cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unchartered Territory: Market Competition's Constitutional Collision with Sex-Segregated Charter Schools

The Article analyzes how legally appropriate challenges to sex-segregated charter schools - entrepreneurial small businesses that are majority taxpayer financed - may inhibit the development of a more liquid educational marketplace, thereby stunting innovation.
Observations on Feeding, Nesting, and Territorial Behavior of Carpenter Bees Genus Xylocopa in Costa Rica

Biological observations are presented on 5 species of carpenter bees, genus Xylocopa, during the rainy months of June through September in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica. The foraging activities of 2 species are described. X. gualanensis Cockerell forages throughout the day, gathering nectar at the flowers of Delonix regia and pollen at the flowers of Crotalaria retusa. X. muscaria (F.) was found active at the flowers of a Solanum sp. only during the early morning hours. Circumstantial evidence suggests that this species may forage in the dark, before dawn. This species extracts pollen from the tubular anthers of the Solanum flowers by buzzing its wings and shaking the pollen grains from the anthers. Territorial behavior in the males of X. muscaria is reported for the first time. The nests and nest substrates are described and figured for X. fimbriata F., X. gualanensis, and X. subvirescens Cresson. These are the first nests known of the latter 2 species. The populations of Xylocopa species appear to be in the nonreproductive phases of their life cycles. No brood cells or provisioned nests were found. Examination of nest structures showed great variation in the numbers of tunnels present in each nest. Other features of the nests, such as entrance diameters and internal tunnel diameters, showed less variation with each species. The role of the plants of disturbed habitats in the maintainance of the bee populations during the nonbreeding rainy season is discussed.
Drug resistance of bacteria and isolated strains in air of wards

Objective: To understand the bacteria quantity in the air of wards and the drug resistance rates of gram positive coccus and gram negative bacilli isolated strains,and provide information for better empirical antibiotic therapy.Methods:We collected air samples before and post disinfection in the wards,carried out colony count,bacterial isolation,identification and susceptibility tests by the way of fixed point,time,operator.Results:The bacteria quantity of post disinfection was lower than that of before disinfection in the wards air samples significantly(P0.01).A total of 2720 samples were detected from Jan 2005 to Dec 2008,among them 305 strains were gram positive cocci and 257 strains were gram negative bacilli,the isolated rate was 21.40%.The resistance to vancomycin,vancomycin,dalfopristin of gram positive cocci was no significant change(P0.05),and the resistance to ciprofloxacin,rifampicin,clindamycin of gram positive cocci was raised significantly(P0.05);the resistance to imipenem,meropenem of gram negative bacilli was no significant change(P0.05),the resistance to ampicillin /sulbactam,piperacillin,ceftriaxone,sulfamethoxazole,cefuroxime,ciprofloxacin of gram negative bacilli was raised significantly(P0.05).The resistance rate of producing enzyme strains was higher than non producing enzyme strains.Conclusion:Producing enzyme strains ion can kill most bacteria effectively,and it was important to disinfect at fixed time.For the raising tendency to the rate of drug resistance by isolated starins,We suggestclincian to rational use antibiotics,followed result of drug susceptibility tests.
Signatures of Domain-General Categorization Mechanisms in Color Word Learning.

Learning color words is a difficult problem for young children. Because color is abstract, this difficulty has been attributed to challenges in integrating over heterogeneous objects to discover color as a dimension of reference. On this account, learning that color words refer to the color dimension is slow, but subsequently mapping these words to particular shades is fast. Recent work suggests an alternative: Children may rapidly identify color as a referential dimension, but only gradually discover the precise boundaries of each color word. This alternative proposal predicts that the learning mechanisms underlying the acquisition of color words should parallel those underlying the acquisition of concrete object categories. We test this prediction, finding that children’s performance in a color naming task is modulated by three factors that have previously been studied in category learning: input frequency, category size, and perceptual salience. Because it allows for precise psychophysical measurement of category properties, color presents a unique case study for investigating language acquisition and categorization more broadly.
Disorders of bone marrow production.

The most frequently encountered disturbances of bone marrow production are those of isolated red blood cell production (the hypoplastic anemias) and generalized bone marrow failure (aplastic anemia). Particular emphasis is placed on newer aspects of diagnosis, treatment, and pathogenesis.
Data reusers' trust development

Data reuse refers to the secondary use of data-not for its original purpose but for studying new problems. Although reusing data might not yet be the norm in every discipline, the benefits of reusing shared data have been asserted by a number of researchers, and data reuse has been a major concern in many disciplines. Assessing data for trustworthiness becomes important in data reuse with the growth in data creation because of the lack of standards for ensuring data quality and potential harm from using poor-quality data. This research explores many facets of data reusers' trust in data generated by other researchers focusing on the trust judgment process with influential factors that determine reusers' trust. The author took an interpretive qualitative approach by using in-depth semistructured interviews as the primary research method. The study results suggest different stages of trust development associated with the process of data reuse. Data reusers' trust may remain the same throughout their experiences, but it can also be formed, lost, declined, and recovered during their data reuse experiences. These various stages reflect the dynamic nature of trust.
Enzyme Inhibition and Inactivation

This chapter discusses enzyme inhibition, drug resistance and drug synergism, and reversible enzyme inhibitors. Enzyme inhibition is a promising approach for the rational discovery of new leads or drugs. Enzyme inhibitors are grouped into two general categories: reversible and irreversible inhibitors. In reversible inhibitor, noncovalent interactions are involved, while irreversible enzyme inhibitors involve a covalent bond. Enzyme inhibitors are often similar in molecular structure to substrates or products of the target enzyme. Consequently, lead compounds are readily obtained for enzyme targets. The mechanisms of resistance involve changes in the target site for antibiotic interaction because that confers resistance to all compounds with the same mechanism of action. When drugs are given in combination, their effects can be antagonistic, subadditive, additive, or synergistic. Drug synergism arises when the therapeutic effect of two or more drugs used in combination is greater than the sum of the effects of the drugs administered individually.
Diazatetracenes Derived from the Benzannulation of Acetylenes: Electronic Tuning via Substituent Effects and External Stimuli

Functionalized diazatetracenes are prepared using a new two-step sequence. The use of a dichlorobenzaldehyde in a Cu-catalyzed benzannulation of acetylenes provides functionalized dichloronaphthalenes that afford diazatetracenes using Buchwald–Hartwig aminations. This approach provides unique substitution patterns and rapid access to covalently linked dimeric diazatetracenes. Their electronic properties are characterized by UV–vis absorption/emission and cyclic voltammetry, revealing strong effects from both external stimuli by acid and internal substituent effects.
Narrative in Literature, Film, Video, and Painting: Theoretical and Practical Considerations of Their Relevance to Public Administration

The hallmark (or it may just as well be called the stigmata) of the field of Public Administration is its complexity. It comprises far more than the study of management and organization and the technical processes that go with this. Confronted with this degree of complexity, public administration has typically taken a catholic approach to its studies, drawing inspiration, concepts and research information from every corner of philosophy, social sciences, technical fields, and any other area of knowledge that seems to have relevance. It is in this light that I want to discuss some theoretical and practical considerations relating to the narrative aspects of literature (primarily novels), film, video and painting. I wish to consider these as resources for both theory construction and research design and for introducing students to the realitites that the field entails.
Introduction and Structure of the Volume

This introductory chapter provides a summary description of key developments in the neurosciences and biomedical sciences that have compelled the topic of the volume—neural and cognitive markers. The emergence of “omics” disciplines is described—where large or complex data sets are deciphered with bioinformatics methods in a systems biology framework. The developments of phenomics in the context of genome-to-phenome mapping, connectomics in neuroscience, and Research Domain Criteria in psychiatry are then staged, as is the current research-scientific environment, characterized by data repositories and knowledge discovery systems. The central point converged upon is that the impact of systems biology necessitates that the clinical and behavioral neurosciences delineate cognitive and neural systems in a manner that can be integrated with broader scientific frameworks. This chapter also explains the volume’s adoption of the umbrella term “neurophenotype” and provides an operating definition of the term. The two-part structure of the volume is then laid out with the topic of each chapter summarized.
A Brief History of Uncertainty in Medical Genetics and Genomics

Uncertainty is a fact of life, and we all must cope with it in many different settings. More and more frequently, those of us in medical genetics and genomics must deal with uncertainty. My thesis is that, as our abilities to examine the human genome at ever more refined levels increase, so does the likelihood of encountering uncertainty as to the meaning of the information. The notion that uncertainty increases in some direct proportion to knowledge is far from confined to genetics and genomics. The leaders of the Age of Discovery (1450–1550) taught us that. To some degree, the notion of uncertainty in medical genetics has been formally recognized, even studied, over the decades. Examining the history of this concept can shed light on its status today, how we might confront and deal with uncertainty and what the future might hold. The era of precision medicine is here to stay. The concept holds great promise for directing specific therapy to patients who will most benefit from it and avoiding treatments in patients who are most likely to suffer adverse consequences or at best not benefit. But its application depends importantly on the proper interpretation of a person’s genotype, as well as the clinical validity and utility of the genotype in a specific setting. Moreover, this evolution is taking place in a setting in which most health professionals are highly insecure in their knowledge of genetics, genomics, decision analysis and other relevant fields.
ATP Binding Cassette Sub-family Member 2 (ABCG2) and Xenobiotic Exposure During Early Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation.

BACKGROUND ATP binding cassette sub-family member 2 (ABCG2) is a well-defined efflux transporter found in a variety of tissues. The role of ABCG2 during early embryonic development, however, is not established. Previous work which compared data from the ToxCast screening program with that from in-house studies suggested an association exists between exposure to xenobiotics that regulate Abcg2 transcription and differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC), a relationship potentially related to redox homeostasis. METHODS mESC were grown for up to 9 days. Pharmacological inhibitors were used to assess transporter function with and without xenobiotic exposure. Proliferation and differentiation were evaluated using RedDot1 and quantiative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. ABCG2 activity was assessed using a Pheophorbide a-based fluorescent assay. Protein expression was measured by capillary-based immunoassay. RESULTS ABCG2 activity increased in differentiating mESC. Treatment with K0143, an inhibitor of ABCG2, had no effect on proliferation or differentiation. As expected, mitoxantrone and topotecan, two chemotherapeutics, displayed increased toxicity in the presence of K0143. Exposure to K0143 in combination with chemicals predicted by ToxCast to regulate ABCG2 expression did not alter xenobiotic-induced toxicity. Moreover, inhibition of ABCG2 did not shift the toxicity of either tert-Butyl hydroperoxide or paraquat, two oxidative stressors. CONCLUSION As previously reported, ABCG2 serves a protective role in mESC. The role of ABCG2 in regulating redox status, however, was unclear. The hypothesis that ABCG2 plays a fundamental role during mESC differentiation or that regulation of the receptor by xenobiotics may be associated with altered mESC differentiation could not be supported. Birth Defects Research, 110:35-47, 2018. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Understanding the Highs and Lows of Adolescent Marijuana Use.

The latest report from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that rates of marijuana use in the past month among 12- to 17-year-olds decreased by 0.5% between 2015 and 2016.1 Supporters of marijuana legalization have interpreted these new data to strengthen the claim that legalization is not associated with increases in adolescent marijuana use.2 Data from large, national studies are important but offer only a single, narrow view of the big picture. We now have more than 4 decades of national survey data showing shifts in the patterns of adolescent substance use over time. Data from the Monitoring the Future survey illustrate that the proportion of students who report no lifetime use of alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana has steadily increased from a low of 2.9% who denied any use in 1983 to 25% in 2013.3 This enormous and largely unnoticed public health success represents a cultural shift away from substance use overall. That is the good news. In the 1980s, the rates of student use of alcohol, … Address correspondence to Sharon Levy, MD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: sharon.levy{at}childrens.harvard.edu
Pharmacists implementing transitions of care in inpatient, ambulatory and community practice settings

*Objective: To introduce pharmacists to the process, challenges, and opportunities of creating transitions of care (TOC) models in the inpatient, ambulatory, and community practice settings. Methods: TOC literature and resources were obtained through searching PubMed, Ovid, and GoogleScholar. The pharmacist clinicians, who are the authors in this manuscript are reporting their experiences in the development, implementation of, and practice within the TOC models. Results: Pharmacists are an essential part of the multidisciplinary team and play a key role in providing care to patients as they move between health care settings or from a health care setting to home. Pharmacists can participate in many aspects of the inpatient, ambulatory care, and community pharmacy practice settings to implement and ensure optimal TOC processes. This article describes establishing the pharmacist’s TOC role and practicing within multiple health care settings. In these models, pharmacists focus on medication reconciliation, discharge counseling, and optimization of medications. Additionally, a checklist has been created to assist other pharmacists in developing the pharmacist’s TOC roles in a practice environment or incorporating more TOC elements in their practice setting.
Read the Masters

It is as good an idea to read the masters now as it was in Abel’s time. The best mathematicians know this and do it all the time. Unfortunately, students of mathematics normally spend their early years using textbooks (which may be, but usually aren’t, written by masters) and taking lecture courses which are self-contained and make little or no reference to the primary literature of the subject. The students are left to discover on their own the wisdom of Abel’s advice. In this they are being cheated.
Novel method for measuring a dense 3D strain map of robotic flapping wings

Measuring dense 3D strain maps of the inextensible membranous flapping wings of robots is of vital importance to the field of bio-inspired engineering. Conventional high-speed 3D videography methods typically reconstruct the wing geometries through measuring sparse points with fiducial markers, and thus cannot obtain the full-field mechanics of the wings in detail. In this research, we propose a novel system to measure a dense strain map of inextensible membranous flapping wings by developing a superfast 3D imaging system and a computational framework for strain analysis. Specifically, first we developed a 5000 Hz 3D imaging system based on the digital fringe projection technique using the defocused binary patterns to precisely measure the dynamic 3D geometries of rapidly flapping wings. Then, we developed a geometry-based algorithm to perform point tracking on the precisely measured 3D surface data. Finally, we developed a dense strain computational method using the Kirchhoff–Love shell theory. Experiments demonstrate that our method can effectively perform point tracking and measure a highly dense strain map of the wings without many fiducial markers.
Respite care services for children with special healthcare needs: Parental perceptions.

Purpose Parents of children with special healthcare needs may become overwhelmed with the ongoing caregiving needs of their children. Caring for a child with special healthcare needs is often challenging, requiring specialized training in many cases. As a result, parents can struggle to find qualified caregivers capable of providing them a break from the 24/7 care of their child. Respite care programs are designed to provide caregivers with a much-needed temporary break. The purpose of this study was to examine parental perceptions of utilizing a respite care program. Design and methods Twenty-two parents who had a child with special healthcare needs who attended a Midwestern respite care program completed a Participant Characteristic Form addressing their experiences caring for their child with special healthcare needs and using respite care services. Parents participated in a focus group (N = 4) to explore their perceptions and experiences of respite care participation. Multistage thematic analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results Themes emerging from the data included: Constant care demands; It is just so stressful; Respite is a gift, we get a break; Respite program "fit"; and Respite is their special time too. Parents emphasized the benefits of respite care for their marital relationship, as well as the benefits to the children with special healthcare needs and their siblings. Parents also described the importance of tailoring respite care to the unique needs of their family. Practice implications Nurses and other healthcare professionals play a critical role in addressing the unmet respite care needs of parents of children with special healthcare needs by identifying unmet needs and making appropriate referrals to services that will meet the unique needs of the family. Healthcare professionals can also volunteer with existing programs to help expand access to respite care services and increase the availability of adequately trained respite care providers whom parents can trust to provide for the complex healthcare needs of their children.
Imitation (In)Security: Cultivating Mimetic Theory to Critique the Media/Security Nexus

Contemporary media culture frequently associates security with imitation. This essay theorizes critique of related textuality within the contemporary “media/security nexus.” It advocates for enhanced usage of mimetic theory to critique media representation of security, as that condition is pursued through cultural practices of adaptation, disguise, and simulation. Two competing traditions of mimetic theory are reviewed, along with their appropriations in the fields of media studies and security studies. Four benefits are proposed for mimetic critique of “media/security.” The essay concludes by considering the ethical and political stakes of this critique.
GWAS of 19,629 individuals identifies novel genetic variants for regional brain volumes and refines their genetic co-architecture with cognitive and mental health traits

Abstract Volumetric variations of human brain are heritable and are associated with many brain-related complex traits. Here we performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and post-GWAS analyses of 101 brain volumetric phenotypes using the UK Biobank (UKB) sample including 19,629 participants. GWAS identified 287 independent SNPs exceeding genome-wide significance threshold of 4.9*10−10, adjusted for testing multiple phenotypes. Gene-based association study found 142 associated genes (113 new) and functional gene mapping analysis linked 122 more genes. Many of the discovered genetic variants have previously been implicated with cognitive and mental health traits (such as cognitive performance, education, mental disease/disorders), and significant genetic correlations were detected for 29 pairs of traits. The significant SNPs discovered in the UKB sample were supported by a joint analysis with other four independent studies (total sample size 2,192), and we performed a meta-analysis of five samples to provide GWAS summary statistics with sample size larger than 20,000. Using genome-wide polygenic risk scores prediction, up to 4.36% of phenotypic variance (p-value=2.97*10−22) in the four independent studies can be explained by the UKB GWAS results. In conclusion, our study identifies many new genetic variants at SNP, locus and gene levels and advances our understanding of the pleiotropy and genetic co-architecture between brain volumes and other traits.
When should children have their eyes checked

Timely screening for the early detection of eye and vision problems in children is vital to avoid lifelong visual impairment. Early detection provides the best opportunity for effective treatment. Organizations devoted to the health and well-being of children have issued recommendations or policy statements regarding the timing of eye screenings and examinations. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS), American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), American Association of Certified Orthoptists (AACO), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recommend screening at birth and all well-child visits. The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that vision examinations begin at 6 months of age. All children found to have an ocular abnormality or who fail vision assessment should be referred to an eye care specialist trained to treat pediatric patients.
Communicating Culture Consistently: Evidence from Banks

Corporate culture is integral to business success, yet identifying when culture is misaligned with aspiration is challenging. This study shows a simple mechanism -- communicating culture consistently -- is linked to value creation. Using novel data from 300 U.S. banks reveals that the majority inconsistently communicate their cultural values across stakeholders (employees, investors, the community). Yet the banks that communicate consistently have better operating and stock performance. Employing an instrumental variables strategy that exploits unscripted moments from executives and evaluating placebo effects for traditional loans suggests the positive influence of culture stems from aligning expectations when unforeseen events arise.
A Component-Centric Approach to Structural Analysis of Mechanisms

Structural analyses of mechanisms with components that move relative to each other provide a unique problem to the analyst building and running structural models. In these situations, the analyst usually has to either simplify the problem to a point where the results are unusable or maintain multiple models, which will take more effort to maintain and more resources to run the models. If a mechanism is simplified down to just analyzing one component at a time without regard for the other components in the system, the results will not be accurate because the loading effects of the other components will not be accounted for. In cases where all the components are included in the model the loading effects from the other components will be accounted for, however, a separate model will be required for each position. This paper presents a method of breaking down the complex mechanism into a component level model for each part of the assembly, while still accounting for all loading effects of the other components; in the Pivot Method the component under analysis stays stationary and the loading moves around the component to represent the different positions that it can take.In order to accomplish this task, a simplified model is used to generate loads at each of the joints. Once the pivot loads are known, a spreadsheet can be used to transform the loads to a coordinate system in which the individual component is being modeled. With the pivot loads known and all the loads transformed into the proper coordinate system the structural analysis of the component under investigation can continue.The intention of this paper is to introduce the Pivot Method and to demonstrate that it provides a good trade off between both the complexity of methods that model the assembly as a system, and those that focus on the component under question alone. To accomplish this, the analysis results of the Pivot Method models will be compared to results obtained from other methods, with the intention of showing that the Pivot Method will provide the same results while requiring less effort to model and less resources to run.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Dynamic analysis and qft-based robust control design of a coaxial micro-helicopter

This paper presents the dynamic behavior of a coaxial micro-helicopter, under Quantitative Feedback Theory (QFT) control. The flight dynamics of autonomous air vehicles (AAVs) with rotating rings is non-linear and complex. Then, it becomes necessary to characterize these non-linearities for each flight configuration, in order to provide these autonomous air vehicles (AAVs) with autonomous flight and navigation capabilities. Then, the nonlinear model is linearized around the operating point using some assumptions. Finally, a robust QFT control law over the coaxial micro-helicopter is applied to meet some specifications. QFT (quantitative feedback theory) is a control law design method that uses frequency domain concepts to meet performance specifications while managing uncertainty. This method is based on the feedback control when the plant is uncertain or when uncertain disturbances are affecting the plant. The QFT design approach involves conventional frequency response loop shaping by manipulating the gain variable with the poles and zeros of the nominal transfer function. The design process is accomplished by using MATLAB environment software.
Laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy, long and short-term impact on weight loss and associated co-morbidities

The laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy (LVSG) has become the most popular operation for the treatment of morbid obesity in the United States. Being a purely restrictive procedure, the LVSG works to reduce the caloric intake of patients as well as decrease appetite through removal of ghrelin producing cells. Initially developed as the first part of a combined two step restrictive and malabsorptive procedure, the LVSG developed as a standalone procedure when patients lost significant weight with the restrictive portion of the operation alone. Short term outcomes have been promising in terms of weight loss and resolution of comorbid conditions. Long term outcomes are still evolving, but do demonstrate durable weight loss for a significant number of patients. Concerns with the LVSG in the long term revolve around development or worsening of gastroesophageal reflux disease or weight regain. The LVSG has been demonstrated to be a useful tool in the surgical management of morbid obesity.
Exposing Bias through a Deficit Thinking Lens Using Content-Analysis of Macro Level Policies

Educational policies can affect students in a negative or positive way depending on the context and interpretation within the policy. Unfortunately, deficit thinking policies exist that prevent all students from receiving equitable learning experiences. This study focuses on a content analysis approach to expose deficit thinking vocabulary or language that maybe embedded at the macro-level of educational policy. The article is intended to make policymakers aware of their own biases when creating policies. The study aims to provide ways to identify and address thinking by examining the vocabulary and language within macro-level policies.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging-Based Analysis of Baseline Neurocognitive Function and Posttreatment White Matter Changes in Pediatric Patients With Craniopharyngioma Treated With Surgery and Proton Therapy.

Purpose To determine the preirradiation baseline association of white matter integrity with neurocognitive function and to assess posttreatment changes in pediatric patients with craniopharyngioma treated with proton therapy. Methods and Materials Ninety children and adolescents (2-20 years old) with craniopharyngioma were treated with proton therapy (54 Gy[RBE]) in a prospective therapeutic trial. Neurocognitive performance at the postoperative baseline before proton therapy and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data acquired at baseline and at annual follow-up were analyzed. Tract-based spatial statistics and structural connectomics were used to derive global and local white matter features from DTI. Baseline DTI features were compared for patients with average and below-average neurocognitive performance. Longitudinal DTI data were analyzed to determine the proton dose effect on white matter structures in relation to the irradiated brain volume and baseline age. Results Before proton therapy, patients with below-average working memory, processing speed, verbal fluency, verbal learning, or fine motor dexterity exhibited more globally degraded white matter structures compared with their counterparts with average performance, as indicated by lower mean fractional anisotropy, decreased global efficiency, or higher modularity. Surgery, obstructive hydrocephalus, and preoperative hypothalamic involvement appeared to be related to this degradation. In local analyses, tract-based spatial statistics revealed left-lateralized associations with verbal and motor functions, which supported surgical approaches to midline tumors via the right hemisphere. The mean fractional anisotropy of the brain and the global efficiency derived from DTI increased over the 5 years after proton therapy. The rate of increase was lower with larger irradiated brain volumes and in older children. Conclusions Below-average baseline neurocognitive performance in patients with craniopharyngioma before proton therapy appeared to be related to structural degradation of white matter tracts. Posttherapy longitudinal DTI showed improving trends in global integrity and efficiency measures, particularly in children in whom a smaller brain volume was irradiated.
Lidar Optical Architectures with Digital Micromirror Devices

Lidar optical architectures employing Digital Micromirror Devices provide unique features such as low mechanical inertia, a large aperture area, fast scanning speed, and a high efficiency in beam steering.
Numerical Study of Critical Liquid Droplets Using Density Functional Theory for 2D Lattice Gas with Short-Range Interactions

The method of density functional theory (DFT) was used to create a simulation of a droplet inside a supersaturated vapor. This DFT model was based on a two-dimensional lattice structure with short-range interactions. Closest and second-closest neighbor interactions were included. An iterative numerical procedure was used to solve the DFT equation for the density profile of a critical liquid droplet. Droplets of different radii for a wide range of chemical potentials above coexistence were simulated. Surface tension was found to approach a maximum for a planar liquid-vapor interface as droplet radius increased at a constant temperature. Dependencies of surface tension on the radius shifted as temperature changed.
A Mental Health Literacy Approach to Supporting First-Generation Community College Student Mental Health: The REDFLAGS Model:

Objective:First-generation community college students face unique risks for mental health distress, which can place them at risk for attrition and a myriad of other negative consequences. The aim o...
Global Trade Sovereignty and Subnational Autonomy

Over the past 50 years, and particularly during the past decade, nations have sought to expand international commerce by removing trade barriers, both the physical and procedural variety at border crossings, as well as substantive laws and regulations that restrict equal access of firms in one nation to the markets of another. Any international trade agreement restricts national sovereignty and local autonomy, particularly laws and regulations related to food, agriculture, environment, resource management, health, and economic development. International trade agreements typically seek to remove discrimination between local origin products and services and those from others. Some trade agreements protect local rules through selective exceptions or reservations. It remains to be seen whether the emerging international law undergirding trade will improve or undermine democracy at the state and local levels.
The process e+e− → qqγ and the electric charge of colored quarks

Abstract Measurements involving more than one photon may determine the individual charges of colored quarks rather than the color-averaged value measured, for example, by the R-value in e + e − → hadrons. We investigate the process e + e − → q q γ and find that ∅-distributions, where ∅ is the azimuthal angle of the quark with respect to the γ-momentum, are very sensitive to the charge assignments of colored quarks. We study experimental implications and make comparisons with the process qq → qqγ, taking place in hadron collision experiments.
Public Disputes about Risky Technologies Stakeholders and Arenas

On their way to social acceptance, many technologies experience periods of public concern, controversy, and social opposition. Sometimes these responses to technologies are short episodes, motivated by naive fears or esoteric values of a small segment of the public. As in the case of religious opposition to the implementation of lightning rods (see Mazur, 1981) these episodes may be a little more than amusing footnotes in the history of an ultimately successful technology. In other cases, the public responses may swell to a strong social movement against the technology that leads to its disruption, halting, or eventual abandonment. Water fluoridation, nuclear power, and the SST are recent examples of technologies suffering this fate (see Lawless. 1977; Mazur. 1981; Nelkin, 1979).
Factor analyzing the "ASK" cultural competency self-assessment scale for child protective services

Abstract This study explored the development of a short version of “ASK” (Attitude–Skills–Knowledge) Scale — a tool for caseworkers and supervisors self-assessing cultural competency in a training context. The goal was to determine the validity and reliability of the 97-item long form and find factors to consolidate the items to create a shorter tool for training and practice use. In a state project, 171 caseworkers and supervisors rated the level of importance of 97 areas of attitudes, skills, and knowledge competency in terms of self-assessing their readiness to work in a culturally diverse environment. Attitude, skill, and knowledge domains of the instrument were tested with high reliability (.93 for the 30 “attitude” items, .95 for the 40 “skill” items, and .92 for the 27 “knowledge” items). Factor analyses indicate that this scale can be efficiently applied to categorize the 30 attitude items into eight factors, the 40 skill items into nine factors, and the 27 knowledge items into seven factors. With these 24 factors, a short ASK version was constructed for future research to encourage continuous self-assessment.
Functional outcomes of intramuscular botulinum toxin type A in the upper limbs of children with cerebral palsy: a phase II trial.

Abstract Wallen MA, O'Flaherty SJ, Waugh M-CA. Functional outcomes of intramuscular botulinum toxin type A in the upper limbs of children with cerebral palsy: a phase II trial. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004;85:192–200. Objective To describe the functional and family-centered assessment protocol and outcomes of a phase II trial evaluating upper-limb function after botulinum toxin injections in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Design Intervention study, case series, phase II trial, follow-up at 2 weeks and 3 and 6 months. Setting Specialist outpatient physical disabilities clinic within a public pediatric teaching hospital. Participants Convenience sample of 16 children with CP (age range, 2–12y). Interventions Botulinum toxin type A (Botox) injections after electrical stimulation localization of appropriate muscle. Main outcome measures The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), Goal Attainment Scale (GAS), Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function, Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ), parent questionnaire, Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Tardieu scale, and active (AROM) and passive (PROM) range of motion. Results On the COPM, there was significant improvement at 3 months and 6 months. On the GAS, the T-scores were 42 and 47 at 3 and 6 months, respectively. On the Melbourne Assessment and CHQ, there was no significant change. The parent questionnaire indicated acceptability of injections and positive outcomes. On the MAS, there was a significant reduction in tone at 2 weeks, with a return to baseline by 6 months. On the Tardieu scale, there was a significant increase in angle of first catch at 2 weeks, but only the elbow maintained a significant difference at 3 and 6 months. No significant change was found for AROM or PROM. Conclusions Sustained functional outcomes occurred after botulinum toxin injections despite increasing muscle tone after an initial reduction in tone. Randomized controlled trials are required.
Police organizational factors, the racial composition of the police, and the probability of arrest

While past research has considered the effects of police organizational characteristics on various outcomes, including arrest rates, relatively little research has explored the role of the racial composition of the police and its association with race‐specific arrest rates. Furthermore, no research has explored the association between arrest probabilities for Black and White offenders and police organizational factors. Using data from the 2000 National Incident‐Based Reporting System (NIBRS), the 2000 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS), and the 2000 decennial Census, the present exploratory study employs multilevel modeling to examine the association between police organizational factors including the percentage of the police force that is Black and arrest probabilities for offenders involved in 19,099 aggravated assaults and 100,859 simple assaults across 105 small cities. Results show that for simple assaults, the relative size of the Black police force is associated with t...
Superfluid 3He—the Early Days

A history is given of liquid 3He research from the time when 3He first became available following World War II through 1972 when the discovery of the superfluid phases was made. The Fermi liquid nature was established early on, and the Landau Fermi liquid theory provided a framework for understanding the interactions between the Fermions (quasiparticles). The theory’s main triumph was to predict zero sound, which was soon discovered experimentally. Experimental techniques are treated, including adiabatic demagnetization, dilution refrigerator technology, and Pomeranchuk cooling. A description of the superfluid 3He discovery experiments using the latter two of these techniques is given. While existing theories provided a basis for understanding the newly discovered superfluid phases in terms of l>0 Cooper pairs, the unexpected stability of the A phase in the high-P, high-T region of the phase diagram needed for its explanation a creative leap beyond the BCS paradigm. The use of sum rules to interpret some of the unusual magnetic resonance in liquid 3He is discussed. Eventually a complete theory of the spin dynamics of superfluid 3He was developed, which predicted many of the exciting phenomena subsequently discovered.
Application of the method of caustics under mixed-mode loading in elastic-plastic materials

Abstract The method of caustics or shadow spot is investigated under general surface deformations. It is shown that a sufficient condition for self-similar caustic is the separability of the radial and tangential dependence of the deformation field. The application of the method of caustics in determining the characterizing parameters in combined mode HRR fields is investigated.
Subsurface Drip and Overhead Irrigation Effects on Conservation-tilled Cotton in the San Joaquin Valley

Conservation cropping systems are being developed for cotton (Gossypium spp.) traditionally grown on raised beds with several soil-disturbing tillage passes in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) of California, USA. Overhead (OH) irrigation and subsurface drip irrigation (SSDI) systems are water-conserving techniques being tested with reduced tillage in the SJV. However, crop growth, yield, microclimate, and pest population dynamics in these systems have not been documented. A field study was conducted in 2011 and 2012 at Five Points, Calif., to evaluate the difference between the two irrigation systems. Cotton cv. Phytogen 725 RF was no-till planted into wheat residue. In both years, the soil surfaces in the OH plots were 1° to 2°C cooler and 5% to 15% wetter than the SSDI plots. These differences had no effect on crop growth, development, yield, or quality, but weed densities and biomass were lower in the SSDI than in the OH in both years. However, the SSDI plots had more spider mites (Tetranychus sp.) than th...
Mechanistic studies on transcorneal permeation of pilocarpine

The mechanism of corneal pilocarpine penetration was studied in the albino rabbit using radiochemical techniques. The apparent rate and extent of pilocarpine accumulation in the aqueous humor and the various cell layers of the cornea were determined for both intact and abraded eyes. For the first time, drug levels were monitored in the epithelium and stroma-endothelium of the intact cornea using a tissue-scraping technique. In addition, a new postinstillation rinsing method was devised to evaluate the rate of corneal uptake. The results demonstrate a dual role for the corneal epithelium, both as a barrier to drug penetration and as a reservoir for drug in the intact cornea. The transcorneal pilocarpine flux is slower than the data appear to indicate, and previous overestimates of the apparent absorption rate constant are due to parallel elimination processes occurring at the absorption site. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined for each tissue to generate an overall mechanism for corneal permeation.
Influence of glucagon-like peptide-1 on β cell responsiveness

Abstract The postulated incretin factor glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) causes a glucose-dependent increase in insulin secretion from perifused rat islets. In the presence of 6 mM glucose the response to 10 nM GLP-1 is characterized by a large initial spike of secretion, followed by a brief, slowly rising phase. However, after 30–40 min of stimulation, this phase subsides to prestimulatory secretory rates. Raising the glucose level to 8 mM, however, amplifies and sustains the stimulatory effect of 10 nM GLP-1. The response to GLP-1 (10 nM) in the presence of 8 mM glucose is abolished by the metabolic inhibitor mannoheptulose (15 mM), and reduced by the calcium channel antagonist nitrendipine (5 μM), or the protein kinase C inhibitor of staurosporine (20 nM). A significant synergistic effect of GLP-1 (10 nM) and 10 μM carbachol, a cholinergic agonist, on insulin secretion was observed in the presence of 6 mM glucose. In the presence of either 6 or 8 mM glucose, GLP-1 (10 nM) has no significant effect on glucose usage or on inositol phosphate generation in [ 3 H]inositol prelabeled islets. The results support the concept that GLP-1 may function as an important physiologic incretin factor, particularly when accompanied by agonists that activate phosphoinositide hydrolysis.
Analytics-based optimization for smart grid operations

Considering near-real-time data available on the smart grid, analytics can be used to determine the best-case scenario for optimal and reliable distribution of power. However, the distributed integration of renewable sources and demand response adds complexity to the modeling, control and optimization of smart grid operations. Latest concepts aim for using new model-based computational intelligence; that requires a combination of capabilities for system optimization, stochastic power flow, system state prediction, and solution checking. The statistical model-based optimization for developing dynamic, stochastic, computationally efficient, and scalable platforms is intended in this paper. Furthermore, an analytics-based optimization is proposed to the optimal reactive power dispatch considering load variations. This illustration uses analytics obtained from empirical modeling of recorded load data.
Preferences of rats given early temporal auditory patterns.

-2 experimental groups ( N = 32) of albino rats were reared with one of 2 auditory patterns for 40 days and subsequently tested on their preferences for either their rearing pattern or another partern. A control group (N = 16) was reared with white noise for 40 days and also tested for preference of the two experimental patterns. Data indicated that rearing with a particular auditory pattern did not significantly increase the preference for this pattern compared to the results of a control group not exposed to this pattern.
Heating from continuous number density measurements in optical lattices

We explore the effects of continuous number density measurement on atoms in an optical lattice. By integrating a master equation for quantum observables, we calculate how single-particle correlations decay. We consider weakly and strongly interacting bosons and noninteracting fermions. Even in the Mott regime, such measurements destroy correlations and increase the average energy, as long as some hopping is allowed. We explore the role of spatial resolution and find that the heating rate is proportional to the amount of information gained from such measurements.