cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fiscal Adjustment in Transition Countries: Evidence from the 1990s

In the 1990s, transition countries underwent large adjustments to address fiscal imbalances. This paper examines whether the factors identified in the literature on advanced economies, the size and composition of adjustment, are important in transition economies. It finds that larger consolidations were more successful in addressing fiscal imbalances on a durable basis. Policies focusing on expenditure reductions were more successful than those relying on revenue increases. There is little evidence of expansionary fiscal contractions, but fiscal contractions did not have a significantly negative impact on growth either. Few fiscal stimuli succeeded in boosting growth.
Malpractice burden, rural location, and discontinuation of obstetric care: a study of obstetric providers in Michigan.

Context: It has long been a concern that professional liability problems disproportionately affect the delivery of obstetrical services to women living in rural areas. Michigan, a state with a large number of rural communities, is considered to be at risk for a medical liability crisis. Purpose: This study examined whether higher malpractice burden on obstetric providers was associated with an increased likelihood of discontinuing obstetric care and whether there were rural-urban differences in the relationship. Methods: Data on 500 obstetrician-gynecologists and family physicians who had provided obstetric care at some point in their career (either currently or previously) were obtained from a statewide survey in Michigan. Statistical tests and multivariate regression analyses were performed to examine the interrelationship among malpractice burden, rural location, and discontinuation of obstetric care. Findings: After adjusting for other factors that might influence a physician's decision about whether to stop obstetric care, our results showed no significant impact of malpractice burden on physicians' likelihood to discontinue obstetric care. Rural-urban location of the practice did not modify the nature of this relationship. However, family physicians in rural Michigan had a nearly 4-fold higher likelihood of withdrawing obstetric care when compared with urban family physicians. Conclusions: The higher likelihood of rural family physicians to discontinue obstetric care should be carefully weighed in future interventions to preserve obstetric care supply. More research is needed to better understand the practice environment of rural family physicians and the reasons for their withdrawal from obstetric care.
Responding to the Challenges and Opportunities of Workforce 2000

We report results of a national study examining the impact of demographic changes in the American workforce on small business management practices. Telephone interviews with a national random sample of 94 small business owners explored a) if small business owners are aware of changing workforce demographics, and b) if these small business owners are proactively responding to these changes by modifying their personnel practices. Findings indicate that while small business managers are aware of changing workforce demographics, only a minority have changed their practices to take advantage of the new population available to them.
The Spanish Toll Highway Sector

Analysis of publicly-listed Spanish Toll Highway equity securities. Written in 1992 under the auspices of Asesores Bursatiles.
Compiler Assisted Load Balancing on Large Clusters

Load balancing of tasks across processing nodes is critical for achieving speed up on large scale clusters. Load balancing schemes typically detect the imbalance and then migrate the load from an overloaded processing node to an idle or lightly loaded processing node and thus, estimation of load critically affects the performance of load balancing schemes. On large scale clusters, the latency of load migration between processing nodes (and the energy) is also a significant overhead and any missteps in load estimation can cause significant migrations and performance losses. Currently, the load estimation is done either by profile or feedback driven approaches in sophisticated systems such as Charm++, but such approaches must be re-thought in light of some workloads such as Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) and multiscale physics where the load variations could be quite dynamic and rapid. In this work we propose a compiler based framework which performs precise prediction of the forthcoming workload. The compiler driven load prediction technique performs static analysis of a task and derives an expression to predict load of a task and hoists it as early as possible in the control flow of execution. The compiler also inserts corrector expressions at strategic program points which refine the reachability probability of the load as well as its estimation. The predictor and the corrector expressions are evaluated at runtime and the predicted load information is refined as the execution proceeds and is eventually used by load balancer to take efficient migration decisions. We present an implementation of the above in the Rose compiler and the Charm++ parallel programming framework. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the framework on some key benchmarks that exhibit dynamic variations and show how the compiler framework assists load balancing schemes in Charm++ to provide significant gains.
166. Physical fitness decreases and central adiposity increases inflammation in normotensive and pre-hypertensive individuals

Elevated blood pressure (BP) has been associated with an increased inflammatory state; conversely, healthy lifestyle, leading to higher cardiovascular fitness and lower adiposity, is promoted to reduce inflammation. We examined relationships among cardiovascular fitness, adiposity, and circulating levels of TNF-alpha in 57 men and women with normal to mildly elevated (121/81–139/89 mmHg) BP. Cardiovascular fitness was determined by peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) during a treadmill exercise test. Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) was used to determine percent total and abdominal fat. Plasma TNF-alpha levels were determined by commercial ELISA. Multivariate regression analyses were performed, predicting TNF-alpha with age, gender, systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), VO2peak, total percent fat and percent trunk fat in the model. Higher TNF-alpha levels were explained by lower VO2peak (beta = −.311; p = .042) and percent trunk fat (beta = .279; p = .023). These results reveal lower aerobic fitness and increasing percent trunk fat as significant predictors of elevated TNF-alpha levels among normotensive and pre-hypertensive individuals, beyond contributions of BP and total adiposity. Low-grade inflammation is strongly implicated in vascular pathology among individuals with elevated BP, although its exact mechanisms remain unclear. Our findings suggest an important role of adiposity, especially abdominal adiposity, in immune cell activation and constitutive cytokine production. Further research to elucidate the action of adiposity-derived factors (e.g, adipokines) in inflammation and immune activation is warranted.
Dysfunctional Parenting and Depression: The Mediational Role of Schemas:

Dysfunctional parenting has been shown to be related to a variety of forms of psychopathology. Schema Theory proposes that when children's core developmental needs are unmet (“toxic parenting”), maladaptive views of self and others (Early Maladaptive Schemas; EMS) develop. These EMS represent a cognitive vulnerability to future psychopathology. Research has shown that several EMS mediated the relationship between recollections of parenting and depressive symptoms. The goal of the present study is to address limitations in previous research by utilizing multiple mediation models that will examine previously supported mediators in the literature simultaneously. Participants were 222 College students. Results of bootstrap multiple mediation analyses revealed that when shared variance is addressed, only the EMS of vulnerability to harm mediated the relationship between recollections of maternal bonding and current depression. These findings support the role of EMS as a cognitive diathesis in the development o...
Cadet and Civilian Undergraduate Attitudes toward Transgender People A Research Note

We explore American military academy, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and civilian undergraduate attitudes toward transgender people in general, in the workplace, and in the military. Earli...
The Story of the Binomial Theorem

(1949). The Story of the Binomial Theorem. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 56, No. 3, pp. 147-157.
Isokinetic endurance of men of high and low strength.

Generally, isometric and isotonic muscular strength are believed unrelated to relative muscular endurance. If, however, randomly selected subjects are first divided into groups high and low in maximum strength, there often exists an inverse relationship between strength and endurance (1). This appears to be based, in part, on varying intramuscular circulatory occlusion resulting from the contraction tensions produced (2). Recently, the relationship between maximum isokinetic strength and isokinetic endurance was studied in a large, random sample (3). Similar to other types of strength, nonsignificant correlations of -0.03 and 0.04 were calculated between maximum isokinetic strength and selected measures of isokinetic endurance. Since the mechanics of isokinetic contractions differ somewhat from isometric and isotonic contractions, ic was unclear whether blood flow affects the strength/endurance relationship in similar ways. Thirty-seven untrained but healthy male subjects were tested on a Cybex I1 isokinetic dynamometer for strength of extension of the dominant knee at a contraction velocity of 12O0/sec. Mean subject age was 21.8 yr., mean height was 70.6 in. and mean body weight was 174.3 Ib. Subjects whose maximal strength was .25 standard deviation above or below the group mean of 123.78 ft-lb. 2 27.31 were called high in strength (149.47 ft-lb. f 14.89, n = 15) and low in strength (95.71 ft-lb. f 13.31, n = 14), respectively. To assess isokinetic endurance, subjects performed a series of maximal knee extensions (one/sec.) until peak torque production dropped below 75% of initial strength. Two measures representing endurance capacity were obtained from the raw data, the maximum number of repetitions performed in excess of 75 % of peak torque and the total work accomplished by contractions in excess of 75 0/0 of peak torque. Groups high and low in strength differed significantly in the total amount of work done (2006.87 f 643.71 ft-lb. vs 1181.18 & 200.50 ft-lb., respectively) but not in the total number of repetitions performed ( 15.32 & 4.28 vs 14.00 f 2.67, respectively). When Pearson product-moment correlations were calculated between isokinetic strength and total work performed, coefficients of 0.39 and -0.02 were nonsignificant for both groups, respectively. When correlated with the total number of repetitions performed, strength was not significantly related to endurance for the group high in strength (r = 0.06). Strength was inversely related to endurance in those low in strength (r = -0.54, p < .01). These results suggest that, depending how endurance is defined, the isokinetic strength/endurance relationship is influenced by maximum strength in a manner similar to that observed for isometric and isotonic contractions. REFERENCES 1. BARNES. W. S. The relationship between static muscular strength, relative static muscular endurance and intramuscular occlusion in the human forearm. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Univer. of Southern California, 1977.
A Method of Estimating the Size of Native Populations of Oriental, Melon, and Mediterranean Fruit Flies to Establish the Over flooding Ratios Required for Sterile-Male Releases

Formulas for estimating the native adult populations of the oriental fruit fly, Dacus dorsalis Hendel, and the melon fly, D. cucurbitae Coquillett, and for relating the estimates to the rate of release of sterile males required for an eradication program were developed in Hawaii and the Marianas Islands. A 3rd but untested application was worked out for the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). The 1st formula uses the means of the daily catches of the native male population in standard traps baited with the appropriate synthetic lure (methyl eugenol, cue-lure, and trimedlure). This catch of males per trap per day, multiplied by 2 to account for the females, is multiplied by the period of trapping (in days), the area trapped (square miles), and the trap efficiency (an empirical estimate equal to the number of noncompetitive traps per square mile that would he needed to exhaust the male population before any emerging fly could be become sexually mature). The necessary rate of release (the 2nd formula) is then obtained by multiplying the product of the 1st formula by the desired over flooding ratio (20). However, any significant losses that occur during release of the sterile flies must he added into the formula by multiplying by a loss compensation factor.
MANAGEMENT OF ATRIAL ARRHYTHMIAS IN ADULT FONTAN PATIENTS

Atrial arrhythmias are very common and associated with significant morbidity in the adult Fontan population. The optimal management strategy is unknown. Retrospective review of adult Fontan patients followed at Mayo Clinic between 1994-2014. We excluded patients that underwent Fontan operation
Ti/Pt Based Contacts to Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors

Ti/Pt metallization was used to form contacts on both n + -InAs emitter cap and p + base layers of heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). The as-deposited contacts were found to be ohmic for both the base and emitter cap layers. Rapid thermal processing of the contact metallizations was performed in the temperature range of 3 00–500 C for 30 seconds. Minimum contact resistivities of l×10 -6 ohm-cm 2 for the base and 3×l0 -7 ohm-cm 2 for the emitter layer were achieved. The influence of heat treatment on contact morphology was also examined.
Capture-gated Spectroscopic Measurements of Monoenergetic Neutrons with a Composite Scintillation Detector

We report on the measurements of monoenergetic neutrons from DD and DT fusion reactions by use of the capture gating method in a heterogeneous plastic-glass composite scintillation detector. The cylindrical detector is 5.08 cm in diameter and 5.05 cm in height and was fabricated using 1-mm diameter Li-doped glass rods (GS20) and scintillating polyvinyl toluene (EJ-290). Different scintillation decay constants are used to identify energy depositions in two materials constituting the composite scintillator. Geant4 simulations of the neutron thermalization and capture process were conducted, finding a mean capture time of approximately $2.6 \ \mu\hbox{s}$ for both DD and DT neutrons. A capture gating time acceptance window based on simulation results was used to identify the neutron thermalization pulses. The total scintillation light yield produced in neutron thermalization was measured and found to show consistency on event-by-event basis despite the variety of neutron thermalization histories prior to capture. The ratio of light yields from thermalization of 14.1 MeV and 2.45 MeV neutrons in the EJ-290 scintillator was determined to be 14.6, and the light output from 2.45 MeV neutrons was also correlated to its electron equivalent, obtaining a value of $0.58 \pm 0.05\ \hbox{MeVee}$ .
Awalysing the Obstacles to the Development of Private Economy

Private economy has been played an important role in Chinese e conomy development today,and has made a active contribution to the transformatio n of economy system and continued,steady development of Chinese economy;meanwhi le,there are some inner and outer obstacles that limit seviously the private eco nomy away from smooth development.Therefore,it will be a certain choice to bring forth new ideas in the system and purification the external economy environment ,in order to overcome the immediate obstacles facing to private economy.
Sino-Japanese Spiritual Reconciliation for the Future of East Asia

The subregional economic corporation of eastern Asia has been prevalent under the economic globalization. It should be based upon the political trust in order to become an equal and mutually beneficial one. So the most important thing is whether Japanese government treats the history impersonally and avoids make the same mistakes again as before. It needs the efforts of both sides to make the amicable relationship between Japan and China. In this case all the countries in eastern Asia can gain benefits from the corporation.
Advanced mercuric iodide detectors for X-ray microanalysis.

We first present a brief tutorial on Mercuric Iodide (HgI/sub 2/) detectors and the intimately related topic of near-room temperature ultralow noise preamplifiers. This provides both a physical basis and technological perspective for the topics to follow. We next describe recent advances in HgI/sub 2/ applications to x-ray microanalysis, including a space probe Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Synchrotron x-ray detectors, and energy dispersive detector arrays. As a result of this work, individual detectors can now operate stably for long periods in vacuum, detect soft x-rays to the oxygen K edge at 523 eV, or count at rates exceeding 2x10(5)/sec. The detector packages are small, lightweight, and use low power. Preliminary HgI/sub 2/ detector arrays of 10 elements with 500eV resolution have also been constructed and operate stably. Finally, we discuss expected advances in HgI/sub 2/ array technology, including improved resolution, vacuum operation, and the development of soft x-ray transparent encapsulants. Array capabilities include: large active areas, high (parallel) count rate capability and spatial sensitivity. We then consider areas of x-ray microanalysis where the application of such arrays would be advantageous, particularly including elemental microanalysis, via x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, in both SEMs and in scanning x-ray microscopes. The necessity of highmore » count rate capability as spatial resolution increases is given particular attention in this connection. Finally, we consider the possibility of Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) studies on square micron sized areas, using detector arrays.« less
Characteristic Functions and Classical Limit Theorems

Uniqueness and continuity theorem; Poisson convergence; pos itive and symmetric terms; Lindeberg’s condition; general Gaussian convergence; weak laws of large numbers; domain of Gaussian attraction; vague and weak compactness.
What is Health Information Exchange

To support health care professionals in managing the array of information available about patients and populations, health systems have adopted a variety of information and communications technologies (ICT). Yet many ICT systems operate as islands unto themselves, unable to connect or share information with other ICT systems. Such fragmentation of data and information is an impediment to achieving the goal of efficient, coordinated health care delivery. Health information exchange (HIE) seeks to address the challenges of connecting disparate ICT systems, enabling information to be available when and where it is needed by clinicians, administrators, and public health authorities. This chapter robustly defines HIE, including its core components, and then describes its evolution within the US health system. This chapter further discusses the rise of HIE in other countries and describes the various forms of HIE found in health systems around the world.
Behavioral and physiological correlates of recovery from exhaustion in the lungless salamanderBatrachoseps attenuatus (Amphibia: Plethodontidae)

1. Slender salamanders,Batrachoseps attenuatus, underwent forced swimming until exhausted. Lactate elimination, rate of oxygen consumption (\(\dot V_{O_2 }\)), and recovery from fatique were measured following exhaustion. 2. Ambient oxygen partial pressure (\(P_{O_2 }\)) during the recovery period (in air) affected recovery from fatigue,\(\dot V_{O_2 }\), and lactate elimination (Fig. 1-3; Table 1). Recovery from fatigue at 1 h after exhaustion was positively correlated with\(P_{O_2 }\). 3. At 75 and 157 Torr\(P_{O_2 }\), more than 50% of recovery from fatigue occurred in the first 0.5 h after exhaustion (Fig. 4). Recovery from fatigue preceded lactate elimination during this period. All remaining recovery from fatigue required 4.5 additional hours, and occurred synchronously with lactate elimination. Recovery from fatigue was most rapid when\(\dot V_{O_2 }\) was highest. 4. Salamanders restimulated to activity after 0.5 h recovery produced no additional lactate (Table 2). Salamanders were active at whole-body lactate concentrations previously associated with exhaustion. Selective elimination of lactate from locomotor musculature did not occur (Table 2). 5. Oxygen debt functions in both recovery from fatigue and lactate elimination inBatrachoseps. Lactate concentration alone is an inadequate explanation for fatigue and recovery in all amphibians.
From America to Norway: Norwegian-American Immigrant Letters, 1838–1914, volume 1, 1838–1870

Review of: "From America to Norway: Norwegian-American Immigrant Letters, 1838–1914: 1838–1870," edited and translated by Orm Overland.
Marital and Cohabiting Relationships of Adult Children of Alcoholics: Evidence from the National Survey of Families and Households

The popular press has disseminated widely the idea that adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) have relational deficiencies. This literature has been challenged due to its reliance on clinical samples; however, evidence of no difference between ACOAs and non-ACOAs has come from studies of college students. The National Survey of Families and Households is used to examine the effect of growing up in an alcoholic family on adult marital and cohabiting relationships. In support of the deficit model, results reveal that ACOAs are less likely to marry and have lower levels of marital quality and stability than non-ACOAs. Additional ACOA deficiencies that serve to mediate these relationships are also identified. However, while ACOAs commonly are profiled as women exhibiting excessive dependency, results reveal effects for men and women and evidence for relational patterns characterized by distance rather than overinvolvement. Research using more representative samples is needed to dispel misleading stereotypes.
Choreographing Freedom: Mass Performance in the Festivals of the French Revolution

The French Revolution generated four large-scale festivals in Paris from 1790 to 1794. The festival project housed a foundational and ultimately insurmountable tension: liberty was to be established through a manipulation of people's natural free will by means of their leaders' methodical organization. How do you orchestrate fraternal attachment without imprisoning the participants in new rules? How do you, in short, choreograph freedom?
Defining Research: The Effect of Linguistic Choices on the Intentions to Participate in Clinical Research.

Significant barriers to participant recruitment for clinical research (CR) are related to effective communication, and nurse coordinators are entrusted with being knowledge brokers between investigators and prospective participants. This prospective cohort study sought to identify linguistic choices that could inform and facilitate recruitment efforts. Healthy adults (N = 204) were invited to join an online survey to assess the likelihood of participation in CR based on short and extended definitions of CR. Five short definitions included clinical trial, clinical study, health-related research study, community participatory study, and quality improvement study. The likelihood of participation in CR was the lowest for clinical trial and the highest for health-related research study. However, when only an extended definition was provided, those differences were not observed. A linguistic change from trial to study could lead to positive attitude toward CR and improvements in recruitment. However, ethical im...
Genome Sequences of 30 Escherichia coli O157:H7 Isolates Recovered from a Single Dairy Farm and Its Associated Off-Site Heifer-Raising Facility.

ABSTRACT Cattle are the primary reservoir of Escherichia coli O157:H7, the most frequently isolated serotype of enterohemorrhagic E. coli infections among humans in North America. To evaluate the diversity of E. coli O157:H7 isolates within a single dairy herd, the genomes of 30 isolates collected over a 7-year period were sequenced.
Planning Across Bids

This chapter analyzes the connections which form across multiple bids, and in particular how plans from one bid get recycled into others as part of long-term development strategies. This chapter frames bid planning as a project, and examines scholarship on project-based learning to assess how learning occurs within and across bids in the same city. One high frequency bidder is used as a case study: bids emerging from Doha (Qatar) illustrate these themes as bid coalitions there regularly pursue mega-events not necessarily to win the hosting contracts, but to link bidding to local real estate projects and national developmental agendas.
Overactive Bladder Symptoms in Female Health Profession Students: Bladder Diary Characteristics and Impact of Symptoms on Health-Related Quality of Life

Abstract Introduction: There is limited information on overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms, their association with bladder irritants, or the effect of OAB on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in young women. We evaluated these issues in a group of young female health profession students. Methods: All female students (n = 964) attending a university in the Pacific Northwest were recruited via email or an in-person informational meeting to participate in this descriptive cross-sectional study. Outcome measures included the OAB-questionnaire, a 4-day bladder diary, and a demographic questionnaire. OAB was diagnosed if a participant reported an average of at least one episode of urgency per day on the bladder diary. Participant characteristics, bladder diary results, and HRQoL were compared using chi square, Fisher's exact test, and t-tests. Results: With a response rate of 21.2%, the average participant age was 25.5 years and 21.7% of participants were identified as having OAB. Participants with OAB consu...
Systematic data ingratiation of clinical trial recruitment locations for geographic-based query and visualization.

Abstract Background Prior studies of clinical trial planning indicate that it is crucial to search and screen recruitment sites before starting to enroll participants. However, currently there is no systematic method developed to support clinical investigators to search candidate recruitment sites according to their interested clinical trial factors. Objective In this study, we aim at developing a new approach to integrating the location data of over one million heterogeneous recruitment sites that are stored in clinical trial documents. The integrated recruitment location data can be searched and visualized using a map-based information retrieval method. The method enables systematic search and analysis of recruitment sites across a large amount of clinical trials. Methods The location data of more than 1.4 million recruitment sites of over 183,000 clinical trials was normalized and integrated using a geocoding method. The integrated data can be used to support geographic information retrieval of recruitment sites. Additionally, the information of over 6000 clinical trial target disease conditions and close to 4000 interventions was also integrated into the system and linked to the recruitment locations. Such data integration enabled the construction of a novel map-based query system. The system will allow clinical investigators to search and visualize candidate recruitment sites for clinical trials based on target conditions and interventions. Results The evaluation results showed that the coverage of the geographic location mapping for the 1.4 million recruitment sites was 99.8%. The evaluation of 200 randomly retrieved recruitment sites showed that the correctness of geographic information mapping was 96.5%. The recruitment intensities of the top 30 countries were also retrieved and analyzed. The data analysis results indicated that the recruitment intensity varied significantly across different countries and geographic areas. Conclusion This study contributed a new data processing framework to extract and integrate the location data of heterogeneous recruitment sites from clinical trial documents. The developed system can support effective retrieval and analysis of potential recruitment sites using target clinical trial factors.
Improving user performance in conditional probability problems with computer-generated diagrams

Many disciplines in everyday life depend on improved performance in probability problems. Most adults struggle with conditional probability problems and prior studies have shown user accuracy is less than 50%. This study examined user performance when aided with computer-generated Venn and Euler-type diagrams in a non-learning context. Following relational complexity, working memory and mental model theories, this study manipulated problem complexity in diagrams and text-only displays. Partially consistent with the study hypotheses, complex visuals outperformed complex text-only displays and simple text-only displays outperformed complex text only displays. However, a significant interaction between users' spatial ability and the use of diagram displays led to a reversal of performance for low-spatial users in one of the diagram displays. Participants with less spatial ability were significantly impaired in their ability to solve problems with less relational complexity when aided by a diagram.
Structure, Function, and Applications of the Georgetown-Einstein (GE) Breast Cancer Simulation Model.

Background. The Georgetown University-Albert Einstein College of Medicine breast cancer simulation model (Model GE) has evolved over time in structure and function to reflect advances in knowledge ...
Preoperative chemoradiation therapy induces primary-tumor complete response more frequently than chemotherapy alone in gastric cancer: analyses of the National Cancer Database 2006–2014 using propensity score matching

The benefit of preoperative chemoradiation (CXRT) over preoperative chemotherapy alone (“chemotherapy” hereafter) is unknown. By analyzing the National Cancer Database (NCDB), we investigated whether preoperative CXRT improves the incidence of primary tumor pathologic complete response (ypT0) and overall survival (OS) compared with preoperative chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer. Patients with non-metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent CXRT or chemotherapy followed by gastrectomy were included. Propensity score matching with a ratio of 1:1 was implemented to reduce selection bias. A conditional logistic regression model was used to compare incidences of ypT0 between groups, and Cox proportional hazards model was used to compare OS. We identified 8464 patients. Median patient age was 63 years; 76% were male and 79% were white. ypT0 was observed in 16.1% of patients in the CXRT group and 6.6% in the chemotherapy group (p < 0.001). After propensity score matching, a total of 2408 patients were matched. CXRT was associated with a higher incidence of ypT0 (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.76–2.95; p < 0.0001) and higher frequency of R0 resection (92 vs. 86%; p < 0.001). However, CXRT was not associated with longer OS (HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.92–1.15; p = 0.63). Safety profiles (30-day mortality, 30-day readmission, and length of hospital stay) were equivalent between groups. In this study of gastric cancer patients from the NCDB, CXRT was associated with a higher incidence of ypT0 and R0 resection compared with chemotherapy, although it was not associated with a longer OS.
The Year with No Winter

THE YEAR WITH NO WINTER began with a knock on the door of the boy's fourth-grade classroom. First the man's head appeared as the teacher walked towards him. They spoke for a moment and the teacher left the room. The teacher returned to stand behind the boy, saying quietly to bring his things which included a telescope and pencil holder and coat and lunchbox. The boy felt himself lifted high and away to observe a boy led from a classroom. In the hallway the principal of the small school patted him on the back. The adults nodded several times and the man and boy held hands leaving. It was after lunch and they took icecream to a small park by the ocean. Do you like Mrs. Berry, the teacher? the man asked. The boy liked her and was glad he didn't have the other teacher who wasn't a nice man. His friends were in his class too. The boy was conscious of a strange weight over their conversation and was unusually shy in answering the man's questions. The man said, let's do something different. Want to take a trip down to Florida with your Dad? He looked intently at the boy before continuing. We'll stop everywhere, see everything. Beaches and the mile-long pier in Maryland, the man paused, catching himself selling. There wasn't any need to sell. They wore sweaters and the boy's thin blond hair blew around his head. On the sea a man worked a flat bottom boat towards a herring weir. He lashed a rope from the oarlock around the first pole he came to and began unstapling the netting. Early fall leaves bunched in wet piles and slicked to the walks. Labor Day was two weeks past and most of the tour ists were gone until the leaves changed colors. The boy shivered. It wasn't much of a day for icecream. We'll have fun, the man said, not selling this time. The girlfriend of the man packed them a large cooler with grapes and trailmix and softdrinks while on a large map pinned to the breakfast room wall, the man outlined their route in green marker. The boy became eager as he called his two best friends and told them of the trip. The man and woman argued briefly over whether the boy should make the calls but the
Nonempirical Criteria in the Development of Science

One of the disturbing consequences of contemporary theory of science is the haze which surrounds its notion of progress. As long as science was held to converge on “truth” or “objective reality” in its path of evolution, successive theories could be defined as constituting progress by being more true, or more conformant to reality, than their predecessors. When the essentially constructed character of all knowledge came to be realized, however, it became clear that we do not see reality independently of our conceptions of it. Observation, to quote Hanson,(1) is theory laden. We do not see “what is there” otherwise than by interpreting the stimuli emerging into our consciousness as sensation in terms of some preestablished conceptual or gestalt scheme.(2) Our gestalts and concepts guide our perception of reality, and there are no ways whereby we could compare our conceptions of reality with reality itself. There are no checks on scientific veridicality through direct inspection of the world “out there.” And if we cannot compare our scientific theories to objective reality, we cannot tell which of them is truly conformant to it. Hence we cannot give meaning to a concept of progress in reference to reality.
Photoresist technology for 0.25 um lithography

It's has been the general opinion of device manufacturers that deep ultraviolet imaging will be the imaging method required to produce 250nm and sub-250nm geometry's for 256Mb-DRAM's and related logic technology. Traditional Mine lithography may not capable of manufacturing at these geometry's and the use of deep UV radiation with "chemically amplified" photoresists will be required for these device programs. Issues regarding the problems that researchers are combating or have not yet considered in the evolutionary chain of deep ultraviolet photoresist development and implementation will be discussed. As researchers continue developing environmentally stable materials, there is a series of issues that device manufacturers need to resolve today as new quarter micron fabs are currently under construction. Fab designers may need to consider additional space for specialty tools or processes in order to produce quarter micron lithography. The issues concerning materials, process, reflectivity control, manufacturing facilities, quality control, photoresist manufacturing, photoresist cost and a proposed roadmap for the next several years of development will be discussed. The author will also provide a brief overview of current Mine photoresists and their capability to the 300nm geometry region along with some basic chemistry regarding the principles of DNQ's and chemically amplified photoresists.
Interstitial Lung Disease in Infants and Children: New Classification System with Emphasis on Clinical, Imaging, and Pathological Correlation

Interstitial lung diseases in infants and children comprise a rare heterogeneous group of parenchymal lung disorders, with clinical syndromes characterized by dyspnea, tachypnea, crackles, and hypoxemia. They arise from a wide spectrum of developmental, genetic, inflammatory, infectious, and reactive disorders. In the past, there has been a paucity of information and limited understanding regarding their pathogenesis, natural history, imaging findings, and histopathologic features, which often resulted in enormous diagnostic challenges and confusion. In recent years, there has been a substantial improvement in the understanding of interstitial lung disease in the pediatric patient, due to the development of a structured classification system based on etiology of the lung disease, established pathologic criteria for consistent diagnosis, and improvement of thoracoscopic techniques for lung biopsy. Imaging plays an important role in evaluating interstitial lung diseases in infants and children by confirming and characterizing the disorder, generating differential diagnoses, and providing localization for lung biopsy for pathological diagnosis. In this chapter, the authors present epidemiology, challenges and uncertainties of diagnosis, and amplify a recently developed classification system for interstitial lung disease in infants and children with clinical, imaging, and pathological correlation.
Physiological Responses to Stress in the Vibrionaceae

The family Vibrionaceae (Domain Bacteria, Phylum Proteobacteria, Class Gammaproteobacteria) is comprised mostly of motile gram-negative chemoorganotrophs, possessing at least one polar flagellum (Farmer III and Janda, 2005; Thompson and Swings, 2006). Vibrios are facultative anaerobes, having both respiratory and fermentative metabolisms, and the mol% G + C of the DNA is 38–51% (Farmer III and Janda, 2005). Cells are usually 1 μm in width and 2–3 μm in length, and most are oxidase positive. The vast majority of vibrios require Na+ for growth and survival, usually 0.5–3% NaCl for optimum growth. Additionally, most species are susceptible to the vibriostatic agent 0/129 (Thompson and Swings, 2006).
Preparation of Sperm Fractions and Individual Sperm With Low Levels of Chromosomal Aneuploidies for IVF and ICSI

This chapter presents an overview of our ongoing work focusing upon the relationship between diminished sperm maturity and the frequencies of chromosomal aneuploidies, and on the efficiency of the various sperm preparation methods utilized in assisted reproduction for elimination of immature sperm. This chapter will also extend to the major new breakthrough of hyaluronic acid (HA) binding by mature sperm for ICSI sperm selection. First we will discuss research carried out by the Huszar laboratory in the past 15 years relating to objective biochemical markers of sperm function and fertility. Subsequently, we will review the current data and will evaluate the relative utilities of swim-up, gradient centrifugation and HA binding for selection of sperm with low levels of chromosomal aneuploidies and high levels of DNA integrity for IVF and ICSI. The key points to be emphasized are the following: (1) Cytoplasmic retention as a marker of sperm immaturity, and the two-wave expression pattern of the testis specific HspA2 chaperone protein in developing sperm during meiosis and late spermiogenesis. (2) Cellular maturation, plasma membrane remodeling and their contributions to the fertilization function of human sperm. (3) The relationship between sperm immaturity and increased frequencies of chromosomal aneuploidies. (4) The relative efficiencies of density gradient and swim up methodologies in eliminating aneuploid and diploid sperm. (5) The use of HA binding for selection of mature individual sperm with low levels of both chromosomal aneuploidies and DNA degradation.
Wound protectors mitigate superficial surgical site infections after pancreatoduodenectomy.

Abstract Background Whether the choice of antibiotic prophylaxis, the type of incision, or the use of wound protectors decreases surgical site infections (SSIs) in patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) remains unknown. Methods Patients undergoing open, elective PD between January 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017 were identified from the American College of Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Program registry. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to determine the association of antibiotic prophylaxis type, incision type, and wound protector use on the incidence of any, superficial, and organ/space SSIs, and to profile hospitals. Results Overall, 5969 patients were included from 140 hospitals. The overall rate of SSI was 20.3% (n = 1213). Superficial SSIs occurred in 432 (7.2%) patients and organ/space SSIs in 841 (14.1%). Wound protector use was associated with 23% lower odds of experiencing any SSIs (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.60–0.98), reflective of the decreased odds associated with superficial SSIs (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.44–0.97), but not organ/space SSIs (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.68–1.17). Highest-performing hospitals frequently utilized broad-spectrum antibiotics, midline incisions, and wound protectors. Conclusion Wound protectors reduced superficial, but not organ/space, infections in patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy. Routine use of wound protectors in patients undergoing proximal pancreatectomy is recommended.
A longitudinal analysis of the relationship between self-compassion and the psychological effects of perceived stress

Self-compassion is consistently associated with psychological well-being, but most research has examined their relationship at only a single point in time. This study employed a longitudinal design...
On Demand Release and Retrieval of Bacteria from Microwell Arrays Using Photodegradable Hydrogel Membranes

Microwell arrays are important tools for studying single cell behavior and cell–cell interactions, both in microbial and mammalian systems. However, retrieval of cells from microwell arrays with hi...
Large Animal Models of Proximal Aortic Balloon Occlusion in Traumatic Hemorrhage: Review and Identification of Knowledge Gaps Relevant to Expanded Use.

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to review and summarize the large animal data on resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) for traumatic hemorrhage and identify knowledge gaps pertinent to the proposed broader use of the technique in prehospital situations. Methods A review of published large animal models of traumatic hemorrhage incorporating REBOA with a primary outcome of the effect of aortic occlusion was performed. Data were collected on experimental protocols, hemodynamic effects, resuscitation requirements, mortality, metabolic and tissue consequences of induced ischemia–reperfusion, and effects on hemorrhage volume and other injuries. Results A limited number of REBOA studies exist, and there is variability in the species and size of animals used. Various controlled and uncontrolled hemorrhage protocols have been studied, and a number of balloon devices used. Hemodynamic effects of occlusion were consistent as were basic systemic physiological effects. Minimal study of the effects of partial aortic occlusion and hemodynamic and metabolic physiology distal to the balloon has been performed, and partial or complete occlusion times >90 min have not been studied. Conclusions Significant knowledge gaps exist, which are potentially relevant to the expanded use of REBOA. Investigation into the physiology of partial occlusion and the metabolic effects and potential mitigation strategies for large-scale ischemia and reperfusion are particularly needed.
The Catholic Scare: How Anti-Catholic Prejudice Shaped Brown v. Board

This essay examines supreme court justice Hugo L. Black and his times, focusing on the evolving relationship between the Catholic Church and the legal elite. Part II introduces the compulsory public school movement of the 1920s. Part III describes Black's career prior to the Supreme Court, including his membership in the Ku Klux Klan. Contrary to what Black would later claim, politics did not require him to join the Ku Klux Klan. Part IV introduces the Roosevelt Court of the 1940s and the race and religion politics of that era. This section also analyzes Black's majority opinion in Everson, arguing that he voted with the pro-Catholic side in order to bait the dissenters into agreeing with anti-Catholic logic. Part V recounts education debates of the 1950s and shows that progressive elites routinely slurred parochial schooling as segregation. They professed the ideal of one school system for all children?black and white, Protestant and Catholic. A textual analysis of three related school desegregation cases shows that Black tried to use them to advance the reincarnated compulsory public education movement. Part VI concludes that Black had a tremendous impact on law and none on society.
The time course of malondialdehyde production following impact injury to rat spinal cord as measured by microdialysis and high pressure liquid chromatography

This paper reports a highly sensitive, specific, and reproducible method for the analysis of malondialdehyde (MDA) from microdialysates. The microdialysates were reacted with 2-thiobarbituric acid, and the TBA adducts were separated by HPLC and detected using a fluorescence detector. Butylated hydroxytoluene was used as an antioxidant to minimize formation of artifacts. The time course of MDA production following impact injury to the rat spinal cord was obtained using this improved method. MDA concentrations in the extracellular space gradually increased from a basal level of 20 ± 3.6 nM to 44 ± 18.1 nM during the first 2 hr, reached a maximum of 95 ± 19.8 nM at 5 hr, and then decreased to 36 ± 9.5 nM at 9 hr. The findings support the hypothesis that spinal cord injury leads to increased membrane lipid peroxidation.