cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acute pancreatitis associated with lisinopril and olanzapine

Purpose A case of acute pancreatitis associated with lisinopril and olanzapine is described. Summary A 69-year-old woman came to the emergency department after four days of experiencing epigastric pressurelike pain that radiated to the left lower quadrant and worsened with ingestion of food. She had started lisinopril three months prior for treatment of hypertension and had been taking olanzapine regularly for bipolar disorder. Upon admission, she was afebrile and hemodynamically stable and exhibited tenderness of the epigastric region. Elevated pancreatic enzymes and abdominal computed tomography (CT) imaging findings confirmed the diagnosis of pancreatitis. Common causes of pancreatitis were ruled out, and it was determined that the recent combination of lisinopril and olanzapine was the likely cause. Food and liquids were withheld, and all oral medications were stopped at hospital admission. Her pain resolved completely after two days. She was discharged on hospital day 4, and all of her medications except lisinopril and olanzapine were resumed. During a follow-up visit with her primary care physician, she reported to be doing well and had no systemic complaints. Olanzapine was reinitiated at that time but was discontinued a month later by her psychiatrist, who was concerned about the development of recurrent symptoms of pancreatitis. Valsartan was prescribed to achieve optimal blood pressure control three weeks after discharge. A follow-up CT scan of the abdomen a month later found no residual pancreatic abnormalities. Conclusion The additive effect of two known pancreatitis-causing medications resulted in increased risk and subsequent acute pancreatitis in this patient.
Wavelength tuning analysis and spectral characteristics of three-section DBR lasers

A theoretical model for the design of three-section distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) lasers using the transfer matrix method is presented. The oscillation parameters, the tuning behavior, and the linewidth are derived. The effect of a discontinuity of the waveguide at the active-passive interface is accounted for by using scattering matrix parameters, easily combined with the transfer matrix method. The influence of such an interface is studied and the importance of optical losses at this point is discussed. >
Hybrid Approach for Spectrum Bidding in Wireless Communications for Maximizing the Profit

Optimum allocation of spectrum and achieving the best revenue is highly desirable for electronic market places. Currently static allocation of spectrum is underutilized. The majority of the researchers are working to achieve optimum allocation and better utilization of the spectrum. Selecting a better part of the spectrum for bidding is equally important part in the market to transfer the information with minimum errors. In this research we used the case-based reasoning (CBR) with automated collaborated filtering (ACF)for selecting the best part of the spectrum with an affordable price and allocate the spectrum through auctions (bidding for spectrum in open market) for better profit. A case-based reasoning algorithm is provided and a mathematical model for ACF is introduced for profit maximization. A genetic algorithm is used for optimum allocation of resource (spectrum).
Determinants of holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser time and energy during ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy.

Objective To evaluate the association of preoperative noncontrast computed tomography stone characteristics, laser settings, and stone composition with cumulative holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Ho:YAG) laser time/energy. Materials and Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent semirigid/flexible ureteroscopy and Ho:YAG laser lithotripsy (200 or 365 μm laser fiber; 0.8-1.0 J energy; and 8-10 Hz rate) at 2 tertiary care centers (April 2010-May 2012). Studied parameters were as follows: patient's characteristics; stone characteristics (location, burden, hardness, and composition); total laser time and energy; and surgical outcomes. Results One hundred patients met our inclusion criteria. Mean stone size was 1.01 ± 0.42 cm and volume 0.33 ± 0.04 cm3. Mean stone radiodensity was 990 ± 296 HU, and Hounsfield units density 13.8 ± 6.0 HU/mm. All patients were considered stone free. Stone size and volume had a significant positive correlation with laser energy (R = 0.516, P <.001; R = 0.621, P <.001) and laser time (R = 0.477, P <.001; R = 0.567, P <.001). When controlling for stone size, only the correlation between HU and laser time was significant (R = 0.262, P = .011). In the multivariate analysis, with exception of stone composition (P = .103), all parameters significantly increased laser energy (R2 = 0.524). Multivariate analysis revealed a positive significant association of laser time with stone volume (P <.001) and Hounsfield units density (P <.001; R2 = 0.512). In multivariate analysis for laser energy, only calcium phosphate stones required less energy to fragment compared with uric acid stones. No significant differences were found in the multivariate laser time model. Conclusion Ho:YAG laser cumulative energy and total time are significantly affected by stone dimensions, hardness location, fiber size, and power. Kidney location, laser fiber size, and laser power have more influence on the final laser energy than on the total laser time. Calcium phosphate stones require less laser energy to fragment.
Systemic malignancy presenting as neck and shoulder pain

Abstract Systemic malignancy can be manifested by musculoskeletal complaints. We review the history, physical examination, and diagnostic imaging studies of a patient whose chief complaints were neck and shoulder pain. This patient also had significant weight loss and a history of tobacco abuse. Aggressive physical therapy and appropriate medications failed to provide symptomatic relief of neck and shoulder pain. Further studies revealed lung cancer. Systemic malignancy can cause referred musculoskeletal pain without obvious metastatic involvement at the symptomatic area, and should be considered in patients with persistent symptoms.
A Plasmodium falciparum Homologue of Plasmodium vivax Reticulocyte Binding Protein (PvRBP1) Defines a Trypsin-resistant Erythrocyte Invasion Pathway

Invasion of erythrocytes by Plasmodium merozoites is an intricate process involving multiple receptor-ligand interactions. The glycophorins and an unknown trypsin sensitive factor are all erythrocyte receptors used during invasion by the major human pathogen Plasmodium falciparum. However, only one erythrocyte receptor, Glycophorin A, has a well-established cognate parasite ligand, the merozoite protein erythrocyte binding antigen-175 (EBA-175). The involvement of several other parasite proteins during invasion have been proposed, but no direct evidence links them with a specific invasion pathway. Here we report the identification and characterization of P. falciparum normocyte binding protein 1 (PfNBP1), an ortholog of Plasmodium vivax reticulocyte binding protein-1. PfNBP1 binds to a sialic acid dependent trypsin-resistant receptor on the erythrocyte surface that appears to be distinct from known invasion receptors. Antibodies against PfNBP1 can inhibit invasion of trypsinized erythrocytes and two P. falciparum strains that express truncated PfNBP1 are unable to invade trypsinized erythrocytes. One of these strain, 7G8, also does not invade Glycophorin B–negative erythrocytes. PfNBP1 therefore defines a novel trypsin-resistant invasion pathway and adds a level of complexity to current models for P. falciparum erythrocyte invasion.
Parallel DEVS: a parallel, hierarchical, modular, modeling formalism

We present a revision of the hierarchical, modular Discrete Event System Specification (DEVS) modeling formalism. The revision distinguishes between transition collisions and ordinary external events in the external transition function of DEVS models. Such separation enables us to extend the modeling capability of the collisions. The revision also does away with the necessity for tie-breaking of simultaneously scheduled events, as embodied in the select function. The latter is replaced by a well-defined and consistent formal construct that allows all transitions to be simultaneously activated. The revision provides a modeler with both conceptual and parallel execution benefits.
Protease inhibitor passes oral exam

Oral vaccination remains one of the most exciting but challenging frontiers in biomedical engineering. The challenge lies in overcoming the extreme environment of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which has evolved to serve as a protective barrier and to break down food, which is formed of the same building blocks as antigens. Achieving a successful orally administered vaccination requires traveling through this unique GI environment, while keeping the antigen intact and immunogenic. Ibanez and colleagues have accomplished this with the identification of a bacterial protease inhibitor from the Gram-negative pathogen Brucella abortus . The investigators expressed an unlipidated form of the bacterial protease inhibitor Omp19 (U-Omp19) and demonstrated that it blocks the activity of enzymes common in the GI tract, including pepsin, trypsin, α-chymotrypsin, and pancreatic elastase. U-Omp19 maintained its structure across a broad spectrum of pH, from 2 to 8, and temperatures, from 25 to 100 oC. U-Omp19 induced dendritic cell recruitment to Peyer’s patches and recruited monocytes and CD8+ dendritic cells to mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs), suggesting its capacity as an adjuvant. Following oral coadministration of U-Omp19 and the model antigen ovalbumin (OVA) to mice, the presence of OVA-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was observed in vivo, and cells isolated from the MLNs of these mice responded significantly to OVA, as evidenced by increased cytokines interferon γ and interleukin-17. Mimicking the oral vaccination process, administration of Shiga and Cholera toxins as well as heat-killed extract from Salmonella typhimurium (HKS) administered with U-Omp19 showed mucosal and systemic immune responses with antibodies detected in feces and in serum. Animals only receiving the toxins or HKS without U-Omp19 had significantly lower levels of antibodies to the respective pathogens. Last, coadministration of U-Omp19 and a recombinant protein from Toxoplasma gondii resulted in significantly decreased brain cyst burden and liver function abnormalities in response to a challenge with oral Toxoplasma cysts. The U-Omp19 shield was able to protect several different antigens as they traversed the GI tract, allowing for a robust immune response. Protecting precious cargo could pay off in humans, too, but first, further testing with other potential vaccination targets in other animal models will pave the way to translation of this technology. A. E. Ibanez et al. , A bacterial protease inhibitor protects antigens delivered in oral vaccines from digestion while triggering specific mucosal immune responses, J. Control. Release 220 , 18–28 (2015). [[Full Text]][1] [1]: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168365915301796
Asymmetric Evolution of Photoperiodic Diapause in Temperate and Tropical Invasive Populations of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)

Aedes albopictus became established in Brazil and the USA during the same approximate period of the mid-1980s and spread rapidly in both countries in succeeding years. Early populations in the USA, believed derived from temperate Japan, all possessed a photoperiodically inducible egg diapause, but a population from Brazil, of probable tropical origins, did not. Based on responses of geographic populations to a common short (10L:14D) day length, we demonstrate that the spread of A. albopictus in Florida from more temperate USA has been associated with a gradual loss of diapause, such that diapause incidence is now positively correlated with latitude in the southern USA. In Brazil, most populations tested 15 yr after the initial invasion show no evidence of diapause, except for three from the two southernmost states (>26°S), in which a small, but significant percentage of eggs from mothers exposed to short day lengths were dormant. Diapause reduction in the southern USA and diapause acquisition by A. albopictus in southern Brazil have not resulted in similar response levels at comparable latitudes in the two countries, in part because of genetic constraints of different founder populations from temperate and tropical origins and different selective regimes in the two invaded countries.
The Flat Tax for the Democrat

"The United States of America is not a Democracy." So says Gordon Phillips, founder of “Inform America” and National Representative for the Save-A-Patriot Fellowship. Mr. Phillips statement, whether true or false, typifies the frustration of many Americans during tax season. It further emphasizes the extreme ideas that American people are eager to embrace in order to combat the oppressive tactics of the Internal Revenue Service. As most of you know, the frustration of our current tax situation is not an isolated problem affecting a few. In fact, most Americans are simply fed up with the current system. In a poll taken, May 1995, Americans overwhelmingly believed that our current income-tax system should be replaced. When asks what should be done about the current income-tax system, seventy nine percent of those who responded said, “Replace it”, nineteen percent said, "Adjust it", and only two percent said leave it alone. Given the fact that this great nation of ours was born out of a tax revolt, how did we ever get into this precarious situation? Today I will try to provide a comprehensive grasp of our tax predicament as well as offer a solution that might curtail what some financial experts have called the coming tax revolt.
Vibrations of Plates With Clamped and Free Edges Excited by Highly Subsonic Turbulent Boundary Layer Flow

Plate vibrations due to turbulent boundary layer (TBL) excitation can depend strongly on the plate boundary conditions, especially when the flow convects over the plate at speeds much slower than those of the bending waves in the plate. The vibration response of a TBL excited flat rectangular plate is analyzed with two sets of boundary conditions: (A) all four edges clamped, and (B) three edges clamped and one edge free, with the flow direction perpendicular to the free edge. A finite element model with discretization sufficient to resolve the convective wavenumbers in the flow excitation field is used for the study. Three TBL wall pressure excitation models are applied to the plates to represent the cross-spectra of the wall pressures: (1) a modified Corcos model, which includes all wavenumber components of excitation; (2) a low-wavenumber excitation model previously derived by one of the authors, which only models the wavenumber-white region of the modified Corcos model; and (3) an equivalent edge force model which only models the convective component in the modified Corcos model. The TBL wall pressure autospectrum is approximated using the model derived by Smolyakov and Tkachenko. The results obtained from applying models (2) and (3) to the clamped and free edge plates are compared to those generated using model (1). For the completely clamped boundary conditions, the low-wavenumber and Modified Corcos models yield nearly identical vibration spectra, indicating that surface interactions dominate the response of fully clamped plates excited by TBL pressures. For the free edge boundary condition, the vibrations predicted using the equivalent edge force and modified Corcos models match very well, showing that edge interactions between TBL pressures and structural modes dominate the vibrations of plates with free edges excited by TBL flow.© 2002 ASME
Antigenic Relationship Between H. Influenzae Type B and Pneumococcus Type VI.

Summary(1) Certain anti-H. influenzae horse serum reacts with SSS of pneumococcus type 6. Quantitatively, the precipitation reaction parallels that obtained with anti-pneumococcus type 6 serum. (2) SSS of pneumococcus type 6 absorbs the homologous antibodies, but does not affect the antibodies against the specific polysaccharide of H. influenzae type b. (3) Absorption of the serum with the polysaccharide of the influenza bacillus removes both homologous antibodies and precipitins against the SSS of pneumococcus type 6. (4) It is concluded that such an anti-H. influenzae horse serum contains two distinct antibodies and that some antigenic relationship exists between the available specific polysaccharide of H. influenzae type b and the available SSS of pneumococcus type 6.
Dual-surface modified virus capsids for targeted delivery of photodynamic agents to cancer cells

Bacteriophage MS2 was used to construct a targeted, multivalent photodynamic therapy vehicle for the treatment of Jurkat leukemia T cells. The self-assembling spherical virus capsid was modified on the interior surface with up to 180 porphyrins capable of generating cytotoxic singlet oxygen upon illumination. The exterior of the capsid was modified with ∼20 copies of a Jurkat-specific aptamer using an oxidative coupling reaction targeting an unnatural amino acid. The capsids were able to target and selectively kill more than 76% of the Jurkat cells after only 20 min of illumination. Capsids modified with a control DNA strand did not target Jurkat cells, and capsids modified with the aptamer were found to be specific for Jurkat cells over U266 cells (a control B cell line). The doubly modified capsids were also able to kill Jurkat cells selectively even when mixed with erythrocytes, suggesting the possibility of using our system to target blood-borne cancers or other pathogens in the blood supply.
Clinical experience using potassium-induced cardioplegia with hypothermia in aortic valve replacement

Recent evidence suggests that use of potassium in concentrations of 15 to 50 mEq. per liter, in conjunction with hypothermia, to arrest the heart substantially minimizes the degree of injury during prolonged periods of myocardial anoxia. This method was employed in 54 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement. The mean age was 58 years. Aortic stenosis was the predominant lesion in 76 percent (41/54) and aortic incompetence in 24 percent (13/54). The mean cardiothoracic ratio was 0.61 ± 0.05 S.D. All patients were in New York Heart Association Functional Class III or IV. Myocardial temperature was maintained at less than 20° C. After aortic clamping, a 4° C. potassium chloride solution was injected into the aortic root or coronary ostia to arrest the heart. The mean cross-clamp time was 60 ± 9.0 minutes (S.D.). There was no death or electrocardiographic evidence of infarction. Enzymatic evidence of myocardial injury occurred in 3.7 percent (2/54), and 3.7 percent (2/54) required postoperative inotropic support. These data strongly suggest that the best method of myocardial preservation is a combination of potassium-induced arrest and hypothermia during prolonged aortic clamping.
Relating automatic vowel space estimates to talker intelligibility.

Differences in pronunciation have been shown to underlie significant talker-dependent intelligibility differences. There are several dimensions of variability that are correlated with talker intelligibility including pitch range, vowel-space expansion, and rhythmic patterns. Prior work has shown that some of the better predictors of individual intelligibility are based on the talker’s F1 by F2 vowel space, but findings are based on handcorrected measurements on carefully balanced sets of vowels, making large scale analysis impractical. This paper proposes a novel method for automatic estimation of a talker’s vowel space using sparse expanded vowel space representations, including an approximate convex hull sampling, which are projected to a low dimensional space for intelligibility scoring. Both supervised and unsupervised mappings are used to generate an intelligibility score. Automatic intelligibility rankings are assessed in terms of correlation with an intelligibility score based on human transcription accuracy. We find that including a larger sample of vowels (beyond point vowels) leads to improved performance, obtaining correlations of roughly 0.6 for this feature alone, which is a strong result given that there are other factors that may also contribute to a talker’s intelligibility in addition to a talker’s vowel space area.
The Informal Economy and Marketing: Reviewing Multidisciplinary Literature and Advancing Future Research

The literature on the informal economy remains rich in social sciences. At the same time, the informal economy and its related topics have not been thoroughly investigated in marketing. This chapter lays the foundation for a multidisciplinary review that aims at multifaceted discourses and analysis. Future research in marketing can benefit by looking at the informal economy and its multidisciplinary studies that add value in research and practice. The informal economy can be defined as those unreported and hidden activities that take place outside the legal domains and standard practices and may encompass shadow economy, underground economy, parallel economy, illicit trade, black market, unregulated entrepreneurial activities, etc. The informal economy takes different forms and shapes in the world economy and impacts international markets and consumption.
A New Group of SED Reformers Tries Its Luck

This chapter covers the few months in the fall and winter of 1989/90, during which a new group attempted to preserve an independent and socialist GDR. Led by Hans Modrow, this group recognized the futility of trying to hold onto the SED’s political power monopoly. Instead, these reformers relied on their control of the state apparatus to institute their program of reformed socialism in the GDR.
Signal De-convolution with analog logarithmic computing primitives in silicon photonics

Optical co-processors are proposed as hardware accelerators to take part of the processing burden off of the electron processors. We introduce an approach for the implementation of logarithmic-type analog primitives in silicon photonics and demonstrate its application in signal de-convolution.
The effect of awareness on networked SIS epidemics

We study an SIS epidemic model over an arbitrary fixed network topology where the n agents, or nodes of the network, have partial information about the epidemic state. The agents react by distancing themselves from their neighbors when they believe the epidemic is currently prevalent. An agent's awareness is weighted from three sources of information: the fraction of infected neighbors in their contact network, their social network, and a global broadcast of the fraction of infected nodes in the entire network. The dynamics of the benchmark (no awareness) and awareness models are described by discrete-time 2n-state Markov chains. Through a coupling technique, we establish monotonicity properties between the benchmark and awareness models. Particularly, we show that the expectation of any increasing random variable on the space of sample paths, e.g. eradication time or total infections, is lower for the awareness model. In addition, we give a characterization for this difference of expectations in terms of the coupling distribution. In simulations, we evaluate how different sources of information affect the spread of an epidemic.
Pricing Behavior in the Presence of Anti.dumping lawt

This paper examines the effect of antidumping (AD) law on the pricing behavior of foreign and domestic firms prior to the filing of an AD action. AD law affects firms in very different ways almost always distorting the foreign firm's strategy but often not altering the domestic firm's. We show that AD law creates a price floor for the foreign firm and causes it to raise its price. The domestic firm's response is significantly more complicated, in many instances resulting in feigned injury. These diverse effects imply that AD law has impor tant welfare consequences even if duties are never levied.
Development of dual-modal presentations of textual information

This study focused on how to design a visual-auditory information presentation to: (1) minimize the interference in information processing between the visual and auditory channels; and (2) improve the effectiveness of mental integration of information from different modalities. Baddeley's working memory model indicates that working memory has three components: phonologic loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad, and central executive. Acoustic verbal information and visual imagery information can be simultaneously held in phonologic loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad, respectively. The information retrieved from the two independent storage systems will be integrated in central executive with minimum cognitive cost. Based on this model, it is assumed that the effectiveness of human information processing will be improved if textual information is converted into a graphic + voice representation, and presented via visual and auditory output, respectively. By concurrently utilizing the two subsystems in working memory to process the same amount of information, a reduced cognitive workload is expected during information processing. Methods were proposed to convert the following two types of textual information into its dual-modal presentation: (1) Information of Sequential Relationship (ISR), and (2) Information of Network Relationship (INR) among a group of objects. It was hypothesized that the dual-modal presentations of the above textual information would result in superior comprehension performance and higher satisfaction as compared to pure textual display. Between-subject simple T-tests were carried out to test the hypotheses. The independent variable was the presentation mode: textual display vs. visual-auditory presentation. The dependent variables were users' comprehension performance and satisfaction. Thirty subjects participated in each experiment. Results indicate that the "graphic + voice" presentation significantly improved both users' information processing performance and their satisfaction. Findings of this study will benefit interface design of generic computer systems by alleviating the overabundance of information output in the visual channel, which may also help address usability problems associated with small-screen computers.
Cost-Benefit Analysis of a Chlamydia trachomatis Vaccine Program in Adolescent Girls in the United States

Background With >1.4 million cases in the United States reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2012, Chlamydia trachomatis infection is a major public health concern. We examined the impact of a C trachomatis vaccination program using a decision-analysis model to estimate the effects of vaccination on C trachomatis-associated costs and morbidity. Methods We developed a Markov model considering a cohort of 2158117 US females aged 9 to 26 years. Morbidity, death, and healthcare-associated costs associated with chlamydial infection of mothers and fetuses/neonates were calculated over a 17-year time frame. We developed 2 major comparison arms, namely, a C trachomatis vaccination program and no C trachomatis vaccination program. Base-case efficacy and coverage were set to those of human papillomavirus in the United States with all variables, including efficacy and coverage, ranged in sensitivity analyses. Results On the basis of a base-case analysis, a vaccination program would cost an estimated $710 million for a cohort of 2158117 women over a 17-year period, an increase of $41 million over having no vaccination program. A vaccination program would prevent 34000 cases of C trachomatis infection and 5976 cases of pelvic inflammatory disease. Conclusions A C trachomatis vaccination program results in increased cost to the healthcare system but averts significant morbidity and death.
Topological Aharonov-Bohm suppression of optical tunneling in twisted nonlinear multicore fibers

We show that the Aharonov-Bohm-like suppression of optical tunneling in twisted multicore fibers can persist even under highly nonlinear conditions. Our analysis indicates that the topological phase is robust and remains intact in the presence of nonlinearity. The energy exchange dynamics are analyzed theoretically via closed-form solutions in four-core ring systems. Effects arising from asymmetry are also investigated. A possible arrangement to experimentally observe this effect is suggested.
Removal of salt-and-pepper noise in THEMIS infrared radiance and emissivity spectral data of the martian surface

The quality of false color images of THEMIS multispectral infrared data is significantly reduced by the presence of white noise. Presented here is the description of the algorithm developed for the removal of white noise from THEMIS data to produce higher quality false color imagery in radiance and emissivity without loss of spatial resolution. The algorithm utilizes inter-band correlations of surface features and principal component analysis techniques to separate noise from the radiation originating from the planet surface. This algorithm is a standard process available to users of THEMIS data for the production of false color imagery.
Online perception of glottalized coda stops in American English

In American English, voiceless codas /t/ and /p/ are often glottalized: They have glottal constriction that results in creaky voice on the preceding vowel. Previous claims suggest that such glottalization can serve to enhance /t/ or, more generally, voicelessness of coda stops. In this study, we examine the timecourse of word recognition to test whether glottalization facilitates the perception of words ending in voiceless /t/ and /p/, which is expected if glottalization is in fact enhancing. Sixty American English listeners participated in an eye-tracking study, where they heard resynthesized glottalized and non-glottalized versions of CVC English words ending in /p, t, b, d/ while looking at a display with two words presented orthographically. Target words were presented with a minimal pair differing in place of articulation (e.g., cop-cot), or voicing, (e.g., bat-bad, cap-cab). Although there is little evidence that glottalization facilitates recognition of words ending in /t/ or /p/, there is a strong inhibitory effect: Words ending in voiced stops are recognized more slowly and poorly when the preceding vowel was glottalized. These findings lend little support to a listener-driven, enhancement-based explanation for the occurrence of coda glottalization in American English. On the other hand, they suggest that glottalized instances of coda /t/ and /p/, but not of coda /d/ and /b/, are perceived as equally good variants of these sounds.
Factors Associated with the Aging Leisure Repertoire: The Iowa 65 + Rural Health Study

This study describes factors related to the leisure repertoires of a large population of rural elderly. Age, self-perceived health, leisure attitude, life satisfaction and sex were the most influen...
The Memorial Form of John Lydgate’s Troy Book

This essay argues that both sides of the continuing debate about whether Lydgate’s Troy Book is more interested in political legitimation or admonition have not understood the form of the poem. It ...
Third Party Logistics Planning with Routing and Inventory Costs

We address a scheduling and routing problem faced by a third-party logistics provider in planning its day-of-week delivery schedule and routes for a set of existing and/or prospective customers who need to make shipments to their customers (whom we call “end-customers”). The goal is to minimize the total cost of transportation and inventory while satisfying a customer service requirement that stipulates a minimum number of visits to each customer each week and satisfaction of time-varying demand at the end-customers. Explicit constraints on the minimum number of visits to each customer each week give rise to interdependencies that result in a dimension of problem difficulty not commonly found in models in the literature. Our model includes two other realistic factors that the third-party logistics provider needs to consider: the cost of holding inventory borne by end-customers if deliveries are not made “just-in-time” and the possibility of multiple vehicle visits to an end-customer in the same period (day).
Eliciting and Responding to Emotions

Prerequisite role-playing skills for eliciting and responding to emotions include gentle commands, facilitations, personal story, attending to nonverbal communication, listening, tracking, and contracting .
Abstract TP417: Minimally-Invasive Video-Assisted Ligation of Left Atrial Appendage in Atrial Fibrillation: Stroke Prevention Strategy

Background: Non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) is a leading cause of embolic stroke, especially in the elderly population. The vast majority of thrombo-emboli in AF patients originate within the left atrial appendage (LAA). Effective and complete isolation of the LAA has been demonstrated to have a similar stroke-reduction effect as chronic anticoagulation. This study presents our initial experience with a novel minimally-invasive video-assisted (MIVA) thoracoscopic approach to epicardially isolate the LAA using the AtriClip device. Methods: Six consecutive AF patients (mean age 73.6 years, 3 of 6 male) with contra-indication to systemic anticoagulation underwent epicardial ligation of LAA using the AtriClip device. Procedure involved two 5mm ports and one 15mm port with application of the device at the base of the LAA under direct visualization. Immediate intra-operative confirmation of LAA isolation via trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE) was obtained. Anticoagulation was not restarted post-operatively. Results: Average procedure length was 43mins and average length of stay was 72hours. All six patients had a non-complicated post-operative course. No stroke, myocardial infarction, renal failure or re-operation was encountered. No transfusions were needed. All patients were extubated in the operating room at conclusion of procedure and were ambulatory on the first postoperative day. 3 of 6 patients experienced excessive pleural drainage lasting 2-4 days postoperatively. TEE confirmation of complete LAA obliteration was achieved in all patients. Conclusions: MIVA LAA ligation appears to be a safe, effective and simple procedure to isolate the LAA in AF patients with contra-indication to anticoagulation. A multi-institutional trial to assess the efficacy of MIVA LAA ligation as a stroke prevention strategy is warranted and forthcoming.
Labor market implications of technical change in a multi-regional multi-sectoral system

This paper is devoted to the analysis of the effects of technical change on labor market dynamics, performed on the basis of a mathematical setting general enough to represent a wide variety of real situations, allowing also for a spatial and sectorial disaggregation. A conceptual frame for this work is provided both by the theory of dynamic equilibrium and by the mathematics of convex structures.
Knowledge-Based Systems in Medicine

In early 1990, Miller and Maserie described their belief that early approaches to computer-based decision support in medicine had been flawed in their adoption of the “Greek oracle” model of consultation [1]—computer programs to which a physician would turn for advice, answering patient-related questions but otherwise deferring to the dialog style and recommendations of the machine. The authors correctly observed that this model, adopted by many knowledge-based systems during the first decade of medical artificial-intelligence (AI) research [2], failed to capitalize on the special observational skills of physicians and failed to allow the user adequately to control the interaction, selecting the ways in which the program’s knowledge could most effectively be brought to bear in the consideration of a particular case. Their redesign of Internist-1’s interactive model in the development of the QMR system reflected their belief that the “Greek oracle” model should be laid to rest and replaced by a much more interactive and user-controlled approach to decision support.
Social Competence in Infancy: A Model of Parent-Infant Interaction.

us out of the "dark ages" during which we believed that the infant began life as a passive blob confronted with the task of making sense out of sensory chaos. Our current view considers the newborn infant to be active, capable of organizing complex information, selectively attentive, and capable of rapid learning. Upon careful examination, it appears that our acceptance of the young infant as a competent though immature organism has been largely confined to the domain of per ceptual and cognitive skills. When we consider research on early social relations, we find that while we were documenting the "remark able" perceptual and cognitive abilities of young infants, early social development continued to be studied under the "passive blob model" of the infant. Recognition of the infant as an active and competent contributor to the developing social relationships with caretakers has been late in coming, and in spite of several recent contributions (e.g., Lewis & Rosenblum, 1974) is not yet widespread. The purpose of this paper is to make explicit the ways in which the competent infant is instrumental in establishing those social con ditions which are considered supportive of infant development. I will argue that the infant is preadapted to be selectively attentive to the kinds of stimulation provided by people and that the infant is equipped with a repertoire of behaviors which effectively capture adult attention and facilitate effective adult-infant interactions. This, in turn, facilitates development. Moreover, I wish to argue that the central reciprocity in early social relationships between infants and caretakers is mediated by mutual enhancement of "feelings of efficacy" as defined by White (1959). The model which I propose focuses upon conditions that con tribute to feelings of efficacy generated in caretakers and infants by their interactions, namely the extent to which each member of the dyad provides the other with contingency experience. Although I mean
Sociological Perspectives on First-Generation College Students

First-generation college students (FGS)—postsecondary students whose parents did not complete college degrees—are a theoretically critical group for understanding social inequality in higher education and processes of social mobility. They are successful in navigating into higher education institutions in spite of a lack of parental experience, and may derive particular benefits from their social origins in terms of motivation and novel sources of support. However, college experiences can prove challenging for FGS due to more limited social and cultural capital. Sociologists have arrived relatively late to the study of this group. I argue that sociological perspectives can add to our understanding of FGS by investigating the ways that first-generation status intersects with other dimensions of identity and experience (race/ethnicity, gender, social class, sexuality, immigration status, etc.). Sociological insight can also further develop understandings of how institutional variation as well as institutional neglect and abuse shape FGS experiences and outcomes.
Structural variations, relationships and properties of M2B metal borides

Abstract Metal borides represent a class of materials with a large variety of crystal structures, yet their physical and catalytic properties are overwhelmingly understudied. In this review, we present the structural variations, relationships and properties of metal borides with a metal-to-boron ratio (M:B) of 2:1, which have over 130 known phases (from binaries to quaternaries) that crystallize with 21 structure types. While most of these structure types contain isolated boron atoms only, B−B-bonds (d(B−B) Except for the anti-MoS2-type (Pt2B, existence is still debated), the unit cell length of the short axis in these structures is always close to 3.0 A, which corresponds to the height of a typical B[M6] prism. In the case of URu3B2 and ZrCo3B2 the short axis is doubled respectively tripled due to their superstructure in comparison to the related CeCo3B2-type. Even though interesting magnetic and superconducting properties have been reported in many phases (especially in the CeCo3B2-type) as well as some fascinating catalytic behaviors (such as in CuAl2-type phases), more must be done in the future to capitalize on the structural diversity from this 2:1 borides composition space.
The impact of neoliberalism on higher education tourism programs: Meeting the 2030 sustainable development goals with the next generation

Abstract Neoliberal influences can change the role of higher education towards training, which reduces their ability to instill the critical thinking skills needed to sustain the Sustainable Development Goals by future generations. Even though imparting critical thinking, decision-making skills, and ethical stewardship remain a mission of higher education, many universities are becoming more market-oriented due to insufficient public funding. Using an instrumental case study, this paper presents the findings of 14 qualitative interviews of full-time tourism academics from nine countries, highlighting the changing nature of tourism studies globally. Results indicate that consumer-centric policies and increased industry involvement in curricula are taking priority over sustainability pedagogy. Moreover, participants express a concern for their ability to enhance critical thinking skills in the next generation of tourism professionals. Four themes were found: the relevance of modern education, reallocation of resources, changing channels of communication, and the role of ethics in academia.
Metabolomic Responses to Manganese Dose in SH-SY5Y Human Neuroblastoma Cells

Manganese (Mn)-associated neurotoxicity has been well recognized. However, Mn is also an essential nutrient to maintain physiological function. Our previous study of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells showed that Mn treatment comparable to physiological and toxicological concentrations in human brain resulted in different mitochondrial responses, yet cellular metabolic responses associated with such different outcomes remain uncharacterized. Herein, SH-SY5Y cells were examined for metabolic responses discriminated by physiological and toxicological levels of Mn using high-resolution metabolomics (HRM). Before performing HRM, we examined Mn dose (from 0 to100 μM) and time effects on cell death. Although we did not observe any immediate cell death after 5 h exposure to any of the Mn concentrations assessed (0-100 μM), cell loss was present after a 24-h recovery period in cultures treated with Mn ≥ 50 μM. Exposure to Mn for 5 h resulted in a wide range of changes in cellular metabolism including amino acids (AA), neurotransmitters, energy, and fatty acids metabolism. Adaptive responses at 10 μM showed increases in neuroprotective AA metabolites (creatine, phosphocreatine, phosphoserine). A 5-h exposure to 100 µM Mn, a time before any cell death occurred, resulted in decreases in energy and fatty acid metabolites (hexose-1,6 bisphosphate, acyl carnitines). The results show that adjustments in AA metabolism occur in response to Mn that does not cause cell death while disruption in energy and fatty acid metabolism occur in response to Mn that results in subsequent cell death. The present study establishes utility for metabolomics analyses to discriminate adaptive and toxic molecular responses in a human in vitro cellular model that could be exploited in evaluation of Mn toxicity.
Absence of Cultural Awareness Training in International Non-Governmental Organizations.

Introduction Cultural awareness can be defined as an understanding of the differences that exist between cultures. This understanding is a crucial first step towards the development of cultural sensitivity, a willingness to accept those differences as having equal merit, and becoming operationally effective when working within different cultures. The benefits of cultural awareness have become apparent in recent decades, including within governments, militaries, and corporations. Many organizations have developed cultural awareness training for their staffs to improve cross-cultural cooperation. However, there has not been a large movement toward cultural sensitivity training among non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who provide aid globally, across a number of countries and cultures. Cultural awareness can be a useful tool which enables an NGO to better serve the populations with which they engage. Problem The goal of this study was to evaluate the presence of cultural awareness training for employees and volunteers working within international NGOs. Methods Ten of the largest international NGOs were identified. Their websites were evaluated for any mention of training in cultural awareness available to their employees and volunteers. All ten were then contacted via their public email addresses to find out if they provide any form of cultural awareness training. Results Of the ten NGOs identified, none had any publicly available cultural awareness training on their websites. One NGO dealt with cultural awareness by only hiring local staff, who were already a part of the prevalent culture of the area. None of the others who responded provided any cultural awareness training. Conclusion Cultural awareness is a vital tool when working internationally. Large NGOs, which operate in a wide-range of cultures, have an obligation to act in a culturally aware and accepting manner. Most large NGOs currently lack a systematic, robust cultural awareness training for their employees and volunteers.
Tolerance of Immature Black Soldier Flies (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) to Cold Temperatures Above and Below Freezing Point

Black soldier flies, Hermetia illucens (L.), consume decaying organic materials at the larval stage and can be used for recycling a variety of biogenic wastes into value-added products. Black soldier flies are normally found in subtropical and warm temperate regions. Cold temperatures may prevent their establishment in colder areas, thus alleviating a concern of their becoming an invasive species. Potentially, cold temperatures can also be used to manipulate the rate of black soldier fly development, which may be needed for timing certain life stages for mass-production needs. In the present study, immature black soldier flies were highly susceptible to freezing. Their survivorship decreased as time spent at -12°C increased from 10 to 60 min. Only ca. 2% of eggs, 80% of third instars and >90% of fifth instars were still alive following 72 h of exposure. Chilling fifth instars resulted in smaller adults but freezing them for 48 h resulted in bigger adults. Based on these results, black soldier fly is unlikely to establish in areas with long periods of subfreezing winter temperatures. Low temperatures may be used to manipulate development of the late instars, but at a cost of higher mortality.