cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Granular Subbase Thickness on Airfield Pavement Structural Response

The effects of variable granular subbase thickness on the structural responses of flexible airport pavement test sections subjected to six-wheel and four-wheel multiple-wheel heavy aircraft gear loading are discussed. Four low-strength subgrade flexible pavement sections at the National Airport Pavement Test Facility (NAPTF) with different subbase thicknesses (406, 610, 864, and 1,092 mm ) were considered. Heavy weight deflectometer (HWD) tests were conducted prior to traffic testing to document the uniformity of the test pavements. Surface deflection basins were obtained and the layer moduli were back-calculated. Traffic tests were conducted on test sections with the intention of failing the subgrade; in the meanwhile, rutting was monitored periodically. A two-dimensional pavement finite-element program was used to model the NAPTF test sections and compute the critical structural responses. Test sections with lower subbase thicknesses showed higher HWD maximum surface deflections ( D0 ) and higher comput...
A flexible COTS-based serial communications solution with high density memory storage

An assembly that processes up to 16 differential serial communication channels was designed using Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) components. The Trailblazer program needed a rapid and cost effective implementation for interfacing with large number of serial communications devices. The lack of available off-the-shelf serial communication assemblies in a 3U form factor with this capability was the motivation for this work.
Scaling of four-photon absorption in InAs

By monitoring the nonlinear absorption of picosecond laser pulses as a function of lattice temperature, we identify four-photon absorption in bulk InAs. Optical bandgap scaling of this process is consistent with a calculation obtained from fourth-order perturbation theory for allowed–allowed–allowed–forbidden transitions. A model of nonlinear absorption based on laser-induced impact ionization disagrees with the experimental results.
InGaAs vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

The authors give theoretical and experimental results for vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). The modeling is applied to the design of InGaAs VCSELs. A simple method to calculate the reflectivity of semiconductor stack mirrors with graded interfaces and compound metal/semiconductor stack mirrors is introduced. The theoretical predictions are compared to results from actual device measurements. A novel technique is introduced to determine material parameters: fabrication of in-plane lasers from VCSEL material. The procedure used to determine the optical mode in such an in-plane laser is described. Using the insight gained from modeling, the external efficiency was increased to >30% with a threshold current density of 1 kA/cm/sup 2/. >
The Urban-Suburban Investment-Disinvestment Process: Consequences for Older Neighborhoods

The pattern of suburban growth and decline of older neighborhoods within metropolitan areas is often seen as inevitable. However, these processes are shaped, in a significant way, by a relatively small number of private sector actors, including institutional investors, developers and mortgage bankers. Because of their ideologies and their perception of the economic realities, these interests invest increasingly in large scale developments on the suburban fringe and choose not to invest in older urban and suburban neighborhoods. These investment decisions have significant negative impacts on these older, middle class neighborhoods which are struggling to remain viable. With the withdrawal of these traditional sources of real estate investment capital, such neighborhoods face a concentration of foreclosures and abandonment of housing. Because these investment decisions are so important to the future of older neighborhoods, it is appropriate that there be public intervention to assure that there is an adequa...
Changes in microbial community structure following herbicide (glyphosate) additions to forest soils

Glyphosate applied at the recommended field rate to a clay loam and a sandy loam forest soil resulted in few changes in microbial community structure. Total and culturable bacteria, fungal hyphal length, bacterial:fungal biomass, carbon utilization profiles (BIOLOG), and bacterial and fungal phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) were unaffected 1, 3, 7, or 30 days after application of a commercial formulation (Roundup 1 ). In contrast, a high concentration of glyphosate (100� field rate) simulating an undiluted chemical spill substantially altered the bacterial community in both soils. Increases in total bacteria, culturable bacteria, and bacterial:fungal biomass were rapid following application. Culturable bacteria increased from about 1% of the total population in untreated soil to as much as 25% at the high concentration by day 7, indicating enrichment of generalist bacteria. Community composition in both soils shifted from fungal dominance to an equal ratio of bacteria to fungi. Functional diversity of culturable bacteria, estimated by C substrate utilization, also increased at the high glyphosate concentration, particularly in the clay loam soil. Unlike the other bacterial indices, only minor changes in bacterial PLFA resulted after the third day following the 100� field rate application. Apparently the herbicide resulted in an across-the-board stimulation of bacteria that was not reflected by the finer-scale PLFA community structure. Changes in fungal properties (hyphae, propagules, PLFA biomarkers) were few and transient. We conclude that the commercial formulation of glyphosate has a benign affect on community structure when applied at the recommended field rate, and produces a non-specific, short-term stimulation of bacteria at a high concentration. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Genetic algorithm optimization for aerospace electromagnetic design and analysis

This paper provides a tutorial overview of a new approach to optimization for aerospace electromagnetics known as the Genetic Algorithm. Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimizers are robust, stochastic search methods modeled on the concepts of natural selection and evolution. The relationship between traditional optimization techniques and GA is discussed and the details of GA optimization implementation are explored. The tutorial overview is followed by a number of applications in which GA has proved useful. The applications discussed include the design of lightweight, broad-band microwave absorbers, the reduction of array sidelobes in thinned arrays, the design of shaped beam antenna arrays, and the extraction of natural resonance modes of radar targets from the backscattered response data. Genetic Algorithm Optimization is shown to be suitable for optimizing a broad class of problems of interest to aerospace antennas and related electromagnetics.
Signature Cache: A Light Weight Web Cache Indexing Structure

Current trend in Web cache research is to have Web caches sharing their contents to improve the hit ratio. High performance Web cache sharing requires use of access indexes for Web caches to reference each other. The challenges facing the design of access indexes for Web cache sharing are the huge size, dynamic nature of Web cache contents, and high access speed. A recently proposed summary cache scheme [14] uses relatively small indexes for sharing Web caches to reference each other. We improved the summary cache scheme and propose a signature cache scheme. Instead of "repairing" existing access indexes, signature cache scheme builds new indexes to accommodate changes of Web cache contents. This scheme simplifies the maintenance of the indexes and significantly reduces the size of counters. Optionally, the size of the index can be further reduced by a semi-distributed index sharing mode at the cost of slightly increased response time. These improvements result in orders of magnitude reduction in the index size as compared to the summary cache scheme.
Early Clinical Outcomes of LVAD Implantation via Lateral Thoracotomy With Ministernotomy: Comparison to Traditional Median Sternotomy

s S201 Methods: On April 1, 2014, we started using the protocol for prevention of pump thrombosis. The key points included checking for hypercoagulable state at the baseline and raising INR goals to 2.5-3.5 for patients with such state or for those with spikes in lactatedehydrogenase (LDH), full dose aspirin (325 mg) and dipyridamole 25 mg three times a day for patients without history of bleeding, coverage with low molecular weight heparin when INR drops below therapeutic, and admission with immediate full work-up for pump thrombosis when LDH exceeds 600 IU/mL for HeartMate II or 400 IU/mL for Heartware (LDH spikes). Comparison for LDH spikes was made between first three months of the year (before the protocol), second three months (transition), and third quarter (on the protocol). The comparison was done with chi square test. Results: In the 1st quarter of 2014, we followed 33 patients (5 with Heartware), and 7 (20.6) had LDH spikes. In the 2nd quarter, there were 37 patients (8 with Heartware) with 6 (15.7%) having LDH spikes. In the third quarter, there were 37 patients (10 with Heartware) with 2 LDH spikes (5.1%, p= 0.05 for the difference between the 1st and the 3rd quarter). The distribution of LDH values is shown on figure 1. There was one clinical pump thrombosis in each of the first two quarters and none in the third quarter. There was no increase in bleeding events or decrease in hematocrit after the protocol was started. Conclusion: Targeted higher level of anticoagulation in LVAD patients decreases the rate of LDH spikes used as a surrogate indicator of pump thrombosis.
Use of cobalt complexes as activators in emulsion copolymerization of butadiene and styrene

Cobalt complex compounds exhibited varying degrees of activation and retardation in butadiene-styrene-soap emulsion polymerization systems at 20–50°C. An accompanying effect was the wasting of modifier, particularly by large concentrations of activator. The most active complexes for use with dodecyl mercaptan were those in which the cobalt was coordinated with two or more negative groups other than thiocyanate, and in which the neutral coordinated groups were not ethylenediamine.
A dynamical system perspective of structural learning with forgetting

Structural learning with forgetting is an established method of using Laplace regularization to generate skeletal artificial neural networks. We develop a continuous dynamical system model of regularization in which the associated regularization parameter is generalized to be a time-varying function. Analytic results are obtained for a Laplace regularizer and a quadratic error surface by solving a different linear system in each region of the weight space. This model also enables a comparison of Laplace and Gaussian regularization. Both of these regularizers have a greater effect in weight space directions which are less important for minimization of a quadratic error function. However, for the Gaussian regularizer, the regularization parameter modifies the associated linear system eigenvalues, in contrast to its function as a control input in the Laplace case. This difference provides additional evidence for the superiority of the Laplace over the Gaussian regularizer.
Extension-driven right-lateral shear in the Centennial shear zone adjacent to the eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho

We evaluate global positioning system (GPS) surface velocities and gravitational potential energy (GPE) variations to assess the causes of right-lateral shear in the Centennial shear zone, a NE-trending accommodation zone between the extensional Centennial tectonic belt (Montana-Idaho) and volcanic terrain of the eastern Snake River Plain (Idaho). We test the hypothesized “bookshelf” faulting model and fi nd that the normal faults in the Centennial tectonic belt do not accommodate distributed dextral shear. Instead, GPS data reveal that rapid extension in the Centennial tectonic belt adjacent to the much more slowly deforming region of the Snake River Plain drives right-lateral shear between them at rates of 0.3‐1.5 mm yr ‐1 . GPE variations support gravitational collapse at a higher rate in the Centennial tectonic belt due to higher topography than in eastern Snake River Plain, which has lower GPE variations due to its low-relief, fl at topography and a denser crustal composition. Surface velocity gradients observed in GPS data across the 40‐45-km-wide Centennial shear zone reveal distributed deformation due to strike-slip faulting, distributed simple shear, regional-scale rotation, or some combination thereof. In the Centennial shear zone, the fastest lateral shearing is closest to the Yellowstone Plateau, where fault plane solutions with components of right-lateral strike slip are documented within a NE-trending zone of seismicity. Here, two Basin and Range normal faults have Holocene and late Pleistocene slip along their segments that suggest they each may have linked under right-lateral shear. We also propose that right-lateral strike-slip motion may be accommodated on existing NE-trending faults.
Complete Sequence of the Mitochondrial DNA of the Annelid Worm Lumbricus Terrestris

We have determined the complete nucleotide (nt) sequence of the mitochondrial genome of an oligochaete annelid, the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris. This genome contains the 37 genes typical of metazoan mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), including ATPase8, which is missing from some invertebrate mtDNAs. ATPase8 is not immediately upstream of ATPase6, a condition found previously only in the mtDNA of snails. All genes are transcribed from the same DNA strand. The largest noncoding region is 384 nt and is characterized by several homopolymer runs, a tract of alternating TA pairs, and potential secondary structures. All protein-encoding genes either overlap the adjacent downstream gene or end at an abbreviated stop codon. In Lumbricus mitochondria, the variation of the genetic code that is typical of most invertebrate mitochondrial genomes is used. Only the codon ATG is used for translation initiation. Lumbricus mtDNA is A + T rich, which appears to affect the codon usage pattern. The DHU arm appears to be unpaired not only in tRNAser(AGN), as is typical for metazoans, but perhaps also in tRNAser(UCN), a condition found previously only in a chiton and among nematodes. Relating the Lumbricus gene organization to those of other major protostome groups requires numerous rearrangements.
Membranous Subpulmonic Stenosis Associated with Ventricular Septal Defect and Aortic Insufficiency

Abstract We present a case report of a patient with conal septal hypoplasia (supracristal) ventricular septal defect (VSD) complicated by aortic insufficiency (AI) and subpulmonic stenosis from a fibrous membrane. The development of AI with VSD is a well-recognized problem. However, the association of VSD, AI, and significant right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (RVOTO) is less common. Mechanisms of RVOTO include prolapse of an aortic valve cusp across the VSD, as well as infundibular hypertrophy or muscle bundles. Technical echocardiographic issues can make the diagnosis of VSD, AI, and RVOTO challenging. The presence of a discrete fibrous subpulmonary membrane is uncommon in this setting. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2000;13:58-60.)
Ein Biphenylenylendiporphyrin: Zwei cofacial angeordnete Porphyrine mit Biphenylenbrücke

A partir du biphenylenedicarbaldehyde-1,8, de l'ethyl-3 methyl-4 pyrrolecarboxylate-2 d'ethyle et du diethyl-4,4' dimethyl-3,3' methylene-5,5' bis-pyrrolecarbaldehyde-2, synthese de l'octaethyl octamethyl biphenylenylene-1,8 bis-porphyrine. Ce compose forme un complexe dinucleaire avec le cuivre II
Presurgical and Postsurgical Mental and Psychomotor Development of Infants with Sagittal Synostosis

Abstract Objective: The current study compared the mental and psychomotor development of infants with nonsyndromic sagittal synostosis (SS) with a demographically matched comparison group without congenital defects. Within the SS group, we tested the hypothesis that age of cranial release would be inversely correlated with mental development. Design: The design was prospective and longitudinal. Participants were assessed at 4, 12, and 24 months of age. Setting: The study was conducted in a craniofacial clinic at an urban children's hospital. Participants: Participants were 19 infants with SS (consecutive craniofacial program referrals) and 19 demographically matched comparison infants recruited from the community. One infant with SS did not attend the 24-month assessment. Main Outcome Measures: Mental and Psychomotor indices from the Bayley Scales of Infant Development were the primary outcome measures. Subdomains of development were created using Kohen-Raz scoring procedures. All measures were determined...
Low-temperature synthesized, p-type transparent conducting material for PV devices

High performing p-type transparent conducting materials (TCMs) are a missing link in thin film photovoltaic technology. In particular, development of a low-temperature synthesis method for a p-type TCM could allow for novel solar cell architectures in devices with sensitive thermal budgets. Here, we have synthesized Cu-alloyed ZnS (CuZnS) at low temperature (T < 100°C), using both physical and chemical methods, and show it to be a highly hole conducting, transparent semiconductor. Additionally, we have constructed a simple, proof-of-concept PV device on np+ Si, and show promising photocurrent generation, with a JSC over 30 mV/cm2. An efficient PV device using a p-type TCM had not been reported in the literature, in particular with a low temperature process.
Part III Overview

This chapter presents an overview on pathogenic organisms. Lan and Reeves describe the evolution of three important groups of enteric pathogens, Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli (including Shigella), and Yersinia spp. At one time, the genus Salmonella was divided into more than 2,000 species based on surface and flagella antigens, but these are now considered to be one species, S. enterica, which is subdivided into seven subspecies and 2,501 serovars. Yersinia pestis is a recently emerged clone that shares 99.7% identity in 16S ribosomal RNA with Y. pseudotuberculosis and might more properly called Y. pseudotuberculosis Pestis. This clone has acquired additional virulence factors such as Yersinia murine toxin (Ymt) and plasminogen activator (Pla) that allow it to colonize the flea gut, be transmitted to a new host via biting, and disseminate hematogenously from the infected site. Clonal associations probably reflect the historical or prehistorical dissemination of M. tuberculosis with human migrations, similar to the associations that have been established for H. pylori. The great diversity of fungi, among which pathogenic species are dispersed across three phyla, plus the lack of information on virulence factors and the pathogenesis of fungal infections make the promulgation of generalized concepts for the evolution of fungal pathogens extremely difficult, if not impossible. In some cases, such as Legionnaires’ disease, archived clinical specimens may reveal that the disease existed decades ago but appropriate diagnostic techniques did not yet exist.
Web-based Subject Guides for East Asian Studies: Current Status, Challenges, and Recommendations

This article presents a systematic review of the current practices of creating, maintaining, using, and evaluating East Asian studies guides across North America. We examined 137 East Asian studies subject guides published by 44 major East Asian libraries and surveyed the East Asian librarian community. In this article, we discuss the common issues and unique challenges faced by East Asian studies librarians and propose recommendations. Our aim is to provide insight for East Asian studies librarians in order to help them better manage their subject guides and serve the evolving needs of users in this digital age.
Global coherence during discourse production in adults: a review of the literature

Background Global coherence is a metric of expressive language performance that represents the speaker's ability to initiate, plan and maintain a topic of discussion. Studies indicate that disruptions of global coherence can occur during the ageing process and following neurological disease or injury. However, little is known about the specific impact that the ageing process, disease or injury has on global coherence during discourse production. Aims To review the literature on global coherence in adult populations and assess the impact that age, disease or injury has on global coherence during expressive language tasks. Methods & Procedures We completed an in-depth search of Medline and PyschInfo (1990–2014) to identify studies of global coherence in adult populations. We identified studies that included a comparison group and utilized a measure of global coherence during expressive language production among adults. Outcomes & Results Twenty studies comprised of 692 study participants who met inclusion criteria were identified for the review of the literature. Studies included participants without neurological impairments and individuals with aphasia, traumatic brain injury, dementia, generalized memory impairment and other neurological conditions. Study results indicated global coherence is an expressive language skill that is influenced by the ageing process and neurological disease or injury. Conclusions & Implications Although evidence indicated that global coherence is negatively influenced by ageing and neurological disease/injury, the heterogeneity of study populations, measurement tools and study designs were limiting factors in determining the exact nature by which these factors impact the skill of global coherence.
Fueling the Fire: How We Armed the Middle East

(1991). Fueling the Fire: How We Armed the Middle East. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 18-26.
Parents’ perspectives on indulgence: remembered experiences and meanings when they were adolescents and as current parents of adolescents

ABSTRACTThis study used interviews to question 29 parents of adolescents regarding their perceptions of parental indulgence they had experienced and practice now as parents. The study was based on socialization and symbolic interactionism theories with qualitative analysis techniques being used to identify thematic findings. Four parents had not been indulged and did not believe they indulged their children. Four parents perceived they had been indulged themselves and have continued the same pattern with their adolescents. The majority of parents (21) had not been indulged. However, they now indulged their adolescents in a number of ways: lack of rules and daily health routines, few expectations to contribute to household chores, giving in to demands, and solving problems for adolescents rather than allowing them to take responsibility. Supported by symbolic interactionism, results indicate that many parents interpret indulgence as a form of love and a way to support their adolescents’.
The Reason Analysis of Indian Blackout and the Warning to China Grid

On 30 July 2012 and 31 July 2012,a severe blackout occurred to the Indian power grid,causing collapse of regional power grids.This power analyzes the possible causes of the blackout,and attributes it to long-term neglect of the manufacturing sector and infrastructure construction which leads to severe electricity shortages;rich energy resources but lower power prices which causes less incentives to build new power plants;the government's misleading policies and rampant bureaucracy and conflicts of interests between different regions and mismanagement of the infrastructure.Comparative analyses are made between India and China in terms of power supply capability and reliability to conclude that there is no systematic power shortages in China,but to prevent high risks caused by small-probability incidents,priority should be given to optimized power dispatching and control and comprehensive prevention measures.
Grating-based x-ray differential phase contrast imaging with twin peaks in phase-stepping curves-phase retrieval and dewrapping.

Purpose: X-ray differential phase contrast CT implemented with Talbot interferometry employs phase-stepping to extract information of x-ray attenuation, phase shift, and small-angle scattering. Since inaccuracy may exist in the absorptiongratingG2 due to an imperfect fabrication, the effective period of G2 can be as large as twice the nominal period, leading to a phenomenon of twin peaks that differ remarkably in their heights. In this work, the authors investigate how to retrieve and dewrap the phase signal from the phase-stepping curve (PSC) with the feature of twin peaks for x-ray phase contrastimaging. Methods: Based on the paraxial Fresnel–Kirchhoff theory, the analytical formulae to characterize the phenomenon of twin peaks in the PSC are derived. Then an approach to dewrap the retrieved phase signal by jointly using the phases of the first- and second-order Fourier components is proposed. Through an experimental investigation using a prototype x-ray phase contrastimaging system implemented with Talbot interferometry, the authors evaluate and verify the derived analytic formulae and the proposed approach for phase retrieval and dewrapping. Results: According to theoretical analysis, the twin-peak phenomenon in PSC is a consequence of combined effects, including the inaccuracy in absorptiongratingG2, mismatch between phase grating and x-ray source spectrum, and finite size of x-ray tube’s focal spot. The proposed approach is experimentally evaluated by scanning a phantom consisting of organic materials and a lab mouse. The preliminary data show that compared to scanning G2 over only one single nominal period and correcting the measured phase signal with an intuitive phase dewrapping method that is being used in the field, stepping G2 over twice its nominal period and dewrapping the measured phase signal with the proposed approach can significantly improve the quality of x-ray differential phase contrastimaging in both radiograph and CT. Conclusions: Using the phase retrieval and dewrapping methods proposed to deal with the phenomenon of twin peaks in PSCs and phase wrapping, the performance of grating-based x-ray differential phase contrast radiography and CT can be significantly improved.
Novel genomic rearrangements mediated by multiple genetic elements in Streptococcus pyogenes M23ND confer potential for evolutionary persistence.

Symmetric genomic rearrangements around replication axes in genomes are commonly observed in prokaryotic genomes, including Group A Streptococcus (GAS). However, asymmetric rearrangements are rare. Our previous studies showed that the hypervirulent invasive GAS strain, M23ND, containing an inactivated transcriptional regulator system, covRS, exhibits unique extensive asymmetric rearrangements, which reconstructed a genomic structure distinct from other GAS genomes. In the current investigation, we identified the rearrangement events and examined the genetic consequences and evolutionary implications underlying the rearrangements. By comparison with a close phylogenetic relative, M18-MGAS8232, we propose a molecular model wherein a series of asymmetric rearrangements have occurred in M23ND, involving translocations, inversions and integrations mediated by multiple factors, viz., rRNA-comX (factor for late competence), transposons and phage-encoded gene segments. Assessments of the cumulative gene orientations and GC skews reveal that the asymmetric genomic rearrangements did not affect the general genomic integrity of the organism. However, functional distributions reveal re-clustering of a broad set of CovRS-regulated actively transcribed genes, including virulence factors and metabolic genes, to the same leading strand, with high confidence (p-value ~10−10). The re-clustering of the genes suggests a potential selection advantage for the spatial proximity to the transcription complexes, which may contain the global transcriptional regulator, CovRS, and other RNA polymerases. Their proximities allow for efficient transcription of the genes required for growth, virulence and persistence. A new paradigm of survival strategies of GAS strains is provided through multiple genomic rearrangements, while, at the same time, maintaining genomic integrity.
UFT and oral calcium folinate as first-line chemotherapy for metastatic gastric cancer.

That hypoxic tissues are more resistant to the effects of radiation than well-oxygenated tissues has been known for many decades, and repeated in vitro demonstrations have confirmed that to achieve the same degree of cytotoxicity, hypoxic cells require about three times the radiation dose that well-oxygenated cells need. Hypoxic cell sensitizers enhance the tissue response to standard radiation, generally by mimicking the effects of oxygen, which induces the formation and stabilization of toxic DNA radicals. Although many hypoxic cell sensitizers like the nitroimidazoles have been evaluated in combination with radiation, these agents have had no or only minimal therapeutic impact due to either their limited potency or their toxicity at biologically relevant concentrations. This article reviews several new modalities that either increase oxygen delivery or sensitize hypoxic tissues. These modalities, all currently in early clinical evaluations, include: (1) tirapazamine, a bioreductive agent; (2) gadolinium texaphyrin, a hypoxic cell sensitizer with biolocalization properties using magnetic resonance imaging; (3) RSR13, an allosteric modifier of hemoglobin; and (4) bovine hemoglobin modified by the attachment of polyethylene glycol polymers.
ASP Fundamentals and Field Cases Outside China

The fundamentals of individual chemical process (alkaline, surfactant, and polymer) and their two-component combinations have been discussed in preceding chapters. This chapter only briefly discusses the synergy and practical issues in the three-component combination—Alkaline-surfactant-polymer process. The practical issues discussed are produced emulsion, scaling, and chromatographic separation. Overall performance and amount of chemicals used in field projects are summarized. Most of the Chinese field cases were presented in Sheng (2011). In this chapter, we only present a few field cases outside China. These projects are the Lawrence field in Illinois, the Cambridge Minnelusa field, the West Kiehl field and Tanner field in Wyoming, and Lagomar LVA-6/9/21 area in Venezuela.
Fewer Small Employers Offering Health Coverage; Large Employers Holding Steady

This paper examines the percentage of employers offering health insurance from 2008-2015 to better understand how health insurance offer rates have been affected by the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA), the Great Recession of 2007-2009, and the subsequent economic recovery. The data come from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Insurance Component (MEPS-IC). Over 95 percent of employers with 100 or more employees offered health coverage before enactment of the ACA and continue to do so. More specifically, among employers with 1,000 or more employees, 98.9 percent offered health coverage in 2004 and 2005 and over 99 percent offered health coverage in each year from 2009 through 2015. Among employers with 100-999 employees, just over 94 percent offered health benefits in 2004-2006, while the percentages have ranged between 92.5 percent and 95.1 percent for 2012-2015. Offer rates among smaller employers have been falling since 2009: (a) for employers with fewer than 10 employees, from 35.6 percent in 2008 to 22.7 percent in 2015 (a 36 percent decrease), (b) for employers with 10-24 employees, from 66.1 percent in 2008 to 48.9 percent in 2015 (a 26 percent decline), and (c) for employers with 25-99 employees, from 81.3 percent in 2008 to 73.5 percent in 2015 (a 10 percent decline). There are several plausible reasons for the decline in health plan sponsorship among smaller employers, including rising health care costs; fear of rising health care costs; availability of non-group insurance in the public exchange; attitudes toward the ACA; the 2007-2009 recession; unemployment; and post-recession business and labor/employment softness and uncertainty. While health plan sponsorship hasn’t declined among larger employers, some have predicted that even these employers -- traditionally more committed to sponsoring health coverage for their workers -- will begin to move away from sponsorship at some point in the future. There’s no doubt that many larger employers have already made significant changes in the nature of their sponsorship, moving from defined benefit to defined contribution approaches that include more individual cost-sharing (both through employee premium or contributions and employee out-of-pocket expenses) and decision-making responsibilities; shifting to private health insurance exchanges; adopting wellness programs; and more generally supporting greater health consumer engagement.
Use of Age and Medical Comorbidity to Assess Long-term Other-cause Mortality Risk in a Cohort of Men Undergoing Prostate Biopsy at an Academic Medical Center

Objective To assess life expectancy and biopsy outcomes in men undergoing prostate biopsy at an academic medical center. Methods We analyzed men who underwent prostate biopsy at our medical center between July 2012 and June 2014. Long-term other-cause mortality risk was determined using survival tables. Indications for biopsy and biopsy outcomes were assessed, and compared among men with varying mortality risks. Results A total of 417 men underwent prostate biopsy, in whom 14-year other-cause mortality risk ranged from 9% to 74%. One hundred ninety-three men (46.3%) were considered low-mortality risk ( 55% 14-year mortality). Of the 417 patients who underwent biopsy, 149 (35.7%) were found to have prostate cancer. There was no significant difference in the rate of positive biopsies ( P = .72), distribution of Gleason scores ( P = .60), or percentage of positive biopsy cores ( P = .74) between mortality risk groups. However, by UCSF Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment score, there was significant trend toward higher-risk prostate cancer in men with intermediate and high-mortality risk ( P = .04). Conclusion In this analysis, a large number of men with limited life expectancies underwent prostate biopsy. The majority of these men had negative biopsies or low-risk cancers, suggesting that they were unlikely to benefit from biopsy. To avoid potentially unnecessary prostate biopsies, the practitioner must give serious consideration to a patient's age and medical comorbidities before making a recommendation as to whether biopsy should be performed.
Specific Taxes, Product Quality, and Rate-Revenue Analysis:

The effect that specific taxes have on product quality has been a question of interest to economists over the last few years. The problem arises because while goods and services are multidimensional in terms of utility generating characteristics, specific taxes are almost always levied on just one of the characteristics. The effect of quality adjustment on tax revenue has not yet been examined in any detail. Quality adjustment is no doubt a change that occurs over a longer-run time frame. Heretofore, the only attempts at adding a temporal dimension to rate-revenue analysis distinguish between the short run and long run in terms of supply and demand elasticities. In the previous analysis the tax rate at which revenue is maximized and the tax rate at which revenue reaches zero are both lower in the long run. What makes the analysis presented here interesting is that when product quality accounts for the intertemporal distinction, the revenue maximizing tax rate and the tax rate that yields zero revenue are ...
Assessing the Role of Continuous Activated Protein C (APC) Expression in Murine Thrombosis Models.

The protein C (PC) pathway plays a major role in the interface between coagulation and inflammation. APC has both anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory properties and is the only effective treatment in patients with severe sepsis. However, assessment of APC’s therapeutic effect on other complex disease models has been compromised by its short half-life (15 min) and by difficulties in monitoring protein levels. To overcome this limitation we used adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors encoding the PC zymogen or APC for hepatocyte specific gene expression. For direct APC secretion we introduced an extra cleavage site adjacent to the activation peptide for the intracellular protease PACE/furin. Three dose cohorts of C57Bl/6 mice (n=4–6 per group) were injected for either AAV-APC or AAV-PC. A single vector injection resulted in continuous sustained long-term PC or APC expression without signs of liver toxicity. APC functional activity was restricted to AAV-APC-treated mice in which APC plateau levels of 88±43, 162±48, or 263±64 ng/ml were determined in a dose dependent manner. Further, AAV-APC expression consisted mainly of APC because no PC was detected by a zymogen specific ELISA. Only APC expressing mice presented enhanced anticoagulation as determined by 11 to 41 % prolongation of the aPTT values (p
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Liver Metastases: Radiation Therapy Planning

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) offers a novel, noninvasive definitive local therapy for metastatic liver disease. Safe and effective delivery requires accurate target definition, immobilization and treatment delivery. We describe SBRT contouring and treatment delivery in this chapter
BARIATRIC SURGERY IS ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED RISK AND COST OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Background: Although studies have suggested links between obesity and morbidities related to cardiovascular disease (CVD), little is known about whether substantial weight reduction affects the risk and cost of CVD-related healthcare utilizations. We aimed to determine whether bariatric surgery is
Hemodynamic Basis of Atherosclerosis: With Critique of the Cholesterol-Heart Disease Hypothesis

The effect of the laws of fluid mechanics (hemodynamics) on blood vessels is the primary causative factor in the localization and progressive development of atherosclerosis rather than cholesterol levels or diet. The cholesterol-diet heart disease hypothesis is seriously flawed by statistical misinterpretation and faulty extrapolations from clinical trial studies. It should be allowed to pass into medical history.
Output-feedback disturbance attenuation and adaptive control for stochastic nonlinear systems

Abstract We address the class of stochastic output-feedback nonlinear systems driven by noise whose covariance is time varying and bounded but the bound is not known a priori. This problem is analogous to deterministic disturbance attenuation problems. We first design a controller which guarantees that the solutions converge (in probability) to a residual set proportional to the unknown bound on the covariance. Then, for the case of a vanishing noise vector field, we design an adaptive controller which, besides global stability in probability, guarantees regulation of the state of the plant to zero with probability one.
Growth and properties of wide bandgap (MgSe)n(ZnxCd1-xSe)m short-period superlattices.

Abstract We report the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth and properties of (MgSe) n (Zn x Cd 1−x Se) m short-period superlattices(SPSLs) for potential application in II–VI devices grown on InP substrates. SPSL structures up to 1 µm thick with effective bandgaps ranging from 2.6 eV to above 3.42 eV are grown and characterized, extending the typical range possible for the Zn x Cd y Mg 1−x−y Se random alloy beyond 3.2 eV. Additionally, Zn x Cd 1−x Se single and multiple quantum well structures using the SPSL barriers are also grown and investigated. The structures are characterized utilizing reflection high-energy electron diffraction, X-ray reflectance, X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence. We observed layer-by-layer growth and smoother interfaces in the QWs grown with SPSL when compared to the Zn x Cd y Mg 1−x−y Se random alloy. The results indicate that this materials platform is a good candidate to replace the random alloy in wide bandgap device applications.
Normative Pressures and Change in International Relations: Looking at “Democratic Intergovernmental Organizations?” and Beyond

This article summarizes the main arguments from my book, “Democratic Intergovernmental Organizations? Normative Pressures and Decision-making Rules.” The book asks how democratic norms have shaped decision-making rules in intergovernmental organizations. It discusses developments over almost two centuries, across six major organizations and finds that “normative pressures,” and states' varied reactions to such pressures, have slowly brought the rules of such organizations closer to the ones in the domestic realm that we generally associate with democracy. I also explain here how the book can lead to further research on intergovernmental organizations, norms, and, more broadly, on international relations. I do so by responding to a number of important questions raised by three reviewers, especially those referring to the actual norm dynamics leading to change in the international realm, the implications of my findings for future democratic trends in global governance, and the implications of this research for other aspects of international relations.
Brand Perception and Repurchase Intent in Online Apparel Shopping

With increasing use of online apparel shopping, consumers have become price and product savvy, and competition among online retailers has intensified. To create competitive advantages and develop strategies to satisfy and retain customers, brand companies need more specific, research-based information about online shoppers’ repurchase behaviors with brand apparel. Repeat purchases are critical to the success of brand companies. According to Daly (2002), obtaining a new customer costs 10 times more than retaining an existing customer. In the online apparel shopping context, repeat shoppers spend 67% more on average than new customers (Drew, 2012). However, apparel research for online shopping has focused on apparel shoppers’ initial purchase behaviors rather than repeat purchases. The research in brand repurchase intent of online apparel shopping is even more rare. To fill this void in the research, this study examined the effects of types of consumers’ brand perception on their brand repurchase intent in online apparel shopping.
Animal Models of Behavioral and Neuroendocrine Components of Eating Disorders

Abstract Eating disorders are highly complex psychiatric disorders that are influenced by environmental, sociocultural, psychological, and biological factors. Four eating disorders are recognized by the DSM-5: anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED). While these differ in several ways, evidence suggests that stress and anxiety are common among their etiologies. This review integrates data obtained from humans with eating disorders with data from animal models of AN, BN, and BED to address these commonalities and discusses implications for advancing understanding of biological and environmental components of eating disorders.
The Impact of Role Training in a User-Driven Group Support System Environment

We tested the proposition that training groups to use roles would improve performance in a user-driven, GSS-supported meeting. Two methods of role training, fixed and rotated roles, were compared against a control procedure in which no formal role training was provided. In a repeated measures experiment, half of the groups completed four generate-creative tasks, while the remaining groups completed three generate-creative tasks followed by one choice-intellective task. Both role training methods were successful in reducing the time spent by groups orienting themselves to the technology, particularly in the choice-intellective task context; however, decision quality or quantity did not improve with role training.
Modulation of MLC-2v gene expression by AP-1: complex regulatory role of Jun in cardiac myocytes.

Hypertrophic stimulation of cardiac myocytes results in rapid induction of a number of transcription factors, including members of the AP-1 family, which is followed by a programmed alteration in the pattern of gene expression. In the ventricular cardiocytes there is re-expression of the fetal atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) gene and upregulation of its myosin light chain-2 (MLC-2v). The mechanism(s) by which the induction of AP-1 is coupled to the promoters of these target genes is largely unknown. In this report, we demonstrate that in transient co-transfection assay, c-Jun inhibited while Jun B stimulated the MLC-2v promoter activity. Mutant c-Jun recombinants, in which the activation domains were deleted, still remained inhibitory, but a specific mutation in the leucine zipper, which changes the alignment of Jun with its dimerization partner, caused a reversal of its effect on the target MLC-2v promoter. Based on these findings, we propose that in chicken cardiac myocytes, the regulation of MLC-2v promoter by Jun may occur via its interaction with other proteins, possibly of the leucine zipper family.
Gender Trends in Authorship in Psychiatry Journals From 2008 to 2018

Abstract Background Women are currently underrepresented in academic psychiatry. As publication activity reflects both leadership and participation in academia, we examined temporal trends in women’s authorship by conducting a large-scale bibliometric study of psychiatry journals. Methods We examined changes in proportions of women in the first, last, and overall authorship positions over time; relationship to journal impact factor and editorial board makeup; and rates of transition to senior author status using original research articles published in the 24 highest-impact psychiatry journals between January 2008 and May 2018. Results In 30,934 articles, women represented 40.0% of all authors in 2008 and 44.8% in 2018, with a significant increase in the percentage of women as first authors (2008: 43.5%, 2018: 49.5%; B = 0.64, p = .002) and last authors over time (2008: 30.0%, 2018: 35.7%; B = 0.64, p = 1 × 10−5). Articles with women as last authors were significantly more likely than those with men as last authors to have a woman as first author (χ21 = 126.1, p Conclusions These results indicate continued improvement in the representation of women authors in psychiatry journals, resulting in near parity in first authors. However, slower rates of transition to the senior author position and continued underrepresentation of women as senior authors suggest ongoing challenges in achieving gender parity in academic leadership. At the present rate of change for last authors (0.64% increase per year), women would achieve parity in senior authorship in ∼20 to 25 years.
Commentary: the link between attachment and social competence in early childhood

The relationship between attachment and social competence in early childhood has been established by the broader literature, but has fallen short of providing specificity of developmental mechanisms bridging the two. This special issue proposes that secure base script knowledge built upon infant-caregiver experiences is the key link. The empirical articles provide support of this hypothesis across cultures sampled from four continents. All reproduce significant relations between children's secure base scripts and social competence, as well as other related social/cognitive variables. None of this would be possible if the authors had not developed new efficient scoring systems for assessing young children's script knowledge. They have not only provided a more sophisticated cognitive-based analysis of the relation between attachment and social competence, but new methodological tools to explore the relation in greater detail as well opening up the possibility of longitudinal studies and adapting the narrative techniques to assess peer-based scripts.
Predicting Gambling Situations: The Roles of Impulsivity, Substance Use, and Post-Traumatic Stress.

Gambling disorder and symptoms of post-traumatic stress are highly comorbid. Numerous studies suggest that the presence of one (either disordered gambling or post-traumatic stress) substantially in...