cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance appraisal: essential characteristics for strategic control

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the need for and propose a more aligned and integrated standard for performance evaluation to enhance effective strategic control.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the various issues creating discontent with the performance appraisal systems within many organizations and demonstrates how these problems inhibit successful strategic control. It attempts to cogently incorporate the performance appraisal characteristics needed for the exercise to function as a critical organizational control metric and a useful feedback mechanism for strategic management of the firm.Findings – The paper finds that, whereas performance evaluation has received reasonably robust examination in the human resources literature, explicit guidance toward the integration with strategic control is inadequate. Without consistent alignment between these functions, however, performance appraisal becomes an exercise in futility instead of a vital control measurement, often...
Improvability properties of assembly systems

The problem of improvability of manufacturing systems which include the assembly of parts produced is formulated. A simple model with a Bernoulli model of machine reliability is analyzed using numerical simulations. It is shown that there exist improvability properties structural in nature. In particular, an assembly system is unimprovable with respect to the machine efficiency re-distribution if the probability of blockages of each component machines are equal to the probability starvation of the assembly machine caused by this particular component machine. The improvability with respect to the inventory re-distribution is characterized in terms of the average occupancy of the component buffers. The results obtained could be useful to guide continuous improvements project on the factory door and could serve as a source for a formal system-theoretic analysis of production systems involving the assembly.
Improved Induction of Antibodies against Key Neutralizing Epitopes by Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 gp120 DNA Prime-Protein Boost Vaccination Compared to gp120 Protein-Only Vaccination

A major challenge in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccine development is to elicit potent and broadly neutralizing antibodies that are effective against primary viral isolates. Previously, we showed that DNA prime-protein boost vaccination using HIV-1 gp120 antigens was more effective in eliciting neutralizing antibodies against primary HIV-1 isolates than was a recombinant gp120 protein-only vaccination approach. In the current study, we analyzed the difference in antibody specificities in rabbit sera elicited by these two immunization regimens using peptide enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a competitive virus capture assay. Our results indicate that a DNA prime-protein boost regimen is more effective than a protein-alone vaccination approach in inducing antibodies that target two key neutralizing domains: the V3 loop and the CD4 binding site. In particular, positive antibodies targeting several peptides that overlap with the known CD4 binding area were detected only in DNA-primed sera. Different profiles of antibody specificities provide insight into the mechanisms behind the elicitation of better neutralizing antibodies with the DNA prime-protein boost approach, and our results support the use of this approach to further optimize Env formulations for HIV vaccine development.
Game play in the learning environment: who wants to be an accountant? lawyer? economist?

The Who Wants To Be (WWTB) game is a computer-based game that can be used in a variety of classroom settings. WWTB requires students to sit in a “hot seat” and answer a series of questions. Assistance is provided to the students in the form of “lifelines.” The lifelines include: (1) the 50/50 lifeline where two wrong answers disappear; (2) the Ask the Audience lifeline where class members vote on a correct answer; and (3) the Ask Your Team lifeline where students can verbally interact with teammates. The WWTB game is functional on most computer systems. The manner in which the game can be played, the difficulty of the game, and the rules of the game are all easily modified at the instructor's discretion. An analysis of examination scores reveals that the game has been an effective learning tool in the auditing course in which it has been incorporated. The game program and database structure are available to educators on a complimentary basis through the author's website.
Coherent diffraction patterns of individual dislocation strain fields

The coherent x-ray diffraction (CXD) method is particularly attractive for understanding structures that can be represented as phase objects. Diffraction from a crystal acquires a phase whenever atoms are displaced from lattice sites, even by small fractions of an angstrom, so CXD measured around a Bragg peak is ideal for studying strain. We have succeeded in using these coherent beams to study the strain field arising from individual misfit dislocations located at an interface between a GeSi thin film and its Si(001) substrate. The data have not yet been inverted to images, but we show how the asymmetric CXD diffraction patterns can be explained qualitatively by a model phase structure.
Reaction kinetics and microgel particle size characterization of ultraviolet‐curing unsaturated polyester acrylates

The free-radical reaction kinetics and microgel formation of UV-curing unsaturated polyester acrylates were studied in terms of the effects of internal maleic and terminal acrylate unsaturations. A triacrylate-functional monomer, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, was used as the reactive diluent. A time-resolved Fourier transform infrared technique was used to evaluate the consumption of double bonds and showed that internal (maleic) double bonds were involved in microgel formation at a rate similar to that of the more reactive terminal (acrylic) double bonds. Dynamic light scattering was used to measure the microgel particle size. The introduction of internal unsaturations caused smaller microgels, whereas terminal acrylate unsaturations resulted in larger particle sizes. These results were attributed to the higher tendency of the internal maleic double bonds toward intramolecular cyclization reactions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6544–6557, 2006
The Impact and Management of Fibroids for Fertility: An Evidence-Based Approach

Fibroids affect 35% to 77% of reproductive-age women. When selecting a treatment plan for symptomatic fibroids, the fibroid location, size, and number must be considered. Myomectomy remains the preferred method for women with fibroid-related infertility who wish to have children or maintain fertility. Currently available medical therapies reduce symptoms in the short term but may involve side effects when used long term. Initial fertility studies are encouraging but trials are needed. Recent medical advances have led to minimally invasive approaches for women with fibroid disease, but there is a strong demand for additional treatment options.
Coherence Transition of Small Josephson Junctions Coupled to a Single-Mode Resonant Cavity: Connection to the Dicke Model

We calculate the thermodynamic properties of a collection of N small Josephson junctions coupled to a single-mode resonant electromagnetic cavity, at finite temperature T, using several approaches. In the first approach, we include all the quantum-mechanical levels of the junction, but treat the junction-cavity interaction using a mean-field approximation developed previously for T ¼ 0. In the other approaches, the junctions are treated including only the two lowest energy levels per junction, but with two different Hamiltonians. The first of these maps onto the Dicke model of quantum optics. The second is a modified Dicke model which contains an additional XY-like coupling between the junctions. The modified Dicke model can be treated using a mean-field theory, which in the limit of zero XY coupling gives the solution of the Dicke model in the thermodynamic limit using Glauber coherent states to represent the cavity. In all cases, for an N-independent junction-cavity coupling, there is a critical junction number N above which there is a continuous transition from incoherence to coherence with decreasing T. If the coupling scales with N so as to give a well-behaved thermodynamic limit, there is a critical minimum coupling strength for the onset of coherence. In all three models, the cavity photon occupation numbers have a
CDP Is a Repressor of Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus Expression in the Mammary Gland

Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) transcription is highest in the lactating mammary gland but is detectable in a variety of other tissues. Previous results have shown that MMTV expression is suppressed in lymphoid and other tissues through the binding of the homeodomain-containing repressor special AT-rich binding protein 1 to a negative regulatory element (NRE) in the MMTV long terminal repeat (LTR). Another homeoprotein repressor, CCAAT displacement protein (CDP), also binds to the MMTV NRE, but a role for CDP in MMTV transcriptional suppression has not yet been demonstrated. In this paper, we show that the level of CDP decreases during development of the mammary gland and that this decline in CDP level correlates with the known increase in MMTV expression observed during mammary gland differentiation. Moreover, CDP overexpression was able to suppress MMTV LTR-reporter gene activity up to 20-fold in transient-transfection assays of mouse mammary cells. To determine if this effect was due to direct binding of CDP to the promoter-proximal NRE, we performed DNase I protection assays to map two CDP-binding sites from +835 to +845 and +920 to +931 relative to the first base of the LTR. Mutations engineered into each of these sites decreased CDP binding to the proximal NRE, whereas a combination of these mutations further reduced binding. Subsequently, each of these mutations was introduced into the full-length MMTV LTR upstream of the luciferase reporter gene. Analysis of stable transfectants of LTR constructs showed that CDP binding site mutations in the proximal NRE elevated reporter gene expression two- to sixfold compared to wild-type LTR constructs. Thus, MMTV expression increases during mammary gland development, in part due to decreased CDP levels and CDP binding to the LTR. Together, these experiments provide the first evidence that CDP acts as a repressor of MMTV transcription in the mammary gland.
Randomized phase II study of gemcitabine and docetaxel compared with gemcitabine alone in patients with metastatic soft tissue sarcomas

Purpose Gemcitabine as a single agent and the combination of gemcitabine and docetaxel have activity in patients with metastatic soft tissue sarcoma. To determine if the addition of docetaxel to gemcitabine improved clinical outcome of patients with metastatic soft tissue sarcomas, we compared a fixed dose rate infusion of gemcitabine versus a lower dose of gemcitabine with docetaxel. Patients and Methods In this open-label phase II clinical trial, the primary end point was tumor response, defined as complete or partial response or stable disease lasting at least 24 weeks. A Bayesian adaptive randomization procedure was used to produce an imbalance in the randomization in favor of the superior treatment, accounting for treatment-subgroup interactions. Results One hundred nineteen of 122 randomly assigned patients had assessable outcomes. The adaptive randomization assigned 73 patients (60%) to gemcitabine-docetaxel and 49 patients (40%) to gemcitabine alone, indicating gemcitabine-docetaxel was superior. ...
Cloud Technologies for Bioinformatics Applications

Executing large number of independent jobs or jobs comprising of large number of tasks that perform minimal intertask communication is a common requirement in many domains. Various technologies ranging from classic job schedulers to the latest cloud technologies such as MapReduce can be used to execute these "many-tasks” in parallel. In this paper, we present our experience in applying two cloud technologies Apache Hadoop and Microsoft DryadLINQ to two bioinformatics applications with the above characteristics. The applications are a pairwise Alu sequence alignment application and an Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) sequence assembly program. First, we compare the performance of these cloud technologies using the above applications and also compare them with traditional MPI implementation in one application. Next, we analyze the effect of inhomogeneous data on the scheduling mechanisms of the cloud technologies. Finally, we present a comparison of performance of the cloud technologies under virtual and nonvirtual hardware platforms.
A Review of Pneumocystis Pneumonia

Pneumocystis pneumonia remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the HIV-infected population. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole remains the drug of choice for both the treatment and prevention of this infection, although a high rate of side effects in HIV-infected patients often necessitates alternative treatment regimens. This article will review pneumocystis pneumonia, with a focus on the various therapeutic options, their side effects, and the immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome as it relates to pneumocystis pneumonia infection.
Tick Burdens on Peromyscus leucopus Rafinesque and Infection of Ticks by Borrelia spp. in Virginia

Abstract The emergence of Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI) questions the validity of reported Lyme disease (LD) cases throughout the southern United States. Acute symptoms are identical, and an efficient method of diagnosis is currently unavailable, with the cause(s) in question. The etiologic agent of LD, Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted by Ixodes scapularis (Black-legged Tick), while Amblyomma americanum (Lone Star Tick) is known to carry B. lonestari, the bacterium associated with cases of STARI. Peromyscus leucopus (White-footed Mouse) is a very efficient reservoir for these bacteria and tolerant of their vectors. We sampled small ( 3 ha) forest patches in Virginia for tick densities, burdens, and infestation rates by collecting ticks by drag sampling and from mice. We also tested ticks for infection by Borrelia. Although mouse density was greater in small patches, tick densities, burdens, and infestation rates did not differ with patch size. B. burgdorferi was not d...
Dramatic Reform in the Public Service: At-Will Employment and the Creation of a New Public Workforce

As is widely known, the state of Georgia transformed its civil service system in the mid-1990s. A new performance management and pay-for-performance plan was put into place, and authority for personnel policy was significantly decentralized, but perhaps most notably, all employees hired or promoted after July 1, 1996, were placed in the state's unclassified service where they were required to serve on an at-will basis. In stark contrast, state workers hired into their positions earlier continued to enjoy an array of job protections and appeals rights as members of the traditional classified service. This article seeks to understand the impact of such dramatic public service reform on the attitudes of employees. A survey of unclassified (at-will) and classified employees conducted four years after the reforms revealed generally negative views toward the array of changes in the state's personnel policies, but interestingly, unclassified employees were significantly less negative about the full range of reforms than their classified co-workers, even when differences in age, tenure, and other factors were held constant.
Epigenetic deregulation in myeloid malignancies

Abnormal epigenetic patterning commonly is observed in cancer, including the myeloid malignancies acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. However, despite the universal nature of epigenetic deregulation, specific subtypes of myeloid disorders are associated with distinct epigenetic profiles, which accurately reflect the biologic heterogeneity of these disorders. In addition, mutations and genetic alterations of epigenetic-modifying enzymes frequently have been reported in these myeloid malignancies, emphasizing the importance of epigenetic deregulation in the initiation, progression, and outcome of these disorders. These aberrant epigenetic modifiers have become new targets for drug design, because their inhibition can potentially reverse the altered epigenetic landscapes that contribute to the development of the leukemia. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of epigenetic deregulation in leukemic transformation and their potential for therapeutic targeting.
Relationships between the neuronal sodium/potassium pump and energy metabolism. Effects of K+, Na+, and adenosine triphosphate in isolated brain synaptosomes.

The relationships between Na/K pump activity and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production were determined in isolated rat brain synaptosomes. The activity of the enzyme was modulated by altering [K+]e, [Na+]i, and [ATP]i while synaptosomal oxygen uptake and lactate production were measured simultaneously. KCl increased respiration and glycolysis with an apparent Km of about 1 mM which suggests that, at the [K+]e normally present in brain, 3.3-4 mM, the pump is near saturation with this cation. Depolarization with 6-40 mM KCl had negligible effect on ouabain-sensitive O2 uptake indicating that at the voltages involved the activity of the Na/K ATPase is largely independent of membrane potential. Increases in [Na+]i by addition of veratridine markedly enhanced glycoside-inhibitable respiration and lactate production. Calculations of the rates of ATP synthesis necessary to support the operation of the pump showed that greater than 90% of the energy was derived from oxidative phosphorylation. Consistent with this: (a) the ouabain-sensitive Rb/O2 ratio was close to 12 (i.e., Rb/ATP ratio of 2); (b) inhibition of mitochondrial ATP synthesis by Amytal resulted in a decrease in the glycoside-dependent rate of 86Rb uptake. Analyses of the mechanisms responsible for activation of the energy-producing pathways during enhanced Na and K movements indicate that glycolysis is predominantly stimulated by increase in activity of phosphofructokinase mediated via a rise in the concentrations of adenosine monophosphate [AMP] and inorganic phosphate [Pi] and a fall in the concentration of phosphocreatine [PCr]; the main moving force for the elevation in mitochondrial ATP generation is the decline in [ATP]/[ADP] [Pi] (or equivalent) and consequent readjustments in the ratio of the intramitochondrial pyridine nucleotides [( NAD]m/[NADH]m). Direct stimulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase by calcium appears to be of secondary importance. It is concluded that synaptosomal Na/K pump is fueled primarily by oxidative phosphorylation and that a fall in [ATP]/[ADP][Pi] is the chief factor responsible for increased energy production.
Distortion-tolerant 3D recognition of occluded objects using computational integral imaging

In a computational three-dimensional (3D) volumetric reconstruction integral imaging (II) system, volume pixels (voxels) of the scene are reconstructed plane by plane. Therefore, foreground occluding objects and background occluded objects can be reconstructed separately when there is enough spatial separation between the occluding object and the occluded object. Using volumetric computational II reconstruction, we are able to recognize distorted and occluded objects with correlation based recognition algorithms. We present experimental results which show recognition of 3D rotated and occluded targets in a reconstructed scene. We also show the ability of the proposed technique to recognize distorted and occluded 3D non-training targets.
Antiepileptic drug development: II. Anticonvulsant drug screening.

ummary By means of the maximal electroshock seizure (MES) test, the subcutaneous pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) seizure threshold test, and the Rotorod minimal neurotoxicity test, the Anticonvulsant Screening Project has evaluated the activity of 1,495 experimental compounds accessioned in the first 2 years. A three-screen protocol for appraising these compounds has proved reliable, fast, and inexpensive. Preliminary data show that 430 of these compounds have good anticonvulsant activity. Completed evaluations of 352 identified 16 that have anticonvulsant activity at doses less than 75 mg/kg and protective indices greater than 5.0. RESUME El Proyecto de Seleccion de Anticonvulsivos ha valorado la actividad de 1,495 compuestos que han aparecido en los liltimos 2 anos mediante el test de electroshock maximo, el test de determinacion de umbral epileptico con la inyeccion subcutanea de pentilentetrazol y el test de Rotorod de minima neuro-toxicidad. Un protocolo de tres selecciones para valorar estos compuestos ha demostrado ser fiable, rapido y economico. Los resultados preliminares muestran que 430 de estos compuestos tienen buena actividad anticonvulsiva. Evaluaciones completas de 352 productos identificaron 16 que poseen actividad antiepileptica a dosis menores de 75 mg/kg e indice protectores mayores de 5.0. RESUMEN Le programme de depistage des medicaments anti-epileptiques (anticonvulsant screening project), base sur les deux tests des crises provoqudes chez l'animal par l'electrochoc et l'injection sous-cutanee de pentylenetetrazol et sur le test Rotorod de neurotoxicity minimale, a permis d'evaluer les propriety antiepileptiques de 1,495 produits experimentes pendant les deux premieres annees de son activite. Le protocole operatoire a trois niveaux ainsi utilise s'est avere sur, rapide et economique. Les donnees prdliminaires montrent que 430 de ces produits ont une bonne propridte anticonvulsive. Une Evaluation plus complete de 352 de ces produits a permis d'en identifier 16 qui presentent une propriete anticonvulsive a des doses inferieures a 75 mg/kg et qui possedent un indice de protection supdrieur a 5.0. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Mit Hilfe des maximalen Elektroshock-Tests, des subkutanen Pentylentetrazol-Krampfschwellentests und des Rotorod minimalen Neurotoxizitats-Test wurden im Antikonvulsiva-Screening-Projekt in den ersten 2 Jahren die Aktivitat von 1,495 eingereichten Substanzen experimentell untersucht. Ein Drei-Raster-Protokoll zur Einschatzung dieser Substanzen wurde als durchfilhrbar, schnell und billig befunden. Die vorlaufigen Ergebnisse zeigen, das 430 dieser Substanzen gute antikonvulsive Wirkung haben. Die endgultige Beurteilung ergab, das 16 von 352 Substanzen eine antikonvulsive Wirkung bei Dosen unter 75 mg/kg und einen Schutzindex tiber 5.0 besitzen.
A synthesis of empirical research on the linguistic outcomes of early foreign language instruction

Early foreign language (FL) programmes have grown rapidly worldwide in the past two decades, resting on the assumption that ‘earlier is better’ for learning a FL. However, the majority of empirical studies that investigated the ‘earlier is better’ hypothesis were conducted in naturalistic immersion contexts. Given the substantial differences in the quality and quantity of input and instruction, whether or not the results in immersion contexts can be generalised to FL learning contexts remains unknown. The current study aimed to fill this gap by reviewing and synthesising 42 empirical studies published in the past 50 years that examined the age of learning effect in FL learning contexts. Overall, the synthesis revealed no solid evidence for a younger learner advantage in short-term or long-term linguistic outcomes. We conclude with implications for research and practice.
Prevalence of Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis Using High-Resolution Magnetic Resonance Angiography in the General Population: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Background and Purpose— Intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) is a common cause of stroke, but little is known about its epidemiology. We studied the prevalence of ICAS and its association with vascular risk factors using high-resolution magnetic resonance angiography in a US cardiovascular cohort. Methods— The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study recruited participants from 4 US communities from 1987 to 1989. Using stratified sampling, we selected 1980 participants from visit 5 (2011–2013) for high-resolution 3T-magnetic resonance angiography. All images were analyzed in a centralized laboratory, and ICAS was graded as: no stenosis, <50% stenosis, 50% to 69% stenosis, 70% to 99% stenosis, and complete occlusion. We calculated per-vessel and per-person prevalence of ICAS (weighted for n=6538 visit 5 participants) and also estimated the US prevalence. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify variables independently associated with ICAS. Results— Subjects who had an adequate magnetic resonance angiography (n=1765) were aged 67 to 90 years, 41% were men, 70% were white, and 29% were black. ICAS was prevalent in 31% of participants and 9% had ICAS ≥50%. Estimated US prevalence of ICAS ≥50% for 65 to 90 years old was 8% for whites and 12% for blacks. Older age, black race, higher systolic blood pressure, and higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were associated with increased odds of ICAS, whereas higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and use of cholesterol-lowering medications were associated with decreased odds of ICAS. Body mass index and smoking were not associated with ICAS. Conclusions— The prevalence of ICAS in older adults is high, and it could be a target for primary prevention of stroke and dementia in this population.
Safety of Monopolar Electrocautery in Patients With Cochlear Implants.

Objective:The outcomes of 2 patients with cochlear implants (CIs) who underwent adenotonsillectomy (AT) with inadvertent use of monopolar cautery are presented. The safety data regarding monopolar ...
Website construction and management for apiculture enterprise

The online is very important content of informalization for apiculture enterprise.The current online status of apiculture enterprises in China was analyzed via the investigation of the online rate,webpage content,design and access rates,on-line message etc.The common characters and insufficient were summarized for the construction and management of apicultural enterprise websites.Furthermore,suggestions and method was given include the early preparation,content arrangement,and webpage design,data updates,maintenance and promotion.
Detection of printable EUV mask absorber defects and defect adders by full chip optical inspection of EUV patterned wafers

The ability to rapidly detect both printable EUV mask adder defects as well as mask absorber defects across the entire mask image field is a key enabler for EUV lithography. Current optical wafer-based inspection techniques are only capable of detecting repeater defects on a Die-to-Die basis for chiplets within the image field. Larger server-type chips that encompass the entire mask image field cannot rely on such a scheme, since the presence of the defect in every die prevents their detection. In this study, a prototype optical wafer defect inspection methodology designed to detect repeater defects over the entire image field, termed Die-to-Baseline Reference Die (D2BRD), is investigated. The sensitivity of this inspection technique is demonstrated and compared to eBeam inspection over a range of defect sizes for both opaque and clear type mask absorber programmed defects. Moreover, the D2BRD methodology is used to monitor printing defect adders present in a lithographic defect test mask, as well as 7 nm metal mask layer. Using defect repeater analysis, SEM review and patch image classification of full chip wafer inspections over several mask cycles, the D2BRD scheme is shown to allow the unambiguous identification of both mask adder and absorber "native" mask defects, while suppressing random process defects. Thus, this methodology has the potential to help define the risk assessment of mask adder defects in the absence of an EUV pellicle, and can play an integral part of the wafer print protection strategy.
Comparison of stress responses in women with two types of chronic pain : Fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis

Two groups of older adult women with chronicpain were studied: 52 women with osteoarthritis (OA) and50 women with a self-identified diagnosis offibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). These participants wereadministered measures of interpersonal stress, pain, paincoping, and personality attributes. The groups werecomparable on mostdemographic variables and illnessattributes. There were no differences between groups in personality attributes, but the FMS group usedavoidance significantly more than the OA women whencoping with pain. The groups did not differ in levels ofinterpersonal stress, but those with FMS who reported more interpersonal stress had higher pain,unlike OA participants. Fewer positive interpersonalinteractions were reported by the FMS sample comparedwith the OA group, and those low scores were associated with more avoidant coping and greaterreactivity to stressful interpersonal events. Thesefindings suggest a dynamic pattern of adjustment to painthat leads to chronic difficulties. Self-imposed social isolation and other avoidant strategies ofcoping following pain episodes may lead to a reductionin close interpersonal ties. Loss of that source ofpositive social interaction appears to lead women to become more reactive to interpersonalstressors, cope more poorly with pain, and report alower overall quality of life.
The Persistence of Bumble Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Northeastern Texas

The bumble bee (Bombus spp.) fauna of Texas has been infrequently studied and few modern surveys have been conducted to assess the current status of the state's species. A significant body of research has documented declines for bumble bee species across several continents including North America. Historically, six bumble bee species have been recorded from northeastern Texas: B. griseocollis (De Geer 1773), B. bimaculatus Cresson 1863, B. impatiens Cresson 1863, B. variabilis (Cresson 1872), B. fraternus (Smith 1854), and B. pensylvanicus (De Geer 1773). Three of those (B. fraternus, B. pensylvanicus, and B. variablis) are considered potentially threatened given evidence of range-wide declines. However, the current status of these species in northeast Texas has not been addressed. In this study we perform field surveys of bumble bees in northeastern Texas and compare those data to historical specimen records to evaluate the current status of historically present species. We confirm that B. fraternus, B. griseocollis, and B. pensylvanicus persist across the study region. The remaining species, B. bimaculatus, B. impatiens, and B. variabilis, were historically rare in the study region and were not detected in the present study; the two former are on the western edge of their ranges in Texas and the latter is a cleptoparasitic species that is inherently difficult to detect. The results of this study establish current bumble bee persistence in northeast Texas and can serve as a departure point for future assessments of bumble bee species dynamics.
Leadership Presence and the Courage to Speak

This note applies the concept of "leadership presence" as established by Belle Linda Halpern and Kathy Lubar to the concerns of business leaders. Excerpt UVA-BC-0242 Feb. 27, 2012 Leadership Presence and the Courage to Speak In the Oscar-winning film, The King's Speech, the speech coach, played by Geoffrey Rush, prods with the question, “Why should I waste my time listening to you?” In a breakthrough moment, Colin Firth as King George VI exclaims, “Because I have a voice!” To which the coach knowingly replies, “Why, yes, you do.” King George VI must speak for his nation in a time of war, but he also speaks for us in the audience when he taps into his presence as a leader and summons up what I call “rhetorical courage.” You don't have to be a king or struggle with a speech impediment to identify with the debilitating fear of being caught searching for words. But as I have found in my 20 years of working with managers and leaders, underneath that anxiety and frustration lies a powerful and authentic voice waiting to emerge. What is the key to projecting your presence and leading with rhetorical courage? The answer lies in a simple but profound idea: Speaking your mind, from the heart, even when your voice shakes. . . .
Longitudinal white matter change in frontotemporal dementia subtypes and sporadic late onset Alzheimer's disease

Abstract Background Degradation of white matter microstructure has been demonstrated in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). In preparation for clinical trials, ongoing studies are investigating the utility of longitudinal brain imaging for quantification of disease progression. To date only one study has examined sample size calculations based on longitudinal changes in white matter integrity in FTLD. Objective To quantify longitudinal changes in white matter microstructural integrity in the three canonical subtypes of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and AD using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods 60 patients with clinical diagnoses of FTD, including 27 with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), 14 with non-fluent variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA), and 19 with semantic variant PPA (svPPA), as well as 19 patients with AD and 69 healthy controls were studied. We used a voxel-wise approach to calculate annual rate of change in fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) in each group using two time points approximately one year apart. Mean rates of change in FA and MD in 48 atlas-based regions-of-interest, as well as global measures of cognitive function were used to calculate sample sizes for clinical trials (80% power, alpha of 5%). Results All FTD groups showed statistically significant baseline and longitudinal white matter degeneration, with predominant involvement of frontal tracts in the bvFTD group, frontal and temporal tracts in the PPA groups and posterior tracts in the AD group. Longitudinal change in MD yielded a larger number of regions with sample sizes below 100 participants per therapeutic arm in comparison with FA. SvPPA had the smallest sample size based on change in MD in the fornix (n = 41 participants per study arm to detect a 40% effect of drug), and nfvPPA and AD had their smallest sample sizes based on rate of change in MD within the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (n = 49 for nfvPPA, and n = 23 for AD). BvFTD generally showed the largest sample size estimates (minimum n = 140 based on MD in the corpus callosum). The corpus callosum appeared to be the best region for a potential study that would include all FTD subtypes. Change in global measure of functional status (CDR box score) yielded the smallest sample size for bvFTD (n = 71), but clinical measures were inferior to white matter change for the other groups. Conclusions All three of the canonical subtypes of FTD are associated with significant change in white matter integrity over one year. These changes are consistent enough that drug effects in future clinical trials could be detected with relatively small numbers of participants. While there are some differences in regions of change across groups, the genu of the corpus callosum is a region that could be used to track progression in studies that include all subtypes.
Band alignments of graphene-like III-nitride semiconductors

Abstract Band alignment in graphene-like III-nitride semiconductors was investigated using first principles calculations and an empirical formula. We estimated the band edge positions using two simple approaches based on the energy of the band gap center (BGC) and electron affinity rules. The energy positions relative to the vacuum level were determined from the BGC and Mulliken electronegativities. These methods provided similar trends in the band lineup. The valence band and conduction band offsets determined by the first principles calculations agreed with the empirical results to within 0.5 eV. The findings suggest that the first principles and empirical methods provide a useful guide for high-throughput device design.
Placing a Lumbar Epidural Catheter

Placement of a Lumbar Epidural Catheter A lumbar epidural catheter may be used to induce anesthesia and analgesia. This video presents the indications for and contraindications to the placement of a lumbar epidural catheter, the necessary equipment, the relevant anatomy, and placement technique.
Twitter Geolocation: A Hybrid Approach

Geotagging Twitter messages is an important tool for event detection and enrichment. Despite the availability of both social media content and user network information, these two features are generally utilized separately in the methodology. In this article, we create a hybrid method that uses Twitter content and network information jointly as model features. We use Gaussian mixture models to map the raw spatial distribution of the model features to a predicted field. This approach is scalable to large datasets and provides a natural representation of model confidence. Our method is tested against other approaches and we achieve greater prediction accuracy. The model also improves both precision and coverage.
Zukunftsorientierte Führung von Einzelhandelskooperationen

Die meisten deutschen Handelskooperationen haben in den vergangenen Jahren den Weg der Zentralisierung gewahlt, um durch Machtzuwachs v.a. auf den Beschaffungsmarkten gegen die Filialisten zu bestehen. Der Erfolg der kooperierten Einzelhandler selbst liegt dagegen zumeist lediglich im Uberleben. Im Hinblick auf die abnehmende Bedeutung der nicht kooperierten Betriebe im Gesamtmarkt stellt sich die Frage, inwiefern die zentralistischen Konzeptionen der traditionellen (Lebensmittel-) Kooperationen fur den wachsenden Markt der Kooperationen in anderen Branchen ubernommen werden konnen bzw. sollen. Hier setzt das Modell der unternehmerischen Holding an, bei dem selbstandige Einzelhandler im Vordergrund der Betrachtung stehen.
Size Effects in Ferroelectric Ceramics

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the size effects in ferroelectric ceramics. The scope of applications of ferroelectric ceramics is described along with the concept of size effects in materials as well as in ferroics in a generic fashion. A chronological review of the size effects in ferroelectrics, paralleling the developments in powder synthesis and processing technology is presented. The subject is broken down into two categories—powders and ceramics (including thin films). The theoretical treatments of the size effects are grouped into generalized models, incorporating treatments of size effects for both powders and ceramics, and their strengths and shortcomings are presented. The chapter explores avenues that to explore in the future to foster the size effects research both on experimental and theoretical platforms.
The Removal of Character Education from the Public Schools and America’s Moral Decline Since 1963

This chapter examines how the US Supreme Court’s series of decisions in 1962 and 1963, declaring much religious expression unconstitutional, influenced American society. The author points out that the decisions nearly eliminated character education from the public schools because (1) this moral instruction previously had a definitively Judeo-Christian foundation and (2) school leaders were afraid to have their character instruction regarded as even the least bit religious, they retreated from including any vestige of a moral curriculum. The chapter notes that the removal of moral teaching from the public schools quickly became associated with a religious and moral decline in the nation as a whole. The author notes that it is challenging to ascertain how much of this decline resulted from the removal of vocal prayer and Bible readings from the school specifically and how much the moral decline influenced the Supreme Court decisions on this matter. The direction of causality is likely in both directions. Nevertheless, the removal of Bible reading and verbal prayer had a dramatic impact on the extent to which teachers addressed moral instruction. The author presents evidence that the removal of the Bible and character education was associated with a sudden and prolonged increase of nearly every measure of juvenile crime. The chapter then examines attempts to reintroduce character education and Bible literacy in a way that is constitutionally permissible. Finally, the author examines research on Bible literacy and character instruction in order to determine what the benefits might be.
Comorbidity of Bulimia Nervosa and Substance Abuse: Etiologies, Treatment Issues, and Treatment Approaches

Recently the comorbidity of substance abuse and eating disorders has become a concern. Treating these disorders is particularly important for bulimia nervosa, which is characterized by "binge eating and inappropriate compensatory methods to prevent weight gain" (American Psychiatric Association, 2000, p. 589). In this article we explore common pathways to the development of bulimia nervosa and substance abuse, how treatment is begun, and treatment options (cognitive behavioral therapy/coping skills training and dialectical behavioral therapy). A case study shows the application of coping skills training and dialectical behavioral therapy in clinical practice.
Effects of corridors on home range sizes and interpatch movements of three small mammal species.

Corridors are predicted to benefit populations in patchy habitats bypromoting movement, which should increase population densities, gene flow, andrecolonization of extinct patch populations. However, few investigators haveconsidered use of the total landscape, particularly the possibility ofinterpatch movement through matrix habitat, by small mammals. This studycompares home range sizes of 3 species of small mammals, the cotton mouse(Peromyscus gossypinus), old-field mouse (P.polionotus) and cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus)between patches with and without corridors. The study site was in S. Carolina,USA. Corridor presence did not have astatistically significant influence on average home range size. Habitatspecialization and sex influenced the probability of an individual movingbetween 2 patches without corridors. The results of this study suggest thatsmall mammals may be more capable of interpatch movement without corridors thanis frequently assumed.
Controlling Electrons and Protons through Theory: Molecular Electrocatalysts to Nanoparticles.

ConspectusThe development of renewable energy sources that are environmentally friendly and economical is of critical importance. The effective utilization of such energy sources relies on catalysts to facilitate the interconversion between electrical and chemical energy through multielectron, multiproton reactions. The design of effective catalysts for these types of energy conversion processes requires the ability to control the localization and movement of electrons and protons, as well as the coupling between them. Theoretical calculations, in conjunction with experimental validation and feedback, are playing a key role in these catalyst design efforts. A general theory has been developed for describing proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions, which encompass all reactions involving the coupled transfer of electrons and protons, including sequential and concerted mechanisms for multielectron, multiproton processes. In addition, computational methods have been devised to compute the input qua...
The impact of national culture on corporate adoption of environmental management practices and their effectiveness

Abstract National culture matters in business as it affects managerial attitudes, values, behaviors, and efficacy in organizations. It contributes to our understanding of environmental management issues as well. Previous studies investigating the link between national culture and environmental performance had mixed findings as they overlooked the intervening mechanism between the two—firm environmental management practice (EMP) adoption. This paper considers the missing link, lays out a complete theoretical framework, and empirically tests the effects of national culture on firm EMP adoption and EMP effectiveness. The analysis uses data collected during the 5th round of the Global Manufacturing Research Group (GMRG) survey, Hofstede cultural dimensions, and World Bank Database. Hierarchical linear models (HLMs) using the Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach are employed to examine the cross-level relationships in the framework. The study finds out that certain cultural traits are significantly related to corporate EMP adoption and how effectively EMPs are implemented after adoption. The study provides meanings insights into the role of national culture in the context of environmental management.
Does the Likely Demographics of Affordable Housing Justify NIMBYism

NIMBYism (not in my backyard) decreases the amount of affordable housing construction. A possible motivator for this is an existing homeowner’s fear that proximity to affordable housing depresses p...
Clinical Outcomes, Treatment Patterns, and Health Resource Utilization Among Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients with Germline BRCA1/2 Mutation: A Real-World Retrospective Study.

With evolving treatment guidelines for germline BRCA1/2 mutation (gBRCAm) in breast cancer, we present the latest gBRCA testing rates among metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2−) or triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Among these patients with gBRCAm, we analyzed clinical outcomes, treatment patterns, and health resource utilization (HRU). The Flatiron Health electronic health record database was used to assess gBRCA testing rates in a real-world retrospective analysis of US patients at least 18 years old with HR+/HER2− or TNBC, and with mBC diagnosed from January 2011 to February 2018. Outcomes were compared between gBRCAm patients with HR+/HER2− vs TNBC, adjusting for imbalances utilizing inverse probability treatment weighting; effects of HR+/HER2− vs TNBC on overall survival (OS) were assessed, antineoplastic treatments summarized, and HRU analyzed using t tests. The study included 12,021 mBC patients (HR+/HER2−, 10,291; TNBC, 1730). Results for gBRCA testing were available for 2005 (16.7%) patients (HR+/HER2−, 1587; TNBC, 418). A total of 229 (1.9%) patients (HR+/HER2−, 165; TNBC, 64) had gBRCAm. Significantly worse OS in gBRCAm mBC was observed in TNBC vs HR+/HER2− [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval), 0.45 (0.27–0.74); p = 0.002]. Estimated median and 4-year OS rates for gBRCAm mBC patients with either HR+/HER2− or TNBC were 38.0 months, 23.4 months and 35.6%, 21.2% respectively. The most common first-line treatment post diagnosis for gBRCAm HR+/HER2− was letrozole (8%) vs capecitabine (14%) for gBRCAm TNBC. The number of HRU treatment visits per patient per year was significantly (p < 0.05) higher among gBRCAm mBC patients with TNBC vs HR+/HER2−. Among HER2− mBC patients, gBRCA testing rates are low. Among gBRCAm HER2− mBC patients, the poor OS and HRU burden observed, especially in patients with TNBC, demonstrate an unmet need for more efficacious, targeted, and less HRU-intensive treatment options. Pfizer.
DISRUPTION OF MYOCARDIAL METABOLISM IN MULTIPLE GENERATIONS OF MICE INDUCED BY MATERNAL NUTRIENT OVERLOAD

Increased risk for cardiovascular disease is observed in the offspring of obese mothers, but its underlying mechanisms and heritability remain unknown. Based upon our observation that diet-induced obesity damages oocyte mitochondria and impairs mitophagy, we hypothesized that maternal mitochondrial