cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors Promoting or Potentially Impeding School Success: Disparities and State Variations for Children with Special Health Care Needs

School success predicts many pathways for health and well-being across the life span. Factors promoting or potentially impeding school success are critical to understand for all children and for children with special health care needs (CSHCN), whose life course trajectories are already impacted by their chronic health problems. The 2007 National Survey of Children's Health was used (1) to estimate national and state prevalence and within and across states disparities in factors promoting school success (engagement, participation, safety) or potentially impeding success (missing school, grade repetition, school identified problems) for all children and CSHCN and (2) to evaluate associations with CSHCN service need complexity and presence of emotional, behavioral or developmental problems (EBD) as well as with school case management policies in states. Among school age children, 60 % experienced all three factors promoting school success (49.3-73.8 % across states), dropping to 51.3 % for CSHCN (39.4-64.7 % across states) and to 36.2 % for the 40 % of all CSHCN who have both more complex service needs and EBD. CSHCN were more likely to experience factors potentially impeding school success. After accounting for child factors, CSHCN living in states requiring case management in schools for children with disabilities were less likely to experience grade repetition (OR 0.65). Within-state disparities between non-CSHCN and CSHCN varied across states. Threats to school success for US children are pervasive and are especially pronounced for CSHCN with more complex needs and EBD. Findings support broad, non-condition specific efforts to promote school success for CSHCN and consideration of state school policies, such as case management.
Memory Aging Research: Real-Life and Laboratory Relationships

Memory, more so than any other cognitive function, seems to be impaired by the processes associated with normal and neuropathological aging. In fact, conventional wisdom suggests that age-related and disease-related memory decrements are both universal and irreversible. The articles contained in this section of Applied Cognitive Psychology, challenge these assumptions. They show that certain types of memory are spared in both healthy elderly adults and demented individuals, and that successful intervention programs based upon implicit memory techniques may be used to enhance the memorial abilities of severely demented patients. Furthermore, these articles illustrate the dynamic interplay between basic and applied memory research from a developmental perspective. Language: en
Vertical stratification of bat communities in primary forests of Central Amazon, Brazil

The vertical stratification of bat communities in primary forests of the Central Amazon (80 km north of Manaus, Brazil) was investigated using capture nets in the canopy (17 to 30 m high) and in the understorey (from 0-2.5 m). Seventeen sites were sampled during one year (3398.5 mistnet-hours) and 936 individuals captured, belonging to 6 families, 29 genera and 51 species. Utilizing Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMMDS), a well-marked vertical stratification between the communities was verified, the canopy being the more utilized region. Fifteen species were exclusively captured in the canopy, 10 were predominantly captured in the canopy, and 12 species were exclus ively captured in ground nets. Species recorded and the communities they form were analysed using a matrix of guilds. The matrix obtained had 24 cells. A guild composed by background cluttered/gleaning frugivores was the richest in species (19), followed by background cluttered/gleaning insectivores (12 species). The results illustrate that when studying tropical forests it is highly desirable to involve both the lower and the upper part of the forests; otherwise the fauna would be merely subsampled, thus under-estimating the status and abundance of some species.
Assessing Potency of High- and Low-Preference Reinforcers with Respect to Response Rate and Response Patterns

Previous research has suggested that the availability of high-preference stimuli may override the reinforcing efficacy of concurrently available low-preference stimuli under relatively low schedule requirements (e.g., fixed-ratio 1 schedule). It is unknown if similar effects would be obtained under higher schedule requirements. Thus, the current study compared high-preference and low-preference reinforcers under progressively increasing schedule requirements. Results for 3 of the 4 participants indicated that high-preference stimuli maintained responding under higher schedule requirements relative to low-preference stimuli. For 1 participant, high-preference and low-preference stimuli were demonstrated to be equally effective reinforcers under increasing schedule requirements. Implications with respect to rate of performance and response patterns are discussed.
Validity of the minimum data set for assessing nutritional status in nursing home residents.

The Minimum Data Set (MDS), a Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA)-mandated resident assessment system used in community nursing homes, is potentially useful for assessing nutritional status. We compared anthropometric mea- sures of nutritional status available in the MDS (weight and body mass index (BMI)1 with other anthropometric and bioelectrical measures of nutritional status, not available on the MDS. We also studied associations of MDS-measured clinical characteristics of nursing home residents with anthropometric and bioelectrical mea- sures of lower and higher nutritional status, defined as measures in the 25th percentile and below, and 75th percentile and above, respectively. Data were from a sample of residents of an academic long-term care facility (n = 186, 75% female, mean age 89.9 ± 5.6 y). Results were as follows: 1) MDS measures of weight and BMI were significantly correlated with all the anthropometric and bioelectrical measures of nutritional status in women, and most measures in men; 2) some MDS variables, including poor oral intake and advanced cognitive decline, were significantly associ- ated with two or more anthropometric and bioelectrical measures of low nutritional status; and 3) complaints of hunger were signif- icantly associated with two or more anthropometric and bioelec- trical measures of high nutritional status. Results suggest that 1) weight and BMI, available in the MDS, are correlated with other measures of nutritional status not available, and 2) MDS clinical variables are associated with measures of low and high nutritional status, and may be useful in identifying patients at nutritional risk. Am J C/in Nutr l997;66:787-94.
Three Strikes and You’re Cured

New research shows that in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes, it may be possible to abrogate autoimmunity and then exploit the ability of pancreatic β cells to regenerate, thereby restoring blood glucose regulation.
The Politics of Temporality: An Analysis of Leftist Youth Politics and Generational Contention

Based on focus groups and in-depth interviews with young leftist political party activists in Uruguay, this article analyzes the dilemmas faced by young people as they use images from the past to interpret and orient their situation in the present and their aspirations for the future. They are the heirs to a highly romantic image of what it means to be a political activist on the Left; in this sense, the shadow of the radical Sixties and the omnipresent image of armed struggle and military dictatorship define them. But the reality of politics in contemporary democratic Uruguay is that of pressing for incremental and routine social reform inside a ‘Broad Front’ where ideological definitions for the future have become hazy. This paper explores the various ways that young Uruguayan Leftists work to reconcile these different senses of time and how these mediate their relationships with ‘significant generational others’. In so doing, I place the concept of time, of the perceived and socially constructed sense ...
Theoretical analysis of stable and unstable aspherical laser cavities

The low-order resonant modes of the stable and unstable aspherical resonators are studied by the Fox-Li method. An integral equation is given with which the effect of varying the aspherical cavity surface parameters on the field distribution, the energy loss and the intensity profile have been studied.
Interleukin-5 Priming of Human Eosinophils Alters Siglec-8–Mediated Apoptosis Pathways

Previously, we have identified the sequential activation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondria, and caspase-3, -8, and -9, in Siglec-8-mediated eosinophil apoptosis. Cytokine priming, which normally prolongs eosinophil survival, paradoxically potentiated this proapoptotic effect. The mechanisms of Siglec-8-mediated apoptosis after priming were therefore explored. Using IL-5 as the priming stimulus, the rate of Siglec-8-induced eosinophil apoptosis was found to be enhanced compared with unprimed cells, and mechanisms differed after IL-5 priming in that neither a pan-caspase inhibitor, nor a specific caspase-3 inhibitor, could override apoptosis. IL-5 priming also accelerated Siglec-8-mediated dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential. Finally, both the mitochondrial electron transport inhibitor rotenone, and the ROS inhibitors diphenyleneiodonium and antimycin, completely inhibited Siglec-8-mediated apoptosis, even after IL-5 priming. These data demonstrate that IL-5 priming enhances Siglec-8-mediated mitochondrial and ROS-dependent eosinophil apoptosis and eliminates caspase dependence. The potential clinical implication of these findings is that cytokine priming, as often occurs in vivo in asthma and other hypereosinophilic disorders, may render eosinophils from such patients especially susceptible to the proapoptotic effects of a Siglec-8-engaging therapeutic agent.
Ethological Aspects of Stress in a Model Lizard, Anolis carolinensis.

SYNOPSIS. Research on the stress response in reptiles can provide a useful comparative perspective for understanding how the constituent elements of the response can be put into service of diverse behavioral adaptations. A summary of the neural and endocrine causes and consequences of specific behavioral patterns seen in the small diurnal lizard, Anolis carolinensis, has provided a model for the exploration of the dynamics of autonomic and neurohormonal contributions to adaptive behavior. In this species, changes in body color provide indices of the flux of circulating stress-relevant hormones, and are seen in situations from spontaneous exploration through agonistic behavior. Furthermore, captive adult males spontaneously and consistently manifest social dominance relationships that provide many of the elements of a stress-mediated adaptive behavioral patterns. These patterns include suppressed reproduction and long-term coping apparently based more on stress-mediated changes in motivation than acquired changes in behavior.
Influence of verbal intelligence, sex, age, and education on the rey auditory verbal learning test

The effects of verbal intelligence, sex, age, and education on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) were investigated. The RAVLT is a widely used instrument for assessing memory dysfunction. Healthy volunteers (N = 114) between the ages of 40 and 84 years participated. In the best‐fitting regression model, verbal intelligence and sex accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in performance on every learning trial of the RAVLT. Age was related to performance only on Trials 1 and 2, and education was not related to performance. Higher verbal intelligence was associated with better performance and women performed consistently better than men. These results suggest that many tests reporting an aging effect may, in reality, be reflecting heterogeneity in verbal intelligence and sex differences in the populations studied. Therefore, research and clinical conclusions based on such aging effects should be interpreted with caution.
Maine Statewide Deployment and Integration of Advanced Traveler Information Systems

Advanced traveler information systems (ATIS) are new to the state of Maine, and there are many unanswered questions about their effect on motorists. Dynamic message signs, variable speed limit signs (VSLS), and overheight vehicle detection (OHVD) systems are key components of ATIS and are the means through which motorists can be provided with en route information pertinent to their travels. Speed data were collected during inclement weather events to determine the effect of VSLS on traveler speed. Speeds were collected during storms of different intensities. The data suggest that motorists adjust their speed to conditions and what they think is appropriate. This finding is also supported by survey responses. The fact that motorists do not slow down to the posted speed could be partly because of the VSLS not being enforced. An OHVD system installed in Bangor, Maine, in August 2006 has shown potential, with no hits to the I-95 overpass since installation. Part of the study consisted of identifying and evaluating the institutional issues and barriers associated with intelligent transportation system deployment. These issues include long-term funding commitments for ATIS, acceptable messaging, integration of information databases, interagency coordination, enforcement, and education of the public.
Engineering and humanities: bridging the gap

The Benjamin Franklin Scholars (BFS) Program at North Carolina State University (NCSU) offers selected engineering students an opportunity to earn both a BS in one of our ten academic departments in engineering or computer science and a BA or BS in Multidisciplinary Studies. The BA/BS in Multidisciplinary Studies (MDS) includes a concentrated course of study focused on a student-defined area of interest. The course of study is designed to impart knowledge and skills that enhance both the ability and desire to become a leader in an area of national need. Scholars have developed concentrations in diverse areas such as leadership, environmental ethics and policy, theories of human behavior, health care policies, business organization and communications, and cross-cultural communications. A three course core sequence is now in place: Technology and Values (first year), Ethical Dimensions of Progress (second or third year), and the Franklin Capstone (fourth or fifth year). The capstone experience is a course in technology assessment and public policy that stresses team work and cooperative learning strategies and is centered on multidisciplinary problem identification, definition, assessment, and communication.
Spiritual Dimensions of Illness and Healing: The 4th Annual Medicine and Religion Conference

The Fourth Annual Conference on Medicine and Religion was held in Cambridge, MA, USA March 6-8, 2015. In western culture, there continues to be a divide between care for the body (by healthcare) and care for the soul (by religious communities). This dualism and reductionism may have led to clinical advances, but has resulted in increased mechanization of care, dehumanization of the patient experience, and isolation in the experience of illness and dying. This conference was a forum for health care practitioners, scholars, religious leaders, chaplains, and students from various religious traditions, predominantly the monotheistic Abrahamic religions including Christianity, to address these issues and interact toward a more integrated approach to health care.
Electroreduction of oxygen on reduced platinum in 85% phosphoric acid☆

Abstract Oxygen reduction in highly purified 85% H 3 PO 4 has been studied on reduced platinum by rotating ring-disc techniques. The interpretation of these data suggests that the oxygen reduction proceeds by the parallel mechanisms of direct four-electron transfer to H 2 O and through the multistep mechanism involving peroxide-intermediate. However, in this study the rate constants ( k 1 and k 2 ) for the direct reaction to H 2 O and the first step to H 2 O 2 were found to have different dependences on the potential. Also, a value of 7.6×10 −7 cm 2 s −1 has been determined for the diffusion coefficient in 85% H 3 PO 4 at 25°C.
Novel polylactide/triticale straw biocomposites: Processing, formulation, and properties

This article aims to the development of polylactide (PLA)/triticale straw biocomposites with focus on the relationship between triticale straw content, additive presence, processing, and final properties. Prior to melt compounding, the triticale straw used in this study was chopped using the paper process to produce triticale particles that were further pelletized to assure a consistent feed rate into the extrusion line. PLA/triticale straw biocomposites were obtained for different triticale contents from 10 up to 40%vol, without and with maleic anhydride grafted polylactide (PLA-g-MA) as a coupling agent. As a supplementary additive, a PLA-specific branching agent was used in some selected formulations to minimize the reduction in PLA's molecular weight. The biocomposites were characterized in terms of rheology, thermal properties, morphology, mechanical properties (tensile, flexural, and impact), and recyclability. The PLA-g-MA increased the tensile strength of biocomposites by 10%, whereas boosted the tensile modulus about 2.5 times at 40%vol triticale content. For the same formulation, the flexural strength was raised by 15% and flexural modulus was doubled. However, a combination of PLA-g-MA and branching agent proved to be the best approach to enhance PLA/triticale straw mechanical properties. When 20%vol of triticale was used as reinforcement, the presence of branching agent increased the flexural strength about 25%. The results demonstrate that the triticale straw processed in this way could offer a similar reinforcement capability as the cellulosic fibers based on the agricultural and forestry resources and can be easily recycled without losing its mechanical properties. It has a good potential in the biocomposites field with promising applications in construction, common goods, and transportation industries. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:446–458, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Winter photosynthesis of red spruce from three Vermont seed sources.

We evaluated winter (January through March) carbon assimilation of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) from three Vermont seed sources grown in a common garden in northwestern Vermont. Although CO2 exchange rates were generally low, net photosynthetic rates increased during two prolonged thaws. Significant correlations between CO2 exchange rates and multiday air temperature means supported our observations of enhanced gas exchange during extended periods of elevated temperature. Increases in photosynthesis during thaws occurred before observed increases in leaf conductance, indicating that initial changes in photosynthesis were probably not associated with changes in stomatal aperture. Results of correlations between photosynthetic rates and PAR suggested that solar irradiance did not have a strong effect on winter carbon capture.
Primary decomposition of lattice basis ideals

Abstract We study the primary decomposition of lattice basis ideals. These ideals are binomial ideals with generators given by the elements of a basis of a saturated integer lattice. We show that the minimal primes of such an ideal are completely determined by the sign pattern of the basis elements, while the embedded primes are not. As a special case we examine the ideal generated by the 2 × 2 adjacent minors of a generic m × n matrix. In particular, we determine all minimal primes in the 3 × n case. We also present faster ways of computing a generating set for the associated toric ideal from a lattice basis ideal.
Dose- and time-dependent benefits of iPad technology in an undergraduate human anatomy course

This study examined the impact of iPad integration on performance in an undergraduate gross anatomy course. Two out of six course sections were assigned to one of the following conditions: control (no iPad, n = 61); limited access (laboratory iPads, n = 58); and unlimited access (personal iPads, n = 47). Student knowledge was assessed over time during the semester with two practical examinations in laboratory and four multiple choice/essay examinations in lecture. The same PowerPoint presentations and examinations were utilized for all conditions. Mixed ANOVA analysis identified an interaction effect between time and condition for both laboratory (F2,153 = 16.12; P < 0.05) and lecture (F6,462 = 5.47; P < 0.05) performance. Between laboratory examinations, student performance was lower by 4.2% and higher by 3.0% in control and unlimited access conditions, respectively. Unlimited access students scored higher than control and limited access (82.8 ± 2.2 vs 71.5 ± 2.6 and 74.3 ± 1.7%; P < 0.05) and higher than control students (78.7 ± 2.1 vs 70.6 ± 2.0%; P < 0.05) on the third and fourth lecture examination, respectively. Postsemester surveys completed by experimental students (89.5% response rate) indicated that a greater percentage of unlimited vs limited access students agreed that laboratory (84.8 vs 56.3%, P < 0.05) and lecture (58.7 vs 14.6%, P < 0.05) performance was enhanced with the iPad. Results suggest that if students are given the opportunity to overcome the technology learning curve, tablet devices and relevant applications can be useful tools in human anatomy courses. Anat Sci Educ 9: 367-377. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.
Discriminative stimulus effects of naltrexone in morphine-treated rhesus monkeys.

Three adult, female rhesus monkeys responded under a fixed-ratio 5 schedule of stimulus-shock termination while discriminating between s.c. injections of saline and naltrexone (0.01 mg/kg). In addition, monkeys received daily injections of morphine (1.78 or 3.2 mg/kg) 3 hr before experimental sessions. With increasing doses of naltrexone monkeys switched in a dose-related manner from the saline to the naltrexone lever; complete generalization (greater than 80% responding on the naltrexone lever) occurred in all monkeys at doses of naltrexone larger than 0.0032 mg/kg. Doses of naltrexone that produced responding on the drug lever also produced effects typically observed during opioid withdrawal (e.g., miosis and salivation). Compounds with opioid mu antagonist effects under other conditions (e.g., nalorphine) substituted for naltrexone whereas a wide variety of opioid agonists (e.g., morphine, U-50,488 and butorphanol) as well as nonopioids (e.g., pentobarbital and ketamine) produced responding predominantly on the saline lever. Monkeys also switched to the naltrexone lever in a time-related manner after the daily injection of morphine with complete generalization occurring between 8 and 27 hr after morphine. Among a variety of opioid and nonopioid compounds, including drugs used in the treatment of opioid abuse (e.g., clonidine), only compounds with mu agonist actions under other conditions produced a switch in responding from the naltrexone to the saline lever in 27-hr morphine-abstinent monkeys. These results suggest single, daily injections of morphine are sufficient to produce dependence in rhesus monkeys and indicate further drug discrimination studies in morphine-treated rhesus monkeys might be pharmacologically more specific than observational procedures.
Bilateral maculopathy in a patient with ataxia telangiectasia

We report a case of toxoplasmosis with bilateral maculopathy in a 7-year-old boy diagnosed with ataxia telangiectasia (AT) at age 6. AT manifests as ataxia, apraxia, telangiectasia, and dysarthria. Common ophthalmologic findings in AT include fine conjunctival telangiectasia. Patients also suffer from recurrent sinopulmonary infections; however, serious opportunistic infection is rarely diagnosed. At 8 years of age he developed disseminated Toxoplasma gondii (toxoplasmosis) infection and meningoencephalitis. This ophthalmologic finding and the subsequent toxoplasmosis meningoencephalitis have not been previously reported in AT.
Both Symptom and Disease: Relating Medical Malpractice to Health-Care Costs

Tort reformers blame the high cost of American health care on defensive responses to rampant medical malpractice litigation. Defenders of the tort system counter that holding health care providers liable for negligence improves safety and ensures compensation for injury. The relationship between medical malpractice and health care expenditures is more complex than either of these positions reflects. The existing medical malpractice system increases medical spending mainly because it has evolved in tandem with other inflationary features of the health care system and may make those features even more difficult to change. In other words, medical malpractice is both a symptom of a costly health care system and a costly disease in its own right.
Amino acid composition and partial sequence of xylanase from Aureobasidium

Although xylanases from five species showed striking similarities in amino acid composition, xylanase from the yeastAureobasidium, with exceptionally high specific activity, had an atypical composition. Nevertheless, the enzyme possessed extensive identity with a proposed amino-terminal consensus sequence.
Sensitivity of anisotropic attenuation and velocity to reservoir parameters in fractured media

Anisotropic attenuation is important, especially in fluidsaturated reservoirs with high fracture density. Wave induced meso-scale fluid flow is considered to be the major cause of intrinsic attenuation at seismic frequencies. We perform a sensitivity test of anisotropic attenuation and velocity, to reservoir parameters in fractured HTI media based on the meso-scale fluid flow mechanism. The visco-elastic T-matrix, a unified effective medium theory of global and local fluid flow mechanisms, is used to compute frequency-dependent anisotropic attenuation and velocity for ranges of reservoir properties, including fracture density, inclusion aspect ratio, fluid type and permeability; anisotropic attenuation is sensitive to these properties and thus is a potential tool for reservoir characterization.
Research Progress of the Preparation Method and Photocatalytic Activity Mechanism of TiO_2-graphene Composite

TiO2-graphene composite has attracted widely attention because of its excellent photocatalytic activity.The preparation methods such as sol-gel process,hydrothermal method,and solution mixing method were described.The photocatalytic activity mechanisms of TiO2-graphene were summarized.The development of TiO2-graphene is prospected.
Pediatric immunization for the future. Lyme disease vaccine and beyond.

The recommended immunization protocols for children have changed dramatically over time. In fact, none of the current vaccines were available at all or in their current make-up only a decade ago. The changes of immunizations continue at a rapid rate and within another decade, the current vaccinations likely will have been replaced. This article highlights the newly released vaccine for Lyme disease, especially how it applies to pediatric patients, and discusses a selection of potential vaccines or technologies, including vaccines for allergy and cocaine abuse, and the potential for edible plant vaccines.
Xaa-Pro Dipeptidase (Archaea)

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the structural chemistry and the biological aspects of X-Pro dipeptidase. P. furiosus X-Pro dipeptidase was identified based on its ability to hydrolyze the dipeptide Met┼Pro using a colorimetric ninhydrin assay method. Catalytic parameters using Met-Pro as the substrate along with the physical properties of the enzyme are presented. Substrate specificity assays indicate that P. furiosus dipeptidase has significant catalytic activity only with dipeptides that have Pro at the C-terminus. Furthermore, the nature of the amino acid residue in the N-terminal position is crucial in determining the activity of the enzyme, as only substrates containing nonpolar amino acids in the N-terminal position are hydrolyzed at significant rates. The native and the recombinant forms of the enzyme had virtually indistinguishable catalytic properties. P. furiosus X-Pro dipeptidase exhibits the maximal activity at pH 7.0 at a temperature of 100°C, with negligible activity at temperatures below 40°C. The enzyme is extremely thermostable, although the extent depends on the protein concentration. The native form of the enzyme retains full activity even after 12-hour incubation at 100°C.
Focus on Libraries: User education at NYPL’s new SIBL

La bibliotheque publique de New York a ouvert son quatrieme centre de recherche : il s'agit d'une bibliotheque consacree aux sciences, a l'industrie et aux affaires. Un veritable programme de formation des utilisateurs proposant six modules a ete mis en place
TomoMiner and TomoMinerCloud: A Software Platform for Large-Scale Subtomogram Structural Analysis

Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) captures the 3D electron density distribution of macromolecular complexes in close to native state. With the rapid advance of cryo-ET acquisition technologies, it is possible to generate large numbers (>100,000) of subtomograms, each containing a macromolecular complex. Often, these subtomograms represent a heterogeneous sample due to variations in the structure and composition of a complex in situ form or because particles are a mixture of different complexes. In this case subtomograms must be classified. However, classification of large numbers of subtomograms is a time-intensive task and often a limiting bottleneck. This paper introduces an open source software platform, TomoMiner, for large-scale subtomogram classification, template matching, subtomogram averaging, and alignment. Its scalable and robust parallel processing allows efficient classification of tens to hundreds of thousands of subtomograms. In addition, TomoMiner provides a pre-configured TomoMinerCloud computing service permitting users without sufficient computing resources instant access to TomoMiners high-performance features.
An exploratory study of business-to-business online customer reviews: external online professional communities and internal vendor scorecards

This research examines the increasing use of online customer reviews in business-to-business (B2B) decision making. In contrast with other research on B2B decision making, we study a unique aspect wherein buyers draw on two sources: external reviews posted on online professional communities and internal reviews in the format of vendor scorecards. This method creates a conundrum: What happens when a buyer is confronted with conflicting reviews from two different sources? To shed light on this problem, we (1) interviewed 48 B2B buyers, (2) conducted a field experiment with 293 B2B buyers to examine the effect of review source, (3) conducted a second field experiment with 587 B2B buyers to examine the effect of conflicting reviews, and (4) solicited insights from 82 B2B buyers regarding the findings. The results indicate that B2B buyers are driven to resolve differences in reviews rather than to dismiss negative reviews. In addition, even positive internal reviews prompt exploration to confirm that relational bias is not present.
A Case Study in Information Delivery to Mass Retail Markets

The growth in the capabilities of hand-held computers coupled with improvements in database systems and communication infrastructure have brought us closer to enabling truly ubiquitous access to information. In this paper, we describe the SmartPad system, a software solution in the consumer space, providing consumers with ubiquitous access to interactive shopping. This solution enables end-users to shop remotely using personalized content, searching and selecting in incremental mode and disconnected from the network. This is achieved by combining in-store and on-line transactions, by leveraging current efforts in data mining, and by delivering information through hand-held devices. SmartPad is currently used by several hundred consumers with very encouraging initial feedback.
SQUARS: AN ALGORITHM FOR LEAST-SQUARES APPROXIMATION

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on SQUARS, which is an algorithm for least-squares approximation. It provides an overview of the mathematical procedures used in the algorithm. The main features of the algorithm are as follows: (1) exact integration is replaced by approximate integration using the trapezoidal rule or the rectangular rule; (2) the polynomials can be replaced by an arbitrary set of basis functions supplied by the user; (3) a weight function can be specified in the integral, and, in particular, a weight function providing relative error approximation is supplied upon request; (4) a trend function can be inserted to multiply the approximating function; and (5) a desired error of approximation can be specified and the degree is increased until that error is achieved. There are six points in the algorithms where the numerical procedures are used: (1) numerical integration, (2) sum of squares, (3) linear dependence test for basis functions, (4) attainment of specified accuracy, (5) iterative refinement of the solution, and (6) reorthogonalization for the Gram–Schmidt process.
Prostate Cancer Screening: A Review of the Evidence with Clinical Practice Implications

The goal of prostate cancer screening is to reduce overall and disease-specific morbidity and mortality. Evaluating whether to recommend prostate cancer screening requires a careful assessment of evidence quality, certainty and effect magnitude for benefits, and harms of screening and treatment. While prostate cancer screening detects more cancers and at an earlier stage than not screening many of these cancers would never cause problems during a man’s life. Combined and individual study analysis of randomized trials provides moderate certainty that screening for prostate cancer with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing ± digital rectal examination does not reduce all-cause or prostate cancer-specific mortality through 10 years of follow-up. Any future benefit of screening, if it occurs, will require 15 years or longer of follow-up and likely be small in absolute terms. PSA testing and diagnostic prostate biopsies result in frequent harms that occur early, may persist, and have at least a small negative impact on a man’s quality of life. The main harm of PSA testing is over-diagnosis—detection of prostate cancers not destined to affect a man during his lifetime even if left untreated—and the resultant harms of unnecessary treatment. Treatment harms are frequent, early, may persist, and at least moderate in severity.
Community engagement in higher education: Online information sources

I n an age of challenging public discourse and increased pressure for educational accountability, many colleges are renewing their commitments to the public purposes of higher education. In fact, presidents and chancellors at more than 450 institutions signed Campus Compact’s 30th Anniversary Action Statement 1 in 2016, reaffirming their dedication to preparing students for engaged citizenship, to changing social and economic inequalities, and to contributing to their communities as place-based institutions. In practical terms, many campuses are placing increased emphasis on real-world learning experiences for students through opportunities such as service-learning, internships, and community-based research.
Hypofractionated Radiotherapy Is Superior to Conventional Fractionation in an Orthotopic Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer.

Background: Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is an aggressive and highly lethal disease with poor outcomes and resistance to therapy. Despite multimodality treatment, including radiation therapy and chemotherapy, response rates remain <15%, with a median time to progression of less than three months. Recent advances in radiotherapy (RT) delivery and gene-expression profiling may help guide patient selection for personalized therapy. The purpose of this study was to characterize the response to radiation in a panel of ATC cell lines and to test alternative RT fractionation schedules for overcoming radioresistance. Materials and Methods: The cellular response to radiation was characterized based on clonogenic assays. Radiation response was correlated with microarray gene-expression data. Hypofractionated and conventional RT was tested in an orthotopic ATC tumor model, and tumor growth was assayed locally and distantly with in vivo and ex vivo bioluminescence imaging. Results: A spectrum of radiosensitivities...
Generalized Arithmetical Functions

Many of the properties of arithmetical functions, especially inversion properties and arithmetical identities, hold in a much more general setting than we have used in this book. In this chapter we shall introduce the reader to this general setting, look at various examples, and obtain some general results that can be applied in the special situations contained in the examples.
5 – Whaling as an Organizing Focus in Northwestern Alaskan Eskimo Society

Publisher Summary The hunting and gathering societies of Alaska exhibited pronounced differences in subsistence pursuits. In northwestern Alaska, some groups were almost totally dependent on hunting, and certain groups were primarily dependent on whaling. These whale hunters fell toward one end of the continuum of social complexity among hunting and gathering groups, and they represented the extreme of social complexity found among peoples who relied exclusively on hunting for subsistence. This chapter presents a model of the social evolution of these whaling groups that suggests that the scope of social complexity among prehistoric hunters was wider and that its causes were more variable within and across specific cultures than has generally been accepted. Neither universal explanations nor prime movers that are specific to individual societies are sufficient to explain the social evolution of these groups. This gradually emerging picture of protohistoric societies is not matched by an understanding of their development. In northwestern Alaska, the adoption of successful whaling required certain social adjustments.
Transmission of Guided Waves Across Prestressed Interfaces

Prestresses can be both applied and/or environmentally generated and change the dynamics of structures. The preload can change due environmental factors, such as temperature variations, and operational excitation including impulsive loading. This study uses a novel Hopkinson bar configuration, the Preload Interface Bar, and investigates the effect of prestress on the stress wave propagation across interfaces between the incident and transmission bars. The non-ideal interface with a partial gap is experimentally investigated and analyzed. The preloaded partial gap causes generation of flexural waves at the interface. The interface is modeled as a preload dependent elastic joint in which flexural and longitudinal waves can be transmitted and reflected. The analytical and experimental energy transfer and mode conversion from reflection and transmission will be examined in the spectral domain. The analysis shows that as the preload increases the interface becomes stiffer and converges to a near-perfect 1-D interface.
"An Honest Living": Street Vendors, Municipal Regulation, and the Black Public Sphere

I, like many blacks, believe that an oppressed people should not be too law abiding, especially where economics is concerned.' The economic system that has exploited us is not likely to be effectively exploited by us if we pay too much attention to the law. Moreover, for some poor blacks, breaking the law is not only a way of life; it is the only way to survive. Thus, what is characterized as economic deviance in the eyes of a majority of people may be viewed as economic resistance by a significant number of blacks. I am not asserting that blacks advocate anarchy, nor do I believe that they romanticize lawbreaking more than anyone else. Rather, I am simply arguing that many blacks rightly understand that the line between the legal and the illegal in the area of economic activity is ephemeral and that the determination of the precise point at which the line is drawn is a matter of political struggle. Accordingly, blacks need to be in the thick of the battle, fighting for their
Imaging divertor strike point splitting in RMP ELM suppression experiments in the DIII-D tokamak.

Fast visible imaging of the lower divertor from above is used to study the structure and dynamics of lobes induced by resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) in Edge-Localized Mode (ELM) suppression experiments in DIII-D. The best compromise between the amount of light and sharp imaging was obtained using emission at 601 nm from Fulcher band molecular deuterium. Multiple spatially resolved peaks in the D2 emission, taken as a proxy for the particle flux, are readily resolved during RMPs, in contrast to the heat flux measured by infrared cameras, which shows little spatial structure in ITER-like conditions. The 25 mm objective lens provides high spatial resolution (2–4 mm/pixel) from the centerpost to the outer shelf over 40° toroidally that overlaps the field of view of the IRTV that measures the divertor heat flux, allowing direct comparison in non-axisymmetric discharges. The image is coupled to a Phantom 7.3 camera using a Schott wound fiber bundle, providing high temporal resolution that allows the lobe dynamics to be resolved between ELMs and across ELM suppression onset. These measurements are used to study the heat and particle flux in 3D magnetic fields and to validate models for the plasma response to RMPs.
Targeting Angiogenesis in Colorectal Carcinoma

Neo-angiogenesis plays a key role in colorectal cancer, with the vascular endothelial growth factor family proteins and their receptors in particular triggering multiple signaling networks that result in endothelial cell survival, migration, mitogenesis, differentiation, and vascular permeability. Anti-angiogenic therapies have improved colorectal cancer prognosis within the past 15 years. Bevacizumab demonstrated efficacy in combination with chemotherapy under different conditions, including as first- and second-line therapies, and also as a maintenance treatment strategy. Other drugs targeting angiogenesis effectors (e.g., ramucirumab and aflibercept) were approved after bevacizumab failure, confirming the concept of “continuous anti-angiogenic blocking”. Recently, a number of new orally available multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been tested in late-stage clinical trials, with modest efficacy. Due to the availability of several anti-angiogenic agents, we need well-designed prospective randomized trials to optimize therapeutic sequencing. The place of biosimilars in the therapeutic armamentarium remains unclear at the moment. Further research is warranted to identify robust predictive biomarkers of efficacy and innovative clinically meaningful anti-angiogenic drugs that are cost-efficient.
Test μ1 verses μ2, Variances Unknown

We have two populations: Pop I and Pop II. Pop I is normally distributed with unknown mean μ 1 and unknown variance σ 1 2 . Pop II is also normally distributed with unknown mean μ 2 and unknown variance σ 2 2 . We wish to do the following statistical test $$\mathop H\nolimits_0 :\mathop \mu \nolimits_1 - \mathop \mu \nolimits_1 = 0$$ (17.1) verses $$\mathop H\nolimits_0 :\mathop \mu \nolimits_1 - \mathop \mu \nolimits_1 \ne 0$$ (17.2) We collect a random sample of size n 1 from Pop I and let \({{\bar{x}}_{1}}\) be the mean for this data and s 1 2 is the sample variance. We also gather a random sample of size n 2 from Pop II and \({{\bar{x}}_{2}}\) is the mean for the second sample with s 2 2 the variance. We assume these two random samples are independent.
Creating a State‐Academic Partnership to Advance a Forensic Teaching Service: Benefits and Barriers

In Washington State, like many states, there is a shortage of forensically trained mental health clinicians to work with criminal justice-involved individuals. At the direction of the state legislature, a collaborative project was undertaken by the University of Washington, the state Department of Social and Health Services, and a state psychiatric hospital to develop a proposal for a jointly sponsored forensic teaching service. The authors reviewed the literature, surveyed and interviewed forensic psychiatry and psychology training directors, and conducted site visits of selected training programs that offer multidisciplinary training or have affiliations with state hospitals. The authors conducted focus groups of additional stakeholders, including clinicians and patients in forensic settings, to better understand the needs in Washington. The authors report on several common benefits and barriers to establishing forensic teaching services. Other states and forensic programs may find this article useful in identifying common considerations for forensic mental health teaching services.
Standardized Implementation of Evidence-based Guidelines to Decrease Blood Transfusions in Pediatric Intensive Care Units.

Introduction Despite evidence that red blood cell (RBC) transfusions may be associated with more harm than benefit, current transfusion practices vary significantly. This multicenter, quality improvement study aimed to sustainably decrease the rate of RBC transfusions in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Methods This 16-month prospective study included 5 PICUs. We implemented a standardized project plan including education, bedside tools, real-time reminders, and email feedback. We collected data from consecutive transfusions during pre-implementation (Phase I), postimplementation (Phase II), and post-stabilization phases (Phase III). Results Of the 2,064 RBC transfusions, we excluded 35% (N = 729) from analysis in patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Transfusion/1,000 admissions improved throughout the study periods from a baseline 209.6 -199.8 in Phase II and 195.8 in Phase III (P value < 0.05). There were fewer transfusions outside of the hemoglobin threshold guideline, decreasing from 81% of transfusions outside of guidelines in Phase I to 74% in Phases II and III, P < 0.05. Study phase, site, co-management status, service of requesting provider, admit reason, previous transfusion status, and age were associated with transfusion above guideline threshold. Conclusions Multicenter collaboration can successfully deploy a standardized plan that adheres to implementation science principles to sustainably decrease the rate of RBC transfusion outside of guideline thresholds. However, we did not decrease the total number of transfusions in our study. The complexity of multiple specialties co-managing patients is common in the contemporary PICU. Educational initiatives aimed at one specialty may have limited effectiveness in a multifaceted system of care.
On the largest eigenvalue of products from the β-Laguerre ensemble

We determine the limiting distribution of the largest eigenvalue of products from the β-Laguerre ensemble. This limiting distribution is given by a Tracy–Widom law with parameter β0 > 0 depending on the ratio of the parameters of the two matrices involved.