cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tamoxifen as a therapeutic agent in acromegaly

Administration of high doses of estrogens to patients with acromegaly has been shown to improve symptomatology of acromegaly and glucose tolerance more than 50 years ago. Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) mimic the effects of estrogen in bone, liver and the cardiovascular system, but function as an anti-estrogen in endometrial and breast tissue. In this study, we evaluated hormonal effects of a SERM, tamoxifen, in active acromegalic patients with particular emphasis on its use in males. We studied 15 men and 2 post-menopausal women with biochemically-active acromegaly despite the fact that other modalities were ineffective in normalizing their insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels. All patients were treated with tamoxifen 20–40 mg daily for 2–11 months (median of 4 months). IGF-1 and growth hormone (GH) levels were assessed immediately before the beginning of treatment and at 2–4 monthly intervals thereafter. Baseline and treatment levels of total and bioavailable testosterone were measured in men. Tamoxifen did not affect basal GH secretion, but it decreased circulating IGF-I in 14 patients (82 %) by an average of 90 ± 4 mcg/L, (p = 0.005), and normalized plasma IGF-I in 8 patients (47 %). Total and bioavailable testosterone levels increased in all evaluable men (n = 8). Tamoxifen was well tolerated. Tamoxifen might be useful in the treatment of patients with biochemically-mild active acromegaly, but longer term studies are warranted.
P-type 4H and 6H-SiC high-voltage Schottky barrier diodes

High-voltage Schottky barrier diodes have been successfully fabricated for the first time on p-type 4H- and 6H-SiC using Ti as the barrier metal. Good rectification was confirmed at temperatures as high as 250/spl deg/C. The barrier heights were estimated to be 1.8-2.0 eV for 6H-SiC and 1.1-1.5 eV for 4H-SiC at room temperature using both I-V and C-V measurements. The specific on resistance (R/sub on,sp/) for 4H- and 6H-SiC were found to be 25 m/spl Omega/ cm/sup -2/ and 70 m/spl Omega/ cm/sup -2/ at room temperature. A monotonic decrease in resistance occurs with increasing temperature for both polytypes due to increased ionization of dopants. An analytical model is presented to explain the decrease of R/sub on,sp/ with temperature for both 4H and 6H-SiC which fits the experimental data. Critical electric field strength for breakdown was extracted for the first time in both p-type 4H and 6H-SiC using the breakdown voltage and was found to be 2.9/spl times/10/sup 6/ V/cm and 3.3/spl times/10/sup 6/ V/cm, respectively. The breakdown voltage remained fairly constant with temperature for 4H-SiC while it was found to decrease with temperature for 6H-SiC.
How Consistent Is Students' Understanding of Requirements?

A constant thread in the software engineering educational community is that students must obtain experience with real systems in order to be prepared for the workplace. It is important to balance the use of real systems, which in some cases may be too large for complete student understanding, with the use of smaller, locally developed systems to achieve the same goals. Unfortunately, the requirements for real systems are almost never available. As a preliminary step towards the development of requirements for the student’s own new projects, we developed an exercise in a senior project capstone course to examine a preliminary set of requirements for a reasonably sized existing system. We found that student understanding of requirements for the existing system was mixed at best. However, we found that this initial experience evaluating an existing system's requirements aided with the students’ process of developing their own requirements for a later project.
Metastability in Near-Surface Rocks of Minerals in the System Al2O3-SiO2-H2O1

Gibbs free energies for phases in the system m1203-SiO2-H20 have been calculated from reversed experiments in order to correct earlier values and to calculate a phase diagram consistent with more recent experiments. An internally consistent diagram could not be calculated that agreed with all published experiments, and choices of preferred data were made. The following Gibbs free energies, relative to the elements at STP (298.15 K, 1 bar), have been derived:
Exploring new languages with HAIRCUT at CLEF 2005

JHU/APL has long espoused the use of language-neutral methods for cross-language information retrieval. This year we participated in the ad hoc cross-language track and submitted both monolingual and bilingual runs. We undertook our first investigations in the Bulgarian and Hungarian languages. In our bilingual experiments we used several non-traditional CLEF query languages such as Greek, Hungarian, and Indonesian, in addition to several western European languages. We found that character n-grams remain an attractive option for representing documents and queries in these new languages. In our monolingual tests n-grams were more effective than unnormalized words for retrieval in Bulgarian (+30%) and Hungarian (+63%). Our bilingual runs made use of subword translation, statistical translation of character n-grams using aligned corpora, when parallel data were available, and web-based machine translation, when no suitable data could be found.
Simulation study of Dreyer urgent care facility

The health service center is considering modification of the current doctor schedule to decrease the average time patients spend in the facility. A new schedule, which on average has an extra doctor added for each time slot, has been suggested by the preliminary queueing analysis. It is anticipated that the schedule will improve the system performance but has yet to be verified by a discrete event simulation model. The shifting bottleneck issue has to be considered as well. Increasing the resource capacity of the current bottleneck (believed to be the doctor resource) might trigger a new bottleneck and could possibly worsen the current situation. In this study, the current and proposed doctor schedules are tested on the simulation model created using SIMAN language and simulated on Arena. The output from the simulation just verifies the preliminary queueing analysis that the proposed schedule decreases the average time patients spend in the facility. Sensitivity analysis is performed as well, and the next bottleneck resource is identified.
IDENTIFICATION OF TWO MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASES IN THE SKELETAL MUSCLE OF PACIFIC ROCKFISH (SEBASTES SP.)

Two heat-stable metalloproteinases with collagenase activity have been identified in the skeletal muscle of Pacific rockfish (Sebastes sp.) and partially characterized. The 47 kDa and 95 kDa enzymes appear to be similar to mammalian matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), with respect to molecular weight, pH-activity profile, substrate specificity, dependence on calcium for activity, and inhibition-activation profiles. The fish metalloproteinases readily hydrolyzed collagen and gelatin, but not β- or K-casein, in SDS-PAGE substrate zymograms. They also hydrolyzed collagen and gelatin in solution, but showed very low activity in solubilizing native fibrillar collagen. They did not hydrolyze solutions of β- or K-casein, azocasein, hide powder azure or synthetic substrates for trypsin, chymotrypsin or collagenase. To our knowledge, this is the first report where fish muscle proteinases have been identified as possible members of the family of MMPs. The rockfish muscle MMPs appear to be different from other currently identified fish muscle proteinases in regard to molecular weight, substrate specificity and activation-inhibition profiles. These two enzymes could be partly responsible for the degradation of collagen and other extracellular matrix proteins in fish muscle and for the texture softening of seafood products.
Predictors of placebo response in peripheral neuropathic pain: insights from pregabalin clinical trials

BACKGROUND Greater understanding of factors associated with the high placebo-response rates noted in recent neuropathic pain trials may improve trial design. This study investigated placebo response and its predictors in pregabalin trials in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) or postherpetic neuralgia. PATIENTS AND METHODS Individual patient data from 16 randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials of pregabalin in 3,053 patients with DPN and 1,460 patients with postherpetic neuralgia were pooled (by condition and all together) in order to investigate the placebo response and its predictors. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed across all 16 trials to identify predictors of change in pain score in patients. Trials with a >2-point mean reduction in pain score at endpoint with placebo were designated high placebo response and were compared with low placebo-response trials (those with a ≤2-point mean reduction) with respect to patient and study characteristics. RESULTS Three high placebo-response studies were identified, with all in DPN patients and all conducted postapproval of pregabalin. Younger age, higher mean baseline pain score, longer study duration, higher ratio of patients on active treatment to placebo, and study conducted postapproval were all significantly associated with a higher placebo response (P<0.05). There was a trend towards an increased placebo response in all studies over time without any corresponding change in the response to pregabalin. CONCLUSION Consideration of the factors identified here as contributing to a higher placebo response could help improve the sensitivity and accuracy of clinical trials in patients with neuropathic pain.
Morphological variation in the electric organ of the little skate (Leucoraja erinacea) and its possible role in communication during courtship

Skates discharge an electrical current too weak to be used for predation or defense, and too infrequent and irregular to be used for electrolocation. Additionally, skates possess a specialized sensory system that can detect electrical stimuli at the same strength at which they discharge their organs. These two factors are suggestive of a communicative role for the electric organ in skates, a role that has been demonstrated in similarly weakly electric teleosts (e.g., mormyrids and gymnotiforms). There is evidence that the sexual and ontogenetic variations in the electric organ discharge (EOD) in these other weakly electric fishes are linked to morphological variations in electric organs and the electrogenerating cells of the organs, the electrocytes. Little work has been done to examine possible sexual and ontogenetic variations in skate EODs or variations in the electrocytes responsible for those discharges. Electric organs and electrocyte morphology of male and female, and mature and immature little skates, Leucoraja erinacea, are characterized here. Female electric organs were bigger than male electric organs. This is suggestive of a sexually dimorphic EOD waveform or amplitude, which might be used as a sex-specific identification signal during courtship. The shapes of electrocytes that make up the organ were found to be significantly different between mature and immature individuals and, in some cases, posterior membrane surface area of the electrocytes increased at the onset of maturity due to the formation of membrane surface invaginations and papillae. This is evidence that the EOD of skates may differ in its waveform or amplitude or frequency between mature and immature skates, and act as a signal for readiness to mate. This study supports a communicative role during courtship for the weak electric organs of little skates, but studies that characterize skate EOD dimorphisms are needed to corroborate this speculation before conclusions can be drawn about the role the electric organ plays in communication during courtship.
HMIN : A New Method for Hierarchical Interconnection of Processors

Hierarchical interconnection schemes have been proposed in the literature to take advantage of locality of refernce. This paper presents a dynamic scheme for hierarchical intercon nection called Hierarchical Multistage Interconnection Net work (HMIN). We discuss the various design alternatives and evaluate each of them with respect to average delay and cost. HMINs are compared only with MINs because of a lack of a method of comparing the cost of a static HIN with a dynamic HMIN.
A method for classifying offer strategies observed in an electricity market

The idea that large-scale generating units will operate at marginal cost when given the ability to offer their power for sale in a uniform price auction is at best wishful thinking. In fact, both real and experimental data show that the more uncertainty a supplier faces (e.g., load uncertainty, uncertainty of other suppliers, etc.), the more they will hedge their profits through higher than marginal cost offers and through withholding units if permitted. This makes predicting unit commitment and dispatch ahead of time difficult. This paper explores characteristics of software agents that were designed based on the outcome of human subject experiments on a uniform price auction with stochastic load. The agent behavior is compared to the behavior of the subjects. Both subject and agent behavior is classified based on the data. Differences and similarities are noted and explained. Based on the result of the simulation, a model was suggested to explain an offer submitted in deregulated markets based on double layer diffusion.
PEDIATRIC CATHETER ASSOCIATED URINARY TRACT INFECTION REDUCTION – AN ACHIEVABLE GOAL

Background According to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control, urinary tract infections are among the most common of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), accounting for 25.6 percent of all hospital HAIs. 70%–80% of healthcare-associated UTIs are caused by indwelling urethral catheters. Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are associated with increased morbidity, mortality, hospital cost, length of stay, and antimicrobial use. Objectives The aim of this project was to decrease our hospital-wide CAUTI rate from 1.3 to Methods A multidisciplinary team implemented a comprehensive strategy to decrease CAUTIs and increase patient safety. Evidence based initiatives focused on catheter insertion, utilization, maintenance, and staff/family education. Staff RNs completed simulated insertion training with return demonstration of competency. Daily Goals were completed to reduce unnecessary catheter use. A maintenance bundle was implemented to ensure standardized practice which focuses on the reduction of perineal bio-burden. Staff huddles were required after each CAUTI to determine root causes. Results In 2013–2014, the CAUTI annual rate was 1.3 infections per 1000 catheter days. To date in 2015, the rate is 0.6 infections per 1000 catheter days. The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit has decreased its rate from 2.9 in 2014 to zero in 2015. In addition to reduction in our CAUTI rate, we achieved 193 days between infections. Conclusions Published guidelines suggest that implementing evidence based practices can reduce CAUTIs. Our approach resulted in patient care standardization and reduction in patient harm. The reduction strategies used may help positively impact care in other hospitals.
Neuro-Muscular Learning: Some Psychological Data Applied to Swimming

(1929). Neuro-Muscular Learning: Some Psychological Data Applied to Swimming. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 34, No. 10, pp. 558-565.
Evaluation of Bounds

Although some improved bounds have been in existence for nearly four decades, they have, until the recent past, lain dormant and untested because of the difficulty associated with ascertaining the various types of correlation functions involved, even for simple models (e.g., random arrays of spherical particles). Advances in the quantitative characterization of the microstructure, described in Part I of this book, have paved the way for the computation of improved bounds on the effective conductivity, effective elastic moduli, trapping constant, and fluid permeability of nontrivial models of two-phase random heterogeneous materials.
Are MSW Admissions Models Working? An analysis of MSW Admissions Models as Predictors of Student Success

Admissions models facilitate the selection of MSW candidates who are both academically prepared for graduate study and professionally suited to social work, characteristics often referred to as fit-to-the-profession. This study attempted to identify the relationship between the criteria used in the admissions model of a medium-sized MSW program and student success in the program. Specific criteria and the associated measurement tools within the model were evaluated in relation to student success. The study found that undergraduate grade point average is significantly associated with MSW grade point average while neither academic criteria nor fit to the profession criteria were predictive of graduation. The study also offered new information regarding the admission of students with a criminal history. Students with a criminal history were eight times less likely to graduate than their non-offending peers, even when controlling for age, gender, race, and program type. The study supports the development of new fit-to-the-profession criteria with the possible elimination of the written statement.
Brazil, Blasphemy, and Free Speech: Why the US Must Maintain Strong Freedom of Expression Protections in Spite of International Pressure to Punish Anti-Religious Hate Speech

Violent protests widely thought to have been caused by a YouTube video called "Innocence of Muslims" have increased international pressure for the United States to punish anti-religious hate speech. It is probable that a law which punished blasphemous expression would violate the First Amendment's Free Speech Clause. However, a Brazilian judge recently ruled that YouTube was required to block access to the "Innocence of Muslims" film in that country even though Brazil's constitution purports to protect freedom of expression. This article uses a variety of Brazilian constitutional law authorities to critically examine the reasoning in that case, and argues that it is preferable for countries to constitutionally proscribe laws which ban blasphemous speech. Though some blasphemous speech generates substantial social unrest, the Brazilian example suggests that banning religious hate speech endangers socially valuable expression.
Infection with Vibrio fetus in the immunologically immature fetal calf.

Vibrio fetus has been recognized as a cause of reproductive failure and congenital disease in cattle, sheep, and man. The biological nature of the disease syndrome varies from that of a venereally transmitted infection causing early embryonic deaths in cattle [1] to a bacteremic infection resulting in late-term abortion in sheep [2] and cattle [3], and congenital infection in infants [4]. The organism localizes in organs such as the uterus or prepuce of adult cattle and on rare occasions may be associated with a more generalized syndrome. The pregnant uterus of the cow seems to be unusually susceptible to invasion, which results in subsequent abortion in midand late-term pregnancies. Recently, Osburn and Hoskins [5] attributed the unusual susceptibility of the conceptus to infection with V. fetus var. intestinalis to the lack of passive resistance from the maternal circulation and the immaturity of active resistance mechanisms in the fetus. These
Relief of Cervicogenic Headaches after Single-Level and Multilevel Anterior Cervical Diskectomy: A 5-Year Post Hoc Analysis:

Study Design Prospective study. Objective Because single-level disk arthroplasty or arthrodesis in the lower subaxial spine improves headaches after surgery, we studied whether this effect may be better appreciated after two-level arthroplasty. Methods We performed an independent post hoc analysis of two concurrent prospective randomized investigational device exemption trials for cervical spondylosis, one for single-level treatment and the other for two adjacent-level treatments. Results For the one-level study, baseline mean headache scores significantly improved at 60 months for both the cervical disk arthroplasty (CDA) and anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF) groups ( p p Conclusion Both CDA and ACDF at either one or two levels are associated with sustained headache relief from baseline. Patients undergoing two-level arthroplasty had significantly greater improvement in headache at all points except for at 18 and 60 months. This difference in improvement was not observed in patients undergoing single-level arthroplasty. The mechanism of greater headache relief after two-level arthroplasty remains unclear.
Ischemic preconditioning in human and rat ventricle

The signal transduction of ischemic preconditioning involves activation of endogenous receptor-based systems, including alpha 1-adrenoceptors and adenosine receptors. Whereas preconditioning protects against ischemia-reperfusion injury, it is unknown whether this protective strategy might be useful clinically. Furthermore, human atrium has been successfully preconditioned, but it is unknown whether human ventricle can be functionally protected against hypoxia-reoxygenation. To study these questions, isolated rat ventricle and human ventricular trabeculae were suspended in an organ bath and subjected to 30 min of hypoxia and 60 min of reoxygenation. In the rat ventricle, preconditioning was induced by 5 min of rapid pacing at 3 Hz in hypoxic buffer without glucose (simulated ischemia), alpha 1-adrenoceptor stimulation (phenylephrine), or adenosine receptor stimulation (adenosine). In the human trabeculae the effects of preceding simulated ischemia and alpha 1-adrenoceptor and adenosine receptor stimulation...
CASAWORKS for Families

This chapter describes how inter-agency collaboratives designed and delivered comprehensive, integrated services for substance-abusing welfare mothers as part of a national welfare-to-work demonstration project (CASAWORKS for Families). A new approach to combining treatment and training and delivering such services in community-based settings required organizational learning and capacity building. Implementing the CASAWORKS model successfully was expected to require significant capacity-building and learning for sites in the project. As part of the project we undertook an evaluation of organizational capacity and learning that assessed the extent to which, and the processes through which, sites developed the capacities to design and deliver integrated services for clients. This chapter describes the capacities that sites needed to develop and profiled sites that were successful and unsuccessful in developing the organizational capacity to implement the CASAWORKS model effectively. We report results of research indicating that our measures of organizational capacity and learning predicted client outcomes at successful sites, and we discuss how the sites achieved these outcomes. The fact that differences across sites are often greater than differences due to components of an intervention suggests that organizational capacity and learning may be much more important in all kinds of national demonstration projects than has been recognized.
A new class F armature insulation system for turbine-generators

A new high voltage epoxy resin-impregnated mica paper insulation system has been developed for the armature windings of turbine-generators. This new system was specifically designed for operation at Class F (155°C) temperatures, with a life expectancy comparable to that of epoxy resin-impregnated mica insulation systems operating at Class B (130°C) temperatures.
Giant E 1 resonances in Ne 20 observed with the F 19 (p→ γ 0 γ 1 ) 20 Ne reactions

The giant electric dipole resonance built upon the ${0}^{+}$ ground state of $^{20}\mathrm{Ne}$ was studied via the $^{19}\mathrm{F}$(p\ensuremath{\rightarrow},${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{0}$${)}^{20}$Ne reaction. Polarized and unpolarized angular distributions were measured between ${E}_{x}$=16.1 and 23.0 MeV (${E}_{\mathrm{p}=3--}$10 MeV) and the E1 T-matrix elements extracted. The $^{1}\mathrm{P}$, E1 partial wave dominates, but the weaker $^{3}\mathrm{P}$ (spin flip) term is also resonant. A heuristic doorway state model has been used to fit the pronounced structure in the giant E1 resonance. Data for the giant resonance built on the first excited state as seen in the $^{19}\mathrm{F}$(p\ensuremath{\rightarrow},${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{1}$${)}^{20}$Ne reaction are presented and discussed. The microscopic, doorway state calculation in a deformed potential of Schmid and Do Dang is in very good agreement with the main features of the results.
Beliefs about the prevention of dengue and other febrile illnesses in Mérida, Mexico.

A series of open interviews and a survey were conducted in several neighbourhoods in the city of Merida, Mexico to find out whether poor response to government dengue control programmes might be related to the explanatory models about dengue and its prevention held by community members. Dengue was grouped by informants with other mild febrile illnesses, all of which were thought to be inevitable and capable of converting into more serious illnesses. Although vector control personnel think of prevention in terms of eliminating the larval habitats of mosquito vectors, the form of prevention most commonly described involved looking after oneself once sick, so that mild fevers do not evolve into serious fevers. Due to the prevalence of this different model of prevention, it is argued that simple messages about dengue may be misinterpreted. Vector control programmes need to take into account local models of febrile illnesses and their prevention in order to be effective.
A low complexity algorithm and architecture for MIMO detection without QR decomposition

This paper presents a novel low-complexity, hard output multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) detection algorithm and architecture for LTE and WiFi applications. Our method provides a well-defined tradeoff between computational complexity and performance. The proposed algorithm does not require QR decomposition as a preprocessing step, as is commonly needed in sphere detection (SD). Simulation results for 3×3 and 4×4 MIMO configurations with both 16 and 64 QAM constellations show that the proposed algorithm uses a much smaller number of Euclidean distance (ED) calculations than other methods while having only a 0.5 dB loss compared to maximum likelihood detection. A 3×3 MIMO system with a 16 QAM detector architecture is also described, and the associated latency and hardware costs are given.
Scale-Up—Bioreactor Design and Culture Optimization

Abstract Tubular and the flat plate are the two most common general designs of microalgal photobioreactors. Desired photobioreactors for microalgal mass production have effective liquid mixing to promote nutrients mixing and gas mass transfer; have adequate surface area for light capture; prevent significant accumulation of oxygen; allow for ease of scale-up; and have low material and maintenance costs, among others. The higher, more stable productivity, the markedly reduced incidence of significant culture contamination, and the greater land- and water-use efficiencies constitute the principal reasons why photobioreactors are considered favorable for the scaled-up production of microalgal biomass for biofuel production compared with open raceways. The principal goal of the photobioreactor scale-up process is to ensure that the desired level of microalgal productivity is maintained as the volume of production transitions from small laboratory scale to intermediate pilot scale, all the way to the large industrial scale. This necessitates that the characteristic hydrodynamic conditions (e.g., degree of mixing) and the accompanying environmental conditions (e.g., lighting) of the specific type of photobioreactor used are maintained or appropriately adjusted with increasing production volume to maintain the desired level of microalgal productivity. The scale-up process of cultivating a specific algal species in a specific photobioreactor is thus the stage-by-stage optimization or reoptimization of the culture with the goal of ensuring that the desired level of microalgal productivity is maintained with each increase in scale.
Far Eastern Regional Survey

The implications of missile defences for the security of East Asia and the Pacific depend to a significant degree on the political, military, and economic situation of the nations in the region. This chapter will provide a quick summary of recent developments in the Asian-Pacific area, in order to place the problem of missile defences in a proper context.1
Further Research and Conclusions

In this section, we present a preliminary analysis of estimation at the HH level and discuss several possibilities for further research.
Corporate and Institutional Communications

Knapp and Hulbert explore the use of ghostwriters in corporate and institutional contexts, with a more in-depth look at the practice of public relations described in Chap. 2. They begin by describing ghostwriting at the executive level, and the specific attributes needed by writers who work in this environment. They then examine the use of ghostwriters in contemporary communication contexts, including social media, and explore how willing the public is to accept this practice in the corporate world. The authors conclude by offering reflections on the practice of ghostwriting in the corporate context through the lens of the ethical framework introduced in Chap. 1.
Estimation of average treatment effects with panel data: Asymptotic theory and implementation

Abstract Hsiao, Ching and Wan (2012) propose a novel method to estimate the average treatment effect using panel data. In this paper, we accomplish the following: (i) We relax some of the distributional assumptions made in HCW and show that the HCW method works for a much wider range of data generating processes; (ii) We derive the asymptotic distribution of HCW’s average treatment effect estimator which facilitates inference; (iii) When there exists a large number of control units, we propose using the LASSO method to select control units. We show that the LASSO method is computationally more efficient compared to conventional model selection criteria. Moreover, the LASSO method leads to more accurate out-of-sample prediction results than many commonly adopted approaches such as BIC, AIC, AICC and the leave-many-out cross validation methods (Du and Zhang, 2015).
Achieving socially optimal solution through payments in a dynamic game for the relay channel

In this paper we study a simple relay channel where a transmitter can transmit a packet directly to the receiver or transmit through the relay. In such a case, there is an inherent trade-off between energy and delay since transmitting a packet directly to the receiver may consume more energy than transmitting through a relay whereas transmission through relay incurs more delay. We consider two cases; when nodes are cooperative and when nodes are strategic. We show that when nodes are strategic, there exist payment transfer functions to be exchanged between the nodes such that the socially optimal Markov policy is the unique sub game perfect equilibrium of the resulting dynamic game.
Encouraging Bystanders to Promote Positive Parenting and Prevent Child Maltreatment in Retail Settings: Results of an Exploratory Qualitative Study

Community-level bystander approaches with media campaigns have successfully reduced sexual violence, but these programs have not been developed for child maltreatment prevention. This study informs...
Data to decisions

Data-to-decisions framework for real-time decisions associated with structural monitoring.MultiStep Reduced-Order Modeling (MultiStep-ROM) strategy to tackle time-critical problems.MultiStep-ROM strategy to estimate structural capabilities from uncertain measured data.MultiStep-ROM strategy to avoid costly inverse problem and expensive full-order predictions.Effectiveness of MultiStep-ROM strategy investigated for sparse and uncertain measurements. This paper proposes a data-to-decisions frameworka methodology and a computational strategyto assist real-time decisions associated with structural monitoring and informed by incomplete, noisy measurements. The data-to-decision structural assessment problem is described in terms of sensor data measurements (such as strain components) and system capabilities (such as failure indices). A MultiStep Reduced-Order Modeling (MultiStep-ROM) strategy tackles the time-critical problem of estimating capabilities from measured data. The methodology relies on an offline-online decomposition of tasks, and combines reduced-order modeling, surrogate modeling, and clustering techniques. The performance of the approach is studied for the case of uncertain measurements arising from spatially distributed sensors over a wing panel. Both sensor noise and sensor spatial sparsity affect the quality of the information available online. The discussion is supported by three investigations that explore the efficiency of the online procedure for multiple combinations of quantity and quality of sensed data. The method is demonstrated for an unmanned aerial vehicle composite wing panel undergoing local degradation of its structural properties.
Controlled modulation of hard and soft X-ray induced tunneling currents utilizing coaxial metal-insulator-metal probe tips

The effect of a local external electric field on the barrier potential of a tunneling gap is studied utilizing an emerging technique, synchrotron x-ray scanning tunneling microscopy. Here, we demonstrate that the shape of the potential barrier in the tunneling gap can be altered by a localized external electric field, generated by voltages placed on the metallic outer shield of a nanofabricated coaxial metal-insulator-metal tip, resulting in a controlled linear modulation of the tunneling current. Experiments at hard and soft x-ray synchrotron beamlines reveal that both the chemical contrast and magnetic contrast signals measured by the tip can be drastically enhanced, resulting in improved local detection of chemistry and magnetization at the surface.
College students’ acceptance of online mass-customized athletic shoes

This research intends to understand the acceptance of online mass-customized athletic shoes among college students through applying the theory of reasoned action with a focus on whether utilitarian value and need for uniqueness influence favorable attitude formation differently. The questionnaires were distributed to 260 college students in a major southeastern US university using extra class credit as participation incentive. SPSS 23.0 and SPSS Amos 23 were used in data analysis. Structural equation modeling with a path comparison were used to assess construct validity and test the proposed hypotheses and conceptual framework. Results showed that college students’ acceptance and purchase intention could be predicted by attitudes and subjective norm. In addition to perceived security of the online environment, utilitarian value and need for uniqueness equally facilitated formation of favorable attitude toward acceptance of online mass-customized athletic shoes among college students. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as the limitations of the study are further discussed.
SELF-COLLIDING BEAMS AS AN ALTERNATIVE FUSION SYSTEM FOR D-He 3 REACTORS

A plasma consisting of large orbit non-adiabatic ions and adiabatic electrons is considered. For such a plasma it is possible that the anomalous transport characteristic of Tokamaks can be avoided provided that long wavelength low frequency instabilities are controlled. A specific example is investigated that is a Field Reversed Configuration (F.R.C.) in which the current is carried by the energetic ions D and He3. The analysis begins with self-consistent equilibrium solutions of the Vlasov-Maxwell equations. The classical Fokker-Planck collision operator is used to evaluate Coulomb collisions, transport, etc. The sustained operation of a D-He3 reactor involves the injection of fuel ions and the transfer of energy and momentum to fuel ions by interaction with the fusion products, 14.7 MeV protons and 3.67 MeV He4.
Overcoming the other-race effect in infancy with multisensory redundancy: 10-12-month-olds discriminate dynamic other-race faces producing speech

We tested 4-6- and 10-12-month-old infants to investigate whether the often-reported decline in infant sensitivity to other-race faces may reflect responsiveness to static or dynamic/silent faces rather than a general process of perceptual narrowing. Across three experiments, we tested discrimination of either dynamic own-race or other-race faces which were either accompanied by a speech syllable, no sound, or a non-speech sound. Results indicated that 4-6- and 10-12-month-old infants discriminated own-race as well as other-race faces accompanied by a speech syllable, that only the 10-12-month-olds discriminated silent own-race faces, and that 4-6-month-old infants discriminated own-race and other-race faces accompanied by a non-speech sound but that 10-12-month-old infants only discriminated own-race faces accompanied by a non-speech sound. Overall, the results suggest that the ORE reported to date reflects infant responsiveness to static or dynamic/silent faces rather than a general process of perceptual narrowing.
MoNSTR-seq, a restriction site-associated DNA sequencing technique to characterize Agrobacterium-mediated transfer-DNA insertions in Phomopsis longicolla.

Phomopsis longicolla (Hobbs) causes Phomopsis seed decay and stem lesions in soybean (Glycine max). In this study, a novel, high-throughput adaptation of RAD-seq termed MoNSTR-seq (Mutation analysis via Next-generation DNA Sequencing of T-DNA Regions) was developed to determine the genomic location of T-DNA insertions in P. longicolla mutants. Insertional mutants were created via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation, and one mutant, strain PL343, was further investigated due to impaired stem lesion formation. Mutation analysis via Next-generation DNA Sequencing of T-DNA Regions, in which DNA libraries are created with two distinct restriction enzymes and customized adapters to simultaneously enrich both T-DNA insertion borders, was developed to characterize the genomic lesion in strain PL343. MoNSTR-seq successfully identified a T-DNA insertion in the predicted promoter region of a gene encoding a cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH1), and the position of the T-DNA insertion in strain PL343 was confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Thus, MoNSTR-seq represents an effective tool for molecular genetics in P. longicolla, and is readily adaptable for use in diverse fungal species. Significance and impact of the study This study describes MoNSTR-seq (Mutation analysis via Next-generation DNA Sequencing of T-DNA Regions), an adaptation of restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) to identify the position of transfer-DNA (T-DNA) insertions in the genome of Phomopsis longicolla, an important pathogen of soybean. The technique enables high-throughput characterization of mutants generated via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT), thus accelerating gene discovery via forward genetics. This technique represents a significant advancement over existing approaches to characterize T-DNA insertions in fungal genomes. With minor modifications, this technique could be easily adapted to taxonomically diverse fungal pathogens and additional mutagenesis cassettes.
Transfiguration: The Religion of Art in Nineteenth-Century Literature Before Aestheticism

In his work on performance studies, Cities of the Dead, Joseph Roach attends to the notion of surrogation, as a process that “does not begin or end but continues as actual or perceived vacancies oc...
The Evaluation of the Upper and Lower Airways in Infants and Children: Principles and Pearls from Four Decades in the Trenches

Diagnostic bronchoscopy is an often underutilized technique in pediatric patients. However, with proper equipment, appropriate technical and cognitive skills, and effective and careful attention to safety and comfort, bronchoscopy can be a powerful tool for the pediatric pulmonologist. This review is a distillation of the author’s four decades of experience.
Economic and Social Considerations for the Utilization of Augmentation of Natural Enemies

Augmentation of natural enemies is a tool which can be part of integrated pest management programs that include classical biological techniques (the importation of natural enemies), cultural techniques to create favorable environments for natural enemies, genetic modification of pests, pest-resistant strains of plants, pheromones, microbial agents, growth regulators, and the use of chemical pesticides to control outbreaks.
A National Multicity Analysis of the Causal Effect of Local Pollution, [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] on Mortality.

Background: Studies have long associated PM2.5 with daily mortality, but few applied causal-modeling methods, or at low exposures. Short-term exposure to NO2, a marker of local traffic, has also be...
Retroplacental Haemorrhage and Marginal Haemorrhage

A premature separation of the placenta results in torn decidual vessels creating a haemorrhage below the placenta and an infarction of the overlying villi. An incomplete separation often results in a haematoma that creates a depression on the maternal surface. The fetus is at risk of asphyxia and death from the sudden, large extent of infarcted placenta. The pathological examination of the placenta can determine (1) the relative extent of the placental separation and (2) an approximation of the duration prior to delivery. The most frequent risk factors are preeclampsia, hypertension, thrombophilia, cocaine and cigarette smoking. Some infrequent mechanisms of premature separation of the placenta are hypocoagulative states, severe pelvic trauma and vena caval compression.
Electrochemical anion pool synthesis of amides with concurrent benzyl ester synthesis

An electrosynthesis method for amide bond formation has been developed in an attempt to increase the atom economy for this class of reactions. This “anion pool” method electrochemically generates strong nucleophiles from amine substrates. The amine nucleophiles then react with acid anhydrides to generate amides, and the by-product from this reaction undergoes further chemical transformations to generate pharmaceutically relevant benzoic esters. These one-pot reactions are operationally simple, are performed at room temperature, and avoid rare transition metals and added bases. The amide synthesis is amenable to primary and secondary amines and a variety of anhydrides with yields up to 90% obtained. Atom economy and process mass index (PMI) values calculated for this procedure indicate that this process can be considered greener compared to traditional amide synthesis routes used by industry. Furthermore, this electrochemical approach showed unique selectivity when substrates that contained two inequivalent amine moieties were examined.
Sanctuary cities, communities, and organizations: A nation at a crossroads, by Melvin Delgado: New York, NY, Oxford University Press, 2018

Perhaps the most efficient way to introduce Sanctuary Cities, Communities, and Organizations is to quote how Delgado ultimately concludes it: “The sanctuary city debate is really a proxy for a much...
An assessment of democratic vulnerability: regime type, economic development, and coups d’état

ABSTRACTPrior research has not established a clear relationship between democracy and insulation from coups d’etat, with very few studies illustrating robust findings on the subject. I contend that...
The minimally effective dose of bone morphogenetic protein in posterior lumbar interbody fusion: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract Background content The risks and benefits of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP) in posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) have been widely reported. However, the BMP dose associated with such reports varied widely. Additionally, data on the location of BMP placement on complications and fusion is lacking. Purpose To determine the minimally effective dose (MED) of BMP which results in optimal fusion rates while minimizing complications; to determine the effects of the location of BMP placement has on fusion rates and complications. Study Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Study Sample Adult patients undergoing PLIF/TLIF for degenerative indications. Outcome Measures Rates of radiculitis, fusion, osteolysis, heterotopic bone formation and new cancer diagnosis. Methods PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Database were used to identify studies published between 1/1/2011-8/1/2019 reporting BMP usage in adult patients who underwent PLIF/TLIF degenerative indications. A qualitative and quantitative synthesis was performed to evaluate the MED of BMP and the effect of location of BMP placement on fusion and complications. Complications were defined as osteolysis, heterotopic bone growth, radiculitis, and rate of new cancer diagnosis. Complications and fusion outcomes were each pooled according to commercially available BMP doses. Additionally, complications and fusion outcomes were pooled according to four location groups (interbody cage only, interbody cage + posterolateral gutter [PLG], cage + interspace, and interspace + PLG). Heterogeneity was assessed with Q and I2 statistics. Results Twenty-two articles, totaling 2,729 patients were included. Sixteen studies reported fusion and 15 reported complications. Among fusion studies, the mean BMP/level ranged from 1.28-12 mg/level. Among complication studies, the mean BMP/level ranged from 6.7-23.6 mg/level. The pooled overall fusion rate was 94.0% (91.4-95.8 CI). There was no significant difference in fusion and complication rates between different BMP doses. Thirteen studies included data on the location of BMP placement with 1,823 patients. At each BMP location, the fusion rate was not significantly different across the dose ranges (1.28-12 mg/level). We found the fusion rate to be marginally higher in the interspace + PLG group compared to the other groups. When BMP was placed in the interbody cage there was a mild increase in the rate of osteolysis compared to other placement locations. Conclusion Fusion and complication rates did not differ significantly between different doses of BMP with the lowest MED for fusion as low as 1.28 mg/level. The location of BMP placement does not significantly affect fusion or complication rates.
Seeing Is Believing: An Experiment on Absentee Ballots and Voter Confidence: Part of Special Symposium on Election Sciences

Since the 2000 election, researchers have taken an interest in the role of voter confidence and its importance as an assessment of public trust in electoral outcomes. Many factors may influence vot...