cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Uniform elemental analysis of materials by sputtering and photoionization mass spectrometry

Analysis of the elemental composition of surfaces commonly involves techniques in which atoms or ions are ablated from the material's surface and detected by mass spectrometry. Secondaryion mass spectrometry1,2 is widely used for detection with high sensitivity (down to a few parts per billion) but technical problems prevent it from being truly quantitative. Some of these problems are circumvented by nonresonant laser post-ionization of sputtered atoms followed by time-of-flight mass spectrometry (surface analysis by laser ionization: SALI)3–9. But when there are large differences in ionization probabilities amongst different elements in the material, the detection sensitivity can be non-uniform and accurate quantification remains out of reach. Here we report that highly uniform, quantitative and sensitive analysis of materials can be achieved using a high-energy (5-keV) ion beam for sputtering coupled with a very-high-intensity laser to induce multiphoton ionization of the sputtered atoms. We show uniform elemental sensitivity for several samples containing elements with very different ionization potentials, suggesting that this approach can now be regarded as quantitative for essentially any material.
Preliminary results of a dose-finding study for botulinum toxin-A in patients with idiopathic overactive bladder: 100 versus 150 units.

Aims To evaluate the clinical outcomes of two different doses of BTX-A in patients with I-OAB. Methods This investigator initiated, randomized trial was designed to evaluate clinical differences in outcomes for 100 versus 150 U BTX-A in patients with I-OAB. Patients with OAB-Wet and OAB-Dry were randomized to receive 100 or 150 U BTX-A intra-detrusor injection. For patients with OAB-Wet, the primary outcome of interest was change in daily UUI episodes, and for those with OAB-Dry the primary outcome measure was change in number of daily voids as determined by 3-VD. Statistical comparisons were made both pre- and post-injection and also between different treatment groups to assess the superiority of one dose versus the other. Results Forty-four patients enrolled in the study; 10 OAB-Dry and 12 OAB-Wet patients received 100 U and another 10 OAB-Dry and 12 OAB-Wet patients received 150 U. No significant differences in outcome measure were noted between those receiving 100 versus 150 U. Patients with OAB-Wet tended to be completely dry more frequently if they received the 150 U dose, but this was not statistically significant. No differences in urodynamics outcomes were noted between the groups. QOL was significantly improved in both groups with no difference between the different doses. Conclusions In patients with I-OAB, preliminary results indicate that 100 U BTX-A and 150 U BTX-A are equivalent in terms of symptom reduction and QOL improvement. Neurourol. Urodynam. 28:205–208, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Remembering World War II: The rhetoric and politics of national commemoration at the turn of the 21st century

This essay critically examines the reemergence of World War II in public culture. By analyzing four popular memory texts (the World, War II Memorial, Saving Private Ryan, The Greatest Generation, and the Women in Military Service for America Memorial) as well as the discourse circulating about them, it argues that these reconstructions of the past function rhetorically as civics lessons for a generation beset by fractious disagreements about the viability of U.S. culture and identity.
Association of Co-Occurring Serious Mental Illness with Emergency Hospitalization in People with Chronic Kidney Disease

Background/Aims: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and serious mental illness (SMI) are both associated with an increased risk for repeated hospitalization. The object
Development of a Contemporary Animal Model of Candida albicans-Associated Denture Stomatitis Using a Novel Intraoral Denture System

Denture stomatitis (DS) is a fungal infection characterized by inflammation of the oral mucosa in direct contact with the denture and affects up to 50% of denture wearers. Despite the prevalence, very little is known about the role of fungal or host factors that contribute to pathogenesis. Recently, we developed a novel intraoral denture system for rodent research. This denture system consists of custom-fitted fixed and removable parts to allow repeated sampling and longitudinal studies. The purpose of this study was to use this denture system to develop a clinically relevant animal model of DS. To establish DS, rats were inoculated with pelleted Candida albicans, which resulted in sustained colonization of the denture and palate for 8 weeks postinoculation. Biofilm formation on the denture was observed by week 4 and on the palate by week 6 postinoculation. Rats were monitored for clinical signs of disease by assigning a clinical score after macroscopic examination of the palate tissue according to Newton's method. By week 4 postinoculation, the majority of inoculated rats with dentures exhibited a clinical score of 1 (pinpoint erythema). By week 6 and week 8 postinoculation, increasing percentages of rats exhibited a clinical score of 2 (diffuse erythema/edema). Histological analysis of palate tissue demonstrated progressively increasing inflammatory cell recruitment throughout the time course of the infection. Palatal biofilm formation was commensurate with development of palatal erythema, which suggests a role for biofilm in the inflammatory response.
Business Etiquette: What Your Students Don't Know:

Recent developments in the workplace have supported the need for more awareness of business etiquette, especially by new employees entering the workforce. This study was com pleted to determine the current level of etiquette awareness possessed by students enrolled in business communication courses at three AACSB institutions. The findings indicate that students are most concerned with issues related to job interviews, interpersonal relationships, and social issues and least concerned with intercultural issues.
Acute myopathy of intensive care : Clinical, electromyographic, and pathological aspects

An acute myopathy of intensive care occurs in critically ill patients treated with intravenous corticosteroids and neuromuscular junction-blocking agents. The full clinicopathological spectrum is uncertain. We evaluated the clinical, electrodiagnostic, and histopathological features of 14 patients who developed acute myopathy of intensive care after organ transplantation or during treatment of severe pulmonary disorders and sepsis. Patients received high-dose intravenous corticosteroids, usually in conjunction with relatively low to moderate doses of neuromuscular junction-blocking agents. After discontinuation of the latter drugs, most had diffuse, flaccid weakness with failure to wean frommechanical ventilation. Electrodiagnostic findings were consistent with a necrotizing myopathy. Muscle histopathology revealed myopathy with loss of thick filaments in 79%, mild myopathic changes in 14%, and atrophy of type 1 and type 2 fibers in 7%. Loss of thick filaments was identified in muscle biopsy specimens obtained 30 ± 11 days (mean ± standard deviation) after intravenous corticosteroid treatment but not in those obtained earlier (12 ± 2 days). Critically ill patients, including those receiving organ transplants, may develop acute myopathy of intensive care after exposure to intravenous corticosteroids and neuromuscular junction-blocking agents, although the exposure to the latter drugs may be minimal. Selective loss of thick filaments is common in acute myopathy of intensive care, especially if the muscle biopsy specimen is obtained 2 weeks or more after intravenous corticosteroid exposure.
Pancreaticoduodenectomy and vascular resection: persistent controversy and current recommendations.

Kathleen Christians, MD and Douglas B. Evans, MDDepartment of Surgery, The Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WIIn this issue of the Journal, Giovanni and colleaguesanalyze 12 recent manuscripts which reported the outcomeof patients with pancreatic cancer who required portal vein(PV) or superior mesenteric vein (SMV) resection at thetime of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD).
Exploiting virtual synchrony in distributed systems

We describe applications of a virtually synchronous environment for distributed programming, which underlies a collection of distributed programming tools in the ISIS2 system. A virtually synchronous environment allows processes to be structured into process groups, and makes events like broadcasts to the group as an entity, group membership changes, and even migration of an activity from one place to another appear to occur instantaneously — in other words, synchronously. A major advantage to this approach is that many aspects of a distributed application can be treated independently without compromising correctness. Moreover, user code that is designed as if the system were synchronous can often be executed concurrently. We argue that this approach to building distributed and fault-tolerant software is more straightforward, more flexible, and more likely to yield correct solutions than alternative approaches.
Fracture criteria evaluation and finite element modelling of plate shearing

AbstractThis paper summarizes the results of a study conducted to evaluate a finite element model of the plate shearing process. A plane strain model, employing the element destruction method, was developed and tested using the tensile strain and Cockroft-Latham fracture criteria. To test the model, simulated edge geometry and microhardness for each criterion were compared with results from an AISI 1020 steel plate. Results showed that the model provides a reasonable approximation of the process although it is dependent on the fracture criteria used. The normalized Cockroft-Latham criterion was found to provide the best representation of shearing behaviour and yielded good agreement with results for edge geometry and microhardness.
Comparisons of caries prevalence of children with different daily toothbrushing frequencies

— Clinical caries examinations, supplemented by bite-wing radiographs, were conducted on 290 schoolchildren. The children ranged from 12 to 15 years of age and were residents of a fluoride-deficient community in New York State. The children were divided into two groups based upon their stated daily toothbrushing frequency, namely, those brushing once or less/day and those brushing twice or more/day. Mean DMFS and DMFT scores were recorded for children in both brushing categories. A trend was noted that more frequent brushing was associated with less caries activity. For females and males-females combined the differences in mean DMFS and DMFT scores between those children brushing two times a day or more were significantly different (P < .01) from the group brushing once a day or less. The caries scores for males in these two brushing groups were marginally significant (P < .05). Ninety percent of the children used fluoride-containing dentifrices. The inverse relationship between brushing frequency and caries activity may be related to the more frequent fluoride contact when the children brush.
Acoustic imaging in three dimensions

An algorithm and method of implementation are described for obtaining high-resolution, three-dimensional acoustic images of simple objects in air using only a small number of transducer positions. Each transducer position provides a single large bandwidth pulse-echo waveform along a specified incident direction. Probabilistic estimation procedures using the full waveforms are used to reconstruct a three-dimensional image of the objects in the observed volume. Prior information about the physics of the scattering process, the statistical nature of the noise and the acoustic reflectivity of the target object are used to obtain resolution of the order of the smallest wavelength present in the acoustic pulses. Results of both synthetic and experimental tests of the algorithm are presented, as well as a brief description of the experimental apparatus and the algorithm used.
Comorbid diabetes and end-of-life expenditures among Medicare beneficiaries with heart failure.

Background Diabetes is associated with increased risk of mortality in heart failure. We examined the association of diabetes with expenditures, hospitalizations, and procedures among Medicare beneficiaries with heart failure during the last 6 months of life. Methods and Results In a 5% national Medicare sample, the prevalence of diabetes was 41.7% among 16,613 beneficiaries who died in 2007 with a diagnosis of heart failure. Diabetes was associated with higher expenditures during the last 6 months of life (mean $39,042 vs $29,003; P < .001), even after adjusting for covariates, including age, sex, race, geographic location, comorbidities, and preceding hospitalizations (cost ratio 1.08, 95% CI 1.05–1.12). For both diabetic and nondiabetic adults, more than one-half of Medicare expenditures were related to hospitalization costs (mean $22,516 vs $15,721; P < .001). Compared with their counterparts without diabetes, beneficiaries with diabetes had higher rates of hospitalization (adjusted incidence rate ratio 1.09, 95% CI 1.05–1.12) and days spent in the intensive care unit. Conclusions Comorbid diabetes was common in heart failure and associated with higher expenditures, much of which was driven by increased rates of hospitalizations. Programs that focus on prevention of hospitalizations may reduce the substantial costs associated with heart failure near the end of life.
A linear transform that simplifies and improves neural-network classifiers

This paper presents a linear transform that compresses data in a manner designed to improve the performance of a binary classifier. The transform, which is called the eigenspace separation transform, allows the reduction of the size of a neural network while enhancing its generalization accuracy as a binary classifier.
Economic Institutions: Spontaneous and Intentional Governance

Spontaneous governance has been the prevailing economic approach to economic organization since Adam Smith made perceptive reference to, and briefly described, the "invisible hand," according to which each businessman "by pursuing his own interest . . . frequently promotes that of society more effectively than when he really intends to promote it" (Smith:423). That formulation is properly regarded as a watershed event and has had a massive and continuing influence on economics. One of the most praiseworthy intellectual activities with which an economist can become engaged is to identify and explicate spontaneous control mechanisms through which hands-off governance operates. Not only does it take a powerful mind-or, usually, the combined efforts of many powerful minds-to discover and model the mechanisms of spontaneous governance, but the benefits are stupendous. The need to become knowledgeable about, much less engrossed in the study of, institutional details is relieved if not vitiated if spontaneous mechanisms are the main arena. That we appear to be subject to intentional governance structures everywhere we turn is thus misleading: the real action is largely invisible.'
Pinnipeds as ocean-temperature samplers: calibrations, validations, and data quality

Recently marine organisms have emerged as ocean-sensing platforms, generating data useful to biologists and oceanographers. However, sensor calibrations, performance over time, and effects of behavior and sampling frequency on data quality have not been adequately examined. We performed temperature calibration trials on 36 Wildlife Computers Mk9 time-depth recorders (stated accuracy 0.1°C ± 0.05°C) versus Rosemount Model 162CE standard platinum resistance thermometer (0.001°C, ± 0.0001°C). Sixty-four percent of trials were within ± 0.1°C. Subtracting 0.05°C from all calibrations brought this to 83%. Six instruments calibrated before and after deployment on free-ranging pinnipeds, showed no significant drift in temperature measurements. Mk9 performance was tested against a Seabird © CTD (SBE-19). Root mean square (rms) difference between CTD and Mk9 temperature was 0.15°C (max. 0.45°C, min. 0.10°C). Applying a 1-s time-lag improved the data fit. To assess animal effects on thermal data, Mk9s were deployed on juvenile elephant seals released between CTD casts. Overall rms were within ± 0.1°C. Subsampling of Mk9 data revealed a sampling frequency of 10 s was sufficient to accurately resolve thermal features, e.g., thermocline depth, for these CTD experiments. We present four equations to assess temperature data quality from diving marine animals around the globe carrying different thermistors.
The biomechanics of the semicircular canals

A mathematical model for the unsteady fluid-dynamic response of the semicircular canals is presented. The endolymph is assumed to be an incompressible Newtonian fluid, and the presence and effects of both the utricle and the cupula are specifically accounted for. It is shown that the canal can be modeled as a heavily-damped, second-order system which behaves as an angular meter. Fairly good agreement is found between model predictions and experimental results. >
Crystal and Molecular Structures of Tricyclic Neuroleptics

Abstract The X-ray crystal structures of three tricyclic neuroleptics have been completed and are reported herein. These include amitriptyline hydrochloride (I), chlorprothixene hydrochloride (II), and ethopropazine hydrochloride (III). The structures were compared with the structures of similar molecules with similar pharmacological activity. It was found that there is a great deal of flexibility in the structures of these molecules, which makes it difficult to determine the pharmacologically active conformations. Crystallographic data: (I) C 20 H 24 NCI, monoclinic space group P 2 1 / a , a = 13.812(4) A, b = 9.140(2) A, c = 14.345(4) A, β = 96.82(2)°, Z = 4, final R = 0.059 for 1630 observed ( l 3 σ ( l )) reflections. (II) C 18 H 20 NSCI 2 . CHCI 3 , monoclinic space group C2/c, a = 29.416(4) A, b = 6.986(1) A, c = 23.374(3) A, β = 109.78(1)°, Z = 8, final R = 0.046 for 1436 observed reflections. (III) C 19 H 25 N 2 SCI, monoclinic space group P 2 1 / c , a = 8.849(1) A, b = 14.475(2) A, c = 14.832(1) A, β = 98.72(1)°, Z = 4, final R = 0.039 for 2583 observed reflections.
Altitude and the risk of cardiovascular events in incident US dialysis patients

Background. Altitude is associated with all-cause mortality in US dialysis patients, but its association with cardiovascular outcomes has not been assessed. We hypothesized that higher altitude would be associated with lower rates of cardiovascular events due to an altered physiological response of dialysis patients to altitude induced hypoxia. Methods. We studied 984 265 patients who initiated dialysis from 1995 to 2006. Patients were stratified by the mean elevation of their residential zip codes and were followed from the start of dialysis to the occurrence of several validated cardiovascular endpoints: myocardial infarction, stroke, cardiovascular death and a composite of these end points. Incidence rate ratios across altitude strata were estimated using proportional hazards regression. Results. All outcomes occurred less frequently among patients living at higher altitude compared with patients living at or near sea level, and the association appeared monotonic for all outcomes except for stroke, which was most incident in the 250–1999 ft group. Compared with otherwise similar patients residing at or near sea level, patients living at � 6000 ft had 31% [95% confidence interval (CI): 21–41%] lower rates of myocardial infarction, 27% (95% CI: 15–37%) lower rates of stroke and 19% (95% CI: 14–24%) lower rates of cardiovascular death. Additional adjustment for biometric information did not materially change these findings. Effect modification between race and altitude was only consistently significant for Native Americans. Altitude did not significantly alter the rates of non-cardiovascular death. Conclusion. We conclude that dialysis patients at higher altitude experience lower rates of cardiovascular events compared to otherwise similar patients at lower altitude.
A Priority-based Feedback Flow Control System for Bandwidth Control

In this paper, we propose a Priority-based Feedback Flow Control System (PFFCS) architecture that use the flow-based network intrusion detection [15] to classify the traffic flows in the network into different priority classes and give different treatment to the flow-rates belonging to different classes, and PFFCS uses a control-theoretic approach to control network traffic and at the same time, adaptively to maximize low priority flows while maintaining high priority flows at a desired level so that full utilization of network medium can be achieved through adaptive rate control. To provide this desired service guarantee to high priority flows, we build dynamic network flow model, propose multi-layered network flow-rate constrain algorithms and define a series of malicious-based packet discarding policies. The system is shown to be highly flexible and robust against different types of attack patterns, and traditional network traffic control can be implemented using one common framework. This system has been evaluated by using simulated test-bed data. Results show the success that the system mitigates Distributed Denial of Service Attacks.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in neonates with congenital hyperinsulinism

Introduction Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a well-recognised complication in infants of diabetic mothers and is attributed to a compensatory increase in fetal insulin secretion. Infants with congenital hyperinsulinism have excessive prenatal and postnatal insulin secretion due to defects in pathways of insulin secretion (most commonly the K ATP channel). HCM has been reported in a few neonates with hyperinsulinism, but its extent and risk factors for its development have not been evaluated. Methods Retrospective chart review of infants, age Data Gestational age, birth weight, hyperinsulinism form and treatments, echocardiogram results, cardiac/respiratory complications. Results 68 infants were included, 58 requiring pancreatectomy for diffuse (n=28) or focal (n=30) disease, 10 were diazoxide-sensitive. Twenty-five had echocardiograms performed. Ten had HCM, all of whom required pancreatectomy and eight of whom had confirmed ATP-sensitive potassium-hyperinsulinism. Subjects with HCM had younger gestational age 36(32, 38) than their surgical counterparts without HCM 38 (31.6, 43), p=0.02. Discussion HCM appears common in infants with severe hyperinsulinism. Routine echocardiogram and EKG of at-risk newborns should be considered. Fetal hyperinsulinism is the likely mediating factor for HCM in HI infants.
The role of omnivorous crayfish in littoral communities

Large omnivorous predators may play particularly important roles determining the structure of communities because of their broad diets and simultaneous effects on multiple trophic levels. From June 2001 to June 2002 we quantified community structure and ecosystem attributes of six newly establishing freshwater ponds (660 m2 each) after populations of omnivorous crayfish (Orconectes virilis) were introduced to three of the ponds. Crayfish preyed heavily on fish eggs in this experiment, which reduced recruitment of young-of-year fish. This effect indirectly enhanced zooplankton biomass in crayfish ponds. Phytoplankton abundance exhibited a more complex pattern and was probably influenced by non-trophic (e.g., bioturbation) effects of crayfish. Peak dissolved oxygen levels were lower in the crayfish ponds indicating that they had lower primary production: respiration ratios. Metaphytic algae were strongly affected by crayfish presence; filamentous greens quickly disappeared and the blue-green Gleotrichia (a less preferred food item) eventually dominated the composition in crayfish ponds. Chara vulgaris and vascular macrophytes established 34% cover in control ponds by June 2002, but were not able to establish in crayfish ponds. Two important periphyton herbivores (tadpoles and gastropods) were absent or significantly reduced in the crayfish ponds, but periphyton differences were temporally variable and not easily explained by a simple trophic cascade (i.e., crayfish—snails and tadpoles—periphyton). Our results indicate that crayfish can have dramatic direct and indirect impacts on littoral pond communities via feeding links with multiple trophic levels (i.e., fish, invertebrates, and plants) and non-trophic activities (bioturbation). Although the effects of omnivorous crayfish on littoral communities can be large, their complex effects do not fit neatly into current theories about trophic interactions or freshwater community structure.
Evaluating evidence from a decision analysis.

A 28-year-old man comes to your office with a 6-month history of recurrent attacks of artbritis in his left knee. During each episode the knee is tender, swells slightly, and is mildly red. He denies fevers, chills, gastrointestinal symptoms, or morning stiffness. Each attock lasts about 2 to 3 weeks, then slowly subsides. Last summer, the patient went on a week-long backpacking trip in the mountains. He does not recall seeing a tick on his person or his clothing during the trip, nor did he notice a rash during his outing or after he returned. You find nothing remarkable during his physical examination. You consider Lyme disease in your differential diagnosis, remembering that one of your colleagues treated a patient empirically for Lyme disease early last fall when that patient had a rash that resembled erythema migrans. You are considering testing the patient for Lyme disease but are uncertain about the best approach to take, so a brief review of the literature is in order. Searching the literature, you come across a decision analysis of test-treatment strategies for patients with suspected Lyme disease.1 The article describes three common clinical scenarios where Lyme disease is considered in the differential diagnosis: (1) myalgic symptoms, (2) rash resembling erythema migrans, and (3) recurrent oligoarticular inflammatory arthritis. For inflammatory arthritis symptoms (your patient), the article recommends no testing or empirical treatment for Lyme disease. Because this article is a decision analysis and not a report from a high-quality clinical trial, you question whether the findings are valid and should guide your clinical approach to the patient.
Teachers' Perception of Vocal Quality Compared With Professional Perception

Summary Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in teachers' self-perception of their own voices compared with a voice clinician's perceptual assessment. Methods Participants included 45 elementary school (grades 1–8) teachers (34 females, 11 males) in public and private schools, with a mean age of 38.9 and age ranging from 24 to 65 years. The procedures included a demographic questionnaire, a self-assessment scale, and perceptual analysis. Results We found no difference when comparing overall vocal deviation of connected speech perceived by the teachers and the voice clinician ( P = 0.509). However, the sustained vowel samples were perceived differently ( P = 0.015). When comparing the teachers' and the voice clinician's perception of vocal qualities in both the vowel and the connected speech samples, we observed that they perceive roughness ( P P = 0.005 for vowel and P = 0.019 for connected speech) differently; however, breathiness is perceived similarly for both the vowel and the connected speech samples ( P = 0.591 for vowel and P = 0.134 for connected speech). Increase in the numbers of years teaching showed a significant correlation with increase in teachers' perception of frequency of overall deviation (r = .870; P P Conclusion The findings indicate that the teachers' perception corresponds partially with the clinician's perceptual analysis. A similar impression about the voice deviation was found only when comparing the perceptual analysis of connected speech.
Neuroimmune communication in the submucous plexus of guinea pig colon after sensitization to milk antigen

We investigated electrical and synaptic behavior of neurons in the colonic submucous plexus during exposure to beta-lactoglobulin in guinea pigs sensitized by ingestion of milk. Microelectrodes were used to record electrical and synaptic behavior in neurons from milk-sensitized and nonsensitized age-matched animals during exposure to beta-lactoglobulin. Neurons in sensitized animals were hyperexcitable. Application of the histamine H2 antagonist cimetidine reversed the hyperexcitability, suggesting endogenously released histamine as one of the responsible factors. Antigenic exposure suppressed stimulus-evoked nicotinic cholinergic fast excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs). This was blocked by the selective histamine H3 antagonist burimamide. Suppression of the EPSPs resulted from presynaptic inhibition of acetylcholine release. Increased neuronal excitability and suppression of synaptic transmission was only found in milk-sensitized intestine, not in the intestine from age-matched nonsensitized animals. We concluded that signaling from mucosal mast cells to the enteric nervous system is important in colonic defense against antigenic threats. Histamine is a paracrine messenger in the communication network.
Modeling dependence in simulation input: the case for copulas

We discuss copulas for incorporating dependence in the input distributions to a simulation model. We start by motivating the need for incorporating dependence in the primitive inputs to a simulation. Copulas are then introduced as a convenient and flexible model to incorporate dependence. We rigorously define copulas, introduce some of their basic properties, illustrate popular copula families, and discuss methods for copula estimation. Since this is an introductory tutorial, we have attempted to keep all exposition at a basic mathematical level without omitting important technical details. The oral presentation of this tutorial will include additional discussion on random variate generation, copula inference, and tail dependence.
Information Revelation for Better or Worse Recommendation: Understanding Chinese Users’ Privacy Attitudes and Practices

The performance of a Recommendation System (RS) is mainly determined by how well it ‘understands’ its users: how much information it is able to trace and obtain. The former is largely depended on the algorithmic designs of the recommendation which have been explored for over a decade, while the former is more and more determined by the data owners—the users. In this paper, we presented our study on understanding Chinese users’ information revelation attitudes and practices which has not been fully explored in both the recommendation and online privacy research fields. Specifically, unlike the majority of previous studies that revealed users’ self-disclosure practices and attitudes in SNSs, our study is the first and only an initial investigation into the two aspects of the personal information disclosure and sharing: the differences of personal information shared by and with different types of audiences. Our study revealed that among the five types of recipient’s, students placed the least trust on Advertisers, among four other groups as Close Friends and Family, University Community, Friends on the Social Networking Sites, and Complete (online) Strangers. Overall, students feel more comfortable actively sharing personal information with the types of audiences than being shared by these audiences of their personal details.
The impact of three recent coal-fired power plant closings on Pittsburgh air quality: A natural experiment.

ABSTRACTRelative to the rest of the United States, the region of southwestern Pennsylvania, including metropolitan Pittsburgh, experiences high ambient concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which is known to be associated with adverse respiratory and cardiovascular health impacts. This study evaluates whether the closing of three coal-fired power plants within the southwestern Pennsylvania region resulted in a significant decrease in PM2.5 concentration. Both PM2.5 data obtained from EPA ground stations in the study region and aerosol optical depth (AOD) data retrieved from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments onboard the Terra and Aqua satellites were used to investigate regional air quality from January 2011 through December 2014. The impact of the plant closings on PM2.5 concentration and AOD was evaluated using a series of generalized additive models. The model results show that monthly fuel consumption of the Elrama plant, which closed in October of 2012,...
Numerical Simulation of Unsteady Flow over SFS 2 Ship Model

The current research investigates the unsteady flow over the SFS 2 ship model for the three flow conditions using the solver Cobalt. A unstructured tetrahedral grid is generated by grid generation package, Gridgen. The large separations and vortex flows over the ship model were well simulated. The unsteadiness of the flow was demonstrated by the velocity histories with respect to the time and their spectra. The unsteady airwake behind the superstructure was well captured. The time-averaged numerical results agree well with the corresponding measurement data on the off-body planes in the flight deck and superstructure regions. The investigation indicated that the solver Cobalt is satisfied with the requirements for investigating the helicopter-ship interaction problem.
Scorecard implementation improves identification of postpartum patients at risk for venous thromboembolism

OBJECTIVE To evaluate if an intensive educational intervention in the use of a standardized venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment tool (scorecard) improves physicians' identification and chemoprophylaxis of postpartum patients at risk for VTE. METHODS After implementation of a VTE scorecard and prior to an intensive educational intervention, postpartum patients (n = 140) were evaluated to assess scorecard completion, risk factors, and chemoprophylaxis. A performance improvement campaign focusing on patient safety, VTE prevention, and scorecard utilization was then conducted. Evaluation of the same parameters was subsequently performed for a similar group of patients (n = 133). Differences in scorecard utilization and risk assessment were tested for statistical significance. RESULTS Population-at-risk rates were similar in both assessment periods (31.4% vs 28.6%; p = NS). The greatest risk factors included cesarean delivery, body mass index (BMI) >30 and age >35. Scorecard completion rates for all patients increased in the postintervention period (15.7% vs 67.7%; p < .001). Postintervention scorecard completion rates for the at-risk population also improved (20% vs 79%; p < .001). In the postintervention group, those at risk with completed scorecards had higher prophylaxis rates than those at risk without scorecards (73% vs 25%; p = .03). At-risk patients with completed scorecards had 2.6 times more orders for chemoprophylaxis than at-risk patients without scorecards in both time periods (odds ratio [OR] = 8.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.1-22.8). CONCLUSION Utilization of a VTE scorecard coupled with an educational intervention for health care providers increases detection and chemoprophylaxis orders for at-risk patients. Encouraging universal scorecard assessment standardizes identification and chemoprophylaxis of at-risk patients who were otherwise not perceived to be at risk.
High-Temperature Superconductivity: The Hole-Pairing Is s-Wave, and the Holes Are on the SrO, BaO, or Interstitial Oxygen

Muon spectroscopy experiments (μ + SR) on YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 have shown since 1987 that the hole-pairing is s-wave rather than d-wave (as claimed in 1994 by Sonier et al.). New data taken for a high-quality crystal in a large applied field of 60 kOe show that the claims of d-wave pairing are invalid and based on a misinterpretation of what is actually fluxon-reordering. Several experiments have shown that the holes of high-T c superconducting oxides reside in the SrO, BaO, or interstitial oxygen regions, and not in the cuprate-planes. These include: (i) successful predictions that PrBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 and three other compounds would superconduct, because the superconductivity is in the BaO or SrO layers (not in the cuprate-planes); (ii) successful demonstration that a Pr-on-a-Ba-site defect (above a cuprate-plane) is a magnetic pair-breaker that kills superconductivity, but that Pr-on-a-Pr site (below the plane) does not destroy superconductivity, although the two sites are virtually the same distance from the cuprate-plane; (iii) evidence that cuprate-plane-free Sr 2 YRuO 6 has an onset of superconductivity at 49 K when doped with Cu on Ru sites, which nearly coincides with the onset temperatures of R 2-z Ce z Sr 2 Cu 2 RuO 10 (for R=Eu or Gd) and GdSr 2 Cu 2 RuO 8 , presumably because the SrO layers, not the CuO 2 planes, superconduct in all three types of compounds; (iv) data indicating that all high-temperature oxide superconductors are p-type and have electronically paired holes; and (v) evidence that the pairing is similar for the cuprates and the ruthenates, and for some organics where sulfur carries the holes.
Derivative Spectroscopy in Non-invasive Blood-Glucose Analysis

We devised a way to measure blood glucose non-invasively by applying Derivative Spectroscopy to the images we recorded with a smartphone camera. Based on two years of testing several methodologies to quantify blood glucose levels, we used principles of the Beer-Lambert Law to correlate the ratio of two wavelengths to mg/dL blood-glucose values. To non-invasively calculate the intensities of the two wavelengths that had been transmitted through a volume of a subject's blood, we passed a single wavelength through a subject's finger, once placed on a smartphone camera that acted as a photo-detector. We then discovered a near-linear correlation between the ratio of these two wavelengths and blood-glucose values. Future work entails tailoring the methodology to account for the influences abnormal properties of the blood have on transmitted wavelength values, and facilitating dynamic re-calibration for these abnormalities.
The Impact of Taxes and Social Spending on Inequality and Poverty in Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay (Spanish)

Using standard fiscal incidence analysis, this paper estimates the impact of fiscal policy on inequality and poverty in thirteen countries in Latin America around 2010. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica and Uruguay are the countries which redistribute the most and El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras redistribute the least. Contributory pensions are significantly equalizing in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay and also in Chile, Costa Rica and Ecuador but, in the latter, their effect is small. In the rest of the countries, contributory pensions are unequalizing but their effect is also small. More unequal countries tend to redistribute more. Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Peru redistribute below the trend; Chile, Ecuador and Mexico are on trend; and, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica and Uruguay redistribute above the trend. Fiscal policy reduces poverty in nine countries. However, in Brazil, Bolivia, Guatemala and Honduras, the incidence of poverty after taxes, subsidies and transfers (excluding spending on education and health) is higher than market income poverty, even though fiscal policy is equalizing. In Brazil and Mexico, a third of the post-fiscal poor were impoverished by fiscal policy and, in Bolivia and Guatemala, two thirds were. Public spending on pre-school and primary education is always equalizing and also pro-poor (i.e., per capita spending falls with per capita income). Spending on secondary education is always equalizing but pro-poor only in some countries. Spending on tertiary education is never pro-poor; however, it is always equalizing except for Guatemala. Government spending on public health is always progressive in relative terms and equalizing.
What does ultra low power requirements mean for side-channel secure cryptography?

The design of low power and side-channel-attack resistant encryption engine is a key challenge to enhance security of resource-constrained platforms. This paper present case studies to show that the low-power requirement is a challenge as well as an opportunity for improving side-channel resistance. On one hand, low-power encryption architecture can be more vulnerable to power-attack; and the countermeasures comes with significant overhead. However, on the other hand, low-power circuit techniques such as integrated voltage regulation or adaptive clocking can also be exploited to improve power-attack resistance. The analysis shows the need for future research on low-power and side-channel secure cryptography.
Forearm Instability: Anatomy, Biomechanics, and Treatment Options.

The forearm unit consists of the radius and ulna, a complex and interrelated set of joints (distal radioulnar joint, proximal radioulnar joint) and the soft tissue stabilizers between the 3 bones. Distally, this is represented by the triangular fibrocartilage complex at the wrist, proximally by the annular ligament at the elbow, and in the forearm by the interosseous membrane. Disruptions in any of these structures may lead to forearm instability, with consequences at each of the remaining structures.
Winds of Change in Latin America: Populism, Pro-Market Policies and the Challenge of Sustainable Economic Growth

The general perception in South American countries was that the structural reforms of the 1990s did not produce the expected results. As a result, these countries followed diverse paths in the quest of economic growth. One group of countries departed from the market reforms towards populism, while another group continued applying market friendly policies. This paper analyzes the performance of both groups inquiring if the effort and pain of pursuing market reforms and pro-market policies will bring long term rewards, or if populism would deliver similar results without having to pursue strict policies. The evidence seems to indicate that reforming countries are not performing better than populist ones, but they seem to be both more stable and attractive to foreign investment. It remains to know if turmoil in international markets will allow pro-market countries to continue to entice foreign investors.
Mission and spirituality: Ecumenical convergence and creative tensions in a new millennium:

This article examines the discourse surrounding the concepts of “mission” and “spirituality” in the interdisciplinary fields of missiology and Christian spirituality studies at the turn of the new millennium. Borrowing the concepts of ecumenical “convergence” and “creative tension” from David J. Bosch, I argue that scholars from a variety of traditions and disciplines are converging around the idea that mission and spirituality are vitally linked, but they do not always agree on how these concepts are defined and interact in real life. After an introduction that highlights events that led to the production of much of the literature and reviews the scope of the study, I analyze works within missiology and Christian spirituality studies related to this theme. Drawing on an early framework laid out by Michael Collins Reilly in a 1980 article in Missiology entitled “Developing a Missionary Spirituality,” first I focus on the missiological literature: the convergences and creative tensions in how scholars trea...
A Pilot Study on an Interprofessional Course Involving Pharmacy and Dental Students in a Dental Clinic.

Objective. To assess the effect of a dental clinical rotation program involving pharmacy students and dental students.Methods. An interprofessional education (IPE) course was offered as an elective to second-year pharmacy students and required for third-year dental students. The course included two in-class sessions, one online lecture, and five clinic sessions. Program evaluation analyses included a comparison of participating versus nonparticipating students on a knowledge survey of pharmacotherapy and IPE, and a descriptive analysis of IPE course evaluation results.Results. Among pharmacy students, mean scores were significantly higher for participants than nonparticipants on the 31-item pharmacy knowledge component of the survey. On the eight-item IPE component of the survey, scores were significantly higher for participants than for nonparticipants, both among pharmacy students and among dental students. Awareness and attitudes about IPE were generally high among course participants.Conclusion. An IP...
Age, the Life Course, and the Sociological Imagination: Prospects for Theory

Publisher Summary Recent years have seen a range of new issues emerging to confront social science approaches to age and the life course (ALC). These include an expanding array of work on the life course in fields as diverse as health and criminology, the growing body of work on cumulative dis/advantage that problematizes the intersection of age and inequality, break-through understandings of biosocial interactions, and global population aging. This chapter discusses the aspects of the developments in the context of more general theoretical considerations. It opens up with a review of the place of theory in life course studies. Despite extensive evidence that development and aging are contingent and modifiable processes, even social and behavioral scientists share the popular idea that many kinds of individual change “inevitably happen” with age, and are therefore “explained” by age. Descriptive evidence pointing to age-related decline as a general trend for many individual characteristics probably sustains the plausibility of these ideas. There has been no shortage of sociological research that illustrates the impact of the immediate social circumstances on life course outcomes. As population aging becomes an increasingly global phenomenon even as globalization challenges the capacities of post-industrial societies to maintain policies that support growing elder populations, the organization and meaning of age may change again. The study of ALC faces an era of new possibilities, and with it new obligations, to exercise sociological imagination. Across multiple domains of research, policy, practice, and popular constructions, implicit theoretical assumptions organize and guide the understanding and consciousness concerning the nature and possibilities of age, development, and the life course.