cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alternative techniques for management of distal anastomoses of aortofemoral and iliofemoral endovascular grafts.

Abstract Purpose: Techniques for managing the distal anastomoses of aortofemoral and iliofemoral endovascular grafts are described. Methods: Over a 2½-year period 46 endovascular grafts were successfully placed to treat severe iliac artery occlusive disease. Endovascular grafts were anchored proximally in the distal aorta or iliac arteries with Palmaz balloon-expandable stents. The distal anastomoses were performed with the use of open, sutured anastomotic techniques. In contrast to stented distal anastomoses, these techniques allowed us to (1) treat occlusive lesions extending from the distal aorta to below the inguinal ligament, (2) terminate endovascular grafts in the groin where stents are contraindicated, (3) vary the distal anastomotic site depending on the local pattern of disease, and (4) standardize the preinsertion length of the endovascular graft. Results: Two distal perianastomotic stenoses and one graft occlusion were detected postoperatively in 11 bypass grafts that had distal anastomoses sewn endoluminally without an overlying patch angioplasty. Only one perianastomotic stenosis was found among 35 anastomoses performed with other techniques. There were no significant differences in primary and secondary patency between grafts originating in the distal aorta or iliac arteries. Conclusions: Hand-sewn distal anastomoses can simplify the insertion of endovascular grafts used for the treatment of aortoiliac occlusive disease. These anastomoses permit tailoring of the graft according to the patients' pattern of disease and eliminate the need to precisely measure the length of the graft preoperatively. In addition, because a distal stent is not required, endovascular grafts can be safely terminated in the groin instead of the external iliac artery where disease progression can lead to graft failure. Finally, endovascular distal anastomoses should be closed with a patch or the hood of a more distal bypass graft to prevent perianastomotic stenoses or occlusions in the postoperative period. (J Vasc Surg 2000;32:307-14.)
Fast, Memory-Efficient Cell Location in Unstructured Grids for Visualization

Applying certain visualization techniques to datasets described on unstructured grids requires the interpolation of variables of interest at arbitrary locations within the dataset's domain of definition. Typical solutions to the problem of finding the grid element enclosing a given interpolation point make use of a variety of spatial subdivision schemes. However, existing solutions are memory- intensive, do not scale well to large grids, or do not work reliably on grids describing complex geometries. In this paper, we propose a data structure and associated construction algorithm for fast cell location in unstructured grids, and apply it to the interpolation problem. Based on the concept of bounding interval hierarchies, the proposed approach is memory-efficient, fast and numerically robust. We examine the performance characteristics of the proposed approach and compare it to existing approaches using a number of benchmark problems related to vector field visualization. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our approach can successfully accommodate large datasets, and discuss application to visualization on both CPUs and GPUs.
Targeted treatment of hypereosinophilic syndromes and chronic eosinophilic leukemias with imatinib mesylate

Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) and chronic eosinophilia leukemia (CEL) represent the most recent additions to the list of molecularly defined chronic myeloproliferative disorders. Beginning with the observation that imatinib mesylate (Gleevec®) could elicit rapid and complete hematologic remissions in a proportion of patients with HES, a reverse bedside-to-bench translational research effort led to the discovery of FIP1L1-PDGFRA, a novel fusion gene on chromosome 4q12 whose product is an imatinib-sensitive protein tyrosine kinase. FIP1L1-PDGFRA is the first description of a gain-of-function fusion gene derived from an interstitial chromosomal deletion rather than a reciprocal translocation. Empiric use of imatinib in HES and CEL provides a dramatic example of how the development of targeted therapeutics can provide tremendous insight into the molecular etiology of what appear to be a diverse and otherwise indecipherable collection of diseases. In this review, we discuss the role of imatinib in HES/CEL and other malignancies characterized by constitutively activated tyrosine kinases, and examine molecular features of the FIP1L1-PDGFRA fusion.
The moderating role of social ties on entrepreneurs' depressed affect and withdrawal intentions in response to economic stress

Summary We explored whether contact with business-related social ties would buffer entrepreneurs against the potentially deleterious effects of economic stress. Our proposed stress-buffering model builds on the premise that social ties with similar others can serve as both a source of valuable information and a source of empathic support. Findings from a sample of 262 entrepreneurs revealed that the relation between economic stress and intentions to withdraw from entrepreneurial opportunities was stronger among individuals reporting less contact with social ties and weaker among those who reported more contact with social ties. We further examined the indirect effects of economic stress and contact with business-related social ties on entrepreneurs’ future intentions through depressed affect. Results showed that among those reporting less contact with social ties, the indirect effect is positive, meaning greater economic stress leads to higher depressed affect, which in turn results in greater intentions towithdraw from entrepreneurship. Among those with more contact with social ties, there is no evidence of this process at work. We interpret this to mean that social ties serve to buffer the impact of economic stress on depressed affect, which in turn reduces an entrepreneur’s intention to withdraw from entrepreneurship. Those who seem most susceptible to the impact of economic stress are those with relatively limited contact with business-related social ties. We discuss implications and directions for future research. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of human activities on the ecology of nontuberculous mycobacteria

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are environmental opportunistic pathogens of humans and animals. They are found in a wide variety of habitats to which humans are exposed, including drinking water distribution systems and household water and plumbing. In that regard, they are distinct from their obligate pathogenic relatives, the members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Owing to the presence of NTM in the human environment, human activities have had direct impacts on their ecology and thereby their epidemiology. NTM are oligotrophic, able to grow at low organic matter concentrations and over a wide range of temperatures, and even at low oxygen concentrations. Thus, NTM are normal inhabitants of natural waters and drinking waters. Discovery of the presence of NTM-polluted soils is not surprising in light of the ability of NTM to degrade a variety of hydrocarbon pollutants. A major human activity selecting for the growth and predominance of mycobacteria in habitats is disinfection. In comparison to other bacteria, NTM are disinfectant, heavy metal and antibiotic resistant. Therefore, the use of any antimicrobial agent selects for mycobacteria. Use of disinfectant in drinking water treatment selects for mycobacteria that can grow and come to proliferate in drinking water distribution systems in the absence of disinfectant-sensitive competing microorganisms. NTM selection may also occur as a consequence of antibiotics in drinking water sources.
Effects of age and smoking on endothelial function assessed by quantitative cardiovascular magnetic resonance in the peripheral and central vasculature

Both age and smoking promote endothelial dysfunction and impair vascular reactivity. Here, we tested this hypothesis by quantifying new cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR)-based biomarkers in smokers and nonsmokers. Study population: young non-smokers (YNS: N = 45, mean age = 30.2 ± 0.7 years), young smokers (YS: N = 39 mean age 32.1 ± 0.7 years), older non-smokers (ONS: N = 45, mean age = 57.8 ± 0.6 years), and older smokers (OS: N = 40, mean age = 56.3 ± 0.6 years), all without overt cardiovascular disease. Vascular reactivity was evaluated following cuff-induced hyperemia via time-resolved blood flow velocity and oxygenation (SvO2) in the femoral artery and vein, respectively. SvO2 dynamics yielded washout time (time to minimum SvO2), resaturation rate (upslope) and maximum change from baseline (overshoot). Arterial parameters included pulse ratio (PR), hyperemic index (HI) and duration of hyperemia (TFF). Pulse-wave velocity (PWV) was assessed in aortic arch, thoracoabdominal aorta and iliofemoral arteries. Ultrasound-based carotid intimal-medial thickness (IMT) and brachial flow-mediated dilation were measured for comparison. Age and smoking status were independent for all parameters. Smokers had reduced upslope (−28.4%, P < 0.001), increased washout time (+15.3%, P < 0.01), and reduced HI (−19.5%, P < 0.01). Among non-smokers, older subjects had lower upslope (−22.7%, P < 0.01) and overshoot (−29.4%, P < 0.01), elevated baseline pulse ratio (+14.9%, P < 0.01), central and peripheral PWV (all P < 0.05). Relative to YNS, YS had lower upslope (−23.6%, P < 0.01) and longer washout time (13.5%, P < 0.05). Relative to ONS, OS had lower upslope (−33.0%, P < 0.01). IMT was greater in ONS than in YNS (+45.6%, P < 0.001), and also in YS compared to YNS (+14.7%, P < 0.05). Results suggest CMR biomarkers of endothelial function to be sensitive to age and smoking independent of each other.
Cost-effective sampling network design for contaminant plume monitoring under general hydrogeological conditions

A new simulation-optimization methodology is developed for cost-effective sampling network design associated with long-term monitoring of large-scale contaminant plumes. The new methodology is similar in concept to the one presented by Reed et al. (Reed, P.M., Minsker, B.S., Valocchi, A.J., 2000a. Cost-effective long-term groundwater monitoring design using a genetic algorithm and global mass interpolation. Water Resour. Res. 36 (12), 3731-3741) in that an optimization model based on a genetic algorithm is coupled with a flow and transport simulator and a global mass estimator to search for optimal sampling strategies. However, this study introduces the first and second moments of a three-dimensional contaminant plume as new constraints in the optimization formulation, and demonstrates the proposed methodology through a real-world application. The new moment constraints significantly increase the accuracy of the plume interpolated from the sampled data relative to the plume simulated by the transport model. The plume interpolation approaches employed in this study are ordinary kriging (OK) and inverse distance weighting (IDW). The proposed methodology is applied to the monitoring of plume evolution during a pump-and-treat operation at a large field site. It is shown that potential cost savings up to 65.6% may be achieved without any significant loss of accuracy in mass and moment estimations. The IDW-based interpolation method is computationally more efficient than the OK-based method and results in more potential cost savings. However, the OK-based method leads to more accurate mass and moment estimations. A comparison of the sampling designs obtained with and without the moment constraints points to their importance in ensuring a robust long-term monitoring design that is both cost-effective and accurate in mass and moment estimations. Additional analysis demonstrates the sensitivity of the optimal sampling design to the various coefficients included in the objective function of the optimization model.
Two-Dimensional Simulations of Current Flow in Amorphous Silicon Thin-Film Transistors

Whereas one-dimensional models can adequately predict the current-voltage behavior of ideal thin-film transistors, a detailed study of current flow requires a comprehensive two-dimensional simulation. Such an analysis provides important information regarding effective series resistance, overlap capacitance, and currentcrowding near electrodes. Numerical simulations also allow the rapid development and optimization of new devices. We have developed a two-dimensional finite-element device simulator (MANIFEST) which we have used to study the effect of source-to-gate misalignments on the performance of amorphous-silicon TFTs. We find that submicron source-togate gaps do not seriously impair TFT performance.
The perfect atom: Bound states of supersymmetric quantum electrodynamics

Abstract We study hydrogen-like atoms in N = 1 supersymmetric quantum electrodynamics with an electronic and a muonic family. These atoms are bound states of an anti-muon and an electron or their superpartners. The exchange of a photino converts different bound states into each other. We determine the energy eigenstates and calculate the spectrum to fourth order in the fine structure constant. A difference between these perfect atoms and non-supersymmetric ones is the absence of hyperfine structure. We organize the eigenstates into supermultiplets of the underlying symmetry algebra.
Nanofibrous Manganese Dioxide for Decomposition of Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds (“VOCs”) are widely used in industrial process, transportation fuels, and households. It is inevitable that some VOCs will escape into the atmosphere. Emission of VOCs will cause three major problems, including (1) increased exposure level of the population to know carcinogenic compounds such as benzene and carbon tetrachloride, (2) increased ozone concentration in the atmosphere at ground level, and (3) stratospheric depletion of the ozone layer, which alters global climate and increases exposure to UV radiation. Reducing the concentrations of VOCs will greatly improve air quality. A common method for VOC removal is catalytic decomposition. Most works have only focus on reducing VOC concentrations down to a few parts per million (ppm). Very little research has been conducted on reducing the VOCs down to parts per billion (ppb) levels, or less. This paper reports the decomposition of VOCs using a unique class of nanofibrous bird's-nest superstructure material. This open-inter-woven nanofibrous superstructure provides superb host for catalytic reactions and permits relatively easy flow of the gas stream through the structure. The nanofibrous MnO 2 is highly effective in destroy more than 50 VOCs on USEPA's top priority list toxic VOCs to ppb level or less at a 200 − 350°C temperature.
Specificity and regulation of DNA binding by the yeast glucose transporter gene repressor Rgt1.

Rgt1 is a glucose-responsive transcription factor that binds to the promoters of several HXT genes encoding glucose transporters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and regulates their expression in response to glucose. Rgt1 contains a Zn2Cys6 binuclear cluster responsible for DNA binding. Most proteins that contain this sequence motif bind as dimers to regularly spaced pairs of the sequence CGG. However, there are no CGG pairs with regular spacing in promoters of genes regulated by Rgt1, suggesting that Rgt1 binds as a monomer to CGG or to another sequence. We identified the Rgt1 consensus binding site sequence 5′-CGGANNA-3′, multiple copies of which are present in all HXT promoters regulated by Rgt1. Rgt1 binds in vivo to multiple sites in the HXT3 promoter in a nonadditive, synergistic manner, leading to synergistic repression of HXT3 transcription. We show that glucose inhibits the DNA-binding ability of Rgt1, thereby relieving repression of HXT gene expression. This regulation of Rgt1 DNA-binding activity is caused by its glucose-induced phosphorylation: the hyperphosphorylated Rgt1 present in cells growing on high levels of glucose does not bind DNA in vivo or in vitro; dephosphorylation of this form of Rgt1 in vitro restores its DNA-binding ability. Furthermore, an altered Rgt1 that functions as a constitutive repressor remains hypophosphorylated when glucose is added to cells and binds DNA under these conditions. These results suggest that glucose regulates the DNA-binding ability of Rgt1 by inducing its phosphorylation.
Supramolecular Architecture of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Revealed by Electron Cryomicroscopy

Coronavirus particles are enveloped and pleomorphic and are thus refractory to crystallization and symmetry-assisted reconstruction. A novel methodology of single-particle image analysis was applied to selected virus features to obtain a detailed model of the oligomeric state and spatial relationships among viral structural proteins. Two-dimensional images of the S, M, and N structural proteins of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and two other coronaviruses were refined to a resolution of ∼4 nm. Proteins near the viral membrane were arranged in overlapping lattices surrounding a disordered core. Trimeric glycoprotein spikes were in register with four underlying ribonucleoprotein densities. However, the spikes were dispensable for ribonucleoprotein lattice formation. The ribonucleoprotein particles displayed coiled shapes when released from the viral membrane. Our results contribute to the understanding of the assembly pathway used by coronaviruses and other pleomorphic viruses and provide the first detailed view of coronavirus ultrastructure.
A Multiprotein Mediator of Transcriptional Activation and Its Interaction with the C-Terminal Repeat Domain of RNA Polymerase II

A mediator was isolated from yeast that enabled a response to the activator proteins GAL4-VP16 and GCN4 in a transcription system reconstituted with essentially homogeneous basal factors and RNA polymerase II. The mediator comprised some 20 polypeptides, including the three subunits of TFIIF and other polypeptides cross-reactive with antisera against GAL11, SUG1, SRB2, SRB4, SRB5, and SRB6 proteins. Mediator not only enabled activated transcription but also conferred 8-fold greater activity in basal transcription and 12-fold greater efficiency of phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II by the TFIIH-associated C-terminal repeat domain (CTD) kinase, indicative of mediator-CTD interaction. A holoenzyme form of RNA polymerase II was independently isolated that supported a response to activator proteins with purified basal factors. The holoenzyme proved to consist of mediator associated with core 12-subunit RNA polymerase II.
Back pain, neurogenic symptoms, and physical function in relation to spondylolisthesis among elderly men

Abstract Background context Degenerative spondylolisthesis is a presumed cause of back pain. Previous studies of spondylolisthesis and back pain included only women or combined results for men and women. Comparisons of the frequency of back pain, neurogenic symptoms, and functional limitations specifically among elderly men with and without spondylolisthesis are needed. Purpose To determine associations of prevalent spondylolisthesis with back pain symptoms, neurogenic symptoms, and functional limitations among elderly men. Study design/setting Cross-sectional epidemiologic study conducted within the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) cohort. The MrOS cohort is composed of 5,995 community-dwelling men aged 65 years or older who were recruited at six US academic medical centers. Extensive self-reported data and lumbar spine radiographs were obtained for all MrOS participants at baseline. Patient sample For this study, 300 men were selected at random specifically for the evaluation of spondylolisthesis on the baseline spine radiographs. Outcome measures Standardized questionnaires were used to assess self-reported back pain, leg pain (radiculopathy), lower extremity numbness (paresthesias), and lower extremity weakness occurring in the past 12 months and to ascertain current difficulty with activities of daily living. Methods In the present study, radiographic spondylolisthesis was classified as forward slip of ≥5%. Prevalence of back pain, neurogenic symptoms, and difficulty with activities of daily living was compared between men with and without spondylolisthesis using chi-square or Fisher exact tests. Results Spondylolisthesis was present among 92 (31%) men. Among men with and without spondylolisthesis, back pain (63% vs. 67%, p=.46) and moderate/severe back pain (41% vs. 38%, p=.76) were reported with similar frequency. Men with spondylolisthesis more often reported radiculopathy (33% vs. 22%, p=.06), paresthesias (18% vs. 11%, p=.10), and weakness (18% vs. 9%, p=.02) in the lower extremities, as well as difficulty walking two to three blocks (21% vs. 11%, p=.03), doing their own shopping (8% vs. 2%, p=.04), and getting in/out of a car (14% vs. 6%, p=.03), compared with men without spondylolisthesis. Conclusions Among elderly men, spondylolisthesis was associated with neurogenic symptoms and lower extremity functional limitations; however, spondylolisthesis was not associated with a higher likelihood of back pain in this population.
FANCI: identification of stealthy malicious logic using boolean functional analysis

Hardware design today bears similarities to software design. Often vendors buy and integrate code acquired from third-party organizations into their designs, especially in embedded/system-on-chip designs. Currently, there is no way to determine if third-party designs have built-in backdoors that can compromise security after deployment.The key observation we use to approach this problem is that hardware backdoors incorporate logic that is nearly-unused, i.e. stealthy. The wires used in stealthy backdoor circuits almost never influence the outputs of those circuits. Typically, they do so only when triggered using external inputs from an attacker. In this paper, we present FANCI, a tool that flags suspicious wires, in a design, which have the potential to be malicious. FANCI uses scalable, approximate, boolean functional analysis to detect these wires.Our examination of the TrustHub hardware backdoor benchmark suite shows that FANCI is able to flag all suspicious paths in the benchmarks that are associated with backdoors. Unlike prior work in the area, FANCI is not hindered by incomplete test suite coverage and thus is able to operate in practice without false negatives. Furthermore, FANCI reports low false positive rates: less than 1% of wires are reported as suspicious in most cases. All TrustHub designs were analyzed in a day or less. We also analyze a backdoor-free out-of-order microprocessor core to demonstrate applicability beyond benchmarks.
Spoken-language research at Carnegie Mellon

The goal of speech research at Carnegie Mellon continues to be the development of spoken language systems that effectively integrate speech processing into the human-computer interface in a way that facilitates the use of computers in the performance of practical tasks. Component technologites are being developed in the context of spoken language systems in two domains: the DARPA-standard ATIS travel planning task, and CMU's office management task. Research in spoken language is currently focussed in the following areas:• Improved speech recognition technologies. Research is directed toward increasing the useful vocabulary of the speech recognizer, using better subword models and vocabulary-independent recognition techniques, providing for rapid configuration for new tasks.• Fluent human/machine interfaces. The goal of research in the spoken language interface is the development of an understanding of how people interact by voice with computer systems. Specific development systems such as the Office Manager are used to study this interaction.• Understanding spontaneous spoken language. Actual spoken language is ill-formed with respect to grammar, syntax, and semantics. We are analyzing many types of spontaneous speech phenomena and developing appropriate syntactic and semantic representations of language that enable spontaneous speech to be understood in a robust fashion.• Dialog modeling. This goal of this research is to identify invariant properties of spontaneous spoken dialog at both the utterance and dialog level, and to apply constraints based on dialog, semantic, and pragmantic knowledge to enhance speech recognition. These knowledge sources can also be used to learn new vocabulary items incrementally.• Acoustical and environmental robustness. The goal of this work is to make speech recognition robust with respect to variability in acoustical ambience and choice of microphone, so that recognition accuracy using desk-top or bezel-mounted microphones in office environments will become comparable to performance using close-talking microphones.
On the observational implications of taste-based discrimination in racial profiling

Abstract This paper contributes to a growing literature that attempts to determine whether disparities in police stops and searches of potential criminals of different races stem from taste-based discrimination. The key challenge in making this evaluation is that police officers have more information than the econometrician and thus racial disparities in police behavior may result from these unobservable factors rather than discrimination. We develop a general equilibrium model of police and potential criminal behavior that encompasses key models in the literature. We highlight the assumptions needed for existing methods of detecting racial discrimination to hold. In particular, we show that when there are increasing costs to search, existing tests for discrimination can give incorrect results. Given the potential importance of these costs, we then propose some alternate methods for detecting racial bias in police behavior.
Effects of neutrophil, natural killer cell, and macrophage depletion on murine Clostridium piliforme infection

Clostridium piliforme infection (Tyzzer's disease) induces enterohepatic disease in many domestic and laboratory animals. Murine susceptibility to Tyzzer's disease varies with host strain, age, and immune status However, little is known about the role of the immune system in control of this disease. To investigate the role of host immunity in Tyzzer's disease, mice were depleted of either neutrophils, natural killer cells, or macrophages by antibody administration or chemotherapy. After depletion, DBA/2 mice, which are naturally susceptible to C. piliforme, or naturally resistant C57BL/6 mice were inoculated intravenously with C. piliforme. Animals were euthanized 3 days postinoculation and evaluated for gross and histologic lesions and hepatic bacterial load. In juvenile DBA/2 or C57BL/6 mice, depletion of either neutrophils or natural killer cells increased severity of disease. In adult mice, depletion of natural killer cells significantly increased severity of Tyzzer's disease in the resistant (C57BL/6) but not in the susceptible (DBA/2) strain. Macrophage depletion did not alter the course of infection in either mouse strain. These studies indicate an important role for neutrophils and natural killer cells in the pathogenesis of murine Tyzzer's disease. The role of macrophages in murine C. piliforme infection will require further evaluation.
Azilsartan Medoxomil/Chlorthalidone: A New Fixed-Dose Combination Antihypertensive

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy, safety, and clinical utility of the combination product azilsartan medoxomil/chlorthalidone for the treatment of hypertension.DATA SOURCESArticles indexed in PubMed through December 2012 were identified using the MeSH terms azilsartan and chlorthalidone, Edarbyclor, TAK-490, and Edarbi. Additional information was gathered from references cited in the identified publications, the package insert, and from a review of the ClinicalTrials.gov registry.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTIONEnglish-language articles, including clinical trials and reviews involving azilsartan medoxomil/chlorthalidone or each component individually for the treatment of hypertension were reviewed.DATA SYNTHESISThe antihypertensive combination tablet azilsartan medoxomil/chlorthalidone is the first to combine an inhibitor of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system with chlorthalidone, a thiazide-type diuretic. In 4 randomized controlled trials (3 published to date), azilsartan medoxomil/chlorthalidon...
Spatial variability and the fate of cesium in coastal sediments near Fukushima, Japan

Quantifying the amount of cesium incorporated into marine sediments as a result of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident has proven challenging due to the limited multi-core sampling from within the 30 km zone around the facility; the inherent spatial heterogeneities in ocean sediments; and the potential for inventory fluctuations due to physical, biological, and chemical processes. Using 210 Pb, 234 Th, 137 Cs, and 134 Cs profiles from 20 sediment cores, coastal sediment inventories were reevaluated. A 137 Cs sediment inventory of 100 ± 50 TBq was found for an area of 55 000 km 2 using cores from this study and a total of 130 ± 60 TBq using an additional 181 samples. These inventories represent less than 1% of the estimated 15–30 PBq of cesium released during the FDNPP disaster. The time needed for surface sediment activities (0 to 3 cm) at the 20 locations to be reduced by 50% via sediment mixing was estimated to range from 0.4 to 26 yr. Due to the observed variability in mixing rates, grain size, and inventories, additional cores are needed to improve these estimates and capture the full extent of cesium penetration into the shallow coastal sediments, which was deeper than 14 cm for all cores retrieved from water depths less than 150 m.
Professional Recognition—How?

When engineers talk about professional recognition today, they are referring to what they consider to be the higher regard given to members of the medical, dental, and legal professions. As the revered professions lengthened and upgraded the educational requirements, improved the registration requriements, kept watch on those who practiced the profession, and insisted on membership in appropriate technical and professional societies, so will the engineers have to do these same things to gain the recognition we hope for. Being able to get a minimum passing grade for 16 hrs of examination may be adequate to safeguard the health, welfare and safety of the public, but it is not enough to be revered as a professional person.
Complete Automation of a Participant Characteristics Table

Most published research that contains real-world data displays a table of participant characteristics, baseline characteristics, or demographics. I present a program, partchart, that provides automatic output of the participant characteristics table in multiple formats and gives the user control over formatting, thus facilitating complete reproducibility.
Turning the Other Cheek: Leniency and Forgiveness in an Uncertain World

Repeated cooperative interactions are central to human society. A large body of theoretical and experimental literature has shown that in repeated settings, evolution and self-interest can lead to helping others at a cost to yourself, because of reciprocity concerns (i.e. "You scratch my back, I scratch yours"). A problem for reciprocal cooperation, however, is the fact that many real world settings involve the potential for errors and misunderstandings. Was your partner's lack of cooperation intentional and deserving of punishment, or just an honest mistake? Theoretical solutions for optimal play in repeated games with error have been explored extensively, most notably the strategy "Win-Stay-Lose-Shift" (or "Perfect tit-for-tat"), but actual human behavior in such situations has received little attention. Here we present an experiment examining strategies used in the (infinitely) repeated Prisoner's Dilemma with errors. We find no evidence of Win-Stay-Lose-Shift. Instead, we find that the most common and successful cooperative strategies are variants of the classical Tit-For-Tat and Grim strategies which are lenient - they wait for their partner to defect two or three times before punishing. We also find a high level of forgiveness, where subjects are willing to return to cooperation after a breakdown has occurred (at high payoffs, Tit-For-Tat variants are favored over Grim variants). In a world of imperfect actions, it can pay to be slow to anger and fast to forgive.
Design Sensitivity Coefficients for Linear Elasticity Problems by the Derivative Boundary Element Method

This paper discusses the determination of design sensitivity coefficients (DSC’s), for planar elasticity problems, by the derivative boundary element method (DBEM). It is shown that this is an efficient and accurate method for the determination of DSC’s -especially of stresses on the boundary of a body. Numerical results are presented for two illustrative problems for which analytical solutions are available. These numerical solutions compare very well with the analytical solutions.
Participant Compliance to a Six-Month Traditional and Modified Daniel Fast

Background: We have previously reported multiple health benefits in individuals following the Christian-based fasting protocol known as the Daniel Fast (DF). However, our prior work has involved only short-term (21-day) assessments. For dietary modification to have a profound impact on health, compliance to the dietary plan must be established for the long-term. Materials and Methods We determined the 6-month compliance to a traditional (vegan) DF (n=12), as well as a modified DF (n=9; allowing for the inclusion of small amounts of meat and milk) in healthy individuals. Participants completed diet records during the study period and also rated their overall compliance to the assigned dietary plan. Results Compliance to both dietary plans proved to be satisfactory (approximately 80 in the 6th month; 85 in the 3rd month and 95 during the 3rd week). It is noteworthy that it did not show any major differences between groups. Body weight, from baseline toward month 6, saw a decline in participants assigned to both the traditional DF (79.6±5.3 to 75.5±5.5 kg) and the modified DF (80.4±8.0 to 74.3±6.5 kg). Conclusion These data indicated that both the traditional and modified DF, which involve ad libitum (Latin for “at liberty”) feeding, are realistic for individuals to comply with over a period of several months. Such compliance is associated with a weight loss of approximately 5-8 of the body mass and considering the multi-faceted health benefits of this particular dietary approach, it may result in worthy improvements in overall health. Additional studies of the long-term health implications of this fasting method are also required.
Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Frequency. Part II: Forecasting its Variability

Abstract This is the second of two papers on Atlantic seasonal hurricane activity. It is an extension of Part I, which discussed the association of El Nino and the phases of the stratospheric Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) of equatorial zonal wind with Atlantic seasonal hurricane variability. It is shown how the addition of regional sea-level pressure data from Caribbean basin meteorological stations can be combined with the more global El Nino and QBO information to form a forecast scheme for Atlantic seasonal hurricane activity. Seasonal forecasts might be issued on 1 June of each year and updated prior to the commencement of the most active part of the hurricane season on 1 August. Although this forecast scheme, of necessity, has been developed on dependent data, the expected forecast skill degradation when applied to independent data sets has been estimated. It appears not to be large enough to significantly negate the rather substantial degree of potential forecast skill that is evident in the deve...
Elderly suicidality: Human behavior and social environment perspective

This paper is about the serious phenomenon of suicide among the elderly. The accurate incidence of elder suicide is difficult to determine because of the risk of accidental overdose from adverse reaction to prescription drugs. Literature, nevertheless, suggests that suicide has increased dramatically among the elderly, and is predicted to continue to be a serious problem because more people are living longer than ever. This article discusses trends and prevalence of elder suicide from the human behavior in the social environment perspective. A discussion of the interrelatedness of the biological, psychological, and sociocultural dimensions of aging and suicide are discussed and integrated with biopsychosociocultural perspectives as the conceptual framework for understanding suicide among the older population. Intervention initiatives and assessment strategies for working with suicidal older persons are presented
Hyperthyroidism in Children with Epileptic Seizures as the Mainly Symptom

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics and pathogenesis of hyperthyroidism in children with epileptic seizures.Methods Two cases from our hospital were reported.One girl,aged 3 years and 7 months,had high metabolism symptoms for 9 months.She didn′t take any medicine and seizure attacked her.The other girl,aged 12 years old,had diagnosed as hyperthyroidism and taken anti-hyperthyroidism medicine.Since her symptoms got better,she quitted the medicine by self-determining and one week later,her seizure attacked and the seizure type in 2 cases were generalized tonic-clonic seizure.According to their clinical manifestation,laboratory diagnosis,treatment and prognosis of diseases and other 18 cases,aged 3-18 years old,male 7 cases,female 11 cases,selected from searching databases of Medline and Chinese Medical Magazine since 1975 were retrospectively analyzed.The clinical characteristics and pathogenesis of hyperthyroidism with epileptic seizures were analyzed and reviewed.Results The main seizure type of hyperthyroidism was generalized tonic-clonic seizure (18 cases);2 cases with muscle-clonic seizure in puberty.There were three types of hyperthyroidism with seizures:epileptic seizures as a primary symptom in hyperthyroidism (8/20 cases) and they were diagnosed from 1 month to 2 years after seizures;epileptic seizures as a se-condary symptom in hyperthyroidism (9/20 cases) and they were diagnosed from 2 months to 4 years after hyperthyroidism,mostly happening at the cease of medicine or less curative effect;epileptic seizures worsen when complicating with hyperthyroidism (3/20 cases) and they attacked in puberty.Conclusions Hyperthyroidism can lead to the epileptic seizure.Epileptic seizures are highly related to hyper-thyroxin.The mechanism need to be further studied.Epilepsy and hyperthyroidism may have the same immunological pathogenesis.
Human Imaging Studies of Brain Circuitry Disrupted by Alcoholism

This chapter reviews in vivo characterization of brain structural and functional changes associated with chronic, excessive alcohol consumption. The whole-brain and whole-systems approaches afforded by in vivo magnetic resonance imaging to quantify brain structure and function have yielded two principles of alcohol’s effect on the brain: 1) Alcoholism affects selective brain systems, leaving others relatively intact; and 2) alcoholism modifies brain structure without necessarily killing neurons, thereby providing a basis for the “incomplete lesion” as the underlying neuropathology of alcoholism and potential for recovery. A unifying biological substrate of the alcoholism syndrome is identification of selective neural circuits commonly compromised in alcoholism. Target networks relevant to alcoholism’s loci of neuropathology and neuropsychological compromise involve frontocerebellar circuitry, frontolimbic circuitry, and frontostriatal circuitry. With their multiple, segregated loops, these widely distributed, frontally based networks link organized systems of brain anatomy and underlie selective constellations of brain functions.
Dynamic programming and behavioral rules

The standard dynamic programming approach to exact optimization of sequential decision problems is extended to allow approximate optimization. An optimization-based solution is a behavioral rule that satisfies a modified Bellman equation. Existence of a solution is proven. Conversely, given any behavioral rule, there exist infinitely many dynamic programming problems for which the behavioral rule is an optimization-based solution. This result raises the question of whether we need to continue assuming decision makers optimize or approximately optimize.
Selling to Organized Retailers

Bringing in organized retailers to mediate in the market appears to substantially lighten the farmer’s burden of marketing. However, several issues have to be resolved such as rejection, product wastage and local resistances, but not least among them in significance is the question: how will the price be decided?
Abstract 319: Protein Kinase C-delta Regulates Pro-inflammatory Chemokine Expression Through the NF?B Pathway in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Objective- Inflammation is a key contributor to a plethora of vascular diseases including atherosclerosis and aneurysm. Pro-inflammatory chemokines released by vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) play a critical role in vascular inflammation. Previously, we showed protein kinase C-delta (PKCδ) was upregulated in SMCs of inflamed arteries. PKCδ-/- mice are resistant to inflammation as well as apoptosis in models of abdominal aortic aneurysm. We hypothesize that PKCδ modulates the inflammatory response in part through regulation of pro-inflammatory chemokine expression in SMCs. Method and Results- To identify PKCδ-regulated chemokines, we used microarray to compare transcription profiles of SMCs infected with AdPKCδ or AdNull. Results showed that 45 out of 203 differentially expressed genes have known inflammatory response roles. RT-PCR analyses confirmed the regulatory effect of PKCδ on selected inflammatory chemokines, including MCP1/CCL2, CCL7, CXCL16 and CX3CL1. Using a mouse aneurysm model, we showed all of these chemokines were elevated in aortae of wildtype, but not PKCδ-/- mice. We postulate that PKCδ regulates chemokine expression via the NFκB pathway. Using MCP-1 as a prototype, a detailed analysis showed PKCδ induced MCP1 mRNA expression (4.25±0.57 fold, n=5, p Conclusion- Our results show PKCδ plays a key role in inflammation through the NFκB-mediated chemokine expression pathway in vascular SMCs and may serve as a suitable target for novel anti-inflammatory therapy.
Indices for Soil Management Decisions

G efforts to identify and develop soil quality indices that can accurately and efficiently quantify effects of soil and crop management began to emerge around the world during the latter portion of the 20th century. This occurred as people became more aware that soil is a unique, nonrenewable resource that nurtures and sustains human civilizations (McNeill and Winiwater, 2004). These efforts have been further encouraged by a growing awareness of the multiple ecosystem services that soil resources provide to sustain food security, environmental quality, ecological functions, and most recently feedstock production for biofuels (Doran et al., 1996; Bouma, 2005; Lal, 2007). In addition to serving as assessment tools, soil quality indices also provide land managers with a better understanding of how their short-term, economically driven management decisions are affecting soil properties and processes over time.
Scale-Free Compact Routing Schemes in Networks of Low Doubling Dimension

We consider compact routing schemes in networks of low doubling dimension, where the doubling dimension is the least value α such that any ball in the network can be covered by at most 2α balls of half radius. There are two variants of routing-scheme design: (i) labeled (name-dependent) routing, in which the designer is allowed to rename the nodes so that the names (labels) can contain additional routing information, for example, topological information; and (ii) name-independent routing, which works on top of the arbitrary original node names in the network, that is, the node names are independent of the routing scheme.In this article, given any constant e ∈ (0, 1) and an n-node edge-weighted network of doubling dimension α ∈ O(loglog n), we present—a (1 + e)-stretch labeled compact routing scheme with ⌈log n⌉-bit routing labels, O(log2n/loglog n)-bit packet headers, and ((1/e)O(α) log3n)-bit routing information at each node;—a (9 + e)-stretch name-independent compact routing scheme with O(log2n/loglog n)-bit packet headers, and ((1/e)O(α) log3n)-bit routing information at each node.In addition, we prove a lower bound: any name-independent routing scheme with o(n(e/60)2) bits of storage at each node has stretch no less than 9 − e for any e ∈ (0, 8). Therefore, our name-independent routing scheme achieves asymptotically optimal stretch with polylogarithmic storage at each node and packet headers.Note that both schemes are scale-free in the sense that their space requirements do not depend on the normalized diameter Δ of the network. We also present a simpler nonscale-free (9 + e)-stretch name-independent compact routing scheme with improved space requirements if Δ is polynomial in n.
Jean Henri Masers De Latude (1725–1805): an Unappreciated Practical Psychologist

The Memoires of Latude contain detailed descriptions of behavioral events. 2 such descriptions are singled out for analysis in terms of their correspondence to modern psychological concepts. The accuracy of the descriptions is of historical interest because they precede laboratory analysis of similar events by more than a century.
Agile Procedures of an Automotive OEM – Views from Different Business Areas

In large enterprises, it is not trivial to establish new procedures in a standardized manner. We show how agile procedures are becoming step by step state of the art in different business areas of Volkswagen AG. A key point is that all want to improve the same with agile methods, but all demand different instantiations of agile methods to reach them. Business acceleration is the paradigm, but in a different business environment with different “business rules” – some have to be more innovative while others have to fit to more or new standards and regulations in the near future etc. We show an approach to support these different means of business acceleration with agile methods and we try to figure out some generic aspects of the acceleration journey.
Cultural Individualism Is Linked to Later Onset of Adult-Role Responsibilities Across Time and Regions:

This article explores links between cultural individualism and the age at which adult-role responsibilities are assumed (the speed of maturation to adulthood). Across 43 years (1973-2015) within th...
Alpha Blondy's Elohim and the Quest for A New Côte d’Ivoire

The present study focuses on the message of Alpha Blondy's album Elohim as an agency of social criticism and change. The objective is to examine the ways in which the lyrics of select songs from the album relate to socioeconomic and political conditions in Cote d’Ivoire and how they contribute to nation building. The paper proposes that Blondy's vibrant and socially committed music addresses social issues in a way that educates, mobilizes and empowers the great mass of people, especially Ivorians. It translates into a tool that enables all citizens to pursue social and economic justice and enhance the quality of their lives.
Development of the Fast Multipole Boundary Element Method for Acoustic Wave Problems

In this chapter, we review some recent development of the fast multipole boundary element method (BEM) for solving large-scale acoustic wave problems in both 2-D and 3-D domains. First, we review the boundary integral equation (BIE) formulations for acoustic wave problems. The Burton-Miller BIE formulation is emphasized, which uses a linear combination of the conventional BIE and hypersingular BIE. Next, the fast multipole formulations for solving the BEM equations are provided for both 2-D and 3-D problems. Several numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the developed fast multipole BEM for solving large-scale acoustic wave problems, including scattering and radiation problems, and half-space problems.