cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Length of the School Day and Its Influence on New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment Scores.

This paper presents results from an examination of the relationships between high school (HS) school day length and 2011 New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) Math and Language Arts Literacy test results. Variables found to have an influence on standardized test scores in the extant literature were evaluated and reported. Hierarchical regression models were used to determine the strength of the predictive influence of these variables, specifically school day length, on both HS Math and Language Arts Literacy student performance. Results indicated that school day length does not have a significant influence on HS LAL achievement but that it accounted for 1.8% of the variance in HS Math achievement scores. Implications for practicing administrators are discussed. Social forces today are more apparent than they were in the 1930s. Globalization, technological advances, communication patterns, energy consumption, and the competition for jobs and resources mandate changes in schools. The demand for educational results and choice has spurred controversial issues such as school vouchers and charter schools. Federal, state, and local governments have become deeply entrenched in managing education and legislating reform in structure and accountability. Nevertheless, standards-based reform does not appear to be concerned with student needs or social theory. Gaining momentum in legislative circles is the idea that a longer school day and/or year will produce increased student achievement as measured by state mandated standardized tests.
The Reliability and Discriminative Ability of the Overhead Squat Test for Observational Screening of Medial Knee Displacement.

Context:The OHS is a functional screening exam that is used to identify high-risk movement profiles such as medial knee displacement (MKD). The reliability and discriminative ability of observational screening during the OHS to identify MKD have yet to be established. Objective:To investigate the reliability and discriminative ability of observational screening for medial knee displacement MKD during the overhead squat (OHS) test. Study Design:Clinical measurement, cross sectional. Participants:100 college students were video-recorded performing the OHS. Three certified athletic trainers classified the knee posture of each subject during the OHS on two different occasions using screening guidelines. Main Outcome Measures:Ratings were evaluated by calculating kappa coefficients for intra-rater and inter-rater levels of agreements. MKD was measured using motion analysis. Results:Intra-rater reliability ranged from 0.60 to 0.76 with an average value of 0.70. Inter-rater reliability was substantial (kappa >0....
DIFFRACTION OF WAVES BY A SLIT

The chapter analyzes mixed boundary-value problems. A mixed boundary-value problem is a problem for which the boundary conditions are of different types on the complementary parts of the boundary. Examples of physical situations that lead to the formulation of mixed boundary-value problems of elastodynamics are rapid indentation of a body and diffraction of elastic waves by cracks. The chapter reviews the diffraction of plane transient waves by semi-infinite cracks. These problems are amenable to treatment by the Wiener–Hopf technique. The chapter presents an explanation of this method and its application. The wave motion generated during the diffraction of a plane wave by an obstacle of vanishing thickness and semi-infinite extent is analyzed employing integral transforms together with the Wiener–Hopf technique and the Cagniard-de Hoop method. The chapter further reviews the diffraction of a plane horizontally polarized shear wave by a semi-infinite slit. The diffraction of a plane longitudinal wave by a semi-infinite slit is another problem that can also be investigated by using integral transforms together with the Wiener–Hopf technique and the Cagniard-de Hoop method.
Development of implicit personality

Abstract This chapter deals with a new frontier in personality development research virtually unexplored so far: the stability and change of implicit or automatic aspects of personality traits. First, the literature is reviewed that conceives personality traits as automatized habits of acting, thinking, feeling, and desiring. Second, the measurement of implicit personality traits is briefly reviewed, especially regarding the two central questions of (1) to what extent measures of implicit traits and self-reports capture the same construct and (2) how stable and malleable implicit traits are. Lastly, directions for future research on the development of implicit personality traits are sketched.
Pilot study of haploidentical natural killer cell transplantation in childhood acute myeloid leukemia

10034 Background: In the setting of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), donor natural killer (NK) cells exhibit potent anti-leukemic effects without causing graft-versus-host disease. W...
Type-1 Fuzzy Sets and Fuzzy Logic

This chapter formally introduces type-1 fuzzy sets and fuzzy logic. It is the backbone for Chap. 3 and provides the foundation upon which type-2 fuzzy sets and systems are built in later chapters. Its coverage includes: crisp sets, type-1 fuzzy sets and associated concepts [including a short biography of Prof. Zadeh (the father of fuzzy sets and fuzzy logic)], type-1 fuzzy set defined, linguistic variables, returning to linguistic variables from a numerical value of a membership function, set theoretic operations for crisp and type-1 fuzzy sets, crisp and fuzzy relations and compositionson the same or different product spaces , compositions of a type-1 fuzzy set with a type-1 fuzzy relation, hedges, the Extension Principle (which is about functions of fuzzy sets), α-cuts (which are a powerful way to represent a type-1 fuzzy set in terms of intervals), functions of type-1 fuzzy sets computed by using α-cuts, multivariable membership functions and Cartesian products, crisp logic, going from crisp logic to fuzzy logic, Mamdani (engineering) implications, some final remarks, and an appendix about properties/laws of type-1 fuzzy sets. 35 examples are used to illustrate this chapter’s important concepts.
Secure Event Tickets on a Blockchain

Concert tickets “are” nowadays unique identifiers that are printed on paper as barcodes, and scanned at the entrance gate. While this system is convenient and secure for the concert organizer, it bears risks and inconveniences for the ticket owner.
Positive pharmacologic provocative testing with methohexital during cerebral arteriovenous malformation embolization.

Abstract A middle-aged patient underwent staged endovascular embolization of a Spetzler-Martin grade V right parietal arteriovenous malformation(AVM).In the fifth endovascular embolization, after methohexital 10 mg injection into a right posterior choroidal artery feeding the AVM nidus, there was an immediate change in the electroencephalogram (EEG) with simultaneous loss of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in the bilateral upper and lower extremities and a delayed change in somatosensory evoked potential responses (SSEPs). No embolization was made and procedure was terminated. This case demonstrates the utility of intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring (IONM) with pharmacologic provocative testing in predicting and mitigating the risks prior to the proposed embolization.
Synthesis and Electronic Structure Diversity of Pyridine(diimine)iron Tetrazene Complexes.

A series of pyridine(diimine)iron tetrazene compounds, (iPrPDI)Fe[(NR)NN(NR)] [iPrPDI = 2,6-(ArN = CMe)2C5H3N; Ar = 2,6-iPr2C6H3] has been prepared either by the addition of 2 equiv of an organic azide, RN3, to the corresponding iron bis(dinitrogen) compound, (iPrPDI)Fe(N2)2 or by the addition of azide to the iron imide derivatives, (iPrPDI)FeNR. The electronic structures of these compounds were determined using a combination of metrical parameters from X-ray diffraction, solution and solid-state magnetic measurements, zero-field 57Fe Mossbauer and 1H NMR spectroscopies, and density functional theory calculations. The overall electronic structure of the iron tetrazene compounds is sensitive to the nature of the tetrazene nitrogen substituent with three distinct classes of compounds identified: (i) overall diamagnetic (S = 0) compounds arising from intermediate-spin iron(II) centers (SFe = 1) engaged in antiferromagnetic coupling with both pyridine(diimine) and tetrazene radical anions (SPDI = −1/2 and Ste...
Will ocean zones with low oxygen levels expand or shrink

Computer simulations show that areas of the ocean that have low levels of dissolved oxygen will expand, but then shrink, in response to global warming — adding to an emerging picture of the finely balanced processes involved. Computer simulations show that areas of the ocean that have low levels of dissolved oxygen will expand, but then shrink, in response to global warming — adding to an emerging picture of the finely balanced processes involved.
Philosophical Critique of Whitehead’s Theory of Relativity

Einstein’s theory of relativity was probably the most important influence on Whitehead’s philosophy of science. But Whitehead’s endeavor to reinterpret and modify Einstein’s STR and GTR in terms of the categories of his own natural philosophy issued in two important philosophical divergences from Einstein: first, as will be recalled from Chapter Twelve, Whitehead erects the STR on his espousal of a sensory absolute simultaneity for any given inertial system in opposition to Einstein’s theses on simultaneity, and second, Whitehead repudiates the GTR, because he rejects on epistemological grounds Riemann’s conception of the relation between geometry and physics, which Einstein had attempted to weave into the logical fabric of the GTR via Mach’s Principle, as explained in Chapter Fourteen.
An Introduction to the Theory of the Isochronous Storage Ring Laser

Many configurations have now been proposed to take advantage of the simplicity of the free electron laser interaction mechanism. The primary goals in this endeavor have been to construct an efficient, powerful source of radiation in the infrared through the ultraviolet. In this paper, I discuss a technique for utilizing the beam stored in a storage ring to drive the laser mechanism, in which the efficiency of the system is preserved by making the electron optics nearly isochronous: hence the name isochronous storage ring laser.
Biomechanical Aspects of Direct Skeletal Attachment of Lower Limb Prostheses

In direct skeletal attachment (DSA) of limb prostheses, the main problems are the bone–implant and skin–implant interfaces. As we have demonstrated in this book, the design of prosthetic joints influences the forces applied to the residuum through the prosthetic socket. The same influence exists if the socket-type attachment is replaced by a direct-type attachment. By carefully selecting the prosthetic components, it is possible to reduce excessive forces and moments on the implant and prolong the safe bond of the implant with the residuum.
Image Error and Photogrammetric Requirements

A major factor limiting photogrammetric accuracy is the effect of residual errors that displace the photographic image from its ideal (projective) position. Sources of image error and their typical magnitude are reviewed in the context of the photogrammetric accuracy requirements in: (1)Map compilation; (2)aerotriangulation to supply supplementary control for map compilation; and (3)aerotriangulation to provide higher order control for geodetic, engineering, and cadastral survey tasks. The basis for image error tolerances of 18 μm (0.71 mil), 6 μm (0.24 mil), and 3 μm (0.12 mil), respectively, are presented for these photogrammetric processes.
Enhanced thin film evaporation via impinging electrospray liquid jets with entrained air streaming

Abstract Electrospray (ES) phase change cooling is investigated as a potential approach for heat dissipation from localized hot spots. Considering evaporation of electrospray-delivered liquid as a potentially effective and desirable heat removal scheme, experiments have been performed to characterize the behavior of liquid films formed on a heated surface by way of ES impingement under different conditions. A complementary heat transfer model has been developed to understand the heat and mass transfer mechanism underlying the process and to predict system thermal performance. With the help of the predictive model, the experimental observations have been interpreted to identify the key physical phenomena that determine evaporation from electrosprayed liquid films. It was discovered that the impinging jet is not only effective in delivering liquid to the surface, but also enables thinning of the films to only a few hundred nanometers, thus significantly reducing conduction resistance across the film. Additionally, mass transfer resistance for evaporation is also reduced by two orders of magnitude compared to natural convection as a result of the surrounding air entrainment by the spray jet, permitting significantly higher evaporation rates and heat removal than would occur in quiescent air. In summary, ES cooling is demonstrated to be uniquely capable of both liquid and gas phase heat/mass transfer enhancement supported by the electrohydrodynamics of high momentum ES spray-jets.
The role of extrolites secreted by nonaflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus in biocontrol efficacy.

AIMS: Field control of aflatoxin contamination is thought to occur through competitive exclusion of native aflatoxigenic fungi by introduced nonaflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus biocontrol strains. In this study, we explored another possible mechanism that could increase the efficacy of biocontrol strains—the production of secreted compounds termed extrolites. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using four Aspergillus strains (one nonaflatoxigenic and three aflatoxigenic) from the same geographic region (Louisiana), we devised experiments whereby each aflatoxigenic strain was grown on media that had first been colonized by the nonaflatoxigenic strain. We observed noticeable reduction in growth and reduced production of aflatoxin and cyclopiazonic acid for all three aflatoxigenic strains when grown in the presence of extrolite secretions from the nonaflatoxigenic strain. CONCLUSIONS: We provide evidence that biocontrol strain extrolites may improve the efficacy of pre and postharvest aflatoxin reduction. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Our finding, that extrolites secreted by nonaflatoxigenic A. flavus strains potentially abate growth and toxin levels of aflatoxin‐producing strains, should allow for us to elucidate the mechanism of how the reduction in toxigenic strains occurs, and potentially identify better biocontrol strains. Identification and isolation of the active extrolites may afford a supplemental method to mitigate aflatoxin production.
Intelligent Systems in Everyday Work Practices: Integrations and Sociotechnical Calibrations

A key challenge to the implementation and adoption of intelligent machines in the workplace is their integration with situated work practices and organizational processes. We examine these issues through a qualitative field study in the domain of information technology (IT) services procurement, where highly-skilled IT architects spend considerable effort reading and digesting client RFPs to design technical solutions. Our field study focuses on the design and development of an intelligent tool meant to augment architects’ design work. Along with usability issues and curiosity about the tool’s underlying intelligent features, architects raised a number of questions about how the tool would be used in relation to other processes and workflows that comprised their design work. Our findings consider how intelligent systems are actors within a sociotechnical system and how new relations emerge through their introduction, raising questions for future intelligent system design and integration.
Establishing Defoliation Thresholds for Insect Pest of Peanut in Mississippi

ABSTRACT Defoliation of peanut by foliage-feeding insects reduces photosynthetic capacity, and in turn, may reduce pod yield, particularly when canopy loss occurs at critical growth stages, i.e., 4...
The Transition to Electronic Documentation on a Teaching Hospital Medical Service

The transition to electronic medical records (EMRs) often includes the transition from paper to electronic documentation, a topic less well described in the literature than other aspects of EMR adoption. As part of a broader EMR project, we have participated in the transition to electronic notes on the Medicine service of a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Washington. During a one year period beginning in February 2005 we adopted the use of semi-structured documentation templates permitting both encoded and narrative text components for admission, progress, and procedure notes, and for some discharge summaries. Currently over 1400 notes are entered each week. Fifty eight percent are entered by residents, 20% by attending physicians, and the remainder by other trainees and staff. The period of greatest change from paper to electronic notes occurred (by design) during the late spring and summer. Leadership, application functionality, speed, note writing time requirements, data availability, training needs, and other factors influenced adoption of this important part of our EMR.
Zika virus in workers: Considerations for ongoing exposure prevention

Since at least 2015, a major Zika virus epidemic has impacted the Americas and the Caribbean. There is an ongoing risk of Aedes mosquito-borne transmission in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide. In these areas, as well as in places that are not experiencing active outbreaks, workers in a variety of jobs may be exposed to the virus. In addition to outdoor workers in places with ongoing, vector-borne transmission who may be exposed when bitten by Zika-infected mosquitoes, biomedical researchers studying the virus and health care workers and staff in clinical laboratories may encounter blood and infectious body fluids from infected individuals, including travelers from Zika virus-affected areas. Because of potentially serious health outcomes, including reproductive effects, sometimes associated with Zika, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health previously issued guidance to help US employers protect workers from exposure to the virus on the job. This commentary summarizes the details of these recommendations and explains their rationale, which is important to understand when adapting and implementing workplace controls to prevent occupational Zika virus exposures and infections at individual worksites. The industrial hygiene hierarchy of controls, including elimination and substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and safe work practices, and personal protective equipment, serves as a framework for infection prevention practices for at-risk workers discussed here.
Hacking 9-1-1: Infrastructure Vulnerabilities and Attack Vectors

9-1-1 call centers are a critical component of prehospital care: they accept emergency calls, dispatch field responders such as emergency medical services, and provide callers with emergency medical instructions before their arrival. The aim of this study was to describe the technical structure of the 9-1-1 call-taking system and to describe its vulnerabilities that could lead to compromised patient care. 9-1-1 calls answered from mobile phones and landlines use a variety of technologies to provide information about caller location and other information. These interconnected technologies create potential cyber vulnerabilities. A variety of attacks could be carried out on 9-1-1 infrastructure to various ends. Attackers could target individuals, groups, or entire municipalities. These attacks could result in anything from a nuisance to increased loss of life in a physical attack to worse overall outcomes owing to delays in care for time-sensitive conditions. Evolving 9-1-1 systems are increasingly connected and dependent on network technology. As implications of cybersecurity vulnerabilities loom large, future research should examine methods of hardening the 9-1-1 system against attack.
Interview with Karol Modzelewski, 1991:

This is an edited version of an interview conducted in 1991 and first published in New Politics 4, no. 2 (1993): 155–72.The editors of EEPS publish this version after the recent death of Karol Modz...
Evaluating muscular calcium dynamics upon pulsed electric field exposure

Nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) are high voltage (1-15 kV/cm) nanosecond energy waveforms that can impact cellular activity. On a physical level, nsPEF generates transient membrane perturbations in the form of nanopores to allow cation influx resulting in localized membrane depolarization. On a physiological level, nsPEF exposure can activate second messenger cascades resulting in subcellular modulation that lasts beyond the nsPEF duration. An ongoing challenge is to characterize the physiological events induced by nsPEF exposure, and potential to interplay with physical effects induced by the pulse. In our laboratory, C2C12 immortalized mouse myoblast cells have been demonstrated to be a useful in vitro model, by differentiating these progenitors into terminally transformed myotubes. We are not only able to further investigate the fundamental subcellular mechanisms activated by pulsed electric fields, but monitor muscle contraction as a functional output. From our previous efforts, we quantified calcium-green uptake as a measurement of cellular calcium uptake across a sweep of applied pulsed electric field voltages. To extend on these findings, we evaluated calcium dynamics in the intracellular space of myotubes. Given that sarcoplasmic reticulum efflux is required for muscle contraction, we tested the physiological role of the ryanodine receptor during pulsed electric field exposure on myotubes. By blocking the Ryanodine receptor with a competitive antagonist, we reduced nsPEF -induced calcium dynamics activation by 58.36% in media with calcium. Our results are the first to demonstrate that the Ryanodine receptor complex is a subcellular candidate responsible for generating calcium responses upon nsPEF exposure in myotubes.
Development of a New Coarse-Grained Model to Simulate Assembly of Cellulose Chains Due to Hydrogen Bonding.

In this work, we present a new coarse-grained (CG) model that captures the directional hydrogen bonding interactions that drive cellulose chains to assemble into ordered aggregates. This CG model b...
A Comparison of Surgical Outcomes Between Minimally Invasive and Open Thoracolumbar Corpectomy.

ABSTRACT Background: Minimally invasive (MIS) techniques have gained considerable attention for the management of degenerative spinal pathologies. However, few studies have compared the outcomes between MIS and open thoracolumbar corpectomies. The purpose of this study was to compare perioperative variables between MIS and open thoracolumbar corpectomy. Methods: Retrospective review of 33 patients who underwent either an MIS or open thoracolumbar corpectomy by a single surgeon between 2005 and 2012 was performed. Patients were separated into anterior-posterior MIS (MIS AP), anterior-posterior open (AP), and posterior open (P) cohorts. Postoperative narcotic use was converted to oral morphine equivalents (OMEs). Demographics, comorbidity, perioperative variables, complications, and computed tomographic analyses were assessed. Fisher exact test was performed for categorical variables and Student t test for continuous variables. A P value of ≤ .05 denoted statistical significance. Results: Thirty-three patients underwent an MIS AP, AP, or P thoracolumbar corpectomy (39.4% vs 15.2% vs 45.5%, respectively). MIS AP patients were younger with a lower comorbidity burden than either open cohorts. In addition, MIS AP patients demonstrated a decreased procedural time, lower blood loss, and shorter hospitalization than either open cohorts. MIS AP patients required less units of transfusion than P and AP patients while demonstrating lower postoperative narcotics consumption and reoperations rates than open AP patients. Surgical site infection rates, body mass index, intraoperative fluid requirements, and complication rates were similar between cohorts. All patients demonstrated successful arthrodesis at 1 year based upon computed tomography. Conclusions: MIS AP thoracolumbar corpectomy patients incurred decreased procedural times, shorter hospitalization, and lower blood loss compared with open patients. MIS AP patients demonstrated decreased postoperative narcotics consumption and reoperation rates compared with traditional AP patients. All patients demonstrated successful arthrodesis. Clinical Relevance: The MIS approach to thoracolumbar corpectomies appears to be a safe and efficacious alternative when compared with traditional methods.
Age Differences in COVID-19 Stress and Social Ties during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Well-being

The experience of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and its implications for well-being may vary widely by age group across the adult lifespan The purpose of this study was to examine age differences in stress related to the pandemic and social ties, and whether those experiences are linked to well-being Participants included a total of 645 adults (43% women) ages 18 to 97 (M = 50 8;SD = 17 7) from the May 2020 nationally representative Survey of Consumers Participants reported the extent to which they felt stress related to the pandemic in the last month as well as social isolation, negative relationship quality, positive relationship quality, and frequent depression, anxiety and rumination in the past week Results showed that older people reported less COVID-19 related stress, less social isolation, and lower negative relationship quality than younger people Greater stress, social isolation, and negative relationship quality were associated with poorer well-being and greater social isolation, and negative quality ties exacerbated the effects of stress on well-being Although many researchers have indicated that older adults may be more vulnerable to COVID-19 related stress and social isolation, this study indicates that young adults may be relatively more vulnerable Because isolation and negative relationship quality appear to exacerbate the effects of stress, reducing social isolation and negative relations are potential targets for intervention
Carnival and Politics: Community Matters

The purpose of this article is to widen the ways in which Carnival’s political dimensions have ordinarily been discussed. What happens politically at Carnival should be placed in the social and cultural contexts in which a performance occurs, rather than being discussed only in terms of the performance’s publicized representations. This contextual mix should in turn be understood first as composed of competing and cooperating communities, but then also as having far-reaching and lengthily enduring structural roots. The author illustrates these propositions chiefly by means of an overview of Rome’s long Carnival history. There is space only to consider in detail two key sets of Roman Carnival sources, a verbal document written in the 1140s and two engravings made in the 1550s. The analysis of their social and cultural contexts leads to two other documentary groups, one stemming from fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Nuremberg and the other from the 1570s and 1580 in Romans, France. The long-term, structural thread knitting these disparate Carnival times and places together is the figure of the bear and his humanoid cousin the wildman.
Investigating the Link between Appearance-Related Self-Discrepancies and Retail Therapy Shopping Behavior

Prior literature has examined the role of self-discrepancies on consumer behaviors broadly; however, almost no studies have attempted to examine how self-discrepancies in the domain of physical appearance affects RT shopping behavior. Therefore, this study attempts to fill the aforementioned gap by examining a conceptual framework linking appearance-related self-discrepancies to RT shopping behavior through motivations and coping mechanisms. This study integrates the conceptual framework based on the regulatory focus theory and compensatory consumption behavior model to identify consumers’ strategic efforts to reduce appearance-related discrepancies through RT shopping behavior. The empirical findings of the present study for linking appearance self-discrepancies to RT shopping behavior through motivational and coping strategy routes contributed to the existing consumer behavior literature by elaborating the psychological and behavioral mechanisms underlying RT shopping behavior. Findings provide practical implications for retailers, marketers, and consumer welfare to develop more fine-tuned strategies to help different types of shoppers achieve their RT shopping goals in the other domains.
Correlation Between Changes in Brand-Name Drug Prices and Patient Out-of-Pocket Costs

Importance List prices set by manufacturers for brand-name prescription drugs in the US have been increasing faster than inflation, although confidential manufacturer rebates offset some of these increases. Most commercially insured patients pay at least some out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs, and higher patient spending is associated with lower adherence and worse health outcomes. Objective To examine whether price changes for brand-name drugs are correlated with changes in patient out-of-pocket spending and whether this association varies by insurance benefit design. Design, setting, and participants A cohort study of 79 brand-name drugs with available pricing data from January 2015 to December 2017 was conducted, with data obtained from a national commercial insurance claims database. Exposures Change in the list prices set by manufacturers and estimated net prices after rebates among non-Medicaid payers. Main outcomes and measures Change in median out-of-pocket spending among all patients and stratified by insurance pharmacy benefit design, including high-deductible insurance plans and plans with any amount of deductibles or coinsurance. Results Among 79 drugs, median increases were 16.7% (interquartile range [IQR], 13.6%-21.1%) for list prices, 5.4% (IQR, -3.9% to 11.7%) for net prices, and 3.5% (IQR, 1.4%-9.1%) for out-of-pocket spending from 2015 to 2017. Changes in list prices were correlated with changes in net prices (r = 0.34; P = .002). Overall, changes in out-of-pocket spending were not correlated with changes in list prices (r = 0.14; P = .22) or net prices (r = 0.04; P = .71). Among 53.7% of patients who paid any drug deductible or coinsurance, median out-of-pocket spending increased by 15.0%, and changes were moderately correlated with changes in list prices (r = 0.38; P = .001) but not net prices (r = 0.06; P = .62). Conclusions and relevance Some commercially insured patients who pay only prescription drug copayments appear to be insulated from increases in drug prices. However, more than half of patients pay deductibles or coinsurance and may experience substantial increases in out-of-pocket spending when drug prices increase. Among these patients, there was no evidence that manufacturer rebates to insurers are associated with patients' out-of-pocket spending. Policies to rein in unregulated annual increases in list prices for brand-name drugs may have important consequences for patient out-of-pocket spending.
EM performance improvements for Cu interconnects with Ru-based liner and Co cap in advanced nodes : (Invited)

It has been observed that void-free Cu fill, interface control for both Cu/liner (trench sidewall and bottom) and Cu/cap (trench top), and grain size engineering are critical to improve Electromigration (EM) performance for Cu interconnects in the case of using Ru liner and Co cap. Especially, Co diffusion from the cap into a Ru liner (resulting in Co depletion at the top of Cu lines) is one of the root causes of EM degradation. A novel Co-doped Ru liner has been developed, which demonstrates a significant EM performance boost by addressing the Co diffusion issue. This Co-doped Ru liner is shown to be a promising liner of choice for Cu interconnects in advanced nodes.
Successful Incorporation of a Plant-Based Menu Into a Large Academic Hospital:

Unhealthy food choices and poor diet have a significant impact on development and progression of cardiovascular disease. Further, plant-based diets have been shown to mitigate cardiovascular risk f...
Evaluation of electrode position in deep brain stimulation by image fusion (MRI and CT)

Imaging has an essential role in the evaluation of correct positioning of electrodes implanted for deep brain stimulation (DBS). Although MRI offers superior anatomic visualization of target sites, there are safety concerns in patients with implanted material; imaging guidelines are inconsistent and vary. The fusion of postoperative CT with preoperative MRI images can be an alternative for the assessment of electrode positioning. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of measurements realized on fused images (acquired without a stereotactic frame) using a manufacturer-provided software. Data from 23 Parkinson’s disease patients who underwent bilateral electrode placement for subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS were acquired. Preoperative high-resolution T2-weighted sequences at 3 T, and postoperative CT series were fused using a commercially available software. Electrode tip position was measured on the obtained images in three directions (in relation to the midline, the AC-PC line and an AC-PC line orthogonal, respectively) and assessed in relation to measures realized on postoperative 3D T1 images acquired at 1.5 T. Mean differences between measures carried out on fused images and on postoperative MRI lay between 0.17 and 0.97 mm. Fusion of CT and MRI images provides a safe and fast technique for postoperative assessment of electrode position in DBS.
Factors regulating cellular DNA synthesis induced by adenovirus infection: I. The effects of actinomycin D on G1-arrested BHK21 cells abortively infected with type 12 adenovirus or stimulated by serum☆

Abstract The effect of actinomycin D (AMD) on induction of cellular DNA synthesis in G1-arrested BHK21 cells by type 12 adenovirus (Ad12) and serum has been studied. Three-hundredths microgram of AMD/ml inhibited by 98 to 99% the induction of both RNA and DNA synthesis by Ad12, while the frequency of cells synthesizing Ad12 T antigen was unaffected. Serum-induced DNA synthesis was inhibited by 99% at only 0.01 μg of AMD/ml, indicating a greater sensitivity to the drug. Overall protein synthesis in both systems was inhibited by 80% at 0.03 μg/ml. Addition of AMD to serum-stimulated or Ad12-infected cells by 5 or 7 hr, respectively, before initiation of S completely blocked entry into S. When the drug was added to a culture in which cells were less than 5 to 7 hr from the beginning of their S period, or to randomly growing cultures, cells continued to enter S for approximately 6 hr after drug addition. Furthermore, addition of AMD to cells already in S produced a decrease in the rate of synthesis, but not a total arrest. At much higher doses of AMD (up to 4 μg/ml), more rapid and more complete inhibition of ongoing DNA synthesis was observed. Protein synthesis was affected more slowly than DNA synthesis at either high or low AMD concentration. These results are interpreted to indicate that AMD can interfere with induction of cellular DNA synthesis by at least two mechanisms: 1) blocking of a highly AMD-sensitive function which in untreated cells occurs at 5 to 7 hr before S would normally begin, and which is required for the transition from G1 to S; and 2) blocking of a relatively drug-insensitive function which is directly involved in the continuation of DNA synthesis.
SAFETY AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF HEAVY TRUCK RETARDER USE

Retarders to augment the braking system for trucks and buses can lead to three economic benefits: brake wear may be reduced; speed of travel on long downgrades may be increased; and the probability of a runaway accident may be reduced. All of these potential savings depend on the typical trip profile for the vehicle in question. In this paper the likely benefits in reduced brake maintenance, productivity, and accident reduction are computed for a variety of trucking operations, and data are furnished in enough detail to permit a particular user to estimate the value of adding retarders to his vehicles.
Projectile motion in a resistant medium: Part I: exact solution and properties

The motion of a particle which is projected into a resistant medium and subjected to a uniform gravitational field is considered. The drag force that acts upon the particle within the medium is proportional to the particle speed squared. The problem is formulated in terms of particle-speed and local-path-angle variables, and the equations of motion that result are non-linear and coupled. A new technique is presented which provides an exact time-implicit solution to these equations in the form of a parametric description of the particle motion. This description is utilized to obtain exact conditions from which the maximum projectile range and the optimal projection angle can be determined to any desired degree of precision. This description also reveals general properties of the projectile trajectory, some of which motivate the development of an approximate solution.
Hugh of St Victor (1096–1141) and Anglo-French Cartography

Abstract Recent research in England and France on twelfth- and thirteenth-century cartography posits Hugh of St Victor as an important source for ideas incorporated in maps of the period. P. D. A. Harvey and Patrick Gautier Dalche have noted Hugh's influence, and Peter Barber has described a ‘third-stream’ of map making flowing from Hugh's concepts of mapping through the Munich Isidore map (c.1130) and into a group of important Anglo-French mappaemundi. This article shows how Hugh's theography—his theological cartography—reached England from the Royal Abbey and School of St Victor in Paris. To do this I outline Hugh's image-based teaching and major theographical works, and then set out which English monastic libraries had copies of books with mappaemundi by Hugh and/or of Peter Comestor's Hugonian Historia scholastica. I then map the presence of Victorine canons in English religious institutions as well as the communications between a selection of these institutions and St Victor, focusing on the role Hug...
Foreign Direct Investment and the Demand for Protection in a Network of Producers and Consumers: The U.S. Case, 1982–1996

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has drastically altered the nature of international trade, partially supplanting arm's-length transactions with intrafirm trade and long-term supply contracts. This article investigates the effects of these developments on firms’ demands for protection by treating them as a source of supply rigidities for arriving foreign firms. This article treats the economy as a network of intersectoral transactions and investigates how FDI in a sector alters the incentives of “nearby” sectors to devote effort to obtaining protection from imports. The empirical results show that as foreign firms invest and produce in the United States, upstream sectors increase their demands for protection, while downstream sectors do not.
Toward a Better Understanding of the Effects of Hindrance and Challenge Stressors on Work Behavior

Abstract This study investigated the processes whereby hindrance and challenge stressors may affect work behavior. Three mechanisms were examined to explain the differential effects these stressors have demonstrated: job satisfaction, strains, and work self-efficacy. A model is proposed in which both types of stressors will result in increases in strains, but that job satisfaction is primarily involved in the relationship between hindrance stressors and citizenship behavior, and efficacy is involved in the relationship between challenge stressors and job performance. Although the results generally supported the dual-stressor framework showing meaningful relationships to the work outcomes through the proposed processes, the link between work self-efficacy and job performance was not significant. This model was analyzed using multi-source data collected from 143 employees from a variety of organizational settings. Implications for the conceptualization of stressors and the development of interventions are discussed.
Regulation of a protein synthesis initiation factor by adenovirus virus-associated RNAI

A small RNA accumulating late in adenovirus infection is required for efficient protein synthesis, although not specifically for the translation of viral proteins. This RNA maintains the activity of an initiation factor catalysing the earliest step of polypeptide chain initiation.
Effect of reduced oxygen concentrations on the outcome of in vitro fertilization.

We compared the effects of two standard oxygen concentrations, physiological (5% O2, 5% CO2, and 90% N2) and atmospheric (5% CO2 with the balance as air), on fertilization, embryo development, and pregnancy rate in 106 patients undergoing IVF, excluding donor oocyte cycles and preimplantation genetic diagnosis cycles. The differences in oxygen concentration did not significantly affect fertilization rate, blastocyst formation, or pregnancy rate, but there was a significant difference in mean embryo score between physiological and atmospheric groups on day 3.
Dynamics of Agricultural Technology Adoption: Age Structure, Reversibility, and Uncertainty

We develop a dynamic model of technology adoption that generalizes previous literature by incorporating technology age, reversible investment, variable inputs and outputs, and stochastic prices. The model is calibrated for irrigated cotton production in California. Optimal investment exhibits a significant vintage capital effect which provides a new candidate explanation for delayed technology diffusion. We show that the hurdle rate derived by option value models can be partially explained by the assumption of irreversible investment, and simulations demonstrate this assumption has regional policy relevance. Uncertainty affects optimal investment but has a declining effect with technology age.
Fuel conservation through active control of rotor clearances

Under the NASA-sponsored Energy Efficient Engine (EEE) Project, technology is being developed which will significantly reduce the fuel consumption of turbofan engines for subsonic transport aircraft. One technology concept being pursued is active control of rotor tip clearances. Attention is given to rotor tip clearance considerations and an overview of preliminary study results as well as the General Electric EEE clearance control approach is presented. Finally, potential fuel savings with active control of rotor clearances for a typical EEE mission are predicted.
Spectroscopic study of the cobalamin-dependent methionine synthase in the activation conformation: effects of the Y1139 residue and S-adenosylmethionine on the B12 cofactor.

The cobalamin-dependent methionine synthase (MetH) from Escherichia coli is a modular enzyme that catalyzes a methyl group transfer from methyltetrahydrofolate to homocysteine via a methylcob(III)alamin (MeCbl) intermediate, generating tetrahydrofolate and methionine (Met). Once every ∼2000 turnovers, the cobalamin cofactor is converted to the inactive cob(II)alamin (Co2+Cbl) form, from which MeCbl has to be recovered for MetH to re-enter the catalytic cycle. A particularly puzzling aspect of this reactivation process is that it requires the reduction of the Co2+Cbl species to cob(I)alamin (Co1+Cbl) by flavodoxin, a reaction that would appear to be endergonic on the basis of the corresponding reduction potentials. To explore how MetH may overcome this apparent thermodynamic challenge, we have prepared the I690C/G743C variant of a C-terminal fragment of MetH (MetHCT) to lock the enzyme into the activation conformation without perturbing any of the residues in the vicinity of the active site. A detailed spe...
Trace elements in fish from the Savannah river near Savannah river nuclear plant

Abstract A survey of trace element residues in fish from the Savannah River near Savannah River Nuclear Plant was undertaken in 1982. Fish muscle tissue was incubated by the wet digestion method. Fifteen trace elements were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry analysi of the digests. It was found that As, Se, Mg, Hg, Ca, Zn, and Fe levels were relatively higher than Pb, Cd, Ni, Co, Cr, and Mn in all fish species. In addition, in all fish species it seems that Pb, Cd, Ni, Co, Cr, and Mn levels were relatively higher than Cs and Cu. Cs and Cu levels were negligible in all fish species analyzed. Trace element levels found in these fish species were not high enough to render them dangerous for human consumption.
Evaluation of Nurses' Self-Insight Into Their Pain Assessment and Treatment Decisions

Abstract Research generally indicates that providers demonstrate modest insight into their clinical decision processes. In a previous study utilizing virtual human (VH) technology, we found that patient demographic characteristics and facial expressions of pain were statistically significant predictors of many nurses' pain-related decisions. The current study examined the correspondence between the statistically identified and self-reported influences of contextual information on pain-related decisions. Fifty-four nurses viewed vignettes containing a video of a VH patient and text describing a postsurgical context. VH sex, race, age, and facial expression varied across vignettes. Participants made pain-assessment and treatment decisions on visual analogue scales. Participants subsequently indicated the information they relied on when making decisions. None of the participants reported using VH sex, race, or age in their decision process. Statistical modeling indicated that 28 to 54% of participants (depending on the decision) used VH demographic cues. 76% of participants demonstrated concordance between their reported and actual use of the VH facial expression cue. Vital signs, text-based clinical summary, and VH movement were also reported as influential factors. These data suggest that biases may be prominent in practitioner decision-making about pain, but that providers have minimal awareness of and/or a lack of willingness to acknowledge this bias. Perspective The current study highlights the complexity of provider decision-making about pain management. The VH technology could be used in future research and education applications aimed at improving the care of all persons in pain.