cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cross-separatrix flux in time-aperiodic and time-impulsive flows

A theory for the fluid flux generated across heteroclinic separatrices under the influence of time-aperiodic perturbations is presented. The flux is explicitly defined as the amount of fluid transferred per unit time, and its detailed time-dependence monitored. The perturbations are allowed to be significantly discontinuous in time, including for example impulsive (Dirac delta type) discontinuities. The flux is characterized in terms of time-varying separatrices, with easily computable formulae (directly related to Melnikov functions) provided.
Investigating production system representations for non-combinatorial match

Abstract Eliminating combinatorics from the match in production systems (or rule-based systems) is important for expert systems, real-time performance, machine learning (particularly with respect to the utility issue), parallel implementations and cognitive modeling. In [74], the unique-attribute representation was introduced to eliminate combinatorics from the match. However, in so doing, unique-attributes engender a sufficiently negative set of trade-offs, so that investigating whether there are alternative representations that yield better trade-offs becomes of critical importance. This article identifies two promising spaces of such alternatives, and explores a number of the alternatives within these spaces. The first space is generated from local syntactic restrictions on working memory. Within this space, unique-attributes is shown to be the best alternative possible. The second space comes from restrictions on the search performed during the match of individual productions (match-search). In particular, this space is derived from the combination of a new, more relaxed, match formulation (instantiationless match) and a set of restrictions derived from the constraint-satisfaction literature. Within this space, new alternatives are found that outperform unique-attributes in some, but not yet all, domains.
ZMIND - an interactive environment for electrical modeling of the thorax

Interest in the electrical modeling of the thorax is motivated by various desires ranging from determining cardiac function, optimizing defibrillation efficacy, monitoring pulmonary edema, etc. However, existing models represent the thorax with rather coarse anatomical details, limiting their utilizations for accurately simulating small electrodes which typically occurs in pacing and defibrillation clinical practices. In this paper, we describe an anatomically realistic finite difference modeling software environment, referred as ZMIND. Segmented image-based finite difference models of a male adult at the end of systole and the end of diastole were constructed based on ECG-gated MRI scans. Up to 36 types of tissues were identified and included in the model, providing fine anatomical details in the heart and lung regions. The environment enables placing electrodes interactively and also provides a library of clinically-based, user-configurable electrodes. The analysis module of this environment allows performing sensitivity analysis and visualizing the computed electric fields, current density, and sensitivity distribution.
How Tight Are the Ties that Bind Stakeholder Groups

The purpose of stakeholder management is to facilitate our understanding of increasingly unpredictable external environments, thereby facilitating our ability to manage within these environments. We argue that a powerful implicit assumption within the stakeholder literature--that priorities within role-based stakeholder groups are relatively homogeneous--blurs our understanding of organization-stakeholder relationships. Two important and related areas of concern are presented. The first involves the primacy of role in stakeholder definition. This role primacy approach to stakeholder definition is appropriate if, for a particular issue, role-based stakeholder group members have similar priorities. Individual and collective self-interest provides a rationale for this assumption. However, an important problem with this approach arises in situations in which self-interest is not the primary motivator of individuals' priorities. In these instances, subgroups within different role-based stakeholder groups might have more similar priorities than either subgroup has with others within their role-based stakeholder group. In these situations the role primacy approach impedes, rather than facilitates, an understanding of our environment. Our second concern is related to insufficient rigor in the application of stakeholder analysis. Most stakeholder studies, both theoretical and empirical, fall short in the determination of relevant interests and the subsequent subdivision of role-based stakeholder groups into rigorously defined specific stakeholder groups. Having suggested that the role primacy approach to stakeholder definition is less than ideal, we examine the extent to which, and the conditions under which, roles are likely to determine priorities, and thus, the likelihood of relatively homogeneous priorities within role-based stakeholder groups. In addition, we present an illustrative empirical analysis of stakeholder group priorities. The illustrative study is conducted within the context of intercollegiate athletics. Related literature and our empirical results indicate that role-based self-interest frequently is not a sufficient "binding tie" of stakeholder groups. Given this background, we present an alternative approach to stakeholder analysis that borrows heavily from the customer segmentation literature of marketing. Our alternative approach can accommodate heterogeneous priorities within role-based stakeholder groups.
American Federalism, Welfare Policy, and Residential Choices

The relationship between welfare benefit levels and the residential choices of the poor raises two issues for federalism in the United States. Do state benefit levels affect the residential choices of the poor? Do residential choices of the poor affect the level at which a state sets its benefit levels? Empirical studies have seldom studied the interconnection between these two issues. This research estimates simultaneously the mutual effects of welfare benefits and poverty rates while controlling for other economic and political variables. When benefit levels become high, the size of the poverty population increases. Conversely, when poverty rates become high, benefit levels are cut. The findings are consistent with the claim that state-determined benefit levels distort policy and residential choices.
Increasing broadcast reliability in vehicular ad hoc networks

Broadcast transmissions are the predominate form of network traffic in a VANET. However, since there is no MAC-layer recovery on broadcast frames within an 802.11-based VANET, the reception rates of broadcast messages can become very low, especially under saturated conditions. In this paper, we present an adaptive broadcast protocol that improves the reception rates of broadcast messages. We rely on the observation that a node in a VANET is able to detect network congestion by simply analyzing the sequence numbers of packets it has recently received. Based on the percentage of packets that are successfully received in the last few seconds, a node is able to dynamically adjust the contention window size and thus improve performance.
Individual variation in exploratory behaviour improves speed and accuracy of collective nest selection by Argentine ants

Collective behaviours are influenced by the behavioural composition of the group. For example, a collective behaviour may emerge from the average behaviour of the group's constituents, or be driven by a few key individuals that catalyse the behaviour of others in the group. When ant colonies collectively relocate to a new nest site, there is an inherent trade-off between the speed and accuracy of their decision of where to move due to the time it takes to gather information. Thus, variation among workers in exploratory behaviour, which allows gathering information about potential new nest sites, may impact the ability of a colony to move quickly into a suitable new nest. The invasive Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, expands its range locally through the dispersal and establishment of propagules: groups of ants and queens. We examine whether the success of these groups in rapidly finding a suitable nest site is affected by their behavioural composition. We compared nest choice speed and accuracy among groups of all-exploratory, all-nonexploratory and half-exploratory–half-nonexploratory individuals. We show that exploratory individuals improve both the speed and accuracy of collective nest choice, and that exploratory individuals have additive, not synergistic, effects on nest site selection. By integrating an examination of behaviour into the study of invasive species we shed light on the mechanisms that impact the progression of invasion.
Strategically Informed, Environmentally Conscious Information Requirements for Accounting Information Systems

Accounting information systems (AIS) should provide the information firms need to manage organizational activities. Environmental considerations are increasingly important in the business world, so firms are attending more to environmental risks and activities. AIS must respond to these emerging environmental requirements. We develop an information matrix for identifying alternative management strategies for framing and responding to environmental issues. The proposed matrix provides a tool for identifying the information collected, stored, analyzed, and reported in environmentally attuned accounting information systems.
Identification and counting of carbonyl and hydroxyl functionalities in protonated bifunctional analytes by using solution derivatization prior to mass spectrometric analysis via ion-molecule reactions

A mass spectrometric method has been developed for the identification of carbonyl and hydroxyl functional groups, as well as for counting the functional groups, in previously unknown protonated bifunctional oxygen-containing analytes. This method utilizes solution reduction before mass spectrometric analysis to convert the carbonyl groups to hydroxyl groups. Gas-phase ion-molecule reactions of the protonated reduced analytes with neutral trimethylborate (TMB) in a FT-ICR mass spectrometer give diagnostic product ions. The reaction sequence likely involves three consecutive steps, proton abstraction from the protonated analyte by TMB, addition of the neutral analyte to the boron reagent, and elimination of a neutral methanol molecule. The number of methanol molecules eliminated upon reactions with TMB reveals the number of hydroxyl groups in the analyte. Comparison of the reactions of the original and reduced analytes reveals the presence and number of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups in the analyte.
Using minimal minterms to represent programmability

We address the problem of formally representing the programmability of a system. We define the programmability of a system as the set of valid execution paths that can be configured statically by software. We formally represent this programmability as a Boolean function. From this representation, we extract a subset of on-set minterms that we call minimal minterms. We prove that these minimal minterms represent the set of smallest schedulable atomic actions of the system, and that we can use a special generator relation to determine if subsets of these actions can be executed in parallel. We also prove that given an arbitrary Boolean function we can extract the minimal minterms and recreate the entire on-set by applying the generator relation to every element of the power set of the set of minimal minterms. Thus, the minimal minterms represent the complete instruction set supported by the system, and the generator relation represents the inherent parallelism among the instructions. Furthermore, we automatically generate the required software development tools and hardware implementation from this representation of programmability. Finally, we show that we can efficiently compute the minimal minterms and apply the generator relation to verify parallel executions on interesting data path systems.
Closed incompressible surfaces in alternating knot and link complements

THEOREM 2 (The Meridian Lemma). Zf L is a non-split prime alternating link, and if S c S3 - L is a closed incompressible surface, then S contains a circle which is isotopic in S3 - L to a meridian of L. COROLLARY 1. A non -split prime alternating link is simple. That is, every incompressible torus in S3 - L is peripheral (isotopic to the boundary of a tubular neighborhood of a component of L).
Perfect reconstruction filter banks with rational sampling rate changes

The authors present a general, direct method for designing perfect reconstruction filter banks with rational sampling rate changes. Such filter banks have N branches, each one having a sampling factor of p/sub i//q/sub i/ and their sum equal to one. A design example showing the advantage of using the direct over the indirect method is given. Due to recent results pointing to the relationship between filter banks and wavelet theory, the regularity question is addressed as well, and a regular filter is shown for a dilation factor of 3/2. >
Distribution of Mytilus edulis, M. galloprovincialis, and their hybrids in open-coast populations of mussels in southwestern England

The distribution of Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, M. galloprovincialis Lamarck, and their hybrids was examined in mussel populations in southwest England in 1996 and 1998. This is a region where both parental taxa and populations containing large numbers of hybrids co-occur yet a fine-scale mapping of the hybrid populations has not been conducted. In this study the geographic distribution of hybrid populations was determined in southwest England over 360 km of coast from Tintagel Castle in north Cornwall to Beer in south Devon. Sample localities were spaced from 5 to 20 km apart. Genotypes for individual mussels were determined using PCR to amplify a size polymorphism at the Glu-5′ locus that is completely differentiated between M. edulis and M. galloprovincialis. Hybrid populations, characterized by high frequencies of individuals with heterozygous genotypes and a pattern of decreasing frequency of M. edulis alleles with increasing shell length, were continuously distributed along 180 km of open coast in southwest England. This "hybrid patch" was bordered at one end by geographically extensive populations of pure M. edulis and at the other end by nearly pure populations of M. galloprovincialis. Strong natural selection in hybrid populations results in a decline in the frequency of M. edulis alleles with increasing size. Wave-exposure has previously been implicated as the agent producing this pattern of selection, but in the present study the relationship between allele frequency and body size was not correlated with variation in wave shock intensity among localities within the hybrid zone. The transition between hybrid populations and those containing pure populations of M. edulis or M. galloprovincialis is abrupt which suggests that coastal circulation patterns may provide strong barriers to larval dispersal which accounts for the position and maintenance of the hybrid zone.
Relaxed tRNA specificity of the Staphylococcus aureus aspartyl-tRNA synthetase enables RNA-dependent asparagine biosynthesis.

The human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is an asparagine prototroph despite its genome not encoding an asparagine synthetase. S. aureus does use an asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase (AsnRS) to directly ligate asparagine to tRNAAsn. The S. aureus genome also codes for one aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (AspRS). Here we demonstrate the lone S. aureus aspartyl-tRNA synthetase has relaxed tRNA specificity and can be used with the amidotransferase GatCAB to synthesize asparagine on tRNAAsn. S. aureus thus encodes both the direct and indirect routes for Asn-tRNAAsn formation while encoding only one aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. The presence of the indirect pathway explains how S. aureus synthesizes asparagine without either asparagine synthetase.
Measure of the impact of future dark energy experiments based on discriminating power among quintessence models

We evaluate the ability of future data sets to discriminate among different quintessence dark energy models. This approach gives an alternative (and complementary) measure for assessing the impact of future experiments, as compared with the large body of literature that compares experiments in abstract parameter spaces (such as the well-known ${w}_{0}\ensuremath{-}{w}_{a}$ parameters) and more recent work that evaluates the constraining power of experiments on individual parameter spaces of specific quintessence models. We use the Dark Energy Task Force (DETF) models of future data sets and compare the discriminative power of experiments designated by the DETF as stages 2, 3, and 4 (denoting increasing capabilities). Our work reveals a minimal increase in discriminating power when comparing stage 3 to stage 2, but a very striking increase in discriminating power when going to stage 4 (including the possibility of completely eliminating some quintessence models). We also see evidence that even modest improvements over DETF stage 4 (which many believe are realistic) could result in even more dramatic discriminating power among quintessence dark energy models. We develop and demonstrate the technique of using the independently measured modes of the equation of state (derived from principle component analysis) as a common parameter space in which to compare the different quintessence models, and we argue that this technique is a powerful one. We use the PNGB, Exponential, Albrecht-Skordis, and Inverse Tracker (or inverse power law) quintessence models for this work. One of our main results is that the goal of discriminating among these models sets a concrete measure on the capabilities of future dark energy experiments. Experiments have to be somewhat better than DETF stage 4 simulated experiments to fully meet this goal.
Fingerprinting G protein-coupled receptor signaling.

Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide–binding protein (G protein)–coupled receptors (GPCRs) control a wide diversity of cellular responses throughout biology. Each GPCR couples to a distinct array of members of the G protein family to control the specificity and diversity of these responses and ultimately determines the therapeutic efficacy of drugs that target these receptors. In this issue of Science Signaling , Masuho et al . developed an approach to broadly defining these GPCR coupling fingerprints.
Benzofuroxans as Rubber Additives

Abstract Benzofurazan 1-oxide, commonly called benzofuroxan (BFO), was shown to decrease hysteresis of carbon black-filledrubber vulcanizates by as much as 30%. Presumably, BFO promotes increased bonding between the elastomerand carbon black resulting in reduced “Payne Effect” in the vulcanizate. BFO was added during the mixing of themasterbatch at various temperatures. It was found that high temperature mixing was necessary to achieve maximumhysteresis reduction and that more effect was noted with high surface area blacks. Nickel salts were found to modifythe reaction between BFO and the elastomer/black.
Nelson's Run: A Chapter

Nelson's Run is a satire of colonization—on the (distorted) attitudes of colonizers and (the equally distorted attitudes of) those they colonize. (Call it Manifest Destiny Redux.) Nelson, the protagonist, is an unusually dense, randy white-guy sexual tourist who thinks he has the God-given right to copulate his way through the Philippines, a former American colony. He's right, but only to a point. He fails to see the matriarchal nature of Philippine culture. During his misadventures, he stumbles into a civil war where he becomes the object of competition between two tango-dancing matriarchs. (His survival depends on his ability to change his views—and carefully choose his evening wear.)
Information Manipulation Theory 2: A Propositional Theory of Deceptive Discourse Production

Information Manipulation Theory 2 (IMT2) is a propositional theory of deceptive discourse production that conceptually frames deception as involving the covert manipulation of information along mul...
Design of dynamic range enhanced colorless reception systems with coherent balanced receiver

We experimentally demonstrate 77-channel 127-Gb/s PM-QPSK colorless system achieves, with <1 dB SNR penalty, -17 to -6 dBm/channel dynamic-range with relaxed 12 dBm LO power. Impacts from TIA saturation and polarization effects are also shown.
Respiratory syncytial virus-induced cytokine production by a human bronchial epithelial cell line

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of lower respiratory infection in infants and young children, but the pathogenesis of RSV-induced inflammation is not well defined. We hypothesized that in vitro infection of a human bronchial epithelial cell line (BEAS) would induce production of proinflammatory cytokines. BEAS cells were infected with RSV, and cells and supernatants were assayed for cytokine mRNA and protein changes at several time points after infection. Cytokine mRNA in BEAS cells was measured by polymerase chain reaction of reverse-transcribed RNA from whole cell lysates; cytokine levels in supernatants were measured by bioassay or immunoassay. Our results indicated that interleukin-5ay or immunoassay. Our results indicated that interleukin-8 (IL-8) was induced at 4 h after infection (during the eclipse phase of RSV infection) with accumulation of IL-8 in supernatants by 24 h after infection. Increased levels of IL-6 and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor in supernatants were only detected by 96 h after infection, during the RSV replicative phase. Interferon-alpha and -gamma transcripts were not detectable at any time point. We conclude that the effects of RSV on airway inflammation may be at least partly mediated by sequential production of proinflammatory cytokines in infected airway epithelium.
Association Between Sleep Problems and Perceived Cognitive Dysfunction Over 12 Months in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis

Sleep problems are highly prevalent among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS); however, the relationship between sleep problems and cognitive dysfunction is poorly understood in this population. In the present study, 163 individuals with MS and depression, fatigue, or pain completed self-report measures of sleep, cognitive dysfunction, and relevant demographic and clinical characteristics (e.g., disability severity, depressive symptomatology, pain intensity, fatigue impact) at four time points over 12 months. Mixed-effects regression demonstrated that poorer sleep was independently associated with worse perceived cognitive dysfunction (β = -0.05, p = .001), beyond the influence of depressive symptomatology. Fatigue impact was found to partially mediate this relationship. Results suggest that for individuals with MS and depression, fatigue, or pain, self-reported sleep problems are related to perceived cognitive dysfunction, and that fatigue impact accounts for part of this relationship.
Application of connected detection for whole blood CRP,WBC and N in children respiratory infection patients

Objective To detect clinical application value of connected detection for whole blood CRP(c reacted protein),WBC(white blood cell) and N(neutrophil) in children respiratory infection patients.Methods To detect WBC and N using globulimeter(CD3700)and correlated reagent,to detect whole blood CRP with protein analysator-Nesphstar TM and related reagent.Results Whole blood CRP,WBC and N in bacterial infection group increased significantly,compared with viral infection group,mycoplasma infection group and normal control group(P0.01).The positive rate of CRP exceed those of WBC and N.There was significant difference with whole blood CRP between pretherapy and post-treatment in bacterial infection group,and the value of CRP decreased followed with improved pathogenetic condition.Conclusion Detecting whole blood CRP,WBC and N could diagnose children bacterial and viral respiratory infection,and could increased diagnostic sensibility of bacterial infection.At the same time,whole blood CRP could be considered as reference target for curing disease and stop using antibiotics.
Quantum Effects on the Capacitance of Graphene-Based Electrodes

Quantum capacitance has been recently measured for electric double layers (EDL) at electrolyte/graphene interfaces. However, the importance of quantum capacitance in realistic carbon electrodes is not clear. Toward understanding that from a theoretical perspective, here we studied the quantum capacitance and total capacitance of graphene electrodes as a function of the number of graphene layers. The quantum capacitance was obtained from electronic density functional theory based on fixed band approximation with an implicit solvation model, while the EDL capacitances were from classical density functional theory. We found that quantum capacitance plays a dominant role in total capacitance of the single-layer graphene both in aqueous and ionic-liquid electrolytes but the contribution decreases as the number of graphene layers increases. The total integral capacitance roughly levels off and is dominated by the EDL capacitance beyond about four graphene layers. Because many porous carbons have nanopores with ...
Sequence Graph Transform (SGT): A Feature Extraction Function for Sequence Data Mining.

Sequence feature embedding is a challenging task due to un-structuredness of sequences -- arbitrary strings of arbitrary length. Existing methods are efficient in extracting short-term dependencies but typically suffer from computation issues for the long-term. Sequence Graph Transform (SGT), a feature embedding function, that can extract varying amount of short- to long-term dependencies without increasing the computation is proposed. SGT's properties are analytically proved for interpretation under normal and uniform distribution assumptions. SGT features yield significantly superior results in sequence clustering and classification with higher accuracy and lower computation as compared to the existing methods, including the state-of-the-art sequence/string Kernels and LSTM.
On Optimal Proactive Caching for Mobile Networks With Demand Uncertainties

Mobile data users are known to possess predictable characteristics both in their interests and activity patterns. Yet, their service is predominantly performed, especially at the wireless edges, “reactively” at the time of request, typically when the network is under heavy traffic load. This strategy incurs excessive costs to the service providers to sustain on-time (or delay-intolerant) delivery of data content, while their resources are left underutilized during the light-loaded hours. This motivates us in this work to study the problem of optimal “proactive” caching whereby, future delay-intolerant data demands can be served within a given prediction window ahead of their actual time-of-arrival to minimize service costs. To that end, we first establish fundamental bounds on the minimum possible cost achievable by any proactive policy, as a function of the prediction uncertainties. These bounds provide interesting insights on the impact of uncertainty on the maximum achievable proactive gains. We then propose specific proactive caching strategies, both for uniform and fluctuating demand patterns, that are asymptotically-optimal in the limit as the prediction window size grows while the prediction uncertainties remain fixed. We further establish the exponential convergence rate characteristics of our proposed solutions to the optimal, revealing close-to-optimal performance characteristics of our designs even with small prediction windows. Also, proactive design is contrasted with its reactive and delay-tolerant counter-parts to obtain interesting results on the unavoidable costs of uncertainty and the potentially remarkable gains of proactive operation.
The Role of Honey Bees as Pollinators in Natural Areas

The western or European honey bee (Apis mellifera) is the primary managed pollinator in US agricultural systems, and its importance for food production is widely recognized. However, the role of A. mellifera as an introduced species in natural areas is potentially more complicated. The impact of A. mellifera on native insect pollinators can depend on broad community context, as can the relative effectiveness of A. mellifera in pollination of both native and nonnative plant species outside of agricultural systems. Apis mellifera is highly generalist and able to interact with hundreds of native plant species following its naturalization. It is unlikely to wholly replace native pollinators as visitors of specialized plant species, and its behavioral characteristics tend to reduce A. mellifera's per-visit efficiency, even when its overall effectiveness is high. Preliminary results of our case study exploring the importance of A. mellifera vs. native bees as pollinators of native plants in Hawai‘i indicate that A. mellifera is less important than native Hylaeus bees as a flower visitor of focal native plant species. In light of current global declines in A. mellifera populations, maintenance of a diversity of pollinators and pollinator habitat are critical conservation needs in natural areas.
Outcomes after pediatric open, laparoscopic, and robotic pyeloplasty at academic institutions.

Summary Introduction Patient age and hospital volume have been shown to affect perioperative outcomes after pediatric pyeloplasty. However, there are few multicenter studies that focus on outcomes at teaching hospitals, where many of the operations are performed. Objective The goal was to determine if surgical approach, age, case volume, or other factors influence perioperative outcomes in a large contemporary cohort. Study design Using the clinical database/resource manager (CDB/RM) of the University Health-System Consortium (UHC), children who underwent open, laparoscopic, or robotic pyeloplasty from 2011 to 2014 were identified at 102 academic institutions. Surgery type, age, race, gender, insurance type, geographic region, comorbidities, surgeon volume, and hospital volume were measured. Multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression analysis was used to analyze independent variables associated with complication rates, length of stay (LOS), readmission rates, and ICU admission. Results A total of 2219 patients were identified. Complication rates were 2.1%, 2.2%, and 3% after open, laparoscopic, and robotic pyeloplasty, respectively. Approximately 12% of patients had underlying comorbidities. Comorbidities were associated with 3.1 times increased odds for complication (p = 0.001) and a 35% longer length of stay (p Discussion The study is limited by the accuracy of the data submitted by the hospitals and is subject to coding error. Complication rates remain low in all three approaches, validating their safety. Patients, including younger patients, had shorter lengths of stay after robotic surgery. The statistically significant differences between approaches were small so clinically there may not be a difference. Conclusions This large multicenter analysis demonstrates that patient comorbidity had the greatest impact upon complication rates and length of stay. Previous work showed that the benefits of laparoscopy were limited to older children. However, this large multicenter study suggests that these benefits now extend to young children with the application of robotics. Table . LOS by surgery type and multivariate analysis of LOS (all patients). Open (n = 1540) Laparoscopic (n = 46) Robotic (n = 633) LOS (days) mean (SD) 2.0 (1.2) 2.4 (1.7) 1.8 (1.3) Multivariable mixed-effects lognormal–Poisson regression analysis Covariate Rate ratio (95% CI) p Surgery: laparoscopic vs. open 1.06 (0.86, 1.31) 0.57 Surgery: robotic vs. open 0.90 (0.82, 0.99) 0.03 Surgery: robotic vs. laparoscopic 0.85 (0.68, 1.05) 0.12 Age (years) 1.00 (0.98, 1.02) 0.81 Sex: female vs. male 1.00 (0.94, 1.07) 0.99 Insurance: private/military vs. other 0.89 (0.83, 0.95) Comorbidities (yes vs. no) 1.34 (1.23, 1.46) Surgeon volume (cases/year) 0.99 (0.97, 1.01) 0.53 Hospital volume (cases/year) 1.00 (0.99, 1.01) 0.92 Bold indicates the statistically significant p values
Acquisitional patterns of Spanish anticausative se: The end of the road

The acquisition of the Spanish morpheme se has proved to be problematic for L2 learners both because of its polyfunctionality and because of the restrictions regarding the types of predicates with which it can combine. This paper sheds light on this problem by focusing on a specific type of se (anticausative se; e.g., El jarron se rompio ‘The vase broke’) and exploring its acquisition across four proficiency levels. Results of a scalar grammaticality judgment task indicate that lower-proficiency participants’ performance is in line with previous research, which claims that this aspect of Spanish grammar is particularly challenging for L2 learners (as reflected in omission and overgeneralization errors). However, the near-native group shows sensitivity to the abstract features that uniquely characterize verbs that undergo the causative/inchoative alternation. Thus, the current findings suggest that L2 learners manage to overcome the problems experienced at lower levels and, in fact, do succeed at the level of ultimate attainment.
Workers’ Compensation Standards

Two sets of standards have been developed for evaluating workers’ compensation programs. The first, which is the more relevant for international comparisons, is Convention 121 (Convention Concerning Benefits in the Case of Employment Injury) adopted in 1964 by the General Conference of the International Labor Organization. The second set was proposed in the United States in 1972 by the National Commission on State Workmen’s Compensation Laws. Although directed toward state programs in that nation, the Commission’s recommendations are also relevant because they were based on 60 years of experience, at first with programs in only a few jurisdictions but, since 1948, with diversified programs in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and two federal programs—one covering federal government employees and the other covering longshore and harbor workers.
Making God Present: Place-Making and Ritual Healing in North India

This article examines how deities are known, experienced, and made present in small-scale, domestic divination and healing rituals in Garhwal, a region in the North Indian state of Uttarakhand. While possessed by local gods and goddesses during these rituals, ritual specialists known as bakkyās diagnose and treat individual clients suffering from social, psychological, or bodily afflictions by offering sthān (place) to, or making sthān for, divinities. Through a detailed ethnographic description of a healing ritual in which the author participated, the article traces acts of ritual “place-making,” including moments when space is made for a deity, a deity is transported from one location to another, and a deity is emplaced, that is, limited or contained in specific ways. Place-making is thus both literal, in the sense of making a divinity present in a material site such as a home or temple, and metaphorical, in that it signifies a long-term, reciprocal commitment between a divinity and a worshiper, in which both make place for each other in their lives. By showing how person, place, and divinity are brought together in ritual interactions, the article contributes to possession studies, the anthropology of space and place, and the study of ritual performance traditions in North India.
Contemporary modeling and analysis of steady state and transient human blood rheology

The rheological characterization of a human blood, through modeling and analysis of transient flows and large-amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) flow, has made tremendous progress recently. We show how various components, and modifications of two recent scalar, structural kinetic, thixotropic models, can offer several modeling and prediction improvements, and compare our results to the Maxwell-like Bautista-Manero-Puig (BMP) model, and a recent transient model based on the Herschel-Bulkley. We explore the weakness of the legacy blood models, and then, we apply this newly improved model to recently published data from the literature in order to demonstrate its efficacy in modeling steady state, transient, and oscillatory shear flow. Following this effort, we demonstrate a novel approach using the sequence of physical phenomena (SPP) to facilitate interpretation, characterization, mapping, and “fingerprinting” of transient blood data from the literature. We compare the SPP approach to other LAOS analysis techniques in the literature and show how our approach can function as a mechanical-property diagnostic blood analysis tool. The goal of this work is a deeper understanding of the microstructural basis and validity of structural thixotropic blood models, and transient flow analysis techniques and procedures.
Impact of styrenic polymer one-step hyper-cross-linking on volatile organic compound adsorption and desorption performance.

Abstract A novel one-step hyper-cross-linking method, using 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) and 1,6-dichlorohexane (DCH) cross-linkers, expands the micropore volume of commercial styrenic polymers. Performance of virgin and modified polymers was evaluated by measuring hexane, toluene, and methyl-ethyl-ketone (MEK) adsorption capacity, adsorption/desorption kinetics, and desorption efficiency. Hyper-cross-linked polymers have up to 128% higher adsorption capacity than virgin polymers at P/P 0 = 0.05 due to micropore volume increases up to 330%. Improvements are most pronounced with the DCE cross-linker. Hyper-cross-linking has minimal impact on hexane adsorption kinetics, but adsorption rates for toluene and MEK decrease by 6–41%. Desorption rates decreased (3–36%) for all materials after hyper-cross-linking, with larger decreases for DCE hyper-cross-linked polymers due to smaller average pore widths. For room temperature desorption, 20–220% more adsorbate remains in hyper-cross-linked polymers after regeneration compared to virgin materials. DCE hyper-cross-linked polymers have 13–92% more residual adsorbate than DCH counterparts. Higher temperatures were required for DCE hyper-cross-linked polymers to completely desorb VOCs compared to the DCH hyper-cross-linked and virgin counterparts. Results show that the one-step hyper-cross-linking method for modifying styrenic polymers improves adsorption capacity because of added micropores, but decreases adsorption/desorption kinetics and desorption efficiency for large VOCs due to a decrease in average pore width.
Bite count rates in free-living individuals: new insights from a portable sensor.

Conclusions regarding bite count rates and body mass index (BMI) in free-living populations have primarily relied on self-report. The objective of this exploratory study was to compare the relationship between BMI and bite counts measured by a portable sensor called the Bite Counter in free-living populations and participants eating in residence. Two previously conducted studies were analyzed for relationships between BMI and sensor evaluated bite count/min, and meal duration. Participants from the first study (N = 77) wore the bite counter in a free-living environment for a continuous period of 14 days. The second study (N = 214) collected bite count/min, meal duration, and total energy intake in participants who consumed one meal in a cafeteria. Linear regression was applied to examine relationships between BMI and bite count/min. There was no significant correlation in the free-living participants average bite counts per second and BMI (R2 = 0.03, p = 0.14) and a significant negative correlation in the cafeteria participants (R 2 = 0.04, p = 0.03) with higher bite count rates observed in lean versus obese participants. There was a significant correlation between average meal duration and BMI in the free-living participants (R 2 = 0.08, p = 0.01). Total energy intake in the cafeteria participants was also significantly correlated to meal duration (R 2 = 0.31, p < 0.001). With additional novel applications of the Bite Counter, insights into free-living eating behavior may provide avenues for future interventions that are sustainable for long term application.
Informational Needs of Organizations Under Crisis

The value of data base and management information systems (DBS and MIS) has been dramatically shown in the last few decades. It has been implied in a previous study(10) that these systems provide trivial aid to the managers of organizations undergoing severe crisis. Simply put, it is argued that the current models, techniques, and principles of management are best suited for dealing with the “normal” problems of an organization, that is, with problems typically experienced during periods of organizational stability. During these periods the historical data and the information derived from them become the bases for formulating decisions, strategies, and even policies. Goals and objectives are well defined and broadly accepted. They become convenient points of reference for the organizational system in determining its need for corrective action. The DBS and MIS systems have served well in satisfying the informational needs of the stable organization.
Complex Partial Epilepsy in Humans

About two million people in the USA have epilepsy. As many as 70% of cases begin during childhood, with the majority appearing in the first postnatal year. World wide of course, the numbers are staggering, with the vast majority of cases going undiagnosed as well as untreated.
The Elastic Strain Energy of Dislocation Structures in Fatigued Metals

The elastic strain energy is calculated for persistent slip band structures and for vein structures of dislocations in cyclically loaded metals. The evolution of dislocation structures during fatigue of metals is discussed in terms of the elastic strain energy of the structures. The ladders in persistent slip bands and the tangling dislocation dipoles in vein structures are simulated by the Oro-wan loops surrounding inclusions which consist of slip bands with a multiple shell structure.
DARE to be You: A Family-Support, Early Prevention Program

DARE to be You is a multi-level prevention program aimed at 2-5 year olds in high-risk families. Program objectives focus on aspects of parenting that contribute to youths' resiliency to later substance use. These include improving parents' self-efficacy, effective child rearing, social support, and problem-solving skills as well as children's developmental attainments. Over a 5-year period, successive cohorts of families were randomly assigned to an experimental (n = 496) or control (n = 301) group. The DTBY program was provided to children, families, preschool teachers, and community professionals who work with youth. Families received a minimum of 24 hours of programs with follow-up support. Program replicability was tested at four sites, which varied in population density (urban, town, rural) and ethnic composition (Ute Mountain Ute, Hispanic, Anglo). Evaluation data reveal significant, persistent increases in parental self-appraisals and democratic child-rearing practices, with a corresponding decrease in harsh discipline. Parent satisfaction with social support increased; target children's developmental levels were enhanced and oppositional behavior declined. Implications for effective family intervention and self-efficacy as a key mechanism of change are discussed.
Conservation Biology of California’s Remnant Native Grasslands

From alpine meadows ravaged by sheep grazing a century ago to desert flats impacted by off road vehicles during the past two decades. California bears heavy scars from its relatively short history since the first Europeans arrived. But none of California’s landscape has been so irreparably altered as its grasslands. These grasslands have undergone habitat conversion including cultivation, grazing, suburbanization and industrialization. They have been subjected, in addition, to a somewhat more subtle change that has reduced the natural California grassland vegetation to but a fraction of its original extent. Here we discuss this change, the near complete replacement of California’s grassland flora with European annual grasses and forbs. We then assess the biogeography and pertinent ecology of the few remaining fragments of habitat on serpentine soils that maintain some of the original flora, and discuss how those remnants might best be conserved.
Erythropoietin Inhibitor in Kidney Extracts and Plasma from Anemic Uremic Human Subjects

1. An erythropoietin inhibitor has been demonstrated in human kidney homogenates from two patients with chronic renal insufficiency and two normal human subjects. The level of the inhibitor was significantly higher in the nephritic kidney homogenates than that of the normal kidneys. The ESF inhibitor was found in the soluble cytoplasmic fraction of the kidney, using an osmotic sucrose gradient and differential centrifugation technic. The inhibitor was still present after in vitro dialysis of the kidney soluble fractions and was partially inactivated by boiling. 2. The nuclear and mitochondrial fractions from the normal and nephritic kidneys markedly accentuated the erythropoietic activity of human urinary ESF when injected simultaneously at separate sites in polycythemic mice. The accentuating effects on ESF of the above fractions was significantly less in the nephritic than in the normal kidneys. 3. Flat bed discontinuous acrylamide gel electrophoresis studies on the kidney homogenates revealed a marked increase in the concentration of protein and a decrease in esterase activity in the albumin fractions in the nephritic kidney when compared with those of the normal kidneys. An additional band between the albumin and alpha-1-globulin regions was detected in the nephritic kidney fractions which was not present in the normal kidney fractions. The significance of these observations as they may relate to the inhibitor is discussed. 4. Plasma from five out of six anemic uremic subjects produced a significant inhibition of ESF; while normal human plasma was found to accentuate the erythropoietic effects of ESF. 5. A marked enhancement of the erythropoietic effects of human urinary ESF by human liver homogenate was also seen. 6. It is postulated from these studies that the anemia of chronic renal insufficiency is due, at least in part, to erythroid failure resulting from a lack of available erythropoietin. This deficiency in erythropoietin activity is probably due to an increase in an ESF inhibitor and/or a decrease in a renal erythropoietic factor (REF).
Sexual Behavior and Social Networks

Few things are more private than sexual behavior. Yet scholars increasingly see sexual behavior as being shaped by the broad social networks of kin, friends, and other contacts in which individuals are embedded. This article describes research that considers the relevance of these social (not sexual) contacts to a wide range of sexual behaviors, including sexual initiation, sex partner selection, expression of sexual identity, sexual frequency and problems, as well as risky behaviors such as unprotected sex, transactional sex, using drugs while having sex, and finding sexual partners online. We also address the finding that social networks are themselves shaped by these sexual behaviors. We close by discussing new directions for research on this topic.
Who Are Online Teacherpreneurs and What Do They Do? A Survey of Content Creators on TeachersPayTeachers.com

Online teacherpreneurship occurs when current or former P-12 teachers distribute their original classroom resources and ideas through online educational marketplaces such as TeachersPayTeachers.com...
Optical Vortex Braiding in Composite Bessels

We theoretically propose and experimentally demonstrate the braiding of optical vortices in a linear laser beam with more than 2π rotation by superposing Bessel modes.