cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Digital Stress Imaging in Mesoscale Microstructure Dependent Deformation Visualized Using Nano-mechanical Raman Spectroscopy: Role of Initial Manufacturing Originated Residual Stresses

This research focuses on work with emphasis on direct measurements of stresses during mesoscale microstructural deformation of nickel based and zirconium based alloys during 3-point bending tests for fracture toughness at elevated temperatures. A novel nano-mechanical Raman spectroscopy measurement platform was designed for temperature, stress, and chemistry mapping at micro to nanoscale for different temperature and loading conditions. During the 3-point bending test to measure fracture toughness of micron sized samples, notch tip plastic stresses as a function of microstructure, load, and temperature, with micron scale resolution were measured. The temperature field distribution was correlated to stress distribution and residual microstructure stresses around the area of the notch tip. The mechanical properties which include the elastic modulus, hardness and stress-strain relation at the plastic zone around the notch tip were also measured and compared before and after the bending tests. A new finite element method formulation that incorporated different elastic and plastic material properties from indentation experiments at different locations was validated using the experiments. We find that residual stress is an important indicator of scatter in material failure data.
Transfusion Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI): A Tertiary Care Hospital Experience.

Abstract Background: The 500 bed tertiary care hospital provides Level 1 trauma services, solid organ transplant services and an extensive cardiovascular surgery program. Methods: Transfusion reaction records for January 2000 – June 2004 were reviewed. Results: 39 suspected transfusion related acute lung injury reactions reported during this time at a rate of 1:1036 transfused blood products (1:4961 for RBC, 1:1031 for Apheresis Platelets, and 1:522 for FFP). There were 26 male patients, average age of 62.2 years (17–87 years) and 13 females, average age of 62.5 years (24–82 years). All 39 patients developed acute lung injury within 6 hours of transfusion characterized by acute onset of hypoxia, without evidence of volume overload and chest xrays (performed in 34/39) showing evidence of new bilateral pulmonary infiltrates. Patients received an average of 2.5 blood products (1–8), and 13/39 (33%) received only one product. FFP was 66% (65/98 units) of implicated product transfused, leukoreduced RBC 24% (24/98, all additive solution products), and leukoreduced platelet pheresis 9% (9/98 units). Of the patients that only received one product, 8/13 (62%) were transfused with a RBC. Many (74%, 29/39) patients experiencing possible TRALI reactions had underlying risk factors (some patients had more than one underlying problem) including: probable sepsis (5), multiple trauma (2), cardiopulmonary bypass (6), underlying pulmonary disease (5), liver transplant (2), cardiac transplant (1), hematologic malignancy (4), TTP (3), recent surgery (5). The reaction occurred during or immediately following transfusion in 60% (23/39) of patients, and in 77% (30/39) within 30 minutes of completion of transfusion. Of the recipients that reacted immediately 39% (9/23) of the implicated donors had HLA antibodies (Class I and Class II), and of those reacting within 30 minutes 47% (14/30) of donors had HLA antibodies. 7.7% (3/39) reactions were fatal. Of implicated donors, 59% (58/98) are female, and 41% male (40/98). 10 donors gave a history of transfusion (1 male, 9 females). 74% (42/57 (1 female couldn't be contacted)) had been pregnant, with the average number of pregnancies 4.0 (range 1–9), with 67% (28/42) of these donors having 3 or more pregnancies. Donor antibody testing (Granulocyte Agglutination Assay (GA), Granulocyte Immunofluorescence Assay (GIF), and HLA Antibody Screen (HLA)) was performed only on donors that had been pregnant and/or had received a transfusion, therefore only one male donor was tested and was negative. Of the female donors 62% (36/58) were tested, 29% (17/58) did not meet testing criteria and 9% (5/58) were not available for testing. Of those tested, 31% (11/36) were negative. 69% (25/36) had HLA antibodies. 8% (2/25) with HLA antibodies also had antibodies with granulocyte specificity. Conclusion: The etiology(ies) and prevention of TRALI reactions require additional investigation of both blood donors and recipients, although HLA antibodies appear to be involved.
Challenges in bridge inspection using small unmanned aerial systems: Results and lessons learned

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) have gained considerable private and commercial interest for a variety of jobs and entertainment in the past 10 years. This paper presents the applications of UAS in transportation and structural engineering with emphasis on bridge inspection. A brief but thorough review of UAS applications for State Department of Transportation in the United States is provided. Potential advantages of UAS are acknowledged and the major challenges of using them for bridge inspections are determined. The feasibility of UAS in crack detection, real-time and post-processing, is studied through a case study in controlled conditions. In addition, fatigue crack detection in steel bridges is investigated using three platforms with different mounted cameras. The results of these case studies showed the possibility of using UAS for damage detection in concrete and steel bridges with comparable results with human inspections in real-time. At its best, current technology limits UAS use to an assistive tool for the inspector to perform a bridge inspection faster, cheaper, and without traffic closure. The major challenges for UAS are satisfying restrictive FAA regulations, control issues in a GPS denied environment, pilot expenses and availability, time and cost allocated to tuning, maintenance, post-processing time and acceptance of the collected data by bridge owners. Using UAS, with self-navigation abilities and improving image- processing algorithms to provide results near real-time could provide bridge inspectors with a useful tool to reduce costs and improve inspection quality.
Case 45: Airway Obstruction in an Anesthetized Prone Patient

Today you are anesthetizing a 58-year-old man (82 kg and 5′11″) with a cerebellar tumor. He is otherwise healthy and classified as an ASA 2. General anesthesia is induced uneventfully, and the patient is turned prone after having been placed in a Mayfield pin holder. The patient’s head is 180 degrees away from the anesthesia machine. His neck is flexed so that there is a one finger gap between the mentum of the mandible and the sternal notch. You would prefer to have two finger gap. A BiteGard (Hudson RCI, Teleflex Medical, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709) has been placed between the upper and lower molar on the right side. The operation proceeds uneventfully for 6 h, when there is an increase in the peak inspired pressure from 24 cm H20 to 42 cm H2O over a 2–4-min period. All the other parameters are unchanged. You call for help and one of your colleagues comes to your aid. With his help you confirm bilateral air entry with no adventitious sounds. You inspect the endotracheal tube at the mouth and confirm that it has not moved and is still taped at 22 cm H20. Your colleague places the patient on 100% oxygen, and after a few minutes you attempt to pass a suction catheter through the endotracheal tube (ETT), but it only goes in 15–20 cm. You manipulate the ETT, but there is no improvement. Your colleague suggests you let the endotracheal cuff down as the cuff could have herniated into the lumen. You do so, but you are still unable to pass the suction catheter all the way through the ETT. You diagnose a partial kink in the ETT. The vital signs are still within normal limits but the peak airway pressure has gone to 48 cm H2O. You are concerned. At the moment you can ventilate the patient, but should the kink be total, this could have serious consequences for the patient. There are 30–45 min left, and the surgeon is unhappy to reposition the patient’s neck before the end of the surgery. Nor is he happy about your request to turn the patient supine and reintubate the trachea. You get an LMA ready in case you are unable to ventilate the patient.
Reversing the Tradeoff between Rate and Overpotential in Molecular Electrocatalysts for H2 Production

A longstanding challenge in molecular electrocatalysis is to design catalysts that break away from the tradeoff between rate and overpotential arising from electronic scaling relationships. Here we report an inversion of the rate–overpotential correlation through system-level design of [Ni(PR2NR′2)2]2+ electrocatalysts for the production of H2. The overpotential is lowered by an electron-withdrawing ligand, while the turnover frequency is increased by controlling the catalyst structural dynamics, using both ligand design and solvent viscosity. The cumulative effect of controlling each of these system components is an electrocatalyst with a turnover frequency of 70000 s–1 and an overpotential of 230 mV, corresponding to a 100-fold rate enhancement and a 170 mV reduction in overpotential in comparison to the parent nickel catalyst. Molecular Tafel plot analysis reveals that the new catalysts reported here are substantially more efficient than other leading molecular electrocatalysts for the production of H2.
The Context of College Students' Facebook Use and Academic Performance: An Empirical Study

The effects of Facebook on academic performance have attracted both public and scholarly attention. Prior research found that Facebook use is linked to poor academic performance, suggesting that Facebook distracts students from studying. These studies, which are primarily based on survey responses, are insufficient to uncover exactly how Facebook is used or embedded in students' studying activities. To capture unbiased, detailed use patterns and to investigate the context of Facebook use, we studied 50 college students using automatic logging and experience sampling. We analyzed the activities and attentional states of students prior to visiting Facebook. Results show that GPAs of frequent Facebook users do not suffer. Students with high GPAs spend shorter time in each Facebook session and shorter Facebook use often follows schoolwork. These results point to a possibility that potentially problematic Facebook use occurs when students are in a spree of leisure activities, not while studying.
Intraplate Earthquakes in Europe—Source Parameters from Regional Moment Tensor Analysis

Plate tectonics provides a highly successful framework to describe a wide range of geological observations invoking the motion of lithospheric plates. In its simplest form the plates are rigid and earthquakes are confined to boundaries where plates move relative to each other.
Increased platelet-fibrinogen affinity in patients with myeloproliferative disorders.

Patients with myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) are known to have some abnormalities of platelet glycoproteins (Gp). Quantitative changes of the Gp lb, llb-llla, and/or their glucidic content have been reported. Since the Gp llb-llla complex plays a major role in fibrinogen binding by activated platelets, we measured the platelet fibrinogen affinity in nine patients with polycythemia vera (PV) and one subject with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) by the aggregometric method of Marguerie. In all patients the Kd of the platelet fibrinogen reaction was significantly decreased as compared to controls, with evidence in two cases with PV of a heterogeneity of platelet-fibrinogen receptor sites. The measurement of 125l-labeled fibrinogen-platelet binding, performed in seven patients (five PV and two CML), showed receptor populations with increased (Kd1 = 0.58 + 0.3 x 107 mol/L) and normal affinity (Kd2 = 5.12 + 3.1 x 107 mol/L). These results demonstrate a heterogeneity of platelet-fibrinogen receptors in these patients and may explain the thrombotic diathesis of MPD subjects.© 1988 by Grune & Stratton, Inc. 0006-4971/88/7104-0013$3.00/0
Pediatric Electrophysiology Databases

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of catheter ablation databases for outcomes analysis and quality improvement in the field of pediatric and congenital electrophysiology. We begin by discussing unique aspects of electrophysiology that impact data collection and analysis. This will be followed by a review of historic electrophysiology databases and lessons learned. The purpose of this chapter is to review past and present Pediatric and Congenital Electrophysiology Society (PACES) led registry initiatives for assessing the outcomes of catheter ablation procedures for the treatment of arrhythmias in patients with congenital and pediatric cardiac disease. Finally, we set the stage for current and future quality improvement efforts by highlighting the recently created Multicenter Pediatric and Adult Congenital Electrophysiology Quality (MAP-IT) registry and its collaboration with an existing national registry.
Differential geometry of collective models

The classical astrophysical theory of Riemann ellipsoids and the quantum nuclear theory of Bohr and Mottelson share a common mathematical foundation in terms of the differential geometry of a principal bundle ${\cal P}$ and its associated vector bundle E, respectively. The bundle ${\cal P}=GL_+(3,R)$ is the connected component of the general linear group, the structure group G=SO(3) is the vorticity group, and the base manifold is the space of positive-definite real $3\times 3$ symmetricmatrices, identified geometrically with the space of inertia ellipsoids. The bundle is a Riemannian manifold whose metric is inherited from three-dimensional Euclidean space. A nonholonomic constraint force, like irrotational flow, determines a connection on the bundle.Wave functions of the Bohr-Mottelson model are sections of the associated vector bundle E = ${\cal P}\times_\rho$V, where $\rho$ denotes an irreducible representation of the vorticity group on the vector space V. Using the de Rham Laplacian $\triangle = \star d_\nabla \star d_\nabla$ for the kinetic energy introduces a "magnetic" term due to the connection between base manifold rotational and fiber vortex degrees of freedom. A class of Ehresmann connections creates a new model of nuclear rotation that predicts moments of inertia in agreement with experiment.
Conceptual and Empirical Arguments for a Language Feature: Evidence from Language Mixing

This chapter points to the relevance of Herschensohn’s Constructionist view of second language acquisition for the study of bilingual language mixing. In elaborating Constructionism, Herschensohn (2000) argues that the assembling of the lexicon and its attendant features constitutes the major task of the learner. The articulation of the bilingual lexicon is also invoked in formulating the Functional Head Constraint (Belazi et al. 1994), which characterizes patterns of switching in proficient bilinguals and in second language learners by appeal to the matching and checking of features, including language. While the validity of the language feature has been disputed, we underscore the positive consequences of tagging lexical items with a language label, as we move towards recruiting computational tools for effectively exploiting bilingual corpora. We provide evidence of the benefits of language tagging in quantifying language mixing profiles and in classifying bilingual phenomena such as code-switching versus borrowing.
Speech Repairs, Intonational Boundaries and Discourse Markers: Modeling Speakers' Utterances in Spoken Dialog

In this thesis, we present a statistical language model for resolving speech repairs, intonational boundaries and discourse markers. Rather than finding the best word interpretation for an acoustic signal, we redefine the speech recognition problem to so that it also identifies the POS tags, discourse markers, speech repairs and intonational phrase endings (a major cue in determining utterance units). Adding these extra elements to the speech recognition problem actually allows it to better predict the words involved, since we are able to make use of the predictions of boundary tones, discourse markers and speech repairs to better account for what word will occur next. Furthermore, we can take advantage of acoustic information, such as silence information, which tends to co-occur with speech repairs and intonational phrase endings, that current language models can only regard as noise in the acoustic signal. The output of this language model is a much fuller account of the speaker's turn, with part-of-speech assigned to each word, intonation phrase endings and discourse markers identified, and speech repairs detected and corrected. In fact, the identification of the intonational phrase endings, discourse markers, and resolution of the speech repairs allows the speech recognizer to model the speaker's utterances, rather than simply the words involved, and thus it can return a more meaningful analysis of the speaker's turn for later processing.
Enhancement of light extraction efficiency of 280-nm deep-UV LEDs using SiO 2 microsphere and microlens arrays

Ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are useful in applications such as water/air purification, sterilization, and biosensing. However, due to the low external quantum efficiencies (ηEQE) of III-Nitride semiconductor UV LEDs, the technology has struggled to achieve penetration into many of these potential applications. While the active regions of UV LEDs have been well optimized, allowing for internal quantum efficiencies of greater than 60%, light extraction efficiency (ηEXT) remains a significant obstacle, and is limited to less than 10% in conventional UV LEDs, limiting their ηEQEs to around 1% for wavelengths below 300 nm. Surface texturing of the p-GaN or p-AlGaN layer in top-emitting UV LEDs has allowed for improvements in ηEQE at the expense of hole injection efficiency. Etching of the sapphire or AlN substrates to form lenses avoids this tradeoff in bottom-emitting LEDs, but is exceptionally time and resource intensive. Here, we investigated a novel method of enhancing ηEXT of AlGaN multiple quantum well UV LEDs at 280 nm using self-aligned monolayers of SiO2 microspheres and microlenses. Finite-difference time-domain simulations were utilized to investigate the effects of these nanostructure monolayers on the ηEXT of DUV LEDs emitting at 280 nm, and predicted up to 2.31x times enhancement of ηEXT. Electroluminescence (EL) measurements were performed in tandem with our simulations of UV LEDs. At normal incidence, up to 6.1% and 12.7% EL intensity enhancements were observed using 700 nm SiO2 microspheres and microlenses, respectively. These promising enhancements in output power may allow for high ηEQE in UV LEDs.
ANGIOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF THE ULNAR ARTERY TO ASSESS POTENTIAL SUITABILITY FOR TRANSULNAR CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION AND INTERVENTION

The transulnar approach (TUA) has been proposed as being a safe and effective alternative to the more established transradial approach (TRA) for cardiac catheterization. However, no study has prospectively characterized the caliber and anatomic variability of the ulnar artery using angiography. A
Glyphosate: Environmental Fate and Impact

Glyphosate is the most used herbicide worldwide, which has contributed to concerns about its environmental impact. Compared with most other herbicides, glyphosate has a half-life in soil and water that is relatively short (averaging about 30 d in temperate climates), mostly due to microbial degradation. Its primary microbial product, aminomethylphosphonic acid, is slightly more persistent than glyphosate. In soil, glyphosate is virtually biologically inactive due to its strong binding to soil components. Glyphosate does not bioaccumulate in organisms, largely due to its high water solubility. Glyphosate-resistant crops have greatly facilitated reduced-tillage agriculture, thereby reducing soil loss, soil compaction, carbon dioxide emissions, and fossil fuel use. Agricultural economists have projected that loss of glyphosate would result in increased cropping area, some gained by deforestation, and an increase in environmental impact quotient of weed management. Some drift doses of glyphosate to non-target plants can cause increased plant growth (hormesis) and/or increased susceptibility to plant pathogens, although these non-target effects are not well documented. The preponderance of evidence confirms that glyphosate does not harm plants by interfering with mineral nutrition and that it has no agriculturally significant effects on soil microbiota. Glyphosate has a lower environmental impact quotient than most synthetic herbicide alternatives.
Soil water extraction pattern and water use efficiency of spring canola under growth-stage-based irrigation management

Abstract The rapid depletion rate of the Ogallala aquifer threatens agriculture sustainability in the U.S. Southern Great Plains (SGP). Adoption of drought tolerant crop with suitable irrigation strategy is critical to improve water use efficiency and sustain crop production in the region. The objective of the study was to assess soil water extraction pattern and water use efficiency of spring canola (Brassica napus L.) under deficit irrigation strategy (DI). Three diverse canola cultivars (‘H930’, ‘H955’ and ‘L140’) were grown under four different irrigation treatments; full-season irrigation (FI), no irrigation at the vegetative stage (VS), no irrigation at the reproductive stage (RS) and dryland (DL). Treatment VS extracted similar amount (20 mm) of total water from planting to harvest as FI in wetter year of 2015. However, VS extracted 10 mm of extra water from soil depth down to 1.6 m until harvest compared to FI in drier year of 2016. As water extraction during reproductive stage in 2016 was almost similar (70 and 67 mm in FI and VS, respectively) in VS and FI, most of the extra water extracted was utilized during vegetative stage when irrigation was skipped in VS. Canola sustained vegetative growth utilizing soil water extraction and efficiently utilized irrigation received during reproductive stage to reduce seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) in VS compared to FI. Treatment RS and DL also reduced seasonal ET, but they reduced average 11 and 13 % oil content compared to FI in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The VS had similar oil content as FI and optimized water use efficiency for biomass (WUEpb), and seed (WUEsy) and oil (WUEoy) yields. Among cultivars, L140 consistently had the greatest WUEpb in both experimental years and 34 and 36 % greater WUEsy and WUEoy in 2016 compared to both H930 and H955, respectively. Adopting spring canola cultivar L140 and skipping irrigation during vegetative stage could maximize water productivity in water deficit conditions of the SGP.
Chromatin-based reprogramming of a courtship regulator by concurrent pheromone perception and hormone signaling.

To increase fitness, animals use both internal and external states to coordinate reproductive behaviors. The molecular mechanisms underlying this coordination remain unknown. Here, we focused on pheromone-sensing Drosophila Or47b neurons, which exhibit age- and social experience-dependent increase in pheromone responses and courtship advantage in males. FruitlessM (FruM), a master regulator of male courtship behaviors, drives the effects of social experience and age on Or47b neuron responses and function. We show that simultaneous exposure to social experience and age-specific juvenile hormone (JH) induces chromatin-based reprogramming of fruM expression in Or47b neurons. Group housing and JH signaling increase fruM expression in Or47b neurons and active chromatin marks at fruM promoter. Conversely, social isolation or loss of JH signaling decreases fruM expression and increases repressive marks around fruM promoter. Our results suggest that fruM promoter integrates coincident hormone and pheromone signals driving chromatin-based changes in expression and ultimately neuronal and behavioral plasticity.
Transient Ischemic Attack: The Trend and Readmissions in the United States

Abstract Introduction : Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a temporary event of neurological dysfunction. Patients with TIA may be discharged from the Emergency Department or following an observational admission since their symptoms have resolved. Some portion of these patients, however, return to the hospital due to various reasons. The aim of our study is to find the trend of TIA readmissions in the United States. Materials and Methods : Using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) database, we analyzed TIA discharges and TIA readmissions between 2009-2014 using the statistical z-test. Results and Statistical Analysis : We recorded a total of 985,851 hospitalizations of patients discharged with TIA with a significant decrease from 2009 to 2014 (p Conclusion : Between 2009-2014 the rate of TIA and TIA readmissions has significantly decreased in the United States, especially in the female gender. Acute cerebrovascular disease and another TIA have been the leading cause of hospital readmissions. With a better understanding of the risk factors associated with hospital readmissions, it is possible to reduce the impending burden of these patients on the healthcare system.
Evaluating different routes of extracellular vesicle administration for cranial therapies.

Aim Human stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) provide many advantages over cell-based therapies for the treatment of functionally compromised tissue beds and organ sites. Here we aimed to highlight multiple administration routes for the potential treatment of various forms of brain injury. Methods Human neural stem cell-derived EV were isolated from conditioned media and administered via three distinct routes: intrahippocampal transplantation, retro-orbital vein injection, and intranasal. EV were administered after which brains were evaluated to determine the capability of EV to translocate into normal tissue. Results Data showed no significant differences in the amount of EV able to translocate across the brain, indicating the functional equivalence of each administration route to effectively deliver EV to the brain parenchyma. Conclusion Findings show that both systemic administration routes (retro-orbital vein or intranasal delivery) afforded effective penetrance and perfusion of EV throughout the brain in a minimally invasive manner, and point to a translationally tractable option for treating certain neurological disorders including those resulting from cranial irradiation procedures.
Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859): early high-altitude explorer and renowned plant naturalist.

Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859) was one of the most distinguished German scientists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His fame came chiefly from his extensive explorations in South Amer...
Leadership Preparation and the Career Paths of Black Principals

Leadership training and administrative experience are key components of sponsored mobility as the candidate’s participation in district- or school-sponsored training for aspiring school principals ...
Rectifying Wrongful Convictions Through the Dormant Grand Jury Clause

In 1995, Lamar Johnson was convicted of a murder in St. Louis. Twenty-two years later, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner created a Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) to review possible wrongful convictions. After reviewing Johnson’s case, the CIU concluded that Johnson was innocent. Then, consistent with her special responsibility as a prosecutor to seek to remedy wrongful convictions, Gardner filed a motion for a new trial. The court, however, denied the motion, holding that there was no enabling legislation in Missouri authorizing CIUs to seek relief for wrongful convictions. Gardner is not alone in her inability to rectify wrongful convictions. While the number of CIUs has increased, most jurisdictions still do not have such a unit, and several CIUs exist in states that, like Missouri, lack enabling legislation. Conversely, it has perhaps never been easier for prosecutors to commence criminal proceedings that culminate in wrongful convictions. The Fifth Amendment Grand Jury Clause provides that no person shall be subjected to a trial for felony charges unless there is a grand jury presentment or indictment. The grand jury’s historical mission was “to clear the innocent, no less than to bring to trial those who may be guilty,” and yet grand juries now return indictments in approximately 99% of cases. Meanwhile, the use of presentments waned in the wake of the Civil War and was effectively declared dead in the criminal charging context in 1946. Historically, however, grand jury presentments were used not only to accuse wrongdoers of criminal behavior but also to call attention to issues of public concern. With the demise of presentments in the criminal charging context, this other historical function of the grand jury has largely fallen into disuse. This Article advances the original thesis that there is a dormant Grand Jury Clause that prosecutors can use to revive the common law power of presentment and fulfill their responsibility to rectify wrongful convictions. Under this dormant Grand Jury Clause, a prosecutor who believes her office previously secured a wrongful conviction can take the case to a grand jury. If the grand jury agrees with the prosecutor, it can submit a wrongful conviction presentment to a judge, who can vacate the conviction under the inherent power of the court. By doing so, prosecutors can restore some of the glory of the common law grand jury and create a powerful new tool to right wrongs.
A Day in the Life of an Industrial Hearing Conservationist: A Template for Successful Career Education and Outreach Presentations

Whether in a classroom setting or at a local community meeting, opportunities for providing descriptive and positive information about our professions to an audience unfamiliar with acoustics, noise control or hearing conservation often call for alternatives to technical demonstrations that illustrate principles of acoustics or noise control. More importantly, successful outreach presentations must convey images of our day-to-day activities and the challenges we address, many of which are non-technical. One successful approach to career outreach presentations makes use of a collection of photo slides featuring the speaker, his colleagues, customers and workplaces to vividly illustrate the specific job tasks, people and environment of the speaker's job or career. Against this fluid and multi-dimensional visual backdrop, an accompanying script addresses the main theme. A comprehensive photo slide collection may be established gradually, often by making use of and adding to technical and personal slides already in the speaker's possession. Slide collections are portable, easily and quickly reconfigured for back-to-back or spontaneous engagements, and they are well suited to speaking opportunities where technical presentations or demonstrations are not practical or appropriate. A carefully chosen sequence of photo slides minimizes the need for speaker's notes, as each photo itself provides a visual prompt. Although photo slide presentations are appropriate to a variety of outreach and professional settings, the specific illustrative and explanatory material presented here illustrates their application in career education outreach activities, using industrial hearing conservation as an example.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND CASH HOLDINGS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CHINESE AND INDIAN FIRMS

In this study, we examine the impact of concentrated ownership on cash valuation and the level of cash holdings in firms the emerging nations of China and India. Agency theories suggest that firms with high levels of concentrated ownership are subject to greater extraction of private benefits from cash holdings. Our study utilizes Chinese firms data from 1993-2006 and Indian firms data from 2003-2006. We examine the relationship between firm valuation and cash holdings with different levels of governmental ownership concentration, family ownership levels and foreign ownership levels. Our findings show that Chinese firms with high levels of government ownership have larger cash holdings suggesting more opportunities for private benefits extraction thus leading to lower firm valuation. In contrast, we find that Indian firms with high level of family ownership have low cash holdings and record better performance. Chinese investors view governmental ownership as a determinant that reduces firm value. Indian investors see high levels of family ownership as a factor that enhances firm value. This study enhances the body of knowledge concerning the nature of cash holdings and firm value in emerging nations of China and India. JEL: G31, G34
Prevention and Management of Post-ERCP Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis remains as one of the most frequent and serious complications of ERCP. Research has identified several patient-related and procedural risk factors, which help guide the endoscopist in prophylaxis and management of pancreatitis. Recent studies have had a major impact on both procedural techniques and pharmacological methods for prophylaxis of post-ERCP pancreatitis. The purpose of this article is to review the relevant literature and describe the most recent and effective approaches in prevention and management of post-ERCP pancreatitis.
Estreñimiento funcional en pediatría

Constipation is a common disease and one of the most frequent reasons of visits in pediatric clinics, complications related to constipation denote an inadequate diagnosis and/or treatment. This article is addressed for physicians who provide care to children with functional constipation and, it proposes in a practical manner how to diagnose this problem, emphasizing the essential information that should be obtained from the clinical history and from the workup helpful for its diagnosis.
CAROTENOID DE-EPOXIDATIONS IN ALGAE. I. PHOTOCHEMICAL TRANSFORMATION OF ANTHERAXANTHIN TO ZEAXANTHIN.

The carotenoid pigments of Euglena gracilis were studied following illumination of the cells under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Cells harvested from cultures in the stationary phase displayed a photochemical conversion of epoxide carotenoids to non-epoxide pigments under anaerobic conditions. This reaction was reversed in the dark and could be inhibited by aerobiosis. Analysis of the individual pigments indicated that the following reaction was occurring: Carotenes, neoxanthin and trollein remained essentially unchanged under these conditions.
Turbulence and diapycnal mixing over the East Pacific Rise crest near 10°N

[1] Turbulent mixing plays an important role in the return path of the global overturning circulation of the ocean. Previous measurements indicate that much of the mixing takes place near topography, in particular near seamounts and mid-ocean ridges. Here we report on the first microstructure data set collected over the crest and flanks of a fast-spreading ridge. The data indicate that in spite of weak tidally modulated background turbulence levels (e ≈ 10−10 W kg−1) diapycnal diffusivity is elevated above 10−4 m2 s−1 below crest depth of the ridge throughout the entire region because of the weak density stratification. Near the peaks and in the narrow deep passages of a chain of seamounts, where large horizontal velocities have been observed, turbulence levels are elevated by up to an order of magnitude above background. We conclude that topographic organization plays an important role in determining spatial patterns of turbulence in this region and that both tidal and subinertial energy contribute to the mixing.
Role of Alternaria and Penicillium spores in the pathogenesis of asthma.

Abstract The ability to harvest spore-rich isolates of molds permitted quantitative studies of their role in the pathogenesis of asthma. Alternaria and Penicillium were selected as examples of ubiquitous molds that readily induce IgE antibodies and are of contrasting sizes. Extracts from those spores were prepared for skin tests and aerosol bronchial challenges. Intact spores were used in the same subjects in bronchial challenges delivered by a Spinhaler. Seven patients with a history of mild asthma received a total of 16 bronchial challenges with the mold to which they had been sensitized. Provocative doses in spore equivalents for a 35% drop in SG aw , 20% drop in FEV 1 , or 25% drop in PEER were sought for each challenge. Density dependence-flow rates were also determined. Environmental spore survey data were obtained and compared with the challenge doses for these spores. It was found that (1) immediate-type asthma was readily provoked by both whole spores and by their extracts, (2) in some subjects fewer intact than extracted spores were required, (3) delayed-type asthma occurred only after whole spore challenges, (4) SG aw was the most sensitive and equally specific of the pulmonary function tests, and (5) provocative doses of spore equivalents were within natural exposure ranges. The study confirmed that Alternaria and Penicillium spores in relatively natural states and numbers were potent immunopathogens for asthma.
Interaction of complement with Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

The importance of the complement system in host defense against systemic infection caused by neisseriae is emphasized by a number of clinical observations documenting the importance of antibody-dependent, complement-mediated serum bactericidal activity in protection from systemic meningococcal disease (17) and the well-recognized association between the resistance of gonococci to complement-dependent serum bactericidal activity and the development of disseminated gonococcal infection (46, 49). Moreover, individuals with inherited complement deficiencies have a markedly increased risk (ca. 6,000-fold) of acquiring systemic neisserial infections and are subject to recurrent episodes of systemic meningococcal and gonococcal infections (37, 43). The purpose of this report is to review the complement cascade with particular reference to its importance in host defense against bacterial diseases, to compare and contrast neisserial disease in complement-deficient and complementsufficient individuals, to examine the molecular and functional basis for the particular importance of complement in host defense against these infections, and to examine the immunologic basis for prevention of neisserial disease in complement-deficient individuals.
Electrical considerations for interconnections inside a computer

Abstract In this paper we discuss the electrical and physical properties of interconnection structures that impact the performance of computer systems. These considerations are illustrated with three examples of such devices found in a typical mainframe. The requirements for the future are then presented. The ability of new technologies, electrical and optical, for satisfying these requirements is discussed.
Inhibition of cuticle production in imaginal discs of Plodia interpunctella (cultured in vitro): Effects of colcemid and vinblastine

Abstract The relationship of the microtubular system to the production of cuticle was evaluated by culturing wing imaginal discs from Plodia interpunctella in medium that contained 20-hydroxyecdysone and either colcemid or vinblastine. Examination of the treated tissue with both a dissection stereomicroscope and an electron microscope showed that the microtubule inhibitors prevented the formation of cuticle. The inhibitors also prevented the synthesis of chitin, but did not reduce protein synthesis. These results support the hypothesis that the secretion of cuticular components by insect cells requires the integrity of the microtubular system.
Spontaneous Inactivation of Human Tryptase Involves Conformational Changes Consistent with Conversion of the Active Site to a Zymogen-like Structure †

The conformational changes accompanying spontaneous inactivation and dextran sulfate (DS) mediated reactivation of the serine protease human tryptase were investigated by analysis of (i) intrinsic fluorescence, (ii) inhibitor binding, and (iii) catalytic efficiency. Spontaneous inactivation produced a marked decrease in fluorescence emission intensity that was reversed by the addition of DS. Fluorescence decreases at high (4.0 IM) and low (0.1 IM) tryptase concentrations were similar at early times and coincided with loss of enzymatic activity but deviated significantly from activity loss at later times by showing a difference in the extent of change. The fluorescence losses were best described by a two-step kinetic model in which the major decrease correlated to activity loss ( t1/2 of 4.3 min in 0.2 M NaCl, pH 6.8, 30 °C) and was followed by a further decrease (t1/2 60 min) whose extent differed with tryptase concentration. The ability to bind the competitive inhibitor p-aminobenzamidine was reversibly lost upon spontaneous inactivation, providing evidence for conformational changes affecting the major substrate binding site (S1-pocket). Estimation of catalytic efficiency using an active site titrant showed that the specific activity of tryptase remained unchanged upon inactivation and reactivation. Return of enzymatic activity, intrinsic fluorescence, and the S1 pocket appeared to occur in the same time frame ( t1/2 3 min). These studies indicate that spontaneous inactivation involves reversible changes which convert the active site to a nonfunctional state. The association of activity loss with an intrinsic fluorescence decrease and loss of the S1-pocket is consistent with the disruption of a critical ionic bond at the active site. Formation of this ionic bond is the basis of zymogen activation for the chymotrypsin family of serine proteases.
Prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among agricultural workers in the United States: an analysis of the National Health Interview Survey, 2004-2008

Ergonomic risks from agricultural tasks can compromise musculoskeletal health of workers. This study estimated prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in a sample representing almost 2 million US agricultural industry workers. This study used National Health Interview Survey data from 2004 to 2008. Weighted prevalence was calculated by demographic and employment factors. Prevalence ratios were calculated using generalized linear models with the Poisson distribution assumption. Prevalence rates of low back and neck pain in the previous 3 months were 24.3% and 10.5%, respectively, among agricultural workers. Monthly prevalence of joint pain was 17.0% for hips/knees, 9.8% for shoulders, 9.5% for wrists/hands, 5.4% for elbows, and 4.7% for ankles/toes. Agricultural workers had a significantly higher prevalence of shoulder pain than all other industry workers (prevalence ratios [PR] = 1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.61). This study provides detailed national estimates of musculoskeletal symptom prevalence to understand the burden and the need for intervention among agricultural workers.
Sudan grass silage at two stages of maturity versus rye grass and crimson clover with two filling procedures.

Summary Tift Sudan grass silages, harvested at the preboot and the boot stages of maturity, were compared with rye grass and crimson clover silages which had been ensiled by a fast-filling procedure with packing and a slow-filling procedure without packing. Filling a silo slowly increased fermentation losses as measured by chemical changes and a balance study. Cows fed silage from the slowly filled silo consumed less dry matter, produced less milk, and gained less weight. When Tift Sudan grass was harvested at the preboot stage, milk production was higher, yields per acre lower, and seepage losses greater than when it was cut eight days later in the boot stage. Milk production and weight gains were higher for cows fed rye grass and crimson clover than for those fed Sudan grass silages. Fermentation losses were higher and seepage losses lower for the Sudan grass silages.
Effects of ethanol dependence induced artificially in the rhesus monkey on the subsequent preference for ethyl alcohol

Abstract Successive preference-aversion functions in an ethanol-water choice situation were obtained for four rhesus monkeys. Each preference sequence consisted of a 9-day period during which the concentration of the ethanol solution offered to the animal was increased systematically from 3–30%. During the second and third ethanol preference sequences, a total of 6 g/kg ethanol was administered daily in two doses to three monkeys with one additional monkey serving as a non-intubated control. Signs of physical dependence on ethanol were exhibited during the second intubation sequence and severe symptoms of withdrawl occurred upon the termination of intragastric ethanol. However, none of the monkeys increased their volitional intake of ethanol over water in terms of the g/kgor proportion measures during the fourth and final 9-day preference sequence. In a second experiment, two monkeys were offered highly palatable ethanol solutions containing orange juice and sucrose for a 13-day period. A subsequent 9-day ethanol preference sequence showed that neither animal increased its proportion or g/kg intake of ethanol significantly nor were signs of withdrawal or physical dependence observed.
MORPHOLOGY OF BACON AND ITS POSSIBLE ROLE IN FORMATION OF NITROSAMINES

Bacon is composed, morphologically, of regions of either skeletal muscle or lipid filled cells known as adipocytes. Connective tissue is pervasive throughout forming a framework within which the individual cells are held Adipocytes are characterized by having a typical mammalian cell wall which encloses a single large lipid globule; a thin layer of cytoplasmic protein, which contains cell organelles, is interposed between the cell wall and the lipid globule. The possibility that the interface between the lipid globule and the cytoplasmic and connective tissue proteins presents a unique site for reaction with nitrite is discussed.
On the homology of groups of jets

Abstract Let k , n be positive integers. Denote by J + k ( n ) the Lie group of k -jets at 0 of orientation preserving local diffeomorphisms of R n fixing the origin, with multiplication induced by composition of functions. It is a well-known fact that the singular homology of J + k ( n ) is isomorphic to the singular homology of GL + ( n ), the group of n × n matrices with real entries and positive determinant. In this paper we show that the corresponding result is true for the group homotopy of J + k ( n ) and GL + ( n ) as abstract (discrete) groups. In addition, we show that the continuous (and smooth) cohomology groups of J + k ( n ) and GL + ( n ) are also isomorphic as are the Lie algebra cohomology groups of their Lie algebras.