cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Balancing CPU and network in the cell distributed B-tree store

In traditional client-server designs, all requests are processed at the server storing the state, thereby maintaining strict locality between computation and state. The adoption of RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) makes it practical to relax locality by letting clients fetch server state and process requests themselves. Such client-side processing improves performance when the server CPU, instead of the network, is the bottleneck. We observe that combining server-side and client-side processing allows systems to balance and adapt to the available CPU and network resources with minimal configuration, and can free resources for other CPU-intensive work. We present Cell, a distributed B-tree store that combines client-side and server-side processing. Cell distributes a global B-tree of "fat" (64MB) nodes across machines for server-side searches. Within each fat node, Cell organizes keys as a local B-tree of RDMA-friendly small nodes for client-side searches. Cell clients dynamically select whether to use client-side or server-side processing in response to available resources and the current workload. Our evaluation on a large RDMA-capable cluster show that Cell scales well and that its dynamic selector effectively responds to resource availability and workload properties.
Is Neckajatia an Ancestor of the Platycope Ostracodes

Neckajatia Schallreuter, 1974 and a closely related genus are known from a complex of at least four species from the Silurian of Gotland, Great Britain (where the related genus has been recorded as species of Primitid ), Podolia and the eastern Baltic states of the U. S. S. R. The oldest of these species, N. modesta Neckaja, 1958, occurs in rocks older than the rocks which yield the oldest true platycopes which are from the upper Llandoverian of Gotland and Estonia. Neckajatia and the related genus possess characters which are basic to the definition of the platycope ostracodes, but lack others which are equally fundamental to that definition. The combination of characters, which is a) right-over-left overlap, b) a contact groove along all or most of the free margin of the right valve, c) a relatively long straight hinge with a groove in the right valve hinge, d) poorly-developed straguloid processes, but e) the absence of any well-defined dimorphic characters, suggests Neckajatia and related forms are a primitive stock from which the platycopes evolved. It is suggested that this occurred through reduction of the straight hinge, improvement of the contact groove (holoselenic groove) in the right valve and introduction of a distinctive domiciliar dimorphism. Present knowledge indicates that this occurred during the Llandoverian.
Perioperative blood transfusion in radical cystectomy: Analysis of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database

OBJECTIVES To determine whether perioperative blood transfusion is associated with worse 30-day postoperative outcomes in radical cystectomy patients. METHODS Utilizing the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, we identified 2934 patients diagnosed with bladder cancer (International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision codes 188-188.9) who underwent radical cystectomy (Current Procedure Terminology codes 51570, 51575, 51580, 51585, 51590, 51595, 51596) between 2005 and 2013. Patients were stratified by transfusion status and assessed based on four composite postoperative outcomes: morbidity, surgical site infection, mortality and readmission. Multivariate regression models were used to determine significant independent predictors of the composite outcomes. RESULTS Overall, 40.1% of patients received a transfusion, and there were significant differences in baseline variables such as age, sex, body mass index, smoking history and comorbidities. Transfusion was associated with increased morbidity, surgical site infection, readmission, operative time and length of stay on unadjusted analyses. On multivariate regression, transfusion was associated with increased morbidity (OR 1.361, 95% CI 1.131-1.638) and surgical site infection (OR 1.371, 95% CI 1.070-1.757). CONCLUSIONS Perioperative blood transfusion is associated with increased risk of postoperative infection and morbidity. Previous work in this area has focused on negative long-term oncological outcomes, but this is the first study to examine short-term postoperative outcomes. Future research should focus on the immunosuppressive mechanism of perioperative blood transfusion and on restrictive transfusion guidelines for oncology patients.
United States and Australian fertility: Past, present and future

This paper compares U.S. and Australian fertility to generate greater interest among Australian economists and other social scientists in childbearing decisions and outcomes. U.S. and Australian fertility series are compared annually from the 1920s and alternative theoretical explanations for the observed patterns are discussed. Next, economic and socio-demographic statistics and empirical tests are presented for both countries, and the likely directions for U.S. and Australian rates over the remainder of the century are debated. Although the likelihood of low fertility rates over the remainder of the century appears quite high in both countries, the possibility of another baby boom cannot be readily-dismissed. Moreover, the possibility is at least as great in Australia as in the U.S.
Monte Carlo study of velocity overshoot in switching a 0.1-micron CMOS inverter

The role of steady-state and transient velocity overshoot in switching an unloaded 0.1-micron CMOS inverter is evaluated for the first time using Monte Carlo device simulation. Our results indicate switching times decrease by /spl sim/1 psec for MC versus DD modeling. Unfortunately, no evidence is found that transient velocity overshoot contributes to this decrease in switching times.
Photoacoustic Imaging of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Labeled with Prussian Blue-Poly(l-lysine) Nanocomplexes

Acoustic imaging is affordable and accessible without ionizing radiation. Photoacoustic imaging increases the contrast of traditional ultrasound and can offer good spatial resolution when used at high frequencies with excellent temporal resolution. Prussian blue nanoparticles (PBNPs) are an emerging photoacoustic contrast agent with strong optical absorption in the near-infrared region. In this study, we developed a simple and efficient method to label human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) with PBNPs and imaged them with photoacoustic imaging. First, PBNPs were synthesized by the reaction of FeCl3 with K4[Fe(CN)6] in the presence of citric acid and complexed with the cationic transfection agent poly-l-lysine (PLL). The PLL-coated PBNPs (PB–PLL nanocomplexes) have a maximum absorption peak at 715 nm and could efficiently label hMSCs. Cellular uptake of these nanocomplexes was studied using bright field, fluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy. The labeled stem cells were successfully differentiat...
Skull Base Trauma: Clinical Considerations in Evaluation and Diagnosis and Review of Management Techniques and Surgical Approaches

Traumatic injuries to the skull base can involve critical neurovascular structures and present with symptoms and signs that must be recognized by physicians tasked with management of trauma patients. This article provides a review of skull base anatomy and outlines demographic features in skull base trauma. The manifestations of various skull base injuries, including CSF leaks, facial paralysis, anosmia, and cranial nerve injury, are discussed, as are appropriate diagnostic and radiographic testing in patients with such injuries. While conservative management is sometimes appropriate in skull base trauma, surgical access to the skull base for reconstruction of traumatic injuries may be required. A variety of specific surgical approaches to the anterior cranial fossa are discussed, including the classic anterior craniofacial approach as well as less invasive and newer endoscope-assisted approaches to the traumatized skull base.
Upper-Extremity Venous Duplex Evaluation:

As many as 80% of upper-extremity venous thrombosis cases develop in response to an easily identified problem, such as central venous catheter. The remaining 20% of obstructions are caused by other central venous obstruction, trauma, or Paget-Schroetter syndrome. Appropriate clinical indications for upper-extremity venous duplex evaluation include (but are not limited to) unilateral upper-extremity swelling in the presence of indwelling central venous catheter, upper-extremity erythema and tenderness, superficial palpable cord, or facial swelling. Physical examination and thorough patient history compliment the duplex findings to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. The most effective way to determine the presence or absence of thrombosis is with vein wall compressions. However, most of the upper-extremity central vein segments are located beneath bony structures, which prevent extrinsic compression with transducer pressure. Therefore, the spectral Doppler waveform analysis component of the duplex exam become...
THE ORIGINAL ARABS: THE INVENTION OF THE “BEDOUIN RACE” IN OTTOMAN PALESTINE

This article examines the symbiotic relationship between race and empire in British ethnographic discourse on the Arabs of Palestine. Drawing on the works of British explorers in late Ottoman Palestine, I show how native Palestinian Bedouin came to be viewed as a separate race within a hierarchy of Arab races, and how within this racial reconfiguration the Bedouin embodied not only an ideal model of racial purity, but also a racial archetype on which Arabness itself was measured, codified, and reproduced.
Instruments of Accommodation: The Military Chaplaincy and the Constitution

This essay addresses the proliferation of constitutional issues involving the military chaplaincy. The authors query how the chaplaincy is consistent with the Establishment Clause of the Constitution's First Amendment and note that the answer generally derives from one or more of the following paradigms: (1) Establishment Clause history; (2) Public funding of religion; or (3) Governmental display of religious messages. They suggest that an adequate approach for Establishment Clause analysis of the military chaplaincy requires a different framework. To that end, Part I of this essay describes Katcoff v. Marsh, the most important decision on the constitutionality of the military chaplaincy. Part II turns to the contention that constitutional inquiry into the military chaplaincy should begin from the basic insight that the military chaplaincy exists for the primary purpose of accommodating the religious needs of military personnel. Thus, the chaplaincy bears a family resemblance to other types of religious accommodations, such as exemptions for religious entities from regulation of employment or land use, protections for religious exercises of prisoners or employees, and arrangements for the religious instruction of public school students. The Supreme Court has considered Establishment Clause challenges to a variety of religious accommodations and, despite the prevailing general sense of disorder in the universe of Religion Clause jurisprudence, the Court's accommodation decisions represent a surprisingly coherent model. These decisions suggest that religious accommodations must satisfy four, linked constitutional norms. First, is the accommodation a reasonable effort to relieve a government-imposed burden on religious practice? Second, do beneficiaries of the accommodation participate voluntarily? Third, is the accommodation available on a denominationally-neutral basis? Fourth, does the accommodation impose significant material burdens on third parties? In Parts III and IV, the authors apply those criteria to constitutional challenges affecting the military chaplaincy. Part III deals with constitutional challenges to the chaplaincy as a whole. The authors suggest that the institution of the chaplaincy itself should survive challenge, although specific practices of the institution have less certain constitutional footings. Part IV turns to particular challenges, such as the services' policies for hiring, promotion, and retention of chaplains. The authors also examine the services' regulation of particular aspects of chaplains' ministry, including the conduct of worship, prayer at official functions, and pastoral care. The authors attempt to show how the Establishment Clause standards for religious accommodations should guide the relevant inquiry and judgments and assert that consistent application of these standards will intelligently clarify and wisely resolve the current and heated controversies surrounding the military chaplaincy.
Teachable moments for promoting smoking cessation: the context of cancer care and survivorship.

BackgroundThere has been a call for comprehensive cancer care that gives greater consideration to changing lifestyle risk factors such as smoking to improve prognosis and long-term health. Cancer d...
LOGO as an information prosthetic for communication and control

When used with physically handicapped and learning disabled children, computer-based LOGO activities can serve diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, as well as provide insights into theories of knowledge representation and cognitive functioning in general. The impact of LOGO flows from the active role taken by the students in initiating and controlling their activities; from the specifically spatial geometric emphasis of these activities: from the ready availability of problem-solution paths for scrutiny by the. student and by the teacher, and from the prosthetic value of the computer in providing a means for the expression of otherwise trapped intelligence in this population.
CONTENT AND SCOPE OF GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN STATISTICS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the content and scope of graduate programs in statistics, with emphasis on Mann–Whitney test in statistics. Mann–Whitney test was developed to fulfill a need to analyze ordinal data from applications in biology and from a need to answer substantive questions of importance. Mann–Whitney test is appropriate for the data at hand, namely, differences and sums of possibly highly skewed variables, from crossover experiments. The null hypothesis of equal distribution that it tests describes bioequivalence well. Thus, the range of application of this test continues to grow. An emphasis on applications is important not only in the development of statistical procedures but also in graduate programs in statistics, particularly graduate programs with an applied context such as the health context. There is variability in biological, medical, and social phenomena; this variability often follows stable, reproducible, and predictable patterns that can be modeled mathematically. This can be emphasized in basic courses, both for majors and nonmajors, through sampling experiments and through presentation of data from realistic and important investigations.
Experimental sympatry reveals geographic variation in floral isolation by hawkmoths

Background and Aims Under a widely accepted model of pollinator-driven speciation, geographic variation in pollinator assemblage drives floral divergence and automatically causes reproductive isolation. Yet it is unclear whether divergent floral adaptation initially confers strong reproductive isolation, or whether that comes at later stages of speciation and requires other forms of reproductive isolation. This study uses a pair of recently diverged, interfertile and parapatric species in the genus Clarkia to determine whether adaptation to hawkmoths, a novel pollinator functional group, would automatically confer floral isolation upon sympatric contact. Methods First, genetically based differences in floral traits between C. breweri and C. concinna that would be maintained upon migration are quantified. Then scenarios of experimental sympatry are constructed in which arrays of flowers are exposed to the novel pollinator, the hawkmoth Hyles lineata, and pollinator preference and heterospecific pollen transfer are assessed. Source populations from across the ranges of each species are used to understand how geographic variation in floral traits within species may affect floral isolation. Key Results Although H. lineata has never been observed visiting C. concinna in the wild, it regularly moves between species in experimental floral arrays. Hawkmoth preference and heterospecific pollen transfer vary both among moths and among geographic source locations of C. concinna. The strength of floral isolation in this system is related to variation in flower size, especially hypanthium tube width, and nectar reward among C. concinna forms. Conclusions Although C. breweri has adopted a novel hawkmoth pollination system, both ethological and mechanical floral isolation by hawkmoths are incomplete and vary according to the specific phenotype of the C. concinna source population. The results suggest that strong floral isolation is not automatically conferred by a pollinator shift and may require additional evolution of deterrent floral traits and habitat isolation that reduces the immediate spatial co-occurrence of young species.
The Mark of a Food Allergy Label: School Accommodation Policy and Bullying

ABSTRACTThis study examines the extent to which specific school accommodation policies relate to bullying victimization among children with food allergies using a labeling framework. Data were coll...
Abandonment, Religion, and Male Melancholia: A Psychoanalytic Study of Archpriest Avvakum's Religious Autobiography

The present study is a psychoanalytic reading of Archpriest Avvakum's autobiography and takes its cue from some observations made by Russian and Ukrainian historian Edward Keenan, who offered a tentative diagnosis of manic-depression to describe Avvakum's personality. In my view, Donald Capps's analysis of “religious male melancholia” supports Keenan's observations, and I argue that Avvakum carried his childhood experiences and conflicts over into his later religious life. His religious life manifested a series of transferences and displacements, with Mary the Mother of God, God the Father, and the Church functioning as his loving or positive relationships with his family; and Patriarch Nikon and his followers embodying everything he feared and resented about his own childhood—change and abandonment.
Highly Stereoselective and Catalytic Desulfitative C-O and C-I Dienylation with Sulfolenes: the Importance of Basic Additives.

Abstract Conjugated dienes and polyenes are central structural motifs of natural products, and key synthetic intermediates in organic synthesis and materials science. We describe herein a palladium-catalyzed dienylation of aryl, heteroaryl, and vinyl triflates, nonaflates and iodides that were previously identified as recalcitrant substrates for the sulfolene-mediated catalytic dienylation. The method has now been successfully expanded to C O and C I dienylation, demonstrating broad scope with respect to sulfonates, iodides and sulfolenes. The reactions proceed with high regio- and stereoselectivity, and efficiency that are strongly influenced by basic additives, whose influence on the reaction performance was systematically studied.
Improving quarantine risk communication: Understanding public risk perceptions

Maintaining the health and wealth of Australia depends vitally on protecting the nation's environmental and cultural treasures while capitalizing on the opportunities presented by new technologies and products. Achieving a balance between protection and progression, however, is influenced considerably by prevailing perceptions of the risks associated with imported commodities. A persistent community view is that a "no risk" quarantine policy is a viable option. In contrast, import risk analysts view the expectation of a "no risk" policy as untenable, given that Australia is a major agricultural trading nation and has international obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization and a signatory to the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade.Biosecurity Australia, a group within the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry Australia (AFFA), recognizes that public consultation and communication must be an essential part of the import risk analysis process if the community is to share the ownership and responsibility of effective quarantine policies. However, efforts to improve public participation so far have paid little attention to understanding what deter- mines public perceptions of import risks and what methods will effectively engage the public in meaningful dialogue about their expectations and responsibilities.
Renegotiating a Timber Commodity Chain: Lessons from Indonesia on the Political Construction of Global Commodity Chains

This paper shows how political strategies and negotiations influence the construction of the market linkages that form global commodity chains. It provides an account of how an oligopoly of timber-producing firms in the peripheral nation of Indonesia came to dominate the production and export of processed tropical plywood from 1985 to 1998. The oligopoly forged alliances with the state to gain domestic control over producers of the raw material and negotiated an external alliance with Japanese importers to penetrate that core market. Exposing processes of political influence can enrich global commodity chain analysis of market processes in the global political economy.
Outdoor dissolution of detonation residues of three insensitive munitions (IM) formulations

Abstract We seek to understand the environmental fate of three new insensitive munitions, explosive formulations developed to reduce the incidence of unintended detonations. To this end, we measured the size distribution of residues from low order detonations of IMX 101, IMX 104, and PAX 21-filled munitions and are studying how these three formulations weather and dissolve outdoors. The largest pieces collected from the detonations were centimeter-sized and we studied 12 of these in the outdoors test. We found that the particles break easily and that the dissolution of 2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN) is quasi-linear as a function of water volume. DNAN is the matrix and the least soluble major constituent of the three formulations. We used DNAN’s linear dissolution rate to estimate the life span of the pieces. Particles ranging in mass from 0.3 to 3.5 g will completely dissolve in 3–21 years given 100 cm y−1 precipitation rates.
Molecular Junctions Inspired by Nature: Electrical Conduction through Noncovalent Nanobelts

Charge transport occurs in a range of biomolecular systems, whose structures have covalent and noncovalent bonds. Understanding from these systems have yet to translate into molecular junction devi...
Examining consumer emotion and behavior in online reviews of hotels when expecting managerial response

Abstract This study finds that consumer emotion and the associated review behaviors for hotels differ depending on whether consumers expect online managerial responses (MRs). Among consumers expecting MRs, the extremely dissatisfied consumers reveal excessively negative emotions in their reviews/complaints to providers. For consumers with high ratings, only those praising a service provider express very positive or affirming emotions in reviews. The two categories of consumers—suggesting and criticizing consumers—have different review behaviors. We categorize attributes into excitement, frustration, or double-sided attributes depending on the positive, negative, or nonsignificant relationship between detailed descriptions and consumer emotion. Consumers who expect MRs will transform more double-sided attributes into frustration attributes. When consumers expect MRs, either strong positive or negative impressions of certain attributes cause consumers to focus on them in reviews. This tendency results in reduced linguistic diversity across comments and categorization of extreme positive or negative emotionality.
Stretched and Filtered Multigroup Pn Transport for Improved Positivity and Accuracy

One of the common methods for solving the radiation transport equation is to use a polynomial expansion for the angle variable(s). Recent research that reduces the oscillations and improves the pos...
Reaction to a Pandemic: Social Distancing and Driving Among Older Adults During COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has produced considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide, and older adults are at especially high risk for developing severe COVID-19. A cohort study of driving behavior from January 1, 2019, to April 25, 2019, and January 1, 2020, to April 25, 2020, was conducted. We hypothesized that older adults would reduce the number of days driving and number of trips/day they make after COVID-19 case acceleration. Data from 214 adults aged 66.5 to 92.8 years were used. Women comprised 47.6% of the sample and 15.4% were African American. Participants reduced the proportion of days driven during the pandemic (.673 vs. .382 [p < .001]) compared with same period the year before (.695 vs. .749). Trips/day showed a similar decline (p < .001). Participants also took shorter trips (p = .02), drove slower (p < .001), had fewer speeding incidents (p < .001), and had different trip destinations (p < .001). These results indicate that older adults reduce their driving behavior when faced with a pandemic.
Emerging on-chip surface acoustic wave technology for small biomaterials manipulation and characterization

A surface acoustic wave (SAW) is a sound wave travelling on the surface of an elastic material. SAW offers a robust control of the acoustic energy leading to an unparalleled versatility. As an actuator, SAW can exert acoustic forces on particles and fluids thus enabling dexterous micro/nanoscale manipulations. As a sensor, SAW has a unique sensing capability upon changes in the environment. On-chip SAW technology, in which SAW is integrated with modern lab-on-a-chip (LOC), has drawn a lot of attention in recent years and found various exciting applications in micro/nanosystems. In particular, its well-known biocompatibility provides on-chip SAW technology as an exceptional platform for biomaterials research at the small-scale. In this minireview, we highlighted recent advances of on-chip SAW technology for biomaterials manipulation and characterization with a focus on cell-based (e.g. single-cell and multicellular) biomaterials. We also discussed and shared our perspective on future directions for this emerging research field.
Anger rumination in the context of high anger and forgiveness

Abstract Psychological problems involving anger detract from personal well-being, and one cognitive process bearing on anger dysregulation is rumination. Rumination can affect anger's time course and create a mental space in which retaliation can be imagined and scripted. How variable anger rumination is among people who are prone to anger has not been previously addressed. Psychological distress variables pertinent to anger rumination have often not been controlled, and thoughts of revenge should be separately partitioned. We examined the variability of anger rumination in conjunction with high anger disposition, defined by two separate instruments. In high anger subsamples, we tested dispositional forgiveness as a mitigator of anger rumination, controlling for anxiety, depression, impulsivity, and perseverative thinking. Anger rumination varied greatly among those high in anger. Forgiveness, particularly of others, was significantly associated with anger rumination, controlling for the covariates. That significance remained, after removing “thoughts of revenge” from the anger rumination measure. We discuss further research directions and therapeutic intervention targets for anger rumination among people having anger control problems.
Optimal treatment regimes for competing risk data using doubly robust outcome weighted learning with bi-level variable selection.

Abstract The goal of the optimal treatment regime is maximizing treatment benefits via personalized treatment assignments based on the observed patient and treatment characteristics. Parametric regression-based outcome learning approaches require exploring complex interplay between the outcome and treatment assignments adjusting for the patient and treatment covariates, yet correctly specifying such relationships is challenging. Thus, a robust method against misspecified models is desirable in practice. Parsimonious models are also desired to pursue a concise interpretation and to avoid including spurious predictors of the outcome or treatment benefits. These issues have not been comprehensively addressed in the presence of competing risks. Recognizing that competing risks and group variables are frequently present, we propose a doubly robust estimation with adaptive L 1 penalties to select important variables at both group and within-group levels for competing risks data. The proposed method is applied to hematopoietic cell transplantation data to personalize the graft source choice for treatment-related mortality (TRM). While the existing medical literature attempts to find a uniform solution ignoring the heterogeneity of the graft source effects on TRM, the analysis results show the effect of the graft source on TRM could be different depending on the patient-specific characteristics.
Recruitment strategies for a pragmatic cluster randomized oral health trial in pediatric primary care settings.

Abstract Objectives To describe multilevel recruitment strategies for an ongoing clinical trial in pediatric primary care settings, and assess adoption and reach of these strategies via the RE-AIM framework. Methods This study is part of a larger pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial focused on the effectiveness of interventions on the practice, provider, and caregiver levels on dental utilization for Medicaid-enrolled 3–6 year old children. Pediatric practices were recruited according to the proportion of Medicaid-eligible children, geographic region, and County. In accordance with the RE-AIM framework, providers reached were those approached directly and consented, and those who participated in the intervention training adopted to deliver the intervention. Caregivers reached were those approached and consented at their child's well-child visit to participate in the trial. Results Recruitment goals were met over a 21 month period, with an overall enrollment of 18 practices, 62 providers, and 1024 caregivers-child dyads. The majority of practices enrolled were small, suburban, and located in an urban county. The participation rates among approached providers and caregivers was 93% and 84% respectively. Enablers for recruitment was the one-on-one interaction with the provider and caregivers. Barriers to recruitment for caregivers included no-shows and cancellations at well-child visits. Adoption of intervention among providers was high, and caregiver reached were representative of the eligible target population. Conclusions Active approaches to recruitment, such as utilizing opinion leaders, in-person recruitment, and building relationships with practice staff, can result in successful enrollment and imp lementation of a multi-level intervention in pediatric primary care settings.
Examining Wealth Trends in Kombewa, Kenya

This study examined wealth trends in a rural Kenyan community between 2011 and 2018. Understanding wealth trends is important for understanding health outcomes and overall well-being of vulnerable communities, and for informing economic and health policy that can improve specific wealth challenges. Information regarding household materials, assets, education, and mortality from 20,370 households in the Kombewa Health and Demographic Surveillance System was used. Three indices were developed and compared to quantify wealth: a principal component analysis of assets, a multiple correspondence analysis of assets, and the multidimensional poverty index. Wealth quintiles and levels of deprivation relating to socioeconomic status were then created and analyzed over time. Wealth measured by the asset-based indices, suggested an increase in wealth during the assessment period with the percentage of households in the wealthiest quintile increasing from 19 to 23%. The multidimensional poverty index, however, suggests no change in socioeconomic status over time. Among other factors, a lack of access to sanitation and improved water seems to be the main justification. Our results indicate that households are accumulating assets, but their increased accumulation is not translating to changes in living conditions known to improve health. Hence, while houses may be getting wealthier, they may not necessarily be getting healthier.
Spectral distribution of families of Hankel matrices

Abstract We compute the asymptotic distribution of the eigenvalues of a family of Hankel matrices. We also present some applications to centro-symmetric, skew-centro-symmetric and normal Hankel matrices and prove an extended version of a conjecture due to W. P. Angerer on the spectral distribution of band Hankel matrices.
Are State-Owned Enterprises Good Citizens in Environmental Governance? Evidence From the Control of Air Pollution in China:

As profit-seeking corporations, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have incentives to maximize profits from economic activities. However, subject to state ownership, SOEs are expected also to be more a...
Risk factors for severity of COVID-19 in hospital patients age 18-29 years.

Background Since February 2020, over 2.5 million Texans have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 20% are young adults at risk for SARS-CoV-2 exposure at work, academic, and social settings. This study investigated demographic and clinical risk factors for severe disease and readmission among young adults 18–29 years old, who were diagnosed at a hospital encounter in Houston, Texas, USA. Methods and findings A retrospective registry-based chart review was conducted investigating demographic and clinical risk factors for severe COVID-19 among patients aged 18–29 with positive SARS-CoV-2 tests within a large metropolitan healthcare system in Houston, Texas, USA. In the cohort of 1,853 young adult patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection at a hospital encounter, including 226 pregnant women, 1,438 (78%) scored 0 on the Charlson Comorbidity Index, and 833 (45%) were obese (≥30 kg/m2). Within 30 days of their diagnostic encounter, 316 (17%) patients were diagnosed with pneumonia, 148 (8%) received other severe disease diagnoses, and 268 (14%) returned to the hospital after being discharged home. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, increasing age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–1.2, p<0.001), male gender (aOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2–2.7, p = 0.002), Hispanic ethnicity (aOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2–3.1, p = 0.01), obesity (3.1, 95% CI 1.9–5.1, p<0.001), asthma history (aOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.3–4.0, p = 0.003), congestive heart failure (aOR 6.0, 95% CI 1.5–25.1, p = 0.01), cerebrovascular disease (aOR 4.9, 95% CI 1.7–14.7, p = 0.004), and diabetes (aOR 3.4, 95% CI 1.9–6.2, p<0.001) were predictive of severe disease diagnoses within 30 days. Non-Hispanic Black race (aOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.0–2.4, p = 0.04), obesity (aOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.0–2.9, p = 0.046), asthma history (aOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.0–2.7, p = 0.03), myocardial infarction history (aOR 6.2, 95% CI 1.7–23.3, p = 0.01), and household exposure (aOR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1–2.2, p = 0.02) were predictive of 30-day readmission. Conclusions This investigation demonstrated the significant risk of severe disease and readmission among young adult populations, especially marginalized communities and people with comorbidities, including obesity, asthma, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Health authorities must emphasize COVID-19 awareness and prevention in young adults and continue investigating risk factors for severe disease, readmission and long-term sequalae.
General, robust, and efficient polyhedron intersection in the interface reconstruction library

Abstract Intersecting a polyhedron with a half-space or another polyhedron is required in various fields, including computer graphics, computer-aided design, and many methods used in computational physics. Often, the polyhedra involved are complicated non-convex objects, and intersecting them constitutes a significant computational cost. To address this, we present a general, geometrically robust, and efficient polyhedron intersection algorithm based on the half-edge data structure and implemented in the open-source Interface Reconstruction Library. We then employ this algorithm in a novel graph-based approach to distribute the volume of a polyhedron over a computational mesh. To demonstrate their performance, the two methods are tested on randomly generated configurations. Compared to the open-source packages VOFTools and R3D, the polyhedron intersection algorithm shows superior speed over the range of convex and non-convex polyhedra tested. The volume distribution method also proves to be discretely conservative, even for meshes containing degenerate faces.
Postmodernism comes to program evaluation

Abstract Guba and Lincoln's recent book, Fourth Generation Evaluation, is a radical critique of the modernist, positivist foundation of traditional program evaluation, which the authors differentiate into three historical stages or “generations. ”Based upon their analysis, these highly esteemed authors propose a fundamental redefinition and restructuring of the whole evaluation field. In order to deal adequately with the deep and far-reaching implications of their proposals, this review has been extended to a full article length. The main focus of the book is an argument to replace traditional evaluation with “fourth generation evaluation, ” which is based on the post-modernist epistemology of constructivism. In polar contrast to positivism's assumption that the “true” nature of external reality is discoverable through the scientific method, constructivism assumes that there are only alternative, subjective constructions of reality produced by different individuals. Therefore, instead of the positivist role of measuring a program's goal attainment in scientific, quantitative ways, the role of the program evaluator becomes one of facilitating interpretive dialogue among a wide variety of a program's stakeholders. The objective of the dialogue is to attain consensus among the stakeholders upon an emergent construction of the program's value and outcome. The present examination of Guba and Lincoln's book begins with general background, proceeds to a detailed summary of their conceptual framework, and ends with a critical assessment of their views.
Disparities in hospital outcomes for injured people with epilepsy/seizures

Controlling for injury and patient characteristics, one would expect comparable in-hospital outcomes for injured patients with and without epilepsy. The historical stigma associated with epilepsy is well-documented, yet potential disparities in injury care for people with epilepsy/seizures have not been examined. We compared in-hospital outcomes of injured patients with epilepsy/seizures with patients without epilepsy/seizures and tested the hypothesis that injured people with epilepsy have worse outcomes. Methods: Existing data were analyzed from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample-the largest, longitudinal, all-payer inpatient care database in the United States. Injured patients of all ages were included. Multivariable logistic regression was used to control for patient and hospital characteristics. Main outcome measure: in-hospital mortality. Results: When controlling for patient and injury characteristics, our results show that people with epilepsy/seizures were more likely to die in-hospital than people without epilepsy odds ratio (OR) 1.17, p Language: en
Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Adults With Spinal Cord Injury

AbstractBackground/Objective: To document the relationship between level of physical activity and quality of life in persons with spinal cord injury.Design: Cross-sectional investigation.Participants/Methods: Men (n = 32) and women (n = 30) with complete and incomplete spinal cord lesions below C6 volunteered to participate in this study. The average length of time since the onset of disability was 9 years (range, 1.5-40 years). Using an interview-formatted survey (Quality of Well-Being Scale), a measure of quality of life was obtained for each participant. Physical activity levels were determined using the Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities.Results: A strong positive association (r= 0.75; P < 0.05) was observed between level of physical activity and quality of life. Multiple regression analysis also showed that when level of physical activity, anatomical location of the injury, completeness of injury, and time since injury were used as explanatory variables, level of physi...
Finite-temperature dynamical density matrix renormalization group and the Drude weight of spin-1/2 chains.

We propose an easily implemented approach to study time-dependent correlation functions of one-dimensional systems at finite-temperature $T$ using the density matrix renormalization group. The entanglement growth inherent to any time-dependent calculation is significantly reduced if the auxiliary degrees of freedom which purify the statistical operator are time evolved with the physical Hamiltonian but reversed time. We exploit this to investigate the long-time behavior of current correlation functions of the $XXZ$ spin-$1/2$ Heisenberg chain. This allows a direct extraction of the Drude weight $D$ at intermediate to large $T$. We find that $D$ is nonzero---and thus transport is dissipationless---everywhere in the gapless phase. At low temperatures we establish an upper bound to $D$ by comparing with bosonization.
Communication, Volunteering, and Aging: A Research Agenda

Americans’ annual volunteer service totals over 8 billion hours and is estimated to be worth more than 100 billion dollars. Older adults perform much of this work, and being a volunteer has been identified as a predictor of successful aging. Despite its prevalence and importance in this demographic group, volunteering remains understudied in the field of communication. This theoretical article integrates work from various disciplines to examine the topics of volunteering and successful aging through a communication lens. After defining volunteering, we systematically outline how communication can inform the study of volunteering. We then briefly highlight potential determinants and motivations for older adults’ volunteering and examine the link between volunteering and successful aging, arguing that many of the documented benefits of volunteering may in fact result from the communicative opportunities it affords. Finally, we outline an agenda for future research on communication, successful aging, and volunteering.
Employers' Perceptions of the Importance of Entry Level Health Education Skills

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate employers' perceptions of the importance of the practice of health education skills within their organizations. A survey was developed which described entry level skills performed by health educators. Mail surveys were returned from 74 community agencies and 43 worksites. Skills were ranked according to importance, and differences in ratings provided by worksite and community setting participants were identified. Respondents also described who performed these skills within their organizations so that it could be determined if they were being performed by health educators. The priority placed on different skills varied between settings. Respondents from community settings rated (1) communicating needs and (2) acting as a resource as significantly more important than respondents from worksite settings. The majority of respondents from both settings also reported that these entry level skills were being performed by an employee other than a health educato...
Causality as a Casualty of Pregeometry

In Wheeler’s pregeometry, one attempts to derive properties of the spacetime manifold, such as metric, continuity, dimensionality, topology, locality, symmetry, and causality from an otherwise structureless set [1]. Requardt & Roy refer to this methodologically reductionist attempt to model the properties of spacetime as “bottom up pregeometry” [2]. In an early attempt to derive spacetime dimensionality, Wheeler assigned probability amplitudes to the members of a Borel (structureless) set to stochastically establish spacetime adjacency [3]. Wheeler abandoned this idea, in part, because “too much geometric structure is presupposed to lead to a believable theory of geometric structure” [4]. In particular, he considered the manner in which probability amplitudes were assigned, and a metric introduced, to be ad hoc. However, recent models by Nagels [5], Antonsen [6], and Nowotny & Requardt [7] employing graph theory have, arguably, surmounted these objections.
Psychosocial issues in ventricular assist device implantation and management.

The primary goal of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) is to increase quantity and quality of life (QOL) in patients with systolic heart failure refractory to medical therapies. A key contributor to the success in MCS therapy is a comprehensive assessment of the candidate for device implantation. A crucial element of that assessment is an evaluation of the individual’s psychosocial status, recommended by most current MCS guidelines. By focusing on criteria including drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse, ability to learn and problem solve, history of adherence to medical regimens, and adequate psychosocial support following implant, the team has an opportunity to create an individualized post-discharge plan that addresses identified gaps and optimizes the patient’s likelihood for success. Information gathered also provides the team with a setting in which to discuss the patient’s personal goals for the therapy and advanced care planning. We explore all of these issues and offer recommendations for approaching psychosocial assessment for MCS patients.
Cryptography Based Data Security.

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses the types of data security problems. The categories where data protections are falling are physical security, communication security, and operational security (database security, operating security, computer viruses). Cryptography is the science of transforming data, using a key, so that the data becomes unintelligible to those who do not have the key (or more precisely, the inverse transformation). The chapter presents a detailed discussion of the different types of cryptosystems followed by the application of cryptography for solving many of the computer security problems. Classifications of cryptosystems are according to function, number of keys and method of application to the protection of data. A symmetric cryptosystem is one in which the encryption key and the decryption key are the same. An asymmetric cryptosystem is one in which the decryption key is different from the encryption key. Cryptosystems are subject to different types of attacks. The method of attacking cryptosystem is cryptanalysis.