cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self-Criticism as a Transdiagnostic Process in Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Disordered Eating: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and disordered eating (DE) are highly comorbid and may be regarded as belonging to a spectrum of self-harm behaviors. We investigated self-criticism as a transdiagnostic correlate of these behaviors, in keeping with etiological theories of both NSSI and DE. We reviewed the literature and meta-analyzed the relation of self-criticism to both NSSI (15 studies; 17 effect sizes) and DE (24 studies; 29 effect sizes). Results showed equivalent, moderate-to-large effects for the relation of self-criticism to NSSI (r = .38; CI: .29-.46) and DE (r = .40; CI: .34-.45). The relation of NSSI to self-criticism generalized across multiple potential moderators. DE behavior type moderated the relation of self-criticism to DE, with a stronger relation emerging for purging than restriction. Findings support self-criticism as a possible candidate for transdiagnostic pathways to self-harm.
Hierarchical linear discriminant analysis for beamforming

This paper demonstrates the applicability of the recently proposed supervised dimension reduction, hierarchical linear discriminant analysis (h-LDA) to a well-known spatial localization technique in signal processing, beamforming. The main motivation of h-LDA is to overcome the drawback of LDA that each cluster is modeled as a unimodal Gaussian distribution. For this purpose, h-LDA extends the variance decomposition in LDA to the subcluster level, and modifies the definition of the within-cluster scatter matrix. In this paper, we present an efficient h-LDA algorithm for oversampled data, where the data dimension is larger than the dimension of the data vectors. The new algorithm utilizes the Cholesky decomposition based on a generalized singular value decomposition framework. Furthermore, we analyze the data model of h-LDA by relating it to the two-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), which fits well within the context of beamforming applications. Although beamforming has been generally dealt with as a regression problem, we propose a novel way of viewing beamforming as a classification problem, and apply a supervised dimension reduction, which allows the classifier to achieve better accuracy. Our experimental results show that h-LDA outperforms several dimension reduction methods such as LDA and kernel discriminant analysis, and regression approaches such as the regularized least squares and kernelized support
Granularity in Angle: Observability in Scattering Experiments

Geometry is quantized in loop quantum gravity. As a step toward building a detailed phenomenology of this discrete geometry a model of an atom of geometry is reviewed. The model, which preserves local Lorentz invariance, exhibits a lever arm that raises the scale at which the granularity in angle becomes apparent. The signature of this effect is a systematic shift of observed angles in processes such as high energy particle scattering experiments. To check assumptions in the model, coherent states of a simple atom of spatial geometry are explored using information intrinsic to the quantum state.
Point-of-Care Ultrasonography in Family Medicine.

There is mounting evidence that point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) can help decrease the costs of care while improving patient access to care and safety.
Enhanced energy coupling for indirectly driven inertial confinement fusion

Recent experiments in the study of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the United States have reached the so-called alpha-heating regime1–3, in which the self-heating by fusion products becomes dominant, with neutron yields now exceeding 1 × 1016 (ref. 4) However, there are still challenges on the path towards ignition, such as minimization of the drive asymmetry, suppression of laser-plasma instabilities, and mitigation of fabrication features5. In addition, in the current cylindrical-hohlraum indirect drive schemes for ICF, a strong limitation is the inefficient (≤10%) absorption of the laser-produced hohlraum X-rays by the capsule as set by relative capsule-to-hohlraum surface areas. Here we report an experiment demonstrating ~30% energy coupling to an aluminium capsule in a rugby-shaped6, gold hohlraum. This high coupling efficiency can substantially increase the tolerance to residual imperfections and improve the prospects for ignition, both in mainline single-shell hot-spot designs and potential double-shell targets. High coupling efficiency between laser-induced hohlraum X-rays and targets is essential for reaching long-sought regimes for viable inertial confinement fusion. Experiments with a rugby hohlraum shape and an improved capsule now allow demonstration of more than 30%.
Securing the Smart Home via a Two-Mode Security Framework

The growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) is contributing to the rise in cyber attacks on the Internet. Unfortunately, the resource-constrained IoT devices and their networks make many traditional security systems less effective or inapplicable. We present TWINKLE, a framework for smart home environments that considers the unique properties of IoT networks. TWINKLE utilizes a two-mode adaptive security model that allows an IoT device to be in regular mode for most of the time which incurs a low resource consumption rate and only when suspicious behavior is detected, switch to vigilant mode which potentially incurs a higher overhead. We show the efficacy of TWINKLE in two case studies that address two types of attacks: distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) and sinkhole attacks. We examine two existing intrusion detection and prevention systems and transform both into new, improved systems using TWINKLE. Our evaluations show that TWINKLE is not only friendly to resource-constrained devices, but can also successfully detect and prevent the two types of attacks, with a significantly lower overhead and detection latency than the existing systems.
CAR T Cells for Solid Tumors: New Strategies for Finding, Infiltrating, and Surviving in the Tumor Microenvironment

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, T cells that have been genetically engineered to express a receptor that recognizes a specific antigen, have given rise to breakthroughs in treating hematological malignancies. However, their success in treating solid tumors has been limited. The unique challenges posed to CAR T cell therapy by solid tumors can be described in three steps: finding, entering, and surviving in the tumor. The use of dual CAR designs that recognize multiple antigens at once and local administration of CAR T cells are both strategies that have been used to overcome the hurdle of localization to the tumor. Additionally, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment has implications for T cell function in terms of differentiation and exhaustion, and combining CARs with checkpoint blockade or depletion of other suppressive factors in the microenvironment has shown very promising results to mitigate the phenomenon of T cell exhaustion. Finally, identifying and overcoming mechanisms associated with dysfunction in CAR T cells is of vital importance to generating CAR T cells that can proliferate and successfully eliminate tumor cells. The structure and costimulatory domains chosen for the CAR may play an important role in the overall function of CAR T cells in the TME, and “armored” CARs that secrete cytokines and third- and fourth-generation CARs with multiple costimulatory domains offer ways to enhance CAR T cell function.
The Problem of Liberal Political Legitimacy

Michael Oakeshott worried that during his lifetime, liberal democracies had become dangerously oblivious to the problem of political legitimacy—the problem of ensuring that government power be used in ways that respect the freedom and political equality of all citizens. This essay deepens Oakeshott’s concern by arguing that there has never been a successful theoretical argument to establish why some citizens should be able to exercise political power over other citizens under conditions of freedom and political equality. The author concludes by considering the implications of this argument for the size and scope of liberal government today, particularly in the USA.
Understanding the patient experience of pain and discomfort during cardiac catheterization

OBJECTIVES Patient centeredness is an essential component of high-quality care, yet little is known regarding the patient experience during procedures performed in the cardiac catheterization lab. BACKGROUND Available literature focuses on the safe delivery of sedation, but does not address patient-reported satisfaction or comfort. Further delineation of how procedural factors impact the patient experience is needed. METHODS We conducted a retrospective, exploratory analysis of adult cardiac catheterization outpatients (n = 375) receiving physician ordered, nurse administered procedural sedation (benzodiazepine and/or opioids) between April and June, 2017. Data were abstracted from the procedural database, Electronic Health Record, and Press Ganey© surveys. RESULTS The mean age was 63 (SD 12.2), a majority were male (n = 226; 60%), white (n = 271; 73%), and overweight (mean body mass index = 29, SD 6.8). Patient-reported satisfaction with pain control and perceived staff concern for comfort were >75th percentile (Press Ganey© survey), with no difference in preprocedure and postprocedure pain scores (p = .596). Intraprocedural medication dose range and mean frequency were highly variable: midazolam (0.25-5.5 mg; 1.48); fentanyl (12.5-200 mcg; 1.63); and hydromorphone (0.5-2.5 mg; 1.33). Median time interval between administration of initial sedation and local anesthetic was 6 min. Patients with longer intervals had less frequent dosing (p < .001) and less total procedural sedation (p < .001). Sensitivity analysis revealed that trainee/fellow involvement (p = .001), younger age (p = .002), and shorter time intervals (p < .001) were associated with increased frequency and larger total dose. CONCLUSIONS Waiting to gain vascular access following administration of procedural was associated with less frequent subsequent dosing, lower overall administration, and similar patient satisfaction. Optimizing processes for administering periprocedural sedation may allow for less medication without impacting patient experience.
Considering the Control Group: The Influence of Follow-Up Assessments on Asthma Symptoms.

ABSTRACT Objective It is unclear whether research participation effects contribute to an improvement in asthma symptoms during clinical trials in the absence of any active intervention. We examined the impact of additional follow-up surveys on caregiver-reported symptoms among control subjects in a series of randomized controlled asthma trials. Methods We analyzed baseline and follow-up data for children (3-10 yrs.) with poorly controlled persistent asthma that participated as control subjects in 1 of 3 randomized trials of urban school-based asthma care (study duration: 7-10 months). We compared mean symptom-free days (SFD) per 2 weeks between baseline and final follow-up; performed bivariate regressions to explore associations between demographics and changes in SFD; and performed multivariate random-effects generalized least square regression to examine the relationship between number of follow-ups beyond baseline (range: 1-10) and changes in SFD over time. Results 516 children were enrolled as controls across the 3 trials (mean age 7.5 yrs., 61% Black, 28% Hispanic, 81% Medicaid). Mean SFDs increased significantly from baseline to final follow-up (7.8 to 11.4 days, P Conclusions Children with uncontrolled asthma who participate as controls in clinical trials experience a significant increase in SFD with additional follow-up assessments. This improvement should be considered when designing/analyzing asthma interventions, and may help guide clinical outreach efforts for underserved children with persistent asthma.
Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) detection using a monoclonal antibody-based direct sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Abstract A commercially available (BioFront Technologies) monoclonal antibody-based direct sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for pecan detection was evaluated. The assay can detect 0.5 ppm of pecan and reliably quantify >1.5 ppm of pecan with
Data body milieu: the Latinx immigrant at the center of technological development

We are increasingly seeing the Latinx immigrant body in US-Mexico borderlands engaged as the surface for which information technology is mobilized. Recent investment in the collection of biodata on...
The March of Thrombolytic Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke to Clinical Trials: Pre-clinical Thrombolysis and Adjuncts to Thrombolysis Research

Data from experimental and clinical cerebral ischemia studies demonstrate that acute stroke must be treated within a few hours or less to effectively reduce stroke morbidity and mortality. Time from symptom onset (presumed time of acute cerebral arterial occlusion) to treatment initiation is considered the single most important factor in the effective treatment of acute focal cerebral ischemia/infarction. Recently the time window for use of tissue plasminogin activator (rt-PA), the only approved thrombolytic pharmacotherapy for acute stroke intervention, has been extended from 3 to 4.5 h. Hemorrhagic conversion can occur and limits it use beyond this time and the efficacy drops off considerably as well.
Disaggregation and the equity premium puzzle

Abstract Standard macroeconomic models cannot explain why stocks so greatly outperform bonds. However, this result depends on the use of aggregate consumption data. If markets are incomplete, then a representative agent might not exist and it is necessary to use consumption data at the household rather than aggregate level. In the household data, I fail to reject the Euler equation when the coefficient of relative risk aversion is as low as 2.7–3.8. This result is robust in a very general framework and I prove that many of the tests used in the literature are biased.
A Novel USMLE Step 1 Projection Model Using a Single Comprehensive Basic Science Self-Assessment Taken During a Brief Intense Study Period

Comprehensive Basic Science Self-Assessments (CBSSAs) offered by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) are used by students to gauge preparedness for the United States Medical Licensing (USMLE) Step 1. Because residency programs value Step 1 scores, students expend many resources attempting to score highly on this exam. We sought to generate a predicted Step 1 score from a single CBSSA taken several days out from a planned exam date to inform student testing and study plans. 2016 and 2017 Step 1 test takers at one US medical school were surveyed. The average daily score improvement from CBSSA to Step 1 during the 2016 study period was calculated and used to generate a predicted Step 1 score as well as mean absolute prediction errors (MAPEs). The predictive model was validated on 2017 data. In total, 43 of 61 respondents totaling 141 CBSSAs in 2016 and 37 of 43 respondents totaling 122 CBSSAs in 2017 were included. The final prediction model was [Predicted Step 1 = 292 - (292 - CBSSA score) * 0.987527 ^ (number of days out)]. In 2016, the average difference between predicted and actual scores was -0.81 (10.2) and the MAPE was 7.8. In 2017, 88 (72.1%) and 118 (96.7%) of true Step 1 scores fell within one and two standard deviations of a student’s predicted score. There was a MAPE of 7.7. Practice form used (p = 0.19, 0.07) and how far out from actual Step 1 it was taken (p = 0.82, 0.38) were not significant in either year of study. This projection model is reasonable for students to use to gauge their readiness for Step 1 while it remains a scored exam and provides a framework for future predictive model generation as the landscape of standardized testing changes in medical education.
Telehealth in the time of Corona: 'doctor in the house'.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many physicians working from home whenever possible. Although the concept of 'remote' patient care has been around for decades, present circumstances have provided a grand impetus in that direction with a view to protecting both patient and caregiver. In this article, we discuss some of the various challenges to moving forward with telemedicine, drawing in part on our own experiences in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical, technical, financial and cultural barriers to telemedicine are identified, along with a discussion concerning anticipated benefits. We conclude that the COVID-19 pandemic will likely forever change how healthcare is conducted as telemedicine figures increasingly prominently in the clinical landscape.
Technological Resources and New Firm Growth: A Comparison of Start-Up and Adolescent Ventures

New ventures play a significant role in the U.S.economy.However, much debate still surrounds the processes and factorsthat influence new venture growth (NVG).The impact of technologicalresources on NVG has been examined in the past; however, these research studiesare not without flaws and limitations.In this study, the relationshipbetween technological resources and increased sales is examined through acomparison of startupsand adolescent firms.The theories regardingNVG are discussed and utilized to create hypotheses that consider the variablesof venture stage and technology level.A sample of 419 ventures,consisting of both startup and adolescent ventures, is assembled from both hightechnology (i.e., electronic components, chemicals, surgical appliances) andlow technology (i.e., food processing, leather products, furniture)industries.The data are drawn from responses tofaxed and emailedquestionnaires, and the variables assessedinclude sales growth, R&Dspending, and research portfolios.Results of the data analysis arediscussed in terms of both domestic sales growth and international salesgrowth.The implications of the findings and the limitations of themethods, including survivor bias and interrelationships among firms, are alsoexamined.The findings indicate that startup firms and adolescent firmsdiffer in the types of technological resources needed to achieve growth.(AKP)
Are Law Schools Oppressing Minority Faculty Women? A Critique of Meera E. Deo, “Unequal Profession: Race and Gender in Legal Academia” (Stanford UP 2019)

In our highly polarized political environment, race and gender issues have come to pervade and then agitate our formerly staid academic world. Some of the literature is angry, much of it is self-righteous; a public letter already signed by 153 scholars, artists and social critics of all colors and soon to be published in Harper’s, underscores the latter point. Query: Is the race and gender talk genuine? More specifically, are white male professors responsible for the professed unhappiness of their minority women colleagues? If so, can such men be trusted to help defuse tensions? This essay specifically tests Professor Meera Deo's assertion that “implicit bias” in law schools is holding minority female (and to a lesser extent male) faculty back. It then considers her second and more provocative claim, that minority faculty can generally offer better training in “solving complex problems.” (“Unequal Profession: Race and Gender in Legal Academia.” (Stanford UP (2019)). Regarding the former claim, Deo’s explains that minority women are not hired according to fair standards, not welcomed when they are hired, and not fairly evaluated for promotion. In addition, she argues, minority women professors are abused by their students. Because Deo barely tries to substantiate the second claim, it is dealt with only briefly in this essay. The finding here is that the principal claim is not proven. Close analysis of its components, along with Deo’s own statistics, bears out that for all of society’s failures to establish full equality, our overwhelmingly liberal law faculties offer far more equitable treatment than Deo acknowledges. Deo is to be commended for dealing with an issue close to the heart of academic life today. In pitting race and gender groups against one another, however, Deo does unnecessary damage to our self-understanding and sense of well-being.
Eventually, Every VAD Gets Turned Off: A Mixed Methods Analysis of In-Hospital LVAD Deactivations

Purpose Despite growth in durable left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) implantation, best practices for device deactivation at end-of-life (EOL) have yet to be elucidated. We aimed to describe current clinical practices in EOL device deactivation, characterize impact on family bereavement, and develop best practice guidelines for this process. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients with durable LVAD who died at our institution following device deactivation from January 2017 to March 2020. Patient data included demographics, cardiac history, LVAD implantation course/complications, deactivation reason, and clinical details of this process. We also conducted semi-structured interviews with a subgroup of bereaved family members. Extracted chart data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative interview data was analyzed using grounded theory methodology. Results Quantitative analyses included 58 patients (70% male, 70% African American, median age 62 years. Clinical events leading to deactivation were categorized as either an acute clinical event (e.g. stroke, sepsis (N=31, 58%)), gradual decline in functional status or progression of chronic illness (N=12, 20%), or complications during index LVAD implant hospitalization (N=15, 25%). During deactivation planning, palliative care was commonly consulted (N=48, 83%) compared to chaplaincy (N=19, 33%), or ethics (N=11, 19%). Family was usually present (N=50, 86%) at time of deactivation. Most deactivations occurred in cardiac ICU (N=48, 82%); N=9 (16%) occurred in ICU step down unit and 1 in ER. Prior to deactivation, comfort focused medications included opioids (98%), benzodiazepines (93%), and antisecretory agents (66%). Among cases with documented deactivation time, death occurred within median 15 minutes (range seconds to 16 hours). Predominant themes from interviews included lack of emotional preparedness for this negative outcome, importance of symptom management at EOL, surprise that device deactivation would quickly result in death. Conclusion This mixed-methods analysis of in-hospital LVAD deactivation posits that most patients die in ICU of an acute event resulting in decision to deactivate LVAD, with frequent involvement of palliative care. Interviews with bereaved family members suggest need for greater emotional support and disease state education during this process.
Association between food insecurity and access to a mental health professional: cross-sectional analysis of NHANES 2007-2014

To determine if individuals with food insecurity (FI) were less likely to have seen a mental health professional (MHP) within the past year than individuals without FI. This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted in the United States between 2007 and 2014. All participants 20 years of age or older were eligible for this study. We excluded participants who were pregnant, missing FI data, or missing data from the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The primary outcome was self-reported contact with a MHP in the past 12 months. We used multivariable logistic regression models to test the association between FI and contact with a MHP, controlling for all demographic and clinical covariates. Of the 19,789 participants, 13.9% were food insecure and 8.1% had major depressive disorder (MDD). In bivariate analysis, participants with FI were significantly more likely to have MDD (5.3% vs 2.8%, p < 0.0001) and to have been seen by a MHP in the preceding 12 months (14.0% vs 6.9%, p < 0.0001). In multivariable models, adults with FI had higher odds of having seen a MHP (OR = 1.32, CI: 1.07, 1.64). This study demonstrates that individuals with FI were significantly more likely to have seen a MHP in the preceding 12 months compared to individuals without FI. Given the growing interest in addressing unmet social needs in healthcare settings, this data suggests that visits with MHPs may be a valuable opportunity to screen for and intervene on FI.
MHC-I presents: tumor surveillance in the epithelia by cell competition

When transformed cells emerge in an epithelium, their elevated class I MHC expression signals to normal neighboring epithelial cells, which respond by inducing their apical extrusion as a tumor-suppressive mechanism.
The epidemic of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization and infection in children: Implications for community and hospital practice

Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CAMRSA) colonization and infection has emerged as a serious health problem in children. The epidemic of CAMRSA as a cause of noninvasive and invasive infections has required a change in empiric antibiotic therapy to assure appropriate coverage. The control and prevention of CAMRSA infections is important, but there is very little evidence-based information to guide physicians providing care to children in the outpatient and inpatient settings.
The dynamic nature and territory of transcriptional machinery in the bacterial chromosome

Our knowledge of the regulation of genes involved in bacterial growth and stress responses is extensive; however, we have only recently begun to understand how environmental cues influence the dynamic, three-dimensional distribution of RNA polymerase (RNAP) in Escherichia coli on the level of single cell, using wide-field fluorescence microscopy and state-of-the-art imaging techniques. Live-cell imaging using either an agarose-embedding procedure or a microfluidic system further underscores the dynamic nature of the distribution of RNAP in response to changes in the environment and highlights the challenges in the study. A general agreement between live-cell and fixed-cell images has validated the formaldehyde-fixing procedure, which is a technical breakthrough in the study of the cell biology of RNAP. In this review we use a systems biology perspective to summarize the advances in the cell biology of RNAP in E. coli, including the discoveries of the bacterial nucleolus, the spatial compartmentalization of the transcription machinery at the periphery of the nucleoid, and the segregation of the chromosome territories for the two major cellular functions of transcription and replication in fast-growing cells. Our understanding of the coupling of transcription and bacterial chromosome (or nucleoid) structure is also summarized. Using E. coli as a simple model system, co-imaging of RNAP with DNA and other factors during growth and stress responses will continue to be a useful tool for studying bacterial growth and adaptation in changing environment.
Practice guidelines and standards: an overview.

Organized medicine, insurance companies, regulators, and the peer review organizations are all interested in practice guidelines. Recently, the U.S. Congress established the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, which is charged with overseeing the development of practice guidelines. If properly developed, disseminated, and used, practice guidelines should reduce the incidence of inappropriate care and help control costs. Although guidelines have been used by physicians for years, guidelines now being developed should be more comprehensive, specific, exhaustive, and--on the basis of the best scientific evidence of effectiveness and expert opinion--more effectively discriminate between useful and useless care. Practice guidelines can improve the quality of care when used voluntarily by physicians in practice, when used as standards for quality monitoring and assurance programs, and when used as the basis for reimbursement for services. All interested parties should share responsibilities for the research, development, and production of appropriateness criteria, their translation into guidelines and standards, and the dissemination and maintenance of the guidelines, including evaluation, revision, and updating.
Chelation Effects on Azotobacter Cells and Cysts

Goldschmidt, Millicent C. (University of Texas, Austin), and Orville Wyss. Chelation effects on Azotobacter cells and cysts. J. Bacteriol. 91:120–124. 1966.—Ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) is very toxic to Azotobacter in the presence of nitrogen compounds that form complexes with it. This appears to be due to stronger chelation of certain metal ions by the complex. When such complexes of EDTA and nitrogen compound are absent, Azotobacter cysts can be ruptured by chelation without being killed. The lethal action as well as the cyst rupture is modified by the presence of salts.
Justification, Legitimacy, and Social Embeddedness: Locke and Rawls on Society and the State

“The fundamental question of political philosophy,” wrote Robert Nozick memorably, “is whether there should be any state at all.” A. John Simmons concurs. For him, the task of “justifying the state” must take the following form: we should assume anarchism as a theoretical baseline and demonstrate that there can be at least one state type that is neither immoral nor inadvisable. Justification is a separate task, however, from showing that any particular state is legitimate for a particular individual, which means that the former has the right to rule over the latter. In “Justification and Legitimacy” Simmons contends that Locke’s political philosophy provides the model for the conceptual distinction between state justification and state legitimacy which has been lost in what he terms the Kantian turn of contemporary political philosophy. Modern followers of Kant, John Rawls chief among them, work with a conception of justification that is “doubly relativized” in comparison with the Lockean notion. Instead of providing anarchists with objective reasons for having states, Kantian justification is
Nonlinear Psychometric Thresholds for Physics and Mathematics

We analyze 5 years of student records at the University of Oregon to estimate the probability of success (as defined by superior undergraduate record; sufficient for admission to graduate school) in Physics and Mathematics as a function of SAT-M score. We find evidence of a nonlinear threshold: below SAT-M score of roughly 600, the probability of success is very low. Interestingly, no similar threshold exists in other majors, such as Sociology, History, English or Biology, whether on SAT combined, SAT-R or SAT-M. Our findings have significant implications for the demographic makeup of graduate populations in mathematically intensive subjects, given the current distribution of SAT-M scores.
Suitability of golf course ponds for amphibian metamorphosis when bullfrogs are removed

Managing areas designed for human recreation so that they are compatible with natural amphibian populations can reduce the negative impacts of habitat destruction. We examined the potential for amphibians to complete larval development in golf course ponds in the presence or absence of overwintered bullfrog tadpoles (Rana catesbeiana), which are frequently found in permanent, human-made ponds. We reared larval American toads (Bufo americanus), southern leopard frogs (R. sphenocephala), and spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) with 0 or 5 overwintered bullfrog tadpoles in field enclosures located in ponds on golf courses or in experimental wetlands at a reference site. Survival to metamorphosis of American toads, southern leopard frogs, and spotted salamanders was greater in ponds on golf courses than at reference sites. We attributed this increased survival to low abundance of insect predators in golf course ponds. The presence of overwintered bullfrogs, however, reduced the survival of American toads, southern leopard frogs, and spotted salamanders reared in golf course ponds, indicating that the suitability of the aquatic habitats for these species partly depended on the biotic community present. Our results suggest that ponds in human recreational areas should be managed by maintaining intermediate hydroperiods, which will reduce the presence of bullfrog tadpoles and predators, such as fish, and which may allow native amphibian assemblages to flourish.
Riordan Matrix Representations of Euler’s Constant and Euler’s Number

We show that the Euler-Mascheroni constant and Euler’s number can both be represented as a product of a Riordan matrix and certain row and column vectors.
Zambales ophiolite, Philippines

The Acoje massif is part of a mafic-ultramafic complex, the Zambales ophiolite, and is a fragment of Mesozoic oceanic crust. This paper documents the occurrence and phase relations of sulfides and associated phases in the critical zone of the Acoje massif. The Acoje critical zone (ACZ) forms the basal cumulate sequence of the massif and consists of a variably serpentinized lower ultramafic zone and a relatively less altered upper mafic zone. Two distinct sulfide associations have been identified: (1) a troilite (±pyrrhotite)-dominated group hosted by the mafic zone and (2) a pentlandite-dominated group hosted by the ultramafic zone. Troilite-dominated assemblages represent the original mineralogy of magmatically precipitated sulfides in the entire cumulate sequence. The pentlandite-dominated group appears to have evolved from the primary magmatic sulfides during low-temperature re-equilibration. The paragenetic evolution from the magmatic assemblage to the low-temperature assemblage appears to have proceeded as follows: (1) S-rich hexagonal pyrrhotite+pentlandite+chalcopyrite (or cubanite)+magnetite, (2) S-poor hexagonal pyrrhotite+pentlandite+intermediate solid solution (iss) phase (and/or cubanite)+magnetite, (3) troilite (or mackinawite)+pentlandite+iss+magnetite, (4) troilite (or mackinawite)+pentlandite+iss+native Cu+magnetite, (5) pentlandite+native Cu+magnetite, and (6) pentlandite+native Cu+Fe-Ni alloy+magnetite. This evolutionary trend, in conjunction with the observed textural, chemical, and sulfur-isotopic relations, indicates that the native metal and alloy phases in the ACZ were produced by low-temperature reduction of the primary magmatic sulfides. Correlations between sulfide assemblages and coexisting silicate-hydrosilicate-oxide assemblages further indicate that this alteration occurred during retrograde serpentinization of the Acoje massif. Two end-member models that could explain the inferred low-temperature mineralogic evolution of the ACZ sulfides are described: (1) an isothermal reduction model and (2) a non-isothermal equilibration model. Both isothermal and non-isothermal effects apparently were involved in the development of variably reduced sulfide-oxide-metal assemblages from the initial magmatic sulfides.
Soil-Crop Dynamic Depth Response Determined from TDR of a Corn Silage Field Compared to EMI Measurements

Electromagnetic induction (EMI) techniques have been used to monitor bulk seasonal soil-crop apparent electrical conductivity ( ECa ) dynamics. Interpreting this information can be complicated by changes in the soil profile such as water content or nutrient leaching. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) measures localized soil EC; therefore, TDR can provide clarification to where in the soil profile the EC changes are taking place. The objective of this study was to determine whether surface or deep EC changes were driving the response measured by EMI during the crop season of a field amended with animal manure. Results indicate that seasonal soil-crop EC dynamics measured by EMI are primarily driven by surface ( 0.9 m) changes. These changes appear to be the result of surface ionic dynamics caused by crop-soil interactions and not soil volumetric water content ( θv ) , since no significant correlations were detected between θv and ECa for any treatment, depth or dipole or...
Spin-Spin Correlations in an Ising Model for Which Scaling is Exact

In their recent work using the renormalization-group approach, Fisher, Ma, and Nickel derived results for $\ensuremath{\eta}$ when there is a long-range interaction, ${\mathcal{r}}^{\ensuremath{-}d\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\sigma}}$, which were seemingly at variance with the numerical results of Nagle and Bonner. The problem is the presence of nonthermodynamic terms in the spin-spin correlation function which never-theless contribute to the thermodynamics. We also find that the scaling relation between $\ensuremath{\delta}$ and $\ensuremath{\eta}$ fails to hold for $dg2\ensuremath{\sigma}$.
Phonon Transport Across Mesoscopic Constrictions

Phonon transport across constrictions formed by a nanowire or a nanoparticle on a substrate is studied by a numerical solution of the gray Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) resolving the effects of two length scales that govern problems of practical importance. Predictions of total thermal resistance for wire/substrate and particle/substrate combinations are made for the entire range of Knudsen number, with an emphasis on resolving transport in the mesoscopic regime where ballistic-diffusive mechanisms operate and analytical expressions are not available. The relative magnitudes of bulk and constriction resistance are established, and a correlation for overall thermal resistance spanning the range of practical Knudsen numbers is provided. DOI: 10.1115/1.4002842
CRT-112 Angiographic Thrombus Predicts Larger Infarct Size in Patients with Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Angiographic thrombus is associated with larger infarct size in ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) population and thrombus aspiration has been shown to improve coronary perfusion in STEMI. In contrast, a recent randomized trial in non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) population
Measured and Professed Personality Characteristics of Gifted High School Students and an Analysis of Their Congruence

In the study here reported, the problem considered was whether or not the pattern of psychological adjustment of individuals of high intelligence is superior to that of individuals of average intelligence. The techniques em ployed were comparisons of the adjustive capacities of 95 gifted high school students with those of 63 average students through the application of multiple criteria of adjustment, namely inventoried assessment, self assessment, and a derived estimate of self-insight. Re sults provided considerable substantiation for the conten tion that gifted high school students are markedly above the generality in the possession of selected personality characteristics considered to be important in personal and social adjustment. Substantiation was not present for the contention that the gifted evidence more positive attitudes toward self or that they possess greater clarity of self-perception for most of the variables considered. FOLLOWING THE impact of the longitudinal studies on the gifted child, begun by Lewis M. Terman at Stanford University in the early 1920's, an image of children of superior intelli gence has gradually developed which pictures them as possessing general superiority in both intellective and non-intellective attributes. The accuracy of this image has recently been chal lenged, and arguments have been advanced (7) that there is a tendency to over-estimate the ad justive capacities of intellectually gifted youth. In the present study, groups of high school stu dents testing at superior and at average levels of intelligence were compared in order to ascertain significant differences, if any, between them in certain characteristics of personality considered to be relevant factors in personal and social ad justment. The techniques of the investigation in cluded (a) test evaluations of personality charac teristics as determined by the California Psycho logical Inventory (CPI) (1) ; (b) self evalua tions of the same personality characteristics as determined by the "Self-Ranking Inventory" (SRI) ;3 and (c) estimates of self-insight derived by the congruence between subjects' CPI test e\aluations and their SRI self evaluations. Procedure
How Social Workers Cope with Managed Care

The study reported in this paper examined the relationships between social workers' experiences when interfacing with managed care organizations, coping strategies, burnout, and somatic symptoms associated with stress. A sample of 591 social workers completed questionnaires that included demographic questions and measures of perceived competence in the context of managed care, coping strategies, burnout, and somatic symptoms. Multiple regression analyses revealed that coping had statistically significant correlations with several burnout dimensions and with workers' perceived competence in the context of managed care. As coping provided the most comprehensive influence on workers' psychological and somatic reactions associated with burnout, the author suggests that agencies provide social workers with adequate training to promote workers' use of effective coping styles that are appropriate when interfacing with managed care organizations.
Island Growth and Orientational Locking of Potassium Intercalated in Graphite

Island growth and orientational locking in stage-2 potassium-intercalated graphite is observed by real-space imaging and electron diffraction on single crystallites. A mechanism is presented, relating these two phenomena. For $86\ensuremath{\lesssim}T\ensuremath{\lesssim}130$ K, intercalate islands of incommensurate ordering are orientationally unlocked from the graphite lattice, as indicated by ring diffraction patterns. With increasing temperature, gradual island growth is by accretion. A threshold size (\ensuremath{\sim}50 \AA{} reached at 130 K) triggers precipitous island growth by coalescence and orientational locking.
The reaction of atomic fluorine with fluorobenzene

Abstract The reaction of atomic fluorine with fluorobenzene under cold plasma conditions leads to the formation of three difluorobenze isomers. The isomer distributions confirm the selective introduction of atomic fluorine into the aromatic ring as previously found in the reaction of atomic fluorine and bromobenzene. A comparison of the isomer distribution indicates that the presence of a fluorine atom in a ring has greater inhibiting effect on ortho substitution than the corresponding bromine atom.
Using Monte Carlo analysis to investigate the relationship between overconsumption and uncertain access to one's personal utility function

Abstract The failure of income and subjective well-being to correlate strongly beyond subsistence levels has been well documented. This is an important observation from an environmental perspective because it suggests that some excess consumption could be curbed without leading to a decline in subjective well-being. At the same time, there is evidence that access to one's internal utility function is imperfect, indicating that choices may approximate utility maximization but that the correspondence is unlikely to be exact. Here I use a Monte Carlo model to incorporate findings from hedonic psychology to investigate the question of how imperfect access to one's utility may lead to negatively affective overconsumption through asymmetries in how people are able to budget their time. According to the model, consumer debt leads to a compounding of this issue. Although it cannot return well-being to the ideal level, some hedonic costs of this overconsumption can be partially mitigated through required vacation in excess of what individuals would chose themselves in a fully functioning market, perhaps along the line of the European model.
Investigating the weak to evaluate the strong: an experimental determination of the electron binding energy of carborane anions and the gas phase acidity of carborane acids.

Five CHB(11)X(6)Y(5)(-) carborane anions from the series X = Br, Cl, I and Y = H, Cl, CH(3) were generated by electrospray ionization, and their reactivity with a series of Bronsted acids and electron transfer reagents were examined in the gas phase. The undecachlorocarborane acid, H(CHB(11)Cl(11)), was found to be far more acidic than the former record holder, (1-C(4)F(9)SO(2))(2)NH (i.e., DeltaH degrees (acid) = 241 +/- 29 vs 291.1 +/- 2.2 kcal mol(-1)) and bridges the gas-phase acidity and basicity scales for the first time. Its conjugate base, CHB(11)Cl(11)(-), was found by photoelectron spectroscopy to have a remarkably large electron binding energy (6.35 +/- 0.02 eV) but the value for the (1-C(4)F(9)SO(2))(2)N(-) anion is even larger (6.5 +/- 0.1 eV). Consequently, it is the weak H-(CHB(11)Cl(11)) BDE (70.0 kcal mol(-1), G3(MP2)) compared to the strong BDE of (1-C(4)F(9)SO(2))(2)N-H (127.4 +/- 3.2 kcal mol(-1)) that accounts for the greater acidity of carborane acids.
Work in progress: The University of Texas System Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation: A state-wide initiative to promote STEM undergraduate research

For 20 years, nine institutions in the University of Texas System and five partnering community colleges have collaborated to promote STEM undergraduate research through the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP). The primary programmatic activity of the Alliance is its Summer Research Academy (SRA) which has engaged a total of 1,565 undergraduates. Of these, 242 have been supported within the last five years. The Alliance has also partnered with the US Department of Energy to support a number of faculty and student teams (FaST) to engage in research at several national laboratories. Since 2003, 37 students and four faculty members have participated in this effort. This paper will describe both the SRA and FaST. Data on program participation and success will be discussed. The Alliance is now posed to expand its effort to include research abroad. The general direction of the Alliance for the next five years will be discussed.
Enabling Smart Camera Networks with Smartphone Processors

Distributed smart cameras exploit smartphone processor performance in their node communication and video metadata exchange, allowing the network to collectively reason in interpreting the scene, generating alerts, and making decisions.
Composition and vulnerability of bottomland hardwood forests of the coastal plain province in the south central United States

Abstract A past history of declines in forest area affirms the need for documentation on the extent and species composition of today's bottomland hardwood ecosystem. This paper summarizes the forest composition and related vulnerability of bottomland hardwood forests using data from the many existing resource bulletins and the current inventory data base maintained by the USDA Forest Service. These forests support a complex mix of tree species. The 6.1 million-ha ecosystem is common in three physiographic sections of the Province. The East and West Gulf sections are typified by moist-site cover types, with stands widely dispersed. The Mississippi Alluvial Plain contains both moist- and wet-site cover types. Southern portions of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain are characterized by wet-site cover types with stands being concentrated spatially. Cover types are susceptible to varying degrees of human-induced disturbance, which may ultimately lead to permanent removal of forest cover.