cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasmon resonance and perfect light absorption in subwavelength trench arrays etched in gallium-doped zinc oxide film

Near-perfect light absorption in subwavelength trench arrays etched in highly conductive gallium-doped zinc oxide films was experimentally observed in the mid infrared regime. At wavelengths corresponding to the resonant excitation of surface plasmons, up to 99% of impinging light is efficiently trapped and absorbed in the periodic trenches. Scattering cross sectional calculations reveal that each individual trench acts like a vertical split ring resonator with a broad plasmon resonance spectrum. The coupling of these individual plasmon resonators in the grating structure leads to enhanced photon absorption and significant resonant spectral linewidth narrowing. Ellipsometry measurements taken before and after device fabrication result in different permittivity values for the doped zinc oxide material, indicating that localized annealing occurred during the plasma etching process due to surface heating. Simulations, which incorporate a 50 nm annealed region at the zinc oxide surface, are in a good agreement with the experimental results.
Often talked about, seldom seen: promoting myocardial recovery with ventricular assist device.

Ventricular assist devices (VADs) have fundamentally changed the treatment of end-stage heart failure. However, despite great advances, long-term VAD use is still associated with frequent hospitalizations, serious complications, and a 2-year survival of approximately 70% [(1)][1]. Although
Association between body mass index and multigland primary hyperparathyroidism

Abstract Introduction Multigland disease (MGD) accounts for 15% of sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT). Several studies have reported a link between obesity and calcium metabolism (e.g., increased incidence of pHPT, higher levels of parathyroid hormone, lower vitamin D levels, and larger parathyroid glands). Obese patients have also been shown to require reoperation for persistent/recurrent pHPT more often than nonobese controls. We hypothesize that obese patients may have a higher prevalence of MGD. Methods This was a retrospective review of a prospectively collected parathyroid database that included adult patients with sporadic pHPT, who underwent initial parathyroidectomy between 1999 and 2013. Demographic, clinicopathologic, operative, and laboratory data were assessed for associations with MGD. Results Of 1305 consecutive patients, 200 (15%) had MGD. Median age was 59 y. Univariate analyses demonstrated that MGD was associated with age > 60 y, higher body mass index (BMI), history of lithium therapy, lower 24-h urine calcium excretion, higher serum alkaline phosphatase levels, and smaller size of the first excised parathyroid gland. On multivariate analyses, predictors of MGD were BMI 30–39.9 kg/m 2 (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–2.5), BMI ≥ 40 kg/m 2 (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.3–3.1), and smaller size of the first excised parathyroid (OR 0.7; 95% CI 0.6–0.8). Conclusions This study demonstrates a higher incidence of MGD in obese and morbidly obese patients. Due to a higher risk of MGD, surgeons should have a lower threshold to perform bilateral exploration in obese patients, especially if the first excised parathyroid gland is relatively small.
Rare Category Detection on Time-Evolving Graphs

Rare category detection(RCD) is an important topicin data mining, focusing on identifying the initial examples fromrare classes in imbalanced data sets. This problem becomes more challenging when the data is presented as time-evolving graphs, as used in synthetic ID detection and insider threat detection. Most existing techniques for RCD are designed for static data sets, thus not suitable for time-evolving RCD applications. To address this challenge, in this paper, we first proposetwo incremental RCD algorithms, SIRD and BIRD. They arebuilt upon existing density-based techniques for RCD, andincrementally update the detection models, which provide 'timeflexible' RCD. Furthermore, based on BIRD, we propose amodified version named BIRD-LI to deal with the cases wherethe exact priors of the minority classes are not available. Wealso identify a critical task in RCD named query distribution. Itaims to allocate the limited budget into multiple time steps, suchthat the initial examples from the rare classes are detected asearly as possible with the minimum labeling cost. The proposedincremental RCD algorithms and various query distributionstrategies are evaluated empirically on both synthetic and real data.
Surjections, Differences, and Binomial Lattices

The elementary problem of counting surjections from an n-set to a k-set is generalized to that of enumerating solutions of a1 ∨ ⋯ ∨ an = y, with each ai an atom of the k-interval [x, y] in a binomial lattice L. When L is modular, the number of such solutions is representable as a q-difference and satisfies a simple recurrence.
Horticultural applications of jasmonates

SummaryPlant growth and development are controlled, in part, by endogenous growth substances which are affected by biotic and abiotic signals and events. A particular class of growth regulators, collectively called ‘jasmonates’ are involved in plant responses to such events and elicit unique responses. The effects of jasmonates on plant growth are varied and include storage organ formation, induction of plant defences against biotic (e.g., herbivores and pathogens) and abiotic (e.g., drought and ozone) stresses, and growth inhibition in tissues such as roots and young shoots. In addition, jasmonates can interact with other hormone pathways, especially ethylene, to affect growth and development. Detailed knowledge of jasmonate responses in models such as Arabidopsis is being put to use in a wide variety of horticultural crops. This review summarises the impacts of jasmonates on plant growth and physiology, and how jasmonates may impact horticultural crop growth, physiology, protection from stresses, and/or...
Emulating the Combustion Behavior of Real Jet Aviation Fuels by Surrogate Mixtures of Hydrocarbon Fluid Blends: Implications for Science and Engineering

We have demonstrated previously that a (surrogate fuel) mixture of known pure hydrocarbon species that closely matches four combustion property targets (the derived cetane number (DCN), the hydrogen to carbon molar ratio (H/C), the threshold soot index (TSI), and the average molecular weight) of a specific jet fuel, displays fully prevaporized global combustion kinetic behaviors that are closely consistent. Here, we demonstrate a similar result can be obtained by formulating surrogate hydrocarbon fluid mixtures from distillation cuts of molecular class hydrocarbons or even real gas turbine fuels (for which the specific molecular species classes are no more than qualitatively known). Fully prevaporized chemical reactivities of hydrocarbon fluid surrogate mixtures and real jet fuels are compared using a high pressure flow reactor at 12.5 atm pressure, over the temperature range 500–1000 K, at stoichiometric conditions, and for the same fixed molar carbon content. Results are reported for two different real ...
Revisiting Iran’s nuclear rationales

What is the rationale behind Iran’s nuclear policy? This article identifies and reviews five answers: (i) Economy, mainly energy needs; (ii) Identity politics, pride and prestige; (iii) Deterrence of foreign intervention; (iv) Compellence to boost regional influence; and (v) Domestic politics, mitigating, through ‘nuclear diversion’ the regime’s domestic crisis of legitimacy. How should we assess the theoretical validity and practical viability of these accounts? I suggest four factors: (i) Compatibility, the extent to which the various rationales are mutually exclusive; (ii) Consistency, the historical stability of the nuclear motivation; (iii) Rationality, the relevancy of ascribing rationality/irrationality to Iran in order to ascertain its nuclear rationales; and (iv) Falsifiability, our ability to refute theses on nuclear motivations. The article addresses recent events, including Rouhani’s election and the Geneva interim agreement, and concludes with policy implications.
The Hilbert Model of Hyperbolic Geometry

(1981). The Hilbert Model of Hyperbolic Geometry. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 88, No. 10, pp. 744-748.
Consequences of an alien shrub on the plumage coloration and ecology of Cedar Waxwings

-Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) with orange (instead of the normal yellow) tail bands have appeared in eastern North America in the last 35 years. Biochemical studies have implicated a dietary cause (Hudon and Brush 1989), specifically the fruits of Lonicera morrowii (Brush 1990), for this novel color variant. I show that rectrices replaced while Cedar Waxwings are feeding on L. morrowii fruits develop orange tips. Rectrices replaced subsequent to switching the diet of molting waxwings from L. morrowii fruits to dog chow were yellow, showing close temporal correspondence between dietary input of rhodoxanthin and the coloration of growing feathers. In the Ithaca vicinity, fruits of L. morrowii are eaten by wild Cedar Waxwings from June until mid-October. The extended pattern of availability and consumption of Lonicera in this region appears to explain my unique observations of adult Cedar Waxwings growing orange tails during the fall months. Cedar Waxwings maintained body condition and molted while on an extended diet of L. morrowii fruits (36 days for two birds and 64 days for two others). Three birds initiated tail molt while on this diet, including one that molted all of its flight feathers. These results emphasize the nutritional specialization of Cedar Waxwings to a diet of sugary, low-protein fruits, and show that molt occurs in an apparently normal manner when birds are eating a low-protein fruit diet. Received 30 September 1994, accepted 15 April 1995. CEDAR WAXWINGS (Bombycilla cedrorum) normally have a yellow terminal band on their tails. Within the past 35 years, Cedar Waxwings with orange tail bands have appeared in the northeastern United States and southeastern I Present address: Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA. E-mail: waxwing@uwyo.edu Canada (Yunick 1970, Hudon and Brush 1989, Pittaway 1991, Mulvihill et al. 1992). Carotenoid pigments (i.e. xanthophylls) cause the yellow tail bands of Cedar Waxwings (Hudon and Brush 1989), as well as the red tips of their secondaries (Brush and Allen 1963). The coloration of the novel orange-tipped rectrices of Cedar Waxwings is caused by the inclusion of a red carotenoid pigment (rhodoxanthin) in the FRONTISPIECE. Tail colors of Cedar Waxwings. Bird in upper left (Bird 1) was fed only Lonicera fruits during tail molt. Bird in upper right (Bird 2) was switched from Lonicera fruits to chow diet midway through tail molt. Bird in lower left is wild bird with orange tail band (Cornell University Vertebrate Collection [CVC] no. 30194; juvenile male, 9 November 1961, Chemung Co., New York). Bird in lower right is wild bird with normal yellow tail band (CVC no. 14422, adult male, 1 June 1942, Tompkins Co., New York).
Remediable causes of failure of "appropriate" antimicrobial therapy.

Emergence of genotypic drug resistance, commonly blamed for failure of seemingly appropriate antimicrobial therapy, actually accounts for a minority of such failures. More often, the host, microorganisms, and pharmacologic factors interact to inhibit drug action. Foreign body, abscess, and obstructed drainage are recognized remediable situations that also predispose to “microbial indifference” to agents that ordinarily would be effective.
Vesicoureteral reflux in patients with obstructive prostatic disease.

AbstractWe present our experience during a 22-year period with the management of 53 patients in whom vesicoureteral reflux was associated with obstructive prostatic disease. There were 45 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia and 8 cases of carcinoma of the prostate. After prostatectomy medical management of reflux was successful in controlling urinary infection in 34 patients and an operation was performed in 19. Each patient was followed for at least 1 year.
“The Industry”: A Brief History of Audiences In and Out of Control

Falero provides a much-needed historical context for the contemporary digital participatory audience. She connects the seemingly very new model of audience criticism with older models that date back to the sixteenth century, namely theater audiences and the development of “audience sovereignty” as a concept. Through a discussion of the professionalization of media in the nineteenth century, she documents the end of “audience sovereignty” and the creation of an idea about audiences as passive, and about popular media as simplistic and unworthy of real critical analysis.
Multi-length scale modeling of CVD of diamond Part I A combined reactor-scale/atomic-scale analysis

Chemical vapor deposition of the (111)- and (100)-oriented single-crystalline diamond films is studied by combining a reactor-scale model with an atomic-scale model. The reactor-scale model is based on the solution of a continuum fluid-flow/heat-transfer boundary value problem for a reactive gas in contact with a deposition surface. The atomic-scale modeling is carried out using a kinetic Monte Carlo method. A consistency between the two modeling schemes is achieved by: (a) using the reactor-scale modeling predictions as input to the atomic-scale modeling scheme and; (b) using the atomic-scale modeling results to identify the surface reactions which govern and, hence, should be used in reactor-scale modeling of the deposition of (111)- and (100)-oriented diamond films. It is found that by properly combining the two types of models, consistent predictions for the film deposition rates can be obtained over a relatively large range of the CVD processing conditions. In addition, different phenomena are found to govern the deposition process for (111)- and (100)-oriented films. In the case of (111)-oriented films, the film growth rate appears to be controlled by the nucleation of new layers. Contrary in the case of (100)-oriented films, both the nucleation and growth processes seem to have comparable effects.
Salmonella on Broiler Carcasses as Affected by Fresh Water Input Rate and Chlorination of Chiller Water.

Broiler carcasses, each inoculated with about 1000 cells of a marker strain of Salmonella typhimurium , and uninoculated carcasses were prechilled and chilled in a simulated commercial chilling process. For each experiment, fresh water input was either 1.90 liters (0.50 gal) or 0.95 liters (0.25 gal) per carcass, and the chlorine level was 0, 20 or 50 ppm. The rate of fresh water input had no significant effect on either cross-contamination (uninoculated carcasses showing contamination with marker organisms after chilling) or elimination of Salmonella from the inoculated carcasses. Fewer uninoculated carcasses showed marker Salmonella contamination after chilling with 50 ppm of chlorine than 0 ppm, but cross-contamination was not eliminated. Chlorine in the chilling water decreased rapidly due to the effect of organic matter.
IN SEARCH OF THE 'BACK MOUSE'

The "back mouse" is a tender, fibrous, fatty subcutaneous nodule found in the lumbosacral area in up to 16% of people. It can be a treatable cause of low back pain that may be unrecognized by both specialists and generalists.
Interactive and immersive devices with perceptual computing technologies

In the recent years, we are increasingly endowing devices and machines with the abilities to “sense”, “understand”, and “interact” with us and the physical world, aided by the rapid advances in nat...
Aluminum nitride microring resonators for efficient frequency doubling and strong coupling between visible and infrared optical modes

We realize a state-of-the-art second harmonic generation efficiency of 2500% W-1 from an aluminum nitride microring resonator. Utilizing such strong nonlinearity, we demonstrate efficient frequency conversion between visible and infrared optical modes, even entering the strong coupling regime.
Is Getting Tough With Low-Risk Kids a Good Idea? The Effect of Failure to Appear Detention Stays on Juvenile Recidivism:

Although the juvenile justice system has adopted many alternatives to detention, the practice of detaining youth for failing to appear in court remains common. Despite its widespread use, it is unc...
Recreation Economic Decisions: Comparing Benefits and Costs. Richard G. Walsh

(1987). Recreation Economic Decisions: Comparing Benefits and Costs. Richard G. Walsh. Journal of Leisure Research: Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 293-296.
Development of a Topical 48-H Release Formulation as an Anti-scarring Treatment for Deep Partial-Thickness Burns.

The purpose of this study was to develop pirfenidone (PF) ointment formulations for a dose finding study in the prophylactic treatment of deep partial-thickness burns in a mouse model. A preformulation study was performed to evaluate the solubility of PF in buffers and different solvents and its stability. Three different formulations containing 1, 3.5, and 6.5% w/w PF were prepared and optimized for their composition for testing in mice. Optimized formulations showed promising in vitro release profiles, in which 20–45% of PF was released in the first 7 h and 70–90% released within 48 h. The rheological properties of the ointment remained stable throughout storage at 25 ± 2°C/60% RH. Animal studies showed treatments of burn wounds during the inflammatory stage of wound healing with PF ointments at different drug concentrations had no adverse effects on reepithelization. Moreover, 6.5% PF ointment (F3) reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-12p70 and TNFα. This study suggests that hydrocarbon base ointment could be a promising dosage form for topical delivery of PF in treatment of deep partial-thickness burns.
Integration by Parts and Infinite Series

(2008). Integration by Parts and Infinite Series. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 81, No. 1, pp. 51-55.
Variation in out of pocket health care costs for individuals with anxiety disorders by type of insurance coverage.

Abstract Purpose Given that out-of-pocket (OOP) costs impact adherence to treatment and recent and proposed changes to the health insurance system that impact OOP costs, it is imperative to understand the OOP cost burden faced by individuals with anxiety disorders depending upon type of insurance coverage. The objective of this study was to determine the annual OOP cost burden faced by individuals with anxiety disorders and the variation of these costs by type of insurance coverage. Methods Using weighted nationally representative data from the 2011–2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys, total OOP health care costs were assessed for all respondents who indicated that they had an anxiety disorder (N = 9985). Total OOP health care costs were also calculated separately by type of insurance. Results Average annual OOP costs among individuals with anxiety was $1152. The highest OOP cost were incurred by individuals with private fee-for-service (FFS) insurance ($1356/year, 4.1% of annual income), while individuals enrolled in HMOs with dual Medicare/Medicaid had the lowest OOP cost ($129/year, 6.8% of annual income). Individuals without insurance had high OOP cost burden ($1309/year, 12.5% of annual income). Conclusion Individuals with anxiety disorders have a wide range of OOP cost depending upon their insurance coverage. Those with anxiety should carefully consider their choice of insurance coverage if interested in minimizing OOP costs.
Fuzzy Theory Techniques and Their Application in Digital Image Transformation

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses fuzzy theory techniques and their applications in the digital image transformation. The chapter presents a method that uses fuzzy theory techniques to address the issue of digital image warping. The chapter focuses on warping polygons by using fuzzy techniques and provides a method for extending the fuzzy approach from warping polygonal shapes to warping binary images of curved shapes and gray-scale digital images. The chapter discusses the warping of polygonal shapes in two steps. The first establishes a correspondence between the vertices of two given polygons. The second step interpolates the corresponding vertices to generate vertices of an intermediate polygon. The chapter presents a fuzzy vertex correspondence technique and a fuzzy affine transformation technique for the digital image warping. The chapter concludes by developing an algorithm that uses fuzzy vertex correspondence and fuzzy affine transformation for smoothly transforming one polygon into another.
First direct measurement of resonance strengths in O 17 ( α , γ ) 21 Ne

The reaction $^{17}\mathrm{O}$$(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\gamma}){}^{21}$Ne has been measured by in-beam $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ spectroscopy for the first time in the energy range ${E}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}=750$--1650 keV using highly enriched anodized ${\text{Ta}}_{2}({}^{17}\text{O}){}_{5}$ targets. Resonances were found at ${E}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}=$ 1002, 1386, and 1619 keV. Their strengths and primary $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray branchings are given. The new results exclude the low reaction rate of Descouvemont and support the rate of Caughlan and Fowler. Implications for the neutron poisoning efficiency of $^{16}\mathrm{O}$ in the weak $s$-process are discussed.
Simple Ethological Models of Depression: Social-Isolation Induced “Despair” in Chicks and Mice

Social isolation is widely considered to be one of the major vectors which contributes to the onset of depression. Although an isolation-induced “despair” model of depression is available for primates, neuroscience work would be facilitated by a simplified model that could be used routinely. In the following work we analyzed the ability of social isolation to facilitate immobility in the mouse forced swimming test and to decrease separation induced distress vocalizations (DVs) in young chicks. Isolation increased immobility only in very young mice (17–21 days of age) but not in older juveniles or adults. Chronic isolation reduced DVs in chicks and made them more susceptible to the DV reducing effects of reserpine. The chronically isolated young chick appears to be an excellent and inexpensive model for the analysis of despair/depression processes in brain.
Scientific Reasoning and Argumentation from a Bayesian Perspective

Much of the value of science lies in the critical, skeptical spirit that emerges from the practice of scientific reasoning. Yet, such practices—including argumentation—are notably absent from most classrooms that are dominated by explanation rather than argument and recall rather than reasoning. Ensuring that such experiences are a common feature of science education means that the field requires a stronger and clearer conceptualization of the common forms of scientific reasoning and the nature of the knowledge on which it depends. Only then, will it be possible to specify the kinds of performances we might reasonably expect students to attain, and only then will it be possible to construct assessments which are seen to be valid measures of student capability. To date, research in psychology and sociology offer empirically based descriptions of individual’s capabilities whilst work in philosophy offers a somewhat different, normative, and idealized account of how scientists reason. In this chapter, we develop an argument for how these two accounts might be synthesized and bring greater clarity and validity to the constructs we might seek to assess.
Primary CNS lymphoma: Treatment with combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a relatively uncommon primary brain tumor, but it has become the focus of many clinical trials because of its rising incidence and unique sensitivity to systemic chemotherapeutic agents. Radiotherapy can achieve high response rates and remissions in most patients, but survival is usually only 12-18 months because disease recurs. The addition of systemic chemotherapy, particularly intravenous methotrexate, had markedly improved disease control and many patients can achieve a durable remission and occasionally cure of their disease. Conventional systemic lymphoma drug combinations such as cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (CHOP) are ineffective. High-dose methotrexate is the single most active and important agent in the treatment of this disease. Whether improved disease control can be accomplished by adding other drugs to high-dose methotrexate or whether it is sufficient as a single agent has yet to be answered. High-dose methotrexate combined with cranial irradiation yields a median survival of at least 40 months and five year survival rates of 22%. However, neurotoxicity is substantial in a significant proportion of patients, particularly those over the age of 60 at the time of treatment. As many as 50% of such patients develop severe dementia. This is particularly important in a disease where approximately half of patients above the age of 60 had presentation. Efforts are now being directed towards not only improving disease control but also minimizing late neurotoxicity. Most efforts are currently directed towards using chemotherapy as the sole modality in the treatment of PCNSL, but both an optimal chemotherapy regimen, and the role of radiotherapy remain to be determined.
A cloud on the horizon

In this talk, I will present an overview of many areas in speech and language processing that Google is researching, developing and deploying to users. As the amount of information on the web grows, difficult problems in speech, text, information retrieval and natural language processing are now being solved and new challenges are appearing. For example, Google now builds speech recognition language models for a one million word vocabulary from billions of n-grams. By using data-driven approaches, Google is improving it's ability to deliver information to global users of computers, tablets and smartphones.
'Come, Let Us Reason Together': Toward a Synthesis of Business Ethics and Legal Ethics for the Common Good

This article examines the answers that business ethics and legal ethics give to the basic question of all professional ethics: How can a good person be a good member of this particular occupation? It shows how scholars in both fields, largely independently of each other, have given the same three basic answers: By doing all that the law allows for their principals, irrespective of other normative constraints; by restricting what they are legally allowed to do for their principals with supplemental standards drawn from general normative discourse; or by restricting what they are legally allowed to do for their principles with supplemental standards drawn from normative communities like religious sects and political parties that are less extensive than the general public or the entire citizenry. This article urges the adoption of the middle, public norms, course and suggests ways to make that course compatible with the widest possible range of those who choose the third course, that of supplemental sectarian norms.
Cyclical Dedifferentiation and Redifferentiation of Mammary Adipocytes

Adipocytes are generally thought to be terminally differentiated cells; however, recent evidence suggests a subset may have greater plasticity in certain contexts. In this issue of Cell Metabolism, Wang et al. (2018) demonstrate a novel capacity for mammary adipocytes to dedifferentiate into preadipocyte-like precursors during lactation and redifferentiate upon weaning.
Pushing the Bacterial Envelope: Strategies for Re-Engineering Bacterial Surfaces with Heterologous Proteins and Sugars

Over the past three decades, a powerful array of techniques has been developed for expressing heterologous proteins and saccharides on the surface of bacteria. Surface-engineered bacteria, in turn, have proven useful in a variety of settings, including high-throughput screening, biofuel production, and vaccinology. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive review of methods for displaying polypeptides and sugars on the bacterial cell surface, and discuss the many innovative applications these methods have found to date. While already an important biotechnological tool, we believe bacterial surface display may be further improved through integration with emerging methodology in other fields, such as protein engineering and synthetic chemistry. Ultimately, we envision bacterial display becoming a multidisciplinary platform with the potential to transform basic and applied research in bacteriology, biotechnology, and biomedicine.
Minimally Invasive Surgery for Resection of Diaphragm Metastases in Ovarian Cancer

Abstract Study Objective To estimate pulmonary complications and diaphragm recurrence after resection of diaphragm metastases by minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Design Retrospective analysis (Canadian Task Force classification III). Setting Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, from January 1, 2004, through January 31, 2014. Patients Selected cohort of 29 patients. Interventions Diaphragm resection by MIS (robotics, 21; laparoscopy, 8) for EOC. Measurements and Main Results To assess for pulmonary complications most likely due to diaphragm resection, patients were excluded if they had preoperative pleural effusions or pulmonary disease or had undergone additional upper abdominal procedures. Mean patient age was 58.7 years (standard deviation, 14.9) and mean BMI was 24.2 kg/m2 (standard deviation, 3.4). The mean size of diaphragm metastases was 56.7 mm (range, 2–145). Full-thickness resection was performed in 6 patients; 23 had peritoneal resection. Complete resection was achieved in all patients with no conversions to laparotomy. Two patients (6.9%) had pulmonary complications (pleural effusion). Six patients (20.7%) had diaphragm recurrence; 10 patients (34.5%) had recurrence at other abdominal sites. Conclusion Resection of diaphragm metastases by MIS appears to be feasible and safe for selected patients, with similar recurrence as other abdominal sites.
Irrigation operation and maintenance in Vietnam under economic restructuring

Vietnam's policies to establish a market economy are reshaping the state organizations and agricultural cooperatives that have operated and maintained irrigation systems. The new policies emphasize financial autonomy for state enterprises, and a shift in the responsibilities of the agricultural cooperatives away from collective production activities. Specific policies and institutional arrangements vary considerably among the provinces. In Quang Nam-Da Nang province in central Vietnam, the agricultural cooperatives generally still play an important role in irrigation OM however they are lower than typically paid by farmers in the small pump irrigation schemes operated by the agricultural cooperatives.
Mirror-Image Oligonucleotides: History and Emerging Applications

As chiral molecules, naturally occurring d-oligonucleotides have enantiomers, l-DNA and l-RNA, which are comprised of l-(deoxy)ribose sugars. These mirror-image oligonucleotides have the same physical and chemical properties as that of their native d-counterparts, yet are highly orthogonal to the stereospecific environment of biology. Consequently, l-oligonucleotides are resistant to nuclease degradation and many of the off-target interactions that plague traditional d-oligonucleotide-based technologies; thus making them ideal for biomedical applications. Despite a flurry of interest during the early 1990s, the inability of d- and l-oligonucleotides to form contiguous Watson-Crick base pairs with each other has ultimately led to the perception that l-oligonucleotides have only limited utility. Recently, however, scientists have begun to uncover novel strategies to harness the bio-orthogonality of l-oligonucleotides, while overcoming (and even exploiting) their inability to Watson-Crick base pair with the natural polymer. Herein, a brief history of l-oligonucleotide research is presented and emerging l-oligonucleotide-based technologies, as well as their applications in research and therapy, are presented.
Panel Data Analysis Based on Lab Evidence in Auction Market Experiments

Abstract This chapter reviews literature on lab experiments in economics with focus on panel data analysis of auction markets. We survey common methods, providing representative examples from the experimental auction literature, in an effort to highlight the value of panel data techniques in market analysis. Researchers have used alternative techniques described here, been mindful of the challenges in obtaining a significant number of observations to maintain consistency in estimation while avoiding selection issues, and exploiting the ability to control for unobserved heterogeneity. Due to the features of experimental design, random-effects models are used more often than fixed-effects model that are commonplace in the analysis of field socioeconomic data.
Teaching About Nonmedical Use of Prescription Drugs Among College Students

The misuse of prescription medications has emerged as a national public health concern. Epidemiological studies suggest that college students are at an elevated risk to engage in nonmedical use of ...
Shipment status prediction in online crowd-sourced shipping platforms

Abstract This paper empirically studies the matching and delivery process in a major crowd-sourced delivery platform. The aim is to develop models to understand and predict crowd-shipping delivery performance and using the findings to design incentives to improve user experiences as well as system performance. We apply the random forest machine learning algorithm to predict the shipment status of 14,858 crowd-shipping requests recorded between January 2015 and December 2016 throughout the U.S. The models are used to predict three phases of the crowd-shipping performance, namely bidding, acceptance, and delivery, using shipping request, built-environment, and socioeconomic features as explanatory variables. The results demonstrate that the context of the shipment provides strong predictive performance even when shipping request and package information is unknown. Calculating the sensitivity of bid probability, we show that offering a higher reward and posting a shipping request in the morning has the largest effect on the probability to secure a bid. We also find that larger shipments, out-of-state destinations, and peer-to-peer shipments lead to higher sensitivity, likely reflecting the higher perceived risks of such transactions. In practice, the models presented in this study show promise in their ability to effectively predict shipment status in real time. We illustrate a valuable application of the sensitivity analysis derived from the random forest models to develop customer-tailored crowd-shipping smartphone applications. Based on the data mined from past deliveries, customers are given empirically based delivery forecasts for their specific package request and can modify delivery requests to increase their odds of delivery. We find that pricing is the variable with the highest potential to increase delivery probability followed by the timing of the request.
Vitrimerization: Converting Thermoset Polymers into Vitrimers

Thermoset polymers with permanently cross-linked networks have outstanding mechanical properties and solvent resistance, but they cannot be reprocessed or recycled. On the other hand, vitrimers wit...
Prostate cancer relative survival by stage and race/ethnicity, United States, 2001 to 2015.

5509Background: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among U.S. men. Incidence rates for distant stage cancer increased during 2...
Boom and Bust? Two Western Tales of Technology in Africa

Current Western models of technological development in Africa exist at two extremes. On one end, Africa is perceived as a tech-barren land that relies heavily on Western imports for technological access. On the other end, recent narratives depict Africa as a continent of unprecedented and largely self-initiated technological growth. This paper analyzes the problems that arise when looking at Africa's access to technology through one of these two extremes. My findings demonstrate that these two contradicting models of technology in Africa are 1) concurrently prevalent across Western media and academia and 2) sharply inadequate in their generalization of technology and the African continent. These insights call for a more complex, multidimensional model of African technological development. To work towards such a layered model of Africa, I propose a strategy to export learning models from Africa to the West. By breaking out of the traditional flow of knowledge in the opposite direction, from the West to Africa, well-rounded insights can be drawn from and about both regions. In this paper, I detail an example of implementing this strategy and analyze its potential strengths in stepping towards a more accurate narrative of Africa.
An adaptive controller for a class of nonlinear plants based on neural networks and convex parameterization

The problem of control of a class of nonlinear plants has been addressed by using neural networks together with sliding mode control. We revisit this problem in this paper and propose an adaptive controller based on convex/concave parameterization for adjusting the weights that occur nonlinearly. By using the algorithms that have been proposed previously for adaptive control for nonlinearly parameterized problems, it is shown that global boundedness of all signals can be achieved together with a reduced tracking error. Simulation studies of an aircraft landing problem validate the proposed controller and that it contributes to improved learning of the underlying nonlinearity.
An exploration of the academic ecosystem: faculty perspectives

In an exploratory study, the current research applies the ecosystem concept to frame and understand the academic context and faculty experiences. Cluster analysis and follow-up hypothesis testing provide a compelling and consistent pattern of findings confirming that the nature of the ecosystem varies, with faculty experiences differing across clusters. As part of an ADVANCE-IT grant, full-time faculty at a small, private, comprehensive university were invited to complete a survey on work experiences, with 137 complete responses. To discern the nature of the ecosystem, a cluster analysis examined six elements reflecting the quality of the context: role clarity, research valued, minority respect, communication, conflict management and empowerment. Results revealed five types of work experiences ranging from very good (Vested) to quite challenging (Fringe). Three groups in-between had mixed experiences (Team Players, Disenfranchised, and Free Spirits). The Vested group found their work to be empowering, clear, with a good communication network, and with conflict well managed. In contrast, the Fringe group felt disempowered and found the work climate to be more negative and ambiguous. Subsequent analyses confirmed that women and faculty of lower rank were over-represented in the Fringe group and under-represented among the Vested. Faculty outcomes of job satisfaction, intention to leave and work-life interactions varied predictably across clusters: Better outcomes accrued to Vested compared to Fringe, with other groups falling between them. To improve the ecosystem for all, policies should particularly attend to the Fringe group experiences, with the goal of cultivating an ecosystem that is more uniformly positive and supportive.
Direct and indirect associations among self-disclosure skills, social support, and psychosocial outcomes during the transition to college:

The goal of current study was to explore direct and indirect associations between self-disclosure skills, social support, and psychosocial outcomes during the transition to college. Incoming colleg...
Sunlight and Life

Sunlight is a mixture of light visible to us, and ultraviolet and infrared radiation, both invisible to us. Most of the sun’s radiation, about 60 percent, is in the infrared region. About 37 percent occurs in the visible region and only about 3 percent in the ultraviolet. In recent years, x-rays and radio waves have been detected from the sun, but the amount of energy represented is vanishingly small. The maximum intensity of sunlight is in the yellow-green part of the spectrum where our eyes see best, presumably an evolutionary adaptation to the sun’s radiation.
Diversity in Secondary English Classrooms: Conceptions and Enactments.

Diversity is conceptualised in many different ways in terms of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, language and class. Much has been written about these conceptions of diversity in educational settings and how teacher education programs should prepare pre-service teachers to address diversity in their future classrooms. In this article, however, we take a different approach to diversity in the classroom by examining how two secondary English teachers conceptualise diversity once they are out of their English education program. Drawing on a case study, we present perspectives on diversity from Helen and Scott - two secondary English language arts teachers in the Midwestern United States. Although Helen and Scott both address diversity, the way they conceptualise and enact diversity in their classrooms is somewhat different. Based on interview and observation data, we show what diversity means for these two practising teachers and the ways in which they actually conceive of diversity in their classrooms. We explore these conceptions of diversity in order to show how they affect the instructional decisions that Helen and Scott make, as well as how they formulate their roles as teachers in diverse classrooms. Finally, we discuss the implications of their work and the preparation of secondary English teachers.
Inferring predator identity from skeletal damage of small-mammal prey remains

Questions: Do predator-derived small-mammal skeletal assemblages record statistically distinguishable predator-specific damage signatures? Can a given skeletal assemblage of unknown origin be correctly attributed to a specific predator based on skeletal damage? Has the type of predator responsible for creating the Holocene faunal sequence at Homestead Cave, Utah, remained constant over the depositional history of the record? Data incorporated: Two data sets were compiled from published counts of small-mammal skeletal material recovered from modern scatological assemblages produced by a variety of predators from around the world. One data set contained skeletal part frequencies, whereas the other contained proportional fragmentation information. Skeletal part frequencies and proportional fragmentation data were also compiled for 15 strata spanning the Holocene from Homestead Cave, Utah. Method of analysis: Principal components analysis and discriminant function analysis with cross-validation of predator classification success rates. Conclusions: Modern small-mammal skeletal assemblages produced by owls are reliably differentiable from those produced by diurnal raptors and mammalian carnivores. Owlproduced assemblages are characterized by a low frequency of fragmentation and the survival of a high proportion of fragile skeletal specimens, whereas assemblages produced by diurnal raptors and mammalian carnivores exhibit increased bone destruction and a residual concentration of teeth. The ability to perform species-specific predator identifications is not supported, but skeletal damage patterns are extremely useful for identifying the general type of predator responsible for creating a skeletal concentration of unknown origin, with classification success rates of 70‐100%. Finally, application of the method indicates that owl prey were the dominant source for skeletal material over the entire depositional history of the Holocene Homestead Cave record.
Robustness of the subspace GLRT to signal mismatch

The robustness of a subspace generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) detector to signal mismatch is addressed for data conforming to the generalized multivariate analysis of the variance model. This model assumes a deterministic signal of known form in the presence of unknown, colored, Gaussian noise. The subspace GLRT compresses data into a lower-dimensional subspace prior to detection. It is shown that a subspace GLRT reduces the performance loss due to mismatch relative to that of a non-subspace detector.
Temperature-Sensitive Divisionless Mutant of Bacillus subtilis Defective in the Initiation of Septation

Abstract A temperature-sensitive divisionless mutant of Bacillus subtilis 168, tms-12, is shown to be defective in an early step in septum formation at the restrictive temperature. The nature of this defect has been studied by comparing the growth and composition of mutant and wild-type (tms-12+) cells at the restrictive (48 C) and permissive (34 C) temperatures. At 48 C, tms-12 cells grow as nonseptate, multinucleate filaments. Filamentation does not appear to be a result of alterations in properties of the cell wall, since the ratio of mucopeptide to teichoic acid, the autolytic activity, and the ability of the walls to protect cells against osmotic shock are comparable in tms-12 filaments and tms-12+ bacilli grown at 48 C. Synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid and the segregation of nucleoids also proceed normally during filamentation. The synthesis of membrane, however, is delayed during filamentation of tms-12. No gross alterations were observed in the protein or lipid composition of membranes isolated from mutant filaments. Septum formation resumes when filaments are returned to 34 C and appears to be associated with an increased synthesis of membrane. The occurrence of septa was monitored both by microscopic observation of cross walls and by assays of the number of viable protoplasts released from bacillary filaments upon removal of the cell wall. Septation recovery can be blocked by inhibitors of ribonucleic acid and protein synthesis added during, but not after, the first 7 min of recovery at 34 C. By contrast, inhibition of deoxyribonucleic synthesis does not block recovery.
A robust two-way semi-linear model for normalization of cDNA microarray data

Background Normalization is a basic step in microarray data analysis. A proper normalization procedure ensures that the intensity ratios provide meaningful measures of relative expression values.