cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Severe Does Not Always Imply Significant Bias of a Regression Discrepancy Model

The Regression Discrepancy Model (RDM) was originally offered as a method to increase accuracy in assessing severe discrepancy by accounting for regression effects and measurement error. However, demonstration that the RDM realizes its goal of accurate, nonbiased assessment of IQ-achievement discrepancies has not been provided. The RDM's mathematical equations are examined, particularly the initial equation evaluating significant difference between IQ and achievement scores. Results from the initial equation are shown to be related to IQ levels and to bias the detection of severe discrepancy at lower IQ levels. Methods to minimize or remove this bias are proposed.
Modeling magnetic pulse compressors

The problem of modeling the dynamic performance of high-average-power, high-repetition-rate magnetic pulse compressors is conducted. The development of system models suitable for studying output pulse stability in high-repetition-rate applications is emphasized. To this end, a magnetic switch model is presented which is suitable for system studies. A modeling tool is discussed which is being developed to perform these studies. Preliminary results of efforts to simulate the MAG1D compressor performance are also presented. >
Genetic Analysis of Rubella Viruses Found in the United States between 1966 and 2004: Evidence That Indigenous Rubella Viruses Have Been Eliminated

Wild-type rubella viruses are genetically classified into 2 clades and 10 intraclade genotypes, of which 3 are provisional. The genotypes of 118 viruses from the United States were determined by sequencing part of the E1 coding region of these viruses and comparing the resulting sequences with reference sequences for each genotype, using the Bayesian inference program MRBAYES. Three genotypes of rubella viruses were found in the United States too infrequently to be considered for indigenous transmission. A fourth genotype was found frequently until 1981, and a fifth genotype was found frequently until 1988, but neither was obtained from nonimported cases after 1988. A sixth genotype was found frequently during 1996-2000, likely because of multiple importations from neighboring countries. The results of the present genetic analysis of rubella viruses found in the United States are consistent with elimination of indigenous viruses by 2001, the year when rubella was considered to be eliminated on the basis of epidemiological evidence.
Toward a metrics suite for source code lexicons

In this paper we present an empirical study of relationships between three source code lexicons: the identifier, comment, and literal lexicons. We conjecture that shared and unique properties of these lexicons for the given subject system can inform the configuration of a source code retrieval technique for a particular software understanding activity or software evolution task. Thus, we seek to discover these lexicon properties, and so we investigate five lexicon measures that consider term frequency, term density, and term provenance.
Validity of real time ultrasound in the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis: a prospective study.

Background/Aims Ultrasound is used to screen for hepatic steatosis, the most common liver disease in the United States. However, few studies have prospectively evaluated the accuracy of ultrasound to diagnose hepatic steatosis. Therefore, a double blinded prospective study was performed in consecutive patients undergoing liver biopsy to evaluate the accuracy of ultrasound to diagnose hepatic steatosis. Methods Real time ultrasound was performed just prior to the biopsy by a single investigator masked to the clinical diagnosis. The liver biopsy was reviewed by a pathologist masked to the clinical indication or sonographic findings. Results Of 73 consecutive patients studied, macrovesicular steatosis of any severity on biopsy was found in 46 (63%) and micro vesicular fat found in 51 (69.9%). The overall impression of the sonographer for the presence of macrovesicular hepatic steatosis of any degree had a sensitivity of 60.9% and a specificity of 100%. The sensitivity increased to 100% and the specificity to 90% when there was⩾20% of fat. The zonular distribution of the fat did not alter the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound. Ultrasound had a poor yield in the diagnosis of microvesicular fat with an overall sensitivity of 43% and a specificity of 73%. The combination of increased echogenicity and portal vein blurring on ultrasound had the greatest sensitivity in the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis. Conclusion Real time ultrasound using a combination of sonographic findings has a high specificity but underestimates the prevalence of hepatic steatosis when there is
Client Initiative, Inertia, and Demographics: More Powerful Than Treatment Interventions in Methadone Maintenance?

A major treatment intervention, previously reported in the literature, was conducted in which methadone clients were able to regulate their maintenance dose on a weekly basis. In this paper, the relationships among the intervention outcomes, demographic and personality variables, and treatment assignment are presented. The analyses indicate that personality, demographic, drug career, and treatment history variables did not interact with treatment assignment to produce particular outcomes. Nevertheless, outcome could be predicted by baseline illicit opiate use, prestudy methadone dosage, an interaction of age and ethnicity, and variables related to clients' initiative versus inertia with regard to treatment.
DksA Affects ppGpp Induction of RpoS at a Translational Level

The RpoS sigma factor (also called σS or σ38) is known to regulate at least 50 genes in response to environmental sources of stress or during entry into stationary phase. Regulation of RpoS abundance and activity is complex, with many factors participating at multiple levels. One factor is the nutritional stress signal ppGpp. The absence of ppGpp blocks or delays the induction of rpoS during entry into stationary phase. Artificially inducing ppGpp, without starvation, is known to induce rpoS during the log phase 25- to 50-fold. Induction of ppGpp is found to have only minor effects on rpoS transcript abundance or on RpoS protein stability; instead, the efficiency of rpoS mRNA translation is increased by ppGpp as judged by both RpoS pulse-labeling and promoter-independent effects on lacZ fusions. DksA is found to affect RpoS abundance in a manner related to ppGpp. Deleting dksA blocks rpoS induction by ppGpp. Overproduction of DksA induces rpoS but not ppGpp. Deleting dksA neither alters regulation of ppGpp in response to amino acid starvation nor nullifies the inhibitory effects of ppGpp on stable RNA synthesis. Although this suggests that dksA is epistatic to ppGpp, inducing ppGpp does not induce DksA. A dksA deletion does display a subset of the same multiple-amino-acid requirements found for ppGpp0 mutants, but overproducing DksA does not satisfy ppGpp0 requirements. Sequenced spontaneous extragenic suppressors of dksA polyauxotrophy are frequently the same T563P rpoB allele that suppresses a ppGpp0 phenotype. We propose that DksA functions downstream of ppGpp but indirectly regulates rpoS induction.
Need drugs, will travel?: The distances to crime of illegal drug buyers

Abstract Purpose This study examines distances to crime among illegal drug buyers while controlling for buyer, drug, and destination characteristics. Methods Geocoded arrests for drug buyers in an urban municipality, over a three year period, spatially identify major drug markets. Negative binomial regression is used to model compositional characteristics of drug arrestees and contextual effects of markets on distance to arrest ( n = 4,082). Results Trip distance to drug purchase arrest varies by drug market. Being white, and having prior contact with the criminal justice system correlated with longer trip distances. Additional compositional effects vary by drug type. Conclusions In line with prior journey to crime research and crime pattern theory, illicit drug buyers are arrested in close proximity of their homes. Future research should consider the extent to which short aggregate market distances reflect policing differentials and close social ties.
Concavity and sensitivity of electrical resistance functions

Two theorems are given concerning the concave behaviour of the input resistance function of linear passive resistive networks. The method of proof is based on circuit-theory considerations. A useful and potent link between circuit sensitivity and the theory of convex functions is presented.
In Search of Metallic Nanowires on Si(001)

Electronic structures of several atomic wires of metals like Al, Ga and In on hydrogen passivated Si(001):1×1 surface have been examined in search of nanowires with metallic properties. The dihydrogenated Si(001) is patterned by depassivating only one row of Si atoms along the [110] direction. Various structures of adsorbed metals and their electronic properties have been studied. With our present effort it was observed that Al and Ga nanowire configurations with metallic property are unstable towards the formation of buckled metal dimers leading to semiconducting behaviour. However, indium atomic wire is close to the metallic limit and shows marginal preference for the formation of symmetric dimers. It is encouraging that In metallic wires on a patterned dihydrogenated Si(001) may be realized.
Absence of specific retroactive interference effects of acoustic similarity in short-term memory

Each of 24 Ss received acoustically similar or different pairs of tetragrams separated by 2.5 or 18 sec of interpolated activity. Level of recall for the first tetragram after an interval of 20.5 sec was not significantly affected by the acoustic similarity of the second tetragram or the time elapsing between the tetragrams. A significant interaction was found, however, between these factors. Simultaneous presentation of tetragram consonants as opposed to sequential presentation appeared to underlie the absence of specific retroactive interference effects and the obtained interaction. The data question the generality of acoustic similarity effects in short-term memory.
Primary Discussion on High-yielding Theory and Practice of Super Hybrid Rice

This article dealt with the relationship between rice yield increase and plant type improvement during last 50 years in China.The characteristics of the plant type of super hybrid rice were analyzed, compared with few advanced rice plant type in this review.The effective LAI increase, high sink capacity, the balance for high-level source sink, physical and physiological basis of the lodging-resistance was discussed in the view of high yielding theory of super hybrid rice. Also, super high-yielding examples and relative techniques were introduced for the super hybrid practice.
Determination of 15 UV filters in cosmetics by HPLC

Objective:To improve the method for determination of UV filters in cosmetics by HPLC in "Hygienic Standard for Cosmetics" for inspecting the UV filters content in cosmetics.Methods: After sample were extracted by mixed liquor and THF,using Supelco C18(250 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm) as analytical column and methanol-THF-perchloric acid as mobile phase with gradient elution,and flow rate at 1 ml/min,detector wavelength with 311 nm to detect sample.Results: The method had good linear relationship between 0.01 mg/ml～0.2 mg/ml and regression coefficient was greater than 0.9996,the detectable limit was 1.0 ng～10 ng,the average recoveries were between 88.7%～108%.Conclusion: The improved method is more accurate and reliable,it is a successful supplement based on "Hygienic Standard for Cosmetics".
Effects of exposure to termite control drugs on immunological function of professional workers

Serum levels of IgG,IgA,IgM and chlordane,and arsenic in urine were determined in 86 termite control workers,67 arsenic workers,63 chlordane workers and 64 controls.Results showed that the levels of IgG,IgA and IgM in serum were significantly lower in all exposed groups than that in control(P0.01),that did not correlated with exposed period.Smoking and drinking could affect the levels,and all the immunoglobulins inversely correlated with the concentration of chlordane in serum and arsenic in urine.It is suggested that termite control drug could lower the immunity level of professional workers.
Executive pensions, risk-shifting, and foreign exchange exposure

Abstract Using a hand-collected executive compensation database of 272 large U.S. firms from 2000 to 2009, we present the first study of its kind to analyze the effects of executive pension-based compensation on foreign exchange exposure. We find evidence that higher executive pension compensation results in lower foreign exchange exposure among our sample firms, an effect that is strongest when sample firms are closest to bankruptcy. Our results have important implications for the structuring of managerial compensation contracts for multinational firms.
Mode and Power of Synthetic Aperture Radar Jamming

Based on the two-dimension imaging principle of SAR,three methods of jamming SAR and their equations are analysed respectively,which are noise jamming,coherent jamming and deception jamming.And the difference of the power needed in the three methods is mentioned.
Chemotherapeutic Efficacy of Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors in Chagasic Cardiomyopathy

Highlights •Mice infected with T. cruzi control acute parasitemia but develop chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy. •Treatment with SIL (a phosphodiesterase inhibitor) during a therapeutic window of indeterminate phase provided powerful cardioprotective effects against chronic development of cardiomyopathy and LV dysfunction. •SIL normalized the cGMP-dependent protein kinase activity and mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, and established the oxidant/antioxidant balance in chagasic myocardium. •SIL prevented the oxidative/inflammatory adducts that precipitate cardiomyocytes death and cardiac remodeling in CCM.
Components of gender-nonconformity prejudice

ABSTRACTIndices were developed to assess discomfort with specific behavioral violations of gender heteronormative gender roles, gender identity, and sexual orientation. A three-component model that proposes specific threats to social status as mechanisms of gender-based prejudice was then used to assess whether homophobia and transphobia were triggered by the non-gender heteronormative social identity status of the outgroup member or by perceived violations of specific gender heteronormative behaviors. For a sample of 145 female and 194 male gender heteronormative U.S. college undergraduates, path analyses showed that homophobia was particularly associated with discomfort with violations of sexual orientation norms while transphobia was particularly associated with discomfort with violations of gender identity norms. For men and women, discomfort with sexual orientation norms significantly mediated the relationships linking right-wing authoritarianism and benevolent sexism to homophobia while discomfort w...
Medial Elbow Pain

Pain on the medial aspect of the elbow can be a source of disability. The focus of the chapter is to provide the required knowledge to correctly diagnose patients with medial elbow pain. Since several etiologies may coexist, the emphasis on correct diagnostic strategies is provided. Ulnar collateral ligament injuries, snapping triceps, medial epicondylitis, and ulnar nerve pathology are presented with key features of clinical exam, diagnostic tests, and current aspects of treatment.
“No Matter How You Word It, It’s For Me”: Mandated Writing Practices in a Homeless Shelter for Mothers in Recovery

This case study is part of a larger investigation of literacy practices at New Beginnings shelter, a long-term transitional homeless shelter for addicted mothers and their children. We asked, “What...
Reducing the LOS ray beamforming setup time for IEEE 802.11ad and IEEE 802.15.3c

Beamforming (BF) protocols introduced in IEEE 802.11ad and IEEE 802.15.3c for 60 GHz millimeter-wave (mmwave) communications perform exhaustive sector/beam search to setup a beamformed link between stations/devices. In this paper, we propose two BF methods, Binary Search Beamforming (BSB) and Linear Search Beamforming (LSB), to improve the BF setup time of adopted algorithms in IEEE 802.11ad and IEEE 802.15.3c. The paper's premises are that the line-of-sight (LOS) ray dominates the mmwave links and the sectors with the highest antenna gains are the ones around the LOS ray direction. Proposed algorithms aim to find the sector covers the LOS ray in fewer steps by ignoring a number of sectors using iterative algorithms. This reduces the BF setup time significantly and saves power but at the expense of increased bit error rate (BER) in some cases. We provide performance comparisons of both algorithms with exhaustive search. For an example setup based on the channel model for a 60GHz system, simulation results show that, with 60 sectors antenna, the conventional BF setup time is reduced to 1.1% and 2.2% with using LSB and BSB, respectively. While not sacrificing from error performance for any number of sectors in the case of LSB, this is valid for only smaller than 36 sectors for BSB. However, in this condition, BSB has an advantage of around 3 dB power saving during the BF setup compared to LSB.
Individual differences in hedonic capacity, depressed mood, and affective states predict emotional reactivity

Identifying factors that contribute to inter-individual differences in emotional reactivity is central to understanding the basic mechanisms that give rise to adaptive emotion reactivity and to disruptions that may occur in psychopathology. The current study related emotional reactivity in an unselected young adult sample (N = 101) to individual difference factors relevant to emotional functioning and mood pathology, specifically anhedonia, depressed mood, and current affective state. To assess emotional reactivity, participants rated their emotional responses to 100 pictures from the International Affective Picture System. Increased self-reported anhedonia (i.e. reduced hedonic capacity) predicted blunted emotional reactivity to both positive and negative images, relative to neutral images, while elevated depressed mood predicted potentiated emotional reactivity to negative vs. neutral images. Anhedonia also accounted for far greater variance in emotional reactivity than depressed mood. Further, more positive affective state predicted potentiated reactivity to positive versus neutral images while more negative affective state predicted potentiated reactivity to negative versus neutral images beyond effects of anhedonia and depressed mood. The current study identified separable effects of anhedonia, depressed mood, and current affect on emotional reactivity.
Hypoxia‐induced HIF1α targets in melanocytes reveal a molecular profile associated with poor melanoma prognosis

Hypoxia and HIF1α signaling direct tissue-specific gene responses regulating tumor progression, invasion, and metastasis. By integrating HIF1α knockdown and hypoxia-induced gene expression changes, this study identifies a melanocyte-specific, HIF1α-dependent/hypoxia-responsive gene expression signature. Integration of these gene expression changes with HIF1α ChIP-Seq analysis identifies 81 HIF1α direct target genes in melanocytes. The expression levels for 10 of the HIF1α direct targets - GAPDH, PKM, PPAT, DARS, DTWD1, SEH1L, ZNF292, RLF, AGTRAP, and GPC6 - are significantly correlated with reduced time of disease-free status in melanoma by logistic regression (P-value = 0.0013) and ROC curve analysis (AUC = 0.826, P-value < 0.0001). This HIF1α-regulated profile defines a melanocyte-specific response under hypoxia, and demonstrates the role of HIF1α as an invasive cell state gatekeeper in regulating cellular metabolism, chromatin and transcriptional regulation, vascularization, and invasion.
Stroke units and mortality: a meta-analysis

Source Citation Langhorne P, Williams BO, Gilchrist W, Howie K. Do stroke units save lives? Lancet. 1993 Aug 14;342:395-8.
Contraception in the Perimenopause

Perimenopause is the time period in a woman’s reproductive life just prior to the complete cessation of menses. During this time women can experience a variety of symptoms that result from changes in both pituitary and sex steroids. The symptoms commonly noted include menstrual changes, vasomotor symptoms, as well as atrophic conditions including atrophic vaginitis and urinary complaints. During this time, women remain at risk for pregnancy; therefore, contraception use and counseling in this population are very important. In addition to pregnancy prevention, hormonal contraception can provide symptom relief as well as offer many noncontraceptive benefits to this population. As in younger women, several options for contraceptives exist, including intrauterine devices, sterilization, combined hormonal contraceptives, implants, progestin-only contraceptives, and barrier methods. The effectiveness, risk, and contraindications of these methods can be different in perimenopausal women compared to younger women.
The Alkaline Earth Metals

The elements of the second column of the periodic Table, known as the alkaline earths, are characterized by a full s shell. The two lighter of them, Be and Mg, crystallize in the hcp structure, Ca and Sr are fcc, and Ba and Ra are bcc. The total energy calculations predict the correct ground state for all of them. For Mg, Sr, and Ba the calculations are based on Hedin-Lundqvist LDA exchange and correlation, while for Be, Ca, and Ra the GGA form was used. The GGA gives lattice constants closer to the experimental values. Be has a very low value of N(EF). Ca and Sr have very similar energy bands i.e., free-electron-like occupied states and d states above EF. Their main difference is in the value of N(EF) which is fairly high for Ca and practically zero for Sr, suggesting semi-metallic behavior. Finally, Ba and Ra resemble Cs in the shape of the energy bands and DOS.
Cortical Mapping in the Resection of Malignant Cerebral Gliomas

ABSTRACT Cerebral gliomas are diffuse intrinsic primary brain tumors that are most commonly encountered in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes, and that can present with an array of symptoms including alterations in mental status, speech and language difficulties, motor or sensory abnormalities, and seizures. Maximal safe surgical debulking of the tumor reduces mass effect, provides a precise histological diagnosis, and facilitates genetic analysis that may shed light on the response to therapies and prognosis, reduces the oncological burden of the tumor facilitating the effectiveness of adjuvant treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy, and may reduce seizures. Preoperative and intraoperative cortical mapping strategies are used to delineate the relationship of the tumor with adjacent eloquent and association cortical areas to provide a maximal functionally safe surgical resection. This chapter describes the protocols used at our institution for the surgical management of patients with malignant gliomas in proximity to or involving eloquent cortical areas.
Tutorial: Private Information Retrieval

Private information retrieval (PIR) is a cryptographic primitive that facilitates the seemingly impossible task of letting users fetch records from untrusted and remote database servers without revealing to those servers which records are being fetched. The research literature on PIR is vast; in the over two decades since its 1995 introduction by Chor, Goldreich, Kushilevitz, and Sudan, the cryptography, privacy, and theoretical computer science research communities have studied PIR intensively and from a variety of perspectives. Alas, despite a series of significant advances, most privacy practitioners and theoreticians alike fall into one of two camps: (i) those who believe that PIR is so inefficient and abstruse as to make it all-but-useless in practice, and (ii) those who remain blissfully unaware that PIR even exists. Indeed, to date not even one of the numerous PIR-based applications proposed in the research literature has been deployed at scale to protect the privacy of users "in the wild". This tutorial targets both of the above camps, presenting a bird's-eye overview of the current state of PIR research. Topics covered will span the spectrum from purely theoretical through imminently applicable and all the high points in between, thereby providing participants with an awareness of what modern PIR techniques have (and do not have) to offer, dispelling the myth of PIR's inherent impracticality, and hopefully inspiring participants to identify practical use cases for PIR within their own niche areas of expertise. This introductory tutorial will be accessible to anyone comfortable with college-level mathematics (basic linear algebra and some elementary probability and number theory).
Measuring couple relationship quality in a rural African population: Validation of a Couple Functionality Assessment Tool in Malawi

Available data suggest that individual and family well-being are linked to the quality of women's and men's couple relationships, but few tools exist to assess couple relationship functioning in low- and middle-income countries. In response to this gap, Catholic Relief Services has developed a Couple Functionality Assessment Tool (CFAT) to capture valid and reliable data on various domains of relationship quality. This tool is designed to be used by interventions which aim to improve couple and family well-being as a means of measuring the effectiveness of these interventions, particularly related to couple relationship quality. We carried out a validation study of the CFAT among 401 married and cohabiting adults (203 women and 198 men) in rural Chikhwawa District, Malawi. Using psychometric scales, the CFAT addressed six domains of couple relationship quality (intimacy, partner support, sexual satisfaction, gender roles, decision-making, and communication and conflict management), and included questions on intimate partner violence. We used exploratory factor analysis to assess scale performance of each domain and produce a shortened Relationship Quality Index (RQI) composed of items from five relationship quality domains. This article reports the performance of the RQI. Internal reliability and validity of the RQI were found to be good. Regression analyses examined the relationship of the RQI to outcomes important to health and development: intra-household cooperation, positive health behaviors, intimate partner violence, and gender-equitable norms. We found many significant correlations between RQI scores and these couple- and family-level development issues. There is a need to further validate the tool with use in other populations as well as to continue to explore whether the observed linkages between couple functionality and development outcomes are causal relationships.
School-based physical therapy services and student functional performance at school

Aim We explored relationships of school-based physical therapy to standardized outcomes of students receiving physical therapy. Method Using a practice-based evidence research design, School Function Assessment (SFA) outcomes of 296 students with disabilities (mean age 7y 4mo [standard deviation 2y]; 166 males, 130 females), served by 109 physical therapists, were explored. After training, therapists completed 10 SFA scales on students at the beginning and end of the school year. Therapists collected detailed weekly data on services (activities, interventions, types, student participation) using the School-Physical Therapy Interventions for Pediatrics (S-PTIP) system. Stepwise linear regressions were used to investigate S-PTIP predictors of SFA outcomes. Results Predictors of SFA section outcomes varied in strength, with the coefficient of determination (R2 ) for each outcome ranging from 0.107 to 0.326. Services that correlated positively with the SFA outcomes included mobility, sensory, motor learning, aerobic/conditioning, functional strengthening, playground access interventions, and higher student participation during therapy (standardized β=0.11-0.26). Services that correlated negatively with the SFA outcomes included providing services within student groups, within school activity, with students not in special education, during recreation activities, and with positioning, hands-on facilitation, sensory integration, orthoses, and equipment interventions (standardized β=-0.14 to -0.22). Interpretation Consideration of outcomes is prudent to focus services. Overall results suggest we should emphasize active mobility practice by using motor learning interventions and engaging students within therapy sessions. What this paper adds No specific interventions predicted positively on all School Function Assessment (SFA) outcomes. Active movement practice seems related to overall better SFA outcomes. Active mobility practice improved SFA participation, mobility, recreation, and activities of daily living. Engaging students in therapy activities and interventions improved outcomes.
LEARNING PAINS IN BEGINNING A COMPUTER AIDED CARDIOVASCULAR LABORATORY

Abstract The rapid onset of minicomputers in the medical field has given great impetus to the quality of medical care. Coincident with this growth, cardiovascular laboratories have greatly increased their numbers in the preceding decade. The symbiotic relationship that has culminated between these two areas is lending itself to accomplishment of even the most difficult tasks. This paper discusses such an implementation of the minicomputer in medicine. The Shands Teaching Hospital in Gainesville, Florida has recently installed a Honeywell Computer Catheterization Laboratory System (CCLS) in its cardiovascular laboratory. Acceptance of this new diagnostic tool by the attending physicians is surveyed. Ease of use, reliability of data calculations, optimum use of software, and training time required are all emphasized in this discussion as it affects the physician. A comparison of the physicians' manually calculated data versus that of the computer's is shown. The need for interaction between the physician and programmer is demonstrated to insure that updated algorithms and software corrections are implemented. In addition to the diagnostic potential of the minicomputer, the capabilities as concern didactic training of medical students and ancillary help are explored. Finally, the data storage and retrieval ability of the CCLS system is demonstrated as it regards the updating and logging of patient files. Primarily, this paper is intended to point out the interactions needed between the physician who is generally inexperienced in the computer area and the engineer who generally does not have the expertise in medicine. A joint effort of both fields will provide the desired end product: better health care delivery.
Impact of HMO mergers and acquisitions on financial performance.

Abstract This study examines the effect of health maintenance organization (HMO) mergers and acquisitions on financial performance, as indicated by cash flow returns, profitability ratios, and efficiency indicators. Pooled, cross-sectional files of financial performance data were created for HMO mergers occurring in the period of 1988 to 1994. The study uses a time-series design involving the analysis of pre- and post-acquisition financial performance measured over a period of four years. Change scores for the industry-adjusted financial performance measures were calculated and then evaluated using t-tests. The study showed that HMO mergers had a positive effect on financial performance and efficiency. This effect disappeared, however, after adjusting for HMO industry returns. Potential synergies arising from HMO mergers have been largely illusory. Mergers may have been a result of non-value enhancing motives or management overconfidence.
Electronic Reserves–Pilot and Evaluation

ABSTRACT In fall 1997, the University of Washington Bothell Library piloted a home-grown Electronic Reserves project to better meet the needs of its non-traditional population, consisting largely of returning, working, and/or commuting students. As the number of students commuting from greater distances increased, the need to provide remote access to course materials 24-hours a day became essential. Since no additional funding was received, the pilot began with only four classes. This enabled librarians to become familiar with the technology without being overwhelmed by demand. In-class demonstrations were provided, and quarterly surveys were distributed to students and faculty participating in the project. Results were analyzed over several quarters to determine the benefits to students and faculty. By fall 1998, 33 courses or 80% of reserves were available electronically. Issues that developed from the pilot included: (1) increased printing in the library and computer labs, (2) development of training c...
The Infinite Given Magnitude and Other Myths About Space and Time

I argue that Kant's claim in the “Transcendental Aesthetic” of the Critique of Pure Reason that space and time are immediately given in intuition as infinite magnitudes is undercut by his general theory of mathematical knowledge. On this general theory, pure intuition does not give objects of any determinate magnitude at all, but only forms of possible objects. Specifically, what pure intuition itself yields is the recognition that any determinate space or time is part of a larger one, but it requires an inference of reason to go from that to the claim that space and time are infinite. I further argue that this result is consistent with Kant's claim in the second-edition “Transcendental Deduction” that the unity of space and time are the products of synthesis, but also means that the unity of space and time as objects cannot be used a premise in the Deduction but can only be regarded as a conclusion of the deduction and the following “System of Principles.”
'Together at the Table of Brotherhood:' Voluntary Student Assignment Plans and the Supreme Court

Many school districts embrace voluntary programs designed to maintain or increase diversity (racial, ethnic, and other sorts) within their schools. They do so for a variety of reasons and through a number of different mechanisms and formulas. Most controversially, some schools use race to determine a student's school assignment. Recently, the Supreme Court considered two challenges to race-based plans. In a deeply divided plurality decision in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School Dist No. 1 (PICS), the Court held both assignment plans unconstitutional. Following PICS, the question remains: what voluntary school assignment plans in the K-12 public school setting are constitutional and how effective are they at achieving their stated goals‘ The purpose of this paper is to review the different paths school districts may take in crafting assignment plans and to determine if they will both pass Constitutional muster and succeed at increasing diversity. After analyzing the PICS decision and the tension inherent in the two lines of precedent that inform this area of law, the paper will review existing and theoretical voluntary assignment plans to assess their constitutionality and effectiveness in achieving diversity, racial or otherwise. This paper concludes that race-based plans remain constitutionally permissible after PICS, but only with exacting standards school districts will find difficult if not impossible to meet or in circumstances where the plan is largely ineffective at effecting change in school composition. While race-neutral plans, including those related to socioeconomic status, are almost certainly constitutional, their effectiveness varies and may not capture all forms of student diversity.
MANIPULATION OF PROTEIN METABOLISM, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ANABOLIC AGENTS

Anabolic agents are used on a wide scale to improve the efficiency of meat production. They increased nitrogen retention and protein deposition in ruminants and pigs but their effects were not as consistent in rats, horses or poultry. The benefits in cattle and sheep were an increased daily live weight gain (DLG) and an improvement in feed conversion efficiency (FCE).
Ending Gaze Aversion Toward Child Abuse And Neglect

For more than fifty years, not enough has been done to tackle the national problems of child abuse and neglect.
Spatial variation and availability of nutrients at an oyster reef in relation to submarine groundwater discharge

Abstract Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is often an overlooked component of the solute budgets in coastal embayments and is not considered in oyster restoration, conservation, and management plans. A combination of spatial and temporal geochemistry (nutrients, trace metals, alkalinity components, stable isotopes, and major ions) of porewater and surface water combined with SGD-derived solute fluxes and turnover times was used to examine the significance of SGD in delivering nutrients to paleovalley systems in coastal embayments, thus sustaining the health and productivity of oyster reefs. A 1-km2 area encompassing a paleovalley system, in Copano Bay, Texas, exhibited significant differences in the spatial and temporal hydrogeochemical characteristics (major ions, stable isotopes and nutrients) along the reef when compared to the other environments (i.e., paleovalley, estuary-wide). Solute fluxes (i.e., dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), total alkalinity, DIC, etc.) are slightly larger at the reef, followed by the margin and shoreline. During dry conditions, SGD from the 1-km2 area was estimated to supply anywhere between two-fold to one order of magnitude more nitrogen (in the form of DIN) than the riverine inputs to Copano Bay. During a wet year SGD equates the river input in the form of DIN. In addition, SGD-based turnover times, averaging
A Review of Switching Slew Rate Control for Silicon Carbide Devices Using Active Gate Drivers

Driving solutions for power semiconductor devices are experiencing new challenges since the emerging wide bandgap power devices, such as silicon carbide (SiC), with superior performance become commercially available. Generally, high switching speed is desired due to the lower switching loss, yet high $dv/dt$ and $di/dt$ can result in elevated electromagnetic interference (EMI) emission, false-triggering, and other detrimental effects during switching transients. Active gate drivers (AGDs) have been proposed to balance the switching losses and the switching speed of each switching transient. The review of the in-existence AGD methodologies for SiC devices has not been reported yet. This review starts with the essence of the slew rate control and its significance. Then, a comprehensive review categorizing the state-of-the-art AGD methodologies is presented. It is followed by a summary of the AGDs control and timing strategies. In this work, using AGD to reduce the EMI noise of a 10-kV SiC MOSFET system is reported. This work also highlights other capabilities of AGDs, including reliability enhancement of power devices and rebalancing the mismatched electrical parameters of parallel- and series-connected devices. These application scenarios of AGDs are validated via simulation and experimental results.
MUSLIMS’ VIEWS OF HINDU RELIGIOUS LIFE:

This paper discusses Banyuwangi Muslims’ perspectives and experiences when they live in Bali and how Bali with Hinduism to be the majority population influences their religious beliefs and their perspectives of interfaith relations. As data, eleven Banyuwangi Muslims were interviewed. The results are said first that hypothesis that the experiences living with other religions will contribute in their opinion of tolerance does not work hundred percentages since many of interviewees think that living in the different religious environment does not affect anything in term of their views of tolerance. Secondly, although the harmonious relations between Hindu Balinese and Banyuwangi Muslim people had existed, in reality, Hindu Balinese which are the majority population still treat differently for Banyuwangi Muslims. Indeed, it proves that the superiority cannot be truly avoided in the relations between both groups. Being minority does not always affect Banyuwangi Muslims to know the majority religion. Thirdly, the author think that it is because the main reason when they came to Bali is only economy, so everything outside economy will not be interesting for them. Living in Bali, moreover, does not contribute in their understanding of tolerance.
Inhibition of GFAT1 in lung cancer cells destabilizes PD-L1 protein and improves immune response

Abstract Immunotherapy using checkpoint blockers (antibodies) has been a major advance in recent years in the management of various types of solid cancers including lung cancer. One target of checkpoint blockers is programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expressed by cancer cells, which engages programmed death 1 (PD-1) on T cells and Natural Killer (NK) cells resulting in suppression of their activation and cancer-killing function, respectively. Apart from antibodies, other clinically relevant agents that can inhibit PD-L1 are limited. PD-L1 protein stability depends on its glycosylation. Here we show that L-glutamine:D-fructose amidotransferase 1 (GFAT1) a rate-limiting enzyme of the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP) which produces uridine diphosphate-N-acetyl-β-glucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc), a precursor for glycosylation, is required for the stability of PD-L1 protein. Inhibition of GFAT1 activity markedly reduced interferon γ (IFNγ)-induced PD-L1 levels in various lung cancer cell lines. GFAT1 inhibition suppressed glycosylation of PD-L1 and accelerated its proteasomal degradation. Importantly, inhibition of GFAT1 in IFNγ-treated cancer cells enhanced the activation of T cells and the cancer-killing activity of NK cells. These findings support using GFAT1 inhibitors to manipulate PD-L1 protein level that could augment the efficacy of immunotherapy for lung cancer.
Future efficacy of pre-emergence herbicides in corn (Zea mays) is threatened by more variable weather

BACKGROUND By 2050, weather is expected to become more variable with a shift towards higher temperatures and more erratic rainfall throughout the U.S. Corn Belt. The effects of this predicted weather change on pre-emergence (PRE) herbicide efficacy have been inadequately explored. Using an extensive database, spanning 252 unique weather environments, the efficacy of atrazine, acetochlor, S-metolachlor, and mesotrione, applied PRE alone and in combinations, was modeled on common weed species in corn (Zea mays L.). RESULTS Adequate rainfall to dissolve the herbicide into soil water solution so that it could be absorbed by developing weed seedlings within the first 15 days after PRE application was essential for effective weed control. Across three annual weed species, the probability of effective control increased as rainfall increased and was maximized when rainfall was 10 cm or more. When rainfall was less than 10 cm, increasing soil temperatures had either a positive or negative effect on the probability of effective control, depending on the herbicide(s) and weed species. Herbicide combinations required less rainfall to maximize the probability of effective control and had higher odds of successfully controlling weeds compared with the herbicides applied individually. CONCLUSIONS Results of this study highlight the importance of rainfall following PRE herbicide application. As rainfall becomes more variable in future, the efficacy of common PRE herbicides will likely decline. However, utilizing combinations of PRE herbicides along with additional cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical weed control methods will create a more sustainable integrated weed management system and help U.S. corn production adapt to more extreme weather. © 2021 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Contraceptive initiation after delivery among women with and without opioid use disorders: A retrospective cohort study in a statewide Medicaid population, 2005–2016

Abstract Background This study examined contraceptive initiation patterns in the 12 months following childbirth among women with opioid use disorder (OUD), women with non-opioid substance use disorders (SUDs), and women without SUDs. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using claims data from South Carolina Medicaid-enrolled women aged 15–44 who had singleton live birth between January 2005 and December 2016. Study outcomes were initiation of most or moderately effective (MME) contraceptive methods. Using multivariable and propensity score-weighted logistic regression, we analyzed the relationship between OUD and contraceptive initiation within 12 months after delivery. Results We identified 71,283 live birth deliveries during the study period. In multivariable analysis, women with non-opioid SUDs and women without SUDs compared to women with OUD were more likely to initiate a MME method vs a least effective method or no method by 3 months (non-opioid SUDs: odds ratio [OR] = 1.32, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.14−1.52; no SUDs: OR = 1.55, 95 % CI = 1.36−1.77) and 12 months (non-opioid SUD: OR = 1.23, 95 % CI = 1.06−1.42; no SUD: OR = 1.46, 95 % CI = 1.27−1.66) after delivery. With regards to the timing of initiation, women with non-opioid SUDs and women without SUDs were more likely than women with OUD to initiate a MME method vs a least effective method or no method after the immediate postpartum period through 3 months following delivery (non-opioid SUDs: OR = 1.41, 95 % CI = 1.18−1.68; no SUDs: OR = 1.87, 95 % CI = 1.59−2.21). We detected the similar patterns in analyses that used propensity score weighting. Conclusion OUD was associated with decreased likelihood of initiating a MME contraceptive method within 12 months after delivery.
Electrolytes for reversible zinc electrodeposition for dynamic windows

Reversible metal electrodeposition is a promising approach for the construction of dynamic windows with electronically tunable transmission. In this manuscript, we study a series of aqueous electrolytes that support reversible Zn electrodeposition on transparent tin-doped indium oxide electrodes. By systematically altering the composition of the electrolytes, we develop relationships between the chemical identity of the halides, carboxylates, and haloacetates in the electrolytes and the electrochemical and optical properties of reversible Zn electrodeposition. This strategy enables us to design electrolytes with 99% coulombic efficiency that support reversible optical contrast on electrodes. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses establish connections between the composition and morphology of the electrodeposits and the composition of the electrolytes. Although electrode degradation and H2 evolution are thermodynamically favorable under the operating voltages of the electrolytes due to the negative standard reduction potential of Zn/Zn2+, we find that these reactions are kinetically passivated by the Zn and ZnO electrodeposits. An understanding of these electrochemical properties allows us to construct 25 cm2 dynamic windows that switch with 64% optical contrast at 600 nm within 30 s. Because we utilize non-noble Zn as opposed to the noble metals commonly used in previous electrolytes, this work expands the chemical scope of electrolytes in dynamic windows based on reversible metal electrodeposition, which should lead to future advances in electrolyte design.
Comparison of the Distribution of Standardized Cosmesis and Health Nasal Outcomes Survey Scores Between Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Patients

Background: The Standardized Cosmesis and Health Nasal Outcomes Survey (SCHNOS) is a validated patient-reported outcome measure that evaluates subjective cosmetic and functional complaints. The goa...
An examination of EFL textbooks in Lithuania

This paper provides a Critical Discourse Analysis and a Cultural Discourse Studies analysis of a series of English as a foreign language textbooks produced and used in Lithuanian schools during the...