cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Clinical Decision Support on Radiography for Acute Ankle Injuries: A Randomized Trial.

INTRODUCTION While only 15-20% of patients with foot and ankle injuries presenting to urgent care centers have clinically significant fractures, most undergo radiography. We examined the impact of electronic point-of-care clinical decision support (CDS) on adherence to the Ottawa Ankle Rules (OAR) as well as use and yield of foot and ankle radiographs in patients with acute ankle injury. METHODS Institutional Review Board approval was obtained for this randomized controlled study performed April 18, 2012 through December 15, 2013. All ordering providers credentialed at an urgent care affiliated with a quaternary care academic hospital were randomized to either receive or not receive CDS, based on the OAR and integrated into the physician order entry system, with feedback at the time of imaging order. If the patient met OAR low-risk criteria, providers were advised against imaging and could either cancel the order or ignore the alert. Patients with foot and ankle complaints were identified via ICD-9 billing codes and electronic health records and radiology reports reviewed for those who were eligible. Chi-square was used to compare adherence to the OAR (primary outcome), radiography utilization rate and radiography yield of foot and ankle imaging (secondary outcomes) between the intervention and control groups. RESULTS Of 14,642 patients seen at urgent care during the study period, 613 (4.2%, representing 632 visits) presented with acute ankle injury and were eligible for application of the OAR; 374 (59.2%) of these were seen by control group providers. In the intervention group, CDS adherence was higher for both ankle (239/258=92.6% vs. 231/374=61.8%, p=0.02) and foot radiography (209/258=81.0% vs. 238/374=63.6%; p<0.01). However, ankle radiography use was higher in the intervention group (166/258=64.3% vs. 183/374=48.9%; p<0.01) while foot radiography use (141/258=54.6% vs. 202/374=54.0%; p=0.95) was not. Radiography yield was also higher in the intervention group (26/307=8.5% vs. 18/385=4.7%; p=0.04). CONCLUSION Clinical Decision Support, previously demonstrated to improve guideline adherence for high-cost imaging, can also improve guideline adherence for radiography – as demonstrated by increased OAR adherence and increase imaging yield.
Linking industrial and creative change in 21st-century US television:

The US television industry began experiencing profound change in the early 21st century, change that likewise manifest in the programs of the era. This article explores how and why scripted US television series evolved so profoundly at the dawn of the 21st century and what this might tell us about the continued disruption introduced by Internet-distributed television. The article identifies the industrial practices that propelled and challenged this change and examines how the conditions of creative workers adjusted alongside textual possibilities. Drawn from interviews and archival research, the article relies on case studies of the production histories of milestone series in this evolution to assess the shifting competitive norms and the consequences of textual innovation for creative workers, commercial media industries, and audiences.
Radiative detached divertor with acceptable separatrix Zeff

The feasibility study is performed for the radiative detached divertor (RDD) concept, which characterizes a variety of detached plasmas with impurity amounts providing the highest levels of divertor radiation without X-point MARFE (XPM), based on a set of restrictive criteria for the leading plasma parameters (LPPs) including, e.g., tolerable peak power loads below 1 MW/m2, low separatrix densities, allowable impurity concentrations, and acceptable Zeff values for a DIII-D like tokamak. For this, extensive simulations with the 2-D edge plasma transport code were done scanning the deuterium and impurity inventories practically for all impurity elements from beryllium to neon and the analysis of LPP variations in these scans is presented. It is shown that, for a given D inventory, the total radiation fraction with an increase in the impurity inventory reaches a flat top level, frad = 0.85 ± 0.01, whereas the higher frad corresponds to XPM. This critical fraction is the same for all elements and values of th...
3D Printability of Alginate-Carboxymethyl Cellulose Hydrogel

Three-dimensional (3D) bio-printing is a revolutionary technology to reproduce a 3D functional living tissue scaffold in-vitro through controlled layer-by-layer deposition of biomaterials along with high precision positioning of cells. Due to its bio-compatibility, natural hydrogels are commonly considered as the scaffold material. However, the mechanical integrity of a hydrogel material, especially in 3D scaffold architecture, is an issue. In this research, a novel hybrid hydrogel, that is, sodium alginate with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is developed and systematic quantitative characterization tests are conducted to validate its printability, shape fidelity and cell viability. The outcome of the rheological and mechanical test, filament collapse and fusion test demonstrate the favorable shape fidelity. Three-dimensional scaffold structures are fabricated with the pancreatic cancer cell, BxPC3 and the 86% cell viability is recorded after 23 days. This hybrid hydrogel can be a potential biomaterial in 3D bioprinting process and the outlined characterization techniques open an avenue directing reproducible printability and shape fidelity.
Illegal alcohol sales and use of alcohol control policies at community festivals.

OBJECTIVES: The primary goals of this study were to assess the propensity for alcohol sales to underage customers and obviously intoxicated customers at community festivals, and to assess the prevalence of alcohol control policies at these events. A secondary goal was to identify server and festival characteristics and festival policies related to the likelihood of illegal alcohol sales. METHODS: We conducted pseudo-underage purchase attempts at 43 festivals and pseudo-intoxicated purchase attempts at 50 festivals to assess the likelihood of illegal sales. Research staff made observations at festivals and contacted festival planners by telephone following each event to assess which alcohol policies were implemented. We conducted backwards stepwise multivariate analyses for each purchase attempt outcome to identify policies and characteristics related to likelihood of illegal alcohol sales. RESULTS: Pseudo-intoxicated buyers purchased beer in 89% of 95 attempts (standard deviation [SD]=0.31) and pseudo-underage buyers were able to purchase beer in 50% of 82 attempts (SD=0.50). All festival planners reported having at least two of the 10 alcohol policies we assessed, but no festival had implemented all 10 policies. Server characteristics were not related to either purchase attempt outcome. In the multivariate analyses, having more alcohol control policies was related to a greater likelihood of illegal sales to intoxicated customers; however, having more alcohol control policies was associated with a lesser likelihood of alcohol sales to underage customers. Restricting the number of servings per person was also associated with a lesser likelihood of alcohol sales to underage customers. CONCLUSIONS: Propensity for illegal alcohol sales at festivals is very high. Research is needed to identify interventions to prevent illegal alcohol sales at these events. Language: en
Magnetic-Activated Cell Sorting of Human Spermatozoa

Magnetic cell sorting allows large numbers of viable cells to be isolated with high purity and yield. It is accepted that the process does not cause physical damage to the cell. Today, magnetic nanoparticles are widely used in separation of macromolecules or cells from various cell suspensions. Studies have shown that nonapoptotic sperm fractions selected by MACS technique have morphologically superior quality, higher percentage of motility, viability, improved apoptosis indices and routine sperm parameters. Reduction of apoptotic spermatozoa within the ejaculate by means of the MACS system results in a distinct reduction of spermatozoa with DNA fragmentation. The initial clinical trials of MACS of human spermatozoa in assisted reproduction showed a statistically significant improvement in the embryo cleavage rates.
What are African American children afraid of

Abstract Fears are a part of normal childhood development. However, little is known about the fears experienced by African American children. In this project, 109 African American and 124 white children aged of 6–12 (grades 1–6) were administered the Revised Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-R). A principal components analysis was performed, which yielded a five-factor solution for the white children and a three-factor solution for the African American children. After varimax rotations, some similarities were noted between the three-factor solution for African Americans and the five-factor solution for whites. The most notable difference was the absence of a school-fears factor for African American children. The 11 most common fears for both groups were obtained. Eight of the 11 fears were the same. Contrary to previous reports, it would appear that children's fears transcend race.
A Model for coupled geomechanics and multiphase flow in fractured porous media using embedded meshes

Abstract A mixed discretization approach is proposed to accurately and efficiently resolve coupled multiphase flow and geomechanics in fractured porous media. An extended finite element method (XFEM) is applied to approximate the displacement field, and a projection-based embedded-discrete-fracture method (pEDFM) is used to model the multiphase flow. The proposed scheme resolves arbitrary intersections between fractures and the matrix. The proposed discrete fracture treatment allows for embedded meshes where the matrix mesh need not conform to the geometry of the fractures. It is demonstrated that the proposed XFEM-pEDFM scheme is accurate for multiphase flow and geomechanics. Moreover, the computational efficiency and robustness of linear and nonlinear solution methods is assessed. It is demonstrated that the proposed scheme requires specialized solution methods in order to attain favorable computational efficiency.
Design of Notched Turbine Energy Harvesting System

This research presents the design, simulations and test of a new miniature power generator. The research incorporates a new turbine model, which includes notched blades, and a special turbine casing, designed to work in immersed micro flow fluid systems. In addition, an electromagnetic system is attached inside of the turbine, to finally convert the variable magnetic field to electricity, which is produced from permanent magnets (attached on a rotor) that rotate and induce currents into coils that are fixed inside the turbine casing. The shape and number of components of this miniature-generator system allows adaptability and flexibility to a variety of applications which require power. Also, the simplicity in the design and the use of commercial parts reduces cost and make it very suitable for small power development. The broad challenge being addressed is energy generation using a battery-free system capable of being used in bio/medical, environmental, aquatic/marine, and many other applications where micro-fluidic systems are present. The knowledge of this research is aimed at applications such as self-powered micro and nano-devices, rechargeable micro batteries, or an integrated power supply for artificial organs, valves, sensors, micro motors, home appliances, and micro robots.
Apurinic endonuclease-1 preserves neural genome integrity to maintain homeostasis and thermoregulation and prevent brain tumors.

Frequent oxidative modification of the neural genome is a by-product of the high oxygen consumption of the nervous system. Rapid correction of oxidative DNA lesions is essential, as genome stability is a paramount determinant of neural homeostasis. Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1; also known as “APEX1” or “REF1”) is a key enzyme for the repair of oxidative DNA damage, although the specific role(s) for this enzyme in the development and maintenance of the nervous system is largely unknown. Here, using conditional inactivation of murine Ape1, we identify critical roles for this protein in the brain selectively after birth, coinciding with tissue oxygenation shifting from a placental supply to respiration. While mice lacking APE1 throughout neurogenesis were viable with little discernible phenotype at birth, rapid and pronounced brain-wide degenerative changes associated with DNA damage were observed immediately after birth leading to early death. Unexpectedly, Ape1Nes-cre mice appeared hypothermic with persistent shivering associated with the loss of thermoregulatory serotonergic neurons. We found that APE1 is critical for the selective regulation of Fos1-induced hippocampal immediate early gene expression. Finally, loss of APE1 in combination with p53 inactivation resulted in a profound susceptibility to brain tumors, including medulloblastoma and glioblastoma, implicating oxidative DNA lesions as an etiologic agent in these diseases. Our study reveals APE1 as a major suppressor of deleterious oxidative DNA damage and uncovers specific and broad pathogenic consequences of respiratory oxygenation in the postnatal nervous system.
Picosecond Polarization Kinetics of Photoluminiscence of Semiconductors and Dyes

We will describe a technique for simultaneously measuring photoluminescence from two orthogonal polarizations with picosecond resolution. We will show that this will enable one to determine both the total decay kinetics and the polarization exchange kinetics. Examples are given for both spin relaxation dynamics in solids and depolarization in dyes.
Cross-correlations between gluteal muscle thickness derived from ultrasound imaging and hip biomechanics during walking gait

Abstract Ultrasound imaging (USI) of muscle thickness offers different insights into musculoskeletal function than kinematics, kinetics, and surface electromyography (sEMG), however it is unknown how USI-derived measures correlate to traditional measures during walking. The purpose of this study was to compare USI-derived gluteus maximus (GMAX) and medius (GMED) thickness measures to tri-planar hip kinematics and kinetics, and GMED thickness to sEMG amplitude. Fourteen females walked on a treadmill at 1.34 m/s. GMAX and GMED thickness, hip tri-planar kinematics, kinetics, and GMED sEMG were simultaneously recorded. USI-derived thickness measures were compared to other biomechanical outcomes using cross-correlation analyses, computed at each 1% (11-ms) of the gait cycle with lag times from −20% to 20%. GMED and GMAX thickness measures were most strongly correlated with hip extension and abduction angles at 150–220-ms lags (cross-correlation coefficients [CCF]: −0.34; −0.83). GMED thickness was most correlated to abduction and external rotation moments simultaneously (CCF: −0.28; −0.47). GMAX thickness and flexion moments were most strongly correlated at a 66-ms lag (CCF: 0.33). GMED sEMG amplitude was most strongly correlated to muscle thickness at a 99-ms lag (CCF: 0.39). These results elucidate the unique information provided from USI-derived measures of gluteal muscle thickness during walking.
Revealing the impact of genomic alterations on cancer cell signaling with a partially transparent deep learning model

Cancer is a disease of aberrant cellular signaling and tumor-specific aberrations in signaling systems determine the aggressiveness of a cancer and response to therapy. Identifying such abnormal signaling pathways causing a patient9s cancer would enable more patient-specific and effective treatments. We interpret the cellular signaling system as a causal graphical model, where it is known that genomic alterations cause changes in the functions of signaling proteins, and the propagation of signals among proteins eventually leads to changed gene expression. To represent such a system, we developed a deep learning model, referred to as a redundant input neural network (RINN), with a redundant input architecture and an L1 regularized objective function to find causal relationships between input, latent, and output variables&#8212when it is known a priori that input variables cause output variables. We hypothesize that training RINN on cancer omics data will enable us to map the functional impacts of genomic alterations to latent variables in a deep learning model, allowing us to discover the hierarchical causal relationships between variables perturbed by different genomic alterations. Importantly, the direct connections between all input and all latent variables in RINN make the latent variables partially interpretable, as they can be easily mapped to input space. We show that gene expression can be predicted from genomic alterations with reasonable accuracy when measured as the area under ROC curves (AUROCs). We also show that RINN is able to discover the shared functional impact of genomic alterations that perturb a common cancer signaling pathway, especially relationships in the PI3K, Nrf2, and TGFβ pathways, including some causal relationships. However, despite high regularization, the learned causal relationships were somewhat too dense to be easily and directly interpretable as causal graphs. We suggest promising future directions for RINN, including differential regularization, autoencoder pretrained representations, and constrained evolutionary strategies.
Establishing a Reading Mindset Measure: A Validation Study.

Much attention has been given to the development and validation of measures of growth mindset and its impact on learning, but the previous work has largely been focused on general measures of growt...
Impaired Self-Awareness and Denial During the Postacute Phases After Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

While a number of empirical studies have appeared on impaired self-awareness (ISA) after traumatic brain injury (TBI) over the last 20 years, the relative role of denial (as a psychological method of coping) has typically not been addressed in these studies. We propose that this failure has limited our understanding of how ISA and denial differentially affect efforts to rehabilitate persons with TBI. In this selective review paper, we summarize early findings in the field and integrate those findings with more recent observations (i.e., 1999-2019). We believe that this synthesis of information and expert clinical opinion will inform future research on ISA and denial as well as approaches to rehabilitation for persons with TBI.
MANAJEMEN PENDIDIKAN ISLAM DALAM TINJAUAN EPISTEMOLOGI

Abstra ct : This article discusses the epistemology of management of Islamic education. This study needs to be done because there are still many questions about the management of Islamic education from several experts. The discussion in this article covers the nature and understanding of the epistemology of science, the method of acquiring knowledge, and the epistemology of management knowledge of Islamic education. The results of the study in this article explain that the Epistemology of management science develops to empirical reality and rational considerations that give birth to a number of management sciences in their various loci and values. The birth of management science in the various loci of value that is pursued, is also influenced by the realities that affect the order developed by management science. The use of management research methods is in principle the same as the use of research methods in the social sciences. And One of the bases used to form a management framework for Islamic education is the absence of dualism in the delegation of tasks. Keyword : Epistemology, Islamic Education Management
Bitcoin: An Axiomatic Approach and an Impossibility Theorem

Bitcoin's main innovation lies in allowing a decentralized system that relies on anonymous, profit-driven miners who can freely join the system. We formalize these properties in three axioms: anonymity of miners, no incentives for miners to consolidate, and no incentive to assuming multiple fake identities. This novel axiomatic formalization allows us to characterize what other protocols are feasible: every protocol with these properties must have the same reward scheme as Bitcoin. This implies an impossibility result for risk-averse miners. Furthermore, any protocol either gives up on some degree of decentralization or its reward scheme is equivalent to Bitcoin's.
Ethics and the Quest for Wisdom

1. Introduction: pluralism and uncertainty 2. Openness 3. The retreat 4. The moral sphere 5. Fact and value 6. Value experiments 7. Virtues, excellences and forms of life 8. The fourth dimension 9. Aspiration 10. Wisdom 11. Objective worth 12. The Bach crystals 13. Human flourishing 14. The Faust legend and the mosaic 15. The good and the right (I): intuitionism and Kantianism 16. The good and the right (II): utilitarianism and consequentialism 17. The good and the right (III): contractualism 18. Politics, public morality and law: justice, care and virtue Bibliography Index.
Contemporary Cancer Program Practice Profile Report (CP3R) Compliance Rates for Breast Cancer: A National Cancer Database Analysis.

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) issues Cancer Program Practice Profile Reports (CP3R) that set standards for high-quality care. Three metrics for breast cancer include radiation within 1 year for women < 70 years of age receiving breast-conserving surgery, radiation within 1 year after mastectomy for women with four or more positive lymph nodes (MASTRT), and hormonal therapy within 1 year of a stage IB–III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (HT). Our study evaluates national trends in quality metric compliance. The National Cancer Database was queried from 2004 to 2014 to identify patients who met the criteria for the three quality metrics. National trends in compliance were compared. Overall, 1,094,264 patients qualified for BCSRT (n = 534,147), MASTRT (n = 66,291), or HT (n = 493,826). In 2014, 91.1% of patients met BCSRT, 88.4% met MASTRT, and 90.7% met HT. BCSRT, MASTRT, and HT compliance rates were lower in community hospitals compared with Integrated Network Cancer Programs (INCP) (BCSRT: 89.0% vs. 92.8%, p < 0.01; MASTRT: 85.5% vs. 90.6%, p < 0.01; HT: 87.3% vs. 93.7%, p < 0.01). On multivariate analysis, patients receiving care at an INCP facility [odds ratio (OR) 1.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.37–1.58] and insured patients (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.54–1.87) had higher odds of BCSRT compliance, and minorities (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.73–0.80) had lower odds. Similar results were seen for MASTRT and HT. In more recent years, overall compliance rates for breast cancer quality metrics of BCSRT and HT by Comprehensive Community Cancer Programs, Academic/Research Programs, and INCPs have increased to meet the 90% CoC standards, while MASTRT has regressed. Community programs were least compliant with meeting the CoC standards.
Multipactor Thresholds in a Planar Test Cell

A planar test cell was designed and implemented to observe the multipactor effect in waveguide structures. This plug and play device allows for multiple geometries to be machined and easily replaced within the test structure. A direct detection method was used to observe the multipactor effect while the upper and lower thresholds were measured for a 2.1 mm gap at 2.85 GHz. While there is an obvious lower limit to multipactor (2 kW), there was no observable upper limit even at powers over 200 kW. This is attributed to the transverse electric field distribution in the dominant TE 10 mode which is not taken into account in most multipactor theoretical models.
Scarcity and Gains from Trade

In this book I intend to give an overview of the insights as developed in the theory of general economic equilibrium. Besides presenting the main results in the literature, I develop several new insights. As the name suggests, general equilibrium theory addresses the modelling of a global economy, i.e., it describes the totality of interactions among all economic decision making institutions and persons in a society. These decision makers include individuals, households, firms, labor unions, non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, political parties as well as lobby groups such as the ACLU and the NRA. The ultimate goal of general equilibrium theory is to extend our understanding of global human economic interaction and the consequences of changes in that interaction.
Land, Conflict, and Justice: A Political Theory of Territory

Introduction 1. Everything you always wanted to know about taking other people's land (but were afraid to ask) 2. Land and territory in political theory 3. Groundwork 4. Plenitude 5. Territorial disputes 6. Implementation.
APSA: A new cape tool for design and troubleshooting of azeotropic distillation columns

Abstract The azeotrope pressure sensitivity analysis (APSA) provides a dependence of compositions and temperatures of azeotropes with respect to changes in pressure. This information can be of critical importance in the design and troubleshooting of real distillation columns, especially when there is a substantial pressure drop in the column. In some cases, this can lead to a switch in topology of distillation regions inside the column and cause serious problems in convergence of simulators in steady state and dynamic modes. An example of application of the APSA in troubleshooting of distillation column is described in details in the paper.
Territory Size in Mixed-grass Prairie Songbirds

I estimated breeding territory size in mixed-grass prairie songbirds, and explored how it varied among bird species, time-of-season, and year. The study was conducted at Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge in north-central Montana during 2007-2009. Across all species, months and years, mean breeding territory size was estimated at 0.43 ha (SE = 0.03, n = 129). Estimates were nearly identical across study species: Sprague's Pipits ( Anthus spragueii ), Grasshopper ( Ammodramus savannarum ), and Baird's ( A. bairdii ) sparrows. There was no significant variation in territory size across months, suggesting little to no dependence on nest phase. In contrast, I found significant variation in territory size among years ( P = 0.034), that did not interact meaningfully with species ( R 2 = 0.02, P = 0.603). This suggests that factors that vary annually appear to be affecting all bird species in a similar manner, which could be related to differences in vegetation structure and/or site quality (perhaps as a function of weather) or less likely, variation in population density.
Water Resource Sustainability: Concepts and Practices

The most famous definition of sustainable development is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (1). This unifying concept was the theme of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro that produced the so-called Blueprint for Sustainable Development, Agenda 21 (2). At the core of the sustainability paradigm is the desire to reframe the perceived competition between development and environment (economy vs. ecology) into new forms of development ethics, thought, practice, and policy, reconciling enhancement of the quality of (human) life and social well-being with the conservation of ecological integrity. Underpinning this lofty goal was the ethical pursuit of a more equitable society both today (intragenerational equity) and in the future (intergenerational equity). The term sustainable development is somewhat of an oxymoron because it implies stability, yet change, and begs the coupled questions: What to sustain, for how long, and for whom? This has led to confusion and a plethora of debate over the conceptual validity of the model. A useful working definition of a sustainable project, program, practice, or policy is one that yields a steady stream of benefits (or positive impacts) that exceed costs (negative impacts) over intergenerational timescales (25 years and beyond), while conserving ecological integrity. Too much talk of “achieving” sustainable development has led to some disenchantment with the concept when it is not delivered, or even approximated. The real power of the sustainable development idea lies in its ability to change the way we think about intra- and intergenerational equity and our responsibility as custodians of biodiversity (3). It is much more helpful to view sustainability as a relative, dynamic state of development practice, one that can be degraded or improved substantially, but never reached absolutely. Keywords: sustainable development; Agenda 21; impacts assessment; concepts; practices; capital; integrated watershed management; capacity building; participation; community; ethics; culture
Infant-feeding practices and blood cholesterol levels.

T HE RELATIONSHIP of lipid metabolism, serum cholesterol levels and atherosclerosis is still unresolved. The clinical importance of quantitative and qualitative changes in dietary fat intake also remains unresolved. However, it has been shown that unsaturated fats added to the diet in sufficient proportions will lower serum cholesterol levels in ‘ Many well-qualified observers believe that serum cholesterol levels serve as an important index of atherogenicity. Holman’s investigations2 and those of other researchers over the world have indicated that atherogenesis is usually present during and after the third year of life. If this is true, and if serum cholesterol levels are important barometers of the degree of susceptibility to atherosclerotic changes, then lipid metabolism in infancy and childhood deserves intensive study. The present work was undertaken to determine serum lipid levels and the effect of various dietary changes on them in infants.
Does Self-Citation Influence Quantitative Measures of Research Productivity Among Academic Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons?

Purpose Quantitative measures of research productivity depend on the citation frequency of a publication. Citation-based metrics, such as the h -index (total number of publications h that have at least h citations), can be susceptible to self-citation, resulting in an inflated measure of research productivity. The purpose of the present study was to estimate the effect of self-citation on the h -index among academic oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMSs). Materials and Methods The present study was a cross-sectional study of full-time academic OMSs in the United States. The predictor variable was the frequency of self-citation. The primary outcome of interest was the h -index. Other study variables included demographic factors and citation metrics. Descriptive, bivariate, and regression statistics were computed. Results The study sample consisted of 325 full-time academic OMSs. Most surgeons were men (88.3%); approximately 40% had medical degrees. The study subjects had an average of 23.5 ± 37.1 publications. The mean number of self-citations was 15 + 56. The sample's mean h -index was 6.6 ± 7.6 and was associated with self-citation ( r = 0.71, P h -index after removing self-citations. After adjusting for PhD degree, total number of publications, and academic rank, an increasing self-citation rate influenced the h -index ( r = 0.006, P h -index influenced by self-citation. Conclusion Self-citation among full-time academic OMSs does not substantially affect the h -index. Surgeons in the top quartile of self-citation rates are more likely to influence their h -index.
Scheduling large-scale micro/nano biochemical testing: Exact and heuristic algorithms

We consider a micro/nano fluidic toolbit that consists of a set of identical testing units, each of which contains a microchannel that has an array of equally spaced nanopores opened along it. In each microchannel, same equally spaced chemical liquid plugs shift back and forth under pneumatic pressure. Below each nanopore is a testing tube that accepts appropriate nanoscale chemical droplets from the microchannel above to perform biochemical tests. Each tube may require several different chemicals in sequence to get proper results. Liquid chemicals required in different tubes may be dropped simultaneously in a round if the liquid plug sequence in the microchannel above matches the chemical requirements in these tubes. The sizes of testing problems in terms of the numbers of tubes, liquid chemicals required in each tube and liquid plugs in the microchannel are large, efficient testing procedure requires careful ''round'' scheduling in order to shorten the testing time span. In this research, we model the biochemical test scheduling as the fixed plug sequence problem (FPSP), where the liquid plug layout in the microchannel is given. We show that the FPSP is NP-hard in general, and then develop both exact and heuristic algorithms. The computational performances of the proposed algorithms are provided and contrasted.
From Condensed Lanthanide Coordination Solids to Microporous Frameworks Having Accessible Metal Sites

The combination of terbium nitrate and 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (H2BDC) in the presence of triethylamine yields the compound Tb2(BDC)3·(H2O)4, which has an extended nonporous structure constructed from copolymerized BDC and Tb(III) units. The multidentate functionality of BDC and the tendency of Tb to have a high coordination number has allowed water to act as a terminal ligand to Tb in the structure. Upon thermally liberating the water ligands, a microporous material, Tb2(BDC)3, is achieved, which has extended 1-D channels and the same framework structure as that of the as-synthesized solid as evidenced by XRPD. Water sorption isotherm data proves that Tb2(BDC)3 has permanent microporosity, and points to the presence of accessible metal sites within the pores, which also allows the sorption of ammonia to give Tb2(BDC)3·(NH3)4. Luminescence lifetime measurements confirm that resorbed water and sorbed ammonia are bound to Tb and that they give distinctly different decay constants.
Gonadal steroids modulate interleukin-1 receptor antagonist mRNA expression in cultured human monocytes.

This study investigated whether gonadal steroids modulate the expression of the cytokine Interleukin-l receptor antagonist in monocytes. Human male peripheral monocytes were isolated and cultured in serum free media with serially diluted concentrations of estradiol and progesterone. mRNA expressions with increasing steroid concentrations were compared by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for intracellular and secretory interleukin-l receptor antagonist specific primers and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase primers. Monocyte expression of secretory Interleukin-l receptor antagonist mRNA was significantly elevated in the presence of normal physiological levels of estradiol (10−11 M) and progesterone (10−8 M), while expression was suppressed by higher concentrations of steroids. Intracellular receptor antagonist was also detected. This study is the first to describe the dose related response of cytokine interleukin-l receptor antagonist to gonadal steroids.
VANISHINGLY SLOW KINETICS OF THE CLO2/CL- REACTION : ITS QUESTIONABLE SIGNIFICANCE IN NONLINEAR CHLORITE REACTIONS

Abstract There is considerable disagreement regarding the rate of the aqueous reaction 2ClO 2 + Cl − + H 2 O → HClO 2 + ClO 2 − + HOCl. Bray's early (1906) measurements indicate a third-order rate constant of 1 × 10 −3 M −2 s −1 at 60 °C, while recent kinetic modelling studies of chlorite oscillators use rate constants ranging from 5 × 10 1 to 8 × 10 7 M −2 s −1 at 25 °C. We report attempts to make direct measurements on the reaction at 25 °C. The reaction is very slow and photosensitive: in 0.1 M HCl with 0.8 mM ClO 2 less than 5% of the ClO 2 is consumed in 3 h, and in 0.01 M HClO 4 /1 mM NaCl with 0.3 mM ClO 2 less than 10% is consumed in 2 weeks. Free energy calculations indicate that the reaction has an equilibrium constant too small for the reaction to occur by itself. In principle the reaction can be driven by the addition of product scavengers. Moreover, if appropriate scavengers are present to remove the purported intermediates ClClO 2 and ClO 2 − then the reaction could have the sought third-order rate law. Support for a finite but low rate constant ( k > 3.8 × 10 −5 M −2 s −1 ) for this process comes from a consideration of a prior report on the kinetics of the reverse reaction in view of the principle of microscopic reversibility. Finally, ab initio calculations on ClClO 2 , an intermediate in the reaction, lead to an upper limit of 1.2 × 10 −5 M −2 s −1 ; within the uncertainty in the hydration energy of ClClO 2 , this result is in agreement with the lower limit given above. Thus, while an accurate value for the rate constant at 25 °C is not yet in hand, it is clearly orders of magnitude less than has been used in several recent kinetic simulations.
Reply to A. Lakhtakia: Experimental measurement of B (3)

In answer to the assertion by Lakhtakia [1] thatB (3) isunknowable, presumably unmeasurable, the experimental conditions for its measurement are defined.
A defense of the lifeworld: The source of normativity in a democracy

Hugh Baxter’s book Habermas: A Discourse Theory of Law and Democracy not only carefully recounts Habermas’ political and legal theory, but also raises several insightful criticisms of Habermas. Of ...
Carbon sequestration via reaction with basaltic rocks: Geochemical modeling and experimental results

Abstract Basaltic rocks are potential repositories for sequestering carbon dioxide (CO2) because of their capacity for trapping CO2 in carbonate minerals. We carried out a series of thermodynamic equilibrium models and high pressure experiments, reacting basalt with CO2-charged fluids over a range of conditions from 50 to 200 °C at 300 bar. Results indicate basalt has a high reactivity to CO2 acidified brine. Carbon dioxide is taken up from solution at all temperatures from 50 to 200 °C, 300 bar, but the maximum extent and rate of reaction occurs at 100 °C, 300 bar. Reaction path simulations utilizing the geochemical modeling program CHILLER predicted an equilibrium carbonate alteration assemblage of calcite, magnesite, and siderite, but the only secondary carbonate identified in the experiments was a ferroan magnesite. The amount of uptake at 100 °C, 300 bar ranged from 8% by weight for a typical tholeite to 26% for a picrite. The actual amount of CO2 uptake and extent of rock alteration coincides directly with the magnesium content of the rock suggesting that overall reaction extent is controlled by bulk basalt Mg content. In terms of sequestering CO2, an average basaltic MgO content of 8% is equivalent to 2.6 × 108 metric ton CO2/km3 basalt.
The use of 210Pb as a heavy metal tracer in the Susquehanna River system

Analysis of soil profiles and shallow ground water in the Susquehanna River basin, northeastern U.S.A., indicates that the atmospheric flux of 210Pb is efficiently scavenged by the organic-rich horizons of the soils. This atmospherically supplied 210Pb in soil profiles can only be lost from the system by soil erosion. Based on the annual sediment yield of the Susquehanna River and the excess 210Pb concentration in particulate matter, a mean residence time of 2000 yr is calculated for metals similar to Pb in soil profiles. The West Branch of the Susquehanna River (WBSR) is strongly affected by acid mine drainage and is low in pH and high in dissolved ( <0.4 μm) 210Pb, Fe and Mn. Along its course iron hydroxide is precipitating at a pH of between 4 and 4.5 and the 210Pb supplied by the acid mine water is diminished by about 25% as a result of dilution. As the WBSR enters the Valley and Ridge Province of the Appalachians it has a 210Pb concentration of ~ 0.2 dpm/l. At this juncture it receives a considerable influx of alkalinity from tributaries draining carbonate terranes, resulting in neutralization of the sulfuric acid and increase of the river pH to around 6.5–7. This pH adjustment is accompanied by the precipitation of Fe and Mn. Due to the slow rate of Mn removal from solution, the Mn precipitation extends a considerable distance down river from the point of acid neutralization. Analyses for 210Pb in the river at points in or below the region of Mn precipitation show that 210Pb is rapidly scavenged from solution onto suspended particles. From the data it is possible to calculate the removal rate of Pb from water in the presence of Fe and Mn hydroxides and other particles. At a pH of 4–4.5 Pb removal is nonexistent relative to the river flow rate, but at a pH of 6.5–7 the 210Pb data indicate a residence time of <0.7 day for dissolved Pb.
Do Credit Rating Agencies Sacrifice Timeliness by Pursuing Rating Stability? Evidence from Equity Market Reactions to CreditWatch Events

In this paper we examine how well CreditWatch is used by credit rating agencies to balance two conflicting goals: rating timeliness and rating stability. Examining equity market reactions around CreditWatch events in 2002-2005, we find evidence that while CreditWatch has improved rating timeliness, its intended purpose has not been completely achieved. Equity prices start to change days before companies are listed on CreditWatch and abnormal equity returns of firms prior to being listed on CreditWatch are effective predictors of the ultimate change in ratings. The findings in the study suggest that in the pursuit of rating stability, rating agencies may have sacrificed rating timeliness.
Factors Related to the Severity of Tardive Dyskinesia

This study was undertaken to clarify factors associated with severity of tardive dyskinesia (TD). It was hypothesized that dopaminergic changes associated with neuroleptic medication may interact with unknown vulnerabilities contributing to the manifestation of TD. Fifty-four psychiatric patients residing on the acute and intermediate care wards of a Veterans Administration hospital participated. Thirty schizophrenic and 24 manic patients, under 60 years of age, were assessed for TD using the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale. Cognitive tests were used to form verbal and nonverbal composite indices. The results of multiple regression analyses revealed a modest linear relationship between TD and nonverbal function (p < .03) after controlling for duration of hospitalization, years of illness, motor speed, and age. This relationship was noted for both manic and schizophrenic patients. The results of this study suggest that nonverbal dysfunction is related to severity of TD.
The clinical symptomatology associated with the 6 c-sec spike and wave complex.

SUMMARY This study dealt with the electro-clinical correlations of 310 patients with the 6c/sec spike-and-wave complex as compared to matched control populations. The experimental population fell into three age groups: 34 years and under, 35–54 years, and 55 years and over. The major symptoms associated with this waveform were seizures, vegetative and/or dysautonomic complaints and psychiatric disturbances. Seizures were most prominent in the youngest age group, vegetative and/or dysautonomic symptoms in the oldest age group, and psychiatric disturbances in the middle age group. The most common type of seizure was generalized or “grand mal” and headache was the most common vegetative and/or dysautonomic complaint. Dizziness, syncope and gastrointestinal disorders were also significant symptoms in patients with 6 c/sec spike-and-wave complexes. Anxiety, nervousness and depression were the prominent psychiatric disorders. Females had more headache, psychiatric and gastrointestinal complaints than the males who had more seizures and alcoholism. No specific etiological factor was determined in the experimental population. RESUME On a churche des correlations electro-cliniques entre 310 patients avec des complexes de P.O. a 6 c/sec et une population de controle. La population qui fait 'objet de 'etude peut etre distinguee selon 'âge en trois groupes suivant qu'il s'agit de sujets au-dessus de 34 ans, entre 35 et 54 ans et plus de 55 ans. Les symptomes majeurs associes aux complexes de P.O. a 6 c/secetaient des crises, des troubles vegetatifs et/ou dysautonomiques et des troubles psychiatriques. Les manifestations plus importantes etaient representees: (a) chez les sujets jeunes par des crises et en particulier par des crises generalisees ou de type “grand mal”; (b) chez les sujets du groupeplus âge par des manifestations vegetatives et/ou dysautonomiques, avec la cephalee en premier plan, suivie par des vertiges, des syncopes et des troubles gastrointestinaux; (c) chez les sujets 'âge moyen, par des manifestations psychiatriques, les plus souvent sous forme 'anxiete, 'irritabilitye et de depression. Les femmes avaient plus de cephalees, de desordres psychiatriques et de troubles gastrointestinaux, tandis que les hommes avaient plus de crises et etaient plus frequemment des alcooliques. On n'a pas trouve de facteur etiologique bien precis chez les sujets avec les complexes des P.O. a 6 c/sec sur 'E.E.G.
The intravertebral distribution of bone density: correspondence to intervertebral disc health and implications for vertebral strength

Summary This study's goal was to determine associations among the intravertebral heterogeneity in bone density, bone strength, and intervertebral disc (IVD) health. Results indicated that predictions of vertebral strength can benefit from considering the magnitude of the density heterogeneity and the congruence between the spatial distribution of density and IVD health.
Racial/ethnic, area socioeconomic, and geographic disparities of cervical cancer survival in Texas

Abstract A better understanding about the factors associated with cervical cancer survival disparities is an important step in developing more effective cervical cancer intervention strategies. This study investigates cervical cancer survival disparities from three different perspectives based on data from the Texas Cancer Registry from 1995 to 2005. These perspectives are race/ethnicity, area socioeconomic status (SES), and geographic locations. We examined the role of both individual- and contextual-level factors in cervical cancer survival disparities using a multilevel survival analysis. Individual-level factors included race/ethnicity, age at diagnosis, year of diagnosis, tumor grade, stage at diagnosis, and type of treatment received. Contextual-level factors are census-tract-level variables, including demographic characteristics, health insurance expenditure, behavioral factors, extent of urbanization, and spatial access to primary care physicians. This study reveals that African-Americans had a higher mortality risk (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.03–1.38) especially if stage was unknown (HR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.08–2.75) compared with non-Hispanic whites. Among women diagnosed at regional or distant stage, Hispanics had a survival advantage over their non-Hispanic white counterparts (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.69–0.94). We also identified geographic areas where longer-than-expected or shorter-than-expected cervical cancer survival was statistically significant. Only a small portion of these disparities were explained by individual- and contextual-level factors. This study suggests that Race/Ethnicity, SES, and geography are associated with cervical cancer survival in Texas.