cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FTIR Mapping: Polymer Swelling and Solvent Segregation in Benzene/Cyclohexane-Polyisoprene Rubber System:

The diffusion of binary solvents of benzene and cyclohexane in polyisoprene rubber networks was observed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) mapping spectroscopy. The spatial correlation of solvent diffusion and rubber swelling was established with a temporal resolution of 5 min and spatial resolution of 15 mm. The results suggest that the binary solvents combining the penetrability of benzene and the compatibility of cyclohexane, resulted in the rubber swelling more in the mixture of these two solvents than in either solvent alone. The segregation of solvents was monitored using different volume ratios of benzene and cyclohexane and it was found that the largest segregation appears with an equal volume mixture of benzene and cyclohexane, which also corresponds to the largest rubber swelling.
Women Reformers Respond during the Depression: Battling St. Louis's Disease and Immorality

St. Louis women reformers worked to combat prostitution and educate citizens about sexually transmitted diseases during the Depression. Reformers took on problems not commonly discussed: sexuality, morality, and social disease. Women who staffed clinics, formed social hygiene committees, and promoted educational talks were also concerned with protecting monogamy and institutions of marriage and family. They elevated the professions of public health and social work, but positioned themselves as saviors of prostitutes and the working class. As long as reformers saved young women, families received blame for prostitution instead of the economy. This rationalization kept lower socioeconomic classes in place. This essay shows how city health officials and police relied on class and gender markers and visual clues of promiscuity when they could not arrest everyone with a sexually transmitted disease. It explores the way reformers elevated their professions while protecting self-interests, and failed to challeng...
Gender Differences in the Comparison of Self-Reported Disability and Performance Measures

Background Gender differences in functioning among older adults have been well documented. Differential reporting of functional problems by men and women may contribute to this observed difference. The purpose of this study was to examine the gender differences in functional ability by comparing self-reported function to observed performance of physical tasks. Methods In 1988, 1,458 men and women ages 71 and older from the New Haven site of the Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (EPESE) self-reported activities of daily living (ADL) disability and functional limitations. Subjects' ability to perform 7 tasks was observed. Gender differentials in "accurate" and "inaccurate" reporting were determined by examining comparable self-reports and performance measures. Logistic regression determined how much of the gender differential in self-reported function was explained by performance ability. Results More women than men reported disability and functional limitation, and women had poorer performance scores for every task. Compared to similar performance items, self-reports of function were accurate for the majority of men and women. However, among those who inaccurately reported function, more men than women underreported disability and more women than men overreported disability. Overall performance explains all of the gender difference in ADL disability and most of the difference in functional limitation. Conclusions These results suggest that both men and women generally report their disability accurately, and women's higher prevalence of reported functional problems is probably a reflection of true disability for most disability measures.
Bacterial swarming: a model system for studying dynamic self-assembly

Bacterial swarming is an example of dynamic self-assembly in microbiology in which the collective interaction of a population of bacterial cells leads to emergent behavior. Swarming occurs when cells interact with surfaces, reprogram their physiology and behavior, and adapt to changes in their environment by coordinating their growth and motility with other cells in the colony. This Review summarizes the salient biological and biophysical features of this system and describes our current understanding of swarming motility. We have organized this Review into four sections: (1) The biophysics and mechanisms of bacterial motility in fluids and its relevance to swarming. (2) The role of cell/molecule, cell/surface, and cell/cell interactions during swarming. (3) The changes in physiology and behavior that accompany swarming motility. (4) A concluding discussion of several interesting, unanswered questions that is particularly relevant to soft matter scientists.
Traces in proximity to gaps in return planes

Coupling between circuitry on printed circuit boards can be mitigated by a variety of well-known techniques. One such technique is to isolate circuitry in different areas of the printed circuit board by strategically placing a gap in the signal return plane. However, this technique is only effective at reducing common-impedance coupling, which is generally not a significant coupling mechanism at frequencies above 1 MHz. This paper investigates the effect of a gap located between and parallel to adjacent microstrip traces. The effect of the gap on the mutual inductance and mutual capacitance is evaluated. Laboratory measurements and numerical simulations show that gaps in the return plane are ineffective at reducing inductive and capacitive crosstalk in most configurations, and in some cases they increase the mutual coupling between printed circuit board traces.
Examining the Linkages Between Community Benefits, Place-Based Meanings, and Conservation Program Involvement: A Study Within the Community Baboon Sanctuary, Belize

Nature-based tourism and a voluntary, written conservation pledge within the Community Baboon Sanctuary, Belize, are highlighted examples of community-based conservation initiatives. Little is known, however, about perceived benefits of riparian forests (the conservation focus), the function of place attachment as an incentive to conserving forests, or the role the conservation initiatives play in managing community benefits. A survey of 135 residents investigated place-based meanings of riparian forests and the importance and attainment of perceived community and individual benefits attributed to these landscapes. Results show a significant relationship between initiative involvement and higher perceived benefits (importance) and place attachment (meanings) toward riparian forests and conservation. All residents interviewed, however, regardless of initiative involvement, agree that riparian forests are not providing economic benefits. The findings, which expand on place attachment conceptualizations, pro...
Predicting Query Performance in Domain-Specific Corpora

The performance of a document recommender system is dependent on the quality and characteristics of the query used by the recommender to retrieve relevant documents. Automatically predicting the performance of a query can help identify ineffective queries and can help improve performance by selectively applying query expansion techniques. In this paper, we study information-entropy-based measures for predicting performance of a query in the context of domain-specific corpora. We propose a new sampling mechanism that can more accurately estimate query models in domain-specific corpora and hence deliver better predictions. We evaluate the validity our technique by analyzing its performance in five different domain-specific corpora
The unifying function of leadership: shaping identity, ethics and the local rules of interaction

This article develops systems theory that relates the functions of leadership to shared identity and ethics. Using complex system leadership theory wherein leadership is defined as changing the rules governing local interactions, the theory links shared identity and ethics to those local rules. Collective identity is defined as a mechanism to actualise a shared set of local rules, and an ethical system is defined to be one which enables individuals to experience autonomy in the context of those rules while exhibiting transparency with regards the benefits and risks of participation. Because leadership impacts collective identity and thus the rules of interaction, and sometimes does so opaquely, creating and maintaining such a system is an ethical challenge for leadership. Unifying leadership is defined as the organisation level function that unites the system by shaping identity while defining and enforcing the ethical framework wherein individuals make informed autonomous choices.
Measurement of corneal sensitivity in 20 ophthalmologically normal alpacas.

Objective To determine corneal sensitivity in 20 healthy adult alpacas (40 eyes) in order to establish reference values. Design Prospective study. Animals Twenty healthy, adult alpacas. Procedures Corneal sensitivity was determined by the corneal touch threshold (CTT) using a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer. Five different regions of the cornea were evaluated (nasal, ventral, lateral, dorsal, and central). Results Corneal touch threshold values (in mm filament length) obtained from five corneal regions demonstrated varying corneal sensitivities. The central region (34.5 ± 7.1 mm) was the most sensitive, followed by the ventral (29.5 ± 7.2 mm), medial (29.3 ± 7.3 mm), dorsal (25.6 ± 6.3 mm), and lateral (21.8 ± 5.7 mm) regions. All pairwise comparisons of regional differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05), except for the comparison between the ventral and medial regions (P = 0.88). Evaluation of the CCT while controlling for age (2–5 years vs. 6–10 years) demonstrated an increased CTT with an increasing age for the central, ventral, medial and lateral regions. A decrease in the CTT of the dorsal region was noted with increasing age. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance Corneal touch threshold values in 40 eyes of 20 healthy adult alpacas were determined using a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer. This study demonstrated the central corneal region to be most sensitive. Values obtained may serve as reference values in subsequent studies.
Thin, rotating plasma disks

The MHD equilibrium of thin, rotating plasma disks is considered. An axisymmetric steady state is assumed. A corotation lag is included, as is a nonzero toroidal field with Bphi varies as rBr. Rigorous expressions are obtained for a characteristic Alfven Mach number and temperature, both of which involve vertical averages. If there is strict corotation, the temperature always diverges at large radii. If there is a corotation lag, the temperature need not diverge, and the magnetodisk solutions can extend to arbitrarily large radii. With weak additional assumptions, it is shown that M sub A is less than 2 exp 1/2 for a mainly poloidal field and M sub A is less than unity for a mainly toroidal field. For the Jovian magnetodisk, M sub A = 0.8 from Voyager 1 inbound data, and the observation of a temperature nearly constant or slowly decreasing with r from 20 R sub J to 80 R sub J on the outbound pass implies a corotation lag there.
The physician as an evolving moral actor.

Introduction to the October 2011 issue of Virtual Mentor on the topic of physicians as citizens.
Application of the cluster analysis of rank order instead of original index values

Objective:To discuss the feasibility of doing cluster analysis by using rank order instead of original index values so as order to provide credible theory for classification management of health surveillance. Methods:Cluster analysis was used to analyze standardized rank order of the examples and original index values respectively. Results:The result of cluster analysis of rank order was similar with that of original index values .Conclusion:Compared with using original index values, rank order method can make the data analysis more easier, in the meanwhile, the result can reflect that of original index values method. It deserved to be referenced on classification management as well.
Tests of frustration theory extended to the generalized PRE

Within the context of frustration theory, Amsel and his associates (1966, 1968) offer two explanations for the finding that PRE-like extinction is obtained with both CRF and PRF conditions in a within-S design. Both hypotheses were put to partial tests in the present study and support was found for the “;stimulus generalization”; notion but not for the “;generalization of persistence effect“; notion.
DIFFUSION DURING THE COAGULATION PROCESS OF WET SPINNING OF ACRYLIC FIBERS (I) MATHEMATICAL APPROACH

The coagulation of viscous polymer solutions by diffusional interchange in a coagulation bath is an important step for fiber formation of wet-spun acrylic fibers. The analytical method to handle the coagulation process was investigated and it is pointed out that several equations derived so far for calculating the apparent diffusion coefficients of solvent and/or coagulant are not adequate, since the effect of contraction of the fiber during coagulation is not taken into account and under certain conditions, the equations become invalid.Therefore, the author has studied an adequate equation for calculating apparent diffusion coefficient of solvent, which is based on the amount of solvent transferred from the inside of fibers to the coagulation bath instead of the amount of solvent remaining in the fibers. The equation is expressed by: where t is the time, R the raduis of the fiber, λn the root of zero-th order Bessel function Jo (λn)=0, DLthe diffusion coefficient of the solvent.
An Occupation and Participation Approach to Reading Intervention (OPARI) part II: Pilot clinical application

ABSTRACTThe Occupation and Participation Approach to Reading Intervention (OPARI) is an intervention approach for children with reading difficulties that emphasizes reading as an important occupation of children. Part I presented the theoretical basis of the OPARI. Part II describes a pilot clinical application of the OPARI. Guided by Schkade and Schultz’s Occupational Adaptation model (OA; 2003) and blended with principles from the Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance treatment approach (CO-OP; Polatajko & Mandich, 2004) the essential elements of the OPARI were actualized in an 8-week intervention program. The program included small group and individual therapy sessions twice a week and therapist-teacher-parent collaborations. Five children participated and were evaluated using three standardized assessments of reading, the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), and a descriptive measure of reading participation. Qualitative data from parent reading log journals, teacher com...
Analysis of the causes of death of the elderly in Xicheng district of Beijing during 2003-2012

Objective To analyze the causes of death of the elderly in Xicheng District( the northern region) in Beijing and to provide strategies for disease prevention and control in the future. Methods The mortality related data of the elderly from 2003 to 2012 were collected from the medical institutions and 10 community police substations in Beijing,and the data of new born babies and 100-years old people were collected from Information Centre of Beijing CDC. All the diseases were coded according to ICD-10. Results In Xicheng district( the northern region),old people accounted for18. 88% of the population,and the elderly population accounted for 85. 54% of the total dead population. The top three causes of the death were circulation system diseases,cancers,and respiratory diseases. From 2003 to 2012,the mortality rates induced by gastric cancer,colorectal and anal cancer,lung cancer,heart disease,pneumonia increased in the elderly( P0.05). Conclusions It is urgent to take effective measures to improve disease prevention work and enhance the living quality of the elderly people in Xicheng District( the northern region) in Beijing.
Significance of Serum Laboratory Markers in Liver Fibrosis Diagnosis

Objective To further explore the relationship between the progress of liver fibrosis and the levels of serum laboratory markers. Method Serum levels of hyaluronic acid (HA), Laminin (LN), collagen-Ⅳ(IV-C), collagen-Ⅲ(PC-Ⅲ), liver cholic acid (CG), prolinase (PLD), monoamine oxidase (MAO), procollagen-I peptide(PICP) in 30 normal controls and 60 patients with liver fibrosis were measured by radio-immuno-assay and chemiluminescence methods. Results Serum levels of HA, IV-C, PCⅢ, CG in patients with mild liver fibrosis were significantly higher than in normal controls (P0.01). Serum levels of HA, LN, IV-C, PCⅢ, CG, PICP in patients with moderate liver fibrosis were significantly higher than those in normal controls (P0.01). Serum levels of HA, LN, IV-C, PCⅢ, CG, PLD, MAO and PICP in patients with severe liver fibrosis were significantly higher than those in normal controls (P0.01). Conclusions To combine the detection of serum levels of HA, LN, IV-C, PCⅢ, CG, PLD, MAO, PICP has a certain value for liver fibrosis diagnosis, especially for monitoring of liver fibrosis progression. Correlation was also found between the levels of these serum markers and the disease extent of liver fibrosis. Further study is still needed to determine if the serum markers can replace liver biopsy (the "golden standard") in liver fibrosis diagnosis
Adenosylcobalamin Analogues as Inhibitors of Ribonucleotide Reductase and Vitamin B12 Transport

Nucleoside analogues of 59-deoxy-59-adenosylcobalamin have been synthesized by reduction of cyanocobalamin with zinc in ammonium chloride, followed by reaction with the 59-chloro derivatives of inosine, thioinosine (6-mercaptopurine riboside), adenine arabinoside, cytosine arabinoside, 2-fluoroadenosine, homoadenosine, 1,N6-ethenoadenosine, tubercidin, and formycin. These analogues, several alkylcobalamins (CH3-, CCl2F-, CClF2, aminoethyl-, and carboxypentyl-), and adenosyl- and methylcobinamide were tested as inhibitors of the adenosylcobalamin-dependent ribonucleotide reductase (EC 1.17.4.2) from Lactobacillus leichmannii. The fluoroadenosine derivative had full coenzymatic activity (Km = 6.7 x 10-7 M), but all the other cobalamin analogues were inhibitory; most effective were the formycin (Ki, = 1.0 x 10-6 M) and adenine arabinoside (Ki = 3.0 x 10-6 M) analogues. The cobinamides were very weak inhibitors. When tested as inhibitors of the transcobalamin II-mediated transport of vitamin B12 into L1210 cells, all the cobalamins were effective competitors (50% inhibition at analogue to vitamin B12 ratios of less than 10). The cobinamides, however, were poor inhibitors of vitamin B12 transport.
So close, so far: differences in long-term chlorophyll a variability in three nearby estuarine-coastal stations

ABSTRACTThree sampling stations located in the inner Patos Lagoon estuary, the lagoon’s mouth and the adjacent coastal beach were visited monthly from the end of 1992 until 2014. The stations are in close proximity, but are distributed along saline and hydrological gradients and had never previously been analysed together. Our main questions were: (1) Are the monthly, seasonal and interannual variations in chlorophyll a (Chl a) similar for the three stations? (2) Is there any type of connectivity among the sites? (3) What forces are responsible for controlling phytoplankton variability at these stations? The three stations showed distinct Chl a variability patterns, with higher concentration and variability at the beach station, where the seasonal variation presented higher values between May and October, seemingly out of phase with the estuarine station, where higher values occurred between September and January. The lagoon's mouth station acted as a transit region and incorporated the variability of the...
The Structure of the Commands for a Neuropeptide-Mediated Behavior, Egg-Laying, in an Opisthobranch Mollusc

This paper is concerned with the structure of the commands and the neural program for the innate reproductive act of egg-laying in the opisthobranch mollusc Aplysia. Our lab has purified three peptides that initiate egg-laying and the primary structure of these peptides has been determined [1, 2]. Recently, the genes for these three peptides have been cloned by Scheller et al. [3]. The nucleotide sequences confirm the primary structure data obtained on the three peptides and show that there are relationships among the three genes.
National Quality Forum Metrics for Thoracic Surgery.

The National Quality Forum (NQF) is a multistakeholder, nonprofit, membership-based organization improving health care through preferential use of valid performance measures. NQF-endorsed measures are considered the gold standard for health care measurement in the United States. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons is the steward of the only six NQF-endorsed general thoracic surgery measures. These measures include one structure measure (participation in a national general thoracic surgery database), two process measures (recording of clinical stage and recording performance status before lung and esophageal resections), and three outcome measures (risk-adjusted morbidity and mortality after lung and esophageal resections and risk-adjusted length of stay greater than 14 days after lobectomy).
A rare highly aggressive tumour: lymphoepithelioma-like thymic carcinoma.

Lymphoepithelioma-likethymic carcinoma is a rare neoplasm that presents with compressive symptoms or as an incidental radiological finding of an anterior mediastinal mass. It is an aggressive carcinoma with a high rate of invasion, metastasis and recurrence. Its diagnosis usually carries a poor prognosis largely due to propensity for late diagnosis. To date, guidance for treatment remains limited. This is a case of lymphoepithelioma-like thymic carcinoma in a young male adult who presented initially with back pain. Despite prompt initiation of chemotherapy with cisplatin, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, he had a complicated hospital course leading to demise within 2 months of diagnosis.
Mind-Body Therapies for African-American Women at Risk for Cardiometabolic Disease: A Systematic Review.

Background. A major determinant in cardiometabolic health is metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of symptoms that portend the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). As mind-body therapies are thought to help in lowering physiological and environmental CVD risk factors including blood pressure and psychological stress, they may also be beneficial for the primary prevention of CVD. Objectives. To synthesize and summarize existing knowledge on the effectiveness of mind-body therapies on MetS outcomes in African-American (AA) women, a US subpopulation at high risk for CVD. Search Methods. A systematic search of eight databases was conducted in order to identify published papers addressing the topic. We included trials involving AA adult women, ages 18–64, and we included RCTs that involved multifactorial interventions. Outcomes of interest were MetS, chronic disease, and CVD risk factors (blood pressure, blood lipids, blood glucose, BMI, waist circumference, and mental health domains). Two authors independently selected trials for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed risks of bias. Main Results. We identified five trials for inclusion in this review. One study reported outcomes associated with the full MetS symptom cluster. The included trials were small, short term, and at high risk of bias. All interventions lasted at least 6 weeks.
The Interpretation of DPS

The present chapter explores the preferences perceivers exhibit when a phrase might be interpreted in more than one way, focusing on the interpretation of Determiner Phrases (DPs).
THE THREE DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE ENZYMATIC PLANT TOXIN RICIN

ABSTRACT Ricin is the most thoroughly studied example of a class of enzymatic toxins isolated from higher plants. The intact toxin has a 30,000 dalton cell surface recognition protein (B chain) linked by a disulfide bond to a 30,000 dalton enzyme (A chain) which attacks eucaryotic ribosomes, inactivating them by removing a single adenine; base. The X-ray crystal structure has been solved to 2.8A resolution. It reveals that B chain is a dumbbell shaped structure in which each domain binds cell surface galactosides. In each domain, galactose binds by lying roughly parallel to an aromatic side chain of the protein, while specific hydrogen bonds are formed between the protein and the hydroxyl groups of the sugar. The A chain is more globular in shape and sits between the two domains of B chain. A chain has a pronounced cleft which binds the adenine product of its catalytic reaction. The cleft also contain many residues conserved in a variety of related proteins, which helps confirm that the binding and catalytic site for the N-deglycosidation reaction has been identified.
Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of death in the USA, and a burden that is estimated to overtake all other causes of mortality worldwide by the year 2020 [1]. Marked advances have been made in recent years to better understand the pathophysiology of CHD and to develop scoring systems that can integrate risk factors to estimate an individual’s risk of future cardiovascular (CV) events. Risk factors for CHD are divided into modifiable (smoking, hypertension, lipid abnormalities, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle) and nonmodifiable (age, male gender, genetic factors, ethnicity). Interventions aimed at prevention can be divided into primary (disease prevention in patients without overt cardiovascular disease) as opposed to secondary, when dealing with those with known cardiovascular disease (CVD). The following is an overview of interventions aimed at prevention of CHD.
The effect of task complexity and expert system type on the acquisition of procedural knowledge: Some new evidence

Abstract Prior studies in accounting examining the effect of expert system use on procedural knowledge acquisition have reported that providing feedback in the form of rules, text explanation, or examples had no incremental effect on procedural knowledge acquisition. This finding is contrary to literature in psychology regarding the impact of feedback on knowledge acquisition. One of the reasons that the accounting literature may not show that feedback impacts knowledge acquisition relates to task complexity. Simple tasks require little processing on the part of the decision-maker and may not lead to learning effects even when feedback is provided. On the other hand, feedback coupled with complex tasks that require increased processing may help the decision-maker learn more about task completion causing knowledge acquisition to occur. This study extends previous research by examining whether task complexity and the type of feedback provided by an expert system affect the acquisition of procedural knowledge. This issue is important since procedural knowledge acquisition may differ between certain combinations of tasks and expert system types. This study manipulates both task complexity and the type of feedback provided by an expert system. The findings indicate that task complexity plays a major role in the acquisition of procedural knowledge for expert system users. Subjects in the expert system groups who evaluated the complex cases acquired a significantly greater amount of procedural knowledge than subjects who evaluated the simple cases. As predicted, there was no difference in amount of procedural knowledge acquired between subjects in the control groups regardless whether the task was simple or complex. Results also qualify findings of previous research in noting that acquisition of procedural knowledge only significantly differed between expert system users and the control group when the task was complex. These findings indicate that, of the two components, feedback and task complexity, task complexity plays the more important role in affecting procedural knowledge acquisition.
Are there Sex Differences in Confidence and Metacognitive Monitoring Accuracy for Everyday, Academic, and Psychometrically Measured Spatial Ability?

Abstract The current study evaluated sex differences in (1) self-perceptions of everyday and academic spatial ability, and (2) metacognitive monitoring accuracy for measures of spatial visualization and spatial orientation. Undergraduate students completed the Paper Folding Test, Spatial Relations Test, and the Revised Purdue Spatial Visualization Test while making confidence judgments (CJs) for each trial. They also made global estimates of performance and rated their ability to perform several everyday and academic spatial scenarios. Across multiple spatial measures, female students displayed lower confidence in their item-level monitoring and global assessments of performance than did male students, even when no actual differences in spatial performance occurred. Women were also less confident in their self-assessments of their visual-spatial ability for scientific domains than were men. However, the absolute and relative accuracy of CJs did not differ as a function of sex suggesting that women can monitor their spatial performance as well as men.
PATTERN RECOGNITION AND PATTERN-DIRECTED INFERENCE IN A PROGRAM FOR PLAYING GO1

Skilled human Go play presumes the ability to recognize and make inferences from many different kinds of complex patterns. The Go playing program described here deals with these various pattern recognition activities in terms of a small set of basic scanning and recognition mechanisms. All of the program's inference processes are defined with respect to these mechanisms. The treatment of pattern similarity is conservative. Novel configurations are broken down into subpatterns, and subsequent inferences regarding such configurations are based upon the properties of the subpatterns and the relations among them. The basic functions carried out by the recognition and inference system include establishing appropriate multilevel pattern organizations; maintaining and updating pattern interrelations as the board situation changes; recognizing configurational identities and similarities; monitoring and filtering situational changes with respect to their implications for higher-level planning and problem solving functions; and providing predictively useful pattern information for planning. Although still very weak by human standards, the program is demonstrably stronger than previous Go programs. In particular, tests of its performance resulted in the first reported win by a program against a nonnovice human player.
Retention time prediction in thermally modulated comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography: Correcting second dimension retention time modeling error

Thermodynamic retention modeling to a thermally modulated comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) system run under constant flow is performed. Significant errors in modeled second dimension retention time (tr,2) were observed, in line with past work on thermally modulated GC × GC modeling. A comprehensive study of tr,2 modeling error for alkane separations across a wide range of heating ramp rates and carrier gas flow rates was performed. Modeling errors were found to be systematic and a function of analyte elution temperature and mobile phase velocity. A model to account for these systematic errors was generated, and associated coefficients were determined which reduced average tr,2 retention time error in 144 hydrocarbon separations by an order of magnitude resulting in significant improvement in prediction accuracy. The model was used to correct the separation of 139 Grob mix analyte separations, providing an average tr,2 modeling error of 0.030 ± 0.022 s. The model successfully predicted the separation of n-alkanes on a longer second dimension column configuration.
Impact of socioeconomic markers on parents' retention of pediatric oncology home care education: A pilot study.

Little is known about the extent to which parents retain the education on how to manage home medical emergencies. We sought to describe retention of pediatric oncology home care education (POHCE) in a cohort of 24 parents of newly diagnosed children with cancer and investigate sociodemographic disparities in this retention. We measured retention using a vignette-based survey instrument. The mean score was 4 (range 0-6, SD = 1.6) and parents with high school only education and those with limited cancer health literacy scored lowest (2.5 and 2.8, respectively). Future POHCE interventions can focus on parents' literacy and education levels as predictors to tailor alternative education strategies.
How Autonomous Vehicles are Enhancing Ocean Science

The use of autonomous vehicles (AUVs) can greatly increase the efficiency of science campaigns, reduce human impact and effort, and provide a more tractable expansion of ocean observing systems. This paper highlights a variety of autonomous vehicles and their contributions to specific science applications. We also explore ongoing development projects and the role autonomous systems will play in the future. Over the past decade, the operational domain of autonomous vehicles has expanded to higher complexity tasks with less power required to achieve them. Hundreds of autonomous vehicles are now available to the science community, and their growing ability to carry highly specific and complex payloads for longer durations is transforming how ocean scientists do research. This paper focuses on two broad areas where autonomous vehicles have provided significant value: time-series observations and ocean feature detection and observation.
Aligning employees’ attitudes and behavior with hospitality brands: The role of employee brand internalization

Abstract Benefits of having unique hospitality brands can only be achieved to the extent that employees are knowledgeable and capable of aligning with, and demonstrating those brand values in their thoughts and actions during service encounters. To facilitate this, informed by organizational learning literature, motivation and social exchange theories, we propose and examine an employee brand internalization mechanism with a US-based hotel employee sample. With strong results, we suggest that regardless of organizational size or resources, hospitality organizations that seek to build a respectful and trusting social environment which promotes positive social exchanges with employees, stimulates employee internalization of the brand which enables the development of employee extra-role brand-aligned attitudes and behavior.
Thymic Education of Human T Cells and Regulatory T Cell Development in Humanized Mice

The thymus is an organ that generates and educates T cells, supplying T subsets that ensure adaptive immunity and self-tolerance. Intrathymic positive selection of T cells with further post-thymic maturation and signaling provided by peripheral antigen-presenting cells (APCs) sustains a functional and regulated T cell pool. Intrathymic negative selection and generation of natural regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the thymus are essential to contain T cell autoimmunity. Humanized mouse models provide a unique opportunity to investigate these processes and their underlying mechanisms. Humanized mice can be generated by injecting human hematopoietic stem cells, with or without cotransplantation of fetal thymic tissue, to immunodeficient mice. Human thymopoiesis and T cell development in the former and latter models occur in the recipient mouse thymus and human thymic grafts, respectively. In this chapter, we summarize information on human T cell development, post-thymic interactions between T cells and APCs, as well as mechanisms maintaining tolerance that has been learned from these humanized mouse models.
Clientelism and dominant incumbent parties: party competition in an urban Turkish neighbourhood

ABSTRACTIncumbent parties are often able to control state resources in ways that allow them to garner support in a clientelistic fashion. When regulatory institutions cannot restrain the incumbent’...
Fault Detection of Switch Mode Power Converters Based on Radiated EMI Analysis

In this paper, a new diagnostic method based on electromagnetic interference (EMI) for fault detection in DC-DC converters is proposed. Since pulse width modulated (PWM) signals are the main EMI sources in converters, the difference between the EMI radiated from a healthy and a faulty circuit is used as the signature for switch fault diagnosing in DC-DC converters. In this paper, the EMI radiated from a synchronous rectification (SR) boost converter has been analyzed and tested for switch fault diagnosis purposes.
Angular Photodiode Array for the Identification of Colorectal Carcinoma by Mie Scatter

Cancer tissues differ from normal tissues in a myriad of ways including cellular changes in size, morphology, and type/density of membrane and cytosolic proteins, which will accordingly change the refractive index of cells. There are also important differences in tissue organization, perhaps most notably the increase and morphologic changes in capillary vessels and extracellular matrix organization. Our laboratory has recently developed a novel technology and early prototype that can be used to detect some of these physiologic changes by collecting the light scattering intensities over a range of scattering angles from animal and human colonic tissues. To classify tumors, we employed multivariate analysis tools including Principal Component Analysis and Support Vector Machines to help discriminate between healthy and cancerous tissue samples. The preliminary results revealed a consistent and relatively accurate classification of tissues. These findings show promise for the noninvasive, label free, low cost, and rapid (under a minute) detection of surface tumors.
Titration of sevoflurane anesthesia to optimize the time to regain airway reflexes in patients undergoing elective surgery: a randomized clinical trial comparing desflurane and sevoflurane anesthesia.

Background Desflurane has adverse environmental effects, but has clinical advantages to speed emergence and return of protective airway reflexes compared with sevoflurane. We hypothesized that weaning of the inspired sevoflurane during the final 15 minutes of surgery would eliminate differences in airway reflex recovery between these agents. Methods After obtaining IRB approval and informed consent, 40 patients undergoing elective surgery (≥1-hour) randomly received desflurane or sevoflurane. Patients swallowed 20 mL of water without drooling or coughing, and then received sedation and PONV pre-medication. Anesthesia was induced using propofol and fentanyl and maintained with desflurane or sevoflurane through a laryngeal mask airway maintaining a bispectral index of 45-50 and 50-60 during the final 15 minutes before surgery end. Cardiorespiratory variables and age-adjusted minimal alveolar concentration were recorded. The duration between anesthetic discontinuation and first appropriate response to command was measured; the laryngeal mask airway was removed. Two minutes after responding to command, patients were positioned semi-upright and attempted to swallow water. If successful swallowing was not achieved, the test was repeated every 4 minutes after each failure until successful swallowing was achieved. Results Average anesthetic concentration and bispectral index was similar in patients receiving desflurane vs sevoflurane. Response times after discontinuation of anesthetics were similar. There were no differences in the recovery of swallowing ability between desflurane and sevoflurane groups. Conclusion Weaning of sevoflurane during the final 15 minutes of surgery eliminates clinical advantages of the more rapid return of airway reflexes with desflurane.
Abrogation of Public Trust in the Protected Lands of the Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley

The Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley’s (LGRV) protected lands are at risk from the construction of President Trump’s border wall. The Real ID Act of 2005 granted the executive branch unprecedented pow...
RAS-mutated sporadic medullary thyroid cancer: A single-center experience.

6584Background: Activating RAS mutations are recognized as important drivers in sporadic medullary thyroid cancer (sMTC), with a reported prevalence between 0-43%. However, few studies have looked ...
Clonal evolution with acquisition of BCR-ABL1 in refractory acute myeloid leukemia post therapy with FLT3-inhibitor.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a molecularly heterogeneous neoplasm that poses a substantial therapeutic challenge. Karyotype remains one of the most important prognostic factors in AML, but in re...
Superconductivity due to cooperation of electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions at quarter filling

The authors present quantum Monte Carlo data for a frustrated Hubbard model with Su-Schrieffer-Heeger electron-phonon interactions. The results show that the onsite Coulomb interaction and electron-phonon interactions cooperatively enhance superconducting pair-pair correlations when the electron density is one-half per site, corresponding to the quarter-filled band. The paper discusses how cooperative interactions can help explain superconductivity in the organic charge-transfer solids and other unconventional superconductors
Federalism, Democracy, and the 2020 Election

In the aftermath of the 2020 election, the United States has experienced an anti-democratic crisis, with a chief executive attempting to delegitimize the general election and declare victory in an election that all impartial observers stated he lost. In comparative terms, the U.S. election system has been much maligned – it is highly localized and partisan, and lacks the independent, apex institutions such as electoral tribunals that are characteristic of many modern democracies. This brief essay builds off our recent joint work on federalism to argue that state and local governments, which administer elections and have refuted claims of widespread voter fraud, are serving as important bulwarks against this threat. By separating and dispersing the functions of governance—the day to day work of governing—U.S. federalism provides protection against authoritarianism. The decentralization of authority over elections offers one particularly dramatic example of this dynamic in action. Indeed, the U.S. model of dispersing core functions, although messy and costly in other ways, may have important advantages in some contexts over the alternative model of centralized, apex institutions, especially by reducing vulnerability to capture.
Evaluating the Clinical Utility and Cost of Imaging Strategies in Adults with Newly Diagnosed Primary Intradural Spinal Tumors

Objective In patients with new primary intradural spinal tumors, the best screening strategy for additional central nervous system (CNS) lesions is unclear. The goal of this study was to document the rate of additional CNS tumors in these patients. Methods Adults with primary intradural spinal tumors were retrospectively reviewed. Imaging strategy at diagnosis was classified as focused spine (cervical, thoracic, or lumbar), total spine, or complete neuraxis (brain and total spine). Tumor pathology, genetic syndromes, and presence of additional CNS lesions at diagnosis or follow-up were collected. Results The study comprised 319 patients with mean age of 51 years and mean follow-up of 41 months. In 151 patients with focused spine imaging, 3 (2.0%) were found to have new lesions with 2 (1.4%) requiring treatment. In 35 patients with total spine imaging, there were no additional lesions. In 133 patients with complete neuraxis imaging, 4 (3.0%) were found to have new lesions with 2 (1.5%) requiring treatment. There was no difference in the identification of new lesions (P = 0.542) or new lesions requiring treatment (P = 0.772) across imaging strategies. Among patients without genetic syndromes, rates of new lesions requiring treatment were 1.4% for focused spine, 0% for total spine, and 2.2% for complete neuraxis (P = 0.683). There were no cases of delayed identification causing risk to life or neurological function. Complete neuraxis imaging carried an increased charge of $4420 per patient. Conclusions Among patients without an underlying genetic syndrome, the likelihood of identifying additional CNS lesions requiring treatment is low. In appropriate cases, focused spine imaging may be a more cost-effective strategy.
Efecto de la instrucción de estrategias cognitivas en la precisión del monitoreo metacognitivo de los alumnos universitarios estadounidenses

Antecedentes: El monitoreo, como componente de regulacion de la metacognicion, es un aspecto esencial del aprendizaje autorregulado. El monitoreo se reconoce como la capacidad del alumno para comprender con exito lo que esta aprendiendo y, por lo general, implica actividades metacognitivas como preguntas, reflexiones, inferencias y retroalimentacion autogenerada. Sin embargo, pocos estudios hasta la fecha han examinado la influencia de la capacitacion en estrategias cognitivas para la precision del monitoreo metacognitivo de los alumnos. Objetivo: La presente investigacion exploro el efecto del capacitacion en estrategias cognitivas para la precision del monitoreo metacognitivo de los alumnos universitarios de Estados Unidos (N = 62) despues de la intervencion, mientras que se controlaba estadisticamente la precision del monitoreo previo a la intervencion, para ello, se empleo un diseno de investigacion experimental. Metodologia: Los alumnos fueron asignados al azar al grupo de entrenamiento de estrategias (n = 31) o al grupo de control (n = 31). Resultados: Resultados revelaron que los alumnos expuestos a capacitacion de estrategias cognitivas demostraron un monitoreo significativamente mas preciso que los alumnos que formaron parte del grupo control, incluso despues de ajustar la precision del monitoreo antes de implementar la intervencion. Conclusiones: Los profesores de aula pueden emplear la capacitacion de estrategias cognitivas especificas en su practica diaria para mejorar los resultados del aprendizaje entre sus alumnos, y esta capacitacion se puede realizar de forma sucinta, obviando asi la necesidad de demasiado tiempo adicional.
The changing patterns of comorbidities associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection, a longitudinal retrospective cohort study of Medicare patients.

ABSTRACT The objective of this paper is to determine the temporal trend of the association of 66 comorbidities with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection status among Medicare beneficiaries from 2000 through 2016.We harvested patient level encounter claims from a 17-year long 100% sample of Medicare records. We used the chronic conditions warehouse comorbidity flags to determine HIV infection status and presence of comorbidities. We prepared 1 data set per year for analysis. Our 17 study data sets are retrospective annualized patient level case histories where the comorbidity status reflects if the patient has ever met the comorbidity case definition from the start of the study to the analysis year.We implemented one logistic binary regression model per study year to discover the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) of a comorbidity belonging to our binary classes of HIV+ or HIV- study populations. We report MLE and odds ratios by comorbidity and year.Of the 66 assessed comorbidities, 35 remained associated with HIV- across all model years, 19 remained associated with HIV+ across all model years. Three comorbidities changed association from HIV+ to HIV- and 9 comorbidities changed association from HIV- to HIV+.The prevalence of comorbidities associated with HIV infection changed over time due to clinical, social, and epidemiological reasons. Comorbidity surveillance can provide important insights into the understanding and management of HIV infection and its consequences.
Analysis of Charges and Payments for Outpatient Arthroscopic Meniscectomy From 2005 to 2014: Hospital Reimbursement Increased Steadily as Surgeon Payments Declined.

Background:Charge and reimbursement trends for arthroscopic partial meniscectomies among orthopaedic surgeons, anesthesiologists, and hospital/surgery centers have not been formally analyzed, even ...