cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
System-Dynamics Modeling of Source Mass-Depletion and Risk- Exposure Evolution for Natural Attenuation Processes in the Vadose Zone

Public health is potentially at risk after a contaminant of concern (COC) is released into the ecosphere. The extent of contamination depends on numerous factors; modeling a contaminant’s dynamic behavior is challenging, given the multitude of relevant parameters and the fluid nature of processes involved. For example, weather events (e.g., wet or dry periods) may affect the mass depletion and the fate and transport of COCs, and hence, the risk assessment of current and potential future exposures. Thus, to give realistic estimates for potential risks, a contaminant’s dynamic behavior must be taken into account in decision-making processes. In this paper, a system-dynamics framework for a dynamic-risk assessment is developed taking into consideration the mass-depletion processes in a natural attenuation environment. This framework rests on the premise that natural attenuation is a complex system involving a variety of source mass-depletion phenomena which evolve over time. Through cause-and-effect loops, a system-dynamics model connects the contaminant’s physicochemical and biological mass-depletion processes with the potential risk for exposure by water ingestion and air inhalation. The model considers an idealistic approach involving a continuous average infiltration rate, and a realistic approach incorporating weather fluctuations into the system. To test the proposed model, a conceptual example of benzene contamination in the vadose zone is analyzed. Geological site specifications, contaminant characteristics, and fate-and-transport mechanisms contributing to source mass-depletion are considered, including water infiltration, volatilization, biodegradation, and groundwater recharge. Cancer risk is assessed in two exposure routes (ingestion, inhalation) for idealistic and realistic case scenarios.
China’s crony capitalism: the dynamics of regime decay

Since the new leadership led by Xi Jinping started to govern China in 2013, the regime has launched a massive anti-corruption campaign. Is this campaign able to curb corruption in China? Minxin Pei...
The Scientific Research Output of U.S. Research Universities, 1980–2010: Continuing Dispersion, Increasing Concentration, or Stable Inequality?

Extending and expanding Geiger and Feller’s (1995) analysis of increasing dispersion in R&D expenditures during the 1980s, the paper analyzes publication and citation counts as well as R&D expenditures for 194 top producers using Web of Science data. We find high and stable levels of inequality in the 1990s and 2000s, combined with robust growth both in the system and on individual campuses, considerable opportunities for short-range mobility and very limited opportunities for long-range mobility. Initial investments in research, private control, and the capacity of wealthy institutions to attract productive faculty are associated with high levels of scientific output. New entrants to the system and those that leave the system are both clustered near the bottom of the hierarchy.
Transvenous lead extraction at the time of cardiac implantable electronic device upgrade: Complexity, safety, and outcomes

Background The practice of lead abandonment at the time of cardiac implantable electronic device upgrade remains a controversial topic but is affecting an increasing number of patients. Inherent risks include high-risk extractions of redundant leads when extraction is required at a later date. Objectives We aimed to report our experience with transvenous lead extraction (TLE) at the time of device upgrade. Methods All consecutive TLE procedures at the time of device upgrade at the Cleveland Clinic between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 2012 were included (n = 503). Success and complications were defined according to the Heart Rhythm Society consensus document on TLE. Results There were a total of 984 leads in place, and 719 were targeted with extraction (589 pacer and 130 defibrillator leads, 63 of them being dual-coil leads). In all patients, TLEs aimed to avoid abandoning leads. Concomitant lead management issues included lead malfunction (15%), previously abandoned leads (9%), vascular access occlusion (6%), or leads on advisory (3%). In most procedures (75.4%), special extraction tools were needed. The complete procedural and clinical success rates were 96.6% and 97.2%, respectively. During planned extractions, damage of coexisting leads occurred in 19 patients (3.8%), eventually requiring extraction. The major and minor complication rates were 1% and 1.4%, respectively. Conclusion In a high-volume center, TLEs at the time of device upgrade were successful in the vast majority of patients with a low complication rate.
Scholarly Impact of Student Participation in Radiation Oncology Research.

Purpose To evaluate the rate of non-doctoral student authors publishing in an academic journal over time and to analyze the effects student authors have on the scholarly impact of corresponding authors (CAs) by comparing their respective H-index (Hi). Methods and Materials A database was created of authors who published articles in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics in 2006, 2010, and 2014 that included CA, degree, and student author designations. Corresponding authors' His were obtained from Scopus ( scopus.com ). Student authorship rates were compared between the sampled years. The data were divided into 2 groups: CAs publishing with student authors (SA) and those without (nSA). The CAs' median and mean His with standard deviation and a 95% confidence interval were compared between SA and nSA. Results A total of 1728 published articles were identified with 1477 unique CAs. The percentage of published articles with student authors increased from 44.4% in 2006, to 52.9% in 2010, to 55.9% in 2014 (P = .0003). In overall analysis, mean Hi was higher for SA as compared with nSA (24.3 vs 22.9), although this did not achieve statistical significance (P = .094). Mean Hi (standard deviation) in 2006, 2010, and 2014 was 27.9 (16.6), 23.6 (16.7), and 18.5 (14.6), respectively. Mean Hi was significantly higher for SA compared with nSA in the years 2006 (29.5 vs 26.6, P = .048) and 2010 (24.9 vs 21.9, P = .038) but not in 2014 (18.5 vs 18.4, P = .963). Conclusion Student authorship rates in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics are increasing. The data suggest that student participation in research may benefit both corresponding and student authors. Creating and expanding research programs to integrate research into medical education may enhance students' experience and encourage interest in radiation oncology.
Chinatown Black Tigers: Black Masculinity and Chinese Heroism in Frank Chin's Gunga Din Highway

Images of ominous villains and asexual heroes in literature and mainstream American culture tend to relegate Asian American men to limited expressions of masculinity. These emasculating images deny Asian American men elements of traditional masculinity, including agency and strength. Many recognize the efforts of Frank Chin, a Chinese American novelist, to confront, expose, and revise such images by relying on a tradition of Chinese heroism. In Gunga Din Highway (1994), however, Chin creates an Asian American masculinity based on elements of both the Chinese heroic tradition and a distinct brand of African American masculinity manifested in the work of Ishmael Reed, an African American novelist and essayist known for his outspoken style. Rather than transforming traditional masculinity to include Asian American manhood, Chin9s images of men represent an appropriation of elements from two ethnic sources that Chin uses to underscore those of Asian Americans. While deconstructing the reductive images advocated by the dominant culture, Chin critiques the very black masculinity he adopts. Ultimately he fails to envision modes of masculinity not based on dominance, yet Chin9s approach also can be read as the ultimate expression of Asian American individualism.
Thermodynamics of Iron-Silicate Slags: Slags Saturated with Gamma Iron

As a first step in a study of the physical chemistry of copper-smelting slags, experimental measurements were made of the oxygen pressure of simple iron-silicate slags in equilibrium with solid iron. The experiments consisted in bubbling CO2-CO mixtures through the slags in iron crucibles and in finding the equilibrium ratios of CO2, to CO. From the data, activ-ities and partial molal heats of solution FeO and SiO2 in the slags were calculated.
A Wideband Magnetoresistive Sensor for Monitoring Dynamic Fault Slip in Laboratory Fault Friction Experiments

A non-contact, wideband method of sensing dynamic fault slip in laboratory geophysical experiments employs an inexpensive magnetoresistive sensor, a small neodymium rare earth magnet, and user built application-specific wideband signal conditioning. The magnetoresistive sensor generates a voltage proportional to the changing angles of magnetic flux lines, generated by differential motion or rotation of the near-by magnet, through the sensor. The performance of an array of these sensors compares favorably to other conventional position sensing methods employed at multiple locations along a 2 m long × 0.4 m deep laboratory strike-slip fault. For these magnetoresistive sensors, the lack of resonance signals commonly encountered with cantilever-type position sensor mounting, the wide band response (DC to ≈ 100 kHz) that exceeds the capabilities of many traditional position sensors, and the small space required on the sample, make them attractive options for capturing high speed fault slip measurements in these laboratory experiments. An unanticipated observation of this study is the apparent sensitivity of this sensor to high frequency electomagnetic signals associated with fault rupture and (or) rupture propagation, which may offer new insights into the physics of earthquake faulting.
Solitons and rogue waves in spinor Bose-Einstein condensates.

We present a general classification of one-soliton solutions as well as families of rogue-wave solutions for $F=1$ spinor Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs). These solutions are obtained from the inverse scattering transform for a focusing matrix nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation which models condensates in the case of attractive mean-field interactions and ferromagnetic spin-exchange interactions. In particular, we show that when no background is present, all one-soliton solutions are reducible via unitary transformations to a combination of oppositely polarized solitonic solutions of single-component BECs. On the other hand, we show that when a nonzero background is present, not all matrix one-soliton solutions are reducible to a simple combination of scalar solutions. Finally, by taking suitable limits of all the solutions on a nonzero background we also obtain three families of rogue-wave (i.e., rational) solutions.
Crossing the Rubicon

Economists tend to assume that preferences are given and stable. This assumption is central to their research because it allows them to explain changes in behavior largely in terms of variables such as changes in income and relative prices, and more generally in terms of incentives and disincentives. However, sociologists and psychologists have shown that preferences are formed during the socialization process and continue to be reformulated during adulthood through methods like persuasion, leadership, and advertising. Hence when one compares behavior at two points in time, one must take into account changes in preferences that may well have occurred during the given period. The challenge manifested in both perspectives is that there is no consolidated theory of what factors drive preferences. “Crossing the Rubicon;” that is, breaking the wall that separates economic and non-economic disciplines in order to understand preference formation could engender a new and more complete framework for policymakers.
Satisfaction with surgeon care as measured by the Surgery-CAHPS survey is not related to NSQIP outcomes

Background Patient satisfaction is a patient-centered outcome of particular interest. Previous work has suggested that global measures of satisfaction may not adequately evaluate surgical care, therefore the surgery-specific Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey was developed. It remains unclear how traditional outcome measures, such as morbidity, impact patient satisfaction. Our aim was to determine whether National Surgical Quality Improvement Program–defined complications impacted satisfaction with the surgeon as measured by a surgery-specific survey, the surgery-specific Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. Methods All patients undergoing a general surgical operation from June 2013–November 2013 were sent the surgery-specific Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey after discharge. Retrospective chart review was conducted using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program variable definitions, and major complications were defined. Data were analyzed as a function of response to the overall surgeon-rating item, and those surgeons rated as the “best possible” or “topbox” were compared with those rated lower. Univariate and logistic regression were used to determine variable importance. Results A total of 529 patients responded, and 71.5% (378/529) rated the surgeon as topbox. The overall National Surgical Quality Improvement Program complication rate was 14.2% (75/529), with 26.7% of those (20/75) being major complications. On univariate analysis, patients who rated their surgeon more highly were somewhat older (59 vs 54 years: P Conclusions When examined on a patient level with surgery-specific measures and outcomes, the presence of complications after an operation does not appear to be associated with overall patient satisfaction with surgeon care. This finding suggests that satisfaction may be an outcome distinct from traditional measures.
Evaluating physiological signal salience for estimating metabolic energy cost from wearable sensors.

In this paper, we systematically compare a large set of physiological signals collected from portable sensors and determine which sensor signals contain the most salient information for predicting ...
Sequencing and distribution analysis of Dissociation transposon events throughout the Zea mays genome

The DNA transposon Dissociation is a nonautonomous element derived from Activator. The Ac/Ds project, a collaborative effort to cast stable Ds insertions throughout the maize genome, is a potentially valuable tool for generating a reverse genetics resource in maize. By using Ac::immobilized, an Ac element that has lost the ability to mobilize but can still produce transposase, a Ds element in the anthocyanin regulating allele r1-sc:m3 can be mobilized. Through genetic crosses, Ac::im can be segregated away, creating maize lines with stable Ds insertions that can be maintained through multiple generations. These new events are sequenced and located on the maize genome using BLAST. Through selection of genetic markers based on kernel color, transposition events into either linked or unlinked locations can be preferentially enriched for, allowing a broad distribution of events beyond the donor site. As of October 5, 2007, 816 unlinked families and 126 linked families have been produced, processed, and sequenced, with an approximate 77% success rate. Repeat masking shows a low content of repetitive sequence, implying that these events are moving into nonrepetitive, genic regions. By examining transposition events into the donor chromosome, transposition patterns can also be observed. 95% of hits land within a 40 cM range of the donor site. The relative concentration of events increases closer to the donor site. Also, families that are not selected for unlinked events show a bias toward transposing to locations distal to the donor locus. Because the Ac/Ds project uses the W22 inbred line, sequence from large fDs fragments was compared against GSS assemblies from B73. The identity
Feminism, Gender, and Agentic and Communal Themes in Narrative Identity

Individuals create a sense of self-continuity by constructing a narrative identity that integrates their past experiences with an imagined future. Previous research indicates that men are more likely than women to include agentic themes in their narrative identities, whereas women are more likely than men to include communal themes. The present investigation examined whether feminist identity would moderate the effects of gender on the degree to which participants included agentic and communal themes in their narrative identities. U.S. undergraduates (n = 170) completed measures of feminist beliefs in the laboratory, and then later wrote six essays describing various chapters of their life story as a measure of narrative identity. We coded each essay for agentic and communal thematic content. Consistent with previous research, gender predicted thematic content of essays; however, the gender effect on agentic themes was moderated by the degree to which individuals identified as feminists. For individuals lower in feminist identity, agentic thematic content of essays was consistent with previously reported gender differences; however, for individuals higher in feminist identity, the relationship between gender and agentic thematic content was attenuated. The effect of feminist identity on thematic content was maintained even when controlling for self-reported agentic traits.
Abstract P3026: Impact of Dietary Electrolytes on Post-Nephrectomy Blood Pressure, Proteinuria and Renal Function

When chronic kidney disease progresses to end stage renal disease, the optimal treatment is living kidney donation (LKD). A 10 yr prospective study of 1214 donors (PMID 27006347), reported that LKD...
Cardiovascular disease risk among rural residents living with diabetes and prediabetes: A cluster randomized trial

Objective Diabetes is a major health problem that is closely linked with cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in the United States. The purpose of this analysis was to determine the effect of a culturally relevant diabetes health promotion program on diabetes knowledge and self-reported self-care behaviors. Design A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in 12 rural church settings. Seven churches were randomized to the intervention group and five to the control group. Sample The sample included 146 African American participants diagnosed with diabetes and prediabetes. Intervention The intervention group participants (n = 75) received the diabetes health program, and those in the control group (n = 71) group received a publicly available diabetes health brochure. Measures Data were collected about diabetes knowledge, self-care activities, fatalism, and social support. Results Linear mixed model was the statistical test used to analyze group differences. Compared with the control group, the intervention group showed significant changes from pretest to posttest for diabetes knowledge and behaviors associated with diet and blood glucose testing. Conclusion Health promotion programs implemented by public health nurses among rural groups at increased risk for developing CVD can facilitate understanding about strategies to reduce disease risk.
TRAV gene segments further away from the TRAJ gene segment cluster appear more commonly in human tumor and blood samples

We considered the possibility that the greater the distance between an immune receptor V and J, the more likely the V usage. Such a hypothesis is supported by results from mouse experiments. And, such a hypothesis is consistent with the fundamental nature of recombination and genomic distance: the further the distance, the greater the chance of a DNA break. Thus, we exploited the vast dataset of V and J recombination reads available for the human TRA gene, particularly from cancer and blood specimens, to assess the frequency of TRAV usage with respect to distance from the TRAJ cluster. Results indicated that, indeed, over the entire TRAV cluster, there is a greater chance of V usage the further the distance from the J cluster. These results do not address causation, and are not consistent for certain individual V gene segments, but the results do indicate that overall, the larger the distance between the V and J gene segment cluster, the more likely the appearance of at least a subset of TRAV segments, particularly among tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. With a similar approach, the distal TRAV gene segments were also found to be more commonly associated with a subset of distal TRAJ segments. These results have implications for restrictions on the apparent TRA repertoire in disease settings.
Measuring the Quality of Early Mathematics Instruction: A Review of Six Measures.

Recent evidence demonstrates that mathematics knowledge in the early years is an important contributor to students’ learning and later achievement in mathematics. As early mathematics education has assumed heightened importance, the quality of early mathematics teaching and learning experiences has attracted global attention. Several researchers have designed and used a number of instruments to measure and portray the quality of mathematics teaching in early childhood classrooms. As this body of work is growing fast, it is imperative to explore similarities and differences among the existing research tools that aim to measure the quality of early mathematics instruction. This paper takes a step towards exploring such similarities and differences by reviewing six observation instruments designed to measure early mathematics teaching quality. Therefore, the aim of this paper is twofold: (1) to provide an up-to-date overview by examining these measures’ theoretical bases, foci, and psychometrics; and (2) to examine the similarities and differences between the reviewed tools.
LLC Converter with Integrated Magnetics Application for 48V Rack Architecture in Future Data Centers

In this paper, magnetic integration methods are proposed for regulated and unregulated LLC converters. The proposed magnetic structures besides the soft switching capabilities of the LLC converters and outstanding performance of wide band gap devices (WBG) help to operate at high switching frequency while achieving high-efficiency and high-power-density. The proposed magnetic structure is utilized for designing various point of load (POL) converters solutions in the 48V rack architecture for future datacenters. First, an unregulated LLC converter is designed for two-stage 48V POL solution, the designed converters can maintain a high efficiency above 98% with power density exceeding the 1200 W/in3. Second, a regulated LLC converter is utilized in a quasi-parallel single-stage 48V POL that can achieve a high-efficiency of 95% with power density of 700W/in3. Experimental prototypes have been built and performance comparison between the two solutions is provided.
Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction in a Postpartum Patient with Superimposed Preeclampsia and COVID-19

Our understanding of COVID-19 in pregnant and postpartum women is rapidly evolving. We present a case from March 2020 of a 25-year-old G2P2002 whose delivery was complicated by preeclampsia with severe features who presented to the emergency department 9 days after cesarean delivery with chest tightness and dyspnea on exertion. On presentation she had severe hypertension, pulmonary edema, elevated brain natriuretic peptide, and high-sensitivity troponin-I, suggesting a diagnosis of hypertensive emergency leading to heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction resulting in pulmonary edema and abnormal cardiac screening tests. However, bilateral opacities were seen on a computed tomography of the chest, and COVID-19 testing was positive. A high index of suspicion for both COVID-19 and cardiovascular complications are critical for optimal patient outcomes and protection of health care workers.
CEREBRAL FUNCTION MONITORING (CFM) IN NEWBORNS WITH SURGERY FOR CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE: PRELIMINARY RESULTS

Background Timing of cerebral injury remains unclear in newborns with congenital heart disease. CFM is routinely used in neonates with perinatal asphyxia, but not in a similar manner in infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) undergoing bypass surgery. Aims To describe CFM abnormalities in infants undergoing bypass surgery for CHD and to relate those findings to perioperative outcome. Methods Prospective cohort study on infants with CHD requiring cardio-pulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery. Newborns with cerebral anomalies and with chromosomal disorders were excluded. CFM was performed 12–24 hours preoperatively and within 6 hours after surgery for 48 hours. Amplitude integrated electroencephalogram (aEEG) was classified into continuous normal voltage (CNV), discontinuous normal voltage (DNV), burst-suppression (BS), continuous low voltage (CLV) and flat tracing (FT). Epileptic activity was classified. Results 33 newborns were enrolled of whom 28 (85%) had a cyanotic CHD. One child died postoperatively. Median gestational age was 39.9 weeks with a median birth weight of 3250 grams. CFM abnormalities were detected in 2 of 33 neonates (6%) preoperatively and in 7 of 32 (21%) infants postoperatively. Median cardiopulmonary bypass time was 208 minutes (74–489). Postoperative CFM abnormalities were correlated with the hospitalisation time in ICU (p = 0.013). Duration on CPB, RACH-score, lactate, blood sugar and total hospitalisation time were not significantly correlated. Conclusion In infants undergoing heart surgery on CPB for CHD preoperative CFM abnormalities are rare. However, postoperative CFM abnormalities occur in a large number of infants and are associated with longer duration of intensive care stay.
Integrated Multidisciplinary Treatment for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic and relapsing inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract [...]
Early Experiences with Triple Immunochemotherapy in Adolescents and Young Adults with High-Risk Fibrolamellar Carcinoma

Introduction There are no standard systemic therapies for the treatment of fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC), as surgery remains the only definitive option. We share our experiences using systemic "triple therapy" (TT) with 5-fluorouracil, interferon, and nivolumab for the treatment of relapsed, refractory, metastatic, or unresectable FLC. Methods Data from all patients who received TT from May 2018 to July 2020 were reviewed to assess response, survival, and toxicity. Results A total of 22 patients were treated with TT, of which 14 (median age of 21 years) were evaluable. They received a median of 18 cycles (8-44). At the time of analysis, the median progression-free survival was 9 months (4.5-26), 29% longer than prior to TT, with 5 patients achieving clinical remission, 8 patients stable or improving, and 1 progression. Overall objective response (clinical remission + partial response) was 50% and tumor control rate (clinical remission + partial response + stable disease) was 93%. Two patients withdrew from treatment due to side effects. Discussion/conclusion Our early results support TT as a promising medical option to slow disease progression and prolong survival in high-risk patients with FLC. TT can be administered in the outpatient setting and has shown good tolerability. Further longitudinal data is needed to confirm outcomes, especially in patients still early in their treatment.
What the World Needs Now is Jazz

The worldwide lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic initiated an economic crisis, especially in the performing arts world. With all events cancelled for many months and limited options to return to live performance in the future, the arts community had to respond quickly. The jazz model, specifically improvisational training, has been discussed frequently in entrepreneurship literature as a useful model for making decisions in uncertain situations. The principle of Effectual Entrepreneurship, defined as engaging in a continuous cycle of ideation and experimentation towards creating solutions from available means and techniques, is usually associated with a growth mindset fostered by training in improvisational techniques. This article documents how the directions and activities pursued by jazz musicians who train their improvisational capacities on a regular basis produce evolving new models of mediatized musical performance. Data collected from a survey, published literature, and several in-depth interviews and conclusions point towards a hybrid model of new technologies and modes of interaction combined with the need to preserve human engagement.
Histological Studies of the Ventricular–Subventricular Zone as Neural Stem Cell and Glioma Stem Cell Niche:

The neural stem cell niche of the ventricular-subventricular zone supports the persistence of stem and progenitor cells in the mature brain. This niche has many notable cytoarchitectural features that affect the activity of stem cells and may also support the survival and growth of invading tumor cells. Histochemical studies of the niche have revealed many proteins that, in combination, can help to reveal stem-like cells in the normal or cancer context, although many caveats persist in the quest to consistently identify these cells in the human brain. Here, we explore the complex relationship between the persistent proliferative capacity of the neural stem cell niche and the malignant proliferation of brain tumors, with a special focus on histochemical identification of stem cells and stem-like tumor cells and an eye toward the potential application of high-dimensional imaging approaches to the field.
Tropical cyclones shape mangrove productivity gradients in the Indian subcontinent.

Recent literature on the impact of cyclones on mangrove forest productivity indicates that nutrient fertilizations aided by tropical cyclones enhance the productivity of mangrove forests. We probe the implications of these predictions in the context of Indian mangroves to propose potential future directions for mangrove research in the subcontinent. First, we look at the time series trend (2000–2020) in satellite-derived gross primary productivity (GPP) datasets for seven mangrove forests across the country’s coastline. Second, we compare seasonal changes in soil nutrient levels for a specific site to further the arguments proposed in the literature and investigate the role of potential drivers of mangrove productivity. We find overall increasing trends for GPP over the past two decades for all seven mangrove sites with seasonal fluctuations closely connected to the tropical storm activities for three sites (Bhitarkanika, Pichavaram, and Charao). Additionally, organic carbon and nitrogen levels showed no significant trend, but phosphorus levels were higher during the post-monsoon-winter period for Bhitarkanika. Our findings expand the predictions of previous studies that emphasized the role of storm-induced nutrient fluxes and freshwater supply as primary drivers of productivity gradients in mangroves. Our study provides insights on how mangrove productivity may change with fluctuating frequency and magnitude of cyclones under a changing climate, implying the need for more mechanistic studies in understanding the long-term impact on mangrove productivity in the region.
Racial Disparities in the Rates of and Indications for Cesarean Delivery in California: Are They Changing Over Time?

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess whether racial disparities in rates of and indications for cesarean delivery (CD) between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White birthing people in California changed from 2011 to 2017. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study using a database of birth certificates linked to discharge records. Singleton term live births in nulliparous Black and White birthing people in California between 2011 and 2017 were included. Those with noncephalic presentation, placenta previa, and placenta accreta were excluded. CD rate and indication were obtained from birth certificate variables and International Classification of Diseases codes. Differences in CD rate and indication were calculated for Black versus White individuals using univariable and multivariable logistic regression and adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS A total of 348,144 birthing people were included, 46,361 Black and 301,783 White. Overall, 30.9% of Black birthing people underwent CD compared with 25.3% of White (adjusted relative risk [aRR]: 1.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2-1.3). From 2011 to 2017, the CD rate fell 11% (26.4-23.7%, p < 0.0001) for White birthing people and 1% for Black birthing people (30.4-30.1%, p = 0.037). Over the study period, Black birthing people had a persistent 1.2- to 1.3-fold higher risk of CD and were persistently more likely to undergo CD for fetal intolerance (aRR: 1.1, 95% CI: 1.1-1.2) and less likely for active phase arrest or arrest of descent (aRRs: 0.9 and 0.4; 95% CIs: 0.9-0.9 and 0.3-0.5). CONCLUSION The CD rate decreased substantially for White birthing people and minimally for Black birthing people in our cohort over the study period. Meanwhile, disparities in CD rate and indications between the two groups persisted, despite controlling for confounders. Although care bundles for reducing CD may be effective among White birthing people, they are not associated with reduction in CD rates among Black birthing people nor improvements in racial disparities between Black and White birthing people. PRECIS Despite increasing attention to racial inequities in obstetric outcomes, there were no changes in disparities in CD rates or indications in California from 2011 to 2017. KEY POINTS · Black birthing people are more likely to undergo CD than White despite controlling for confounders.. · There are unexplained differences in CD indication among Black and White birthing people.. · These disparities persisted from 2011 to 2017 despite increasing efforts to decrease CD rates in CA..
Spin Observables for Nucleon-Nucleon Elastic Scattering at Large Momentum Transfer

We discuss amplitudes for elastic nucleon-nucleon scattering at high energy. The helicity-conserving amplitudes are modeled using a combination of the quark-interchange and the Landshoff mechanisms of perturbative QCD. The relative normalization of these two sets of amplitudes involves a “leading order form factor” which we determine empirically. Our theoretically motivated amplitudes provide an economical description of a large body of existing data and make nontrivial predictions for spin observables.
Computing Primitively-Rooted Squares and Runs in Partial Words

This paper deals with two types of repetitions in strings: squares, which consist of two adjacent occurrences of substrings, and runs, which are periodic substrings that cannot be extended further to the left or right. We show how to compute all the primitively-rooted squares in a given partial word, which is a sequence that may have undefined positions, called holes or wildcards, that match any letter of the alphabet over which the sequence is defined. We also describe an algorithm for computing all primitively-rooted runs in a given partial word.
Lymphosarcoma of the uterus.

Abstract Attention is directed to the observation that lymphomatous involvement of the uterus may be a rare cause of uterine bleeding. Such lesions may occur in the absence of manifestations of leukemia and may result in well-localized bulky lesions. Differentiation from endometrial stromal sarcoma and myometrial sarcoma may be difficult and yet important from the standpoint of implying systemic disease and a more serious prognosis.
Measuring complementarity in network design using structural equation modeling (SEM) technique with LISREL software

The notion of modularity has been given much attention in network industry because the rapid changes of technology and customer preferences require flexible network architecture. However, the effectiveness of modular design may be limited by the loss of complementarity in network design. The goal of this study is to measure the effects of complementarity in network design. A model is developed to support how the network-based services interact the design of networks with complementary components under certainty. Preliminary results showed that there exists a complementarity between network components.
Flow-based structured illumination

We apply the principle of structured illumination microscopy to a fluidic imaging device. The necessary phase shifts are no longer obtained by controlled displacement of the illumination pattern but by flowing the sample itself. The resulting scheme retains all the benefits of fluid systems while enabling easy integration with existing microscopes, flow cytometers, and aquatic imagers. We present the theory of flow-based structured illumination and demonstrate the technique experimentally by reconstructing super-resolved images of yeast cells.
THE VICTIM‐OFFENDER RELATIONSHIP AND CALLING THE POLICE IN ASSAULTS*

The revised National Crime Victimization Survey is used to examine the effects of the victim's relationship to the offender on whether assaults are reported to the police by either the victim or by third parties. The results indicate that the offender-victim relationship affects third-party but not victim reporting. The former effect occurs in part because third parties are unlikely to witness assaults involving people in ongoing relationships, particularly couples, and in part because third parties are reluctant to report minor assaults (i.e., those assaults that involve a threat but no actual attack and no weapon). We discuss possible explanations for why no effect of relationship on victim reporting was found.
Structural and petrologic evolution of the Lihue basin and eastern Kauai, Hawaii

The topography of the eastern part of the Hawaiian island of Kauai is dominated by the Lihue basin, a large (∼110 km 2 ) semicircular depression bounded by steep cliffs and partly filled by late rejuvenated-stage (or posterosional stage) volcanic material. As with other large, semicircular basins on ocean-island volcanoes, the subsurface geology and origin (e.g., structural collapse vs. fluvial erosion) of the Lihue basin are poorly understood. New analyses of samples collected from eastern Kauai and drill holes within the basin document several important features of the late-stage geologic evolution of Kauai. First, thick (>300 m) sequences of rejuvenated-stage Koloa Volcanics in the Lihue basin show systematic, basin-wide geochemical trends of increasingly incompatible elements with time, indicating a gradual decrease in the extent of partial melting of mantle sources with time. Second, beneath the rejuvenated-stage volcanics in the basin, a thin layer of postshield alkalic stage lavas (e.g., hawaiites and mugearites) overlies older shield-stage tholeiitic lavas of the Napali Member, indicating that the Lihue basin formed by structural collapse, not fluvial erosion. Third, a large (∼2–5 km 3 ) matrix-supported breccia, interpreted as deposits of one or more debris flows, is within the rejuvenated-stage volcanics throughout the basin, and correlates with surficial exposures of the Palikea Breccia west of the basin. Isotopic compositions of the bulk breccia are similar to those of tholeiites from the east side of Kauai, and distinct from those of west Kauai tholeiites. Clasts within the breccia are dominantly hawaiite and alkali gabbro. The source region of the breccia in the steep cliffs and highlands of the central massif to the west of the basin must contain magmatic products of an extensive postshield alkalic stage, including hawaiite flows and one or more large intrusive bodies or ponded sequences of alkali gabbro.
Context Effects in a Negatively Framed Social Dilemma Experiment

A number of studies of the positively-framed voluntary contribution mechanism (VCM) public goods game have examined the role of context on participant behavior. Relatively little attention, however, has been given to the effects of context in negatively-framed VCM games even though this setting is relevant to a wide array of real world challenges, such as common pool resource use and pollution externalities. This study uses a carefully-controlled laboratory experiment to investigate the degree to which the context in which decisions are made influences decision making in a negatively-framed VCM laboratory experiment. The context treatments that we evaluate vary communication, voting, and the status quo of the initial endowment. Results indicate that providing groups the opportunity to communicate and vote significantly reduces choices that impose external costs. Importantly, the pro-social effects of communication and voting are strongest when the status quo endowment is the private account, which generates costs on other participants. This result suggests that the effect of the status quo endowment is a function of whether the social dilemma is framed positively or negatively when communication between participants is allowed.
Statocyst lacking cilia in the coelenterate Corymorpha palma.

STATOCYSTS are sensory organs which detect the direction of gravitational force, and usually consist of a vesicle which contains a nodule (statolith) resting on a bed of sensory hairs (generally cilia). Changes in orientation cause the statolith to roll onto and stimulate new groups of hairs which pass information to the nervous system. This pattern is true of most coelenterate statocysts1. I wish to describe a coelenterate statocyst in which cilia and nerves are absent, the statolith resting directly on the wall of its vesicle.
Consumer Behavior in Online Auctions: an Examination of Partitioned Prices on EBay

eBay is one of the most successful consumer-related online auction sites. This paper describes a field study to determine the effects of partitioned prices—that is, separate item costs and shipping charges—on the winning bids submitted by consumers on this site. Consumers appear to be subject to an anchoring and adjustment heuristic that leads many to ignore the less-salient shipping costs when bidding. Even experienced bidders exhibit these effects. This behavior is particularly striking in an environment where sellers set variable shipping costs. The results have implications for consumers and sellers on eBay and similar online auction sites that allow sellers to set their own prices for shipping and other ancillary costs. Retailers conducting auctions on other Web sites should find the results useful as well.
Modeling and forecasting U.S. public construction

Abstract This paper extends Lin's flexible accelerator model of dynamic investment behavior of U.S. public construction by relaxing two of the underlying basic assumptions: (1) the coefficient of adjustment is allowed to vary with the level of government expenditure and (2) the regression coefficients are treated as randomly changing over time rather than being viewed as fixed. The new models afford a better explanation of the behavior of U.S. public construction. Importantly, the forecasting ability of the variable-coefficient-of-adjustment model is tested for the three-year period beyond the sample period and compared to both the Lin's original and ARIMA models. It is found that this new model gives better forecasts of public construction for ten quarters ahead. On the basis of the chi-square test of model stability and the mean squared error, it is concluded that the model with variable adjustment coefficients is a better abstraction of economic reality and improves forecasting accuracy.
Therapeutic drug monitoring by capillary electrophoresis

Because of the ease of analysis and the high resolution, drug analysis is becoming the best example for the application of capillary electrophoresis. Therapeutic drug monitoring is a specialized area of drug analysis performed in clinical laboratories for patient care. CE offers high resolution and speed with the low operating costs needed in patient care. However, CE has a few limitations, mainly poor detection limits and precision. Simple methods of stacking, which enhance drug detection to overcome the poor sensitivity of CE are stressed. Serum has a unique matrix with a high content of proteins and salts which can have adverse effects on separation by CE. For successful analysis, special maneuvers are employed to decrease these matrix effects. Studies that have addressed the improvement of the precision of CE are summarized. CE offers the possibility of bringing chiral separations into the routine arena.
Instrumentation designed to simulate the effects of prisms used in studies of visual rearrangement

A system is described which simulates some of the visual rearrangements and changes in sensorimotor relations that occur when experimental subjects move their eyes while looking through a contact lens with a prism attached. The simulated system is more convenient than a system based on the use of a contact lens, and it is based on measures of eye movement that are important in research on the perceptual effects of visual rearrangement. The effects that occur are reviewed in this paper. We also show in detail how the artificial system, which has an eye movement monitor interfaced with a computer and display, simulates the former effects. The data show that experimental subjects who experience visual rearrangement by simulated means manifest the same kind of perceptual adaptation produced in studies in which visual rearrangement is generated by means of a prism mounted on a contact lens.
Múltiplos ordenamentos de realidade: o debate iniciado por Lévy-Bruhl

traduzido de TAMBIAH, Stanley. [1990] Magic, Science, Religion and the Scope of Rationality. Cambridge University Press, 2006. Cap. 05. Multiple Orderings of Reality: Te Debate Initiated by Levy-Bruhl. tradutores Daniel Belik Mestre em Antropologia Social pela University of Aberdeen Stella Zagatto Paterniani Mestra em Antropologia Social pela Unicamp revisora Iracema Dulley Doutora pela Universidade de Sao Paulo
Negative allelopathic effects of rutin and quercetin on fourteen soil and enteric microbes

Abstract The flavonoids rutin and quercetin were assayed separately and in combination for antimicrobial activity againts 14 soil and enteric microbes. Microbial inhibition was observed when rutin and quercetin (pH 5.7 and 5.8 respectively) solutions were not adjusted to pH 7.0. At neutral pH no antimicrobial activity was observed. The addition of flavonoids at neutral pH did not effect the bacterial growth curve of Agrobacterium tumefaciens or the exponential growth of Escherichia coli. Both bacteria grew to turbidity from a loop-inoculum in medium containing rutin or quercetin as the sole carbon source. Furthermore, medium containing rutin and/or quercetin did not decrease either the number or relative frequency of several microbes from open field and forest floor soil samples. It is concluded that microbial inhibition has not played a major evolutionary role in the production of flavonoids in plants.
An approach to systems correctness

First, the problem of proving the correctness of an operating system is defined. Then a simple model is presented. Several examples are given to show how this model allows derivation of proofs about small systems.