cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prospective, Observational Study of Opioid Use After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome.

Purpose To provide estimates of postoperative opioid use after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome and to identify risk factors for increased postoperative opioid use. Methods All patients aged at least 18 years who were undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAI syndrome performed by 1 of 2 hip-preservation surgeons between November 2015 and August 2016 were eligible for inclusion in this study. Target minimum enrollment was set at 30 patients per surgeon based on an a priori sample size calculation. Enrolled patients completed the International Hip Outcome Tool, visual analog pain scale, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, abbreviated Patient Health Questionnaire, and questions regarding demographic characteristics and opioid and anti-inflammatory use. Opioid consumption was assessed through pill counting at 2- and 6-week postoperative appointments. Of 80 patients enrolled, 67 had complete 2- and 6-week opioid use data. Patient and operative factors were correlated with outcomes in multivariate models. Results Opioid use in the 2 weeks before surgery was significantly associated with higher postoperative opioid use at 2 weeks postoperatively (253.8 additional oral morphine equivalents [OMEs]; 95% confidence interval [CI], 171.2-336.5 additional OMEs; P P P Conclusions Among patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAI syndrome, any opioid use in the 2 weeks preceding surgery was the strongest predictor of opioid use after hip arthroscopy. The impact of preoperative opioid use far exceeded the impact of other baseline patient and operative factors. Assessment of preoperative opioid use could be an important factor in guiding postoperative opioid prescribing. Level of Evidence Level II, prospective observational study.
Gaming Strategies in Nursing Education

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore if the kahoot.it game was associated with improved final exam scores for nursing students. Ninety-eight senior nursing students were enrolled in the required course. The research group (N = 47) played Kahoot.it in four 20-minute sessions. The control group (N = 51) had no games. All students had the same final examination at the end of the semester. Independent t-tests showed that the research group had higher test scores (t = 2.90, p = .005) than the control group. Gaming did make a significant difference in the final examination scores.
Distributable Interactive Objects

This paper discusses how a user interface toolkit can support several different kinds of network-based interactive systems by providing distributable interactive objects. One approach to implementing distributable interactive objects is discussed by presenting the architecture of the MC (Nucleus for Interactive Computing) application framework.
Measurement of photochemical degradation in rigid poly(vinyl chloride)

Rigid poly(vinyl chloride) materials which had been exposed to sunlight and to carbon-arc and xenon-arc radiation were subjected to physical and chemical testing to measure the effects of photodegradation. Opaque pigments and ultraviolet absorbers were found to protect the plastics from photodegradation but heat stabilizers varied greatly in their photostability. The colour changes and physical-strength changes produced during exposure were not directly related.
Harish-Chandra Modules Over the Virasoro Algebra

The universal central extension V of the Lie algebra W of vector fields on the circle with finite Fourier series is called by physicists the Virasoro algebra. However, W was known in characteristic p as the Witt algebra, in characteristic 0 as the infinite-dimensional Witt algebra, and Gelfand and Fuks [3] determined the second cohomology group of W with trivial coefficients, thereby describing V. The algebra V and an associated superalgebra play a fundamental role in the study of elementary particles [6].
TCT-366 Endovascular versus Surgical Revascularization for Acute Lower Limb Ischemia

Endovascular revascularization (ENDO) has emerged as an alternative to surgical revascularization (SURG) for the treatment of acute lower limb ischemia (ALLI), however, the initial revascularization strategy remains controversial. This study compares contemporary outcomes of both treatment
Between Belief and Disbelief

Sometimes instead of believing or disbelieving a proposition one does not take a stand on it. This essay explores that middle ground. We begin by distinguishing a variety of different attitudes or cognitive relations one might have to a proposition that one does not believe or disbelieve. We argue that identifying all of them as suspending judgment or withholding judgment neglects important differences. We then discuss epistemic evaluations of these attitudes and relations. Finally, we examine the implications of our findings for the attitudes that a philosopher might take toward contentious philosophical theses. Evidentialism, our preferred view of epistemic justification, is helpful in clarifying the issues and addressing the problems.
Searching Over Search Trees for Human-AI Collaboration in Exploratory Problem Solving: A Case Study in Algebra

Artificial intelligence and machine learning work very well for solving problems in domains where the optimal solution can be characterized precisely or in terms of adequate training data. However, when humans perform problem solving, they do not necessarily know how to characterize an optimal solution. We propose a framework for human-AI collaboration that gives humans ultimate control of the results of a problem solving task while playing to the strengths of the AI by persisting an agent's search trees and allowing humans to explore and search this search tree. This allows the use of AI in exploratory problem solving contexts. We demonstrate this framework applied to algebraic problem solving, and show that it enables a unique mode of interaction with symbolic computer algebra through the automatic completion and correction of traditional derivations, both in digital ink and textual keyboard input.
Nuclear Energy in a Carbon-Constrained World: Big Challenges and Big Opportunities

In this article, we summarize the findings of a new Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study on the future of nuclear energy. In the 21st century, the world faces the novel challenge of drastically reducing emissions of greenhouse gases while simultaneously expanding energy access and economic opportunity to billions of people. We examine this challenge in the electricity sector, which has been widely identified as an early candidate for deep decarbonization. In most regions, serving the projected electricity demand in 2050 while simultaneously reducing emissions will require a mix of electrical generation assets different from the current system. Although a variety of low- or zero-carbon technologies can be employed, our analysis demonstrates the potential contribution nuclear can make as a dispatchable low-carbon technology. The least-cost portfolios in our analysis include an important share for nuclear, the magnitude of which grows significantly as its cost drops. Therefore, there are strong incentives for industry to reduce the cost of new nuclear plants, and here we identify promising approaches for achieving such cost reductions. We recommend that governments create policies that equally recognize the environmental and societal benefits of all low-carbon energy technologies. Without a balanced portfolio of dispatchable and variable energy sources, the cost and difficulty of achieving decarbonization targets increases significantly.
Managing Uncommon Rectal Tumors

Rectal adenocarcinoma is a relatively common malignancy and it is estimated that there will be 40,000 new cases diagnosed in the United States alone in 2017 [1]. Whilst adenocarcinoma is the most common malignancy of the rectum, other rectal tumors can occur including most commonly, carcinoid, gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) sarcoma, and melanoma. The symptoms caused by these lesions are often initially attributed to a range of benign conditions such as hemorrhoids, so that it is not uncommon that these unusual cancers are often diagnosed in more advanced stages. This chapter reviews the presenting symptoms, diagnosis and treatment specifically of rectal carcinoid, GIST, sarcoma and melanoma and provides a brief literature review concerning the most up-to-date management regimens for each of these tumour types.
Reduction of unnecessary thyroid biopsies using deep learning

Thyroid nodules are extremely common lesions and highly detectable by ultrasound (US). Several studies have shown that the overall incidence of papillary thyroid cancer in patients with nodules selected for biopsy is only about 10%. Therefore, there is a clinical need for a dramatic reduction of thyroid biopsies. In this study, we present a guided classification system using deep learning that predicts malignancy of nodules from B-mode US. We retrospectively collected transverse and longitudinal images of 150 benign and 150 malignant thyroid nodules with biopsy proven results. We divided our dataset into training (n=460), validation(n=40), and test (n=100) datasets. We manually segmented nodules from B-mode US images and provided the nodule mask as a second input channel to the convolutional neural network (CNN) for increasing the attention of nodule regions in images. We evaluated the classification performance of different CNN architectures such as Inception and Resnet50 CNN architectures with different input images. The InceptionV3 model showed the best performance on the test dataset: 86% (sensitivity), 90% (specificity), and 90% precision when the threshold was set for highest accuracy. When the threshold was set for maximum sensitivity (0 missed cancers), the ROC curve suggests the number of biopsies may be reduced by 52% without missing patients with malignant thyroid nodules. We anticipate that this performance can be further improved with including more patients and the information from other ultrasound modalities.
Application of piezoelectric MFC sensors and fiber Bragg grating sensors in structural health monitoring of composite materials

Advanced composite materials have been integrated extensively into aircraft structures and have been emerged in civil infrastructure (e.g. bridges), in recent years. Composite materials are prone to initiation of hidden damage which makes it vital to detect damage at its onset. In this paper, first we introduce a procedure to fabricate structural carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets at the university laboratory. Then, two structural health monitoring (SHM) systems will be developed to assess and monitor the performance of CFRP materials. The first SHM system is based on installing piezoelectric MFC sensors on CFRP sheets. These sensors are using guided lamb waves to detect possible damage in composites at its onset. The second SHM system will be developed using Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) technology. This system will acquire signals from a fiber optic thermocouple and a fiber optic strain gauge. The damage will be introduced into CFRP sheets with an impact hammer. The damage detection will be performed by the two SHM systems for different damage severities. The pros and cons of each SHM system in composite damage detection will be investigated and the recommendations will be made for utilizing each system in real world composite applications.
Effects of cooperative learning on peer relations, empathy, and bullying in middle school

Although researchers have developed prevention programs to reduce bullying, the results are mixed, and this may be due to a degree of uncertainty in their theoretical foundation. In particular, these programs share an emphasis on empathy as a personal attribute that can be enhanced among students through the application of specific curricula that will, in turn, contribute to a reduction in bullying behavior. However, the link between empathy and bullying is unclear, as is the ability of bullying prevention programs to actually impact student empathy. In this study, we used a cluster randomized trial (N = 15 middle schools, 1,890 students, 47.1% female, 75.2% White) to evaluate the impact of cooperative learning on bullying, and we evaluated whether these effects were mediated by empathy and peer relatedness. Our results indicated that cooperative learning can significantly reduce bullying, and that some of this effect is transmitted via enhancements to affective empathy. Cooperative learning also demonstrated significant positive effects on cognitive empathy, but this did not have an effect on bullying. We also found that the effects of cooperative learning on cognitive and affective empathy were mediated by improvements in peer relatedness. These findings add a degree of clarity to the literature, and also represent the first time, as far as we are aware, that an antibullying program has been found to have significant effects on both cognitive and affective empathy.
Income inequality and mass shootings in the United States.

Mass shootings are an increasingly common phenomenon in the United States. However, there is little research on whether the recent growth of income inequality is associated with this rise of mass shootings. We thus build on our prior research to explore the connection between income inequality and mass shootings across counties in the United States. We assemble a panel dataset of 3144 counties during the years 1990 to 2015. Socioeconomic data are extracted from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Mass shootings data are from three databases that compile its information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and media sources, respectively. These data are analyzed using random effects negative binomial regressions, while controlling for seven additional predictors of crime. Counties experiencing a one standard deviation growth of income inequality witnessed 0.43 more mass shootings when using the definition of three or more victim injuries (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.24, 1.66; P < .001) and 0.57 more mass shootings when using the designation of four or more victim deaths (IRR = 1.57; 95% CI = 1.26, 1.96; P < .001). Counties with growing levels of income inequality are more likely to experience mass shootings. We assert that one possibility for this finding is that income inequality fosters an environment of anger and resentment that ultimately leads to violence.
Rapid Prototyping of Wireframe Scaffolded DNA Origami using ATHENA

Wireframe DNA origami assemblies can now be programmed automatically from the top-down using simple wireframe target geometries, or meshes, in 2D and 3D geometries using either rigid, six-helix bundle (6HB) or more compliant, two-helix bundle (2HB or DX) edges. While these assemblies have numerous applications in nanoscale materials fabrication due to their nanoscale spatial addressability and high degree of customization, no easy-to-use graphical user interface software yet exists to deploy these algorithmic approaches within a single, stand-alone interface. Here, we present ATHENA, an open-source software package with a graphical user interface that automatically renders single-stranded DNA scaffold routing and staple strand sequences for any target wireframe DNA origami in 2D or 3D using 2HB or 6HB edges. ATHENA enables external editing of sequences using the popular tool caDNAno, demonstrated here using asymmetric nanoscale positioning of gold nanoparticles, as well as atomic-level models for molecular dynamics, coarse-grained dynamics, or other computational chemistry simulation approaches. We anticipate ATHENA will significantly reduce the barrier for non-specialists to perform wireframe DNA origami sequence design and fabrication for custom applications in materials science, nanotechnology, therapeutics, and other areas.
Normalized Radiated Seismic Energy From Laboratory Fracture Experiments on Opalinus Clayshale and Barre Granite

We evaluate the radiated seismic energy normalized by external work for hydraulic fracturing, beam bending, and uniaxial compression experiments conducted on Opalinus clayshale and Barre granite specimens. Results suggest that normalized radiated seismic energy is highest for the beam bending, followed by uniaxial compression, and, finally, that the hydraulic fracturing experiments radiate the least seismic energy when normalized by external work. We also find that the normalized radiated energy during tests on Opalinus clayshale is 3% to 22% of that in Barre granite across multiple loading mechanisms.
“A Certain Type of Liberalism”: Minority Rights in Jewish Liberal Discourse, 1848–1948

The story of Jews and liberalism has long been told as a unidirectional process by which Jews relinquished premodern collective autonomy in order to become individual citizens. But over the course of the century from 1848 to 1948 Jewish political thinkers in Europe and North America nourished an alternative communitarian tradition of liberalism with group rights. This chapter reconstructs this overlooked political tradition, examining in the process how experiences of empire, nationalism, and internationalism shaped the political imaginary of Jews in the framework of the modern nation-state.
Drag-enhancing deorbit devices for spacecraft self-disposal: A review of progress and opportunities

Abstract Attention to the need to deorbit spacecraft at end-of-life will only intensify as space-faring nations grapple with the problems of increasingly crowded orbits. The use of drag devices for spacecraft self-disposal in low Earth orbit (LEO) merits review now. Drag-enhancing deorbit devices can be used to offset propellant reserved for deorbit operations and to extend mission life. Drag devices offer increased compliance with debris mitigation standards and can also offer other system-level advantages such as mass savings. We analyze the “trade-space” for spacecraft that are best suited to make use of this technology with specific examples. Our findings suggest that drag devices are well suited for both small and mid-sized LEO spacecraft. The suitability and feasibility of drag devices for small spacecraft (
Photothermal Frequency Response Characterization of Large Deformation Multi-layer Thin Film Structures

In this work, small signal AC photothermal actuation of a large deformation, out-of-plane thin film structure is demonstrated and the frequency response up to 1 kHz is experimentally measured for laser illumination at a wavelength of 1532 nm. Results from frequency sweeps at different AC modulated laser power levels are coincident with a sub-resonant single-pole thermal response with effective cutoff frequencies ∼50 Hz. The maximum angular motion magnitude was ∼1.5° observed at 38 W/cm2 average incident power and modulation frequencies < 10 Hz. No mechanical resonant modes were observed, which was in agreement with simulation using commercial FEA software and additional laser vibrometry performed. The photoactuation measured is attributed to the inherent photoabsorption inherent to a portion of the multilayer stack of the support arms of the structure combined with slight asymmetries in the geometry and alignment of the incident infrared laser. This works shows a viable means quantifying the precision in motion that can be expected for remote actuation of these types of structures via photo illumination.
Differences in 30-day complications associated with total ankle arthroplasty and ankle arthrodesis: A matched cohort study.

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to identify whether total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) was associated with greater risk for 30-day complications and/or greater financial burden in comparison to ankle arthrodesis (AA). Methods The PearlDiver Patient Records Database was queried to identify all patients who underwent an arthroscopic/open AA or TAA from 2006 to 2013. The two cohorts were then matched in a 1:1 manner to control for comorbidities and demographics. Postoperative complications were compared between the two cohorts, in addition to the associated costs with respect to each procedure. Results No significant differences in risk for postoperative complications were noted between the two procedures with the numbers available. Significant differences were demonstrated in total length of hospital stay (LOS), with a mean of 2.13 days for the TAA cohort and 2.42 days for the AA cohort (p x ¯ = $62,416.62) compared to AA ( x ¯ = $37,737.43, p x ¯ = $12,254.43) than AA ( x ¯ = $7915.72, p Conclusion With no notable differences in 30-day complication rates, TAA remains a viable alternative to AA in the appropriately selected patient and provides the ability to preserve tibiotalar motion resulting in superior functional scores. Additionally, TAA demonstrated higher total costs to implant, but also greater reimbursement, in line with the recent literature suggesting TAA to be a cost-effective alternative to AA. Level of evidence III Retrospective study.
Charging-as-a-Service: On-demand battery delivery for light-duty electric vehicles for mobility service

This study presents an innovative solution for powering electric vehicles, named Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS), that concerns the potential large-scale adoption of light-duty electric vehicles (LDEV) in the Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) industry. Analogous to the MaaS, the core idea of the CaaS is to dispatch service vehicles (SVs) that carry modular battery units (MBUs) to provide LDEVs for mobility service with on-demand battery delivery. The CaaS system is expected to tackle major bottlenecks of a large-scale LDEV adoption in the MaaS industry due to the lack of charging infrastructure and excess waiting and charging time. A hybrid agent-based simulation model (HABM) is developed to model the dynamics of the CaaS system with SV agents, and a trip-based stationary charging probability distribution is introduced to simulate the generation of charging demand for LDEVs. Two dispatching algorithms are further developed to support the optimal operation of the CaaS. The model is validated by assuming electrifying all 13,000 yellow taxis in New York City (NYC) that follow the same daily trip patterns. Multiple scenarios are analyzed under various SV fleet sizes and dispatching strategies. The results suggest that optimal deployment of 250 SVs may serve the LDEV fleet in NYC with an average waiting time of 5 minutes, save the travel distance at over 50 miles per minute, and gain considerable profits of up to $50 per minute. This study offers significant insights into the feasibility, service efficiency, and financial sustainability for deploying city-wide CaaS systems to power the electric MaaS industry.
An annotated association mining approach for extracting and visualizing interesting clinical events

Abstract Objective This work aims at deriving interesting clinical events using association rule mining based on a user-annotated order of clinical features. Materials and methods A user specifies a partial temporal order of features by indexing features of interest, with repeated and bundled indexes allowed as needed. An association mining algorithm plugin was designed to generate rules that adhere to the user-specified temporal order. The plugin uses temporal and sequence constraints to reduce rule permutations early in the rule generation process. The method was evaluated with a large medical claims dataset to generate clinical events. Results Using the plug-in algorithm, the database is scanned to calculate the support of item sequences whose sequential order conforms with the user annotated feature order. In our experiments with 20,000 medical claim data records, our method generated rules in a significantly less time than the standalone Apriori algorithm. Our approach generates dendrograms to organize the rules into meaningful hierarchies and provides a graphical interface to navigate the rules and unfold interesting clinical events. Discussion Since many associations in healthcare are of sequential nature, some of the derived rules may describe interesting clinical flows or events, while others may be contextually irrelevant. Our method exploits user-specified sequence constraints to eliminate irrelevant rules and reduce rule permutations, speeding up rule mining. Conclusion This work can be the foundation for future association rule mining studies to extract sequential events based on interestingness. The work can support clinical education where the instructor defines feature sequence constraints, and students unfold and examine extracted sequential rules.
Drama in education: why drama is necessary

The article dwells on the use of drama and performance techniques in education and social work in connection with multiple intelligence theory, emotional intelligence theory, and brain based learning. The author connects the use of drama in the alternative theories of teaching and learning based on recent neuroscientific research, and lays out an integrative approach to teaching and learning that promotes inclusion, diversity, and social awareness, through embodied and contextualized learning. If we perceive cognition and emotion as interrelated, then drama as an educational tool becomes essential. It creates metaphors of our lives, which we lead through both cognitive and emotional domains. Art and creativity play an essential role in connections between the body, emotions, and the mind. Moreover, as we live in relationship to the rest of the world around us, our learning is embodied, our brain, emotions, and physiology are constantly connected. Thus, the article demonstrates that drama and performance are vital in teaching the whole child, whether taught as a discipline or used as a teaching tool. This means, the author claims, educators, neuropsychologists, and theatre and drama specialists have to have open minds and be willing to step out of comfort zones and together make a case for using theatre and drama methods as a way to improve human lives.
Hierarchy, Resentment, and Pride: Politics of Identity and Belonging among Mosuo, Yi, and Han in Southwest China:

How do non-Han populations in China navigate the paradoxical expectations to become “proper” Chinese citizens, like the majority Han, while retaining pride in cultural practices and traditions that...
Exploring the effects of temperature on intrinsic permeability and void ratio alteration through temperature-controlled experiments

Abstract An increase in temperature changes the groundwater density and viscosity, therefore, it is expected that the soil hydraulic conductivity varies with temperature. Beyond this point, thermal loading induces volumetric changes for both sand and clay and may alter soil fabric. These variations might increase or decrease the intrinsic permeability of the soil. A modified temperature-controlled triaxial permeameter cell was used in this study to elevate soil temperature from 20 °C to 80 °C. Moreover, the setup was designed to control the temperature and pressure of the permeant water injected into the specimen. The hydraulic conductivity of both Ottawa sand and Kaolin clay under different confinement stresses (69 kPa to 690 kPa) was measured. Then, intrinsic permeability was calculated considering water properties variation with temperature. The results determined that, although hydraulic conductivity increases with temperature for both Ottawa sand and Kaolin clay, the intrinsic permeability of Ottawa sand reduces by 50%, while in Kaolin clay it slightly reduces when the temperature rises from 20 °C to 80 °C. Nonetheless, analyzing volumetric changes and void ratio variations for both selected soil types show a reduction in void ratio with temperature. Reduction in the void ratio can explain the lower intrinsic permeability in Ottawa sand at the elevated temperature, however in Kaolin clay despite the higher void ratio reduction, another mechanism which is the degeneration of a part of the immobile water within the structure into the mobile water plays an important role.
Measuring the influence of blood component infusion rate on recipient vital signs

Background and Objectives One of the challenges surrounding blood component administration is the determination of an appropriate rate of infusion. There are very few evidence-based guidelines available to guide healthcare providers looking for a ‘standard’ infusion rate for red blood cells (RBCs), plasma or platelets (PLTs). Our objective was to determine the extent to which blood component infusion rates were associated with changes in transfusion recipient vital signs. Materials and Methods We retrospectively examined records of 3496 component infusions (RBCs, n = 2359; PLTs, n = 478; plasma, n = 659) over a 1-year period at a 362-bed multispecialty hospital. The following data were collected for each transfusion: blood product volume and infusion time, recipient pre- and post-transfusion temperature, blood pressure and pulse rate, and hospital ward where transfusion occurred. Results Plasma (median 10·4 ml/min) was infused faster than PLTs (median 7·2 ml/min, P 20 ml/min) and clinically significant reported changes in vital signs. Conclusions There does not appear to be a strong correlation between infusion rate and significant changes in recipient temperature, blood pressure or pulse rate. Based on these data, a reasonable rate for routine transfusion is 2–3 ml/min for RBCs and 7–10 ml/min for plasma and PLTs. Faster infusion rates (>20 ml/min) likely can be applied with close patient monitoring if there is a more urgent need for transfusion.
Food and nutrition policy: A biological anthropologist's experiences from an academic platform

Objectives Biological anthropologists within academia and in other sectors are increasingly engaged in a variety of problem-oriented research and in the design, implementation, or evaluation of policies and programs, domestically and abroad. Such work can have distinctive requirements in terms of disciplinary background, professional orientation, and professional development. This article explores these issues through the author's autobiographical account of a career in food and nutrition policy from within an academic nutrition department. Methods The article is guided by an analytical framework that compares eight projects in terms of their mode of knowledge production, academic impact, public impacts, and personal rewards. The projects range from village-based surveys in Samoa and Malawi to food security planning in upstate New York communities, US policies on genetically engineered (GE) foods, and participant–observer research on nutrition policy development in low-income countries. Results and Conclusions The cumulative experience reveals the importance of a commitment to problem-solving, a transdisciplinary orientation, intellectual and methodological dexterity, ongoing engagement with policy actors and openness to emergent research questions, new research settings, and nontraditional funding sources. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 27:16–26, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Using robotics to teach software engineering

Since most computer science graduates take jobs developing software in team environments, one goal of our computer science program is to provide a realistic experience in developing good quality software as part of a software development team. Our Software Engineering Projects course is a required, two-semester sequence at the senior undergraduate level that fulfills this need. The course uses two Nomad200 robots that were funded in part with a grant in 1991 from NSF under the Division of Undergraduate Educations ILI Program. The purpose of the grant was to develop a lab to give computer science student's experience in programming a device that had actual motion and had real-time characteristics. Writing software to control the robots has been very challenging for the students. The students have done very well at this challenge. Two groups of students who have used the robots in this class have participated in national robotics contests.
Ontogenetic scaling of cranial morphology and bite-force generation in the loggerhead musk turtle

The feeding systems of durophagous vertebrates are well suited for studying how the performance of feeding structures is affected by growth. For these animals, feeding structures that deviate from isometric growth (i.e. allometry) may be biologically meaningful in terms of disproportionate increases in bite-force generation across ontogeny. We measured body size, cranial morphology and bite-force generation in an ontogenetic series of loggerhead musk turtles Sternotherus minor and compared the scaling coefficients with predictions based on isometry. We found that morphological growth in S. minor is characterized by positive allometry in the dimensions of the head and beak (rhamphotheca) relative to body and head size. Because negative allometry or isometry in head size relative to body size is a nearly universal trait among vertebrates, S. minor appears to be unique in this regard. In addition, we found that bite forces scaled with positive allometry relative to nearly all morphological measurements. These results suggest that modified lever mechanics, and/or increased physiological cross-sectional area through changes in muscle architecture (i.e. fiber lengths, degree of pennation) of the jaw adductor musculature may have more explanatory power for bite-force generation than external head measures in this taxon. Lastly, we found that bite force scaled with negative allometry relative to lower beak depth and symphyseal length, indicating that the development of high bite forces requires a disproportionately more robust mandible. These results indicate how deviations from isometric growth may make it possible for durophagous vertebrates to generate, transfer and dissipate mechanical forces during growth.
Glucocorticoid Concentrations, Corticosteroid Binding Protein Characteristics and Reproduction Performance of Sows and Gilts Subjected to Applied Stress during Mid-Gestation

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of applied heat (greater than or equal to 28 C) and crowding (less than or equal to .9 m2 floor space/animal) stress for 50 days during mid-gestation on glucocorticoid concentrations, corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG) characteristics and reproductive performance of 20 sows (Exp. 1) and 23 gilts (Exp. 2). Blood as collected via puncture of the anterior vena cava on days -1 and 0 before initiation of treatment and on days 1, 2, 12, 13, 48, 29 and 1, 5, 9 +/- l, 19 +/- 1, 50, 63 +/- 3, 90 +/- 1 after initiation of treatment for sows and gilts. respectively. Plasma glucocorticoids and CBG characteristics were determined by competitive protein binding techniques. Overall mean glucocorticoid concentrations for eight sows and 12 gilts subjected to stress were lower (P less than .05) than those of control animals, CBG binding capacities (CBC) were lower (P less than .05) in treated sows and gilts bled on days 12 and 9 +/- 1 after initiation of stress, respectively. Overall mean CBC and affinity (Ka) of cortisol to bind to the CBG molecule were lowered (P less than .05) in stressed gilts. Other than a reduction (P less than .05) in gestation length observed in stressed crossbred sows, reproductive performance was not affected by stress. When infrequent blood samplings are employed, measurement of CBC may serve as a more precise indicator of a physiological stress response than glucocorticoid concentration.
Handbook of solar energy data for south-facing surfaces in the United States. Volume 2: Average hourly and total daily insolation data for 235 localities. Alaska - Montana

Average hourly and daily total insolation estimates for 235 United States locations are presented. Values are presented for a selected number of array tilt angles on a monthly basis. All units are in kilowatt hours per square meter.
Information diffusion in complex networks via gossiping

With the rapid developments in hardware and software technology, so called networked systems have expanded significantly in the recent years. Due to their significant advantages, these networks grow continuously in size (number of agents, links) and complexity. However, this enormous growth brings potential problems, i.e., complexity issues and failure consequences. For this reason, in this study, we focus on efficient, scalable and reliable information diffusion algorithms on complex networks. We first focus on so called average consensus problem under finite rate communications. We utilize increasing spatial and correlation among node states to reduce quantization error in the system and propose coding with side information schemes for quantized consensus algorithms. We analyze the convergence behavior of the quantized consensus as well as analytically modeling the mean squared error of the algorithm. Moreover, we propose a gossiping algorithm, i.e., broadcast gossiping, for consensus type problems on sensor networks. Similar to other gossiping algorithms, our scheme generates only local traffic and robust to link/node failures due to the iterative update structure. The main advantage of the algorithm is the fact that our updates rely on the wireless nature of the links in between nodes rather than point to point communications. We further analyze performance characteristics of our algorithm such as the speed of convergence and mean squared error. We also propose a gossiping based scheme for asymmetric information diffusion problem. In this particular problem, a subset of the network is interested in a separable function of the data which is stored in another subsets of the nodes. Given the underlying network connectivity and the source-destination sets, we provide necessary and sufficient conditions on the update weights (referred to as codes) so that the destination nodes converge to the desired function of the source values. We show that the evolution of the source states does not affect the feasibility of the problem, and we provide a detailed analysis on the spectral properties of the feasible codes. We also study the problem feasibility under some specific topologies and provide guidelines to determine infeasibility. We also formulate different strategies to design codes, and compare the performance of our solution with existing alternatives. Finally, we propose a gossiping based method for modeling opinion propagation through social networks. In particular, we model the individuals’ opinions as binary variables (such as 0 or 1, democrat or republican, etc), and assume that there exists certain individuals in society who do not change their opinions. We analyze the behavior of individual’s opinions as well as the collective opinion of the society in the long run. We completely characterize long term mean and variance of the average opinion in the networks as well as posing optimal stubborn agent replacement problem.
Electron microscopy of giant magnetoresistive granular AuCo alloys

Abstract The microstructure and the magnetic properties of melt-spun Au100-xCox (x = 6.5, 16.7, 28.4) were investigated. The eutectic decomposition allows one to synthesize a lamellar microstructure. Changes of the size distribution and shape of the Co precipitates during annealing influence the magnetic behavior and the transport properties of the investigated samples.
Using spatial continuity and discontinuity information to retrieve geographic entities

This paper presents three methods for representing spatial properties of geographic entity types in order to retrieve digital aerial photographs that contain these types. The three methods are semivariogram, edge tracing and an integration of the two methods. The first two methods are used to represent spatial continuity and spatial discontinuity information, respectively, associated with geographic entities, while the integrated method is used to represent both properties. The three methods are used to retrieve seven land cover types; factories, shopping centres, highways, forest, farmland, grasses and residential areas. Results show that between the two independent methods, the semivariogram method generally produces higher retrieval precision and more consistency across the seven types than the edge tracing method. The integrated method considerably outperforms the two independent methods.
The Use of the Computer in Plotting the Geographical Distribution of Dialect Items

To date we have produced maps with all responses to each individual question, frequency counts for all primary responses, and individual maps for separate responses that occurred at least 10 times. These individual-response maps were used in drawing the isoglosses on various maps, as illustrated in Maps I–IV. As of January 1976, all the data have been coded, keypunched, proofread, corrected, and stored on magnetic tape. What remains to be done is continuing modification of the programming to produce (1) maps that use variables other than geographical location, (2) statistical analyses of the basic data in a sociolinguistic perspective, (3) further labeling of data to reflect the dialect divisions found in the preliminary analysis, and finally (4) further statistical analyses of data within and along the edges of these dialect subdivisions. Because the initial goal, the identification of clearly regional items, is a somewhat limited, though a necessary preliminary of the entire investigation, we have not yet programmed the subroutines to calculate densities of items in given areas or to compute statistical correlations among variables. Even though it is still necessary, with our present program and data files, to find distributional patterns by eye and draw isoglosses by hand, ultimately the entire operation enables us to accomplish much more in a shorter period of time than would ever have been possible without the computer.
Emerging diseases: Measles

High vaccination coverage rates and the administration of a second dose of measles vaccine have resulted in a significant decline in the incidence of measles and neurologic diseases due to measles in many countries. However, intermittent outbreaks of measles still occur even in countries with excellent vaccination coverage, suggesting the existence of high rates of measles virus introduction from endemic regions and/or waning of vaccine-induced immunity. Strategies to sustain high levels of global immunity to measles virus by increasing vaccine coverage with routine and supplementary vaccination campaigns must be supported.
Futures in global space//www.models.gis.media

Abstract Geographers deal with global and local space and their interrelationships and thus bring new insights, perspectives, and methods to global questions. This is appealing to futurists since the principle of ‘think globally-act locally’ has been an inspiration for many years. In this paper I explore how old and new approaches in geography, as well as new information technologies such as the World Wide Web (WWW) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), might contribute to global modeling. I briefly review also the history of global economy models to discover lessons for future attempts to construct global models, not least how prevailing paradigms and institutional expediency determine the intellectual effort, and its impact. I then describe some of the new directions being undertaken by global modelers, quantitative geographers and regional scientists in the 1990s, and the possibilities and challenges for the next few years, and their contribution to the knowledge building process and its context.
Distribution of parkin in the adult rat brain.

Abstract A mutation in the parkin gene has been identified as the cause for an autosomal recessively inherited form of Parkinson's disease (PD). The authors have recently isolated the mRNA coding for the rat homolog of parkin and showed its widespread expression in the central nervous system (CNS) by in situ hybridization. In the present study, we investigated the distribution of parkin in the rat CNS with a polyclonal antibody that reacts with a ∼52-kDa protein, mainly localized in the cytoplasm and corresponding to the predicted molecular mass of parkin. Immunohistochemistry on adult rat brain sections showed a widespread distribution of parkin. This included labeling of cell bodies, nuclei as well as processes in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and several nuclei in the brainstem. The regional expression of parkin-immunoreactivity (IR) correlated well with the parkin-mRNA levels assessed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This study provides the detailed analysis of the regional and cellular distribution of parkin in the rat brain and may be useful in elucidating its pathophysiological role.
Dexamethasone Stimulates Transcription of the Insulin-Like Growth Factor-Binding Protein-1 Gene in H4-II-E Rat Hepatoma Cells

Binding proteins for the insulin-like growth factors (IGFBP) are important modulators of the biological actions of IGF-I and IGF-II. Concentrations of one of these proteins, IGFBP-1, in human plasma and IGFBP-1 mRNA in rat liver are markedly altered in diabetes and fasting. We now examine the regulation of IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-I mRNA in H4-II-E cells, a rat cell line derived from the minimal deviation H35 Reuber hepatoma previously reported to synthesize IGFBP-1 as its predominant IGF-binding protein. Confluent H4-II-E cells in serum-free medium were incubated with different hormones for 48 h, and the conditioned medium was analyzed by ligand blotting. Dexamethasone (10−6 m) increased levels of 30-kDa IGFBP-1 approximately 10-fold; stimulation was half-maximal at 6 × 10−9 m dexamethasone. No stimulation was seen with progesterone, testosterone, IGF-I, or rat GH, whereas insulin gave a small inhibition. Immunoblot analysis using a monoclonal antibody to human IGFBP-1 confirmed that the 30-kDa IGFBP induced by...
Unethical and Fraudulent Financial Reporting: Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior

This research applies the theory of planned behavior to corporate managers’ decision making as it relates to fraudulent financial reporting. Specifically, we conducted two studies to examine the effects of attitude, subjective norm and perceived control on managers’ decisions to violate generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in order to meet an earnings target and receive an annual bonus. The results suggest that the theory of planned behavior predicts whether managers’ decisions are ethical or unethical. These findings are relevant to corporate leaders who seek to improve ethical work climates of organizations and to many regulators, accountants, corporate governance officials and investors.
Molecular modelling of the androgen receptor axis: rational basis for androgen receptor intervention in androgen-independent prostate cancer

Androgen depletion in combination with antiandrogenic agents is initially highly effective for treating prostate cancer, and is the recommended treatment for more advanced or higher-grade tumours. However, many tumours eventually become insensitive to androgens, even though the androgen receptor (AR) continues to be expressed. Computational chemistry combined with structural analysis of nuclear receptors and determination of binding affinities of natural and designed coregulators (coactivators and corepressors) provides the theoretical framework for the rational design of novel therapeutic agents directed at the AR. Adding alternative groups to various sites throughout the receptor can alter the conformation of the molecule and its functional binding with coactivators or corepressors. Possible molecules can be identified thoroughly and systematically using intelligent high-throughput screening and FASTrack chemistry (three-dimensional crystallography). Applying these techniques should eventually result in therapeutic agents for androgen-independent prostate cancer that can block binding of AR coactivators while simultaneously increasing binding of AR corepressors.