cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reduction of capacity and projected costs associated with seat belt installation on school buses

This study examines the potential effects the installation of seat belts on school buses would have on the fleet capacity in Alabama and the resulting cost implications. The study also documents the myriad research studies and professional opinions offered on the potential safety effects of equipping school buses with safety restraints/seat belts. Four seat configurations for the school buses were analyzed. The first configuration represents the most common current bus seating configuration without seat belts, 3 seats on each side of the aisle and 12 rows (3/3-12). The physical space required for seat belt hardware may result in a loss of a row of seats and may reduce the number of students seated per row. Thus, three more configurations were studied: loss of a row of seats (3/3-11), loss of one seat per row (3/2-12), and loss of both a row of seats and a seat per row (3/2-11). The capacity for each configuration for each bus using current pupil loads was determined. The costs associated with installation of seat belts, and purchase and operation of new buses were obtained. Should school bus seat belts become mandatory in Alabama, the results obtained in this study can be used by any school system to determine the optimum configuration for their pupils, which will identify the number of additional buses that must be purchased by the school system. This study found that many of the buses that would become overloaded due to seat belt installation and the resultant loss of seating will be carrying only a few excess pupils. Transportation supervisors may be able to handle such overloads by transferring these pupils to other buses or by adjusting their bus routes to minimize purchase of new buses. Additional suggestions for handling bus overloads were offered in the body of this report.
Global Equity and Sustainable Earth Resource Consumption Requires Super-Efficient Extraction-Conservation-Recycling and Ubiquitous, Inexpensive Energy

For more than 3.5 billion years, the Earth's biosphere maintained a dynamic equilibrium with solar energy and natural materials derived from the near-surface lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. Beginning about 10,000 years ago, however, settled agriculture allowed the division of labor, rise of civilizations, and utilization of terrestrial resources at rates greater than those of replenishment. Demographic estimates put our numbers at 9-10 billion by 2050. About 85 percent of humanity now resides in the Developing Nations, and this proportion is growing. Due to the global information network, this is the first world generation to become acutely aware of the high standard of living confined to the Industrialized Nations. The grossly inequitable distribution of wealth, due partly to Earth resource exploitation, is resented by many people of the Developing Nations; this situation is politically destabilizing and must be ameliorated. But can 10 billion people be afforded comfortable lives without destro...
Self-healing of polymer lasers and two-photon absorbers

This paper reports the photodegradation and recovery of two-photon fluorescence (TPF) in the chromophore AF455 doped in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymer, known to have a large two-photon absorption cross-section and a promising optical material for many applications. The self-healing of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) in the DO11 system is also analysed.
C5a receptor-mediated production of IL-8 by the human retinal pigment epithelial cell line, ARPE-19

Purpose. C5a anaphylatoxin is a potent inflammatory mediator that acts on polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) and monocytes via C5a receptors (C5aR). It mediates chemotaxis of both cell types and stimulates cytokine release from the latter. To investigate whether C5a can act on retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, we examined ARPE-19 cells for the presence of C5aR and the effect of C5a stimulation. Methods. C5aR expression was measured by flow cytometry using specific anti-C5aR antibody and by RT-PCR analyses. Cells were stimulated with 50 nM C5a and the induction of IL-8 mRNA expression was measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Results. Surface levels of C5aR on ARPE-19 cells were found to be comparable to those on human PMN. Stimulation with C5a induced a dose- and time-dependent increase of IL-8 mRNA expression. Conclusion. The findings of C5aR on ARPE-19 cells and induction of IL-8 mRNA upon C5a stimulation suggests that C5a may participate in the defense of choroidal and retinal tissue during inflammation.
Weight loss without dietary restriction: Efficacy of different forms of aerobic exercise

Since obese patients with orthopaedic disabilities are often advised to undertake swimming as a part of a weight loss program, the effect of swimming on body weight was systematically studied. Minimally to mod erately obese, otherwise healthy young women seeking to lose weight through a program of exercise without dietary restrictions were randomly assigned to one of three groups in which only the type of daily exercise was different. The three types of exercise were brisk walking, riding a stationary cycle, and swimming laps in a pool. All women slowly but progressively increased the time spent in daily exercise to 60 minutes. After 6 months or slightly longer, the women assigned to walk ing lost 10% of initial weight, the women who cycled lost 12%, but the women who swam lost no weight. The thickness of the subcutaneous panniculus over the middle of the extensor surface of the upper arm was measured using a Lang skin-fold caliper (Graham Field Co, New York, NY) and showed equivalent substantial reductio...
Child maltreatment and adult criminal behavior: Does criminal thinking explain the association?

Criminal thinking styles were examined as mediational links between different forms of child maltreatment (i.e., sexual abuse, physical abuse, and physical neglect) and adult criminal behaviors in 338 recently adjudicated men. Analyses revealed positive associations between child sexual abuse and sexual offenses as an adult, and between child physical abuse/neglect and endorsing proactive and reactive criminal thinking styles. Mediation analyses showed that associations between overall maltreatment history and adult criminal behaviors were accounted for by general criminal thinking styles and both proactive and reactive criminal thinking. These findings suggest a potential psychological pathway to criminal behavior associated with child maltreatment. Limitations of the study as well as research and clinical implications of the results are discussed.
Mn(dca)2(pym)2 and Mn(dca)2(pym)(H2O) {dca = dicyanamide; pym = pyrimidine}: New coordination polymers exhibiting 1- and 2-D topologies

Two new coordination polymers comprised of Mn(2+), N(CN)(2)(-) (dicyanamide, herein denoted dca) and pyrimidine (pym) have been synthesized and structurally and magnetically characterized. Mn(dca)(2)(pym)(2), , crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbcn and forms trans bi-bridged Mn-(micro(1,5)-dca)(2)-Mn ribbons that extend along the b-axis of the unit cell. Two terminally bonded pym ligands are trans-coordinated to the Mn center. Adjacent chains interdigitate in an undulating fashion presumably due to a templating effect imposed by the pym ligands where N-atoms of consecutive pym rings stack parallel to the chain axis. Mn(dca)(2)(pym)(H(2)O), , which crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c, has a unique interdigitated 2D network that consists of double-bridged [Mn(2)(dca)(2)(pym)(2)(H(2)O)(2)](2+)"dimers" that are connected via single-bridging dca ligands. Each MnN(5)O octahedron is comprised of a coordinated H(2)O, a monodentate pym ligand, and four micro(1,5)-bridging dca anions. The magnetic data for were fitted to a uniform antiferromagnetic chain model which yielded J/k(B) = -0.34(1) K. In contrast, is best described as an alternating chain owing to the presence of both single- and double-bridging dca anions; a least-squares fit afforded J(a) = -0.43(1) and J(b) = -0.20(2) K, respectively. A transition to long-range magnetic ordering was observed for below approximately 2.4 K in addition to a field-induced spin flop transition at 15.6 kOe (1.7 K).
Common attributes of hydraulically fractured oil and gas production and CO2 geological sequestration

Areal footprints of current and future hydraulically fractured oil and gas reservoirs and potential CO2 geological-sequestration intervals often overlap in sedimentary basins. Significant vertical separations between prospective subsurface volumes, however, will limit their interaction, particularly if the carbon-storage site is deeper than the hydrocarbon resource. Recent intense development of shale resources translates into a reduced need for sequestration capacity. It has also resulted in technological innovations directly transferable to the carbon-storage industry, in particular progress on well completion, such as new approaches to cementing, more mature horizontal drilling methods, and development of field-treatment techniques for saline water. In addition, knowledge collected by operators on stratigraphy and faults – for example, using 3D seismic – and on abandoned wells is directly useful in reducing risk in future carbon-storage projects. Both industries can benefit from development of regional transmission pipelines, pipeline rights-of-way, and a trained workforce. From a regulatory standpoint, hydraulic fracturing of shale and tight formations is not considered injection. Under the US UIC program, because hydraulically fractured wells fall under the production category, they do not follow the same set of rules for protecting water resources as oil and gas industry disposal wells do (UIC Class II). Both subsurface uses share some risk elements, however. Environmental risks result mostly from abandoned wells and faults, poorly characterized for carbon storage, and from defective well completions and surface spills during oil and gas production. Operators of both fields are also concerned about disposal of large fluid volumes possibly generating seismic events. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
The Effects of Moral Reasoning on Financial Reporting Decisions in a Post Sarbanes‐Oxley Environment

Our study examines whether the certification requirements under Section 302 of the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act of 2002 affect financial reporting decisions. Using 74 part‐time MBA students as a proxy for corporate managers, we find that the participants' level of moral reasoning and their assessed influence of the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act were significantly positively associated with the amount of loss recognized through their financial statement adjustment decisions. Consistent with expectations, there was also a significant interaction whereby the influence of the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act was significantly positively associated with the adjustment decision for those participants at lower levels of moral reasoning, but not with the adjustment decision for those participants at higher levels. Thus, the findings from our study suggest that the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act may be an effective deterrent for an overstatement of financial statement income by individuals at lower levels of moral reasoning. These results should be of consider...
Biophysical variability in the Kuroshio Extension from altimeter and SeaWiFS

Ten years (1998–2007) of Sea Level Anomaly (SLA) from multiple satellite altimeters and chlorophyll-a concentration from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) were used to investigate the eddy structure and associated biophysical processes in the Kuroshio Extension (KE) region near 35°N. Seasonal SeaWiFS chlorophyll-a concentrations cycles and annual changes of altimeter SLA are derived for the subtropical North Pacific near 35°N and along the KE axis. Spatial structure of SeaWiFS is determined as the deviations from a local seasonal cycle and examined in relation to altimeter eddy structure. In the KE region, SeaWiFS structure is evident during the spring bloom period with a scale around 460 km. Eddy propagation speeds and scales are examined. Cold-core (cyclonic) rings correspond to areas of high SeaWiFS chlorophyll-α. Warm-core (anticyclonic) rings relate to areas of low chlorophyll-α concentration. SeaWiFS chlorophyll-α anomalies and Altimeter SLA structure have an overall negative correlation coefficient of r=3D-0.36. Swirl currents between eddies redistribute surface chlorophyll concentrations and can spatially bias maximum and minimum concentration levels off eddy center.
Morphological decomposition of 2-D binary shapes into modestly overlapped disk components

A generalized skeleton transform was recently introduced which allows a shape to be represented as a collection of modestly overlapped octagonal shape parts. However, the generalized skeleton transform needs to be applied many times. Furthermore, an octagonal component is not easily matched up with another octagonal component from a different shape. In this paper, we describe a new "distance" transform which identifies a special maximal octagon for each image point in a given shape. This transform leads to the development of a new shape decomposition algorithm. This algorithm is more efficient to implement; the "distance" transform only needs to be applied once. The disk components used in the new algorithm are more primitive than octagons and easily matched up with other disk components from another shape. The experiments show that the new decomposition algorithm produces as efficient representations as the old algorithm.
Abnormal fractionation of beta-lactamase in Escherichia coli: evidence for an interaction with the inner membrane in the absence of a leader peptide.

Abstract beta-Lactamase with the -20 to -1 region of the leader peptide deleted (almost complete deletion of the leader peptide) [delta(-20,-1) beta-lactamase] was released from Escherichia coli cells by osmotic shock. Fractionation of the cells by conversion to spheroplasts and protease accessibility experiments further indicated that a portion of the protein may be bound to the cytoplasmic membrane and be partially exposed in the periplasmic space. Expression of delta(-20,-1) beta-lactamase conferred a 25-fold increase in the 50% lethal dose for ampicillin relative to that for controls, thus confirming that a small amount (about 2%) of the active protein is completely exported from the cytoplasm. These results suggest that even in the absence of a leader peptide, mature beta-lactamase is able to interact with the cytoplasmic membrane and be translocated into the periplasmic space, albeit with a low efficiency.
Trauma Symptoms in Preschool-Age Children Exposed to Domestic Violence

The posttraumatic stress symptoms of 39 children who had witnessed domestic violence and 23 children who were living in families with domestic violence were assessed by maternal report. Two measures of PTSD were used and compared, one based on the DSM-IV symptom list and one from the CBCL. Although all children had experienced at least one symptom of trauma, only 3% or 24% of the children, depending on the measure used, met criteria for PTSD based on the DSM-IV. Children with reexperiencing trauma symptoms also had more externalizing behavior problems. The applicability of DSM-IV criteria for young children and the use of the CBCL to assess trauma symptoms were questioned.
Synthesis, Characterization and Mechanical Properties of Silicon Carbide Nanowires

Silicon carbide (SiC) material has many outstanding physical and mechanical properties such as high strength, high hardness, low density, high thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion coefficient, large band-gap, and excellent oxidation and corrosion resistances [1–3]. It is a leading material for components and devices operating at high temperature, high power and under harsh environments [4–5]. Micro-sized SiC particles and whiskers are commonly used as reinforcement materials for ceramics, metals and alloys in various structural and tribological applications [6–7].Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Cranial defects in the Goldenhar syndrome

Four patients are presented with the Goldenhar syndrome (GS) and cranial defects consisting of plagiocephaly, microcephaly, skull defects, or intracranial dermoid cysts. Twelve cases from the literature add hydrocephalus, encephalocele, and arhinencephaly to a growing list of brain anomalies in GS. As a group, these patients emphasize the variability of GS and the increased risk for developmental retardation with multiple, severe, or unusual manifestations. The temporal relation of proposed teratogenic events in GS provides an opportunity to reconstruct biological relationships within the 3-5-week human embryo.
Thermoperiodism Synchronizes Emergence in the Alfalfa Leafcutting Bee (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

Alfalfa seed production in the northwestern United States and western Canada is heavily dependent upon the pollinating services of Megachile rotundata (F.) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). M. rotundata females nest in cavities either naturally occurring or in artificial nesting blocks. Because of the physical nature of the nest, M. rotundata brood may have limited to no exposure to photoperiodic cues in order to regulate important circadian functions. Therefore, various thermoperiod regimes were used to characterize the possible role of thermoperiodism in synchronizing M. rotundata adult emergence. Adult emergence was monitored using a microprocessor-controlled event logger. Incubating bees under constant 29°C and darkness resulted in an arhythmic adult emergence pattern. Exposing developing M. rotundata to a thermoperiod synchronized emergence to the beginning of the thermophase and decreased the total number of days required for all adults to emerge. The amplitude of the thermoperiod regulated the timing of peak emergence in relationship to the increase in temperature. A thermoperiod amplitude of only 2°C was sufficient to synchronize peak adult emergence to take place during the rise in temperature. Increasing the amplitude of the thermoperiod to 4 or 8°C caused a positively correlated shift in peak emergence to later in the thermophase. Brood stored under constant 29°C and darkness for different durations (May or June early in the growing season or July or August late in the growing season) or under a fluctuating thermal regime (base temperature of 6°C and daily 1-h pulse of 20°C until September or November) maintained their capacity for entraining emergence timing by thermoperiodism.
A fault-tolerant classifier for prognostics and health management

Given recent advances in sensing technology, including performance improvements, as well as reduction in size and cost, prognostics and health management is gaining increased popularity as a method to ensure reliability and safety of engineered systems. While many methods have been developed for a wide range of systems, relatively little research has examined the potential benefits of concepts from reliability engineering such as fault-tolerance. This paper applies majority fault tolerance to improve the accuracy of classifications made by machine learning algorithms. Support vector machine, artificial neural network, and naive Bayes algorithms are applied to a single data set. The reliability and correlations between the individual classifiers are analyzed. Our results suggest that fault-tolerance can improve the accuracy of classification, but that correlation between the individual algorithms can lower the overall effectiveness of the approach. Thus, detailed assessment of alternative algorithms will be necessary before the full potential of fault tolerant classification can be achieved.
Diverse effects of insulin-like growth factor I on glucose, lipid, and amino acid metabolism.

The metabolic effects of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I (rhIGF-I) on glucose, amino acid, and free fatty acid (FFA) metabolism were examined in nine healthy nonobese subjects. Each received a 3-h primed continuous infusion of rhIGF-I (20 micrograms/kg bolus, 0.4 microgram.kg-1.min-1) while maintaining euglycemia using an exogenous glucose infusion. Total IGF-I levels increased from 125 +/- 11 to 444 +/- 22 ng/ml, and free IGF-I levels rose from undetectable to 73 +/- 5 ng/ml. Insulin levels fell from 95 +/- 9 to 64 +/- 8 pM, and C-peptide fell from 453 +/- 48 to 206 +/- 29 pM; circulating glucagon levels also declined from 72 +/- 9 to 42 +/- 4 pg/ml, rhIGF-I produced a two- to threefold increase in glucose uptake as measured by [3H] glucose (from 10.3 +/- 0.6 to 27.4 +/- 3 mumol.kg-1.m-1), and, despite the fall in insulin secretion, there was a marked 60-70% inhibition of hepatic glucose production. Furthermore, FFA and branched-chain amino acids declined by 40-60% (411 +/- 58 to 165 +/- 36 and 406 +/- 23 to 219 +/- 14 microM, respectively). Our data demonstrate that rhIGF-I has potent effects on glucose (hepatic and peripheral), lipid, and amino acid metabolism in normal humans. The scope of the actions of rhIGF-I closely resemble those of insulin, despite a concomitant inhibitory effect on insulin secretion.
Bladder Explosions During Transurethral Surgery

AbstractGases liberated during transurethral electrosurgery are common to all tissues, with hydrogen produced in high concentration. We postulate that the majority of hydrogen is derived from electrolysis of intracellular water. Only with the addition of outside oxygen does the gaseous mixture become potentially explosive.
Financially Eligible Pell Grant Community College Students’ Perceptions of Institutional Integration:

There is a wealth of literature on the integration of university students increasing retention and ultimate completion, yet much less is known about the connections or disconnections that exist for...
Time, Ethics and Experience: Review of David O. Brink's Prospects for Temporal Neutrality

Are temporal locations of harms and benefits important to human existence? Conventional wisdom unambiguously suggests so, albeit interpretations of various dogmatic texts and beliefs. Discussions about pain, grief, and suffering are commonly favored within past temporal settings, unlike those of happiness, comfort, and wellbeing that permeate conversations with future temporal locales. Past pain is preferred to future pain, even when this choice includes more total pain (Callender, 2011). Should these positive and negative qualifiers that constitute conscious existence have privileged temporal locations? This ethical question, like many others surrounding temporality, inherits both theoretical and pragmatic inquiries becoming indispensable within moral and juridical dispositions. The concept of temporal neutrality, which posits that agents should not attach normative significance to temporal locations of benefits and harms, all else being equal, is central to the present philosophical investigation. In his Prospects for Moral Neutrality chapter of The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Time (2011), David O. Brink articulates what exactly temporal neutrality requires and why we ought to care about its precepts. As they are assessed by how they distribute benefits and harms across people’s lives through interpersonal distributive justice, actions and policies can also be assessed by their distribution of benefits and harms across time. This concept of intertemporal distribution is a normative demand of temporal neutrality, and according to some philosophers it makes temporal neutrality an essential part of rationality (Brink, 2011). However, establishing an impartial foundation for temporal neutrality often appears controversial and counterintuitive.
Introductory Chapter to Elgar Encyclopedia of Environmental Law: Decisionmaking in Environmental Law

This introductory chapter provides an overview of the growth of environmental law and the decision making structures that governments have developed to adopt, administer, and enforce it. It traces the manner in which cooperative federalism and public participation have affected decision making structures in environmental law, primarily in the United States. It summarizes key challenges that policymakers continue to face in designing environmental laws, including choices on the allocation of authority among different levels of government, the appropriate mix of regulatory and non-regulatory tools to use in environmental protection initiatives, efforts to accommodate environmental protection and economic growth objectives, techniques to spur useful government action in the face of political stalemates, balancing the benefits of public participation with the potential for participatory procedures to slow or derail the implementation of environmental laws, and determining the role of judicial review. The chapter concludes with a road map of the all of the other chapters in the book.
Associations of Coffee, Tea, and Caffeine Intake with Coronary Artery Calcification and Cardiovascular Events

Abstract Background Coffee and tea are 2 of the most commonly consumed beverages in the world. The association of coffee and tea intake with coronary artery calcium and major adverse cardiovascular events remains uncertain. Methods We examined 6508 ethnically diverse participants with available coffee and tea data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Intake for each was classified as never, occasional ( Results Over a median follow-up of 5.3 years for coronary artery calcium and 11.1 years for cardiovascular events, participants who regularly drank tea (≥1 cup per day) had a slower progression of coronary artery calcium compared with never drinkers after multivariable adjustment. This correlated with a statistically significant lower incidence of cardiovascular events for ≥1 cup per day tea drinkers (adjusted hazard ratio 0.71; 95% confidence interval 0.53-0.95). Compared with never coffee drinkers, regular coffee intake (≥1 cup per day) was not statistically associated with coronary artery calcium progression or cardiovascular events (adjusted hazard ratio 0.97; 95% confidence interval 0.78-1.20). Caffeine intake was marginally inversely associated with coronary artery calcium progression. Conclusions Moderate tea drinkers had slower progression of coronary artery calcium and reduced risk for cardiovascular events. Future research is needed to understand the potentially protective nature of moderate tea intake.
Perceptions of Gown and Glove Use to Prevent Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Transmission in Nursing Homes

Abstract Objectives To explore current use and perceptions of glove and gown use in nursing homes. Design Qualitative study using focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Setting Three community-based nursing homes in Maryland. Participants Direct care staff, administrators, and residents. Methods We conducted three focus groups among nursing home staff, one focus group among nursing home administrators, and five interviews with residents. Topic guides were created based on our recent study results and a review of the literature. Two investigators separately analyzed the transcribed recordings and identified recurrent themes. Results Direct care staff reported using gowns and gloves primarily as self-protection against contact with bodily fluids, not to prevent MRSA transmission. Glove use was described as common and more acceptable to staff and residents than gown use. Administrators were surprised that MRSA transmission to health care worker hands and clothing occurred during activities when direct care staff perceives no contact with bodily fluids. Staff and administrators expressed willingness to use gowns and gloves for high-risk care activities, particularly if use is targeted toward specific types of residents such as those with pressure ulcers. There was a knowledge deficit about MRSA transmission and infection among direct care staff and residents. Conclusions Results from this study will inform a strategy to reduce MRSA transmission in long-term care.
Developing Discussion Leaders through Scaffolded Lesson-Study.

ABSTRACTIn this study we report the findings of a two-year professional development study using scaffolded lesson-study to encourage and support four teachers' desire to use discussion with increased frequency and quality. We joined a collaborative community of practice made up of one university researcher, two classroom teachers, and a political science professor in the first year. In the second year, each initial teacher recruited one mentee from his or her school. The four teachers collaboratively designed discussion materials, observed each other lead the discussions, and then reflected and critiqued the materials. Our article reports evidence that lesson-study positively influenced the quality of the teachers' discussion facilitation, their appreciation for lesson-study as a professional development model, and their adoption of broader cultural principles necessary for independent inquiry-oriented teaching practice.
Hydrocephalus: obliterated perimesencephalic cisterns and the danger of sudden death.

OBJECTIVE: We reported a possible risk factor which could identify patients with chronic hydrocephalus who are risk for sudden death. METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records and computed tomographic (CT) scans was conducted on three patients with chronic hydrocephalus who suffered acute cardiorespiratory arrest without those signs which are normally associated with a progressive worsening of hydrocephalus. RESULTS: All three of these patients were awake and communicative shortly before the life threatening or terminal event. All had experienced some recent worsening of neurologic signs or symptoms, but none had shown a progressive impairment of consciousness or major neurologic decline ordinarily associated with life threatening elevation of intracranial pressure. Absence of the perimesencephalic cisterns on head CT scans done prior to or just after the life threatening event was the only new radiologic finding common to all these patients. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of the perimesencephalic cisterns in an awake and alert patient with severe hydrocephalus indicates that the patient may be at risk for neurogenic cardiorespiratory failure. In such cases, (especially when there has been a recent, albeit mild, change in neurologic signs or symptoms), the neurologist should urge emergency ventriculostomy or shunting for the hydrocephalus.
Sodium and Chloride Transport: Proximal Nephron

The principal function of the proximal tubule is the reabsorption of some two-thirds to three-quarters of the glomerular filtrate. This means, primarily, reabsorption of Na + , Cl − , HCO 3 − , and in smaller quantities potassium, phosphate, and various filtered organic compounds. In view of the copious glomerular filtrate, proximal reabsorption plays a crucial role in the maintenance of fluid and electrolyte balance of the body. In particular, modern hypertension research has considered it essential to identify proximal tubule Na + transporters, and understand the signals and second messengers that regulate these transporters. Proximal tubular transport is energized by the metabolic reactions within the proximal tubular epithelium, either directly by ATP-driven “ion pumps” (primary active transport) or indirectly by the coupling of solute fluxes to Na-transport (secondary active transport). The workload to this epithelium is prescribed by the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which can vary several-fold within the course of a day, so that the ensemble of epithelial transport systems are also asked to modulate their function responsively, and in a coordinated manner.
Firm-specific, and institutional determinants of corporate investments in Nigeria

Abstract We examined the effect of institutional quality and firm-specific factors on corporate investment in Nigeria using fifty-four (54) quoted non-financial firms within the period of 2002–2012. We applied dynamic panel estimator proposed by Arellano–Bond (1991). The results showed that regulatory quality, corruption, political stability and control of corruption have insignificant effect in determining corporate investments in Nigeria. Our results also confirmed that firms’ firm-specific factors influenced corporate investment in Nigeria. While firms’ cash flow displayed positive and significant effect on investment other factors had negative effects on investment.Our results showed that investment is constrained to internally generated fund, despite the existence of capital market. In addition, the spillover effect of tightening monetary policy during the period of study had increased the cost of borrowing thereby having a negative effect on investment in the real sector. We recommended that when the monetary authorities are focusing on inflation targeting, they should also not lose sight of its impact on corporate investment and other productivity growth of firms; which is the source of long term sustainable growth and development of economies.
A COUPLED RANS-VOF AND FINITE ELEMENT MODEL FOR WAVE INTERACTION WITH HIGHLY FLEXIBLE VEGETATION

This paper presents a coupled wave-vegetation interaction model suitable for very flexible vegetation with large deflections. The wave hydrodynamics is modeled by a Navier-Stokes flow solver along with a Volume of Fluid surface capturing method. The governing equation for flexible vegetation motion is solved by a Finite Element Method using a semi-implicit time differencing scheme. The coupling between wave hydrodynamics and vegetation motion is achieved using an immersed boundary method. The model is validated with experimental measurements for a single-stem vegetation and a large-scale vegetation patch in a wave flume.
Modeling and Protection for Low-Voltage DC Microgrids Riding Through Short Circuiting

Researchers are running into problems providing short-circuit protection for the development of modern DC micro-grids that have commercially practical hardware and supplies fast operation along with coordination and that is reliable on a constant basis In this paper, issues about short-circuit protection of low voltage DC (LVDC) microgrids are analyzed. A methodology for protection against short-circuiting using the assistance of solid state circuit breakers (SSCB) that offer fault-current limiting (FCL) are assessed. A number of methods for detection of faults related to the design of SSCB are deliberated. Simulation results for a basic 1KV DC micro-grid system displays that SSCB resolutions rooted in integrated, gate-commutated thyristors are practical for low voltage micro-grids but requires many devices to interconnect with them in parallel to open, rapidly increasing fault currents.
An examination of heavy drinking, depressed mood, drinking related constructs, and consequences among high-risk college students using a person-centered approach.

Abstract Introduction Research has identified college students who experience depressed mood and consume alcohol are at an increased risk for experiencing alcohol problems. The present study identified profiles of differential alcohol use, depression, key psychosocial indicators of drinking (e.g., normative perceptions) and examined the relationship between these profiles and alcohol-related consequences. Method Students with a history of risky drinking and elevated depressed mood (n = 311; 62.4% female) completed a web-based survey assessing typical and peak drinking, depressive symptoms, descriptive norms, drinking to cope motives, protective behavioral strategies, and alcohol-related consequences. RESULTS: Latent profile analysis was used to classify participants into distinct profiles focusing on alcohol use patterns and level of depressed mood and drinking related constructs. Profiles were then compared based on their association with reported rates of alcohol-related consequences. Four profiles emerged: 1) Mild Depression, Heavy Drinkers; 2) Mild Depression, Severe Drinkers; 3) Moderate Depression, Heavy Drinkers; and 4) Moderate Depression, Severe Drinkers. Findings revealed significant differences between the four profiles on both risky drinking and alcohol-related consequences. Conclusion These findings suggest the importance of assessing and addressing depressive symptoms among college students in order to reduce rates of risky drinking and alcohol-related consequences.
MetaCompare: a computational pipeline for prioritizing environmental resistome risk

The spread of antibiotic resistance is a growing public health concern. While numerous studies have highlighted the importance of environmental sources and pathways of the spread of antibiotic resistance, a systematic means of comparing and prioritizing risks represented by various environmental compartments is lacking. Here, we introduce MetaCompare, a publicly available tool for ranking 'resistome risk', which we define as the potential for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to be associated with mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and mobilize to pathogens based on metagenomic data. A computational pipeline was developed in which each ARG is evaluated based on relative abundance, mobility, and presence within a pathogen. This is determined through the assembly of shotgun sequencing data and analysis of contigs containing ARGs to determine if they contain sequence similarity to MGEs or human pathogens. Based on the assembled metagenomes, samples are projected into a 3-dimensionalhazard space and assigned resistome risk scores. To validate, we tested previously published metagenomic data derived from distinct aquatic environments. Based on unsupervised machine learning, the test samples clustered in the hazard space in a manner consistent with their origin. The derived scores produced a well-resolved ascending resistome risk ranking of: wastewater treatment plant effluent, dairy lagoon, and hospital sewage.
Stiffness Sensing and Cell Motility: Durotaxis and Contact Guidance

Abstract Mechanical properties of the substrate plays a vital role in cell motility. Cells are shown to migrate up stiffness gradient (durotaxis) and along aligned fibers in the substrate (contact guidance). Here we present a simple mechanical model for cell migration, by placing a cell on lattice models for biopolymer gels and hydrogels. In our model cells attach to the substrate via focal adhesions (FAs). As the cells contract, forces are generated at the FAs, determining their maturation and detachment. At the same time, the cell also allowed to move and rotate to maintain force and torque balance. Our model, in which the cells only take the information of forces at the FAs, without a prior knowledge of the substrate stiffness or geometry, is able to reproduce both durotaxis and contact guidance.
Make It Rain: State Control of the Atmosphere in Twentieth Century America: Harper, Kristine C. Chicago: University of Chicago Press 304 pp., $40, ISBN: 978022643723 Publication Date: March 2017

In Make It Rain: State Control of the Atmosphere in Twentieth Century America, historian of science Kristine Harper tracks the transformation of rain-making from its roots on the fringes of America...
The Cities on the Hill: Urban Politics in National Institutions

Much is made of the contemporary “Red States-Blue States” partisan divide and of the importance of race and income for defining partisan conflict. Less scholarly attention has been paid to place-character as a defining and dividing principle of American politics. This essay links literatures on urban politics and American political development to argue that a distinctly urban perspective is at the core of the current “Blue” alignment, and proposes a “city delegation” theory to explain how a cohesive urban bloc grew out of the local politics of the New Deal’s urban wing and has solidified steadily since. Empirical tests of the theory’s implications, employing cohesion and likeness scores and multivariate regression, provide support for the importance of local parties in national legislative behavior. Initially concentrated in Northeastern and Midwestern industrial centers, this progressive urban bloc has nationalized and emerged as a “dually liberal” partisan pole in national political conflict, representing the full articulation of the New Deal realignment even as the original industrial core upon which it was built continues to wane. This is a draft, please do not cite or circulate without permission. I am happy to receive comments of all sorts at tko2103@columbia.edu.
Control of Nonlinear Dynamic Systems with the Cell Mapping Method

This paper studies control problems of nonlinear dynamic systems using the cell mapping method. We first present the formulation of optimal control problem and Bellman’s principle of optimality. Then, we present the cell mapping methods and their application to optimal control problems of deterministic nonlinear dynamic systems. Examples of population dynamics control of two competing species are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the cell mapping method.
Between Vision and Void: Postmodern American Literature

Part of the monument in present-day Hiroshima includes salvaged building stones and concrete sections, with the vague imprint on them of what might have been shadows of people running from the atomic cloudburst. It is tempting, in an age of slaughter, to adopt this image as the most honest measure of man no longer assumed, because of irreducible essence, immune to neantisation. The assertion of Richard Ellman and Charles Feidelson, Jr., on the basis of over one hundred spokesmen transcribed in The Modern Tradition (1965), that the “cultivation of self-consciousness — uneasy, ardent introspection — often amounts to an almost religious enterprise” is little consolation when one considers how divinity has been drained of its authority, since the Middle Ages. Promethean man, resplendent figure of human aspiration in the nineteenth century, today is seen as token of Romantic self-delusion and destruction. No heroism is proclaimed for the estranged rebel-victims detailed by Ihab Hassan’s Radical Innocence (1961), in its preliminary survey of the contemporary American novel. And in The Dismemberment of Orpheus: Toward a Postmodern Literature (1971), Hassan’s prophetic emphasis is on vanishing forms appropriate to a “literature of silence”, even though he divides present-future fiction into acts of auto-destructive solipsism, and self-transcendent preparations for mystic apprehension. Similarly, Frederick J. Hoffman, in The Mortal No: Death and the Modern Imagination (1964), argues that spectacular threats of man’s abolition — through nuclear overkill or accelerated depersonalization — have debased the hopeful Romantic question, What am I? into the frantic horror of Am I?
How can international organizations shape public opinion? analysis of a pair of survey-based experiments

How, and under what conditions, can International Organizations (IOs) shape public opinion? The impact of IOs on public support for war has been studied closely by international relations scholars, yet their effects on environmental or human rights issues has not. This is surprising given the extent to which the success of these initiatives will depend upon cooperation through international institutions. This article examines how IOs can influence popular support for two policies aimed at solving global collective action problems: (1) the REDD+ deforestation initiative; and (2) efforts to resettle Syrian refugees. The results presented here use a pair of survey-based experiments to test whether public support for these policies can be affected by the recommendations made by various organizations and their member states. Somewhat surprisingly, the results suggest that endorsements by the United Nations have a greater effect on the US public than do endorsements by organizations known for their technical expertise, or by prominent international NGOs. These findings call into question some of the assumptions we commonly make about the perceived legitimacy of international organizations.
Can microsatellite status of colorectal cancer (CRC) be reliably assessed after neoadjuvant therapy

1525 Background: Universal testing of resected CRC for Microsatellite Instability (MSI) status has been widely advocated. While PCR-based MSI analysis is the current gold standard test, immunohisto...
The Pervasive Challenge of Error and Uncertainty in Geospatial Data

Understanding, quantifying and communicating uncertainty in spatial data, and its propagation through geospatial analyses have been a challenge long recognized in the geospatial community. Over the decades, extensive research has contributed to our understanding of geospatial uncertainty. However, consistent agreed upon methods for addressing, managing, and communicating uncertainty have not been integrated into common geospatial practice. Understanding and accepting the challenge that uncertainty presents to practitioners in the twenty-first century is a step forward in ensuring results of spatial analyses are communicated with greater accuracy and validity for responsible geospatial practice. The mission of this chapter is to provide readers with an appreciation of the varied nature of uncertainty in spatial data, its sources, propagation, and communication.
ESRA19-0384 A new suture-method perineural catheter design compared with through-the-needle catheters for continuous popliteal-sciatic nerve blocks: a randomized, observer-masked, controlled, parallel-arm, clinical trial

Background and aims Common delivery systems for perineural catheter placement use catheters inserted through—or over—a straight, hollow-bore needle. A new delivery system uses a suture-shaped needle to pull the catheter adjacent to the target nerve then out through the skin. With the catheter secured at two sites, local anesthetic is infused via an orifice. Methods This study was IRB approved and prospectively registered (NCT03442036). Subjects having painful foot/ankle surgery were randomized to through-needle (TN) or suture-catheter (SC) placement proximal to the sciatic bifurcation. Lidocaine was administered via the catheter and patients subsequently received a 3-day ropivacaine. The primary hypothesis was that surgical pain would be noninferior within the first 2 days with the SC compared with the TN technique. The final analysis is pending, so we report here the preliminary findings using a Mann Whitney analysis. Results Average pain scores (median [interquartile]) during the first 2 postoperative days were 2.0 [0.6–4.4] for SC group vs. 4.0 [1.0–5.0] for TN group (p=0.038). While the number of opioid tablets required was lower in SC group, this difference did not reach statistical significance (p=0.125). For SC vs. TN, the proportion of subjects with sleep disturbances due to pain (30% vs. 56%, p Conclusions Postoperative analgesia was not only noninferior, but superior within the first 2 days following painful foot/ankle surgery with a suture-method compared with a through-the-needle perineural catheter when used for a continuous popliteal-sciatic nerve block.