cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does computer-generated speech manifest personality? an experimental test of similarity-attraction

This study examines whether people would interpret and respond to paralinguistic personality cues in computer-generated speech in the same way as they do human speech. Participants used a book-buying website and heard five book reviews in a 2 (synthesized voice personality: extrovert vs. introvert) by 2 (participant personality: extrovert vs. introvert) balanced, between-subjects experiment. Participants accurately recognized personality cues in TTS and showed strong similarity-attraction effects. Although the content was the same for all participants, when the personality of the computer voice matched their own personality: 1) participants regarded the computer voice as more attractive, credible, and informative; 2) the book review was evaluated more positively; 3) the reviewer was more attractive and credible; and 4) participants were more likely to buy the book. Match of user voice characteristics with TTS had no effect, confirming the social nature of the interaction. We discuss implications for HCI theory and design.
Gossypol and Na+ K+ ATpase from human erythrocytes.

Whether gossypol inhibits the enzyme Na+K+ ATPase in human red blood cell membranes a theory proposed to account for the low calcium levels seen in people who take gossypol was tested. In volunteers taking 30 mg racemic gossypol gossypol levels of 40 ng/ml (-enantiomer) and 100 ng/ml (+ enantiomer) were detected. In this experiment the initial gossypol acetic acid concentration was 1.8 mcg/ml (3.1 mcM). The ATPase assay of erythrocyte membranes involved an assay for inorganic phosphate released controlling for the ouabain-sensitive ATPase activity. Gossypol did not inhibit ATPase in erythrocytes from any of 5 volunteers including 2 subjects of Chinese ancestry and 3 of European stock. Thus it is unlikely that inhibition of ATPase from red blood cells the usual form of this enzyme initiates hypokalemia.
Program MARK: survival estimation from populations of marked animals

MARK provides parameter estimates from marked animals when they are re-encountered at a later time as dead recoveries, or live recaptures or re-sightings. The time intervals between re-encounters do not have to be equal. More than one attribute group of animals can be modelled. The basic input to MARK is the encounter history for each animal. MARK can also estimate the size of closed populations. Parameters can be constrained to be the same across re-encounter occasions, or by age, or group, using the parameter index matrix. A set of common models for initial screening of data are provided. Time effects, group effects, time x group effects and a null model of none of the above, are provided for each parameter. Besides the logit function to link the design matrix to the parameters of the model, other link functions include the log—log, complimentary log—log, sine, log, and identity. The estimates of model parameters are computed via numerical maximum likelihood techniques. The number of parameters that are...
National support for world order

The research aims to discover the causal factors that make some nations more supportive of world order than others. Seven indicators of national support for world order are identified. Scores on them and on a combined index for 114 nations are obtained. Switzerland and three Scandinavian nations rank at the top, the United States is at rank 40, and the Soviet Union at 72. Five significant causal factors are identified, which yield a multiple correlation coefficient of .69 with the Index of National Support for World Order. The most powerful predictor is the degree to which citizens of a nation participate in international nongovernmental organizations. Less powerful are national levels of enlightenment, urgency of foreign trade, productivity relative to reference nations, and, negatively, population pressure. in a time of recent vicious war in Southeast Asia, continuing tension in the Middle East, and widespread disillusion with the United Nations, it may seem quixotic to pursue research on factors conducive to national support for world order. Yet, if it is a time of disappointing performance, it is also a time of great need and encouraging potentiality. Nuclear weapons pose a threat that makes men actively seek a global solution, and modern communication and travel offer hopeful means for reaching the minimum consensus necessary. AUTHOR’S NOTE: The computer analysis for this study was supported from
An efficient time-domain approach for simulating Pe-dependent transport through fracture intersections

Abstract In the subsurface, fractures commonly provide dominant pathways for fluid flow and solute transport. However, mechanisms responsible for dispersion in large-scale fracture networks are not completely understood. Scalable models of flow and transport in discrete fracture networks that accurately represent the small-scale physics controlling transport can provide a means for improving understanding of the large-scale dispersion mechanisms. Within fracture networks, mixing within fracture intersections can play an important role in mass transport. This mixing process results from a combination of advection and diffusion within fracture intersections. A number of high-resolution computational studies involving direct solution of the Stokes equations in fracture intersections show that mixing exhibits a strong dependence on Peclet number, Pe = V 〈 b 〉 D m , where V is the mean fluid velocity, 〈 b 〉 is the mean fracture aperture and D m is the molecular diffusion coefficient. However, such high-resolution techniques are not feasible in large-scale network simulations, so it is common to model mixing using either stream-tube routing ( Pe → ∞ ) or complete mixing ( Pe → 0 ). We present a novel probabilistic method that allows accurate and efficient calculation of the Pe-dependent solute transport through fracture intersections. Fundamental to our approach is a simplified approximation to the Stokes velocity field within fracture intersections based upon local application of the cubic law in each fracture entering and exiting the fracture intersection. In addition, we use a time domain approach to route particles across the fracture intersection in a single step; using this approach the influence of both advection and diffusion are represented explicitly. Results show that our new model accurately represents the trajectory and travel times of particles passing through a fracture intersection. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm is two to three orders-of-magnitude faster than comparable simulations relying upon detailed simulation of the Stokes velocity field.
Chromatographic Study of the Alkaloids of Aquilegia formosa

Chromatographic investigation of alkaloid fraction from the roots of Aquilegiu jormosu Fisch. ( Ranunculuceae ) revealed the presence of five alkaloidal spots. Two of them were identified as magnoflorine and berberine. A thin-layer chromatographic procedure was developed which effectively separated berberine, palmatine, and jatrorrhizine.
Economical active feature-value acquisition through Expected Utility estimation

In many classification tasks training data have missing feature values that can be acquired at a cost. For building accurate predictive models, acquiring all missing values is often prohibitively expensive or unnecessary, while acquiring a random subset of feature values may not be most effective. The goal of active feature-value acquisition is to incrementally select feature values that are most cost-effective for improving the model's accuracy. We present two policies, Sampled Expected Utility and Expected Utility-ES, that acquire feature values for inducing a classification model based on an estimation of the expected improvement in model accuracy per unit cost. A comparison of the two policies to each other and to alternative policies demonstrate that Sampled Expected Utility is preferable as it effectively reduces the cost of producing a model of a desired accuracy and exhibits a consistent performance across domains.
Targeted disruption of Tbc1d20 with zinc-finger nucleases causes cataracts and testicular abnormalities in mice

Loss-of-function mutations in TBC1D20 cause Warburg Micro syndrome 4 (WARBM4), which is an autosomal recessive syndromic disorder characterized by eye, brain, and genital abnormalities. Blind sterile (bs) mice carry a Tbc1d20-null mutation and exhibit cataracts and testicular phenotypes similar to those observed in WARBM4 patients. In addition to TBC1D20, mutations in RAB3GAP1, RAB3GAP2 and RAB18 cause WARBM1-3 respectively. However, regardless of which gene harbors the causative mutation, all individuals affected with WARBM exhibit indistinguishable clinical presentations. In contrast, bs, Rab3gap1 -/- , and Rab18 -/- mice exhibit distinct phenotypes; this phenotypic variability of WARBM mice was previously attributed to potential compensatory mechanisms. Rab3gap1 -/- and Rab18 -/- mice were genetically engineered using standard approaches, whereas the Tbc1d20 mutation in the bs mice arose spontaneously. There is the possibility that another unidentified mutation within the bs linkage disequilibrium may be contributing to the bs phenotypes and thus contributing to the phenotypic variability in WARBM mice. The goal of this study was to establish the phenotypic consequences in mice caused by the disruption of the Tbc1d20 gene. The zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) mediated genomic editing generated a Tbc1d20 c.[418_426del] deletion encoding a putative TBC1D20-ZFN protein with an in-frame p.[H140_Y143del] deletion within the highly conserved TBC domain. The evaluation of Tbc1d20 ZFN/ZFN eyes identified severe cataracts and thickened pupillary sphincter muscle. Tbc1d20 ZFN/ZFN males are infertile and the analysis of the seminiferous tubules identified disrupted acrosomal development. The compound heterozygote Tbc1d20 ZFN/bs mice, generated from an allelic bs/+ X Tbc1d20 ZFN/+ cross, exhibited cataracts and aberrant acrosomal development indicating a failure to complement. Our findings show that the disruption of Tbc1d20 in mice results in cataracts and aberrant acrosomal formation, thus establishing bs and Tbc1d20 ZFN/ZFN as allelic variants. Although the WARBM molecular disease etiology remains unclear, both the bs and Tbc1d20 ZFN/ZFN mice are excellent model organisms for future studies to establish TBC1D20-mediated molecular and cellular functions.
SHARPE 2002: Symbolic Hierarchical Automated Reliability and Performance Evaluator

Discusses SHARPE, a well known package in the field of reliability and performability, used in universities as well as in companies. A modeler who is familiar with many different kinds of models, can easily choose models that best suit a particular system and the kind of measure that is needed at each stage of the design. It is also possible to use different kinds of models hierarchically for different physical or abstract levels of the system and to use different kinds of models to validate each other's results. Steady-state and transient computations are available in the tool.
Primary Chemotherapy for Clinical Stage II Nonseminomatous Germ Cell Testicular Tumors: Selection Criteria and Long-Term Results

Objective To determine the treatment option for patients with low-volume stage II nonseminomatous germ cell testicular tumors (NSGCTT) that yields the best survival, is associated with the least morbidity, and avoids "double therapy"—that is, chemotherapy and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) Design We reviewed our institutional experience with 28 patients with stage II NSGCTT who received primary chemotherapy between August 1983 and October 1992. Material and Methods The 28 study patients (mean age, 28 years; range, 20 to 52) with low-volume stage II NSGCTT were treated with bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin. The correlation of response rates with volume of disease and predominant histologic cell type was determined. The duration of survival was measured from the initiation of chemotherapy to the appearance of progressive disease or death or the date of last follow-up visit. Results Of the 28 patients treated, 27 (96%) achieved a complete response—20 (71 %) with only chemotherapy and an additional 7 (25 %) with chemotherapy plus surgical treatment. Twenty-seven patients (96%) remained free of disease after a median follow-up of 72 months. The most frequent complication was cisplatin-associated paresthesias or tinnitus, which was noted in 13 patients (46%). In 11 of 15 patients (73 %), attempts to have children have been successful. Conclusion Excellent long-term survival rates in patients with stage II NSGCTT can be achieved with primary chemotherapy. In this series, 71 % of patients were spared RPLND. The need for postchemotherapy RPLND seemed to be related to the initial metastatic tumor volume and possibly the histologic features of the primary tumor. Continued refinement in surgical techniques and chemotherapeutic regimens will necessitate the comparison of these two treatment approaches in a randomized prospective trial.
Quantifying and documenting prior beliefs in clinical trials

Collecting and documenting subjective prior beliefs from knowledgeable clinicians about the potential results of a clinical trial has many advantages. Two large trials of prophylactic treatments in an HIV-positive population are used as examples. The trials recruited patients of primary care physicians and compared treatments which were in use in clinical practice. Opinions about these trials were elicited from 58 practising HIV clinicians. It is shown how the documented opinions can be used to augment the monitoring process; the prior opinions are updated with interim data using approximate Bayesian methods to give posterior opinions incorporating interim results. These posterior opinions can be used by the monitoring board to anticipate the clinicians' reaction to the results. Eliciting prior beliefs is also ethically important for documenting the nature of the uncertainty or equipoise. Important information is provided for the informed consent process and Institutional Review Board (IRB).
High-saturation current wide-bandwidth photodetectors

This paper describes the design and performance of two wide-bandwidth photodiode structures. The partially depleted absorber photodiode utilizes an absorbing layer consisting of both depleted and undepleted In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As layers. These photodiodes have achieved saturation currents (bandwidths) of >430 mA (300 MHz) and 199 mA (1 GHz) for 100-/spl mu/m-diameter devices and 24 mA (48 GHz) for 100-/spl mu/m/sup 2/ area devices. Charge compensation has also been utilized in a similar, but modified In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As-InP unitraveling-carrier photodiode design to predistort the electric field in the depletion region in order to mitigate space charge effects. For 20-/spl mu/m-diameter photodiodes the large-signal 1-dB compression current and bandwidth were /spl sim/90 mA and 25 GHz, respectively.
An experimental study of inter-cell interference effects on system performance in unplanned wireless LAN deployments

In this paper, we report on our experimental study of the effects of inter-cell interference on IEEE 802.11 performance. Due to growing use of wireless LANs (WLANs) in residential areas and settings supporting flash crowds, chaotic unplanned deployments are becoming the norm rather than an exception. Environments in which these WLANs are deployed, have many nearby access points and stations on the same channel, either due to lack of coordination or insufficient available channels. Thus, inter-cell interference is common but not well-understood. According to conventional wisdom, the efficiency of an IEEE 802.11 network is determined by the number of active clients. However, we find that with a typical TCP-dominant workload, cumulative system throughput is characterized by the number of actively interfering access points rather than the number of clients. We verify that due to TCP flow control, the number of backlogged stations in such a network equals twice the number of active access points. Thus, a single access point network proves very robust even with over one hundred clients, while multiple interfering access points lead to a significant increase in collisions that reduces throughput and affects media traffic. Only two congested interfering cells prevent high quality VoIP calls. Based on these findings, we suggest a practical contention window adaptation technique using information on the number of nearby access points rather than clients. We also point out the need for collision-resilient rate adaptation in such a setting. Together these techniques can largely recover the 50% loss in cumulative throughput in a setting with four strongly interfering access points.
Serum neuron‐specific enolase in children with neuroblastoma. Crelationship to stage and disease course

Serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) was measured in 61 children at diagnosis with all stages of neuroblastoma. The median serum values for Stages I, II, III, IV, and IV-S were 13, 23, 40, 214, and 40 ng/ml, respectively. Mean serum levels were different between groups I versus IV, (P = 0.0004) II versus IV (P = 0.0001) and IV-S versus IV (P = 0.004). The prognostic value of serum NSE for disease-free survival was determined in 54 patients at risk for relapse 2 or more years after diagnosis. The disease-free survival rate of all patients with levels of less than 100 ng/ml was 27/34 (79%), whereas it was 2/20 (10%) for those with higher levels. In 28 patients with lower stage disease and a good prognosis (Stages I, II, and IV-S) NSE levels were not predictive of relapse. Only 1 of these 28 patients had a raised level (greater than 100 ng/ml) and survived without relapse, whereas 4 patients who relapsed had serum NSE less than 100 ng/ml at diagnosis. In patients with Stages III and IV disease, a raised serum NSE level was associated with poor outcome: only 1/19 (5%) survived with NSE levels greater than 100 ng/ml, whereas survival was 5/8 (63%) with values below 100 ng/ml. Serial samples were analyzed on 17 patients; all 8 patients with initial NSE levels greater than 100 ng/ml achieved near normal levels during remission (median, 21 ng/ml). However, in only 4/10 patients studied at time of relapse, did the levels rise coincident with relapse. The sera of 47 patients with other forms of cancer and 19 siblings of cancer patients were at or near the normal limits (0-15 ng/ml), with three exceptions: acute lymphoblastic leukemia (286 ng/ml), hepatoblastoma (176 ng/ml), and primitive neuroectodermal tumor (105 ng/ml). Serum NSE is a useful marker for patients with advanced neuroblastoma in whom elevated levels were associated with a poor outcome; the raised NSE levels returned to near normal after therapy. In patients with Stage IV-S disease serum NSE levels were significantly lower than those in Stage IV despite their extensive tumor burden. Serum NSE estimation may confirm Stage IV-S status and suggest a more benign clinical course.
Comparing alumni survey data over time to close the assessment loop

A valid outcomes assessment program exhibits consistency as well as accuracy and fairness in its use of tools. The authors developed an alumni survey several years ago to gauge program success in meeting EC 2000 guidelines. The current paper examines how administering a nearly identical survey to graduates of the intervening years since the last cohort provides some closure to the assessment loop. The more recent survey should give evidence whether departmental actions meant to address shortcomings highlighted in the earlier survey were indeed effective in increasing perceived preparation levels in the areas of concern. If no betterment is recorded, that may be evidence of a more systemic curricular problem requiring yet further attention. In any case, adhering to a regular and timely schedule of administering alumni surveys utilizing an essentially common format fortifies the consistency of an assessment program while also giving the program an all-important temporal scale to validate its efficacy.
Rejoinder: Making VC Bounds Accurate

I am very grateful to my colleagues Olivier Catoni and Vladimir Vovk because their insightful comments add considerable value to my article.
Development of Diamond and cBN Materials

The development of new PcBN, PCD tool materials and the high pressure-high temperature technology of growing large diamond crystals are briefly reviewed. The topics covered are cBN-TiN based sintered material for cutting hardened steel, very fine grained sintered diamond material for fine cutting or fine wire drawing applications, the diamond growth process and conditions to grow large impurity-free crystals at a high growth rate using large seed crystals.
Multifidelity Conceptual Design and Optimization of Strut-Braced Wing Aircraft using Physics Based Methods

Given the need to reduce fuel burn and emissions from aircraft drastically, aircraft designers are moving away from conventional tube-and-wing aircraft configurations towards unconventional configurations in search of benefits in terms of fuel burn and emissions. However, conceptual design and optimization of these configurations is still a challenging problem owing to the inability of correlation-based methods to accurately predict the aerodynamics and structural weight of the aircraft. In this paper we present a multi-fidelity design framework that uses finite element-based structural sizing and weight estimation, vortex lattice and CFD-based aerodynamics and automated parametric geometric modeling. These physics based methods are combined with a conceptual design framework to allow realistic design and optimization of unconventional aircraft configurations. We then use this physics-based design framework to perform design and optimization studies on a strut-braced-wing aircraft configuration.
Public Health Concerns in Wastewater Reuse

There is a growing need to reuse wastewater not only to reduce waste discharges to surface waters but also as an important water resource. The potential for increased risk of infectious disease to communities using reclaimed water continues to be a concern. With the growing interest in the use of recycled water for groundwater recharge and directly as a potable supply adjunct there is an increased awareness of chemical quality with emphasis on trace organic compounds. With proper attention to water quality standards and reclamation plant reliability high-quality water can be produced which should not pose an increased risk of disease to those using the water.
Perceptions of a strategy to prevent and relieve care provider distress in the neonatal intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND A Midwestern neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) employs a multidisciplinary conference, the Comprehensive Care Round (CCR), to facilitate communication and consensus building and thereby prevent or address moral distress within the health care team. METHODS A cross-sectional survey, 3 years after implementation of CCR, to evaluate health care providers' (HCP) perceptions of comfort with expressing distress, support from team members in care situations that evoke moral distress, barriers to communication, and attainment of CCR objectives. RESULTS Of 370 HCP, 116 (31%) participated in the survey (42% nurses, 37% allied health, and 21% medical); 51% had previously attended CCR. CCR attendance was higher among HCP aged >35 years, those who cared for CCR patients, and nonnurses. Neonatologist were more likely than others (44% versus 4%, p <0.01) to report that referred cases were not overdue for discussion and that families appreciated the attention their child received from CCR. Of note, HCP who were comfortable with expressing distress also felt supported by team members (R = 0.5, p <0.001). CONCLUSION CCR, developed to prevent or address moral distress, occurs later than most NICU HCP consider appropriate and appears to better serve HCP who are already comfortable with discussing moral distress. Helping HCP become comfortable with crucial conversations should support meaningful participation and contribution to multidisciplinary conferences.
Clinical observation and emergency nursing practice of cardiac shock in infants

Objective: To explore the clinical observation and nursing strategy of cardiac shock in infants. Methods: Seventeen infants with cardiac shock were analyzed by retrospectively. The etiology and epidemiology, the clinical observation of precursory symptoms and clinical manifestations of cardiac shock, the emergency treatment and the methods of oxygen therapy, the medication and nursing care were summarized. Results: 14 patients took a turn for the better and discharged, 3 patients died after their guardian gave up therapy. Conclusion: Close observation and nursing, as well as on active cooperation with doctors can decrease the mortality of cardiac shock.
VALUES FOR THE ELECTRONIC INFORMATION AGE: A diminished thing: What are we losing by favoring electronic access?

Les documents sous forme de bandes magnetiques, disques compacts, et meme microfilm ayant une duree de vie limitee, on peut redouter de perdre une partie de notre heritage culturel: les archives futures seront-elles moins riches que les archives actuelles, basees sur la papier
Home-Based Care Program Reduces Disability And Promotes Aging In Place

The Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE) program, funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, aims to reduce the impact of disability among low-inco...
Teaching Nanoelectronic Devices

As CMOS is being scaled toward the end of the SIA International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors where gate lengths are projected to be —10nm, new device structures are, necessarily, emerging. These nonclassical devices include single-gate fully depleted (FD) SOI, double-gate, and triple-gate MOSFETs, all with ultra-thin (<10nm) silicon bodies. And, farther down the road lies the possibility of even more exotic device structures such as silicon nanowires and carbon nanotubes.
Which Storage Device Is the Greenest? Modeling the Energy Cost of I/O Workloads

The performance requirements and amount of work of an I/O workload affect the number of storage devices and the run time needed by the workload, and should be included in the calculation of the cost or energy consumption of storage devices. This paper introduces models to calculate the cost and energy consumption of storage devices for running a variety of workloads, categorized by their dominant requirements. Measurements of two latest hard disk and solid-state drive (SSD) are included to illustrate the models in practice. Contrary to common belief, SSD is not the energy efficient choice for many workloads.
Children’s Attitudes toward Aggression: Associations with Depression, Aggression, and Perceived Maternal/Peer Responses to Anger

Little is known about factors that influence children’s attitudes toward aggression, despite evidence that these attitudes are influential in promoting violent behaviors. The purpose of the present research was to examine the relation of self, peer, and parent social factors to school-age children’s maladaptive attitudes toward aggression. Specifically, symptoms of depression, peer overt aggression behaviors, and perceptions of maternal and peer responses to anger were evaluated as important factors associated with the use of aggression. These factors were examined separately for boys and girls, as research has consistently documented gender differences in the form and use of aggression. Hierarchical regression models were computed separately for boys and girls in grades three through five (N = 167), with child-reported depression, peer-nominated overt aggression, and child-reported maternal and best friend responses to anger examined as predictors of maladaptive attitudes toward aggression. For girls, depressive symptoms positively predicted maladaptive attitudes toward aggression. For boys, the extent of peer-reported overt aggression (positively) and child-reported supportive maternal responses to the child’s anger (negatively) predicted maladaptive attitudes toward aggression. The value of examining social factors that relate to attitudes toward aggression is discussed as well as consideration of gender differences in these relations. In addition, discussion includes how these results highlight important targets for interventions that may be especially relevant for school-age girls and boys.
Hemorrhagic Pericardial Cyst Diagnosis Accelerated by Emergency Physician Echocardiography: A Case Report.

Abstract Background The differential diagnosis for chest pain in the emergency department is broad and includes both benign and life-threatening conditions–with pericardial cyst as a rare example. Emergency physician-performed point-of-care focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) is increasingly recognized as a useful modality in the evaluation of patients with chest pain. Case Report We report a case of hemorrhagic pericardial cyst in a young woman presenting with chest pain in which findings on FOCUS contradicted findings on chest x-ray study and thus, accelerated diagnosis and definitive treatment. We also comment on epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of this uncommon, potentially fatal cause of chest pain. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? This case report aims to bring an uncommon case to the attention of emergency providers and emphasize the importance of facility with FOCUS. Although definitive diagnosis and management were not accomplished at the bedside in this case, an abnormal finding on FOCUS prompted further investigation and timely treatment.
Analyzing energy efficient physical layer security in large-scale MIMO enabled CRN with QoS requirements

In this paper, we investigate the energy efficient physical layer security in large scale multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) cognitive radio networks where each secondary user has its imposed quality of service (QoS) constraint in terms of signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). In the proposed system model, eavesdroppers overhear the legitimate communication passively that results in loss in secrecy capacity/rate and jammers jam the legitimate communication with an aim to deteriorate the SINR at the receiver for the users. The legitimate secondary users in cognitive radio networks adapt their transmit waveforms and transmit powers on the fly to find the least jammed/interfered channels to communicate with high achievable data rates. The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated using numerical results obtained from simulations.
Pseudologia Fantastica in the Emergency Department: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Psychiatrists commonly encounter deception in the emergency department. This article presents the case of a patient who presents to the emergency department with an unusual and elaborate web of deceptions along multiple themes including feigning medical illness, multiple losses, and grandiose academic and athletic achievements. We review the clinical characteristics of pseudologia fantastica and discuss how this patient’s constellation of malingering, factitious disorder, and personality disorder suggests this diagnosis.
Treated secondary acute myeloid leukemia: a distinct high-risk subset of AML with adverse prognosis

Secondary acute myeloid leukemia (s-AML) includes therapy-related AML and AML evolving from antecedent hematological disorder (AHD). s-AML arising after treating AHD likely represents a prognostically distinct, high-risk disease category. In this study, treated s-AML (ts-AML) was defined by: (1) prior diagnosis of myelodysplasia, myeloproliferative neoplasm, or aplastic anemia and (2) at least 1 therapy for that diagnosis. ts-AML was categorized by age (< or ≥60 years), and each cohort assessed for response rates and overall survival (OS) on various treatment regimens. Survival outcomes were compared against other high-risk prognostic subsets. Results showed that complete response and 8-week mortality rates were 32% and 27% in the younger, and 24% and 19% in the older age groups, respectively. There was a significant OS difference within s-AML based on prior treatment of AHD (ie, ts-AML vs s-AML with untreated AHD, 4.2 vs 9.2 months; P < .001). Survival in ts-AML was poor across both cohorts (younger and older, 5 and 4.7 months, respectively). In younger AML, survival was significantly inferior in ts-AML when compared with deletion 5/7, TP53, 3q abnormality, and therapy-related AML groups (median, 5 vs 7.9, 7.8, 7.9, and 11.2 months, respectively; P < .01). Additional adverse karyotype within ts-AML was associated with even worse outcomes (OS range, 1.6-2.8 months). ts-AML represents a very high-risk category, even in younger AML patients. s-AML should be further classified to describe ts-AML, an entity less responsive to currently applied treatment approaches. Future AML trial designs should accommodate ts-AML as a distinct subgroup.
Fiscal Cyclicality and Currency Risk Premia (Internet Appendix)

Original paper is available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3059245. This supplemental appendix provides additional analyses and robustness checks for my paper Fiscal Cyclicality and Currency Risk Premia.
The negative impact of sugar-sweetened beverages on children’s health: an update of the literature

While sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption has declined in the last 15 years, consumption of SSBs is still high among children and adolescents. This research synthesis updates a prior review on this topic and examines the evidence regarding the various health impacts of SSBs on children’s health (overweight/obesity, insulin resistance, dental caries, and caffeine-related effects). We searched PubMed, CAB Abstracts and PAIS International to identify cross-sectional, longitudinal and intervention studies examining the health impacts of SSBs in children published after January 1, 2007. We also searched reference lists of relevant articles. Overall, most studies found consistent evidence for the negative impact of SSBs on children’s health, with the strongest support for overweight/obesity risk and dental caries, and emerging evidence for insulin resistance and caffeine-related effects. The majority of evidence was cross-sectional highlighting the need for more longitudinal and intervention studies to address this research question. There is substantial evidence that SSBs increase the risk of overweight/obesity and dental caries and developing evidence for the negative impact of SSBs on insulin resistance and caffeine-related effects. The vast majority of literature supports the idea that a reduction in SSB consumption would improve children’s health.
Technical Aspects of Duplex Ultrasound-Guided Angioplasty of Arteriovenous Fistulae:

IntroductionUp to one-third of autologous arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) created for hemodialysis access will require additional interventions to maintain patency or promote maturation. We describe t...
Open Relationships: A Culturally and Clinically Sensitive Approach

Romantic and sexual relationships that challenge the notion of monogamy are more common and visible in American society than earlier years, yet there is very little literature focusing on therapy with clients in open relationships. Concepts from the literature on open relationships that could be used in couple and family therapy are discussed in addition to specific ethical considerations for therapists who work with this population. A case description that illustrates a clinical approach that draws upon constructionist and narrative elements is provided. A discussion of how therapists can assist with the negotiation of non-monogamy, and suggestions for ways to create secure therapeutic space for clients in open relationships also are provided.
Cartilage Forming Tumors

All connective tissues are derived from undifferentiated mesenchymal cells. These cells have the potential of forming osteoblasts, fibroblasts, chondroblasts, and other connective tissue cells. Undifferentiated mesenchymal cells are present in the adult tissues and retain their ability to differentiate into the other connective tissue cells as a reserve to continue the replacement of older and dead cells.
The anion-binding functions of transferrin.

Although the presence in blood serum of iron which was not part of heme, and was neither ultrafiltrable nor dialyzable, was recognized almost 50 years ago (Katz, 1970), the precise physicochemical nature of this iron-bearing component was established only after the development of reliable procedures for the fractionation of blood proteins. In 1945 Holmberg and Laurell in Sweden established the existence of an iron-transporting protein in blood which they punningly named transferrin (Holmberg and Laurell, 1945, 1947). Almost simultaneously Schade and Caroline (1946) in the United States demonstrated that the bacteriostatic activity of blood plasma was in part due to a protein with an enormous avidity for iron which they therefore named siderophilin. These investigators further established the remarkable similarity of the iron-complexing properties of the blood protein to those of conalbumin, a protein present in egg white (1944). Because of this similarity, the designation ovotransferrin for the egg protein is currently gaining widespread usage (Feeney and Komatsu, 1966). Finally, a “red protein” from milk has also been shown to display the same type of iron-binding activity as transferrin and conalbumin, and hence has been given the name lactoferrin (Masson and Heremans, 1967, 1968). This is something of a misnomer, since lactoferrin occurs in a variety of physiological fluids as well as in leucocytes. Together, serum transferrin, conalbumin (ovotransferrin) and lactoferrin comprise the class of proteins often designated as “the transferrins” (Feeney and Komatsu, 1966).
PLD: Phospholipase Ds in Plant Signaling

Membrane lipids are rich sources for generating intracellular messengers, and the activation of phospholipases is often an early step in the messenger production. Phospholipase D (PLD) is a major family of membrane lipid-hydrolyzing enzymes in plants, and PLD activity increases under a wide range of stress conditions. Recent studies have revealed extensive biochemical and functional heterogeneities of PLDs. Cellular effectors, including Ca2+, phosphoinositides, and oleic acid, bind to specific PLDs and differentially modulate their activities. The differential activation of specific PLDs plays crucial roles in the temporal and spatial production of phosphatidic acid, a class of potent lipid mediators involved in plant growth and stress responses. PLDs also interact directly with proteins involved in various processes, including cell signaling, central metabolism, and cytoskeleton reorganization. Different PLDs have unique and overlapping functions in plant growth, development, and stress responses.
High quality molecular beam epitaxy growth and characterization of lead titanate zirconate based complex-oxides

High quality Molecular Beam Epitaxy growth, characterization, and analysis of Lead zirconate titanate based complex-oxides
Outcomes of Requests for Summary Judgments in Federal Sexual Harassment Cases: Policy Capturing Revisited

In this study we employ a policy-capturing approach to identify those variables that appear to have a significant influence on the outcomes of defense requests for summary judgments in federal sexual harassment (SH) cases. The purpose of the study is to extend studies performed by D. E. Terpstra and D. D. Baker (1988, 1992) in light of evolving legislation and case law and address the criticisms of policy-capturing studies by M. V. Roehling (1993). Results of the analysis indicate that those variables that most influence case outcomes are: whether the plaintiff had witnesses, the severity and frequency of the SH, and Federal Circuit Court jurisdiction. Finally, the study also shows that past criticisms of this method may be addressed with modifications to data collection and coding techniques.
226Ra and210Pb in the Weddell Sea

Abstract 226Ra and210Pb were measured in sections and profiles collected in the Weddell Sea during the International Weddell Sea Oceanographic Expedition in 1973. The results can be correlated with the circulation and mixing schemes deduced from hydrographic observations. Along the surface cyclonic gyre the Ra activities are fairly uniform at about 17 dpm/100 kg, quite similar to those of the Circumpolar surface water south of the Antarctic Convergence. The210Pb activities in the northern flank of the gyre, probably influenced by the high210Pb-bearing Circumpolar Deep Water in the north, are as high as 12 dpm/100 kg. At the central gyre and its southern flank, the surface water210Pb activities are about 7 dpm/100 kg. The warmer surface water at the central gyre has a Ra activity of about 19 dpm/100 kg, slightly higher than the colder surface water at the flanks. Thus lower210Pb/226Ra activity ratios are observed in the central gyre, and higher ratios in its flanks. Similar relationships between Ra and Pb are noted in the Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW): lower Pb associated with higher Ra in the center; higher Pb with slightly lower Ra in the flanks. Vertical profiles along the cyclonic gyre show lower Ra and Pb activities in the southwestern Weddell Basin where lower temperature and lower silicate are observed. Similar to Ba, both Ra and Si are non-conservative in the Weddell Sea, with significant input from the bottom sediments and particulate dissolution during subsurface mixing. Each water mass or type in the Weddell Sea is well characterized by its Ra content, but not well by its Pb content. Ra and Si are crudely correlated with a slope of about 7 × 10−4 dpm Ra per μmole of Si. The fact that the WSBW values fall on the slope suggests that the net input rate for Ra (corrected for the decay rate) is proportional to that of Si. The linear extrapolation to zero Si gives a Ra value of 13 dpm/100 kg. These relationships are quite similar to those observed in the Circumpolar waters.
Why bones bend but don’t break

The musculoskeletal system is adept at dissipating potentially damaging energy that could accelerate fracture consequent to multiple loading cycles. Microstructural damage reduces bone's residual properties, but prevents high stresses within the material by dissipating energy that can lead to eventual failure. Thus skeletal microdamage can be viewed as an adaptive process to prevent bone failure by dissipating energy. Because a damaged bone has reduced strength and stiffness, it must be repaired, so bone has evolved a system of self-repair that relies on microdamage-stimulated signaling mechanisms. When repair cannot occur quickly enough, low energy stress fractures can occur. The regulating effects of muscle also prevent failure by controlling where high stresses occur. Acting synergistically, muscle forces dissipate energy by appropriately regulating accelerations and decelerations of the limbs during movement. When muscles become fatigued, these functions are constrained, larger amounts of energy are imparted to bone, increasing the likelihood of microstructural damage and fracture. Thus, healthy bones are maintained by the ability of the musculoskeletal system to dissipate the energy through synergistic muscular activity and through the maintenance of microstructural and material properties that allow for crack initiation, but also for their repair.
Calculations of theoretical efficiencies for electrochemically-mediated tandem solar water splitting as a function of bandgap energies and redox shuttle potential

Tandem Z-scheme solar water splitting devices composed of two light-absorbers that are connected electrochemically by a soluble redox shuttle constitute a promising technology for cost-effective solar hydrogen production. Herein, efficiency limits of these devices are modeled by combining the detailed-balance model of the light-absorbers with Butler–Volmer electron-transfer kinetics. The impacts of the redox shuttle thermodynamic potential, light-absorber bandgaps, and electrocatalytic parameters on the solar-to-hydrogen conversion (STH) efficiency are modeled. We report that the thermodynamic potential of the redox shuttle with respect to the hydrogen and oxygen evolution potentials has a direct effect on both the STH efficiency and the optimal tandem light-absorber bandgaps needed to achieve the maximum possible STH efficiency. At 1 sun illumination and assuming ideal and optimally selective electrocatalytic parameters, the STH efficiency varies from a minimum of 21%, for a redox shuttle potential of 0 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), to a maximum of 34%, for a redox shuttle potential of either 0.36 V or 1.06 V vs. RHE. To attain the maximum possible STH efficiency of 34%, the light-absorber bandgaps must be 1.53 eV and 0.75 eV, yet the optimal redox shuttle potential depends on whether the hydrogen-evolving or oxygen-evolving light-absorber has the larger bandgap. Results also underscore the importance of optimizing the absorptance of the top light-absorber, which enables large STH efficiencies to be achieved with a wider range of bandgap combinations. Moreover, given the large overpotentials for the oxygen evolution reaction and reasonably low overpotentials for most redox shuttle reactions, the tandem design is more efficient than a single light-absorber design even when the potential of the redox shuttle exceeds 1.23 V vs. RHE. When the exchange current density of the redox shuttle reactions is as low as 10−5 mA cm−2, STH efficiencies as large as 22% are still achievable as long as selective catalysis and optimal redox shuttle potential are assumed, suggesting that even slow redox shuttle reactions may not limit the practicality of these devices.
What Research Overlooks: Voters’ Dilemma of Disempowerment

This chapter delves into topics that have been less well covered by academic research, especially the symbiotic pathology of vote-splitting and “lesser evil” choices. These two features of elections sustain a host of electoral misincentives, associated with “wasted” votes and “spoiler” candidates, which combine to impose a dilemma of disempowerment on voters. A ballot with too few options risks the lesser-evil problem, in which voters are coerced into a false choice, but a ballot with too many options risks the vote-splitting problem, in which an unpopular winner prevails when voters divide their support for several alternatives. This dilemma breathes life into electoral dysfunction and spoils efforts to reform contest structure by addressing issues of ballot access, number of seats, and stages of voting.
Effects of insecticides on acetylene reduction by Azotobacter vinelandii and soybean nodules

Nine organophosphate and carbamate insecticides were tested for effects on ability of Azotobacter vinelandii to reduce acetylene. Only GardonaR, at higher concentrations, was significantly inhibitory. The same pesticides were tested with soybeans (Glycine max L.). Some minor phytotoxic effects were noted, but there was no inhibition of the ability of the excised nodules of the plants to reduce acetylene.
Gender and Fiscal Gridlock in the American States

Prior research, polling, and accounts from female politicians themselves suggest that with greater representation by women comes a less confrontational leadership style with a greater willingness t...