cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ethnic Variations of Pathways Linking Socioeconomic Status, Parenting, and Preacademic Skills in a Nationally Representative Sample.

Research Findings: Grounded in the investment model and informed by the integrative theory of the study of minority children, this study used the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort data set, a nationally representative sample of young children, to investigate whether the association between socioeconomic status (family income and maternal education) and children's preacademic skills (receptive language, expressive language, literacy, numeracy skills) as mediated by parenting (learning materials, language stimulation, and outside activities) varies across Euro-American, African American, Hispanic, and Asian children. Results indicated that in general, language stimulation and outside activities were the most consistent mediators for Euro-Americans, learning materials was the most consistent mediator for African Americans, learning materials and language stimulation were the most consistent mediators for Hispanics, and learning materials and outside activities were the most consistent mediators...
Fast solution to finite element flow equations by newton iteration and modified conjugate gradient method

A modification (Irons;6 Concus et al.1) to the conjugate gradient (CG) method by Hestenes and Stiefel5 has recently renewed the interest in this elegant technique which appears to be extraordinarily promising for large sparse systems Ax = b, where A is a symmetric positive definite matrix. A good approximation K−1 for the inverse of A is needed in the modified algorithm. For finite difference sets of equations, Meijerink and van der Vorst9 and Kershaw7 have experienced a very fast convergence with a matrix K−1 determined by the incomplete Cholesky decomposition of A. A further acceleration of the iteration may be achieved by preliminarily processing the initial guessed solution by the Newton iterative scheme before using the modified conjugate gradient (MCG) method. The initial Newton iterations (NI) have the useful property of significantly reducing the components of the residual r0 along the eigenvectors of AK−1 associated with the eigenvalues lying in the vicinity of 1. The latter are expected to include the vast majority of the eigenvalues of AK−1. As a result the MCG method is left with a smaller number of r0 components to set to zero in a reduced dimensional eigenvector space and hence the solution is arrived at in fewer iterations. Depending on the desired final accuracy, up to 50 per cent of the MCG iterations may be equivalently replaced by an equal number of NI which are computationally faster. This approach has been applied to the solution of finite element sets of linear equations arising from the arbitrarily irregular triangle discretization of groundwater flow domains in both steady and unsteady conditions. For diagonally dominant matrices the results emphasize the excellent performance of the MCG method which proved much faster than the first-degree Chebyshev iteration (CHI) and required a number of iterations an order of magnitude smaller than the successive over-relaxation technique (SOR) with optimum over-relaxation factor.
Aortic valve repair by cusp extension for rheumatic aortic insufficiency in children: Long-term results and impact of extension material.

Objective Aortic valve repair has encouraging midterm results in selected patients. However, neither the long-term results of cusp extension nor the durability of different pericardial fixation techniques has been reported. Our goal was to address these issues. Methods Seventy-eight children with severe rheumatic aortic regurgitation (mean age 12 ± 3.5 years) underwent aortic valve repair using cusp extension over a 15-year period, with fresh autologous pericardium in 53 (67.9%), glutaraldehyde-fixed bovine pericardium in 9 (11.5%), and PhotoFix bovine pericardium (Sorin CarboMedics, Milano, Italy) in 16 (20.5%). Fifty-seven children (73.1%) underwent concomitant mitral valve repair, and 8 children (10.3%) underwent tricuspid valve repair. Results There was 1 operative death from left ventricular failure. During a median follow-up of 10.7 years (range 1 month to 16.4 years), 1 late death occurred and 15 patients (19.7%) required reoperation at a mean of 43 ± 33.7 months (range 1 month to 9 years), 9 within the autologous pericardium group (18%), 3 within the bovine pericardium group (33%), and 3 within the PhotoFix pericardium group (19%). Freedom from reoperation was 96% ± 2.3% at 1 year, 87.5% ± 3.9% at 5 years, 80.7% ± 4.9% at 10 years, and 75.3% ± 6% at 15 years, and was significantly decreased in the bovine pericardium group ( P = . 039). On multivariable analysis, greater age (hazard ratio 1.25, P 001) and acute rheumatic carditis (hazard ratio 8.15, P = . 001) at operation were significant predictors of reoperation. Conclusions Aortic cusp extension provides adequate valve repair in a large proportion of children with rheumatic aortic regurgitation. Fresh autologous and PhotoFix pericardium trended toward better durability than glutaraldehyde-fixed bovine pericardium.
Failure prediction in fully coupled thermal and deformational fields with peridynamics

The peridynamics is an emerging nonlocal continuum theory which allows governing field equations to be applicable at discontinuities. This applicability at discontinuities is achieved by replacing the spatial derivatives, which lose meaning at discontinuities, with integrals that are valid regardless of the existence of a discontinuity. This study presents a fully coupled peridynamic thermomechanical equations, and their nondimensional form. An explicit staggered algorithm is implemented in order to numerically approximate the solution to these coupled equations. The coupled thermal and structural responses of a thermoelastic semi-infinite bar and a thermoelastic vibrating bar are subsequently investigated.
Binding studies of Mn+2 to isolated acetylcholine receptor as a probe for cation-receptor interaction.

Abstract The paramagnetic cation Mn+2 binds to Torpedo californica acetylcholine receptor (AcChR) at sites with at least two different affinity constants. For each α-Bungarotoxin (α-Bgt) binding site AcChR has between 3 to 4 Mn+2 sites with Kd values of 1.74 ± 1.0 × 10−4 M. An additional 10–12 sites/α-Bgt site have a weaker affinity for Mn+2 (Kd ≅ 1 mM). The α-Bgt does not displace bound Mn+2, however Ca+2 displaces all bound Mn+2 in a competitive fashion with Kd of 0.90 × 10−3 M and Mg+2 is as effective as Ca+2 in the displacement. Decamethonium, carbamylcholine and NaCl at high concentrations are also effective in displacing Mn+2. A constant enhancement value (ϵb) for the binary metal · AcChR complexes was obtained when simultaneous EPR measurements and the water proton relaxation rates were made. Similarity of the AcChR environment and/or coordination number for the Mn+2 sites in AcChR is inferred. It appears that Mn+2 binds to many AcChR sites, different from those responsible for binding cholinergic ligands. The Mn+2 site seem to be the same as those responsible for binding the electrophysiologically significant Ca+2.
Nodal volumes for eigenfunctions of analytic regular elliptic problems

We establish sharp upper bounds on the (n−1)-dimensional Hausdorff measure of the zero (nodal) sets and on the maximal order of vanishing corresponding to eigenfunctions of a regular elliptic problem on a bounded domain Ω ⊆ ℝn with real-analytic boundary. The elliptic operator may be of an arbitrary even order, and its coefficients are assumed to be real-analytic. This extends a result of Donnelly and Fefferman ([DF1], [DF3]) concerning upper bounds for nodal volumes of eigenfunctions corresponding to the Laplacian on compact Riemannian manifolds with boundary.
On performance and space usage improvements for parallelized compiled APL code

Loop combination has been a traditional optimization technique employed in APL compilers, but may introduce dependencies into the combined loop. We propose an analysis method by which the compiler can keep track of the change of the parallelism when combining high-level primitives. The analysis is necessary when the compiler needs to decide a trade-off between more parallelism and a further combination. We also show how the space usage, as well as the performance, improves by using system calls with the aid of garbage collection to implement a dynamic memory allocation. A modification of the memory management scheme can also increase available parallelism. Our experimental results indicate that the performance and the space usage improve appreciably with the above enhancements.
Role of Defect Interaction in Boundary Mobility and Cation Diffusivity of CeO2

Grain boundary mobility of CeO[sub 2] containing 0.1% and 1.0% trivalent dopant cations (Sc, Yb, Y, Gd, and La, in order of increasing ionic radius) has been measured. At the lower dopant concentration (intrinsic regime), mobility is controlled by grain boundary diffusion of host cations, whereas at the higher dopant concentration (extrinsic regime), mobility is controlled by solute drag through the lattice. The effect of trivalent dopants is closely associated with their ability to provide and to interact with oxygen vacancies. Evidence consistent with an interstitial mechanism for cation diffusion has been found which is remarkably affected by the presence of oxygen vacancies. Ce diffusion is enhanced by free oxygen vacancies in the system, while dopant diffusion is suppressed if a dopant-associated oxygen vacancy is not present. A bare Sc cation however, appears to be a fast-diffusing species, due to its highly distorted local environment, while Y at 1.0% emerges as the most effective grain growth suppressant.
A generalized algorithm for graph-coloring register allocation

Graph-coloring register allocation is an elegant and extremely popular optimization for modern machines. But as currently formulated, it does not handle two characteristics commonly found in commercial architectures. First, a single register name may appear in multiple register classes, where a class is a set of register names that are interchangeable in a particular role. Second, multiple register names may be aliases for a single hardware register. We present a generalization of graph-coloring register allocation that handles these problematic characteristics while preserving the elegance and practicality of traditional graph coloring. Our generalization adapts easily to a new target machine, requiring only the sets of names in the register classes and a map of the register aliases. It also drops easily into a well-known graph-coloring allocator, is efficient at compile time, and produces high-quality code.
BRAIN GROWTH IN THE COLD LANE

![Figure][1] Hibernation involves a complex suite of adaptations that enable small animals to reduce metabolism for extended periods of time, conserving resources to survive in harsh environments. Hibernation decreases heart rate, blood flow and ventilation, which may result in low oxygen
Aviation Fatigue: Issues in Developing Fatigue Risk Management Systems

Researchers and operations professionals convened on November 9, 2012, to discuss an agenda for research in aviation fatigue. While the working groups had different specific issues related to fatig...
The back-to-the-city movement: Neighbourhood redevelopment and processes of political and cultural displacement:

While certain US cities are still depopulating, others have experienced a reversal of aggregate out-migration patterns. Some scholars, politicians and real estate boosters celebrate this urban population influx, as it will likely increase property values and municipal tax bases; however, we know little about the social costs associated with the back-to-the-city movement. This study investigates the consequences of the back-to-the-city movement through a four-year (2009–2012) ethnographic case study of the revitalisation of Washington, DC’s Shaw/U Street neighbourhood. The redevelopment of this African-American neighbourhood is associated with the city’s 5.2 percent population increase, which occurred between 2000 and 2010. While affordable housing efforts help to keep a portion of long-term, low-income residents in place, political and cultural displacement is occurring as upper-income newcomers flock into this neighbourhood. This article contributes to the urban literature by highlighting that population...
A defense of literature and literary study in a time of globalization and the new tele-technologies

Present-day globalization means many different kinds of change. It is, moreover, happening at different rates in different places around the world. All globalization’s forms, however, depend on new tele-technologies like email and the Internet. Among cultural features being transformed is literature. This is so both because literature has a more and more subordinate role, around the world, in relation to film, television, computer games, cellphone messages, blogs, and videos, and also because the rapidity of literature’s translation and diffusion has brought into existence Goethe’s and Marx/Engels’ dream of a “world literature.” New technologies have also transformed the conditions of literary study by making so much literature and so many aids to literary study available online. Nevertheless, as a close look at Wallace Stevens’s “The River of River in Connecticut” shows, literature, in the sense of printed novels, poems, and plays, still remains one of the premier ways to create “virtual realities.” Literature also uses language in subtle and complex ways that are difficult, if not impossible, to match in other media.
Axillofemoral bypass: outcome and hemodynamic results in high-risk patients.

Abstract Aortobifemoral bypass (AoFB) is the preferred method to provide lower extremity inflow. To determine whether axillofemoral bypass (AxFB) is an acceptable alternative for high-risk patients, we reviewed our results with these two operations. Between 1985 and 1990, 29 axillobifemoral and 5 axillounifemoral bypass procedures were performed preferentially because of severe associated medical illness in patients with severe aortoiliac occlusive disease. During the same interval, 107 patients received an AoFB for pure aortoiliac occlusive disease. Nearly all patients having AxFB and AoFB were heavy smokers, and the two groups had similar rates of hypertension and angina. However, other major risk factors were more frequently found in patients undergoing AxFB. Limb-threatening ischemia was more frequent and femoral artery occlusive disease was more severe in patients having AxFB. Anastomosis to the deep femoral arteries and concomitant infrainguinal bypass were more likely to be required in patients who had AxFB. Life-table patient survival at 3 years was 35% for AxFB versus 91% for AoFB ( p p = 0.032). Secondary patency was 74% for AxFB versus 94% for AoFB ( p p = 0.065). Nineteen of the 22 patients with AxFB who died during follow-up died with patent grafts. Hemodynamic performance of AxFB and AoFB were compared. Mean preoperative ankle-brachial index was higher in AoFB (0.50) than AxFB (0.38, p p
Enzymatic processing of amelogenin during continuous crystallization of apatite

Dental enamel forms through a protein-controlled mineralization and enzymatic degradation process with a nanoscale precision that new engineering technologies may be able to mimic. Recombinant full-length human amelogenin (rH174) and a matrix-metalloprotease (MMP-20) were used in a pH-stat titration system that enabled a continuous supply of calcium and phosphate ions over several days, mimicking the initial stages of matrix processing and crystallization in enamel in vitro. Effects on the self-assembly and crystal growth from a saturated aqueous solution containing 0.4 mg/mL rH174 and MMP-20 with the weight ratio of 1:1000 with respect to rH174 were investigated. A transition from nanospheres to fibrous amelogenin assemblies was facilitated under conditions that involved interaction between rH174 and its proteolytic cleavage products. Despite continuous titration, the levels of calcium exhibited a consistent trend of decreasing, thereby indicating a possible role in protein self-assembly. This study suggests that mimicking enamel formation in vitro requires the synergy between the aspects of matrix self-assembly, proteolysis, and crystallization.
Photoacoustic tomography and sensing in biomedicine

Photoacoustics has been broadly studied in biomedicine, for both human and small animal tissues. Photoacoustics uniquely combines the absorption contrast of light or radio frequency waves with ultrasound resolution. Moreover, it is non-ionizing and non-invasive, and is the fastest growing new biomedical method, with clinical applications on the way. This review provides a brief recap of recent developments in photoacoustics in biomedicine, from basic principles to applications. The emphasized areas include the new imaging modalities, hybrid detection methods, photoacoustic contrast agents and the photoacoustic Doppler effect, as well as translational research topics.
Abstract: Autonomic Modeling of Data-Driven Application Behavior

Computational behavior of large-scale data driven applications is a complex function of their input, configuration settings, and underlying system architecture. Difficulty in predicting the behavior of these applications makes it challenging to optimize their performance and schedule them onto compute resources. However, manually diagnosing performance problems and reconfiguring resource settings to improve application performance is infeasible and inefficient. We thus need autonomic optimization techniques that observe the application, learn from the observations, and subsequently successfully predict application behavior across different systems and load scenarios. This work presents a modular modeling approach for complex data-driven applications using statistical techniques. These techniques capture important characteristics of input data, consequent dynamic application behavior and system properties to predict application behavior with minimum human intervention. The work demonstrates how to adaptively structure and configure the models based on the observed complexity of application behavior in different input and execution scenarios.
Integrated nano-structured silicon waveguides and devices for high-speed optical communications (Invited Paper)

With progress in fabrication technology, integrated photonics plays an increasingly important role in highspeed optical communications, from monolithic transmitters and receivers for advanced optical modulation formats to on-chip subsystems for optical signal processing. We review our recent work on the highly tailorable physical properties of silicon waveguides for communication and signal processing applications, using slot structures. Controllable chromatic dispersion, nonlinearity, and polarization properties of the waveguides are presented, and the enabled wideband wavelength conversion, optical tunable delay, and signal processing of polarization-multiplexing data channels are discussed.
Where to go: Interpreting natural directions using global inference

An important component of human-robot interaction is that people need to be able to instruct robots to move to other locations using naturally given directions. When giving directions, people often make mistakes such as labelling errors (e.g., left vs. right) and errors of omission (skipping important decision points in a sequence). Furthermore, people often use multiple levels of granularity in specifying directions, referring to locations using single object landmarks, multiple landmarks in a given location, or identifying large regions as a single location. The challenge is to identify the correct path to a destination from a sequence of noisy, possibly erroneous directions. In our work we cast this problem as probabilistic inference: given a set of directions, an agent should automatically find the path with the geometry and physical appearance to maximize the likelihood of those directions. We use a specific variant of a Markov Random Field (MRF) to represent our model, and gather multi-granularity representation information using existing large tagged datasets. On a dataset of route directions collected in a large third floor university building, we found that our algorithm correctly inferred the true final destination in 47 out of the 55 cases successfully followed by humans volunteers. These results suggest that our algorithm is performing well relative to human users. In the future this work will be included in a broader system for autonomously constructing environmental representations that support natural human-robot interaction for direction giving.
Public Policy Involvement by Health Commissioners

The purpose of this national study was to determine advocacy activities and level of involvement of health commissioners regarding public policy. Benefits, barriers, and perceived outcomes of advocacy efforts were also explored. A previously validated (Holtrop et al., Am J Health Behav 24(2):132–142, 2000) four-page survey was mailed to 700 health commissioners, who were randomly selected from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) database. A three-wave mailing was performed which yielded a 50% response rate. Of these respondents, the majority (70%) were female and (88%) Caucasian. Overall, 31% of health commissioners reported being involved in influencing public policy in the last 4 years. The most common reported activities engaged in by health commissioners included voting (84%), and providing policy information to consumers or other professionals (77%). Perceived barriers to influencing policy were time, (64%), and other priorities (46%). Perceived benefits to influencing policy included improving the health of the public (94%) and making a difference in others’ lives (87%). Only 15% perceived their knowledge regarding the process of changing public policy was excellent. Although health commissioners are often spokespersons for health agencies and communities, their public policy involvement is marginal. Professional preparation programs and continuing education opportunities should focus on advocacy, public policy development, and removing barriers to action.
PMR study of mortality among Alabama workers and farmers

Computerized records of all Alabama deaths occurring to persons 16 years of age and over for the 5-year period 1984-1988 were obtained from the Alabama Department of Public Health. Using proportionate mortality ratio (PMR) methodology and death certificate occupation, cause-specific mortality patterns were examined for all Alabama decedents (N = 182,178), for all Alabama workers (N = 125,369), and for the occupational group of "farm operators and managers" (N = 11,691). In comparison with the U.S. general population, little difference was found between cause-specific PMR results for the total Alabama population and those for all workers, suggesting the absence of a generalized "healthy worker effect." In comparison with the U.S. population, PMR results for farmers suggested lowered mortality from all malignant neoplasms and all heart disease, and elevated mortality from all external causes of death. In comparison with the Alabama population, PMR results for farmers continued to suggest lowered mortality from all malignant neoplasms, specifically for cancers of the respiratory, digestive and lymphopoietic systems. However, significantly elevated PMRs for external causes of death appeared only among nonwhite female farmers. Further investigation of these deaths suggested that this finding was more likely attributable to an increased risk of housefire deaths associated with rural lifestyle than with occupational factors. Language: en
Optimal laser scan path for localizing a fluorescent particle in two or three dimensions

Localizing a fluorescent particle by scanning a focused laser beam in its vicinity and analyzing the detected photon stream provides real-time information for a modern class of feedback control systems for particle tracking and trapping. We show for the full range of standard merit functions based on the Fisher information matrix (1) that the optimal path coincides with the positions of maximum slope of the square root of the beam intensity rather than with the intensity itself, (2) that this condition matches that derived from the theory describing the optimal design of experiments and (3) that in one dimension it is equivalent to maximizing the signal to noise ratio. The optimal path for a Gaussian beam scanned in two or three dimensions is presented along with the Cramer-Rao bound, which gives the ultimate localization accuracy that can be achieved by analyzing the detected photon stream. In two dimensions the optimum path is independent of the chosen merit function but this is not the case in three dimensions. Also, we show that whereas the optimum path for a Gaussian beam in two dimensions can be chosen to be continuous, it cannot be continuous in three dimensions.
Sources of Political Capacity: A Case Study of China

Political capacity is a necessary condition for the growth and rise of any leading nation. History has witnessed the augmentation and decline of great powers concomitant with the ebbs and flows of their political capacity. This essay reviews the concept of political capacity and discusses the measure of relative political capacity. It further applies the concept and measure of such capacity to China where building government capacity seems to dovetail with the nation's policy priorities. China's political capacity decreases when economic reforms are the driving force and increases when political campaigns carry the day. Finally, a cross-province analysis of political capacity is conducted revealing that provinces located in the central part of China tend to have stronger governments than are found in other areas. This finding is consistent with the observation of historians that thousands of years of meteorological and geographic forces have shaped state-building in Central China.
Delivery of Encapsulated Doxorubicin by Ultrasound-Mediated Size Reduction of Drug-Loaded Polymer Contrast Agents

Low delivery efficiency combined with systemic toxicity of traditional chemotherapy provides a need for improved chemotherapeutic delivery. Within our laboratory, we have developed polymer ultrasound contrast agents (1.2-1.8 ?m in diameter) containing doxorubicin (Dox) within the shell (100-150 nm). In vivo this platform is expected to circulate through the vasculature until activated at the tumor site with external focused ultrasound (US). In vitro, the agent is responsive to US and when insonated at peak positive pressure amplitudes of 0.69 MPa and above, shows dramatic size reduction, eventually reaching a mean particle size of 350 nm, presumably due to fragmentation of, or gas release from the agent. The resulting Dox-polymer particles retain the drug and are small enough to pass through the leaky pores (350-400 nm) within the tumor vasculature, providing a sustained intratumoral release of chemotherapeutic as the polymer degrades. In vivo studies using a VX2 liver tumor model have shown that the combination of the agent and US results in nearly 50% less drug delivered to the nontargeted, healthy liver ( p = 0.009) and a 110% increase (p = 0.004) in Dox delivery to the viable peripheral tissue of the tumor, relative to the uninsonated controls. This study shows how US-mediated destruction of drug-loaded polymer contrast agent can be used to deliver encapsulated drug for potential sustained release. Penetration mechanisms of these resulting particles and their ability to provide a sustained release from the tumor interstia will be explored in the future.
The geometric mean procedure for estimating the scale of a judgement matrix

Abstract Typically the literature has advocated the use of the dominant right eigenvector and an associated consistency ratio “C.R.” We give reasons why the geometric mean (GM) (also known as the LLSM or logarithmic least-squares method) may be preferable as an estimator of the unknown underlying scale u . We also develop an index of consistency and related rules to judge the consistency of a matrix when using the GM as an estimator. The rules for the index of consistency are closely related to the commonly used rule that the C.R. should be
Letter by Patel et al Regarding Article “Chromosome 9p21 Haplotypes and Prognosis in White and Black Patients With Coronary Artery Disease”

To the Editor: We read with great interest the article by Gong et al1 in a recent issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics . We first would like to congratulate the authors on presenting these results, which although do not fit neatly into the chromosome 9p21 story, are robust and merit open discussion to further our understanding of this risk locus and its effects on adverse outcomes. In fact, we have observed similar findings in our cohort of consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergent cardiac catheterization. The Emory Biobank includes a subset of >2400 white patients (mean age, 65 years; men, 67%) genotyped for the 9p21 locus (rs10757278) of whom 20% had angiographically normal coronary arteries and 40% reported prior …
Bid, a critical mediator for apoptosis induced by the activation of Fas/TNF-R1 death receptors in hepatocytes.

The Bcl-2 family proteins consist of both anti-apoptosis and pro-apoptosis members that regulate apoptosis typically at the mitochondrial level, mainly by controlling the release of cytochrome c and other mitochondrial apoptotic events. However, death signals mediated by Fas/TNF-R1 receptors can usually activate caspases directly, bypassing the need for mitochondria and escaping the regulation by Bcl-2 family proteins. Bid is a novel pro-apoptosis Bcl-2 family protein that is activated by Caspase 8 in response to Fas/TNF-R1 death receptor activation. Activated Bid is translocated to mitochondria and induces cytochrome c release, which in turn activates the downstream caspases. This Bid-mediated pathway is critical in hepatocyte apoptosis induced by Fas/TNF-R1 engagement, where direct activation of cytosolic caspase cascade seems inefficient. The dependence on Bid, and thus on the mitochondrial cytochrome c release, of hepatocyte apoptosis induced by the death receptors also renders it sensitive to the inhibitory regulation by the anti-apoptosis members of the Bcl-2 family proteins, such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. Moreover, the revealing of this death pathway in hepatocytes is important to the understanding of the pathogenesis of a number of hepatic diseases such as hepatitis or endotoxemia-related hepatic failure.
Static and Dynamic Buckling of a Fiber Embedded in a Matrix With Interface Debonding

Analyses were performed for static and dynamic buckling of a continuous fiber embedded in a matrix in order to determine effects of interfacial debonding on the critical buckling load and the domain of instability. A beam on elastic foundation model was used for the study. The study showed that a local interfacial debonding between a fiber and a surrounding matrix resulted in an increase of the wavelength of the buckling mode. An increase of the wavelength yielded a decrease of the static buckling load and lowered the dynamic instability domain. In general, the effect of a partial or complete interfacial debonding on the domain of dynamic instability was more significant than its effect on the static buckling load. For dynamic buckling of a fiber, a local debonding of size 10 to 20 percent of the fiber length had the most important influence on the domains of dynamic instability regardless of the location of debonding and the boundary conditions of the fiber. For static buckling, the location of a local debonding was critical to a free, simply supported fiber, but not a fiber with both ends simply supported.
Infant mortality and income in 4 world cities: New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo.

Objectives. We investigated the association between average income or deprivation and infant mortality rate across neighborhoods of 4 world cities.Methods. Using a maximum likelihood negative binomial regression model that controls for births, we analyzed data for 1988–1992 and 1993–1997.Results. In Manhattan, for both periods, we found an association (.05% significance level) between income and infant mortality. In Tokyo, for both periods, and in Paris and London for period 1, we found none (5% significance level). For period 2, the association just missed statistical significance for Paris, whereas for London it was significant (5% level).Conclusions. In stark contrast to Tokyo, Paris, and London, the association of income and infant mortality rate was strongly evident in Manhattan.
Effects of the synthetic pyrethroids AC 222,705, permethrin and fenvalerate on sheepshead minnows in early life stage toxicity tests

Sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus) were exposed to the synthethic pyrethroid insecticides AC 222,705, permethrin or fenvalerate for 28 d in early life stage toxicity tests. AC 222,705 was 370 times more toxic than permethrin and 30 times more toxic than fenvalerate, with survival and size of fish being the most sensitive measures of effect. AC 222,705 significantly reduced survival of hatched fish at 0.61 μg/L and their average weight at 0.06 μg/L; no effects were detected at 0.03 μg/L. Two of the AC 222,705 concentrations that diminished weights, 0.06 and 0.12 μg/L, were below our limit of chemical detection (0.15 μg/L). Permethrin reduced survival of hatched fish at 22 μg/L; no effects were detected at 10 μg/L. Fenvalerate significantly reduced survival of hatched fish at 3.9 μg/L and both weight and length at 2.2 μg/L; no effects were detected at 0.56 μg/L. The 96-h LC50 divided by the no-effect concentration was 0.8 for permethrin, 9 for fenvalerate and 37 for AC 222,705. The mean bioconcentration factors determined from concentrations measured in whole fish divided by average concentrations measured in exposure water were 480 for permethrin and 570 for fenvalerate; AC 222,705 was not detected in fish that survived the exposure.
Seasonal habitat use of whale sharks in the northern Gulf of Mexico, USA 2003 - 2013

Background: Reports of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) date back to the 1930s. In 2003, the Northern Gulf of Mexico Whale Shark Research Program was established and began making directed efforts to document the regional occurrence, seasonal distribution and habitat preferences of whale sharks. Methods: Whale shark sightings data (WSS: 1989 – present; n=644) and tagging geoposition data (TD: 2009-2012; n=450) were used in seasonal kernel density (KD) analyses to delineate home range (95%) and core habitat (50%) use areas in the northern GOM. Kernel density estimation of distribution is a statistically robust manner of handling data sources with differing sampling designs (anecdotal vs. directed). Habitat use patterns from the two datasets were used to identify critical use areas. Results: In the study area, whale shark home range was 276,000 km2 (WSS) to 369,000 km2 (TD) in size, with 52,000 km2 (WSS) to 62,000 km2 (TD) being core habitat. Whale shark habitat use varied seasonally, with the largest home range occurring during summer (WSS: 213,000 km2) and fall (TD: 221,000 km2). Tag data revealed more winter habitat (75,000 km2) than the sightings dataset (41,000 km2), which was shifted further offshore to slope waters. Significant use patterns occurred along the continental shelf-edge, encompassing shelfedge banks south of Louisiana, and near the mouth of the Mississippi River. Conclusions: The combination of sightings data and satellite tagging data represents an effective methodology for assessing seasonality of occurrence, distribution, and habitat use of whale sharks. Shelf-edge bank habitats were most commonly used by whale sharks in the region. Satellite tagging data provided additional evidence of connectivity between multiple jurisdictions, which lends support for international management of the species.
Fisher & Paykel Industries Ltd. Restructuring

This case examines the use of an American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program in the context of an overall restructuring plan that students are asked to evaluate. A New Zealand-based conglomerate's stock in recent months has underperformed in the New Zealand market. Analysts have begun to speculate that the company suffers from the well-known "conglomerate discount." In June 2000, in an attempt to improve the situation, Deutsche Bank Alex Brown (DBAB) is asked to conduct a strategic review of the company.
Indigeneity, Agency and Modernity

ABSTRACTThis afterword argues for the importance of an historical consciousness in thinking about the contemporary era. The articles in this special issue suggest a much more complicated and entangled relationship between concepts of the indigenous and modernity. Attention to the lives of Sarah Winnemucca, Joseph Brant, Robert Kerr, Anthony Martin Fernando and Kahgegagahbowh suggestively recasts our understandings of rights and modernity away from a central starting-point in the metropole to much more fluid and multiple sites of generation in different locales.
Diel and seasonal patterns of flight activity of Ceratopogonidae in northeastern Colorado: Culicoides.

Diel and seasonal patterns of flight activity of Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett), C. crepuscularis Malloch, C. hieroglyphicus Malloch, and C. palmerae James (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) were studied in northeastern Colorado. Culicoides variipennis was active Mar.–Nov., flying in the late afternoon in Mar., Apr., and Nov., throughout the diel pehod in May, June, Sept., and Oct., and during scotophase in July and Aug. Diel activity was greatest near sunset but sometimes increased near sunrise. Flight activity also increased during periods of moonlight. Flight was not observed at temp 35°C. Culicoides crepuscularis was active May–Nov. Diel flight activity was greatest immediately after sunset, diminished during late scotophase, but increased occasionally near sunrise or during early photophase. Numbers of C. crepuscularis males in flight increased during periods of moonlight. Culicoides hieroglyphicus and C. palmerae were active Apr.–Oct. and May–June, respectively. Patterns of flight activity of both species were apparently a modal, but the greatest numbers were collected in the afternoon in June.
Early extubation: preliminary experience in the cardiothoracic patient population

BACKGROUND: Changing trends and economic forces that emphasize reduced length of stay and early discharge have commanded the need for redesign in the perioperative management of cardiovascular surgical patients. In an effort to explore alternative strategies a multidisciplinary group developed an early extubation program. OBJECTIVES: To determine the safety and efficacy of early extubation in terms of patient outcome, satisfaction and psychologic recovery, and cost and resource utilization. METHODS: A prospective analysis was conducted on patients who met eligibility criteria. Data were acquired from the medical record and through patient interviews. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients successfully participated in the early extubation program over a 10-month period; 15% were older than 70 years. The incidence of reintubation, cardiac arrest, or death was zero. The mean postoperative length of stay was 5.8 days. Two thirds of patients completed a one-step transfer model conferring a modest cost reduction and improved resource utilization. Findings also demonstrated reduced weight gain, earlier mobilization, and improved psychologic recovery. CONCLUSIONS: The preliminary findings demonstrate that early extubation is a safe and effective practice in selected cardiovascular surgical patients. Factors such as rising acuity, advanced age, and multisystem disease must be considered. Further research is warranted to validate the continued safety and efficacy of this practice to ensure positive patient outcomes.
The Archaeology of West Africa, ca. 800 BCE to 1500 CE

Recent archaeological research has transformed our understandings of events and processes in West Africa between the beginning of iron-use ca. 800 BCE and the arrival of Europeans in the 15th century CE, forcing reinterpretations of older narratives that were derived from unbalanced archaeological coverage and over-privileging of the limited textual record. During this period, economic experimentation and transformation were common in West Africa, as farming economies ultimately expanded over the entire region, while specialization and artistic traditions developed within societies for the production of iron, pottery, textiles, terracotta figurines, glass and copper-based objects. Some societies actively participated in interregional economies and cultivated the growth of trans-Saharan trade routes, resulting in the development of large-scale medieval states and empires (e.g. Ghana and Mali) and initial conversions to Islam in northern locations, while elsewhere societies were more focused on local sources of power and authority. Sociopolitical systems varied significantly throughout the region and included mobile foraging groups, diverse village communities, cities with large palaces, cities without hierarchical leadership and territorial states with no urban centres. This article provides an overview of this exciting era in the African past, calling attention to both regional and local historical trajectories.
Minimal Physical Health Risk Associated With Long-term Cannabis Use—But Buyer Beware

This commentary discusses a cohort study published in JAMA Psychiatry that investigated associations between cannabis use over 20 years and physical health problems in midlife.
End-organ metabolism of oestrogens

End-organ metabolism represents an important contributory factor in the mechanism of hormone action. The effects of hormones on their target tissues may be influenced in in situ metabolism of the hormones to inactive products. Alternatively, local metabolism may lead to activation of the circulating hormone, or to a shift in the character of its biological activity. It is well established that target tissue metabolism plays a vital role in the actions of androgens (Wilson et al., 1981; Bardin and Catterall, 1981) and of vitamin D (De Luca and Schnoes, 1976). The concept that local metabolism may also play a part in the effects of oestrogens is, however, relatively new: it is only within the last decade that we have begun to appreciate that some oestrogen metabolites may have important roles as local mediators of oestrogen action. The purpose of this chapter is to review some of the progress which has been made towards increasing our understanding of the physiologic role of local oestrogen metabolism. We will begin by briefly outlining the various routes of oestrogen formation and metabolism which may take place in target tissues. We will then consider in greater detail the biosynthesis and properties of one particular group of oestrogen metabolites, the so-called catechol oestrogens — ring-A hydroxylated oestrogens which have proven to be important products of end-organ oestrogen metabolism.
Using a web editor as a development platform for teaching HTML and client-side programming in the internet 101 course: nifty tools and assignments

Traditionally most courses teaching beginning website development have students using a text editor to code native HTML. This works fine for a website with a few simple pages, but once a website begins to grow this is a cumbersome and time-consuming method. A much more efficient method is to use a web editor as the development platform for such mundane tasks as file management, establishing colors (versus looking up hex codes), finding the coordinates for image maps, etc. Since web editors "write code" for students, some course designers have avoided them due to worries of students learning how to a web editor but not learning how to write the code it is generating. By using two textbooks-one for the web editor, and one for HTML and it's supporting technologies of scripting and style sheets-the students can learn the best of both worlds. This is analogous to using a calculator for math or a rapid application development tool for programming. In fact, the web editor can actually be used as a learning tool for HTML. If the student is unsure of the code then he/she can perform the task in the web editor and then observe the code that was written. This method of learning has been used quite successfully and I believe an explanation and demonstration of it would give conference attendees a useful strategy for teaching website development.
Yrast decay schemes from heavy-ion + /sup 48/Ca fusion-evaporation reactions: IV: /sup 53/Cr, /sup 54/V, /sup 62/Co, and /sup 61hyphen63/Ni

Fusion-evaporation reactions induced by beams of 25-55 MeV $^{9}\mathrm{Be}$ and $^{18}\mathrm{O}$ on an isotopically enriched $^{48}\mathrm{Ca}$ target have been used to populate high-spin yrast levels in $^{53}\mathrm{Cr}$, $^{54}\mathrm{V}$, $^{62}\mathrm{Co}$, and $^{61\ensuremath{-}63}\mathrm{Ni}$. Measurements consisted of $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray excitation functions, angular distributions, $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ coincidences, and recoil-distance and Doppler shift lifetime measurements, from which were deduced the energy levels, $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray branching ratios, most probable spin-parity assignments, and level lifetimes.
A system and method for auto-correction of first order lens distortion

In multispectral imaging systems, correction for lens distortion is required to allow pixel by pixel fusion techniques to be applied. While correction of optical aberration can be extended to higher order terms, for many systems, a first order correction is sufficient to achieve desired results. In producing a multispectral imaging system in production quantities, the process of producing the corrections needs to be largely automated as each lens will require its own corrections. We discuss an auto-correction and bench sighting method application to a dual band imaging system. In principle, we wish to image a dual band target and completely determine the lens distortion parameters for the given optics. We begin with a scale-preserving, radial, first-order lens distortion model; this model allows the horizontal field of view to be determined independently of the distortion. It has the benefits of simple parameterization and the ability to correct mild to moderate distortion that may be expected of production optics. The correction process starts with imaging a dual band target. A feature extraction algorithm is applied to the imagery from both bands to generate a large number of correlated feature points. Using the feature points, we derive an over-determined system of equations; the solution to this system yields the distortion parameters for the lens. Using these parameters, an interpolation map can be generated unique to the lenses involved. The interpolation map is used in real-time to correct the distortion while preserving the horizontal field of view constraint on the system.