cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social stratification of general psychopathology trajectories and young adult social outcomes: A second-order growth mixture analysis over the early life course.

Abstract Background Research has documented heterogeneous developmental trajectories of specific symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, in late childhood and adolescence. Few studies, however, have examined the heterogeneity of general psychopathology (GPP) trajectories considering symptoms of anxiety, depression, and hostility in adolescence simultaneously. Identifying antecedents for distinct trajectory groups of GPP, and their respective consequences, may provide insight into the etiological underpinnings of social antecedents of different symptoms and inform the targets and timing of intervention. Methods European American target adolescents (N=444, 53% female) evaluated three domain specific symptoms (i.e., symptoms of anxiety, depression, and hostility) as well as psychosocial risks and social consequences over 10 years (from 1990 [Wave 2] to 2001 [Wave 13]). First- and second-order growth mixture models (SOGMMs) were used to identify trajectories of GPP and specific symptoms from mid-adolescence through young adulthood, as well as their predictors and consequences. Results A three-class model consisting of high and escalating (10.1%), high and decreasing (23.2%), and consistently low (66.7%) GPP emerged as the preferred solution. More predictors and outcomes were associated with membership in both the high and escalating and the high and declining classes of GPP compared to corresponding classes of the specific symptoms trajectories. Limitations Self-reported information regarding three symptoms may be a source of bias within the current study. Conclusion Our findings suggest that unified interventions and/or prevention efforts are needed to not only assess specific symptoms, but also to treat GPP in adolescence.
Osteomyelitis: Recent advances in pathophysiology and therapeutic strategies

This review article summarizes the recent advances in pathogenic mechanisms and novel therapeutic strategies for osteomyelitis, covering both periprosthetic joint infections and fracture-associated bone infections. A better understanding of the pathophysiology including the mechanisms for biofilm formation has led to new therapeutic strategies for this devastating disease. Research on novel local delivery materials with appropriate mechanical properties, lower exothermicity, controlled release of antibiotics, and absorbable scaffolding for bone regeneration is progressing rapidly. Emerging strategies for prevention, early diagnosis of low-grade infections, and innovative treatments of osteomyelitis such as biofilm disruptors and immunotherapy are highlighted in this review.
Compensating Irish Female Revolutionaries, 1916–1923

ABSTRACTThe newly released Irish Military Service Pensions Collection offers the most comprehensive opportunity to examine the role of women in the Irish revolution (1916–23) or in any comparable nationalist revolution. It is also an extremely useful source of evidence for an emerging historiographical trend of tracing the post-revolutionary lives of female veterans by examining the award of service pensions to them by that state. This article will examine the role played by gender in the award of such pensions, the economic and financial significance of them in a state that had underdeveloped welfare provision and the importance of them as a symbolic recognition of women's roles in helping to achieve Irish independence. It also compares the post-conflict experience of Irish female revolutionary veterans with women who were involved in comparable international military conflicts.
Vertical distribution of foliar biomass in western larch (Larix occidentalis)

Western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) is an endemic pioneer species in northwestern North America and unique as a deciduous conifer and the most shade-intolerant, fastest growing, and most fire-resistant species in the northwestern United States. To better understand its production ecology, we used a multilevel modeling approach to analyze the intrinsic dynamics of western larch vertical foliage distribution and compared it with other species. We found that western larch allocates foliage into a more diffuse distribution as the crown lengthens, whereas shade-tolerant evergreens concentrate foliage into a more monolayered distribution higher within the crown as it lengthens. Crown foliar biomass scaled linearly with diameter at breast height, indicating that western larch does not fill volume in the crown with foliage at an increasing rate like other conifers. Our model supports the hypothesis that foliar shade intolerance and water stress jointly influence foliage allocation in this deciduous conifer. ...
Dynamic evaluation of adrenal hypofunction.

The diagnosis of adrenal hypofunction is suggested by clinical features and confirmed by biochemical testing. The characteristic features of acute primary adrenal insufficiency include orthostatic hypotension, fever, and hypoglycemia. By contrast, patients with chronic primary adrenal insufficiency have a longer history of malaise, as well as fatigue, anorexia, diarrhea, weight loss, joint and back pain, and darkening of the skin. While the clinical presentation of secondary adrenal insufficiency is similar to that of primary adrenal insufficiency, there is no hyperpigmentation, and hypotension and orthostasis are less pronounced. As a result, patients often present with vague, non-specific symptoms and the diagnosis may not be entertained. There is considerable debate regarding the best dynamic test for the diagnosis of adrenal hypofunction. Optimally, a screening test would be economic, convenient and safe. It would have high sensitivity and specificity based on consensus criteria for interpretation. Unfortunately, to date no test meets all of these criteria. Measurement of basal cortisol is an inexpensive and convenient screening test that can include ( 19 microg/dl; 524 nmol/l) adrenal insufficiency. However, most patients will have intermediate values and will require dynamic testing. This review discusses the use of metyrapone, insulin, CRH and synthetic ACTH 1-24 as provocative agents for cortisol secretion. Although the insulin and metyrapone stimulation tests have the advantage of testing the entire hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, they are cumbersome and carry more risk than the other tests. The 250 microg ACTH test works well to identify primary adrenal hypofunction, but can only detect secondary adrenal hypofunction when there is sufficient time for the glands to atrophy because of reduced endogenous ACTH stimulation. The 1 microg ACTH test has been advocated in the setting of possible secondary adrenal insufficiency, but its widespread use has been mitigated by the lack of a commercial preparation of this small dose and controversy regarding diagnostic criteria. Ultimately, the choice of test should be individualized for each patient, with knowledge of the available reference assays and the vagaries of each test.
Radiation Transfer in a Cylindrical Vessel Containing High-Temperature Corium Aerosols

Radiation transfer is relevant to a number of key technical issues related to nuclear reactor safety studies. To gain understanding of thermal radiation transfer under hypothetical reactor accident conditions, analysis of radiation transfer in a finite length cylindrical vessel containing high-temperature aerosols that absorb, emit, and scatter thermal radiation has been performed. The fine particles are assumed to be produced by the dispersion of the reactor core debris under high pressure. The model parameters used in the calculations correspond to those proposed in the High-Pressure Melt Streaming experimental program. Results of calculations show that the extinction coefficient and the single scattering albedo of the aerosol and the emissivity of the vessel are important model parameters. The sensitivity studies have identified the radiative property data base needed to make realistic radiative transfer calculations relevant to hypothetical reactor accidents in which fine aerosol particles are generated from the core debris.
Michelle Obama as an Administrator: Reflections

Too often, the overall professional experiences of former First Lady Michelle Obama are overlooked. In this essay, Edwards addresses Obama’s background and experiences as an African American administrator. Mrs. Obama’s acquired management and leadership skills propelled her to become one of the most effective First Ladies to implement her agendas to address childhood obesity, education, veteran and family affairs on a national and international level. Mrs. Obama’s impact on girls and women of color will go down in history as one of her many outstanding achievements.
Understanding the Impact of Chicana Feminism on College Success: A Literature Review.

Chicanas and Latinas are still severely underrepresented in higher education. Much of the previous literature focuses on the barriers to their success. This article highlights studies related to Ch...
Taking a stand for metabolic health

Interrupting sitting with short bouts of walking improves glucose metabolism in overweight and obese children.
Of Microscopes and Metaphors: Visual Analogy as a Scientific Tool

Throughout history, visualizations have played a central role in articulating scientific ideas and innovation. Even though technological systems and tools enables scientists to explore increasingly more ‘abstract’ scientific domains, sometimes traditional visualization techniques are no longer adequate to guide our understanding. Analogies and conceptual metaphors have often been highlighted as a key component of scientific thinking, especially when dealing with intangible entities and phenomena. In particular, visual metaphors, such as those found in comics, seem uniquely suited to illustrate complex scientific phenomena and promote public understanding of science. This article draws an analogy between microscopes and an imaginary metaphorical apparatus, in order to explore the potential (and limitations) of visual metaphors in scientific research.
The effect of return and price adjustment policies on a retailer’s performance

Abstract Product returns cost retailers billions of dollars annually. Consumers return products they are dissatisfied with and may return and repurchase products in order to obtain a discount when temporary price drops occur. In this paper, we analyze the effect of return policies’ durations on retailers who offer periodic discounts and those that do not. We also examine the effects of offering a price adjustment protection policy and its optimal duration. We compare policies in which money-back refunds are given versus those where noncash refunds (e.g., gift cards) are used. We find that using noncash refunds can significantly reduce the cost of providing a return policy and may even make such a policy profitable. We also find that for retailers who already offer consumers periodic price discounts, offering a price adjustment policy with the same duration as the return policy can be optimal and can considerably reduce the cost of the return policy. The later assertion holds even if the price adjustment protection does not lead to an increase in demand.
Numerical analysis on autothermal steam methane reforming: Effects of catalysts arrangement and metal foam insertion

Abstract This paper presents a numerical study of hydrogen production from methane. An autothermal reforming (ATR) process which belongs to the wall coated reactors family is adopted. A methane combustion (MC) over Pt/Al2O3 catalyst provides the required heat to steam methane reforming (SMR) over Ni/Al2O3 catalyst. Aiming to attain smooth and low temperature profiles with an improvement of the reactor performances, three configurations were designed to be analyzed and compared with the same amounts of the used catalysts. In the first configuration, the MC and SMR catalysts are coated successively (similar to conventional dual-bed ATR design). In the second configuration the catalysts are parallelly deposed. Finally, in the third configuration a copper foam (CF) is inserted in the reactor to promote the heat conduction. The obtained results show that the simultaneous depletion of methane in the parallel combustor and reformer catalysts causes a smooth temperature profile. In the first arrangement, the temperature can reach a high value of 1300 °C, which can be reduced by 42.63% when using the second configuration and by 45.38% with the use of the CF. However, the hydrogen yield is not affected significantly. In fact, it is improved from 32.19% to 32.96% and 33.48% when using the first, second and third configuration respectively. Furthermore, when using the CF, the catalysts length can be reduced by 10.71% with almost the same results than that of the second configuration.
Mitral valve repair using edge-to-edge technique in various situations: real-world experiences.

OBJECTIVES Edge-to-edge (E2E) mitral valve repair (MVP) is a versatile technique used in various situations for mitral regurgitation (MR). This technique has been regaining attention, given the increasing use of the MitraClip procedure. This real-world study evaluates the durability of the E2E technique in different settings. METHODS From January 2002 to May 2015, a total of 303 patients with at least moderate MR who underwent E2E MVP were identified. Patients undergoing isolated MVP (n = 133) and concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting or other valvular procedures (N = 170) were included. Cox proportional hazards modelling was used to evaluate the risk factors for cumulative survival, or MV event (i.e. MV reintervention or MR recurrence) while event-free survival-defined as time to composite outcome of either death or MV event-was determined using competing risk Kaplan-Meier analysis. Median follow-up duration was 6.9 (interquartile range 5.8) years. RESULTS The most common MR aetiology was myxomatous (34%), followed by Barlow's disease (27.7%), and ischaemic (21.5%). E2E MVP was performed for the following indications: persistent MR (51.5%), systolic anterior motion prophylaxis (22.1%), transaortic approach (17.5%) and systolic anterior motion treatment post-MVP (8.9%). Concomitant ring annuloplasty was performed in 224 patients (73.9%). Operative mortality was 3.6% and MV event rate was 18.5%. Significant predictors of decreased survival included age, renal insufficiency, peripheral vascular disease and ischaemic MR aetiology (all P < 0.050). No ring annuloplasty (HR 2.79; P < 0.001) was the only significant predictor of MV events. Estimated event-free survival for the overall cohort was 8.5 years, and shortest for functional (non-ischaemic; 6.6 years) and ischaemic aetiology (5.5 years). CONCLUSIONS E2E repair is a versatile MVP technique, which can be used in prevention and treatment of systolic anterior motion, transaortic approach or with concomitant techniques, with reasonable outcomes. Ischaemic aetiology and absence of ring annuloplasty were associated with worse cumulative survival and MV event rates, respectively, which raises some concern in light of the expanding indication for MitraClip system.
Going Beyond the Western Pass: Chinese Folk Models of Danger and Abandonment in Songs of Separation:

From the early Qing dynasty (1644–1911) to the beginning of the People’s Republic, men in northern China from drought-prone regions of northwestern Shanxi province and northeastern Shaanxi province...
Groin hernia: a current perspective

Groin hernias are one of the major problems handled by the surgeon. At this time there appears to be some clear indications for open repair, pretty clear indications for laparoscopic repair, less clear indications for one type anesthesia or the other. There has been a major shift toward utilizing mesh in open repairs and in laparoscopic repairs with no significant increase in complications. Patients should usually be able to return to work, even at labor, within two weeks of the operation. Surgeons and patients should expect to experience a recurrence less than 2% of the time.
Mixed Mode (Mode I/III) Dynamic Fracture Initiation Toughness of Aluminum Alloy

In this study, a hybrid experimental-numerical approach is used to determine the mixed mode (mode I/III) dynamic fracture initiation toughness of aluminum alloy. Cylindrical specimens with spiral v-notch at a revolution angle of 360°and pitch angles 22.5°(inclined angles) are fabricated from aluminum rod. A torsional Hopkinson bar apparatus is used to generate and apply a dynamic torsional load on the specimens. A stereo digital image correlation is used to measure full-field displacements around the crack tip and to estimate the fracture initiation time. A commercial finite element software (ABAQUS) is used to extract a dynamic stress intensity factors based on interaction integral method. The stress distribution, full-field deformation with time, and the mixed mode fracture toughness are discussed.
Fetoplacental ratios in stillbirths and second trimester miscarriages.

An abnormal fetoplacental (F/P) ratio is a risk factor for poor pregnancy outcomes including fetal death, but studies of F/P ratio among stillbirths are limited. In the Wisconsin Stillbirth Service Program cohort of second and third trimester fetal deaths, 1,022 were at ≥24 weeks with data on fetal and placental weight. Comparison with data for viable infants of the same gestational ages (GAs) showed that the F/P ratio increases more rapidly with GA for stillbirths than for viable infants. While placentas of stillborn infants are small at all GA, weights of deceased fetuses are lowest early in the second trimester, becoming nearly normal by term. Excess high F/P ratios are noted at all GAs, increasing toward term, while low ratios are frequent at early gestation but rare near term. Analysis by cause of death shows that F/P ratios are markedly elevated for placental and maternal causes (about 50% above the 90th centile), somewhat elevated for cord accidents, non-hydropic fetal, and unknown causes (about 1/3 above the 90th centile), and variable with 40% below the 10th centile for hydropic stillbirths. Across all causes and GAs, placental weights are more abnormal than fetal weights, suggesting that diminished placental function may contribute to fetal demise even when non-placental causes (e.g., premature membrane rupture, cord accidents, and chromosomal disorders) are identified. About half of all stillbirths have abnormal F/P ratios, suggesting that improvements in prenatal assessment of placental size and function might aid in identifying pregnancies at risk for demise; unfortunately, therapeutic options for ongoing pregnancies with diminished placental function remain limited.
Faculty Development for Mastery Learning

Faculty development in the health professions historically involves knowledge and skill improvement in at least 5 domains: (a) professional development, (b) health professions education, (c) clinical and educational research, (d) professional communications, and (e) ethics—teaching and patient care. This chapter focuses on the singular domain of health professions education and uses simulation-based mastery learning as a platform to explore key concepts. Expert educator-coaches are integral to successful mastery learning (ML) curricula and require highly specific skills. Inadequate educator preparation jeopardizes the demonstrated benefits of mastery learning. This chapter presents a discussion about approaches tailored to prepare simulation educators to use a ML framework. We focus on three main areas: (a) healthcare simulation educator development in general; (b) specific learning needs for ML simulation educators including the ML knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) educators require; and (c) strategies that support educator development for ML.
"Stoma or no stoma": First report of intestinal transplantation without stoma.

Recent data suggest that frequent endoscopy and biopsy without evidence of graft dysfunction does not appear to confer survival advantage after intestinal transplantation. After abandoning protocol surveillance, endoscopic examination was decreased significantly at our center. These observations led us to question the need for stoma creation in intestinal transplantation. Herein, we report clinical outcomes of intestinal transplantation without stoma, compared to conventional transplant with stoma. Data analysis was limited to adult intestinal transplantation without liver allograft between 2015 and 2018. We compared patient and graft survival, frequency of endoscopic evaluation, episodes of acute rejection, nutritional therapy, and renal function between "Control group (with stoma)," n = 18 grafts in 16 patients and "Study group (without stoma)," n = 16 grafts in 15 patients. Overall outcome was similar between the 2 groups with respect to graft and patient survival, episodes of acute rejection, and its response to treatment. Nutritional outcomes were similar in both groups. Fewer antidiarrheal medications were required in the study group, but this did not translate into demonstrable gains in preservation of renal function, despite an apparent trend to improvement. Intestinal transplantation without stoma appears to be an acceptable practice model without obvious adverse impact on outcome.
The Quenching-Activation Behavior of the Gradient Descent Dynamics for Two-layer Neural Network Models

A numerical and phenomenological study of the gradient descent (GD) algorithm for training two-layer neural network models is carried out for different parameter regimes. It is found that there are two distinctive phases in the GD dynamics in the under-parameterized regime: An early phase in which the GD dynamics follows closely that of the corresponding random feature model, followed by a late phase in which the neurons are divided into two groups: a group of a few (maybe none) “activated” neurons that dominate the dynamics and a group of ``quenched” neurons that support the continued activation and deactivation process. In particular, when the target function can be accurately approximated by a relatively small number of neurons, this quenching-activation process biases GD to picking sparse solutions. This neural network-like behavior is continued into the mildly over-parameterized regime, in which it undergoes a transition to a random feature-like behavior where the inner-layer parameters are effectively frozen during the training process. The quenching process seems to provide a clear mechanism for ``implicit regularization''. This is qualitatively different from the GD dynamics associated with the ``mean-field'' scaling where all neurons participate equally.
Determination of safety factors for structural bamboo design applications

Use of bamboo as a construction material has world-wide potential given it is lightweight, highly-renewable, and fast-growing. The pitfall lies largely in the variability of the material properties...
Determination of black holes by boundary measurements

For a wave equation with time-independent Lorentzian metric consider an initial-boundary value problem in $\mathbb{R}\times \Omega$, where $x_0\in \mathbb{R}$, is the time variable and $\Omega$ is a bounded domain in $\mathbb{R}^n$. Let $\Gamma\subset\partial\Omega$ be a subdomain of $\partial\Omega$. We say that the boundary measurements are given on $\mathbb{R}\times\Gamma$ if we know the Dirichlet and Neumann data on $\mathbb{R}\times \Gamma$. The inverse boundary value problem consists of recovery of the metric from the boundary data. In author's previous works a localized variant of the boundary control method was developed that allows the recovery of the metric locally in a neighborhood of any point of $\Omega$ where the spatial part of the wave operator is elliptic. This allow the recovery of the metric in the exterior of the ergoregion. Our goal is to recover the black hole. In some cases the ergoregion coincides with the black hole. In the case of two space dimensions we recover the black hole inside the ergoregion assuming that the ergosphere, i.e. the boundary of the ergoregion, is not characteristic at any point of the ergosphere.
ANALYTICAL STUDY TO COMPARE CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURE OF OIL GROUP IN RURAL AND URBAN EGYPT

the research aims to study the consumption pattern of the oil group and to help decision makers and planners of production and consumption policies through indicators and results to plan, guide and rationalize their consumption due to the limited production of oils. The most important results of the study: - The study of some social factors and their effect on the average per capita expenditure on oil shows that time has a significant effect according to all social conditions studied, indicating that the consumption pattern changes according to time. And between urban and rural, there is no significant difference, indicating the compatibility of consumption patterns between them. As for social factors, the level of income and household size had a significant effect on the individual expenditure of oils for both urban and rural areas. - The results of the elasticity of the expenditure on total oils show a decrease in urban areas from rural areas, which reached about (0.57, 0.42) for the years 2010/2011 – 2014/2015, while in rural areas it was about (0.64, 0.52) for the same two years, Indicate a slight improvement in rural incomes, but both urban and rural are considered to be a necessary commodity.- The measurement of the Lorenz curve for the distribution of consumption expenditure for the urban and urban-rural areas of Egypt generally supports the fact that the urban population is more equitable in the distribution of consumption expenditure (income) from the countryside because it is closer to the line of equality. When we explain which categories are fairer, about 30% of the urban population is fair in the distribution of consumer spending, and the rest are inequitable in the distribution of their spending. While 20% of the rural population is characterized by a fair distribution of consumer spending and the rest are unfair in the distribution of their spending recommendations - The rapid measurement and follow-up of change in the standard of living, patterns and habits of consumer spending for individuals and households through regular studies. - In developing production and consumption programs, it is preferable for the decision-maker to determine the patterns of consumption expenditure for the individual and the family according to any other characteristics, except that they follow the urban or rural areas due to the convergence of consumption patterns between them.Provide a reliable database to measure the standard of living.
Data Object Exchange (DOEx) as a Method to Facilitate Intraorganizational Collaboration by Managed Data Sharing: Viewpoint.

Background: To help reduce expenses, shorten timelines, and improve the quality of final deliverables, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) and other health care systems promote sharing of expertise among informatics user groups. Traditional barriers to time-efficient sharing of expertise include difficulties in finding potential collaborators and availability of a mechanism to share expertise. Objective: We aim to describe how the VA shares expertise among its informatics groups by describing a custom-built tool, the Data Object Exchange (DOEx), along with statistics on its usage. Methods: A centrally managed web application was developed in the VA to share informatics expertise using database objects. Visitors to the site can view a catalog of objects published by other informatics user groups. Requests for subscription and publication made through the site are routed to database administrators, who then actualize the resource requests through modifications of database object permissions. Results: As of April 2019, the DOEx enabled the publication of 707 database objects to 1202 VA subscribers from 758 workgroups. Overall, over 10,000 requests are made each year regarding permissions on these shared database objects, involving diverse information. Common “flavors” of shared data include disease-specific study populations (eg, patients with asthma), common data definitions (eg, hemoglobin laboratory results), and results of complex analyses (eg, models of anticipated resource utilization). Shared database objects also enable construction of community-built data pipelines. Conclusions: To increase the efficiency of informatics user groups, a method was developed to facilitate intraorganizational collaboration by managed data sharing. The advantages of this system include (1) reduced duplication of work (thereby reducing expenses and shortening timelines) and (2) higher quality of work based on simplifying the adoption of specialized knowledge among groups.
In Vitro Fertilization in Women with Asherman's Syndrome - Comparison of Maternal and Neonatal Morbidity

Study Objective We seek to examine effects of in vitro fertilization (IVF) on the maternal and neonatal morbidities of patients previously treated for Asherman's syndrome. Design A retrospective cohort study using fertility and obstetrical data from our institution's electronic medical records. Setting A community teaching hospital affiliated with a large academic medical center. Patients or Participants 43 singleton births identified from 40 women previously treated at our institution for Asherman's syndrome. Interventions Data analysis comparing the maternal and neonatal outcomes in singleton births from Asherman's syndrome patients who had been treated with hysteroscopic adhesiolysis, then either conceived spontaneously versus IVF. Measurements and Main Results Of the 43 singleton births, 27/43 (62.8%) were conceived spontaneously and 16/43 (37.2%) were conceived through IVF. No statistical differences were found in antepartum conditions within clinical pregnancies in patients who conceived spontaneously versus through IVF. There was no difference in the rate of preterm birth in Asherman's pregnancies (11.6%) regardless of conception method. We documented 4/43 (9.3%) cases of IUGR in our study, with no difference in between spontaneous versus IVF conception groups. The rate of morbidly adherent placenta (MAP) in Asherman's syndrome patients was 14.0%, with no differences in the rate of MAP found in the two conception groups. Postpartum hemorrhage in Asherman's patients was documented at 32.6% (14/43). Newborn anatomic malformations of any cause were documented in 18.6% (8/43) of all singleton births. Conclusion Our series indicates a higher prevalence of IUGR, MAP, post-partum hemorrhage, and newborn anatomical malformations in Asherman's syndrome pregnancies compared to incidences reported in pregnancies within the general population. However, we found no significant differences in the maternal and neonatal outcomes of Asherman's syndrome patients who conceived either spontaneously or through IVF after being treated with hysteroscopic adhesiolysis.
Twin crises deepen gulf states’ policy competition and independence

A crisis often presents an opportunity for policy shift and a time to get ahead of the competition But for the Gulf Arab states, the twin crises of the Covid-19 pandemic and the collapse of oil prices in 2020 have accelerated trends already underway to differentiate their economic policies and force more aggressive responses to demands for job creation and market liberalization The Covid-19 pandemic has called upon states to intervene and support domestic economies, making the competing priorities of shrinking public sector payrolls and stimulating domestic demand all the more difficult What emerges are trade-offs that reveal leadership priorities, targeted support, and important distinctions within the ever-weakening body of the GCC on a range of policies from immigration, labor markets, fiscal programs and taxes, to monetary policy © Bristol University Press 2020
Applying clinical decision rules to paediatric cervical spine injuries: if at first you don't succeed.

> ‘Tis a lesson you should heed > > Try, try again. > > If at first you don’t succeed, > > Try, try again. > > — Thomas H Palmer Teacher’s Manual Paediatric cervical spine injuries are rare events, particularly in young children. An individual emergency provider may see less than a handful in her entire career, even as she is continuously presented with patients considered at risk for injury. In the same career, each provider will likely expose thousands of children to significant doses of radiation with an indeterminate but finite risk of inducing a downstream malignancy. Thus, with the increasing awareness of the cumulative risks associated with radiation exposure, the decision as to which patient should be radiographically studied and at what threshold often becomes an uncomfortable one. Useful clinical decision rules (CDRs) for identifying cervical spine injuries have been derived, validated and are broadly embraced for adult patients: the National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS) from the US and the Canadian C-Spine Rules (CCR).1 2 No comparable, validated paediatric decision-making tools have been created and medical providers have been largely left to extrapolate the findings of adult studies to their paediatric patients whose injuries and risks differ mechanistically and physiologically from their future selves. In an effort to provide better guidance to emergency providers, the investigators of the NEXUS trial analysed a paediatric subset with a very limited sample size (n=3065 with 30 cervical spine injuries), while the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) attempted to tackle the problem differently through a case-controlled methodology.3 4 Both of these paediatric efforts suffer significant limitations compared with the afore-mentioned large prospective observational studies. In a side-by-side comparison of these three decision tools, …
Time-dependent molecular progression and acute toxicity of oil-soluble, interfacially-active, and water-soluble species reveals their rapid formation in the photodegradation of Macondo Well Oil

Abstract Photodegradation is a significant weathering process that transforms spilled oil, yet, the fate, degradation rate, and molecular transformations that occur through photoinduced pathways remain relatively unknown. The molecular complexity combined with the increased polarity of photoproducts challenges conventional analytical techniques. Here, we catalogue the molecular progression of photochemical transformation products of Macondo Well Oil by negative-ion electrospray ionization (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). We track the molecular compositions of oil-soluble, interfacially-active, and water-soluble oil species formed at varying time intervals in photomicrocosm experiments. Short photoirradiation periods (
Design Space Exploration

If it was practical to use as many hardware resources as operations to synthesize a given behavior, then each operation could be implemented by a dedicated hardware resource. In this case, hardware sharing dependencies would not exist and the operation execution order would only be constrained by data dependencies and synchronizations. However, the assumption of dedicated hardware resources is often not appropriate for large-scale designs for two reasons. First, the size of the dedicated implementation would typically make it impractical. Second, the interconnection delays would probably not be negligible, and therefore the resulting hardware would not be the fastest achievable implementation in practice.
The existence of unavoidable sets of geographically good configurations

A set of configurations is unavoidable if every planar map contains at least one element of the set. A configuration $\mathcal{L}$ is called geographically good if whenever a member country $M$ of $\mathcal{L}$ has any three neighbors $N_{1}$, $N_{2}$, $N_{3}$ which are not members of $\mathcal{L}$ then $N_{1}$, $N_{2}$, $N_{3}$ are consecutive (in some order) about $M$. The main result is a constructive proof that there exist finite unavoidable sets of geographically good configurations. This result is the first step in an investigation of an approach towards the Four Color Conjecture.
Almost All Functions Require Exponential Energy

One potential method to attain more energy-efficient circuits with the current technology is Near-Threshold Computing, which means using less energy per gate by designing the supply voltages to be closer to the threshold voltage of transistors. However, this energy savings comes at a cost of a greater probability of gate failure, which necessitates that the circuits must be more fault-tolerant, and thus contain more gates. Thus achieving energy savings with Near-Threshold Computing involves properly balancing the energy used per gate with the number of gates used. The main result of this paper is that almost all Boolean functions require circuits that use exponential energy, even if allowed circuits using heterogeneous supply voltages. This is not an immediate consequence of Shannon’s classic result that almost all functions require exponential sized circuits of faultless gates because, as we show, the same circuit layout can compute many different functions, depending on the value of the supply voltages. The key step in the proof is to upper bound the number of different functions that one circuit layout can compute. We also show that the Boolean functions that require exponential energy are exactly the Boolean functions that require exponentially many faulty gates.
Control of Chinese rose beetle through the use of solar-powered nighttime illumination

Chinese rose beetle, Adoretus sinicus (Burmeister) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Adoretini), found in Asia and the Pacific Islands, was first reported in Hawaii (USA) in 1891. Adults feed at night on leaves of a wide range of plant species. Aggregate feeding can stunt or even kill host plants. Chinese rose beetle is one of the most serious pests of young cacao [Theobroma cacao L. (Malvaceae)] trees, and has been a problem for orchard establishment in the developing cacao industry in Hawaii. One promising pesticide-free control method takes advantage of the avoidance of light by adult beetles when they select the plant on which they will feed at night. We tested the effectiveness of nighttime illumination provided by a portable solar-based light-emitting diode spotlight system as a means of reducing beetle populations on host plants, first using castor bean, Ricinus communis L. (Euphorbiaceae), as a test plant, followed by orchard-scale testing in young cacao orchards. Using Chinese rose beetle-populated castor bean plants, counts were made of numbers of beetles on both non-illuminated and illuminated plants. Nighttime illumination suppressed beetle numbers, with increased suppression associated with extended duration of illumination (number of nights) and with increased intensity of illumination: 2.5 lux was sufficient to give >50% suppression, and 4.0 lux was sufficient to give >75% suppression over 4 nights of illumination. In cacao orchard tests, there was over 93% reduction of beetle numbers in each test orchard, following 4 nights of illumination. The results clearly show that nighttime illumination can be used as a means of reducing Chinese rose beetle population size, and presumed aggregate defoliation on a host plant. We believe that this is the first report of the use of nighttime illumination as a means of suppressing damage of plants by insects.
Customer relationship management at Harrah's entertainment

Data warehousing has significantly changed how decision making is supported in organizations. A leading application of data warehousing is customer relationship management (CRM). The power of CRM is illustrated by the experiences at Harrah's Entertainment, which has assumed a leadership role in the gaming industry through a business strategy that focuses on knowing their customers well, giving them great service, and rewarding their loyalty so that they seek out a Harrah's casino whenever and wherever they play.In 1993, changing gaming laws allowed Harrah's to expand into new markets through the building of new properties and the acquisition of other casinos. As management thought about how it could create the greatest value for its shareholders, it was decided that a brand approach should be taken. With this approach, the various casinos would operate in an integrated manner rather than as separate properties. Critical to their strategy was the need to understand and manage relationships with their customers. Harrah's had to understand where their customers gamed, how often and what games they played, how much they gambled, their profitability, and what offers would entice them to visit a Harrah's casino. Armed with this information, Harrah's could better identify specific target customer segments, respond to customers' preferences, and maximize profitability across the various casinos.In order to execute their business strategy, Harrah's made a substantial investment in information technology to create WINet. WINet sources data from casino, hotel, and event systems. The data is then integrated into a patron database that serves as an operational data store. The data store is used to support operations, such as facilitating the check-in of customers at Harrah's casinos. It is also used with "Total Rewards," Harrah's customer loyalty program. Customers accumulate reward credits based on their gaming and other activities at any Harrah's properties. These reward credits can be redeemed for cast of comps on hotel accommodations, meals, and shows. Data from the patron database is then loaded in the marketing workbench, which serves as Harrah's data warehouse. The marketing workbench supports analytical applications such as customer segmentation and profiling, and identifying customers to send offers to. WINet also provides the foundation for "closed loop marketing. " With this data-driven approach, campaigns are designed, tested, and the results retained for future use.Harrah's creative marketing, innovative uses of information technology, and operational excellence have resulted in many benefits, including a brand identity for Harrah's, consistent guest rewards and recognition across properties, a significant increase in the response rate to offers to customers, and great customer loyalty. Valuable lessons have been learned that can be applied by other companies embarking on a CRM initiative.
A review of graph theory application to the facilities layout problem

Abstract In this paper, the application of graph theory to the facilities layout problem is reviewed. The basic concepts of the approach, and its similarities and differences with respect to current approaches are examined. Previous and current work in this area is presented in a unified framework to aid in understanding the concepts and methodologies employed. The paper concludes with an evaluation of this relatively new tool, considers its limitations, and provides suggestions for research.
INSULIN RESISTANCE (IR) OF PUBERTY IS MEDIATED BY GROWTH HORMONE (OH) AMD NOT BY SEX STEROIDS (SS): STUDIES IN BOYS WITH DELAYED PUBERTY

Many factors have been invoked for the cause of pubertal IR, including GH, SS, and increasing adiposity. To determine the respective roles of GH and SS in mediating IR, we studied 24 boys with delayed puberty before and after random assignment to one of 4 research groups: Control (Ctrl), Testosterone (T) Rx, GH Rx, GH + T Rx. We quantitated the insulin sensitivity index (IS) via the mininal model approach. GH was measured Q 20 min from 2000 through 0600 via the Hybritech assay.
Optoelectronics using block copolymers

Block copolymers, either as semiconductors themselves or as structure directors, are emerging as a promising class of materials for understanding and controlling processes associated with both photovoltaic energy conversion and light emitting devices. The increasing interest in block copolymers originates not only from their potential technological advantages but also from their ability to naturally self-assemble into periodic ordered nanostructures. In this article, we emphasize methods by which block copolymer self-assembly can be utilized to rationally design and control the shape and dimension of resulting nanostructures and therefore to develop idealized morphologies. Incorporating these self-organized materials into optoelectronic device fabrication processes or directly into devices will lead to new insights into structure-property relationships and perhaps, ultimately, increases in device efficiency.
Gene therapy and stem cell therapy for cardiovascular diseases today: a model for translational research

Clinical trials looking at ways to promote myocardial regeneration have reported that the administered therapies have either neutral effects or modest benefits of questionable impact. These somewhat disappointing results should emphasize the need for translational research, with bidirectional feedback between the basic research laboratory and the clinical arena. Such a translational pathway is illustrated by the quest to find an effective therapy for restenosis, which culminated in the development of sirolimus. At this point a move away from the bedside and a return to the bench seems necessary to better understand the mechanisms of action of progenitor cells and stimulating factors. Without such basic knowledge research might be prematurely discouraged and the opportunity to fully understand the true potential of cardiovascular regenerative therapy might be missed.
Alterations of rabbit aortic smooth muscle cell proliferation in diabetes mellitus.

Objective: Diabetes mellitus is a known risk factor for atherosclerosis. Because initiation and/or progression of the atherosclerotic process is associated with alterations in vascular smooth muscle cell growth and differentiation, the present studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of diabetes mellitus on the proliferative behaviour of cultured aortic smooth muscle cells. Methods: Male New Zealand White rabbits were made diabetic with a single intravenous injection of alloxan monohydrate (100 mg·kg−1) in saline. Primary cultures of smooth muscle cells were established from thoracic aortic segments of control and diabetic rabbits and used to develop multiple cell strains. The proliferative capability of secondary cultures was determined by measurements of [3H]-thymidine incorporation into DNA, cell counts, and protein content in control and diabetic cultures. The serum dependence of cellular growth was evaluated by incubation of cultured cells in growth medium supplemented with various fetal calf serum concentrations. Results: Cultures of diabetic origin incorporated thymidine to a greater extent than control cultures. Although the efficiency of cell attachment was not different between control and diabetic cells, diabetic cells had a shorter population doubling time than control cells [41.08(SEM 4.15) h v 58.08(6.79) h] and achieved higher final densities than control cultures. The serum dependence of smooth muscle cell cultures for viability and growth was different between the two groups. Conclusions: These findings support the hypothesis that diabetes induces changes in vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation which may be associated with the onset or progression of the atherogenic process observed in diabetes. Cardiovascular Research 1993; 27 :1229-1232