cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Work-Life Balance Perspectives of Future Marketing Professionals

The current generation appears to place greater attention on work-life balance than the prior generation. This will have important implications for employers of future marketing professionals. The term 'work-life balance' refers to people spending sufficient time at their jobs while also spending adequate time on other pursuits, such as family, hobbies, and community involvement. This study examines two research questions. The first considers the importance that future marketing professionals, i.e., students, place on work-life balance. The second regards whether gender differences are associated with work-life balance. To answer these questions, an examination is made of the perspectives of future marketing professionals. Maslow's hierarchy theory and McClelland's motivational needs theory offer some theoretical support regarding why people strive to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Gender theory and related research provide theoretical support regarding differences between male and female perspectives.
A Positivistic Test of EU Theory

The previous two chapters suggested that EU theory is often inadequate as a descriptive model. The evidence cited in Chapter 2 showed either that some of the EU axioms were directly violated or that predictions from the theory did not hold. However, how damaging is this evidence when viewed from a positivistic economic perspective?
Compact Difference Methods for Discharge Modeling in Aerodynamics

This paper explores the feasibility of applying high-order, compact difference methods to the modeling of glow discharges for high-speed flow control. Previous papers (AIAA 2008-1357) have successfully applied second-order finite difference methods to glow discharge modeling. Detailed grid resolution studies, however, have revealed that very fine grid resolution is required for acceptable quantitative results. High-order compact difference methods offer a possible means of achieving high spatial accuracy on coarser grids, potentially leading to a significant reduction in the computational cost of an accurate solution. In previous work (AIAA 2009-1047), preliminary, one-dimensional compact difference calculations were carried out for glow discharge problems. Here the work is extended to two dimensions. Sample compact difference calculations are presented for several test cases, including a Poisson equation solution, a compressible Couette flow problem, a hypersonic laminar boundary layer flow, and a transient plasma-sheath problem. Spatial convergence of secondthrough sixth-order compact schemes was investigated, and found to be comparable to the theoretical order of accuracy. In particular, compact difference methods of up to sixth order can successfully achieve their theoretical order of accuracy for the coupled Poisson and Euler equations with source terms. Compact difference schemes appear to be a promising numerical approach for modeling plasma actuators for high-speed flow control.
Aircraft Tolerance Optimization Considering Quality, Manufacturing & Performance

Manufacturing tolerance allocation is a design challenge that plays an important role in balancing the cost and weight objectives for an aircraft. The purpose of this paper is to explore an approach to optimize manufacturing tolerances by combining the individual objectives of the quality, manufacturing and design teams. We illustrate this approach on a fatigue critical lap joint structure that consists of a wing spar and a strap that must tolerate the manufacturing errors associated with location and size of the fastener holes. These errors are modeled with industrial data collected from the wing assemblies of a business jet. A cost model is formulated in terms of the quality cost, manufacturing cost and performance cost, and optimal tolerance is found by minimizing the sum of these costs (i.e. total cost). It was found that as the aircraft size grows bigger the weight increases more quickly than the quality cost requiring the use of tighter tolerance. A sensitivity analysis is also performed to identify the input variables that have significant impact on the optimal tolerance and corresponding total cost.
Growth and Differentiation of Rat Embryos on the Chorioallantoic Membrane of the Chick

The experiments previously reported1 have shown that rat embryos possess the potency to undergo a development of their tissues when implanted in strange surroundings. In order to test further the capacity of the embryonic parts for differentiation, transplantations of 8 and 9 day rat embryos have been made to the chorioallantoic membrane of the chick. This experiment was first performed by Hiraiwa2 using rat embryos of a considerably older stage of development. He found that there was a considerable degree of self-differentiation in this form.Up to the present about 200 such transplantations have been made; the eggs have been incubated from 7 to 9 days after transplantation (9 day hosts) and the grafts studied. In many cases the transplant causes only a minor reaction which is indicated by a slight thickening of the membrane on the site of the operation and a slight increase in the vascular field. This is the so-called membrane reaction. In some cases a distinct nodule of tissue is found which upon sectio...
The Chemistry of Thiazoles and Dithiocarbamates as Antioxidants

Abstract Using a strictly qualitative approach, the present work suggests a possible explanation for the observed antioxidant action of dithiocarbamates. It has been shown that dithiocarbamates react with hydroperoxides to form a new oxidized intermediate which in most cases is stable. These have been identified as semisulfinates: (see PDF for diagram) With continued oxidation, a normal sulfinate is formed, the structure of which is probably best represented as follows where M is a divalent metal and R is, e.g., a simple alkyl group: (see PDF for diagram) The stability of the above compound will depend upon the metal M and the nature or size of the alkyl group. These compounds further decompose into a thiuram monosulfide and the corresponding metal sulfate. Particularly active or sensitive dithiocarbamates are oxidized directly to the metal sulfate and thiuram monosulfide. In these cases, the ephemeral formation of the semi-sulfinate and normal sulfinate as intermediates is probable. In the presence of ex...
Passive Morphing of Flying Wing Aircraft - Part I: Z Configuration

High Altitude, Long Endurance (HALE) aircraft can achieve sustained, uninterrupted flight time if they use solar power. Wing morphing of solar powered HALE aircraft can significantly increase solar energy absorbency. An example of the kind of morphing considered in this paper requires the wings to fold so as to orient a solar panel to be hit more directly by the sun’s rays at specific times of the day. In this paper solar powered HALE flying wing aircraft are modeled with three beams with lockable hinge connections. Such aircraft are shown to be capable of morphing passively, following the sun by means of aerodynamic forces and engine thrusts. The analysis underlying NATASHA (Nonlinear Aeroelastic Trim And Stability of HALE Aircraft), a computer program that is based on geometricallyexact, fully intrinsic beam equations and a finite-state induced flow model, was extended to include the ability to simulate morphing of the aircraft into a “Z” configuration. Because of the “long endurance” feature of HALE aircraft, such morphing needs to be done without relying on actuators and at as near zero energy cost as possible. The emphasis of this study is to substantially demonstrate the processes required to passively morph a flying wing into a Z configuration and back again.
Methyl Bromide Quarantine Treatment for Codling Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in Unshelled Walnuts

Unshelled walnuts were artificially infested with diapausing fifth-instar codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), and fumigated with 56 g/m3 methyl bromide for 4 hat 15.6 under a reduced pressure of 100 mm Hg. When 34,959 were treated, 1 larva survived, indicating a survival rate of 2.91larvae/100,000 treated. The upper 95% CL for this survival rate was 13.8 larvae/100,000 treated. When larval survival rates of methyl bromide fumigation tests of a normally applied domestic treatment were combined with survival rates from quarantine vacuum fumigation tests, the 95% CL survival rates were ≤0.4 larva/100,000 treated. No significant differences were found in mortality of larvae among the four walnut cultivars tested, nor was variation in the size of walnuts of each cultivar a significant factor. Because whole walnuts sorbed 79.6% of the methyl bromide applied, a relatively high rate of methyl bromide was required to obtain an efficacious treatment. The treatment was accepted by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 1986.
Neurogenesis in the Damaged Mammalian Brain

Once considered a structurally rigid organ, the adult mammalian brain has recently been the subject of a series of discoveries of constant remodeling at multiple levels, including synapses, dendrites, axons, and neuronal soma under physiological conditions (e.g., see a recent review by Abraham WC (2008) Metaplasticity: Tuning synapses and networks for plasticity. Nature Reviews. Neuroscience 9: 387). That there is continuous production of new neurons (neurogenesis) in the mature brain is among the recent additions to our knowledge of such structural plasticity. Moreover, recent studies have revealed the brain's previously unrecognized capacity for self-repair, that is, supply of new neurons after damage. Studies of injured brains have also revealed that endogenous neural stem/progenitor cells serve as sensitive responders to various injury signals and actively participate in tissue repair in many ways. This chapter summarizes the current understanding of this injury-induced neurogenesis in the adult mammalian brain and critically evaluates its significance in the context of brain repair. The emphasis is on the comparison between persistent and injury-induced neurogenesis and regulators and outcomes of neuronal production in damaged/diseased brains. Several important issues that remain controversial, as well as the recently emerging idea that considers stem/progenitor cells as injury sensors and responders, are also highlighted. Finally, the prospects of future research aiming at utilizing the brain's capacity for endogenous repair in the treatment of various neurological disorders are discussed.
Examining the Influence of Alternative Technologies on the Group Technology Adoption Process

There is a long history of study to understand of why work groups do or do not adopt new collaboration technologies. However, research has focused on only one technology. The underlying assumption ...
Location and Mapping of Gold Sites in Thin Sections of Unoxidized Carlin-Type Ores Using Complementary Micro-analytical Techniques

Determining how precious metals occur in mineral deposits is of importance in resolving how they formed, where to explore for additional, similar ore bodies, and how to most efficiently extract the metal from the host rock. Determining what minerals are associated with previous metals is particularly difficult when the metal is finely disseminated and submicroscopic, as it is in unoxidized Carlin-type gold ores. The geologic setting of Carlin-type ore deposits was described by BAGBY and BERGER [1]. We combined data from four tools to find submicroscopic gold in thin sections of unoxidized Carlin-type gold ore and to describe the mineral associated with each particle. The tools are a synchrotron-induced x-ray fluorescence (SXRF) microprobe, an optical microscope, a scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive x-ray analysis capabilities (SEM-EDX), and an electron probe used for microanalysis (EPMA). The procedure derived is a relatively quick way of finding the location of discrete gold particles ≥ 0.2 μm diameter that occur at the surface of a sample.
Logistique : votre entreprise est-elle prete a changer ?

Une enquete recente menee par Mercer Management Consulting aux Etats-Unis montre que, malgre une prise de conscience croissante de l’importance des processus de satisfaction des besoins clients, la pratique n ’a pas encore atteint le niveau d’ambition vise. Une certaine “resistance au changement ”, a taus les niveaux, constitue la barriere principale a l ’introduction de nouveaux concepts et approches. Le fonctionnement “en cheminee” se perpetue et la Logistique a du mal a effectuer sa mutation pour passer d’une fonction organisationnelle a un ensemble de processus transverses.C’est pourtant la que se trouve la cle du succes vers un “enchantement” des clients a moindre cout.
BAER in High Risk Infants

Brainstem auditory responses (BAER) performed on 667 high risk infants from an infant special care unit were evaluated at the Department of Otolaryngology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.
Fluid–Structure Interaction Modeling and Isogeometric Analysis of a Hydraulic Arresting Gear at Full Scale

Fluid–structure interaction (FSI) analysis of a full-scale hydraulic arresting gear used to retard the forward motion of an aircraft landing on an aircraft-carrier deck is performed. The simulations make use of the recently developed core and special-purpose FSI techniques for other problem classes, specialized to the present application. A recently proposed interactive geometry modeling and parametric design platform for isogeometric analysis (IGA) is directly employed to create the arresting gear model, and illustrates a natural application of IGA to this problem class. The fluid mechanics and FSI simulation results are reported in terms of the arresting gear rotor loads and blade structural deformation and vibration. Excellent agreement is achieved with the experimental results for the arresting gear design simulated in this work.
Musculoskeletal pain and fatigue are associated with chronic hepatitis C: a report of 239 hepatology clinic patients

Abstract OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the frequency of fatigue and musculoskeletal pain in hepatitis C compared with other liver diseases. METHODS: Hepatology outpatients were evaluated by questionnaire for musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. Charts were reviewed for diagnoses, aminotransferases, histology, treatment, and presence of hepatitis C by second generation ELISA and/or polymerase chain reaction. The frequency of symptoms in patients with and without hepatitis C were compared. RESULTS: In 239 patients (mean age 46.7 ± 11.6 yr; 52% male) musculoskeletal pain was present in 70% for 6.7 ± 8.3 yr and fatigue in 56% for 3.3 ± 5.1 yr. Backache was the most common complaint (54%), followed by morning stiffness (45%), arthralgia (42%), myalgia (38%), neck pain (33%), pain “all over” (21%), and subjective joint swelling (20%). Diffuse body pain was present in 23% on a pain diagram and was strongly associated with fatigue. There was a significant association between hepatitis C positivity and the presence of musculoskeletal pain (81% of HCV-positive compared with 56% of HCV-negative patients, respectively; p = 0.0001), and fatigue (67% compared with 44%; p = 0.001). Musculoskeletal pain was more frequent among patients with isolated hepatitis C infection than among patients with isolated hepatitis B or alcoholic liver disease (91%, 59%, and 48%, respectively; p = 0.004). Similarly, fatigue was more frequent among patients with isolated hepatitis C than among those with isolated alcoholic liver disease or hepatitis B (66%, 30%, and 29%, respectively; p = 0.004). There was no relationship between musculoskeletal complaints and possible route of acquiring hepatitis C, levels of aminotransferases, liver disease severity on biopsy, or interferon treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Musculoskeletal pain and fatigue are frequent in hepatology clinic attendees, particularly those with hepatitis C and are unrelated to severity of liver disease, route of infection, or interferon therapy.
LD: Low-Overhead GPU Race Detection Without Access Monitoring

Data race detection has become an important problem in GPU programming. Previous designs of CPU race-checking tools are mainly task parallel and incur high overhead on GPUs due to access instrumentation, especially when monitoring many thousands of threads routinely used by GPU programs.This article presents a novel data-parallel solution designed and optimized for the GPU architecture. It includes compiler support and a set of runtime techniques. It uses value-based checking, which detects the races reported in previous work, finds new races, and supports race-free deterministic GPU execution. More important, race checking is massively data parallel and does not introduce divergent branching or atomic synchronization. Its slowdown is less than 5 × for over half of the tests and 10 × on average, which is orders of magnitude more efficient than the cuda-memcheck tool by Nvidia and the methods that use fine-grained access instrumentation.
Assessing the quality of bottom water temperatures from the Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM) in the Northwest Atlantic Shelf region

Abstract The Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM) is an advanced coastal circulation model widely utilized for its ability to simulate spatially and temporally evolving three-dimensional geophysical conditions of complex and dynamic coastal regions. While a body of literature evaluates model skill in surface fields, independent studies validating model skill in bottom fields over large spatial and temporal scales are scarce because these fields cannot be remotely sensed. In this study, an evaluation of FVCOM skill in modeling bottom water temperature was conducted by comparison to hourly in situ observed bottom temperatures recorded by the Environmental Monitors on Lobster Traps (eMOLT), a program that attached thermistors to commercial lobster traps from 2001 to 2013. Over 2 × 10 6 pairs of FVCOM-eMOLT records were evaluated by a series of statistical measures to quantify accuracy and precision of the modeled data across the Northwest Atlantic Shelf region. The overall comparison between modeled and observed data indicates reliable skill of FVCOM (r 2 = 0.72; root mean squared error = 2.28 °C). Seasonally, the average absolute errors show higher model skill in spring, fall and winter than summer. We speculate that this is due to the increased difficulty of modeling high frequency variability in the exact position of the thermocline and frontal zones. The spatial patterns of the residuals suggest that there is improved similarity between modeled and observed data at higher latitudes. We speculate that this is due to increased tidal mixing at higher latitudes in our study area that reduces stratification in winter, allowing improved model accuracy. Modeled bottom water temperatures around Cape Cod, the continental shelf edges, and at one location at the entrance to Penobscot Bay were characterized by relatively high errors. Constraints for future uses of FVCOM bottom water temperature are provided based on the uncertainties in temporal-spatial patterns. This study is novel as it is the first skill assessment of a regional ocean circulation model in bottom fields at high spatial and temporal scales in the Northwest Atlantic Shelf region.
Evaluation of Serum Posaconazole Concentrations in Patients with Hematological Malignancies Receiving Posaconazole Suspension Compared to the Delayed-Release Tablet Formulation

Posaconazole (PCZ) is frequently used for prophylaxis against invasive fungal infections (IFI) in patients undergoing induction chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Posaconazole is commercially available as an oral suspension (PCZ-susp) and as a delayed-release tablet (PCZ-tab). Differences in absorption and bioavailability between these formulations may result in variability in serum posaconazole concentrations. The primary objective of this retrospective analysis was to compare attainment of goal serum posaconazole steady state concentrations () ≥ 700 ng/ml in patients with AML/MDS undergoing induction chemotherapy receiving PCZ-susp 600–800 mg per day versus PCZ-Tablet 300 mg twice daily for one day, followed by 300 mg daily . Sixty-two patients (97%) in the PCZ-tab group compared to 20 patients (17%) in the PCZ-susp group achieved goal . Median posaconazole serum was 1,665 ng/ml (522–3,830 mg/ml) in the PCZ-tab group versus 390 ng/ml (51–1,870 ng/ml) in the PCZ-susp group . There was no difference in hepatotoxicity, QTc prolongation, or breakthrough IFI. Patients receiving PCZ-tab were significantly more likely to achieve goal and demonstrated higher versus patients receiving PCZ-susp. Prospective studies are needed to assess the potential correlation of serum concentrations with efficacy and toxicity.
Postracial fantasies, blackness, and zombies

The essay mainly performs a structural and formal analysis of the logics and affective economies of postracial fantasies so as to eventually offer the Zombie trope as a mode of analysis figuring al...
The effects of glutamine/asparagine content on aggregation and heterologous prion induction by yeast prion-like domains

ABSTRACTPrion-like domains are low complexity, intrinsically disordered domains that compositionally resemble yeast prion domains. Many prion-like domains are involved in the formation of either functional or pathogenic protein aggregates. These aggregates range from highly dynamic liquid droplets to highly ordered detergent-insoluble amyloid-like aggregates. To better understand the amino acid sequence features that promote conversion to stable, detergent-insoluble aggregates, we used the prediction algorithm PAPA to identify predicted aggregation-prone prion-like domains with a range of compositions. While almost all of the predicted aggregation-prone domains formed foci when expressed in cells, the ability to form the detergent-insoluble aggregates was highly correlated with glutamine/asparagine (Q/N) content, suggesting that high Q/N content may specifically promote conversion to the amyloid state in vivo. We then used this data set to examine cross-seeding between prion-like proteins. The prion prote...
Targeting Bladder Cancer Stem Cells: One Step Closer to the Clinic?

There is accumulating evidence supporting that the bladder urothelium contains self-renewing stem cells important for maintaining normal tissue homeostasis and injury response. It is therefore unsurprising that cancers arising from such hierarchically organized urothelial tissues retain features of cellular differentiation. Bladder cancer stem cells (CSCs) (or tumor-initiating cells) have been isolated and studied for their phenotypic and functional properties. Since these cells were demonstrated to be intrinsically resistant and could evade conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy, they become ideal targets for anticancer therapies. In the current book chapter, we will highlight the recent progress in the investigation of normal urothelial and neoplastic bladder stem cells. We will focus on prognostic developments using CSC (or differentiation) markers to subclassify bladder cancer into subtypes that correlate with clinical outcome, the contribution of cellular differentiation signaling pathways and their cross talk with the stromal microenvironment to drive different cancer subtypes, and finally, the clinical implications of targeting CSCs as the next generation anticancer therapy.
Energy Distribution in the Blast Fragmentation Process

The study of energy distribution in a blast fragmentation process is the subject of active research. The complexity of the phenomena and the high intensity and speed of some of the physical processes occurring during an explosion such as high pressures and temperatures make measuring of the energy distribution a very difficult task. Because of the limitation of current technologies to measure the actual energy released in an explosion, the assessment of energy distribution is done considering the balance between the ideal energy stored in the explosive and the effects of the released energy in the surrounding media. To study the ideal amount of energy in the explosive, it is necessary to use thermophysics and thermodynamic principles, while the effects in the surrounding media are explained using materials deformation theories, material fracture models, and dynamics. This chapter will review the basic principles behind the assessment of the ideal energy in the explosives and discuss the most accepted theories about the distribution of the energy in the surrounding media when an explosion takes place.
Critical Review of Global Leadership Literature: Toward an Integrative Global Leadership Framework:

The purpose of this research is to critically examine the literature on global leadership competencies and behaviors, and present an integrative global leadership framework. For the literature revi...
Direct marketing response models using genetic algorithms

Direct marketing response models seek to identify individuals most likely to respond to marketing solicitations. Such models are commonly evaluated on classification accuracy and some measure of fit-to-data. Given large customer files and budgetary limitations, only a fraction of the total file is typically selected for mailing promotional material. This desired mailing-depth presents potentially useful information that is not considered by conventional methods. This paper presents a genetic algorithm based approach for developing response models aimed at maximizing performance at the desired mailing depth. Here, depth of file information is explicitly taken into account during model development. Two modeling objectives, response maximization at selected mailing depth and fit-to-data, are considered and tradeoffs amongst these empirically explored. Resampling approaches, effective for controlling overfit to training data, are also investigated.
ALCOHOLISM AND DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS: IS CHOLINERGIC SENSITIVITY A BIOLOGICAL MARKER?

There is an overlap between alcoholism and depressive disorders. However, alcoholics tend to be resistant to the effects of cholinergic agonists, whereas depressives tend to be more sensitive. A recently developed animal model of depression which is more sensitive to cholinergic agonists is also more sensitive to the acute effects of ethanol. These consistent human and animal studies suggest that cholinergic challenges may be helpful in separating alcoholics from depressives.
Molecular weight of mitochondrial DNA in Physarum polycephalum.

Abstract The mitochondrial DNA's from a wide variety of organisms have a common molecular weight of approximately 10 × 106 daltons. Most of the molecules are isolated in a circular form ( Piko, et al. , 1968 ; Sinclair et al. , 1967 ; Dawid and Wolstenholme, 1967 ; Van Bruggen et al. , 1966 ) except in the case of yeast where only a small fraction is circular and the remainder linear ( Shapiro et al. , 1968 ). In contrast, Suyama and Miura (1968) have reported that mitochondrial DNA's from Tetrahymena , Paramecium and mung bean hypocotyl are up to 4 times larger than those of the first class of organisms. The molecules were in each case linear and no circles were observed. It thus appears that these is a second class of mitochondrial DNA, found so far in two protozoa and one plant. We report here that the mitochondrial DNA of the acellular slime mold, Physarum polycephalum , also falls in the higher molecular weight category. It is heterogeneous, and no closed circles could be detected. This study was facilitated by the ability to label specifically Physarum mitochondrial DNA (density 1.686 g/cc) by exposing a culture to radioactive thymidine during the G2 portion of the cell cycle ( Evans, 1966 ; Guttes, Hanawalt and Guttes, 1967 ; Holt and Gurney, 1968 ). Sedimentation of labeled, crude lysates provided a rapid assay of particular lytic conditions and led to the procedure described under Materials and Methods.
A Significant Shift: A Pentadic Analysis of the Two Rhetorics of the Post-Vatican II Roman Catholic Church Regarding Homosexuality

This paper argues that, since the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II), there has been a significant shift in the rhetorical stance of the Roman Catholic Church toward homosexuality in which the pre-council rhetoric, which condemned both act (i.e., homosexual behavior) and actor (i.e., the homosexual) has been replaced by two distinctly different rhetorics: a moral rhetoric, which continues the Church's long-standing condemnation of homosexual acts as sins, and a pastoral rhetoric, which argues that homosexuals should be ministered to and embraced. A Burkean pentadic analysis is used to define how the two rhetorics differ from each other and from the earlier rhetoric. The three major influences (i.e., Scripture, Tradition, and Catholic theology/philosophy) that have shaped, and continue to shape, the Church's position regarding homosexuality are described. Some of the socio-political implications of this shift are emphasized.
Abstract P1-13-10: Comparison of overall and recurrence-free survival between four and six cycles of adjuvant docetaxel and cyclophosphamide in early stage breast cancer

Background: The ABC trials and the WSG Plan B trial demonstrated that certain early stage breast cancer patients can be appropriately treated with docetaxel and cyclophosphamide (TC) rather than doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC); however both of these trials utilized six cycles of TC as the comparator. TC is given for 4 cycles based on the US Oncology 9735 trial. To our knowledge, there is no available data that has compared adverse events or outcomes of four versus six cycles of TC. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective study evaluating recurrence-free survival, overall survival, and occurrence of toxicities between four and six cycles of docetaxel and cyclophosphamide adjuvant chemotherapy for early stage breast cancer at West Virginia University Cancer Institute. Results: 112 patients were included; 81 received four cycles and 31 received six. Recurrence free survival rates of patients that received four and six cycles of chemotherapy were 94% and 90%, respectively, at three years (P=0.68). Overall survival at three years was 99% versus 97% (P=0.49), respectively. The incidence of peripheral neuropathy requiring treatment was 42% in patients that received six cycles and 19% in patients that received four (P=0.015). Conclusion: The addition of two cycles of docetaxel and cyclophosphamide adjuvant chemotherapy for early stage breast cancer provides no additional recurrence-free or overall survival benefit but does increase the incidence of peripheral neuropathy requiring treatment. Citation Format: Mehmi I, Wight CE, Hill JL. Comparison of overall and recurrence-free survival between four and six cycles of adjuvant docetaxel and cyclophosphamide in early stage breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-13-10.
Domestic well reliability: evaluating supply interruptions from groundwater overdraft, estimating costs and managing economic externalities

The effects of groundwater depletion may impose costs on many people that rely upon the resource. Such costs are not borne entirely by the high-volume pumpers that largely create the problematic conditions. Ideally, sustainable groundwater management should include addressing economic externalities and social equity, although information quantifying these concerns is often unavailable. This work estimates impacts to domestic water well owners from groundwater overdraft caused mostly by pumping deeper agricultural wells. A study is presented for Tulare County in the southern Central Valley of California, USA, where many interruptions in domestic well supplies occurred during a recent drought. The case has unusually well-documented conditions and data available for analysis. A method is developed to model supply interruptions and estimate costs for maintaining domestic water well supplies that are impacted by declining groundwater levels. The analysis is performed in the context of planning for sustainable groundwater management and suggestions for managing the economic externality are made. This work may provide a basis for evaluating the economic impacts on well owners from over-pumping in basins outside the study area where less data may be available.
Why do firms seek shareholders ratification of the independent audit function? The case of foreign cross‐listed companies in the United States

Many factors influence why companies require routine auditor ratifications. In this study, we seek to examine factors that increase or decrease the likelihood of shareholders’ involvement in the ratification of the independent auditor's appointment for foreign cross‐listed companies in the United States. Foreign cross‐listed companies provide a unique opportunity to observe how country‐specific factors impact the auditor ratification vote decision and outcome. Our analysis shows that bank financing, the location of the cross‐listed firm's independent auditor (U.S.‐based vs. non‐U.S.‐based audit office), and non‐audit fee ratio as having the highest marginal effects on the probability of companies requiring their shareholders to ratify the auditor's appointment. We also examine how these factors influence the outcome of the vote. We find that several engagement and country‐specific factors also influence the outcome of the vote.
A hybrid optimal contribution approach to drive short-term gains while maintaining long-term sustainability in a modern plant breeding program

1 Abstract Plant breeding programs must adapt genomic selection to an already complex system. Inbred or hybrid plant breeding programs must make crosses, produce inbred individuals, and phenotype inbred lines or their hybrid test-crosses to select and validate superior material for product release. These products are few, and while it is clear that population improvement is necessary for continued genetic gain, it may not be sufficient to generate superior products. Rapid-cycle recurrent truncation genomic selection has been proposed to increase genetic gain by reducing generation time. This strategy has been shown to increase short-term gains, but can quickly lead to loss of genetic variance through inbreeding as relationships drive prediction. The optimal contribution of each individual can be determined to maximize gain in the following generation while limiting inbreeding. While optimal contribution strategies can maintain genetic variance in later generations, they suffer from a lack of short-term gains in doing so. We present a hybrid approach that branches out yearly to push the genetic value of potential varietal materials while maintaining genetic variance in the recurrent population, such that a breeding program can achieve short-term success without exhausting long-term potential. Because branching increases the genetic distance between the phenotyping pipeline and the recurrent population, this method requires sacrificing some trial plots to phenotype materials directly out of the recurrent population. We envision the phenotypic pipeline not only for selection and validation, but as an information generator to build predictive models and develop new products.
Spectral and Fractal Geometry: From the Weyl-Berry Conjecture for the Vibrations of Fractal Drums to the Riemann Zeta-Function

Abstract In this paper, we survey some recent results connecting aspects of spectral geometry and fractal geometry.
Do Cell Wall Esters Facilitate Forest Response to Climate

Terrestrial ecosystem dynamics are strongly modified by stresses associated with climate change, impacting plant growth and development, mortality, and ecological succession. Here we highlight the potential role of plant cell wall esters to link changes in cell wall structure and function with biosphere–atmosphere fluxes of methanol, acetic acid, carbon dioxide (CO2), and water (H2O).
Soft x-ray linear dichroic ptychography: the study of crystal orientation in biominerals

Here we present soft X-ray linear dichroic ptychography developed at the COherent Scattering and MICroscopy (COSMIC) beamline at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) by studying biominerals—complex 3D hierarchically structured mineral-organic composite materials—produced by living organisms. Sequences of soft x-ray ptychography images at varying EPU polarizations were acquired, which principally allows visualization and orientation mapping of complex biogenic ultrastructures with spatial resolution down to 8 nm. These correlative data not only shed light on key mechanisms of the formation and mechanical principles of these composites but also demonstrate the capabilities and limitations of this newly developed technique, such as orientational precision, angular resolution and thickness related restrictions.
Moral Injury and Moral Resilience in Health Care Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic placed unprecedented strains on the U.S. health care system, putting health care workers (HCWs) at increased risk for experiencing moral injury (MI). Moral resilience (MR), the ability to preserve or restore integrity, has been proposed as a resource to mitigate the detrimental effects of MI among HCWs. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of MI among HCWs, to identify the relationship among factors that predict MI, and to determine whether MR can act as buffer against it. Design: Web-based exploratory survey. Setting/Subjects: HCWs from a research network in the U.S. mid-Atlantic region. Measurements: Survey items included: our outcome, Moral Injury Symptoms Scale-Health Professional (MISS-HP), and predictors including demographics, items derived from the Rushton Moral Resilience Scale (RMRS), and ethical concerns index (ECI). Results: Sixty-five percent of 595 respondents provided COVID-19 care. The overall prevalence of clinically significant MI in HCWs was 32.4%; nurses reporting the highest occurrence. Higher scores on each of the ECI items were significantly positively associated with higher MI symptoms (p < 0.05). MI among HCWs was significantly related to the following: MR score, ECI score, religious affiliation, and having ≥20 years in their profession. MR was a moderator of the effect of years of experience on MI. Conclusions: HCWs are experiencing MI during the pandemic. MR offers a promising individual resource to buffer the detrimental impact of MI. Further research is needed to understand how to cultivate MR, reduce ECI, and understand other systems level factors to prevent MI symptoms in U.S. HCWs.
Liquid-solid chromatography on amberlite XAD-2 and other styrene-divinylbenzene adsorbents

Equilibrium and chromatographic distribution constants of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and n-hexadecane have been measured on Amberlite XAD-2, Amberlite XAD-4, and Bio-Beads SM-2 in a wide variety of organic solvents. The solvent polarity range examined included reversed-phase, normal-phase and size-exclusion modes of separation. The adsorption reversibility and linear capacity of the above solutes on XAD-2 was investigated to establish linear elution conditions. A semi-quantitative eluotropic scale is presented which shows some similarities to the relative solvent strengths given in eluotropic scales for carbon black and chemically bonded octadecyl reversed-phase packings.
A 96-channel FPGA-based time-to-digital converter

We describe an FPGA-based, 96-channel, time-to-digital converter (TDC) intended for use with the Central Outer Tracker (COT) [1] in the CDF Experiment [2] at the Fermilab Tevatron. The COT system is digitized and read out by 315 TDC cards, each serving 96 wires of the chamber. The TDC is physically configured as a 9U VME card. The functionality is almost entirely programmed in firmware in two Altera Stratix FPGA’s. The special capabilities of this device are the availability of 840 MHz LVDS inputs, multiple phase-locked clock modules, and abundant memory. The TDC system operates with an input resolution of 1.2 ns, a minimum input pulse width of 4.8 ns and a minimum separation of 4.8 ns between pulses. Each input can accept up to 7 hits per collision. The time-to-digital conversion is done by first sampling each of the 96 inputs in 1.2-ns bins and filling a circular memory; the memory addresses of logical transitions (edges) in the input data are then translated into the time of arrival and width of the COT pulses. Memory pipelines with a depth of 5.5 μs allow deadtime-less operation in the first-level trigger; the data are multiple-buffered to diminish deadtime in the second-level trigger.more » The complete process of edge-detection and filling of buffers for readout takes 12 μs. The TDC VME interface allows a 64-bit Chain Block Transfer of multiple boards in a crate with transfer-rates up to 47 Mbytes/sec. The TDC also contains a separately-programmed data path that produces prompt trigger data every Tevatron crossing. The trigger bits are clocked onto the P3 VME backplane connector with a 22-ns clock for transmission to the trigger. The full TDC design and multi-card test results are described. The physical simplicity ensures low-maintenance; the functionality being in firmware allows reprogramming for other applications.« less
Radiation Shielding Calculations for a 70- to 250-MeV Proton Therapy Facility

Neutron shielding calculations for a 70- to 250-MeV proton cancer therapy facility have been carried out using the High Energy Transport Code and the one-dimensional discrete ordinates code ANISN. ...
Differences in Denervation Patterns between Patients with Limb Onset and Bulbar Onset ALS (P4.096)

OBJECTIVE: To determine if there is a difference in the number of bodily regions with subclinical fibrillation potentials in patients with limb versus bulbar onset ALS at presentation. BACKGROUND: It is unclear if limb and bulbar onset ALS share a similar pathogenesis and if there are differences in the regional spread of disease. Additionally, it is uncertain whether early subclinical active denervation changes suggest a poor prognosis and earlier progression to more definitive ALS. DESIGN/METHODS: We reviewed charts from patients at the BIMC ALS clinic between January 2006 and April 2013. Patients with ALS or progressive bulbar palsy (PBP) were included and were divided into two groups: bulbar and limb onset. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the number of clinically-spared denervated bodily regions between the two groups and the number of symptomatic regions between both groups. A logistic regression was done to determine if there were group differences in the presence of 3 or more regions with active denervation changes. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Of 156 patients reviewed, 110 were included, 41 (37.27%) with bulbar and 69 (62.27%) with limb onset. Of the bulbar onset group, 11 patients had isolated PBP. The bulbar onset group was significantly older (66 versus 59 years, p=0.005). The duration of symptoms, ALSFRS score and FVC between both groups were similar. The limb onset had more asymptomatic denervated regions than the bulbar onset group (p=0.003). The difference remained significant excluding patients with isolated PBP (p=0.049). There was no difference in number of symptomatic regions between the groups (p=0.79). There was a marginal difference in the number of patients with 3 or more bodily regions with active denervation changes (OR=0.45 [0.20-1.00], p=0.05) favoring limb onset ALS. CONCLUSION: At presentation, there are more bodily regions with subclinical fibrillations in limb onset compared to bulbar onset ALS. Limb onset ALS presents as a more generalized disease process. Disclosure: Dr. Garcia Santibanez has nothing to disclose. Dr. Scelsa has received royalty payments for Peripheral Neuropathies in Clinical Practice. Dr. Scelsa has received research support from the National Institutes of Health.
Inclusive education a “rhetoric” or “reality”? Teachers' perspectives and beliefs

Abstract The aim of this interpretive study was to examine the perceptions and beliefs of general education teachers in Delhi, India, about the inclusion of students with disabilities (SWDs) in regular education classrooms. In this study, with hermeneutic phenomenology as its methodological framework, 15 semi-structured interviews of public school teachers in Delhi were conducted. Each interview, lasting from 30 to 45 min, was recorded and transcribed. The data were analyzed using a constant comparative method. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) Sociocultural ideologies on disability have affected the education of SWDs, and (2) systematic institutional barriers have led teachers to accept inclusion only “in theory.”
Premature Mortality Among Adults With Schizophrenia in the United States

Importance Although adults with schizophrenia have a significantly increased risk of premature mortality, sample size limitations of previous research have hindered the identification of the underlying causes. Objective To describe overall and cause-specific mortality rates and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for adults with schizophrenia compared with the US general population. Design, Setting, and Participants We identified a national retrospective longitudinal cohort of patients with schizophrenia 20 to 64 years old in the Medicaid program (January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2007). The cohort included 1 138 853 individuals, 4 807 121 years of follow-up, and 74 003 deaths, of which 65 553 had a known cause. Main Outcomes and Measures Mortality ratios for the schizophrenia cohort standardized to the general population with respect to age, sex, race/ethnicity, and geographic region were estimated for all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Mortality rates per 100 000 person-years and the mean years of potential life lost per death were also determined. Death record information was obtained from the National Death Index. Results Adults with schizophrenia were more than 3.5 times (all-cause SMR, 3.7; 95% CI, 3.7-3.7) as likely to die in the follow-up period as were adults in the general population. Cardiovascular disease had the highest mortality rate (403.2 per 100 000 person-years) and an SMR of 3.6 (95% CI, 3.5-3.6). Among 6 selected cancers, lung cancer had the highest mortality rate (74.8 per 100 000 person-years) and an SMR of 2.4 (95% CI, 2.4-2.5). Particularly elevated SMRs were observed for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (9.9; 95% CI, 9.6-10.2) and influenza and pneumonia (7.0; 95% CI, 6.7-7.4). Accidental deaths (119.7 per 100 000 person-years) accounted for more than twice as many deaths as suicide (52.0 per 100 000 person-years). Nonsuicidal substance-induced death, mostly from alcohol or other drugs, was also a leading cause of death (95.2 per 100 000 person-years). Conclusions and Relevance In a US national cohort of adults with schizophrenia, excess deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases implicate modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, including especially tobacco use. Excess deaths directly attributable to alcohol or other drugs highlight threats posed by substance abuse. More aggressive identification and management of cardiovascular risk factors, as well as reducing tobacco use and substance abuse, should be leading priorities in the medical care of adults with schizophrenia.