cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Feasibility considerations in formation control: Phantom track generation through multi-UAV collaboration

Considered is the so called radar deception problem to motivate a change in paradigm in the approach to formation control that would address the key issue of dynamic feasibility. In this problem a team of possibly heterogeneous fixed winged unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) cooperate to deceive a ground radar network into seeing a spurious phantom track in its radar space. A real-time motion planning algorithm is developed for this collaborating multi-agent system. At the heart of the proposed algorithm is the explicit consideration of actuator and operating constraints of the individual agents. Constrained dynamics of the multi-agent system are derived such that these constraints are transparent in the dynamic equations, to address the key issue of dynamic feasibility in formation control. Simulations are given validating the proposed approach.
Evidence for Early Aragonite in Paleo-Lacustrine Sediments

ABSTRACT Distinct pseudomorphs of displacive pseudohexagonal aragonite crystals are found in organic-rich lake deposits of the rift basins of the east coast of North America (Triassic-Jurassic). These crystals developed while the sediments were relatively uncompacted and soft, and hence are displacive, readily mistaken for molds and casts of pre-existing halite and/or thinolite (ikaite). A second form of early aragonite is found in more evaporative sediments of the Newark Basin (Passaic Formation), developed as pseudomorphic replacement of precursor, more soluble minerals such as glauberite and/or gypsum that formed during deposition. In all instances the aragonite is now replaced by calcite and dolomite, but still preserves much of the original and unusual crystal form and associated inter al structure. This aragonite is probably formed due to release of CO2 by bacterial breakdown of organic matter in bottom sediments. Elevated Mg/Ca in the pore waters may also have promoted preferential formation of aragonite over calcite.
Implications of new suspended particle standards for the cement industry

The US EPA has promulgated new ambient air quality standards for PM/sub 10/ and PM/sub 2.5/ (particles with aerodynamic diameters less than (10) and 2.5 microns, respectively). The new PM/sub 10/ standards require 3-year averages of 99th percentiles for 24-hour PM/sub 10/ mass to be less than 150 /spl mu/g/m/sup 3/, in place of the maximum measured concentration, and three-year averages in place of annual averages to be less than 50 /spl mu/g/m/sup 3/. The acceptable PM/sub 2.5/ levels are strict for the three-year annual average at 15 /spl mu/g/m/sup 3/; however, compliance will be determined by a spatial average from several monitors in populated areas rather than from a single monitor. The three-year 98th percentile average for 24-hour PM/sub 2.5/ is 65 /spl mu/g/m/sup 3/; this standard will probably be easier to attain than the annual average. Sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, ammonia, and heavy hydrocarbon gas emissions can change into ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, and carbon particles, and these emissions will be more highly regulated. "Fence line" sites located to determine maximum impact from a facility will not be favored for annual PM/sub 2.5/ compliance monitoring. For the cement primary particles and precursor gases from milled materials and fuel combustion in kilns, clinker coolers, finish mills, raw mills, coal mills, silos, bagging operations, and loadout areas will become the pollutants under greatest scrutiny in nonattainment areas. Exhaust emissions from haul trucks and delivery vehicles will also be larger relative contributors to PM/sub 2.5/ than they were to PM/sub 10/.
Transcription Factor Pip Can Enhance DNA Binding by E47, Leading to Transcriptional Synergy Involving Multiple Protein Domains

The transcription factors E2A (E12/E47) and Pip are both required for normal B-cell development. Each protein binds to regulatory sequences within various immunoglobulin enhancer elements. Activity of E2A proteins can be regulated by interactions with other proteins which influence their DNA binding or activation potential. Similarly, Pip function can be influenced by interaction with the protein PU.1, which can recruit Pip to bind to DNA. We show here that a previously unidentified Pip binding site resides adjacent to the E2A binding site within the immunoglobulin kappa 3' enhancer. Both of these binding sites are crucial for high-level enhancer activity. We found that E47 and Pip can functionally interact to generate a very potent 100-fold transcriptional synergy. Through a series of mutagenesis experiments, we identified the Pip sequences necessary for transcriptional activation and for synergy with E47. Two synergy domains (residues 140 to 207 and 300 to 420) in addition to the Pip DNA binding domain (residues 1 to 134) are required for maximal synergy with E47. We also identified a Pip domain (residues 207 to 300) that appears to mask Pip transactivation potential. Part of the synergy mechanism between E47 and Pip appears to involve the ability of Pip to increase DNA binding by E47, perhaps by inducing a conformational change in the E47 protein. E47 may also induce a conformational change in Pip which unmasks sequences important for transcriptional activity. Based upon our results, we propose a model for E47-Pip transcriptional synergy.
STDCS: A Spatio-Temporal Data-Centric Storage Scheme For Real-Time Sensornet Applications

Sensor networks will shortly consist of globally deployed sensors providing real-time geo-centric information to users. Particularly, users with mobile devices will issue ad-hoc queries usually from within, or nearby, the queried area. In this paper, we propose an in- network data-centric storage (DCS) scheme, namely the spatio-temporal data-centric storage (STDCS) scheme, to efficiently answer these mobile user queries. STDCS is designed to maintain load-balancing among sensors to cope with query hotspots in the network. It is different from previous proposals in two aspects. First, it is based on the novel idea of using a temporally evolving spatial indexing scheme to balance querying load among sensors. Furthermore, STDCS uses dynamic mechanisms for query hotspot detection and decomposition. We conducted extensive simulations that showed our scheme's superiority to both local storage and spatial indexing (the only known geo-centric storage schemes) whenever experiencing query hotspots of different sizes.
Spectrographic Microfluidic Memory

Recent advancements in micro- and nanoscale fluidic manipulation have enabled the development of a new class of tunable optical structures which are collectively referred to as optofluidic devices. In this paper we will introduce our recent work directed towards the development of a spectrographic optofluidic memory. Data encoding for the memory is based on creating spectrographic codes consisting of multiple species of photoluminescent nanoparticles at discrete intensity levels which are suspended in liquids. The data cocktails are mixed, delivered and stored using a series of soft and hard-lithography microfluidic structures. Semiconductor quantum dots are ideally suited for this application due to their narrow and size tunable emission spectra and consistent excitation wavelength. Both pressure driven and electrokinetic approaches to spectral code writing have been developed and will be experimentally demonstrated here. Novel techniques for data storage and readout are also discussed and demonstrated.
OBSERVATION OF ATOMIC TUNNELING FROM AN ACCELERATING OPTICAL POTENTIAL

We observe quantum tunneling of cold sodium atoms from an accelerating one-dimensional standing wave of light. Atoms are trapped in a far-detuned standing wave that is accelerated for a controlled duration. For sufficiently large values of the acceleration, we observe an exponential decay in the number of atoms that remain trapped as a function of the interaction time. We show that this loss is due to quantum tunneling, and compare the decay rates with Landau-Zener theory. We also observe oscillations in the tunneling rate as a function of the acceleration which are due to quantum interference effects.
NMDA Receptor-Mediated Control of Presynaptic Calcium and Neurotransmitter Release

Before action potential-evoked Ca2+ transients, basal presynaptic Ca2+ concentration may profoundly affect the amplitude of subsequent neurotransmitter release. Reticulospinal axons of the lamprey spinal cord receive glutamatergic synaptic input. We have investigated the effect of this input on presynaptic Ca2+ concentrations and evoked release of neurotransmitter. Paired recordings were made between reticulospinal axons and the neurons that make axo-axonic synapses onto those axons. Both excitatory and inhibitory paired-cell responses were recorded in the axons. Excitatory synaptic inputs were blocked by the AMPA receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX; 10 microM) and by the NMDA receptor antagonist 2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoate (AP-5; 50 microM). Application of NMDA evoked an increase in presynaptic Ca2+ in reticulospinal axons. Extracellular stimulation evoked Ca2+ transients in axons when applied either directly over the axon or lateral to the axons. Transients evoked by the two types of stimulation differed in magnitude and sensitivity to AP-5. Simultaneous microelectrode recordings from the axons during Ca2+ imaging revealed that stimulation of synaptic inputs directed to the axons evoked Ca2+ entry. By the use of paired-cell recordings between reticulospinal axons and their postsynaptic targets, NMDA receptor activation was shown to enhance evoked release of transmitter from the axons that received axoaxonic inputs. When the synaptic input to the axon was stimulated before eliciting an action potential in the axon, transmitter release from the axon was enhanced. We conclude that NMDA receptor-mediated input to reticulospinal axons increases basal Ca2+ within the axons and that this Ca2+ is sufficient to enhance release from the axons.
Emotion in Younger and Older Adults: Retrospective and Prospective Associations with Sleep and Physical Activity

Older adults may have superior emotion regulation skills than younger adults and the authors suggest that as emotion regulation capacities increase with age, emotions may be less swayed by external events or even by internal traits. The current retrospective and prospective study further tested this hypothesis by determining if the emotions of younger adults were more reactive to two behaviors (i.e., physical activity, sleep) than for older adults. Results supported predictions. Specifically, retrospective self-reports and prospective diary data about physical activity and sleep exhibited stronger associations with emotion for younger than older persons. Implications for emotional well-being across the life span are discussed.
Selaginella moellendorffii has a reduced and highly conserved expansin superfamily with genes more closely related to angiosperms than to bryophytes

Expansins are plant cell wall loosening proteins encoded by a large superfamily of genes, consisting of four families named EXPA, EXPB, EXLA, and EXLB. The evolution of the expansin superfamily is well understood in angiosperms, thanks to synteny-based evolutionary studies of the gene superfamily in Arabidopsis, rice, and Populus. Analysis of the expansin superfamily in the moss Physcomitrella patens revealed a superfamily without EXLA or EXLB genes that has evolved considerably and independently of angiosperm expansins. The sequencing of the Selaginella moellendorffii genome has allowed us to extend these analyses into an early diverging vascular plant. The expansin superfamily in Selaginella moellendorffii has now been assembled from genomic scaffolds. A smaller (and less diverse) superfamily is revealed, consistent with studies of other gene families in Selaginella. Selaginella has an expansin superfamily, which, like Physcomitrella, lacks EXLA or EXLB genes, but does contain two EXPA genes that are related to a particular Arabidopsis-rice clade involved in root hair development. From sequence-based phylogenetic analysis, most Selaginella expansins lie outside the Arabidopsis-rice clades, leading us to estimate the minimum number of expansins present in the last common ancestor of Selaginella and angiosperms at 2 EXPA genes and 1 EXPB gene. These results confirm Selaginella as an important intermediary between bryophytes and angiosperms.
The Relationship of Heterosexuals' Attributions for the Causes of Homosexuality to Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men:

Attribution theory suggested the hypothesis that heterosexuals' attitudes toward persons bearing the social stigma of homosexuality would be more negative when homosexuality was attributed to controllable than to uncontrollable causes. It was further hypothesized that groups that have been found to express more favorable attitudes toward lesbians and gay men -persons rating other-sex gay people and those who know a gay person-would attribute homosexuality to less controllable causes. Data from 193 female and 173 male heterosexual college students supported the first, but not the second, hypothesis. In addition, heterosexual women were more likely to report knowing a lesbian than heterosexual men were to report knowing a gay man, and among respondents who reported knowing a gay man, women reported closer acquaintanceship than men did. The implications of these findings for changing antigay attitudes are discussed.
Functionalized graphene sheet—Poly(vinylidene fluoride) conductive nanocomposites

PVDF nanocomposites based on functionalized graphene sheets, FGS prepared from graphite oxide, and exfoliated graphite, EG, were prepared by solution processing and compression molding. FGS remains well dispersed in the PVDF composites as evidenced by the lack of the characteristic graphite reflection in the composites. Although the α-phase of PVDF is seen in the EG-based composites, a mixture of α- and β-phases is present in the FGS analogs. SEM and TEM imaging show smooth fractured surfaces with oriented platelets of graphite stacks and obvious debonding from the matrix in the EG-PVDF composites. In contrast, the FGS-PVDF composites show a wrinkled topography of relatively thin graphene sheets bonded well to the matrix. Storage modulus of the composites was increased with FGS and EG concentration. A lower percolation threshold (2 wt %) was obtained for FGS-PVDF composites compared to EG-PVDF composites (above 5 wt %). Lastly, the FGS-PVDF composites show an unusual resistance/temperature behavior. The resistance decreases with temperature, indicating an NTC behavior, whereas EG-PVDF composites show a PTC behavior (e.g., the resistance increases with temperature). We attribute the NTC behavior of the FGS based composites to the higher aspect ratio of FGS which leads to contact resistance predominating over tunneling resistance. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 888–897, 2009
Specific Resistance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection in Zebrafish Is Mediated by the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease caused by recessive mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene and is associated with prevalent and chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infections. Despite numerous studies that have sought to elucidate the role of CFTR in the innate immune response, the links between CFTR, innate immunity, and P. aeruginosa infection remain unclear. The present work highlights the zebrafish as a powerful model organism for human infectious disease, particularly infection by P. aeruginosa. Zebrafish embryos with reduced expression of the cftr gene (Cftr morphants) exhibited reduced respiratory burst response and directed neutrophil migration, supporting a connection between cftr and the innate immune response. Cftr morphants were infected with P. aeruginosa or other bacterial species that are commonly associated with infections in CF patients, including Burkholderia cenocepacia, Haemophilus influenzae, and Staphylococcus aureus. Intriguingly, the bacterial burden of P. aeruginosa was found to be significantly higher in zebrafish Cftr morphants than in controls, but this phenomenon was not observed with the other bacterial species. Bacterial burden in Cftr morphants infected with a P. aeruginosa ΔLasR mutant, a quorum sensing-deficient strain, was comparable to that in control fish, indicating that the regulation of virulence factors through LasR is required for enhancement of infection in the absence of Cftr. The zebrafish system provides a multitude of advantages for studying the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa and for understanding the role that innate immune cells, such as neutrophils, play in the host response to acute bacterial infections commonly associated with cystic fibrosis.
AREA AND VISUAL THRESHOLD

1. The variation of threshold with field area was measured in fields homogeneous in rod-cone composition. At 15 degrees above the fovea, an increase in field diameter from 1 degrees to 5 degrees reduces the threshold sevenfold, at 25 degrees above the fovea tenfold. 2. These changes are shown to follow qualitatively from simple statistical properties of the retinal mosaic. Analytic treatment leads to the expression, (A - n(t))(k) I = C, in which A = area, n(t) = constant threshold number of elements, I = threshold intensity, and k and C are constants. This equation describes the available data accurately, and is the general form of previous empirical area-threshold formulae.
Whether a Sociologist, Economist, Psychologist or Simply a Skilled Evaluator: Lessons from Evaluation Practice in the United States

The following is based on a keynote address presented at III Congresso Nazionale Dell’Associazione Italiana Di Valutazione, Torino, Villa Gaulina, 24 March, 2000.
Room Temperature Gold-Vacuum-Gold Tunneling Experiments.

An experiment has been completed which demonstrated quantum mechanical tunneling of electrons between two gold electrodes separated in vacuum. The tunneling current between the gold electrodes has been measured, for fixed voltages of 0.1 and 0.01 volts, as the electrode spacing was varied from a distance of approximately 2.0 nm down to a point where the electrodes touched. Current-voltage characteristics for fixed electrode spacing in the direct tunneling region have also been measured. Numerical calculations of the tunneling current based on the free-electron model of the electrodes and the barrier, an image-potential reduced barrier, and a WKB approximation for the tunneling probability have been performed and compared with Simmons' theory and with the experimental results. Within experimental error the results indicate that an image potential reduced barrier with the modifications suggested by Lang and Kohn gives a close approximation to the true barrier for metal-vacuum-metal tunneling. For the first time, the work function of the electrodes in a tunneling experiment has been deduced from experimental parameters independent of the tunneling device.
Estimation of driver reaction time from detailed vehicle trajectory data

Primary interest in driver reaction time stems from its use in microscopic traffic simulation models. In this paper, we propose a new approach to estimate driver reaction time from car-following data. Using the concept of steady-state car-following, the proposed method captures the interaction of a pair of leading and following vehicles to determine the of a driver's reaction time. The car-following data uses speed and acceleration rate of the leader and the follower as well as the follower's space headway. The paper analyses two sets of Next Generation Simulation (NGSIM) car-following data and 157 reaction times of drivers are obtained. Moreover, the relationship between instantaneous speed of drivers and their reaction times are presented. The results indicate that the driver reaction time is driver dependent and speed independent which are consistent with previous studies.
Harnessing the potential of the internet to promote chronic illness self-management: diabetes as an example of how well we are doing.

Objectives: Given the potential for the Internet to be used as a dynamic, interactive medium for providing information, changing attitudes and behaviour and enhancing social support, it is important to consider whether what is currently available online for chronic illness self-management adequately harnesses this potential. The objective of this paper was to review the content of diabetes self-management websites and to identify strengths and limitations of online diabetes self-management.Methods: We reviewed and coded features of 87 publicly available diabetes websites hosted by governmental, health plan, commercial, pharmaceutical, and not-for-profit organizations. We assessed whether each website was using online opportunities in the areas of interactivity, theory-based interventions, social support, and evidence-based care.Results: The majority of sites provided information, essentially using an electronic newspaper or pamphlet format. Few sites offered interactive assessments, social support or prob...
Parent-child conflict as an etiological moderator of childhood conduct problems: an example of a 'bioecological' gene-environment interaction.

BACKGROUND Prior research has suggested that, consistent with the diathesis-stress model of gene-environment interaction (G × E), parent-child conflict activates genetic influences on antisocial/externalizing behaviors during adolescence. It remains unclear, however, whether this model is also important during childhood, or whether the moderation of child conduct problems by negative/conflictive parenting is better characterized as a bioecological interaction, in which environmental influences are enhanced in the presence of environmental risk whereas genetic influences are expressed most strongly in their absence. The current study sought to distinguish between these possibilities, evaluating how the parent-child relationship moderates the etiology of childhood-onset conduct problems. METHOD We conducted a series of 'latent G by measured E' interaction analyses, in which a measured environmental variable was allowed to moderate both genetic and environmental influences on child conduct problems. Participants included 500 child twin pairs from the Michigan State University Twin Registry (MSUTR). RESULTS Shared environmental influences on conduct problems were found to be several-fold larger in those with high levels of parent-child conflict as compared with those with low levels. Genetic influences, by contrast, were proportionally more influential at lower levels of conflict than at higher levels. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that, although the diathesis-stress form of G × E appears to underlie the relationship between parenting and conduct problems during adolescence, this pattern of moderation does not extend to childhood. Instead, results were more consistent with the bioecological form of G × E which postulates that, in some cases, genetic influences may be most fully manifested in the absence of environmental risk.
Landfill leachate as a mirror of today's disposable society: Pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern in final leachate from landfills in the conterminous United States

Final leachates (leachate after storage or treatment processes) from 22 landfills in 12 states were analyzed for 190 pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), which were detected in every sample, with the number of CECs ranging from 1 to 58 (median = 22). In total, 101 different CECs were detected in leachate samples, including 43 prescription pharmaceuticals, 22 industrial chemicals, 15 household chemicals, 12 nonprescription pharmaceuticals, 5 steroid hormones, and 4 animal/plant sterols. The most frequently detected CECs were lidocaine (91%, local anesthetic), cotinine (86%, nicotine degradate), carisoprodol (82%, muscle relaxant), bisphenol A (77%, component of plastics and thermal paper), carbamazepine (77%, anticonvulsant), and N,N-diethyltoluamide (68%, insect repellent). Concentrations of CECs spanned 7 orders of magnitude, ranging from 2.0 ng/L (estrone) to 17,200,000 ng/L (bisphenol A). Concentrations of household and industrial chemicals were the greatest (∼1000-1,000,000 ng/L), followed by plant/animal sterols (∼1000-100,000 ng/L), nonprescription pharmaceuticals (∼100-10,000 ng/L), prescription pharmaceuticals (∼10-10,000 ng/L), and steroid hormones (∼10-100 ng/L). The CEC concentrations in leachate from active landfills were significantly greater than those in leachate from closed, unlined landfills (p = 0.05). The CEC concentrations were significantly greater (p < 0.01) in untreated leachate compared with treated leachate. The CEC concentrations were significantly greater in leachate disposed to wastewater treatment plants from modern lined landfills than in leachate released to groundwater from closed, unlined landfills (p = 0.04). The CEC concentrations were significantly greater (p = 0.06) in the fresh leachate (leachate before storage or treatment) reported in a previous study compared with the final leachate sampled for the present study.
Grain boundary cohesion and fracture in ordered intermetallics

This paper reports that there is indirect experimental evidence (based on the unusual segregation behavior of boron), as well as direct theoretical evidence, to support the notion that increases GB cohesion in Ni{sub 3}Al. Whether that is enough to account for the dramatic ductilizing effect of boron is still unclear, although it is worth remembering that embrittling impurities can have similarly large effects on fracture mode and ductility (in the opposite direction) through changes principally in the interfacial energies. There is also indirect evidence (based on the lowering of the Hall-Petch slope by boron) to support the notion that boron facilitates slip transfer across GBs. However, as discussed in the text, there are factors other than the presence of boron which could affect the magnitude of the Hall-Petch slope, making its interpretation uncertain. Even if boron really does facilitate slip transfer, the details of exactly how this happens are still unclear. Of the two mechanisms suggested so gar, the one which suggests that boron facilitates slip transfer by increasing the mobility of GB dislocations appears to have been discounted recently by TEM experiments.
On the Choice of Method of Economics: Options for Humanists: A Response to Gregory Gronbacher

This essay continues a dialogue concerning the problems that Christian personalism will face in efforts to work with the Chicago, Public Choice, and Austrian Schools of economics. These problems ought not be dismissed as recognizable only out of a theological concern, as they are addressed in lively debate within social science. The view of methodological individualism and the role of government held by these schools openly conflicts with Christian personalism. These schools represent the far right within economics as a science and show little inclination to improve their inadequate anthropological foundations. Better economic analysis of consumerism and a number of other (but by no means all) problems on the border between economics and ethics can be found among so-called heterodox schools of economic thought. Many of these employ foundational principles that are far more compatible with the perspective of Christian personalism.
Middle meningeal arteriovenous fistulas: A rare and potentially high-risk dural arteriovenous fistula.

Background: Middle meningeal arteriovenous fistulas (MMAVFs) are rare lesions with a poorly established natural history. We report our experience with patients with MMAVFs who presented with intracranial hemorrhage.
Student Statistical Packages

University courses that include statistics and computers intimidate many students. Fear diminished somewhat with the advent of the microcomputer, a physically unimposing box over which users feel they have a fighting chance compared to large and distant mainframes. Now that increasing numbers of students own microcomputers, their sense of control and familiarity is even greater.The proliferation of computers has been accompanied by the development of low cost student oriented versions of word processing packages, spreadsheets, data base management programs, and statistics packages. There are probably a greater number of student statistics packages than any other category of software. For approximately the cost of a text book (or less) students can purchase functional tools complete with manuals. The sense of student mastery of computing encouraged by the micro is further enhanced by student ownership of the software being used.Often student computer programs are partially disabled versions of commercially available software. In the case of statistics packages this may mean that the numbers of variables and/or observations that can be handled have been lessened, the variety of statistical techniques reduced, or the manual made less complete. For many uses, especially education, such restrictions are not severe. Some of the packages discussed below would have been considered powerful and full featured programs only a few years ago, and several are better than packages currently sold as full featured software for $200. Nearly all offer standard descriptive statistics, ANOVA, correlation and multiple regression, scatter plots, crosstabs, and rich varieties of transform tools.
Electron Diffraction Study of Multilayer Structures with Partially Coherent Illumination

The effect of partial coherency on electron diffraction patterns of Cd 1−x Mn x Te – Cd 1−y Mn y Te superlattices has been investigated. Observed diffraction patterns are compared with intensity calculations performed using dynamical diffraction theory with a model of an extended incoherent monochromatic source. From this study, a new method of electron diffraction for characterization of multilayer structures can be developed. Under the condition that the lateral coherent distance of the incident beam covers two adjacent layers, diffraction beams arising from the two layers give rise to an interference fringe in a diffraction spot. With this type of diffraction pattern, one can determine the refractive index of a crystal in the multilayer structure.
Bringing the Outside In: Blending Formal and Informal Through Acts of Hospitality

Through the lens of hospitality, we explored the meanings that members constructed about their experiences within a blended formal/informal college music ensemble. The focus in this ensemble was no...
Analysis on the Epidemic Status of Natural Focus Diseases and the Prevention and Control Countermeasures

Objective To analyze the epidemic law of legally-reported natural focus diseases in Penglai from 1956 to 2012,and to explore their prevention and control countermeasures.Methods The epidemic data of natural focus diseases reported in Penglai City during the period of 1956-2012 were analyzed by descriptive epidemiology.Results A total of 13 natural focus diseases and 5,132 cases were reported from 1956 to 2012,with an average annual morbidity of 20.25/100,000.Death was reported in 7 natural focus diseases and 258 patients,with an average annual mortality of 1.02/100,000 and a fatality rate of 5.03%.The morbidity was the highest from the mid-to-late 1960s to the early 1970s.It dropped dramatically from the late 1970s and kept stable until the late 1990s when it markedly increased and kept stable then.The top three diseases with high incidence were malaria,epidemic encephalitis B and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome,and the cases accounted for 92.77%(4,761/5,132) of the total.The incidence varied greatly among different ages.The morbidity of malaria dropped from the peak(104.65/100,000) in 1966 to the bottom(0.20/100,000) in 1985.After 15 years with report of zero malaria case,malaria re-occurred sporadically from 2001.The last death and the last case from epidemic encephalitis B occurred in 1990 and in 1996,respectively.No new case and death from epidemic encephalitis B was reported during the last 16 years.Conclusions The profile of the natural focus diseases varied greatly in Fenglai City during the period of 1956-2012.Comprehensive countermeasures like renovating the environmental sanitation and strengthening health education,inoculation,epidemic surveillance and medical rescue should be adopted.
Changes of Insulin Resistance and β-Cell Secrete Function in Children with Simple Obesity

Objective To explore the changes of insulin resistance and β-cell secrete function in children with simple obesity.Metho-ds Levels of glucose and insulin were detected with oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT).Homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)=fasting plasma glucose(FPG)×fasting insulin(FINS)/22.5,homeostasis model assessment insulin aeschynomenous index(HOMA-IAI)=1/(FPG×FINS),index of insulin increment to gluncose increment at 30 min(△I_30/△G_30)=(I_30-I_0)/(G_30-G_0)post oral glucose,area under the curve of insulin(INSAUC)=0.5×FINS+INS_30+INS_60+INS_120+0.5×INS_180 were measured.Results HOMA-IR ≥ 2.8 was observed in 38.7% cases.PFG,homeostasis model assessment in sulin secrete(HOMA-IS) showed no difference between obesity and control groups.Two hours PG,FINS,2 h INS,HOMA-IAI,ΔI_30/ΔG_30,INSAUC showed significant difference between obesity and control groups.Conclusion There are insulin resistance and changes of β-cell secrete after meals in children with obesity.
Arthroscopic knee surgery in a free-standing outpatient surgery center.

SUMMARY Arthroscopic knee surgery can be safely performed in a free-standing outpatient surgery center. General anesthesia is preferred. The potential advantages of the ambulatory setting are (1) cost containment, (2) minimal anesthetic morbidity, (3) patient enthusiasm, and (4) relaxing environment for the development and performance of arthroscopic skills.
Inhibition of plant and bacterial beta-amylases.

Bacillus polymyxa β-amylase is much less susceptible to inhibition by cyclodextrins, and by reagents which react with sulfhydryl groups, than is sweet-potatoβ-amylase.
Relationship Between Perceived Risk of Falling and Adoption of Precautions to Reduce Fall Risk.

OBJECTIVES: To better understand the relationship between perceived risk of falling and awareness and adoption of four specific precautions that older adults have taken to reduce this risk. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Data were collected in in-person interviews conducted in the homes of study participants. Interviews conducted between March 2011 and September 2013 and lasted an average of 60-90 minutes. PARTICIPANTS: A stratified sampling strategy designed to enroll an equal number of homebound and nonhomebound participants was used. All participants (N = 164) were recruited from central North Carolina. MEASUREMENTS: Participants were asked about 1-year fall history, perceived risk of falling, restriction of activities because of fear of falling, awareness of four recommended fall prevention behaviors (exercise, annual medication review, bathroom grab bars, safe footwear), and current practice of these behaviors. RESULTS: In bivariate analyses, individuals who were aware of two behaviors recommended to reduce the risk of falling (exercise, use of safe footwear) and had adopted these behaviors perceived their risk of falling as lower than individuals who were aware of the recommended behaviors but had not adopted them. Moreover, in multivariate analyses, individuals who did not know that exercise is recommended to reduce the risk of falling perceived their risk of falling as lower than those who were aware of this recommendation and had adopted it. Individuals were least likely to be aware that medication reviews and exercise are recommended to reduce fall risk. CONCLUSION: Awareness of behaviors recommended to reduce fall risk appears necessary for adoption of these behaviors to reduce perceived risk. Fall-prevention campaigns should emphasize behaviors where awareness is low.© 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society. Language: en
Intelligenz und schulische Leistungen

Im Jahre 1904 sah sich der franzosische Minister fur Bildung und Erziehung einem Problem gegenuber. Frankreich hatte 1882 die allgemeine Schulpflicht eingefuhrt, wie damals viele andere Staaten in Westeuropa und Nordamerika; in Deutschland war die Schulpflicht bereits 1592 im Herzogtum Pfalz-Zweibrucken weltweit zum ersten Mal proklamiert und von Friedrich dem Grosen bereits Mitte des 18. Jahrhunderts im Zuge der Aufklarung eingefuhrt worden, bevor sie 1917 Eingang in die Weimarer Verfassung fand. Das Problem bestand darin, dass manche Kinder im Schulunterricht nicht gut lernten. Deshalb drangte der Minister auf ein Mittel, mit dem sich Kinder identifizieren lassen, die bei dem normalen Unterricht Schwierigkeiten haben mitzukommen und besondere Masnahmen erforderlich machen. Sein Problem war: Wie konnte man solche Kinder identifizieren?
Identifying Search Prone Segments in the Service Sector: A Test of a Taxonometric Approach

A major problem the service marketer faces is that the relevant research literature is laden with goods-related marketing guidelines with little attention given to services (a notable exception is Rathmell 1974). This state of affairs necessitates the selective borrowing of useful concepts and frameworks from the goods literature which are applicable to the marketing of services. Presently, a number of useful classification schemas exist in the literature pertaining to the marketing of goods which suggest important linkages between product characteristics, consumer’s search patterns, and the development of marketing strategy guidelines (for example, see Copeland 1923; Miracle 1965; and Aspinwall 1973). The use of these basic classifications in a segmentation context is readily evidenced by their almost universal acceptance in the major marketing texts.
Sequence Stratigraphy and Sea-Level Changes in Cretaceous Time

Working Group 1 will concentrate on the record and origin of sedimentary cyclicity in the Cretaceous at time scales of 1–10 m.y., especially on the role of eustasy in the formation of unconformity-bounded depositional sequences. The advantage of the sequence-stratigraphic approach is that unlike transgressions and regressions of the shoreline or changes in paleobathymetry, the development of prominent sequence boundaries is relatively insensitive to sediment supply, and major boundaries of eustatic origin ought to correlate or nearly correlate globally. Practical applications of the research stem from insights about the distribution of resources such as petroleum and coal.
Gastroschisis: A Review of Management and Outcomes

We performed an evidence-based review of the obstetrical management of gastroschisis. Gastroschisis is an abdominal wall defect, which has increased in frequency in recent decades. There is variation of prevalence by ethnicity and several known maternal risk factors. Herniated intestinal loops lacking a covering membrane can be identified with prenatal ultrasonography, and maternal serum α-fetoprotein level is commonly elevated. Because of the increased risk for growth restriction, amniotic fluid abnormalities, and fetal demise, antenatal testing is generally recommended. While many studies have aimed to identify antenatal predictors of neonatal outcome, accurate prognosis remains challenging. Delivery by 37 weeks appears reasonable, with cesarean delivery reserved for obstetric indications. Postnatal surgical management includes primary surgical closure, staged reduction with silo, or sutureless umbilical closure. Overall prognosis is good with low long-term morbidity in the majority of cases, but approximately 15% of cases are very complex with complicated hospital course, extensive intestinal loss, and early childhood death.
The Influence of Imposed Optic Flow on Basketball Shooting Performance and Postural Sway

The purpose of this experiment was to determine the influence of imposed optic flow on basketball shooting performance and postural sway. Thirty-four participants each performed 96 basketball shots, half in the presence of imposed optic flow, and half in a static visual environment. Imposed optic flow was generated using a moving background behind the basket that translated horizontally as participants shot. Participants stood on a force plate while shooting to allow for the measurement of postural sway via recording center of pressure (CoP) position and computing the range in the anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) axes. Imposed optic flow caused a reduction in basketball shooting percentage from 56.7 to 52.1 (p = .006) (-8.22%). Imposed optic flow caused a reduction in shooting score from 3.15 to 3.05 (p = .007) (-3.17%). Imposed optic flow had no effect on CoP position range in either the anterior-posterior (p = .990) or medial-lateral (p = .678) axes. Imposed optic flow negatively impacted shooting performance, but for reasons other than by causing postural instability. The possible effect of imposed optic flow on aiming, visual attention and gaze are discussed.
La Universidad de la Vida: a pedagogy built to last

AbstractThis article weaves the life of a Mexican laborer, who with his wife brought his family to the United States and mentored two university professors, as they became activists in their craft. The professors honor their father through a reflective process where they share and make sense of a series of stories that describe their Papi’s experience in La Universidad de la Vida. The narratives speak to ontology of research, the utility of stories, particularly as stories can shape identity, capture critical life moments, and can help us make meaning of lived experiences, a methodology not commonly explored in education research.
Safety Assessment of Two Hybrid Instrumentation Techniques in a Dental Student Endodontic Clinic: A Retrospective Study

The aim of this study was to retrospectively assess the safety potential of a hybrid technique combining nickel-titanium (NiTi) reciprocating and rotary instruments by third- and fourth-year dental students in the predoctoral endodontics clinic at one U.S. dental school. For the study, 3,194 root canal treatments performed by 317 dental students from 2012 through 2015 were evaluated for incidence of ledge creation and instrument separation. The hybrid reciprocating and rotary technique (RRT) consisted of a glide path creation with stainless steel hand files up to size 15/02, a crown down preparation with a NiTi reciprocating instrument, and an apical preparation with NiTi rotary instruments. The control was a traditional rotary and hand technique (RHT) that consisted of the same glide path procedure followed by a crown down preparation with NiTi rotary instruments and an apical preparation with NiTi hand instruments. The results showed that the RHT technique presented a rate of ledge creation of 1.4% per root and the RRT technique was 0.5% per root (p<0.05). Three stainless steel hand files separated: two in the RHT group and one in the RRT group. There was no separation of any NiTi file in any of the techniques. The use of the reciprocating and rotary technique for root canal instrumentation by these dental students provided good safety. This hybrid technique offered a low rate of ledge creation along with no NiTi instrument separation.
Social and Cognitive Impressions of Adults Who Do and Do Not Stutter Based on Listeners' Perceptions of Read-Speech Samples.

Stuttering is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by frequent and involuntary disruptions during speech production. Adults who stutter are often subject to negative perceptions. The present study examined whether negative social and cognitive impressions are formed when listening to speech, even without any knowledge about the speaker. Two experiments were conducted in which naive participants were asked to listen to and provide ratings on samples of read speech produced by adults who stutter and typically-speaking adults without knowledge about the individuals who produced the speech. In both experiments, listeners rated speaker cognitive ability, likeability, anxiety, as well as a number of speech characteristics that included fluency, naturalness, intelligibility, the likelihood the speaker had a speech-and-language disorder (Experiment 1 only), rate and volume (both Experiments 1 and 2). The speech of adults who stutter was perceived to be less fluent, natural, intelligible, and to be slower and louder than the speech of typical adults. Adults who stutter were also perceived to have lower cognitive ability, to be less likeable and to be more anxious than the typical adult speakers. Relations between speech characteristics and social and cognitive impressions were found, independent of whether or not the speaker stuttered (i.e., they were found for both adults who stutter and typically-speaking adults) and did not depend on being cued that some of the speakers may have had a speech-language impairment.
Design for Purkinje Cells

We present a mathematical/computer model of a Purkinje cell. The model is a binary dendritic tree of Rall compartments connected to trunk, soma and then Hodgkin-Huxley axon. We perform studies of the model for different parameters, especially those provided by Shelton, and Pellionisz and Linas.
Spatial correlation of the EC-0.57 eV trap state with edge dislocations in epitaxial n-type gallium nitride

Defects in semiconductors lead to deleterious effects in electron devices, but identifying their physical sources can be difficult. An example of this in gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistors is the well-known trap state located at approximately EC-0.57 eV. This trap is strongly correlated with output power degradation and reliability issues, but despite two decades of study, its specific physical source is still unknown. To address this long-standing question, two complementary nm-resolution characterization techniques—scanning probe deep level transient spectroscopy (SP-DLTS) and electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI)—were used to spatially map the lateral distribution of these traps and to image and characterize their relation to residual threading dislocations within NH3-MBE-grown n-type GaN. Direct comparison of the SP-DLTS and ECCI measurements on the same sample region reveals highly localized concentrations of EC-0.57 eV traps that are spatially correlated with pure edge type threading dislocations in the GaN, but not with mixed and/or screw type dislocations, indicating that the specific dislocation character is a defining factor for this particular defect level. This work demonstrates the efficacy of combining these two techniques to obtain energy-, location-, and structure-resolved characterization of defects in a functional device structure.