cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Financial Model for Insuring Against Catastrophic Storm Risks

Risks and uncertainties represent an integral part of the construction process that negatively affects executed projects, contracting parties, and the industry as a whole. In fact, natural hazardous events become extremely important at construction developments that allow low or zero tolerance levels. Concerns regarding catastrophic losses have limited the commercialization of certain projects and activities. This paper proposes a financial model for insuring against catastrophic storm risks that affect construction projects through a cost-benefit analysis. The challenge with modeling such severe conditions is that they are so rare that it might take thousands of years of experimental data to ensure that all possible events have been properly measured and captured. Under this study, the historic data in relation to storm events in Mississippi between 5/31/2006 and 5/31/2008 was analyzed using Chandler et al. (2001) technique to estimate loss parameters. This dataset was then bootstrapped using Iman and Conover technique to impose correlation and generate simulated dataset of 5,000 points. Finally, the bootstrapped data was modeled using a Monte Carlo simulation that is based on option theory to calculate the fair-valued premium for an interrelated insurance policy. This insurance product would: (1) fund any destructive effect in connection with construction projects; (2) allow comparing catastrophic risks against benefits by putting a dollar value to such risks; and (3) solve the non linearity problem between wind speed and associated losses. It is the author’s hope that the developed model could be extended to form a nationwide insurance policy against catastrophic storm risk. Furthermore, the same principles exploited under the model beforehand could be slightly modified in order to be applied on other extreme weather events such as hurricanes and tornadoes.
Do Firms Learn to Create Value? The Case of Alliances

We investigate whether firms learn to manage interfirm alliances as experience accumulates. We use contract-specific experience measures in a data set of over 2000 joint ventures and licensing agreements, and value creation measures derived from the abnormal stock returns surrounding alliance announcements. Learning effects are identified from the effects of unobserved heterogeneity in alliance capabilities. We find evidence of large learning effects in managing joint ventures, but no such evidence for licensing contracts. The effects of learning on value creation are strongest for research joint ventures, and weakest for marketing joint ventures. These results are consistent with the view that learning effects are more important in situations characterized by greater contractual ambiguity.Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Serial hematocrit testing does not identify major injuries in trauma patients in an observation unit

Abstract Background Routine serial hematocrit measurements are a component of the trauma evaluation for patients without serious injury identified on initial evaluation. We sought to determine whether serial hematocrit testing was useful in detecting significant intra-abdominal injuries in trauma patients in our observation unit. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of all trauma patients placed in our observation unit over a 14-month period. Patients had received trauma surgery evaluation before placement in the observation unit and routinely received serial hematocrit testing (≥2 hematocrit levels) while in the observation unit. We compared trauma patients with a hematocrit drop of 5 points or more to those without a significant hematocrit drop. Results Three hundred sixty-five trauma patients were placed in the observation unit, and 310 patients (85%) had at least 2 hematocrits drawn during their stay. Of these patients, 20.6% had a hematocrit drop of 5 or more. Of patients with the hematocrit change, 18.8% were admitted to an inpatient unit from the observation unit compared to 9.3% of patients without a significant hematocrit change ( P = .034). In one of these patients who had a computed tomography scan before observation admission, which demonstrated free fluid, the hematocrit drop assisted in diagnosing significant intra-abdominal injury. Conclusion Although serial hematocrit testing may be useful in specific situations, routine use of serial hematocrit testing in trauma patients at a level I trauma center's observation unit did not significantly aid in the detection of occult injury.
Performance analysis of optical multistage interconnection networks with limited crosstalk

Analytical modeling techniques can be used to study the performance of optical multistage interconnection network (OMIN) effectively. MINs have assumed importance in recent times, because of their cost-effectiveness. An N/spl times/N MIN consists of a mapping from N processors to N memories, with log/sub 2/N stages of 2/spl times/2 switches with N/2 switches per stage. The interest is on the study of the performance of unbuffered optical multistage interconnection network using the Banyan network. The uniform reference model approach is assumed for the purpose of analysis. In this paper we apply the analytical modeling approach on an N/spl times/N OMIN with limited crosstalk (conflicts between messages) unto (log/sub 2/N-1). Messages with switch conflicts satisfying the constraint of (log/sub 2/N-1) are allowed to pass in the same group, but in case of a link conflict, than that message is routed in a different group. The analysis is performed by calculating the bandwidth of the network operating under a load l and allowing random traffic and using a greedy routing strategy. A number of equations are derived using the theory of probability and the performance curves are plotted. The results obtained show that the performance of the network improves by allowing limited crosstalk in the network.
Folate, Methionine, and Alcohol Intake and Risk of Colorectal Adenoma

Background Reduced methylation of DNA may contribute to loss of the normal controls on proto-oncogene expression. In humans, hypomethylation of DNA has been observed in colorectal cancers and in their adenomatous polyp precursors. Accumulation of DNA methylation abnormalities, observed during progression of human colorectal neoplasia, may be influenced by certain dietary factors. The apparent protective effect of fresh fruits and vegetables, the major folate sources, on colorectal cancer incidence suggests that a methyl-deficient diet contributes to occurrence of this malignancy. Low dietary folate and methionine and high intake of alcohol may reduce levels of S-adenosylmethionine, which is required for DNA methylation. Purpose To determine if dietary factors that may influence methyl availability are related to colorectal adenomas, we prospectively examined the association of folate, methionine, and alcohol intakes and risk of colorectal adenoma. Methods We assessed dietary intake for a 1-year period for women of the Nurses' Health Study, started in 1976, and for men of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, started in 1986--using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Adenomatous polyps of the left colon or rectum were diagnosed in 564 of 15,984 women who had had an endoscopy between 1980 and 1990 and in 331 of 9490 men who had undergone an endoscopy between 1986 and 1990. Results High dietary folate was inversely associated with risk of colorectal adenoma in women (multivariate relative risk [RR] = 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.46-0.95 between high and low quintiles of intake) and in men (RR = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.41-0.98) after adjusting for age, family history, indications for endoscopy, history of previous endoscopy, total energy intake, saturated fat intake, dietary fiber, and body mass index. Relative to nondrinkers, drinkers of more than 30 g of alcohol daily (about two drinks) had an elevated risk of adenoma (in women, RR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.19-2.86; in men, RR = 1.64, 95% CI = 0.92-2.93). Methionine intake was inversely associated with risk of adenomas 1 cm or larger (RR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.46-0.85, combining men and women). Conclusions Folate, alcohol, and methionine could influence methyl group availability, and a methyl-deficient diet may be linked to early stages of colorectal neoplasia. A dietary pattern that increases methyl availability could reduce incidence of colorectal cancer. Implications These data support efforts to increase dietary folate in segments of the population having diets with low intakes of this nutrient.
The complete sequence of the chicken α-cardiac actin gene: a highly conserved vertebrate gene

Abstract We sequenced the entire chicken alpha-cardiac actin gene. A single intron was positioned 20 bp upstream from the initiation ATG codon in the 5' non-coding region while the coding region was interrupted by 5 introns at amino acid positions 41/42, 150, 204, 267, and 327/328. Sequencing allowed the first comparison of the alpha-cardiac and alpha-skeletal actin transcriptional promoters. These highly G+C rich promoters share two regions of homology which are found at position -134 (10 bp) and -296 (12 bp) in the alpha-cardiac actin promoter. A smaller 9 bp motif (CCGCGCCGG) homologous to the -134 sequence was detected before, between and after the TATA and CAAT boxes of the alpha-cardiac actin gene. The polyadenylation signal (AATAAA) was located 156 bp downstream from the translation termination codon. The complete length of the alpha-cardiac actin mRNA excluding the poly A tail is 1370 nucleotides. The 3' noncoding transcribed portion of the chicken alpha-cardiac actin gene was found to be extraordinarily conserved when compared to the human and rat alpha-cardiac actin mRNA sequences.
The Temperature Dependence of a GaAs pHEMT Wideband IQ Modulator IC

The author developed a GaAs wideband IQ modulator IC, which is utilized in RF signal source instruments with direct-conversion architecture. The layout is fully symmetric to obtain a temperature-stable operation. However, thee actual temperature drift of EVM (Error Vector Magnitude) is greater in some frequency and temperature ranges than the first generation IC of the same architecture. For applications requiring the precision of electric instrumentation, temperature drift is highly critical. This paper clarifies that linear phase error is the dominant factor causing the temperature drift. It also identifies that such temperature drift of linear phase error is due to equivalent series impedance, especially parasitic capacitance of the phase shifter. This effect is verified by comparing the SSB measurements to a mathematical simulation using an empirical temperature-dependent small-signal FET model.
Fusion frames and robust dimension reduction

We consider the linear minimum mean- squared error (LMMSE) estimation of a random vector of interest from its fusion frame measurements in presence noise and subspace erasures. Each fusion frame measurement is a low-dimensional vector whose elements are inner products of an orthogonal basis for a fusion frame subspace and the random vector of interest. We derive bounds on the mean-squared error (MSE) and show that the MSE will achieve its lower bound if the fusion frame is tight. We prove that tight fusion frames consisting of equi- dimensional subspaces have maximum robustness with respect to erasures of one subspace, and that the optimal dimension depends on SNR. We also show that tight fusion frames consisting of equi-dimensional subspaces with equal pairwise chordal distances are most robust with respect to two and more subspace erasures, and refer to such fusion frames as equi-distance tight fusion frames. Finally, we show that the squared chordal distance between the subspaces in such fusion frames meets the so-called simplex bound, and thereby establish a connection between equidistance tight fusion frames and optimal Grassmannian packings.
Quantum Decay of Domain Walls in Cosmology II: Hamiltonian Approach

This paper studies the decay of a large, closed domain wall in a closed universe. Such walls can form in the presence of a broken, discrete symmetry. We study a novel process of quantum decay for such a wall, in which the vacuum fluctuates from one discrete state to another throughout one half of the universe, so that the wall decays into pure field energy. Equivalently, the fluctuation can be thought of as the nucleation of a second closed domain wall of zero size, followed by its growth by quantum tunnelling and its collision with the first wall, annihilating both. We therefore study the 2-wall system coupled to a spherically symmetric gravitational field. We derive a simple form of the 2-wall action, use Dirac quantization, obtain the 2-wall wave function for annihilation, find from it the barrier factor for this quantum tunneling, and thereby get the decay probability. This is the second paper of a series.
Research and Theory Trends in Historic Dress and Textiles Research: An Analysis of Clothing and Textiles Research Journal and Dress

Historic dress and textiles (HDT) has been a prominent research subject during the 20th century but has not been examined via a focused journal analysis. Thus, HDT research and theory trends were e...
Safety and Efficacy of Quetiapine in Bipolar Depression

Objective:To review the clinical data investigating the efficacy and safety of quetiapine in bipolar depression.Data Sources:Searches of MEDLINE and PubMed (1977–July 2009) were conducted using the key words quetiapine and bipolar depression. The references of literature found were cross-referenced. The pharmaceutical company that produces quetiapine was contacted to obtain the posters for the EMBOLDEN I and EMBOLDEN II trials.Study Selection and Data Extraction:Only double-blind, placebo-controlled trials were included for review, as well as any subanalyses of the literature that matched this criterion.Data Synthesis:There was a total of 5 double-blind, placebo-controlled trials and 5 subanalyses reviewed. The results of these data demonstrated quetiapine's efficacy in the treatment of depressive phases of bipolar disorder, including statistically significant improvement in the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). In the trials reviewed in this article, the change in MADRS scores ranged fro...
La ecografía de alta resolución con técnica en dos dimensiones de speckle tracking (vector velocity imaging [VVI]) puede detectar los cambios mecánicos vasculares de la pared en los injertos venosos de bypass arterial periférico

Describimos la utilizacion de ecografia con la tecnica speckle tracking (vector velocity imaging [VVI]), de fase sensible y de alta resolucion, para determinar la tension local de la pared del vaso en dos pacientes con injerto de vena autologa. Ademas, combinamos esta tecnica con un procedimiento manual de compresion externa para dilucidar los efectos no lineales de la presion arterial sobre la distensibilidad (complianza) de la pared del vaso. Aunque la ecografia convencional puede usarse para esclarecer las propiedades mecanicas de los tejidos corporales, esta limitada por su resolucion comparativamente inferior y sus determinaciones inferenciales, mas que directas, de la tension y por la ligera distension producida normalmente en condiciones de presion fisiologica en estructuras de comportamiento no lineal, como las arterias. Uno de los pacientes se examino antes y despues de desarrollar estenosis a los 3 meses de la cirugia. Se puso de relieve que los valores de tension de este paciente eran significativamente mas bajos, indicativos de una mayor rigidez de la pared del vaso en la region estenotica que en la no estenotica, y con presion tanto fisiologica como igualada. Estos resultados sugieren la posibilidad de una deteccion no cruenta de la hiperplasia neointimal previa a la estenosis anastomotica.
Publication and Protection of Sensitive Site Information in a Grid Infrastructure

In order to create a successful grid infrastructure, sites and resource providers must be able to publish information about their underlying resources and services. This information makes it easier for users and virtual organizations to make intelligent decisions about resource selection and scheduling, and can be used by the grid infrastructure for accounting and troubleshooting services. However, such an outbound stream may include data deemed sensitive by a resource-providing site, exposing potential security vulnerabilities or private user information to the world at large, including malicious entities. This study analyzes the various vectors of information being published from sites to grid infrastructures. In particular, it examines the data being published to, and collected by the Open Science Grid, including resource selection, monitoring, accounting, troubleshooting, logging and site verification data. We analyze the risks and potential threat models posed by the publication and collection of such data. We also offer some recommendations and best practices for sites and grid infrastructures to manage and protect sensitive data.
Changing Human Populations in Post-Soviet Kamchatka: An Integrated Study of Shifts in Fertility and Net Population

We expect population changes to be closely tied to resource abundance or scarcity. Here, I demonstrate a clear relationship between the widespread socio-economic crisis of the post-Soviet period and declining population patterns in central Kamchatka. These broad patterns, however, vary among populations, reflecting particular interlinked socio-economic, ecological, and historical conditions. More dramatic decline is observed in areas where the socio-economic crisis has coincided with a local natural resource crisis. Analyzing population shifts in the context of local circumstances, this paper corroborates the link between resource conditions and changes at the family level.
SCC-RIA in the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

A reliable circulating tumor marker, appropriate for head and neck malignancy, is not yet available. This manuscript reports the efficacy of using circulating squamous cell carcinoma antigen in evaluating patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Serum samples from 89 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were obtained before treatment and at intervals following treatment. Squamous cell carcinoma antigen levels were determined by radioimmunoassay. Elevated pretreatment serum levels of squamous cell carcinoma antigen were identified in 39 of 89 patients (44%) who had head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Of the 16 patients evaluated from this group with recurrent or persistent disease, 15 (93.5%) demonstrated elevated levels of squamous cell carcinoma antigen. However, of the 21 evaluable patients who remained disease free, only 10 (48%) had post-therapy levels within the normal range. The possible use of this marker in aiding the clinical follow-up of head and neck cancer patients is discussed.
Quasi-Random Sequences for Optimization and Numerical Integration

This paper concerns certain deterministic, or ‘quasi-random,’ uniformly distributed sequences and their implementation in numerical practice. We consider two types of problems from numerical analysis: numerical integration, and the search for functional extrema. The sequences presented here, defined in the unit cubes of dimensions two, three, and four, are well distributed according to two pertinent measures, discrepancy and dispersion. Additionally these sequences are easily generated and are comprised only of dyadic fractions, making them amenable to efficient accurate computer utilization. Numerical examples, in two and four dimensional settings, will serve to illustrate the usefulness of computational schemes based on these sequences.
Coupling feeding effects of potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Homoptera: Cicadellidae), nymphs to a model of potato growth

Effects of potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Harris), feeding were coupled to a simple potato growth model that accumulates and partitions dry matter into leaves, stems, roots, and tubers. Feeding effects of leafhopper on potato were modeled in two ways: as a temporary and reversible reduction in the plant's potential net crop growth rate, and as leaf area lost to hopperburn. Daily reductions in potential net crop growth rate were determined by an exponential relationship of leafhopper feeding activity, which was defined as number of nymphs per 30 midplant leaves multiplied by daily degree-day increment. Rate of hopperburn development was determined from a modified logistic equation. Values for the model's parameters were derived with data from 8 or 13 sequential, within-season harvests of plant dry matter and counts of leafhopper nymphs from infested and uninfested field plots collected over 2 yr. Partitioning responses of the modeled crop were similar to those observed for field-grown plants. Model output was also verified against nymphal counts, hopperburn readings, and final yields from an independent field experiment, which resulted in a one-to-one correspondence between predicted and final yields. Computer simulations with nymph infestations at different times of the season indicated that reductions in final tuber yield were differentially effected by leafhopper feeding at different stages of growth.
Impact of disability and chronic conditions on health

Abstract Background Today one in five Americans have a disability and nearly half of Americans experiences a chronic condition. Whether disability results from or is a risk factor for chronic conditions, the combined effects of disability and chronic conditions warrants further investigation. Objectives Examine the added impact of chronic conditions among those with and without disability on self-reported health status and behaviors. Methods 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data were analyzed to examine the association of disability with unhealthy behaviors and poor health stratified by number of self-reported chronic conditions (0, 1, or 2+). Linear and logistic regression models accounting for the complex survey weights were used. Results Participants with disability were 6 times more likely to report fair/poor self-rated health, reported 9 more unhealthy days in a month and 6 more days in a month when poor health kept them from usual activities, were 4 times more likely to be dissatisfied with life, had greater odds of being a current smoker, and were less likely to be physically active. Presence of chronic conditions in addition to disability was associated, in a dose–response manner, with poor health status and unhealthy behaviors. Conclusions People living with both chronic diseases and disability are at substantially increased risks for poor health status and unhealthy behaviors, further affecting effective management of their chronic conditions. Multi-level interventions in primary care and in the community that address social and environmental barriers that hinder adults with disability from adopting more healthy lifestyles and improving health are needed.
General consideration of non-clinical evaluation for anti-tumor biologic products

Non-clinical evaluation for biologic products is widely different from conventional chemical products.Since it is hard to confirm its structure,immunogenicity,the possible pollution in produce process,biologic products should assure the quality properties in safety,identification,purification,efficacy for pharmacy areas,then move to non-clinical tests based on rational animal models,including pharmacology,toxicology,and pharmacokinetics study.In non-clinical process,it is important to consider the bioactivities,immunogenicity/immunotoxicity and the disposal process in vivo.It would be so prudential when the non-clinical results were used to predict human study.
Phenotypic Analysis and Gene Mapping of Two Allelic Narrow and Rolled Leaf Mutants in Rice

Leaf shape is an important agronomical trait of rice. In this study,two allelic mutants F2- 102 and S1- 4 were isolated,which showed reduced leaf width,semi-rolled leaves and different degrees of dwarfism. Genetic analysis revealed that these phenotypes were controlled by a single recessive nuclear gene,which was mapped on the long arm of chromosome 12 using Indel markers. Sequence analyses of the encompassed OsCSLD4 gene encoding the cellulose synthase-like D4 showed that there was an 8bp deletion and a single base substitution within the second exon of OsCSLD4,respectively. Thus mutations in OsCSLD4 were responsible for the narrow and rolled leaf phenotype.
Analysis of acute symptoms in common and critically ill patients during haze event

Objective To know the acute adverse effects of haze event on common and critically ill patients. Methods The daily values of air meteorological condition indicators(temperature, relative humidity) and the air pollution indicator(PM10) were collected in Ji'nan in Jan. 2013(haze period). The daily counts of symptoms and health indicators(dizziness, fever, headache,coma, shock and stroke) were collected from the Ji'nan Medical Emergency Center. Jan 2012 was the reference period and Dec2011 and Dec 2012 were used for sensitive analysis. RR and 95% CI as the indicator of risk evaluation were computed by population emergency calling rate of symptoms compared with the reference periods. Results The median value of PM10 concentration was 316 μg/m3(range: 80-602 μg/m3) in study period(Jan 2013), over the PM10 limit value of 24 hours(150 μg/m3)in the ambient air quality standards of China. Symptom of dizziness(81.7%) was the main common generally symptoms, while the coma(87.3%) was main common severe symptoms. The first higher PECR of 6 symptoms was the dizziness(13.72 per million) and the second was coma(7.73 per million). A significantly increased was found in the symptom of fever and coma.Conclusion Dust haze may increase the risk of fever and coma in local people in Ji'nan city.
Improved parametric identification method based on robot dynamics

Due that the parametric identification can effectively be used to obtain robot dynamical model,an identification method is first proposed from exterior to interior nodes.Then,the nodal excitation track is designed using Fourier series as a basic function. Next,the minimum conditional number of identification coefficient matrix is used as the target function for track optimization and anti-interruption capability via particle swarm optimization(PSO)algorithm.Finally,the effectiveness of the proposed method,together with track optimization for anti-interruption capability and identification precision enhancement,is verified based on SimMechanics module of SimulinkTM.
Mediastinal Metastases from Prostatic Carcinoma

AbstractWe reviewed the frequency of intrathoracic metastases of prostatic cancer at initial presentation in 1,435 patients seen from 1968 to 1978. Of these patients 75 (5.2 per cent) had intrathoracic metastases, including nodular metastases in 60 (4.2 per cent), mediastinal adenopathy in 9 (0.6 per cent), mediastinal adenopathy and pulmonary nodules in 3 (0.2 per cent), and lymphangitic pulmonary metastases in 3 (0.2 per cent). Mediastinal adenopathy in patients with metastatic carcinoma of the prostate has not been emphasized previously. Responses to therapy are described. In addition to the 9 patients with mediastinal adenopathy at presentation 7 had mediastinal metastases during the course of the disease.
Effects of alcohol, rumination, and gender on the time course of negative affect

ABSTRACTThis study modelled associations between gender, ruminative cognitive style, alcohol use, and the time course of negative affect over the course of 43,111 random assessments in the natural environment. Participants (N = 263) completed 49 days of experience sampling over 1.3 years. The data indicated that rumination at baseline was positively associated with alcohol dependence symptoms at baseline as well as higher negative affect over the course of the study. Consistent with negative reinforcement models, drinking served to decrease the persistence of negative affect from moment to moment. However, this ameliorative effect of drinking was evident only among women, suggesting an increased risk for negative reinforcement driven drinking behaviour. In addition, rumination appeared to counteract the desired effects of alcohol on mood among women. This suggests that women who ruminate more may be motivated to consume larger amounts of alcohol to achieve the desired effects. Overall, the results indica...
Answer me these questions three: Using online training to improve students’ oral source citations

ABSTRACTThis experimental study examines an online module designed to increase student competence in oral citation behavior using a mastery training strategy. Students in the experimental condition provided complete citations at a higher rate and provided more citation information for traditional and web-based sources compared with a control group without required training. Although subjective norms set by instructors also influence citation behavior, the general trend depicted was that students completing the required module training performed more complete citations. Implications for student learning, mastery instruction, and course assessment were considered to be generally beneficial and at minimal cost.
Geometric Design of a Passive Mechanical Knee for Lower Extremity Wearable Devices Based on Anthropomorphic Foot Task Geometry Scaling

The standard recovery treatment for ankle and lower leg injuries consists of using underarm crutches. Hands-free crutches have recently emerged as a more comfortable, natural and energy efficient alternative. However in the currently available devices such as the iWalk-Free (iWALKFree, Inc., USA) the lack of a knee joint results in abnormal motion pattern at the hip and pelvic joints to ensure foot clearance during the swing phase of the gait. To address this shortcoming, the paper describes the kinematic synthesis of a planar passive four-bar linkage that can be used as a mechanical knee in lower limb exoskeletons and other wearable devices. The knee design is based on anthropomorphic foot walking trajectory obtained from optical motion capture system. The task geometry at the foot, related to the contact and curvature constraints between the foot and the ground at two critical positions ’heel strike’ and ’toe off’ is scaled to the knee level. Velocity and acceleration specifications compatible with the contact and curvature constraints assist in defining the synthesis equations for the knee design. A working prototype of a passive wearable crutch substitute that incorporates the mechanical knee shows the applicability of the proposed technique.
Does a relationship between Arctic low clouds and sea ice matter

Arctic low clouds strongly affect the Arctic surface energy budget. Through this impact Arctic low clouds influence important aspects of the Arctic climate system, namely surface and atmospheric temperature, sea ice extent and thickness, and atmospheric circulation. Arctic clouds are in turn influenced by these elements of the Arctic climate system, and these interactions create the potential for Arctic cloud-climate feedbacks. To further our understanding of potential Arctic cloudclimate feedbacks, the goal of this paper is to quantify the influence of atmospheric state on the surface cloud radiative effect (CRE) and its covariation with sea ice concentration (SIC). We build on previous research using instantaneous, active remote sensing satellite footprint data from the NASA A-Train. First, the results indicate significant differences in the surface CRE when stratified by atmospheric state. Second, there is a weak covariation between CRE and SIC for most atmospheric conditions. Third, the results show statistically significant differences in the average surface CRE under different SIC values in fall indicating a 3-5 W m(exp -2) larger LW CRE in 0% versus 100% SIC footprints. Because systematic changes on the order of 1 W m(exp -2) are sufficient to explain the observed long-term reductions in sea ice extent, our results indicate a potentially significant amplifying sea ice-cloud feedback, under certain meteorological conditions, that could delay the fall freeze-up and influence the variability in sea ice extent and volume. Lastly, a small change in the frequency of occurrence of atmosphere states may yield a larger Arctic cloud feedback than any cloud response to sea ice.
Image-based pupil plane characterization for anamorphic lithography systems

Next-generation EUV lithography systems will use anamorphic optics to achieve high-NA. The well-known Zernike circle polynomials do not describe the sixteen primary aberrations of these anamorphic optical systems though. We propose to use a basis which does describe the primary aberrations. We examine the properties of this new basis and how they impact lithographic processes through analogies to isomorphic aberrations. We have developed an application to use the proposed basis in existing lithography simulators. There is an additional importance in EUVL placed on understanding how pupil variation evolves during system operation. Interferometric methods are the de facto standard of pupil phase metrology but are challenging to implement during tool use. We have previously presented an approach to measure both the pupil amplitude and phase variation of isomorphic EUVL systems from images formed by that system. We show how this methodology can be adapted to anamorphic optical systems. More specifically, we will present a set of binary metrology targets sensitive to the anamorphic primary aberrations.
Fertility-sparing Hysterotomy in Malignant Trophoblastic Tumours Treatment

The aim is to improve treatment efficacy and life quality of patients with malignant trophoblastic tumours. Fertility-sparing hysterotomy with uterine reconstruction was carried in 16 patients aged of 17 to 32 years: 2 cases due to urgent and 13 – due to planned indications. On the basis of research, the indications for the urgent and planned fertility-sparing hysterotomy with uterine reconstruction in patients with malignant trophoblastic tumours were formulated. No postoperative complications. Steady remission in all cases. Follow up from 1 to 17 years (averaged 9.2 years). 1. Localized uterine resection with uterine reconstruction – the method of choice in malignant trophoblastic tumours surgical treatment; 2. Fertility-sparing hysterotomy with uterine reconstruction is only possible in centers which are experienced in the complex multimodality treatment of gestational trophoblastic neoplasms; 3. Basic requirement of fertility-sparing surgery is beginning adjuvant chemotherapy as soon as possible.
Beyond Thinking and Planning Strategically to Improve Urban Residents’ Health

This chapter identifies a missing element in the application of dominant health communication theories to health campaigns in sub-Saharan Africa. That element, the failure to empower Africa’s urban communities to engage in symmetrical communication, is grounded in argumentation and negotiation on health decisions that affect them. Therefore, it argues that Africa’s urban residents, particularly parents of and care-givers to malnourished children, take full advantage of the minuscule health resources at their disposal by applying a communicatively rational process to negotiate three universal, criticizable validity claims: propositional truth, normative rightness, and subjective truthfulness or authenticity under conditions of speech. Thus, in every aspect of engaging in a communicative interaction for accessing the full panoply of health services, even in their inadequacy, African communities are encouraged to accept, challenge, refute, deliberate, discuss, or reject the bases of ideal speech acts and symmetry conditions. All of those possible outcomes emphasize full community participation as the desideratum of making significant contributions to determining key health issues and to identifying program responses to them. In essence, then, this chapter provides a theory-grounded field guide that can enhance the delivery of health services in Africa’s urban communities, which, for the most part, are the epicenters of significant health disparities, particularly in child malnutrition.
Novel Biomarkers of Subclinical Cardiac Dysfunction in the General Population

Recognition of subclinical myocardial dysfunction offers clinicians and patients an opportunity for early intervention and prevention of symptomatic cardiovascular disease. We review the data on novel biomarkers in subclinical heart disease in the general population with a focus on pathophysiology, recent observational or trial data, and potential applicability and pitfalls for clinical use. High-sensitivity cardiac troponin and natriuretic peptide assays are powerful markers of subclinical cardiac disease. Elevated levels of these biomarkers signify subclinical cardiac injury and hemodynamic stress and portend an adverse prognosis. Novel biomarkers of myocardial inflammation, fibrosis, and abnormal contraction are gaining momentum as predictors for incident heart failure, providing new insight into pathophysiologic mechanisms of cardiac disease. There has been exciting growth in both traditional and novel biomarkers of subclinical cardiac injury in recent years. Many biomarkers have demonstrated associations with relevant cardiovascular outcomes and may enhance the diagnostic and prognostic power of more conventional biomarkers. However, their use in “prime time” to identify patients with or at risk for subclinical cardiac dysfunction in the general population remains an open question. Strategic investigation into their clinical applicability in the context of clinical trials remains an area of ongoing investigation.
Mukaiyama addition of (trimethylsilyl)acetonitrile to dimethyl acetals mediated by trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate

Abstract (Trimethylsilyl)acetonitrile reacts smoothly with dimethyl acetals in the presence of stoichiometric trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (TMSOTf) to yield β-methoxynitriles. The ideal substrates for this reaction are acetals derived from aromatic aldehydes. Elimination to the corresponding α,β-unsaturated nitriles is observed as the major product in the case of electron-rich acetals. A mechanistic hypothesis that includes isomerization of the silylnitrile to a nucleophilic N-silyl ketene imine is presented.
Atomically precise graphene nanoribbon heterojunctions from a single molecular precursor

The rational bottom-up synthesis of atomically defined graphene nanoribbon (GNR) heterojunctions represents an enabling technology for the design of nanoscale electronic devices. Synthetic strategies used thus far have relied on the random copolymerization of two electronically distinct molecular precursors to yield GNR heterojunctions. Here we report the fabrication and electronic characterization of atomically precise GNR heterojunctions prepared through late-stage functionalization of chevron GNRs obtained from a single precursor. Post-growth excitation of fully cyclized GNRs induces cleavage of sacrificial carbonyl groups, resulting in atomically well-defined heterojunctions within a single GNR. The GNR heterojunction structure was characterized using bond-resolved scanning tunnelling microscopy, which enables chemical bond imaging at T = 4.5 K. Scanning tunnelling spectroscopy reveals that band alignment across the heterojunction interface yields a type II heterojunction, in agreement with first-principles calculations. GNR heterojunction band realignment proceeds over a distance less than 1 nm, leading to extremely large effective fields.
Effects of dynamic matrix remodelling on en masse migration of fibroblasts on collagen matrices

Fibroblast migration plays a key role during various physiological and pathological processes. Although migration of individual fibroblasts has been well studied, migration in vivo often involves s...
Implications and limitations of appropriateness studies for chiropractic.

Objective The appropriate role for chiropractic in US health care has not been established, but third-party payors and public policy makers must make decisions about the appropriate role for chiropractors in health care systems and for the services that chiropractors provide. Appropriateness studies for chiropractic may inform those decisions. The purpose of this article is to discuss the implications and limitations of appropriateness studies for chiropractic.
Towards a quantum chemical protocol for the prediction of rovibrational spectroscopic data for transition metal molecules: Exploration of CuCN, CuOH, and CuCCH.

High accuracy electronic structure computations for small transition metal-containing molecules have been a long term challenge. Due to coupling between electronic and nuclear wave functions, even experimental/theoretical identification of the ground electronic state requires tremendous efforts. Quartic force fields (QFFs) are effective ab initio tools for obtaining reliable anharmonic spectroscopic properties. However, the method that employs complete basis set limit extrapolation (“C”), consideration of core electron correlation (“cC”), and inclusion of scalar relativity (“R”) to produce the energy points on the QFF, the composite CcCR methodology, has not yet been utilized to study inorganic spectroscopy. This work takes the CcCR methodology and adapts it to test whether such an approach is conducive for the closed-shell, copper-containing molecules CuCN, CuOH, and CuCCH. Gas phase rovibrational data are provided for all three species in their ground electronic states. Equilibrium geometries and many h...
A Faster-converging Algorithm for Image Segmentation with a Modified Chan-Vese Model.

We propose an algorithm for segmentation of grayscale images. Our algorithm computes a solution to the convex, unconstrained minimization problem proposed by T. Chan, S. Esedoḡlu, and M. Nikolova in [1], which is closely related to the Chan-Vese level set algorithm for the Mumford-Shah segmentation model. Up to now this problem has been solved with a gradient descent method. Our approach is a quasi-Newton method based on the lagged diffusivity algorithm [2] for minimizing the total-variation functional for image denoising [3]. Our results show that our algorithm requires a much smaller number of iterations and less time to converge than gradient descent, and is able to segment noisy images correctly. Keywords—image segmentation, Mumford-Shah segmentation, Chan-Vese model, quasi-Newton method
Participation in organized activities among Mexican and other Latino youth in Los Angeles: Variation by mother’s documentation status and youth’s age

AbstractAlthough organized activities promote positive youth development, Latina/os are least likely to participate among ethnic minority youth. This study tested whether an indicator of social str...
Multimodality imaging of scimitar syndrome in adults: A report of four cases

Partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR) comprises a group of congenital cardiovascular anomalies associated with pulmonary venous flow directly or indirectly into the right atrium. Scimitar syndrome is a variant of PAPVR in which the right lung is drained by right pulmonary veins connected anomalously to the inferior vena cava. Surgery is the definitive treatment for scimitar syndrome. However, it is not always necessary as many patients are asymptomatic, have small left-to-right shunts, and enjoy a normal life expectancy without surgery. We report multimodality imaging in four adults with scimitar syndrome and the implications for management of this rare syndrome.
The effects of social networks on the flow of international students

International study provides many benefits to the countries that host students, to the students’ home countries and to the students themselves. We extend the empirical knowledge regarding flows of international students, using a panel of data that spans 17 years, 26 host countries and 85 countries of origin. We examine the hypothesis that social networks are an important factor motivating study abroad by including lagged variables of the levels and shares of enrolment in the analysis. The analysis shows that they are significant factors: a 1% rise in a host country's share of an origin country's international student “diaspora” is associated with a 0.09%–0.12% rise in the number of students studying in that host from that origin, 5 years later. This is consistent with the literature on the economics of immigration, which finds social networks to be important, and transitory, in inducing immigration. These effects are found in models that control for other factors as well: earnings differentials, quality of higher education system, distance, common language and colonial relationship. The results suggest that one‐off policies to better recruit or attract international students will have ongoing benefits, in terms of follow‐on recruitment of further students by the initial students.
Efficient Algorithm Adaptations and Fully Parallel Hardware Architecture of H.265/HEVC Intra Encoder

The growing demand for high-performance ultra-high-definition video coding leads to H.265/high-efficiency video coding (HEVC), where the increased computational complexity and data/timing dependence hinder its coding throughput. To address these challenges, this paper presents four algorithm adaptations and a fully parallel hardware architecture for an H.265/HEVC intra encoder. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first fully parallel H.265/HEVC intra encoder. This design supports 35 prediction modes and all coding tree unit partitions. All PUs are independently processed in four prediction engines for high parallelism. An appropriate set of intra prediction modes, RDO candidates, and CABAC rate estimate instances is assigned to each prediction engine, where internal computational tasks are pipelined and scheduled to maximize the processing throughput. Compared with the HM-15.0 software, the proposed algorithm adaptations lead to a reduction of 27% in computational workload, while the average BD-rate and BD-PSNR are 4.39% and −0.21 dB, respectively. This BD-rate is lower than the existing designs with the same video resolution. FPGA implementation of the proposed design shows that it operates at 120 MHz and supports 45 fps of 1080P video sequences using 201-K logic elements and 120-KB on-chip SRAM. ASIC implementation of the proposed design in TSMC 90-nm technology shows that its clock frequency reaches 320 MHz with a hardware gate count of 2288 K, and that it supports real-time encoding of 30 fps of 4-K video sequences. Compared with the state-of-the-art designs, our proposed design demonstrates advantages in computational complexity, bit rate, video quality, throughput, reliability, and flexibility.
Multilevel Metric Games.

motivated by their interest in the outcomes of the games, they do not associate the practice in them with the tedium of some drill problems. The materials needed are easy to make, and some of them can be made by the children themselves. Several sets of rules are given for each set of materials so that the games can be used on different levels. Children may wish to create their own rules once they have learned to play these games. They can be played alone or in small groups.
Compartmentalization of Redox-Regulated Signaling in the Pulmonary Circulation.

Abstract Oxidative stress is well recognized to contribute to the pathogenesis of diverse diseases, including the devastating disease of the lung's blood vessels, pulmonary arterial hypertension (P...