cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Subcutaneous Fibroblast Migration is Altered by Amino Acid Coated UHMW-PE Implants

The purpose of this investigation was to determine fibroblast behavior after implantation of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) rinsed with saline (control) or coated with poly-L-lysine (PLL), arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD), or arginine-glycine-glutamic acid (RGE) into 16 adult male rats subcutaneously. At 90 days post-implantation, fibroblast counts were highest in the saline rinsed group (34±2 cells/HPF) and significantly reduced in RGD (19±10), RGE (2±3), and PLL (0) treated groups. These findings indicate fibroblast migration in surrounding fibrous tissue can be strongly influenced using various amino acid combination coatings in subcutaneous applications.
Vector Field Texture Rending Algorithm Based on Mesh

Based on the quick point positioning of grid and color rendering method,a vector field visualization texture mapping algorithm was proposed. The repeat calculation of the streamline tracking was reduced and the speed was greatly improved,which made the real-time large data be effectively utilized and the various needs in the engineering be satisfied. The effect was particularly obvious in the 3D visualization process. Not only the structure and trends of the vector field could be displayed,but also the vector field size could be indicated by the color graphic. Meanwhile the force aspects could be highlighted more flexible through self-controlling the proportion. In addition,the practicality of the algorithm was proved by presentation of turbine disc' s temperature gradient field and connecting rod's displacement field.
A Survey on CSW's AIDS Knowledge, Behavior and Intervention in an Urban District in Nanchong

Objective To collect information of CSW's number, education degrees, high risk behavior and outcome of intervention in high risk places, and provide a basis for plan and evaluation of intervention measures.Methods ①To estimate the total number of CSW by general investigation.②On-the-spot questionnaire survey has been carried out for respondents selected by stratified random sampling according to CSW's education degrees.Results①The lowest estimate number of local high risk places and CSW are 137 and 1300 respectively, ②Age range is 15 to 42, medium age is 22.9, 80.9 percent of respondents is at 15 to 29. ③education degrees :according to the sequence of junior high school, senior high school, technical secondary school ,elementary school, junior college or higher education and illiteracy,the rates are 58.3%, 28.1%,11.4%,1.2% and 1.0% respectively. ④Awareness of AIDS knowledge: rate of correct answers to the following questions:"It's safe if you are royal to a non-HIV-infection sex partner',‘Persisting on condom using can prevent from HIV’,‘Mosquito-biting cannot cause HIV transmitting’ are 77.4%, 77.6% and 33.3% respectively. ⑤ In recent weeks, number of customers is 1 to 30, medium is 7. ⑥Condom-using rate is 89.8% and 61.0% in last time and in last month when having intercourse with customers. ⑦ Rates of intervention measurement coverage including publicity material, free condom dispensing, peer education and VCT are 58.6%, 48.6%, 31.0% and 33.6% respectively.Conclusion CSW is characterized by youth, mobility, no balanced AIDS knowledge and high frequency intercourse with customers.
Mistrust of others as a mediator of the relationship between trauma exposure and use of partner aggression.

OBJECTIVE: Prior research indicates a connection between the experience of trauma and use of intimate partner aggression (IPA), but little work has focused on core cognitive schemas that can be influenced by trauma. In the current study, we examine the cognitive schema of mistrust in others as a mediator of the relationship between trauma exposure and IPA use. This schema may lead to IPA through distorted social information processing that can escalate relationship conflict. METHOD: The sample consisted of 83 heterosexual community couples. All variables were assessed via written questionnaires, and IPA frequency was calculated by incorporating both partners' reports on each member of the couple. RESULTS: For males, mistrust significantly mediated the relationships between trauma exposure and both physical and psychological IPA use. For females, mistrust did not mediate the significant relationship between trauma exposure and IPA use. In analyses using the actor-partner interdependence model, both actor and partner mistrust uniquely predicted physical and psychological IPA use. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study suggest the importance of examining core schemas that may underlie trauma reactions and use of IPA. (PsycINFO Database Record(c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved). Language: en
The Theoretical Analysis of Leon H. Keyserling and Economic Policy

Leon Keyserling was a Keynesian. He was also influenced by such persons as Rexford Tugwell of Columbia University who questioned the whole US ethos. Thus, with his Keynesian economic analysis, he had a moral commitment derived partly from Tugwell, but learned earlier from his own father. In the Conference of Economic Progress Report (1983) Keyserling indicated that the real message of Keynes was that “the maldistribution of income generated more savings than could be absorbed by investment, and that Government should draw down this excessive saving by public borrowing for purposes of public investment” (Keyserling, 1983, p. 8). Such a statement, to Keyserling, was relevant in 1930 and at the time of his death in 1987. In many ways, however, Keyserling was a rather iconoclastic Keynesian. Perhaps he saw Keynes’ The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money (1936) clearer than most. The “gist” of Keynes to Keyserling was aggregate demand. The policy implication was to Keyserling that aggregate supply or growth should be full employment growth and that the private consumer and the public sector were the chief instruments in maintaining aggregate demand and purchasing power equal to the full employment growth of aggregate supply, employment, and prosperity. It is possible that Keyserling recognized or stressed that different sectors of the economy must grow in relation to one another more than did Keynes on both the micro and the macro level.
Depression Screening and Education: Options to Reduce Barriers to Treatment (DESEO): Protocol for an educational intervention study

Barriers to depression treatment among Hispanic populations include persistent stigma, inadequate doctor patient communication (DPC) and resultant sub-optimal use of anti-depressant medications. Stigma is primarily perpetuated due to inadequate disease literacy and cultural factors. Common concerns about depression treatments among Hispanics include fears about the addictive and harmful properties of antidepressants, worries about taking too many pills, and the stigma attached to taking psychotropic medications. The current manuscript presents the study protocol for the Depression Screening and Education: Options to Reduce Barriers to Treatment (DESEO) study funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Grants to Support the Hispanic Health Services Research Grant Program. DESEO will implement universal screening with a self-report depression screening tool (the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)) that is presented through a customized web application and a Depression Education Intervention (DEI) designed to increase disease literacy, and dispel myths about depression and its treatment among Hispanic patients thus reducing stigma and increasing treatment engagement. This project will be conducted at one community health center whose patient population is majority Hispanic. The target enrollment for recruitment is 350 patients over the 24-month study period. A one-group, pretest-posttest design will be used to asses knowledge of depression and its treatment and related stigma before, immediately after, and one month post intervention. Primary care settings often are the gateway to identifying undiagnosed mental health disorders, particularly for people with comorbid physical health conditions. This study is unique in that it aims to examine the specific role of patient education as an intervention to increase engagement in depression treatment. By participating in the DEI, it is expected that patients will have time to understand treatment options, participate in shared decision-making with their provider, and increase engagement in treatment of depression which might lead to improved overall health. It is also expected that implementation of the iPad Depression Screening application will increase provider awareness of the incidence and prevalence of depression in their own practice and improve the performance and care the clinic provides. The study was registered with: NCT02491034 July 2, 2015.
Extensions of Continuous Positive Definite Functions

We begin with a study of a family of reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHSs) arising in connection with extension problems for positive definite (p.d.) functions. While the extension problems make sense, and are interesting, in a wider generality, we restrict attention here to the case of continuous p.d. functions defined on open subsets of groups G. We study two questions: 1. When is a given partially defined continuous p.d. function extendable to the whole group G? In other words, when does it have continuous p.d. extensions to G? 2. When continuous p.d. extensions exist, what is the structure of all continuous p.d. extensions?
Comparative Weak Value Amplification as an Approach to Estimating the Value of Small Quantum Mechanical Interactions

This work was supported by a grant from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division’s In-house Laboratory Independent Research Program.
Weight Gain Effects of Second-Generation Antipsychotic Treatment in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract Objective: Irritability (aggression, self-injury, and severe tantrums) associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is often treated with second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs), which are well known for their associated risk of weight gain in youth. Recent reports suggest that youth with ASD treated with SGAs may suffer more pronounced weight gain than typically developing children. In this study, we present a comprehensive comparison of weight gain effects of five SGAs in a clinical population of youth with ASD. Methods: We completed a subanalysis of demographic and treatment data describing 202 youth with ASD treated at two large, subspecialty psychiatry clinics. Included subjects were between 2 and 20 years of age and were treated with one of five SGAs (risperidone, aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine, or ziprasidone) for up to 4 years. We calculated change in each participant's body–mass index (BMI) z-score during the treatment period using a linear model where the dependent variable was ...
Comparison of outcomes for MR-guided versus CT-guided high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy in women with locally advanced carcinoma of the cervix.

Abstract Objective The purpose was to compare local control (LC), overall survival (OS) and dose to the organs at risk (OAR) in women with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with MR-guided versus CT-guided interstitial brachytherapy (BT). Methods 56 patients (29 MR, 27 CT) were treated with high-dose-rate (HDR) interstitial BT between 2005–2015. The MR patients had been prospectively enrolled on a Phase II clinical trial. Data were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier (K-M) and Cox proportional hazards statistical modeling in JMP® & R®. Results Median follow-up time was 19.7months (MR group) and 18.4months (CT group). There were no statistically significant differences in patient age at diagnosis, histology, percent with tumor size >4cm, grade, FIGO stage or lymph node involvement between the groups. Patients in the MR group had more lymphovascular involvement compared to patients in the CT group ( p 2-year K-M LC rates for MR-based and CT-based treatments were 96% and 87%, respectively (log-rank p =0.65). At 2years, OS was significantly better in the MR-guided cohort (84% vs. 56%, p =0.036). On multivariate analysis, squamous histology was associated with longer OS (HR 0.23, 95% CI 0.07–0.72) in a model with MR BT (HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.08–1.18). There was no difference in toxicities between CT and MR BT. Conclusion In this population of locally advanced cervical-cancer patients, MR-guided HDR BT resulted in estimated 96% 2-year local control and excellent survival and toxicity rates.
Synergistic effect of temperature and HCl concentration on the degradation of AISI 410 stainless steel

Abstract The corrosion behavior of AISI 410 stainless steel was investigated in relatively dilute HCl solutions with different concentrations and temperature levels. General corrosion occurred at pH
Lear volée: how letters killed the king

ABSTRACTThis essay examines the complex publishing and critical histories of King Lear to trace the fatal movement of letters across the play. Lear, perhaps more so than any other of Shakespeare’s plays, is marked by violent and confusing missives, which both structure the play and undermine that very structure. Letters here expose and incite treachery, carve out crucial paths of knowledge, and ultimately damage people, power, and language itself. Drawing on theories of letter-writing from the early modern period to Poe to Derrida, this essay argues that, despite what appear to be false starts or mis-deliverings, the letter in Lear always does arrive, tragically, at its destination.
Parents’ Reasons for Sending Their Child to Montessori Schools

Although the Montessori Method of education is more than 100 years old, the number of Montessori schools in the United States has exponentially increased since 1990. Montessori methods and practices can be complex and difficult for parents to understand, even among parents whose child attends Montessori schools. Moreover, it is unclear why parents decide to enroll their child in Montessori schools. This study presents the results of a survey administered to 124 parents whose children were enrolled in 3 Montessori schools in Massachusetts. Findings indicate that 4 reasons motivated parents’ choice of Montessori education: attraction to Montessori principles, perceived fit with the Montessori philosophy or school, anticipated outcomes, and attraction to the Montessori classroom. These findings indicate that, to support parents’ decision-making, Montessori administrators should invest in parental and public awareness about Montessori education and provide prospective families with specific information related to school fit, classroom environment, and long-term student outcomes.
Oxygen Radicals, Lipid Peroxidation and DNA Damage in Mitochondria

Oxygen activation in eukaryotic cells occurs mainly within mitochondria, where the respiratory electron transport chain metabolizes approximately 90% of cellular oxygen. While mitochondrial oxygen metabolism supplies the cell with most of its ATP, it also results in the production of hazardous oxygen radicals.1,2 Oxygen radical production has been estimated to account for approximately 1 to 2% of mitochondrial oxygen consumption.3 Although the mitochondrion is protected by an elaborate system of antioxidants and scavengers,2,4 free radicals may escape their surveillance and cause damage to mitochondrial components. The close spatial relationship between the site of mitochondrial oxygen activation, the peroxidizable lipids of the Inner membrane, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) suggests that oxygen radicals and lipid peroxidation may cause mutation of the mitochondrial genome. The condition of mitochondrial DNA structure is of fundamental importance because this genome encodes key enzymes of the respiratory chain.5 In view of growing evidence indicating that abnormalities of mtDNA may contribute to the etiology of aging6 and a number of diseases, including cancer,7,8 the relationship of mitochondrial oxygen radical production and mtDNA integrity merits further consideration.
Dress, Richness of Vocabulary, Foreign Accent, Usage of Provincialism and Slang, Eloquence

Your appearance, and how you speak and write, reflects your upbringing, taste, culture, and even ambition.
Slow and Rapid Transport of Protein to Nerve Endings in Mouse Brain

The site of synthesis of a number of classes of proteins of nerve endings have been studied. Our results indicate that the general class of soluble proteins, which includes microtubular protein, are transported relatively slowly. In contrast, fucosyl glycoproteins are representative of a group of proteins which are transported to nerve endings at a more rapid, but measurable rate. Evidence is also presented for local incorporation of glucosamine into nerve ending macromolecules. These studies indicate the variable sites of synthesis and rates of transport of different protein components of nerve endings in mouse brain.
A New Class of Mixture Probability Models with Applications

SYNOPTIC ABSTRACTIn this article, we focus on the moderate to large sample inference for a particular family of the Generalized Transmuted Poisson-G (GTPG) distributions for a baseline G, when G follows a Weibull distribution with suitable parameters. We also consider some useful characterizations for generalized transmuted Poisson-Weibull distribution and some other structural properties which were not discussed previously in other works that exist in the literature. We have also utilized three well-known data sets to exhibit the flexibility of this distribution.
Relation médecin-patient au cours de l’annonce d’un cancer en radiologie

Resume Lors des consultations d’annonce en cancerologie, les competences relationnelles du medecin sont particulierement sollicitees. La specificite de la place des radiologues dans le processus d’annonce d’un cancer, ainsi que la diversite des reactions psychologiques des patientes sont discutees. Les aspects techniques et relationnels de la communication sont illustres, afin de degager des reperes pratiques concernant la relation medecin-patient lors de l’annonce. Au-dela d’un processus d’apprentissage cognitif, il s’agit de rester dans une reflexivite par rapport a la maniere d’etre en relation.
Prevalence, Characteristics and Impact of Dysphonia in US Marine Corps Drill Instructors.

Summary Importance Prior studies have evaluated various populations at increased risk of voice impairment. However, minimal data is available for military Drill Instructors, a population known to have significant vocal demands. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of subjective, perceptual, and objective dysphonia in this population and to evaluate contributing factors and impact on job performance. Design Cross-sectional analysis. Setting United States Marine Corps base (Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California). Participants Active US Marine Corps Drill Instructors. Interventions A survey was administered investigating subjective measures of dysphonia and its impact on occupational function. Standardized voice samples were recorded for objective and perceptual voice analysis. Main Outcomes and Measures Prevalence of subjective (Voice Handicap Index-10 and Glottal Function Index scores), perceptual (CAPE-V score), and acoustic (Cepstral-spectral index of dysphonia) measures of dysphonia. Results Subjective dysphonia was present in 47.7% by the Voice Handicap Index-10 and 70.2% by the Glottal Function Index. 51% of subjects reported periods of aphonia, while 47% reported voice problems limiting job function in the month prior to being surveyed. The Cepstral-Spectral Index of Dysphonia Mean was abnormal in 95.3% and CAPE-V overall severity score was abnormal in 94%. There was significant improvement in subjective, perceptual, and acoustic voice outcomes as the amount of time since last training cycle (ie, relative voice rest) and as experience as a Drill Instructor increased, however the VHI-10 was the only measure that normalized. Conclusion and Relevance There is a very high prevalence of self-reported dysphonia in Drill Instructors, with near-universal prevalence of some degree of objectively and perceptually-rated dysphonia. Nearly half of those surveyed reported that dysphonia limited their job performance. Relative voice rest and experience seem to mitigate severity, but normal ratings were rare. While objective and perceptually-rated dysphonia are persistent and highly prevalent, it does not necessarily translate into a perceived impairment in this population. For these reasons and considering the importance of extraordinary vocal function in this occupation, Drill Instructors appear to be in dire need of proper voice care to both maximize job performance and mitigate long-term voice-related problems.
Corrosion of Beryllium and its Alloys

Beryllium is a light metal (1.85 g cm−3) with a hexagonal close-packed structure (axial ratio 1.568). Table 1 displays the composition of S200D Be versus S200F two common grades of Be (Brush Wellman), both of which are fabricated from powder materials. The main difference between these grades of Be is the concentrations of BeO, iron, and aluminum (Al). Both grades are manufactured by comminuting vacuum cast ingots, followed by grinding or milling to produce powder.1 In this process, a thin oxide layer forms around the Be powder particles, resulting in a high BeO content and resultant BeO inclusions that form after hot isostatic pressing. The grain sizes of these two grades of Be are on the order of 10–40 μm, which is characteristic of powder products as the BeO particles pin grain boundaries and retard grain growth. The most notable of its mechanical properties is its low ductility at room temperature. Deformation at room temperature is restricted to slip on the basal plane, which takes place only to a very limited extent. Consequently, at room temperature, beryllium is, by normal standards, a brittle metal, exhibiting only ∼2–4% tensile elongation. Mechanical deformation increases this by the development of preferred orientation, but only in the direction of working and at the expense of ductility in other directions. Ductility also increases very markedly at temperatures above ∼300 °C with alternative slip on the (1010) prismatic planes. In consequence, all mechanical working of beryllium is carried out at elevated temperatures. It has not yet been resolved whether the brittleness of beryllium is intrinsic or results from its impurities. Solid solubility of other metals in Be is very low and, to date, it has not been possible to overcome the brittleness problem by alloying.
Depth Psychology in Gloria Anzaldúa’s Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza

The essay first shows that Gloria Anzaldua’s Borderlands aligns with many Jungian psychological concepts, including the shadow, the collective unconscious, the unus mundus, and active imagination. It then reads the text through the lens provided by James Hillman’s Re-Visioning Psychology, a book she considers “instrumental.” His personifying, pathologizing, psychologizing, and soul-making or dehumanizing—a reworking of the Jungian individuation process—provide relevant analogies for Anzalduan thought, particularly her conocimiento process. Using Hillman as a lens helps to schematize her broad array of subjects. Despite depth psychology’s relevance to Borderlands, however, the essay argues that Anzaldua’s Borderlands re-visions Re-Visioning Psychology by emphasizing expanded states of awareness, body wisdom, and the spirit world in order to provide a more inclusive vision of the psyche than Hillman puts forth. Thus, the essay demonstrates that Jung—as well as Jung-via-Hillman—contributes more to the hybridity of Anzaldua’s work than has been previously recognized.
Singapore’s British Integrated System of Public Open Spaces

The colonial 1958 plan organized open green space and parks into a structured park system that was to address the social and ecological challenges posed by the rapid urban development of the island. The plan follows European expressions of park system implemented within the British ‘garden city’ ideology by integrating green belts, nature reserves and parks as a means to improve the physical and moral condition of urban citizens.
The impact of post-fall huddles on repeat fall rates and perceptions of safety culture: a quasi-experimental evaluation of a patient safety demonstration project.

Conducting post-fall huddles is considered an integral component of a fall-risk-reduction program. However, there is no evidence linking post-fall huddles to patient outcomes or perceptions of teamwork and safety culture. The purpose of this study is to determine associations between conducting post-fall huddles and repeat fall rates and between post-fall huddle participation and perceptions of teamwork and safety culture. During a two-year demonstration project, we developed a system for 16 small rural hospitals to report, benchmark, and learn from fall events, and we trained them to conduct post-fall huddles. To calculate a hospital’s repeat fall rate, we divided the total number of falls reported by the hospital by the number of unique medical record numbers associated with each fall. We used Spearman correlations with exact P values to determine the association between the proportion of falls followed by a huddle and the repeat fall rate. At study end, we used the TeamSTEPPS® Teamwork Perceptions Questionnaire (T-TPQ) to assess perceptions of teamwork support for fall-risk reduction and the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPS) to assess perceptions of safety culture. We added an item to the T-TPQ for respondents to indicate the number of post-fall huddles in which they had participated. We used a binary logistic regression with a logit link to examine the effect of participation in post-fall huddles on respondent-level percent positive T-TPQ and HSOPS scores. We accounted for clustering of respondents within hospitals with random effects using the GLIMMIX procedure in SAS/STAT. Repeat fall rates were negatively associated with the proportion of falls followed by a huddle. As compared to hospital staff who did not participate in huddles, those who participated in huddles had more positive perceptions of four domains of safety culture and how team structure, team leadership, and situation monitoring supported fall-risk reduction. Post-fall huddles may reduce the risk of repeat falls. Staff who participate in post-fall huddles are likely to have positive perceptions of teamwork support for fall-risk reduction and safety culture because huddles are a team-based approach to reporting, adapting, and learning.
Love as Joyful and Powerful Experience

This chapter represents the common assumption that love should be a joyful and powerful experience, inspiring pursuit for happiness. This is why love is a so desirable dream for many men and women. Yet, specific cultural beliefs reflect on this experience. The chapter also presents cross-cultural research of happiness and well-being, the experience of empowerments and emotional fulfilment in love. The concept of fun and playful love from interdisciplinary perspective is discussed, and the empirical studies of ludus construct across countries are reviewed.
Synthesis and transformation of zero-dimensional Cs 3 BiX 6 (X = Cl, Br) perovskite-analogue nanocrystals

The unique structure of zero-dimensional (0D) perovskite-analogues has attracted a great amount of research interest in recent years. To date, the current compositional library of 0D perovskites is largely limited to the lead-based Cs4PbX6 (X = Cl, Br, and I) systems. In this work, we report a new synthesis of lead-free 0D Cs3BiX6 (X = Cl, Br) perovskite-analogue nanocrystals (NCs) with a uniform cubic shape. We observe a broad photoluminescence peak centered at 390 nm for the 0D Cs3BiCl6 NCs at low temperatures. This feature originates from a self-trapped exciton mechanism. In situ thermal stability studies show that Cs3BiX6 NCs remain stable upon heating up to 200 °C without crystal structural degradation. Moreover, we demonstrate that the Cs3BiX6 NCs can transform into other bismuth-based perovskite-analogues via facile anion exchange or metal ion insertion reactions. Our study presented here offers the opportunity for further understanding of the structure-property relationship of 0D perovskite-analogue materials, leading toward their future optoelectronic applications.
Ejaculatory Duct Obstruction in the Setting of an Ectopic Ureter

Abstract Introduction A 17-year-old man was referred to a tertiary care urologist for hematuria, hematospermia, and testalgia. The patient had a history of right-sided renal dysgenesis at birth. Methods Fluoroscopic investigation with retrograde seminal vesiculography demonstrated the right ureter implanted ectopically into the right ejaculatory duct. Magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvis showed the ectopic ureter present proximally from the level of the external iliac vessels and implanting into a cystic dilatation on the posterolateral aspect of the prostate. Robot-assisted laparoscopic nephroureterectomy was performed finding an ectopic right ureter forming a confluent cyst with the right ejaculatory duct composed of the seminal vesicle (SV) duct, ureter, and ductus deferens. Incision of the SV revealed mucin balls obstructing the ejaculatory duct. Results The nephroureterectomy and removal of the mucin balls resolved the patient's pain at the 1-month follow-up. Conclusion Painful ejaculation or hematospermia in the presence of known renal dysgenesis may constitute Zinner's syndrome and be an indication for pelvic magnetic resonance imaging or retrograde seminal vesiculography investigation. The classic presentation of pain with contraction of hollow organs and associated proximal dilation on imaging can be applied to the ejaculatory duct. Robot-assisted laparoscopic nephroureterectomy with preservation of the effected SV was a suitable surgical approach for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in this case of Zinner's syndrome. Joseph Shawn Smith, William Patrick Springhart. Ejaculatory Duct Obstruction in the Setting of an Ectopic Ureter. Sex Med 2020;XX:XXX–XXX.
A robust approach to quantifying uncertainty in matching problems of causal inference

Unquantified sources of uncertainty in observational causal analyses can break the integrity of the results. One would never want another analyst to repeat a calculation with the same dataset, using a seemingly identical procedure, only to find a different conclusion. However, as we show in this work, there is a typical source of uncertainty that is essentially never considered in observational causal studies: the choice of match assignment for matched groups, that is, which unit is matched to which other unit before a hypothesis test is conducted. The choice of match assignment is anything but innocuous, and can have a surprisingly large influence on the causal conclusions. Given that a vast number of causal inference studies test hypotheses on treatment effects after treatment cases are matched with similar control cases, we should find a way to quantify how much this extra source of uncertainty impacts results. What we would really like to be able to report is that \emph{no matter} which match assignment is made, as long as the match is sufficiently good, then the hypothesis test result still holds. In this paper, we provide methodology based on discrete optimization to create robust tests that explicitly account for this possibility. We formulate robust tests for binary and continuous data based on common test statistics as integer linear programs solvable with common methodologies. We study the finite-sample behavior of our test statistic in the discrete-data case. We apply our methods to simulated and real-world datasets and show that they can produce useful results in practical applied settings.
The TeV Cosmic-Ray Bump: A Message from the Epsilon Indi or Epsilon Eridani Star?

A recently observed bump in the cosmic-ray (CR) spectrum from 0.3 to 30 TV is likely caused by a stellar bow shock that reaccelerates preexisting CRs, which further propagate to the Sun along the magnetic field lines. Along their way, these particles generate an Iroshnikov-Kraichnan (I-K) turbulence that controls their propagation and sustains the bump. Ad hoc fitting of the bump shape requires six adjustable parameters. Our model requires none, merely depending on three physical unknowns that we constrain using the fit. These are the shock Mach number, M, its size, l⊥, and the distance to it, ζobs. Altogether, they define the bump rigidity R0. With M ≈ 1.5-1.6 and R0 ≈ 4.4 TV, the model fits the data with ≈0.08% accuracy. The fit critically requires the I-K spectrum predicted by the model and rules out the alternatives. These attributes of the fit make an accidental agreement highly unlikely. In turn, the R0 and M derived from the fit impose the distance-size relation on the shock: ζobs (pc)~102l⊥(pc) . For sufficiently large bow shocks, l⊥ = 10-3-10-2 pc, we find the distance of ζobs = 3-10 pc. Three promising stars in this range are the Scholz's Star at 6.8 pc, Epsilon Indi at 3.6 pc, and Epsilon Eridani at 3.2 pc. Based on their current positions and velocities, we propose that Epsilon Indi and Epsilon Eridani can produce the observed spectral bump. Moreover, Epsilon Eridani's position is only ~6°.7 off of the magnetic field direction in the solar neighborhood, which also changes the CR arrival direction distribution. Given the proximity of these stars, the bump appearance may change in a relatively short time.
Special Issue of Scientia et Fides on Evolution – Introduction

The ongoing debate on the Christian philosophical and theological approach to the theory of biological evolution is multifaceted. It refers to the biblical notion of creation, as well as to some strictly philosophical issues such as the difficulty in defining species and units of evolutionary transitions, the nature of chance, and the classical principle of proportionate causation (saying that an effect cannot exceed its own cause). Moving toward theology, it refers to the distinction between creation ( creatio ) and production ( productio ), and to the notion of secondary causation of creatures in the origin of new forms of organisms – contrasted with the classical assertion that creatures cannot create (even instrumentally).
717 Sleeping Well During a Pandemic: The Role of Various Forms of Social Support in Protecting Against Insomnia

Introduction: Social support from friends, family, and significant loved ones is critical to sustaining mental health during crises. During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the populace has had to restrict many aspects of normal social contact. Consequently, social isolation and accompanying feelings of loneliness have spiked. There has also been a contemporaneous increase in the rates of insomnia. Considering this correlation, we investigated the potential role of various types of social/emotional support on the severity of insomnia. We hypothesized that greater social support from family, friends, and significant loved ones would all contribute to lower insomnia during the pandemic. Methods: During October 2020, 1020 participants (58.2% female) completed an online survey that included the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), a measure of social support, and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), a measure of insomnia. The severity of insomnia was predicted using multiple linear regression, with the three sources of support from the MSPSS (family, friend, and significant other) entered stepwise. Results: All three sources of support were significantly correlated with lower ISI scores (family, r=-.163, p= p = 1.6x10-7;friend, r=-.125, p=6.5x10-5;significant other, r=-.095, p=.002). However, when all three variables were entered into stepwise regression, only increased familial support was significantly associated with lower insomnia levels (R2 = 0.027, β =-.163, p = 1.6x10-7). In contrast, neither the support of friends nor support from significant others added any additional predictive power once family support was in the model. Conclusion: While perceived social support from friends and significant others was correlated with lower insomnia, we found that ISI scores were most significantly associated with perceived family support. In fact, once family support was accounted for, other sources of support did not account for additional variance. Ongoing family support plays a critical role in mental health and wellbeing, which is clearly demonstrated in the quality of sleep. During the social distancing imposed by the pandemic, it is vital that we find creative ways to maintain familial social support. Future work may benefit by examining the association between the use of electronic technologies to sustain social support and sleep outcomes.
Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames: A Sociological Study of New Christian Movements in Contemporary Goa: by Savio Abreu, New Delhi, Oxford University Press, 2020, ₹ 2135 (hardback), 292 pp., ISBN: 9780190120696

India's religious landscape presents an interesting case study in syncretism and symbolism, fundamentalism and freedom of religion; porosity of institutional boundaries (e.g. religion and electoral...
Central Causes of Foot Drop: Rare and Underappreciated Differential Diagnoses

AbstractBackground/Objective: Peripheral causes of foot drop are well recognized. However, causes stemming from the central nervous system represent rare, important, and underappreciated differential etiologies.Methods: Two cases of foot drop stemming from central causes are described.Patients: The first patient, a 46-year-old man with a remote history of lumbar spine fracture and L4-L5 instrumentation/fusion, presented with progressive weakness and numbness of the left foot, followed within 3 months by similar symptoms in the right foot. Lumbar spine imaging failed to reveal compressive nerve root pathology. Electromyography, nerve conduction studies, and muscle and nerve biopsy suggested a preganglionic lesion and ruled out a peripheral cause. Upper spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed significant spinal stenosis at C4-C7 and T11 -T12. Patient 2 was a 66-year-old man with a known left parasagittal convex meningioma diagnosed 2 years prior presented with a progressive right foot drop over 2 mo...
Treatment of Major Secondary Headaches

There are a variety of medications that are used to treat the secondary headaches, although the evidence to support their use is often limited. Medications commonly used are often the same as those used to treat primary headache disorders such as migraine and tension-type headache. Clinicians must use caution when ­prescribing medications that may worsen an underlying condition or cause a recurrence of symptoms. Because secondary headaches are often daily and constant in nature, the patient is at risk for medication overuse headache. Use of opioid analgesics should be limited to the acute setting or to those patients using opioids within the context of palliative care. This chapter offers clinical advice on treatment of posttraumatic headache, stroke headache, giant cell arteritis, primary angiitis of the central nervous system, reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome, idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri), low CSF pressure headache, Chiari I malformation, and cervicogenic headache.
Intakes of dietary fat components on the nutrition facts panel are associated with indices of body composition in children (383.3)

Packaged food in the United States has a nutrition facts panel on the label where daily recommended values for each of the nutritional components are listed. With concerns about obesity and the role nutrition may play in obesity development, we investigated if nutritional components are associated with body composition indices and if the association is a simple association or if it can be altered by genetic predisposition for obesity. Fat mass index (FMI = fat mass/height2), lean mass index (LMI = lean mass/height2), and BMI were calculated for 279 children of European-, African- and Hispanic-American background. Fat mass and lean mass were determined using dual x-ray absorptiometry. Total fat, monounsaturated fat (MUFA), polyunsaturated fat (PUFA), carbohydrate, sugar, fiber, and protein intakes were obtained from 24 hour dietary recall. Obesity genetic risk score (ORS) was calculated from 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms by counting the number of obesity-risk alleles. Models evaluating the association...
A Transfer Function Analysis of Real Estate Capitalization Rates

A national multifamily and nonresidential real estate capitalization rate shows sensitivity to the analogous earnings/price ratio aggregated from the stock market. Both time series seen to have the same ARIMA characteristics. However, a transfer function analysis indicates that the sensitivity comes with a one quarter lag. Thus, even sophisticated real estate investors seem slow to adjust to changes in business cycle and monetary conditions that cause quicker changes in the stock market.
Accurate and Honest Tax Accounting for Oil and Gas

Tax accounting for the oil and gas industry does not describe the economic income from the investment. Indeed, for a broad range of reasonable assumptions, oil and gas accounting delivers anti-tax or subsidies to profitable investments. The combination of four important tax preferences generates a subsidy that is a negative 42 percent of real income. The four preferences are the expensing of intangible drilling costs, the pool of capital doctrine, the percentage depletion allowance, and the domestic manufacturing deduction. The subsidy from the combination means that an oil and gas investment can in reality lose more than half of its cost of capital before tax and still be profitable after tax. Uncle Sam is going to need significant revenue. The Obama administration estimates that the federal budget deficit for 2009 will total $1.4 trillion, or 9.9 percent of gross domestic product.1 Once the need for short-term stimulus has passed, that deficit must be closed. In the impending revenue crisis, base-protecting revenue provisions that were not possible under ordinary politics become political necessities.In raising revenue, it is better to go after the low tax and anti-tax transactions before raising tax rates. A tax system does the least harm to the private economy if it is broad, unavoidable, and neutral between investment choices. A broad, healthy tax base allows us to raise the necessary revenue at the lowest feasible tax rates. A broad, least-damaging tax would impose uniform effective tax rates on all alternative investment choices. Investment decisions should be governed, not by tax accounting, but by the real nontax merits of the investments. We need to get the tax accounting right to describe real economic income. Tax accounting is like lab data. We need to keep our laboratory data honest and accurate, no matter how important the experiment.The Shelf Project proposes capitalization of intangible drilling costs; repeal of the pool of capital doctrine; repeal of the working interest exemption from section 469 passive loss limitations; limitation of percentage depletion to basis; repeal of the exclusion of domestic production; recovery of geological and geophysical costs by cost depletion; repeal of last-in, first-out accounting for oil inventory; and repeal of the tax credits for tertiary and marginal wells.
Fast Yet Rich Morphological Analysis

Implementations of models of morphologically rich languages such as Arabic typically achieve speed and small memory footprint at the cost of abandoning linguistically abstract and elegant representations. We present a solution to modeling rich morphologies that is both fast and based on linguistically rich representations. In our approach, we convert a linguistically complex and abstract implementation of Arabic verbs in finite-state machinery into a simple precompiled tabular representation.
A New Method for Identifying Orders of Input-Output Models for Nonlinear Dynamic Systems

The paper proposes a new method for identifying orders of input-output models for unknown nonlinear dynamic systems. The approach is based on the continuity property of the nonlinear functions which represent input-output models of continuous dynamic systems. The approach does not depend on any nonlinear function approximation methods and solely depends on the system's input-output data measured in experiments. By evaluating the modification of an index which is defined as Lipschitz number with the successive modification of model orders, the appropriate model orders can be determined simply and reliably. Theoretical background of the present approach is discussed. Several examples from chaotic dynamic systems, nonlinear plant models are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the present method.
Preparation and characterization of bottom ferromagnetic electrode for graphene based magnetic junction

Abstract Magnetic multilayer stacks incorporating several layers of graphene have been predicted to produce very high magnetoresistance and high conductivity, a combination of properties that would be useful in magnetic sensors and future spin-based data storage and processing technologies such as MRAM. To realize the theoretically modeled heterostructures and probe their properties, a clean, high-quality graphene-ferromagnet interface, such as one that results from CVD of graphene directly on ferromagnetic films, is required. However, past works using Ni and Co films for CVD of graphene employ the ferromagnetic film as a sacrificial layer to be dissolved after graphene growth and ignore changes to its morphology and magnetic properties. Here we investigated the effect of graphene CVD growth conditions on the properties of Co, Ni, Co 90 Fe 10 and Ni 80 Fe 20 ferromagnetic films. The magnetic films were grown by dc magnetron sputtering with different growth conditions onto c-Al 2 O 3 , Si/AlN and MgO substrates. The crystalline orientation, surface morphology/roughness and magnetic properties of the films were measured using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry, respectively. Cobalt films grown at 500 °C were found to be hcp and heteroepitaxial on c-Al 2 O 3 . CoFe, Ni, and NiFe films on c-Al 2 O 3 were found to be fcc and to be (111) textured but with grains having in-plane rotation differing by 60°. The CoFe and NiFe films on c-Al 2 O 3 retained their small coercivity and high remanence while the pure Co and Ni films exhibited much smaller remanence after graphene growth, making them unsuitable for magnetic memory technologies. Films on Si/AlN were found to have the same rotational domains as those on sapphire c-Al 2 O 3 . The NiFe films on (111) MgO were found to be mostly single domain.
An investigation into differences in the business practices of information industries

Products consisting solely of information (that which is recorded about something) are information products. Organizations or business units that produce and/or sell only information are information-only businesses. Information Industries consist of organizations that produce and/or sell information products. The explosive growth of e-commerce and the Internet serves as notice that the Information Age is rapidly emerging as reality rather than conjecture, but research into the business practices of organizations that make up Information Industries is scant at best. Information Age firms are clearly distinguishable from their predecessors, but appropriate techniques for managing them successfully may not be so obvious. An economic-theory based view of information products provides a logical starting point for the study of the differences in business practices of Information firms. This paper presents an evolving, coherent research agenda for the study of business practices in Information Industries, and summarizes the results of the first stage of the implementation of that agenda.