cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gas-Phase Synthesis of Nonstoichiometric Nanocrystalline Catalysts

Publisher Summary This chapter demonstrates the uniqueness and applications of gas-phase nanocrystalline synthesis in advanced catalyst preparation. Modified magnetron sputtering and inert gas condensation are combined as a new technique to produce nanocrystalline and nanocomposite catalysts. Via controlled postoxidation, nonstoichiometric C e O 2 -x-based catalysts are generated for SO 2 reduction by CO and CO oxidation by O 2 . These new materials exhibited outstanding catalytic activities in both reactions compared with the conventional catalysts. The findings could be explained by assuming that the active state of the catalyst involved a partially reduced surface. The higher activity might be attributed to a change in the nature of surface oxygen species for the nonstoichiometric C e O 2 -x. Superoxide species could be formed easily on bulk-reduced C e O 2 -x and were readily available for catalytic reactions. This difference translated into easy partial surface reduction, absence of hysteresis, and CO2 poisoning resistance for the nonstoichiometric nanocrystalline materials. The oxidation catalytic activity could be further improved by doping C e O 2 -x with Cu. A thermally stable dispersion of Cu on C e O 2 -x could be achieved by the gas-phase synthesis and controlled posttreatment, and it provided synergistic chemical and electronic effects in this nanocomposite catalyst.
Complex Design Projects for Teaching System Design

Frequently, undergraduates are exposed only to principles and concepts of HF engineering. However, the application of published guidelines will not answer all design questions. An HF course has been introduced at the USAF Academy which attempts to give the students design experience as well as exposing them to the complexities of design integration. The course is structured to parallel the design process and culminates in a final design project. Each class selected a major human-machine system. Then, each selected a subsystem for his/her individual project. First, students optimized the design of the selected subsystems. The second part of the project addressed the problem of system integration. Each class, as a group, evaluated trade-offs between subsystems to develop a coherent overall design. This type of exercise is recommended for educators trying to bridge the gap between the classroom and the reality of system design.
Microsomal ouabain-binding factor in electroplax extracts.

SummaryLubrol WX extracts microsomal-bound ouabain-[3H] into the 50,000g supernatant fraction. The bound ouabain can be separated by chromatography with Sepharose and recovered in parallel fractions with recoverable adenosinetriphosphatase activity. Ouabain also binds to supernatant components in the Lubrol extracts and this bound ouabain has the same elution pattern as that bound to native microsomes prior to extraction with Lubrol. The proportion of bound ouabain that is recovered after chromatography is much greater than that of enzyme activity. Under these conditions, bound ouabain is a useful marker for enzyme extraction despite inactivation of the enzyme.
Heritable and Nonheritable Pathways to Early Callous-Unemotional Behaviors.

Objective:Callous-unemotional behaviors in early childhood signal higher risk for trajectories of antisocial behavior and callous-unemotional traits that culminate in later diagnoses of conduct disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and psychopathy. Studies demonstrate high heritability of callous-unemotional traits, but little research has examined specific heritable pathways to early callous-unemotional behaviors. Studies also indicate that positive parenting protects against the development of callous-unemotional traits, but genetically informed designs have not been used to confirm that these relationships are not the product of gene-environment correlations. In a sample of adopted children and their biological and adoptive mothers, the authors tested novel heritable and nonheritable pathways to preschool callous-unemotional behaviors.Method:In an adoption cohort of 561 families, history of severe antisocial behavior assessed in biological mothers and observations of adoptive mother positive reinf...
Immune Responses to Circulating and Vaccine Viral Strains in HIV-Infected and Uninfected Children and Youth Who Received the 2013/2014 Quadrivalent Live-Attenuated Influenza Vaccine

The live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) has generally been more efficacious than the inactivated vaccine in children. However, LAIV is not recommended for HIV-infected children because of insufficient data. We compared cellular, humoral and mucosal immune responses to the 2013-2014 LAIV quadrivalent (LAIV4) in HIV-infected and uninfected children 2 to 25 years of age (yoa). We analyzed the responses to the vaccine H1N1 (H1N1-09), to the circulating H1N1 (H1N1-14), which had significant mutations compared to H1N1-09 and to B Yamagata (BY), which had the highest effectiveness in 2013-2014. Forty-six HIV-infected and 56 uninfected participants with prior influenza immunization had blood and nasal swabs collected before and after LAIV4 for IFN T and IgG/IgA memory B cell responses (ELISPOT), plasma antibodies [hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) and microneutralization (MN)], and mucosal IgA (ELISA). The HIV-infected participants had median CD4+ T cells=645 cells/µL and plasma HIV RNA=20 copies/mL. Eighty-four% were on cART. Regardless of HIV status, significant increases in T cell responses were observed against BY, but not against H1N1-09. H1N1-09 T cell immunity was higher than H1N1-14 both before and after vaccination. LAIV4 significantly increased memory IgG B cell immunity against H1N1-14 and BY in uninfected, but not in HIV-infected participants. Regardless of HIV status, H1N1-09 memory IgG B cell immunity was higher than H1N1-14 and lower than BY. There were significant HAI titer increases after vaccination in all groups and against all viruses. However, H1N1-14 MN titers were significantly lower than H1N1-09 before and after vaccination overall and in HIV-uninfected vaccinees. Regardless of HIV status, LAIV4 increased nasal IgA concentrations against all viruses. The fold-increase in H1N1-09 IgA was lower than BY. Overall, participants <9 yoa had decreased BY-specific HAI and nasal IgA responses to LAIV4. In conclusion, HIV-infected and uninfected children and youth had comparable responses to LAIV4. H1N1-09 immune responses were lower than BY and higher than H1N1-14, suggesting that both antigenic mismatches between circulating and vaccine H1N1 and lower immunogenicity of the H1N1 vaccine strain may have contributed to the decreased H1N1 effectiveness of 2013-2014 LAIV4.
Management of drug dependency, overdose, and withdrawal in the obstetric patient

This article discusses the approach to pregnant patients with substance use problems, a growing problem in obstetric practice. Two alternatives used to detect patients with problematic substance use are discussed: (1) historic screening, which depends on the patient to self-report about her substance use; and (2) toxological assays for substances or their metabolites in the patients' body fluids. Management of women using cocaine and alcohol is also discussed.
Mixing times of Markov chains for self-organizing lists and biased permutations

We study the mixing time of a Markov chain Mnn on permutations that performs nearest neighbor transpositions in the non-uniform setting, a problem arising in the context of self-organizing lists. We are given "positively biased" probabilities {pi,j ≥ 1/2} for all i
Proposal of Package Structure Requirements for Effective Cooling from the Bottom Side of Chips (from the Substrate Side), Aiming for a Three-Dimensional (3D) Chip Stack

The thermal resistance of a three-dimensional (3D) chip stack has been experimentally clarified by authors [1-5] and an additional cooling solution is strongly required to achieve various structures of 3D chip stacks. Especially, when a high heat dissipating chip is located as a bottom chip, cooling from the bottom side of chips (in other words, from the laminate (substrate) side) is identified to be very effective by authors [6]. In this paper, we will describe how to realize effective cooling from the bottom side of chips. A 3D package for high-end server applications is assumed to be composed of a heat-sink, thermal interface material-2 (TIM-2), a heat-spreader (lid), TIM-1, stacked chips, a laminate and a mother board [7]. For effective cooling from the bottom side of chips, the distance between a bottom chip and a bottom-side heatsink should be as short as possible. Therefore, the following three structural improvements are proposed. Firstly, re-distribution layers (RDL) by wafer level packaging (RDL-first process) is adopted to shorten the thickness of the wiring layer (there is no laminates). Secondly, a mother board is drilled and a bottom side heat-sink is embedded in the drilled cavity, where a few layers of circuits (wiring) are kept in a mother board for electrical connections. Thirdly, the joint (interconnection) between a bottom chip and RDL(we call it "Joint-1"), and also the joint between RDL and a mother board (we call it "Joint-2") are shortened as short as possible, such as 25µm. We perform thermal resistance measurement of each component of the proposed package structure, and based on these measured thermal resistances, we demonstrate how much cooling performance is achieved by cooling from the bottom side of chips. It is obtained that the maximum allowable heat density of a bottom chip is 24.5 W/cm2, and it is shown that by further thickness reduction of each component, 44.0 W/cm2 is realized.
Anhedonia Is Associated with Poorer Outcomes in Contingency Management for Cocaine Use Disorder

This study explored anhedonia (lack of interest or pleasure in non-drug rewards) as a potentially modifiable individual difference associated with the effectiveness of Contingency Management (CM). It also tested the hypothesis that a dopaminergic drug, levodopa (L-DOPA), would improve the effectiveness of CM, particularly in individuals high in anhedonia. The study was a single-site, randomized, double-blind, parallel group, 12-week trial comparing L-DOPA with placebo, with both medication groups receiving voucher-based CM targeting cocaine-negative urines. Participants were N=85 treatment-seeking adults with CUD. Anhedonia was measured at baseline using a validated self-report measure and a progressive ratio behavioral measure. Treatment Effectiveness Score (TES) was defined as the total number of cocaine-negative urines submitted. Analyses based on Frequentist general linear models were not significant, but Bayesian analyses indicated a high probability (92.6%) that self-reported anhedonia was associated with poor treatment outcomes (lower TES). L-DOPA did not significantly improve outcomes, nor was the effect of L-DOPA moderated by anhedonia. While the study failed to replicate positive findings from previous studies of L-DOPA in combination with CM, it does provide preliminary evidence that anhedonia may be a modifiable individual difference associated with poorer CM outcomes.
The rising importance of local government in the United States: Recent research and challenges for sociology

Local governments have gained increasing responsibilities for public well-being according to a variety of social science literatures. The rise of the local state is often seen as a part of a broader process of state-rescaling or downward shift in national governance under neoliberal development. Yet attention to local government lags in political sociology, which conventionally elevates the national federal state as its object of interest. I summarize four recent bodies of literature that address the new role of local governments. Taken together, these literatures speak to different sides of the debate about whether the rise of local government is detrimental to citizens' well-being. I explain how greater sociological attention to the local state can contribute to this debate as well as inform political sociologists' understanding of the U.S. nation-state itself and provide directions for future research.
Variations of Cutoff Phonon Frequencies in Strong-Coupling Superconductors

The ratio 2△/kT c , where △ is the zero-temperature energy gap and T c is the transition temperature, is commonly used to indicate whether a superconductor is a strong-or weak-coupling material. Recently Laibowitz, Sadagopan, and Seiden’ (LSS) have analyzed the data for a number of elements and alloys and claimed that the theoretical expression for 2△/kT c , derived by Geilikman and Kresin2 (GK) cannot explain their data. The GK expression is $$2\Delta /k{{T}_{C}}=3.53\left[ 1+5.3{{\left( {{T}_{_{c}/}}a{{\theta }_{D}} \right)}^{2}}In\left( a{{\theta }_{D}}/{{T}_{c}} \right) \right]$$ (1) where a is a constant which relates the cutoff energy in the BCS theory to the Debye temperature, and is usually assumed to be of order unity (GK suggest a ∼0.7 for lead). To fit existing data, LSS proposed the empirical expression $$2\Delta /k{{T}_{c}}=3.5\left[ 1+b\exp \left( C{{T}_{c}}/{{\theta }_{D}} \right) \right]$$ (2) with b = 0.78 × 10−3 and C = 114
Risk Aversion and Wages: Evidence from the Baseball Labor Market

We develop a bargaining model to assess how workers and employers might allocate wages inter-temporally in order to cope with risk. We then apply this model to 106 long-term contracts for major league baseball players’ services. Most of these agreements not only smooth employee compensation over time but suggest greater relative risk aversion for teams than players. Compared to the wages they might pay to retain these players on a succession of one-year contracts, teams often pay a premium on longer-term agreements to protect against market volatility and potential inability to replace a key player on the open market.
Gene Regulatory Networks

The human genome encodes ~25 000 proteins, most of which exhibit specific expression patterns and levels in different cells throughout the body and under different developmental, physiological or pathological conditions. This differential gene expression is determined in large part at the level of transcription. Over the last few decades, biochemical and genetic studies have resulted in a deep understanding of the basic mechanisms of transcription. However, while much knowledge is gathered about individual regulatory interactions, we are still in the early days of understanding the emergent properties of the networks they compose, particularly in complex, multicellular organisms such as animals and plants. For instance, we do not know how the expression for each gene in a genome is regulated, nor do we understand how the transcription factors (TFs) that regulate differential gene expression function together to accomplish gene regulation at a systems level. Here, we discuss gene regulatory networks (GRNs), which are graphs comprised of intricate interactions between TFs and their target genes. We discuss how GRNs can be mapped and how they can provide systems-level insights into gene control. We focus predominantly on transcription, but also briefly discuss additional regulatory layers.
Numerical Modelling of Fracture Propagation

Why should one study fracture propagation? Is not prediction of fracture initiation the object of fracture mechanics? In his papers on rupture under tensile and compressive loading, Griffith1,2 proposed conditions for fracture initiation which he presumed to be coincident with structural instability. The vast majority of the fracture mechanics research since Griffith has addressed the problem of predicting structural failure as the immediate consequence of fracture initiation. Yes, considerable attention has been focused on sub-critical crack growth as in fatigue and ductile fracture. But there the amount of propagation before fracture initiation is typically small compared to that which potentially occurs after. Why, then, should one be interested in modelling propagation: where a crack goes, what it does along the way, and how much energy it takes to get there?
The Potential Impact of Future Observatories

I will pose a number of open questions on galaxy formation and discuss how facilities currently under development such as the James Webb Space Telescope, the large 30m + ground based telescope, and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array will be able to address them. I will argue that thanks to these facilities, progress in the next 20 years will be as dramatic as progress in the past 20 years.
Neo-Darwinian Theory and Hunter-Gatherers

Neo-Darwinian theories explain macro-level phenomena as the cumulative consequence of explicitly defined processes acting on a micro level, specifically on reproductive individuals. There are currently three schools of neo-Darwinian thought in anthropology: evolutionary archaeology, human behavioral ecology, and cultural transmission theory (sometimes called dual inheritance theory). In this chapter, we deal primarily with human behavioral ecology in which behavior is interpreted in terms of genetic fitness and often modeled using game theory. Central to human behavioral ecological studies is the tension between individual and group interests. We describe the fundamental tenets of human behavioral ecology and explore its advantages and limitations through a variety of models and case studies.
Synergistic spent nuclear fuel dynamics within the European Union

Abstract The French 2012–2015 Commission Nationale d’Evaluation Reports emphasize preparation for a transition from Light Water Reactors (LWRs) to Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors (SFRs). We used the C yclus nuclear fuel cycle simulator to explore the feasibility of enabling a French transition to an SFR fleet by using Used Nuclear Fuel (UNF) from other European Union (EU) nations. A C yclus simulation captured nuclear power deployment in the EU from 1970 to 2160. In this simulation, France begins its planned transition to SFRs as existing LWRs are decommissioned. These SFRs are fueled with UNF accumulated by other EU nations and reprocessed in France. The impact of reactor lifetime extensions and SFR breeding ratios on time-to-transition were investigated with additional simulations. These simulations demonstrate that France can avoid deployment of additional LWRs by accepting UNF from other EU nations, that lifetime extensions delay time-to-transition, and improved breeding ratios are not particularly impactful.
Nicotine oxidation by genetic variants of CYP2B6 and in human brain microsomes

Common variation in the CYP2B6 gene, encoding the cytochrome P450 2B6 enzyme, is associated with substrate-specific altered clearance of multiple drugs. CYP2B6 is a minor contributor to hepatic nicotine metabolism, but the enzyme has been proposed as relevant to nicotine-related behaviors because of reported CYP2B6 mRNA expression in human brain tissue. Therefore, we hypothesized that CYP2B6 variants would be associated with altered nicotine oxidation, and that nicotine metabolism by CYP2B6 would be detected in human brain microsomes. We generated recombinant enzymes in insect cells corresponding to nine common CYP2B6 haplotypes and demonstrate genetically determined differences in nicotine oxidation to nicotine iminium ion and nornicotine for both (S) and (R)-nicotine. Notably, the CYP2B6.6 and CYP2B6.9 variants demonstrated lower intrinsic clearance relative to the reference enzyme, CYP2B6.1. In the presence of human brain microsomes, along with nicotine-N-oxidation, we also detect nicotine oxidation to nicotine iminium ion. However, unlike N-oxidation, this activity is NADPH independent, does not follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and is not inhibited by NADP or carbon monoxide. Furthermore, metabolism of common CYP2B6 probe substrates, methadone and ketamine, is not detected in the presence of brain microsomes. We conclude that CYP2B6 metabolizes nicotine stereoselectively and common CYP2B6 variants differ in nicotine metabolism activity, but did not find evidence of CYP2B6 activity in human brain.
The Impact of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Positive Airway Pressure Therapy on Metabolic Peptides Regulating Appetite, Food Intake, Energy Homeostasis, and Systemic Inflammation: A Literature Review

Introduction:Sleep-related breathing disorders are very common and highly associated with many comorbid diseases. They have many metabolic consequences that impact appetite, energy expenditure, and...
Theoretical simulation of oxygen transport to tumors by three-dimensional networks of microvessels.

Hypoxic cancer cells are resistant to irradiation and to some types of chemotherapy. When these methods are used to treat tumors, presence of small hypoxic regions can compromise the outcome. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors determining the partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) in tumors at the microscopic level. These factors include the oxygen supply to the tumor, which depends on the flow rate and oxygen content of blood and the arrangement of microvessels within the tissue, and the rate of oxygen consumption by the tissue (Vaupel, 1979).
Instructional Job Aids

In industry, people get paid to do things, not know things. College grade point averages are superseded by employee performance reviews as metrics for success. The essential workplace document that supports skill training or teaching an employee how to do something (typically an assigned job task) is called a skill-transfer document. The term “skill transfer” describes the document’s chief purpose of capturing and recording a skill recipe for how to perform a particular task competently and then passing along (transferring) that recipe to a skill learner (or trainee).
Small talk: chemical conversations with bacteria

Communication is necessary for the coordination of living systems. Of interest to biochemistry and chemistry students as much as biology students, bacteria employ a variety of chemical signals to communicate among cells of the same species, across bacterial species, and with the human body. This chemical communication is necessary for bacteria to develop structured communities, express virulence, exchange genetic material, and influence human physiology. The roles of N-acyl-homoserine lactones and signal peptides in quorum sensing among bacteria as well as short chain fatty acids, hormones, and neurotransmitters between bacteria and humans are discussed. Possible applications of the manipulation of bacterial chemical communication are also presented.
Collaborative Online Educational Games for Children with Learning Disabilities: Lessons Learned

Challenges emerge when multiple players with varying learning disabilities intend to play an online educational game together. In order to promote collaboration among children, we argue that such a game must provide both common and private playing spaces simultaneously for each player. This paper elaborates our design process based on cases we have encountered in the past years while developing games for children with autism spectrum disorder. Three variants of games are discussed, each with two or more different proposed design solutions drawn from our studies and observations of children interacting with them.
Human In Vitro Models for Assessing the Genomic Basis of Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiovascular Toxicity

Chemotherapy-induced cardiovascular toxicity (CICT) is a well-established risk for cancer survivors and causes diseases such as heart failure, arrhythmia, vascular dysfunction, and atherosclerosis. As our knowledge of the precise cardiovascular risks of each chemotherapy agent has improved, it has become clear that genomics is one of the most influential predictors of which patients will experience cardiovascular toxicity. Most recently, GWAS-led, top-down approaches have identified novel genetic variants and their related genes that are statistically related to CICT. Importantly, the advent of human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) models provides a system to experimentally test the effect of these genomic findings in vitro, query the underlying mechanisms, and develop novel strategies to mitigate the cardiovascular toxicity liabilities due to these mechanisms. Here we review the cardiovascular toxicities of chemotherapy drugs, discuss how these can be modeled in vitro, and suggest how these models can be used to validate genetic variants that predispose patients to these effects.
Kant and the Need for Orientational and Contextual Thinking: Applying Reflective Judgement to Aesthetics and to the Comprehension of Human Life

This essay explores the relation between worldly orientation and rational comprehension in Kant. Both require subjective grounds of differentiation that were eventually developed into a contextualizing principle for reflective judgement. This kind of judgement can proceed either inductively to find new universals or by analogy to symbolically link different objective spheres. I will argue that the basic orientational function of reflective judgement is to modally differentiate the formal horizonal contexts of field, territory, domain and habitat laid out in the Introduction to the Critique of the Power of Judgement. Assessing which context takes priority will be important in making aesthetic judgements and for applying practical reason to comprehend human affairs.
Low-Cost, Perspective Invariant and Personalized Thermal Comfort Estimation: Poster Abstract

In this poster abstract, we present a thermal comfort estimation system using low-cost thermal camera based sensor nodes. This system extracts perspective invariant, non-intrusive thermal measurements, is easily deployable and low-cost, and can incorporate individual thermal feedback for more personalized thermal comfort estimates. In comparison with baseline methods, our system is able to improve thermal comfort estimates on the ASHRAE 7-point thermal sensation scale by up to 64% over baseline methods.
What are the risk factors associated with limited musculoskeletal health literacy in shoulder arthroplasty patients

OBJECTIVES Low health literacy is both pervasive in the United States and a substantial barrier to satisfactory patient care and the appropriate utilization of healthcare resources. This prospective study aims to evaluate the factors that contribute to limited musculoskeletal literacy in patients who undergo shoulder arthroplasty. METHODS Ninety patients undergoing shoulder replacement surgery completed demographics and Literacy in Musculoskeletal Problems (LiMP) surveys. Scores of less than six were considered indicative of limited musculoskeletal literacy. RESULTS The overall percentage of participants with limited musculoskeletal literacy was 38.8%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis with multiple imputation modeling demonstrated a significant positive relationship between patient income and adequate LiMP scores (p = 0.009) with an odds ratio of 1.15 (CI: 1.04; 1.28) while level of education (p = 0.173) and patient ethnicity (p = 0.830) among other patient characteristics did not have a significant relationship with LiMP scores. CONCLUSION In patients undergoing shoulder replacement surgery, low income was the only variable found to be predictive of limited musculoskeletal health literacy scores. Therefore, when discussing the risks and benefits of shoulder arthroplasty, orthopaedic surgeons should be cognizant of the possibility that any given patient may not meet the threshold of adequate musculoskeletal literacy.
MLIM: Vision-and-Language Model Pre-training with Masked Language and Image Modeling

Vision-and-Language Pre-training (VLP) improves model performance for downstream tasks that require image and text inputs. Current VLP approaches differ on (i) model architecture (especially image embedders), (ii) loss functions, and (iii) masking policies. Image embedders are either deep models like ResNet or linear projections that directly feed image-pixels into the transformer. Typically, in addition to the Masked Language Modeling (MLM) loss, alignment-based objectives are used for cross-modality interaction, and RoI feature regression and classification tasks for Masked Image-Region Modeling (MIRM). Both alignment and MIRM objectives mostly do not have ground truth. Alignment-based objectives require pairings of image and text and heuristic objective functions. MIRM relies on object detectors. Masking policies either do not take advantage of multi-modality or are strictly coupled with alignments generated by other models. In this paper, we present Masked Language and Image Modeling (MLIM) for VLP. MLIM uses two loss functions: Masked Language Modeling (MLM) loss and image reconstruction (RECON) loss. We propose Modality Aware Masking (MAM) to boost cross-modality interaction and take advantage of MLM and RECON losses that separately capture text and image reconstruction quality. Using MLM + RECON tasks coupled with MAM, we present a simplified VLP methodology and show that it has better downstream task performance on a proprietary e-commerce multi-modal dataset.
Preoperative multimodal protocol reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing mastectomy with reconstruction.

Summary Background Mastectomy with immediate reconstruction is a high-risk cohort for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Known risk factors for PONV include female gender, prior PONV history, nonsmoker, age Methods After IRB approval, retrospective data were collected for patients undergoing mastectomy with or without a nodal resection, and immediate subpectoral tissue expander or implant reconstruction. Patients were grouped based on treatment: those receiving the protocol - oral acetaminophen, pregabalin, celecoxib, and transdermal scopolamine (APCS); those receiving none (NONE), and those receiving partial protocol (OTHER). Logistic regression models were used to compare PONV among treatment groups, adjusting for patient and procedural variables. Main Findings Among 305 cases, the mean age was 47 years (21–74), with 64% undergoing a bilateral procedure and 85% having had a concomitant nodal procedure. A total of 44.6% received APCS, 30.8% received OTHER, and 24.6% received NONE. The APCS group had the lowest rate of PONV (40%), followed by OTHER (47%), and NONE (59%). Adjusting for known preoperative variables, the odds of PONV were significantly lower in the APCS group versus the NONE group (OR=0.42, 95% CI: 0.20, 0.88 p = 0.016). Conclusions Premedication with a relatively inexpensive combination of oral non-opioids and an anti-nausea medication was associated with a significant reduction in PONV in a high-risk cohort. Use of a standardized protocol can lead to improved care while optimizing the patient experience.
Building Empathy, Compassion, and Achievement in the Jigsaw Classroom

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses building empathy, compassion, and achievement in the Jigsaw classroom. The point is that the learning students derive from the process of their educational experience is powerful. It is important to be carefully designed and rigorously structured for the intended effect. One successful model with a three-decade track record is the jigsaw classroom. Jigsaw is a specific type of group learning experience wherein each student must cooperate with his or her peers to achieve his or her individual goals. Just as in a jigsaw puzzle, each piece―each student's part―is essential for the production and full understanding of the final product. The benefit of jigsaw classroom is that it is a remarkably efficient way to learn the material. In jigsaw classroom, the students work individually and compete against each other for grades. In the jigsaw classroom, the problem can be evaded by the simple device of shuffling groups every 8 weeks. Once a group of students start functioning well together, the barriers break down, and the students show a great deal of liking and empathy for one another, the group can be reform. The usage of the jigsaw technique in the Littleton school system has been discussed in the chapter.
Democratization after Civil War

Why do some states emerging from civil war take significant strides toward democracy while others do not? Why, for example, did Mozambique, Nicaragua, and Peru become more democratic after their civil wars ended, while Angola and Sri Lanka did not? The small existing literature on this subject comes to several contradictory and puzzling findings. This paper examines the determinants of postwar democratization in the short, medium, and long term by testing a number of often competing hypotheses with a dataset of all civil wars ending between 1945 and 1999. Our findings refute some prominent hypotheses. For example, we find that the outcome of the war has no bearing on the prospects for democratization; neither does war resumption affect regime developments, contrary to expectations. On the other hand, we find, as expected, that economic development aids democratization while oil wealth hinders it. We also find less democratization after wars fought over identity issues and in countries with higher prewar levels of democracy. However, we find an unexpected relationship between ethnic fractionalization and democratization. In general, while civil wars appear to provide opportunities for democratization in many places, the factors that determine whether a country becomes more or less democratic are much the same for post-civil war societies as for other societies.
Distance Learning (Virtual Learning)

Internet-based learning across distance has evolved from a long history of applying new technologies to empower education by transcending geographic barriers. Prior to the introduction of computer technologies in the 1960s, correspondence course and independent study models of distance education posed challenges to the learning process. During the next several decades, computers and telecommunications improved teaching and learning across distance, but they were used more to automate traditional models of educational delivery than to develop new forms of pedagogy. During the 1990s, however, widespread usage of the Internet transformed the nature of distance education. With the participation of many reputable universities and with increased research documenting effectiveness, distance learning is now a credible and viable mode of instruction. As interactive media continue to evolve, real and virtual educational experiences are increasingly interwoven into learning distributed through all aspects of work and life. Keywords: chat; community of learners; distance education; e-learning; multiuser virtual environment; smart objects; ubiquitous computing; virtual reality
Mars Exploration Rover surface operations: driving spirit at Gusev Crater

Spirit is one of two rovers that landed on Mars in January 2004 as part of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission. As of July 2005, Spirit has traveled over 4.5 kilometers across the Martian surface while investigating rocks and soils, digging trenches to examine subsurface materials, and climbing hills to reach outcrops of bedrock. Originally designed to last 90 sols (Martian days), Spirit has survived over 500 sols of operation and continues to explore. During the mission, we achieved increases in efficiency, accuracy, and traverse capability through increasingly complex command sequences, growing experience, and updates to the on-board and ground-based software. Safe and precise mobility on slopes and in the presence of obstacles has been a primary factor in development of new software and techniques.
Repair of poloidal field magnets on Alcator C-Mod

While bringing Alcator C-MOD on line, failure of a solder joint caused an open circuit in one of the PF coils located within the toroidal field magnet. A design review was conducted to analyze the failure and propose possible solutions. The exact reason for the failure was not determined, but the joint may have been weakened by high temperatures during bakeout of the vacuum vessel. Peeling forces also may have been induced by unforeseen temperature gradients and/or magnetic loads. Significant design changes, which are limited to highly stressed PF coils located within the toroidal field magnet, involved repositioning the joint away from the coaxial termination and eliminating the use of solder as a structural element. PF coils external to the toroidal field magnet are not so highly stressed and brazing is acceptable. The redesign easily accommodates repositioning the joint, but finding a substitute for solder, which was originally selected to avoid annealing the cold worked copper conductor, proved difficult. Localized annealing which occurs in welding and brazing processes eliminated the two most common methods of terminating copper coils. There is not enough space available in the vacuum vessel coil pockets to accommodate mechanical clamping devices. The use of fasteners such as screws and rivets was prohibited due to adverse effects on fatigue life. Electroforming, a process by which complex parts are formed by electroplating materials such as copper onto an electrically conductive mandrel, was selected to replace soldering the joint. Electroformed copper sheet exhibited superior material properties to those of the C-10700 coil conductor, which has yield strength of 290 MPa. Changes, development of an electroformed electromechanical joint, and coil manufacturing will be further described.
Oat Gum and β‐Glucan Extraction from Oat Bran and Rolled Oats: Temperature and pH Effects

The extractability of oat gum from oat bran and rolled oats was studied using 12 treatment combinations in a factorial design (2x3x4x2) i.e. 2 oat products; 3 pH (8.0–10.5); 4 temperatures (5O–70°C); 2 replications. The extraction procedure involved: (a) alkaline treatment of flour and removal of starch residue; (b) isoelectric precipitation of protein residue [namely, protein concentrates (PC)]; (c) and alcohol precipitation of oat gum/β-glucan and collection of gum by centrifu-gation. Extracted oat gum ranged from 2.99–6.28% for oat bran and 1.82–5.24% for rollcd oats whereas β-glucan (in gum) ranged from 70–89% and 50–68%, respectively. Protein contents of the PC from oat bran was 69–91% and rolled oats 66–89%. Correspondingly, starch content of residues ranged from 30–63% and 61–47%. Oat gum/β-glucan extracted at pH 9.2/50°C or pH 10.5/50/55°C showed little or no starch contamination.
Temperature and Polarization Dependence of the Optical Absorption Edge of Gadolinium Molybdate

The optical absorption spectrum of gadolinium molybdate (GMO) was measured as a function of photon energy and polarization between 40 and 205 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C for absorption coefficients between 10 and 300 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. GMO undergoes a simultaneous ferroelectric-ferroelastic transition at 159 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C; no discontinuity in the absorption spectrum was observed at this temperature. No differences were observed between spectra for light polarized along the $a$ or $b$ crystal axes, but the spectrum shifted to higher energy for light polarized along the $c$ axis and shifted uniformly with temperature. Two absorption bands, each consisting of at least three separate lines, were superimposed on the optical absorption edge. The absorption coefficients were found to obey a modified form of Urbach's rule which, within experimental error, can be described equally well by either of two equations. The implications of these two equations are discussed.
Virus-induced behavioral alteration of mice

Neonatal mice were inoculated intracerebrally with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCM). These mice developed long-term persistent tolerant infections and when tested at 3.5 to 6.0 months of age they showed significant increases in behavioral latency when subjected to open-field tests, and significant decreases in the current level required to elicit to startle response and in locomotor activity in a running wheel. Comparable results were obtained with mice in which persistent infection was induced at 8 weeks of age and which were tested at 3.5 to 6.0 months of age. It was concluded that mice infected with LCM at birth or as adults exhibited long-lasting behavioral abnormalities.
High plasma homocysteine: A risk factor for arterial and venous thrombosis in patients with normal coagulation profiles

A high plasma homocysteine concentration is associated with premature vascular disease and thrombosis. The association between high homocysteine concentrations and thrombosis in patients with a normal coagulation profile is unknown. Sixty adults (37 men and 23 women, mean age 46 years) with documented thrombosis were compared with age-and sex-matched controls. Those with risk factors for thrombosis or abnormal coagulation profiles were excluded. Homocysteine concentrations were higher in cases than controls (21.8 ± 13.8 vs 11.0 ± 4.7 μmol/L, p < 0.001). A cut point for defining high homocysteine concentrations was determined at 13 μmol/L and conferred an increased odds ratio for thrombosis overall (7.8, 95% CI 3.0-20.2, p < 0.001) as well as in men (8.9, 95% CI 3.0-26.1; p < 0.001) and women (37.8, 95% CI 6.5-213.9; p < 0.01). A high plasma homocysteine is a risk factor for thrombosis in patients with a normal coagulation profile. This common abnormality should be sought in patients with otherwise unexpla...
Simulation of oil spills from underwater accidents II: Model verification

A companion paper presented the development of a three-dimensional numerical model to simulate the behaviour of buoyant oil jets that result from underwater accidents. The numerical model was developed based on a Lagrangian integral technique. The model can simulate the behaviour of oil in stratified or unstratified ocean environments. The presence of a multi-directional ambient current is considered. The fluid in the buoyant jet can be a liquid, gas. or liquid/gas mixture, which is typical of many underwater oil-related accidents. The model formulation includes the diffusion and dissolution of oil from the jet to the ambient environment. In this paper, the numerical model is tested against a variety of conditions. First, the model results are compared with all available asymptotic results. Second, the model is run for cases in which experimental data (both small and large scale) are available, so that the numerical model results can be compared with the observed data. The experimental data includes buoya...
Effects of palmitate on astrocyte amino acid contents

The effects of palmitate on intracellular and extracellular amino acid concentrations of cultured astrocytes was studied. Exposure of astrocytes to either 0.72 mM or 0.36 mM palmitate was associated with a significant reduction in the intracellular pool of glutamine and taurine. In contrast, the intracellular concentration of histidine, glycine, citrulline, isoleucine and leucine were increased in the presence of 0.72 mM palmitate. Comparable changes in the extracellular amino acid pool were not observed. The data suggest that palmitic acid, which accumulates in the brain during periods of anoxia, alters the metabolism of several amino acids in cultured astrocytes. These changes may be of significance in terms of the pathophysiology of a stress such as anoxia.
Politics and the International Lending Decisions of Banks

It is widely believed that a country's foreign policy can influence the behavior of economic agents. We examine the extent to which political relationships between a bank's home country and a borrowing country affect the lending behavior of banks. Analysis of cooperative as well as conflictive events shows that banks consider mostly the former in their decision making process. The study points to a need for an interdisciplinary approach for explaining the international behavior of economic entities.
PERIPHERAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE HUMAN DORSAL NERVE OF THE PENIS

AbstractPurpose: The integrity of the dorsal nerve of the penis is crucial for normal erectile and ejaculatory function. To our knowledge a description of this nerve along the phallus has not been formally described. We illustrate the distribution of the dorsal nerve of the penis to the penile shaft, anterior urethra and glans.Materials and Methods: Neuroanatomical dissections were performed on 28 cadaver penis specimens. Electrodiagnostic testing was conducted on 10 healthy male subjects to confirm the anatomical findings.Results: The dorsal nerve of the penis consists of 2 populations of axons, one to innervate the penile shaft and urethra, and the other to innervate the glans. Stimulation of the urethra resulted in responses recorded in the main trunk of the dorsal nerve of the penis and stimulation of the nerve evoked responses within the urethra. Bulbocavernosus muscle contraction was elicited following urethral stimulation.Conclusions: Urethral innervation by the dorsal nerve of the penis supports t...
High School As an Arena for Cultural Conflict and Acculturation for Latino Angelinos

Schooling has traditionally been viewed as the means of integrating ethnic and linguistic minorities into the educational, and by implication into the wider sociocultural, mainstream. As a result, schools are commonly thought of as arenas for cultural assimilation. For areas like inner-city Los Angeles, where a Latino "minority" has become so dominant that it has begun to reproduce its own cultural patterns in richly networked cultural enclaves, this assimilationist frame becomes problematic. This qualitative study examines the cultural dynamics resulting from the advent of the "minority-majority" in one innercity high school with a large (more than 80%) Latino student population. It focuses on the relationship between the predominantly mainstream teaching staff and the predominantly Latino student body. Ethnographic data collected from 1986 to 1989 indicate that high school is an arena in which the boundary between Latino and Anglo culture is being negotiated, with "minority" and "majority" in conflict over the extent to which their versions of a cultural identity are to be reproduced in the American educational system. The mutual accommodation necessary to resolve this conflict and negotiate acceptable group boundaries is a daily enterprise for the school community. HIGH SCHOOL, CULTURAL CONFLICT, ACCOMMODATION, ADOLESCENT CATE
Subglottal Pressure and Airflow Measures During Vocal Fry Phonation

Simultaneous recordings of the voice signal, intertracheal air pressure, and rate of airflow were obtained from five adult male subjects during three sustained phonations of the vowels /a/ and /i/ ...