cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transgenic Chickens Expressing β-Galactosidase Hydrolyze Lactose in the Intestine

Chickens do not possess the necessary enzymes to efficiently hydrolyze lactose into glucose and galactose. The bacterial enzyme beta-galactosidase can convert lactose into glucose and galactose. Transgenic chickens that carry the E. coli lacZ gene and express beta-galactosidase could potentially utilize lactose as an energy source. The objective of this study was to determine the ability of the transgenic chicken small intestinal mucosa to hydrolyze lactose into glucose and galactose. Lactase activity was examined in the intestinal muscosa from wild-type chickens and two lines of chickens that carry the lacZ gene and express beta-galactosidase. Lactase activity was significantly higher in both transgenic lines compared with wild-type birds (P < 0.05). The presence of the beta-galactosidase enzyme was revealed by X-gal staining in the intestine of transgenic chickens, whereas it was not present in the wild-type chickens. Overall, it appears that inserting the lacZ gene, which encodes beta-galactosidase, has resulted in a chicken that can utilize lactose as an energy source. This study demonstrates that transgenic technology can be used to modify nutrient utilization in domestic poultry.
SKN7 of Candida albicans: mutant construction and phenotype analysis.

The SKN7 two-component response regulator gene of Candida albicans was deleted, and the phenotype of the mutant was established. This mutant exhibited impaired growth on Spider agar and 10% serum agar compared to wild-type and gene-reconstituted strains. The skn7 mutant was sensitive to H2O2 in vitro, but its virulence was only mildly attenuated. A comparison of the Skn7p and Ssk1p response regulators of C. albicans is discussed.
Regional anesthesia and local anesthetic-induced systemic toxicity: Seizure frequency and accompanying cardiovascular changes

We sought to determine the contemporary frequency of seizures, and the associated cardiovascular changes, resulting from local anesthetic-induced seizures in all patients undergoing brachial plexus, epidural, and caudal regional anesthetics. We investigated the following variables: development and t
Configurations of common childhood psychosocial risk factors

Different psychopathological symptoms commonly co-occur. Researchers have used person-oriented approaches to model such co-occurrences, in an effort to identify more homogeneous diagnostic groupings and subtypes of disorders (Frazier, Youngstrom, & Naugle, 2007; Shevlin, Murphy, Dorahy, & Adamson, 2007; Sullivan, Kessler, & Kendler, 1998), to clarify relations between comorbid symptoms and disorders (Fergusson, Horwood, & Lynskey, 1994), and to refine psychiatric phenotypes for genetic analyses (Eaves et al., 1993; Rasmussen et al., 2004; Todd et al., 2005). Co-occurrence of psychosocial risk factors for psychopathology is also ubiquitous (Evans, 2004; Kessler, Davis, & Kendler, 1997; Mullen, Martin, Anderson, Romans, & Herbison, 1996; Rutter, 2000). However, empirical risk research commonly uses variable-based approaches to the study of risk, relying on variants of the general linear model and typically focusing on additive linear contributions of individual risk factors or interactions among two or three risk factors. In the real world, children may ‘face a daunting array of suboptimal psychosocial and physical conditions’ (Evans, 2004, p.77) that interact in complex ways in the development of psychopathology. For example, poverty may be associated with parental unemployment and living in a single parent household for one group of children, but with parental mental illness and parental criminality for others. According to the cumulative approach, which relies on the assumption that all risk factors can be summed with unit weights, both groups would be seen as having an overall risk score of three, when, in fact, these differing configurations might be related to different psychopathological outcomes. The identification of valid risk profiles (or configurations, or clusters) could contribute to the identification of etiological pathways to childhood disorders.
Fisherfolk and Farmers: Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Evidence from Middle Horizon Ancon, Peru

This study investigates human dietary patterns and economic trends at the coastal site of Ancon, Peru during the Andean Middle Horizon (550AD-1000AD) using stable isotopic data from 32 individuals buried at the site. d 13 C and d 15 N results from human bone collagen and d 13 C from human tooth enamel and bone carbonate indicate that inhabitants consumed a mixed diet composed primarily of marine protein and C4 resources, with only marginal reliance on C3 foods. Over time, Anconeros appear to have relied more heavily on C4 resources, particularly maize, despite the fact that the crop could not have been grown locally. These results are notable given that C3 rather than C4 or marine foods dominate the site's archaeological record. These data suggest that Ancon's inhabitants either had access to more fertile land up-valley where maize could be cultivated successfully or that they engaged in trade relationships with their valley neighbours. A third possibility is that increased maize consumption at Ancon during the Middle Horizon resulted from Wari imperial influence and interregional exchange. Comparisons of d 13 C values in enamel and bone carbonate from Ancon individuals indicate that d 13 Ccarb_enamel values are significantly more positive than d 13 Ccarb_bone values. This suggests that the diets of young children were systematically enriched in 13 C compared to that of adults, perhaps as a result
Emotional signaling in a social dilemma: An automatic analysis

Emotional signaling plays an important role in negotiations and other social decision-making tasks as it can signal intention and shape joint decisions. Specifically it has been shown to influence cooperation or competition. This has been shown in previous studies for scripted interactions that control emotion signaling and rely on manual coding of affect. In this work we examine face-to-face interactions in an iterative social dilemma task (prisoner's dilemma) via an automatic framework for facial expression analysis. We explore if automatic analysis of emotion can give insight into the social function of emotion in face-to-face interactions. Our analysis suggests that positive and negative displays of emotion are associated with more prosocial and proself game acts respectively. Moreover signaling cooperative intentions to the opponent via positivity can leave participants more open to exploitation, whereas signaling a more tough stance via negativity seems to discourage exploitation. However, the benefit of negative affect is short-term and both players do worse over time if they show negative emotions.
Brain Phospholipids and their Metabolites in Alzheimer’s Disease: Possible Role of “Auto-Cannibalism” and Implications for Drug Development

It is well established that two sets of chemical abnormalities characterize brains of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (AD), i.e., abnormal extracellular and intracellular proteins, and decreases in levels of particular neurotransmitters and of the enzymes which produce these compounds (particularly choline acetyltransferase, the enzyme which catalyzes acetylcholine synthesis). Neither of these changes is exclusive to AD, and both tend to co-localize, particularly to temporo-parietal cortex and to the perikarya of long-axon cholinergic and monoaminergic neurons.
Investing in Agriculture: Far-Reaching Challenge, Significant Opportunity: An Asset Management Perspective

The growing global population, with its increasing need for energy and food, presents a challenge for the planet: How can the ever-increasing demand for these resources be met in a sustainable manner? This is of particular importance in light of climate change: Emissions of greenhouse gases from energy and food production causes climate change. More people means more demand for energy and food production, and more demand for production means more carbon emissions. The focus of this paper is on how we can try to meet this challenge of boosting agricultural productivity to meet the needs of the Earth’s ever hungrier population. The paper looks at this challenge through 2050, and presents as-of-yet unpublished data from agricultural models.The changing patterns of climate can potentially have severe impacts on agricultural productivity both ecologically as well as economically. Due to shifting precipitation patterns, movement of insect populations, more dramatic shifts in daily temperature regimes, and other large scale ecological changes that come with climate change, agriculture will most likely be severely impacted by climate change. The move to increase production for biofuels to reduce transport emissions is a further feedback loop linking agriculture to climate change. Skillfully managing this interaction between agriculture and climate change is a grand challenge.Our conclusion is that it is going to be hard to meet the challenge and all available technologies will be looked at and massive investment will be required.
Teacher Perceptions of Two Multi-Component Interventions: Disability Awareness and Science

This study investigated teachers’ perspectives about two interventions designed to promote kindergarteners’ attitudes toward peers with disabilities. Interviews with teachers were conducted following the 6-week interventions. Teachers shared views on the best and most difficult aspects of the interventions, perceived benefits for teachers and children, and suggestions for improving the interventions. Teachers’ responses were analyzed using content analysis. One salient teacher-reported benefit was notable improvement in social skills made by all students. Moreover, students in the experimental condition displayed increased acceptance of peers with disabilities, whereas teachers reported becoming more confident discussing the topic of disability with students. Teachers also reported that although it was difficult to step back and observe children in cooperative learning groups, it was beneficial to see that when children were given opportunities to handle social situations on their own, many were capable o...
Influence of a bacillus on the reversion of Hemophilus influenzae L forms to the bacterial form.

SummaryBacterial forms reappeared in L form colonies of various species of bacteria in the neighborhood of colonies of a large gram-positive spore-bearing bacillus, or immersed in the filtrate of a broth culture of this Bacillus. This effect was most conspicuous in L cultures of Hemophilus influenzae. The organisms in the L culture did not resume their bacterial form en masse; rather bacterial forms started to grow at a few sites within the L colonies. Several other strains of similar spore-bearing bacilli tested did not have a similar effect on the L forms.
The Refrigeratory Temperature Monitoring System Based on C/S & B/S Structure

C/S and B/S are the most common architectures of program. But the two architectures Each has its advantages and dis advantages. Through maximizing the strength, the combination of both C/S and B/S structure was put forward in this article.The refrigerator temperature acquisition and monitoring system based on this structure is developed. The function of acquisition,storage, analysis, alarm and setting Parameters of the temperature are realized. It is more flexible and easy to use than ever.
Uncertainty evaluation of determining cadmium content in rice flour by GF-AAS

Objective This study was to evaluate the uncertainty of determining cadmium in rice flour by microwave digestion and GF-AAS method and find out elements affecting the uncertainty.Methods Cadmium in rice flour was determined by microwave digestion and GF-AAS.It can provide evidences to build mathematical models for evaluating the determination reports.Results It showed the content of cadmium in rice flour were(185 ± 13) μg/kg and(377 ± 26) μg/ kg,and the expanded uncertainty was 13 μg/kg and 26 μg/kg(k =2).Conclusion The uncertainty of this determination was produced in the process of samples treatment and working curve result.
A Gestural Interpretation of Variation and Variability in Minor Syllables

I. Background This paper presents an acoustic study of two languages, arguing that a single gestural account of minor syllables is not possible; thus, forms described as “minor syllables” do not constitute a coherent phonological class. Many mainland Southeast Asian languages are claimed to have not only monosyllabic and disyllabic words, but also sesquisyllables (Bennett 1995, Matisoff 1973, Svantesson and Karlsson 2004). Sesquisyllabic words comprise two types of syllables: (i) a heavy major syllable, which is right-aligned and is the locus of phonological contrast, and (ii) a weak minor syllable, usually containing a [Cə] sequence. However, there exist both systematic variation across languages in the types of segments appearing in minor syllables (1), and also unaccounted-for variability within individual languages regarding the phonetic realization of minor syllables (2).
Effect of film morphology on oxygen and water interaction with copper phthalocyanine

Copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) films of thickness 25 nm and 100 nm were grown by thermal sublimation at 25°C, 150°C, and 250°C in order to vary morphology. Using a source-measure unit and a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), we measured changes in electrical resistance and film mass in situ during exposure to controlled pulses of O2 and H2O vapor. Mass loading by O2 was enhanced by a factor of 5 in films deposited at 250°C, possibly due to the ~200°C CuPc α→β transition which allows higher O2 mobility between stacked molecules. While gas/vapor sorption occurred over timescales of < 10 minutes, resistance change occurred over timescales < 1 hour, suggesting that mass change occurs by rapid adsorption at active surface sites, whereas resistive response is dominated by slow diffusion of adsorbates into the film bulk. Resistive response generally increases with film deposition temperature due to increased porosity associated with larger crystalline domains. The 25 nm thick films exhibit higher resistive response than 100 nm thick films after an hour of O2/H2O exposure due to the smaller analyte diffusion length required for reaching the film/electrode interface. We found evidence of decoupling of CuPc from the gold-coated QCM crystal due to preferential adsorption of O2/H2O molecules on gold, which is consistent with findings of other studies.
Amenities and Community Economic Development: Strategies for Sustainability

In this paper, I examine the structural changes that have occurred in rural America over the past quarter of a century. I focus primarily on the effects of social and economic restructuring in rural areas. Economic restructuring appears to disproportionately benefit urban areas that have large concentrations of people and businesses. Although advances in communication and transportation have improved access to many rural communities, communities on the urban-rural fringe have benefited the most from these changes in recent years. The primary exceptions, however, are those localities that have experienced a substantial growth in their population due to in-migration of retirees and those regions that are dependent on recreation and tourism as a source of employment and income. These communities often adopt what has been referred to as an “amenity-led” development strategy.
A Commercial Republic: America's Enduring Debate over Democratic Capitalism. By Mike O'Connor. (Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2014. Pp. xii, 287. $34.95.)

At first glance this book appears to be a regular academic monograph from a strong university press. In fact, A Commercial Republic is a kind of extended essay engaging a problem in a series of the...
MAQ: A Multiple Model Predictive Congestion Control Scheme for Cognitive Radio Networks

In this paper, we investigate the problem of robust congestion control in infrastructure-based cognitive radio networks (CRN). We develop an active queue management algorithm, termed MAQ, which is based on multiple model predictive control. The goal is to stabilize the TCP queue at the base station under disturbances from the time-varying service capacity for secondary users. The proposed MAQ scheme is validated with extensive simulation studies under various types of background traffic and system/network configurations. It outperforms two benchmark schemes with considerable gains in all the scenarios considered.
Microsoft FlashMeta SDK A Framework for Creating Inductive Synthesizers

Talks at Dagstuhl seminar on Approaches and Applications of Inductive Programming, Oct 2015
Integrating acoustic emission into percolation theory to predict permeability enhancement

Abstract Hydraulic fracturing allows us to enhance the transport properties of a tight formation, but it remains difficult to predict the enhancement as a function of recorded acoustic events. With this in mind, we initiate pore-scale modeling of acoustic emission (AE) events based on percolation theory. The main objective is to predict the permeability enhancement by accounting for the number of AE events. We first develop a physically representative model of the intact pore space of the matrix of Tennessee sandstone at the core scale based on petrophysical measurements, which are porosity, permeability, and capillary pressure. A block-scale sample of the formation is then hydraulically fractured, where piezoelectric sensors record the events generated during stimulation. We predict the permeability enhancement of the formation at the core scale by accounting for the number of AE events per unit volume. Independent petrophysical measurements corroborate the predicted results based on percolation theory. The proposed model has major implications for characterizing the transport properties of the stimulated reservoir volume.
Making operating systems more appetizing with the raspberry Pi

(work in progress). In 2012, Ebon Upton started the Raspberry Pi Foundation, which introduced the Raspberry Pi (RPi) as a $35 basic computer. The goal was to reignite public interest in programming and increase enrollment in college computer science. Today, the third RPi iteration features a multicore processor, a small GPU for display graphics, WiFi, Bluetooth, and USB connectivity. Surprisingly, even though the RPi has become very popular with the public and college students for do-it-yourself projects and maker culture, instructors have not widely used it to teach operating systems concepts. In this paper, I share my experience using the RPi in my Operating Systems class. The paper makes the following contributions: • Pedagogical advantages of using the RPi over other traditional and cloud-based methods to teach operating systems concepts • Challenges for the instructor and students running many RPis in a classroom setting over the campus enterprise network. • Advantages of using the RPi to stimulate student creativity and motivate them to design and implement their own related computing projects.
Chapter 90 - Ultrasfast excited-state dynamics in DNA and RNA polymers

Recent progress in understanding the photophysics of single nucleobases has now focused attention on the challenging problem of excited-state dynamics in DNA and RNA polymers. It is often stated that ultrafast non-radiative decay by the monomeric nucleobases greatly reduces the likelihood of their photochemical damage. This is a tempting explanation for why the present-day bases may have been favored over alternative compounds as the carriers of genomic information in all living organisms. However, it is yet to be shown that the DNA and RNA polymers enjoy the same degree of photostability as the monomeric nucleobases. In fact, evidence is now accumulating that considerably longer-lived excitations are formed in natural and synthetic nucleic acid polymers. This chapter discusses how the noncovalent interactions responsible for nucleic acid secondary structure (that is, base stacking and base pairing) affect the photophysics of these multi-chromophoric systems. It describes initial experimental results that demonstrate dramatic differences in excited-state dynamics of nucleic acid polymers compared to their constituent monomers. Although ultrafast internal conversion is the dominant relaxation pathway for single bases, electronic energy relaxation in single-stranded polynucleotides occurs over a wide range of time scales extending from femtoseconds to nanoseconds. Since base stacking increases the electronic coupling between adjacent nucleobases, polymer conformation significantly affects the electronic structure of these important macromolecules. The experiments in the chapter demonstrate that the intrinsic UV chromophores of nucleic acids, the DNA and RNA bases, are useful ultrafast optical probes of secondary polymer structure.
Integrating solar into Florida's power system: Potential roles for flexibility

Abstract Although Florida has very little photovoltaic (PV) generation to date, it is reasonable to expect significant deployment in the 2020s under a variety of future policy and cost scenarios. To understand these potential futures, we model Florida Reliability Coordinating Council operations in 2026 over a wide range of PV penetrations with various combinations of battery storage capacity, demand response, and increased operational flexibility. By calculating the value of PV under a wide range of conditions, we find that at least 5%, and more likely 10–24%, PV penetration is cost competitive in Florida within the next decade with baseline flexibility and all but the most pessimistic of assumptions. For high PV penetrations, we demonstrate Florida’s electrical net-load variability (duck curve) challenges, the associated reduction of PV’s value to the system, and the ability of flexibility options–in particular energy-shifting resources–to preserve value and increase the economic carrying capacity of PV. A high level of demand response boosts the economic carrying capacity of PV by up to 0.5–2 percentage points, which is comparable to the impact of deploying 1 GW of battery storage. Adding 4 GW of battery storage expands the economic carrying capacity of PV by up to 6 percentage points.
Life Without Parole: An Immigration Framework Applied to Potentially Indefinite Detention at Guantánamo Bay

The Supreme Court ruled in Boumediene v. Bush that detainees at Guantanamo Bay have the right to challenge their detention in habeas corpus proceedings and that the courts hearing these claims must have some ability to provide “conditional release.” However, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has ruled that if a detainee cannot be released to their country of origin or another country abroad, a court sitting in habeas cannot grant them release into the United States. The court based its determination on the assumption that the Uighurs’ request for release implicated “admission,” the terms and conditions of which are generally considered within the purview of the political branches and inappropriate for judicial review. This Note argues that “parole,” a more flexible mechanism for release into the United States, is not limited by the admission precedent requiring extreme deference. This Note then surveys cases where the judiciary has granted parole as a remedy, and argues that courts grant the remedy primarily in cases of executive misconduct. Thus, courts confronting requests for domestic release from executive detention without legal basis should consider parole as a remedy distinct from admission, one that serves a valuable purpose in maintaining a meaningful check on the Executive.
Association of NGS mutational pattern with immune checkpoint inhibitor clinical benefit in solid tumors.

e24274Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) induce prolonged tumor responses in a minority of patients with solid tumors including those with MSI-high, melanoma and NSCLC. Established pre...
Fracture mechanics methods for evaluating the adhesion of cold spray deposits

Abstract The adhesion strength of cold sprayed (CS) AA7075 deposits made with varying surface preparations was measured using two fracture toughness methods, and compared to the more common ASTM C633 adhesion test. The ASTM C633 test was found to be limited by the cohesive strength of the deposit, or most commonly the bond strength of the epoxy used (∼75 MPa). Using a unique interfacial compact tension (CT) specimen, KI,eff values were found to range between 1.25 and 1.90 MPa √m with a linear relationship between the substrate roughness and the interface toughness. A mixed mode I/II four-point bend test found significantly higher interface toughness values of around 4.87 MPa √m, and no clear dependence on surface roughness. Residual stresses were found to cause problems with cracking in the interface CT specimens, and more generally to change the measured adhesion values for all test methods. The deformation of the four-point bend specimens caused by residual stresses allowed for a direct measurement of the effects of residual stresses on the interfacial toughness, which was found to be 35% of the measured value.
Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) Programs in R

We provide a brief overview of two R packages that can conduct exploratory factor analysis (EFA): psych and EFAutilities. After introducing EFA and the exemplar data used in this paper we discuss b...
Relationships between self-efficacy and achievement moderated by teacher interaction: an international comparison study

This research aims to scrutinize the moderating effect of teacher interaction on the relationships between students’ self-efficacy and achievement in mathematics in three countries, Korea, Singapore, and the USA. We analyzed the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015 data with hierarchical linear modeling. The findings show that in each country, different types of teacher interaction moderate the relationships between students’ self-efficacy and achievement in mathematics. Also, when moderated relationships are found, Korean students with lower self-efficacy are likely to have higher achievement when teachers interact with each other very often. Singaporean students across all self-efficacy levels are expected to have advantages of high achievement from teachers interacting with other teachers. However, US students have similar achievement although teachers have frequent interaction with other teachers. We suggest several implications: To improve educational systems, it is necessary to consider which type of teacher interaction is common in that specific context as well as to examine how teacher interaction moderates the relationships between students’ self-efficacy and achievement in mathematics.
Differences in Patient Safety Reporting Attitudes and Knowledge Among Different Hospital Levels

BACKGROUND Establishing a positive reporting culture, which helps medical and healthcare workers learn from errors and reduce the risks of future adverse events, is essential to fostering a culture of patient safety. PURPOSE The objectives of this study were to investigate the differences among the three levels of hospitals in terms of the knowledge and attitudes of hospital staff regarding the patient safety reporting system and to identify the potential factors affecting these differences. METHODS This cross-sectional study was carried out in six hospitals, including two academic medical centers, two regional hospitals, and two district hospitals. The subjects were physicians, nurses, medical technicians, and administrative staffs. Data were collected using a patient safety reporting questionnaire. RESULTS Three hundred and forty-eight participants were recruited, with 348 valid questionnaires returned (response rate: 100%). The average score for knowledge of patient safety reporting was 12.76 (total possible score: 14). Age, work position, and work experience were significantly associated with knowledge of patient safety reporting (p < .01). The patient safety reporting attitudes questionnaire comprised 21 items, each of which was scored using a five-point Likert scale. The mean score for each item was 3.92 ± 0.50. Gender, age, work position, work experience, and job discipline were significantly associated with attitude toward reporting (p < .01). The level of hospital was found to significantly impact attitudes toward patient safety reporting (p = .01), with participants working at medical centers scoring the highest. In addition, participants who were older and in more-senior positions scored higher and more positively for both knowledge and attitudes. CONCLUSIONS The key factors to successfully fostering a strong patient safety reporting culture are staff security, a reliable reporting system, and a user-friendly interface. Improving attitudes toward reporting requires more resources and time than improving knowledge of reporting, which may be improved using education and promotion. Regional hospitals may invest more resources to enhance positive attitudes toward reporting and increase the willingness of staff to report.
Demonstration of A 3-GHz-bandwidth real-time spectral-analysis receiver based on a high-Tc superconductive chirp filter (invited paper)

A 3-GHz-bandwidth real-time spectral-analysis receiver has been demonstrated. The fully integrated compressive receiver is based on the chirp-transform algorithm and uses a high-Tc superconductive (HTS) tapped-delay-line chirp filter with a time-bandwidth product of 40. The 3-GHz bandwidth of the HTS chirp filter is unobtainable using other technologies such as surface acoustic waves. This prototype receiver, a combination of an HTS passive microwave component and conventional semiconductor circuits, demonstrates a microwave system that could not be built without the unique HTS component. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Splinting in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: The Optimal Duration.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to evaluate optimal neutral wrist splint duration in treatment-naive mild and mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Neutral wrist splinting is a conservative treatment for CTS; however, no clear guidelines exist for how long splinting should be prescribed for optimal outcomes. Materials and methods In this prospective clinical trial subjects were assigned to wear a neutral wrist splint for 6 (group A) or 12 weeks (group B). Symptom and functional outcomes were assessed by questionnaire at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks. Median nerve sensory and motor latencies were recorded at baseline and 12 weeks. Pretreatment, midtreatment, and posttreatment measures were compared within and between treatment groups where applicable. This study was approved by the United States Air Force Academy institutional review board. Results A total of 30 subjects (37 hands) were randomized to 2 treatment groups. Mean symptom severity and median sensory peak latency significantly improved in both groups at 12 weeks, without a significant difference between groups. Mean functional severity significantly improved only in group A. Conclusion Neutral wrist splint for 6 weeks resulted in better clinical improvements in patients with untreated mild and mild to moderate CTS. There was no additional benefit in extending splinting 6 additional weeks. This is the first study to compare duration of wrist splint use beyond 8 weeks. A larger sample size is needed to identify the reason for lack of functional improvement in group B. Long-term follow-up of this cohort will be helpful to determine the natural history of initial wrist splint use.
Modeling and Scaffolding the Technology Integration Planning Cycle for Pre-service Teachers: A Case Study

This case study explored pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) efforts to consider the integration of digital technology as they learned to use their developing TPACK to plan literacy instruction. PSTs were introduced to the Technology Integration Planning Cycle (TIPC; Hutchison & Woodward, 2014) to support their learning. They observed modeling of the TIPC in practice, participated in group work, and discussed meaningful technology integration. The findings suggest that PSTs: (a) used new knowledge of digital tools to plan instruction, (b) could align their pedagogy to their use of a digital tool, and (c) believed that integrating technology was important. Further, four of the PSTs were observed during their field experience. Each used digital tools to support literacy goals. However, based on reflections from the overall group of PSTs in their literacy methods course, PSTs also felt overwhelmed by the selection of a digital tool that would support a literacy goal, struggled to know how to overcome obstacles, and had a difficult time using technology in a way that enhanced their literacy goal. The current findings add to the existing literature on using the TIPC with PSTs by describing a process of providing PSTs with modeling, scaffolding, and opportunities for guided practice.
A Novel Design for a High Specific Power Interior Permanent Magnet Machine for Aerospace Applications

Development of high specific power electrical machine is a key step in the journey toward more/all electric aircraft. Permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs) are good candidates to achieve higher specific power and high efficiency. Progress in the development of advanced materials play a key role in enabling the future electrified aircrafts. Therefore, a novel dual-phase magnetic material (previously presented in literature) employed to design an interior permanent magnet synchronous machine (IPMSM). This paper discusses the performance comparison between dual phase magnetic material and conventional magnetic materials used for rotor laminations. Furthermore, this paper presents the design procedure of a 250kW high specific power IPMSM design, and its electromagnetic and mechanical analysis. Simulation results are included to demonstrate the proposed design’s performance and capabilities.
Nurse Perspectives on Urinary Incontinence in the Home Hospice Setting.

Abstract Context To date, no studies have characterized the impacts of urinary incontinence (UI) at the end of life in the home hospice (HH) setting. UI is highly prevalent at the end of life and adversely affects quality of life. Objectives To characterize HH nurses’ perspectives on UI in HH patients. Methods We conducted a qualitative descriptive study of interviews between HH nurses and the study investigator. Thirty-two interviews with HH nurses were transcribed and analyzed. Nurses were mostly female, college-educated, and had several years of experience in HH nursing. Results We identified findings in four major themes: 1) HH nurses' definition and identification of UI, 2) the absence of formal guidelines for diagnosing UI in HH patients, 3) UI's adverse effect on HH patients and their families, and 4) the lack of standardized guidelines for the management of UI in the HH setting. We found that there was a general lack of clarity on the subtypes of UI and no standardized guidelines for management of UI in the HH setting. Nurses reported that UI was bothersome to HH patients and their caregivers, citing patient discomfort, loss of dignity, and additional labor burden as reasons for this. Management strategies for UI lacked standardization. Conclusion UI is a prevalent and debilitating condition in HH patients. There is a need for studies to further characterize the impacts of UI on HH patients and their caregivers. Formal training on UI subtypes and management is needed to facilitate proper documentation, research, and improve patient outcomes.
‘You have to feel to sing!’: popular music classes and the transmission of ‘feel’ in contemporary India

This article investigates the practice of teaching and learning to ‘feel’ through film songs within the shifting political economy of contemporary India. Drawing on ethnographic research in a Mumba...
Oncologic Considerations for Safe Gender-Affirming Mastectomy: Preoperative Imaging, Pathologic Evaluation, Counseling, and Long-Term Screening.

SUMMARY There remain significant gaps in the evidence-based care of patients undergoing gender-affirming mastectomy with regard to implications for breast cancer development and screening. The current clinical evidence does not demonstrate an increased risk of breast cancer secondary to testosterone therapy in transgender patients. Gender-affirmation mastectomy techniques vary significantly with regard to the amount of residual breast tissue left behind, which has unknown implications for the incidence of postoperative breast cancer and need for screening. Subcutaneous mastectomy should aim to remove all gross breast parenchyma, although this is limited in certain techniques. Tissue specimens should also be routinely sent for pathologic analysis. Several cases of incidental breast cancer after subcutaneous mastectomy have been described. There is little evidence on the need for or types of postoperative cancer screening. Chest awareness is an important concept for patients that have undergone subcutaneous mastectomies, as clinical examination remains the most common reported method of postmastectomy malignancy detection. In patients with greater known retained breast tissue, such as those with circumareolar or pedicled techniques, consideration may be given to alternative imaging modalities, although the efficacy and cost-utility of these techniques must still be proven. Preoperative patient counseling on the risk of breast cancer after gender-affirming mastectomy in addition to the unknown implications of residual breast tissue and long-term androgen exposure is critical. Patient awareness and education play an important role in shared decision-making, as further research is needed to define standards of medical and oncologic care in this population.
The C-Integral

In order to have a reasonable basis for ranking adhesive strengths in tensile tests, it is necessary to gauge the stress variations on the interface. In particular, the stress intensity there must be evaluated. This paper develops a path independent integral - the C-integral - to this end. The computational efficiency of the C-integral is demonstrated on a number of trial problems. These indicate that resolution is good, certainly sufficient to calculate stress intensities in actual engineering applications.
Die Thomsche Algebra. Anwendungen

In diesem Kapitel werden einige Satze angegeben, die in den Rahmen der Thomschen Theorie [37] gehoren und mit deren Hilfe u. a. gezeigt werden soll, das der Index einer kompakten orientierten differenzierbaren Mannigfaltigkeit1) M 4k als Polynom in den Pontrjaginschen Klassen von M 4k dargestellt werden kann. Die auftretenden Polynome sind die L k der in 1.5 besprochenen m-Folge.
Measurements of x-ray emission from rocket-triggered lightning

[1] We report measurements of the x-ray emission from rocket-triggered lightning, made during the summer of 2003, using four instruments placed between 15 and 40 m from the lightning channels. X-rays were measured 0–80 μs just prior to and at the beginning of 73% of the 26 return strokes observed. The emission was composed of multiple, very brief bursts of x-rays in the 30–250 keV range, with each burst typically lasting less than 1 μs. The x-rays were primarily observed to be spatially and temporally associated with the dart leaders with a possible contribution from the beginning of the return strokes, with the most intense x-ray bursts coming from the part of the lightning channel within ∼50 m of the ground. Because triggered lightning strokes are similar to subsequent strokes in natural lightning, it is likely that x-ray emission is a common property of natural lightning.
Applying patterns to develop a pluggable protocols framework for ORB middleware

To be an effective platform for performance-sensitive applications, off-the-shelf CORBA middleware must preserve the communication-layer quality of service (QoS) properties of applications end-to-end. However, the standard CORBA GIOP/IIOP interoperability protocols are not well-suited for applications with stringent message footprint size, latency, and jitter requirements. It is essential, therefore, to develop standard pluggable protocols frameworks that allow custom messaging and transport protocols to be configured flexibly and used transparantly by applications. This chapter provides three contributions to the study of pluggable protocols frameworks for performance-sensitive CORBA middleware. First, we outline the key design challenges faced by pluggable protocols developers. Second, we describe how we resolved these challenges by developing a plug-gable protocols framework for TAO, which is our high-performance, real-time CORBA-compliant ORB. Third, we present the results of benchmarks that pinpoint the impact of TAO's pluggable protocols framework on its end-to-end efficiency and predictability. Our results demonstrate how the application of optimizations and patterns to CORBA middleware can yield both highly flexible/reusable designs and highly efficient/predictable implementations. These results illustrate that (1) CORBA middleware performance is largely an implementation detail and (2) the next generation of optimized, standards-based CORBA middleware can replace many ad hoc and proprietary solut
All optical wideband microwave noise filter

A novel configuration of fiber-optic link is demonstrated which forms a passive microwave noise reduction filter. This circuit is designed to suppress unwanted RF amplitude noise arising from either the transmission laser due to relative intensity noise (RIN), or from an optical amplifier in the form of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). The optics can be configured to select the center RF frequency of the noise filter as well as the depth and bandwidth for filtering.
The need for adequate and consistent diagnostic classifications for diabetes mellitus diagnosed during pregnancy.

Abstract The terms gestational diabetes and Class A diabetes are not used in a consistent manner even by recognized authorities on glucose metabolism in pregnancy. Needed is a general acceptance of unambiguous diagnostic categories relative to abnormal metabolism of glucose in pregnancy. Also required is standardization of the assay used for plasma glucose in the fasting state and after a glucose challenge and of the limits of normality of these tests.
Consequences of maternal effects on offspring size, growth and survival in the desert tortoise

Maternal body size can have notable consequences on reproductive success. For example, fecundity often increases with body size. Less is known, however, about the relationship between maternal size and factors affecting offspring fitness, including size, growth and survival. Here, we examined the relationship between hatchling and maternal body size in the Mojave Desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii. We further examined the relationships between survival and growth after 1 year and size at hatching. We found that larger females tended to produce larger offspring; post-hatching growth and survival also correlated positively with size at hatching. Our results suggest that, in desert tortoises, maternal body size may indirectly influence offspring fitness via growth and survival for at least the first year of life. Such an advantage early in life may confer long-term benefits for individuals, especially in species thought to have high juvenile mortality or that inhabit highly variable environments.
On the Interplay of Riskless and Risky Utility

In developing this paper, I re-read some of Ward Edwards major contributions to the study of behavioral decision making (Edwards, 1954, 1962, 1992; von Winterfeldt and Edwards, 1986) to remind myself about how he has viewed the developments of a half century of work on individual decision making that began with von Neuman and Morgenstern’s (1947) theory of expected utility. I focused on three aspects: The relation between normative, prescriptive, and descriptive theories. The importance (or perhaps not) of some concept of reference level and the resulting concepts of gains and losses. The relation of riskless and risky choice1.
Risk, Institutions, and the Erosion of Old-Age Income Security

American workers are experiencing a long-term decline in the quality and quantity of retirement income security despite the enactment of dozens of tax laws supporting private pensions, hundreds of tax rules, and billions in lost tax revenue for over 40 years. Why is pension security eroding, and why is retirement income policy ineffective? I argue that the system of tax laws and institutions governing private pensions both directs political change as well as responses to such change in a way that is shifting risk onto workers. This paper grounds its review in the structure of pension law as found in the tax code. I first review general trends regarding retirement and retirement plans as well as the general pattern of tax legislation affecting pensions. In particular, I note the rise of the 401(k) plan, which has become the major type of private pension program in the United States. The combination of a diffuse set of tax laws governing pensions and the fragmented nature of key stakeholders creates an game-like environment in which each group and subgroup compete for changes in tax legislation at the expense of others. The paper concludes with an attempt to bridge fiscal sociology with the sociology of risk in the context of retirement policy.
Numerical Computations of Unsteady Aerodynamics of Projectiles using an Unstructured Technique

This paper describes a new multidisciplinary computational study undertaken to compute the flight trajectories and the free flight aerodynamics of projectiles. Actual flight trajectories are computed using an advanced coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD)/rigid body dynamics (RBD) technique. In addition, our goal is to be able to perform time-accurate multidisciplinary-coupled CFD/RBD computations for complex guided projectiles with control maneuvers using control surfaces such as fins/canards. An advanced time-accurate Navier- Stokes computational technique has been used in CFD to compute the unsteady aerodynamics associated with the free flight of a finned projectile at supersonic speeds. Computed positions and orientations of the projectile have been compared with actual data measured from free flight tests and are found to be generally in good agreement. Unsteady numerical results obtained from the coupled method show the flow field, the aerodynamic forces and moments, and the flight trajectories of the projectile. In addition, computed results have been presented for another complex configuration with control maneuver using an unstructured Chimera method.
Variability of 3D arterial geometry and dynamics, and its pathologic implications

Geometric parameters and features vary within the vasculature. Furthermore, at any given anatomic site, there are substantial variations in geometry among individuals. These variations can contribute to a corresponding variability in the hemodynamic environment and, to the extent that hemodynamics affects the atherosclerotic process, the progress of vascular disease. Measurements of the geometry and wall morphometry of post-mortem human coronary arteries demonstrate a relationship between these variables that supports the notion that geometric variations can contribute to a corresponding variability in the local rate of progression of arterial disease. The dynamic geometry of the coronary arteries also varies from site to site and among individuals, and this variability too may play a role in the epidemiology of coronary artery disease.
The impact of demographic and perceptual variables on a young adult's decision to be covered by private health insurance

Publication of this article was funded in part by George Mason University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund.