cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What Leaders Can Learn About Teamwork and Developing High Performance Teams from Organization Development Practitioners

The ability of organizations to be skilled at teamwork and building high performance teams is a major key to competitive advantage and may very well determine the future success or failure of many organizations. The payoffs of teamwork are well documented (see for example, Katzenback & Smith, 1993; LaFasto & Larson, 2001; McShane & Von Glinow, 2010; Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011; Levi, 2011). Teamwork can significantly improve performance, effectiveness, efficiency, morale, job satisfaction, unity of purpose, communications, innovative thinking, quality, speed in getting things done, and loyalty to an organization. By contrast, organizations that are not skilled at teamwork are sure to underutilize their potential and are just as sure to suffer the many internal and external consequences that a lack of teamwork brings. It makes sense that organizations of all types and sizes from the private, public, nonprofit, athletic, military, and other sectors should make teamwork a high priority and that leaders should be trained to be skilled in developing high performance teams. The irony is that while virtually everyone believes in teamwork, leaders passionately preach the importance of teamwork, an abundance of research supports the value of teamwork, and teamwork is almost always a central theme of text books and practitioner books on leadership and how to build successful organizations, most organizations do little if anything to build teamwork. In fact, leaders are rarely trained how to build teamwork and high performance teams, and organization cultures, designs, priorities, pressures, and rewards often discourage teamwork. Yes, there are excellent examples of teamwork in some organizations, athletic teams, the military, and a few other organizations. However, excelling at teamwork is not the norm. If you want a reality check on how effective organizations are at teamwork, gather a sampling of people from your own organization or different organizations together and ask the following questions: a. Do you believe that teamwork is important to the success of an organization? b. Does your organization excel at teamwork at the top, within teams, and between teams? c. Do you believe that your organization values and rewards teamwork and being a team player? d. What does your organization do to train leaders how to build high performance teams?
Pursued by Adrenalin, in Pursuit of Dopamine

As water rose rapidly from the floorboard to the seat cushion, my hopeful anticipation of a fine day collecting lycaenids quickly changed to desperate concern. The front of the vehicle was hung up on a submerged rock, while the spinning rear wheels dug deeper into the sandy river bed. Then came the sinking realization that water flooding into the rear of the vehicle was submerging luggage, including a week’s worth of entomological collections and a couple US$1000 worth of film and photographic gear. Our little 4 WD Toyota Prado was stuck in the middle of the Xedon (Don River) in Saravane Province, southern Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR, aka Laos). Perhaps I was predisposed to find myself in this predicament.
Urea gradient-associated fluid absorption with sigma urea = 1 in rat terminal collecting duct.

It has been proposed that inner medullary collecting ducts (IMCDs) can absorb fluid in the absence of a transepithelial osmolality gradient if a perfusate-to-bath urea gradient is present. Such a process has been suggested to be caused by a nonunity reflection coefficient for urea (sigma urea less than 1). However, our recent measurements of sigma urea yielded values not significantly different from 1.0. The present study was done to readdress the possibility of direct coupling of water and urea transport in the rat IMCD. Isolated rat terminal IMCD segments were studied in the presence of 10(-10) M vasopressin with the osmolality of the perfusate equal to that of the peritubular bath but with a perfusate-to-bath urea gradient (bath osmolality balanced with NaCl). We measured both fluid absorption rate and urea concentration in collected fluid and calculated the osmolality of the collected fluid. We observed rapid fluid absorption associated with substantial urea absorption. The urea absorption caused a la...
The influence of muscle fiber type composition on the patterns of responses for electromyographic and mechanomyographic amplitude and mean power frequency during a fatiguing submaximal isometric muscle action

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the influence of muscle fiber type composition on the patterns of responses for electromyographic (EMG) and mechanomyographic (MMG) amplitude and mean power frequency (MPF) during a fatiguing submaximal isometric muscle action. Five resistance-trained (mean +/- SD age = 23.2 +/- 3.7 yrs) and five aerobically-trained (mean +/- SD age = 32.6 +/- 5.2 yrs) men volunteered to perform a fatiguing, 30-sec submaximal isometric muscle action of the leg extensors at 50% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). Muscle biopsies from the vastus lateralis revealed that the myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition for the resistance-trained subjects was 59.0 +/- 4.2% Type IIa, 0.1 +/- 0.1% Type IIx, and 40.9 +/- 4.3% Type I. The aerobically-trained subjects had 27.4 +/- 7.8% Type IIa, 0.0 +/- 0.0% Type IIx, and 72.6 +/- 7.8% Type I MHC. The patterns of responses and mean values for absolute and normalized EMG amplitude and MPF during the fatiguing muscle action were similar for the resistance-trained and aerobically-trained subjects. The resistance-trained subjects demonstrated relatively stable levels for absolute and normalized MMG amplitude and MPF across time, but the aerobically-trained subjects showed increases in MMG amplitude and decreases in MMG MPE The absolute MMG amplitude and MPF values for the resistance-trained subjects were also greater than those for the aerobi-cally-trained subjects. These findings suggested that unlike surface EMG, MMG may be a useful noninvasive technique for examining fatigue-related differences in muscle fiber type composition.
Prescription Drug Misuse Among College Students A Comparison of Motivational Typologies

Prescription drug misuse (PDM) is a well-documented trend among college students, with a rising prevalence in recent years. Motivations for PDM are an important aspect of the dynamics surrounding this behavior. Using a sample of undergraduate students taken from a large southern university (N = 841), this study separates users based on their motives into typologies of instrumental, recreational, or mixed motive users and examines the differences between them using a number of social learning, social control, and strain-based risk factors while also comparing them with non-users. The results show that social learning risk factors, specifically those related to the concepts of differential association and differential reinforcement, as well as the use of other drugs, exert the greatest impact on likelihood of PDM between the motivational typologies.
Time-Dependent Models of the Climatic Response to Orbital Variations

According to the astronomical theory of climate, variations in the earth’s orbit are the fundamental cause of the succession of Pleistocene ice ages. This paper summarizes how the theory has evolved since the pioneer studies of James Croll and Milutin Milankovitch, reviews recent evidence that supports the theory, and argues that a major opportunity is at hand to investigate the physical mechanisms by which the climate system responds to orbital forcing. After a survey of the kinds of models that have been applied to this problem, a simple, time-dependent model is discussed that simulates the history of planetary glaciation reasonably well over the past 250 000 years. Ignoring anthropogenic and other possible sources of variation acting at frequencies higher than one cycle per 19 000 years, this model predicts that the long-term cooling trend which began some 6 000 years ago will continue for the next 23 000 years.
Pesticides in essential oils: Occurrence and concentration in organic and conventional orange essential oils from eleven geographical origins.

In this paper is described for the first time the application of both gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) and ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) to the determination of 75 priority pesticides in orange essential oils (EOs). The sample preparation consisted in a 10-fold dilution of orange EO followed by a direct injection for GC-MS/MS technique and a freeze-out step in the case of UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis. The analytical methods were validated using the SANCO criteria and gave reporting limits (RLs) of 10 μg L-1, 25 μg L-1, 50 μg L-1 and 100 μg L-1 for 57, 13, 4 and 1 pesticides, respectively. The analysis of four others EOs in the context of a proficiency test demonstrated very good performance and versatility of the methods with a detection rate of 100%, 97.8% of correct quantifications and no false negative. Then 49 orange EOs of known origin and quality were analysed using the standard addition procedure. It enabled to highlight significant matrix effects leading to differences in response factor up to 9.0 in GC-MS/MS and 53.1 in UPLC-QTOF-MS, between an orange EO sample to another. It was found that a conventional EO contained on average 17 pesticides for a total concentration of 5.1 mg L-1. Up to 29 different pesticides, 39 in the case of a concentrated EO, were detected in one sample and the sum of the concentration reached 51.1 mg L-1. Regarding the organic samples, none were free of pesticides but the contamination was found to be clearly lower than in conventional EOs. It was found that an organic orange EO contained on average 4 pesticides for a total concentration of 0.087 mg L-1.
Further evidence on the determinants of local government audit delay

This paper presents a study of the audit delay experienced by 289 U.S. local governments. The study extends prior research by considering explanatory variables thought to be correlates of audit quality and by comparing city and county delay. Models of audit delay and audit fees are estimated using two-stage least squares regression. The study finds that audit delay is positively associated with correlates of audit quality and that cities experience less delay than do counties. The results indicate that, while audit fees have no explanatory power concerning audit delay, delay exerts a positive influence on fees.
Immune tolerant HBV and HCC: time to revise our tolerance levels for therapy?

The immune tolerant (IT) phase, the first phase of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, has historically been perceived as a benign period in the natural history of this disease. Perinatal infection leads to a prolonged IT phase, with transition to immune clearance with seroconversion to anti-HBe in the second to third decade, whereas immediate progression to immune clearance usually occurs in newly infected children and adults (1).
Location or origin? What is critical for macrophage propagation of lung fibrosis?

Recruited lung macrophages are key in driving lung fibrosis, but the location varies with different forms of fibrosis http://ow.ly/kTIq30ixgpR
Blended making: multi-interface designs and e-crafting with elementary and middle school youth

Past efforts have demonstrated efficacy in broadening maker learning and participation by leveraging the material affordances and implicit presumptions associated with content creation tools. Past work has found that the purposeful integration of activities that blend multiple toolkits to create integrated designs [17;19;20] can both broaden the understanding of these affordances and demonstrate equitable and inclusive outcomes for adolescent youth. We illustrate early stage findings from an interaction analysis of the micro- and meso-level learning and collaborative processes that children and early adolescent learners engaged in throughout purposefully arranged multi-interface design projects to understand their agency and engagement over time and across activities.
Toward a Theory of Faculty Professional Choices in Teaching That Foster College Student Success

The topic of college student success receives an immense amount of attention in the literature. The files of the Education Resource Information Center identify 9,287 documents that designate college student success as keywords. During the last 10 years, 1,273 publications in Education Abstracts indicated college student success as keywords. Moreover, Dissertation Abstracts registers 2,086 dissertations completed during the last ten years that list college student success as keywords. Such a flurry of activity strongly signifies a topic of great interest. However, college student success stands as a topic that cries out for some form of systematic empirical attention. Without the benefit of such scholarly attention, uninformed, ad hoc views on student success and ways to achieve student success will emerge. Focusing systematic empirical attention on college student success requires the development of theoretical perspectives to guide such empirical inquiry. Accordingly, the purpose of this chapter is the formulation of a theory of faculty professional choices in teaching role performance that contribute to student success. This theory centers on faculty teaching role performance because college and university faculty members bear the primary responsibility for most forms of college student success. Critical to the formulation of this theory is a delineation of various sources of influence on faculty teaching role performance as well as those aspects of teaching role performance that contributes to student success. The delineation of these factors provides a foundation for the formulation of a theory of faculty professional choice in teaching that enhance the likelihood of student success.
ESR of Free Radicals in Enzymatic Systems

Since its original discovery in 1945 (Zaroisky, 1945), electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy has evolved from the domain of application to the problems of the physicist and chemist to application to investigations in medicine and biology. As of this writing, the diversity of biological problems to which ESR spectroscopy has been applied is so widespread that several volumes would be required to adequately cover the field.
Characteristics Associated With Participation in a Behavioral Weight Loss Randomized Control Trial in the U.S. Military.

Introduction Effective recruitment and subsequent enrollment of diverse populations is often a challenge in randomized controlled trials, especially those focused on weight loss. In the civilian literature, individuals identified as racial and ethnic minorities, men, and younger and older adults are poorly represented in weight loss interventions. There are limited weight loss trials within military populations, and to our knowledge, none reported participant characteristics associated with enrollment. There may be unique motives and barriers for active duty personnel for enrollment in weight management trials. Given substantial costs and consequences of overweight and obesity in the U.S. military, identifying predictors and limitations to diverse enrollment can inform future interventions within this population. The study aims to describe the recruitment, screening, and enrollment process of a military weight loss intervention. Demographic and lifestyle characteristics of military personnel lost between screening and randomization are compared to characteristics of personnel randomized in the study and characteristics of the Air Force in general. Materials and methods The Fit Blue study, a randomized controlled behavioral weight loss trial for active duty personnel, was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center in San Antonio, TX, USA and acknowledged by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Logistic regressions compared participant demographics, anthropometric data, and health behaviors between personnel that attended a screening visit but were not randomized and those randomized. Multivariable models were constructed for the likelihood of being randomized using a liberal entry and stay criteria of 0.10 for the p-values in a stepwise variable selection algorithm. Descriptive statistics compared the randomized Fit Blue cohort demographics to those of the U.S. Air Force. Results In univariate analyses, older age (p Conclusions Accounting for all influencing characteristics, higher educational status was the only independent predictor of randomization. Perhaps, highly educated personnel are more invested in a military career, and thus, more concerned with consequences of failing required fitness tests. Thus, it may be important for future weight loss interventions to focus recruitment on less-educated personnel. Results suggest that weight loss interventions within a military population offer a unique opportunity to recruit a higher prevalence of males and individuals who identify as racial or ethnic minorities which are populations commonly underrepresented in weight loss research.
Validation of a new method to assess estimated blood loss in the obstetric population undergoing cesarean delivery.

Abstract Background Postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality in developing countries and the primary cause of one-quarter of all maternal deaths globally. Inaccuracy in estimating blood loss obscures the diagnosis of postpartum hemorrhage and its management. Objective Our objective was to compare assessment of blood loss using the quantitative Triton TM system (Gauss Surgical, Inc., Los Altos, CA) with other measures of blood loss in women undergoing cesarean delivery. Study Design Women scheduled for cesarean deliveries at our facility were included. Intraoperative blood loss was measured using the Triton TM , which was masked to the clinical team, as well as estimated by the surgeon (EBL). The relation between the 2 methods (Triton TM and EBL) and postoperative Hgb as well as ΔHgb (postoperative minus preoperative Hgb) was determined using the Spearman correlation. Triton TM measurement and EBL were compared between women with ΔHgb in the upper quartile (cases) vs. all other quartiles (control). Prediction of ΔHgb in the upper quartile was also evaluated for each method, and the area under the ROC curves (AUCs) was compared. Results The trial enrolled 242 patients. The mean blood loss estimated by the Triton TM device was significantly lower than that estimated by clinical judgment (415.3 ± 260.6 vs. 799.6 ± 215.6 mL, P TM estimate correlated best with ΔHgb. Seventy patients had ΔHgb in the upper quartile (ΔHgb ≥ 2). There was a significant difference in the Triton TM blood loss measurement between cases and controls but no difference with EBL. Triton TM , but not EBL, was predictive of ΔHgb ≥ 2 g/dL (Triton TM : AUC = 0.66, 95% CI [0.58, 0.74]; P P = .45). Conclusion The Triton TM system provides a better estimate of blood loss than the visual estimate. Clinical trials to evaluate its benefit are warranted.
The single greatest life challenge: How late-midlife adults construct narratives of significant personal challenges

Abstract This study introduces the concept of the single greatest life challenge—the most subjectively-significant challenge a person has ever faced—and explores its implications for narrative identity. Through content coding of 157 late-midlife community adults’ life challenge narratives, we catalogued the distribution of 18 life challenge topics. Through exploratory factor analysis of narrative features, we found a four-factor structure (identity processing, agency/emotion, verbosity/specificity, and scope) largely consistent with the “big three” narrative identity metastructure. The agency/emotion factor was most closely tied to traits and functioning: it correlated negatively with neuroticism and depression, correlated positively with psychological well-being and life satisfaction, and provided incremental validity in predicting depression. The stories adults tell of their greatest challenges are informative about personality and psychological functioning.
See-through reflective metasurface diffraction grating

Metal-dielectric reflective metasurfaces with an engineered phase response provide a versatile alternative to conventional optics, especially when wanting to defy the basic law of reflection, as in compact near-eye display systems for augmented reality applications. Specifically, a key component of these display systems is a reflective grating with see-through function or capability. For a reflective metasurface, the transmission regime is typically not allowed due to a non-transparent metal backplate. In the current work, we propose a method to enable see-through metal-dielectric metasurfaces by etching apertures of random position and diameter (RPD) much larger than the design wavelength of the metasurfaces. We demonstrate a 1200 lp/mm metal-dielectric metasurface diffraction grating for use in reflection with 650 nm illumination. The fabricated device shows ∼20% diffraction efficiency in the first diffractive order over 0-50° angle of incidence, which is in agreement with the electromagnetic simulations. The device is semitransparent, letting ∼50% of the light illuminating the back of the device through via the RPD apertures. Furthermore, the light transmitted through the RPD apertures does not show any defined features due to diffraction (rings, fringes, etc.) aside from a quasi-uniform halo.
Frequentist and Bayesian approaches to data analysis: Evaluation and estimation:

Statistical thinking is essential to understanding the nature of scientific results as a consumer. Statistical thinking also facilitates thinking like a scientist. Instead of emphasizing a “correct...
Accurate quantification of astrocyte and neurotransmitter fluorescence dynamics for single-cell and population-level physiology

Recent work examining astrocytic physiology centers on fluorescence imaging, due to development of sensitive fluorescent indicators and observation of spatiotemporally complex calcium activity. However, the field remains hindered in characterizing these dynamics, both within single cells and at the population level, because of the insufficiency of current region-of-interest-based approaches to describe activity that is often spatially unfixed, size-varying and propagative. Here we present an analytical framework that releases astrocyte biologists from region-of-interest-based tools. The Astrocyte Quantitative Analysis (AQuA) software takes an event-based perspective to model and accurately quantify complex calcium and neurotransmitter activity in fluorescence imaging datasets. We apply AQuA to a range of ex vivo and in vivo imaging data and use physiologically relevant parameters to comprehensively describe the data. Since AQuA is data-driven and based on machine learning principles, it can be applied across model organisms, fluorescent indicators, experimental modes, and imaging resolutions and speeds, enabling researchers to elucidate fundamental neural physiology.
Implications of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Carriage on Cardiac Surgical Outcomes.

Background Staphylococcus aureus remains the most common cause of sternal surgical site infections (SSIs). Opinions on the postoperative implications of preoperative methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) colonization currently differ. This study aimed to investigate whether MRSA carriage affects postoperative outcomes and safety of operation. Methods A total of 1,774,811 cardiac surgical patients from 2009 to 2014 were identified from the National Inpatient Sample database. Among these patients, 5798 (0.33%) were MRSA carriers. Propensity-score matching was used to determine the effect of MRSA colonization on outcomes. Results MRSA carriers did not differ in age or sex from noncarriers, but they more often presented for urgent surgery (P Conclusions MRSA carriers undergoing cardiac surgery are not at higher risk for mortality or SSIs and can expect outcomes similar to those of noncarriers. Higher rates of postoperative MRSA infection and septicemia among carriers, although still very low, support the need for selective preoperative screening and prophylaxis when possible.
Association analysis between the serum level of vitamin D and severity of atopic dermatitis in infants

Objective To detect the serum level of vitamin D in infants with atopic dermatitis (AD) , and to investigate the relationship between the serum level of vitamin D and severity of AD in infants. Methods Clinical data were collected from patients with moderate to severe AD (AD group) through a questionnaire survey in Children′s Hospital of Shanxi from February to April in 2016, and the severity of AD was evaluated by the SCORing atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) score. A total of 95 health checkup examinees served as the control group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect the serum level of 25 (OH) D3 in the AD group and control group, as well as the total serum IgE level in the AD group. Blood cell analyzer was used to determine the proportion of blood eosinophils in the AD group. Results A total of 97 patients with AD were enrolled into the study, including 43 (44.3%) patients with moderate AD and 54 (55.7%) patients with severe AD. The serum level of 25 (OH) D3 was significantly lower in the AD group than in the healthy control group ([66.71 ± 21.07]nmol/L vs.[85.43 ± 14.87]nmol/L, P 0.05) . The serum level of 25 (OH) D3 was significantly associated with breastfeeding and vitamin D supplementation (P 0.05) . Conclusion The serum level of 25 (OH) D3 is evidently decreased in infants with AD, and vitamin D deficiency is closely related to the severity of AD in infancy. Key words: Dermatitis, atopic; Infant; Vitamin D; Severity of illness index; Immunoglobulin E
College alcohol beliefs and negative alcohol-related consequences: A moderated mediation model of enhancement drinking motives and restricted eating.

Abstract College alcohol beliefs (CABs; i.e., beliefs that alcohol use is an integral feature of college life) have been shown to be positively associated with negative alcohol-related consequences among college students. Given this information, the present study examined restricted eating before consuming alcohol to increase intoxication as one drinking behavior mechanism through which CABs relate to negative alcohol-related consequences. Additionally, we examined whether the indirect association of CABs and negative alcohol-related consequences through restricted eating differed as a function of enhancement drinking motives, specifically the CABs—restricted eating association (i.e., first-stage moderated mediation). Participants included college students (n = 1347) across 10 states/universities who consumed alcohol in the last month. The majority of participants identified as being White, non-Hispanic (69.0%), female (70.1%), and reported a mean age of 20.92 (Median = 20.00; SD = 4.60) years. As hypothesized, restricted eating mediated the association between CABs and negative alcohol-related consequences. Further, the indirect effect of CABs on negative alcohol-related consequences through restricted eating was stronger in students who endorsed high levels of enhancement motives, compared to students with low or average levels. Our findings suggest that college students with high levels of enhancement motives are at a relatively higher risk of experiencing negative alcohol-related consequences related to CABs via restricted eating, compared to those with average or low levels. Future research is needed to examine additional drinking-related factors that may influence the pathways between CABs and negative alcohol-related consequences among college students.
The Upending of the Geopolitics of Energy: Disruption Is the New Normal

The contours of the geopolitics of energy have radically transformed over the last two decades. In the early years of the twenty-first century, policy discussions centered around the existential threat posed by peak oil supply. In capitals across the world, policymakers wondered how they could best prepare their states for declining oil production. The scarcity of supply was the risk, and the multitude of economic and political sensitivities associated with energy security drove countries to seek new ways of securing hydrocarbons. The 2005 U.S. Government-funded study Peaking of World Oil Production: Impacts, Mitigation, and Risk Management (also referred to as the Hirsch Report) offered an assessment where peak oil supply would lead to a spike in prices and intense pressure on energy security, both at the domestic and global levels. Supply risk no longer stands out as the great disrupter but rather the ongoing trajectory toward peak oil and gas demand, and the required move toward a decarbonized energy system are the real challenges. This chapter explores the energy transition, and examines how the geopolitics of energy are experiencing a new stage of discontinuity, exposing both new risks and opportunities for producers and consumers of global energy.
Recipient Obesity and Kidney Transplant Outcomes: A Mate-Kidney Analysis

Rationale & Objective The impact of extreme recipient obesity on long-term kidney transplant outcomes has been controversial. This study sought to evaluate the association of various levels of recipient obesity on kidney transplantation outcomes by comparing mate-kidney recipient pairs to address possible confounding effects of donor characteristics on posttransplant outcomes. Study Design Nationwide observational cohort study using mate-kidney models. Setting & Participants In analysis based on the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network/United Network of Organ Sharing database, 44,560 adult recipients of first-time deceased-donor kidney transplants from 2001 through 2016 were paired by donor. Predictors Recipient body mass index (BMI) categorized as 18-25 (n = 12,446), >25-30 (n = 15,477), >30-35 (n = 11,144; obese), and >35 (n = 5,493; extreme obesity) kg/m2. Outcomes Outcomes included patient survival, graft survival, death-censored graft survival, delayed graft function (DGF), and hospital length of stay. Analytical Approach Conditional logistic regression and stratified proportional hazards models were used to compare outcomes as odds ratios and hazard ratios (HRs), adjusted for recipient and transplant factors, using recipients with a BMI >35 kg/m2 as a reference. Results At a median follow-up of 3.9 years, adjusted odds ratios for DGF were 0.42 (95% CI, 0.36-0.48), 0.55 (95% CI, 0.48-0.62), and 0.73 (95% CI, 0.64-0.83) for BMI 18-25, >25-30, and >30-35 kg/m2, respectively (P 25-30 kg/m2 (HRs of 0.66 [95% CI, 0.59-0.74] and 0.79 [95% CI, 0.70-0.88], respectively; P 30-35 kg/m2 (HR, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.81-1.02]; P = 0.09). Length of stay and patient survival did not differ by recipient BMI. Limitations Observational study with limited detail regarding potential confounders. Conclusions Despite an increased risk of DGF likely unrelated to donor organ quality, long-term transplant outcomes among recipients with a BMI >35 kg/m2 are similar to those among recipients with a BMI >30-35 kg/m2, supporting a flexible approach to kidney transplantation candidacy in candidates with extreme obesity.
Experimental, analytical, and computational investigation of mesh grid thermal physics in an electron gun with dispenser cathode

Gridded electron guns are key components of various electron beam based vacuum tubes. Mesh grids may be utilized for electron beam extraction and control. As part of the electron beam may be intercepted by the mesh grid, heating occurs, which could translate into performance degradation of the vacuum tube or even failure. This paper introduces an analytical model based on first physics principles for mesh grid heating in an electron gun, toward generating the upper bound for the intercepted electron beam power. 3D simulations and exploratory experiments for mesh grid heating in an electron gun directionally confirm the predictions of the analytical model. This analytical approach may be leveraged further when the upper bounds of mesh grid heating in electron guns are needed, as well as for adjusting mesh grid topology to increase its robustness against electron beam heating.
Where Have the Native Grasses Gone?: What a Long-Term, Repeat Study Can Tell Us about California’s Native Prairie Landscapes

Much of the foothill and valley areas of coastal southern California are covered by stands of non-native grasses with occasional scattered patches of native bunch grasses. For decades, the dominant view held that these native bunchgrasses, particularly Stipa pulchra, once covered these lands and that grazing practices were a key cause of their decline. The so-called bunchgrass dominant paradigm (BDP) put forth by Clements influenced thinking on grassland ecology and biogeography for decades until it was discredited. Recent research suggests that grazing and related disturbances might have supported native bunchgrasses, but results are mixed and most studies cover only a short time frame. This research uses a long-term, repeat study design to analyze and compare data from three surveys of 15 permanent quadrats in La Jolla Valley, California, to determine changes in grassland cover over 34 years. A unique aspect of the study is that the site was selected by researchers precisely because it contained excellent ‘relic’ stands of Stipa pulchra (in accordance with the BDP) and the baseline study was conducted shortly after the area was released from grazing and placed under conservation management. We compared data on species frequency and percent cover collected using the same sampling routine for three periods: 1981, 1994, and 2015, to document the shifts in vegetation. We found that native grass cover decreased dramatically (especially on the valley floor), exotic grass cover fluctuated widely over time, while both native and exotic forb cover increased over time. The findings support the notion that prior grazing management practices may have supported the former stands of Stipa pulchra.
Intradermal testing after negative skin prick testing for patients with high suspicion of allergy.

Background Skin testing is a widely accepted method for identifying inhalant allergies. Intradermal (ID) testing is often performed after negative skin prick testing (SPT) when a practitioner has a high level of clinical suspicion for a particular allergen. Methods A retrospective chart review study was performed over a 5-year period in patients with negative SPT for airborne allergens who also underwent ID testing based on a high level of suspicion for clinical allergy. Results Eighty-seven patients had negative SPT and went on to receive an average of 7 ID tests per patient. A total of 592 ID tests were performed after negative SPT. Of these, 20.8% (123/592) had a positive ID result with negative SPT. The allergens with the greatest percentage of positive ID results with negative SPTs were dog, cat, D. farinae, and D. pteronyssinus (33.3%, 34.3%, 39.4%, and 39.6%, respectively). The allergens least likely to test positive on ID testing after negative SPT were red maple, Cladosporium, and Alternaria (0%, 6.3%, and 6.5%, respectively). Conclusion Approximately 20% of all negative results on SPT will have a positive ID test, more likely for indoor allergens. If a high suspicion for allergy exists in a patient with a negative SPT result, it may be useful to proceed with ID testing. However, the clinical significance of a positive ID test after negative SPT still needs to be elucidated.
Specification of Individual Adult Motor Neuron Morphologies by Combinatorial Transcription Factor Codes

Summary How the highly stereotyped morphologies of individual neurons are genetically specified is not well understood. We identify six transcription factors (TFs) expressed in a combinatorial manner in seven post-mitotic adult leg motor neurons (MNs) that are derived from a single neuroblast in Drosophila . Unlike TFs expressed in mitotically active neuroblasts, these TFs do not regulate each other's expression. Removing the activity of a single TF resulted in specific morphological defects, including muscle targeting and dendritic arborization, and in a highly specific walking defect in adult flies. In contrast, when the expression of multiple TFs was modified, nearly complete transformations in MN morphologies were generated. These results show that the morphological characteristics of a single neuron are dictated by a combinatorial code of morphology TFs (mTFs). mTFs function at a previously unidentified regulatory tier downstream of factors acting in the NB but independently of factors that act in terminally differentiated neurons.
Visualizing student game design project similarities

High dimensional cosine calculation is a tool that is often used to discover the similarity between two vectors in semantic space. This research uses vector similarities to create a novel way of visually representing the submitted work of a whole classroom of students over the course of a semester. Using a high dimensional cosine calculation, every student assignment submission is compared to one another in the Educational Game Design Class, an undergraduate/graduate programming class taught in Spring 2009 at the University of Colorado Boulder. This is accomplished by first converting every student submission into a representative vector based on submission project code. Through creating a visualization of these similarity scores, called a 'Similarity Matrix', interesting patterns begin to emerge indicating notable phenomena such as class 'watershed moments' and relative in-class effectiveness of presented programming concepts.
Renovating the Problem of Politics

Given the discoveries during the decade of the 80s of the depth and extent of Heidegger's involvement with the Nazis, Sokolowski's comment can now be seen to be strikingly mild.2 But these discoveries notwithstanding, one has no justification for regarding Heidegger's thought as wholly discredited. Even his thought about political matters remains of value.3
Social Network Analysis of Trade Secrets and Patents as Social Relations

This paper employs the empirical tools of social network analysis to examine the “property as social relations” approach to intellectual property. Social network analysis seeks to describe and model society and culture based on the connections between agents in a network. A “property as social relations” perspective suggests that property rights emerge out of, and help construct, social relationships. But things become murky when this perspective is applied to basic intellectual property problems. One such problem is the relationship between trade secrets and patents. In trade secret law, the social aspects of information have long been recognized. This intuition is confirmed by social network analysis. In fact, a notion of “social rivalry” permeates trade secret law. In patent law, in contrast, information continues to be viewed almost exclusively as a non-rivalrous economic commodity. Social network analysis demonstrates that the “social” qualities of an innovation are largely stripped away when the innovation moves from the trade secret to the patent domain. It is unclear, however, whether a “property as social relations” approach to patents would achieve the sorts of results its advocates hope would obtain.
Robust conjoint analysis by controlling outlier sparsity

Preference measurement (PM) has a long history in marketing, healthcare, and the biobehavioral sciences, where conjoint analysis is commonly used. The goal of PM is to learn the utility function of an individual or a group of individuals from expressed preference data (buying patterns, surveys, ratings), possibly contaminated with outliers. For metric conjoint data, a robust partworth estimator is developed on the basis of a neat connection between l 0 -(pseudo)norm-regularized regression, and the least-trimmed squared estimator. This connection suggests efficient solvers based on convex relaxation, which lead naturally to a family of robust estimators subsuming Huber's optimal M-class. Outliers are identified by tuning a regularization parameter, which amounts to controlling the sparsity of an outlier vector along the entire robustification path of least-absolute shrinkage and selection operator solutions. For choice-based conjoint analysis, a novel classifier is developed that is capable of attaining desirable tradeoffs between model fit and complexity, while at the same time controlling robustness and revealing the outliers present. Variants accounting for nonlinear utilities and consumer heterogeneity are also investigated.
Boiling Tests of Thermal Insulation in Conduit-Type Underground Heat Distribution Systems

Thermal insulation in a conduit-type underground heat distribution system is expected to withstand severe boiling, which can occur in the case of conduit failure under high groundwater table. The U.S. Government specified boiling-test criteria for the approval of commercial underground systems. This paper describes the test apparatus and procedure of Tri-Services and Federal Agencies' Specifications in order to evaluate thermal performance of various insulations after they are subjected to prolonged boiling conditions.
Long Noncoding RNAs and Cancer

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), products of pervasive transcription of the human genome, have emerged as important epigenetic regulators of cancer development and progression. LncRNAs, with transcript size ranging from 200 bp to 100 Kb, perform a diverse array of biological roles including chromatin modification, pre- and post-transcriptional regulation, control of cell division, cell-cycle growth and proliferation and imprinting. They exhibit cell-specific expression patterns as well as restricted subcellular distribution, and have shown to play a role in multiple cancers such as cancers of the breast, pancreas, liver, lung and colon. Owing to the role they play in cancer initiation and progression, they have emerged as a new class of prognostic indicators, markers of chemotherapy response and finally show promise as targeted therapy against cancer. This article explores the characteristics of lncRNAs, function and association with multiple cancers and highlights the recent progress made on these new molecules especially with respect to cancer. Key Concepts: Long noncoding RNAs are a new class of epigenetic regulatory molecules that are actively transcribed from the human genome. Involved in multiple biological functions including imprinting, transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, cell growth, proliferation and differentiation. Dysregulation of lncRNA observed in multiple cancer types, involved in cancer progression and metastasis. LncRNAs can serve as biomarkers, prognostic indicators and predictors of chemotherapy response. Attractive targets for a new group of targeted therapy. Keywords: long noncoding RNAs; epigenetic regulation; chromatin remodelling; cancer initiation and progression; biomarkers; targeted therapy
Digital generation of RF signals for wireless communications with band-pass delta-sigma modulation

This paper demonstrates a high speed digital technique to produce binary (digital) signals that encode representative RF signals (with time varying envelope) as needed for wireless communications. Specifically, it shows that IS-95 format CDMA signals can be generated with a single bit digital data stream at 3.6 Gb/S. The technique uses band-pass delta-sigma modulation so that the quantization noise is shaped out of the frequency band of interest. This approach points the way to single-chip, DSP-based transmitters, used in conjunction with switching mode power amplifiers and simple analog filters, to implement all the functions of a wireless transmitter.
Adjoint QCD 2 in Large N

We consider a dimensional reduction of 3+ 1 dimensional SU(N) Yang-Mills theory coupled to adjoint fermions to obtain a class of 1 + 1 dimensional gauge theories. We derive the quantized light-cone Hamiltonian in the light-cone gauge A_ = 0 and large-N limit, then solve for the masses, wavefunctions and of the color singlet boson and fermion bound8tates. We find that the theory has many exact massless state that are similar to the t’Hooft pion.
The scourge of neuroanatomical nomenclature: use of neuroanatomical ontologies within the Neuroscience Information Framework (338.2)

The brain is perhaps unique among major organ systems in the multiplicity of naming schemes for its major and minor regions. It has been divided based on topology of major features, cyto- and myelo-architecture, developmental boundaries, supposed evolutionary origins, histochemistry, gene expression and functional criteria. The gross anatomy of the brain reflects the underlying networks only superficially, and thus any parcellation reflects a somewhat arbitrary division based on one or more of these criteria. A core aim of the Neuroscience Information Framework (http://neuinfo.org) is to establish a semantic framework for searching and integrating across data contained in diverse information systems. As anatomy is foundational to a common understanding of the brain, NIF and several other foundational projects, e.g., Neuronames, have worked to establish the means to translate among these different nomenclatures. In this presentation, I will discuss strategies employed by NIF, in collaboration with the Inte...
Retro Diels−Alder Reactions of 5,6-Disubstituted-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-enes: Experimental and Density Functional Theory Studies

Several 5,6-disubstituted-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-enes (1−4) were synthesized on ≥0.1 mol scale. The heat-induced retro Diels−Alder (rDA) decomposition of these derivatives was studied by thermal analysis, and the kinetics of the rDA were measured for 4. First-order rate constants (k = 1.91−14.2 × 10-5 s-1), measured at four temperatures between 124 and 150 °C, were used to calculate Arrhenius activation parameters Ea (34.5 ± 0.5 kcal/mol) and ln A (1.77 ± 0.03 × 104). The observed activation energy was significantly larger (by 9.5 kcal/mol) than that previously measured for the maleic anhydride adduct 1, and this was attributed to the difference in LUMO energies for the two dienophiles. Modeling of the activation parameters found for 4 with density functional theory (DFT) calculations for similar compounds 5 and 6 gave close quantitative correlations for ΔH⧧, ΔG⧧, ΔS⧧. The rDA reactions studied were found to be entropy-driven.
The Importance and Challenge of Paying for Quality Nursing Care

Historically, the economic value that nursing brings to the patient care process has not been recognized or quantified. Improving the quality of nursing care through work environment changes or increases in staffing is viewed by many as an added cost, but the benefits in terms of money saved through improved nursing satisfaction and patient outcomes are not considered. This article introduces nine articles that were originally presented at the Economics of Nursing Invitational Conference: Paying for Quality Nursing Care held at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, New Jersey, June 13 and 14, 2007. Recommendations are to conduct research on the impact of policy and payment changes on the nursing workforce and quality of care and to correct the misalignment of socioeconomic and business case incentives for quality by payment systems and other changes.