cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Screening for high-grade dysplasia in gastroesophageal reflux disease: is it cost-effective?

Abstract OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of endoscopic screening in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to rule out high-grade dysplasia of Barrett’s esophagus. METHODS: Using an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio as outcome measure, the cost-effectiveness of endoscopic screening was compared to not screening in a decision tree. It was assumed that GERD patients at age 60 yr undergo a one-time endoscopy with esophageal biopsies, targeting abnormal-appearing epithelium. Positive biopsies with respect to high-grade dysplasia or early esophageal adenocarcinoma result in esophagectomy. Transition rates were estimated from U.S. cancer statistics, as well as published data of endoscopic sensitivity, specificity, and surgical outcome. Costs of screening and cancer care were estimated from Medicare reimbursement data from the perspective of a third-party-payor. RESULTS: Compared with no screening, screening endoscopy cost $24,700 per life-year saved. The cost-effectiveness of screening is quite sensitive to the prevalence of Barrett’s esophagus, high-grade dysplasia, and adenocarcinoma, as well as the sensitivity, specificity, and cost of screening endoscopy. A small drop in the health-related quality of life associated with postsurgical states markedly reduced the effectiveness of screening. Simultaneous variations of the prevalence, specificity, and health-related quality of life can easily change screening endoscopy from a life-saving into a life-losing strategy. CONCLUSIONS: Under favorable conditions, general screening by endoscopy of all patients with reflux symptoms to prevent death from esophageal adenocarcinoma may represent a cost-effective strategy; however, such conditions may be difficult to meet.
Crack‐Growth Resistance‐Curve Behavior in Silicon Carbide: Small versus Long Cracks

Crack-growth resistance-curve (R-curve) behavior for small ( 3 mm) through-thickness cracks is examined in two silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics that have sharply contrasting fracture properties. The first, an in-situ toughened material designated ABC-SiC fails by intergranular fracture, whereas the second, a commercial SiC (Hexoloy SA), fails by transgranular cleavage. In the former microstructure, hot pressing with aluminum, boron, and carbon additives yields a network of plate-shaped grains, and the presence of an amorphous grain-boundary film that is {approximately}1 nm thick promotes debonding and crack deflection. The resultant grain bridging generates R-curve toughening; in contrast, no evidence of crack-tip shielding is observed in Hexoloy SA. R-curve behavior has been evaluated using two techniques for the different crack-length regimes: a small-crack R-curve has been deconvoluted from indentation-strength data and a long-crack R-curve has been directly measured using fatigue-precracked, disk-shaped compact-tension specimens. Although Hexoloy SA fails catastrophically at <3 MPa{center_dot}m{sup 1/2}, ABC-SiC exhibits much-improved flaw tolerance with significant rising R-curve behavior and a steady-state fracture toughness of {approximately}9 MPa{center_dot}m{sup 1/2} after crack extension of {approximately}600 {micro}m. In ABC-SiC, however, differences in the behavior of long and small cracks exist for crack sizes of less than {approximately}120 {micro}m, withmore » the small-crack measurements demonstrating much-reduced crack-growth resistance; this effect is not observed in Hexoloy SA. Microstructural sources of this behavior are discussed.« less
Developing Language Awareness Materials for Nonlinguists: Lessons Learned from the Do You Speak American? Curriculum Development Project

Current work in linguistics is not well represented in the school curriculum in the USA, partly because of a mismatch with traditional foci in the K-12 (kindergarten through twelfth grade) standard course of studies and because there are very few materials for teaching about the nature of language and language variation. This article sketches the process of developing curricular materials to accompany the 3-hour video documentary, Do You Speak American? and suggests some of the decisions that must be made in developing materials for educational settings concerning scientific knowledge about language.
Our “Ideal Girl”: Prescriptions of Female Adolescent Sexuality in a Feminist Mentorship Program

Adolescent girls must contend with several sets of competing expectations at the discursive intersection of sexuality, age, gender, and race. This article examines how a feminist mentorship program for early adolescent girls engaged the issue of sexuality. Despite the program’s self-described feminist orientation, ethnographic analysis revealed its reliance on moralistic, age-based standards of appropriate sexual interest and behavior; the suppression of sexuality; and girl-as-victim discourse. These data bolster the call for reformed, sex-positive approaches to adolescent sexuality and reveal some of the complexities involved in cross-generational feminist interventions.
Anatomical studies on Margaritifera margaritifera and Cumberlandia monodonta (Mollusca: Pelecypoda: Margaritiferidae)

The family Margaritiferidae has received little serious anatomical study since the early twentieth centurv. The present paper attempts to provide information, derived from relaxed preserved and living material, on aspects of the mantle anatomy and neuroanatomy of two species, Margaritifera margaritifera and Cumberlandia monodonta. An historical overview of the systematics of the family is provided along with a proposed division of major groups within the genus Margaritifera. The diaphragm of margaritiferids is complete, rather than incomplete as previously interpreted, and is formed bv both the gills and the diaphragmatic septa, the latter of which, in life, cover a portion of the posterior outer gill demibranchs and separate the branchial and suprabranchial chambers. Union of the diaphragmatic septa posteriorly draws the mantle margins together, separating the inhalent and exhalent apertures and thus completing the diaphragm. The general visceral nervous system of each species is consistent with that of other bivalves. Differences from other unionaceans include the possession of a small, as opposed to a large, dorsal supra-anal bifurcation. Also, each of the two species studied lacks the anterior loop of the branchial nerve reported in some other unionaceans.
AN EXAMINATION OF MAJOR CROP ACREAGE RESPONSE

In recent years, several studies have examined acreage response of major crops to various economic, technical, and institutional stimuli. These studies focused primarily upon the influence of government farm programs on producers' production decisions. While the influence of government programs has recently diminished and market forces are more direct determinants, this less stable situation has likely increased informational needs on potential production response. Previously developed response models require updating, additional refinement, or reformulation for continued usefulness in the current situation.
Preamble and embedded synchronization for RF carrier frequency-hopped OFDM

In this work, we apply RF carrier frequency hopping to orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (FH-OFDM). Achievable hop rate and bandwidth efficiency are determined based on signal acquisition/synchronization and data demodulation performance in the presence of unknown time-frequency offsets, and channel gain/phase perturbations. We compare performance using two different data-aided synchronization approaches. The first method sends synchronization information in a preamble before the OFDM payload symbol, whereas the second method embeds the synchronization information directly into the OFDM symbol stream. In the embedded technique, superposition of the synchronization information causes interference onto the OFDM data information. Thus, the sync information must be removed before satisfactory bit-error rate (BER) performance can be achieved. Consequently, embedded interference cancellation (EIC) is utilized which requires accurate estimation of the synchronization offsets and channel perturbations. Using coherent quadrature phase-shift keying-OFDM modulation, performance comparisons are presented using the COST207 multipath fading channel model. Fading channel BER performance results indicate that the embedded technique incurs only a slight signal-to-noise ratio penalty (less than 1 dB) compared with the preamble method. However, the embedded method offers the potential for improved hop rate and bandwidth efficiency because no dedicated slot is required for a synchronization field.
Who Shot J.R.'s Ratings? The Rise and Fall of the 1980s Prime-Time Soap Opera

Prime-time soap operas of the 1980s arose from an intensification of television production's historically oligopsonistic structure under Reaganomics and deregulation. Whereas regulatory reforms undertaken on behalf of the public interest broadened access to prime-time television for independent producers during the 1970s, Reagan's implementation of tax reforms and deregulatory initiatives concentrated control over prime-time television in the hands of Hollywood's largest producers and syndicators during the 1980s. The one-hour evening soap opera facilitated these companies' domination of prime-time network access and foreign syndication sales by allowing them to use access to a nationwide audience to engage economies of scale in television production.
The lead tug sign for the diagnosis of early and inapparent lead fracture.

The cause of pacemaker malfunction in a patient having intermittent pacing failure associated with diminished pacer stimuli was not determined during conventional intraoperative electrical testing. A modest manual pull on the lead, termed the "lead tug" sign, induced an inordinately high lead impedance and established lead fracture as the etiology. The "lead tug" maneuver is proposed as a useful procedure during stimulation studies for the detection of early lead fracture, not apparent from the x-ray film or usual testing protocol.
Dangling-bond states in a SiGe:H,F measured by temperature-dependent mu tau

The authors report a novel technique for measuring the density distribution of the D/sup 0/-/ state in a-Si:H before and after light soaking and in a-SiGe:H,F alloys for solar cells. Electron time-of-flight (TOF) measurements as a function of temperature form the basis of this technique. The deep trapping of electrons controls the mobility-lifetime product ( mu tau )/sub n/, which is evaluated from the integrated TOF current. The dominant deep trap is the D/sup 0/-/ level. The authors determine the density of D/sup 0/-/ states in a:SiGe:H,F that peak at SiE/sub c/-(0.40 to 0.45) eV with maxima in the 10/sup 18/ to 10/sup 19/-cm/sup -3/ eV/sup -1/ range. In a-Si:H, the peak lies at E/sub c/-0.45 eV; it is observed to grow with increasing light-soaking time. >
Transaction Cost Analysis of Service Organization-Customer Exchange

Transaction cost analysis can explain the arrangements that emerge to govern and organize service organization-customer exchanges. A typology is offered in which differing governance mechanisms are matched to varying levels of transaction costs in service exchanges. The focus is on prescribing governance mechanisms that establish the most efficient boundary between the service organization and the customer, thereby improving service organization effectiveness.
Feasibility and Acceptability of Bibliotherapy and Telephone Sessions for the Treatment of Late-life Anxiety Disorders.

This article describes the development of Biblio and Telephone Therapy, or BTT, a cognitive-behavioral treatment program for late-life anxiety disorders. Although studies have examined bibliotherapy for the treatment of late-life depression, none have studied it as a format for treating late-life anxiety. The application of this treatment to four older adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and/or panic disorder (PD) is described, and benefits, advantages, and limitations are discussed.
Nerve allotransplantation following severe tibial nerve injury: Case report

The successful recovery of sensibility across a long peripheral nerve allograft in a 12-year-old boy who sustained a severe posterior tibial nerve injury is reported. The historical clinical experience with nerve allotransplantation is also reviewed. It is concluded that in the carefully selected patient with severe nerve injury, consideration for nerve allotransplantation can be given.
Fe(+) chemical ionization of peptides.

Laser-desorbed peptide neutral molecules were allowed to react with Fe+ in a Fourier transform mass spectrometer, using the technique of laser desorption/chemical ionization. The Fe+ ions are formed by laser ablation of a steel target, as well as by dissociative charge-exchange ionization of ferrocene with Ne+. Prior to reaction with laser-desorbed peptide molecules, Fe+ ions undergo 20–100 thermalizin collisions with xenon to reduce the population of excited-state metal ion species. The Fe+ ions that have not experienced thermalizing collisions undergo charge exchange with peptide molecules. Iron ions that undergo thermalizing collisions before they are allowed to react with peptides are found to undergo charge exchange and to form adduct species [M + Fe+] and fragment ions that result from the loss of small, stable molecules, such as H2O, CO, and CO2, from the metal ion-peptide complex.
Characterizing Components Under Large Signal Excitation: Defining Sensible "Large Signal S-Parameters"?!

A measurement and black-box modeling technique is described enabling the characterization of nonlinear microwave components under periodic large-signal excitation. First, the mathematical model is theoretically described. The model is based on the assumption that the superposition principle holds for the effect of all spectral components, except the fundamental, of the incident travelling voltage waves. This assumption implies that, with fixed fundamental power and biasing conditions, the incident harmonics interact with the component as if it is a linear time-varying circuit. Since the superposition coefficients are a natural extension of the classical scattering parameters they are called "large signal s-parameters". These coefficients are a function of fundamental power and biasing conditions. An automated set-up is described enabling to accurately measure these coefficients. The set-up is based on a "vectorial nonlinear network-analyzer", which accurately measures the phase and amplitude of all spectral components of both incident and reflected travelling voltage waves. The experimental model extraction method is illustrated on a heterojunction bipolar and a field effect transistor, driven hardly nonlinear. The "vectorial nonlinear network-analyzer" is used in order to successfully verify the validity of the extracted model. The black-box model is finally integrated in a commercial harmonic balance simulator.
Approximate time-domain models of three-dimensional interconnects

The time-domain modeling of the connections in a high-speed computer is such of a complexity that practical problems can only be solved using suitable approximations. Presented are the results of a time-domain modeling work where a novel and faster representation of the capacitances has been developed. Instead of a circuit with O(n/sup 2/) capacitances (where n is the number of conductors), an equivalent circuit of n pseudo-capacitances and n dependent voltage sources is used. Due to the increased sparsity of the simulation matrix, the method considerably speeds up the SPICE or ASTAP compute time. In addition, pseudo-capacitances and voltage sources can be calculated from the coefficient of potential matrix, thus making the calculation of the capacitance matrix unnecessary. This reduces the computational complexity of the capacitance extraction O(n/sup 3/) to O(n/sup 2/) resulting in another major speed-up. >
A Conserved Histidine Is Essential for Glycerolipid Acyltransferase Catalysis

Sequence analysis of membrane-bound glycerolipid acyltransferases revealed that proteins from the bacterial, plant, and animal kingdoms share a highly conserved domain containing invariant histidine and aspartic acid residues separated by four less conserved residues in an HX4D configuration. We investigated the role of the invariant histidine residue in acyltransferase catalysis by site-directed mutagenesis of two representative members of this family, the sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (PlsB) and the bifunctional 2-acyl-glycerophosphoethanolamine acyltransferase/acyl-acyl carrier protein synthetase (Aas) of Escherichia coli. Both the PlsB[H306A] and Aas[H36A] mutants lacked acyltransferase activity. However, the Aas[H36A] mutant retained significant acyl-acyl carrier protein synthetase activity, illustrating that the lack of acyltransferase activity was specifically associated with the H36A substitution. The invariant aspartic acid residue in the HX4D pattern was also important. The substitution of aspartic acid 311 with glutamic acid in PlsB resulted in an enzyme with significantly reduced catalytic activity. Substitution of an alanine at this position eliminated acyltransferase activity; however, the PlsB[D311A] mutant protein did not assemble into the membrane, indicating that aspartic acid 311 is also important for the proper folding and membrane insertion of the acyltransferases. These data are consistent with a mechanism for glycerolipid acyltransferase catalysis where the invariant histidine functions as a general base to deprotonate the hydroxyl moiety of the acyl acceptor.
A Tale of Two Disciplines: A Community College/Public School Writing Collaborative

The three-year National Science Foundation project titled Transactional Writing: Empowering Women and Girls to Win at Mathematics gave fourteen mathematics and English teachers on the college and middle school levels the opportunity to work collaboratively in the application of transactional writing—writing used to develop, construct, and express mathematical understanding. Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC) is a large, urbantwo-year college in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The college consists of six main campuses and several outreach centers. The Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is a large, urban school system in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The participants were in five different groups of students in the basic mathematics, introductory algebra, intermediate algebra, general collegemathematics, and college algebra sequences, as well as groups of students in a one-, two-, or three-year middle school mathematics sequence. The objective was to determine whether combining communication skills with mathematical skills had a positive effect on students’ achievement and attitude.
REPRODUCTIVE MORPHOLOGY AND BIOLOGY OF MALE AND FEMALE MANTIS SHRIMP (STOMATOPODA: SQUILLIDAE)

Abstract Male and female reproductive anatomy of a “spearer” mantis shrimp, Squilla empusa, is described using light and scanning electron microscopy as well as dissections. The genital region of females is located medially on the sixth thoracic sternite. It consists of a pair of gonopores connected by a medial genital slit, which leads to a cuticlar sperm storage organ that is shed with every molt. Sperm and accessory material have been located in the seminal receptacle. The accessory material appears to serve as a sperm plug. Females have three internally located cement glands that are visible through the exoskeleton on the thoracic sternite surface. The cement-gland material forms a matrix that holds individual embryos together in a uniform mass. Cement glands develop in synchrony with the ovaries, and development is divided into three stages. Posterior to the gonopores is a medial pore from which material from the cement gland is released. Reproductively active females have ovaries that are oriented a...
F. R. Adler and C. J. Tanner: Urban Ecosystems: Ecological Principles for the Built Environment

Jane Jacobs (1961) closes her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities with a reflection on what type of question a city poses. Her response is one that indicates that cities are complex systems, analogous to biological systems, requiring a set of perspectives and approaches appropriate for the type of question. The development of the field of urban ecology over the past two decades has been in a way a similar response to Jacobs’ question, one that frames the city as a complex ecosystem. Urban ecology emerged from roots and connections to landscape ecology and patch dynamics, drawing on connections to geography, environmental planning, engineering, economics, and a host of other disciplines. Following a recent explosion in the number of research publications and programs, several books have been released to synthesize the recent focus in urban ecology. Adler and Tanner’s Urban Ecosystems provides such synthesis of this new discipline, reflecting the development of a discipline that offers an ecological response to the Jacobs question about the nature of cities. The authors focus on a few key themes: the way urban areas transform habitats, how cities concentrate resources and amplify environmental fluxes, and the unintended consequences of these transformations. Adler and Tanner preface Urban Ecosystems by saying it is structured like a play. The book unfolds over a series of acts, introducing the setting (the built environment) and protagonists (urban organisms) before building tension and describing the challenges the protagonists face, describing the fate of the different protagonists, and finally giving resolution by exploring the fate of humans as urban organisms. This metaphor is useful, and the structure of the book and chapters within follow this general approach of describing for a specific example how the built environment produces unintended processes, patterns, and challenges. The book loosely follows the framework used by many urban ecologists; that urban ecology is a study of ecology in the city and ecology of the city (Pickett et al. 1997; Grimm et al. 2000). Some chapters describe how cities function as ecosystems while others describe ecological patterns and processes within cities. Chapter 1 gives a foundation for thinking about cities as ecosystems and what makes them different from other ecosystems. It includes a general overview of cities as engineered ecosystems, the types of habitats, and the implications for the organisms you might find there, setting up the rest of the book. Chapter 1 also gives a comprehensive primer on the science of ecology, spelling out the process/drivers and principles that Adler and Tanner think are relevant for thinking about for ecosystem, community, population, behavioral, physiological, and evolutionary ecology, again road-mapping the domain M. Pavao-Zuckerman (&) Biosphere 2, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA e-mail: mzucker@email.arizona.edu
Using think alongs in secondary content areas

Abstract A think along is an oral or written representation of a reader's process of constructing meaning from, and in reaction to, text. When used as an instructional technique, think alongs clearly and persuasively demonstrate reading as a process by modeling reading strategies in actual operation. This manuscript illustrates how this can be done in the areas of secondary science, mathematics and social studies by focusing on critical learning issues in each of those areas — dealing with misconceptions, solving problems, and recognizing and using text structure.
Low-dose Radiation Modifies Skin Response to Acute Gamma-rays and Protons

The goal of the present study was to obtain pilot data on the effects of protracted low-dose/low-dose-rate (LDR) γ-rays on the skin, both with and without acute gamma or proton irradiation (IR). Six groups of C57BL/6 mice were examined: a) 0 Gy control, b) LDR, c) Gamma, d) LDR+Gamma, e) Proton, and f) LDR+Proton. LDR radiation was delivered to a total dose of 0.01 Gy (0.03 cGy/h), whereas the Gamma and Proton groups received 2 Gy (0.9 Gy/min and 1.0 Gy/min, respectively). Assays were performed 56 days after exposure. Skin samples from all irradiated groups had activated caspase-3, indicative of apoptosis. The significant (p<0.05) increases in immunoreactivity in the Gamma and Proton groups were not present when LDR pre-exposure was included. However, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assay for DNA fragmentation and histological examination of hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections revealed no significant differences among groups, regardless of radiation regimen. The data demonstrate that caspase-3 activation initially triggered by both forms of acute radiation was greatly elevated in the skin nearly two months after whole-body exposure. In addition, LDR γ-ray priming ameliorated this response.
Effects of Pregnancy on the Spleen in Mice

Spleen size was analyzed in 2368 wild white-footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus , in Minnesota. Sex, season and type of death (chloroform or killer trap) did not affect spleen size. Females in late pregnancy showed an average increase of 50% in size of spleen. The cells in the nodules of spleens of pregnant mice were found to have large vesicular nuclei. It is suggested that this may be a reaction to an antigen produced by the embryos. Normal spleen size varied greatly (15–72 mg in animals of the same size), the S.D. being 13.6. Spleen weight versus body length is a straight line.
Response of the Fruit Fly Parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) to Host-Fruit Stimuli

Visual and olfactory stimuli used by adult, insectary-reared larval parasitoids, Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead), of tephritid fruit flies were examined in the context of host microhabitat location. Mated female parasitoids used the odor of ripe, uninfested fruits to orient toward sticky traps simulating host-habitats (fruits) in field-cage studies. Females showed a significant preference for some fruits (e.g., orange, guava) over others (e.g., apple). All fruit odors tested except apple were significantly more attractive to females than odorless controls. Male parasitoids, in contrast, were not attracted to any of the fruit odors tested. Males, however, readily distinguished between traps of different colors, with preferences reflecting an interaction of the colors' hue and intensity. Females' discrimination among colors was related to the presence or absence of fruit odors.
Weighing in on the Hologenome-Metagenome Debate

We read with interest Eugene Rosenberg's letter on the terms holobiont and hologenome (March 2013, p. 101). We agree with his argument that the term hologenome is superior to metagenome when describing the total genetic material of a metazoan (or plant) and all of its associated symbiotic microorganisms, as these organisms are functioning as single unit, which we termed the symbiome. In this lexicon the hologenome is distinct from the metagenome which is used to describe an environmental sample of multiple species types that are not all functioning as part of a whole. We would point out that our use of the term hologenome (G. D. Ehrlich, N. L. Hiller, and F. Hu, Genome Biol. 9:225, 2008) actually slightly preceded that of the Rosenbergs in the literature, although the concept was clearly arrived at independently by our two groups.
An electromyographic investigation of 4 elastic-tubing closed kinetic chain exercises after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Objective To determine the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the vastus medialis oblique (VMO), vastus lateralis (VL), semitendinosus and semimembranosus (ST), and biceps femoris (BF) muscles during 4 elastic-tubing closed kinetic chain exercises in postoperative patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-reconstructed knees. Design and setting A 4 x 4 repeated-measures analysis of variance design guided this study. Independent variables were type of exercise and muscle; the dependent variable was EMG activity. Subjects Fifteen patients, 5 to 24 weeks after ACL reconstruction. Measurements Subjects performed 4 exercises (front pull, back pull, crossover, reverse crossover) with elastic tubing attached to the foot of the uninjured leg. Time-and amplitude- normalized EMG activity was recorded from the VMO, VL, ST, and BF muscles of the injured leg. The hamstrings: quadriceps ratio was calculated. Results The normalized VMO, VL, and BF EMG activity ranged from 25% to 50% of maximum voluntary isometric contraction for the 4 exercises. The ST ranged from 12% on the back pull to 58% on the front pull. The hamstrings: quadriceps ratios were 137% (front pull), 115% (crossover), 70% (back pull), and 60% (reverse crossover). Conclusions We suggest that clinicians use these exercises during early ACL rehabilitation since they incorporate early weightbearing with hamstring and quadriceps coactivation.
Reactance to Health Warnings Scale: Development and Validation

Health warnings may be less effective if they elicit reactance, a motivation to resist a threat to freedom, yet we lack a standard measure of reactance. We sought to validate a new health warning reactance scale in the context of pictorial cigarette pack warnings. A national sample of adults (n = 1413) responded to reactance survey questions while viewing randomly assigned pictorial or text warnings on images of cigarette packs. A separate longitudinal sample of adult smokers received the warnings on their own cigarette packs (n = 46). Factor analyses identified a reliable and valid 27-item Reactance to Health Warnings Scale. In our experimental study, smokers rated pictorial warnings as being able to motivate quitting more than text warnings. However, five reactance scale factors weakened the warnings’ impact (anger, exaggeration, government, manipulation, and personal attack; all p < .05). The Reactance to Health Warnings Scale had good psychometric properties. Reactance weakened the impact of pictorial warnings on smokers’ evaluation of the warning’s ability to motivate quitting.
Asymptotic properties of principal component analysis and shrinkage-bias adjustment under the generalized spiked population model

Abstract With the development of high-throughput technologies, principal component analysis (PCA) in the high-dimensional regime is of great interest. Most of the existing theoretical and methodological results for high-dimensional PCA are based on the spiked population model in which all the population eigenvalues are equal except for a few large ones. Due to the presence of local correlation among features, however, this assumption may not be satisfied in many real-world datasets. To address this issue, we investigate the asymptotic behavior of PCA under the generalized spiked population model. Based on our theoretical results, we propose a series of methods for the consistent estimation of population eigenvalues, angles between the sample and population eigenvectors, correlation coefficients between the sample and population principal component (PC) scores, and the shrinkage bias adjustment for the predicted PC scores. Using numerical experiments and real data examples from the genetics literature, we show that our methods can greatly reduce bias and improve prediction accuracy.
Managing Urban Ethnic Conflict

Within a globalising world has come a re-emergence of the local in addressing issues of coexistence, interaction and democracy. This is so because societal fragmentation has been a common companion alongside the economic integration of globalisation (Rosenau 1990). At the same time as we experience the ‘mega-narratives’ of modernisation (economic growth, high technology, education), we bear witness to subversive ‘micro-narratives’ that fuel oppositional movements, together with the breaking by electronic mass mediation and transnational mobilisation of the monopoly of nation states over the project of modernisation (Appadurai 1996). In cities, unprecedented migration, emerging multicultural citizenship, postcolonialism, and the rise of minorities and civil society challenge current ideas and methods of urban governance, planning and policy (Sandercock 1998). At the same time, globalisation of economic production and control has created the paradox that while economic activities now have a wide range of locational advantages, small differences in city characteristics and quality can have a decisive influence upon locational choice (Amin 1992). This chapter, while discussing several different cities in the world, derives many of its conclusions regarding the role of the city amidst globalisation from a study of Jerusalem (Israel/Palestine), Belfast (Northern Ireland) and Johannesburg (South Africa).
Divergent Isoprenoid Biosynthesis Pathways in Staphylococcus Species Constitute a Drug Target for Treating Infections in Companion Animals.

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus species are a leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections in humans and animals, and the antibiotics used to treat these infections are often the same. Methicillin- and multidrug-resistant staphylococcal infections are becoming more common in human and veterinary medicine. From a “One Health” perspective, this overlap in antibiotic use and resistance raises concerns over the potential spread of antibiotic resistance genes. Whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomics analysis revealed that Staphylococcus species use divergent pathways to synthesize isoprenoids. Species frequently associated with skin and soft tissue infections in companion animals, including S. schleiferi and S. pseudintermedius, use the nonmevalonate pathway. In contrast, S. aureus, S. epidermidis, and S. lugdunensis use the mevalonate pathway. The antibiotic fosmidomycin, an inhibitor of the nonmevalonate pathway, was effective in killing canine clinical staphylococcal isolates but had no effect on the growth or survival of S. aureus and S. epidermidis. These data identify an essential metabolic pathway in Staphylococcus that differs among members of this genus and suggest that drugs such as fosmidomycin, which targets enzymes in the nonmevalonate pathway, may be an effective treatment for certain staphylococcal infections. IMPORTANCE Drug-resistant Staphylococcus species are a major concern in human and veterinary medicine. There is a need for new antibiotics that exhibit a selective effect in treating infections in companion and livestock animals and that would not be used to treat human bacterial infections. We have identified fosmidomycin as an antibiotic that selectively targets certain Staphylococcus species that are often encountered in skin infections in cats and dogs. These findings expand our understanding of Staphylococcus evolution and may have direct implications for treating staphylococcal infections in veterinary medicine.
Loss of muscle mass: a significant predictor of postoperative complications in acute diverticulitis.

Abstract Background Severe muscle mass depletion, sarcopenia, has been shown to be associated with poor operative outcomes. However, its impact on emergency abdominal operations remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between low muscle mass (LMM) and outcomes after emergency operations for acute diverticulitis. Patients and methods Patients ≥18 y requiring an emergency operation for acute diverticulitis between January 2007 and September 2014 were included. On preoperative computed tomography, the cross-sectional area (CSA) and transverse diameter (TVD) of the right and left psoas muscle were measured at the level of the third lumbar vertebral body. Sensitivity analysis was performed to determine appropriate CSA and TVD cutoff values defining low skeletal muscle mass. Clinical outcomes of patients with low muscle mass (LMM group) were compared with the non-LMM group. Results A total of 89 patients met our inclusion criteria. Median CSA and TVD were 794 mm 2 and 24 mm, respectively. There was a strong correlation between the CSA and TVD (R 2 = 0.84). In univariable analysis, significantly higher rates of postoperative major complications (63% versus 37%, P = 0.027) and surgical site infection (47% versus 19%, P = 0.008) were identified in the LMM group. After adjusting for clinically important covariates in a logistic regression model, patients with LMM were significantly associated with higher odds of major complications and surgical site infection. Conclusions Preoperative assessment of the psoas muscle CSA and TVD on computed tomography can be a practical method for identifying patients at risk for postoperative complications.
Effective diffusivity of ferric ions and current efficiency in stagnant synthetic copper electrowinning solutions

Copper electrowinning operations have dramatically improved their ability to produce high quality copper at low costs over the past several decades. Even so, some fundamental knowledge is still lacking that could allow operations to run even more efficiently. For example, a rule of thumb exists that estimates a current efficiency loss of 2–3% per gram per liter of iron in the electrolyte. While several laboratory studies have been performed that demonstrate this rule of thumb is likely true, no definitive relationship exists. In this paper, the first steps in developing a definitive relationship are presented. The effective diffusivity of ferric ions in synthetic copper electrowinning solutions was measured using chronoamperometry and the Cottrell equation. The effective diffusivity of ferric ion was determined as a function of electrolyte concentration and temperature. Synthetic electrolytes were then used in laboratory-scaled copper electrowinning experiments, where relationships between current efficiency and solution composition were found to exist under stagnant conditions.
Investigation of cross-sectional gas-solid distributions in spouted beds using advanced non-invasive gamma-ray computed tomography (CT)

Abstract The successful operation and safety of the Very-High-Temperature Nuclear Reactors (VHTR) extremely depend on the quality of the TRISO nuclear fuel coated particles. Hence, the fuel coating technology of TRISO particles, based on chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, performed in gas-solid spouted beds, is of utmost importance. However, the deposition of the coating layers surrounding the kernel is a delicate process, and impacted by the hydrodynamics of spouted beds. Therefore, in this work, we have applied an advanced non-invasive gamma-ray computed tomography (CT) technique for the first time to investigate the hydrodynamics of spouted beds. In particular, we study the effect of particle density, particle size, bed size, and superficial gas velocity on the gas-solid cross-sectional distributions of spouted beds. The color distributions of the cross-sectional images clearly identified the three regions of spouted beds: the spout, the annulus, and the fountain regions. Interesting results and findings are presented, discussed and analyzed in the article. For example, the results demonstrated that the summation that operating spouted beds at stable spouting state would lead to achieving uniform coating layers of the particles in the TRISO fuel coating process is not adequate. Further, it has been found that increasing the superficial gas velocity much higher above the minimum spouting velocity increases the gas holdup in the annulus above the gas holdup value at the loss-packed bed state, contrary to common assumptions presented in the literature. This study represents an original experimental investigation required both for advancing the understanding of TRISO particles spouted bed and providing benchmark data to validate computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
Autoimmunity as a Potential Cause of Post-Infectious Gut Dysmotility: A Longitudinal Observation.

Autoimmunity as a Potential Cause of Post-Infectious Gut Dysmotility: A Longitudinal Observation
The CARICOM States and US Foreign Policy: The Danger of Central Americanization

Traditionally most North Americans look upon the English-speaking Caribbean primarily as a place for tourists to pursue their quest for the three S's: sun, sand and surf— a perspective which generates little, if any, concern for the region's political dynamics. Indeed, the prevailing attitude seems to be that these countries, known collectively as the CARICOM states, are not politically important because they are so small and thus not worth the time of US officials or political analysts. However, in the early 1980s this attitude began to change as the Reagan administration elevated the entire Caribbean Basin to the status of a major global trouble spot, on the grounds that the US had vital interests there which were being threatened by Leftist-inspired subversion and which required major economic/security initiatives in order to pacify the area. Although most of Washington's energies and resources were focussed on Central America, the English-speaking territories (e.g., Jamaica and Grenada) also came under close scrutiny.
Valproic Acid Toxicity

Valproic acid (VPA) is used to treat seizure and bipolar disorders as well as for migraine prophylaxis.Acute overdoses can present with CNS depression and in severe cases cerebral edema and herniation can occur.Recovery can be prolonged as overdose peak plasma levels can be delayed up to 7 h.In addition, some VPA preparations are specifically designed for delayed absorption.In addition, in supratherapeutic dosing, enzymatic metabolism becomes saturated and the rate of clearance reaches a plateau.Even with therapeutic dosing, VPA may cause problems.Via multiple mechanisms, VPA inhibits the urea cycle and can lead to hyperammonemia which can also cause CNS depression and confusion.This may or may not occur in conjunction with a transaminitis.As a corollary, transaminitis may occur without elevated ammonia levels but this should prompt treatment nonetheless (discussed below) as further hepatic dysfunction and hyperammonemia could ensue.
Experimental study of low-latency HD VoD streaming using flexible dual TCP-UDP streaming protocol

The Flexible Dual TCP-UDP Streaming Protocol (FDSP) combines the reliability of TCP with the low latency characteristics of UDP. FDSP delivers the more critical parts of the video data via TCP and the rest via UDP. Bitstream Prioritization (BP) is a sliding scale that is used to determine the amount of TCP data that is to be sent. BP can be adjusted according to the level of network congestion. FDSP-based streaming achieves lower rebuffering time and less rebuffering instances than TCP-based streaming as well lower packet loss than UDP-based streaming. Our implementation and experiments on a real testbed shows that FDSP with BP delivers high quality, low-latency video, which is especially suitable for live video and subscription-based video.
Extracción reactiva en procesos controlados por la cinética

Se presenta una ampliacion inicial del algoritmo etapa a etapa (MSEQ) para la simulacion de cascadas de extraccion reactiva liquido-liquido,desarrollado en el grupo de Procesos de Separacion no Convencionales para Incluir procesos controlados por la cinetica, con la Incorporacion del numero de Damkohler como parametro clave. El algoritmo propuesto permite realizar el proceso en arreglos en paralelo y contracorriente, en condicion isotermica y no isotermica, para todos los casos con numero de Damkohler constante. Se ilustran dos ejemplos de aplicacion relacionados con la produccion de acetato de butilo y acetato de amilo.
Relationship with God and the Word: Faith among American Evangelical Christian families

A little more than 40% of Americans self-identify with the Evangelical Christian faith. American Evangelical Christians generally report that the primary convictions of their faith are a strong bel...
Teaching democracy: A review of public administration introductory courses

The concept of democracy is a critical area of study and practice within the field of public administration. From democratic governance to democratic values, and by extension social equity, justice...
Morphogens, Patterning Centers, and their Mechanisms of Action

Tissue patterning by gradients of form-generating substances, or ‘morphogens,’ is a fundamental paradigm of developmental biology. Nonetheless, it has been unclear whether classic morphogen gradients pattern the mammalian telencephalon and neocortex, or whether these highly specialized and evolved tissues use entirely unique mechanisms. Recent studies indicate that, like most other tissues, the telencephalon is indeed patterned by classic morphogen gradients. This chapter reviews the history and general principles of morphogen gradients in development, the known sources of morphogens in the developing telencephalon, and the evidence that bone morphogenetic proteins and fibroblast growth factors act as graded morphogens to pattern the dorsal telencephalon and neocortex. It then highlights the unique and complex interactions among morphogens within the dorsal telencephalon, and the roles of morphogen gradients and their interactions in human developmental anomalies, particularly holoprosencephaly.
Lessons learned studying design issues for lunar and Mars settlements

In a study of lunar and Mars settlement concepts, an analysis was made of fundamental design assumptions in five technical areas against a model list of occupational and environmental health concerns. The technical areas included the proposed science projects to be supported, habitat and construction issues, closed ecosystem issues, the "MMM" issues (mining, material processing, and manufacturing), and the human elements of physiology, behavior, and mission approach. Four major lessons were learned. First it is possible to relate public health concerns to complex technological development in a proactive design mode, which has the potential for long-term cost savings. Second, it became very apparent that prior to committing any nation or international group to spending the billions to start and complete a lunar settlement, over the next century, that a significantly different approach must be taken from those previously proposed, to solve the closed ecosystem and "MMM" problems. Third, it also appears that the health concerns and technology issues to be addressed for human exploration into space are fundamentally those to be solved for human habitation of the Earth (as a closed ecosystem) in the 21st century. Finally, it is proposed that ecosystem design modeling must develop new tools, based on probabilistic models as a step up from closed circuit models.
Meningococcal Serogroup B Vaccine Immunogenicity in High-Risk Groups: What Are the Implications?

* Abbreviation: 4CMenB — : component Meningococcal B Vaccine (Bexsero) quadrivalent Neisseria meningitidis is an organism that is well-known to pediatricians as an important cause of sepsis, which can be fulminant, and of bacterial meningitis as well as invasive infections at other sites. These infections can lead to hearing loss, loss of limbs, and even death in a matter of hours.1 On the basis of the content of the polysaccharide capsule, N meningitidis can be divided into 12 serogroups, but serogroups A, B, C, D, Y, and W-135 are responsible for virtually all invasive infections. In the United States, the overall incidence of meningococcal disease has been on the decline over the past several decades, which, in part, may be related to the introduction of routine administration of the quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine directed against serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135 to adolescents.2 Investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention using data from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System recently reported that the overall average incidence of meningococcal disease was 0.26 cases per 100 000 population over the years 2006–2015.2 This translates into an average annual number of cases of 792 associated with 98 deaths (14.9%). On … Address correspondence to Sheldon L. Kaplan, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Hospital, Feigin Tower, Suite 1150, 1102 Bates Ave, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: skaplan{at}bcm.edu