cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Labor induction at term without identified indication: Maternal and neonatal outcomes

NEONATAL OUTCOMES MICHAEL BRADY, SHARRY VERES, JAMES BALDUCCI, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Phoenix, Arizona, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Department of Family Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to evaluate the risks of labor induction without an identified indication in uncomplicated term pregnancies. STUDY DESIGN: The 94,594 Arizona births during 2004 were reviewed for all singleton, non-breech deliveries that occurred from 37-41 weeks gestation. Cohorts of induced vs. spontaneous labor were created, excluding identifiable maternal and fetal indications for labor induction. Fetal and maternal outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: In the induction cohort, 3.4% of neonates required short-term ventilatory assistance (less than 30 minutes), while only 1% of the spontaneously labored children required such assistance (relative risk, 2.39, 95% confidence interval 2.22-2.57). The relative risk of cesarean section in nulliparous women with induction of labor was 1.42, (95% confidence interval 1.351.50). Cesarean section was not increased in parous women. Several other outcomes also demonstrated significant differences. CONCLUSION: In this population, labor induction without identifiable indication more than doubled the relative risk of short-term neonatal ventilatory assistance. It also increased the risk of cesarean section in nulliparous patients.
Energy-efficient broadcast and multicast routing in ad hoc wireless networks

This paper considers the problem of broadcasting in large ad hoc wireless networks. We focus on the energy-efficient broadcast routing in stationary networks and consider the case where wireless nodes can dynamically control their transmission power for each broadcast session. The minimum spanning tree (MST) has the property that the longest edge in the tree is the shortest among all the spanning trees, We introduce a new algorithm called minimum longest edge (MLE) that constructs a broadcast tree using MST. This algorithm provides a scheme to balance the energy consumption among all nodes. The simulation results show that MLE improves the energy balance and network lifetime for a wide range of networks, and the improvement is more significant when the network size increases.
Cabassous chacoensis (Cingulata: Dasypodidae)

Cabassous chacoensis (Chacoan naked-tailed armadillo) is a little-studied, primarily fossorial armadillo endemic to xeric parts of the Gran Chaco in western Paraguay and northern Argentina. C. chacoensis is listed as “Near Threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
Host Range of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus in Cultured Cells

Difficulties in efficiently propagating Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in culture have generated the impression that the virus displays a narrow host range. Here we show that, contrary to expectation, KSHV can establish latent infection in many adherent cell lines, including human and nonhuman cells of epithelial, endothelial, and mesenchymal origin. (Paradoxically, the only lines in which we have not observed successful latent infection are cultured lymphoma cell lines.) In most latently infected lines, spontaneous lytic replication is rare and (with only two exceptions) is not efficiently induced by phorbol ester treatment-a result that explains the failure of most earlier studies to observe efficient serial transfer of infection. However, ectopic expression of the KSHV lytic switch protein RTA from an adenoviral vector leads to the prompt induction of lytic replication in all latently infected lines, with the production of infectious KSHV virions. These results indicate (i) that the host cell receptor(s) and entry machinery for KSHV are widely distributed on cultured adherent cells, (ii) that latency is the default pathway of infection, and (iii) that blocks to lytic induction are frequent and largely reside at or upstream of the expression of KSHV RTA.
Nanoarchaeota, Their Sulfolobales Host, and Nanoarchaeota Virus Distribution across Yellowstone National Park Hot Springs

Nanoarchaeota are obligate symbionts with reduced genomes first described from marine thermal vent environments. Here, both community metagenomics and single-cell analysis revealed the presence of Nanoarchaeota in high-temperature (∼90°C), acidic (pH ≈ 2.5 to 3.0) hot springs in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) (United States). Single-cell genome analysis of two cells resulted in two nearly identical genomes, with an estimated full length of 650 kbp. Genome comparison showed that these two cells are more closely related to the recently proposed Nanobsidianus stetteri from a more neutral YNP hot spring than to the marine Nanoarchaeum equitans. Single-cell and catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) analysis of environmental hot spring samples identified the host of the YNP Nanoarchaeota as a Sulfolobales species known to inhabit the hot springs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Nanoarchaeota are widespread in acidic to near neutral hot springs in YNP. An integrated viral sequence was also found within one Nanoarchaeota single-cell genome and further analysis of the purified viral fraction from environmental samples indicates that this is likely a virus replicating within the YNP Nanoarchaeota.
Human dignity in historical perspective: The contemporary and traditional paradigms:

Over the last 60 years the idea of human dignity has become increasingly prominent in the political discourse on human rights. In United Nations documents, for instance, human dignity is currently ...
Teaching transcultural nursing through literature

One of the biggest challenges in nursing education is to develop culturally sensitive graduates. Although theory and lecture are appropriate to introduce cultural issues, the application of those skills is limited by the kinds of clinical experiences and patient populations students may treat. Literary works are a rich source of information for nursing. This assignment was created to sensitize the students to the influence of cultural diversity. Students were assigned to read one novel from an approved list and answer the questions posed on the Cultural Discovery worksheet. The only direction that was given regarding novel selection was that the novel had to represent a culture other than the student's own. The focus was to expose students to a different culture. Classroom discussion, based on worksheet answers, followed. The assignment's good, bad, and ugly outcomes are discussed. Suggestions for adaptation of this assignment to an online format are also provided.
Two-stage stochastic lot-sizing problem under cost uncertainty

For production planning problems, cost parameters can be uncertain due to marketing activities and interest rate fluctuation. In this paper, we consider a single-item two-stage stochastic lot-sizing problem under cost parameter uncertainty. Assuming cost parameters will increase or decrease after time period p each with certain probability, we minimize the total expected cost for a finite horizon problem. We develop an extended linear programming formulation in a higher dimensional space that can provide integral solutions by showing that its constraint matrix is totally unimodular. We also project this extended formulation to a lower dimensional space and obtain a corresponding extended formulation in the lower dimensional space. Final computational experiments demonstrate that the extended formulation is more efficient and performs more stable than the two-stage stochastic mixed-integer programming formulation.
Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of Aspergillus fumigatus: an efficient tool for insertional mutagenesis and targeted gene disruption

Agrobacterium tumefaciens was used to transform Aspergillus fumigatus by either random or site-directed integration of transforming DNA (T-DNA). Random mutagenesis via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) was accomplished with T-DNA containing a hygromycin resistance cassette. Cocultivation of A. fumigatus conidia and Agrobacterium (1:10 ratio) for 48 h at 24 degrees C resulted in high frequencies of transformation (> 100 transformants/10(7) conidia). The majority of transformants harbored a randomly integrated single copy of T-DNA and were mitotically stable. We chose alb1, a polyketide synthase gene, as the target gene for homologous integration because of the clear phenotype difference between the white colonies of Deltaalb1 mutant strains and the bluish-green colonies of wild-type strains. ATMT with a T-DNA-containing alb1 disruption construct resulted in 66% albino transformants. Southern analysis revealed that 19 of the 20 randomly chosen albino transformants (95%) were disrupted by homologous recombination. These results suggest that ATMT is an efficient tool for transformation, random insertional mutagenesis, and gene disruption in A. fumigatus.
Intergenerational Partnerships in Adult Day Centers Importance of Age-Appropriate Environments and Behaviors

Purpose: This research identified the potential for infantilization of clients in centers that offer an occasional program of combined adult and child day care. Design and Methods: The study used a comparative ethnographic approach, which analyzed observation and interview data collected from two adult day centers that offered intergenerational activities. Special attention was paid to the environment, behaviors, and clients’ interaction patterns. Results: The adult day center cultures varied widely in age appropriateness, opportunities for autonomy, privacy regulation, choice, and adult interaction, especially as children were introduced into the setting. Infantilization occurred in the intergenerational program when the adults and children were treated as status equals , and the activities and environments were only child oriented. Older persons perceived a need for an “escape option” if contact with children was overstimulating or age inappropriate. Positive intergenerational experiences involved adults in a mentoring role, voluntary participation, and clientinitiated contact with children. Implications: This study explores the influence of intergenerational programming in adult day centers, and bridges the gap between theory and practice with implications for other aging services.
Coupled Nitrogen and Calcium Cycles in Forests of the Oregon Coast Range

Nitrogen (N) is a critical limiting nutrient that regulates plant productivity and the cycling of other essential elements in forests. We measured foliar and soil nutrients in 22 young Douglas-fir stands in the Oregon Coast Range to examine patterns of nutrient availability across a gradient of N-poor to N-rich soils. N in surface mineral soil ranged from 0.15 to 1.05% N, and was positively related to a doubling of foliar N across sites. Foliar N in half of the sites exceeded 1.4% N, which is considered above the threshold of N-limitation in coastal Oregon Douglas-fir. Available nitrate increased five-fold across this gradient, whereas exchangeable magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) in soils declined, suggesting that nitrate leaching influences base cation availability more than soil parent material across our sites. Natural abundance strontium isotopes ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) of a single site indicated that 97% of available base cations can originate from atmospheric inputs of marine aerosols, with negligible contributions from weathering. Low annual inputs of Ca relative to Douglas-fir growth requirements may explain why foliar Ca concentrations are highly sensitive to variations in soil Ca across our sites. Natural abundance calcium isotopes (d 44 Ca) in exchangeable and acid leachable pools of surface soil measured at a single site showed 1 per mil depletion relative to deep soil, suggesting strong Ca recycling to meet tree demands. Overall, the biogeochemical response of these Douglas-fir forests to gradients in soil N is similar to changes associated with chronic N deposition in more polluted temperate regions, and raises the possibility that Ca may be deficient on excessively N-rich sites. We conclude that wide gradients in soil N can drive non-linear changes in base-cation biogeochemistry, particularly as forests cross a threshold from N-limitation to N-saturation. The most acute changes may occur in forests where base cations are derived principally from atmospheric inputs.
Identity and Securitization in the Democratic Peace: The United States and the Divergence of Response to India and Iran's Nuclear Programs

While almost a decade old, Ted Hopf’s observation that the democratic peace is an observation in search of a theory still holds validity. In particular, the mechanisms behind the democratic peace are poorly understood, making it difficult for scholars to provide a compelling explanation. Underappreciated in the existing work is the role of identity and the importance this has for driving the democratic peace. With a focus on developing a dyadic democratic peace mechanism and using a case study approach, this paper utilizes the Copenhagen School’s securitization framework to examine how identity plays out in the US response to the Indian and Iranian nuclear programs. It finds that in fact identity does play an important role in how security policy is constructed. In policy terms, if the democratic peace does rely on identity to trigger the constraining norms that limit the escalation of conflict to violence, it is unlikely the democratic peace can be spread by force and it is possible that states nominally democratic can be excluded from the community of democracies if their behavior or significant other aspects of their perceived identity are at variance with the accepted democratic identity standard.
Impact of Transcatheter Occlusion of a Patent Ductus Arteriosus on Atrial Septal Defect Diameter in Children

Background. A persistent patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) may delay closure of a coexisting atrial septal defect (ASD) due to volume loading and enlargement of the left atrium. The purpose of this study was to investigate the natural history of ASD size in patients with a PDA following transcatheter PDA occlusion. Methods. All patients with an ASD and a PDA who underwent transcatheter PDA occlusion at Texas Children’s Hospital were identified. Patients with ASD diameter <3 mm, or additional cardiac defects were excluded. Eight patients (7 females) with small- to moderate-sized ASDs and a PDA were identified. Patient demographics, echocardiographic data, and cardiac catheterization data were recorded. Data were analyzed by 1-tailed t-test. Results. Following PDA occlusion, ASD diameter decreased in 6 of 8 patients by a mean of 3.8 mm (±2.3 mm), including 2 that closed. The median duration of follow-up was 689 days. One ASD remained unchanged and 1 increased in size. The mean maximum ASD diameter decreased from 6.4 mm (±2.2 mm) to 3.9 mm (±3.4 mm) (P = .03). Two patients underwent subsequent transcatheter ASD occlusion. Conclusion. Following transcatheter PDA occlusion, small- to moderate-sized ASDs have significant probability to decrease in size, and possibly close. In infants and children, we recommend transcatheter PDA occlusion, and serial follow-up of the size of the ASD. This will allow many small- to moderate-sized ASDs to either close, or become smaller, obviating the need for future intervention.
Astrocyte Growth, Reactivity, and the Target of the Antiproliferative Antibody, TAPA

Reactive astrocytes form a scar after injury to the CNS that many investigators believe contributes to the lack of functional regeneration. In the present study, we identify an astrocytic membrane protein that appears to play an important role in reactive gliosis and scar formation. Cultures of rat astrocytes were used as a model system to produce and to screen monoclonal antibodies that would alter cell growth. One antibody, AMP1, was identified that depresses the mitotic activity of cultured glial cells and alters their morphology. Expression cloning reveals that the antigen on the external surface of the cultured glial cells has a high degree of homology with the human lymphocyte protein called Target of the Anti-Proliferative Antibody (TAPA-1; this rat protein will be referred to as rTAPA). rTAPA is a member of the tetramembrane-spanning superfamily of proteins and, as with other members of this family of proteins, rTAPA is associated with the regulation of cellular interactions and mitotic activity. After an injury to the cerebral cortex, there is a dramatic increase in AMP1 immunoreactivity that is spatially restricted to the reactive astrocytes at the glial scar. This change represents an upregulation of a membrane protein, rTAPA, that is approximately equal to the increase observed for glial fibrillary acidic protein. The high levels of rTAPA at the site of CNS injury and the AMP1 antibody perturbation studies indicate that rTAPA may play a prominent role in the response of astrocytes to injury and in glial scar formation.
A dependency matrix based framework for QoS diagnosis in SOA

When a business process fails to deliver the quality of service (QoS), it is necessary to identify the faulty services that cause the problem. In this paper, we present a framework for diagnosing QoS problems in SOA. A set-covering algorithm is used to select the locations of run-time service data collection, or probes. The framework then creates a dependency matrix to denote the relationships between data recorded by probes and service status. A polynomial time diagnosis algorithm based on the dependency matrix and the probe data is then used to identify potential faulty services. The algorithm also uses predicates on probes (PoP) to compare the data reported from neighboring probes. The diagnosis framework does not require historical knowledge on services. Simulation results show that the diagnosis framework is both effective and efficient.
Performance of Phase-Locked Loops in the Presence of Fading Communication Channels

An approach is presented for the analysis of phase-locked loops whose input signal has passed through time-varying channels. The specific channels considered in detail are the Rice-Nakagami, Rayleigh, and lognormal fading channels. Loop performance is characterized in terms of the steady-state probability density function of the reduced phase error process. The basic parameters which characterize performance include the loop signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the variance and bandwidth of the fading components introduced by the channel. Particular channel models are used to illustrate the theory for the firstorder loop. The results are also applied to the analysis of the PSK noisy reference problem in the presence of these time-varying channels.
A fuzzy c-means (FCM) based algorithm for intensity inhomogeneity correction and segmentation of MR images

Magnetic resonance images are often corrupted by intensity inhomogeneity, which manifests itself as slow intensity variations of the same tissue over the image domain. Such shading artifacts must be corrected before doing computerized analysis such as intensity-based segmentation and quantitative analysis. In this paper, we present a fuzzy c-means (FCM) based algorithm that simultaneously estimates the shading effect while segmenting the image. A multiplier field term that models the intensity variation is incorporated into the FCM objective function which is minimized iteratively. In each iteration, the bias field is estimated based on the current tissue class centroids and the membership values of the voxels and then smoothed by an iterative low-pass filter. The efficacy of the algorithm is demonstrated on clinical breast MR images.
Isolated Acute Thrombocytopenia in a 21-Year-Old Caucasian Male

Medical History: The patient reported no chronic illnesses. He denied any history of blood disorders in his family. He recounted he had not drank alcohol or smoked in the last 5 weeks of basic training. He reported 20 total sexual partners in his lifetime. The patient tested negative for HIV and ANA prior to the current encounter. Current Medications: Tessalon (antitussive), Tylenol. No thrombocytopenia-associated agents were found in the patient’s previous medical history.
Orbital exenteration: one size does not fit all.

Purpose To evaluate the clinical indications for orbital exenteration in a tertiary referral center and to compare clinicopathologic correlation and cosmetic outcome with previously reported data. Design Retrospective, nonrandomized, consecutive case series. Methods Review of Electronic Medical Record system, Orbital Clinic, Jules Stein Eye Institute, between January 1999 and December 2003. main outcome measures: Surgery type, clear margins histologically, survival, and wearing an eye patch. Results Thirty-four patients (mean age 67 years) underwent orbital exenteration; mean follow-up 1.2 ± 1.5 years (6 months to 6 years). Diagnosis included orbital, ocular, and adnexal malignancies, with squamous and basal cell carcinoma being the most common. Twenty-one patients (62%) underwent total or extended orbital exenteration, and 13 patients (38%) underwent subtotal exenteration including tissue reconstruction. Clear surgical margins were obtained in 23 cases (68%), whereas positive margins were left in 11 cases (32%). Many of the patients preferred an eye patch to cover the surgical region regardless of surgical reconstruction. Only 4 patients (11.8%) who underwent subtotal exenteration with orbital prosthesis did not use a patch. During follow-up period 3 patients expired, only 1 of which was tumor-related. Conclusions Clinical indications for orbital exenteration remain similar over the last four decades with a higher prevalence of squamous cell carcinoma in our institute. Orbital exenteration is considered curative in cases of basal or squamous cell carcinoma but not in cases of malignant infiltrative processes such as adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland. Patients are likely to wear an eye patch regardless of any attempt at surgical reconstruction.
The phonological similarity effect in short-term memory serial recall in schizophrenia

Lists of phonologically similar items are more often recalled in the wrong order than phonologically dissimilar items. At recall, patients with schizophrenia were neither especially susceptible to confusing phonologically similar items nor to making disproportionate movement (i.e. order) errors with phonologically similar lists of items. We conclude that patients with schizophrenia employ recall strategies for phonologically similar items in short-term memory that are equivalent to those of healthy controls.
The Components Of A Successful CEO Apology

Although most research suggests that apologies are associated with positive outcomes, the relationship can be equivocal. An apology’s effectiveness is highly dependent on whether certain components are present. The current study investigates the effectiveness of various apology components proposed by Boyd (2011). Twenty-five CEO apologies were coded for seven components: revelation, recognition, responsiveness, responsibility, remorse, restitution, and reform. These apologies were then shown to 151 participants who rated their willingness to forgive and trust the apologizers. All components were significant except for responsibility.
Changes in Spinal Mobility with Increasing Age in Women

The purpose of our study was to determine changes in spinal mobility for women aged 20 to 84 years. Anterior flexion, right and left lateral flexion, and extension were measured on 109 healthy women. The modified Schober method was used to measure anterior flexion. Standard goniometry was used to measure lateral flexion and extension. The results of the study indicated that spinal mobility decreases with advancing age. The most significant (p less than .05) differences occurred between the two youngest and the two oldest age categories. Data gathered in this study indicate that physical therapists should consider the effects of age on spinal mobility when assessing spinal range of motion. A simple, objective method for measuring spinal mobility is presented. Suggestions for future research are given.
High order magnetic optics for high dynamic range proton radiography at a kinetic energy of 800 MeV

Flash radiography with 800 MeV kinetic energy protons at Los Alamos National Laboratory is an important experimental tool for investigations of dynamic material behavior driven by high explosives or pulsed power. The extraction of quantitative information about density fields in a dynamic experiment from proton generated images requires a high fidelity model of the proton imaging process. It is shown that accurate calculations of the transmission through the magnetic lens system require terms beyond second order for protons far from the tune energy. The approach used integrates the correlated multiple Coulomb scattering distribution simultaneously over the collimator and the image plane. Comparison with a series of static calibration images demonstrates the model’s accurate reproduction of both the transmission and blur over a wide range of tune energies in an inverse identity lens that consists of four quadrupole electromagnets.
Abstract TP52: Bedside Monitoring Of Resting State Functional Connectivity Networks In Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Using Diffuse Optical Tomography

Background: Recent studies have shown that functional connectivity (FC), an MR method that maps synchronized neural activity throughout the brain during rest, is profoundly altered after stroke and...
Type 1 interferon licenses naïve CD8 T cells to mediate anti-viral cytotoxicity

Naive T cells, unlike memory T cells, exhibit very limited effector function in response to cognate antigen, but exposure to type 1 interferon (IFN) prior to cognate antigen allows for rapid manifestation of effector functions. A full assessment of the functions of these IFN-sensitized otherwise naive T cells has not been made, nor has their capacity to be effector cells in vivo. We describe here that IFN-sensitized naive T cells in the absence of cognate antigen adopt a partial activated phenotype distinguished by the upregulation of the surface activation marker CD69, effector-associated transcription factors Eomes and IRF4, and cytotoxicity effector molecule granzyme B. IFN-sensitized naive T cells lysed target cells in vivo and responded to low concentrations and affinities of cognate ligands. We suggest that this rapid and sensitive effector function of IFN-conditioned naive CD8 T cells may play a role in pathogen control and help ward off superinfections.
Mr. Justice Murphy in World War II

THE judicial decisions of Frank Murphy during World War II are a matter of public record, but far less well known is the extent to which the Justice sought to play a more active part in the defense and war effort in a nonjudicial capacity. Murphy stepped down from the bench on more than one occasion between 1940 and 1945 to contribute his talents and the prestige of his name to the promotion of the national security, but the civilian and military leaders of the nation vetoed more ambitious proposals of the Justice that would have enabled him, as he liked to put it, to "close with the enemy." Murphy was far from satisfied with his role during the war, and by the time hostilities ended he was an obviously frustrated and unhappy man. It was an open secret that Murphy accepted appointment to the United States Supreme Court with considerable reluctance. For a ten-year period prior to his taking the oath of an associate justice on February 5, 1940, Murphy, as mayor of Detroit, governor-general and high commissioner of the Philippines, governor of Michigan, and attorney general of the United States, had been at the center of dramatic events and had enjoyed playing to a large and frequently admiring audience. He had from his youth aspired to the presidency, but defeat in the Michigan gubernatorial election of 1938 had dealt an apparently fatal blow to his soaring ambition. President Franklin D. Roosevelt found a position in his cabinet for the defeated governor; but after an eventful year as attorney general, Murphy was elevated to the Supreme Court and was forced to give up the career of a doer, which he loved, for the contemplative life of a Supreme Court justice, which was not altogether congenial to his temperament. With obvious regret, Murphy, as he completed his first day of service on the Court, wrote the President that "the more active duty under your leadership is now ended."'
The U.S. Senate and Federalism Policy in the 96th and 97th Congresses

Although the Congress of the United States has a major influence on American federalism, there has been little systematic attention given to what factors influence congressional voting on federalism issues. This article is an initial effort to address this question. Drawing on previous literature which has attempted to explain voting decisions of congressmen, senators' "federalism" voting in the 96th and 97th Congresses is considered. The analysis indicates that ideology and party, especially the former, are the major influences on senators' votes. Moreover, the variables found to be most important to senators'federalism votes appear somewhat distinct from those that influence other domestic policies. Some suggestions for further research are also offered.
Dynamics of the Liquid Microlayer Underneath a Vapor Bubble Growing at a Heated Wall

Evaporation of the liquid microlayer developing underneath a bubble in the initial (inertia controlled) phase of its growth can be a significant vapor source in the later (heat-diffusion controlled) phase of bubble growth. In the literature, representation of this microlayer is typically limited to a very short (order of microns) region near the apparent Triple Phase Line (TPL) between the bubble and the wall. However, experimental observations show that the microlayer may actually extend hundreds of microns beyond the TPL region. Guided by this observation, we develop a simple model to predict the time evolution of the extended microlayer, and the associated corresponding evaporation rate and heat flux underneath a bubble. The model is derived as a special case of the complete governing equations, which account for the complicated effects of disjoining pressure, capillarity, vapor recoil and interfacial resistance. The predictions of the model are in reasonable quantitative agreement with the experimentally observed behavior of the microlayer.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
On better footing to understand parenting and family process in Asian American families.

Amy Chua’s now notorious Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (2011) was not a scholarly treatise on the empirically tested merits of Chinese versus European American parenting traditions. The advance publicity for the memoir drew national and international attention to parenting in Chinese and Asian American families. The public reaction to Chua’s description of her methods of “Chinese” mothering drew vehement criticism both from mainstream media and from ethnic studies scholars. The former decried the use of strict parenting practices seen as promoting achievement at the costs of child self-esteem and emotional well-being; the latter abhorred the promotion of stereotypical model minority images of Chinese American families. Both camps objected to Chua’s claims about the merits of so-called Chinese parenting, based on her family experience rather than rigorous research. Yet, her memoir has achieved the effect of organizing a new and valuable nexus of research centered on this topic. The articles included in the current issue represent a collection of articles that helps us advance our understanding of Chinese and Asian American parenting. Chua’s proclamation of the merits of tiger mothering was met with two strands of outrage. First, there was objection to the stereotypic depiction of Chinese parenting as harsh and relentlessly demanding. Second, there were wrenching testimonials of Asian Americans who suffered personal distress in the wake of being parented in this very manner. Frank Chi (2011) spelled out both objections, decrying Chua’s perpetuation of stereotypes and her glorification of shared childhood traumas of Asian Americans. On the face of it, these two grievances are somewhat at odds with each other. Does Chau’s characterization reflect a false generalization about cultural differences in parenting? Or are these differences observable at the aggregate level and have they harmed Asian American children collectively? This commentary integrates the original research in this special issue to deconstruct three claims that Chua makes in the Battle Hymn: (a) compared with European American parents, Asian-origin parents favor tiger parenting marked by harsh control and emphasize achievement over emotional and social developmental outcomes, (b) differences in parenting between European American and Asian American parenting are attributable to culturally shaped values, and (c) tiger parenting results in high levels of achievement and well-being.
Online Inventory Disclosure: The Impact of How Consumers Perceive Information

Given varied consumer perceptions of inventory information, online retailers' presentation of such information influences purchase behavior. We investigate an online retailer's optimal inventory disclosure policy assuming two distinct consumer segments: savvy (or, experienced) consumers, who can predict a retailer's stock levels (even when masked) and naive (or, inexperienced) consumers who rely on prior beliefs regarding (unknown, and hence stochastic) inventory. We analyze a two-period setting in which a retailer clears residual stock in the second period. By jointly and optimally addressing both inventory disclosure and pricing, a retailer can leverage heterogeneous consumers' sensitivity to stock-out risk and thus discourage strategic purchase deferrals. We find that inventory information masking and sharing tactics are optimal at high and low stocking levels, respectively. Even though the threshold structure of this optimal disclosure strategy is robust to the relative proportion of savvy and naive consumers, optimal retailer pro t changes substantially depending on market composition. We find that, if a sufficiently large savvy consumer segment exists, incorrectly assuming all consumers are naive may yield a substantial pro fit loss, even higher than the loss the retailer would have incurred by implementing an incorrect inventory disclosure strategy.
The status of interrogative subject–verb inversion in Spanish-English bilingual children

The present cross-sectional study examines the status of interrogative subject–verb inversion in Spanish among twenty-seven (n = 27) Spanish-English bilingual children born and raised in the United States. Results from an oral elicited production task show significant low levels of target inversion in both matrix and embedded wh-questions, compared with monolingual children. Lack of inversion was more significant with embedded questions, and among the youngest children. It is argued that the differences observed stem from syntactic transfer from English, language dominance and the complexity of the structure. This leads to a process of syntactic optionality in child heritage Spanish similar to what is found in Caribbean varieties of Spanish.
Associations Between Inflammation and Physical Function in African Americans and European Americans with Prevalent Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Objectives To examine associations between inflammation and physical function and potential mediation by white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in African Americans (AAs) and European Americans (EAs). Design Cross-sectional analysis using linear and logistic models with generalized estimating equations to account for family clustering, reporting results as regression coefficients (β) and odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for education, alcohol, exercise, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, cognition, ankle–brachial index, race (site), and supported interactions. Setting Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy-Genetics of Microangiopathic Brain Injury Study cohort. Participants AA and EA sibships with two or more siblings with hypertension before age 60 (N = 1,960; 65% female, 51% AA, aged 26–91, 50% obese, 72% hypertensive). Measurements Inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL6), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptors (sTNFRs) 1 and 2, WMH volume (cm3) according to magnetic resonance imaging), walking speed (cm/s) over 25 feet, and mobility difficulty (any self-reported difficulty walking half a mile). Results In separate models, inflammatory markers were associated with walking speed (sTNFR1: β = −2.74, P < .001; sTNFR2: β = −1.23, P = .03; CRP: β = −1.95, P = .001; IL6: β = −1.24, P = .03) and mobility difficulty (sTNFR1: OR = 1.36, P = .001; sTNFR2: OR = 1.25, P = .005; CRP: OR = 1.22, P = .005; IL6: OR = 1.18, P = .02); the association between WMH volume and sTNFR1 in AA (β = 0.07, P = .06) did not reach typical statistical thresholds. WMH volume was associated with walking speed in AA (β = −3.17, P = .02) but not with mobility difficulty (OR = 1.10, P = .54). Adjusting for WMH did not change associations. Conclusion In young, middle-aged, and older adults with prevalent cardiovascular risk factors, multiple inflammatory biomarkers were associated with slower walking speed independent of microvascular disease in the brain. There was little evidence of mediation by brain WMH volume. Inflammation may contribute to physical function impairments through pathways other than brain microvascular disease, particularly in AAs.
A Tool-Based Hybrid Methodology for Achieving Impactful Cross-Domain Systems Engineering

The U.S. Air Force’s 30-year strategy identifies Capability Development as a key area where existing practices are inadequate and need to be transformed in order to keep pace with new threats and the evolving operational environment (American’s Air Force: A call to the future, July 2014) [1]. We believe that the traditional model of delegating most systems engineering and design responsibility to capability providers further contributes to delays and design defects, as there is a clear disconnect in the ways that acquirers, users, and both software and systems engineers understand and contribute to a system’s design. In this paper, we present a novel approach that uses a combination of technologies that overcome each other’s weaknesses, while accentuating each other’s strengths, and allows stakeholders with different backgrounds to understand and contribute to a system’s design. The result is an improvement in quality, development costs, and schedule performance.
Nonlinear Convergence Theory for Finite Elements

In the following chapter (Chap. 6), a very powerful convergence theory will be established for numerical fixed point approximations. It is the goal of the present chapter to show that this framework encompasses the semiconductor device model in the case of constant mobility coefficients and zero recombination terms.
Relationships Between Pitch-Matching and Grade Level, Gender, Ethnicity, and Classroom Teachers' Use of Music in Grades K-3

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between pitch-matching and grade level, sex, ethnicity, and classroom teachers’ use of music among K-3 students (N = 289) taught by the same general music teacher. Portions of the data from a pitch-matching exercise that functioned as the music teacher’s roll-taking procedure during the 2005-06 school year were treated as pre- and posttests. There were no significant pretest differences between ethnic groups (Hispanic, White, Other). There were significant pretest differences among classes taught by different classroom teachers, as well as the female students scoring significantly higher than males. Covariance analysis (pretest as covariate) revealed significant improvement by girls over boys on the posttest. There were no significant pretest differences among grade levels, suggesting a lack of carryover of pitch-matching skills from previous years, despite significant improvement (pre-post) for every grade level during the year under study. The boys performed poorly relative to girls in higher grades, though the interaction was not significant. Finally, the study revealed relationships between classroom teachers’ reported use of music and student gain scores (pre-post) in pitch-matching.
Abstract 2833: Enhanced therapeutic efficacy of a combination of gemcitabine and albumin-bound paclitaxel in multistage nanovectors in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Evaluation of transport phenomena

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of encapsulation of albumin-bound paclitaxel (ABX) in multistage nanovector (MSV) administered in combination with gemcitabine (Gem) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) therapy. PDA is one of the most aggressive malignancies with a 5-year survival rate of less than 3%. The inefficiency in treatment of primary pancreatic cancer can be related to the biophysical barriers in the tumor microenvironment which prevent delivery of therapeutics to the lesion. The best chemotherapy currently available for PDA is the combination therapy with Gem + ABX, which was reported to extend the overall survival as compared to patients receiving Gem alone by Mice bearing orthotopic PDA tumors (L3.6pl) were treated once a week for up to four months with ABX, Gem, ABX + Gem, MSV/ABX, MSV or MSV/ABX + Gem and PBS control. Subsets of mice were sacrificed after the first and third treatment. Levels of the drugs in tumor/plasma were evaluated by LC/MS-MS. Tumors were immunostained for evaluation of apoptosis (TUNEL), proliferation (Ki67) and the tumor stromal components (F4/80, CD204, CD31, SPARC). Survival of remaining animals was monitored (n = 10/group). The results indicate that treatment with MSV/ABX + Gem was highly efficient prolonging the survival of 50% of the animals until sacrificed at the endpoint of the study at four months as compared to median survival of ABX + Gem mice of 70.5 days. MSV/ABX + Gem increased tumor levels of paclitaxel in comparison to treatment with Gem + ABX. Furthermore, the use of the MSV system as a delivery vehicle resulted in increased macrophage infiltration and SPARC expression in the tumor, while reducing cancer cell proliferation and increasing apoptosis. In conclusion, MSV/ABX + Gem outperforms the current standard-of-care (ABX + Gem) in a mouse model of PDA. The possible mechanism is related to increased transport of ABX encapsulated in MSV/ABX mediated by macrophages or SPARC. Citation Format: Carlotta Borsoi, Kenji Yokoi, Fransisca Leonard, Mauro Ferrari, Biana Godin Vilentchouk. Enhanced therapeutic efficacy of a combination of gemcitabine and albumin-bound paclitaxel in multistage nanovectors in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Evaluation of transport phenomena. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2833. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2833
Surgical technique determines the outcome of the Brescia/Cimino AVF

Over the past 50 years, since Dr. Appel performed the first internal vascular access procedure for hemodialysis, the distal radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula continues to be the access of choice. Over time, failure to maturation has evolved as a major problem associated with this procedure depriving its benefits to many patients with end-stage renal disease. A variable incidence of this problem within similar patients suggests that surgical technique may play an important role in the development of non-maturation. Evaluating the current surgical techniques based on the hemodynamic consequences of anatomic and physiologic alterations following this procedure highlights the role of surgical technique in mitigating or reducing complications. Piggy-back straight line on-lay, a technique that helps to tailor the blood flow and reduce the oscillatory shear stress appears to reduce the incidence of early juxta-anastomotic problems, which contribute significantly to the problem of non-maturation.
Stability of Interval Matrices

Abstract In this paper we investigate the existence of 'facial implications' for the stability of interval matrices. We show that the stability of ( n - 3)-dimensional faces does not imply the stability of the interval matrix family
Languages for Parallel Processing

This chapter is concerned with programming languages for parallel processing. We first review some basic principles and then use a series of four case studies to illustrate the practical application of these principles. These case studies involve representative systems based on new programming paradigms, explicitly parallel extensions to existing sequential languages, data parallelism, and messagepassing libraries, respectively.
Hyperspectral image classification using graph clustering methods

Author(s): Meng, Z; Merkurjev, E; Koniges, A; Bertozzi, AL | Abstract: Hyperspectral imagery is a challenging modality due to the dimension of the pixels which can range from hundreds to over a thousand frequencies depending on the sensor. Most methods in the literature reduce the dimension of the data using a method such as principal component analysis, however this procedure can lose information. More recently methods have been developed to address classification of large datasets in high dimensions. This paper presents two classes of graph-based classification methods for hyperspectral imagery. Using the full dimensionality of the data, we consider a similarity graph based on pairwise comparisons of pixels. The graph is segmented using a pseudospectral algorithm for graph clustering that requires information about the eigenfunctions of the graph Laplacian but does not require computation of the full graph. We develop a parallel version of the Nystrom extension method to randomly sample the graph to construct a low rank approximation of the graph Laplacian. With at most a few hundred eigenfunctions, we can implement the clustering method designed to solve a variational problem for a graph-cut-based semi-supervised or unsupervised classification problem. We implement OpenMP directive-based parallelism in our algorithms and show performance improvement and strong, almost ideal, scaling behavior. The method can handle very large datasets including a video sequence with over a million pixels, and the problem of segmenting a data set into a pre-determined number of classes.
Influence of Phoslock® on legacy phosphorus, nutrient ratios, and algal assemblage composition in hypereutrophic water resources.

Acceleration of eutrophication in freshwater resources can result in prolific growth of nuisance algae, notably cyanobacteria. In this research, we evaluated the ability of an in situ P binding technology (Phoslock®) to alter available water column and sediment P, and the subsequent impact on nutrient ratios and algal assemblage composition. Two golf course irrigation ponds with legacy nutrient loads and chronic cyanobacterial blooms were treated with Phoslock and monitored for 2 years post-treatment. Phoslock significantly (P < 0.05) decreased water column total P levels and shifted mobile sediment P fractions (i.e., labile, reductant-soluble, organic) to the residual fraction. Total N/P ratios (by mass) significantly increased and were sustained at over 30:1 in the Hickory Meadows irrigation pond and 100:1 in the Chockyotte irrigation pond throughout the study. Consequent changes in the algal assemblage included decreases in dominance and overall density of cyanobacteria as well as a shift away from scum-forming genera (e.g., Microcystis spp. and Anabaena [Dolichospermum] sp.) to planktonic forms (e.g., Pseudanabaena sp. and Planktolyngbya sp.). This research provides information regarding mitigation of in situ water and sediment P toward shifting nutrient ratios and altering algal assemblage composition.