cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rates of aminoacyl-tRNA selection at 29 sense codons in vivo

We have placed aminoacyl-tRNA selection at individual codons in competition with a frameshift that is assumed to have a uniform rate. By assaying a reporter in the shifted frame, relative rates for association of the 29 YNN codons and their cognate aminoacyl-tRNAs were obtained during logarithmic growth in Escherichia coli. For five codons, three beginning with C and two with U, these relative rates agree with relative in vitro rates for elongation factor Tu-mediated aminoacyl-tRNA binding to ribosomes and subsequent GTP hydrolysis. Therefore, the frameshift assay probably measures this process in vivo. Observed rates for aminoacyl-tRNA selection span a 25-fold range. Therefore, the time required to transit different codons in vivo probably differs substantially. Codons very frequently used in highly expressed genes generally select aminoacyl-tRNAs more quickly than do rarely used codons. This suggests that speed of aminoacyl-tRNA selection is a significant factor determining biased use of synonymous codons. However, the preferential use of codons appears to be marked only for codons with the highest rates of aminoacyl-tRNA selection. Rapid selection in vivo is usually effected by elevation of the tRNA concentration for codons with moderate intrinsic speed (rate constant), not by choosing intrinsically fast codons. Despite a preference for high rate, there are quickly translated codons that are not commonly used, and common codons that are translated relatively slowly. Other factors are therefore more important than speed for some codons. Strong preference for rapid aminoacyl-tRNA selection is not observed in weakly expressed genes. Instead, there is a slight preference for slower aminoacyl-tRNA selection. The rate of aminoacyl-tRNA selection by a YNC codon is always greater than the rate of the corresponding YNU codon even though in many YNC/U pairs both codons react with the same elongation factor Tu/GTP/aminoacyl-tRNA complex. Thus, for these tRNAs, the differences between in vivo rate constants of tRNAs are dependent on the nature of anticodon base-pairing. However, no more general relationship is evident between codon/ anticodon composition and rate of aminoacyl-tRNA selection. The frameshift method can be extended to all codons.
Some Factors Influencing Quality in Gelatin and the use of the Fermentation Test as an Index of Bacterial Contamination

The consideration of quality of gelatin involves two large general questions. First, that the gelatin be free from metals and other substances injurious to health. Second, that it have a low bacterial content, free from undesirable organisms, a clear color, desirable odor, pleasant taste, low acidity and high jelly strength or water absorbing quality. The first of these questions is well taken care of by the Federal and State laws and are such that it is relatively easy for the gelatin manufacturer to comply with. I t is but recently that much attention has been paid to the second question and interest is increasing, especially in regard to bacterial content and jellying powers. The second question is what is to be considered in this paper. Fifteen samples of gelatin were secured in 5-pound lots from gelatin manufacturers, the object of the purchase was unknown to them. The total bacterial count was determined upon standard nutrient agar plus 1 per cent of lactose. The colon count determined upon the medium recommended by Ayers and Rupp. The fermentation test was run parallel with the plates and made in the following manner: 10 grams of gelatin were weighed aseptically into 100 cc. of sterile distilled water containing 1 gram of lactose. The temperature used to hasten the dissolving of the gelatin was 50°C., with sterile pipettes transferred to sterile tubes allowed to solidify and incubate at 28°C. for eighteen hours and 20 ° for thirty-six hours. The plates were incubated at 250C. for thirty-six hours. The work was done in triplicate and repeated twice and the average results obtained shown in table 1.
Primary repair of a neonatal bronchial intubation injury

Premature infants who require endotracheal intubation may be subject to iatrogenic tracheobronchial injuries. Such injuries are relatively rare, can be difficult to diagnose, and are often associated with poor outcomes. We report our experience with diagnosing and successfully treating a proximal bronchial perforation in a neonate by primary surgical repair.
PERCEIVED CONSEQUENCES TO THE PREDICTOR: A VARIABLE IN THE RELEASE OF PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS

The present study examined factors hypothesized to influence mental health professionals' perceptions of dangerousness, predictions of violence, and decisions on patients' release. 120 mental healt...
Internal Residual Stress Patterns in Tree Stems

Kubler (1959a, b) derived mathematical expressions for the internal stress increments induced by growth stresses in each small growth increment at the periphery of tree stems. His continuum mechanical arguments were based upon the equilibrium of suitably chosen elements, and wood was modeled as an elastic transversely isotropic material. Kubler (1959a, 1986) gives an excellent review of earlier work on this subject. He also pointed out the added protection which these residual stresses provide against damage by wind loads on the tree. The longitudinal stress at the periphery serves as a “pre-stressing” system against excessive compressive stress acting upon the stem opposite to the wind direction, while the tangential compressive stresses at the periphery counteract cracks induced by frost and drying or heating which might cause the tree to dry out.
Ion Depletion of Glass at a Blocking Anode: I, Theory and Experimental Results for Alkali Silicate Glasses

A theory is presented for the ion depletion of glass beneath a blocking anode. The theoretical model is based on the assumption that the alkali ions in an alkali silicate glass have a much greater mobility than the nonbridging oxygen ions in the alkali-depleted region. In this case, the dc conduction properties of the glass are determined by the motion of the uncombined oxygen ions in the depleted region. Expressions are derived for the spatial variation of the uncombined oxygen ions and for the current-voltage relations in the high- and low-field limits. In the high-field limit, the theory predicts that the current will vary exponentially with the voltage; this behavior is shown in sodium silicate glasses.
Prognosis in myeloma

Objective To review biologic factors that may be useful in determining prognosis in patients with myeloma. Design The currently available clinical variables and staging systems were assessed for their predictive value in myeloma, and newly proposed prognostic factors were summarized. Results Because some patients with myeloma may potentially benefit by new, more intensive therapies such as stem cell transplantation or may have prolonged survival with standard therapy, determining factors that would distinguish such patients is important. Independent prognostic factors such as the plasma cell labeling index and β 2 -microglobulin have repeatedly outperformed other prognostic clinical variables and can be combined into a system that identifies poor, intermediate, and good prognostic groups of patients with myeloma. New factors are needed to improve on the predictive value of these two variables. Studies of the biologic features of myelomas have led to the discovery of soluble interleukin 6 receptor (sIL 6R) in the serum. sIL 6R enhances the myeloma cell response to interleukin 6, a central growth factor that affects myeloma cell proliferation. Preliminary studies by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group show that sIL 6R predicts survival independent of the plasma cell labeling index and β 2 -microglobulin. Other proposed independent prognostic factors include cytokines and their soluble receptors, regulatory T cells, circulating myeloma cells, myeloma cell precursors, and markers of proliferation, apoptosis, and drug resistance. Conclusion Because of wide variation in duration of survival, the prognosis of patients with myeloma, a fatal bone marrow plasma cell neoplasm, cannot yet be adequately predicted. Better prognostic factors are needed for stratification in clinical trials, counseling of patients, and designing of new therapeutic trials.
Taylor's law and abrupt biotic change in a smoothly changing environment

Taylor's law (TL), widely verified in empirical ecology, states that the variance of population density approximates a power function of the mean population density, with exponent denoted b. A model of multiplicative increments in population density, where the increments are determined by a Markovian environment, predicts TL with an explicit formula for b. We give a simple theoretical example where, unexpectedly, smooth changes in environmental autocorrelation lead to an abrupt, infinite discontinuity in b. As the daily probability of change in environmental state increases from 0 to 1, b rises from 2 slowly at first, then explodes to +∞ when the population becomes critical, drops to -∞, and rises again to 2. In this model, an exponent b of large magnitude (positive or negative) signals the proximity of a population's criticality and of a singularity in b. A comparable real-world singularity in b could adversely affect fisheries, forestry, agriculture, conservation, and public health.
Control of robot manipulators with constrained motion

A hybrid control scheme for robot manipulators under constrained motion is proposed. The control law provides simultaneous position and force control for the manipulator in orthogonal directions. It is shown how the scheme will work for manipulators constrained to follow some rigid, frictionless constraint surface. >
Human beta crystallins: regional and age related changes.

The composition of human beta-crystallins displayed specific changes with age and region of the lens. 27kD and 29kD human beta-crystallin subunits were singled out for study. The 29kD beta-crystallin subunit constituted approximately 10% of the total lens crystallins at 8 months of fetal life. Its accumulation decreased steadily to 3.3% during postnatal year 1, to 0.5% by year 5 and to 0.3% thereafter. At all postnatal ages, however, it persisted mainly in the superficial fibers. Thus in a 17-years old lens it made up 1.3% of the superficial fiber soluble protein but was already absent from deep cortical and nuclear fibers. The 27kD subunit increased steadily from 3.5% at 8 months fetal to 7% at year 5; it then decreased steadily to 1.2% in the 86-years old lens. It persisted in all regions of the lens but decreased markedly in the deep cortical and nuclear fibers with increasing age beginning at 5–17 years of age. Studies on the oligomeric structure of human beta-crystallin must take into account age-rel...
Pyeloplasty without intrarenal stent in pediatric patients

Purpose: In spite of advances in minimally invasive endoscopic surgery, open dismembered pyeloplasty continues to be used in many pediatric centers, especially in small children. The purpose of this work is to present our experience in the performance of this technique using a
Embracing a Brand

To create a brand, an organization must understand why it does what it does and send a consistent message to its target audience. As the field of physical education, what is our brand? Who are we? This article explores the answers.
Psychologist-Sport Psychologist Liaison Between Counseling and Psychological Services and Intercollegiate Athletics

Acting as a liaison between a university’s counseling and psychological services and intercollegiate athletics department is an emerging alternative career path in professional psychology. This article details how a psychologist-sport psychologist liaison role can provide both psychological counseling and sport psychology consulting in a university setting. In addition, the author outlines the mission and goals of such a position, the departments within which this work is carried out, how psychology and applied sport psychology services are conceptualized and integrated, and the responsibilities and service duties of a counseling psychologist and sport psychologist to university student-athletes, coaches, and staff. It is hoped that illustrating this relationship between university counseling and psychological services and athletic departments will demonstrate how campus resources can be employed to assist student-athletes with performance enhancement, personal enrichment, and life skills development. In ...
Comparison of wavefront aberration changes in the anterior corneal surface after laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy and laser in situ keratomileusis: Preliminary study

Purpose To compare changes in anterior corneal wavefront aberrations after myopic laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) and laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Setting Institute of Ophthalmology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy. Methods This prospective study included 36 eyes of 25 myopic patients: 18 eyes of 12 patients had LASEK and 18 eyes of 13 patients, LASIK. The topography data (CSO EyeMap, version 6.2) were used to calculate corneal aberrations with 3.0 mm and 7.0 mm pupils before and 3 months after surgery. Results Total corneal aberrations increased similarly after LASEK and LASIK with the 7.0 mm pupil but did not change with the 3.0 mm pupil. Coma-like and spherical-like aberrations changed similarly after both procedures, but spherical-like aberrations increased after LASEK with the 3.0 mm pupil ( P t test). With the 7.0 mm pupil, the amount of achieved correction was positively correlated with changes in total corneal aberrations after LASIK ( P = .007) and with spherical-like aberrations after LASEK ( P = .03) and LASIK ( P P >.05, independent t test), in individual eyes with an achieved correction less than 7.50 diopters (D), spherical-like aberrations increased more after LASEK than after LASIK. Conclusions In this preliminary study, myopic LASEK and LASIK changed total and higher-order corneal aberrations. In both procedures, changes in spherical-like aberrations were dependent on the achieved correction. However, in individual eyes, spherical-like aberrations increased more after LASEK than after LASIK for low-moderate achieved correction, suggesting that these procedures may induce the same optical changes in the anterior corneal surface in different ways.
Synthesis of RF CMOS Low Noise Amplifiers

A stand-alone design automation tool tailored for RF CMOS LNA design is presented. Rather than relying on commercially available circuit simulators such as Spectre or Hspice, the presented synthesis tool is self-contained with its own built-in modules for faster performance evaluation. Silicon- verified RF device models are incorporated into the synthesis procedure for accurate parasitic modeling. To validate the proposed approach, an LNA circuit operating at 900 MHz is synthesized and fabricated in a 0.25 mum CMOS technology. Measurement results are presented which shows the viability of the proposed synthesis tool.
Field assessment of soil quality as affected by compost and fertilizer application in a broccoli field (San Benito County, California)

Abstract Selected in-field physical, chemical and biological indicators were measured for the rapid assessment of soil quality changes in a Sorrento silty clay loam as a result of compost and ammonium nitrate application to a broccoli field (San Benito County, CA). Plots were laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications of 0, 22 and 44 Mg ha−1 compost treatments which were split to include fertilizer (165 kg N ha−1) and no-fertilizer subplots. Soil samples were taken on 11 and 24 October 1995 during the active growth phase of the crop, and soil quality evaluation was compared to crop nutrient content and yield which were determined at harvest in November. Surface application of ammonium nitrate initially stimulated soil nitrification and acidification processes in the top 7.6 cm as evidenced by an 80-fold increase in nitrate-N and accumulation of nitrite, a 1.5-unit increase in electrical conductivity (EC) and a 1.4-unit decrease in pH. Following irrigation, this pattern was reversed by nitrate leaching and root uptake, although nitrification and acidification effects remained detectable at both sampling depths (0–7.6 and 0–20 cm). Nitrification was positively correlated to soil respiration and negatively correlated to soil water content. The estimated nitrate-N levels of fertilizer-containing plots in the top 20 cm were two times higher than those reported in the literature as minimal levels for optimal corn growth and indicated a high risk for groundwater contamination in this irrigated field by taking into account the rapid water infiltration and low soil buffering capacity. The detected short-term beneficial effects of compost application were the stabilization of pH and the decrease of water infiltration rate. Stabilization of pH prevented acidification effects due to fertilizer application at both sampling depths. The high soil EC of plots receiving 44 Mg ha−1 of compost at the 0–20 cm depth probably resulted from a high compost salt content, other than nitrates, and warns against repeated use of high EC composts that may result in N depletion, reduced nutrient cycling and impaired crop growth. The relatively small differences among treatments in crop yield, head number and weight, leaf and petiole nutrients indicated that there was sufficient residual fertility to grow a crop in the absence of any amendments. However, the relevance of selected soil quality indicators to plant productivity and health was evidenced by the strong correlation of soil nitrate-N with leaf-N and head weight, despite the adequate-to-excessive amount of soil nitrate-N in most treatments.
Indirect effects of soil invertebrates on litter decomposition: Elaboration via analysis of a tundra model

Abstract Indirect effects of soil invertebrates on litter decomposition in arctic coastal tundra were examined by means of a cross control option in a linear carbon flow model. Systems analysis and simulated field experiments generated predictions about soil systems containing invertebrate effects as modeled. Fauna were found to be several times more important per gram than microflora in causing higher cycling efficiency and more even resource distribution within the model. Detritus enrichment decreased evennes of resource distribution without affecting cycling efficiency. Hypotheses were generated which, if supported by field data, would help confirm the rationale used in model construction.
Training and Performance Improvement Professionals' Perspectives on Ethical Challenges during Evaluation.

Ethical concerns are rising in the business world. With this in mind, training and performance improvement practitioners, especially during evaluation projects, should be aware of principles and codes of ethics, and their behaviors and decisions should reflect the standards recognized by members of the professional society. A study was conducted with 108 training and performance improvement practitioners to reveal the reasoning behind their judgments of ethically challenging evaluation situations and to understand their rationales through the lens of existing guiding principles. Participants read three scenarios and judged the ethicality of the evaluator's actions in each scenario. Results revealed that participants who were aware of both the International Society for Performance Improvement's Code of Ethics and American Evaluation Association's Guiding Principles for Evaluators were stricter in their judgments about the ethicality of one scenario than those who were not. This article discusses implications of the results and higher education's role in reinforcing an ethical culture and ethical practice by employees.
Is there a difference in post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder in adults after solid organ and haematologic stem cell transplantation? Experience in 41 patients

Objective:To determine if there is a difference in post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) in adults after solid organ transplantation (SOT) and haematologic stem cell transplantation (HST).Methods:In this institutional review board-approved Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant study, we reviewed clinical data and imaging at the time of diagnosis in 41 patients (26 SOT and 15 HST) (31 males and 10 females; mean age 51 years) with histopathology-confirmed PTLD seen at our institution from 2004 through 2013. Statistical analysis was performed to assess difference in distribution and survival between SOT and HST cohorts.Results:SOT: 17 lung/cardiac, 8 renal and 1 liver transplant recipients. HST: 13 leukaemia/lymphoma and 2 patients with aplastic anaemia. Median time to diagnosis: SOT 3.0 years; HST 6 months (Fisher's exact test; p = 0.0011). There was no statistically significant difference in distribution of PTLD after SOT and HST with nodes (15/26; 8/15), lung (10/26; ...
Information recovery and causality: A tribute to George Judge

In Professor George Judge's pursuit of information recovery and isolating causality in noisy effects observational data, there is a critical distinction between deductive and inductive empirical analysis. For the former, we bring together a synthesis of the literature that has emerged since Koopmans' measurement with theory philosophy. For the latter, we present a host of methodologies that attempt to isolate the causal mechanisms existing in patterns revealed in noisy measurement data. The deductive focus is limited by available theoretical constructs, whereas the inductive focus is fraught with data mining complications, ultimately finding its potential validation in forecasting.
SAPS and Digital Games: Improving Mathematics Transfer and Attitudes in Schools

Many suggest that digital games are a way to address problems with schools, yet research on their ability to promote problem solving, critical thinking, and twenty-first century skill sets appears to be mixed. In this chapter, I suggest that the problem lies not with digital games, but with our conceptualization of what it means to promote problem solving and critical thinking, and how transfer of such skills works in general and, specifically, with games. The power of digital games lies not in some magical power of the medium, but from embedded theories (e.g., situated learning and problem-centered instruction) and from good instructional design (the principles of learning and teaching to which all good instruction must adhere). This chapter describes situated, authentic problem solving (SAPS): a model to explain how digital games can promote transfer and improve attitudes toward mathematics. By examining research on the instructional practices (situated learning) and outcomes (transfer, problem solving, attitudes) that lie at the heart of SAPS, we can chart a path forward for best practices of digital games in mathematics education.
Abstract A76: What characterizes counties successful in reducing disparities in breast cancer mortality?

Background: In the U.S. there is a wide geographic and racial variation in breast cancer mortality, but there exist counties with large African American populations where breast cancer mortality rates among the elderly are low and do not differ for white and black women. The objective of this study is to better understand how successful communities compare with less successful ones. Methods: We obtained county level age-adjusted breast cancer mortality rates (BCMR) in black and white women 65+ in 1999–2005 from the Compressed Mortality File of the National Center for Health Statistics. We selected 203 counties with ≥ 14 deaths in black women and classified them in 4 types: Failing, i.e., with black and white BCMR greater than the average white BCMR; With Disparity, i.e., with black BCMR greater and white BCMR lower than the average white BCMR; With Reverse Disparity, i.e., with black BCMR lower and white BCMR greater than the average white BCMR; and Successful, i.e., with black and white BCMR lower than the white average BCMR. Using data from the Area Resource File, we identified economic factors and medical resource availability that may be associated with type of county. We used a multinomial logistic regression to identify independent factors associated with county type. Results: Of 203 counties, the average BCMR was 137.5 per 100,000 (range: 55.1–296.8) for black, and 117.2 (range: 70.6– 230.5) for white women. Counties were: 79 (38.9%) Failing, 72 (34.5%) With Disparity, 21 (10.3%) With Reverse Disparities, and 31 (15.3%) Successful. Of counties of all types, Reverse Disparities counties had the highest average median household income ($48,371), and lowest proportion of people living below poverty (11.6%), of blacks with Conclusions: Counties with different levels of breast cancer mortality and disparities among elderly women differ in socioeconomic status, availability and type of medical resources. Further understanding of county differentiation may address both sources and solutions pertaining to disparities in elderly breast cancer mortality.
Sub-plasmalemmal linear density: a common structure in globoid cells and mesenchymal cells.

Sub-plasmalemmal linear densities of variable length (0.1≈1.0 μ) were found to be a constant feature of globoid cells in human as well as in canine globoid cell leukodystrophy (GLD). Similar densities were also observed in experimental globoid cells and epithelioid cells in chronic granuloma but not in glial cells. The linear densities always appeared without any relation to basal laminae. These observations together with the other reports of similar structures in lymphoma, fibroma and sarcoidosis suggest that the sub-plasmalemmal density is a structure frequently observed in mesenchymal cells, and may be another supporting feature for possible mesenchymal origin of globoid cells.
SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CHANDRA X-RAY OBSERVATORY

The launch of NASA's Chandra Observatory on July 23, 1999 has opened a new era of high spatial resolution and high spectral resolution X-ray astronomy. Here we present a description of the Observatory and an overview of the results from the first year of science observations.
The Dynamic Analysis of Supply Chain Partnership Relation based Upon Celestial Body Track Theory

This paper is about a new danymic analysis method of supply chain partnership relation based upon celestial body track theory. The method cannot only reproduce a supply chain system systematically and vividly, but also can carry on quantitative analysis to the dynamic change course of partnership relation. It is achieved that the goal of choosing the cooperative partner effectively. This theory has remedied the deficiency of the domestic supply chain system research at present, and has important theory and realistic meaning.
Clinical values of Spiral CT in diagnosis of silicosis

Objective To explore the imaging differences of detection silicosis lesions with spiral CT and digital X-ray photography.Methods 60 cases silicosis confirmed diagnosed through spiral CT and digital X-ray photography were randomly selected in recent 5 years,focus of infection rate and imaging detection were retrospectively analyzed by SPSS10.0 software for statistical analysis.Results The results of Spiral CT examination and digital X-ray photography detection respectively were :34,25 cases were 0.2-1.0 cm scattered in middled and high-density nodules,20,16 cases were more than 1.0 cm of nodules,6,4 cases existed simultaneously lesions,52,35 cases signed emphysema,49,39 cases had Pleural lesions,19,15 cases with the new or old tuberculosis lesions,45,25 cases with hilar lymph node and mediastinal lymph nodes enlargement or calcification.There were statistically significant to 0.1-0.5 cm found in lesions of evaluation,emphysema,tuberculosis lesions,lymph nodes or calcified lesions(P0.001),there were statistical significance in lesions more than 1.0 cm(P0.05).Conclusion Spiral CT scan is good in diagnosis and differential diagnosis,especially for determine the tiny lesions of silicosis,emphysema,lymphadenectasis etc clearly superior to digital X-ray examination.
Guidance of the Development of Nutrition-fortifying Yellow Rice Wine

Nutrition-fortifying yellow rice wine is produced by the addition of nutrition fortifier.It has healthcare funtions and consumers could obtain the special nutritional substances by drinking.However,the addition of the fortifier is of certain purpose and the functions of the fortifier are clear,which is different from the addition of invigorant in lixiviating liquid in nature.The allowable nutrition fortifier in China mainly covers vitamins,amino acids,and inorganic salt.In this paper,the way to operate nutrition-fortifying in yellow rice wine,the safety use level of varieties of nutrition fortifier,and the precautions were elaborated.
Intraoperative blood loss predicts hemorrhage-related reoperation after orthotopic liver transplantation.

Postoperative hemorrhage after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) may require early reoperative intervention. Previous studies have shown intraoperative transfusion requirement as a main determ...
The Private Financial Sector

The private financial sector in this study consists of depository institutions behaving as though they were a centralized unit. The objective of this sector at time t is to maximize its present value. It formulates its plans for the “current” and “next” periods in a manner that maximizes the amount which its shareholders would have to place in their next best alternative (presumably in equity shares issued by the nonfinancial business sector) at time t in order to duplicate (period by period) the income which the private financial sector contemplates distributing to its owners over each of the next two periods.
Generalized template for suspension dynamic modeling with the use of bond graphs

This paper develops a practical template for modeling various automotive suspension configurations based on known suspension kinematic equations or lookup tables. This is done with bond graphs, a physical modeling technique. The development of suspension models using this template has many practical applications in the study of steering feel, vehicle handling, and ride comfort through the study of such model outputs as rack force, tire normal force, and sprung mass vertical acceleration. To illustrate the process, the template is applied to a single degree-of-freedom MacPherson strut suspension whose kinematic equations and lookup tables are available. The sprung mass is constrained to move vertically while the unsprung mass is free to move in three translational and three rotational directions. Each direction has an associated inertia. This enhanced geometry allows for the calculation of toe, camber, caster, nonlinear strut length, among others. Inputs to the model include prescribed rack motion, unsprung mass vertical motion, and tire forces and moments defined in a Pacejka tire model frame.
The Privileged Journey of Scholarship and Practice

This chapter provides reflections and summaries for Smith’s career in higher education including 21 years as a college administrator and 29 as a faculty member. The chapter synthesizes Smith’s research and the personal journey of her career. In addition, the chapter looks at the important role of associations, accreditation, and foundations in the work of higher education and the opportunities provided for research and evaluation. Embedded in the chapter are perspectives on building institutional capacity for diversity, faculty diversity, institutional change, the role of institutional identities, and bridging research and practice in higher education.
Biologic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in a National, Privately Insured Population: Utilization, Expenditures, and Price Trends.

Background Spending on biologic drugs is a significant driver of drug expenditures for payers in private health plans. Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are some of the most effective and costly treatments in a physician's arsenal. Understanding the total annual expenditure, the average cost per prescription, and the impact of cost-sharing is important for drug benefit managers. Objective To assess drug utilization, expenditures, out-of-pocket (OOP) cost, and price trends of biologic DMARDs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a large managed care organization. Methods We conducted a retrospective database analysis of pharmacy claims data from January 2004 to December 2013 using the Optum Clinformatics Data Mart database, which covers 13.3 million lives. Pharmacy claims for 40,373 patients with RA were identified during the study period. In all, 9 biologic DMARDs approved for the treatment of RA, including infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab, certoizumab, golimumab, tocilizumab, anakinra, abatacept, and rituximab, and 1 nonbiologic oral, small molecule-targeted synthetic drug, tofacitinib, were included in this study. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the total annual number of prescriptions, the total annual expenditures, the average annual cost per drug (a proxy of drug price), and the average OOP cost (copay plus deductible and coinsurance). All measurements were also stratified by study drugs and by insurance type. Results Of the 40,373 patients with RA included in the study, approximately 76% were female (mean age, 55 years at diagnosis). Approximately 77% of the patients were white, and almost 48% lived in the South or Midwest region of the United States. Approximately 62% of patients had a point of service insurance plan. Expenditures on biologic DMARDs increased from $166 million in 2004 to $243 million in 2013, and the number of prescriptions and refills increased from 59,960 in 2004 to 105,295 in 2013. Prescriptions for biologic DMARDs increased more than 20% per patient from 2004 to 2013. The average cost per prescription remained relatively unchanged, at approximately $2300 per prescription, but the OOP expenditures increased from $36 (2.5%) per prescription to $128 (7%) during the study period. The OOP expenditures increased the most in HMO plans and in plans categorized as other (284% and 388%, respectively). Conclusions Spending on biologic DMARDs has been primarily driven by an increase in prescribing rates, as the average amount reimbursed per prescription remained relatively unchanged over time, despite a regular annual increase to the average wholesale acquisition cost of 2% to 10%. The OOP burden for patients has increased, but this does not appear to have limited the use of biologic DMARDs. The entrance of new biologic and nonbiologic DMARDs into the market in the past few years is eroding the market share for several established drugs, and may lead to different results, warranting a study of new trends.
New methods to estimate the HOM generation and energy spread of SRF cavities in the eRHIC ERL design

High Order Mode (HOM) power is produced by high current linear accelerators. In this paper, we report a new method to estimate the HOM power generation and energy spread from multiple bunch patterns in the time domain on multiple HOMs. These methods can be used to evaluate the HOM power and energy spread induced by the HOM field, and to optimize the design of SRF cavities to minimize the HOM power and the energy spread induced by the HOMs.
Frontal Sinus Development and Juvenile Age Estimation.

Assessment of development is an important component of age estimation in juveniles. One area that has not been fully investigated as a possible aging method is the development of the frontal sinus. The frontal sinuses form when the ectocranial table of the frontal bone separates from the endocranial table forming an air pocket in the bone. The endocranial table ceases growth with the brain, while the ectocranial table is displaced anteriorly as the facial bones continue growth. In order to examine growth and the utility of the frontal sinuses for age estimation, 392 radiographs were examined (♀=159 and ♂=233) from the Juvenile Radiograph Database at North Carolina State University and the Patricia Database from Mercyhurst University. The sample included individuals who ranged in age from 0 to 18 years. Anterior view (or AP) radiographs were examined and were grouped based upon the presence or absence of the frontal sinus. Individuals were grouped into four age categories. A one-way ANOVA was performed to test whether developmental phase was related to age. Results from the ANOVA show that developmental phase is significantly related to age (P <.0001). An ordinal logistic regression was conducted to examine whether developmental phase could be used to predict age. The results of the logistic regression suggest that developmental phase is an accurate indicator of age (P <.0001, df = 1, Chi-Squared = 537.2428); however, the age ranges can be quite wide and should be utilized alongside other established methods of age estimation. Anat Rec, 300:1609-1617, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effectiveness of Two-Talker Maskers That Differ in Talker Congruity and Perceptual Similarity to the Target Speech:

Previous work has shown that masked-sentence recognition is particularly poor when the masker is composed of two competing talkers, a finding that is attributed to informational masking. Informational masking tends to be largest when the target and masker talkers are perceptually similar. Reductions in masking have been observed for a wide range of target and masker differences, including language: Performance is better when the target and masker talkers speak in different languages, compared with the same language. The present study evaluated normal-hearing adults' sentence recognition in a two-talker masker as a function of the perceptual similarity between the target and each of the two masker streams. The target was English, and the maskers were composed of English, time-reversed English, or Dutch. These three masker types are known to vary in the informational masking they exert. The two talkers within the two-talker maskers were either congruent (e.g., both English) or incongruent (e.g., one English, one Dutch). As predicted, mean performance was worse for the congruent English masker than the congruent time-reversed English or congruent Dutch maskers. Incongruent two-talker maskers, with just one English masker stream, were only modestly less effective than the congruent English masker. This result indicates that two-talker masker effectiveness was determined predominantly by the one masker stream that was most perceptually similar to the target. Speech recognition in a single-talker masker differed only marginally between the English, Dutch, and time-reversed English masker types, suggesting that perceptual similarity may be more critical in a two-talker than a one-talker masker.
Influence of Bone Survivorship on Taxonomic Abundance Measures

Abundance indices are commonly used to test hypotheses formed under optimal foraging theory. Index values may be a reflection of foraging behavior, but analysts must first consider the influence of taphonomic processes that may vary across space, time, and taxa. Bone survivorship is expected to differ among taxa according to their nutritional value, bone density, how carcasses were processed, and their attractiveness to secondary consumers. Greater survivorship is expected for higher ranked resources when foraging efficiency declines due to increases in processing intensity that renders discarded bone less attractive to secondary scavengers. This in turn will potentially result in a greater number of specimens identified despite lower declines in large game hunting. I review spatial and temporal differences in bone attrition at Five Finger Ridge, a Fremont period (ca. AD 400–1300) site located in the eastern Great Basin, USA. Relative taxonomic abundance is largely explained by density-mediated destruction and cannot be taken as an accurate reflection of human behavior, such as hunting efficiency among households or across time at this particular site. This finding demonstrates the importance of accounting for variation in density-mediated destruction among multiple species before any human behavioral inferences are formed from taxonomic diversity measures.
Lambl's excrescences in children: Improved detection via transthoracic echocardiography

Background Lambl's excrescences (LE) are fibrous extensions that can be found along the lines of closure of the aortic valve. Due to improvements in ultrasound technology, LE are frequently imaged during transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in adults. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of LE among children from two eras (2004-2006 and 2011-2012) and the effect of technological advancements on LE detection. Methods TTE from 700 subjects (age 18 years old or younger) were reviewed. All parasternal long and short axis images of the aortic valve were reviewed by a board certified echocardiographer, and the positive studies were then reviewed by two additional observers to confirm the presence of LE. A two-sample t test with 95% significance was used to analyze the presence of LE in the cohorts. Median follow-up duration was 66 months. Results Of the 700 subjects, 12 (1.7%) children were found to have LE. No significant difference in prevalence was found between the two eras (.9% vs. 2.6%, P = .08) and the presence of LE was not related to age (P = .36). The youngest subject with an LE was 5 months old. During long-term follow-up there were no clinical events in the 12 children identified with a LE. Conclusions The prevalence of LE in children is lower than that reported in adults, this supports the age-related "wear and tear" process that has been described in previous studies. LE do not require intervention or more aggressive invasive imaging in children.
A subjective and objective comparison of tissue contrast and imaging artifacts present in routine spin echoes and in iterative decomposition of asymmetric spin echoes for soft tissue neck MRI.

Abstract Objective FSE sequences play key roles in neck MRI despite the susceptibility issues in neck region. Iterative decomposition of asymmetric echoes (IDEAL, GE) is a promising method that separates fat and water images resulting in high SNR and improved fat suppression. We tested how neck tissue contrasts, image artifacts and fat separation as opposed to fat suppression in terms of image quality compare between routine and IDEAL FSE. Methods IDEAL based and routine T1 and T2-weighted FSE sequences were applied for neck MRI at 1.5T and 3T. Overall image quality including fat suppression, tissue contrast, image artifacts and lesion conspicuity were subjectively assessed for 20 patients clinically indicated for neck MRI. Quantitative tissue contrast estimates from parotid area were compared between IDEAL and routine FSE for 7 patients. Four patients with oncocytoma were also reviewed to assess benefits of separately reconstructed fat specific image sets. Results Subjective tissue contrast and overall image quality including image sharpness, fat suppression and image artifacts were superior for IDEAL sequences. For oncocytoma fat specific IDEAL images provided additional information. Objective CNR estimates from a central slice were equivalent for IDEAL and routine FSE at both field strengths. Conclusions We demonstrated that high SNR inherent in IDEAL FSE consistently translates into high tissue contrast with image quality advantages in neck anatomy where large susceptibility variation and physiological motions reduce image quality for conventional FSE T1 and T2. However, the objective contrast estimates for parotid gland at isocenter were statistically equivalent for IDEAL and conventional FSE perhaps because at or near isocenter routine FSE works well. Additionally, fat specific IDEAL image sets add to diagnostic specificity for fat deficient lesions.
Experiments and open-loop control of multiple catalytic microrobots

The ability to direct microrobots in the low Reynolds number regime has broad applications in engineering, biology and medicine. In contrast to externally driven robots, catalytically driven microrobots utilize chemical reactions to hyphenate all instances in solution. Controlling multiple self propelled microrobots in the same workspace has been an ongoing challenge for the field. In this paper we present a novel method for open loop control of multiple microrobots in the same workspace by combining their catalytic actuation with magnetic actuation. By using a catalytic cap to regulate the directions of motion and leveraging the inherent variations in model parameters in a collection of paramagnetic microrobots, we show how collective motion patterns can be achieved. We validate our proposed strategy in simulations using a simple kinematic model of each robot, and in experiments. Our results suggest that simultaneous steering of multiple microrobots to arbitrary locations might be controllable using sophisticated control techniques such as ensemble control.
Race, socioeconomic status, and rurality influences on type 2 diabetes management among North Carolina adults.

Purpose : To examine the impact of race, socioeconomic status, and rurality on Type 2 diabetes education among adults in North Carolina. Methods : Our study utilized data from the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to conduct a retrospective study and secondary data analysis. To account for the multistage survey design of BRFSS, SAS/SUDAAN was used to calculate adjusted and unadjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were performed to examine the association between race, socioeconomic status, and rurality and its effects on type 2 diabetes education among adults in North Carolina. Main Findings: The majority of the participants (63%) did not have good diabetes education. Non-Whites had higher odds than Whites of good diabetes education (OR=1.56, 95%CI: 1.19, 2.03). Individuals who lived in rural North Carolina had lower odds of having good diabetes education than their urban counterparts, but the results remained insignificant (OR=.88, CI: .67, 1.15). Individuals who were of low socioeconomic status (SES) had poorer diabetes education than individuals who were identified as being high SES, but the results were insignificant (OR=.81, CI: .60, 1.09). Principal Conclusions: Findings from the study indicate that non-White adults had higher odds than Whites of good type 2 diabetes education in North Carolina. The results of our study could be used for policies and recommendations for health organizations. Policy makers should make diabetes education mandatory for individuals who are diagnosed with this disease. Future studies should have a more accurate measurement of type 2 diabetes education. (Ethn Dis. 2015;25[1]:46–51)
Development of clay based novel bio-ink for 3D bio-printing process

Abstract 3D bio-printing is a revolutionary technology to reproduce a 3D functional living tissue scaffold in-vitro through controlled layer-by-layer deposition of biomaterials along with high precision positioning of cells. Natural hydrogels are commonly considered as the scaffold material due to their bio-compatibility. However, the mechanical integrity of hydrogel material especially in 3D scaffold architecture is an issue. In this research, a novel bio-ink is developed composed of alginate, carboxymethyl cellulose and montmorillonite clay and several systematic quantitative characterization tests are conducted to validate its printability and shape fidelity. The outcome of rheological and swelling test, filament collapse and fusion test demonstrate the favorable shape fidelity including lateral pores. Afterward, various regular and complex 3D scaffolds following different layer orientations are fabricated with this bio-ink to validate its printability and shape fidelity. This bio-ink can be a potential biomaterial in 3D bio-printing process and the outlined characterization techniques open an avenue directing reproducible printability and shape fidelity.