cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unitary Triangularization of a Nonsymmetric Matrix

A method for the inversion of a nonsymmetric matrix has been in use at ORNL and has proved to be highly stable numerically but to require a rather large number of arithmetic operations, including a total of N(N-1)/2 square roots. This note points out that the same result can be obtained with fewer arithmetic operations, and, in particular, for inverting a square matrix of order N, at most 2(N-1) square roots are required. For N > 4, this is a savings of (N-4)(N-1)/4 square roots. (T.B.A.)
Measurements of the Pulfrich effect over days of exposure

Mean depth settings and subjective reports appear to confirm previous subjective reports from users of the X-Chrom prescription lens that Pulfrich Effect depth distortions decrease with continued exposure to light intensity disparity. Depth setting variability across Days of exposure indicates a rapid increase in depth judgment errors which persists without decrement across Days. This increased variability, the apparent depth decrements, and color discrimination improvements shed light on the visual processing underlying the Pulfrich Effect and reveal a potentially dangerous illusion.
Distribution of the supremum of the two-parameter slepian process on the boundary of the unit square☆

Abstract This paper finds an expression for the distribution of the supremum on the boundary of [0,1] X [0,1] of the two-parameter Gaussian process X ( s , t ) with zero mean and covariance function EX(s,t)X(s′,t′) = (1 − |s′−|) + (1−t′−t|) +
AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF INSURED PORTFOLIO STRATEGIES USING LISTED OPTIONS

Theoretical rationale for the purchase or sale of portfolio insurance has been developed in prior works, but the relative preference structure for insured portfolios has not been examined empirically. This paper provides empirical evidence about performance of insured portfolios constructed from listed put and call options, their underlying stocks, and treasury bills. Efficient portfolios are identified using rules of stochastic dominance and stochastic dominance with a riskless asset from randomly created portfolios. The results illustrate the importance of put and call options to create portfolios containing an insurance component, since insured portfolios represent the majority of dominant assets.
Practical introduction to record linkage for injury research

The frequency of early fatality and the transient nature of emergency medical care mean that a single database will rarely suffice for population based injury research. Linking records from multiple data sources is therefore a promising method for injury surveillance or trauma system evaluation. The purpose of this article is to review the historical development of record linkage, provide a basic mathematical foundation, discuss some practical issues, and consider some ethical concerns. Clerical or computer assisted deterministic record linkage methods may suffice for some applications, but probabilistic methods are particularly useful for larger studies. The probabilistic method attempts to simulate human reasoning by comparing each of several elements from the two records. The basic mathematical specifications are derived algebraically from fundamental concepts of probability, although the theory can be extended to include more advanced mathematics. Probabilistic, deterministic, and clerical techniques may be combined in different ways depending upon the goal of the record linkage project. If a population parameter is being estimated for a purely statistical study, a completely probabilistic approach may be most efficient; for other applications, where the purpose is to make inferences about specific individuals based upon their data contained in two or more files, the need for a high positive predictive value would favor a deterministic method or a probabilistic method with careful clerical review. Whatever techniques are used, researchers must realize that the combination of data sources entails additional ethical obligations beyond the use of each source alone.
Reducing Program Comprehension Effort in Evolving Software by Recognizing Feature Implementation Convergence

The implementations of software features evolve as an application matures. We define a measure of feature implementation overlap that determines how similar features are in their execution by examining their call graphs. We consider how this measure changes over time, and evaluate the hypothesis that over time and subsequent versions of a software application, the implementations of semantically similar features converge. As the features of an application converge in their implementation, we are able to more effectively determine groups of semantically similar features and to reduce the cost of program comprehension by selecting few key features that give an overview of the system. We present a case study analyzing the features of the Jext, Firefox, and Gaim software systems to support our hypothesis.
Genome wide DNA methylation profiling of osteoarthritic articular cartilage

s / Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 22 (2014) S7–S56 S41 CpG dinucleotides differs substantially between hips and knees, generic OA related differential methylation was observed in both hips and knees. Furthermore, we show that mere methylation differences do not imply gene regulation and therefore do not per se elucidate epigenetic regulatory properties of OA associated genes. Finally, gene set enrichment revealed that in late-stage disease extracellular matrix remodelling associated genes are still actively regulated epigenetically. 62 NOVEL VARIANTS FOR CARTILAGE THICKNESS AND HIP OSTEOARTHRITIS: REVEALING GENES IMPLICATED IN CARTILAGE AND BONE DEVELOPMENT M. Castano-Betancourt y, D. Evans z, Y. Liu x, M. Yau k, A. Uitterlinden y, V. Evangelou{, T. Spector#, M. Kloppenburg yy, M. Doherty zz, E. Waarsing y, V. Kraus xx, J. Jordan xx, F. Lafeber kk, B. Mitchell k, I. Meulenbelt yy, N. Lane{{, A. Valdes zz, J. van Meurs y. y ErasmusMC, Rotterdam, Netherlands; zCalifornia Pacific Med. Ctr. Res. Insitute, San Francisco, CA; x Thurston Arthritis Res. Ctr., Chapel Hill, NC, USA; kUniv. of Maryland Sch. of Med., Baltimore, MD, USA; {Univ. of Ioannina Med. Sch., Ioannina, Greece; Kings Coll., London, United Kingdom; yy Leiden Univ. Med. Ctr., Leiden, Netherlands; zzUniv. of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom; xxDuke Univ. Med. Ctr., Durham, NC, USA; kkUtrecht Univ., Utrecht, Netherlands; {{California Pacific Med. Ctr. Res. Inst., San
Outcomes of transplantation in children with primary hepatic malignancy.

: HBL and HCC are the most common hepatic malignancies in children. The role of OLT in children with HCC is still a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to review our experience of OLT for HCC. Medical records of patients (< 18 yr) who underwent OLT for HCC were reviewed and compared to children who underwent OLT for HBL and for indications other than malignancy. There were 25 patients: HCC (10 cases) and HBL (15 cases). The actuarial patient survival for HCC at one and five yr was 100% and 83.3%, for the HBL group the survival was 86.7% at both one and five yr, and for indications (n = 377) other than malignancy the patient survival for pediatric OLT at our center was 87.7% and 84.7% at one and five yr, respectively. The actuarial recurrence free survival at five yr was 83.3% for HCC and 66.8% for HBL. In conclusion, OLT is a good therapeutic modality for children with HCC and HBL.
Epidermal Keratinocytes: A Source of 5α- Dihydrotestosterone Production in Human Skin*

The major products of testosterone, androstenedione, and progesterone metabolism by human epidermal keratinocytes are 5α-reduced steroids, viz. 5α-dihydrotestosterone, 5α-androstanedione, and 5α-dihydroprogesterone, respectively. The rates of metabolite formation by these cells were linear with incubation time up to 3 h. The apparent Km of keratinocyte 5α-reductase was 1.3 µM for androstenedione and 1.5 μM for progesterone. 5α-Reductase activity was found only in particulate subcellular fractions of a homogenate of epidermal keratinocytes when assayed with tritium-labeled progesterone as the substrate and NADPH as the cofactor. In addition to 5α-reductase activity, other enzymatic activities found in epidermal keratinocytes were 17β-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase and 3β-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase. These enzymes were expressed in the formation of androstenedione from testosterone, testosterone from androstenedione, isoandrosterone from androstenedione, and 3β-hydroxy- 5α-pregnan-20-one from progesterone....
Making Science Useful to Decision Makers: Climate Forecasts, Water Management, and Knowledge Networks

Moving from climate science to adaptive action is an immense challenge, especially in highly institutionalized sectors such aswater resources. Knowledgenetworksare valuablestrategiesto put climateinformation to use. They overcome barriers to information adoption such as stovepipes, pipelines, and restricted decision space, and they can be responsive to issues of salience and the hurdles of reliability, credibility, and trust. Collaboration and adaptive management efforts among resource managers and forecast producers with differing missions show that mutual learning informed by climate information can occur among scientists of different disciplinary backgrounds and between scientists and water managers. The authors show how, through construction of knowledge networks and their institutionalization through boundary organizations focused on salient problems, climate information can positively affect water resources decision making.
A two-dimensional biased coin design for dual-agent dose-finding trials

Background:Given the limited efficacy observed with single agents, there is growing interest in Phase I clinical trial designs that allow for identification of the maximum tolerated combination of two agents.Purpose:Existing parametric designs may suffer from over- or under-parameterization. Thus, we have designed a nonparametric approach that can be easily understood and implemented for combination trials.Methods:We propose a two-stage adaptive biased coin design that extends existing methods for single-agent trials to dual-agent dose-finding trials. The basic idea of our design is to divide the entire trial into two stages and apply the biased coin design, with modification, in each stage.Results:We compare the operating characteristics of our design to four competing parametric approaches via simulation in several numerical examples. Under all simulation scenarios we have examined, our method performs well in terms of identification of the maximum tolerated combination and allocation of patients relati...
Competitive Grouping in Integrated Phrase Segmentation and Alignment Model

This article describes the competitive grouping algorithm at the core of our Integrated Segmentation and Alignment (ISA) model. ISA extracts phrase pairs from a bilingual corpus without requiring the pre-calculated word alignment as many other phrase alignment models do. Experiments conducted within the WPT-05 shared task on statistical machine translation demonstrate the simplicity and effectiveness of this approach.
To Show or Not Show: Using User Profiling to Manage Internet Advertisement Campaigns at Chitika

We study the problem of an Internet advertising firm that wishes to maximize advertisement (ad) revenue, subject to click-through rate restrictions imposed by the publisher who controls the website on which the ads are displayed. The problem is directly motivated by Chitika, an Internet advertising firm that operates in the Boston area. Chitika contracts with publishers to place relevant ads over a specified period, usually one month, on publisher websites. We develop a predictive model of a visitor clicking on a given ad. Using this prediction of the probability of a click, we develop a decision model that uses a varying threshold to decide whether or not to show an ad to the visitor. We vary the threshold depending on (1) the cumulative number of times an ad has been shown and (2) the cumulative number of clicks on the ad. The decision model's objective is to maximize the advertising firm's revenue subject to a click-through rate constraint. The implemented models work in real time in Chitika's advertising network. We also discuss the implementation challenges and business impact.
L-Q design of PID controllers for robot arms

An explicit solution for the robot arm controller, optimal in the linear quadratic sense, is obtained. Based on this formulation, a PID controller with acceleration feedback is proposed which is computationally efficient and robust relative to variations in the dynamic model and external disturbances.
Periostin promotes atrioventricular mesenchyme matrix invasion and remodeling mediated by integrin signaling through Rho/PI 3-kinase

Recent evidence suggests that extracellular matrix components may play a signaling role in embryonic valve development. We have previously identified the spatiotemporal expression patterns of periostin in developing valves, but its function during this process is largely unknown. To evaluate the functional role periostin plays during valvulogenesis, two separate three-dimensional culture assay systems, which model chick atrioventricular cushion development, were employed. These assays demonstrated that cushion mesenchymal cells adhered and spread on purified periostin in a dose-responsive manner, similar to collagen I and fibronectin via αvβ3 and β1 integrin pairs. Periostin overexpression resulted in enhanced mesenchyme invasion through 3D collagen gels and increased matrix compaction. This invasion was dependent on αvβ3 more than β1 integrin signaling, and was mediated differentially by Rho kinase and PI 3-kinase. Both matrix invasion and compaction were associated with a colocalization of periostin and β1 integrin expression to migratory cell phenotype in both surface and deep cells. The Rho/PI 3-kinase pathway also differentially mediated matrix compaction. Both Rho and PI 3-kinase were involved in normal cushion mesenchyme matrix compaction, but only PI 3-kinase was required for the enhanced matrix compaction due to periostin. Taken together, these results highlight periostin as a mediator of matrix remodeling by cushion mesenchyme towards a mature valve structure.
Remembering episodes: a selective role for the hippocampus during retrieval

Some memories are linked to a specific time and place, allowing one to re-experience the original event, whereas others are accompanied only by a feeling of familiarity. To uncover the distinct neural bases for these two types of memory, we measured brain activity during memory retrieval using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging. We show that activity in the hippocampus increased only when retrieval was accompanied by conscious recollection of the learning episode. Hippocampal activity did not increase for items recognized based on familiarity or for unrecognized items. These results indicate that the hippocampus selectively supports the retrieval of episodic memories.
Exploring the legitimacy of wheelchair basketball as an NCAA emerging sport

Given the frustrations of wheelchair basketball athletes’ media portrayal, NCAA recognition of the sport would presumably be paramount. While this status has been argued for in past research (e.g., Fay, 2012), the legitimacy of such a moniker has not been studied. Accordingly, this study sought to explore whether the attainment of NCAA recognition for the sport of collegiate wheelchair basketball would be an appropriate endeavor under the NCAA bylaws as of 2014. Applying the constant comparative method for document analysis, the study examines the legitimacy of this moniker with respect to the requisite number of teams for emerging sport status, divisional alignment, academic eligibility, Title IX, and institutional recognition. Ultimately, the study recommends that female collegiate wheelchair basketball teams apply first for NCAA emerging sport status, while men’s teams could follow, provided the requisite number of teams rule could be waived.
Regional differences in GABA and GAD immunoreactivity in rabbit horizontal cells

Mammalian horizontal cells are believed to be GABAergic because, in most species, they contain both GABA and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), and their terminals are presynaptic to GABA receptors. In adult rabbit, however, GABA and GAD immunoreactivity have not been consistently demonstrated in horizontal cells, casting doubts on the assumption that they too are GABAergic. Here we demonstrate that all rabbit horizontal cell terminals-dendritic terminals of type A, and both dendritic and axonal terminals of type B-immunostain for one isoform of GAD, GAD67. In addition, we show that type A horizontal cell somas and primary dendrites in the visual streak (identified by their immunoreactivity to calbindin) are immunoreactive for the other GAD isoform, GAD65. Double-labeling experiments for GAD 65 and GABA reveal that every cell that stains for GAD6s also stains for GABA. The presence of GAD 67 in horizontal cell terminals suggests that rabbit horizontal cells are GABAergic. The segregation of the two GAD isoforms to different cell compartments suggests that GABA is released at different sites, possibly by two different mechanisms.
Cdc55p-Mediated E4orf4 Growth Inhibition in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Is Mediated Only in Part via the Catalytic Subunit of Protein Phosphatase 2A

The adenovirus early region 4 open reading frame 4 (E4orf4) protein specifically induces p53-independent cell death of transformed but not normal human cells, suggesting that elucidation of its mechanism may provide important new avenues for cancer therapy. Wild-type E4orf4 and mutants that retain cancer cell toxicity also induce growth inhibition in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which provides a genetically tractable system for studying E4orf4 function. Interaction with the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) B regulatory subunit is required for E4orf4's effects, suggesting that E4orf4 may function by regulating B subunit-containing heterotrimeric PP2A holoenzymes (PP2ABAC), which consist of a B subunit complexed with the PP2A structural (A) and catalytic (C) subunits. However, it is not known whether E4orf4-induced growth inhibition requires interaction with the PP2A C subunit or whether E4orf4 might have PP2A B subunit-dependent effects that are independent of PP2ABAC holoenzyme formation. To test these possibilities in S. cerevisiae, we disrupted the stable formation of PP2ABAC heterotrimers and thus E4orf4/C subunit association by PP2A C subunit point mutations or by deletion of the gene for the PP2A methyltransferase, Ppm1p, and assayed for effects on E4orf4-induced growth inhibition. Our results support a model in which E4orf4 mediates growth inhibition and cell killing both through PP2ABAC heterotrimers and through a B regulatory subunit-dependent pathway(s) that is independent of stable complex formation with the PP2A C subunit. They also indicate that Ppm1p has a function other than regulating the assembly of PP2A heterotrimers and suggest that selective PP2A trimer inhibitors and PP6 inhibitors may be useful as adjuvant anticancer therapies.
Jewish Institutions: Jewish Federations, Jewish Community Centers, Jewish Social Service Agencies, National Jewish Organizations, Synagogues, College Hillels, Jewish Day Schools, Jewish Overnight Camps, Jewish Museums, Holocaust Museums, Memorials and Monuments

This chapter provides lists with contact information (name, address, phone number, website) for 153 Jewish Federations, 219 Jewish Community Centers, 180 Jewish Family Services, 28 Jewish Vocational Services, 46 Jewish Free Loans, 759 National Jewish organizations, 206 Jewish overnight camps, 121 Jewish museums, and 152 Holocaust museums, memorials, and monuments. For synagogues, college Hillels, and Jewish day schools, websites are provided that contain lists of these organizations.
Introduction to Statistical Methods for Clinical Trials, by T. D. Cook and D. L. DeMets

In the past 25 years, several books have been written on the design, implementation, and analysis of clinical trials; among the best known general texts are those by Pocock (1983), Meinert (1986), ...
What Changes in National Policy does the South Need

In trying to answer the question of what changes in national policy the South needs, we must naturally ask ourselves what the problems of the South are. The answer to this must be that the South has two main problems. First, unemployment, and, second, low labor productivity. Of these two problems the first is the one which is more immediately pressing. This problem has its origins in causes which are both national and regional. The primary reason for unemployment in the South is that we have undergone a national and international business depression. If it were not for the causes which have produced this business depression in the whole nation, the problem of unemployment in the South would not be extremely pressing. The returns to labor might still be low but the greater part of persons now unemployed would be able to find employment either in the South or by leaving the South if only we had solved the problem of providing continuous purchasing power for the products which our economic apparatus is physically capable of turning out. It is quite true that the problem of unemployment is made more pressing by the fact that the birth rate in the South is relatively high. To the extent that this is true, regional causes as well as national causes contribute to the seriousness of the southern unemployment problem. It should likewise be pointed out that the causes of unemployment in the South are not only regional and national but international as well. If it were not for the loss of our foreign market for cotton and, to a lesser extent, for tobacco, the unemployment problem in the South would be materially eased and, indeed, it is possible that the unemployment problem for the whole nation would be somewhat eased as well.
Enhancement of binding kinetics on affinity substrates by laser point heating induced transport

Enhancing the time response and detection limit of affinity-binding based biosensors is an area of active research. For diffusion limited reactions, introducing active mass transport is an effective strategy to reduce the equilibration time and improve surface binding. Here, a laser is focused on the ceiling of a microchamber to generate point heating, which introduces natural advection and thermophoresis to promote mass transport to the reactive floor. We first used the COMSOL simulation to study how the kinetics of ligand binding is influenced by the optothermal effect. Afterwards, binding of biotinylated nanoparticles to NeutrAvidin-treated substrates is quantitatively measured with and without laser heating. It is discovered that laser induced point heating reduces the reaction half-life locally, and the reduction improves with the natural advection velocity. In addition, non-uniform ligand binding on the substrate is induced by the laser with predictable binding patterns. This optothermal strategy holds promise to improve the time-response and sensitivity of biosensors and microarrays.
Disentangling the roles of free and cytochrome-bound flavins in extracellular electron transport from Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

Abstract In addition to its natural environmental significance, the process of extracellular electron transfer (EET) can be exploited at electrode interfaces to enable microbial electrochemical technologies for renewable energy recovery, biofuel production, bioremediation, and wastewater treatment. Success in these applications hinges on a better understanding of the electron transfer pathways that link electrochemically active microbes, such as Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, to electrodes. Here, we report electrochemical measurements that reveal both flavin-dependent and flavin-independent EET pathways from S. oneidensis MR-1. Significantly, differential pulse voltammetry captured the redox signatures of both free and cytochrome-bound flavins simultaneously in one experimental system for the first time, allowing us to compare their relative contributions while studying the impact of cell-removal, flavin addition, different culture conditions, and a mutant disrupted in flavin secretion. Our results indicate that endogenous flavins accelerate EET from Shewanella to high surface area carbon cloth electrodes primarily as cytochrome-bound cofactors, rather than free soluble shuttles, thereby supporting one of the two debated models of Shewanella EET. Our measurements also highlight the extent to which different electrode materials can impact detection of microbial redox signatures. This report motivates additional structural studies to study the binding location and precise interaction of flavins at cytochrome-electrode interfaces.
Is Venous Stenosis Associated with Iron Deposition in the Brain? Preliminary Results of a Study of MR Venography and Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging (P05.124)

Objective: To assess the value of MRV in analyzing deep brain, neck and chest venous systems in MS patients and controls. Background CCSVI is reported to be associated with MS. Controversy surrounds the frequency and pathogenic significance of this finding in MS. In addition, there is speculation that abnormalities in cerebral venous outflow may cause cerebral iron deposition in MS, which can be assessed on MRI using susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI). Design/Methods: MRV and SWI were performed in 47 MS patients and controls (mean age 51.7 years ±9.0, 68% females) on a 3T Siemens Trio. All subjects received a 2-D time of flight intracranial MRV, contrast enhanced time resolved MRV of the upper chest, neck and head, and intracranial SWI. Two blinded neuroradiologists used a predefined scoring system to assess by consensus the presence of stenosis in the deep cerebral, jugular and azygous veins on MRV, as well as SWI abnormalities in the brain. Results: Six subjects had some areas not visualized, but were retained in the analysis. Overall 16 (34%) of subjects showed venous stenosis in one or more veins: 5 (10.6%) internal jugular (1 with >50% reduction), 4 (9.1%) azygous vein, 12 deep cerebral vein (25.5 %). SWI abnormalities were detected in 13 subjects (29.5%), with the majority (84.6%) localized in the supratentorial region. Four (25%) of the 16 subjects with venous stenosis showed SWI abnormalities. Conclusions: This preliminary study shows that MRV detects abnormalities in cranial and cervical veins. Although our dataset remains blinded to diagnosis, 34% of subjects had venous abnormalities. While SWI abnormalities suggestive of iron deposition were seen in a subset of subjects, there appeared to be no association between SWI and venous abnormalities. Our interim results do not support the hypothesis that iron deposition is related to venous stenosis. Supported by: National MS Society (RC 1004-A-5). Disclosure: Dr. Rae-Grant has received personal compensation for activities with Novartis, Biogen Idec and Teva Neurosciences as a speaker. Dr. Phillips has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jones has nothing to disclose. Dr. Diaconu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ramesh has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fox has received personal compensation for activities with Avanir, Biogen Idec, EMD Serono, and Novartis. Dr. Fox has received research support from Biogen Idec and Genentech, Inc.
Deconstructing Psychopathology: Contextualizing Mental Disorders in Teaching Psychosocial Assessment

This paper presents the integration of a radical perspective into a graduate social work course on psychosocial assessment and psychopathology. The author discusses the gradual transformation of a graduate course on psychopathology from one that focuses on individual pathology to one that deconstructs psychopathology and examines mental disorders within a social, political, and economic context. Case vignettes are used to exemplify situations in which it is to the benefit of society to pathologize behavior in order to maintain the status quo, support corporate profits, and/or promote and expand capitalism.
A History of Nurse Making and Stealth Innovation

Making in health as the intentional activity when individuals shape, form, assemble and transform objects with their own hands-on skills and nearby resources. It represents the integration of a skillset, a toolset and a mindset. Nursing has a rich tradition of making -- one that has produced numerous devices and tools that created a direct path to improved patient outcomes. For this report, we looked back at more than 100 years of nursing history to uncover this rich tradition of creating and spreading tangible, nurse-made devices and discover how nurse making has evolved over time -- including its links to nursing research and clinical innovation. We examine the transformation of making in nurse practice from it's heyday in the early part of the 20th century, a resurgence in the midcentury, and its transition to a state of stealth making. Nurses formed a network of innovators in history and in the present that are changing the way care is delivered, redefining the role of prototyping, and highlighting the importance of creativity over evidence as the source of innovation in practice.
Observations on Cockroach Invasion Situation and Cockroach-killing Effect In Hospital Wards

Objective To investigate cockroach invasion situation in hospital wards,and explore a feasible method for cockroach-killing in hospitals.Methods Using glue cockroach paper law,the cockroach invasion rate and their density were investigated.At the different floors of hospital wards,different drugs were used for observing the cockroach-killing effect.Results 191 pieces of glue cockroach paper were used in total,and 80 of them were positive,the cockroach invasion rate was 41.88%.A total of 243 cockroaches were captured,and their density was 1.27 cockroach/ per paper.In different floors and functional areas where the biological cockroach-killing glue bait and three kinds of insecticides were thrown in,the invasion rate decreased 97.42% on average after 30 days and the density decreased 99.27% on average.Conclusion Both biological cockroach-killing glue bait and insecticides could achieve good cockroach-killing effect.Relatively speaking,cockroach-killing glue bait preparation was more suitable for using in hospital wards.
Experimental study on residual deformation behaviors of municipal solid waste

Medium-scale dynamic triaxial tests are carried out to investigate the residual deformation behaviors of simulated municipal solid waste(MSW).Based on revised Shen Zhu-jiang model,parameters for modeling residual deformation of MSW are derived.Given three typical failure criteria,the effect of stress levels on model parameters is studied,and a stress level index is fitted to model the residual deformation of MSW.As the MSW is a kind of strain-hardening material,no clear peak is shown on stress-strain curve.The MSW with the same consolidation ratio results in varied stress levels in the model if multiple failure criteria are considered.To eliminate the choice of failure criterion and make the model parameter derivation straightforward,the stress level is replaced by the consolidation stress ratio,which leads to a modified and simplified model to estimate residual deformation of MSW.The modified model is verified by using the test results and will be used conveniently regardless of different failure criteria.
186 CROHN'S DISEASE IN AN AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION.

Introduction African Americans are traditionally underrepresented in most large IBD trials; thus, the natural history of the disease in this subpopulation is unclear. Methods We preformed a retrospective study of African American patients with Crohn9s disease from three teaching hospitals; 55 patients were enrolled. A combination of telephone interview and an extensive chart review were used to identify disease location, presence and location of fistulae and perirectal disease, surgical history, medication use, and presence of extraintestinal manifestations. All non-African American patients and patients with indeterminant or ulcerative colitis were excluded. Results The average patient age was 42.6 years (range 20-73) and average age at diagnosis was 29.8 years. CD was most commonly located in the small bowel and colon (33/55, 60%), but isolated colonic disease was present in 16/55 (29.1%), and isolated small bowel disease in 3/55 (5.5%). Overall, colonic disease was present in 49/55 (89.1%). Average age at diagnosis of patients with small bowel and colonic disease was 26.1 years, while those with colonic disease alone had an average age of 37.8 years. Fifteen of 55 (27.3%) patients enrolled had a history of bowel resection. Of those, 6/15 (40%) had resection of colon only, 2/15 (13.3%) small bowel only, and 7/15 (46.7%) had undergone resection of small bowel and colon. Seventeen of 55 (30.9%) had a history of colostomy or ileostomy. Sixty percent (33/55) of patients had a history of fistulae. By far the most common were perirectal fistulae, found in 26/33 patients (78.7%); 48.9% of patients reported complete compliance with medication, 48.9% had previously taken 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) or azathioprine (AZA), and 22.2% of patients had previously taken infliximab. Average number of episodes of steroid courses was 5.4, and average duration of use was 6.4 months. Extraintestinal manifestations were present in 45.5%. The most common was arthritis or arthralgia, in 41.8% of those patients. Summary and Conclusions This study of African Americans with CD shows a higher rate of colonic involvement and colonic resection than previously suggested. There is also a high rate of fistulizing disease, particularly perirectal fistulae. Extraintestinal disease is common in this group, with arthralgias and arthritis being the most common. These findings lend credence to the suggestion that CD may have different disease manifestations and course in African Americans.
Diuretics for treatment of patients with heart failure

Compared with other active medications, diuretics can improve exercise capacity in patients with heart failure by about 30 percent. Withdrawal of diuretic therapy from patients with heart failure may increase the risk of hospital readmission or death. About eight deaths are prevented for every 100 patients treated.
Intimate partner violence and pregnant and parenting adolescents in out-of-home care: reflections on a data set and implications for intervention.

AIMS & OBJECTIVES: Adolescent dating violence or intimate partner violence (IPV), is a critical issue in society today. The purpose of this study is to present the findings from a data set reflecting IPV among adolescents who are pregnant and parenting, and living in out-of-home care and to analyze these findings in order to generate potential interventions to address this significant issue. BACKGROUND: Because of their developmental stage, coupled with the stress of pregnancy and new parenthood, adolescent women who are pregnant or postpartum are often at a high risk of abuse. Violence may include physical, emotional/psychological, verbal and sexual abuse, along with birth control sabotage and pregnancy coercion. Adolescent mothers in out-of-home care such as foster care, juvenile detention facilities, kinship care, or living in complex family circumstances may be at an even higher risk of IPV related to the increase in stress, conflict, and tenuous situations. DESIGN: This descriptive study was designed, using baseline self-report and demographic data, to examine the relationship of pregnancy or parenting among adolescents with a fear of or reported involvement in IPV. METHODS: A total of 151 sexually-active, urban, system-involved youths in out-of-home care were assessed between 2012 and 2015 with a survey questionnaire assessment of sexual reproductive health behaviors, areas of risk, and protective factors. RESULTS: The findings indicated a significant association between ever having been pregnant and fear of IPV. CONCLUSIONS: In this population, fear of intimate partner violence was prevalent among adolescent mothers, adding to the complexity of an already difficult family situation. Due to the small sample size and the potential correlation between IPV and adolescent motherhood, future longitudinal studies with larger samples of adolescents residing in out-of-home care are needed to better understand how this relationship impacts adolescent mothers, their children, and families. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Language: en
Financial Literacy to Financial Capability: Building Financial Stability and Security

An increasingly financialized world requires people to make more complex financial calculations and decisions throughout their lives. This fact has led to appeals for improved financial literacy and financial behaviour. Although optimal household financial decision-making and use of mainstream financial products and services can help, these strategies will fall short of building financial stability and security, especially in financially vulnerable households. This chapter suggests that society also has an obligation to shape financial products, services, and public policies in ways that benefit those at the bottom of the economic ladder. This notion is embodied in an alternative conceptualization of financial capability. Financial capability is an individual and structural idea that combines people’s ability to act with their opportunity to act. From this perspective, financial capability does not reside within the individual, but rather in the relationship between the individual and social institutions. This chapter examines conceptualization of financial capability, its measurement, and growing evidence from developed and less developed economies.
Raja Shehadeh's Palestinian Walks and the Concrete Ecology of Settlement

This essay examines the significance of the practice of walking in Palestine through a reading of Raja Shehadeh's 2007 [Shehadeh, R. 2007. Palestinian Walks: Notes on a Vanishing Landscape. London:...
Endoscopic Ultrasonography with Fine-needle Aspiration: New Techniques for Interpretation of Endoscopic Ultrasonography Cytology and Histology Specimens

Significant advances have been made in the last few years in the technologies for sampling pancreatic masses, and in the understanding of the biology of pancreatic cancer. Better and more targeted treatments are likely to become available. Because most pancreatic cancers are likely to remain unresectable at diagnosis, high-quality, high-cellularity specimens are essential. A tailored approach that considers indication, location, and treatment possibilities needs to be taken before embarking on a pancreatic biopsy. Because the demand from oncologists and patients for increasingly personalized therapy is likely to grow, optimal sampling beyond diagnostic accuracy is likely to become increasingly critical.
Concepts and how they get that way

Drawing on the material culture of the Ancient Near East as interpreted through Material Engagement Theory, the journey of how material number becomes a conceptual number is traced to address questions of how a particular material form might generate a concept and how concepts might ultimately encompass multiple material forms so that they include but are irreducible to all of them together. Material forms incorporated into the cognitive system affect the content and structure of concepts through their agency and affordances, the capabilities and constraints they provide as the material component of the extended, enactive mind. Material forms give concepts the tangibility that enables them to be literally grasped and manipulated. As they are distributed over multiple material forms, concepts effectively become independent of any of them, yielding the abstract irreducibility that makes a concept like number what it is. Finally, social aspects of material use—collaboration, ordinariness, and time—have important effects on the generation and distribution of concepts.
A Way to End Parkinson's Law in the Therapeutic Process-: Sequential Psychotherapy

Therapy often mirrors Parkinson's Law which states that work expands or contracts to fill the time available for it. Clients and therapists both bring to the therapeutic process their own sense of timing and commitment to the process. What often results is a vagueness as to the goals of the therapy and the manner in which to achieve these goals. Therapy can often lack a mechanism of transition between short and long term therapy. "Sequential stages of psychotherapy" offers a new model of practice in which clients and therapists operate with flexible and renegotiable contracts. The stages of therapy in sequential therapy are distinct and may be used alone repeatedly, or in one continual sequence. Often there are "breaks" between the different stages of sequential psychotherapy, allowing the client to practice on her/his own and go forward with the next phase of therapy when there is more time and psychological energy available.
Exploring the Role of CaMKIV in Homeostatic Plasticity.

Neural circuits must be able to appropriately react to chronic changes in activity to prevent excessive or insufficient activity. Hyperactivity and hypoactivity are implicated in a wide range of neurological disorders, including epilepsy, schizophrenia, and Fragile X syndrome ([Wondolowski and
"Broad-Shouldered" Rhetoric: The Trump Era and the Peculiar Contempt for Words

Since the contributions to this Special Issue consist of relatively brief statements, the Editorial Board of Konturen has decided to forego abstracts this time around. Please click on "html" or "pdf" below for the full document of this essay.
Delivery of a Personalized Treatment Approach to Women with Epilepsy.

Personalized treatment for women with epilepsy is essential, and requires thorough weighing of the risks and benefits of the initial diagnostic and therapeutic options chosen, with readjustments of the antiepileptic regimen throughout the patient's life. Approximately one-third of women with epilepsy have a catamenial pattern, and the most common pattern is an increase in seizure frequency in the perimenstrual phase. These women are also more likely to experience a decrease in seizure frequency during pregnancy and menopause. A good treatment option for catamenial epilepsy is still lacking. For contraception, an intrauterine device is currently the preferred choice. Prior to conception, it is advisable to review the known impact of different antiepileptic drugs on the developing fetus and to optimize the patient's treatment regimen. Pregnancy registries and observational studies have provided key data and continue to refine our understanding of the risks to the structural and cognitive development of the fetus of specific antiepileptic drugs, including polytherapies and newer medications. Different studies consistently report that valproic acid has notably high relative risks for congenital malformations, lower IQ, and features of autism. During pregnancy, there is growing evidence that therapeutic dose monitoring is beneficial for seizure control. Counseling about seizure safety and minimizing provoking factors during the peripartum period is important for the patient with epilepsy. Clinical studies continue to investigate the complex relationship between cycling sex steroid hormones, epilepsy, and antiepileptic medications, with hopes to better explain drug clearance changes during pregnancy, changes in seizure frequency, and neuroendocrine abnormalities. Thorough understanding of these key factors and a continuous review of literature for updated data on different treatment options will enable optimal treatment recommendations that will improve the health of women with epilepsy and their children.
Imaging cellularity in benign and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors: Utility of the "target sign" by diffusion weighted imaging.

Abstract Objective To determine the utility of “target sign” on diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping for peripheral nerve sheath tumor (PNST) characterization. Materials and methods This IRB–approved, HIPAA–compliant study retrospectively reviewed the MR imaging (comprised of T2- FS, DWI (b-values 50, 400, 800 s/mm2and ADC mapping), and static contrast-enhanced (CE) T1-W imaging) of 42 patients (mean age: 40 years (range 8–68 years), 48% (20/42) females) with 15 malignant PNSTs (MPNSTs) and 33 benign PNSTs (BPNSTs). MPNSTs were histologically confirmed while BPNSTs were histologically-proven or with stable clinical and imaging appearance for at least 12 months. Two radiologists assessed imaging characteristics (size, signal intensity, heterogeneity, perilesional edema or enhancement) and the presence or absence of “target sign,” on each sequence. A “target sign” was defined as a biphasic pattern of peripheral hyperintensity and homogeneous central hypointensity. Descriptive statistics are reported. Cohen's κ statistic or interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used to evaluate interobserver agreement between two observers. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed to identify MRI features with predictive values. Results MPNSTs were larger than BPNSTs (6.3 ± 2.5 cm vs 3.5 ± −2.1 cm, p = 0.0002), had perilesional edema (87%(13/15) vs 18%(6/33), p 1.0 × 10(−3). Conclusion In this explorative study, a “target sign” suggests a benign PNST and is more often visible on DWI using high b-values and ADC maps compared with anatomic sequences.
Design and Evaluation of a Collaborative Virtual Environment (CoMove) for Autism Spectrum Disorder Intervention

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized in part by core deficits in social interaction and communication. A collaborative virtual environment (CVE), which is a computer-based, distributed, virtual space for multiple users to interact with one another and/or with virtual items, has the potential to support flexible, safe, and peer-based social interactions. In this article, we presented the design of a CVE system, called CoMove, with the ultimate goals of measuring and potentially enhancing collaborative interactions and verbal communication of children with ASD when they play collaborative puzzle games with their typically developing (TD) peers in remote locations. CoMove has two distinguishing characteristics: (i) the ability to promote important collaborative behaviors (including information sharing, sequential interactions, and simultaneous interactions) and to provide real-time feedback based on users’ game performance; as well as (ii) an objective way to measure and index important aspects of collaboration and verbal-communication skills during system interaction. A feasibility study with 14 pairs—7 ASD/TD pairs and 7 TD/TD pairs—was conducted to initially test the feasibility of CoMove. The results of the study validated the system feasibility and suggested its potential to index important aspects of collaboration and verbal communication.
Preparation and Patterning of YBa2Cu3Ox Thin Films

Superconducting YBa2Cu3Ox thin films have been prepared by annealing multilayers deposited by sequential rf diode sputtering of Y2O3, BaF2, and CuO targets. Reactive sputtering of BaF2 in an Ar/O2 atmosphere yields films containing primarily Ba and O. The F concentration in the as-deposited multilayers is so low that wet-O2 annealing, which is necessary to remove F from films deposited from a BaF2 source by other techniques, is not required. The superconducting phase is formed by post-annealing in dry O2 for one hour at 850°C and two hours at 500°C. Films about 1 μm thick on yttria-stabilized zirconia substrates have a zero-resistance transition temperature of 90 K. Pattern definition is accomplished by using a photoresist mask followed by ion milling in an Ar+ beam. Exposure to water is not detrimental to film properties, but some damage due to Ar+ ions is observed after patterning.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Its natural history.

A multidisciplinary center for the ongoing care of hundreds of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis reports its findings regarding the natural history of motor neuron disease. Median survival is longer than that generally quoted. Pure upper or lower motor neuron patients typically have still better survival. Progression tends to follow consistent regional patterns.