cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Comparison Between Low-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy With or Without Androgen Deprivation, External Beam Radiation Therapy With or Without Androgen Deprivation, and Radical Prostatectomy With or Without Adjuvant or Salvage Radiation Therapy for High-Risk Prostate Cancer.

Purpose We compare the efficacy and toxicity among the 3 major modalities available used to treat high-risk prostate cancer (HRCaP). Methods and Materials From 1996 to 2012, 2557 HRCaP patients were treated: 734 received external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) with or without androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), 515 received low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy (LDR) with or without ADT, and 1308 received radical prostatectomy (RP) with or without EBRT. Biochemical relapse-free survival (bRFS), clinical relapse-free survival (cRFS), and prostate cancer–specific mortality (PCSM) were assessed. Toxicity was assessed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.03. The log-rank test compared bRFS and cRFS among the modalities, and Cox regression identified factors associated with bRFS and cRFS. Gray's test compared differences in late toxicity and PSCM among the modalities. Competing risk regression identified factors associated with PCSM. Results The median follow-up time and age were 63.5 months and 65 years, respectively. The bRFS at 5 and 10 years, respectively, was 74% and 53% for EBRT, 74% and 52% for LDR, and 65% and 47% for RP ( P =.0001). The cRFS at 5 and 10 years, respectively, was 85% and 73% for EBRT, 90% and 76% for LDR, and 89% and 75% for RP ( P =.121). The PCSM at 5 and 10 years, respectively, was 5.3% and 11.2% for EBRT, 3.2% and 3.6% for LDR, and 2.8% and 6.8% for RP ( P =.0004). The 10-year cumulative incidence of ≥grade 3 genitourinary toxicity was 8.1% for EBRT, 7.2% for LDR, and 16.4% for RP ( P P Conclusion HRCaP treated with EBRT, LDR, or RP yields efficacy showing better bRFS for LDR and EBRT relative to RP, equivalence for cRFS, and a PCSM advantage of LDR and RP over EBRT. The toxicity is lowest for LDR.
Treatment of Sleep Dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease

Impaired sleep and alertness affect the majority of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients, negatively impacting safety and quality of life. The etiology of impaired sleep-wake cycle in PD is multifactorial and encompasses medication side effects, nocturnal PD motor symptoms, and presence of co-existent sleep and neuropsychiatric disorders. The primary neurodegenerative process of PD involves brain regions that regulate the sleep-wake cycle, such as brainstem and hypothalamic nuclei. Sleep disorders in PD include insomnia, REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), sleep disordered breathing (SDB), restless legs syndrome (RLS), and circadian disruption. Despite its high prevalence in the PD population, there is a paucity of clinical studies that have investigated treatment of sleep dysfunction associated with PD. Therefore, we aim to review available evidence and outline treatment strategies for improvement of disorders of sleep and wakefulness in PD patients. Evidence supporting the efficacy of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment strategies in PD is limited. There is thus a great need but also opportunity for development of well-designed clinical trials for impaired sleep and alertness in PD. Providing education about sleep hygiene and strategies for its implementation represents the initial step in management. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of co-existent primary sleep and psychiatric disorders are critical, as this may significantly improve sleep and alertness. While the optimal treatment for insomnia in PD has not been established, available strategies include cognitive-behavioral therapy, medications with soporific properties, and light therapy. Safety measures, clonazepam, and melatonin are the mainstay of treatment for RBD. Continuous positive airway pressure is an effective treatment for SDB in PD. The treatment algorithm for RLS associated with PD mirrors that used for idiopathic RLS. Circadian disruption has emerged as an important etiology of impaired sleep-wake cycles in PD, and circadian-based interventions hold promise for novel treatment approaches.
Organizational Response to Changing Demands: Predicting Behavior in Donor Networks

The integration of resource dependence theory and a network perspective results in a parsimonious “strategic response model” for the organizational responses of exit, voice, loyalty, and adjustment. Four cases illustrate the model's application to nonprofit organizations by focusing on relations with a government aid agency that switched funding priorities. The model helps explain why networks of recipients of funding may change over time and predicts organizational responses to changing demands from resource providers.
E-003 A case report: balloon thrombectomy acutely for cerebral venodus thrombosis with an atypical headache presentation

Cerebral venous thrombosis [CVT] ranges in the population from an overall adult incidence of 1.32 per 1 00 000 population.1 Often CVT symptoms can present with comorbid headache [HA] and severe pain in isolation of other signs and symptoms, which substantiates the necessity of addressing a robust differential for HA. Furthermore, use of balloon intravascular thrombectomy has been considered in some cases of CVT, however evidence based outcomes comparing best medical practices versus emergent endovascular treatment is limited to case studies and anecdotical clinical judgment. A case study was performed which included dissecting the details of a single patient suffering from a severe CVT, who initially presented with an atypical ahead, and was successfully treated with balloon thrombectomy, with immediate improval of HA and return to baseline within two weeks. The patient was followed daily during a two week hospital course. Also, a thorough literature review on Pubmed was completed. In review, the HA from CVT can mimic many HA types.7,51 Thus, HA history needs to clarify risk factors, oral contraceptive use, trauma, or history of hypercoagulability, as well as a select imaging in the work-up.7,31 Additionally, a balloon catheter is an advantageous hardware choice, because thrombolytic agents can be injected via the inner lumen with an inflated balloon. And, until the TO-ACT trial is completed, the use of emergent endovascular treatment is limited to case studies and judgment. Accordingly, this case demonstrates successful emergent recanalization of a severe CVT using balloon mechanical thrombectomy, specifically using a Scepter 11 intracranial balloon. Disclosures A. Alvarado-Ortiz: None.
Consensus Classification Using Non-Optimized Classifiers

Classifying samples into categories is a common problem in analytical chemistry and other fields. Classification is usually based on only one method, but numerous classifiers are available with some being complex, such as neural networks, and others are simple, such as k nearest neighbors. Regardless, most classification schemes require optimization of one or more tuning parameters for best classification accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. A process not requiring exact selection of tuning parameter values would be useful. To improve classification, several ensemble approaches have been used in past work to combine classification results from multiple optimized single classifiers. The collection of classifications for a particular sample are then combined by a fusion process such as majority vote to form the final classification. Presented in this Article is a method to classify a sample by combining multiple classification methods without specifically classifying the sample by each method, that is, the classification methods are not optimized. The approach is demonstrated on three analytical data sets. The first is a beer authentication set with samples measured on five instruments, allowing fusion of multiple instruments by three ways. The second data set is composed of textile samples from three classes based on Raman spectra. This data set is used to demonstrate the ability to classify simultaneously with different data preprocessing strategies, thereby reducing the need to determine the ideal preprocessing method, a common prerequisite for accurate classification. The third data set contains three wine cultivars for three classes measured at 13 unique chemical and physical variables. In all cases, fusion of nonoptimized classifiers improves classification. Also presented are atypical uses of Procrustes analysis and extended inverted signal correction (EISC) for distinguishing sample similarities to respective classes.
Multicolor Three-Dimensional Tracking for Single-Molecule Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Measurements

Single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) remains a widely utilized and powerful tool for quantifying heterogeneous interactions and conformational dynamics of biomolecules. However, traditional smFRET experiments either are limited to short observation times (typically less than 1 ms) in the case of “burst” confocal measurements or require surface immobilization which usually has a temporal resolution limited by the camera framing rate. We developed a smFRET 3D tracking microscope that is capable of observing single particles for extended periods of time with high temporal resolution. The confocal tracking microscope utilizes closed-loop feedback to follow the particle in solution by recentering it within two overlapping tetrahedral detection elements, corresponding to donor and acceptor channels. We demonstrated the microscope’s multicolor tracking capability via random walk simulations and experimental tracking of 200 nm fluorescent beads in water with a range of apparent smFRET e...
Educational Opportunity: The Illinois Dilemma.

The Article Linking top-down standards-based reform and bottom-up school finance reform has the potential to affect American education well into the future. However, to align resources with curriculum and performance standards, funding systems need to be reinvented for an information age and global economy. Current school finance systems are obsolete and antiquated; they have failed to achieve equity or to incorporate adequacy. They finance minimums and basic skills, not excellence in education and proficiency outcomes for all children and schools, and they present a formidable obstacle to reform. Lack of financial support is also a problem--the number one problem facing public schools today, according to a Gallup poll of the public's attitude toward the public schools.
Cirrhosis: Gastrointestinal Features

Cirrhosis is the end stage of chronic liver disease characterized by the presence of fibrosis and scar tissue. This stage of liver disease is associated with multiple complications and causes poor quality of life, increased risk of infection, and has a poor prognosis. Although the disease is centered in the liver, it has myriad effects in other organ systems. Cirrhosis has a 10-year mortality of 34–66 %. The wide range is due to differences in the various etiologies of disease.
The Psychology of Risk Characterization

Risk analysis is an applied science. There is no point in doing it unless its results can make a difference in some practical pursuit. In this light, even a conscientious analysis can fail if it addresses irrelevant problems, ignores relevant issues, or is unable to get its message across.
Southern urbanism or a world of cities? Modes of enacting a more global urban geography in textbooks, teaching and research

ABSTRACTDespite growing attentiveness to cities in the global south, questions remain as to how to enact a more global urban studies. We analyze five contemporary textbooks as a lens into how south...
Patient and Provider Perceptions of a Patient Navigation Program to Improve Postpartum Care Among Publicly Insured Women.

Objective This study was aimed to assess patient and provider perceptions of a postpartum patient navigation program. Study Design This was a mixed-method assessment of a postpartum patient navigation program. Navigating New Motherhood (NNM) participants completed a follow-up survey including the Patient Satisfaction with Interpersonal Relationship with Navigator (PSN-I) scale and an open-ended question. PSN-I scores were analyzed descriptively. Eighteen provider stakeholders underwent in-depth interviews to gauge program satisfaction, perceived outcomes, and ideas for improvement. Qualitative data were analyzed by the constant comparative method. Results In this population of low-income, minority women, participants (n = 166) were highly satisfied with NNM. The median PSN-I score was 45 out of 45 (interquartile range [IQR]: 43–45), where a higher score corresponds to higher satisfaction. Patient feedback was also highly positive, though a small number desired more navigator support. Provider stakeholders offered consistently positive program feedback, expressing satisfaction with NNM execution and outcomes. Provider stakeholders noted that navigators avoided inhibiting clinic workflow and eased clinic administrative burden. They perceived NNM improved multiple clinical and satisfaction outcomes. All provider stakeholders believed that NNM should be sustained long-term; suggestions for improvement were offered. Conclusion A postpartum patient navigation program can perceivably improve patient satisfaction, clinical care, and clinic workflow without burden to clinic providers.
Local Does as Local Is: Information Content of the Geography of Individual Investors' Common Stock Investments

Using data on the investments a large number of individual investors made through a discount broker from 1991 to 1996, we find that households exhibit a strong preference for local investments. We test whether this locality bias stems from information or from simple familiarity. The average household generates an additional annualized return of 3.2% from its local holdings relative to its nonlocal holdings, suggesting that local investors can exploit local knowledge. Excess returns to investing locally are even larger among stocks not in the SP but the wise man saith, “Put all your eggs in one basket and—watch that basket.” Mark Twain, 1894 THE FINANCE LITERATURE HAS YIELDED a large number of in-depth studies concerning the investments managed by professional money managers, yet historically, relatively little has been known about the individual investors’ money management, in no small part because of the shortage of high-quality data available for academic research. This is despite the fact that United States individual investors have been holding around 50% of the stock market in direct stock
Aligning IT and Business: Fostering Organizational Performance, Employees’ Commitment and Quality of Management Methods: Tworek, Katarzyna, 2019, Cham, Switzerland, Springer Nature Switzerland AG, 221 pp., $119.99 (hardcover), ISBN 978-3-030-11562-3

For decades, researchers have tried to measure the impact of information technology (IT) investments on corporate profitability, without conclusive results. Since business success is not merely a m...
What impact does the use of mean versus median statistics have on student grading

The decision to calculate students' grades using a mean or a median statistic is an important consideration for educators. However, the choice of which statistic is used could have a significant impact on students' grades. Using real data from a preclinical course at a large pharmacy school in the United States, students' grades on five examinations were calculated using both mean and median statistics. With respect to grade performance, 84 (61.3%) students would have received a score increase if using the median statistic to calculate grades, whereas 53 (38.7%) students would have received a score decrease if using the median statistic. Letter grades for the course would also vary for some students depending on which statistic was used to calculate grades. The choice of using a mean or a median statistic can have a considerable effect on student grading. We encourage other educators to examine the influence of mean versus median statistics may have on grade calculations and select the statistic that will lead to the most valid indicator of student performance.
Aqueous Stability and Ligand Substitution of a Layered Cu(I)/Isocyanide-Based Organometallic Network Material with a Well-Defined Channel Structure

Isocyanide coordination networks (ISOCNs), which consist of multitopic isocyanide linker groups and transition-metal-based secondary building units (SBUs), are a promising class of organometallic f...
Volunteering Professionally: Service to Your Profession, Your Colleagues and Your Community

Teachers are givers. We give our talent, knowledge, time and treasure to our students and programs in ways that only other teachers understand. Our greatest reward comes not from the financial gain of our jobs, but from the appreciation of our students and our knowledge of lives improved and a job well done. Our successes derive from our training and experience; and from—to name a few—our mentors and colleagues who give us their time, researchers and writers who contribute to our knowledge, and presenters of both theoretical and practical information via newsletters, conferences, and workshops; and from the volunteer leaders of our associations and organizations. In this chapter, we will explore the many varied opportunities that we have to give back to our field, and to pay it forward to those who follow us and who take over when we exit.
Student Learning in Interdisciplinary Team-Taught Courses Centered on a “Big Idea”

The increased demand for more integrative curricular opportunities for post-secondary students has resulted in the exploration of new curricular approaches which center on approaching today’s ‘big ideas’ or ‘grand challenges’ from multiple disciplinary viewpoints. This article documents one such course designed to promote interdisciplinary approaches using a team teaching co-convening model at the University of Arizona’s Honors College. Results indicate that students affirm the value of interdisciplinary education and perceive this collaborative and co-instructed model as beneficial to their learning. This curricular model was found to have positive implications for the roll of collaborative classroom pedagogies for bolstering learner interest, fostering perspective-taking behaviors, and creating a classroom environment in which students perceive their intellectual contributions as valued.
Vanished Classmates: The Effects of Local Immigration Enforcement on School Enrollment

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the federal law-enforcement agency with primary responsibility for enforcing immigration laws within the U.S. However, for over a decade, ICE has formed partnerships that also allow local police to enforce immigration law (i.e., identifying and arresting undocumented residents). Prior studies, using survey data with self-reported immigrant and citizenship status, provide mixed evidence on the demographic impact of these controversial partnerships. This study presents new evidence based on the public-school enrollment of Hispanic students. We find that local ICE partnerships reduce the number of Hispanic students by nearly 10 percent within 2 years. We estimate that the local ICE partnerships enacted before 2012 displaced over 300,000 Hispanic students. These effects appear to be concentrated among elementary-school students. We find no corresponding effects on the enrollment of non-Hispanic students. We also find no evidence that ICE partnerships reduced pupil-teacher ratios or the percent of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
QSRNet: Estimating Qualitative Spatial Representations from RGB-D Images

Humans perceive and describe their surroundings with qualitative statements (e.g., "Alice’s hand is in contact with a bottle."), rather than quantitative values (e.g., 6-D poses of Alice’s hand and a bottle). Qualitative spatial representation (QSR) is a framework that represents the spatial information of objects in a qualitative manner. Region connection calculus (RCC), qualitative trajectory calculus (QTC), and qualitative distance calculus (QDC) are some popular QSR calculi. With the recent development of computer vision, it is important to compute QSR calculi from the visual inputs (e.g., RGB-D images). In fact, many QSR application domains (e.g., human activity recognition (HAR) in robotics) involve visual inputs. We propose a qualitative spatial representation network (QSRNet) that computes the three QSR calculi (i.e., RCC, QTC, and QDC) from the RGB-D images. QSRNet has the following novel contributions. First, QSRNet models the dependencies among the three QSR calculi. We introduce the dependencies as kinematics for QSR because they are analogous to the kinematics in classical mechanics. Second, QSRNet applies the 3-D point cloud instance segmentation to compute the QSR calculi. The experimental results show that QSRNet improves the accuracy in comparison to the other state-of-the-art techniques.
Predicting preservice teachers' intention to use technology-enabled learning

Abstract This predictive correlational study examines to what extent the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior and program factors (i.e., classification and program of study) can predict preservice teachers' intention to use technology-enabled learning (TEL), a student-centered approach to technology integration as a cognitive tool. A survey was distributed to preservice teachers enrolled in a college of education at a midsize, public teaching university. The findings of this study cohere with and extend previous research regarding preservice teachers' intention to use technology, which suggested positive attitudes toward technology and a strong sense of personal control over the decision to use technology contribute to intention to use technology. The results demonstrated that program and theoretical variables predicted preservice teachers' intention to use TEL.
Emergency General Surgery (EGS) Risk Stratification Scores

Risk stratification is an important metric for a mature surgical system. It not only is the development of comparative outcome data but serves as an important tool for is a tool for goal concordant care discussions with patients. As we move to an Emergency General Surgery (EGS) regional system that mirrors the existing trauma system risk stratification will allow for triage of high-risk patients to receive appropriate preoperative and postoperative care. Evidence has shown that the EGS population has unique physiology with markedly different outcomes than their elective counterparts. The tools we use to measure the outcomes in this challenging population are still evolving. An ideal risk stratification system will provide accurate prediction from readily obtainable objective data in all populations and can be used easily in clinical practice. There are many different types of risk stratification systems which use a combination of patient comorbidity, physiology, and disease mechanism to predict outcomes, with varying levels of accuracy. An ideal tool would incorporate variables from all these non-modifiable factors yet still be easy enough to use in real time by the clinician. Currently there is no idealized EGS risk stratification system. An ideal model may combine comorbidity factors, physiologic factors, and emergent pathology factors to clarify the degree of severity based more on a mechanistic model. Here in, we review the existing literature on the above factors and propose the direction EGS risk stratification may take in the future. There are many different scoring systems providing stratification of risk in EGS patients created over the previous 80 years. Accuracy of outcome prediction varies based on the system chosen and the components the system uses. As prediction models become more accurate, the complexity typically increases. Recent literature suggests that linear regression for prediction of outcomes may not be the most accurate risk stratification technique. Further research is necessary to determine which outcomes bear the most clinical significance. Benchmarking EGS systems by risk stratification of outcomes also requires further analysis. Each risk stratification system has advantages and disadvantages to use. Pathology in EGS patients suggests outcomes are dependent on the mechanism of disease, physiology of patients on presentation, as well as current comorbidities. An idealized EGS risk stratification system will provide accurate prediction from readily obtainable objective data in all EGS populations and can be used easily in clinical practice. Further research is necessary to provide integration of these factors into a user-friendly and easily applicable interface.
Multi-class fNIRS Classification of Motor Execution Tasks with Application to Brain-Computer Interfaces

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are developed to decode user’s intention from their brain activities. functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a noninvasive, low-cost, and easy-to-use neuroimaging tool to measure brain activities in BCIs. An fNIRS-based BCI algorithm receives fNIRS recordings and employs classification techniques to decode the intended tasks. Designing a BCI classification algorithm which can accurately decode user’s intention involves selection of discriminative features from fNIRS recordings and a proper classifier model. Generally speaking, a BCI algorithm which can decode multiple tasks with high accuracy from short intervals of recordings is of great interest in BCI applications.
School Effectiveness in U.S. Amid Crisis: Moral Capacity Building for Social Justice Leadership

In 1848, Horace Mann remarked, “Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance wheel of the social machinery” (para. 10). Yet, school reform, especially in large urban districts like New York and Los Angeles, seeking to equalize the human conditions of people is a grave challenge dependent upon leaders’ moral capacity. Providing all children with equitable educational opportunities is more than a challenge. It requires the commitment of politicians, parents, educators, and administrators alike (Alexander, 2018; Allen & White-Smith, 2018; Delale-O’Connor et al., 2019; Desimone et al., 2002; Dutro et al., 2002). However, research has demonstrated that teachers are in the best position to directly impact student achievement because they understand the difficulties that children face daily and can use professional knowledge to shape the curriculum to meet their needs (White-Smith, 2012a, b; Stigler & Hiebert, 1999).
Supporting Social Connectedness of Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Small and Rural Public Libraries

This article presents a national study of how small and rural public libraries supported social connectedness among older adults in the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Results suggest t...
The Gut Microbiota during a Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention

Altered gut microbiota has been linked to obesity and may influence weight loss. We are conducting an ongoing weight loss trial, comparing daily caloric restriction (DCR) to intermittent fasting (IMF) in adults who are overweight or obese. We report here an ancillary study of the gut microbiota and selected obesity-related parameters at the baseline and after the first three months of interventions. During this time, participants experienced significant improvements in clinical health measures, along with altered composition and diversity of fecal microbiota. We observed significant associations between the gut microbiota features and clinical measures, including weight and waist circumference, as well as changes in these clinical measures over time. Analysis by intervention group found between-group differences in the relative abundance of Akkermansia in response to the interventions. Our results provide insight into the impact of baseline gut microbiota on weight loss responsiveness as well as the early effects of DCR and IMF on gut microbiota.
Data-Driven Models with Applications in Crowdsourcing, Retail, and Peer-to-Peer Lending

Making predictions based on historical data has a wide range of applications. Nowadays with the advent of more and more online platforms, we are able to design various machine learning models and test them with online data. In this thesis, there are three main chapters, each focusing on a specific application of data-driven modeling problems. The first chapter is devoted to the development of rank aggregation algorithms in the setting of crowdsourcing. The basic question we want to answer is how to efficiently collect a large amount of high-quality pairwise comparisons for the ranking purpose. The second chapter focuses on designing and comparing different demand prediction models for online retail with promotions. The data obtained from online retail platforms has a distinctive hierarchical structure and our goal is to utilize such a structure to help us achieve higher prediction accuracy. Experimental evaluations on both synthetic and real data are available at the end of the chapter. Finally, the last chapter focuses on the online peer-to-peer lending market. In particular, we want to infer the impact of IPOs on firms operational behaviors. We use one firm (public) as treatment and the other one (private) as control to conduct causal inference.
The association between early country-level COVID-19 testing capacity and later COVID-19 mortality outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has overrun hospital systems while exacerbating economic hardship and food insecurity on a global scale. In an effort to understand how early action to find and control the virus is associated with cumulative outcomes, we explored how country-level testing capacity affects later COVID-19 mortality. METHODS: We used the Our World in Data database to explore testing and mortality records in 27 countries from December 31, 2019, to September 30, 2020; we applied Cox proportional hazards regression to determine the relationship between early COVID-19 testing capacity (cumulative tests per case) and later COVID-19 mortality (time to specified mortality thresholds), adjusting for country-level confounders, including median age, GDP, hospital bed capacity, population density, and nonpharmaceutical interventions. RESULTS: Higher early testing implementation, as indicated by more cumulative tests per case when mortality was still low, was associated with a lower risk for higher per capita deaths. A sample finding indicated that a higher cumulative number of tests administered per case at the time of six deaths per million persons was associated with a lower risk of reaching 15 deaths per million persons, after adjustment for all confounders (HR = 0.909; P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Countries that developed stronger COVID-19 testing capacity at early timepoints, as measured by tests administered per case identified, experienced a slower increase of deaths per capita. Thus, this study operationalizes the value of testing and provides empirical evidence that stronger testing capacity at early timepoints is associated with reduced mortality and improved pandemic control.
Dynamic service oriented architectures through semantic technology

The behavior of Department of Defense (DoD) Command and Control (C2) services is typically embedded in executable code, providing static functionality that is difficult to change. As the complexity and tempo of world events increase, C2 systems must move to a new paradigm that supports the ability to dynamically modify service behavior in complex, changing environments. Separation of service behavior from executable code provides the foundation for dynamic system behavior and agile response to real-time events. In this paper we show how semantic rule technology can be applied to express service behavior in data, thus enabling a dynamic service oriented architecture.
Synthesis of polypeptides by ring-opening polymerization of α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides.

Abstract This chapter summarizes methods for the synthesis of polypeptides by ring-opening polymerization. Traditional and recently improved methods used to polymerize α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs) for the synthesis of homopolypeptides are described. Use of these methods and strategies for the preparation of block copolypeptides and side-chain-functionalized polypeptides are also presented, as well as an analysis of the synthetic scope of different approaches. Finally, issues relating to obtaining highly functional polypeptides in pure form are detailed.
Buckling of Anisotropic Composite Plates

The Galerkin method is utilized to formulate the buckling problem of anisotropic composite plates. The plates are made from either particulate or fiber reinforced homogeneous or laminated composite material. The plates are simply supported and are subjected to combined uniform membrane loads. The effects of the various coupling responses on the plate's buckling load and the range of application of the buckling interaction equation are investigated. Verification results of this formulation with other theories and with available experimental data are presented. Design data is presented for various anisotropic plates with several aspect ratios and subjected to various loading conditions. Coupling responses have severe effects on the buckling loads when the magnitude of the coupling terms in the plate's constitutive equations is comparable to that of the uncoupling terms. Anisotropic plates can be oriented to provide maximum buckling resistance for specific applications. Laminated plates exhibit greater buckling resistance than homogeneous. The layer arrangement affects the buckling load. The buckling interaction equation predicts conservative results when the plate aspect ratio is near unity.
On the, problems of time, retrieval, of temporal, relations, causality, and co-existence

Intelligent question-answering programs do more than retrieve “raw” data; they make deductive inferences in order to return all valid responses. They report logical inconsistencies, possibly at the data input phase. Similarly, more information is requested from the user if a question asked proves to be ambiguous. A question-answering system of the above type has been designed and implemented. Besides retrieving explicit and implicit temporal relations, the system discovers potentially causal relationships which also satisfy different time restrictions. Questions concerning a generalized concept of coexistence can also be answered. It is hoped that programs of a similar nature will become of much pragmatic use to researchers in physics, chemistry, biology, and so on, in evaluating complex, interrelated experimental data. Several additional applications for this type of program are mentioned, ranging from problems in criminology to air traffic control. The Associative Memory, Parallel Processing Language, AMPPL-II, was found rather satisfactory for the project. It is finally suggested that the system being described could serve as a component in a complex cognitive mechanism.
Leveraging social foci for information seeking in social media

The rise of social media provides a great opportunity for people to reach out to their social connections to satisfy their information needs. However, generic social media platforms are not explicitly designed to assist information seeking of users. In this paper, we propose a novel framework to identify the social connections of a user able to satisfy his information needs. The information need of a social media user is subjective and personal, and we investigate the utility of his social context to identify people able to satisfy it. We present questions users post on Twitter as instances of information seeking activities in social media. We infer soft community memberships of the asker and his social connections by integrating network and content information. Drawing concepts from the social foci theory, we identify answerers who share communities with the asker w.r.t. the question. Our experiments demonstrate that the framework is effective in identifying answerers to social media questions.
A New Regularization Mechanism for the Boltzmann Equation Without Cut-Off

We apply recent results on regularity for general integro-differential equations to derive a priori estimates in Holder spaces for the space homogeneous Boltzmann equation in the non cut-off case. We also show an a priori estimate in $${L^\infty}$$ which applies in the space inhomogeneous case as well, provided that the macroscopic quantities remain bounded.
Constructible sheaves are holonomic

We develop the theory of singular support for etale sheaves on algebraic varieties over an arbitrary base field.
Teacher performance pay: Experimental evidence from Pakistan

This paper presents evidence from the first three years of a randomized controlled trial of a government-administered pilot teacher performance pay program in Punjab, Pakistan. The program offers yearly cash bonuses to teachers in a sample of public primary schools with the lowest mean student exam scores in the province. Bonuses are linked to three school-level indicators: the gain in student exam scores, the gain in school enrollment, and the level of student exam participation. Bonus receipt and size are also randomly assigned across schools according to whether or not the teacher is the school’s head. On average, the program increases school enrollment by 4.1 percent and student exam participation rates by 3.4 percentage points, both in the third year. The analysis does not find that the program increases student exam scores in any year. Mean impacts are similar across program variants. The positive mean impact on school enrollment is mainly seen in urban schools and the positive mean impact on student exam participation rates is only seen in rural schools.
Economic Efficiency and Subsidized Farm Inputs: Evidence from Malawi Maize Farmers

Although agriculture is widely regarded as a major channel through which poverty and food insecurity in Africa can be curtailed, the continent’s agricultural productivity has been abysmal. Farm input subsidy is becoming a popular policy tool that African governments are using to improve agricultural productivity. Because agricultural productivity is closely linked with efficiency in the use of existing farm inputs, this study uses stochastic frontier analysis to investigate efficiency among farmers and how it is affected by farm input subsidy programs using Malawi maize farmers as a case study. The study finds that farm input subsidy improves efficiency among farmers but even with subsidy, farmers are only 47% efficient in production. Input subsidy alone is therefore not enough to promote agricultural productivity via improvements in farmers’ efficiency. Other programs such as irrigation should be promoted along with subsidies.
Are Those Who Bring Work Home Really Working Longer Hours? Implications for BLS Productivity Measures

Advancements in information technology have increased workers’ abilities to conduct their jobs in multiple locations. An ongoing debate surrounding U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) productivity data is that offi cial productivity numbers may be overstated because of an increase in unmeasured hours worked outside the traditional workplace. To shed light on this debate, this paper examines two recent data sources for information on U.S. workers who bring work home from their primary workplace – the 2003 – 2006 American Time Use Survey (ATUS) and the 1997, 2001, and 2004 May Current Population Survey Work Schedules and Work at Home Supplements (CPS Supplement). The ATUS provides detailed information on time spent on work, work-related activities, and non-work activities on one diary day, as well as locations for these activities. The CPS Supplements provide information on the number of hours worked at home each week, whether or not workers had a formal arrangement to be paid for work at home, and reasons for working at home.
Testicular torsion and risk factors for orchiectomy.

Objective To determine risk factors for testicular loss due to testicular torsion. Design and participants Medical records of patients aged 1 to 25 years with a principal diagnosis of testicular torsion were extracted from the 1998 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Population-based rates of testicular torsion and orchiectomy were determined. Logistic regression was used to create a predictive model for orchiectomy. For comparison, medical records of patients aged 1 to 25 years with a principal diagnosis of testicular neoplasm were extracted. Results The sample comprised 436 participants. The estimated incidence of testicular torsion for males aged 1 to 25 years in the United States is 4.5 cases per 100,000 male subjects per year, and the estimated incidence of benign and malignant testicular tumors is 1.2 cases per 100,000. Of the estimated 2248 males diagnosed nationally in 1998 with testicular torsion, 762 (34%) had an orchiectomy. In the final multivariate model estimating the probability of orchiectomy, only age was significant. Conclusions For males aged 1 to 25 years, testicular torsion is more common than testicular tumors, and increasing age is the sole identifiable risk factor for orchiectomy. We suggest that health care professionals educate prepubertal male patients about testicular torsion and the necessity of seeking timely care to reduce the risk of orchiectomy and of possible subsequent reduced fertility.
Appraising workfare programs

Workfare programs aim to reduce poverty by providing low-wage work for those who need it. They are often turned to in a crisis when there is too little time for a rigorous evaluation. They are also relatively complex programs, and difficult to evaluate. The author offers some simple analytical tools for rapidly appraising workfare programs. For pedagogic purposes, the two programs are stylized versions of a range of programs found in actual practice. One is for a middle-income country (in which unemployment has risen sharply in the wake of macroeconomic stabilization and reform), the other for a low-income country (hit by severe drought). The sole objective of both programs is to reduce poverty. By rough calculations, the cost of a $1 gain to the poor is $2.50 in both cases though the same gain in current earnings would cost 50 to 100 percent more. Benefits to the poor could be greatly enhanced by design changes -- for example, switching to more labor-intensive production methods for subprojects (in the middle-income country); enhancing the indirect benefits within poor communities from the assets created; or striving for greater cost recovery from the nonpoor.
Institutional and policy analysis of river basin management: the Fraser River Basin, Canada

The authors describe and analyze a nongovernmental, multi-stakeholder, consensus-based approach to river basin management in the Fraser River basin in Canada. The Fraser River drains 238,000 km2 of British Columbia, supporting nearly 3 million residents and a diverse economy. Water management issues include water quality and allocation, flood protection, and emerging scarcity concerns in portions of the basin. The Fraser Basin Council (FBC) is a locally-initiated nongovernmental organization (NGO) with representation from public and private stakeholders. Since evolving in the 1990s from earlier programs and projects in the basin, FBC has pursued several objectives related to a broad concept of basin "sustainability" incorporating social, economic, and environmental aspects. The NGO approach has allowed FBC to match the boundaries of the entire basin, avoid some intergovernmental turf battles, and involve First Nations communities and private stakeholders in ways governmental approaches sometimes find difficult. While its NGO status means that FBC cannot implement many of the plans it agrees on and must constantly work to maintain diverse yet stable funding, FBC holds substantial esteem among basin stakeholders for its reputation for objectivity, its utility as an information sharing forum, and its success in fostering an awareness of interdependency within the basin. This paper - a product of the Agricultural and Rural Development Department - is part of a larger effort in the department to approach water policy issues in an integrated way. The study was funded by the Bank's Research Support Budget under the research project "Integrated River Basin Management and the Principle of Managing Water Resources at the Lowest Appropriate Level: When and Why Does It (Not) Work in Practice?"
Spatial Heterogeneity in Environmental Regulation Enforcement and the Firm Location Decision among U.S. Counties

We estimate a negative binomial model with fixed effects to examine the impact of spatial differences in environmental regulation on manufacturing capital flows. Using a newly available data set, we find that stricter air quality standards with respect to ozone deter births of polluting plants, suggesting that heterogeneity in regulatory standards may create a spatial browning process. We also find that spatial differences in environmental regulation do not play a role in the location decision of plants that are not pollution-intensive. Finally, we also examine the effects on capital flows with respect to three other criteria air pollutants regulated under the amendments to the Clean Air Act. We find that births of particulates-intensive manufacturers are deterred by stricter regulation with respect to particulates emissions but the location decisions of plants that emit high levels of carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide are not significantly affected by increased regulation of the respective criteria pollutant.
Exercise, Physical Activity, and Exertion over the Business Cycle

Shifts in time and income constraints over economic expansions and contractions would be expected to affect individuals' behaviors. We explore the impact of the business cycle on individuals' exercise, time use, and total physical exertion, utilizing information on 112,000 individual records from the 2003-2010 American Time Use Surveys. In doing so, we test a key causal link that has been hypothesized in the relation between unemployment and health, but not heretofore assessed. Using more precise measures of exercise (and other activities) than previous studies, we find that as work-time decreases during a recession, recreational exercise, TV-watching, sleeping, childcare, and housework increase. This, however, does not compensate for the decrease in work-related exertion due to job-loss, and total physical exertion declines. These effects are strongest among low-educated men, which is validating given that employment in the Great Recession has declined most within manufacturing, mining, and construction. We also find evidence of intra-household spillover effects, wherein individuals respond to shifts in spousal employment conditional on their own labor supply. The decrease in total physical activity during recessions is especially problematic for vulnerable populations concentrated in boom-and-bust industries, and may have longer-term effects on obesity and related health outcomes.
The Effects of Reconstruction Finance Corporation Assistance on Michigan's Banks' Survival in the 1930s

Abstract We examine the effects of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation's (RFC) loan and preferred stock programs on bank failure rates in Michigan during the period 1932–1934, which includes the important Michigan banking crisis of early 1933 and its aftermath. Using a new database on Michigan banks, we employ probit and survival duration analysis to examine the effectiveness of the RFC's loan program (the policy tool employed before March 1933) and the RFC's preferred stock purchases (the policy tool employed after March 1933) on bank failure rates. We find that RFC's purchases of preferred stock—which did not increase indebtedness or subordinate depositors—increased the chances that a bank would survive the financial crisis, but RFC loans did not. Preferred stock assistance not only contributed to loan supply by reducing failure risk; conditional on bank survival, RFC preferred stock assistance was associated with significantly higher lending by recipient banks from 1931 to 1935.