cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Driver's License and Voter Registration Lists a s Population-Based Sampling Frames for Rural African Americans

Abstract PURPOSE: To compare coverage of a state driver's license list and county voter registration lists as frames for sampling rural African Americans. METHODS: Name, birth date, sex, and county were extracted from records for all 18–59 year-old African Americans residing in eight rural North Carolina counties and listed in the North Carolina Driver license file [obtained as a SAS dataset from the University of North Carolina (UNC) Highway Safety Research Center] and in machine-readable text files of registered voters (obtained from county boards of elections). Files were edited, merged, and matched by last name and date of birth to produce three files for each five-year age group, sex, and county: 1) persons listed only in the driver's file; 2) persons listed only in the voter's file; and 3) persons listed in both. RESULTS: The median percentages of unique persons found only on the driver's list, only on the voter's list, and on both lists were 54%, 17%, and 30% men, and 35%, 25%, and 41% women, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The driver's list provided better coverage than did voter registration lists. Federal legislation that prohibits states from releasing driver's license lists for use in surveys removes a valuable resource for population-based research.
Computer modeling of isothermal low-cycle fatigue of Pb-Sn solder joints

The low-cycle fatigue stress-strain hysteresis loops and Coffin-Manson (C-M) behavior of near-eutectic solder joints under isothermal conditions (300 K) in shear were modeled employing a plastic deformation constitutive equation combined with a fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) equation. The constitutive equation is based on Dorn's high temperature creep equation, giving /spl gamma//spl dot//sub p/=AD/spl mu/b/kT [Sinh(/spl beta//spl tau///spl mu/)]/sup n/ where /spl gamma//spl dot/ is the plastic shear rate, D the appropriate diffusion constant, /spl mu/ the shear modulus, b the Burgers vector and /spl tau/ the shear stress. A, /spl beta/ and n are mechanism constants and kT has its usual meaning. The FCGR equation employed is based on the relationship experimentally determined by the authors, namely dA/sub c//dN=B/spl Delta/W/sub p//sup b/ where dAc/dN is the crack area growth rate and /spl Delta/W/sub p/ (=/spl Delta//spl tau//spl Delta//spl gamma//sub p/) is the plastic work per cycle. B and b are material constants. Reasonable agreement was found between the calculated and measured hysteresis loops and also the C-M behavior. >
A microplate technique to simultaneously assay calcium accumulation in endoplasmic reticulum and SERCA release of inorganic phosphate

Traditional analyses of calcium homeostasis have separately quantified either calcium accumulation or release mechanisms. To define the system as a whole, however, requires multiple experimental techniques to examine both accumulation and release. Here we describe a technique that couples the simultaneous quantification of radio-labeled calcium accumulation in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) microsomes with the release of inorganic phosphate (Pi) by the hydrolytic activity of sarco-endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) all in the convenience of a 96-well format.
Portfolio Performance Rankings in Stock Market Cycles

The ranking of investment performance of mutual funds and pension funds is more consistent over time when evaluations are made over complete stock market cycles. The extent of relative consistency of performance over time varies based on type of investment management organization and type of portfolio style. Investment advisory firms and mutual funds are more consistent than bank pooled funds and insurance company pension accounts, which have little consistency over time. The performance characteristics of the portfolios managed by those organizations also differ from each other. Based on investment style, the ranking of performance was relatively consistent over time for the general policy portfolios and the growth style portfolios. Nevertheless, the average returns for the different portfolio style groups tended to cluster together when returns are measured over several stock market cycles.
The telecommunications policy process in post‐conflict developing countries: the case of Liberia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of the telecommunications policy process in immediate post-conflict countries and how that process differs from traditional settings. Design/methodology/approach – The authors consider the case of Liberia, a country that recently emerged from a protracted civil war. The authors focus on the Liberian Telecommunications Act of 2007 and the processes through which this act came about by applying a modified research framework. This framework identifies several factors in the literature that are posited to influence the policymaking process in developing countries. The authors also include other factors based on previous studies in post-conflict countries. The aim is to test the usefulness of this framework using the 2007 act. The authors apply it through the use of interviews with key actors in the government, industry, and international agencies. This was supplemented by secondary data from published reports and other sources. Findings – From the framework the authors identify the main factors influencing the telecoms policy making process in Liberia such as a weak and nascent institutional environment, intra-governmental competition, limited human and technical resources, the supportive (especially initially) role of the international actors such as the World Bank, and the dominance of elite groups in decision-making. The authors then make suggestions on overcoming some of existing challenges to the sector. Originality/value – This paper looks at the intersection of research in telecommunications policy, policy processes and post-conflict countries, an area in which there is currently very little work. The results indicate that several dimensions of the framework are germane to the post-conflict case and that some of these observations are also relevant to the future development of telecommunications in these countries.
Caregivers' Perspectives When Evaluating Nonprescription Medication Utilization in Children

Children's caregivers must be able to decide upon or solicit accurate information related to the appropriateness of nonprescription medication selection for children. Informed decision making is paramount considering the increasing number of available nonprescription products and patient safety. This 6-month study was conducted to evaluate caregivers' knowledge base regarding nonprescription products for their children. Secondary goals included determining how caregivers' demographics are associated with decision making, identifying sources that caregivers use for product selection, and evaluating caregivers' adherence to labeled dosing recommendations. Our survey found the majority of caregivers selected at least 1 inappropriate nonprescription medication for their child. However, most caregivers did seek information from health care providers and routinely follow product labeling. Health care professionals should be knowledgeable on the appropriate use of medication. There is a significant need to question and to educate caregivers on nonprescription medication use in children.
CUTANEOUS CORTICOSTEROID THERAPY AND CATARACT IN MAN

Introduction: It is well established that the use of corticosteroids is associated with the development of cataracts (posterior subcapsular cataract). This type of cataract is also related with cat...
The Great Illusion: Ignorance, Informational Cascades, and the Persistence of Unpopular Norms

Norms of discrimination against women and blacks, norms ofrevenge still alive in some Mediterranean countries, and norms that everybody dislikes and tries to circumvent, such as the invisible norms ofreciprocity that hold among the Iks studied by Turnbull, are all examples of unpopular and inefficient norms that often persist in spite of their being disliked as well as being obviously inefficient from a social or economic viewpoint. The world of business is not immune to this problem. In all those countries in which corruption is endemic, bribing public officials to get lucrative contracts is the norm, but it is often true that such norm is disliked by many, and that it may lead to highly inefficient social outcomes (Bicchieri and Rovelli, 1995).
Radiographic features of Legionnaires' disease.

Serial chest radiographs of 35 patients with confirmed Legionnaires’ disease were evaluated. A unilateral, unilobar alveolar infiltrate was, in general, the initial radiographic finding. Progression to consolidation or to new areas of involvement was typical, Every lobe was in-Pleural effusion was often present, Cavitation was not seen. Radiographic progression for several days following institution of therapy, and despite clinical response, was noted. In patients who survived, radiographic improvement of abnormalities was usually apparent within two weeks of therapy. A radiographic spectrum exists and, although many features are typical, no single feature is pathognomonic.
Reply by Authors to C. H. Murphy

(7) This correction for Run 585 is —2.4%. 3K2 and K2 are each reduced by 4.8% in Figs. 2 and 3 and lines refitted, with the results Ci = -0.00602, C2 = 0.000100, C3 = 0.02074, <74 = —0.0000380. Thus, we see that the quasi-linear technique can yield the nonlinear damping coefficients to 5% and the cubic static moment coefficient to 2% from the exactly calculated points. Analysis of Experimental Data The actual flight data can now be fitted by Eqs. (2-4) with the results given in Tables 1 and 2. The standard error of the fits is quite good, but 6" is now poorly predicted by Eq. (5). This probably means that (73 and (74 are not constants but must be allowed to be functions of Mach number,
Observations of Cspn

It’s a good thing that we’re starting to meet every four years rather than every five. There has been tremendous progress in understanding the properties and evolution of central stars of planetary nebulae (CSPN) since the last meeting in Innsbruck in 1992. Much of the credit is due to new spectra and images obtained at observatories that weren’t even in existence four years ago. Table 1 lists most of the space observatories used by astronomers reporting at this symposium. The ones marked with the asterisk are new to this conference. The double asterisks for the Hubble Space Telescope instruments remind us that the telescope was repaired in December 1993. The reference gives the identification of the poster paper given at this meeting. We can look forward to similar improvements in ground-based observatories to be reported at the next meeting.
The Relationship between Location and Displays in a Territorial Lizard

Abstract We examined whether display behavior of territorial male lizards (Anolis sagrei) differed between locations within heavily used portions of their activity areas (cores), and locations outside of these heavily used regions. In a southern Florida hardwood hammock, we observed six males in each of four 20 × 20 m plots, recording each male's location and display behavior for three, 1-h sessions. When males were outside of their core activity areas, they produced more bobbing displays relative to nodding displays than when they were within their core areas. Similar relationships have been reported in other taxa, such as birds, but they have been little studied in reptiles. The causes and consequences of this display variation remain to be determined.
Life table analysis of ascariasis in a rural community in Jiangxi Province, China

The prevalence of ascariasis is very high in parts of rural areas in southern China. The high prevalence of ascariasis is one of the most neglected public health problems. A longitudinal investigation on the prevalence of ascariasis in a rural community in China was reported previously. In this article, we re-analyze the reported age specific prevalence of ascariasis using a life table method. The results from our analysis may provide a better summary of the impact of the disease on the studied population.
A Multiplex PCR/LDR Assay for the Simultaneous Identification of Category A Infectious Pathogens: Agents of Viral Hemorrhagic Fever and Variola Virus

CDC designated category A infectious agents pose a major risk to national security and require special action for public health preparedness. They include viruses that cause viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) syndrome as well as variola virus, the agent of smallpox. VHF is characterized by hemorrhage and fever with multi-organ failure leading to high morbidity and mortality. Smallpox, a prior scourge, has been eradicated for decades, making it a particularly serious threat if released nefariously in the essentially non-immune world population. Early detection of the causative agents, and the ability to distinguish them from other pathogens, is essential to contain outbreaks, implement proper control measures, and prevent morbidity and mortality. We have developed a multiplex detection assay that uses several species-specific PCR primers to generate amplicons from multiple pathogens; these are then targeted in a ligase detection reaction (LDR). The resultant fluorescently-labeled ligation products are detected on a universal array enabling simultaneous identification of the pathogens. The assay was evaluated on 32 different isolates associated with VHF (ebolavirus, marburgvirus, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, Lassa fever virus, Rift Valley fever virus, Dengue virus, and Yellow fever virus) as well as variola virus and vaccinia virus (the agent of smallpox and its vaccine strain, respectively). The assay was able to detect all viruses tested, including 8 sequences representative of different variola virus strains from the CDC repository. It does not cross react with other emerging zoonoses such as monkeypox virus or cowpox virus, or six flaviviruses tested (St. Louis encephalitis virus, Murray Valley encephalitis virus, Powassan virus, Tick-borne encephalitis virus, West Nile virus and Japanese encephalitis virus).
Antisense against Amyloid-β Protein Precursor Reverses Memory Deficits and Alters Gene Expression in Neurotropic and Insulin-Signaling Pathways in SAMP8 Mice.

Abstract The senescence-accelerated mouse (SAMP8) strain exhibits an age-related decrease in memory accompanied by an increase in hippocampal amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) and amyloid-β peptide (Aβ). We have shown that administration of an antisense oligonucleotide against the Aβ region of AβPP (AβPP antisense) reverses the memory deficits. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of peripheral (IV) administration of AβPP antisense on hippocampal gene expression. The AβPP antisense reversed the memory deficits and altered expression of 944 hippocampal genes. Pathway analysis showed significant gene expression changes in nine pathways. These include the MAPK signaling pathway (p = 0.0078) and the phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway (p = 0.043), which we have previously shown to be altered in SAMP8 mice. The changes in these pathways contributed to significant changes in the neurotropin (p = 0.0083) and insulin signaling (p = 0.015) pathways, which are known to be important in learning and memory. Changes in these pathways were accompanied by phosphorylation changes in the downstream target proteins p70S6K, GSK3β, ERK, and CREB. These changes in hippocampal gene expression and protein phosphorylation may suggest specific new targets for antisense therapy aimed at improving memory.
Keys to Evaluating and Conveying Credible Space Systems Cost Estimates to Acquisition Management

*The credibility of military space systems’ cost estimates are called into question at the start of the program when annual program budgets are established by the program office, compared with the service cost analysis agency’s position; and for most major programs, when reviewed by an Independent Program Assessment (IPA) team, and evaluated against an independent estimate generated by the OSD Cost Analysis Improvement Group (CAIG). Program cost estimates are also challenged during program execution when the program office requires additional funds in the out-years; and when the contractor team’s and/or the program office’s assessments of the updated estimates at completion (EAC) increase beyond the planned and projected forecasts, and especially when a program re-baseline is required. Although recent military space system programs have experienced substantial cost and schedule overruns, the original estimates for each program were deemed to be credible by the government analysts who perform these assessments or by the acquisition managers who ultimately granted authority to proceed/continue with development. Why were the estimates not challenged as unrealistic? Where did the process fall short? Our analysis suggests that the evaluation process broke down in two key areas. In the broader context, the “estimating team” (which the government analysts are a part of) failed to fully disclose the complete set of ground rules and assumptions and account for all the known technical risks and cost uncertainties associated with their space system cost estimate. As part of the government review process before conveying a recommended space systems program cost to acquisition management, the cost communities either didn’t conduct formal peer reviews or if they did, they did not fully reconcile the major underlying differences with the other estimates generated.
Participation Factors and Contribution Factors in Linear Modal Analysis

The concepts of participation factors and contribution factors are investigated in depth, and it is pointed out that in essence the participation factor is the sensitivity of eigenvalues and does not relate to disturbance characteristics; the contribution factor not only relates to system structure, but also to disturbances. The relations among electromechanical participation ratio, participation factor and sensitivity of eigenvalues are analyzed. By means of contrasting the relative sizes of mode amplitudes described by time-domain response of Prony analysis, participation factor and contribution factor, the difference between participation factor and contribution factor under actual disturbances is validated.
The epidemiological analysis of HFRS in Jiaozhou city in 2001—2010

The epidemiological analysis of HFRS in Jiaozhou city in 2001—2010 was carried out.The results showed that the annual incidence of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome is between 3.34/105 and 11.96/105,in the nearly three years,the incidence presents the declining trend year by year.The ratio between male and female is 2.91∶ 1.The incidence of group(40-49 years old) is the highest(22.69/105).The incidence of group(10-19 years old) is the lowest(0.26/105).The incidence in farmers is the highest,followed by workers.The highest incidence is in the eastern town.HFRS is seriously harmful to the people's health,it should be classified as prevention focus.
The Rebuilding of Wholesaling Importance in Chinese Economy

In China Wholesaling industry often incurs consure,which is regarded as"utilized,restructurned,regulated yet untrustful and unreliable".In the 21st century,in the circumstances of standardizing market order and accelevating circulation modernization,there appears a furthur inclination to "emphasizing retail while giving little thought to wholesale",which even brings about more difficulties to wholesaling industry that has been considered backword and old-fashioned.In view of the extensive numerous market supply by small and midium-sized enterprises and the fact that China will grow into a big manufacturing country,the paper holds it very significant to rebuild wholesaling importance in Chinese economy.
UMass at TREC 2013 Knowledge Base Acceleration Track: Bi-directional Entity Linking and Time-aware Evaluation.

This notebook details the participation of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the Cumulative Citation Recommendation task (CCR) of the TREC 2013 Knowledge Base Acceleration Track. Our interest in TREC KBA is motived by our research on entity-based query expansion. Query expansion is a information retrieval technique for improving recall by augmenting the original query terms with other terms that are likely to indicate relevant documents. Such expansion terms can be inferred with pseudo-relevance feedback techniques (Lavrenko and Croft, 2001). The resulting retrieval model can be interpreted as a weighted mixture model including the original retrieval model and retrieval models for each expansion term. Instead of expanding the query with terms, our research is on expanding the query with relevant entities from a knowledge base. Such entities are very rich in structure, including name variants, related entities and associated text. An essential component of our entity-based query expansion is to derive a retrieval model for a given knowledge base entity, which can be incorporated into the weighted mixture model. We study the effectiveness of different entity-based retrieval models within the TREC KBA Cumulative Citation Recommendation task. However, we do not address the novelty aspects of the task, and therefore do not distinguish between ’vital’ and ’useful’ documents. This year we only evaluate memoryless methods, i.e., the prediction is not influenced by predictions on previous time intervals. We segment the stream into week-long intervals which are filtered independently.
Synthesis of the C9–C25 Subunit of Spirastrellolide B

The synthesis of the C9–C25 subunit of the marine natural product spirastrellolide B is reported. The key synthetic features included the union of the two key fragments 5 and 6 via a Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction and a late-stage, one-pot sequential deprotection/cascade Achmatowicz rearrangement–spiroketalization to install the key spirocyclic intermediate present in the C9–C25 fragment of spirastrellolide B. The synthesis of the C9–C16 fragment 6 was accomplished via a phosphate tether mediated ring-closing metathesis (RCM), a subsequent hydroboration–oxidation protocol, followed by other stereoselective transformations in a facile manner. The spirocyclic intermediate was further functionalized utilizing a Lindlar/NaBH4 reduction protocol to furnish the C9–C25 subunit 3.
5 Exploding the Hurston Boom

Sorensen reads the reception of Hurston with particular attention to critical challenges to her current established place in African American literary history. Rather than seeing such challenges as threats to Hurston’s standing, he argues that they are signs of a successful recovery and that even a successfully recovered author might not fully escape the constraints that limited her expression and agency in the past. Exploring Alice Walker’s essays on Hurston in tandem with critical debates in Hurston studies, Sorensen shows that recoveries fragment their objects instead of producing perfectly coherent versions of them. Sorensen also draws on critiques of historicism emerging from medieval studies to show that the problem of recovery is not exclusive to multicultural literary studies.
Eye movements in reading words and sentences

Publisher Summary The two most robust findings in studies of eye movements and reading are that (1) fixation time on a word is shorter if the reader has a valid preview of the word prior to fixating it, and (2) fixation time is shorter when the word is easy to identify and understand. Word recognition processes seem to be reflected quite straightforwardly in the eye movement record. In contrast, eye movements seem to reflect sentence comprehension processes in a more varied fashion. This chapter reviews the major word identification factors that affect eye movements and describe the role these eye movement phenomena have played in developing theories of eye movements in reading. The chapter tabulates and summarizes 100 reports of how syntactic, semantic, pragmatic, and world-knowledge factors affect eye movements during reading in an initial attempt to identify order in how different types of challenges to comprehension are reflected in eye movements. The chapter reviews findings that have demonstrated effects due to (1) word frequency, (2) word familiarity, (3) age-of-acquisition, (4) number of meanings, (5) morphology, (6) contextual constraint, and (7) plausibility.
Accuracy of Micro-ID for Identification of Salmonella and Other Enterobacteriaceae from Clinical and Food Sources.

The accuracy of a new 4-h Enterobacteriaceae identification kit, not previously tested with food isolates, was evaluated by using 265 known bacterial cultures. These clinical and food isolates represented 11 genera of Enterobacteriaceae ; about 10% were atypical strains. Micro-ID test strips were inoculated from 24-h brain heart infusion agar slants and then incubated at 37 C for 4 h. With initial tests, 251 of the 265 cultures (95%) were correctly identified to species. When cultures initially misidentified were re-inoculated into Micro-ID, accuracy of identification increased to 98%. In tests to determine whether this multitest system would perform efficiently if incubated overnight at a lower temperature. 100 cultures of Enterobacteriaceae were inoculated into Micro-ID strips and incubated at 22 C for 16 h. Under these conditions, the system correctly identified 86 cultures to genus and 78 to species. Most of the misidentifications involved Enterobacter agglomerans . The degree of accuracy of Micro-ID at 22 C for 16 h was comparable to that at 37 C for 4 h, i.e., 95%, for identification to genus of the following: Arizona , Citrobacter , Edwardsiella , Escherichia , Klebsiella , Proteus , Salmonella , Serratia , Shigella and Yersinia .
Novel Memoirs: The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle and Memoirs of a Lady of Quality

In March 1751, Tobias Smollett published The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle. In which are included, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality. The title signals a fascinating experiment in the relationship between life and art, gender and genre—an experiment that led to innovations in both the novel and the “scandalous memoir.” By situating her memoirs within a picaresque novel, Lady Vane surrounds her tale with evidence that her trials reflect universal struggles. By echoing Lady Vane’s narrative in his novel’s plot, Smollett affirms the difficulty of reconciling personal happiness with social approval, and he explores how gender and genre affect the significance of particular incidents. Together, their texts and paratexts form a dialogue about social shifts, personal development, and the possibilities of collaboration.
Strongly extended superradiance in diamond metamaterials

Zero index metamaterials (ZIM) experience near-perfect spatial coherence and infinite spatial wavelength. We model, through both analytical calculations and simulations, superradiant emission of silicon vacancy centers (SiV) in a diamond ZIM that extends well beyond the emission wavelength near 737 nm.
The Rise of Effective Theories

Let us revisit an experiment from the previous chapter. Say you wanted to understand why people pushing buttons can sometime synchronize given enough connectivity in the system. If you remember, in that experiment every participant was given the instruction to adjust their pushing of buttons in whatever way they wanted in order to come into synchrony with the others. We could ask: “What does it mean to understand this phenomenon?” Would we be satisfied to refer to the generic Kuramoto model? Probably not entirely—some of the assumptions are unrealistic in this setting. In the Kuramoto model, the oscillators are continuously tugging on each other’s frequencies based on their respective phases. In our experiment here, people also adjusted their button pushing, but they could only do it in response to an LED flash on their terminal. OK, so what if we modified the model to reflect this pulse (as opposed to continuous) coupling between people’s responses? Would we be satisfied now, if the refined model showed mathematical hints of synchrony?
Corruption: An Unsolved Puzzle

Corruption is not a new problem. Even though it is considered a social ill and almost universally viewed as a problem, it remains present in many of the developing countries. Although the existence of corruption is common knowledge, people are reluctant to admit that they take and pay bribes, and therefore measuring and assessing corruption can be a challenge. In this chapter, we look at what types of corruption exist, how corruption is measured in different sources, and some of the causes that have been found to contribute to engaging in corruption. We have also examined how corruption is present in different sectors and it affects stakeholders in developing countries. With a growing concern regarding the size of government, we also examine how corruption and the size of government affect the recipients of the services, especially entrepreneurs.
Indole alkaloids from the marine red alga Martensia fragilis

Abstract The gross structures of fragilamide and martensines A and E, the first basic indole alkaloids to be isolated from a marine eukaryotic plant, are reported.
Striking A Balance: An Exploration of Staff-Camper Relationship Formation

Previous research highlights a range of positive developmental outcomes associated with attending summer camp. Close staff-camper relationships likely contribute to positive development, but little is known about how these bonds are formed. The current study utilized constructivist thematic analysis of interviews with campers (n = 8) and staff members (n = 7) at an overnight summer camp to examine the factors and processes that promote or inhibit close staff-camper relationship formation. The main themes identified were striking a balance, level of experience, and relationship-promoting behaviors. Staff members experience apparent paradoxes in their roles (e.g., relating to campers while also exerting authority), but navigate these tensions by using relationship-promoting behaviors and through increased experience. These findings suggest that staff training and supervision should emphasize relationship-promoting behaviors, continue throughout the summer, and be informed by campers’ perspectives. Additionally, camp administrators should capitalize on accrued experience by prioritizing staff retention.
Advances in Integrated Genetic Analysis

Genetic analysis is generally comprised of multistep processes. System requirements for integrating these tests are described, including reaction containment, thermal isolation, and reliable fluid-movement control. Functional integrated systems with results for p53 and cytochrome P450 mutation assays are reported.
Solution of the time dependent Schrödinger equation leading to Fowler-Nordheim field emission

We solve the time-dependent Schrodinger equation describing the emission of electrons from a metal surface by an external electric field E, turned on at t=0. Starting with a wave function ψ(x,0), representing a generalized eigenfunction when E=0, we find ψ(x,t) and show that it approaches, as t→∞, the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling wavefunction ψE. The deviation of ψ from ψE decays asymptotically as a power law t−32. The time scales involved for typical metals and fields of several V/nm are of the order of femtoseconds. We plot the short-time evolution of the current and density.We solve the time-dependent Schrodinger equation describing the emission of electrons from a metal surface by an external electric field E, turned on at t=0. Starting with a wave function ψ(x,0), representing a generalized eigenfunction when E=0, we find ψ(x,t) and show that it approaches, as t→∞, the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling wavefunction ψE. The deviation of ψ from ψE decays asymptotically as a power law t−32. The time scales involved for typical metals and fields of several V/nm are of the order of femtoseconds. We plot the short-time evolution of the current and density.
Urban-Rural Differences in Service Utilization and Costs of Care for Racial-Ethnic Groups Hospitalized With Poststroke Aphasia.

Abstract Objective Although residence is a key contributor to cost and utilization in stroke patient care, its contribution to the care of persons with aphasia (PWA) is unknown. The objective of this study was to use discharge-level hospital inpatient data to examine the influence of patient residence (rural vs urban) and race-ethnicity on service utilization and cost of care among PWA. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Administrative data from acute care hospitals in the state of North Carolina. Participants Individuals (N=4381) with poststroke aphasia. Interventions N/A. Main Outcome Measures Length of stay (LOS), speech-language pathology (SLP) service utilization, costs of care. Methods The 2011-2012 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Database data were analyzed to examine the effect of rural or urban residence on LOS, SLP service utilization, as well as total inpatient and SLP service costs. These outcomes were further analyzed across both residence and racial groups (non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black). Outcomes were analyzed using generalized linear model. Results Both rural and urban black PWA experienced longer average LOS after controlling for demographics, illness severity, and the hospital where they received care. Rural blacks experienced longer LOS, received greater SLP services, and incurred greater average total hospital costs than their rural white counterparts after adjusting for differences in their demographics and stroke or illness severity. The differences were attenuated after controlling for the hospital where they received care. Conclusions For PWA, race-ethnicity has a larger effect on average total medical costs, SLP service utilization, and LOS than residence. It is unclear how and why blacks with aphasia have greater service utilization and costs in acute care, yet their aphasia outcomes are worse. Future studies are required to explore potential factors such as quality of care.
Neuroendocrine proliferations in inflammatory bowel disease: differentiating neuroendocrine tumours from neuroendocrine cell micronests

Aims A wide spectrum of well-differentiated neuroendocrine proliferations (NEPs) are observed in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ranging from neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) to microscopic neuroendocrine cell clusters, best described as neuroendocrine cell micronests (NCMs). Finding NCMs in surveillance biopsies of IBD patients often poses a diagnostic conundrum. While such lesions may have been referred to as 'microcarcinoids' in the literature, it is unclear whether these represent early neoplasms. The study was undertaken to characterise NCMs and to differentiate NCMs from NETs. Methods and results Institutional surgical pathology archives were searched to identify cases of NEPs in IBD patients. Clinicopathological features were examined. NCMs were defined as scattered, indistinct neuroendocrine cell clusters without confluent growth or new stroma formation, located in the lamina propria and muscularis mucosae. NETs were defined as discrete, mass-forming lesions. Seventeen NEPs were identified, including eight NCMs and nine NETs. All NEPs were incidentally discovered. While NETs were commonly found in the rectum and appendix, NCMs were only noted in the rectosigmoid area. Unlike NETs, NCMs could not be measured as a discrete lesion as these clusters were non-confluent and scattered. None of the patients with NCMs developed NETs after a mean follow-up of 4.1 years (range = 0.5-21.0 years). None of the NETs showed NCMs in the background mucosa. Conclusions NCMs have distinct pathological features, are not associated with NETs in IBD patients and should not be misinterpreted as 'microcarcinoids'. Identification of NCMs in surveillance biopsies may not require further clinical work-up or invasive procedures usually performed for NETs.
The Berkeley Years: Keeping the Flame Alive

This article recounts Larry Nagel's years at the University of California (UC), Berkeley, from Ron Roher and Dave Hodges.
Genetics of human brain evolution

During the course of evolution the human brain has increased in size and complexity, ultimately these differences are the result of changes at the genetic level. Identifying and characterizing molecular evolution requires an understanding of both the genetic underpinning of the system as well as the comparative genetic tools to identify signatures of selection. This chapter aims to describe our current understanding of the genetics of human brain evolution. Primarily this is the story of the evolution of the human brain since our last common ape ancestor, but where relevant we will also discuss changes that are unique to the primate brain (compared to other mammals) or various other lineages in the evolution of humans more generally. It will focus on genetic changes that both directly affected the development and function of the brain as well as those that have indirectly influenced brain evolution through both prenatal and postnatal environment. This review is not meant to be exhaustive, but rather to begin to construct a general framework for understanding the full array of data being generated.
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans ( Aa ) Under the Radar: Myths and Misunderstandings of Aa and Its Role in Aggressive Periodontitis.

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) is a low-abundance Gram-negative oral pathobiont that is highly associated with a silent but aggressive orphan disease that results in periodontitis and tooth loss in adolescents of African heritage. For the most part Aa conducts its business by utilizing strategies allowing it to conceal itself below the radar of the host mucosal immune defense system. A great deal of misinformation has been conveyed with respect to Aa biology in health and disease. The purpose of this review is to present misconceptions about Aa and the strategies that it uses to colonize, survive, and evade the host. In the process Aa manages to undermine host mucosal defenses and contribute to disease initiation. This review will present clinical observational, molecular, and interventional studies that illustrate genetic, phenotypic, and biogeographical tactics that have been recently clarified and demonstrate how Aa survives and suppresses host mucosal defenses to take part in disease pathogenesis. At one point in time Aa was considered to be the causative agent of Localized Aggressive Periodontitis. Currently, it is most accurate to look at Aa as a community activist and necessary partner of a pathogenic consortium that suppresses the initial host response so as to encourage overgrowth of its partners. The data for Aa's activist role stems from molecular genetic studies complemented by experimental animal investigations that demonstrate how Aa establishes a habitat (housing), nutritional sustenance in that habitat (food), and biogeographical mobilization and/or relocation from its initial habitat (transportation). In this manner Aa can transfer to a protected but vulnerable domain (pocket or sulcus) where its community activism is most useful. Aa's "strategy" includes obtaining housing, food, and transportation at no cost to its partners challenging the economic theory that "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch." This "strategy" illustrates how co-evolution can promote Aa's survival, on one hand, and overgrowth of community members, on the other, which can result in local host dysbiosis and susceptibility to infection.
Comparison of Three Unidimensional Approaches to Represent a Two-Dimensional Latent Ability Space

All test data represent the interaction of examinee abilities with individual test items. It has been argued that for most tests these interactions result in, either unintentionally or intentionally, multidimensional response data. Despite this realization, many standardized tests report a single score which follows from fitting a unidimensional model to the response data. This process is justified with the understanding that the response data, when analyzed, say for example by a principal component analysis, have a strong, valid, and content identifiable first component and weaker minor inconsequential components. It is believed that the resulting observed score scale represents primarily a valid composite of abilities that are intended to be measured. This study examines three approaches which estimate unidimensional item and ability parameters based on the parameters obtained from a two-dimensional calibration of the response data. The goal of this study is to compare the results of the different approaches to see which best captures the results of the two-dimensional calibration.
What Defines an Honors Student? Survey of Pediatric and Internal Medicine Faculty Perspectives

Objective Although considerable emphasis is placed on the attainment of honors in core medical school clerkships, little is known about what student characteristics are used by attending physicians to earn this designation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate what values and characteristics that attending physicians consider important in the evaluation of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine clerkship students for clinical honors designation. Methods This cross-sectional survey study was framed around Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies. It was administered at three tertiary care hospitals associated with one large medical school in an urban setting. Teaching ward attendings in Pediatrics and Internal Medicine who evaluated third-year medical students between 2013 and 2016 were surveyed. Results Overall, Pediatric and Internal Medicine faculty demonstrated close agreement in which competencies were most important in designating clinical honors. Both groups believed that professionalism was the most important factor and that systems-based practice and patient care were among the least important factors. The only competency with a significant difference between the two groups was systems-based practice, with Internal Medicine placing more emphasis on the coordination of patient care and understanding social determinants of health. Conclusions Professionalism, communication skills, and medical knowledge are the most important characteristics when determining clinical honors on Pediatrics and Internal Medicine clerkships.
We are the 1%: the global elite against global capitalism: The Beneficiary, by Bruce Robbins, Durham, Duke University Press, 2017, 189 pp., US$ 24.95 (Paperback), ISBN 0822370212

‘Who is a beneficiary? You are, probably’ (p 6). With this provocation, Bruce Robbins prefaces his analysis of the figure named in the title of his latest monograph. On the one hand, The Beneficiar...
Gelation Theory for Ionomer Solutions

This paper presents a statistical mechanical model for gelation by dimer formation in ionomer solution. The results show that the critical ionomer concentration for gel formation decreases with ion-pair content for low dimerization energies and increases with ion-pair content for higher dimerization energies. At intermediate dimerization energies, the critical ionomer concentration for gel formation is insensitive to the ion-pair content. The two extreme regimes of behavior are similar to contradictory predictions of previously published theories.
Unethical International Nurse-Staffing Agencies - The Need for Legislative Action.

Unethical International Nurse-Staffing Agencies A bill in the U.S. Congress would remove caps on employment-based visas for immigrants from any one country and may include a carve-out for nurses. T...
Modeling approach for cold hardiness estimation on cherries

Abstract Plants go through a physiological process of cold hardening to limit the damage, caused by low temperatures at the end of fall and winter. Under a variable climate, plants may be less or more cold hardened and hence more or less susceptible to the effects of an unexpected temperature drop. Seasonal patterns were estimated for three cherry cultivars that vary in freezing tolerance. Measures were taken during fall, winter and early spring for four consecutive seasons. The objective of the study was to develop an empirical dynamic cold hardiness model applicable to three cherry cultivars. The data used to develop the model came from cold hardiness measurements collected for cherry bud hardiness of Bing, Chelan, and Sweetheart during four consecutive seasons (2012–2015) consolidated from the 1st of October through April 30th per each season. Three quantitative lethal temperatures LT10, LT50 and LT90 of bud freezing were estimated from fitted sigmoid curves using a logistic function. Correlations and auto-correlations between lethal observed temperatures and air temperatures (maximum, minimum and average) were calculated. A nonlinear model then was fitted including the lethal temperature of the two days prior to freezing, the accumulative day for the studied period and the maximum temperature. Equation coefficients of cultivar-specific models were determined for each cultivar. Cold hardiness predictions were compared to actual observations for each cultivar and the confidence limits and uncertainty were derived. The model allowed for comparisons of cold hardening and de-hardening between the studied cultivars and between seasons. The information generated by the model can be valuable for frost protection management.
Galvanic corrosion of Type 316L stainless steel and Graphite in molten fluoride salt

Abstract The effect of Graphite on the corrosion of Type 316L stainless steel (SS) was investigated in molten FLiNaK (LiF-NaF-KF: 46.5−11.5−42 mol.%) salt using electrochemical methods. Results show that Type 316L SS and Graphite, when ohmically-coupled, are susceptible to galvanic corrosion in molten fluoride salts. The Graphite, with the more positive electromotive potential, acts as the cathode in the Type 316L SS/Graphite galvanic couple and accelerates the corrosion of the steel. The galvanic effect of Graphite on Type 316L SS in molten FLiNaK salt increase linearly with increasing Graphite/Type 316L SS surface area ratio, temperature, and moisture impurities of the salt.
U-CIMAN: Uncover Spectrum and User Information in LTE Mobile Access Networks

With the proliferation of Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA), Internet of Things (IoT), and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) technologies, various methods have been proposed to deduce key network and user information in cellular systems, such as available cell bandwidths, as well as user locations and mobility. Not only is such information dominated by cellular networks of vital significance on other systems co-located spectrum-wise and/or geographically, but applications within cellular systems can also benefit remarkably from inferring such information, as exemplified by the endeavours made by video streaming to predict cell bandwidth. Hence, we are motivated to develop a new tool to uncover as much information used to be closed to outsiders or user devices as possible with off-the-shelf products. Given the wide-spread deployment of LTE and its continuous evolution to 5G, we design and implement U-CIMAN, a client-side system to accurately UnCover as much Information in Mobile Access Networks as allowed by LTE encryption. Among the many potential applications of U-CIMAN, we highlight one use case of accurately measuring the spectrum tenancy of a commercial LTE cell. Besides measuring spectrum tenancy in unit of resource blocks, U-CIMAN discovers user mobility and traffic types associated with spectrum usage through decoded control messages and user data bytes. We conduct 4-month detailed accurate spectrum measurement on a commercial LTE cell, and the observations include the predictive power of Modulation and Coding Scheme on spectrum tenancy, and channel off-time bounded under 10 seconds, to name a few.