cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strong association of carotid plaques with mortality and cardiovascular morbidity in hemodialysis patients

Strong association of carotid plaques with mortality and cardiovascular morbidity in hemodialysis patients
TASTE INTENSITY AS A FUNCTION OF STIMULUS CONCENTRATION AND SOLVENT VISCOSITY

The method of magnitude estimation was used to determine how viscosities imparted by sodium carboxymethylcellulose affect the taste intensities of various concentrations of glucose, citric acid, sodium chloride and quinine sulfate. For almost all levels of concentration across the four substances, an increase in the viscosity of the aqueous solvent produced decreases in taste intensity. A power function with a negative slope was chosen to describe the relation between the apparent viscosity (V, in centipoises) and the taste intensity (T): T=kV-n , where n varied between 0.05 and 0.20. The relation between the concentration of the sapid chemical and the taste intensity, in most instances, also conformed to a power function, although some deviations occurred at low stimulus levels.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Family Preservation Services for the Families of Drug-Exposed Infants: A Pilot Study

Twenty-seven families of drug-exposed infants were followed during their participation in a community-based program designed to enhance child well-being and prevent out-of-home placement. The progr...
Photon gated spectral hole burning in SrTiO3 : Cr3+

Abstract Persistent spectral holes were observed in the R-lines of SrTiO3:Cr3+ at 2 K. The hole burning mechanism was shown to be due to a two-photon or gated process, where a second optical excitation causes bleaching by photoionization of Cr3+. The trapping center responsible for the hole burning is postulated to be an oxygen vacancy in the lattice associated with a Cr3+ ion. A series of samples reduced at different temperatures was studied, and the hole burning efficiency was seen to be strongly dependent on reduction temperature.
Low rate of large polyps (>9 mm) within 10 years after an adequate baseline colonoscopy with no polyps.

Background & Aims Guidelines recommend a 10-year interval between screening colonoscopies with negative results for average-risk individuals. However, many patients are examined at shorter intervals. We investigated outcomes of individuals with no polyps who had repeat colonoscopy in Methods Data were collected using the National Endoscopic Database, from 69 gastroenterology centers, on 264,184 asymptomatic subjects who underwent screening colonoscopies from 2000 through 2006, were found to have no polyps, and received another colonoscopy examination within Results No polyps were found in 147,375 patients during a baseline colonoscopy; 17,525 patients (11.9%) had a follow-up colonoscopy within 9 mm—a proportion similar to the prevalence in the average-risk screening population. Reasons that examinations were repeated within 1–5 years included average-risk screening (15.7%), family history of colon polyps or cancer (30.1%), bleeding (31.2%), gastrointestinal symptoms (11.8%), or a positive result from a fecal blood test (5.5%). If the baseline examination was adequate, the incidence of large polyps within 1–5 years after baseline colonoscopy was 3.1% (95% confidence interval: 2.7–3.5) and within years 5–10 years was 3.7% (95% confidence interval: 3.3–4.1). Conclusions Repeat colonoscopies within 10 years are of little benefit to patients who had adequate examinations and were found to have no polyps. Repeat colonoscopies are beneficial to patients when the baseline examination was compromised.
Origin of Sex for Error Repair II. Rarity and Extreme Environments

In a previous paper we studied the simultaneous, and at times conflicting, needs of coping with DNA damage, efficient cell replication, and the avoidance of cell mortality. These selective factors operated on sexual and asexual haploid and diploid populations that were reproductively isolated from one another. We concluded, in part, that a sexual type of cell could not expand from extreme rarity in populations dominated by asexual haploid and diploid cells. In the present paper we show that it is relatively easy for a rare sexual mutant to expand in a population dominated by asexual haploid cells if some matings occur between sexual and asexual cell types. We also study the persistence of sex in high mortality, high damage environments, in which neither the asexual diploid nor haploid can survive. The diploid cannot survive because its lower birth rate cannot overcome mortality and the haploid cannot survive because its birth rate cannot overcome gene damage. Sex can persist in these punishing environments by tuning the parameters of the sexual cycle, and the fusion and splitting rates, into a specified region, thereby reaping both benefits of damage repair and efficient replication.
Are environmental scanning units effective

Abstract This article describes results of three empirical studies of formal environmental scanning systems. Two of these studies, Fahey and King (1978) and Thomas (1980) have already appeared in journals. The third study, presented here, is a longitudinal extension of Fahey and King. The article focuses on a debate over the extent and effectiveness of formal environmental scanning; the Thomas study generally optimistic, the Fahey-King and Stubbart studies less so. A number of factors which influence the growth pattern of environmental scanning units are discussed: attitudes of academics and media, demonstrated success, and veteran personnel foster scanning unit acceptance; changes in top management, decentralization, financial controls, defining information needs, unknown personnel, and difficulties in obtaining/integrating technical and political-government information threaten scanning unit success. The effect of organization performance on scanning unit survival is assessed; it is concluded that poor performance often leads to unsettling changes in scanning practices. Finally, academics and managers are cautioned not to expect too much from environmental scanning.
High-resolution stratigraphy of the deep-water lower Cloridorme Formation (Ordovician), Gaspé Peninsula, based on K-bentonite and megaturbidite correlations

The Ordovician Cloridorme Formation is a thick foreland-basin turbidite succession that for several decades has served as a natural laboratory for the long-distance physical tracing and study of single turbidites. A robust temporal correlation of these deposits is a prerequisite for the evaluation of sedimentary processes. Published stratigraphic subdivisions of the lower part of the Cloridorme Formation have impeded rather than facilitated such studies because of errors in the physical correlation of contemporaneous deposits. Tracing of the deposits of exceptionally large gravity flows, known as "megaturbidites," was previously recognized as a useful stratigraphic tool. Here, we strengthen and revise the stratigraphic framework based on megaturbidites by considering nine widely traceable and geochemically fingerprinted tuffs (K-bentonites). Two discriminant functions incorporating the abundances of six trace elements (V, Sm, Nd, Th, Er, Zr) permit the unambiguous distinction of the lower four tuffs. The ...
Electrophysiological studies of subcortical-cortical relations in man.

Abstract 1. 1. Different varieties of evoked electrocortical activities have been studied during stereotaxic neurosurgical procedures carried out in dyskinetic patients. 2. 2. Recruiting reponses differing in latency, wave-form and cortical distribution are described following low-frequency stimulation of different components of the non-specific thalamic projection system. Criteria are defined for distinguishing these activities from augmenting sequences elicited by stimulation of specific thalamo-cortical pathways, as well as other activities evoked by capsular, radiation and striatal activation. 3. 3. Behavioral alterations consisting of activation of pre-existing tremor or generalized arousal have been observed during high-frequency stimulation in non-specific thalamic nuclei. In contrast recruiting and augmenting responses and other evoked activities initiated by low-frequency stimulation of a variety of subcortical sites were not associated with overt behavioral manifestations. These data suggest that activation of tremor or dyskinetic movements in patients is largely referable to stimulation of elements constituting the thalamic reticular system.
Robust approximate dynamic programming and global stabilization with nonlinear dynamic uncertainties

We propose a framework of robust approximate dynamic programming (robust-ADP), which is aimed at computing globally asymptotically stabilizing, suboptimal, control laws with robustness to dynamic uncertainties, via on-line/off-line learning. The system studied in this paper is an interconnection of a linear model with fully measurable state and unknown dynamics, and a nonlinear system with unmeasured state and unknown system order and dynamics. Differently from other ADP schemes in the past literature, the robust-ADP framework allows for learning from an unknown environment in the presence of dynamic uncertainties. The main contribution of the paper is to show that robust optimal control problems can be solved by integration of ADP and small-gain techniques.
Salvage of endoluminal exclusion of an anastomotic arch aneurysm with a "kissing" carotid stent.

Traditional open repair of thoracic aortic aneurysms remains a high-risk surgical procedure. Thoracic aneurysm stent-graft repair is evolving but has promise as a minimally invasive treatment option. Herein a case is presented of an anastomotic arch aneurysm treated with a custom-made thoracic stent-graft after a left subclavian artery–to–carotid artery transposition. Proximal extension for a type I endoleak necessitated a bailout procedure with a "kissing" left common carotid artery bare stent.
Cervical cancer screening: who is not screened and why?

BACKGROUND: The decline in death rates from cervical cancer in the United States has been widely attributed to the use of Papanicolaou (Pap) smears for early detection of cervical cancer. METHODS: Pap smear screening rates, beliefs about appropriate screening intervals and factors affecting screening were examined using 1987 National Health Interview Survey data. RESULTS: Results indicate that through age 69, Blacks are screened at similar or higher rates than Whites. Hispanics, particularly those speaking only or mostly Spanish, are least likely to have received a Pap smear within the last three years. Of women who had never heard of or never had a Pap smear, nearly 80 percent reported contact with a medical practitioner in the past two years, while more than 90 percent reported a contact in the past five years. Overall, the most frequently reported reason for not having a recent Pap smear was procrastinating or not believing it was necessary. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, in developing screening programs, Hispanic...
Changes in Positive Self-Views Mediate the Effect of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder:

Social anxiety disorder is thought to be characterized by maladaptive self-views. This study investigated whether (a) patients with social anxiety disorder (n = 75) differ at baseline from healthy controls (n = 43) in negative and positive self-views, (b) cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for social anxiety disorder versus wait-list control produces statistically and clinically significant changes in negative and positive self-views, (c) changes in self-views mediate the effect of CBT on social anxiety symptoms, and (d) changes in self-views during CBT related to social anxiety symptoms at 1-year post-CBT. As expected, patients endorsed more negative and fewer positive self-views than healthy controls at baseline. Compared to wait-list control, CBT yielded statistically and clinically significant changes, specifically, fewer negative and more positive self-views. Mediational analysis indicated that increased positive (but not reduced negative) self-views mediated the effect of CBT on social anxiety reduction. Correlational analyses determined that increased positive self-views were associated with social anxiety symptom reduction at 1-year post-CBT.
Evaluation of a new disposable plate dialyzer and the adverse effect of recirculation single pass dialysis on clearance.

A new disposable plate dialyzer (PF = Travenol Paraflo 1.0 m2 11.5 mu Cuprophan), is compared with an older device of similar design (GL = Gambro Lundia Nova 1.0 m2 13.5 mu Cuprophan). The ultrafiltration rate (UF) relative to dialyzer pressure (DP) was greater for GL (3.90 +/- .02 DP ml/min) than for this lot of PF (2.71 +/- .01 DP ml/min). In vivo clearance of urea and creatinine in single pass for PF was 132 +/- 5 ml/min and 106 +/- 5 ml/min, respectively, at mean blood rate of 200 ml/min. RSP produced significantly lower urea and creatinine clearance (p less than .005, less than .025). These values were not significantly different from those for GL. Decrease in patient BUN and plasma creatinine during dialysis corroborated the clearance data. SP operation of these plate dialyzers is recommended since the disadvantages of RSP outweigh its advantages.
Noise in Ice-Tethered Profiler and McLane Moored Profiler velocity measurements

In order to measure current profiles, and most recently, turbulent fluxes, moored profiling instrument have been equipped with acoustic travel-time current sensors. Noise in the measured currents has exceeded expectations. A customized Falmouth Scientific acoustic current sensor on a McLane Moored Profiler (MMP) has a standard deviation of measured velocity that is 4.4% of the profiler velocity in still water and a modified Modular Acoustic Velocity Sensor (MAVS) on an MMP and an Ice-Tethered Profiler (ITP) has a standard deviation of 4.6% of profiler velocity. Both of these sensors measure velocity along four acoustic paths and the water velocities were computed neglecting their downstream paths.
A model-integrated information system for increasing throughput in discrete manufacturing

The use of information systems (IS) has been increasingly playing a critical role towards enhancing productivity and throughput in manufacturing enterprises. The primary drivers are efficiency and quality increase through automation, facilitation of better business processes and improved decision making. Many problems and issues relating to the design, development, integration, evolution and maintenance of ISs in large-scale and complex plants have become apparent which are not adequately addressed by the traditional Process Monitoring and Control (PM&C) systems. Model-Integrated Computing (MIC) offers a feasible approach towards providing cost-effective development, integration, evolution and maintenance of ISs through the extensive use of plant models. This paper describes an application of MIC in providing a problem-solving environment and decision support tool in the context of discrete manufacturing operations at Saturn. The Saturn Site Production Flow (SSPF) system is a client-server application, designed to provide consistent and pertinent information, analysis and decision support services that are needed for informed decision making.
On the effect of heat release in turbulence spectra of non-premixed reacting shear layers

Velocity, mixture fraction and temperature spectra obtained from five direct numerical simulations of non-reacting and reacting shear layers, using the infinitely fast chemistry approximation, are analysed. Two different global chemical reactions corresponding to methane and hydrogen combustion with air, respectively, are considered. The effect of heat release, i.e. density variation, on the inertial and dissipation turbulence subrange of the spectra is investigated. Analysis of the database supports the experimentally available measurements of spectra in turbulent reacting flows showing that heat release effects can be scaled out by utilizing Favre-averaged (density-weighted) large-scale turbulence quantities. This is supported by the simulation results for velocity and mixture fraction in our moderate-Reynolds-number flows but it appears to be less supported in the dissipation subrange of the temperature spectra. The departure from universal scaling using Favre-averaged quantities in the temperature spectrum, which is evident in the dissipation subrange, appears to be caused by the strong nonlinearity of the state relationship relating the mixture fraction to the temperature, as has been suggested previously. These effects are less pronounced at intermediate wavenumbers. Analysis suggests that the nonlinear state relationship and the spectra of mixture fraction moments can be used to reconstruct the temperature spectrum across the flow. Moreover, the governing equation for the temperature variance is analysed to identify a possible surrogate for the overall rate of dissipation of temperature fluctuations and their corresponding dissipation length scale. This scaling analysis is then used to separate planes across the shear layer where the temperature dissipation length scale is alike that of the mixture fraction from regions where smaller length scales are present, and are evidenced in the dissipation subrange using Kolmogorov scaling. In our simulations, these regions correspond to the centre of the shear layer and the mean flame location. The new estimate for the temperature dissipation length scale is able to collapse the compensated spectra profiles at all planes across the shear layer for all simulations.
The emergence of learning-related social skills in preschool children

Abstract Recent research has pointed to the role of learning-related social skills in academic achievement and school success [Cooper & Farran, 1988; McClelland, Morrison, & Holmes, 2000]. Learning-related social skills tap the domains of independence, responsibility, self-regulation, and cooperation. The present study examined the nature and stability of teacher ratings of early learning-related social skills in 72 preschool children at 3–4 years and 1 year later. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that a construct labeled “learning-related social skills” emerged in ratings of preschool children and showed moderate variability. Further, ratings of children’s early learning-related social skills were relatively stable over a 1-year period. Discussion focused on the emergence of learning-related social skills during the preschool period and possible role of these skills for early school success.
QUANTUM DESCRIPTION OF A DEGENERATE P-N JUNCTION COUPLED TO AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT

A theory of Coulomb blockade of tunneling in a degenerate p-n junction is presented. Perturbation theory and temperature Green's functions are used to obtain the current–voltage characteristics. The formulation extends the theory of Coulomb blockade in MIM junctions, to junctions in which the characteristics of the device, is partly determined by the many particle interaction in the electrodes. Exact analytical expressions for the I-V at zero temperature and approximate expressions at nonzero temperatures are obtained. Among the novel features observed are: an asymmetry in the current–voltage characteristics even for voltages on the scale of the Coulomb blockade threshold and threshold like behavior below (e/2C).
Ultrasonic feature based imaging for post-factum control

This work focuses on the ultrasonic feature-mapping technique for post-factum control. Feature-based analysis and material state imaging constitute a powerful technique, applying both physically and statistically based principles. The technique integrates many data collection procedures, such as critical angles, surface waves, plate waves, and backscattering techniques, into an extremely versatile data acquisition protocol and entails detailed analysis through state-of-the-technology signal processing, pattern recognition, and system and/or artificial intelligence implementation practice. The various existing possibilities for physically based data collection and the types of feature domains and features available for anomaly representation in materials are discussed. Possible applications of feature-based imaging in a manufacturing environment through post factum quality control are considered. >
The Impact of Product and Service Quality on Brand Loyalty

Abstract An exploratory study was conducted to examine the impact of product quality and service quality on attitude- and behavior-based brand loyalty for quick-service restaurants. A total of 175 respondents were surveyed. The results showed that quick-service restaurants need to be more concerned with product quality especially in taste, freshness, and temperature, and focus on their overall service quality to build brand loyalty. Moreover, the results from correlation tests show that brand loyalty for one brand may affect brand loyalty towards another brand. The restaurants considered were McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's.
Factors Influencing Procainamide Total Body Clearance in the Immediate Postmyocardial Infarction Period

Fifteen acute myocardial infarction patients (only one of whom had evidence of significant renal dysfunction) received a constant-rate intravenous infusion of procainamide at one rate for a least 24 hours. Steady-state plasma levels achieved during these infusions were used to calculate total body clearance (C/B). Linear regression analysis of C/B versus a variety of clinical and laboratory patient characteristics yielded only body weight (or parameters derived from it) as a significant covariant (r = 0.713, P less than or equal to 0.005). Interestingly, the data from these 15 patients suggest that the presence of a significant degree of heart failure at the start of therapy did not result in a significant decrease in C/B (C/B = 5.9 ml/min/kg when class 0-I failure was present at the start of therapy and C/B = 5.5 ml/min/kg when class III-IV failure was present). If the data from five other patients who were studied previously are added to the group reported here, the conclusions reached would be the same. These data suggest that in patients with good renal and hepatic function, initial procainamide infusion rate could be selected on the basis of body weight and need not consider the initial presence of moderate heart failure. However, intense clinical monitoring for signs of impeding serious toxicity is strongly recommended since the observed regression line did not predict total body clearance accurately in 10-15 per cent of the patients studied.
A new state assignment technique for asynchronous finite state machines

The authors propose an efficient critical race-free state assignment technique for asynchronous finite-state machines under the unbounded gate delay model. Instead of using the Huffman model, it operates on the state graph model, in which all signals are treated uniformly and hazards can be characterized as a violation of the complete state coding (CSC) property. The proposed state assignment technique first detects CSC violations and then eliminates them using a modified greedy graph-coloring heuristic. >
Group foraging and trail following behavior of the red-headed pine sawfly Neodiprion lecontei (Fitch) (Hymenoptera: Symphyta: Diprionidae).

Abstract Larval sawfly foraging behavior is understudied in comparison to defoliating Lepidoptera, yet the parallel lifestyles of these groups suggest that similar behavioral and physiological adaptations may have arisen in response to common selective pressures. The red-headed pine sawfly, Neodiprion lecontei (Fitch), is a gregarious diprionid that forages nomadically on a variety of pine species. We investigated the behavioral basis of group foraging in N. lecontei, in particular trail following and colony foraging dynamics, in order to better understand the mechanisms contributing to group cohesion in this species. We show that N. lecontei is, like many social Lepidoptera, a trail follower, showing a strong preference for substrate contacted by foraging conspecifics. This may be the first study to demonstate trail following behavior in a social sawfly. In ad libitum group movement studies, larval groups did not colonize new patches in a single migratory pulse but migrated over a period of hours solitar...
A Model-Fitting Approach To Cluster Validation With Application To Stochastic Model-Based Image Segmentation

An unsupervised stochastic model-based image segmentation technique requires the model parameters for the various image classes in an observed image to be estimated directly from the image. In this work, a clustering scheme is used for the model parameter estimation. Most of the existing clustering procedures require prior knowledge of the number of classes which is often, as in unsupervised image segmentation, unavailable and has to be estimated. The problem of determining the number of classes directly from observed data is known as the cluster validation problem. For unsupervised image segmentation, the solution of this problem directly affects the quality of the segmentation. In this work, we propose a model-fitting approach to the cluster validation problem based upon Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC). The explicit evaluation of the AIC is achieved through an approximate maximum-likelihood (ML) estimation algorithm. We demonstrate the efficacy and robustness of the proposed approach through experimental results for both synthetic mixture data and image data.
Vascularized Plantar Myocutaneous Free Flap Transfer for Amputee Stump Preparation: A Proof of Concept Cadaver Study

ABSTRACTLower extremity amputee stump ulceration, irritation, and pain have been a deterrent to consistent long-term or continuous use of lower extremity prosthetics. This study is the first in a series that hypothesizes that these complications can be minimized through the insetting of a vascularized plantar free flap (VPFF) on the amputee stump. Using three hip disarticulated cadaver specimens, a VPFF was designed, dissected, and implanted on one transfemoral and two transtibial stumps. Using accepted vascular anastomosis techniques, the posterior tibial artery was anastomosed to the distal femoral or popliteal artery with corresponding anastomoses for venous drainage. In addition, the possibility of a limited to partial sensate flap may be created with a neurorrhaphy of the associated nerves. This potentially sensate area would provide plantar skin that aids the existing local sensate flap used to close the defect. It is hypothesized that this procedure offers significant rehabilitative and long-term b...
Tumor necrosis factor-α and kidney function: experimental findings in mice

TNF-α has been implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension and renal injury. However, the direct effect of TNF-α on the regulation of renal hemodynamic and excretory function was not examined until recently. In a series of studies in our laboratory, the renal responses to acute intravenous infusion of TNF-α (0.33 ng/g/min; for 75 min) were evaluated in anesthetized mice. Renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were determined by PAH and inulin clearances. The urine was collected from a cannula inserted into the bladder. TNF-α infusion alone (n = 7) caused marked decreases of 25±5% in RBF and 41±7% in GFR without altering systemic arterial pressure or heart rate. However, interestingly there were marked increases in urine flow (70±21%) and sodium excretion (106±18%) in response to TNF-α administration. These responses were prevented in mice pretreated with TNF-α blocker, etanercept. However, while the diuretic and natriuretic responses to TNF-α remained intact, RBF response was further enhanced in mice pretreated with NO synthase inhibitor, nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) but completely abolished, rather increased in mice pretreated with superoxide (O2 −) scavenger, tempol. The diuretic and natriuretic responses to TNF-α are only prevented in mice pretreated with combined amiloride and bendroflumethiazide that would block distal tubular sodium transport. These data suggest that TNF-α induces renal vasoconstriction and hypofiltration via enhancing the activity of O2 − and thus reducing the bioactivity of NO. The natriuretic response to TNF-α is related to its direct inhibitory action on distal tubular sodium transport.
Phosphine-iminopyridines as platforms for catalytic hydrofunctionalization of alkenes.

A series of phosphine-diimine ligands were synthesized by the condensation of 2-(diphenylphosphino)aniline (PNH2) with a variety of formyl and ketopyridines. Condensation of PNH2 with acetyl- and benzoylpyridine yielded the Ph2P(C6H4)N═C(R)(C5H4N), respectively abbreviated PNMepy and PNPhpy. With ferrous halides, PNPhpy gave the complexes FeX2(PNPhpy) (X = Cl, Br). Condensation of pyridine carboxaldehyde and its 6-methyl derivatives with PNH2 was achieved using a ferrous template, affording low-spin complexes [Fe(PNHpyR)2]2+ (R = H, Me). Dicarbonyls Fe(PNRpy)(CO)2 were produced by treating PNMepy with Fe(benzylideneacetone)(CO)3 and reduction of FeX2(PNPhpy) with NaBEt3H under a CO atmosphere. Cyclic voltammetric studies show that the [FeL3(CO)2]0/– and [FeL3(CO)2]+/0 couples are similar for a range of tridentate ligands, but the PNPhpy system uniquely sustains two one-electron reductions. Treatment of Fe(PNPhpy)X2 with NaBEt3H gave active catalysts for the hydroboration of 1-octene with pinacolborane. Si...
Femtosecond measurement of enhanced optical nonlinearities in heavy-metal-doped glasses

Optical glasses with large nonresonant non-linearity are good candidate materials for fast all-optical switching devices, and they may also be used to enhance the performance of mode-locked lasers. It is only recently that workers have begun to investigate highly nonlinear glasses.1-4 For example, there is only one previous investigation of the dispersion of nonlinear refractive indices of glasses. A recent breakthrough has been the demonstration of substantial enhancement of the nonlinearity through the addition of heavy-metal modifiers.4
Dividend initiators, winners during 2008 financial crisis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe and compare the mean response for selected financial variables in three dividend paying groups before and after the financial crisis of 2008. Dividend initiators are expected to be rewarded by investors over traditional dividend paying firms. Design/methodology/approach – Quarterly CRSP data from 2000 to 2012 are used to define dividend paying groups. Highly unbalanced financial data on dividend paying firms are analyzed in two truncated sample periods defined before and after the financial crisis. Fitted models describing differences in dividend paying groups are based on the linear mixed model representation of penalized splines with random effects to account for repeated measures over time. Findings – Results are presented on the important differences in selected financial variables before and after the financial crisis by dividend paying pattern group (traditional, initiators, residual/catering). Special emphasis is given to the analysis of market/boo...
High Dietary Zinc or Magnesium as Forced-Resting Agents for Laying Hens

Abstract Ninety caged Single Comb White Leghorn hens, 58 weeks of age, were randomly assigned to 5 treatment groups of 18 birds each and either a) molted conventionally by removal of water for 48 hr and feed for 9 days followed by ad libitum intake of a 10% crude protein ration; or force-rested by the inclusion of b) 1.0% zinc as zinc acetate; c) 1.0% zinc as zinc oxide; d) 2.0% magnesium, as magnesium acetate; or e) 2.0% magnesium, as magnesium oxide into the laying ration for 14 days. One percent dietary zinc, as either the acetate or oxide, resulted in a rapid decline in feed intake and cessation of egg production (within 6 days), with subsequent rate of lay, egg Haugh units, specific gravity, and shell thickness during the 24 weeks following forced-rest similar to the hens molted conventionally. Neither magnesium treatment was effective as a dietary treatment for the induction of forced-rest as reduction in feed intake and cessation of egg production during the forced-rest period was incomplete. Following forced-rest, the eggs from both magnesium treated groups had significantly lower Haugh units and the magnesium oxide treatment also resulted in significant reduction in egg specific gravity and shell thickness. The results indicate that 1.0% zinc, as either the acetate or oxide, may be an effective dietary agent for the induction of forced-rest.
Southern Regional Folkways Regarding Money

regions. On the other hand, the allocation of Missouri is a difficult matter involving judgment. At this stage, other information such as historical data might well be utilized along with the summary of quantitative material in determining the allocation of "problem" states. No one delineation is uniquely determined by this method. For a number of regions limited to six, the data of Map 3 indicate the same delineation used in Southern Regions of the United States except in the case of West Virginia, which falls with the Southeast rather than with the Northeast. An alternate possible delineation of seven regions divides the Northeast into two parts-New England, with Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont; and the Industrial Northeast, with the remaining eight states; adds Oklahoma and Texas to the Southeastern states; and groups Nevada with Arizona and New Mlexico, leaving only the states actually bordering the Pacific in the Far West.
Longevity and Oviposition of Adult Liriomyza trifolii (Diptera: Agromyzidae) Exposed to Abamectin in the Laboratory

The impact of abamectin residues on Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) adults was studied in the laboratory. Residues induced mortality of L. trifolii females through ingestion and contact; mortality of males appeared to be related only to contact. Stippling (leaf puncturing) and oviposition by females were inhibited. These effects were not readily reversed when females were no longer exposed to abamectin residues. Abamectin was not repellent to L. trifolii females.
Studying the Human Microbiome

We would like to respond to Theodore White's letter (“Is the Human Microbiome too Bacteriocentric?, Microbe, December 2009, p. 536) on the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Human Microbiome Project (HMP). Dr. White's letter may give readers the impression that HMP is focused solely on the bacterial aspect of the human microbiome. While HMP's early work emphasizes bacterial community characterization, the HMP is also actively studying eukaryotic microbes, viruses, including bacteriophages, and archaea from five areas of the body: the digestive tract, the mouth, the skin, the nose, and the vagina. In addition, several of the Demonstration Projects funded as part of the HMP have a focus on viruses or consider both prokaryotic as well as eukaryotic organisms as potential disease correlates.
13 ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY ACCESS DISPARITIES FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID PATIENTS IN KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON.

Background Anecdotal evidence suggests that Medicare and Medicaid patients face significant obstacles when seeking nonemergent care from orthopedic surgeons. We have designed a study to investigate whether patients with Medicare, Medicaid, and the uninsured in King County have limited access to orthopedic surgeons compared with their counterparts with preferred provider coverage (PPO). StudyDesign and Methods Four telephone calls were made to eligible orthopedic practices in King County, WA, seeking an appointment for a fictional patient with various forms of insurance for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for osteoarthritis. Telephone calls were placed to each of the 96 orthopedic surgeons within these practices to assess which forms of insurance were accepted in their practice and the reasons for these decisions. Eligible orthopedic surgeons and practices were identified using the Washington State Medical Association Web site; surgeons who do not see patients for problems of the knee were excluded. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services, as well as a PPO, were contacted to determine physician reimbursement rate for TKA (CPT 27447). Results One hundred percent of eligible orthopedic surgeons in King County would accept a new patient with a PPO for TKA and 89% would accept new Medicare patients. Thirty-one percent would accept new Medicaid patients. Ninety-seven percent would accept a patient with no insurance for an initial visit, provided that the patient pays at the time of service. Physician responses suggested that the low reimbursement rate is the primary reason for denying or limiting access to Medicare or Medicaid patients. Physician perceptions of Medicaid patients also appear to serve to limit access. These perceptions include beliefs that Medicaid patients generally have poorer health, higher rates of complications, and worse outcomes and are more likely to become involved in legal issues. The maximum physician reimbursement for TKA from Medicare was $1,225.44; the maximum reimbursement rate from Medicaid was $908.72. In contrast, the maximum physician reimbursement from a PPO was $2,073.76. Conclusion Medicare- and PPO-insured patients have roughly equal access to orthopedic surgeons when seeking TKA, whereas Medicaid beneficiaries have significantly less access. Although the uninsured appear to have equal access, the financial costs of physician visits likely serve as a barrier to prevent equal access to orthopedic surgery services. The access gap appears to be a function of low physician reimbursement rates and physician perceptions of Medicaid patients.
Limit Bending-Radius Model of Tensile Instability for Continuous Straightening a Thin-Walled Tube

The limit bending-radius of tensile instability as the main straightening technical parameter,decides the structure of equipment and the quality of products for continuous straightening thin-walled tubes.However,it is usually carried out based on the experiential data and chart by skilled laborers,whose art is based on long experience and experiments.Therefore,by means of the membrane shell theory and it' s relevant hypothesis the normal strain and stress components were firstly obtained,and then the limit bending-radius model for the prediction of diffuse plastic instability under pure bending was presented using Swift's criterion,finally the dynamic simulation was done by FEA.The results have shown that:the analytical model can be used to calculate the limit bending-radius of tensile instability for straightening thinwalled tubes correctly,which is decreased with the increase of the initial bending-radius,and it relates to the diameter and the metal plastics deformation capacity of the tube.The basis can be provided for optimizing straightening technical parameters and completing the theory of thin-walled tube straightening.
Drug Interactions with Food and Beverages

In general, for proper administration of medications, patients should follow the label instructions carefully. Some medications should be taken with a full glass of water; some must be taken with food, while others should be taken on an empty stomach. Patients should consult with a physician or pharmacist to determine if there are any foods that should be avoided while taking their medications. Yet for many reasons, patients rarely ask about which foods should be avoided. In some instances, patients will be instructed to take their medication with a particular food or beverage to aid palatability (and hence compliance), minimize local irritation to the gastrointestinal tract, or aid in drug absorption. However, importantly, there are many incidences when the consumption of specific foods in combination with certain medications presents a problem by interfering with the absorption, metabolism, or excretion of these drugs. If these instances go unrecognized, there may be significant divergence of therapeutic drug levels, and hence therapeutic effects and possible drug-related adverse events. This chapter highlights some of the main instances where concomitant ingestion of particular foods or beverages can interfere with medication action and then reviews how a better understanding of these interactions can sometimes be used to aid in patient management.
New Family of Oxidation and Creep Resistant, Cost Competitive High Temperature Structural Materials

(1995). New Family of Oxidation and Creep Resistant, Cost Competitive High Temperature Structural Materials. Materials Technology: Vol. 10, No. 11-12, pp. 234-236.
Virus Entry and Release in Polarized Epithelial Cells

Many viruses initiate their infection processes by interacting with cells in tight epithelial layers, which line the surfaces of the body that are exposed to the external environment. The cell biology of this virus-cell interaction may be one of the important factors which play a role in viral pathogenesis. The individual cells in epithelial layers are tightly connected by junctional complexes, which form a barrier to diffusion of molecules across the cell layer and also divide the cell surface into two distinct plasma membrane domains: the apical domain which faces the lumen, and the basolateral domain which faces the interior of the body. In addition to their role in providing a permeability barrier, the junctional complexes restrict the lateral diffusion of membrane proteins and lipids between the apical and basolateral plasma membrane domains. As a result of the restricted diffusion of membrane components as well as the differential targeting of distinct sets of lipids and proteins to apical vs basolateral membranes, the epithelial cells in such tissues are highly polarized, with each plasma membrane domain having a distinct lipid and protein composition (reviewed by Rodriguez-Boulan and Nelson 1989).
Drawdown Solutions for Simultaneous Drainage and ET

Numerical methods were used to solve the nonlinear Boussinesq equation for water table drawdown between parallel drains. The solutions were compared to other methods of predicting drawdown for initially horizontal, parabolic, and elliptical profiles and good agreement was found with methods that considered the nonlinear aspects of the governing equation. Solutions were presented in graphical form for simultaneous drainage and ET or deep seepage. Example problems were solved to show the use of these solutions for evaluating the effect of ET or deep seepage on water table drawdown and for considering this effect when predicting drain spacings to satisfy a predetermined drawdown rate. The solutions were also used in an example to explain apparent discrepancies in field tests of drain spacing equations.
Design, synthesis, and structural characterization of a Bisantimony(III) compound for anion binding and the density functional theory evaluation of halide binding through antimony secondary bonding interactions

Density functional theory calculations were used to design an anion receptor that utilizes antimony(III) secondary bonding interactions. Calculations were performed on promising motifs found in the chemical literature where two antimony sites were found in close proximity to a halide anion. The study was extended to a structurally related class of 1,3,2-benzodioxastibole derivatives to elucidate their potential for binding halide ions. Multiple geometric conformations were evaluated and various ratios of halide anions were considered. According to the computation results, this class of anion receptors shows strong affinities toward charge-dense halides. These 1,3,2-benzodioxastibole derivatives were prepared to evaluate their synthetic accessibility. Structural characterization of one species revealed the ability to bind up to three electron donors through secondary bonding interactions. This gates the future experimental study of these antimony systems for anion binding and recognition.
Sustainable, electrically-conductive bioepoxy nanocomposites

Abstract Biobased epoxy nano-composites composed of untreated multi-wall-carbon-nanotubes (MWCNT) and diphenolic acid-derived biobased epoxy: diglycidyl ether of diphenolate n-butyl ester (DGEDP-Bu), were fabricated. Electrical, rheological, and mechanical percolation thresholds were compared between biobased and commercial bisphenol A (DGEBA) epoxy composites. For both epoxies, nanocomposites loaded with 0.05–0.2 wt % MWCNT's exhibited electrical and rheological percolation at 0.05 wt % and 0.2 wt % respectively. DMA and tensile results revealed that DGEDP-Bu composites exhibited equivalent or superior properties to DGEBA composites. With 0.2 wt % MWCNT's, DGEDP-Bu nanocomposites exhibited 68% higher electrical conductivity and a three-fold higher rheological yield stress than those made from DGEBA. Rheological characterization corroborated that continuous MWCNT networks are formed within epoxies between 0.1 and 0.2 wt % MWCNT's. Moreover, upon MWCNT loading, DGEDP-Bu demonstrates equal mechanical performance and better electrical conductivity than DGEBA.
Exometabolomics for Linking Soil Carbon Dynamics to Microbial Communities

Soil microbial communities are central players in the global carbon cycle, yet our understanding of how their metabolism affects soil carbon dynamics is limited. Exometabolomics is a very promising approach for characterizing the functioning of soil microbial communities in their environment, and for linking organic carbon in soil to the metabolism of particular microorganisms or taxonomic groups. Despite some technical challenges for community exometabolomics analysis related to the complexity of soil structure, a number of reports demonstrate the utility of this approach. The full potential of soil microbial community exometabolomics will be realized when it can be integrated with other approaches such as metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metaproteomics. Such data integration should enable better predictions of the effects of environmental perturbations on soil carbon cycling by soil microorganisms.
STEM and Democracy

This chapter considers how STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines should be linked to citizenship in the information age. This is done in two stages. The first stage is philosophical. Here, ideas and theories from relevant philosophers are examined who argue for a more interdisciplinary understanding of STEM and non-STEM disciplines. The next stage looks at research done in regard to interdisciplinarity. Drawing on the philosophical and more empirical research done on interdisciplinarity, the chapter offers some activities which teachers can use to promote interdisciplinary thinking, and especially a realization how STEM disciplines can and should interact with other disciplines in the information age. The chapter concludes by linking the ideas of STEM for democracy with relevant skills, dispositions and school climate attributes.
Globalising Intellectual Property Rights: The TRIPs Agreement

(2003). Globalising Intellectual Property Rights: The TRIPs Agreement. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 37, No. 3, pp. 836-838.
Emotion recognition and social skills in child and adolescent offspring of parents with schizophrenia

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Emotion recognition, a social cognition domain, is impaired in people with schizophrenia and contributes to social dysfunction. Whether impaired emotion recognition emerges as a manifestation of illness or predates symptoms is unclear. Findings from studies of emotion recognition impairments in first-degree relatives of people with schizophrenia are mixed and, to our knowledge, no studies have investigated the link between emotion recognition and social functioning in that population.Methods: This study examined facial affect recognition and social skills in 16 offspring of parents with schizophrenia (familial high-risk/FHR) compared to 34 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC), ages 7–19.Results: As hypothesised, FHR children exhibited impaired overall accuracy, accuracy in identifying fearful faces, and overall recognition speed relative to controls. Age-adjusted facial affect recognition accuracy scores predicted parent’s overall rating of their child’s social skills for both ...