cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quality evaluation of network reports on infectious diseases in medical institutions of Jiangsu province,2010

Objective:To evaluate the network reports quality on infectious diseases in medical institutions of Jiangsu province in 2010.Methods: Data were analyzed by Stata on the basis of the individual case data from the 'Information System of Disease Control and Prevention in China' and the survey information of network reports quality on infectious diseases in medical institutions of Jiangsu.Results: There were total 600 medical institutions with responsibility to report infectious diseases in Jiangsu province in 2010,and the rate of direct report was 98.83%.The rate of leakage reports of infectious diseases in medical institutions was 2.51%,of which B and C categories of infectious disease were 2.79% and 1.94%,respectively.The leakage report rate in city or above level,township level and county level were 7.14%,1.12% and 0,respectively.The leakage report rates in southern areas,middle areas and northern areas in Jiangsu province were 0,0.77% and 5.45%,respectively.The rates of report timeliness,integrity,accuracy and consistency were 99.49%,95.12%,95.63% and 83.29%,respectively.The rate of consistency had statistically significant difference.However,rates of integrity and accuracy were shown with non-meaningful statistical differences at three levels of medical institutions.Conclusion: The report work on infectious diseases in medical institutions plays a basic role in the whole provincial network reports work.It is therefore proposed to upgrade the administration system,guarantee the training quality and expand the financial support so that can make sure the network reports work with high efficient,stable and consecutive development in Jiangsu Province.
Dry foods and risk of disease in cats.

The recent pet food recall seems to have resurrected concerns about the suitability of feeding dry diets to cats. Recalls can be frightening for pet owners and veterinarians alike. One may need to act in the face of significant uncertainty about the extent of the threat, and the stakes, pets’ lives, are high. Many clients have a strong emotional bond with their pet and naturally want to do their best for their pet’s health and welfare. Since diet plays an important role in pets’ well-being, client concerns about pet foods are readily understandable, and their questions deserve honest, empathic responses. The purpose of this paper is to review some of the issues surrounding dry diets for cats.
China vs. the United States: Comparing what teacher candidates know about each other

The purpose of this paper was to compare teacher candidates’ knowledge and perceptions about China and the United States. Using a survey research design, 91 Chinese teacher candidates and 96 teacher candidates from the United Sates participated. The survey findings indicated that while both groups of teacher candidates had a basic level of historical and political knowledge about the other country, both teacher candidate groups also had stereotypes of each other’s country. In their responses to the comment section and free response questions, though, teacher candidates focused on very different aspects. The Chinese teacher candidates were focused more on the United States’ political and education system. The United States’ teacher candidates focused their responses more on daily life and cultural aspects of China.
Applications to Metaphysics

In this final chapter I apply some of the conclusions reached in the two previous chapters to the ill-defined branch of philosophy known as “metaphysics.” The first section outlines some of the different forms metaphysics has taken in its quest for comprehensiveness. Our central interest is in alternative versions of contemporary materialism and in how features of reference, existence, and identity discussed above can be applied to the evaluation of these theories. An extended criticism of materialism on this basis is conducted in the second and third sections. This criticism constitutes a confirmation of the methodology outlined in the second chapter, and in this way, we complete the cyclic return to our starting point. I conclude with some general remarks about a variety of metaphysics consistent with the comparative study of sign levels conducted in this work.
Solution Binding and Structural Analyses Reveal Potential Multidrug Resistance Functions for SAV2435 and CTR107 and Other GyrI-like Proteins

Multidrug resistance (MDR) refers to the acquired ability of cells to tolerate a broad range of toxic compounds. One mechanism cells employ is to increase the level of expression of efflux pumps for the expulsion of xenobiotics. A key feature uniting efflux-related mechanisms is multidrug (MD) recognition, either by efflux pumps themselves or by their transcriptional regulators. However, models describing MD binding by MDR effectors are incomplete, underscoring the importance of studies focused on the recognition elements and key motifs that dictate polyspecific binding. One such motif is the GyrI-like domain, which is found in several MDR proteins and is postulated to have been adapted for small-molecule binding and signaling. Here we report the solution binding properties and crystal structures of two proteins containing GyrI-like domains, SAV2435 and CTR107, bound to various ligands. Furthermore, we provide a comparison with deposited crystal structures of GyrI-like proteins, revealing key features of ...
Elevated Blood Taurine Levels After Myocardial Infarction or Cardiovascular Surgery: Is There Any Significance?

Though it is well known that cardiac tissue contains large quantities of taurine the function of taurine in the myocardium has not been defined. In rat cardiac tissue the content of taurine com­prises over 50% of the total free amino acids (9) with a level of approximately 100 μmoles/g dry weight (12). Not only is cardiac tissue high in taurine content but there is also an unequal distribu­tion throughout the myocardium. For example, it has been reported by both Kocsis and colleagues (10) and Crass and Lombardini (1) that atrial taurine content is significantly higher than ventricular content in the dog heart. Furthermore, both laboratories reported that a transmural gradient existed in the dog left ventricle with the highest taurine content being present in the subendocardium (1,10). While there are few reports of taurine content in human heart it appears that our species is no different from the rest of the animal kingdom in that we also harbor high levels of taurine in our cardiac tissue (7,8). Furthermore, the disparity in regional distribution of taurine in the human heart has been noted in our laboratory. However, the human heart differs from the dog heart in that the ventricular content of taurine is higher than the atrial content (unpublished observations).
Damage Dependent Constitutive Behavior and Energy Release Rate for a Cohesive Zone in a Thermoviscoelastic Solid

In this paper a cohesive zone is introduced ahead of a crack tip in order to avoid the singularity at the crack tip. By applying thermodynamics to the cohesive zone and the surrounding body, a fracture criterion will be established so that the inelastic energy dissipation both in the cohesive zone and the surrounding bulk material can be distinguished from the energy released by fracture, and the propagation of crack can be predicted. In addition, the cohesive zone constitutive equation is constructed utilizing the Helmholtz free energy in the form of a single hereditary integral for a nonlinear viscoelastic material. The resulting constitutive model for the cohesive zone contains an internal state variable which represents the damage state within the cohesive zone. When the cohesive zone opening displacement is known, the energy release rate is thus history dependent, which is expressed in terms of the damage state, the length of separation in the cohesive zone and the geometric configuration of the cohesive zone opening displacement. Example results contained herein demonstrate this effect.
A Concise Approach to Anthraquinone-Xanthone Heterodimers.

A synthetic approach to anthraquinone–xanthone heterodimers is described. The route to the pentacyclic core features an efficient assembly of a benzocycloheptenone via a new intramolecular oxidative arylation of an enol ether and a Hauser–Kraus annulation–aldol reaction sequence to access the characteristic bicyclo[3.2.2]nonene motif. Acremoxanthone A is synthesized in 10 steps from commercially available material to demonstrate the application of this approach.
Loss of Hall conductivity quantization in a non-Hermitian quantum anomalous Hall insulator

Recent work has extended topological band theory to open, non-Hermitian Hamiltonians, yet little is understood about how non-Hermiticity alters the topological quantization of associated observables. We address this problem by studying the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) generated in the Dirac surface states of a three-dimensional time-reversal-invariant topological insulator (TI) that is proximity coupled to a metallic ferromagnet. By constructing a contact self-energy for the ferromagnet, we show that in addition to generating a mass gap in the surface spectrum, the ferromagnet can introduce a non-Hermitian broadening term, which can obscure the mass gap in the spectral function. We calculate the Hall conductivity for the effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonian describing the heterostructure and show that it is no longer quantized despite being classified as a Chern insulator based on non-Hermitian topological band theory. Our results indicate that the QAHE will be challenging to experimentally observe in ferromagnet-TI heterostructures due to the finite lifetime of quasiparticles at the interface.
Possible Mechanisms of Developmental Neurotoxicity of Organophosphate Insecticides

Abstract The organophosphorus (OP) insecticides are one of the most common classes of chemicals used to eradicate insects in the agricultural industry. Historically, the OP insecticides exert their effects through excessive cholinergic excitation induced by the inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase and the subsequent accumulation of its substrate acetylcholine. Research has demonstrated that the OPs are more toxic to developing mammals than to adults. Thus, the safety of children from exposure to these compounds is a significant concern. However, both epidemiological and laboratory studies have determined that OPs can exert toxicological effects during development at exposure levels below those which are capable of inducing cholinergic excitation. This indicates that the young may be at risk to low dose exposures possibly even at levels that would occur as a result of the normal pattern of use of OP insecticides. At these low levels, only minimum inhibition of acetylcholinesterase would occur suggesting that the cholinergic system may not be the primary target. In fact, the toxic effects resulting this type of exposure has been hypothesized to occur through a non-cholinergic mechanism. Unfortunately, the exact mechanism by which OPs exert toxicity during low level exposures is not understood. Effects on multiple physiological parameters have been reported following exposure to low levels of these insecticides spawning many different hypotheses about what the exact mechanism could be. Using data from in vivo mammalian studies and in vitro studies using mammalian-based systems, this review outlined the findings from studies in the most heavily investigated areas along with studies from several additional promising areas. Suggestions concerning the identification of possible non-cholinergic mechanisms, potential pitfalls, and missing information in these research areas are addressed.
Surface Micromachined Cell Manipulation Device for Transfection and Sample Preparation

We have designed and fabricated a micromachined cell manipulation device using Si surface micromachining technology [1]. The device is designed to mechanically disrupt the cellular membrane of a cell, allowing the delivery of large molecules (for example DNA, RNA, proteins or fluorescent molecules) into the cytoplasm without completely lysing the cells. To deliver large molecules into cell, electroporation or chemical permeabilization methods are typically used [2], as well as some recent utilization of micromachined parts [3]. This device is designed to mechanically disrupt the cellular membrane in a controlled and repeatable manner (Figs. 1–3) and operates in a continuous flow mode. The cells flowing through the device are engaged by the manipulator which is operating in a reciprocating motion, powered by high performance comb drives and a compliant displacement multiplier. The mechanical features of the manipulator and the opposing structure are designed to effectively permeabilize the cellular membrane. A third port for addition of chemicals is immediately downstream of the cellular disruption chamber (Fig. 2). Mechanical membrane disruption effectively decouples the membrane disruption process from the chemical addition or electrical manipulation processes, allowing a wider range of chemicals and electrical signals to be used and broadening the field of potential applications for cellular manipulation devices. This device can also be used to lyse cells with a known and repeatable physical mechanism, enabling simplified, highly uniform and consistent cellular sample analysis. To our knowledge this is the first example of a continuous flow, mechanical cellular membrane disrupter to be reported and it is intended to be a capable demonstration tool for the unique integration of mechanical, optical and microfluidic components possible using this fabrication technology. Open image in new window Fig. 1 Mask layout of the micromachined cell manipulation device - and SEM close-up of the fabricated mechanical probe which is designed to disrupt the cellular membrane and allow delivery of large molecules into the cellular medium. Open image in new window Fig. 2 The high performance comb drive and the displacement multiplier that are driving the manipulator are visible in this SEM. The close-up shows the piston that is coupled into the microfluidic chamber, the manipulator is visible inside the silicon nitride channel. The chamber is formed during the process and no bonding steps are necessary to from the cavity. Open image in new window Fig. 3 Red blood cells flowing through the device. The manipulator was run from sub-Hz to kHz range with varying displacements. Current characterization efforts are aimed at delivery of fluorescent material into the manipulated cells. In this picture, material flow is from right to left.
Adult laryngeal hemangioma: report of four cases.

Laryngeal hemangiomas in adults are uncommon. We report four such cases seen at our clinic during an 18-month period in 1996 and 1997. All masses were detected by endoscopy, and all were biopsied a...
Asphyxia in the High-Risk Infant

It has been documented that 10% of total births suffer from some degree of asphyxia. It has also been shown by recording fetal breathing movements that small-forgestational-age (SGA) infants and very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants suffer different degrees of asphyxia in utero even 2 to 4 weeks prior to delivery, showing bradypnea, apnea, and a gasping pattern that reflect, respectively, mild to severe asphyxia. This chapter discusses the many factors that affect the mechanism of asphyxial stress in the group of high-risk babies.
The Comprehensive Early Drinking History Form: A Novel Measure of Early Alcohol Exposure.

BACKGROUND Adolescent and young adult alcohol use is a major public health concern; alcohol is the most widely used substance by teenagers. It is imperative to better understand alcohol use during adolescence and early adulthood given the important changes that occur. Although numerous measures aim to capture alcohol use during this time, no existing measure gathers comprehensive information on alcohol use across these developmental stages. We developed the Comprehensive Early Drinking History Form (CEDHF), which retrospectively gathers drinking information for each year since onset of first regular use, including quantity/frequency of both regular use and periods of heaviest drinking. The CEDHF also collects information on aggregate drinking experiences between age of onset and age of first regular use. METHODS Using a sample of young adults (ages 21 to 27) from an ongoing longitudinal study, we examined whether the CEDHF predicted both concurrent (N = 303) and future (N = 75) alcohol-related problems over and above other commonly used alcohol use measures (e.g., age of onset, age of first intoxication, Timeline Follow-Back) and current alcohol problems. RESULTS Controlling for gender, age, and current problems, the CEDHF predicted both concurrent and future alcohol-related problems over and above these other widely used measures of alcohol exposure. CONCLUSIONS The CEDHF may be a valuable tool when longitudinal studies are not feasible as it provides more comprehensive information than other widely used measures of early alcohol exposure. Further, this measure can provide detailed information regarding who is at highest risk for future consequences.
The first world war on the periphery: the effect of the environment on British soldiers in German East Africa, 1914–1918

The First World War in German East Africa was significantly different than the war in Europe. More so than just the geographical difference and that Europe still stands at the forefront of popular memory, the environment of equatorial Africa played an equally significant role as an enemy to the British Army as did the German Army. Rather than just a collection of assorted stories, it is the aim of this article to examine the interaction between the British Army and the environment of German East Africa from 1914-1918 and demonstrate that three environmental factors – climate, disease, and terrain – significantly affected the war and the soldiers that fought in it in a variety of ways, both in terms of military operations and on the human level.
Perspectives on Training Needs for Geriatric Mental Health Providers: Preparing to Serve a Diverse Older Adult Population

An increasingly diverse population of older adults requires a diverse workforce trained to address the problem of differential healthcare access and quality of care. This article describes specific areas of training focused on addressing health disparities based on ethnic differences. Culturally competent care by mental health providers, innovative models of mental health service delivery such as collaborative care, and expansion of the mental health workforce through integration of lay health workers into professional healthcare teams, offer potential solutions and require training. Cultural competency, defined as respect and responsiveness to diverse older adults' health beliefs, should be an integral part of clinical training in mental health. Clinicians can be trained in avoidance of stereotyping, communication and development of attitudes that convey cultural humility when caring for diverse older adults. Additionally, mental health clinicians can benefit from inter-professional education that moves beyond professional silos to facilitate learning about working collaboratively in interdisciplinary, team-based models of mental health care. Finally, familiarity with how lay health workers can be integrated into professional teams, and training to work and supervise them are needed. A growing and diversifying population of older adults and the emergence of innovative models of healthcare delivery present opportunities to alleviate mental health disparities that will require relevant training for the mental health workforce.
An Interview with APPLE Lecture Speaker Dr. Paul Kei Matsuda

On February 22, 2019, the Studies in Applied Linguistics and TESOL (SALT) journal had the great pleasure of interviewing Dr. Paul Kei Matsuda, the invited speaker for the 2019 APPLE Lectures Series hosted by the Applied Linguistics and TESOL Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Matsuda was kind enough to take the time, during a very busy day, to speak about his research, his work on writing instruction and assessment, his thoughts on World Englishes, and his advice for new scholars working in the fields of Applied Linguistics and TESOL.
Gamma-ray radiation effects in graphene-based transistors with h-BN nanometer film substrates

Radiation effects on graphene field effect transistors (GFETs) with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) thin film substrates are investigated using 60Co gamma-ray radiation. This study examines the radiation response using many samples with varying h-BN film thicknesses (1.6 and 20 nm thickness) and graphene channel lengths (5 and 10 μm). These samples were exposed to a total ionizing dose of approximately 1 Mrad(Si). I-V measurements were taken at fixed time intervals between irradiations and postirradiation. Dirac point voltage and current are extracted from the I-V measurements, as well as mobility, Dirac voltage hysteresis, and the total number of GFETs that remain properly operational. The results show a decrease in Dirac voltage during irradiation, with a rise of this voltage and permanent drop in Dirac current postirradiation. 1.6 nm h-BN substrate GFETs show an increase in mobility during irradiation, which drops back to preirradiation conditions in postirradiation measurements. Hysteretic changes to the Dirac voltage are the strongest during irradiation for the 20 nm thick h-BN substrate GFETs and after irradiation for the 1.6 nm thick h-BN GFETs. Failure rates were similar for most GFET types during irradiation; however, after irradiation, GFETs with 20 nm h-BN substrates experienced substantially more failures compared to 1.6 nm h-BN substrate GFETs.
Single Center Experience with the Use of Hypomethylating Agents in Combination with Donor Lymphocyte Infusions As Initial Salvage Therapy Post Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant in Relapsed AML/MDS/MPN

Topic Significance & Study Purpose/Background/Rationale Relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) following an allogeneic stem cell transplant has a bleak prognosis with no standard for treatment identified. Current literature suggests combining hypomethylating agents (HMA) with a donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) as salvage therapy to reduce disease burden and induce a graft versus leukemia (GVL) effect. At our institution, this salvage therapy option is being used for this population, peaking interest in our experience to date. Methods, Intervention, & Analysis We retrospectively analyzed this salvage regimen with a data cutoff of May 21, 2019. We looked at the patient's treated with HMA and DLI as first line for relapsed AML, MDS, or MPN following an allogeneic stem cell transplant. The planned treatment algorithm was 2 cycles of HMA followed by DLI and repeat for up to one year. This schedule varied depending on physician preference, availability of donor cells, and presence of GVHD (Graft versus host disease). Overall response rate and progression free survival (PFS) at two years were the primary objectives. Secondary objectives were the incidence and severity of GVHD and the toxicity profile of this treatment. Findings & Interpretation Our review identified eighteen evaluable patients with AML, MDS, and MPN with relapsed disease after an allogeneic transplant. Patients received a mean of seven cycles of HMA and an average of two DLIs. PFS at two years with this therapy was 28%. Of those who experienced GVHD, three were severe, four moderate, and five mild. Toxicities most commonly reported included fatigue, pancytopenia, and infection. Discussion & Implications The patients analyzed received HMA and DLI as their initial salvage therapy after failing allogenic transplant. Our analysis noted a Complete Response (CR) rate of 61% (several patients had additional therapies added to help them achieve a CR). Three patients relapsed prior to two years and three patients experienced non-relapse related mortality, leaving the PFS at 28%, suggesting the treatment induces remission, but the durability is in question. GVHD was mostly mild which supports the lower toxicity profile and provides an effective treatment option as initial salvage therapy, specifically for patients not considered medically fit to undergo intensive re-induction.
Underwater Acoustic Signal Detection and Down-Conversion Using Optomechanical Resonance and Oscillation

We have studied the performance of optomechanical resonators and oscillators as high sensitivity underwater acousto-optical receivers and signal processors. In the absence of optomechanical oscillation, optomechanical resonator functions as a very sensitive acousto-optical transducer with low-power consumption. In the presence of optomechanical oscillation we show that optomechanical oscillator can simultaneously function as an acousto-optical transducer and frequency down-converter that extracts the IF or baseband signal from an ultrasonic carrier without the need for RF local oscillator and mixer.
Making Undergrad Research Required at the CS Freshmen Level as an Equity-Minded HIP

This lightning-talk will discuss our novel work towards making undergraduate research a required part of our CS freshmen classes as a High-Impact-Practice (HIP) activity. We have developed a nifty undergrad-scholarly-creative-activity (URSCA) as a mandatory assignment for CS freshmen in this pilot experiment. We are investigating whether undergrad research can be included in an equitable and inclusive manner at the freshmen level so that it is accessible to all students for enhanced learning, better experience and more impactful professional development. Thus, this project is an initiative towards bringing URSCA to CS freshmen in a user-friendly and accessible form, so that the opportunity to taste URSCA is not limited to a few i.e. only the talented, self-motivated and selected CS students. The goal of this project is to discover a user-friendly and an equity-focused way for exposing CS freshmen to the essence of URSCA, which includes understanding the notion of a research-question, how to read and analyze research-articles, how to identify research-questions and think out-of-the-box, and how to develop writing-skills. Our innovative URSCA-HIP assignment has been designed as a team project for CS freshmen, with each team being assigned a senior CS student as a peer research mentor. We are collecting survey-data from the freshmen research-mentees and their corresponding senior research-mentors in order to evaluate our unique URSCA-HIP experiential-learning model, and gauge its overall efficacy. To our knowledge, this is a first-of-its-kind initiative of engaging CS freshmen in an inclusive, equity-focused URSCA-HIP experience through a user-friendly but required class project.
Assessment of Precipitating Marine Stratocumulus Clouds in the E3SMv1 Atmosphere Model: A Case Study from the ARM MAGIC Field Campaign

AbstractThis paper presents a process-oriented evaluation of precipitating stratocumulus and its transition to cumulus in version 1 of the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SMv1) using comprehe...
Myosin XI drives polarized growth by vesicle clustering and local enrichment of F-actin in Physcomitrium (Physcomitrella) patens

In tip-growing plant cells, growth results from myosin XI and F-actin mediated deposition of cell wall polysaccharides contained in secretory vesicles. Previous evidence showed that myosin XI anticipates F-actin accumulation at the cell9s tip, suggesting a mechanism where vesicle clustering via myosin XI promotes F-actin polymerization. To evaluate this model, we used a conditional loss-of-function strategy by generating Physcomitrium (Physcomitrella) patens plants harboring a myosin XI temperature-sensitive allele. We found that loss of myosin XI function alters tip cell morphology, vacuolar homeostasis, and cell viability, but not following F-actin depolymerization. Importantly, our conditional loss-of-function analysis shows that myosin XI clusters and directs vesicles at the tip of the cell, which induces F-actin polymerization, increasing F-actin9s local concentration. Our findings support the role of myosin XI in vesicle clustering and F-actin organization, necessary for tip growth, and deepen our understanding of additional myosin XI functions.
TRADITIONAL ANIMUS IMAGES OF THE "FEMME FATALE"

This essay presents certain occurrrences of the animus as a Jung archetype in three folk narratives: a) Tabubu And Satni; b) "`Play girl'; c) "La Belle Dame San Merci". In all three cases presented, the female protagonist projects Maslow’s “high dominance” pattern, in reference to food and to sexuality.
POCUS for Visualization and Facilitation of Urinary Catheter Placement

The use of point-of-care genitourinary ultrasound allows dynamic visualization of urinary catheter placement within the bladder and serves to minimize the potential for traumatic injury to the prostate and urethra during difficult insertion.
Factors Associated with Transphobia: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach.

Our study examined factors associated with transphobia with a particular focus on the interrelations between religious fundamentalism and contact to impact transphobia. We used an online sample of ...
Family Capital: The Key to Entrepreneurial and Family Success

Family capital, the human, social, and financial resources that a family provides its members, is often the key to successfully launching a new business as well as maintaining healthy family relationships. The strength of family capital in a family is largely a function of several factors: (1) family structure, (2) family culture, (3) family activities, (4) family trust, and (5) family capital transfer activities for the next generation. Each of these topics is reviewed in the chapter. Families who own businesses that are able to understand and strengthen each of these factors will tend to have favorable outcomes for both their businesses and their families. The chapter outlines several strategies that family owners and managers can use to strengthen family capital for the benefit of their businesses and their families.
The Validity of the Koos Classification System With Respect to Facial Nerve Function.

Background The Koos classification of vestibular schwannomas is designed to stratify tumors based on extrameatal extension and compression of the brainstem. Our prior study demonstrated excellent reliability. No study has yet assessed its validity. Objective To present a retrospective study designed to assess the validity of the Koos grading system with respect to facial nerve function following treatment of 81 acoustic schwannomas. Methods We collected data retrospectively from 81 patients with acoustic schwannomas of various Koos grades who were treated with microsurgical resection or stereotactic radiosurgery. House-Brackmann (HB) scores were used to assess facial nerve function and obtained at various time points following treatment. We generated Spearman's rho and Kendall's tau correlation coefficients along with a logistic regression curve. Results We found no significant difference in the presence or absence of facial dysfunction by Koos classification when looking at all patients. There was a positive but fairly weak correlation between HB score and Koos classification, which was only significant at the first postoperative clinic appointment. There was a statistically significant difference in the presence or absence of facial dysfunction between patients treated with surgery vs radiation, which we expected. We found no statistically significant difference when comparing surgical approaches. Logistic regression modeling demonstrated a poor ability of the Koos grading system to predict facial nerve dysfunction following treatment. Conclusion The Koos grading system did not predict the presence of absence of facial nerve dysfunction in our study population. There were trends within subgroups that require further exploration.
The Screening Role of Auction Design Parameters in Online Service Outsourcing Platforms

This paper provides a novel theoretical angle and robust empirical evidence that auction duration and description are two essential auction design parameters that can function as a screening mechanism for bidder quality in online service outsourcing platforms. These outsourcing platforms use buyer-determined reverse auctions to find providers of services (primarily IT services). Using data from a major online outsourcing platform that connects buyers with bidders, we examine the effects of auction duration and description on both bidder entry (i.e., number of bids and bidder quality) and contract outcomes (i.e., whether a project is contracted and buyer’s expected utility from the winning bid) based upon not only the project-level but also bidder-level analyses. Our results show that auctions with longer durations and descriptions attract more bids (i.e., higher quantity of bidders) but they also attract disproportionately more low-quality bidders with lower completion rates (i.e., lower quality of bidders), creating a double whammy of higher evaluation costs and adverse selection for buyers. This, in turn, leads to contracting inefficiency in terms of less successful contracting as well as lower buyer utility. Our research provides empirical evidence that auction duration and description can play a screening role for buyers on online outsourcing platforms for service procurement.
Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Individuals with Down Syndrome.

There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that individuals with Down syndrome (DS) are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) at a higher rate than individuals in the general population. Nonetheless, little is known regarding the unique presentation of ASD symptoms in DS. The current study aims to explore the prevalence and profiles of ASD symptoms in a sample of individuals with DS (n = 83), aged between 6 and 23 years. Analysis of this sample (MAge = 15.13) revealed that approximately 37% of the sample met the classification cut-off for ASD using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule 2 (ADOS-2) Calibrated Severity Score (CSS), an indicator of the participants’ severity of ASD-related symptoms. Item-level analyses revealed that multiple items on Module 2 and Module 3 of the ADOS-2, mostly in the Social Affect (SA) subdomain, differentiated the children with DS who did not meet ASD classification (DS-only) from those who did (DS + ASD). Lastly, comparisons of individuals with DS-only and those with DS + ASD differed significantly on the syntactic complexity of their expressive language. These findings shed light on the unique presentation of ASD symptoms in a sample of individuals with DS and suggest that expressive language abilities may play a pivotal role in the presentation of ASD symptoms in DS.
Linear Mathematical Models In Chemical Engineering

Model Formulation Some Ordinary Differential Equations Finite Dimensional Vector Spaces Linear Operators Linear Difference Equations Linear Differential Equations Hilbert Spaces PDEs Over Finite Domains First Order PDEs Problems.
Kramers model with a power-law friction kernel: dispersed kinetics and dynamic disorder of biochemical reactions.

Kramers’ model for the rate of chemical reaction is generalized to explain the phenomena of dispersed kinetics and dynamic disorder in biochemical reactions, by incorporating the newly observed power-law friction kernel into the generalized Langevin equation for a one-dimensional reaction ordinate. This new model accounts for time scale overlap between conformational and chemical dynamics, and quantitatively describes the multi-exponential kinetics and memory effects of fluctuating rate constants, which have been revealed by recent single-molecule experiments. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.73.010902
Medical Tourism in India: Healing the World but Hurting a Nation?

Medical tourism is a booming industry in India, and experts predict that by 2012 medical tourists will pump $2.2 billion into the Indian economy (MacReady, 2007, 1,850). But what does this mean for Indians? This paper addresses the following questions: Is the industry’s tremendous growth a positive development for the masses of Indians that do not directly benefit from it? When thousands of Indians die every year from illnesses that modern medicine has made easily preventable, should the Indian government create policies and use public funds to assist private hospitals that respond predominantly to the demands of the rich and foreign? Is medical tourism healing the world but hurting a nation? After briefly describing the present situation of medical tourism in India and establishing the ethical dilemmas resulting from it, I will argue that a concept of cosmopolitan nationalism must guide solutions to these dilemmas. Medical tourism in India will become an ethical success only by becoming a national success—a success that unites Indians by representing not only what they have to offer the world, but also what they have to offer each other.
A Theory of Even Functionals and Their Algorithmic Applications

We present a theory of even functionals of degree k. Even function als are homogeneous polynomials which are invariant with respect to permutations and reflections. These are evaluated on real symmetric matrices. Important examples of even functionais include functions for enumerating embeddings of graphs with k edges into a weighted graph with arbitrary (positive or negative) weights and computing kth moments (expected values of kth powers) of a binary form. This theory provides a uniform approach for evaluating even functionais and links their evaluation with expressions with matrices as operands. In particular, we show that any even functional of degree less than 7 can be computed in time O(nω), the time required to multiply two n × n matrices.
Developing Climate Adaptation: The Intersection of Climate Research and Development Programmes in Index Insurance

Using a case study from Ethiopia, this article examines the ways in which climate information and economic development interact in climate adaptation programmes. Microinsurance programmes have become very popular as an adaptation strategy but there has been little attention paid to the social, economic and political aspects of implementation. Examining one case in relation to the broader literature on climate adaptation projects suggests that greater attention needs to be paid to existing coping strategies, introduction of additional market risks, local capacity building and the socio-political context of implementation. Climate change cannot be viewed as a technical problem only; it has a social dimension as well.
A transport-layer network for distributed FPGA platforms

We present a transport-layer network that aids developers in building safe, high-performance distributed FPGA applications. Two essential features of such a network are virtual channels and end-to-end flow control. Our network implements these features, taking advantage of the low error characteristic of a rack level FPGA network to implement a low overhead credit based end-to-end flow control. Our design has many parameters in the source code which can be set at the time of FPGA synthesis, to provide flexibility in setting buffer size and flow control credits to make best use of scarce on-chip memory resources and match the traffic pattern of a virtual channel. Our prototype cluster, which is composed of 20 Xilinx VC707 boards, each with 4 20Gb/s serial links, achieves effective bandwidth of 85% of the maximum physical bandwidth, and a latency of 0.5us per hop. User feedback suggest that these features make distributed application development significantly easier.
A Solution to the Palm - 3Com Spin-Off Puzzles

This paper revisits the relative pricing of Palm and 3Com shares in 2000. We offer a simple rational explanation of the Palm/3Com price relationship before Palm’s spinoff is completed. Lending fees and spin-off uncertainty are crucially important to understanding the relative levels and co-movement of Palm and 3Com share prices. We use Palm’s post-spinoff forward prices (calculated from the market prices of calls and puts) and model the spin-off uncertainty in valuing 3Com. Considering forward pricing and spin-off uncertainty resolves various pricing puzzles and explains the observed empirical evidence, including a sharp change in relative price behavior once the spinoff uncertainty is resolved on May 8, 2000.
The Essential Edmund Leach. Vol. 1: Anthropology and Society; Vol. 2: Culture and Human Nature.

The Essential Edmund Leach. Vol. 1: Anthropology and Society; Vol. 2: Culture and Human Nature. Stephen Hugh-Jones and James Laidlaw. eds. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. 2000. 395 pp. and 420 pp.
Basics of Digital Microscopy

Modern digital microscopy combines the equipment of classical light microscopy with a computerized imaging system. The technique comprises image formation by optics, image registration by a camera, and saving of image data in a computer file. This chapter describes limitations that are particular to each of these processes, including optical resolution, efficiency of image registration, characteristics of image file formats, and data management. Further suggestions are given which serve, in turn, to help construct a set of guidelines aimed at optimization of digital microscopic imaging. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Femtosecond resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization of perylene in hexane. Electronic excitation of the radical cation and evidence of hydrogen abstraction from the solvent

We demonstrate that perylene in solution can be highly excited with relatively weak femtosecond radiation via two-photon resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization and excitation. The femtosecond multiphoton excitation spectra of two different observables are presented for perylene dissolved in hexane. The first of these is the normal S 1 → S 0 fluorescence that arises from relaxation of perylene through the singlet manifold after multiphoton excitation. The second observable is the ion yield that results from multiphoton ionization. A comparison of these two excitation spectra is presented, and their striking similarity indicates that both processes occur via the same initial two-photon resonance in the 500-550 nm region. A mechanism is presented illustrating the predicted excitation and relaxation pathways. The multiphoton-excited emission spectrum of the sample exhibits anomalous emission in the 550-620 nm range. Comparison of this emission with the one-photon-excited emission spectrum of perylene in concentrated sulfuric acid shows that the anomalous emission originates from electronic excitation of cationic species present in sulfuric acid. Previous assignment of emission from perylene dissolved in sulfuric acid to the protonated cation implies that the perylene radical cation in hexane abstracts a hydrogen atom from the solvent on an ultrafast time scale.
A differentiation stage-specific factor interacts with mouse carbonic anhydrase form I gene and a conserved sequence in mammalian β-globin genes

Abstract We have identified in mouse erythroleukemic (MEL) cells a novel factor which binds to the 3′ flanking region of β-globin genes. Upon induction, this DNA binding factor disappears as β-globin gene transcription increases. The factor protects 20–30 base pairs (bp) of a sequence which is tightly conserved in β-globin genes including chicken, human, mouse and rabbit. A very similar sequence binds the factor in the mouse carbonic anhydrase form I gene, whose transcription diminishes upon induction of MEL cells. The factor, or a closely related form, is detected in nonerythroid cells and binding sites have been detected in other genes, including c-myb and immunoglobulin heavy chain-enhancer. We suggest that this factor could play a role in determining the timing of gene expression in several differentiating cell types.
A rheological relation between parallel and transverse superposed complex dynamic shear moduli

Based on the incompressibleBKZ elastic fluid theory, a relation is obtained between two complex dynamic moduli which pertain to small oscillations superposed on a basic steady simple shearing flow. One of these moduli concerns oscillations parallel to the basic flow and the other concerns oscillations transverse or orthogonal to the basic flow. It is demonstrated that the relation holds for any incompressibleBKZ fluid, but a counterexample shows that the relation does not hold for the general incompressible simple fluid.
Plasticity in the self-incompatibility system of Solanum carolinense

Solanum carolinense has a gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI) system that is typical of the Solanaceae in which pistils produce specific S-RNase proteins that disrupt the growth of pollen tubes sharing the same S-allele. However, unlike most self-incompatible plants Solanum carolinense is a weed. Self-incompatibility is uncommon in weeds because disturbed habitats require frequent recolonization (hence populations are repeatedly founded by few individuals bearing a limited number of S-alleles), effective population sizes are small (supporting few S-alleles) and habitats are ephemeral (so there is limited time for the migration of additional S-alleles into populations). We carried out a series of greenhouse experiments using clonal replicates (rhizome cuttings) of plants from two natural populations of S. carolinense to determine if there is variation in the strength of GSI within these populations. We found that the growth rate of self-pollen tubes and self-fertility increases with floral age. That is, flowers become more selfcompatible as they age. Moreover, we found that self-fertility increases on plants in which the first 20 flowers receive no cross pollen. That is, when few or no fruits are produced on the first 20 flowers, self-pollination is more likely to result in fruit/seed set. Finally, we found that genotypes differ in their degree of self-fertility indicating that there is broadsense heritability for plasticity in the strength of self-incompatibility. These findings indicate that some genotypes of S. carolinense are capable of producing self-seed when cross pollen is scarce, even though the plants have a functional GSI system.
Phosphate removal from urine using hybrid anion exchange resin

Abstract Urine source separation has been proposed as a more sustainable approach to wastewater management than treating combined wastewater streams. One such benefit of urine source separation is nutrient recovery, which has primarily focused on struvite precipitation for recovery of phosphorus. There is no previous research investigating phosphorus recovery from human urine by ion-exchange. Accordingly, the goal of this research was to provide an improved understanding of phosphate removal by ion-exchange using a hybrid anion exchange (HAIX) resin. The specific objectives of this research were to evaluate phosphate removal using HAIX resin in fresh urine and hydrolyzed urine in terms of (1) kinetic tests, (2) equilibrium tests, (3) sorption models, (4) competition among sulfate, chloride, and phosphate, and (5) pharmaceutical co-removal. Batch experiments were conducted using different compositions of synthetic urine. HAIX resin consisted of a strong-base anion exchange resin impregnated with hydrated ferric oxide nanoparticles. The major results of phosphate removal from urine using HAIX resin were rapid removal in 5 min or less, high removal up to 97%, similar ion-exchange behavior in fresh urine and hydrolyzed urine, no affect by sulfate on phosphate removal, and co-removal of pharmaceutical and phosphate.