cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do Firms Pass Commodity Costs Savings to Consumers? Evidence of Asymmetric Pricing Behavior in the United States Air Transportation Industry

This paper examines how a commodity (fuel) cost input impacts pricing behavior within the United States air transportation industry. “Cost-plus” pricing models, taught in managerial accounting, suggest that a firm would adjust the selling price of a product to “pass through” an increase or decrease in the cost of a commodity input. However, recent popular press argues that airlines opportunistically retain selling prices when fuel costs decrease. In contrast, we provide evidence of asymmetric pricing consistent with consumer power; airline managers absorb fuel cost increases, but pass through fuel cost savings. Further, conditioning our analysis by the periods of increasing and decreasing consumer demand, and controlling for changes in airplane capacity, we find that this asymmetric pricing behavior is limited to periods of contracting demand. We also document that airlines set prices differently depending on the economic and competitive environment; we show evidence of some opportunistic pricing behavior by airlines in the pre- 2001 time period, consumer power subsequent to 2001 and prior to 2008, and symmetric pricing behavior subsequent to the 2008 financial crisis. In that, we argue that airline managers’ pricing behavior has changed in recent years, and is inconsistent with the recent concern expressed by the popular press that airlines do not pass through fuel cost savings to consumers.
A Meta-analysis of Brain Mechanisms of Placebo Analgesia: Consistent Findings and Unanswered Questions

Placebo treatments reliably reduce pain in the clinic and in the lab. Because pain is a subjective experience, it has been difficult to determine whether placebo analgesia is clinically relevant. Neuroimaging studies of placebo analgesia provide objective evidence of placebo-induced changes in brain processing and allow researchers to isolate the mechanisms underlying placebo-based pain reduction. We conducted formal meta-analyses of 25 neuroimaging studies of placebo analgesia and expectancy-based pain modulation. Results revealed that placebo effects and expectations for reduced pain elicit reliable reductions in activation during noxious stimulation in regions often associated with pain processing, including the dorsal anterior cingulate, thalamus, and insula. In addition, we observed consistent reductions during painful stimulation in the amygdala and striatum, regions implicated widely in studies of affect and valuation. This suggests that placebo effects are strongest on brain regions traditionally associated with not only pain, but also emotion and value more generally. Other brain regions showed reliable increases in activation with expectations for reduced pain. These included the prefrontal cortex (including dorsolateral, ventromedial, and orbitofrontal cortices), the midbrain surrounding the periaqueductal gray, and the rostral anterior cingulate. We discuss implications of these findings as well as how future studies can expand our understanding of the precise functional contributions of the brain systems identified here.
High-Throughput Screening of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Hydrogen Storage at Cryogenic Temperature

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted significant interest as a class of adsorbent materials for gas storage applications, including hydrogen storage for fuel cell vehicles. Here, we evaluated 137 953 hypothetical MOFs for hydrogen storage at cryogenic conditions (77 K) by determining the deliverable storage capacity between 100 and 2 bar, using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations. The highest predicted volumetric capacity for a structure in this study is 50 g/L, and the highest gravimetric capacity is almost 25 wt %. We find that the optimal void fraction is 0.9 and the optimal pore diameter is 12–15 A. MOFs with larger pores have significant regions in the center of the pore with low hydrogen density, which lowers the storage efficiency. We give examples of MOFs with very large pores in which the hydrogen capacity can potentially be increased using catenation or functional groups to reduce the pore size and increase the surface area per volume. We also introduce a screening parameter, the b...
Dynamic Pricing with Heterogeneous Patience Levels

We consider the problem of dynamic pricing in the presence of patient consumers. We call a consumer patient if she is willing to wait a certain number of periods for a lower price and will purchase as soon as the price is equal to or below her valuation. We allow for arbitrary joint distributions of patience levels and valuations. We propose an efficient dynamic programming algorithm for finding optimal pricing policies. The dynamic program requires a larger state space than its counterpart for a strategic consumers model. We find numerically that optimal policies can take the form of incomplete cyclic policies, combining features of both nested sales policies and decreasing cyclic policies.
Research highlights: investigating the role of nanoparticle surface charge in nano–bio interactions

A systematic approach to predicting nanoparticle–cell interactions has become increasingly important due to the great potential that nanoparticles hold for biomedical and environmental applications. However, the quantitative description and accurate characterization of nanomaterial surface chemistry (e.g., ligand distribution and surface charge) is nontrivial due to the sheer complexity of both the nanoparticle mechanisms and the biological environments with which they interact. The authors of this highlight, including both experimental and theoretical chemists, were motivated to explore the current gap in the fundamental knowledge about nanoparticle surface charge-dependent interactions across a variety of biological systems. The highlight focuses on three recent publications that survey the effects of nanoparticle surface charge across several bio-system complexities, addressing: (i) ligand-coated gold nanoparticles traversing a lipid bilayer, (ii) silica nanoparticle uptake into human osteoblast cells, and (iii) the suborgan distribution of gold nanoparticles in mice.
Computer-Based Measurements Of Incipient Wave Breaking

The present paper considers the various difficulties associated with laboratory measurement of waves reflected from a submerged object; in this case a bottom-mounted, half cylinder. Steps taken at NRL to minimize extraneous waves and to develop systems and methods for acquiring and correctly interpreting the data are described along with representative test results. In addition to establishing corrective procedures the approach has permitted further insight into the nonlinear processes of incipient wave breaking as the depth of water over the submerged object diminishes.
How Well Do Neurologic Symptoms Identify Individuals With Neurosyphilis

Background Current guidelines recommend lumbar puncture (LP) in patients with syphilis who have neurologic symptoms. Methods A total of 81 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-uninfected individuals and 385 HIV-infected individuals enrolled in a study of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) abnormalities in syphilis underwent LP and a structured symptom history, including assessment of headache; stiff neck; photophobia; ocular inflammation; vision, hearing, or sensory loss; or gait incoordination. Neurosyphilis was defined as a reactive CSF-Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test. Association between categorical variables was assessed using χ2, Fisher exact test, or logistic regression. Association between continuous and categorical variables was assessed using Mann-Whitney U test. Results CSF-VDRL was reactive in 20 (24.7%) HIV-uninfected and 68 (17.7%) HIV-infected (P = .14) individuals. No symptom was more common in HIV-uninfected individuals with neurosyphilis. Among the HIV-infected, the odds of a reactive CSF-VDRL were higher in those with mild or greater severity photophobia (2.0 [95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-3.8]; P = .03), vision loss (2.3 [1.3-4.1]; P = .003), or gait incoordination (2.4 [1.3-4.4]; P = .006); or moderate or greater severity hearing loss (3.1 [1.3-7.5]; P = .01). Diagnostic specificity of these 4 symptoms for neurosyphilis was high when limited to moderate or greater severity (91.6%-100%); however, the diagnostic sensitivity was low (1.5%-38.1%). Conclusions Among HIV-infected patients with syphilis, 4 specific neurologic symptoms are more common in those with a reactive CSF-VDRL. Lack of symptoms does not guarantee that the CSF-VDRL is nonreactive, regardless of HIV status.
Remixed Reality: Manipulating Space and Time in Augmented Reality

We present Remixed Reality, a novel form of mixed reality. In contrast to classical mixed reality approaches where users see a direct view or video feed of their environment, with Remixed Reality they see a live 3D reconstruction, gathered from multiple external depth cameras. This approach enables changing the environment as easily as geometry can be changed in virtual reality, while allowing users to view and interact with the actual physical world as they would in augmented reality. We characterize a taxonomy of manipulations that are possible with Remixed Reality: spatial changes such as erasing objects; appearance changes such as changing textures; temporal changes such as pausing time; and viewpoint changes that allow users to see the world from different points without changing their physical location. We contribute a method that uses an underlying voxel grid holding information like visibility and transformations, which is applied to live geometry in real time.
Designing better strategies against human adversaries in network security games

In a Network Security Game (NSG), security agencies must allocate limited resources to protect targets embedded in a network, such as important buildings in a city road network. A recent line of work relaxed the perfect-rationality assumption of human adversary and showed significant advantages of incorporating the bounded rationality adversary models in non-networked security domains. Given that real-world NSG are often extremely complex and hence very difficult for humans to solve, it is critical that we address human bounded rationality when designing defender strategies. To that end, the key contributions of this paper include: (i) comprehensive experiments with human subjects using a web-based game that we designed to simulate NSGs; (ii) new behavioral models of human adversary in NSGs, which we train with the data collected from human experiments; (iii) new algorithms for computing the defender optimal strategy against the new models.
The Effects of Noise and Bandlimiting on a One Dimensional Time Dependent Inverse Scattering Technique

In realistic settings data used as input to any inverse scattering algorithm is bandlimited and corrupted by noise. At present there is no satisfactory way to determine the extent to which reconstructions using imperfect data are degraded due to noise and bandlimiting. In this paper, this problem is considered from the point of view of the sensitivity matrix of the mapping that transforms, via an inverse scattering algorithm outlined below,1 reflection data to information about material profiles of media.
Preparation of Diverse BODIPY Diesters

The synthesis and properties of a variety of substituted BODIPY diesters is presented. We find that certain substitution patterns afford appreciable yields of the target compounds and that electronic effects result in predicable differential fluorescent behavior. Challenges to further water solubilize these dyes and/or provide new points of attachment for biological tagging remain, these strategies are discussed.
Achieving the "ideal" family size at advanced reproductive ages through oocyte cryopreservation.

Women are increasingly delaying pregnancy, and in 2014 the mean age at first birth in the USA had risen from 25.2 years in 2000 to 26.3 years [1]. Despite advances in IVF technology, advanced reproductive age remains a significant impediment to success with a live birth rate of 3.6% per oocyte retrieval in women over 42 years [2]. Concurrent with the trend of delayed childbearing has been an increase in the use of donor oocytes [3] to overcome age-related fertility decline and diminished ovarian reserve. Oocyte cryopreservation (OC), no longer considered experimental for women with medical indications but widely utilized to defer reproduction, is allowing women to conceive using autologous oocytes at ages when donor oocytes would have previously been required. The success of the technology has been demonstrated as women increasingly return for oocyte thaw/warming and embryo transfer [4–7]. Findings from a 2013 Gallup poll indicate that Americans view the ideal family size as two to three children. Among Gallup poll respondents aged 30–49 years, 47% viewed two children as the ideal number of children and 25% viewed three children as ideal [8]. Our experience shows that most women using their cryopreserved oocytes have previously exhausted other conventional methods of ART, suggesting that their cryopreserved oocytes may represent a last resort for pregnancy with autologous oocytes. If patients returning to use their cryopreserved oocytes are among the 72% of Americans 30–49 years who view two to three children as an ideal family size, OC success would thus be defined by aiding patients in achieving their complete family-building goals. Reports of successful deliveries after OC and thaw/warming have certainly been described in the literature; however, to our knowledge there are no published reports of women achieving more than one singleton live birth with previously cryopreserved autologous oocytes. In this case series, we present six women who underwent OC for fertility preservation and subsequently achieved more than one singleton live birth after oocyte thaw/warming and embryo transfer. These representative patients highlight the use of OC technology to build multi-child families through singleton gestations at advanced reproductive ages.
Soft Ferrites for EMC Applications

Outline • Introduction: General Properties of Ferrites and Soft Ferrites in Particular • EM Properties of Ferrite Materials for EMC Applications • Measurement of EM Parameters of Ferrite-containing Materials • Numerical Electromagnetic Modeling of Ferrites • Noise-suppressing Soft Ferrite Absorbing Materials and Ferrite Components • Other Applications of Ferrites
CYP2C19 pharmacogenetics versus standard of care dosing for selecting antiplatelet therapy in patients with coronary artery disease: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of personalized genotype-guided selection of antiplatelet therapy versus standard of care in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND Clopidogrel is the most frequently used P2Y12 receptor antagonist in patients with coronary artery disease. However, genetic variations of clopidogrel are associated with inter-individual response variability which could limit its efficacy. METHODS Electronic databases were searched for all randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating genotype-guided therapy versus standard of care in patients undergoing stent implantation. Aggregated risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs were calculated using a random-effects model. RESULTS We included 6 RCTs with a total of 2,371 patients. When compared with standard of care, the use of genotype-guided therapy did not significantly reduce major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (RR 0.67; 95% CI: 0.35-1.27; P = 0.22). However, MACE was significantly reduced in the subset of trials which enrolled only acute coronary syndromes (ACS) (P < 0.01). In addition, there was a significant reduction in myocardial infarction in the genotype-guided group (RR 0.44; 95% CI: 0.28-0.70; P < 0.01; I2 = 0%). Other clinical outcomes were not significantly different: cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.68; 95% CI: 0.27-1.74; P = 0.42), stroke (RR 0.62; 95% CI: 0.23-1.65; P = 0.34), stent thrombosis (RR 0.37; 95% CI: 0.13-1.06; P = 0.06), and bleeding (RR 0.68; 95% CI: 0.43-1.06; P = 0.09). CONCLUSION In patients undergoing stent implantation, MACE with genotype-guided therapy was not significantly reduced; however, there was a signal towards reduction of MACE in ACS patients, as well as a lower rate of MI, though this will require further confirmation in adequately powered trials.
Phase decomposition and bubble evolution in Xe implanted U3Si2 at 450∘C

Abstract The microstructure investigations of a U3Si2 specimen implanted by 84 MeV Xe ions at 450∘C are reported here. In the region that corresponds to the highest irradiation dose, U3Si2 was found to decompose into a Si-enriched nanocrystalline USi matrix phase and a U-enriched amorphous inclusion phase. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to help understand the decomposition mechanism. Xe bubbles of different morphologies were observed in USi nano-grains, on USi grain boundaries, and phase boundaries. Original U3Si2 micro-grains were preserved on both sides of the irradiation damage peak region within the sample, implying a radiation dose threshold for decomposition of approximately 150 dpa at 450∘C. In the preserved U3Si2 region beneath the irradiation damage peak, where significant amount of Xe ions were deposited, a monomodal size distribution of intragranular Xe bubbles with an average size of 2.68 nm formed. In both decomposed and preserved U3Si2, the size of Xe bubbles was found to be lower than 50 nm. Based on this observation, the fission gas behavior of U3Si2 is controllable and free of run-away swelling despite the occurrence of decomposition at this irradiation temperature.
The North American Third-Party Logistics Industry in 2008: The Provider CEO Perspective

This article describes the results of a 2008 survey of the CEOs of the twenty largest third-party-logistics providers operating in the North American market. Results of the survey include: revenues and profitability; geographic shifts of customer manufacturing activities; mergers and acquisitions; branding activities; barriers to developing and selling integrated supply chain solutions; the impact of fuel cost increases in the industry; environmental sustainability issues in the industry; current status and future prospects of the industry; and, estimated company and industry growth rates. Based on the survey, the author notes that merger and acquisition activity is likely to slow down, and that the industry is likely to get “greener” over the next several years, but not until an economic recovery occurs. He also suggested that companies surveyed still have to address chronic human resources problems and finding a viable pricing structure.
Mass transport through dislocation network in solid He 4

We studied the transport of $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ atoms through 2.5-mm-thick solid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ samples sandwiched between two superfluid leads with five different tailor-made sample cells. Measurements in a cell with a barrier at the center of the solid samples and in a cell filled with silica aerogel establish the causal relation between the observed mass flow and the dislocation network in the solid sample. Comparing the results from these cells and prior measurements on solid samples with thicknesses of 2 cm and $8\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ reveals that the mass flow rate decreases logarithmically with the thickness of the solid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$. Interestingly, the mass flow exhibits both superfluid and bosonic Luttinger liquid characteristics at low temperature.
Variables associated with an inability to learn clean intermittent self-catheterization after urogynecologic surgery.

Post-operative urinary retention is a common problem affecting close to half of all women undergoing pelvic reconstructive surgery. This was an exploratory analysis that was aimed at identifying factors associated with an inability to learn clean intermittent self-catheterization (CISC) after a failed post-operative retrograde voiding trial (RGVT). We performed a retrospective case–control study of women who underwent pelvic organ prolapse or urinary incontinence surgery within a single division from 2016 to 2018. We compared women who could learn CISC with those unable to learn and discharged home with an indwelling catheter (IC). Analyses were carried out using Fisher’s exact test, the Mann–Whitney U test, the Chi-squared test, and the t test with logistic regression. Of the 202 women who failed their RGVT, 134 (66.3%) were able to learn CISC and 68 (33.7%) were not. Older age, urinary incontinence, diabetes and colpectomy/colpocleisis were associated with an inability to learn CISC (p < 0.05). Women with an IC were more likely to have an office visit related to catheter care (65.7% vs 5.2%, p < 0.001). A UTI within 30 days of surgery was more common with CISC (16.4% vs 6.0%, p = 0.037). In a multivariate logistic regression model, each increasing year of age was associated with a 1.036-fold decrease in the ability to learn CISC (aOR 1.036, 95% CI 1.002–1.071; p = 0.04). Increasing age was the only variable identified on multivariate logistic regression as a risk factor for failure to learn CISC. Further studies are needed to identify barriers to learning post-operative self-catheterization.
Diversification in Korean Banking Business: Is Noninterest Income a Financial Savior?

This paper examines whether the diversification of operating income in Korean banks has persistently enhanced the performance of Korean banks. The results show that, despite Korean banks’ efforts to diversify their operating income, these banks do not gain any benefit from the diversification. Thus, bank managers in Korea focus on interest income revenue. The results also show that the increase in non-interest income revenue keeps pace with the growth in expenses, which offsets the diversification effect on the performance of Korean banks. As a result, Korean banks discourage banking diversification and focus on non-interest income revenues.
Professional service use among older African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and Non-Hispanic Whites for serious health and emotional problems.

This study examined racial and ethnic differences in professional service use by older African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and Non-Hispanic Whites in response to a serious personal problem. The an...
Glucagon Therapy: A Comparison of Current and Novel Treatments.

Hypoglycemia has been a barrier to A1C attainment in people with diabetes (1). It is well known that a glucocentric approach with intensive control reduces microvascular complications, but at what cost? Worse clinical outcomes, increased risk of severe hypoglycemia, and heavier treatment burden can result from aggressive efforts to lower A1C (2). People with diabetes also tend to experience more stress as a result of fear of hypoglycemia, higher costs of care, and increased prevalence of polypharmacy—especially for those with type 2 diabetes of longer duration. New medication classes (e.g., sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists) are providing impetus for replacing the glucocentric treatment paradigm with an individualized multifactorial approach (2). Traditional glucagon kits have long been available for the ambulatory treatment of patients with hypoglycemia. However, these kits have disadvantages. Their complicated multistep injection procedure can be difficult to perform. Additionally, the use of glucagon must be taught to the family members, friends, or caregivers because it is administered by someone else when a person with diabetes is unconscious or otherwise incapacitated by severe hypoglycemia (3). For these reasons, glucagon is undertaught and underutilized (3). Two new glucagon formulations offer potentially easier delivery. The purpose of this article is to review all available glucagon formulations, discussing the associated literature and possible new directions for the treatment of hypoglycemia. The American Diabetes Association has adopted a three-level classification of hypoglycemia. Level 1 is a glucose concentration <70 and ≥54 mg/dL; level 2 is glucose <54 mg/dL; and level 3 is defined as a severe event characterized by altered mental and/or physical status requiring assistance (1). Symptoms include dizziness, shakiness, sweating, intense hunger or thirst, irritability, and anxiety. Although many patients experience symptoms, possible impaired counterregulatory responses necessitate adherence to glucose concentrations as clinical indicators. …
Infinite-Fixed-Point Discrete Systems

In this chapter, as in Luo (2019, 2020), discrete systems with infinite-fixed-points are discussed through the local analysis. A method for fixed-points in nonlinear discrete systems is developed. The generalized normal forms of nonlinear discrete systems at fixed-points are presented for a better understanding of singularity in nonlinear discrete systems. The dynamics of infinite-fixed-point discrete systems is discussed for the complexity and singularity of nonlinear discrete systems. A few examples are presented for complexity and singularity in infinite-fixed-point discrete systems.
Demographic change and the 2016 presidential election.

Abstract The election of Donald Trump raised many questions about the impact of immigration on American politics. This article asks whether backlash to demographic change in counties undergoing rapid growth in foreign-born, Hispanic, and/or Asian populations may have played a role in his election. I use techniques accounting for selection into treatment to examine the relationship between demographic changes at the county level and voting patterns in the 2016 presidential election. Analyzing individual-level survey data and controlling for voting patterns in 2012, I find that people living in counties with a rapid percentage point increase in the Hispanic population since 2000 were more likely to vote for Trump in the general and primary elections. For non-Hispanic Whites in the general election, Hispanic growth is predictive of Trump voting among those with lower levels of education and higher family incomes, as well as those living in counties with smaller Hispanic populations in 2000 ("new destinations"). There is also evidence of backlash to Hispanic growth among Asian voters. When analyzing county-level election results, I again find an uptick in Trump voting in high Hispanic growth counties for the general election, but these results do not replicate for the swing states, or for the primaries. This provides reason to be cautious about claims that backlash against local demographic trends “won” Trump the election, though data limitations prevent me from analyzing all key locations individually. Regardless, this study provides clear evidence of an impact of local demographic change on contemporary U.S. politics.
Asynchronous Forensic Investigative Approach to Recover Deleted Data from Instant Messaging Applications

Proliferation of digital platforms specifically Instant Messaging Applications (IMAs), have introduced new challenges to digital forensic investigations. With the rapidly increased use of WhatsApp application, it is plausible to speculate that WhatsApp became a potential source of threat and/or cybercrime. Some newly added features on WhatsApp, such as ‘delete for everyone’, giving the users the ability to delete messages from both ends (sender and receiver), have resulted in complicating the cybercrime investigation process. Therefore, there is a need to revisit the investigation process and the structure of such updated features to be able to create a comprehensive digital forensic technique. This paper examines the forensic artifacts of the WhatsApp’s ‘delete for everyone’ feature. This feature is a great addition to the overall usability of IMAs, however, it is also crucial to update the digital forensic investigation techniques and test the capability of commercial forensic tools in recovering forensic evidence when a new technology has been introduced. During the course of this research, we tested and validated the digital forensic methodology and compared the investigation results with forensically sound commercial tools. During the data acquisition process, we conducted physical and logical forensic acquisitions of an Android device which led to a breakthrough discovery of a SQLite file called Write-Ahead-Log (WAL) which contains the application’s latest messages, including deleted (allegedly) messages.
One-year Mortality after Lung Transplant is Not a Reliable Indicator of Lung Transplant Center Performance

Purpose Measuring performance in lung transplantation (LTx) is complex, but in the United States the most common performance indicator is one-year mortality. This indicator is shared with centers in quarterly reports and is used by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) to identify programs for review and trigger penalties including loss of accreditation. Reliability adjustment, a novel technique for quantifying and removing statistical "noise" from quality rankings, is becoming more widely used outside surgery. We sought to evaluate the reliability of 1-year mortality outcomes in LTx. Methods We used the Standard Transplant Analysis and Research (STAR) files form UNOS to identify LTx recipients from 2013-2018 in the United States. We first used standard risk adjustment methods to estimate expected 1-year mortality rates at the hospital level. We then examined the effect of adjusting for reliability using empirical Bayes techniques. Results We identified 12,769 recipients in 69 centers over the study period. Reliability adjustment greatly diminished apparent variation in hospital outcomes. For risk-adjusted 1-year mortality, there was a large range (range 0 to 89%), which decreased to a 2.5-fold difference (6 to 15%) after reliability adjustment. Reliability adjustment had a large impact on hospital mortality rankings. For example, with rankings based on mortality, 22% (4 hospitals) of the "best" hospitals (top 25%) were reclassified after reliability adjustment . Similarly, 18% (3 hospitals) of the "worst" hospitals (bottom 25%) were reclassified after reliability adjustment. The overall reliability of 1-year mortality was 0.42. Conclusion Conclusions: The reliability of 1-year mortality benchmarking in lung transplantation is low. Accounting for reliability yields more accurate measures of LTx center performance.
Socioeconomic Determinants of Tertiary Rhinology Care Utilization.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to determine the impact of patient demographics and socioeconomic factors on the utilization of tertiary rhinology care services in an upper Midwestern acad...
EHR Adoption and Meaningful Use

As we’ve seen, there is a disconnect between what is required to successfully manage the chronic diseases that drive most healthcare costs and the structure and incentives of the U.S. healthcare system. We’ve also suggested that health IT could be a key tool for restructuring healthcare delivery to help address these issues. We’ll review that again here, from an engineering perspective, before turning to the policies the federal government has promulgated in recent years to encourage adoption of health information technology and new models of patient-centered care.
Is nuclear energy acceptable

Nuclear hazards are assessed as being unique only in the sense of their unfamiliarity, with future development of nuclear energy dependent on overcoming public fears. Economics is clearly in favor of properly operated nuclear energy facilities for long-term power generation. Risks arise over the potential for human error to permit improper operation and for an industry shutdown because of a reactor accident. Attempts to ascertain accident probabilities have revealed that emergency core cooling systems and containment are not simply parallel, but operate in series and provide more safety than was thought. Insurance liability, resting on the small probability of very costly damage, is felt to be best placed on the utility with the government providing ultimate protection in the event of a potentially bankrupting accident. Problems of nuclear waste handling and low-level release are felt to be solvable with present technology. Proliferation is felt to be a political problem that is incidental to power plants. Public concern is blamed on possible diversion of materials for weapons, unfamiliarity with radiation, and the demand for meticulous handling of materials and operations. Burner reactors are projected to phase out and be replaced by breeder reactors that are operated in physical isolation under strictmore » security by a professional cadre aware of its responsibility. A restructuring of the nuclear industry is called for so that the generation of power can be insulated from the distribution and marketing functions. (13 references). (DCK)« less
Listeria monocytogenes, Listeriosis and Control Strategies: What the Retail Deli and Food Safety Manager Need to Know

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen which causes a prolonged invasive infection called listeriosis. Symptoms can include meningitis, encephalitis, late-term abortions in pregnant women, and death in immune compromised persons. Ready-to-eat (RTE) deli meats, deli salads, soft cheeses, and smoked seafood are the highest risk foods per serving for listeriosis in the United States, and RTE meats sliced at retail are estimated to account for 83 % of deli-meat associated listeriosis cases. Controlling L. monocytogenes transmission and growth in RTE foods, including food handled in the deli, can reduce the risk of listeriosis and improve public health. Leadership from immediate supervisors and managers is among the largest determinates for daily food safety practices by food service employees. This chapter is structured to (1) give retail food safety managers, store managers, and deli department managers an introduction to L. monocytogenes and listeriosis, (2) identify foods and environmental surfaces of concern for L. monocytogenes contamination, and (3) describe action-based control strategies deli managers and store managers can use to improve food safety practices and subsequently public health.
Using awareness training to decrease nervous habits during public speaking

This study evaluated the effectiveness of awareness training for the reduction of three nervous habits that manifest during public speaking: filled pauses, tongue clicks, and inappropriate use of the word "like." Four university students delivered short speeches during baseline and assessment sessions. Awareness training resulted in meaningful reductions in target behaviors for all participants. Booster awareness training sessions were necessary for all participants to achieve further reductions in target behaviors. Generality probes conducted in front of a small audience indicated that treatment effects generally maintained. Social validity scores indicated that the treatment was acceptable, and participants indicated not only decreased use of verbal fillers, but also improved overall public speaking ability posttreatment.
Critical Properties of Strongly Interacting Bosons on a Lattice

We use quantum Monte Carlo techniques to study the critical properties of an interacting boson model in one dimension with and without disorder. In the absence of disorder, the phase diagram consists of a Mott insulating phase at commensurate fillings and a superfluid phase. The effect of disorder is to shrink the Mott insulator phase and to cause the emergence of two new insulating regions. Our simulations are the first to demonstrate the existence and study the properties of the predicted “Bose glass” phase as well as an unanticipated Anderson-like insulating regime. For the uniform system, we study the critical behaviour of the superfluid density and the compressibility, and measure the exponents v and z, which agree with predictions based on a scaling analysis.
Repeating, Yet Evading Review: Admitting Reliable Expert Testimony in Criminal Cases Still Depends Upon Who Is Asking

A severe prejudice to the criminally accused persists today in some trial courts’ analyses under the helpfulness prong, the often overlooked part of the test to admit expert testimony. Removing the reliability prong from the discussion, this article focuses instead on courts’ treatment of qualified experts employing reliable methods under the helpfulness prong. Despite the straight-forward articulation of helpfulness, one of the unfortunate truths in criminal litigation is that trial courts frequently admit testimony from the government’s experts and exclude the defendant’s proposed expert testimony. This article explores the language and reasoning articulated by some trial courts in reaching the paradoxical admissibility determinations of experts with equally reliable methodologies. This article profiles witness identification expert testimony typically offered by the defendant as compared to expert testimony from law enforcement witnesses for the government. This article then describes the way in which the disparate admissibility determinations by the trial court escape meaningful review and the possible avenues to a more fruitful appellate review.
Computational Representation of Biological Systems

Integration of large and diverse biological data sets is a daunting problem facing systems biology researchers. Exploring the complex issues of data validation, integration, and representation, we present a systematic approach for the management and analysis of large biological data sets based on data warehouses. Our system has been implemented in the Bioverse, a framework combining diverse protein information from a variety of knowledge areas such as molecular interactions, pathway localization, protein structure, and protein function.
Local molecular spectroscopy using the evanescent microwave probe technique: electron spin resonance

A method based on evanescent microwave microscopy (EMM) was developed to spatially resolve small number of electron spin resonant (ESR) transitions in single crystal ruby (Cr3+). The EMM probe operates at a resonance frequency of 3.77 GHz (S-band ESR) in a modulated electromagnetic field in the range of 0.02 to 0.6 Tesla. The current EMM probe with a magnetic dipole loop of around 1 mm radius was capable of resolving 20,000 spin transitions compared to standard ESRs with ~107 detection limit. We are currently improving the spatial resolution of our probe to enable detection of 2000 spin transitions with the goal of reducing it to a few spins by using a microwave probe integrated with an atomic force microscope. Even with its relatively low current resolution, the probe is unique and can be used in microfluidic channels and biological tissues to detect free radicals. We are pursuing applications of the probe in Alzheimer and other tissue studies where mapping the spatial distribution of free radicals may shed some light on the cause and diagnosis of disease
Automated Retrieval of Cloud and Aerosol Properties from the ARM Raman Lidar. Part I: Feature Detection

AbstractA feature detection and extinction retrieval (FEX) algorithm for the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program’s (ARM) Raman lidar (RL) has been developed. Presented here is Part I of the FEX algorithm: the detection of features including both clouds and aerosols. The approach of FEX is to use multiple quantities— scattering ratios derived using elastic and nitrogen channel signals from two fields of view, the scattering ratio derived using only the elastic channel, and the total volume depolarization ratio—to identify features using range-dependent detection thresholds. FEX is designed to be context sensitive with thresholds determined for each profile by calculating the expected clear-sky signal and noise. The use of multiple quantities provides complementary depictions of cloud and aerosol locations and allows for consistency checks to improve the accuracy of the feature mask. The depolarization ratio is shown to be particularly effective at detecting optically thin features containing nonspher...
Phlorizin enhancement of memory in rats and mice

Glucose administration near the time of training or testing elevates blood glucose levels and enhances memory in rodents and humans. The magnitude of increases in circulating glucose levels predicts later retention performance in these and several other situations. Thus, circulating glucose levels appear to contribute to the regulation of memory storage processes. Phlorizin is an inhibitor of glucose transport, which, in view of the effects of glucose on memory, should impair memory. However, rats and mice injected with phlorizin before training in an inhibitory (passive) avoidance task demonstrated significantly enhanced memory performance compared to that of control animals. The effective dose of phlorizin did not significantly change regional brain-relative 3H-2-deoxyglucose uptake or plasma glucose levels. To summarize, phlorizin is a potent memory-enhancing drug. While the mechanism of this enhancement is unknown, it does not appear to include changes in blood glucose levels or brain glucose uptake.
Differential effects of norepinephrine and phorbol ester on alpha-1 adrenergic receptor number and surface-accessibility in DDT1 MF-2 cells

Abstract The short (5–60 min) and long (24 hrs) term effects of norephrine (10 uM) and the phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (10 nM), on total cellular and surface-accessible alpha-1 adrenergic receptor number were determined in DDT 1 MF-2 smooth muscle cells. The density of alpha-1 adrenergic receptors was determined with [ 3 H]-prazosin in a crude cellular homogenate (total cellular receptors) and in intact cells at 4°C (surface-accessible receptors). Under basal conditions, all receptors were accessible to the cell surface at 4°C. Short term norepinephrine exposure caused an approximately 40% decrease in surface-accessible binding without a change in total receptor number. Long term norepinephrine exposure caused a further decrease in surface-accessible binding, and an approximately 30 % decrease in total receptor number. In contrast, phorbol ester had no effect on surface-accessible or total receptor number with either short or long term exposure. These data suggest that sequestration of cell surface alpha-1 adrenergic receptors is an early step in the process of agorist-mediated down-regulation. In DDT 1 MF-2 cells, phorbol ester, alone, does not mimmick the effect of agonist on receptor sequestration or number.
Acinic Cell Carcinoma of Minor Salivary Glands: A Clinicopathologic Study of 21 Cases

Purpose Acinic cell carcinoma (ACC) is an infrequent type of malignant salivary gland tumor. Approximately 16% of all ACCs occur in the mouth according to several small studies. This study was undertaken to 1) report on the clinicopathologic characteristics of 21 intraoral examples, 2) reconfirm the reported indolent behavior of these tumors, and 3) verify the synchronous or metachronous occurrence of other malignancies with ACC. Materials and Methods Twenty-one patients with intraoral ACC were identified in the previous 27 years. Demographic data and histomorphologic characteristics were evaluated and follow-up information was sought. Results Fifteen patients (68%) were male and 6 female. Seven cases (33.3%) occurred in the buccal mucosa, 6 in the palate (28.6%), 5 involved the upper lip (23.8%), 2 the retromolar mucosa (9.5%), and 1 the lower lip (4.8%). The mean age of patients was 50 years, with the youngest being 13 and the oldest 73. The duration was known in 9 patients and varied from 4 months to longer than 15 years. The size of the tumors varied from 0.6 to 1.6 cm. Where reported, lesions were asymptomatic. Histologically, different patterns that included microcystic, papillary cystic, follicular and solid, and combinations of these types characterized the lesions. Follow-up information was obtained in 12 patients. Eleven patients did not report recurrence or metastatic disease. The follow-up extended from 10 months to 17 years. One patient had 2 recurrences due to erroneous diagnosis that led to inappropriate treatment. After properly diagnosed and treated, this patient has been free of tumor for 4 years. Of interest were the metachronous occurrence of lymphoma in 1 patient and the synchronous occurrence of renal cell carcinoma in another. Conclusion This study confirms the indolent behavior of ACC of minor salivary glands and previous reports on the occasional synchronous or metachronous association of malignant salivary gland tumors with other malignancies.
Morphological Study of Differentiation of Sex of Chicks

Abstract IN MOST adult birds, in spite of the absence of copulatory organs, there is no difficulty in determining the sex of the individual. The difference in external appearance between the two sexes is more or less sharply differentiated by the development of certain body features, and by the different behavior of male and female. And usually there is no doubt as to which is cock or hen. The problem of sex determination is far more complicated when it comes to the distinction of sex of newly hatched birds. Yet, in the case of domesticated birds, the sex determination at hatching time would be of immense practical value because poultrymen find it more economical to raise and to sell males and females separately. Unfortunately the determination of sex in chicks (Gallus domesticus) at hatching time remains a problem in spite of years of endeavor by geneticists as well as practical breeders. . . .
3D Image Reconstruction and Range-Doppler Tracking with Chirped AM Ladar Data

The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has been developing its patented chirped amplitude modulation (AM) ladar technique for high resolution 3D imaging and range-Doppler tracking. The concept of operation, hardware configurations, and test results for this technique have been presented in detail elsewhere. Heretofore, the signal and image processing techniques used at ARL to reconstruct and display 3D imagery and range-Doppler plots have only been published partially and only in internal reports. In this paper we present the multiple-return range and range- Doppler signal processing algorithms, the model- based "superresolution" processing algorithm for range precision enhancement, and the 3D image reconstruction, processing, and display algorithms, along with representative examples from laboratory and field test data.
Examination of the “null” model of connor and simberloff for species co-occurrences on Islands

Among birds of the Bismarck Archipelago, only certain combinations of the species in a guild coexist on islands, and some species that are very similar ecologically have mutually exclusive distributions. Diamond (1975) interpreted these patterns as biologically significant, involving effects such as competition. Connor and Simberloff (1979) claimed such patterns to be not recognizably different from random, because they were scarcely distinguishable from those generated by a "null" distribution supposedly not incorporating competition.On examining the analysis by Connor and Simberloff, we find that it actually yields the opposite conclusion: three faunas tested have grossly non-random structures, while their test is unworkable for the fourth fauna. The method of Connor and Simberloff for generating a null distribution has many fatal weaknesses: dilution of relevant data from guilds with irrelevant data from the whole species pool; hidden incorporation of effects of competition into the constraints; inability to recognize a checkerboard, the extreme example of a distribution produced by competition; reliance on inefficient Monte Carlo simulations; severe constraints that sometimes make generation of a null distribution impossible; failure to weight species combinations; and failure to identify the direction of non-randomness or the species combinations most responsible.Finally, we use other recent studies by Simberloff and coleagues to examine the value of constructing null hypotheses in community ecology.