cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Grounding and ground fault protection of multiple generator installations on medium-voltage industrial and commercial power systems - Part 1: The problem defined Working Group Report

This paper discusses typical grounding practices and ground fault protection methods for medium-voltage generator stators, highlighting their merits and drawbacks. Particular attention is given to applications of multiple generators connected to a single bus. The paper also provides an overview of the generator damage mechanism during stator ground faults. Problem areas associated with each type of grounding are identified and solutions are discussed. The paper also provides a list of references on the topic. The paper is intended as a guide to aid engineers in selecting adequate grounding and ground fault protection schemes for medium-voltage industrial and commercial generators for new installations, for evaluating existing systems, and for future expansion of facilities, to minimize generator damage from stator ground faults. These topics are presented in four separate parts, Parts 1-4. Part 1 covers scope, introduction, user examples of stator ground failure, and theoretical basis for the problem. Part 2 discusses various grounding methods used in industrial applications. Part 3 describes protection methods for the various types of grounding and Part 4 provides a conclusion and bibliography of additional resource material.
Glass transition and crystal melting in semicrystalline polyimides

Quantitative thermal analysis of a family of semicrystalline polyimides containing from one to three ethylene glycol spacer units has been conducted. Special emphasis has been placed upon the changes in the thermodynamic properties resulting from the successive additions of ethylene glycol units. The solid and liquid heat capacities were measured in the temperature range 230–640 K. The solid heat capacities were also calculated from the vibration spectra of the polymers. An in-depth description of the glass transitions, the heat capacity increases at the glass transition temperatures, and the widths of the glass transitions is provided. Three parts of the heat of fusion have been identified: Wc (H), that contributed from the high melting peak; wc (L), that contributed from the low melting peak; and wc (C), that developed during cooling after isothermal crystallization. The metastability, sequence of crystallization, and rate of reorganization of the low and high melting peaks have been investigated by stepwise crystallization and by analysis using different heating rates after isothermal crystallization. A rigid amorphous fraction is needed to explain the failure of the two-phase (crystallinity) model.
Carotenoid Distribution in Bleached Substrains of Euglena gracilis

SYNOPSIS. Several substrains of Euglena gracilis var. bacillaris made chlorotic by treatment with pyribenzamine or streptomycin, or by growth at high temperature (35–36°C.), have been examined for their carotenoid content. They differ from the normal green strain both qualitatively and quantitatively. Some strains produce no detectable carotenoids while the carotenoid concentration in the strains producing most is at best only one-fifth that of the normal strain. In all substrains producing carotenoids, the carotene fraction consists of β-carotene accompanied by some members of the phytofluene series. In only two of these substrains, HB-G and PBZ-G3, are xanthophylls produced in significant amounts. In HB-G, the main pigment is echinenone, and in PBZ-G3 it is zeaxanthin. The significance of these findings is briefly discussed.
Simple robotic routing in ad hoc networks

Position-based routing protocols in ad hoc networks combine a forwarding strategy with a recovery algorithm. The former fails when there are void regions or physical obstacles that prevent transmission. Then, the recovery algorithm is used to detour the obstacles. To explore the obstacles and find a path around them, the earlier recovery approaches construct a planar graph to avoid routing loops. Distributed algorithms that find planar graphs require accurate knowledge on the location of nodes. The number of nodes on a recovery path increases as the node density increases. Our novel recovery technique operates on a grid model of a network. Obstacles are approximated by adjacent grid elements. We adopt the right-hand rule, which is common in robotics, to follow the perimeter of the discretized obstacle. We do not construct a planar graph. The grid structure reduces the positional accuracy required for nodes, and the recovery path length is independent of the node density
Cardiovascular pharmacology of thyrotropin releasing hormone.

Abstract Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) and its receptors are present in the cardiovascular nuclei of the brain as well as in the intermediolateral cell column of spinal cord. Anatomical, neurophysiological, functional and pharmacological studies suggest that TRH is a neurotransmitter/neuromodulator in the central nervous system. Administration of TRH to experimental animals or human subjects induces pressor and tachycardic responses and increases plasma levels of catecholamines. These effects are likely to be mediated by a central nervous system activation of the sympathoadrenomedullary system with no involvement of vasopressin or renin-angiotensin system. In the conscious rat, the TRH-induced pressor response is accompanied by an increment in cardiac output and a distinct change in organ blood flow, a hindquarter skeletal muscle vasodilation accompanied bv renal and mesenteric vasoconstriction. The role of TRH in hypertension has not been studied. However, the extremely potent pressor and vasoconstrictor properties of TRH makes this tripeptide a candidate for neurotransmitters/modulators involved in the development and/or maintenance of hypertension. The role of TRH in the therapy of shock is at present controversial. Though preliminary experimental work raised hopes and expectations for therapeutic usage of TRH in shock and trauma, the more recent studies have shown no effect or a detrimental effect for TRH in some experimental shock states.
The Long Reach of One’s Spouse Spouses’ Personality Influences Occupational Success

You marry your spouse "for better, for worse" and "for richer, for poorer," but does your choice of partner make you richer or poorer? It is unknown whether people's dispositional characteristics can seep into their spouses' workplace. Using a representative, longitudinal sample of married individuals (N=4,544), we examined whether Big Five personality traits of participants' spouses related to three measures of participants' occupational success: job satisfaction, income, and likelihood of being promoted. For both male and female participants, partner conscientiousness predicted future job satisfaction, income, and likelihood of promotion, even after accounting for participants' conscientiousness. These associations occurred because more conscientious partners perform more household tasks, exhibit more pragmatic behaviors that their spouses are likely to emulate, and promote a more satisfying home life, enabling their spouses to focus more on work. These results demonstrate that the dispositional characteristics of the person one marries influence important aspects of one's professional life.
A distributed wireless channel assignment algorithm with collision reduction

Using multiple channels and smart frequency reuse strategy could significantly improve the performance of wireless sensor networks. In this paper we propose an method to determine channel usage based on discrete Particle Swarming Optimization (PSO) algorithm. In stead of searching for a collision-free channel assignment which is not achievable in many scenarios, the goal of our algorithm is to find a channel allocation that results in the least amount of channel interference. Our method search discrete variables in the search space, and candidate solutions containing space-channel reuse. Local node channel state information is used to update the particle velocity as well as the current swarm optimum. Our results show that PSO can find very good channel allocation and significantly increase the overall communication efficiency and battery life.
Optimal Signal Design for Detection of Gaussian Point Targets in Stationary Gaussian Clutter/Reverberation

In this paper, we address the design of an optimal transmit signal and its corresponding optimal detector for a radar or active sonar system. The focus is on the temporal aspects of the waveform with the spatial aspects to be described in a future paper. The assumptions involved in modeling the clutter/reverberation return are crucial to the development of the optimal detector and its consequent optimal signal design. In particular, the target is assumed to be a Gaussian point target and the clutter/reverberation a stationary Gaussian random process. In practice, therefore, the modeling will need to be assessed and possibly extended, and additionally a means of measuring the "in-situ" clutter/reverberation spectrum will be required. The advantages of our approach are that a simple analytical result is obtained which is guaranteed to be optimal, and also the extension to spatial-temporal signal design is immediate using ideas of frequency-wavenumber representations. Some examples are given to illustrate the signal design procedure as well as the calculation of the increase in processing gain. Finally, the results are shown to be an extension of the usual procedure which places the signal energy in the noise band having minimum power
Hitchhiking on Pennsylvanian Echinoids: Epibionts on Archaeocidaris

Abstract Thousands of aggregating Archaeocidaris echinoids, many with Crurithyris planoconvexa brachiopods and fenestellid and encrusting bryozoan epibionts on their spines, occur in a Pennsylvanian (Missourian) echinoderm Lagerstatte in the Winchell Formation of north-central Texas. This occurrence documents the earliest recorded case of epibionts on echinoids, including usually unpreserved epibionts repeatedly attached to echinoid hosts. Additionally, this occurrence provides further insight into deep-time biotic interactions between mobile hosts and their attaching organisms. All epibionts are preferentially distributed on the test-proximal ends of the spines. In a contemporaneous sample, no significant size differences are noted between echinoids with and those without epibionts. Epibiont distribution on the spines may occur from one or a combination of causes: antifouling behavior of the echinoid, accidental mechanical removal of epibionts via abrasion, or larval preference in settling. Crurithyris p...
Prevention of peristomal skin excoriation

e20746 Background: Purpose of this paper is to prevent the peristomal skin excoriations. So far there has not been any permanent solution for this complication. Approximately 45% of patients with s...
How Funding Ratios Affect Pension Plan Portfolio Allocations

Executive Summary. This article examines how a pension plan's funding ratio can affect the portfolio allocation decision. Specifically, an asset / liability model of pension plan decision-making is...
Structural, transport, and magnetic properties of narrow bandwidth Nd 1-x Ca x CoO 3-δ and comparisons to Pr 1-x Ca x CoO 3-δ

Low bandwidth Pr-based cobalt perovskites, such as Pr${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Ca${}_{x}$CoO${}_{3\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$, have received significant recent attention as they undergo first-order spin-state transitions with a strong influence on magnetic and transport properties. The unique nature of the Pr-O bond has been implicated as the impetus for these transitions, as it is thought that temperature-dependent charge transfer can occur between Pr and Co ions, i.e., a partial Pr${}^{3+}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}Pr${}^{4+}$ and Co${}^{4+}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}Co${}^{3+}$ valence shift. In the present work, we have studied the related compound Nd${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Ca${}_{x}$CoO${}_{3\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$. The Nd${}^{3+}$ ions have very similar ionic radius to Pr${}^{3+}$ but do not induce a temperature-dependent valence shift (at least in the composition range studied here), enabling deconvolution of the intrinsic low bandwidth physics from the unique effects of Pr-O bonding in Pr${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Ca${}_{x}$CoO${}_{3\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$. To this end, we have characterized the structural, magnetic, and electronic transport characteristics of Nd${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Ca${}_{x}$CoO${}_{3\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ bulk polycrystals, using neutron diffraction, small-angle neutron scattering, dc and ac magnetometry, and magnetotransport, and have established the Nd${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Ca${}_{x}$CoO${}_{3\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ magnetic phase diagram. This phase diagram contains regimes of short-range ferromagnetism and long-range ferromagnetism, in addition to ferrimagnetism. We argue that, with the exception of the valence transition that occurs at high $x$ (e.g., $x$ $=$ 0.5) in Pr${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Ca${}_{x}$CoO${}_{3\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ and the low-temperature ordering of Nd${}^{3+}$moments that results in the ferrimagnetism in Nd${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Ca${}_{x}$CoO${}_{3\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$, the two systems are nearly isostructural and have similar magnetic and transport properties. The low bandwidth physics intrinsic to both systems is summarized as encompassing long-range ferromagnetism with a relatively low Curie temperature due to Co-O-Co bond buckling (60 K for Nd${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Ca${}_{x}$CoO${}_{3\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$), short-range ferromagnetism that emerges at much higher temperatures (\ensuremath{\sim}270 K for Nd${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Ca${}_{x}$CoO${}_{3\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$), and likely stems from oxygen deficiency, exchange-spring behavior related to magnetoelectronic phase separation, and a doping-driven insulator-metal transition. In addition to elucidating the essential physics of narrow bandwidth perovskite cobaltites, the results thus further confirm the importance of the unique features of the Pr-O bond in driving the abrupt spin-state transition in Pr${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Ca${}_{x}$CoO${}_{3\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$.
Fluid-mechanical interaction of flexible bacterial flagella by the immersed boundary method

Flagellar bundling is an important aspect of locomotion in bacteria such as Escherichia coli. To study the hydrodynamic behavior of helical flagella, we present a computational model that is based on the geometry of the bacterial flagellar filament at the micrometer scale. We consider two model flagella, each of which has a rotary motor at its base with the rotation rate of the motor set at 100 Hz. Bundling occurs when both flagella are left-handed helices turning counterclockwise (when viewed from the nonmotor end of the flagellum looking back toward the motor) or when both flagella are right-handed helices turning clockwise. Helical flagella of the other combinations of handedness and rotation direction do not bundle.
Industrial Source Loyalty

The degree and determinants of source loyalty in the purchase of industrial components by an advanced electronics firm are examined through the application of multiple regression and discriminant a...
Reaction of histidine with methyl linoleate: Characterization of the histidine degradation products

Efforts have been made to characterize the products that result from interactions between L-histidine (free base) and peroxidizing methyl linoleate (ML) in a model system consisting of reactants dispersed on a filter paper. Imidazole lactic acid and imidazole acetic acid are identified as breakdown products when histidine is incubated with ML, methyl linoleate hydroperoxide (MLHPO), or n-hexanal over a period of 3 weeks. Two other reaction products are found to give back histidine upon acid hydrolysis. These products are though to be Schiff's base compounds which result from the condensation of the histidyl α-amino group and carbonyl groups of reactive aldehydes formed during ML peroxidation. Most of the detectable reaction products have the imidazole moiety intact indicating the high relative reactivity of the functional groups, especially the amino group, associated with the α-carbon. Such high reactivity provides an explanation for the low concentrations of ninhydrin-positive free amino compounds that are, at best, barely detectable on thin layer chromatography.
Design saltz——See from the design of cybernetics machinery developmen

The technical level of the machine marks a large extent a country's industrial production capacity and the level of science and technology.The emergence of human progress machines provide a powerful driving force,the machine is the complexity of human development,production tools industry,is the social needs,technological level,quality of the product of combining the three.In this paper,the design of cybernetics as the guiding ideology of the working machine to the way the main study,in the reasonable way to run the application point of view,and the machine development process.
Taxonomic identity of the endangered Snake River physa, Physa natricina (Pulmonata: Physidae) combining traditional and molecular techniques

The conservation of some imperiled species has been impaired by taxonomic uncertainty. The Snake River physa, Physa natricina Taylor 1988, is an endangered gastropod to the middle Snake River that has rarely been collected live. The rarity of P. natricina and the lack of live specimens have fueled debate regarding the validity of the species. Our objectives were to: determine if P. natricina existed in a suspected population area; if found, to compare shell morphology to the holotype and soft tissue to the original description; review available museum specimens to determine species range; and phylogenetically compare suspect P. natricina with confamilial and other known Physidae. Sampling yielded suspect P. natricina with shell morphology matching the holotype and dissections revealed that the soft tissue was within the purview of the original description and not overlapping the characters of other Physidae. Review of museum Physidae collected from the Snake River revealed suspect P. natricina as far downstream as RK 592. Physella gyrina was the only confamilial species found during sampling and during review of museum collections. Phylogenetic analyses (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference, and UPGMA) of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and ribosomal subunit 16S markers strongly supported P. natricina as a reciprocal monophyletic group and a distinct evolutionary significant unit. Our results confirm the original description of P. natricina as a distinct species and expand the extant distribution highlighting the importance of combining traditional methods of taxonomic description with modern molecular tools when working with species of conservation concern.
Magnetic Tensor Sensor and Way-Finding Method Based on Geomagnetic Field Effects With Applications for Visually Impaired Users

This paper presents a method utilizing geomagnetic field effects commonly found in nature to help the visually impaired persons (VIPs) navigate safely and efficiently; both indoor and outdoor applications are considered. Magnetic information indicating special locations can be incorporated as waypoints on a map to provide a basis to help the user follow a map that amalgamates the waypoints into spatial information. Along with a magnetic tensor sensor (MTS), a navigation system for helping VIPs more effectively comprehend their surroundings is presented. With the waypoint-enhanced map and an improved dynamic-time-warping algorithm, this system estimates the user's locations from real-time measured magnetic data. Methods using image data to enhance waypoints at dangerous locations are discussed. The MTS-enhanced method can be integrated into existing personal mobile devices (with built-in sound, image, video, and vibration alert capabilities) to take advantages of the rapidly developing internet, global positioning systems, and computing technologies to overcome several shortcomings of blind-assistive devices. A prototype MTS-enhanced system for indoor/outdoor navigation has been developed and demonstrated experimentally. Although the MTS and algorithm are presented in the context of way-finding for a VIP, the findings presented here provide a basis for a wide range of applications where geomagnetic field effects offer an advantage.
Die Wirkung von reibungsmindernden Zusätzen auf die Metallkorrosion in wäßrigen Medien

Reibungsvermindernde Zusatze fuhren, neben einer Verringerung des Druckabfalls in durchstromten Rohrleitungen, zu einer Beeinflussung des Stofftransportes und somit der Korrosion. Zur Untersuchung der beiden letztgenannten Effekte wurden verschiedene Versuche (rotierende Scheibe, Kreislaufversuche mit Rohrsegmentproben) mit Hexadecyltrimethylammomiumsalicylat sowie mit zwei handelsublichen kationischen Tensiden durchgefuhrt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, das die gepruften Tenside tatsachlich eine korrosionshemmende Wirkung haben, indem sie einerseits den Stofftransport im Falle einer Sauerstoffkorrosion herabsetzen und, andererseits, selber eine korrosionshemmende Wirkung ausuben. Zudem konnen sie eine synergistische Wirkung mit anderen Wasserbehandlungschemikalien aufweisen. Auf gewisse Problemkreise, die sich beim praktischen Einsatz derartiger Verbindungen z. B. in Fernwarmenetzen ergeben konnen, wird hingewiesen.
Novel Lyapunov-type functional for robust control of general time-varying delay stochastic uncertain systems with Brownian motion

This paper presents a novel Lyapunov-type functional to develop a new robust control method for general time-varying delay stochastic uncertain systems with Brownian motion (Wiener process) and structural uncertainties. The proposed novel Lyapunov-type functional can effectively treat the general cases where the state derivative does not exist due to Brownian motion and the derivative of time-varying delay may be any bounded values, i.e., a difficult task as known in the literature. Based on that, the robust control method is further developed by applying singular value decomposition (SVD) to all structural uncertainties, the slide mode control (SMC) and linear matrix inequality (LMI) for the controller design. The simulation of the literature examples demonstrates the correctness of the presented new methods, which outperform the existing methods.
A lethal case of mamushi (Gloydius blomhoffii) bite: severe bowel symptoms as a lethal sign

Case We report a lethal case of a mamushi (Gloydius blomhoffii) bite. An 84-year-old woman was bitten by a mamushi snake on her right elbow. She was initially treated at another hospital, however, because the swelling expanded and her renal function worsened, she was transferred to our hospital. Compartment syndrome, thrombocytopenia, respiratory arrest, and elevated creatinine kinase and lactose dehydrogenase levels were seen; renal failure progressed, and ileus and peritonitis due to colon perforation occurred. Outcome The patient died 35 days after the bite. An autopsy revealed widespread necrosis of the ileum, colon, and liver. Conclusion This report supplies useful clinical information on the treatment of severe mamushi bite cases, and severe abdominal symptoms, such as ileus and melena, may be a lethal sign.
Structural insights into Parkin substrate lysine targeting from minimal Miro substrates.

Hereditary Parkinson’s disease is commonly caused by mutations in the protein kinase PINK1 or the E3 ubiquitin ligase Parkin, which function together to eliminate damaged mitochondria. PINK1 phosphorylates both Parkin and ubiquitin to stimulate ubiquitination of dozens of proteins on the surface of the outer mitochondrial membrane. However, the mechanisms by which Parkin recognizes specific proteins for modification remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that the C-terminal GTPase (cGTPase) of the Parkin primary substrate human Miro is necessary and sufficient for efficient ubiquitination. We present several new X-ray crystal structures of both human Miro1 and Miro2 that reveal substrate recognition and ubiquitin transfer to be specific to particular protein domains and lysine residues. We also provide evidence that Parkin substrate recognition is functionally separate from substrate modification. Finally, we show that prioritization for modification of a specific lysine sidechain of the cGTPase (K572) within human Miro1 is dependent on both its location and chemical microenvironment. Activation of Parkin by phosphorylation or by binding of pUb is required for prioritization of K572 for modification, suggesting that Parkin activation and acquisition of substrate specificity are coupled.
On Mixing and Segregation: From Fluids and Maps to Granular Solids and Advection–Diffusion Systems

In fluids, diffusive transport and fluid parameters are determined by the thermally driven movement of molecules, whereas in granular media, thermal effects play no role in transport. Despite this fundamental difference, mixing in fluids and mixing and segregation in granular solids share many similarities. The advection–diffusion equation formalism unites the two systems and can be used in both cases to predict and understand how and when mixing occurs, through the use of strategic simplifications. We illustrate this connection with a fluid mixing example (the rotated potential mixer) and a granular segregation example (the segregation of a bidisperse mixture flowing in a chute).
When We Know the Number of Local Maxima, Then We Can Compute All of Them

In many practical situations, we need to compute local maxima. In general, it is not algorithmically possible, given a computable function, to compute the locations of all its local maxima. We show, however, that if we know the number of local maxima, then such an algorithm is already possible. Interestingly, for global maxima, the situation is different: even if we only know the number of locations where the global maximum is attained, then, in general, it is not algorithmically possible to find all these locations. A similar impossibility result holds for local maxima if instead of knowing their exact number, we only know two possible numbers.
R Aquarii: First Detection of Circumstellar SiO Maser Proper Motions

We have made the first detection of circumstellar SiO maser proper motions in the envelope of a late-type star. Using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), we have obtained observations at four epochs of the 43 GHz, v = 1, J = 1-0 SiO maser emission toward the Mira variable in the symbiotic binary R Aqr. The maser emission has a ringlike structure approximately 31 mas across with a slight elongation in the north-south direction. We find that the emission changes significantly over a timescale of about 1-2 months with almost no similarity in structure for timescales 6 months. Our observations show that over a 98 day period the masers have an average inward proper motion of about 1 mas. This contraction of the ring implies an infall velocity of about 4 km s-1 for the SiO masers in the circumstellar envelope.
Anisotropic assembly and pattern formation

We investigate the role of anisotropy in two classes of individual-based models for self-organization, collective behavior and self-assembly. We accomplish this via first-order dynamical systems of pairwise interacting particles that incorporate anisotropic interactions. At a continuum level, these models represent the natural anisotropic variants of the well-known aggregation equation. We leverage this framework to analyze the impact of anisotropic effects upon the self-assembly of co-dimension one equilibrium structures, such as micelles and vesicles. Our analytical results reveal the regularizing effect of anisotropy, and isolate the contexts in which anisotropic effects are necessary to achieve dynamical stability of co-dimension one structures. Our results therefore place theoretical limits on when anisotropic effects can be safely neglected. We also explore whether anisotropic effects suffice to induce pattern formation in such particle systems. We conclude with brief numerical studies that highlight various aspects of the models we introduce, elucidate their phase structure and partially validate the analysis we provide.
Alfred Marshall Lecture : Growth, Unemployment, and Labor Market Policy

The role of passive labor market policy as a possible reason for the run up in relative unemployment rates in Europe in the 1980s has been extensively studied. More recently the focus have shifted to lagging growth rates in Europe. The Lisbon strategy reflects these concerns by calling for reforms that ease market access, promote flexible labor markets, and simplify taxes and market regulation. The principal purpose of this paper is to build a simple model in which the possible effects of payroll taxes and employment protection policies on both unemployment and growth can be studied. The model is constructed of "off the shelf" parts found in the literatures on equilibrium unemployment and endogenous growth of the Schumpeterian variety. The model identifies channels though which both taxes and employment protection mandates can adversely affect growth though innovation. (JEL: E24, O40, J64, O31) Copyright (c) 2005 The European Economic Association.
Perceptions of and barriers to family planning services in the poorest regions of Chiapas, Mexico: a qualitative study of men, women, and adolescents

In the poorest regions of Chiapas, Mexico, 50.2% of women in need of contraceptives do not use any modern method. A qualitative study was needed to design effective and culturally appropriate interventions. We used purposive maximum-variation sampling to select eight municipalities with a high proportion of residents in the poorest wealth quintile, including urban, rural, indigenous, and non-indigenous communities. We conducted 44 focus group discussions with 292 women, adolescent women, and men using semi-structured topic guides. We analyzed the data through recursive abstraction. There were intergenerational and cultural gaps in the acceptability of family planning, and in some communities family planning use was greatly limited by gender roles and religious objections to contraception. Men strongly influenced family planning choices in many households, but were largely unreached by outreach and education programs due to their work hours. Respondents were aware of many modern methods but often lacked deeper knowledge and held misconceptions about long-term fertility risks posed by some hormonal methods. Acute physical side effects also dissuaded use. The implant was a new and highly acceptable method due to ease of use, low upkeep, and minimal side effects; however, it was perceived as subject to stock-outs. Adolescent women reported being refused services at health facilities and requested more reproductive health information from their parents and schools. Mass and social media are growing sources of reproductive health information. Our study identifies a number of barriers to family planning that have yet to be adequately addressed by existing programs in Chiapas’ poorest regions, and calls for reinvigorated efforts to provide effective, acceptable, and culturally appropriate interventions for these communities.
The Cost of Interventions to Increase Influenza Vaccination: A Systematic Review.

Context Influenza vaccination rates remain below Healthy People 2020 goals. This project sought to systematically review economic evaluations of healthcare-based quality improvement interventions for improving influenza vaccination uptake among general populations and healthcare workers. Evidence acquisition The databases MEDLINE, Econlit, Centre for Reviews & Dissemination, Greylit, and Worldcat were searched in July 2016 for papers published from January 2004 to July 2016. Eligible studies evaluated efforts by bodies within the healthcare system to encourage influenza vaccination by means of an organizational or structural change. For each study, program costs per enrollee and per additional enrollee vaccinated were derived (excluding vaccine costs, standardized to 2017 U.S. dollars). Complete economic evaluations were examined when available. Evidence synthesis Of 2,350 records, 18 articles were eligible and described 29 unique interventions. Most interventions improved vaccine uptake. Among 23 interventions in general populations, the median program cost was $3.27 (interquartile range, $0.82–$11.53) per enrollee and $50.78 (interquartile range, $27.85–$124.84) per additional enrollee vaccinated. Among ten complete economic evaluations in general populations, three studies reported net cost savings, four reported costs Conclusions Quality improvement interventions for influenza vaccination involve per-enrollee costs that are similar to the cost of the vaccine itself ($11.78–$36.08/dose). Based on limited available evidence in general populations, quality improvement interventions may be cost saving to cost effective for the health system.
Structuring of Nanoparticle Suspensions Confined Between Two Smooth Solid Surfaces

Combining colloidal-probe atomic force microscopy and small angle X-ray scattering, the characteristic lengths determining the structuring of nanoparticle suspensions confined between two smooth solid surfaces are analyzed. Monte Carlo simulations and integral equation theory are included to understand the interparticle and particle-confining surface interactions. The oscillation, which indicates the layered formation of particles, is determined by the dominant wavelength and correlation length of the bulk pair correlation function. As a consequence, confined and bulk quantities display the same power-law dependence. This indicates that, in a system treatable both by experiments and by simulation, the structural wavelength and correlation length both in bulk and confinement coincide. Moreover, theoretically and experimentally-derived wavelengths are in excellent quantitative agreement, while correlation lengths are in qualitative agreement. Influential factors on wavelength and correlation length are studied. The wavelength is found to be a simple consequence of volume-effect, scaling as \(\rho ^{-1/3}\), irrespective of the particle size and the ionic strength. The correlation length, on the other hand, is found to be a function of these two parameters, \(\xi = R+\kappa ^{-1}\). Both experimental and theoretical results show a pronounced interaction amplitude and range as a result of increasing particle concentration, particle size, and decreasing ionic strength of suspensions.
Tissue Engineered Anterior Cruciate Ligament Graft

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most frequently ruptured ligament in the knee that is associated with functional disability. Because it lacks successful healing capabilities, it is often reconstructed. The current methods utilizing autograft and allograft tissue to reconstruct the ACL have been quite successful. However, surgeons and patients would prefer grafts without the potential for donor site morbidity (autografts) and the potential for disease transmission and unavailability (allografts). In addition, there is time necessary to shape and prepare the graft material before implantation. Tissue engineering has the potential to address some of these issues and give a more ideal graft. Trying to create a functional tissue engineered ACL graft that is available and a cost-effective, value-added alternative presents the problems and challenges of the regeneration of any tissue. The ACL presents some unique challenges ahead in developing a biological engineered tissue replacement. These unique challenges are related to its complex microanatomy, its time zero and incorporated mechanical and structural properties and its intra-articular space and intrasynovial environment. Trying to duplicate the ACL's structural and mechanical characteristics is dependent on developing, placing and properly tensioning fibers of different lengths. Its intricate macro-and microanatomy have not been duplicated to date with engineered tissue or biomaterials. The native ACL has no adjacent soft tissue, as many ligaments in the body do, that can enhance the healing process.
Utilization of the BackMed email discussion list in a specialized health sciences learning center: a cost-benefit analysis.

The BackMed discussion list is a free electronic system maintained by Swetsblackwell.com that enables hundreds of health sciences libraries across the United States as well as overseas to quickly post lists of excess as well as wanted journal issues and books. This paper examines the utilization of the BackMed system by a highly specialized health sciences learning center in a successful attempt to systematically rebuild its periodicals collection. BackMed is a public list available through a free email subscription, which can be received as individual real-time messages or batched as a daily digest. Hundreds of messages are posted to this informal exchange system every week. Using email, health sciences libraries can request needed materials from other libraries as well as disseminate listings of excess serials and books at no charge. To keep costs for the fulfilling libraries at a minimum, postage reimbursement is usually all that is required from the requesting library. Libraries in the United States can take advantage of a reduced postage rate from the United States Postal Service (USPS) for mailing packages of books and journals. Larger domestic shipments can be sent by United Parcel Service (UPS), while foreign transactions are typically handled at the most economical rate available. Payment for most exchanged materials is done using the “universal” currency of U.S. postage stamps in various denominations and combinations as the preferred reimbursement mechanism. Checks are occasionally used for larger payments, while some fulfilling libraries waive reimbursement either partially for amounts under a specified amount or fully for consortium members. The BackMed list provides a cost-effective, efficient mechanism for health sciences libraries to replace missing serial issues and strengthen collections. For libraries with excess materials, BackMed provides an environmentally conscientious disposal alternative while at the same time sharing needed materials with other libraries.
Determinants of Modular Macaulay Matrices

Introduction: Resultants of multi-variate polynomials are fundamental for solving systems of polynomial equations and have numerous applications. Thus they are being intensely studied. Macaulay [3] showed that the projective resultant of a list of multi-variate polynomials is the quotient of two determinants. The numerator of this quotient is the determinant of a (sparse) matrix containing the coefficients of the polynomials, the so-called Macaulay matrix. The denominator is the determinant of a small minor of the Macaulay matrix. Current algorithms [1] for computing projective resultants [4] require computing the determinant of the Macaulay matrix in most cases. (In some degenerate cases they require computing coefficients of a characteristic polynomial.) Therefore it is essential for efficient resultant computations to efficiently compute determinants of Macaulay matrices. Thus the goal of this undergraduate research is to efficiently compute determinants of Macaulay matrices. This undergraduate research is being conducted under the direction of M. Minimair and is being supported by NSF grant CCF0430741.
Controlling the wrapping effect in the solution of ODEs for asteroids

During the last decade, substantial progress has been made in fighting the wrapping effect in self-validated integrations of linear systems. However, it is still the main problem limiting the applicability of such methods to the long-term integration of non-linear systems. Here we show how high-order self-validated methods can successfully overcome this obstacle. We study and compare the validated integration of a Kepler problem with conventional and high-order methods represented by AWA and Taylor models, respectively. We show that this simple model problem exhibits significant wrapping that is particularly difficult to control for conventional first-order methods. It will become clear that utilizing high-order methods with shrink wrapping allows the system to be analyzed in a fully validated context over large integration times. By comparing high-order Taylor model integrations with Taylor model methods subjected to an artificial wrapping effect, we show that utilizing high-order methods to propagate initial conditions is indeed the foremost reason for the successful suppression of the wrapping effect. To further demonstrate that high-order Taylor model methods can be used for the integration of complicated non-linear systems, we summarize results obtained from a fully verified and self-validated orbit integration of the near earth asteroid 1997 XF11. Since this asteroid will have several close encounters with Earth, its analysis is an important application of reliable computations.
Biochemical Substrates of Drug Abuse

A variety of psychosocial factors are thought to predispose an individual to initiate the abuse of illicit drugs (Gorsuch & Butler, 1976). Once initiated, a number of psychopharmacological factors also come to play a role in the continuance of self-administration behavior. One important factor is the ability of the drug to produce a positive affective state or reinforcement upon its initial administration. For example. Haertzen, Kocher, & Miyasato (1983) found that the degree of reinforcement derived from the first drug experience was related directly to the magnitude of the subsequent drug habit. The relationship was true for several drugs including alcohol, barbiturates, minor tranquilizers, cocaine, stimulants, marijuana, solvents, hallucinogens, and opiates but was not true for caffeine (coffee) or nicotine (cigarettes). Thus, an understanding of the abuse potential of many psychoactive drugs requires an appreciation of the reinforcing value of the initial drug experience.
It’s Not Black and White: Toward a Contingency Perspective on the Consequences of Being a Token

Kanter’s (1977) tokenism theory stimulated a flurry of research activity devoted to understanding the experiences of those who are in the numerical minority in their work groups, organizations, or ...
Association between congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction and mode of delivery at birth.

Purpose To investigate the association between mode of delivery, incidence of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO), and treatment outcomes. Methods The medical records of children diagnosed with CNLDO at a tertiary referral center between 2012 and 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. Patient demographics, pregnancy and birth history, clinical characteristics of CNLDO, and treatment outcomes were compared in patients delivered via Cesarean section (CS) versus vaginal delivery (VD). The rates of CS, as well as full-term and premature births, were also compared to Miami-Dade County normative values to eliminate the confounding effects of prematurity. Results A total of 104 patients were included. A significantly higher percentage of patients with CNLDO (61%) were delivered via CS (P Conclusions CS is a risk factor for CNLDO, independent of gestational age. Children born via CS also tend to have a more complicated clinical course requiring additional surgical interventions.
Overview of acoustic detection for counter unmanned aircraft systems

Integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS) is currently a major problem for government and industry. The detection of unauthorized UAS activity is a concern. There is a need for effective low-cost sensor technology to detect and track unauthorized UAS operations. Acoustic sensor systems have potential to improve counter UAS (C-UAS) sensing capabilities at greatly reduced cost relative to traditional sensors such as radar and optical systems, but the commercially available acoustic sensing technology is still lacking. The MITRE Corporation has been a leader in advising the United States’ Federal Government on the issues around integration of UAS into the NAS and C-UAS technologies. Research done by MITRE on acoustic sensing of UAS will be presented. The current state of commercially available acoustic sensor systems will be briefly reviewed. Recommendations that MITRE has developed on how to design acoustic sensor systems for C-UAS will be discussed. Future research directions in topics such as acoustic beamforming, array design, and outdoor sound propagation will be recommended. Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited 18-4035
Evaluation of Degradation of SBS Modified Asphalt Binder Because of RTFO, PAV, and UV Aging using a Novel Extensional Deformation Test:

Styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) modified PG 64-22 and PG 76-22 binders are studied to investigate the degradation of polymer because of aging applied by: rolling thin film oven (RTFO), pressure agi...
Use of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

Abstract Background Current treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer includes neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. With neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NC), both chemoradiation and chemotherapy are given in the neoadjuvant setting. This study aims to assess patterns of NC utilization and differences in treatment response compared with standard treatment at our institution. Materials and methods We performed a retrospective review of patients treated for stage II-III rectal cancer at our institution between 2008 and 2018, examining patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment modality. The primary outcome of interest was complete response (CR) to treatment, including both pathologic and clinical CR. Results Of 184 patients, 134 (72.8%) received standard therapy, and 50 (27.2%) received NC. In the standard treatment group, 70.1% were node positive, and 9.0% had T4-disease, compared with 92.0% and 26.0% in the NC group, respectively (both P Conclusions Use of NC was increasingly used at our institution from 2008 to 2018. Patients who received NC achieved higher rates of CR compared with those undergoing standard therapy, despite having more advanced disease. These data support trends from other institutions and provides rationale for further study regarding use of NC for locally advanced rectal cancer.
Evaluating uptake and patient satisfaction with an out-of-pocket cost tracker for gynecologic cancer patients undergoing treatment.

101Background: Tracking expenses may be useful to minimize financial distress in cancer patients. Our objective was to evaluate uptake and satisfaction with an out of pocket (OOP) cost tracker for ...