus taxa in the laboratory are supplemented with field observations in perhaps the single most comprehensive description of case-associated camptosomate biology.
The power of the imagined community: the settlement of undocumented Mexicans and Central Americans in the United States

Using logistic regression, this article tests the relative importance of the “imagined community” on the intentions of undocumented immigrants to stay in the United States. The argument is that, everything else being equal, imagining oneself as part of a local community is a powerful influence on settlement. If for whatever reason, an undocumented immigrant comes to this self‐perception, then he or she is likely to desire to stay in the community. The results clearly underscore the importance of feeling part of the community. Not only is the influence on the dependent variable statistically significant, but the odds ratio indicates that those who feel part of the local community are almost four times (Mexicans) or almost five times (Central Americans) as likely to intend to stay permanently in the United States as those who do not. 1994 American Anthropological Association
Molecular morphology of the chick heart visualized by MALDI imaging mass spectrometry

Utilization of MALDI-MS (matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry) for tissue imaging is a relatively new proteomic technique that simultaneously maps the spatial distribution of multiple proteins directly within a single frozen tissue section. Here, we report the development of a methodology to apply MALDI tissue imaging to chick heart tissue sections acquired from fixed and paraffin-embedded samples. This protocol produces molecular images that can be related to the high-quality histological tissue sections. Perfused term chick hearts were fixed in acidic ethanol and embedded in paraffin wax. Tissue sections (15 microm) were collected onto conductive slides, deparaffinized with xylene, and transitioned into water with graded ethanol washes and allowed to air dry. In separate experiments, three different MALDI matrices were applied to chick heart tissue sections through repeated cycles from a glass nebulizer. Tissue sections were then analyzed by MALDI mass spectrometry using a raster step-size of 75-100 microm, and molecular images for specific m/z ratios reconstituted. MALDI tissue imaging revealed spatially resolved protein signals within single heart sections that are specific to structures or regions of the heart, for example, vessels, valves, endocardium, myocardium, or septa. Moreover, no prior knowledge of protein expression is required as is the case for immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization methodologies. The ability to simultaneously localize a large number of unique protein signals within a single tissue section, with good preservation of histological features, provides cardiovascular researchers a new tool to give insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying normal and pathological conditions.
Energetics of larval swimming and metamorphosis in four species of Bugula (Bryozoa)

The amount of energy available to larvae dur- ing swimming, location of a suitable recruitment site, and metamorphosis influences the length of time they can spend in the plankton. Energetic parameters such as swimming speed, oxygen consumption during swimming and meta- morphosis, and elemental carbon and nitrogen content were measured for larvae of four species of bryozoans, Bugula neritina, B. simplex, B. stolonifera, and B. turrita. The larvae of these species are aplanktotrophic with a short free-swimming phase ranging from less than one hour to a maximum of about 36 hours. There is about a fivefold difference in larval volume among the four species, which scales linearly with elemental carbon content and, presum- ably, with the amount of endogenous reserves available for swimming and metamorphosis. Mean larval swimming speeds (in centimeters per second) were similar among species. Specific metabolic rate and larval size were in- versely related. For larvae of a given species, respiration rates remained similar for swimming and metamorphosis; however, because metamorphosis lasts about twice as long as a maximal larval swimming phase, it was more energet- ically demanding. Larger larvae expended more energy to complete metamorphosis than did smaller larvae, but in terms of the percentage of larval energy reserves consumed, swimming and metamorphosis were more "expensive" for smaller larvae. A comparison of the energy expended during larval swimming calculated on the basis of oxygen con- sumption and on the basis of elemental carbon decrease suggests that larvae of Bugula spp. may not use significant amounts of dissolved organic material (DOM) to supple- ment their endogenous energy reserves.
Patterns of gaming preferences and serious game effectiveness

According to the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), important predictors of system use include application-specific self-efficacy, ease of use, and perceived usefulness. Current work with the TAM includes extending the assessment framework to domains such as serious games as well as how other typically under-researched factors, such as gender, affect technology use. The current work reports on how there are gender differences in both game playing behaviors as well as general game genre preferences, offers implications for serious game designers regarding the development of effective learning interventions based on these differences, and finally suggests avenues for future research in this area.
Incremental Beliefs About Ability Ameliorate Self-Doubt Effects

Past research has typically shown negative effects of self-doubt on performance and psychological well-being. We suggest that these self-doubt effects largely may be due to an underlying assumption...
Explanatory Proofs and Beautiful Proofs

This paper concerns the relation between a proof’s beauty and its explanatory power — that is, its capacity to go beyond proving a given theorem to explaining why that theorem holds. Explanatory power and beauty are among the many virtues that mathematicians value and seek in various proofs, and it is important to come to a better understanding of the relations among these virtues. Mathematical practice has long recognized that certain proofs but not others have explanatory power, and this paper o↵ers an account of what makes a proof explanatory. This account is motivated by a wide range of examples drawn from mathematical practice, and the account proposed here is compared to other accounts in the literature. The concept of a proof that explains is closely intertwined with other important concepts, such as a brute force proof, a mathematical coincidence, unification in mathematics, and natural properties. Ultimately, this paper concludes that the features of a proof that would contribute to its explanatory power would also contribute to its beauty, but that these two virtues are not the same; a beautiful proof need not be explanatory.
Behavioral Responses of the Parasite, Apanteles melanoscelus, to Gypsy Moth Silk

Females of Apanteles melanoscelus (Ratzeburg), a braconid parasite of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), responded to silk deposited on leaves or artificially wrapped on filter paper by examining such areas intensely with their antennae. This examination behavior increased the parasite's chances of finding hosts. As few as 10 silk strands could be detected, and active silk components were not destroyed by aging or heating. Silk from other lepidopterous species was not nearly as effective as was gypsy moth silk. Water deactivated silk but organic solvents did not. Smears and water extracts of host silk glands released examination behavior especially when combined with water-deactivated silk. Conclusions are that water-soluble silk chemicals (kairomones) are important in the response of the parasite to silk, but water-insoluble chemicals and/or physical properties of the silk also influence the parasite's behavior.
Applying quasilinearization to the problem of flow through an annulus with porous walls of different permeability

The quasilinearization technique is employed to solve the nonlinear differential equations representing the boundary value problem of a fluid flow though an annulus with porous walls of different permeability. With very approximate starting values, only a few iterations are needed to obtain a result with very high accuracy. The results obtained by the perturbation technique are also obtained. The numerical results of both methods are compared.
Industrial Buyer Image of the Saleswoman

This study investigates the perception by purchasing agents of industrial salesmen and saleswomen on attributes that are important in determining buyer acceptance of the salesperson. Purchasing agents rated salesmen and saleswomen differently, but without discriminating against saleswomen.
Analysis of arrival rate of tuberculosis patients though direct network reporting in general hospitals in Liuzhou city area,Guangxi during 2009-2012

Objective The objective of this study is to evaluate the effective methods to improve the overall arrival rate of TB patients through the analysis of direct network reporting of report,referral,tracking,and admissions of confirmed and suspected TB patients in general hospitals in Liuzhou city area,Guangxi during 2009-2012.Method The report,referral,tracking,and overall arrival rate of confirmed and suspected TB patients in general hospitals in Liuzhou city area were analyzed through descriptive analysis of tracking registers and statistical reports from 2009-2012.Results The number of confirmed and suspected TB patients directly reported through network reporting were decreased year by year,but the rate of proper referral was increased from 20.28% to 60.36%.Of the admitted patients with active pulmonary TB,68.62% were first diagnosed in TB prevention agencies,and the rest 31.38% were in general hospitals.The rate of proper referral,the tracking readiness rate and the overall arrival rate were 45.61%,89.17% and 94.11%,respectively.Conclusion Remarkable results of improvement on the overall arrival rate of TB patients have been achieved in general hospitals in Liuzhou city area regarding the direct network reporting of referral and tracking of TB patients by policy support,technical training,supervision and inspection and the establishment of reward and punishment mechanism.
Comparison of results in endovascular interventions for infrainguinal lesions: claudication versus critical limb ischemia.

This study analyzed clinical success, patency, and limb salvage after endovascular repair in patients treated for chronic limb ischemia presenting with claudication versus critical limb ischemia. Between October 2001 and August 2004, 115 patients (mean age 71) underwent endovascular treatment for infrainguinal arterial disease. Techniques included subintimal angioplasty and transluminal angioplasty with or without stents. Lesions were classified according to Transatlantic InterSociety Consensus. Follow-up (mean 11 months) included physical exam, ankle-brachial index, and duplex ultrasound. Patency rates were determined using Kaplan-Meier and compared by log-rank analysis. One hundred ninety-nine lesions were treated in 121 limbs using percutaneous techniques. Comorbidities were similar except higher rates of diabetes mellitus (67% vs 41%, P < 0.001) and chronic renal insufficiency (22% vs 7%, P < 0.05) were found in critical limb ischemia patients. Primary patency for claudicants was 100 per cent, 98 per cent, and 85 per cent at 3, 6, and 12 months and 89 per cent, 80 per cent, and 72 per cent for critical limb ischemia, respectively (P = 0.06). Limb salvage was 91 per cent at 12 months for critical limb ischemia patients. Morbidity was similar between groups, and there was no perioperative mortality. Percutaneous intervention for both claudication and critical limb ischemia provides acceptable 12-month patency with limited morbidity.
Voluntary Resource Conservation and Environmental Management in Agriculture and Forestry

Voluntary programs have been used extensively to foster resource conservation and environmental improvements in the United States (US) agriculture and private forestry sectors of many developed countries. Their nonmandatory nature contrasts sharply with the regulatory approaches used in most other industries due to various political, technical, and economic factors. For example, agriculture has long enjoyed policies favoring voluntary incentives ever since resource conservation programs were introduced during the Great Depression Dust Bowl era. Furthermore, pollution flows from agricultural and forestry lands, such as fertilizer residues in water runoff from farm fields and sediment from harvested forest lands, generally do not have identifiable ‘point’ sources – making regulation technically infeasible or extremely costly. Voluntary programs usually grant farmers and foresters the flexibility to select practices that best fit their operations, offering the potential for improved efficacy and lower net cost. Despite their flexibility, evaluations of voluntary programs have found a mixed record of success. Their impacts and costs vary across operators depending upon the farmer's or forester's personal values, objectives, and resource situations. However, evaluations show a mixed record of success. Research has identified several lessons for improving voluntary program performance, for example targeting resources to priority problem areas. Current trends suggest more collaborations between non-profit organizations, industry and perhaps government, such as environmental certification schemes, will emerge.
Chapter 13 – Evolving Patterns of Work and Retirement

This chapter describes how the retirement patterns of older Americans have evolved since the turn of the last century. From the early 1900s to the mid-1980s, as the country grew more prosperous, Americans spent a portion of their increased wealth on additional leisure later in life in the form of earlier retirements. Since the mid-1980s, however, both older men and women have been working longer than prior trends would have predicted, largely in response to changes in economic incentives that favored work over leisure. The pathways to labor force exit have evolved as well. The stereotypical one-step view of retirement fails to capture the reality for most Americans, for whom retirement is not a single event, but rather a process. In the future, the strains of an aging society suggest that retirement patterns will continue to evolve, with continued work later in life playing a key role.
Performance analysis, quality function deployment and structured methods

Quality function deployment, (QFD), an approach to synthesizing several elements of system modeling and design into single unit, is presented. Behavioral, physical, and performance modeling are usually considered as separate aspects of system design without explicit linkages. Structured methodologies have developed linkages between behavioral and physical models before, but have not considered the integration of performance models. QFD integrates performance models with traditional structured models. In this method, performance requirements such as cost, weight, and detection range are partitioned into matrices. Partitioning is done by developing a performance model, preferably quantitative, for each requirement. The parameters of the model become the engineering objectives in a QFD analysis and the models are embedded in a spreadsheet version of the traditional QFD matrices. The performance model and its parameters are used to derive part of the functional model by recognizing that a given performance model implies some structure to the functionality of the system. >
Sonoluminescence and bubble stability

Ever since it was discovered that sound waves can cause an air bubble trapped in water to emit light, physicists and chemists have puzzled over the phenomenon of sonoluminescence. The sound waves cause the bubble to expand and contract, with short flashes of light being emitted the instant the bubble reaches its minimum radius. Single-bubble sonoluminescence was first observed in 1989 by the author as part of his PhD research at the University of Mississippi (see, for example, Physics World May 1998 p38).
Statistical Inference in Political Networks Research

Researchers interested in statistically modeling network data have a well-established and quickly growing set of approaches from which to choose. Several of these methods have been regularly applied in research on political networks, while others have yet to permeate the field. Here, we review the most prominent methods of inferential network analysis---both for cross-sectionally and longitudinally observed networks including (temporal) exponential random graph models, latent space models, the quadratic assignment procedure, and stochastic actor oriented models. For each method, we summarize its analytic form, identify prominent published applications in political science and discuss computational considerations. We conclude with a set of guidelines for selecting a method for a given application.
Mexican-origin adolescents' educational expectation trajectories: Intersection of nativity, sex, and socioeconomic status

Expectancy value theory and a cultural-ecological framework are integrated in this study to examine the trajectories of 246 Mexican-origin adolescents' (Mage = 12.52, SDage = 0.58; 51% girls, 62% U.S.-born) educational expectations across eight years. Findings from a multilevel growth model revealed that early adolescents expected to complete a post-bachelor's degree, but expectations declined in middle adolescence and improved in late adolescence. This pattern was more pronounced for immigrant, compared to U.S-born, adolescents. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with higher expectations. Boys and girls differed in their trajectories, such that boys showed a curvilinear trajectory and girls showed a stable trajectory. Nativity moderated these sex differences. Immigrant boys showed curvilinear trajectories that dipped in middle adolescence and immigrant girls showed a declining trajectory. In contrast, U.S.-born boys and girls showed linear and stable trajectories. The discussion addresses suggestions for targeted interventions with at-risk subgroups during a sensitive period in adolescence.
Critical Realism as a Sociomaterial Stream of Research

Niemimaa (2016) argues that agential realism (Barad 2003) represents a radical form of sociomateriality (Cecez-Kecmanovic et al. 2014a; Orlikowski and Scott 2008) and that critical realism (Bhaskar 1979; Bhaskar 1997) represents a conservative form of sociomateriality and attempts to bring to the foreground the differences in the approaches so as to avoid inappropriate "theoretical melanges." This response argues that critical realism is not properly part of the sociomaterial stream of research as it violates the five basic notions of sociomateriality (Jones 2014). It further suggests that given the criticisms of Mutch (2013) and Leonardi (2013) as confirmed by Scott and Orlikowski (2013) of Agential Realism represent significant issues that compromise the usefulness of agential realism for IS research. Nevertheless, it is important that whatever paradigm is chosen, it is important to use it faithfully to its meta-theoretical commitments.
Effect of dual ion beam irradiation (helium and deuterium) on tungsten–tantalum alloys under fusion relevant conditions

Abstract The selection of tungsten (W) as a divertor material in ITER is based on its high melting point, low erosion, and strong mechanical properties. However, continued investigation has shown W to undergo severe morphology changes in fusion-like conditions. Recent literature suggests alloying W with other ductile refractory metals, viz. tantalum (Ta) may resolve some of these issues. These results provide further motivation for investigating W–Ta alloys as a plasma-facing component (PFC) for ITER and future DEMO reactors. Specifically, how these alloy materials respond to simultaneous He+ and D+ ion irradiation, and what is the effect on the surface morphology when exposed to fusion relevant conditions. In the present study, the surface morphology changes are investigated in several W–Ta targets (pure W, W-1%Ta, W-3%Ta, and W-5% Ta) due to simultaneous He+ and D+ ion irradiations. This comprehensive work allows for deeper understanding of the synergistic effects induced by dual ion irradiation on W and W–Ta alloy surface morphology. Pure W and W–Ta alloys were irradiated simultaneously by 100 eV He+ and/or D+ ions at various mixture ratios (100% He+, 60% D+ + 40% He+, 90% D+ + 10% He+ ions and 100% D+ ions), having a total constant He fluence of 6 × 1024 ion m−2, and at a target temperature of 1223 K. This work shows that slight changes in materials composition and He/D content have significant impact on surface morphology evolution and performance. While both the pure W and W–Ta alloys exhibit very damaged surfaces under the He+ only irradiations, there is a clear suppression of the surface morphology evolution as the ratio of D+/He+ ions is increased.
Postoperative dental morbidity in children following dental treatment under general anesthesia

General anesthesia has been widely used in pediatric dentistry in recent years. However, there remain concerns about potential postoperative dental morbidity. The goal of this study was to identify the frequency of postoperative dental morbidity and factors associated with such morbidity in children. From March 2012 to February 2013, physically and mentally healthy children receiving dental treatment under general anesthesia at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry of the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan were recruited. This was a prospective and observational study with different time evaluations based on structured questionnaires and interviews. Information on the patient demographics, anesthesia and dental treatment performed, and postoperative dental morbidity was collected and analyzed. Correlations between the study variables and postoperative morbidity were analyzed based on the Pearson’s chi-square test. Correlations between the study variables and the scale of postoperative dental pain were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Fifty-six pediatric patients participated in this study, with an average age of 3.34 ± 1.66 years (ranging from 1 to 8 years). Eighty-two percent of study participants reported postoperative dental pain, and 23% experienced postoperative dental bleeding. Both dental pain and bleeding subsided 3 days after the surgery. Dental pain was significantly associated with the total number of teeth treated, while dental bleeding, with the presence of teeth extracted. Patients’ gender, age, preoperative dental pain, ASA classification, anesthesia time, and duration of the operation were not associated with postoperative dental morbidity. Dental pain was a more common postoperative dental morbidity than bleeding. The periods when parents reported more pain in their children were the day of the operation (immediately after the procedure) followed by 1 day and 3 days after the treatment.
Field Deaths in Plant Agriculture

We know that animals are harmed in plant production. Unfortunately, though, we know very little about the scale of the problem. This matters for two reasons. First, we can’t decide how many resources to devote to the problem without a better sense of its scope. Second, this information shortage throws a wrench in arguments for veganism, since it’s always possible that a diet that contains animal products is complicit in fewer deaths than a diet that avoids them. In this paper, then, we have two aims: first, we want to collect and analyze all the available information about animal death associated with plant agriculture; second, we try to show just how difficult it’s to come up with a plausible estimate of how many animals are killed by plant agriculture, and not just because of a lack of empirical information. Additionally, we show that there are significant philosophical questions associated with interpreting the available data—questions such that different answers generate dramatically different estimates of the scope of the problem. Finally, we document current trends in plant agriculture that cause little or no collateral harm to animals, trends which suggest that field animal deaths are a historically contingent problem that in future may be reduced or eliminated altogether.
Disability: Sociological Aspects

This article places disability in a global context; introduces the basic definitions, concepts, and meanings of disability; describes the distribution and causes of disability within and between nations; discusses the basic models for analyzing disability; analyzes disability as a social and cultural product; examines societal responses to disability, including social policy, and explores future trends in the field.
Investigation of genetic susceptibility to the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus between commercial breeding stock lines of pigs

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an enveloped RNA virus that is responsible for large financial losses in the swine industry worldwide. Control and prevention of PRRSV through traditional methods such as vaccination and biosecurity has proven to be difficult. It remains undetermined whether genetic variability in susceptibility to PRRSV exists and if this variability can be exploited to help control this important disease. The objective of this study was to determine if an in vitro PRRSV flow cytometry (FACS) assay designed to detect the percentage of PRRSV-infected monocytederived macrophages (MDMs) could be utilized to detect genetic variability in the susceptibility of pigs to PRRSV infection and/or severity of respiratory disease. Over 400 six-to-ten week old pigs, from six genetically distinct lines maintained in a single commercial breeding herd were screened using an in vitro FACS assay. From this initial screening, two genetically diverse lines of pigs that were also divergent in their FACS results were selected for further study, with Line A having a higher average percentage of infected MDMs in the FACS assay compared to Line B. An additional 264 pigs from these two lines were
The Fission Cross Sections of Plutonium-239 and Plutonium-242 Relative to Uranium-235 from 0.1 to 10 MeV

Measurement of the ratio of the fission cross sections of /sup 239/Pu and /sup 242/Pu to that of /sup 235/U is reported. The sources of neutrons were the /sup 7/Li(p,n)/sup 7/Be and D(d,n)/sup 3/He reactions. The ratio of the masses of the samples was determined by low geometry alpha counting and from relative thermal fission rates. The results are compared with other measurements. 19 references.