cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sleep disordered breathing in primary care medicine.

Primary care medicine plays a key role in the delivery of health care. Sleep disorders medicine is a new specialty and standard medical school curricula do not contain any or only very little training in sleep medicine. Unrecognized and therefore untreated sleep disorders account for a large loss of human life and socio-economic damage. Recognition of sleep disorders, in particular sleep-disordered breathing at the primary care level is thus a major element in health care delivery. The objective of this study was to assess the occurrence of the risk of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in a large primary care population. 852 primary care patients received a validated questionnaire which contained items based on signs and symptoms of SDB, periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), and insomnia. A polygraphically validated algorithm was used to identify patients with a high suspicion of having sleep disordered breathing. Based on this algorithm 20% of the study participants had a high risk for SDB, 18.5% of PLMD and 25% of insomnia.Most commonly daytime sleepiness and fatigue was associated in patients with a positive likelihood of SDB, PLMD, and insomnia. Fifty percent of all primary care patients reported to snore while 31% of snorers reported to snore every night. SDB was twice as common in men than in women and associated with a significantly higher body mass index. A popular validated scale to assess the degree of daytime sleepiness, the Epworth sleepiness scale, was not always useful to document the degree of daytime sleepiness.We conclude that SDB, PLMD, and insomnia are very frequent sleep disorders in primary care patients yielding the need to include assessment of these sleep disorders in the medical history of primary care physicians.
The Crucial Importance of Interests in Libertarian Paternalism

There has been a resurgence of late in support of paternalism, due primarily to recent findings in behavioural science that cast doubt on the ability of individuals to make choices reliably in their best interests. The most popular form of paternalism currently is libertarian paternalism (or ‘nudge’), which advocates subtle changes in the presentation or framing of options to steer persons in the direction of better choices. A key issue with libertarian paternalism (as well as more coercive forms of paternalism that share similar goals) is the nature of people’s interests and the state of policymakers’ knowledge about them. In this chapter, I argue that this issue has been neglected in recent scholarship defending paternalism along behavioural grounds. In particular, I dispute claims that paternalism of means can be meaningfully separated from paternalism of ends, and argue that modern paternalism does not respect people’s true interests but instead adopts a perfectionist or objective conception of well-being.
A fast iterative algorithm for demixing sparse signals from nonlinear observations

In this paper, we propose an iterative algorithm based on hard thresholding for demixing a pair of signals from nonlinear observations of their superposition. We focus on the under-determined case where the number of available observations is far less than the ambient dimension of the signals. We derive nearly-tight upper bounds on the sample complexity of the algorithm to achieve stable recovery of the component signals. Moreover, we show that the algorithm enjoys a linear convergence rate. We provide a range of simulations to illustrate the performance of the algorithm both on synthetic and real data.
Considering visual-manual tasks performed during highway driving in the context of two different sets of guidelines for embedded in-vehicle electronic systems

Abstract The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have each developed a set of guidelines intended to help developers of embedded in-vehicle systems minimize the visual demand placed on a driver interacting with the visual-manual interface of the system. Though based on similar precepts, the guidelines differ in the evaluation methodologies and the criteria used to define safe levels of visual demand. The current study compared the pass/fail conclusions from applying the two guidelines. Four visual-manual tasks were evaluated using two embedded in-vehicle systems (Volvo Sensus, Chevrolet MyLink) during highway driving. Only a preset radio tuning task met the threshold for acceptable visual demand in both guidelines. The pass/fail conclusions for three of the four tasks [manual radio tuning (fail), preset radio tuning (pass), easy contact calling (fail)] performed using either system were the same for both guidelines; calling a contact with multiple possible numbers using MyLink failed both guidelines, and with Sensus the task passed the Alliance guidelines but not NHTSA’s. Exploratory analyses suggested that broadening the age range of the participant sample specified in the Alliance guidelines beyond 45–65 year olds did not change pass/fail conclusions. Results from a Monte Carlo simulation suggested that relying on data from a single trial per the NHTSA guidelines may reduce the repeatability of pass/fail conclusions. Interestingly, the manual radio tuning task failed to pass both sets of guidelines, even though the organizations used it as a reference task for setting acceptable levels of visual demand. Perhaps this indicates that radios have become more difficult to tune than the ones that provided the basis for the guidelines; however, naturalistic driving studies have not indicated increased risk from tuning more modern radios. Analysis of glance behavior during naturalistic driving may provide opportunities to further refine the acceptable thresholds for visual demand.
Automated Hydrography in Philadelphia District

A completely automated hydrographic surveying and plotting system has been assembled by the Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District. The development of the system is examined from the evaluation of the earliest electronic positioning equipment to the total system now in use. Components of the system and their functions are described.
Impacts of RF shimming on MRI induced heating of implantable medical lead in 3T birdcage coil

Transfer function method was utilized to evaluate the RF-induced heating of implantable lead with 137 implanted lead trajectories under different shimming conditions. A coated wire is used to emulate medical leads. Two different shimming conditions were studied. One is to optimize the homogeneity of the B_(1+) field magnitude in human heart region, and second one is to estimate the possible worst-case of the RF field induced heating. All the results are normalized to 2W/kg average whole body specific absorption rate (SAR) and Q-Matrices formalism method was used to improve the SAR calculation efficiency. The average temperature rise at the lead tip under Quadrature excitation is 6.28°C while the RF shimmed homogeneous condition leads to 11.7 °C in temperature rise. The absolutely worst-case RF induced heating is at 61.6°C. As the results suggested, significant impacts on RF-induced heating due to RF shimming were observed.
Identifying Multi-Efficient Portfolios

The efficient frontier approach to financial portfolio management is widely accepted to make tradeoffs between risk and reward, where reward is generally the returns from the portfolio and risk is the dispersion of those returns. But when other variables such as dividends, earnings surprise, net margins, etc., are the considered measures of reward, alternate portfolios may likely be efficient. It would be useful in such cases to see if there are certain portfolios that are efficient with respect to multiple variables and to evaluate the losses from using a portfolio that is efficient with respect to one variable but not another. In this paper we introduce the concept of multi-efficient portfolios and present an algorithm to identify them. This work was motivated by the acquisition process in the credit card industry where multiple variables such as net cash flows, risk of delinquency, chance of customer attrition, etc., are important in analyzing and soliciting applications from prospective customers. This multi-efficient portfolio approach has potential use in a wide array of applications where success is determined by performance on multiple variables, such as seed acreage (yield, quality), vendor selection (price, quality, flexibility), workforce planning (transactional versus experiential, simple versus complex, research ability versus teaching ability in universities), product portfolio management (sales, margins, growth, market share). Numerical examples, structural results and numerical analyses are presented to better understand the model and the import of the approach.
Photovoltage as a quantitative probe of carrier generation and recombination in organic photovoltaic cells

Photoconversion in organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) is limited by carrier recombination that frustrates charge collection at the electrodes. Consequently, identification of the dominant recombination mechanisms is critical to inform device design for improved performance. This analysis is complicated by the need to have a quantitative measure of carrier generation. Here, we demonstrate a photovoltage-based technique to directly investigate the generation of charge carriers in OPVs. This technique allows illuminated current losses to both geminate and non-geminate recombination to be directly quantified as a function of voltage. While broadly applicable, here the technique is demonstrated on OPVs based on the donor–acceptor pairings of 2-((7-(4-N,N-ditolylaminophenylen-1-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazol-4-yl)methylene)malononitrile (DTDCPB)-C60 and copper phthalocyanine (CuPc)-C60. Both structures are limited by geminate recombination at short-circuit and under reverse bias. Under forward bias, the severity of non-geminate recombination depends on both materials selection and device architecture. Consequently, this technique quantitatively casts changes in performance with choice of OPV architecture in terms of the relative roles of geminate and non-geminate recombination.
The Impact of Turkey's Domestic Resources on the Turkic Republics of the Caspian Sea

This paper examines how Turkey’s domestic resources, which are Turkey’s historical, cultural and political relations with the Turkic states and Turkey’s economic interests in the region, affect Turkey’s foreign relations with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Findings show that the Turkic Republics’ interest in Turkish development model gradually declined starting from the 1994s. The hypothesis that the stronger socio-cultural ties between Turkey and the Turkic states are the closer the foreign relations are between Turkey and the Turkic states is applicable to all five republics. In the field of business the study finds that Turkish economy follows a similar pattern in its relations with the Azerbaijani and the Central Asian market. Common policy goals of Turkey and the five states led Turkey to establish close foreign relations with these five regional countries. The hypothesis that the more Turkey has business interests in the Caspian Sea Region the more Turkey will have closer foreign relations with Turkic states is mostly apparent in the case of Azerbaijan. In the area of energy politics Turkey has its strongest link with Azerbaijan. Besides being strong economic partners Turkey is Azerbaijan’s biggest supporter in the region against Armenia.
Teaching and assessing clinical ethics through group reading experience and student-led discussion.

Abstract Background and purpose Ethical decision-making is one of the foundational elements of responsible patient care, yet traditional didactic coursework often misses the nuances of specific situational aspects of ethics as well as the impact of individual patient experiences on their perspective related to health care. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a clinical research ethics elective course involving a group reading experience and facilitated discussion on student decision-making and perspective on questions related to ethics. Educational activity and setting The elective was offered to second-year pharmacy students and was designed to teach ethical concepts within the framework of a group reading experience employing active learning through facilitated student-led group discussion. The book chosen was The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Students were assessed pre- and post-course using ethical scenarios (framed as “yes/no” questions) covering a wide range of topics, as well as over their familiarity with and confidence in making decisions related to ethical topics using a five-point Likert scale. Findings Sixteen students were enrolled in the course, with 14 (87.5%) completing all pre- and post-course assessments. There were no statistically significant changes in the proportion of students answering “yes” or “no” to the scenarios from pre- to post-course, though there were several items in which responses “shifted,” meaning students switched answers from pre- to post-course. Overall, students showed significantly more familiarity with the topics covered after the course versus before (p Summary Through the course, students showed increased familiarity with the history of clinical research and ethical topics discussed as well as improved confidence in making decisions related to clinical ethics. This type of course design provided a strong environment for discussion and group learning.
Interactions of management and white pine blister rust on Pinus strobiformis regeneration abundance in southwestern USA

Modelling natural regeneration is complex, and both natural and anthropogenic disturbances can alter forest trajectories. Pinus strobiformis (southwestern white pine, SWWP) is an important component of mixed conifer forests in the Southwest and management recommendations related to natural and planted regenerations are needed to guide conservation of SWWP in the face of an invasive disease (white pine blister rust, WPBR). Regeneration was surveyed across six mountain ranges, three silviculture treatments and two levels of disease severity in the Southwest US. Key findings were: (1) SWWP regeneration in stands with no recent management (<20 years) and high disease severity had unsustainable WPBR infection, (2) SWWP regeneration was less abundant but less likely to be infected in stands with recent management, (3) stands with high disease severity had fewer SWWP seedlings than stands with no or low disease severity and (4) SWWP regeneration densities were best predicted by other understory species abundance. We recommend silviculture treatments that reduce basal area to 9–10 m² ha⁻¹ and leave large canopy openings to enhance natural SWWP regeneration. Without creating conditions for disease-free regeneration to reach reproductive maturity, some stands may lose SWWP as an overstory component. Results may help refine SWWP management guidelines and expand conservation efforts in forests threatened by WPBR.
Technical note: Two types of absolute dynamic ocean topography

Abstract. Two types of marine geoid exist with the first type being the average level of sea surface height (SSH) if the water is at rest (classical definition), and the second type being satellite-determined with the condition that the water is usually not at rest. The differences between the two are exclusion (inclusion) of the gravity anomaly and non-measurable (measurable) in the first (second) type. The associated absolute dynamic ocean topography (referred to as DOT), i.e., SSH minus marine geoid, correspondingly also has two types. Horizontal gradients of the first type of DOT represent the absolute surface geostrophic currents due to water being at rest on the first type of marine geoid. Horizontal gradients of the second type of DOT represent the surface geostrophic currents relative to flow on the second type of marine geoid. Difference between the two is quantitatively identified in this technical note through comparison between the first type of DOT and the mean second type of DOT (MDOT). The first type of DOT is determined by a physical principle that the geostrophic balance takes the minimum energy state. Based on that, a new elliptic equation is derived for the first type of DOT. The continuation of geoid from land to ocean leads to an inhomogeneous Dirichlet boundary condition with the boundary values taking the satellite-observed second type of MDOT. This well-posed elliptic equation is integrated numerically on 1 ∘ grids for the world oceans with the forcing function computed from the World Ocean Atlas ( T , S ) fields and the sea-floor topography obtained from the ETOPO5 model of NOAA. Between the first type of DOT and the second type of MDOT, the relative root-mean square (RRMS) difference (versus RMS of the first type of DOT) is 38.6 % and the RMS difference in the horizontal gradients (versus RMS of the horizontal gradient of the first type of DOT) is near 100 %. The standard deviation of horizontal gradients is nearly twice larger for the second type (satellite-determined marine geoid with gravity anomaly) than for the first type (geostrophic balance without gravity anomaly). Such a difference needs further attention from oceanographic and geodetic communities, especially the oceanographic representation of the horizontal gradients of the second type of MDOT (not the absolute surface geostrophic currents).
Detecting outsourced student programming assignments

The task of writing computer programs outside of class is the most realistic experience students have in a programming class and hence can be the most accurate evaluation of their ability. However some students hire outside parties to produce these programs. We present a data mining and machine learning approach that can provide objective evidence for detecting such instances. Based on programs submitted by students across two lower-level CS (Computer Science) courses, we extract some basic programming style metrics. A decision tree model built on the collected measurements yields relatively good detection accuracy. In addition, an investigation into relative importance of the basic style metrics was performed which indicated Lines of Code, Number of Variables, and Number of Comments as important attributes. The methods are being implemented in a software analysis tool that instructors could possibly use for detecting outsourced program submissions.
Computer Aids for Teaching Biotechnology

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses computer aids for teaching biotechnology. Some programs that are translated into several languages are most successful in the computer language—BASIC— because students could make changes without having to recompile each time. Also, other teachers are encouraged to improve or modify programs, and most of them are competent in BASIC. Just about every computer system has BASIC and while other languages are also widely accepted, BASIC has the best chance of execution on a different computer with no (or a very few) changes. To insure easy distribution and simple modification or customization, BASIC is the clear choice. Complicated graphics can require speed of execution not available with BASIC. It is possible in BASIC to call subroutines in faster languages or even in machine-language code. If the functions of these subroutines are documented and the variables being passed are clearly defined, there can be little deterent to conversion to other computer systems.
Valuing Environmental Labels

Federal regulators have often required environmental labels, which may be designed to help consumers to save money or to reduce externalities. Under prevailing executive orders, regulators are required to project the benefits and costs of such labels, and also to show that the benefits justify the costs. These projections can be extremely challenging, partly because of the difficulty of knowing how consumers will respond to labels, partly because of the challenging of converting behavioral changes into monetary equivalents. The benefits of environmental labels should include (1) the monetary value of the reduced externalities and (2) the monetary benefit to consumers, measured by willingness to pay. It may be difficult for regulators to know (1), and even if they can figure out (2), willingness to pay may not capture the welfare benefit to consumers, at least if consumers are not adequately informed (or if they suffer from some kind of behavioral bias). In principle, agencies should include, as part of (2), the moral convictions of people who care about environmental goods, at least if those convictions are backed by willingness to pay. In the face of the evident epistemic difficulties, sometimes the best that agencies can do is to engage in breakeven analysis, by which they explore what the benefits would have to be in order to justify the costs. Technical as they might seem, these claims raise fundamental questions about valuation of environmental goods and the possible disconnect between willingness to pay and welfare.
Human Rights Discourse and Interculturality: Insights from the Margins

Since the early 1970s, human rights discourse has swept across the globe, becoming common currency in world politics. Approaching the end of the 20 th century, not only was there a significant increase in the use of the term “human rights” in official documents but the number of countries ratifying important international treatises protecting human rights also proliferated. According to Emilie Hafner-Burton and James Ron, 150 countries have ratified the two principal human rights treatises, namely, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Covenant Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT). On top of that, new global social movements employ the language of “rights” or “human rights” in their reasoning; such movements include women’s movements, green movements, and indigenous peoples’ movements. Despite the sweeping use of human rights language, important questions have been asked about its efficacy. Interrogando as reivindicacoes universalistas em articulacoes discursivas dos Direitos Humanos, este artigo promove a necessidade de tornar os direitos humanos mais significativos e eficazes para as vidas daqueles que sao empobrecidos, oprimidos, excluidos ou discriminados em diferentes culturas e contextos. Levando em consideracao o atual cenario marcado ambiguamente pela globalizacao e pela pluralidade, bem como a ascensao da Africa e da Asia pos-colonial , alem do discursos decoloniais latino-americanos, o artigo sugere uma abordagem intercultural dos direitos humanos que considera mais plenamente diferentes vozes, entendimentos e interpretacoes, bem como estruturas e relacoes de poder que desempenham um papel em eclipsar e obstruir a liberdade de discursos pos-coloniais. Em contraste com uma imposicao de cima para baixo de um discurso abstrato de universalizacao dos direitos humanos, esse artigo propoe uma abordagem de baixo para cima dos direitos humanos que leva a serio a multiplicidade de tradicoes e culturas que informam as visoes de mundo e a vida cotidiana das pessoas.
Cefazolin Versus Anti-Staphylococcal Penicillins for the Treatment of Patients with Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Infection: A Meta-Analysis with Trial Sequential Analysis

Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) is a common cause of infection in humans. Beta-lactam antibiotics are the preferred agents, with anti-staphylococcal penicillins (ASPs) or the first-generation cephalosporin, cefazolin, favored by clinicians. Recent studies comparing the two strategies suggest similar outcomes between the agents. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to explore differences between cefazolin and ASPs for the treatment of MSSA infections. We performed a meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis (TSA) of observational or cohort studies using a random-effects model. Two blinded reviewers independently assessed studies for inclusion, risk of bias, and data extraction. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included clinical failure, infection recurrence, and antibiotic discontinuation due to adverse events. Subgroup analyses were conducted for the primary outcome by type of ASP, studies with a high percentage of deep-seated infections, and studies of low to moderate risk of bias. After performing a comprehensive search of the literature, and screening for study inclusion, 19 studies (13,390 patients) were included in the final meta-analysis. Fifteen of the 19 studies (79%) were judged as having a low or moderate risk of bias. Use of cefazolin was associated with lower all-cause mortality [odds ratio (OR) 0.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.56–0.91, p = 0.006, I2 = 28%], clinical failure (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.41–0.74, p < 0.001, I2 = 0%), and antibiotic discontinuation due to adverse events (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.16–0.39, p < 0.001, I2 = 23%). Infection recurrence was higher in the cefazolin patients (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.04–1.93, p = 0.03, I2 = 0%). This meta-analysis demonstrated that the use of cefazolin was associated with significant reductions in all-cause mortality, clinical failure, and discontinuation due to adverse events, but was associated with an increased risk of infection recurrence. University of Florida Open Access Publishing Fund funded the Rapid Service Fees. PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (study ID: CRD42018106442).
Intercostal Nerve Block with Liposomal Bupivacaine vs Epidural Analgesia for the Treatment of Traumatic Rib Fracture

Background Rib fractures are common among trauma patients and analgesia remains the cornerstone of treatment. Intercostal nerve blocks provide analgesia but are limited by the duration of the anesthetic. This study compares outcomes of epidural analgesia with intercostal nerve block using liposomal bupivacaine for the treatment of traumatic rib fractures. Methods A retrospective chart review was used to identify patients who received either epidural analgesia or intercostal nerve block with liposomal bupivacaine for the treatment of traumatic rib fractures. Patients were matched in a 1:1 ratio on age, Injury Severity Score, and number of rib fractures. Outcomes included intubations, mechanical ventilation days, ICU length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, and mortality. Results After matching, 116 patients were included in the study. Patients receiving intercostal nerve blocks with liposomal bupivacaine were less likely to require intubation (3% vs 17%; p = 0.015), had shorter hospital LOS (mean ± SD 8 ± 6 days vs 11 ± 9 days; p = 0.020) and ICU LOS (mean ± SD 2 ± 5 days vs 5 ± 6 days; p = 0.007). There were no differences in ventilator days or mortality. Minor complications occurred in 26% of patients that received an epidural catheter for rib fractures. No complications occurred in the patients receiving intercostal nerve block. Conclusions Patients who received intercostal nerve blocks with liposomal bupivacaine required intubation less frequently and had shorter ICU and hospital LOS compared with epidural analgesia patients. These results suggest that intercostal nerve blocks with liposomal bupivacaine might be equal or superior to epidural analgesia.
Vector-based Churn Prediction using Neural Networks in Mobile Games

Due to revenue contribution, increasing churn prediction’s accuracy in mobile games is a significant research to maintain user’s retention. Many existing studies have focused on predicting whether game users churn, but this paper predicts churn-vector in mobile games. The advantages of churn-vector are twofold – increasing the accuracy of churn prediction and helping promotion campaign to minimize user attrition. This paper compared six prediction algorithms with churn-vector and -day.
Dielectric metasurfaces for shaping optical fields: from deep-UV to the terahertz (Conference Presentation)

We demonstrate the versatility of dielectric metasurfaces for spatiotemporal shaping of optical fields, and discuss fabrication and material constraints for their applications as flat, ultrathin optical elements across the entire electromagnetic spectrum.
Complex Knowledge Association Patterns Drivers: Redundant Knowledge and Diverse Partner Resources

We advance the notion that the impact of knowledge resources on the knowledge creation process can best be understood by simultaneously examining an individual’s previously accumulated knowledge ba...
The Rényi power means of matrices

Abstract In this article we introduce a new family of power means for m positive definite matrices, called Renyi power means. These means are defined in terms of the matrix function Q α , z ( A , B ) = ( B 1 − α 2 z A α z B 1 − α 2 z ) z , related to the Renyi divergence. We study several properties of these means and some related norm inequalities.
An age profile perspective on two puzzles in global child health: The Indian Enigma & economic growth

Abstract We provide an age-profile perspective and two classes of regression models that make progress on differentiating between two types of determinants of child health: health endowment effects provided to the child at birth; and health investment effects determined by the post-birth stream of health inputs provided to the child and the productivity of those investments. We apply the framework to two related puzzles in the child health demography literature: the Indian Enigma, where Indian children are on average less tall than African children; and the apparent lack of strong correlation between economic growth and child height-for-age z-score (HAZ). In the context of the Indian Enigma, we find that the Indian-African child HAZ gap (between 0.3sd and 0.5sd) is present immediately after birth and maintains a similar magnitude across the first three years of life. We interpret this as evidence that causes affecting health endowments (such as maternal physiology, fertility timing or in utero nutrition) likely explain the greater part of the Indian Enigma. We also estimate a robust association between a 10% increase in (ln) GDP per capita and a 0.04sd increase in child height by age 2. However, this correlation is not present at birth and is instead driven by differences in child growth rates. We interpret these results as indicating that economic growth influences the post-birth health input stream, and/or the biological productivity of those inputs.
Donor Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase Is Associated With Liver Allograft Discard and Failure.

Introduction:The disparity between the number of individuals on the wait list and available liver allografts creates the need for a system that maximizes donor liver utilization and predicts graft ...
Orbital cavernous venous malformation with partial bone encasement.

A 66-year-old man was noted to have 2.5 mm of proptosis in the left eye. He had no additional orbital signs or evidence of cranial neuropathy. His visual acuity was 20/20 bilaterally. Computed tomo...
COVID-19 Vaccination in California: Are We Equitable Yet?

BackgroundBy March 2021, California had one of the least equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution programs in the US. To rectify this, Governor Newsom ordered 4 million vaccine doses be reserved for the census tracts in the lowest quartile of the Healthy Places Index (HPI). California plans to lift state-wide restrictions on June 15th, 2021, as long as test positivity and vaccine equity thresholds are met in the states most vulnerable neighborhoods. This short investigation examines current vaccine equity and forecasts where California can expect to be when the economy fully reopens. MethodsCurrent vaccine equity was investigated with simple linear regression between the county mean HPI and both single and full-dose vaccination rate. Future vaccination coverage per county were predicted using a compartmental mathematical model based on the average rate over the previous 30 days with four different rate-change scenarios. ResultsCounty mean HPI had a strong positive association with both single and full dose vaccination rates (R2: 0.716 and 0.737, respectively). We predict the overall state rate will exceed 50% fully vaccinated by June 15th if the current rates are maintained; however, the bulk of this coverage comes from the top 18 counties while the remaining 40 counties lag behind. DiscussionThe clear association between county HPI and current vaccination rates shows that California is not initiating opening plans from an equitable foundation, despite previous equity programs. If nothing changes, many of the most vulnerable counties will not be prepared to open without consequences come June 15th.
Pupillary reflex and behavioral masking responses to light as functional measures of retinal degeneration in mice.

BACKGROUND Pre-clinical testing of retinal pathology and treatment efficacy depends on reliable and valid measures of retinal function. The electroretinogram (ERG) and tests of visual acuity are the ideal standard, but can be unmeasurable while useful vision remains. Non-image-forming responses to light such as the pupillary light reflex (PLR) are attractive surrogates. However, it is not clear how accurately such responses reflect changes in visual capability in specific disease models. The purpose of this study was to test whether measures of non-visual responses to light correlate with previously determined visual function in two photoreceptor degenerations. METHODS The sensitivity of masking behavior (light induced changes in running wheel activity) and the PLR were measured in 3-month-old wild-type mice (WT) with intact inner retinal circuitry, Pde6b-rd1/rd1 mice (rd1) with early and rapid loss of rods and cones, and Prph2-Rd2/Rd2 mice (Rd2) with a slower progressive loss of rods and cones. RESULTS In rd1 mice, negative masking had increased sensitivity, positive masking was absent, and the sensitivity of the PLR was severely reduced. In Rd2 mice, positive masking identified useful vision at higher light levels, but there was a limited decrease in the irradiance sensitivity of negative masking and the PLR, and the amplitude of change for both underestimated the reduction in irradiance sensitivity of image-forming vision. CONCLUSIONS Together these data show that in a given disease, two responses to light can be affected in opposite ways, and that for a given response to light, the change in the response does not accurately represent the degree of pathology. However, the extent of the deficit in the PLR means that even a limited rescue of rod/cone function might be measured by increased PLR amplitude. In addition, positive masking has the potential to measure effective treatment in both models by restoring responses or shifting thresholds to lower irradiances.
An Incentive Compatible Iterative Mechanism for Coupling Electricity Markets

The coordinated operation of interconnected but locally controlled electricity markets is generally referred to as a coupling. In this paper we propose a new decentralized market mechanism for efficient coupling of independent electricity markets. The mechanism operates after each individual market has settled (e.g. hour-ahead). Based upon the reported supply and demand functions for internal market optimization (clearing), each market operator is asked to iteratively quote the terms of energy trade (on behalf of the agents participating in its market) across the transmission lines connecting to other markets. We show the mechanisms outcome converges to the optimal flows between markets given the reported supply and demand functions from each individual market clearing. In light of incentive compatibility issues that result from pricing power flows across interconnection lines with locational marginal prices, the mechanism features incentive transfers (updated at each iteration) that compensate each given market with its marginal contribution, i.e. the cost reduction to all other participating markets. We show that these transfers imply truthful participation in the mechanism is a Nash equilibrium. The proposed decentralized mechanism is implemented on the three-area IEEE Reliability Test System where the simulation results showcase the performance guarantees of the proposed mechanism.
Distributed Rule Monitoring in Active Databases

Production rules provide a unifying mechanism for several traditional features in database management systems and for new functionalities sought after by potential database applications. With integrated production rules, a database is transformed from traditionally passive to active such that the database will take predefined actions without user intervention when the database transits into certain states. Processing every rule upon every update in the system places a tremendous performance requirement on the success of active databases. The availability of multiple sites in a distributed database offers an opportunity to process rules in parallel. In addition, the features offered by production rules are desirable to distributed databases as well. The problem of monitoring rules in a distributed active database is investigated in this article to successfully integrate rules into distributed databases.
Rethinking Development Templates: Women and Microcredit in Post-Socialist Southeastern Europe

© 2003 Kristen Ghodsee All Rights Reserved The copyright for individual articles in both the print and online version of the Anthropology of East Europe Review is retained by the individual authors. They reserve all rights other than those stated here. Please contact the managing editor for details on contacting these authors. Permission is granted for reproducing these articles for scholarly and classroom use as long as only the cost of reproduction is charged to the students. Commercial reproduction of these articles requires the permission of the authors. Since their fabled inception in Bangladesh with the Grameen Bank in 1976, microcredit banks and projects have multiplied and taken root across the Globe. Today, microcredit is one of the most successful programs in the economic development toolkit of bilateral and multilateral aid agencies and nongovernmental organizations working with the world’s poor. National projects directly aimed at alleviating women’s poverty also rely quite heavily on microcredit schemes; the smaller loan sizes allow women with no collateral to become borrowers for the first time. Since the collapse of communism in 1989, the countries of Southeastern Europe have also experienced an influx of microcredit banks and projects, many specifically aimed at the region’s women. In the post-socialist context, however, these microcredit banks have met with far less success than similar projects in the developing world. Ethnography and participantobservation are particularly useful in the study of microcredit schemes, since understanding the successes and failures of these programs depends very much on understanding the lived experiences of those seeking and utilizing the loans. Unfortunately, microcredit institutions are most often examined through the lens of economics, finance, or through a more policyoriented, development framework. In this brief paper, I will discuss some of the possible challenges facing microcredit schemes in countries with relatively recent histories of communism, and argue for a more ethnographic examination of microcredit schemes and their social, political and economic impacts on the participants.
Novel use of the Amplatzer duct occluder for percutaneous closure of a large subclavian artery to innominate vein fistula in a neonate.

We report the use of the Amplatzer™ Duct Occluder for transcatheter closure of a rare subclavian artery to innominate vein fistula in a neonate.
Social Capital and Metropolitan Economic Development

Proponents of social capital theory have long argued that it is not only in the best interest of civic life to build social capital but that social capital is vital for the economic health of communities. Yet past studies have failed to distinguish among different types of social capital and relied on inaccurate measures of economic health. This study reexamines what has become conventional wisdom by analyzing the social capital of American metropolitan areas and its impact on economic wellbeing. It improves upon past studies by examining different types of social capital (i.e. trust, group membership, social networks) and substituting the change in competitive advantage jobs from shift-share analysis for total job growth in addition to traditional economic development measures of wealth creation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to empirically test, and find significant, the long hypothesized importance of social capital in job creation at the level of the metropolitan economy. The study finds that bridging social capital positively impacts the economic welfare of communities with respect to job creation. The effect on job creation is substantial and equal to or exceeds that of many traditional factors related to urban economic growth. However, neither bridging nor bonding social capital is found to have an effect on per capita income change. Practitioners who attempt to create jobs through strategic planning, local public policy and economic development programs should incorporate bridging social capital to maximize the potential for success.
Extraction and purification of Pasteuria spp. endospores.

Pasteuria penetrans is an endospore-forming bacterial parasite of root-knot nematodes that has potential as a biological control agent. Biochemical investigations of P. penetrans are limited because of difficulty in obtaining large quantities of endospores free of plant debris and contaminating microorganisms. Our objective was to develop a technique for extraction and purification of P. penetrans endospores from root-knot nematodes. Tomato roots infected with Meloidogyne arenaria that was parasitized by P. penetrans were digested with cytolase. The nematode females along with plant debris were washed with a jet stream of water onto an 800-µm-pore sieve nested on a 250-µm-pore sieve. The materials retained on the 250-µm-pore sieve were centrifuged through a 20% sucrose solution. The resulting loose pellet fraction was collected on a 250-µm-pore sieve and then centrifuged through a 47% sucrose solution. Endospore-filled females were handpicked from the 47% sucrose pellicle fraction. Endospores were released by grinding the females with a glass tissue grinder. The endospores were then filtered through a nylon filter with 8-µm openings, collected by centrifugation, and subjected to buoyant density centrifugation in different media. Further purification by buoyant density centrifugation in a linear gradient of sodium diatrizoate resulted in a preparation of endospores free of debris. This additional step may be desirable for the further characterization of components unique to the endospores.
Post Christian pastoral care: the wisdom of not knowing.

Pastoral caregivers, serving in increasingly multicultural and multifaith settings, wonder if their knowledge about cultural and religious varieties and differences are sufficient for ministering in a pluralistic society. The author answers in the affirmative by privileging a heightened curiosity over additional information as the foundation for a practice that is relevant and sufficient for the Post Christian frontier. The author writes from his experience as a multifaith chaplain on a non-sectarian campus.
Functional Expression of the C-X-C Chemokine Receptor CXCR4 by Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells: Regulation by Proinflammatory Mediators

CXCR4 and its ligand stromal cell-derived factor 1alpha (SDF-1alpha) have recently been implicated in the development of airway inflammation in a mouse model of allergic airway disease. Here we report, for the first time, the expression of a functional CXCR4 in primary human normal bronchial epithelial cells and the regulation of CXCR4 gene expression by proinflammatory mediators. Both bradykinin (BK) and IL-1beta induced an accumulation of CXCR4 mRNA in normal bronchial epithelial cells in a time-dependent manner, with peak levels of CXCR4 mRNA reached between 4 and 24 h after stimulation. Ligand activation of CXCR4 in airway epithelial cells resulted in the activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase and stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun amino-terminal kinase signaling pathways and calcium mobilization. Pretreatment of airway epithelial cells with BK or IL-1beta enhanced SDF-1alpha induced phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase and calcium mobilization, in addition to increasing the level of CXCR4 protein. Finally, we describe the expression of CXCR4 mRNA and its regulation by BK in vivo in human nasal tissue. CXCR4 mRNA levels are significantly higher in the nasal tissue of symptomatic allergic rhinitis subjects compared with normal subjects. Moreover, BK challenge significantly increased CXCR4 mRNA levels in nasal tissue of mild allergic rhinitis subjects in vivo, but not normal controls. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that human airway epithelial cells respond to proinflammatory mediators by up-regulating the chemokine receptor CXCR4, thus enabling the cells to respond more effectively to constitutively expressed SDF-1alpha. This may lead to enhanced activation of intracellular signaling pathways resulting in the release of mediators involved in inflammatory allergic airway disease.
A pipelined 4 by 12-bits domino logic VLSI adder

A four 12-bit numbers adder fabricated using a 1.2 mu m N-well CMOS process is presented. It is proposed for use in the computation of the pipelined energy sums in the detectors at the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC). It comprises three 12-bit adders organized as a two-stage pipeline. To compute the final carry bit, the carry-select technique applied to five 4-bit adders is used. The 4-bit adders use the carry-lookahead method to compute their carriers. In order to reduce the circuit area and to simplify its structure the multiple-output domino logic design style is used. The first stage of the pipeline (two adders) performs two 12-bit additions in parallel while the second stage (one adder) finishes up the previously started computation. The pipeline is driven using a two-phase clocking strategy by processing a single-phase external clock. A worst-case throughput of 18 ns is achieved. A built-in facility for testing the first stage of the pipeline is included. The area of the circuit is 1425*5510 mu m/sup 2/; it has 76 pads; and it was packed in a 132 PGA. The transistor count is 6639. The dissipated power, at 18-ns clock, is approximately=0.75 W. The circuit has been fabricated through MOSIS, and a yield of approximately=80% for a lot of 50 chips was found. >
Dancing Histories: Heuristic Ethnography with the Ohafia Igbo

Dancing Histories: Heuristic Ethnography with the Ohafia Igbo. John C. McCall. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2000. ix. 192 pp., photographs, notes, references, index.