cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electric field forced vibration of a periodic piezocomposite plate with laminated structure and reflection and transmission of a plane wave at the fluid-composite interface

We address the problems of the vibration of a periodic piezocomposite plate (2-2 composite) under external electric fields and the reflection and transmission of a plane wave incident on the fluid-composite interface based on an analytical method developed recently, which takes into account explicitly the heterogeneous nature of the piezocomposites. It is shown that due to the finite thickness of the composite plate, a series of piezo-active modes at frequencies near and above the stop band edge mode frequency may be excited. It is also shown that, as a result of the heterogeneous structure of the composite, the reflection coefficient from the fluid-composite interface is a complex number, which should have important implication on the design of the quarter wave matching layer in composite transducers.
How is Educational Measurement Supposed to Deal With Test Use

At the outset of his thoughtful and thought-provoking article, Haertel (this issue) clearly identifies the issue with which he will be dealing: The disjunct, or gap, in current approaches to evalua...
Understanding tradeoffs among different architectural modeling approaches

Over the past decade, a number of architecture description languages (ADLs) have been proposed to facilitate modeling and analysis of software architecture. While each claims to have various benefits, to date, there have been few studies to assess the relative merits of these approaches. In this paper, we describe our experience using two ADLs to model a system initially described in UML, and compare their effectiveness in identifying system design flaws. We also describe the techniques we used for extracting architectural models from a UML system description.
Annulate lamellae: comparison of antigenic epitopes of annulate lamellae membranes with the nuclear envelope.

Annulate lamellae (AL) are a membranous structure frequently observed in differentiating gametes and tumor cells. In spite of numerous morphological studies, the function and biochemical composition of this membrane system are not well understood. In this study, we have examined the AL membrane system of vinblastine-treated mouse L cells using immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis. Our results show that antibodies directed against nuclear envelope lamins, i.e., lamins A, B, and C, did not cross react with constituents of the AL membrane system. Furthermore an AL-specific antibody failed to react with the nuclear envelope and reacted minimally producing only a background stain over other cellular components. The data suggest that the AL membrane system has a distinct molecular make-up that is antigenically distinct from that of other subcellular structures.
Role of Interleukin 6 in Innate Immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection

Background. Mycobacterium tuberculosis can grow in the hostile intracellular environment of macrophages by actively evading macrophage-associated antibacterial activities. The stress response factor SigH contributes to this process by modulating β-chemokine and interleukin 6 (Il6) expression. Hence, Il6 is of critical importance for acquired immunity against M. tuberculosis infection. Here, we attempted to better characterize the role of Il6 in the immune response to M. tuberculosis infection. Methods. A small interfering RNA–based approach was used to silence expression of the Il6 transcript in host macrophages infected with a wild-type strain of M. tuberculosis or an attenuated mutant strain of M. tuberculosis (Mtb:Δ-sigH). The outcome was measured by the analysis of bacterial burden and transcriptome-wide analysis of host gene expression. Transcriptome results were confirmed via quantitative polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. Wild type and Mtb:Δ-sigH infection of host macrophages in which Il6 had been silenced resulted in increased expression of interferon-inducible genes, especially those involved in type I interferon signaling. The expression of Ly-6 genes was significantly higher in cells infected with Mtb:Δ-sigH, compared with those infected with the wild-type strain (P < .05). Conclusions. M. tuberculosis regulates host Il6 production to inhibit type I interferon signaling and, consequently, disease progression. Mtb:Δ-sigH is associated with delayed activation of macrophages, compared with the wild-type strain, and with delayed inflammatory stimuli as consequence. These findings have important implications for improving understanding of the mechanisms behind M. tuberculosis virulence and pathogenesis and provide an initial road map to further investigate the mechanisms that may account for the deleterious effects of type I interferons in M. tuberculosis infection.
Learning about Complexity with Modular Robots

We present progress with roBlocks, a reconfigurable modular robotic system for education. Children snap together small, magnetic, heterogeneous modules to create larger, more complex robotic constructions. The design of the system is described and the algorithms that handle data transfer and manipulation are explained. Users tend to begin exploring the system through a series of simple robot patterns but quickly progress to more involved constructions. Many years before they learn formally about hierarchy and modularity, children can develop intuitions about these concepts by designing modular robots. Additionally, young users often spontaneously engage in creative debugging practices.
Investigation of the transmission properties of High Power Microwave induced surface flashover plasma

When dealing with the propagation of High Power Microwaves (HPM), special precautions must be used to prevent the onset of plasma generation. In this paper, we investigate the plasma located on the high pressure side of the dielectric boundary separating the vacuum environment of the microwave source from the high pressure environment of the transmitting medium, e.g., atmosphere. Because the collisional ionization rates are a monotonously increasing function of E eff /p in the range of interest, the effective electric field normalized with pressure, implementation of HPM in high altitude (low pressure) environments are subject to dielectric breakdown due to this generated plasma, more than at sea-level altitudes. Dielectric breakdown causes the interruption in transmission of electromagnetic radiation due to the reflection and absorption properties of the plasma generated on the dielectric surface. In this paper, transmission, reflection, and absorption data is presented for plasma generated under various pressures ranging from 5 to 155 torr in N 2 and air environments. In addition, seed electrons from UV illumination of the dielectric surface and physical vapor deposited metallic points are implemented and their implications to the overall transmission properties are discussed.
A Comparison of Full and Split Thickness Skin Grafts in Radial Forearm Donor Sites

To formally evaluate the functional and aesthetic outcomes between full versus split thickness skin graft coverage of radial forearm free flap donor sites. A retrospective chart review of 47 patients who underwent pedicled or free radial forearm free flap reconstruction from May 1997 to August 2004 was performed. Comparisons were made between patients who had donor site coverage with split thickness skin grafts (STSG) or full thickness skin grafts (FTSG). There was no statistically significant difference between the STSG and FTSG in the number of post-operative dressings, incidence of tendon exposure, time to healing at the skin graft donor site, and time to healing at the skin graft recipient site. The questionnaire data showed there was a trend toward higher scores with the radial forearm scar aesthetics and satisfaction in the FTSG group. Full thickness skin graft coverage of radial forearm free flap donor site is superior to split thickness skin graft coverage in terms of aesthetic outcome, and has no statistically significant difference in terms of tendon exposure, time to healing at the skin graft donor site, time to healing at the skin graft recipient site, or post operative pain.
The relationship between tinnitus pitch and the audiogram.

We studied the relationship between tinnitus pitch and the audiogram in 195 patients. Patients with tone-like tinnitus reported a higher pitch (mean = 5385 Hz) compared to those with a noise-like quality (mean = 3266 Hz). Those with a flat audiogram were more likely to report: a noise-like tinnitus, a unilateral tinnitus, and have a pitch or=8000 Hz. We failed to find a relationship between the pitch and the edge of a high frequency hearing loss. Some individuals did exhibit a pitch at the low frequency edge of a hearing loss, but we could find no similar characteristics among these subjects. It is possible that a relationship between pitch and audiogram is present only in certain subgroups.
System-dynamics-based modeling of business simulation algorithms

Research on the internal algorithms used to model business simulations have focused on individual components of the business system. Yet the business environment is complex in nature, characterized by interdependencies and nonlinear relationships that require a systems approach if effective game design is to be achieved. In this article, a system-dynamics-basedd interactive model of a business enterprise simulation is developed consisting of 18 equations. The model draws heavily on the economic theory of the firm and the expansive body of prior research on the design of business simulations. The focus is on the linkages between the production, cost, revenues, profits, and stock market value of the firm. A working model of the recommended system is tested, and its empirical properties are discussed. It is found that to develop effective algorithms within each functional area of business, the dynamic impacts on the whole enterprise must be evaluated.
Effect of detector wavelength on the determination of the molecular weight of humic substances by high-pressure size exclusion chromatography.

High-pressure size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) has proven to be an effective method for determining the molecular weights (MW) of humic substances (HS) from a variety of aquatic and terrestrial environments. HPSEC systems often use a variable wavelength UV-vis detector, which detects the analytes based upon their chromophoric composition. HS contain a range of moieties with chromophores having unique molar absorptivities (for a given wavelength), and the calculated MW may be dependent upon the wavelength chosen for the analysis. As a consequence, the choice of wavelength becomes an important parameter for the reliable determination of MW by HPSEC. The effect of UV-vis detector wavelength on the determination of the MW distribution of selected humic and fulvic acids by HPSEC is examined in this paper. For the HS examined, both the number (Mn) and weight average (Mw) MW increased with increasing wavelength. The relative increase in MW was most pronounced for Lake Fryxell fulvic acid, with a 63 and 21% increase in Mn and Mw, respectively, between 220 and 380 nm. The increases observed for Suwannee River humic and fulvic acids were less pronounced. Mn was more sensitive to changes in detector wavelength than Mw, and as a result the target HS appeared to be less polydisperse at higher wavelengths. Within the range of wavelengths commonly used for the determination of MW of HS by HPSEC (i.e., 220-280 nm), the magnitude of the increases in MW was not significant compared to variability in MW that results from changes to other operational parameters in HPSEC.
Evaluation of the DoDAF Meta-Model's Support of Systems Engineering

Abstract The Department of Defense Architectural Framework (DoDAF) is the DoD's mandated method to document system architectures. Consequently, it has a far-reaching and deep impact on systems engineering and acquisition within the DoD. DoDAF version 2.0 departs from earlier versions in its emphasis on the underlying architectural data. It is now based on a meta model called DM2 that defines all the concepts and their relationships. This paper examines DM2 with a critical eye toward how it is defined, modeled, and used to support systems engineering. The evaluation is based on a text analysis of systems engineering guidebooks and a comparison with the DM2 definitions. We classify mismatches between the systems engineering guidebooks and DM2 and highlight some omissions in DM2 of important systems engineering concepts. We find that DM2 has some serious omissions that have implications for the ability of DM2 to support systems engineering. We make two recommendations for how DM2 can address these issues. First, the underlying ontology should be developed and modeled using more widespread used tools to facilitate greater understanding, adoption, and acceptance by the community. Second, the ontology must be designed to support the decision processes using language familiar to the intended users.
Design Optimization of Vehicle Structures for Crashworthiness Using Equivalent Mechanism Approximations

Passenger vehicle crashworthiness is one of the essential vehicle attributes. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were over six million vehicle crashes in the United States in the year 2000, which claimed the lives of more than forty thousand persons. Vehicle crashworthiness is difficult to satisfy in a manner appeasing to other design decisions about the vehicle. This paper aims at developing a novel methodology for crashworthiness optimization of vehicle structures. Based on observations of the manner of structural deformation, the authors propose the abstraction of the actual vehicle structure, which is to be represented as a linkage mechanism having special nonlinear springs at the joints. The special springs are chosen to allow the motion of the mechanism to capture the overall motion of the actual vehicle structure. It thus becomes possible to optimize the mechanism, which is an easier task than directly optimizing the vehicle structure. A realization of the optimized mechanism is then performed to obtain an equivalent structure, and then direct optimization of the realized structure is performed for further tuning. The study presented shows the success of the proposed approach in finding better designs than direct optimization while using comparatively less computational resources.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Electromechanical Effects in Chiral Smectic Liquid Crystals

We discuss the influence of electric fields on the macroscopic dynamics of chiral smectic liquid crystals valid on length scales smaller than the pitch. The experiment by Pieranski, Guyon and Keller is interpreted in the framework of the approach presented. The relationship to the macroscopic dynamics valid for length scales larger than the pitch is pointed out and other approaches to electromechanic effects are critically examined.
Influence of Support Effects on CO Oxidation Kinetics on CO-Saturated Graphene-Supported Pt13 Nanoclusters

We investigate support effects on the CO oxidation reaction on graphene–supported Pt13 nanoclusters using first-principles density functional theory calculations. As CO adsorption on Pt13 clusters is found to be substantially stronger than O adsorption, we focus on understanding CO oxidation kinetics on CO-saturated Pt nanoclusters. For this high CO coverage regime, the relevant kinetic mechanism is shown to proceed via a CO*-assisted activation of the O2 molecule, resulting in the formation of an O*–O–C*–O transition state that eventually forms a CO2 molecule and a chemisorbed O* species. By sampling this particular reaction pathway at various surface sites on unsupported Pt13 nanoclusters as well as clusters bound at support point defects (vacancies/divacancies) in graphene, we show that strong support–cluster interactions substantially reduce the CO oxidation reaction barrier, on average, by about 0.5 eV. Our results suggest that defect engineering of carbon supports could serve to enhance the catalyti...
Estrogen replacement after menopause. When is it warranted

As longevity increases, so will the number of women living for many years beyond menopause. The estrogen deprivation that occurs at menopause results in many degenerative changes in a woman's body, some of which cause unpleasant or disabling symptoms. To maintain good health and vitality in menopausal and postmenopausal women, serious consideration should be given to appropriate estrogen replacement therapy. Although such therapy has some risks, the benefits appear to exceed the risks.
Long-term exposure to gold nanoparticles accelerates larval metamorphosis without affecting mass in wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) at environmentally relevant concentrations.

Nanoparticles are environmental contaminants of emerging concern. Exposure to engineered nanoparticles has been shown to have detrimental effects on aquatic organisms. The authors synthesized gold nanoparticles (18.1 ± 3.5 nm) and tested their effects on time to and weight at metamorphosis in wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) tadpoles, a species known to be sensitive to environmental stressors. Continuous exposure to all concentrations of gold nanoparticles (0.05 pM, 0.5 pM, and 5 pM in particles) for up to 55 d significantly reduced time to metamorphosis by as much as an average of 3 d (p < 0.05). However, exposure to gold nanoparticles had no effect on tadpole mass at metamorphosis. The approximately 18-nm gold nanoparticles used were metastable in dechlorinated tap water, resulting in a change in surface charge and aggregation over time, leading to negatively charged aggregates that were on the order of 60 nm to 110 nm. Nanoparticle aggregation could exacerbate the effect on time to metamorphosis. To the authors' knowledge, the present study is the first report on the effect of engineered nanoparticles of any kind on life-history variables in an amphibian, a taxonomic group that has been declining globally for at least 25 yr. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:2304-2310. © 2016 SETAC.
Bird Flight Origins

The origin of bird flight is historically a subject of keen interest and heated debate, generally with two dominant models: the arboreal or trees-down, and the cursorial or ground-up theories. Both models have advocates today although the vast majority of specialists in the field strongly favor the more realistic and intuitively facile trees-down model. The cursorial model presents biomechanical difficulties and fails to explain the microstages leading up to flight from the ground. It cannot account for how selection could act to produce a sophisticated, aerodynamically designed wing in a non-flight context, in earth-bound theropods. It also cannot explain myriad arboreal and climbing adaptations of protobirds, as well as their development of neurosensory features associated with flight.
A three-dimensional meso-macroscopic model for Li-Ion intercalation batteries

Abstract In this paper we present a three-dimensional computational formulation for electrode-electrolyte-electrode system of Li-Ion batteries. The physical consistency between electrical, thermal and chemical equations is enforced at each time increment by driving the residual of the resulting coupled system of nonlinear equations to zero. The formulation utilizes a rigorous volume averaging approach typical of multiphase formulations used in other fields and recently extended to modeling of supercapacitors [1] . Unlike existing battery modeling methods which use segregated solution of conservation equations and idealized geometries, our unified approach can model arbitrary battery and electrode configurations. The consistency of multi-physics solution also allows for consideration of a wide array of initial conditions and load cases. The formulation accounts for spatio-temporal variations of material and state properties such as electrode/void volume fractions and anisotropic conductivities. The governing differential equations are discretized using the finite element method and solved using a nonlinearly consistent approach that provides robust stability and convergence. The new formulation was validated for standard Li-ion cells and compared against experiments. Its scope and ability to capture spatio-temporal variations of potential and lithium distribution is demonstrated on a prototypical three-dimensional electrode problem.
Values of Minority Orientals: Sub-Cultural Comparisons Using a Three Dimensional Approach to Values Measurement

This paper compares value systems of minority Orientals with those of American whites. While previous values studies adopted the importance-based measurement, this article examines multi-aspects of values measured in terms of importance, reality, and perceived gaps. Terminal value items of Rokeach Value Survey are utilized to assess differences as well as similarities with respect to value items between American whites and Orientals. Mean score comparisons and rank patterns regarding all three value dimensions reveal that, despite the significant mean scores differences, rank patterns are strikingly similar. In addition, the findings reveal that American whites perceive more gaps between "the desired" level and "the reality," than Orientals. Conclusions and implications are also provided.
Clinical Presentation and Therapy of Truncus Arteriosus

Truncus arteriosus (TA, also known as common arterial trunk) consists of a ventricular septal defect and only one great artery (“the truncus”) arising from the heart (Fig. 46.1). This great artery is positioned above the ventricular septal defect and gives rise to the coronary arteries, the pulmonary arteries, and the aortic arch. TA has been classified as three types. In type 1 the right and left pulmonary arteries arise from a main pulmonary artery that arises from the aorta. In type 2 the right and left pulmonary arteries arise from separate orifice but close together. In type 3 the pulmonary arteries arise separately and distant from each other. Significant associated anomalies include truncal valve insufficiency, stenosis, and interrupted aortic arch. Truncus arteriosus constitutes approximately 0.7 % of all congenital heart defects. It results from abnormal conotruncal septation. There is a relatively common association between microdeletion 22q11.2 and truncus arteriosus especially if there is interruption of the aortic arch.
A simple and selective colorimetric mercury (II) sensing system based on chitosan stabilized gold nanoparticles and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid

Abstract The development of simple and cost-effective methods for the detection and treatment of Hg 2 + in the environment is an important area of research due to the serious health risk that Hg 2 + poses to humans. Colorimetric sensing based on the induced aggregation of nanoparticles is of great interest since it offers a low cost, simple, and relatively rapid procedure, making it perfect for on-site analysis. Herein we report the development of a simple colorimetric sensor for the selective detection and estimation of mercury ions in water, based on chitosan stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (PDA). In the presence of Hg 2 + , PDA induces the aggregation of AuNPs, causing the solution to change colors varying from red to blue, depending on the concentration of Hg 2 + . The formation of aggregated AuNPs in the presence of Hg 2 + was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The method exhibits linearity in the range of 300 nM to 5 μM and shows excellent selectivity towards Hg 2 + among seventeen different metal ions and was successfully applied for the detection of Hg 2 + in spiked river water samples. The developed technique is simple and superior to the existing techniques in that it allows detection of Hg 2 + using the naked eye and simple and rapid colorimetric analysis, which eliminates the need for sophisticated instruments and sample preparation methods.
Mind the Gap: Assessing the Disconnect Between Postpartum Health Information Desired and Health Information Received

Abstract Introduction Seeking and receiving health information are critical aspects of prenatal and postpartum care; however, many informational sources lack postpartum content. This study explores the gaps between information desired and information received postpartum and identifies the sources women use for health information seeking, with an emphasis on emergent online and mobile phone-based resources. Methods Participants were recruited from our community partners’ client base for a cross-sectional study. Mothers (n = 77) of a child 48 months or younger completed a survey on health information seeking, health information needs, and technology use. Postpartum health information gaps were defined as topics about which a participant indicated that she wanted information, but did not receive information. Bivariate analyses assessed the association between demographic characteristics, sources of health information used during pregnancy, and postpartum information gaps. Results Health care providers, Internet-based resources, and mobile applications were common sources of health information during pregnancy. Mental and sexual health were the most common types of postpartum health information gaps. In bivariate analyses, higher income and education were associated with postpartum information gaps in mental health and sexual health, respectively (p Conclusions Postpartum health information gaps were common in this sample, particularly for topics in mental and sexual health. Unexpected associations between higher levels of education and income and postpartum health information gaps were observed in bivariate analyses. Health educators have the opportunity to capitalize on high rates of Internet information seeking by providing health information online. Health care providers must incorporate mental and sexual health into routine postpartum care.
IP Trust: The Problem and Design/Validation-Based Solution

Globalization of the integrated circuit (IC) supply chain has raised security vulnerabilities at various stages of the IC design flow. Due to increasing demand for products, companies are trying to reduce the time-to-market (TTM) of ICs which, combined with the increased design complexity, boosts the intellectual property (IP) cores transaction market, and supports the growth of third-party design houses. Meanwhile, the exorbitant cost of in-house chip manufacturing and testing forces companies to outsource these services to foundries and third-party testing facilities. The use of third-party IPs and the outsourcing of fabrication and testing services have raised security concerns, thereby compelling companies to evaluate trustworthiness of their circuit designs. Many defense mechanisms have been proposed to protect IP/IC from reverse engineering, malicious tampering, piracy, counterfeiting, cloning, and overbuilding. In this chapter, we first illustrate different threats to an IP/IC as well as locations of possible adversaries in the supply chain. Subsequently, we discuss different protection methods for soft and firm IP cores. Among the two categories of protection methods, authentication, and prevention, we explain the prevention methods in greater details. We divide the prevention methods into combinational logic locking/encryption and finite state machine locking/encryption. Methods for protecting field-programmable gate array (FPGA) bitstreams are also included in the chapter. We then discuss various IP certification methods, which are used to ensure trustworthiness of IPs. Two main categories of formal methods are particularly elaborated within the scope of IP certification: theorem proving and equivalence checking.
Expression of MICA by Granulocytes in Neutropenia Due to Large Granular Lymphocyte Leukemia Points towards Cytotoxicity Exerted Via NKG2D on Clonal Cytotoxic T Cells.

Large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia is a semiautonomous proliferation of cytotoxic T cells (CTL) often accompanied by lineage-restricted immune cytopenias, including neutropenia and anemia. Clonal expansion of CD57+ CTL in LGL leukemia may constitute an extreme pole of a spectrum of immune-mediated responses that range from polyclonal such as in aplastic anemia, likely with multiple clones and target antigens, oligoclonal as in some immune-mediated cytopenias, to clonally-restricted LGL lymphoproliferations. Consequently, LGL leukemia may be a clonally exaggerated response to chronic antigenic stimulation. NKG2D is present on reactive CTL, the normal counterparts of leukemic LGLs. Its ligand, MICA, is a tightly regulated, non-peptide-presenting HLA-related molecule induced during viral infections or cellular stress. As a mechanism of escape from anti-tumor cellular effector mechanisms, soluble MICA (sMICA) is secreted by various epithelial tumors. Similarly, herpes and adenoviruses have developed mechanisms for cellular MICA sequestration or secretion as means to evade immune-mediated elimination of infected cells. We thus hypothesized that NKG2D-MICA signaling plays a role in cytopenias associated with LGL leukemia. We studied a cohort of 47 well annotated patients with LGL leukemia. Flow cytometric analysis showed that while CD57 expression on CD8 cells was expectedly higher in LGL than controls (p
A real-time UEFI functional validation tool with behavior Colored Petri Net model

As Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) architectural complexity increases to accommodate a growing number of requirements, UEFI functional validation is becoming a large complex and time-consuming task. We have implemented an integrated validation tool that uses Colored Petri Net (CPN) to model the UEFI execution behavior in real-time. This tool extends the existing validation workflow with a run-time CPN model simulation that can indicate the correctness of the firmware execution and potentially pinpoints the location of error. This in turn could help reduce debugging time. Functional validation of UEFI USB Bus driver on MinnowBoard MAX is used as an example to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Abstract MP034: Muscle strength and Short-term Risk of Cardiovascular Outcomes in Community-dwelling Older Adults: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Background: Muscle weakness has been shown to predict mortality in older adults. However, its contribution to different cardiovascular disease (CVD) subtypes is not well known. Methods: Among 5,484...
Ultra-High Field Proton MR Spectroscopy in Early-Stage Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

A major hurdle in the development of effective treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been the lack of robust biomarkers for use as clinical trial endpoints. Neurochemical profiles obtained in vivo by high field proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) can potentially provide biomarkers of cerebral pathology in ALS. However, previous 1H-MRS studies in ALS have produced conflicting findings regarding alterations in the levels of neurochemical markers such as glutamate (Glu) and myo-inositol (mIns). Furthermore, very few studies have investigated the neurochemical abnormalities associated with ALS early in its course. In this study, we measured neurochemical profiles using single-voxel 1H-MRS at 7 T (T) and glutathione (GSH) levels using edited MRS at 3 T in 19 subjects with ALS who had relatively high functional status [ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) mean ± SD = 39.8 ± 5.6] and 17 healthy controls. We observed significantly lower total N-acetylaspartate over mIns (tNAA/mIns) ratio in the motor cortex and pons of subjects with ALS versus healthy controls. No group differences were detected in GSH at 3 and 7 T. In subjects with ALS, the levels of tNAA, mIns, and Glu in the motor cortex were dependent on the extent of disease represented by El Escorial diagnostic subcategories. Specifically, combined probable/definite ALS had lower tNAA than possible ALS and controls (both p = 0.03), higher mIns than controls (p < 0.01), and lower Glu than possible ALS (p < 0.01). The effect of disease stage on MRS-measured metabolite levels may account for dissimilar findings among previous 1H-MRS studies in ALS.
Biomechanics of the Proximal Radius Following Drilling of the Bicipital Tuberosity to Mimic Cortical Button Distal Biceps Repair Technique.

Background A fracture through the proximal radius is a theoretical concern after cortical button distal biceps fixation in an active patient. The permanent, nonossified cortical defect and medullary tunnel is at risk during a fall eliciting rotational and compressive forces. We hypothesized that during simulated torsion and compression, in comparison with unaltered specimens, the cortical button distal biceps repair model would have decreased torsional and compressive strength and would fracture in the vicinity of the bicipital tuberosity bone tunnel. Methods Sixteen fourth-generation composite radius Sawbones models were used in this controlled laboratory study. A bone tunnel was created through the bicipital tuberosity to mimic the exact bone tunnel, 8 mm near cortex and 3.2 mm far cortex, made for the BicepsButton distal biceps tendon repair. The radius was then prepared and mounted on either a torsional or compression testing device and compared with undrilled control specimens. Results Compression tests resulted in average failure loads of 9015.2 N in controls versus 8253.25 N in drilled specimens ( P = .074). Torsional testing resulted in an average failure torque of 27.3 Nm in controls and 19.3 Nm in drilled specimens ( P = .024). Average fracture angle was 35.1° in controls versus 21.1° in drilled. Gross fracture patterns were similar in compression testing; however, in torsional testing all fractures occurred through the bone tunnel in the drilled group. Conclusion There are weaknesses in the vicinity of the bone tunnel in the proximal radius during biomechanical stress testing which may not be clinically relevant in nature. Clinical relevance In cortical button fixation, distal biceps repairs creates a permanent, nonossified cortical defect with tendon interposed in the bone tunnel, which can alter the biomechanical properties of the proximal radius during compressive and torsional loading.
Rough Set Theory

This chapter discusses the basic preliminaries of rough set theory (RST). Since its inception, RST has been a prominent tool for data analysis due to its analysis friendly nature. RST provides a range of data structures, e.g. information systems, decision systems and approximations, to represent the real-world data. Furthermore, it provides various methods to help analyse this data. This chapter discusses the basic concepts of RST with example to set a strong foundation of RST to be used as feature selection.
Effectiveness of local therapy for stage I non-small-cell lung cancer in nonagenarians.

Background Stage I non–small-cell lung cancer is potentially curable, yet older patients undergo treatment at lower rates than younger patients. This analysis sought to describe the treatment outcomes of nonagenarians with stage I non–small-cell lung cancer to better guide treatment decisions in this population. Methods The National Cancer DataBase was queried for patients age ≥90 years old with stage I non–small-cell lung cancer (tumors ≤4 cm). Patients were divided into 3 groups: local therapy, other therapy, or no treatment. The primary outcomes were 5-year overall and relative survival. Results Of the 616 patients identified, 33% (202) were treated with local therapy, 34% (207) were treated with other therapy, and 34% (207) underwent no treatment. Compared with local therapy, overall mortality was significantly higher with no treatment (hazard ratio 2.50, 95% confidence interval, 1.95–3.21) and other therapy (hazard ratio 1.43, 95% confidence interval, 1.11–1.83). The 5-year relative survival was 81% for local therapy, 49% for other therapy, and 32% for no treatment ( P Conclusion Nonagenarians managed with local therapy for stage I non–small-cell lung cancer (tumors ≤4 cm) have better overall survival than those receiving other therapy or no treatment and should be considered for treatment with either operation or stereotactic body radiation therapy if able to tolerate treatment.
Electrical percolation threshold of magnetostrictive inclusions in a piezoelectric matrix composite as a function of relative particle size

Magnetoelectric composites can be produced by embedding magnetostrictive particles in a piezoelectric matrix derived from a piezoelectric powder precursor. Ferrite magnetostrictive particles, if allowed to percolate, can short the potential difference generated in the piezoelectric phase. Modeling a magnetoelectric composite as an aggregate of bi-disperse hard shells, molecular dynamics was used to explore relationships among relative particle size, particle affinity, and electrical percolation with the goal of maximizing the percolation threshold. It is found that two factors raise the percolation threshold, namely the relative size of magnetostrictive to piezoelectric particles, and the affinity between the magnetostrictive and piezoelectric particles.
Extraction of Actinides and Lanthanides

Since the actinide ions are classified as hard acids they associate most strongly with hard base complexants. Among these complexants, those with oxygen donor groups have been the most widely used. By contrast with transition metal and post-transition metal ions, actinides can frequently achieve higher coordination numbers than six. Therefore multidentates that can accommodate to high coordination numbers are good candidates for being extractants for actinides. Another feature of the actinides is their occurrence as oxycations. The most studied one is the linear uranyl (UO 2 2+ ) ion, but others such as PuO 2 2+ and PuO 2 + are stable in aqueous solution. These cations present a different challenge in designing complexants since there is the possibility of introducing functional groups that can associate with the oxide groups as well as the metal center of the oxycation.
Refining Amuay: Creole Petroleum and Judibana, 1946–1955

Between 1946 and 1955, the Creole Petroleum Corporation sponsored the construction of its most ambitious infrastructural project in Venezuela, the planned community of Judibana and the adjoining Amuay Refinery. Its scope was unprecedented for a private company, for Creole’s investment extended beyond refining crude oil and housing workers’ families: the Amuay complex was framed as nothing less than a harbinger of modernity, especially in its efforts to transform the ostensibly primitive, sparsely inhabited Paraguana Peninsula into the site of a model company town. At a moment when the petrostate pursued the “rational transformation of the physical environment” through rapid urban development, the complex formed but one part of a broader network of oil camps, pipelines, and refineries. Such a network provided not only the financial means to realise such a dream, it also constituted the imaginative prototype of a natural landscape that had been tamed, instrumentalised, and refined into its artificial double.
Algebra and Intuition

A great deal of excellent work on Kant’s philosophy of mathematics has been done in the recent past, much of it facilitated by a deep knowledge of the traditional criticisms made of his philosophy and by contemporary developments in logic and set theory. In particular, I have in mind papers by Michael Friedman, Jaakko Hintikka, Charles Parsons, Carl Posy, Manley Thompson, and J. Michael Young.1 Any new discussion of the topics they address should be able to presuppose some acquaintance with them. Their net effect has been to make Kant’s position, in its general outlines, philosophically credible as well as historically interesting, perhaps especially as concerns arithmetic. Moreover, with the exception of Posy, whose commentary on Kant takes place against a background provided by Brouwer and the Dutch Intuitionists, there is a surprising degree of consensus among them. There remain important differences, of course, and a great deal of disagreement concerning the details. But in this paper I will be more interested in the similarities, and will in any case spend an inadequate amount of time on the details.
The Psychologist as a Manager

Graduate education in psychology exposes a professional to a broad range of conceptual models concerning human behavior, strategies and technologies for the conduct of psychological research, and various techniques for assessment and therapeutic intervention. The knowledge of ethics, standards, professional practices, and operating in the human service environment are among the topics to which students are least exposed during their training, yet internships and course content typically provide some experience. It is, however, a rare student who finishes training with anything but the vaguest possible notion about management.
THE MINNESOTA-RANN UNDERGROUND TEST ROOM

An underground flat-roofed test room 15 m wide, 30 m long and 25 m below the surface has been excavated in a friable sandstone below a bedded limestone at the University of Minnesota Campus in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Instrumentation was installed prior to excavation. The room was excavated to help develop and test in a field laboratory: a method to strengthen friable sandstone, a rational design method for flat roofs in bedded formations, a comprehensive instrumentation and interpretation procedure and provide a demonstration of safe and sound underground space. The excavation is now complete and most of the research objectives achieved. The results are available as reports and theses, and the room can be visited. Une chambre d'essais a toit plat et souterraine, de 15 m x 30 m, a ete creusee a 25 m sous la surface du campus de l’ universite du Minnesota, a Minneapolis, Minnesota, dans du gres friable sous un banc calcaire L’ Instrumentation a ete installee avant le creusement. La chambre fut concue pour developper et tester, au niveau du laboratoire; une methode pour renforcer le gres friable, pour le calcul rationnel des toits plats dans les formations en couches, pour fournir une procedure comprehensive et instrumentale et enfin pour obtenir un espace souterrain sur. Les travaux sont maintenant acheves et la plupart des objectifs de recherche atteints. Les resultats sont disponibles sous forme de compte - rendus et de theses et la chambre peut etre visitee.
MASS TRANSFER IN A TWO-PHASE (LIQUID-LIQUID) CROSSFLOW BLOOD OXYGENATOR

Publisher Summary Many investigators have designed and tested oxygenators employing gravity-driven films of fluorocarbon as the oxygen carrier. While most of the devices achieved high oxygen transfer rates, biocompatibility problems associated with the formation of a blood-fluorocarbon emulsion have prevented their further development to the clinical stage. This chapter describes the development of a simple analytical model for predicting mass transfer in a two-phase contacting device. Combined analytical and experimental results indicate that the parameters that govern the mass transfer are also of importance in considering the emulsion problem. Experimental carbon dioxide transfer to distilled water or oxygen transfer to cow blood in vitro occurred from annular films of dense fluorocarbon to either liquid in cross-flow across a falling interface. For liquids with constant solubility and no chemical reaction, such as fluorocarbon and water, the concentration profile in a small fluid element on one side of the interface is determined by the complementary error function. The chapter describes eight series of experiments that were performed transferring carbon dioxide to distilled water over a range of the two dimensionless groups. An experimental mass transfer coefficient was based on a log-mean partial pressure difference analogous to the representation of heat exchange performance.
Changes in Guideline Trends and Applications in Practice: JNC 2013 and the Future

The Joint National Committee Report on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC) has been in existence for more than three decades with the first report published in 1977. The purpose of this report is to provide an authoritative review and summary of available data from clinical trials that will educate and update healthcare providers on approaches to treatment and cardiovascular risk reduction of appropriate patients. In addition, changes in guidance based on the JNC 8 document recently published are discussed. Please note that the JNC was initially intended to be updated every 4–5 years as data became available that would further solidify or change practice patterns. JNC 8 was published 10 years after JNC 7, so a departure from previous guidelines.
Abolitionist Interruptions: Romanticism, Slavery, and Genre

The essays clustered here—focused as they are on textual representations of race and bondage—invite us to consider anti-slavery literature as its own genre, one with distinctive qualities that refl...
Determining the Legal Status of Unmanned Maritime Vehicles: Formalism vs Functionalism

The introduction of unmanned maritime vehicles (UMV) raises a number of international law issues. In its 1951 decision in the Anglo-Norwegian Fisheries case the International Court of Justice set out the formal, two-step approach for analyzing such international law questions. For most maritime nations, the legal status of UMV is governed principally by the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. To the extent the status question requires interpretation of that Convention, the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties prescribes the method. In their rush to accommodate the introduction of UMV into the world’s waterways, some UMV advocates appear ready to circumvent established methods for making, amending, and interpreting treaties. This article argues that respect for the global rules-based order argues against such expediencies.
Bautizando el colonialismo: las políticas de conversión en México después de la conquista

This article examines the political history of indigenous conversions to Christianity after the Conquest. Using archival sources, indigenous annals and the communications of mendicant friars, it offers a review of the spiritual interpretations of the historiography of the first decades of missionary work in Mexico, arguing that the mass conversions seen in those years were due to a complex combination of political opportunism, iconoclastic violence and the search by indigenous leaders for protection from colonial violence. Due to the setbacks and power vacuums that followed the Spanish Conquest and the smallpox epidemic, the indigenous nobles of the altepetls of central Mexico formed alliances at the local level with mendicant friars in order to legitimize their authority and strengthen their territorial ambitions. At the same time, these friars launched a spiritual war using the children of these noblemen. The friars and their native acolytes unleashed a wave of violent acts that ended the political power of the indigenous religious elite. Despite this religious strife, mendicant missions also represented a means of reducing colonial violence. The friars offered to protect indigenous communities from the brutality, exploitation and slavery of Spanish colonists. By the 1530s, mass conversions were a result of a consensus among indigenous peoples that these missions would be the most effective way of protecting their lives, properties and communities. Through baptismal waters, indigenous communities began to reconstruct the Mesoamerican world.
Quantitation of SIMS for Semiconductor Processing Technology

The quantitation of the depth and concentration scales of SIMS measurements for semiconductor device processing technology is discussed. Using ion implantation and MeV 4He backscattering, one is able to provide absolute depth and concentration scales for many important impurities in materials such as silicon dioxide, silicon and gallium arsenide. This paper will discuss how the use of ion implanation, Rutherford backscattering and SIMS can provide measurement capabilities for semiconductor processings heretofore unavailable. Recent results and earlier examples will be presented.