cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unsuspected infection is infrequent in asymptomatic outpatients with refractory ascites undergoing therapeutic paracentesis.

OBJECTIVE: Large-volume paracentesis is a safe and effective means of treating patients with refractory ascites. However, there is limited information regarding the need for ascitic fluid studies in asymptomatic outpatients presenting for therapeutic paracentesis. The aim of this prospective study was to define the incidence and natural history of peritoneal fluid infection in asymptomatic outpatients undergoing therapeutic paracentesis. METHODS: Over a 13-month period, 118 therapeutic paracenteses were performed in 29 outpatients with decompensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh class B 5 38%, C 5 62%). After a brief medical history and physical examination, ascitic fluid cell count with differential and culture were obtained from all participating subjects. Seven (24%) of the subjects were receiving norfloxacin prophylaxis, accounting for antibiotic coverage during 40% of the procedures performed. The clinical course and outcome of study subjects during a mean follow-up of 137 days was reviewed. RESULTS: All 118 (100%) of the ascitic fluid samples demonstrated absolute neutrophil counts of ,250/mm 3 (mean 5 6.5 6 22.5 pmn/mm 3 ). Asymptomatic bacterascites was identified from three of the 118 (2.5%) fluid samples, but all of these subjects spontaneously recovered without treatment or sequelae. During follow-up, six episodes of symptomatic or hospital-associated peritoneal fluid infection were identified in study participants, emphasizing the importance of fluid studies in other clinical settings. CONCLUSIONS: Although further studies are needed, the routine culture of ascitic fluid in asymptomatic outpatients with refractory ascites requiring therapeutic paracentesis may not be necessary when there is a low index of suspicion for occult infection. In circumstances of clinical uncertainty, however, obtaining ascitic fluid cell counts with differential is recommended to insure patient safety. (Am J Gastroenterol 1999;94:2972‐2976. © 1999 by Am. Coll. of Gastroenterology)
Steering vector mismatch: analysis and reduction

In adaptive radar systems, optimal processing for target detection is only possible when the target location in angle and Doppler is used to build the processing filter. When this location is not exact, losses occur. These losses translate into a reduction in detection probability. After development of analytical expressions to quantify the effects of this mismatch, two techniques are examined for reducing these effects. These techniques are tested against losses due to Doppler mismatch. The first technique involves the use of temporal windows and reduces mismatch losses at the expense of reducing the overall signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of the target. The second technique involves the use of additional filters, and achieves a reduction in mismatch losses without sacrificing maximum SINR. A brief overview of the problems associated with multidimensional (angle and Doppler) mismatch is also presented.
Contemporary Management of Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia

PSVT is significant mainly for rapid heart rate. Prominent jugular venous pulsations due to atrial contraction against closed AV valves may be a clue to AVNRT. History, physical exam, and an ECG constitute an appropriate initial evaluation. Further diagnostic studies are indicated only if there are signs or symptoms that suggest structural heart disease. A 12-lead ECG during tachycardia is helpful for defining the mechanism of PSVT. In patients with brief, selfterminating episodes, an event recorder is the most effective way to obtain ECG documentation.2 Patients with panic disorder report symptoms similar to those of PSVT, and an ECG during palpitations aids in diagnosis.
High Rate of Recurrence Following Proximal Medial Opening Wedge Osteotomy for Correction of Moderate Hallux Valgus

Background:The proximal medial opening wedge (PMOW) osteotomy has become more popular to treat moderate to severe hallux valgus with the recent development of specifically designed, low-profile mod...
Bubbles in Asset Prices

The severe world-wide recession of 2008-09 has focused attention on the role of asset-price bubbles in exacerbating economic instability in capitalist economies. The boom in house prices in the United States from 2000 through 2006 is a case in point. According to the Case-Shiller 20-city index, the inflation-adjusted price of a median-sized house in the United States doubled over the period 2000-2006. House prices rose far more than the underlying fundamental drivers of home prices such as family income and rents. The bursting of the bubble was followed by a sharp rise in foreclosures and massive declines in the value of mortgage-backed securities and a variety of derivatives tied to these securities. The collapse of these prices led to the weakening, and in some cases the collapse, of major financial institutions around the world and contributed to one of the most serious recessions in the United States in the entire post-World War II period. The housing bubble is the most recent example of the asset-price bubbles that have often afflicted capitalist economies. Sharp increases in asset prices have frequently led to crashes and subsequent sharp declines in economic activity. Many economists have argued, controversially, that central banks should adjust their policy instruments to account not only for their forecasts of future inflation and the gap between actual and potential output, but for asset prices as well. This paper will address three topics. First, I will describe what economists mean when they use the term bubble, and I will contrast the behavioral-finance view of asset pricing with the efficient-market paradigm in an attempt to understand why bubbles might persist and why they may not be arbitraged away. Second, I will review some major historical examples of asset-price bubbles as well as the (minority) view that they may not have been bubbles at all. I will also examine the corresponding changes in real economic activity that have followed the bursting of such bubbles. Finally, I will examine the most hotly-debated aspect of any discussion of asset-price bubbles: what, if anything, should policy makers do about them? Should they react to sharp increases in asset prices that they deem to be unrelated to fundamentals? Should they take the view that they know more than the market does? Should they recognize that asset-price bubbles are a periodic flaw of capitalism and conduct their policies so as to temper any developing excesses? Or should they focus solely on their primary targets of inflation and real economic activity? In my discussion I will pay particular attention to bubbles that are associated with sharp increases in credit and leverage.
Visually perceived vertical (VPV): induced changes in orientation by 1-line and 2-line roll-tilted and pitched visual fields

We report a series of nine experiments which show that a single roll-tilted line in darkness induces changes of the orientation perceived as vertical (VPV) that are similar in magnitude and direction to those measured by Witkin and Asch (1948a) [Studies in space orientation. I. Perception of the upright with displaced visual fields. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 38, 762-782] with the classical square 4-sided frame, and we describe the configuration-independent mass-action rules by which the influences of the individual lines influences are combined. Clockwise (cw) and counterclockwise (ccw) orientations of a line produce cw and ccw displacements of the VPV setting, respectively, with effect magnitude increasing approximately linearly with line orientation (e.g., a 66.25 degrees - long line at 25 degrees horizontal eccentricity that varies in roll-tilt through +/-13.2 degrees around vertical generates a systematic variation in VPV over +/-7 degrees). The slope of the VPV-vs-roll-tilt function increases with line length along a negatively accelerated exponential function (length constant = 17.1 degrees). The influences of two bilaterally symmetric lines combine linearly and algebraically and the combined influence is linearly related to the sum of the VPVs for the 1-line components with a slope equal to 0.91 for short lines and 0.66 for long lines; thus, VPV for short lines manifests nearly complete additive summation, but for long lines, the 2-line VPV is nearer to the average of the VPV values for the two components measured separately. The effectiveness of the conjunction of two line segments within a visual scene does not depend on their separate orientations, only on their sum. Individual lines from pitched-only planes or from combinations of such planes generate identical influences to those generated from lines in frontoparallel planes with the same image orientations at the eye of the observer (their "retinal orientations"). Retinal orientation is the key to the induction of VPV change independently of the line's plane of origin.
Protective and Destructive Immunity in the Periodontium: Part 2—T-cell-mediated Immunity in the Periodontium

Based on the results of recent research in the field and Part 1 of this article (in this issue), the present paper will discuss the protective and destructive aspects of the T-cell-mediated adaptive immunity associated with the bacterial virulent factors or antigenic determinants during periodontal pathogenesis. Attention will be focused on: (i) osteoimmunology and periodontal disease; (ii) some molecular techniques developed and applied to identify critical microbial virulence factors or antigens associated with host immunity (with Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis as the model species); and (iii) summarizing the identified virulence factors/antigens associated with periodontal immunity. Thus, further understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the host's T-cell-mediated immune responses and the critical microbial antigens related to disease pathogenesis will facilitate the development of novel therapeutics or protocols for future periodontal treatments.
Surgical Treatment of Primary Lung Cancer and Solitary Intracranial Metastasis

From 1976 through 1986, 12 patients underwent 14 thoracotomies (two patients had a second thoracotomy for recurrence) and 16 craniotomies (two patients had three craniotomies for recurrence) for carcinoma of the lung and solitary intracranial metastasis. Age ranged from 40 to 65 years. Adjuvant therapy (chemotherapy and thoracic irradiation) was employed in three patients prior to thoracotomy and in four patients following thoracotomy. Whole-brain irradiation was used in four patients after craniotomy. Improvement in neurologic symptoms following craniotomy was noted in 15 of 16 instances. There were no operative mortalities. Overall survival from the time of initial diagnosis ranged from 13 to 63 months. Survival following initial craniotomy ranged from 12 to 56 months. Eight patients are currently alive and well with no disabling neurological symptoms. These results support an aggressive approach to the resection of solitary brain metastasis from bronchogenic carcinoma, both for palliation and prolongation of survival.
Drug Enforcement and Crime: Recent Evidence from New York State*

Summary and Conclusions A growing body of research uses the economic model of crime to evaluatethe role of enforcement, economic conditions, and other characteristics oflocal crime markets. This analysis of the determinants of county-level crime 16 Benson, Kim, and Rasmussen (1998) provided theoretical arguments for why arrestvariables should be treated as exogenous, and found empirical support for this speciﬁcationusing econometric tests for exogeneity. They also maintained that ﬁxed-effects models reducethe potential of endogeneity problems for independent variables included in the regressionequation. Miron (1999) reached a similar exogeneity conclusion because the level of policeresources will be related to lagged, not current, crime rates due to the political processesassociated with changing the allocation of police resources. 17 There is inconclusive evidence about the relationship between drug use and crime, andalthough significant correlations are clearly present, strong support is lacking for the hypoth-esis that drug use causes crime. Rasmussen and Benson (1994) provided a comprehensivereview of the evidence and concluded that, except for a small subset of drug users, drug useand crime appear to be unrelated. Miron (2003:16) argued that ‘‘the evidence . . . demon-strates a correlation between a tendency to commit crime and the tendency to use drugs,without indicating whether there is a causal connection,’’ and that ‘‘reviews of the literature ondrug use and crime have consistently concluded there is little evidence that drug use per secauses crime.’’ Mast, Benson, and Rasmussen (2000:292) also found that ‘‘substantial researchliterature suggests that there is no reliable association between drug use and major non-drugcrimes.’’
FGF signaling in chick lens development.

The prevailing concept has been that an FGF induces epithelial-to-fiber differentiation in the mammalian lens, whereas chick lens cells are unresponsive to FGF and are instead induced to differentiate by IGF/insulin-type factors. We show here that when treated for periods in excess of those used in previous investigations (>5 h), purified recombinant FGFs stimulate proliferation of primary cultures of embryonic chick lens epithelial cells and (at higher concentrations) expression of the fiber differentiation markers delta-crystallin and CP49. Surprisingly, upregulation of proliferation and delta-crystallin synthesis by FGF does not require activation of ERK kinases. ERK function is, however, essential for stimulation of delta-crystallin expression in response to insulin or IGF-1. Vitreous humor, the presumptive source of differentiation-promoting activity in vivo, contains a factor capable of diffusing out of the vitreous body and inducing delta-crystallin and CP49 expression in chick lens cultures. This factor binds heparin with high affinity and increases delta-crystallin expression in an ERK-insensitive manner, properties consistent with an FGF but not insulin or IGF. Our findings indicate that differentiation in the chick lens is likely to be mediated by an FGF and provide the first insights into the role of the ERK pathway in growth factor-induced signal transduction in the lens.
Theory of radiative shocks

Summary form only given. We have seen a sequence of recent experiments aimed at producing and studying radiative shocks. These experiments are opening the door to fundamental radiation hydrodynamic studies using laboratory tools. To complement such experiments, the author has done theoretical work, introducing new solution approaches that allow more complete treatment of some simple cases and providing a common treatment of radiative shocks in their various possible regimes. This presentation will emphasize the treatment of optically thick radiative shocks. This is a standard case in the literature, but the detailed sequence of developments is more complex than may seem likely at first glance. The approach and results of the theory will be summarized. In addition, the relation between such a simple theory and actual experiments will be discussed. An accurate theoretical treatment, even in an optically thick system, must account for the fact that the shock wave is inherently not in local thermodynamic equilibrium. The need of the shock to radiate strongly creates an optically thin cooling layer, whose thickness decreases as the shock becomes stronger. The penetration of radiative energy ahead of the shock is diffusive in the steady limit, yet this limit is very difficult to actually reach. A method for calculating profiles of the dynamical parameters quasi-analytically will be summarized. The key results can be obtained from more approximate energy-balance arguments, which will be presented
Feasibility of Extended-interval Follow-up for Patients Receiving Warfarin

Summary Aims The 2012 American College of Chest Physician Evidence-Based Management of Anticoagulant Therapy guidelines suggest an international normalized ratio (INR) testing interval of up to 12 weeks, rather than every 4 weeks, for patients with consistently stable INRs while taking vitamin K antagonists. We aimed to examine the feasibility of extended-interval follow-up in a real-world setting. Methods Patients receiving stable warfarin therapy for ≥12 weeks at baseline began extended-interval follow-up with visits occurring at 6 weeks, 14 weeks, and every 12 weeks thereafter to a maximum of 68 weeks or until they were no longer suitable for extended-interval follow-up. A single INR excursion >0.3 from goal was permitted if a reversible precipitating factor was identified and the INR was expected to return to goal without dose adjustment. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients completing all study follow-up visits. Results Of 48 patients enrolled, 47 had evaluable data. The most common indication for anticoagulation was atrial fibrillation/flutter (53.2%). At baseline, mean prior warfarin treatment duration was 6.7 ± 6 years and median number of weeks on a stable regimen was 24 weeks (IQR, 19–37.5). Eleven patients (23%) completed all study follow-up visits, whereas 17 (36%) did not maintain a stable INR past the 14-week follow-up. Conclusion A large proportion of patients with previously stable (≥3 months) INRs were not able to maintain stable INRs during extended-interval follow-up. More research is needed to identify patient characteristics predictive of success with extended-interval follow-up prior to broad implementation.
Factors Affecting Production Efficiency in a New Alternative Enterprise: The Case of the Ratite Industry

Technical efficiency measures are calculated for ratite producers using data envelopment analysis. Regression analysis is then used to determine producer characteristics that are likely to lead to higher technical efficiencies. Results indicate that the most technically efficient ratite producers in Louisiana are not producing at the benchmark efficiency level advocated by the industry. Producer experience with other livestock, specialization, and labor are factors likely to lead to higher technical efficiency. These results are expected to hold for most new, alternative livestock enterprises.
Specific Gravity of Blood and Plasma at 4 and 37 °C

The specific gravity (relative density) of human whole blood and plasma from 25 healthy volunteers was determined gravimetrically. For whole blood it was found to be 1.0621 (95% confidence interval: 1.0652-1.0590) at 4 °C and 1.0506 (95% confidence interval: 1.0537-1.0475) at 37 °C. Plasma specific gravity was 1.0310 (95% confidence interval: 1.0324-1.0296) at 4 °C and 1.0205 (95% confidence interval: 1.0216-1.0193) at 37 °C. All of these values are referred to the density of water at 4 °C. We show the relationship between these values and those given in the literature for measurements at 25 °C. There was a small increase in whole blood specific gravity with increasing hematocrit, but it was not statistically significant over the 40-56 hematocrit range studied.
Resistive Training Increases Insulin Action in Postmenopausal Women

BACKGROUND This study examined the effects of 4 months of resistive training in postmenopausal women on glucose metabolism and peripheral tissue sensitivity to endogenously released insulin. METHODS Thirteen moderately obese (30-49% body fat) postmenopausal women (50-65 years) participated in the study. The six more obese women were enrolled in the resistive training with weight loss (RT & WL) program, while the remainder participated in resistive training alone (RT). beta-cell sensitivity to glucose and peripheral tissue sensitivity to endogenously released insulin were examined during hyperglycemic clamps (7.9 mmol/L above basal) before and after the intervention(s). RESULTS The RT program resulted in a significant improvement in upper and lower body strength (p < .01) in all subjects. Body weight, fat mass, and percent body fat decreased with RT & WL (p < .001), but did not change with RT alone. There was no change in fat-free mass or maximal oxygen consumption after the intervention(s). Insulin response during the last 20 min of the 2 hr hyperglycemic clamps (7.9 mmol/L above basal plasma glucose levels) decreased after the intervention(s) in the entire group by 29% (p < .01), but decreased more in the group that lost weight (43%, p < .05) than in women who remained weight stable (16%, p = .05). Glucose utilization did not change. CONCLUSION RT alone, or in combination with WL, increases insulin action and reduces hyperinsulinemia in postmenopausal women. This suggests that RT has the potential to ameliorate and perhaps prevent the development of insulin resistance and may reduce the risk for glucose intolerance and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in postmenopausal women.
A design technique for high order digital differentiators

A design technique for high-order digital differentiators is presented. The differentiators have linear phase and are maximally accurate. Their design is based on a minimization procedure for the integrated square error of the frequency response over designated approximation bands. The optimized design is formulated as a quadratic programming problem and the closed-form solution for the filter coefficients is presented. The inclusion of stopbands in the design process is discussed. Examples are included which demonstrate the effectiveness of the design technique. >
Economic and cost-effectiveness investigations of radiologic practices.

Economic evaluations provide scientific data regarding the cost implications of radiologic practices and, most important, which strategies for patient care yield the best outcomes for the least cost. Although this article is meant to enrich understanding of cost-effectiveness studies, it cannot be regarded as a complete training program for undertaking such investigations. Just as training in clinical science is important for radiology research, training in the economics of health and medical care is important for performing economic investigations. Therefore, radiologists' work in this area is likely to be enhanced by involving an individual with appropriate economics training on the research team when conducting an economic investigation. Clinical radiologists and investigators in radiologic sciences should be capable of understanding and evaluating the design, performance, and interpretation of results of economic investigations, since radiology practice is likely to be influenced by the findings from ...
Establishing Evaluation Objectives

Establishing evaluation objectives requires formal, frequent, and extensive interaction among program evaluators and administrators. The fundamental purpose of this inter action is to obtain from administrators the information necessary to make the most effective choices in planning and carrying out evaluations. In this paper, three techniques are described that can be used to ensure that this interaction is constructive: (1)prepara tion of a systems analysis of the program, (2) systematic identification of evaluation issues, and (3) evaluation of information needs as a function of decision-making responsi bilities. Examples of how these techniques have been employed in the recent evaluation of one of A CTION's full-time domestic volunteer programs are presented.
Investigation of interfacial fracture behavior of a flip-chip package under a constant concentrated load

In this paper, the interfacial fracture behavior of a flip-chip package subjected to a constant concentrated line load was investigated using a unique six-axis submicron tester coupled with a high density laser moire interferometry. The real-scale three-point bending flip-chip specimen, capable of measuring the crack growth rate (along the interface) and the interfacial fracture toughness was developed. The results show that the crack propagation along the interface of the passivated silicon chip/underfill under a constant concentrated load can be categorized into three stages occurring in the order mentioned with obvious transition points between them: (1) stable crack propagation stage; (2) unstable crack propagation stage; (3) quasicrack arrest stage. The moire interferometry technique was used to monitor and measure the crack length during the test. The crack growth rate along the interface of the passivated silicon chip/underfill was calculated in terms of the load line deflection versus time curve obtained from the test. In addition, the relationship between the crack length and the load line deflection was calibrated by using finite element analysis. The near tip displacement fields of the flip-chip package was also determined by the same method. The energy release rate was computed by using these near tip displacement variables through an analytical expression derived by authors. The interfacial fracture toughness G/sub c/ was determined by calculating the energy release rate corresponding to the crack length at the quasicrack arrest stage measured in the test. The underfill/chip passivation fracture toughness G/sub c/ and the phase angle /spl phi/ for the flip-chip package used in our experiments are about 35 J/m/sup 2/ and -65/spl deg/, respectively.
Application layer switching: a deployable technique for providing quality of service

We propose a deployable approach to improving QoS by using the familiar overlay architecture approach. The goals of this work are: (1) to create an overlay architecture which allows us to sample specific path quality metrics among different paths; (2) to utilize the proposed overlay architecture in order to implement our proposed QoS-based routing scheme, application layer switching (ALSW). We show that we are able to achieve better than best-effort QoS without modifying intermediate nodes (i.e., routers), thus encouraging immediate deployment. Additionally, this research is performed on an actual wide area network testbed, comprised of universities across the nation. Also, we assemble this architecture as a peer-to-peer framework, encouraging collaborating individuals with average workstations to improve the QoS of their traffic.
Evaluation of a web-based portal to improve resident education by neonatology fellows.

Background : Integration of web-based educational tools into medical training has been shown to increase accessibility of resources and optimize teaching. We developed a web-based educational portal (WBEP) to support teaching of pediatric residents about newborn medicine by neonatology fellows. Objectives : 1) To compare residents’ attitudes about their fellow-led education in the NICU pre- and post-WBEP; including assessment of factors that impact their education and usefulness of teaching tools. 2) To compare fellow utilization of various teaching modalities pre- and post-WBEP. Design/methods : We queried residents about their attitudes regarding fellow-led education efforts and various teaching modalities in the NICU and logistics potentially impacting effectiveness. Based on these data, we introduced the WBEP – a repository of teaching tools (e.g., mock code cases, board review questions, journal articles, case-based discussion scenarios) for use by fellows to supplement didactic sessions in a faculty-based curriculum. We surveyed residents about the effectiveness of fellow teaching pre- and post-WBEP implementation and the type of fellow-led teaching modalities that were used. Results : After analysis of survey responses, we identified that residents cited fellow level of interest as the most important factor impacting their education. Post-implementation, residents described greater utilization of various teaching modalities by fellows, including an increase in use of mock codes (14% to 76%, p <0.0001) and journal articles (33% to 59%, p= 0.02). Conclusions : A web-based resource that supplements traditional curricula led to greater utilization of various teaching modalities by fellows and may encourage fellow involvement in resident teaching. Keywords: WBEP; NICU; resident education; fellow-led teaching (Published: 23 July 2014) Citation: Med Educ Online 2014, 19 : 24403 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/meo.v19.24403
''It's the Worst Place to Live'': Urban Youth and the Challenge of School-Based Civic Learning

One of the primary aims of education in the United States is to prepare youth to contribute to civic life in a democracy. Urban youth have daily school and community experiences with poverty, violence, and injustice that complicate their relationship with civic life. In this article the authors explore the ramifications of these experiences for youth civic identity development and consider how new understandings of the civic learning and identity development of urban adolescents might be used to rejuvenate civic education practices and, by extension, the civic mission of schooling.
AN APPROACH TO VIRTUAL PROTOTYPING FOR PRODUCT DISASSEMBLY

An important aspect of Design for the Life Cycle is assessing the disassemblability of products. A product designed for disassembly can be quickly and easily broken down so its components can be recycled or refurbished. The use of virtual prototyping is proposed to aid the assessment of product disassembly by enabling the designer to virtually disassemble the product. A virtual prototype is a model of a product and a process that the product undergoes. Virtual prototyping is defined as the generation of a virtual prototype and its simulation or assessment. Factors involved in generating product disassembly processes include: determining the disassembly sequence of a product, the disassembly paths of components, tool change sequences, etc. In recent years, disassembly processes have been generated either by using interactive or automated approaches, but these have limitations. However, by combining the two approaches, disassembly processes of complex assemblies can be generated without extensive user input. This type of interaction can be facilitated by using virtual prototyping. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the development of a virtual environment that will support the generation of virtual prototypes for evaluating product disassembly. Issues involved in transformation of CAD models to virtual prototypes for disassembly are also discussed. Application to an automotive center console is illustrated.
Speech and Silence in American Law: Resignations, the (Quasi) Plural Executive, and a Critical Assessment of the Unitary Executive Theory

Formalists and functionalists generally agree that both the language of Article II and the practical need for an effective institutional counterweight to Congress support, at least to some degree, the unitary executive theory. The Vesting and Faithful Execution Clauses plainly anticipate that the President will have some measure of control over the operations of the Executive Branch. On the other hand, however, the Appointments Clause and the Opinion Clause suggest that presidential oversight could be, at least to some degree, attenuated. If the President could directly control all executive personnel, why would the Framers have thought it necessary or prudent to grant the President an express power to “require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices”? Moreover, the Take Care Clause uses the passive, rather than the active, voice in describing the President’s duties – the President “shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” Strictly speaking, this Clause does not say that “The President shall faithfully execute the laws.” When significant policy disputes arise between the President and principal executive officers subject to direct presidential removal, this Essay argues that the President must enjoy a power of removal, but that the power to remove an executive officer does not necessarily imply a power to control directly an appointee who has failed, in the President’s view, to properly discharge the duties of her office. The structure of Article II supports some measure of independence, even for executive officers who serve at the pleasure of the President, concurrently with a power and responsibility vested with the President to hold executive officers accountable through the removal power. Thus, ultimate presidential control must exist, but this power may be somewhat attenuated without violating Article II’s strictures.
Testosterone fluctuations in young men: the difference between interacting with like and not-like others.

The current study investigated young men's testosterone level changes as a result of interacting with other men. Male participants (n = 84) were led to believe that a group they would be interacting with was either similar to them or not similar. The interaction was then one of two types: the other group members were inclusive, or the others excluded the participant during the group interaction. Participants provided saliva samples before and after the interaction. Results suggest that interacting with highly similar men increases circulating testosterone whereas interacting with highly dissimilar men actually lowers testosterone. The nature of the interaction was less important than similarity. Considering that testosterone surges may relate to attempts to gain status within one's group, the results are interpreted as consistent with viewing hormonal changes as a mechanism to alter current behavioral propensities in ways that are likely to be most adaptive. Exploratory analyses suggest a methodologically...
Three-Dimensional Finite Element Simulation of Electro and Stress Migration Effects in Interconnect Lines

A tool for 3-D modeling of EM and SM in interconnect lines has been developed based on a commercial finite element code. After detailing the approach, we focus on the verification of the simulator by comparing the results of 1-D analytic and FEM simulations, and then we apply the simulator to interconnect line segments with a specified grain structure.
Imagining Modern India: The Genesis and Goals of a Course-in-the-Making

By training I am a South Asianist, specializing in the transformation of Hindu traditions during the colonial and postcolonial era. However, when I joined the Religion Department at Illinois Wesleyan University in 1992, I was the sole ‘Asianist.’ As such I was asked to provide coverage of the religious traditions of both South and East Asia. Accordingly, over the years I created a range of lower- and upper-level courses dedicated to such topics as ‘Asian Religious Literature,’ ‘Asian Religious Practice,’ and ‘Religion in Contemporary Japan,’ along with selected courses focusing on South Asia and Hinduism.
Neuromyelitis Optica Lesion Mimicking Brainstem Glioma

A 12-year-old girl who presented with weakness of the left extremities and right sided sixth cranial nerve palsy had neuromyelitis optica (NMO) mistaken for brainstem glioma on MRI, in a report from Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine,Seoul, Republic of KoreaNeuromyelitis Optica, Optic-Spinal Syndrome, Spectroscopy.
[A cross-sectional study on the cases of hepatitis B reported in Wuhan, Hubei province in 2010].

由于大部分乙型肝炎(乙肝)患者病情迁延不愈，在就医过程中存在多地求医、反复就诊、多次报告等情况。导致“中国疾病预防控制信息系统”(信息系统)报告的乙肝病例既包括急性病例，也包括慢性病例，既有初次就诊病例，也有多次就诊报告病例，不能准确反映年度新发病例情况。为掌握武汉市乙肝报告的真实发病情况，于2010年对报告乙肝病例开展此项调查。 关键词：乙型肝炎;疫情报告；发病率
Atomistische Behandlung der optischen Konstanten

In Kapitel 3 wurde die Frequenzabhangigkeit des Reflexionsvermogens behandelt. Die von Hagen und Rubens aufgestellte Beziehung (3.5) konnte, wie in Abschnitt 3.2 gezeigt wurde, unter Anwendung der Kontinuumstheorie abgeleitet werden. Daher ist die Gultigkeit dieser Beziehung auf Wellenlangen beschrankt, bei denen die atomistische Struktur der Metalle vernachlassigt werden kann. Im fernen Ultrarot ist diese Bedingung erfullt. Die Erfahrung lehrt jedoch, das bei groseren Frequenzen, d. h. im nahen ultraroten und sichtbaren Spektralbereich, das Reflexionsvermogen starker abnimmt, als man nach der Hagen-Rubens-Beziehung erwartet (Abb. 4.1). Diese Dispersion von r konnte von Drude befriedigend erklart werden, indem er annahm, das die Elektronen eines Metalles frei beweglich sind (Elektronengas) und im elektrischen Feld beschleunigt werden. Das Modell wird verfeinert, indem man berucksichtigt, das die durch das Metall stromenden Elektronen mit Metallatomen eines nicht ideal gebauten Gitters zusammenstosen. Man definiert den Weg, den ein Elektron im Mittel zwischen zwei Zusammenstosen mit den Atomen zurucklegt, als mittlere freie Weglange l.
Do independent hotels benefit from the presence of branded ones

Abstract This paper investigates the performance changes of independent hotels due to the presence of nearby branded hotels in Texas. The moderating effects of these performance spillovers are also examined. Evidence from empirical analysis shows the existence and moderate significance of spillover effects from branded to independent hotels. Further analyses indicate that younger and higher-class independent hotels benefit significantly from performance spillovers from branded hotels. Higher-class branded hotels generate the vast majority of spillovers for their independent peers in the vicinity. Moreover, between the two types of branded hotels, franchised hotels generate the vast majority of spillovers, whereas contributions from chain-operated hotels are negligible. Suggestions are provided to independent hotels on how to improve their performance through spillovers from branded hotels.
A mobile game system for improving the speech therapy experience

A lack of intrinsic motivation to practice speech is attributed to tedious and repetitive speech curriculums, but mobile games have been widely recognized as a valid motivator for jaded individuals. SpokeIt is an interactive storybook style speech therapy game that intends to turn practicing speech into a motivating and productive experience for individuals with speech impairments as well as provide speech therapists an important diagnostic tool. In this paper, I discuss the novel intellectual contributions SpokeIt can provide such as an offline critical conversational speech recognition system, and the application of therapy curriculums to mobile platforms, I present conducted research, and consider exciting future work and research directions.
Patient-centered research priorities in ovarian cancer: A systematic review of potential determinants of guideline care.

Abstract Objective To (a) determine what is known about the individual and contextual factors that may influence whether a woman with ovarian cancer receives guideline care, and (b) identify patient-centered research priorities in ovarian cancer. Methods A systematic review of the PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL Complete, and PsycInfo online databases. Eligible articles were published in English, described original research, and either (a) identified factors associated with the receipt of guideline care for ovarian cancer, or (b) described treatment decision making by women with ovarian cancer. Studies were excluded in which women with ovarian cancer did not comprise the entire sample of patient participants. Data were collected in accordance with Garrard's Matrix Method. Study quality was evaluated using the QualSyst tool for evaluating primary research papers. Relevant study findings were imported into NVivo Pro 11 for qualitative synthesis. Results The search strategy yielded 502 unique citations, of which 78 full-text articles were reviewed. Thirty-three articles met the criteria for inclusion. Study quality was high overall. Factors associated with the receipt of guideline care included race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, insurance type, age, comorbidity, disease stage, tumor characteristics, hospital volume, hospital type, physician volume, and geographic location. Influences on treatment decision making among women with ovarian cancer included the desire to prolong survival, the patient-provider relationship, perceived ability to participate in the treatment decision, values and preferences, information needs, side effects, cost of care, and past experiences with chemotherapy. Conclusions There is a need for further research that examines ovarian cancer treatment decision making from the perspective of the patient. Priority topics for future research may include the experiences of diverse women receiving treatment for ovarian cancer and the role of shared decision making with providers, referral networks, and practice patterns in the delivery of guideline care.
Primary biliary cirrhosis.

Primary biliary cirrhosis has been a challenge to physicians since its initial description over 100 years ago. Over the years many observations have been published that have defined the disease mor...
DIGITAL CINEMA AND ECSTATIC TECHNOLOGY: frame rates, shutter speeds, and the optimization of cinematic movement

AbstractThis article examines the relationship between technology and aesthetics in contemporary Hollywood, using experiments with frame rates and shutter speeds to show how deep, systemic changes in cinematic technologies can alter our relation to the image’s referential functions. For eighty years, cinema’s registration of movement relied upon a standardized frame rate and shutter speed, meaning that cinema’s sense of motion was constant. With the proliferation of ever more powerful digital capture systems, however, these formerly inflexible options are made variable and put into question. By changing the registration of movement, the high frame rate (HFR) experiments in The Hobbit and the open-shutter cinematography of Miami Vice offer an estranged relation to cinema’s presentation of worldly motion. I argue here that this altered sense of the image’s referentiality is well suited to depictions of our contemporary reality, which, being profoundly bound up in digital technologies, seems similarly disori...
Surface and Dislocation Effects on Diffusion in Ionic Crystals

In ionic crystals, jogs on surfaces and dislocations act as sources and sinks for point defects. Establishment of equilibria with the vacancies, solute ions, and interstitials in the interior produces a net charge on the surface or dislocation, surrounded by a compensating space charge region. Within this space charge region, which typically has a thickness of the order of 10nm, there are very large electric fields (up to about 105 V/cm) and very large perturbations of point defect concentrations (by factors of several hundred). Thus, ion diffusivities can be dramatically perturbed. In addition, determination of the electric potential difference across the space charge region allows one to separate the formation enthalpies and entropies of Frenkel and Schottky defects into contributions from each component of the pair. Examples of such studies in the silver and alkali halides will be described.
Stability and Asymptotic Behavior of the Causal Operator Dynamical Systems Using Nonlinear Variation of Parameters

: The operator T from a domain D into the space of measurable functions is called a nonanticipating operator if the past informations is independent from the future outputs. We will use the solution to the operator di§erential equation y0(t) = A(t)y(t)+f(t; y(t); T(y)(t)) to analyze the solution of this operator di§erential equation which is generated by a perturbation (t) = g(t; yt ; T2(yt)). When this perturbation is from a measurable space then the existence and uniqueness of the solution to the operator di§erential equation will be studied. Finally, we use the nonlinear variation of parameters for nonanticipating operator di§erential equations to study the stability and asymptotic behavior of the equilibrium solution.
Physician Perception of Pay Fairness and its Association with Work Satisfaction, Intent to Leave Practice, and Personal Health

Primary care physicians generally earn less than specialists. Studies of other occupations have identified perception of pay fairness as a predictor of work- and life-related outcomes. We evaluated whether physicians’ pay fairness perceptions were associated with their work satisfaction, turnover intention, and personal health. Three thousand five hundred eighty-nine physicians were surveyed. Agreement with “my total compensation is fair” was used to assess pay fairness perceptions. Total compensation was self-reported, and we used validated measures of work satisfaction, likelihood of leaving current practice, and health status. Hierarchical logistic regressions were used to assess the associations between pay fairness perceptions and work/life-related outcomes. A total of 2263 physicians completed surveys. Fifty-seven percent believed their compensation was fair; there was no difference between physicians in internal medicine and non-primary care specialties (P = 0.58). Eighty-three percent were satisfied at work, 70% reported low likelihood of leaving their practice, and 77% rated their health as very good or excellent. Higher compensation levels were associated with greater work satisfaction and lower turnover intention, but most associations became statistically non-significant after adjusting for pay fairness perceptions. Perceived pay fairness was associated with greater work satisfaction (OR, 4.90; 95% CI, 3.94–6.08; P < 0.001), lower turnover intention (OR, 2.46; 95% CI, 2.01–3.01; P < 0.001), and better health (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.08–1.65; P < 0.01). Physicians who thought their pay was fair reported greater work satisfaction, lower likelihood of leaving their practice, and better overall health. Addressing pay fairness perceptions may be important for sustaining a satisfied and healthy physician workforce, which is necessary to deliver high-quality care.
The ephemerality of community

On the last night of the Bandito's Run in Virginia City, Montana, the band (Jerry Joseph & the Jackmormons) was basically breaking up. Sure, they were going to replace JR on bass, but all the fans knew the music would never quite be the same. For one, the fanbase is so small and tightknit that many fans had become close friends of JR. Not only was he important for his contribution to the music, but he was a part of the ‘community.’ He camped with the fans, drank with them, went out for meals with them, played softball with them. The invisible line separating ‘rock stars’ from their fans was non-existent in this music scene. So when he played his final notes with the Jackmormons in 2014, everyone knew what lay ahead would be a decidedly different experience on a number of levels. – From the author's journal.
Conducting Polymer Fibres with Excellent Mechanical Properties and High Electrical Conductivity

We present a summary of our recent results on the electrical and mechanical properties of fibers made from poly(2,5-dimethoxy-p-phenylene vinylene), PDMPV and poly(2,5-thienylene vinylene), PTV, using the precursor polymer methodology, and from polyaniline, PANI, using the method of processing as polyblends with poly-(p-phenylene terephthalamide), PPTA, from sulfuric acid. The solubility of both PANI and PPTA in H2SO4 presents a unique opportunity for co-dissolving and blending PANI and PPTA to exploit the excellent mechanical properties of PPTA and the electrical conductivity of PANI; we summarize the electrical and mechanical properties of such composite fibers. For PDMPV and PTV fibers, we find a strong correlation between the conductivity and the tensile strength (and/or modulus), and we show from basic theoretical concepts that this relationship is an intrinsic feature of conducting polymers.
Broadband ultrafast terahertz spectroscopy in the 25 T Split Florida-Helix

We describe the development of a broadband (0.3-10 THz) optical pump-terahertz probe spectrometer with an unprecedented combination of temporal resolution (≤200 fs) operating in external magnetic fields as high as 25 T using the new Split Florida-Helix magnet system. Using this new instrument, we measure the transient dynamics in a gallium arsenide four-quantum well sample after photoexcitation at 800 nm.