cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Echocardiography and a quest of the promised land of the accurate assessment of cardiac mechanics

This editorial refers to ‘Feasibility and reproducibility of left ventricular rotation parameters measured by speckle tracking echocardiography’ by Bas M. van Dalen et al ., pp. 669–76, ‘Interpretation of two-dimensional and tissue Doppler-derived strain (1) and strain rate data: is there a need to normalize for individual variability in left ventricular morphology?’ by David Oxborough et al ., pp. 677–82, and ‘Echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular untwist rate: comparison of tissue Doppler and speckle tracking methodologies’ by V. Ferferieva et al ., pp. 683–90, in this issue. Echocardiography is in the midst of revolution. Its cause is the emergence of the new techniques to quantify segmental systolic and diastolic function. However, as in all revolutions, ‘old’ ways may be held in low esteem, whereas ‘new’ ways are held in awe, although frequently with insufficient information to support these views. Early in this last decade, we witnessed the emergence of segmental strain measurements based on tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). While initial studies showed good correlation with magnetic resonance imaging, later studies demonstrated that, compared with assessment of velocities, variability in the measurement of strain was much higher. Additionally, this new method required defining normal ranges of segmental strain as functions of age, gender, and wall location within the heart, work that has not yet been fully completed.1 Fast on the heels of TDI-based strain, speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) has been introduced, …
Anomalous mode pulling, instabilities, and chaos in a single-mode, standing-wave 3.39-μm He-Ne laser

A high-gain, single-mode He-Ne 3.39-micron laser shows extreme mode pulling, as the laser operating frequency varies up to three times more slowly than the corresponding variation of the empty-cavity frequency. When the laser is operated at low pressures, new features appear in the vicinity of, and in conjunction with, the Lamb dip. Dispersive effects from the overlapping of the holes distorts the more nearly linear mode pulling observed for high pressures near line center. When the dispersive effects are strong enough instabilities are observed including self-pulsing, quasiperiodic, and chaotic output. At sufficiently high gain, the dispersion is distorted to give a multivalued region for the laser operating frequency for a single cavity frequency as predicted by Bennett. 45 references.
AN INTRODUCTION TO RATIONAL DESIGN THEORY

Design theories provide theoretical foundation for design and can lead to insights that improve the practice of design. From a theoretical perspective, existing design theories have some major limitations that limit the insights that can be gained and restrict their applicability in practice. These limitations include the treatment of uncertainty and the lack of interaction of concerns regarding the designed artifact and the design process. In this paper, a new design theory is introduced that explicitly includes uncertainty considerations and enables quantitative tradeoffs between the utility of the product and the process. This new theory is inspired by decision theory and expands upon the traditional product-centric perspective of decision-based design; the new theory is therefore termed Rational Design Theory (RDT). RDT combines a decision-theory-inspired descriptive model of artifact design decisions with a normative perspective for design process decisions. This theory provides new insights into the process of design that can inspire improved design methods. Furthermore, RDT provides a quantitative framework for comparing the relative performance of different design processes.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Factors Affecting Readmission Cost After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty in Michigan

Abstract Background The increasing readmission risk of primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) represents a significant economic burden and public health challenge. Many have investigated the predictors of readmissions after TKA while little work has studied the associated readmission costs. This article investigated the factors affecting readmission cost after primary TKA at the time of initial discharges using clinical and resource-use information and compared the factors between 2 payer groups (Medicare-or-Medicaid and non-Medicare-nor-Medicaid groups). Methods We used data from the Michigan State Inpatient Database of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. We identified readmissions after primary TKA in 2012 using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision , code 81.54. Total readmission cost was modeled using multivariate regression to identify predictors. Results Of 1358 readmissions after primary TKA, 949 were in the Medicare-or-Medicaid group, and 409 were in the non-Medicare-nor-Medicaid group. The overall mean and median total readmission costs were $9335 (standard deviation $10,528) and $6810, respectively. Significant predictors of total readmission cost for the Medicare-or-Medicaid group included length of stay ( P P P = .001), and total cost of initial admission ( P P Conclusion Total cost of initial admission was a significant predictor of total readmission cost in both Medicare-or-Medicaid and non-Medicare-nor-Medicaid groups, independent of length of stay and number of chronic conditions.
The Role of History in Judging Disputes About the Meaning of the Constitution

For the last ninety-three years, the United States Supreme Court has started its Term on the same day. On the first Monday of October, the Court returns from its summer recess, releases orders in hundreds, if not thousands, of cases, then hears the first oral arguments of the Term.Each year (in recent years), the stage is set the same way. Leading Supreme Court advocates fill the front section of the courtroom, which is reserved for members of the Supreme Court Bar. A score of journalists occupies the press section to the immediate left of the Justices. The Clerk of the Court greets members of the bar and the day’s advocates. Closer to the front right, the guest benches fill with the Justices’ spouses and friends, senators and other dignitaries. The back of the courtroom, where the general audience sits, is full, whether the day’s cases concern matters of great public interest or a dry-as-chalk tax issue. The day’s advocates sit directly in front of and conspicuously below the Court, waiting nervously for the questioning, remaining all too conscious of their last meal.As 10:00 a.m. approaches, all eyes turn to the thirty-foot-high curtains at the front of the courtroom, where the nine Justices emerge when the second, not the minute, hand marks the new hour. A momentous opening day turns on the most modest of developments: a Justice sporting a new beard; a Justice looking healthy after a medical scare during the summer break; or a Justice adding a flourish to his or her robe. Yet tradition, not novelty, usually is the order of the day. Change comes slowly at the Court and much of the anticipation about returning to the Court after the three-month summer break is about seeing the same routine — the same Justices doing the same things the way they always have done them. When something new happens at the Court, it demands attention. This essay addresses one emerging trend at the Court — the increasing prominence of history in debates over the meaning of the Constitution — and the issues it raises for judges and advocates alike.
Ostracism and fines in a public goods game with accidental contributions: The importance of punishment type.

Punishment is an important method for discouraging uncooperative behavior. We use a novel design for a public goods game in which players have explicit intended contributions with accidentally changed actual contributions, and in which players can apply costly fines or ostracism. Moreover, all players except the subject are automated, whereby we control the intended contributions, actual contributions, costly fines, and ostracisms experienced by the subject. We assess subject's utilization of other players' intended and actual contributions when making decisions to fine or ostracize. Hierarchical Bayesian logistic regression provides robust estimates. We find that subjects emphasize actual contribution more than intended contribution when deciding to fine, but emphasize intended contribution more than actual contribution when deciding to ostracize. We also find that the efficacy of past punishment, in terms of changing the contributions of the punished player, influences the type of punishment selected. Finally, we find that the punishment norms of the automated players affect the punishments performed by the subject. These novel paradigms and analyses indicate that punishment is flexible and adaptive, contrary to some evolutionary theories that predict inflexible punishments that emphasize outcomes.
The utility of Kohlberg's theory of moral development among adult probationers in a restitution field setting.

Probationers ordered to pay restitution were classified by Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development in order to (a) identify background correlates of moral development; (b) explore the relation between moral development and restitution compliance; and (c) differentially identify facilitating circumstances of restitution. The research was conducted in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from 1978 to 1980. Sixty-three probationers were interviewed and classified by moral development, I-level, and by ratings on relevant personality dimensions. Six-month follow-up data were collected from probation records. The results revealed significant relationships (p less than.05) between moral development and ethnicity, education, occupation, income, prior fines, weapons possession, knowing the victim, I-level, responsibility, and empathy. In addition, high-maturity offenders were more likely to reimburse their victims than were low-maturity offenders. Finally, multivariate analysis revealed numerous circumstances of restitution that differentially impacted upon offenders' compliance with the terms of restitution. Language: en
The racemization of complex ions on activated carbon—I: The racemization of potassium d-ethylenediaminetetra-acetatocobaltate(III)

Abstract Activated sugar carbon accelerates the racemization of K[Co(EDTA)] without appreciable decomposition of the complex. The rate of racemization using equal weights of complex and carbon was found to follow essentially second order kinetics, first order in complex and first order in carbon. The activation energy of the racemization process was found to be 7·3 kcal/mole. Wood carbon of greater activity gave a pseudo first order reaction.
Making history happen: a genealogical analysis of Colt’s rhetorical history

AbstractThe rugged and individualistic reputation of Samuel Colt and the Colt Company is the stuff of legend in the American psyche. Largely constructed from themes aligned with American exceptionalism and the taming of the Western frontier, this firearm maker built a powerful and pervasive image. In this study, we examine how the Colt Company used rhetorical history in an agentic, proactive way to appropriate history and tradition for strategic purposes. Specifically, we apply a genealogical method to analyze the ways that rhetorical history was used by Colt in order to augment our understanding of rhetorical history and its utilization as a competitive image-enhancing practice.
Carbon Dioxide Sorption and Plasticization of Thin Glassy Polymer Films Tracked by Optical Methods

Our previous publications have demonstrated that thin glassy polymer films respond to highly sorbing penetrants, such as CO2, quite differently than thick films. These studies focused on CO2 permeation behavior and revealed that, for thin films, CO2 permeability at constant CO2 pressure goes through a maximum followed by a continual decrease in permeability owing to physical aging. So far, thick and thin glassy polymer films have been compared in the context of permeability, but lack of substantial means of obtaining thin film sorption data has prevented adequate comparison of thick and thin films in the context of gas solubility. In this paper, spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to obtain simultaneously the film thickness and CO2 sorption capacity for thin glassy polymer films. This allows a more comprehensive look at CO2 permeability, sorption, and diffusivity as a function of both CO2 pressure and exposure time. The evidence reported here suggests that thin film sorption behavior is substantially diffe...
Autoantibodies in Post-Epstein-Barr Acute Cerebellar Ataxia

Eight of 23 patients with acute cerebellar ataxia (ACA) following Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection (proven serologically) had increased IgM anti-triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) antibody titers, in a study at Kyorin University, Tokyo, and Kinki University, Osaka, Japan.
Right to refuse treatment with psychotropic medication

The law regarding refusal of psychiatric patients to take psychotropic medication is reviewed. The law in this area is traced through its evolution beginning in the 1960s when failure to administer medication to psychiatric patients was considered mistreatment of the patient. The legal basis for forcible administration of drugs is reviewed, and a discussion of cases in which patients refused to accept treatment on religious grounds is presented. When children are involved, the courts are generally in accord that the parents' right to freedom of religion ends where the child's right to life begins or when there is a threat to public health and safety. In cases involving adults, without a threat to public health or safety, relevant opinions rule that medical treatment should not be ordered against the patient's religious beliefs because it would constitute a violation of the First Amendment. Two leading cases involving the forcible administration of medication, Rennie v. Klein and Rogers v. Okin, held that administration should be limited to emergency situations when there is substantial risk of injury to the patient or others in the hospital. The Supreme Court made it clear that the right to refuse must be derived from state law, not from the federal Constitution, apparently giving health-care professionals broad leeway in exercising professional judgment in this area.
Institutions, Law and Morals

The object of this chapter is to examine some of the problems involved in the relations which hold between law and morals on the one hand, and institutions on the other. It will be necessary to begin by defining and analyzing institutions. Then we shall be in a position to show how morality and legality are fitted into institutions and proceed from them.
MONITORING OF COMPREHENSIVE PROPERTIES OF LAMINAR FLOW CLEAN OPERATING ROOMS OF SOME HOSPITALS IN SHANDONG PROVINCE

Objective To know the comprehensive properties of laminar flow clean operating rooms of some hospitals in Shandong Province.Methods On-the-spot sampling and examination were used to monitor the comprehensive property indexes of 49 clean operating rooms at rest condition of 22 hospitals.Results The eligible rates of density of surface contaminating bacteria,depositing bacterial concentration,dust particle count were 92.72%,84.21% and 81.63%,respectively;while the eligible rates of temperature,relative humidity,static pressure difference,noise,wind speed,illumination and ventilation frequency were relatively low.Conclusion There are problems in quality administration of laminar flow clean operating rooms in some hospitals of Shandong province.The eligible rates of microclimate indexes in these hospitals are low.
The Kind 2 Model Checker

Kind 2 is an open-source, multi-engine, SMT-based model checker for safety properties of finite- and infinite-state synchronous reactive systems. It takes as input models written in an extension of the Lustre language that allows the specification of assume-guarantee-style contracts for system components. Kind 2 was implemented from scratch based on techniques used by its predecessor, the PKind model checker. This paper discusses a number of improvements over PKind in terms of invariant generation. It also introduces two main features: contract-based compositional reasoning and certificate generation.
Simultaneous double waveform synthesis with a single programmable Josephson voltage standard

We have recently demonstrated new 2 V PJVS devices configured with two voltage outputs and two sets of least significant bits in order to simultaneously generate two independent stepwise output waveforms. This development improves upon our previous alternating dual waveform method in that the two voltage waveforms can now be measured simultaneously, and the sampler overload condition that existed in the previous configuration has been eliminated. Applications such as the NIST Quantum Watt for ac power calibrations will benefit from these developments through reduced measurement uncertainties and improved flexibility.
A Case of Vanishing Brain Metastasis in a Melanoma Patient on Nivolumab.

Background Melanoma is among the top three cancers to present with brain metastasis. The risk of brain metastases in advanced melanoma increases with disease duration. Cytotoxic chemotherapy does not have a significant role in the management of melanoma patients with brain metastases, neither alone nor in conjunction with radiation therapy. Patients and methods We herein discuss a case of a 66-year-old male diagnosed initially with stage III-B melanoma and underwent a wide local excision with a split thickness graft and sentinel lymph node biopsy, followed by adjuvant treatment with high-dose interferon. Results On subsequent follow up he was found to have a brain lesion, which later on resolved after starting ipilumumab. Five to twenty percent of patients with melanoma of any stage develop cerebral metastases. Conclusion Immunotherapy modalities, ipilimumab has been shown to have activity against brain metastases.
Facing Up to Hopelessness: A Dialogal Phenomenological Study

Hopelessness is a fundamental human experience, and yet is often considered evidence either of sin or of illness. This dialogal phenomenological study, based on in-depth interviews, takes a fresh look at despair as experienced by people across a variety of ages and contexts, and at the consequences and outcomes of these feelings. At the heart of despair is a sense of isolation, impotence, and an immutable future, and yet it may give rise to new purpose or a new understanding and acceptance of life with its possibilities and limitations. The therapeutic implications of this understanding of despair are discussed with a focus on how “presence” can be healing.
Cross-sectional assessment of patient attitudes towards participation in clinical trials: does making results publicly available matter?

Objectives Previous studies have shown that a majority of patients cite altruistic motives, such as contributing to generalisable medical knowledge, as factors motivating clinical trial participation. We sought to examine the impact of making trial results publicly available on patients' willingness to participate in clinical research. Design Cross-sectional analysis using a questionnaire developed by a panel with expertise in publication bias, informed consent and survey design. Setting A single urban, academic emergency department (ED) in the Northeastern USA. Participants 799 ED patients. Outcome Measures We assessed (1) participants' attitudes towards clinical trial participation, and (2) the impact of whether study results would eventually be made publicly available or not on willingness to participate in a trial. Results Of 799 patients surveyed, 36% (95% CI 32% to 39%) reported that they would generally like to participate in a trial, and another 50% (95% CI 47% to 54%) reported that they would consider participation depending on study details. For the majority of participants, the publication of trial results was either important (36%; 95% CI 33% to 40%) or very important (48%; 95% CI 44% to 51%). Most (63%; 95% CI 59% to 66%) reported they would be less likely to participate in a trial if investigators had not publicly released results from a prior study. Additionally, 85% (95% CI 82% to 87%) felt that it was important or very important to receive information about the publication track record of sponsors and investigators during the informed consent process. Conclusions The majority of patients in this sample would consider participation in a clinical trial. Patients value the public release of trial results, and believe that the informed consent process should address the possibility of non-publication.
La construction des attitudes envers les Roms : le cas français

Quarante pour-cent des Europeens refusent d’avoir des Roms comme voisins, alors que 80 % de ceux-ci n’entretiennent pas de contact direct avec eux. Cette etude observe les mecanismes de construction des attitudes envers les Roms. Elle analyse la production de ces attitudes au sein de deux milieux similaires, mais ou les politiques d’integration locales envers les Roms divergent, resultant en des conditions des contacts intergroupes differentes. Cette analyse part des postulats theoriques selon lesquels l’integration des migrants est un enjeu d’action publique locale et que des interactions sociales de qualite structurent les attitudes des uns par rapport aux autres. A partir d’entrevues semi-dirigees realisees dans les communes francaises de La Courneuve et d’Ivry-sur-Seine, quatre theories sont testees : la theorie du contact, l’effet halo, l’effet des politiques municipales et l’influence des medias. Il en ressort que la mise en oeuvre de politiques municipales en faveur de l’integration des Roms permet d’ameliorer leurs conditions de vie et ainsi de deconstruire des prejuges imputables a leur situation de precarite. Par ailleurs, l’analyse illustre la maniere dont les medias activent, entretiennent ou consolident la facon de percevoir les Roms.
Comparative Analysis of ATM with Ethics of Care

This chapter provides a comparative interpretation of ATM with ethics of care. The analysis provides an explanation of ATM as adopting a relational approach to informed consent (RAIC). In this discussion, the ethics of care movement provides the hermeneutic to enlighten the significance of the ATM approach as a legitimate model of RAIC. In order words, ATM exhibits practices similar to those of ethics of care, such as focusing on relationships, maintaining that persons are relational beings who are socially constituted in a community, and exercising autonomy in relationships with others in the community.
Mutations in the segment polarity genes wingless and porcupine impair secretion of the wingless protein.

Abstract We have characterized the molecular nature of mutations in wingless (wg), a segment polarity gene acting during various stages of Drosophila development. Embryo-lethal alleles have undergone mutations in the protein-encoding domain of the gene, including deletions and point mutations of conserved residues. In a temperature sensitive mutation, a conserved cysteine residue is replaced by a serine. In embryo-viable alleles, the wg transcriptional unit is not affected. Immunostaining of mutant embryos shows that the embryo-lethal alleles produce either no wg antigen or a form of the protein that is retained within cells. Interestingly, embryos mutant for the segment polarity gene porcupine show a similar retention of the wg antigen. We have also transfected wild type wg alleles into Drosophila tissue culture cells, which then display wg protein on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix. In similar experiments with mutant alleles, the proteins are retained in intracellular compartments and appear not to be secreted. These data provide further evidence that wg acts as a secreted factor and suggest that porcupine provides an accessory function for wg protein secretion or transport.
Convergence in Distribution

This chapter discusses the basic notions of convergence in distribution. Given a sequence of random variables, when do their distributions converge in a useful way to a limit? In statisticians’ language, given a random sample \(X_1, \ldots, X_n,\) the sample mean \(\bar{X}_n\) is CAN; that is, consistent and asymptotically normal. This means that \(\bar{X}\) has an approximately normal distribution as the sample size grows. What exactly does this mean?
Grk1b and Grk7a Both Contribute to the Recovery of the Isolated Cone Photoresponse in Larval Zebrafish.

Purpose To define the functional roles of Grk1 and Grk7 in zebrafish cones in vivo. Methods Genome editing was used to generate grk7a and grk1b knockout zebrafish. Electroretinogram (ERG) analyses of the isolated cone mass receptor potential and the b-wave were performed in dark-adapted zebrafish using a paired flash paradigm to determine recovery of cone photoreceptors and the inner retina after an initial flash. In addition, psychophysical visual response was measured using the optokinetic response (OKR). Results ERG analysis demonstrated that deletion of either Grk1b or Grk7a in zebrafish larvae resulted in modestly lower rates of recovery of the isolated cone mass receptor potential from an initial flash compared to wildtype larvae. On the other hand, grk1b-/- and grk7a-/- larvae exhibited a b-wave recovery that was similar to wildtype larvae. We evaluated the OKR and found that deletion of either Grk1b or Grk7a leads to a small decrease in temporal contrast sensitivity and alterations in visual acuity. Conclusions For the first time, we demonstrate that Grk1b and Grk7a both contribute to visual function in larval zebrafish cones. Since the difference between wildtype and each knockout fish is modest, it appears that either GRK is sufficient for adequate cone visual function.
The Influence of Antitakeover Statutes on Incorporation Choice: Evidence on the

Commentators have long debated whether competition among states for corporate charters represents a race to the top or a race to the bottom. Race-to-the-top advocates have recently gained ground in this debate on the basis of the general migration to Delaware in the 1990s and empirical evidence suggesting that Delaware incorporation increases shareholder wealth. This article uses second-generation state antitakeover statutes to shed additional light on this debate. I use a new database of reincorporations from the 1990s to show that managers generally migrate to (and fail to migrate away from) typical antitakeover statutes Given the robust econometric evidence that these statutes increase managerial agency costs and reduce shareholder wealth, my results generally support the race-to-the-bottom view. However, I also find that managers migrate away from the more severe antitakeover statutes in Massachusetts, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. This finding introduces the possibility for "overreaching" in the corporate charter marketplace and suggests important limits on the race to the bottom. The results have implications for recent developments in corporate charter competition in both the United States and the European Union.
Cultivating Student Agency through Teachers' Professional Learning.

Thoughtfully planned professional development (PD) that fosters teacher agency has the potential to impact student agency in the literacy classroom. Drawing on a body of research with 82 teachers a...
Alternative Education Settings in the United States

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders who display disruptive behaviors in general education settings are increasingly being educated in alternative education settings. Alternative educat...
Lung Tumor Cell-Derived Exosomes Promote M2 Macrophage Polarization

Cellular cross-talk within the tumor microenvironment (TME) by exosomes is known to promote tumor progression. Tumor promoting macrophages with an M2 phenotype are suppressors of anti-tumor immunity. However, the impact of tumor-derived exosomes in modulating macrophage polarization in the lung TME is largely unknown. Herein, we investigated if lung tumor-derived exosomes alter transcriptional and bioenergetic signatures of M0 macrophages and polarize them to an M2 phenotype. The concentration of exosomes produced by p53 null H358 lung tumor cells was significantly reduced compared to A549 (p53 wild-type) lung tumor cells, consistent with p53-mediated regulation of exosome production. In co-culture studies, M0 macrophages internalized tumor-derived exosomes, and differentiated into M2 phenotype. Importantly, we demonstrate that tumor-derived exosomes enhance the oxygen consumption rate of macrophages, altering their bioenergetic state consistent with that of M2 macrophages. In vitro co-cultures of M0 macrophages with H358 exosomes demonstrated that exosome-induced M2 polarization may be p53 independent. Murine bone marrow cells and bone marrow-derived myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) co-cultured with lewis lung carcinoma (LLC)-derived exosomes differentiated to M2 macrophages. Collectively, these studies provide evidence for a novel role for lung tumor-exosomes in M2 macrophage polarization, which then offers new therapeutic targets for immunotherapy of lung cancer.
Impacts of free vaccination policy and associated factors on influenza vaccination behavior of the elderly in China: A quasi-experimental study.

Abstract Background Chinese elders are under high threats of seasonal influenza, while showing low influenza vaccination coverage comparing with other countries. The study explored the impacts of free vaccination policy and associated factors on influenza vaccination behavior of the elderly in Zhejiang Province, China, offering a guidance of interventions for protecting elders from seasonal influenza. Methods 1210 elders ≥60 years were conveniently recruited between July and September of 2019. 607 of them were sampled from 6 counties with free vaccination policy, while the other 603 elderly people were sampled from another 6 comparable counties without the policy. A self-reported questionnaire, involving socio-democratic information, physical status and behavior, influenza knowledge, vaccination awareness, relatives of healthcare workers, and vaccination behavior, was completed by elders under supports of research assistants. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the impacts of research factors. Results A total of 464 (38.3%, 95%CI: 36.9–39.7%) elders claimed that they got vaccinated, and the vaccination coverages of elders in the counties with and without free vaccination policy were 68.4% (95%CI: 64.7–72.1%) and 8.1% (95%CI: 5.9–10.3%), respectively. Protective and risk factors of vaccination behavior were identified, including free vaccination policy (ORstep = 27.29, 95%CI: 18.69–39.82), positive vaccination awareness (ORstep = 7.93, 95%CI: 5.50–11.43), catching cold frequently (ORstep = 2.00, 95%CI: 1.32–3.05), and having relatives of healthcare workers (ORstep = 0.56, 95%CI: 0.34–0.93). Age, education level, monthly income, family structure, physical status, and influenza knowledge were significantly associated with vaccination behavior. Having relatives of healthcare workers may indirectly affect vaccination behavior through vaccination awareness. Conclusions Free vaccination policy plays the most fundamental role of improving vaccination coverage among studied factors. To protect elders from seasonal influenza, effective measurements, such as issuing free vaccination policy, enriching influenza knowledge, and guiding positive vaccination awareness for both elders and healthcare professionals are recommended to be included into influenza immunization strategies.
Relationship of Responsibility: Indigeneity in the IR Classroom

This chapter starts with the premise that International Relations is, in itself, a disruption. There are so few International Relations (IR) engagements of Indigenous frameworks, experiences, and knowledges, let alone Native and First Nations scholars doing this important work. Why is this? For starters, Indigenous experiences and insights are incongruent with foundational principles that undergird IR theorizing and teaching and formations of political thought that fall outside of the state system are cast as incommensurable and, therefore, erased or ignored. IR itself is deeply implicated in the violent system of (settler) colonialism that functions to continue this erasure. A discussion on Native American, First Nations, or Indigenous approach to pedagogy in the IR classroom must, therefore, assert forcefully that there is no singular Indigenous approach, neither to IR practice nor classroom pedagogy. A complex rendering should lay the foundation for a reconstruction of an entire world and worldview. Moreover, the foregrounding of indigeneity offers a generative space to critically analyze various understandings of disruption. With this in mind, this chapter suggests an Indigenous approach to pedagogy premised on two broad concepts foundational to Indigenous worldviews: relations and responsibility.
A Hybrid Decision Tree-Neural Network (DT-NN) Model for Large-Scale Classification Problems

As the Age of Information has evolved over the last several decades, the demand for technology which stores, analyzes, and utilizes data has increased substantially. Countless industries such as the medical, the retail, and the aircraft rely on this technology to guide their decision making. In the present paper, we propose a hybrid machine learning algorithm consisting of Decision Trees and Neural Networks which can effectively and efficiently classify data of varying volume and variety. The structure of the hybrid algorithm consists of a decision tree where each node of the tree is a neural network trained to classify a specific category of the output using binary classification. The data with which we used to train and test the classification ability of our algorithm is the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) Boeing 737 maintenance dataset which consists of 137,236 unique records each composed of 72 variables. We perform this by classifying the discrepancy, or cause, of the incident into whether or not the incident occurred during scheduled maintenance operations and then further classifying specific details relating to the incident. Our results indicate that our hybrid algorithm is able to effectively classify incidents with high accuracy and precision. Additionally the algorithm is able to identify the most significant inputs regarding a classification allowing for higher performance and greater optimization. This demonstrates the algorithm’s applicability in real-world scenarios while also showcasing the benefits of combining decision trees and neural networks as opposed to using them individually.
Voting Rights Disclosure

In "Beyond the Discrimination Model On Voting," 127 Harvard Law Review 95 (2013), Professor Samuel Issacharoff proposes that Congress turn away from what he considers the outdated and “limited race-driven use” of the Fifteenth Amendment and instead protect all types of voters from partisan manipulation using a “non-civil rights” Elections Clause approach. Specifically, Issacharoff proposes that jurisdictions disclose changes to voting rules for federal elections. This Essay argues that Issacharoff’s approach is incomplete. Contemporary discrimination exists and warrants attention — particularly where fast-growing minority populations threaten the status quo. This discrimination differs from simple partisan manipulation, as the discrimination reduces incentives for cross-racial coalitions and fuels racial division. Further, Issacharoff’s choice to move “beyond” race and abandon the Fifteenth Amendment limits his proposal to federal elections. As a result, his proposal would overlook significant problems — at least 86.4% of all election changes that resulted in VRA section 5 objections since 2000 would not have been disclosed under Issacharoff’s proposal. Unlike the high-profile restrictions he targets (e.g., photo ID triggered by “Republican control of the state legislature”), local voting changes missed by Issacharoff’s proposal are often decisive factors in non-partisan elections, attract little national media attention, and go unchallenged by local voters who lack resources to bring lawsuits. Congress should deter voting discrimination by using the Fifteenth Amendment and the Elections Clause to require disclosure of election changes for federal, state, and local offices, as well as to require more detailed reporting than Issacharoff’s proposal. Finally, disclosure alone is not enough. Congress should also strengthen the VRA Section 3(c) bail-in procedure and streamline voting rights litigation. Selecting between the Fifteenth Amendment and the Elections Clause is a false choice, as we can work both to prevent voting discrimination and to improve access to voting for all Americans.
Bases for the selection of background colors for transparencies

When designers of visual materials want to add color to their black-and-white transparencies, they are concerned about how to select the proper colors. Are there specific colors, transmissions or densities, or brightnesses that provide the best viewing conditions? What background colors will make the message most legible? Solutions to the problems of selecting background colors for projected visuals are related to the effect colors have on visual acuity. This study attempts to answer the question: What background color' should be used on projected materials to meet the legibility needs of the viewer?
Bricks & Bits & Interaction

In today’s information technology (IT) and communication intensive environment people, technology and build environment designers, and organizations are challenged to understand the impacts on the workspace, content that is created and shared, and social, behavioral and cognitive aspects of work, play, learning, and community. The study is at the intersection of the design of physical spaces, i.e., bricks, rich electronic content such as video, audio, sketching, CAD, i.e., bits, and new ways people behave in communicative events using affordances of IT augmented spaces and content, i.e., interaction. The study proposes two hypotheses.
Rechargeable Li/LiCoO/sub 2/ button cell

Electrolyte improvements made in laboratory half cells have enabled the practical development of the rechargeable Li/LiCoO/sub 2/ system into sealed 70 mAh button cells. High-rate capabilities of greater than 6 mA/cm/sup 2/ have been demonstrated in button cells cycled between 4.3 and 3.0 V at 25 degrees C. Energy densities for a discharge rate of 2.7 mA/cm/sup 2/ at 25 degrees C, -10 degrees C, and -40 degrees C were 102, 89, and 81 Wh/kg, respectively. Higher-rate charging up to 1.25 mA/cm/sup 2/ has been demonstrated. In addition, the effect of storage on the open circuit voltage of charged cells has been investigated. >
Enhancing the performance of wireless sensor networks with MIMO communications

Wireless sensor networks are an enabling technology for many future surveillance-oriented applications. Before a practical wireless sensor network is realized, however, significant challenges must be overcome. Chief among the obstacles to netted sensors is providing low power, robust communications between sensor nodes. Multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) communication promises performance enhancements over conventional single input, single output (SISO) technology for the same radiated power. If leveraged in a sensor network, MIMO may be able to provide significant network performance improvements in power consumption, latency, and network robustness. The application of MIMO to wireless sensor networks was explored in J. Burdin et al. (2005) with regard to probability of cohesion and largest cluster sizes. This paper investigates the benefit of MIMO implementations in multihop wireless sensor networks in terms of the mean path length. We find that MIMO provides improvement to wireless sensor networks, particularly those that have low to midrange node densities
The Emergence of Distinctive Features

1. Natural Classes and Distinctive Features in Phonology 2. Phonetic and Psycholinguistic Evidence 3. Survey methods 4. Ambivalent Segments 5. Emergent Feature Theory 6. General Survey Results 7. Survey Results in Terms of Feature Theories 8. The Emergence of Linguistic Structure Appendices Bibliography
Effect of Tool Pin Features and Geometries on Quality of Weld during Friction Stir Welding

Tool pin geometric features are important parameters in friction stir welding (FSW). They influence weld quality through their effects on material flow and consolidation during FSW while also affecting the in-plane process forces and the necessary level of forge force. In this paper, volumetric defect content as a function of pin features on mildly tapered conical, threaded, pins was examined in 6061-T6. Features included flats, co-flow flutes and counter-flow flutes. Feature effects on the magnitude and direction of the resultant in-plane force was also examined. Variation of applied forge force, other process response variables (torque, power, temperature) were also extracted to provide information regarding their dependence on tool pin features for a given set of welding parameters.
Current developments in algebraic geometry

1. Fibers of projections and submodules of deformations Roya Beheshti and David Eisenbud 2. Introduction to birational anabelian geometry Fedor Bogomolov and Yuri Tschinkel 3. Periods and moduli Olivier Debarre 4. The Hodge theory of character varieties Mark Andrea A. de Cataldo 5. Rigidity properties of Fano varieties Tommaso de Fernex and Christopher D. Hacon 6. The Schottky problem Samuel Grushevsky 7. Interpolation Joe Harris 8. Chow groups and derived categories of K3 surfaces Daniel Huybrechts 9. Geometry of varieties of minimal rational tangents Jun-Muk Hwang 10. Quotients by finite equivalence relations Janos Kollar 11. Higher-dimensional analogues of K3 surfaces Kieran G. O'Grady 12. Compactifications of moduli of abelian varieties: an introduction Martin Olsson 13. The geography of irregular surfaces Margarida Mendes Lopes and Rita Pardini 14. Basic results on irregular varieties via Fourier-Mukai methods Giuseppe Pareschi 15. Algebraic surfaces and hyperbolic geometry Burt Totaro.
GENE ENCODING TWO ALKALI-SOLUBLE COMPONENTS OF THE SPORE COAT FROM BACILLUS SUBTILIS

We report the cloning and characterization of a gene called cotF from Bacillus subtilis that encodes alkali-soluble polypeptides of 5 and 8 kDa that are components of the spore coat. The 5- and 8-kDa polypeptides are generated by proteolytic cleavage of the primary product of the cotF gene, which is 160 codons in length and is capable of encoding a polypeptide of 19 kDa. Amino acid sequence analysis indicates that the 5-kDa species is derived from the NH2-terminal portion of the primary gene product and that the 8-kDa species is derived from the COOH-terminal portion. A mutant bearing an in vitro-constructed cotF null mutation produced normal-looking spores that contained an apparently complete set of coat proteins except for the absence of the 5- and 8-kDa polypeptides. The map position of cotF is 349 degrees. Transcription of cotF commenced coincidently (during h 6 of sporulation) with genes known to be under the control of sporulation transcription factor sigma kappa.
Gastric malpositioning and chronic, intermittent vomiting following prophylactic gastropexy in a 20-month-old great Dane dog

A 20-month-old castrated male great Dane dog was presented for evaluation of chronic intermittent vomiting of 2 months' duration. A prophylactic incisional gastropexy performed at 6 mo of age resulted in gastric malpositioning and subsequent partial gastric outflow tract obstruction.
Potential Use of Left Renal Vein Graft in Pancreaticoduodenectomy Combined with Long Segmental Resection of the Superior Mesenteric-Splenic-Portal Vein Confluence

Context Various techniques for reconstruction after superior mesenteric-splenic-portal vein confluence resection during pancreaticoduodenectomy have been introduced. A certain kind of vascular grafting may be necessary especially when long segmental resection of superior mesenteric-splenic-portal vein confluence is required. Case report we herein report the cases of two patients who underwent left renal vein grafting in a pancreaticoduodenectomy with combined resection of the long segment of the superior mesenteric-splenic-portal vein confluence for pancreatic head cancer following neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation therapy as well as their long-term outcomes with graft patency without deterioration of renal function. Conclusion Our experience with these two cases indicates that an autologous interposition graft using the left renal vein may be considered a safe and convenient conduit in the case of long segmental resection of the superior mesenteric-splenic-portal vein confluence during a pancreaticoduodenectomy following preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy. Image: Postoperative follow-up of BUN and serum creatinine levels.
Organizational Commitment across Three Sectors: Public, Non-profit, and For-profit

This study examines organizational commitment of workers in three sectors: public, non-profit and for-profit. Previous work in this area has been limited to the study of organizational commitment i...
An Empirical Model to Predict Topographic Effects in Strong Ground Motion Using California Small- to Medium-Magnitude Earthquake Database

We develop a model to predict the effects of topography on earthquake ground motions using a database of small- to medium-magnitude earthquakes from California. The proposed model relies on a param...
The Marriage-Go-Around: The State of Marriage and the Family in America Today - by Andrew J. Cherlin

The Marriage-Go-Around: The State of Marriage and the Family in America Today . Andrew J. Cherlin . New York : Alfred A. Knopf . 271 pp. ISBN 9780307266897 . $25.95 cloth . The Marriage-Go-Around is a thoughtful and integrative book written by one of the most respected and accomplished scholars on marriage in the world. The book is thoughtful in that Cherlin provides both breadth and depth in his wide-ranging description of marriage and family life in America, with numerous international comparisons sharpening his arguments about aspects of American society. The book is integrative in that, to support his contention that marriage and family life in America is unique, Cherlin weaves together research on a wide array of marriage- and family-related topics, such as legal controversies regarding gay and lesbian marriage, divorce law, religious views of cohabitation, and demographic characteristics of U.S. (and non-U.S.) marriages and families.
Effects of intrinsic spin on electronic transport through magnetic barriers.

It is shown that the interaction of the intrinsic spin of two-dimensional electrons with the magnetic field significantly changes the tunneling probability of electrons through magnetic barriers and the conductance of devices having such barriers with respect to the case where this interaction is neglected. It is also shown that certain structures having these magnetic barriers possess the ability to distinguish the two possible spin states of the electrons. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.