cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and characterization of well‐defined [polystyrene‐b‐poly(2‐vinylpyridine)]n star‐block copolymers with poly(2‐vinylpyridine) corona blocks

This article describes the synthesis and characterization of [polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine)] n star-block copolymers with the poly(2-vinylpyridine) blocks at the periphery. A two-step living anionic polymerization method was used. Firstly, oligo(styryl)lithium grafted poly(divinylbenzene) cores were used as multifunctional initiators to initiate living anionic polymerization of styrene in benzene at room temperature. Secondly, vinylpyridine was polymerized at the periphery of these living (polystyrene) n stars in tetrahydrofuran at -78 °C. The resulting copolymers were characterized using size exclusion chromatography, multiangle laser light scattering, 1 H NMR, elemental analysis, and intrinsic viscosity measurements.
High-k/metal gate stacks in gate first and replacement gate schemes

In this work, representative high-k/metal gate MOS-capacitor stacks were fabricated in both gate first and replacement gate integration schemes. Aluminum- and lanthanum- based cap layers (both widely accepted as Vt tuning cap layers in the industry), in addition to TiN metal gate, can tune the effective workfunction towards PMOS and NMOS, respectively. Varying Ti:N stoichiometry in TiN can induce >250mV change in TiN workfunction. 1 volt separation between NMOS and PMOS was achieved by screening various workfunction materials in replacement gate scheme. Substrate modification during the growth of aluminum was key to achieving void-free aluminum gap fill in narrow gate trenches.
ACh and 5-HT stimulated thermogenesis at different core temperatures in the He-Cold hypothermie hamster

Abstract Hamsters in deep experimentally induced hypothermia, at body temperatures between 7°C and 11.5°C, were microinjected with 5-HT and ACh at brain sites in the anterior-preoptic area of the hypothalamus (AH/POA). ACh or 5-HT was injected into an AH/POA site at different starting core temperatures in different groups of hypothermic hamsters. Colonic temperatures (Tc) were maintained, following He-Cold induction, in a temperature controlled environmental chamber and measured with a YSI thermister probe and YSI tele-thermometer. Injections of either 5-HT or ACh at Tc's between 7.0°C and 9.0°C elicited only modest increases in Tc i.e., 0.3°C–0.6°C, respectively. As Tc increased, however, to ranges between 9.1°C–10.0°C and in different animals to greater than 10°C both ACh and 5-HT at the same sites elicited significant increases in Tc, 1.5°C for 5-HT and 2.2°C for ACh compared to saline injections. These data suggest that at the lowest Tc's we are observing a “cold block” of temperature sensitive sites in the AH/POA. Increasing the starting Tc beyond 9.0°C however, evokes significant increases in heat-gain following AH/POA injection of either ACh or 5-HT. These data are consistent with Myers' observations concerning the organization of heat-gain mechanisms at AH/POA sites. In addition, they suggest that both the afferent limb of the heat-gain circuit (5-HT) and the efferent limb of the circuit (ACh) are functionally impaired when Tc is close to the physiological limit in the He-Cold hypothermic hamster.
A personal view of biomedical engineering

The author describes the history of biomedical engineering from the viewpoint of his own career. He discusses the early debate over what biomedical engineering is, funding considerations, and the steady growth of the field during the 1960s. The development of a research base and the establishment of international links are also examined. Future paths for the discipline are predicted. >
What Matters: Factors Influencing Gay Consumers' Evaluations of “Gay-Friendly” Corporate Activities

Abstract Over the past decade, many corporations have shown an increased willingness to move ahead of public policy in affording equal rights to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees. In addition, corporate America spends billions of dollars each year targeting members of the LGBT population in the marketplace. Most recently, corporations have begun to take a public stance as advocates for equal treatment of LGBT individuals under the law. However, corporations' treatment of the LGBT population as a unified market may indicate that research on this group lacks granularity. Using demographics and social identity information, this research identifies important market differences between gay males and lesbians that can better inform corporations' promotional expenditure and segmentation decisions when approaching the gay consumer market. The findings of this research suggest that it is important that companies avoid treating gay consumers as a group with monolithic preferences and percepti...
Co-channel speaker separation based on maximum-likelihood deconvolution

Described is a speaker separation system based on the maximum likelihood deconvolution (MLD). The maximum likelihood criteria is applied to the deconvolution of the combined signal to estimate the excitation signal of each speaker. Passing the estimated excitation signal through the corresponding vocal tract filter produces the restored speech of the particular speaker. The restored speech is the result of the convolution of the excitation signal with the vocal tract wavelet matrix. A simultaneous characterization of multiple speakers was accomplished with a new speech model. >
Primary cardiac angiosarcoma evaluated with contrast two-dimensional and real-time three-dimensional echocardiography.

A 63-year-old lady presented with syncope and atypical chest pain. Conventional two-dimensional (2D) contrast echocardiogram showed a highly vascular mass compressing the right atrium without direct communication. A real-time three-dimensional echocardiogram (RT3DE) revealed its outer spatial relationship with the surrounding structures and its inner heterogeneity as well. A chest computed tomography revealed a solid cardiac mass (6 × 7 cm2) arising from the right atrium and multiple pulmonary nodules. Histopathology of the pericardial fluid confirmed angiosarcoma. To our knowledge, this is the first report of histology-confirmed primary cardiac angiosarcoma, which was completely evaluated by conventional 2D, contrast, and RT3DE.
Effect of high pressure on self-diffusion in beta--titanium

Diffusion of ${\mathrm{Ti}}^{44}$ into $\ensuremath{\beta}$-titanium has been measured as a function of pressure at approximately 1000 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C using standard lathe-sectioning techniques. The diffusion coefficient is found to decrease with pressure, indicating a positive activation volume. This result contradicts earlier reports of negative activation volumes for diffusion of Fe in $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{T}\mathrm{i}$ and U in $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{U}$. The value obtained for the activation volume for self-diffusion in $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{T}\mathrm{i}$ is approximately 3.6 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 1.0 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$/mole, corresponding to $\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}V}{{V}_{M}}=0.33\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1$, where ${V}_{M}$ is the molar volume. Comparison is made with atomic models and various proposed mechanisms for diffusion in the anomalous body-centered cubic (bcc) metals. The magnitude of $\ensuremath{\Delta}V$ appears to be too large to be consistent with the "extrinsic" vacancy mechanism of Kidson, but smaller than would normally be expected for simple vacancy diffusion in bcc metals. It is concluded that diffusion in $\ensuremath{\beta}$-titanium most probably proceeds via a combination of vacancy and short-dislocation-path diffusion, known as the Hart mechanism. Non-Gaussian penetration profiles were observed in some of the runs. This has been interpreted in terms of oxide holdup of the tracer at the surface and possible diffusion of the tracer as an oxide along dislocation pipes or grain boundaries near the surface prior to dissociation.
Analytical True Positives in Workplace Drugs Testings Due to Use of Prescription and OTC Medications

Analytical true positive workplace drug testing results due to use of prescription medication or OTC (over-the-counter) medication do occur. Amphetamine positive result due to prescription medication was discussed in Chap. 9. Prescription use of any benzodiazepine may cause positive test results although benzodiazepine is not one of the SAMHSA drugs. Topical use of cocaine may cause positive results in workplace drug testing. Many pain medications contain opiates and use of such medication leads to false positive opiate tests. Marinol is synthetic marijuana which is metabolized in the same way as marijuana and can cause positive marijuana results in workplace drug testing.
Fecal microbiome in epidemiologic studies-letter

We congratulate Sinha and colleagues on their recent report ([1][1]) comparing fecal sample collection methods for epidemiologic studies of the gut microbiome. These data contribute to the increasing body of literature describing robust methodologic frameworks for specimen collection and processing
Michelangelo as Apelles: Variations on a Tale by Pliny In Memoriam: Andrew Ladis

The effect of Apelles's literary image on the telling of events in an artist's life is nowhere better illustrated than in the Vite dei pittori antichi (Florence, 1667) by Carlo Roberto Dati. Specifically, in his commentary on Pliny's famous tale (Natural History, 35.81–83) about a contest between Apelles and one of his rivals, Protogenes, Dati repeats two closely related stories about Michelangelo, each of which implies his likeness to Apelles. One of those stories also demonstrates the importance of another literary tradition for shaping an artist's image, the beffe or comical stories told by Giovanni Boccaccio, Matteo Bandello and others. The combination of classical and burlesque elements in a single tale influenced subsequent authors, who also told stories that are structurally similar to both Pliny's tale of Apelles and Protogenes and Dati's comic anecdote about Michelangelo.
THE FITNESS CONSEQUENCES OF MULTIPLE-LOCUS HETEROZYGOSITY UNDER THE MULTIPLICATIVE OVERDOMINANCE AND INBREEDING DEPRESSION MODELS.

There is a growing body of literature suggesting that the fitness of an individual increases with the observed number of heterozygous loci. Broad theoretical considerations indicate that under various sorts of balancing selection, this is what one should generally expect in a population of multiple-locus genotypes. To date, however, it has not been possible to distinguish between two potential explanations of the phenomenon. The first explanation is that the loci examined are themselves responsible for the fitness differences observed (or, equivalently, are very closely linked to those that do). The genetic variation in question is thought to be maintained in polymorphic equilibrium by some form of balancing selection. The second explanation assumes that the observed loci are themselves selectively irrelevant but that their heterozygosity reflects that of the total genome. Genomic heterozygosity is thought to be predictive of fitness, being an obverse measure of generalized inbreeding depression. We provide a formal derivation of an explicit relationship between fitness and multiple-locus genotype for a simple form of the first explanation, the mul- tiplicative overdominance model. The inbreeding depression model is a degenerate special case of this more general formulation. A formal estimation and testing framework is constructed that should facilitate evaluation of the two models with empiric data on heterozygosity and fitness.
Problem-Solving Skills of Maintenance Trainees in Diagnosing Faults in Simulated Powerplants

Eighty-six maintenance trainees in an FAA certificate program participated in two experimental studies of context-free and context-specific problem solving skills. The context-free training method ...
Photoelectric Pendulum Telecoordinometer for Dam Safty Monitoring

A large-scale photoelectric pendulum telecoordinometer without lens is designed.Its principles,circuits and process are introduced.The reliability and stability of the coordinate measuring instrument are proved by the tests.By using linear point light sources without lens to provide illumination the problems of the lens mold under wet conditionsand the current worldwide instruments with measuring scale less than 50 mm are solved.The light sources are simple to be arranged and easy to be realized,and an increase of heating equipment is more suitable for its application in wet environment such as dams.Furthermore,the instrument has the features of stable working,on-site observation and so on.The measuring scale of new type photoelectric pendulum telecoordinometer is 100 mm.
Preventing Ventilator-Associated Lung Injury: A Perioperative Perspective

Introduction: Research into the prevention of ventilator-associated lung injury (VALI) in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in the intensive care unit (ICU) has resulted in the development of a number of “lung protective strategies,” which have become commonplace in the treatment of critically ill patients. An increasing number of studies have applied lung protective ventilation in the operating room to otherwise healthy individuals. We review the history of lung protective strategies in patients with acute respiratory failure and explore their use patients undergoing mechanical ventilation during general anesthesia to provide context for a discussion of the benefits and drawbacks, as well as inform future areas of inquiry. Methods: We completed a database search and reviewed articles investigating lung protective ventilation in both the ICU and in patients receiving general anesthesia through May 2015. Results: Lung protective ventilation was associated with improved outcomes in patients with acute respiratory failure in the ICU. Clinical evidence is less clear regarding lung protective ventilation for patients undergoing surgery. Conclusion: Lung protective ventilation strategies including low tidal volume ventilation and moderate positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) are well established therapies to minimize lung injury in critically ill patients with and without lung disease, and may provide benefit to patients undergoing general anesthesia.
Technician, friend, detective, and healer: family physicians' responses to emotional distress.

OBJECTIVE We sought to develop a typology of physicians' responses to patients' expressed mental health needs to better understand the gap between idealized practice and actual care for emotional distress and mental health problems. STUDY DESIGN We used a multimethod comparative case study design of 18 family practices that included detailed descriptive field notes from direct observation of 1637 outpatient visits. An immersion/crystallization approach was used to explore physicians' responses to emotional distress and apparent mental health issues. POPULATION A total of 379 outpatient encounters were reviewed from a purposeful sample of 13 family physicians from the 57 clinicians observed. OUTCOMES MEASURED Descriptive field notes of outpatient visits were examined for emotional content and physicians' responses to emotional distress. RESULTS Analyses revealed a 3-phase process by which physicians responded to emotional distress: recognition, triage, and management. The analyses also uncovered a 4-quadrant typology of management based on the physician's philosophy (biomedical vs holistic) and skill level (basic vs more advanced). CONCLUSIONS Physicians appear to manage mental health issues by using 1 of 4 approaches based on their philosophy and core set of skills. Physician education and practice improvement should be tailored to build on physicians' natural philosophical proclivity and psychosocial skills.
532 nm Laser Enucleation/Resection Techniques

532 nm laser prostatectomy has established safety and efficacy in the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia. Some limitations of the 532 nm laser have been its speed of vaporization compared to traditional loop resection. This has led to the evolution of laser enucleation and vaporization which allow for theoretical faster resection as well as tissue available for pathology. The focus of this chapter is the 532 nm laser for enucleation. We describe safety, efficacy, and surgical technique.
Dry Processing for Fabrication of VLSI Devices

Publisher Summary The process of changing a flat silicon wafer into a functioning electron device makes use of several different structure-forming techniques. The more commonly recognized are: chemical conversion of silicon into silicon oxide; film deposition by evaporation, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma-activated CVD, and mechanical processes such as spinning and spraying; diffusion; ion implantation; pulsed annealing; and selective removal of material by etching or lift-off. Except for mechanical deposition, which frequently involves the use of solvents, and selective removal processes, for which liquids are also required, most of the processes may be classified as dry. The use of dry etch techniques has already become commonplace at some stages in the manufacture of state of the art integrated circuits and it is generally believed that the successful approach to the manufacture of micrometer and submicrometer devices will have to make extensive use of dry etching.
Divergent thinking in a neurodynamical model of ideation

Divergent thinking refers to a style of thinking that ranges across a broad range of concepts, and is considered to be a core enabler of creativity. Thinking is often modeled as a process of conceptual combination, and creative ideas are seen as those using unconventional combinations of concepts. Since conceptual combination is fundamentally an associative process, it has been proposed that creative thinking reflects stronger than expected associations between normally remote associates in the mind of the thinker. We recently proposed a neurodynamical model called Itinerant Dynamics with Emergent Attractors (IDEA) to explore the process by which ideas can emerge in an associative memory system through conceptual combination. In this paper we study how the functional dynamics of this model changes when its associative weights are changed to make remote associations stronger. We apply the model to data from four sets of papers from previous IJCNN meetings. In addition to identifying the differences in the dynamics due to changes in the association pattern, we consider whether divergent thinking can potentially predict future ideas or reconstruct past ideas.
Fluoride and cyanide anion sensing by an Sb(V)-substituted cyclometalated Ru polypyridyl complex

Abstract Two cyclometalated ruthenium polypyridyl complexes bearing novel Sb(III)- and Sb(V)-substituted phenylpyridine ligands have been synthesized and their photophysical and electrochemical properties studied. The influence of a strongly electron-withdrawing and Lewis acidic Sb(V) substituent on the cyclometalating ligand resulted in marked changes in the absorption spectrum and electrochemical profile of the complex. These effects have been utilized as a strategy for anion sensing, in which coordination of fluoride or cyanide anions at the Sb(V) substituent can be observed both spectroscopically and electrochemically.
Utility of endometrial sampling in the detection of uterine sarcomas

20527 Objective: Uterine sarcomas are aggressive tumors that are often not recognized prior to surgical exploration. The goal of this study was to determine the utility of endometrial sampling in t...
Assessing Ecological Constructs and Community Context

From its earliest beginnings, “the reciprocal relationships between individuals and the social systems with which they interact” (Bennett, Anderson, Cooper, Hassol, Klein, & Rosenblum, 1966, p. 7)—the study of persons in ecological context—has been a central theme for community psychology. Much of the thinking in this field has been predicated on the assumption that the behavior of individuals can be better understood when contextual factors are considered, a proposition well explicated by Lewin (1935) and Bronfenbrenner (1979, 1995), but translated into research and action in only limited ways. For at least 75 years ecological context has been silently recognized as an essential dimension for understanding human behavior, but most research in psychology has followed a strategy of studying individual variation with context held constant. descriptive understanding of patterns of relationship and the rules that determine those relationships
Downregulation of Bit1 expression promotes growth, anoikis resistance, and transformation of immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells via Erk activation-dependent suppression of E-cadherin.

The mitochondrial Bit1 protein exerts tumor-suppressive function in NSCLC through induction of anoikis and inhibition of EMT. Having this dual tumor suppressive effect, its downregulation in the established human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell line resulted in potentiation of tumorigenicity and metastasis in vivo. However, the exact role of Bit1 in regulating malignant growth and transformation of human lung epithelial cells, which are origin of most forms of human lung cancers, has not been examined. To this end, we have downregulated the endogenous Bit1 expression in the immortalized non-tumorigenic human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells. Knockdown of Bit1 enhanced the growth and anoikis insensitivity of BEAS-2B cells. In line with their acquired anoikis resistance, the Bit1 knockdown BEAS-2B cells exhibited enhanced anchorage-independent growth in vitro but failed to form tumors in vivo. The loss of Bit1-induced transformed phenotypes was in part attributable to the repression of E-cadherin expression since forced exogenous E-cadherin expression attenuated the malignant phenotypes of the Bit1 knockdown cells. Importantly, we show that the loss of Bit1 expression in BEAS-2B cells resulted in increased Erk activation, which functions upstream to promote TLE1-mediated transcriptional repression of E-cadherin. These collective findings indicate that loss of Bit1 expression contributes to the acquisition of malignant phenotype of human lung epithelial cells via Erk activation-induced suppression of E-cadherin expression.
The problems of poliovirus immunization.

The advantages of oral polio vaccine (OPV) over inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) are real, but unlike IPV, OPV can induce paralytic disease in a small proportion of vaccinees. Does this risk justify...
Exercise testing protocol using a roller system for manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury.

Objective: Determine the validity and reliability of an exercise testing protocol to evaluate cardiorespiratory measures in manual wheelchair users (MWUs) with spinal cord injury (SCI) using a roll...
Comparing clinical judgment with the MySurgeryRisk algorithm for preoperative risk assessment: A pilot usability study.

Abstract Background Major postoperative complications are associated with increased cost and mortality. The complexity of electronic health records overwhelms physicians’ abilities to use the information for optimal and timely preoperative risk assessment. We hypothesized that data-driven, predictive-risk algorithms implemented in an intelligent decision-support platform simplify and augment physicians’ risk assessments. Methods This prospective, nonrandomized pilot study of 20 physicians at a quaternary academic medical center compared the usability and accuracy of preoperative risk assessment between physicians and MySurgeryRisk, a validated, machine-learning algorithm, using a simulated workflow for the real-time, intelligent decision-support platform. We used area under the receiver operating characteristic curve to compare the accuracy of physicians’ risk assessment for six postoperative complications before and after interaction with the algorithm for 150 clinical cases. Results The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the MySurgeryRisk algorithm ranged between 0.73 and 0.85 and was significantly better than physicians' initial risk assessments (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve between 0.47 and 0.69) for all postoperative complications except cardiovascular. After interaction with the algorithm, the physicians significantly improved their risk assessment for acute kidney injury and for an intensive care unit admission greater than 48 hours, resulting in a net improvement of reclassification of 12% and 16%, respectively. Physicians rated the algorithm as easy to use and useful. Conclusion Implementation of a validated, MySurgeryRisk computational algorithm for real-time predictive analytics with data derived from the electronic health records to augment physicians’ decision-making is feasible and accepted by physicians. Early involvement of physicians as key stakeholders in both design and implementation of this technology will be crucial for its future success.
The Cultural-Cognitive Mapping of Scientific Professions:

Even with widespread interest, public perceptions of science remain understudied and poorly theorized by social scientists. A central issue has been the persistent assumption that publics require a...
FIXED POINT ITERATIONS USING INFINITE MATRICES

This chapter discusses fixed point iterations using infinite matrices. It presents an assumption as per which there is a normed linear space X ; C is a nonempty, closed, bounded and convex subset of X ; T : C → C is a mapping with at least one fixed point; and A is an infinite matrix. Given the iteration scheme x 0 = x 0 in C ; x n +1 = Tx n , n = 0, 1, 2 …, the chapter discusses the restriction on the matrix A that is necessary and/or sufficient to guarantee that the iteration scheme converges to a fixed point of T . Using these iteration schemes, results have been obtained for certain class of infinite matrices. This chapter presents the generalizations of several of these results. It presents a proof of a theorem for the solution of operator equations in a Banach space involving generalized contraction mappings and also presents a few results as corollaries.
A novel single-pulse search approach to detection of dispersed radio pulses using clustering and supervised machine learning

We present a novel two-stage approach which combines unsupervised and supervised machine learning to automatically identify and classify single pulses in radio pulsar search data. In the first stage, we identify astrophysical pulse candidates in the data, which were derived from the Pulsar Arecibo L-Band Feed Array (PALFA) survey and contain 47,042 independent beams, as trial single-pulse event groups (SPEGs) by clustering single-pulse events and merging clusters that fall within the expected DM and time span of astrophysical pulses. We also present a new peak scoring algorithm, to identify astrophysical peaks in S/N versus DM curves. Furthermore, we group SPEGs detected at a consistent DM for they were likely emitted by the same source. In the second stage, we create a fully labelled benchmark data set by selecting a subset of data with SPEGs identified (using stage 1 procedures), their features extracted and individual SPEGs manually labelled, and then train classifiers using supervised machine learning. Next, using the best trained classifier, we automatically classify unlabelled SPEGs identified in the full data set. To aid the examination of dim SPEGs, we develop an algorithm that searches for an underlying periodicity among grouped SPEGs. The results showed that RandomForest with SMOTE treatment was the best learner, with a recall of 95.6% and a false positive rate of 2.0%. In total, besides all 60 known pulsars from the benchmark data set, the model found 32 additional (i.e., not included in the benchmark data set) known pulsars, and several potential discoveries.
On critical value of the coupling constant in exterior elliptic problems

We consider exterior elliptic problems with coefficients stabilizing at infinity and study the critical value $\beta_{cr}$ of the coupling constant (the coefficient at the potential) that separates operators with a discrete spectrum and those without it. The dependence of $\beta_{cr}$ on the boundary condition and on the distance between the boundary and the support of the potential is described. The discrete spectrum of a non-symmetric operator with the FKW boundary condition (that appears in diffusion processes with traps) is also investigated.
Detection of protease and engineered phage-infected bacteria using peptide-graphene oxide nanosensors.

A peptide-graphene oxide nanosensor has been developed to detect tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease and bacteria infected with an engineered bacteriophage. In the detection strategy, a peptide (sequence: RKRFRENLYFQSCP) is tagged with fluorophores and graphene oxide (GO) is used to adsorb the peptides while quenching their fluorescence. In the presence of TEV protease, fluoropeptides are cleaved between glutamine (Q) and serine (S), resulting in the recovery of fluorescence signal. Based on the fluorescent intensity, the detection limit of TEV protease is 51 ng/μL. Additionally, we have utilized the sensing system to detect bacteria cells. Bacteriophages, which were engineered to carry TEV protease genes, were used to infect target bacteria (Escherichia coli) resulting in the translation and release of the protease. This allowed the estimation of bacteria at the concentration of 104 CFU/mL. This strategy has the potential to be developed as a multiplex detection platform of multiple bacterial species.
Legitimating Extremism: A Taxonomy of Justifications for Political Violence

Terrorism is an inherently communicative enterprise in that it attempts to convey messages using violent means. Furthermore, the effective use of rhetoric is fundamental to the sustainment of milit...
Using interactive technologies to influence guests’ unplanned dollar spending in hotels

Abstract While many interactive technologies have been deployed in recent years, their role in influencing consumers’ unplanned spending in hotels remains unknown. Using data from a nationwide sample of 841 hotel guests, this study empirically validated a conceptual model that explains consumers’ unplanned spending. Spending was found to be influenced by the degree of co-creation of value that consumers engage in, as well as the influence of marketing factors aimed at consumer spending via interactive technologies. Moreover, this study recognizes the influence of consumers’ need for interaction as a significant factor in the model. This study offers theoretical insight and practical suggestions that (1) recognize the importance of consumers’ co-creation of value using interactive technologies and especially, (2) offer insight into the way interactive technologies should be marketed by hotels.
Brood parasitism of a Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina) nest by a cuckoo (Coccyzus sp.) in Pennsylvania

Brood parasitism of Hooded Warblers (Setophaga citrina) by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) has been well documented, but brood parasitism of this host by other bird species has not been recorded. Hooded Warblers are known to abandon nests with parasitic eggs early in the egg-laying phase, but are not known to remove parasitic eggs from their nests or to replace these foreign eggs with their own. In June 2017, a Hooded Warbler nest in northeastern Pennsylvania was observed to contain a cuckoo (Coccyzus sp.) egg. Within a span of 6 days, the cuckoo egg was gone and a third Hooded Warbler egg was observed in its place.
The Arm's Length Standard Is Not the Problem

The historical approach to taxing intrafirm transactions of multinational enterprises — the arm’s-length standard (ALS) — has been criticized as unworkable, out of date and on death’s door. Criticisms of the ALS fall into two broad categories. First are concerns that MNEs have been deliberately engaging in abusive transfer pricing that is extensive, unfair and draining development. Second is that the transfer pricing rules are too difficult to implement for various reasons, of which the two most important reasons are the lack of arm’s-length comparables (e.g., for hard-to-value intangibles) and that MNE have synergies not available to unrelated parties. As a result, many academics and policy makers advocate getting rid of the ALS and shifting to global formulary apportionment (GFA). Even the OECD, long a supporter of the ALS and opponent of GFA, now includes fractional apportionment as a possible method for attributing income among countries under its Pillar 1 proposals for taxing the digital economy. My views are different. My preferred policy response to the income shifting problem is two-fold. First, I believe that many of the criticisms of the arm’s-length standard in terms of abusive transfer pricing are misdirected; the criticisms should be more appropriately aimed at weak international tax rules that need to be fixed. The OECD’s BEPS project goes a long way to correcting many of the inconsistencies and loopholes in the international tax system. As the BEPS Action Items are adopted at the country level and diffused across countries through the Multilateral Instrument, many of the most egregious incentives for income shifting should disappear. Second, I believe that the arm’s-length standard remains the appropriate international norm for taxing MNEs. New thinking, particularly for the digital business models that are now starting to dominate international production, is probably needed. Fine tuning the ALS for the 21st century is the appropriate solution. My conclusion: The arm’s-length standard is not the problem. Don’t shoot the messenger!
Electronic structure and dynamics analysis of the Cu-Ag binary alloy by a tight-binding parametrization

Abstract Applying the Naval Research Lab tight-binding method, we have developed parameter sets for the Cu-Ag noble metal binary system. The tight-binding Hamiltonians are determined from a fit that has a non-orthogonal basis and reproduces the electronic structure and total energy values of first-principles linearized augmented plane wave calculations. The parameters were fit to the structures B 2 , L 1 0 , L 1 2 ( X 3 Y and Y 3 X ) with the X and Y representing the different combinations of the Cu and Ag in addition to the fcc Cu and Ag. The method reproduced the first-principles ordering of these structures and found the ground-state structure of the system to be the L 1 2 ( Cu 3 Ag ). As an output of this approach, the following quantities were reproduced in good agreement with available experimental and theoretical values: elastic constants, densities of electronic states as well as the total energies of additional crystal structures that were not included in the original first-principles database. We used this TB parametrization to successfully perform molecular dynamics simulations and determined the energies for vacancy formation. Temperature dependence of the coefficient of thermal expansion, the mean squared displacement and phonon spectra for the system were also calculated. In addition we show that these TB parameters work for determining binding energies and bond lengths of Cu-Ag fcc-like clusters.
A case of chemotherapy-induced coronary vasospasm in a patient with colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer kills nearly 700,000 people each year worldwide. The use of chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of colorectal cancer has broadened considerably over the past few decades. The cardiovascular care of patients being treated with these agents has received increasing attention over recent years due to the known cardiovascular toxicities associated with certain treatment regimens, but there may still be unidentified cardiovascular toxicities. Here we present a case of a patient with colorectal cancer without any modifiable cardiovascular risk factors who experienced coronary vasospasm shortly after initiation of therapy with 5-flourouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin with bevacizumab, despite having previously tolerated boluses of 5-flourouracil alone without incident. Coronary vasospasm attributed to this combination of chemotherapy has never before been reported. Additionally, our case and other available literature demonstrate the efficacy of dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker therapy in treatment of vasospasm induced by chemotherapeutic agents. .
Open partial nephrectomy with kidney split: Effective surgical approach to resect completely endophytic tumors.

Abstract Objectives To review perioperative, renal functional, and oncological outcomes of the kidney split technique in performing partial nephrectomy (PN) to resect completely endophytic renal tumors. Methods All consecutive patients who underwent open PN with kidney split between 2015 and 2019 at our institution were included. In this approach the kidney is incised along Brodel's line in an avascular plane to locate and then resect the endophytic tumor. Clinicopathologic data, perioperative metrics, complications, renal function, recurrence, and mortality were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Forty-two open PN with kidney split were performed in 40 patients. No patients required conversion to radical nephrectomy. Most tumors were pT1a renal cell carcinoma (76%), with no recurrences or deaths after a median follow-up of 15 months. All patients had tumors of moderate or high complexity by R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score. Median cold ischemia time, operative time, estimated blood loss, and inpatient length-of-stay were 34 minutes, 152 minutes, 225 ml, and 2 days, respectively. No patients experienced any Clavien-Dindo grade 4 or 5 complications. Postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at last follow-up was >30 ml/min/1.73m2 in all but one patient, and no patients required dialysis. Conclusions The kidney split represents an effective PN technique to resect complex, endophytic renal tumors. In our experience, this technique affords acceptable perioperative outcomes, preserved renal function, and no short-term recurrences or mortality events. Our series highlights the importance of adapting classical surgical techniques, using cold ischemia, and relying on preoperative and intraoperative ultrasonography to effectively guide this complex kidney-sparing operation.
Implementation of measures to improve blood collection center employee safety and reduce callouts during the 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Blood collection center (BCC) employees are essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The employee callout rate, defined as the percentage of scheduled employees unable to report to work for any cause including COVID-19 illness or asymptomatic quarantine, was tracked to determine the impact of safety measures including social distancing, masks, enhanced disinfection protocols, and temperature screening. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A contact tracing and quarantine program was implemented for all employees, followed by additional safety measures including social distancing, masks, enhanced disinfection protocols, and temperature screening. The weekly callout rate was tracked nationally for 19,517 BCC employees over 9 months, from March to December 2020. RESULTS: Weekly employee callout rates increased after implementation of the contact tracing program due to asymptomatic employees placed into COVID-19-related quarantine. Mobile collections callouts increased by nearly fivefold the pre-pandemic baseline within the first 4 weeks, peaking at 9.7% in early April. Peaks for fixed site collections (5.0%) and manufacturing (6.7%) occurred nearly simultaneously. Shortly after implementation of all safety measures, the weekly callout rate declined for all three employee groups and has remained relatively stable with a mean callout rate of 4.3% for mobile collections, 2.4% for fixed site collections, and 3.7% for manufacturing despite further increase in new COVID-19 cases in the United States. CONCLUSION: Callouts for BCC employees during the COVID-19 pandemic initially increased, but subsequently declined and stabilized after implementation of safety measures. Since multiple interventions were implemented simultaneously, it is not possible to determine the individual impact of each measure on callout rate.
Changing Perceptions of the Role of Food Assistance Programs in the Development and Prevention of Obesity in Lima, Peru

Objectives The purpose of this study is to assess the perceived role of food assistance programs (FAPs) in the development and prevention of overweight/obesity (OW/OB) in two low-income districts of Lima, Peru and analyze how these perceptions have changed across time.
Secure Mobile Learning

Abstract The widespread adoption and employment of hand-held devices is a well-known and academically acknowledged fact as digital pervasiveness and hardware availability has triggered off this massive and convenient trend of accessing and consuming online resources and services from anywhere at any time. In this paper we argue that five areas in the mobile learning platform and the computer networks that support the processes and environments, require particular attention and proper training of the people involved to ensure the soundness of all the security methods and best practices are maintained, along with continual maintenance and updating of systems and procedures in each of these five categories. The paper closes with numerous recommendations regarding security in a mobile learning environment.
Development of the Proposed 13 Entrustable Professional Activities for Physician Assistant Graduates.

ABSTRACT Competency-based training has not consistently produced medical professionals who are ready to practice. To address this situation, entrustable professional activities (EPAs) have been introduced as a means to assess medical trainee readiness for their next phase of training or practice. Thirteen EPAs were developed by the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) Presidents Commission in 2016 to indicate what activities they thought future physician assistant (PA) students should be expected to perform at the completion of their PA education. The 13 EPAs as proposed by the PAEA Presidents Commission were adopted by the Mayo Clinic PA program and further developed through multiple steps, including (1) Discovery and Alignment; (2) EPA Development; (3) Curriculum Development; (4) Assessment and Rubric Development, and (5) Implementation.
Pathology of Fibrocystic Diseases of the Liver

Fibrocystic liver diseases may occur in isolation or present as autosomal dominant or recessive polycystic disease. Abnormal embryologic development of the ductal plates is thought to be the common underlying cause of this diverse group of hepatic and biliary tract lesions. They also share common histopathological features including intrahepatic bile ductal dilatation and hepatic fibrosis of various degrees. These lesions can be clinically silent or lead to clinically obvious symptoms and signs. The pathology of these lesions is discussed in this chapter.
Model revision: a theory of incremental model learning

We describe an adaptive method for qualitative modeling of physical devices in which the behaviors of a device are acquired by locally revising the structure-behavior model of a structurally similar device. The structure-behavior model of the known device explicitly represents its structure, its output behaviors, and its internal causal behaviors that specify how its structure produces its output behaviors. The model is revised by model-revision plans, where each plan accommodates a specific type of structural difference between the new and the known devices. The process of model revision is focused by the knowledge of the internal causal behaviors of the known device. The revised structure-behavior model for the new device is stored in a model memory for potential reuse in future. We call this incremental model learning.
Abstract NS22: Stroke Length of Stay: Life in the FAST Lane

The length of stay for stroke (ischemic & hemorrhagic stroke DRGs combined) was 7.04 days in a major university teaching hospital, compared to the national average of 3-5 days. The purpose was to decrease length of stay (LOS) for the stroke patient population by implementing multidisciplinary LOS guidelines. Discharge planning starts with admission, and research shows a correlation between initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and discharge disposition. Patients with NIHSS = 0-5 most likely go home; 6-15 most likely go to a rehabilitation facility; and 16-42 most likely will go to a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) or Long Term Acute Care Facility (LTAC) (Schlegel et. al., 2004; Schlegel et al., 2003). We formed a multidisciplinary team, including nursing, social work (SW), care coordination (CC), medical hospitalists, neurologist, and physical medicine staff working specifically with the stroke patient population. Each discipline developed length of stay guidelines, depicting crucial points in the care of a stroke patient on a day-to-day basis (Wojner & Alexandrov, 2000). Each specialty was included in the teaching plan, and we held educational sessions for all disciplines, including 100+ members of the medical hospitalist team. Through this education, Nursing began communicating admission NIHSS in daily huddles. Palliative care screenings were included for patients with NIHSS >25. Speech Therapy (ST) recommendations for PEG tube placement were communicated daily, and physicians were notified directly. PT/OT/ST coordinated one discharge recommendation by day 2, with variances communicated immediately to the CC. For physicians, PEG scheduling was centralized since specific GI MDs were only available on certain days. Through implementation, our length of stay for all stroke patients went from 7.04 to 5.23 days. The LOS guidelines are now used to orient new team members from all disciplines.
The role of ISDN in data networking

The integrated services digital network (ISDN) offers on-demand switched end-to-end digital connectivity over the wide area, enabling the integration of both voice and data services over a common core network. This paper considers the role of ISDN in data networking, both as the core transport network and as a means of enhancing resilience in a mixed-technology data solution, complementing other data network technologies. The issues associated with data transport based on an ISDN solution are considered, and include security, bandwidth utilisation, scalability and the management of ISDN-attached devices. Optimising the use of ISDN networks for supporting the most prevalent routed and routeing protocols is also discussed.
Opiate- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor-induced hyperpolarizations of locus ceruleus neurons in brain slices: reversal by cyclic adenosine 3':5'- monophosphate analogues

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ionic and second messenger mechanisms underlying the hyperpolarizations induced by the selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist clonidine and the opiate agonist morphine in the locus ceruleus. Intracellular recordings were carried out in rat brain slices, and drugs at known concentrations were administered in the perfusate. The cyclic adenosine 3′:5′-monophosphate (cAMP) analogues 8-bromo-cAMP and dibutyryl cAMP, while not altering basal activity, reversed the hyperpolarizations induced by clonidine or morphine. In contrast, administration of the parent compound adenosine failed to affect these responses. These results are consistent with previous biochemical studies suggesting that alpha 2-adrenergic and opiate agonists might signal their actions by reducing intracellular cAMP levels. Under manual voltage clamp, both clonidine and morphine elicited outward currents. The algebraic sum of the individual currents elicited by morphine and clonidine significantly exceeded the actual current elicited by their co-administration. This nonadditivity, as well as the observation that cAMP analogues reverse the morphine- and clonidine-induced hyperpolarizations, suggests that these compounds hyperpolarize locus ceruleus neurons through a shared ionic mechanism the activation of which might be signaled by a decrease in intracellular cAMP.