cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Right Minithoracotomy Versus Median Sternotomy for Mitral Valve Surgery: A Propensity Matched Study

Background The efficacy of conventional median sternotomy versus a right minithoracotomy (RT) approach to mitral valve surgery was evaluated in a single high-volume institution. Methods A retrospective analysis of a single institution's experience was performed using propensity matching of 1,694 patients who underwent mitral valve surgery during a 15-year period. Patients who had procedures that were not usually performed through an RT approach were excluded. Using 1:1 propensity score matching, we obtained 215 matched patients in each group for outcomes analysis. Results There was no difference in the median year of operation between the two groups (2002 versus 2001; p = 0.142). The RT approach was not a predictor of postoperative mortality. Predictors of mortality included increasing age, diabetes, smoking, preoperative dialysis, lung disease, advanced congestive heart failure class, and peripheral vascular disease. The RT approach was associated with less new-onset atrial fibrillation (8% versus 16%; p = 0.018), pneumonia (1% versus 5%; p = 0.049), respiratory failure (3% versus 8%; p = 0.036), and acute renal failure (2% versus 7%; p = 0.006), lower chest tube output (350 versus 840 mL; p p = 0.001). Conclusions Right minithoracotomy compared with median sternotomy for mitral valve surgery was associated with less postoperative atrial fibrillation, respiratory complications, acute renal failure, chest tube output, and use of packed red blood cells. Given study limitations, the RT approach for mitral valve surgery may have advantages over median sternotomy in selected patients.
The Manner Born: Birth Rites in Cross‐Cultural Perspective

Edited by Lauren Dundes. Walnut Creek (CA): Altamira Press, 2003. 239 pages. $27.95, paperback, $75.00, hardback.
Toxicology of Smokeless Tobacco: Implications for Immune, Reproductive, and Cardiovascular Systems

The popularity of smokeless tobacco (ST), or noncombusted tobacco, usually placed within the mouth to be chewed, sucked, or swallowed, is growing rapidly and its prevalence of use is rising globally, due (in part) to greater convenience, as allowable cigarette smoking areas are rapidly decreasing, and increased social acceptability. Though data are limited, ST usage has been directly linked to a number of adverse health outcomes. The potential role that immune dysfunction, including dysregulation of immune cells and their components, may play in the progression of these adverse health outcomes is only just beginning to emerge. Evidence suggesting reproductive outcomes, such as perinatal mortality, preterm birth, and reduced sperm viability, also exists in conjunction with ST use. Cardiovascular health may also be impacted by ST use, resulting in increased blood pressure and endothelial dysfunction, both of which may potentially lead to cardiovascular diseases. This review describes the toxicological implications associated with ST use, with emphasis on immune, reproductive, and cardiovascular outcomes. Epidemiological studies are discussed with respect to experimental studies to help develop the relationship between ST and disease pathology. This review also summarizes the gaps in ST knowledge and potential future directions that are needed to more fully delineate the complex systems driving the adverse health outcomes associated with its use.
Inherent Insensitivity to RF Inhomogeneity in FLASH Imaging

Radiofrequency (RF) field inhomogeneity is an unavoidable problem in MRI, and it becomes severe at high magnetic fields due to the dependence of B1 on the sample. It leads to nonuniformities in image intensity and contrast, causing difficulties in quantitative interpretation and image segmentation. In this work, it is observed that with the fast low-angle shot (FLASH) sequence, which is often used for anatomic imaging and morphometric studies, sensitivity to RF inhomogeneity can be substantially reduced when the same coil is used for both transmission and reception, and an appropriate nominal flip angle is employed. This observation can help us understand the signal behavior of FLASH in the presence of RF inhomogeneity, and provide a guide for selecting parameters in FLASH imaging.
Blind acquisition characteristics of PSP-based sequence detectors

The blind acquisition characteristics of binary sequence detection algorithms based on per-survivor processing (PSP) are demonstrated via computer simulations. These capabilities are impressive as compared to those of traditional blind equalizers. It is demonstrated that the short-term acquisition performance of PSP-based algorithms is dominated by the poor performance obtained when certain sequences are transmitted. These sequences are those that cannot be distinguished by the joint maximum likelihood (ML) channel and sequence estimator or do not allow for a complete identification of the channel impulse response. Such sequences are defined and analytically characterized, resulting in asymptotic results on performance for joint ML channel and sequence estimators. Typical misacquisition conditions, the effects of initialization, and the impact of increased tree search complexity are also all characterized by simulations and motivated by the analytical results.
Moosbrugger Speaks: Nietzschean Truth and Lying in Musil's Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften

The paper articulates an implicit theory of language in Musil’s unfinished novel Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften . Specifically, I argue that Musil inverts Nietzsche’s theory of language from “On Truth and Lying in a Non-Moral Sense,” and demonstrates the results of this inversion through the characters Moosbrugger and Ulrich. Where Nietzsche valorizes the poet’s relationship to language above the philosopher-scientist’s, Musil dismisses this distinction as merely rhetorical. Nietzsche’s poet-vs.-philosopher opposition simply allegorizes what is, instead, a dynamic intermingling of ‘truth’ and ‘misrepresentation’ that lies at the metaphorical heart of language, independent of its particular uses. Moosbrugger defends himself against imprecision in speech by adopting a hyper-literal stance—a defensive posture that only magnifies the poetry of language that overwhelms him. Ulrich’s opposing sensitivity to the scientific ordering of language is equally pathological. Ulrich pawns off language’s metaphoricity on reality , concluding that we should not take God’s creation “literally.” This paper shows how Musil reads Nietzsche’s theory of the original metaphoricity of language through the Judeo-Christian myth of the active word in order to reveal Moosbrugger’s muteness as the reverse side of Ulrich’s pathological facility with language. Both, in turn, are ciphers for meta-textual questions about the conditions of Musil’s own writerly production.
Inversion for permeability distribution from time-lapse gravity data

ABSTRACTUnderstanding reservoir properties plays a key role in managing a reservoir’s resources and optimizing production. History matching is an important means for characterizing those properties. We developed a method to invert for the distribution of permeability directly from time-lapse gravity data. In this process, we used fluid flow in a porous medium coupled with forward modeling of the time-lapse gravity response as the forward operator, and then we solved a nonlinear inversion to reconstruct the permeability distribution in the reservoir. We were able to formulate the deterministic inversion as a Tikhonov regularization problem because of the relatively low computational cost of forward modeling time-lapse gravity data. The inversion can combine the information from time-lapse gravity and injection-production data sets to determine a static state of the reservoir described by the permeability. The resulting model satisfied all data sets simultaneously while obeying the mechanics of fluid flow t...
Personalizing the capture of public experiences

In this paper, we describe our work on developing a system to support the personalization of a captured public experience. Specifically, we are interested in providing students with the ability to personalize the capture of the lecture experiences as part of the Classroom 2000 project. We discuss the issues and challenges involved in designing a system that performs live integration of personal streams of information with multiple other streams of information made available to it through an environment designed to capture public information.
Allorecognition Between Compound Ascidian Colonies

The compound ascidian Botryllus schlosseri reproduces asexually, and forms colonies to adhere to matrices such as rocks. This species has developed a mechanism to distinguish between self stem cells and invasive parasitizing nonself cells from other individuals of the same species, probably as a defense against parasitism. It is highly likely that such adult colony histocompatibility is controlled differently from its gametic allorecognition during fertilization. Allorecognition in adults is controlled by a single fusion/histocompatibility (FuHC) locus. In 2005, a candidate gene responsible for the phenotype associated with this genetic locus, named cFuHC, was reported; however, this proposal was subsequently refuted, and the actual determinant may exist elsewhere within the FuHC locus. Given that its is unlikely that a single gene could produce the diversity of FuHC alleles needed to determine individual identity and to distinguish self from nonself colonies, it is possible that the FuHC locus consists of a cluster of multiple determinants aligned in tandem.
Hepatic SREBP-2 and cholesterol biosynthesis are regulated by FoxO3 and Sirt6

Cholesterol homeostasis is crucial for cellular function and organismal health. The key regulator for the cholesterol biosynthesis is sterol-regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)-2. The biochemical process and physiological function of SREBP-2 have been well characterized; however, it is not clear how this gene is epigenetically regulated. Here we have identified sirtuin (Sirt)6 as a critical factor for Srebp2 gene regulation. Hepatic deficiency of Sirt6 in mice leads to elevated cholesterol levels. On the mechanistic level, Sirt6 is recruited by forkhead box O (FoxO)3 to the Srebp2 gene promoter where Sirt6 deacetylates histone H3 at lysines 9 and 56, thereby promoting a repressive chromatin state. Remarkably, Sirt6 or FoxO3 overexpression improves hypercholesterolemia in diet-induced or genetically obese mice. In summary, our data suggest an important role of hepatic Sirt6 and FoxO3 in the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis.
Monte Carlo Simulation of Contaminant Transport: I. Long-range Correlations in Fracture Conductivity

We develop a network model of fractures, and use the model to study transport of contaminants by groundwater through natural geological media. The fractures are narrow rectangular channels between large flat parallel plates, which are embedded in the surrounding rock matrix. The fracture-permeabilities and the fracture-widths are obtained from both uniform and fBm distributions. The pressure distribution in the network, and subsequently the velocity of groundwater in each channel, is obtained. The transport problem in an individual fracture is solved in Laplace space using the realized groundwater velocities and network mass conservation. The transform space solutions are then inverted to real time using a fast and efficient inversion algorithm. Monte Carlo simulations are then carried out by repeating the above procedure for a large number of realizations. The main focus of this study is to explore the effects correlated fracture-permeabilities and fracture-widths have on the transport of contaminants. While the primary transport mechanism is convection, we also study such processes as adsorption onto the fracture surface, and radioactive decay. We show how these phenomena, individually and in combination with one another, affect the overall transport process. In addition, we investigate the nature of the mixing zone, and discuss how these results can be helpful in developing remediation techniques for a contaminated site.
H-2-linked genetic control of immune responsiveness to ovalbumin and ovomucoid.

Immune responsiveness of inbred mice to low doses of ovalbumin or ovomucoid is under control of single dominant genes closely linked to alleles of the H-2 locus. High responsiveness to ovomucoid is linked with the H-2a and H-2k alleles, and to ovalbumin with the H-2b, H-2d , and H-2q alleles.
Effects of Delayed Laboratory Processing on Platelet Serotonin Levels

Tryptophan hydroxylase-1 located in the gastrointestinal tract converts tryptophan into serotonin. Available peripheral serotonin is then secreted into the vascular system and transported into the platelets for storage by the serotonin transporter gene (SERT; Cote, Fligny, Fromes, Mallet, & Vodjdani, 2004). In the periphery, the majority of the serotonin is stored inside the platelets. Stored platelet serotonin is released and bound to available serotonin receptors. The effects of this peripheral platelet serotonergic system produce marked physiological changes in the cardiovascular system. A number of these potential physiological changes are also associated with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), including (a) morphological platelet changes, (b) serotonin-mediated platelet aggregation, and (c) thrombus formation (Cote et al., 2004; Parissis et al., 2007; Steptoe & Brydon, 2008). Knowledge about the relationship between peripherally available stored platelet serotonin levels and ACS may help identify patients at risk of adverse cardiac events associated with serotonin-mediated platelet aggregation. Measurement of platelet serotonin levels, however, may pose difficulties for researchers, especially in the hospital setting. Established guidelines for the handling, processing, and storage of human blood samples for measurement of platelet serotonin levels are available, yet they are not definitive regarding time to processing (Immuno-Biological Laboratories [IBL], 2009). The standardized IBL Immuno-Biological Laboratory guidelines require “immediate” sample processing after blood sample collection followed by either conducting of an assay or frozen storage until the assay can be conducted. “Immediate” processing in this case is not defined, and is, therefore, open to interpretation. While immediate sample processing is easy to achieve in a laboratory site or with a stable population, it is more difficult to accomplish in a hospital setting where there may be less control, for example, when patients are hospitalized for ACS. It is not always feasible to transport a blood sample immediately from the catheterization laboratory or the emergency department to a research lab. As a result, processing times in patients admitted around the clock in a hospital setting for ACS may vary from sample to sample. While authors have reported problems with measurement of platelets themselves (e.g., unreliable laboratory results due to the effects of delayed time to processing after blood sample collection, exposure to anticoagulant during blood sample collection, storage temperature of the blood), we found no published papers on the effect of time to processing on platelet serotonin levels. It is, therefore, possible that time to processing influences the in vitro diagnostic quantitative determination of platelet serotonin. We conducted the present study as part of the preparation for a larger ACS trial in order to evaluate the impact of time to processing on the stability of blood samples collected for platelet serotonin analysis.
SPC: a distributed, scalable platform for data mining

The Stream Processing Core (SPC) is distributed stream processing middleware designed to support applications that extract information from a large number of digital data streams. In this paper, we describe the SPC programming model which, to the best of our knowledge, is the first to support stream-mining applications using a subscription-like model for specifying stream connections as well as to provide support for non-relational operators. This enables stream-mining applications to tap into, analyze and track an ever-changing array of data streams which may contain information relevant to the streaming-queries placed on it. We describe the design, implementation, and experimental evaluation of the SPC distributed middleware, which deploys applications on to the running system in an incremental fashion, making stream connections as required. Using micro-benchmarks and a representative large-scale synthetic stream-mining application, we evaluate the performance of the control and data paths of the SPC middleware.
Experimental study of shock-accelerated liquid layers

An experimental investigation of a shock wave interacting with one, or several, liquid layer(s) is reported with a motivation towards first wall protection in inertial fusion energy reactor chamber design. A 12.8 mm or 6.4 mm thick water layer is suspended horizontally in a large vertical shock tube in atmospheric pressure argon and subjected to a planar shock wave of strength ranging from M = 1.34 to 3.20. For the single water layer experiments, the shock-accelerated liquid results in a significant increase in end-wall pressure loading (and impulse) compared with tests without water. The end-wall loading can be reduced by more than 50% for a given volume of water when it is divided into more than one layer with interspersed layer(s) of argon. A flash X-ray technique is employed to measure the volume fraction of the shocked water layer and multiple water layers are found to dissipate more energy through the liquid fragmentation process resulting in increased shock mitigation.
Performance of dark I-V tests to determine the condition of spacecraft solar arrays

Dark I-V tests are sometimes used to determine the condition of spacecraft solar cell arrays. This is particularly true in cases where the array is mounted on the spacecraft such that some or all of the array cannot be illuminated. This paper shows that these tests are unable to find even significant damage to arrays and, for the most part, serve only as continuity checks. This is shown to be the case from both theory and experiment.
A Program For The Year 2000 Problem

This paper addresses the Year 2000 (Y2K) problem and details a program for a firm designed to eliminate or reduce the potential effects. The mission of any firms Y2K complainant program should be to take the necessary measures to ensure that proper topics are addressed. A company should have a comprehensive (global if necessary) Y2K Program in place and be committed as a company to see its success. Management needs to recognize the significant challenge represented by the Y2K problem and anticipate the need of an all out effort by all employees to ensure success. Employee involvement can range from those actually writing corrective code, to conducting and facilitating the testing procedures, to those who interface with customers to address and answer questions and concerns.
Optimizing probabilistic query processing on continuous uncertain data

Uncertain data management is becoming increasingly important in many applications, in particular, in scientific databases and data stream systems. Uncertain data in these new environments is naturally modeled by continuous random variables. An important class of queries uses complex selection and join predicates and requires query answers to be returned if their existence probabilities pass a threshold. In this work, we optimize threshold query processing for continuous uncertain data by (i) expediting joins using new indexes on uncertain data, (ii) expediting selections by reducing dimensionality of integration and using faster filters, and (iii) optimizing a query plan using a dynamic, per-tuple based approach. Evaluation results using real-world data and benchmark queries show the accuracy and efficiency of our techniques and significant performance gains over a state-of-the-art threshold query optimizer.
Convergence On A Global Accounting Standard For Leases - Impacts Of The FASB/IASB Project On Lessee Financial Statements

In this paper, we compare the current U.S. GAAP and IFRS lease accounting rules with the proposed rules under the joint FASB/IASB projects exposure draft as modified by their redeliberation decisions. Additionally, we discuss the potential financial statement impacts of the proposed changes and provide examples of the effects of constructive capitalization of operating leases on the financial statements and resulting ratios for matched pairs of Global Fortune 500 companies in industries, with each pair consisting of a company that follows U.S. GAAP versus one that follows IFRS.
Nanostructured transparent conducting oxide films for polarization control with plasmonic metasurfaces

Transparent Conducting Oxides (TCOs) enable the realization of practical plasmonic and metamaterial devices at the telecommunication frequency due to their low optical loss and CMOS compatibility. By employing a conventional dry-etching process, we have fabricated GZO plasmonic waveplates, which convert linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light.
Drug interference with laboratory blood chemistry determinations.

Pharmacologic preparations administered to patients may produce changes which alter clinical laboratory values. This review tabulates many of the alterations known to occur in blood chemistry determinations following use of such drugs.
A simple electrophoretic apparatus for rapid hemoglobin screening.

A simple electrophoresis cell has been designed for use with a recently described method for rapid hemoglobin screening on cellulose acetate. The cell has a built-in power supply, acrylic body with fixed bridge gap, gold alloy electrodes, pilot lamp, and a safety interlock. The power supply converts alternating current from 120 volts a.c. to 250 volts pulsed d.c. by means of a step-up transformer and a full wave rectifier circuit. The construction of the cell is described in detail. The cost of materials is approximately $20.
Effects of salt stress onglucosinolate contents in Arabidopsis thaliana and Thellungiella halophila rosette leaves

Glucosinolates are a group of plant secondary metabolites comprising at least 120 anionic thioglucosides with well-defined structures.Found in many members of the order Capparales,including important crops(e.g.,oilseed rape,broccoli and cabbage),glucosinolates and their degradation products play important roles in plant defense and interactions with the environment.In the past decades,the importance of these nitrogen-and sulfur-containing plant secondary metabolites has become apparent due to their function as cancer-prevention agents,crop-protection compounds,and biofumigants in agriculture.In addition,the presence of glucosinolates in the model plant,Arabidopsis thaliana,has stimulated vigorous research efforts into these interesting amino acid-derived products.Here we report glucosinolate profiles in A.thaliana,a glycophyte,and its close relative Thellungiella halophila,a halophyte,under different salt stress conditions.Exposure of A.thaliana seedlings to 5-day salt stress led to chlorosis in young leaves under 50 mmol/L and 150 mmol/L NaCl,the latter exhibited stronger chlorosis phenotype.In contrast,T.halophila did not display obvious chlorosis under these conditions.It was clearly more tolerant to salt stress than A.thaliana.We then measured tissue water content and relative electrolyte leakage.NaCl treatment caused a significant decrease in tissue water content in A.thaliana,whereas it only caused a slight reduction in T.halophila.Relative conductivity,an indicator of membrane damage,was used to indicate electrolyte leakage.After a 5-day salt treatment,relative conductivity increased in both A.thaliana and T.halophila.However,the increase in A.thaliana was much higher than that in T.halophila.The composition of glucosinolates was not varied in the rosette leaves of four-week-old A.thaliana and 6-week-old T.halophila,which were irrigated with 50 mmol/L and 150 mmol/L NaCl.The contents of total,aromatic and indole glucosinolates were not varied significantly either.However,the contents of total,aromatic and indole glucosinolates decreased after 50 mmol/L NaCl treatment and increased after 150 mmol/L NaCl treatment.Aliphatic glucosinolates 3MSOP,5MSOP and indole glucosinolates 4OHI3M and 4MOI3M in A.thaliana decreased with increasing NaCl concentrations,while aliphatic glucosinolates 6MSOH,indole glucosinolates I3M in A.thaliana and aliphatic glucosinolates 3MSOP in T.halophila increased with increasing NaCl concentrations.The contents of 8MSOO and 1MOI3M in A.thaliana,3MTP,Allyl,10MSD and 4MOI3M in T.halophila displayed a similar pattern of variation.Interestingly,only two glucosinolates were identified to be common in both A.thaliana and T.halophila,but they exhibited significantly different patterns in response to salt stress.
Connect 2 Complete: Ongoing Peer Advocacy and Service-Learning at Edmonds Community College

Connect 2 Complete (C2C) is a Campus Compact program with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. At Edmonds Community College C2C employs community-engaged peer advocacy to foster the success and completion of low-income students who need developmental education courses. Our strategy is two-pronged. First, we have supported four faculty fellows who teach developmental courses at Edmonds CC. Three fellows returned from last year and we have added a new fellow this year. Faculty fellows integrate peer advocacy and service-learning into their existing courses, integrating their efforts with the mentoring programs on campus. Second, we have enhanced, streamlined and integrated peer advocate training for mentoring programs across campus. Peer advocates, under the guidance of four full-time AmeriCorps members, lead C2C and service-learning students through hands-on service and learning activities in the community and on campus. These activities that we call “sponsored projects” reach additional low-income students who need developmental courses and provide an ongoing structure of support for C2C students when they complete their course or courses with our faculty fellows. We are exceeding our quantitative targets for reaching low-income students who need developmental education. Beginning this year and going forward we have been placing greater emphasis on the faculty fellows prong of our strategy. This strategy should have the biggest impact long-term and has been encouraged by the national office of Campus Compact. The attention to success and retention of low-income students who need developmental courses coincides with efforts to revamp our college success courses under the auspices of Achieving the Dream. C2C’s complementary and parallel efforts show considerable promise for implementing peer advocacy on a broad scale across campus as a strategy for improving the success of low-income students who need developmental education courses.
Sequential Modular Simulation of Hydrodynamics and Reaction Kinetics in a Biomass Bubbling Fluidized-Bed Gasifier Using Aspen Plus

A sequential modular simulation (SMS) approach was used to simulate hydrodynamics and detailed kinetics of a fluidized-bed biomass gasifier in Aspen Plus. The kinetics of tar cracking reactions was taken into account in the simulation. The effects of operating conditions including temperature, equivalence ratio (ER), and steam-to-biomass ratio (SBR) on the composition and the lower heating value (LHV) of the effluent gas were studied and compared with experimental data. The model predictions well agreed with the experimental data. The increase of the bed temperature significantly decreased the tar content and increased the hydrogen content of the product gas. At ER = 0.3, the increase of the temperature from 973 K to 1123 K resulted in the increase of H2 molar concentration in the product gas from 7.6% to 11.3% and CO molar concentration from 13.1% to 17.0%. At a temperature of 1073 K, the optimum ER value was 0.3 and the increase in ER from 0.2 to up to 0.3 increased the amount of fuel gases but further ...
Review of district heating and cooling systems for a sustainable future

Abstract The present study explores the implementation of district heating and cooling systems across a broad set of case studies reported in the literature. Topics addressed include their history, system identification, energy sources, design considerations, environmental impact, economic feasibility, performance analysis and the role of energy policy. The history of district heating and cooling systems reveals how available technology has influenced the configuration of district energy systems as more efficient and cleaner methods of providing heating and cooling have arisen. This leads to system identification based on primary energy sources, including the deployment of more and more renewable energy streams. Advantages and disadvantages of each energy source are examined in detail. Policies created by government and international entities will have a major impact on the future of research and development in district energy systems. Incentives may become necessary for creating favorable conditions for the efficient construction and utilization of district heating and cooling. Outcomes of these policies influence design considerations underlying any district energy system and their contribution in sustainability. Studies on greenhouse gas emissions along with the economic impacts of district energy construction are part of the design process and optimization of district energy systems should include economic and environmental considerations and not solely thermal efficiency. District heating and cooling systems are often integrated with components such as absorption chillers, cogeneration and thermal energy storage. Performance analysis using exergy and energy analysis have revealed several sources of irreversibility in district heating systems with these elements. If understood properly, these can greatly enhance system operation. Awareness and accommodation of the many factors discussed in this paper can improve the soundness of any district heating or cooling installation.
Thermodynamic considerations for epitaxial growth of III/V alloys

Abstract III/V semiconductor alloys have been extensively studied because of their usefulness for electronic and photonic devices. Nevertheless, the search for new alloys for specific applications continues. Often, thermodynamic factors restrict the compositional range accessible by epitaxial growth processes, particularly when the size difference between atoms mixing on a particular sublattice is large. This causes solid phase immiscibility, leading to important effects on the epitaxial growth, the resultant alloy properties, and, consequently, device performance. Stringent thermodynamic limits exist for a number of alloys being considered for advanced LED, laser, and solar cell applications where the atomic sizes are very dissimilar, such as GaInN, GaAsN and GaAsBi. This paper will review the basic thermodynamics of the epitaxial growth processes and mixing in semiconductor alloys, as well as the causes and consequences of the resultant complex microstructures.
Agent-Based Models for Financial Crises

This article describes the agent-based approach to modeling financial crises. It focuses on the interactions of agents and on how these interactions feed back to change the financial environment. It explains how these models embody the contagion and cascades that occur owing to the financial leverage and market concentration of the agents and the liquidity of the markets. This article also compares agent-based models to the standard economic approach to crises and shows the ways in which agent-based models overcome limitations of economic models when dealing with financial crises. In particular, this article demonstrates how agent-based models replace homogeneous, representative agents with heterogeneous agents and optimization with heuristics, and how such models move away from a focus on equilibrium, allowing non-ergodic dynamics that are manifest during financial crises to emerge.
Burnout and depression in medical students: Relations with avoidance and disengagement

Abstract Purpose Depression and burnout are prevalent among medical students and significantly impact functioning and quality of life. Thus, gaining a greater understanding of coping strategies that relate to depression and burnout can enhance the ability of medical schools to improve psychological wellbeing. The current study assesses how avoidance and decreased engagement in values-based behavior, key processes targeted in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, relate to depression and burnout in medical students. Method: A survey was sent to second-, third-, and fourth-year medical students at a large Midwestern university. Respondents (N = 241) completed self-report measures of depression, burnout (encompassing emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment), avoidance, and values-based behavior. Associations between variables were examined using bivariate correlations and regression analyses. Results Nearly 25% of the sample was experiencing clinically significant depressive symptoms and 51% experiencing burnout. Greater avoidance and lower engagement in values-based behavior were associated with greater depressive symptoms, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization. In contrast, lower avoidance and higher values-based behavior were associated with greater personal accomplishment. Conclusions Burnout and depression were associated with avoidance and decreased engagement in values-based behavior. Interventions aimed at targeting these difficulties and maladaptive coping strategies may offer an opportunity to enhance medical student well-being and mental health.
In-situ Indentation and Correlated Precession Electron Diffraction Analysis of a Polycrystalline Cu Thin Film

In-situ TEM nanoindentation of a polycrystalline Cu film was cross-correlated with precession electron diffraction (PED) to quantify the microstructural evolution. The use of PED is shown to clearly reveal features, such as grain size, that are easily masked by diffraction contrast created by the deformation. Using PED, the accompanying grain refinement and change in texture as well as the preservation of specific grain boundary structures, including a ∑3 boundary, under the indent impression were quantified. The nucleation of dislocations, evident in low-angle grain boundary formations, was also observed under the indent. PED quantification of texture gradients created by the indentation process linked well to bend contours observed in the bright-field images. Finally, PED enabled generating a local orientation spread map that gave an approximate estimation of the spatial distribution of strain created by the indentation impression.
Children as Mediators of Their Own Cognitive Development: The Case of Learning Science in Kindergarten and First Grade.

As the United States experiences greater income inequality, more and more students experience an early science achievement gap. This study tested several competing theoretical models of early scien...
Culture temperature modulates half antibody and aggregate formation in a Chinese hamster ovary cell line expressing a bispecific antibody.

Therapeutic bispecific antibodies are formed by assembly of multichain polypeptides. In general, a bispecific antibody has two different light chains and two different heavy chains that fold and correctly pair via engineered interchain interactions. Because of some incorrect assembly, product-related impurities can be prevalent (e.g., half molecules, mispaired light chains, homodimers), requiring its removal during subsequent purification. In this study, we investigated the modulation of impurity levels in a stable Chinese hamster ovary cell line X expressing a bispecific antibody A formed by two light chains (LC1 and LC2) and two heavy chains (HC1 and HC2) that assembled intracellularly into a heterodimer (LC1-HC1 + LC2-HC2) via engineered charged residues. Cell line X exhibited the best volumetric productivity, growth, and viability in culture compared with other clones but also showed higher levels of half antibody species (>10%); therefore, to minimize process yield loss, better understanding, and control of impurity formation was pursued. We found this cell line decreased half antibody levels from 16% to 1% when temperature changed from 36°C to 32.5°C or 31.5°C. However, lower temperature also increased high-molecular-weight (HMW) species from 4% to 12%. To determine the impurity species composition, we characterized enriched fractions with half antibody or HMW. Intact mass spectrometry analysis revealed half antibody was LC2-HC2, whereas HMW was a mixture with ~50% as LC1-HC1 homodimer. Results suggested LC2-HC2 was easily folded and could be secreted as half antibody, especially at 36°C. On the contrary, LC1-HC1 was more susceptible to misfold or aggregate, a phenomenon more acute for cell line X at lower culture temperature because of 60% increased LC1 and HC1 messenger RNA levels. Although temperature modulation was cell line X-specific, the propensity of LC2-HC2 to form half antibodies and LC1-HC1 to aggregate appeared in other cell lines also expressing bispecific antibody A, suggesting an amino-acid sequence-dependent mechanism. In summary, impurity formation in cell line X was temperature-dependent and was influenced by different molecule characteristics between the LC1-HC1 and LC2-HC2 parts. Ultimately, we selected a biphasic cell culture process with a growth phase followed by a lower temperature phase to improve product quality and purification yield.
Transatlantic transmissions in opera: the forgotten work of Czech-American Designer Richard Rychtarik

This paper restores to the historical record the work of the Czech-American theater designer Richard Rychtarik (1894–1982). Born in what would later become Czechoslovakia, and trained as an archite...
Plasticity of Mating Duration in Response to Slightly Biased Operational Sex Ratios in the Water Strider (Aquarius remigis): The Effect of Cohabitation Under Standard Laboratory Conditions

In polygynandrous species, males face the trade-off between the pursuit of increased mating opportunities and securing paternity. Within such systems, males need to accurately assess the social composition of the local environment to maximize fitness. Here, we investigated this capability in the water strider (Aquarius remigis), a semi-aquatic insect known to exhibit a broad spectrum of mating behaviors and inhabit a socially diverse and changing environment. Using a combination of methodological designs to track both within- and between-subject effects, individuals remained in same-sex housing prior to being exposed to slightly biased operational sex ratios (2:1 vs. 1:2) with or without prior cohabitation to determine the effects on mating duration. Results show that males were sensitive to these subtle differences in social conditions, mating for longer periods within male-biased environments, but this was true only under conditions with prior cohabitation. In particular, when individuals could acclimate to the testing environment, mating duration dropped precipitously in female-biased conditions. These findings do not support the view that male water striders have consistent behavioral syndromes, and instead show that individuals are able to differentiate between, and adaptively respond to, small changes in the local sex ratio. In addition to improving our understanding of the plasticity of male mating behavior in this species, this study offers new insights for future laboratory research studying reproductive competition across a diverse range of polygynandrous animals.
Modeling the effect of antibiotic exposure on the transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in hospitals with environmental contamination

In this paper both deterministic and stochastic models are developed to explore the roles that antibiotic exposure and environmental contamination play in the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), in hospitals. Uncolonized patients without or with antibiotic exposure, colonized patients without or with antibiotic exposure, uncontaminated or contaminated healthcare workers, and free-living bacteria are included in the models. Under the assumption that there is no admission of the colonized patients, the basic reproduction number R0 is calculated. It is shown that when R0 1, the infection is uniformly persistent. Numerical simulations and sensitivity analysis show that environmental cleaning is a critical intervention, and hospitals should use antibiotics properly and as little as possible. The rapid and efficient treatment of colonized patients, especially those with antibiotic exposure, is key in controlling MRSA infections. Screening and isolating colonized patients at admission, and improving compliance with hand hygiene are also important control strategies.
Phosphine absorption in the 5-micron window of Jupiter

Since the original suggestion by Gillett et al. (1969) it has generally been assumed that the region of partial transparency near 5 micron in Jupiter's atmosphere (the 5-micron window) is bounded by the nu sub 4 NH3 at 6.1 micron and the nu sub 3 CH4 band at 3.3 micron. New measurements of Jupiter and of laboratory phosphine (PH3) samples show that PH3 is a significant contributor to the continuum opacity in the window and in fact defines its short-wavelength limit. This has important implications for the use of 5-micron observations as a means to probe the deep atmospheric structure of Jupiter. The abundance of PH3 which results from a comparison of Jovian and laboratory spectra is about 3 to 5 cm-am. This is five to eight times less than that found by Larson et al. (1977) in the same spectral region, but is in good agreement with the result of Tokunaga et al. (1979) from 10-micron observations.
Correction to: Incremental Beliefs, STEM Efficacy and STEM Interest among First-Year Undergraduate Students

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake in the article title. The word “Students” was inadvertently deleted.
Synesthesia and the Perception of Unseen Realities

Exceptional experiences (ExE) incorporate a range of phenomena including subjective paranormal and transpersonal experiences. Synesthesia and synesthetic experiences are discussed as important vari...
Improving the usability of a digital neurobehavioral assessment

The rapid advancement of technology has encouraged the transition to digital psychological assessment [1, 2, 3]. The most recent trend is the use of mobile devices for neurophysiological, clinical, and/or computerized test batteries [4]. This rate of change has led to new and unique usability challenges [5]. The current work evaluated the usability of a neurobehavioral assessment application developed by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and Northwestern University that assesses neurological and behavioral function. A usability analysis of the NIH Toolbox® application, which is capable of assessing cognition, emotion, motor, and sensation, was performed and redesign recommendations were provided. The analysis consisted of: (1) user feedback, (2) heuristic evaluations, and (3) user testing. The analyses, results and recommendations are presented and focus on: (a) Reorganization to support task flow, (b) Search optimization for transparency of options and selections, and (c) Simplicity, for ease of use.
Evaluation of [225Ac]Ac-DOTA-anti-VLA-4 for targeted alpha therapy of metastatic melanoma

Abstract Very late antigen 4 (VLA-4; also called integrin α4β1) is overexpressed in melanoma tumor cells with an active role in tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis, making VLA-4 a potential target for targeted alpha therapy (TAT). Methods An anti-VLA-4 antibody was conjugated to DOTA for [225Ac]Ac-labeling and DTPA for [111In]In-labeling. The resulting agents, [225Ac]Ac- or [111In]In-labeled anti-VLA-4 were evaluated in vitro, including binding affinity, internalization, and colony formation assays as well as in vivo biodistribution studies. In addition, the therapeutic efficacy of [225Ac]Ac-DOTA-anti-VLA-4 was evaluated in a disseminated disease mouse model of melanoma. Results [111In]In-DTPA-anti-VLA-4 demonstrated high affinity for VLA-4 (Kd = 5.2 ± 1.6 nM). [225Ac]Ac-DOTA-anti-VLA-4 was labeled with an apparent molar activity of 3.5 MBq/nmol and > 95% radiochemical purity. Colony formation assays demonstrated a decrease in the surviving fraction of B16F10 cells treated with [225Ac]Ac-DOTA-anti-VLA-4 compared to control. Biodistribution studies demonstrated accumulation in the VLA-4-positive tumor and VLA-4 rich organs. Therapeutic efficacy studies demonstrated a significant increase in survival in mice treated with [225Ac]Ac-DOTA-anti-VLA-4 as compared to controls. Conclusion The work presented here demonstrated that [225Ac]Ac-DOTA-anti-VLA-4 was effective as a treatment in mice with disseminated disease, but potentially has dose limiting hematopoietic toxicity. Preliminary studies presented here also supported the potential to overcome this limitation by exploring a pre-loading or blocking dose strategy, to optimize the targeting vector to help minimize the absorbed dose to VLA-4 rich organs while maximizing the dose delivered to VLA-4-positive melanoma tumor cells.
A high-amplitude atmospheric inertia–gravity wave-induced meteotsunami in Lake Michigan

On Friday, April 13, 2018, a high-amplitude atmospheric inertia–gravity wave packet with surface pressure perturbations exceeding 10 mbar crossed the lake at a propagation speed that neared the long-wave gravity speed of the lake, likely producing Proudman resonance. A set of meteotsunami waves struck the shores near Ludington, Michigan, a coastal community along the sandy dunes of Lake Michigan. During the event, harbor walls were overtopped, damage occurred to shoreline homes and boat docks, and water intake pumps were impacted due to the large change in water level. To fully understand the generation of this event and the impacts to the coastal community, we have carried out atmospheric and hydrodynamic model simulations of the inertia–gravity and meteotsunami waves. Atmospheric simulation of the inertia–gravity waves was performed using a high-resolution model for the Great Lakes region that mimics the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration High-Resolution Rapid Refresh operational model. Surface meteorological conditions were supplied to the Lake Michigan-Huron Operational Forecast System, an operational model used for hydrodynamic forecast guidance. This is the first documented case of a meteotsunami generated by an atmospheric inertia–gravity wave in the Great Lakes, and it provides an evaluation of existing and proposed operational infrastructure as it pertains to meteotsunami forecasting in the USA.