cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the nature of the asymmetric induction in a palladium catalyzed allylic alkylation

Abstract The source of the asymmetric induction using chiral ligands comprising bis(2-diphenylphosphinobenzoyl) derivatives of chiral diamines and diols in palladium(0) catalyzed allylic alkylations is probed.
A uniform ray approximation of the scattering by polyhedral structures including higher order terms

A uniform ray representation of the far field scattered by flat plate structures is investigated by postulating an approximation of the surface current on each face of the object, which is subsequently integrated either in closed form or asymptotically in terms of the well-tabulated edge transition function. Specifically, the current on each plate is approximated, in addition to the usual physical optics (PO) component, by a primary nonuniform current, obtained from the canonical solution to the wedge problem and truncated at edges of the plate, as well as a secondary nonuniform current induced by doubly diffracted fields and expressed in terms of an equivalent edge source. The superimposed effect of the rays resulting from the primary and secondary nonuniform current integration improves the agreement of the calculated pattern as compared with method of moments computations. >
Preliminary Study of the Elevated Temperature Tribological Behavior of Poly(ether-ether-ketone)-based In Situ Composites Under Unlubricated Sliding Conditions

The effects of temperature on the tribological behavior of PEEK, an amorphous thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (TLCP), and in-situ composites based on a blend of PEEK and the TLCP were investigated. Friction and wear tests under unlubricated sliding conditions were conducted at selected temperatures in the range from 20°C to 250°C. Within the same temperature range, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) thermoscans were performed on each of the test polymers. The impact of thermally activated molecular relaxation processes on the tribological performance of the polymers tested, the phase structure of the PEEKITLCP in-situ composites, and the potential of in-situ reinforcement as a means to enhance the high temperature tribological performance of PEEK are discussed. Presented as a Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASME/STLE Tribology Conference in Lahalna, Hawaii, October 16–20, 1994
Trauma patients at risk for massive transfusion: the role of scoring systems and the impact of early identification on patient outcomes.

Hemorrhage remains one of the most common causes of early death in severely injured patients. It is also the most common preventable cause of death in this population. More than 80% of deaths in the operating room and nearly 50% in the first 24 h after injury are related to hemorrhagic shock. Among the injured patients, up to 3–5% admitted to trauma centers will receive a massive transfusion (MT). This population may benefit from activation of MT protocols that are associated with decreased mortality and reduced overall blood transfusions. Using damage-control resuscitation and 1:1 ratios of blood components are associated with increased survival. However, the survival benefit of damage-control resuscitation and MT protocols is primarily in the first 24 h and is most impressive when these strategies are employed early. New scoring systems in conjunction with laboratory data have contributed to early objective identification of those patients requiring MT. Activating these protocols early and with an organ...
Sequential Amplification of Dihydrofolate Reductase and Multidrug Resistance Genes in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells Selected for Stepwise Resistance to the Lipid-soluble Antifolate Trimetrexate"

We describe the development of resistance to trimetrexate and piritrexim (BW 301U) by a stepwise selection protocol in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Selection in trimetrexate resulted in initial resistance as a result of dihydrofolate reductase gene amplification. Several trimetrexate-resistant variants that display 250-340-fold and 25-50-fold resistance to lipophilic and hydrophilic antifolates, respectively, were established. Increased antifolate resistance was associated with a prominent overexpression of dihydrofolate reductase as determined from the elevated folate reductase activity, cellular labeling with fluorescein-methotrexate, and steady-state mRNA levels as a result of a consistent dihydrofolate reductase gene amplification. However, upon subsequent incremental increases in trimetrexate, further resistance was also associated with amplification of the multidrug resistance gene. This resulted in overexpression of P-glycoprotein and a subsequent 20-50-fold collateral resistance to pleiotropic drugs such as adriamycin, actinomycin D, vinca alkaloids, etoposide, and colchicine. In contrast, initial resistance following selection with low piritrexim concentrations resulted from an unknown mechanism(s) not involving overproduction of either dihydrofolate reductase or P-glycoprotein. This piritrexim resistance was shared with trimetrexate but not with methotrexate. Upon further selection with piritrexim, resistant variants emerge with amplified dihydrofolate reductase but not with multidrug resistance genes. These variants were subsequently resistant to both hydrophilic and lipophilic folate antagonists but retained sensitivity to pleiotropic drugs. The pattern of resistance with methotrexate, trimetrexate, and piritrexim shared a common mechanism, dihydrofolate reductase gene amplification, but differed regarding the additional amplification of the multidrug resistance gene in trimetrexate-resistant cells as well as the emergence of an additional unknown mechanism(s) of resistance to lipid-soluble antifolates upon initial selection in piritrexim.
Occlusion-invariant tilt angle computation for automated road sign condition assessment

Computer vision techniques are being proposed and applied for road sign inspection and condition assessment to improve road safety. In this paper, we propose an automated geometric means based framework for inspection of road sign tilt angle by which it can be detected if a road sign position has been altered (i.e. tilted). The system is capable of calculating the tilt angle using geometric dimensions of road sign outline shapes. The proposed system consists of three stages: 1) color based segmentation scheme to remove background of the scene; 2) recognition of the region of interest (ROI) shape using geometric means as a road sign; and 3) tilt angle computation of road sign using geometric dimensions of the shape outline of the ROI. Implementation results using USA road signage shows that our system is invariant to scale and partial occlusion of the sign.
Continuum Modeling of an Innovative Space-Based Radar Antenna Truss

Many proposed inflatable designs for space applications consist of truss-like or lattice structures due to their simplicity of construction coupled with large stiffness to density ratios. An analytical approach is presented here in order to derive the governing partial differential equations of motion which are decoupled for bending and rotational coordinates of vibrations and applies this formulation to the truss structure model of an innovative space-based radar antenna. Kinetic and potential energy expressions are written in terms of nodal velocities and strain components of bar members within a repeating truss element. Hamilton’s principle is then employed to find the equations of motion for the system. The equations for bending are presented in their decoupled form in order to derive an equivalent Timoshenko beam model for the truss. Finally, the physical characteristics of the continuum model are written in terms of the material and geometrical properties of the original truss, which provide a simpl...
Membrane filtration of the Reiter treponeme.

A membrane filtration technique with commercially available membrane filters (Millipore Corp.) was effective for the removal of Reiter treponemes from liquids such as fluorescent-antibody conjugates, to which the organisms are added for adsorption. Reiter treponemes from an 8-day culture were not microscopically detectable in filtrates through membranes with a pore diameter of 0.45 μm, but treponemes were demonstrated in the filtrate by cultural methods. No organisms of the 8-day culture passed through a membrane filter having a pore size of 0.22 μm, as determined by microscopy and culture. Culture data indicated that a filter with a pore size of 0.1 μm was necessary to prevent passage of treponemes from 4-day cultures. It is recommended that a membrane filter with a pore size of 0.22 μm or smaller be used for the removal of Reiter treponemes from suspensions and that the age of the culture be considered in choosing filter pore size.
Clinical and radiographic findings in children with spontaneous lymphatic malformation regression.

Objective Evaluate clinical and radiographic characteristics of spontaneously regressing lymphatic malformations (“lesions”). Subjects and Methods Retrospective review of 104 consecutive patients with cervicofacial lesions, with 1-year follow-up. Data collected: patient's age; lesion stage, location, radiographic characteristics; treatment. Data analysis using descriptive and Fischer exact tests. Results Spontaneously regressing lesions were identified in 13 of 104 (12.5%) patients. Five of 13 had in utero lesions, which persisted at birth; presenting age in the remaining eight patients was 2 to 138 months. Lesions regressed within 2 to 7 months. Lesion stage: I (7 of 13), II (2 of 13), III (4 of 13). Lesion location: left neck (9 of 13), right neck (4 of 13), posterior neck (10 of 13). All 13 resolving lesions were macrocystic with fewer than five septations in 11 of 13. Comparison of a resolving lesion cohort with a nonresolving lesion cohort demonstrated that disappearing lesions are more likely to have fewer than five septae and to be macrocystic (P Conclusion Spontaneous lesion regression can occur, and these lesions have distinct features. Lesions with these characteristics can be observed.
THE EFFECT OF A COMBINATION OF MEDETOMIDINE‐BUTORPHANOL AND MEDETOMIDINE, BUTORPHANOL, ATROPINE ON GLOMERULAR FILTRATION RATE IN DOGS

The effects of intramuscularly administered medetomidine and butorphanol (MB), and medetomidine, butorphanol, atropine (MBA) on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were determined in six dogs as measured by 99m-Tc-labeled diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) nuclear scintigraphy. Direct systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures and heart rate were measured at regular time intervals before, during, and after GFR calculations. The mean GFR measurement following MB was significantly greater (4.44 ml/min/kg) than following MBA (3.82 ml/min/kg) or saline treatment (3.41 ml/min/kg). There was no significant difference between the mean GFR measurements following MBA injection and following saline injection. Diastolic and mean arterial pressures following MBA injection were significantly higher than the values recorded after either MB or saline alone. Heart rate following MB administration was significantly lower than that recorded for dogs receiving MBA or saline alone. The results of this study indicate that the administration of medetomidine in combination with butorphanol significantly increases total GFR in healthy dogs, while the administration of the combination of medetomidine, butorphanol, and atropine does not.
Lessons learned in implementing the extended date/time format in a large digital library

In 2012, the University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries implemented the Library of Congress Extended Date/Time Format (EDTF) into the metadata guidelines for their digital holdings which now contain more than 460,000 records. This paper discusses the evaluation process to identify the number of previously-existing dates that meet EDTF standards and those that need to be edited for conformance. It also outlines practical steps used for implementing the standard, such as date validation for metadata creators and changes to date displays for public users. Finally, it presents some of the challenges encountered during the implementation process and considerations for other institutions that may want to use the EDTF.
Therapy for Fibrotic Diseases: Nearing the Starting Line

Fibrosis, or the accumulation of extracellular matrix molecules that make up scar tissue, is a common feature of chronic tissue injury. Pulmonary fibrosis, renal fibrosis, and hepatic cirrhosis are among the more common fibrotic diseases, which in aggregate represent a huge unmet clinical need. New appreciation of the common features of fibrosis that are conserved among tissues has led to a clearer understanding of how epithelial injury provokes dysregulation of cell differentiation, signaling, and protein secretion. At the same time, discovery of tissue-specific features of fibrogenesis, combined with insights about genetic regulation of fibrosis, has laid the groundwork for biomarker discovery and validation, and the rational identification of mechanism-based antifibrotic drugs. Together, these advances herald an era of sustained focus on translating the biology of fibrosis into meaningful improvements in quality and length of life in patients with chronic fibrosing diseases.
American Swing Bridges 1797 to 1907

Movable bridges were built for centuries with wood, iron, and steel. The earliest drawbridges of short span were followed by swing bridges. In the United States, swing bridges were originally built across canals such as the Erie and the Chesapeake and Ohio (C & O) with wood and iron. Starting around the Civil War, longer span swing bridges were built across the major rivers of the country. This paper, largely a pictorial history, traces the development of the swing bridge between 1797 and 1907. After 1907 few bascule swing bridges were built, and vertical lift bridges generally replaced them.
Fatty acid remodeling: a novel reaction sequence in the biosynthesis of trypanosome glycosyl phosphatidylinositol membrane anchors.

Abstract The trypanosome variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) is anchored to the plasma membrane via a glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI). The GPI is synthesized as a precursor, glycolipid A, that is subsequently linked to the VSG polypeptide. The VSG anchor is unusual, compared with anchors in other cell types, in that its fatty acid moieties are exclusively myristic acid. To investigate the mechanism for myristate specificity we used a cell-free system for GPI biosynthesis. One product of this system, glycolipid A′, is indistinguishable from glycolipid A except that its fatty acids are more hydrophobic than myristate. Glycolipid A′ is converted to glycolipid A through highly specific fatty acid remodeling reactions involving deacylation and subsequent reacylation with myristate. Therefore, myristoylation occurs in the final phase of trypanosome GPI biosynthesis.
High-Fidelity Computations for Flexible Micro Air Vehicle Applications

Implicit large-eddy simulation (ILES) computations have been performed for canonical problems associated with flexible, flapping-wing micro air vehicles (MAVs). This computationally-intensive approach, which is able to directly model laminar/transitional/turbulent flow fields, requires the use of the best high performance computational platforms available. Results for the direct numerical simulation of the deep dynamic stall phenomenon over a rigid plunging airfoil section at transitional Reynolds numbers relevant to MAV systems are presented. Next, computations for two different flexible-wing geometries, a membrane-wing section and a three-dimensional, flexible-wing with an NACA0012 cross-section, are discussed. Finally, to investigate the relevant physics associated with a perching maneuver, computational results for a pitch, hold and return motion are examined. All computed results show good correlation with corresponding experimental measurements.
Neighborhood democracy and chicana/o cultural citizenship in Armando réndon's chicano manifesto

In 1971, Chicano activist Armando Rendon began to chart new directions for Chicana/o politics that move away from a narrow emphasis on cultural and ethnic nationalism. He argues that urban Chicana/o neighborhoods ought develop community-based organizations to provide support services for residents and to advocate local concerns to elected officials. In the first part of this essay, I reconstruct Rendon's concept of a ‘barrio union’ as an example of participatory democracy. I situate his concept of neighborhood democracy within Mexican American and Progressive movement history, and then highlight contemporary experiments with this model that are particularly successful in transforming traditionally marginalized individuals into active democratic participants. I then suggest that the barrio union is a repository of cultural, ethical, and political ideals that might be used by progressive Chicana/o activists to challenge the meaning of dominant institutions and political traditions within the United States, ...
Current Policies and Policy Efforts for the Education of Gifted Children in Turkey

This study examines the existing policies and policy efforts in the field of gifted education in Turkey. A content analysis of the state policy documents and semistructured interviews with two policy actors were conducted to explore the strengths and weaknesses of the policies regarding the education of gifted children. The findings revealed deficiency and confusion in documented evidence and serious inconsistencies among various state documents and practices on issues pertaining to gifted education. Although there is a growing interest in serving the needs of gifted children, the organization and implementation of gifted programs and state support are still limited. In addition, general strategies recommended in policy efforts seem to fail because specific steps of implementation are absent.
Contrast enhancement and phase-sensitive boundary detection in ultrasonic speckle using bessel spatial filters

Speckle in ultrasonic image systems adversely impacts the contrast and resolution in the image. This poses serious problems in the interpretation of B mode images of internal organs such as breast, liver, kidney and so on. In the absence of sufficient contrast, classifying the regions of interest into benign and malignant masses becomes error prone. Since some of the masses are uniquely identified in terms of the boundaries, poor contrast and resolution will result in difficulties with their identification. A new class of spatial filters based on cylindrical Bessel functions of the first kind is proposed for speckle reduction. These filters with complex impulse responses were explored for enhancing the contrast of speckled images. Hypothesising that the phase of the filtered image carries boundary information, the phase characteristics of four speckled images are also studied for detecting boundaries. Results indicate that these filters do improve the contrast and enhance the boundaries. It is shown that the phase map clearly indicates the existence of boundaries. A simple thresholding applied to the phase highlights the boundaries. The results show the strength of the Bessel spatial filters in improving contrast and highlighting boundaries without resorting to any additional edge-detection algorithms.
A Matter of Reputation and Pride: Associations between Perceived External Reputation, Pride in Membership, Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intentions

This study investigates how job satisfaction and turnover intentions are related to external reputation as perceived by employees and their pride in membership. Based on a cross-sectional survey including 439 employees, it also provides insights into external reputation as a possible source of collective pride. Study results indicate that, in agreement with social identity theory, outsiders' views of the organization are closely associated with employees' pride in organizational membership as well as job satisfaction. Both pride and job satisfaction mediate the relationship between perceived external reputation and turnover intentions. Hence, a favourable reputation matters in managing turnover intentions and is closely related to employee pride and satisfaction. Tenure of employees is positively associated with pride while intensive customer contact is negatively related to perceived external reputation and pride. Implications pinpoint the need for alignment of reputation management and human resources management. Furthermore, managers need to focus on new staff and employees with frequent customer contact and should implement pride-building strategies according to the tenure of employees and intensity of customer contact.
High HER2/Centromeric Probe for Chromosome 17 Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization Ratio Predicts Pathologic Complete Response and Survival Outcome in Patients Receiving Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy With Trastuzumab for HER2-Overexpressing Locally Advanced Breast Cancer.

Background The present study was performed to determine whether the human epidermal growth factor receptor-related 2 (HER2)/centromeric probe for chromosome 17 fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) ratio is a predictor of a pathologic complete response (pCR), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and/or overall survival (OS) in patients receiving neoadjuvant systemic treatment (NST) with trastuzumab (NST-T) for HER2+ locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). Patients and methods The present retrospective study included 555 patients with HER2+ LABC who had undergone NST and definitive surgery (1999-2012); 373 had concurrently received trastuzumab. HER2-positivity was considered present with an immunohistochemical score of 3+ and/or HER2 FISH ratio of ≥2.0. We used logistic regression analysis and Cox proportional hazard modeling to determine whether a high HER2 FISH ratio, either as a continuous variable or with a cutoff of ≥7.0, would predict for pCR (no invasive disease in the breast and no tumor in the ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes), RFS, and/or OS. Results The pCR group's median HER2 FISH ratio was significantly higher than that of the non-pCR group (6.4 vs. 5.2; p = .003). The logistic regression model demonstrated that the independent predictors of pCR included a high HER2 FISH ratio as a continuous variable (p = .04). The multicovariate Cox proportional hazard model showed that a high HER2 FISH ratio (with a cutoff of ≥7.0 or as a continuous variable) was a significant prognostic indicator of longer RFS time (p = .047 and p = .04, respectively). Similarly, a high HER2 FISH ratio of ≥7.0 was associated with longer OS (p = .06). Conclusion A high HER2 FISH ratio is a predictor of pCR in patients with HER2+ LABC who receive NST-T. Implications for practice This study demonstrated the optimal predictive and prognostic value of a HER2/centromeric probe for chromosome 17 FISH ratio for primary HER2+ breast cancer treated with trastuzumab combined with neoadjuvant systemic treatment (NST-T). This suggests that a high HER2 FISH ratio is a potential indicator for a high pathologic complete response rate and a better prognosis when patients are treated with NST-T.
Reduced-rank interference suppression and equalisation for GPS and downlink CDMA

This chapter presents reduced-rank chip-level MMSE equalisers for the CDMA downlink with frequency-selective multipath based on the MSWF, for a known channel case and also for a training-based adaptation. The performance for the single base station case, and for the edge-of-cell scenario with soft hand-off are very satisfactory. The convergence rate for MSWF operating in a very low-rank subspace was significantly better than LMS, and somewhat better than RLS. The BER performance showed improvement over the full-rank methods for practical SNR range. This excellent performance is achieved at a computational complexity in between LMS and RLS due to the lattice-type structure which allows block-adaptive implementation through simple filtering operations. A space-time preprocessor algorithm was also presented based on the MSWF. A closed-form expression for the Wiener-Hopf weights based on the MSWF was derived which provides insight into the dependency of the Wiener-Hopf filter weights on the number of stages and blocking matrices at each stage. The preprocessor was shown to effectively null out both narrowband and wideband jammers while operating in a reduced-rank mode and minimising computational complexity.
Health Care Markets, Regulators, and Certifiers

Publisher Summary Economists have devoted considerable attention to the question of whether market transactions, contracts, and/or regulation can generate efficient outcomes. The chapter presents a discussion on efficient outcomes for health care services markets. The chapter begins with an analysis of whether health care markets are “different” from textbook markets. Arrow argues that the conditions facilitating an “optimal state” are often missing in health care. This chapter discusses and examines these conditions and pays particular attention to asymmetric information about quality. The chapter also reviews the empirical evidence on the performance of competitive health care markets. At one time the conventional wisdom was that competition led to higher prices, an idea captured by the theory of the Medical Arms Race. With the growth of selective contracting between providers and payers, competition is now associated with lower prices. The chapter also discusses regulatory approaches to containing prices. Theory suggests that a mixed payment scheme combining a fixed “prepayment” with partial cost sharing should outperform either pure prepayment or pure cost-based payment. The chapter also includes another quality assurance mechanism—third party certification embodied by health care report cards. Despite widely cited unanticipated and undesirable consequences, report cards for health insurers and providers seem to offer several benefits: they move market share away from the worst sellers, encourage all sellers to improve quality, and facilitate matching between severely ill patients and the best providers. The chapter also explores pay for performance schemes, which combine elements of incentive contracts and quality certification.
Changes in Explicit Information and Brand Perceptions

Consumers' perceptions of alternative brands in the marketplace depend upon the amount of available information. Past research in marketing on brand perceptions generally involved describing stimuli only by their brand names [4, 5, 7, 10]. In two studies where variations were tried, results were different. In the first, a study of self-concept and brand preference, subjects shown color photographs of automobiles did not respond differently in their similarities judgments from those given only brand names [6]. In the second, a study of price and product quality, the judgments of the group receiving a profile on two attributes, as well as brand names, yielded significantly different configurations from those of the group responding only to brand names. The difference was the higher weight assigned to quality dimensions by the former group [11]. These two results provide support for the contention that differences in the configurations are caused by differences in the kind of explicit stimulus information presented. There is no systematic research, however, to guide practitioners and researchers as to how stimuli ought to be presented (what information should be given to the subjects) and as to what particular differences would be caused by varied information. This study attempted to bridge this gap by considering two kinds of explicit information, semantic descriptions and attribute profiles of brands. This information was presented both in place of and in addition to brand names.
A Systematic Review of the Symptom Distress Scale in Advanced Cancer Studies.

Background The 13-item Symptom Distress Scale (SDS) is a widely used symptom measurement tool, yet a systematic review summarizing the symptom knowledge generated from its use in patients with advanced cancer is nonexistent. Objectives This was a systematic review of the research literature in which investigators utilized the SDS as the measure of symptoms in patients with advanced cancer. Methods We searched PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Web of Science for primary research studies published between 1978 and 2013 that utilized the SDS as the measurement tool in patients with advanced cancer. Nine hundred eighteen documents were found. Applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, 21 articles and 2 dissertations were included. Results The majority of investigators utilized descriptive, cross-sectional research designs conducted with convenience samples. Inconsistent reporting of SDS total scores, individual item scores, age ranges and means, gender distributions, cancer types, cancer stages, and psychometric properties made comparisons difficult. Available mean SDS scores ranged from 17.6 to 38.8. Reports of internal consistency ranged from 0.67 to 0.88. Weighted means indicated fatigue to be the most prevalent and distressing symptom. Appetite ranked higher than pain intensity and pain frequency. Conclusions The SDS captures the patient's symptom experience in a manner that informs the researcher or clinician about the severity of the respondents' reported symptom distress. Implications for practice The SDS is widely used in a variety of cancer diagnoses. The SDS is a tool clinicians can use to assess 11 symptoms experienced by patients with advanced cancer.
Clinical investigation and effect of psychological intervention on negative emotion for family member of patients with ICU

Objective To explore the clinical actuality and influence of psychological intervention of the negative emotion of family members of patients with ICU.Methods Totall 100 relatives of patients with ICU were randomly divided into intervention group and control group.Self-rating anxiety scale(SAS) and Self-rating depression scale(SDS) were used to evaluate the negative emotion of the relatives.Psychological intervention was given to relatives in the intervention group and doctoring routine care was given to those in the control group.Results The scores of self-rating anxiety scale and self-rating anxiety scale and self-rating depression scale in the intervention group were significantly lower than that in the control group(P0.05).Conclusion Psychological intervention can relieve the negative emotion to family members of patients with ICU.
Research studies on the problem.

Publisher Summary The scope of the juvenile fire problem in a country has been understood by the number of fires reported to the fire department. Prevalence rates for various fire-related behaviors are reported in a few studies based on the administration of self-report surveys or assessment interviews to children and youth. A large community survey of children and young adolescents (ages 6-14) conducted in the public schools, found lifetime and one-year prevalence rates of 38% and 14% for fireplay, respectively. The chapter provides an overview of the research studies on the fire problem. The rates provided in the chapter convey heightened involvement with fire in the two sets of samples, albeit based on different definitions and assessment methods or items. At the same time, newer studies are needed that examine different forms of fire involvement and incorporate samples with community cases, older samples, and high-risk cases. Details of children's fire setting incidents provide an understanding of the circumstances under which such incidents take place, including their antecedents and consequences, and thereby provide the practitioner with information that may be helpful to plan interventions.
PTH-325 Does preoperative chemotherapy and radiation adversely influence postoperative outcomes after colorectal resection?

Introduction Controversy pertaining to whether or not preoperative chemo and radiotherapy worsen immediate postoperative outcomes after colorectal surgery continues to persist. Data for a large number of patients from a standardised national dataset may allow an adequate evaluation of their influence on postoperative outcomes after colorectal surgery. Method Patients who underwent colorectal surgery for cancer from 2012–2013 were identified from the NSQIP database. Patients who underwent preoperative chemotherapy ( Results Of the 2,936 CRC patients selected, 2,431 (82.8%) underwent colorectal resection alone, 127 (4.3%) received chemotherapy, 45 (1.5%) radiotherapy and 333 (11.3%) chemoradiotherapy. When comparing patients who underwent preoperative chemoradiotherapy to those who had surgery alone, the chemoradiotherapy group had a lower mean age (59 vs. 66 years, p Conclusion Patients who undergo preoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy prior to surgery for colorectal cancer are at greater risk for postoperative thromboembolic complications and surgical site infection. Since both these complications are potentially preventable, an awareness of the increased risks in these patients along with greater scrutiny and adoption of preventive strategies will likely reduce these complications. Disclosure of interest None Declared.
Energy analysis of spherical and Berkovich indentation contact damage in commercial polycrystalline silicon carbide

Abstract This research aims at enhancing the understanding of the role of processing and microstructure on the deformation of and fracture of polycrystalline silicon carbide based ceramics when subjected to blunt (spherical) and sharp (pyramidal) indenters. The role of microstructure and material properties on the energy absorption capability of SiC is studied. By examining the behavior of several SiC materials during nanoindentation experiments using spherical and pyramidal indenters, it is possible to make predictions about methods to improve the ductility and fracture toughness of SiC to optimize its energy absorption. The applicability of the area under the irreversible part of the indentation load displacement curve (energy dissipated during loading) to predict the performance of SiC under contact loading is examined. Results from experimental data show that the polycrystalline SiC material properties like hardness and modulus are relatively insensitive to the amount of indentation damage when the indent size is more than the average grain size. It can also be concluded that during pyramidal indentation for the polycrystalline samples analyzed, grain-size plays a much more important role in energy dissipation than the grain boundary phases or any other indentation damage relate effects.
Productivity Growth and Input Demand: The Effect of Learning by Doing in a Gold Mining Firm in a Developing Economy

ABSTRACTThis paper analyzes the effect of learning by doing (LBD) on the firm’s productivity growth and its input demand decisions. The results indicate that LBD is an important determinant of the firm’s productivity growth. The contribution of LBD to the firm’s productivity growth is about 5.6%. Another observation is that LBD has a decreasing effect on the firm’s cost of production – a finding which is consistent with the results of many studies. Also, an increase in LBD measured by cumulative production increases the firm’s demand for capital, and decreases the firm’s demand for labor. Lastly, LBD has a significant effect on the firm’s elasticity of scale. A fundamental message derived from the study is the confirmation that the firms should invest in more large capital equipment, embark on new processing techniques, and create an environment that is conducive to on-the-job learning.
European cold war cultures: perspectives on eastern and western European societies

For several decades now, Cold War historians have been asking themselves about the roles of smaller states in the shaping of the global conflict, and about the ways in which states, institutions, s...
Lipid Solubilisation in Bile

Bile is an optically-clear, lipid-rich solution composed principally of two insoluble lipids, cholesterol and phosphatidycholine (lecithin), and two soluble lipids, bile salts and bilirubin conjugates1. The insoluble lipids interact with each other and with the soluble lipids to become dispersed in a number of colloid-chemical states in bile. An understanding of the interactions of individual biliary lipids with water, and with each other in water, is central to the comprehension of the physical chemistry of cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine solubilisation in native bile2. It gives us an insight into the subtle imbalances in these interactions that lead to the nucleation and precipitation from bile of cholesterol monohydrate and calcium bilirubinates, the principal components of human gallstones3. Because cholesterol stones are the most common human gallstones3, I will focus in this chapter upon cholesterol monohydrate solubility in model and native biles. Little systematic information is available yet on the physical chemistry of bile pigments or of calcium bilirubinate solubility in bile4.
Falling Short of Their Profession’s Needs: Education and Research in Library & Information Studies

By taking a “library in the life of the user” rather than the conventional “user in the life of the library” perspective in his research on Part of Our Lives: A People’s History of the American Public Library (2015), the author concludes that Americans have loved their public libraries for three reasons: information access, the library as place, and the commonplace stories that libraries supply by the billions. It is the view of the author that library and information studies research and education concentrate most attention on the first, hardly any on the last two, and as a result, fall short of meeting their profession’s needs.
Determination of surface heat flux and temperature using in-depth temperature data – Experimental verification

Abstract This paper presents an experimental investigation of the accuracy of two previously reported formulations of the modified one-probe calibration integral equation method (CIEM) using high temperature (to 837 °C) and heat flux (to 83.1 W/cm2) experimental data. The data was collected from an AISI type 304 stainless steel plug-type test sample heated with a laser power source. The one-probe CIEM requires the knowledge of the surface thermal boundary condition of a calibration test along with temperature data from one in-depth probe in order to predict the surface thermal boundary condition of an unknown (reconstruction) heating process given the temperature data from the same probe. Two modified versions of the CIEM that account for temperature dependent properties are investigated. The first modified version utilizes rescaling the time domain to account for temperature dependent thermal diffusivity and rescaling the heat flux to account for temperature dependent thermal conductivity. The Kirchhoff transformation is used in the second version to account for temperature dependent thermal conductivity while employing the same time domain rescaling approach. Seven calibration tests and six reconstruction tests were conducted which allows forty-two test cases consisting of pairs of calibration test data and reconstruction test data to be investigated. The average value of the standard deviations of the 42 net surface heat flux prediction errors obtained from the rescaling model was 0.82 W/cm2. The average value of the standard deviations of the 42 surface temperature prediction errors obtained from the Kirchhoff transformation model was 1.03 °C. This study demonstrates that a calibrated plug-type sensor can be used in high temperature applications to accurately reconstruct the surface heat flux and temperature of an unknown surface heating process. The stainless steel test sample is a proof of concept for a future prototype of this kind of calibrated dual measurement gauge.
Does Marriage Protect Health? A Birth Cohort Comparison*

Objective Marriage is considered to protect health via multiple mechanisms, but this effect may have weakened as marriage has become deinstitutionalized in the United States. This article tests for cross-cohort decline in the protective effect of marriage. Methods Change in the association between marital status and subjective general health over three birth cohorts was estimated using the 1984–2011 Panel Study of Income Dynamics (N = 12,373). Analyses included least-squares, random-effects, and fixed-effects regression models, representing increasingly conservative approaches to ruling out selection bias. Results Despite associations between marriage and better health among both men and women, estimated by least-squares and random-effects regression, the fixed-effects models found health improvement relative to remaining unmarried only in very long (≥10 year) marriages, and only among women. This effect was completely attenuated among women in the youngest birth cohort. Conclusion The modest benefit of marriage for women's subjective health has eroded in recent cohorts.
Transformational Leadership: The Nexus between Faith and Classroom Leadership.

Transformational leadership is well documented in organizational and business literature. Classroom and faith-based applications are more recent phenomena. The authors of this mixed-methods study e...
Therapeutic Mastoidectomy Does Not Increase Postoperative Complications in the Management of the Chronic Ear.

OBJECTIVE Tympanoplasty with or without concurrent therapeutic mastoidectomy is a controversial topic in the management of chronic ear disease. We sought to describe whether there is a significant difference in postoperative complications. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program public files. PATIENTS Current procedural terminology codes were used to identify patients with chronic ear disease undergoing tympanoplasty ± concurrent mastoidectomy in the 2011 to 14 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program files. INTERVENTION Therapeutic. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Variables were compared with χ, Fischer's exact, and Mann-Whitney U tests, as appropriate to analyze postoperative complications between tympanoplasty with or without concurrent mastoidectomy. To account for confounding factors, presence of a complication was analyzed in binary logistic regression. Analysis considered sex, hypertension, obesity, advanced age, diabetes, smoking status, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical status, procedure. RESULTS There were 4,087 patients identified meeting criteria (tympanoplasty = 2,798, tympanomastoidectomy = 1,289). There was no statistical difference in postoperative complications (tympanoplasty n = 49 [1. 8%], tympanomastoidectomy n = 33 [2. 6%]; p = 0. 087) or return to the operating room (tympanoplasty = 4 [0. 1%], tympanomastoidectomy = 6 [0. 5%]; p = 0. 082). Binary logistic regression demonstrated smoking as a predictor of a postoperative complication (OR: 1. 758, 95% CI: 1. 084-2. 851; p = 0. 022), while concurrent mastoidectomy did not significantly increase the risk of complication (OR: 1. 440, 95% CI: 0. 915-2. 268; p = 0. 115). There was a significant difference in mean operative time between tympanoplasty and tympanomastoidectomy: 85.7 versus 154.23 min, p < 0. 001. CONCLUSION In the management of chronic ear disease, tympanoplasty with concurrent mastoidectomy increases time under anesthesia, but it is not associated with any increased postoperative complications compared with tympanoplasty alone.
Systematics and phylogeography of the widely distributed African skink Trachylepis varia species complex.

Abstract A systematic study of the Trachylepis varia complex was conducted using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers for individuals sampled across the species range. The taxonomic history of T. varia has been complicated and its broad geographic distribution and considerable phenotypic variation has made taxonomic revision difficult, leading earlier taxonomists to suggest that T. varia is a species complex. We used maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference to estimate gene trees and a multilocus time-tree, respectively, and we used these trees to identify the major clades (putative species) within T. varia. Additionally, we used morphological and color pattern data to distinguish and revise the taxonomy of the southern African clades. The major clades recovered in the multilocus time-tree were recovered in each of gene trees, although the relationships among these major clades differed across gene trees. Genetic data support the existence of at least eight species within the T. varia complex, each of which originated during the mid to late Miocene or early Pliocene. We focus our systematic discussion on the southern African members of the T. varia complex, revive Trachylepis damarana (Peters, 1870) and T. laevigata (Peters, 1869), and designate lectotypes for T. damarana and T. varia.
Lack of improvement in antimicrobial prescribing after a diagnosis of Clostridium difficile and impact on recurrence

Background Antimicrobial use is one of the largest modifiable risk factors for development of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). We sought to determine if a recent diagnosis of CDI affected the appropriateness of subsequent antimicrobial prescribing. Methods This study is a retrospective electronic chart review of the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Administration. Medication administration records were reviewed for all patients with new CDI from 2015-2016 to determine the appropriateness (drug choice, duration, and dosage) of all non-CDI antimicrobials prescribed within 90 days pre- and post-initial CDI (iCDI) positive testing. Results Of the 210 patients diagnosed with new-onset iCDI, 140 met inclusion criteria. Of antimicrobial courses prescribed, 40.6% of pre-iCDI were inappropriate compared with 43.1% of post-iCDI, demonstrating no difference in prescribing habits (P = .717). Thirty-three patients developed recurrent CDI (rCDI). After adjustment for other known risk factors, inappropriate antimicrobial use was associated with a significant increased risk of recurrence compared with appropriate use alone (odds ratio [OR], 6.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.45-26.42). Antimicrobial use in general was associated with increased recurrence compared with no antimicrobial use post-iCDI (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.16-5.84); however, after adjustment, it was no longer significant (OR, 2.13; 95% CI, 0.90-5.04). Conclusions The appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing was not affected by the diagnosis of recent CDI. Inappropriate antimicrobial use after iCDI was associated with higher risk of rCDI.
BEAT: Asynchronous BFT Made Practical

We present BEAT, a set of practical Byzantine fault-tolerant (BFT) protocols for completely asynchronous environments. BEAT is flexible, versatile, and extensible, consisting of five asynchronous BFT protocols that are designed to meet different goals (e.g., different performance metrics, different application scenarios). Due to modularity in its design, features of these protocols can be mixed to achieve even more meaningful trade-offs between functionality and performance for various applications. Through a 92-instance, five-continent deployment of BEAT on Amazon EC2, we show that BEAT is efficient: roughly, all our BEAT instances significantly outperform, in terms of both latency and throughput, HoneyBadgerBFT, the most efficient asynchronous BFT known.
Total knee arthroplasty in osteogenesis imperfecta

Osteogenesis imperfecta is a genetic disease resulting in abnormal collagen formation, with multiple clinical manifestations. Advancements in medical and surgical treatments have prolonged the life expectancy of these patients in recent decades. As a result, orthopedic surgeons are likely to be faced with the challenge of performing arthroplasty in these patients on a more frequent basis. Here, we describe a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta and subsequent severe osteoarthritis prompting primary total knee arthroplasty. This rare case presents an opportunity to explore special considerations unique to this patient population, including comorbid bone defects, the need for using extramedullary guides, careful alignment of prostheses to accommodate abnormalities in limb axes, and equipment utilization.