cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reliable and energy-efficient wireless sensor networks for surveillance and monitoring

We consider a class of surveillance and monitoring wireless sensor networks, where sensors are highly energy constrained. The goal is to explore the design space of energy-efficient/conserving communication mechanisms and protocols for this class of applications, and to gain a better understanding of the resulting performance implications and trade-offs. This dissertation consists of two main parts. In the first part we focus on a generic surveillance and monitoring sensor network and examine how energy efficiency might be achieved via topology control, or duty-cycling of the sensor nodes. This approach aims at prolonging the network lifetime by turning sensors on and off periodically and by utilizing the redundancy in the network. Duty-cycling naturally degrades the network performance, for turning off the nodes' sensory devices results in intermittent monitoring capability and turning off the nodes' transceivers results intermittent communication capability. Within this part, we examine the fundamental relationship between the reduction in sensor duty cycle and the required network density for a fixed performance measure, in particular network coverage and connectivity. We then establish a semi-Markov model that can be used to derive the distribution of coverage and connectivity durations when the sensors are randomly duty-cycled. We further present coordinated duty-cycling algorithms that maintain monitoring coverage and network connectivity, respectively. We also provide a comprehensive comparison study on a class of algorithms, through which we highlight the trade-offs between costs expended in obtaining information, communication, and computation in the design of such algorithms. In the second part of the dissertation, we study two task scenarios, each with specific functionality requirement, assuming that basic network coverage and connectivity are provided. The first scenario concerns the self-monitoring of a surveillance sensor network, and the second scenario concerns the energy-efficient delivery of packets to an unknown destination. These may be viewed as case studies where we investigate energy-efficient design of specific networking algorithms as well as the design trade-offs involved for given performance requirements.
Ivermectin 1% Cream (Soolantra) for Inflammatory Lesions of Rosacea.

Ivermectin cream is an effective treatment for moderate to severe pustular rosacea, but it is more expensive than some other available treatments and has not been studied in patients with milder forms of rosacea. Generic metronidazole cream is a less expensive alternative, and long-term oral doxycycline may be suitable for patients who want a more affordable alternative to a topical agent.
3D printed renal cancer models derived from MRI data: application in pre-surgical planning

To determine whether patient-specific 3D printed renal tumor models change pre-operative planning decisions made by urological surgeons in preparation for complex renal mass surgical procedures. From our ongoing IRB approved study on renal neoplasms, ten renal mass cases were retrospectively selected based on Nephrometry Score greater than 5 (range 6–10). A 3D post-contrast fat-suppressed gradient-echo T1-weighted sequence was used to generate 3D printed models. The cases were evaluated by three experienced urologic oncology surgeons in a randomized fashion using (1) imaging data on PACS alone and (2) 3D printed model in addition to the imaging data. A questionnaire regarding surgical approach and planning was administered. The presumed pre-operative approaches with and without the model were compared. Any change between the presumed approaches and the actual surgical intervention was recorded. There was a change in planned approach with the 3D printed model for all ten cases with the largest impact seen regarding decisions on transperitoneal or retroperitoneal approach and clamping, with changes seen in 30%–50% of cases. Mean parenchymal volume loss for the operated kidney was 21.4%. Volume losses >20% were associated with increased ischemia times and surgeons tended to report a different approach with the use of the 3D model compared to that with imaging alone in these cases. The 3D printed models helped increase confidence regarding the chosen operative procedure in all cases. Pre-operative physical 3D models created from MRI data may influence surgical planning for complex kidney cancer.
Foreign body entrapment during thoracic surgery-time for closed loop communication.

OBJECTIVES During general thoracic surgery procedures, devices are often placed in the airway and oesophagus. This creates an opportunity for foreign body entrapment (FBE) during pulmonary and foregut surgery. Like retained foreign bodies (RFB), FBE is an entirely preventable event. Unlike RFB, there is minimal literature on FBE, thus little is known about its occurrence, risk factors, and prevention. METHODS A survey was distributed to 215 surgeons of the General Thoracic Surgical Club. The survey included questions about socio-demographics, procedural volume, occurrence of FBE and factors leading to FBE. RESULTS There were 110 responses (51%, 110/215). The majority of respondents worked in academic hospitals (75%, 82/110), in urban environments (63%, 69/110), and were male (85%, 94/110). One hundred and four respondents performed pulmonary resections and 92 performed foregut surgeries. In the pulmonary group, 40% (42/104) reported FBE with 67% (23/42) in open procedures. In the foregut group 38% (35/92) reported FBE with 69% (24/35) in open procedures. With both groups combined, 54.5% (60/110) of respondents reported FBE at least once and 29% (24/110) reported more than one FBE in their career. The most frequently reported contributing factor was communication errors between the surgical and anaesthesia teams. CONCLUSIONS FBE during general thoracic procedures occurs in both minimally invasive and open pulmonary and foregut procedures. The greatest risk factor is communication error. Specific routine closed loop communication with the anaesthesia team prior to stapling/suturing the airway or oesophagus would minimize the risk of FBE.
Behavioral, Anatomical, and Biochemical Aspects of Septal Hyperreactivity

Following septal lesions, rats develop a very characteristic hyperreactivity which appears as an exaggerated reaction to normally nonnoxious stimuli. We will report here the results of some recent experiments concerning the behavioral, anatomical, and biochemical aspects of this hyperreactivity.
On-Farm Cover Crop Trials

Cover crops can benefit farmers by aiding in soil erosion control, increasing organic matter in the soil, and reducing nitrate losses into the surface waters. Cover crops also have been promoted to alleviate soil compaction and improve soil drainage. Cover crops are an important practice in meeting Iowa’s nutrient reduction strategy goals. However, some research has indicated that planting corn following a rye cover crop can result in corn grain yield reduction, especially if the cover crop is not killed at least two weeks prior to planting the corn. The objective of these trials was to evaluate whether a cover crop would affect corn and soybean yield.
Children's Early Decontextualized Talk Predicts Academic Language Proficiency in Midadolescence.

This study examines whether children's decontextualized talk-talk about nonpresent events, explanations, or pretend-at 30 months predicts seventh-grade academic language proficiency (age 12). Academic language (AL) refers to the language of school texts. AL proficiency has been identified as an important predictor of adolescent text comprehension. Yet research on precursors to AL proficiency is scarce. Child decontextualized talk is known to be a predictor of early discourse development, but its relation to later language outcomes remains unclear. Forty-two children and their caregivers participated in this study. The proportion of child talk that was decontextualized emerged as a significant predictor of seventh-grade AL proficiency, even after controlling for socioeconomic status, parent decontextualized talk, child total words, child vocabulary, and child syntactic comprehension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Linguistic, religious, and ethnic identities as pathways to peace: views from eight Lisu, Karen, Kachin, and Chin seminary teachers in Myanmar

This study examines how the linguistic, religious, and ethnic identities of eight seminary teachers from four ethnolinguistic minority groups in Myanmar informed their views and practices of langua...
An intermediate algebra for optimizing RDF graph pattern matching on MapReduce

Existing MapReduce systems support relational style join operators which translate multi-join query plans into severalMap-Reduce cycles. This leads to high I/O and communication costs due to the multiple data transfer steps between map and reduce phases. SPARQL graph pattern matching is dominated by join operations, and is unlikely to be efficiently processed using existing techniques. This cost is prohibitive for RDF graph pattern matching queries which typically involve several join operations. In this paper, we propose an approach for optimizing graph pattern matching by reinterpreting certain join tree structures as grouping operations. This enables a greater degree of parallelism in join processing resulting in more "bushy" like query execution plans with fewer Map-Reduce cycles. This approach requires that the intermediate results are managed as sets of groups of triples or TripleGroups. We therefore propose a data model and algebra - Nested TripleGroup Algebra for capturing and manipulating TripleGroups. The relationship with the traditional relational style algebra used in Apache Pig is discussed. A comparative performance evaluation of the traditional Pig approach and RAPID+ (Pig extended with NTGA) for graph pattern matching queries on the BSBM benchmark dataset is presented. Results show up to 60% performance improvement of our approach over traditional Pig for some tasks.
Cryptosproridium Parvum Genomics: Impact on Research and Control

Cryptosporidium parvum is a well-recognized cause of diarrhea in humans and animals throughout the world, and is associated with a substantial degree of morbidity and mortality in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Despite intensive efforts over the past 20 years, there is currently no effective therapy for treating or preventing infection by C. parvum. Until recently, the development of effective anticryptosporidial therapies has been hindered by the paucity of biological targets for structure-based drug design. With the pending completion of sequencing of the entire C. parvum genome, there should be no lack of potential biological targets for development of specific inhibitors. What are needed are focused efforts to identify essential parasite biochemical pathways for which specific inhibitors can be developed that are safe to the host. Analysis of the currently available sequences has identified specific aspects of C. parvum biochemistry that are unique relative to mammals. In addition, the ongoing genome efforts are providing a clearer picture of the biology of the apicomplexan parasites. It is becoming evident that C. parvum uses distinct approaches to solve basic metabolic needs as compared to Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii. These differences suggest that therapies developed for these model apicomplexans may not necessarily be effective against cryptosporidiosis, and emphasizes the importance of understanding the unique biology of C. parvum.
Chapter 2 – Foundations for Liability

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the foundations of liability that helps in understanding the civil liability. It provides the difference between criminal law and civil law. It is important to understand that in civil law, the injured party, not the state, brings an action before the court and seeks to be compensated through monetary awards. Intentional and negligent torts are two types of tort actions that are commonly brought against criminal justice personnel and often form the foundation of civil liability. Other categories of torts have been presented to further expose the reader to possible liability actions against criminal justice personnel and agencies. It is important to underscore that the standard of proof relied upon in civil litigation is much different from that in criminal proceedings. In civil cases, a preponderance of the evidence is all that is required for a plaintiff to prevail. This is a lower standard than “beyond a reasonable doubt.” This means that a jury only needs to believe that there is sufficient evidence to tip the scale in favor of the plaintiff or defendant. The losing party may appeal a verdict in civil litigation, while in a criminal matter only the defendant may appeal a conviction. Criminal justice personnel may be criminally and civilly responsible for their actions or failure to act when performing their duties. They may also be investigated by their own department and, as warranted, may be disciplined or terminated from employment.
Probabilistic analysis and resistance factor calibration for deep foundation design using Monte Carlo simulation.

Abstract The method of incorporating the sources of parameter uncertainty is crucial when conducting probabilistic analysis for service limit state (SLS) design of a deep foundation. This paper describes the method of using Monte Carlo simulation for probabilistic analyses and for calibration of resistance factors of drilled shafts at SLS. The paper presents discussions on the finding of an impossible case, where the different combinations of load, variability of soil strength and target probability of failure made it impossible to calibrate the SLS resistance factors. Resistance factors for drilled shafts in shale are introduced, and were found to be responsive to load levels. The higher load level, the lower the resistance factor. These findings help smooth the transition from allowable stress design to load and resistance factor design for geotechnical engineers.
Front and Back Interface Recombination of MZO/CdTe/Te Solar Cells

Interfacial recombination parameters of MgZnO/CdTe solar cells and polycrystalline heterostructures were determined from time-resolved photoluminescence measurements on CdTe absorbers with a thickness range from 0.4 to $2.0 \mu \mathrm {m}$. Excitation incident from each side of the structure revealed significant differences in front and back interface quality. The bulk lifetime in the absorber was $\sim 6$ ns, and the electron mobility $25\mathrm {c}\mathrm {m}^{2}N\mathrm {s}$
THE CROSSLINGUISTIC EFFECT IN MOTION EVENT AND JUDGEMENT OF TYPOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT CONCEPTUALIZATION PATTERNS BY TURKISH PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS AND NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH

This study aimed to reveal the bidirectional crosslinguistic effect between L1 and L2 in description of motion event, which has been a basis of comparison of different types of languages for many decades since Talmy (1991; 2000) proposed his two-way typology of languages as v-framed and s-framed, and Slobin (1996) showed the relation between language and thought with thinking for speaking hypothesis. Turkish prospective language teachers of English described motion events in L1 and L2 in the present study. Boundary-crossing motion events were used as stimuli since this kind of motion event has been found to be eliciting the difference between language types more than other types of motion event. We have also looked for the language mode effect between spoken and written English because written language descriptions were found to be more similar with native speaker conceptualization patterns (Hohenstein et al., 2006; Isler, 2014). To add a new perspective to the current field, the frequent conceptualization patterns in these L2 descriptions were judged by the same participants and native speakers of English. In fact, it was purposed to find out the receptive knowledge of Turkish participants in addition to productive one and to what extent English native speakers find the most frequent patterns natural or intelligible. Article visualizations:
Decolonizing degrowth in the post-development convergence: Questions, experiences, and proposals from two Indigenous territories:

A growing coalition of degrowth scholar-activist(s) seeks to transform degrowth into an interdisciplinary and international field bridging a rising network of social and environmental justice movem...
Dual Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Total Knee Arthroplasty: Where Do We Stand?

The risk of surgical site infection in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been reduced with the use of prophylactic antibiotics. First or second generation cephalosporins are still recommended as the primary prophylactic choice, but with the rise in the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, evidence has emerged in favor of using dual antibiotics including vancomycin. However, it is unclear whether these combinations of antibiotic regimens further reduce postoperative infection rates. As a result, the objective of this review is to summarize the current literature concerning the use of dual prophylactic antibiotics in TKA. The most common dual prophylactic antibiotic combination is cefazolin (C) and vancomycin (V). In general, when comparing the effectiveness of single versus dual antibiotics, conflicting results have been reported. Three studies demonstrated no substantial decrease in overall postoperative infection rates with the use of dual antibiotics when compared with cefazolin alone. One found a significant decrease only in MRSA infection rates when using cefazolin and vancomycin (CV) (0.8% C alone vs. 0.08% CV, p
Carbon Nanotube-Based CMOS SRAM: 1 kbit 6T SRAM Arrays and 10T SRAM Cells

We experimentally demonstrate the first static random-access memory (SRAM) arrays based on carbon nanotube (CNT) field-effect transistors (CNFETs). We demonstrate 1 kbit (1024) 6 transistor (6T) SRAM arrays fabricated with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) CNFETs (totaling 6144 p- and n-type CNFETs), with all 1024 cells functioning correctly without any per-unit customization. Moreover, we show the first demonstration of CNFET CMOS 10T SRAM cells, capable of operating at highly scaled voltages down to 300 mV. We characterize the CNFET CMOS SRAM and demonstrate robust operation by writing and reading multiple patterns (to both the kbit arrays as well as the 10T SRAM cells), measuring SRAM variations in read, write, and hold margins and repeat cycling of cells. Moreover, due to the low-temperature back-end-of-line (BEOL)-compatible CNT-specific processing, CNFET SRAM enables new opportunities for digital systems, since: 1) CNFET SRAM can be fabricated directly on top of computing logic to realize three-dimensional integrated circuits; and 2) CNFET circuits can utilize metal routing both above and below the CNFET device layer (e.g., as in our demonstration which utilizes buried power rails, whereby the power rails are fabricated underneath the FETs while metal routing is fabricated above the FETs), providing opportunities for further SRAM density scaling.
Acute presentation of spinal gouty arthritis: A case report and review of literature.

Background Gout is an inflammatory arthritis that results from faulty purine metabolism, affecting approximately 4% of adults in the US, and predominately affects people in the fourth decade of life. Further, spinal gout is rarely the first presentation of gout, especially in younger individuals. Case description A 26-year-old male came to the emergency room with acute lower extremity numbness and weakness. The MR demonstrated an enhancing epidural lesion at T6-T8 in the mid-thoracic spine. He subsequently underwent a decompressive laminectomy and fusion at levels T6-T9, resulting in full recovery 1 year later. The pathology demonstrated needle-like monosodium urate crystals consistent with the diagnosis of spinal gouty arthritis. Conclusion Gout rarely initially presents in a young adult in the spine. Here, we reviewed the case of spinal gout in a 26-year-old male who successfully underwent spinal surgery.
‘Education as a Geisteswissenschaft’: an introduction to human science pedagogy

Human Science Pedagogy is ‘a strange case,’ as Jurgen Oelkers has recently noted: In the Anglophone world, where Gert Biesta has compellingly encouraged scholars to ‘reconsider education as a Geist...
Distance Learning as a Levelling Tool for People with Disabilities

Distance learning has brought phenomenal changes to the educational playing field. In higher education, variances of distance learning can mean blended learning, flipped classrooms, or video modules/components. While distance learning results in no physical in-person interaction, online supplements physical interpersonal interactions. This paper will focus on distance learning in relation to people with disabilities, demonstrating the challenges that are faced with providing access to learners.
Outcomes of concomitant mesh placement and intestinal procedures during open ventral hernia repair

The concept of mesh use during open ventral hernia repair with a concomitant intestinal procedure remains controversial and it remains unclear whether the SSI profile of contaminated fields in this setting more closely resembles clean-contaminated or dirty wounds. Patients who underwent an open ventral hernia repair and intestinal procedures were extracted from the ACS-NSQIP database. Data analysis was performed for mesh versus no mesh groups in aggregate and matched cohorts. The 30-day outcomes including mortality, morbidity, surgical site infections (SSI), readmission, reoperation, and length of stay were compared between the groups. Of 5104 patients in the mesh group, 3297 patients were matched 1:1 with patients without mesh. Mesh placement was associated with higher overall morbidity (35.1% vs. 29.8%; p < 0.001), overall SSI (27.1% vs. 18%; p < 0.001), deep SSI (5.9% vs. 4.3%; p = 0.003), organ-space SSI (6.8% vs. 5.5%; p = 0.027), reoperation (9.9% vs. 8.2%; p = 0.016), readmission (16.7% vs. 12.7%; p < 0.001), and longer hospital stays (10.9 ± 15.2 vs. 9.7 ± 10.7; p < 0.001). When mesh was used, the SSI profile of contaminated fields was similar to dirty wounds (26.4% vs. 27.5%; p = 0.702), rather than clean-contaminated fields (26.4% vs. 19.2%; p < 0.001). Concomitant bowel procedure and mesh placement at the time of open ventral hernia repair was associated with worse outcomes. The SSI profile of the contaminated fields was more similar to dirty wounds. When deciding whether to place mesh during ventral hernia repairs with concomitant bowel procedures, strong consideration should be given to the increased risk of short-term complications versus the potential long-term benefits.
Production and outmigration of young-of-year northern pike Esox lucius from natural and modified waterways connected to Lower Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Production and outmigration of young-of-year (YOY) northern pike from natal sites in Lower Green Bay, WI, USA, were documented over three consecutive years (2013-2015). We tested the hypothesis that spawning success and outmigration characteristics of YOY northern pike would vary among natural and anthropogenically modified habitats. Sixteen focal study locations were surveyed, including a restored natural wetland, agricultural drainage ditches, a flooded forested wetland and several unimpounded tributaries. We collected 1469 YOY northern pike with most individuals (N = 1163) originating from a flooded forested wetland on the east shore. Most sites produced YOY in all years (range N = 2-1145 individuals among study years). Outmigration ranged between 1 and 40 days during 2013-2015. Greater production and extended outmigration times occurred at most sites in 2014 (range 17-40 days) when the region experienced a late spring with heavy precipitation. In contrast, the lowest production and shortest outmigration period occurred at most sites in 2015 (range 14-23 days) when environmental conditions reflected regional averages. Outmigration began nearly 3 weeks earlier in 2015 (5/8) than in other study years (8 June 2013 and 25 May 2014). Total length (TL) of outmigrating northern pike ranged between 17 and 138 mm. Total length of YOY was significantly different among sites in 2013 and 2014, with the smallest fish (17 mm TL) outmigrating from agricultural ditches in both years. There were no significant variations in size among sites in 2015 (range 21-95 mm TL). Our results indicate significant variation in YOY northern pike outmigration characteristics within Lower Green Bay that may reflect the interplay between adult spawning site selection and annual weather patterns. Our findings highlight the importance of quantifying overlooked habitats in regions of mixed development.
The Problem with Public Charge

The United States has long excluded immigrants who are likely to become a “public charge.” But while the exclusion has remained unchanged, the nation has changed around it, further blurring its unclear meaning. As public benefits replaced poorhouses, Congress and the courts left the administrative state to reconcile public charge with evolving commitments to public welfare. This Note seeks to identify the causes of public charge confusion by mapping the exclusion’s administrative history. A field guidance document from 1999 marks the only comprehensive effort to reconcile public charge with contemporary grants of benefits. Archived emails, memos, and drafts reveal the causes, scope, and character of the preceding interagency negotiations, as well as a yet-unidentified interagency relationship I term “zero-sum asymmetry,” whereby one agency completes its statutory mission at the expense of another’s. The guidance’s core compromise—a distinction between cash and supplemental benefits—mitigated but could not eliminate this dynamic. Reading the archived negotiations in light of public charge’s history, I offer a more compelling account of what public charge requires.
Learning Partnerships in Study Abroad: Adapting Baxter Magolda’s Learning Partnership Model

While study abroad is often seen as a beneficial tool to prepare students for life in a global society, research has questioned its effectiveness in doing so. Practitioners would benefit from a the...
Parallel optical logic using optical phase conjugation

Conjugaison de phase en optique non lineaire applique aux problemes de traitement d'image et de traitement optique du signal en temps reel
Control of SOI waveguide polarization properties for microphotonic applications

Waveguide birefringence in SOI AWGs was studied for different cross-sections. It was found that trapezoidal shapes are less sensitive to dimension fluctuations, and can be used to relax the dimension control requirements. Top oxide cladding induced significant photoelastic birefringence. We demonstrated the use of this property for birefringence tuning, which we believe opens a new avenue of birefringence control for microphotonic applications.
Technology-Task Coupling: How Social Media Use is Related to Public Managers’ Perceptions of E-Government Outcomes

Social media comprises a set of new technologies - including Twitter and Facebook, but others as well - that enable richer data exchange in highly decentralized, dynamic, and loosely structured, versatile virtual environments (Parameswaran & Whinston, 2007). Social media technology is expected to generate "cultures of participation" marked by collaborative production in ways that enhance participation, learning, and knowledge production (Fischer, 2009; Fischer & Ostwald, 2002; Hagel, Seely Brown, & Davison, 2009). In some cases the use of social media technologies may align with traditional structural and authority boundaries, in other cases they may challenge them. In this paper we examine the extent to which local U.S. governments are coupling social media technology with two types of participative tasks: collaborative work inside the organization and participative interaction with external stakeholders. We also explore how these different types of technology-task couples are associated with perceptions of the positive and negative outcomes of information and communication technologies. The paper takes advantage of survey data examining the use of technology in five departments - community development, finance, police, mayor’s office and parks and recreation - of local governments in the U.S. A total of 2500 managers were invited to take part in the survey, the final response rate was 34.8%. The survey asked a set of unique relational questions in which respondents were first asked to identify the social media technologies that they use. The specific technologies were then piped forward in the survey and respondents were asked a series of questions about the kinds of activities for which each identified technology is used, resulting in a set of technology-task couples. In addition, the survey asked traditional questions about the organizational context and environment, enabling us to control for key variables while investigating the effect of technology-task coupling on outcomes. Findings show that social media and its use for specific tasks has very limited impact on either positive of negative perceived outcomes. These non-findings may demonstrate that the implementation cost of the technologies outweighs the benefits they realize. Alternatively, the technology-task application substitutes for traditional approaches to the same task, but no effect is incurred. Conclusions discuss implications for theory and practice.
Effectiveness of Food Sustainability Education among Grade School Students

Increasingly, the human population is having an impact on the environment. Educating younger generations on sustainability issues may make a difference. This project’s goal was to raise awareness and change attitudes toward food sustainability issues by creating an effective education program for elementary age students. The project was a four-week interactive program focusing on local foods, gardening, recycling, and world hunger. Participants included 85 elementary age students from two local schools in southern Illinois. To determine the program effectiveness, a within-subjects, repeated measures design was utilized to compare mean scores of participants. Pre and post-program surveys were completed regarding awareness, attitudes, and behaviors toward the topics taught during the program. PASW (Version 18.0) was used to analyze the data. The level of significance was established at p<0.10 because of the exploratory nature of the research. Results indicated that the program was most effective with fourth grade students. Fourth grade had significant change in understanding world hunger, effects on the world around them, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and stores carrying more local foods. Eighth grade had significant change in effects on the world around them and understanding CSA. Sixth grade students had significantly higher mean scores in understanding CSA. The positive results with the youngest age group suggests that food sustainability programs introduced to this age through interactive programs can be effective at changing awareness and attitudes. The lack of positive results with the sixth and eighth grade students should be researched further. Future sustainability projects should focus on finding the most effective hands-on techniques to increase student awareness of food and the environment.
EARTH COUPLED HEAT PUMP

ABSTRACT In this paper a description is given of an experimental arrangement which is being used to determine the effectiveness of coupling a watercooled heat pump to an earth-type heat source. The heat pump is located in a calorimeter house which was constructed to simulate a 1100 sq. ft. dwelling which has a sensible heat loss of 11,700 BTU/of Day. The earthtype heat exchanger is located in a simulated septic drain field which measures 105 ft. by 6 ft. in surface area and which has its energy replenished via solar radiation. Theoretical calculations have demonstrated this arrangement should be sufficient to operate the heat pump at a seasonable EER of 11.2 for the heating season and a seasonable EER of 13.3 for the cooling season. The test facility is located in an area which has an average of 3400 degree days during the heating system. Results of the theoretical calculations, a complete description of the test facility, and data which demonstrates the effectiveness of this system in addition to basic heat transfer information for the earth-coupled heat exchanger, are given in the paper. A comparison of the operating cost of the earth-coupled heat pump is made to heating systems which use either gas, oil or resistance heating in conjunction with a vapor compression cooling system.
Laboratory-Based Model of Microbiologically Induced Corrosion of Copper

Abstract The interactions of bacteria isolated from corroded copper coupons on thin films of copper evaporated onto germanium internal reflection elements were evaluated nondestructively in real time by attentuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The films were stable in the presence of flowing or static sterile culture medium. When exposed to and colonized by the bacterium CCI 8, the copper thin film corroded. Corrosion was enhanced under quiescent conditions. In conjunction with corrosion of the copper thin film was an increase in the concentration of polysaccharide material at the copper-biofilm interface. A different bacterium (CCI 11) did not corrode the copper thin film, and the establishment of this bacterium on the copper surface prevented corrosion of the thin film by CCI 8.
The effect of endocrinopathies on the blood.

Evidence has been presented that the gonads, thyroid, adrenal cortex and pituitary glands have a definite influence on blood formation. The normal sex difference in erythrocyte levels in animals, and probably in man, can be obliterated by castration and restored by appropriate replacement therapy. Hypothyroidism results in a moderately severe anemia in animals. In the uncomplicated form, the anemia is slightly macrocytic and associated with a hypoplastic bone marrow. In clinical experience the anemia may be complicated by the secondary effects of achylia gastrica leading either to iron deficiency or to a deficiency in the antipernicious anemia factor. Hyperthyroidism causes some alterations in the white blood cells, but has little effect on the red blood cell series. Hyperactive states of the adrenal cortex may be associated with a mild polycythemia. Adrenal steroids also have a marked lymphocytic effect, causing the release of beta and gamma globulins from lymphoid tissue. A mechanism involving the anterior pituitary and adrenal seems to exist, controlling the release of antibodies under certain conditions. It is suggested that other mechanisms also exist which control the number of circulating lymphocytes. Deficiency of the anterior pituitary secretions results in anemia in animals and man. The anemia in animals is usually microcytic and hypochromic and may respond to several types of replacement therapy. In man anemia develops slowly and is rarely severe. Moderate reductions in the red blood cell count occur and the color index varies. There is hypoplasia of the bone marrow. The anemia in man does not respond uniformly well to the therapy now available, but improvement often occurs with the replacement of "end-organ" hormones. The preponderance of evidence indicates that the regulation of blood formation is not primarily under hormonal control. The effects noted in various glandular disorders are due to alterations in metabolism produced in the bone marrow as well as all other body tissues.
Automatic Generation of Theorems and Proofs on Enumerating Consecutive-Wilf Classes

This article, describes two complementary approaches to enumeration, the positive and the negative, each with its advantages and disadvantages. Both approaches are amenable to automation, and we apply it to the currently active subarea, initiated in 2003 by Sergi Elizalde and Marc Noy, of enumerating consecutive-Wilf classes (i.e. consecutive pattern-avoidance) in permutations.
Aqueous humor dynamics: A mathematical approach to measurement of facility, pseudofacility, capillary pressure, active secretion and xc

Abstract All the various contributing factors in aqueous flow through the eye have been examined and mathematical relationships developed for the interrelationship of facility, pseudofacility, capillary pressure, active secretion and x c (of Barany, 1963 ). The accurate measurement of total facility, pseudofacility, intraocular pressure, and episcleral venous pressure allows the calculation, from a graphical analysis, of both mean capillary pressure and the active secretion component of aqueous formation.
Coupling model for an extended-range plasmonic optical transformer scanning probe

Near-field scanning probes are extremely useful for imaging with a spatial resolution on the nanometre scale. Unfortunately, such approaches are usually limited by a very short working distance. Aleksandr Polyakov and co-workers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the USA have now proposed a scheme that provides a ten-fold increase in working distance for near-field subsurface imaging. Their approach relies on an optical coupling between the near-field scanning probe and a nanoparticle antenna within the sample. The resonant nanoparticle antenna amplifies the signal from the probe by several orders of magnitude, thus improving sensitivity and allowing for a working distance of around 100 nm. This technique could prove useful for bioimaging tasks such as single-cell endoscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and the high-resolution chemical mapping of samples.
Terrestrial cosmic ray intensities

Cosmic rays may cause soft fails in electronic logic or memory. The IBM Joumal of Research and Development, Volume 40, No. 1, discussed this complex event in detail. In order to predict electronic fail rates from cosmic particles, it is necessary to know the local cosmic ray flux. This paper reviews the penetration of cosmic rays through the earth's atmosphere, and the parameters which affect the terrestrial flux. The final particle flux is shown to vary mainly with the site's geomagnetic coordinates and its altitude. The paper describes in detail the quantitative cosmic flux at one datum (New York City) and then tabulates in an appendix the relative level at other major cities of the world.
Thyroid function in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome.

Thyroid function was evaluated in premature infants 30 to 35 weeks EGA with severe RDS and was compared to that of healthy control subjects of similar EGA. The infants with RDS had significantly lower serum levels of T 3 , T 4 , and FT 4 I during the first 60, 90, and 30 days, respectively, and had elevated T 3 UR during the first 10 days. The mean (±SD) postdelivery TSH peak was lower in the RDS group (32.8±9.6 μU/ml) than in the control group (60.9±21.8 μU/ml; P 4 I in the control infants but not in the infants with RDS.
The Coronal Ultraviolet Berkeley Spectrometer (CUBS)

We describe an instrument package to remotely measure thermospheric, exospheric, and plasmaspheric structure and composition. This instrument was flown aboard the second test flight of the Black Brant XII sounding rocket on December 5, 1989, which attained an apogee of 1460 km. The experiment package consisted of a spectrophotometer to measure He I 584 A, O II 834 A, O I 989 A, hydrogen Lyman beta (1025 A), hydrogen Lyman alpha (1216 A), and O I 1304 A transitions, and a photometer to measure the He II 304 A emission. The optical design of the spectrophotometer was identical to that of the Berkeley Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Airglow Rocket Spectrometer payload, flown on September 30, 1988 aboard the maiden flight of the Black Brant XII rocket. We present the initial data analysis and describe directions we will go toward the completion of our study.
An analysis of strategic issues in institutionalizing a financial systems approach for microenterprise development in Africa

Purpose – This paper seeks to look at failed development paradigms in West Africa, one of the world's poorest regions, and to argue that new and contextually relevant methods are needed to stem poverty, engage people in productive microenterprises, improve people's quality of life, and foster patriotism and civic involvement among citizens.Design/methodology/approach – Based on the view that microentrepreneurship is a way of life and a means of livelihood for West Africa's poor, and that lack of credit is a formidable obstacle to microenterprise development, the paper makes a case for institutionalizing a financial systems approach, which was developed by microenterprise financing practitioners to provide poor people world‐wide with savings and credit services, leading to their self‐sufficiency and integration into mainstream financial systems. The four stages of this approach are discussed, along with the tasks in each stage.Findings – The paper posits that implementing the approach must be a joint task ...
An instructional intervention's impact on the science and literacy achievement of culturally and linguistically diverse elementary students

This research examined the impact of the first-year implementation of an instructional intervention to promote achievement and equity in science and literacy for culturally and linguistically diverse elementary students. The research addressed three areas: (a) overall science and literacy achievement, (b) achievement gaps among demographic subgroups, and (c) comparison with national (NAEP) and international (TIMSS) samples of students. The research involved 1,523 third- and fourth-grade students at six elementary schools in a large urban school district. Significance tests of mean scores between pre- and posttests indicate statistically significant increases on all measures of science and literacy at both grade levels. While achievement gaps widened with third graders on some of the measures, the gaps tended to narrow with fourth graders. The results based on item-by-item comparisons with NAEP TIMSS samples of students indicated overall positive performance of the students in the research at the end of the school year. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 42: 857–887, 2005
Does Blackburn’s Expressivism Have a Problem with Respect to Supervenience? A Reply to Wright and Zangwill

This paper is concerned with the expressivist account of moral supervenience that Simon Blackburn has offered. First, the account is presented, and an objection to it is thereafter discussed. In short, the objection is that the supervenience constraint in moral discourse is mysterious, given that no similar constraint governs speech and thought in other areas of discourse that seem to be prime candidates for an expressivist analysis. The conclusion of the paper is that this objection can be fended off.
Engagement of GPI-Linked CD48 Contributes to TCR Signals and Cytoskeletal Reorganization: A Role for Lipid Rafts in T Cell Activation

GPI-linked proteins coassociate with intracellular tyrosine kinases in "lipid rafts" proposed to function as platforms for signal transduction and cytoskeletal reorganization. TCR activation requires both tyrosine kinase signals and cytoskeletal reorganization. How receptor engagement initiates cytoskeletal changes remains poorly understood. We investigated the consequences of recruiting GPI-linked CD48 and associated rafts to the site of T cell:APC contact by stimulating T cells with APCs that express the CD48 ligand CD2. We demonstrate that CD2:CD48 interactions enhance TCR-mediated functions. CD48/TCR coengagement qualitatively and quantitatively enhances lipid raft-dependent zeta association with the actin cytoskeleton and zeta tyrosine phosphorylation. This implicates lipid rafts as sites where receptor-induced signals and cytoskeletal reorganization are integrated and reveals a novel component of accessory molecule function.
Declining cancer mortality in the United States

BACKGROUND The overall age-adjusted cancer mortality rate had been increasing in the United States for as long as such statistics have been kept. This trend was reversed and a decline in cancer mortality began in 1991. METHODS Vital statistics of the United States provided annual age-adjusted mortality rates for all forms of cancer and for lung carcinoma. Information from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program was also used to evaluate the effects on mortality of declining 5-year cancer case fatality. RESULTS The overall age-adjusted cancer mortality rate declined in each succeeding year from 1990 to 1995 for a total reduction of about 3.1%. A major reduction occurred in lung carcinoma, which declined by 3.9%. Other smoking-related cancers declined by about 2%. The 5-year case fatality declined by approximately 0.5% per year from 1950–1954 to 1986–1991 for forms of cancer for which lead-time bias could be largely excluded. CONCLUSIONS Both cancer prevention activities, especially those directed against smoking, and improvements in medical care have produced an appreciable reduction in cancer mortality in the United States. The nature of these changes suggests that the now ongoing decline will be sustained for the immediately foreseeable future. Cancer 1996;78:2045-8.
A new electron spectrometer design:II

Abstract A novel charged particle energy analyzer of simple geometry is described. Expressions for the potential distribution and electric field components defined by the geometry are given. A raytrace program using these components is discussed and results of its application are presented in graphical and tabular form. Also presented are experimental results for two versions of the analyzer in the form of representative spectra of well known species (Ar + , H 2 + , O 2 + ). Finally, a comparison of the new instrument with the well known cylindrical mirror analyzer is outlined which suggests the superiority of the new instrument under the specific conditions given.
Wireless patient monitoring system

The current method of monitoring patients in hospitals keeps patients tied to their beds and can be uncomfortable for patients to wear. The number of nurses in the workforce is also expected to decline by 2020, causing strain in an environment where excess pressure can lead to unfortunate accidents happening to patients. The goal of this project was to produce a wireless patient monitoring system that could allow patients to be mobile in their environment. The developed system includes a pulse oximeter to measure blood oxygen concentration and the patient's pulse, as well as a temperature sensor to keep track of the patient's temperature. The proof of concept was successful, and allowed for multiple patients at the same time on the same network with the ability to add many more patients. This project was primarily undertaken by two undergraduate students during an NSF-sponsored 10-week Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) summer program.
Effect of water vapor on the growth of aluminum oxide films by low pressure chemical vapor deposition

Low pressure chemical vapor deposition of aluminum oxide films from aluminum acetylacetonate and water vapor has been investigated. Water vapor played an important role in the film growth kinetics, film purity, and the surface morphology of the grown films. High water vapor pressures produced ligand-free pure Al2O3 films with a smooth surface even at a substrate temperature of 230 °C.
Enhanced two-beam mixing gain in photorefractive GaAs using alternating electric fields

Enhanced two-beam mixing amplification at a wavelength of 1.06 μm obtained by using sinusoidal electrical fields at 7.7 MHz is reported. The peak measured gains are comparable with dc field enhanced gain but with smaller rms fields. At grating wavelengths >3 μm the ac enhanced gain is considerably higher than the dc enhanced gain. Uniform alternating electric fields are much easier to establish inside the material and result in a much more stable output than dc fields.