cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Religious vs. Linguistic vs. Class Voting: The “Crucial Experiment” of Comparing Belgium, Canada, South Africa, and Switzerland

For the purpose of determining the relative influence of the three potentially most important social and demographic factors on party choice–social class, religion, and language–a comparison of Belgium, Canada, South Africa, and Switzerland provides a “crucial experiment,” because these three variables are simultaneously present in all four countries. Building on the major earlier research achievements in comparative electoral behavior, this four-country multivariate analysis compares the indices of voting and the party choice “trees” on the basis of national sample surveys conducted in the 1970s. From this crucial contest among the three determinants of party choice, religion emerges as the victor, language as a strong runner-up, and class as a distant third. The surprising strength of the religious factor can be explained in terms of the “freezing” of past conflict dimensions in the party system and the presence of alternative, regional-federal, structures for the expression of linguistic interests.
Fibre architecture and song activation rates of syringeal muscles are not lateralized in the European starling

SUMMARY The songbird vocal organ, the syrinx, is composed of two sound generators, which are independently controlled by sets of two extrinsic and four intrinsic muscles. These muscles rank among the fastest vertebrate muscles, but the molecular and morphological foundations of this rapid physiological performance are unknown. Here we show that the four intrinsic muscles in the syrinx of male European starlings ( Sturnus vulgaris ) are composed of fast oxidative and superfast fibres. Dorsal and ventral tracheobronchialis muscles contain slightly more superfast fibres relative to the number of fast oxidative fibres than dorsal and ventral syringealis muscles. This morphological difference is not reflected in the highest, burst-like activation rate of the two muscle groups during song as assessed with electromyographic recordings. No difference in fibre type ratio was found between the corresponding muscles of the left and right sound generators. Airflow and electromyographic measurements during song indicate that maximal activation rate and speed of airflow regulation do not differ between the two sound sources. Whereas the potential for high-speed muscular control exists on both sides, the two sound generators are used differentially for modulation of acoustic parameters. These results show that large numbers of superfast fibre types are present in intrinsic syringeal muscles of a songbird, providing further confirmation of rapid contraction kinetics. However, syringeal muscles are composed of two fibre types which raises questions about the neuromuscular control of this heterogeneous muscle architecture.
Conformal coating challenges: Detection, rework and failure analysis

Conformai coating application is essential to enhance the lifetime and reliability of electronics made to operate in harsh environments. These polymer based coatings provide a barrier to air-borne contaminants from the operating environment thus preventing attack from moisture, aggressive chemicals, salt sprays, etc. While conformal coatings are mostly used on printed circuit boards (PCBs), they could also be used to protect discrete components mounted on PCBs such as packages, capacitors, passive components, etc. This in turn presents risk when the coating needs to be removed for component rework without deteriorating component functionality. The removal of conformal coating is very important when there is any process or product related issues that requires failure analysis (FA). The main factors to be considered when choosing the coating removal technique are simple and safe technique, low cost process and zero damage to the products. Therefore understanding coating chemistry dictates the removal strategy. This paper addresses the challenges of conformal coating removal and describes the design of experiments (DOE) for conformal coating removal in order to enable rework/FA. Special cases where conventional detection of the conformal coating fails are also addressed.
Environmental Reviews & Case Studies: Reflections on Green Infrastructure Economics

Because green infrastructure used for urban storm-water management also serves larger ecosystem services functions (such as providing habitat, recharging aquifers, and minimizing erosion), proponen...
Action of l-Methyl-4-(3-Hydroxyphenyl)-4-Piperidyl Ethyl Ketone on the Gastrointestinal Tract.∗:

SummaryWIN 1539, a new potent synthetic analgesic related chemically to Demerol, was found to have a stronger spasmolytic action than Demerol on the stimulated isolated intestinal strip. A decrease in tone of the intact small intestine of the dog was observed, WIN 1539 caused a greater delay than Demerol in the emptying time of the rat's stomach but morphine retarded emptying more than either of these drugs. Demerol caused a stimulation of the intact rat's stomach whereas WIN 1539 and morphine decreased the motility of this organ.
Old Spanish Paladino, Palaciano, Palanciano, Palaciego

Structurally parallel derivatives from a given primitive (such as Lat. TENEBR-ICUS beside TENEBR-OSUS, Fr. verd-eur beside verdure, OSp. trist-eza beside trist-ura) in the historical perspective mostly turn out to have been successive rather than simultaneous offshoots.1 As long as such formations are studied merely in word lists illustrating the ranges of the individual suffixes that go into their making, the historical sequence of events is bound to pass unnoticed or, at least, not to remain fully discernible. To shed light on the relative chronology, it is advisable to select, as an appropriate unit of inquiry, the growth of separate word families showing sufficient proliferation of derivatives. The implicit severe limitation of scope allows the explorer to focus attention on the constantly changing interrelations between the nuclear formation of each family (the primitive) and its satellites in a number of carefully selected, clearly defined cases, in which adequate documentation can be furnished and the number of unknowns in historical reconstruction is reducible to the barest minimum. These shifts are in accord with the observable semantic expansions and contractions of the radical element and the ceaselessly changing availability of formatives, which, in turn, gradually experience extensions and reductions of their original scopes, proportionate to the number of currently used derivatives in which they are represented (to the extent to which they can be individuated and detached by untutored speakers). The linguistic historian can thus work out an intricate pattern of attractions and repulsions between radical and formatives. If his interest broadens out into culture history, he is further able, in the concrete case of the Hispano-Latin lexicon, to follow the (frequently tortuous) course of an important word-family, including all its ramifications, over a period of two thousand years, with the aim of distinguishing between the services that each member of the word-family, through incessant readjustment, has lent to consecutive generations of speakers, each in search of new expressions for newly-felt needs.
Implantable venous access device: use in patients with advanced head and neck cancer.

As a result of prolonged hospitalizations and the frequent administration of sclerosing antibiotics and/or chemotherapeutic agents, vascular access frequently becomes difficult in patients with advanced head and neck carcinoma. Eighty-six totally implantable venous access devices were placed in 83 patients with advanced head and neck cancer to facilitate the administration of continuous intravenous infusion chemotherapy. Complications relating to surgical placement or usage of the device occurred in 29 of 86 ports (34%), leading to the removal of eight devices (9%). The implantation of two devices required revision. There were no serious sequelae from any of the complications. The port facilitated the administration of home chemotherapy in 11 patients. Because of our favorable experience, we now routinely recommend placement of these devices to all patients with advanced head and neck cancer at ourinstitution.
Casein Micelle Structure and Stability

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the physico-chemical properties and interactions of the caseins and blendes them on to the construction of a mechanistic framework for a working model of the casein micelle—the dual-binding model. The various properties of the casein micelle have been rationalized in terms predicted by the model. Particular attention has been paid to the treatments leading to destabilization and gel formation, where the necessity for the dual-binding model to explain fully the behavior in the developing gels has been demonstrated in the chapter. Constraints of space have limited the number of cases to be considered. A major omission has been explaining the dissociation and reassociation behavior of the casein micelle under high pressure.
The Function of Carbonic Anhydrase in Crustacean Gills

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is one of the most ubiquitous enzymes found in living organisms. The major action of the enzyme is the catalysis of the reactions of carbon dioxide with water, reactions which proceed uncatalyzed at very slow rates even at physiological temperatures. The enzyme is important for several reasons. It can mobilize rapidly carbon dioxide to bicarbonate and carbonate, which has implications for acid-base balance, ion transport, and calcification, all at the tissue and cellular levels. It can also mobilize bicarbonate to the more diffusible carbon dioxide, facilitating transport within, between, and across tissues and cells. Among animals CA has been studied extensively in the vertebrates and especially mammals. Although the occurrence of CA among the invertebrate phyla has been known for some 47 years (Ferguson et al. 1937), it is only recently that investigations into its function in invertebrates have begun in earnest. The reader is referred to a recent review of the subject by Henry (1984). The purpose of this article is to present information on what is currently known about the distribution of CA and its function in transporting substances across gills in a single group of invertebrate organisms, the decapod crustaceans.
Storage of CO2 in depleted/producing oil reservoirs

This chapter presents a framework for an environmental based assessment of CO2 storage operations in depleted/producing oil reservoirs. We specially focus on the CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and storage as the primal advantage of the storage in producing and depleted oilfields. We begin with a qualitative assessment of the physical aspects of EOR-storage process. Then we present a basic quantitative method for the EOR-storage performance evaluation. Finally, we discuss the field scale development of EOR operation for industrial CO2 storage and address the environmental assessment of the EOR-storage operation. The contents of this chapter aim to benefit reservoir engineers and geologists who seek to upscale and communicate the technical knowledge on field-scale CO2-EOR operations into tangible environmental and technical performance measures that are better observed by managers and policy makers.
Analysis of sorghum wax and carnauba wax by reversed phase liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

Sorghum is a genus of plant in the grass family, which is used for both grain and forage production throughout the world. In the United States, sorghum grain is predominantly used as livestock feed, and in ethanol production. In recent years however, sorghum grain has been investigated for other industrial applications, including gluten free food sources for the US food market, and waxes. The United States is the world's largest producer of grain sorghum, which is grown in the arid regions of the southern Great Plains, Arizona and California.Carnauba wax is used in a variety of products; including cosmetics, industrial polishes, food products, and paper products. The United States has no domestic source of carnauba wax, and imports 100% of its carnauba wax supply. Sorghum wax has demonstrated similar physical properties to carnauba wax, and could potentially be a viable substitute for carnauba wax.In this paper we present the first successful reversed phase HPLC method, via a C30 column, for the analysis and characterization of waxes, without the need for specialized columns or sample derivation. Sorghum wax is composed of a heterogeneous mixture of compounds, dominated by C28 and C30 saturated and unsaturated species, while carnauba is more homogeneous in nature, and composed primarily of C56-C60 saturated wax esters.
Why mission matters more for (some) charter principals

Reflecting post-bureaucratic organisation theory, education reformers intended charter schools to empower school-level leaders, most typically principals, with autonomy to pursue clear, student-centred missions. Yet little research explores whether charter school principals have more power than traditional public school counterparts. We summarise the limited literature addressing the issue. Second, we present findings from interviews with nine charter leaders from six US states who have experience in leading both charter and traditional public schools, a unique data set. Both prior research and our findings suggest that generally, leaders feel more likely to be held accountable for results in charter schools than in traditional public schools. Furthermore, without oversight from school boards and central office administrators, charter leaders report having more power over budget and personnel, and more ability to collaborate with teachers. At the same time, standalone charter leaders report needin...
Integrating NMR, SAXS, and Atomistic Simulations: Structure and Dynamics of a Two-Domain Protein

Multidomain proteins with two or more independently folded functional domains are prevalent in nature. Whereas most multidomain proteins are linked linearly in sequence, roughly one-tenth possess domain insertions where a guest domain is implanted into a loop of a host domain, such that the two domains are connected by a pair of interdomain linkers. Here, we characterized the influence of the interdomain linkers on the structure and dynamics of a domain-insertion protein in which the guest LysM domain is inserted into a central loop of the host CVNH domain. Expanding upon our previous crystallographic and NMR studies, we applied SAXS in combination with NMR paramagnetic relaxation enhancement to construct a structural model of the overall two-domain system. Although the two domains have no fixed relative orientation, certain orientations were found to be preferred over others. We also assessed the accuracies of molecular mechanics force fields in modeling the structure and dynamics of tethered multidomain proteins by integrating our experimental results with microsecond-scale atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. In particular, our evaluation of two different combinations of the latest force fields and water models revealed that both combinations accurately reproduce certain structural and dynamical properties, but are inaccurate for others. Overall, our study illustrates the value of integrating experimental NMR and SAXS studies with long timescale atomistic simulations for characterizing structural ensembles of flexibly linked multidomain systems.
Effective POGIL Implementation Approaches in Computer Science Courses: (Abstract Only)

The use of Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning model (POGIL) in introductory computer science courses has shown to be very useful in active learning delivery of fundamentals of computer science. Moreover, the aspect of organized teamwork in POGIL helps students develop professional skills to be ready to participate in team-based upper division CS courses such as software engineering or capstone courses. POGIL introduces a structured, yet flexible model for group activities. It also resolves the issue of member participations in activities since everyone needs to take a role and switch them in different activities. Time-management is also enhanced with POGIL. Though POGIL is a promising pedagogy, it also presents some unique challenge such as how to adopt the current activities to specific model of the classrooms. The implementation of courses can follow various approaches depending on factors like: class size, institutional culture, background of the students, the nature of facilities, and instructor preferences. In particular, faculty might need to invest significant amount of time to develop and/or work on modifying existing materials for specific courses. Therefore, instructors who choose to be POGIL facilitators has various decision choices. Detailed discussion about all these challenges, choices, options, and approaches are provided which can benefit faculty who are using and/or interested in adopting POGIL in CS courses. The discussions could be helpful to those who are only interested in group-based active learning teaching of CS courses.
Student evaluations of teaching: the impact of faculty procedures on response rates

In the last 10–15 years, many institutions of higher education have switched from paper-and-pencil methods to online methods of administering student evaluations of teaching (SETs). One consequence...
Transcranial Photobiomodulation for Psychiatric Disorders: Past and Future Directions

Transcranial photobiomodulation with near-infrared and red radiation for the treatment of psychiatric conditions is reviewed. While still experimental, preliminary data on the use of both laser and LED devices for brain disorders are promising.
Operator-induced contamination in cell culture systems

Operator-induced biological contamination in cell cultures is a multifaceted problem involving the unexpected introduction of other animal cells, microbial and viral contaminants. Detailed studies on animal cell cross contaminations have been performed and published. The frequency of detection of problem cultures has been as high as 36% for one service performed in the USA, with interspecific cross contamination accounting for 25% and human intraspecific contamination representing 11%. Awareness of the potential of this problem plus the application of several characterizations are key factors for its control. For example, fluorescent antibody staining, isoenzyme analyses, cytogenetic evaluations and DNA fingerprinting using molecular probes are needed for quality assurance on master seed stocks. Detection of microbial contamination is relatively straightforward, but the prevalence of mycoplasmal infections in cell cultures used in general research is still a significant problem. Detection services report frequencies of infection varying from 10% upwards, depending upon the country and laboratory of origin. The utilization of prescreened reagents and antibiotic-free cultivation, plus the application of improved procedures, such as fluorescent dyes and molecular probes for detection, provide effective means of avoiding mycoplasma infection and facilitating control. For many viruses, the presence of mycoplasma reduces immunoreactivity, suppresses transcriptase and other enzyme activities, reverses viral neutralization etc. The introduction of viral contaminants into cell cultures is perhaps the most problematic, especially where no cytopathic effect is produced. Few cases are documented where technicians infected with specific viruses have introduced these unwittingly into cultures in their care. The potential exists, however, as reports have appeared documenting the considerable stability of rhinoviruses, respiratory syncytial virus, rotaviruses and others, in aerosols on workers' hands and safety hood surfaces. The infection of cell cultures via other contaminated cells or reagents such as sera is a related problem. In this regard, the infection of transplantable tumor cell lines with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus from host animals led to an outbreak of the disease in medical center personnel. Similar infection of rat cell lines exposed to animals harboring hantaviruses has been reported. Technical staff in US government laboratories have been infected with human immunodeficiency virus produced in cultured cells. Such serious public health hazards warrant repeated emphasis. The use of multiple cell lines in a given laboratory, including cultures known to be virally infected, compounds the problems and necessitates application of preventive methods both to avoid cross-infections and to document freedom from contamination.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Mechanism and Significance of Integration and Vertical Transmission of Human Herpesvirus 6 Genome

The integration of HHV-6 into telomeres is a newly identified form of Human Herpesvirus latency. The integration of iHHV-6A and iHHV-6B into the same chromosome telomeres of family members lends itself to vertical transmission through the germ-line. Studies have shown that iHHV-6A and iHHV-6B preferentially integrated in chromosomes’ telomeres 9q34.4, 17p13.3, 18q23, 19q13.4, and 22q13.3.
Learning to integrate multiple knowledge sources for case-based reasoning

The case based reasoning process depends on multiple overlapping knowledge sources, each of which provides an opportunity for learning. Exploiting these opportunities requires not only determining the learning mechanisms to use for each individual knowledge source, but also how the different learning mechanisms interact and their combined utility. This paper presents a case study examining the relative contributions and costs involved in learning processes for three different knowledge sources--cases, case adaptation knowledge, and similarity information--in a casebased planner. It demonstrates the importance of interactions between different learning processes and identifies a promising method for integrating multiple learning methods to improve case-based reasoning.
Age of Information in Energy Harvesting Status Update Systems: When to Preempt in Service?

This paper analyzes the age of information in a single-source status update system with energy constraints. Specifically, a source provides status updates to a destination through a server assumed to have a battery with finite capacity that is replenished by harvesting energy. Arrival times of the status updates at the source and energy units at the server are assumed to be random according to independent Poisson processes, and service times are assumed to be exponentially distributed and independent of the status and energy arrivals. Average age expressions are derived under the assumption that new status updates from the source preempt a prior status update in service. Numerical results are provided to illustrate the operating regimes where a server that allows preemption of status update packets in service achieves a lower average age compared to a server that does not allow preemption.
Identification of Serum Biomarker Panels for the Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer

Background:Pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease for which available biomarkers, such as CA19-9, lack the desired sensitivity and specificity for early detection. Additional biomarkers are needed to improve both its sensitivity and specificity. Methods:Multiplex immunoassays were developed for selected biomarkers using a Bio-Plex 200 system and analytical performance optimized. All proteins were analyzed in sera of patients diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC, n=188) or benign pancreatic conditions (131), and healthy controls (89). The clinical performance of these markers were evaluated individually or in combination for their ability to complement CA19-9 for the early detection of pancreatic cancer. Results:A 6-plex immunoassay was developed with negligible cross-reactivity, wide dynamic ranges, recovery of 89-104%, and intra-assay and inter-assay precision of 10.2-19.6% and 13.7-29.3%, respectively. Individually, the best biomarkers to separate PDAC early stage from chronic pancreatitis or intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) were CA19-9 and MIA or CA19-9 and MIC-1. Logistic regression modelling selected the two-marker panels that significantly improved the individual biomarker performance in discriminating PDAC early stage from chronic pancreatitis (AUCCA19-9+MIA=0.86 versus AUCCA19-9=0.81 or AUCMIA=0.75 only, p<0.05) or IPMN (AUCCA19-9+MIC-1=0.81 versus AUCCA19-9=0.75 or AUCMIC-1=0.73 only, p<0.05). It was observed that OPN outperformed CA19-9 in separating IPMN from chronic pancreatitis (AUCOPN=0.80 versus AUCCA19-9=0.70, p<0.01). Conclusions:The biomarker panels evaluated by assays with high analytical performance demonstrated potential complementary values to CA19-9, warranting additional clinical validation to determine their role in early detection of pancreatic cancer. Impact:The validated biomarker panels could lead to earlier intervention and better outcomes.
A web server for comparative analysis of single-cell RNA-seq data

Single cell RNA-Seq (scRNA-seq) studies profile thousands of cells in heterogeneous environments. Current methods for characterizing cells perform unsupervised analysis followed by assignment using a small set of known marker genes. Such approaches are limited to a few, well characterized cell types. We developed an automated pipeline to download, process, and annotate publicly available scRNA-seq datasets to enable large scale supervised characterization. We extend supervised neural networks to obtain efficient and accurate representations for scRNA-seq data. We apply our pipeline to analyze data from over 500 different studies with over 300 unique cell types and show that supervised methods outperform unsupervised methods for cell type identification. A case study highlights the usefulness of these methods for comparing cell type distributions in healthy and diseased mice. Finally, we present scQuery, a web server which uses our neural networks and fast matching methods to determine cell types, key genes, and more.
Preoperative Prognosticators of Safe Laparoscopic Hepatocellular Carcinoma Resection in Advanced Cirrhosis: a Propensity Score Matching Population-Based Analysis of 1799 Western Patients

The safety and oncologic outcomes of patients with advanced cirrhosis undergoing laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) compared to open resection (OLR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. Patients with HCC resection during 2010–2014 were identified from the National Cancer Database. Patients with severe fibrosis; single lesions; M0; and known grade, margin status, tumor size, length of hospital stay, 30- and 90-day mortality, 30-day readmission, surgical approach, and complete follow-up were included. A 1:1 propensity score matching analysis of LLR:OLR was performed. Prognostic effect of LLR was assessed by multivariable Cox proportional hazards model. A total of 1799 hepatectomy patients (minor (n = 491, 27.3%); major (n = 1308, 72.7%)) were included. Of 193 (10.7%) LLR patients, 190 were eligible for matching. The LLR vs OLR did not differ for patient characteristics, resection margin status, and 30-day (p = 0.141), 90-day mortality (p = 0.121), or 30-day readmission (p = 0.784). Median hospital stay was shorter for LLR (6 vs 8 days, p = 0.001). Median overall survival (OS) was similar for LLR vs OLR (44.2 and 39.5 months, respectively, p = 0.064). Predictors of worse OS were older age (hazard ratio (HR) 1.04, p = 0.034), > 2 comorbidities (HR 1.29, p = 0.012), grade 3–4 disease (HR 1.81, p = 0.025), N1 disease (HR 1.04, p = 0.048), and R1 margins (HR 1.34, p = 0.002). After adjustment for confounders, LLR vs OLR was not a significant risk factor for OS (HR 1.14, 95% CI 0.76–1.71, p = 0.522). While LLR in advanced cirrhosis for patients with HCC proved safe, optimal patient selection based on the preoperatively available factors comorbidities, age, degree of underlying liver disease, and high-quality oncologic surgery will determine long-term survival.
Micronodules Detected on Computed Tomography During the National Lung Screening Trial: Prevalence and Relation to Positive Studies and Lung Cancer

Abstract Introduction In the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) all cases with a 4-mm nodule (micronodule) and no other findings were classified as a negative study. The prevalence and malignant potential of micronodules in the NLST is evaluated to understand if this classification was appropriate. Methods and Materials In the NLST a total of 53,452 participants were enrolled with 26,722 undergoing low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening. To determine whether a micronodule developed into a lung cancer, a list from the NLST database of those participants who developed lung cancer and had a micronodule recorded was selected. The CT images of this subset were reviewed by experienced, fellowship-trained thoracic radiologists (R.F.M., C.C., P.M.B., and D.R.A.), all of whom participated as readers in the NLST. Results There were 26,722 participants who underwent CT in the NLST, of which 11,326 (42%) participants had at least one CT with a micronodule. Five thousand five hundred sixty (49%) of these participants had at least one positive CT examination, of which 409 (3.6%) subsequently were diagnosed with lung cancer. Of the 409 lung cancer cases with a micronodule recorded, there were 13 cases in which a micronodule developed into lung cancer. Considering the 13 cases, they represent 1.2% (13 of 1089) of the lung cancers diagnosed in the CT arm of the NLST and 0.11% (13 of 11,326) of the total micronodule cases. Additionally they represent 0.23% (13 of 5560) of the micronodule and at least one positive CT examination cases and 3.2% (13 of 409) of the micronodule cases diagnosed with lung cancer. The average size of the nodule at baseline (recorded as maximum diameter by perpendicular diameter) was 3.0 × 2.5 mm (ranges 2 x 4 mm and 2 x 4 mm) and at the positive CT the nodule was 11.1 × 8.6 mm (ranges, 6 x 20 mm and 5 x 14 mm); a difference of average change in size of 8.1 × 6.1 mm. The average number of days from first CT with a micronodule recorded to positive CT was 459 days (range, 338 – 723 days), the mean time from first CT with micronodule to lung cancer diagnosis was 617 days (range, 380 – 1140 days) and the mean time from positive CT to lung cancer diagnosis was 160 days (range, 18 – 417 days). Histologically, there was one small cell carcinoma and 12 non–small cell with stages of IA in 8 (62%), stage IB in 2 (15%), and 1 each stage IIIA, IIIB, and IV. The overall survival of NSCLC cases with a micronodule was not significantly different than the survival of the CT subset diagnosed with NSCL (p = 0.36). Conclusions Micronodules are common among lung cancer–screened participants and are capable of developing into lung cancer; however, following micronodules by annual CT screening surveillance is appropriate and does not impact overall survival or outcome.
The Two Faces of Policy: Divorce Reform in Western Democracies

The purpose of this study is to characterize the recent reforms in divorce laws in a number of Western democratic countries, including, the United States Canada Great Britain, Australia, New Zealan...
El nuevo «boom»: la novela hispana en los Estados Unidos

Se discute el impacto causado por los novelistas del boom en una generacion de jovenes escritores hispanos que residen en los Estados Unidos.
Standard module hydraulic technology: A novel geometrical design methodology and analysis for a low-head hydraulic turbine system, Part I: General design methodology and basic geometry considerations

Abstract Low-head hydropower has the potential to generate a significant amount of electricity from rivers that traditionally were unsuitable for developing hydraulic power plants and supporting the resiliency of the U.S electricity system. Based on the 2016 Hydropower Vision Report, across the U.S, approximately 65.5GW of new stream-reach hydropower capacities are available. The development of those resources could be possible only if the technologies for low-head hydropower that balance efficiency, economics, and environmental sustainability were developed. The traditional hydropower design method was limited to the new challenges of the Low-head application. Therefore, a Standard Modular Hydropower Technology (SMH) was proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in 2017. This new concept offers a new paradigm for small hydropower technology development based on the premise that standardization, modularity, and preservation of stream functionality must become essential and fully realized features of next-generation hydropower technologies and project designs. This technology has three major modules: Generation Module, Passage Modules, Foundation Modules. This paper is the first of this series of papers that propose and develop a new design methodology for the Generation Module that is a low impact, damless Kaplan turbine system for the low-head new stream-reach sites SMH application.
Causes of death among Federal Black Lung Benefits Program beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare, 1999-2016.

BACKGROUND Coal miners with totally disabling pneumoconiosis are eligible for benefits through the Federal Black Lung Benefits Program (FBLP). We identify the causes of death among Medicare beneficiaries with a claim for which the FBLP was the primary payer and compare these causes of death to all deceased Medicare beneficiaries to better understand elevated death and disease among miners with occupational respiratory exposures. METHODS From 1999 to 2016 Medicare data, we extracted beneficiary and National Death Index data for 28,003 beneficiaries with an FBLP primary payer claim. We summarized the International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification 10th revision-coded underlying causes of death and entity-axis multiple causes of death for 22,242 deceased Medicare beneficiaries with an FBLP primary payer Medicare claim and compared their causes of death to the deceased Medicare beneficiary population. RESULTS Among deceased FBLP beneficiaries, the three leading underlying causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, unspecified (J44.9, 10.1%), atherosclerotic heart disease (I25.1, 9.3%), and coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) (J60, 9.2%). All diseases of the respiratory system combined (J00-J99) were the underlying cause of death for 29.1% of all beneficiaries, with pneumoconioses (J60-J64) as the underlying cause for 11.0% of all beneficiaries. CONCLUSIONS Coal miners enrolled in Medicare with an FBLP primary payer claim were more likely to have specific respiratory and cardiovascular diseases listed as a cause of death than deceased Medicare beneficiaries overall, and were also more likely to die from CWP or any pneumoconioses.
Intravitreal dexamethasone insert in diabetic macular edema super-refractory to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy:

Background Some patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) fail to completely respond to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy. These patients have a high treatment burden in the absence of significant improvement. We investigate the role of intravitreal dexamethasone insert (IDI) in eyes with super-refractory DME. Methods A non-randomized interventional study was performed among eyes with super-refractory DME refractory to anti-VEGF therapy. Eyes were treated with IDI after failing clinical response to anti-VEGF, with a minimum of 15 prior. Failure to respond was defined as failure of vision to improve at least one line on Snellen Acuity chart, central subfield thickness (CST) greater than 320 μm, or failure of CST to improve by 10% or more. Eyes with glaucoma or prior uncontrolled steroid-responsive ocular hypertension were excluded. Patient outcomes were analyzed at weeks 6, 12, 24, and year 1. Results Six eyes of four patients were identified. All patients had failed aflibercept. The mean number of prior anti-VEGF injections was 34.5. Eyes received an average of 2.92 dexamethasone injections per person-year (PY) and required breakthrough anti-VEGF injection at 1.95/PY. Mean pre-treatment visual acuity was 0.475 LogMAR, improving to 0.342 at week 6, and 0.375 at 1 year. Mean CST pre-injection was 386.5 mm, improving to 315 mm at 1 year. No glaucoma developed. Conclusions Intravitreal dexamethasone insert appears effective in eyes with super-refractory DME. IDI resulted in excellent anatomic improvement on SD-OCT as well as modest visual improvement. Injection burden was reduced in those who may otherwise receive years of monthly treatments.
Do the Changes in Segment Reporting Rules Under SFAS No. 131 Enhance or Reduce Value Relevance of Segment Disclosures and Firm Level Data? Comparative Analysis between Pre- and Post-SFAS No. 131 Periods

At the writing of this paper, the international community is considering following the lead of the United States by changing its segment disclosure requirements. Segment information has traditionally been disclosed along objectively determined industry lines, but new disclosure requirements in the U.S. (SFAS No. 131) require firms to disclose segment information as it is used by the firm's chief operating decision maker for internal decision making, resource allocation, and performance evaluation. SFAS No. 131 is believed to enhance the quality of segment reporting in two ways. First, it allows investors to see the company as management does. This should enable investors to more carefully evaluate the strategic decisions of managment and the performance of the firm's different activities. Secondly, recent research (see Botosan and Stanford 2005 and Nichols and Street 2007) has shown that the rules of the prior reporting regime, SFAS No. 14, allowed management to conceal information about under (or over) performing segments of the firm more easily than under the new reporting regime of SFAS No. 131. The international community is therefore considering the adoption of IFRS 8. This study addresses the following question: Did the change in segment reporting requirements in the U.S. significantly alter the market valuation process for the better? Following Francis and Schipper (1999), we conduct both portfolio return and price-level regression tests to examine changes in the value relevance of accounting information from segment disclosures and in the underlying pricing process itself. Our analysis confirms prior findings that segment disclosures are value relevant and also demonstrates that while the market value of a firm's book value is constant across the two reporting regimes, the market value of its firm level earnings changes when the management approach to segment disclosure is required. Our study also contributes to the extant literature by establishing the newly developing option theory of valuation for segment operations as a valuable tool for understanding the market pricing process. We use an options based summary measure of segment information which was developed by Chen and Zhang (2003), the divergence of profitability, to examine changes to the value relevance of segment information and firm level earnings across segment reporting regimes. Empirical results of both portfolio returns and price-level regression tests using three-year windows before and after the change in reporting requirements show that the divergence of profitability measure captures valuable information about the market pricing process and that the new disclosure rules alter the way investors value firm level earnings performance.
Modeling individual development plans, mentoring support, and career preparedness relationships among Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) trainees in the life sciences

Background: As greater career development support for doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers has been emphasized, the individual development plan (IDP) has become a recommended mentoring tool. However, little is known about the effect of IDPs on mentoring and career development. This study proposed two conceptual models to examine the interrelationships among the use of IDPs, mentoring support, and career preparedness with a diverse sample of doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers in the life sciences. Methods: The data leveraged for this study was collected over a three-month period, March 2016 to June 2016, as part of a cross-sectional, online survey. The survey was distributed through social media and direct email to participants enrolled in life/biological/medical or physical/applied doctoral programs at U.S. institutions. To test the proposed conceptual models, this study employed the design-based multilevel structural equation modeling. Results: The analytic sample comprised 660 doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers in the life sciences from 91 institutions. The results suggested that 1) using the IDP could enhance mentoring support and career preparedness of doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers; 2) greater mentoring support and career preparedness would motivate mentees to continue utilizing the IDP with their principal investigator (PI) or advisor; and 3) females, postdoctoral researchers, and international scholars might need more support throughout the mentoring and career development process. Conclusions: This research demonstrated the empirical evidence an IDP has within mentorship and career preparedness, and that an IDP is an important career development tool that enhances trainees’ overall career preparation.
Gas-cooled reactor thermal hydraulic analyses with MELCOR

Abstract Pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) has been selected as the reference design for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP). Stemming from a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) HTGR research initiative, a need was identified for validation of systems-level computer code modeling capabilities in anticipation of the eventual need to perform licensing analyses. Because the NRC has used MELCOR for light water reactors (LWR) in the past and because MELCOR was recently updated to include gas-cooled reactor (GCR) physics models, MELCOR is among the system codes of interest to the NRC. This paper describes MELCOR modeling of the General Atomics' Modular High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (MHTGR). The MHGTR is a suitable design for demonstration of MELCOR GCR modeling competency for two reasons: 1) the MHTGR is a predecessor to the more advanced General Atomics’ Gas-Turbine Modular High Temperature Reactor (GTMHR), and 2) experimental data useful for benchmark calculations may soon become available. Using the most complete literature references available for the MHTGR design, researchers at Texas A&M University (TAMU) constructed a MELCOR input deck for the MHTGR to partially validate MELCOR GCR modeling capabilities. Normal and off-normal system operating conditions were modeled with appropriate boundary and initial conditions. MELCOR predictions of system response were obtained for steady-state, pressurized conduction cool-down (PCC), and depressurized conduction cool-down (DCC) scenarios. Code results were checked against nominal MHTGR design parameters, physical intuition, and anticipated GCR thermal hydraulic response. No inherent deficiencies in MELCOR modeling capability were observed, suggesting that the newly-implemented GCR models are adequate for systems-level analysis. If and when experimental benchmark data becomes available, further validation activities may proceed given the modeling efforts discussed herein.
Seven Surprises in the TCR-Centred Regulation of Immune Responsiveness in an Autoimmune System

Self-reactivity is potentially so devastating to the organism that a variety of regulatory devices have evolved to control it. One broadly used strategy is that employing the processed T cell receptor (TCR) as a target for TCR-specific regulatory cells. In several autoimmune models, feedback regulation employing both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells of TCR specificity can be shown to occur and to account for remission from the transient disease state, or for its prevention. We will focus here on the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model in the B10.PL (H-2u) mouse. In this model, the acetylated 1-9 N-terminal antigenic determinant from myelin basic protein (MBP) induces a transient paralytic disease owing to the activation of self-directed, high-affinity, CD4+ T cells. Although the response is multiclonal, a particularly aggressive member of this repertoire, bearing a Vbeta8.2,Jbeta2.7 receptor, which we have termed a 'driver clone', appears to be largely responsible for the disease process. A CD4+ T cell directed against a TCR determinant in the framework region of the Vbeta chain, and a CD8+ T cell directed against an upstream, distinct framework determinant, both of which are necessary for regulation, bring about a reversal of the disease process. To accomplish this, there must be a Th1 milieu during the induction of regulation, which is provided in part by the CD4+ regulatory cells themselves. To act as a target, the Vbeta8.2 MBP-reactive T cell must be activated, and the Th1 driver clone(s) is down-regulated via apoptotic killing, leaving a group of Th2, MBP-specific clones of weak affinity, which themselves may help in perpetuating long-term regulation. Similar results are also found in the collagen arthritis and NOD diabetes models.
Book Review: Guidance on Water Supply and Sanitation in Extreme Weather Events

Review of the book entitled, 'Guidance on Water Supply and Sanitation in Extreme Weather Events', editted by L. Sinisi and R. Aertgeerts. Published by the Wold Health Organization and Stylus Pulishing. The books is available online at Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-language:JA;} http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/160018/WHOGuidanceFVLR.pdf .
Boundary Integral Equations

In Chapter 10, we examined finite element methods for the numerical solution of Laplace's equation. In this chapter, we propose an alternative approach. We introduce the idea of reformulating Laplace's equation as a boundary integral equation (BIE), and then we consider the numerical solution of Laplace's equation by numerically solving its reformulation as a BIE. Some of the most important boundary value problems for elliptic partial differential equations have been studied and solved numerically by this means; and depending on the requirements of the problem, the use of BIE reformulations may be the most efficient means of solving these problems. Examples of other equations solved by use of BIE reformulations are the Helmholtz equation (Δυ + λυ = 0) and the biharmonic equation (Δ2υ = 0). We consider here the use of boundary integral equations in solving only planar problems for Laplace's equation. For the domain D for the equation, we restrict it or its complement to be a simply-connected set with a smooth boundary S. Most of the results and methods given here will generalize to other equations (e.g. Helmholtz's equation).