cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Telemetry-driven Approach to Simulate Data-intensive Manufacturing Processes

Abstract Telemetry enables the collection of data from remote points to support monitoring, analysis and visualization. It is largely adopted in Formula One car racing, where streams of live data collected from hundreds of sensors installed on car components are transmitted to the pitwall to be used as input of real-time car performance simulations. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the potential of a telemetry-driven approach in a manufacturing environment, where researchers are still looking for efficient methods to perform valuable simulations of the production processes on the basis of real data coming from the factory. The telemetry could contribute to the implementation of a virtual image of the real factory, which in turn could be used to simulate the factory performance, allowing to predict failures or investigate problems, and to reduce costly downtime. This study addresses in particular the efforts to combine and adapt methods and techniques borrowed from the field of Formula One car racing. Moreover, the investigation of the exploitation possibilities of the factory telemetry is paired with the design of a software application supporting this technology, starting from the elicitation and specification of the functional requirements.
Social cognition psychometric evaluation (SCOPE) in people with early psychosis: A preliminary study

Social cognition is an important outcome in schizophrenia research. Unfortunately, there has been a lack of consensus regarding which measures of social cognition best capture this domain of functioning. The Social Cognition Psychometric Evaluation (SCOPE) study was developed to address the need for a battery of measures that have sound psychometric properties and can be implemented in clinical trials for individuals with chronic schizophrenia. The current study expands upon the SCOPE study by examining the psychometric properties of the eight candidate measures administered to individuals early in the course of psychosis. Thirty-eight stable outpatients with first episode psychosis and thirty-nine healthy controls completed the battery at baseline and one-month follow-up assessments. The SCOPE battery was evaluated on a collection of psychometric properties, including: (1) Reliability - including test-retest and internal consistency, (2) Between group differences, (3) Utility as a repeated measure, (4) Relationship to social and occupational functioning, (5) Incremental validity - variance in functioning beyond neurocognition, and (6) Feasibility - including practicality of administration and tolerability. Social cognition accounted for substantially more variance in functional outcome than neurocognition. Only one measure, the Hinting task, displayed adequate psychometric properties to be recommended for use in clinical research with first episode psychosis. The remaining candidate measures would require modifications before implementation or cannot be recommended for use in clinical research with first episode psychosis.
A prospective microbiome-wide association study of food sensitization and food allergy in early childhood

Background Alterations in the intestinal microbiome are prospectively associated with the development of asthma; less is known regarding the role of microbiome alterations in food allergy development. Methods Intestinal microbiome samples were collected at age 3-6 months in children participating in the follow-up phase of an interventional trial of high dose Vitamin D given during pregnancy. At age 3, sensitization to foods (milk, egg, peanut, soy, wheat, walnut) was assessed. Food allergy was defined as caretaker report of healthcare provider-diagnosed allergy to the above foods prior to age 3 with evidence of IgE sensitization. Analysis was performed using Phyloseq and DESeq2; p-values were adjusted for multiple comparisons. Results Complete data were available for 225 children; there were 87 cases of food sensitization and 14 cases of food allergy. Microbial diversity measures did not differ between food sensitization and food allergy cases and controls. The genera Haemophilus (log2 fold change -2.15, p=0.003), Dialister (log2 fold change -2.22, p=0.009), Dorea (log2 fold change -1.65, p=0.02) and Clostridium (log2 fold change -1.47, p=0.002) were underrepresented among subjects with food sensitization. The genera Citrobacter (log2 fold change -3.41, p=0.03), Oscillospira (log2 fold change -2.80, p=0.03), Lactococcus (log2 fold change -3.19, p=0.05) and Dorea (log2 fold change -3.00, p=0.05) were underrepresented among subjects with food allergy. Conclusions The temporal association between bacterial colonization and food sensitization and allergy suggests that the microbiome may have a causal role in the development of food allergy. Our findings have therapeutic implications for the prevention and treatment of food allergy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Pro-excitatory alterations in sodium channel activity facilitate subiculum neuron hyperexcitability in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a common form of adult epilepsy involving the limbic structures of the temporal lobe. Subiculum neurons act to provide a major output from the hippocampus and consist of a large population of endogenously bursting excitatory neurons. In TLE, subiculum neurons are largely spared, become hyperexcitable and show spontaneous epileptiform activity. The basis for this hyperexcitability is unclear, but is likely to involve alterations in the expression levels and function of various ion channels. In this study, we sought to determine the importance of sodium channel currents in facilitating neuronal hyperexcitability of subiculum neurons in the continuous hippocampal stimulation (CHS) rat model of TLE. Subiculum neurons from TLE rats were hyperexcitable, firing a higher frequency of action potentials after somatic current injection and action potential (AP) bursts after synaptic stimulation. Voltage clamp recordings revealed increases in resurgent (INaR) and persistent (INaP) sodium channel currents and pro-excitatory shifts in sodium channel activation and inactivation parameters that would facilitate increases in AP generation. Attenuation of INaR and INaP currents with 4,9-anhydro-tetrodotoxin (4,9-ah TTX; 100 nM), a toxin with increased potency against Nav1.6 channels, suppressed neuronal firing frequency and inhibited AP bursting induced by synaptic stimulation in TLE neurons. These findings support an important role of sodium channels, particularly Nav1.6, in facilitating subiculum neuron hyperexcitability in TLE and provide further support for the importance of INaR and INaP currents in establishing epileptiform activity of subiculum neurons.
Does audience affect the structure of warble song in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)

In many bird species, male song functions both to defend a territory against other males and to attract a female mate. Male budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) produce a song-like vocal signal, the warble, that can be directed at either females or other males. Warble is a long, complex, low amplitude, and variable vocalization composed of different element types. While there is some evidence that warble can induce reproduction, the function of this signal is largely uncertain and it is unclear whether male- and female-directed warble differ in either function or structure. We recorded male budgerigars in the presence of either their mate or a familiar male to identify whether the warbles produced with different audiences differed in structure. We dissected each warble into specific element units, classified units into a limited number of types by rule-based visual classification and calculated the proportion of each element type, element diversity, and total duration for the male- and female-directed warbles of each male. We also examined the sequential organization of warble element types (syntax) using time-window lagged sequential analysis. We found no differences in the proportions of different elements used, element diversity or duration of warbles between male- and female-directed warble. The syntax of warbles is similar when directed at males or females. However, we found greater between-individual similarity in the sequential organization of warbles directed towards females than in those directed towards males. The greater syntactical consistency in female-directed warble suggests that females may prefer either specific types of element sequences, or consistency itself, and thus shape the organization of warbles.
Humor, silence, and civil society in Nigeria

Ebenezer Obadare has endured a checkered career as a journalist, social activist and academic, risking life and limb against military dictatorship en route to becoming one of the most outstanding N...
Learning static evaluation functions by linear regression

We present a technique for learning the coefficients of a linear static evaluation function for two-person games based on playing experience. This is accomplished by using linear regression to modify the coefficients based on the difference between the static evaluation of a state and the value returned by a mini-max look-ahead search. In an initial experiment, the technique was used to learn relative weights for the different chess pieces.
Proximal Sessile Serrated Adenomas Are More Prevalent in Caucasians, and Gastroenterologists Are Better Than Nongastroenterologists at Their Detection.

Background and Aim. Proximal sessile serrated adenomas (PSSA) leading to colorectal cancer (CRC) represent an alternate pathway for CRC development. In this study, we aim to determine the prevalence of PSSAs and the impact of patient, colonoscopy, and endoscopist-related factors on PSSA detection. Methods. Patients ≥ 50 years of age undergoing a screening colonoscopy between 2012 and 2014 were included. Detection rates based on patient gender, race, colonoscopy timing, fellow participation, bowel preparation quality, and specialty of the endoscopist were calculated. t-tests were used to compare detection rates and a multivariate-adjusted analysis was performed. Results. 140 PSSAs were detected from 4151 colonoscopies, with a prevalence of 3.4%. Detection rate was higher in Caucasians compared to African-Americans (AA) (3.7 ± 4.1 versus 0.96 ± 3.5; ). Gastroenterologists detected more PSSAs compared to nongastroenterologists (3.9 ± 3.5 versus 2.2 ± 3.0; ). These findings were still significant after adjusted multivariate analysis. The rest of the factors did not make significant difference in PSSA detection rate. Conclusions. PSSAs are more prevalent in Caucasians compared to AAs. Racial difference in prevalence of PSSAs is intriguing and warrants further investigation. Gastroenterologists have a significantly higher PSSADR compared to nongastroenterologists. Educational measures should be implemented in nongastroenterologists to improve their PSSA detection rates.
Les vers funèbres du fort Duquesne (12 juillet 1755)

Cet article propose une histoire de deux oeuvres versifiees produites au fort Duquesne, trace memoriel au coeur de l’actuelle Pittsburgh (Pennsylvanie), poste frontiere de la Nouvelle-France en ses Pays d’en haut, jadis. Concues pour etre mises en performance, lors de l’enterrement d’un officier tombe au champ d’honneur, ces poesies furent creees a partir de matrices passees de France en Amerique. Outre l’identification de ces dernieres, ce sont les auteurs locaux qui sont d’abord demasques. Les mutations qu’ils firent subir aux originaux ainsi que la maniere dont les hommes de guerre recurent ces oeuvres sont abordees par la suite.
Emotional and Embodied Knowledge: Implications for Critical Practice

Within the practice orientation of the Critical Social Work tradition there has been a dominance of conceptual and rational processes. This has lead to a failure to acknowledge the importance of bodily and emotive knowledge for practice theory. This paper offers a rudimentary and tentative epistemology which recognizes the importance of the body, emotions, ideas and their context. These ideas invite a reconsideration of critical theories of change.
Effect of Hygrothermal Aging on Glass Transition Temperature of a Bismaleimide/Quartz Laminate

The effect of different hygrothermal aging conditions on the glass transition temperature of a six-ply quartz-fiber-reinforced bismaleimide composite is investigated via dynamic mechanical analysis. Bismaleimide is a polymer matrix material suitable for high-temperature structural and electrical applications such as the radar-protecting structure on supersonic aircraft. This particular material is usually subjected to water absorption due to humid air, precipitation, condensation, and accumulation of water in the interior of its constituent structure. In the fully dry, un-aged condition, the glass transition temperature of the laminate is approximately 380°C. Hygrothermal aging conditions are simulated by full-immersion of laminate specimens in distilled water ranging from 30 to 200 days at 25, 40, 60, 75, and 90°C. Specimens immersed at 40°C for 200 days showed the largest depression in glass transition temperature, to approximately 365°C. A subtle, secondary transition marked by a depression and recovery in storage modulus is consistently present in specimens exposed to 75 and 90°C conditions, independent of total immersion time, near 260°C. However, the specimens aged at 75 and 90°C did not exhibit a significant decrease in glass transition temperature as expected. Results indicate variations in glass transition temperature as a result of water absorption in BMI/quartz laminates are dependent on hygrothermal aging history, rather than solely a function of moisture content.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Applying Ballot Problem Results to Compute Probabilities Required for a Generalization of the Scan Statistic

The scan statistic, the maximum number of events in a sliding window of width w, has previously been used to test the null hypothesis of uniformity against the pulse alternative that the density takes on two values - a high one on some interval [b b + w)bunknown, and a low density elsewhere. We generalize the statistic to the case where the density under the null is an arbitrary step function, so that use of a single critical value would not be of interest. We find the probability that under an arbitrary step function density, the number of events in any interval [t,t+w) is less thang(t), whereg(t) is also a step function. The probabilities are derived based on a ballot counting problem of Karlin and McGregor concerning the amount of lead in a multi-candidate election.
Risks associated with the use of fluoroquinolones

Fluoroquinolones are a widely used class of antibiotic that are effective in treating a wide variety of pathogens. Despite their popularity there is increasing concern regarding the potential compl...
Dosimetric impact of interfractional organs at risk variation during high-dose rate interstitial brachytherapy for gynecologic malignancies

We sought to develop a framework for the identification and management of patients at risk for organs at risk (OARs) overdosing due to interfractional anatomic variation during high-dose rate interstitial brachytherapy for gynecologic malignancies. We analyzed 40 high-dose rate interstitial brachytherapy fractions from 10 patients. Planned OAR doses were compared to delivered doses, which were calculated from computed tomography scans obtained prior to each treatment fraction. Doses were converted to equivalent doses in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2) and doses to the most exposed 2 cm3 (D2cc) were reviewed. Patients were risk-stratified by identifying dose thresholds corresponding to a 10% or lower risk of receiving an OAR dose exceeding the corresponding planning constraint. For each OAR, 30% to 62.5% of patients received total doses greater than planned, although the magnitude of these differences was <4 Gy in over 75% of cases. Using EMBRACE II guidelines, one patient who had met the planning constraint for bladder and one for small bowel were found to have received doses exceeding the recommended limits. We next calculated thresholds for estimating the risk of OAR overdosing in individual patients and developed a framework based on these thresholds to direct time- and resource-intensive imaging and replanning efforts toward patients who are most likely to derive benefit. In summary, differential OAR dosing due to interfractional anatomic variation is common but likely rarely clinically meaningful. The proposed framework could decrease toxicity and maximize clinical efficiency.
The prognostic impact of pathologic lymph nodes in HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers.

Abstract Purpose Recent pathologic staging of HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) is solely dependent on number of pathologic nodes. Using a large dataset, we aimed to understand how increase in pathologic lymph nodes (LN) associated with overall survival. Materials and methods National Cancer Database was queried for HPV-positive OPSCC patients undergoing primary surgery with LN dissection between 2010 and 2013. Kaplan-Meier, univariate and multivariate Cox models were used to evaluate overall survival. Interaction between nodal status and radiotherapy was examined. Results Implications of pathologic LN on overall survival differed according to receipt of post-operative radiotherapy (p-valueinteraction = 0.008). In patients who did not receive adjuvant radiotherapy, there were no significant differences in risk of death from 0 to 2 pathologic nodes (adjusted HR (aHR) 0.92, 95%CI 0.61–1.4). However, risk increased by 18% on average with each additional LN thereafter (aHR 1.18, 95%CI 1.1–1.27). Among radiotherapy patients, after adjusting for other variables, patients with 1 pathologic LN had 70% lower risk of death than those with 0 pathologic LN (aHR 0.30, 95%CI 0.14–0.64). Thereafter, risk increased on average by 7% with each additional LN (aHR 1.07, 95%CI 1–1.14). Conclusion The prognostic impact of pathologic nodes in resected HPV-positive OPSCC differs by receipt of radiotherapy, with better outcomes in post-operative radiotherapy treated patients with one pathologic LN than none. These findings suggest that LN involvement may improve anti-tumor immune responses following radiotherapy, or result in earlier detection and treatment of disease. These results merit further studies to corroborate these findings and establish the underlying mechanism.
The global environmental injustice of fast fashion.

Fast fashion, inexpensive and widely available of-the-moment garments, has changed the way people buy and dispose of clothing. By selling large quantities of clothing at cheap prices, fast fashion has emerged as a dominant business model, causing garment consumption to skyrocket. While this transition is sometimes heralded as the “democratization” of fashion in which the latest styles are available to all classes of consumers, the human and environmental health risks associated with inexpensive clothing are hidden throughout the lifecycle of each garment. From the growth of water-intensive cotton, to the release of untreated dyes into local water sources, to worker’s low wages and poor working conditions; the environmental and social costs involved in textile manufacturing are widespread. In this paper, we posit that negative externalities at each step of the fast fashion supply chain have created a global environmental justice dilemma. While fast fashion offers consumers an opportunity to buy more clothes for less, those who work in or live near textile manufacturing facilities bear a disproportionate burden of environmental health hazards. Furthermore, increased consumption patterns have also created millions of tons of textile waste in landfills and unregulated settings. This is particularly applicable to low and middle-income countries (LMICs) as much of this waste ends up in second-hand clothing markets. These LMICs often lack the supports and resources necessary to develop and enforce environmental and occupational safeguards to protect human health. We discuss the role of industry, policymakers, consumers, and scientists in promoting sustainable production and ethical consumption in an equitable manner.
Wearing Gay History: A Digital Archive of Historical LGBT T-Shirts

For the last few years, the fields of both dress studies and fashion exhibitions have been grappling with the rise of the digital curator. Website-based exhibitions have become more common, and Ins...
Approach to infection and disease due to adenoviruses in solid organ transplantation.

Purpose of reviewAdenoviruses are an important cause of morbidity and mortality of solid organ transplant patients and remain a clinical challenge with regard to diagnosis and treatment. In this review, we provide an approach to identification and classification of adenovirus infection and disease,
Computers and Society

The study of computers and society began in the aftermath of World War II, with the diffusion of computers in government and private enterprise, and has flourished since with the rapid advance and convergence of computing and telecommunications. Since the early 1990s, the explosive growth of the Internet and World Wide Web made information and communication technologies (ICTs) an aspect of everyday life in advanced industrial societies, and spawned increased social and humanistic study of their social impacts. Social and behavioral scientists have criticized prominent utopian and dystopian perspectives on the social ‘impacts’ of ICTs on influence, democracy, community, and the economy as overly deterministic. They have also developed a number of useful perspectives on the social shaping of technologies and their societal consequences, including approaches to research that place computers and telecommunications within frameworks focused on the study of technology and society, ICT strategies, and the information society. A new perspective on tele-access, which focuses on the study of how technical and social choices shape access to information, people, services, and technology, provides one means to integrate the study of all ICTs across social issues and levels of analysis, from the individual and household to an increasingly networked world.
Thermal Crosstalk Measurements and Simulations for an X-ray Microcalorimeter Array

Arrays of high-density microcalorimeters require careful heat sinking in order to minimize the thermal crosstalk between nearby pixels. For the array of microcalorimeters developed for the Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit instrument, which has more than 3000 pixels on a 275 µm pitch, it is essential to address this problem in order to meet the energy-resolution requirements. The instrument’s energy-resolution budget requires that the impact of the thermal crosstalk on the energy resolution be a contribution that, added in quadrature to other energy-resolution contributions, is less than 0.2 eV. This value results in a derived requirement that the ratio between the amplitude of the crosstalk signal to an X-ray pulse (for example at 6 keV) is less than 1 × 10−3 (for the first neighbor), less than 4 × 10−4 (for the diagonal neighbor) and less than 8 × 10−5 (for the second nearest neighbor). We have measured the thermal crosstalk levels between pixels in various geometries and configurations. The results show a crosstalk ratio which is at least a factor of 4 lower than the derived requirement. We also developed a finite element (FEM) 2D thermal model to predict the thermal behavior of large-scale arrays. This model successfully simulates the measured data in terms of pulse amplitude and time constants.
Nonparametric Estimation of Survival Functions under Dependent Competing Risks

In a certain target population, the individuals will die due to either Cause 1 or Cause 2 with probabilities π and (1-π), respectively. Let F1 and F2 be the life time distributions of individuals who die off due to Causes 1 and 2, respectively. In any random sample of individuals from the population, subjects can leave the study at random times. In this paper, we derive nonparametric estimates of π, F1 and F2 using such censored data and study some of their properties. The model that suggests itself encapsulating the essentials of the problem is more general than the usual competing risks model.
2H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy supports larger amplitude fast motion and interference with lipid chain ordering for membrane that contains β sheet human immunodeficiency virus gp41 fusion peptide or helical hairpin influenza virus hemagglutinin fusion peptide at fusogenic pH

Abstract Enveloped viruses are surrounded by a membrane which is obtained from an infected host cell during budding. Infection of a new cell requires joining (fusion) of the virus and cell membranes. This process is mediated by a monotopic viral fusion protein with a large ectodomain outside the virus. The ectodomains of class I enveloped viruses have a N-terminal “fusion peptide” (fp) domain that is critical for fusion and binds to the cell membrane. In this study, 2H NMR spectra are analyzed for deuterated membrane with fp from either HIV gp41 (GP) or influenza hemagglutinin (HA) fusion proteins. In addition, the HAfp samples are studied at more fusogenic pH 5 and less fusogenic pH 7. GPfp adopts intermolecular antiparallel β sheet structure whereas HAfp is a monomeric helical hairpin. The data are obtained for a set of temperatures between 35 and 0 °C using DMPC-d54 lipid with perdeuterated acyl chains. The DMPC has liquid-crystalline (Lα) phase with disordered chains at higher temperature and rippled gel (Pβ′) or gel phase (Lβ′) with ordered chains at lower temperature. At given temperature T, the no peptide and HAfp, pH 7 samples exhibit similar spectral lineshapes. Spectral broadening with reduced temperature correlates with the transition from Lα to Pβ′ and then Lβ′ phases. At given T, the lineshapes are narrower for HAfp, pH 5 vs. no peptide and HAfp, pH 7 samples, and even narrower for the GPfp sample. These data support larger-amplitude fast (>105 Hz) lipid acyl chain motion for samples with fusogenic peptides, and peptide interference with chain ordering. The NMR data of the present paper correlate with insertion of these peptides into the hydrocarbon core of the membrane and support a significant fusion contribution from the resultant lipid acyl chain disorder, perhaps because of reduced barriers between the different membrane topologies in the fusion pathway. Membrane insertion and lipid perturbation appear common to both β sheet and helical hairpin peptides.
Analytical expressions of the surface shape of ‘diaboloid’ mirrors

Modern deterministic polishing processes allow fabrication of x-ray optics with almost any arbitrary aspherical surface shape. Among these optics, the so called “diaboloid” mirror is of special interest. The diaboloid mirror that converts a cylindrical wave to a spherical wave would improve focusing in x-ray beamlines implementing a diffraction element between a parabolic cylinder and a toroidal mirror. The replacement of the toroidal mirror in existing beamlines by the diaboloid mirror would mitigate aberrations. The shape of the diaboloid mirror is usually calculated numerically based on a truncated polynomial solution of the optical path problem. Here, we present an exact analytical solution for the shape of a diaboloid mirror as a function of the conjugate parameters of the mirror placed in a beamline. The derived analytical expressions for the diaboloid mirror in both the canonical and mirror-based coordinate systems are implemented in ray-tracing simulations to verify the beamline performances.
Perspectives of Surgeons from Atlanta, USA.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019 quickly stretched health care system across the globe. Mortalities, shortages in health care system capacity, and lack of experience in similar circumstances required innovation in the way health care is delivered. Health care systems changed operating schedules, staff work pattern, and how patients are cared for. The effects of these changes reached patients, staff and training in different ways. Methods We searched the Pubmed and EMBASE for articles related to COVID-19. We also searched local emails and information provided to staff during the pandemic RESULTS: The COVID-19 pandemic affected organizations, patients, and staff. The organizations and staff had to adapt to the times to provide a safe and appropriate service to our patients. Conclusion The pandemic challenged and changed the way we work as health care providers, and how we train the future surgeons. Changes in the system were effective.
An overview of application of 4H-SiC n-type epitaxial Schottky barrier detector for high resolution nuclear detection

Availability of high-quality bulk and epitaxial 4H-SiC has revived the feasibility of fabrication of nuclear radiation detectors which are compact, operable at room or elevated temperature, physically rugged, and radiation hard. SiC detectors have been demonstrated as excellent alpha particle detectors and hence are being considered as compact neutron detectors when coupled with neutron-alpha conversion layers. Our group at University of South Carolina has successfully demonstrated the fabrication of large area (∼11 mm2) 4H-SiC epitaxial surface barrier type sensors, for detection of x-rays of energy as low as 50 eV with very high responsivity, high resolution detection of low energy gamma rays (2.1% FWHM for 59.6 keV gamma rays) and very efficient and high-resolution alpha particle detection. We have recently fabricated surface barrier detectors for alpha particles with an energy resolution of 0.29% for 5.48 MeV alpha particles, the best value reported till date, with a charge collection efficiency (CCE) ∼100%. These detectors have also shown a CCE more than 57% at zero applied bias for 5.48 MeV alpha particles which opens up the possibility of highly efficient bias-less operation, a much sought-after quality for field deployment of stand-off detection system for Homeland security applications. We have performed a noise analysis in terms of equivalent noise charge and we have found that the white series noise due to the detector capacitance has substantial effect on their spectroscopic performance. We have also studied the effect of the presence of electrically active defects on detector performance using deep level transient spectroscopy measurements.
Foreign Aid and Economic Growth in Pakistan: A Fresh Perspective

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between foreign aid and economic growth in the context of Pakistan by proposing two key methods. Both of these are complimentary, with the field experiment establishing the existence of an aid delivery problem and the in-depth case studies further expanding on some of the key findings. Section 1 provides a broad situational overview by situating the aid-growth question in the context of Pakistan, contextualizing it within the ongoing theoretical debates on the subject. Section 2 solidifies these assertions by going deeper into literature to arrive at the possible avenues for future research using fresh methods. Section 3 and 4 then propose a field experiment and an in-depth case study respectively, both intended to expose the underlying problems with aid delivery systems in Pakistan. Finally, section 5 offers brief concluding thoughts to reassert the importance of understanding the aid-growth conundrum and to take rectifying measures today.
Stimulant laxatives for constipation and soiling in children

Background Constipation is extremely common in childhood and may lead to overflow soiling/encopresis. Standard treatment of the more severe case is to empty the bowels of impacted faeces by the use of oral or rectal laxatives and then maintain regular bowel movements by the continuation of osmotic and stimulant laxatives. Objectives The objective of the review was to determine the effect of stimulant laxative treatment in children with chronic constipation who may also suffer from soiling / encopresis. Search strategy The Cochrane database of randomised controlled trials was searched. Additional citations were sought by hand searching of paediatric journals and from contact with known professionals in the field. Selection criteria All identified randomised controlled trials (RCTs) which compare the administering of stimulant laxatives to children with either placebo or alternative treatment. Data collection and analysis No trials were found that met the selection criteria. Main results No trials were found that adequately met the selection criteria. Reviewer's conclusions The need exists to establish a secure footing for treatment decisions and adequately sized trials are required to provide comparative data on commonly used drugs.
Framing Effects in Narrative and Non-Narrative Risk Messages

Narrative messages are increasingly popular in health and risk campaigns, yet gain/loss framing effects have never been tested with such messages. Three experiments examined framing in narrative messages. Experiment 1 found that only the character's decision, not framing, influenced judgments about characters in a narrative derived from a prospect theory context. Experiment 2 found that a framing effect that occurred when presented in a decision format did not occur when the same situation was presented as a narrative. Using a different story/decision context, Experiment 3 found no significant difference in preference for surgery over radiation therapy in a narrative presentation compared to a non-narrative presentation. The results suggest that health and risk campaigns cannot assume that framing effects will be the same in narrative messages and non-narrative messages. Potential reasons for these differences and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Immediate postoperative percutaneous stenting of superior vena cava obstruction following heart transplantation in adult patients with pacemaker leads.

Vena cava superior syndrome is a serious complication after heart transplantation, leading to low cardiac output, cerebral edema, and multi-organ dysfunction. We report three adult patients who underwent heart and heart–lung transplantation and required immediate postoperative balloon angioplasty and stent placement by interventional radiology. The observed obstructions were located at sites of intraoperatively removed pacemaker or defibrillator wires. Percutaneous stent placement immediately improved the hemodynamic condition of the patients. Early recognition of the complication and availability of immediate intervention are essential to prevent further deterioration. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12387 (J CardSurg2014;29:733–736)
Validity of the Elastic Constant Approximations for the Ultrasonic Evaluation of Multi-Layered Inhomogeneous Composites

Several ultrasonic wave mechanics models which are based on the effective elastic properties of the overall fiber reinforced composites are currently being used in the industry and academia. Due to the repetition of the ply orientation and the lay-up sequence traditionally used in the industry, these models which often “smear” the individual ply elastic properties to obtain effective elastic properties of the entire composite. [1,2] This is an acceptable approximation for long wave length waves propagation in homogeneous or quasi-homogeneous ply lay-ups media and has provided useful results in the non-destructive evaluation process.
Parents and Politics

To the Editor.— Pediatrics has long considered children9s issues of paramount importance. Much can be said about society with regard to how it cares for its weakest members (children). During 1992, many political campaigns will be waged, and children9s issues have much to win or lose. Therefore, we suggest that pediatricians, during anticipatory guidance, briefly discuss advocating children9s needs with parents. We have found that many parents are not aware of political issues pertaining to children.
Matching Helping Roles with the Characteristics of Older Natural Helpers

In order to lessen isolation and promote meaningful lives, new roles are needed for retired adults. The authors examine the process of matching new roles to the capacities, characteristics, and values of older adults. Patterson's study of the role of natural helper revealed that older helpers had different values and employed different techniques than their younger counteparts, although they encountered similar problems. Achieving a good fit between helper, task and recipient is discussed in terms of its potential for enhancing mental health for both participants in the helping situation.
Explicit identities for invariants of elliptic curves

New explicit formulas are given for the supersingular polynomial ssp(t) and the Hasse invariant Hˆp(E) of an elliptic curve E in characteristic p. These formulas are used to derive identities for the Hasse invariants of elliptic curves En in Tate normal form with distinguished points of order n. This yields a proof that Hˆ(E4) and Hˆ(E5) are projective invariants (modp) for the octahedral group and the icosahedral group, respectively; and that the set of fourth roots λ1/4 of supersingular parameters of the Legendre normal form Y2=X(X−1)(X−λ) in characteristic p has octahedral symmetry. For general n⩾4, the field of definition of a supersingular En is determined, along with the field of definition of the points of order n on En.
Idiopathic autonomic neuropathy: comparison of cases seropositive and seronegative for ganglionic acetylcholine receptor antibody.

Background The clinical characteristics of autoimmune autonomic neuropathy are only partially defined. More than 50% of patients with high levels of ganglionic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) autoantibodies have a combination of sicca complex (marked dry eyes and dry mouth), abnormal pupillary light response, upper gastrointestinal tract symptoms, and neurogenic bladder. Objective To compare patients with idiopathic autonomic neuropathy who were seropositive (n = 19) and seronegative (n = 87) for ganglionic AChR antibodies. Design Retrospective review of autonomic programmatic database. Setting Autonomic Disorders Program Project at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minn. Patients We evaluated a cohort of 87 patients with idiopathic autonomic neuropathy who had undergone full autonomic testing and neurological evaluation and who had a complete panel of paraneoplastic and ganglionic AChR antibodies. We compared patients seropositive (n = 19) and seronegative (n = 87) for ganglionic AChR antibodies. Results The seropositive group had a significant overrepresentation of abnormal pupillary responses (12/18 [67%] vs 12/87 [14%]; P P = .01), and lower gastrointestinal tract dysautonomia (16/19 [84%] vs 48/85 [56%]; P = .02). A subacute mode of onset was more common in the seropositive group (12/19 [63%] vs 23/84 [27%]; P = .004). Results of quantitative autonomic function tests differed significantly in the 2 groups only in the cardiovagal domain. Because subacute onset was overrepresented in the seropositive group, we analyzed the data separately, controlling for temporal profile (ie, the relationship between antibody status and symptoms while controlling for rate of onset). The relationships between antibody status and clinical profile (eg, presence of sicca complex, pupillary abnormalities, and lower gastrointestinal tract symptoms) generally remained significant regardless of onset rate, indicating that the associations are not due to temporal profile. Conclusions These observations support the concept that ganglionic AChR antibodies are diagnostically and pathophysiologically important. Patients with orthostatic hypotension and prominent cholinergic dysautonomia are most likely to be seropositive for ganglionic AChR antibody.
An investigation of the Annual Cycle of Convective Activity over the Tropical Americas

Abstract Outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) is used to describe the annual cycle of convection that resides over the Amazon Basin during austral summer and over Central America and the adjacent waters of the Pacific during austral winter. The preferred locations of the convective activity during the wet season in the respective hemispheres are determined, and the beginning and ending of these seasons is specified. The onset of the wet season over Amazonia usually occurs within a single month, while the onset of the wet season over Central America typically requires from one to three months. The annual cycle of convective activity in this regime is shown to exhibit a seasonal regularity and degree of symmetry with respect to the equator which exceeds those characterizing the other two annually varying regimes in the tropical belt. Analyses produced by the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) are superimposed upon OLR fields to illustrate features of the atmospheric circulation in the v...
Specific heat spectroscopy: Origins, status and applications of the 3ω method

Abstract We review the technique of ‘specific heat spectroscopy,’ of Birge and Nagel. The technique, also called the ‘3ω method’ in the literature, is nonadiabatic; it is based on thermal diffusion into a thick sample from a thin metallic film that serves simultaneously as heater and thermometer. Specific heat spectroscopy allows one to measure the dynamic specific heat of a liquid or solid over a frequency range exceeding 6 decades, and simultaneously the thermal conductivity over a more limited frequency range. Designed to study supercooled liquids near the glass transition, specific heat spectroscopy has also been used to study phase transitions and biological systems.
The Contemporary Foreman Status Illustrative Evidence from an Automobile Assembly Plant

We have completed a pilot study of 34 foremen in a modern automobile assembly plant. Our findings generally support the ideas that the contemporary foreman's position involves less role conflict and more satisfaction than is commonly supposed in the literature. When we differentiated management-oriented supervisors from dualoriented foremen, we found no statistically meaningful differences in their rates of interaction with others or the reported quality of such relationships. Two other components of self-perception of the supervisors were found to be statistically related to the reported quality of interaction with others and to job satisfaction: namely, feelings of power and security. Although both these perceptions were statistically related to a management orientation in our sample, they were found to be unrelated to the traits of background and career experience that correlated with a management identification. Results suggest the need for studying the independent sets of conditions that lead to fore...
Specification of emulsion response through track theory

ABSTRACT Properties of nuclear emulsions have long been described rather vaguely as “records protons to about 7 MeV”, or “sensitive to charged particles of all energies.” Frequently the grain-count at minimum ionization has been invoked as a measure of emulsion sensitivity. For quality control in manufacture, as well as for a more general basis for the normalization of experimental data either of two parameters E0 or K may be used, from x-ray sensitometry or from grain counting, as based on track theory, for these are equivalent parameters.
The Effect of Carbonyl Substitution on the Strain Energy of Small Ring Compounds and Their Six-Member Ring Reference Compounds

High level ab initio calculations have been applied to the estimation of ring strain energies (SE) of a series of three- and six-member ring compounds. The SE of cyclohexane has been estimated to be 2.2 kcal/mol at the CBS-APNO level of theory. The SE of cyclopropane has been increased to 28.6 kcal/mol after correction for the one-half of the SE of cyclohexane. The SEs of a series of carbonyl-containing three-member ring compounds have been estimated at the CBS-Q level by their combination with cyclopropane to produce a six-member ring reference compound. The SEs of cyclopropanone (5), the simplest α-lactone (6) [oxiranone], and α-lactam (7) [aziridinone] have been predicted to be 49, 47, and 55 kcal/mol, respectively, after correction for the SE of the corresponding six-member ring reference compound. The SEs of cyclohexanone, δ-valerolactone, and δ-valerolactam have been estimated to be 4.3, 11.3, and 5.1 kcal/mol, respectively. Marked increases in the SE of silacyclopropane and siladioxirane have been ...
Putting a new face on APL2

APL2/X is an interface between APL2 and the X Window System®, built at the IBM Cambridge Scientific Center. This interface enables the full set of the X Window System Xlib calls and the related data structures to be used directly from programs written in APL2, thereby providing APL2 with a true, full-function windowing environment. The interface also deals with the broader and more general issue of how to call C programs from APL2. The interface and the experience of building it are described in some detail in this paper.
Electronic Structure of High‐Temperature Superconductors: Comparison of Theory and Experiment

The ab initio pseudofunction method has been used to compute electronic properties of superconductors in good agreement with experiment. La{sub 2}CuO{sub 4} and CuO are computed to be antiferromagnetic and semiconducting in agreement with experiment. The 0.4-eV peak in the optical conductivity spectrum has been shown to be an interband transition for YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}. The bands for Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8} as well as YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} agree well with angle-resolved photoemission near E{sub f}. The shake-up peaks near 9 and 12 eV observed in photoemission can be understood in terms of two-electron processes envolving the local densities of states of Cu and O. A mechanism for superconductivity based on these electronic properties will be advanced. All calculations use local density potentials with no parameters.
Prevalence of hereditary hemochromatosis in a Massachusetts corporation: is Celtic origin a risk factor?

The prevalence of homozygous hereditary hemochromatosis (HHC) is estimated at 1:250 in Caucasian adults. Little is known about ethnic subpopulations that might be at increased risk for this disease. HLA data have suggested a Celtic origin for HHC. Screening for HHC was offered to all employees of the Massachusetts Polaroid Corporation. Participants with a transferrin saturation of >55% or >45% and an elevated serum ferritin concentration on two screenings were referred for liver biopsy. The diagnosis of HHC was based on histological criteria, quantitative hepatic iron determination, hepatic iron index, and the phlebotomy requirement for iron depletion. Participants completed a questionnaire regarding their ethnic background. Two thousand two hundred ninety-four employees were screened, and 5 cases of HHC were detected. All 5 cases involved Caucasian men, yielding a prevalence of 1:395 for the Caucasian population. Four of the 5 cases were of 100% British-Irish ancestry based on the country of origin of their grandparents. Additional analysis revealed that the majority of grandparents of all 4 individuals came from Ireland or Wales. The exact two-tailed trend test showed a significant association of HHC with Celtic background (P = .012). The estimated cost of screening per patient identified was $18,041. Polaroid Corporation has a high representation of employees of British-Irish ancestry. Our data suggest that they are at high risk for developing HHC. A significant association of HHC with Celtic ancestry was found in this subpopulation, supporting the concept of a Celtic origin for this disease.
Neurotrophins and Peripheral Neuropathies

Peripheral neuropathy is a common disorder seen in general neurology and neuromuscular specialty clinics. Treatment options directed at the underlying cause can only be offered in a handful of conditions, such as those with possible autoimmune etiology. The remainder fall into the idiopathic or genetic category with no known treatment. This review surveys the evidence supporting the rationale for the therapeutic use of neurotrophins and other neurotrophic factors in these disorders in relationship to the underlying pathobiological process. Previous clinical trials are assessed, and increasingly better understood and appreciated therapeutic potential of neurotrophins is emphasized.