cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stability and patch test performance of contact discretizations and a new solution algorithm

Abstract Stability and patch test performance are two important issues influencing the selection of discretization algorithms for flexible body contact problems. The patch test performance is dictated by the accuracy of evaluation of the contact integrals, not by the specific form of the gap, contact pressure, or contact surface definitions. Stability on the other hand, is related to the form of the assumed contact pressure distribution. In this paper, several commonly used contact algorithms are briefly summarized, and their stability in an inf–sup test and performance in a contact patch test are assessed. The existing algorithms do not satisfy both requirements. This fact has motivated the development of a new algorithm for flexible body contact problems that results in a symmetric coefficient matrix and satisfies both the stability and the contact patch conditions.
A microtiter plate procedure for evaluating fungal functional diversity on nitrogen substrates.

Ascertaining the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on belowground diversity is of paramount importance because pollution from agricultural practices and industrialization are increasing worldwid...
Diagnosis via causal reasoning: paths of interaction and the locality principle

Interest has grown recently in developing expert systems that reason "from first principles", i.e., capable of the kind of problem solving exhibited by an engineer who can diagnose a malfunctioning device by reference to its schematics, even though he may never have seen that device before. In developing such a system for troubleshooting digital electronics, we have argued for the importance of pathways of causal interaction as a key concept. We have also suggested using a layered set of interaction paths as a way of constraining and guiding the diagnostic process. We report here on the implementation and use of these ideas. We show how they make it possible for our system to generate a few sharply constrained hypotheses in diagnosing a bridge fault. Abstracting from this example, we find a number of interesting general principles at work. We suggest that diagnosis can be viewed as the interaction of simulation and inference and we find that the concept of locality proves to be extremely useful in understanding why bridge faults are difficult to diagnose and why multiple representations are useful.
Reinterpreting “Repredicting Voting Patterns in the General Assembly”

Moore (1975) attempts a critique of two of my articles (Vincent, 1971, 1973) concerning voting patterns in the United Nations. In the main the critique reduces to: (1) Vincent generalized from one canonical correlation in each study to determine the overall theoretical importance of the factors of Economic Development, Democracy, and U.S. Relations in predicting UN voting, and (2) Vincent should have used multiple regression instead of canonical correlation (which should not have been used on the data) and, had he done so, he would not have arrived at his conclusions concerning the relative importance of economic development as a predictor.'
Penetration, excretion, and metabolism of carbaryl in susceptible and resistant German cockroaches.

Carbaryl metabolism was compared between susceptible and resistant, Blattella germanica (L.). Rates of penetration, excretion, and metabolism and nature of metabolites were determined at various time intervals after topical application of known amounts of carbaryl. Both susceptible and resistant cockroaches degraded carbaryl to 1-naphthol and 1-naphthol conjugates. Other unidentified metabolites were detected in minute quantities. Penetration of carbaryl was slower, less carbaryl was retained in the tissues, and more carbaryl was excreted in the resistant cockroaches. Slightly larger amounts of internal and excreted 1-naphthol were found in the susceptible cockroaches but more conjugated 1-naphthol was recovered from resistant cockroaches. It is hypothesized that more rapid hydrolysis of carbaryl to 1-naphthol and subsequent conjugation play an important role in the carbonyl-resistance. Slower penetration and more rapid excretion of carbonyl in the resistant cockroaches may be minor contributing factors to the resistance.
Meta-analysis of the age-related positivity effect: Age differences in preferences for positive over negative information.

In contrast to long-held axioms of old age as a time of “doom and gloom,” mounting evidence indicates an age-related positivity effect in attention and memory. However, several studies report inconsistent findings that raise critical questions about the effect’s reliability, robustness, and potential moderators. To address these questions, we conducted a systematic meta-analysis of 100 empirical studies of the positivity effect (N!7,129). Results indicate that the positivity effect is reliable and moderated by theoretically implicated methodological and sample characteristics. The positivity effect is larger in studies that do not constrain (vs. constrain) cognitive processing—reflecting older adults’ natural information processing preferences—and in studies incorporating wider (vs. narrower) age comparisons. Analyses indicated that older adults show a significant information processing bias toward positive versus negative information, whereas younger adults show the opposite pattern. We discuss implications of these findings for theoretical perspectives on emotion‐cognition interactions across the adult life span and suggest future research directions.
Implicit Theories of Technology Identification and Implications for Performance

What makes someone “good with technology,” or else “technologically illiterate”? The study of implicit theories has previously demonstrated that people develop ideas about the malleability of their own abilities in a number of domains, including intelligence, athletics, gaming and using technology. Some think of their abilities as fixed and unchangeable (entity theorists), while others think of them as adaptable through work and/or experience (incremental theorists). These beliefs influence people’s goal outcomes. In this study, we examine implicit theories as a possible contributor to people’s performance using modern technologies. We use an adapted instrument to measure implicit theories of technology, followed by an ecologically valid technological task. People with incremental theories showed better performance than those with entity theories. We discuss implications of this research for practitioners, as well as avenues for future research.
Comprehensive management practices and policies performance model

– The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of a specific set of management practices and policies and policies (organizational behavior modification, the management principles, and the management process) on human resource outcomes and on individual employee performance. A comprehensive management practices and policies performance model is theorized and empirically assessed. , – Data collected from a sample of full-time employees working in the Southern USA are analyzed using a partial least squares/structural equation modeling methodology. , – Considering the direct and indirect links among the constructs the authors conclude the following: organizational behavior modification, the management principles, and the management process combine to improve organizational commitment and job satisfaction; organizational commitment and job satisfaction combine to improve employee engagement and workplace optimism; and employee engagement and workplace optimism combine to enhance individual performance. , – The model tested reflects the synergy created though the implementation of the management practices and policies and policies and the impact of that synergy on human resource outcomes and individual employee performance. This is the first assessment of this comprehensive model. Replication and verification of the model are suggested. , – Practitioners are provided with a framework for assessing the synergistic impact of the management practices and policies on human resource outcomes and individual employee performance. The theorized model and results provide practicing managers with a blueprint for the systematic implementation of the management practices and policies. , – A comprehensive management practices and policies performance model is proposed and empirically assessed. The results support the proposition that implementation of the management practices and policies leads to improved human resource outcomes and individual employee performance.
Complement Coercion as the Processing of Aspectual Verbs: Evidence from Self-Paced Reading and fMRI

The so-called coercion verbs have been taken to select for an event as their complement, and to coerce an entity-denoting complement into an event as a resolution to the predictable type mismatch. This process is reported to manifest as additional processing cost that unpredictably has been associated with more than one cortical recruitment locus. Recent work has challenged the traditional view showing that the processing effect is observed only for aspectual verbs (e.g., begin) but not psychological verbs (e.g., enjoy) (Katsika et al. 2012), and that contra the traditional assumption aspectual verbs not only select for events but also for entity-denoting complements (Pinango and Deo 2015 ). Here, we test the hypothesis that aspectual verbs require their complement to be conceptualized as a structured individual. These verbs encode a set of functions that allow the construal of the structured individual as an axis along a dimension (e.g. spatial, eventive) afforded by the complement. The processing cost associated with the composition of the “coercion configuration” (animate subject + aspectual verb + entity-denoting complement) emerges from (A) exhaustive retrieval of the verbs’ lexical functions and (B) resolution of dimension ambiguity. Results from a self-paced reading and an fMRI experiment confirm that processing aspectual-verb sentences is more costly than psychological-verb counterparts, and that consistently with previous findings, comprehension is associated with both a Wernicke’s area and a left inferior frontal cortex activation. Crucially, this activation pattern tracks the necessary exhaustive lexical retrieval of the functions at the verb (Wernicke’s area) and the subsequent ambiguity resolution of the dimension at the complement (LIFG) required for the interpretation of the aspectual-verb utterance.
Quantum Measurement Theory and its Applications: Useful concepts from information theory

The entropy In 1948 Claude Shannon realized that there was a way to quantify the intuitive notion that some messages contain more information than others. He approached this problem by saying that a message provides information when it reveals which of a set of possibilities has occurred. This concept certainly makes sense given our intuitive notion of uncertainty: information should reduce our uncertainty about a set of possibilities. He then asked, how long must a message be to convey one of M possibilities? To answer this question we must first specify the alphabet we are using. Specifically, we need to fix the number of letters, or symbols, in our alphabet. It is simplest to take the smallest workable alphabet, one that contains only two symbols, and we will call these 0 and 1. Imagine now that there is a new movie showing, and you are trying to decide whether to go see it. You call a friend who has seen it, Alice, and ask her whether she liked it. To answer your question yes or no she need only send you one symbol, so long as you have agreed beforehand that 1 will represent yes and 0 no. Note that two people must always agree beforehand on the meaning of the symbols they use to communicate – the only reason you can read this text is because we have a prior agreement about the meaning of each word.
Photovoltaic Energy Systems - A Feasibility Study

The Industrial Revolution brought an enormous increase in the use of fossil fuels, specifically oil, coal and natural gas. The combustion of these fuels releases many gases that are harmful to humans and the rest of the ecosystem. Therefore, increasing energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy are herald as the most effective strategies to reduce air pollution and hinder anthropogenic climate change. In this paper, the viability of photovoltaic (PV) systems to produce clean electricity was investigated via a case study involving a shopping center. Several engineering aspects involved in the design process as well as environmental and economic analysis were discussed. Engineering factors such as optimal array orientations, shading effects, and compatibility issues were analyzed using the PV Watts method. The environmental analysis takes into account the amount of pollutants avoided over the lifetime of the system and the time to recover the energy that went into the manufacturing process. For the economic analysis, capital budgeting techniques were utilized to determine the net present value and internal rate of return based on estimated cash flow methods. Furthermore, design elements to reach the so called “grid-parity” were investigated in this study as a way to alleviate cost and advances in smart-grid technologies to optimize the integration of PV systems were suggested for further studies.
Readability, complexity, and suitability analysis of online lymphedema resources.

Abstract Background Over 72% of Americans use online health information to assist in health care decision-making. Previous studies of lymphedema literature have focused only on reading level of patient-oriented materials online. Findings indicate they are too advanced for most patients to comprehend. This, more comprehensive study, expands the previous analysis to include critical elements of health materials beyond readability using assessment tools to report on the complexity and density of data as well as text design, vocabulary, and organization. Methods The top 10 highest ranked websites on lymphedema were identified using the most popular search engine (Google). Website content was analyzed for readability, complexity, and suitability using Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, PMOSE/iKIRSCH, and Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM), respectively. PMOSE/iKIRSCH and SAM were performed by two independent raters. Fleiss' kappa score was calculated to ensure inter-rater reliability. Results Online lymphedema literature had a reading grade level of 14.0 (SMOG). Overall complexity score was 6.7 (PMOSE/iKIRSCH) corresponding to “low” complexity and requiring a 8th-12th grade education. Fleiss' kappa score was 80% (P = 0.04, “substantial” agreement). Overall suitability score was 45% (SAM) correlating to the lowest level of “adequate” suitability. Fleiss' kappa score was 76% (P = 0.06, “substantial” agreement). Conclusions Online resources for lymphedema are above the recommended levels for readability and complexity. The suitability level is barely adequate for the intended audience. Overall, these materials are too sophisticated for the average American adult, whose literacy skills are well documented. Further efforts to revise these materials are needed to improve patient comprehension and understanding.
An Appeal for a Systematic Search in Japan for Long-Hidden T’ang Dynasty Source-Materials of the Early History of Zen Buddhism

What shall I offer to my honored friend and comrade Dr. Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki on the happy occasion of his 90th birthday? My humble offering to him consists of an earnest appeal that he will devote his next decade to an active leadership in a grand search in Japan for the many valuable documents of the early history of Chinese Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism,—documents which were recorded to have been brought to Japan in the ninth century by such great Japanese pilgrims as Saicho (最澄) in 805, Engyo (圆行) in 839, Ennin (圆仁) and Eun (惠运) in 847, and Enchin (圆珍) in 858. Knowing the great reverence of the Japanese nation for those pilgrims and for the sacred scriptures they brought back from China, I am almost sure that these T’ang dynasty documents are still safely preserved in some of the great monasteries in the Nara-Kyoto area although fully a thousand years have passed since their arrival in Japan.
Inpatient Addiction Consultation for Hospitalized Patients Increases Post-Discharge Abstinence and Reduces Addiction Severity

Alcohol and drug use results in substantial morbidity, mortality, and cost. Individuals with alcohol and drug use disorders are overrepresented in general medical settings. Hospital-based interventions offer an opportunity to engage with a vulnerable population that may not otherwise seek treatment. To determine whether inpatient addiction consultation improves substance use outcomes 1 month after discharge. Prospective quasi-experimental evaluation comparing 30-day post-discharge outcomes between participants who were and were not seen by an addiction consult team during hospitalization at an urban academic hospital. Three hundred ninety-nine hospitalized adults who screened as high risk for having an alcohol or drug use disorder or who were clinically identified by the primary nurse as having a substance use disorder. Addiction consultation from a multidisciplinary specialty team offering pharmacotherapy initiation, motivational counseling, treatment planning, and direct linkage to ongoing addiction treatment. Addiction Severity Index (ASI) composite score for alcohol and drug use and self-reported abstinence at 30 days post-discharge. Secondary outcomes included 90-day substance use measures and self-reported hospital and ED utilization. Among 265 participants with 30-day follow-up, a greater reduction in the ASI composite score for drug or alcohol use was seen in the intervention group than in the control group (mean ASI-alcohol decreased by 0.24 vs. 0.08, p < 0.001; mean ASI-drug decreased by 0.05 vs. 0.02, p = 0.003.) There was also a greater increase in the number of days of abstinence in the intervention group versus the control group (+12.7 days vs. +5.6, p < 0.001). The differences in ASI-alcohol, ASI-drug, and days abstinent all remained statistically significant after controlling for age, gender, employment status, smoking status, and baseline addiction severity (p = 0.018, 0.018, and 0.02, respectively). In a sensitivity analysis, assuming that patients who were lost to follow-up had no change from baseline severity, the differences remained statistically significant. In a non-randomized cohort of medical inpatients, addiction consultation reduced addiction severity for alcohol and drug use and increased the number of days of abstinence in the first month after hospital discharge.
Towards a rhythmanalysis of debt dressage: Education as rhythmic resistance in everyday indebted life:

Debt shapes subjectivity by rhythmically training indebted subjects. Stated slightly differently, there exists a debt dressage that produces indebted subjectivity. One of the principle aims of this...
US Emergency Department Trends in Imaging for Pediatric Nontraumatic Abdominal Pain.

OBJECTIVES: To describe national emergency department (ED) trends in computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound imaging for the evaluation of pediatric nontraumatic abdominal pain from 2007 through 2014. METHODS: We used data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to measure trends in CT and ultrasound use among children with nontraumatic abdominal pain. We performed multivariable logistic regression to measure the strength of the association of ED type (pediatric versus general ED) with CT and ultrasound use adjusting for potential confounding variables. RESULTS: Of an estimated 21.1 million ED visits for nontraumatic abdominal pain, 14.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.2%–16.0%) had CT imaging only, 10.9% (95% CI, 9.7%–12.1%) had ultrasound imaging only, and 1.9% (95% CI, 1.4%–2.4%) received both CT and ultrasound. The overall use of CT and ultrasound did not significantly change over the study period (P trend .63 and .90, respectively). CT use was lower among children treated in pediatric EDs compared with general EDs (adjusted odds ratio 0.34; 95% CI, 0.17–0.69). Conversely, ultrasound use was higher among children treated in pediatric EDs compared with general EDs (adjusted odds ratio 2.14; 95% CI, 1.29–3.55). CONCLUSIONS: CT imaging for pediatric patients with nontraumatic abdominal pain has plateaued since 2007 after the steady increase seen in the preceding 9 years. Among this population, an increased likelihood of CT imaging was demonstrated in general EDs compared with pediatric EDs, in which there was a higher likelihood of ultrasound imaging. Dissemination of pediatric-focused radiology protocols to general EDs may help optimize radiation exposure in children.
Electromechanical modeling and experimental verification of a directly printed nanocomposite

Piezoelectric materials are currently among the most promising building blocks of sensing, actuating and energy harvesting systems. However, these materials are limited in applications due to difficulty in machining and casting it on to curve surfaces. To mitigate this issue, one method is through additive manufacturing (direct printing) of piezoelectric nanocomposite in which piezoelectric nanomaterials are embedded into a polymer matrix. Although significant progress has been recently made in this area, modeling the electromechanical response of a directly printed nanocomposite remains a challenge. Thus the objective of this study is to develop robust micromechanical and finite element models that allows the study of the electroelastic properties of a directly printed nanocomposite containing piezoelectric inclusions. Furthermore, the dependence of these properties on geometrical parameters such as aspect ratio and alignment of the active phase are investigated. The focus of this work is a demonstration of the effect gradual alignment of piezoelectric nanowires in a nanocomposite from randomly oriented to purely aligned improves the electroelastic properties of a directly printed nanocomposite. Finally, these models are verified through experimental measurement of electroelastic properties of the nanocomposites containing barium titanate nanowires in Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer.
Child Neurology: Type 1 sialidosis due to a novel mutation in NEU1 gene.

A 39-year-old man of Ecuadorian descent presented with a history of seizures, visual impairment, and ataxia. He had a normal birth and early developmental history. His first seizure was a generalized tonic-clonic seizure (GTCS) at 16 years old. Around the same time, he also started experiencing 1–2 myoclonic jerks per day. The myoclonic jerks progressively worsened over a period of 20 years to 15–20 episodes per day. GTCS continued to occur 1–2 times a year until the age of 24 years. EEG revealed multiple brief myoclonic seizures and generalized slow spike/polyspike wave complexes consistent with primary generalized epilepsy. Despite valproic acid, zonisamide, and clonazepam, his seizure control remained poor. When he was 30 years old, he began to have blurring of his vision; ophthalmologic evaluation at that time revealed bilateral cherry-red spots. Optical coherence tomography showed hyperreflectivity in the superficial layers of the retina at the posterior pole consistent with abnormal storage in the ganglion cells. An electroretinogram showed normal rod and cone responses. Flash visual evoked responses demonstrated a delay in the P100 response consistent with dysfunction of the visual pathways. His medical and family history was otherwise noncontributory. Gross physical examination was within normal limits. Neurologic examination demonstrated severe myoclonus of the face interrupting his speech, frequent myoclonus of the arms, truncal and appendicular ataxia, and broad-based ataxic gait. MRI of the brain with and without gadolinium was normal. Chromosome single nucleotide polymorphism microarray revealed long contiguous regions of allele homozygosity (>10 MB) in multiple chromosomes. A query of the regions of homozygosity that was subsequently narrowed down using his clinical presentation identified NEU1 as a candidate gene. Sequencing of NEU1 revealed a homozygous missense mutation c.629C>T (p.Pro210Leu). Enzymatic testing in fibroblasts showed sialidase activity to be deficient (0 nmol/h/mg; ref: 23–74). β-Galactosidase activity was within normal limits.
The Potential of Renewable Energy to Reduce the Dependence of the State of Hawaii on Oil

Deriving nearly 90% of its primary energy resources from oil, the State of Hawaii is more dependent on oil than any other U.S. state. The price of electricity in Hawaii is also more than twice the U.S. average. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 directed assessment of the economic implications of Hawaii's oil dependence and the feasibility of using renewable energy to help meet the state's electrical generation and transportation fuel use. This paper is based on the assessments and report prepared in response to that directive.Current total installed electrical capacity for the State of Hawaii is 2,414 MWe, 83% of which is fuel-oil generated, but already including about 170 MWe of renewable capacity. The assessments identified about 2,133 MWe (plus another estimated 2,000 MWe of rooftop PV systems) of potential new renewable energy capacity. Most notable, in addition to the rooftop solar potential, is 750 MWe and 140 MWe of geothermal potential on Hawaii and Maui, respectively, 840 MWe of potential wind capacity, primarily on Lanai and Molokai, and one potential 285 MWe capacity specific solar project (PV or solar thermal) identified on Kauai. Important social, political, and electrical-grid infrastructure challenges would need to be overcome to realize thismore » potential. Among multiple crop and acreage scenarios, biofuels assessment found 360,000 acres in Hawaii zoned for agriculture and appropriate for sugarcane, enough to produce 429 million gallons of ethanol-enough to meet about 64% of current 2005 Hawaiian gasoline use. Tropical oil seed crops-potentially grown on the same land-might meet a substantial portion of current diesel use, but there has been little experience growing such crops in Hawaii. The U.S. Department of Energy and the State of Hawaii initiated in January 2008 a program that seeks to reduce Hawaii's oil dependence and provide 70% of the state's primary energy from clean energy sources by 2030. The Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI) activities will be concentrated in two areas: (1) HCEI Working Groups will be formed and made up of private, state, and U.S. government experts in the areas of Transportation and Fuels, Electricity Generation, Energy Delivery and Transmission, and End-Use Efficiency; and (2) Partnership Projects will be undertaken with local and mainland partners that demonstrate and commercialize new technologies and relieve technical barriers.« less
A Critique of the Insider Trading Sanctions Act of 1984

Congress intended that the Insider Trading Sanctions Act of 1984 should increase the deterrent effect of the insider trading prohibition without changing the substantive common law governing insider trading cases. Towards that end, the Act created a civil penalty of up to three times the profit gained, or loss avoided, through trading while in possession of material nonpublic information. This article examines the Act and considers its probable effect on insider trading. the article begins with an historical overview of the development of the insider trading prohibition. The article then discusses the adoption of the Act and examines its provisions in the context of then-existing law. Finally, the article criticizes the Act, suggesting that it will not have the deterrent effect anticipated by its drafters, and examines the possible effects of the ITSA on the further development of the federal insider trading prohibition.
Artificial cranial deformation in Kow Swamp 1 and 5: A response to Curnoe (2007)

Recently, Curnoe (2007) tested the predictions of competing models of modern human origins using three crania from Australia: Kow Swamp 1 and 5 and Keilor. The Kow Swamp specimens have long been suspected of having been altered through artificial deformation of the skull. Though Curnoe (2007) provided assurances that no evidence of deformation is present in those specimens, the current study retests the hypothesis that these Australian specimens are artificially deformed. The Australian crania are compared to known deformed individuals from New Britian through canonical variates analysis, and the resulting Mahalanobis distances are examined for statistical significance with random expectation statistics. The results show that Kow Swamp 1 and 5 have strong shape similarities to known deformed individuals, and both crania are very different in shape from Keilor. Keilor is statistically significantly different in shape from both Kow Swamp specimens and all of the known deformed specimens. These findings cast doubt on Curnoe's (2007) conclusions of a shared Australian cranial morphology as well as the retention of an archaic suite of morphologies in the Australians.
Timber Bridge Construction — A Value Added Use of Forest Products

In 1989, the author made a three week Professional Development Visit (PDV) to Wroclaw Technical University (WTU) in Poland. This PD V was sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences in the United States and the Polish Academy of Sciences. The purpose of the visit was to merge the author’s expertise in timber bridge construction with the counterpart expertise of Polish researchers experienced in bridges of other materials. The intended outcome was to be a cooperation in research in bridge infrastructure, connected to timber bridges. By way of that visit, a university level formal cooperation agreement in bridge engineering and management was signed by WTU and Colorado State University (CSU) in 1991.
Universals of Prosodic Structure

The systematic study of prosodic structures is relatively recent, and the study of universals of these structures is even more recent. This paper presents a total of ten possible universals, some of which have been extracted from the original presentation of prosodic phonology in Nespor and Vogel(1986). Additional universals have been proposed based on further examination of the model as well as certain proposed modifications, in particular with relation to the Strict Layer Hypothesis. The universals are presented and analyzed in relation to three categories: (a) general properties of prosodic structure, (b) the geometry of prosodic constituents, and (c) prosodic structure phenomena. Several areas in which potential universals have been challenged are examined, and the more general question is discussed of what it means for a theory if apparent counter-examples are presented.
TCT-668 Thirty-Day Readmissions After Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair vs Surgical Mitral Valve Repair: Analysis of the 2014-2015 Nationwide Readmissions Databases

Data on 30-day readmissions after transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) are limited. Patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) undergoing TMVR or surgical mitral valve repair (SMVR) were identified from the 2014-2015 Nationwide Readmissions Database. Propensity-matching was used to obtain a cohort
Understanding Late Talkers

Some children are “late bloomers” when it comes to talking. Around age 2, their language comprehension appears normal, but they may use few words and even fewer word combinations. Between 50% and 75% of these children seem to “outgrow” the delay by the time they are three, but the remaining 25–50% will demonstrate an expressive language delay that can persist for years to come. Here are some important questions for practitioners to consider: (1) How do we define late talking? (2) How do we decide which late talkers will catch up and which are at risk for long-term language deficits? (3) What are some short- and long term outcomes for late talkers? and (4) When do we ‘wait and watch’ and when do we intervene? These are some of the major questions that will be addressed in this chapter.
Parental smoking, changes in smoker image, and susceptibility to smoking in nonsmoking 10- to 12-year-olds

The current study was designed to investigate whether parental cigarette smoking is associated with increased positivity in the smoker image during early adolescence. Participants (n = 432) were surveyed about parental smoking, smoker image, and susceptibility to smoking for three consecutive years beginning at age 10. Parental smoking was related to developmental increases in a positive smoker image. In addition, the slope of smoker image from age 10 to 12 was positively related to smoking susceptibility at age 12. Thus, before children are exposed to smoking peers, parental smoking is a risk factor for developing a positive smoker image and smoking onset.
Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and genomic characterization of sarcomatoid and/or rhabdoid (S/R) metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

4514Background: S/R mRCC are poorly characterized rapidly progressing tumors associated with poor prognosis. Although conventional therapies are less effective for these tumors, emerging data sugge...
Die Fachliche Führungslaufbahn im Unternehmen IBM

Die vorliegende Darstellung uber die Fachliche Fuhrungslaufbahn im Unternehmen IBM (schwerpunktmasig IBM Deutschland GmbH) erhebt nicht den Anspruch einer wissenschaftlichen Arbeit Sie reflektiert vielmehr die betriebliche Praxis und zeigt auf, welche Rationale ihr zugrunde liegen.
Thermochemical interactions between CMAS and Ca2Y8(SiO4)6O2 apatite environmental barrier coating material

Abstract Thermochemical interactions between Ca2Y8(SiO4)6O2 apatite, a potential environmental barrier coating (EBC) material, and a synthetic CMAS having the composition 23.3 CaO - 6.4 MgO - 3.1 Al2O3 - 62.5 SiO2 - 4.1 Na2O - 0.5 K2O - 0.04 Fe2O3 mole % were investigated. Pellets of apatite + CMAS powder and hot-pressed apatite disc-CMAS couples were annealed at 1200–1500 °C for 1–50 hours in air. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to identify the phases present. Polished cross-sections of the heat treated pellets and diffusion couples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high angle annular dark field (HAADF) imaging, selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Ca3Y2(Si3O9)2 cyclosilicate, apatite, and amorphous phases were present in the samples heat treated at 1200 and 1300 °C, whereas no cyclosilicate was detected in samples annealed at 1400 and 1500 °C. A distinct cyclosilicate layer was observed at the apatite-CMAS interface in the diffusion couples heat treated at 1200 and 1300 °C. However, at 1400 and 1500 °C, due to its much lower viscosity, CMAS quickly infiltrated the apatite substrate through pores and along the grain boundaries and no cyclosilicate was observed; the apatite grains dissolved in molten CMAS followed by re-precipitation of apatite needles within an amorphous phase on cooling.
Massively parallel disruption of enhancers active during human corticogenesis

Changes in gene regulation have been linked to the expansion of the human cerebral cortex and to neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the biological effects of genetic variation within developmental regulatory elements on human corticogenesis are not well understood. We used sgRNA-Cas9 genetic screens in human neural stem cells (hNSCs) to disrupt 10,674 expressed genes and 2,227 enhancers active in the developing human cortex and determine the resulting effects on cellular proliferation. Gene disruptions affecting proliferation were enriched for genes associated with risk for human neurodevelopmental phenotypes including primary microcephaly and autism spectrum disorder. Although disruptions in enhancers had overall weaker effects on proliferation than gene disruptions, we identified enhancer disruptions that severely perturbed hNSC self-renewal. Disruptions in Human Accelerated Regions and Human Gain Enhancers, regulatory elements implicated in the evolution of the human brain, also perturbed hNSC proliferation, establishing a role for these elements in human neurodevelopment. Integrating proliferation phenotypes with chromatin interaction maps revealed regulatory relationships between enhancers and target genes that contribute to neurogenesis and potentially to human cortical evolution.
Tympanostomy Tube Controversies and Issues: State-of-the-Art Review.

Objective:To review current pragmatic issues and controversies related to tympanostomy tubes in children, in the context of current best research evidence plus expert opinion to provide nuance, add...
Opioid Prescription Consumption Patterns After Total Joint Arthroplasty in Chronic Opioid Users Versus Opioid Naive Patients.

Although chronic preoperative opioid use has been linked to inferior total joint arthroplasty outcomes, little research exists on postoperative prescribing patterns for opioid-naive orthopaedic patients versus chronic opioid users. Method The New York State Prescription Monitoring Program database, which tracks controlled prescriptions dispensed in-state over the preceding 12 months, was retrospectively queried for 386 patients who underwent primary, elective total hip or knee arthroplasty at a high-volume, urban medical center from May through December 2017. Seventy-four patients were excluded because they did not return prescription monitoring program results, leaving 312 patients. Prescribers, medications, dates prescribed and filled, and quantity dispensed were recorded 3 months preoperatively through 12 months postoperatively. We defined chronic users as ≥2 opioid prescriptions filled in 3 preoperative months and opioid-naive as <2 filled. Opioid use was compared univariately using 2-tailed Student t-tests. Results Chronic opioid users (n = 49; 15.7%) filled an average of 13,006.64 morphine equivalent doses per patient in the 12-month postoperative period, while opioid-naive users (n = 263; 84.3%) filled an average of 854.48 morphine equivalent doses per patient (P < 0.01). Opioid use in the chronic-user group was significantly higher in each 6-week postoperative interval (P < 0.01). These trends remained significant when stratified by procedure. For opioid-naive patients, 74% of opioid prescriptions were prescribed by our orthopaedic department. For chronic users, only 21% of opioid prescriptions originated from our department. Chronic users were found to cyclically fill opioid prescriptions every 3 to 4 weeks postoperatively as far out as 12 months and were significantly more likely to fill nonopioid controlled substance prescriptions both preoperatively and postoperatively (P < 0.01). Discussion Chronic opioid users undergoing arthroplasty filled significantly more opioid prescriptions than opioid-naive patients. Chronic users obtained prescriptions from myriad sources, only a minority of which originated from our orthopaedic department. In the current opioid epidemic, vigilance regarding opioid prescribing is critical.
104. At-risk tackling techniques in American football

BACKGROUND CONTEXT In American football, fewer fatalities and severe injuries have been seen annually since 1976, when rules were enacted to prohibit certain types of aggressive tackling. The National Football Head and Neck Injury Registry was established in 1975 and data from 1971-1975 were retrospectively reviewed to better understand the mechanisms involved in catastrophic cervical spine injury. PURPOSE This study was an assessment of (1) tackling techniques coaches were teaching at 3 levels: youth (4th–5th grades), middle (6th–8th grades), and high school (9th–12th grades); (2) tackling techniques used during games; and (3) successful tackle rates of these techniques. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Descriptive epidemiology study. PATIENT SAMPLE Not applicable. OUTCOME MEASURES Not applicable. METHODS This study received IRB approval. Surveys were distributed via email to 500 coaches of football teams in Texas. Coaches provided video recordings of football games with players from youth league (YL), middle school (MS), and high school (HS). All tackle attempts were graded by one reviewer who watched game videos; 1000 consecutive tackles were observed for each group. Survey data included how coaches instructed their players to tackle, the types of tackles, the number of tackles vs missed tackles, the head position, and the initial contact. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test. A subset of 100 consecutive tackles at each level of play were reviewed by two blinded reviewers to assess intra- and interrater reliabilities using Cohen's Kappa calculations. RESULTS (1) In all groups, coaches instructed players to use the “head across the bow” tackling technique: 83%, YL; 81%, MS; 75%, HS. Coaches instructed players to “keep your head up” 89%, in the YL; 100%, MS; and 81%, in HS. (2, 3) During games, players used head-up, inside shoulder tackles more successfully across all groups: 97.5%, YL; 99.5%, MS; 98.8%, HS. While intra- and interrater reliabilities were in the good reliability range, these scores were lower in the youth group. CONCLUSIONS Our study supports the effectiveness of tackling with the head up and with making the initial contact with the inside shoulder. Lower reliability ratings for the youth group were likely due to lower video quality and lack of players’ tackling experience. FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs.
Financial Aspects of Business Cycles: An Analysis of Balance Sheet Adjustments of U.S. Nonfinancial Enterprises over the Twentieth Century

This paper formulates and tests a model of asset and financing adjustments of nonfinancial enterprises over the twentieth century. Asset adjustments change the expected income and operating risk of firms while financing adjustments change financial risk. To protect debt and equity investors from a conflict of interest problem, an up-front contract develops an “assignment” rule for managing the firm’s balance sheet whereby managers make investment decisions that conform to the risk aversion of stockholders and financing decisions that offset changes in operating risk resulting from investment decisions. Empirical evidence gathered in this paper fails to reject the predictions of the model.
TNF Blockade Reduces Prostatic Hyperplasia and Inflammation while Limiting BPH Diagnosis in Patients with Autoimmune Disease

Abstract Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is ostensibly linked to autoimmune (AI) diseases, but whether the prostate is a target of systemic inflammation associated with AI conditions is unknown. Prostatic inflammation is linked to fibrosis, hyperplasia, and reduced responses to BPH-related medical therapies. This study was conducted to determine if AI disease correlates with BPH diagnosis and whether systemic targeting of an inflammatory mediator limits prostatic inflammation and hyperplasia. Patient medical records (n=112,152) were evaluated to determine BPH prevalence among different AI diseases. Inflammatory cells from human BPH tissues were analyzed by single-cell (sc)RNA-seq and the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α-antagonist etanercept was tested in two murine models of prostatic enlargement. BPH prevalence was significantly higher among patients with AI disease compared to unaffected individuals. However, AI patients treated with TNFα-antagonists had a significantly reduced incidence of BPH. Data from scRNA- seq identified macrophages as a dominant source of TNFα and in vitro assays confirmed that TNFα stimulates BPH-derived fibroblast proliferation. In the AI patient cohort and murine models, systemic treatment with TNFα-antagonists decreased prostatic epithelial proliferation, macrophage infiltration, and epithelial NFκB activation compared to control tissues. These studies are the first to show that patients with AI diseases have a heightened susceptibility to BPH and that the TNFα-signaling axis is important for BPH pathogenesis. Macrophage-secreted TNFα may mechanistically drive BPH via chronic activation of the signaling axis and NFκB. TNFα blockade appears to be a promising new pharmacological approach to target inflammation and suppress BPH. One sentence summary Patient data and mouse models suggest that repurposing tumor necrosis factor alpha blockade reduces inflammation-mediated prostatic hyperplasia.
In the Pursuit of (Ald)Imine Surrogates for the Direct Asymmetric Synthesis of Non-Proteinogenic α-Amino Acids

Nature remarkably employs posttranslational modifications of the 20 canonical α-amino acids to devise a far larger structural, conformational, and functional diversity found in non-proteinogenic amino acids (NPAAs), which ultimately translates into a plethora of complex biological functions. Synthetic chemists are continuously trying to reproduce and even extrapolate the repertoire of NPAA building blocks to build structural diversity into bioactive molecules and materials. The direct asymmetric functionalization of α-imino esters represents one of the most robust and attractive routes to NPAAs. This review summarizes the most prominent examples of bench-stable (ald)imine surrogates exploited for the synthesis of NPAAs, including our most recent results in the nucleophilic substitution of α-haloglycines and other α-halo­aminals. A synopsis of kinetic studies, reaction optimizations, and enantio­selective catalytic methods is also presented. 1 Introduction 2 Asymmetric Synthesis of Tertiary α-Substituted NPAAs 2.1 From N,O-Acetals (α-Hydroxy/Alkyloxy/Acetoxyglycines) 2.2 From α-Amido Sulfones 2.3 From α-Haloglycine Esters 2.4 From N,O-Bis(Boc) Hydroxyglycine 3 Asymmetric Synthesis of Acyclic Quaternary α,α-Disubstituted NPAAs 4 Concluding Remarks
Neutron stars in scalar-tensor theories: Analytic scalar charges and universal relations

Neutron stars are ideal astrophysical sources to probe general relativity due to their large compactnesses and strong gravitational fields. For example, binary pulsar and gravitational wave observations have placed stringent bounds on certain scalar-tensor theories in which a massless scalar field is coupled to the metric through matter. A remarkable phenomenon of neutron stars in such scalar-tensor theories is spontaneous scalarization, where a normalized scalar charge remains of order unity even if the matter-scalar coupling vanishes asymptotically far from the neutron star. While most works on scalarization of neutron stars focus on numerical analysis, this paper aims to derive accurate scalar charges analytically. To achieve this, we consider a simple energy density profile of the Tolman VII form and work in a weak-field expansion. We solve the modified Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations order by order and apply a Pad\'e resummation to account for higher order effects. We find that our analytic scalar charges (in terms of the stellar compactness) beautifully model those computed numerically. We also find a quasiuniversal relation between the scalar charge and stellar binding energy that is insensitive to the underlying equations of state. A comparison of analytic scalar charges for Tolman VII and constant density stars mathematically supports this quasiuniversal relation. The analytic results found here provide physically motivated, ready to use accurate expressions for scalar charges.
‘Not your “poor dear”’: Practices and politics of care in women’s non-profit housing in Vancouver, Canada

Care is a political process, a set of social relations, and a marketized product. The spatialization of care is complicated when there are diverse caring relations within sites of marketized care. ...