cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
WHAT FACTORS AFFECT A STATE'S MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT? EVIDENCE FROM 1974–1994 STATE PANEL DATA

This paper provides new evidence that US state policies can affect the location of manufacturing activity. The paper extends the literature by analyzing industry-level panel data from 1974–1994. Results from the two-stage empirical model support ex ante intuition that divergence in state policy and/or characteristics affects specific manufacturing industries differently. Econometric techniques employed herein address many of the criticisms of previous work in this area.
An ecotourism assessment of Tortuguero, Costa Rica

(1977) finding that repeaters tended to be anemic tourists and Crompton’s (1979:418) observation that for some people, “trips were people oriented rather than place oriented.” Two generalizable implications appear to emerge from this study. First, it reinforces an earlier finding that “The distinctiveness of the repeater and non-repeater segments suggests that uniquely different marketing efforts targeted at each segment would be successful” (Gitelson and Crompton 1984: 215). Second, much of the tourism industry appears to continue to operate primarily on the premise that pull factors are the key motivators and that people go on a vacation to do and see things. Many researchers appear to have tacitly endorsed this premise, and this has been manifested by the relatively substantial literature that has emerged on destination image and attributes. In contrast, there has been relatively little empirical work reported in the literature relating to push motives. The findings reported here suggest that this imbalance needs redressing. 0 0
Dynamic testing complexity metric

This paper introduces a dynamic metric that is based on the estimated ability of a program to withstand the effects of injected ‘emantic mutants’ during execution. Semantic mutants include: (1) syntactic mutants injected into an executing program and (2) randomly selected values injected into an executing program's internal states. The metric is a function of a program, the method used for injecting these two types of mutants, and the program's input distribution; this metric is found through dynamic executions of the program. A program's ability to withstand the effects of injected semantic mutants by computing the same function when executed is then used as a tool for predicting the difficulty that will be incurred during random testing to reveal the existence of faults, i.e., the metric suggests the likelihood that a program will expose the existence of faults during random testing assuming faults were to exist. If the metric is applied to a module rather than to a program, the metric can be used to guide the allocation of testing resources among a program's modules. In this manner the metric acts as a white-box testing tool for determining where to concentrate testing resources.
Optimal stock liquidation in a regime switching model with finite time horizon

This paper is concerned with a finite-horizon optimal selling rule. A set of geometric Brownian motions coupled by a finite-state Markov chain is used to characterize stock price movements. Given a fixed transaction fee, the optimal selling rule can be obtained by solving an optimal stopping problem. The corresponding value function is shown to be the unique viscosity solution to the associated HJB equations. Numerical solutions to these equations and their convergence are obtained. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the results.
Comparison of Belowground Biomass in C3- and C4-Dominated Mixed Communities in a Chesapeake Bay Brackish Marsh

Belowground biomass is a critical factor regulating ecosystem functions of coastal marshes, including soil organic matter (SOM) accumulation and the ability of these systems to keep pace with sea-level rise. Nevertheless, belowground biomass responses to environmental and vegetation changes have been given little emphasis marsh studies. Here we present a method using stable carbon isotopes and color to identify root and rhizomes of Schoenoplectus americanus (Pers.) Volk. ex Schinz and R. Keller (C3) and Spartina patens (Ait.) Muhl. (C4) occurring in C3− and C4-dominated communities in a Chesapeake Bay brackish marsh. The functional significance of the biomass classes we identified is underscored by differences in their chemistry, depth profiles, and variation in biomass and profiles relative to abiotic and biotic factors. C3 rhizomes had the lowest concentrations of cellulose (29.19%) and lignin (14.43%) and the lowest C:N (46.97) and lignin:N (0.16) ratios. We distinguished two types of C3 roots, and of these, the dark red C3 roots had anomalously high C:N (195.35) and lignin:N (1.14) ratios, compared with other root and rhizome classes examined here and with previously published values. The C4-dominated community had significantly greater belowground biomass (4119.1 g m−2) than the C3-dominated community (3256.9 g m−2), due to greater total root biomass and a 3.6-fold higher C3-root:rhizome ratio in the C4-dominated community. C3 rhizomes were distributed significantly shallower in the C4-dominated community, while C3 roots were significantly deeper. Variability in C3 rhizome depth distributions was explained primarily by C4 biomass, and C3 roots were explained primarily by water table height. Our results suggest that belowground biomass in this system is sensitive to slight variations in water table height (across an 8 cm range), and that the reduced overlap between C3 and C4 root profiles in the C4-dominated community may account for the greater total root biomass observed in that community. Given that future elevated atmospheric CO2 and accelerated sea-level rise are likely to increase C3 abundance in Atlantic and Gulf coast marshes, investigations that quantify how patterns of C3 and C4 belowground biomass respond to environmental and biological factors stand to improve our understanding of ecosystem-wide impacts of global changes on coastal wetlands.
Lossless image compression with tree coding of magnitude levels

With the rapid development of digital technology in consumer electronics, the demand to preserve raw image data for further editing or repeated compression is increasing. Traditional lossless image coders usually consist of computationally intensive modeling and entropy coding phases, therefore might not be suitable to mobile devices or scenarios with a strict real-time requirement. This paper presents a new image coding algorithm based on a simple architecture that is easy to model and encode the residual samples. In the proposed algorithm, each residual sample is separated into three parts: (1) a sign value, (2) a magnitude value, and (3) a magnitude level. A tree structure is then used to organize the magnitude levels. By simply coding the tree and the other two parts without any complicated modeling and entropy coding, good performance can be achieved with very low computational cost in the binary-uncoded mode. Moreover, with the aid of context-based arithmetic coding, the magnitude values are further compressed in the arithmetic-coded mode. This gives close performance to JPEG-LS and JPEG2000.
The Governor and the Lieutenant Governor: Forms of Cooperation between Two State Executives

The relationship between the governor and other elected executives is seldom explored in the field of state politics. This study focuses on that relationship, using survey responses and other data. The dependent variables include the frequency of meetings between the two officials, the number of gubernatorial assignments given to the lieutenant governor, the number of bills the lieutenant governor helps to develop for the chief executive’s program, and the frequency with which the lieutenant governor lobbies for the gubernatorial program proposals. Our findings indicate that lieutenant governors selected as a team with the governor have more joint meetings and help to develop more gubernatorial bills. The results also suggest that the gap in power between the two officials is positively related to the number of meetings and gubernatorial assignments. The various forms of cooperation between the two executives help the governor exercise leadership, encouraging more effective state policy making.
Magmatic intrusion west of Three Sisters, central Oregon, USA: The perspective from spring geochemistry

A geochemical investigation of springs near Three Sisters volcanoes was conducted in response to the detection of crustal uplift west of the peaks. Dilute, low-temperature springs near the center of uplift show 3 He/ 4 He ratios $7RA (RA is the ratio in air), and transport in total ;16 MW of heat and ;180 g/s of magmatic carbon (as CO2). These anomalous conditions clearly reflect the influence of magma, but they seemingly predate the onset of the present uplift and derive from a previous event. Episodes of intrusion may thus be more common in this area than the age of eruptive vents would imply.
Food Insufficiency and Medication Adherence Among People Living with HIV/AIDS in Urban and Peri-Urban Settings

Food insufficiency is associated with medication non-adherence among people living with HIV/AIDS. The current study examines the relationship between hunger and medication adherence in a US urban and peri-urban sample of people living with HIV/AIDS. Men (N = 133) and women (N = 46) living with HIV/AIDS were recruited using snowball sampling and small media in Atlanta, Georgia. Participants completed computerized behavioral interviews that included measures of demographics, food insufficiency, social support, depression, and substance use, and provided blood specimens to determine HIV viral load. Participants also completed monthly unannounced pill counts to prospectively monitor medication adherence over 8 months. Results indicated that 45% of participants were less than 85% adherent to their medications and that food insufficiency was related to non-adherence; nearly half of non-adherent participants reported recent hunger. Geocoding of participant residences showed that 40% lived more than 5 miles from the city center. Multivariable logistic regression controlling for demographics and common factors associated with adherence showed that the interaction between distance from downtown and experiencing hunger significantly predicted non-adherence over and above all other factors. Medication adherence interventions should address access to food, particularly for people living outside of urban centers.
Interference Screw Vs. Suture Anchor Fixation for Open Subpectoral Biceps Tenodesis: Does it Matter?

Bioabsorbable interference screw fixation has superior biomechanical properties compared to suture anchor fixation for biceps tenodesis. However, it is unknown whether fixation technique influences clinical results. We hypothesize that subpectoral interference screw fixation offers relevant clinical advantages over suture anchor fixation for biceps tenodesis. Case Series. We performed a retrospective review of a consecutive series of 88 patients receiving open subpectoral biceps tenodesis with either interference screw fixation (34 patients) or suture anchor fixation (54 patients). Average follow up was 13 months. Outcomes included Visual Analogue Pain Scale (0–10), ASES score, modified Constant score, pain at the tenodesis site, failure of fixation, cosmesis, deformity (popeye) and complications. There were no failures of fixation in this study. All patients showed significant improvement between their preoperative and postoperative status with regard to pain, ASES score, and abbreviated modified Constant scores. When comparing IF screw versus anchor outcomes, there was no statistical significance difference for VAS (p = 0.4), ASES score (p = 0.2), and modified Constant score (P = 0.09). One patient (3%) treated with IF screw complained of persistent bicipital groove tenderness, versus four patients (7%) in the SA group (nonsignificant). Subpectoral biceps tenodesis reliably relieves pain and improves function. There was no statistically significant difference in the outcomes studied between the two fixation techniques. Residual pain at the site of tenodesis may be an issue when suture anchors are used in the subpectoral location.
CNS–immune system interactions: Conditioning phenomena.

Converging data from different disciplines indicate that central nervous system processes are capable of influencing immune responses. This paper concentrates on recent studies documenting behaviorally conditioned suppression and enhancement of immunity. Exposing rats or mice to a conditioned stimulus previously paired with an immunomodulating agent results in alterations in humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to antigenic stimuli, and unreinforced reexposures to the conditioned stimuli result in extinction of the conditioned response. Although the magnitude of such conditioning effects has not been large, the phenomenon has been independently verified under a variety of experimental conditions. The biological impact of conditioned alterations in immune function is illustrated by studies in which conditioning operations were applied in the pharmacotherapy of autoimmune disease in New Zealand mice. In conditioned animals, substituting conditioned stimuli for active drugs delays the onset of autoimmune disease relative to nonconditioned animals using a dose of immunosuppressive drug that, by itself, is ineffective in modifying the progression of disease. The hypothesis that such conditioning effects are mediated by elevations in adrenocortical steroid levels receives no support from available data. Despite its capacity for self-regulation, it appears that the immune system is integrated with other psychophysiological processes and subject to modulation by the brain.
Carbon-13 NMR relaxation time measurements of molybdenum carbonyl physisorbed on alumina

Abstract In order to obtain information about the motion of Mo(CO) 6 physisorbed on high surface area alumina, the temperature dependences of 13 C NMR relaxation times, T 1 and T 2 , have been measured at 7.05 T. Eight samples prepared under various conditions were studied. Two types of alumina (γ and η) were used and the alumina in two samples was pretreated with iron nitrate. A T 1 minimum of 0.4 s at 220 K observed for most samples corresponds to a correlation time of 2 × 10 −9 s. The dominant relaxation mechanism is not chemical shift anisotropy since T 1 measurements at 3.5 T indicated no field dependence. An increase in the iron content of the alumina decreased T 1 above 273 K but caused only minor changes in T 1 and T 2 at lower temperatures. T 1 was 0.73 s and T 2 was 11 ms for Mo(CO) 6 on the η-alumina sample at 300 K.
Environmental foresight and structural change

Abstract Policy-makers and the public, it has famously been said [Brooks, H. (1986) Sustainable Development of the Biosphere, Cambridge University Press, p. 325], are more interested in the possibility of non-linear dislocations and surprises in the behavior of the environment than in smooth extrapolations of current trends. How indeed should we design our models to generate environmental foresight, to detect, in particular, threats to our environment lying ‘just beyond the horizon’? In facing this prospect of potentially profound dislocations in behavior, the problem is that the number of state variables in the model, whether they interact, how they interact, and the form of their interactions, may be evolving over time. What may have appeared to have been an insignificant mode of behavior in the past—buried within the uncertainty of the model and the historical data—may come to dominate behavior in the future. Technically, we may call this a change of structure. The concern of the paper is to address the challenge of constructing and employing models to generate environmental foresight in the presence of structural change. A number of case histories, ranging across lake eutrophication, urban ozone levels, the restoration of ecosystems, the circulation of waters in the North Atlantic, and the invasion of exotic species, are used to construct a much more immediate sense of the nature of structural change and, therefore, the character of the challenge of generating environmental foresight. Some mathematical and logical formalities are then introduced, both to define the issues more sharply and to open up the means with which to address them. This provides an opportunity to take stock of three rather different programs of model-building used, over the decades, to generate environmental foresight. We close by illustrating a set of possible responses to the essential challenge through a number of contemporary case studies: in assessing, inter alia, the reachability of the lay community's hopes and fears for the future of their cherished piece of the environment; in apprehending and diagnosing the possibility of imminent structural change; and in examining the record of the past for emergence of the seeds of any such structural change.
The Dynamics of Cash

Little is known about how firms manage their cash policy over time. This paper fills this gap by examining if and how firms manage cash toward a target cash ratio. Estimating partial adjustment models of cash, we find that firms actively adjust their cash toward a target; however, adjustment is imperfect and there is large dispersion in the speed of adjustment across firms. We investigate the causes for this and find evidence consistent with the presence of adjustment costs. We also examine the implications of these results for previous interpretations of cross-sectional results through simulations of firms’ cash paths allowing for costly adjustment. The emerging patterns question the interpretation of some of the standard results in the empirical cash literature.
Continuous elevation of PTH increases the number of osteoblasts via both osteoclast-dependent and -independent mechanisms

Sustained parathyroid hormone (PTH) elevation stimulates bone remodeling (ie, both resorption and formation). The former results from increased RANKL synthesis, but the cause of the latter has not been established. Current hypotheses include release of osteoblastogenic factors from osteoclasts or from the bone matrix during resorption, modulation of the production and activity of osteoblastogenic factors from cells of the osteoblast lineage, and increased angiogenesis. To dissect the contribution of these mechanisms, 6-month-old Swiss-Webster mice were infused for 5 days with 470 ng/h PTH(1-84) or 525 ng/h soluble RANKL (sRANKL). Both agents increased osteoclasts and osteoblasts in vertebral cancellous bone, but the ratio of osteoblasts to osteoclasts and the increase in bone formation was greater in PTH-treated mice. Cancellous bone mass was maintained in mice receiving PTH but lost in mice receiving sRANKL, indicating that maintenance of balanced remodeling requires osteoblastogenic effects beyond those mediated by osteoclasts. Consistent with this contention, PTH, but not sRANKL, decreased the level of the Wnt antagonist sclerostin and increased the expression of the Wnt target genes Nkd2, Wisp1, and Twist1. Furthermore, PTH, but not sRANKL, increased the number of blood vessels in the bone marrow. Weekly injections of the RANKL antagonist osteoprotegerin at 10 µg/g for 2 weeks prior to PTH infusion eliminated osteoclasts and osteoblasts and prevented the PTH-induced increase in osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and blood vessels. These results indicate that PTH stimulates osteoclast-dependent as well as osteoclast-independent (Wnt signaling) pro-osteoblastogenic pathways, both of which are required for balanced focal bone remodeling in cancellous bone. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Dual band UHF-GPS folded monopole antenna

In this paper,an integrated dual frequency band antenna operating at UHF and GPS for portable radio is achievable using the coaxial folded type of monopole. This folded monopole antenna has good return loss and provided good gain at UHF and GPS frequency band. By using this folded monopole antenna, it eliminates the requirement to have two different discrete antennas to be used in a single portable radio.
Laser visible light communications

Visible Light Communications (VLC) via lighting must overcome the slow white LED. We propose the addition of a fast red laser to improve datarate, coverage, and light quality.
Color standardization and optimization in Whole Slide Imaging

Introduction Standardization and validation of the color displayed by digital slides is an important aspect of digital pathology implementation. While the most common reason for color variation is the variance in the protocols and practices in the histology lab, the color displayed can also be affected by variation in capture parameters (for example, illumination and filters), image processing and display factors in the digital systems themselves.
Surfactant function and composition after free radical exposure generated by transition metals

Surfactant dysfunction in acute lung injury has been postulated as a result of free radical damage to lipid and protein components. This study examines whether transition metals with different redo...
Unique Correlates of Heart Failure and Cancer Caregiver Satisfaction With Hospice Care

Abstract Context Heart failure patients, along with their informal caregivers are increasingly enrolling in hospice care. Caregiver satisfaction with hospice care is a key quality indicator. The role that diagnosis plays in shaping satisfaction is unclear. Objectives Our aim was to identify unique correlates of caregiver satisfaction in heart failure and cancer caregivers and explore whether the identified correlates differ between the two diagnosis groups. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of national data collected in 2011 by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization using the 61-item Family Evaluation of Hospice Care survey. We used complete Family Evaluation of Hospice Care responses of adult heart failure ( n = 7324) and cancer ( n = 23,871) caregivers. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between possible correlates and caregiver satisfaction. Correlates examined included caregiver and patient demographics, patient clinical characteristics, and hospice characteristics. Results Caregiver-reported patient dyspnea was associated with global and symptom management satisfaction in the heart failure cohort, whereas caregiver race was associated with global and symptom management satisfaction in the cancer cohort. Nursing home placement was associated with lower satisfaction odds in both cancer and heart failure cohorts, but heart failure patients were twice as likely as cancer patients to receive care in a nursing home. Conclusion This study generated hypotheses about unique factors related to caregiver satisfaction among two diagnosis cohorts that require further study, particularly the impact of race on satisfaction in the cancer cohort and the management of dyspnea in heart failure hospice patients.
The Efficacy and Cost of Biological Targeted Agents in Oncology

Over the past fifteen years, significant advances in molecular biology led to the development of rationally designed new classes of drugs that target specific key factors involved in the malignant process. For certain cancer types, the introduction of biological targeted agents has revolutionized their management, and for some patients has contributed to improvements in quality of life and survival rates. In other cancer types, the benefit of biological targeted agents is borderline and the treatment is prohibitively expensive. The added value of biological targets to the armamentarium of contemporary cancer treatment comes with a monetary price which is not at all negligible. We reviewed here twenty FDA approved biological agents in United States and investigated both their potential benefits as measured by the most significant endpoints reported in the clinical trials (i.e. overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS)), and their current market cost. The targeted agents are expensive and, unfortunately, their market cost does not always match their clinical benefit that in some cases is modest, at best.
Expanding the Duties of the Vigilant Doorkeeper: ATS Litigation and the Inapplicability of the Act of State Doctrine and Forum Non Conveniens

This Comment enters the debate concerning ATS litigation at the point at which a federal court has decided that it has subject matter jurisdiction over the claim. It explores two common law devices that courts can use in considering whether to dismiss the claim: the act of state doctrine and forum non conveniens. Ultimately, it argues that these two particular devices should not be available in the ATS context and that the focus in ATS litigation should be concentrated on and oriented toward a thorough subject matter jurisdiction inquiry.
Nationalizing International Criminal Law

International law scholars often assume that the best way to enforce human rights is by establishing strong international institutions that develop the law progressively and enforce it independently. Political realists counter that such institutions are only as useful as powerful states permit them to be, and discourage expansive visions of their mandate. Partisans of the recently created International Criminal Court (ICC) must come to terms with the realist challenge. They must work to adapt the institution accordingly, without abandoning hope for the project altogether. Although the ICC will be constrained by the state support it commands, it can make a difference in the enforcement of human rights law by encouraging and assisting national authorities in upholding and enforcing international law. The ICC and its supporters must decide how the institution will use the powers it has. This Article argues that if the Court pursues a path of centralization and insularity, it will encounter resistance from member states and from the United States and bring about few of the benefits of reconciliation and institution-building that its founders envisioned. If the Court engages in joint investigations and trials with national authorities, along the model of mixed courts already in use in Sierra Leone and East Timor, enforcement of international criminal law will become more agreeable to the participating states, who will feel a sense of ownership and control over the process. In this new, less dominant role, the Court might even become acceptable to the United States whose support is critical for the Court's effectiveness. The mixed-court model for the ICC holds out the promise of strengthening local capacities and contributes to the rebuilding of the rule of law in nations around the globe. It would move international human rights law in directions that its true friends must admit are ultimately wise and necessary - toward a system of law that is better informed, more widely accepted, and better enforced.
A Model for Diversifying International Loan Portfolios

principal components are applied to third world debt countring rating data to establish which economies exhibit systematic versus unsystematic elements of risk. a graphic extension of principal components is useful in providing a picture of countries with economies that diverge from the group. the level of systematic risk in a country economy was found to correspond to levels of rescheduling of external debt. therefore, measures of systematic risk can be used as predictors of the likelihood that a country will reschedule debt. a listing of diversificatin prospects for inclusion in international portfolios of country loans is provided.
The Future of Interrogatories Under Nohr v. McDonald

Historically the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) has been a non-adversarial system with limited litigation tools available to veterans and their representatives. This changed with Nohr v. McDonald, where the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims held that the Board should have entertained a representative’s request for interrogatories of a Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA) physician. The decision leaves the Board facing the prospect of significantly altering its litigation policy. This article discusses the procedural due process concerns of interrogatories before offering a resolution to implement them with Board judicial regulation and processing. Although the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has debated the relevance of interrogatories in Gambill v. Shinseki, to date there has been no literature reviewing both the relevance and reasonableness of interrogatories while offering recommendations for how VA should execute them. Specifically, this article reflects on the relevance of interrogatories by exploring the veteran’s interest in using them and how the veteran would be affected by not having interrogatories considering the alternative procedural safeguards. Then the article analyzes the reasonableness of interrogatories by examining the government’s interest in fact-finding exercises and making timely and supported decisions while weighing the burdens of affecting the adversarial balance in the Board’s system and increasing the backlog at both the Board and VHA. Finally, the article offers proposals for effecting interrogatories at the Board by allowing Veterans Law Judges to regulate the process and utilize a branch already housed within the Board to carry out the interrogatory requests. This article begins the conversation on interrogatories in veterans law and offers application suggestions for a more seamless transition into using interrogatories as a litigation tool.
Detection of Allergic Disease in Adenoid Tissue

Allergic adenoiditis is defined as the presence of numerous brightly fluorescent IgE mast cells (FIEMC) demonstrated in formalin-fixed adenoid tissue by the trypsin-immunofluorescent method. A prospective study of 606 routinely accessioned cases seen during a 39-month period revealed 98 positive cases. Correlation with clinical and other allergic diagnostic testing revealed a sensitivity of 58% and a specificity of 89%. The pathogenetic role of allergy in chronic otitis media with effusion appears to be related to an exaggerated immediate hypersensitivity response to an allergen and/or infectious agent leading to dysfunction of the eustachian tube. The proximity and shared mucosa of adenoid tissue and eustachian tube allow the recognition of this inflammatory event.
Time-Resolved Lifetime Fluorescence Imaging--An Inverse Model Based on Analytical Solutions

We present an inverse model for 3D localisation and lifetime characterisation of fluorophore masses embedded in otherwise uniform tissue-like phantoms. The inverse model uses unique analytical models of time-resolved fluorescence signals with generalised lifetime profiles
Architecture Culture, 1943–1968: A Documentary Anthology; Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture: An Anthology of Architectural Theory, 1965–1995; and Rethinking Architecture: A Reader in Cultural Theory

(1998). Architecture Culture, 1943–1968: A Documentary Anthology; Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture: An Anthology of Architectural Theory, 1965–1995; and Rethinking Architecture: A Reader in Cultural Theory. Journal of Architectural Education: Vol. 51, No. 4, pp. 266-268.
A Laboratory, Insecticide Screening Technique for Megaselia halterata, a Mushroom Fly

A new laboratory method may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of insecticides vs. Megaselia halterata (Wood), a mushroom fly. The method involves counting the emerged adult progeny of 10 pair of flies which have been introduced into closed jars containing insecticide-treated, one-week-old, compost and spawn. The percent reductions in progeny numbers produced with diazinon (25% EC) in concentrations between 1 and 25 ppm suggest that the results obtained may be directly related to field expectations.
The effect of oxygen free radical scavengers on the recovery of regional myocardial function after acute coronary occlusion and surgical reperfusion.

This study investigated the effects of the oxygen free radical scavengers superoxide dismutase and catalase, the peroxide ion inhibitor, in crystalloid potassium cardioplegic solution on infarct size and global and regional myocardial function after occlusion of the left anterior descending artery and surgical reperfusion in young sheep on cardiopulmonary bypass. After 1 hour of occlusion, the animals were randomized to receive either routine potassium cardioplegia or cardioplegia with superoxide dismutase and catalase. Global hemodynamics measured by maximum rate of pressure rise showed significant improvement after 5 hours of reperfusion in the group treated with superoxide dismutase and catalase (1843 ± 163 versus 979 ± 191, p
The Relevance of Minimum Urethral Resistance in Prostatism

AbstractTo determine whether the minimum urethral resistance was useful to identify bladder outlet obstruction in prostatectomy candidates, 46 patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate were evaluated by means of detailed symptom analysis, cystoscopy, rectal examination and post-void residual urine determination. In addition, each patient underwent extensive urodynamic testing, the results of which were not made available to the operating urologist as patients were selected for surgery. This prospective, blind evaluation has been completed in 33 and 15 patients 3 and 12 months postoperatively, respectively. A correlation is noted between the minimum urethral resistance, and symptomatology and uroflowmetry but no correlation was identified with prostatic length and the resected prostatic weight. The minimum urethral resistance was not useful in predicting which patients would benefit from transurethral resection of the prostate. It is concluded that symptom analysis generally is a better p...
Factors Affecting the Supply of Recent College Graduates in New England

This policy brief investigates factors affecting the region's supply of recent college graduates and how those factors have changed over time, and suggests steps that states might take to expand this source of skilled labor. This brief summarizes analysis in NEPPC research report 08-1: The Future of the Skilled Labor Force in the Region: The Supply of Recent College Graduates.
The Participant Experience

This chapter describes the participant’s experience of the FORWARD to Professorship workshops. It gives a more personal perspective of the pre-workshop expectations, activities during the workshop, and outcomes. This insight is bracketed by an argument for workshops for women and thoughts about what such workshops might look like in the future.
Smart Universities, Smart Classrooms and Students with Disabilities

To better educate in-classroom and remote students we will need to approach education and how we teach various types of students differently. In addition, students these days are more technological than ever and are demanding new and innovative ways to learn. One of the most promising approaches is based on design and development of smart universities and smart classrooms. This paper presents the up-to-date outcomes of research project that is aimed on analysis of students with disabilities and how they might benefit from smart software and hardware systems, and smart technology.
Weather and environmental satellite big data tsunami: What to do with it?(Conference Presentation)

Weather and environmental satellites that collect earth imaging and scientific data are the ultimate source of “Big Data”. A 2004 study conducted by a Committee on Environmental Satellite Data Utilization organized by National Research Council (NRC) of National Academies coined the term “The Data Tsunami” to describe the increasing data rates and volumes of global satellite observations. Between 2004 and 2014, upward of 100 new satellites were launched with ever increasing sensing capabilities and concomitant increases in data and information volumes. NOAA, the US agency that plans, operates, collects, archives and distributes national weather and environmental satellite data has, to date, a total archive of more than 13,000 terabytes from year 2015 alone! According to another report from NOAA, NOAA’s digital archives have now grown to almost 20 times their 1999 volume at a growth rate of approximately 1.2 petabytes per year. Note that NOAA’s total archive, at the dawn of the 21st century, was then less than 1.2 petabytes. It has become obvious that knowing about “what to do with Big Data” will be a truly significant challenge. Furthermore, dramatic developments in earth imaging capacity are being delivered by ambitious startups that are launching large fleets of small, interconnected satellites. The number of earth observing imaging satellites nearly doubled during 2014 alone. With views into various aspects of global activity being refreshed at a faster rate and higher resolution than ever before, the rapid increase of this vast volume of imaging data is already changing how we use satellite Big Data in the business world. In this paper, I attempt to show how the emerging field of Big Data Analytics is relevant to the vast and growing volumes of weather and environmental satellite data. How are we to harvest valuable weather and environmental information from “The Big Data Tsunami” yielded by national and international satellite assets?
The Impact of a Therapy Dog Program on Children’s Reading: Follow-up and Extension to ELL Students

An initiative in which therapy dogs were integrated into a school-wide reading curriculum was analyzed to determine the effect on student reading in the program’s second year. Prior research on the first year of this specific program (Kirnan et al. in Early Child Educ J 44(6):637–651) demonstrated improvement in reading scores only for kindergarten students, while interview data revealed increases in positive attitudes and enthusiasm for reading across all grades. In the current study, a series of independent t-tests were conducted for each grade, comparing the second year of the program to a control group. There was a significant difference for kindergarten in the second year, as reading scores were higher for program students compared to those in the control group. Unlike the first year of the program, in the second year there was also a significant mean difference in first grade. For both grades, an analysis of covariance controlling for reading scores prior to program implementation still resulted in a significant main effect for the reading program. Combining the first 2 years of the program yielded a large enough sample for a comparison of ELL students with non-ELL students in kindergarten. These data showed significantly higher reading scores for students enrolled in the dog program relative to the control for both ELL and non-ELL students, again accounting for earlier reading scores. These findings demonstrate the need to analyze at-risk subgroups as well as the need to apply a longitudinal lens in researching both dog-assisted literacy programs and participant progress.
Utilization and Outcomes of Nephroureterectomy for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma by Surgical Approach

Abstract Objectives: To compare outcomes and survival of open-, robotic-, and laparoscopic nephroureterectomy (ONU, RNU, LNU) using population-based data. Methods: Using the National Cancer Database, we identified patients who underwent nephroureterectomy for localized upper tract urothelial carcinoma between 2010 and 2013. Demographic and clinicopathologic characteristics were compared among the three operative approaches. Multivariate regression analyses were used to determine the impact of approach on performance of lymphadenectomy (LND), positive surgical margins (PSM), and overall survival (OS). Results: In total, there were 9401 cases identified for analysis, including 3199 ONU (34%), 2098 RNU (22%), and 4104 LNU (44%). From 2010 to 2013, utilization of RNU increased from 14% to 30%. On multivariate analysis, LND was more likely in RNU (odds ratio [OR] 1.52; p < 0.01) and less likely in LNU (OR 0.77; p < 0.01) compared with ONU. RNU was associated with decreased PSM compared with ONU (OR = 0.73; p =...
Trait independence primes convergent trait loss

The repeated, independent evolution of traits (convergent evolution) is often attributed to shared environmental selection pressures. However, developmental dependencies among traits can limit the phenotypic variation available to selection and bias evolutionary outcomes. Here, we determine how changes in developmentally correlated traits may impact convergent loss of the tympanic middle ear, a highly labile trait within toads that currently lack adaptive explanation. The middle ear's lability could reflect evolutionary trade-offs with other skull features under selection, or the middle ear may evolve independently of the rest of the skull, allowing it to be modified by active or passive processes without pleiotropic trade-offs with other skull features. We compare the skulls of 55 species (39 eared, 16 earless) within the family Bufonidae, spanning six hypothesized independent middle ear transitions. We test whether shared or lineage-specific changes in skull shape distinguish earless species from eared species and whether earless skulls lack other late-forming skull bones. We find no evidence for pleiotropic trade-offs between the middle ear and other skull structures. Instead, middle ear loss in anurans may provide a rare example of developmental independence contributing to evolutionary lability of a sensory system.
Mitochondria: Potential Targets for Protection in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in older adults in developed countries. The molecular mechanisms of disease pathogenesis remain poorly understood; however, evidence suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction may contribute to the progression of the disease. Studies have shown that mitochondrial DNA lesions are increased in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of human patients with the disease and that the number of these lesions increases with disease severity. Additionally, microscopy of human RPE from patients with dry AMD shows severe disruptions in mitochondrial inner and outer membrane structure, mitochondrial size, and mitochondrial cellular organization. Thus, improving our understanding of mitochondrial dysfunction in dry AMD pathogenesis may lead to the development of targeted therapies. We propose that mitochondrial dysfunction in the RPE can lead to the chronic oxidative stress associated with the disease. Therefore, one protective strategy may involve the use of small molecule therapies that target the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis and mitochondrial fission and mitophagy.
Employment Outcomes and Job Quality of Vocational Rehabilitation Consumers With Deaf-Blindness:

The purpose of this study was to investigate employment outcomes for vocational rehabilitation (VR) consumers with deaf-blindness, a population that has received no attention in the literature. The...
Conceptualizing Human Pain and Suffering

Humans spend much of life suffering or trying to avoid suffering, yet there is little precision or consistency in the definition of ‘suffering’. To rectify that, a classification scheme or taxonomy is outlined that distinguishes mental, physical, and social suffering, and then offers subcategories. For example, depression, anxiety, grief, and existential suffering are all types of mental suffering. Suffering is defined as distress resulting from threat or damage to one’s body or self-identity. Next, to capture the principal, dominant cultural meanings of suffering, eight frames (essentially, major points of view) for suffering are summarized. These frames are suffering as punishment, suffering as reward, suffering as craving, suffering as sacrifice, suffering as natural destiny, suffering as manageable, relief of suffering as human purpose, and lastly, relief of suffering as progress in quality of life. Suffering and negative quality of life have a lot in common. Understanding perceptions of peoples’ desired relief of suffering requires that we distinguish their own suffering from suffering of others important to them. Thus, in measuring subjective quality of life, it may be necessary to distinguish a person’s perception of their own quality of life from that of others who are important to them.
the experiences of occupational therapy clinicians as educators: the community college context

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the clinical fieldwork educator role in the community college from the perspective of the clinician. While there are numerous fieldwork studies from the perspectives of the students and the academic institutions, there is a paucity of literature regarding the meaning that fieldwork educators make of their role (Thomas et al., 2007). The participants in the study were four occupational therapists and two occupational therapy assistants who volunteer to supervise occupational therapy assistant students in the clinical setting prior to graduation from their academic program. All of the clinical educators lived within the Midwest United States. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews, participant self-assessment and reflection, and student evaluation of the fieldwork experience. The data gathered were analyzed for themes in order to construct meaning that might inform practice, policy, and further research in fieldwork education.
Compilation of Tensor Formulas

The application of the tensor calculus to the formulation of problems in mechanics requires the skillful use of many formulas. The following list of equations derived in the text will be useful as a ready reference. However, none of the formulas should be applied blindly; the derivation and possible limitation may be found at the proper place.
Application of Volterra Series Analysis for Parametric Rolling in Irregular Seas

Parametric roll is a phenomenon in which there is a large rolling motion of a ship even when the ship is moving into head seas with no direct excitation. It is a nonlinear dynamic phenomenon of a ship rolling system with nonlinearities in the stiffness as well as the damping terms. Parametric roll of container ships in head seas is a relatively new problem, which has gained lot of importance after the catastrophic incidence of APL China in 1998. Analysis of parametric roll of container ships in regular head waves has been studied extensively. However, the ships do not encounter regular waves in the ocean. So, it is necessary to study how important parametric roll is in irregular seas. To study this, it is first important to model the variation of metacentric height in irregular waves, which is nonlinear as a result of the influence of underwater geometry and the motions of the ship in a seaway. In this work, the change of metacentric height (GM) in irregular waves has been modeled using a Volterra series approach. This transfer function for metacentric height (GM) is used to study parametric rolling of ships in irregular waves. Based on this study, roll motion sensitivity to the spectral peak period and significant wave height has been carried out.