cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Motivational profiles of polysubstance-dependent patients: do they differ from alcohol-dependent patients?

Changing addictive behaviors may be conceptualized as a stage phenomenon consisting of precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance stages. Prior research has provided empirical support for the existence of two discrete motivational subtypes of alcohol-dependent patients (i.e., precontemplation and contemplation/action stage patients). The present study attempted to identify similar motivational profiles for polysubstance-dependent patients and to provide empirical support for the validity of these profiles. Results from a sample of polysubstance-dependent VA patients revealed two clusters consistent with precontemplation (n = 62) and contemplation/action stage (n = 71) profiles, similar to findings from alcohol-dependent samples. Although, as expected, contemplation/action stage patients were more likely to complete treatment than were precontemplators, relatively few differences were noted between these two groups on several other theoretically relevant variables. These results suggest that these subtypes may not identify clinically similar types of patients across alcohol- and polysubstance-dependent samples.
The Law on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments: Is It Broken and How Do We Fix It?

Transnational practitioners and litigants are bound to encounter at least one case that will require the recognition and enforcement of either a U.S. court judgment1 abroad, or a foreign court judgment in the United States.2 Upon encountering this situation, these parties may be interested to learn that while the United States has been a signatory of the 1958 United Nations Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards3 (“New York Convention”) since 1970, it is not currently party to any international treaty for
Does Initial Temperature in the Emergency Department Predict Outcomes in Patients Admitted for Sepsis

Abstract Background Sepsis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. Prompt recognition and early treatment has been shown to improve mortality. Both low and high temperature are among the four elements of systemic inflammatory response required for the diagnosis of sepsis. We hypothesized that initial temperature has an effect on the identification, treatment, and outcomes of septic patients. Objective Our aim was to determine the prognostic and diagnostic utility of the initial recorded body temperature in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with sepsis. Methods This retrospective cohort study was conducted in the ED of a single facility during the study period of January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014. Inclusion criteria were adult subjects 18 years of age and older who were admitted to the hospital from the ED with a diagnosis of sepsis. Results Hypothermia on presentation was associated with a longer time to antibiotics treatment of 338.6 min (p = 0.002), longer length of stay of 14.5 days (p Conclusions In this study of adult patients diagnosed in the ED with sepsis, hypothermia correlated with increased time to initial antibiotics, length of stay, rate of ICU admission, and mortality. Therefore, hypothermia in the setting of sepsis requires early and aggressive intervention to prevent adverse outcomes and delays in care.
Long-term Outcome of Early Fusions for Congenital Scoliosis.

Abstract Study Design The current literature on outcomes of early fusions for early-onset scoliosis (EOS) has a short follow-up of 7.7 to 12.5 years, with many patients not at the end of growth. The forced vital capacity (FVC) at follow-up ranged from 40.8% to 64% of predicted. A study was undertaken to evaluate the long-term outcome of these fusions. Methods The study is of congenital patients who had a fusion under age 8 years, with the current age being >20 years. A follow-up consisting of radiographs, outcome questionnaires, and pulmonary function tests was performed. Of the 42 patients identified, 20 were traced and 11 agreed to participate, and completed all the data. The average follow-up was 37 years. All the fusions included the thoracic spine, with an average of 10.2 levels fused, of which an average of 8.8 levels were thoracic. Results The average scoliosis at presentation was 52°, 56° at surgery and 47° at follow-up. At follow-up, the average FVC was 53% of predicted, with an average PaO2 of 86 and PaCO2 of 44 mm Hg. The mean T1–T12 length was 20 cm. There was no correlation of the FVC percentage predicted and the proximal extent of the fusion, the T1–T12 length or the number of thoracic levels fused. The average ODI was 23. On the SF36, the average Physical Component t score was 50; with the average Mental Component t score was 52. Conclusion At a long-term average follow-up of 37 years, the patients had a low FVC of 53%, with one on permanent oxygen and 5 with dyspnea. The patients were functioning well at follow-up, but it is unknown what their function would be without surgery or with longer follow-up.
Treatment with dietary cyclosporine has no direct effect on myocardial fibrosis and hypertension in mice

The purpose of this study was to elucidate whether treatment with cyclosporine induces myocardial fibrosis and hypertension that may potentially be mediated by activation of angiotensin II Ang II and induction of inflammation In C BL mice cyclosporine at the doses of mg kg day or mg kg day was administrated by gastric gavage In different groups angiotensin II Ang II AT receptor blocker telmisartan mg kg day or anti inflammatory compound curcumin mg kg day was co administered with cyclosporine Treatment with cyclosporine for weeks did not alter the protein expression including AT and AT receptors monocyte chemotactic protein transforming growth factor beta collagen I and collagen III but increased expression of angiotensin converting enzyme relative to the sham control Interstitial macrophage infiltration and myofibroblast proliferation were not changed by cyclosporine consistent with lack of collagen deposition in the interstitial perivascular regions Co administration of telmisartan or curcumin with cyclosporine also had no effect on any of the parameters measured There was a trend in increase of blood pressure with high dose of cyclosporine alone and decrease of blood pressure when cyclosporine was co administered with telmisartan or curcumin but these changes did not achieve the statistical differences among the groups These data suggest that cyclosporine has no direct effect on myocardial fibrosis and blood pressure in healthy individuals and it may be considered as an adjunctive therapy with commonly used drugs to treat cardiovascular diseases nbsp
A Prospective, Randomized, Blinded Trial Comparing Digital Simulation to Textbook for Cleft Surgery Education.

BACKGROUND Simulation is progressively being integrated into surgical training; however, its utility in plastic surgery has not been well described. The authors present a prospective, randomized, blinded trial comparing digital simulation to a surgical textbook for conceptualization of cleft lip repair. METHODS Thirty-five medical students were randomized to learning cleft repair using a simulator or a textbook. Participants outlined markings for a standard cleft lip repair before (preintervention) and after (postintervention) 20 minutes of studying their respective resource. Two expert reviewers blindly graded markings according to a 10-point scale, on two separate occasions. Intrarater and interrater reliability were calculated using intraclass correlation coefficients. Paired and independent t tests were performed to compare scoring between study groups. A validated student satisfaction survey was administered to assess the two resources separately. RESULTS Intrarater grading reliability was excellent for both raters for preintervention and postintervention grading (rater 1, intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.94 and 0.95, respectively; rater 2, intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.60 and 0.92, respectively; p < 0.001). Mean preintervention performances for both groups were comparable (0.82 ± 1.17 versus 0.64 ± 0.95; p = 0.31). Significant improvement from preintervention to postintervention performance was observed in the textbook (0.82 ± 1.17 versus 3.50 ± 1.62; p < 0.001) and simulator (0.64 ± 0.95 versus 6.44 ± 2.03; p < 0.001) groups. However, the simulator group demonstrated a significantly greater improvement (5.81 ± 2.01 versus 2.68 ± 1.49; p < 0.001). Participants reported the simulator to be more effective (p < 0.001) and a clearer tool (p < 0.001), that allowed better learning (p < 0.001) than textbooks. All participants would recommend the simulator to others. CONCLUSION The authors present evidence from a prospective, randomized, blinded trial supporting online digital simulation as a superior educational resource for novice learners, compared with traditional textbooks.
Pushing the Boundaries of Attribution Theory: How Attributions Inform Relationships at Work

The purpose of this presenter symposium is to examine the role of attributions in explaining dyadic relationship dynamics in organizations, thus following a call in the management literature to exp...
Combined surgical and endoscopic approaches to full-thickness resection

Abstract With the emergence of advanced endoscopic technologies and techniques, endoscopic resection has emerged as an important therapeutic modality. However, endoscopic full-thickness resection can be limited by concerns for R0 resection, margins, potential for seeding the peritoneal cavity, perforation, or difficulty in closing the full-thickness defect. Combined laparoscopic surgery with endoscopic-full thickness resection has become an important cooperative strategy that leverages the unique skillsets of both the endoscopist and the laparoscopic surgeon. Several techniques have emerged that range from endoscopic resection with laparoscopic assistance, laparoscopic resection with endoscopic assistance, and finally to truly cooperative laparoendoscopic surgery. The application of combined laparoscopic surgery and endoscopic full-thickness resection shows great promise especially for subepithelial tumors of the upper gastrointestinal tract, but more widespread applications need to be tempered by focusing on clinical benefit to the patient.
Comparison of Frequency- and Time-Domain Autoregulation and Vasoreactivity Indices in a Piglet Model of Hypoxia-Ischemia and Hypothermia.

Introduction The optimal method to detect impairments in cerebrovascular pressure autoregulation in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is unclear. Improving autoregulation monitoring methods would significantly advance neonatal neurocritical care. Methods We tested several mathematical algorithms from the frequency and time domains in a piglet model of HIE, hypothermia, and hypotension. We used laser Doppler flowmetry and induced hypotension to delineate the gold standard lower limit of autoregulation (LLA). Receiver operating characteristics curve analyses were used to determine which indices could distinguish blood pressure above the LLA from that below the LLA in each piglet. Results Phase calculation in the frequency band with maximum coherence, as well as the correlation between mean arterial pressure (MAP) and near-infrared spectroscopy relative total tissue hemoglobin (HbT) or regional oxygen saturation (rSO2), accurately discriminated functional from dysfunctional autoregulation. Neither hypoxia-ischemia nor hypothermia affected the accuracy of these indices. Coherence alone and gain had low diagnostic value relative to phase and correlation. Conclusion Our findings indicate that phase shift is the most accurate component of autoregulation monitoring in the developing brain, and it can be measured using correlation or by calculating phase when coherence is maximal. Phase and correlation autoregulation indices from MAP and rSO2 and vasoreactivity indices from MAP and HbT are accurate metrics that are suitable for clinical HIE studies.
Multiscale computational fluid dynamics modeling of thermal atomic layer deposition with application to chamber design

Abstract This work develops a first-principles-based three-dimensional, multiscale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, together with reactor geometry optimizations, of SiO2 thin-film thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) using bis(tertiary-butylamino)silane (BTBAS) and ozone as precursors. Specifically, an accurate macroscopic CFD model of the ALD reactor chamber gas-phase development is integrated with a detailed microscopic kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) model that was developed in Ding et al. (2019) , accounting for the microscopic lattice structure, atomic interactions and detailed surface chemical reactions. The multiscale information exchange and the transient simulation of the microscopic distributed kMC algorithms and the macroscopic CFD model are achieved through a parallel processing message passing interface (MPI) structure. Additionally, density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations are adopted to compute the key thermodynamic and kinetic parameters for the microscopic thin-film growth process. Recognizing the transient non-uniformity and the possibility to reduce the current ALD cycle time, the optimal configuration of reactor geometry is designed and evaluated including a showerhead panel adjustment and geometry modifications on reactor inlet and upstream. It is demonstrated that with suitable reactor chamber design the required BTBAS ALD half-cycle time can be reduced by 39.6%.
Recipient airway bronchoplasty for donor “pig bronchus"

Dissemination of surgical techniques to manage rare donor airway anomalies may improve outcomes after lung transplantation. This report describes a case of an unsuspected donor tracheal bronchus that was successfully managed with a native right mainstem bronchoplasty.
Pedagogy for Interdisciplinary Habits of Mind.

Over the years, there has been little attempt made to collect, organize, and codify either the interdisciplinary habits of mind or the pedagogies used to promote them. Teaching interdisciplinary courses requires instilling interdisciplinary habits of mind by using strategies for active learning and reflective liberal thinking. This publication emerged from discussions and surveys used to evaluate interdisciplinary habits of mind and pedagogies which focused on four categories: drawing, modifying, integrating, and evaluating insights drawn from different disciplines. Prior to face-to-face discussions, surveys were sent to 75 expert faculty who had great experience teaching IDS courses. The survey and follow-up discussion examined the four categories of habits of mind one by one, identifying pedagogies useful in promoting any or all of the habits of mind within each category, and how each pedagogy works to clarify how it produces such habits of mind. The breakout discussions were observed, transcribed, and analyzed throughout the meetings. After analysis, the authors came to three conclusive inferences: (1) Course organization and structure have an important albeit indirect effect on pedagogy, (2) traditional pedagogies have an important role to play in teaching interdisciplinary courses, and (3) active learning is especially important in interdisciplinary pedagogy, not just a supplement.
Paternal Pedagogy and the Palate

This chapter focuses on a popular pedagogical warning to fathers about the dangers of the palate. Many writers described taste, along with the abundance of rich foods and the variety of products from trade with “pagan” lands, as a corruptive force, which could create the portal to a sinful lifestyle. An emphasis on eating with temperance and dressing with modesty became commonplace in discussions about how to raise good citizens. Fathers could prevent this overindulgence in food and drink by transforming the table into an “altar of humanity” as Alberti suggests so that the youth might learn to eat with moderation and to consume knowledge through conversation. For writers such as Alberti and Platina, taste in a mercantile world of diversity and temptation can lead to domestic and social communion with others, rather than to an endless pursuit for self-satisfaction, but only under the proper guidance of an elite group of paternalistic citizens who claim to understand and model the art of healthy eating for their families and communities.
Occurrence and characterization of medulloblastoma in a patient with Curry-Jones syndrome.

Medulloblastoma in a Patient with Curry-Jones Syndrome with a mosaic variant, c.1234C > T (p.Leu412Phe), in SMO.
A method to produce robust magnetic particles coated with TiO2 nano particulates

Abstract This work presents an approach to produce reusable magnetic particles coated with commercially available titania (P25) for use in the treatment of drinking water supplies. Robustness was achieved by depositing a topcoat of a sol-gel silica or titania that acts as a glue for anchoring the P25 particles to the underlying magnetic core. While the silica topcoat provided the necessary robustness, also lowered activity compared to those without the silica topcoat. In contrast, the TiO2 topcoat provided the necessary robustness and had a higher catalytic activity those without the titania topcoat. This higher activity is attributed to an increase in the number of the hole-electron pairs generated and an increase in the surface area of the photocatalyst. This approach to achieving robustness could be applied to other photocatalytic particles and addresses a need to develop approaches for solving issues related to the practical use of such photocatalysts in field applications.
Resuscitation outcomes of a wireless ECG telemonitoring system for cardiovascular ward patients experiencing in-hospital cardiac arrest.

Background/purpose In-hospital cardiac arrest is a serious issue for hospitalized patients. The documented initial rhythm and detected medical events have been reported to influence the survival of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This study aimed to identify the effect of continuous real-time electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring on the prognosis of resuscitated patients in a general cardiac ward. Methods We conducted this retrospective study using medical records of hospitalized patients in a cardiovascular ward who experienced an in-hospital cardiac arrest and received cardiopulmonary resuscitation from February 2015 to December 2018. The patients who were considered to be at high risk of cardiac events such as ventricular arrhythmia would receive continuous ECG monitoring. A wireless ECG telemonitoring system was introduced to replace traditional bedside ECG monitors. The outcome measures were the initial success of resuscitation, 24-h survival after resuscitation, and survival to discharge. Results We enrolled 115 patients with a cardiac arrest during hospitalization, of whom 73 (63%) patients received wireless ECG telemonitoring. Patients receiving continuous ECG monitoring were associated with higher opportunities of initial success of resuscitation and 24-h survival after resuscitation (67.1% vs. 40.5%, p = 0.005; and 49.3% vs. 26.2%, p = 0.015, respectively) when comparing to the non-monitoring group; but no significant difference in survival to discharge (21.9% vs. 16.7%, p = 0.498) was observed. With adjustment of the covariates, the monitoring group was associated with a higher likelihood to reach the initial success of resuscitation (odds ratios [ORs], 3.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–9.98). However, the effect of monitoring on 24-h survival and survival to discharge was close to null after adjusting for covariates. Conclusion A wireless ECG telemonitoring system were beneficial to the initial success of resuscitation for patients at high risk of cardiovascular events suffering an in-hospital cardiac arrest; but had less impact on 24-h survival and survival to discharge.
The Effect of Government Grants on Private Giving to East Asian Nonprofits: Implications for Social Work Managers

For effective financial management, social work managers must clearly grasp the relationship between government grants and private contributions, which is frequently characterized as crowding-out effects. Crowding-out effects have been investigated for various types of nonprofits in the U.S., and the results have been mixed. In spite of its popularity in nonprofit research, the theory has not been applied to nonprofits serving minority communities. This is the first pilot crowding-out study looking at East Asian nonprofit organizations, including Chinese, Korean, and Japanese-American nonprofits in the NY and NJ metropolitan area (n = 410). Through a panel analysis, the current study found a significant crowding-in effect for donations to East Asian-American nonprofits (p .05). The estimated crowding-in effects of government grants on private giving by each of the East Asian countries were explicated based on each country’s social, political, and cultural background such as the quality of the charity, transparency, and political trust. Social work managers in ethnic nonprofit organizations should establish different strategies to help shape donor giving patterns according to the effect of government grants.
Molecular dynamics study of edge dislocation motion in a bcc metal

The motion of an edge dislocation gliding in a bcc lattice under shear loading is simulated by molecular dynamics. The time evolution of the dislocation profile, derived by analyzing the spatial disregistry between two adjacent atomic rows, reveals frequent nucleation of double kinks and little activity in kink migration in association with the dislocation motion. An essentially linear stress variation is obtained, while the temperature dependence suggests the mechanism of phonon drag.
Recursive Star-Identification Algorithm Using an Adaptive Singular-Value-Decomposition-Based Angular-Velocity Estimator

This paper describes an algorithm obtained by merging a recursive star-identification algorithm with a recently developed adaptive singular-value-decomposition-based estimator of the angular-veloci...
Effects of family planning on fertility behaviour across the demographic transition

The adoption of contraception often coincides with market integration and has transformative effects on fertility behavior. Yet many parents in small-scale societies make decisions about whether and when to adopt family planning in an environment where the payoffs to have smaller families are uncertain. Here we track the fertility of Maya women across 90 years, spanning the transition from natural to contracepting fertility. We first situate the uncertainty in which fertility decisions are made and model how childbearing behaviors respond. We find that contraception, a key factor in cultural transmission models of fertility decline, initially has little effect on family size as women appear to hedge their bets and adopt fertility control only at the end of their reproductive careers. Family planning is, however, associated with the spread of lower fertility in later cohorts. Distinguishing influences on the origin versus spread of a behaviour provides valuable insight into causal factors shaping individual and normative changes in fertility.
Bank Disclosures of Cyber Exposure

Financial institutions are increasingly subject to cyber incidents and attacks. Cyber intrusions threaten these institutions’ balance-sheets and reputations, and can undermine their resilience. From a societal perspective, cyber risk is particularly concerning as it regards systemically important financial institutions, like the largest internationally active banks. This is because the stability of the financial system as a whole—and thus the real economy—depends on these banks’ resilience to stressful events, including cyber attacks. To date, the SEC has taken the lead among the financial regulators in addressing cyber risk, chiefly through an emphasis on disclosure. This Article critically examines the existing design of that mandatory disclosure regime by reviewing the content of nearly 900 SEC filings made by the seven systemically important U.S. bank holding companies over a three-year period. That review suggests that the current trajectory of SEC rules and guidance is in some ways overbroad as applied to these institutions; but in other ways, the rules and guidance remain inadequate to address the various public and private interests at stake. The Article urges the SEC to design a more nuanced set of rules for cyber disclosure, which would be better tailored for systemically important banks.
Evaluation of Burnout in a National Sample of Hematology-Oncology Pharmacists.

PURPOSE:To evaluate the prevalence of burnout among hematology-oncology pharmacists and factors associated with an increased risk of high burnout.METHODS:Between October and November 2020, members ...
Models of Multi-Server Systems

Multi-server systems include more that one server, and these provide service to the customers arriving into the customer queue(s). The models of multi-server systems can be designed with several similar servers or with different types of servers. A large set of practical problems involves the study of systems with multiple servers. Many real-world problems can be modeled with this scheme. The simplest multi-server models include a single customer queue. Other models include multiple queues, of which the simplest are those with a separate queue for every server.
IL-15 Regulates Both Quantitative and Qualitative Features of the Memory CD8 T Cell Pool

Memory T cells are critical for immunity to various intracellular pathogens. Recent studies have indicated that CD8 secondary memory cells, induced by prime-boost approaches, show enhanced protective function compared with primary memory cells and exhibit phenotypic and functional characteristics that distinguish them from primary memory cells. However, little is known about the cytokine requirements for generation and maintenance of boosted memory CD8 T cells. We studied the role of IL-15 in determining the size and composition of the secondary (2 degrees) memory CD8 T cell pool induced by Listeria monocytogenes infection in mice. Following boosting, IL-15-deficient animals failed to generate a subset of CD8 effector memory cells, including a population of IL-7Ralpha(low) cells, which were prominent among secondary memory cells in normal mice. IL-15 deficiency also resulted in changes within the IL-7Ralpha(high)CD62L(low) subset of 2 degrees memory CD8 T cells, which expressed high levels of CD27 but minimal granzyme B. In addition to these qualitative changes, IL-15 deficiency resulted in reduced cell cycle and impaired Bcl-2 expression by 2 degrees memory CD8 T cells, suggesting a role for IL-15 in supporting both basal proliferation and survival of the pool. Analogous qualitative differences in memory CD8 T cell populations were observed following a primary response to Sendai virus in IL-15(-/-) animals. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that IL-15 plays an important role in dictating the composition rather than simply the maintenance of the CD8 memory pool.
Quantitative Analysis in Archaeology

As Todd VanPool and Robert Leonard note at the outset of their overall excellent treatment of the role of statistics in archaeology, very few of us enter the field because of a love of mathematics....
"That Time Again?: Revisiting the Debates over the Wagner Act"

Brian Waddell University of Connecticut "Prepared for delivery at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, September 2-5, 2010. Copyright by the American Political Science Association." This is an interpretive review essay that reexamines some of the debates over the New
Meta(Hi)Story: Timothy Findley's Famous Last Words

Although Michel Foucault in The Order of Things speaks of Velazquez's painting Las Meninas as "the representation . . . of Classical representation," Linda Hutcheon, in "Poetics of Post-modernism?" suggests that the fascination with Las Meninas continues for readers of postmodern fiction because it provides a "visual analogue of metafiction's inscription of the enunciative act: we look at a painting of a painter looking at us." That is to say, the manipulating relationship between the position of the producer and of the receiver (which together form the enunciative act, or in other words, reflect a discursive situation) is actually inscribed, or placed, within the text itself. Thus, not only does Las Meninas represent the producer at work, it also "presupposes the viewer's presence and then plays ironically with it" (PP 37). This "play" is a familiar technique of much postmodern fiction which insists that we recognize that the producer and the receiver and the relationship between them must be understood within specific historical, social, and ideological contexts.
On Rakhmanov's theorem for Jacobi matrices

We prove Rakhmanov's theorem for Jacobi matrices without the additional assumption that the number of bound states is finite. This result solves one of Nevai's open problems.
The Production of Calibration Specimens for Impact Testing of Subsize Charpy Specimens

Calibration specimens have been manufactured for checking the performance of a pendulum impact testing machine that has been configured for testing subsize specimens, both half-size (5.0 {times} 5.0 {times} 25.4 mm) and third-size (3.33 {times} 3.33 {times} 25.4 mm). Specimens were fabricated from quenched-and-tempered 4340 steel heat treated to produce different microstructures that would result in either high or low absorbed energy levels on testing. A large group of both half- and third-size specimens were tested at {minus}40{degrees}C. The results of the tests were analyzed for average value and standard deviation, and these values were used to establish calibration limits for the Charpy impact machine when testing subsize specimens. These average values plus or minus two standard deviations were set as the acceptable limits for the average of five tests for calibration of the impact testing machine.
A New World Order: The Role of Advertising in Russia and the NIS

Changes in worldwide political and economic strategies have contributed to the changing role of advertising as an institution in Russia. One result is the rapid growth of Russia's advertising industry and its similarity to Western classical liberalism and neoliberalism propositions of marketing communication. This article builds on the author’s previous studies on the role of advertising in what is now Russia through participants’ own words and visions of advertising. In–depth interviews with business and industry professionals, academicians and government representatives provided insight into changes in the perception and practice of advertising in Russia.
Click-tracking blocker: Privacy preservation by disabling search engines' click-tracking

On a search engine result page, if a user clicks on any one of those contained URL links, whether it is a search result website (called organic link), or a search related advertisement link (called sponsored link), the user's click action will be tracked by returning back to the search engine first and then redirecting to the corresponding target website. This click-tracking is conducted by all three major search engines: Google, Bing, and Yahoo (although Bing does not track clicks on organic links). Many people are not aware that their clicks are tracked by search companies; and this click-tracking imposes a big privacy threat for privacy-concerned users. After discovering that all organic and sponsored links in a search engine result page actually encode the real URLs of target websites with simple encoding techniques, we have developed a browser plug-in program called Click-Tracking Blocker that modifies all URLs on search result pages once they are retrieved by users' computers, such that search engines will no longer be able to track users' clicking behaviors on both organic links and sponsored links. Click-Tracking Blocker can be readily and easily installed by end users to protect their privacy, works for all three major search engines, and does not affect users' search experience.
Carsharing in a University Community: Assessing Potential Demand and Distinct Market Characteristics

As of September 2007, more than 70 colleges and universities in the United States have partnered with carsharing organizations, and this market segment is expected to continue growing. To maximize the benefits of these partnerships, it is important to understand both the unique features of academic institutions as markets for carsharing and ways to predict university-based demand for carsharing services. A study was done to estimate the potential carsharing market at the University of Wisconsin-Madison by (a) using a stated preference survey to collect information on university affiliates' transportation habits and carsharing preferences, (b) developing a set of probabilistic models of willingness to join a carsharing program based on the stated preference survey data, and (c) applying these models to predict the potential market share under different conditions. Through this process, the relative impact of respondents' socioeconomic characteristics, current travel habits, attitudes on transportation and ...
X-Ray Optics for the 2020s

Three factors characterize an X-ray optics technology: angular resolution, effective area per unit mass, and production cost per unit effective area. In general, these three factors are always in conflict with one another. Every telescope that has flown so far represents an astronomically useful compromise of these factors. Of three operating X-ray telescopes, Chandra has been optimized for angular resolution (0.5); Suzaku for effective area per unit mass; and both were optimized in its own way to minimize production cost. Optics for the decade of2020 requires a combination of Chandra's angular resolution and Suzaku's effective area per unit mass. In this talk I will briefly review X -ray optics fabrication techniques that have been used in the past three decades and then present my expectations for the 2020s. In particular I will propose a couple of new techniques that should be investigated for making lightweight and high resolution X-ray optics.
Superconducting Coherence in a Vortex Line Liquid: Simulations with Finite lambda.

We carry out simulations of a lattice London superconductor in a magnetic field B, with a finite magnetic penetration length {lambda}. We find that superconducting coherence parallel to B persists into the vortex line liquid. We argue that the length scale relevant to this effect is {Lambda}={phi}{sup 2}{sub 0}/8{pi}{ital T}{sub {ital m}}.
Personalized transactions and market activity in the informal sector

Abstract Lenders in informal credit markets can be worse off with information that is confined to small groups of personal acquaintances than without it. Such personalized knowledge can lead to `clientelization' and a reduction in the volume of credit transactions.
Empirical evidence for the existence and uses of metacognition in computer science problem solving

We describe the second phase of an ongoing study whose aims are to explore how computer science students solve problems and to understand the relationship between metacognition and schemata. This research uses verbal protocols from computer science students, and based on the analysis of their transcripts, empirical evidence supports metacognition as a significant role in computer science problem solving. For the problem solved in this research, the students reveal a pattern in their interactions between metacognitive processes and the domain-specific strategies used to develop a program.
Picogram analysis of free triiodothyronine and free thyroxine hormones in serum by equilibrium dialysis and electron capture gas chromatography.

Abstract A methodology involving equilibrium dialysis and gas chromatography has been developed to measure concurrently the concentration of the dialyzable ( i.e. , free) fractions of thyroxine and 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine in serum. The electron capture response of the N,O-diheptafluorobutyryl methyl ester derivatives of these hormones allows their detection and quantitation in the picogram range (detection limit approx. 0.2 pg). Purification of the dialysate is achieved using a cation-exchange column which is pretreated with diiodothyronine. Adsorption problems on the glassware are eliminated by silanization. The methodology also resolves 3,3′,5′-triiodothyronine (reverse T 3 ).
Rac2 specificity in macrophage integrin signaling: potential role for Syk kinase.

Herein we report that, despite the similarity of Rac2 to Rac1 (92% amino acid identity), macrophages derived from Rac2–/– mice, which continue to express Rac1, display a marked defect in αvβ3/αvβ5 and α4β1 integrin-directed migration measured on vitronectin and fibronectin fragments (FN-H296), respectively. In contrast, mouse embryo fibroblasts derived from the Rac2 knockout mice utilize Rac1 for migration via αvβ3/αvβ5 and α4β1. The genetic reconstitution of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMθ) with Rac2 restores the integrin-dependent migration of Rac2-deficient macrophages on vitronectin (VN) and FN-H296. The levels of GTP-Rac2 generated upon specific integrin engagement in wild type macrophages parallels the phenotypic defect observed in Rac2-deficient macrophages; i.e. FN-H296, α4β1 > VN, αvβ3/αvβ5 > FN-CH271, α5β1 > intact FN. In a COS7 cell system, the expression of Syk kinase alone is sufficient to convert the α4β1 migration response to Rac2 dependence. Therefore, we present the first evidence that the α4β1 receptor in blood cells has evolved a Syk-Rac2 signaling axis to transmit signals required for integrin-directed migration suggesting that Syk kinase in part encodes myeloid Rac2 specificity in vivo.
The excitation of vibrationally excited H 2 O masers.

We describe a pumping mechanism that is capable of inverting a number of rotational lines within the first vibrationally excited state of the bending mode (υ2=1) of H2O under the physical conditions present in the inner layers of circumstellar envelopes around oxygen-rich evolved stars. All the predicted maser lines result from a systematic overpopulation of the “transposed backbone” levels, which have quantum numbers J ka =J,k c , with respect to their neighboring levels. We find that this systematic inversion can be explained by means of differential trapping in the radiative vibrational decays of the levels involved in those maser transitions. Although this mechanism leads to the inversion of the maser lines detected so far, numerical calculations we have performed do not quantitatively agree with the (still scarce) observational data.
Spatial variation in seed limitation of plant species richness and population sizes in floodplain tallgrass prairie

The relative importance of seed availability versus biotic interactions that affect early life stages in limiting plant population sizes and determining composition of plant communities is a central debate in plant ecology. We conducted a seed addition experiment in restored tallgrass prairie in central Kansas to determine (1) whether addition of seed of 18 native forb species produced persistent (three growing seasons) increases in the species’ population sizes and plant species richness, (2) what properties of recipient communities best explained spatial variation in added species’ establishment, and (3) whether seed size explained interspecific patterns in establishment success. Adding seed led to persistent increases in the number of added species present and in plant species richness at one of three sites. Increased species richness at the one site where community composition was structured by seed availability largely resulted from greater densities of four species. Seed size did not predict species’ establishment success. Pre-existing plant species richness was correlated with added species’ establishment success, but the direction of the relationship (positive vs. negative) varied among sites. Living aboveground plant biomass in experimental plots in the year of seed addition was negatively correlated with the number of added species established three years later. Our results provide further evidence for large spatial variation in seed limitation of plant community composition. Surprisingly, mean light availability and heterogeneity in light, both important parameters in conceptual models of grassland plant coexistence, did not predict the response of the recipient plant community to seed addition as well as pre-existing plant species richness and living aboveground biomass.
Polyamines--sickling red blood cell interaction.

Abstract The binding of polyamine as a function of concentration to normal and sickling rcc'. blood cells is analyzed by Langmuir type binding isotherms, based on the Gouy-Chapman model for an electrical double Iayer, where the zeta potential is a function of only the normal distance coordinate. For normal erythrocytes, the apparent exotropic binding constants are found to be 103, 110, and 130 dl/g at normal distance coordinates of 4, 5, and 6 A, iezpectively. The esotropic binding constant is determined to be 420 dl/g at a distance of 7 A. For sickling red blood cells, the apparent exotropic binding constants are 3.3, 3.8, 4.6, and 6-7 dl/g at a distance of 4 to 7 A. The esotropic binding constant at a distance of 8 A is found to be 12-9 dl/g. The apparent binding affinity of polyamines to the normal red blood cell. therefore, is approximately 30 times greater than to the sickling erythrocyte. The Praxis pulse nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer is used to determine the spin-lattice relaxation time ( T 1 ) for water in the presence of normal and sickling red blood cells. The spin-lattice relaxation time is found to be 540 ms for normal erythrocytes and 445 ms for sickling red blood cells in the oxy state. Differences in the spin-spin relaxation time ( T 2 ) for the two types of erythrocyte are negligible, being within the range of normal experimental error.
Implications of the exposome for exposure science.

During the 1920s, the forerunners of exposure science collaborated with health professionals to investigate the causes of occupational diseases. With the birth of U.S. regulatory agencies in the 1970s, interest in the environmental origins of human diseases waned, and exposure scientists focused instead upon levels of selected contaminants in air and water. In fact, toxic chemicals enter the body not only from exogenous sources (air, water, diet, drugs, and radiation) but also from endogenous processes, including inflammation, lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress, existing diseases, infections, and gut flora. Thus, even though current evidence suggests that non-genetic factors contribute about 90% of the risks of chronic diseases, we have not explored the vast majority of human exposures that might initiate disease processes. The concept of the exposome, representing the totality of exposures received by a person during life, encompasses all sources of toxicants and, therefore, offers scientists an agnostic approach for investigating the environmental causes of chronic diseases. In this context, it is appropriate to regard the “environment” as the body's internal chemical environment and to define “exposures” as levels of biologically active chemicals in this internal environment. To explore the exposome, it makes sense to employ a top-down approach based upon biomonitoring (e.g. blood sampling) rather than a bottom-up approach that samples air, water, food, and so on. Because sources and levels of exposure change over time, exposomes can be constructed by analyzing toxicants in blood specimens obtained during critical stages of life. Initial investigations could use archived blood from prospective cohort studies to measure important classes of toxic chemicals, notably, reactive electrophiles, metals, metabolic products, hormone-like substances, and persistent organic compounds. The exposome offers health scientists an avenue for integrating research that is currently fractured along lines related to particular diseases and risk factors, and can thereby promote discovery of the key exposures responsible for chronic diseases. By embracing the exposome as its operational paradigm, exposure science can play a major role in discovering and mitigating these exposures.
Compressive behavior of aluminum/copper hybrid foams under high strain rate loading

Abstract The accessible interconnected structure of open-cell metal foams offers the opportunity to create hybrid foam materials through electrodeposited metal coatings, which has great potential for the fabrication of functionally-graded foam systems. Nanocopper coated aluminum (Al) foam was created by reinforcing conventional open-cell Al foams with electrodeposited nanocrystalline copper (Cu). The mechanical properties of such Al/Cu hybrid foam under high strain-rate compression were investigated using a split Hopkinson pressure bar and numerical methods were used to gain a further understanding on the micro-scale failure mechanisms. It was found that the stable compressive response of open-cell Al foam can be effectively enhanced by electrodeposited nanocopper coatings. However, such enhancement is limited by the relatively high brittleness of the Al/Cu hybrid foam due to the low ductility level of the electrodeposited nano-coating material. Nonetheless, this study also shows that the overall energy absorption performance of Al/Cu hybrid foams under high strain rate loading can be significantly improved by increasing the ductility level of the electrodeposited copper coating.
Dark matter as a guide toward a light gluino at the LHC

Abstract Motivated by specific connections to dark matter signatures, we study the prospects of observing the presence of a relatively light gluino whose mass is in the range ∼ ( 500 – 900 ) GeV with a wino-like lightest supersymmetric particle with mass in the range of ∼ ( 170 – 210 ) GeV . The light gaugino spectra studied here is generally different from other models, and in particular those with a wino dominated LSP, in that here the gluinos can be significantly lighter. The positron excess reported by the PAMELA satellite data is accounted for by annihilations of the wino LSP and their relic abundance can generally be brought near the WMAP constraints due to the late decay of a modulus field re-populating the density of relic dark matter. We also mention the recent FERMI photon constraints on annihilating dark matter in this class of models and implications for direct detection experiments including CDMS and XENON. We study these signatures in models of supersymmetry with non-minimal soft breaking terms derived from both string compactifications and related supergravity models which generally lead to non-universal gaugino masses. At the LHC, large event rates from the three-body decays of the gluino in certain parts of the parameter space are found to give rise to early discovery prospects for the gaugino sector. Excess events at the 5 sigma level can arise with luminosity as low as O ( 100 ) pb − 1 at a center of mass energy of 10 TeV and ≲ O ( 1 ) fb − 1 at s = 7 TeV .
The Effect of Intraventricular Blood on Cerebral Blood Flow in Newborn Dogs

ABSTRACT.: We investigated the effect of intraventricular blood on cerebral blood flow in the newborn puppy by infusing autologous blood into the lateral ventricle to produce and maintain an intraventricular pressure of approximately 15 mm Hg (mild insult), 30 mm Hg (moderate insult), or 50 mm Hg (severe insult) for 20 min. As the intraventricular pressure increased, flow decreased progressively to all areas of the brain directly proportional to the cerebral perfusion pressure. On return of the intraventricular pressure to baseline level, cerebral blood flow normalized despite the continued presence of a large amount of blood within the lateral ventricles. We suggest that blood within the ventricular system can result in a significant acute reduction of cerebral blood flow which appears to be mediated through the effect on cerebral perfusion pressure.