cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation and Implementation of Production Preparation for 1000 kV AC Test and Pilot Project

In this paper the production preparation for 1000kV AC test and pilot project that is being constructed in China is presented overall and in depth.It includes following contents: the organization system of the production preparation;the separation of duties and working plans for related departments;organization and establishment as well as organization structuring of operation units,training of production personnel,research on key technologies and other key tasks in the production preparation.At present,the production preparation for the 1000kV AC test and pilot project is pushing ahead with its rate of progress steadily and in order.
Monitoring the Growth Condition of Winter Wheat in Jointing Stage Based on Land Sat TM Image

Using TM images and test data,the relationships were analyzed between normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI) or ratio vegetation index(RVI) and central indexes of colony quality of winter wheat growth condition including leaf area index(LAI),plant above-ground biomass weight(PBW),plant nitrogen content(PNC) during jointing period,then the monitoring equations were established based on relationship among NDVI,RVI and central indexes of colony quality.The results indicated that NDVI was significantly correlated with LAI or PNC(R2=0.8483,R2=0.8238),not significantly related to PBW,and RVI was positive linear correlated with PBW.(R2=0.8277).The best monitoring equations were selected as y=2.2221×e1.3719 NDVI,y=1032.1×RVI+1850.7 and y=4.3469×NDVI+1.4141,and validated by using the other data sets of NDVI and RVI during jointing period,with the root mean square error(RMSE) of 0.19,106.13 kg·ha-1 and 0.136% for LAI,PBW and PNC in winter wheat,respectively.The monitoring models were accurate and applicable for monitoring growth condition of winter wheat during jointing period under different conditions.
Cell Cultures and Genetic Disease

Positive identification of the carrier state has been achieved in a number of inherited metabolic disorders and in cystic fibrosis by a technique of staining skin fibroblast cultures that reveals cytoplasmic inclusions which reflect the underlying chemical abnormality. In addition to its applicability in genetic counseling, the method may yield new information on basic aspects of cellular biology.
Leveraging EHRs to improve hospital performance: the role of management.

Objectives Recent studies fail to find a consistent relationship between adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and improved hospital performance. We sought to examine whether the quality of hospital management modifies the association between EHR adoption and outcomes related to cost and quality. Study design Retrospective study of a random sample of US acute care hospitals. Methods Management quality was assessed via phone interviews with clinical managers predominantly from cardiac units in a random sample of 325 hospitals using a validated scale of management practices in 4 areas: operations, performance monitoring, target setting, and talent management. American Hospital Association InformationTechnology Supplement data captured whether or not these hospitals had at least a basic EHR. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) outcomes included risk-adjusted 30-day mortality, average length-of-stay, and average payment per discharge measured using MedPAR data. Ordinary least squares regressions assessed whether management quality modifies the relationship between EHR adoption and AMI outcomes. Results While we found no association between EHR adoption and our outcomes, management quality modified the relationship in the predicted direction. For length of stay, the coefficient on the interaction between EHR and management was -1.48 (P = .05) and for payment, it was -7786.74 (P = .014). We did not find strong evidence of effect modification for mortality (coefficient = -0.05; P = .37). Conclusions Coupled with ongoing policy efforts to achieve nationwide EHR adoption is a growing unease that our national investment may not result in better, more efficient care. Our study is among the first to offer empirical evidence that management quality may help explain why some hospitals see substantial gains from EHR adoption while others do not.
Microstructure and partitioning behavior characteristics in low carbon steels treated by hot-rolling direct quenching and dynamical partitioning processes

Abstract In this work, a new process and composition design are proposed for “quenching and partitioning” or Q&P treatment. Three low carbon steels were treated by hot-rolling direct quenching and dynamical partitioning processes (DQ&P). The effects of proeutectoid ferrite and carbon concentration on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties were investigated. The present work obtained DQ&P prototype steels with good mechanical properties and established a new notion on compositions for Q&P processing. Microstructures were characterized by means of electro probe microanalyzer (EPMA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), especially the morphology and size of retained austenite. Mechanical properties were measured by uniaxial tensile tests. The results indicated that introducing proeutectoid ferrite can increase the volume fraction of retained austenite and thus improve mechanical properties. TEM observation showed that retained austenite included the film-like inter-lath austenite and blocky austenite located in martensite/ferrite interfaces or surrounded by ferrites. It was interesting that when the carbon concentration is as low as ~ 0.078%, the film-like inter-lath untransformed austenite cannot be stabilized to room temperature and almost all of them transformed into twin martensite. The blocky retained austenite strengthened the interfaces and transformed into twin martensite during the tensile deformation process. The PSEs of specimens all exceeded 20 GPa.%.
Short Sleep Duration Is Associated With Eating More Carbohydrates and Less Dietary Fat in Mexican American Children.

Study Objective Short sleep duration is a risk factor for childhood obesity. Mechanisms are unclear, but may involve selection of high carbohydrate foods. This study examined the association between estimated sleep duration and macronutrient intake as percentages of total energy among Mexican American (MA) 9-11 year olds. Methods This cross-sectional study measured diet using two 24-hour recalls and estimated sleep duration using hip-worn accelerometry in MA children (n = 247) who were part of a cohort study. Child and maternal anthropometry were obtained; mothers reported on demographic information. Using linear regression, we examined the relationship of sleep duration with energy intake, sugar intake, and the percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Results Children were 47% male; mean age was 10 (SD = 0.9) years. Mean sleep duration was 9.6 (SD = 0.8) hours; 53% were overweight/obese, with a mean energy intake of 1759 (SD = 514) calories. Longer sleep duration was independently associated with a lower percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates (β = -0.22, p < .01) and a higher percentage of energy from fat (β = 0.19, p < .01), driven by the percentage of energy from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; β = 0.17, p < .05). No association was found with the intake of energy or total sugars, or the percent of calories from protein. Conclusions MA children who slept longer consumed diets with a lower percentage of calories from carbohydrates and a higher percentage from fat, especially from PUFA. Short sleep duration may be a risk factor for food cravings that are high in carbohydrate content and may displace heart-healthy dietary fat, and thereby increase obesity risk among children.
Assessing the feasibility of yttria-stabilized zirconia in novel designs as mandibular anterior fixed lingual retention after orthodontic treatment

Introduction The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility of yttria-stabilized zirconia (Y-TZP) in fixed lingual retention as an alternative to stainless steel. Methods Exploratory Y-TZP specimens were milled to establish design parameters. Next, the specimens were milled according to ASTM standard C1161-13 and subjected to 4-point flexural tests to determine material properties. Finite element analysis was used to evaluate 9 novel cross-sectional designs, which were compared with stainless steel wire. Each design was analyzed under loading conditions to determine von Mises and bond stresses. The most promising design was fabricated to assess the accuracy and precision of current CAD/CAM milling technology. Results The superior design had a 1.0 × 0.5 mm semielliptical cross-section and was shown to be fabricated reliably. Overall, the milling indicated a maximum percent standard deviation of 9.3 and maximum percent error of 13.5 with a cost of $30 per specimen. Conclusions Y-TZP can be reliably milled to dimensions comparable with currently available metallic retainer wires. Further research is necessary to determine the success of the bonding protocol and the clinical longevity of Y-TZP fixed retainers. Advanced technology is necessary to connect the intraoral scan to an esthetic and patient-specific Y-TZP fixed retainer.
Dapsone-associated fixed drug eruption

Dapsone is a sulfone drug used to treat infectious conditions and also numerous dermatologic diseases. Fixed drug eruption is a distinctive adverse cutaneous reaction associated with the initial administration and subsequent delivery of a specific agent. Areas covered: The authors preformed a literature search using the following keywords: dapsone, fixed drug eruption, and adverse cutaneous drug reaction. Bibliographies were also reviewed for pertinent articles. The results were combed for relevant papers and reviewed. Articles pertaining to dapsone-associated fixed drug eruption were included. Expert commentary: The majority of cases of dapsone-associated fixed drug eruption in the literature come from Africa or India where there is a high prevalence of patients treated for leprosy. Characteristics of these cases are similar to fixed drug eruption described in the western literature, with differences in frequency of multiple versus solitary lesions. Dapsone-associated fixed drug eruption should be considered when reviewing the drug history of a patient with fixed drug eruption. In the case of darker pigmented individuals, multiple fixed drug eruption lesions may be more common. Multiple lesions may mimic Kaposi's sarcoma in human immunodeficiency virus positive patients. Dapsone-associated fixed drug eruption should be considered in the differential diagnosis of multiple hyperpigmented lesions.
Love and Money: An Affinity-Based Model for the Regulation of Capital Formation

The article proposes that the price of exemption under the Securities Act of 1933 Rules 504 and 505 be made a legally enforceable stipulation that the promoters are assuming the strictest of fiduciary duties in relation to the formation, conduct, and dissolution of a business. These duties, which would be owed directly to each investor, would, among other things, provide important protections for those least likely to be alert to their own self-interest -- family and friends contemplating investment in small businesses.
Layered upward embedding of acyclic digraphs

A layered upward drawing of a directed acyclic graph is a plane drawing of the digraph in which nodes are embedded in parallel horizontal lines, called layers, and each directed edge is represented as a line segments increasing in the vertical direction. In this papers, first we prove that the minimum number of layers for layered upward embedding of a st-graph is one more than the length of longest path from source node s to sink node t. Then, we will discuss about the edge insertion process to find a super st-graph of any upward embeddable graph. Finally we will prove that minimum number of layers in layered upward embedding of any upward embeddable graph is one less than the length of longest path from s to t in its super st-graph.
Earthquake Ground Motion and Response Spectra

This chapter surveys the state-of-the-art work in strong motion seismology and ground motion characterization. Methods of ground motion recording and correction are first presented, followed by a discussion of ground motion characteristics including peak ground motion, duration of strong motion, and frequency content. Factors that influence earthquake ground motion such as source distance, site geology, earthquake magnitude, source characteristics, and directivity are examined. The chapter presents probabilistic methods for evaluating seismic risk at a site and development of seismic maps used in codes and provisions. Earthquake response spectra and factors that influence their characteristics such as soil condition, magnitude, distance, and source characteristics are also presented and discussed. Earthquake design spectra proposed by several investigators and those recommended by various codes and provisions through the years to compute seismic base shears are described. The latter part of the chapter discusses inelastic earthquake spectra and response modification factors used in seismic codes to reduce the elastic design forces and account for energy absorbing capacity of structures due to inelastic action. Earthquake energy content and energy spectra are also briefly introduced. Finally, the chapter presents a brief discussion of artificially generated ground motion.
Managing the Gray Market in the European Union: The Case of the Pharmaceutical Industry:

The emergence of significant trade blocks, such as the European Union (EU) and the North American Free Trade Agreement, has established the need for studies on managerial strategies to effectively ...
EFFECT OF BETA-BLOCKER THERAPY ON SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE AORTIC REGURGITATION: RESULTS FROM A COHORT OF 756 PATIENTS WITH 22 YEAR FOLLOW-UP

AR can activate the neuroendocrine system similar to heart failure state for which BBs have been proven to be beneficial. It is widely thought that BB may increase AR regurgitant fraction because of its effect on heart rate. However, we have previously shown that BB is associated with improved
Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence Developed for Laser Plasma Accelerator Targets

The ability to precisely shape gas jets for controlled injection of electrons in laser plasma accelerators (LPAs) is crucial for developing high quality electron beams. Verifying tailored density profiles has called for more detailed gas density diagnostics than those traditionally used. Most diagnostics give line-of-sight measurements, integrating over and blurring sharp asymmetric features. In this study, planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) has been prototyped for characterizing laser plasma accelerator gas jet targets. PLIF has the distinct advantage of isolating a two-dimensional slice of the jet plume using a laser sheet. As a demonstration, gas jets whose flows were intercepted by a razor blade were characterized with PLIF. Fluorescent slices of the gas jet resulted in high resolution images which revealed changes in characteristic flow parameters with change in blade position. It was shown that PLIF is able to resolve thin features such as gas density shocks and other features on scales relevant for tailored LPA gas jet targets.
Changes in negative affect and changes in heart rate variability among low-income latinos with type 2 diabetes in a randomized, controlled stress management trial.

Abstract Background Structural equation modeling examined the relationship between change in negative affect (NA) and change in heart rate variability (HRV) among 121 Latinos with type 2 diabetes. Methods This study leveraged data from the Community Health Workers Assisting Latinos Manage Stress and Diabetes (CALMSD) study which compared diabetes education vs diabetes education plus stress management. Participants completed surveys of NA at baseline and again 8–10 weeks later. They also wore 7‑lead, 3-channel ambulatory ECG monitors for 24 h at both time points. The latent variable NA was modeled by observed scores on symptoms of depression, anxiety, diabetes distress, and wellbeing (reversed). The latent variable HRV was modeled by observed scores in the time domain (the standard deviation of the R-R interval [SDNN] and the root mean square of the successive differences [RMSSD]) and in the frequency domain, i.e., log-transformed ultra-low frequency, very-low frequency, low frequency, and high frequency. Results At baseline, there were strong, negative cross-sectional associations between NA and HRV. Baseline NA predicted change in HRV, whereas baseline HRV did not predict change in NA. Controlling for fasting glucose and treatment assignment did not meaningfully alter the findings. Stress management improved NA but not HRV. At followup, a greater reduction (improvement) in NA was associated with a larger increase (improvement) in HRV, with a small-to-medium negative association that approached statistical significance. Conclusions Findings indicate a longitudinal relationship between NA and HRV, and suggest that improvement in one may be associated with improvement in the other.
Attenuation of Motion Artifacts in fMRI using Discrete Reconstruction of Irregular fMRI Trajectories (DRIFT)

Abstract Numerous studies reported motion as the most detrimental source of noise and artifacts in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Different approaches have been proposed and used to attenuate the effect of motion on fMRI data, including both prospective and retrospective (post-processing) techniques. However, each type of motion (e.g. translation versus rotation or in-plane versus out-of-plane) has a distinct effect on the MR signal, which is not fully understood nor appropriately modeled in the field. In addition, effects of the same motion can be substantially different depending on when it occurs during the pulse sequence (e.g. RF excitation, gradient encoding, or k-space read-out). Thus, each distinct kind of motion and the time of its occurrence may require a unique approach to be optimally corrected. Therefore, we start with an investigation of the effects of different motions on the MR signal based on the Bloch equation. We then simulate their unique effects with a comprehensive fMRI simulator. Our results indicate that current motion correction methods fail to completely address the motion problem. Retrospective techniques such as spatial realignment can correct for between-volume misalignment, but fail to address within volume contamination and spin-history artifacts. Because of the steady state nature of the fMRI acquisition, spin-history artifacts arising from over/under excitation during slice-selection causes the motion artifacts to contaminate MR signal even after cessation of motion, which makes it challenging to be corrected retrospectively. Prospective motion correction has been proposed to prevent spin-history artifacts, but fails to address motion artifacts during k-space readout. In this article, we propose a novel method to remove these artifacts: Discrete reconstruction of irregular fMRI trajectory (DRIFT). Our method calculates the exact displacement of k-space recording due to motion at each dwell time and retrospectively corrects each slice of the fMRI volume using an inverse nonuniform Fourier transform. We evaluate our proposed methods using simulated data as well as fMRI data collected from a rotating phantom inside a 3T Siemens Prisma scanner. We conclude that a hybrid approach with both prospective and retrospective components are essentially required for optimal removal of motion artifacts from the fMRI data.
Manipulation Under Anesthesia With Lysis of Adhesions Is Effective in Arthrofibrosis After Sulcus-Deepening Trochleoplasty: A Prospective Study

Background:Sulcus-deepening trochleoplasty has been established as an effective treatment for patellar instability due to trochlear dysplasia. However, arthrofibrosis is a known complication follow...
Professional Identity as Advocacy

The legal profession adheres to a story of a unified profession. Nevertheless, the profession has distinct professional sub-groups which repeatedly represent clients with interests adverse to those represented by attorneys who identify with other sub-groups. The idea of "professional identity as advocacy" describes how such professional sub-groups accuse opposing subgroups of greed, self-aggrandizement, or worse. This is most notable in two areas: personal injury litigation and criminal cases. This process has two seemingly contradictory consequences. First, it renders narrow areas extraordinarily visible, thus defining popular discourse and conceptions about lawyers and law. Second, it masks vast areas of litigation and law that have a fundamental impact on social justice yet do not generate the "profile" triggered where professional identity as advocacy is at its most intense. This Article explores the nature and consequences of professional identity as advocacy and examines the degree to which this dynamic can or should change.
Do Stringent Bankruptcy Laws Always Deter Entrepreneurial Activities? A Study of Cultural Influences:

Stringent bankruptcy laws are generally understood to increase the costs of failure and thus not conducive for entrepreneurship. In this paper, theory is developed and tested exploring the moderati...
Almost Output Consensus of Nonlinear Multi-Agent Systems in the Presence of External Disturbances

In this paper, we investigate the almost output consensus problem for nonlinear multi-agent systems under the influence of external disturbances. The concept of almost output consensus of nonlinear multi-agent systems is defined. Conditions on the nonlinear systems are established under which distributed consensus protocols are designed in a re-cursive manner. These protocols are shown to achieve almost output consensus, that is, output consensus of the system is achieved in the absence of disturbances and the L 2 -gain from the disturbances to the output consensus error of agents with the same initial condition can be made arbitrarily small. A numerical example is shown to verify the theoretical results.
The Little Nyonya: reframing Confucian filiality and family rituals for a global Singapore

is a Singapore produced Chinese-language historical television drama centring on the struggles of its heroine Yueniang in negotiating turbulent relationships among three Chinese Peranakan merchant ...
Impact of Medicare's Bundled Payments Initiative on Patient Selection, Payments, and Outcomes for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Background: The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation launched the Bundled Payments for Care Initiative (BPCI) in 2013. Its effect on payments and outcomes for percutaneous coronary intervent...
VA National Precision Oncology Program.

Background The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest integrated health care system in the US. The VA sees about 50,000 new cancer diagnoses each year and provides care for more than 400,000 veterans with cancer. The heterogeneity of molecular testing practice patterns and methods of testing at VA health care facilities and the increasing number and complexity of molecular tests led to the development of national program for precision oncology. Observations The National Precision Oncology Program (NPOP) provides tumor sequencing and consultative services for the treatment of veterans with cancer. NPOP is used by nearly all VA oncology practices and has now sequenced > 13,000 samples. The initial focus was on advanced-stage nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer, which has one of the highest number of mutated genes that result in sensitivity to antineoplastic drugs. Recently, testing was expanded to include metastatic prostate cancer and hematologic malignancies with prior approval. The program also offers cell-free DNA (liquid biopsy) and PD-L1 immunohistochemistry analyses. Conclusions The VA NPOP is one of the largest clinical DNA sequencing programs in the US with integrated consultation services and health informatics resources to facilitate patient care, clinical trials, and health outcomes research. The clinical services of NPOP provide cutting-edge oncology services to veterans throughout VA without exacerbating disparities and will be a national resource for research.
3D Printed Biomimetic Soft Robot with Multimodal Locomotion and Multifunctionality.

Soft robots can outperform traditional rigid robots in terms of structural compliance, enhanced safety, and efficient locomotion. However, it is still a grand challenge to design and efficiently ma...
Laparoscopic Ileocolic Resection

Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the alimentary tract which most commonly effects the terminal ileum. Laparoscopic ileocolic resection is a safe, and cost-effective procedure to treat patients with terminal ileal disease refractory to medical management. An understanding of the surgical anatomy, patient’s condition and proper surgical techniques is paramount for the proper execution of this procedure.
Enhanced Post-Operative Recovery with Continuous Peripheral Nerve Block After Lower Extremity Amputation.

ABSTRACT Background Despite progress in perioperative care standards, there has not been a significant risk reduction in morbidity and mortality rates of lower extremity amputations, an intermediate risk surgery performed on high risk patients. The single-shot peripheral nerve block has shown equivocal impact on postoperative course following lower extremity amputation. Hence, we assessed the potential of preemptive use of continuous catheter-based peripheral nerve block in lower extremity amputations for reduction in pulmonary complications, acute post-operative pain scores, and opioid use in post-operative period. Methods A retrospective review of a quality improvement project initiated in 2018 was conducted to compare outcomes amongst general anesthesia in combination with a catheter-based peripheral nerve block (catheter group) and general anesthesia alone in patients receiving lower extremity amputation. The rate of postoperative pulmonary complications was identified as a primary endpoint. The secondary outcomes assessed were acute post-operative pain scores and opioid consumption up to 48 hours. Our analysis was adjusted for potential confounding variables inclusive of demographics, medical comorbidities, type of surgical procedure and smoking status. Results Ninety-six patients were included in the study (61 in the general anesthesia group, 35 in the catheter group). After adjusting for baseline demographics, comorbidities, surgical technique and smoking status, the odds of postoperative pulmonary complications were significantly lower with catheter-based peripheral nerve block in comparison to general anesthesia alone, OR 0.11 [95% CI, 0.01- 0.88] (P = 0.048). The decrease in acute pain scores was also observed in the catheter group when compared to general anesthesia alone, OR 0.72 [95% CI, 0.56 - 0.93] (P = 0.012). Similarly, the opioid consumption was also lower in the catheter group in comparison to general anesthesia alone, OR 0.97 [95% CI, 0.95 - 0.99] (P = 0.025). Conclusion Preemptive use of continuous peripheral nerve block in patients undergoing lower extremity amputation reduces the incidence of pulmonary complications, acute postoperative pain scores and narcotic use in post-operative period.
Is the Value Premium Smaller Than We Thought

The construction of the original HML portfolio (Fama and French, 1993) includes six seemingly innocuous decisions that could easily have been replaced with alternatives that are just as reasonable. I propose such alternatives and construct HML portfolios. In sample, the average estimate of the value premium is dramatically smaller than the original estimate of the value premium. The difference is 0.09% per month and statistically significant. Out of sample, however, this difference is statistically indistinguishable from zero. The results suggest that the original value premium estimate is upward biased because of a chance result in the original research decisions.
Mechanisms of Pharmacologically Altering Calmodulin Activity

Considerable evidence has now accumulated indicating that calmodulin is the principal mediator of the effects of Ca2+ in most eukaryotic cells [for reviews see 3,8,24,25]. Since calmodulin plays such a fundamental role in cell biology, agents that inhibit its activity should produce important pharmacological effects. An understanding of the mechanisms by which drugs alter calmodulin activity may suggest new approaches for modifying various physiological or pathological processes. Furthermore, the development of selective calmodulin antagonists may provide a useful means for further studying the biological roles of calmodulin.
Review of Mathematical Morphology

We begin our study of the automatic generation of set recognition algorithms by giving a brief review of the essential elements of mathematical morphology. Though we cannot hope to cover all of it in such a short space, I will describe the main principles of the theory and give a general overview of the major classes of operations, while concentrating on those which made up the focus of this project. The purpose of this review is to provide the mathematical underpinnings for what is to follow. Some of the material in this chapter, particularly that in Sections 2.3, 2.5, 2.7, 2.10 and 2.11, is treated in greater depth in Serra [1982].
Chapter 9 Controlled continuous time markov processes

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the optimal control of continuous time Markov processes. The objective of the chapter is to focus on the typical techniques needed to calculate optimal controls for operations research problems modeled by continuous time controlled Markov processes. The chapter provides four prototype examples. Each of these examples illustrates both an operations research situation and a control problem for a different type of Markov process. The chapter discusses the dynamic programming sufficiency conditions for optimality for a fairly general class of controlled continuous time Markov processes. Then these sufficiency conditions are applied to the four examples. For the first two examples, optimal controls are computed in a straightforward manner. For the third example, the control computation is more complicated. For the last example, the form of the optimal control is still unknown. These examples indicate the status of the feasibility of determining optimal controls for continuous time Markov control problems.
ESR Titration of AS2O3 by Potassium Permanganate

Abstract A rapid esr titration method is described and demonstrated with the As2O3/KMnO4 system. The results indicate that end points can be established with a precision of better than 1% and an accuracy of 0.4%.
Thumper and shotgun: Low velocity kinetic penetrometers to estimate regolith and rock properties for NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM)

NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) is a challenging mission to capture and bring back either an entire asteroid (Option A) or a large boulder from the surface of an asteroid (Option B) to a cislunar orbit. Options A and B have a range of risks; one of them relates to the unknown strength of the asteroid or boulder. This paper describes methods of estimating asteroid regolith strength and density, and the strength of boulders, using kinetic impactors: Thumpers and Shotgun. Thumpers are large, instrumented kinetic impactors specifically designed to measure regolith strength during impact deceleration. The Shotgun system, on the other hand, uses a large number of small projectiles (“balls”) fired at low velocity at the surface of the asteroid or at the boulder. If a ball impacts regolith, it will create a crater whose size is a function of regolith strength and density. If a ball impacts a coherent boulder, it will bounce back at a certain speed, whose value is proportional to rock strength. If the rebound speed cannot be measured, hollow balls packed with retroreflectors could be used instead (similar to paintballs). The shell of balls can be designed to crack open and release retroreflectors when impacting rock above the threshold strength required for successful boulder retrieval. This paper describes the concepts of Thumpers and Shotgun and demonstrates their feasibility through a series of experiments. These methods leverage many of the advantages of in-situ measurements of target properties- particularly the ability to accurately determine geotechnical measurements- at a considerably reduced cost and implementation effort, and will enable significant risk buy-down on the scope of the ARM mission.
A 5 million year comparison of Mg/Ca and alkenone paleothermometers

Geochemical sea surface temperature (SST) proxies such as the magnesium to calcium ratio (Mg/Ca) in foraminifera and the alkenone unsaturation index (UK′37) are becoming widely used in pre-Pleistocene climate records. This study quantitatively compares previously published Mg/Ca and UK′37 data from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) site 847 in the eastern equatorial Pacific to assess the utility of these proxies to reconstruct tropical SST over the last 5 Ma. Foraminiferal Mg/Ca–SST calibrations that include a dissolution correction are most appropriate at this location because they provide SST estimates for the youngest sample that are close to modern mean annual SST. The long-term trends in the two records are remarkably similar and confirm a ∼3.5°C cooling trend from the early Pliocene warm period to the late Pleistocene noted in previous work. Absolute temperature estimates are similar for both proxies when errors in the dissolution correction used to estimate SST from Mg/Ca are taken into account. Comparing the two SST records at ODP site 847 to other records in the region shows that the eastern equatorial Pacific was 2–4°C warmer during the early Pliocene compared to today.
Predictors of Child Welfare Worker Retention and Performance: Focus on Title IV-E-Funded Social Work Education

Abstract Using administrative records, this paper tracks for up to four years using Cox survival methods the retention of 839 public child welfare workers who began child welfare work in 1999. It also examines, using ordinal logistic regression, supervisory performance evaluations of 382 of these workers. Participation in a IV-E-funded social work educational program predicted better retention. In particular, risk of termination decreased by 52% during the mandated contractual employment period in which the educational stipend was “worked off”. Other predictors of longer retention included prior non-child welfare employment at the public agency and working in the state office setting. Temporary job classification predicted higher risk of termination. With temporary classifications excluded, female gender predicted better retention. In exploratory Cox frailty regressions, neither county of employment nor supervisor explained significant variance in retention. Involvement with the IV-E funded social work pr...
Primary Care of the Childhood Cancer Survivor

Today more than 80% of children diagnosed with cancer are alive 5 years after diagnosis. Childhood cancer survivors encounter high rates of morbidity and mortality from late effects and, as a result, require long-term follow-up care. Care must be individualized based on the cancer type and therapies, which are detailed in a treatment summary. Primary care providers are instrumental to providing long-term care, which includes monitoring for recurrence and secondary malignancies, evaluating for and treating late effects, and providing preventive care and counseling. With appropriate surveillance, childhood cancer survivors can live physically and emotionally healthy lives.
Zebrafish embryonal cell culture.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a description of the methodology applied to zebrafish. With the general approaches of animal cell culture, the chapter provides an overview of the basic equipment, techniques, and concepts. Zebrafish embryo cell cultures can be initiated using techniques adapted from mammalian cell culture techniques, although several methodological aspects require approaches somewhat unique to fish species. The culture techniques that have benefitted other model systems can thus be applied to zebrafish developmental biology including genomic manipulation and cell selection in vitro. The chapter also discusses the application of the techniques to other interesting models, such as the Japanese pufferfish, Fugu. In principle, the approaches for zebrafish can be applied to any fish species. The Japanese pufferfish possesses a highly compact genome, and has gained interest among those involved in the sequencing and mapping of vertebrate genomes. Cell cultures from these fish provide a biological complement to the genomic libraries derived to study the molecular biology of Fugu.
Using Digital Photography to Supplement Learning of Biotechnology

The author used digital photography to supplement learning of biotechnology by students with a variety of learning styles and educational backgrounds. Because one approach would not be sufficient to reach all the students, digital photography was used to explain the techniques and results to the class instead of having to teach each student individually. To analyze the effectiveness of this teaching technique, the students' responses on various examination questions were analyzed.
Elevated-Temperature Behavior of High-Strength Silicon Carbide

The room- and high-temperature mechanical properties or a high-strength, sintered silicon carbide were evaluated Room-temperature strength was measured in four-point bending. The room-temperature fracture toughness was determined using a precracked single-edge-notched beam (SENB) bridge indentation technique. The high-temperature behavior was evaluated using the stepped-temperature stress rupture (STSR) procedure. Both the room- and the high-temperature behavior are superior to those of previously tested commercial sintered α and β silicon carbides.
A Prospective Natural History Study and Kinetic Ultrasound Evaluation of Idiopathic Macular Holes

Background: The role of vitreoretinal traction in the macular region as a causative factor for the development of idiopathic macular holes is widely accepted. The purpose of this study is to provide a prospective evaluation of patients with idiopathic macular holes to determine the risk of hole formation in the fellow eye. Methods: The authors performed a prospective study of 50 patients with unilateral idiopathic macular holes combining complete ocular examination, including slit-lamp biomicroscopy, with kinetic B-scan ultrasound evaluation of the status of the vitreoretinal interface. Natural history data were obtained by follow-up examinations performed at 3-month intervals throughout the course of the study. Results: During a median follow-up of 33 months, a full-thickness macular hole developed in 1 (2%) of 46 normal fellow eyes. Full-thickness holes also developed in three (75%) of the four eyes that had premacular hole changes (stages 1 A and 1 B) in the fellow eye on initial examination. All macular holes in fellow eyes occurred within 24 months of entry into the study. Kinetic ultrasound evaluation determined that fellow eyes with separation of the posterior hyaloid membrane in the foveal region were protected from future macular hole development. Those patients with attachment of the posterior hyaloid membrane in both eyes were at highest risk of holes forming in the fellow eye. Patients with posterior hyaloid membrane separation in the macular hole eye only, with an attached vitreous in the fellow eye, were at intermediate risk. Conclusion: The authors suggest that fellow eyes in patients with unilateral idiopathic macular holes have a relatively favorable natural history and that kinetic ultrasound examination may help determine which of these fellow eyes is at highest risk for fullthickness macular holes developing.
Neuropsychological Evaluation of Competency in Criminal Forensic Contexts

Competency issues can arise at any point beginning with an individual’s initial interaction with the justice system until the same individual is facing the imposition of a sentence. Neuropsychologists are commonly introduced to the criminal arena through referrals related to competence issues, and much can be gained from understanding how cognitive and psychological functioning can impact an individual’s ability to understand and appreciate current circumstances. The present article focuses on three less frequently explored domains of competency, including competence to waive Miranda rights, competence to consent to or refuse treatment, and competency for execution. Pertinent diagnostic considerations are discussed, and relevant legal standards and ethical issues are described. Lastly, evaluation procedures for each type of competence evaluation are discussed. This primer on competency assessment offers a review of the current practices, and limitations, in this burgeoning intersection of law, brain–behavior relationships, and psychology.
Dynamic propagation of a finite crack in a micropolar elastic solid

The dynamic propagation of a finite crack under mode-I loading in a micropolar elastic solid is investigated. By using an integral transform method, a pair of two-dimensional singular integral equations governing stress and couple stress is formulated in terms of displacement transverse to the crack, macro and micro rotations, and microinertia. These equations are solved numerically, and solutions for dynamic stress intensity and couple stress intensity factors are obtained by utilizing the values of the strengths of the square root singularities in macrorotation and the gradient of microrotation at the crack tips.
Preparation of highly oriented AlN thin films on glass substrates by helicon plasma sputtering and design of experiments

Aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films were deposited by a helicon plasma sputtering system with a radical cell. We investigated the effects of eight sputtering control factors on the crystal orientation of the films by design of experiments and the analysis of variance (ANOVA) in order to prepare highly oriented AlN thin films on silica glass substrates. Consequently, it was proved statistically that the distance between a target and a substrate, the sputtering pressure and the substrate temperature are significant control factors for the crystal orientation of the films. Especially, the distance is the most important factor of the eight control factors, which has not been reported so far. On the other hand, the effects of the cathode r.f. coil power, the radical cell power, the nitrogen concentration, the sputtering time and the cathode power are not statistically significant. Moreover, a detailed investigation of the dependence of the orientation on the three important control factors was carried out to optimize the sputtering conditions. The full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the X-ray rocking curve of the film deposited under the optimized sputtering conditions is 2.4° (σ=1.3°). This orientation is the highest in the AlN thin films deposited on amorphous substrates reported to our knowledge.
Study of mechanisms of electric field-induced DNA transfection. II. Transfection by low-amplitude, low-frequency alternating electric fields.

Electroporation for DNA transfection generally uses short intense electric pulses (direct current of kilovolts per centimeter, microseconds to milliseconds), or intense dc shifted radio-frequency oscillating fields. These methods, while remarkably effective, often cause death of certain cell populations. Previously it was shown that a completely reversible, high ionic permeation state of membranes could be induced by a low-frequency alternating electric field (ac) with a strength one-tenth, or less, of the critical breakdown voltage of the cell membrane (Teissie, J., and T. Y. Tsong. 1981. J. Physiol. (Paris). 77:1043–1053). We report the transfection of E. coli (JM105) by plasmid PUC18 DNA, which carries an ampicillin-resistance gene, using low-amplitude, low-frequency ac fields. E. coli transformants confer the ampicillin resistance and the efficiency of the transfection can be conveniently assayed by counting colonies in a selection medium containing ampicillin. For the range of ac fields employed (peak-to-peak amplitude 50–200 V/cm, frequency 0.1 Hz-1 MHz, duration 1–100 s), 100% of the E. coli survived the electric field treatment. Transfection efficiencies varied with field strength and frequency, and as high as 1 x 10(5)/micrograms DNA was obtained with a 200 V/cm square wave, 1 Hz ac field, 30 s exposure time, when the DNA/cell ratio was 50–75. Control samples gave a background transfection of much less than 10/micrograms DNA. With a square wave ac field, the transfection efficiency showed a frequency window: the optimal frequency was 1 Hz with a 200 V/cm field, and was approximately 0.1 Hz with a 50 V/cm field.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Growth of Language Skills in Preschool Children With Specific Language Impairment: Implications for Assessment and Intervention

A retrospective longitudinal study of 9 preschool-aged children, all meeting the criteria for specific language impairment (SLI), was conducted. Language growth was documented while the children we...
O, Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic composition of the Kasuga Cross-Chain in the Mariana Arc: A new perspective on the K-h relationship

The Kasuga system in the Mariana Arc consists of three submarine volcanoes, Kasuga 1 (K1) along the magmatic front and Kasuga 2 (K2) and Kasuga 3 (K3) extending into the back arc. K1 and nearby Fukujin are dominated by low- and medium-K tholeiitic andesites and basaltic andesites while K2 and K3 lavas are calc-alkaline and consist of primitive medium- and high-K basalts and absarokites (Mg# = 66–80) and subordinate andesites and dacites. Construction of this complex on back-arc basin crust that is no older than 45 Ma permits resolution of the sources and processes responsible for the increase in LIL contents in arc volcanic rocks with distance to the Benioff zone (the K-h relationship). New O, Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic data for fresh lavas from K2 and K3 and Pb isotopic data for K1 are interpreted to better understand the significance of these enrichments. The range inδ18O for four basalts (+5.7 to +6.0‰) and three clinopyroxene separates (5.23–5.57‰) indicates an unmodified mantle source;δ18O for three andesites and dacites (6.0–6.2‰) is consistent with their evolution by shallow fractionation of basalt. K2 and K387Sr/86Sr andeNd data range from 0.70327 to 0.70410 and +2.9 to +6.1. These lavas do not show the elevated87Sr/86Sr for a giveneNd that is characteristic of lavas erupted along a magmatic front; instead they suggest participation of OIB-like mantle. Pb isotopic data also show significant variations, with206Pb/204Pb ranging from 18.77 to 19.13,Δ207Pb= +5to+12, andΔ208Pb= +7to+30. The trend of the Pb isotopic data and mantle-like Ce/Pb (10–23) and Ba/La (10–27) preclude any significant role for subducted crust or sediments in controlling these enrichments. Instead, the inverse variation of magma production rate and isotopic heterogeneity is interpreted to indicate diminished melting with distance from the magmatic front, such that the smaller volcanoes K2 and K3 are dominated by the lowest temperature-melting fraction of a heterogeneous mantle. Diminished water flux results in preferential melting of OIB-type mantle ‘plums’—and attendant enrichments in resultant magmas—with depth to the Benioff zone.