cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A small subsurface ion mobility spectrometer sensor for detecting environmental soil-gas contaminants

A small subsurface ion mobility spectrometer (SS-IMS) was constructed and tested with several environmental contaminants to determine its potential for monitoring gaseous volatile organic compounds in the vadose zone. Trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) were detected and separated in IMS for the first time. Detection limits as low as 1 part per billion volume-to-volume (ppbv) were observed. Reduced mobility (K0) values were reported for 11 environmental contaminants. These data demonstrated the potential of ion mobility spectrometry as a viable technology for detecting and separating environmental soil-gas contaminants in the field, which may lead to a practical and simple approach for long-term monitoring of contaminated soils.
Yield Prediction of High Performance Pipelined Circuit with Respect to Delay Failures in Sub-100nm Technology

In nanoscale technology, large variations in process parameters produce wide delay spread in high performance circuit. In this paper the authors developed analytical models for yield prediction with respect to delay variation of pipeline design. The converse problem of estimating the design space for individual pipe stages based on a target yield has been addressed. For an example 4 stage pipelined circuit proposed analytical models are verified to predict yield within 2% of results obtained from Monte-Carlo Hspice simulation
Comparison of semen analysis between the two Hamilton-Thorn semen analysers.

Summary. This study was designed to assess the reproducibility of the computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) system. Semen specimens from 41 suspected subfertile patients were analysed on two identical Hamilton-Thorn Motility analysers (HTM, model 2030, version 7).Specimens were analysed after liquefaction at 37 °C for 30 min on two HTMs adjusted to the same gate settings and by using the same semen droplet loaded on a Makler counting chamber pre-warmed at 37 °C. Significant differences were seen in the total sperm count ( P < 0.0004 ) , motile sperm count (P<0.004), amplitude of lateral head displacement (P<0.0001), linearity (P<0.01), and beat cross frequency (P<0.0001) between the two HTMs. No significant differences between the two machines was seen in the case of other sperm motion parameters: percentage motility, average path velocity, straightline velocity, curvilinear velocity, straightness, and progressive motility. Our results indicate that the reproducibility of several semen parameters analysed by HTM is poor, and steps to remedy this problem are necessary.
IPC: professional type 1 interferon-producing cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cell precursors.

▪ Abstract Type 1 interferon-(α, β, ω)-producing cells (IPCs), also known as plasmacytoid dendritic cell precursors (pDCs), represent 0.2%–0.8% of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in both humans and mice. IPCs display plasma cell morphology, selectively express Toll-like receptor (TLR)-7 and TLR9, and are specialized in rapidly secreting massive amounts of type 1 interferon following viral stimulation. IPCs can promote the function of natural killer cells, B cells, T cells, and myeloid DCs through type 1 interferons during an antiviral immune response. At a later stage of viral infection, IPCs differentiate into a unique type of mature dendritic cell, which directly regulates the function of T cells and thus links innate and adaptive immune responses. After more than two decades of effort by researchers, IPCs finally claim their place in the hematopoietic chart as the most important cell type in antiviral innate immunity. Understanding IPC biology holds future promise for developing cures for infectious...
Is sarcoidosis frequent in patients with cancer

Purpose of review To examine the recent advancements of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical characteristics in patients who have a history of sarcoidosis and cancer. Recent findings A longitudinal study examined 1153 patients with sarcoidosis utilizing the computerized healthcare dataset available in the United Kingdom. The authors found increased incidence of cancer in patients with sarcoidosis mainly due to skin cancer (rate ratio 1.86; 95% confidence interval 1.11-3.11). Endobronchial ultrasound guided transbronchial needle aspiration for mediastinal adenopathy in patients found 11% (17 out of 153) of patients to have noncaseating granulomas. Of the 17 patients, eight had sarcoid-like lymphadenopathy, another eight had sarcoidosis, and one had nontuberculous mycobacterial infection. Another study examined the presence of granulomas in patients with testicular carcinoma, which showed either sarcoid-like reaction or sarcoidosis. Eighty percent of patients with granulomas regressed spontaneously and did not appear to affect the prognosis of cancer. Conclusion Is there a causal or accidental relationship between sarcoidosis and cancer? We do not know. However, we would like to propose the term 'sarcoid-cancer syndrome' that would encompass sarcoid-like reaction and multisystem sarcoidosis occurring in patients with cancer and various lymphomas. Further studies are needed to elucidate the precise mechanism and epidemiology, clinical features, and pathogenesis of this phenomenon.
The Role of Prenatal Maternal Stress in Child Development

The notion that a woman's psychological state during pregnancy affects the fetus is a persistent cultural belief in many parts of the world. Recent results indicate that prenatal maternal distress in rodents and nonhuman primates negatively influences long-term learning, motor development, and behavior in their offspring. The applicability of these findings to human pregnancy and child development is considered in this article. Potential mechanisms through which maternal psychological functioning may alter development of the fetal nervous system are being identified by current research, but it is premature to conclude that maternal prenatal stress has negative con- sequences for child development. Mild stress may be a necessary condition for optimal development. KEYWORDS—pregnancy; fetus; fetal development; stress
The birth of the virtual clinic: the Virtual Terrorism Response Academy as serious game and epistemological space

The Interactive Media Laboratory at Dartmouth Medical School produces computer games and multimedia programs for public health preparedness. With funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the IML is now developing the Virtual Terrorism Response Academy, which uses game technology to prepare first responders for rescue efforts in which hazardous materials may be involved. This paper looks at the taxonomy of related game genres, the history of the "Virtual Clinic" concept that shapes the user's spatial experience, and the original rationale for creating what Max Boisot calls "epistemology space." From the perspective of an outside researcher, it also offers an account of the VRTA designers' responses to potential criticism from learning specialists in game studies who object that the game is too didactic and discourages trial-and-error by restraining the learner in the narrative conceit of a "simulation of a simulation." The author argues that despite an understandable emphasis on the rhetorical situation of professional communication and the chain of command, the tendencies of the game's mechanics to emphasize multiple-choice testing rather than exploit potential spatial enhancements could detract from the effectiveness of the game.
Are Two (or Three or Four .... or Nine) Heads Better than One? Collaboration, Multidisciplinarity, and Publishability.

Although collaborative research has become much more common in the social sciences, including political science, little is known about the consequences of collaboration. This article uses papers submitted to the American Political Science Review to assess whether the widely acknowledged benefits of collaboration produced papers that were more likely to be accepted for publication. The results indicate that collaboration per se made little or no difference, but that the disciplinary configuration of the authors did result in differences in the success of these submissions.
Exploring the Relationship between Mission Statements and Work-Life Practices in Organizations:

Corporate mission statements are ubiquitous, but their relationship to organizational practices, especially those noted for their high quality, remains a subject of debate. We use the case of work—life practices in publicly traded financial services firms to illustrate an innovative method for studying this issue. Overall, we find variation in the mission statements of firms in the same organizational field. We also find relationships between these statements and high-quality investment in work—life practices, as recognized by Working Mother magazine and Kinder, Lydenberg, and Domini. The mission statements of firms recognized for their work—life initiatives were more likely than those of competitors to emphasize the value of employees and less likely to stress shareholder value. We identified four types of mission statements, a pattern which may reflect the dual influences of distinctive organizational commitments and pressure from institutional actors. We discuss the implications of our findings for the...
Enhanced error resilience of video communications for burst losses using an extended ROPE algorithm

Video communications over wireless networks suffers various patterns of losses, including burst losses that cause great degradation in video quality. In this paper, we propose an algorithm based on recursive optimal per-pixel estimate (ROPE) to accurately estimate the overall distortion accounting for the loss pattern. The estimated distortion is applied to the rate-distortion (RD)-based mode selection to provide the optimal tradeoff between intra and inter coding. Simulation results show that in lossy networks, the proposed extended ROPE algorithm achieves gains in average PSNR and PSNR r,f by up to 0.8 dB and 3.6 dB respectively. This shows that the proposed algorithm can enhance error resilience for video communications over networks with burst losses.
Short-term outcomes of an employer-sponsored diabetes management program at an ambulatory care pharmacy clinic

Purpose The impact of a collaborative, employer-sponsored diabetes management program on glycemic control and other clinical endpoints over 6–12 months is reported. Methods In a retrospective, chart-based evaluation, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and related health status indicators were assessed among first-year enrollees in the Healthy Outcome Partnership for Employees (HOPE) with Diabetes Program, an ongoing program sponsored by the Wake Forest Baptist Health (WFBH) system. Diabetes management services were provided by pharmacists in collaboration with providers inside and outside the WFBH system. The primary endpoint was the mean change in HbA1c during follow-up averaging 8.2 months; secondary endpoints included changes in blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Results Among the 98 patients included in the data analysis (75.5% women, 72.4% Caucasian), the mean HbA1c value decreased significantly during the study period (from 7.8% to 7.1%, p < 0.01); the proportion of patients at the recommended goal of an HbA1c of ≤7.0% rose from 40.8% to 56.1% ( p < 0.01). HOPE Program enrollees also experienced significant improvements in mean triglyceride, total cholesterol, and blood pressure values ( p < 0.05 for all). A subgroup of patients with initially poor glycemic control (HbA1c of ≥8.0%) had a mean HbA1c reduction of 1.7 percentage points during the study ( p < 0.01), suggesting that the greatest benefits occurred in the highest-risk patients. Conclusion Among patients seen for at least six months at an employer-sponsored ambulatory care diabetes clinic managed by pharmacists, significant improvements from baseline in clinical end-points including HbA1c and blood pressure were demonstrated.
The Use of Group and Groupcentric Individual Goals for Culturally Heterogeneous and Homogeneous Task Groups: An Assessment of European Work Teams

Three hundred and fifteen workers from three multinational corporations participated in this study. The results demonstrated that group goals were able to increase task performance for homogeneous collectivist groups as well as for groups composed of both individualists and collectivists. The ability of a group goal to facilitate team performance for both heterogeneous and homogeneous work groups lends support to the intercultural properties of group goals for interdependent task groups.
The prefix un - and the metrical grammar of Beowulf

Two rules of the metrical grammar of the Beowulf poet are the subject of this paper. One concerns the variation of stress on the prefix un -; the other pertains to the alliteration of compounds. The two are correlated. The paper rests on the premise that the ‘metre’ of an Old English poem is only one function of a set of regularities that make it something we call verse rather than prose. Separately these regularities may be described as ‘rules’; taken as a group, the rules comprise a metrical grammar. Each Anglo-Saxon scop absorbed such a grammar during the course of long immersion in the poetic tradition of his culture. No two scops' metrical grammars could have been exactly alike; in addition to individual differences, there must have been regional and dialectal variations, although the poetic tradition ensured remarkable uniformity over a wide area and a considerable period of time, and only at the end of the Old English period, with let us say The Battle of Maldon , are significant changes manifest. Further investigation would therefore be needed to determine to what extent the rules here described apply to other grammars.
Injection Currents in Insulators

The basic principles of one- and two-carrier, volume-controlled injection currents are reviewed. One-carrier injected currents are necessarily space-charge-limited and are strongly affected by the presence of traps which usually capture and immobilize most of the injected carriers. The trapped carriers are in an effective thermal equilibrium with the free injected carriers. The concepts of "shallow" and "deep" traps are defined and their effects on injected currents studied. It is shown that the presence of "deep" traps leads to a very steep rise of current with voltage, resembling a breakdown curve, at an appropriate voltage. Under double injection, that is, the simultaneous injection into the insulator of electrons from a cathode and holes from an anode, space-charge limitations are at least partially overcome but recombination of injected carriers presents a new limitation on the current flow. In any insulator at sufficiently high injection levels both recombination and space charge contribute to limitation of the current, leading to a dependence of current on the cube of the voltage, for monomolecular recombination processes. For double injection into a semiconductor, the presence of thermally generated free carriers leads to charge neutrality (the so-called ohmic relaxation process) and recombination alone limits the current. In a semiconductor long compared to a diffusion length this leads to a dependence of current on the square of the voltage.
Application of Immunohistochemistry in Gastrointestinal and Liver Neoplasms: New Markers and Evolving Practice

Context.— Diagnosis of primary gastrointestinal and liver neoplasms is usually straightforward. Immunohistochemistry is most helpful to differentiate metastatic carcinomas with morphologic similarity and to resolve tumors of unknown origin. Recently, several new markers highly sensitive and specific for primary liver and gastrointestinal tumors have been discovered. Their potential diagnostic application has not been widely appreciated by general practicing pathologists. In addition, a new trend in immunohistochemistry application has started, focusing on assessing predictive markers (such as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) and mutation-specific markers (v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B V600E) to directly guide clinical management. Practicing pathologists need to be aware of and prepared for this evolving trend. Objectives.— To summarize the usefulness of several recently discovered immunohistochemical markers in the study of gastrointestinal and liver tumors; to suggest the most cu...
Using the Star Excursion Balance Test to Assess Dynamic Postural-Control Deficits and Outcomes in Lower Extremity Injury: A Literature and Systematic Review

Context: A dynamic postural-control task that has gained notoriety in the clinical and research settings is the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT). Researchers have suggested that, with appropriate instruction and practice by the individual and normalization of the reaching distances, the SEBT can be used to provide objective measures to differentiate deficits and improvements in dynamic postural-control related to lower extremity injury and induced fatigue, and it has the potential to predict lower extremity injury. However, no one has reviewed this body of literature to determine the usefulness of the SEBT in clinical applications. Objective: To provide a narrative review of the SEBT and its implementation and the known contributions to task performance and to systematically review the associated literature to address the SEBT's usefulness as a clinical tool for the quantification of dynamic postural-control deficits from lower extremity impairment. Data Sources: Databases used to locate peer-reviewed a...
Influence of Helicosporidium spp. (Chlorophyta: Trebouxiophyceae) Infection on the Development and Survival of Three Noctuid Species

A new Helicosporidium spp. isolate recently purified from an aquatic weevil, Cyrtobagus salviniae Calder & Sands, was capable of infecting and reproducing in three heterologous noctuid hosts. Regardless of host species, oral treatment of Heliocoverpa zea (Boddie), Spodoptera exigua (Hubner), or Trichoplusia ni (Hubner) early instars with cyst preparations of Helicosporidium spp. resulted in ≈50% infection of the challenged larvae. The sex ratio did not differ between infected and control groups, suggesting the existence of a natural, nonsex-related resistance to the disease. Injection of Helicosporidium spp. into the hemocoels of late instars resulted in virtually 100% infection, indicating that resistance is related to the ingestion of the pathogen and therefore affiliated with midgut-mediated barriers. The pathogen’s development was not interrupted by metamorphosis; likewise, the infection did not necessarily interrupt the insects’ development. When treated as early instars, 50–90% of the infected larvae formed pupae, of which 20–30% emerged as adults. However, a high proportion of the infected adults (62–86%) had malformed wings, and their longevity was reduced compared with that of healthy adults. Infected S. exigua adults that seemed to be morphologically healthy were able to mate and produce viable offspring. The disease was detected in five of 12 groups of progeny produced by infected adults. However, the relative infection rate in the filial generation was low (2–5%). To our knowledge, this is the first evidence for a vertical transmission of helicosporidial infection.
Magnetization of sputtered Fe/Cr multilayers

Abstract The magnetization of five series of multilayers with fixed Fe layer thickness and varying Cr layer thickness has been measured in parallel and perpendicular fields. Saturation fields for the parallel data are generally consistent with findings reported for Fe/Cr multilayers prepared under different conditions. Saturation fields for the perpendicular data show a systematic pattern of positive and negative deviations from values associated with shape anisotropy. The parallel and perpendicular saturation field values are strongly correlated.
Cancer information acquisition differs by patient characteristics

16008 Background: While cancer patients have access to multiple sources of information, including mass media, the internet and personal and professional contacts, little is known about use of these...
Vascular Sodium—Potassium Pump Activity in Various Models of Experimental Hypertension

1. Ouabain-sensitive 86 Rb uptake was used to assess sodium-potassium pump activity in vascular smooth muscle of animals with various types of experimental hypertension. 2. The findings suggest that pump activity is suppressed in the non-genetic low renin, presumably volume-expanded forms of hypertension. 3. By contrast, pump suppression does not appear to be involved in spontaneously hypertensive rats or in salt-induced hypertension in Dahl9s salt-sensitive rats. In these genetic models the primary defect may be increased cell membrane permeability.
Analysis and Identification of Sounds Produced by the Male Caribbean Fruit Fly, Anastrepha suspensa

The waveforms of 4 sounds (flight, aggression, premating, and signaling) produced by the ♂ Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa (Loew) were recorded and analyzed. The flight, aggression, and premating sounds are generated by continuous wing fanning. The signaling sound is also produced by wing fanning, but in a series of pulses. Each pulse has 2 distinct parts and each part has its fundamental frequency. The fundamental wingbeat frequency for the flight was 157 Hz, SE ± 0.93, aggression 156 Hz, SE ± 3.4, premating 147, SE ± 2.4, part 1 of signaling 143 Hz, SE ± 2.6, and part 2 of signaling 111 Hz, SE ± 1.6. The average pulse rate for the signaling sound was 1.5 pulses/sec, SE ± 0.1, with a pulse duration of 0.55 sec, SE ± 0.02 and a pulse interval of 0.94 sec, SE ± 0.08. A Fourier Analyzer was used to develop a frequency signature of each sound. The signature of each sound was distinctly different from the other three.
Nitrogenase activity associated with decayed wood of living northern Idaho conifers

Nitrogen fixation, as determined by the acetylene reduction technique, was demonstrated in decay columns of western larch and western white pine caused by Phellinus pini, western red cedar caused by Postia sericeomollis, and western hemlock and grand fir caused by Echinodontium tinctorium. Nitrogenase activity varied with tree species, fungal pathogen, wood decay stage, and seasonal moisturetemperature regimes within decaying stems. Nitrogen fixation potential in the productive forest eco? systems of northern Idaho was calculated between 0.06 kg/ha/yr and 4.91 kg/ha/yr and was primarily dependent on volume of decay in live standing trees on site.
King's Plagiarism: Imitation, Insecurity, and Transformation

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s extensive plagiarism in his graduate school term papers and doctoral dissertation is a crucial issue in any biographical evaluation of King, but it will amount to only a brief footnote in the expanding historiography of the black freedom struggle of the 1950s and 1960s. While the impressive annotations and discoveries of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers Project staff will unavoidably alter our understanding of the young Martin Luther King, in broader and more important contexts their work will, in the long run, complement and further strengthen two interpretive themes that already have strong and growing support among civil rights scholars: First, King was far more deeply and extensively shaped by the black church tradition in which he grew up than by the readings and instructors he encountered in seminary and graduate school, and, second, the emergence and development of the black freedom movement was in no way the simple product of individual leaders and national organizations. Nothing can be gained by attempting to minimize or understate either the amount of King's plagiarism or the seriousness of the academic wrongdoing that it represented. The extent of King's largely unacknowledged reliance in his own dissertation upon an earlier Boston University (BU) dissertation by Jack S. Boozer is especially egregious, and already some who are either uncomfortable with or downright hostile to King and the movement's larger political legacy are hard at work to amplify and emphasize King's pirating of Boozer's work.' Likewise little can be gained by attempting to avoid the circumstantial but nonetheless almost inescapable conclusion that King knew what he was doing was wrong at the time that he did it. Clayborne Carson has emphasized that King "knew what footnotes were and he knew how to use them."2 Those less empathic to King are utilizing precise and powerful comparisons of the King and Boozer manuscripts in arguing that "the smooth and impressive manner in which King conjoined, word for word, different
The Public Policy Roots of Women's Increasing College Degree Attainment: The National Defense Education Act of 1958 and the Higher Education Act of 1965

How do we explain the steep increase in women's higher educational attainment that began in the mid-twentieth century and has continued, unchecked, in subsequent decades? Although many point to the emergence of feminism and the creation of Title IX in the 1970s as the origins of this trend, I argue that two federal student aid programs—the National Defense Education Act of 1958 and the Higher Education Act of 1965—helped set the stage for women to surpass men as the recipients of bachelor's degrees. Using historical analysis of primary and secondary resources, I present two related case studies that demonstrate the central role that unique political contexts and nondiscriminatory program administration have played in lawmakers' capacity to promote equal opportunity through public policy. This study suggests that women's increasing college degree attainment has important, but frequently overlooked, public policy roots.
Social Origins of the Ming Dynasty 1351–1360

(1963). Social Origins of the Ming Dynasty 1351–1360. Monumenta Serica: Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 1-78.
Passing Strange: Voodoo Queens and Hollywood Fantasy in Eve’s Bayou

The quotation “passing strange” taken from Shakespeare’s Othello is used by the character Desdemona to describe how she, a “fair” maid of Venice, became enthralled by the “moor”, Othello (2008:225). According to Desdemona, Othello’s exotic tales of extraordinary adventures captivated her and she was attracted not only to the stories themselves but the way in which this colourful storyteller embellished them. As Toni Morrison highlights in her recent play Desdemona,1 it was Othello’s magical ability to transport Desdemona to the ‘Africa’ first introduced to her by the African nurse who raised her and the invitation to identify and empathise with experiences seemingly far removed from her privileged life that appealed to her.
Overvoltage and Insulation Level of Neutral Reactor on 1000 kV Transmisson Syetem

We pointed out it did not match practical situation to simply open two-phase shunt reactors to obtain neutral reactor overvoltage,and this method obtained a sharp-increased result.Then we put forward the calculation procedure of neutral reactor overvoltage and required working condition of 1000 kV AC double circuits on the same tower transmission system.The method required to use steady calculation to get the power frequency overvoltage,and to use transient calculation to get transient overvoltage and MOA aquired energy.Furthermore,we presented the calculation results of Huianan-Shanghai 1000 kV AC double circuits on the same tower transmission system.On the basis of the neutral overvoltage,we presented the voltage rating of neutral MOA and checked the MOA aquired energy under fault or operating conditions.Based on the protact level of MOA and calculation results of neutral overvoltage,the required value of neutral insulation level was also presented.It is suggested that neutral reactor power frequency withstand voltage test should be needed,and the partial discharge should be detected at the same time.Moreover,neutral reactor failure cause was analyzed which happened at the Changzhi UHV substation when the system was set,and the choice of insulation level and operating experience home and abroad were introduced.
The first report of a death due to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B infection in Hebei Province

This article reports the first death due to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B infection in Hebei Province.The patient was a three-month-old infant.The infant's initial symptoms were fever,nausea,vomiting,skin petechia,and ecchymosis.The patient was diagnosed once Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B was isolated and cultured from blood and cerebrospinal fluid.
Alpha-amanitin inhibition of mouse brain form II ribonucleic acid polymerase and passive avoidance retention.

Injection of α-amanitin into a cerebral ventricle reduced the ability of male mice to retain a passive avoidance response without affecting spontaneous locomotor activity or performance of a previously learned task. α-Amanitin inhibited the brain form II DNA-dependent RNA polymerase in a dose-dependent manner up to 10 µg, at which dose a maximum of 98% inhibition was observed as determined by assay of brain nuclei at the time of training. The effect observed on passive avoidance retention is only seen at maximal (98%) inhibition. Furthermore, the inhibition of brain form II polymerase is transient, indicating that α-amanitin is effective in vivo only when virtually 100% inhibition of this enzyme is attained. The liver form II polymerase was also inhibited after cerebroventricular injection, indicating that a significant amount of the α-amanitin reached peripheral circulation. A 50% inhibition of liver form II polymerase was measured within 15 min. However, intraperitoneal injection of 10 µg of α-amanitin did not produce significant inhibition of brain form II polymerase, and retention of a passive avoidance response was not affected.
Protests Against Religious Conservatism and Intolerance

The events of Heijermans’ early life clearly reveal his contempt for orthodoxy in religious, social, or political views. Two of his plays, Ghetto and All Souls, are protests against religious conservatism and intolerance, and they form a plea for a broader, humanitarian view of God. Heijermans believed that God was more likely to be seen in the wide vistas of nature than through the narrow windows of any particular church. This is a view which appears again and again in his work, both as a novelist and as a dramatist.
Spiritual Struggles and Religious Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Randomized Clinical Trial in Those with Depression and Chronic Medical Illness

ObjectivesCompared the effectiveness of religious cognitive-behavioral therapy (RCBT) versus conventional CBT (CCBT) on reducing spiritual struggles in persons with major depressive disorder (MDD) ...
Low-Cost High-Energy Potassium Cathode.

Potassium has as rich an abundance as sodium in the earth, but the development of a K-ion battery is lagging behind because of the higher mass and larger ionic size of K+ than that of Li+ and Na+, which makes it difficult to identify a high-voltage and high-capacity intercalation cathode host. Here we propose a cyanoperovskite KxMnFe(CN)6 (0 ≤ x ≤ 2) as a potassium cathode: high-spin MnIII/MnII and low-spin FeIII/FeII couples have similar energies and exhibit two close plateaus centered at 3.6 V; two active K+ per formula unit enable a theoretical specific capacity of 156 mAh g–1; Mn and Fe are the two most-desired transition metals for electrodes because they are cheap and environmental friendly. As a powder prepared by an inexpensive precipitation method, the cathode delivers a specific capacity of 142 mAh g–1. The observed voltage, capacity, and its low cost make it competitive in large-scale electricity storage applications.
Agency Conflicts, Bank Capital Regulation and Accounting Measurement

We develop a model to show how shareholder-creditor agency conflicts interact with accounting measurement rules to influence the design of bank capital regulation. Relative to a benchmark autarkic regime, higher capital requirements mitigate inefficient asset substitution, but exacerbate underinvestment due to debt overhang. The optimal regulatory policy balances the distortions created by underinvestment and asset substitution, while also incorporating the excess cost of equity relative to debt financing for banks. The optimal regulatory policy can be implemented using historical cost accounting for low values of the excess cost of equity. For intermediate levels of the excess cost of equity, fair value accounting is necessary for regulation to optimally respond to interim performance signals by imposing higher capital requirements that mitigate asset substitution. If the excess cost of equity is sufficiently high, however, the optimal regulatory policy features forbearance by permitting asset substitution to mitigate underinvestment. Overall, our results highlight the importance of accounting measurement in influencing the design of bank regulation through the implementation of capital requirements.
A systematic approach to managing warfarin doses.

The article offers a systematic approach for the management of anticoagulation and adjustment of warfarin doses.
Association Between Hospital Case Volume of Sepsis, Adherence to Evidence-Based Processes of Care and Patient Outcomes.

Objectives We sought to explore potential mechanisms underlying hospital sepsis case volume-mortality associations by investigating implementation of evidence-based processes of care. Design Retrospective cohort study. We determined associations of sepsis case volume with three evidence-based processes of care (lactate measurement during first hospital day, norepinephrine as first vasopressor, and avoidance of starch-based colloids) and assessed their role in mediation of case volume-mortality associations. Setting Enhanced administrative data (Premier, Charlotte, NC) from 534 U.S. hospitals. Subjects A total of 287,914 adult patients with sepsis present at admission between July 2010 and December 2012 of whom 58,045 received a vasopressor for septic shock during the first 2 days of hospitalization. Interventions None. Measurements and main results Among patients with sepsis, 1.9% received starch, and among patients with septic shock, 68.3% had lactate measured and 64% received norepinephrine as initial vasopressor. Patients at hospitals with the highest case volume were more likely to have lactate measured (adjusted odds ratio quartile 4 vs quartile 1, 2.8; 95% CI, 2.1-3.7) and receive norepinephrine as initial vasopressor (adjusted odds ratio quartile 4 vs quartile 1, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.6-2.7). Case volume was not associated with avoidance of starch products (adjusted odds ratio quartile 4 vs quartile 1, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.45-1.2). Adherence to evidence-based care was associated with lower hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.70-0.94) but did not strongly mediate case volume-mortality associations (point estimate change ≤ 2%). Conclusions In a large cohort of U.S. patients with sepsis, select evidence-based processes of care were more likely implemented at high-volume hospitals but did not strongly mediate case volume-mortality associations. Considering processes and case volume when regionalizing sepsis care may maximize patient outcomes.
A CONTENT COMPARISON OF ANTEBELLUM PLANTATION RECORDS AND THOMAS AFFLECK'S ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES

During the antebellum period of United States history, the southern states generated an unprecedented amount of wealth through a well developed plantation system that produced vast quantities of cotton, sugar, and tobacco. To date, very little has been written on the methods used by the planters to account for this wealth. This paper reviews plantation accounting methods as outlined by the southern agricultural reformer Thomas Affleck in his book The Cotton Plantation Record and Account Book. The paper also presents a statistical study of surviving plantation records which determined that these very unique and sophisticated procedures of Affleck's became widely used among planters.
Rape, Jokes, Consent

All jokes pose a problem of consent: what does it mean to hear them out; what does it mean to laugh? The problem is acute in the case of rape jokes. This paper discusses two concepts of consent rai...
Sexual Stories: Narratives of Sexual Identity, Gender, and Sexual Development

This chapter proposes a narrative understanding of sexual identity and development, and explores the role and implications of this narrative understanding of human sexuality in the context of the therapeutic relationship. The socially constructed nature of narratives of sexuality is examined and critiqued. Clinical case illustrations are provided.
Complete Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas sp. Strain NC02, Isolated from Soil.

ABSTRACT We report here the complete genome sequence of Pseudomonas sp. strain NC02, isolated from soil in eastern Massachusetts. We assembled PacBio reads into a single closed contig with 132× mean coverage and then polished this contig using Illumina MiSeq reads, yielding a 6,890,566-bp sequence with 61.1% GC content.
Menstrual phase and the vascular response to acute resistance exercise.

Aerobic exercise has a favorable effect on systemic vascular function, reducing both central (large elastic artery) and peripheral (smaller muscular artery) stiffness. The effects of resistance exercise (RE) on arterial stiffness are more complex. Acute RE increases central artery stiffness while decreasing peripheral stiffness. To date, the majority of studies have been performed in predominantly male participants. To examine the effect of acute RE on central and peripheral arterial stiffnesses in women, a secondary purpose was to explore the influence of cyclic changes in estrogen status across the menstrual cycle on the arterial response to acute RE. 18 healthy women [28 ± 7 years, body mass index (BMI) 22.6 ± 2.9 kg/m2] completed an acute RE bout during the early follicular and the early luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. Salivary 17β-Estradiol concentration was measured during each phase, using a passive drool technique. Pulse-wave velocity (PWV) was obtained from the carotid–femoral and carotid–radial pulse sites to measure central and peripheral stiffness, respectively, using applanation tonometry. PWV was measured at rest, immediately, 10, 20, and 30 min post-RE. 17β-Estradiol concentration was significantly lower in the early follicular vs. the early luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (1.78 ± 0.51 vs. 2.40 ± 0.26 pg/ml, p = 0.01). Central PWV significantly increased (p 0.05). Women experience increases in central arterial stiffness and reductions in peripheral arterial stiffness following acute RE. Menstrual cycle phase may not influence changes in arterial stiffness in response to acute RE.
Assessment of Global and Local Alterations in Retinal Layer Thickness in Ins2 (Akita) Diabetic Mice by Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography.

Purpose/Aim. The Ins2 (Akita) mouse is a spontaneous diabetic mouse model with a heterozygous mutation in the insulin 2 gene that results in sustained hyperglycemia. The purpose of the study was to assess global and local retinal layer thickness alterations in Akita mice by analysis of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images. Materials and Methods. SD-OCT imaging was performed in Akita and wild-type mice at 12 and 24 weeks of age. Inner retinal thickness (IRT), outer retinal thickness (ORT), total retinal thickness (TRT), and photoreceptor outer segment length (OSL) were measured. Mean global thickness values were compared between Akita and wild-type mice. Local thickness variations in Akita mice were assessed based on normative values in wild-type mice. Results. Akita mice had higher blood glucose levels and lower body weights ( ). On average, IRT, ORT, and TRT were approximately 2% lower in Akita mice than in wild-type mice ( ). In Akita mice, the percent difference between retinal areas with thickness below and above normative values for IRT, ORT, and TRT was 22%, 32%, and 38%, respectively. Conclusions. These findings support the use of the Akita mouse model to study the retinal neurodegenerative effects of hyperglycemia.
Evaluation of a mixed beam therapy for postmastectomy breast cancer patients: Bolus electron conformal therapy combined with intensity modulated photon radiotherapy and volumetric modulated photon arc therapy.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the potential benefits and limitations of a mixed beam therapy, which combined bolus electron conformal therapy (BECT) with intensity modulated photon radiotherapy (IMRT) and volumetric modulated photon arc therapy (VMAT), for left-sided postmastectomy breast cancer patients. Methods Mixed beam treatment plans were produced for nine postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) patients previously treated at our clinic with VMAT alone. The mixed beam plans consisted of 40 Gy to the chest wall area using BECT, 40 Gy to the supraclavicular area using parallel opposed IMRT, and 10 Gy to the total planning target volume (PTV) by optimizing VMAT on top of the BECT + IMRT dose distribution. The treatment plans were created in a commercial treatment planning system (TPS), and all plans were evaluated based on PTV coverage, dose homogeneity index (DHI), conformity index (CI), dose to organs at risk (OARs), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP), and secondary cancer complication probability (SCCP). The standard VMAT alone planning technique was used as the reference for comparison. Results Both techniques produced clinically acceptable PMRT plans but with a few significant differences: VMAT showed significantly better CI (0.70 vs 0.53, P 0.5 cm and volume of tissue between the distal PTV surface and heart or lung approximately > 250 cm3 ) between distal PTV surface and lung may benefit the most from mixed beam therapy. Conclusion This work has demonstrated that mixed beam therapy (BECT + IMRT:VMAT = 4:1) produces clinically acceptable plans having reduced OAR doses and risks of side effects compared with VMAT. Even though VMAT alone produces more homogenous and conformal dose distributions, mixed beam therapy remains as a viable option for treating postmastectomy patients, possibly leading to reduced normal tissue complications.
Efficiency of Quasi-Monte Carlo Algorithms for High Dimensional Integrals

This paper reports recent progress and presents a few new results on the efficiency of quasi-Monte Carlo algorithms that use n function values for approximation of multivariate integration of high dimension d. We consider the worst case error of a quasi-Monte Carlo algorithm over the unit ball of a normed space of functions of d variables. We indicate for which spaces of functions there exist quasi-Monte Carlo algorithms whose worst case errors go to zero polynomially in n -1 and are independent of d or polynomially dependent on d.
The Impact of Collective Bargaining on the Civil Service Merit System in Oregon

An abstract of the dissertation of David K. Blanchard for the Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration and Policy presented April 29, 1994. Title: The Impact of Collective Bargaining on the Civil Service Merit System in Oregon This study examines the impact of collective bargaining on the civil service merit system in the State of Oregon. Four topics of current interest are explored. The first is a discussion of the status of collective bargaining and the civil service merit system legislation. The second topic is an analysis of the extent to which the day-to-day administration of public sector personnel functions is determined by the relative influence of collective bargaining agreements and civil service rules. The third is the impact of the collective bargaining model on the integrity of the merit principle. The final topic addressed by this study is the implication of the relationship between collective bargaining and civil service for the effective administration of public sector personnel systems in the future. This research utilized a multiple methods design. The data collection methodology involved two approaches. The first was a document review of state statutes, administrative rules, Employment Relations Board orders, and court decisions 2 applicable to the civil service and collective bargaining. The second approach to data collection employed a written survey designed to solicit the opinion of personnel administrators and others in a position to have an opinion concerning the influence of collective bargaining within their respective jurisdictions. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis were employed to interpret the data. Qualitative analysis of historical documents yielded descriptive information pertaining to such factors as the proliferation of collective bargaining legislation and the rationale behind such legislation. Quantitative survey data were summarized through the use of descriptive statistics. In addition, qualitative survey data were analyzed using techniques of narrative description and content analysis, which were applied to the open ended survey responses and interview data. A combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques were used in tandem with the expectation that such an approach would contribute to a more thorough investigation of the research question and lead to a better understanding of the impact which collective bargaining legislation may have had on the civil service merit system than would the use of either technique alone.
Types, Operators and Expressions

A data object holds a value of specific type. VHDL provides three classes of objects: variables, signals and constants. Declarations list the data objects to be used, state what type they are, and perhaps what their initial values are. An expression is a formula that defines the computation on the data objects. Expressions perform arithmetic or logical computations by applying an operator to one or more operands. Operators specify the computation to be performed, while operands are the data for the computation.
Use of Online Resources While Using a Clinical Information System

Background Clinical information system (CIS) use is likely to evoke information needs, yet information resources use during CIS use has not been studied.
Molecular Structure and Dynamics of Interfacial Polymerized Ionic Liquids

Polymerized ionic liquids (polyILs) hold great promise for applications in energy conversion and storage. Many of these applications are underpinned by the structures and processes at the interface...
Impact of occupational exposure on human microbiota.

Purpose of reviewRecent evidence suggests that environmental exposures change the adult human microbiome. Here, we review recent evidence on the impact of the work microbiome and work-related chemical, metal and particulate exposures on the human microbiome.Recent findingsPrior literature on occupat
Metabolic landscape of the tumor microenvironment

Abstract The tumor milieu consists of numerous cell types with each cell existing in a different nutritional environment. However, a characterization of intratumoral metabolic heterogeneity at the single-cell level in human cancer is not established. Here, we develop a computational pipeline to analyze metabolic gene expression programs of single cells within human tumors. In two representative cancer types, melanoma and head and neck, we apply this algorithm to define the single-cell metabolic landscape of human tumors. We find that malignant cells in general have higher metabolic activity and higher metabolic variation than previously observed from studies of bulk tumor comparisons. Indeed, most of the observed metabolic variation of single tumor and normal cells were found to be inconsistent with comparisons with bulk tumor samples. Variation in the expression of mitochondrial programs is the major contributor to intratumoral metabolic heterogeneity. Surprisingly, the expression of both glycolytic and mitochondrial programs strongly correlates with hypoxia in almost all cell types. Immune and stromal cells could also be distinguished by their metabolic features. Taken together this analysis establishes a computational framework for characterizing metabolism using single cell expression data and defines principles of intratumoral metabolic heterogeneity.