cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A lattice vector quantizer for generalized Gaussian sources

A fixed-rate lattice vector quantizer for generalized Gaussian (GG) sources is presented. By using the contour of constant probability of a generalized Gaussian source to bound the integer lattice, this vector quantizer in the limit of high dimension achieves optimal boundary gains for GG sources. Low-complexity techniques for rate control, optimal codevector search and enumeration are developed. This coder achieves 8.60 dB for a generalized Gaussian source with shape parameter of 0.5 at 1 bit/sample (compared with a rate distortion bound of 9.23 dB) and 32.62 dB for the 512/spl times/512 "Lena" image at 0.25 bpp without the use of entropy coding. By using two small lookup tables, the nearest codeword search operation can be performed multiply-free and the overall quantization process costs one multiply and a few adds per sample.
THE DIRECT DISCONTINUOUS GALERKIN (DDG) METHOD FOR DIFFUSION WITH INTERFACE CORRECTIONS

Based on a novel numerical ∞ux involving jumps of even order derivatives of the numerical solution, a direct discontinuous Gallerkin(DDG) method for difiusion problems was introduced in (H. Liu and J. Yan, The direct discontinuous Galerkin (DDG) methods for difiusion problems, SIAM J. Numer. Anal. 47(1)(2009),475{698). In this work, we show that higher order (k ‚ 4) derivatives in the numerical ∞ux can be avoided if some interface corrections are included in the weak formulation of the DDG method; still the jump of 2nd order derivatives is shown to be important for the method to be e-cient with a flxed penalty parameter for all p k elements. The reflned DDG method with such numerical ∞uxes enjoys the optimal (k+1)th order of accuracy. The developed method is also extended to solve convection difiusion problems in both one and two dimensional settings. A series of numerical tests are presented to demonstrate the high order accuracy of the method.
Virus-Induced Cellular Immunity to Simian Virus 40 Tumor-Specific Surface Antigen(s) in Adult LVG:LAK Hamsters

Cell-mediated immunity directed against simian virus 40 (SV40) tumor-specific surface antigen(s) (TSSA) was detected in SV40-immunized noninbred LVG:LAK hamsters with the use of a lymphocyte transformation assay. Sensitized spleen cells underwent a proliferative response in the presence of cells of an SV40-induced hamster sarcoma cell line (WF5-1) or the plasma membranes from these cells. These results established that immunization of adult hamsters with SV40 resulted in a specific autochthonous cell-mediated immune response against SV40 TSSA. The in vitro demonstration of this virus-induced immunity provided a unique method for the investigation of the SV40 TSSA involved in the establishment or rejection of tumors. The described lymphocyte transformation assay was also used to follow the solubilization and purification of the SV40 TSSA.
ProloGA: a Prolog implementation of a genetic algorithm

This paper describes ProloGA, a Prolog implementation of a genetic algorithm. Chromosomes and associated parameters were stored in a Prolog database. The genetic operators of crossover, mutation, and population fitness were encoded in Prolog clauses. The test application demonstrated the feasibility of developing genetic algorithms in Prolog. The advantages of Prolog over conventional languages include database functionality, built-in 'don't care' operator, compact, declarative code, and use of heuristic knowledge. It is suggested that genetic algorithms may enhance Prolog applications by adding flexibility and adaptive rule discovery to the heuristic knowledge approach of Prolog. The combination may prove to be synergistic when applied to combinatorially large, complex, fuzzy problems. >
Impact of computer-based MecMovies on student learning in an applied mechanics of materials course

This study investigates the impact of the computer-based instructional tool MecMovies on learning in an applied mechanics of materials course in civil engineering technology at Rochester Institute of Technology. MecMovies are animated movies that explain different mechanics of materials concepts and provide on-screen drills to reinforce those concepts. Limited data available from prior studies evaluating the software indicate a generally positive response from students regarding use of this tool and some improvement in learning. This paper further investigates the effectiveness of MecMovies for improving student understanding when used as a supplement to the more traditional teaching method of lectures and textbook assignments. In this study weekly course assignments in applied mechanics of materials included completion of relevant MecMovie modules to reinforce concepts presented in lecture before students solved traditional textbook problems. The impact of the software on student learning is evaluated by comparing weekly homework and quiz scores, as well as final examination grades, for a class that used MecMovies versus a class that did not. In addition, student feedback regarding the software is presented based on weekly surveys. Conclusions are drawn about the impact of MecMovies on student performance and learning.
Mie Theory and the Glory

Results are presented of the predictions of Mie’s series solution to the scattering of an electromagnetic plane wave from a dielectric sphere of index 1.333. Cases of size parameters near 200 and 500 are examined in detail in an attempt to understand the mechanism responsible for the backscattering of light. These calculations demonstrate that the backscattering is due mainly to the last few significant terms in the Mie expansion, which can be associated with geometrical rays grazing the droplet surface, or “surface waves.” Sharp periodic spikes in the dependence of the backscattered intensity are shown to be associated with very slightly damped surface waves of both polarizations involving hundreds of circumvolutions. The geometrically computed axial contribution to the backscattered light is shown to be present in the Mie results.
Optical interlayer coupling design for optical interconnects based on mirror enhanced grating couplers

We have designed new optical interlayer couplers based on grating couplers with post-processed mirrors to achieve low insertion loss on a 130nm SOI CMOS process. Optimized design shows an interlayer coupling loss of 2.2 dB.
Osteogenic regulation of vascular calcification: an early perspective

Cardiovascular calcification is a common consequence of aging, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, mechanically abnormal valve function, and chronic renal insufficiency. Although vascular calcification...
Lunar semidiurnal variations of the geomagnetic field determined from the 2.5-min data scalings

Abstract Most previous investigations of the lunar variations, L, in the geomagnetic field have been conducted using hourly values scaled from magnetograms and hence many years data have been required to obtain reasonable results. Only recently magnetic tapes of scaled field values for every 2.5 min have become available for a number of world stations. These data enable us to examine the L variations fairly accurately even for a small number of days. Our method involved the exclusion of days of high solar-terrestrial activity (Kp > 3 +); removal of the solar quiet, Sq, variation; alignment of the data on a lunar time scale; and, finally, computing the first four Fourier components to fit the averaged 2.5-min values. For an example of determination by this method, the month-to-month, seasonal and solar cycle variations of the lunar semidiurnal field components at Fredericksburg and Huancayo from 1964 through 1966 and at Honolulu from 1964 through 1968 have all been computed. The amplitudes and relative phases of the lunar semidiurnal component between day and nighttime at Huancayo have also been obtained. A comparison with results of older methods was made whenever it was applicable.
Gender differences in the relationship between parental report of self-regulation skills and adolescents' management of type 1 diabetes

Graziano PA, Geffken GR, Williams LB, Lewin AB, Duke DC, Storch EA, Silverstein JH. Gender differences in the relationship between parental report of self-regulation skills and adolescents' management of type 1 diabetes. Objective: To examine the extent to which self-regulation skills of adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D), including executive functioning and emotion regulation, relate to treatment adherence and glycemic control. Method: Participants were 109 adolescents aged 12–18 yr with TID and their primary caregiver who attended an outpatient appointment at a pediatric endocrinology clinic. Parents and adolescents completed a measure of treatment adherence. Parents completed a self-regulation measure while a glycemic control measure [i.e., hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)] was collected. Results: For boys, executive functioning and emotion regulation deficits were significantly associated with worse treatment adherence and glycemic control. Further analyses indicated that emotion regulation was the primary self-regulation measure related to treatment adherence and glycemic control. No significant associations were found for girls. Conclusion: For adolescent boys, the ability to cope with various stressors and emotions may be as important as higher-order thinking skills for maximizing treatment adherence and diabetes control. Clinical implications and potential mechanisms by which emotion regulation skills relate to adolescent boys' diabetes treatment management are discussed.
An experimental approach to altering mating tactics in male horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus)

Alternative reproductive tactics are often correlated with phenotype, density, environment, or social context. Male horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) have two mating tactics that are associated with phenotype. Males in good condition arrive at the nesting beach and spawn while attached to females, whereas those in poorer condition come ashore unattached and crowd around the nesting couples as satellites, fertilizing eggs through sperm competition. The correlation between mating tactic and phenotype may be due to males choosing tactics based on condition, or it may be that males that have not found a female choose to come ashore as satellites. To distinguish between these two possibilities, I conducted an experiment on male horseshoe crabs in the field at Seahorse Key on the northern Gulf coast of Florida. I prevented males from attaching to females by placing small plastic bags over the claws they use to attach. The results showed that males in poor condition came ashore as satellites, whereas males in good condition remained at sea. This means that mating tactics are cued by information about the male’s condition and not about whether he found a female. The evolution of phenotype-correlated mating tactics can be represented by a model in which the fitness of each tactic changes with condition and fitness curves cross. I hypothesize that male horseshoe crabs in good condition have higher fitness when attached and that males in poorer condition do better when unattached. Key words: alternative mating tactics, alternative reproductive behavior, alternative strategies, conditional strategies, frequency-dependent selection, horseshoe crabs, Limulus polyphemus. [Behav Ecol 13:232–238 (2002)]
Problem solving summary

The preceding chapters have provided a description of microscopy techniques, imaging theory and the specimen preparation methods required to investigate polymer structures. The theme of this chapter is to put all of this together within a useful framework. This framework might be a review to experienced microscopists (who likely have developed their own protocols), but it will provide useful information regarding problem solving ideas. A problem solving protocol will be developed that permits microscopy characterizations to follow an easy and short path to a solution. These characterizations will all be classified as ‘problems’ that require a solution. Problems can range from simple to complex and include, for example, determination of the phase structure in a polymer blend, the cause of failure of a composite or the complete and fundamental characterization of a new membrane, fiber, film, etc. Clearly, such problem solving will require a range of time and effort, but the protocols used to begin the characterization and to know when the problem is solved are similar overall. Generally more than one technique is required to solve problems relating to polymer morphology and thus complementary multidisciplinary techniques are important in conducting problem solving analyses. Interpretation of the images produced is of critical importance in evaluating polymer structures and thus the topic of artifacts will be included in this discussion. Finally, although structural characterizations cannot generally be accomplished without microscopy methods and techniques, there are other complementary analytical techniques that are often quite important in understanding polymer structures. The last section will be devoted to a short description of these techniques, including x-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, electron spectroscopy and others.
Rhamnolipid Transport in Biochar-Amended Agricultural Soil

Rhamnolipid is a biosurfactant produced by several Pseudomonas species, and can wet hydrophobic soils by lowering the cohesive and/or adhesive surface tension. Because of its biodegradability, rhamnolipid is believed to have minimal adverse impact on the soil and groundwater after usage. Applications of rhamnolipid to improve irrigation in agricultural soils thus have obvious advantages over other chemical wetting agents, especially under drought conditions. Due to global warming, soil amendment with biochar has been commonly practiced in agricultural soils to increase the soil water-holding capacity. As such, rhamnolipid transport in biochar-amended agricultural soils needs to be characterized. In this research, we found that rhamnolipid transport in biochar-amended agricultural soils was hindered by retardation (equilibrium adsorption) and deposition (kinetic adsorption), which was well represented by the advection-dispersion equation based on a local equilibrium assumption. A linear equilibrium adsorption was assumed in the advection-dispersion equation simulation, which was proved to be acceptable by studying the breakthrough curves. Both rhamnolipid equilibrium adsorption and kinetic adsorption increased with the increase of the biochar content in the agricultural soil.
Cost and quality of fresh, frozen, and canned green beans.

These authors have found that cost, grade, or brand alone should not be used to determine the “best buy” in purchasing
Numerical study of surfactant effects on the buoyancy-driven motion of a drop in a tube

Abstract We present results of our numerical study of the effect of surfactants on buoyancy-driven motion of drops in a tube at intermediate Reynolds numbers. The drop and bulk phases are treated as incompressible Newtonian fluids and simulated using a front-tracking method. The steady shapes and velocity–volume curves for drops ranging in drop size from 0.2 to 1.3 of tube radius are determined numerically. At small Bond numbers, the velocity–volume curve shows a maximum before the velocity plateaus for large drops. As the Bond number increases, the maximum in the velocity–volume curve disappears with elongated, more streamlined drop shapes consistent with previous experimental studies. For increasing Weber numbers, the rear of the drop shows a flattening followed by the development of a negative curvature. Surfactants are modeled using a Langmuir equation of state in the adsorption–desorption limit and the effect of surfactant mass transfer, fractional coverage of surfactants, and the interfacial Peclet number on the velocity–volume curve is determined. Marangoni stress generated due to the non-uniform distribution of surfactants at the interface reduces drop mobility. Reduced drop mobility is more prominent for drop sizes that are comparable to the tube diameter and is maximum when mass transfer to and from the interface is inhibited. As the fractional coverage of soluble surfactants, or the interfacial Peclet number increases, larger Marangoni stresses are generated along the interface that lead to greater retardation of the drop motion.
Cataract development in rats fed commercial quercetin.

SummaryWhen 20 mg or 100 mg of commercial quercetin suspended in U.S.P. syrup was put into the stomach of a rat, either in a single dose or in 4 daily doses of 5 mg or 25 mg respectively. 50% of the animals so treated developed a cataract in one eye within 10 weeks following receipt of the quercetin. No bilateral cataracts were observed. Chromatographically pure quercetin did not cause cataracts under similar conditions.
Review of Natural Wastewater Treatment Systems, Second Edition

Ronald W. Crites, E. Joe Middlebrooks, Robert K. Bastian, and Sherwood C. Reed. 2014. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis Group. 2014. 549 pp. ISBN: 978-1-4665-8326-9. $152.96 This book , Natural Wastewater Treatment Systems , second edition, is divided into 10 sections. The book comprises of 549 pages with
The Relationship between the Type of Question and Scoring Errors

A point often advanced in favor of objec tive tests is their freedom from error in scor ing. Nevertheless, that scores on objective tests are frequently in error has been shown by Pintner,6 Dearborn and Smith,3 and Herbst.4 Several techniques have been pro posed to overcome scoring errors: notably the self-scoring tests of Clapp and Young; print ing the correct response on the answer sheet after the student has recorded his choice (proposed by Toops) ; mimeographing the correct answers on the answer sheet (a mod ification of Toops' method proposed by Cuff1) ; the Testometer, a mechanical device for determining the score (designed by Cuff2); and such automatic scoring devices as the Perfo-scorer, the Thermo-scorer, and the Chemo-scorer (developed by Peterson and Peterson5). Some of the causes for errors in scoring are: carelessness in marking the response, mis takes in counting the number of items marked right, wrong, or omitted, errors in arithmetic, errors in transmuting scores, and errors in transferring scores. It has been suspected for a long time that an important cause of error in scoring is the form in which the questions are presented, but so far as the writer knows, little attention has been given to the problem, at least in the literature. This paper is concerned with the factor of type or form in which the question is pre sented and its relation to scoring errors. The basic question is; are certain types of test questions more subject to scoring errors than are others? By type is meant the mechan ical form of presenting the question and recording the response. Another question on which these data may throw some light is; do scorers tend to underscore or overscore a
New Method and Development for Determination of Organophosphorus Pesticide Residues in Foods

To provide some reference methods for determination of organophosphorus pesticide residues in foods. Some new methods which had been reported for determination of organophos- phorus pesticide residues in foods were reviewed. Biochemistry, rapid detection reagent, bioluminescent bacterium, chemiluminescence, biosensors and immunoassay technique for deter- mination of organophosphorus pesticide residues were introduced. Discussions were made on various detection methods in terms of their principle, advantage and disadvantage.
Use of a Cholestyramine Washout in a Patient With Septic Shock on Leflunomide Therapy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Patients presenting with infections while receiving disease-modifying antirheumatic agents (DMARD) may be predisposed to a higher degree illness due to immunosuppression. This can be particularly problematic in patients who are receiving DMARDs with prolonged pharmacokinetic profiles. Leflunomide is a DMARD that has a prolonged half-life due to enterohepatic recirculation. We report a case of a patient with severe septic shock secondary to a prosthetic joint infection in which therapeutic levels of leflunomide were discovered, despite the patient ceasing therapy several weeks prior to admission. An orogastric cholestyramine washout was given to the patient to expedite the removal of the drug. Serum levels rapidly declined over the next several days, corresponding with resolution of her sepsis. A review of the literature relevant to the incidence of DMARD-related infections was conducted as well as discussion regarding the role of leflunomide drug monitoring and cholestyramine-facilitated removal of the drug in episodes of acute infectious syndromes.
Exact results for the U

Obtention de plusieurs resultats rigoureux pour le modele de Hubbard avec U=∞, incluant une limite inferieure de l'energie pour tout nombre fini de trous relatif au demi remplissage. Cette limite implique que l'etat ferromagnetique devienne asymptotiquement degenere avec l'etat fondamental exact dans la limite thermodynamique, et que des trous supplementaires (ajoutes) ne forment pas des etats lies. Obtention d'une derivation du theoreme de Nagaoka
Current Clotting Concepts in Urology

AbstractA modern outline of the physiology of coagulation, a simple approach to the use of laboratory investigation for patients with possible clotting disorders in unexplained hematuria and several illustrative cases are presented. The diagnosis and management of localized fibrinolysis in the genitourinary tract and intravascular coagulation as possible causes of post-prostatectomy hemorrhage are discussed. A minimum of a platelet count, fibrinogen assay and, if possible, measurement of fibrinogen-related antigens should be obtained before administration of epsilon aminocaproic acid.
Relationship between the speech characteristics and effectiveness of telephone interviewers

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship among acoustic measures of speech, listener ratings of pitch, loudness, and rate of speaking, and the success rate of telephone interviewers. Six telephone interviewers were selected to represent high and low success rates on the basis of their records of successful completion of survey research interviews. Recordings of the interviewers, three with high success rates and three with low success rates, were acoustically analysed and presented to 18 listeners to rate. The results were as follows: (1) more successful interviewers had higher fundamental frequencies and greater variation in fundamental frequency than less successful interviewers; (2) rate of speaking in syllables per second did not differentiate interviewers but more successful interviewers had shorter pauses than less successful interviewers; (3) more successful interviewers used falling intonation contours and less successful interviewers used rising intonation contours in opening the interview; (4) high and significant correlations were found between F0 mean and pitch ratings, F0 standard deviation and pitch ratings, rate in syllables per second and ratings of rate, mean pause duration and pitch rating, and mean intensity and ratings of rate; (5) high and significant correlations were found between success rate and the acoustic measures of F0 mean and F0 standard deviation; (6) none of the correlations between success rate and listener ratings were significant. These findings indicate the need for acoustic analysis to clarify the basis for listener impressions and to specify the potential acoustic cues to account for listener behaviour.
When to say when: Using big data to support mobile communications

ABSTRACTAs a result of the current mobile phenomenon, many libraries have rushed to provide mobile-compatible services in order to remain relevant in today's quickly evolving information services market. Beginning in 2010, the Laverne and Dorothy Brown Library at the University of St. Francis (USF) launched a data tracking initiative via Google Analytics to determine the extent that mobile-specific library resources were being utilized by students for access to library materials and services. Data analysis has shown that weighing an emphasis toward future development of mobile library resources should be balanced against development costs under a pragmatic anticipation of the longevity and sustainability of any mobile resource.
Identification of the Emergent Leaders within a CSE Professional Development Program

The need for high quality, sustainable Computer Science Education (CSE) professional development (PD) at the grades K-12 level is essential to the success of the global CSE initiatives. This study investigates the use of Social Network Analysis (SNA) to identify emergent teacher leaders within a high quality CSE PD program. The CSE PD program was designed and implemented through collaboration between the computer science and teacher education units at a Midwestern metropolitan university in North America. A unique feature of this specific program is in the intentional development of a social network. This study discusses the importance of social networks, the development of social capital, and its impact on the sustainability of the goals of the CSE PD program. The role of emergent teacher leaders in the development of the social capital of the CSE PD cohort is investigated using SNA techniques. The cohort consisted of 16 in-service teachers in grades 6-12 representing seven districts and four distinct content areas. The instruments used involved a questionnaire and the results of a CSE PD program online course. The findings suggest a correlation between the emergent teacher leaders, the online course results, and the overall cohort social capital. Future uses of SNA within professional development programs are also discussed.
On the Representation of Semigroups and Other Congruences in the Lambda Calculus

Abstract We show that every semigroup with an RE word problem can be pointwise represented in the lambda calculus. In addition, we show that the free monoid generated by an arbitrary RE subset of combinators can be represented as the monoid of all terms which fix a finite set of points.
Prognostic Factors in B-Cell Lymphomas

The development of staging systems, especially the modified Ann Arbor staging system and of the International Prognostic Index and its type-specific lymphoma variants (i.e. FLIPI and MLIPI.) represent important steps in the therapeutic decision and prognosis. The chapter is reviewing the impact of the staging system and of the IPI on various low- and high-grade B-cell lymphomas and also is integrating various prognostic factors identified and emerged from diverse areas that characterize these lymphomas, including histologic, immunophenotypic, cytogenetic, and molecular profiles; clinical presentation; and clinical course.
Do health information technology self-management interventions improve glycemic control in medically underserved adults with diabetes? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the effect of health information technology (HIT) diabetes self-management education (DSME) interventions on glycemic control in medically underserved patients. Materials and Methods: Following an a priori protocol, 5 databases were searched. Studies were appraised for quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias assessment. Studies reporting either hemoglobin A1c pre- and post-intervention or its change at 6 or 12 months were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis using random effects models. Results: Thirteen studies met the criteria for the systematic review and 10 for the meta-analysis and represent data from 3257 adults with diabetes (mean age 55 years; 66% female; 74% racial/ethnic minorities). Most studies (n = 10) reflected an unclear risk of bias. Interventions varied by HIT type: computer software without Internet (n = 2), cellular/automated telephone (n = 4), Internet-based (n = 4), and telemedicine/telehealth (n = 3). Pooled A1c decreases were found at 6 months (−0.36 (95% CI, −0.53 and −0.19]; I2 = 35.1%, Q = 5.0), with diminishing effect at 12 months (−0.27 [95% CI, −0.49 and −0.04]; I2 = 42.4%, Q = 10.4). Discussion: Findings suggest that medically underserved patients with diabetes achieve glycemic benefit following HIT DSME interventions, with dissipating but significant effects at 12 months. Telemedicine/telehealth interventions were the most successful HIT type because they incorporated interaction with educators similar to in-person DSME. Conclusion: These results are similar to in-person DSME in medically underserved patients, showing that well-designed HIT DSME has the potential to increase access and improve outcomes for this vulnerable group.
Perioperative blood transfusion is associated with post-operative infectious complications in patients with Crohn's disease.

Background We have previously demonstrated that blood transfusion (BT) was associated with post-operative complications in patients undergoing surgery for Crohn's disease (CD), based on our institutional data registry. The aim of this study was to verify the association between perioperative BT and infectious complications in CD patients enrolled in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database. Methods All CD patients undergoing surgery between 2005 and 2013 were identified from NSQIP. Variables were defined according to the ACS NSQIP guidelines. The primary outcome was infectious complications, including superficial, deep and organ/space surgical site infection, wound dehiscence, urinary tract infection, pneumonia, systemic sepsis and septic shock. Multivariate analyses were performed to assess the risk factors for post-operative infections. Results All 10 100 eligible patients were included and 611 (6.0%) received perioperative BT. BT patients were older, lighter in weight and more likely to be functionally dependent. BT patients were more likely to have post-operative infectious complications than those without BT, including superficial surgical site infection (SSI) (10.8% vs 7.4%, p=0.002), deep SSI (3.3% vs 1.6%, p=0.003), organ/space SSI (14.2% vs 5.4%, p<0.001), pneumonia (3.8% vs 1.3%, p<0.001), urinary tract infection (3.9% vs 2.2%, p=0.006), sepsis (11.5% vs 4.5%, p<0.001) and sepsis shock (3.1% vs 0.8%, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that intra- and/or post-operative BT was an independent risk factor for post-operative infectious complications (odds ratio [OR] = 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.8-2.7; p<0.001) and the risk increased with each administered unit of red blood cell (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.2-1.5). Other independent factors were history of smoking, chronic heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and the use of corticosteroids. Pre-operative BT, however, was not found to be a risk factor to post-operative infections. Conclusions Intra- and/or post-operative, not pre-operative, BT was found to be associated with an increased risk for post-operative infectious complications in this CD cohort. Therefore, the timing and risks and benefits of BT should be carefully balanced.
THE SEC PREEMPTS THE ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES BOARD IN 1965: THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE DEFERRED TAX CREDIT RELATING TO INSTALLMENT SALES

In 1959, the Accounting Principles Board (APB) replaced the Committee on Accounting Procedure because the latter was unable to deal forthrightly with a series of important issues. But during the APB's first half-dozen years, its record of achievement was no more impressive than its predecessor's. The chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Manuel F. Cohen, criticized the APB's slow pace and unwillingness to tackle difficult issues. This article discusses the circumstances attending the SEC's issuance of an Accounting Series Release in late 1965 to demonstrate forcefully to the APB that, when it is unable to carry out its responsibility to “narrow the areas of difference” in accounting practice, the SEC is prepared to step in and do so itself. In this sense, the article deals with the tensions between the private and public sectors in the establishment of accounting principles in the U.S. during the mid-1960s. The article makes extensive use of primary resource materials in the author's p...
Characterizing interactions between fire and other disturbances and their impacts on tree mortality in western U.S. Forests

Abstract Increasing evidence that pervasive warming trends are altering disturbance regimes and their interactions with fire has generated substantial interest and debate over the implications of these changes. Previous work has primarily focused on conditions that promote non-additive interactions of linked and compounded disturbances, but the spectrum of potential interaction patterns has not been fully considered. Here we develop and define terminology, expand on the existing conceptual framework and review the patterns and mechanisms of disturbance interactions with a focus on interactions between fire and other forest disturbances and a specific emphasis on resulting tree mortality. The types of interactions reflect the positive, negative, or neutral responses to the incidence, intensity, and effects of the interaction. These types of interactions are not always mutually exclusive, but can be distinct. The collective effect of the interactions will determine the longer-term ecosystem response that can result in a resistant, resilient, or compounded interaction. Our review indicates that the interactions of drought, bark beetles, or pathogens with fire often result in neutral or maintained interactions that do not negatively or positively influence the incidence or intensity following fire. The effect of these disturbance interactions on tree mortality ranged from antagonistic (reduced mortality compared to individual disturbances) to synergistic (greater mortality compared to individual disturbances) within and among disturbance interaction types but often resulted in additive effects (mortality is consistent with the summation of the two disturbances). Synergistic effects on tree mortality have been observed when the severity of the initial disturbance is moderate to high and time between disturbances is relatively short. When the sequence of disturbance interaction is reversed (e.g., fire precedes other disturbances) the conditions can generally promote impeded interactions (lower incidence of interaction), reduced interactions (lower intensity of interaction), and antagonistic interactions (lower tree mortality). While recent research on fire-disturbance interactions has increased over the last decade and provided important insights, more research that identifies the specific thresholds of incidence, intensity, and effects of interaction by region and forest type are needed to better assist management solutions that promote desired outcomes in rapidly changing ecosystems.
The contemporary significance of the moral economy: Is housing a home or an asset?:

This Afterword reviews the diversity of moral economies of housing under the current neoliberal regime. Based on the articles in this theme issue, it considers the ways people’s relationships to th...
Concentrations of Sulfadiazine and Trimethoprim in Blood and Endometrium of Mares After Administration of an Oral Suspension

Abstract The objective of this experiment was to assess the concentrations of sulfadiazine and trimethoprim in the blood and endometrium of nonpregnant mares after oral treatment. We hypothesized that the potentiated sulfonamide would reach tissue concentrations greater than the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) reported for common pathogens. Over two breeding seasons, mares in estrus were treated with sulfadiazine-trimethoprim (Equisul-SDT Aurora Pharmaceutical, LLC, Northfield, MN), 333 mg/67 mg combination per mL, at a dosage of 24 mg/kg, orally, every 12 hours for five treatments. Blood was obtained at 0, 12, 36, and 60 hours. An endometrial biopsy was also performed at 60 hours. In year 1, the mean concentrations of sulfadiazine and trimethoprim at 60 hours were 12.14 μg/mL and 0.25 μg/mL in the blood and 3.19 μg/g and 0.69 μg/g in the endometrium, respectively. In year 2, the mean concentrations of sulfadiazine in the blood were 5.17, 10.22, and 13.39 μg/mL and 0.04, 0.15, and 0.27 μg/mL for trimethoprim at 12, 36, and 60 hours, respectively. Mean concentrations of sulfadiazine and trimethoprim in the endometrium at 60 hours were 7.96 μg/g and 0.23 μg/g, respectively. Concentrations of sulfadiazine and trimethoprim in the endometrium after five consecutive treatments with the oral suspension were above the in vitro MIC reported for common pathogens known to cause bacterial endometritis, for example, Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (MIC = 0.25–4 μg/mL) and Escherichia coli (>0.25–4 μg/mL). The oral suspension of sulfadiazine-trimethoprim should be an efficacious and viable treatment for bacterial endometritis.
Physical neighborhood and social environment, beliefs about sleep, sleep hygiene behaviors, and sleep quality among African Americans

Abstract Objectives African Americans (AAs) have a higher prevalence of sleep disorders than other racial/ethnic groups. However, little is known about the relationships among individual and neighborhood factors related to sleep quality in AAs. The purposes of this study were to (1) describe beliefs about sleep, sleep hygiene behaviors, and sleep quality among AAs; and (2) examine the relationships among sociodemographic characteristics, neighborhood environment, beliefs about sleep, sleep hygiene behaviors, and sleep quality. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 252 AA men and women in the Greater New Haven, CT, USA community. We assessed their sociodemographic characteristics, neighborhood environment, beliefs about sleep, sleep hygiene, and sleep quality with the following measures, respectively: the Neighborhood Environment Scale, the brief version of Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep, the Sleep Hygiene Practice Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. We performed descriptive statistics, correlations and multiple hierarchical regression. Results About 72% of the participants (mean age: 53.88 ± 14.17 years, 77.8% women) reported experiencing sleep disturbance. People with poor sleep quality were more likely to report poorer neighborhood social environment (social cohesion), poorer overall neighborhood environment, more dysfunctional beliefs toward sleep, and poorer sleep hygiene than those who had good sleep quality. In the final multivariate model that controlled for a number of chronic comorbid conditions, neighborhood environment, beliefs about sleep, and sleep hygiene behaviors were significantly associated with sleep quality. Conclusions Future efforts are needed to improve sleep among AAs by considering both the individual's belief about sleep, sleep hygiene behaviors and neighborhood factors.
Managing Big Data in Visual Retrieval Systems for DHS Applications: Combining Fourier Descriptors and Metric Space Indexing

Image retrieval systems have been an active area of research for more than thirty years progressively producing improved algorithms that improve performance metrics, operate in different domains, take advantage of different features extracted from the images to be retrieved, and have different desirable invariance properties. With the ever-growing visual databases of images and videos produced by a myriad of devices comes the challenge of selecting effective features and performing fast retrieval on such databases. In this paper, we incorporate Fourier descriptors (FD) along with a metric-based balanced indexing tree as a viable solution to DHS (Department of Homeland Security) needs to for quick identification and retrieval of weapon images. The FDs allow a simple but effective outline feature representation of an object, while the M-tree provide a dynamic, fast, and balanced search over such features. Motivated by looking for applications of interest to DHS, we have created a basic guns and rifles databases that can be used to identify weapons in images and videos extracted from media sources. Our simulations show excellent performance in both representation and fast retrieval speed.
The Path Forward

This chapter establishes why US patriarchy is unique compared to patriarchy in other nations and cultures. In addition, it wraps up the results of the research presented in previous chapters and completes the analysis provided. It also provides information on current organizations and initiatives that are helping support female and/or minority politicians. Moreover, the chapter provides a set of practical tips for female politicians that the author has gathered over the course of the research study. There is a discussion on the importance and relevancy of the topic, addressing missing issues and aspects from current academic research. Finally, the researcher addresses the strengths and limitations of the study.
Primary care cancer control interventions including Latinos: a review.

Abstract Background Even though 86% of adult Latinos have a usual source of care, there is a paucity of literature on primary care–based interventions to promote cancer prevention and control in this population. This systematic review examines published primary care–based cancer control interventions that included Latinos. Methods MEDLINE, the Cochrane Registry, and EMBASE were searched from January 1985 to January 2003. Any primary care–based intervention using a controlled trial, quasi-experimental, or pre–post design that targeted breast, cervical, or colorectal cancer was included if at least 5% of the sample was Latino. Results A total of 14 intervention studies met inclusion criteria. Seven of the 14 studies described patient or provider reminder interventions. Other interventions incorporated into the primary care setting one of the following: community health educators, culturally sensitive videos, audit with feedback, materials from the “Put Prevention Into Practice” campaign, and vouchers for free screenings. The heterogeneity of designs and outcome variables and the low number of Latinos presented obstacles to combining data to estimate the overall effectiveness of primary care interventions for this population. Qualitatively, patient and physician reminders and management systems strategies including audit with feedback for providers appear to result in improved screening utilization. Conclusions There is a paucity of data on the effectiveness of primary care cancer control interventions directed at Latinos. Primary care–based interventions that have been effective in non-Latinos could incorporate culturally appropriate elements and lessons from community-based research and could be applied to Latinos so that their effectiveness can be assessed in this group.
The illusory benefit of cognates: Lexical facilitation followed by sublexical interference in a word typing task

Cognate facilitation and cognate interference in word production have been elicited separately, in different paradigms. In our experiment, we created conditions for facilitation and interference to occur sequentially, and identified the levels at which the two processes manifested. Bilinguals translated cognates and noncognates from L2 to L1 and typed the translations. Response-onset latencies were shorter for cognates (cognate-facilitation) but execution latencies were longer, and cross-language orthographic errors were more frequent for cognates than for noncognates (cognate-interference). Facilitation at onset followed by interference during word execution suggests that the language-selection mechanism operated efficiently at the lexical level but inefficiently at the sublexical level. It also suggests that language selection is not an event with irreversible outcome, but selection at one level may not guarantee language-selectivity at subsequent levels. We propose that a model of bilingual language production that specifies multiple language-selection processes at multiple loci of selection can accommodate this phenomenon.
Microbial Sensing by Intestinal Myeloid Cells Controls Carcinogenesis and Epithelial Differentiation

Physiologic microbe-host interactions in the intestine require the maintenance of the microbiota in a luminal compartment through a complex interplay between epithelial and immune cells. However, the roles of mucosal myeloid cells in this process remain incompletely understood. In this study, we identified that decreased myeloid cell phagocytic activity promotes colon tumorigenesis. We show that this is due to bacterial accumulation in the lamina propria and present evidence that the underlying mechanism is bacterial induction of prostaglandin production by myeloid cells. Moreover, we show that similar events in the normal colonic mucosa lead to reductions in Tuft cells, goblet cells, and the mucus barrier of the colonic epithelium. These alterations are again linked to the induction of prostaglandin production in response to bacterial penetration of the mucosa. Altogether, our work highlights immune cell-epithelial cell interactions triggered by the microbiota that control intestinal immunity, epithelial differentiation, and carcinogenesis.
Assessment of Virtual Synchronous Machine based Control in Grid-Tied Power Converters

This paper presents the assessment of virtual synchronous machine (VSM) control schemes applied to grid-tied power converters. Specifically, the paper analyzes first the merits of its usage in reactive power static compensators (STATCOM), and second in generic grid-tied inverters. VSM is compared against standard d-q frame vector control, and key operational aspects like synchronization and startup procedure are discussed in detail. The paper considers both VSM-based and inverter-synchronous machine duality based models for the development of control schemes. As a particularly important outcome of this duality study, it will be shown how converter synchronization can be, in general, realized by scaling down and integrating DC-link voltage of any voltage source converter. The concepts presented will be demonstrated experimentally with a 30 kVA 208 V ac synchronous generator and power converter test bed.
Application of a variance reduction technique to Surface-to-Surface Monte Carlo radiation exchange calculations

Abstract An easy-to-implement variance reduction technique based on the control variate method is proposed and demonstrated for Monte Carlo (MC) calculations of surface-to-surface (S-to-S) radiation exchange. The method is general, and is applicable to any S-to-S radiation exchange problem—gray or non-gray. The control function used in the proposed method is the Planck function evaluated at the minimum temperature of the domain. The Radiative Transfer Equation (RTE) and its boundary conditions are recast into a deviational form, and it is shown that only two minor changes are necessary within the standard S-to-S MC algorithm to implement the proposed variance reduction technique. No computational overheads are incurred is using the proposed technique. Three test cases are considered, and exact (deterministic) solutions are used to assess the accuracy of the MC results. It is found that in all cases, the statistical error in the computed heat flux, as measured by the variance, is reduced. The variance reduction can be substantial (almost an order of magnitude) if the problem at hand is dominated by temperatures sufficiently close to the control temperature. In the third test case, radiation is also iteratively coupled to convection, and it is shown that the variance reduced MC solutions for steady state temperatures are far more accurate than those produced by the standard MC method for the same number of rays.