cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surgical repair of coarctation of the aorta in infants less than six months of age: Including the question of pulmonary artery banding

High mortality rates (20% to 60%) have been reported in the repair of coarctation of the aorta in infancy. During a 4 year period, 34 infants less than 6 months of age had coarctation repair (two prior to 1976). Eleven were less than 2 weeks of age, nine were 2 weeks to 1 month, eight were 1 to 2 months, and six were 2 to 6 months. Associated lesions were patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) (82%), ventricular septal defect (VSD) (53%), and other intracardiac lesions (35%). Twenty-three patients (67%) had emergency operations; the other procedures were semielective. The indications for operation included congestive cardiac failure (91%), acidosis (32%), hypertension (29%), cardiogenic shock (26%), and cardiac arrest (18%). There was one operative death (2.9%) in a patient with severe pulmonary valve insufficiency and multiple VSDs. There was one late death at 4 months (Taussig-Bing complex). Primary repair was used in 15, patch-graft angioplasty in 19 (left subclavian artery in nine, left common carotid in one, and Dacron or pericardial patch in nine). Two (6%) required reoperation for recurrent coarctation (follow-up 3 to 36 months with a mean of 25.8). Of 15 patients with a large VSD, six had pulmonary artery banding with two deaths (one operative and one late), two had debanding plus VSD repair, and two are awaiting operation. The remaining nine patients did not have banding (no operative or late deaths), four patients required late VSD closure, two VSDs closed spontaneously, two VSDs became smaller, and one patient is awaiting VSD closure. The infrequent need for pulmonary artery banding may be partly due to “physiological banding” seen at Denver’s high altitude. The VSD spontaneously closed or became smaller in 44% of nonbanded patients. The low operative mortality can be ascribed to (1) aggressive medical therapy, (2) emergency catheterization and repair, (3) avoidance of hypothermia, and (4) adequate relief of the coarctation.
Epidermoid cyst of testis: a report of 3 cases.

AbstractWe report 3 cases of simple epidermoid cyst of the testis. These tumors often are mistaken clinically for malignancy. Conservative surgical treatment with preservation of the testis is desirable when preoperative ultrasound reveals a well demarcated cystic nodule confirmed by histological frozen sections.
Management and follow-up of abnormal Papanicolaou tests.

Although less prevalent than breast cancer, cervical cancer has a lower 5-year survival rate. Cervical cancer is nearly always due to human papillomavirus (HPV). Increased screening and DNA typing for oncogenic HPV have begun to reduce the number of cases. Interpretation of Papanicolaou test results and disease management decisions require a comprehensive grasp of recent revisions in classification and management practice. This article reviews the recommendations of the multidisciplinary Bethesda 2001 Workshop and the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology. Practice changes include: new criteria for using liquid-based collection, a streamlined borderline category of atypical squamous cells (ASC), and a new category of ASC-cannot exclude high-grade lesion (ASC-H). Management includes colposcopy for all categories suspicious for epithelial abnormality and clearer guidelines for diagnostic colposcopy and endocervical sampling for glandular cell abnormalities (AGC, AGC-favor neoplasia). Adolescents and postmenopausal women have some variations from the recommended protocol. Reflex HPV DNA typing reflects the advances in research regarding risks for progression to cervical cancer. Treatment options include surgical removal of the lesions via laser, cryosurgery, loop excision, or cold-knife conization. Medical options include local treatments of cervical condyloma with tricloroacetic acid or 5-flourouricil. Visible and sometimes functional cervical changes may result. Clinicians now have clearer guidelines with which to manage abnormal Papanicolaou test results, using the latest technology and research. Discussing abnormal results with patients requires great sensitivity.
A retrospective study of the natural history of endogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism.

OBJECTIVE The treatment of subclinical hyperthyroidism is controversial because the natural history is uncertain. We undertook a retrospective study to examine the natural history of endogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism. METHODS Between 2002 and 2006, we identified 116 patients with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations 6 months of follow-up. The medical records of these subclinical hyperthyroid patients were reviewed for demographic data, clinical outcomes, and thyroid function test results. Because the etiology of hyperthyroidism could not be identified in 57 (49%) patients, we compared patients with normal-sized or diffusely enlarged thyroid glands with patients with nodular thyroid glands. We also compared the results of patients with initial TSH levels <0.1 microIU/mL to patients with TSH levels between 0.1 and 0.39 microIU/mL, and patients age <65 years to older patients. RESULTS Of 116 patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism, 88 (76%) were women and 28 (24%) were men. They ranged in age from 19 to 98 years (mean = 55 years). Ninety-eight patients did not have thyroid nodules, and 18 had thyroid nodules. Follow-up ranged from 6 months to 6.5 years (median, 3.2 years). TSH reverted to normal in 58 (59%) patients without nodules; we treated only 4 (4%) of these patients for hyperthyroidism. In contrast, TSH levels in only 3 (17%) patients with nodules reverted to normal and 7 (39%) received antithyroid treatment. Atrial fibrillation was present in 8 (8%) patients without thyroid nodules and in 3 patients (17%) with thyroid nodules (P=.373). There were no significant outcome differences based on initial TSH levels or age. CONCLUSION We conclude that most patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism who do not have thyroid nodules rarely require antithyroid therapy but should be followed carefully.
Retrocardiac mediastinal foregut duplication cyst

Abstract Foregut duplications occur at various locations throughout the upper gastrointestinal tract, including the thoracic cavity. Thoracic foregut duplications are typically intimately associated with the esophagus and therefore are located in either the posterior mediastinum or in pleural cavity. Here we report a case of foregut duplication of the middle mediastinum, intimately associated with the pericardium and great vessels that contained gastric mucosa, ciliated respiratory epithelium, bronchial-type epithelium, pancreatic tissue and hepatocytes. The literature of mediastinal foregut duplications is also reviewed.
From Occupation to Recuperation: Property, Politics and Provincialization in Contemporary Madrid

Recent debates have once again engaged with the substance and meaning of urban politics within our increasingly complex and startling contemporary landscapes. Yet these debates, while giving nods in the direction of feminist and postcolonial scholarship, largely work through traditional lenses of class, labor and the dynamic workings of neoliberal capitalism. In this article, I focus on spaces of difference and their engagement with the urban to demonstrate how politics 'happens' in locations often left off the map of both scholarship and popular imaginaries, and, crucially, how those locations can, in fact, illuminate shifting political arrangements elided by other methodologies. By juxtaposing European okupa debates with postcolonial discussions of urban informality, I trace what I argue is a new iteration of squatting within a city both ravaged by edicts of neoliberal austerity and buoyed by the efflorescence of social movements and alternative political projects. I then explicate the role of property in constituting the urban within Spain, using the concept of 'provincialization'. In doing so, I think relationally between systems of property and emergent forms of insurgency to argue that we are witnessing an anticipatory politics that fundamentally challenges hegemonic relationships between everyday citizens and regimes of property ownership.
Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Kidney Disease

Abstract Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), the precursors of the mature endothelialized blood vessels, are indispensable for vascular homeostasis and maintenance of perivascular tissues. This brief review sketches the ontogeny of EPCs, their dysfunctional states and premature senescence in diverse diseases, thus explaining the potential benefits of EPC transplantation. I describe recent studies of EPC secretome and angiocrine signaling as putative mediators of regeneration of parenchymal organs. In addition, I provide several recent examples of therapeutic utilization of EPCs. Finally, several emerging therapeutic modalities to rejuvenate EPCs are briefly discussed.
Association between cytokines and liver histology in children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Author(s): Perito, Emily R; Ajmera, Veeral; Bass, Nathan M; Rosenthal, Philip; Lavine, Joel E; Schwimmer, Jeffrey B; Yates, Katherine P; Diehl, Anna Mae; Molleston, Jean P; Murray, Karen F; Scheimann, Ann; Gill, Ryan; Glidden, David; Aouizerat, Bradley | Abstract: BackgroundReliable non-invasive markers to characterize inflammation, hepatocellular ballooning, and fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are lacking. We investigated the relationship between plasma cytokine levels and features of NAFLD histology to gain insight into cellular pathways driving NASH and to identify potential non-invasive discriminators of NAFLD severity and pattern.MethodsCytokines were measured from plasma obtained at enrollment in pediatric participants in NASH Clinical Research Network studies with liver biopsy-proven NAFLD. Cytokines were chosen a priori as possible discriminators of NASH and its components. Minimization of Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) was used to determine cytokines retained in multivariable models.ResultsOf 235 subjects, 31% had "Definite NASH" on liver histology, 43% had "Borderline NASH", and 25% had NAFLD but not NASH. Total plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI1) and activated PAI1 levels were higher in pediatric participants with Definite NASH and with lobular inflammation. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) was higher in those with stage 3-4 fibrosis and lobular inflammation. sIL-2rα was higher in children with stage 3-4 fibrosis and portal inflammation. In multivariable analysis, PAI1 variables were discriminators of Borderline/Definite NASH, definite NASH, lobular inflammation and ballooning. IL-8 increased with steatosis and fibrosis severity; sIL-2rα increased with fibrosis severity and portal inflammation. IL-7 decreased with portal inflammation and fibrosis severity.ConclusionsPlasma cytokines associated with histology varied considerably among NASH features, suggesting promising avenues for investigation. Future, more targeted analysis is needed to identify the role of these markers in NAFLD and to evaluate their potential as non-invasive discriminators of disease severity.
Readiness to Vaccinate Critical Personnel During an Influenza Pandemic, United States, 2015

Objectives. To assess the readiness to vaccinate critical infrastructure personnel (CIP) involved in managing public works, emergency services, transportation, or any other system or asset that would have an immediate debilitating impact on the community if not maintained.Methods. We analyzed self-reported planning to vaccinate CIP during an influenza pandemic with data from 2 surveys: (1) the Program Annual Progress Assessment of immunization programs and (2) the Pandemic Influenza Readiness Assessment of public health emergency preparedness programs. Both surveys were conducted in 2015.Results. Twenty-six (43.3%) of 60 responding public health emergency preparedness programs reported having an operational plan to identify and vaccinate CIP, and 16 (26.2%) of 61 responding immunization programs reported knowing the number of CIP in their program’s jurisdictions.Conclusions. Many programs may not be ready to identify and vaccinate CIP during an influenza pandemic. Additional efforts are needed to ensure o...
Network Interconnection and Protocol Conversion

Abstract With the rapid advances that have taken place in computer and communication technologies, the idea of providing users with access to multimedia information services at any time in any place is not just a fiction, but will become a reality in the near future. During the past three decades, hundreds of thousands of computer networks have been built around the world. However, users on different networks cannot easily communicate with one another due to the proliferation of different network architectures and communication protocols. Protocol conversion is a widely used approach to constructing gateways that provide interoperability among different protocols. An expository survey on network interconnection and formal approaches to protocol conversion are presented. The first part (Sections 2 to 5) considers various issues (addressing, routing, flow control, congestion control, and error control) and approaches (homogeneous and heterogeneous) to network interconnection, including low- to medium-speed networks as well as highspeed networks (such as ATM). The second part (Sections 6 to 9) deals with formal approaches to protocol conversion and the synchronizing transition set (STS) algorithm, which is a very powerful and versatile tool for constructing protocol converters (gateways). The STS algorithm consists of five steps and has been coded using only 940 lines of language C statements. Three examples are given to illustrate how to apply the STS algorithm to construct protocol converters for protocols specified in the finite-state machine model and in the extended finite-state machine model, and for multimedia networks.
Elements of a Workplace Culture of Health, Perceived Organizational Support for Health, and Lifestyle Risk.

Purpose:We investigated the impact of elements of a workplace culture of health (COH) on employees’ perceptions of employer support for health and lifestyle risk.Design:We used 2013 and 2015 survey data from the National Healthy Worksite Program, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-led initiative to help workplaces implement health-promoting interventions.Setting:Forty-one employers completed the CDC Worksite Health Scorecard to document organizational changes.Participants:Eight hundred twenty-five employees provided data to evaluate changes in their health and attitudes.Measures:We defined elements of a COH as environmental, policy, and programmatic supports; leadership and coworker support; employee engagement (motivational interventions); and strategic communication. Outcomes included scores of employees’ perceptions of employer support for health and lifestyle risk derived from self-reported physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco use.Analysis:We estimated effects using multilevel reg...
A HYDROXYPROLINE-CONTAINING, COLLAGEN-LIKE PROTEIN IN PLASMA AND A PROCEDURE FOR ITS ASSAY.

The presence of dialyzable hydroxyproline-containing peptides in plasma and urine has been known for some time. Although their exact significance is not clear, the levels of these peptides in the absence of collagen or gelatin in the diet are a reflection of endogenous collagen metabolism. In a previous publication it was shown that, in addition to free hydroxyproline and dialyzable hydroxyproline peptides, there is also present in human plasma a form of hydroxyproline which is nondialyzable, precipitable with protein precipitants, and released by acid or alkaline hydrolysis. The presence in plasma protein hydrolysates of material which interferes with the procedure for hydroxyproline assay made it difficult to quantify or characterize this protein. It has now been possible to modify the existing procedure for hydroxyproline assay to make it sufficiently specific and sensitive for this purpose. With the modified procedure it has been found that plasma from laboratory animals and humans contains 6 to 14 mug per ml of protein-bound hydroxyproline. The behavior of this protein (hypro-protein) to ammonium sulfate precipitation and its migration on Sephadex columns suggest that it is a large molecule. Its resistance to digestion by chymotrypsin and Pronase suggests further that the protein may be a form of collagen.
Changes in Neuronal Activity in the Neostriatum and Reticular Formation Following Acute or Long-Term Amphetamine Administration

There is now considerable evidence to suggest that the sequential patterns of hyperkinesia and behavioral stereotypes observed in a wide variety of species following an injection of amphetamines are due, in large measure, to a facilitation of catecholaminergic transmission in the central nervous system (e.g., as recently reviewed by Groves and Rebec, 1976). Additional recent work (e.g., Roberts, Zis, and Fibiger, 1975; Kelly, Seviour, and Iversen, 1975) further implicates the caudate-putamen, or neostriatum, and its dopaminergic input from the substantia nigra, pars compacta, and associated dopaminergic cell groups in the brainstem, in the expression of the psychomotor stimulant effects of amphetamine. The reticular formation of the brainstem is supplied, in part, by noradrenergic terminals and, as suggested by Bradley and associates (e.g., Bradley and Elkes, 1957; Bradley and Key, 1958), this area may contribute to the expression of amphetamine-induced electroencephalographic arousal. This view is consistent with the wide variety of evidence suggesting that the reticular formation of the brainstem mediates electroencephalographic and behavioral arousal (e.g., Moruzzi and Magoun, 1949; Lindsley, Bowden, and Magoun, 1949; Lindsley, Schriener, Knowles and Magoun, 1950; Segal and Mandell, 1970) and the elementary forms of plasticity that these phenomena exhibit (e.g., Sharpless and Hasper, 1956; Groves and Lynch, 1972; Groves, Wilson, and Miller, in press).
Large conductance voltage- and calcium-gated potassium channels (BK) in cerebral artery myocytes of perinatal fetal primates share several major characteristics with the adult phenotype

Large conductance voltage- and calcium-gated channels (BK) control fundamental processes, including smooth muscle contractility and artery diameter. We used a baboon (Papio spp) model of pregnancy that is similar to that of humans to characterize BK channels in the middle cerebral artery and its branches in near-term (165 dGa) primate fetuses and corresponding pregnant mothers. In cell-attached patches (K+pipette = 135 mM) on freshly isolated fetal cerebral artery myocytes, BK currents were identified by large conductance, and voltage- and paxilline-sensitive effects. Their calcium sensitivity was confirmed by a lower Vhalf (transmembrane voltage needed to reach half-maximal current) in inside-out patches at 30 versus 3 μM [Ca2+]free. Immunostaining against the BK channel-forming alpha subunit revealed qualitatively similar levels of BK alpha protein-corresponding fluorescence in fetal and maternal myocytes. Fetal and maternal BK currents recorded at 3 μM [Ca2+]free from excised membrane patches had similar unitary current amplitude, and Vhalf. However, subtle differences between fetal and maternal BK channel phenotypes were detected in macroscopic current activation kinetics. To assess BK function at the organ level, fetal and maternal artery branches were pressurized in vitro at 30 mmHg and probed with the selective BK channel blocker paxilline (1 μM). The degree of paxilline-induced constriction was similar in fetal and maternal arteries, yet the constriction of maternal arteries was achieved sooner. In conclusion, we present a first identification and characterization of fetal cerebral artery BK channels in myocytes from primates. Although differences in BK channels between fetal and maternal arteries exist, the similarities reported herein advance the idea that vascular myocyte BK channels are functional near-term, and thus may serve as pharmacological targets during the perinatal-neonatal period.
Neighborhood-level factors affecting seat belt use.

Abstract Despite the well-known safety benefits of seat belt use, some vehicle occupants still do not use them. This is a challenge in Tennessee, which has a lower seat belt use rate compared to the United States national average. Roadside observations and interviews are the two main sources for estimating seat belt use rate and have several limitations (e.g., small sample size, social desirability bias). To address these limitations, we attributed seat belt use of individuals who were involved in traffic crashes (N = 542,776) to their corresponding home-addresses. Home-addresses were retrieved from police crash reports and were geocoded, and assigned to their corresponding census tract revealing added information about the spatial distribution of seat belt use and socioeconomics of the areas surrounding the crash victim’s home. The average seat belt use rate in the metropolitan area was 88% and for the non-metropolitan area was 87%. A Tobit model was used to evaluate the relationship between the seat belt use rate for both drivers and passengers over 16 years old, with neighborhood sociodemographic variables. Population, age cohorts, race, household vehicles’ ownership, household size, and education were among the predictors of the seat belt use rate. Results of this analysis could be used in safety campaign design to reach specific geographic areas and groups with a lower seat belt use rate.
Dietary Behaviors Related to Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults

This study was conducted to investigate the cross-sectional associations between dietary factors and the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in 12,755 subjects (males 5,146, females 7,609) aged 19 years or above using data from the 4th (2007-2009) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The prevalence of MetS in Korean adults was 23.6% (males 26.1%, females 20.9%) with the criteria for modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. While males had a higher prevalence of abdominal obesity, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and high blood pressure than females, the prevalence of low HDL-cholesterol level was higher in females than in males. Among dietary guidelines, the response of ‘yes’ for asking practice of ‘avoiding salty foods’, and ‘eating moderately and increasing physical activity for healthy weight’ were significantly associated with the decreased risk of MetS in both males and in females. Especially, the risk of MetS was significantly lower in the subjects that responded the practice of all items of Korean Dietary Guidelines. Significantly negative associations with MetS were also found in the responding for practice of ‘limiting consumption of alcoholic beverages’ in males, and taking dietary supplements in females. Skipping breakfast was positively associated with the risk of MetS. In conclusion, dietary behaviors such as having breakfast, practice of dietary guidelines, and food consumption in moderation could modify the prevalence of MetS, and our findings could be useful for establishing guidelines for preventing MetS. (Korean J Community Nutr 17(5) : 664~675, 2012)
Power and Legitimacy in International Politics: Britain and Germany’s Responses to the U.S.’s Wars Against Iraq in 1991 and 2003

The paper evaluates the constructivist claim that legitimacy embedded in a country’s foreign policy shapes the responses of other countries’ foreign policy. I test the claim using four cases of Britain’s and Germany’s responses to US’s invasion in Iraq in 1991 and 2003. The choice of US’s invasion in Iraq in 1991 and 2003 was made on the ground that the latter was regarded as utterly illegitimate due to a lack of UN’s authorization. Thus, both cases reveal a variation in the extent of legitimacy (positive versus negative cases). My observation of Britain’s and Germany’s foreign policy responses is based on the fact that both countries are US’s allies. Thus, by examining allies’ responses to US’s invasion in Iraq in these two periods, I control for countries’ type of relationship with the US that may affect their behavior towards the country. My observation shows that only one out of the four cases (Germany’s response to US’s invasion in 2003) supports the claim that legitimacy is the main concern underlying states’ foreign policy response. In general, this study also suggests that legitimacy may matter under normal situation. During crises, however, states tend to be more pragmatic and power-based explanation seems more convincing.
Standing-to-traveling wave transition in piezoelectric thermoacoustic energy harvesters

Thermoacoustic systems generate high amplitude sound pressure waves from a thermal input, which can then be harvested via piezoelectric transducers. While a promising concept, current thermoacoustic energy harvesters suffer inherent design limitations which result in: (1) low acoustic power output and simple construction or (2) a reasonable output in a significantly large apparatus (i.e. low power density). The challenge is centered around the working gas oscillations being predominantly standing waves which exhibit a pressure-velocity time phasing that is detrimental to the energy output of such harvesters. The goal of this work is to induce temporal phase adjustments in the excited acoustic waves inside a sealed cavity, thus boosting the amount of useful acoustic power which can be effectively scavenged. By employing open and closed-loop feedback control in a thermoacoustic tube with dual sensing and actuating piezoelectric transducers located at two opposing ends, it is shown that the traveling wave portion of the resultant wave dynamics can be significantly increased with a relatively low level of power pumped into the system. As a result, the controlled device outperforms a conventional one of the same size and configuration and approaches the maximum theoretical potential of thermoacoustic energy harvesting.
Policies to Prevent Illegal Acquisition of Firearms: Impacts on Diversions of Guns for Criminal Use, Violence, and Suicide

Firearm-related deaths are a significant source of mortality in the USA. More than 30,000 individuals die annually from firearm-related injuries, including homicide and suicide, in our nation. This review summarizes recent findings on policies designed to prevent illegal acquisition of firearms and their impacts on diversions of guns into underground markets and firearm-related homicide and suicide. A significant body of evidence has been produced between 2013 and 2018 demonstrating the effectiveness of laws requiring prospective handgun purchasers to obtain a permit (PTP). The evidence for other types of laws to deter illegal acquisition of firearms is less robust. Current research on illegal acquisition and the impact of related policies illustrates that there are policies that effectively reduce diversion and have positive impacts on firearm-related violence. However, there is a paucity of research that use strong study designs and clearly identifies specific policy impacts pertaining to diversion and illegal acquisition of firearms. Future research is needed that further elucidates transactions that facilitate a gun’s entry into an underground market and the role and impact of policies regulating these transactions.
Quality/Latency-Aware Real-time Scheduling of Distributed Streaming IoT Applications

Embedded systems are increasingly networked and distributed, often, such as in the Internet of Things (IoT), over open networks with potentially unbounded delays. A key challenge is the need for real-time guarantees over such inherently unreliable and unpredictable networks. Generally, timeouts are used to provide timing guarantees while trading off data losses and quality. The schedule of distributed task executions and network timeouts thereby determines a fundamental latency-quality trade-off that is, however, not taken into account by existing scheduling algorithms. In this paper, we propose an approach for scheduling of distributed, real-time streaming applications under quality-latency goals. We formulate this as a problem of analytically deriving a static worst-case schedule of a given distributed dataflow graph that minimizes quality loss while meeting guaranteed latency constraints. Towards this end, we first develop a quality model that estimates SNR of distributed streaming applications under given network characteristics and an overall linearity assumption. Using this quality model, we then formulate and solve the scheduling of distributed dataflow graphs as a numerical optimization problem. Simulation results with random graphs show that quality/latency-aware scheduling improves SNR over a baseline schedule by 50% on average. When applied to a distributed neural network application for handwritten digit recognition, our scheduling methodology can improve classification accuracy by 10% over a naive distribution under tight latency constraints.
Analysis of nonlinear passive pinched hysteresis generator circuits

Hysteresis is a cornerstone of threshold based switching circuits. The idea of pinched hysteresis has taken on a new relevance with the advent of the memory resistor. There are models in literature that employ nonlinear elements paired with passive phase shift to demonstrate pinched hysteresis. This work analyzes the suitability of passive models for demonstrating hysteresis with a representative passive circuit candidate. The computational model employed in this study analyzes lobe symmetry, lobe area, response at zero stimulus, linearity etc. to arrive at its conclusions. The computed results are validated against SPICE simulations with good agreement. This study shows that pinched hysteresis emulators implemented with passive, nonlinear element based phase shift may seem superficially satisfactory but fail analytical inspection.
Size, disorder, and charge doping effects in the antiferromagnetic series Eu1-xAxGa4 (A = Ca, Sr, or La)

Abstract EuGa4 hosts a magnetic Eu2+ sublattice surrounded by a network of covalently-bound Ga atoms with the BaAl4 structure type (space group I4/ m m m ). In this study, we present the synthesis and characterization of three new single crystal substitutional series Eu A x 1 − x Ga4 with A ​= ​Ca, Sr, or La. X-ray diffraction and resistivity measurements show that Ca substitution induced a structural phase transition from the tetragonal crystal structure at high temperatures to the monoclinic crystal structure (CaGa4 type, space group C2/m) at low temperatures and suppressed the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature to 8.8 ​K for x ​= ​0.45. Comparatively, La or Sr substitution maintained the tetragonal crystal structure and suppressed the antiferromagnetic ordering temperatures to 6.7 ​K and 1.6 ​K for (A, x) = (La, 0.37) and (Sr, 0.91), respectively. In addition to suppressing the magnetic order, magnetization and specific heat measurements indicate the onset of anisotropic metamagnetic transitions in (La, 0.18), (La, 0.37), and (Sr, 0.63), along with an incommensurate-to-commensurate magnetic transition in (Sr, 0.38). By comparing these effects of doping EuGa4, we show how size, disorder, and charge determine the structure-physical property relations in EuGa4.
A case-control study on the risk factors for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is an endemic communicable disease in China, accounting for 90% of total reported cases worldwide. In this study, the authors want to investigate the risk factors for HFRS in recent years to provide the prevention and control advices. A community-based, 1:2 matched case-control study was carried out to investigate the risk factors for HFRS. Cases were defined as laboratory-confirmed cases that tested positive for hantavirus-specific IgM antibodies. Two neighbourhood controls of each case were selected by sex, age and occupation. Standardized questionnaires were used to collect information and identify the risk factors for HFRS. Eighty-six matched pairs were investigated in the study. The median age of the cases was 55.0 years, 72.09% were male, and 73.26% were farmers. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, cleaning spare room at home (OR = 3.310, 95%CI 1.335–8.210) was found to be risk factor for infection; storing food and crops properly (OR = 0.279 95%CI 0.097–0.804) provided protection from infection. Storing food and crops properly seemed to be protective factor, which was important for HFRS prevention and control. More attention should be paid to promote comprehensive health education and behaviour change among high-risk populations in the HFRS endemic area.
Problems with Lorentz Violation Originating From a Cosmologically Varying Pseudoscalar Field

Lorentz- and $CPT$-violating models of electrodynamics with Chern-Simons terms are typically plagued by various sorts of instabilities. However, when the Chern-Simons term arises from a slow time variation in a pseudoscalar field with an axionlike electromagnetic coupling, the total energy of the theory is bounded below. We examine the behavior of such a theory, finding that in a systematic power series expansion of the magnetic and pseudoscalar fields, singularities appear in the field profiles. Some of the questionable behavior can be cured by taking a fully nonperturbative approach, but other problematic terms remain. This may be an indication that Cerenkov-like radiation will automatically carry away energy from a moving charge, preventing a charge from moving with uniform velocity over extended distances.
El orden material. Inscripción y cálculo de la materialidad urbana en el caso chileno

Through the analysis of the relational performance of two government instruments, used in Chile to record data on new buildings, the inscription and calculation operations that they deploy and the orders of meaning articulated on urban materiality are explored. From this, the text argues that its empirical observation is influenced by the communities of practices to which they are linked in their situations of design and application, and proposes that both their data-gathering practices and the narratives on materiality that emerge of these, they express an objectivity situated in that network of relationships.
QUBO transformation using Eigenvalue Decomposition.

Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) is a general-purpose modeling framework for combinatorial optimization problems and is a requirement for quantum annealers. This paper utilizes the eigenvalue decomposition of the underlying Q matrix to alter and improve the search process by extracting the information from dominant eigenvalues and eigenvectors to implicitly guide the search towards promising areas of the solution landscape. Computational results on benchmark datasets illustrate the efficacy of our routine demonstrating significant performance improvements on problems with dominant eigenvalues.
Estimating Real-Time qPCR Amplification Efficiency from Single-Reaction Data

Methods for estimating the qPCR amplification efficiency E from data for single reactions are tested on six multireplicate datasets, with emphasis on their performance as a function of the range of cycles n1-n2 included in the analysis. The two-parameter exponential growth (EG) model that has been relied upon almost exclusively does not allow for the decline of E(n) with increasing cycle number n through the growth region and accordingly gives low-biased estimates. Further, the standard procedure of "baselining"-separately estimating and subtracting a baseline before analysis-leads to reduced precision. The three-parameter logistic model (LRE) does allow for such decline and includes a parameter E0 that represents E through the baseline region. Several four-parameter extensions of this model that accommodate some asymmetry in the growth profiles but still retain the significance of E0 are tested against the LRE and EG models. The recursion method of Carr and Moore also describes a declining E(n) but tacitly assumes E0 = 2 in the baseline region. Two modifications that permit varying E0 are tested, as well as a recursion method that directly fits E(n) to a sigmoidal function. All but the last of these can give E0 estimates that agree fairly well with calibration-based estimates but perform best when the calculations are extended to only about one cycle below the first-derivative maximum (FDM). The LRE model performs as well as any of the four-parameter forms and is easier to use. Its proper implementation requires fitting to it plus a suitable baseline function, which typically requires four-six adjustable parameters in a nonlinear least-squares fit.
A simulation on Raman spectra of SF 6 decomposition characteristic gas: a density functional theory study

SF 6 partial discharge decomposition characteristic component analysis method is one of the most efficient and convenient technology to diagnose latent defects in SF 6 gas insulated equipment. Compared with the traditional SF 6 characteristic decomposition gas detection method, the spectral method has many outstanding advantages, such as non-destructive detection of gas, high detection speed, high precision, and no need for mixed gas separation. However, the Raman characteristics of SF 6 partial discharge decomposition characteristic gas have not been fully clarified. Therefore, based on the density functional theory, the Raman spectra of SOF2 and SO 2 F 2 are calculated, which lays a solid theoretical foundation for SF 6 gas insulated equipment insulation fault diagnosis and condition monitoring method based on spectral technology.
Implementation of the Arizona Pain and Addiction Curriculum: Findings and Implications From a Statewide Evaluation

PURPOSE: The U.S. is struggling with dual crises of chronic pain and opioid overdoses. To improve statewide pain and addiction care, the Arizona Department of Health Services and 18 health education programs collaboratively created the evidence-based, comprehensive Arizona Pain and Addiction Curriculum which includes a Toolbox for Operationalization with adult learning theory applications and an annual program survey to assess curriculum implementation. The purpose of this study is to analyze the first year’s survey data to better understand the implementation of a novel curriculum across all programs in the state. MATERIALS and METHODS: Program surveys were sent 6 months after curriculum publication to all 18 health education programs in Arizona to assess the 6 Ds of curriculum implementation: Degree of implementation, Difficulty of implementation, Delivery methods, Faculty Development, Didactic dissonance and Discussion Opportunities. RESULTS: Responses from all program types (14/18 programs) indicated that there was widespread implementation of the curriculum, with 71% reporting that all ten Core Components had been included in the past academic year. The majority of programs did not find the Components difficult to implement and had implemented them through lectures. Seventy-seven percent of programs did not have a process to ensure clinical rotation supervisors are teaching content consistent with the curriculum, 77% reported not addressing students’ didactic dissonance, and 77% of programs did not report asking students about their interactions with industry representatives. CONCLUSION: In less than one year after creation of the Arizona Pain and Addiction Curriculum, all program types reported wide implementation with little difficulty. This may represent a first step toward the transformation of pain and addiction education, and occurred statewide, across program types. Further focus on didactic dissonance, problem solving and faculty development is indicated, along with systematic education on pharmaceutical and industry influence on learners. Other programs may benefit from adopting this curriculum and may not experience significant challenges in doing so.
Special Issue Editors' Introduction

The co-editors of this issue of Argumentation & Advocacy on the works of Jim Aune came to his scholarship and his friendship in different ways. David Gore enjoyed a relationship with Aune as a teacher and an academic advisor at Texas A&M University. David Beard, on the other hand, met Aune at an AFA-sponsored panel at NCA, very early in his career, in which Aune celebrated the career of his undergraduate teacher, Jim Pratt. Pratt was Aune's coach in undergraduate debate, and like many of the contributors to this special issue, Aune came to rhetoric and communication studies through the experience of debate. It is fitting that this special issue critiquing, elaborating, and extending the work of Aune be published by the American Forensics Association. Forensics was the starting place for Aune's career in rhetoric. The AFA was a community that nurtured his work. And Aune argued, vehemently, later in his career, that argumentation was the core of the field. (Aune argued more than once that argumentation, not "speaking" or "communication," should become the core concept of the basic course.) In approaching Aune's work, we have sorted the contributions into three dimensions. In so doing, we do not wish to limit the sense of Aune's contribution to the field to these areas, and we do not wish to limit the reader's interpretations of the essays selected for this issue, which are divided into two genres: traditional academic articles and "provocations," short pieces designed to stimulate reflection and point us toward areas of future research. Both Aune's work and the work of our contributors exceed simple categorization. In the first section, addressing rhetoric, law, and economics, our contributors approach the major facets of Aune's established work. In longer pieces (like Rodney Herring and Mark Garrett Longaker's "Wishful, Rational, and Political Thinking" and like Marouf Hasian, Jr. and Megan D. McFarlane's "A Critique of James Amt Aune's Rhetoric, Legal Argumentation, and Historical Materialism"), we see Aune's signature work examined under glass. Provocations (by Ronald Walter Greene and Alexander Hiland, in "Living Arguments" and by Eleanor Amy Lockhart in "Rethinking Rhetoric's Ontology") encourage us to extend that work by encounter with new forms of theory and new objects of criticsm. This issue also includes works that follow the paths Aune had only begun to map. Peter Simonson's article ("Rhetoric as a Sociological Problem") and Brad Serber's provocation ('"All You Need to Know': On Intellectual Life and Moral Responsibility") raise the question of the social dimensions of theory. …
On a Connection between Kuznetsov Processes and Quasi-Processes

Let X = (X t , P x ) be a Borel right process on a Lusin state space (E, e),with semigroup (P t ). Let m be a measure on (E, e) that is excessive for (P t ). Associated with the pair {m, P t } are (at least) two Markov processes of interest. Both processes can be realized as the coordinate process on the space W comprising those paths ω: R → E ∪ {Δ} that are E-valued and right continuous on some open interval ]α(ω), β(ω)[, taking the value Δ outside of ]α(ω), β(ω)[. (Here Δ ∉ E is a cemetary, and the dead path [Δ]:t → Δ has α([Δ])= +∞, β([Δ])= −∞.) Put Y t (ω) = ω(t) and define σ-fields ς = σ{Y t :t ∈ R≽, ς t = σ{Y s :s ≤ t}. The Kuznetsov process associated with {m, P t } is the unique measure Q m on (W, ς) that is carried by W\{[Δ]} and satisfies $${{Q}_{m}}(\alpha <{{t}_{1}},{{Y}_{{{t}_{1}}}}\in d{{x}_{1}},\ldots ,{{Y}_{{{t}_{n}}}}\in d{{x}_{n}},{{t}_{n}}<\beta )=m(d{{x}_{1}}){{P}_{{{t}_{2}}-{{t}_{1}}}}({{x}_{1}},d{{x}_{2}})\ldots {{P}_{{{t}_{n}}-{{t}_{n-1}}}}({{x}_{n-1}},d{{x}_{n}})$$ (1.1) for -∞ < t 1 < ... < t n < +∞. Define a family of shift operators on W by $$({{\sigma }_{t}}\omega )(s)=\omega (t+s),s,t\in R,$$ and note that by (1.1), σ t (Q m ) = Q m , ∀t ∈ R. Thus (Y t , Q m ) is a stationary Markov process with semigroup (P t ), random “life interval” ]α, β[, and one dimensional distributions (when alive) all m. See [7] for the construction of such processes.
Age, growth, and natural mortality of yellowfin grouper (Mycteroperca venenosa) from the southeastern United States

Ages of yellowfin grouper (n = 306) from the southeastern United States coast from 1979-2014 were determined using sectioned sagittal otoliths. Opaque zones were annular, forming January-June (peaking in February-March). Yellowfin grouper ranged in age from 3 to 31 years; the largest fish measured 1,000 mm fork length (FL). Body size relationships for yellowfin grouper were: W = 1.22 × 10(-5) FL(3.03) (n = 229, r (2) = 0.92); TL = 1.06 FL - 14.53 (n = 60, r (2) = 0.99); and FL = 0.93 TL + 18.63 (n = 60, r (2) = 0.99), where W = whole weight in grams, FL in mm, and TL = total length in mm. The von Bertalanffy growth equation was: Lt = 958 (1 - e(-0.11(t+2.94))) (n = 306). The point estimate of natural mortality for yellowfin grouper was M = 0.14, while age-specific estimates of M ranged from 1.59 to 0.17 for ages 1-31.
On Modulating the Regulatory Role of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins Using Small Molecules

Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) in proteins play a variety of critical roles in complex regulatory networks of higher organisms. Most importantly, perhaps, is that they are necessary to provide specificity in promiscuous interactions. I will show that both the specificity of IDRs for their targets and their entropy loss upon binding are essential to provide discrimination among similar physical interactions. Attempts to temper with this class of interacting proteins using small molecules will necessarily comprise densely functionalized compounds. Implications for the challenges involve in the rational design of small molecules targeting IDRs will be discussed.
X-Ray Microscopy

X rays are electromagnetic radiation of the same nature as visible light but with only one-thousandth of the wavelength.(1) X rays behave like light toward photosensitive materials. For example when a dentist takes a radiograph she/he places an unexposed photosensitive film next to the teeth and turns on the X rays. Cavities show up dark on the negative film because they transmit X rays so well. Sound teeth show up less dark because they are denser than air or flesh. Ceramic and plastic fillings are still darker if they are denser than teeth and bone. Silver and gold show up very dark when exposed to X rays because they are very dense (such have high atomic numbers).
A Note On Real Estate Marketing Research

Although the principles of real estate market analysis are more readily accessible due to the publication of several recent volumes, the topic has yet to be grounded properly in the broader marketi...
A study into detection of bio-events in multiple streams of surveillance data

This paper reviews the results of a study into combining evidence from multiple streams of surveillance data in order to improve timeliness and specificity of detection of bio-events. In the experiments we used three streams of real food- and agriculture-safety related data that is being routinely collected at slaughter houses across the nation, and which carry mutually complementary information about potential outbreaks of bio-events. The results indicate that: (1) Non-specific aggregation of p-values produced by event detectors set on individual streams of data can lead to superior detection power over that of the individual detectors, and (2) Design of multi-stream detectors tailored to the particular characteristics of the events of interest can further improve timeliness and specificity of detection. In a practical setup, we recommend combining a set of specific multi-stream detectors focused on individual types of predictable and definable scenarios of interest, with nonspecific multi-stream detectors, to account for both anticipated and emerging types of bio-events.