cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Merits of Mixing Methods in Evaluation

Evaluators are challenged to understand human behavior in all of its natural complexity and individuality. Our work is conducted in natural settings, where history and context matter, where human b...
Changes in Mechanical and Plant Technology: The Corn Belt, 1910–1940

During the period 1910–1940 some changes were occurring in the production practices of the Corn Belt. Three of the most important were the substitution of the tractor for horse power, the introduction of hybrid seed corn, and the development of viable mechanical picker-huskers for harvesting corn. This paper examines the background of those innovations, evaluates current assumptions about them, presents data concerning the relative per acre savings or additional income involved in adoption, and notes the possibility that assumptions about the economic rationality involved in corn improvement research, as well as the implications of the “dry hole effect,” may require some revision.
Trajectory planning for coordinated motion of a robot and a positioning table. I. Path specification

Coordinating the tool (robot) and workpiece (positioning table) motion in continuous manufacturing processes such as sealing, welding, and laser cutting offers several advantages over the motion of only the tool or workpiece. Better utilization of the speed and workspace characteristics of the two devices and improvement in tracking accuracy at sharp corners in the path are some of the merits of this approach. In coordinated motion, the two devices are simultaneously moved to track a given path, and two strategies are developed for coordinating their motion, where each is dependent on the given path information. The first strategy is applicable to any type of path and resolves the motion by splitting the displacement between any two points on the path into segments moved by the robot and the table. The robot and the table move in opposite directions in this strategy. The second strategy is applicable to sharp cornered paths and resolves the given path into two smooth paths. The first path is a double clothoid curve, whereas the second path is a tangential straight line path. The table executes a local motion around the corner in this strategy, whereas the robot is moved at all times. The uniqueness of this strategy in constructing the original corner path is proved. The proposed strategies are shown to be applicable to other coordinated motion systems. >
Research on ISS: what the heck are we doing up there?!

This paper is a non-scientific introduction to research currently being performed on the International Space Station (ISS). During these early days of ISS research falls into four distinct categories: materials research in reduced gravity, research into the effects of the space environment on living things, viewing the earth from space, and technology development. The materials research includes protein crystal growth, colloid studies, coarsening, experiments, and zeolite crystal growth and separation experiments. Research into the effects of space on living things covers a wide range of efforts, including the effects of space on human body and the human mind, cell biology and plant growth. Experiments involving viewing earth from space include Crew Earth Observations and a remote sensing experiment for middle school students. The technology development experiment currently underway is assessing the long-term effects of space on exposed materials. Each category of experiments, and many cases the individual experiments themselves, are described using public domain still and full-motion video.
Defining high-speed protocols: five challenges and an example that survives the challenges

The First IEEE Gigabit Networking (GBN) Workshop defined a set of characteristics of "Interesting" high-speed applications. The GBN criteria ensure that the application addresses a significant problem, and that it actually requires a gigabit network. This paper presents five challenges that augment the GBN criteria. These challenges ask whether gigabit applications require new research into different protocols, or can be supported by existing protocols that merely run faster. It shows a class of applications, interactive distributed multimedia, namely interactive real-time World Wide Web (WWW) access, that survive the challenges. It also shows how source presenting is a way to use excess bandwidth-delay product to reduce the browser response time, and how this is one example of a truly gigabit protocol. >
Monitoring patient distress and related problems before and after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) is standard treatment for many high risk hematologic malignancies and non-malignant diseases either as part of overall treatment or after relapse. Both autologous and allogeneic transplant numbers are increasing worldwide (Storb, 2004). The procedure for transplantation is complex, can cause intense psychological distress, and extreme social strain on the patient, family members, and friends. There are times when the psychological and social issues can be more challenging for the health care team than the medical issues. Because HSCT is an intense and distinctive experience for patients and families and has the potential to cause prolonged psychological distress unlike other experiences with oncology patients, the issues unique to this population warrant special attention (Andrykowski, Brady, Henslee-Doeney, 1994, Andrykowski, 1994).
Associations Between Genetic Ancestries and Nicotine Metabolism Biomarkers in the Multiethnic Cohort Study

Differences in internal dose of nicotine and tobacco-derived carcinogens among ethnic/racial groups have been observed. In this study, we explicitly examined the relationships between genetic ancestries (genome-wide average) and 19 tobacco-derived biomarkers in smokers from 3 admixed groups in the Multiethnic Cohort Study (1993-present), namely, African ancestry in African Americans (n = 362), Amerindian ancestry in Latinos (n = 437), and Asian and Native Hawaiian ancestries in Native Hawaiians (n = 300). After multiple comparison adjustment, both African and Asian ancestries were significantly related to a greater level of free cotinine; African ancestry was also significantly related to lower cotinine glucuronidation (P's < 0.00156). The predicted decrease in cotinine glucuronidation was 8.6% (P = 4.5 × 10(-6)) per a 20% increase in African ancestry. Follow-up admixture mapping revealed that African ancestry in a 12-Mb region on chromosome 4q was related to lower cotinine glucuronidation (P's < 2.7 × 10(-7), smallest P = 1.5 × 10(-9)), although this is the same region reported in our previous genome-wide association study. Our results implicate a genetic ancestral component in the observed ethnic/racial variation in nicotine metabolism. Further studies are needed to identify the underlying genetic variation that could potentially be ethnic/racial specific.
A26 Plenary Lecture: The future of GI endoscopy

The gastrointestinal tract is arguably the most important organ in the body for two reasons – it is required for the conversion of energy from ingested materials to energy the body can use and consequently, represents the convergence point at which signals that regulate the global metabolic status including satiety and insulin resistance. From a practical perspective, gastrointestinal hollow organs are now completely accessible by flexible endoscopy, rendering them potentially as accessible as the skin. This has provided significant opportunities for topical/minimally invasive approaches for the treatment of gastroenterological and metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes. I will review the most important technological breakthroughs that have brought us to this point, and provide my perspective for what the future holds for gastrointestinal flexible endoscopy including the use of cryotherapeutic techniques.
Comment on Richard Layard: Can Russia Control Inflation

For this session on “Monetary and financial reform in Central and Eastern Europe”, we have before us a paper entitled “Can Russia control inflation?”. I am not quite sure what, if any, meaning to give to this. Is this an application of the new Monroevsky Doctrine 1 to economic policy questions in effect saying that we need only worry about monetary stability in Russia and it will then ensure the same follows in the region? Or does it mean that Russia typifies the situation for all former socialist economies, and understanding one means understanding all? In that case the choice might better have been Ukraine which I regret to admit has the highest inflation in the region. Such a choice would also have avoided adding another grain of sand to the growing mound of perception of the primacy of Russia, a perception which does little to offset the growing internal sentiments in Russia favoring a Monroevsky role for the country.
Application of Neutron Diffraction Time-of-Flight Measurements to the Study of Strain in Composites

Neutron diffraction time-of flight measurements in the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source at Argonne National Laboratory have been used to study strain (from which stress is calculated) in various metal-and ceramic-matrix composite structures. For example, the effect of fabrication procedures (e.g., thermal cycling) on strain in the constituents of a metal-matrix composite have been studied. In this example, neutron diffraction experiments were used to quantify the process-induced reduction of strain in composite fibers. Measurements carried out to 900°C on this material have been used to validate theoretical assumptions in the prediction of fabrication-induced residual stress. Neutron diffraction studies of a high-temperature ceramic superconducting composite consisting of yttrium-barium-copper-oxide (YBCO) with various volume fractions of silver have also been carried out. The results of these studies have provided information on the effect of Ag content on stoichiometry, strength of interface bonding between Ag and YBCO (indicated by the tensile strains in the Ag), and creep mechanisms during fabrication. Ceramic-matrix composites with randomly dispersed ceramic whiskers have also been studied. Comparison of measured data with analytical-model predictions gave important clues to the micromechanisms involved in the creation of residual stresses. For example, the measured residual strain, as a function of angle, in hexagonal silicon nitride whiskers embedded in an alumina matrix is in excellent agreement with the predictions of a simple linear elastic model. For samples of silicon carbide whiskers embedded in an alumina matrix, temperature-dependent experiments allow determination of the stress-free temperature used in elastic analyses. Problems with determining strain-free lattice parameters and uncertainties in absolute measurements will be discussed.
A Pragmatic Method for Evaluating Election Schemes through Simulation

This article combines ideas from ethics, social choice, and political theory to develop a simulation method for assessing the desirability of different voting schemes in different situations. I use the method to evaluate six well-known election systems. My results are intuitive. I find that approval voting seems to be a good voting scheme for mass elections.
Relationship of Enteritidis-Paratyphoid B Infections to Hyperglycemia in Rabbits

Guinea-pigs dying from enteritidis-paratyphoid B infections show various changes, among which hydropic degeneration in the islets of Langerhans may be prominent. As it is difficult to obtain a quantity of blood from guinea-pigs without some injury, only single specimens for glucose determinations were withdrawn from the heart. These single tests indicated that the lesions were accompanied by hyperglycemia. As similar infections are fairly widespread among laboratory animals and especially rodents, it was believed that the varying degrees of hyperglycemia so frequently encountered in rabbits might owe its origin to this cause. The present study, therefore, was undertaken with a view to determining whether the organisms of the enteritidis-paratyphoid B group bore a causal relationship to changes in the blood sugar of these animals. Phases of the problem studied include coincidence of onset and development of hyperglycemia with the lowering of the animal's resistance occasioned by environmental changes (as evidenced by changes in atmospheric temperature), the effect of injections of killed and living bacterial suspensions, the possibility of conferring protection against bacterial invasion by immunization, and, finally, the pathologic changes induced by acute and chronic infections.
Chronic Toxicity and Hypercalcemic Effects of Various Activated Sterols in the Albino Rat

SummaryFor the albino rat, medicated daily until death, crystalline vitamin D3 is about 55%, and commercial dihydrotachysterol about 260% more toxic than crystalline vitamin D2 (based on the actual weights of the active principles). So far as vitamins D2 and D3 are concerned, the toxicities correlate very well with the hypercalcemic effects of the preparations. However, in the case of dihydrotachysterol the toxicity and ability to elevate serum calcium are not in that same proportion. In view of the difference in response of different species, these considerations do not necessarily apply to any species other than the albino rat.
Biology before Anatomy in Early Breast Cancer — Precisely the Point

Building on a foundation of clinical and laboratory observations, translational research, broad collaborations, and global education, adjuvant therapy for early-stage breast cancer has been an effective public health intervention. Standardization and even a one-size-fits-all philosophy were supported by individual trials and the worldwide overviews that showed proportional reductions in risk with chemotherapy in particular. Because higher risk, identified anatomically on the basis of tumor size or the presence of ipsilateral axillary nodal metastases, was associated with greater absolute therapeutic benefit, many clinical groups set risk thresholds, defined as a tumor size of 1 cm in the greatest dimension or any . . .
Photovoltaic Properties of Quantum Dots and ICG Dye Sensitized Micro/Mesoporous ZnGO-2 and TiO2 Solar Cells

New photovoltaic solar cells based on micro/meso porous Zinc(hydr)oxide with 2% graphite oxide (ZnGO-2) and TiO2 s sensitized by quantum dot and ICG dye are reported. The efficiency of energy conversion has reached up to ~ 6.84%.
Clinical Potential of Neurosteroids for CNS Disorders

Neurosteroids are key endogenous molecules in the brain that affect many neural functions. We describe here recent advances in US National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored and other clinical studies of neurosteroids for CNS disorders. The neuronal GABA-A receptor chloride channel is one of the prime molecular targets of neurosteroids. Allopregnanolone-like neurosteroids are potent allosteric agonists as well as direct activators of both synaptic and extrasynaptic GABA-A receptors. Hence, neurosteroids can maximally enhance synaptic phasic and extrasynaptic tonic inhibition. The resulting chloride current conductance generates a form of shunting inhibition that controls network excitability, seizures, and behavior. Such mechanisms of neurosteroids are providing innovative therapies for epilepsy, status epilepticus (SE), traumatic brain injury (TBI), fragile X syndrome (FXS), and chemical neurotoxicity. The neurosteroid field has entered a new era, and many compounds have reached advanced clinical trials. Synthetic analogs have several advantages over natural neurosteroids for clinical use because of their superior bioavailability and safety trends.
Improved Technology of Hole Drilled Along Seam in Goutou Coal Mine

The problems of sealing technique of hole drilled along seam in C5301 coal face of Goutou coal mine are analysed.The short sealing depth and sealing holes leakage are found to be the reasons.Aiming at these reasons,the sealing technique is reformed and then tested in C5302 coal face.The better drainage effect is achieved,with gas and coal outbursts prevented,providing reference for gas drainage technique in the same condition.
UCO: A Unified Cybersecurity Ontology

In this paper we describe the Unified Cybersecurity Ontology (UCO) that is intended to support information integration and cyber situational awareness in cybersecurity systems. The ontology incorporates and integrates heterogeneous data and knowledge schemas from different cybersecurity systems and most commonly used cybersecurity standards for information sharing and exchange. The UCO ontology has also been mapped to a number of existing cybersecurity ontologies as well as concepts in the Linked Open Data cloud. Similar to DBpedia which serves as the core for general knowledge in Linked Open Data cloud, we envision UCO to serve as the core for cybersecurity domain, which would evolve and grow with the passage of time with additional cybersecurity data sets as they become available. We also present a prototype system and concrete use cases supported by the UCO ontology. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first cybersecurity ontology that has been mapped to general world ontologies to support broader and diverse security use cases. We compare the resulting ontology with previous efforts, discuss its strengths and limitations, and describe potential future work directions.
A Waveguide Based Acoustic Microscope with Application to the Evaluation of Bone

A new ultrasonic scanning system has been developed which is capable of accurate velocity measurements with high spatial resolution. This performance is achieved while using relatively low frequencies to minimize the cost of the instrument. A waveguide detector is used in place of the normal focused ultrasonic transducer. The waveguide receiver makes it possible to provide the needed spatial resolution without limitations imposed by the finite aperture of the transducer. An increase in the complexity of the signal processing required and reduced throughput of the instrument results from this approach. However, these disadvantages are amply compensated by the ability to investigate materials with high attenuation and low wave velocities. These measurements are not possible with traditional acoustic microscopes.
Should Antipsychotic Medications for Schizophrenia Be Given for a Lifetime?: A Naturalistic, Long-Term Follow-Up Study.

BACKGROUND Schizophrenia remains a major health problem despite antipsychotic medications that, for most patients, can decrease acute symptoms, decrease relapses, and contribute to partial and sometimes strong positive response in patients with chronic symptoms. What has not been clear-because a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial is not feasible or ethical-is how many years after the initial episode, or onset of antipsychotic treatment, should medication be continued to achieve the best global outcome. We designed a small, clinical study to retrospectively perform a detailed follow-up to examine antipsychotic medication because it relates to both global outcome and life satisfaction. METHODS This is a naturalistic study of 35 patients with chronic schizophrenia examining antipsychotic medication adherence from 8 to 50 years (average, 21 y) after onset of antipsychotic treatment. The sample was derived from all patients treated for many years in 1 physician's academic clinic. Most were treated by community physicians before referral to the academic clinic. Information was gathered on (1) medication adherence, (2) long-term global outcomes (based on both the patient ratings and a blind clinician's assessment [blind to medication data] on both the Global Outcome Scale and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale), and (3) a patient-rated Satisfaction With Life Scale. Spearman rank order correlations were used to relate medication adherence to global outcomes and life satisfaction, as were linear regression models adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS A total of 35 patients (mean age, 45 y; mean years of possible medication since onset of treatment, 21 y) were assessed. Medication adherence was a statistically significant predictor of better long-term global outcomes and life satisfaction, both in Spearman rank order correlations and in covariate-adjusted linear regressions (all P values <0.01). Poor medication adherence was associated with poor outcomes, often disastrous, with low life satisfaction. Other variables such as presence of substance use disorders or family support did not explain the difference between those who adhered and those who did not. CONCLUSIONS In this naturalistic study, patients who adhered to antipsychotic medication had better long-term global outcomes than those who had poor adherence. Study limitations include the potential for residual confounding. This sample provides data consistent with the recommendation, in the absence of clinically important unwanted drug effects like tardive dyskinesia or large weight gain, for continuous, long-term antipsychotic treatment for chronic schizophrenia.
Abstract 166: Use of Risk Stratification for the Management of TIA in the Emergency Department: Focus Group Results.

Background: Evaluation of TIA cases in the emergency department (ED) represents a clinical dilemma because no firm guidelines exist as to their disposition (hospitalization vs. out-patient care). T...
Consumers' Acceptance of Sustainable Apparel Products Made of Bacterial Cellulose Materials

This study explores consumers' acceptance for the use of a bacterial cellulose (BC)-based sustainable nonwoven fabric in apparel or other related products. An online survey was conducted with a convenience sample of one of the U.S. mid-western universities. A total of 132 valid responses were used for the data analysis. The results indicate that BC material has the potential to gain consumers in the future. Although participants did not perceive BC material as good as other currently available sustainable materials, they presented great interest in this material, providing ideas for its potential use like shoes, hats, accessories, packaging materials, or home furnishings. Further study should be done for further exploring the potential of BC material for a variety of products beyond apparel. Further consumer testing is also recommended involving study participant's physical inspections of BC material by conducting sensory evaluation and wear testing of apparel products made of this material.
Displacement transmissibility evaluation of vibration isolation system employing nonlinear-damping and nonlinear-stiffness elements:

Undesired oscillations commonly encountered in engineering practice can be harmful to structures and machinery. Vibration isolation systems are used to attenuate undesired oscillations. Recently, t...
A Logic Circuit Simulation for Choosing a Group or a Question using Register and Encoder

Besides learning and working individually, normally people also interact in a group. A teacher or manager will divide and put several persons in groups, and mostly the group arrangement will be organized according to some classifications. This is quite different when people are dealing with a specific game or quiz. The participants will be asked to choose their own group or question in random order. Using the basic concept of digital system and electronic workbench 5.12 software, a logic circuit could be designed to build a circuit simulation consists of register and encoder which can be used to choose a group or a question randomly. The methods being used are study literature, analysis, design, and simulation. The result shows a desired output, a logic circuit for choosing a group or a question can be built using register and encoder logic components. Once a group or a question has been chosen, it cannot be chosen and displayed again.
Psychometric Properties and Utility of the Social Vulnerability Questionnaire for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Although it is well-known that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are socially vulnerable, the field lacks valid assessments to identify risk factors for victimization. Parents/caregivers of 428 individuals with IDD (ages 12–53) completed the social vulnerability questionnaire (SVQ), a measure developed to assess specific aspects of social vulnerability among individuals with various forms of IDD. This study examined the psychometric structure of the SVQ (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis), and the utility of the factors of the SVQ as predictors of diagnostic category (through discriminate function analysis). Results provide psychometric support for use of the SVQ and its factors for further research and as part of a clinical assessment battery to assess social vulnerability and to develop interventions.
Hydrogen sulfide-mediated cardioprotection: mechanisms and therapeutic potential

H2S (hydrogen sulfide), viewed with dread for more than 300 years, is rapidly becoming a ubiquitously present and physiologically relevant signalling molecule. Knowledge of the production and metabolism of H2S has spurred interest in delineating its functions both in physiology and pathophysiology of disease. Although its role in blood pressure regulation and interaction with NO is controversial, H2S, through its anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, has demonstrated significant cardioprotection. As a result, a number of sulfide-donor drugs, including garlic-derived polysulfides, are currently being designed and investigated for the treatment of cardiovascular conditions, specifically myocardial ischaemic disease. However, huge gaps remain in our knowledge about this gasotransmitter. Only by additional studies will we understand more about the role of this intriguing molecule in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Patients' Perception of Stressful Events in the Intensive Care Unit After Cardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND Subjecting patients to stress has potentially detrimental effects on their physical and psychological recovery. OBJECTIVE To identify stress-generating experiences that occur in an intensive care unit for patients after cardiac surgery. METHODS A sample of 16 patients in a 14-bed cardiovascular intensive care unit at a university hospital in upstate New York completed a questionnaire (based on an established survey) asking them to rate 23 experiences on a Likert scale of 0 to 4. All patients were adults and had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery. After surgery, they were extubated and completed the questionnaire within 12 to 24 hours. RESULTS Patients reported pain to be the most stressful experience, followed by presence of an endotracheal tube and sleeplessness. CONCLUSIONS With pain, endotracheal intubation, and sleeplessness identified as highly distressing to patients, further research can be done to elicit interventions that could alleviate some of the stress involved with a postoperative stay in an intensive care unit.
Dodecafluoropentane Emulsion in Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Phase Ib/II Randomized and Controlled Dose-Escalation Trial.

Abstract Purpose This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, dose-escalation acute ischemic stroke trial was designed to demonstrate maximum tolerated dose, characterize adverse events (AEs), and explore clinical outcomes when intravenous dodecafluoropentane emulsion (DDFPe) was used as neuroprotection. Methods Acute ischemic stroke patients (n = 24) with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of 2–20 were randomized to either 3 doses of intravenous DDFPe or placebo, 1 every 90 minutes, starting within 12 hours of symptom onset. Doses were given without affecting standard stroke care. Each of the 3 dose cohorts included 8 patients, with 2 receiving placebo and 6 receiving DDFPe. Primary outcomes were serious adverse events (SAEs), AEs, NIHSS score, and modified Rankin Score (mRS). Results No dose-limiting toxicities were encountered, and no maximum tolerated dose was defined. One unrelated delayed death occurred in a DDFPe patient, and another occurred in the placebo group. Group SAEs and AEs were similar in incidence and severity. Early initiation of DDFPe treatment resulted in better NIHSS score response than late initiation (P = .03). Thirty- and 90-day mRS after high-dose therapy suggested clinical improvement (P = .01 and P = .03, respectively). However, the significance of differences in clinical outcomes was limited by small patient numbers and differences in stroke severity between cohorts. Conclusions Intravenous DDFPe appears to be safe at all doses tested. Clinical improvements in NIHSS score and mRS were significant but compromised by small sample size.
Is the Neck Disability Index an Appropriate Measure for Changes in Physical Function After Surgery for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy

ABSTRACT Background The Neck Disability Index (NDI) is a 10-item questionnaire about symptoms relevant to cervical spine pathology, originally validated in the physical therapy literature. It is unclear if all of the items apply to spine surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine if improvements in the composite NDI score or specific NDI domains are appropriate measures for tracking changes in physical function after surgical intervention for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Methods A retrospective cohort review of patients treated at a major academic medical center was undertaken. Baseline and postoperative standardized outcome measurement scores, including composite NDI, NDI subdomain, and SF-12 physical component score (PCS), were collected. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to determine whether patients exhibited improvement in each of the outcome measures included. Multiple linear regression was performed to determine whether change in NDI composite or subdomain scores predicted change in physical function after surgery for CSM—compared with the well-validated PCS score—controlling for factors such as age, sex, etc. Results Baseline data were collected on 118 patients. All outcome measures exhibited significant improvement after surgery based on the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. On linear regression, work (β = −2.419 [−3.831, −1.006]; P = .001) and recreation (β = −1.354 [−2.640, −0.068]; P = .039), as well as the NDI composite score (β = −0.223 [−0.319, −0.127]; P Conclusions Although the NDI composite score did predict change in PCS over time, only 2 of the 10 NDI subdomains were found to be associated with change in physical function over time. Based on these results, the item bank and composite scoring of the NDI are inappropriate for evaluating quality of life in studies of surgically treated cervical spondylotic myelopathy patients. Clinical Relevance NDI may not be a valid tool in the determination of physical function changes after surgery for CSM. Level of Evidence III.
The Emergence of Modern Hinduism: Religion on the Margins of Colonialism: by Richard S. Weiss, Oakland, University of California Press, 2019, xi+202 pp., US$34.95 (paperback), ISBN 978 052 030705 6

Scholarly representations reflect assumptions that can lead scholars to ignore significant examples challenging their assumptions. Richard Weiss tackles this issue by questioning the focus in schol...
Conceptual Framework for Virtual Apparel Consumption in Gaming Virtual Worlds

The purpose of this study aims to provide a conceptual framework for examining consumers' motivation for virtual apparel consumption in gaming virtual worlds. Such a framework is important to understanding gamers' motivations for purchasing virtual apparel, a phenomenon that will impact the future of virtual apparel retail and marketing.
3.22 Nanostructured Polymeric Films for Cell Biology

This chapter summarizes the study of block copolymer (BCP) and polymer blend surfaces as templates for organization of proteins as well as the development of polymeric materials for control of cellular behavior. The systems described here have been developed for patterning of peptides and proteins, as scaffolds for study of surface-mediated cellular processes such as cell adhesion and stem-cell differentiation, as materials for improved biocompatibility, and for delivery of therapeutic agents. Amphiphilic BCPs, consisting of two or more chemically incompatible polymers that are covalently linked together, microphase separate of the polymer and form nanostructures with tunable feature sizes and potential for long-range ordering. The morphological length scales exhibited by these materials are relevant to the study of biophysical processes and they may allow for construction of biomolecule arrays that will enable new biotechnologies. The research highlighted here was chosen to illustrate the range of materials employed – from widely used biomedical polymers to novel copolymers developed for specialized functions – as well as the variety of techniques used to analyze these systems – namely, optical and X-ray microscopy techniques, surface-analytical techniques, and biochemical assays.
150 Burden of male-perpetrated sexual violence among bisexual women in the United States, 2011–2017

Statement of Purpose Using a large, nationally-representative sample, we examine the burden, as well as lifetime prevalence and associated sexual healthcare utilization, of sexual violence (SV) experienced by bisexual women. Methods/Approach We used data from female respondents aged 18–44 (N=14,309) in the 2011–2017 National Survey of Family Growth. Using sexual orientation components (identity, attraction, and lifetime sexual behavior) as separate main predictors, multivariable logistic regressions (adjusted for age, race, education, and poverty) compared male-perpetrated SV experience (forced vaginal, oral, or anal sex) and healthcare utilization among bisexual versus non-bisexual women. Results Lifetime prevalence of SV was higher, compared to non-bisexual women, among women who identified as bisexual (prevalence ratio/PR=2.69), had same and opposite sex attraction (PR=2.56), or reported same and opposite sex sexual behavior (PR=2.89) (all p Conclusion Across all sexual orientation components, prevalence of male-perpetrated SV is consistently higher among bisexual women compared to non-bisexual women. Bisexual women tend to experience SV earlier in adolescence and utilize more healthcare services for associated health outcomes. Ultimately, comprehensive interventions across the social ecology are needed to stop SV among this population. Significance and Contributions to Injury and Violence Prevention Science Despite increasing acceptance of same-sex behavior, the same changes in attitude have not extended to bisexual individuals (Dodge et al., 2016). SV appears to be common among bisexual women, and more attention and public health efforts are needed to address the role of gender norms and attitudes toward bisexuality in SV prevention.
A comparative 30-day outcome analysis of inpatient evaluation vs outpatient testing in patients presenting with chest pain in the high-sensitivity troponin era. A propensity score matched case-control retrospective study.

Background The best disposition of chest pain patients who rule out for myocardial infarction (MI) but have non-low clinical risk scores in the high-sensitivity troponin era is not well studied. Hypothesis In carefully selected patients who rule out for MI, and have a high-sensitivity troponin T ≤ 50 ng/L with an absolute increase less than 5 ng/L on repeat measurements, early emergency room (ER) discharge might be equivalent to inpatient evaluation in regards to 30-day incidence of adverse cardiac events (ACEs) regardless of the clinical risk score. Methods A total of 12 847 chest pain patients presenting to our health system ERs from January 2017 to September 2019 were retrospectively investigated. A propensity score matching algorithm was used to account for baseline differences between admitted and discharged cohorts. We then estimated and compared the incidence of 30-day and 1-year composite ACEs (MI, urgent revascularization, or cardiovascular death) between both groups. A multivariate Cox regression model was used to evaluate the effect of admission on outcomes. Results A total of 2060 patients were matched in 1:1 fashion. The primary endpoint of 30-day composite ACEs occurred in 0.6% and 0.4% of the admission and the discharged cohorts, respectively (P = .76). One-year composite ACEs was also similar between both groups (4% vs 3.7%, P = .75). In a multivariate Cox regression model, the effect of inpatient evaluation was neutral (hazard ratio 1.1, confidence interval 0.62-1.9, P = .75). Conclusions Inpatient evaluation was not associated with better outcomes in our selected group of patients. Larger-scale randomized trials are needed to confirm our findings.
Birthdays, anniversaries, and temporalities: Or how the past is represented as relevant through on-this-date media:

This article explores the mediatization of birthdays and anniversaries through the concept of “on-this-date” media as a way to understand the representation and circulation of media content that oc...
Structure-property coupling in Sr 3 (Ru 1 − x Mn x ) 2 O 7

Layered ruthenates are prototype materials for the study of structure-property correlations. We report the structural and physical properties of double-layered perovskite Sr${}_{3}$(Ru${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Mn${}_{x}$)${}_{2}$O${}_{7}$ single crystals with $0\ensuremath{\leqslant}x\ensuremath{\leqslant}0.7$. Single-crystal x-ray diffraction refinements reveal that Mn doping on the Ru site leads to the shrinkage of unit-cell volume and the disappearance of (Ru/Mn)O${}_{6}$ octahedron rotation when $xg0.16$, but the crystal structure remains tetragonal. Upon doping, the electrical resistivity reveals a metallic character $(d\ensuremath{\rho}/dTg0)$ at high temperatures but insulating behavior $(d\ensuremath{\rho}/dTl0)$ below a characteristic temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{MIT}}$. Interestingly, ${T}_{\mathrm{MIT}}$ is different from ${T}_{\mathrm{M}}$, at which magnetic susceptibility reaches maximum. While ${T}_{\mathrm{MIT}}$ increases monotonically with increasing $x,{T}_{\mathrm{M}}$ displays a nonmonotonic dependence with $x$ even though the effective spin increases from $S\ensuremath{\sim}1$ $(x=0)$ to $\ensuremath{\sim}3/2$ $(x=0.7)$. The phase diagram consists of three distinct magnetic ground states due to local structure change.
Trait mindfulness is negatively associated with distress related to COVID-19

Abstract Research suggests that mindfulness is associated with psychological health including a healthier response to stressors. Objective This research tested associations between trait mindfulness and mental health factors related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Methods Two studies (Study 1 N = 248 college students; Study 2 N = 300 U.S adults) assessed trait mindfulness, perceived stress and anxiety, worry about the coronavirus, and anticipated negative affect of a coronavirus diagnosis. Additionally, Study 2 assessed depressive symptoms and coping with the coronavirus. Results In both studies, findings indicated that individuals higher in trait mindfulness reported less stress and anxiety. Higher mindfulness in both studies was also associated with less worry about the virus and anticipating less negative affect if one gets the virus. In Study 2, trait mindfulness was negatively related to depression, and numerous associations between mindfulness and coping emerged, showing higher trait mindfulness was associated with healthier strategies in coping with coronavirus. Conclusions These data are consistent with research that has revealed that those who think and act more mindfully are less stressed and anxious. By revealing these associations with mindfulness in the context of a real-world, novel stressor, this research makes an important contribution to the literature.
How Much Punishment is Enough?: Embracing Uncertainty in Modern Sentencing Reform

It has now become fashionable to loudly proclaim that the U.S. criminal justice system is irreparably broken and requires a complete dismantling and total reconfiguration. The evidence is robust and the record is clear. Prisons are bloated and bursting with prisoners; budgets are ill endowed to support them; and offenders, due to excessive periods of unfruitful incapacitation, reenter society lacking in contributable and marketable skills. Racial disparities continue to corrupt charging and sentencing decisions; police brutality and human massacre are, woefully, commonplace; and the cycle continues. The United States’ criminal sentencing laws too often fail to advance any legitimate law enforcement objective. Criminologists, judges, practitioners, political leaders on both sides of the aisle, social scientists, other impartial observers, and even President Obama point to wasted fiscal resources, overcrowded prisons and court dockets, growing recidivism rates, and overly punitive punishment as significant failures that sentencing reform must correct immediately. After decades of imposing an ill-reasoned sentencing regime on multiple generations of offenders, federal sentencing reform is finally upon us. Federal lawmakers are poised to reform criminal sentencing laws now.
The Overlap Gap Property: a Geometric Barrier to Optimizing over Random Structures.

The problem of optimizing over random structures emerges in many areas of science and engineering, ranging from statistical physics to machine learning and artificial intelligence. For many such structures finding optimal solutions by means of fast algorithms is not known and often is believed not possible. At the same time the formal hardness of these problems in form of say complexity-theoretic $NP$-hardness is lacking. In this introductory article a new approach for algorithmic intractability in random structures is described, which is based on the topological disconnectivity property of the set of pair-wise distances of near optimal solutions, called the Overlap Gap Property. The article demonstrates how this property a) emerges in most models known to exhibit an apparent algorithmic hardness b) is consistent with the hardness/tractability phase transition for many models analyzed to the day, and importantly c) allows to mathematically rigorously rule out large classes of algorithms as potential contenders, in particular the algorithms exhibiting the input stability (insensitivity).
Advertising Media Selection

Advertising media planning is part of the media planning process. It consists of selecting the appropriate media and vehicles that will carry the campaign advertisements. The decision making involved in media planning is quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative decisions include analyzing the vehicles' delivery to the target market and determining the cost efficiency of particular media and vehicles. Qualitative decisions include looking at the appropriateness of a vehicle's editorial environment for the product being advertised, and the attentiveness of prospects to that vehicle. Keywords: advertising media planning; consumer advertising; media selection; campaign planning; television advertising; magazine advertising; advertising frequency; repetition in advertising
Log-Linear Models

In this chapter we study log-linear models which are useful for modeling multivariate discrete data. There is a strong connection between log-linear models and undirected graphs.
Learning, Private Information, and the Economic Evaluation of Randomized Experiments

Randomized experiments (REs) are viewed as the "gold standard" for the treatment evaluation, but many REs are plagued by attrition or non-compliance, even among subjects receiving the more effective treatment. This paper constructs an economic model of decision-making in which individuals make utility maximizing choices that provides a rich framework for evaluating REs. We estimate the subject's utility associated with the receipt of alternative treatments, as revealed by dropout or compliance behavior, to evaluate treatment effectiveness. Utility is a function of both the "publicly observed" outcomes that are typically the focus of evaluation studies, and treatment side effects that are the private information of the subject. Participants enter the RE uncertain of treatment effectiveness and often the treatment received, and update their prior beliefs over the course of the experiment when deciding whether to drop out. We use the framework to analyze an influential AIDS clinical trial, ACTG 175, which has been used to tout the benefits of combination therapies for AIDS over the use of AZT alone. However, our analysis indicates that for many subjects, AZT yields the highest level of utility, despite having the smallest impact on the publicly observed outcome of the study, the patient's CD4 count. Significant and rapid learning is observed over the course of the experiment, so that early dropout is primarily driven by side effects, while later attrition reflects declining CD4 counts for many subjects. An important implication of our findings, not recognized using the standard evaluation approach, is that patient welfare may be enhanced by offering a menu of therapies, since no single treatment is preferred by a majority of patients.
Price Gouging and Market Failure

Price gouging occurs when, in the wake of an emergency, sellers of a certain necessary goods sharply raise their prices beyond the level needed to cover increased costs. Most people think that price gouging is immoral, and most states have laws rendering the practice a civil or criminal offense. But the alleged wrongness of price gouging has been seriously under-theorized. This paper examines the argument that price gouging is morally objectionable and/or the proper subject of legal regulation because of the context of market failure in which it occurs. It argues that even if claims of market failure or true, they do not generate these normative conclusions.
Optimizing Parallel SPMD Programs

We present compiler optimization techniques for explicitly parallel programs that communicate through a shared address space. The source programs are written in a single program multiple data (SPMD) style, and the machine target is a multiprocessor with physically distributed memory and hardware or software support for a single address space. Unlike sequential programs or data-parallel programs, SPMD programs require cycle detection, as defined by Shasha and Snir, to perform any kind of code motion on shared variable accesses. Cycle detection finds those accesses that, if reordered by either the hardware or software, could violate sequential consistency. We improve on Shasha and Snir's algorithm for cycle detection by providing a polynomial time algorithm for SPMD programs, whereas their formulation leads to an algorithm that is exponential in the number of processors. Once cycles and local dependencies have been computed, we perform optimizations to overlap communication and computation, change two-way communication into one-way communication, and apply scalar code optimizations. Using these optimizations, we improve the execution times of certain application kernels by about 20–50%.
Creencias y actitudes miedo-evitación relacionadas con el concepto del dolor lumbar crónico en estudiantes de fisioterapia

El dolor lumbar es uno de los principales problemas de salud . El modelo de miedo-evitacion del dolor musculo-esqueletico desarrolla un factor psicologico importante en la rehabilitacion, donde ademas interfiere el profesional sanitario. Las creencias y actitudes estan modificadas segun la formacion recibida. Uno de los objetivos generales que nos planteamos es investigar la influencia del modelo miedo-evitacion en estudiantes de fisioterapia, futuros profesionales. Una alta puntuacion aumenta la probabilidad de un mal resultado en el tratamiento del dolor lumbar. Los resultados muestran una variacion estadisticamente significativa (P<0,05) entre las creencias y actitudes en los cursos inferiores y en cursos superiores. Esto esta argumentando por la adquisicion de conocimientos nuevos, basados en un modelo mas biopsicosocial, segun aumentan el curso academico.