cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) and Resilient AC Distribution Systems (RACDS) in Smart Grid

Transmission and distribution (T&D) networks are a critical part of the power grid. As moving towards a smart-grid, it is essential to modernize the T&D networks and make it “Smart-grid ready”. The concept of flexible ac transmission systems (FACTS) has been well-known for three decades. Rapid advancements in power electronics technology in the past decades have led to a new generation of FACTS devices. The Modern FACTS technology helps the transition of transmission networks to “smart”. With increasing penetration of distributed generation, the distribution network is seeing unprecedented variation in terms of its fundamental operation and control, from renewable energy integration to microgrid, from active control of power quality, volt/var and frequency to self-healing and islanding operation. As a key part of smart-grid at the distribution level, we summarize the current efforts as a concept of resilient ac distribution systems (RACDS). The concepts of both FACTS and RACDS for a smart grid are introduced in this paper. Different configurations, key benefits, operating principles and world-wide installations of FACTS and RACDS devices are presented in detail. The ongoing and future direction of R&D leading to newer generations of FACTS and RACDS are also discussed.
Sampling invariants from frequency distributions

We present a new SMT-based, probabilistic, syntax-guided method to discover numerical inductive invariants. The core idea is to initialize frequency distributions from the program's source code, then repeatedly sample lemmas from those distributions, and terminate when the conjunction of learned lemmas becomes a safe invariant. The sampling process gets further optimized by priority distributions fine-tuned after each positive and negative sample. The stochastic nature of this approach admits simple, asynchronous parallelization. We implemented and evaluated this approach in a tool called FreqHorn which shows competitive performance on well-known linear and some non-linear programs.
Reconstructing Point Sets From Distance Distributions

We address the problem of reconstructing a set of points on a line or a loop from their unassigned noisy pairwise distances. When the points lie on a line, the problem is known as the turnpike; when they are on a loop, it is known as the beltway. We approximate the problem by discretizing the domain and representing the $N$ points via an $N$ -hot encoding, which is a density supported on the discretized domain. We show how the distance distribution is then simply a collection of quadratic functionals of this density and propose to recover the point locations so that the estimated distance distribution matches the measured distance distribution. This can be cast as a constrained nonconvex optimization problem which we solve using projected gradient descent with a suitable spectral initializer. We derive conditions under which the proposed distance distribution matching approach locally converges to a global optimizer at a linear rate. Compared to the conventional backtracking approach, our method jointly reconstructs all the point locations and is robust to noise in the measurements. We substantiate these claims with state-of-the-art performance across a number of numerical experiments. Our method is the first practical approach to solve the large-scale noisy beltway problem where the points lie on a loop.
Debugging and Analyzing Programs Using the Intercept Layer for OpenCL Applications

The Intercept Layer for OpenCL™ Applications is a recently released open source middleware layer to assist debugging, analyzing, and optimizing OpenCL applications. It fills a key gap in the OpenCL development ecosystem, requires no driver or application modifications, and has been tested on OpenCL implementations from multiple vendors.This Technical Presentation will introduce the Intercept Layer for OpenCL Applications, describe how it works, some of its capabilities, and some of its limitations. The talk will close with a discussion of features that could be added or moved to middleware layers like the Intercept Layer for OpenCL Applications, possible additions to the OpenCL standard that would simplify development of new features or enable new functionality, and a call for contributions.
The remarkable diversity of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: a perspective

Understanding the autoimmune etiology of acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) has provided precision for the diagnosis and a rationale for immunosuppressive treatment. These advances have also allowed recognition of the remarkable clinical diversities of patients' initial presentations and their long-term outcomes. These diversities are illustrated by the stories of patients from the Oklahoma TTP Registry. The initial presentation of TTP may be the discovery of unexpected severe thrombocytopenia in a patient with minimal or no symptoms. The patient may remain asymptomatic throughout treatment or may die suddenly before treatment can be started. ADAMTS13 activity may be reported as normal in a patient with characteristic clinical features of TTP, or the unexpected report of ADAMTS13 deficiency in a patient with another established disorder may lead to the discovery of TTP. ADAMTS13 activity during clinical remission is unpredictable. ADAMTS13 activity may recover and remain normal, it may remain severely deficient for many years, or it may become normal only many years after recovery. Our treatment of initial episodes and management of patients after recovery and during remission continue to change. The addition of rituximab to the treatment of acute episodes and preemptive rituximab for patients with severe ADAMTS13 deficiency during remission are reported to prevent relapse. Because TTP is uncommon, there are few data to guide these changes. Therefore our patients' stories are profoundly influential. Their stories are the foundation of our experience, and our experience is the guide for our decisions.
Robust Replication of Volatility Derivatives

We focus on the pricing and hedging of derivatives written on the realized variance of an underlying asset. The set of payoffs included in our methodology include volatility swaps and options on realized variance. Rather than specify a parametric model, we use a nonparamtric approach which takes prices of coterminal Eureopan options on the underlying asset as given.
Hematologic Support of the Patient with Malignancy

Patients with malignancy frequently have significant anemia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, and coagulation disorders, and therefore frequently require blood component transfusion. As a result, patients with malignancy collectively represent one of the major classes of patients who use blood resources and transfusion services. This chapter will review the transfusion support of patients with malignancy and will not address the role of hematopoietic growth factors in the hematologic support of patients with malignancy, which has recently been reviewed elsewhere [13, 50, 27, 58, 85, 86, 138, 184, 205, 210, 240].
Modulation of hydroxyl variability by ENSO in the absence of external forcing.

The hydroxyl radical (OH) is the primary oxidant in the troposphere, and the impact of its fluctuations on the methane budget has been disputed in recent years, however measurements of OH are insufficient to characterize global interannual fluctuations relevant for methane. Here, we use a 6,000-y control simulation of preindustrial conditions with a chemistry-climate model to quantify the natural variability in OH and internal feedbacks governing that variability. We find that, even in the absence of external forcing, maximum OH changes are 3.8 ± 0.8% over a decade, which is large in the context of the recent methane growth from 2007-2017. We show that the OH variability is not a white-noise process. A wavelet analysis indicates that OH variability exhibits significant feedbacks with the same periodicity as the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). We find intrinsically generated modulation of the OH variability, suggesting that OH may show periods of rapid or no change in future decades that are solely due to the internal climate dynamics (as opposed to external forcings). An empirical orthogonal function analysis further indicates that ENSO is the dominant mode of OH variability, with the modulation of OH occurring primarily through lightning [Formula: see text] La Nina is associated with an increase in convection in the Tropical Pacific, which increases the simulated occurrence of lightning and allows for more OH production. Understanding this link between OH and ENSO may improve the predictability of the oxidative capacity of the troposphere and assist in elucidating the causes of current and historical trends in methane.
Off-Balance-Sheet Assets, Financial Leverage, and Expected Stock Returns

This paper examines the cross-sectional relation between leverage and future stock returns. Prior research documents a puzzling negative correlation. We show that it is largely caused by firms’ use of internal financing when having significant off-balance-sheet operating assets due to conservative accounting. Firms with high cost of external equity financing thus can have low leverage, creating a negative correlation between leverage and stock returns. In particular, firms with no debt contribute significantly to this phenomenon.
Well-matched: Ownership experience and IPO success

The likely impact of corporate owners on firm performance has been the subject of considerable debate in the strategy and organizational literatures. While this debate has benefited from recent sch...
Characteristics of outpatients diagnosed with the selective/neophobic presentation of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder.

Objective Although Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) has existed since the publication of DSM-5 in 2013, research on the descriptive psychopathology of treatment-seeking patients with formal ARFID diagnoses is sparse, and limited to tertiary eating disorder-focused treatment settings where most patients present with weight loss/malnutrition. In these settings, the selective/neophobic symptom presentation is rare compared to other primary eating restrictions. We aimed provide initial descriptive psychopathology of ARFID primary selective/neophobic symptom presentation in an outpatient setting, and to explore the prevalence of the core ARFID symptoms and clinical differences among patients meeting criteria based on weight/nutritional symptoms versus psychosocial impairment only. Method We reviewed the charts of 22 consecutive outpatients diagnosed with ARFID caused by selective/neophobic eating, and describe symptoms, impairment, illness trajectory, and demographic features. Patients who met ARFID criteria because of weight loss/nutritional problems were compared to those who met for psychosocial impairment only on demographic and clinical characteristics. Results Patients were predominantly male (81.8%) and school-aged (4-11 years). 81.8% had no weight/nutritional symptoms documented by a medical provider. All met criteria for significant psychosocial impairment. There were few differences between patients who did versus did not meet weight loss/nutritional criteria for ARFID; they differed only in age and in the presence of appetite disturbances consistent with another proposed presentation of ARFID. Discussion These results provide novel data on the clinical characteristics of individuals who present with a primary presentation of selective/neophobic ARFID, including support for psychosocial impairment as sufficient for fulfilling ARFID criterion A.
The Relationship Between Perinatal Mental Health and Stress: a Review of the Microbiome.

Our current understanding of the underlying mechanisms and etiologies of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) is not clearly identified. The relationship of stress-induced adaptations (i.e., the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the autonomic nervous system (ANS), the immune system) and the microbiota are potential contributors to psychopathology exhibited in women during pregnancy and postpartum and should be investigated. The stress response activates the HPA axis and dysregulates the ANS, leading to the inhibition of the parasympathetic system. Sustained high levels of cortisol, reduced heart variability, and modulated immune responses increase the vulnerability to PMAD. Bidirectional communication between the nervous system and the microbiota is an important factor to alter host homeostasis and development of PMAD. Future research in the relationship between the psychoneuroimmune system, the gut microbiota, and PMAD has the potential to be integrated in clinical practice to improve screening, diagnosis, and treatment.
Preparing Workplace-Ready Students with Digital Marketing Skills.

Digital marketing practice continues to grow along with the need for a qualified workforce. This paper presents a course design intended to teach students how to use relevant digital marketing tool...
Factors in the feasibility and safety of outpatient robotic-assisted hysterectomy for endometrial or cervical carcinoma.

Abstract Objective Identify factors influencing the feasibility and safety of outpatient robotic-assisted hysterectomy for endometrial or cervical carcinoma. Methods A single-institution retrospective chart review of patients who underwent robotic hysterectomy for cervical or endometrial cancer between 2012 and 2016 was performed. Outcomes were measured by length of stay (LOS), which was categorized as an admit-to-discharge time of >12 h or 12 h. These factors were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression. Readmission rates were compared between the two groups using an independent-samples t-test. Results Of the 254 patients, 150 (59.1%) had a LOS >12 h and 104 (40.9%) had a LOS 12 h (p 180 min, uterine mass > 150 g, start time after 15:00, history of venous thromboembolism (VTE), age > 75 years, body mass index (BMI) 35–40, and post-operative VTE formation. Patients discharged in 12-hours to be re-admitted (p = 0.92). Conclusions Robotic hysterectomy for the treatment of endometrial and cervical carcinoma is both feasible and safe in the outpatient setting, as >40% of patients were successfully discharged within 12 h with no increase in readmission. Multiple risk factors were identified for extended hospitalization, offering potential for the development of a risk stratification model to improve the efficacy of outpatient robotic hysterectomy.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) knowledge variation and gaps in adult neurology residents (P1.017)

Objective: To assess the variation in knowledge about ASD in adult neurology residents, and determine effective strategies to improve it. Background: ASD is a developmental disability that may cause significant social, communication and behavioral problems. According to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network,1 in 68 children have been identified with ASD. It is the fastest growing developmental disability in children, but no prevalence data in adults has been reported to date. As the number of children with ASD entering adulthood continues to increase, it is important for neurologists to be well-trained and comfortable with managing these patients. Design/Methods: We administered an anonymous,16 question survey to adult neurology residents at our program. Survey questions assessed demographics, exposure to pediatric neurology, and knowledge about ASD. In addition, level of comfort in providing care to these patients was queried. Results: This survey was completed by 19/31 (61%) residents;13/19 (68%) had completed at least two weeks of the required three months of pediatric neurology rotation. Eighty four percent of those who had completed a pediatric neurology block had encountered patients with ASD. Only one resident (5%) was comfortable with managing adults with ASD. Gender, being a parent, or having friends/family member with ASD did not impact level of comfort with these patients as adults. Twenty one percent preferred adults with ASD to be followed by child neurologists. Ninety five percent felt formal educational activities would enhance their understanding about ASD, and increase comfort level in managing these patients once adults. Eighty four percent were interested in a curriculum on transitional issues in neurology. Conclusions: Our survey demonstrates the lack of exposure and comfort amongst adult neurology residents in managing ASD patients once adults. It also highlights the importance of educational activities and resources to enhance their knowledge and competence in managing these patients. Disclosure: Dr Kaul has nothing to disclose. Dr. Filipek has nothing to disclose.
Crowd-Sourcing for Data Science and Quantifiable Challenges: Optimal Contest Design

We study the optimal design of a crowd-sourcing contest in settings where the output (from the contestants) is quantifiable -- for example, a data science challenge. This setting is in contrast to settings where the output is only qualitative and cannot be quantified in an objective manner -- for example, when the goal of the contest is to design a logo. The rapidly growing literature on the design of crowd-sourcing contests focuses largely on ordinal contests -- these are contests where contestants' outputs are ranked by the organizer and awards are based on the relative ranks. Such contests are ideally suited for the latter setting, where output is qualitative. For our setting (quantitative output), it is possible to design contests where awards are based on the actual outputs and not on their ranking alone -- thus, our space of contest designs includes ordinal contests but is significantly larger. We derive an easy-to-implement contest design for this setting and establish its optimality.
Piaget: A Probabilistic Inference Approach for Geolocating Historical Buildings

We aim to find the geographical coordinates of (geolocate) a large number of old building facades extracted from historical photographs. We can acquire the geo-coordinates of some of these facades either through crowdsourcing or exploring their metadata. Using these "seed" buildings and through spatial reasoning within and across the historical pictures, in this paper, we show how we infer the geolocation of the other facades. We propose a probabilistic inference approach that first constructs a graph with facades as nodes and their spatial distances as edges, and then through probabilistic inference on this graph, geolocates the facades. Our experiments show that with 10% of the building geolocated as seed buildings, we can quite accurately geolocate the rest of the buildings in our dataset.
Matching renewable energy and conservation targets for a sustainable future

Renewable energy facilitates emission reductions, but its deployment also presents challenges. Recently in Joule, Cole et al. examined barriers to establishing a 100% renewable energy power system in the United States, but land-use-change impacts of renewable energy deployment on biodiversity conservation were unexplored and warrant interdisciplinary investigation.
PICO: What it is and what it is not.

Abstract Aim To assess the role and effectiveness of the mnemonic PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparator and Outcome) in evidence-based practice (EBP) pedagogy. Background The mnemonic “PICO” is a well-established tool in nursing EBP pedagogy. Nevertheless, application of this tool in nursing curricula is not currently supported by evidence of its effectiveness. Further, there are reports that PICO as a tool is unhelpful in the classroom. Design/Methods We reviewed the literature on PICO; specifically, the mnemonic’s origin, purpose, and effectiveness in practice. Results Our analysis reveals that PICO is limited in terms of its effectiveness and scope of inquiry. Conclusion A reevaluation of PICO's role in nursing pedagogy is essential. To start, we propose a de-emphasis on PICO as an exclusive or preferred tool, and an emphasis on critical evaluation of the literature, and the whole of the EBP process. We propose a search for more effective methods to improve matching native clinical questions to the retrieval of data that informs patient care.
Influence of diabetes mellitus interactions with cardiovascular risk factors on post-myocardial infarction heart failure hospitalizations

Abstract Objective There is a paucity of information regarding how cardiovascular risk factors (RF) modulate the impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on the heart failure hospitalization (HFH) risk following an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods Adult survivors of an AMI were retrospectively identified from the 2014 US Nationwide Readmissions Database. The impact of DM on the risk for a 6-month HFH was studied in subgroups of RFs using multivariable logistic regression to adjust for baseline risk differences. Individual interactions of DM with RFs were tested. Results Of 237,549 AMI survivors, 37.2% patients had DM. Primary outcome occurred in 12,934 patients (5.4%), at a 106% higher rate in DM patients (7.9% vs 4.0%, p Conclusions AMI survivors with DM had a higher risk of 6-month HFHs. The impact of DM on the increased HFH risk was more pronounced in patients without certain RFs suggesting that more aggressive preventive strategies related to DM and HF are needed in these subgroups to prevent or delay the onset of HFHs.
Which Mission? Thoughts About the Past and Future of BDT

The behavioral decision theory (BDT) research of the last few decades addressed a big and important question, the limits of human rationality, but did so in an eect-focused way that many observers considered a serious limitation. Simonson’s (2015) retrospective suggests that this limitation reflects a narrowly defined mission that privileged the falsification of economists’ rationality assumptions over an understanding of the processes underlying the observed phenomena. Future BDT research has the opportunity to overcome this limitation by conceptualizing BDT findings, and the marketing-centric questions Simonson poses, within the context of what else we know about the human mind.
Social anxiety, disengagement coping, and alcohol use behaviors among adolescents

ABSTRACTBackground and Objectives: Although research indicates that social anxiety (SA) is associated with problematic drinking, few studies have examined these relations among adolescents, and all alcohol-related assessments have been retrospective. Socially anxious youth may be at risk to drink in an effort to manage negative affectivity, and a proclivity toward disengagement coping (e.g. avoidance of aversive stimuli) may enhance the desire to drink and learning of coping-related use. Design: Adding to research addressing adolescent SA and alcohol use, the current study examined (1) proportional drinking motives (subscale scores divided by the sum of all subscales), (2) current desire to drink in a socially relevant environment (introduction to research laboratory), and (3) the indirect effect of retrospectively reported disengagement in social stress contexts on proportional coping motives and desire to drink. Method: Participants were 70 community-recruited adolescents who reported recent alcohol use...
Oxidant Damage to Erythrocyte Membrane in Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency: Correlation With In Vivo Reduced Glutathione Concentration and Membrane Protein Oxidation

deficiency, hemolysis is usually episodic, often triggered by a period of oxidative stress to the erythrocytes. Functionally severe variants associated with congenital nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia (CNSHA) are known. The precise sequence of events leading to cell lysis has not been worked out for either situation. Oxidant damage to membrane proteins either directly through oxidation of thiol groups or indirectly by binding of products of hemoglobin denaturation (hemichromes and Heinz bodies) appears to play a major part.' The enzyme abnormalities noted in the common forms and those variants with CNSHA are not sufficiently different to explain why in one case an oxidant stress is required for hemolysis to occur whereas in the other there is chronic hemolysis. Two recently described' G6PD deficiencies, G6PDWaYne and G6PDHumn, are both characterized by chronic hemolysis. A series of laboratory investigations were undertaken to determine the basis for the chronic hemolysis in these cases. When studied in the ektacytometer, red blood cell (RBC) ghost membranes from G6PDwayne subjects were fragile (shortened t% for fragmentation). The finding of a fragile membrane in G6PDWaYne subjects was unexpected, because other work in our laboratory had found that erythrocyte membranes from other G6PD-deficient subjects, including G6PDHum", had prolonged t% values. To determine if the findings have greater generality, individuals with the more common nonhemolytic varieties of G6PD deficiency were also studied, leading to the conclusion that long-term exposure to low intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels is associated with membrane protein damage and diminished membrane stability. I
Mapping of SPECT regional cerebral perfusion abnormalities in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Locations of cerebral perfusion abnormalities in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) were mapped with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This report is a new, more thorough analysis of a previous study of these subjects that used region-of-interest methods. Ten obsessive-compulsive patients and seven age- and sex-matched control subjects were studied. Image sets were converted into stereotaxic space, normalized to each subject's mean cerebral value, then group averaged. Difference images were calculated and searched for regions with significant between-group cerebral perfusion differences. Obsessive-compulsive patients had significantly higher relative cerebral perfusion in medial-frontal and right frontal cortex and in cerebellum, and significantly reduced perfusion in right visual association cortex. Increased frontal Perfusion agrees with several prior reports. The caudate nucleus, which has been controversial in neuroimaging studies of OCD, did not display a difference between groups. The results of this study provide information about the locations and extents of cerebral perfusion abnormalities in OCD. Regional abnormalities were compared with those reported in prior functional neuroimaging studies. Issues related to OCD hyperfrontality and frontal lateralization of psychopathology are discussed. Normal caudate nucleus findings are considered in relation to prior functional imaging studies and hypotheses of OCD pathology. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Economic Segregation, Voter Mobilization, and Political Participation in Atlanta, 1970-2008

This article seeks to explore how economic segregation, on the rise in the past several decades, affects neighborhood-level voter turnout. Prompted by findings from analysis of county-level voter turnout in 10 states, I rely on a case-study analysis of segregated impoverished and prosperous neighborhoods in Atlanta, Georgia from 1970 to 2000 to explore the nature of the relationship between economic segregation and civic engagement. I find that economic segregation significantly alters the context in which residents live, thereby affecting mobilizing institutions within these communities, and that this effect is much greater in segregated impoverished communities. This in turn creates different levels of voter participation among residents in segregated wealthy and low-income neighborhoods.
INACTIVATION OF THE RADIATION-RESISTANT SPOILAGE BACTERIUM MICROCOCCUS RADIODURANS. I. RADIATION INACTIVATION RATES IN THREE MEAT SUBSTRATES AND IN BUFFER.

A simplified technique permitting the pipetting of raw pureed meats for quantitative bacteriological study is described for use in determining survival of these non-sporing bacteria, which are exceptionally resistant to radiation. Survival curves, using gamma radiation as the sterilizing agent, were determined in raw beef with four strains of Micrococcus radiodurans. Survival curves of the R(1) strain in other meat substrates showed that survival was significantly greater in raw beef and raw chicken than in raw fish or in cooked beef. Resistance was lowest in the buffer. Cells grown in broth (an artificial growth medium) and resuspended in beef did not differ in resistance from cells that had been grown and irradiated in beef. Survival rate was statistically independent of the initial cell concentration, even though there appeared to be a correlation between lower death rate and lower initial cell concentrations. The initial viable count of this culture of the domesticated R(1) strain in beef was reduced by a factor of about 10(-5) by 3.0 megarad, and 4.0 megarad reduced the initial count by a factor of more than 10(-9). Data suggest that M. radiodurans R(1) is more resistant to radiation than spore-forming spoilage bacteria for which inactivation rates have been published.
Dielectric function of SmS: I. Optical transitions

Abstract The dielectric response function of SmS and SmAs has been determined via a Kramers-Kronig transformation of the room temperature reflectivity in the range from 10−2 eV to 22 eV. In SmS the assignment of optical transitions, including those from the (S) 3s core level, has been corroborated by the corresponding ones of SmAs. Reductions of the 4f binding energy are revealed in optical f→d transitions as compared to x-ray photoemission data.
Microscopic structure of shocks in one conservation laws

Abstract We show that in one conservation laws, the disturbances are propagated along the characteristic lines and shocks. We use this to investigate the macroscopic behavior of the second class particles in stochastic models such as asymmetric simple exclusion and zero range processes, in one space dimension. We show that a second class particle will follow the characteristic lines and shocks of the hydrodynamic equation.
Agrobacterium T-DNA-encoded protein Atu6002 interferes with the host auxin response

Several genes in the Agrobacterium tumefaciens transferred (T)-DNA encode proteins that are involved in developmental alterations, leading to the formation of tumours in infected plants. We investigated the role of the protein encoded by the Atu6002 gene, the function of which is completely unknown. Atu6002 expression occurs in Agrobacterium-induced tumours, and is also activated on activation of plant cell division by growth hormones. Within the expressing plant cells, the Atu6002 protein is targeted to the plasma membrane. Interestingly, constitutive ectopic expression of Atu6002 in transgenic tobacco plants leads to a severe developmental phenotype characterized by stunted growth, shorter internodes, lanceolate leaves, increased branching and modified flower morphology. These Atu6002-expressing plants also display impaired response to auxin. However, auxin cellular uptake and polar transport are not significantly inhibited in these plants, suggesting that Atu6002 interferes with auxin perception or signalling pathways.
A locally created EBM course for faculty development.

International EBM workshops have significant barriers and lack focus on institutional needs. The authors describe a local EBM curriculum and report its effectiveness and participant satisfaction. Local EBM experts devised an EBM course designed to improve faculty understanding of EBM skills and concepts. Retention of EBM concepts was assessed with a 10-item EBM knowledge test administered before and after the course. Participants were also asked to self-assess five EBM skills immediately after and nine months after the course. They also filled out a satisfaction survey. In total, 61% of the participants completed the course. The EBM knowledge test showed a significant change in scores for EBM concepts. The participants’ self-assessed EBM skills remained high at nine months. Participants rated most course variables highly. It is concluded that a locally developed EBM faculty curriculum can succeed if scholars define institutional needs, receive broad institutional support, use proven educational methodolog...
Accurate lymph-node detection in colorectal specimens resected for cancer is of prognostic significance.

PURPOSE: Lymph-node involvement is the most important prognostic factor in colorectal cancers. Many staging systems adopted node status as a parameter of tumor classification. However, the number of identified and positive glands varies across articles, depending on specimen examination. There is a consistent risk of substaging tumors and undertreating patients. Aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of different pathologic methods. METHODS: Eight hundred one patients who underwent curative resection of colorectal cancer entered the study and were divided into two groups. In Group 1 the specimen was “en bloc” fixed, and nodes were identified by sight and palpation. In Group 2 the mesentery of the excised specimen was dissected away from the bowel, stretched, and pinned to cork board. The mesenteric segment surrounding the origin of principal vessels was divided from the segment surrounding the colic vessels. All specimen segments were fixed, node identification being performed by sight and palpation. Examined and positive nodes were recorded, and metastatic rate and incidence was calculated in the two groups. Patients were classified with used of different staging systems. Survival rates were calculated, related to tumor stage, and compared statistically. Pathologic procedures were included in a multivariate analysis. RESULTS: A significantly higher number of detected and positive nodes and metastatic rate (37.5vs. 30.2 percent;P<0.05) were observed in Group 2; 45.2 percent of Group 2 and 25.3 percent of Group 1 cases had more than three positive nodes (P<0.05). In Group 2 several patients shifted from earlier to more advanced stages compared with Group 1 cases. Five-year and ten-year survival rates were significantly higher (P=p.pr) in Group 2 (81.5 and 77.2 percent) than in Group 1 (76.7 and 61.5 percent), mostly in patients with TNM Stage N0. Survival analysis related to Astler and Coller's and Tang's classifications confinrmed such features. Higher rates of local recurrences and distant metastases were found in Group 1, particularly if related to node status (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated the pathologic method is an independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the prognostic impact of specimen examination. Inaccurate methods could downstage the tumor and exclude the patient from adjuvant therapies, with detrimental effects on the outcome of the case.
CO aperture synthesis of NGC 4038/39 (ARP 244)

High-resolution CO observations of the merging galaxies NGC 4038/39 (the 'Antennae') have been made with the Owens Valley Millimeter Wave Interferometer. Three concentrations of CO emission were detected. In addition to masses of a few x 100 million solar masses at each nucleus, approximately 1.2 x 10 to the 9th solar masses of molecular gas was discovered in a 32 arcsec x 22 arcsec region where the two galaxies overlap. Within this region are four distinct clumps. These coincide with H-alpha, 10 microns, and radio continuum peaks, suggesting that they are extremely active sites of star formation. The galaxy interaction appears to have concentrated gas at the nuclei of NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 and to have engendered enhanced star formation activity in the region where their disks overlap. From estimates of the SFR in this overlap region, it is suggested that the gas will be completely depleted in 240 million yr.
Variation of the morphology of strained AlGaInAs quantum wells with substrate orientation

Abstract Strain-compensated AlGaInAs quantum wells/barriers were grown by OMVPE on InP substrates of different orientations: (1 0 0), (1 0 0) 3° miscut toward (1 1 1)A, (5 1 1)A and (5 1 1)B, (3 1 1)A and (3 1 1)B. Smooth surfaces and narrow photoluminescence lines were obtained on (1 0 0) and (3 1 1)B, even for the highest compressive strain tested, +2%. Under high growth rate, (5 1 1)A was found to yield the roughest surfaces and widest photoluminescence lines. When growth pauses were inserted in the quantum wells, (5 1 1)A, (5 1 1)B, and (1 0 0) 3° miscut toward (1 1 1)A showed very rough surfaces.
Familial Clustering of Pulmonary Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Disease

Background Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are environmental organisms associated with pulmonary disease without person-to-person transmission. Although genetic causes of disseminated NTM infection are well characterized, genetic causes for most human susceptibility to pulmonary NTM infection have not been determined. Methods Family histories for relevant disease characteristics were obtained as part of an ongoing natural history study. Six families were identified in which at least two blood relatives had pulmonary NTM. A systematic review of medical records extracted data relevant to pulmonary infection and baseline demographics. Data were reconfirmed by telephone interviews. Results Familial clustering of pulmonary NTM was proven in six families. Four of the families were white, and the majority of affected individuals were women. The average age at diagnosis was 56.4 ± 10.7 years, the average height was 167.5 ± 8.7 cm, and the mean BMI was 22.0 ± 2.98 kg/m 2 . Scoliosis was present in 31%. Five of 12 patients had cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene variations, but none had classic cystic fibrosis. Infections were caused by both slow and rapid growing mycobacteria, including Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium intracellulare, Mycobacterium kansasii, Mycobacterium abscessus , and Mycobacterium massiliense . Family members were typically infected with different species of NTM. Conclusion We identified six familial clusters of pulmonary NTM infection, suggesting that there are genetic factors contributing to host susceptibility to pulmonary infection with NTM among some individuals with nodular bronchiectatic disease.
Burn scar contractures of the feet: efficacy of bilateral simultaneous surgical correction

Children who sustain large total body surface area (TBSA) burns with involvement of the lower extremities frequently sustain injuries to the dorsum of the feet. Burn scar contractures of the feet can develop as a sequela of the burn injury. Such contractures frequently require surgical correction. Many surgeons proceed with staged unilateral corrections when both feet are equally in need of operative intervention. The purpose of the study is to determine if the morbidity for correction of bilateral dorsal foot contractures is different from that for the correction of unilateral dorsal foot contractures.A retrospective review from January 1994 to July 1999 was undertaken. Forty-five patients with photographic record of burn scar contracture of the feet were identified. Twenty-five patients underwent staged unilateral surgical correction and twenty patients underwent simultaneous bilateral correction of the feet. All patients underwent surgical correction with split thickness skin grafts (STSG). No statistical difference was found in terms of mortality, development of contracture, or number of reconstructive procedures. However, the length of stay revealed the efficacy of the bilateral simultaneous release of the dorsal feet.
Punctuation and Path Dependence: Examining a Vertical IT Standard‐Setting Process

This paper reports on a longitudinal interpretive case study of the Financial Services Technology Consortium eCheck project, and the failed attempts to promote eCheck and an enabling technology, FSML, as vertical IT standards. Based on interviews and archival data, a series of linked technical decisions are examined, covering a seven‐year period. Early technical decisions put the design team's work on a technical trajectory, which they chose not to abandon, contributing to the failure of these proposed standards. We discuss the evidence in light of technology evolution theory and offer suggestions for future research on vertical standards setting.
Oxidative addition of Pd(0) and Pt(0) with aromatic halides: Material for second-harmonic generation

Abstract The use of M(PEt 3 ) 2 (X) (M = Pd, Pt; X = Br, I) as donors in donor-acceptor benzene systems yields material suitable for second-harmonic generation. These compounds can be prepared in moderate yields from oxidative addition of Pd(0) and Pt(0) complexes with the appropriate phenyl halides. The structure of trans-Pt(PEt 3 ) 2 (I)(ϱ-nitrophenyl) has been determined; it crystallizes in the space group Cmc2 1 .
Antigenic variation by Borrelia hermsii occurs through recombination between extragenic repetitive elements on linear plasmids

The relapsing fever agent Borrelia hermsii undergoes multiphasic antigenic variation through gene conversion of a unique expression site on a linear plasmid by an archived variable antigen gene. To further characterize this mechanism we assessed the repertoire and organization of archived variable antigen genes by sequencing approximately 85% of plasmids bearing these genes. Most archived genes shared with the expressed gene a <or= 62 nucleotide (nt) region, the upstream homology sequence (UHS), that surrounded the start codon. The 59 archived variable antigen genes were arrayed in clusters with 13 repetitive, 214 nt long downstream homology sequence (DHS) elements distributed among them. A fourteenth DHS element was downstream of the expression locus. Informative nucleotide polymorphisms in UHS regions and DHS elements were applied to the analysis of the expression site of relapse serotypes from 60 infected mice in a prospective study. For most recombinations, the upstream crossover occurred in the UHS's second half, and the downstream crossover was in the DHS's second half. Usually the closest archival DHS element was used, but occasionally a more distant DHS was employed. The downstream extragenic crossover site in B. hermsii contrasts with the upstream [corrected] extragenic crossover site for antigenic variation in African trypanosomes.
The Determinants of Alternative Forms of Workplace Voice An Integrative Perspective

Workplace voice has been the subject of much research over the past 30 years. Prior work has examined the precursors of a wide variety of voice types including prosocial voice, grievance filing, whistle-blowing, informal complaints, and participation in suggestion systems. However, research on each type of voice has largely been conducted in isolation from work examining alternate types of workplace voice. The goal of this article is to review and integrate the literature on the determinants of workplace voice. The authors’ review of the literature is organized around the major categories of determinants that have been observed in the separate literatures on workplace voice. Based on the review, the authors identify commonalities and differences across alternative forms of voice in the determinants observed. Following this, they explore how the nature and purpose of voice varies, with emphasis on three dimensions of voice: formality, focus, and identifiability. The authors then explore whether this variat...
Mechanism of the electrocatalytic reduction of oxygen on metal chelates

Abstract N4 complexes (tetraarylporphyrins, dibenzotetraazaannulenes, phthalocyanines), N2O2 complexes (Pfeiffer complexes), and N2S2 complexes [diacetyldi(thiophenylhydrazones)] have been studied with respect to their catalytic activity for the electroreduction of oxygen in acid electrolyte. Activity has been found with the N4 complexes, of which the phthalocyanines are already known as catalysts. Unfortunately we found these metal chelates not to be completely stable when supported by active carbon or carbon black. Especially the phthalocyanines readily disintegrate in acid, but also the dibenzotetraazaannulenes lose their activity within several days of operation. Only certain tetraarylporphyrins were still active after 300 hr. The N2S2 and N2O2 (monomeric and polymeric) complexes did not show any activity at all although the Pfeiffer complexes are known as reversible oxygen carriers. In contrast to these complexes, the N4 complexes used are not only macrocyclic but also have a conjugated π-electron system, which seems to be a prerequisite for the activation of the oxygen molecule. The mechanism of the activation of the O2 molecule has been explained on the basis of simple MO considerations, which also provide an explanation for the order of activity of central metal ions—Co > Fe > Ni—and for the effect of the support and of substituents of the ligand on the activity and the stability of the chelate.
Beyond the Modernity Complex: Abd al-Hakīm Qāsim’s Re-Writing of the Nahdah Self-Narrative

The purpose of this paper is to study Abd al-Hakīm Qāsim’s Ayyām al-insān al-sabah (1969; The Seven Days of Man) and its sequel al-Mahdī (1977) as post-Nahdah self-narratives that leave behind the complex encounter with the West and bypass thereby the modernity binary of a backward tradition versus the offers of a European civilization. The schizophrenic narratives of encounter have confined Arabic narrative and limited its potential to engage individual experience in a dynamic social life. The post-Nahdah narrative interrogates other facts on the ground that relate to the nation-state, selfhood, family, communal life and religion. Abd al-Hakīm Qāsim’s Ayyām al-insān al-sabah is a pioneering text in this respect and deserves full attention in order to understand the radical shift in Arabic literature after 1967. Its mode of self-narration is not subservient to the canonical autobiography of Tāhā Husayn, and its unfolding takes place among contending powers where space implicates characters in action and enables human agency to have full play beyond the Nahdah legacy of cultural dependency.
The Compression of Liquids

Methods for the determination of the density of liquids can be divided into three classes as follows. 1. Methods in which the density is measured in terms of the fundamental physical standards of measurement. 2. Methods in which it is measured relative to the density of a reference liquid or solid. Usually, although not always, the density of the reference liquid or solid will have been determined either directly or via intermediate liquids by a method in category 1. 3. Methods in which the change of density of a liquid, caused by an impressed change of the state of the liquid such as temperature, pressure, magnetic or electric field, etc., is measured. In these methods, either the change of volume is measured relative to the change of volume of the containing vessel or the change of density is measured relative to the change of density of a float or sinker. 4. Methods in which the volume, or more usually the change of volume, is deduced from measurements other than the direct measurement of change.
Real‐time characterization of acoustic modes of polyimide thin‐film coatings using impulsive stimulated thermal scattering

A method for real‐time optical characterization of thin‐film acoustic modes is demonstrated. Pseudo‐Rayleigh acoustic waves of thin (∼1 μm) polyimide films attached to silicon substrates are optically excited and monitored in real time as they propagate. The results can be used to determine mechanical properties (elastic moduli) and to guide thin‐film fabrication and curing procedures.