cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring the Glass Transition Temperature of Conjugated Polymer Films with Ultraviolet–Visible Spectroscopy

The glass transition temperature (Tg) of a conjugated polymer can be used to predict its morphological stability and mechanical properties. Despite the importance of this parameter in applications from organic solar cells to wearable electronics, it is not easy to measure. The Tg is often too weak to detect using conventional differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Alternative methods—e.g., variable temperature ellipsometry—require specialized equipment. This paper describes a technique for measuring the Tg of thin films of semicrystalline conjugated polymers using only a hot plate and an ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectrometer. UV–vis spectroscopy is used to measure changes in the absorption spectrum due to molecular-scale rearrangement of polymers when heated past Tg, corresponding to the onset of the formation of photophysical aggregates. A deviation metric, defined as the sum of the squared deviation in absorbance between as-cast and annealed films, is used to quantify shifts in the absorption spec...
Analysis of energy costs for catalytic ozone membrane filtration

Abstract Membrane fouling can be reduced through shear stress generated by cross-flow at the membrane surface. Previous work has shown that presence of ozone can reduce membrane fouling. In this work, the effect of ozonation and cross-flow on both membrane fouling on ceramic membranes and the energy cost for the process was studied. The effect of ozone dosage on membrane fouling was studied in both cross-flow and dead-end configurations. The performance of a manganese oxide coated membrane was compared with that of uncoated titanium oxide membrane. Membrane fouling decreased with increasing ozone dosages in the manganese oxide coated catalytic membrane, although increasing the dosage beyond 10–15 μg/s yielded limited improvement. The most energy-efficient mode of operation was found to be dead-end filtration using a manganese oxide coated membrane and a 10 μg/s ozone injection rate.
Curriculum Innovation for Marketing Analytics

College graduates need better preparation for and experience in data analytics for higher-quality problem solving. Using the curriculum innovation framework of Borin, Metcalf, and Tietje (2007) and...
Load Rating of a Reinforced Concrete T-Beam Bridge Through Ambient Vibration Testing and Finite Element Model Updating

As the load demands on highway bridges increases, it is essential that the load rating procedures reliably assess the condition of existing structures. In addition, conventional design office load rating techniques cannot be used for bridges without structural plans, which indicates the need for a more advanced load rating procedure. This paper presents a methodology to compute the live load-carrying capacity of reinforced concrete T-beam bridges, which can be applied for bridges with structural plans or with missing or limited design information. The method involves modal identification of bridge using ambient vibrations and finite element model updating using vibration characteristics for capacity estimation. A simply supported T-beam bridge located in Virginia is selected for field-testing to verify the proposed method. The bridge is composed of five spans of the same length, 12.95 m for each, with a total length of 65.4 m and a width of 8.864 m. A total of nine accelerometers are installed to bridge to collect acceleration data for 15 min at a sampling rate of 500 Hz. The modal properties of the bridge are determined using enhanced frequency domain decomposition technique. The initial finite element model of the bridge is updated such that the modal properties of the bridge match the field measured parameters. The load effects and capacity of the bridge are determined and used to calculate the load rating factor. The rating factors obtained from the proposed method and traditional design office load rating procedures are compared. The results indicate that the proposed method can reveal the reserve capacity of bridges.
Observation of massive ΛKs0π+π+π−− events above 5 GeVc2

Abstract In an experiment using the Fermilab Multiparticle Spectrometer we have studied forward production of high mass events containing two strange particles and charged pions. In the final state ΛK s 0 π + π + π − π − we observe 5 events with effective mass above 5.5 GeV/ c 2 . Four of these events cluster near 5.75 GeV/ c 2 , and three of these events contain K s 0 π + π − mass combinations consistent with the charmed D 0 .
TEXTURING OF YBA2CU3O6+X BY MELT PROCESSING

Solidification from the melt is an effective method for producing high-critical-temperature superconductors that are highly textured and have relatively high critical current densities. There are various means to generate a textured microstructure, but in all techniques the proper control of solidification parameters is paramount.
Acupuncture’s Role in Cardiovascular Homeostasis

This chapter summarizes data from more than 50 years of experimental and clinical studies describing the clinical effects and mechanisms of manual and electroacupuncture (EA) in cardiovascular disease, including hypertension and hypotension. These studies are based on concepts of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and neuroscience, utilizing many techniques, including electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, and confocal microscopy, pharmacology, and molecular methods. We now understand the concept of meridians, acupoint specificity, stimulation parameters required to evoke optimal responses, factors influencing the action of EA, and many of its mechanisms of action. As a result of many experiments incorporating a number of animal models (dogs, rabbits, rats, cats), we now can describe the neural pathways and neurotransmitters involved in EA that inhibit sympathetic outflow to reduce hypertension and arrhythmias. We also have begun to evaluate mechanisms underlying the long-lasting inhibition of elevated blood pressure by EA. Recent preliminary studies have shown that the same acupoints and stimulation parameters that lower elevated BP also have the potential to reverse hypotension. Although EA is not effective in all subjects, we have preliminary clues about how to improve responsiveness so that nonresponders can be converted to responders. Finally, we provide suggestions for continued research in this potentially important area of treatment.
Drought Monitoring as a Component of Drought Preparedness Planning

Drought is the most complex of all natural hazards. The lack of progress in drought preparedness planning and the development of national drought policies is a reflection of this complexity. As countries move toward a higher level of preparedness, drought monitoring and early warning systems become paramount because these systems provide the information necessary to make timely decisions regarding the management of water and other natural resources. Just as critically important is the development of delivery systems that provide decision makers at all levels and for all primary sectors with data and information that will assist them in making timely decisions. These decision support tools provide end users with information they need to reduce the most serious consequences of drought and reduce the need for government and donor intervention in the form of drought assistance and relief. The goal is to create more drought resilient societies. With the demand for water increasing because of expanding population, urbanization, changes in land use, and many other factors, the time to move to a more risk-based drought management approach is now. Given projected increases in temperature and uncertainties regarding the amount, distribution, and intensity of precipitation, the frequency, severity, and duration of drought may increase in the future. Developing improved drought monitoring and early warning systems in support of drought preparedness planning and policy is an urgent need for all drought-prone countries.
Global Versus Local Mass Functions

Multimass dynamical models are used to study the difference between a mass function determined in an outer field and the global mass function of the cluster. The differences are small.
The Madisonian Republic and Modern Nationalist Populism: Democracy and the Rule of Law:

The U.S. Federal Constitution was built to be a machine for displacing conflict. Madison and the other Framers erected a Federal Republic organized to control populist movements and preserve the in...
A New Activator of Hepatocyte CaMKII in Fasting and Type 2 Diabetes.

Positive regulation of hepatic glucose production (HGP) and stimulation of glycogenolysis during fasting are critical processes to prevent hypoglycemia. A key hormone that carries out this function is glucagon, which is secreted by pancreatic α-cells in response to fasting and acts on its receptor on hepatocytes to promote HGP and glycogenolysis (1). However, as often happens, processes that are critical in physiology can promote disease processes in nonphysiological settings. As such, glucagon-induced HGP is a major contributor to excessive HGP and hyperglycemia in obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) (2). In this issue of Diabetes , Wang et al. (3) provide evidence that another circulating factor that is increased in fasting and obesity/T2D—prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α)—also promotes HGP in both fasting and obese, insulin-resistant mice. Previous work has elucidated a number of pathways through which activation of the hepatocyte glucagon receptor (GcgR), which is a G-protein–coupled receptor (GPCR), promotes HGP and glycogenolysis in both fasting and obesity. Specifically, adenylyl cyclase/cyclic AMP-mediated protein kinase A (PKA) activation by G proteins of the GcgR controls the transcriptional regulation of HGP and glycogenolysis through at least three distinct but complementary processes (Fig. 1): phosphorylation of CREB, which results in recruitment of its coactivators, CBP and p300; deactivation of a kinase called SIK2; and activation of inositol 3-phosphate receptors (IP3Rs), leading to release of endoplasmic reticulum calcium into the cytosol and subsequent activation of the phosphatase calcineurin and the kinase Ca2+/calmodulin-activated protein kinase IIγ …
Evaluation of a Handheld Gluten Detection Device

A portable, handheld gluten detection device, the Nima sensor, is now available for consumers wishing to determine if gluten is present in food. By U.S. regulation, gluten-free foods should contain <20 ppm of gluten. Thirteen gluten-free foods (muffins, three different types of bread, three different types of pasta, puffed corn snack, ice cream, meatballs, vinegar and oil salad dressing, oatmeal, and dark chocolate) were prepared; each food was spiked on a weight to weight basis with gluten levels of 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 100 ppm before processing or preparation. Unprocessed and processed foods were tested with the handheld gluten sensor and by two gluten-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) on the basis of the R5 and G12 monoclonal antibodies, respectively. The portable gluten detection device detected gluten in all food types at the 30-ppm addition level, failing to detect gluten in only 5 (6.4%) of 78 subsamples. At the 20-ppm addition level, the portable gluten detection device failed to detect gluten in one type of pasta but detected gluten residues in 63 (87.5%) of 72 other subsamples. The device was able to detect gluten at the 10-ppm addition level in 9 of the 13 food matrices (41 of 54 subsamples, 75.9%) but not in the three types of pasta and the puffed corn snack. The gluten-sensing device did not perform reliably at the 5-ppm addition level in 11 of 13 food matrices (exceptions: ice cream and muffins). In contrast, the ELISA methods were highly reliable at gluten addition levels of ≥10 ppm in all food matrices. The portable gluten detection device yielded a low percentage of false-positive results (4 of 111, 3.6%) in these food matrices. Thus, this handheld portable gluten sensor performed reliably in the detection of gluten in foods having ≥20 ppm of added gluten with only 18 (5.9%) of 306 failures, if results of the one type of pasta are excluded. The device worked with greater reliability as the gluten levels in the foods increased.
Manufacturing Cost Analysis of Perovskite Solar Modules in Single-Junction and All-Perovskite Tandem Configurations

Perovskite solar cells are promising to become one of the cheapest photovoltaic (PV) technologies due to low material utilization, easy manufacturing processes, and high power conversion efficiencies. In this work, we evaluate the manufacturing costs of perovskite PV modules fabricated using feasible low-cost materials and processes. Three types of perovskite cells based on single-junction and two- and fourterminal all-perovskite tandem configurations are analyzed. Our calculation shows the direct manufacturing costs are 28.7, 33.8, and 42.3 $/m$^{\mathbf{2}}$ for single-junction, two-terminal tandem, and fourterminal tandem modules, respectively, corresponding to a minimum sustainable price (MSP) of 0.32, 0.34, and 0.37 $/Wp for the modules manufactured in the United States. We also discuss the potential for efficiency gains that could further lower the cost per watt for the tandem modules.
A function‐valued trait approach to estimating the genetic basis of size at age and its potential role in fisheries‐induced evolution

Natural selection is inherently a multivariate phenomenon. The selection pressure on size (natural and artificial) and the age at which selection occurs is likely to induce evolutionary changes in growth rates across the entire life history. However, the covariance structure that will determine the path of evolution for size at age has been studied in only a few fish species. We therefore estimated the genetic covariance function for size throughout ontogeny using Atlantic silversides (Menidia menidia) as the model system. Over a 3-year period, a total of 542 families were used to estimate the genetic covariance in length at age from hatch through maturity. The function-valued trait approach was employed to estimate the genetic covariance functions. A Bayesian hierarchical model was used to account for the unbalanced design, unequal measurement intervals, unequal sample sizes, and family-aggregated data. To improve mixing, we developed a two-stage sampler using a Gibbs sampler to generate the posterior of a well-mixing approximate model followed by an importance sampler to draw samples from posterior of the completely specified model. We found that heritability of length is age-specific and there are strong genetic correlations in length across ages that last 30 days or more. We used these estimates in a hypothetical model predicting the evolutionary response to harvesting following a single generation of selection under both sigmoidal and unimodal patterns of gear selectivity to illustrate the potential outcomes of ignoring the genetic correlations. In these scenarios, genetic correlations were found to have a strong effect on both the direction and magnitude of the response to harvest selection.
Effects of Turbulent Hyporheic Mixing on Reach‐Scale Transport

Turbulence causes rapid mixing of solutes and fine particles between open channel flow and coarse-grained streambeds. Turbulent mixing is known to control hyporheic exchange fluxes and the distribution of vertical mixing rates in the streambed, but it is unclear how turbulent mixing ultimately influences mass transport at the reach scale. We used a particle-tracking model to simulate local- and reach-scale solute transport for a stream with coarse-grained sediments. Simulations were first used to determine profiles of vertical mixing rates that best described solute concentration profiles measured within a coarse granular bed in flume experiments. These vertical mixing profiles were then used to simulate a pulse solute injection to show the effects of turbulent hyporheic exchange on reach-scale solute transport. Experimentally measured concentrations were best described by simulations with a non-monotonic mixing profile, with highest mixing at the sediment-water interface and exponential decay into the bed. Reach-scale simulations show that this enhanced interfacial mixing couples in-stream and hyporheic solute transport. Coupling produces an interval of exponential decay in breakthrough curves and delays the onset of power-law tailing. High streamwise velocities in the hyporheic zone reduced mass recovery in the water column and caused breakthrough curves to exhibit steeper power-law slopes than predictions from mobile-immobile modeling theory. These results demonstrate that transport models must consider the spatial variability of streamwise velocity and vertical mixing for both the stream and the hyporheic zone, and new analytical theory is needed to describe reach-scale transport when high streamwise velocities are present in the hyporheic zone.
Quantitative characterization of the path of glucose diffusion facilitated by human glucose transporter 1

ABSTRACT Glucose transporter GLUT1 is ubiquitously expressed in the human body from the red cells to the blood-brain barrier to the skeletal muscles. It is physiologically relevant to understand how GLUT1 facilitates diffusion of glucose across the cell membrane. It is also pathologically relevant because GLUT1 deficiency causes neurological disorders and anemia and because GLUT1 overexpression fuels the abnormal growth of cancer cells. This article presents a quantitative investigation of GLUT1 based on all-atom molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations of the transporter embedded in lipid bilayers of asymmetric inner-and-outer-leaflet lipid compositions, subject to asymmetric intra-and-extra-cellular environments. This is in contrast with the current literature of MD studies of the transporter embedded in a symmetric lipid bilayer of a single lipid type. The equilibrium (unbiased) dynamics of GLUT1 shows that it can facilitate glucose diffusion across the cell membrane without undergoing large-scale conformational motions. The Gibbs free-energy profile, which is still lacking in the current literature of GLUT1, quantitatively characterizes the diffusion path of glucose from the periplasm, through an extracellular gate of GLUT1, on to the binding site, and off to the cytoplasm. This transport mechanism is validated by the experimental data that GLUT1 has low water-permeability, high glucose-affinity, uptake-efflux symmetry, and 10 kcal/mol Arrhenius activation barrier around 37°C.
Militarized marine protected areas in overseas territories: conserving biodiversity, geopolitical positioning, and securing resources in the 21st century

Abstract Under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Aichi biodiversity targets, nations have committed to conserving 10% of the oceans within their territories by 2020. Over the past decade, this goal has driven the establishment of many large marine protected areas (MPAs), several of which surround overseas island territories with current or historical military involvement, ranging from World War 2 battle sites to testing areas for the “ABCs” of atomic, biological, and chemical weapons during the cold war. For countries with significant overseas territories, such as the USA, France, and the UK, these remote possessions provide an opportunity to achieve biodiversity conservation objectives over large spatial scales. They also provide a strategic footprint for regional maritime spheres of influence, as well as possible future energy and mineral resources. Building on insights from terrestrial “militarized” protected areas, and drawing on archival and contemporary sources, this paper examines the multiple motivations behind designating very large MPAs in overseas territories, from protecting biodiversity to more long-term geopolitical, security, and resource-oriented motivations.
12-ns Frequency Chirped Pulse for Self-Calibrated Gas Sensing

We present the generation of 12.1 ns frequency chirped pulses from a distributed feedback laser diode via injection current modulation and demonstrate its application to absorption-based methane sensing at 1650.9 nm. The chirp spectral distribution is found to be significantly impacted by the transient dynamics of these short pulses. A simplified, two-part model is used to evaluate the chirp property, suggesting spectral mixing and oscillation. The chirp enables intra-pulse self-calibrated gas sensing by taking the amplitude ratio between the absorption peak and a reference, which is demonstrated for methane concentrations from 0 to 22.6% with a detection limit of 25 ppm. It also provides resistance to power fluctuation from various sources. These short pulses offer high spatial and temporal resolution and can potentially enable reflection-based, highly multiplexed gas sensing systems.
Salesperson communication effectiveness in a digital sales interaction

Abstract B2B buyers are exhibiting an increased preference to transact digitally with vendors. A topic which has yet to receive sufficient academic attention in this modern selling environment is salesperson communication effectiveness. Accordingly, this article: 1) defines digital sales interactions (DSIs) as technology-enabled, face-to-face buyer-seller exchanges; 2) proposes a typology of DSIs to set the stage to examine salesperson communication effectiveness; 3) introduces a framework that reifies the sender's auditory and visual cues that can influence receivers' thoughts (i.e., cognition, affect, intention) and activity (i.e., purchase behavior, advocacy); 4) suggests theoretical lenses that can illuminate various aspects of the salesperson's communication barrage; 5) advances how machine learning can be applied to understand what constitutes effective communication in a digital interaction by asking: to what extent does what a salesperson says (auditory cues) and how s/he says it (visual cues) impact her/his effectiveness in a DSI?; and 6) concludes by noting promising future research directions for B2B marketing researchers.
What to Do in a World Full of Risks: Three Issues

When we decide how to act, we realize that things may not work out as we expect. Certainties, for us, lie only in the past. In the future, they exist only for God. For us, the future results of our acts are matters of probabilities, the estimates we make based on the information we possess as we understand it. And, if we think about it, our estimates will always be wrong. The real “probabilities" will either be one or zero, depending on how things actually work out. In this essay, I am going to discuss three moral problems that reflect this fact that the results of what we do are, from our perspective, matters of probability estimates until we actually act. One problem is that of preemptive action--action taken to avert some feared outcome. Another problem is that of how to take into account the probability that one’s act will violate a deontological constraint. And the third problem is to what extent one is obligated before taking a risky act to attempt to refine one’s estimate of the risk. These three problems are independent of each other, so the preferred approach to one has no necessary implications for how to deal with the others. Nonetheless, dealing with all three in a single article is merited because they all deal with how probabilities should affect one’s choices, a topic that is far too neglected in moral philosophy.
Analyzing a Helpdesk Process Through the Lens of Actor Handoff Patterns

In this study, we analyze the activity logs of fully resolved incident management tickets in the Volvo IT department to understand the handoff patterns i.e., how actors pass work from one to another using sequence analytics, an approach for studying activity patterns from event log sequences. In this process the process model itself is rather simple, but a large amount of variety is present in it in terms of the handoff patterns that arise. Hence, process modeling is not so helpful to gain a deeper understanding of the performance of the process. We offer an alternative approach to analyze such processes through the lens of organizational routines. A generic actor pattern here describes the sequence in which actors participate in the resolution of an incident. We characterize actor handoff patterns in terms of canonical sub-patterns like straight, sub- and full-loop, and ping-pong. Then, we predict incident resolution duration with machine learning methods to understand how actor patterns affect duration. Finally, the evolution of patterns over time is analyzed. Our results shed light on emergence of collaboration and have implications for resource allocation in organizations. They suggest that handoff patterns should be another factor to be considered while allocating work to actors along with position, role, experience, etc.
Internet Access, Hate Speech and the First Amendment

This article deals with the problem of hate speech on the Internet. The very mode of the Internet is access and the Internet's ready access for ideas is in many ways its most attractive feature. Indeed the Internet is a harbor for all kinds of speech, including hate speech. But as recent events in Charleston, Pittsburgh and El Paso demonstrate, hate speech, such as white supremacist websites, has lethal consequences. The interactivity of a social media platform, the camaraderie that it engenders, the rage that it fosters, provides a means of radicalization unknown to the more traditional media. A federal statute, 47 U.S.C. Sec. 230(c)(1) plays a significant role here. The theme of this provision is to free online service providers from whatever harmful effects that flow from the content they transmit. Furthermore, under First Amendment law, hate speech is generally speaking, protected speech. The Supreme Court has dealt with hate speech in non-internet contexts. This case law is analyzed in determining what guidelines it provides for the new phenomenon of hate speech on the Internet. In addition, the article suggests a possible amendment to Sec. 230 (c)(1).
Use of Imported Inputs and the Cost of Importing: Evidence from Developing Countries

For a representative sample of manufacturing firms in 26 countries, the paper shows that changes in the cost of importing over time is significantly and negatively correlated with changes in the percentage of firm’s material inputs that are of foreign origin. In short, import costs matter and significantly so for a firm’s decision to use foreign vs. domestic inputs. This is important as recent studies indicate a significant positive effect of the use foreign input on firm productivity and growth. Furthermore, we show that there may be a non-linear relationship between import costs and imports. We hope that the present paper will inspire more work towards the determinants of the use of imported inputs by firms in developing and developed countries.
A systematic review of the use of dietary self-monitoring in behavioural weight loss interventions: delivery, intensity and effectiveness.

Objective To identify dietary self-monitoring implementation strategies in behavioural weight loss interventions. Design We conducted a systematic review of eight databases and examined fifty-nine weight loss intervention studies targeting adults with overweight/obesity that used dietary self-monitoring. Setting NA. Participants NA. Results We identified self-monitoring implementation characteristics, effectiveness of interventions in supporting weight loss and examined weight loss outcomes among higher and lower intensity dietary self-monitoring protocols. Included studies utilised diverse self-monitoring formats (paper, website, mobile app, phone) and intensity levels (recording all intake or only certain aspects of diet). We found the majority of studies using high- and low-intensity self-monitoring strategies demonstrated statistically significant weight loss in intervention groups compared with control groups. Conclusions Based on our findings, lower and higher intensity dietary self-monitoring may support weight loss, but variability in adherence measures and limited analysis of weight loss relative to self-monitoring usage limits our understanding of how these methods compare with each other.
Infection risk and prophylaxis in patients with lymphoid cancer.

Abstract Infections are a common cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with lymphoid cancer. With evolving cancer therapeutics, including new targeted and immunotherapies,clinicians need to be aware of additional risk factors and infections that may arise in patients treated with these agents. This “How I Treat” article will highlight fundamental issues including risk factors for infection, infectious diseases screenings and antimicrobial prophylaxisrecommendations in patients with lymphoid cancers. We present 4 scenarios of patients with lymphoid cancers withvaried infections and describe a treatmentapproach based on a combination of evidence-based data and experience, as there are limitations in objective infection data especially with newer agents. The goal of this discussion is to provide a framework for institutions and health care providers to develop their own approach in preventing and treating infections in patients with lymphoid cancer.
Volumetric and surface-based 3D MRI analyses of fetal isolated mild ventriculomegaly

Diagnosis of fetal isolated mild ventriculomegaly (IMVM) is the most common brain abnormality on prenatal ultrasound. We have set to identify potential alterations in brain development specific to IMVM in tissue volume and cortical and ventricular local surface curvature derived from in utero magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Multislice 2D T2-weighted MRI were acquired from 32 fetuses (16 IMVM, 16 controls) between 22 and 25.5 gestational weeks. The images were motion-corrected and reconstructed into 3D volumes for volumetric and curvature analyses. The brain images were automatically segmented into cortical plate, cerebral mantle, deep gray nuclei, and ventricles. Volumes were compared between IMVM and control subjects. Surfaces were extracted from the segmentations for local mean surface curvature measurement on the inner cortical plate and the ventricles. Linear models were estimated for age-related and ventricular volume-associated changes in local curvature in both the inner cortical plate and ventricles. While ventricular volume was enlarged in IMVM, all other tissue volumes were not different from the control group. Ventricles increased in curvature with age along the atrium and anterior body. Increasing ventricular volume was associated with reduced curvature over most of the ventricular surface. The cortical plate changed in curvature with age at multiple sites of primary sulcal formation. Reduced cortical folding was detected near the parieto-occipital sulcus in IMVM subjects. While tissue volume appears to be preserved in brains with IMVM, cortical folding may be affected in regions where ventricles are dilated.
Causes, Challenges and Prospects of Brain Drain: The Case of Eritrea

While there is little doubt that highly skilled workers in many Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are scarce, it is also true that many highly trained professionals have left LDCs to go and work in the developed world. The latter, known as the “brain drain,” or simply human capital flight, is not at all a new phenomenon; it has only become more pronounced in recent years. This paper delves into the causes, challenges, and prospects of the phenomenon of the “brain drain” in LDCs, by taking Eritrea as a case study. In so doing, it demonstrates that deteriorating economic conditions, lack of good governance and political instability are the root causes of the “brain drain” in LDCs such as Eritrea. The paper also highlights the impact of the “brain drain”, and suggests some of the measures that may be put in place by governments of LDCs in order to redress the situation.
The Feeling of Infinity: Late Beethoven and the Aesthetics of the Sublime and the Beautiful

Many Western philosophers, such as Burke, Kant, and Hegel, have examined the concepts of the “sublime” and the “beautiful.” Though they often disagree on the particular characteristics that produce one or the other feeling (or both), it is clear that the realm of the sublime is beyond human understanding. It excites the most violent, noble, terrifying, and ecstatic passions. The works of Beethoven’s final stylistic period, as represented by his Piano Sonata in E Major, Op. 109, explore the farthest reaches of sublimity. The aesthetics of the sublime and beautiful have traditionally been applied to nature and the visual arts. However, they are readily applicable to music as well. Analyzing their development will help place Beethoven in the proper historical context. It can then be shown how Beethoven’s late style helped revolutionize these concepts, expressing them in ways that a philosopher’s words simply could not.
Property Tax Assessment Rates and Residential Abandonment: Policy for New York City

Netghbothood abandonment rates is New York City are predieted Within a model which investigates the imporatnce of property tax assessments building conditions adn tenant characteristies in owners’abandonment decision The results indicate that tax assessment rate are a mojor determinant of abon donment, and point to policy changes capable of showing the spread of aban donment in vulnerble netghbot hoods
Review article: a pharmacoeconomic analysis of thrombocytopenia in chronic liver disease.

Summary Background Patients with chronic liver disease commonly experience thrombocytopenia resulting from disease or treatment. Such patients often require multiple platelet transfusions, and consequently can experience associated complications including systemic infection, iron overload, and platelet refractoriness. Aim To discuss the limited data available on the impact of thrombocytopenia on the medical procedures and their associated costs. Results Thrombocytopenia and its treatment can have a negative impact on outcomes and cost of therapy; costs associated with platelet transfusion can constitute a significant portion of the hospital budget. Inability to initiate or complete antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C infection due to low platelet counts can lead to dose reduction or discontinuation, lower efficacy, increased risks, and increased overall costs. Routine medical procedures can be complicated, prolonged, or precluded as a result of severe thrombocytopenia. Conclusion Novel therapies can safely and effectively prevent or treat thrombocytopenia in this patient population with chronic liver disease resulting in improved quality of care and significant cost savings in addition to improving treatment outcomes and quality of life (QOL) measures.
Large tufa mounds, Searles Lake, California

Mounds that have formed around spring vents occur in a variety of environmental settings, many at sites generally difficult or inaccessible for sampling. In contrast, over 500 tufa mounds occur in the dry bed of Searles Lake, California. The mounds range from minor features to 45 m in height; most are 5 to 12 m high. These mounds, composed of calcite and aragonite, formed associated with spring vents in the Pleistocene lake bottom. Thus, analyses of these mounds in Searles Lake provide a model with regard to the origin and architecture of tufa mounds. The mounds consist of four distinctive tufa facies. The initial deposits consist of porous tufa, including the innermost (porous 1) and the outermost (porous 2) deposits, followed by nodular tufa, then columnar tufa, and laminated crusts. There are two simple sequences of tufa deposition. The first sequence is from porous 1 to nodular to laminated crusts and, finally, to porous 2. A second sequence consists of: porous 1 to columnar to laminated crusts and, lastly, to porous 2. Facies changes are a response to changes in environmental conditions from deep water (porous 1 facies) to an essentially dry lake phase (during and after the formation of laminated crusts facies), to deep water (porous 2 facies) and, at the present time, totally dry. The primary constituents that comprise the tufa deposits include thin laminae, pisoids, spherulites, peloids and stromatolite-like crusts. On the microscopic scale, these constituents dominantly make up nano-spheres, micro-rods and rod-like crystals, as well as other calcified bodies. These constituents are interpreted to be the calcified remains of bacterial bodies. These findings suggest that microbial participation in the construct of other mounds should be a major concern of investigation, both for terrestrial and extraterrestrial spring-fed mounds.
Equity and Greenhouse Gas Responsibility

Disagreement over principles for the inclusion of developing countries in future global greenhouse gas caps remains an obstacle to the ratification and implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. [ Baer et al. ][1] argue that a transition from allocations based on past emissions (with a "grandfather clause"), such as the Kyoto Protocol, embodies for the industrialized nations, to allocations a new regime based on equal per capita emissions rights, is a necessary and fair solution that can lead to an effective global reduction regime. Such an allocation is consistent with numerous ethical principles and legal precedents, could facilitate trading in emissions permits, and can be implemented through a transitional period that accommodates the different situations and emissions levels of various countries. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/289/5488/2287
Computed Tomography Is More Sensitive than Ultrasound for the Diagnosis of Acute Cholecystitis

Abstract Background: Ultrasound (US) is the first-line diagnostic study for evaluating gallstone disease and is considered the test of choice for diagnosing acute cholecystitis (AC). However, computed tomography (CT) is used widely for the evaluation of abdominal pain and is often obtained as a first abdominal imaging test, particularly in cases in which typical clinical signs of AC are absent or other possible diagnoses are being considered. We hypothesized that CT is more sensitive than US for diagnosing AC. Methods: A prospective registry of all urgent cholecystectomies performed by our acute care surgery service between June 2008 and January 2014 was searched for cases of AC. The final diagnosis was based on operative findings and pathology. Patients were classified into two groups according to pre-operative radiographic work-up: US only or CT and US. The US group was compared with the CT and US group with respect to clinical and demographic characteristics. For patients undergoing both tests the sens...
Assessment of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157 Illnesses Prevented by Recalls of Beef Products

Beef product recall data from 2005 through 2012 associated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157 contamination were used to develop quantitative models to estimate the number of illnesses prevented by recalls. The number of illnesses prevented was based on the number of illnesses that occurred relative to the number of pounds consumed, then extrapolated to the number of pounds of recalled product recovered. A simulation using a Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) probability distribution with illness-related recalls estimated 204 (95% credible interval, 117-333) prevented STEC O157 illnesses from 2005 through 2012. Recalls not associated with illnesses had more recalled product recovered and prevented an estimated 83 additional STEC O157 illnesses. Accounting for underdiagnosis resulted in an estimated total of 7500 STEC O157 illnesses prevented over 8 years. This study demonstrates that recalls, although reactive in nature, are an important tool for averting further exposure and illnesses.
A Pilot Study Assessing ECG versus ECHO Ventriculoventricular Optimization in Pediatric Resynchronization Patients

INTRODUCTION Cardiac resynchronization therapy indications and management are well described in adults. Echocardiography (ECHO) has been used to optimize mechanical synchrony in these patients; however, there are issues with reproducibility and time intensity. Pediatric patients add challenges, with diverse substrates and limited capacity for cooperation. Electrocardiographic (ECG) methods to assess electrical synchrony are expeditious but have not been extensively studied in children. We sought to compare ECHO and ECG CRT optimization in children. METHODS Prospective, pediatric, single-center cross-over trial comparing ECHO and ECG optimization with CRT. Patients were assigned to undergo either ECHO or ECG optimization, followed for 6 months, and crossed-over to the other assignment for another 6 months. ECHO pulsed-wave tissue Doppler and 12-lead ECG were obtained for 5 VV delays. ECG optimization was defined as the shortest QRSD and ECHO optimization as the lowest dyssynchrony index. ECHOs/ECGs were interpreted by readers blinded to optimization technique. After each 6 month period, these data were collected: ejection fraction, velocimetry-derived cardiac index, quality of life, ECHO-derived stroke distance, M-mode dyssynchrony, study cost, and time. Outcomes for each optimization method were compared. RESULTS From June 2012 to December 2013, 19 patients enrolled. Mean age was 9.1 ± 4.3 years; 14 (74%) had structural heart disease. The mean time for optimization was shorter using ECG than ECHO (9 ± 1 min vs. 68 ± 13 min, P < 0.01). Mean cost for charges was $4,400 ± 700 less for ECG. No other outcome differed between groups. CONCLUSION ECHO optimization of synchrony was not superior to ECG optimization in this pilot study. ECG optimization required less time and cost than ECHO optimization.
Belief Functions Based Parameter and Structure Learning of Bayesian Networks in the Presence of Missing Data

Existing methods of parameter and structure learning of Bayesian Networks (BNs) from a database assume that the database is complete. If there are missing values, they are assumed to be missing at random. This paper incorporates the concepts used in Dempster-Shafer theory of belief functions to learn both the parameters and structure of BNs. Instead of filling the missing values by their estimates, as it is done in the conventional techniques, the proposed approach models the missing values as representing ignorance or lack of belief of a system modeler in the actual state of the corresponding variables. The proposed representation modifies the existing algorithms for parameter and structure learning of BNs. The representation also allows a system modeler to add new findings in terms of support functions as used in belief functions theory; thus, providing a richer way to enter evidence in BNs.
High Order Multivariate Fuzzy Approximation Using Quasi-interpolation Neural Networks

Here are considered in terms of multivariate fuzzy high approximation to the multivariate unit sequences of multivariate fuzzy quasi-interpolation neural network operators.
In situ X-ray Studies of (La,Sr)MnO3_δ, (La,Sr)CoO3_δ, and La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ Thin Film SOFC Cathodes Grown by Pulse Laser Deposition

We will briefly review in situ synchrotron x-ray investigation of model thin film cathode systems for solid oxide fuel cells. The film cathodes examined in this study are (La,Sr)MnO3_δ (LSM), (La,Sr)CoO3_δ (LSC), and La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF) thin films epitaxially grown on YSZ single crystal substrates by the pulse laser deposition technique. We find in all cases that Sr is enriched or segregated to the surface of the film cathodes. We concluded that the Sr enrichments or segregations are mainly the results of annealing because they do not depend on whether the cathodes are electrochemically biased or not during annealing. However, at least in the case of LSCF, we find that B-site Co segregates rather uniformly to the surface and the segregation responds sensitively and reversibly to the electrochemical bias.
MANPAK: A set of algorithms for computations on implicitly defined manifolds

Abstract Mathematical models often involve differentiable manifolds that are implicitly defined as the solution sets of systems of nonlinear equations. The resulting computational tasks differ considerably from those arising for manifolds defined in parametric form. Here a collection of algorithms is presented for performing a range of essential tasks on general, implicitly specified submanifolds of a finite dimensional space. This includes algorithms for determining local parametrizations and their derivatives, and for evaluating quantities related to the curvature with sensitivity measures. The methods have been implemented as a FORTRAN 77 package, called MANPAK.
Navigating information facets on twitter (NIF-T)

Recent years have seen an exponential increase in the number of users of social media sites. As the number of users of these sites continues to grow at an extraordinary rate, the amount of data produced follows in magnitude. With this deluge of social media data, the need for comprehensive tools to analyze user interactions is ever increasing. In this paper, we present a novel tool, Navigating Information Facets on Twitter (NIF-T), which helps users to explore data generated on social media sites. Using the three dimensions or facets: time, location, and topic as an example of the many possible facets, we enable the users to explore large social media datasets. With the help of a large corpus of tweets collected from the Occupy Wall Street movement on the Twitter platform we show how our system can be used to identify important aspects of the event along these facets.
Interaction between calcium ions and surface charge as it relates to calcium currents

Calcium ions affect the gating of Ca currents. Surface charge is involved but to what extent is unknown. We have examined this, using isolated nerve cell bodies of Helix aspersa and the combined microelectrode-suction pipette method for voltage-clamp and internal perfusion. We found that Ba and Sr currents produced by substitution of these ions for extracellular Ca ions are activated at less positive potentials than Ca currents. Mg ions do not permeate the Ca channel and changes in [Mg]o produce shifts in the activation-potential curves that are comparable to the effects of changes in [Ba]o or [Sr]o. Inactivation of Ba currents also occurs at less positive potentials. Perfusion intracellularly with EGTA reduced inactivation of Ca currents as a function of potential, but did not shift the inactivation-potential curve. Hence, Ca current-dependent inactivation which is blocked by intracellular EGTA probably does not involve a similar change of intracellular surface potential. The voltage shifts of activation and inactivation produced by extracellular divalent cations used singly or in mixtures can be described by the Gouy-Chapman theory for the diffuse double layer with binding (Gilbert & Ehrenstein, 1969; McLaughlin, Szabo & Eisenman, 1971). From the surface potential values and the Boltzman distribution, we have computed surface concentrations that predict the following experimental observations: 1) saturation of current-concentration relationships when surface potential is changing maximally; 2) the increase in peak current when Ca ions are replaced by Sr or Ba ions; and 3) the greater inhibitory effect of Mg on IBa than ICa. Theory indicates that surface charge cannot be screened completely even at 1 M [Mg]o and thus that Ca channel properties must be evaluated in the light of surface charge effects. For example, after correction for surface charge effects the relative permeabilities of Ca, Ba and Sr ions are equivalent. In the presence of Co ions, however, Ca ions are more permeable than Ba ions suggesting a channel binding site may be involved.