cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis on epidemiological and clinical characteristics of HIV antiretroviral treatment patients in Futian District,Shenzhen City

Objective To analyze the epidemiological data about the patients with free antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS in Futian District, Shenzhen City so as to explore the factors affecting patients' compliance to medication. Methods The epidemiological and clinical data on the patients with free antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS in Futian District were collected and analyzed. Results A total of 174 patients needed to be treated in Futian District. 134 patients received the treatment, with the medication coverage of 77.0%. Most patients were the middle- aged, and the ratio of male to female was 2.3:1. Patients having an education background of junior middle school and below accounted for 63.2%. 87.4% of the patients were infected with HIV through sexual transmission. Only 12.1% of the patients showed no obvious clinical symptoms before starting treatment. Patients whose CD4+ T cell counts were≤ 200 cells/μl accounted for 84.5%.Adverse drug reactions appeared in 35.1%of the patients during the treatment, and opportunistic infection or new disease occurred in 9.7% of them. Conclusions Earlier detection and diagnosis of HIV- positive cases should be reinforced.
Association Patterns of Simultaneous Intraventricular and Intraparenchymal Intracranial Pressure Measurements.

BACKGROUND The process of measuring intracranial pressure (ICP) can be accomplished using a variety of monitors placed primarily either in the ventricles or brain parenchyma. OBJECTIVE There is inadequate data to support the conclusion that ICP measured simultaneously from 2 different sites using 2 different devices produces similar findings in the same subject. The purpose of this study was to identify the correlation between simultaneous measurements from both an external ventricular drain (EVD) and an intraparenchymal monitor (IPM). METHODS In this retrospective observational study, manual chart abstraction was used to obtain time-indexed ICP values during a period of 2 years from patients diagnosed with severe traumatic brain injury who had received simultaneous EVD and IPM placement. RESULTS When all time points were compared, the correlation between EVD and IPM was strong (r = 0.6955). However, when limiting the ICP values to be <20 or <25 in either the EVD or the IPM, the correlation was noted to be weaker (r = 0.3576 and r = 0.4232, respectively). CONCLUSION There is inadequate evidence to support that intraparenchymal ICP values can be treated in a similar manner to ICP values obtained from an EVD. ABBREVIATIONS CSF, cerebrospinal fluidEVD, external ventricular drainICP, intracranial pressureIPM, intraparenchymal monitorTBI, traumatic brain injury.
Using Donor Preferences in Evaluating Public Expenditures: A Suggested Procedure

This article provides a means of assessing the contribution of public expenditures to allocative efficiency, given the preferences of those who make charitable contributions. A test statistic is derived, which, when compared to the actual volume of government subsidies received by enterprises, indicates whether they are over- or under-subsidized. The statistic is couched in terms of parameters for which empirical estimates can be made. Employing existing estimates of these parameters, the use of such a statistic is then illustrated with reference to public expenditures for rehabilitation facilities in which disabled persons perform remunerative work—sheltered workshops.
Migraine headache and its association with open-angle glaucoma: the Beaver Dam Eye Study.

PURPOSE To investigate the relationship of a history of migraine headache to open-angle glaucoma. METHODS In an epidemiologic study of age-related eye disease, subjects were asked if they had migraine headaches. The diagnosis of glaucoma was based on visual field, intraocular pressure, cup/disc ratio, and history. RESULTS Those younger than 65 years were significantly more likely to report a history of migraine (P = 0.001) as were women (P < 0.001). There was no difference in the frequency of open-angle glaucoma between those with and those without migraine headache (P = 0.87). Multivariate analyses did not alter the conclusion. CONCLUSION In this population-based study there is no evidence of a relationship between open-angle glaucoma and migraine headache.
The Chuska Slope as an agricultural alternative to Chaco Canyon: A rebuttal of Tankersley et al. (2016)

Abstract In this paper I focus on three factors that strongly influence maize productivity: water availability, pH, and salinity. A recent paper by Tankersley et al. (2016) has argued that the elevated salinity values of Chaco Canyon valley-floor sediments are due to high concentrations of dissolved sulfate, which favor the growth of maize. In the following I show that any dissolved solid added to soil water, including sulfate decreases the ability of soil water to enter a plant via its root system. As salinity increases, the rate of water diffusion into maize decreases until the wilting point is reached. The present paper demonstrates that valley-floor soils in Chaco Canyon and along the Chaco River between the west end of the Canyon and the Great Bend of the Chaco River are too saline to grow maize or beans and that side-valley areas in the canyon are too small in area to sustain more than a few hundred people. To support a larger population, maize must have been imported. I suggest that the substantial amount of winter precipitation in the Chuska Mountains combined with surface-water features (washes) that concentrate and convey spring snowmelt to the eastern Chuska Slope allowed the diversion of surface water to large irrigated fields that at some point sustained over 10,000 residents of the slope. Given the documented trade between Chaco and the Chuskas, I suggest that the Chuska Slope may have provided the subsistence base for many of those residing in Chaco Canyon during its 1050–1130 CE expansion.
Increased burden of deleterious variants in essential genes in autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous, highly heritable neurodevelopmental syndrome characterized by impaired social interaction, communication, and repetitive behavior. It is estimated that hundreds of genes contribute to ASD. We asked if genes with a strong effect on survival and fitness contribute to ASD risk. Human orthologs of genes with an essential role in pre- and postnatal development in the mouse [essential genes (EGs)] are enriched for disease genes and under strong purifying selection relative to human orthologs of mouse genes with a known nonlethal phenotype [nonessential genes (NEGs)]. This intolerance to deleterious mutations, commonly observed haploinsufficiency, and the importance of EGs in development suggest a possible cumulative effect of deleterious variants in EGs on complex neurodevelopmental disorders. With a comprehensive catalog of 3,915 mammalian EGs, we provide compelling evidence for a stronger contribution of EGs to ASD risk compared with NEGs. By examining the exonic de novo and inherited variants from 1,781 ASD quartet families, we show a significantly higher burden of damaging mutations in EGs in ASD probands compared with their non-ASD siblings. The analysis of EGs in the developing brain identified clusters of coexpressed EGs implicated in ASD. Finally, we suggest a high-priority list of 29 EGs with potential ASD risk as targets for future functional and behavioral studies. Overall, we show that large-scale studies of gene function in model organisms provide a powerful approach for prioritization of genes and pathogenic variants identified by sequencing studies of human disease.
In the Absence of Predators: Conservation and Controversy on the Kaibab Plateau

List of Illustrations List of Maps Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Buckskin Mountain 2. Beasts in the Garden 3. A Deer Dilemma 4. Getting to the Bottom of Things 5. Taking Notice of the Kaibab Deer 6. Scientific Expertise in the Midst of Controversy 7. Big Game Management Plans on the Kaibab 8. The Exception That Proved the Rule Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index
Laparoscopic Repair of an Intrapericardial Diaphragmatic Hernia After Convergent Maze Procedure

The convergent maze procedure (CMP) is a new minimally invasive technique for the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Recently, multiple groups have published excellent results and few adverse events with CMP. However, we now report the second case of an intrapericardial diaphragmatic hernia with small bowel obstruction that resulted from CMP. This adverse event was managed successfully by laparoscopic repair of the hernia and the use of a polytetrafluoroethylene mesh closure with hepatic buttress, achieving an excellent result. With the expanding use of CMP for the treatment of AF, awareness of this adverse event and its appropriate management are increasingly important.
Abstract 128: Vascular Assessment in Patients With Non-healing Foot Wounds

Background: Chronic lower extremity wounds have become a major challenge to healthcare systems and are a significant source of morbidity and mortality. Assessment of lower extremity perfusion is st...
Current Pneumonia Surveillance Methodology: Similar Underestimation in Trauma and Surgical Patients in the Intensive Care Unit

Abstract Background: In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed new surveillance definitions for ventilator-associated events (VAE), leading to concerns that hospitals may be underreporting the true incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonias (VAPs). We sought to compare rates of clinically diagnosed VAP with CDC defined possible VAPs (PVAPs) in patients with a VAE in the surgical/trauma intensive care unit (STICU). Hypothesis: Significant difference exists between rates of clinical VAP and PVAP in patients with at least one VAE. Patients and Methods: All STICU patients with ≥1 VAE, between 1/1/2013 and 10/31/2015 were identified. Age, length of stay (LOS), ICU and ventilator days were collected. Results: There were 134 patients who had ≥1 VAE. Mean age was 54.3 (±17.1) years. Mean LOS, median ICU, and median ventilator days were 26.3 (±14.1), 21.0 (17.0–33.0), and 17.0 (12.8–24.0) days, respectively. There were 68 cases of clinically diagnosed VAP, but only 37% met PVAP cri...
Functional Status Examination in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injuries.

Abstract The assessment of functional status after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is important. The Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) and its revised version, the Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE), hav...
Clerking for Grown-Ups: A Tribute to Judge Ed Carnes

This essay is in part a tribute to my former boss, Chief Judge Ed Carnes of the Eleventh Circuit, for whom I clerked in 1998-1999. But it is largely a reflection on clerking and the clerkship culture itself, and the effects of that culture on the wider legal, and legal academic, culture in the United States. The tributes by former clerks to judges that appear in the pages of law reviews are most likely to celebrate the judge as a heroic figure, and to exalt judges who: 1) cultivate a familial rather than a more formal and mundane relationship with their law clerks; 2) engage in judging as a "mission," seeking to advance particular (generally politically tinged) values in law and viewing other judges or courts as obstacles to that mission; and 3) treat their clerks as junior or even full partners in that mission. Law clerks who find that their clerkship is actually more mundane or workaday in its nature, that their judge does not cultivate a familial relationship with them, and that his or her vision of the judicial job is not "mission"-oriented may find that reality disappointing. Even if these workaday relationships are the norm, they are less likely to fill the law reviews than the romantic and familial vision of clerking. That vision has tremendous visibility and influence in the legal, and legal academic, culture. One reason for this may be that such judges are more likely to select for individuals who are skilled at seeking out, cultivating, and serving powerful mentors, that these clerkships are more likely to culminate in elite positions in the legal profession and academy, and that this process and vision then perpetuates itself. In this essay, I argue that whatever rewards this romanticized vision offers, it has dangers too. It breeds a sense of lifelong clerkship, in which much of one's career, including a career in legal academia, is spent writing apologia for one's own judge or a particular kind of judge and thinking from the perspective of the judge or law clerk. Even if the work that results from that perspective is excellent, it may be immature. The American clerkship culture is one of hero-worship. It encourages an enduring adolescence and risks a failure to achieve full adulthood and independence. At its worst, it is unhealthy -- for the clerks, for the professionals they become, for the judges themselves, and for the wider legal and legal academic culture. (It may also be true that "familial" clerkships have particular dangers, both for the clerks and for the judges who cultivate such relationships.) For developing a measured, independent, adult perspective on law and judging, there is much to be said for the more unsung clerkship: the clerkship in which the job is "just" a job, not a romantic mission or battle for justice; in which the relationship with one's judge is a "mere" professional employment relationship, not a familial one; and in which one receives a good education in the law but not conscious cultivation as a lifelong ally or acolyte.
What’s in a Name? Status, Power, and Other Forms of Social Hierarchy

Despite a long history in social sciences such as anthropology and sociology, status has not received its deserved status in psychology and related domains such as management. This chapter attempts to bring greater clarity to the conceptualization of status and to highlight its distinctions from related bases of social hierarchy, such as power, dominance, and influence. To accomplish these goals, we first review current conceptual thinking on status and other related bases of social hierarchy. We then present a review of recent empirical evidence that supports differentiation among these bases of social hierarchy, focusing primarily on empirical work that differentiates status and power. We then propose an integrative framework that organizes the many related, yet distinct constructs that describe social hierarchy. Throughout, we are attentive to the fundamental question of why distinguishing status from these related aspects of social hierarchy matters—both for research and for a better understanding of social life.
Synthesis and Isolation of One Isomer of C60H6

A reaction is reported that produces C{sub 60}H{sub 6} with essentially no contamination by adjacent oxidation states. The compound is formed as one dominant isomer and one minor isomer, and the assignment is reported of the structure of the major isomer through a comparison of its C-H coupled {sup 13}C NMR spectrum with that of 1, 2-C{sub 60}H{sub 2}. Isolation of the major C{sub 60}H{sub 6} band was accomplished by HPLC using a preparative Buckyclutcher column and an automated injector/fraction collector. Analysis of the fraction containing 1 (a cranberry-colored solution when concentrated) by Buckyclutcher and C{sub 18} HPCL in several different solvent systems has failed to produce evidence of more than one component. The typical isolated yield is 35%. 15 refs., 3 figs.
The Issue / School-to-Prison Pipeline

This book was written during a time of growing upheaval and disagreement about how America should educate its students, particularly those who are poor, diverse, and failing school.
Wert der Immunofluoreszenz bei chronischen, blasenbildenden Dermatosen

Zweck dieser Mitteilung ist es, darzulegen, das bei der Diagnose von chronischen, blasenbildenden Dermatosen der direkte Immunofluoreszenz-Test viel verlaslicher ist als der indirekte Immunofluoreszenz-Test. Den direkten Immunofluoreszenz-Test fuhrt man an einer 3 mm grosen Stanzbiopsie des Patienten aus. Die Biopsie wird von normalem Gewebe entnommen, aber doch moglichst in der Nahe von bestehenden Lasionen. Solch eine Biopsie zeigt beim Pemphigus interzellulare Fluoreszenz in der Epidermis oder Mucosa und beim Pemphigoid subepidermale oder subepitheliale Fluoreszenz. Fur den indirekten Immunofluoreszenz-Test wird Blutserum des Patienten in verschiedenen Verdunnungen auf Gefrierschnitte des Osophagus von Versuchstieren aufgetragen. Bei einem positiven Resultat sieht man interzellulare Immunofluoreszenz der Mucosa beim Pemphigus und subepitheliale Immunofluoreszenz beim Pemphigoid.
Bigger tides, less flooding: Effects of dredging on barotropic dynamics in a highly modified estuary.

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2019. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans 124 (2019): 196-211, doi:10.1029/2018JC014313.
Transient nonlinear microrheology in hydrodynamically interacting colloidal dispersions: flow cessation

Relaxation of a colloidal dispersion following flow shutoff occurs over distinct time scales, providing a useful method for identifying microscopic forces that are otherwise difficult to detect. Active microrheology facilitates such interrogation for small-scale systems such as biological cells, where a Brownian probe is driven by an external force through the dispersion and its motion is tracked to infer flow properties. An interplay between external forces, Brownian motion, hydrodynamic interactions and interparticle forces deforms the microstructure surrounding the probe, which alters probe speed. Application of the Stokes drag law relates mean probe speed to the effective viscosity of the embedding medium. We present a micromechanical theoretical model for this relationship during nonlinear transient relaxation upon removal of the external force. Upon cessation, contributions to viscosity linear in the force vanish instantly, but hydrodynamics influences subsequent relaxation, as well as the pre-cessation structure that sets the initial condition. Stronger pre-cessation flow drives faster relaxation of both structure and rheology. Non-equilibrium entropic contributions persist after shutoff, decaying over time. Hydrodynamic interactions slow this relaxation by hindering relative Brownian and interparticle displacements. The dissipation of entropically stored energy produces a deterministic force that drives deterministic probe motion even after the external force is removed, giving a natural connection to the chemical potential. Using this idea, we show that probe back-travel gives a direct measure of the osmotic pressure and the time scale over which entropically stored energy is dissipated. Modelling a range of repulsions provides a platform for particle formulation tuned to desired transient response.
Moving Beyond Maternalism: Negotiating Models of Womanhood in La nana, Cama adentro, and Hilda

Since 2000, Latin America has produced a number of films featuring protagonists that are domestic workers. This chapter examines the female maids at the center of La nana (Sebastian Silva 2009, Chile), Cama adentro (Jorge Gaggero 2004, Argentina), and Hilda (Andres Clariond 2014, Mexico). These films represent the figures of the maid and her female employer, who perceives herself as superior, and, as such, presents a heteronormative “model” of womanhood predicated on privileges of class and race. Shedding light on how domestic labor perpetuates social inequalities, the films also portray how domestic workers negotiate their responses to the employers’ models and their maternalism. Osborne concludes that the maids’ final movements beyond the household indicate a potential rupture in the distinctions established by their employers.
The Devil’s Intersectionality: Contemporary Cloaked Academic Antisemitism

Over a period of years, a pattern has emerged in anti-Zionist faculty publications that seriously compromises not only the scholars’ credibility and professionalism but also that of academic publishing as a whole. Academia has proceeded for a decade by blindly assuming that basic evaluation procedures like peer review, fact-checking, and copy editing have continued to function reliably. My 2019 book Israel Denial: Anti-Zionism, Anti-Semitism, & The Faculty Campaign Against the Jewish State uses highly detailed case studies to demonstrate why this is not the case. I summarize those findings here and explore several of the key issues and consequences further. The ferocity of anti-Zionist conviction in these books and essays unfortunately means that they often cross the line into antisemitism. Using examples from work by Jasbir Puar, Sari Makdisi, and others, I demonstrate how distinguished university presses have become purveyors of antisemitism. Keywords: Anti-Zionism, Antisemitism, Peer review, Higher education, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Scholarly publishing, University presses, BDS, Jasbir Puar, Saree Makdisi, Duke University Press, University of Chicago Press, Apartheid
"A Type of Student They Actually Want": Narratives from and about a Sixth-Grade Student with a Specific Learning Disability.

This case study contrasts sixth-grade student Antonio’s perspective of himself as a “good student” with perceptions some of Antonio’s teachers held related to his classification as a student with a...
Experimental investigation of buffer traps physical mechanisms on the gate charge of GaN-on-Si devices under various substrate biases

The gate charge change (ΔQg) of GaN-on-Si power devices subjected to different substrate biases has been investigated. On-wafer pulse-mode voltage stress measurement is examined to probe the physical insight of different trap mechanisms into Qg characteristics. Distinct injected electrons interacting with the buffer traps lead to a significant decrease (increase) in Qg under negative (positive) substrate bias. Different levels of degradation on ΔQgd to ΔQgs after stress under negative and positive substrate biases indicate uneven distribution of acceptor-like traps and uniform distribution of donor-like traps in the GaN buffer level. Using Arrhenius plots associated with the ΔQg shift, three dominant buffer traps with activation energies of EV + 0.542 eV, EC −0.604 eV, and EC −0.608 eV are extracted.
Irreducible parallelism in phonology

McCarthy (2013) asks whether there are phonological systems necessitating irreducible parallelism in grammar—systems requiring that multiple changes to the input apply in parallel, in a single derivational step. Such systems would necessitate a framework with lookahead: the ability to see from a given derivational step the results of applying multiple changes to its input. This article makes the following claims: (i) a variety of systems across languages, involving a diverse array of processes, require lookahead; (ii) these systems share the same underlying character, despite superficial differences. Our evidence comes primarily from the distribution of stress, lengthening, and epenthesis in Mohawk; reduplication and hiatus repair in Maragoli; syncope and gemination in Sino-Japanese; and assimilation and epenthesis in Lithuanian. All these systems involve what we call a COMPARISON OF PROCEDURES. To best satisfy constraints, the grammar applies one change followed by another, unless the final result is dispreferred. In such a case, the grammar instead applies a different series of changes. We make the argument for lookahead in grammar by comparing the ability of two frameworks—Parallel Optimality Theory and Harmonic Serialism—to capture these systems. We show that Parallel OT captures them naturally, as it permits lookahead and therefore allows the grammar to compare entire procedures. HS, on the other hand, is challenged by them, as it forbids lookahead and thus does not permit the grammar to compare entire procedures unless the changes involved are specified to apply in a single derivational step. That the problem arises in connection with a diverse array of processes suggests that lookahead is not merely the reflex of a single exceptional phenomenon, but rather is a property of the grammar as a whole.
Economic Analysis of Mandated Protocolized Sepsis Care in New York Hospitals.

Objectives Initial evidence suggests that state-level regulatory mandates for sepsis quality improvement are associated with decreased sepsis mortality. However, sepsis mandates require financial investments on the part of hospitals and may lead to increased spending. We evaluated the effects of the 2013 New York State sepsis regulations on the costs of care for patients hospitalized with sepsis. Design Retrospective cohort study using state discharge data from the U.S. Healthcare Costs and Utilization Project and a comparative interrupted time series analytic approach. Costs were calculated from admission-level charge data using hospital-specific cost-to-charge ratios. Setting General, short stay, acute care hospitals in New York, and four control states: Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, and New Jersey. Patients All patients hospitalized with sepsis between January 1, 2011, and September 30, 2015. Interventions The 2013 New York mandate that all hospitals develop and implement protocols for sepsis identification and treatment, educate staff, and report performance data to the state. Measurements and main results The analysis included 1,026,664 admissions in 520 hospitals. Mean unadjusted costs per hospitalization in New York State were $42,036 ± $60,940 in the pre-regulation period and $39,719 ± $59,063 in the post-regulation period, compared with $34,642 ± $52,403 pre-regulation and $31,414 ± $48,155 post-regulation in control states. In the comparative interrupted time series analysis, the regulations were not associated with a significant difference in risk-adjusted mean cost per hospitalization (p = 0.12) or risk-adjusted mean cost per hospital day (p = 0.44). For example, in the 10th quarter after implementation of the regulations, risk-adjusted mean cost per hospitalization was $3,627 (95% CI, -$681 to $7,934) more than expected in New York State relative to control states. Conclusions Mandated protocolized sepsis care was not associated with significant changes in hospital costs in patients hospitalized with sepsis in New York State.
Liver Injury in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 Correlates with Hyper Inflammatory Response and Elevated IL-6.

Background: Liver injury is commonly seen in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the mechanism behind liver injury, particularly in severe and critical COVID-19 patients, remains unclear and the clinical course is poorly described. Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective cohort study of consecutive hospitalized severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients with or without liver injury who underwent immunologic testing (IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and IL-1s). Liver injury was defined as peak aminotransferases ≥3x ULN (40 U/L) or ≥120 U/L. Patients with liver injury were compared to those who had normal aminotransferases throughout the hospital course. Results: 176 patients were studied; 109 with liver injury and 67 controls. Patients with liver injury were more likely to be male (71.6% vs 37.3%; p < 0.001). Peak inflammatory markers and IL-6 were higher in the liver injury group: CRP: 247 vs 168 mg/L, p < 0.001; LDH: 706 vs 421 U/L, ferritin: 2,973 vs 751 ng/mL, p < 0.001, IL-6: 121.0 vs 71.8, p < 0.001. There was no difference in the levels of IL-8, TNF-α, and IL-1s. The liver injury group had a longer length of stay and more severe COVID-19 despite having less diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Discussion: An exaggerated hyper inflammatory response (cytokine storm) characterized by significantly elevated CRP, LDH, ferritin, and IL-6 levels and increasing severity of COVID-19 appears to be associated with the occurrence of liver injury in patients with severe/ critical COVID-19.
Random forest analysis identifies change in serum creatinine and listing status as the most predictive variables of an outcome for young children on liver transplant waitlist.

Young children listed for liver transplant have high waitlist mortality (WL), which is not fully predicted by the PELD score. SRTR database was queried for children 85%, while >20% of subjects with acute liver failure had a bad outcome. Change in creatinine, listing status, need for RRT, time spent on LT waitlist, and diagnoses were the most predictive variables.
Portfolio Insurance Using Leveraged ETFs

This study examines the use of leveraged exchange traded funds (LETFs) within a constant proportional portfolio insurance (CPPI) strategy. The advantage of using LETFs in such a strategy is that it allows a greater percentage of the portfolio to be invested in the risk-free rate relative to a traditional CPPI. Where a standard CPPI strategy may require 50% of the portfolio to be invested in equities, using a 2x LETF only requires 25%, and a 3x LETF only requires 16.7%. Results show when the risk-free asset is yielding at least 3%, the use of LETFs within a CPPI framework results in annual returns approximately 0.5% to 1.3% higher with better Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, and Cumulative Prospect Values while reducing Value at Risk (VaR) and Excess Shortfall (ES) below VaR.
Understanding the efficacy of concentrated interstitial carbon in enhancing the pitting corrosion resistance of stainless steel

Abstract By introducing a high fraction of interstitial carbon through low temperature carburization, the pitting corrosion resistance of austenitic stainless steel can be significantly improved. Previous work attributed this to strengthening of the passive film by carbon. Here, however, we present a paradigm shift by showing that carbon actually weakens the passive film but strengthens the bonding within the alloy by forming localized (covalent) bonds with the metal atoms (Fe, Cr, Ni). Accordingly, the enhancement in pitting resistance is a result of carbon reducing the metal dissolution rate in a local pit environment by many orders of magnitude, which extremely decreases the growth stability of a pit and prevents it from transitioning into stable growth. Electronic structure calculations confirm that carbon bonds to the metal atoms and that the metal–carbon bonds are 1.4 to 2.0 times stronger than the metal–metal bonds. These results suggest a new strategy for the design of corrosion resistant alloys, namely surface engineering by infusion of concentrated interstitials that form strong bonds with the matrix atoms.
Techno-Economic Assessment of Voltage Stability Improvement Using SSSC and STATCOM in a Wind-Dominated Power System

The wind penetration level into the traditional existing transmission grid is posing new voltage stability challenges to Transmission System Operators. Wind power plants are required to meet the reactive power demands and the voltage control strategy. Shunt and Series FACTS devices are being used to increase the maximum transfer capability of a transmission line and the improvement of voltage stability. With the use of the aforementioned, voltage magnitudes, phase angles, and line impedances can be controlled. Worldwide, electric utilities use five popular types of FACTS devices for this purpose: STATCOM, SSSC, TCSC, SVC, and UPFC. For an electric utility, it would be practical if the voltage stability criterion is met using the most beneficial FACTS device. In this paper, the amelioration of the steady-state voltage stability of a wind-dominated power system using STATCOM and SSSC is compared in a modified IEEE-14 bus system. CCT amelioration with the use of SSSC is pointed out. Improvement of the loading margin of the weakest bus of the system is done by using STATCOM. Finally, some conclusions about the use of STATCOM and SSSC for voltage stability and power flow followed by the economic feasibility of the proposed solution are provided.
Inhalation Delivery for the Treatment and Prevention of COVID-19 Infection

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is caused by coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and has produced a global pandemic. As of 22 June 2021, 178 million people have been affected worldwide, and 3.87 million people have died from COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States, COVID-19 virus is primarily transmitted between people through respiratory droplets and contact routes. Since the location of initial infection and disease progression is primarily through the lungs, the inhalation delivery of drugs directly to the lungs may be the most appropriate route of administration for treating COVID-19. This review article aims to present possible inhalation therapeutics and vaccines for the treatment of COVID-19 symptoms. This review covers the comparison between SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV/MERS, inhalation therapeutics for the treatment of COVID-19 symptoms, and vaccines for preventing infection, as well as the current clinical status of inhaled therapeutics and vaccines.
Farming Inside Invisible Worlds: Modernist Agriculture and its Consequences

In 2015, I was visiting Aotearoa New Zealand for the annual Australasian Agrifood Research Network conference. As one of the conference organizers, Hugh Campbell led a field trip that took the grou...
The SAHARA Model for Service Composition across Multiple Providers

Services are capabilities that enable applications and are of crucial importance to pervasive computing in next-generation networks. Service Composition is the construction of complex services from primitive ones; thus enabling rapid and flexible creation of new services. The presence of multiple independent service providers poses new and significant challenges. Managing trust across providers and verifying the performance of the components in composition become essential issues. Adapting the composed service to network and user dynamics by choosing service providers and instances is yet another challenge. In SAHARA, we are developing a comprehensive architecture for the creation, placement, and management of services for composition across independent providers. In this paper, we present a layered reference model for composition based on a classification of different kinds of composition. We then discuss the different overarching mechanisms necessary for the successful deployment of such an architecture through a variety of case-studies involving composition.
Modeling U.S. Manufacturing Competitiveness

Few issues are discussed as frequently by American politicians as jobs, and particularly the loss of jobs, ostensibly to cheaper labor markets. The underlying reasons why some firms depart American soil and others do not, however, are not completely understood. The purpose of this study is to propose a model for determining what successful manufacturers are doing to remain competitive and, consequently, not moving to other countries unnecessarily. There is no extant model that effectively differentiates what successful manufacturers are doing compared with unsuccessful (i.e., job-cutting or factory-closing) ones. To develop this conceptual model, we have conducted interviews with manufacturers in our region (one of the poorest in the country and one that has lost over 10,000 manufacturing jobs and 52 of 141 manufacturing plants between 1993-2003). We have also completed an exploratory content analysis of the literature on this subject. From this analysis, we have developed a model that will be described here. The model consists of five primary differentiators: (1) the flow of vital information, (2) the human factor (leadership, teamwork, etc.), (3) issues of cost and efficiency, (4) integration of information technology, and (5) cooperative methodologies.
10 Gbps and 2.5 Gbps error-free operation of a monolithically integrated widely-tunable all-optical wavelength converter with independent phase control output 35 nm tuning range

This paper reports on the first demonstration of 2.5 Gbps and 10 Gbps operation of a new InP MZI-SOA all-optical wavelength converter with independent interferometer phase control monolithically integrated with a widely-tunable SGDBR laser. We show a 35 nm output tuning range with less than 0.8 dB power penalty at-10 dBm input at 2.5 Gbps NRZ and error-free operation with -5dBm input power at 10 Gbps NRZ.
Challenges in managing telemedicine centers in remote tribal hilly areas of Uttarakhand

Background: Healthcare Information Technology advances in the Information, Communication and Telecommunication (ICT) sector have made telemedicine a common and alternate medical service delivery in remote areas. Indian Space and Research Organization (ISRO) established village resource centers managed by Non-government Organizations (NGO’s) all over the country in 2010. While ISRO provided satellite connectivity and required equipment for communication, tele-education, and telemedicine in Uttarakhand, Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust provided primary health care through tele-consultation to remote tribal hilly areas through village resource centers. This paper features the technical and financial challenges faced in providing tele-consultation. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 115 clients, 4 health supervisors and co-ordinating doctor from three districts was done using semi-structured questionnaires for interview. Parameters at both doctor’s and patients’ end for communication, costs involved, quality of doctor-patient interaction and patient satisfaction from Tele-consultation sessions were assessed. Results: Video quality was more satisfactory than audio. The physical presence of a doctor was felt necessary only in 33/115 (30%) of the time. The average cost for telemedicine consultation works out to just Rs. 15 per patient. Around 48.7% of the queries were processed in less than 10 minutes of satellite time. Around 67% of the beneficiaries felt that their privacy was not maintained as per their expectations. The request to extend the timing of the session was made by 85% of the clients. Conclusions: Long periods of non- connectivity due to satellite failure, lack of technical staff, lack of patient’s privacy during sessions, lack of income generation for self-sustainability, were the major challenges faced. However many patients benefitted, did not have to travel long distances for medical advice and easy follow ups were facilitated. Telemedicine centres can sustain themselves by ensuring uninterrupted connectivity, trained staff, good quality user- friendly instruments and exploring multiple financial sources for sustainability.
Logicians who reason about themselves

By treating belief as a modality and combining this with problems about constant truth tellers and constant liars (knights and knaves) we obtain some curious epistemic counterparts of undecidability results in metamathematics. Godel's second theorem gets reflected in a logician who cannot believe in his own consistency without becoming inconsistent. Lob's theorem reflects itself in a variety of beliefs which of their own nature are necessarily self-fulfilling.
Transcarboxylase X. ASSEMBLY OF ACTIVE TRANSCARBOXYLASE FROM ITS INACTIVE SUBUNITS AND INCORPORATION OF THE BIOTIN-CARBOXYL CARRIER PROTEIN

Abstract Dissociation of transcarboxylase at pH 9.0 and low ionic strength results in subunits with s20,w values of ∼6 S, ∼5 S, and 1.3 S. The 1.3 S subunit, designated as the biotin-carboxyl carrier protein, contains all the biotin initially present in the enzyme. Acid treatment (pH 5) of these unresolved subunits brings about reincorporation of the 1.3 S subunit into a reconstituted ∼6 S biotin subunit which has been isolated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Dissociation in the presence of 20% glycerol at pH 8 and low ionic strength yields a ∼12 S subunit and a ∼6 S subunit to which the 1.3 S biotin-carboxyl carrier protein remains attached. The ∼12 S subunit and the native ∼6 S biotin subunit have been separated by density gradient centrifugation. Active enzyme has been formed from a combination of the ∼12 S subunit with either the native ∼6 S biotin subunit or the reconstituted ∼6 S biotin subunit.
Neutropenia Induced by Systemic Infusion of Chemotactic Factors

Autologous plasma, when exposed to complement-activating agents that generate leukotactic activity, induces transient neutropenia after infusion into rabbits. Trypsinized human C5 as well as the chemotactic fragment isolated from zymosan-activated human serum also induces transient neutropenia in rabbits, as do chemotactically active synthetic tripeptides. In each instance the neutropenia-inducing activity parallels the chemotactic activity. Thus, neutropenia-inducing activity and chemotactic activity seem to be related physiologic responses of neutrophils. In vivo margination and/or agglutination of leukocytes may underlie this phenomenon of neutropenia.
Constraint Database Solutions to the Genome Map Assembly Problem

Long DNA sequences have to be cut using restriction enzymes into small fragments whose lengths and/or nucleotide sequences can be analyzed by currently available technology. Cutting multiplecopies of the same long DNA sequence using different restriction enzymes yields many fragments with overlaps that allow the fragments to be assembled into the order as they appear on the original DNA sequence. This basic idea allows several NP-complete abstractions of the genome map assembly problem. However, it is not obvious which variation is computationally the best in practice. By extensive computer experiments, we show that in the average case the running time of a constraint automata solution of the big-bag matching abstraction increases linearly, while the running time of a greedy search solution of the shortest common superstring in an overlap multigraph abstraction increases exponentially with the size of real genome input data. Hence the first abstraction is much more efficient computationally for very large real genomes.
Altered gastric emptying and secretion in primary anorexia nervosa.

Abstract Primary anorexia nervosa (PAN) is an important psychiatric disease with a 7–21% mortality rate. Although altered gastrointestinal function may be an important aspect of its pathophysiology, no information is available concerning gastric emptying and secretion in those patients. During fasting, fractional emptying rates and hydrogen ion (H+) output were decreased twofold in PAN, as compared with healthy controls, and fluid output was slightly but not significantly decreased. Pentagastrin-induced peak stimulation of H+ output in PAN was 64% of that found in controls (P
Handbook on Systemic Risk: Accounting's Role in the Reporting, Creation, and Avoidance of Systemic Risk in Financial Institutions

The financial crisis that erupted in late 2007 has resurfaced debates about the role of accounting and external financial reporting by financial institutions in helping detect or mask systemic risks and in exacerbating or mitigating such risks. The debate has largely focused on the role of fair value accounting, securitization and special purpose entities, off-balance sheet reporting and pro-cyclicality. We consider these and other issues using a single company’s published accounts. We explain the role, purpose and limitations of external financial reporting and suggest that there are aspects of the current accounting system that may help provide early warnings of and help mitigate potential systemic risks and others that may mask and exacerbate these risks. We offer some ideas on how the accounting might be adjusted to mitigate the latter. Our arguments lead to several conclusions the most important of which include: that credit-related crises are at least partly induced by not requiring financial institutions to take credit valuation adjustments on loans based on expected losses, and that disclosures would have to change significantly to allow an investor or regulator to make a realistic attempt at measuring a firm’s risk and even more so any potential systemic risk. But there is no way that an accounting system that is based on measurements at a single point can serve to fully identify and capture the uncertainty and risks. We believe that to be able to assess systemic risk even for a single firm we would need massive amounts of detailed data that few market participants would be able to utilize and interpret. At best the system can provide more disclosures to facilitate the understanding of such risks.
Cutaneous Allergic Response

The sections in this article are: 1 Obligatory Damaging Factors 2 Nonobligatory Damaging Factors 3 The Immune System 4 Sequence of Events in Allergic Sensitization 5 Requirements for Antigenicity 5.1 Incomplete Antigens 5.2 Carrier Molecules 6 Lymphocytes 6.1 B and T Cells 7 Macrophages 8 Immediate Hypersensitivity 8.1 Antibodies 8.2 Pharmacological Mediators 9 Delayed Hypersensitivity 9.1 Lymphocyte Transformation 9.2 Lymphokines 10 Delayed Versus Immediate Hypersensitivity 11 Route of Exposure 12 Role of Peripheral Sensitization and of Lymph Nodes 13 Amplification 14 Sensitizing and Tolerogenic Effects 15 Immunologic State of the Host 15.1 Genetic Factors 15.2 Conditions of Exposure 15.3 Immunologic Deficiencies 16 Environmental Allergenic Substances 16.1 Small Molecular Allergens in Nature 16.2 Man-Made Small Molecular Allergens 16.3 Microorganisms 16.4 Allergens from Flora and Fauna 17 Clinical Expressions of Cutaneous Allergic Reactions 17.1 Eczematous Allergic Reactions 17.2 Indurated Inflammatory Reactions 17.3 Urticarial Reactions and Angioneurotic Edemas 18 Combined Effects of Environmental Allergens and Radiant Energy 19 Autoimmune Cutaneous Reactions 20 Conclusions
Magnetic Corrections to the Soft Photon Theorem

The soft photon theorem, in its standard form, requires corrections when the asymptotic particle states carry magnetic charges. These corrections are deduced using electromagnetic duality and the resulting soft formula conjectured to be exact for all Abelian gauge theories. Recent work has shown that the standard soft theorem implies an infinity of conserved electric charges. The associated symmetries are identified as "large" electric gauge transformations. Here the magnetic corrections to the soft theorem are shown to imply a second infinity of conserved magnetic charges. The associated symmetries are identified as large magnetic gauge transformations. The large magnetic symmetries are naturally subsumed in a complexification of the electric ones.
The effect of schedule constraints on the success of planetary missions

Abstract Previous studies have shown that planetary missions have a significantly higher failure rate than earth-orbiting missions. One contributor to this higher failure rate appears to be schedule restrictions imposed on planetary missions by their fixed launch dates as opposed to the more relaxed launch schedules enjoyed in many cases by Earth-orbiting missions. Data will be presented showing the failure rates, planned vs. actual schedules, and other factors of planetary vs. Earth-orbiting missions that will test this hypothesis. Specific examples of this relationship will also be shown to further illustrate the correlation between fixed launch windows and an increased chance of mission failure.
Exact c=1 boundary conformal field theories.

We present a solution of the problem of a free massless scalar field on the half line interacting through a sinusoidal potential on the boundary. For a critical value of the period, this system is a conformal field theory with a nontrivial and explicitly calculable S matrix for scattering from the boundary. It describes the critical behavior of a number of condensed matter systems, including dissipative quantum mechanics and of barriers in ``quantum wires.''