cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How important is the contribution of surgical specialties to a medical school's NIH funding?

Objective. To determine the relative contribution and importance of five surgical specialties (general surgery, urology, otolaryngology, neurosurgery, and orthopedics) to the total National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding at medical schools. Methods. Publicly available NIH funding data from 1996 to 2004 were analyzed. Results. From 1998 through 2003 the NIH budget increased from 11.2 billion to 21.9 billion dollars. Overall, NIH funding to departments of medicine was the greatest contributor to any individual medical school's total NIH funding, comprising 28.4% of total NIH awards on average, with a correlation coefficient highly predictive of medical school's ranking for NIH awards (cc = 0.93). Total NIH funding by different surgical specialties varied greatly, both within and between institutions. Together all of the surgical sub-specialties combined accounted for 4.8% of medical school NIH awards on average from the years 1996 to 2004. Among the surgical specialties, general surgery received the largest fraction of NIH dollars followed by otolaryngology, neurosurgery, urology, and orthopedics. Although general surgery had the highest overall correlation coefficient of the surgical departments during the early years of the study period (r = 0.71 in 1996), its correlation significantly decreased during the period of study (as low as r = 0.54 in 2002). Conclusions. Surgical departments as an aggregate have continued to receive a stable overall fraction of NIH awards. The total funding to the different surgical departments varies considerably between institutions and does not correlate well with total institutional funding. The downward trend in the correlation of general surgery funding to total institutional funding suggests a decline in support for surgical research in this specialty nationwide.
Palladium-catalyzed oxidative dimerization of stannylquinones. A simple method for the synthesis of symmetrical 2,2′-bisquinones.

Abstract Stannylquinones, prepared by heating 4-alkynyl-4-hydroxy-2-cyclobutenones with n-Bu3SnOMe, undergo oxidative dimerization to 2,2′-bisquinones in N-methylpyrrolidone in the presence of 10% Cl2Pd(PPh3)2 and 20% CuI using a full equivalent of 1,4-benzoquinone as the stoichiometric oxidant.
FPH: First-class Polymorphism for Haskell Declarative, Constraint-free Type Inference for Impredicative Polymorphism

Languages supporting polymorphism typically have ad-hoc restrictions on where polymorphic types may occur. Supporting “firstclass” polymorphism, by lifting those restrictions, is obviously desirable, but it is hard to achieve this without sacrificing type inference. We present a new type system for higher-rank and impredicative polymorphism that improves on earlier proposals: it is an extension of Damas-Milner; it relies only on System F types; it has a simple, declarative specification; it is robust to program transformations; and it enjoys a complete and decidable type inference algorithm.
William L. Chameides: New JGR editor

Maintaining high quality of papers while decreasing review time is among the goals set by Journal of Geophysical Research editor William L. Chameides, associate professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology's School of Geophysical Sciences. On January 1 Chameides officially began his 4-year term as editor of the section of the journal that emphasizes atmospheric chemistry and physics. He succeeds Ralph J. Cicerone. Chameides says he will follow in Cicerone's tradition by maintaining the high quality of the journal and the broad scope of papers published relating to atmospheric science. He hopes to broaden further the journal's scope by incorporating more multidisciplinary papers. Increasingly, atmospheric scientists are becoming concerned with problems relating to biogeochemical cycles, global pollution and climate, global habitability, cloud physics, and acid rain, Chameides explained. The solutions to these problems, he added, will require the collaboration of scientists with capabilities in a wide variety of disciplines. It is Chameides' hope that JGR will serve as a forum for the exchange of ideas and new findings among this broad and multidisciplinary community of scientists.
Development of Thin-Film Liquid Crystal Polymer Surface Mount Packages for Ka-band Applications

We present the development of thin-film Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) surface mount packages for packaging MMIC's in Ka-band. The packages are constructed using multi-layer LCP films and can be surface mounted on a printed circuit board. Our experimental results demonstrate that the package feed-through transition including bond wires achieve a return loss of ?15 dB at 30 GHz and an insertion loss of less than 1 dB in the Ka-band. With the use of an off-package matching network, we achieve the input return loss of less than ~ ?15 dB from 28 GHz to 31 GHz and less than ~ ?20 dB from 31 GHz to 36 GHz. The use of LCP enclosure provides the near hermetic capabilities in a compact structure.
Population genomics: a bridge from evolutionary history to genetic medicine

Studies of human genetic variation are making contributions in several key areas. Evolutionary genetic studies yield critical clues about the histories of human populations, and they provide substantial support for an African origin of modern humans. The analysis of genetic variation has formed a foundation for DNA-based forensic applications. And, as attention is focused on locating genes underlying complex diseases, it is becoming clear that a better understanding of genetic variation will help to guide gene-mapping efforts. Population genomics, the large-scale comparison of DNA sequences, is now beginning to provide new insights in these areas. We review some of the general patterns of human genetic variation, and we show how our knowledge of these patterns can aid in the mapping and cloning of disease-causing genes.
A national study of obesity prevalence and trends by type of rural county.

ABSTRACT: Context: Obesity is epidemic in the United States, but information on this trend by type of rural locale is limited. Purpose: To estimate the prevalence of and recent trends in obesity among US adults residing in rural locations. Methods: Analysis of data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for the years 1994–1996 (n = 342,055) and 2000–2001 (n = 385,384). The main outcome measure was obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥30), as determined by calculating BMI from respondents' self-reported height and weight. Results: In 2000–2001, the prevalence of obesity was 23.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 22.6%-23.4%) for rural adults and 20.5% (95% CI 20.2%-20.7%) for their urban counterparts, representing increases of 4.8% (95% CI 4.2%-5.3%) and 5.5% (95% CI 5.1%-5.9%), respectively, since 1994–1996. The highest obesity prevalence occurred in rural counties in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas; obesity prevalence increased for rural residents in all states but Florida over the study period. African Americans had the highest obesity prevalence of any group, up to 31.4% (95% CI 29.1%-33.6) in rural counties adjacent to urban counties. The largest difference in obesity prevalence between those with a college education compared with those without a high school diploma occurred in urban areas (18.4% [95% CI 17.9%-18.9%] vs 23.5% [95% CI 22.5%-24.5%], respectively); the smallest difference occurred in small, remote rural counties (20.3% [95% CI 18.7%-21.9%] versus 22.3% [95% CI 20.7%-24.0%], respectively). Conclusions: The prevalence of obesity is higher in rural counties than in urban counties; obesity affects some residents of rural counties disproportionately.
Happiness of Women and Men in Later Life: Nature, Determinants, and Prospects

As they move into and through the retirement years women’s advantage over men in happiness is reversed. Although the happiness of both sexes is affected similarly by retirement from work, marital disruption, and changes in income and health, the difference between men and women in the life cycle occurrence of retirement and widowhood results in different trends in happiness. Men who survive to older age benefit disproportionately from the positive effect on happiness of retirement, while women suffer disproportionately from the adverse effect of widowhood. For women and men in the same work and marital circumstances, women continue to be happier than men. In the future, the turnaround in the relative happiness of women and men in later life is likely to continue, but the shift will be somewhat smaller in magnitude.
Clinical implication of autoantibodies in patients with systemic rheumatic diseases

Autoantibodies have been used extensively as a useful biomarker in systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Antinuclear antibodies by immunofluorescence are a standard clinical test to screen for evidence of systemic autoimmunity. Different specific autoantibodies are associated with particular diagnoses, symptoms, unique syndromes, subsets of the disease and clinical activity. They are produced prior to the onset of clinical manifestations and have predictive value. This review focuses on a critical re-evaluation of the clinical significance of autoantibodies. Disease subsets defined by autoantibodies, coexistence of disease marker antibodies, and problems in testing and interpreting results are examined. Clinical approaches in differential diagnosis of antinuclear antibodies and the significance of antinuclear antibodies in healthy individuals are also discussed.
The Topology of Surfaces

Our aim in this section is to show that a compact orientable surface is homeomorphic to a sphere with handles, under the assumption that the surface can be triangulated. The idea is to “flatten” it out, to realize the surface as a polygon in the plane, with certain identifications on the boundary edges, and then, by cutting and pasting, to simplify these realizations until we can recognize the result.
Device and SPICE modeling of RRAM devices

We report the development of physics based models for resistive random-access memory (RRAM) devices. The models are based on a generalized memristive system framework and can explain the dynamic resistive switching phenomena observed in a broad range of devices. Furthermore, by constructing a simple subcircuit, we can incorporate the device models into standard circuit simulators such as SPICE. The SPICE models can accurately capture the dynamic effects of the RRAM devices such as the apparent threshold effect, the voltage dependence of the switching time, and multi-level effects under complex circuit conditions. The device and SPICE models can also be readily expanded to include additional effects related to internal state changes, and will be valuable to help in the design and simulation of memory and logic circuits based on resistive switching devices.
MULTIPLE MODERNITIES: Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism in a Globalizing Age

▪ Abstract The late twentieth century has seen far-reaching changes in the translocal cultural regimes known as world religions. This review examines the politics and meanings of recent changes in three such religions: Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. It highlights the nature of the forces reshaping religious meanings and authority, the processes promoting conversion and standardization, and the implications of these religious refigurations for our understanding of late modernity itself. Though modernity is multiple and every tradition unique, this review suggests that all contemporary religions confront a similar structural predicament, related to the globalization of mass societies and the porous pluralism of late modernity.
Strain variation and nuclear association of Newcastle disease virus matrix protein.

Abstract Five monoclonal antibodies to the matrix (M) protein of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) Australia-Victoria (AV) strain were generated and characterized. In competitive antibody-binding assays, the antibodies fell into three discrete groups. The antigenic sites described by these antibody groups were designated M1, M2, and M3. Each antibody reacted with a panel of NDV strains in a manner unique to its group, confirming the grouping by competitive antibody binding. Only site M1 was found on all 12 of the strains tested and may be a "pan-NDV" epitope. A large portion of the M protein of strain AV was detected in the nuclei of infected cells by all five monoclonal antibodies. In addition, the antibodies only stained the nuclei of cells infected with NDV strains expressing M protein containing the corresponding antigenic site. These results confirm that the immunoreactivity in the nucleus is actually caused by the M protein and not by a cross-reacting host protein induced by viral infection.
Frictional properties of gabbro at conditions corresponding to slow slip events in subduction zones

We conducted a series of experiments to explore the rate and state frictional properties of gabbro at conditions thought to be representative of slow slip events (SSEs) in subduction zones. The experiments were conducted using a heated direct shear apparatus. We tested both solid and simulated gouge samples at low effective normal stress (5-30 MPa) over a broad range of temperatures (20–600°C) under dry and hydrated conditions. In tests performed on dry solid samples we observed stable sliding at low temperatures (20–150°C), stick-slip at high temperatures (350–600°C) and a transitional “episodic slow slip” behavior at intermediate temperatures (200–300°C). In tests performed on dry gouge samples we observed stable sliding at all temperatures. Under hydrated conditions, the gouge samples exhibited episodic slow slip and stick-slip behavior at temperatures between 300–500°C. Our results show a decrease in the rate parameter (a– b) with temperature for both solid and gouge samples; friction transitions from velocity-strengthening to velocity-weakening at temperature of about 150°C for both solid and gouge samples. We do not observe transition to velocity-strengthening friction at the high end of the tested temperature range. Our results suggest that the occurrence of slow slip events and the downdip limit of the seismogenic zone on subduction megathrusts cannot be solely explained by the temperature dependence of frictional properties of gabbro. Further experimental studies are needed to evaluate the effects of water fugacity and compositional heterogeneity (e.g., the presence of phyllosilicates) on frictional stability of subduction megathrusts. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
POLICY IMPROVEMENT ALGORITHM FOR CONTINUOUS TIME MARKOV DECISION PROCESSES WITH SWITCHING COSTS

This paper deals with computation of an optimal policy for Markov decision processes involving continuous movement as well as switching costs. Recently the author derived conditions for the optimality of a policy in such decision processes. These conditions can be used to verify the optimality of a given stationary policy but cannot be used to obtain one directly. Some computational procedure is needed to arrive at a stationary optimal policy. In this paper we develop an algorithm which generates a sequence of successively improving policies converging (at least along a subsequence) to an optimal stationary policy. Two special cases are considered. The first one is a general continuous-time Markov decision process with a countable state space. In this case the sufficient conditions for optimality suggest an algorithm procedure. It is shown that this algorithm either terminates at a stationary optimal policy or converges to one (at least along a subsequence). The second special case is the case of controlled one dimensional diffusion process. In this case the simple algorithm suggested by the sufficient conditions does give a sequence of successively improving policies. However, this may terminate at or converge to a suboptimal policy. An additional step in the algorithm is proposed. It is shown that this modified algorithm does work. That is, it either terminates at a stationary optimal policy or converges to one along a subsequence. Similarly modified algorithms can be developed for the Markov decision processes in which the underlying process is compound Poisson with a drift. Such processes frequently occur in controlled queues and inventory systems.
Pretreatment dropouts: characteristics and outcomes.

The characteristics and outcome results of 123 cocaine dependent patients who dropped out following intake without returning for even one treatment visit were compared with those of 324 who did return and received at least one treatment service and 118 who remained on the program for two months or more. The pre-treatment dropouts were more often positive for cocaine on admission drug screens and less often employed. They reported fewer psychological symptoms on the scales of the SCL-90 and received lower scores on the medical problem severity scale of the ASI. At 9-month follow-up they were found to have less often attended self-help meetings or continued in outpatient treatment, more often to have been admitted for inpatient treatment or been in jail, less often returned to school and were more often using cocaine. Clearly, clinicians and researchers need a better understanding of these patients who account for significant attrition, have distinguishing characteristics, and do much more poorly t...
Influence of temperature upon radiation sensitivity of thermophilic and mesophilic bacteria.

Conclusions and Summary(1) Temperature and atmosphere exert an important influence upon the effects produced by ultraviolet irradiation of the mesophile and thermophile studied. These effects are noted even in the relatively inert spore stage of each. Although the thermophile was more sensitive than the mesophile to the lethal action of a given dose of ultraviolet radiation, it was affected to a lesser degree by changes in temperature during irradiation in the air. Temperature changes exerted almost no effect upon the thermophile when oxygen was excluded from the suspension during irradiation, while the mesophile was markedly affected. This would be the expected result if the thermophile possessed heat-stable nuclear proteins, and damage due to the radiation were not additive with that resulting from heat-denaturation. Mutation incidence at 99.9% killing fell to below normal levels at 75 and 100°C for the mesophile and thermophile, respectively, possibly due to selection. (2) The relative mutability of th...
A Brief History of General Education.

ABSTRACTIn the 1960s, general education was at the forefront of innovative programs in American community colleges. Every community college designed a program of a common core of courses for the common person. General education was so popular it was included as one of the required components of a comprehensive community college along with university transfer, vocational and occupational programs, remedial education, and community service programs. By the 1980s, the common core idea began to fracture, and faculty began to add so many courses to meet general education requirements that today Thomas Bailey and his colleagues at the Community College Research Center cite the cafeteria-style, self-service model as one of the key issues keeping the Completion Agenda from reaching its goals. Whereas in the 1960s, students were required to take one comprehensive course in the humanities; students today choose from among 60 or more courses to meet the humanities requirement. In current student success reform effor...
Survey on variation trend of epidemic situation and relevant knowledge and behavior about HIV/AIDS among Youth/Students in Heilongjiang Province

Objective To understand the prevalence, knowledge status and related behavior characteristics of HIV/AIDS among the Youth/Students in Heilongjiang province. Methods To collect the data of reported cases in 2006-2012 of Heilongjiang province from the national HIV prevention and treatment information system, then analyze the youth with 15-24 year-old HIV/AIDS cases about the infection route, and source of cases, etc.; use the method of sampling the whole population in stages,to make the questionnaire survey on the young students from some cities in Heilongjiang province. And collect the venous blood to do antibody test of HIV、syphilis、hepatitis C. Results The quantity of the 15-24 year-old HIV/AIDS cases is growing, and also the percentage composition of all the reported cases in the same year. Which cases are from Heilongjiang provincial annual cases report in 2006-2012. A total of 2 400 young students were monitored in 2012 in Heilongjiang province, the analyzing result shows that, the overall level of HIV/AIDS knowledge awareness rate is reaching 88.3%, 14.1% of them have had sex behavior, and 5.7% of them confirm that having spouse or opposite sex friend with combination relationship; the positive detection rate of HIV antibody is 0.04%, and no positive cases of syphilis、hepatitis C antibody detection. Conclusion The spreading speed of HIV among the youth/students in Heilongjiang province is getting more quickly. We should improve the pertinence of prevention propaganda and education of young students, increase comprehensive intervention activities, such as outreach service and peer education, strengthen consulting work in the youth/students.
The Protective Effect of Theanine Complex on the Rat Against Alcoholic Liver Injury

The protective effect of theanine complex on rat liver of alcoholic injury was studied by the AIL rat models.The AIL rat models were established by intragastric administration of 50% ethanol per day for a month.60 rats were randomly separated into 6 groups.The administrative doses of theanine complex were 0.1,0.2 or 0.4 g/(kg·d) corresponding to the low,middle and high dose rats model,respectively.The HWXC purchased from local market was selected as control and the administrative dose was 1.5 g/(kg·d).The blank group was oral administration instead with the same dose of water.The evaluation of pathology and biochemical parameters(ALT、AST、TG)was analyzed.The results showed that the contents of ALT,AST and TG decreased significantly in all the doses groups.Pathology demonstrated that theanine complex can protect rat from fatty liver induced by alcohol.In general,the theanine complex has a protective effect on the rat liver with alcoholic injury.
Urban Heat Island Effect Based on TM Remote Sensing Image in Chongqing

This paper studies the response of urban surface temperature in Chongqing.According to Landsat TM Remote Sensing,using single-window algorithm to retrieve surface temperature,obtained in Chongqing urban area the distribution of surface temperature and the sample area by selecting the spatial distribution of surface temperature were compared.The results showed that it is close to 4.75℃ with Chongqing city and Peri-urban,and temperature difference between urban and suburban areas over 9.88℃,urban heat island effect is very obvious;The urban surface temperature and land use types are closely related.The research results for improving the urban ecological environment,strengthen the scientific planning of important have important reference value.
Apoptosis Induced by Hyperthermia in MCF-7 Cell

Objective To study the apoptosis induced by hyperthermia in human breast cancer cell line MCF-7.Methods MCF-7 cells were heated at different temperatures(41,42,and 43 ℃)respectively for 1 hour,and untreated MCF-7 cells served as the control.The effect of different heat-induced cell apoptosis of MCF-7 was observed with Hoechst-PI dye and MTT analysis.The apoptosis-related protein levels of Bcl-2 and Bax were determined by fluoroimmunoassay.Results The quantity of apoptotic cells was increased significantly when MCF-7 cells were treated at 42 ℃.The expression of Bcl-2 was down-regulated and the expression of Bax was up-regulated.Conclusions Hyperthermia can induce MCF-7 cell to apoptosis through down-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 and up-regulating the expression of Bax.
Effects of dietary energy level and protein source on nutrient digestion and ruminal nitrogen metabolism in steers.

Four Simmental steers with ruminal, duodenal, and ileal cannulas were used to examine effects of dietary forage: concentrate ratio and supply of ruminally degradable true protein on site of nutrient digestion and net ruminal microbial protein synthesis. Steers (345 kg) were fed ammoniated corn cob (high forage; HF)- or corn cob/ground corn/cornstarch (low forage; LF)-based diets supplemented with soybean meal (SBM) or a combination of corn gluten meal and blood meal (CB). Diets were fed at 2-h intervals with average DM intake equal to 2.2% of BW. Feeding LF vs HF increased (P less than .05) OM digestion (percentage of intake) in the stomach, small intestine, and total tract. Efficiency of microbial CP synthesis (EMCP; g of N/kg of OM truly fermented) decreased (P less than .05) for LF vs HF (24.1 vs 26.8), but microbial N and total N flows to the small intestine were similar (P greater than .05) between energy levels (average 112 and 209 g/d, respectively). Total N flows to the small intestine were 13.1% greater (P less than .05) for CB than for SBM because of increased (P less than .05) passage of nonmicrobial N. Feeding SBM vs CB increased (P less than .05) EMCP (27.3 vs 23.3) and microbial N flow to the small intestine (127.5 vs 112.5 g/d), but these increases were not likely due to increased ruminal concentrations of ammonia N (NH3 N). Decreased (P less than .05) incorporation of NH3 N into bacterial N and slower turnover rates of ruminal NH3 N for SBM vs CB suggest that direct incorporation of preformed diet components into cell mass increased when SBM was fed. Results of this study suggest that the inclusion of ruminally degradable protein in the diet may increase the supply of products from proteolysis and that this can increase EMCP and microbial protein flow to the small intestine.
The Unification of Classical Physics

This chapter treats the emergence of a language of physics loosely unified on a mechanistic basis. The early studies of thermal and electrical phenomena were in the Baconian tradition of exploring nature and relying on informal inductive arguments. Laplace transformed the earlier mechanistic atomism, which accorded philosophical arguments concerning atoms a foundational role, into atomistic mechanism. This gave mechanics a foundational role and introduced testable hypotheses concerning atoms and short-range forces. Atomistic mechanism facilitated the incorporation of the Baconian sciences. This supplied a perspective for a meaningful distinction between depth and relatively phenomenological accounts and facilitated the incorporation and interpretation of the new sciences of thermodynamics and electrodynamics.
A Structural Theory for the Selwyn Granularity Coefficient

AbstractA theory is described which relates the Selwyn granularity coefficient to emulsion structure. The emulsion grain size distribution is taken into account, which leads to the result that in a plot of the typeIn G = a + b In Dwhere G = Selwyn granularity coefficient, D= average optical density, the value of the constant b must be less than 1/2. It is shown that the granularity of different films cannot be simply correlated with sensitometric properties.
The notion of a plastic material spin in atomistic simulations

A kinematic algorithm is proposed to extend existing constructions of strain tensors from atomistic data to decouple elastic and plastic contributions to the strain. Elastic and plastic deformation and ultimately the plastic spin, useful quantities in continuum mechanics and finite element simulations, are computed from the full, discrete deformation gradient and an algorithm for the local elastic deformation gradient. This elastic deformation gradient algorithm identifies a crystal type using bond angle analysis (Ackland and Jones 2006 Phys. Rev. B 73 054104) and further exploits the relationship between bond angles to determine the local deformation from an ideal crystal lattice. Full definitions of plastic deformation follow directly using a multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient. The results of molecular dynamics simulations of copper in simple shear and torsion are presented to demonstrate the ability of these new discrete measures to describe plastic material spin in atomistic simulation and to compare them with continuum theory.
The circle at low Reynolds number as a test of the method of series truncation

Recently several related problems in hypersonic flow theory have been solved at Stanford University using a novel semi-analytic scheme of successive approximations that may be called the method of series truncation. The essential idea is to treat an elliptic partial differential equation as if it were parabolic or hyperbolic. The solution is expanded in powers of one coordinate which plays the role of a time-like variable, and backward influence in the resulting ordinary differential equations is suppressed by curtailing the series at a few terms.
Animal Breeding Considerations for Improved Animal Performance in Hot Environments

A variety of options are available for improved performance including altering genotype with genetic improvement of indigenous breeds through selective breeding; upgrading through crossbreeding of indigenous females with semen from genetically superior exotic males with a possible goal of developing a new breed; and introduction of new breeds through transfer of embryos from genetically superior exotic breeds into indigenous females or importation of exotic animals of the desired breeding. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages. The most rapid gains mightbe possible new environment can be a problem. In the interest of adaptation and survival, systems that utilize the maternal influences of indigenous females are advantageous. In consideration of this maternal influences along with rate of improvement and potential for extensive improvement, both crossbreeding programs that use semen from genetically superior exotic males and those that involve transfer of genetically superior embryo survival and neonatal survival will affect management of any option chosen for genetic improvement but should be of less concern in programs that utilize indigenous females.
Evaluating the utility of subjective effects measures for predicting product sampling, enrollment, and retention in a clinical trial of a smokeless tobacco product

Abstract Introduction Subjective effects of drugs, representing pharmacological and non-pharmacological effects, have been shown to be associated with future use and abuse. This also is the case for tobacco products and so measuring subjective effects, such as liking, satisfaction, and aversion, is crucial to gaining an understanding of consumer perception leading to increased use. This study examined the predictive validity of subjective drug and product effects with respect to product adoption. Methods Smokers (N = 151) were enrolled in Minneapolis, Columbus, and Buffalo. Participants were shown two snus products (Camel Snus Winterchill and Robust), asked to try each of the products for 5 min and to rate them using the Product Evaluation Scale (PES) and Drug Effects Questionnaire (DEQ). This was followed by a one-week use period of their preferred product and those who used at least 1 unit of Camel Snus per day (or at least 7 pouches total) were eligible to enroll in the Clinical Trial Phase assessing the impact of complete switching or dual use with smoking. Key outcomes for this study were product evaluation, extent of product use, and Clinical Trial enrollment. Results We noted no relationships between participant characteristics such as gender, age, prior smokeless use, baseline cigarettes per day (CPD), or PES and DEQ scores with any of these outcome variables. Subjective effects were weak predictors of product use, which totaled approximately 3 units of snus per day. Conclusions Regardless of product, it appears that PES and DEQ ratings were uniformly poor predictors of trial enrollment and retention, though they do predict the amount of snus used during the sampling phase. Findings indicate that while subjective effects predict product preference in the short-term, they did not consistently predict extent of use or enrollment in the trial, suggesting that these initial measures have limited implications for long-term behavior.
A meta-analysis of field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) and Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense L.) management in organic agricultural systems

Abstract Organic farming has become a major agricultural and economic sector, and weed management is one of the primary challenges facing the industry. Of particular concern are rhizomatous perennial weeds such as field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) and Canada thistle [Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.] which are highly competitive and not easily controlled in organic systems. We conducted meta-analyses of the existing literature to 1) identify promising management approaches for these weeds in the absence of synthetic herbicides and 2) determine which aspects of field bindweed and Canada thistle management warrant further study. Mechanical control (i.e. plowing, cultivation, hoeing) was the most studied management category in annual cropping systems, accounting for 40% of data extracted, but did not outperform most of the other management actions overall, possibly due to the variability in specific methodology (i.e. timing, frequency, depth, implement). In annual systems, integrated management, or the combination of two or more control methods, emerged as the management technique that caused the greatest decrease in abundance and survival for field bindweed. We identified several additional management techniques that decreased field bindweed and/or Canada thistle in both annual and perennial systems including biocontrol, mowing, grazing, crop diversification, solarization, shading, flaming, and crop competition. However, organic producers continue to struggle with these species. This discrepancy may originate from the fact that most of the studies we evaluated reported impacts over short time spans, with 53% being conducted for a period of one to two years, and only 9% conducted for five or more years. Further, only 16% of field bindweed and 26% of Canada thistle studies reported measures of variability. Longer-term research focused on sustainable perennial weed management systems is needed in addition to research about short-term interventions.
Through a Stained Glass Window

This dress was inspired by the gentle play of the moonlit night sky that is reflected through the stained glass. The purpose of this design was to incorporate various design techniques using three different technologies—pattern digitizing, digital printing, and laser cutting—and develop a structural unbalanced hem dress. This design contributes to a new way of integrating emerging technologies into an innovative design process.
Biological Effects of Low Energy Electromagnetic Fields on the Central Nervous System

There has been extensive speculation about the possibility of enhanced sensitivities of central nervous tissue to environmental electromagnetic fields. Brain tissue possesses its own well known intrinsic oscillating field, the electroencephalogram (EEG). The functional significance of this internal field has been a matter of conjecture. Based on classical membrane electrophysiology, the majority of opinion has most frequently dismissed it as merely “the noise of the brain’s motor.” Evidence that this may not be an accurate evaluation has come from a variety of studies of effects of imposed oscillating electromagnetic fields which induce weak extracellular electrochemical oscillations in the fluid surrounding brain cells, and which mimic in varying degrees components of the natural electrochemical oscillations of the EEG in the same domain of brain tissue.
Antepenultimate stress in Spanish: In defense of syllable weight and grammatically-informed analogy

Spanish has a contrastive stress system with three major possibilities: antepenultimate, penultimate, and final stress. While penultimate and final stress are to some extent predictable, a major point of contention in the literature is whether antepenultimate stress assignment is rule-governed (Harris 1983; Roca 1991; i.a.). By examining different analogical and grammatically-informed models and their predictive power in capturing experimental data, I show that a Maximum Entropy model (Hayes & Wilson 2008) that includes syllable weight in its lexical representations is the best predictor of antepenultimate stress assignment. In doing so, I also dispute the claim that the trill in Spanish is a geminate tap (Harris 1983), and provide support for its status as a singleton consonant.
Platelet enhancement of bacterial growth during room temperature storage: mitigation through refrigeration.

INTRODUCTION Due to high risk of septic transfusion reactions arising from bacterial contamination, US Food and Drug Administration regulations currently limit platelet storage to 5 days at room temperature (RT). However, blood culturing methods can take up to 7 days to detect bacteria, allowing transfusion of potentially contaminated units. Thus, cold storage (CS) may be a viable means of extending shelf life and improving safety. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Platelets and fresh plasma (FP) were collected by apheresis from healthy donors, aliquoted, and challenged with Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, or Staphylococcus epidermidis. Aliquots were then stored at either RT or CS. RESULTS Significant (p < 0.05) bacterial growth was detected at RT for most bacteria as early as Day 1 after collection, with peak growth occurring between Days 3 and 4. Growth remained static during CS. Additionally, platelets appeared to enhance bacterial replication with growth significantly lower (p < 0.05) in FP relative to RT-stored platelets. Lactic acid promoted bacterial growth when added to FP at RT. Bacterial challenge also resulted in significantly increased platelet activation (p < 0.05) and significantly reduced platelet function (p < 0.05) in RT storage relative to uninfected controls by Day 5 after collection. Conversely, CS ablated bacteria growth, limited platelet metabolism, and preserved platelet function throughout the study. CONCLUSION These data suggest that CS presents an attractive alternative to RT to both extend storage life and reduce the risk of transfusion-related sepsis.
The more the better? Exploring the effects of reviewer social networks on online reviews

Conventional wisdom suggests that firms leverage key influencers (e.g. individuals with high centrality) in online communities to stimulate buzz. Using a large panel dataset including 1,569,264 onl...
4D spatiotemporal evolution of liquid spray using kilohertz-rate x-ray computed tomography

Four-dimensional (x,y,z,t) x-ray computed tomography was demonstrated in an optically complex spray using an imaging system consisting of three x-ray sources and three high-speed detectors. The x-ray sources consisted of high-flux rotating anode x-ray tube sources that illuminated the spray from three lines of sight. The absorption, along each absorption path, was collected using a CsI phosphor plate and imaged by a high-speed intensified CMOS camera at 20 kHz. The radiographs were converted to a quantitative equivalent path length (EPL) of liquid using a variable attenuation coefficient to account for beam hardening. The EPL data were then reconstructed using the algebraic reconstruction technique into high-speed time sequences of the three-dimensional liquid mass distribution.
Perspectives on Sexual Power, #MeToo.

My story illustrates how a power dynamic altered my own behaviors, how gender biases about sexual misconduct contribute to inequities within academia, and the importance of providing safety and validation to victims of sexual misconduct. As faculty now, I pay attention to power dynamics with trainees, colleagues and patients, recognizing that even voicing differences of opinions can be difficult from a disempowered position. The powerlessness I experienced, freezing then yielding, can occur in any setting that does not provide safety and support for the expression of diverse and contrasting perspectives. Changing cultural norms related to power within academia requires all of us to think differently about ourselves and others continuously as we all carry implicit biases [11]. From a women’s mental health perspective, all physicians should recognize that emotional pain often derives as much from sociocultural narratives that invalidate lived experiences as from the actual traumatic events. Sexual aggression from my supervisor rendered me powerless as a trainee; this common experience limits both professional successes and damages the health of women in our society.
Predictive Factors and Time to Development of Hepatic Decompensation in Patients with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common causes of cirrhosis in the USA. We aimed to determine the time to develop hepatic events in patients with NAFLD and develop a simple model to identify patients at risk for hepatic decompensation. Retrospective cohort study. Seven hundred patients with NAFLD met inclusion criteria for the study. Patients were divided into model construction (n = 450) and validation (n = 250) cohorts. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables were gathered at the time of diagnosis of NAFLD. Kaplan-Meier analysis determined the time to development of hepatic events from initial diagnosis. A time-to-event prediction model was established in the model construction cohort using the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model and was then internally validated. Forty-nine (7%) patients developed hepatic events at a mean duration of 6.2 ± 4.2 years from initial diagnosis. Kaplan-Meier probability of developing a hepatic event at 5-, 10-, and 12-year intervals was 4.8%, 10.6%, and 11.3%, respectively. Age, presence of diabetes, and platelet count were identified as significant variables to predict hepatic events. NAFLD decompensation risk score was developed as “age × 0.06335 + presence of diabetes (yes = 1, no = 0) × 0.92221 − platelet count × 0.01522” to predict the probability of hepatic decompensation. Risk score model had an area under the curve of 0.89 (95% CI = 0.92, 0.86) and it performed well in both the validation (0.91, 0.87–0.94) and the overall cohort (0.89, 0.87–0.91). A significant proportion of patients with NAFLD developed hepatic decompensation. We have provided a simple, objective model to help identify “at-risk” patients.
Students and Teachers as Authors in a Bakhtinian Critical Dialogue

I provide an example of ontological critical education. In my analysis of example, I show the authorial nature of the critical intrinsic education for both students and the teacher. The notion of authorial education and authorship is constructed as transcendence of the culturally given recognized by relevant others and/or the self. Of course, this example is only approximation to critical intrinsic education in a post-work leisure-based society.
Fitting Machine-Generated Data into Trade Regulatory Holes

In an era when the Internet of Things has slowly transformed into the Internet of Everything, data generated or collected by networked sensors, interconnected devices and intelligent machines have been highly valuable. Taking note of the data's enormous and ever-growing value and the unlimited potential for their use and reuse, industries and their supportive policy makers have actively pushed for greater protection of machine-generated data. In October 2017, the European Commission proposed a new sui generis data producer's right for nonpersonal, anonymized machine-generated data. If countries began to create new rights in machine-generated data—whether based on the EU proposal or other proposals—the cross-border flow of such data would raise questions about the need for new trade standards. Additional complications would also arise over the potential incoherency between these new trade standards and those other standards that have already been developed, or are now being developed, at bilateral, regional, multilateral and plurilateral fora. In view of this emerging trade policy debate, the present chapter highlights two sets of challenges concerning the development of new trade standards for regulating the cross-border flow of machine-generated data: (1) national policy development and (2) international norm setting. The chapter begins by identifying five sets of policy questions that have to be addressed before the creation of a new national regime for the protection of machine-generated data. The chapter then turns to the potential complications that would arise in the international norm-setting arena. Taken together, these two sets of challenges show how the protection, regulation and overall governance of machine-generated data may not fit well with the existing international trade regime.
Modality motivation: Selection effects and motivational differences in students who choose to take courses online

Abstract We demonstrate how motivational and behavioral processes can explain which students may be more likely to select into online (OL) than face-to-face (F2F) courses and also less likely to perform well in OL courses. University students (n = 999) reported their reasons for OL course selection: university constraints, specific need for flexibility, general preference for flexibility, and learning preferences. Compared to F2F students, only OL students with certain self-selection reasons showed differences in motivation, behavior, and performance. Notably, OL students who said they had a specific need for flexibility created by the costs of competing responsibilities spent more time on non-academic activities (e.g., working, commuting), less time on academic activities (e.g., study groups), and ultimately performed worse when compared to F2F peers. These students were especially likely to be women, older, and part-time. We discuss implications for practice and for using demographic characteristics to control for selection effects.
Cold Item Recommendations via Hierarchical Item2vec

Learning item representations is a key building block in recommender systems research. However, representations often suffer from the cold start problem - a well-known problem in which rare items in the tail of the distribution face insufficient data yielding inadequate representations. In this work, we present a novel hybrid recommender that supports the utilization of hierarchical content-based information to mitigate the cold start problem. In particular, we assume a taxonomy of item tags in which every item is associated with several ‘parent’ tags and the tags themselves can be associated with several ‘parent’ tags in a hierarchical manner. Our model learns item representations that are guided by the ‘parent’ tags of each item which allows propagating relevant information between items sharing the same hierarchy. In addition, the tags are modeled using tag representations that allow propagating information between any two tags that share a common ancestor. Due to space limitation, we focus this work on a recommendations task, however the same approach can be utilized for general representation learning e.g. language models.
Global Energy Politics

How can we ensure that all people have reliable and affordable access to energy? When and how will states cooperate to curb energy-related greenhouse gas emissions? How can energy be used as a tool...