cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Leaning the Surgical Outpatient Screening Process in an Acute Care Hospital

Elective surgery is a surgery that is a planned, nonemergency surgery, that can be scheduled at the convenience of the patient or the physician. The surgical procedure may extend life or improve the quality of life. In the year 2000, there were over 40 million inpatient surgical procedures performed in the United States, and 31.5 ambulatory or outpatient surgeries in 1996, based on the National Center for Health Statistics of the U.S Centers for Disease Control CDC (http://www.healthtools.com 2012). Typically a complete health history, physical examination, lab and diagnostic tests may be part of the preparation of the surgical patient prior to the elective surgery. Additionally, typing and screening of the patient’s blood is also performed prior to surgery (http://www.healthtools.com 2012). A percentage of the patients who receive the elective surgery, may already be a patient in the hospital, and this preparation for surgery is performed under the guidance of the inpatient nurse. A patient that is not already in the hospital, but has scheduled their elective surgery is considered an outpatient from the perspective of the surgical preparation, even though the patient may be admitted after the surgery. This case will describe how the Lean Six Sigma team at an acute care hospital improved the pre-screening process for surgical outpatients applying Lean tools, with the Six Sigma DMAIC problem solving approach.
'Do-it-Yourself' Employee Health Care

A brief discussion about how some companies are establishing on-site clinics to provide health care to employees.
Assessing the Risk of M&A: Brunner's Disaster Framework and the Case of the Gen Re Acquisition

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide commentary on the recently published book "Deals from Hell - M&A Lessons That Rise Above the Ashes" (NY: Wiley, 2005) by Robert Bruner. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is a case study based on a risk assessment framework that was presented in a recently published book. Therefore, the case study is based on that framework, and it is based on previously published research regarding Berkshire Hathaway's 1998 Gen Re acquisition. Findings: Our case study supports the findings of Bruner's research regarding the utility of the M&A risk assessment framework presented in his book. Practical and research implications: Bruner's disaster-based M&A risk assessment framework could be practically utilized in M&A. Furthermore, the field of real disasters could be the subject to further strategy-based research. Originality/value: This article is practically oriented commentary on recently published M&A risk assessment research, which is analyzed via case study.
Social Media, Networked Protest, and the March for Science:

Recent studies have explored how the US public responded to the March for Science protests that took place around the world on April 22, 2017, as well as why individuals participated in these prote...
An exploratory study of childhood adversity and delinquency among youth in the context of child-to-parent and sibling-to-sibling violence

Very little research has been conducted on the role of childhood adversity in child-to-parent (CPV) and sibling-to-sibling violence (SSV). Exposure to childhood adversity places adolescents at risk...
Robotic Neck Surgery in the Pediatric Population.

Introduction Thyroid, parathyroid, and thymus surgeries are traditionally performed via a cervical approach. However, robot-assisted procedures can provide a safe alternative for neck surgeries. We report our experiences with robotic transaxillary and retroauricular approaches in pediatric patients. Case presentation We conducted a retrospective review of pediatric patients who underwent robot-assisted neck surgery by a single surgeon between April 2010 and May 2017. Patient demographics and surgical outcomes including operative time, incidence of complications, and length of hospital stay were evaluated. Management and outcomes Nine surgeries in 7 female patients were reviewed (mean age, 16.0 ± 1.58 years; mean body mass index, 22.5 ± 0.75). Two thyroid lobectomies, 2 complete thyroidectomies, 1 subtotal thyroidectomy, 1 thyroid lobectomy with thymectomy, 2 subtotal parathyroidectomies with thymectomy, and 1 dermoid cyst excision were performed. Two surgeries with the retroauricular approach had a mean surgical time of 142.0 ± 6.13 minutes. Seven surgeries with the transaxillary approach had a mean surgical time of 146.1 ± 21.01 minutes. There were no reported conversions, permanent vocal cord paralysis, permanent hypoparathyroidism, hematoma, or seroma. There was 1 case (11%) of temporary shoulder hypoesthesia and 2 cases of temporary vocal cord paresis (22%). Discussion This series on robot-assisted neck surgeries in children describes procedures performed with robotic transaxillary and retroauricular approaches. In the hands of a high-volume surgeon the techniques are feasible and safe options for operations in the neck in a select group of pediatric patients.
E and F Region Predictions for Communication Purposes at High Latitudes

This paper presents a summary of the report of Working Group C2 [Hunsucker et al. 1980] (High-1 atitude E and F Region Ionospheric Predictions) at the Internationa1 Solar-Terrestria 1 Predictions (ISTP) Workshop held in Boulder, Colorado, April 23–27, 1979. The members of Working Group C2 were: Chairman, R. Hunsucker; Members: R. Allen, P. Argo, R. Babcock, P. Bakshi, D. Lund, S. Matsushita, G. Smith, A. Shirochkov, and G. Wortham. These conference report results will be supplemented by the inclusion of material published since the end of the ISTP Workshop. ISTP WG C2 was concerned about the morphology, phenomenology and parameter prediction of the E and F-layers at latitudes greater than Λ = 60°. Several survey papers treating this topic have been published in the period starting with the International Geophysical Year (IGY) such as those by Agy [1957], Penndorf and Coroniti [1959], Kirby and Little [1960], Gassmann [1963], Landmark [1964], Hunsucker [1967], Folkestad [1968], Hunsucker and Bates [1969], Bates and Hunsucker [1974, Thrane [1979], and Hunsucker [1980]. Unfortunately most of the E and F layer information described in the preceding reports pertains to the latitude range Λ ≃ 60°-75°. Our knowledge of the main features of ionization below the F2 peak in the region of Λ ≃ 75°-90° is at best sketchy, making realistic predictions on most HF transpolar paths extremely difficult.
Racialization and modern religion: Sylvia Wynter, black feminist theory, and critical genealogies of religion:

Through an engagement with Sylvia Wynter, this article explores how black feminist critiques of the human can inform critical genealogies of religion. Specifically, the article develops a theoretic...
Overview of the Diagnostic System: Using Diagnostic Criteria

This chapter will look at different facets of children with ASD by reviewing the 2013 criteria established by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual fifth Edition (American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and statistical manual of psychiatric disorders-DSM-5. American Psychiatric Publishers, Arlington, 2013) for what is now called autism spectrum disorder. I will review questions you can ask during your history that will elicit responses that support or refute the criteria for ASD. I will also discuss the changes made from DSM-IV, as you may have patients diagnosed under that system. Even if you decide not to make this diagnosis yourself, you will learn about many aspects of ASD and develop a better understanding of the challenges these children face.
Defining biological stress and stress responses based on principles of physics.

Stress represents a multi-faceted force that is central for the evolution of life. Organisms evolve while adapting to stress and stressful contexts often represent selective bottlenecks. To understand stress effects on biological systems and corresponding coping strategies it is imperative to properly define stress and the resulting strain that triggers compensatory responses in cells and organisms. Here I am deriving such definitions for biological systems based on principles that are established in physics. The relationship between homeostasis of critical biological variables, the elastic limit, the cellular stress response (CSR), cellular homeostasis response (CHR), system dysregulation, and the breaking point (death of the system) is outlined. Dysregulation of homeostatic set-points of biological variables perturbs the functional properties of the system, shifting them out of the evolutionarily optimized range. Such shifts are accompanied by elevated rates of macromolecular damage, which represents a nonspecific signal for induction of a universal response, the CSR. The CSR complements the CHR in re-establishing homeostasis of the system as a whole. Moreover, the CSR is essential for coping with suboptimal conditions while the system is in a dysregulated state and for removing excessive damage that accumulates during such periods. The extreme complexity of biological systems and their emergent properties often necessitate monitoring stress effects on many biological variables simultaneously to properly deduce stress effects on the system as a whole. Therefore, increased utilization of systems biology (omics) approaches for characterizing cellular and organismal stress responses facilitates the reductionist dissection of biological stress response mechanisms.
Growing from the outside, in: a response to A Happily Married Man

In this response essay for the Performance Space, I argue that Dr Charles Parrott's “A Happily Married Man” provides an example of a new-to-us genre for solo performance. Through well-crafted, well...
Fear of Founding from Plato to Poltergeist

Tobe Hooper’s 1982 film Poltergeist opens with the National Anthem of the United States. This opening is significant: Poltergeist is a movie about one family and the ghosts it encounters, and it’s also about the United States of America, and its ghosts. Poltergeist’s Freeling family are proxies, not only for the film’s audience, but for an entire political community, as it comes face to face with its anxieties about its origins, and its fear that its bloody past may not stay buried. It’s a commonplace to say that horror often involves the “return of the repressed”: a past misdeed that resurfaces, a long-forgotten trauma that comes back, someone who knows what you did last summer. Poltergeist shows us one particular version of this phenomenon: horror that reflects an anxiety about the terrible things buried in the origins of our communities, and the costs we incur when we obscure such origins.
Motivational Beliefs and Self-Perceptions of Undergraduates with Learning Disabilities: Using the Expectancy-Value Model to Investigate College-Going Trajectories

This qualitative study examined the role and determinants of motivational beliefs and self-perceptions among six academically successful undergraduates with learning disabilities at private 4-year colleges who serve as mentors for middle-school students with similar learning challenges. Drawing on the expectancy-value theory of achievement-related decisions as a framework for understanding academic trajectories, themes focus on a) participants’ social and cultural milieus, b) socializers’ beliefs and behaviors, c) disability-related experiences, and d) individual goals and self-schemata. Findings countered expectations that sociocultural influences would hinder students’ expectations for success and the importance they place on college education. Instead, protective factors including participation in rigorous high school coursework, high parental expectations, and membership in a learning disability community supported the decision to pursue and persist in post-secondary education.Subscribe to LDMJ
A Study of South Asian Websites on Privacy Compliance

Privacy laws in South Asian countries are still at a nascent stage. Therefore, South Asian websites are susceptible to user privacy violation. This paper presents an assessment of website privacy policies from 10 sectors in the three largest South Asian economies, namely, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Using a manual qualitative analysis on a dataset of 284 popular websites, we assessed the policies based on accessibility, readability, and compliance with 11 privacy principles. Our findings show that overall, the privacy statement accessibility, and privacy compliance of websites from the three countries is low especially in the education, healthcare, and government sectors. Readability is quite low for websites in all 10 sectors of the three countries. Privacy compliance in each country is the highest for the principles of data processing and third-party transfer, whereas it is the lowest for protection of children’s data, data retention and portability. Indian websites performed comparatively better amongst the three countries on all three metrics, followed by Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Based on our results, we provide recommendations involving all stakeholders (i.e., website owners, privacy regulators, and users) to help improve privacy protection of user data in South Asia.
A fast MCMC algorithm for the uniform sampling of binary matrices with fixed margins

Uniform sampling of binary matrix with fixed margins is an important and difficult problem in statistics, computer science, ecology and so on. The well-known swap algorithm would be inefficient when the size of the matrix becomes large or when the matrix is too sparse/dense. Here we propose the Rectangle Loop algorithm, a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm to sample binary matrices with fixed margins uniformly. Theoretically the Rectangle Loop algorithm is better than the swap algorithm in Peskun’s order. Empirically studies also demonstrates the Rectangle Loop algorithm is remarkablely more efficient than the swap algorithm.
Antegrade cystoscopy - An innovative approach to managing acute urinary retention following vulvar reconstruction flap stenosis.

Abstract Vulvar reconstruction can be performed following radical vulvectomy and is known to be associated with urologic complications. We describe the use of antegrade cystoscopy to manage acute urinary retention secondary to an obliterated urethral meatus following radical vulvectomy and reconstruction for radiation dermatitis. Antegrade cystoscopy was performed by applying the surgical concepts for suprapubic catheterization and general laparoscopy. Antegrade cystoscopy is a simple and safe approach for female patients with distorted pelvic anatomy from radical surgery and reconstructions for vulvar cancer.
Reconfigurable and Deployable Miura-Ori RA Analysis for Satellite Applications

A foldable reconfigurable ReflectArray antenna (RA) based on the Miura-Ori origami pattern is presented for CubeSat deep space communications. Designed at 8.425 GHz, the RA is capable of operating with a single beam as well as dual beams. The beamscanning capabilities are a function of the aperture fold $\left(\theta_{a}\right)$ and are showcased using a time saving analytical model.
Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injury in Gymnasts: An Analysis of Return to Competition Rates and Patient Outcomes:

Objectives:While results following ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury in baseball players has been well documented, results following UCL injury in gymnasts are not well documented. As such, th...
Sex and Aging: A Survey of Young Adults

College students were surveyed regarding their sexual attitudes and behaviors, both currently and in late life. Half of the sample were asked to answer questions as they think they would at age 70 and the other half answered according to how they thought an older adult (friend or relative) would answer. Results indicated that although they were optimistic about continued sexual enjoyment in late life, there was also considerable ageism: they expected a considerable decrease in sexual activity along with an increase in sexual problems. Furthermore, their attitudes towards sexual activity in late life were more restrictive and conservative than their current attitudes. The presence of these attitudes in the current cohort of young adults confirms the need for education and communication about sexuality in late life. In addition to these findings there were significant gender differences in current attitudes and behaviors, such as frequency of sexual activity, interest in sex, masturbation, and guilt associa...
Microeconomics for MBAs: Firm production under idealized competitive conditions

Economists understand by the term market, not any particular market place in which things are bought and sold, but the whole of any region in which buyers and sellers are in such free intercourse with one another that the prices of the same goods tend to equality, easily and quickly. Augustin Cournot Chapters 6 through 8 largely dealt separately with the two sides of markets – consumers and producers. We devised graphic means of representing consumer preferences (the demand curve) and producer costs (the average and marginal cost curves). This chapter brings demand and cost analysis together in a way that allows us to examine how individual firms react to consumer demand in competitive markets. Our focus is on a highly competitive market structure. We investigate an intriguing question: at the maximum, how much can competitive markets contribute to consumer welfare? We do not attempt to give a full description of a real-world competitive market setting. Markets are too diverse for such a description to be very useful. Rather, our aim is to devise a theoretical framework that can enable us to think about how competitive markets work in general, as a constructive behavioral force. Although our model cannot tell much that is specific about real-world markets, it provides a basis for predicting the general direction of changes in market prices and output.
Carbon Capture and Storage

The area of this chapter related to carbon, its uses, release, recycling and environmental impact with respect to global warning. The diverse themes are tied together with the concept of small molecule capture. To effectively capture CO 2 from other emissions, high CO 2 capacity and selectivity are paramount requisites of adsorbents whereas the high penetrability and selectivity are imperative concerns in membrane-based systems. The strategies to enhance the CO 2 capacity/selectivity of materials are therefore related to the methods and processes, based on the following mechanisms: (1) thermodynamic effect, dominant by the interactions between adsorbate and adsorbents; (2) molecular sieving effect, caused by size/shape screening for multicomponents of a gas mixture; (3) the kinetic effect, due to competition among multicomponents with different diffusion rates. In this chapter, a number of strategies are discussed focusing on processes to increase CO 2 uptake/selectivity in addition to an extension historical summary and update related to MOFs.
Vaporization of fission products from irradiated uranium—II: Some observations on the chemical behavior of fission products iodine and cesium

Abstract The results of an experimental investigation of the chemical nature of fission products iodine and cesium vaporized from irradiated uranium specimens into helium and air are reported. The thermochromatographic technique, which has been described in detail in the first paper of the present series, was employed in the study. It was observed that iodine released from uranium heated to 1250°C in helium was not in chemical combination with either cesium or any other fission product, but rather was vaporized as a uranium-iodine compound. Partial dissociation of this compound into atomic iodine occurred when the uranium was heated to temperatures above 1900°C. In an oxidizing atmosphere, only elemental iodine was vaporized.
E-Government to E-Democracy: Communicative Mechanisms of Governance.

Abstract Significant claims have been made that developments in e-government can lead to e-democracy. However, the ‘league tables’ that are regularly published rating different governments' performance and the laudatory tones in which governments identify their own actions as more democratic in the field of e-government need to be treated with some caution. Assessments of democratisation can be marred by the enthusiasm of technological determinists or governments themselves. This paper reviews aspects of this literature, empirical data gathering and e-democracy trials and advances a possible framework for assessing the democratic merits of technological innovations.
Microtensile bond strength of different acrylic teeth to high-impact denture base resins.

AbstractPurpose:This study evaluated the effect of denture base acrylic, denture tooth composition, and ridge-lap surface treatment on the microtensile bond strength (μTBS) of three commercially available denture teeth and two injection denture processing systems.Materials and Methods:Sixteen experi
Economic Hard Times and Environmental Policy: President Barack Obama and Global Climate Change

Despite other presidents who preceded President Obama and who responded somewhat to global climate change, environmentalists look to Barack Obama as a president who might make a real difference regarding global warming. This was particularly so given Obama’s campaign statement that this would be a number one priority of his once in office. In this study we compared Barack Obama’s first year efforts in responding to global warming with those of George W. Bush, his immediate predecessor, in his first year. To do so we assessed each president in terms of political communication, legislative leadership, administrative actions, and environmental diplomacy. We found a marked difference in political rhetoric between the two with Bush being much more willing to mislead the public regarding climate change, whereas Obama was much more likely to argue that change was needed due to the threat posed by increasing greenhouse gases particularly during the first few months in office. The presidents’ relationship with the Congress was also very different that first year with Bush having a very supportive Republican Congress supporting his lack of desire to do much regarding the environment, while Obama, who also had a Democratic-majority in Congress, nevertheless faced a skeptical Congress when it came to his desire to see cap-and-trade legislation that would regulate climate change emissions. Despite Obama’s declaration during his campaign that global climate change would be an a number one priority on his agenda, economic hard times, the wars abroad, severe partisanship, an unsupportive public, and an unwillingness to aggressively engage the Congress on this issue have taken their toll on the president shifting climate change from that priority position.
Unconstrained Paving and Plastering: Progress Update

Modeling and simulation has become an essential step in the engineering design process. Modeling and simulation can be used during either the original design phases, or on assessment of existing designs. In either case, the end result is increased confidence in the design, faster time to market, and reduced engineering cost. An essential step in modeling and simulation is the creation of a finite element mesh which accurately models the geometric features of the model being analyzed. Meshes generated for three-dimensional models are typically composed of either all-tetrahedral or all-hexahedral elements. Some methods exist for the generation and analysis of hybrid meshes
Beyond the Control of God? Six Views on the Problem of God and Abstract Objects, ed. Paul M. Gould

This excellent book brings six views into a discussion concerning the relationship between God and abstract objects. Each view is first presented in a lead article. Then the proponents of the other...
The expropriation experience of American companies: What happened to 38 companies

Abstract Expropriation is a bitter, yet popularly ignored, experience. It is not a new or rare development. American companies lost tween 1917 and 1920, and there have been over $175 million in the Soviet Union be-five major expropriations (amounting to an estimated total loss of $2,157 million) since then. To gain information about such seizures, Professor Root conducted a survey of executives of thirty-eight companies that had experienced foreign takeovers. Their replies concerning such considerations as the amount of warning given prior to expropriation, management response to the warning, compensation by the host government, and post-expropriation responses of management provide interesting insights into this problem. Dr. Root further warns that international executives should carefully appraise the risk of expropriation before committing their resources to a foreign country.
Deleterious mutation accumulation in organelle genomes

It is well established on theoretical grounds that the accumulation of mildly deleterious mutations in nonrecombining genomes is a major extinction risk in obligately asexual populations. Sexual populations can also incur mutational deterioration in genomic regions that experience little or no recombination, i.e., autosomal regions near centromeres, Y chromosomes, and organelle genomes. Our results suggest, for a wide array of genes (transfer RNAs, ribosomal RNAs, and proteins) in a diverse collection of species (animals, plants, and fungi), an almost universal increase in the fixation probabilities of mildly deleterious mutations arising in mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes relative to those arising in the recombining nuclear genome. This enhanced width of the selective sieve in organelle genomes does not appear to be a consequence of relaxed selection, but can be explained by the decline in the efficiency of selection that results from the reduction of effective population size induced by uniparental inheritance. Because of the very low mutation rates of organelle genomes (on the order of 10−4 per genome per year), the reduction in fitness resulting from mutation accumulation in such genomes is a very long-term process, not likely to imperil many species on time scales of less than a million years, but perhaps playing some role in phylogenetic lineage sorting on time scales of 10 to 100 million years.
Gas Production by Deep Impact from Far-ultraviolet Observations

We report on far-ultraviolet observations of comet 9P/Tempel 1 during the epoch of Deep Impact made from the Hubble Space Telescope and the ALICE instrument aboard the Rosetta spacecraft. The far-ultraviolet channel on Galaxy Evolution Explorer was not operational at the time of the observations but wide-field imaging spectroscopy at longer UV wavelengths (2200–3200 \AA) was obtained.
Cervical internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm complicating malignant otitis externa: first case report.

Pseudoaneurysm of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is a rare complication of head and neck infections. To date, three cases of petrous ICA pseudoaneurysm have been described as a complication of otogenic infection, including only one secondary to malignant otitis externa. We present here the first case of cervical ICA pseudoaneurysm as a complication of malignant otitis externa, and stress the importance of timely diagnosis to avoid fatal outcomes. Laryngoscope, 125:733–735, 2015
Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a review of current and developing drugs.

Introduction: Phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors modulate lung inflammation and cause bronchodilation by increasing intracellular cyclic adenosine 3’, 5’-monophosphate in airway smooth muscle and inflammatory cells. Roflumilast is the only approved PDE-4 inhibitor (PDE4I) for use in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Its beneficial clinical effects occur preferentially in patients with chronic bronchitis and frequent COPD exacerbations. Use of roflumilast as adjunctive or alternate therapy to other COPD medications reduces exacerbations and modestly improves lung function.Areas covered: This article reviews the current role of PDE4I in COPD treatment emphasizing roflumilast’s clinical efficacy and adverse effects. This article also reviews developing PDE4Is in early clinical trials and in preclinical studies.Expert opinion: After decades of research in drug development, PDE4Is are a welcomed addition to the COPD therapeutic armamentarium. In its current clinical role, the salubrious clinical ef...
Thermal Fluctuations in Systems with Continuous Symmetry

We investigate relaxation and thermal fluctuations in systems with continuous symmetry in arbitrary spatial dimensions. For the scalar order parameter ζ(r, t) with r∈ℛd, the deterministic relaxation is caused by hydrodynamic modes η∂ζ(r, t)/∂t= K∇2ζ(r, t). For a finite volume V, we expand the scalar field in a discrete Fourier series and then we study the behavior in the limit V→∞. We find that the second moment is well defined for dimensions d≥3, while it diverges for d=1, 2. Furthermore, we show that for d<4, the decay of the scalar field does not define an "effective" relaxation time. For dimensions d<4, these two properties suggest scale-invariant properties of the scalar field in the limit V→∞. We show that thermal fluctuations are described by fractional Brownian motion for d ≤ 3 and by ordinary Brownian motion for d ≥ 4. The spectral density of the stochastic force follows 1/f for d=1 and d=2, for d=3, and "white noise," f0 for d≥4. We find explicit representation of the equilibrium distribution of the conserved scalar field. For d≥4 it is a Gaussian distribution, while for d=1 and d=2, it is the Cauchy distribution.
Revised Ion Exchange Method for Estimation of Conditional Stability Constants of Metal−Dendrimer Complexes

This study reports a revised method for determination of the conditional stability constant (Kc) and the equilibrium metal-to-ligand molar ratio (n) for various metal−dendrimer complexes. The method employs a system containing an ion-exchange resin, a dendrimer, and a metal (Cu2+ or Pb2+) solution. It considers the multi-dentate nature of dendrimers and employs a nonlinear (Langmuir) isotherm model to interpret the ion exchange isotherm. For its minimal dendrimer uptake, a weak acid cation-exchange resin, IRC-50, was found most suitable for the study. For complexes of Cu2+ with a homologue of dendrimers with NH2 terminal groups Kc increased from 1016.2 to 1036.6, and n increased from 1 to 13 as the generation number rose from 0.0 to 4.0. Kc for complexes of Pb2+ with a generation-1 dendrimer with NH2 terminal groups was 1017.2 at pH 5, compared to 1020.9 for complexes of Pb2+ with a generation-1.5 dendrimer with carboxylate terminal groups.
Negotiating meaning of shared information in service system encounters

Summary One of the key components of service systems is access to “shared information” among service providers and clients. Information transparency has been offered as a mediating response to the breakdown in trust and accountability that sometimes accompanies service system encounters. It is argued that by providing access to the operational details of business, public and governmental institutions participants in service relationships – whether citizens, customers, investors, or business partners – are better able to gain the necessary assurances that their interests are being protected. Based on an ethnographic study of the interactions between IT outsourcing executives of a large enterprise service provider and their client counterparts, this paper critically examines the underlying assumptions of the claim that access to information is at the heart of the accountability and trust problem in service systems. This ethnographic study was undertaken to help inform the design and development of a web-enabled portal and dashboard technology that promised to provide transparent views of the performance of IT outsourcing services. The analysis suggests that greater attention should be focused on the role of organization members in negotiating the meaning of service performance information and creating the organizational context for establishing “shared” views of information.
Infectious myositis and related syndromes

T HE INFECTIOUS causes of muscle inflammation and destruction are an important differential diagnosis for the rheumatologist. They are a myriad of common and not so common syndromes, which properly diagnosed may carry the promise of definitive therapy. In this review, we will discuss those viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections and infestations that may produce a clinically recognizable muscle-related syndrome (Table 1).
“No vayas a creerme santa…”: Dominación visual y control narrativo en Santa de Federico Gamboa

(1996). “No vayas a creerme santa…”: Dominacion visual y control narrativo en Santa de Federico Gamboa. Symposium: A Quarterly Journal in Modern Literatures: Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 114-131.
Polypeptide growth factors and the CNS

Abstract The structures of a number of polypeptide growth factors and hormones and their receptors have recently been deduced from cDNA clones. Although the presence of many of these ligands and receptors has been described in the brain, physiological roles for these agents in the function of the nervous system remain obscure. New reagents and technologies should soon clarify the relevance of these ligands to the nervous system.
Electroactive polymers with giant electromechanical response (presentation video)

Exploiting the molecular and nano-structure engineering, electroactive polymers (EAPs) with giant electromechanical responses have been developed at Penn State. For the field actuated EAPs, a class of defects modified polar-fluoropolymers have been demonstrated to exhibit a high electrostrictive strain, a high energy conversion efficiency, and high elastic energy density (< 1 J/cm3), which has been commercialized by Akema and commercial actuator products have been developed at Novesentis. This talk will briefly review these results. In contrast, the ionic EAPs such as ionic polymer metal composites whose actuation mechanism is based on the excess ion accumulation/depletion at the electrodes, suffer low actuation strain, elastic energy density, and efficiency. On the other hand, the very low operation voltage, often below 5 volts, of i-EAPs is very attractive, compared with very high operation voltage of the field actuated EAPs. In the past several years, we have been investigating approaches to significantly enhance the electromechanical response of i-EAPs. This talk will present the recent works on a class of nano-structure engineered graphene nano-composites that exhibit a high strain response (< 50% strain) with an exceptionally high elastic energy density < 1.5 J/cm3, induced under low voltage (< 5 V) with a high efficiency. These results point out the potential of EAPs in achieving high performance by exploiting nano-structure engineering and their promise for advanced solid state actuator applications. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: The work was supported by NSF under Grant No. CMMI-1130437.
Overlapping Local Government Debt and the Fiscal Common

In a complex federalist system, the interactions across levels of government have important fiscal implications. Municipal debt has become increasingly important as local governments turn to tax-ba...
Sphingolipid composition and catabolism in human fetal tissues.

Abstract Human fetal tissues derived from prostaglandin-induced abortuses (9–18 wk fertilization age) have been utilized to evaluate sphingolipid composition and catabolism. Sphingolipid composition (lipid-hexose, sulfatide, and lipid-bound NANA) was assessed in fetal brain. Sphingolipid catabolism was evaluated in fetal lung and brain through the measurement of relevant acid hydrolases (arylsulfatase A, β-galactosidase, and hexosaminidase). During the fetal period studied, the parameters of sphingolipid composition revealed variability but no consistent pattern of change. Each acid hydrolase was readily detected. Enzyme specific activities revealed no variation during the 9 fetal wk studied. Cellulose-acetate electrophoresis yielded the anticipated isoenzyme patterns for each acid hydrolase with little variation during the period of study. The compositional values support current concepts of cerebral development during this period of fetal life. Together with the catabolic analyses, these studies provide normative data relative to the assessment of metabolic abnormalities during this period of fetal development.
Pulse Field Gradient NMR Study of Diffusion of Pentane in Amorphous Glassy Perfluorodioxole

Pulse field gradient diffusion measurements of pentane in a random copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and 2,2-bis(trifluoromethyl)-4,5-difluoro-1,3-dioxole (PDD) were made as a function of the time allowed for diffusion to occur. The initial change in echo amplitude at low values of q = γδg was used to determine the apparent diffusion constant. The apparent diffusion constant determined in this way decreases to a constant value as time increases. At a time of 12.4 ms the apparent diffusion constant was 2.2 × 10-7 cm2 s-1, and it decreases to 5.87 × 10-8 cm2 s-1 at 1 s. This change in the apparent diffusion constant was interpreted in terms of morphological structure on the micron length scale in this completely amorphous glassy polymer. This polymer has been considered to have high free volume regions which lead to the observed rapid permeation of gases and vapors. These regions are interspersed in lower free volume regions, and the low free volume regions constitute the majority component. In the pul...
24ξ-Methyl-5α-cholestane-3β,5,6β.22r.24-pentol 6-acetate: New polyhydroxylated sterol from the soft coral asterospicularia randalli.

A monoacetylated pentahydroxylated sterol has been isolated from the soft coral Asterospicularia randalli collected at Guam Is. in the Pacific The unusual feature of this sterol is the presence of a hydroxyl group at C-22. The structure was determined by spectral analyses of the new sterol and several transformation products. Proton-carbon correlated spectra were used to make 13C chemical shift assignments.
Preparation of (4′S) and (4′R)-Spiro(oxirane-2-4′-5α-cholestan-3′β-ol), Potent Inhibitors of 4-Methyl Sterol Oxidase

Abstract (4′R)- and (4′S)-Spiro(oxirane-2,4′-5α-cholestan-3′β-ol) (1) and (2) were made from (4′R)- and (4′S)-spiro(oxirane-2,4′-5α-cholestan-3-one) (8) and (9). Alkaline hydrogen peroxide oxidation of 4-methylene-5α-cholestan-3-one (7) gave compounds (8) and (9) as a readily separable (1:1) mixture. Reduction of (9) to (2) provided access to a compound which could not be made by other methods.
Diagnostic Pathology in 2010: the successes and perspectives of open access publication

Electronic information transfer has replaced previous written information in nearly, if not all fields of communication to a high percentage.
Brassinosteroid Signal Transduction: Clarifying the Pathway from Ligand Perception to Gene Expression

Recent genetic screens for novel components of brassinosteroid signaling have revealed proteins with cell surface, cytoplasmic, and nuclear localization that function as either positive activators or negative regulators of the brassinosteroid response. Initial microarray experiments have expanded the number of known brassinosteroid-regulated genes, providing a useful resource for better understanding terminal events in signal transduction.
The Three-Line Magnetic Hyperfine Spectrum of 57 Fe

Longitudinal magnetization of a57Co in iron metal foil source and an iron metal foil absorber in a uniform external magnetic field results in a simple three-line magnetic hyperfine absorption spectrum. Measurement of the spectral splitting as a function of applied magnetic field yields the57Fe excited-and ground-state,g-factors.
On the analysis of the dielectric dispersion of ferrites.

LF dielectric dispersion of nickel-zinc or manganese ferrites, discussing underlying mathematical formulations
Acute traumatic injuries in underground bituminous coal miners

Using injury information from the 1986 Mine Safety and Health Administration database, and demographic information from a 1986 sample survey of the miner population, acute traumatic injury rates for male workers in underground bituminous coal mines were computed by age, current job experience, and total mine work experience. Three groups of workers assessed in this study showed the highest injury rates: workers aged 15-30 years; workers with between 2 and 3 years of experience; and workers with 10 or more years of experience in the current job. Injury rates decline with age in each time-interval of current job category and each total mine working experience category. Experience per se does not appear to be related to lower injury rates independent of age, which is paradoxical. The interaction of worker age with length of current or total mining experience is complex. The potential for catastrophic multiple fatalities and severe injuries suggests that additional work is needed to study, simultaneously, factors such as training and job task, and those that describe specific work exposures and mining hazards.
Migration And Analytic Continuation In Geoelectric Imaging

Geoelectric imaging can be accomplished by using downward continuation or migration of the observed electromagnetic (EM) field in the lower halfspace. The method assumes a known background resistivity distribution. It is based on a finite-difference analytical continuation and migration of the EM field in the frequency domain. Vertical maps of the downward extrapolated or migrated fields (amplitudes and phases) produce useful images of the geoelectrical cross-section. We demonstrate also a simple technique of transforming the migrated field into resistivity images which correspond rat her well to the actual resistivity cross-sections. The method can be applied to surface (profile) magnetotelluric or controled source EM data and to borehole EM data as well.
Origin of longitudinal grooving in Tiu VallisMars: Isolation of responsible fluid‐types

Fluid instability analysis developed for the growth or decay of large, longitudinal roller vortex perturbations imposed at the base of fluids of exponentially stratified viscosities is presented. The origin of longitudinal grooving and fluting in a region of converging flow in Tiu Vallis, Mars, is analyzed, and the propensity of fluids, such as water, mudflow/debris flow, and lava, to develop longitudinal roll patterns as part of their flow field is tested. It is found that the grooving pattern in Tiu Vallis was probably formed by vortex motion in a mudflow or debris-laden slurry, but exact representation of sediment/debris concentration or sediment transport machanism is not yet possible. It is concluded that longitudinal vortex motion modelled in this analysis can develop in water, lava, or ice, but that the specific flow characteristics of these models which include the vortex motion are unreasonable for flow in Tiu Vallis.
Kinetic studies of rabbit muscle phosphofructokinase.

Initial velocity and product inhibition studies were carried out to investigate the reaction pathway for rabbit muscle phosphofructokinase. At pH 8.5, phosphofructokinase exhibited hyperbolic saturation curves for both fructose-6-P and ATP. In the absence of products, nearly parallel reciprocal plots were observed when either fructose-6-P or ATP was varied in the presence of several fixed concentrations of the non-varied substrate. In the product inhibition studies, fructose-1,6-P2 was observed to be competitive with fructose-6-P and noncompetitive with ATP. The reverse was true when ADP was employed as the inhibitor. These data are inconsistent with a simple Ping-Pong mechanism in which ADP or fructose-1,6-P2 dissociates from the enzyme before addition of the second substrate. The kinetic results are discussed in terms of a Rapid Equilibrium Random pathway containing two “abortive” ternary complexes.
Studies of Uranium Minerals (XXIII): Torbernite, Zeunerite and Uranospherite.

Nov.- Bec. An attempt was made to synthesize the fully hydrated (8 to 12 H/sub 2/O) form of torbernite. Under the petrographic microscope the precipitate was found to be microcrystalline, with low birefringence and extinction visible on some of the grains. The d-spacings are analogous to the spacings of fully hydrated zeunerite and autunite and to less hydrated species of torbernite group. The zeunerite is the arsenate analogue of torbernite. Some specimens of green crystals identified as zeunerite from Weisser Hirsch mine, Schneeberg, Saxony were studied in comparison to artificial torbernite and materials from the Dexter mine, San Rafael Swell, Utah. The uranospherite is a secondary mineral formed with various arsenates in the oxidized zone of a vein (Weisser Hirsch mine near Scheeberg, Saxony) carrying uraninite, natural bismuth, and cobalt-nickel arsenides. The mineral is a hydroxide or hydrated oxide of bismuth and hexavalent uranium, its formula is uncertain. The specimen was studied as to optical properties. (R.V. J.)
Appendectomy using single-incision pediatric endosurgery for acute and perforated appendicitis

Single-incision pediatric endosurgical (SIPES) appendectomy has been reported in few pediatric surgical centers. We have adopted the technique recently and have offered it to all patients in whom appendectomy was indicated. The purpose of this study was to report our experience with SIPES appendectomy for acute appendicitis, perforated appendicitis, and interval appendectomy, and to compare the results with those from patients who underwent conventional laparoscopic appendectomy 1 year previously. After IRB approval, data on all SIPES appendectomies performed in our hospital were prospectively collected, including operative time, intra- and postoperative complications, conversion rate, blood loss, and hospital length of stay. Cases were stratified into three categories: acute appendicitis, perforated appendicitis, and interval appendectomy. They were compared to patients operated on in 2007 using conventional laparoscopic (three-trocar) appendectomy. During the study period, 75 SIPES appendectomies were undertaken. Mean age was 11 years (range = 2-19 years) and mean weight was 45 kg (range = 12-132 kg). All SIPES appendectomies were completed laparoscopically, and additional trocars were placed in 20% of cases. SIPES interval appendectomies took the longest and had the highest conversion rate (33%). Follow-up data was available in 63 patients (82%) at a median of 3 weeks. There were three wound infections in the SIPES group (4%) and one in the 151 control patients. Compared to historic controls, operative time was shorter with SIPES compared to conventional laparoscopy for acute appendicitis (37 ± 12.3 vs. 44.1 ± 20.3 min, p = 0.01, 95% CI = 32–42 min). SIPES appendectomy is a very good alternative to the conventional laparoscopic approach, especially for acute appendicitis. It is technically more challenging for perforated appendicitis and interval appendectomy. Yet, with appropriate consideration and skill, scarless appendectomy is achievable.
Effect of Free Stream Turbulence and Other Vortical Disturbances on a Laminar Boundary Layer

This paper is concerned with the effect of free-stream turbulence on the pretransitional flat-plate boundary layer. It is assumed that either the turbulence Reynolds number or the downstream distance (or both) is small enough so that the flow can be linearized. The dominant disturbances in the boundary layer, which are of the Klebanoff type, are governed by the linearized unsteady boundary-region equations, i.e., the Navier Stokes equations with the streamwise derivatives neglected in the viscous and pressure-gradient terms. The turbulence is represented as a superposition of vortical free-stream Fourier modes, and the corresponding individual Fourier component solutions to the boundary-region equations are obtained numerically. The results are then superposed to compute the root mean square of the fluctuating streamwise velocity in the boundary layer produced by the actual free-stream turbulence. The calculated boundary-layer disturbances are in good quantitative agreement with the experimentally observed Klebanoff modes when strong low-frequency anisotropic effects are included in the free-stream turbulence spectrum. We discuss some additional effects that may need to be accounted for in order to obtain a complete description of the Klebanoff modes.