cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Executive Development as a Competitive Weapon

It is demonstrated how businesses can use executive development to gain competitors′ advantage. Specific choices and practices used by executives to help make this happen are identified.
Efficient model reduction of interconnect via approximate system gramians

Krylov-subspace based methods for generating low-order models of complicated interconnect are extremely effective, but there is no optimality theory for the resulting models. Alternatively, methods based on truncating a balanced realization (TBR), in which the observability and controllability gramians have been diagonalized, do have an optimality property but are too computationally expensive to use on complicated problems. In this paper we present a method for computing reduced-order models of interconnect by projection via the orthogonalized union of the approximate dominant eigenspaces of the system's controllability and observability gramians. The approximate dominant eigenspaces are obtained efficiently using an iterative Lyapunov equation solver, Vector ADI, which requires only linear matrix-vector solves. A spiral inductor and a transmission line example are used to demonstrate that the new method accurately approximates the TBR results and gives much more accurate wideband models than Krylov subspace-based moment matching methods.
Sex differences in circulating human leptin pulse amplitude: clinical implications

Leptin, a product of fat cells, provides a signal of nutritional status to the central nervous system. Leptin concentrations have ultradian and diurnal fluctuations. We conducted this study to assess sex differences in the levels of organization of frequently sampled leptin concentrations in healthy, normal weight women and men. Leptin levels were sampled every 7 min for 24 h in 14 healthy, normal weight individuals (6 women and 8 men). The 14 leptin time series containing a total of 2898 leptin measurements were assessed by 1) algorithms that characterize statistically significant pulsatility, 2) Spectral (Fourier) analysis, 3) analysis of time intervals and variability, and 4) approximate entropy. We found that frequently sampled plasma leptin concentrations have a 24-h profile that is numerically more than twice as high in women as in men, and leptin pulse amplitude is likewise more than twice as high in women. However, healthy men and women have nearly identical concentration-independent and frequency-related 24-h and ultradian patterns. Leptin concentrations have nonrandom fluctuations over 24 h, independent of their absolute value and underlying 24-h periodicity, that are similar in men and women. Ultradian periodicities detected by Fourier time series have similar values in men and women. The strongest distinction between the sexes in the level of organization of leptin concentration is not at the level of pulse organization or oscillation frequency, but, rather, in the mass or amount of leptin released (or removed) per unit time, indicating that women might be more resistant to the effects of leptin than men. Because leptin is clinically relevant to the regulation of body weight, future studies should examine whether the relative leptin resistance exhibited by women might contribute to their increased susceptibility to disorders whose pathophysiology involves dysregulation of food intake and body weight. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 83: 4140 ‐ 4147, 1998)
Characteristics of bubble clouds at various wind speeds

[1] We present the results of a laboratory study on bubble clouds characteristics (length, depth of penetration, width, and void fraction) in fresh water for wind speeds from 9 to 16 m s−1. Temporal and spatial changes of these characteristics and their statistics were extracted from video images from side and top views. Cloud characteristics were scaled with the period T, wavelength L, phase speed c, and significant wave height Hs of the dominant wave. The lifetime of the bubble cloud comprises formation, growth and decay stages. The bubble cloud moves forward horizontally with the wave for the initial 1/3 of the wave period at approximately half the wave phase speed (0.5c). The subsequent dominant motion of the bubble cloud in the wave trough is vertical with a mean speed half that of rising bubbles. The void fraction is as high as 80–99% in the first quarter (0.25T) of the bubble cloud lifetime corresponding to wave phase of up to 90°. The void fraction decreases steadily to about 20–30% at 0.7T (wave phase of ∼270°). Probability density functions of the bubble cloud characteristics show that the bubble cloud length varies from 0.1L to 0.7L; the bubble cloud thickness ranges from 0.5Hs to 2Hs. Scaled bubble cloud characteristics and the cloud void fraction vary weakly with the wind speed for the growth stage. Residual void fractions can persist for long times O(100T).
New paradigms for the use of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics in renal disease

Prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics are now used more commonly in medicine, and they are generally considered to be dietary supplements and not drugs. They are not meant to be used for the treatment of disease, although recent interest has grown in the area of disease treatment. Not all of the research is in support of the benefi t provided by these supplements, and it is important to be aware of the associated risks and benefi ts. In nephrology, these supplements show potential benefi ts in treating kidney stones, uremia, and urinary tract infections. This paper reviews the current literature with an emphasis on the risks and benefi ts of these supplements in the treatment of these renal disorders.
Providing database as a service

We explore a novel paradigm for data management in which a third party service provider hosts "database as a service", providing its customers with seamless mechanisms to create, store, and access their databases at the host site. Such a model alleviates the need for organizations to purchase expensive hardware and software, deal with software upgrades, and hire professionals for administrative and maintenance tasks which are taken over by the service provider. We have developed and deployed a database service on the Internet, called NetDB2, which is in constant use. In a sense, a data management model supported by NetDB2 provides an effective mechanism for organizations to purchase data management as a service, thereby freeing them to concentrate on their core businesses. Among the primary challenges introduced by "database as a service" are the additional overhead of remote access to data, an infrastructure to guarantee data privacy, and user interface design for such a service. These issues are investigated. We identify data privacy as a particularly vital problem and propose alternative solutions based on data encryption. The paper is meant as a challenge for the database community to explore a rich set of research issues that arise in developing such a service.
Brachial plexopathy in breast cancer

10601 Background: Brachial plexopathy is a well-recognized complication of breast cancer, most attributed to late effects of radiation. However, direct involvement of brachial plexus by recurrent b...
CAVE2 documentary

This video describes the CAVE2 Hybrid Reality Environment developed by the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). CAVE2 is a near-seamless flat-panel-based, surround-screen immersive system that can simultaneously display both 2D and 3D information, providing more flexibility for mixed media applications and more opportunities for groups of researchers to work together with large heterogeneous datasets [1]. CAVE2 is a cylindrical system of 24 feet in diameter and 8 feet tall, and consists of 72 near-seamless, off-axis-optimized passive-stereo LCD panels, creating a 320-degree panoramic environment for displaying information at 37 Megapixels (in stereoscopic 3D) or 74 Megapixels in 2D and at a horizontal visual acuity of 20/20 [2]. Custom LCD panels with shifted polarizers were built so the images in the top and bottom rows of LCDs are optimized for vertical off-center viewing, allowing viewers to come closer to the displays while minimizing ghosting. EVL's Omegalib middleware supports fully immersive OpenGL, OpenSceneGraph and VTK applications, as well as EVL's SAGE middleware to achieve a hybrid 2D/3D environment. CAVE2 also supports CalVR (developed at the Calit2 Qualcomm Institute at University of California, San Diego), Electro (by Robert Kooima, currently at Louisiana State University) and Google Earth.
Behavioral and psychiatric phenotypes in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

ABSTRACT:22q11.2 Deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is a chromosomal microdeletion that affects approximately 40 to 50 genes and affects various organs and systems throughout the body. Detection is typically achieved by fluorescence in situ hybridization after diagnosis of one of the major features of th
Insecticide Tests for Control of Needle Midges, Contarinia spp., on Douglas-Fir in Western Oregon

Insecticide tests to control Contarinia spp. on Douglas-fir were conducted in a small Christmas tree plantation in western Oregon. Acceptable control was achieved with the following materials: endosulfan, dimethoate, lindane (ground spray), carbofuran, and Temik® a 10% granular formulation of UC-21149 (2-methyl-2-(methylthio) propionaldehyde 0 -(methylcarbamoyl) oxime), Adult midge emergence was monitored and was found to provide an index for timing insecticides.
Using AADL to Enable MBSE for NASA Space Mission Operations

This paper describes the potential of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) that uses the Architecture Analysis and Design Language (AADL) to model space systems. AADL modeling is applicable to real-time embedded systems– the types of systems NASA builds. A case study with the Juno mission to Jupiter showcases how this work will enable future missions to benefit from using these models throughout their life cycle from design to flight operations.
Fabricationona Single Chip Terahertz Dual-Band Absorber by Usingon-Chip Metamaterial Structure

A single-chip metamaterial absorber in terahertz band is proposed,which is based on 65 nm complementary metal-oxide semiconductor( CMOS) process. The chip area is approximately 0. 60 mm by0. 65 mm and totally contains 75 absorbing cells. The periodic cell of the absorber is made of octagon-splitand square-split ring resonators,which are designed by employing a 3. 2 μm copper on the top layer in the CMOS technology. The dielectric spacer consists of un-doped silicate glass,silicon carbide and silicon nitride with the total thickness of 9. 02 μm. On the back of dielectric is made up a short copper line with the thickness of 0. 2 μm. It has been found that the maximum absorptivity,based on HFSS simulations,has achieved 97. 84% at 0. 921 THz and 95. 76% at 1. 181 THz,respectively. In comparison with other terahertz absorbers fabricated by using gallium arsenide or film technology,this proposed absorber overcomes the compatibility issues appeared in CMOS process. In addition,it is found that this structure can be easily implemented in large scale integrated circuits.
Erfahrungen mit dem haemorrhagischen Schock beim Ferkel

74 Ferkel wurden einem haemorrhagischen Schock (Dauer 3 Stunden; mittlerer Aortendruck 40 mm Hg) unterzogen (NORTON 1972, GOODMAN 1972). Alle Tiere entwickelten daraufhin Stresslasionen an Magen und Duodenum. Aus folgenden Grunden scheint der vorliegende Versuchsaufbau gut geeignet, Pathophysiologie, Prophylaxe und Therapie von Stressulcera zu studieren: Der haemorrhagische Schock stellt eine wichtige chirurgische Ursache dar, in deren Gefolge Stresslasionen auftreten; menschliche Stressulcera zeigen eine bemerkenswerte Ubereinstimmung mit den in diesem Modell erzeugten Lasionen; das Schwein entspricht in vielen Charakteristika seiner gastrointestinalen Physiologie im Vergleich zu anderen Versuchstieren am ehesten dem Menschen. Diesen Vorteilen stehen einige Probleme des Modells gegenuber: Aufwendige Haltung, lange Vorbereitungszeit zur Untersuchung am Magen, rasche Verschiebung im Saurebasenhaushalt mit nachfolgenden Kalium-Entgleisungen, irreversibler Schock nach verlangerten Hypotension. Aus diesen Grunden verstarben 19% aller Tiere vor (1), wahrend (10) oder unmittelbar nach dem Schock (3). Bei Kenntnis der Probleme lassen sich diese Todesursachen jedoch weitgehend ausschalten, so das sich in diesem Modell eine hohe Inzidenz von Magenschleimhautlasionen mit einer geringen Rate von Ausfallen vereinigt.
Commercial Banks’ Federal ‘Safety Net’

Those who do not want the Glass-Steagall Act rescinded argue that the federal government provides commercial banks with a ‘safety net’, which it should not extend to cover securities activities. As the Securities Industry Association (SIA) (1987, p. 2) testifies: ‘The federal government and the taxpayer support the banking system so that banks will perform their role of objective lender to the rest of society, not to support dealing in the capital markets or investment in real estate’. The SIA entitled section II of its statement, ‘The Federal Safety Net, Taxpayer Risk and Unfair Advantage’. Unfortunately, I cannot find a precise definition of the federal ‘safety net’ either in this document or elsewhere. I believe, nevertheless, that those who argue against the federal government’s allowing banks to engage in securities activities have four, somewhat interrelated, aspects of the federal ‘safety net’ in mind: (i) federal deposit insurance; (ii) loans from the Federal Reserve banks’ discount windows; (iii) government intervention to prevent bank runs and a loss of depositor confidence in the banking system; and (iv) government intervention to prevent disruption that the failure of financial service firms might cause.
Effects of Presentation Interference in Learning with Visuals

AbstractInformed by single-element screen design studies and professional practice, this combined-element study compared a contextually based, intentionally interference free presentation against two presentations containing multiple, typically minor design flaws to determine the effects of presentation interference on students’ ability to learn from, and their beliefs regarding, computer-generated presentations. Results indicated significantly higher posttest scores for the interference free presentation group than for either of the two groups receiving presentations containing interference, however results suggest that increasing intentional interference does not always lead to reduced learning. Although the well designed presentation and a presentation containing intentional interference both resulted in strong beliefs regarding the beneficial nature of computer generated presentations, treatments containing presentation interference significantly reduced learning
The Consequences of British Rule and Japanese Occupation

Although Lord Dufferin had declared Burma to be a province of the Indian Empire, for the next four years the real administration of Upper Burma was in the hands of the British army, because of the great fight put up by the Burmese guerrillas. From the very beginning the British took up the position that as Theebaw had made a formal surrender of his power and authority, all those fighting on his behalf or fighting for the restoration of the monarchy were mere bandits and robbers, to be given the name of “dacoits” On the other hand, the British argued that these dacoits were guilty of treason, and therefore should be given the penalty of death. Although martial law was not actually proclaimed, it was the Provost Marshall who meted out justice. There were mass executions of the Burmese guerrillas. Burning of villages and general massacre of villagers were resorted to, so as to overawe the countryside from giving any assistance to the so-called dacoits. Some English language papers in India, which had approved the annexation, now criticized the British Government for the slaughter of the patriots. The English merchants at Rangoon approved of those harsh measures, forgetting that only a few years before they were recoiling in disgust at Theebaw’s massacre of his relations and Taingdar’s massacre of prisoners in his jails. But the press in England protested against the executions authorized without proper trial and the callous way in which they were carried out. The London Times gave the following report: The ghastly scenes which constantly recur in executions carried out by the Provost Marshall constitute grave public scandals. The Provost Marshall, who is an ardent amateur photographer, is desirous of securing views of the persons executed at the precise moment when they are struck by the bullets. To secure this result, after the orders “Ready,” “Present” have been given to the firing party, the Provost Marshall fixes his camera on the prisoners, who at times are kept waiting for some minutes in the position. The officer commanding the firing party is then directed by the Provost Marshall to give the order to fire at the moment when he exposes his plate.1
Graphical Descriptives: A Way to Improve Data Transparency and Methodological Rigor in Psychology.

Several calls have recently been issued to the social sciences for enhanced transparency of research processes and enhanced rigor in the methodological treatment of data and data analytics. We prop...
Protein kinase C zeta isoform is critical for proliferation in human glioblastoma cell lines.

Previous studies have confirmed that proliferation in glioblastoma cell lines can be blocked by non-isoform specific protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors, e.g calphostin C, staurosporine. However, the exact mechanism of PKC involvement is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to explore the role of specific PKC isoforms in the aberrant growth of glioblastoma. Identification of the isoform(s) critical for proliferation in glioblastoma would present a better target for the design of chemotherapeutic strategies. To this end, we screened expression on PKC isoforms in four human glioblastoma cell lines both when proliferating and in a quiescent state using western assays. PKC isoforms alpha, beta, betaII and zeta were found to be expressed in all cell lines. PKC epsilon was detected in three out of four cell lines and PKC eta was detected in one out of four cell lines. Quiescence of growth resulted in down-regulation of PKC epsilon. We examined the role of these isoforms by studying the effect of PKC isoform-specific inhibitors bisindolylmaleimide-I and Go6976 on proliferation in a panel of four human glioblastoma cell lines. Inhibition of PKC alpha and epsilon had no effect on proliferation, suggesting that previous studies targeting PKC alpha may not be of therapeutic benefit. More significantly, it was shown that inhibition of PKC zeta blocked proliferation. This suggests that the inhibition of PKC zeta may be an important chemotherapeutic target for arresting growth in glioblastoma.
Market Urbanism: Pro-Market Solutions To Anti-Market Sprawl

This chapter summarizes the market-oriented reforms proposed in earlier chapters. The chapter proposes making cities more attractive by reducing highway spending, increasing parents’ educational options, and deregulating urban zoning. The chapter also proposes that government make cities and suburbs more pedestrian-friendly by eliminating minimum parking and setback requirements, allowing narrower streets, abolishing anti-jaywalking laws, and allowing children to walk to school and other destinations.
Comparison of scanning times for different dental cast materials using an intraoral scanner

Abstract Purpose Intraoral scanners can be used to scan dental study casts, to help reduce office storage space and facilitate model retrieval when necessary. The goals of this study were to compare the time necessary to scan mandibular yellow dental casts with and without titanium dioxide powder (TDP) and orthodontic type III white stone dental casts using an intraoral scanner. Materials and methods The study sample included 30 mandibular yellow stone dental casts scanned without TDP (group A) and scanned with TDP (group B) and 30 orthodontic type III white stone dental casts (group C). All casts were scanned with a Lava Chairside Oral Scanner. Scanning sessions were timed and recorded to the closest second and then converted into minutes and seconds. Descriptive statistics, a paired and an independent-sample t test, and Bonferroni correction were applied to the multiple tests. Results More time was required to scan yellow dental casts without powder than to scan dental casts with powder ( P P Conclusion Intraoral dental scanners can be used to scan both yellow and white dental casts. It is time efficient for clinicians to use TDP if they are using yellow stone casts. The scanning time with orthodontic type III white stone is less than with yellow stone casts.
The Significance of Nitric Oxide–Modified GAPDH: Regulation of Apoptosis, Cell Signaling, and Heme Metabolism

Apoptosis is a complex mechanism through which cells program their own destruction. Nitric oxide (NO) is an inter- and intracellular signaling molecule. Recent evidence suggests that NO modification of GAPDH at its active site cysteine (SNO-GAPDH) is a critical event through which apoptosis is initiated. SNO-GAPDH forms a cytoplasmic protein complex with Siah1 resulting in their nuclear translocation. Subsequent nuclear apoptotic events include protein degradation, activation through acetylation, and downstream p53-dependent gene expression all culminating in cell death. GOSPEL binding to SNO-GAPDH may inhibit its Siah1 interaction preventing both its nuclear translocation and programmed cell death. Similarly, unmodified GAPDH may participate in autophagy as a means to ensure cell survival. SNO-GAPDH may function as a transnitrosylase transferring its NO moiety to cellular and mitochondrial proteins affecting both their structure and function. Lastly, SNO-GAPDH may provide a means to regulate heme structure and function. In toto, these findings suggest a complex relationship between NO and GAPDH generally as well as a critical intracellular role for SNO-GAPDH specifically.
A Machine Learning Algorithm for Identifying Atopic Dermatitis in Adults from Electronic Health Records

The current work aims to identify patients with atopic dermatitis for inclusion in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Here we describe a machine learning-based phenotype algorithm. Using the electronic health record (EHR), we combined coded information with information extracted from encounter notes as features in a lasso logistic regression. Our algorithm achieves high positive predictive value (PPV) and sensitivity, improving on previous algorithms with low sensitivity. These results demonstrate the utility of natural language processing(NLP) and machine learning for EHR-based phenotyping.
Label-free and Nondestructive Method for Cell Viability Assessment with Two-photon Fluorescence Microscopy

We imaged cartilage tissues excised from rat tibia condyles with fluorescence from either intrinsic fluorophores or live/dead labeling dye upon two-photon excitation. The results suggested that the fluorescence ratio of NAD(P)H/FAD reflects chondrocyte viability.
Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma in the young

It has been almost a quarter of a century that this rare, still poorly understood and to date insufficiently studied, cartilage neoplasm was described. Based on 19 cases in the young representing 26 percent of chondrosarcoma patients under the age of 21 years, this study found equal sex distribution with the youngest patient being a 6-year old boy. Twelve lesions occurred between the ages of 16 and 21 years. All but one of the tumors arose in the skeleton with nearly half of them involving the lower extremity. Pain was inconsistent and rare at presentation in contrast to the regularity of swelling or a painless mass. Survival analysis revealed a 46 percent 2-year and a 35 percent 5-year survival rate, whereas at 10 years only 20 percent of the patients were still alive. This study attempts to establish the likeliest evolutionary pathway of neoplastic cell differentiation and traces the origin of this tumor to a neoplastic caricature of embryonal endochondral osteogenesis.
Properties and mode of action of cellulase

Native cellulose undergoing an attack by cellulase exhibits extensive changes in physical properties prior to producing a measurable quantity of reducing sugar. These changes include fragmentation, swelling, considerable loss in tensile strength, transverse cracking, and lowering of the degree of polymerization. Fragmentation and swelling of cellulose fibers are characteristic of purified Cx enzyme action rather than C1, action.
Flavonoids as Hormones

Although for centuries plants have been known to have hormone-like actions in humans, the mechanism(s) by which plant-derived compounds act in humans is still being elucidated, a goal that has assumed more importance due to interest in the protective actions of fruits and vegetables in diseases such as cancer. Here I use the “molecular fossil record” of amino acid sequences of proteins involved in regulating the actions steroids, retinoids, thyroid hormone and prostaglandins to propose some mechanisms by which flavonoids in fruits and vegetables can have hormone-like actions in humans. I focus on: i) hormone receptors that bind to DNA and regulate gene transcription and ii) the enzymes that regulate the concentrations of these hormones. Comparative analyses of amino acid sequences show that nuclear receptors for steroids, retinoids, thyroid hormone and prostaglandins in humans and insects are descended from a common ancestor. Similar analyses of dehydrogenases that regulate the concentrations of steroids, retinoids and prostaglandins reveal strong sequence similarity to enzymes in plants, insects, fungi, and bacteria. The similarity is sufficient to suggest that some compounds that bind receptors or enzymes in invertebrates, plants or unicellular organisms may also bind to mammalian homologs that are involved in endocrine physiology. Among the phytochemicals that are candidates for such activity are flavonoids because they are involved in plant-insect and plant-bacteria interactions and have some structural and chemical similarities to steroids, retinoids, thyroid hormone, prostaglandins and fatty acids. These similarities and the kinship of human, plant, insect and bacterial proteins involved in signal transduction provide a conceptual framework for investigating flavonoids for hormone-like actions in humans. Understanding these modes of action may be useful in developing protocols for preventing hormone-dependent diseases such as breast and prostate cancer.
Developing professional competence among critical care nurses: An integrative review of literature.

Abstract Background Professional competence is the ability to base clinical decisions on prior experiences with particular clinical situations. Methods An integrative review of the literature using the methodology of Whittemore and Knafl. The guiding question was: What is the extent and nature of the published literature on intensive care nurses developing professional competence? Results This review analysed 21 peer-reviewed articles obtained from electronic databases. The three main domains of professional competence were managing situations, decision-making and teamwork. Three instruments, the Critical Care Competency Assessment instrument, the Self-Assessment Competence Tool, and the Intensive and Critical Care Nursing Competence Scale (intensive care unit), measure professional and/or clinical competence. Demographic factors are experience, education, age, figure tow near here certification status, gender and location. Conclusion Perception of self-competence, seeing beyond the technical aspects of care to the patient, and perceptions of and bonding with intensive care patients and their families are other facets of professional competence that warrant further study.
Collaboration for Strategic Change: Examining Dialectical Tensions in an Interorganizational Change Effort:

Given the increasing number of interorganizational collaborations across governmental and private sectors, this study furthers theoretical understanding of these relationships by focusing on dialec...
The Road to September 1939: Polish Jews, Zionists, and the Yishuv on the Eve of World War II: by Yaacov Shavit and Jehuda Reinharz translated by Michal Sapir (Waltham: Brandeis University Press/UPNE, 2018), 432 pages

The authors of this study are Jehuda Reinharz, Richard Koret Professor of Modern Jewish History at Brandeis University, and Yaacov Shavit, professor emeritus at the Department of Jewish History, Te...
Effect of Visual Feedback Squat Motion on Core Muscles Thickness of Young People with Lower Back Pain

Purpose: This study examined the effect of visual feedback squat on the core muscle thickness of young adults experiencing back pain. Methods: Thirty adult men and women who experienced back pain were assigned randomly to 15 members of the visual feedback squat group (VSG) and 15 of the normal squat group (NSG) to train three times a week for a total of eight weeks. The core muscle thickness was compared prior to the test for four weeks and eight weeks after the test by dividing it into warm-up exercise, main exercise, and 10 minutes finishing exercise. Before, and four weeks and eight weeks later, the thickness of the core muscle was compared using an ultra sonic imaging system. Repeated measured ANOVA was performed to compare the groups, and a Bonferroni test was performed as a post-hoc test to assess the significance of the timing of the measurements in each group according to the periods. An independent t-test was conducted to test the significance between the groups according to the measurement points. Results: A significant change in the main effects of time and interactions of the time difference in muscle thickness of transvers abdom inis were observed between the visual feedback squat and control groups according to the measurement point (p 0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that visual feedback squat exercise is expected to have positive effects on the development of trans verse abdominis in core muscles.
The effect of financial reporting quality on CEO compensation structure: Evidence from accounting comparability

Abstract This study examines the effect of accounting comparability on the design of CEO compensation structure. After controlling for firm-specific attributes, we find that accounting comparability is positively associated with CEO equity-based compensation intensity and pay-performance sensitivity. This suggests that the improved comparability increases the usefulness of equity-based compensation and a firm is willing to offer more equity-based compensation contracts to CEOs and increase their pay-performance sensitivity. Further, we find that the impact of comparability on the CEO’s compensation contract increases with information asymmetry, which is consistent with the notion that accounting comparability is a quality of financial reporting that facilitates the use of equity-based compensation in a poor information environment. Our analysis also reveals that the effect of accounting comparability on CEO compensation structure is greater when a firm’s corporate governance is strong, consistent with the complementary relation between comparability and the exiting corporate governance in determining CEO compensation schemes. Overall, our evidence suggests that firms utilize more equity-based compensation as a proportion of total compensation under greater accounting comparability and enhance the alignment between equity-based compensation and firm performance.
Analysis of Hospitalization Length of Stay and Total Charges for Patients with Drug Abuse Comorbidity.

Background Drug abuse has been on the increase over the last few years, contributing to the healthcare cost. An understanding of the overall impact of drug abuse hospitalizations is essential in combatting the drug abuse epidemic. Objective To evaluate inpatient outcomes of total charges and length of stay for patients with drug abuse comorbidity compared to non-drug abuse admissions. Method The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample data was utilized. Drug abuse comorbidity was used as defined by HCUP. Various descriptive and inferential analyses were performed on the filtered data sets for the years 2010 to 2014. Results The average hospitalization length of stay was 4.5 days for non-drug abuse and 5.5 days for drug abuse comorbidity (P < 0.001). Mean charges for drug abuse comorbidity were significant for claims to private insurance and Medicaid. Conclusion Total charges and length of stay are higher for drug abuse than non-drug abuse cases. The results will aid as a reference for resource allocation and policy changes. Further research is needed for alternative and innovative interventions for conditions that are identified to be co-existing with drug abuse comorbidity.
Developmental gene expression as a phylogenetic data class: support for the monophyly of Arachnopulmonata

Despite application of genome-scale datasets, the phylogenetic placement of scorpions within arachnids remains contentious between two different phylogenetic data classes. Paleontologists continue to recover scorpions in a basally branching position, partly owing to their morphological similarity to extinct marine orders like Eurypterida (sea scorpions). Phylogenomic datasets consistently recover scorpions in a derived position, as the sister group of Tetrapulmonata (a clade of arachnids that includes spiders). To adjudicate between these hypotheses using a rare genomic change (RGC), we leveraged the recent discovery of ancient paralogy in spiders and scorpions to assess phylogenetic placement. We identified homologs of four transcription factors required for appendage patterning (dachshund, homothorax, extradenticle, and optomotor blind) in arthropods that are known to be duplicated in spiders. Using genomic resources for a spider, a scorpion, and a harvestman, we conducted gene tree analyses and assayed expression patterns of scorpion gene duplicates. Here we show that scorpions, like spiders, retain two copies of all four transcription factors, whereas arachnid orders like mites and harvestmen bear a single copy. A survey of embryonic expression patterns of the scorpion paralogs closely matches those of their spider counterparts, with one paralog consistently retaining the putatively ancestral pattern found in the harvestman, as well as the mite, and/or other outgroups. These data comprise a rare genomic change in chelicerate phylogeny supporting the inference of a distal placement of scorpions. Beyond demonstrating the diagnostic power of developmental genetic data as a phylogenetic data class, a derived placement of scorpions within the arachnids, together with an array of stem-group Paleozoic scorpions that occupied marine habitats, effectively rules out a scenario of a single colonization of terrestrial habitat within Chelicerata, even in tree topologies contrived to recover the monophyly of Arachnida.
Puzzle: the AI circus: (puzzle in honor of Tuomas Sandholm's 50th birthday)

Please send solutions to the author by e-mail, with the title of this puzzle in the subject header. By agreement with the editors, the best solution will be published in the next issue of SIGecom Exchanges, provided that that solution is of sufficiently high quality. Quality is judged by the author, taking into account at least soundness, completeness, and clarity of exposition. A solution may be published even if it does not solve all cases.
Turning Your Customers into Brand Evangelists: Evidence from Cruise Travelers

This study suggests that building long-term relationships between a cruise brand and its passengers through brand experience is more important than the standard offerings. This study applies the fr...
Multi-objective optimization of orthogonal TLCDs for reducing fatigue and extreme loads of a floating offshore wind turbine

Abstract Floating offshore wind turbines have substantial potential to harness energy in deep-water locations, however, compared to fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines, they also have more complicated dynamic behavior that may lead to larger structural loads. In this paper, structural control using tuned liquid column dampers (TLCDs) is applied to a tension leg platform type floating offshore wind turbine in order to improve the structural response and reliability of the system. A structural control module in the aero-hydro-servo-elastic wind turbine simulator, FASTv8, is developed that enables the analysis of passive orthogonal tuned liquid column dampers with variable cross-sectional areas. Multi-objective optimization using the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II is solved to provide an optimal Pareto front that can be used to select designs of the orthogonal TLCDs. With the optimal designs, non-linear fully-coupled time marching simulations are conducted to evaluate the impacts of the orthogonal TLCDs on reducing fatigue and extreme loads. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the orthogonal TLCDs on reducing the fore-aft and side-to-side fatigue and extreme loadings.
Theory of finite-temperature two-dimensional structural transformations in group-IV monochalcogenide monolayers

One account of two-dimensional (2D) structural transformations in 2D ferroelectrics predicts an evolution from a structure with ${\mathrm{Pnm}2}_{1}$ symmetry into a structure with square P4/nmm symmetry and is consistent with experimental evidence, while another argues for a transformation into a structure with rectangular Pnmm symmetry. An analysis of the assumptions made in these models is provided here, and six fundamental results concerning these transformations are contributed as follows: (i) Softened phonon modes produce rotational modes in these materials. (ii) The transformation to a structure with P4/nmm symmetry occurs at the lowest critical temperature ${T}_{c}$. (iii) The hypothesis that one unidirectional optical vibrational mode underpins the 2D transformation is unwarranted. (iv) Being successively more constrained, a succession of critical temperatures $({T}_{c}l{T}_{c}^{\ensuremath{'}}l{T}_{c}^{\ensuremath{''}})$ occurs in going from molecular dynamics calculations with the NPT and NVT ensembles onto models with unidirectional oscillations. (v) The choice of exchange-correlation functional impacts the estimate of the critical temperature. (vi) Crucially, the correct physical picture of these transformations is one in which rotational modes confer a topological character to the 2D transformation via the proliferation of vortices.
Chapter 12 – Oropharyngeal Carcinoma

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on oropharyngeal carcinoma. Cancers of the mouth, tongue, gums, oral cavity, and pharynx are more common in smokers, drinkers, and especially drinkers who smoke. Chewing tobacco and “paan” clearly increases risk of these cancers as does poor oral hygiene and the consumption of very hot drinks, such as mate—a South American tea. Dietary fruit and vitamin C and E supplements decrease the risk of these cancers. Lip cancer is more common in outdoor workers and is probably related to sun exposure. Cancer of the nasopharynx is also related to certain dietary practices, such as the childhood consumption of salted fish, as practiced by Cantonese people. Neither lip nor nasopharyngeal cancers account for more than a very small number of all oropharyngeal cancers in Los Angeles. Cancers of the oropharynx are nearly three times as common among men as women. They occur at about the same rate in Los Angeles as in other parts of the country, although rates among women in Utah are rather low.
Interpretable Ranking with Generalized Additive Models

Interpretability of ranking models is a crucial yet relatively under-examined research area. Recent progress on this area largely focuses on generating post-hoc explanations for existing black-box ranking models. Though promising, such post-hoc methods cannot provide sufficiently accurate explanations in general, which makes them infeasible in many high-stakes scenarios, especially the ones with legal or policy constraints. Thus, building an intrinsically interpretable ranking model with transparent, self-explainable structure becomes necessary, but this remains less explored in the learning-to-rank setting. In this paper, we lay the groundwork for intrinsically interpretable learning-to-rank by introducing generalized additive models (GAMs) into ranking tasks. Generalized additive models (GAMs) are intrinsically interpretable machine learning models and have been extensively studied on regression and classification tasks. We study how to extend GAMs into ranking models which can handle both item-level and list-level features and propose a novel formulation of ranking GAMs. To instantiate ranking GAMs, we employ neural networks instead of traditional splines or regression trees. We also show that our neural ranking GAMs can be distilled into a set of simple and compact piece-wise linear functions that are much more efficient to evaluate with little accuracy loss. We conduct experiments on three data sets and show that our proposed neural ranking GAMs can outperform other traditional GAM baselines while maintaining similar interpretability.
The Changing of the Cattle Guard: BLM's New Approach to Grazing Qualifications

This article traces the history of the four qualifications requirements for applicants seeking grazing permits on public domain lands under Bureau of Land Management jurisdiction: (1) citizenship/residency, (2) livestock ownership, (3) base property and (4) grazing preference. The article discusses the origins of these four requirements in the common grazing practices on the federal range in the early twentieth century, when grazing was unregulated, then discusses the extent to which they are explicitly or impliedly incorporated into the Taylor Grazing Act, and finally, explains the regulatory history of each requirement from 1934 to the present. The article concludes that BLM’s new qualifications model, which has opened the application process to non-traditional applicants such as conservation organizations, and which was recently upheld by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Stewart v. Kempthorne, will help the agency more easily accomplish its goals under various land management statutes, which should in turn allow the federal rangelands to regenerate after years of intensive livestock grazing.
Preventing sudden cardiac death in young athletes – A perspective from the United States

Abstract Sudden cardiac death in young athletes is a rare, but devastating complication of several clinically silent conditions which can become unmasked during periods of intense physical activity. Prevention of sudden cardiac death starts with robust screening to allow the early identification of at risk individuals and the implementation of preventive strategies. The specific approach to screening (history and physical, with or without pre-participation electrocardiograms) varies across the globe with some notable differences between that used in Europe and the United States. The rationale for this variation is complex, but can be linked to the differences in risk factor prevalence, the healthcare infrastructure, and the capacity to identify and triage at risk individuals in a cost-effective manner. Beyond knowing the differences in the approaches to screening, establishing strategies that work (including novel techniques) and those that can be implemented in a successful and sustainable manner are key.
A Phase 0 Trial of Ceritinib in Patients with Brain Metastases and Recurrent Glioblastoma.

PURPOSE Ceritinib is an orally bioavailable, small-molecule inhibitor of anaplastic lympoma kinase (ALK), insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGFR1), and focal adhesion kinase (FAK), which are highly expressed in glioblastoma and many brain metastases. Preclinical and clinical studies indicate that ceritinib has antitumor activity in central nervous system (CNS) malignancies. This phase 0 trial measured the tumor pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of ceritinib in patients with brain metastasis or recurrent glioblastoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS Preoperative patients with brain tumors demonstrating high expression of pSTAT5b/pFAK/pIGFR1 were administered ceritinib for 10 days prior to tumor resection. Plasma, tumor, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected at predefined timepoints following the final dose. Total and unbound drug concentrations were determined using LC-MS/MS. In treated tumor and matched archival tissues, tumor PD was quantified through IHC analysis of pALK, pSTAT5b, pFAK, pIGFR1, and pIRS1. RESULTS Ten patients (3 brain metastasis, 7 glioblastoma) were enrolled and no dose-limiting toxicities were observed. Ceritinib was highly bound to human plasma protein [median fraction unbound (Fu), 1.4%] and to brain tumor tissue (median Fu, 0.051% and 0.045% in gadolinium-enhancing and -nonenhancing regions respectively). Median unbound concentrations in enhancing and nonenhancing tumor were 0.048 and 0.006 μmol/L, respectively. Median unbound tumor-to-plasma ratios were 2.86 and 0.33 in enhancing and nonenhancing tumor, respectively. No changes in PD biomarkers were observed in the treated tumor samples as compared to matched archival tumor tissue. CONCLUSIONS Ceritinib is highly bound to plasma proteins and tumor tissues. Unbound drug concentrations achieved in brain metastases and patients with recurrent glioblastoma were insufficient for target modulation.
New occurrences of Sphenothallus in the lower Cambrian of South China: Implications for its affinities and taphonomic demineralization of shelly fossils

Abstract Sphenothallus , a tubular fossil that occurs in Paleozoic strata around the world, may be related to cnidarians or ‘worms,’ but its affinities remain controversial due to preservational variations among localities. Here, to test hypotheses regarding Sphenothallus taphonomy and affinities, we investigate the preservation of new fossils from the lower Cambrian Shuijingtuo Formation at Heziao and Jijiapo (Hubei Province) and the equivalent Niutitang Formation at Siduping (Hunan Province) in South China. Morphology and allometry suggest that the fossils represent a single species, and their biostratinomy and authigenic mineralization indicate that they underwent similar pre-burial and early diagenetic processes, particularly transport and focused degradation via microbial sulfate reduction. However, the compositions and microstructures of the tests vary among localities. The Heziao tests consist of lamellar phosphatic material covered interiorly and exteriorly by layers of carbonaceous material. In contrast, the Siduping tests consist of non-lamellar phosphatic material associated with carbonaceous material, and the Jijiapo tests consist entirely of carbonaceous material. Based on these observations and experimental taphonomic data—which show that hydrochloric acid treatment of Heziao samples produces fossils that compositionally and microstructurally resemble the Jijiapo specimens—we propose that the new tests constitute a taphonomic continuum between shelly and carbonaceous preservation. This taphonomic model suggests that the preservation of shells as carbonaceous fossils results from kerogenization of the organic matrixes and subsequent or concomitant demineralization of the biomineralized microstructures of the shells. Hence, variations in Sphenothallus test composition and microstructure among localities may reflect varying extents of test demineralization, and the carbonaceous layers in Heziao specimens may have formed via demineralization of the tests' exterior and interior phosphatic lamellae. Our reconstruction based on this model indicates that pristine Sphenothallus tests consist of exteriorly sculptured and interiorly unsculptured organophosphatic lamellae. Thus, Sphenothallus microstructurally resembles and may be related to conulariids, and potentially, cnidarians.