cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Farmers and conservation programs: Explaining differences in environmental quality incentives program applications between states

Despite its economic and social benefits, agriculture is now a leading source of water pollution in the United States. While significant research effort has attempted to understand adoption of conservation practices on agricultural lands, relatively little research has explored the operation of specific agri-environmental policies in the United States. This research attempts to gain an understanding of how differing agricultural and sociopolitical contexts across the United States influence attempted participation in national agricultural conservation programs. Application rates in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) differ across the 50 states, indicating potentially important differences in state setting that influence behavior of individual farm operators. A variety of agricultural and sociopolitical measures were included in a fractional logit model to assess factors contributing to varying rates of application to EQIP. Significant explanatory variables included high sales farm prevalence, tenancy rates, and views on federal environmental spending. There also appears to be a large regional effect, with states in the Southeast, Mountain West, and Northeast having higher application rates than those in the Corn Belt. The results of this analysis indicate that certain types of farmers are more likely to seek participation in this large agricultural conservation program. Further research is needed to assess the role of government agencies (federal, state, and local) in influencing participation rates and what role individual political opinion may play in decisions related to federal cost share programs.
Depletion-based optical modulators in a bulk 65 nm CMOS platform

We present poly-silicon depletion-based optical modulators realized in a 65 nm CMOS platform for monolithic integration with electronics. Speeds up to 12.5 Gbit/s can be achieved with 5 dB insertion loss and 2.3 dB extinction ratio.
De-constructing and Re-constructing the Institutional Church: Toward a Theology of Spirit-Sensitive Change

Faced with declining memberships and demands for relevance, many leaders have focused on the inertia of the institutional forms, features, and processes of the Church. While such foci are justified, much of the zeal that animates change reflects an inadequate grasp of the Church’s institutional character. Building on nuances of this character, a set of concepts, contours, and caveats are offered to inform a theology of change for the Church, one that is sensitive to the Spirit. Pentecostal theology provides a compelling context for this endeavor. It is argued that this theology must be sensitive to the authoritative role of Spirit-Word, the de- and re-constructive work of the Spirit, and the dynamics of social context.
Eliminating redundancy among protein sequences using submodular optimization

Submodular optimization, a discrete analogue to continuous convex optimization, has been used with great success in many fields but is not yet widely used in biology. We demonstrate how submodular optimization can be applied to the problem of removing redundancy in protein sequence data sets, a common step in many bioinformatics and structural biology workflows. We show that an approach based on submodular optimization results in representative protein sequence subsets with greater functional diversity than sets chosen with existing methods. In particular, we compare to a widely used, heuristic algorithm implemented in software tools such as CD-HIT, using as a gold standard the SCOPe library of protein domain structures. In this setting, submodular optimization consistently yields protein sequence subsets that include more SCOPe domain families than sets of the same size selected by the heuristic approach. This framework is theoretically optimal under some assumptions, and it is flexible and intuitive because it applies generic methods to optimize one of a variety of objective functions. This application serves as a model for how submodular optimization can be applied to other discrete problems in biology.
The advance of technology as a prelude to the laboratory of the twenty-first century.

Technological changes in the clinical laboratory are usually driven by the goal of patient care optimization. The introduction of biosensor technology in the 1990s has set the trend for clinical laboratory decentralization. These miniaturized biosensors are easy to operate, require small specimen size, and provide reliable results with rapid turnaround time. Bedside testing using biosensor technology may allow earlier diagnosis, more frequent monitoring, and reduced hospital costs. This article assesses current biosensors and projects potential biosensors for the 21st century regarding their validity, economic justification, and clinical relevance.
Rescue Airway Techniques in the ICU

One of the most stressful events that a provider will encounter in the ICU is the inability to secure an airway. This chapter will focus on the “Plan B”—what techniques and devices could be used if the traditional placement of an endotracheal tube is unsuccessful.
A GPU-accelerated implementation of the MOLAR PET reconstruction package

MOLAR (Motion-compensation OSEM List-mode Algorithm for Resolution-recovery reconstruction) was written to provide the best possible images from ECAT HRRT PET data. Because of computational demands, MOLAR currently requires a computer cluster for practical use. Here we have applied GPU-acceleration via CUDA to all of the computationally intensive modules of the MOLAR package. Using an NVIDIA Tesla S1070-400 GPU system hosted by an HP xw8400 workstation, we evaluated the GPU-accelerated performance of the modules that perform boundary checking, forward and backprojection, photon scatter modeling and algorithm updates. We compared their performance to CPU-only versions of MOLAR for a range of total counts (500k to 50M). We found boundary checking to be up to 35 times faster using the GPU. Forward and backprojection ran 50 and 20 times faster, respectively, and scatter modeling was 200 times faster. Algorithm updates ran up to 15 times faster. The overall performance of the entire MOLAR package was approximately 40 times faster than the CPU-only code. These results show that MOLAR can be substantially accelerated using GPUs and can thereby be practically extended for use in high count and higher resolution applications, and for 4D parametric reconstructions.
Providing Trauma-Informed Care

Family physicians commonly care for survivors of trauma, but they may not always realize it. Trauma, which can affect any patient regardless of age or sex, is broadly defined as the experience of violence or victimization, including sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, neglect, loss, domestic violence or the witnessing of violence, and terrorism or disasters.
Inequality and top income cyclicality

Abstract Previous studies have shown that, as top incomes became more concentrated over recent decades, they also became more cyclical. This paper derives an exact expression for top-income cyclicality to show that it rises whenever average income growth tends to be captured by those at the top, as it has over recent decades. The increased cyclicality of top incomes may therefore be a reflection of their increased concentration rather than a distinct phenomenon in need of its own explanation.
Angular Dependence of Strong Field Ionization of CH3X (X = F, Cl, Br, or I) Using Time-Dependent Configuration Interaction with an Absorbing Potential

Methyl halides have been used to test basis set effects on simulations of strong field ionization using time dependent configuration interaction with an absorbing potential. Standard atom centered basis sets need to be augmented by several sets of diffuse functions on each atom so that the wave function in the strong field can interact with the absorbing potential used to model ionization. An absorbing basis of 3 s functions, 2 p functions, 3 d functions, and 1 f function is sufficient for CH3F. Large absorbing basis sets with 4 s functions, 3 or 4 p functions, 4 or 5 d functions, and 2 f functions are recommended for the heavier halogens. The simulations used static fields in the 0.035-0.07 au range to explore the angular dependence of ionization of methyl halides. CH3F ionizes mainly from the methyl group; CH3Cl and CH3Br show ionization from both the methyl group and the halogen, and CH3I ionizes almost exclusively from the pπ orbitals of the iodine.
Selecting post-acute care settings after abdominal surgery: Are we getting it right?

Abstract Background We investigated whether variation in post-acute care (PAC) services could be explained by surgeons discharging clinically similar patients to different PAC destinations, including home health (HH), skilled nursing facilities (SNF), and inpatient rehabilitation (IR). Methods We studied patients having colectomy, pancreatectomy or hepatectomy in the 2008–2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. We used propensity matching to determine: 1. Proportion of patients discharged to SNF/IR who could be matched to clinically similar patients discharged with HH. 2. Potential cost savings from greater use of HH. Results 30,843 patients were discharged with HH and 23,172 to SNF or IR. 14,163 (61%) SNF/IR patients could be matched to similar patients discharged with HH. Potential cost savings from increasing use of HH as an alternative to SNF/IR ranged from $2.5-$438 million annually. Conclusions There is considerable potential for reducing variation in PAC use and costs by better understanding how surgeons make decisions about PAC placement. Summary Many surgical patients discharged to inpatient rehabilitation or skilled nursing facilities have similar pre- and postoperative characteristics as individuals discharged home with home health. In order to reduce variation and deliver cost-effective care after discharge, it is important to understand how surgeons make decisions about post-acute care, and to develop processes to identify which type of post-acute care is best for each patient.
A phase 1 trial of autologous stem cell transplantation conditioned with melphalan 200 mg/m2 and total marrow irradiation (TMI) in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma

In this phase 1 study, we tested increasing doses of total marrow irradiation (TMI) in addition to standard intravenous melphalan at 200 mg/m2 (Mel200) in the conditioning regimen prior to autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) for multiple myeloma (NCT02043847). Twelve patients aged 18-75 with relapsed myeloma were enrolled in the study and received Mel200 and TMI 3 Gy (n = 3), 6 Gy (n = 3), or 9 Gy (n = 6) prior to transplant. There were no grade 4 extra-hematologic toxicities and a maximum tolerated dose was not reached. Median time to neutrophil and platelet engraftment was 11 and 13 d, respectively. At day 90, 73% of patients were in CR or VGPR. Median progression free survival (PFS) was 449 d and median overall survival (OS) was 966 d. We conclude that TMI at a dose of 9 Gy can be safely combined with Mel200 in therapeutic regimens for autologous transplant. Initial clinical results will prompt a phase 2 study.
Ward 52: A Haven for HIV-Positive Military Personnel

The military response to HIV was not only an important infection control measure, but it also recognized the stigma around the diagnosis of HIV and AIDS at that time. Besides the poor medical prognosis, there were tremendous psychosocial consequences. The person could not serve overseas and faced involuntary discharge if their medical status warranted it, but often had a major career change depending on what their duty was. It also caused disruptions in families when one of the partners was found to have been infected by sexual behavior outside the relationship or possibly IV drug use and sometimes even transmission in utero to children if the status had not yet been discovered. This is a description of Ward 52, a med-psych unit established to provide support and care to HIV positive service members, written by a gay psychiatrist and psychologist.
Handcrafted gameworlds: Space-time biases in mobile Minecraft play

In 2011, Mojang released Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE), a mobile version of their popular Minecraft franchise for Android and iOS devices that allows the infinitely blocky sandbox worlds to be mani...
Risk of Human Papillomavirus Infection in Cancer-Prone Individuals: What We Know.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections cause a significant proportion of cancers worldwide, predominantly squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the mucosas and skin. High-risk HPV types are associated with SCCs of the anogenital and oropharyngeal tract. HPV oncogene activities and the biology of SCCs have been intensely studied in laboratory models and humans. What remains largely unknown are host tissue and immune-related factors that determine an individual’s susceptibility to infection and/or carcinogenesis. Such susceptibility factors could serve to identify those at greatest risk and spark individually tailored HPV and SCC prevention efforts. Fanconi anemia (FA) is an inherited DNA repair disorder that is in part characterized by extreme susceptibility to SCCs. An increased prevalence of HPV has been reported in affected individuals, and molecular and functional connections between FA, SCC, and HPV were established in laboratory models. However, the presence of HPV in some human FA tumors is controversial, and the extent of the etiological connections remains to be established. Herein, we discuss cellular, immunological, and phenotypic features of FA, placed into the context of HPV pathogenesis. The goal is to highlight this orphan disease as a unique model system to uncover host genetic and molecular HPV features, as well as SCC susceptibility factors.
Model Reference Adaptive Control for Networked Distributed Systems with Strong Interconnections and Communication Delays

In recent years, networked distributed control systems (NDCS) have received research attention. Two of the main challenges that such systems face are possible delays in the communication network and the effect of strong interconnections between agents. This paper considers an NDCS that has delays in the communication network, as well as strong interconnections between its agents. The control objective is to make each agent track efficiently a reference model by attenuating the effect of strong interconnections via feedback based on the delayed information. First, the authors assume that each agent knows its own dynamics, as well as the interconnection parameters, but receives information about the states of its neighbors with some communication delay. The authors propose a distributed control scheme and prove that if the interconnections can be weakened and if the communication delays are small enough, then the proposed scheme guarantees that the tracking error of each agent is bounded with a bound that depends on the size of the weakened interconnections and delays, and reduces to zero as these uncertainties reduce to zero. The authors then consider a more realistic situation where the interconnections between agents are unknown despite the cooperation and sharing of state information. For this case the authors propose a distributed adaptive control scheme and prove that the proposed scheme guarantees that the tracking errors are bounded and small in the mean square sense with respect to the size of the weakened interconnections and delays, provided the weakened interconnections and time delays are small enough. The authors then consider the case that each agent knows neither its dynamics nor the interconnection matrices. For this case the authors propose a distributed adaptive control scheme and prove that the proposed scheme guarantees that the tracking errors are bounded and small in the mean square sense provided the weakened interconnections and time delays are small enough. Finally, the authors present an illustrative example to present the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed schemes.
Firearm Storage in Gun-Owning Households with Children: Results of a 2015 National Survey.

Data from a nationally representative probability-based online survey sample of US adults conducted in 2015 (n = 3949, response rate 55%) were used to assess self-reported gun storage practices among gun owners with children. The presence of firearms and children in the home, along with other household and individual level characteristics, was ascertained from all respondents. Questions pertaining to household firearms (how guns are stored, number, type, etc.) were asked only of those respondents who reported that they personally owned a gun. We found that approximately one in three US households contains at least one firearm, regardless of whether children lived in the home (0.34 [0.29–0.39]) or not (0.35 [0.32–0.38]). Among gun-owning households with children, approximately two in ten gun owners store at least one gun in the least safe manner, i.e., loaded and unlocked (0.21 [0.17–0.26]); three in ten store all guns in the safest manner, i.e., unloaded and locked (0.29, [0.24–0.34]; and the remaining half (0.50 [0.45–0.55]) store firearms in some other way. Although firearm storage practices do not appear to vary across some demographic characteristics, including age, sex, and race, gun owners are more likely to store at least one gun loaded and unlocked if they are female (0.31 [0.23–0.41]) vs. male (0.17 [0.13–0.22]); own at least one handgun (0.27 [0.22–0.32] vs. no handguns (0.05 [0.02–0.15]); or own firearms for protection (0.29 [0.24–0.35]) vs. do not own for protection (0.03 [0.01–0.08]). Approximately 7% of US children (4.6 million) live in homes in which at least one firearm is stored loaded and unlocked, an estimate that is more than twice as high as estimates reported in 2002, the last time a nationally representative survey assessed this outcome. To the extent that the high prevalence of children exposed to unsafe storage that we observe reflects a secular change in public opinion towards the belief that having a gun in the home makes the home safer, rather than less safe, interventions that aim to make homes safer for children should address this misconception. Guidance alone, such as that offered by the American Academy of Pediatrics, has fallen short. Our findings underscore the need for more active and creative efforts to reduce children’s exposure to unsafely stored firearms.
Bone Marrow Transplantation for Neoplasia in Man

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is being used with increasing frequency and increasing success for a variety of conditions in man. Although this review presents the clinical results and problems, it must be emphasized that application of BMT to man has been largely based on principles derived from studies in animal models, especially rodents and dogs (Fefer, 1974; Thomas et al., 1975). Studies in animals predicted many of the problems eventually encountered in man. The studies highlighted the importance of the major histocompatibility complex, total body irradiation (TBI), and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and approaches to its management. They also provided the promise of a potential graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect. After a few attempts at BMT in man in the 1950s and a subsequent hiatus of ten years, there was a resurgence of interest and activity in clinical BMT. This is attributable to advances in our knowledge of human histocompatibility typing, immunosuppression, and the supportive care of the immunocompromised patient.
Comparison of the Energies of Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Grain Boundaries

Two simple geometrical criteria, based on Pauli’s principle, which were derived recently for the identification of low-energy symmetrical (“special”) grain boundaries are applied to assess whether or not asymmetrical configurations are expected to have, indeed, higher energies than symmetrical ones. The latter is postulated to be the case within the framework of the coincident-site-lattice (CSL) model. For a given lattice misorientation (i.e., CSL) this model assumes that the energetically most favorable grain-boundary plane is a densest CSL plane, i.e., the symmetrical grain-boundary configuration. In this article it is demonstrated, based essentially on Pauli’s principle, that this is not always the case. Two criteria are formulated which enable one to, at least qualitatively, predict in which cases an asymmetrical grain boundary is expected to show a lower energy than the corresponding symmetrical configurations with the same lattice misorientation.
SOME ASPECTS OF THE INTRACELLULAR BREAKDOWN OF EXOGENOUS AND ENDOGENOUS PROTEINS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the different aspects of the intracellular breakdown of exogenous and endogenous proteins. Mouse peritoneal macrophages readily phagocytose a wide variety of substances. A very useful substance is fluorescein-labeled dextran. In preliminary experiments, it was found that chloroquine was indeed a very effective inhibitor of the digestion within macrophage lysosomes of endocytosed bacteria or heat-coagulated bovine serum albumin (BSA). Some of the macrophages labeled with tritium were permitted to endocytize the dead macrophages labeled with 14C. It has been shown in a number of cell types that the bovine pituitary factor called fibroblast growth factor (FGF) would act synergistically with insulin and dexamethasone to stimulate the incorporation of thymidine into cells in tissue culture. The degradation of the endocytosed proteins in macrophages could well occur in a special subset of lysosomes different in some way from those that are engaged in breaking down the cellular proteins during normal cell protein turnover.
Bis[1-meth­oxy-2,2,2-tris­(pyrazol-1-yl-κN2)ethane]­nickel(II) bis­(tri­fluoro­methane­sulfonate) dihydrate

In the title salt, [Ni(C12H14N6O)2](CF3SO3)2·2H2O, the NiII cation is located on an inversion centre and is coordinated by six N atoms from two tridentate 1-meth­oxy-2,2,2-tris­(pyrazol-1-yl)ethane ligands in a distorted octa­hedral geometry. The Ni—N distances range from 2.0594 (12) to 2.0664 (12) A, intra-ligand N—Ni—N angles range from 84.59 (5) to 86.06 (5)°, and adjacent inter-ligand N—Ni—N angles range between 93.94 (5) and 95.41 (5)°. In the crystal, inversion-related pyrazole rings are π–π stacked, with an inter­planar spacing of 3.4494 (18) A, forming chains that propagate parallel to the a-axis direction. Inter­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds are present between water mol­ecules and tri­fluoro­methane­sulfonate anions.
A Long-Term Performance Evaluation of an Experimental Concrete Overlay:

Flexible pavements are often rehabilitated by milling distressed asphalt and placing new asphalt at a thickness that accounts for expected traffic growth and pavement life. However, there are many ...
Improving cancer caregivers’ emotion regulation and supportive message characteristics: Results of a randomized controlled expressive writing intervention*

ABSTRACTThis study tested whether a 17-day randomized controlled expressive writing (EW) intervention improved cancer caregivers’ emotion regulation ability and if improved emotion regulation predi...
13 Reasons Why Not: A Methodological and Meta-Analytic Review of Evidence Regarding Suicide Contagion by Fictional Media.

Background For decades, policymakers and suicide prevention advocates have questioned whether exposure to media with suicide themes, whether television, movies, or music, could increase suicide risk among youth. To date, no clear picture has emerged, with data inconsistent AIMS: To access whether current evidence can support concerns that fictional media increases risk of viewer suicidal ideation. Materials & methods Two broad forms of data consider the issue, namely society-level aggregate data, and data from smaller correlational and experimental studies. The current article examined the evidence for suicide contagion by fictional media with a methodological and meta-analytic review. Results Results suggest that current data do not support the theory that suicide contagion by fictional media occurs. Discussion In addition to lack of consistency in current research results, widespread methodological concerns limit confidence in conclusions from many studies. A commitment to better methods and open science is warranted. Conclusion It is recommended that individuals exercise caution in public statements linking suicide-themed fictional media to suicide contagion as data may not be able to support such claims.
Classification of Electronic Devices and Software Processes via Unintentional Electronic Emissions With Neural Decoding Algorithms

Electronic and electromechanical devices continuously emit electromagnetic (EM) signals while in use. These EM emissions (EMEs) contain unique spectral characteristics that can be leveraged for a variety of purposes, including identification of the device's unique EM “fingerprint,” and characterization of software processes running on the device. In this study, we implemented a novel method for automatic identification and characterization of these EMEs inspired by a classification/decoding scheme used to extract neural correlates of brain state from magnetoencephalographic data. Utilizing a sparse bilinear formulation of logistic regression as our “neural” decoder, we extracted device- and software-specific spectrospatial patterns from five identical Arduino Uno prototyping boards as they cycled through five program states. In the device fingerprinting task, we were able to discriminate all five boards from each other with near-perfect accuracy using this method. For software characterization, within a single device, we detected all five programs with 90% accuracy, and across devices, we were able to identify 3/5 programs with 99% accuracy, and achieving 77% accuracy for the other two. Overall, this neural-decoding approach performed well in all scenarios tested, and the corresponding EME “maps” it provides quantify the differences between device and software-specific EMEs in an easily interpretable way.
Detailed kinetic model for hexyl sulfide pyrolysis and its desulfurization by supercritical water.

A detailed reaction network is proposed for the pyrolysis and desulfurization of hexyl sulfide in the presence or absence of both supercritical water (SCW) and hexadecane, but without any added H2 or catalyst, for T = 400–450 °C. The new kinetic model is developed using the Reaction Mechanism Generator (RMG) software where most of the rate coefficients are derived from quantum chemical calculations. We previously reported that pentane, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are major products of hexyl sulfide desulfurization in SCW, but not in the anhydrous pyrolysis of hexyl sulfide. The observation of CO and CO2 in the reaction products indicates that water effectively acts as a hydrogen source; presumably this assists in sulfur reduction to H2S. Kinetic parameters for several of the important reactions are calculated using transition state theory and quantum chemical calculations at the CBS-QB3 level of theory and then further refined using CCSD(T)-F12//cc-pVTZ-F12 single point energies. Predictions from the new kinetic model agree with factor-of-2 accuracy with new and previously published experimental data for hexyl sulfide conversion and for yields of most major products, either neat or in a hexadecane solvent, both in the presence and absence of SCW. Flux analysis was then used to identify the most important reaction steps, and sensitivity analysis was used to propose reactions that should be studied further in the future to decrease the model's uncertainty. This study establishes the molecular role of water as diluent, hydrogen bond donor, and reductant in the decomposition of hexyl sulfide. Future work to add molecular weight growth pathways to the model would lead to a more complete mechanism, resulting in improved predictions of product yields.
Social Psychology: Exploring the Dynamics of Human Experience

This textbook provides a thorough insight into the discipline of social psychology, creating an integrative and cumulative framework to present students with a rich and engaging account of the human social experience.From a person’s momentary impulses to a society’s values and norms, the diversity of social psychology makes for a fascinating discipline, but it also presents a formidable challenge for presentation in a manner that is coherent and cumulative rather than fragmented and disordered. Using an accessible and readable style, the author shows how the field’s dizzying and highly fragmented array of topics, models, theories, and paradigms can best be understood through a coherent conceptual narrative in which topics are presented in careful sequence, with each chapter building on what has already been learned while providing the groundwork for understanding what follows in the next chapter. The text also examines recent developments such as how computer simulations and big data supplement the traditional methods of experiment and correlation.Also containing a wide range of features, including key term glossaries and compact "summing up and looking ahead" overviews, and covering an enormous range of topics from self-concept to social change, this comprehensive textbook is essential reading for any student of social psychology.
Draft Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus rhamnosus NCB 441, Isolated from Egyptian White Domiati Cheese.

ABSTRACT Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Lactobacillus rhamnosus NCB 441, which was isolated from pickled white cheese samples gathered at Farafra Oasis in New Valley Governorate, Egypt. The genome size is 2,969,245 bp with a G+C content of 46.7%.
Application of Chebyshev’s Inequality in Online Anomaly Detection Driven by Streaming PMU Data

The day-to-day operation of modern power systems is highly reliant on prompt and adequate situational-awareness. This can be achieved via various system monitoring functions such as anomaly detection, in which static thresholds are commonly utilized to distinguish the normal and the abnormal system states. However, a predetermined static threshold usually lacks the flexibility to adapt to unobserved scenarios. In this paper, we propose two self-adaptive synchrophasor data driven anomaly detection approaches based on Chebyshev’s Inequality. The proposed approaches have been evaluated with Kundur’s 2area system and Mini-WECC system. Experimental results verify that the proposed approaches can dynamically adapt to unprecedented scenarios, and detect anomalous events with lower false alarm rate compared to static threshold based detection.
Mortgage Termination: An Empirical Hazard Model with a Stochastic Term Structure

Pricing for mortgage and mortgage-backed securities is complicated due to the stochastic and interdependent nature of prepayment and default risks. This paper presents a unified economic model of the contingent claims and competing risks of mortgage termination by prepayment and default. I adopt a proportional hazard framework to analyze these competing and interdependent risks in a model with time-varying covariates. The paper incorporates a stochastic interest rate model into the hazard function for prepayment. The empirical results reported in the paper provide new evidence about the ruthlessness of default and prepayment behavior and the sensitivity of these decisions to demographic as well as financial phenomena. The results also illustrate that evaluating the interest rate contingent claims with a stochastic term structure has effects on predicting not only the mortgage prepayment behavior but also the mortgage default behavior.
Gender Differences in the Language of Mathematics in Secondary Schools

This study investigated gender difference in students’ understanding of the language of mathematics at ordinary secondary school level in Tanzania. The participants were 489 students from 8 ordinary secondary schools. An achievement test that comprised of the language of mathematics and algorithmic skill tests was administered. The findings indicated that, there is no significance difference between boys and girls in the understanding of the language of mathematics. The participant students had a fair knowledge of mathematical terms with direct meaning in the common English language usage. It is recommended that, mathematics teachers should put into consideration the teaching of the language of mathematics in mathematics classrooms and equally encourage both boys and girls to understand the language of mathematics.
Distal locking of short cephalomedullary nails decreases varus collapse in unstable intertrochanteric fractures - a biomechanical analysis

Abstract Introduction Peritrochanteric fractures are a growing problem and complications relating to operative fixation of these fracture, including varus collapse and screw cutout, are common in elderly osteoporotic patients. We hypothesize that unlocked nails will demonstrate increased varus collapse and inferior construct stiffness in specimens with increased diaphyseal medullary diameter. Materials and methods Sixteen non-cadaveric osteoporotic biomechanical femur specimens were utilized in this study, with eight specimens having an artificially large femoral canal to represent Dorr C femurs. All femurs were instrumented with a short cephalomedullary nail with and without distal cross-lock screw fixation and had an unstable intertrochanteric fracture created in a repeatable pattern. Specimens underwent cyclic compression to a maximal load of 1000N with segmental motion quantified through the use of visual tracking markers. Statistical comparisons were performed using one-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc analysis to determine differences between specific groups. Significance was defined as p Results Unlocked short cephalomedullary nails showed increased varus collapse due to motion of the nail within the femoral canal in capacious femoral canals compared with narrow femoral canals and distally cross-locked nails. The coronal deformation of the wide canal unlocked group (17.9 o±2.6o) was significantly greater in the varus direction than any other fixation under compressive load of 1000N. There was no significant difference in varus angulation between the wide canal or narrow canal locked groups (11.1o±8.7o vs. 8.2o±1.7o respectively, p=0.267). The narrow canal unlocked group (13.7o±2.4o) showed significantly greater varus angulation than the narrow canal locked (p=0.015). The wide canal unlocked group showed significantly greater varus angulation than the wide canal locked group (p=0.003). Motion between the femoral shaft and the cephalomedullary nail (toggling of the nail within the shaft) was significantly greater in narrow or wide canal unlocked specimens, 7.94o±2.13o and 10.2o±1.7o respectively, than in the narrow or wide canal locked specimens, 2.4o±0.2o and 4.2o±0.5o respectively (p Conclusion Unlocked short intramedullary fixation for unstable peritrochanteric fractures results in increased varus collapse under axial compression. This study supports the use of distal cross-locking of short intramedullary fixation for unstable peritrochanteric fractures in patients with capacious femoral canals secondary to osteoporosis who might otherwise be as risk for varus collapse, device failure, and malunion.
Maltreatment Type Classifications and Transitions During Childhood for a California Birth Cohort

Childhood maltreatment involves dynamics between the type of maltreatment experienced and the context of maltreatment. Reports of alleged maltreatment to child protective services may overlap and s...
Differences in Normal Tissue Exposure and Second Malignancy Risk With Inclusion of the Vertebral Body in Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Craniospinal Radiotherapy.

Purpose/Objective(s) Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) is the standard of care for pediatric malignancies that commonly spread along the neuroaxis. Historically, the vertebral bodies have been included in the craniospinal treatment volume due to concern for radiation-induced scoliosis. Improved radiation delivery techniques allow for more accurate inclusion or sparing of the vertebral bodies. Proton radiotherapy is known to decrease out-of-field normal tissue exposure. The purpose of this study was to compare dose to anterior organs at risk (OARs) and quantify the risk of developing secondary malignancy (SMN) in pediatric patients treated with vertebral body sparing (VBS) versus vertebral body (VB) pencil beam scanning proton CSI. Materials/Methods Comparative plans of VBS and VB proton beam scanning CSI were created for 10 previously treated patients (total of 20 plans). Dose-volume histograms (DVH) were used to evaluate dose thyroid, esophagus, lungs, heart, kidneys, bowel and liver. Absolute excess risk of SMNs (per 10,000 patients/year) for VBS and VB proton beam scanning CSI plans were calculated according to previously described organ-specific, radiation-induced cancer incidence based on the organ equivalent dose (OED). Whole body SMN risk was calculated using a non-organ specific sterilization parameter combined with average male and female whole-body risk of solid cancers and leukemias. OAR dosimetric parameters and excess risk of SMN were compared between VBS and VB plans using the Kruskal-Wallis H test (P = 0.05). Results Patients ranged in age from four to 18 years. Heart mean dose was 8 cGy and 105 cGy for the VBS and VB plans, respectively (P Conclusion VBS CSI leads to significantly lower radiation dose to the heart, esophagus, kidney, liver and bowel compared to VB proton CSI. Excluding the vertebral body also significantly decreases the absolute excess risk of SMN of the liver, esophagus and bowel. For these reasons, VBS pencil beam scanning proton CSI should be considered.
Evaluating the evolution of forest restoration research in a changing world: a “big literature” review

In a rapidly changing world, characterized by novel ecological scenarios and fluctuating socioeconomic and ecological demands, ecological restoration practices must constantly adapt to emerging issues and circumstances. Restoration ecology, the scientific discipline that informs ecological restoration, must therefore evolve and expand its focus to address this need. To describe and evaluate the evolution of research pertaining to the ecological restoration of forests within the field of forestry, we performed a review of all 29,766 abstracts published over the last 35 years (1980–2014) in 15 leading forestry journals using automated content analysis, a machine learning-based tool for automated review of large volumes of literature (“big literature”). We found not only a 50-fold increase in the prominence of restoration ecology in forestry literature from 2000 to 2013, but also an evolution in the focus of forest restoration research. This evolution is likely in response to emerging topics and issues affecting forest restoration, such as exotic species, altered disturbance regimes, degraded tropical forests, and ecosystem services. Our results also revealed a pattern of “cyclic development,” in which research in the 1990s was focused on constructing theoretical frameworks, in the 2000s research appeared to be concentrated on restoration practices and programs, while in the 2010s research revisited established theoretical frameworks, possibly indicating a conceptual expansion. Our study highlighted gaps in research on important topics and emerging challenges, such as global climate change, genetic considerations, landscape-level factors, and restoring degraded systems, thus pointing the way for new and necessary research directions.
Transcription of the neurogenic gene mastermind during Drosophila development

The neurogenic loci of Drosophila encode the components of a cell communication pathway that operates during multiple developmental stages and in numerous tissues. Activation of the pathway is required for inhibitory interactions, during partitioning of cells into alternative pathways of differentiation. Genetic studies of these loci have demonstrated numerous interactions, suggesting a close relationship among the gene products; molecular studies have corroborated some of these ideas. The mastermind (mam) locus shows genetic interactions with several neurogenic loci, yet its role in this pathway is unknown. We have analyzed mam transcription and further characterized the phenotype associated with mam alleles. mam is widely expressed in patterns overlapping those of other neurogenic loci during embryonic and postembryonic development; embryonic transcription is not dependent upon function of neurogenic genes. mam transcription is widespread during most of embryogenesis; however, late embryonic expression appears limited to the nervous system. Central nervous system expression persists at high levels during larval and pupal stages. Widespread transcription is also observed in ovaries and imaginal discs, with enhanced levels just anterior to the morphogenetic furrow of the eye disc. Phenotypic analyses of mam mutations demonstrate a broad phenotypic range and suggest that particular alleles disturb features of the CNS unrelated to neural overgrowth.
The evolution of diversity within tumors and metastases

The metastatic process is a series of steps – each of which must be completed for the development of a metastatic focus. Some steps consist of stochastic elements; however, overall the process selects for cellular phenotype(s) with metastatic properties from the heterogeneous cellular populations that develop within the primary tumor. Thus, although individual metastases are of clonal origin, different metastatic foci can originate from cellular variants. The development of cellular diversity is not a process unique to tumor cells. Cellular diversity rapidly evolves due to the genetic instability of metastatic cells, the selective pressures of the metastatic process and clinical interventions, and interactions with the microenvironment, including cellular immunity and tissue and organ microenvironments that can facilitate or suppress tumor growth, metastasis, and tumor cell survival. It is the cellular heterogeneity within the primary tumor, between metastatic foci, and within individual metastatic foci that provides a significant challenge for oncologists for successful clinical intervention.
High-Frequency Chip Connections

Advanced interconnects will be required to keep pace with the increasing speed of future microelectronics.
Re-Inventing Governance Using the Laws of Nature

Natural laws that allows living things to become self-regulating and for social biota to become self-governing provide an evolutionary tested model for re-inventing corporate governance. The science of control and communication in the animal and the machine described as “cybernetics” can be extended to social organizations by using bytes as the unit of analysis to create a natural science of governance. The science explains why top down command and control hierarchical organizations cannot efficiently or reliably manage complexity. Reliable survival also requires bottom up feedback communication and control. This explains why small-brained low intelligence creatures can sustain their existence in complex, uncertain dynamic environments when organizations governed by large brained highly intelligent humans cannot. Organizations like VISA international, The John Lewis Partnership and the Mondragon cooperatives provide evidence of the ability of organization with networks of both top down and bottom up system of governance can survive and prosper over business cycles and generations of management. A process is identified by which firms could move towards self-regulating network governance. This would allow the role of regulators to change to monitoring the integrity of self-governing processes. In this way re-inventing governance would reduce the role, size and cost of government.
Uncertainty and the Choice of Policy Instruments A Note On Baumol and Oates Propositions

Baumol and Oates' propositions, the irrelevancy of benefit uncertainty and the importance of cost uncertainty on the choice between a tax and a system of marketable permits, are limited to a large-number case in which the opportunities for victims of pollution to participate in a permit market are non-existent. However, with the evolution of environmental groups and coalitions of victims in neighborhoods, the large-number case can easily transform into a small-number case. This paper shows that when the pollution standard, set at what appears to be optimal ex ante, is excessively lenient, the system of marketable permits offers such groups a flexibility to buy pollution permits in a competitive market and destroy them until the optimal solution is realized. In the reverse situation, however, Baumol and Oates propositions are unambiguously valid.
Test and evaluation of wide area networks using emulator cluster

Network emulation offers real-time simulation that enables test and evaluation of real network systems, protocols, and applications in a reconfigurable and controllable hardware and software environment. Real network traffic is processed by the protocol stacks of physical systems across the entire emulation environment. Standalone emulators can only be used to test end-to-end protocols and applications; simple emulator testbeds are non-scalable due to the one-to-one mapping scheme. We present a distributed emulator cluster that can faithfully emulate large-scale wide area networks with only a considerably smaller number of workstations. In the emulator cluster, a network topology is accurately mapped to a virtual topology in which certain number of virtual nodes are properly configured and emulated. We have developed an algorithm to partition a target network such that each partition can be emulated by a physical node. The emulator cluster can emulate a variety of network conditions and traffic dynamics, as well as incorporating new protocols and models. Preliminary test results show the high scalability of emulator cluster in terms of emulation validity and accuracy with a single physical node and in the entire environment.
Shared Family Care: Fostering the Whole Family to Promote Safety and Stability

ABSTRACT Shared Family Care is an innovative child welfare service that temporarily places whole families in the homes of community mentors who, along with a team of professionals, help the families to obtain the skills and resources they need to move toward self-sufficiency and adequately care for their children. This article provides an overview of this model, identifies existing programs in the United States, discusses key elements of the model, summarizes outcomes and comparative cost information, identifies implementation challenges, and provides tips for starting a Shared Family Care program in any community.
Temperate Bacteriophage Infectious for Asporogenic Variants of Bacillus pumilus

Bacillus pumilus strain NRRL B-3275 is lysogenic for an inducible, nondefective temperate bacteriophage phi75. phi75 infects and lysogenizes several asporogenic mutants of B. pumilus strain NRS 576 but does not productively infect the spore(+) parent. phi75 DNA is a linear duplex with a mol wt of about 29 x 10(6) and a buoyant density of 1.701 g/cm(3). The location of the phi75 prophage attachment site on the chromosome of both host strains is adjacent to a lysine marker. The apparent order is phi75 att lys trp.