cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The relative impact of socioeconomic status and childhood trauma on Black-White differences in paranoid personality disorder symptoms.

The current study examines mechanisms of racial differences in symptoms of paranoid personality disorder (PPD) in a sample of adults ages 55–64 from the St. Louis, MO area. Socioeconomic status (SES) and childhood trauma were tested as intervening variables in the association between race and PPD symptoms using structural equation modeling. PPD symptoms were modeled as a latent variable composed of items from the PPD scales of the Multi-Source Assessment of Personality Pathology self and informant reports and the Structured Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM–IV) Personality. Childhood trauma was measured using the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire, and SES was a composite of parent education, participant education, and annual household income. Blacks exhibited higher levels of PPD symptoms across the 3 personality measures, reported significantly lower SES, and reported greater childhood trauma. The proposed model was a good fit to the data, and the effect of race on PPD symptoms operated mainly through SES. The indirect effect through SES was stronger for males. Findings suggest that racial differences in PPD symptoms are partly explained by problems more commonly experienced by Black individuals.
Intraoperative Real Time Ultrasonic Scanning for Locating and Recovering Renal Calculi

AbstractIntraoperative ultrasonic guidance is a useful method to locate and to remove small renal stones broken from a larger stone during extraction, stones and calices proximal to a narrowed infundibulum and parenchymal calculi that should be removed during other procedures on the kidney.
Demonstration of in situ fibrin degradation in pathologic thrombi

Fibrin prepared from 15 pathologic thrombi was examined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to determine the extent and pattern of fibrinolysis that occurs in vivo. Two groups of patients could be distinguished on the basis of the polypeptide chain composition of fibrin in their thrombi. Those patients who presented with acute vascular obstruction, either arterial or venous, showed a minimal degree of fibrin degradation, with a dominance of intact, undegraded crosslinked gamma-gamma dimers. On the other hand, patients with long-standing symptoms associated with chronic aortic aneurysms had thrombi containing extensively degraded fibrin. Thrombi in large aortic aneurysms were dissected into concentric layers that showed different degrees of fibrinolysis. The luminal surface consisted of fresh, red thrombus and contained undegraded crosslinked fibrin similar to that found in patients with acute occlusive disease. Deeper layers of the thrombus showed gamma-gamma chain degradation throughout, indicating that this portion was undergoing active thrombolysis. The findings demonstrate that the variability in the pathophysiologic balance between coagulation and fibrinolysis is reflected in vivo by the polypeptide chain composition of crosslinked fibrin in thrombi. The results support the hypothesis of a dynamic equilibrium between clotting and lysis, but indicate that the balance between these two processes may be distinctly different in separate areas of a single clot.
Imaging the spontaneous obliteration of a cerebral arteriovenous malformation using c-arm cone beam computed tomography: A case report.

Background Spontaneous occlusion of a cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) without treatment is a rare occurrence. Case description We report the case of a 56-year-old male who presented with aphasia and right hemiparesis secondary to intracerebral and intraventricular hemorrhage. Diagnostic digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and c-arm cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) demonstrated a 5 mm Spetzler-Martin Grade III left thalamic AVM drained by the internal cerebral vein. Subsequent DSA and CBCT studies confirmed the spontaneous obliteration of the AVM. Conclusions In this case, CBCT provided high resolution imaging of the AVM. Future clinical use of CBCT as an adjunct to DSA may enhance the diagnostic and therapeutic imaging of vascular lesions.
A Highly Sensitive and Robust Method for Genome-wide 5hmC Profiling of Rare Cell Populations

We present a highly sensitive and selective chemical labeling and capture approach for genome-wide profiling of 5-hydroxylmethylcytosine (5hmC) using DNA isolated from ∼1,000 cells (nano-hmC-Seal). Using this technology, we assessed 5hmC occupancy and dynamics across different stages of hematopoietic differentiation. Nano-hmC-Seal profiling of purified Tet2-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) murine stem cells allowed us to identify leukemia-specific, differentially hydroxymethylated regions that harbor known and candidate disease-specific target genes with differential 5hmC peaks compared to normal stem cells. The change of 5hmC patterns in AML strongly correlates with differential gene expression, demonstrating the importance of dynamic alterations of 5hmC in regulating transcription in AML. Together, covalent 5hmC labeling offers an effective approach to study and detect DNA methylation dynamics in in vivo disease models and in limited clinical samples.
Inhibition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by slow release of propyl paraben from a polymer coating.

The inhibition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by slow release of propyl paraben from a styrene-acrylate copolymer coating was examined and compared with the inhibition by direct addition of propyl paraben. Under slow release condition, a slow but continuous microbial inhibition was observed, whereas a cell outgrowth was observed under direct addition condition after a sufficient incubation time. S. cerevisiae cells isolated from the culture under direct addition condition were more tolerant of propyl paraben than cells isolated from the culture under slow release condition. The equilibrium propyl paraben concentrations under both conditions were 150 ppm. The release kinetics of propyl paraben from the coating at 30°C was found to be controlled by Fickian diffusion within the coating. The estimated partition and diffusion coefficients were 4.65 × 10 -3 and 2.01 × 10 -10 cm 2 /s, respectively. Une methode innovante pour etendre la duree de conservation des aliments est d'utiliser un materiau d'emballage qui peut liberer lentement un agent antimicrobien dans l'aliment. Plusieurs combinaisons d'agents antimicrobien et de polymeres ont ete etudiees pour le developpement d'emballages actifs. Dans une etude precedente, les cinetiques de liberation du propyl paraben d'un co-polymere styrene-acrylate (Carboset) ont ete etudiees. Cette presente etude examine l'inhibition de Saccharomyces cerevisiae par liberation lente de propyl paraben d'un revetement de Carboset, en comparaison avec l'inhibition par addition directe de propyl paraben. Les cinetiques de liberation dans le milieu liquide sont aussi etudiees. Les cinetiques de liberation sont controlees par la diffusion de Fick.
Global Competition and the Rise of China

Using firm level data, the authors examine how global industrial concentration has changed over the last decade in relation to the rise of China. Between 2006 and 2014, global concentration has declined in most industries and is falling on average across all industries, while firms at the top of the distribution are experiencing significant churning. The resulting enhanced industrial competition is partly attributable to the rising market shares of firms from China and other emerging markets at the expense of incumbent industry leaders. The authors further show evidence of global allocative efficiency — highly productive firms tend to be larger and grow faster. Global concentration has, however, risen significantly in several industries where Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) dominate, and China’s SOEs are on average too large and expanding too fast given their low levels of productivity.
Heart rate regulation in diving sea lions: the vagus nerve rules

Recent publications have emphasized the potential generation of morbid cardiac arrhythmias secondary to autonomic conflict in diving marine mammals. Such conflict, as typified by cardiovascular responses to cold water immersion in humans, has been proposed to result from exercise-related activation of cardiac sympathetic fibers to increase heart rate, combined with depth-related changes in parasympathetic tone to decrease heart rate. After reviewing the marine mammal literature and evaluating heart rate profiles of diving California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), we present an alternative interpretation of heart rate regulation that de-emphasizes the concept of autonomic conflict and the risk of morbid arrhythmias in marine mammals. We hypothesize that: (1) both the sympathetic cardiac accelerator fibers and the peripheral sympathetic vasomotor fibers are activated during dives even without exercise, and their activities are elevated at the lowest heart rates in a dive when vasoconstriction is maximal, (2) in diving animals, parasympathetic cardiac tone via the vagus nerve dominates over sympathetic cardiac tone during all phases of the dive, thus producing the bradycardia, (3) adjustment in vagal activity, which may be affected by many inputs, including exercise, is the primary regulator of heart rate and heart rate fluctuations during diving, and (4) heart beat fluctuations (benign arrhythmias) are common in marine mammals. Consistent with the literature and with these hypotheses, we believe that the generation of morbid arrhythmias because of exercise or stress during dives is unlikely in marine mammals.
An Exploration of a Quantitative Reasoning Instructional Approach to Linear Equations in Two Variables with Community College Students

In this exploratory study, we examined the effects of a quantitative reasoning instructional approach to linear equations in two variables on community college students’ conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and reasoning ability. This was done in comparison to the use of a traditional procedural approach for instruction on the same topic. Data were gathered from a common unit assessment that included procedural and conceptual questions. Results demonstrate that small changes in instruction focused on quantitative reasoning can lead to significant differences in students’ ability to demonstrate conceptual understanding compared to a procedural approach. The results also indicate that a quantitative reasoning approach does not appear to diminish students’ procedural skills, but that additional work is needed to understand how to best support students’ understanding of linear relationships.
Work/Life Flexibility

Column description. The Internet Resources Column is designed to be a clearinghouse for free, online websites; each column will focus on themes relevant to current issues in academic libraries and ...
Factors influencing discharge disposition after colectomy

Factors associated with discharge destination after colectomy despite accounting for surgical morbidity have not previously been well characterized. This study aims to evaluate perioperative predictors for extended care after complicated and uncomplicated colectomy. Patients admitted from home for elective colectomy were identified from the American College of Surgeons, National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, 2012–2013 general and colectomy-targeted datasets. Patients who were discharged home (DH) were compared to those discharged to facility (DF) for patient, disease, treatment, and pre-discharge postoperative adverse events. Patients without any 30-day postoperative complication were similarly compared. Of 19,527 patients undergoing elective colectomy, 18,128 (92.8%) were discharged home and 1399 (7.2%) patients to other facilities. When there was no postoperative complication, these rates were 96.3 and 3.7%, respectively. On multivariable analysis, factors associated with DF included female gender, functional dependence, weight loss, ASA class ≥ 3, open and stoma surgery, and development of postoperative complications. For patients without postoperative complications, increasing age, functional dependence, and ASA score ≥ 3 were associated with DF. Preoperative bowel preparation, albumin, a minimally invasive surgical approach, and length of stay < 5 days were significantly associated with reduced DF. The majority of perioperative factors associated with extended care after colectomy are patient driven. The adoption of oral antibiotics as bowel preparation, minimally invasive surgery, and accelerated recovery protocols may reduce post-acute care placement after elective colectomy.
Explaining physical, verbal, and social bullying among bullies, victims of bullying, and bully-victims: Assessing the integrated approach between social control and lifestyles-routine activities theories

Abstract This study examined the direct impacts of risk factor (delinquent peer associations) and mediating effects of social controls on three types of bullying status: perpetration, victimization, and perpetration-victimization in each of the following: physical, verbal, and social bullying. The objective of the study is to provide an important explanatory test of the applicability of the integrated approach between social control and lifestyles-routine activities theories. Logistic regression models were estimated using a subsample of 14,627 students from the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey. Findings revealed that adolescents who associated with delinquent peers were more likely to be bullies, victims, and bully-victims in physical, verbal, and social bullying. Even after controlling for social controls, it still remained significant. Adolescents attached to parents, peers, and teachers were less likely to be bullies and bully-victims in physical, verbal, and social bullying with the exception of teacher attachment for social bullying. Also, teacher attachment was not significant for all three subtypes of bullying among victim group members.
Vascular progressive supranuclear palsy

Background: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurologic syndrome of unknown cause. This idiopathic type of PSP is usually associated with characteristic clinical and pathological features. Objective: To assess evidence of cerebrovascular disease in a population of patients with clinically defined PSP, and to compare clinical and neuroimaging features in vascular versus idiopathic PSP. Design and methods: Using predetermined criteria, the records of 128 patients diagnosed with PSP were reviewed for evidence of vascular disease. Results: Thirty patients (23.3%) satisfied criteria for vascular PSP. The vascular group differed from the idiopathic group by asymmetric and predominantly lower body involvement (p < 0.05). Corticospinal signs, pseudobulbar signs, gait difficulties, dementia, and incontinence of bowels and bladder were also more common in the vascular group, but these differences did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: PSP is a syndrome which can be caused by cerebro-vascular disease. In addition to an increased frequency of stroke risk factors and neuroimaging evidence of vascular disease, vascular PSP can be differentiated from idiopathic PSP by a higher degree of asymmetry, lower body involvement, and evidence of corticospinal and pseudobulbar signs.
Transcend or Transgress

Certain passages from C. Wright Mills’ The Sociological Imagination [(1959) 1969] inspire me today as they did when I happened upon my first sociology course many years ago. In the first chapter, The Promise, Mills identifies three sets of questions posed by the classic social theorists such as Karl Marx and Max Weber.
Activities to Invigorate a Student Chapter of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society

An IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) student chapter can play an important service role for collegiate biomedical curricula, supporting (a) faculty and administrators as they offer biomedical programs and work to strengthen industry/community relationships, and (b) students as they engage in engineering skill development and seek industry employment, graduate school opportunities, or medical school placement. This paper summarizes recent projects and activities sponsored by the Kansas State University (KSU) Student Chapter of the IEEE EMBS - efforts intended to maintain interest in the student chapter while supporting its service role. Such a role will become more important in upcoming years in light of the increasing demand for biomedical engineers, especially in the Midwest United States, a reality which motivated the inception of a new KSU undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering starting in Fall 2018. The KSU IEEE EMBS student chapter can play a large role in the overall success of this new curriculum, and the projects and activities summarized in this paper are offered as examples to programs that may wish to benefit from an IEEE EMBS student chapter in a similar and meaningful way.
Trait divergence, not plasticity, determines the success of a newly invasive plant.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Phenotypic plasticity and genetic differentiation both play important roles in the establishment and spread of species after extra-range dispersal; however, the adaptive potential of plasticity and genetic divergence in successful invasions remains unclear. METHODS We measured six anatomical traits associated with drought tolerance in contrasting water environments for individuals from the invasive and native range of the bunchgrass Brachypodium sylvaticum. To represent sources contributing to admixed genotypes in the invasive range accurately, we used unique alleles to determine probabilities of genetic contribution, and utilized these as weights in our analyses. The adaptive values of plasticity and genetic differentiation were assessed using regression. KEY RESULTS No plasticity was found in response to water availability for any of the measured traits. Bulliform cell area and three traits related to xylem morphology displayed genetic differentiation between invasive and native ranges, indicating a shift in the invasive range towards drought-tolerant phenotypes. Genetic divergence was not consistently in the direction indicated by selection, suggesting that responses are limited by trade-offs with other traits or physical constraints. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that invasive adaptation is the consequence of post-introduction selection leading to genetic differentiation. Selection, rather than plasticity, is driving B. sylvaticum success in its invaded range.
Acyclovir for childhood chickenpox. No reason not to treat.

Acyclovir has been shown to shorten the course of chickenpox in otherwise healthy children by 25–33% according to three placebo controlled trials in the United States.1 2 3 All clinical events monitored were favourably affected by acyclovir, with the most important differences being reductions in degree and duration of fever, constitutional illness score, and number of residual lesions present at the 28 day follow up examination. No appreciable adverse events were reported. These studies also identified two subsets of patients particularly suitable for acyclovir therapy: adolescents and children who acquired chickenpox from a family member. The main controversy regarding use of acyclovir is not its clinical usefulness, which is scientifically incontestable, but whether treatment is needed for a relatively benign disease. To fully appreciate the impact of acyclovir on chickenpox you need to make daily visits to treated subjects and controls, as our research nurse clinicians …
Texture analysis of placental MRI: can it aid in the prenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrum?

To determine if texture analysis can differentiate placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) from normal placenta on MRI. We performed retrospective image analysis of 80 patients, comprised of 46 patients with PAS and 34 patients without PAS. Histopathology was used as the reference standard. Sagittal single shot fast spin echo T2-weighted MRI sequences acquired from a single institution were analyzed. Placental heterogeneity was quantified using in-house software on a Matlab platform, including the standard deviation of pixel intensity, coefficient of variation, gray-level co-occurrence matrices (GLCM), histogram-oriented gradients (HOG), and fractal analysis with box sizes from 2 to 512. Two-tailed unpaired Student’s t test was used with statistical significance of p < 0.05. PAS was associated with higher values for standard deviation of pixel intensity and fractal analysis at every box size. Fractal analysis at box sizes 256 (p = 0.011) and 32 (p = 0.021), and standard deviation of pixel intensity (p = 0.023) were the most statistically significant. Fractal values at box size 256 for PAS was 0.13 versus 0.090 for patients without PAS, while standard deviation of pixel intensity was 3.7 for PAS versus 2.5 for patients without PAS. No statistically significant association between PAS and GLCM, coefficient of variation, and HOG was found. Statistically significant differences were found between normal and abnormal groups using standard deviation of pixel intensity and fractal analysis.
The University of Miami spine surgery ERAS protocol: a review of our journey.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is a multidisciplinary concerted approach to optimizing post- operative recovery and reducing hospital length of stay. It was first conceived in Denmark for abdominal surgery (1,2). This initiative examined organ/system specific responses to surgical stress and factors compromising these pathophysiologic effects pre-operatively, intra- operatively, and post-operatively.
New Times for Military Professionalism: Rethinking Core Competencies and Dynamic Capabilities

This chapter examines the future of military professionalism in the context of technological advances, social evolutions, and capacity-building requirements. New applications have arisen from technological innovation, such as human-machine interface, artificial intelligence, and drones, with significant effects on the organization of military operations. But military professionalism is also bound by values and traditions that also provide capabilities to accomplish future missions. This study seeks to explain how military organizations can adapt to change and become more agile to better cope with the unpredictability of the future political context and social evolutions, especially in the domain of human resources management with the coexistence of varying technological dexterity. A review of properties underpinning adaptive and agile organizations is proposed here as a new framework to effectively cope with multidimensional challenges and resource base reconfiguration.
Abstract P060: High Salt Induces An Endothelial HDAC1-stimulating Circulating Factor Leading To Disrupted Renal Microvascular Nitric Oxide Signaling

High salt diet (HS) decreases endothelial nitric oxide (NO) signaling as described in human and rodent studies. We have previously shown that inhibition of HDAC1 restores NO signaling in the affere...
The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Gig Economy Labor Supply

Using data from a large online education platform with more than 100,000 gig workers, we investigate the causal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gig economy labor supply and quantify how much of the impact can be attributed to lockdown policies. The average labor supply on the gig economy platform increases by 25% during the pandemic. The impact is nationwide and is stronger in states with more confirmed cases of COVID-19. The impact of state-level shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders accounts for only 7%~16% of the overall impact of the pandemic, suggesting that simply lifting the lockdown policies without controlling the disease well is unlikely to get the economy back on track. We also evaluate how female and male workers respond differently. Although both female and male workers increase their labor supply, female workers' increase in labor supply is smaller than male workers', and consequently, the already existing gender gap in labor supply increases by 31%. The increase in gender gap is primarily driven by workers in their age of 30-50, implying that the increase in gender gap is likely to be caused by the school closures during the pandemic and the disproportionate allocation of housework and childcare responsibility across gender.
Bistable Nonvolatile Elastic-Membrane Memcapacitor Exhibiting a Chaotic Behavior

We suggest a realization of a bistable nonvolatile memory capacitor (memcapacitor). Its design utilizes a strained elastic membrane as a plate of a parallel-plate capacitor. The applied stress generates low and high capacitance configurations of the system. We demonstrate that a voltage pulse of an appropriate amplitude can be used to reliably switch the memcapacitor into the desired capacitance state. Moreover, the charge-voltage and capacitance-voltage curves of such a system demonstrate hysteresis and transition into a chaotic regime in a certain range of alternating-current voltage amplitudes and frequencies. The membrane memcapacitor connected to a voltage source comprises a single-element nonautonomous chaotic circuit.
How quantifiers influence the conceptual representation of plurals.

This paper reports the results of two experiments that investigate the nature of plural conceptual representations that are created during sentence comprehension. Previous work has found that comprehenders seem to represent both a singular object and a plural set of objects during the comprehension of plural nouns. The activation of the singular object has been attributed to the pragmatic processing involved in understanding the plural (Patson, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 42, 1140–1153, 2016a). The goal of the current study was to further investigate this hypothesis. Experiment 1 used a picture-matching paradigm to investigate how comprehenders conceptualize plural nouns quantified with many, which renders the scalar implicature unnecessary. Consistent with the pragmatic processing hypothesis, comprehenders did not activate a singular form when the plural was quantified with many. Experiment 2 was designed to further investigate whether all quantifiers block activation of the singular form. The same picture-matching paradigm was used with numerical quantifiers that specify numbers either within or above the subitization range. When the number was within the subitization range, comprehenders’ conceptual representations contained exactly that number of objects, and importantly did not contain a singular object. When number was above the subitization range, comprehenders’ conceptual representations did not contain an exact number of objects and seemed to activate a singular object. These data are consistent with constraints on how many objects can be represented in visual working memory. Taken together, the results of these two experiments suggest that the plural’s conceptual representation emerged as a result of grammatical processing as well as limits on the visual processing system.
Gasoline fuels properties for multi-mode operation – Observations in a GDI and the CFR engine

Abstract The combustion behavior of five full boiling range RON98 gasoline blends was evaluated for multi-mode operation in a GDI and the CFR octane rating engine. The GDI engine tests were conducted with stoichiometric air-fuel ratio in spark-ignition (SI), and with air-diluted homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) mode. In the CFR engine, the knocking combustion was analyzed under standard RON testing conditions at both peak knocking lambda and stoichiometric air-fuel ratios, whereas compression ignited operation was characterized by utilizing the HCCI number test protocol. Disparate knock limited SI and HCCI combustion behavior was observed for the test fuels, despite four of the fuels having the same RON and octane sensitivity. It was found that knock-limited combustion phasing in the GDI engine did not align well with the RON. However, a detailed comparison of knock-limited SI operation in the GDI and CFR engine revealed that a more appropriate effective RON based on a common knock intensity metric (MAPO) and stoichiometric air-fuel ratio resulted in comparable knock characterization between the two engine platforms. Furthermore, the critical intake air temperature and the critical compression ratio were proposed to characterize knock-limited SI operation, while the minimum intake air heating and compression ratio were used to define a fuel’s autoignition propensity for compression ignition operation in the GDI and CFR engine, respectively. Finally, each fuel’s characteristic compression ratio needed to obtain knock-limited SI (KLSI) and HCCI operation was used to calculate an effective multi-mode octane number (MM-ON) based on the primary reference fuel blends.
Follow-Up Care after Living Kidney Donation

Living donor kidney transplantation provides patients with kidney failure the best chance of dialysis-free survival. Although the risk of living donation in selected candidates has been accepted to be low, evidence to support these findings has been complicated by study limitations such as short observation periods or insufficiently powered studies. Follow-up information on donors’ health is essential for understanding risks and consequences of living donation, and for supporting donor selection, informed consent and long-term care. Furthermore, patient-centered engagement in living donor (LD) follow-up, risk assessment, and disclosure are crucial for maintaining and supporting trust in the process of LD and living donor kidney transplantation. Despite mandates and recommendations put forward by governing transplant bodies, both in the United States and internationally, LD follow-up procedures as well as completeness and accuracy of data collected on LDs vary due to logistical and financial challenges faced by the donor and transplant centers. Numerous ongoing collaborative efforts and strategies amongst donors, transplant centers, healthcare providers, as well as policy makers aim to improve LD follow-up. Such efforts include piloting lifelong LD registries, exploring novel technological strategies, and implementing transplant center-based initiatives.
Do Noisy Customer Reviews Discourage Platform Sellers? Empirical Analysis of an Online Solar Marketplace

Problem definition: Customer reviews are essential to online marketplaces. However, reviews typically vary; ratings of a product or service are rarely the same. In many service marketplaces, especially the ones for solar panel installations, supply-side participants are active. That is, a seller must make a proposal to serve each customer. In such marketplaces, it is not clear how (or if) the dispersion in customer reviews affects the seller activity level and number of matches in the marketplace. Our paper examines this by considering both ratings and text reviews. Academic/Practical Relevance: To our knowledge, this is the first paper that empirically studies how the review dispersion affects a seller's activity level and the number of matches in an online marketplace with active sellers. Distinct from literature, we examine the relationship between the review dispersion and supply-side activities in an online service marketplace. Methodology: We collaborated with one of the largest online solar marketplaces in the U.S. that connects potential solar panel adopters with installers. We obtained a unique dataset from the marketplace for 2013 - 2018. We complement this with public datasets. Our analysis uses traditional econometrics methods, a clustering method, and the deep-learning-based natural-language-processing model BERT developed by Google AI. Results: We find that the dispersion in customer reviews has a significant and inverted U-shaped effect on an installer's marketplace activity level. Specifically, the installer's activity level increases with the review dispersion if and only if that dispersion is below a certain threshold. Above that threshold, more dispersion in reviews lowers the installer's activity level. Intuitively, a marketplace operator would favor having more sellers with perfect ratings. In contrast, we identify a significant and inverted U-shaped relationship between the market-level review dispersion and transactions. Managerial Implications: Our findings provide valuable insights to marketplace operators about the implications of review dispersions, and call for innovative platform design.
Non–guideline-compliant endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in women is associated with increased mortality and reintervention compared with men

Abstract Objective Sex-based disparities in surgical outcomes have emerged as an important focus in contemporary healthcare delivery. Likewise, the appropriate usage of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) in the United States remains a subject of ongoing controversy, with a significant number of U.S. EVARs failing to adhere to the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) clinical practice guideline (CPG) diameter thresholds. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of sex among patients undergoing EVAR that was not compliant with the SVS CPGs. Methods All elective EVAR procedures for abdominal aortic aneurysms without a concomitant iliac aneurysm (≥3.0 cm) in the SVS Vascular Quality Initiative were analyzed (2015-2019; n = 25,112). SVS CPG noncompliant repairs were defined as a size of Results Noncompliant EVAR was performed in 9675 patients (38.5%). Although men were significantly more likely to undergo such procedures (90% vs 10%; odds ratio [OR], 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.9-3.4; P Conclusions Although men were more likely to undergo non–CPG compliant EVAR, women experienced increased short-term morbidity and 30-day mortality and higher rates of reintervention when undergoing non–CPG compliant EVAR. These unanticipated findings necessitate increased scrutiny of current U.S. sex-based EVAR practice and should caution against the use of non–CPG compliant EVAR for women.
The J-2X Upper Stage Engine: From Design to Hardware

NASA is well on its way toward developing a new generation of launch vehicles to support of national space policy to retire the Space Shuttle fleet, complete the International Space Station, and return to the Moon as the first step in resuming this nation s exploration of deep space. The Constellation Program is developing the launch vehicles, spacecraft, surface systems, and ground systems to support those plans. Two launch vehicles will support those ambitious plans the Ares I and Ares V. (Figure 1) The J-2X Upper Stage Engine is a critical element of both of these new launchers. This paper will provide an overview of the J-2X design background, progress to date in design, testing, and manufacturing. The Ares I crew launch vehicle will lift the Orion crew exploration vehicle and up to four astronauts into low Earth orbit (LEO) to rendezvous with the space station or the first leg of mission to the Moon. The Ares V cargo launch vehicle is designed to lift a lunar lander into Earth orbit where it will be docked with the Orion spacecraft, and provide the thrust for the trans-lunar journey. While these vehicles bear some visual resemblance to the 1960s-era Saturn vehicles that carried astronauts to the Moon, the Ares vehicles are designed to carry more crew and more cargo to more places to carry out more ambitious tasks than the vehicles they succeed. The government/industry team designing the Ares rockets is mining a rich history of technology and expertise from the Shuttle, Saturn and other programs and seeking commonality where feasible between the Ares crew and cargo rockets as a way to minimize risk, shorten development times, and live within the budget constraints of its original guidance.
Harnessing multimodal data integration to advance precision oncology.

Advances in quantitative biomarker development have accelerated new forms of data-driven insights for patients with cancer. However, most approaches are limited to a single mode of data, leaving integrated approaches across modalities relatively underdeveloped. Multimodal integration of advanced molecular diagnostics, radiological and histological imaging, and codified clinical data presents opportunities to advance precision oncology beyond genomics and standard molecular techniques. However, most medical datasets are still too sparse to be useful for the training of modern machine learning techniques, and significant challenges remain before this is remedied. Combined efforts of data engineering, computational methods for analysis of heterogeneous data and instantiation of synergistic data models in biomedical research are required for success. In this Perspective, we offer our opinions on synthesizing complementary modalities of data with emerging multimodal artificial intelligence methods. Advancing along this direction will result in a reimagined class of multimodal biomarkers to propel the field of precision oncology in the coming decade. This Perspective proposes that data from multiple modalities, including molecular diagnostics, radiological and histological imaging and codified clinical data, should be integrated by multimodal machine learning models to advance the prognosis and treatment management of patients with cancer.
The Status of Research on South Indian Foragers

Before I identify which cultures they are, let me clarify how I have approached the spelling of their names. First, I adopted, with one modification, the authoritative spellings of linguist P. S. Nair (1983). He employs double letters to indicate long vowels or geminate consonants and /c/ to represent the sound written “ch” in English. Second, for clarity as well as ease of printing, I deviate from Nair in using upper case letters (T, D, N, L, and R), in place of subscript dots, to distinguish medial and final retroflex consonants from other consonants. Third, I follow southern Dravidian conventions in cases where tribal names end with /-n/ and /-r/, with /-n/ being used to mark singular nouns and their adjectives and /-r/ being used to indicate either plurality or respect. There should be no need to emphasize the undesirable social and political implications of our using non-respectful forms.
Ethnicity and Race as Resource Mobilization in American Community Civic Life and Participation: Traditional and Emerging Concerns

As pressing issues of growing importance in American civic life and participation, ethnicity and race as sources of mobilization in communities and resource mobilization in ethnic and racial communities are some of the most fascinating though least understood topics in American social sciences and in western social sciences in general. Even though we have rich bodies of literature on American civic participation, on ethnic and racial issues, and on ethnic and racial communities, rarely does such literature adequately intertwine. Thus, we continue to have an American civic participation literature that largely speaks in terms of generality focusing on the white, usually middle-class, citizenry, with some, but much less, attention paid to immigrants, with only marginal or otherwise in passing attention paid to the civic participation traditions, values, and strategies of citizens and immigrants of color (Putnam, 2001).
Metal Carbonation of Forsterite in Supercritical CO2 and H2O Using Solid State 29Si, 13C NMR Spectroscopy

Ex situ solid state NMR was used for the first time to study fundamental mineral carbonation processes and reaction extent relevant to geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) using a model silicate mineral forsterite (Mg2SiO4)+supercriticalCO2 with and without H2O. Run conditions were 80 C and 96 atm. 29Si NMR clearly shows that in the absence of CO2, the role of H2O is to hydrolyze surface Mg-O-Si bonds to produce dissolved Mg2+, and mono- and oligomeric hydroxylated silica species. Surface hydrolysis products contain only Q0 (Si(OH)4) and Q1(Si(OH)3OSi) species. An equilibrium between Q0, Q1 and Mg2+ with a saturated concentration equivalent to less than 3.2% of the Mg2SiO4 conversion is obtained at a reaction time of up to 7 days. Using scCO2 without H2O, no reaction is observed within 7 days. Using both scCO2 and H2O, the surface reaction products for silica are mainly Q3 (SiOH(OSi)3) species accompanied by a lesser amount of Q2 (Si(OH)2(OSi)2) and Q4 (Si(OSi)4). However, no Q0 and Q1 were detected, indicating the carbonic acid formation/deprotonation and magnesite (MgCO3) precipitation reactions are faster than the forsterite hydrolysis process. Thus it can be concluded that the Mg2SiO4 hydrolysis process is the rate limiting step of the overall mineral carbonation process.more » 29Si NMR combined with XRD, TEM, SAED and EDX further reveal that the reaction is a surface reaction with the Mg2SiO4 crystallite in the core and with condensed Q2-Q4 species forming amorphous surface layers. 13C MAS NMR identified a possible reaction intermediate as (MgCO3)4-Mg(OH)2-5H2O. However, at long reaction times only crystallite magnesite MgCO3 products are observed.« less
The State of the Universe at z~6

In the context stellar reionization in the standard cold dark matter model, we analyze observations at z~6 and are able to draw three significant conclusions with respect to star formation and the state of the intergalactic medium (IGM) at z~6. (1) An initial stellar mass function (IMF) more efficient, by a factor of 10-20, in producing ionizing photons than the standard Salpeter IMF is required at z~6. This may be achieved by having either (A) a metal-enriched IMF with and a lower mass cutoff of >= 30Msun or (B) 2-4% of stellar mass being Population III massive metal-free stars at z~6. While there is no compelling physical reason or observational evidence to support (A), (B) could be fulfilled plausibly by continued existence of some pockets of uncontaminated, metal-free gas for star formation. (2) The volume-weighted neutral fraction of the IGM of _V~ 10^-4 at z=5.8 inferred from the SDSS observations of QSO absorption spectra provides enough information to ascertain that reionization is basically complete with at most ~0.1-1% of IGM that is un-ionized at z=5.8. (3) Barring some extreme evolution of the IMF, the neutral fraction of the IGM is expected to rise quickly toward high redshift from the point of HII bubble percolation, with the mean neutral fraction of the IGM expected to reach 6-12% at z=6.5, 13-27% at z=7.7 and 22-38% at z=8.8.
Convergent expansions for solutions of linear ordinary differential equations having a simple pole, with an application to associated Legendre functions

jjSecond-order linear ordinary differential equations with a large parameter u are examined. Asymptotic expansions involving modified Bessel functions are applicable for the case where the coefficient function of the large parameter has a simple pole. In this paper, we examine such equations in the complex plane, and convert the asymptotic expansions into uniformly convergent series, where u appears in an inverse factorial, rather than an inverse power. Under certain mild conditions, the region of convergence containing the simple pole is unbounded. The theory is applied to obtain exact connection formulas for general solutions of the equation, and also, in a special case, to obtain convergent expansions for associated Legendre functions of complex argument and large degree.
Endogenous Policy Reform: Learning versus Flexibility in Industrial Policy Design for Open Economies

This paper studies government support which targets industries capable of learning. Monitoring procedures are implemented to prevent rent-seekers from non-learning indus- tries. But this involves bureaucratic red tape that reduces flexibility in response to world market shocks. The main thrust of this study is that, as an economy develops, the bal- ance shifts endogenously between the need for bureaucratic monitoring and the desirability for flexibility. An optimal strategy may be to support learning, with a certain degree of bureaucracy at an early stage when necessary, but to liberalize the policy toward laissez faire, as the economy matures. The results appear be consistent with empirical evidences in Asian countries.
Characterization of the mutT nucleoside triphosphatase of Escherichia coli.

Abstract The mutT protein, which prevents A:T----C:G transversions during DNA replication, has the following enzymatic properties. Although it prefers dGTP as a substrate, it hydrolyzes all of the canonical nucleoside triphosphates to some extent. It has no activity in the absence of divalent cations, is maximally activated by magnesium ions, and has a pH optimum of 9.0. Nucleoside triphosphates are hydrolyzed according to the following equation. dGTP----dGMP + PPi Studies with nucleotide analogues suggest that the enzyme may prefer the syn rather than the anti conformation of the nucleoside triphosphates, which might explain the role it plays in preventing mutations.
Review of the Comparative Pharmacology and Clinical Activity of Cisplatin and Carboplatin

PURPOSE: To review the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, toxicities, and relative clinical activities of cisplatin and carboplatin. Through a search of the MEDLINE database, we identified phase III clinical trials and pharmacologic studies comparing cisplatin and carboplatin published in the English language medical literature from January 1966 to December 1997. RESULTS: Prospective randomized trials comparing cisplatin to carboplatin were identified for ovarian (n = 12), germ cell (n = 4), non–small-cell lung (n = 1), small-cell lung (n = 3), and head and neck (n = 4) cancers. Carboplatin and cisplatin were equally effective in suboptimally debulked ovarian cancer and extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer. One study each showed a trend toward better survival in favor of cisplatin for patients with optimally debulked ovarian and limited-stage small-cell lung cancers. These results were, however, based on subset analyses. In germ cell tumors, carboplatin was inferior because of lower relapse-free surviv...
Moderation of the Relationship Between Reward Expectancy and Prediction Error-Related Ventral Striatal Reactivity by Anhedonia in Unmedicated Major Depressive Disorder: Findings From the EMBARC Study

Objective:Anhedonia, disrupted reward processing, is a core symptom of major depressive disorder. Recent findings demonstrate altered reward-related ventral striatal reactivity in depressed individuals, but the extent to which this is specific to anhedonia remains poorly understood. The authors examined the effect of anhedonia on reward expectancy (expected outcome value) and prediction error- (discrepancy between expected and actual outcome) related ventral striatal reactivity, as well as the relationship between these measures.Method:A total of 148 unmedicated individuals with major depressive disorder and 31 healthy comparison individuals recruited for the multisite EMBARC (Establishing Moderators and Biosignatures of Antidepressant Response in Clinical Care) study underwent functional MRI during a well-validated reward task. Region of interest and whole-brain data were examined in the first- (N=78) and second- (N=70) recruited cohorts, as well as the total sample, of depressed individuals, and in heal...