cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The odds of wrong-way crashes and resulting fatalities: a comprehensive analysis

The United States of America and other nations are grappling with the incidence of wrong-way driving (WWD). The issue is as important today (NTSB, 2012) as it was a half-century ago (Hulbert and Beers, 1966). In the absence of a comprehensive analysis, any effort to implement WWD countermeasures can be counterproductive. Hence, this effort began with the express intent to identify the factors that cause WWD crashes and fatalities. This work is sizeable in that it evaluated one million complete crash records from Florida. The methodology comprised (a) administering a survey on the perceptions about WWD; (b) developing binomial logistic models for computing the odds of WWD crashes, and of fatal crashes within the WWD space; (c) analyzing the contributing variables; and (d) comparing perceptions with crash analysis results. The study parameters included driver's age, gender, licensing state, physical defect, blood alcohol concentration, vehicle use, seatbelt compliance, day and time of crash, roadway lighting, facility type, weather conditions, road geometrics, and traffic volumes. Individual variable analysis of 23 parameters and the model development process included the determination of odds ratios and statistical tests for the predictive power and goodness-of-fit. The results of this work are generally consistent with expectation, yet surprising at times. This work concludes with decision-making inputs to the scientist, policy-maker and practitioner on the need for effectively engineering the roads, actively educating people about wrong-way driving, and strictly enforcing traffic laws, rules and regulations.
Multiple sclerosis: Etiology, symptoms, incidence and prevalence, and implications for community living and employment.

BACKGROUND: This article presents an overview of multiple sclerosis (MS), one of the most common neurological disorders in the Western Hemisphere. We explore the impacts of MS on employment, career development, and community living, and the implications for rehabilitation professionals. OBJECTIVE: The objective in this article is to provide a current and comprehensive review of the etiology and symptoms, incidence and prevalence, and current treatment strategies for MS, and the effects of MS on vocational and psychosocial outcomes. METHODS: This analysis represents a comprehensive review of the relevant medical, vocational, community living, and rehabilitation research literature. RESULTS: Living with MS is associated with wide-ranging and unpredictable effects on employment, career development, and community independence. Effective responses by health and rehabilitation professionals require a comprehensive understanding of this progressive and complex condition and its psychosocial impacts. CONCLUSIONS: Customized interventions from allied health professionals and rehabilitation counselors that are grounded in the unique features of MS and that reflect current best practices in Vocational Rehabilitation are required to improve rehabilitation outcomes for people with MS.
Single-mode parity-time-symmetric micro-ring lasers

Parity-time (PT) symmetry has been recently emerged as a new paradigm for mode management in micro-cavity lasers. Single-mode lasing is demonstrated in longitudinally and transversely multi-moded PT-symmetric micro-ring arrangements.
Effects of Culturally Relevant Materials on the Reading Performance of Second-Grade African Americans with Reading/Special Education Risk

The use of culturally relevant material for urban students with special education/reading risk is frequently promoted in the literature; however, the empirical evidence appears limited. This study included eight African American urban second-grade students who scored within the at-risk range on the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency measure. The students read culturally relevant and non-culturally relevant passages to assess differences in reading fluency, comprehension, and passage likeability. Results from an alternating treatment design and the Wilcoxon test indicated that students were more fluent on passages that were culturally relevant. Comprehension and passage likability assessments favored the culturally relevant passages but were not statistically significant. Findings are discussed relative to the beneficial effects of culturally relevant materials for culturally diverse populations.
Absolute Pressure Dependence of the Second Ionization Level of EL2 in GaAs

We report the results of DLTS experiments under uniaxial stress on the second ionization level of EL2(++/+) in p-type GaAs. We measured the shift in the hole emission rate as a function of stress applied in the (100) and (110) directions. By modeling the valence band with two independently displacing bands and appropriately derived effective masses, we obtain a small absolute hydrostatic pressure derivative for the defect, 39 {plus minus} 15 MeV GPa{sup {minus}1}. The shear contribution is negligible. This result is very different than for the first ionization level, EL2(+/o) with a emission energy pressure derivative of 90 {plus minus} 15 MeV GPa{sup {minus}1}. The difference can be accounted for by the pressure dependence of the electron capture barrier of EL2(+/o), 49 {plus minus} 15 MeV GPa{sup {minus}1}. The absolute pressure derivatives of the two levels are then comparable and in good agreement with simple theory for Ga site point defects. 20 refs., 2 figs.
Thermoelectric and Thermomagnetic Transport in PbTe with Nanoscale Structures

Quantum-dot superlattices (QDSLs) have demonstrated thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) values double those of classical bulk materials, providing the proof that nanoscale materials can address this age-old limitation on thermoelectric technology. Since QDSL materials can only be obtained in thin-film form, the development of bulk materials with nanoscale inclusions would be useful for many large-scale applications. Nanometer-scale inclusions in lead chalcogenides are known to improve the thermoelectric figure of merit through a combination of two factors: a strong decrease in lattice thermal conductivity, and an increase in the Seebeck coefficient over that of bulk PbTe for a given carrier concentration. This paper focuses on experimental results obtained on two types of PbTe nanocomposites, namely samples prepared by sintering powders with nanometer-sized grains, and samples prepared with nanoprecipitates of metallic Pb. The results are analyzed using the “method of four coefficients.” At each measurement temperature there are four unknowns. These are the carrier concentration, the mobility, the carrier effective mass, and the energy dependence of the relaxation time Tau, which is modeled by a power law: Tau proportional to energy to power Lamda. Therefore, at each temperature, four measurements are taken: the electrical conductivity, and the Hall, Seebeck and transverse Nernst-Ettingshausen coefficients. This analysis concludes that the effect of the nanoscale inclusions on the power factor is due to an increase in the scattering parameter λ, and that the nanoscale inclusions affect the electron scattering in such a way as to increase the Seebeck coefficient.
Strip cultures: finding America in Las Vegas

Questions about why Las Vegas is attractive to consumers and what it signifies in our society and culture have interested many consumer culture researchers, who have approached these questions from...
Systemic adjuvant chemotherapy for soft tissue sarcomas.

There has been a number of prospective randomized clinical trials, but a benefit to survival from the immediate use of adjuvant chemotherapy has not been demonstrated conclusively. Continued investigation of adjuvant chemotherapy in poor prognosis soft tissue sarcoma is warranted. Improving survival and maintaining function are the two main goals of this type of chemotherapy.
Other Methods in Nonlinear Regression

This chapter covers some of the other nonlinear regression methods including classification and regression trees (CART), projection pursuit regression (PPR), and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS). These methods can provide attractive alternatives to more common methods and can also provide a useful insight into the nature of the data and relationship between the variables. CART and MARS are partition-based methods since they choose the most relevant variables. PPR is a projection-based method since it projects all the input variables on a linear hyperplane before application of the nonlinear activation function. The chapter provides theoretical and methodological insights into these methods, discusses their pros and cons from a practical point of view, and illustrates their features with the help of simulated examples.
History of the Nuclear Age

This initial chapter summarizes the historical events of the nuclear age from Rutherford’s 1909 discovery that the nucleus is very small to our era in 2016. Nuclear weapons have had a major impact on global thinking, beyond that of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The next dozen pages are similar to drinking water from a fire hose. I apologize for the density of information, but it is necessary to put the rest of the book into perspective. This text is not a history book, one can easily spend the entire term on following the events, from Hiroshima to 9/11. Our goal describes the proliferation and terrorism technologies that threaten us, and the attempts to control these technologies. Today’s students didn’t grow up with this information, it is my task to summarize it, while not sinking you in details. Why study this history? I believe it is necessary for our survival, it is as simple as that.
Risk prediction tool for grade re‐classification in men with favourable‐risk prostate cancer on active surveillance

Objective To create a nomogram for men on active surveillance (AS) for prediction of grade re-classification (GR) above Gleason score 6 (Grade group >2) at surveillance biopsy. Patients and Methods From a cohort of men enrolled in an AS programme, a multivariable model was used to identify clinical and pathological parameters predictive of GR. Nomogram performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration, and decision curve analysis. Results Of 1 374 men, 254 (18.50%) were re-classified to Gleason ≥7 on surveillance prostate biopsy. Variables predictive of GR were earlier year of diagnosis [≤2004 vs ≥2005; odds ratio (OR) 2.16, P < 0.001], older age (OR 1.05, P < 0.001), higher prostate-specific antigen density [OR 1.19 (per 0.1 unit increase), P = 0.04], bilateral disease (OR 2.86, P < 0.001), risk strata (low-risk vs very-low-risk, OR 1.79, P < 0.001), and total number of biopsies without GR (OR 0.68, P < 0.001). On internal validation, a nomogram created using the multivariable model had an area under the curve of 0.757 (95% confidence interval 0.730–0.797) for predicting GR at the time of next surveillance biopsy. Conclusion The nomogram described is currently being used at each return visit to assess the need for a surveillance biopsy, and could increase retention in AS.
Enhanced whole-body PET parametric imaging using hybrid regression and thresholding driven by kinetic correlations

Whole body PET/CT, a well established imaging method in nuclear medicine for the clinical evaluation of a wide variety of metastatic cancer malignancies, commonly involves static scanning over multiple beds. Recently, we proposed a clinically feasible transition of whole-body PET/CT imaging to the dynamic domain, by acquiring (i) an initial 6min dynamic scan over the heart, followed by (ii) an optimized sequence of whole-body PET scans, allowing for quantitative whole body parametric imaging. Comparative evaluation of parametric and SUV images indicated enhanced contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) but also higher noise for the parametric images. The objective of this study is to further improve parametric image CNR to enhance tumor detectability, by limiting noise in the estimates, while enhancing contrast and quantitative accuracy of parametric images. For this purpose, we utilize the weighted correlation coefficient (WR) of the kinetic model (Patlak) fits at each voxel to determine the cluster of voxels, where (i) advanced, as opposed to conventional, statistical parameter estimation, (ii) spatial smoothing or (iii) thresholding is applied. Thus, we facilitate the integration of whole body parametric imaging into the clinic as a competitive alternative to SUV. Through quantitative analysis on selected tumor regions of the resulting images, we show enhanced CNR when ridge regression is applied only to voxels associated with high WR, while ordinary least squares (OLS) and WR driven post-smoothing is performed to the rest. This hybrid regression method yields reduced mean squared error in tumor regions, compared to OLS. In addition, by setting the WR threshold level in the range [0.85 0.9], CNR is further enhanced for tumor regions of high WR. Finally, for the same type of tumors, hybrid regression also achieves higher CNR, compared to SUV, when the last two dynamic frames are omitted, allowing for shorter acquisition times.
Shrinkage Estimation in the Adjudication of Civil Damage Claims

Recent papers have highlighted the use of claim aggregation as a tool for reducing the unpredictability of legal outcomes. Specifically, it has been argued that sampling methods can be used in the class action context, and comparable-case guidance – information regarding awards in comparable cases as guidance for determining damage awards – can be used in the individual-claim context, to reduce variability and improve the accuracy of awards. In this paper, we examine a third form of claim aggregation based on a statistical method called “shrinkage estimation,” which is used to aggregate information and thereby improve estimation. We examine the conditions under which “shrinkage” can improve the accuracy of damage awards, and we apply it to gain a deeper understanding of the benefits and limitations of claim aggregation in the sampling and comparable-case guidance contexts with respect to accuracy.
Brain’s functional network clustering coefficient changes in response to instruction (RTI) in students with and without reading disabilities: Multi-leveled reading brain’s RTI

In students in grades 4 to 9 (22 males, 20 females), two reading disability groups—dyslexia (n = 20) or oral and written language learning disability (OWL LD) (n = 6)—were compared to each other an...
A Critique of Reason

Arguments against reason have had a long tradition in philosophy beginning with the skeptics and continuing to our century with Henri Bergson. I shall expound arguments against reason used by Climacus, and then attempt to show their importance to his thought.
Die echoencephalographische Bestimmung des Clivus-Basilaris-Abstandes

Mit ublichen Echoencephalographiegeraten (A-mode) last sich bei Beschallung vom Hinterhaupt aus ein Clivusecho und im entsprechenden Abstand davor eine pulsierende Reflexion der A. basilaris darstellen, dessen Clivusabstand exakt mesbar ist. Bei 50 Patienten im Alter zwischen 10 bis 57 Jahren wurde mit diesem Verfahren der Clivus-Basilaris-Abstand gemessen und ein Mittelwert von 6,3 mm errechnet. Bei 11 Kindern unter 10 Jahren war der Abstand im Durchschnitt groser und die Streuung breiter. Nach einer graphischen Darstellung der Verteilung der Abstandswerte (Bereich: 3–11 mm) werden die Grenzen fur die pathologischen Befunde einer Basilarisanpressung oder Basilarisabhebung definiert und an je einem klinischen Beispiel veranschaulicht. Die Pulskurve der A. basilaris ist bisher nur in Einzelfallen mit dunnen Schadelknochen gut registrierbar. Zur routinemasigen Pulskurvenregistrierung der A. basilaris mit Ultraschall sind noch weitere technische Verbesserungen notwendig.
Molecular Imaging Probes: Activatable and Sensing Probes

The optical imaging probe can provide target-specific imaging in order to facilitate early detection and diagnosis, without the need for conventional invasive tissue-sampling methods. In this section, biological and photochemical methods for rationally designing and developing activatable fluorescence imaging probes are reviewed with a focus on practical applications of molecular imaging to detecting inflammation and cancer.
Biopsy of Head and Neck Lesions

Although deep-seated head and neck lesions have traditionally been evaluated by surgical means, less invasive image-guided percutaneous biopsy techniques are now available. Nevertheless, major blood vessels, the trachea, and osseous structures such as the maxilla, mandible, and vertebrae often preclude direct access to these lesions. In the present chapter, we will review the various approaches used for image-guided percutaneous biopsies of head and neck lesions and discuss the anatomic considerations, technical aspects, advantages, and limitations of each approach. For biopsies of suprahyoid head and neck lesions, including those of the skull base and upper cervical vertebrae, various approaches such as the subzygomatic, retromandibular, paramaxillary, submastoid, transoral, and posterior approaches can be used. Lesions in the infrahyoid portion of the neck and lower cervical vertebrae can be accessed by the anterolateral (between the airways and the carotid sheath), posterolateral (posterior to the carotid sheath), and direct posterior approaches. The location and extent of the lesions and their relationships to adjacent structures influence the choice of the needle trajectory to use. Familiarity with head and neck anatomy and careful planning of the procedure are necessary to ensure that a biopsy is both precise and safe.
The Transforming Activity of a Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma-Derived Epstein-Barr Virus Isolate

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is very efficient in growth transforming human and certain non-human B-lymphocytes into transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL’s). The LCL’s have the ability to grow in medium containing low serum concentrations, the ability to grow indefinitely, and the ability to grow in soft agar, all changes in biological properties associated with EBV transformation (1). Lymphoblastoid cell lines obtained from Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL) tumors exhibit all of the above properties, plus the ability to induce tumors in nude mice (2). This property was though to be an important difference between laboratory derived LCL’s and tumor derived cell lines (1), however a recent study challenges the universality of this concept. (3)
Comparative analysis of biopsy proven lymph node positive bladder cancer patients to those with biopsy proven lymph node negative disease prior treatment.

475Background: Many studies assessing the efficacy of chemotherapy before surgery include few clinically node positive patients or completely exclude them which make response rates in this particul...
"I'm Not Trained for This!" and Other Barriers to Evidence-Based Social Skills Interventions for Elementary Students with High Functioning Autism in Inclusion

More students with High Functioning Autism (HFA) are in inclusive settings than ever before. The physical combination of students with autism and their typical peers alone, is insufficient to address the social deficits of students with autism. While evidence-based practices (EBPs) for social skills exist, these practices are not being implemented routinely in public schools. A mixed-methods study was conducted to identify barriers to the implementation of EBPs for social skills for students with HFA in early elementary inclusive settings. Thirty-three (n=33) district inclusion related elementary school stakeholders completed a survey created to examine the barriers to the implementation of EBPs for social skills. Qualitative data collection methods included an open-ended survey question, a focus group (n=12 of the 33 survey respondents), semi-structured interviews, and researcher field notes. Training, time, support, prioritization, materials, and staff mind-set were the top six barriers to the successful implementation of EBPs for social skills as identified by elementary inclusion stakeholders. The barriers could be summarized into three key ingredients needed to successfully implement EBPs for social skills: support, preparation, and motivation. The identification of barriers is considered the first step in bridging the gap between research and practice within inclusion school settings.
Worse for the wear: Effects of raciolinguistic ideologies, gender ideologies, and clothing on ESL pronunciation perception

Accents are products of perception as well as production; it is crucial that accentedness research address teacher discrimination rather than focusing on so-called student "deficiencies." Raciolinguistic ideologies and gender ideologies are factors that can affect teacher perception, interacting together in nuanced, non-additive ways. This case study employing matched-guise methodology investigates a White ESL teacher's differential ratings of pronunciation based on students' race, gender, and cultural clothing. Results show that clothing helps index figures of personhood that are more than the sum of race and gender ideologies and emphasize that even progressive and linguistically-trained teachers may still engage in biased rating practices.
4 – Multiferroic nanostructures

Multiferroic nanostructures have attracted lots of attention by researchers due to their unique benefits compared with bulk multiferroics. The interface between the piezoelectric phase and the ferromagnetic phase is well established and leads to a high magnetoelectric coupling effect by reducing the coupling loss. The advances in thin film growth techniques and theoretical simulations provide solid support to multiferroic nanostructures. We discuss major achievements in thin film nanostructure multiferroics by spin spray, sputtering deposition methods in this chapter.
Combined peridynamic theory and kinetic theory of fracture for solder joint fatigue life prediction

This study presents an approach that combines the kinetic theory of fracture with peridynamic theory to predict solder joint fatigue life in electronic packages. It is applied to two different package types whose measured life values are reported in literature. The nonlinear finite element analyses of the global package model and sub-model of the critical joint provide the boundary conditions for the peridynamic model. Both the finite element and peridynamic analyses are performed in the ANSYS framework by using the available elements and options. This new approach captures the experimentally observed damage topology in a solder joint. Although the initial and final fatigue life predictions are acceptable, the predictions can certainly be improved with accurate values of activation energy and activation volume for materials employed in the package.
Exploring the A2BX3 Family for New Functional Materials Using Crystallographic Database Mining and First-Principles Calculations

Ferroelectrics (FEs) are increasingly finding use as solar energy conversion materials. One of the hallmark signatures of a proper FE is a polar ground state whose polarization can be switched thro...
Empirical Constrains on Volume Changes in Pressure-Induced Solid State Transformations

By means of comparing molar volumes at reference ambient conditions (298 K, 1.105 Pa) of 160 pressure-driven polymorphic transitions in chalcogenides, germanates, silicates, simple molecular compou...
Carrier Density, Effective Mass, and Nuclear Relaxation Pathways in Plasmonic Sn:In2O3 Nanocrystals

Correlating changes in carrier density arising from incorporating dopant ions into the lattice of a plasmonic semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) with the observed physical properties at the elemental...
The Impossible QALY and the Denial of Fundamental Measurement: Rejecting the University of Washington Value Assessment of Targeted Immune Modulators (TIMS) in Ulcerative Colitis for the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER).

All too often organizations embrace standards for health technology assessment that fail to meet the standards of normal science. A continuing puzzle is why the axioms of fundamental measurement are ignored by researchers such as the University of Washington Model Group in constructing lifetime cost-per-QALY claims. The University of Washington Model Group is not alone; it is an accepted article of faith that multiattribute utility scales can be manipulated as if they had ratio scale properties, which they do not. This commitment to pseudoscientific claims, embracing intelligent design rather than natural selection, is endorsed by professional groups such as ISPOR as well as by self-appointed arbiters of value assessment such as ICER. Perhaps the answer is peer pressure rather than ignorance of the axioms of fundamental measurement. More to the point, if you have been an advocate of imaginary simulations a Damascene epiphany creates both psychological and professional challenges. After all, if cost-per-QALY constructs are rejected, then it is difficult to see what options there are for those attempting to model cost-effectiveness claims. If it is just ignorance of the axioms of fundamental measurement then a reasonable question is why these axioms, readily available on any number of internet sites, are ignored in health technology assessment programs. The purpose of this commentary is to review the ICER September 11th 2020 evidence report in ulcerative colitis, with particular reference to ICER’s responses to questions raised in the public comment period on the measurement properties (or their absence) for utility scales; in this context the EQ-5D instruments. The critique pointed out that the utility scores had ordinal properties. ICER, without proof, disputed this statement asserting that health economists believed (or assumed) they were ratio scales. This is nonsensical. ICER has two options: first, to continue to believe that the EQ-5D instruments had ratio properties or second, to acknowledge that they indeed only had ordinal properties, rejecting their many modeled claims for pricing and access. Not surprisingly, the possibility of a Damascene epiphany was rejected. ICER maintained its assertion that health economists, presumably all of them, believe or possibly just assume for analytical convenience that the EQ-5D-3L and similar measures are in fact on a ratio scale. This introduces a new concept in fundamental measurement: a ratio scale without a true zero but with negative values. ICER is quite prepared to admit that negative I-QALYs are possible and their lifetime cost-per-incremental I-QALY modelling can yield negative I-QALYs. Article Type: Commentary
mapMECFS: a portal to enhance data discovery across biological disciplines and collaborative sites

BACKGROUND Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disease which involves multiple body systems (e.g., immune, nervous, digestive, circulatory) and research domains (e.g., immunology, metabolomics, the gut microbiome, genomics, neurology). Despite several decades of research, there are no established ME/CFS biomarkers available to diagnose and treat ME/CFS. Sharing data and integrating findings across these domains is essential to advance understanding of this complex disease by revealing diagnostic biomarkers and facilitating discovery of novel effective therapies. METHODS The National Institutes of Health funded the development of a data sharing portal to support collaborative efforts among an initial group of three funded research centers. This was subsequently expanded to include the global ME/CFS research community. Using the open-source comprehensive knowledge archive network (CKAN) framework as the base, the ME/CFS Data Management and Coordinating Center developed an online portal with metadata collection, smart search capabilities, and domain-agnostic data integration to support data findability and reusability while reducing the barriers to sustainable data sharing. RESULTS We designed the mapMECFS data portal to facilitate data sharing and integration by allowing ME/CFS researchers to browse, share, compare, and download molecular datasets from within one data repository. At the time of publication, mapMECFS contains data curated from public data repositories, peer-reviewed publications, and current ME/CFS Research Network members. CONCLUSIONS mapMECFS is a disease-specific data portal to improve data sharing and collaboration among ME/CFS researchers around the world. mapMECFS is accessible to the broader research community with registration. Further development is ongoing to include novel systems biology and data integration methods.
Monitoring Police with Body-Worn Cameras: Evidence from Chicago

Using data from the Chicago Police Department on complaints filed by civilians, and reports of force by officers, this paper estimates the effect of body-worn cameras (BWCs) of officer and civilian behavior. Utilizing a two-way fixed effects design with a staggered adoption of body-worn cameras across 22 policing districts to almost 12,000 officers, I find an estimated 33% reduction in use-of-force complaints following the usage of body-worn cameras. This effect is driven in large part by a reduction in white officer-black civilian use-of-force complaints. Additionally, I find a corresponding 42% reduction in officers reporting striking a civilian and a large though less significant reduction in firearm usage, potential mechanisms for the reduction in complaints. Importantly, these reductions are not associated with an increase in injury to officers or any increase in force from civilians. However, I find that officers make fewer arrests for narcotics and cannabis possession following BWC adoption, evidence that body-worn cameras lead to de-policing. Taken together, this suggests that body-worn cameras are an effective technology at deterring unnecessary force but need to considered holistically before discerning whether their benefits outweigh their costs.
Quality of Malaria Care Service Delivery by Treatment Cascades in 25 Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries

Introduction: Even with accessible and effective diagnostic tests and treatment, malaria remains a leading cause of death among children under-five. Malaria case management requires prompt diagnosis and correct treatment but the degree to which this happens in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains largely unknown. Using multiple sources, we examine the quality of malaria care across 25 malaria-endemic LMICs, the distribution of poor quality of care across the treatment cascades, and how poor quality of care vary across the regions of each studied country. Methods: Data were available through the most recent 2006-2017 Malaria Indicators Survey for 132,566 children under-five in 25 LMICs. We estimated the percentage of patient encounters with problems on quality of malaria care and examined quality of malaria care by treatment cascade and by region. Results: Across the study countries, 48,316 (58%) of patient encounters of febrile children under-five received sub-standard quality of care for suspected malaria. When comparing by treatment cascade, 62% of cases were not blood tested despite reporting fever in the last two weeks, 82% did not receive any antimalarial drug, 17% received one drug, and 72% received treatment more than 24 hours after onset of fever. Of the four countries where we had more detailed malaria testing data, we found that, 35% of patients were incorrectly managed (26% were undertreated, while 9% were overtreated). Poor malaria care quality varies widely within and between countries. Conclusion: Quality of malaria care remains poor and varies widely in endemic LMICs. Treatments are often prescribed regardless of malaria test results, suggesting that presumptive diagnosis is still commonly practiced amongst cases of suspected malaria, rather than the WHO recommendation of "test and treat". To reach the 2030 global malaria goal of reducing mortality rates by at least 90%, focusing on improving the quality of malaria care is needed. Funding Statement: The authors stated that they received no specific funding for this work. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: Not required.
Generalized Zero-Shot learning using identifiable Variational Autoencoders

Abstract Deep learning tasks rely heavily on a large amount of training data, but collecting and annotating data daily is not practical. Therefore, Zero-shot learning (ZSL) has become important for the applications, where no labeled data is available during training. ZSL aims at recognizing unseen classes by semantic transfer of information from seen to unseen classes. In this paper, we have proposed an identifiable VAE (iVAE) based generative model to address conventional and generalized ZSL. The key to our approach is learning disentangled representations, where each dimension is statistically independent and responsible for generating data. Thus, VAE is a commonly used model for learning disentangled independent factors of variation from the data. Our goal is to learn a latent space representing significant information, that approximates the actual data distribution. Extensive experiments on five benchmark datasets, i.e. CUB, AWA1, AWA2, SUN and aPY, are performed for further evaluation in both settings.
Norman Podhoretz: A Biography

Prologue 1. Brownsville 2. Columbia 3. Cambridge 4. The family and the army 5. The practicing critic 6. Boss 7. 'This was bigger than both of us' 8. One shoe drops 9. Dropping the other shoe 10. Liberalism lost 11. George Lichtheim, Pat Moynihan, and a lecture tour 12. Domesticities, Lillian Hellman, and the question of America's nerve 13. Moynihan, Podhoretz, and 'the party of liberty' 14. Breaking and closing ranks 15. Present dangers 16. 'The great satan of the American romantic left' 17. Regulated hatreds 18. Culture wars 19. A literary Indian summer 20. Verdicts 21. New wars for a new century Epilogue.
The relationship of the basophil to blood histamine in man.

Data are presented correlating 22 determinations of the histamine content of blood in patients with chronic granulocytic leukemia with (1) the basophils (2) the other myeloid granulocytes. Expressing the histamine in each case on the basis of the amount in 108 granulocytes, there is a readily evident positive correlation with the basophil percentage and a negative correlation with the percentage of other myeloid elements. This is strikingly apparent in instances where blood with a very high percentage of basophils was analyzed. The data indicate that in chronic granulocytic leukemia, the basophil is predominantly and, perhaps exclusively, responsible for the marked elevations in blood histamine. Inferentially, it appears probable that this cell type, though small in numbers, may be the principal carrier of histamine in non-leukemic blood.
Newton-based contour error estimation and robust Cross-Coupling Control for high-precision fast contouring

High-performance position control algorithms for multi-axis servo-systems, due to presence of asymmetric dynamics and disturbance, do not guarantee high-precision contouring. Cross-Coupling Control (CCC) conventionally uses a static Contour Error Estimate (CEE) to reduce the shortest distance between the reference map and actual position, known as contour error. However, reliability of the static CEE deteriorates for high-speed reference feeds and also for sharp corners and deep curves. We propose a dynamic CEE using a Newton-based update law to obtain a precise CEE for fast and highly-curved contours. The Newton-based algorithm uses an estimate of the contour error curvature in order to eliminate the convergence dependence on the contour shape. The proposed CCC design includes one PID controller per axis, and combines the proposed Newton-based CEE with Integral Sliding Mode Control (ISMC) which is well-known for its capability in dealing with parameter uncertainty and external disturbances. The proposed ISMC performance is enhanced with an adaptive disturbance estimate. The proposed CCC algorithm reduces the time-averaged contour error (TACE) at least by an order of magnitude in comparison to conventional CCC algorithms. Various simulation results are presented to highlight the significant improvement achieved by the proposed algorithm.
Changes in uterine blood flow during uterine contractions

Abstract During spontaneous and oxytocin-induced labor, recordings were made of relative uterine blood flow (thermistor method), intrauterine pressure, femoral venous and arterial pressures, and maternal heart rate. In prelabor, uterine blood flow exhibits frequent irregular waves quite independent of the observed uterine activity. During labor there is a characteristic relationship between uterine blood flow and uterine contractions. An initial decline in uterine blood flow precedes the contraction by about half a minute, followed by partial or complete recovery in the early contractile phase. A second drop begins as the intrauterine pressure reaches about 30 mm. Hg, and the decline continues to the peak of the contraction or beyond. After the contraction is completed, the uterine blood flow recovers to its original level.
Great Britain (Chapter 1 of 'Forging Accounting Principles in Five Countries: A History and an Analysis of Trends')

This is the first of five chapters from the book 'Forging Accounting Principles in Five Countries: A History and an Analysis of Trends'.You can view the foreword and preface of the book, table of contents, and the other chapters:Foreword/Preface/Table of Contents:http://ssrn.com/abstract=2045708Chapter 2 (Great Britain): http://ssrn.com/abstract=2046059Chapter 3 (United States): http://ssrn.com/abstract=2046087Chapter 4 (Canada):http://ssrn.com/abstract=2046062Chapter 5 (A Critical Review of the Evolving Trends):http://ssrn.com/abstract=2046066
Fairness in the institutional valuation of business journals

The fairness of performance evaluation is a concern for all professions, and the appraisal of research output is of particular interest to business scholars and academic administrators. We describe research assessment as a process of social construction that is heavily influenced by journal valuation in business schools. Using journal quality data from multiple sources, we empirically investigate whether the journals in each of eight business disciplines (Accounting, Economics, Finance, Information Systems, Management, Marketing, Operations Management, and Quantitative Methods) are treated evenly across the board. Specifically, we explore whether each business discipline exhibits recognition fairness (i.e., actual institutional journal evaluations are the same as market expectations) and inclusion fairness (i.e., actual availability of publication space in top journals being the same as market expectations). Our findings indicate that faculty in some disciplines enjoy an advantage, while faculty in other fields are disadvantaged. Consequently, we offer recommendations to ameliorate this inequity.
Structural properties of lateral collateral ligament reconstruction at the fibular head.

BackgroundAnatomical reconstruction of a ruptured lateral collateral ligament using allograft tissue secured within the fibular head with an interference screw has been described.HypothesisInterference fixation at the fibular head does not reproduce the strength of the intact ligament.Study DesignControlled laboratory study.MethodsTen intact lateral collateral ligaments were tested to failure. The distal fixation of 11 ligaments reconstructed with a graft including a bone plug and 11 ligaments reconstructed with a graft without a bone plug were also tested.ResultsThe reconstructed ligaments consistently failed at the fibular head. The intact specimens predominately failed through ligament rupture. The mean strength and stiffness values were 460 ± 163 N and 82 ± 25 N/mm, respectively, for the intact ligaments, 113 ± 40 N and 36 ± 10 N/mm, respectively, for reconstruction with a bone plug, and 135 ± 81 N and 34 ± 14 N/mm, respectively, for reconstruction without a bone plug. The strength and stiffness were ...
Detection of marine methane emissions with AVIRIS band ratios

[1] The relative source contributions of methane (CH4) have high uncertainty, creating a need for local-scale characterization in concert with global satellite measurements. However, efforts towards methane plume imaging have yet to provide convincing results for concentrated sources. Although atmospheric CH4 mapping did not motivate the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) design, recent studies suggest its potential for studying concentrated CH4 sources such as the Coal Oil Point (COP) seep field (∼0.015 Tg CH4 yr−1) offshore Santa Barbara, California. In this study, we developed a band ratio approach on high glint COP AVIRIS data and demonstrate the first successful local-scale remote sensing mapping of natural atmospheric CH4 plumes. Plume origins closely matched surface and sonar-derived seepage distributions, with plume characteristics consistent with wind advection. Imaging spectrometer data may also be useful for high spatial-resolution characterization of concentrated, globally-significant CH4 emissions from offshore platforms and cattle feedlots.
Mauve Factor re-identified as 2,4-Dimethyl-3-ethylpyrrole and its Sedative Effect on the CNS

Irvine1 and Hoffer and Mahon2 reported on the occurrence of a compound giving a characteristic mauve colour with Ehrlich's reagent on paper. The significance of this metabolite is that it occurs with greater frequency in psychotic individuals. This finding has been confirmed by several investigators3–5. Ellman et al.6, however, reported that a metabolite apparently identical to the one in question may be derived from phenothiazines and occurs in the urine of patients on phenothiazine therapy. Recently, Irvine7 has identified the mauve factor as 2,4-dimethyl-3-ethylpyrrole on the basis of chromatographic and mass spectral studies. This report is concerned with the identity of the mauve factor, a critique of various isolation procedures used by different investigators and its pharmacological action on the central nervous system (CNS). The possible CNS effect is important because several laboratories have postulated a metabolic product in the schizophrenic which may be stimulant and hallucinogenic.
Non-conformal domain decomposition method with second-order transmission conditions for time-harmonic electromagnetics

Non-overlapping domain decomposition (DD) methods provide efficient algorithms for solving time-harmonic Maxwell equations. It has been shown that the convergence of DD algorithms can be improved significantly by using high order transmission conditions. In this paper, we extend a newly developed second-order transmission condition (SOTC), which involves two second-order transverse derivatives, to facilitate fast convergence in the non-conformal DD algorithms. However, the non-conformal nature of the DD methods introduces an additional technical difficulty, which results in poor convergence in many real-life applications. To mitigate the difficulty, a corner-edge penalty method is proposed and implemented in conjunction with the SOTC to obtain truly robust solver performance. Numerical results verify the analysis and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods on a few model problems. Finally, drastically improved convergence, compared to the conventional Robin transmission condition, was observed for an electrically large problem of practical interest.
The Japanese Merchant Marine in World War II

Making extensive use of Japanese and U.S. sources, including wartime intelligence reports from the National Defense Archives in Tokyo and recently declassified U.S. documents, this book examines the reasons for Japan's failure to protect its merchant fleet.
Not Yet A Placeless Land: Tracking an Evolving American Geography

Not Yet A Placeless Land: Tracking an Evolving American Geography, by Wilbur Zelinsky, Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2011. xvii+356 pp., US$28.95 (paperback), ISBN: 978-1-5584-9871-6 ...
Use of the Lowest Vertebral Body T-Score to Diagnose Lumbar Osteoporosis in Men: Is “Cherry Picking” Appropriate?

Abstract In this study, we hypothesized that use of the lowest T-score among four lumbar vertebral bodies would lessen the impact of degenerative arthritis and other artifacts on diagnostic categorization at this site and increase study sensitivity, classifying more men with prior fracture as osteoporotic than the other two methods of lumbar spine analysis. Bone density studies of 533 male veterans measured between January and October 2002 were reviewed to determine diagnostic classification using the L1–L4 average, International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD)-determined, and lowest lumbar vertebral body T-score. We calculated sensitivity and specificity of the three methods of spine analysis, using spine osteoporosis to indicate a positive test and prior fracture as the true indicator of osteoporosis. The lowest lumbar T-score performed with similar sensitivity and specificity to that of the lowest hip or wrist T-score in the ability to classify men with prior fracture as osteoporotic, whereas the average L1–L4 and ISCD-determined T-scores performed with lower sensitivity, but better specificity. In conclusion, this retrospective study suggests that use of the lowest vertebral body T-score among men increases diagnostic sensitivity of lumbar spine bone mass measurement. Prospective studies are needed to determine which of these three methods of lumbar spine analysis best predicts future fragility fracture in men and women.
Active Calcium Ion Uptake by Inside-Out and Right Side-Out Vesicles of Red Blood Cell Membranes

The relationship between active extrusion of Ca++ from red cell ghosts and active uptake of Ca++ by isolated red cell membrane fragments was investigated by studying the Ca++ uptake activities of inside-out and right side-out vesicles. Preparations A and B which had mainly inside-out and right side-out vesicles, respectively, were isolated from red cell membranes and were compared with respect to Ca++ adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) and ATP-dependent Ca++ uptake activities. Preparation A had nearly eight times more inside-out vesicles and took up eight times more 45Ca in the presence of ATP compared to preparation B. Separation of the 45Ca-labeled membrane vesicles by density gradient centrifugation showed that the 45Ca label was localized to the inside-out vesicle fraction. In addition, the 45Ca taken up in the presence of ATP was lost during a subsequent incubation in the absence of ATP. The rate of 45Ca loss was not influenced by the presence of EGTA, but was slowed in the presence of La+8 (0.1 mM) in the efflux medium. The results presented here support the thesis that the active uptake of Ca++ by red cell membrane fragments is due to the active transport of Ca++ into inside-out vesicles.