cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term outlook in biliary atresia

The oldest survivors from the Kasai portoenterostomy originate in Sendai, Japan and are approaching their 60th birthday. These represent the tip of an expanding cohort of adults born with this previously fatal condition. Increasingly transition to adult-biased hepatologists and physicians will be the expectation of many with this condition. However unlike their usual patients with alcohol, drugs, virally mediated liver disease these are different with different expectations of health and quality of life. Cure is not on the cards for most of these and they survive still with impaired bile flow and increased liver fibrosis and cirrhosis with the threat of cholangitis and portal hypertension still apparent. We review the reported statistics on long-term survival essentially from Japan and Western Europe (such as the UK and France) and the range of complications that may still beset this group.
Structure of ZnCl2 Melt. Part II: Fragile-to-Strong Transition in a Tetrahedral Liquid

The fraction of edge- and corner-sharing tetrahedra in liquid ZnCl2 is quantified as a function of temperature using Raman spectroscopy and ab initio molecular dynamic simulations. Two distinct regimes are found in the temperature dependence of the change in these structural units. This behavior is consistent with the existence of a fragile-to-strong transition in liquid ZnCl2 as suggested by calorimetric and viscosity measurements. The structural origin of this transition is rationalized in terms of a constraint counting formalism. It is suggested that the ratio of edge- to corner-sharing tetrahedra controls the configurational entropy and in turn the viscosity of the melt. The temperature dependence of this ratio above the melting point is also found to be qualitatively consistent with neutron diffraction data. The observation of a similar fragile-to-strong transition in the isostructural GeSe2 melt indicates that it may be a common feature of tetrahedral liquids.
The Eye of the Beholder.

It is not often that one is asked to write an editorial about a review article—usually an editorial is called for after a striking new scientific finding or clinical breakthrough, some paradigm-shifting publication, or to address public policy concerns that affect anesthesiologists. Luckily, the review article in this edition of Anesthesia & Analgesia, “The Coagulation Profile of End-Stage Liver Disease and Considerations for Intraoperative Management,” by Dr Katherine Forkin and her University of Virginia colleagues gets an editorial spotlight. And maybe, just maybe, this highlighted review will give nonanesthesiologist colleagues insights into the coagulation abnormalities of end-stage liver disease (ESLD), insights that have been uniquely hard-won by anesthesiologists who care for liver transplant patients.
Vibrotactile Pattern Identification in a Multisensory Display

In multisensory cutaneous displays in which both tactile and thermal signals are presented, it is important to understand the perceptual interactions that can occur between the two modalities. Phenomena such as masking, facilitation and inhibition may occur that influence how multisensory inputs are processed. In the present experiment participants were required to identify vibrotactile patterns that varied in intensity and pulse duration while the skin was warmed, cooled or remained at a neutral temperature. The results indicate that the temperature of the skin influences the ability to identify vibrotactile patterns that are well above threshold. This thermal-tactile interaction occurred when the skin was warmed and assisted in the identification of vibrotactile stimuli that varied in intensity. In contrast, warming the skin appeared to impede identification of patterns whose pulse duration varied. These results suggest that the enhanced activity of cutaneous thermoreceptors during warming may facilitate the processing of amplitude-related properties of incoming signals from cutaneous mechanoreceptors.
Looking Forward: The Future and Evolving Role of Ecology in Society

If a development strategy is ecologically sound, meaning that it is founded on ecological principles and is environmentally sustainable, then it qualifies as sustainable development, but qualifying as such makes no guarantees about whether it will or will not promote poverty reduction. There are, of course, different definitions of sustainable development, but a universal requirement for any development program to be sustainable is that its activities that are designed to meet the needs of the present generation will not jeopardize the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This requirement is akin to long-term (i.e., multigenerational) ecological stability where the water, nutrient, and energy needs of millions of species, on a global scale, are met generation after generation for tens to thousands of years. Because ecological systems appear globally to exhibit slow dynamics (Fig. 19.1), it makes sense that ecology is a science to which we might turn for understanding how to achieve environmental sustainability. To put it into an ecological perspective, consider Fig. 19.1, which compares the Holocene, the last 12 × 103 years, to what some call the Anthropocene (Crutzen 2002; Zalasiewcz et al. 2008; Steffen et al. 2009), which covers roughly (although, the starting date is debated) the last three centuries (more than that if the starting point is with the commencement of agriculture 10,000 years ago).
Beyond familism?: Familism as explicit motive for eldercare among Mexican American caregivers

This research explored eldercare among Mexican American primary family caregivers from Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Although these caregivers expressed feelings of burden, their ethnocultural values of familism placed burden in a broader cultural context in which caregiving was also viewed as an affirmation and fulfillment of core Mexican American cultural values. Mexican American familism includes expressions of family solidarity, ethnocultural determinants of informal caregiving, distrust of culturally alien institutions (particularly nursing homes), and a desire to care for the elderly within the family context regardless of the personal cost or consequences. In contrast to recent research, these findings suggest that it is premature to dismiss familism as a continuing and central influence in the lives of Mexican American family caregivers.
The Relationship of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test to the Scholastic Aptitude Verbal Tests

In 1974 the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) expanded the score reports of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) to include reading comprehension and vocabulary subscores. Since then no major...
The pH Effect On Chemical Mechanical Planarization Of Copper

This study explores the effect of pH on the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) characteristics of copper in H2O2 and KIO3 based slurries under various dynamic and static conditions. High purity copper disc was used to study the dissolution and oxidation kinetics at various pH (2 to 10) with 5% H2O2 or 0.1M KIO3. Electrochemical techniques were used to investigate the dissolution/passivation behavior of Cu. The affected surface layers of the statically etched Cu-disc were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In 5% H2O2, the Cu removal rate decreases with an increase in pH and reaches minimum at pH 6, and then increases under alkaline conditions. XPS results indicate that the surface oxide formed at various pH values was responsible for this CMP trend. However, with 0.1M KIO3, the CMP removal rates were found to be lower at pH 2. The maximum was observed at pH 4, then the removal rate decreased with the increase of pH. The lower value of removal rate at pH2 was due to the fast interaction between Cu and KIO3 and the precipitation of CuI on the pad, which makes the pad glassy, resulting in lowered removal rates. This was confirmed by XPS measurements. The decreased CMP removal rates when the pH is higher than 4 might be due to the weaker oxidation power of KIO3 with the increase of pH.
Predict, Control, and Replicate to Understand: How Statistics Can Foster the Fundamental Goals of Science.

Scientists abstract hypotheses from observations of the world, which they then deploy to test their reliability. The best way to test reliability is to predict an effect before it occurs. If we can manipulate the independent variables (the efficient causes) that make it occur, then ability to predict makes it possible to control. Such control helps to isolate the relevant variables. Control also refers to a comparison condition, conducted to see what would have happened if we had not deployed the key ingredient of the hypothesis: scientific knowledge only accrues when we compare what happens in one condition against what happens in another. When the results of such comparisons are not definitive, metrics of the degree of efficacy of the manipulation are required. Many of those derive from statistical inference, and many of those poorly serve the purpose of the cumulation of knowledge. Without ability to replicate an effect, the utility of the principle used to predict or control is dubious. Traditional models of statistical inference are weak guides to replicability and utility of results. Several alternatives to null hypothesis testing are sketched: Bayesian, model comparison, and predictive inference (prep). Predictive inference shows, for example, that the failure to replicate most results in the Open Science Project was predictable. Replicability is but one aspect of scientific understanding: it establishes the reliability of our data and the predictive ability of our formal models. It is a necessary aspect of scientific progress, even if not by itself sufficient for understanding.
Exploring $k$ out of Top $ρ$ Fraction of Arms in Stochastic Bandits

This paper studies the problem of identifying any $k$ distinct arms among the top $\rho$ fraction (e.g., top 5\%) of arms from a finite or infinite set with a probably approximately correct (PAC) tolerance $\epsilon$. We consider two cases: (i) when the threshold of the top arms' expected rewards is known and (ii) when it is unknown. We prove lower bounds for the four variants (finite or infinite arms, and known or unknown threshold), and propose algorithms for each. Two of these algorithms are shown to be sample complexity optimal (up to constant factors) and the other two are optimal up to a log factor. Results in this paper provide up to $\rho n/k$ reductions compared with the ``$k$-exploration'' algorithms that focus on finding the (PAC) best $k$ arms out of $n$ arms. We also numerically show improvements over the state-of-the-art.
The Tortoise and the Hare: Understanding the Influence of Sequence Length and Variability on Decision-Making in Skilled Performance

Tetris is a complex task which taps into several human skills: among them perceptual learning, planning, motor skills, and sequential decision-making. Following a divide-and-conquer strategy, we adopt a machine modeling approach to isolate the contribution of sequential decision-making from the other three skills. In two studies, we test three sets of 1,771,561 feature-based machine players (MPs) (116, 11 weights for each of 6 features) of Tetris for both long-running (tortoise) and short-running (hare) MPs. Tortoise models run until they die. Hare models are stopped after 506 episodes. For both studies, we select the longest running tortoise model and compare its score and behavior with that of the best scoring hare model. The best tortoise models adopt an endurance strategy which emphasizes single-line over multi-line clears. The best hare models adopt an escalation strategy which stresses multi-line clears. In contrast, our human players tend to adopt the escalation strategy early in their game but switch to the endurance strategy as speed demands increase. Unexpectedly, across three model runs, each with a different random seed, we obtain three different sets of “best fitting” models, that is, the MPs overfit the data even though that data is generated by an essentially infinite random sequence. However, in each model run, the best tortoise adopted the endurance strategy and the best hare adopted escalation.
Innate T cells in the intensive care unit.

Abstract Rapid onset of acute inflammation is a hallmark of critical illnesses that bring patients to the intensive care unit (ICU). In critical illness, innate T cells rapidly reach full activation and drive a robust acute inflammatory response. As “cellular adjuvants,” innate T cells worsen inflammation and mortality in several common critical illnesses including sepsis, ischemia-reperfusion injury, stroke, and exacerbations of respiratory disease. Interestingly, innate T cell subsets can also promote a protective and anti-inflammatory response in sepsis, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and asthma. Therapies that target innate T cells have been validated in several models of critical illness. Here, we review the role of natural killer T (NKT) cells, mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells and γδ T cells in clinical and experimental critical illness.
PRADA: A Practical Model for Integrating Computational Thinking in K-12 Education

One way to increase access to education on computing is to integrate computational thinking (CT) into K12 disciplinary courses. However, this challenges teachers to both learn CT and decide how to best integrate CT into their classes. In this position paper, we present PRADA, an acronym for Pattern Recognition, Abstraction, Decomposition, and Algorithms, as a practical and understandable way of introducing the core ideas of CT to non-computing teachers. We piloted the PRADA model in two, separate, week-long professional development workshops designed for in-service middle and high school teachers and found that the PRADA model supported teachers in making connections between CT and their current course material. Initial findings, which emerged from the analysis of teacher-created learning materials, survey responses, and focus group interviews, indicate that the PRADA model supported core content teachers in successfully infusing CT into their existing curricula and increased their self-efficacy in CT integration.
An assessment of the predictability of column minimum dissolved oxygen concentrations in Chesapeake Bay using a machine learning model

Abstract Subseasonal to seasonal forecasts have the potential to be a useful tool for managing estuarine fisheries and water quality, and with increasing skill at forecasting conditions at these time scales in the atmosphere and open ocean, skillful forecasts of estuarine salinity, temperature, and biogeochemistry may be possible. In this study, we use a machine learning model to assess the predictability of column minimum dissolved oxygen in Chesapeake Bay at a monthly time scale. Compared to previous models for dissolved oxygen and hypoxia, our model has the advantages of resolving spatial variability and fitting more flexible relationships between dissolved oxygen and the predictor variables. Using a concise set of predictors with established relationships with dissolved oxygen, we find that dissolved oxygen in a given month can be skillfully predicted with knowledge of stratification and mean temperature during the same month. Furthermore, the predictions generated by the model are consistent with expectations from prior knowledge and basic physics. The model reveals that accurate knowledge or skillful forecasts of the vertical density gradient is the key to successful prediction of dissolved oxygen, and prediction skill disappears if stratification is only known at the beginning of the forecast. The lost skill cannot be recovered by replacing stratification as a predictor with variables that have a lagged correlation with stratification (such as river discharge); however, skill is obtainable in many cases if stratification can be forecast with an error of less than about 1 kg m−3. Thus, future research on hypoxia forecasting should focus on understanding and forecasting variations in stratification over subseasonal time scales (between about two weeks and two months).
Regulation of Gastric Acid Secretion

Despite the fact that increased gastric acid secretion is not diagnostic for peptic ulcer disease, it is generally believed that where there is no acid there is no ulcer. Thus, there remains a strong medical interest in the understanding of the cellular regulation of gastric acid secretion by the major secretagogues, histamine, gastrin and acetylcholine and therapy designed to interfere with this regulation. Released as a result of various physiological stimuli, including food, these paracrine, endocrine, and neurohumoral agents act by both direct and indirect pathways to effect the production and secretion of hydrogen ions from parietal cells located in the lower portion of the oxyntic glands in the fundic stomach. Recently, the study of gastric acid secretion has been advanced by the advent of methods to isolate gastric oxyntic glands and gastric parietal cells. These preparations have allowed the formulation of new concepts to explain in vivo and in vitro physiological and pharmacological data derived from studies on the interactions of hormones that regulate the acid secretory process14,17,20.
Beneficial Health Outcomes of Natural Green Infrastructure in Cities

We examined recent literature on the human health impacts of natural green infrastructure (NGI). NGI refers to green space that requires less maintenance than traditional formal urban green spaces such as city parks. Where declining cities have excess land and fewer funds for land maintenance, NGI is globally emerging as a cost-effective way to convert abandoned land into useful green space producing ecosystems services. Our goal was to determine if recent studies show that NGI provides human health benefits. Much previous work shows that urban green infrastructure in general has human health benefits but we ask the question whether this specific kind of green infrastructure also provides human health benefits. We found 29 studies reporting positive human health impacts from NGI. Most reported mental health benefits but wellbeing, crime reduction, obesity, and recreation were also reported. These studies also reveal the specific characteristics of NGI that contribute to the positive health impacts: forests, trees, wilderness, biodiversity, and tranquility. We also found an additional 13 studies of low-maintenance greening projects on urban vacant land that all report health benefits including crime reduction, mental health, and pro-social behavior. These 42 studies utilize a variety of different research designs and metrics. The recent literature indicates that NGI may be a low-cost way to convert abandoned land in declining urban areas into green space that provides health benefits to people who often lack access to green space. NGI provides benefits of mental health, wellbeing, and crime reduction that are comparable, if not better, than other, more costly urban green infrastructure.
11 – Fungal Spores

Fossil fungal spores, hyphae, and various types of reproductive structures are a component of most palynological preparations and are frequently used as proxy indicators of paleoecosystem conditions. Together with other dispersed microfossils (e.g. cyanobacteria, algae, aquatic invertebrates) they are collectively referred to as non-pollen palynomorphs or NPPs. Using specific criteria to develop a consistent classification system, dispersed fungal remains have contributed to a wide range of applications ranging from stratigraphy, paleoecology, and depositional environment analysis to paleogeography.
Whole-body active heating does not preserve finger temperature or manual dexterity during cold-water immersion.

Background Cold-water immersion impairs manual dexterity when finger temperature is below 15°C. This exposes divers to increased risk of error. We hypothesized that whole-body active heating would maintain finger temperatures and dexterity during cold-water immersion. Methods Twelve subjects (six males) (22 ± 2 years old; BMI 23.9 ± 2.5; body fat 16 ± 6%) completed 60-minute head-out water immersion (HOWI) wearing a 7mm wetsuit and 3mm gloves in thermoneutral water (TN 25°C) and cold water (CW 10°C) while wearing a water-perfused suit (WP) with 37°C water circulated over the torso, arms, and legs. Gross (Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test [MMDT]) and fine (modified Purdue Pegboard [PPT]) dexterity were assessed before, during and after immersion. Core body and skin temperatures were recorded every 10 minutes. Results MMDT (TN -25 ± 14%; CW -72 ± 23%; WP -67 ± 29%; p<0.05) and PPT (TN -16 ± 9%; CW: -45 ± 10%; WP: -38 ± 13%; p<0.05) performance decreased during immersion. MMDT and PPT did not differ between CW and WP. Immediately following immersion gross dexterity was recovered in all conditions. Post-immersion fine dexterity was still impaired in CW (p<0.01), but not WP or TN. Core and skin temperatures decreased during immersion in CW and WP (p<0.05) but did not differ between CW and WP. Conclusion Manual dexterity decreased during immersion. Dexterity was further impaired during cold-water immersion and was not maintained by water perfusion active heating. Warm water perfusion did not maintain finger temperature above 15°C but hand temperature remained above these limits, suggesting a need to reassess thermal thresholds for working divers in cold-water conditions.
Hemorrhage and complications associated with percutaneous ultrasound guided liver biopsy in dogs.

Background Liver biopsy is often necessary to obtain a diagnosis in dogs with hepatobiliary disease. Hemorrhage after biopsy is a concern. Objective To describe the extent of hemorrhage and incidence of complications after percutaneous ultrasound guided liver biopsy (PUGLB) in dogs and to examine risk factors for hemorrhage or complications. Animals One hundred two client owned dogs with suspected hepatobiliary disease that underwent PUGLB. Methods Medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Using human guidelines, major hemorrhage was defined as an absolute decrease in the PCV (ΔPCV) ≥ 6%. Complications were defined separately as clinically relevant physiologic compromise that necessitated intervention or death. The relationship between ΔPCV and the occurrence of complications and the initial PCV, coagulation variables, serum activity of liver-derived enzymes, serum bilirubin concentration, number of biopsies, biopsy needle gauge, radiologist experience, histological diagnosis, and ultrasound variables were compared. Results Before PUGLB, most aberrations in coagulation variables were mild. After biopsy a decrease in PCV occurred in 87/102 (85.3%) dogs. The mean ΔPCV was -7.2% ± 4.5%. Major hemorrhage occurred in 43/102 (42.2%) dogs and complications in 2/102 (1.9%). ΔPCV was significantly positively correlated with PCV before biopsy (r = .47, P = .004). There was no correlation between ΔPCV or complications with any of the variables examined. Conclusion and clinical importance Percutaneous ultrasound guided liver biopsy in the population of dogs in the current study, with normal or mild abnormalities in coagulation, results in a high incidence of clinically silent, major hemorrhage (42.5%), but few complications (1.9%).
Seeing and Believing: The Relationship between Perception and Mental Verbs in Acquisition

Perception verbs and mental verbs have significant overlap in their syntax and semantics; both reference mental representations when taking embedded clauses, as in I see that Maria was here and I t...
Challenges of securing insurance approval for oral tofacitinib for the treatment of alopecia areata: a multi-institution retrospective review.

Alopecia areata (AA) is a psychologically distressing disorder for which few reliable treatments exist. Although oral tofacitinib has demonstrated efficacy in treating AA, it is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this indication. To investigate and identify the challenges associated with securing insurance approval for oral tofacitinib for AA. We conducted a retrospective review of patient records from two academic medical centers to identify patients with AA in whom insurance approval was sought for oral tofacitinib from 2015–2019. We recorded information on prior authorization (PA) submissions, appeals, and peer-to-peer reviews. We noted whether patients were documented to experience negative impact on mood/QOL or suicidal ideation (SI) due to their disease. We identified 37 patients in whom insurance approval was sought for oral tofacitinib for the treatment of AA. PAs were initially denied for 36/37 (97%) patients. The most commonly cited reason for denial was “tofacitinib not covered for AA/off-label medication use” (n = 26/36; 72%). 26/37 (70%) patients ultimately failed to obtain coverage. Of the 11 (30%) patients who obtained coverage, 10 (91%) were privately insured, 0 (0%) had Medicare and 1 (9%) had Medicaid. 13 patients (34%) experienced documented diminished QOL/mood (including SI) due to their disease burden; 6/13 (46%) of these patients eventually secured insurance approval. Lack of FDA approval of oral tofacitinib for the treatment of AA creates challenges in caring for patients with this disease. Policymakers should consider the negative implications lack of FDA approval may have for patients with recalcitrant dermatologic conditions.
Quantitative relationship between cholesterol distribution and ordering of lipids in asymmetric lipid bilayers.

The plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells is known to be compositionally asymmetric. Certain phospholipids, such as sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine species, are predominantly localized in the outer leaflet, while phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine species primarily reside in the inner leaflet. While phospholipid asymmetry between the membrane leaflets is well established, there is no consensus about cholesterol distribution between the two leaflets. We have performed a systematic study, via molecular simulations, of how the spatial distribution of cholesterol molecules in different “asymmetric” lipid bilayers are affected by the lipids’ backbone, head-type, unsaturation, and chain-length by considering an asymmetric bilayer mimicking the plasma membrane lipids of red blood cells, as well as seventeen other asymmetric bilayers comprising of different lipid types. Our results reveal that the distribution of cholesterol in the leaflets is solely a function of the extent of ordering of the lipids within the leaflets. The ratio of the amount of cholesterol matches the ratio of lipid order in the two leaflets, thus providing a quantitative relationship between the two. These results are understood by the observation that asymmetric bilayers with equimolar amount of lipids in the two leaflets develop tensile and compressive stresses due to differences in the extent of lipid order. These stresses are alleviated by the transfer of cholesterol from the leaflet in compressive stress to the one in tensile stress. These findings are important in understanding the biology of the cell membrane, especially with regard to the composition of the membrane leaflets.
Automating Domain Squatting Detection Using Representation Learning

Registering altered domain names with the purpose of confusing users and conducting malicious activities is one of the most widespread types of attacks on the Web, conforming a family of techniques known as domain squatting. Detecting these domains is a difficult t ask, g iven t he l arge a mount of combinations and the massive and heterogeneous nature of the Web. In this work, we propose a set of models to firstly learn the distributional regularities from detected squatted domains, and from that, automatically generate realistic modified domains. Our goal is to proactively guide the generation of squatted domains towards malicious domains that exists but have not been detected yet. We conducted an empirical study for both typo-squatting and combo-squatting generation approaches against strong baselines on real world data, showing their feasibility and providing insights to support for proactive defense in the context of cloud security.
WE-A-211-01: Biology versus Epidemiology: The Need for an Integrated Model of Radiation Risk

The lifetime attributable risk estimates from the National Academy of Sciences BEIR VII report have been used by a number of authors to estimate cancer mortality caused by radiation exposure from medicaldiagnostic radiology exams. This controversial practice assumes that the dose response relationship between radiation and cancer is linear with no threshold (LNT). For purposes of protecting public health, use of the LNT model is widely accepted. But is it appropriate for estimating risk to individuals exposed to low doses of radiation from medical procedures? Radiation biology research demonstrates that not all biological processes are linear. It also has provided data that support not only LNT but supra linear and sub linear response models. Results from epidemiology studies can also be used to support the use of any of these models, but the confidence intervals are much larger. Since we can't prove which model is correct, for purposes of protecting patients we assume that any exposure has the potential for harm and we use optimization to keep exposures as low as reasonably achievable. Several areas of research are contributing insight into this dilemma, but they still leave several important questions unanswered: • How can we accurately extrapolate low‐dose biological effects generated in the laboratory to risk in a human? • Is extrapolation from high dose, high dose rate, acute exposures appropriate when human exposures are primarily chronic low dose exposures. Epidemiology alone is unlikely to provide information that will resolve this dilemma. The numbers of individuals required in a sample are too large, and the homogeneity among subjects is lacking. Reliance on radiation biology research alone is problematic because the research is focused primarily on mechanisms and not risk. This paper will present an overview of the issues and suggest areas of research that may contribute to our understanding of the level of risk associated with low doses of medicalradiation. Following this paper, attendees will be able to: • List the current biological mechanisms that are affected by low doses of ionizing radiation. • Describe the dilemma of risk extrapolation based on current knowledge of biological effects of radiation. • Discuss the limitations of extrapolating lifetime attributable risk estimates to cancer mortality for low‐dose medical procedures.
Nucleoporins’ exclusive amino acid sequence features regulate their transient interaction with and selectivity of cargo complexes in the nuclear pore

Nucleocytoplasmic transport is a vital cellular process yet to be fully understood. Among several elements that are involved in the transport process, FG Nups are the major role players. We observe...
Preemptive rerouting of airline passengers under uncertain delays

Abstract An airline’s operational disruptions can lead to flight delays that in turn impact passengers, not only through the delays themselves but also through possible missed connections. Since the length of a delay is often not known in advance, we consider preemptive rerouting of airline passengers before the length of the delay is realized. Our goal is to reaccommodate passengers proactively as soon as it is known that a flight will be delayed instead of waiting until passengers have missed connections. We consider the simplified version of the real-world problem in which only a single flight is delayed. We model this problem as a two-stage stochastic programming problem, with first-stage decisions that may preemptively assign passengers to new itineraries in anticipation of the delay’s impact, and second-stage decisions that may further modify itineraries for any passengers who still miss connections after the delay has been realized. We present a Benders Decomposition approach to solving this problem and give computational results to demonstrate the reasonable run time in solving our model. This research lays the groundwork for the more-realistic case in which multiple flights in the network may experience concurrent delays.
Blunt Head Trauma and Headache

Investigators from New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital examined whether having an isolated headache following minor blunt head trauma was suggestive of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among a large cohort of children 2-18 years of age.
Freedom Beyond Practical Reason: Duns Scotus on Will-Dependent Relations

Most acts of the will have a complex structure, i.e. wanting A in relation to B (e.g. as a means for an end or as a good for another person or for oneself). Duns Scotus makes the innovative claim that the will itself is responsible for the order of this complex structure. It does this by causing its own will-dependent relations, which he construes as a kind of mind-dependent relations (relationes rationis). By means of these relations, the will can arrange the terms of its will-acts independently of any arrangement proposed by the intellect. This not only allows the structure of one's will-act to diverge from the structure proposed by the intellect's final practical judgement; the structure of the will-act need not even have been considered by the intellect at all. One could, therefore, even will an inconceivable state of affairs. I argue that this theory, which scholars have virtually ignored, is fundamental to Scotus's account of divine, angelic, and human freedom, and that it follows necessarily from h...
Effect of estrogen treatment on bone cortex of the young rat

Thirty-day old female rats were injected with 0.2 μg of 17-Beta-Estradiol daily for 30 days, and sacrificed at varying intervals. Decalcified crosssections of mandible, femur and tibia were prepared and measurements were made of: (1) number of osteons in two fields, (2) average number of lamellae per osteon, (3) average Haversian canal diameter, and (4) number of non-Haversian (primary) longitudinal canals in two ×40 microscopic fields. Pro-longed estrogen administration resulted in (1) earlier opening of vaginal plates, (2) lower rate of gain in body weight until treatment was stopped, (3) inhibition of linear bone growth but not of bone diameter, (4) decrease in the ratio bone-weight/body-weight, and (5) accelerated age changes in the aforementioned histologic variables; namely, increase in the first two and decrease in the latter two histologic measurements. Regression analyses indicated that as compared to long bones, consistently more accurate estimates of age at death could be derived from mandibular histology. It was concluded that bone microstructure is a sensitive measure of the metabolic state of the organism and the quantitative histologic techniques utilized here have important applications in diagnostic pathology, anthropology and in studies of development and aging.
Regulation of proteolysis at the neutrophil-substrate interface by secretory leukoprotease inhibitor

Human neutrophils can initiate the rapid degradation of extracellular matrix macromolecules by localizing the destructive process to sites of cell-substrate contact. Although plasma and its filtrates contain multiple proteinase inhibitors, these inhibitors did not prevent neutrophils from attacking either underlying fibronectin or elastin. However, subjacent substrates could be protected from neutrophils by recombinant secretory leukoprotease inhibitor, a structurally unique serine proteinase inhibitor whose natural counterpart is normally confined to human mucous secretions. The identification of this extravascular proteinase inhibitor as a potent regulator of subjacent proteolysis could lead to the development of a new class of anti-inflammatory therapeutics.
How Does the Provider-Patient Interaction Shape the Experience of Sexual Health Communication? A Qualitative Study of Adolescents and Young Adults

HOW DOES THE PROVIDER-PATIENT INTERACTION SHAPE THE EXPERIENCE OF SEXUAL HEALTH COMMUNICATION? A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS Taraneh Shafii, MD, MPH , Andrea J. Hoopes, MD , SamanthaK. Benson,MPH, LindaK.Ko, PhD,DianeM.Morrison, PhD, Heather M. Buesseler, MPH , Matthew R. Golden, MD, MPH , King K. Holmes, MD, PhD. University of Washington; Institute for Reproductive Health, Georgetown University.
Health effects of discontinuities in female employment and marital status.

Abstract The discontinuities that characterize women's work histories are also a factor in women's marital histories. Family obligations and childbearing contribute to women's unique employment histories, which include intermittent labor force participation and mobility between employers. While research has increasingly focussed on the effect of labor force participation on women's health, little attention has been given to the effect of the consistency or the stability of labor force participation on health. The purpose of this paper is to examine 15 years of employment histories and marital status changes among a cohort of women and to determine the cumulative effect of these histories on subsequent morbidity and self-reported health. The cohort of 556 women examined in this study were interviewed as part of a household interview survey completed in 1970–1971, and resurveyed via a mail-out questionnaire, in 1985–1986. Medical record data for the full 15 years of the study have been linked with the survey data. The findings suggest that work discontinuities and marital status discontinuities are unrelated to morbidity during the study period. However, two or more changes in marital status are related to poor self-reported health at follow-up.
A high-fat diet is associated with altered adipokine production and a more aggressive esophageal adenocarcinoma phenotype in vivo.

Abstract Objective Obesity has been linked to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). We hypothesize that adipokines, which are altered by obesity, could affect EAC growth rates and potentially serve as biomarkers of disease and targets for treatment. We have developed a potential murine model to investigate the effects of obesity-altered adipokines on EAC in vivo. Methods Severe combined immune-deficient mice were fed either a high-fat diet (HFD) containing 60% animal fat, or a control diet with 10% animal fat, and monitored for weight gain for 5 weeks. All mice were subcutaneously implanted with EAC cells (OE33), and tumor volume was monitored for an additional 4 weeks by direct measurement and uptake of fluorescently labeled 2-D-deoxyglucose. At sacrifice, serum triglyceride levels and abdominal fat-pad weight were measured to assess obesity state. Adipokine levels were measured within abdominal fat of tumor-bearing mice. Results Mice fed the HFD displayed increased body weight, visceral fat, and serum leptin and triglycerides. All mice developed tumors; OE33 EAC cells in HFD mice displayed increased growth rates, proliferation, and metabolic activity relative to tumors of EAC in control diet mice. Adipokine expression in the abdominal fat revealed distinct changes associated with the HFD and increased body weight. Conclusions Ad libitum feeding of the HFD was correlated with more-proliferative EAC tumors in vivo. This phenotype was associated with alterations to secreted adipokines, representing a potential mechanism for our observations. Further studies are necessary to explore findings, as they have potential to improve treatment of EAC.
Wind dynamics in SMC X-1. 1: Hydrodynamic simulation

We present a three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation of the disrupted stellar wind in the high-mass X-ray binary system SMC X-1. The three dominant processes that determine the geometry of the wind in high X-ray luminosity systems such as SMC X-1 are the X-ray suppression of the stellar wind from the X-ray irradiated face of the primary star, the focusing of the radiatively driven wind in the X-ray shadow by the effects of stellar rotation, and the rapid X-ray heating of gas in the vicinity of the X-ray source, including the X-ray illuminated surface of the primary star. The resulting distribution of circumstellar gas provides a successful explanation for the asymmetric, extended eclipse transitions and the intensity of the deep eclipse X-ray emission in SMC X-1, as well as a possible explanation for the X-ray dips seen near superior conjunction of the X-ray source in Cyg X-1.
Low Cost Voltage Regulator for Varactor Tuned Auto Radio

Electronic tuning for AM radios becomes possible with today's varactor diodes. The large capacitance values available permit smaller AM radios and remote tuning. Utilization of varactor diode tuning, however, demands extreme voltage stability, since small changes in the tuner reference voltage will change the diode capacitance and therefore the resonant frequency.
Neural Network Based Modeling and Analysis of LP Control Surface Allocation

This paper presents an approach to interpretive modeling of LP based control allocation in intelligent flight control. The emphasis is placed on a nonlinear interpretation of the LP allocation process as a static map to support analytical study of the resulting closed loop system, albeit in approximate form. The approach makes use of a bi-layer neural network to capture the essential functioning of the LP allocation process. It is further shown via Lyapunov based analysis that under certain relatively mild conditions the resulting closed loop system is stable. Some preliminary conclusions from a study at Ames are stated and directions for further research are given at the conclusion of the paper.
Designs and analyses for exploring the relationship of magnetic fields to childhood leukaemia: a pilot project for the Danish National Birth Cohort.

Pooled analyses have consistently displayed an association of childhood leukaemia with residential magnetic fields, even after attempting to account for study problems. In light of the serious possibility that the link is indeed causal, a study of possible joint effects (interactions) of magnetic fields and genetic cofactors on childhood leukaemia may be justifiable. Such a study would face serious obstacles of limited numbers for subgroup analysis. To address these obstacles, we describe a design and analysis strategy that combines multiphase (multistage) sampling, measurement error modelling, and Bayesian methods for subgroup analysis that incorporate information from earlier pooled analyses. Special attention is given to prior specification, which would be the potentially controversial element. The approach could be pilot tested on data from the Danish National Birth Cohort, but an informative study would require augmenting these data with case-control sampling. We conclude that the approach outlined m...
Validation of a Pavement Response Model Using Full-scale Field Tests

This paper provides details on a field verification program undertaken to validate the applicability of a finite-layer mechanistic model that has been selected to perform pavement response calculations. The proposed pavement response model is more realistic since it can handle moving traffic loading conditions, and it takes into consideration important factors such as vehicle speed and the non-uniform stress distributions (normal and shear) at the tire-pavement interface. Typically in pavement studies, the strain responses are required only at a few selected locations and for such problems the proposed approach is ideally suited. The applicability of the finite-layer approach and the ensuing computer program 3D-Moving Load Analysis (3D-MOVE) has been verified using two well-documented full-scale field tests (Penn State University test track and Minnesota road tests). As many as thirty eight measured strain responses were compared with those computed by 3D-MOVE and the comparison is very good. The computed...
Synthesis and characterization of group 5 imido complexes supported by the 2,6-dichloroaryl β-diketiminato ligand

Abstract The synthesis of niobium and tantalum imido complexes supported by the bis-N,N-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-β-diketiminate ligand (BDI Cl ) is reported. Metal chloride complexes (BDI Cl )M(N t Bu)Cl 2 py ( 1 : Nb, 2 : Ta) were obtained in good yield following the treatment of M(N t Bu)Cl 3 py 2 with Li(BDI Cl ). Complexes 1 – 2 were used as precursors for the formation of the dimethylated complexes (BDI Cl )M(N t Bu)Me 2 ( 3 : M = Nb, 4 : M = Ta). The new complexes 1 – 4 were characterized by X-ray crystallography and variable temperature NMR spectroscopy. In addition, the tantalum dialkyl imido complexes (BDI Cl )Ta(N t Bu)Bn 2 ( 5 ) and (BDI Cl )Ta(N t Bu)(CH 2 SiMe 3 ) 2 ( 6 ) were prepared and characterized by NMR spectroscopy.
The normal modes of oscillation of a uniformly charged drop about its saddle-point shape

We consider the question of the normal modes of oscillation of an idealized uniformly charged axially symmetric liquid drop about its saddle-point shape and calculate the normal modes and their frequencies as functions of the fissility parameter x. Both expansions to first order in 1 − x and formulas appropriate for numerical evaluations are derived. For the range 0.7 ≦ x ≦ 1.0 numerical results for the four lowest symmetric and the four lowest asymmetric modes are tabulated at intervals of 0.02 in x for the frequencies, normal-coordinate stiffness and inertia constants, and eigenvectors (with respect to the coefficients αn in an expansion of the drop's radius vector in Legendre polynomials). For 0.3 ≦ x < 0.7 the results obtained are of limited accuracy, and in this range only graphs of the frequencies of the 3 lowest symmetric modes are included. Some applications of the results are discussed. These include the transition-state energy levels of collective oscillations, the probability distributions for the saddle-point states of motion, and the penetration of the fission barrier. The formula for the penetrability of a cubic barrier is derived by use of the WKB approximation. The calculated (purely imaginary) frequency for motion in the fission direction, which affects the penetrability of the fission barrier, is compared as a function of x with existing experimental data on fission widths, spontaneous-fission lifetimes, and the variation of fission cross sections with excitation energy. The comparison, which is made without the use of any adjustable parameters, indicates that the calculations are capable of reproducing the correct order of magnitude of the fission-direction frequency. Most of the data are at present not sufficiently accurate to provide a sensitive test of the theory, but the points derived from spontaneous-fission lifetimes suggest that possibly 2.8 times as much mass is displaced in the fission mode as would correspond to irrotational motion.