cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating the saltation and suspension components from field wind erosion

Improving wind erosion prediction and control requires correct estimates of the suspended dust (ss) and saltation (sn) components from field erosion events. The objectives of this study were to (a) develop an improved methodology (HPS) to estimate the fractions of sn and ss in the sediment discharge, and (b) compare HPS predictions to those of LM (Leys and McTainsh, 1996) and CN (Chepil and Woodruff, 1978; Nickling, 1978) that included or FS (Fryrear and Saleh, 1993) that excluded size measurements of the trapped sediment. Sediment flux profiles from nine field studies in four states were used in the data analyses. The log form of the ss flux profile developed in the LM method for dispersed particles had poor data fit to profiles of aggregated particles. The FS, HPS, and CN methods predicted significantly different ratios of ss discharge to total discharge in the order FS < HPS < CN. The widely-used power form of the ss flux profile in the CN method provided a good data fit above 0.1 m, but over estimated ss flux near the surface. The FS method over estimated sn and under estimated ss components. The HPS method obtained good fits to the data, even when profile gradients were large. Thus, using the sieved sediment catch from passive sediment catchers coupled with HPS analysis methodology offered significant improvements in the accuracy of estimates of sn and ss discharge. On short fields, the fraction of ss discharge was related to soil texture. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Synthesis of freestanding HfO2 nanostructures.

Two new methods for synthesizing nanostructured HfO2 have been developed. The first method entails exposing HfTe2 powders to air. This simple process resulted in the formation of nanometer scale crystallites of HfO2. The second method involved a two-step heating process by which macroscopic, freestanding nanosheets of HfO2 were formed as a byproduct during the synthesis of HfTe2. These highly two-dimensional sheets had side lengths measuring up to several millimeters and were stable enough to be manipulated with tweezers and other instruments. The thickness of the sheets ranged from a few to a few hundred nanometers. The thinnest sheets appeared transparent when viewed in a scanning electron microscope. It was found that the presence of Mn enhanced the formation of HfO2 by exposure to ambient conditions and was necessary for the formation of the large scale nanosheets. These results present new routes to create freestanding nanostructured hafnium dioxide. PACS: 81.07.-b, 61.46.Hk, 68.37.Hk.
Percutaneous Abscess Drainage

Image-guided percutaneous abscess drainage (PAD) incorporates patient and imaging pre-assessment, access planning, catheter placement, drainage maintenance, patient and imaging follow-up, and, finally, catheter removal. When performed after appropriate patient and imaging pre-assessment, with planning, follow-up, and coordination with referring services, surgeons, and gastroenterologists, PAD is the cornerstone of treatment of the patient with an infected collection.
Advances in Photodetectors and Optical Receivers

This chapter reviews the significant advances in photodetectors that have occurred since Optical Fiber Telecommunications V. The quests for higher speed p-i-n detectors and lower noise avalanche photodiodes (APDs) with high gain-bandwidth product remain. To a great extent, high-speed structures have coalesced to evanescently coupled waveguide devices; bandwidths exceeding 140 GHz have been reported. A primary APD breakthrough has been the development of Ge on Si separate-absorption-and-multiplication devices that achieve long-wavelength response with the low-noise behavior of Si. For III–V compound APDs ultra-low noise has been achieved by strategic use of complex multilayer multiplication regions that provide more deterministic impact ionization. However, much of the excitement and innovation have focused on photodiodes that can be incorporated into InP-based integrated circuits and photodetectors for Si photonics.
Nested Partitions Method for Stochastic Optimization

The nested partitions (NP) method is a recently proposed new alternative for global optimization. Primarily aimed at problems with large but finite feasible regions, the method employs a global sampling strategy that is continuously adapted via a partitioning of the feasible region. In this paper we adapt the original NP method to stochastic optimization where the performance is estimated using simulation. We prove asymptotic convergence of the new method and present a numerical example to illustrate its potential.
Heterosis for yield in hybrids betweenS. Tuberosum ssp.Tuberosum andtuberosum ssp.Andigena

Five cycles of phenotypic recurrent selection of a population ofSolanum tuberosum ssp.Andigena for adaptation to N. temperate growing conditions have been accomplished. There have been marked improvements in maturity and yield. Unselected F1 hybrids between this population and tuberosum clones yielded 15% more total yield than unselected intratuberosum progenies at Ithaca as spaced plants and 17% as twelve-hill plots. In Huancayo, Peru and Toluca, Mexico the hybrids produced total yields greater than tuberosum progenies and equal to the andigena progenies. In Colombia, the hybrids were intermediate in yield. It appears that the extent of heterotic advantage of the intergroup tuberosum-andigena F1 hybrids may be dependent upon the day length of where the crop is grown.
Effect of Pelvic Binder Placement on OTA Classification of Pelvic Ring Injuries Using Computed Tomography. Does It Mask the Injury

Objectives To assess the diagnostic sensitivity of computed tomography (CT) in patients with an unstable pelvic ring injury after application of a pelvic binder. Design An institutional review board approved retrospective study from 2003 to 2010. Setting Level 1 trauma center. Patients Inclusion criteria were patients in our trauma database with AO/OTA B or C type pelvic ring injury, which first had an anterior-posterior pelvic x-ray followed by application of a pelvic circumferential compression device (PCCD), then a CT, and a fluoroscopic stress examination under anesthesia (FEUA) (used as gold standard). Of 867 patients, 43 met the inclusion criteria. Intervention A senior Orthopaedic Resident and Trauma Attendings assessed x-rays, CTs, and FEUAs. Binomial test was used to compare imaging against final diagnosis. Results In Anterior Posterior Compression/Vertical Shear (OTA 61-B1, 61-B3.1, 61-C) injury patterns, prebinder x-rays were diagnostic in 69.4% (CI, 51.9%-83.7%) of cases, compared with 50% (CI, 32.9%-67.1%) with CT + PCCD. The x-ray was superior to CT + PCCD for identification of the anterior pelvic injury (McNemar exact P = 0.0352). If x-ray and CT + PCCD were viewed in tandem, 83.3% (CI, 67.2%-93.6%) of classifications were in agreement with the FEUA. For lateral compression mechanisms, the binder did not effect of the sensitivity of the CT except in the open book component of an lateral compression 3 (61-B3.2) mechanism. Conclusions The placement of a pelvic binder has the potential to mask the severity of unstable pelvic ring injuries when relying only on CT for diagnosis. Fluoroscopic manual pelvic stress examination under anesthesia is an essential adjunct when a binder is placed before imaging. Level of evidence Diagnostic level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Holographic visualization of optical branching in liquids

We have observed very fine filamentation of strong femtosecond pulses propagating through liquids. A short probe pulse is used to capture a hologram while the pump pulse traverses and interacts with the medium. Results are presented for pulse propagation in CS2 (high third-order nonlinearity) and water.
An existential-phenomenological investigation of the experience of being accepted in individuals who have undergone psychiatric institutionalization

This study represents an existential-phenomenological investigation of the experience of being accepted in individuals who have undergone psychiatric institutionalization. Written protocols of narrative accounts were collected from nine individuals drawn from a partial hospitalization programme, with the analysis of these narratives revealing seven basic constituents of the focal experience. The paper concludes with a discussion of the clinical implications of these findings for understanding this experience as it relates to psychotherapy with individuals who experience severe mental illness symptoms and/or stigma.
Ferro-resonance Overvoltage Identification Using Three Feature Parameters of Ratio Method

The feature extraction and recognition of ferro-resonance overvoltage is helpful for taking targeted measures to restrain overvoltage quickly,and it is of great significance to guarantee electric power system running in reliable,safe and steady status.Based on the occurring mechanism and waveform features of ferro-resonance overvoltage monitored in the substation,the wavelet transform is effectively combined with the Fourier transform so as to extract three characteristic parameters reflecting on ferro-resonance overvoltage,and a method of ferro-resonance overvoltage recognition is proposed based on the three ratios.The theoretical foundation of this method is visualized,and the identification process is simple and clear.A lot of actual data show that this method is feasible and effective in ferro-resonance overvoltage recognition.
Citizens for Science and Science for Citizens: The View from Participatory Design

The rise of citizen science as a form of public participation in research has engaged many disciplines and communities. This paper uses the lens of Participatory Design to contrast two different approaches to citizen science: one that puts citizens in the service of science and another that involves them in the production of knowledge. Through an empirical study of a diverse array of projects, we show how participation in citizen science often takes the more limited forms suggested by the former approach. Our analysis highlights the implications of limited participation and demonstrates how the CHI community is uniquely positioned to ameliorate these limitations.
Truncation strategies in two-sided matching markets: Theory and experiment

We investigate strategic behavior in a centralized matching clearinghouse based on the Gale–Shapley deferred acceptance algorithm. To do so, we conduct a laboratory experiment to test the degree to which agents strategically misrepresent their preferences by submitting a “truncation” of their true preferences. Our experimental design uses a restricted environment in which a particular form of truncation is always a best response. We find that subjects do not truncate their preferences more often when truncation is profitable. They do, however, truncate their preferences less often when truncation is dangerous – that is, when there is a risk of “over-truncating” and remaining unmatched. Our findings suggest that behavioral insights can play an important role in the field of market design.
Commodity price volatility under regulatory changes and disaster

Abstract We find that the EGARCH model best describes the dynamics of U.S. Gulf of Mexico red snapper daily dockside prices and find their reaction to shocks to be asymmetric, though news has an impact on volatility level in a direction contrary to that of financial asset prices. We also find that volume contains useful information for predicting volatility. However, unlike financial asset prices, though consistent with fish commodities prices, red snapper price volatility diminishes when the volume is high. Also, the effect of expected changes on transaction volume is more dominant than that of unexpected changes. Explicitly accounting for oil spill closures and the Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQ) program in other species as variance shift parameters significantly reduces volatility and improves the market efficiency response to shocks.
Confidentiality of genetic information in the workplace

This Article analyzes existing legal protections for the confidentiality of information collected through genetic screening or genetic monitoring in the workplace. It notes that there are a variety of protections, such as ethical codes for occupational physicians, statutes protecting health care information in the hands of the employers, and tort, contract and constitutional principles. It describes defenses to suits based on improper disclosure of medical information. The Article then analyzes legal bases for employee and third party access to the employee's genetic information. In response to gaps in existing legal protections, it suggests parameters for a model law protecting the confidentiality of genetic information collected in the workplace.
Spelling Ability in College Students Predicted by Decoding, Print Exposure, and Vocabulary

This study examines students’ exposure to print, vocabulary and decoding as predictors of spelling skills. Participants were 42 college students (Mean age 22.5, SD = 7.87; 31 females and 11 males). Hierarchical regression analyses showed that most of the variance in spelling was explained by vocabulary knowledge. When vocabulary was entered first into the regression model, exposure to print and decoding were no longer significant predictors. However, both decoding and print exposure were significant predictors of vocabulary. The three predictors together explained about 43 % of variance in spelling skills. Results suggest that an important source of individual differences in spelling knowledge arises from the acquisition of vocabulary words when decoding skill is applied to read words encountered during the wide reading of text.
Evolving authentication design considerations for the internet of biometric things (IoBT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a design implementation of embedded system design that connects a variety of devices, sensors, and physical objects to a larger connected network (e.g. the Internet) which requires human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. While the IoT is expected to expand the user's connectivity and everyday convenience, there are serious security considerations that come into account when using the IoT for distributed authentication. Furthermore the incorporation of biometrics to IoT design brings about concerns of cost and implementing a ‘user-friendly’ design. In this paper, we focus on the use of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals to implement distributed biometrics authentication within an IoT system model. Our observations show that ECG biometrics are highly reliable, more secure, and easier to implement than other biometrics.
Optimization of a rotating modulation collimator for neutron stimulated emission computed tomography (NSECT) imaging

A high-energy gamma camera design is being developed for use with neutron simulated emission computed tomography (NSECT). NSECT is a spectroscopic imaging technique that measures elemental concentrations in vivo through neutron interrogation and collection of the subsequent prompt characteristic gamma emission. NSECT operates in an energy range above that of typical nuclear medicine gamma cameras (0.3 - 2 MeV), and requires high-resolution gamma spectroscopy. We are developing a camera using a rotating modulation collimator (RMC) placed in front of a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The RMC consists of a pair of parallel slat collimators rotating in unison and as it rotates it modulates the number of incident gammas. Counting the number of incident gammas at each angle provides spatial information and allows reconstruction of images. There are six parameters in the camera system that can be optimized to improve image quality. A preliminary experiment was performed to determine the six parameters' relationship to each other and to image quality. Four subsequent experiments were performed based on the preliminary data to optimize the camera configuration. Results of these experiments found a tradeoff between system efficiency and spatial resolution, much like that for high-energy gamma collimation for standard gamma cameras. Point source reconstructions are provided to illustrate this tradeoff.
W.E.B. Du Bois’s sociological epistemology: a liberal arts approach

In The Scholar Denied, Morris (2015) has shown how W.E.B. Du Bois was a trailblazer, creating innovative sociological methods, was the first to write on many sociological topics, wrote the first em...
Draft Genome Sequence of Micromonospora sp. Strain WMMB235, a Marine Ascidian-Associated Bacterium.

ABSTRACT Micromonospora sp. strain WMMB235 was isolated in 2011 off the coast of the Florida Keys, USA, from a marine ascidian as part of an ongoing drug discovery project. Analysis of the ~7.1-Mb genome provides insight into this strain9s biosynthetic potential, means of regulation, and response to coculturing conditions.
Toward an Open Data Repository and Meta-Analysis of Cognitive Data Using fNIRS Studies of Emotion

HCI research has increasingly incorporated the use of neurophysiological sensors to identify users’ cognitive and affective states. However, a persistent problem in machine learning on cognitive data is generalizability across participants. A proposed solution has been aggregating cognitive and survey data across studies to generate higher sample populations for machine learning and statistical analyses to converge in stable, generalizable results. In this paper, I argue that large data-sharing projects can facilitate the aggregation of results of brain imaging studies to address these issues, by smoothing noise in high-dimensional datasets. This paper contributes a small step towards large cognitive data sharing systems-design by proposing methods that facilitate the merging of currently incompatible fNIRS and FMRI datasets through term-based metadata analysis. To that end, I analyze 20 fNIRS studies of emotion using content analysis for: (1) synonym terms and definitions for ‘emotion,’ (2) the experimental stimuli, and (3) the use or non-use of self-report surveys. Results suggest that fNIRS studies of emotion have stable synonymy, using technical and folk conceptualizations of affective terms within and between publications to refer to emotion. The studies use different stimuli to elicit emotion but also show commonalities between shared use of standardized stimuli materials and self-report surveys. These similarities in conceptual synonymy and standardized experiment materials indicate promise for neuroimaging communities to establish open-data repositories based on metadata term-based analyses. This work contributes to efforts toward merging datasets across studies and between labs, unifying new modalities in neuroimaging such as fNIRS with fMRI datasets, increasing generalizability of machine learning models, and promoting the acceleration of science through open data-sharing infrastructure.
Creative industries and economic growth: stability of creative products exports earnings

ABSTRACTThe contribution of creative goods and services has been recognised as an important pathway to economic development. Both transnational organisations and national governments have been paying more attention to the creative industries. We use a sample of 57 countries, accounting for over 90% of creative products exports, over the period 2003–2011, to assess the stability of earnings from exports of creative products. We assess the sensitivity of countries’ exports of creative products to fluctuations in the global trade of creative products, using the Single Index Model (SIM) to analyse the export performance of countries’ export portfolios of creative products. Our results indicate that there are vast differences in the export performance of countries in our sample, indicating that the composition of a country's creative exports portfolio, i.e. what it exports, has a direct impact on the performance of the export portfolio of creative products. Our study fills the lacuna of empirical examinations ...
Estimating the Latent Trait Distribution with Loglinear Smoothing Models

This research provides a framework for specifying the latent trait distribution using the family of loglinear smoothing models. Connections between loglinear smoothing models and the standard normal, normal, and direct estimation of the distribution are the beginning of this framework. The framework is important because it gives the connection between the standard approaches and loglinear smoothing models so that parsimonious (smoothing) models providing adequate representation of the distribution can be identified. Future extensions will include additional complex models for estimating the latent trait distribution.
Synthesis of Aromatic and Aliphatic Phosphorus-Containing Polyanhydrides

Carraher and co-workers synthesized a number of Group (IV) A and B and (V) A containing polymers employing salts of dicarboxylic acids and a variety of interfacial techniques (for instance 1 – 8).
Epidemiology of Particle Effects

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the adverse effects of particulate air pollution on health. The overall epidemiologic evidence is consistent with the premise that particulate air pollution common to many urban and industrial environments is an important risk factor for cardiopulmonary disease and mortality. Although the biological linkages remain poorly understood, the results of the acute and chronic exposure studies are complementary. Much of the recent epidemiological effort has focused on the effects of acute exposure, primarily because of the relative availability of relevant time-series data sets. However, the effects of chronic exposure may be more important in terms of overall public health relevance. Long-term, repeated exposure increases the risk of chronic respiratory disease and the risk of cardiorespiratory mortality. Short-term exposures can exacerbate existing cardiovascular and pulmonary disease and increase the number of persons in a population who become symptomatic, require medical attention, or die. The pattern of cardiopulmonary health effects associated with particulate air pollution, which has been observed by epidemiological studies, is the strongest evidence of the health effects of this pollution.
Reined-in richness.

Analysis of Phanerozoic vertebrate community richness suggests there have been constraints on tetrapod diversity dynamics over much of their evolutionary history.
Characterising the robustness of complex networks

With increasingly ambitious initiatives such as GENI and FIND that seek to design future internets, it becomes imperative to define the characteristics of robust topologies, and build future networks optimised for robustness. This paper investigates the characteristics of network topologies that maintain a high level of throughput in spite of multiple attacks. To this end, we select network topologies belonging to the main network models and some real world networks. We consider three types of attacks: removal of random nodes, high degree nodes, and high betweenness nodes. We use elasticity as our robustness measure and, through our analysis, illustrate different topologies that can have different degrees of robustness. In particular, elasticity can fall as low as 0.8% of the upper bound based on the attack employed. This result substantiates the need for optimised network topology design. Furthermore, we implement a trade-off function that combines elasticity under the three attack strategies and considers the cost of the network. Our extensive simulations show that, for a given network density, regular and semi-regular topologies can have higher degrees of robustness than heterogeneous topologies, and that link redundancy is a sufficient but not necessary condition for robustness.
Monochromatic reachability, complementary cycles, and single arc reversals in tournaments

Three recent results on tournaments are presented. A direct proof is given of the following consequence of a theorem due to B. Sands, N. Sauer, and R. Woodrow [7] : if the arcs of a tournament are two-colored, then there exists some vertex which is reachable from every other vertex via a monochromatic path. Next, as illustrative of the proof of a more technical result, it is shown that with one exception every 3-connected tournament contains two complementary cycles. And, Adam's Conjecture is established for 2-arc-connected tournaments which are not 3-arc-connected.
Scalable generation of graphs for benchmarking HPC community-detection algorithms

Community detection in graphs is a canonical social network analysis method. We consider the problem of generating suites of teras-cale synthetic social networks to compare the solution quality of parallel community-detection methods. The standard method, based on the graph generator of Lancichinetti, Fortunato, and Radicchi (LFR), has been used extensively for modest-scale graphs, but has inherent scalability limitations. We provide an alternative, based on the scalable Block Two-Level Erdos-Renyi (BTER) graph generator, that enables HPC-scale evaluation of solution quality in the style of LFR. Our approach varies community coherence, and retains other important properties. Our methods can scale real-world networks, e.g., to create a version of the Friendster network that is 512 times larger. With BTER's inherent scalability, we can generate a 15-terabyte graph (4.6B vertices, 925B edges) in just over one minute. We demonstrate our capability by showing that label-propagation community-detection algorithm can be strong-scaled with negligible solution-quality loss.
Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Kinetics for the Photoinduced Generation of a Cobalt(III)-Hydride Complex

Studying the formation of transition metal hydride complexes via proton-coupled electron transfer is important for developing next-generation molecular catalysts for hydrogen evolution. We report h...
How to Safely Perform Magnetic Resonance Imaging-guided Radioactive Seed Localizations in the Breast.

When a breast lesion is seen on only magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and needs to be excised, pre-operative MRI-guided radioactive seed localization (RSL) is preferred. However, MRI safety and radiation safety issues associated with the inability to recover a potentially lost seed in the MRI scanner room (Zone IV) have precluded this in the past. This manuscript provides a protocol for MRI-guided RSLs that meets MRI safety and radiation safety criteria established by the American College of Radiology and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. To the authors’ best knowledge, this has never been published in the literature. The complete protocol is provided.
The impact of set size on cumulative area judgments

Abstract The ability to track number has long been considered more difficult than tracking continuous quantities. Evidence for this claim comes from work revealing that continuous properties (specifically cumulative area) influence numerical judgments, such that adults perform worse on numerical tasks when cumulative area is incongruent with number. If true, then continuous extent tracking abilities should be unimpeded by number. The aim of the present study was to determine the precision with which adults track cumulative area and to uncover the process by which they do so. Across two experiments, we presented adults with arrays of dots and asked them to judge the relative cumulative area of the displays. Participants performed worse and were slower on incongruent trials, in which the more numerous array had the smaller cumulative area. These findings suggest that number interferes with continuous quantity judgments, and that number is at least as salient as continuous variables, undermining claims in the literature that continuous properties are easier to represent, and more salient to adults. Our primary research question, however, pertained to how cumulative area representations were impacted by set size. Results revealed that the area of a single item was tracked much faster and with greater precision than the area of multiple items. However, for sets with more than one item, results revealed less accurate, yet faster responses, as set size increased, suggesting a speed-accuracy trade-off in judgments of cumulative area. Results are discussed in the context of two distinct theories regarding the process of tracking cumulative area.
Understanding invasive plant management on family forestlands: An application of protection motivation theory.

Abstract Invasive forest plants are a growing concern because of their perceived and actual negative ecological, economic, and social impacts. To effectively manage invasive plants in forest ecosystems, it is paramount to understand the management decisions made by family forest owners (FFOs), who collectively own 36% of forestlands in the United States. We contribute to the growing literature on invasive plant management and the factors that influence FFOs' likelihood to manage invasive plants on their property by incorporating protection motivation theory (PMT; Rogers 1975). Protection Motivation Theory argues that the degree to which individuals protect themselves from a perceived threat varies as a function of the perceived severity of the threat, their vulnerability to the threat, their perceptions of self-efficacy to effectively mitigate the threat, and the degree to which they believe they have access to the resources needed to effectively respond to the threat. We surveyed a random sample of 2,600 FFOs in Indiana about their knowledge, perceptions, experience, and plans regarding invasive plants on their wooded lands. Consistent with PMT, we constructed a hierarchical binary logistic model and found that FFOs reported greater intentions to manage invasive plants when they perceived the problem to be more severe and also when they felt a stronger sense of self-efficacy to address the problem. Although perceived vulnerability was not significant in our final model, our results also show that FFOs who had previous invasive plant management experience, had a Bachelor's degree or higher level of education, owned woodlands for recreational purposes, and were more subject to normative social influence also tended to report greater intentions to manage invasive plants. Together, these results suggest that components of PMT (perceived severity and self-efficacy) may be used to inform potential strategies, programs, and outreach for engaging family forest owners in invasive plant management.
Understanding the Performance of Capped Base-Stock Policies in Lost-Sales Inventory Models

Single-sourcing lost-sales inventory systems with lead times are notoriously difficult to optimize. In this work, we propose a new family of capped base-stock policies and provide a new perspective of constructing a practical hybrid policy combining two well-known heuristics: base-stock and constant-order policies. Each capped base-stock policy is associated with two parameters: a base-stock level and an order cap. We prove that for any fixed order cap, the capped base-stock policy converges exponentially fast in the base-stock level to a constant-order policy, providing a theoretical foundation for a phenomenon that a capped dual-index policy converges numerically to a Tailored Base-Surge policy recently observed in Sun and Van Mieghem (2019) in a different but related dual-sourcing inventory model. As a consequence, there exists a sequence of capped base-stock policies that are asymptotically optimal as the lead time grows. We also numerically demonstrate its superior performance in general (including small lead times) by comparing with other well-known heuristics.
Data Collection, Surveillance, and Response to Epidemics and Pandemics in Refugee Settings

Essential elements of responding to epidemics and pandemics rest on early detection and rapid assessment, active and adapted surveillance system to detect trends, appropriate definitions, proper data collection methods at social and healthcare levels, early application of generic as well as specific prevention and containment strategies, and identification and early treatment of cases. Pragmatic adapted infection control strategies, isolation procedures and quarantine capacities, practical medical care plans, follow-up care and referral system, training of health care and surveillance personnel, and rehabilitation or recovery plans need to be developed and applied. Broader foundational activities should include effective leadership planning with team approaches across disciplines, crisis management with committees and action plans, logistical support and supply chain, organizational and communication strategies, coordination with actors across sectors, availability and access to external resources, environmental assessment and control, and local capacity building. SARS-Cov-2 pandemic compels additional considerations due to high transmissibility and resultant excess morbidity, a relatively high case-fatality in vulnerable groups, risks to health personnel, extensive isolation and quarantine needs, and lack of access to testing, treatment, and vaccines. General prevention and management strategies may need significant adaptation or modifications for SARS-Cov-2. In this chapter, we will discuss these key response features and pillars.
The impact of intensity fluctuations on laser damage

Laser systems capable of delivering energetic nanosecond pulses with large incoherent bandwidth spanning more than 10 THz are currently under development for the study of laser–plasma instabilities. A consequence of such a spectrum is random intensity fluctuations, which may have a significant effect on laser damage thresholds. A special damage test station has been built for studying the effect this unique radiation has on common laser materials. We will share measurements of damage thresholds in coated optics, KDP, transmission gratings, and bare materials under various conditions aimed at understanding the role temporal fluctuations play in laser damage.
Model-based cost-effectiveness analyses for prostate cancer chemoprevention : a review and summary of challenges.

Decision-analytic modelling is often used to examine the economics associated with using a specific treatment. As a result, it is important to understand structural and methodological approaches used in published decision-analytic models for examining the cost effectiveness of 5α-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs) for prostate cancer (PCa) chemoprevention. This understanding allows us to provide recommendations for using decision modelling in future economic evaluations of chemoprevention for PCa. A review of the published literature was performed using MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library to identify studies involving mathematical decision models that evaluated 5ARIs for PCa chemoprevention. Published articles were reviewed and key modelling components were extracted and summarized. Recommendations for developing future decision models to examine the economic consequences of PCa chemoprevention were presented. We identified seven published models of PCa chemoprevention. All the models identified used a Markov framework with time horizons ranging from 4 years to lifetime. Due to the wide range of patient risk groups examined, PCa risk data were taken from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) and other databases or estimates published in relevant clinical trials. Treatment effects included change in the incidence of high- and low-grade PCa and impacts on benign prostate hyperplasia. Adverse events were considered to affect compliance, discontinuation and quality of life. Quality-of-life impacts were similar among studies. Examination of modelling parameter sensitivities was comprehensive. Published models have examined the cost effectiveness of PCa chemoprevention; however, limitations exist. Decision models should take into account the full PCa clinical pathway when compiling health states. The time horizon should be long enough to consider the full benefit of chemoprevention while allowing actual time receiving the drug to occur from the start of the model until a man’s life expectancy is less than 10 years. Baseline PCa risk should be specific to the population of concern. Models should examine the impact on both low- and high-grade tumours and account for the impact of 5ARIs on benign prostatic hyperplasia. Because chemoprevention has an upfront effect, the structure of the model should be constructed so that the downstream effect of avoiding or delaying recurrence can be considered. Adverse events due to chemoprevention should be considered through compliance, discontinuation or quality-of-life impact, and understanding the impact of avoiding PCa and benign prostatic hyperplasia events are important model properties.
Studies in the Growth and Nutrition of Dairy Calves: IV. The Feed Cost of Growing Dairy Heifers

Summary As a result of the study of the feed cost of growing 40 dairy heifers from birth to freshening, the following statements may be presented for consideration. 1. Of the 40 heifers studied, 24 dropped between October 1 and March 31, were classed as winter heifers, while the remaining 16, dropped between April 1 and September 30, were classed as summer heifers. 2. The average age of freshening in each lot was twenty-nine months; each month being a period of thirty days and not a calendar month. 3. The average birth weights were 68 pounds for the winter heifers, 64 pounds for the summer heifers and 67 pounds for all of the animals. 4. The average weights at freshening were 1010 pounds, 941 pounds and 982 pounds for the winter, summer and all groups respectively, while the average live weight gains from birth to freshening for these groups were 942 pounds, 877 pounds and 915 pounds. 5. For average daily live weight gains through the trial the winter heifers led with 1.09 pounds, while the summer heifers had 1.01 pounds, and the average for all was 1.05 pounds. 6. In total feed cost of production the ranking was: winter heifers, $109.89; summer heifers, $102.43, and all heifers, $106.81 each. 7. The average feed cost per pound of increase in live weight was 11.7 cents in all groups.
Spiritual Assessment: What is your Method?

In the last four issues of OJRNHC, varying aspects of spirituality have been addressed. The focus moved across a continuum from one’s personal responsibility to a professional responsibility. Nurses in practice are mandated by accrediting bodies, such as Joint Commission on the Accreditation Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) , as well as professional codes, like the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics, to ensure that every patient has a spiritual assessment. In this editorial I would like to challenge every nurse to consider his/her own nursing practice and seriously ask yourself “how do I assess the spiritual needs of my patients?” Healthcare providers should have in place a tool by which all patients are spiritually assessed. Spiritual assessment is similar to the nursing process in that it is a process that begins when the patient is admitted and continues throughout his/her care. Once the spiritual assessment screen has been completed, the spiritual care plan is then developed (Rumbold, 2007). Many spiritual assessments are readily available; however, there is a JCAHO template useful to anyone desiring to create their own tool (Hodge, 2006). In the college where I teach, the Faculty has just adopted the FICA spiritual assessment tool (Copyright, Christine M. Puchalski, MD, 1996) that the faculty will use in teaching spiritual assessment to our nursing students. The FICA is an acronym for Faith and Belief, Importance, Community, and Address in Care. I would suggest you consider using this tool in your nursing program or in your clinical practice. Remember, the FICA is a guide, not a check-list to be completed. You may access more information regarding the FICA by going to http://www.gwumc.edu. At this site, locate the search box and type in “FICA tool”; you will see may articles listed that will provide you with valuable information. Also, go to http://www.gwish.org - at this site, go to right lower web page and you will see “Spiritual Assessment in Clinical Practice”; within this section click on “our new multimedia guide”, then click on the picture of Dr. Puchalski. You will find an abundance of information on spiritual assessment, particularly on the FICA.
Age in the Welfare State: BENEFITS FOR THE UNEMPLOYED: YOUNG AND OLD IN THE FORTRESS LABOR MARKET

This chapter addresses two questions: how and why do unemployment benefits in Italy treat older workers more generously than younger workers, while in the Netherlands the opposite is true? The answer to the how question is straightforward. The youth orientation of the Dutch system of unemployment protection is due largely to two policy features: generous regular unemployment insurance benefits and universal coverage that protects first-time job seekers. Italy's highly elderly-oriented system of unemployment protection, on the other hand, is characterized by meager regular unemployment insurance benefits and no benefits for youth unemployed. The answer to the why question is more complicated and more interesting. Italy and the Netherlands share features that we might expect would lead them to develop similar kinds of unemployment policies. Both display features of what have variously been labeled Conservative-Corporatist or Christian Democratic systems, combined with a distinct leftist presence in policy making. The result is a male-breadwinner–centered labor market, few active labor market policies, and low female labor force participation. The two countries also share a history of high unemployment, numerically rather weak labor unions, and high levels of self-employment. Yet Esping-Andersen's (1990) characterization of the Netherlands as an almost Social Democratic welfare state, a characterization driven largely by the generosity of Dutch unemployment benefits, highlights an important difference. Italy and the Netherlands differ dramatically in the extent to which their welfare states protect elderly versus non-elderly citizens from a variety of risks, and nowhere is this difference as pronounced as in their unemployment policy regimes.
Biological and Psychosocial Determinants of Problematic Birth Outcomes

In recent research, expansion of problematic birth outcomes to include high birth weight delivery has led to more intensive study of the risk factors impacting this outcome. High birth weight infants complicate delivery by inducing fever or respiratory distress resulting in medically indicated Caesarean sections and infant injury. Being delivered high birth weight is also predictive of many adolescent and adult onset diseases such as obesity, diabetes, leukemia, and other cancers. This book evaluates associations between biological mechanisms and psychosocial risk factors with high birth weight delivery and C-section birth. The prognostic value of screening for urine sugar spill throughout pregnancy is examined in conjunction with high birth weight delivery and C-section. Psychosocial factors explored in analysis include social support during pregnancy, marital status, autonomy, depression, physical work strain, pregnancy wantedness, and partner abuse. Recommendations are intended for public health practitioners, physicians, and other health-related professionals. These recommendations include primary and secondary prevention strategies and direct intervention during pregnancy.
Comparative Effectiveness of Chemotherapy Regimens in Prolonging Survival for Two Large Population‐Based Cohorts of Elderly Adults with Breast and Colon Cancer in 1992–2009

Objectives To compare the effectiveness of chemotherapy in prolonging survival according to age in breast and colon cancer. Design Retrospective cohort study with a matched cohort analysis based on the conditional probability of receiving chemotherapy. Setting The 16 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) areas from the SEER-Medicare linked database. Participants Women diagnosed with Stage I to IIIa hormone receptor–negative breast cancer (n = 14,440) and 26,893 men and women with Stage III colon cancer (n = 26,893) aged 65 and older in 1992 to 2009. Measurements The main exposure was the receipt of chemotherapy, and the main outcome was mortality. Results In women with breast cancer aged 65 to 69, the risk of all-cause mortality was statistically significantly lower in those who received chemotherapy than in those who did not in the entire cohort (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.57–0.88) and in a propensity-matched cohort (HR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.70–0.96) after adjusting for measured confounders. These patterns were similar in participants aged 70 to 74 and 75 to 79, but in women aged 80 to 84 and 85 to 89, risk of all-cause mortality was no longer significantly lower in those receiving chemotherapy in the entire and matched cohorts, except that, in a small number of women who received doxorubicin (Adriamycin) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), risk of mortality was significantly lower for those aged 80 to 84. Chemotherapy appeared to be effective in all ages from 65 through 84 in participants with Stage III colon cancer. For example, in those aged 85 to 89, chemotherapy was significantly associated with lower risk of mortality in the entire cohort (HR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.67–0.92) and the matched cohort (HR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.66–0.95). Conclusion The effectiveness of chemotherapy decreased with age in participants with breast cancer, in whom chemotherapy appears to be effective until age 79 except for the doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide combination, which was effective in participants aged 80 to 84. In individuals with Stage III colon cancer, chemotherapy appears to be effective to age 89. These findings were consistent with those of randomized clinical trials.
“That Fuego, That Fire In Their Stomach”: Academically Successful Latinas/os and Racial Opportunity Cost

This article discusses the racial opportunity cost of academic achievement for Latina/o students who graduated from urban high schools and participated in a larger study of 18 high-achieving students of color. The article focuses on the ways the school context influenced their success. Interviews with the seven Latina/o participants reveal that while the original findings encompassed their perspectives, there were additional dimensions to their experiences that expanded the notion of racial opportunity cost. These factors included: (1) Language; (2) Immigration; and (3) Family. A secondary focus of this article is how school leaders can use these findings to facilitate academic achievement for Latina/o students.
Synesthetizing Sound Studies and the Sociology of Technology

This paper examines current issues at the intersection of the Sociology of Technology and the interdisciplinary field of Sound Studies. It begins with an overview of major social constructionist, interpretive semiotic, and actor–network theoretical sociological approaches to technology as developed within the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS). Considering the predominance of narrative visual metaphors in these approaches' treatment of socio-technical perception, it is argued that the “turn to sound” in social studies of technology, rather than simply furnishing established analytic approaches with a fresh set of empirical cases (i.e. “sound technologies”), presents an opportunity to better sensitize STS approaches to the contingent socio-technical shaping and distribution of embodied perceptual modalities in general. A critical review of recent social and historical studies of sound and technology, attending especially to debates surrounding the theoretical shift from acoustemological or soundscape-based to signal-oriented “transductive” approaches, suggests the importance for future STS and Sound Studies work of addressing how shared modes of sensory perception are produced within particular socio-technical frames.