cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Equality, Sufficiency, and Opportunity in the Just Society

It seems to be almost a given of contemporary Anglo-American political philosophy that the just society is obligated to establish and ensure the equality of its members. Debate begins when we come to delineate the forms and limits of the equality society is obligated to underwrite. In this essay I offer the subversive suggestion that equality is not something the just society should aim for. Instead I offer another objective, one which is to be preferred both because it is more attainable and because it is morally more defensible than equality, either as an ideal or as an operative principle. The demand for equality of treatment, of opportunity, or of outcome, is a distraction from morally more significant aims.
ADIPONECTIN INHIBITS VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR-INDUCED MIGRATION OF HUMAN CORONARY ARTERY ENDOTHELIAL CELLS

Aims Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis are associated with the vascular complications of diabetes mellitus, and adiponectin is an abundant plasma adipokine that exhibits salutary effects on endothelial function. We investigated whether adiponectin suppresses VEGF-induced migration and related signal transduction responses in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs). Methods and results Using a modified Boyden chamber technique and a monolayer ‘wound-healing’ assay, both the recombinant adiponectin globular domain and full-length adiponectin protein potently suppressed the migration of HCAEC induced by VEGF. Adiponectin did not increase endothelial cell apoptosis, as measured by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl Transferase Biotin-dUTP Nick End Labelling assay. Adiponectin also suppressed VEGF-induced reactive oxygen species generation, activation of Akt, the mitogen-activated protein kinase ERK and the RhoGTPase RhoA, and induction of the formation of actin stress fibres and focal cellular adhesions. VEGF-stimulated cell migration was inhibited by activation of adenylyl cyclase with forskolin, and adiponectin treatment increased cellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels and protein kinase A (PKA) enzymatic activity. Pharmacological inhibition of either adenylyl cyclase or PKA significantly abrogated the effect of adiponectin globular domain to suppress VEGF-induced cell migration. Conclusion Adiponectin suppresses VEGF-stimulated HCAEC migration via cAMP/PKA-dependent signalling, an important effect with implications for a regulatory role of adiponectin in vascular processes associated with diabetes and atherosclerosis.
Prebiotic reactions in superheated water

Various organic reactions have been studied under simulated hydrothermal conditions, but the prebiotic potential of this medium has not been systematically explored. In this paper we show that organic reactions in water under high pressure and temperature are not only possible, but offer clear prebiotic advantages. This is true especially for supercritical water. We present examples of organic reactions in superheated water which have prebiotic significance.
Gaussian importance sampling and stratification: computational issues

This paper deals with efficient algorithms for simulating performance measures of Gaussian random vectors. Recently, we developed a simulation algorithm which consists of doing importance sampling by shifting the mean of the Gaussian random vector. Further variance reduction is obtained by stratification along a key direction. A central ingredient of this method is to compute the optimal shift of the mean for the importance sampling. The optimal shift is also a convenient, and in many cases, an effective direction for the stratification. After giving a brief overview of the basic simulation algorithms, we focus on issues regarding the computation of the optimal change of measure. A primary application of this methodology occurs in computational finance for pricing path dependent options.
Paget's Disease of the Nipple as Local Recurrence After Breast-Conservation Treatment for Early-Stage Breast Cancer

Breast conservation treatment (BCT) for early-stage breast cancer is associated with survival rates comparable with mastectomy but has the risk of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence, including Paget's disease of the nipple. A small number of cases of Paget's disease presenting as local recurrence following BCT for breast cancer have been previously reported. Between 1977 and 2002, 2181 women with early-stage breast cancer were treated with BCT at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. In this cohort, there were 183 local treatment failures, 4 of which were cases of Paget's disease (2.2%), which are reported herein. These local recurrences developed 1.8, 3.8, 7.3, and 9.7 years after diagnosis of the patients' primary tumors. Three of the 4 primary cancers were invasive ductal carcinomas, with an associated intraductal component, and 1 was ductal carcinoma in situ. All 4 patients were successfully given salvage therapy consisting of mastectomy with or without tamoxifen, with follow-up times of 20.9, 10.6, 3.1, and 3.8 years. Paget's disease as local recurrence after BCT is uncommon and can be treated with salvage therapy if detected early.
125-GHz Diode Frequency Doubler in 0.13- $\mu{\hbox {m}}$ CMOS

The first mm-wave Schottky diode frequency doubler fabricated in CMOS is demonstrated. The doubler built in 130-nm CMOS uses a balanced topology with two shunt Schottky barrier diodes, and exhibits ~ 10-dB conversion loss as well as -1.5-dBm output power at 125 GHz. The input matching is better than -10ndB from 61 to 66 GHz. The rejection of fundamental signal at output is greater than 12 dB for input frequency from 61 to 66nGHz. The doubler can generate signals up to 140 GHz.
Electrical property of anisotropically conductive adhesive joints modified by self-assembled monolayer (SAM)

To improve the electrical property of the anisotropically conductive adhesive (ACA) joints, self-assembled monolayer (SAM) compounds are introduced into the interface between the metal filler and the substrate bond pad. The formation of the SAM on various metal surfaces and their thermal stability are investigated by measuring the contact angles of SAM compounds with a hydrophilic or hydrophobic tail groups such as 4, 4'-thiodibenzenethiol (MPS), octadecanethiol (ODT) and mercpatoacetic acid (MAA) on Au, Cu, Sn and SnPb surfaces. Goniometer testing and grazing FTIR spectra demonstrate that SAM molecules are readily adhered to metal surfaces. The concentration of SAM solutions, immersing time, thermal treatment temperature and time were varied as experimental parameters. ODT adhered to copper surface the best, while gold was the best metal for MAA. MPS gave mixed results because it could align in various configurations on the metal surfaces due to its flexible molecular structure and the orientation on this molecule. The ODT and MPS SAM coatings on the metal surfaces used were thermally stable for 2 hrs at room temperature and 100/spl deg/C. However, they were slightly degraded at 150/spl deg/C. The MAA SAM coatings on four metal surfaces are unstable at 150/spl deg/C and most of these coatings are degraded after 2 hrs. The dithiol SAM compound (1,4-Benzenedithiol) was applied in ACA joints, where conductive fillers (polymer particles coated with gold) and Ni/Au bond pad surfaces were treated with the dithiol SAM compound. Epoxy resins with two different curing temperatures were used as polymer matrices of the ACA formulations, respectively. From the current-voltage (IV) measurement, it was found that the SAM treated ACA joints showed a lower resistance at the same applied current than non-treated joints.
Wyner-Ziv coding over broadcast channels

This paper deals with the design of coding schemes for lossy transmission of a source over a broadcast channel when there is correlated side information at the receivers. Using ideas from Slepian-Wolf coding over broadcast channels and dirty paper coding, new schemes are presented and their rate-distortion performance is derived. For the binary Hamming and quadratic Gaussian scenarios, when the source and the channel bandwidths are equal, it is shown that these schemes are sometimes optimal and that they can outperform both separate source and channel coding, and uncoded transmission.
Global analyses of UPF1 binding and function reveal expanded scope of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay

UPF1 is a DNA/RNA helicase with essential roles in nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) and embryonic development. How UPF1 regulates target abundance and the relationship between NMD and embryogenesis are not well understood. To explore how NMD shapes the embryonic transcriptome, we integrated genome-wide analyses of UPF1 binding locations, NMD-regulated gene expression, and translation in murine embryonic stem cells (mESCs). We identified over 200 direct UPF1 binding targets using crosslinking/immunoprecipitation-sequencing (CLIP-seq) and revealed a repression pathway that involves 3' UTR binding by UPF1 and translation but is independent of canonical targeting features involving 3' UTR length and stop codon placement. Interestingly, NMD targeting of this set of mRNAs occurs in other mouse tissues and is conserved in human. We also show, using ribosome footprint profiling, that actively translated upstream open reading frames (uORFs) are enriched in transcription factor mRNAs and predict mRNA repression by NMD, while poorly translated mRNAs escape repression. Together, our results identify novel NMD determinants and targets and provide context for understanding the impact of UPF1 and NMD on the mESC transcriptome.
The Use of the ‘Blind’ Problem in Teaching Epidemiology

In the use of the case-study or problem-solving method of teaching epidemiology, the technique of the 'blind' problem, namely the withholding of the diagnosis of the disease until the end, presents many advantages. The student is forced to confront the purely epidemiological data without being prejudiced by his preconceived notions about the disease in question. In the study of an individual clinical case the objective is to make a diagnosis so that an accurate prognosis and specific treatment may be determined. So, in the study of an epidemic or outbreak (an epidemiological case) the objective is to establish a source of infection, a mode of spread or an aetiological factor, in order to predict a future trend and institute specific control measures. The 'blind' problem creates suspense, enhances the intellectual challenge, and permits the student and discussion leader to test a variety of hypotheses purely on the basis of the epidemiological evidence presented. An example of a localized epidemic is presented to illustrate these points.
BACKWARDS INTO THE FUTURE: NEOREPUBLICANISM AS A POSTSOCIALIST CRITIQUE OF MARKET SOCIETY

Socialism, understood as the rejection of markets based on private property in favor of comprehensive centralized economic planning, is no longer a serious political option. If the core of capitalism is the organization of the economy primarily through market competition based on private property, then capitalism has certainly defeated socialism. Markets have been accepted—and central planning abandoned—throughout most of the Third World and in most of the formerly Communist states. In the advanced industrial states of the West, Labor and “democratic socialist” parties have rejected socialism, by deregulating markets and privatizing industries, utilities, and transport. The U.K. Labour Party's 1945 manifesto declared the party to be a “Socialist Party, and proud of it. Its ultimate aim is the establishment of the Socialist Commonwealth of Great Britain.” Today the Labour Party insists that markets are a given.
The Work of Middle Managers Sensemaking and Sensegiving for Creating Positive Social Change

Corporate social initiatives are well positioned to generate virtuousness through and within organizations. Yet they are embedded in multiple and potentially contradictory institutional demands of ...
Integrated Prediction of the Helical Membrane Protein Interactome in Yeast

At least a quarter of all genes in most genomes contain putative transmembrane (TM) helices, and helical membrane protein interactions are a major component of the overall cellular interactome. However, current experimental techniques for large-scale detection of protein-protein interactions are biased against membrane proteins. Here, we define protein-protein interaction broadly as co-complexation, and develop a weighted-voting procedure to predict interactions among yeast helical membrane proteins by optimally combining evidence based on diverse genome-wide information such as sequence, function, localization, abundance, regulation, and phenotype. We use logistic regression to simultaneously optimize the weights of all evidence sources for best discrimination based on a set of known helical membrane protein interactions. The resulting integrated classifier not only significantly outperforms classifiers based on any single genomic feature, but also does better than a benchmark Naive Bayes classifier (using a simplifying assumption of conditional independence among features). Finally, we apply the optimized classifier genome-wide, and construct a comprehensive map of predicted helical membrane protein interactome in yeast. This can serve as a guide for prioritizing further experimental validation efforts.
Parallel MR Imaging with Accelerations Beyond the Number of Receiver Channels Using Real Image Reconstruction

Parallel imaging using multiple phased-array coils and receiver channels has become an effective approach to high-speed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To obtain high spatiotemporal resolution, the k-space is subsampled and later interpolated using multiple channel data. Higher subsampling factors result in faster image acquisition. However, the subsampling factors are upper-bounded by the number of parallel channels. Phase constraints have been previously proposed to overcome this limitation with some success. In this paper, we demonstrate that in certain applications it is possible to obtain acceleration factors potentially up to twice the channel numbers by using a real image constraint. Data acquisition and processing methods to manipulate and estimate of the image phase information are presented for improving image reconstruction. In-vivo brain MRI experimental results show that accelerations up to 6 are feasible with 4-channel data
Theory-based Assessment and Remediation of Writing Disabilities: An Update:

Process assessment, which is directed toward identifying why a child's writing achievement is discrepant from IQ, is contrasted with product assessment, which is directed toward measuring the amount of discrepancy between writing achievement and IQ. Whereas process assessment is theory based, product assessment is not. The theoretical model underlying a research program designed to validate process measures for writing assessment is described. An overview of the findings of that research, in which 300 primary grade, 300 intermediate grade, and 288 junior high students participated, is provided. The implications of the findings for the model and for the assessment of writing disabilities by school psychologists are discussed.
Postoperative sciatic and femoral or saphenous nerve blockade for lower extremity surgery in anesthetized adults.

Background: Guidelines warn of increased risks of injury when placing regional nerve blocks in the anesthetized adult but complications occurred in patients that received neither sedation nor local anesthetic. This restriction of nerve block administration places vulnerable categories of patients at risk of severe opioid induced side effects. Patient and operative technical factors can preclude use of preoperative regional anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to assess complications following sciatic popliteal and femoral or saphenous nerve blockade administered to anesthetized adult patients following foot and ankle surgery. Materials and Methods: Postoperative patients administered general anesthesia received popliteal sciatic nerve blockade and either femoral or saphenous nerve blockade if operative procedures included medial incisions. Nerve blocks were placed with nerve stimulator or ultrasound guidance. A continuous nerve catheter was inserted if hospital admission was over 24 hours. Opioid analgesic supplementation was administered for inadequate pain relief. Postoperative pain scores and total analgesic requirements for 24 hours were recorded. Nerve block related complications were monitored for during the hospital admission and at follow up surgical clinic evaluation. Results: 190 anesthetized adult patients were administered 357 nerve blocks. No major nerve injury or deficit was reported. One patient had numbness in the toes not ascribed to a specific nerve of the lower extremity. Perioperative opioid dose differences were noted between male and female and between opioid naive and tolerant patients.
Abstract 1971: ESE-1 controls transformation properties in HER2+ breast cancer cells, and predicts poor prognostic status and survival in breast cancer patients

The ETS transcription factor ESE-1 belongs to the top 5% of all overexpressed genes in ductal and lobular breast carcinomas. We have previously established that cytoplasmic expression of ESE-1 initiates transformation in benign MCF10A and MCF12A mammary epithelial cells, while nuclear ESE-1 maintains the transformed phenotype in luminal MCF7 and ZR-75-1 breast cancer cells. ESE-1 is also a transcriptional regulator of HER2 gene expression, and is highly expressed in HER2+ BT474 and SKBR3 cells. In this study we have delineated how ESE-1 controls transformation properties in HER2+ breast cancer cells, and have validated the clinical significance of ESE-1 overexpression in breast cancer patients. Here we show that ESE-1 not only maintains transformation properties in HER2-dependent, Herceptin (anti-HER2) sensitive HER2+ breast cancer cell lines BT474 and SKBR3, but also in HER2-independent, Herceptin-resistant clones of BT474 and SKBR3 cells, named BT474/HR20 and SKBR3/pool2 respectively. Using crystal violet growth assays, BrdU labeling, 2D clonogenic assays, and 3D colony formation in soft agar we show that knocking down ESE-1 inhibits proliferation, clonogenicity, and anchorage independent growth in SKBR3, BT474, BT474/HR20, and SKBR3/pool2 cell lines in-vitro. Mechanistically, ESE-1 knocked down Herceptin sensitive cells evinced a delay in cell cycle progression through G1, along with down-regulation of cyclin D1. Long-term stable inhibition of ESE-1 in these cells resulted in down-regulation of pAKT, which was not always correlated with inhibition of HER2 and pHER2. In the HER2-independent BT474/HR20 and SKBR3/pool2 cells, stable ESE-1 knockdown inhibited pAKT independent of HER2 down-regulation. Evaluation of the clinical significance of ESE-1 expression was done by IHC analysis on 319 patient tumor samples. While ≥ 20% nuclear ESE-1 expression associated with aggressive LN metastasis, ≥30% of cytoplasmic ESE-1 associated with poor prognosis in LN+ breast cancer patients. High cytoplasmic ESE-1 significantly associated with 27% of ER-negative, 35% of PR-negative, and 25% of HER2+ metastatic tumors. Log-rank analysis of disease free survival (DFS) in LN+ patients revealed that patients with ≥ 30% cytoplasmic ESE-1 had half the length of median DFS compared to LN+ patients with ≤ 30% cytoplasmic ESE-1 (p = 0.027). Analysis in all patients irrespective of their prognostic status depicted that patients expressing ≥ 20% nuclear ESE-1 or ≥ 30% cytoplasmic ESE-1 associated with poor median DFS compared to patients with Citation Format: Adwitiya Kar, Susan Edgerton, Ann Thor, Arthur Gutierrez-Hartmann. ESE-1 controls transformation properties in HER2+ breast cancer cells, and predicts poor prognostic status and survival in breast cancer patients. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1971. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1971
Natural versus Standardized Approaches to Spoken System Design: A Comparison Using the Dual-Task Paradigm

The design of spoken dialogue systems/speech interfaces is dominated by two main approaches that are rarely explicitly discussed in the literature, which I call "the natural approach" and "the standardized approach". The natural approach takes as a gold standard human-human interaction, while the standardized approach advocates design decisions that reduce computational complexity while providing the user with consistent language to facilitate learning and adaptation. There is no need to assume, a priori, that either approach will be more useful to all people in all situations. Comparing the two approaches involves pitting powerful human language capacities against powerful human learning abilities, pitting the distribution of language a person has produced and understood over the course of a lifetime against a smaller and more constrained situation-specific distribution, and possibly even pitting automatic language mechanisms against higher-level perspective-taking mechanisms. Until now, there has been little empirical research directly comparing the two approaches in terms of usability, in part due to lack of an evaluation metric that is directly related to ease-of-use, yet fine-grained enough to be used at the utterance-level. In this dissertation I extend a classic tool from Cognitive Psychology, the dual-task paradigm, to system evaluation in order to address this question. I focus specifically on the generation of referring expressions because (1) referring expressions are fundamental to all spoken communication, and (2) the two approaches advocate different methods. I consider the role of both discourse context and visual context. With respect to the role of discourse context in the generation of referring expressions the results suggest that systems that take a natural approach consume fewer of the user's cognitive resources (specifically visual attention), even after practice. In contrast, with respect to the role of visual context in the generation of referring expressions the results suggest that with practice users can easily adapt to standardized systems that ignore visual context. For dialogue system/speech interface designers the implications are that for maximum usability systems should take a natural approach to the role of discourse context, but the role of visual context is a potential candidate for standardization/streamlining.
How Independent Directors Promote Principal-Principal Conflict : The Case of Antitakeover Defense

Extant literature seldom explores the potential conflict of interest between large and small shareholders, or principal-principal conflict, in the context of antitakeover defense. Utilizing a merge...
Treatment of major hepatic necrosis: lobectomy versus serial debridement.

Background:Major hepatic necrosis (MHN) is a common complication after angioembolization (AE) for severe liver injuries. We compared the outcomes of two treatment modalities.Methods:Patients with MHN were retrospectively reviewed from January 2002 to October 2007. Demographics, Injury Severity Scale
Plaque Studies with Certain Group B Arboviruses. III. St. Louis Virus on Chick Embryo Tissue Culture.

SummaryFour strains of St. Louis virus, 2 from the Midwest with many mouse brain passages and 2 from Florida in low mouse brain passage, were tested for CPE and plaque formation in cultures of chick embryo tissue. CPE was readily observed, thus differing from results reported by a number of other workers, Plaque formation also was readily obtained where most others had reported negative results. The 2 newly isolated strains from Florida formed the clearest and most easily counted plaques but both of these strains gave plaques of 2 distinct sizes. Virus lines from the two P-15 strain plaque sizes were clone "purified" and they appeared to represent separate genotypes of St. Louis virus, closely related antigenically if not identical. They appeared to differ significantly, however, in their relative cytopathogenicity for HKTC, in plaque counts in CETC, and in their virulence for mice by the intracerebral route. The line from the large plaque of P-15 gave promise of being very useful in plaque reduction test...
Respiratory Muscle Conditioning and the Work of Breathing: A Critical Balance in the Weaning Patient

Normal ventilatory function depends on a balance between ventilatory demand and ventilatory capacity. The respiratory muscles play a critical role in achieving this balance. For patients experiencing ventilatory dysfunction, interventions that improve respiratory muscle function and therefore increase ventilatory capacity may be one way of restoring the balance and promoting ventilatory function. Respiratory muscle conditioning, or training the muscles to improve their strength and endurance, may be a useful clinical intervention in the weaning patient. Results of research show that muscle training may increase the ability of some patients to resume spontaneous ventilation. Continued research is needed to identify the appropriate training protocols for patients experiencing an acute imbalance between ventilatory demand and capacity.
LifeKey: Emergency Communication Tool for the Deaf

Emergency situations pose a particular challenge for Deaf individuals. Deaf people experience difficulties both when contacting emergency call centers and when emergency personnel arrive on-scene. The ability to communicate with emergency dispatch via SMS text message is a new technology in the adoption phase worldwide. We propose LifeKey, a custom smartphone keyboard and corresponding app for the Deaf that facilitates communication with emergency response personnel both remotely and on-scene.
Optimal state feedback controllers with strict row sparsity constraints

This paper considers the problem of optimal row sparse state feedback controller design for LTI systems, where the controller is assumed to be static with pre-specified structural constraint. Incongruous to the existing literature on the sparsity promoting control synthesis, we do not employ convex relaxation of the sparsity representing terms, such as l0-norm of the controller gain, in our proposed framework. Borrowing the results from the theory of majorization, we develop an exact rank constrained reformulation of the s-sparse vector recovery from a convex set, and, then, utilized it to cast our row sparse control problem into a an optimization problem where all constraints are convex, except a single rank constraint. Furthermore, we propose a necessary and sufficient condition for the feasibility of a stabilizing row s-sparse controller, and exploited it to propose a bi-linear minimization problem, subject to convex constraints, which solve the derived equivalent rank constrained problem to deliver an optimal row sparse state feedback controller. The benefits of approach are demonstrated though several numerical simulations.
What Christians Can Learn from Buddhism

This chapter probes into what Christians can learn from Buddhism. In the chapter, the author of Without Buddha I Could Not Be a Christian explores Buddhist-Christian dialogue from the perspective of suffering. It begins with an analysis of the Buddhist and Christian understandings of suffering, the starting point for the teachings of Jesus and Buddha. It then discusses the shared diagnosis of suffering, examines the different remedies prescribed, and posits a complementary liberative praxis between the two traditions. Its thrust is that Christianity invites Buddhists to a greater awareness of the importance of social transformation, while Buddhism reminds Christians not to neglect inner-personal transformation in their pursuit of social change.
Current Standard Treatment Options for Malignant Glioma

Malignant gliomas comprise World Health Organization (WHO) grade 3 anaplastic tumors (e.g., astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, oligoastrocytoma) and WHO grade 4 glioblastoma. The current standard of care for newly diagnosed glioblastoma was established with the landmark findings of the EORTC-NCIC clinical trial which consists of six weeks of concurrent fractionated radiation therapy and temozolomide followed by 6 cycles of adjuvant temozolomide (Stupp et al. in N Engl J Med 352(10):987–996, 2005). What is less well defined is the management of newly diagnosed and recurrent anaplastic gliomas, and recurrent glioblastoma. The more recent design of clinical trials that are now solely dedicated to WHO grade 3 or grade 4 tumors and in some cases individual subtypes of WHO grade 3 tumors along with emerging molecular data have borne useful insight into the features that define potential treatment response and have raised the possibility for more refined treatments. Our greater understanding of the prognostic and predictive value of methyl-guanine-methyltransferase (MGMT) methylation, 1p/19q co-deletion, and isocitrate dehydrogenase mutations will likely only be the tip of the iceberg, and these data will ultimately help guide the use of traditional cytotoxic agents and the application of targeted agents and immunotherapies. In this review, we will discuss the biology and seminal findings for various traditional chemotherapy agents along with some recently approved and emerging therapies.
Fertility Treatment, Use of in Vitro Fertilization, and Time to Live Birth Based on Initial Provider Type.

Purpose To explore the relationship between the type of clinician (generalist vs subspecialist) initially seen by infertile women, the treatment received, and the time to pregnancy. Methods We analyzed mixed-mode questionnaire data from 867 women with primary infertility enrolled into a retrospective cohort through population- and fertility clinic-based sampling. We compared women presenting first to generalist providers with women presenting first to fertility subspecialists, with the main outcomes of receiving in vitro fertilization (IVF), time to pregnancy, and live birth. Results The first contact for most (84%) women with infertility was a generalist provider. Only 8% of women sought care first from a fertility subspecialist, and these women were older and had been trying longer to conceive. Women who presented first to a generalist provider were less likely to receive IVF (adjusted odds ratio, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.28-0.82), were equally likely to achieve pregnancy, and had similar times to pregnancy (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.11; 95% confidence interval, 0.80-1.53) compared with women who presented first to a subspecialist. Conclusions Generalist providers are frequently the first point of care for women with difficulty conceiving and are uniquely positioned to promote the balanced management of infertility.
The Probability of a Major Earthquake in The Eastern United States

Recent articles in the popular press have stated that the probability of a major earthquake (magnitude M ≥ 6) in the eastern United States before the year 2000 is on the order of 75 to 90 percent, and that the probability of a major earthquake by the year 2010 is virtually 100% (see for example, The Wall Street Journal, July 11, 1989, or The Washington Post, October 20, 1989). The apparent source for these probability estimates is a paper by the Coordinating Committee on Energy of the Public Affairs Council (CCEPAC), entitled “Vulnerability of Energy Distribution Systems to an Earthquake in the Eastern United States - An Overview”, December, 1986 (available from the American Association of Engineering Societies, Washington, DC). In that paper, the first paragraph of section V entitled “Likelihood of a Destructive Earthquake” (pages 5–6) states that: “The likelihood of a destructive earthquake (a magnitude of approximately 6.0 to 6.5) occurring between now and the year 2010 in the New Madrid seismic zone can be estimated to be around 60 percent [17]. The probability of such an earthquake occurring in the Southern Appalachian seismic zone can be roughly estimated to be around 1 to 3 percent. Adding up all like probabilities for all areas of the eastern United States results in the probability of a destructive earthquake occurring somewhere in the eastern United States in the next 25 years being nearly 100 percent–an almost sure thing. The only real uncertainty is where it will occur.” (italics . . .
Dependence of thermal roughness length on friction velocity across land cover types: A synthesis analysis using AmeriFlux data

Abstract Using AmeriFlux data from 74 eddy covariance sites, we present a synthesis of the dependence of thermal roughness length on friction velocity across five land covers types, including deciduous broadleaf forests, evergreen needleleaf forests, croplands, grasslands, and shrublands. To analyze patterns in thermal roughness length, we estimate the ratio of momentum to thermal roughness lengths ( k B − 1 ) at half hourly scales. Because kB−1 cannot be directly measured, we infer kB−1 from surface flux and meteorological measurements using Monin-Obukhov similarity theory. The inferred kB−1 is moderately correlated with the measured friction velocity over two of the land cover types—grasslands and shrublands—but weakly correlated at croplands and forests, suggesting that kB−1 varies with friction velocity over bluff body surfaces, but not over tightly packed, permeable canopies, such as forests and croplands. This is consistent with previous work showing contrasting turbulent structures over sparse and dense vegetation canopies. To determine how this degree of correlation affects the modeling of kB−1, we estimate kB−1 using four common models, specifically those with friction velocity dependencies, and find that no single model works the best across land covers.
Modeling the contributions of global air temperature, synoptic-scale phenomena and soil moisture to near-surface static energy variability using artificial neural networks

Abstract. The static energy content of the atmosphere is increasing on a global scale, but exhibits important subglobal and subregional scales of variability and is a useful parameter for integrating the net effect of changes in the partitioning of energy at the surface and for improving understanding of the causes of so-called warming holes (i.e., locations with decreasing daily maximum air temperatures (T) or increasing trends of lower magnitude than the global mean). Further, measures of the static energy content (herein the equivalent potential temperature, θe) are more strongly linked to excess human mortality and morbidity than air temperature alone, and have great relevance in understanding causes of past heat-related excess mortality and making projections of possible future events that are likely to be associated with negative human health and economic consequences. New nonlinear statistical models for summertime daily maximum and minimum θe are developed and used to advance understanding of drivers of historical change and variability over the eastern USA. The predictor variables are an index of the daily global mean temperature, daily indices of the synoptic-scale meteorology derived from T and specific humidity (Q) at 850 and 500 hPa geopotential heights (Z), and spatiotemporally averaged soil moisture ( SM ). SM is particularly important in determining the magnitude of θe over regions that have previously been identified as exhibiting warming holes, confirming the key importance of SM in dictating the partitioning of net radiation into sensible and latent heat and dictating trends in near-surface T and θe. Consistent with our a priori expectations, models built using artificial neural networks (ANNs) out-perform linear models that do not permit interaction of the predictor variables (global T, synoptic-scale meteorological conditions and SM ). This is particularly marked in regions with high variability in minimum and maximum θe, where more complex models built using ANN with multiple hidden layers are better able to capture the day-to-day variability in θe and the occurrence of extreme maximum θe. Over the entire domain, the ANN with three hidden layers exhibits high accuracy in predicting maximum θe > 347 K. The median hit rate for maximum θe > 347 K is > 0.60, while the median false alarm rate is ≈ 0.08.
Grieving with Rage

How and why are grief and rage necessary to forging relational spaces for inquiry and learning? How can pain lead to creative action? In this chapter, the authors focus on their individual reactions to tragedy and reflect on the urgent need for collectively acknowledging trauma and suffering as necessary toward humanizing and democratizing college classrooms.
Multifunctional SnO 2 /3D graphene hybrid materials for sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries with excellent rate capability and long cycle life

SnO2 is a promising material for both Li-ion and Na-ion batteries owing to its high theoretical capacities. Unfortunately, the electrochemical performance of SnO2 is unsatisfactory because of the large volume change that occurs during cycling, low electronic conductivity of inactive oxide matrix, and poor kinetics, which are particularly severe in Na-ion batteries. Herein, ultra-fine SnO2 nanocrystals anchored on a unique three-dimensional (3D) porous reduced graphene oxide (rGO) matrix are described as promising bifunctional electrodes for Li-ion and Na-ion batteries with excellent rate capability and long cycle life. Ultra-fine SnO2 nanocrystals of size ∼6 nm are well-coordinated to the graphene sheets that comprise the 3D macro-porous structure. Notably, superior rate capability was obtained up to 3 C (1/n C is a measure of the rate that allows the cell to be charged/discharged in n h) for both batteries. In situ X-ray diffractometry measurements during lithiation (or sodiation) and delithiation (or desodiation) were combined with various electrochemical techniques to reveal the real-time phase evolution. This critical information was linked with the internal resistance, ion diffusivity ( $${D_{L{i^ + }}}$$ and $${D_{N{a^ + }}}$$ ), and the unique structure of the composite electrode materials to explain their excellent electrochemical performance. The improved capacity and superior rate capabilities demonstrated in this work can be ascribed to the enhanced transport kinetics of both electrons and ions within the electrode structure because of the well-interconnected, 3D macro-porous rGO matrix. The porous rGO matrix appears to play a more important role in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), where the larger mass/radius of Na-ions are marked concerns.
Robust and transferable quantification of NMR spectral quality using IROC analysis

Non-Fourier methods are increasingly utilized in NMR spectroscopy because of their ability to handle nonuniformly-sampled data. However, non-Fourier methods present unique challenges due to their nonlinearity, which can produce nonrandom noise and render conventional metrics for spectral quality such as signal-to-noise ratio unreliable. The lack of robust and transferable metrics (i.e. applicable to methods exhibiting different nonlinearities) has hampered comparison of non-Fourier methods and nonuniform sampling schemes, preventing the identification of best practices. We describe a novel method, in situ receiver operating characteristic analysis (IROC), for characterizing spectral quality based on the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve. IROC utilizes synthetic signals added to empirical data as "ground truth", and provides several robust scalar-valued metrics for spectral quality. This approach avoids problems posed by nonlinear spectral estimates, and provides a versatile quantitative means of characterizing many aspects of spectral quality. We demonstrate applications to parameter optimization in Fourier and non-Fourier spectral estimation, critical comparison of different methods for spectrum analysis, and optimization of nonuniform sampling schemes. The approach will accelerate the discovery of optimal approaches to nonuniform sampling experiment design and non-Fourier spectrum analysis for multidimensional NMR.
Host age and Plasmodium falciparum multiclonality are associated with gametocyte prevalence: a 1-year prospective cohort study.

Since Plasmodium falciparum transmission relies exclusively on sexual-stage parasites, several malaria control strategies aim to disrupt this step of the life cycle. Thus, a better understanding of which individuals constitute the primary gametocyte reservoir within an endemic population, and the temporal dynamics of gametocyte carriage, especially in seasonal transmission settings, will not only support the effective implementation of current transmission control programmes, but also inform the design of more targeted strategies. A 1-year prospective cohort study was initiated in June 2013 with the goal of assessing the longitudinal dynamics of P. falciparum gametocyte carriage in a village in Mali with intense seasonal malaria transmission. A cohort of 500 individuals aged 1–65 years was recruited for this study. Gametocyte prevalence was measured monthly using Pfs25-specific RT-PCR, and analysed for the effects of host age and gender, seasonality, and multiclonality of P. falciparum infection over 1 year. Most P. falciparum infections (51–89%) in this population were accompanied by gametocytaemia throughout the 1-year period. Gametocyte prevalence among P. falciparum-positive individuals (proportion of gametocyte positive infections) was associated with age (p = 0.003) but not with seasonality (wet vs. dry) or gender. The proportion of gametocyte positive infections were similarly high in children aged 1–17 years (74–82% on median among 5 age groups), while older individuals had relatively lower proportion, and those aged > 35 years (median of 43%) had significantly lower than those aged 1–17 years (p < 0.05). Plasmodium falciparum-positive individuals with gametocytaemia were found to have significantly higher P. falciparum multiclonality than those without gametocytaemia (p < 0.033 in two different analyses). Taken together, these results suggest that a substantial proportion of Pf-positive individuals carries gametocytes throughout the year, and that age is a significant determinant of gametocyte prevalence among these P. falciparum-positive individuals. Furthermore, the presence of multiple P. falciparum genotypes in an infection, a common feature of P. falciparum infections in high transmission areas, is associated with gametocyte prevalence.
A Research Agenda for Computers and Small Business

Two factors have contributed to the increasing use of computers within the small-business environment: decreasing prices of computer technology and the advent of “friendlier” (simpler and easier to...
Estimation of nucleation and growth parameters from in situ Raman spectroscopy in carbonate systems

Abstract This paper presents a mathematical model to describe precipitation in carbonate systems. The model combines the population balance equation with geochemistry, a multivariate kinetics model, and the particle size distribution reconstruction technique. In situ Raman spectroscopy data recorded during unseeded magnesite precipitation were used to validate the model. Nucleation and growth rates were described by empirical equations based on classical nucleation theory and the birth-and-spread growth mechanism. The parameters were estimated through the inversion of the model on Raman spectroscopy data without calibration. The model agrees very well with the experiments and upon optimization the particle size distribution of the produced crystals was determined through Laplace transformation technique. In situ Raman spectroscopy is a fundamental tool to monitor precipitation and solution composition. The model presented here allows to extract quantitative information from a Raman spectra recorded in a chemically complex solution.
Trust in Autonomous Systems for Threat Analysis: A Simulation Methodology

Human operators will increasingly team with autonomous systems in military and security settings, for example, evaluation and analysis of threats. Determining whether humans are threatening is a particular challenge to which future autonomous systems may contribute. Optimal trust calibration is critical for mission success, but most trust research has addressed conventional automated systems of limited intelligence. This article identifies multiple factors that may influence trust in autonomous systems. Trust may be undermined by various sources of demand and uncertainty. These include the cognitive demands resulting from the complexity and unpredictability of the system, “social” demands resulting from the system’s capacity to function as a team-member, and self-regulative demands associated with perceived threats to personal competence. It is proposed that existing gaps in trust research may be addressed using simulation methodologies. A simulated environment developed by the research team is described. It represents a “town-clearing” task in which the human operator teams with a robot that can be equipped with various sensors, and software for intelligent analysis of sensor data. The functionality of the simulator is illustrated, together with future research directions.
The Passive Shopping Stage: Keeping in Mind Brand Encounters

In marketing practice, brand managers have to split their budgets between brand advertising efforts and sales promotions. This is a tough decision and is based on several factors including the type of product and the preferences of the target consumer. In this study, the consumer purchase decision making process is conceptualized as a continuum from a passive shopping stage to an active one. Advertising messages work during the passive stage while promotion messages work during the active one. Utilizing panel data obtained from respondents in five European countries, multiple product categories were examined to identify whether pre-purchase brand attitudes determine consumer purchase decision reliance on either passive or active stage brand messages. The author investigated whether patterns hold across countries and product categories. The study also examined to what extent reliance on passive stage messages in a product category is affected by either the aggregate satisfaction or loyalty with the brands available on the market in that category.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Breast Cancer

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has historically been very popular among women with breast cancer. Interest in a holistic and individualized approach to medicine in general and effective communication styles and concerns about the side effect from local and systemic therapy along with media and internet coverage have all played a role in this trend. CAM encompasses a rather broad array of modalities. An overview of these approaches is provided.
Espoused Organizational Culture Traits and Internet Technology Adoption.

The Technology Acceptance Model, popularly known as the TAM, has been widely used in the information systems literature to explain individual adoption of information technology. In the late 1990’s, and the early part of this century, a number of studies either extended the model by identifying antecedents to technology acceptance or have replicated and validated the model. An aspect that has captured the interest of information systems researchers is the role of culture in the acceptance, adoption, and diffusion. We examine the role of espoused organizational culture traits in technology acceptance, adoption and diffusion, that is, we consider organizational cultural values to be antecedents of TAM. We empirically test this model in an e-government setting in a developing country and report on our findings.