cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transactions costs of expanding nutrient trading to agricultural working lands: A Virginia case study

Abstract Agricultural nonpoint sources (NPS) figure prominently in the design of many water quality trading programs. In concept water quality trading programs can create incentives for agricultural operators to supply low cost pollutant reductions while still keeping land in agricultural production. In practice water quality trading programs in the United States have produced few trades involving agricultural NPS. Transactions costs are a critical, but poorly understood, feature of water quality trading programs. The objective of this study is to examine the transactions costs associated with expanding the use of NPS credits in a water quality trading program in Virginia (United States) to include credits generated from agricultural working lands best management practices (BMPs). Findings indicate that transactions costs for agricultural NPS trades in Virginia are currently relatively low, due to the activity being credited: simple land conversion. Based on best available evidence, transactions costs of creating credits using management and structural BMPs will be 2 to 16 times more costly on a per project basis than for land conversion credits. Compliance monitoring protocols are a significant driver of costs for working lands credits. Our results suggest an important cost/risk tradeoff between verification costs and compliance certainty for program designers to consider.
A hybrid approach to estimate the complex motions of clouds in sky images

Abstract Tracking the motion of clouds is essential to forecasting the weather and to predicting the short-term solar energy generation. Existing techniques mainly fall into two categories: variational optical flow, and block matching. In this paper, we summarize recent advances in estimating cloud motion using ground-based sky imagers and quantitatively evaluate state-of-the-art approaches. Then we propose a hybrid tracking framework to incorporate the strength of both block matching and optical flow models. To validate the accuracy of the proposed approach, we introduce a series of synthetic images to simulate the cloud movement and deformation, and thereafter comprehensively compare our hybrid approach with several representative tracking algorithms over both simulated and real images collected from various sites/imagers. The results show that our hybrid approach outperforms state-of-the-art models by reducing at least 30% motion estimation errors compared with the ground-truth motions in most of simulated image sequences. Moreover, our hybrid model demonstrates its superior efficiency in several real cloud image datasets by lowering at least 15% Mean Absolute Error (MAE) between predicted images and ground-truth images.
A model to analyze the device level performance of thermoelectric generator

Abstract The thermoelectric generator (TEG) is a distinctive solid-state heat engine with great potential in various scale energy harvesting. Device-level heat transfer coupled with energy conversion makes the accurate analysis of the system very complicate. In this paper, the thermodynamic analysis in a TEG module is carried out to study the influence of the contact layer resistance, Thompson Effect, Joule heat, and thermo-pellet gap heat leakage on the performance of the TEG. All expressions of power output, current, matching load resistant factor, and efficiency of the device are derived and compared with a commercial module. The equations for the simplified model are also given concisely in order to give a full picture of TEG modeling. The research can evaluate the combined influence of all the factors and redress some derivations in the existing models.
Unruptured internal carotid artery bifurcation aneurysms: general features and overall results after modern treatment

Internal carotid artery bifurcation aneurysms (ICAbifAs) present unique challenges to endovascular and surgical operators, and little is known about their natural history. We reviewed our institution’s experience with ICAbifAs studying outcomes of surgical and endovascular management and natural history. Consecutive patients with unruptured ICAbifAs evaluated and/or treated over an 8-year interval were studied. Baseline demographics, neurovascular risk factors, aneurysm location and size, clinical presentation, treatment recommendations, and outcomes were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. Continuous variables were compared with Student’s t test and categorical variables with Chi-square tests. Fifty-nine patients with 61 unruptured ICAbifAs were included. Seven aneurysms were treated surgically (11.5 %), 22 underwent endovascular treatment (36 %), and 32 were managed conservatively (52.5 %). In the surgical group, short- and long-term complete aneurysm occlusion rates were 100 % with no cases of perioperative or long-term permanent morbidity or treatment-related mortality. In the endovascular group, two patients (11.7 %) with giant aneurysms had perioperative thromboembolic events with transient morbidity. There was one case of aneurysm rupture at follow-up in a giant aneurysm treated with partial coil embolization. Complete/near-complete occlusion rates were 63 %. There was one case of aneurysm rupture after 114 aneurysm-years of follow-up in the conservative management group (0.89 %/year), but no ruptures were observed in small aneurysms selected for conservative management. Unruptured small ICAbifAs have a benign natural history. In patients selected for treatment, excellent results can be achieved in the vast majority of patients with judicious use of endovascular and surgical therapy.
A parallel multigrid reduction in time method for power systems

This paper presents a fully multilevel approach to parallel in time solution of transient power system simulations. The method employs a multigrid reduction algorithm in time parallelized using the MPI distributed memory programming model. The method is demonstrated on a simple Single Machine Infinite Bus differential-algebraic equation model problem, for which speedup is obtained for as few as 8 processing cores on a problem with 10,000 time steps. Speedup of a factor of 13 is observed for a 100,000 step version of this simple problem. Based on these results, we expect significantly better speedup on larger problems where more work is available to each processor allowing greater amortization of the parallel communication.
Gender Representation and Student Performance: Representative Bureaucracy Goes to Korea

The literature on representative bureaucracy argues that bureaucrats who reflect the diversity of citizens are more likely to be responsive to the public. Although substantial research has supported the claim, most studies are conducted in Western countries such as the United States, and the evidence from other contexts is extremely limited. This raises two important questions: Does the relationship remain valid in a centralized Asian country? If so, under what conditions does representative bureaucracy matter more? This study investigates these questions by using a data set on secondary education in South Korea. Findings suggest that female students perform better when they are taught by female teachers, which strengthens the external validity of the theory. The positive link between female teachers and female student performance is greater when teachers have more discretion and interact more with each other. However, value consensus weakens the relationship between gender representation and student perf...
Palliative Care Involvement Is Associated With Less Intensive End-of-Life Care in Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Patients

Abstract Background: Adolescent and young adult oncology (AYAO) patients often receive intensive medical care and experience significant symptoms at the end of life (EOL). Objective: This study aimed to describe the characteristics of AYAO patients aged 15–26 years who died as inpatients in a hospital and to compare the illness and EOL experiences of AYAO patients who did and did not receive palliative care (PC). Design and Setting: A standardized data extraction tool was used to collect information about demographics, treatment, terminal characteristics, and symptoms during the last month of life (LMOL) for 69 AYAO patients who died while hospitalized between 2008 and 2014. Measurements and Results: AYAO patients who died in the hospital required considerable medical and psychosocial care and experienced numerous symptoms during the LMOL. Compared to those patients who received no formal PC services, patients followed by the PC team were less likely to die in the intensive care unit (ICU) (38% vs. 68%, p...
Global governance in a multiplex world

Despite paying attention to a growing number of actors and agents, the literature on global governance remain remarkably traditional and Western-centric. Much of it still revolves around the existing multilateral system created under U.S. hegemony after World War II. In this paper, I propose a new understanding of studying global governance that reflects recent and ongoing global economic and political shifts. To this end, in the place of the traditional conception of a liberal world order within which the mainstream literature on global governance has been anchored, this paper employs the idea of a “Multiplex World”. Unlike the former, the idea of a Multiplex World envisions a more pluralistic and diversified architecture of global governance shaped by a proliferation of transnational challenges, diffusion of new ideas, and expansion of actors and processes that lie at the center of global governance. A Multiplex World better captures the ongoing fragmentation of global governance, which in turn reflects a growing demand for new principles and approaches that cannot be accommodated by a simple extension of the existing but fading international order dominated by the US or the multilateral institutions it created. The concept of global governance, argues this paper, must come to terms with an emerging realities of the Multiplex World.
The Poetry is the Pity: The War Requiem and Poetic Consolation

Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem sets nine of Wilfred Owen’s war poems alongside the words of the Missa pro defunctis, allowing these texts to interrogate and comment on each other. Owen’s poems describe the horrors of trench warfare, and often, harshly indict both church and state for their complicity in war-mongering. Scholars such as Philip Rupprecht, Heather Wiebe, David B. Greene, and George D. Herbert have explored how Owen’s texts work to subvert the text of the Mass, and deny religious and musical consolation. Such readings place the War Requiem in line with Owen’s preface to his Collected Poems, in which he rejects consolatory mourning. This article, however, suggests that moments in the War Requiem work to deconstruct Owen’s preface. Britten’s juxtaposition of Owen’s poems with the text of the Missa pro defunctis, specifically in the Agnus Dei and Libera me, works to undermine Owen’s poetic goals as outlined in the preface, bringing out irony not immediately apparent in Owen’s work. This article closely examines Owen’s poems in the context of Britten’s settings and compares Owen’s poems to their Latin counterparts. It reveals moments in which Britten’s text setting alters the implications of Owen’s words to allow moments of consolatory mourning that directly contradict Owen’s purported poetic goals and cast doubt on the possibility of completely non-consolatory mourning. It concludes that the War Requiem offers a new kind of consolation, in which the acknowledgement of the impossibility of musical and poetic consolation becomes a tool to confront grief.
Formation of cytoplasmic granules in human eosinophilic myelocytes: an electron microscope autoradiographic study.

The intracellular flow of tritiated lysine in human eosinophilic myelocytes was studied by electron microscope autoradiography so that information could be obtained on the formation of eosinophil granules. Bone marrow particles obtained from a patient with a marked increase in the number of bone marrow eosinophils were incubated in vitro for periods up to 150 minutes. The percentage of cytoplasmic grains over the Golgi complex rose from 11 percent at 5 minutes to 28 percent by 30 minutes and fell to 15 percent at 150 minutes. Grains over cytoplasmic granules steadily rose to 37 percent by 150 minutes. These results are statistically significant and demonstrate that: human eosinophilic myelocytes are able to form cytoplasmic granules under the in vitro conditions employed, and that intracellular amino acids or proteins flow through the Golgi complex before incorporation into granules.
HIV-1 Tat alters neuronal intrinsic excitability

In HIV+ individuals, the virus enters the central nervous system and invades innate immune cells, producing important changes that result in neurological deficits. We aimed to determine whether HIV plays a direct role in neuronal excitability. Of the HIV peptides, Tat is secreted and acts in other cells. In order to examine whether the HIV Tat can modify neuronal excitability, we exposed primary murine hippocampal neurons to that peptide, and tested its effects on the intrinsic membrane properties, 4 and 24 h after exposure. The exposure of hippocampal pyramidal neurons to Tat for 4 h did not alter intrinsic membrane properties. However, we found a strong increase in intrinsic excitability, characterized by increase of the slope (Gain) of the input–output function, in cells treated with Tat for 24 h. Nevertheless, Tat treatment for 24 h did not alter the resting membrane potential, input resistance, rheobase and action potential threshold. Thus, neuronal adaptability to Tat exposure for 24 h is not applicable to basic neuronal properties. A restricted but significant effect on coupling the inputs to the outputs may have implications to our knowledge of Tat biophysical firing capability, and its involvement in neuronal hyperexcitability in neuroHIV.
Surgical Complications after Kidney Transplantation

Surgical complications following renal transplan-tation can occur at any time, and are predominantly related to the transplant wound, vascular anastomoses, or other urologic problems. Surgical complications continue to occur in about 10–20% of transplant recipients, but fortunately, are rarely the cause of allograft loss. Improvements in surgical technique and meticulous attention to both the donor and recipient operations have led to a significant decrease in the rate of surgical complications [1]. Equally important in minimizing the morbidity of transplant surgical complications is anticipation of these problems and prompt treatment when they occur. Perhaps the most significant factor that complicates the outcome of transplant surgical problems is the continuous use of immuno suppression, needed to prevent rejection of the allograft. Therefore in principle, transplant surgical problems should be treated using more conservative methods, which include a more prolonged period of drainage, diversion, suture retention, and the use of nonabsorbable sutures when confronted with these problems. The routine use of broad-spectrum antibiotics beginning in the operating room and the immediate perioperative period has also helped to minimize posttransplant wound infections [2].
Prevention of pancreatic fistula with a new synthetic, absorbable sealant:: evaluationin a dog model

Abstract Background Pancreatic fistula complicates up to 15% to 25% of pancreatic resections, especially with soft, normal pancreas, and is most common after distal pancreatectomy. A new synthetic, absorbable hydrogel sealant has recently been developed and tested for sealing of human aorta, bronchi, and dura; it is FDA approved as a lung sealant in humans. Our objective was to test the efficacy of the sealant in preventing pancreatic leaks in a dog model of distal pancreatectomy. Study design Ten dogs underwent bilateral distal pancreatectomy under general anesthesia. Animals were randomized to receive application of the sealant to the pancreatic stumps (n = 5) or no treatment (n = 5). The transected pancreatic duct was not ligated, and the end of the pancreas was neither oversewn nor stapled; closed-suction drains were placed in proximity to the pancreatic stumps before abdominal closure. All animals received normal chow starting on the second postoperative day. Drainage was collected for volume and amylase determination twice daily for 14 days, after which the animals were sacrificed. Pancreatic tissue was collected from the area of transection and was formalin fixed for histopathology. Results There was no perioperative mortality. Fluid recovered from closed-suction drains in all animals was uniformly amylase-rich. Over the 14-day study period, daily volume of pancreatic drainage was significantly different between control animals and animals treated with sealant (p Conclusions A new synthetic hydrogel sealant prevents the formation of significant pancreatic fistulae after distal pancreatectomy in the dog and may be suitable for clinical application.
Machine learning analysis of microbial flow cytometry data from nanoparticles, antibiotics and carbon sources perturbed anaerobic microbiomes

Flow cytometry, with its high throughput nature, combined with the ability to measure an increasing number of cell parameters at once can surpass the throughput of prevalent genomic and metagenomic approaches in the study of microbiomes. Novel computational approaches to analyze flow cytometry data will result in greater insights and actionability as compared to traditional tools used in the analysis of microbiomes. This paper is a demonstration of the fruitfulness of machine learning in analyzing microbial flow cytometry data generated in anaerobic microbiome perturbation experiments. Autoencoders were found to be powerful in detecting anomalies in flow cytometry data from nanoparticles and carbon sources perturbed anaerobic microbiomes but was marginal in predicting perturbations due to antibiotics. A comparison between different algorithms based on predictive capabilities suggested that gradient boosting (GB) and deep learning, i.e. feed forward artificial neural network with three hidden layers (DL) were marginally better under tested conditions at predicting overall community structure while distributed random forests (DRF) worked better for predicting the most important putative microbial group(s) in the anaerobic digesters viz. methanogens, and it can be optimized with better parameter tuning. Predictive classification patterns with DL (feed forward artificial neural network with three hidden layers) were found to be comparable to previously demonstrated multivariate analysis. The potential applications of this approach have been demonstrated for monitoring the syntrophic resilience of the anaerobic microbiomes perturbed by synthetic nanoparticles as well as antibiotics. Machine learning can benefit the microbial flow cytometry research community by providing rapid screening and characterization tools to discover patterns in the dynamic response of microbiomes to several stimuli.
Uniqueness Conditions for ALS Problems

Abstract Knowledge of the process, measurement, and cross noise covariance matrices (denoted Q, R, and S, respectively) is necessary for tasks such as state estimation and performance monitoring. Several different types of algorithms have been developed to estimate these parameters from plant output data. Chief among them are the so-called correlation methods, such as autocovariance least squares (ALS). Despite the advances in covariance estimation algorithms, relatively little attention has been given to the topic of parameter identifiability. This paper discusses the limitations of when Q, R, and S are identifiable from output data. In particular, it is shown that for stable, linear time-invariant systems, the Kalman predictor gain, but not Q, R, and S, can be uniquely identified from the steady-state output autocovariance. Constrained ALS problems and the extension of the ALS problem to nonlinear and linear time-varying systems are also discussed.
Multiaxial Plasticity and Fatigue Life Prediction in Coiled Tubing

Coiled tubing is being used increasingly in the oil well drilling and servicing industry. Continuous steel tubing of structural dimensions (up to 89 mm or 3.5 in. in diameter) is wound onto a large-diameter reel for repeated deployment into and out of a well bore. The bending strain range associated with each wrap-unwrap cycle can exceed 3% with lives well below 100 cycles. During constant internal pressure fatigue testing, tubing has been observed to grow in diameter by as much as 30%. This paper describes an analytical model to predict the fatigue behavior of coiled tubing subjected to variable pressure service conditions. The approach utilizes standard low-cycle fatigue data but requires additional experimental results from constant pressure fatigue testing. The algorithm is based on estimates of biaxial ratcheting from an incremental plasticity model using a hybrid associated flow rule, a modified kinematic hardening rule with multiple von Mises yield surfaces, and a specialized limit surface concept. An empirical damage parameter was formulated based on constant pressure fatigue data using mean and fluctuating von Mises equivalent strain components occurring throughout the life of a section of tubing. This parameter is used with the Palmgren-Miner definition of cumulative damage to track damage that is accumulating nonlinearly under constant or variable pressure histories. Modifications to standard incremental plasticity components and implementation assumptions used to apply the model are presented and discussed. The predictive capability of the model is demonstrated relative to data generated under constant and variable pressure histories.
sp2-sp3 hybridized mixed diboron: synthesis, characterization, and copper-catalyzed beta-boration of alpha,beta-unsaturated conjugated compounds.

A novel sp2−sp3 hybridized mixed diboron and its reactivity on the copper-catalyzed β-boration of α,β-unsaturated conjugated compounds to afford the corresponding β-borated compounds is reported. The presence of sp3-hybridized boron provides a mild β-boration condition in the absence of phosphine and base additives. Finally, our investigations demonstrate that the sp2-hybridized boron of the mixed diboron is selectively transferred to the β-carbon of conjugated substrates.
Transcriptomic Analysis of Streptococcus pyogenes Colonizing the Vaginal Mucosa Identifies hupY, an MtsR-Regulated Adhesin Involved in Heme Utilization

Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus [GAS]) is a serious human pathogen with the ability to colonize mucosal surfaces such as the nasopharynx and vaginal tract, often leading to infections such as pharyngitis and vulvovaginitis. We present genome-wide transcriptome sequencing (RNASeq) data showing the transcriptomic changes GAS undergoes during vaginal colonization. These data reveal that the regulon controlled by MtsR, a master metal regulator, is activated during vaginal colonization. This regulon includes two genes highly expressed during vaginal colonization, hupYZ Here we show that HupY binds heme in vitro, affects intracellular concentrations of iron, and is essential for proper growth of GAS using hemoglobin or serum as the sole iron source. HupY is also important for murine vaginal colonization of both GAS and the related vaginal colonizer and pathogen Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus [GBS]). These data provide essential information on the link between metal regulation and mucosal colonization in both GAS and GBS.IMPORTANCE Colonization of the host requires the ability to adapt to an environment that is often low in essential nutrients such as iron. Here we present data showing that the transcriptome of the important human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes shows extensive remodeling during in vivo growth, resulting in, among many other differentially expressed genes and pathways, a significant increase in genes involved in acquiring iron from host heme. Data show that HupY, previously characterized as an adhesin in both S. pyogenes and the related pathogen Streptococcus agalactiae, binds heme and affects intracellular iron concentrations. HupY, a protein with no known heme binding domains, represents a novel heme binding protein playing an important role in bacterial iron homeostasis as well as vaginal colonization.
Metal Cation Coordination and Solvation Studied with Infrared Spectroscopy in the Gas Phase

Transition metal cation–molecular complexes are produced in the gas phase environment of a molecular beam using laser ablation in a supersonic expansion. Complexes with carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water, acetylene, or benzene are produced by entraining small partial pressures of these molecules into an expansion of either argon or helium. A specially designed time-of-flight mass spectrometer is used to analyze the ions produced and to mass-select them for spectroscopy. Mass-selected ions are excited in the infrared region of the spectrum with a tunable IR optical parametric oscillator laser system to measure photodissociation spectroscopy in the 2000–4500 cm−1 region. Infrared band patterns, combined with structures and spectra predicted by density functional theory, reveal the coordination and solvation interactions in these systems, and how binding to metal distorts the structures of small molecules.
Increased Adipocytogenesis and Hematopoiesis in Long-Term Bone Marrow Cultures from SMAD3−/− Mice.

Abstract The abrogation of an intact TGFs/TGFs receptor signal transduction pathway in SMAD3−/− mice is associated with a decreased inflammatory response, and decreased acute and late response to ionizing irradiation damage. We tested the role of SMAD3 in bone marrow cellular capacity for hematopoiesis and in marrow stromal cellular potential for adipocytogenesis. Long-term bone marrow cultures (LTBMCs) were established from SMAD3−/−, +/−, and +/+ mice. Permanent clonal bone marrow stromal cell (MSC) lines were established from each mouse strain. The SMAD3+/+ and SMAD3+/− LTBMCs generated hematopoietic progenitor cells (by CFU-GEMM assay), and maintained active cobblestone island numbers and production of non-adherent cells for 22–23 weeks. In striking contrast, the SMAD3−/− LTBMCs demonstrated a significant increase in longevity of hematopoiesis as measured by each assay for over 34 weeks and non-adherent cells continued to form GEMM beyond 34 weeks. The number of CFU-GEMM per 5x104 cells (d 14) in SMAD3−/− cultures (188 ± 8.7) was 1250% greater (p
Can we Bring EM Enhancement to the Multi-wavelength Scale?

EM enhancement is typically a lensing-type of effect by which a wide input beam couples to spatially localized resonant modes as for example Mie plasmons, void plasmons or Mie modes at high refractive index particles. Accordingly, EM enhancement is inherently a subwavelength phenomenon. Here, we explore a different paradigm for EM enhancement that is based on EM energy being collected over large time intervals by means of an ultra-slow-light waveguide. With ab-initio simulations, we study the dynamic evolution of such EM enhancement. After more than 7000 wave periods we observe that an intensity enhancement of more than 50 can cover an area of more than 15 $\lambda_{free^{2}}$ with $\lambda_{free}$ being the free-space wavelength.
Markov Chains for Fault-Tolerance Modeling of Stochastic Networks

Most real-world networks are time-varying, and many are subject to the stochastic functioning of their nodes and edges. Examples can be seen in the human brain undergoing an epileptic seizure, spontaneous infection and recovery in epidemics, and intermittent functioning of devices in the Internet of Things. Moreover, such networks are becoming increasingly large due to rapid technological advances. However, little has been done to study time-varying, large-scale, stochastic networks (SNs) from a reliability engineering perspective. Toward this goal, this article develops a fault-tolerance model for a type of time-varying network in which nodes (and/or edges) stochastically switch between active and inactive states. It considers fault tolerance from a global connectivity point of view, which has applications in many natural and engineered networks. Specifically, this article presents a Markov chain framework that models the dynamic behavior of nodes and allows for the computation of quantitative measures, including availability and time-to-failure metrics. To accommodate large-scale networks and emphasize global connectivity, this framework utilizes percolation theory, which has recently been of interest in the reliability engineering discipline, to characterize network failure. This article makes several contributions: it proposes a Markov chain framework for computing fault-tolerance metrics that is tractable for large-scale networks, it shows the existence of a phase transition in network availability of a time-varying SN, and it accounts for finite-size effects of percolation in the fault-tolerance model. The proposed methodology is applied to Erdos-Renyi random graphs and a real, large-scale power grid. Experimental results provide insights into network design, maintenance, and failure prevention of time-varying SNs.
Neural Correlates of Visual Experience in Single Units of Cat’s Visual and Somatosensory Cortex

In the study of perception and pattern recognition, one is dealing with a very complex system in which some parts are, however, rather obvious. In artificial intelligence, machines built to analyze visual scenes have a preprocessor, a precessor, memory banks, and so on. A similar picture is emerging from the study of biological systems. Vision studies on the effect of early experience have provided very powerful methods and very striking results on what happens in the visual pathway. I have tried to concentrate on that part of the perceptual system that deals with memory. I will start with the first figure.
Cortical, Tectal and Medullary Descending Pathways to the Cervical Spinal Cord

Publisher Summary Retrograde horseradish peroxidase (HRP) technique provides that care is taken to avoid damage to descending fibers of passage, small injections of HRP, confined to part of a single segment or to a few adjacent spinal segments, can be used to determine fairly precisely, the somatotopic organization of the cells of origin of descending spinal pathways. This chapter employs this approach, supplemented by anterograde autoradiographic tracing techniques and electrophysiological studies to determine the origins and terminations of descending pathways to the upper cervical spinal cord, their somatotopic pattern, and other features of their organization. It describes a corticospinal projection from a heretofore poorly understood region of the medial, parietal association cortex termed the supplementary sensory region. Among the subcortical systems the chapter describes the crossed descending spinal projection from the superior colliculus and the topographic organization of the cells of origin of this pathway in relation to the visual and somesthetic maps of the tectum. The somatotopic organization and spinal terminations of a previously unrecognized reticulospinal system originating in the caudal medulla are also described.
Use of sequential Hg chlormerodrin delayed scans to evaluate individual renal function. Experimental renal artery stenosis and ureteral obstruction.

Abstract 197 Hg chlormerodrin delayed scans and conventional split renal clearances were performed on 6 dogs. Left renal artery stenosis was then created in 2 animals and left partial ureteral obstruction in the other 4. The studies were then repeated two and six weeks after surgery. There was a close correlation among the studies after the arterial stenosis, but the ureteral occlusion results were too variable to make the study meaningful or reliable.
Comparison Of Patterns Of Convergence Among “Emerging Markets” Of Central Europe, Eastern Europe And Central Asia

Based on analysis of economic growth indicators for 1989-2014, this article distinguishes the “emerging markets” of Central and Eastern Europe (with Russia included), from the other economies that fall in the broad ‘emerging markets’ category. Following the post–1989 reforms, the countries of the region share many of the same typical institutional features as other “emerging economies”, but not necessarily the associated economic outcomes. What characterizes “emerging economies” is that they grow fast enough to systematically close the distance dividing them from the advanced economies, creating convergence. Departing from this pattern, Central and Eastern Europe (and Russia) have so far fallen short in terms of the growth rates, and the region as a whole has not made much progress in catching up. By more than doubling its national product Poland is the only notable exception in the region, although Slovenia may fit in the same category. At the other extreme, some of the economies actually lost two decades in terms of reducing the gaps, and some even fell further behind (e.g., Serbia, Ukraine). These findings have potentially serious implications for economic theory in general and for the presumption that globalization processes act as a unifying developmental force.
Design Recommendations for Steel Deck Floor Slabs

The recommendations are based on the steel deck serving as the structural load-carrying element during the construction phase and the composite steel-deck concrete floor slab serving as the load-carrying element for the service-load phases. The recommendations focus on application of strength principles based upon data obtained from performance tests for the shear-bond and flexural failure modes. The design equations for the shear-bond capacity are derived from data obtained by means of a performance test series. A plot of the parameters, is made and a linear regression is performed to determine the slope and intercept constants needed for design. A separate regression is necessary for each steel deck profile; and, in addition, a separate regression is suggested for each steel gage thickness, steel surface coating, and concrete type. Additional recommendations presented consider construction, shoring, deflections, and span-to-depth ratios. /Author/
The complexity of sparse sets in P

P-printable sets, defined in [HY-84], arise naturally in the study of P-uniform circuit complexity, generalized Kolmogorov complexity, and data compression, as well as in many other areas. We present new characterizations of the P-printable sets and present necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of sparse sets in P which are not P-printable. The complexity of sparse sets in P is shown to be central to certain questions about circuit complexity classes and about one-way functions. Among the main results are:
Hydromagnetic waves at low latitudes - A symposium review from the fifth IAGA assembly

The aim of the symposium was to bring together investigators with interests in low latitude hydromagnetic waves in order to review the present state of knowledge in this area of magnetospheric physics. Of particular importance is the means by which wave energy is transferred to low latitudes to produce geomagnetic pulsations on the ground. The group of contributed papers reviewed shows that definitive experiments are underway and new theories capable of providing resonant wave energy at low latitudes are being developed. Particular topics covered by the review include solar wind control, wave spectra, array studies of wave parameters, storm time waves, and global wave resonance theory involving the coupling of compressional and transverse waves in the magnetosphere.
Implementation and Assessment of Food Safety Educational Materials for Secondary and Postsecondary Education

Previous studies have reported on the inadequacy of youth knowledge and practice of food safety principles. The formal high school science classroom environment presents an opportunity to stimulate interest and increase knowledge in food safety with potential benefits to students in improved science literacy, development of life skills, and greater awareness of career opportunities. Previously developed educational materials, Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigations for Food Safety Education, were evaluated for instruction by high school and community college science educators of various subject matters including foods, microbiology, disease, and chemistry courses. Educator feedback was favorable on measures of quality, implementation ease, and student engagement, with ratings greater than 3 on a 5-point scale corresponding to “good” to “excellent.” A positive change in familiarity with food safety concepts for 4 groups of students, representing approximately 77% of the participants, was demonstrated by an overall increase, ranging from 4% to 14%, in correct responses to a test administered before and after exposure to the materials. There was variation in degree of change and the topics positively impacted for student groups by subject matter.
Resistance to Strain Degradation in Preliminary UWMAK TF Coil Conductors for Fusion Reactors

The toroidal field (TF) magnets of the conceptual designs for tokamak fusion reactors performed at the (University of Wisconsin [1], called UWMAK consist of solid coils bolted together to form constant-tension D-shaped structures. Each coil consists of a forged or extruded helically grooved, solid, D-shaped disk of stainless steel or aluminum alloy. The conductor (see Fig. 1) is insulated with epoxy-impregnated fiberglass tape, and embedded in the grooves on both sides of the disk. After oven curing, the fiberglass on the exposed surface of the conductor is machined off for better cooling in a pool of liquid helium. The coils are separated with Micarta spacers to allow free movement of the coolant throughout the structure.
Reconsidering Domestic Violence Recidivism: Conditioned Effects of Legal Controls by Individual and Aggregate Levels of Stake in Conformity

Social scientists examining whether stake in conformity conditions the deterrent effect of arrest for domestic violence recidivism have applied criminological theory to an important criminal justice issue. We extend this research with a discussion and multi-level analysis of the possible interplay between court dispositions and (a) an offender's stake in conformity, and (b) the proportion of “higher stake” residents in an offender's census tract of residence. The prevalence of re-arrest for intimate assault (misdemeanor and felony) is examined for 3110 suspects of misdemeanor intimate assault in Cincinnati. Findings reveal a significant main effect involving higher re-arrest likelihoods for arrested suspects with no formal charges filed against them. Results for the conditioned effects of court dispositions reveal significantly lower re-arrest likelihoods for higher stake offenders undergoing a counseling program (a predicted relationship), and significantly lower re-arrest likelihoods for lower stake offenders serving probation and/or jail (opposite to the predicted relationship). At the neighborhood-level, sentences of probation and/or jail correspond with significantly lower re-arrest likelihoods for offenders living in neighborhoods with more residentially stable populations (as predicted). We discuss the implications of our study for future research.
Mechanics of SWCNT Aggregates Studied by Incremental Constrained Minimization

AbstractThe stress-strain behavior of short single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) aggregates is investigated by a novel incremental constrained minimization approach. An AIREBO potential is used to model the interactions within and between CNTs. The idea is to homogenously disperse SWCNTs in the computational cell at random positions and orientations following spherical uniform distributions, and incrementally deform the cell although restraining the movement of atoms at the ends of nanotubes. The stress-strain response of the system is obtained in each loading direction, and it is shown to converge to an isotropic behavior (a similar response in all directions) as the number of CNTs in the system increases. It is also shown that the Young’s modulus of the system increases linearly with the CNT aggregates density. Finally, the method is shown to agree well with results obtained from molecular dynamics simulations running at near zero degrees kelvin, however they are obtained at only a fraction of the CPU ...
SU‐FF‐T‐644: Comparison of Electron Dose Distribution in Film with Treatment Planning Software Predictions

Purpose:Electron beams are used for a number of treatments, such as head and neck tumors, that often require extended source to skin (SSD) distances, oblique angles and irregular surface contours. This study will measure the ability of the treatment planningsoftware (Pinnacle 8m) to accurately predict these non ideal situations. Methods and Materials: Parallel oriented EDR film was placed in solid water to measure accuracy of 9 MeV, 12 MeV, and 20 MeV at gantry angles of 0°, 15°, 30°. Two different field sizes, 6 × 6, and 10 × 10 were also used for the comparison. Finally, a Rando phantom with an electron block was used to measure the dose distribution in the head and neck region with film placed between the phantom slices. Analysis of the dose was done using isodose lines and gamma pass/fail plots using distance to agreement of 3 mm and percent dose difference of 5%. Results: For the normally incident beams, the percent points passing were 97.91%, 99.1%, and 94.42% for 9, 12, and 20 MeV energies respectively for the 10 × 10 cm field. The results were 12–19% lower for the 6 × 6 field. There was decreasing agreement with increasing obliquity with 57% agreeing for 20 MeV electron beam with 6 × 6 field. The Rando phantom measurements indicated an underestimate of the 90% isodose coverage. Conclusions: Computed electron dose distributions seem to consistently underestimate the size of the field based on film measurements with increasing disagreement with obliquity, smaller field sizes and increasing energy.
Sea ice floe size distribution in the marginal ice zone: Theory and numerical experiments

To better describe the state of sea ice in the marginal ice zone (MIZ) with floes of varying thicknesses and sizes, both an ice thickness distribution (ITD) and a floe size distribution (FSD) are needed. In this work, we have developed a FSD theory that is coupled to the ITD theory of Thorndike et al. (1975) in order to explicitly simulate the evolution of FSD and ITD jointly. The FSD theory includes a FSD function and a FSD conservation equation in parallel with the ITD equation. The FSD equation takes into account changes in FSD due to ice advection, thermodynamic growth, and lateral melting. It also includes changes in FSD because of mechanical redistribution of floe size due to ice ridging and, particularly, ice fragmentation induced by stochastic ocean surface waves. The floe size redistribution due to ice fragmentation is based on the assumption that wave-induced breakup is a random process such that when an ice floe is broken, floes of any smaller sizes have an equal opportunity to form, without being either favored or excluded. To focus only on the properties of mechanical floe size redistribution, the FSD theory is implemented in a simplified ITD and FSD sea ice model for idealized numerical experiments. Model results show that the simulated cumulative floe number distribution (CFND) follows a power law as observed by satellites and airborne surveys. The simulated values of the exponent of the power law, with varying levels of ice breakups, are also in the range of the observations. It is found that floe size redistribution and the resulting FSD and mean floe size do not depend on how floe size categories are partitioned over a given floe size range. The ability to explicitly simulate multicategory FSD and ITD together may help to incorporate additional model physics, such as FSD-dependent ice mechanics, surface exchange of heat, mass, and momentum, and wave-ice interactions.
Editorial: Towards next‐generation knowledge management systems for construction sector organisations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the need for next‐generation knowledge management (KM) systems in the construction sector and outline the key features that such systems should have.Design/methodology/approach – First, an overview is presented of KM and its benefits to construction sector organisations, and then the important considerations in KM implementation are discussed, highlighting the additional considerations that will be necessary in next‐generation KM systems. The main features that these systems should have are then briefly outlined.Findings – KM is beginning to deliver value to many construction sector organisations but there is the need for next‐generation systems that can provide much more added value.Originality/value – The paper provides guidance on what construction sector organisations need to look out for in next‐generation KM systems, while reiterating the benefits and implementation considerations with which they should now be conversant.
Celebratory Drinking and Intoxication: A Contextual Influence on Alcohol Consumption.

Two field studies measured college students' actual intoxication levels using handheld breathalyzers on Halloween and St. Patrick's Day and compared these celebration days to typical nights surrounding these events. In addition, across all nights of Study 2, participants were asked if they were celebrating any occasion or event that night, and those reporting a celebration motive were compared to those with no such motive. The combined sample was 70% men (n = 498), and 89.9% (n = 639) were students at the local university. Across both years of the study, those reporting a celebration motive reached significantly higher levels of intoxication (mean blood alcohol concentration = .096, n = 413) than those not celebrating (mean blood alcohol concentration = .074, n = 298, p < .05). These results support the hypothesis that those consuming alcohol with a specific reason to celebrate reach higher levels of intoxication.
The Second-Law Based Analysis of Aerospace Vehicle Performance

The work presented here is part of research to develop a methodology for complete system-level integration of flight vehicles. Specifically, this work focuses on the development of a common currency for loss assessment for the aerodynamics and propulsion sub-systems of an aerospace vehicle with particular focus on high-speed flight. Theory, methodology, and example applications are developed and shown for the systematic analysis of overall vehicle forces in terms of irreversibility and heat. The methodology presented involves analyzing and deconstructing vehicle forces using individual stream tubes as components within the overall fluid control volume in which the vehicle is embedded. This provides the capability for the complete fluid/thermo-dynamic 'audit' of vehicle performance in terms of irreversibility, combustion (heating), and fluid dynamic flow turning and area change. Sample results are shown for a simplified hypersonic vehicle configuration modeled with constant specific heats and Raleigh heating. The role of overall entropy generation and wake mixing processes in the production of vehicle forces in atmospheric flight is next discussed and clarified. Specifically, the direct analytical relationship between entropy, wake mixing processes, and overall force production for the vehicle is developed from fundamental considerations of the global control volume with inclusion of the wake in the analysis. This analysis is demonstrated using the same simplified high-speed configuration and is finally developed for the completely general problem of an aerospace vehicle with variable specific heats, thermal loading, variable composition, fuel injection, and chemical reaction.
USE OF TISSUE CULTURE CULTIVATED TOXOPLASMA IN THE DYE TEST AND FOR STORAGE.

SummaryToxoplasma gondii cultivated in roller tube cultures of Hep-2 cells produce large numbers of free, extracellular parasites for the performance of dye tests. The successful storage of toxoplasma in refrigerated tissue culture preparations for up to 120 days and in the frozen state for as long as 360 days is described.