cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Therapeutic effect of bacteriophage on intestine-derived infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in mice

Objective To explore the application of bacteriophage therapy against intestine-derived infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and to evaluate the potential value of bacteriophages.Methods Phages were isolated and purified by conventional processes.A murine model of intestine-derived infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa was established through administration of ampicillin and cyclophosphamide(CY) by intraperitoneal injection.Animals were divided into treatment group Ⅰ(phage administration,1 d before the bacterial challenge),treatment group Ⅱ(phage administration,5 d after the bacterial challenge),treatment group Ⅲ(phage administration,10 d after the bacterial challenge) and control group(no phage administration) to evaluate anti-infection efficacy of phage.Results Four strains of lytic phage were isolated from sewage.1 d before the bacteria challenge,oral administration of lytic phages was sufficiently to rescue 70% of the animals compared with control animals(P0.01).5 d after the bacteria challenge,oral administration of lytic phages was significantly to rescue 80% of the animals compared with control animals(P0.01).However,10 d after the bacteria challenge,oral administration of lytic phages was only to rescue 10% of the animals(P0.05).Conclusion The phage treatment significantly improve the survival rate of mice during the early stage of infection;it suggestes that the phages may serve as an effective agent against bacterial infection.
Progress on MEMS-scanned ladar

The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has continued to research a short-range ladar imager for use on small unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) and recently small unmanned air vehicles (UAV). The current ladar brassboard is based on a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) mirror coupled to a low-cost pulsed erbium fiber laser. It has a 5-6 Hz frame rate, an image size of 256 (h) x 128 (v) pixels, a 42o x 21o field of regard, 35 m range, eyesafe operation, and 40 cm range resolution with provisions for super-resolution. Experience with driving experiments on small ground robots and efforts to extend the use of the ladar to UAV applications has encouraged work to improve the ladar’s performance. The data acquisition system can now capture range data from the three return pulses in a pixel (that is first, last, and largest return), and information such as elapsed time, operating parameters, and data from an inertial navigation system. We will mention the addition and performance of subsystems to obtain eye-safety certification. To meet the enhanced range requirement for the UAV application, we describe a new receiver circuit that improves the signal-to-noise (SNR) several-fold over the existing design. Complementing this work, we discuss research to build a low-capacitance large area detector that may enable even further improvement in receiver SNR. Finally, we outline progress to build a breadboard ladar to demonstrate increased range to 160 m. If successful, this ladar will be integrated with a color camera and inertial navigation system to build a data collection package to determine imaging performance for a small UAV.
Status survey of sexual development of boys aged 6 to 13 years old from Zhengzhou area

Objective Boy sexual development is affected not only by age,but also by environment factors. The present study was to survey and evaluate the status of sexual development in boys from Zhengzhou area and to explore their influencing factors.Methods The height,weight,waist circumference,hip circumference,penis and testicles in 3779 boys aged from 6 to 13 years old in Zhengzhou were measured. The penis length and testicular volume of different ages and their influencing factors were compared,and the beginning age and sexual development characteristics were explored. The development of genitalia and pubes were evaluated by Tanner staging criteria and standards,which were divided into five stages. Results There were 3779 boys,including 395 overweight cases( 10. 45%) and 208 obesity cases( 5. 50%). The testicular volume and penis length increased by age,which increased slowly at the age of 6 to 11,followed by a rapid increase after the age of 11 year old. Testicular volume increased more rapidly than that of penis length.The medians quartile of testicular volume in overweight group,obese group and normal group were 2. 50 m L,2. 50 m L,2. 00 m L,2. 00 m L,2. 00 m L,1. 00 m L respectively. The testicular volume in overweight group and obese group were significantly greater than that in normal group( P 0. 01) and there were no difference between overweight group and obese group. The penis length in overweight group and obese group were significantly less than that in normal group( P 0. 01),and there was no difference between overweight group and obese group. Testicular volume and penis length were positively correlated with age,height,weight,body mass index,waist circumference and hip circumference; the correlation between testicular volume and height, penis length and age were the strongest. The age of development of testicle( average 12. 02 years) in urban area was later by 2. 73 years than that in the rural area( average 9. 9 years),the difference was statistically significant( P 0. 001). The age of pubic development( P2) and maturity( P5) was( 12. 34 ± 0. 83) years and( 12. 39 ± 1. 24) years. The incidence of precocity in boys was0. 40%. Conclusion The sexual development of boys from Zhengzhou area is similar to the results of large scale survey from China. Attention should be paid to the effect of obesity on sexual development,and early intervention should be given,the occurrence of adverse events of sexual development can be avoided.
The Moderating Roles of Gender and Socioeconomic Status in the Association Between Racial Discrimination and Psychological Adjustment

Abstract Racism-related stress poses a significant risk to the mental health functioning of many African American youth during the transition to adulthood. In light of the suggestion that personal and social factors might influence the association between racism-related stress and mental health functioning, this study examined the moderating roles of gender and socioeconomic status (SES) in the association between racial discrimination experiences and depressive symptoms, anxiety, and interpersonal sensitivity. Participants were 171 African American young adults (69% female; mean age = 18.4) recruited from a predominately White southeastern university. Regression analyses revealed that young African American men from lower SES backgrounds and women from higher SES backgrounds were most vulnerable to racial discrimination. These findings suggest that racism-related stress interacts with gender and SES to influence mental health correlates of racism-related stress during the transition to adulthood. We discuss how this knowledge can be used to inform assessment and cognitive-behavioral interventions for African American and other racial and ethnic-minority young adults.
Extending Comparative Fault

This article challenges the traditional view of consent as a binary issue. Because “lack of consent” is an element of an intentional tort, courts do not apply comparative fault principles and therefore must find that plaintiff has either consented to the invasion of her person or not. In cases where consent is predicated on apparent consent or implied consent, however, the all–or-nothing approach to consent fails to take into account that both plaintiff and defendant may have been responsible for a miscommunication as to consent. This article focuses on well-known cases and situations where both parties likely contributed to a misunderstanding as to whether the plaintiff consented to the defendant’s conduct and suggests that, in such cases, comparative fault provides a modality for assessing damages. In many cases, the binary approach to consent is justified. When a court finds that both parties contributed to the misunderstanding, however, they should apply comparative fault to reflect that reality.
High-Power Operation of the Los Alamos Free-Electron Laser Oscillator,*

The Los Alamos free-electron laser (FEL) oscillator has been successfully operated over the wavelength range from 9 to 11μm with a peak output power of 1 MW and an average output power of 1 kW over the 70-μsec pulse length. This FEL is driven by a conventional rf linear accelerator operating at 1.3 GHz with a nominal energy of 20 MeV. Sufficient rf power is supplied to the accelerator to produce a burst of 2000 uniform current pulses, each ~30 psec in width and spaced by 46 nsec, the round-trip time of light in the 6.9-m optical cavity. Each pulse had a peak current of ~25 A, an energy spread of 1-2%, and an emittance of l-2π mm-mrad. For the present experiments, we used a 1-m-long undulator composed of SmCo5 permanent magnets in a uniform-period, plane-polarized configuration.
The Limits and Limitations of Spillovers

Throughout most of this book, we have considered spillovers as the key dependent variable of interest. This chapter examines spillovers as an independent variable vis-a-vis the objective of strengthening civil society and improving the quality of democracy. Do the high-spillover cases described in previous chapters achieve the goal of strengthening civil society and improving the quality of democracy?
Implementation of a Surgeon-Level Comparative Quality Performance Review to Improve Positive Surgical Margin Rates during Radical Prostatectomy

Purpose: Success in the era of value-based payment will depend on the capacity of health systems to improve quality while controlling costs. Comparative quality performance review can be used to drive improvements in surgical outcomes and thereby reduce costs. We sought to determine the efficacy of a comparative quality performance review to improve a surgeon-level measure of surgical oncologic quality, that is the positive surgical margin rate at the time of radical prostatectomy.Materials and Methods: Eight surgeons who performed consecutive radical prostatectomies at a single high volume institution between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015 were included in analysis. Individual surgeons were provided with confidential report cards every 6 months detailing their case mix, case volume and pT2 radical prostatectomy positive surgical margin rate relative to 1) their own self-matched data, 2) the de-identified data of their colleagues and 3) institutional aggregate data during the study period. Positive...
A qualitative analysis of the impact of childhood cancer on the lives of siblings at school, in extracurricular activities, and with friends.

The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which siblings of children with cancer perceive childhood cancer to have influenced their lives at school, in extracurricular activities, and with friends—the various social contexts in which child development occurs external to the family system.
Cooperation and Free Riding in Cyber Security Information-Sharing Programs

Even with substantial investment in cyber defense, the risk of harm from cyber attacks is significant for many organizations. Multi-organization information-sharing programs have the potential to improve cyber security at relatively low cost by allowing organizations that face similar threats to share information on vulnerabilities, attacks, and defense strategies. The dynamics of an information-sharing program are likely to depend heavily on interactions between human decision makers. This article describes a system dynamics model of an information-sharing program. The model incorporates decision-making strategies of managers and cyber defenders in each participating organization. The model was used to assess how free-riding behavior is likely to affect the success of a multi-organization information-sharing program. Results shows that free riding may make information sharing more volatile and less beneficial early on, but other factors, including cost savings and the perceived utility of shared information, are likely to create success later in the time horizon.
A sparse hammersley element distribution on a spherical antenna array for hemispherical radar coverage

This paper investigates the use of Hammersley sampling in order to get nonuniform element spacing on a spherical array. This approach provides a consistent maximum sidelobe level that is independent of scan. Array pattern results as a function of scan are compared with the concentric ring array on a spherical surface.
The appropriate use of increasingly sophisticated life-sustaining technology.

The medical community should formulate guidelines for appropriate use of organ-replacement therapies, taking into consideration the resources involved and the clinical expectation that the therapy can serve as a bridge to recovery or transplantation or can be a destination therapy.
You Don’t Have to Be the Smartest Person in the Room

This is the story of a kid from the city who went away to college in a small Iowa town and fell in love with the college and with campus life. Through a series of surprising and serendipitous events and experiences with people who saw more in me than I saw in myself, I exceeded my own expectations by striving to meet those of mentors, peers, and colleagues. There was plenty of play along the way, but the main reasons I’ve succeeded as an academic are the work ethic instilled in me by my parents and being surrounded by loved ones and other smart, motivated, and supportive people. Being a professor is the best job in the world. I cannot imagine anything I would have rather done, except maybe playing point guard for the Chicago Bulls.
Resting-state functional MRI reveals altered brain connectivity and its correlation with motor dysfunction in a mouse model of Huntington's disease.

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant inherited neurodegenerative disorder, and no cure is available currently. Treatment of HD is likely to be most beneficial in the early, possibly pre-manifestation stage. The challenge is to determine the best time for intervention and evaluate putative efficacy in the absence of clinical symptoms. Resting-state functional MRI may represent a promising tool to develop biomarker reflecting early neuronal dysfunction in HD brain, because it can examine multiple brain networks without confounding effects of cognitive ability, which makes the resting-state fMRI promising as a translational bridge between preclinical study in animal models and clinical findings in HD patients. In this study, we examined brain regional connectivity and its correlation to brain atrophy, as well as motor function in the 18-week-old N171-82Q HD mice. HD mice exhibited significantly altered functional connectivity in multiple networks. Particularly, the weaker intra-striatum connectivity was positively correlated with striatal atrophy, while striatum-retrosplenial cortex connectivity is negatively correlated with striatal atrophy. The resting-state brain regional connectivity had no significant correlation with motor deficits in HD mice. Our results suggest that altered brain connectivity detected by resting-state fMRI might serve as an early disease biomarker in HD.
Cooperative Cumulants-Based Modulation Classification in Distributed Networks

Automatic modulation classification of unknown wireless signals has been studied as a key technology in several cognitive radio and military applications. However, few studies have examined the performance of cooperative classification, in which spatially scattered nodes share their data to generate an overall decision of the unknown modulation scheme. In this paper, we propose a centralized feature-level cooperative classification framework using maximum likelihood (ML) combining algorithm. Each node estimates a set of features, based on high-order cumulants, that are combined at a fusion center using ML to produce a final decision. We present new theoretical models for ML combining performance, as well as computer simulations, under both additive white Gaussian noise and flat Rayleigh fading channels. In addition, a new hierarchical framework for cooperative modulation classification of larger sets of modulation schemes is presented. Finally, the performance of the cooperative framework with correlated signals is studied. Analysis and simulations validate the theoretical models and prove the efficiency of the proposed cooperative framework under different scenarios.
Analytical methods for the determination of fumigants

Fumigants are volatile chemicals employed in the control of insect infestations in stored products. Designed to be effective in the vapor phase, they can be applied as liquids, gases or, in some cases, in a reactive solid formulation. Fumigants can be applied directly to the stored product, but it is often found desirable to fumigate a warehouse, mill, boxcar, or other area for sanitation purposes. Fumigation has been found most useful in protecting foods subject to relatively long storage, such as cereal grains. Fresh fruits and vegetables are sometimes fumigated under quarantine programs. Other products such as tobacco are also treated as needed.
The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is Coming Right at Me, or, the Dialectic of Elemental Light and Elemental Dark

Under a gentle imperative to consider phenomenologically a physical element in literature, we are compelled to wander about, gather, consolidate, rethink, and re-experience mentally and sensually the mode of that element. This is true for several elements at once, such as the four classical elements1 In an introductory attitude I want to consider some aspects of the dialectic of elemental light and elemental dark; I believe it important to present very briefly something of my method of preparation because it influences the organization of that re-experience in this essay. My approach in several studies in the phenomenology of the elements has followed a vaguely pre-determined sequence of mental acts and research activities.2 First, I review what I recall quickly of the element in literature, myths, religious texts, philosophy, natural philosophy, and physical sciences. Then I compare and sort out the experiences of the element along with the recollected textual evidence. Third, I seek a renewal of contact with the element as it is active in my emotional life as well. Lastly, I begin at this point to write something and, simultaneously, to initiate further research into texts, histories, commentaries, novels, poetry, and scientific works. Over the subsequent months, this project evolves into heavy files. The first phase should be emphasized: this is with the evidence in and of memory, hence, continued in and expressed from the mind, a humanistic prerequisite of all phenomenological studies. The presentation later at a lecture retains something of the spontaneity of a questioning still very much in motion; and the essay readied for publication is a consolidation and, in the fashion of Husserl’s titles, is always introductory.
Die flexible Plankostenrechnung

Die Arten der Plane, die in den vorhergehenden Kapiteln besprochen und erlautert wurden, sind starre, statische oder Vorschauplane. Die erwarteten Erlose und Kosten werden fur das kommende Jahr gegenubergestellt, urn als Vergleichsbasis fur die wirklichen Ergebnisse zu dienen. Fur ein Unternehmen mit Auftragsfertigung genugt ein solcher Plan, wenn die Kosten der Verantwortungsbereiche keinen zu grosen Schwankungen unterworfen sind. Wenn beim Vergleich die Erlose sich dem Budget nahern, zeigen die Abweichungen der Ist- von den Planbetragen, wie gut die geplanten Kosten, Gewinne und der Finanzbedarf mit der Wirklichkeit Ubereinstimmen. Ist das Unternehmen saisonbedingten Schwankungen unterworfen, mus der Plan diese berucksichtigen. Erlose und Kosten werden dann den verschiedenen Monaten des Jahres entsprechend zugeordnet.
Crucial Steps in the Evolution of Science

Albert Einstein’s friend, J. E. Switzer, asked him why the Chinese had not invented or discovered what we term modern science in spite of their obviously great creative talents. Einstein’s response, probably in part jocular, was to the effect that it is a miracle that modern science evolved anywhere.
The social phobia and social interaction anxiety scales: Evaluation of psychometric properties

The present investigations examined the factor structure and psychometric properties of two new self-report measures of social phobia, the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) and the Social Phobia Scale (SPS). A confirmatory factor analysis in Study I provided support for the fit of a two-factor model of the SIAS and SPS. Internal consistency estimates were high for the original two scales with a sample of 200 undergraduates. Also, using an item parceling procedure, the obtained internal consistency reliability indices for each parcel were acceptable. Results of the CFA in Study II provided support for the factorial stability of the model identified in Study I. Furthermore, multisample analyses showed invariant patterns for factor loadings and factor correlations across 138 men and 272 women. Gender differences were not observed in the mean SIAS and SPS scale and item scores. Both scales correlated negatively and significantly with measures of social desirability. Concurrent validity was established for the scales. The SPS was less specific than the SIAS to symptoms of social phobia.
Stitching Tattered Cloth: Reflections on Social Justice and Qualitative Inquiry in Troubled Times:

This article is a transcript of a keynote performance delivered at the opening of the 14th Annual International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI). I compare the troubled times we face during t...
Short-Term Seasonal Energy Forecasting

Load Forecasting is an important tool used to predict future electrical utility data in a Smart Grid. Forecasting uses past data to predict trends for future energy usage. This paper investigates the application of exponential smoothing, ARIMA and recursive neural networks in TensorFlow on utility data taken from 20 different US Utility zones over four years, from 2004-2007. These methods will be used to forecast and predict the load data for each yearly quarter in 2008.
Expectation affects neural repetition suppression in infancy

Recent work provides evidence that the infant brain is able to make top-down predictions, but this has been explored only in limited contexts and domains. We build upon this evidence of predictive processing in infants using a new paradigm to examine auditory repetition suppression (RS). RS is a well-documented neural phenomenon in which repeated presentations of the same stimulus result in reduced neural activation compared to non-repeating stimuli. Many theories explain RS using bottom-up mechanisms, but recent work has posited that top-down expectation and predictive coding may bias, or even explain, RS. Here, we investigate whether RS in the infant brain is similarly sensitive to top-down mechanisms. We use fNIRS to measure infants' neural response in two experimental conditions, one in which variability in stimulus presentation is expected (occurs 75% of the time) and a control condition where variability and repetition are equally likely (50% of the time). We show that 6-month-old infants exhibit attenuated frontal lobe response to blocks of variable auditory stimuli during contexts when variability is expected as compared to the control condition. These findings suggest that young infants' neural responses are modulated by predictions gained from experience and not simply by bottom-up mechanisms.
Center variation in screening for and management of metabolic syndrome in pediatric liver transplant recipients: A survey of SPLIT centers.

INTRODUCTION PTMS-a clustering of hypertension, dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance/diabetes, and obesity-is increasingly recognized as a contributor to long-term morbidity after transplant. We sought to describe pediatric liver transplant center protocols and provider practices in screening for and managing these conditions. METHODS Cross-sectional survey of pediatric liver transplant providers from centers that participate in Studies of Liver Transplantation (SPLIT). RESULTS Of 49 survey respondents from 39 centers, 64% were hepatologists or surgeons, 18% nurses/NPs/PAs, 12% coordinators, and 4% other. All providers felt that pediatric liver transplant recipients should be routinely screened for PTMS components. For each condition, at least 70% felt that the liver transplant team should be primarily responsible for routine screening. For each condition, at least 30% of providers reported that their center had no standardized protocol for screening. For diagnostic evaluation and initial management, >60% of providers reported that their center had no standardized protocol for glucose intolerance/diabetes, dyslipidemia, or obesity. Almost 40% had no standardized workup or initial management protocol for hypertension or chronic kidney disease. Of centers that did have screening or workup protocols, most were based on existing center practice, provider consensus, or informal review of published evidence. Screening tools, treatment steps, and thresholds for referral to another specialist varied widely. CONCLUSIONS Transplant providers intend to screen for and initiate management of PTMS components in these children, but protocols and practices vary substantially. This highlights opportunities for multi-center collaboration on protocols or interventions to improve screening and management.
Multifunctional Agriculture in the European Context

This paper explores the multifunctional role of agriculture in the European context. For many rural communities agriculture embodies more than simply the production of food which focuses on yield, price and economic efficiency, to include diverse social, cultural and environmental aspects of local farming. Partner farming initiatives are community-based agricultural cooperatives that strive to increase the resilience and reduce the vulnerability of local, small scale farmers by facilitating agricultural strategies which encourage interaction between local producers and consumers and that mitigate the undesired effects of the industrial agricultural sector. Two neighboring European countries in particular, France and Italy, have developed effective partner farming initiatives that further integrate small scale farming into the local community structure. By encouraging local consumers to preorder harvests and patronize individual farmers, these partner farming initiatives can provide reliable income for small farmers and help preserve their rural way of life. Food sovereignty, security and justice emerge as the salient concepts in appreciating a holistic view of a community food system.
Orbital angular momentum detection based on diffractive deep neural network

Abstract We propose an orbital angular momentum (OAM) state detection method based on diffractive deep neural network (D2NN). The correct classification of the topological charge (TC) of the range [ ± 1, ± 2, …, ± 10] is implement. Based on the designed phase-only, amplitude-only and hybrid type network, we analyzed the influence of the number of diffractive layers and the strength of turbulence on the detection accuracy. The results show that the method can realize the rapid detection of OAM state, which has potential value for free space optical (FSO) communication based on optical vortex (OV) beam.
Divergent Influence of Beta Slippage on Leveraged ETPs: A Simulation Approach

Investors in exchange-traded products (ETPs) face a number of influencing elements that potentially erode their investments. These factors may include taxes, trading fees, administrative expenses, and rebalancing costs. At the same time, leveraged exchange-traded product (LETP) investors are further burdened with yet another mathematical phenomenon known as beta slippage, which erodes their return on investment. In this article, the authors demonstrate the influence of beta slippage on LETP return on investment. They use the daily S&P 500 Total Return Index (SPXT-TRA) for the period from January 1, 1988 through December 31, 2017, and observe the impact of beta slippage on the rate of return on investment, using ETPs with various leverage ratios. The authors also use the daily mean and standard deviation of SPXT-TRA returns for the same period to simulate daily returns for 300 annual periods to observe the same impact on LETPs. Both the historical returns and the simulated returns demonstrate that beta slippage has a tendency to decay the return on investment compared to the underlying index returns. However, this effect is influenced by the magnitude and variability of returns. The authors find that in time periods with the highest returns, beta slippage impacts investors favorably and amplifies the return on investment. TOPICS:Exchange-traded funds and applications, performance measurement, statistical methods
On the Steady Propagation of a Crack in a Viscoelastic Sheet: Experiments and Analysis

In the following pages we present a continuum mechanical description of steady crack propagation in a linearly viscoelastic solid. The analysis is exact within the realm of linear viscoelasticity theory. Inasmuch as this colloquium deals with the deformation and fracture of high polymers from the molecular, microscopic, and macroscopic viewpoint, it is appropriate to recognize the complementary nature of the microscopic and the macro-continuum approach to polymer fracture. This remark seems essential because the later development contains assumptions which must appear rather gross to those who concern themselves with the microscopic or even atomistic aspect of the fracture process.
Management of Dysphagia in Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis

Unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) can result in a spectrum of dysphagia symptoms and swallowing impairment. The mechanism of swallowing dysfunction in UVFP is complex and not strictly a result of impaired vocal fold motion, and swallow dysfunction is not always present in the setting of impaired vocal fold closure. Because the impact of glottal incompetence and associated impairments affects swallowing through a variety of mechanisms, evaluation of dysphagia in those with UVFP must be systematic and comprehensive. Treatment may be surgical, nonsurgical, or a combination of the two and prioritizes airway protection, glottic valvular competence, and quality of life.
Expertise and International Tax Norms

This paper explores how a particular framework for understanding international taxation — a framework driven by so-called international tax neutrality norms — developed among economists and legal academics in the 1960s and subsequently became entrenched among public-sector policymakers. The neutrality norm framework marks a turn from the instrumental use of international taxation in the 1950s toward an efficiency-oriented approach towards international taxation. Although some scholars question the usefulness of this turn towards efficiency, the neutrality norm framework continues to dominate discussions about international tax policy today. This paper traces the intellectual history of the neutrality norm framework: how it emerged in the late 1950s, and how it became a durable framework for understanding international tax policy. This paper makes three interventions in the literature. First, existing accounts of U.S. international taxation deemphasize the neutrality norm framework in favor of showing continuity in international tax policy from the 1920s to the present. I argue that proponents of the neutrality norm framework used it to consolidate and entrench the 1920s legal regime in the face of political challenges, an important intellectual move that has allowed this 1920s legal regime to remain the touchstone for current approaches to international taxation. Second, I argue that the neutrality norm framework has an intellectual and aesthetic appeal that tends to obscure other ways of thinking about international taxation. For this reason, there may be significant costs to retaining neutrality norms as part of a pluralistic approach to international tax policy. Third, this paper illustrates how academic and expert ideas find their way into public policy, as well as the potential risks of allowing such ideas to become entrenched among policymakers.
International Hip Outcome Tool (12-items) as health-related quality-of-life measure in osteoarthritis: validation of Greek version.

The 12-item International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT12) is a patient-reported outcome (PRO) designed to evaluate quality of life. We assessed the psychometric properties of the Greek version (iHOT12-Gr) in hip osteoarthritic patients. Data from 124 patients aged > 50 years were used for factor analysis. Reliability evaluation included internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and interpretability. Content validity was examined by calculating the item-level content validity indices (I-CVI) and the scale-level content validity indices (S-CVI), using two methods: S-CVI Average (S-CVI/Ave), and the S-CVI Universal Agreement among experts (S-CVI/UA). Construct validity was tested against Greek versions of the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS-Greek), Modified Harris Hip Score (MHHS-Gr), and the 30 s chair-to-stand, Timed Up & Go (TUG), and 9-stairs-ascend/descend (9S-A/D) tests. Known-groups validity was examined using LEFS-Greek (cut-off = 53 points) as estimate variable. Responsiveness was examined pre and post total hip arthroplasty (4 and 8 weeks). Factor analysis revealed a two-factor model. Factor-1 (items 1–9) reflects “Symptoms and functionality”, while Factor-2 (items 10–12) reflects “Hip disorder-related concerns”. Reliability: Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of iHOT12-Gr-total were excellent: Cronbach’s alpha > 0.92 and ICC(95% CI) > 0.976(0.96–0.99)(p 0.8. iHOT12-Gr showed excellent reliability properties. The content validity was excellent and significant weak-to-strong correlations were found regarding construct validity. The known-group validity was also significant, while the responsiveness was excellent. iHOT12-Gr could be a reliable and valid PRO for assessing quality of life in patients with hip osteoarthritis.
Counselor Efficiency at Providing Feedback in a Technology-Based Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention: Longitudinal Analysis.

Background: Feedback for participants’ self-monitoring is a crucial and costly component of technology-based weight loss interventions. Detailed examination of interventionist time when reviewing and providing feedback for online self-monitoring data is lacking. Objective: The aim of this study was to longitudinally examine the time counselors spent providing feedback on participant self-monitoring data (ie, diet, physical activity, weight) in a 12-month technology-based weight loss intervention. We hypothesized that counselors would compose feedback for participants more quickly over time. Methods: The time the lay counselors (N=10) spent reviewing self-monitoring records and providing feedback to participants via email was longitudinally examined for all counselors across the three years of study implementation. Descriptives were observed for counselor feedback duration across counselors by 12 annual quarters (ie, 3-month periods). Differences in overall duration times by each consecutive annual quarter were analyzed using Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests. Results: There was a decrease in counselor feedback duration from the first to second quarter (mean 53 to 46 minutes; P<.001), and from the second to third (mean 46 to 30 minutes; P<.001). A trend suggested a decrease from the third to fourth quarter (mean 30 to 26 minutes; P=.053), but no changes were found in subsequent quarters. Consistent with the hypothesis, counselors may be increasing their efficiency in providing feedback; across 12 months, counselors spent less time reviewing participant self-monitoring and composing feedback (decreasing from mean 53 to 26 minutes). Conclusions: Counselors used increasingly less time to review online self-monitoring data and compose feedback after the initial 9 months of study implementation. Results inform counselor costs for future technology-based behavioral weight loss interventions. For example, regardless of increasing counselor efficiency, 25-30 minutes per feedback message is a high cost for interventions. One possibility for reducing costs would be generating computer-automated feedback. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02063178; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02063178
Delayed Kinetics of IgG, but not IgA, Anti-spike Antibodies in Transplant Recipients following SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Background: Kidney organ transplant recipients are at increased risk of severe outcomes during COVID-19. Antibodies directed against the virus are thought to offer protection, but a thorough characterization of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune globulin isotypes in kidney transplant recipients following SARS-CoV-2 infection has not been reported. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of 49 kidney transplant recipients and 42 immunocompetent controls at early (≤14 days) or late (>14 days) time points after documented SARS-CoV-2 infection. Using a validated semi-quantitative Luminex-based multiplex assay, we determined IgM, IgG, IgG1-4 and IgA antibodies against 5 distinct viral epitopes. Results: Kidney transplant recipients showed lower levels of total IgG anti-trimeric spike (S), S1, S2, and receptor-binding domain (RBD), but not nucleocapsid (NC) at early versus late time points after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Early levels of IgG anti-spike protein epitopes were also lower than in immunocompetent controls. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were predominantly IgG1 and IgG3 with modest class switching to IgG2 or IgG4 in either cohort. Later levels of IgG anti-Spike, S1, S2, RBD and NC were not significantly different between cohorts. There was no significant difference in the kinetics of either IgM or IgA anti-Spike, S1, RBD or S2 based on timing after diagnosis or transplant status. Conclusions: Kidney transplant recipients mount early anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA and IgM responses while IgG responses are delayed compared to immunocompetent individuals. These findings might explain the poor outcomes in transplant recipients with COVID-19.
MicroWorlds: A macro study of microbial interactions informs a bio-art series

A collaboration between an artist and a team of microbiologists aimed to capture interactions between microbial communities as a whole to better understand the biological bases of interactions that take place within them. This required building a time-lapse imaging system from off-the-shelf components and optimizing image capture at the macroscale of centimeters. Biological discoveries during the course of the research gave rise to a new series of artworks leveraging the complex interactions of line, form, and color as bacteria react to stressors in the environment. The work in progress shifts to capturing the motion of light observed in bioluminescent bacteria.
The Cambridge Introduction to Jean Rhys

Since her death in 1979, Jean Rhys's reputation as an important modernist author has grown. Her finely crafted prose fiction lends itself to multiple interpretations from radically different critical perspectives; formalism, feminism, and postcolonial studies among them. This Introduction offers a reliable and stimulating account of her life, work, contexts and critical reception. Her masterpiece, Wide Sargasso Sea, is analyzed together with her other novels, including Quartet and After Leaving Mr Mackenzie, and her short stories. Through close readings of the works, Elaine Savory reveals their common themes and connects these to different critical approaches. The book maps Rhys's fictional use of the actual geography of Paris, London and the Caribbean, showing how key understanding her relationships with the metropolitan and colonial spheres is to reading her texts. In this invaluable introduction for students, Savory explains the significance of Rhys as a writer both in her lifetime and today.
Horace and the rhetoric of authority

This book explores how Horace's poems construct the literary and social authority of their author. Bridging the traditional distinction between 'persona' and 'author', Ellen Oliensis considers Horace's poetry as one dimension of his 'face' - the projected self-image that is the basic currency of social interactions. She reads Horace's poems not only as works of art but also as social acts of face-saving, face-making and self-effacement. These acts are responsive, she suggests, to the pressure of several audiences: Horace shapes his poetry to promote his authority and to pay deference to his patrons while taking account of the envy of contemporaries and the judgement of posterity. Drawing on the insights of sociolinguistics, deconstruction and new historicism Dr Oliensis charts the poet's shifting strategies of authority and deference across his entire literary career.
Who Needs Rights? Justice and the Precariousness of Social Order in the Political Realism of Raymond Geuss and Bernard Williams

In a series of recent works, Raymond Geuss has attacked the utility of the concept of rights as a way of understanding politics. In place of talk of right and justice, Geuss advocates an approach to political theorizing that he calls “realism,” which places the inevitability of conflict and the inequality of power relations at the heart of politics. Realism thus chastens our normative ambitions by warning us away from views that presume agreement about values is possible and chastens our methodological ambitions by exhorting us to remain close to the actual effects of power in our analysis. Geuss self-consciously offers his realistic approach to political theorizing as an alternative to rights-based liberalism, but the normative ground of his own view remains unclear. What is rights talk inconvenient for? In the end, Geuss’s realism appeals to the importance of the achievement of social order as the greatest value in politics and cautions against rights-focused liberal views that take it for granted. How does he ground this view and why does he find it persuasive? To understand realism as an alternative, we must turn to the work of Bernard Williams, from which Geuss draws important parts of his view. Where Rawls calls justice the first virtue of social institutions, Williams says that it is rather simply order itself that is the first virtue. However, ordering institutions – which is to say, the state – must meet what he calls the “Basic Legitimacy Demand”; in other words, people want a story to explain their submission to authority. Geuss wants to understand rights talk as one bad way of cashing out that story, since it obscures the inevitability of conflict and the precariousness of social order. However, just as he believes the actions of the state will always outrun our ability to justify it, this paper argues that rights talk also outruns his attempt to render it simply an inconvenient fiction. Geuss’s realism itself also relies on a particular normative picture that is of the same kind that he criticizes.
Free-Roller Versus Fixed-Roller Fixtures in Flexure Testing of Advanced Ceramic Materials

The error associated with strength measurements made with fixed-roller and V-grooved roller figures was studied with a variety of roller and figure material combinations. Both the fixed-roller and the V-grooved fixtures yielded an error in stress of about 4 to 7%. They also exhibited an appreciable amount of load strain hysteresis. Dynamic fatigue testing of 96 wt.% alumina verified the error: the fatigue strength was overestimated by 7 to 9% for the fixed roller configuration. The source of error is exclusively attributed to friction between the rollers and the specimen surface, as verified by previous investigators.
ESR studies of electron-transfer reactions in the durosemiquinone system.: Formation of the intermediate complex

Abstract The exchange between durosemiquinone triplet-ions (DQ· − ·, 2Na + ) and the parent quinone in THF was studied. Both sodium ions are transferred in the process, and the ESR spectrum in the presence of 2M duroquinone collapses into 7 lines. The sodium coupling constant in this spectrum is 1.93 MHz whereas in the absence of the quinone its value is 0.66 MHz only. Similarly, the sodium coupling constant of DQ· − ·, Na + increases from 1.01 MHz in the absence of quinone to 1.96 in 2M DQ. It is suggested that the complexes (DQ· − , 2Na + , DQ) and (DQ· − , Na + , DQ) are formed under these conditions.
How Do Publicly Reported Medicare Quality Metrics for Radiologists Compare With Those of Other Specialty Groups

Abstract Purpose To characterize and compare the performance of radiologists in Medicare's new Physician Compare Initiative with that of other provider groups. Methods CMS Physician Compare data were obtained for all 900,334 health care providers (including 30,614 radiologists) enrolled in Medicare in early 2015. All publicly reported metrics were compared among eight provider categories (radiologists, pathologists, primary care, other medical subspecialists, surgeons, all other physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and all other nonphysicians). Results Overall radiologist satisfaction of all six Physician Compare Initiative metrics differed significantly from that of nonradiologists (all P ≤ .005): acceptance of Medicare-approved amount as payment in full, 75.8% versus 85.0%; Electronic Prescribing, 11.2% versus 25.1%; Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), 60.5% versus 39.4%; electronic health record participation, 15.8% versus 25.4%; receipt of the PQRS Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive, 4.7% versus 0.3%; and Million Hearts initiative participation, 0.007% versus 0.041%. Among provider categories, radiologists and pathologists demonstrated the highest and second-highest performance levels, respectively, for the two metrics (PQRS and MOC) with specialty-specific designs, but they ranked between fifth and eighth in all remaining non–specialty-specific metrics. Conclusions The performance of radiologists and pathologists in Medicare's Physician Compare Initiative may relate to the extent to which metrics are tailored to the distinct aspects of their practices as diagnostic information specialists. If more physician participation in these programs is desired, more meaningful specialty-specific (rather than generic) metrics are encouraged.
Teaching graphs to visually impaired students using an active auditory interface

We present our ongoing research in the communication of graphs and relational information to blind computer science students. We have developed a system called exPLoring graphs at UMB (PLUMB) that displays a drawn graph on a tablet PC and uses auditory cues to help a blind user navigate the graph. Beyond Computer Science education, this work has applications to assist blind individuals in navigation, map manipulation and other applications that require graph visualization.
Flame propagation of burning solid material with moisture

The author has developed an analytical model in an effort to determine the effect of moisture on flame propagation. To some degree, the study clarifies the fire controlling mechanism of liquids.
Was Big Beautiful? The Rise of National Breweries in America’s Pre-Prohibition Brewing Industry

In the years leading up to national Prohibition in 1920, several breweries gained national prominence. Previous authors have attributed their rise to greater productive efficiencies or to higher product quality. A more detailed review challenges these assertions and argues instead that their accomplishments have more to do with the growing late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American preference for standardized and branded goods. The achievements of the national breweries must be examined in connection with such sweeping developments as the shift to store-bought foodstuffs, the birth of national branding campaigns, the beginning of mass packaging, and the move toward product homogeneity.