cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Survey of Individual and Institutional Risk Associated with the Use of Social Media.

Introduction: Residents and faculty in emergency medicine (EM) residency programs might be unaware of the professional and legal risks associated with the use of social media (SM). The objective of this study was to identify and characterize the types and reported incidence of unprofessional SM behavior by EM residents, faculty, and nurses and the concomitant personal and institutional risks. Methods: This multi-site study used an 18-question survey tool that was distributed electronically to the leaders of multiple EM residency programs, members of the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD), and the residents of 14 EM programs during the study period May to June 2013. Results: We received 1,314 responses: 772 from residents and 542 from faculty. Both groups reported encountering high-risk-to-professionalism events (HRTPE) related to SM use by residents and non-resident providers (NRPs), i.e., faculty members and nurses. Residents reported posting of one of the following by a resident peer or nursing colleague: identifiable patient information (26%); or a radiograph, clinical picture or other image (52%). Residents reported posting of images of intoxicated colleagues (84%), inappropriate photographs (66%), and inappropriate posts (73%). Program directors (PDs) reported posting one of the following by NRPs and residents respectively: identifiable patient information (46% and 45%); a radiograph, clinical picture or other image (63% and 58%). PDs reported that NRPs and residents posted images of intoxicated colleagues (64% and 57%), inappropriate photographs (63% and 57%), or inappropriate posts (76% and 67%). The directors also reported that they were aware of or issued reprimands or terminations at least once a year (30% NRPs and 22% residents). Residents were more likely to post photos of their resident peers or nursing colleagues in an intoxicated state than were NRPs (p=0.0004). NRPs were more likely to post inappropriate content (p=0.04) and identifiable patient information (p=0.0004) than were residents. Conclusion: EM residents and faculty members cause and encounter HRTPE frequently while using SM; these events present significant risks to the individuals responsible and their associated institution. Awareness of these risks should prompt responsible SM use and consideration of CORD’s Social Media Task Force recommendations.
Epidemiological analysis of varicella occurred in Weifang city from 2007 to 2012

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of varicella from 2007 to 2012 in Weifang city and to provide a scientific basis for the strategy in control of varicella. Methods All the data of varicella in Weifang were collected from the reporting system for disease surveillance information and the reporting system for public health emergency events from chinese information system for disease control and prevention,and the date were analyzed by descriptive epidemiology.Results Total 2 256 varicella cases were reported from 2007 to 2012 in Weifang. The average incidence of varicella in2007 to 2012 was 4. 22 /100 000. Most of cases occurred in spring and winter. The peak incidence was in April to June and in Nov. to next Jan. Most patients are children and pupils age of 4 to 9 years and 10 to 24 years. Incidences of varicella in two age groups are 28. 76 /100 000 and 6. 85 /100 000,respectively. The cases mainly concentrated in pupils,scattered children and younger children in nursery,the three groups accounted for 52. 13%,19. 99%,16. 93% in total cases,respectively. 12 outbreaks had been reported in schools and childcare facilities from 2007 to 2012. Conclusion Children of4 to 9 years and persons of 10 to 24 years were the high risk populations. In order to reduce the outbreaks for varicella,we should strengthen the coverage of varicella vaccine of school-age children and strengthen the control of the infectious diseases in village elementary school and nursery.
Role of calcium in the modulation of ornithine decarboxylase activity in isolated pig granulosa cells in vitro

Abstract We examined the role of Ca2+ in the control of basal and hormone-stimulated ornithine decarboxylase activity in isolated pig granulosa cells maintained under chemically defined conditions in vitro. Omission of Ca2+ from the incubation medium (measured Ca2+ concentration 5μm) decreased basal enzymic activity, and significantly (P<0.01) impaired the response to maximally stimulating doses of either lutropin or follitropin. No significant alteration occurred in the concentration of either gonadotropin required to elicit half-maximal effects. The addition of EGTA (1.27–2.0mm) to chelate residual extracellular Ca2+ further decreased hormone-induced rises in ornithine decarboxylase activity. Despite the presence of 1.27mm concentrations of extracellular Ca2+, the administration of presumptive Ca2+ antagonists, believed to impair trans-membrane Ca2+ influx [verapamil (10–100μm), nifedipine (1–100μm) or CoCl2 (1mm)] suppressed hormone-stimulated ornithine decarboxylase activity. The inhibitory effects of verapamil or of Ca2+ omission from the medium were not overcome by the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (0.25mm), or by cholera toxin, or by an exogenously supplied cyclic AMP analogue, 8-bromo cyclic AMP. Conversely, micromolar concentrations of a putative bivalent-cation ionophore, A23187, increased significantly the stimulation of ornithine decarboxylase activity by saturating concentrations of lutropin or 8-bromo cyclic AMP. Thus the present observations implicate Ca2+ ions in the modulation of hormone action and cellular function in normal ovarian cells.
Foundations of Modeling Dynamic Systems

We are faced with a dynamic universe. Every object we perceive is undergoing change of one sort or another, rapidly or slowly. To deal with such a universe, we need a scale by which to gauge the sequencing or flow of events that are important to our survival and wellbeing; and that scale, of sourse, is time.
VARISTOR LIKE BEHAVIOUR IN As-Sb-Se GLASS CERAMICS. PART 1. CRYSTALLISATION OF GLASSES.

Les verres homogenes du systeme Ab-Sb-Se ont ete EEâiEes thermiquement de facon isotherme pour former des vitroceramiques dans lesquelles une phase cristalline conductrice composee principalement d'une solution solide de Sb 2 Se 3 -As 2 Se 3 est dispersee dans une matrice isolante d'un verre riche en Se. On a examine les microstructures et les proprietes de cristallisation de ces verres apres deux phases dans le processus de traitement thermique, a l'aide de la diffraction des rayons X, par microscopie electronique et par calorimetrie differentielle a balayage
The American Party System Viewed Comparatively

The United States has a unique party system. We call it a two-party system. By this we mean a party system in which only two parties share political power; that is, only two parties participate in the actual governing process. Third parties, or minor parties, exist from time to time, and people do vote for them, but it is extremely rare that they get enough votes to secure a seat in Congress, and of course they do not win the presidency. This is quite different from the multiparty systems of countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, Israel, and Scandinavia. In these countries, many more than two parties secure seats in their parliaments. For example, in Germany today six parties hold seats in their Bundestag; this number is usually the case also for Sweden and France, while twelve parties sit in the Dutch parliament. Even Great Britain, which many still see as a country with a “two-party system,” as in the past, today has eleven parties with seats in the House of Commons. There are practically no systems today that are genuinely “two-party,” as the U.S. system is.
The Molecular Biology of Site-Directed Modification of Photosystem II in the Unicellular Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Ultimately, the majority of biological energy sources arise from the primary capture of light by photosynthetic organisms. Until relatively recently, it has only been possible to “observe” and to quantitate photosynthetic reactions and speculate on their mechanisms and potential limitations. With the advent of recombinant DNA techniques -coupled with suitable model photosynthetic/genetic systems- we may now approach the study of photosynthesis through interactive molecular modification. We may begin to propose theoretical models for photosynthetic mechanisms and proceed to directly test these hypotheses by altering the structure of the genes encoding photosynthetic reaction center components. These approaches have been made possible by great advances in our understanding of the structure of photosynthetic complexes.
Shifts in Higher-Order Unions and Stepfamilies Among Currently Cohabiting and Married Women of Childbearing Age

Shifts in union formation and childbearing have undoubtedly altered the prevalence and structure of higher-order unions and stepfamilies, but no study has examined trends over time. Comparing the 1988 and 2011-2013 cycles of the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), I produce estimates of repartnering and stepfamily formation among currently partnered women aged 15-44. The percentage of intact unions that are remarriages stayed stable (around 27-28%), but a growing proportion of currently married and cohabiting women had another cohabiting partner in the past. The percentage of intact unions that are stepfamilies increased from 24% to 31%, with an increase in cohabiting stepfamilies from 19% to 39% of all stepfamilies. Further, while the majority of remarriages are stepfamilies, the majority of women's stepfamilies are no longer remarriages due to union formation among never-married parents. Cohabiting (but not marital) stepfamilies also exhibited changes in which partner had children and in shared childbearing.
X-ray structures and electronic properties of the 1,1′,2,2′- and 1,1′,3,3′-tetra-t-butylferrocenium(1+) cations

Abstract The compounds 1,1′,2,2′- and 1,1′,3,3′-tetra-t-butylferrocene (1,2-BUT and 1,3-BUT, respectively) were oxidized with AgReO4 in dichloromethane and the ferrocenium(1+) salts were isolated, after recrystallization from acetone, as dark-blue or dark-green crystals of [1,2-BUT+][ReO4−] and [1,3-BUT+][ReO4−]·acetone, respectively, which were suitable for X-ray diffraction. As expected from the known structures of the neutral ferrocenes, the di-t-butylcyclopentadienyl (Cp′) rings are virtually parallel in the 1,2-BUT+ cation and are tilted by 11.6° in the 1,3-BUT+ cation. The Fe C distances in both cations span a greater range and are, on average, longer than in the corresponding neutral ferrocenes. UV–Vis spectra revealed that λmax for yellow 1,2-BUT (442 nm) is lower than for orange 1,3-BUT (466 nm) and that λmax for blue 1,2-BUT+ (674 nm) is lower than for green 1,3-BUT+ (682 nm). In addition, E1/2(+/0) values determined by cyclic voltammetry in dichloromethane, reported here for the first time, show that 1,3-BUT (−0.24 V versus Fe(Cp)2+/0) is 50 mV easier to oxidize than 1,2-BUT (−0.19 V versus Fe(Cp)2+/0). A comparison of the structure of [1,2-BUT+][ReO4−] with that of the literature compound [1,3-DEC+][ReO4−] shows that the shortest Fe⋯Re distances in the two salts are ca. 5.8 A, indicating that the effective ion-pairing radii of the two cations are essentially the same in spite of the much greater overall size of the 1,3-DEC+ cation (1,3-DEC+ = 1,1′,3,3′-tetra(2-methyl-2-nonyl)ferrocenium(1+)). This surprising result is significant as far as differences in anion-extraction equilibria reported previously.
Within-Family Relations in Objective Sleep Duration, Quality, and Schedule.

The current study examined within-family relations between mothers’, fathers’, and children's objectively assessed sleep. Participants were 163 children (Mage = 10.45 years; SD = 0.62) and their parents. For 7 nights, families wore actigraphs to assess sleep duration (minutes), quality (efficiency, long wake episode, total wake minutes), and schedule (wake time). A sleep log assessed bedtime. Multilevel models indicated that children's sleep minutes, sleep efficiency, wake minutes, and wake time were associated with fluctuations in their mothers’, but not fathers’, sleep that same night. The duration and quality of mothers’ sleep was associated with both fathers’ and children's sleep that night, whereas fathers’ sleep was positively associated with only mothers’ sleep. Findings highlight the importance of examining sleep within a family context.
Clustering and Curve Fitting by Line Segments

Nonlinear nonparametric statistics (NNS) algorithm offers new tools for curve fitting. A surprising relationship between k-means clustering and NNS regression points is explored with graphics showing a perfect fit in the limit. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate NNS as a form of unsupervised learning, and supply a proof of its limit condition. The procedural similarity NNS shares with vector quantization is also documented, along with identical outputs for NNS and a k nearest neighbors (kNN) classification algorithm under a specific NNS setting. Fisher's iris data and artificial data are used. Even though a perfect fit should obviously be reserved for instances of high signal to noise ratios, it permits greater flexibility by offering a large spectrum of possible fits from linear to perfect.
Factors Associated with Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Among Transgender Women Receiving HIV Medical Care in the United States.

Abstract Purpose: We examined factors associated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among transgender women living with HIV (TWLWH). Methods: We used combined data from the 2009 to 2013 cycles of Medical Monitoring Project, an HIV surveillance system designed to produce nationally representative estimates of the characteristics of HIV-infected adults receiving HIV medical care in the United States. Rao-Scott chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with dose adherence (defined as taking 100% of prescribed ART doses in the past 3 days). Results: Among TWLWH who reported current ART use, an estimated 80.5% self-reported dose adherence. Multivariable factors independently associated with lower (<100%) dose adherence were younger age (30–39 vs. 40 and over), not having health insurance coverage, depression, lower self-efficacy to take medication as prescribed, and having greater than one daily ART dose. Conclusion: Our findings suggest several wa...
Rural Cancer Death

Cancer is a ubiquitous disease, a major cause of morbidity, and a leading cause of death in rural areas. Although mortality rates for cancer differ from region to region, with lower rates for many types of cancer in rural localities, the special space, time, and technological characteristics of rural areas highlight the difficulties involved in cancer therapy, research, and education. There is a shortage of doctors, pharmacists, and dentists in the rural regions of many countries. President Carter has said, “We need to reform our health care system to provide access to regular, high-quality care for our rural citizens at a cost they can afford.” (1)
On PAR with aPC to target inflammasomes.

In this issue of Blood, Nazir et al demonstrate that activated protein C (aPC) protects from ischemia-reperfusion injury by suppressing the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes, revealing a novel target of the anti-inflammatory pathway triggered by biased agonism of proteinase-activated receptor 1 (PAR-1).1
Fahrzeuganlaufmanagement bei Volkswagen am Beispiel des VW Tiguan

Fur den Beitrag in diesem Buch wurde das Anlaufmanagement des VW Tiguan gewahlt um zu verdeutlichen, wie mit geeigneten Instrumenten ein neues Fahrzeugprojekt mit hochster Qualitat gleichzeitig kosten- und termingerecht in den Markt gebracht werden kann. Insgesamt hat das Lieferantenmanagement bzw. die Einbindung der Lieferanten in den Produktentstehungsprozess bei Volkswagen in den vergangenen Jahren stark an Bedeutung gewonnen. Dieser Trend wird sich in Zukunft nicht nur fortsetzen, sondern sogar verstarken. Vor diesem Hintergrund war die Einbindung der Lieferanten in das Anlaufmanagement des VW Tiguan ein entscheidender Erfolgsfaktor. Bevor die Elemente des Anlaufmanagements am Beispiel des VW Tiguan erlautert werden, beschreibt Kapitel drei zunachst den grundsatzlichen Produktentstehungsprozess mit den wichtigen Meilensteinen, an denen sich ein erfolgreiches Anlaufmanagement messen lassen muss. Daruber hinaus wird die Struktur des Unternehmens Volkswagen und des fur das Anlaufmanagement verantwortlichen Bereiches erlautert, um dann uber den Standardprozess Anlaufmanagement (per Definition) auf das konkrete Beispiel des VW Tiguan zu kommen.
Editor’s Comments to Gilbert

Gilbert traces the developing embryo as Self, first through a historical analysis of our understanding of induction, and then places the issue of embryonic induction in its evolutionary context. “Ontogeny doesn’t recapitulate phylogeny, it creates it” (Garstang). How differences in induction generate different “selves” has been made clearer by recent advances in our understanding of regulatory principles in so called positive and negative induction, correlative development, phyletic constraints, and transfer of competence, each of which is clearly elucidated by Gilbert. He then turns to placing the scientific question within the broader conceptual construction that has served as an implicit theme of these essays, i.e, the dialecticism of such processes. Noting that the concept of induction has readily been acknowledged as explicitly dialectical by 20th century investigators, Gilbert well-illustrates Waddington’s intellectual debt to Whitehead in this regard. This example offers an excellent case of metaphysical awareness enriching the scientific enterprise, and more saliently, it captures an essential ephemeral component of our understanding of the Self from the vantage of developmental biology. Here we might review earlier antecedents for a clue regarding the elusiveness of our subject.
Adenosine and the Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Function, Mechanisms and Production

It is now generally accepted that inflammatory cells, the most abundant of which are polymorphonuclear leukocytes (neutrophils), make a significant contribution to ischemic tissue injury. This hypothesis suggests that the development of agents that inhibit neutrophil function may yield new pharmacologic agents for the prevention of reperfusion injury in the heart and other tissues. Over the past decade we and others have demonstrated that adenosine specifically diminishes those stimulated functions of neutrophils that contribute to the propagation of reperfusion injury. That the endogenous release of adenosine by neutrophils and other cells present at inflamed sites may act as a brake on neutrophil-mediated tissue destruction at ischemic or inflamed sites was first suggested by our in vitro studies (1,2). Since our original studies a number of investigators have further explored the mechanism of adenosine release from neutrophils and other cells; based on these insights a variety of potential therapeutic agents have been developed. Some of these agents are discussed elsewhere {chapter...}. In this chapter we will review the effects of adenosine on neutrophil function, neutrophil adenosine receptors and release of adenosine by neutrophils.
Automated Prototype Generation for Multi-color Karyotyping

This chapter presents an algorithm for automatically generating a prototype from multicolor karyotypes obtained via multi-spectral imaging of human chromosomes. The single representative prototype of the color karyotype that is generated represents the analytical integration of a group of karyotypes obtained via Multicolor Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (MFISH) method. Multicolor karyotyping is a 24-color MFISH method that allows simultaneous screening of the genome. It allows for the detection of a wide variety of anomalies in human chromosomes, including subtle and complex rearrangements. Although, multicolor karyotyping allows visual detection of gross anomalies, misclassified pixels make manual examination difficult. Additionally, in the absence of prior knowledge of the anomaly, interpretation of the karyotypes can be ambiguous. In this study we have developed an automated method for the generation of a single representative prototype of the color karyotype, which assists the screening of chromosomal aberrations by computational removal of non-physiological anomalies. We hypothesize that generation of a single representative prototype of the color karyotype from multiple karyotypes (k) for a given specimen can highlight all the aberrations, while minimizing misclassified pixels arising from inconsistencies in sample preparation, hybridization and imaging procedures. A three-tier approach is implemented to achieve the generation of the representative color karyotype from a set of multiple (>2) karyotypes. The first step involves the automated extraction of individual chromosomes from each karyotype in the set, followed by chromosome straightening and size normalization. In the second step, the extracted and normalized chromosomes belonging to each of the 24 color classes are automatically assigned to a particular group (1, 2, 3, etc.) based on the ploidy level (monoploid, diploid, triploid, etc.), respectively. For automated group assignment, Bayesian classification is utilized to determine the probability that a particular chromosome belongs to a specific group based on the similarity between the chromosomes within the group. Similarity is evaluated using two distance metrics: (1) two-dimensional (2D) histogram based descriptors, and (2) Eigen space representation based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Finally in the third step, we compute the prototype of the color karyotype by generating the representative chromosome for each group in the 24 color classes using pixel-based fusion. This approach allows us to generate the representative prototype color karyotype that reflects all anomalies for a given specimen, while rejecting non-physiological inconsistencies. Furthermore, automation not only reduces the workload, but also allows alleviation of subjectivity by providing a quantitative formulation based on statistical analysis.
Collecting, Connoisseurship, and the Vernacular

All things known, including the imaginary, are named, classified, and placed in a hierarchical system of value. Art is a traditional mechanism for the assignment of value to phenomena, as well as a category itself, which in turn is classified among other forms of culture. Art and its history are not simply honourific projects focusing on paying attention to all that is worthy. Art and art history are political and ideological discourses-editorial projects-banishing all that is deemed ugly and unworthy.
Electrons in Atoms and Molecules

All of chemistry can be explained in terms of the behavior of the subatomic particles of which matter is composed. For most purposes, there are two kinds of particles that have to be considered, electrons and nuclei. All electrons are the same, that is, they have the same mass and charge; nuclei are of different kinds, since they can have different masses and charges.
Can Correctional Environments Be Humane? A Case for Evidence and Value-Based Design

Abstract Imprisoning people is, short of capital punishment, the most drastic sanction a society can impose on its citizens. When a state acts to imprison someone it takes on the responsibility for that person’s welfare, and the obligation to treat the individual decently and humanely. Far too many prisons fail to meet the standards of humane treatment, as outlined in the United Nation’s Mandela Rules, to show respect for the dignity and value of human beings. Further, even a humanely design and operated prison is expensive, can have negative impacts on the lives and future prospects of those it holds, and may not be the best way to serve criminal justice policy goals. This chapter addresses environmental aspects of humane treatment, in terms of doing no harm, maintaining a more normal setting, promoting health and growth, and helping people to maintain their connection to society.
Motion Induced Error in Continuous-Wave Electromagnetic Induction Sensors

An error mechanism for continuous wave electromagnetic induction sensors has been discovered and analyzed. The error is due to the signal processing when the received signal is modulated by the relative motion between the target and the sensor. A simple modification of processing the data has been developed that mitigates this error, and the method is demonstrated with experimental data.
Effects of saturation and esterification of fat sources on site and extent of digestion in steers: ruminal fermentation and digestion of organic matter, fiber, and nitrogen.

Five steers (average 526 kg) fitted with ruminal, duodenal, and ileal cannulas were used in a 5 x 6 Youden square design with 14-d periods. Diets contained chopped alfalfa hay, corn silage, and concentrate (25:35:40, DM basis). Treatments were 1) control (no added fat), 2) tallow (T), 3) partially hydrogenated tallow (PHT), 4) hydrogenated tallow (HT), 5) blend (1:1) of HT and hydrogenated free fatty acids (HTHFA), and 6) hydrogenated free fatty acids (HFA). Fats replaced cornstarch in the control diet to supply 5% added fatty acids. Intake was restricted to 90% of ad libitum; DMI was similar among diets (average 9 kg/d). Ruminal pH and molar proportion of propionate (P) were greater (P <.05) but total VFA concentration, proportion of acetate (A), A:P, and percentages of OM digested in the rumen and total tract were less (P <.05) when fat-supplemented diets were fed than when the control diet was fed. Total VFA concentration increased linearly (P <.05) as esterification of fat sources increased (HFA < HTHFA < HT). Acetate and A:P increased linearly (P <.10) but propionate and apparent total tract digestibility of OM decreased linearly (P <.05) as either saturation (T < PHT < HT) or esterification of fat sources increased. Ruminal NH 3 N concentration increased linearly ( P <.001) as saturation increased. Apparent ruminal digestibilities of ADF (P <.05) and NDF (P <.10) increased linearly as esterification increased. Flow of nonammonia nonmicrobial N to the duodenum was less (P < .10) but flow of microbial N was greater (P <.05) for the control diet than for fat-supplemented diets. Flows and small intestinal digestibilities of N and efficiencies of microbial protein synthesis were not altered by degree of saturation or esterification. Results confirm previous in vitro observations that T or HFA can alter ruminal digestion; however, because these effects usually are not observed in dairy cows, feed intake likely is very important in responses to supplemental fats.
Phase II monitoring of variability using Cusum and EWMA charts with individual observations

When monitoring a process mean in Phase II, it is well known that time-weighted control charts (such as the Cusum or EWMA) of individual observations are more sensitive for detecting small mean cha...
Scale Method for Evaluation of Fission Neutron Spectra

AbstractA semiempirical method allowing description and normalization of the prompt fission neutron spectrum (PFNS) is proposed. The method is based on the assumption that PFNS 235U(nth,f) and 252Cf(SF) have similar shapes. In the case of these two isotopes, the method works with accuracy of 1 to 2% in the energy range of 0.1 to 10 MeV.
434. Concurrent Gonococcal Infections with Differing Susceptibility Results from the Enhanced Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (eGISP)

Background Concurrent gonococcal infections could impact treatment success in cases of anatomic site-specific strains with different antimicrobial susceptibilities; however, little is known about same-patient differences in susceptibility as most antibiotic resistance surveillance is based on only male urethral isolates.
So close and yet so far? Predictors of international students’ socialization with host nationals

Abstract Socialization with members of the host culture (host nationals) is a persistent challenge for international students, especially those from East/Southeast Asian countries. The present study investigated three theoretically grounded predictors of international students’ socialization with host-national students—self-esteem, university identity, and perceived discrimination—in a sample (N = 256) of East/Southeast Asian international undergraduate students in the U.S. Socialization with other internationals was assessed to enable a direct comparison of socialization with international students’ two primary peer groups. Across analyses, self-esteem predicted greater socialization with host nationals but not other internationals. Although support was qualified, university identity tended to predict greater socialization with both host nationals and other internationals. Perceived discrimination was unrelated to socialization with either group. Mixed model analyses confirmed the differential pattern of relations between self-esteem and socialization with host nationals versus other internationals, as well as the similar pattern for university identity and socialization target. Results suggest that self-esteem may be a particularly important resource for East/Southeast Asian international students striving to forge relationships with host nationals. Further, boosting university identity may foster better relationships for international students with both host national and other international students on campus.
Multi-Pass Renderer in MPEG Test Model for Immersive Video

MPEG is developing an immersive video coding standard aims to deliver 6DoF (degrees of freedom) visual experience enabling motion parallax and omnidirectional viewing capabilities. A reference software has been made available to implement the immersive standard. To make it robust for various immersive content and deliver sharper synthesis with suppressed artifacts, a multi-pass add-on tool has been implemented for rendering at the decoder side. The tool runs view synthesis multiple times with different selection of views or patches of views in each pass based on the distance to the desired viewing position and orientation and merges the intermediate synthesized views to output a coherent and complete desired view. We share the multi-pass rendering results operating on whole views or on atlases (i.e. collection of patches from views) and compare them to the traditional single-pass synthesis results. We report significant subjective and objective improvements (1.7 ~ 4.2 dB gain in PSNR) for the multi-pass technique in the whole views case while having its synthesis results being atlas-dependent in the immersive coding case.
Hepatic Subcapsular Flow as a Significant Diagnostic Marker for Biliary Atresia: A Meta-Analysis.

Aim Increasing evidence indicates that hepatic subcapsular flow (HSF) can serve as a noninvasive ultrasonographic marker for the early diagnosis of biliary atresia (BA). However, results regarding its diagnostic accuracy are inconsistent and inconclusive. We conducted this meta-analysis with an aim to systematically evaluate the diagnostic value of HSF in predicting BA. Methods A comprehensive literature search of four databases was conducted to identify the eligible studies. All analyses were performed using STATA 12.0. Results Nine studies from eight articles containing 368 patients and 469 controls were included in our meta-analysis. Briefly, the values for pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the curve (AUC) were 0.95 (95% CI 0.88-0.98), 0.92 (95% CI 0.85-0.96), 11.6 (95% CI 6.3-21.5), 0.06 (95% CI 0.02-0.14), 201 (95% CI 59-689), and 0.98 (95% CI 0.96-0.99), respectively. Additionally, metaregression along with subgroup analysis based on various covariates revealed the potential sources of heterogeneity and the detailed diagnostic value in each subgroup. Conclusion Our meta-analysis showed that HSF assay could provide high accuracy in predicting BA patients and non-BA individuals. However, further studies with better design and larger sample size are required to support the results of the present study.
Comparison of cross-sectional imaging techniques for the detection of prostate cancer lymph node metastasis: a critical review

Conventional staging for prostate cancer (PCa) is performed for men diagnosed with unfavorable-intermediate or higher risk disease. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis and whole body bone scan remains the standard of care for the detection of visceral, nodal, and bone metastasis. The implementation of the 2012 United States Preventive Services Task Force recommendation against routine prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening resulted in a rise of metastatic PCa at the time of diagnosis, emphasizing the importance of effective imaging modalities for evaluating metastatic disease. CT plays a major role in clinical staging at the time of PCa diagnosis, but multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is now integrated into many prostate biopsy protocols for the detection of primary PCa, and may be a surrogate for CT for nodal staging. Current guidelines incorporate both CT and MRI as appropriate cross-sectional imaging modalities for the identification of nodal metastasis in indicated patients. There is an ongoing debate about the utility of traditional cross-sectional imaging modalities as well as advanced imaging modalities in detection of both organ-confined PCa detection and nodal involvement.
Chapter IV – Epitaxial structures

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews possible effects of crystallographic texture, grain morphology, and grain size modes of growth on the structure of epilayers. The production of pseudomorphic epilayers and useful device structures is facilitated by the absence of mobile dislocations in the epilayer substrate system..Heteroepitaxy is also found to occur when the misfit between unit cells of epilayer and substrate, having the same symmetry, is large or when these unit cells have different symmetry. The crystallographic relations between film and substrate in these studies are independent of any bonding that exists across the film–substrate interface, but are entirely dependent on features, such as cleavage steps, that exist on the surface of the substrate. It is believed that there is a critical temperature above which epitaxial deposition occurs via the migration of terrace steps without the nucleation of adatom clusters on the terraces.
Clinicians' satisfaction with Grateful Med: an exploratory study.

Abstract End-user search software is designed to simplify online searching for the casual searcher. User-friendly features provide relatively easy online access to remote databases without the need for expert search systems. At issue is whether the simplified features of such software compromise what is potentially retrievable, and if so, whether the missing information is critical to the end user. A study was designed to address this question, particularly as applied to clinicians using a user-friendly search software package such as Grateful Med. Clinician participants compared their Grateful Med search results with a full Elhill search (as performed by an intermediary) and indicated whether references unique to either search were or were not critical to their information needs.
The role of parental support for youth physical activity transportation and community-level poverty in the healthy communities study.

This study evaluates whether parental provision of transportation for physical activity is associated with child/adolescent moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, while also evaluating community-level poverty. Self- and parental-reported surveys were administered with parents/caregivers and children in the Healthy Communities Study (N = 5138). Associations between individual-level demographics, community-level poverty, parental provision of transportation for physical activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were examined in multi-level models. Even when accounting for community-level poverty, which was significantly associated with lower moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, parental provision of transportation for physical activity was positively associated with greater moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. This study provides evidence for the importance of considering multiple systems of influence (e.g., community and individual factors) and considering how gaps in physical activity transportation for youth can be addressed in future health policies.
Transarterial radioembolization versus systemic treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma with macrovascular invasion: Analysis of the US National Cancer Database

Background and Aims: Systemic therapy remains the recommended first-line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with macrovascular invasion (MVI). Transarterial radioembolization (TARE) is a promising alternative treatment given superior quality of life. The aims of this study were to 1) characterize trends and correlates for TARE as first-line treatment of HCC patients with MVI in the US and 2) compare survival after TARE versus systemic therapy. Methods: We used the US National Cancer Database to identify patients with T3BN0M0 HCC during 2010-2017. We performed multivariable logistic regression to identify factors associated with use of TARE vs. systemic therapy and Cox proportional hazards regression to identify factors associated with overall survival. Results: Of 11,259 patients with T3BN0M0 HCC, 1454 (12.9%) and 3915 (34.7%) patients were treated with TARE and systemic therapy, respectively. The proportion of patients who received TARE increased from 13.0% in 2010 to 37.0% in 2017. Older age, White race, and receiving care at an academic cancer program were associated with receipt of TARE, while lack of insurance, higher MELD score, Charlson comorbidity Index ≥3, and Northeast region were associated with receipt of systemic therapy. TARE was associated with reduced mortality compared to systemic therapy (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.74, 95%CI: 0.68-0.80), with consistent results observed in propensity weighted analysis and across all examined subgroups. Conclusion: Use of TARE as first-line therapy for HCC with MVI has increased in the US. Patient characteristics, region, and medical center type affected the use of TARE. TARE was associated with reduced mortality compared to systemic therapy for HCC patients with MVI.
ePose: Let's Make EfficientPose More Generally Applicable.

EfficientPose is an impressive 3D object detection model. It has been demonstrated to be quick, scalable, and accurate, especially when considering that it uses only RGB inputs. In this paper we try to improve on EfficientPose by giving it the ability to infer an object's size, and by simplifying both the data collection and loss calculations. We evaluated ePose using the Linemod dataset and a new subset of it called "Occlusion 1-class". We also outline our current progress and thoughts about using ePose with the NuScenes and the 2017 KITTI 3D Object Detection datasets. The source code is available at https://github.com/tbd-clip/EfficientPose.
Corrosion behavior of experimental and commercial nickel-base alloys in HCl and HCl containing Fe3+

The effects of ferric ions on the corrosion resistance and electrochemical behavior of a series of Ni-based alloys in 20% HCl at 30oC were investigated. The alloys studied were those prepared by the Albany Research Center (ARC), alloys J5, J12, J13, and those sold commercially, alloys 22, 242, 276, and 2000. Tests included mass loss, potentiodynamic polarization, and linear polarization.
Elicitation Techniques: Getting People to Talk About Ideas They Don’t Usually Talk About

Elicitation techniques are a category of research tasks that use visual, verbal, or written stimuli to encourage participants to talk about their ideas. These tasks are particularly useful for exploring topics that may be difficult to discuss in formal interviews, such as those that involve sensitive issues or rely on tacit knowledge. Elicitation techniques can also reduce power imbalances between interviewers and respondents, and they can enhance participants’ ability to elaborate on their own conceptions of the world, rather than limiting them to categories derived from theory or previous research. Among the most useful of such techniques are those that involve respondents in arranging stimulus materials, constructing materials in response to stimuli, and explaining stimulus materials. Each of these has been used to explore important topics in social education, and familiarity with a range of elicitation techniques enables researchers to overcome many barriers to productive interviewing.
n-Pentane isomerization over mesoporous sulfated zirconia catalysts

A mesoporous sulfated zirconia catalyst shows higher isomerization conversions of n-pentane to isopentane than conventional sulfated zirconia, but deactivates rapidly. The addition of platinum slows the deactivation rate over both forms of sulfated zirconia but decreases the high initial activity. 3wt% sulfur loading and Pt addition after calcination at 550°C leads to the most active catalysts for n-pentane isomerization.
Combining enriched environment and induced pluripotent stem cell therapy results in improved cognitive and motor function following traumatic brain injury

Purpose Despite advances towards potential clinically viable therapies there has been only limited success in improving functional recovery following traumatic brain injury (TBI). In rats, exposure to an enriched environment (EE) improves learning and fosters motor skill development. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) have been shown to survive transplantation and influence the recovery process. The current study evaluated EE and iPSC as a polytherapy for remediating cognitive deficits following medial frontal cortex (mFC) controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury. Methods Sixty adult male rats received a midline mFC CCI or sham injury and were randomly placed in either EE or standard environment (SE). Seven days post-injury rats received bilateral transplantation of iPSCs or media. Behavioral measures were conducted throughout the remainder of the study. Following behavioral analysis, brains were extracted and prepared for histological analysis. Results Open-field data revealed that combined therapy resulted in typical Sham/EE activity rearing patterns by the conclusion of the study. On the Vermicelli Handling task, rats with EE/iPSC polytherapy performed better than media-treated rats. Furthermore, rats treated with polytherapy performed equivalently to Sham/EE rats on the Morris water maze. Proficiency on the Rotarod was consistently better in EE when compared to SE counterparts. Confocal microscopy confirmed that iPSCs survived and migrated away from the transplantation site. Conclusions Overall, EE or iPSC therapy improved cognition and motor performance, however, full cognitive restoration was seen only with the EE/iPSC treatment. These data suggest that EE/iPSC therapy should be explored as a potential, clinically relevant, treatment for TBI.
Representative Bureaucracy and Gender Consciousness: A Framework for Investigating Gendered Policy Outputs

The theory of representative bureaucracy has received much sustained attention over the past forty plus years, resulting in a wealth of scholarship that investigates the representativeness of public bureaucracies, the kinds of outputs they produce, and the link between these two things. We know that women are more likely to be found in low-level positions, that they are disproportionately located in certain agency types, and that factors such as political culture, region, private sector employment levels, and female political representation often affect their levels of passive representation in government bureaucracies (i.e. Bowling, Kelleher, Jones and Wright 2006; Selden 1997; Sigelman 1976; Saltzstein 1983, 1986). However, we know surprisingly less about the ways in which women behave in public bureaucracies, how they potentially socialize their colleagues to be gender sensitive, how they perceive and advocate for their clientele and constituents, and how they produce outputs that are either gender responsive or gender neutral. This paper attempts to fill this gap by fleshing out the role of gender consciousness, explaining how this concept promises a much richer understanding of the role gender plays in American public bureaucracies, and offering suggestions for empirically examining the various steps of the representative bureaucracy puzzle. I argue here that the study of gender and representative bureaucracy is extraordinarily complex and in need of more nuanced methodological approaches. I contend that part of the explanation here is that scholars have underestimated and misconstrued the role gender plays in creating policy outputs that benefit female clientele and constituents. Drawing heavily from the work of Sally Coleman Selden (1997) and her concept of the minority representative role, I encourage scholars to develop a similar measure to assess gender consciousness among male and female administrators. Because gender consciousness holds promise as an explanatory variable for understanding the linkage between descriptive and substantive representation, and because we know so very little about the mechanisms that connect attitudes to behavior, it is especially important to consider this linkage when investigating administrative behavior. Doing so will shed light on important questions in the representative bureaucracy literature.
The Social Universe of the English Bible: Scripture, Society, and Culture in Early Modern England

How can we explain the immense popularity of the English Bible? Naomi Tadmor argues that the vernacular Bible became so influential in early modern English society and culture not only because it was deeply revered, widely propagated, and resonant but also because it was -- at least in some ways - Anglicised. She focuses in particular on the rendering into English of biblical terms of social description and demonstrates the emergence of a social universe through the processes of translation from ancient and medieval texts to successive and inter-related English versions. She investigates the dissemination of these terms in early modern society and culture, focusing on community ties, gender and labour relations, and offices of state. The result is an important contribution to the history of the English Bible, biblical translations, and to early modern English history more generally.
EARTHQUAKE SEQUENCE CALCULATIONS WITH DYNAMIC WEAKENING MECHANISMS

There are multiple lines of evidence that major faults which host large earthquakes (e.g., San Andreas fault) operate at much lower shear stresses than what is predicted by Byerlee’s law and a litho- and hydro-static stress state. Recent laboratory experimental studies suggest that a fault weakens dramatically at coseismic slip rates. We have taken the experimentally derived dynamic weakening into account in the earthquake sequence simulations. Our studies reveal that the overall stress level at which a fault operates is controlled by the frictional resistance at coseismic slip rates.
Adolescents and AIDS: Female's attitudes and behaviour toward condom purchase and use

Abstract Condom use has been advocated as a method to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission. Although condoms are not uniformly popular with adolescent males, adolescent females' beliefs about condom use are unclear. To assess the specific health attitudes and behaviors as they relate to condom purchase by adolescents, we surveyed 99 adolescent females between 12 and 19 years of age (50 black, 49 white) who were attending a comprehensive adolescent health clinic. The respondents were from low to middle socioeconomic backgrounds and 85% were sexually active. A 41-item survey was developed and focused on four areas: comfort or embarrassment with menses (EM), basic knowledge of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (KA); comfort in discussing contraception with partner (CC) and risk of contracting AIDS (AR). Chi-square analyses of the four factors determined that decreased EM was related to increased age ( p p p p p p