cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Suicidal Ideation in US Nursing Homes: Association With Individual and Facility Factors.

ABSTRACT Objective To assess prevalence of suicidal ideation (SI) among new postacute and long-stay nursing home (NH) admissions and examine the associations with individual and NH-level factors. Setting/Participants A total of 1,864,102 postacute and 304,106 long-stay admissions to just over 15,000 NHs between 7/1/2014 and 6/30/2015. Measurement Using 100% of the national Minimum Data Set 3.0, we identified SI and key covariates. SI was based on responses to one item on the PHQ-9 scale. For postacute residents, SI was measured at admission and discharge. For long-stay residents, SI was assessed at admission and assessments closest to 90, 180, and 365 days thereafter. Patient sociodemographics, functional and cognitive status, comorbid conditions, and other covariates were included as independent variables, as were several NH-level factors. Logistic regression models were fit to estimate SI risk at admission and at subsequent time intervals. Results Observed 2-week prevalence rates of SI were highest at admission (1.24% for postacute and 1.84% for long stays) and declined thereafter at each subsequent time interval. The odds of SI were significantly increased for residents with severe depression at admission and all subsequent intervals. Residents in for-profits had significantly lower rates of SI, compared with those in not-for-profits. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that SI risk in NHs is highest at admission and subsequently declines. We found several potentially modifiable individual-level risk factors for SI. The identification of SI may be seriously underreported in for-profit-facilities. Future research may be needed to explore how the PHQ-9 item on SI is understood by residents and recorded by staff.
Characterization of clinical knowledge and problem-solving assessments employed in postgraduate year 1 pharmacy residency interviews

Purpose Attainment of postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) residency positions has become increasingly competitive. Inclusion of clinical knowledge and problem-solving assessments in onsite interviews has increased in recent years. Characterization of these assessments is necessary for applicants to best prepare for interviews and for mentors to provide guidance. Methods An online survey was emailed to program directors of PGY1 pharmacy residency programs accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare categorical data. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze nonparametric continuous data. Results Of the 221 respondents, most identified their programs as based at community (48%) or academic (39%) medical centers. Ninety percent of programs reported inclusion of clinical knowledge and problem-solving assessments in the onsite interview process. The most common assessments included asking clinical questions (70%), development of a SOAP (subjective, objective, assessment, plan) note or care plan (42%), and formal presentations that applicants prepared prior to arrival (39%). Most programs (71%) reported incorporating multiple assessments, with 2 assessments included most commonly (43%). Clinical assessment performance accounted for 10% to 25% of the overall interview score in approximately half of programs. Conclusion During onsite PGY1 residency interviews, applicants must be prepared to participate in at least 1 clinical knowledge and problem-solving assessment, including answering clinical questions, developing a SOAP note or care plan, and/or delivering a presentation. Applicants should expect that these assessments will account for a substantial portion of the interview evaluation.
Introduction: Artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous machines, and constructing context: User interventions, social awareness, and interdependence

Abstract With the prospect of even larger disruptions to come, the present economic impact of machine learning (ML), a subset of artificial intelligence (AI), is estimated in the trillions of dollars. Applications of ML and other AI algorithms are propelling unprecedented economic impacts across industry, the military, medicine, finance, and more. But as autonomous machines become ubiquitous, recent problems with ML have surfaced. Early on, Pearl warned AI scientists that they must “build machines that make sense of what goes on in their environment,” a warning still unheeded that may impede their further development. For example, self-driving vehicles often rely on sparse data; by early 2019 self-driving cars had already been involved in three fatalities, including a pedestrian, and yet, ML is unable to explain the contexts within which it operates. We propose that these three seemingly unrelated problems require an interdisciplinary approach to solve. For example, for the symposium in 2019 and now for this book, we asked that authors address how user interventions may improve the context for autonomous machines operating in unfamiliar environments or when experiencing unanticipated events; how autonomous machines can be taught to explain contexts by reasoning, inferences, or causality and decisions to humans relying on intuition; for mutual context, how these machines may interdependently affect human awareness, teams, and society; and how these “machines” may be affected in turn. In short, can context be mutually constructed and shared between machines and humans? By extension, we are interested in whether shared context follows when machines begin to think or, like humans, develop subjective states that allow them to monitor and report on their interpretations of reality, forcing scientists to rethink the general model of human social behavior. If dependence on ML continues or grows, we and the public are also interested in what happens to context shared by users, teams of humans and machines, or society when these machines malfunction. If we “think through this change in human terms,” (From George Shultz, former director of the Office of Management and Budget and former secretary of the treasury, secretary of labor, and secretary of state; he is a distinguished fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.) our ultimate goal is for AI to advance the performance of autonomous machines and teams of humans and machines for the betterment of society wherever these machines interact with humans or other machines. Note: The Abstract is derived from the AAAI Blurb (AAAI website: http://www.aaai.org/Symposia/Spring/sss19symposia.php#ss01 ).
Reasons for Living and Suicide Attempts Among Young Adults With Lifetime Suicide Ideation.

Abstract. Background: Previous work suggests that reasons for living (RFL) are associated with suicide ideation; however, the relationship between RFL and suicide attempts among individuals with su...
Predictive Value of Excellent Uncorrected Visual Acuity Post-Operative Day One After Cataract Surgery

Purpose Patients and physicians are often pleased when uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) on post-operative day 1 (POD1) after cataract surgery is 20/20. Unfortunately, this UCVA does not always last. This article aims to investigate the relationship between excellent uncorrected visual acuity on post-operative day 1 and final post-operative UCVA after uncomplicated cataract surgery. Patients and methods The medical records of patients who had undergone uncomplicated cataract surgery between 2012 and 2017 were assessed. UCVA on POD1 and final UCVA were obtained for patients who had a final best-corrected visual acuity of 20/20 or better. Results Of 309 patients with UCVA of 20/20 on POD 1, 62.4% maintained 20/20 and 87.4% maintained 20/25 or better as their final uncorrected visual outcome. Of 204 patients with UCVA of 20/25 on POD 1, 44.1% achieved 20/20 and 69.6% maintained 20/25 or better as their final uncorrected visual outcome. Patients with 20/20 UCVA on POD1 were more likely to have a better final UCVA compared with those who were 20/25 on POD1. Of the 531 patients with UCVA of 20/25 or better on POD1, 20% had final UCVA worse than 20/25 with 4% losing more than 2 lines for their final UCVA. Conclusion The majority of patients with 20/20 UCVA on POD1 after cataract surgery maintained excellent UCVA as their final visual outcome. However, a significant percentage of these patients experienced a decrease in UCVA over the course of the postoperative period.
Association between fasting insulin and C-reactive protein among adults without diabetes using a two-part model: NHANES 2005-2010.

Chronic inflammation is associated with the development, progression and long-term complications of type 2 diabetes. Hyperglycemia is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation, and thus has become the focus of many screening and treatment recommendations. We hypothesize that insulin may also be associated with inflammation and may be an additional factor to consider in screening and treatment. This study used National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2005 to 2010 to analyze the association between fasting insulin and C-reactive protein (CRP). A two-part model was used due to the high number of values reported as 0.1 mg/L. Two models were analyzed, both with and without the addition of waist circumference to other covariates in the model. The final sample included 4527 adults with a mean age of 43.31 years. In the first model, higher fasting insulin was associated with increased odds of CRP > 0.1 mg/L (OR = 1.02, p 0.1 mg/L (OR = 1.00, p = .307) but the association between higher fasting insulin and higher continuous CRP remained significant (β = 0.01, p = .012). This study found that higher fasting insulin is associated with higher CRP. These results suggest that treatment approaches that simultaneously decrease insulin levels as well as glucose levels may provide additive anti-inflammatory effects, and therefore may improve long-term outcomes for adults with type 2 diabetes.
Rectal Granular Cell Carcinoma Requiring Abdominoperineal Resection.

BackgroundGranular cell tumors, derived from neural crest cells, are rare tumors infrequently located in the colon or rectum. We will discuss a patient with a rectal granular cell tumor invading th...
Demographics and the Evolution of Trade Imbalances

The age distribution evolves asymmetrically across countries, influencing relative saving rates and labor supply. Using a dynamic, multicountry trade model I quantify how demographic changes affected trade imbalances across 28 countries since 1970. Counterfactually holding demographics constant reduces net exports in emerging economies that experienced rising working age shares, and boosts them in advanced economies that experienced flatter, or declining, working age shares. This helps alleviate the allocation puzzle. On average, a one percentage point increase in a country's working age share, relative to the world, increased its ratio of net exports to GDP by one-third of a percentage point.
Trial to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of a melanoma helper peptide vaccine plus incomplete Freund's adjuvant, cyclophosphamide, and polyICLC (Mel63).

Background Peptide vaccines designed to stimulate melanoma-reactive CD4+ T cells can induce T cell and antibody (Ab) responses, associated with enhanced overall survival. We hypothesized that adding toll-like receptor 3 agonist polyICLC to an incomplete Freund’s adjuvant (IFA) would be safe and would support strong, durable CD4+ T cell and Ab responses. We also hypothesized that oral low-dose metronomic cyclophosphamide (mCy) would be safe, would reduce circulating regulatory T cells (T-regs) and would further enhance immunogenicity. Participants and methods An adaptive design based on toxicity and durable CD4+ T cell immune response (dRsp) was used to assign participants with resected stage IIA-IV melanoma to one of four study regimens. The regimens included a vaccine comprising six melanoma peptides restricted by Class II MHC (6MHP) in an emulsion with IFA alone (Arm A), with IFA plus systemic mCy (Arm B), with IFA+ local polyICLC (Arm C), or with IFA+ polyICLC+ mCy (Arm D). Toxicities were recorded (CTCAE V.4.03). T cell responses were measured by interferon γ ELIspot assay ex vivo. Serum Ab responses to 6MHP were measured by ELISA. Circulating T-regs were assessed by flow cytometry. Results Forty-eight eligible participants were enrolled and treated. Early data on safety and dRsp favored enrollment on arm D. Total enrollment on Arms A-D were 3, 7, 6, and 32, respectively. Treatment-related dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were observed in 1/7 (14%) participants on arm B and 2/32 (6%) on arm D. None exceeded the 25% DLT threshold for early closure to enrollment for any arm. Strong durable T cell responses to 6MHP were detected ex vivo in 0%, 29%, 67%, and 47% of participants on arms A-D, respectively. IgG Ab responses were greatest for arms C and D. Circulating T-regs frequencies were not altered by mCy. Conclusions 6MHP vaccines administered with IFA, polyICLC, and mCy were well tolerated. The dRsp rate for arm D of 47% (90% CI 32 to 63) exceeded the 18% (90% CI 11 to 26) rate previously observed with 6MHP in IFA alone. Vaccination with IFA+ polyICLC (arm C) also showed promise for enhancing T cell and Ab responses.
Use of theoretical frameworks in the development and testing of palliative care interventions

Context Palliative care (PC) research has grown over the last 20 years. Yet, the causal components and pathways of PC interventions remain unclear. Objectives To document the prevalence and application of theoretical frameworks in developing and testing PC interventions. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of previously published systematic reviews of PC randomized clinical trials. Trials were evaluated for explicit mention of a theoretical framework, process or delivery model, or clinical practice guideline that supported the development of the intervention. We used a structured data extraction form to document study population, outcomes, and whether and how authors used a theoretical framework, process/delivery model, or clinical practice guideline. We applied an adapted coding scheme to evaluate use of theoretical frameworks. Results We reviewed 85 PC trials conducted between 1984 and 2021. Thirty-eight percent (n=32) of trials explicitly mentioned a theoretical framework, process or delivery model, or clinical practice guideline as a foundation for the intervention design. Only 9 trials included a theoretical framework, while the remaining 23 cited a process/delivery model or clinical practice guideline. Conclusion Most PC trials do not cite a theoretical foundation for their intervention design. Future work should focus on developing and validating new theoretical frameworks and modifying existing theories and models to better explain the mechanisms of the variety of PC interventions.
Another Affiliation Allocation Model

Existing territorial rules provide limits to how close any given Major League Baseball team can be to its minor league affiliate at any level. Restrictions are also in place limiting the proximity of affiliated minor league teams from other minor league baseball teams. Working within the existing distribution of Major League and affiliated minor league baseball teams, I provide detail on how to efficiently allocate the affiliations of minor league baseball teams at each level across Major League Baseball teams. What emerges is a better understanding of the limits to achieving regionalization for the entire league.
The Importance of Diagonal Dominance in Iterative Equation Solving for Boundary Element Systems of Equations

Systems of equations generated from the Boundary Element Method can be solved iteratively, with convergence to the correct solution guaranteed, if the Boundary Element System of equations can be first transformed into an equivalent, diagonally-dominant system. A transformation is presented which selectively annihilates terms in the coefficient matrix of the system Ax=b until an equivalent, diagonally-dominant system is obtained. The new, diagonally-dominant system is well-suited for use with Jacobi and Gauss-Seidel point iterative equation solvers. A simple Laplacian problem is used to examine the structure of the Boundary Element equations and to introduce the diagonal dominating transformation. The importance of diagonal dominance is shown by comparing the iterative convergence rate of an untransformed system of Boundary Element equations with convergence rate of an equivalent, diagonally-dominant system.
Remote sensing inputs and a GIS interface for distributed hydrological modelling

High resolution aerial (0.3-3.0 m) multispectral imagery was acquired over several sub-basins of the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed (RCEW) in 1996 to provide various spatial resolution imagery for the development of vegetation-related GIS layers (LAI, percent cover, vegetation type, canopy height, root depth, etc.). Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery (30 m) was also collected for the entire RCEW. The imagery will provide data to a remote sensing input driven hydrological model. This paper concentrates on the development of the GIS layers in the ArcView environment to be used with the distributed hydrological model.
The effect of gastrin and histamine on secretion of bile

Summary Both pure gastrin II and histamine were shown to increase the rate of flow of bile in unanesthetized dogs with cholecystectomy, total gastrectomy, and the bile duct cannulated through a fistula in the duodenum opposite the papilla of the common bile duct. The choleresis caused by gastrin was like that seen with secretin, characterized by an increase in concentration and output of bicarbonate. With stimulation by histamine the bicarbonate concentration of the bile decreased and the chloride concentration increased. Neither gastrin nor histamine produced maximal biliary flow rates equal to those attained with secretin.
A novel optical nonlinearity in a semiconductor gain medium and its applications to wavelength filtering

The authors report on a novel NLO material and a new approach to an implementation of tunable, very narrow band, wavelength filtering and wavelength recognition based on the time response of an optical nonlinearity. The approach makes possible some important new optical devices for wavelength division multiplexing and is based on a new optical nonlinearity: a optically induced birefringence sensitive to the intensity and polarization of the optical signal. The proposed wavelength filtering can best be understood by considering a four-wave mixing (FWM) interaction in an NLO medium with a finite time response. >
Variation in Primary Structure at a Phosphorylation Site in Lysine-rich Histones

A lysine-rich histone fraction (Fraction 3) from rabbit thymus has a diminished capacity to accept phosphate transferred by a liver histone kinase preparation. Certain lysine-rich histone components from other species are also not readily phosphorylated. Examination of tryptic peptides of individual rabbit thymus lysine-rich histone fractions shows that Fraction 4, a readily phosphorylated fraction, contains serine in a location previously shown to be a major site of lysine-rich histone phosphorylation, while Fraction 3 contains alanine in this position. Fraction 3 and Fraction 4 of rabbit thymus lysine-rich histone therefore differ in primary structure by virtue of an alanine-serine replacement which determines the presence or absence of a major site of enzymatic phosphorylation.
Temporal patient state characterization using Iterative Order and Noise (ION) estimation: applications to anesthesia patient monitoring.

Objective.As more sensors are added to increasingly technology-dependent operating rooms (OR), physicians such as anesthesiologists must sift through an ever-increasing number of patient parameters every few seconds as part of their OR duties. To the extent these many parameters are correlated and redundant, manually monitoring all of them may not be an optimal physician strategy for assessing patient state or predicting future changes to guide their actions. Methods.The method is illustrated by application to seventy-six anesthetized patients for which thirty-two fundamental and derived variables were recorded at 20-second intervals. The Iterative Order and Noise estimation algorithm (ION) estimated the noise on each parameter. The performance of principal components analysis (PCA) was improved by normalizing the noise estimated by ION to unity. A linear regression of the resulting seven high signal-to-noise ratio principal components (PC’s) predicted tachycardia 140 seconds in advance. Results.ION estimated the noise on each parameter with sufficient accuracy to increase the number of significant PC’s from two to seven, all of which had identifiable physiological correlates. The resulting receiver operating characteristic (ROC) suggested that a 70 percent prediction rate with 5 percent false alarms could be achieved. Conclusions.This paper illustrates the use of ION to improve significantly the performance of PCA in the efficient representation of patient state and in improving the performance of linear predictors of clinically significant parameters.
Body mass index, height, and postmenopausal breast cancer mortality in a prospective cohort of US women

Objective: Epidemiologic evidence suggests a positive association between body mass, adult height, and postmenopausal breast cancer. However, most studies have not been large enough to examine the association across a very wide range of body mass or height, and few studies have assessed the relationship between body mass or height and postmenopausal breast cancer mortality. Methods: The relation between body mass index (BMI) and height and postmenopausal breast cancer mortality was examined in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS-II), a large prospective mortality study of US adults enrolled in 1982. After 14 years of follow-up, 2852 breast cancer deaths were observed among 424,168 postmenopausal women who were cancer-free at interview. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to estimate relative risks and to control for potential confounding. Results: Breast cancer mortality rates increased continually and substantially with increasing BMI (rate ratio (RR) = 3.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.09-4.51 for BMI > 40.0 compared to BMI 18.5-20.49). If causal, the multivariate-adjusted RR estimates in this study correspond to approximately 30-50% of breast cancer deaths among postmenopausal women in the US population being attributable to overweight. Breast cancer mortality also increased with increasing height up to 66 inches with RR = 1.64, (95% CI = 1.23-2.18) in women 66 inches tall compared to those <60 inches. Conclusions: Postmenopausal obesity is an important and potentially avoidable predictor of fatal breast cancer in this study. These results underscore the importance of maintaining moderate weight throughout adult life.
Demographic analysis of reproduction in Nearctic and Palearctic populations of Coccinella septempunctataand Propylea quatuordecimpunctata

Coccinella septempunctata and Propylea quatuordecimpunctata in North America have documented invasive capacity. Studies are needed to identify relevant life-history parameters responsible for their successful spatial spread. This study is a detailed analysis of phenotypic variation in reproductive traits of several Nearctic and Palearctic populations of these two coccinellid species. From 47 to 61% of C. septempunctata females laid their first batch of eggs within the first two weeks of their adult life. Within P. quatuordecimpunctatapopulations, 56 to 83% of females initiated oviposition within 2 weeks. The remaining females either had preoviposition periods > 2 weeks or never laid eggs during a 60-day observation period. Analysis of daily fecundity revealed differences in oviposition strategies among females within each population. Repeatability estimates of daily parity for C. septempunctata populations were 0.32 for Iowa (USA), 0.35 for Delaware (USA), 0.28 for France, and 0.33 for Ukraine. Repeatability estimates for P. quatuordecimpunctata populations were 0.35 for Canada, 0.25 for France, and 0.33 for Turkey. The within-female component accounted for most of the variation in daily parity; this was due to female variability in their daily oviposition rates.
Information overlay for camera phones in indoor environments

Increasingly, cell phones are used to browse for information while location systems assist in gathering information that is most appropriate to the user's current location. We seek to take this one step further and actually overlay information on to the physical world using the cell phone's camera and thereby minimize a user's cognitive effort. This "magic lens" approach has many applications of which we are exploring two: indoor building navigation and dynamic directory assistance. In essence, we match "landmarks" identified in the camera image with those stored in a building database. We use two different types of features - floor corners that can be matched against a floorplan and SIFT features that can be matched to a database constructed from other images. The camera's pose can be determined exactly from a match and information can be properly aligned so that it can overlay directly onto the phone's image display. In this paper, we present early results that demonstrate it is possible to realize this capability for a variety of indoor environments. Latency is shown to already be reasonable and likely to be improved by further optimizations. Our goal is to further explore the computational tradeoff between the server and phone client so as to achieve an acceptable latency of a few seconds.
Response Curves for Plane Poiseuille Flow

Publisher Summary The chapter presents a summary of the analysis and experiments related to the response curve for flow through channels. In a given channel there appears to be a curve, called a response curve, which defines a functional relation between the Reynolds number and the friction factor. The existence of such a curve is a remarkable event as the curve is defined over a set of fluctuating turbulent flows each of which differs from its neighbors. The response curve may be regarded as giving the steady average response of a fluctuating system subjected to steady external forces. The really striking feature of regularity in the observations is the response curve for stable turbulence. The chapter presents a statistical study on stationary solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations for flow through a plane channel. The purpose of this study is best served by drawing a distinction among laminar Poiseuille flow and all the other statistically stationary flows, including the time-periodic bifurcating flow.
A novel buck-cascaded two-inductor boost converter with integrated magnetics

This work proposes a new buck-cascaded two-inductor boost converter and its integrated magnetics implementation. It is well suited for low input-voltage and high output-current and multioutput applications. It retains the main advantages of the buck-cascaded current-fed push-pull converter, such as wide input voltage range, reduced voltage stresses for the switches in the push-pull stage, and elimination of the need for high current output inductor, which makes it easier to design for multiple outputs. The integration of the transformer and the inductors into a single magnetic structure using the proposed integrated magnetics scheme, achieves several advantages such as reduced core size, reduced AC flux ripple, improved filtering inductance, and continuous output current. The principle of operation of the proposed scheme is explained using the gyrator-capacitor model. Experimental results from a 12 V/5 A proof-of-concept prototype are presented demonstrating the advantages of the proposed scheme.
Scheduling of hard real-time systems

In this paper we study hard real-time systems: systems where strict time deadlines have to be met. We analyze a special case as well as a general model for hard real-time systems and study pre-emptive, static, scheduling policies for a single processor. The analysis is exact and can handle any arbitrary choice of strict deadlines thereby allowing us to prove the correctness of critical systems. For both the special and general model we present a feasible scheduling algorithm; that is a scheduling algorithm that always produces a priority assignment where all deadlines are met if such a priority assignment exists.
Digital systems and hardware/firmware algorithms

COMBINATIONAL SYSTEMS. Specification of Combinational Systems. Implementation of Combinational Systems. Combinational Modules and Modular Networks. SEQUENTIAL SYSTEMS. Specification of Sequential Systems. Implementation of Synchronous Sequential Systems. Standard Sequential Modules and Modular Networks. HARDWARE/FIRMWARE ALGORITHMIC SYSTEMS. Hardware/Firmware Algorithms and Their Specification. Hardware/Firmware Implementation of Group-Sequential Algorithms. Examples of Hardware/Firmware Systems. General-Purpose Microprogrammable Systems. Arithmetic Algorithms and Processors. Appendices. Bibliography. Index.
Punish or Surveil

This Article endeavors to paint a fuller picture of previous practice and present options than is often present in debates about the United States' antiterrorism measures. It begins by describing practices in place before the campaign launched after September 11, 2001. The Article focuses on punishment, the first prong of the policy long used to combat threats against the United States. Ordinary civilian and military courts stood ready to punish persons found guilty at public trials that adhered to fairness standards, and national security interests not infrequently were advanced through such courts. That is not to say that courts were the government's only option. When it deemed judicial mechanisms unable to protect state security - on account, for example, of its unwillingness to disclose secrets of state - the Executive resorted to surveillance, the second prong of established policy. As for present options, the Article shows the error in the premise that the attacks of September 11 exposed elemental defects in this policy - called here, with a nod to Foucault, "punish or surveil." The government's post-September 11 third-prong option, moreover, is no improvement. The Article demonstrates that reinforcement of the established, two-pronged policy is the present option that promises best to protect both individual and national security.
Hedge Funds and Governance Targets: Long-Term Results

This article takes a second look at a database of 114 activist hedge fund engagements commenced between 2002 and 2006. The first look at the database, published as “Hedge Funds and Governance Targets,” 95 Georgetown Law Journal 1375 (2007), covered developments through December 31, 2006, and so caught most of the engagements at midstream. This second look tracks the engagements through mid 2009, providing an extended look at governance engagements by activist hedge funds. The number of engagements remaining open has fallen from 63 percent of the sample to 20 percent. Closure across most of the sample facilitates deeper inspection of the results. The financial yield, however, is disappointing. The hedge funds prove better at extracting target concessions and getting into boardrooms than at yielding long-term, market-beating financial gain. On the one hand, activist intervention led to something tangible in 88 percent of the cases, whether an asset sale, a stepped up cash payout, a board seat, or a legislative concession. On the other hand, only a minority of the targets’ stock prices beat market indices over the period of engagement, with financial underperformance being particularly notable in cases where the hedge fund entered the target boardroom. Overall, the hedge funds’ talents appear best suited to address matters that can be interrogated from outside the target. Any of a cash disgorgement, an asset sale, or a sale of the target as a whole can be planned based on publicly available information. Other value-creating initiatives, like reducing operating costs or otherwise enhancing business plans, call for hands on confrontation with the fuller set of information available only on the inside. The results here yield no overall evidence of constructive input at this level.
Blackbox construction of a more than non-malleable CCA1 encryption scheme from plaintext awareness

We construct an NM−CCA1 encryption scheme from any CCA1 encryption scheme that is also plaintext aware and weakly simulatable. We believe this is the first construction of a NM−CCA1 scheme that follows strictly from encryption schemes with seemingly weaker or incomparable security definitions to NM−CCA1. Previously, the statistical PA1 notion of plaintext awareness was only known to imply CCA1. Our result is therefore novel because unlike the case of CPA and CCA2, it is unknown whether a CCA1 scheme can be transformed into an NM-CCA1 scheme. Additionally, we show both the Damgard Elgamal Scheme (DEG) [Dam91] and the Cramer-Shoup Lite Scheme (CS-Lite) [CS03] are weakly simulatable under the DDH assumption. Since both are known to be statistical PA1 under the Diffie-Hellman Knowledge (DHK) assumption, they instantiate our scheme securely. Next, in a partial response to a question posed by Matsuda and Matsuura [MM11], we define an extended version of the NM−CCA1, cNM−CCA1, in which the security definition is modified so that the adversary is permuted to ask a c≥1 number of parallel queries after receiving the challenge ciphertext. We extend our construction to yield a cNM−CCA1 scheme for any constant c. All of our constructions are black-box.
Abstract 73: A Novel Role of E2F1 in Stress-induced Cardiac Fibrosis

Rationale: E2F1 transcription factor is best known as a cell cycle regulator. Recent reports indicate the importance of E2F1 in cardiovascular system, though its exact role is not clear. TGF-beta/Smad2,3 signaling pathway, on the other hand, has been long implicated in the regulation of cardiovascular health and numerous disease, including cardiac fibrosis. Interaction between these two major pathways has been reported in the cancer settings. Objective: To identify the possible interactions between E2F1 and TGF-beta/Smad2,3 signaling pathways in cardiovascular system and determine the functional outcome of these interactions in cardiac health. Methods and Results: E2F1-/- mice developed significantly higher degree of cardiac fibrosis than wild type mice in the Angiotensin II - induced cardiac fibrosis model. The levels of phosphorylated Smad2 and Smad3 were significantly higher in the hearts of E2F1-/- mice, as well as in mouse embryonic fibroblasts derived from E2F1-/- animals. Associated expression of collagen I was significantly increased in mouse embryonic fibroblasts derived from E2F1-/- animals, and treatment with TGF-beta resulted in higher collagen deposition compared to wild type fibroblasts. Treating animals with SB 431542, chemical inhibitor of Smad2,3 signaling, obliterated the difference in the degree of cardiac fibrosis between wild type and E2F1 knockout animals in the Ang II model. We discovered that levels of syndecan-4, heparan sulfate proteoglycan transmembrane protein implicated in fibrosis and known to interact with TGF-beta are significantly increased in both E2F1-/- fibroblasts and hearts. siRNA-mediated knockdown of syndecan-4 using siRNA resulted in decreased Smad2,3 phosphorylation in E2F1-/- MEFs. Similarly, down regulation of syndecan-4 in-vivo using morpholino lead to decreased cardiac fibrosis in E2F1-/- mice in Ang II model. Conclusions: E2F1 suppresses activation of TGF-beta/Smad 2,3 pathway. The E2F1-dependent suppression of cardiac fibrosis through TGF-beta/Smad 2,3 pathway is at least partially regulated by syndecan-4.
Spectroscopic Constants and Vibrational Assignment for the B3Π0u + State of Iodine

Portions of the iodine B 3Π0u+←X 1Σg+ absorption spectrum have been remeasured under high resolution. A new analysis of 719 lines in the 3–6, 4–7, 5–4, 7–5, 11–1, 12–2, 13–2, 25–0, and 29–0 bands, combined with previous measurements by Mecke, Loomis, and Brown, gives the following revised constants: ωe′=125.273 cm−1Te′=15770.59γe′=−4.0×10−7ωexe′=0.7016Be′=0.028969δe′=−3.5×10−8ωeye′=−0.00567re′=3.0276 ADe′=3.5×10−9ωeze′=+0.000032αe′=0.0001562βe′=3.9×10−10De′=4391.0 Constants for ground state rotational levels were found to be in good agreement with Rank's latest determinations.Using these new constants for the B state, Franck—Condon factors for this system were computed. The vibrational numbering originally assigned by Mecke and Loomis to the B state was decreased by one unit to bring calculated intensity distribution into complete agreement with all observed fluorescence data, including new photoelectric measurements on a number of bands. No systematic variation of the electronic transition moment could be derived from these data. These revised Franck—Condon factors were also used to recalculate radiative lifetimes from absolute absorption data which are in fair agreement with the phase‐shift determination of Brewer, Berg, and Rosenblatt.
Consequences of leveraged buyouts

Abstract Research suggests that leveraged buyouts create value through significant operating performance improvements. There is little evidence that buyouts lead to widespread employee layoffs, wage reductions, or wealth transfers from bondholders. LBOs continue to be controversial, however. Future research should focus on the effect of buyouts on firms' strategic investments, buyout firms' performance under difficult economic conditions, and the frequency and costs of financial distress associated with buyouts. Research can also focus on improving the performance of public corporations by examining the individual contributions of debt, management ownership, and corporate governance changes to podt-buyout performance.
Speeding up materials discovery

Abstract A newly developed method promises to change how companies create materials. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and a technique that simultaneously tests thousands of formulations, it is dramatically speeding up the discovery process.
Atomistic simulation combined with analytic theory to study the response of the P-selectin/PSGL-1 complex to an external force.

Steered molecular dynamics simulations are combined with analytic theory in order to gain insights into the properties of the P-selectin/PSGL-1 catch−slip bond at the atomistic level of detail. The...
The Predicted Abundances of Deuterium-bearing Gases in the Atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn

The first set of comprehensive thermochemical equilibrium and chemical kinetic calculations on the chemistry of deuterium-bearing gases in the deep atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn is presented. The sensitivity of the results to variations in elemental and isotopic abundances is studied. Isotopic fractionation effects in the C-13/C12, N-15/N-14, and O-18/O-16 ratios in nonequilibrium species such as CO, CO2, HCN, and N2 are briefly considered.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in indoor air and in serum among older residents of upper Hudson River communities

A study was conducted to evaluate the association between PCBs in residential indoor air and in the serum of older, long time residents of three upper Hudson River communities. Samples of indoor air and of serum were collected from 170 persons 55 to 74 years of age, and analyzed for PCBs using glass capillary gas chromatography. After adjusting for age, BMI, cigarette smoking, and Hudson River fish consumption with multiple linear regression analysis, the results indicated statistically significant associations between concentrations in indoor air and serum for PCB-28, a lightly chlorinated congener common in air that accumulates in serum, and PCB-105. Duration of exposure was an important factor, since among persons who had lived in their home for 39 years or more, 11 of the 12 most commonly detected congeners were significantly correlated, as was their sum (∑ PCB). Significant associations between indoor air and serum PCB concentrations also were more likely when collected in cooler months and if the two samples were collected within 20 d of each other. The study is among the first to indicate that PCB concentrations characteristic of residential indoor air are associated with a detectable increase in body burden.
Factors influencing tenderness in steaks from Brahman cattle.

Abstract The objective of this study was to identify a set of explanatory variables for Warner–Bratzler shear force and myofibril fragmentation indices after 7, 14, and 21 d of aging; and sensory tenderness after 14 d of aging of steaks from Brahman cattle. Insoluble collagen was negatively associated ( P P
Philadelphia and the Yellow Fever Epidemic

(1982). Philadelphia and the Yellow Fever Epidemic. Urban Geography: Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 355-370.
Transducer Residues are Thermodynamically Coupled in the Kinesin-5 Motor Domain

Motor proteins coordinate the activities of nucleotide hydrolysis and polymer binding to move along cellular tracks. In kinesin and myosin motor domains, the sites responsible for these two activities are located on opposite faces of a core beta-sheet. Three beta-strands and a mobile loop transduce information between the active and polymer-binding sites and, thus, are collectively termed the transducer. Herein we demonstrate residues in the core beta-sheet and the L5 loop are thermodynamically coupled. Two methods were employed in this study. Probabilistic methods to analyze evolutionarily correlations between residues in protein families identified coupling between transducer residues. Second, thermodynamic linkage between M115 in loop-5 and L263 in beta-7 in the human kinesin-5 motor domain was established using double mutant cycle analysis for wildtype, two single mutants, and the corresponding double mutant protein. The resulting changes in free energy were calculated from experimentally measured kinetic parameters and determined to be non-additive. While conformational changes of the beta strands and mobile loop have been observed in structural investigations of kinesins and myosins, these experiments establish energetic and evolutionary coupling of these distinct motifs. We conclude that loop-5 and the beta-strands are important kinesin building blocks that act in concert during mechanotransduction. This work was funded by NIH (GM097350 to SK).
Comparative Tissue Concentration Profiles of Fentanyl and Alfentanil in Humans Predicted from Tissue/Blood Partition Data Obtained in Rats

The steady-state tissue/blood partition coefficients of fentanyl and alfentanil were determined in 13 organs and tissues in the rat. A 6-h infusion of both drugs was used in order to achieve steady-state. Blood and tissue concentrations of drugs were measured by gas-liquid chromatography. The partition coefficients of fentanyl were two- to 30-fold higher than those of alfentanil. These data were then used in a physiologic pharmacokinetic model describing the disposition of the two opioids in humans. The model predicted the plasma pharmacokinetics of these drugs in humans reasonably well. However, simulation beyond 24 h after a bolus administration showed a terminal half-life of 20 h for fentanyl, i.e., an elimination phase that has not yet been described in actual pharmacokinetic studies. In keeping with this, the volume of distribution of fentanyl in the model was also larger than expected. The simulated tissue concentration curves of fentanyl and alfentanil in humans could be used to explain the propensity of fentanyl to give secondary peaks in plasma concentration curves and the difference in effect kinetics between the two opioids. Physiologic pharmacokinetic modeling, based on measured data in small animals, can generate information that is not obtainable by empirical methods in humans.
Barrels XVII–proceedings

Appoximately 110 colleagues attended a 2 day meeting from 21 to 22 October, 2004 in Carlesbad-by-the-Sea, CA USA. Summaries of the speakers’ presentations are followed by abstracts for the 44 posters shown. Barrels XVII will be held in the Washington, DC – Baltimore, MD area on 10–11 November 2005 prior to the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting. Please look to Volume 22, Number 3 of Somatosensory and Motor Research for location, housing options and a preliminary program. Inquires can be directed to Kathryn Diekmann, E-mail: somatosensory@prodigy.net
Flexible Graphene Paper as a Binder-Free Anode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries

Graphene paper (GP) with layered structure and highly conductive network is fabricated by a facile technique of vacuum filtration and studied as a single-component and binder-free anode of lithium ion batteries (LIBs). The process of fabrication of GP without any binder and high-temperature treatment, in the meantime, great improvement in both the capacity and cycling performance of the GP electrodes have compared with other kinds of traditional graphite electrode materials. Given the simplifying anode fabrication, low manufacturing costs and many electrochemical properties of the GP anode, it is regarded as an excellent anode material of LIB with great promise for its both excellent cycling performance and electrochemical properties. The specific capacity can reach to over 200 mAhg-1 after 60 charge-discharge cycles under the current rate of 50 mAg-1.
Chemically altered apurinic sites in ΦX174 DNA give increased mutagenesis in SOS-induced E. coli

Summary Single-strand DNA from bacteriophage ΦX174 am3 is treated with mild acid and heat to produce increasing numbers of apurinic sites per molecule. Samples are assayed, either directly or after additional chemical reactions, by electroporation into the recipient E. coli strain HF4714( su−1 + ). Modified apurinic sites are produced by reactions with O -methyl- or O -benzyl-hydroxylamine, and reduced apurinic sites by reactions with sodium borohydride. Reversion mutation frequencies are significant only if the recipient strain in SOS-induced (by growth after UV irradiation). A simple apurinic site at the target gives rise to mutation (a transversion) with a probability of 0.07, while the modified or reduced apurinic site has a mutagenic efficiency of 0.22–0.27 or 0.29, respectively. The open ring form of deoxyribose may account for the 3–4-fold increased mutagenicity with altered apurinic lesions. Also considered are effects by temperature and cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers on mutagenicity and the relatively invariant survival curves that obtain regardless of chemical alterations at the apurinic sites and/or SOS induction.
The sliding friction and wear behavior of single-crystal, polycrystalline and oxidized silicon

Abstract The dynamic friction and wear behavior of single-crystal, polycrystalline and oxidized silicon has been studied using the pin-on-disk geometry. For single-crystal and polycrystalline silicon, even under low loads (0.05 N), damage in the form of grooving associated with debris generation is initiated early on the disks. This damage is associated with an increase in the coefficient of friction. With further sliding, the experiments suggest that oxidation modifies the sliding interface and the coefficient of friction decreases. Tests in a vacuum (0.13 Pa) show that the rise in the coefficient of friction is minimal; however, damage of the interface occurs. With oxidized silicon samples, the damage in the form of grooving is not very severe but the coefficient of friction is high in ambient air compared to that in dry nitrogen, probably due to strong interaction between oxide surfaces in the presence of air or humidity. These preliminary measurements also show similarities between the values of friction coefficients measured with macroscopic samples (as used in the present study) and those reported by other researchers using micromechanical devices.