cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Open Component Separation

Open component separation is a method of repairing large or complex abdominal wall defects. This chapter describes indications, essential steps, variations, and complications of this procedure. It provides a detailed template operative note for the procedure.
Modification, calibration, and performance of the Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer for particle size distribution and volatility measurements during the Atmospheric Tomography Mission (ATom) airborne campaign

Abstract. Atmospheric aerosol is a key component of the chemistry and climate of the Earth's atmosphere. Accurate measurement of the concentration of atmospheric particles as a function of their size is fundamental to investigations of particle microphysics, optical characteristics, and chemical processes. We describe the modification, calibration, and performance of two commercially available, Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometers (UHSASs) as used on the NASA DC-8 aircraft during the Atmospheric Tomography Mission (ATom). To avoid sample flow issues related to pressure variations during aircraft altitude changes, we installed a laminar flow meter on each instrument to measure sample flow directly at the inlet as well as flow controllers to maintain constant volumetric sheath flows. In addition, we added a compact thermodenuder operating at 300 ∘ C to the inlet line of one of the instruments. With these modifications, the instruments are capable of making accurate (ranging from 7 % for Dp µ m to 1 % for Dp > 0.13 µ m), precise ( ± 1.2 %), and continuous (1 Hz) measurements of size-resolved particle number concentration over the diameter range of 0.063–1.0 µ m at ambient pressures of > 1000 to 225 hPa, while simultaneously providing information on particle volatility. We assessed the effect of uncertainty in the refractive index ( n) of ambient particles that are sized by the UHSAS assuming the refractive index of ammonium sulfate ( n= 1.52). For calibration particles with n between 1.44 and 1.58, the UHSAS diameter varies by + 4/ − 10 % relative to ammonium sulfate. This diameter uncertainty associated with the range of refractive indices (i.e., particle composition) translates to aerosol surface area and volume uncertainties of + 8.4/ − 17.8 and + 12.4/ − 27.5 %, respectively. In addition to sizing uncertainty, low counting statistics can lead to uncertainties of < 20 % for aerosol surface area and < 30 % for volume with 10 s time resolution. The UHSAS reduction in counting efficiency was corrected for concentrations > 1000 cm −3 . Examples of thermodenuded and non-thermodenuded aerosol number and volume size distributions as well as propagated uncertainties are shown for several cases encountered during the ATom project. Uncertainties in particle number concentration were limited by counting statistics, especially in the tropical upper troposphere where accumulation-mode concentrations were sometimes −3 (counting rates ∼ 5 Hz) at standard temperature and pressure.
Proton Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Brain Metastases: A Single-Institution Analysis of 370 Patients.

Purpose To report the first series of proton stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for the treatment of patients with single or multiple brain metastases, including failure patterns, survival outcomes, and toxicity analysis. Methods and Materials This was a single-institution, retrospective study of 815 metastases from 370 patients treated with proton SRS between April 1991 and November 2016. Cumulative incidence estimates of local failure, distant brain failure, and pathologically confirmed radionecrosis and Kaplan-Meier estimates of overall survival were calculated. Fine and Gray and Cox regressions were performed to ascertain whether clinical and treatment factors were associated with the described endpoints. Results The median follow-up from proton SRS was 9.2 months. The 6- and 12-month estimates of local failure, distant brain failure, and overall survival were 4.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.0%-5.9%) and 8.5% (95% CI 6.7%-10.6%), 39.1% (95% CI 34.1%-44.0%) and 48.2% (95% CI 43.0%-53.2%), and 76.0% (95% CI 71.3%-80.0%) and 51.5% (95% CI 46.3%-56.5%), respectively. The median survival was 12.4 months (95% CI 10.8-14.0 months) after proton SRS. The most common symptoms were low-grade fatigue (12.5%), headache (10.0%), motor weakness (6.2%), seizure (5.8%), and dizziness (5.4%). The rate of pathologically confirmed radionecrosis at 12 months was 3.6% (95% CI 2.0%-5.8%), and only target volume was associated on multivariate analysis (subdistribution hazard ratio 1.13, 95% CI 1.0-1.20). Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported series of proton SRS for the management of brain metastases. Moderate-dose proton SRS is well tolerated and can achieve good local control outcomes, comparable to those obtained with conventional photon SRS strategies. Although proton SRS remains resource-intensive, future strategies evaluating its selective utility in patients who would benefit most from integral dose reduction should be explored.
Parents’ information seeking during adolescent career development: a test of the theory of motivated information management

ABSTRACTParents are an important source of advice when adolescents are faced with decisions about postsecondary education and career planning; however, parents often need to seek information to facilitate their child’s career development. This study applies the theory of motivated information management (TMIM) to evaluate the decision-making process parents undergo in this context and tests the boundaries of TMIM by considering how individuals use face-to-face (FtF) and online sources to alleviate uncertainty-related anxieties. A community sample of parents (N = 937) completed a survey regarding their information seeking behaviors surrounding their adolescent’s career development. Parents reported using both FtF and online sources to seek information about their child’s postsecondary plans, and they engaged in different evaluative processes depending on the source of information. Theoretical implications related to TMIM and practical implications related to parents as sources of information in adolescent ...
Participation of endogenous vasoactive agents in the pathogenesis of endotoxin shock.

I would like to briefly present the views of a physiologist on the problem of shock. I will limit my comments primarily to endotoxin shock in the dog. Arterial pressure, as we all know, is controlled by cardiac output and total peripheral resistance. Dr. Weil has mentioned that there seems to be a primary defect in cardiac output, at least in early shock, which results secondarily from a reduced venous return. Figure 1 is an incomplete schema of some known events occurring in the dog during endotoxin shock. It also suggests, at least in my mind, some unknown areas. In the canine model, endotoxin shock is followed by a release of vasoactive agents. Many of these are known, but some are unknown—for example, histamine or histamine-like agents leading to hepatic venous constriction, pooling in the hepatosplanchnic vasculature, a decrease in venous return, and subsequent decreases in cardiac output and arterial pressure. Of course, other vasoactive agents are released (acetylcholines, serotonins, bradykinin-like polypeptides, etc.). More recently, a myocardial depressant factor has been identified which has also been shown to be vasoactive in the peripheral circulation. Moreover, various electrolyte and water abnormalities arise later in shock.
Intraoperative Charting Requirements

The first description of an automated intraoperative anesthesia recording machine was noted as early as 1934. 1 The device recorded tidal volume, FiO 2 , and blood pressure. Since then, many attempts have been made to replace the paper record. One group even used video recording machines to record all of the information presented visually to an anesthesiologist from the monitor screens. 2 Despite the advances in computer and information technology, the paper record has endured as the medium of choice to document the intraoperative experience. The first modern anesthesia information systems were essentially intraoperative record keepers—with the ability to automatically capture physiologic data from monitors and other devices such as ventilators. From those humble beginnings, intraoperative record keepers have evolved into perioperative information systems that allow clinicians to manage the patient throughout the entire surgical experience. Several drivers have contributed to this evolution in function. First, as data interfacing has become increasingly secure and prevalent, more physiologic monitoring is being automatically captured into the anesthesia record instead of being transcribed. Second, an enhanced understanding of anesthesia workflow by the AIMS vendors, in partnership with anesthesiology departments, has prompted these systems to become comprehensive anesthesia workflow tools rather than merely intraoperative record keepers. Finally, hospital leadership is looking to the ORs for revenue generation. The OR is well recognized as a financial engine that helps to drive the healthcare enterprise, and anesthesia is a key lubricant of this engine. As such, anesthesia information systems are incorporating more financially savvy functionality, and AIMS content is becoming more billing friendly. Intraoperative charting represents an important piece of anesthesia workflow. However, without working in harmony with other pieces such as preoperative and postoperative charting, nursing documentation, billing, quality assurance, and patient tracking, AIMS do not provide a significant functional advance from their earliest systems. Fortunately, these workflow pieces are becoming increasingly integrated. The following will be discussed in this chapter: the information systems necessary to manage anesthesia workflow in the intraoperative space; the requirements for intraoperative charting to construct a comprehensive anesthesia
The Impact of Ethnic Subgroups on Tumor Stage at Diagnosis, Treatment Received, and Long-Term Survival Among Asian Adults With Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background & aims Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) outcomes among Asians may differ by the Asian ethnic subgroup. We aim to evaluate the impact of the Asian ethnic subgroup on HCC tumor stage, treatment received, and overall survival among US adults. Methods Using the 2004–2012 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results U.S. cancer registry, we retrospectively evaluated disparities in HCC tumor stage at diagnosis, HCC treatment received, and overall survival among Asian adults, stratified by Asian ethnic subgroups. Multivariate regression models evaluated the independent impact of Asian ethnic subgroups on the HCC tumor stage at diagnosis, treatment received, and overall long-term survival. Results Among 8160 Asians with HCC, Southeast Asian (SEA) patients accounted for 26% of all HCC, followed by Chinese (CH) (22%), and Filipinos (FP) (14.0%) patients. Japanese (JP) patients were significantly older than those of the other subgroups (mean 71.1, SD 10.8, P Conclusion Among Asians with HCC in the US, significant disparities among Asian ethnic subgroups exist. More advanced disease was seen among FP patients, less HCC treatment was seen among FP and SEA patients, and significantly higher mortality was seen among FP, SEA, and JP patients with HCC.
Skeletal muscle cold shock and heat shock protein mRNA response to aerobic exercise in different environmental temperatures.

ABSTRACTThe response of cold shock proteins to exercise and environmental temperature in human skeletal muscle is not known. The purpose of this study was to determine the early mRNA response of human stress proteins to endurance exercise and environmental temperatures. Seven recreationally trained males cycled for 1 hour at 60% VO2peak in 7°C, 20°C, and 33°C with biopsies taken pre- and 3 hours post-exercise. Gene expression for heat shock and cold shock proteins were analyzed using qRT-PCR on muscle biopsy samples from the vastus lateralis. RBM3 mRNA was reduced 1.43 ± 0.10 fold (p = 0.006) while there was a trend for CIRP to decrease1.27 ± 0.14 fold (p = 0.059) from pre- to 3 h post-exercise. CIRP and RBM3 mRNA were not different between temperatures (p = 0.273 and p = 0.686, respectively). HSP70 mRNA was 2.27 ± 0.23 fold higher 3 h post-exercise when compared to pre-exercise (p = 0.002) but was not significantly different between temperatures (p = 0.103). HSP27, HSP90, and HSF1 mRNA did not change fro...
Abnormal Sleep Spindles, Memory Consolidation, and Schizophrenia

There is overwhelming evidence that sleep is crucial for memory consolidation. Patients with schizophrenia and their unaffected relatives have a specific deficit in sleep spindles, a defining oscillation of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) Stage 2 sleep that, in coordination with other NREM oscillations, mediate memory consolidation. In schizophrenia, the spindle deficit correlates with impaired sleep-dependent memory consolidation, positive symptoms, and abnormal thalamocortical connectivity. These relations point to dysfunction of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), which generates spindles, gates the relay of sensory information to the cortex, and modulates thalamocortical communication. Genetic studies are beginning to provide clues to possible neurodevelopmental origins of TRN-mediated thalamocortical circuit dysfunction and to identify novel targets for treating the related memory deficits and symptoms. By forging empirical links in causal chains from risk genes to thalamocortical circuit dysfunction, spindle deficits, memory impairment, symptoms, and diagnosis, future research can advance our mechanistic understanding, treatment, and prevention of schizophrenia.
Solutions to Selected Exercises

In this chapter, solutions to various problems listed at the end of each of the Chapters 1– 12 are provided.
IMPROVEMENTS ON LINEAR MINIMAX ESTIMATES

Publisher Summary The role of linear estimation in problems involving the mean of normal (even non-normal) data is well known. However, the inadequacy of linear estimates for many problems is by now, equally well known, the Stein phenomenon in the estimation of a 3 (or more)-dimensional location parameter being the most striking instance. This chapter discusses the way to improve on linear minimax estimates. The procedure resulting from the truncation offers an improvement over commonly used estimates.
Managed Multi-strata Tree + Crop Systems: An Agroecological Marvel

Today, when the emphasis on single-species production systems that is cardinal to agricultural and forestry programs the world over has resulted in serious ecosystem imbalances, the virtues of the time-tested practice of growing different species together as in managed Multi-strata Tree + Crop (MTC) systems deserve serious attention. The coconut-palm-based multispecies systems in tropical homegardens and shaded perennial systems are just two such systems. A fundamental ecological principle of these systems is niche complementarity, which implies that systems that are structurally and functionally more complex than crop- or tree monocultures result in greater efficiency of resource (nutrients, light, and water) capture and utilization. Others include spatial and temporal heterogeneity, perennialism, and structural and functional diversity. Unexplored or under-exploited areas of benefits of MTC systems include their ecosystem services such as carbon storage, climate regulation, and biodiversity conservation. These multispecies integrated systems indeed represent an agroecological marvel, the principles of which could be utilized in the design of sustainable as well as productive agroecosystems. Environmental and ecological specificity of MTC systems, however, is a unique feature that restricts their comparison with other land-use systems and extrapolation of the management features used in one location to another.
Current Review of Pneumoconiosis Among US Coal Miners

This review summarizes recent research on pneumoconiosis in coal workers following the identification of the resurgence of this disease among US coal miners in the early 2000s. We describe the impact of this research and how this has led to increased public attention, benefitting affected miners. The latest research shows that the prevalence of pneumoconiosis, including progressive massive fibrosis, continues to increase, especially in central Appalachia. Contributing factors may include mining of thin coal seams or cutting rock to access coal, which may expose miners to coal mine dust with a higher content of silica and silicates than in the past. The impact of recently implemented changes, such as the reduced occupational exposure limit for respirable coal mine dust and the introduction of continuous personal dust monitors, will likely take years to appropriately evaluate.
Presentation and Management of Headache in Pituitary Apoplexy.

Pituitary apoplexy (PA) occurs in the setting of an infarction and/or hemorrhage of a pre-existing adenoma. The most common presenting symptom is a severe, sudden onset headache. However, the characteristics of headache in the setting of PA are varied and can sometimes mimic primary headache disorders. The purpose of this article is to review the various presentations of headache in PA. We also outline treatment options for persistent headaches following PA. A recent retrospective review of patients undergoing transsphenoidal resection of sellar lesions, including PA, found that gross total resection and short duration of preoperative headache were predictors of improvement in headaches postoperatively. This strengthens the importance of timely recognition of PA as potential etiology of headache. The most common presentation of PA is thunderclap headache; however, several other primary HA disorders have been described including status migraine, SUNCT, and paroxysmal hemicrania
Living with HIV as Donor Aid Declines in Tanzania

Fluctuations in global health funding can significantly impact the lives of people who depend on donor-funded programs for life-long care. In this article, I examine shifting HIV policies that expanded antiretroviral therapy (ART) while reducing "care" services meant to improve ART access and adherence. I describe how these changes were experienced by HIV+ women accessing ART at a hospital in Tanzania in 2011-2012, highlighting their increasing precarity and uncertainty for care amidst donor instability and eroding program services. This research suggests that stable funding in support of long-term care services is important to help HIV+ people maintain life-long ART.
Response to a commentary on "Food insecurity transitions and smoking behavior among older adults who smoke".

Abstract Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the commentary by Kim-Mozeleski and colleagues on “Food insecurity transitions and smoking behavior among older adults who smoke”. This study examined the influence of food insecurity transitions on smoking cessation and daily cigarette consumption in 2014 within a sample of older U.S. adults from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) who indicated that they smoked in 2012. In particular, Kim-Mozeleski and colleagues highlight that findings of Bergmans (2019) contrast with results of a previous publication by Kim-Mozeleski and colleagues. In sum, it is not readily apparent why findings contradict those of Kim-Mozeleski et al. (2018). Moderation or confounding due to macroeconomic factors that influence health and behavior is a possibility. Bergmans (2019) examined associations over a recent 2-year period of U.S. economic growth. In contrast, data from Kim-Mozeleski et al. (2018) spanned 12 years and overlapped the Great Recession. A detailed response to the commentary is provided.
Pregnancy outcomes among women with American College of Cardiology- American Heart Association defined hypertension.

OBJECTIVE To compare the rate of adverse pregnancy outcomes of women with hypertension defined by the ACC-AHA guidelines, women with hypertension defined by ACOG guidelines, and normotensive women. METHODS A historical cohort study of women with singleton, nonanomalous pregnancies who presented before 20 weeks for their first prenatal visit between 1 January 2014 and 31 January 2016 with (a) hypertension defined by ACC-AHA (systolic blood pressure 130 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure of 80 mmHg documented), (b) hypertension defined by ACOG (systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg documented) and (c) women documented to be normotensive. Primary outcomes were preeclampsia and small for gestational age. Fisher's exact test was used to compare demographics and risk factors between the groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to predict the association of preeclampsia within the groups adjusting for additional risk factors. RESULTS A total of 252 women were included. Of these, 92 (36.5%) had hypertension by ACC-AHA, 34 (13.5%) by ACOG and 126 (50%) were normotensive. Sixty percent of women with the ACOG definition developed preeclampsia compared to 45.1% of women with the ACC-AHA definition and 17.1% in the control group (p < .001). The rate of preeclampsia among women with hypertension by ACC-AHA criteria was not significantly different from the rate among women with hypertension by ACOG criteria (p = .288). Differences in small for gestational age among the groups were not significant (ACOG: 20%, ACC-AHA: 11.1%, normotensive: 9.8%, p = .423). CONCLUSION Women with hypertension defined by ACC-AHA have a rate of developing preeclampsia that is similar to that of women with hypertension defined by ACOG.
Influence of personality traits on college women's appraisals of intimate partner violence.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a common traumatic stressor for young adult women and results in a number of problems for those who experience it. The appraisals women make of IPV influence the ...
Technology is changing lending: Implications for research

Abstract Costello, Down, and Mehta (2020) trace their slider intervention to deviations from the credit line amount recommended by a credit scoring model. The deviations are followed by larger delinquency declines and bigger sales orders, and Costello et al. interpret these results using discretion-based theories. However, incremental deviations are concentrated on newer clients rather than those the lender has accumulated soft information about. Deviations also appear larger for public than private borrowers. My discussion evaluates whether these results align with discretion-based theories, and explores alternative interpretations based on salience and unique aspects of the trade credit setting. Differences in interpretation aside, the evidence is informative about technological advances in commercial lending. I conclude with an overview of several recent advances and discuss the implications for lending research.
The Masters athlete in Olympic weightlifting: Training, lifestyle, health challenges, and gender differences.

Background Olympic weightlifting requires strength, speed, and explosive power. Vigorous physical activity such as Olympic weightlifting, for older adults has many benefits from improved strength, social interactions, and a healthy and independent lifestyle. Little is known about the training habits, health, and lifestyle of Masters weightlifters that includes top level athletes as well as beginners, and there is a dearth of data on women. Objectives The primary aim was to describe demographics, training habits, and health including prevalence of injury and chronic disease in male and female Masters athletes in Olympic weightlifting. The secondary aim was to study gender differences and the age and impact of menopause on participation in the sport. Results The 958 participants (46% men), ages 34 to 87, mostly train 3 to 4 days per week in 1 to 2 hour sessions. This is a highly educated and affluent group, 84% are white, 72% are married, 85% are post-secondary graduates. Exercise can also increase the risk of injury compared to less active older adults, but the rates of injury in weightlifting affecting training are lower than seen in other sports. The prevalence of depression and mental health is similar to a general population. Stress levels and sleep disturbances are more common among women than men. Women reach menopause at a similar age as women in industrialized countries, but menopausal symptoms constrained the training. Conclusion Older athletes are capable of rigorous training programs and top performances while adjusting to changes due to biological aging. Weightlifting athletes, coaches, and health professionals must be aware of patterns of injuries and gender differences to incorporate successful prevention strategies. Knowledge of presentations of menopause and impact of menopausal symptoms on training allows women and health care providers to make informed treatment decisions.
Tensity-Aware Optimized Scheduling of Parallel Real-Time Tasks on Multiprocessors

The federated scheduling framework is a popular multicore scheduling policy for parallel periodic real-time tasks that are often modeled as directed acyclic graphs (DAGs). However, it often over-estimates the processing requirements of parallel task execution, resulting in acute resource underutilization of available processing capacity in an already resource-constrained system. In this work, we aim to reduce resource under-utilization by proposing HL-DAGs, where compatible DAG tasks are fused and transformed into a fork-join DAG task model to opportunistically reclaim the usable utilization of the system. HL-DAGs, however, may fail to meet a task’s timing requirements and impact the schedulability of the system. To tackle this challenge, we present a technique to enforce both the logical and timing correctness requirements of a HL-DAG task. In addition, we discuss a fixed-priority partitioned scheduling algorithm (HL-FED) to schedule HL-DAGs, along with other DAG tasks, on multicore systems. Simulation results indicate that HL-FED can improve the usable system utilization by 27% on average, and up to 33%, over existing DAG scheduling frameworks. In addition, our proposed solution can also tighten the processing capacity by up to 11% when compared to the state-of-the-art federated scheduling framework.
Constrained Multi-Task Learning for Event Coreference Resolution.

We propose a neural event coreference model in which event coreference is jointly trained with five tasks: trigger detection, entity coreference, anaphoricity determination, realis detection, and argument extraction. To guide the learning of this complex model, we incorporate cross-task consistency constraints into the learning process as soft constraints via designing penalty functions. In addition, we propose the novel idea of viewing entity coreference and event coreference as a single coreference task, which we believe is a step towards a unified model of coreference resolution. The resulting model achieves state-of-the-art results on the KBP 2017 event coreference dataset.
Demographic modeling informs functional connectivity and management interventions in Graham’s beardtongue

Functional connectivity (i.e., the movement of individuals across a landscape) is essential for the maintenance of genetic variation and persistence of rare species. However, illuminating the processes influencing functional connectivity and ultimately translating this knowledge into management practice remains a fundamental challenge. Here, we combine various population structure analyses with pairwise, population-specific demographic modeling to investigate historical functional connectivity in Graham’s beardtongue (Penstemon grahamii), a rare plant narrowly distributed across a dryland region of the western US. While principal component and population structure analyses indicated an isolation-by-distance pattern of differentiation across the species’ range, spatial inferences of effective migration exposed an abrupt shift in population ancestry near the range center. To understand these seemingly conflicting patterns, we tested various models of historical gene flow and found evidence for recent admixture (~ 3400 generations ago) between populations near the range center. This historical perspective reconciles population structure patterns and suggests management efforts should focus on maintaining connectivity between these previously isolated lineages to promote the ongoing transfer of genetic variation. Beyond providing species-specific knowledge to inform management options, our study highlights how understanding demographic history may be critical to guide conservation efforts when interpreting population genetic patterns and inferring functional connectivity.
Using Study Abroad to Teach the Fundamentals of a Market Economy in Comparative Settings

I describe two related courses, The Cuban Economy and The Post-Socialist Economies of Europe. Though both courses are ostensibly about socialist or post-socialist economies, my motivation is for a better understanding of the miracle of the Invisible Hand of the capitalist economic system. I also discuss the advantages of embedding study abroad in a regular semester course.
The yin yang of bacterial polysaccharides: lessons learned from B. fragilis PSA

Over the past several years, there have been remarkable advances in our understanding of how commensal organisms shape host immunity. Although the full cast of immunogenic bacteria and their immunomodulatory molecules remains to be elucidated, lessons learned from the interactions between bacterial zwitterionic polysaccharides (ZPSs) and the host immune system represent an integral step toward better understanding how the intestinal microbiota effect immunologic changes. Somewhat paradoxically, ZPSs, which are found in numerous commensal organisms, are able to elicit both proinflammatory and immunoregulatory responses; both these outcomes involve fine-tuning the balance between T-helper 17 cells and interleukin-10-producing regulatory T cells. In this review, we discuss the immunomodulatory effects of the archetypal ZPS, Bacteroides fragilis PSA. In addition, we highlight some of the opportunities and challenges in applying these lessons in clinical settings.
Off-Shell Effects in the 18O and 18F Shell-Model Spectra

Adequate knowledge of the two-nucleon interaction, both on- shell and off-shell, and a proper many-body theory to employ that knowledge are the ingredients for a microscopic description of nuclear phenomena. At present, neither of these essentials is reliably established. However, the problem of the effective interaction is beyond the scope of this study. We retreat to the crude and even questionable1 but common assumption that the effective interaction can be approximated by the sum of the bare reaction matrix G and the three-particle one-hole (3p-lh) core-polarization correction. Within this limited model we want to examine the degree of sensitivity which the low-lying shell-model spectrum exhibits to changes in the off-shell behavior of the free two-nucleon interaction.
Could Land-Only Taxation Save Local Government in Indiana?

This paper articulates a case for Indiana to exempt all non-land property from the taxable portion of the property tax base. This moves the state closer to a tax system that has great support among economists for its advantages in encouraging economic growth, progressivity, and reducing environmental damage from urban sprawl. Indiana might particularly benefit from a land only tax because of its unique system of property tax caps. The merits of this approach hinge on driving a wedge between gross assessed value and net taxable value. Future empirical research is needed to determine the distributional impact that would result from such a policy change.
Use of Thalassia and Its Epiphytes for Toxicity Assessment: Effects of a Drilling Fluid and Tributyltin

Concurrent 12-week laboratory and field studies were conducted to determine toxicity of the suspended particulate phase (SPP) of drilling fluid to Thalassia testudinum and its epiphytes. Test systems were treated once per week to achieve nominal concentrations of 100 mg/L SPP. Chlorophyll content of Thalassia leaves and epiphyte biomass and chlorophyll content were monitored during each test. Laboratory exposures were conducted in 7-L, flow-through (7 L/h) microcosms consisting of Plexiglas cylinders containing intact cores of Thalassia from a local seagrass bed. Field exposures were conducted in water-tight plexiglas chambers (2 m x 2 m x 1.5 m) placed over test plots in a seagrass bed for 24 h during SPP additions. Epiphyte biomass was reduced after 6 weeks of intermittent exposure to SPP in laboratory and field tests. After 12 weeks, epiphyte biomass had increased to densities similar to control values.
Using communication to reduce locality in multi-robot learning

This paper attempts to bridge the fields of machine learning, robotics, and distributed AI. It discusses the use of communication in reducing the undesirable effects of locality in fully distributed multi-agent systems with multiple agents/robots learning in parallel while interacting with each other. Two key problems, hidden state and credit assignment, are addressed by applying local undirected broadcast communication in a dual role: as sensing and as reinforcement. The methodology is demonstrated on two multi-robot learning experiments. The first describes learning a tightly-coupled coordination task with two robots, the second a loosely-coupled task with four robots learning social rules. Communication is used to share sensory data to overcome hidden state and reinforcement to overcome the credit assignment problem between the agents and to bridge the gap between local and global payoff.
Double-Stranded RNA Regulates IL-4 Expression

dsRNA, as genomic fragment, replicative intermediate, or stem and loop structure in cells infected by viruses, can act to signal the immune system of the presence of viral infections. Although most viral infections are associated with strong Th1 immune responses, Th2-type responses have also been observed. In this study, we characterize the effects of dsRNA on the induction of Th2 responses in human lymphocytes. We report that in addition to the well-known Th1-inducing capabilities of dsRNA, treatment of human lymphocytes with low concentrations of dsRNA (0.1–1 μg/ml) leads to the expression of the prototypic Th2 cytokine IL-4. This induction was accompanied with the concentration-dependent activation of NF-κB and NF-AT2 but not NF-AT1. In addition, dsRNA can directly activate an IL-4 promoter-driven chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene in transiently transfected Jurkat cells. These results are the first demonstration of a non-TCR-associated activator of NF-AT in human cells and suggest that dsRNA directly influences IL-4 gene expression through its effect on NF-AT activation. Our data provide support for the idea that dsRNA at low concentrations in vivo may induce a Th2-dominant response that is not optimal for protective immunity to the virus.
Scaling of EPR spectral-spatial images with size of sample: Images of a sample greater than 5 cm in linear dimension

The authors have obtained spectral-spatial EPRimages of a phantom significantly larger than those previously obtained. Images of a homogeneous phantom 4.2 cm in diameter and 6.5 cm in length with B 1 equivalent to that used for smaller samples give a similar linewidth resolution both with linewidth population distributions of width 0.1 μ T . Spatial resolution appeared to have modest degradation. Images of the large homogeneous phantom provide maps of the magnetic field of a partially shimmed magnet.
Elasticity of the Pulmonary Alveolar Sheet

An analysis of experimental data on the pulmonary alveolar sheet of the cat shows: (1) As far as elasticity in the plane of the sheet is concerned, the alveolar sheet may be regarded as uniform; the compliance of the posts is the same as that of the membranes. (2) Within a physiological range of positive transmural pressure, the mean thickness of the sheet varies linearly with the pressure. Also, the stress distribution in the alveolar-capillary membrane is nonuniform and nonisotropic. A theoretical sheet thickness-pressure relationship is derived in which the effect of stress resultants (sum of elastic stress and surface tension) is explicitly linked to the compliance of the sheet thickness. The sheet-flow theory then shows that average flow is very sensitive to the arteriole pressure. The flow per alveolar sheet is (1/ C ) ( h a 4 -- h v 4 ). Here h a and h v are equal to alveolar sheet thickness at the arteriole and venule, respectively. When art > alv , h a = h 0 + α( art - alv ), where art is the blood pressure in the sheet at the arteriole, alv is the gas pressure in the alveolus, α is the compliance constant for the sheet thickness, and h 0 is the thickness at Δ = 0. The constant C = 4µf Lα/ (SA), where µ is the coefficient of viscosity of blood, f is a friction parameter (on the order of 4, depending on the post geometry), L is the average length of the streamlines in the sheet, S is the vascular space-tissue ratio (on the order of 0.9), and A is the sheet area. Comparison of this formula with the experimental results of Roos et al., using h 0 and α values from Glazier et al., shows reasonable agreement.
On the relationships between gender, early onset, and the seriousness of offending

Abstract Building on previous research implicating the age of onset as a predictor of later patterns of delinquent activity, data from subjects participating in the Philadelphia Collaborative Perinatal Project (CPP) are combined with criminal history records from the Philadelphia Police Department to explore the relationships between gender, early onset, and the seriousness of offending. Findings suggest that an early onset before age fourteen is predictive of serious offending by age eighteen, with the earliest onset ages relating to the most severe delinquency patterns. This relationship holds in the full sample after controls for relevant variables; however after controlling for variables considered in the full sample model, the early onset→seriousness of offending relationship holds for males, but vanishes for females. The theoretical and policy implications of these findings and potential directions for future research are discussed.
Synthesizing average 3D anatomical shapes.

Abstract Average shape estimates are often used to characterize normal morphological variation and discriminate dysmorphology in populations. The purpose of this paper is to estimate “average” or the most representative shapes in populations by using high-resolution medical images as input. The “average” shape is computed from high-dimensional spatial transformations used to co-register each subject in the population rather than the image intensities. Inverse consistent image registration is used to help minimize correspondence errors and produce better population average estimates. Testing the method was done using a population of adult MR brain scans from 22 individuals with no know structural abnormalities. Population averages were computed using the spatial transformation method and local changes in morphology were mapped. Results suggest that this method is a feasible means for robust estimation of population average shape. It is also shown that using inverse consistent transformations produces average shape estimates with less error compared to those produced with transformations with nontrivial inverse consistent errors.
Progress in sputtered tungsten trioxide for photoelectrode applications

Abstract In the context of photoelectrochemical water-splitting, tungsten oxide films have been fabricated at low processing temperatures ( 250 ∘ C ) by reactive sputtering from tungsten targets in an argon/oxygen ambient. The films have a dense, compact morphology and show columnar growth. Amorphous and highly polycrystalline films can be produced depending on the deposition conditions; polycrystalline phases appear only at higher temperatures and under certain sputter target conditions. Large crystallites proved beneficial to photoelectrochemical performance. A maximum photocurrent of 2.7 mA / cm 2 (at 1.6 V vs SCE) was observed in 0.33 M H 3 PO 4 under AM 1.5 Global illumination, exceeding published results for material fabricated at higher temperatures (in the 400 – 600 ∘ C range). Doping of sputtered tungsten oxide films with nitrogen results in a red-shifted absorption edge, but so far not in increased photocurrents. The maximum photocurrent of a nitrogen-doped sample was measured at 2.3 mA / cm 2 (at 1.6 V vs SCE). A multi-junction photoanode based on the best available sputtered WO 3 film and an amorphous silicon photovoltaic device is projected to operate at 2.2% solar-to-hydrogen efficiency.
Chiari malformation presenting as loss of cerebellar substance on computed tomography

Abstract Cerebral computed tomography (CT) is the primary imaging modality in the investigation of suspected cerebellar degeneration. A case is presented in which an inaccurate clinical and radiologic diagnosis of olivopontocerebellar degeneration resulted from CT imaging demonstrating loss of cerebellar substance. Subsequent clinical recognition of downbeat nystagmus led to a diagnosis of Chiari malformation. This malformation was classified as a “severe” Chiari type I via clivomyelography and angiography. Surgical decompression resulted in marked clinical improvement. Visualization of the loss of cerebellar substance should not be considered to exclude Chiari malformation.
Low interferon binding activity of two human cell lines which respond poorly to the antiviral and antiproliferative activity of interferon

Abstract Two human cell lines (HT1080 and MRC5) were found to be resistant to the antiproliferative effects of human interferon α. These cells showed also a reduced antiviral response, when virus yield was measured by a plaque assay. The binding of 125 I-labeled α interferon to HT1080 and MRC5 cells was greatly reduced, relative to another human cell line (A549) which responded well to the antiproliferative and antiviral activities of interferon. These results suggested that the poor response of HT1080 and MRC5 cells was due to the presence of fewer interferon receptors than in A459 cells. Some functional receptors, however, appeared to be present in HT1080 and MRC5 cells, since treatment with interferon resulted in a slight reduction in virus yield and in a modest increase in 2′,5′-oligo(A) polymerase activity.
Combined deficiency of sulfite oxidase and xanthine oxidase as a result of defective synthesis of molybdenum-cofactor: 77

Combined deficiency of sulfite oxidase and xanthine oxidase as a result of defective synthesis of molybdenum-cofactor. A girl is presented with congenital abnormalities including asymmetry of the skull and slight mediofacial dysplasia. The eye lenses were dislocated. Severe neurological abnormalities and deep mental retardation were observed. On routine screening a low serum urate (0.01-0.07 mmol/1) was observed. Chromatography of urinary purines revealed xanthinuria. In addition the sulfite test in the urine was repeatedly positive. Sulfite oxidase deficiency was suggested by high excretions of S-sulfocysteine, taurine and thiosulfate and low levels of urinary sulfate. Deficiencies of both xanthine oxidase and sulfite oxidase were demonstrated in a liver biopsy specimen. Because sulfite oxidase and xanthine oxidase are known to require an activated form of molybdenum (Mo-cofactor), investigations of Mo metabolism were carried out. A complete absence of hepatic Mo-cofactor activity was demonstrated and analysis by atomic absorption revealed a severe depletion of hepatic Mo as well. A near normal amount of inactive xanthine oxidase protein was present, but several immunological techniques failed to detect any sulfite oxidase apo-enzyme. It is suggested that a defective synthesis of Mo-cofactor causes the biochemical abnormalities. Treatment with oral supplements of molybdenum did not result in biochemical or clinical improvement.
Mach's principle and a relativistic theory of gravitation

The role of Mach's principle in physics is discussed in relation to the equivalence principle. The difficulties encountered in attempting to incorporate Mach's principle into general relativity are discussed. A modified relativistic theory of gravitation, apparently compatible with Mach's principle, is developed.
A Decade of Experience with a Left Heart Assist Device in Patients Undergoing Open Intracardiac Operation

Over a decade has elapsed since the first clinical application of our left heart assist device (LHAD). The basic concepts underlying its development evolved from prior experience in which, given adequate support time, less than total left heart bypass (LHB) was found to result in gradual improvement of depressed left ventricular function. Hence, the long-held view that functional recovery of the heart could occuronlyunder conditions of total LHB seemed unsupportable by clinical realities. As a result, a simple LHAD was devised. Requiring only special silicone elastomer cannulas, the system uses a roller (or other continuous flow) pump and diverts blood from the left atrium to the ascending aorta. We believe a major asset of the system is the ability to separate the patient subsequently from the LHAD without need to re-enter the thorax. This is accomplished by permanently occluding each cannula lumen with an obturator, thereby allowing the biocompatible cannulas to remain permanentlyin situ.To date, 27 patients have undergone LHAD support. Of 18 patients who could be separated from the device, half (9) were discharged from the hospital. Seven remain alive and well, the longest now more than 10 years after the operation. Although rarely needed, broadening operative indications in patients with severely compromised left ventricular function suggests that there will be continued need for a method of LHB for the foreseeable future.
Taxation of profits when there are profits

Abstract Profits taxes fall on both pure profits and the use of capital as an input. Simulations of a Cournot oligopoly suggest that gains from the former are not outweighed by losses from the latter.
EEG correlates of posthypnotically controlled degrees of cognitive arousal

Experimental control over five degrees of cognitive (as opposed to organismic) arousal has been developed by hypnotic programming techniques. Previously, these posthypnotic manipulations have been applied to the investigation of diverse topics such as visual discrimination, performance on the Stroop test, selective concentration on color vs. form of consonants, and cognitive “reverberation.” The present study explored electroencephalographic (EEG) correlates of the five degrees of cognitive arousal in a task requiring participants to visualize objects for l-rain periods while lying on a couch with their eyes closed. Analysis of data from the occipital area in left and right hemispheres revealed that the highest degree of arousal was accompanied by larger amplitudes of alpha and beta power and smaller amplitudes of theta. This pattern of results was similar in both hemispheres, although more marked in the left. The findings, which provide an independent source of support for validity of the hypnotic programming, are discussed in relation to EEG literature on cognitive activity.
Trisomy 11 and other nonrandom trisomies in congenital fibrosarcoma

Abstract Chromosome studies in a 7-week-old female infant with an intraabdominal malignant fibrosarcoma showed a hyperdiploid karyotype of 50,XX,+der(6)del(6)(p23)add(6)(q11),+8,+10,+11,add(12)(p13). Trisomy 11 appears to be a nonrandom primary cytogenetic abnormality in the congenital or infantile form of this mesenchymal tumor and is also a nonrandom gain in congenital mesoblastic nephroma. A possible developmental link between these two mesenchymal tumors, mediated by a gene or genes on chromosome 11 is postulated.