cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of occupational stress syndrome and associated factors of workers in an enameled wire enterprise

Objective To study the current status of occupational stress of workers in an enameled wire enterprise and determine its influencing factors.Methods The Occupational Stress Inventory Revised Edition(OSI-R) was employed to assess occupational stress among 319 workers in the enameled wire enterprise using cluster sampling.Results Compared with the occupational stress norm of production laborer group and Southwest China group,the score of physical environment,personal strain questionnaire,vocational strain and psychological strain were higher,and the score of personal resource questionnaire,self-care,social support and rational cognitive were lower.Based on the production laborer group norm,individuals with high or middle stress levels of physical environment,vocational strain and psychological strain accounted for 26.4%,22.6% and 17.7% respectively.And individuals with severe or moderate levels of recreation deficits,self-care deficits and rational cognitive deficits accounted for 44.6%,20.1% and 34.0%,respectively.Results Results from multiple logistic regression analysis showed that physical environment,responsibility,role ambiguity,role overload,health status and workshop were the main factors of personal strain.Conclusion Workers in the enameled wire enterprise were exposed to occupational stress,and so physical environment,psychological counseling,self-care,social support,rational work,allocation of tasks,entertainment and healthy lifestyle should be strengthened and improved.
Impact of Policies on Growth of Houshold Incomes

Growth of household income in rural areas is a key issue of current agricultural and rural development.Policy and institutions play fundamental roles in this regard.This paper analizes why and how household income growth can be affected by policies and what policy options should be taken to ensure a continous growth of household lincome.
The Return of the “Critical” and the Challenge of Radical Dissent: Critical Theory, Cultural Studies, and American Mass Communication Research

This chapter outlines the development of a critical approach to the problems of communication and media in American social science scholarship. It traces the understanding of a “critical” position through four successive periods and their contribution to an intellectual history of the field: the pragmatism of the Chicago School, the empirical sociology of the Lazarsfeld tradition, the critical theory of the Frankfurt School, and the cultural studies movement in Great Britain. The essay argues that communication and media theorists in the United States have embraced a notion of critical research that emerged from a reformist environment and was based upon a sense of social responsibility among social scientists that operated well within the dominant ideology. Thus the introduction of radical social theories, including a critical, Marxist perspective since the 1940s, has been either ignored or considered a peripheral intellectual activity by communication and media scholarship, the most recent analyses of m...
Tunable mesoscopic structures for next generation photonic networks

This paper discusses the tremendous opportunities for tunable components and devices based on mesoscopic structures. We describe photonic crystal based circuits in which mechanical or nonlinear mechanisms are exploited. We also stress that such dispersion engineered artificial materials allow one to revisit the design of integrated photonic components. One can consider using local structural features in a monolithic material host, to define optical functionality. This is illustrated with a photonic crystal structure that can both slow an optical packet and perhaps provide a mechanism simultaneously for all optical switching or wavelength conversion.
Hazard Analyses, in Reference to Bacillus cereus, of Boiled and Fried Rice in Cantonese-Style Restaurants1

Hazard analyses were conducted in six Cantonese-style restaurants to evaluate the amount of Bacillus cereus in rice and the water activity and the temperatures of rice at each stage of processing. Each of 16 samples of raw, polished rice contained B. cereus . The water activity of cooked rice ranged from 0.912 to 0.980, and was related to the stage of the processing and storage practice. Rice reached temperatures that exceeded 93 C (200 F) during cooking. Cooked rice held in steam tables was maintained at temperatures that should preclude growth of B. cereus . Whenever cooked rice was kept at room temperature for a few hours, the temperatures became such that considerable growth of B. cereus could have occurred. Rice in layers less than 9 cm (3.5 in.) thick cooled rather rapidly; layers thicker than 9 cm (3.5 in.) cooled more slowly. During frying and refrying, temperatures exceeded 74 C (165 F). B. cereus was frequently isolated from rice at various stages of preparation and storage, but in numbers fewer than 103 per g. This organism was also isolated from rice storage pans. Recommendations for preventing problems that could be caused by B. cereus as a result of preparation and storage practices are to (a) cook only small batches of rice at intervals during the day, (b) hold cooked rice at or above 55 C (131 F), (c) cool cooked rice in shallow pans in layers less than 9-cm (3.5 in.) thick and (d) fry rice so that every grain is certain to reach a temperature of at least 74 C (165 F).
A systematic analysis of high-dose radiation in the treatment of surgically unresectable, locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

7059 Background: The 5-year survival rate for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is 66Gy) or randomized trials of high versus standard radiation dose (60-63Gy) for locally advanced NSCLC were selected. A systematic analysis of extracted data was performed using Comprehensive Meta Analysis (Version 2.2.048) software under the random effect...
Does Point-of-care Ultrasound Affect Patient and Caregiver Satisfaction for Children Presenting to the Pediatric Emergency Department?

Objectives Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) may facilitate the diagnosis and management of children for various conditions. Integration of POCUS into clinical care requires hands-on training; however, providers may be reluctant to perform educational ultrasounds to improve their skills, as it is a procedure without direct clinical benefit to the patient and due to concerns that it may lower a family's overall satisfaction. We sought to evaluate whether the use of POCUS changed overall patient/caregiver satisfaction in a pediatric emergency department (ED) visit. Methods We performed a prospective cohort study of children presenting to a single children's hospital ED. We evaluated overall satisfaction for three groups: 1) children undergoing POCUS for educational purposes, 2) children undergoing POCUS for a specific diagnostic indication, and 3) controls who did not receive POCUS. Overall satisfaction was measured using a 100-point visual analog scale (VAS). We performed a noninferiority test between patients receiving POCUS and controls using a delta of 10 points to determine significance. We also examined satisfaction among patients receiving diagnostic ultrasound and sought to determine patient/caregiver satisfaction with specific elements of the POCUS experience. Results We surveyed 159 patients who presented between April 2016 and August 2016 (53 in each group). The three groups did not differ with respect to patient age, sex, or Emergency Severity Index level. The median VAS scores for both the educational and the diagnostic POCUS groups (94 and 94, respectively) were not inferior to the VAS score for the control group (91) with a median (95% confidence interval [CI]) difference of 3.0 (-2.2 to 8.2) for educational and control groups and 3.0 (-1.6 to 7.6) for diagnostic and control groups. No patients/caregivers in the educational POCUS group would refuse an educational ultrasound during a future medical encounter. Conclusion Educational POCUS does not decrease patient/caregiver satisfaction among children presenting to the ED.
Treatment of Residential Graywater with Intermittent Sand Filtration

As part of the overall strategy to seek alternative technologies for the treatment and disposal of wastewaters onsite, methods of in-house wastewater modification have been considered. These modifications have been developed as a part of three interrelated strategies; namely, water conservation and wastewater flow reduction, pollutant mass reduction, and onsite containment for subsequent off site disposal. A general schematic of these strategies is depicted in Figure 1.
Addressing Generic-Drug Market Failures - The Case for Establishing a Nonprofit Manufacturer

Addressing Generic-Drug Market Failures One market-based solution to stimulating competition in generic-drug markets is to establish a nonprofit manufacturer with the explicit mission of producing affordable versions of essential drugs and ensuring a stable supply of such products.
Abdominal Neoplasia (Excluding Urogenital Tract)

Neoplasia of the equine gastointestinal tract and abdominal organs occurs predominantly in geriatric horses, although lymphoma and hepatocellular carcinoma and a few other neoplasms can be found in young horses. This article discusses diagnostics that can be used in weight-loss situations, suspicious of neoplasia, as well as tumors themselves including clinical signs, diagnostic tools, histopathologic appearance, and management.
The Future of the Hypoxic Child

For the newborn infant who starts life under significant hypoxic asphyxial stress, survival in the acute stage will depend on the nature of the insult and the type of care. For the newborn with minor asphyxial compromise, life prognosis may not be so threatening, but the child’s future and his potentials as well as limitations will only become apparent as the child grows and develops.
Design and processing of an elastomeric nanocomposite for biomedical pressure sensing applications

Abstract Taguchi Method is used to identify parameter effects and interactions to inform the design and processing of a carbon black (CB) and poly(styrene-isobutylene-styrene) (SIBS) nanocomposite. Potential uses include stick-to-skin pressure sensors and other applications for which targeted mechanical properties and pressure sensitivity derived from the tailorability of SIBS/CB are required. Specimens ranging from 10% to 20% CB content by weight were fabricated by high-shear mixing, ultrasonication, and solvent casting. The relationship between pressure-sensing capability and tensile strength of SIBS/CB nanocomposites is complex and dependent upon nanoparticle dispersion (represented by high-shear mixing time), CB content, and casting temperature. By using an L8 3-Factor 2-Level Taguchi orthogonal array and screening analysis, design and processing parameters to achieve targeted mechanical and electrical performance of SIBS/CB nanocomposites can be determined through a relatively small number of experiments. Main effects and interactions of the processing parameters were identified. Analysis indicates that mechanical strength is highly dependent on CB content and dispersion (mixing time), whereas pressure-dependent electrical resistance is highly dependent on CB content and casting temperature. The predictive models derived from these efforts will enable preliminary design of processing parameters for SIBS/CB nanocomposites to targeted, application-specific mechanical and pressure-sensing properties.
Abstract WP156: A Phase IIa Double-blind, Placebo Controlled Study of Extended-release Niacin for Stroke Recovery

Introduction: In pre-clinical studies, extended-release niacin has been shown to increase neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and angiogenesis in a rat model of experimental middle cerebral artery (MCA) ...
University–Community Partnerships Using a Participatory Action Research Model to Evaluate the Impact of Dance for Health

Little is known about fostering sustainable, collaborative community-academic partnerships that effectively improve physical activity and health in residents of under resourced communities using Participatory Action Research (PAR) driven models. The purpose of this PAR study was to evaluate the impact of an urban, intergenerational, and physical activity dance program by identifying community preferred measurable outcomes that promote program participation and sustainability. A descriptive, qualitative design was employed using semi-structured interview guides to facilitate discussions for two adult focus groups and one youth focus group. Exactly 19 community-residing adults and six youth who lived in urban neighborhoods in West Philadelphia participated in the discussions. The audiotapes were transcribed and analyzed using directed content analysis. Five outcome themes emerged and included: (1). Enhancing the psychological and emotional well-being of the individual, (2). Enhancement of social well-being and management of interpersonal relationships and responsibilities (3). Enhancing and promoting physiologic well-being (4). Changes in health promoting behaviors and skill acquisition, and (5). Concerns about accessibility of dance for health and other physical activity programs in the community. Focused attention to measuring community preferred outcomes can promote sustainability of Dance for Health and possibly other urban-based physical activity dance programs.
Does the Adoption of Rolling Forecasts Improve Planning? An Empirical Investigation of the Consequences of Rolling Forecasts

This study investigates the consequences of adopting rolling forecasts. Using quarterly regional product-line forecasted and realized sales data from several product lines of a multinational biotechnology supplier, I find evidence of improved forecast accuracy after the adoption of rolling forecasts, particularly for more profitable product lines. However, accuracy deteriorated for product lines that operated in environments exhibiting higher demand uncertainty after rolling forecasts are put in place. Furthermore, subsequent to the use of rolling forecasts, forecast errors (defined as the scaled difference between actual and forecasted results) have become more negative, suggesting the mitigation of sandbagging behaviors in setting forecasts. However, these results are isolated only to forecasts for the immediately following quarter. Forecasts that are made for quarters further out appear sandbagged, and these forecasts are gradually walked upward over time, such that one-quarter-ahead forecasts tend to be overly optimistic.
Forest structure predictive of fisher (Pekania pennanti) dens exists in recently burned forest in Yosemite, California, USA

Abstract One challenge that land managers face in the southern Sierra Nevada is how to balance conservation of fisher (Pekania pennanti) habitat with the reintroduction of fire. The fisher population in the southern Sierra Nevada is of high conservation priority, due to its small population size, genetic isolation, and the risk of habitat loss due to wildfire and fuel reduction activities. It is unknown whether contemporary forests altered by fire suppression can support fisher habitat following the reintroduction of fire. We examined whether patch-scale forest habitat conditions used by fishers in a landscape with limited recent fire (Dinkey study area) also exist in a landscape with restored fire (Yosemite study area). We developed random forest and logistic regression models using lidar-derived forest structure metrics to distinguish reproductive den presence (n = 261) from randomly-generated “available” points (n = 261) within an estimate of the female population home range. The full logistic regression model correctly classified (under cross-validation) 69.5% of observations and the random forest model correctly classified 74.3%. The parsimonious logistic regression model we selected had comparable accuracy to the full model (correctly classified 68.8% of observations) and included the following variables: cover >2 m, 95th percentile height, and 25th percentile height. Partial dependence plots suggest thresholds at which predicted probability of reproductive den presence exceeds 50%: cover >2 m greater than 60%, 95th percentile height of at least 32 m, and 25th percentile height between 4 m and 14 m. We found that comparable thresholds of forest cover and tree height exist in burned areas in Yosemite; 43.0% of burned pixels had similar lidar-derived forest structural characteristics to those predictive of reproductive dens in Dinkey. Areas with similar forest structures occurred within a range of fire severities and years since the most recent fire, and particularly in low-severity fire conditions (mean differenced normalized burn ratio [dNBR] value: 128.4). These results are promising for land managers who face the challenge of simultaneously reducing the risk of high-severity fire and conserving fisher habitat, however more research is needed to conclude whether suitable fisher habitat can exist in burned areas at all scales of selection and for all activities of the fisher population.
Infections in Heart, Lung, and Heart-Lung Transplantation

Half a century has passed since the first orthotopic heart transplant took place. Surgical innovations allowed for heart, lung, and heart-lung transplantation to save lives of patients with incurable chronic cardiopulmonary conditions. The complexity of the surgical interventions, chronic host health conditions, and antirejection immunosuppressive medications makes infectious complications common. Infections have remained one of the main barriers for successful transplantation and a source of significant morbidity and mortality. Recognition of infections and its management in this setting require outstanding clinical skills since transplant recipients may not exhibit classic signs or symptoms of disease, and laboratory work has some pitfalls. The prevention, identification, and management of infectious diseases complications in this population are a priority to undertake to improve the medical outcomes of transplantation. Herein, we reviewed the historical aspects, epidemiology, and prophylaxis of infections in heart, lung, and heart-lung transplantation. We also discuss the most prevalent organisms affecting the host and the organ systems involved.
Root Cause Analysis for Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injury

Root cause analysis (RCA) is a systematic process for identifying the causes of an adverse occurrence or combined with an approach for a response designed to prevent recurrences. This method may be used for continuous quality improvement in a facility or health system. Root cause analysis can aid nurses and hospital risk managers to determine how the system can improve to reduce the number and severity of pressure injuries. The process of RCA begins with being certain the wound is a pressure injury using differential diagnoses of similar appearing skin disease and injury, followed by an examination of the processes of care (human roots) for missed actions or inactions that are linked to development of a particular pressure injury. The final step of RCA is a critical examination of the system (including people and processes) to look for modifiable trends or patterns are identified that are used to prevent recurrences.
The Black–Scholes Equation

We now are ready to derive the important Black–Scholes Equation [1], which is widely used to determine pricing of Calls and Puts! An outline is given next; details are developed in the next chapter.
Large Anomalous Nernst Effect in a van der Waals Ferromagnet Fe3GeTe2.

Anomalous Nernst effect, a result of charge current driven by temperature gradient, provides a probe of the topological nature of materials due to its sensitivity to the Berry curvature near the Fe...
Machine learning-based imaging biomarkers improve statistical power in clinical trials

Radiomic models, which leverage complex imaging patterns and machine learning, are increasingly accurate in predicting patient response to treatment and clinical outcome on an individual patient basis. In this work, we show that this predictive power can be utilized in clinical trials to significantly increase statistical power to detect treatment effects or reduce the sample size required to achieve a given power. Akin to the historical control paradigm, we propose to utilize a radiomic prediction model to generate a pseudo-control sample for each individual in the trial of interest. We then incorporate these pseudo-controls into the analysis of the clinical trial of interest using classical and well established statistical tools, and investigate statistical power. Effectively, this approach utilizes each individual’s radiomics-based predictor of outcome for comparison with the actual outcome, potentially increasing statistical power considerably, depending on the accuracy of the predictor. In simulations of treatment effects based on real radiomic predictive models from brain cancer and prodromal Alzheimer’s Disease, we show that this methodology can decrease the required sample sizes by as much as a half, depending on the strength of the radiomic predictor. We further find that this method is most helpful when treatment effect sizes are small and that power grows with the accuracy of radiomic prediction.
Racial disparities in supportive medication use among older patients with brain metastases: a population-based analysis.

BACKGROUND Brain metastases (BM) cause symptoms that supportive medications can alleviate. We assessed whether racial disparities exist in supportive medication utilization after BM diagnosis. METHODS Medicare-enrolled patients linked with the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (SEER) who had diagnoses of BM between 2007 and 2016 were identified. Fourteen supportive medication classes were studied: non-opioid analgesics, opioids, anti-emetics, anti-epileptics, headache-targeting medications, steroids, cognitive aids, antidepressants, anxiolytics, antidelirium/antipsychotic agents, muscle relaxants, psychostimulants, sleep aids, and appetite stimulants. Drug administration ≤30 days following BM diagnosis was compared by race using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS Among 17,957 patients, headache aids, antidepressants, and anxiolytics were prescribed less frequently to African Americans (odds ratio [95% CI] = 0.81 [0.73-0.90], P < 0.001; OR = 0.68 [0.57-0.80], P < 0.001; and OR = 0.68 [0.56-0.82], P < 0.001, respectively), Hispanics (OR = 0.83 [0.73-0.94], P = 0.004 OR = 0.78 [0.64-0.97], P = 0.02; and OR = 0.63 [0.49-0.81], P < 0.001, respectively), and Asians (OR = 0.81 [0.72-0.92], P = 0.001, OR = 0.67 [0.53-0.85], P = 0.001, and OR = 0.62 [0.48-0.80], P < 0.001, respectively) compared with non-Hispanic Whites. African Americans also received fewer anti-emetics (OR = 0.75 [0.68-0.83], P < 0.001), steroids (OR = 0.84 [0.76-0.93], P < 0.001), psychostimulants (OR = 0.14 [0.03-0.59], P = 0.007), sleep aids (OR = 0.71 [0.61-0.83], P < 0.001), and appetite stimulants (OR = 0.85 [0.77-0.94], P = 0.002) than Whites. Hispanic patients less frequently received antidelirium/antipsychotic drugs (OR = 0.57 [0.38-0.86], P = 0.008), sleep aids (OR = 0.78 [0.64-0.94, P = 0.01), and appetite stimulants (OR = 0.87 [0.76-0.99], P = 0.04). Asian patients received fewer opioids (OR = 0.86 [0.75-0.99], P = 0.04), anti-emetics (OR = 0.83 [0.73-0.94], P = 0.004), anti-epileptics (OR = 0.83 [0.71-0.97], P = 0.02), steroids (OR = 0.81 [0.72-0.92], P = 0.001), muscle relaxants (OR = 0.60 [0.41-0.89], P = 0.01), and appetite stimulants (OR = 0.87 [0.76-0.99], P = 0.03). No medication class was prescribed significantly less frequently to Whites. CONCLUSIONS Disparities in supportive medication prescription for non-White/Hispanic groups with BM exist; improved provider communication and engagement with at-risk patients is needed. KEY POINTS 1. Patients with BM commonly experience neurologic symptoms.2. Supportive medications improve quality of life among patients with BM.3. Non-White patients with BM receive fewer supportive medications than White patients.
A new theory of fractional differential calculus and fractional Sobolev spaces: One-dimensional case

This paper presents a self-contained new theory of weak fractional differential calculus and fractional Sobolev spaces in one-dimension. The crux of this new theory is the introduction of a weak fractional derivative notion which is a natural generalization of integer order weak derivatives; it also helps to unify multiple existing fractional derivative definitions and characterize what functions are fractionally differentiable. Various calculus rules including a fundamental theorem of calculus, product and chain rules, and integration by parts formulas are established for weak fractional derivatives and relationships with classical derivatives are also obtained. Based on the weak fractional derivative notion, new fractional order Sobolev spaces are introduced and many important theorems and properties, such as density/approximation theorem, extension theorems, trace theorem, and various embedding theorems in these Sobolev spaces are established. Moreover, a few relationships with existing fractional Sobolev spaces are also established. Furthermore, the notion of weak fractional derivatives is also systematically extended to general distributions instead of only to some special distributions. The new theory lays down a solid theoretical foundation for systematically and rigorously developing a fractional calculus of variations theory and a fractional PDE theory as well as their numerical solutions in subsequent works.
Prevalence of renewal of problem behavior: Replication and extension to an inpatient setting

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who exhibit problem behavior often receive behavioral assessment and treatment in specialized inpatient and outpatient clinics. However, problem behavior sometimes reemerges as a function of changes in contexts and stimulus conditions, such as returning to the home environment. This reemergence is called renewal. Recently, Muething et al. (2020) found that renewal occurred in over half (67%) of cases from an outpatient clinic. Their sample was obtained exclusively from an outpatient setting and despite the applied relevance of renewal, its clinical prevalence in other populations is unknown. Accordingly, we replicated Muething et al.'s procedures and analyzed renewal in 37 inpatient treatment applications across 34 cases via consecutive-controlled case series. Renewal was present in 59% of cases; however, we found that renewal occurred in only 24% of context changes compared to 42% reported by Muething et al. Various factors related to the prevalence of renewal were evaluated.
Introducing an In Vitro Liver Stability Assay Capable of Predicting the In Vivo Pharmacodynamic Efficacy of siRNAs for IVIVC.

There has been a renewed interest in therapeutic small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) over the past few years. This is particularly the result of successful and efficient delivery of N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)-conjugated siRNAs to the liver. In general, the lead selection process for siRNA drugs is faster and more straightforward than traditional small molecules. Nevertheless, many siRNAs of different sequences and chemical modification patterns must still be evaluated before arriving at a final candidate. One of the major difficulties in streamlining this workflow is the well-known phenomenon that the in vitro data obtained from oligonucleotides transfected into cells are not directly predictive of their in vivo activity. Consequently, all oligonucleotides with some degree of in vitro activity are typically screened in vivo before final lead selection. Here, we demonstrate that the stability of liver-targeting GalNAc-conjugated siRNAs in a mouse liver homogenate shows an acceptable correlation to their in vivo target knockdown efficacy. Therefore, we suggest the incorporation of an in vitro liver homogenate stability assay during the lead optimization process for siRNAs. The addition of this assay to a flow scheme may decrease the need for animal studies, and it could bring cost savings and increase efficiency in siRNA drug development.
The odorant receptor OR2W3 on airway smooth muscle evokes bronchodilation via a cooperative chemosensory tradeoff between TMEM16A and CFTR

The recent discovery of sensory (tastant and odorant) G protein-coupled receptors on the smooth muscle of human bronchi suggests unappreciated therapeutic targets in the management of obstructive lung diseases. Here we have characterized the effects of a wide range of volatile odorants on the contractile state of airway smooth muscle (ASM) and uncovered a complex mechanism of odorant-evoked signaling properties that regulate excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling in human ASM cells. Initial studies established multiple odorous molecules capable of increasing intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) in ASM cells, some of which were (paradoxically) associated with ASM relaxation. Subsequent studies showed a terpenoid molecule (nerol)-stimulated OR2W3 caused increases in [Ca2+]i and relaxation of ASM cells. Of note, OR2W3-evoked [Ca2+]i mobilization and ASM relaxation required Ca2+ flux through the store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) pathway and accompanied plasma membrane depolarization. This chemosensory odorant receptor response was not mediated by adenylyl cyclase (AC)/cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels or by protein kinase A (PKA) activity. Instead, ASM olfactory responses to the monoterpene nerol were predominated by the activity of Ca2+-activated chloride channels (TMEM16A), including the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) expressed on endo(sarco)plasmic reticulum. These findings demonstrate compartmentalization of Ca2+ signals dictates the odorant receptor OR2W3-induced ASM relaxation and identify a previously unrecognized E-C coupling mechanism that could be exploited in the development of therapeutics to treat obstructive lung diseases.
Walkability indices and children's walking behavior in rural vs. urban areas

Abstract Purpose This study described associations between selected walk indices (WI) and walking and physical activity behaviors in rural and urban children. Findings WI were higher in urban environments, yet children from rural areas walked for transportation more than children from urban areas. There was a negative correlation between National WI scores and walking for transportation in urban areas, and between the Frank WI scores and walking for exercise in rural areas. Conclusions Indices of walkability are not associated with objectively measured physical activity or self-reported walking behavior in children living in rural and urban settings.
Social Science Concepts: A User's Guide

List of Tables vii List of Figures ix Acknowledgments xi Chapter One: Introduction 1 PART ONE: THEORETICAL, STRUCTURAL, AND EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF CONCEPTS 25 Chapter Two: Structuring and Theorizing Concepts 27 Chapter Three: Concept Intension and Extension 69 Chapter Four: Increasing Concept-Measure Consistency 95 Chapter Five: Substitutability and Weakest-Link Measures with William F. Dixon 129 PART TWO: CONCEPTS AND CASE SELECTION 157 Chapter Six: Concepts and Selecting (on) the Dependent Variable with J. Joseph Hewitt 159 Chapter Seven: Negative Case Selection: The Possibility Principle with James Mahoney 177 Chapter Eight: Concepts and Choosing Populations with J.Joseph Hewitt 211 PART THREE: CONCEPTS INTHEORIES 235 Chapter Nine: Concepts in Theories: Two-Level Theories with James Mahoney 237 References 269 Exercises and Web Site 289 Index 291
Evaluation of DVD-R for Archival Applications

For more than a decade, CD-ROM and CD-R have provided an unprecedented level of reliability, low cost and cross-platform compatibility to support federal data archiving and distribution efforts. However, it should be remembered that years of effort were required to achieve the standardization that has supported the growth of the CD industry. Incompatibilities in the interpretation of the ISO-9660 standard on different operating systems had to be dealt with, and the imprecise specifications in the Orange Book Part n and Part Hi led to incompatibilities between CD-R media and CD-R recorders. Some of these issues were presented by the authors at Optical Data Storage '95. The major current problem with the use of CD technology is the growing volume of digital data that needs to be stored. CD-ROM collections of hundreds of volumes and CD-R collections of several thousand volumes are becoming almost too cumbersome to be useful. The emergence of Digital Video Disks Recorder (DVD-R) technology promises to reduce the number of discs required for archive applications by a factor of seven while providing improved reliability. It is important to identify problem areas for DVD-R media and provide guidelines to manufacturers, file system developers and users in order to provide reliable data storage and interchange. The Data Distribution Laboratory (DDL) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory began its evaluation of DVD-R technology in early 1998. The initial plan was to obtain a DVD-Recorder for preliminary testing, deploy reader hardware to user sites for compatibility testing, evaluate the quality and longevity of DVD-R media and develop proof-of-concept archive collections to test the reliability and usability of DVD-R media and jukebox hardware.
Longitudinal associations among maternal communication and adolescent posttraumatic stress symptoms after cancer diagnosis.

Objective The purpose of this study was to prospectively examine adolescent and maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and maternal communication from time near cancer diagnosis to 12-month follow-up to identify potential risk factors for adolescent PTSS. Methods Forty-one adolescents with cancer (10-17 years, 54% female) and their mothers self-reported PTSS at T1 (two months after cancer diagnosis) and T3 (1-year follow-up). At T2 (3 months after T1), mother-adolescent dyads were videotaped discussing cancer, and maternal communication was coded with macro (harsh and withdrawn) and micro (solicits and validations) systems. Results Adolescent PTSS at T1 was associated with adolescent PTSS at T3. Greater maternal PTSS at T1 predicted greater harsh maternal communication at T2. There was an indirect effect of maternal PTSS at T1 on adolescent PTSS at T3 through maternal validations at T2. Conclusions Findings underscore the importance of maternal PTSS, maternal communication, and subsequent adolescent PTSS over the course of treatment of childhood cancer. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
O-antigen diversity and lateral transfer of the wbe region among Vibrio splendidus isolates.

Summary The O-antigen is a highly diverse structure expressed on the outer surface of Gram-negative bacteria. The products responsible for O-antigen synthesis are encoded in the wbe region, which exhibits extensive genetic diversity. While heterogeneous O-antigens are observed within Vibrio species, characterization of these structures has been devoted almost exclusively to pathogens. Here, we investigate O-antigen diversity among coastal marine Vibrio splendidus-like isolates. The wbe region was first identified and characterized using the sequenced genomes of strains LGP32, 12B01 and Med222. These regions were genetically diverse, reflective of their expressed O-antigen. Additional isolates from physically distinct habitats in Plum Island Estuary (MA, USA), including within animal hosts and on suspended particles, were further characterized based on multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) and O-antigen profiles. Results showed serotype diversity within an ecological setting. Among 48 isolates which were identical in three MLSA genes, 41 showed gpm genetic diversity, a gene closely linked to the wbe locus, and at least 12 expressed different O-antigen profiles further suggesting wbe genetic diversity. Our results demonstrate O-antigen hyper-variability among these environmental strains and suggest that frequent lateral gene transfer generates wbe extensive diversity among V. splendidus and its close relatives.
Nuclear power plants alternative sitings: A literature review and research gaps

Nuclear energy is a major part of power generation mix of many countries in the world. More than 430 nuclear power plants (NPPs) are operating and spreading all over the inhabited land. Although there were only a few NPPs accidents, social and environmental impacts were too high. These impacts have made the nuclear power safety a controversial issue. In order to enhance NPPs safety, one suggested solution was to build NPPs in different sitings than the land-based. Offshore and underground were the two sitings that have been proposed in the literature. Studies have shown that these two sitings have the potential to improve safety measures of NPPs. In spite the large number of published papers and the extensive studies of the topic, there is almost no single study that relatively evaluates the three sitings at once. This paper represents a review of what has been done in the literature of NPPs alternative sitings in terms of technologies, characteristics, applications, and methods used to manage and evaluate the siting process. In addition, this paper identifies the literature gaps and underlines the need of developing a holistic systematic decision model. A decision model to evaluate NPPs alternative sitings is proposed.
The Trouble with Taxing the Young

Shifting the tax burden from younger workers to older workers would ease the crushing fiscal burden confronting future generations, give the young access to funds that they might otherwise be forced to borrow at high rates, and improve work incentives. One way to implement such a policy would be to exempt workers younger than thirty from the 15.3 percent Social Security/Medicare tax while raising the rate for older workers to 18-19 percent to maintain revenue neutrality.
Rapidly Detecting Extincted Bursts with KAIT and PAIRITEL

Ground‐based robotic telescopes have proven essential in the first 6 months of Swift operation. The robotic optical 0.7m Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope (KAIT) and the robotic infra‐red 1.3m Peters Automated Infrared Imaging Telescope (PAIRITEL) have contributed important observations during this period, and we discuss efforts to leverage the capabilities of each system to perform rapid, joint observations in the optical and infra‐red. An autonomously paired KAIT/PAIRITEL system offers the potential to rapidly discover highly dust extincted bursts or bursts occurring at high redshifts (z ≳ 5) as near‐IR dropouts.
Phylogenetic characterization and in situ localization of the bacterial symbiont of shipworms (Teredinidae: Bivalvia) by using 16S rRNA sequence analysis and oligodeoxynucleotide probe hybridization.

Abstract It has been proposed that a bacterium isolated from the gills of shipworms (teredinid mollusks) is, by virtue of its ability both to degrade cellulose and to fix dinitrogen, the symbiont that enables these mollusks to utilize wood as their principal food source. The phylogenetic affiliation of four of these bacteria isolated from wood-boring bivalve mollusks was determined by 16S rRNA sequence analysis by using the reverse transcriptase method with six oligodeoxynucleotide primers. The four bacterial strains tested had indistinguishable 16S rRNA sequences, supporting the previous conclusion, based on phenotypic characterization, that these isolates represent a single species. Evolutionary distance matrix analysis of the RNA sequence indicated that the bacterial symbiont falls within the gamma-3 subdivision of the Proteobacteria and is distinct from other known bacterial genera. In situ localization of the bacterial symbiont in tissue sections of the shipworm Lyrodus pedicellatus was determined by using a 16S rRNA-directed oligodeoxynucleotide hybridization probe specific for the bacterium isolated from shipworm gill tissue. Fluorescence microscopy showed that the specific probe bound to L. pedicellatus tissue at sites coincident with the location of symbiont cells and that it did not bind to other host tissues. This technique provided direct visual evidence that the cellulolytic, nitrogen-fixing bacterial isolates were the symbionts observed within the gill of L. pedicellatus.
Rotational atherectomy: A persistently relevant niche device

Rotational atherectomy is effective and safe in selected complex calcified lesions. Despite an older population with more comorbidities, rotational atherectomy is not associated with worse clinical outcomes. Coronary interventionalists need to be well-trained in both the use of atherectomy techniques as well as how to manage potential complications.
Psychogenic status epilepticus

A patient was brought to the Emergency Department in presumed status epilepticus. However, the seizure had many of the clinical characteristics that, in combination, were suggestive of a psychogenic event including asynchronous extremity movements, forward pelvic thrusting, and geotrophic eye movements. An arterial blood gas and serum electrolytes were normal despite one-half hour of tonic-clonic activity, and supported the diagnosis of a nonneurogenic event. The patient became conversant toward the end of the event, which confirmed that the seizure was nonepileptogenic.
Surface abrasion of hulled and hulless barley: physical characterization of the milled fractions.

ABSTRACT Abrasion techniques were used to remove the hull and pericarp layers of barley kernels to obtain a smaller kernel enriched in endosperm. The objective of this study was to evaluate the fractions produced by two alternative abrading systems on four barley cultivars for potential use in fuel ethanol processes that feature an upstream (of the fermentation) dry fractionation system. Four barley cultivars, two hulled (Thoroughbred and Nomini) and two hulless (Doyce and Merlin), were scarified and whitened at 22 scarification times and three milling degrees (settings 2, 4, and 6), respectively. Three different abrasive surfaces (36, 40, and 50 grit) were used in the scarifier to determine the material removal ratio for each barley cultivar. Material balances and color analyses were conducted for all of the fractions produced. Three fractions were produced with the whitener at each milling degree: broken kernels, fine fractions >323 μm, and fine fractions <323 μm. Setting #2 seems to be the milling leve...
Equatorially trapped waves and the generation of the Somali Current

Abstract A three-dimensional numerical model is used to study and compare two previously proposed theories for the development of the Somali Current. The rapid propagation of internal planetary waves at the equator provides a means whereby a baroclinic western boundary current can be established quickly, even by remote winds. This theory, first developed for the linear case by Lighthill, is studied numerically and extended to the nonlinear case. Local winds, parallel to the western boundary, and the accompanying Ekman suction, also produce a western boundary current, although different in spatial and temporal characteristics from the above. Comparison with observations indicates that local driving is dominant during the establishment of the current. Remote forcing may produce significant alterations in the flow later. In the nonlinear cases, horizontal shearing instability produces eddy-like features in the western boundary current similar to those observed.
Knot formation reduces water exchange by adult males of the hairworm, Paragordius varius (Nematomorpha: Gordioidea)

To examine how aggregation by hairworms may enhance survival in freshwater, we determined water balance characteristics of Paragordius varius in groups of different sizes. P. varius is hyperosmotic resulting in high body water content and functions down to one-half of water stores. Absence of a critical transition temperature implies a watertight, low-porosity cuticle. Aggregated worms lose water slowly, as a physiological consequence of reduced motor activity. The water balance strategy shifts from a reliance on high dehydration tolerance for isolated individuals, affording high water loss rates, to suppressed activation energy when aggregated, wherein blocking water gain is important when water loss is slower. Low water loss rate derives from stillness and aggregating that facilitate mating or anti-predator defense, rather than as a behavior to regulate water loss. Presence of hairworms in streams is an indicator of high-quality water that is necessary to maintain water balance.
The Effective Potential and the Coupling Constant at High Temperature

Abstract The calculation of the effective potential at non-zero temperature is considered. A method of including relevant multi-loop diagrams in the effective potential formalism avoids problems that appear in some earlier treatments. This method is then used to calculate the temperature dependence of the effective coupling constant V(4) in a scalar λo(4) theory. The implementation of the renormalization group at high temperature is described, and is used ti show that V(4) ≈λ/ [1 - (3/16π2)λ ln (T / μ)].
Vagotomy During Hiatal Hernia Repair: A Benign Esophageal Lengthening Procedure

This study describes the use of vagotomy in patients during complex laparoscopic esophageal surgery (e.g., reoperative antireflux surgery (rLARS) or paraesophageal hernia (PEH) repair) when, after extensive esophageal mobilization, the gastroesophageal junction cannot be made to reach the abdomen without tension. In doing so, we hope to understand the risk incurred by vagus nerve division in this setting in order to evaluate its role in managing the short esophagus. One hundred and sixty-six patients underwent rLARS or PEH repair between 1/1998 and 6/2003 at our institution. Clinical data was obtained from a prospectively maintained database and systematic patient questionnaires administered for this study. Follow-up was available for 102 (61%) of these patients, at a median of 19 months (range 6–69 months). Fifty-two patients underwent rLARS while 50 patients underwent PEH repair. Thirty patients had a vagotomy during the course of their operation (Vag Group; 20 anterior, six posterior, four bilateral), 13 in the rLARS group (25%), and 17 in the PEH group (34%). The primary presenting symptoms for rLARS and PEH repair patients were improved in 89% in the Vag Group and 91% in the No Vag Group. Similarly, there was no difference in the severity of abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, or early satiety between the Vag and No Vag groups at follow-up. No patient required a subsequent operation for gastric outlet obstruction. Vagotomy during rLARS and PEH repair does not lead to a higher rate delayed gastric emptying, dumping syndrome, or other side effects. Thus, we propose vagotomy to be a legitimate alternative to Collis gastroplasty when extensive mobilization of the esophagus fails to provide adequate esophageal length.
Teaching holistic child health promotion using Watson's theory of human science and human care***

"Preservation and advancement of human care is a critical issue for nursing today in our increasingly depersonalized society. The mandate for nursing within science as well as within society is a demand for cherishing of the wholeness of human personality" (Watson, 1999, p. 29). Children today are being faced with having to deal with this societal "depersonalization." How children grow up to perceive themselves and others is crucial in developing future adults who genuinely care about themselves and humankind in its totality. Watson's (1999) human science and human care theory was incorporated into teaching health promotion to a group of preadolescent children.
Carbon nanotubes and nanotube-based nano devices

Carbon nanotubes exhibit unusual electronic and mechanical properties which vary with subtle changes in microstructure, applied electromagnetic field and mechanical deformations, and introduction of topological defects. These novel properties offer unprecedent opportunities to study fundamental physics, fabricate advanced composition materials, and construct quantum devices at nanometer scales.