cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Applied Research Study of Family-Centered Practices in an Ethnically Diverse Elementary School

Current education policy advocates family-centered practices over child-centered ones. While family-centered philosophies are being adopted in schools, educators are having problems changing their actual practices with families. This study reports the results of an applied research case study within an ethnically diverse elementary school. Families’ and educators’ perceptions of family-centered practices were examined for the purpose of improving practices. Twelve educators and 129 families completed a survey measuring perceptions of typical and ideal family-centered practices. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to provide a description of the patterning of the families’ perceptions of the school’s family-centered practices. Three main factors accounted for 57% of variance, Positive Relating with Families, Partnering with Families, and Family-Focused Approaches. There were no differences between educators and families for either typical or ideal ratings of family-centered practices. Both educators and families desired a higher level of family-centered practices than they were currently providing or receiving. Analyses considering demographic characteristics indicated significant group differences. The higher the education level of families the higher they rated the level of ideal practices desired, but this was not so for typical practices. Single-parent families rated typical family-centered practices at their school lower than did two-parent families. No differences were found among these diverse families by ethnicity or home language. The implications for school psychologists’ work with families and schools are discussed.
Hematuria in Children Due to Schistosomiasis in a Nonendemic Setting

Infection with Schistosoma hematobium is common in immigrants from tropical Africa and commonly presents with painless hematuria. Since chronic, heavy infection can lead to significant morbidity, it is imperative for clinicians who serve the immigrant and refugee population to become familiar with this traditionally exotic disease. Increased awareness will allow earlier diagnosis and treatment of infection, avoiding complications and minimizing expensive and invasive diagnostic procedures.
ENZYME INHIBITORS . VII. SYNTHESES OF TRANS-4-(6-SUBSTITUTED-9-PURINYL)CYCLOHEXYLCARBINOLS AND EVALUATION AS INHIBITORS OF ADENOSINE DEAMINASE.

A series of trans -4-(6-substituted-9-purinyl) cyclohexylcarbinols were prepared by the following procedure. Ethyl p -aminobenzoate gave, on catalytic hydrogenation, trans -4-ethoxycarbonylcy clohexylamine which, on reduction with sodium and ethanol, generated trans -4-hydroxymethylcyclohexylamine. Condensation of this amine with 5-amino-4,6-dichloropyrimidine, followed by ring closure of the resultant substituted pyrimidine, gave trans -4-(6-chloro-9-purinyl) cyclohexylcarbinol (VI). Displacement of the 6-chloro group by a number of nucleophilic reagents gave a variety of nucleoside analogs. Enzymatic evaluation of these analogs established that those compounds with a 6-amino and a 6-methylamino group inhibited adenosine deaminase and that the hydroxymethyl group did not make a significant contribution to binding to the enzyme.
Formulating an objective for an economy

This paper is dedicated to the memory of E.M.L. Beale. Not a small part of Martin Beale's success in developing and solving large-scale mathematical programs is attributed to the care he took in properly formulating his models. Our presentation concerns our efforts to also properly formulate a model. Our model is an economic model used for technology assessment. In order for it to be useful, it is important that the dual variables represent as realistically as possible real world prices. This required us to formulate the model as a time-staged economic equilibrium model. Our main result is a proof that an equilibrium formulation using expected aggregate demand can under certain conditions be replaced by one in which the economy is driven by an aggregate utility or objective function, one that promotes economic growth subject to physical flow constraints. We show that such an objective function always exists except for populations consisting of significantly large classes of people whose consumption patterns differ radically one from another. Assuming that the latter is not the case, this equivalent formulation means that mathematical programming software can be applied to efficiently solve the model. This paper summarizes an extensive paper entitled Deriving a Utilty Function for the U.S. Economy [3]. The main theorems are stated without proof.
Insulin and insulin-like growth factor I in coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch injected with streptozotocin

Streptozotocin (STR), an agent known to induce damage of pancreatic B cells in mammals, was used to study changes of plasma insulin concentration and hepatic insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) mRNA levels in juvenile coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch. Fish were injected intraperitoneally with either 200 mg/kg body wt STR or the vehicle. All fish fed and grew throughout the experiment; however, the STR-injected fish had lower instantaneous growth rates than control fish (1.4% and 2.1%, correspondingly). Plasma insulin concentration and hepatic IGF-I mRNA levels in STR-treated fish were significantly lower than in the control fish, whereas there was no difference between the two groups of fish in plasma concentrations of either glucagon or growth hormone. Impaired insulin production caused by STR injection was either coincident with or slightly preceded reduction in hepatic IGF-I mRNA expression, implying that insulin may affect IGF-I production and, consequently, fish growth.
Audiometric Abnormalities in Hemifacial Spasm

One-hundred forty-three patients with hemifacial spasm (HFS) as a primary disorder were evaluated pre- and postoperatively by pure-tone and speech audiometry, determination of thresholds for the acoustic middle ear reflex, and recording of auditory brainstem responses. We found an unusual 'notch' in the pure-tone audiograms of 16 patients (11%) and a low-frequency up-sloping pure-tone threshold in another 17 patients (12%). Because such abnormalities occur rarely, it may be assumed that they are related to these patients' primary disorder. All of the patients underwent microvascular decompression to relieve their spasms, and it was confirmed during surgery that in all patients the seventh cranial nerve was compressed at its root entry zone by vascular structures. It is therefore assumed that the abnormality of pure-tone threshold function noted in 23% of the patients with HFS was caused by compression of the auditory nerve by the same vessel as that which compressed the facial nerve. Since the changes in the pure-tone threshold occurred in the mid- and low-frequency range, it is assumed that low-frequency fibers constitute the outer part of the auditory nerve at its entrance into the human brainstem.
Progress in the Operation of the Boeing/AFOSR Mach-6 Quiet Tunnel

Purdue University continues to develop a 9.5-inch Mach-6 Ludwieg tube for quiet-flow operation to high Reynolds number. The design, fabrication, and initial operation were reported earlier. The present paper reports progress in achieving and characterizing the quiet Mach-6 flow, and in developing instrumentation. A new design for the bleed-slot throat geometry enabled achieving some initial quiet flow, although only at very low Reynolds numbers of about 200,000. A thicker hot wire of 0.0002inch diameter is successfully surviving many tunnel runs. Preliminary measurements were obtained on the Hyper2000 generic scramjet forebody using temperature-sensitive paint. These show the development of streamwise vortices from the leading edge imperfections. These vortices become much more evident following the first compression corner, and can be generated in a controlled fashion using small roughness strips on the leading edge.
Experimental studies and modeling of acoustic instabilities in a gas turbine model combustor

Partially premixed combustion has the merits of lower NOx emission as well as higher efficiency. However practical applications of such technology have been hindered by acoustic instabilities generated in combustion chambers when gas turbine engines are operated in premixed mode. A thorough understanding of the physical processes which trigger and sustain this instability needs to be gained to aid the design of next generation low-emission high-efficiency gas turbine engines. In this work, acoustic instabilities manifested in the Gas Turbine Model Combustor (GTMC), which was developed at DLR Stuttgart by W. Meier and colleagues, were investigated. Specifically, the GTMC was operated with dimethyl ether (DME) in a fuel rich condition. Multi-point pressure measurements were carried out to characterize the dominant instability mode of the combustion chamber. Simultaneous Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) of formaldehyde (CH2O) and pressure measurements were then made at a sustained frequency of 4 kHz. Flame surface densities, calculated from the flame edges detected in the PLIF images, were used as the indicator of flame heat release rate and determined both temporally and spatially. Finally a reduced order model was proposed to describe the observed combustion instability. Key predictions made by this model, such as instability frequency and pressure phase differences, agreed with experimental observations. Future work will focus on expanding present model to explore the effects of varying parameters on the combustion instability.
Accidental systemic exposure to sodium hypochlorite (Chlorox) during hemodialysis

A case of accidental exposure of a patient undergoing hemodialysis to a sodium hypochlorite solution is reported. A 61-year-old woman was completing a hemodialysis treatment when routine cleaning of the hemodialysis machine was started. Approximately two liters of undiluted sodium hypochlorite cleaning solution (Chlorox) was added to the dialysis bath, soaking the membrane fibers. For less than two minutes the Chlorox-soaked membrane was in contact with the blood returning to the patient. This accident led to massive hemolysis, hyperkalemia, cyanosis, and cardiopulmonary arrest. Hemolysis may have been caused by the hypertonic solution, rapid exothermic protein degradation, alkaline degradation, or another mechanism. The sudden rise and fall in the concentrations of serum electrolytes and subsequent hyperkalemia was the most probable cause for the cardiac arrest. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was started, the patient was intubated, given oxygen, sodium bicarbonate, atropine, dopamine, and isoproterenol. Sodium thiosulfate 5 g was administered by a nasogastric tube approximately 25 minutes after the cardiac arrest as a neutralizing reducing agent. The patient's condition stabilized, and she recovered after a week of hospitalization. Cleaning solutions used in the routine cleaning of hemodialysis machinery represent potentially toxic agents. Hemodialysis procedures should ensure that cleaning and sterilizing solutions cannot accidentally come into contact with a dialysis machine that is still connected to the patient.
Large-Scale Climatic Influences on Baldcypress Tree Growth Across the Southeastern United States

Baldcypress trees native to the southeastern United States are extraordinarily sensitive to growing season rainfall amounts and can live for over 1000 years. Baldcypress tree-ring chronologies have been used to develop verifiable reconstructions of March through June precipitation totals representing some 50 to 70% of the instrumentally-recorded rainfall variance. These rainfall reconstructions are dominated by high interannual variability, but also include decade-scale fluctuations representing some 10% of the reconstructed rainfall variance. Decadal variations of similar magnitude are also evident in the instrumental March-June rainfall data, and may in part reflect secular changes in large-scale climatic forcing. To explore this possibility, we performed principal components analysis on the regional network of 11 long baldcypress chronologies from the Southeast, and compared the eigenvector amplitude series derived from the first three significant principal components of tree growth with northern hemisphere 700 mb heights for spring (March-June) from 1948 to 1980. The strongest relationship discovered was between the first principal component of baldcypress growth (PC1) and spring 700 mb height departures over the southcentral United States and northern Mexico. Significant correlations with 700 mb heights over northwestern Canada and over the western North Pacific were also identified. These mid-tropospheric teleconnections with cypress PC1 are similar to the Pacific-North America (PNA) longwave circulation pattern.
People's Panels vs. Imperial Hegemony: Japan's Twin Lay Justice Systems and the Future of American Military Bases in Japan

On May 24, 2010, a nineteen-year-old American soldier stationed in Okinawa became the first American military serviceman to be tried by a group of lay assessors in Japan. In fact, he became the first American armed force personnel to be tried by the people’s adjudicative panel in East Asia. After many years of the public demand for the establishment of equitable lay judge systems, the Japanese government finally introduced two systems of lay adjudication -- Saiban-in Seido (a lay assessor system) and a new Kensatsu Shinsakai (Prosecutorial Review Commissions (PRC) or a revised grand jury system) in 2009. This paper argues that those twin systems of lay adjudication in Japan will have a significant democratizing effect in Okinawa. Given the fact that the Japanese public was rarely given an opportunity to present their sentiments or common sense judgments in a Japanese courtroom, the lay assessor system can revitalize Japan's democratic process in criminal justice proceedings. The new grand jury system (PRC) will equally be empowered to influence the prosecutor's use of discretion in making indictment decisions. Even the prosecutors will not be given unbridled authority, because, under the new PRC grand jury law, the Japanese prosecutors' non-indictment decisions in criminal cases involving military personnel can be challenged and possibly reversed by the citizen panel. The Japanese prosecutors will then be bound by the commission's decision to prosecute and must initiate the investigative process to again begin the prosecution of accused American servicemen. These two lay justice systems may then help to restore a strong sense of social independence, political sovereignty, and the right to self-determination for the people in the island of Okinawa.
Renewed interest in the significance of the tall R wave in ECG lead V1 during right ventricular pacing.

Several recent articles have renewed interest in the significance of a dominant R wave in ECG lead V1 during right ventricular (RV) pacing [1–4]. A dominant R wave in V1 (R/S > 1) during RV pacing ...
Inositol Phosphate Metabolism

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses inositol phosphate metabolism. It describes phosphatidylinositols as a group of phospholipids that compose up to 10% of the lipid of eukaryotic cells. These lipids are the precursors for the water-soluble inositol phosphates, many of which are putative messenger molecules. Phosphatidylinositol effect has subsequently been shown to yield at least three types of signaling molecules: (1) inositol phosphates, (2) diacylglycerol, and (3) arachidonic acid. The chapter focuses on inositol phosphates. Arachidonate, released from diacylglycerol by diacylglycerol lipase, from monoacylglycerol by monoacylglycerol lipase, and from phosphatidylinositol by phospholipase A2, is a metabolic precursor of eicosanoids such as thromboxane A2 and prostaglandin I2. The chapter also describes the structure of inositol phosphates. Without a basic understanding of inositol phosphate structure, it is difficult to appreciate the biological significance of the fact that several inositol phosphates and highly specific enzymes exist in cells.
Advanced Dynamics: Introduction to numerical methods

Digital computers are used extensively in the analysis of dynamical systems. The equations describing the motion of a system are partly dynamic and partly kinematic in nature. In either case, they take the form of ordinary differential equations which are nonlinear, in general. These differential equations are usually written with time as the independent variable, and time is assumed to vary in a continuous manner from some initial value, frequently zero, to a final value. In any representation using digital computers, the time can assume only a finite number of discrete values. The differential equations of the system are replaced by difference equations. The solutions of these difference equations are not the same, in general, as the solutions of the corresponding differential equations at the given discrete times, thereby introducing computational errors. More importantly, if parameters such as step size are not properly chosen, a given numerical procedure may produce an apparent unstable response for a system that is actually stable. In this chapter, we shall begin with a brief discussion of the interpolation and extrapolation of digital data. Then we will proceed with a discussion of various algorithms for the numerical integration of ordinary differential equations. The errors arising from these numerical procedures will be discussed, and questions of numerical stability will be considered. Another important consideration in the numerical analysis of dynamical systems lies in the proper representation of geometrical constraints.
Juvenile Transfer and the Specific Deterrence Hypothesis

Research Summary We conducted a systematic review of recidivism outcomes for juveniles transferred to adult court, incorporating meta-analytic techniques. Nine studies—based on nine statistically independent samples—met the inclusion criteria. Pooled analysis suggests that juvenile transfer had no statistically significant effect on recidivism. However, the distribution of effect sizes was highly heterogeneous and, given the strength of the research designs, suggests that in some instances transfer may decrease recidivism and in others may increase it. Policy Implications The practice of transferring juvenile offenders to the criminal justice system has decreased from its peak in the mid-1990s, but it is still estimated to affect tens of thousands of juveniles in the United States each year. As such, a coherent rationale for transfer policy is needed. The present review casts doubt on one prominent justification for transfer, that it creates a specific deterrent effect for transferred juveniles. Indeed, the results suggest that transfer may in fact increase offending. More generally, the results underscore the need for more high-quality research to identify the conditions under which transfer may decrease or increase recidivism.
Rhodium-Catalyzed Oxidative Amidation of Sterically Hindered Aldehydes and Alcohols

A rhodium-catalyzed oxidative amidation reaction has been developed with sterically hindered aldehydes and alcohols for the synthesis of amides containing a quaternary carbon at the α position. A variety of amine nucleophiles, both aliphatic and aromatic, are employed and afford the corresponding amides in good to excellent yields. Finally, mechanistic studies are performed to gain insight into both catalytic cycles.
Authorship and publication date of the Palaeozoic genera Cypridinella, Cypridellina, Sulcuna, Rhombina, and Offa (Ostracoda: Myodocopa)

Authorship and publication date of the Palaeozoic genera Cypridinella, Cypridellina, Rhombina, Sulcuna, and Offa have been attributed in the literature to either Jones 1873a, Jones & Kirkby, 1874, or Jones, Kirkby, and Brady, 1874, or 1884 (see Kornicker, 2001). Kornicker (2001) concluded that the correct authorship and publication date of the five genera are Jones, 1873a. Becker (2004) disputed this and argued that the correct authorship and publication date of the first four genera are Jones and Kirkby, 1874 (Offa not mentioned), centering his argument on the genus Sulcuna. On June 10, 2005, I forwarded a request to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) requesting a ruling on the identity of the author of the Palaeozoic genus Sulcuna. An answering letter received in August 2005 from the ICZN Secretariat (Fig. 1) stated that Jones (1873a) should be credited as the author of the genus Sulcuna.
Mechanism of substrate hydrolysis by a thermophilic endoglucanase from Thermotoga maritima

A cellulase from the thermophile, Thermotoga maritima, hydrolyzed oligosaccharide substrates by an exoglucanase mode of action but acted as an endoglucanase to rapidly reduce the viscosity of the soluble polysaccharides carboxymethylcellulose and barley β-glucan. The Vmax for hydrolysis of the substrate, p-nitrophenyl β-d-cellobioside, was 42 μmol min−1 (mg protein)−1, while that for barley β-glucan was 637. The enzyme had little activity on crystalline cellulose.
Agroforestry adoption in Haiti: the importance of household and farm characteristics

Most agroforestry-adoption studies are based on surveys of non-adopters. An understanding of the circumstances that have led to a change of attitude of the adopters will be valuable in our efforts to enhance adoption rates. This study was undertaken to provide such knowledge based on a large agroforestry extension project involving 200,000 farm families and covering 25% of all rural households in Haiti. A questionnaire-based survey of the project participants was conducted covering 1,540 households and 2,295 fields in four regions of Haiti. Information was recorded about each farm and family member through interviews with farmers and visits to their farms. The results confirmed that farmers make decisions about tree culture based on household- and field characteristics. Different farmers consider trees differently depending upon how they fit into their farm-family strategy. In general, farmers installed tree hedgerows on fields of less secure tenure, of lesser fertility, and steeper slope, while on closer, more fertile fields of greater tenure security, tree seedlings and fruit trees were more common and there was a greater density of mature trees (>10 cm DBH). More money was realized from sale of tree products on actively cropped fields in more secure tenure and having more fertile soil. Older farmers managed a greater density of trees, especially when the land was in secure tenure status. This broad-based study shows that agroforestry implementation strategies in poor countries such as Haiti should be based on a thorough knowledge of how farmers use household and field characteristics to make adoption decisions. It also suggests that agroforestry-adoption studies should account for the dynamic changes occurring during extended time periods.
Mapping the spatiotemporal evolution of solute transport in articular cartilage explants reveals how cartilage recovers fluid within the contact area during sliding.

Abstract The interstitial fluid within articular cartilage shields the matrix from mechanical stresses, reduces friction and wear, enables biochemical processes, and transports solutes into and out of the avascular extracellular matrix. The balanced competition between fluid exudation and recovery under load is thus critical to the mechanical and biological functions of the tissue. We recently discovered that sliding alone can induce rapid solute transport into buried cartilage contact areas via a phenomenon termed tribological rehydration. In this study, we use in situ confocal microscopy measurements to track the spatiotemporal propagation of a small neutral solute into the buried contact area to clarify the fluid mechanics underlying the tribological rehydration phenomenon. Sliding experiments were interrupted by periodic static loading to enable scanning of the entire contact area. Spatiotemporal patterns of solute transport combined with tribological data suggested pressure driven flow through the extracellular matrix from the contact periphery rather than into the surface via a fluid film. Interestingly, these testing interruptions also revealed dynamic, repeatable and history-independent fluid loss and recovery processes consistent with those observed in vivo. Unlike the migrating contact area, which preserves hydration by moving faster than interstitial fluid can flow, our results demonstrate that the stationary contact area can maintain and actively recover hydration through a dynamic competition between load-induced exudation and sliding-induced recovery. The results demonstrate that sliding contributes to the recovery of fluid and solutes by cartilage within the contact area while clarifying the means by which it occurs.
Aspects of cohesive zone models and crack growth in rate-dependent materials

Various mathematical aspects of cohesive zone models are explored in detail with an emphasis on the asymptotic behavior at each end of the cohesive zone. The formulation presented is quite general in that a wide range of cohesive zone material behaviors can be considered, including time dependent ones, and the zone and crack can be stationary or propagating. Certain complexities arise when the zone is viscous and is propagating. This case is considered in detail with explicit asymptotic and numerical results presented for a power-law creep behavior.
PATERNALISTIC GROUNDS FOR INVOLUNTARY CIVIL COMMITMENT: A UTILITARIAN PERSPECTIVE

My purpose in this paper is to offer an interpretation of what I believe to be the central argument underlying the strongly antipaternalistic position taken by the utilitarian moral philosopher John Stuart Mill in his classic essay On Liberty, and to explore the implications of that argument for paternalistic justifications of the involuntary civil commitment of the mentally ill. Although much of what I shall say will pretty obviously apply to non-paternalistic justifications of involuntary commitment as well (e.g., posing a threat of harm or gross nuisance to others), my central concern is with the morality of the laws and institutional practices reflected in statements of the following sort: From the American Psychiatric Association’s revised position statement on involuntary hospitalization of the mentally ill:
Chemoradiotherapy for Inoperable Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

In at least some patients, radiotherapy alone can lead to long-term control of stage III or medically inoperable stage I-II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Administration of chemotherapy with radiotherapy increases survival rates in stage III NSCLC, and administration of chemotherapy concurrently with radiotherapy is more effective than sequential administration of induction chemotherapy followed later by radiotherapy. Concurrent administration is particularly important for augmenting local control of tumor. Chemotherapy can improve outcome by killing cells that survive radiotherapy, by killing distant micrometastases, and by sensitizing tumor cells to radiation. Radiosensitization has been noted with several classes of systemic agents, including platinums, taxanes, vinca alkaloids, topoisomerase I and II inhibitors, antimetabolites, and agents targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor and HER2/neu. It is anticipated that several other classes of new targeted agents could also play a role in the future. New radiotherapy techniques including intensity-modulated radiation therapy and proton beam therapy have the potential to further improve the outcome, and early clinical trials are underway to optimize the combination of systemic agents with these new radiotherapy options.
Cloning, expression and characterization of a UDP-galactose 4-epimerase from Escherichia coli

The gene galE encoding UDP-galactose 4-epimerase was cloned into E. coli BL21(DE3) from the chromosomal DNA of E. coli strain K-12. High expression of the soluble recombinant epimerase was achieved in the cell lysate. In order to evaluate the use of this epimerase in enzymatic synthesis of important α-Gal epitopes (oligosaccharides with a terminal Galα1,3Gal sequence), a new radioactivity assay (α1,3-galactosyltransferase coupled assay) was established to characterize its activity in producing UDP-galactose from UDP-glucose. Approximately 2700 units (100 mg) enzyme with a specific activity of 27 U mg−1 protein could be obtained from one liter of bacterial culture. The epimerase was active in a wide pH range with an optimum at pH 7.0. This expression system established a viable route to the enzymatic production of α-Gal oligosaccharides to support xenotransplantation research.
SPECIAL FORMS OF CONCORDANCE

This chapter focuses on special forms of concordance. There is a wide range of alternative concordance arrangements to accommodate various special applications, which can always usefully supplement a general concordance and for which the stature of the author may sometimes justify publication. Special concordances are analytical instruments for specialized investigations and publication is rarely the principal aim of their execution. The design of special concordances is limited only by the needs and imagination of the investigator and special concordances have no common characteristics. In some instances, the arrangement of the special concordance differs little from that of the general concordance. Only the addition of special kinds of information or the provision of information conventionally omitted marks the specialized function of the concordance. Usually, the special concordance is preceded by a general concordance, either as the preliminary stage in the preparation of the special concordance or as a separate earlier publication, perhaps by another editor. The alphabetical array of entries allows the concordance editor to identify special entries and to add discriminants for resorting into a special, sometimes non-alphabetical arrangement. There are many possibilities, however, a general concordance is almost invariably a valuable instrument in the creation of a special concordance.
A self-organizing retrieval system for graphs

The design of a general knowledge base for labeled graphs is presented. The design involves a partial ordering of graphs represented as subsets of nodes of a universal graph. The knowledge base's capabilities of fast retrieval and self-organization are a result of its ability to recognize common patterns among its data items. The system is being used to support a knowledge base in Organic Chemistry.
Predictive models for identifying risk of readmission after index hospitalization for heart failure: A systematic review:

Aims:Readmission rates for patients with heart failure have consistently remained high over the past two decades. As more electronic data, computing power, and newer statistical techniques become a...
Affiliated Former Partners on the Audit Committee: Influence on the Auditor-Client Relationship and Audit Quality

SUMMARY Researchers and practitioners have expressed the need to understand better the interactions between audit committees and auditors and how these interactions affect audits. Former partners a...
Transnational moral economies: The value of monetary and social remittances in transnational families:

Although migration scholars have called for studying both ends of migration, few studies have empirically done so. In this article the author analyzes ethnographic data conducted with migrant carew...
Analytical Model of the Free Energy of Alchemical Molecular Binding

We present a parametrized analytic statistical model of the thermodynamics of alchemical molecular binding within the solvent potential of mean force formalism. The model describes the free energy profiles of linear single-decoupling alchemical binding free energy calculations accurately. The parameters of the model, which are physically motivated, are derived by maximum likelihood inference from data obtained from alchemical molecular simulations. The validity of the model has been assessed on a set of host–guest complexes. The model faithfully reproduces both the binding free energy profiles and the probability densities of the perturbation energy as a function of the alchemical progress parameter. The model offers a rationalization for the characteristic shape of binding free energy profiles. The parameters obtained from the model are potentially useful descriptors of the association equilibrium of molecular complexes. Potential applications of the model for the classification of molecular complexes an...
Solving a nonlinear Singular Cauchy Problem of Euler- Poisson-Darboux Equation through Homotopy Perturbation Method

In this paper, we have applied He’s homotopy perturbation method (HPM) to solve a nonlinear Singular Cauchy Problem of Euler-Poisson-Darboux Equation. The solution of the problem is much simplified and shorter to arriving at the solution as compared to the technique applied by Carroll and Showalter in the solution of Singular Cauchy Problem. The results are compared with those obtained HPM and exact solutions. The results homotopy perturbation method (HPM) are of high concentration and the method is very effective and succinct.
Synthetic microbial consortia for biosynthesis and biodegradation: promises and challenges

Functional differentiation and metabolite exchange enable microbial consortia to perform complex metabolic tasks and efficiently cycle the nutrients. Inspired by the cooperative relationships in environmental microbial consortia, synthetic microbial consortia have great promise for studying the microbial interactions in nature and more importantly for various engineering applications. However, challenges coexist with promises, and the potential of consortium-based technologies is far from being fully harnessed. Thorough understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of microbial interactions is greatly needed for the rational design and optimization of defined consortia. These knowledge gaps could be potentially filled with the assistance of the ongoing revolution in systems biology and synthetic biology tools. As current fundamental and technical obstacles down the road being removed, we would expect new avenues with synthetic microbial consortia playing important roles in biological and environmental engineering processes such as bioproduction of desired chemicals and fuels, as well as biodegradation of persistent contaminants.
Problem-Solving and Working Memory in People with Intellectual Disabilities: An Historical Perspective

This chapter provides a selective review of research about the problem-solving and working memory of people with intellectual disabilities. This scholarship is viewed through the lens of Norman Ellis’s empirical and theoretical studies of the determinants of intelligence-related differences in memory performance. The chapter begins by describing a theory of problem-solving that accounts for constraints on working memory. It then proceeds to review Ellis’s (Handbook of mental deficiency, New York: McGraw-Hill, pp. 134–158, 1963; International review of research in mental retardation, New York: Academic Press, pp. 1–32, 1970) research on structural and strategic aspects of intelligence-related differences in memory performance. The latter work spawned decades of research about the influence of strategic and self-management processes on the problem-solving and memory of people with intellectual disabilities. The chapter concludes by briefly reviewing current scholarship about the self-determination of people with intellectual disabilities. As the reader will see, the interest in self-determination reflects the zeitgeist of self-advocacy as well as the historical interest in self-management and problem-solving.
Parasitic Personalities: Consistent Individual Differences in Behavior in a Facultatively Parasitic Mite

Host attachment is a necessary behavior in the evolution of parasitism. It is hypothesized that populations pass through a stage of facultative parasitism before the evolution of obligate parasitism. Previous research has revealed the impact of extrinsic factors on the expression of parasitic tendencies, but to our knowledge, the role of individual behavioral variation driving parasitic tendencies remains to be tested. Here, we used repeated behavioral assays to quantify attachment propensity and activity level of individual Macrocheles muscaedomesticae, facultatively parasitic mites of flies, from two different populations. Mites from both populations exhibited repeatability in attachment propensity and mites from one population exhibited repeatability in activity level. We did not find a relationship between an individual’s activity level and attachment propensity. Our data suggest that facultative parasitism may not simply describe a phenotypically plastic strategy that responds to environmental cues, but perhaps that individual differences in parasitic tendencies may appear like facultative parasitism at the population or species level.
Abstract P299: Changes in Race-Sex Specific Population Attributable Fraction for Obesity-Related Diabetes, 2001-2016

Introduction: Estimating effects of population-level increases in obesity on diabetes has important implications for public health policy. Therefore, we used the population attributable fraction (P...
Diversity by Race, Ethnicity, and Sex within the US Psychiatry Physician Workforce.

This study assessed the distribution of race, ethnicity, and sex within the US psychiatry physician workforce and trends from 1987 to 2016. The authors used physician workforce data to assess differences in race, ethnicity, and sex among psychiatric practicing physicians, faculty, fellows, residents, residency applicants, and medical graduate cohorts. Binomial tests were used for comparison between individual cohorts and to US population statistics. A simple linear regression model was used to assess trends among psychiatric residents and faculty over years 1987–2016. Within psychiatry, historically underrepresented minorities in medicine (URMs) had less representation as residents (16.2%), faculty (8.7%), and practicing physicians (10.4%) compared with the US population (32.6%), Ps < 0.0001. Females were underrepresented as psychiatric practicing physicians (38.5%, P < .0001). There was greater URM representation among residents (16.2%) compared with that of Psychiatry faculty and practicing physicians (Ps < .0001). Racial/ethnic representation did not differ significantly compared with subspecialty fellows; however, the addiction subspecialty contained the least URM and female diversity. Historical trends indicated the proportion of female faculty (0.9%/yr) increased nearly 1.5 times faster than that of female trainees (0.6%/year). Conversely, the proportion of URM residents (0.26%/year) increased over 4 times faster than that of URM faculty (0.06%/year), with black faculty actually decreasing in proportion. Female and URM representation within the psychiatry physician workforce is significantly lower than US population demographics; however, trends indicate diminishing underrepresentation. While psychiatry residency remains more diverse than other specialties, specific trends identify poor minority representation among psychiatry faculty and fellows as areas needing attention.
Coincidence spectra from d + d --> d + p + n and p + d --> p + p + n reactions with neutron detection at zero degrees

Abstract Proton-neutron coincidence spectra from the p + d → p+p+n reaction were measured for θn = 0° and θp = 15°–40° at Ep = 10.0 MeV. Deuteron-neutron coincidence spectra from the d + d → d + n + p reaction were measured for θn = 0° and θd = 15°–35° at Ed = 10.0 MeV. Coincidence spectra were analyzed in terms of a quasi-free scattering model. The possibility of using these reactions as a source of monoenergetic neutrons is discussed.
Outcomes in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma Undergoing Inferior Vena Cava Ligation without Reconstruction versus Thrombectomy: A Retrospective, Case Controlled Study.

Purpose:Radical nephrectomy with tumor thrombectomy is considered standard of care in patients with renal cell carcinoma. However, surgical ligation and interruption of the inferior vena cava is so...
Implementation of a Novel Hands-on Advanced Radiology Elective

Despite the use of imaging in many medical and surgical practices, no universal mandatory radiology component is required by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. In contrast, United States medical students are required to complete at least one core subinternship during their final year of medical school in medicine, surgery, pediatrics, or family medicine, regardless of their chosen field of interest. Students are expected to perform just below the level of an intern, performing functions such as assisting in writing notes, placing orders, and arranging for appropriate follow-up. To our knowledge, there are few institutions that offer a comparable clinical experience in radiology. In order to address this, we successfully designed and implemented a hands-on medical student advanced radiology elective, which allowed for experiential learning through independent dictation of radiographic examinations and procedure-based practice. Here, we describe the process of developing such an elective, how to implement it at other institutions, and some insight into troubleshooting any potential pitfalls should they arise. Overall, our novel hands-on elective enables a more student-centered, active learning approach, allowing for more in-depth, accurate evaluation of specialty choice while also equipping faculty and residency programs with the skills to best assess student interest, motivation, knowledge, and communication skills.
Unemployment rate, opioids misuse and other substance abuse: quasi-experimental evidence from treatment admissions data

The relationship between economic conditions and substance abuse is unclear, with few studies reporting drug-specific substance abuse. The present study examined the association between economic conditions and drug-specific substance abuse admissions. State annual administrative data were drawn from the 1993–2016 Treatment Episode Data Set. The outcome variable was state-level aggregate number of treatment admissions for six categories of primary substance abuse (alcohol, marijuana/hashish, opiates, cocaine, stimulants, and other drugs). Additionally, we used a broader outcome for the number of treatment admissions, including primary, secondary, and tertiary diagnoses. We used a quasi-experimental approach -difference-in-difference model- to estimate the association between changes in economic conditions and substance abuse treatment admissions, adjusting for state characteristics. In addition, we performed two additional analyses to investigate (1) whether economic conditions have an asymmetric effect on the number of substance use admissions during economic downturns and upturns, and (2) the moderation effects of economic recessions (2001, 2008–09) on the relationship between economic conditions and substance use treatment. The baseline model showed that unemployment rate was significantly associated with substance abuse treatment admissions. A unit increase in state unemployment rate was associated with a 9% increase in treatment admissions for opiates (β = 0.087, p < .001). Similar results were found for other substance abuse treatment admissions (cocaine (β = 0.081, p < .001), alcohol (β = 0.050, p < .001), marijuana (β = 0.036, p < .01), and other drugs (β = 0.095, p < .001). Unemployment rate was negatively associated with treatment admissions for stimulants (β = − 0.081, p < .001). The relationship between unemployment rate and opioids treatment admissions was not statistically significant in models that adjusted for state fixed effects and allowed for a state- unique time trend. We found that the association between state unemployment rates and annual substance abuse admissions has the same direction during economic downturns and upturns. During the economic recession, the negative association between unemployment rate and treatment admissions for stimulants was weakened. These findings suggest that economic hardship may have increased substance abuse. Treatment for substance use of certain drugs and alcohol should remain a priority even during economic downturns.
Why are Japanese Judges so Conservative in Politically Charged Cases

All judges in Japan, except those on the Supreme Court, become judges at a relatively young age by process of rigorous examination and then spend their career rotating through various positions. Although the judicial system handles its own promotion procedure, this raises the possibility that politics enters into judicial decisions. We look at the quality of postings that some 400 judges received after deciding various politically sensitive kinds of cases. In tobit regressions we find that judges who made decisions favored by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party did better in their careers. Judges who enjoin the national (but not local) government frequently suffer in their careers; so do those who ruled against the government on the constitutionality of the military; so do those who ruled that electoral redistricting was necessary before the LDP itself decided that.
EXAFS Investigations of lon-Implanted Si Using Fluorescence Detection and a Grazing-lncidence X-Ray Beam

EXAFS is uniquely suited to the study of the local environment about impurities in solids. Because of technical difficulties, however, the technique has seen relatively little application to single-crystal systems. In this work, we report recent measurements made at the Cornell High-Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) testing the feasibility of using a grazing-incidence x ray beam, fluorescence detection, and rotation of the sample during data acquisition. The samples were three-inch Si wafers implanted with Fe, a relatively fast-diffusing impurity. The implantation energies and doses were 200KeV, 1016 cm−2; 100KeV, 5x1015 cm−2; 40KeV, 5x1015 cm−2.
Role of lipomodulin, a phospholipase inhibitory protein, in immunoregulation by thymocytes.

The treatment of murine thymocytes with anti-lipomodulin antibody during Con A stimulation causes selective loss of suppressor activity, but not of helper activity on PFC assay, when co-cultured with T cell-depleted spleen cells. Interaction of the antibody with responder cells in thymocyte culture were necessary in the early stage rather than in the later stage of lymphocyte activation by Con A, which suggests that anti-lipomodulin antibody acts in the stage of suppressor T cells generation. When thymocytes were cultured with purified lipomodulin for 48 hr, suppressor activity was induced. Lipomodulin as detected by radioimmunoassay was found to be released from T cells with the phenotype of I-J+, Lyt-1-, Lyt-2+. The immunoprecipitates from the media of Con A-stimulated thymocyte with anti-I-Kk antibody and anti-lipomodulin antibody were analyzed on SDS-gel electrophoresis. I-J products had m.w. 36,000 and 24,000, whereas lipomodulin had m.w. 36,000, 24,000, and 15,000. Because anti-I-Jk antibody could precipitate 125I-labeled lipomodulin purified from rabbit neutrophils, these results suggest that lipomodulin is a product of I-J genes that induces suppressor T cells.
Rank-width and Well-quasi-ordering of Skew-symmetric Matrices: (extended abstract)

Robertson and Seymour prove that a set of graphs of bounded tree-width is well-quasi-ordered by the graph minor relation. By extending their methods to matroids, Geelen, Gerards, and Whittle prove that a set of matroids representable over a fixed finite field are well-quasi-ordered if it has bounded branch-width. More recently, it is shown that a set of graphs of bounded rank-width (or clique-width) is well-quasi-ordered by the graph vertex-minor relation. The proof of the last one uses isotropic systems defined by A. Bouchet. We obtain a common generalization of the above three theorems in terms of skew-symmetric matrices over a fixed finite field.