cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Allocative Inefficiency and Farm-Level Constraints in Irri- gated Agriculture in Pakistan

In this paper, we estimate the allocative inefficiency of groundwater in Pakistani agriculture and compare it across a set of farm-level constraints, using a panel dataset of rural households. The farm-level constraints include tenure, farm size, access to surface water and location on a watercourse. We use a stochastic approach, based on a system of equations to estimate both the technical efficiency of farms and the allocative efficiency of groundwater use. The allocation of surface irrigation water in Pakistan is fixed per unit of land, so its allocative inefficiency cannot be estimate. Therefore, we will treat surface water as a fixed factor and focus mainly on groundwater. The analysis sheds light on the utilization of irrigation water across a set of farm-specific characteristics. It also provides a basis for a psssible redesign of water policy. The results in this paper constitute the empirical basis for policy work that we will focus on in our future work.
High-impact hepatitis C virus testing for injection drug users in an urban ED

Abstract Objectives We implemented the “High-Impact Testing for Injection Drug Users”, or the “HIT IDU” initiative, an emergency physician (EP)–based hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing program. The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of this clinical protocol. Methods This was a prospective observational pilot study. The HIT IDU initiative encouraged EPs to integrate targeted HCV testing into care, with an emphasis on screening all people who inject drugs (PWID). Physicians selected the primary indication for HCV testing from a drop-down menu integrated into the electronic ordering process. The primary outcome was the absolute number and overall proportion of EP-based HCV antibody positive tests, further stratified by the indication for testing. Results Over the 3-month study period, 14,253 unique patients were evaluated, and EPs tested 155 patients for HCV (1.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9%-1.2%), of which 40 (26%, 95% CI, 19%-33%) were HCV antibody positive. The proportion of HCV antibody positivity by testing indication was as follows: PWID 47% (34/73; 95% CI, 35%-59%), patient requested test 10% (4/40; 95% CI, 3%-24%), confirm patient report 67% (2/3; 95% CI, 9%-99%), liver disease of uncertain etiology 0% (0/3; 95% CI, 0%-71%), and other 0% (0/36; 95% CI, 0%-10%). There were 22 patients chronically infected, 19 had a follow-up appointment arranged, 3 attended their follow-up appointment, and 1 patient was treated at 1 year of follow-up. Conclusions Although the overall number of EP-based HCV tests performed was low, high rates of infection were identified, particularly among PWID. There were significant challenges with linkage to care.
Fecal patina in the anesthesia work area.

ince the 1970s, we have gained increasing knowledge about the transmission of multidrug-resistant patho-gens in hospitals and about the spread of bacteria from patients to health care workers’ hands and to the hospital environment (Fig. 1). This understanding has driven many interventions that have reduced patients’ risk of acquiring antibiotic-resistant organisms and of developing health care-associated infections.
Ulnar shortening osteotomy for distal radius malunion.

Background Malunion is a common complication of distal radius fractures. Ulnar shortening osteotomy (USO) may be an effective treatment for distal radius malunion when appropriate indications are observed. Methods The use of USO for treatment of distal radius fracture malunion is described for older patients (typically patients >50 years) with dorsal or volar tilt less than 20 degrees and no carpal malalignment or intercarpal or distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) arthritis. Description of Technique Preoperative radiographs are examined to ensure there are no contraindications to ulnar shortening osteotomy. The neutral posteroanterior (PA) radiograph is used to measure ulnar variance and to estimate the amount of ulnar shortening required. An ulnar, mid-sagittal incision is used and the dorsal sensory branch of the ulnar nerve is preserved. An USO-specific plating system with cutting jig is used to create parallel oblique osteotomies to facilitate shortening. Intraoperative fluoroscopy and clinical range of motion are checked to ensure adequate shortening and congruous reduction of the ulnar head within the sigmoid notch. Results Previous outcomes evaluation of USO has demonstrated improvement in functional activities, including average flexion-extension and pronosupination motions, and patient reported outcomes. Conclusion The concept and technique of USO are reviewed for the treatment of distal radius malunion when specific indications are observed. Careful attention to detail related to surgical indications and to surgical technique typically will improve range of motion, pain scores, and patient-reported outcomes and will reduce the inherent risks of the procedure, such as ulnar nonunion or the symptoms related to unrecognized joint arthritis. Level of Evidence: Level IV
Effects of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Auditory Function in a Mouse Model

Traumatic brain injury negatively impacts auditory processing including difficulty in hearing in background noise. In this study we used behavioral and electrophysiological outcomes to examine the effects of mTBI on perceptual auditory disorders and change in behavioral responses overtime following injury. Subjects were 16 (equal gender), 6 month old CBA/CaJ mice. All experimental protocols were approved by the University of South Florida Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Mice were exposed to either sham or to mTBI administered using a controlled cortical impactor. Auditory behavioral responses were measured using acoustic startle response (ASR). Auditory brainstem response (ABR) audiograms from 8 to 32 kHz were used to measure hearing function. A gap-in-noise paradigm (70 dB SPL markers with gap durations of 2 to 64 ms) was also used to assess temporal processing. All TBI animals showed symptoms immediately following TBI: motor lethargy, poor appetite and mild weight loss, with recovery seen within 3 days. Behavioral and electrophysiological assessments were completed at 3, 7, 14, 28, 35, 45, and 90 days post-TBI. Three days post-TBI, ASR functions were comparable between TBI and sham groups. For ABRs, there was a significant decrease in the amplitudes of P1 (22%) and P4 (30%), and an increase in P4 latency in the mTBI mice. These findings indicate that mTBI can result in significant long term deficits of auditory processing and the mouse model may prove to be a translational model for understanding the pathology and treatment of mTBI-induced auditory dysfunction.
Emerging Roles of tRNA-derived Fragments in Viral Infections: The Case of Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

Viruses exploit diverse strategies to evade host immunity and to facilitate their own replication. Some of these strategies use viral-derived or cellular noncoding RNAs to influence host immune responses.1 As reported in this issue, Deng et al. have demonstrated that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) employs a novel mechanism to suppress antiviral responses that involves RNA fragments derived from host transfer RNA (so-called tRNA-derived fragments, or tRFs).2 Specifically, they show that RSV infection induces an abundant production of specific tRFs that enhance viral replication and counteract the host immune response by modulating gene expression at the posttranscriptional level.2,3 This report adds to the growing list of tRF functions in human health and disease, and suggests that tRFs may be targets for the development of new drugs for the treatment of respiratory tract infections caused by RSV.
An Exploratory Study of the Impact of the Internet of Things IoT on Business Model Innovation: Building Smart Enterprises at Fortune 500 Companies

This paper introduces IoT categories used to build smart enterprises and discusses how Fortune 500 companies may use various IoT applications to innovate their business models. The authors' analysis reveals that there is a significant relationship between the type of IoT applications and the IoT adoption rate and there is also a significant relationship between the type of business model innovation and the IoT adoption rate. Finally, five implementation strategies for smart enterprise development are discussed.
Disjoint paths in circular arc graphs

Arikati, Pandu Rangan, and Manacher (BIT, 31 (1991) 182-193) developed an O(m+n) algorithm to find two vertex disjoint paths in a circular arc graph on n vertices and m edges. We provide an improved solution to this problem: the algorithm presented here is both faster (O(n) time complexity) and simpler than the previous algorithm. The method involves reductions to interval graphs. In an interval graph, the critical notions are unordered paths (vertex disjoint paths from s1, s2 to t1, t2 in either order) and interchangeable paths (existence of both pairs of vertex disjoint paths). We also prove a theorem (which is best possible, in a sense), that guarantees existence of vertex disjoint paths, if arcs are sufficiently dense. Finally, we show that the more general problem of determining the existence of k vertex disjoint paths (from s1,.., sk to t1,..., tk) is NP-complete, where k is part of the input, even restricted co the class of interval graphs.
Short History of Interferometric Optical Metrology

The use of the Twyman-Green interferometer for optical metrology was introduced the same year OSA was founded, 1916. This talk gives a short history of interferometric metrology and the enhancements provided by lasers and computers.
Temporary stabilization of unstable spine fractures.

We will review the recent literature concerning the necessity of supplemental fusion to spinal instrumentation and discuss if temporal spinal fixation is a viable option for the treatment of unstable spine fractures. Advancements in minimally invasive techniques offer an alternative approach to traditional open stabilization for unstable spine fractures. The use of minimally invasive surgery offers many advantages concerning operative morbidly; fusion is not utilized and instrumentation can be removed in a delayed fashion. There are limited differences in amount of correction loss over time, and multiple studies report equivocal to superior results in patient’s functional outcomes when comparing temporary internal stabilization to long segment instrumentation with fusion. Removal of implants can restore segmental motion. Review of the literature demonstrates that temporary internal stabilization for unstable fractures is a viable option. Close clinical and radiographic follow-up is recommended to avoid delayed spinal deformity.
A Model for a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in a Field Setting †

Engaging interested students in field-based research experiences is imperative for cultivating interest in field science and preparing students for a career in field-based science. Here we provide a framework for completing meaningful, authentic course-based research in a five-week field course. Student research outcomes and feedback suggest that a five-week course can provide students a significant research experience that not only develops student interest in pursuing field research, but also improvements in their science-process skills. By using this course-based model, we intend to make field-based research experiences accessible to a broader range of students, increasing the opportunities for all students to explore this dimension of scientific research.
Informing System Design Using Human Performance Modeling

Humans play a key role in the operation and support of most systems and model-based systems engineering MBSE offers new opportunities to properly consider human capabilities and involvement. This research presents an approach for systems engineers to integrate system models with human performance modeling for early and more effective system design. Unlike analyses using traditional physics-based models found in most extant MBSE literature, adjusting system parameters for human-based analyses can greatly impact the design of the system itself. Adjusting a human-system parameter can lead to design implications including adjustments to task allocation, process and workflow, and interface design. To demonstrate this, a quantitative case-study approach is used. Starting with a set of Systems Modeling Language SysML diagrams, a task analysis is performed to inform an "as is" model of human performance in the Improved Performance Research Integration Tool IMPRINT. An alternative IMPRINT model is created with varying design parameters and utilized to perform a trade study. Through the analysis, constraints and assumptions placed on the human are verified and the results of varying automation estimated. With current design emphasis in MBSE and model-based engineering MBE, there is great opportunity to emphasize human considerations and integrate human performance analysis.
Inhibition of CO2 corrosion of mild steel − Study of mechanical effects of highly turbulent disturbed flow

Abstract The failure mechanisms of corrosion inhibitors in highly turbulent flow remain a disputed topic. In the present study, corrosion experiments of X65 pipeline steel were performed with an imidazoline-based corrosion inhibitor using a high-shear turbulent channel flow cell, which included a flow disturbance in the form of a small protrusion. Localized corrosion was observed at the protrusion that could be mitigated with an excess inhibitor concentration. It was found that wall shear stress (up to 5000 Pa) was not the cause of inhibitor failure. The flow acceleration at the leading edge of the protrusion caused a drop in pressure and led to cavitation, with bubble collapse further downstream. This was the main cause of inhibitor failure and localized corrosion. The observed behavior was interpreted in terms of corrosion inhibitor adsorption/desorption kinetics and the associated activation energy analysis.
Abstract 1260: Diet and exercise-induced weight maintenance may be preventing mammary tumor growth and metastatic burden by enhancing antitumor immunity and/or reducing protumorigenic factors

Two lifestyle factors that increase cancer risk and progression are weight gain and sedentary behavior. Possible mechanisms underlying this relation include changes in metabolic, inflammatory, and immune mediators. Few studies have examined the effect of body weight and exercise on the efficacy of immunotherapeutic strategies. An emerging immunotherapeutic strategy is PD-1 checkpoint blockade, which selectively targets the membrane protein programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) on T cells to promote a sustained, antitumor effector response. Thus, the goal of the current study was to determine if preventing weight gain through diet (10% reduction in calories) and exercise (voluntary running wheel activity) will improve the response to the dual administration of a whole tumor cell vaccine and PD-1 checkpoint blockade. Female BALB/c mice were randomized to sedentary, weight gain (WG) or exercising, weight maintenance (WM) groups (n=32/group). After 8 weeks, all mice were orthotopically injected with 5x104 luciferase-transfected 4T1.2 cells into the fourth mammary fat pad and continued on their intervention for 35 days. After injection, WG and WM mice were randomized into vaccination (VAX) or vehicle (VEH) groups, and 1x106 irradiated 4T1.2 cells or HBSS vehicle control, respectively, was administered at day 7 post-tumor injection. Mice were further randomized (n=8/group) to receive anti-PD-1 (10 mg/kg/mouse) or isotype control at day 9 and 12 post-tumor injection. All WM groups, regardless of immunotherapy intervention, weighed significantly less than WG groups over the course of the study (p Citation Format: William J. Turbitt, Yitong Xu, Andrea M. Mastro, Connie J. Rogers. Diet and exercise-induced weight maintenance may be preventing mammary tumor growth and metastatic burden by enhancing antitumor immunity and/or reducing protumorigenic factors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1260. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1260
Finite Element Modeling of Nearshore Currents

A finite element model is developed to compute the nearshore currents induced by breaking waves in the surf zone. The normal incident wave system is employed so as to study the effects of beach topography on the current circulation patterns. The beach topography considered here is of linear plane beach shape with minor undulations in the longshore direction. Ignoring the lateral turbulent diffusion, the finite element representation of the governing equations of mean currents is obtained by the method of weighted residuals. It is shown that, due to the flexible grid discretization, this model can be used to study problems containing more complex beach topography within a large area of interest. Two types of alongshore beach undulations are investigated: rhythmic topography and localized irregular topography. The locations of rip currents depend on the surf zone width and the on-offshore variation of beach profile.
Memristive Mixed-Signal Neuromorphic Systems: Energy-Efficient Learning at the Circuit-Level

Neuromorphic computing is non-von Neumann computer architecture for the post Moore’s law era of computing. Since a main focus of the post Moore’s law era is energy-efficient computing with fewer resources and less area, neuromorphic computing contributes effectively in this research. In this paper, we present a memristive neuromorphic system for improved power and area efficiency. Our particular mixed-signal approach implements neural networks with spiking events in a synchronous way. Moreover, the use of nano-scale memristive devices saves both area and power in the system. We also provide device-level considerations that make the system more energy-efficient. The proposed system additionally includes synchronous digital long term plasticity, an online learning methodology that helps the system train the neural networks during the operation phase and improves the efficiency in learning considering the power consumption and area overhead.
Transition Delay via Vortex Generators in a Hypersonic Boundary Layer at Flight Conditions

The potential of realizable, stationary streaks undergoing non-modal growth to stabilize a hypersonic boundary-layer flow and, subsequently, delay the laminar-turbulent transition onset, is studied via numerical computations. The geometry and flow conditions are selected to match a relevant trajectory location from the ascent phase of the HIFiRE-1 flight experiment, namely, a 7-degree half-angle cone with 2.5 mm nose radius, freestream Mach number of 5.30, freestream unit Reynolds number equal to 13.42 x 10(exp 6)/m, and wall-to-adiabatic temperature ratio of approximately 0.35 over most of the test article. This paper investigates flow modifications induced by wall-mounted vortex generators (VGs), followed by an analysis of the modal instability of the perturbed, streaky boundary-layer flow. Results are presented both for a single array of VGs that was designed on the basis of optimal growth theory and for a VG configuration involving two separate arrays with opposite orientations that ware designed to provide staged control of flow instabilities while simultaneously reducing the amplification of streak instabilities resulting from the control devices. Earlier research had shown that the onset of transition during the HIFiRE-1 flight experiment, which did not include any control devices, correlated with an amplification factor of N = 14.7 for the planar Mack modes. If one assumes that the transition N -factor is not affected by the introduction of the VGs, then the control configurations based on a single array of VGs and two separate arrays would result in a transition delay of 17% and 40%, respectively. These findings suggest a passive flow control s to induce streaks that would delay transition in hypersonic boundary dominated by Mack-mode instabilities.
Systemic zinc protoporphyrin administration reduces intracerebral hemorrhage-induced brain injury.

Hemoglobin degradation products result in brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Recent studies found that intracerebral infusion of heme oxygenase inhibitors reduces hemoglobin- and ICH-induced brain edema in rats and pigs. The present study examined whether systemic use of zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP), a heme oxygenase inhibitor, can attenuate brain edema, behavioral deficits, and brain atrophy following ICH.
Cytosol intermediates in the transport of iron.

Three 59Fe-labeled nonheme components of the cytosol were identified when rabbit reticuloyctes were incubated with 59Fe-labeled plasma under conditions in which the iron supply was not limiting. Two of these components were identified as ferritin and transferrin. The latter was characterized by gel filtration as having apparent molecular weight higher than transferrin, indicating that the transferrin may be complexed to another moiety. The third component, referred to as iron- binding protein-I (IBP-I), is as yet uncharacterized. When the reticulocytes were incubated with unlabeled plasma after pulse-labeling with 59Fe-labeled plasma, 59Fe radioactivity in these cytosol components decreased; after 15 min of chase, the 59Fe in ferritin, transferrin, and IBP-I fell to 64.6%, 26.5%, and 65.8% of the initial values, respectively. A good correlation existed between the decrease of 59Fe in these three nonheme compartments and the associated increase in 59Fe-heme. The data presented suggest that cytosol ferritin, transferrin, and IBP-I are intermediates in the transport of 59Fe from the plasma membrane to the mitochondria.
Effectiveness, Cost Effectiveness, and Financial Viability of Personalized Medicine: A Role for Comparative Effectiveness Research?

For personalized medicine to be widely adopted in clinical practice, stakeholders need evidence of effectiveness, cost effectiveness and financial viability. Comparative effectiveness research (CER) using population based, retrospective data can inform personalized medicine. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the potential and the limitations of CER to advance personalized medicine. While the analytic methods and data used for CER overcome many of the disadvantages of randomized controlled trials, there are significant barriers, including lack of routinely collected genetic information, patient-reported outcomes and information on new and emerging technologies. Recommendations for using CER include augmenting current data with genetic information, promoting the collection of uniform health outcomes, using value of information analysis to guide development of new technologies, and greater use of decision analysis. In order to address stakeholder concerns regarding short term financial viability, additional emphasis should be devoted to cost analysis of implementation costs and overall financial impact. Finally, the movement to include more patient centered outcomes in regularly collected datasets used for CER will significantly advance personalized medicine.
Role of the physical environment in creating an academic major brand image

The image of an academic major is a key determinant in the college decision and perceptions of one's chosen major influences willingness of students and alumni to recommend their major to others. Students use a variety of cues to form evaluations of college offerings, including cues from the built environment. This study explored how students use physical cues in the environment where their studies take place to form a 'brand image' of the academic major. Two hundred seventy five currently enrolled students in a family and consumer science program were surveyed to assess the influence of physical cues on academic major reputation. Results suggest that cues in the built environment may influence the perceptions and representations that students construct about the major, suggesting that attention to physical spaces is important as academic programs develop and execute strategic plans to attract and retain students.
Contemporary Social Disparities in TB Infection and Disease in the USA: a Review

Socioeconomic status (SES) has long been understood to be a key determinant of the distribution of tuberculosis (TB), and the role of social factors has long been a truism of TB epidemiology. We review studies that have examined the social determinants of TB in the USA in the past 20 years. We pay particular attention to how the findings of these studies fit within the framework of fundamental cause theory and argue that a more explicit linkage with fundamental cause theory is critical for understanding the current state of TB health disparities in the USA and for charting a way towards TB elimination in the USA. Our review finds that while in the past 20 years there have been studies that have documented the ongoing association between social factors and TB disease in the USA, few studies explore the precise mechanisms through which social factors continue to influence TB patterns. We advocate for a move towards a system-based approach both in theory development and analyses, allowing for the incorporation of more complex social dynamics to address long-standing disparities in TB disease.
Gene-Environment Interactions In Risk For Disease

Abstract Background Gene-environment interactions are thought to play a key role in the risk and onset of several psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. Studies have shown association between these disorders and previous exposure to certain stimuli, such as prenatal infection, substance use, childhood trauma, and a dysfunctional family environment. Methods We will evaluate the latest findings on the combined effects of susceptibility genes and environmental stress on development of mental illness, with a particular focus on vulnerable youth and impact of stressors early in life. Results We will also discuss how monitoring and controlling stress may help to prevent exacerbation of symptoms and possibly disease onset. Conclusions Finally, the clinical implications and future outlook of the field will be discussed in light of current limitations.
The theory-practice nexus of care ethics and global development: a case study from India

In this paper, I explore new perspectives that an ethics of care approach brings to our understanding of, and responses to, poverty and development. Building on the works of care-ethics scholars such as Virginia Held and Fiona Robinson, I argue that an ethics of care approach provides a unique theory-practice nexus that offers alternative concrete ways to tackle human poverty that lends itself to both local and cross-border applications. In addition to providing crucial insights into women’s struggles in varied contexts, such an approach also uses the lens of care to re-envision human securities and vulnerabilities, thereby deserving of greater attention by scholars, practitioners, and institutions in search of effective ethical models of global development. I provide a case-study of Karma Kutir, a women’s development organization based in the city of Kolkata, India, to shed light on context-specific care-centered development practices aimed at alleviating poverty. I show how such practices are hi...
Stereochemical Diversity through Cyclodimerization: Synthesis of Polyketide-like Macrodiolides

An expeditious procedure for the direct formation of stereochemically well-defined macrodiolides is described. Cyclodimerizations of enantioenriched C7 and C8 hydroxy esters 6 in the presence of catalytic amounts of distannoxane transesterification catalysts afford 14- to 22-membered macrodiolides 7−9 bearing up to six stereocenters. Additional structural diversity is introduced by further stereoselective reactions on selected macrodiolides 7a, 7g, 10a, and 11.
Meeting at Relational Depth: The Transformative Responsibility of Counselor Education

Relational depth, a profound therapeutic encounter extending beyond the traditional emphasis on working alliance, involves a conceptual framework for training counselors to enhance the effectivenes...
Overall Body Composition and Sarcopenia Are Associated with Poor Liver Hypertrophy Following Portal Vein Embolization

To explore whether body composition and/or sarcopenia are associated with liver hypertrophy following portal vein embolization (PVE) in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CLM). Patients with CLM who underwent right PVE prior to a planned right hepatectomy were identified from the institutional liver database from 2004 to 2014. Patients were excluded due to previous liver-directed therapy/hepatectomy, right PVE + segment IV embolization, or planned 2-stage hepatectomy. Advanced imaging software was used to measure body compartment volumes (cm2), which were standardized to height (m2) to create an index: skeletal muscle index (SMI), subcutaneous adipose index (SAI), and visceral adipose index (VAI). SMI, gender, and body mass index (BMI) were used to define sarcopenia. The main outcome of interest was hypertrophy of the future liver remnant (FLR) following PVE, which was reported as degree of hypertrophy (DH) and kinetic growth rate (KGR). Patients were evenly divided into three KGR groups: lower third (KGR:0.7–2.0%), middle third (KGR:2.0–4.1%), and upper third (KGR:4.2–12.3%). Patients in the lower third KGR group had a lower VAI (31.0 vs 53.0 vs 54.5 cm2/m2, p = 0.042) and were more commonly sarcopenic (60%) compared to the upper third (20%, p = 0.025). Eighteen patients (40%) met criteria for sarcopenia. Sarcopenic patients had a lower VAI (29.1 vs 57.4 cm2/m2, p = 0.004), lesser degree of hypertrophy (8.3% vs 15.2%, p = 0.009), and lower KGR (2.0% vs 4.0%, p = 0.012). Sarcopenia and associated body composition indices are strongly associated with clinically relevant impaired liver regeneration, which may result in increased liver-specific complications following hepatectomy for CLM.
Applications of the economic way of thinking: environmental economics

In this chapter we combine our discussion of international economics with a discussion of environmental economics for one simple reason: both market and environmental forces are now global in scope. And each set of forces affects the other. The way business is done around the world obviously affects the global environment. Pollutants emitted from factory chimneys in one country can rain down on people a world away. Environmental quality (or lack thereof) can affect business costs and profitability through, for example, workers’ health care and health insurance costs. Although environmental regulations can directly impact people's health and welfare around the globe, they also can impact business production costs and, in turn, firms’ location decisions and international trade patterns. Managers need to know how environmental degradation affects human welfare, but also, perhaps as important for business students, business costs. Managers also need to understand how different environmental remedies can achieve environmental goals at different costs. Surely, governments, consumers, and managers share a common goal, selecting environmental remedies that make the most economic sense and also contribute to human welfare around the globe. Environmental economics is complex, as evident in the scientific debates over the contributions of humans to global warming (and other forms of environmental decay), as well as the issue of whether or not global warming slowed between about 1998 and 2014. Initial data showed that during that period, the Earth's measured temperature rose by 0.003, well below the 0.03 percent rise for prior decades, but then a new study in mid 2015 and published in Science based on new and reported-to-be improved data showed that global warming had not slowed as claimed (as reported by Naik 2015b). Stay tuned for the release of counter-studies, and counter-counter studies – because the political combatants in the debate (including some climate scientists) have economic and professional stakes in it. We cannot hope to cover the field or resolve the debates in the space limitations of this book, but at least we can show you how the economic way of thinking can be used to explore the basic issues and can point the way to an alternative course of corrective policy action, to the extent that corrective action is needed (and we don't have space or time to consider the vast literature, much of which is highly technical, and heated political positions on the meaning of scientific findings on global warming).
Durability of partial splenic artery embolization on platelet counts for cancer patients with hypersplenism-related thrombocytopenia.

Partial splenic artery embolization (PSAE) has shown promise in increasing platelet counts in cancer patients with hypersplenism-related thrombocytopenia. The purpose of this study was to identify response predictors and to longitudinally evaluate PSAE efficacy and durability in a large cohort of cancer patients with hypersplenism-related thrombocytopenia. A single-institution, IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant retrospective review of all PSAEs for thrombocytopenia between 2012 and 2015 was performed. Patients were classified as complete responders (CR, no platelet value 100 × 109/L following PSAE). Of the 98 patients included in the study, 58 had CR (59%), 28 had PR (29%), and 12 patients had NR (12%). The percent splenic tissue embolized was significantly greater in the CR group compared to the PR group (P = 0.001). The percent volume of splenic tissue embolized was linearly correlated with the magnitude of platelet increase without a minimum threshold. At least one line of chemotherapy was successfully restarted in 97% of patients, and 41% of patients did not experience recurrence of thrombocytopenia for the duration of their survival. The major complication rate was 8%, with readmission following initial hospitalization for persistent “post-embolization syndrome” symptoms the most common. In cancer patients with hypersplenism-related thrombocytopenia, PSAE is a safe intervention that effects a durable elevation in platelet counts across a range of malignancies and following the re-initiation of chemotherapy.
Applications of sex estimation in paleoanthropology, bioarchaeology, and forensic anthropology

Abstract Biological anthropologists encounter skeletonized remains of modern humans and our ancestors from time periods spanning thousands of millennia and from almost all geographic regions of the world. Discoveries range from fossilized remains of extinct Pliocene hominins like “Lucy” and “Ardi,” to more historic mortuary contexts only a few centuries removed from the present day. In addition, some biological anthropologists routinely encounter skeletal remains from modern forensic contexts and are required to perform analyses relevant to the process of human identification. In all of these cases, and countless other examples drawn from biological anthropology, sex is a primary piece of information that researchers seek to tease out from the skeletonized remains on their laboratory table. In this chapter, we discuss why paleoanthropologists, bioarchaeologists, and forensic anthropologists are interested in estimating sex from skeletal remains and the limitations they each face in doing so.
Rebound effect in deep brain stimulation for essential tremor and symptom severity estimation from neural data

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a safe and established treatment for essential tremor (ET). However, there remains considerable room for improvement due to concerns associated with the initial implant surgery, semi-regular revision surgeries for battery replacements, and side effects including paresthesia, gait ataxia, and emotional disinhibition that have been associated with continuous, or conventional, DBS (cDBS) treatment. Adaptive DBS (aDBS) seeks to ameliorate some of these concerns by using feedback from either an external wearable or implanted sensor to modulate stimulation parameters as needed. aDBS has been demonstrated to be as or more effective than cDBS, but the purely binary control system most commonly deployed by aDBS systems likely still provides sub-optimal treatment and may introduce new issues. One example of these issues is rebound effect, in which the tremor symptoms of an ET patient receiving DBS therapy temporarily worsen after cessation of stimulation before leveling out to a steady state. Here is presented a quantitative analysis of rebound effect in 3 patients receiving DBS for ET. Rebound was evident in all 3 patients by both clinical assessment and inertial measurement unit data, peaking by the latter at T p = 6.65 minutes after cessation of stimulation. Using features extracted from neural data, linear regression was applied to predict tremor severity, with $R_{avg{\text{ }}}^2 = 0.82$. These results strongly suggest that rebound effect and the additional information made available by rebound effect should be considered and exploited when designing novel aDBS systems.
Robust confidence intervals for a proportion using ranked-set sampling

We develop two new approximate confidence interval methods for estimating a population proportion using balanced ranked-set sampling (RSS). Unlike existing RSS-based methods, the new methods control the coverage probability well not just under perfect rankings, but also under imperfect rankings. One method uses a Wilson-type interval, and the other is based on making a mid-P adjustment to a Clopper–Pearson-type interval. Both methods rely on a new maximum-likelihood-based method for estimating the proportions in the judgment strata when the overall proportion is given, and both can be computed even for large sample sizes.
Canted antiferromagnetic order and spin dynamics in the honeycomb-lattice compound Tb 2 Ir 3 Ga 9

Single-crystal neutron diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering, bulk magnetization measurements, and first-principles calculations are used to investigate the magnetic properties of the honeycomb lattice ${\mathrm{Tb}}_{2}{\mathrm{Ir}}_{3}{\mathrm{Ga}}_{9}$. While the $Rln2$ magnetic contribution to the low-temperature entropy indicates a ${J}_{\mathrm{eff}}=1/2$ moment for the lowest-energy crystal-field doublet, the ${\mathrm{Tb}}^{3+}$ ions form a canted antiferromagnetic structure below 12.5 K. Due to the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions, the Tb moments in the $ab$ plane are slightly canted towards $\mathbf{b}$ with a canted moment of 1.22 ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{B}}$ per formula unit. A minimal $xxz$ spin Hamiltonian is used to simultaneously fit the spin-wave frequencies along the high-symmetry directions and the field dependence of the magnetization along the three crystallographic axes. Long-range magnetic interactions for both in-plane and out-of-plane couplings up to the second nearest neighbors are needed to account for the observed static and dynamic properties. The $z$ component of the exchange interactions between Tb moments is larger than the $x$ and $y$ components. This compound also exhibits bond-dependent exchange with negligible nearest-neighbor exchange coupling between moments parallel and perpendicular to the $4f$ orbitals. Despite the ${J}_{\mathrm{eff}}=1/2$ moments, the spin Hamiltonian is denominated by a large in-plane anisotropy ${K}_{z}\ensuremath{\sim}\ensuremath{-}1\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}$. DFT calculations confirm the antiferromagnetic ground state and the substantial interplane coupling at larger Tb-Tb distances.
Heaven Forbid: The Talmudic Attitude Towards the Spoken Word

This paper examines several different Talmudic principles that confirm the seriousness of the spoken word. The sages of the Talmud felt that saying something nasty that might happen in the future could actually cause it to happen. Thus, those following the advice of the Talmud, will avoid saying something unpleasant that might happen in the future. This may be the reason for saying "Heaven forbid" (chas v'shalom or chalila vachas in Hebrew) when talking about something unpleasant that could happen. Moreover, cursing others or even oneself is not a wise move since curses may boomerang back to the curser.
The Chirality of Aggregated Yariv Reagents Correlates with Their AGP-Binding Ability**

Yariv reagents are glycosylated triphenylazo dyes that bind to arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs), proteoglycans found in plant cell walls that are integral for plant growth and development. Yariv reagents are widely utilized as imaging, purification, and quantification tools for AGPs and represent the only small molecule probe for interrogating AGP function. The ability of Yariv reagents to bind to AGPs is dependent on the structure of the terminal glycoside on the dye. The reason for this selectivity has not been understood until the present work. Using circular dichroism spectroscopy, we show that the Yariv reagents form supramolecular aggregates with helical chirality. More significantly, the ability of the Yariv reagent to bind AGPs is correlated with this helical chirality. This finding paves the way towards developing a more detailed understanding of the nature of the Yariv-AGP complex, and the design of AGP-binding reagents with higher affinities and selectivities.
Proportional Hazards Model: Introduction

A short introduction is given into construction and use of the proportional hazards model with time-to-event data. Applications include environmetric settings where analysis of the survival pattern(s) from a set of observations is studied. The presentation includes material on a form of distribution-free proportional hazards model, known as the Cox regression model.
BCL6 Controls Th9 Cell Development by Repressing Il9 Transcription

The transcriptional repressor B cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6) is required for the development of Th follicular cells, and it has been shown to suppress Th2 cell differentiation. We demonstrate that BCL6 is a key regulator of Th9 cell development. BCL6 expression is transiently downregulated in polarized Th9 cells, and forced expression of BCL6 in Th9 cells impairs Th9 cell differentiation. In contrast, BCL6 knockdown upregulated IL-9 production in Th9 cells. The function of BCL6 in Th9 cells is under the control of IL-2/JAK3/STAT5 signaling pathway. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, we show that, in Th9 cells, BCL6 and STAT5 bind to adjacent motifs in the Il9 promoter. Furthermore, we found that STAT5 binding was associated with the abundance of a permissive histone mark at the Il9 promoter, whereas under conditions in which BCL6 binding was predominant, a repressive histone mark was prevalent. The effects of STAT5 and BCL6 on IL-9 transcription were further demonstrated using an IL-9 luciferase reporter assay in which BCL6 repressed STAT5-mediated Il9 transactivation. In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, forced expression of BCL6 in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein35-55-specific Th9 cells resulted in decreased IL-9 production and induction of IFN-γ, causing an exacerbation of the clinical disease. Our findings demonstrate a novel role of BCL6 in the regulation of Th9 cell development and their encephalitogenicity.
Queens and Jesters of YouTube: Communicating Gay/Lesbian Identities Through Humor in YouTube Channel Spanish Queens

Considering the transformative potential humor has for minorities who experience exclusion and marginalization, I seek to explore how Spanish gay and lesbian youth construct and communicate gay/lesbian identities using humor as a rhetorical tool. Furthermore, I explore the potential implications of their use of humor for social relations, both within gay and lesbian communities and with the broader society. I approach this discussion though a critical discourse analysis of videos from Spanish Queens—a collaborative YouTube channel, in which LGBTQ youth from diverse parts of the country share their experiences, thoughts, and opinions about being LGBTQ in Spain. Stereotypical humor was the primary form of humor used by SQ vloggers when addressing gay and lesbian issues related to both identification and social relations. Looking at how SQ vloggers most frequently use stereotypical humor, three common functions emerged in all ten videos: (a) affirming identity and separating gay and lesbian experiences from those of other groups, including making a distinction between sexual orientation and gender identity; (b) challenging the conflation of sexual and gender identities (i.e., contesting the notion of gay men and lesbians identifying as members of the opposite sex); and (c) disarming discourses that construct gay and lesbian individuals as threats at both interpersonal and societal levels.
Finite-size scaling in FeF2/ZnF2 superlattices.

Thermal-expansion measurements of (${\mathrm{FeF}}_{2}$${)}_{\mathit{n}}$(${\mathrm{ZnF}}_{2}$${)}_{\mathit{m}}$ magnetic/nonmagnetic superlattices via high-resolution x-ray diffraction have been made throughout the antiferromagnetic phase-transition region. Using the proportionality of the magnetically induced thermal expansion to the magnetic specific heat, the experimental results are compared with detailed Monte Carlo simulations. Both the experimental and Monte Carlo data are analyzed in terms of finite-size scaling theory. From this combined analysis, we are able to show that the observed shifts in the phase-transition temperature with respect to bulk ${\mathrm{FeF}}_{2}$ arise from three-dimensional to two-dimensional Ising-model crossover behavior. To our knowledge, this is the first time that dimensional crossover in a real Ising-like magnetic system has been experimentally observed.
The Tripartite Leader Sequence of Subgroup C Adenovirus Major Late mRNAs Can Increase the Efficiency of mRNA Export

The subgroup C human adenoviruses induce selective export of newly synthesized viral mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, with concomitant inhibition of export of the majority of cellular mRNA species. Such posttranscriptional regulation of viral and cellular gene expression in infected cells requires viral E1B and E4 proteins. To facilitate the investigation of parameters that govern selective export in adenovirus-infected cells, we constructed a marked human beta-actin minigene under the control of the glucocorticoid-inducible enhancer-promoter of mouse mammary tumor virus and introduced it into the left end of the adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) genome. Transcription of this reporter gene (designated MA) as well as of a sibling, which differed only in the inclusion of a cDNA copy of the Ad2 major late tripartite leader sequence upstream of beta-actin sequences (termed MtplA), in recombinant virus-infected cells was strictly dependent on the addition of dexamethasone to the medium. When transcription of the MA gene was induced during the late phase of infection, newly synthesized MA RNA entered the cytoplasm. These transcripts, which contain no viral sequences, therefore reproduce the behavior of exceptional cellular mRNA species observed when transcription of their genes is activated during the late phase of infection (U.-C. Yang, W. Huang, and S. J. Flint, J. Virol. 70:4071-4080, 1996). Unexpectedly, however, higher concentrations of newly synthesized RNA accumulated in the cytoplasm when the tripartite leader sequence was present in the reporter RNA, despite equal rates of transcription of the two reporter genes. Examination of the partitioning of both newly synthesized and steady-state populations of MA and MtplA RNAs between nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments indicated that the tripartite leader sequence did not increase RNA stability in the cytoplasm. Comparison of nuclear and cytoplasmic reporter RNA species by Northern blotting, primer extension, and reverse transcription-PCR provided no evidence for altered processing induced by the tripartite leader sequence. We therefore conclude that the tripartite leader sequence, long known to facilitate the translation of mRNAs during the late phase of adenovirus infection, can also modulate mRNA export from the nucleus.