cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microbial Identification in the Management of Periodontal Diseases. A Systematic Review

Background:Our understanding of the complexity of the oral microbiota continues to improve as new technologies, such as the analysis of 16S rRNA bacterial genes, are utilized. Despite the difficult of cataloguing all microorganisms and determining their pathogenic potential, some species, mostly members of the resident oral microbiota, have been identified as likely periodontal pathogens. However, for microbial diagnosis to be of value, it needs to affect disease diagnosis and/or treatment planning as well as result in superior treatment outcomes and/or provide an economic benefit to the patient. Rationale:The purposes of this systematic review were to determine if microbial identification influences periodontal patient management and whether treatment outcomes are better compared to patients whose treatment plans are developed without this information. Focused Question:In patients with periodontal diseases, does microbial identification influence patient management compared to treatment prescribed withou...
Wave-Powered Desalination

Climate change, drought, population growth and increased energy and water costs are all forces driving exploration into alternative, sustainable resources. The abundance of untapped wave energy often presents an opportunity for research into exploiting this resource to meet the energy and water needs of populated coastal regions. This paper investigates the potential and impact of harnessing wave energy for the purpose of seawater desalination. First the SWAN wave modeling software was used to evaluate the size and character of the wave resource. These data are used to estimate the cost of water for wave-powered desalination taking a specific region as a case example. The results indicate that, although the cost of water from this technology is not economically competitive at this time, the large available resource confirms the viability of significantly supplementing current freshwater supplies. The results also confirm that research into the feasibility of wave power as a source of energy and water in the area is warranted, particularly as water and energy become more scarce and expensive coinciding with the maturity of commercial wave energy conversion.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Numerical Investigation of Mini Wind Turbines Near Highways

High-speed vehicle motion on the highways produces localized winds whose energy can be harnessed. These local winds have less variability especially if the highway traffic is constant. The idea of extracting energy from highway winds has been conceptualized in many studies before. However, the feasibility of this idea has never been tested using analytical, computation, or experimental methods. In this study, we numerically compute the amount of power that can be extracted from local highway winds due to vehicular motion. A unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) method is used for modeling the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). Realistic computer-aided design (CAD) models of cars and trucks separated by spacing information obtained from the existing standards are used to model the vehicle motion. A vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) is used for extracting energy from the wind. The entire framework of ABL, vehicles, and turbine is simulated using overset grids and multiple translating and rotating frames of reference. Many vehicle motion scenarios were compared to the case of an isolated wind turbine. The initial results show a significant increase in the power that can be extracted by these turbines. The average extracted power increases about 317% when compared to the case without any vehicular motion. Field measurements or wind tunnel studies are required to provide validation for the computations and to determine if more advanced turbulence modeling methodologies have to be employed for these studies.
Electromigration in Lead – Free Solder: A Power IC Perspective

Over the past few years, lead - free solder interconnects have been significantly incorporated into electronic products, and are increasingly found in high performance computing systems and in their associated power electronics. As power and current levels increase within these products, the overall reliability of a lead-free solder based system can be impacted by an increasing risk of finding electromigration (EM) degradation during the product lifetime, especially if the product is operating at higher temperatures and with very high current densities. This paper provides a high-level technical overview of lead-free electromigration and describes the key factors and issues that can influence the EM performance of lead-free interconnects, especially in the environments in which power electronics are typically found.
The Mumbai Bombings and the Law of US-Pakistan Relations

JURIST Guest Columnist Kevin Govern of Ave Maria School of Law says that the most recent bombings in India and the furor over the "targeted killing" of Osama Bin Laden raise questions about US-Pakistani relations and places the legality of US aid to Pakistan into doubt.
Using LES to Understand Wake Evolution During the Diurnal Cycle

Numerical study using actuator-line method based Large Eddy Simulation (LES) has been performed to understand the role of atmospheric stability on the wake effects of horizontal-axis full-scale 5-MW wind turbine (WT). The paper will specifically focus on using specific instances in the diurnal cycle corresponding to stable, neutral and unstable ABL state to gain understanding on the transient aerodynamics of a wind turbine throughout the diurnal cycle. Capturing accurate Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) characteristics is key factor in improving the accuracy of WT model predictions as turbulence developed in the ABL has potential to adversely affect the fatigue lifetime and performance of wind turbines. ABL simulations for the diurnal cycle are performed to isolate the key ABL metrics such as surface momentum flux, boundary layer height, surface temperature flux, wind shear, and temperature gradient that influence the wake evolution of WT. Precursor ABL inflow is generated for the WT simulations. The positive heat flux on the surface causes high vertical velocity fluctuations described with streaks and updraft motions during the day while surface cooling rates result in increased shear and strong temperature gradients during the night. The surface temperature, geostrophic wind velocity, heating/cooling rates, and period of the diurnal cycle are varied in different simulations to compare turbulent statistics and the helical vortices of the wind turbine wake. The results have revealed surface temperature and surface flux are the important ABL metrics that have a strong effect on altering the turbulence in the WT wake. In addition, instabilities related to WT blade rotation exhibit sensitivity to ABL metrics. The positive heat flux shows higher mixing and causes large wake movement in the day-time conditions. The results aid in quantifying the movement of the wake at different times of the diurnal cycle. During night-time conditions mixing is low, causing slower wake recovery times. This is the first study to clearly isolate the key ABL metrics that influence the full-scale WT near-wake effects The study has implications in improving the predictions of WT power loss due to wake deficits. Further, this study sets an important direction on future modeling studies in identifying the ABL conditions in a diurnal cycle that influence the WT wake evolution.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The Intrapartum Management of Breech Presentation

Proper management of the woman in labor with breech presentation entails careful selection of those patients who are able to undergo vaginal delivery. All other viable breech presentations should be considered for cesarean section after extreme prematurity and serious congenital malformations have been excluded. Careful selection of patients for each method of delivery will ensure optimal outcome for mother and fetus.
Infusional Chemoradiation for Operable Rectal Cancer: Post-, Pre-, or Nonoperative Management?

The use of adjuvant irradiation combined with systemic chemotherapy, or "chemoradiation," in the management of patients with operable rectal cancer has enabled more conservative surgery to be performed. Chemoradiation
Should a laparoscopic appendectomy be done

For a laparoscopic appendectomy to be part of a surgical armamentarium, it should: 1) decrease hospital stay, 2) lessen narcotic requirement, 3) speed return to normal activity, 4) be cost effective, and 5) have fewer complications. To this end, we reviewed 60 consecutive cases of each appendectomy performed, laparoscopically and by open technique, during the period of 1993-1996. We looked not only at the above criteria, but also at the type of employment. Laparoscopic appendectomy did not decrease hospital stay (2.1 versus 1.4 days), or morphine equivalent narcotic requirement (38.5 mg versus 19.8 mg). However, laparoscopic appendectomy did carry a hospital bill of $3650.00 more than the open technique ($7923 versus $4273). This results not only from chargeable disposable items, but also from an increase in operative time (47 vs. 36 minutes) and room and anesthesia time (88 vs. 63 minutes), because of the increased length of preparation time. In only one category, patients involved in heavy manual activity (17 patients), the return to normal activity decreased by 1 week. There was no difference in complication rate in each category. Based on these findings, laparoscopic appendectomy cannot be recommended in suspected cases of appendicitis.
CURRENT PROBLEMS IN REACTOR SAFETY

Publisher Summary The principal aim of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in regulating the nuclear power industry is to provide for public safety. Nuclear power plants are allowed to be built and operated only after careful and detailed reviews at the design and construction stages have been conducted that show the plant and methods of operation meet prescribed safety standards. The Commission's standards and regulations ensure that plant design is conservative, that there are ample safety margins, and that redundant components and systems are provided. Despite the measures taken to ensure safety and the application of a defense-in-depth philosophy, the operation of nuclear power plants is not completely risk-free. This chapter discusses some of the issues that are reviewed by the nuclear industry and the NRC.
On the dereification of mind

Although I believe that the arguments presented in this work point toward the possibility of a principled distinction between the study of mind (as properly conceived) and the study of brains and nervous systems, it is quite obvious that without the necessary physiological equipment to enable us to do what we do (so that the mental vocabulary can apply to us) there would be nothing for the student of mind to study. The main point being advanced here is that because the mental vocabulary is governed by a practical logic, originating within and having its proper locus within the ‘natural attitude’ of mundane social life, it does not consist in proper ‘natural kind designators’ which could be used to locate phenomena for which adequate physiological explanations might be sought. Moreover, due to the irreducibility of the predicates of meaningful action to strict behavioural-event predicates, it seems clear that the vocabulary of conduct in general has this same property.
Chronic Leptomeningitis and Spinal Intradural Mass Secondary to Alternaria Infection in a Patient with Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt

Fungal infection following placement of ventriculostomy or ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt is uncommon. We report the first case of Alternaria related central nervous system (CNS) shunt infection in a patient with CNS ependymoma manifesting as leptomeningitis and a spinal intradural mass. This case illustrates the diagnostic and management challenges.
Ionic transients in an extended chain aromatic hetero-cyclic polymer

In an effort to better understand the process of charge transport in extended chain aromatic hetero-cyclic polymers we have made detailed studies of d.c. conduction in one such rigid rod polymer, viz. poly(p-phenylene benzobisthiazole) or PPBT *** Two types of transient currents have been measured. One of these is the gradual decay of current over a long period of time in a PPBT sample exposed to a step function voltage. Typically the current I drops by about three orders of magnitude over a period of six hours and, when plotted on a log-log graph, exhibits a series of linear segments I ∝ t−n. Such measurements were made on samples doped with LiCl, NaCl, CaCl 2 , LaCl 3 , etc. The other type of transient, measured for the same samples, resulted when the humidity was suddenly increased from dry conditions to some finite value on a specimen in a quasi-steady state of conduction. A large increase of relative current (ΔI/I min ) occurs, followed by a gradual decrease over a long period of time. Efforts to relate these effects to the nature of the conduction mechanisms and diffusion of water are discussed.
Adaptive estimation of continuous-time regression models using high-frequency data

Abstract We derive the asymptotic efficiency bound for regular estimates of the slope coefficient in a linear continuous-time regression model for the continuous martingale parts of two Ito semimartingales observed on a fixed time interval with asymptotically shrinking mesh of the observation grid. We further construct an estimator from high-frequency data that achieves this efficiency bound and, indeed, is adaptive to the presence of infinite-dimensional nuisance components. The estimator is formed by taking optimal weighted average of local nonparametric volatility estimates that are constructed over blocks of high-frequency observations. The asymptotic efficiency bound is derived under a Markov assumption for the bivariate process while the high-frequency estimator and its asymptotic properties are derived in a general Ito semimartingale setting. To study the asymptotic behavior of the proposed estimator, we introduce a general spatial localization procedure which extends known results on the estimation of integrated volatility functionals to more general classes of functions of volatility. Empirically relevant numerical examples illustrate that the proposed efficient estimator provides nontrivial improvement over alternatives in the extant literature.
Bridge cable fracture detection with acoustic emission test (Conference Presentation)

In this study, acoustic emission (AE) tests were conducted to detect and locate wire fracture in strands that are widely used in cable-stayed and suspension bridges. To effectively separate fracture signals from unwanted noises, distinct features of fracture, fracture-induced echo, and artificial tapping signals as well as their dependence on loading levels are characterized with short-time Fourier transform. To associate fracture scenarios with their acoustic features, two 20-foot-long (~6.1 m) 270 ksi (~1,862 MPa) steel strands of seven wires were tested with one wire notched off at center and support, respectively, up to 90% of its cross section area by 10% increment. Up to 80% reduction in cross section area of the notched wire, each strand was loaded to 20 kips (~89 kN) corresponding to 35% of the minimum breaking strength and the acquired AE parameters such as hits, energy, and counts were found to change little. With a reduction of 90% of the section area of one wire, both strands were found to be fractured under approximately 16.5 kips (~73.4 kN). The hits, energy, and counts of AE signals were all demonstrated to suddenly change with the fracture of the notched wire. However, only the counts of AE signals distributed over the length of the strands allow the localization of fracture point. The frequency band of fracture signals is significantly broader than that of either fracture-induced echo or artificial tapping noise. The time duration of artificial tapping noises is substantially longer than that of either fracture or fracture-induced echo. These distinct characteristics can be used to effectively separate fracture signals from noises for wire fracture detection and localization in practice.
Uncommon efforts for an uncommon tumor: the case for development of newer systemic therapies for advanced thymic epithelial tumors

Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are a family of rare cancers that exhibit diverse histology and variable clinical behavior. The prognosis associated with TETs, especially thymomas, is generally good relative to other solid tumors with 5-year survival rates of 67% to 93% in patients with locally advanced disease that can be completely resected (1).
The query complexity of graph isomorphism: bypassing distribution testing lower bounds

We study the query complexity of graph isomorphism in the property testing model for dense graphs. We give an algorithm that makes n1+o(1) queries, improving on the previous best bound of O(n5/4). Since the problem is known to require Ω(n) queries, our algorithm is optimal up to a subpolynomial factor. While trying to extend a known connection to distribution testing, discovered by Fischer and Matsliah (SICOMP 2008), one encounters a natural obstacle presented by sampling lower bounds such as the Ω(n2/3)-sample lower bound for distribution closeness testing (Valiant, SICOMP 2011). In the context of graph isomorphism testing, these bounds lead to an n1+Ω(1) barrier for Fischer and Matsliah’s approach. We circumvent this and other limitations by exploiting a geometric representation of the connectivity of vertices. An approximate representation of similarities between vertices can be learned with a near-linear number of queries and allows relaxed versions of sampling and distribution testing problems to be solved more efficiently.
Imperialism and the Liberation Struggle in Southern Africa

After the victories of the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) and the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) against Portuguese colonialism, the liberation struggle in Southern Africa today consists of the heroic efforts being made by the black and brown peoples of South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe to destroy the system of racial oppression established in these countries by white settlers. This system, known in its extreme form of economic explotation and political and cultural oppression as apartheid in South Africa and Namibia, is closely tied to the survival of imperialist interests in Southern Africa. This is why any analysis of the difficulties being faced by the liberation movements of Southern Africa must include a discussion of the specific articulation of imperialism and settler colonialism in this area. For it provides the context in which the African liberation struggle must be understood.
Skin diseases associated with atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is a common chronic pruritic inflammatory skin disorder, characterized by an abnormal skin barrier, immune dysfunction, and an altered skin microbiome. Atopic dermatitis may be seen in conjunction with a variety of other skin disorders due to the complex pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis, involving genetic and environmental factors that are associated with immune dysfunction, barrier defects, and altered skin microbiomes. Skin disorders associated with atopic dermatitis include diseases sharing similar genetic origins like ichthyosis vulgaris, infectious diseases such as impetigo, and eczema herpeticum, in addition to the cutaneous autoimmune diseases, alopecia areata, and vitiligo. Atopic dermatitis is also often linked to such benign conditions as pityriasis alba and keratosis pilaris. This review discusses the cutaneous comorbidities of atopic dermatitis and their relationship via their occurrence in conjunction with atopic dermatitis.
Cosmopolitan Risk, Neoliberal Un-Freedom: Transparency and Responsibility in John LeCarré’s The Constant Gardener

At the heart of both Kantian cosmopolitanism and liberal capitalism is the belief that they offer the best option for freedom from parochial curtailments of safety and liberty. On the one hand, a cosmopolitan federation of states provides the best option for freeing Europe (and, thus, the argument claims, the globe) from the violence that follows national affiliations and sovereignty. On the other hand, laissez-faire economics best ensures individual autonomy and freedom. While one focuses on the universal and the other on the individual, both understand freedom as best emerging from the disappearance of the nation-state. But, alongside both notions of freedom, cosmopolitanism and liberal capitalism both displace risk, by either attempting to eliminate it altogether in global geopolitical harmony or limiting it to an expression of personal decision-making and enterprise. As a result, the risks that accompany the expansion and operation of contemporary global capital tend to have no way to be expressed outside of historically familiar and paternalist colonial language of civilization and personal responsibility. This paper examines how John Le Carre’s The Constant Gardener provides a way to think about globalized risk and responsibility outside of the limitations of cosmopolitan and capitalist discourses by making visible the differential costs both cosmopolitanism and capitalism impose on bodies and places. I argue that the novel uses explicitly cosmopolitan rhetoric of global ethical and political responsibility to critique the self-centered entrepreneurial rationalism of contemporary neoliberalism and its implications for thinking about risk in a transnational context.
Towards Extended Data Mining: An Examination of Technical Aspects

Abstract Data mining has been an active research area for a couple of decades, yet the complicated nature of data mining is still not fully understood. One common misunderstanding of data mining is: Give me the data set, and data mining tools will show me the hidden knowledge. However, this thinking is quite naive, and is not realistic in many real world applications. In this paper, we explore extended data mining, which has the ultimate goal of automatically collecting additional data when needed for effective data mining. Existing web crawling and scraping techniques can be incorporated, but additional steps are still needed. In this paper, we examine important technical aspects for extended data mining via web crawling and scraping.
Symptom Duration in Patients With Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome is not Associated With Pain Severity, Nonurologic Syndromes and Mental Health Symptoms: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain Network Study.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate if patients with urologic chronic pelvic pain syndromes (UCPPS) with longer duration of symptoms experience more severe pain and urologic symptoms, higher rates of chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPC) and psychosocial comorbidities than those with a more recent onset of the condition. We evaluated cross-sectional associations between UCPPS symptom duration and (1) symptom severity, (2) presence of COPC, and (3) mental health comorbidities. METHODS We analyzed baseline data from the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain. Symptom severity, COPC, and mental health comorbidities were compared between patients with symptom duration of < 2 vs ≥ 2 years. Symptom severity was assessed by the Genitourinary Pain Index, the Interstitial Cystitis Symptom and Problem Index, and Likert scales for pelvic pain, urgency, and frequency. Depression and anxiety were evaluated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and stress with the Perceived Stress Scale. RESULTS Males (but not females) with UCPPS symptom duration ≥2 years had more severe symptoms than those with <2 years. Participants with short (<2 years) and longer (≥2 years) symptom duration were as likely to experience COPC. CONCLUSION Longer UCPPS symptom duration was associated with more severe symptoms only in limited patient subpopulations. Symptom duration was not associated with risk for COPC or mental health comorbidities. Females with longer UCPPS duration had decreased distress, but the association was largely attributable to age.
Novel multiplex assay for profiling influenza antibodies in breast milk and serum of mother-infant pairs.

Background: During early life, systemic protection to influenza is passively provided by transplacental transfer of IgG antibodies and oral and gastrointestinal mucosal protection via breast milk (BM) containing predominantly IgA. Immune imprinting, influenced by initial exposure of the infant immune system to influenza, has recently been recognized as an important determinant of future influenza immune responses. Methods: We utilized stored frozen BM from a prospective birth cohort to assess immune factors in human milk. The earliest available BM and a paired, timed serum sample was assessed from each of 7 mothers. Paired infant serum samples were assayed at up to three time points during the first 12 months of life, one prior to assumed disappearance of transplacentally transferred IgG, and one after. We utilized a novel multiplex assay to assess mothers’ and infants’ IgG and IgA antibodies in serum to a panel of 30 individual recombinant hemagglutinin (rHA) proteins of influenza virus strains and chimeric rHAs. We also characterized IgA and IgG antibody levels in breast milk which provide mucosal protection. Results: Our pilot results, analyzing a small number of samples demonstrate the feasibility of this method for studying paired maternal-infant IgG and IgA anti-influenza immunity patterns. Unlike IgG antibodies, breast milk influenza virus HA-specific IgA antibody levels and patterns were mostly discordant compared to serum. As expected, there was a steady decay of infant influenza specific IgG levels by 6 to 8 months of age, which was not, however, comparable in all infants. In contrast, most of the infants showed an increase in IgA responses throughout the first year of life Conclusions: This new analytical method can be applied in a larger study to understand the impact of maternal imprinting on influenza immunity.
Echinacea purpurea Root Extract Increases Tumor Necrosis Factor Production by Concanavalin A-Activated Murine Splenocytes

Abstract Echinacea purpurea is a common herbal remedy used to treat a variety of illnesses, though its health benefits and effects on the immune system have not been fully elucidated. In this study...
Attribute of II “Asexuality” in Korean Kinship and Sundered Koreans during the Korean War*

On the basis of the anthropological fieldwork on sundered Korean families whose dispersal took place during the Korean War (1950-1953), this article delineates the attribute of "asexuality (the con...
Lower Bounds for Compressed Sensing with Generative Models

The goal of compressed sensing is to learn a structured signal $x$ from a limited number of noisy linear measurements $y \approx Ax$. In traditional compressed sensing, "structure" is represented by sparsity in some known basis. Inspired by the success of deep learning in modeling images, recent work starting with~\cite{BJPD17} has instead considered structure to come from a generative model $G: \mathbb{R}^k \to \mathbb{R}^n$. We present two results establishing the difficulty of this latter task, showing that existing bounds are tight. First, we provide a lower bound matching the~\cite{BJPD17} upper bound for compressed sensing from $L$-Lipschitz generative models $G$. In particular, there exists such a function that requires roughly $\Omega(k \log L)$ linear measurements for sparse recovery to be possible. This holds even for the more relaxed goal of \emph{nonuniform} recovery. Second, we show that generative models generalize sparsity as a representation of structure. In particular, we construct a ReLU-based neural network $G: \mathbb{R}^{2k} \to \mathbb{R}^n$ with $O(1)$ layers and $O(kn)$ activations per layer, such that the range of $G$ contains all $k$-sparse vectors.
The Outcomes of Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Recipients Requiring Intensive Care Unit Admission- A Single Center Experience

Background Although the outcome of pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has significantly improved, it remains to be associated with high mortality. Identifying patients at high risk of mortality may potentially help to triage clinical management. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate risk factors associated with mortality of patients who received HSCT and admitted to ICU using pediatric sequential organ failure assessment (pSOFA), one of pediatric severity scoring systems in intensive care unit (ICU). Methods We performed retrospective review of electronic medical records of pediatric patients who received HSCT and were admitted to ICU in our institution between January 2010 and June 2018. Incidence of mortality was obtained, and risk factors associated with the mortality were examined using univariate and multivariable analyses. Results The mortality rate of pediatric HSCT patients who were admitted to ICU as a whole was 27.9%. Patients were divided into three groups based on the number of HSCT required and timing of ICU admission. Patients who received first HSCT and admitted to ICU during the same hospital stay were the majority of the study population (Group A). d(pSOFA), which was defined as the difference between maximum pSOFA and admission pSOFA, greater than and equal to 7 best predicted mortality of Group A (the area under the ROC curve 0.850; 95% CI: 0.733-0.966). Univariate and multivariable analyses showed that an increase in neurologic and cardiovascular sub scores were independently associated with higher mortality (odds ratio (OR) 2.27; 95% CI: 1.32-3.93, and OR 2.69; 95% CI: 1.21-5.99, respectively). Discussion In our single center study, pediatric HSCT patients who were admitted to ICU demonstrated a high mortality. Risk factor analysis demonstrated that patients with the progression of neurologic and cardiovascular injuries probed by pSOFA scoring system during their ICU stay were strongly associated with mortality.
Cookies: a legacy of controversy

Cookies are a legacy of the early commercial web. Developed and deployed by Netscape in 1994, debated by developers since 1995, and subject to political scrutiny since 1998, cookies have grown in v...
DRAINMOD Simulation of macropore flow at subsurface drained agricultural fields: Model modification and field testing

Abstract Macropores are critical pathways through which water and pollutants can bypass the soil matrix and be rapidly transported to subsurface drains and freshwater bodies. We modified the DRAINMOD model to simulate macropore flow using a simple approach as part of developing the DRAINMOD-P model to simulate phosphorus dynamics in artificially drained agricultural lands. The Hagen-Poiseuille’s law was used to estimate the flow capacity of macropores. When ponding depths on the soil surface are greater than Kirkham’s depth, water is assumed to flow through macropores directly to tile drains without interaction with the soil matrix. In the modified model, macropore size is adjusted based on wet or dry conditions while connectivity is altered by tillage. The model was tested using a 4-year data set from a subsurface drained field in northwest Ohio. The soils at the field are classified as very poorly drained and are prone to desiccation cracking. The modified model predicted the daily and monthly subsurface drainage with average Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) values of 0.48 and 0.59, respectively. The cumulative drainage over the 4-year simulation period was under-predicted by 8%. The new macropore component was able to capture about 75% of 60 peak drainage flow events. However, surface runoff was over-predicted for the entire study period. Annual water budgets using measured data (precipitation, subsurface drainage, and surface runoff) and model predictions (evapotranspiration, vertical seepage, and change in storage) were not balanced with an average annual imbalance of 6.4 cm. The lack of closure in the water balance suggests that errors may have occurred in field measurements, particularly, surface runoff. Overall, incorporating macropore flow into DRAINMOD improved predictions of daily drainage peaks and enabled the model to predict subsurface drainage flux contributed by macropore flow, which is critical for expanding DRAINMOD to simulate phosphorus transport in subsurface drained agricultural land.
Prosody and Sociolinguistic Variation in American Englishes

Though scholarly understandings of sociolinguistic variation have undergone a significant expansion in the last 70 years, variables in the realm of prosody remain severely underdescribed. It is nec...
Probing Dopant Redistribution, Phase Propagation, and Local Chemical Changes in the Synthesis of Layered Oxide Battery Cathodes

Achieving the targeted control of layered oxide properties calls for more fundamental studies to mechanistically probe their evolution during their synthesis. Herein, dopant distribution, phase propagation, and local chemical changes as well as their interplay in multielement‐doped LiNiO2 materials are investigated using spectroscopic, imaging, and scattering techniques. It is shown that dopants undergo dynamic redistribution in the Ni(OH)2 host lattice at the early stage of calcination (below 300 °C). Such redistribution behavior exhibits strong dopant‐dependent characteristics, allowing for targeted surface and bulk doping control. The Ni oxidation process exhibits depth‐dependent characteristics and the most rapid Ni oxidation takes place between 300 and 700 °C. Using Ni oxidation state as the proxy for the phase transformation, the buildup of heterogenous phase propagation in the early stage of calcination is shown, especially along the radial direction of secondary particles. The radial heterogenous phase distribution gradually decreases upon completing the calcination. However, a high degree of mosaic‐like heterogeneity may still be present in the final product, departing from the perfect layered oxide. The present study offers fundamental insights into manipulating multiscale materials properties during calcination for obtaining stable, high‐energy layered oxide cathodes.
Religiosity Outcomes in Post-Secondary Courses: Comparing Online and Face-to-Face Instruction

This study compares outcomes relating to religiosity in two different religion courses to identify possible differences in the outcomes received by students who took the course online asynchronousl...
Mazes in Spanish-English dual language learners after language enrichment: a case study

The number of Spanish-English dual language learners (DLLs) in the United States continues to increase every year. In the absence of developmental language norms for DLLs it is important to learn m...
Study on interfacial friction in the inverted annular film boiling regime

Abstract The interfacial friction factor is an important closure model in the two-fluid model for the inverted annular film boiling (IAFB) regime. Almost all the interfacial friction factor correlations used in IAFB modeling were obtained based on experimental data from annular two-phase flows. This paper first reviews the interfacial friction factor models/correlations used in IAFB modeling. A laminar vapor film model is then derived for the smooth IAFB region based on a laminar flow assumption. Experimental data obtained from subcooled and low-quality film boiling experiments in the literature are reduced to calculate the interfacial friction factor by solving one-dimensional two-fluid momentum equations for the liquid and vapor phases. The trend of the interfacial friction factor indicates that the transition from the smooth to wavy IAFB regions occurs at a void fraction range of 0.2 to 0.4. Comparisons between the laminar vapor film model and corresponding experimental data and nine correlations in the literature indicate that the laminar vapor film model appears to provide the lower bound of the interfacial friction factor in the smooth IAFB region. Two interfacial friction factor correlations from the literature are recommended for the smooth and wavy IAFB regions based on the analysis. It can be concluded that the interfacial friction factor in the smooth IAFB region is dependent on the gas Reynolds number and vapor film thickness, while in the wavy IAFB region, it is primarily dependent on the amplitude of the interfacial waves.
Variation in serum urate levels in the absence of gout and urate lowering therapy.

Previous studies have noted significant variation in serum urate (sUA) levels, and it is unknown how this influences the accuracy of hyperuricemia classification based on single data points. Despite this known variability, hyperuricemic patients are often used as a control group in gout studies. Our objective was to determine the accuracy of hyperuricemia classifications based on single data points versus multiple data points given the degree of variability observed with serial measurements of sUA. Data was analyzed from a cross-over clinical trial of urate-lowering therapy in young adults without a gout diagnosis. In the control phase, sUA levels used for this analysis were collected at 2–4 week intervals. Mean coefficient of variation for sUA was determined, as were rates of conversion between normouricemia (sUA ≤6.8 mg/dL) and hyperuricemia (sUA > 6.8 mg/dL). Mean study participant (n = 85) age was 27.8 ± 7.0 years, with 39% female participants and 41% African-American participants. Mean sUA coefficient of variation was 8.5% ± 4.9% (1 to 23%). There was no significant difference in variation between men and women, or between participants initially normouricemic and those who were initially hyperuricemic. Among those initially normouricemic (n = 72), 21% converted to hyperuricemia during at least one subsequent measurement. The subgroup with initial sUA < 6.0 (n = 54) was much less likely to have future values in the range of hyperuricemia compared to the group with screening sUA values between 6.0–6.8 (n = 18) (7% vs 39%, p = 0.0037). Of the participants initially hyperuricemic (n = 13), 46% were later normouricemic during at least one measurement. Single sUA measurements were unreliable in hyperuricemia classification due to spontaneous variation. Knowing this, if a single measurement must be used in classification, it is worth noting that those with an sUA of < 6.0 mg/dL were less likely to demonstrate future hyperuricemic measurements and this could be considered a safer threshold to rule out intermittent hyperuricemia based on a single measurement point. Data from parent study ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02038179 .
Three essays on child labor, schooling outcomes and health

This dissertation examines the interrelationships between child labor, schooling and health, using nationally representative data from the United States and from Brazil. In developing countries, child labor can begin at an early age. However, child labor can be found in developed countries as well, particularly in the teenage years. This dissertation examines (1) whether and how much current state child labor legislation affects the employment and schooling decisions of U.S. high school students; (2) whether there is a cumulative effect of teen work on schooling outcomes; and (3) whether adults who worked as children experience increased incidence of illness or physical disability in Brazil. Variation in state government restrictions on child labor, the availability and quality of local schools, and the opportunity cost of schooling are used as instruments to correct for the potential endogeneity of child labor or years of schooling. This dissertation shows that U.S. child labor laws are not effectively enforced in limiting teen labor supply or in improving schooling outcomes. Nevertheless, child labor does have adverse consequences on lifetime learning and health, even if the work is legal and not of the "worst forms" of child labor, although these consequences are often of modest magnitudes. These findings suggest that policies limiting child labor may be justified as a means of improving the child's welfare later in life, but weak enforcement means that such policies have been only modestly successful in the past.
Testing the Waters: An Analysis of the Student and Parent Experience in a Secondary School’s First Blended Course Offering

In this study, the perceptions of parents (n = 14) and students (n = 47) enrolled in a blended learning course, the first of its kind at their school, were examined. Student performance in the blended and in the traditional portion of the course was examined, and the Educational Success Prediction Instrument (ESPRI) was administered to predict student performance. Both the students and parents were initially excited about the blended learning experience but were concerned about its effect on student performance. Teacher communication was a perceived concern. Differences in student performance between the two portions of the course were not statistically significant (p = .35). The ESPRI had correctly predicted approximately 84% of the outcomes (n = 43).
Cytoplasmic calcium oscillations and store-operated calcium influx.

Intracellular calcium oscillations have fascinated scientists for decades. They provide an important cellular signal which, unlike most signalling mechanisms, is digitally encoded. While it is generally agreed that oscillations most frequently arise from cyclical release and re-uptake of intracellularly stored calcium, it is becoming increasingly clear that influx of calcium across the plasma membrane also plays a critical role in their maintenance and even in delivering their signal to the correct cellular locus. In this review we will discuss the role played by Ca2+ entry mechanisms in Ca2+ oscillations, and approaches to understanding the molecular nature of this Ca2+ entry pathway.
Abstract 15648: Quantitative Evaluation of Mitral Valve Dynamics for Improved Planning of Mitral Valve Repairs

Introduction: Mitral valve (MV) repair with ring annuloplasty is the standard surgical technique for the treatment of mitral regurgitation (MR). Long-term studies report MR recurrence in up to 2-4% of repairs. We have developed a novel computational evaluation strategy to determine the biomechanical and physiologic characteristics of MV dynamics prior to and following virtual MV repair to help with optimal surgical planning. Methods: Virtual MV models from patients with large annular dilation and severe MR in the anterolateral region were created using 3D echocardiographic data sets. Two different types of annuloplasty rings were modeled in the simulation: Physio (flat) and Physio II (saddle-shaped). Proper ring size was determined using standard clinical guidelines. Computational simulations of MV function (pre- and post-repair) were performed using dynamic finite element methods. Coaptation ratio (CR) and structural stress distribution across the MVs were determined and compared. Results: Pathologic MVs...
Mechanics of the Atmospheric Aerosol

The main purpose of this chapter is to outline the basic dynamical behavior of aerosols. We shall therefore discuss the phenomena of Brownian motion, diffusion, sedimentation, and coagulation of aerosol particles, including some effects of turbulence and the so-called ‘phoretic’ forces. (Possible electrical influences will be discussed in Chapter 17.) We shall also extend and/or apply the various formulations to the problems of evaluating mechanisms which remove aerosol particles from the atmosphere, and to the problems of explaining some observed features of the size distributions of atmospheric aerosol particles. This, in turn, will provide much of the mathematical framework which we shall subsequently apply to the study of the individual or collective growth of cloud particles by diffusion (Chapter 13), and by collision and coalescence (Chapters 15 and 16).
Characterization of the arrhythmogenic substrate in ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy implications for catheter ablation of hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia.

Catheter ablation of hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia (VT) relies on substrate mapping of sites critical for reentry. Late potentials (LP), commonly seen in post-infarction scars, reflect areas of myocardium where conduction is slowed and interrupted by fibrosis (1,2). Although LPs are not specific for critical isthmuses, they are highly sensitive as a guide for targeting ablation in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) (3–5). The prevalence and value of LPs as ablation targets in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) remains unknown. Analysis of human explanted hearts with dilated cardiomyopathy has revealed fibrosis, myocyte disarray, and membrane abnormalities.(6,7) Fractionated electrograms in patients with NICM have been attributed to lines of activation block from fibrosis, resulting in nonuniform conduction.(8) However, scar in NICM differs from infarct scar with less confluence, a basal predilection, and less endocardial involvement.(9–11) The purpose of this study was to compare the characteristics and prevalence of LPs within scar tissue in patients with NICM and ICM and to assess their value as ablation targets.
Interactive Clustering for Transaction Data

We propose a clustering algorithm, OAK, targeted to transaction data as typified by market basket data, web documents, and categorical data. OAK is interactive, incremental, and scalable. Use of a dendrogram facilitates the dynamic modification of the number of clusters. In addition, a condensation technique ensures that the dendrogram (regardless of database size) can be memory resident. A performance study shows that the quality of clusters is comparable to ROCK [7] with reduced complexity
British ruling supports legal challenge to broad patents.

Developments in techniques of pharmaceutical chemistry are poised to revolutionize the design of drugs beyond previous expectations. But what are our current expectations and what does the future hold?
A technical modification eliminates early ureteral complications after laparoscopic donor nephrectomy.

Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) is a new technique for removing a kidney from a living donor for transplantation. In comparison with the traditional open donor nephrectomy (ODN), LDN is associated with significantly decreased pain, time out of work, and length of stay, while improving cosmesis. The introduction of LDN has decreased the “cost” of donation (eg, lost wages, disability, time out of work, time required to return to normal function) for many prospective donors and, as a result, has increased the number of potential donors presenting for evaluation. But early experience with LDN indicates that the incidence of early ureteral complications is significantly higher than that of ODN. Centers have reported a 10% to 15% incidence of ureteral strictures or leaks in the first 3 postoperative months requiring operative, angiographic, or cystoscopic intervention. In comparison, the historic incidence of ureteral complications associated with ODN is approximately 2% to 3%. We hypothesized that ureteral complications associated with LDN are the result of ischemia after stripping of the ureter. We have modified the LDN procedure by mobilizing the ureter in combination with the gonadal vein as a single unit. Since institution of this technical modification in May 1998, 50 LDNs have been performed with a ureteral complication rate of 2% at both 3 and 12 months posttransplantation. We describe our technical modification of the ureteral dissection during LDN.