cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The importance of mentorship for success in family medicine.

Mentorship can play a large role in a family physician’s personal and career development. Furthermore, by building a better and more productive work force, mentorship can shape the field of family medicine as it builds a niche within academic medicine and the research arena. The purpose of this
Hispanic-White Differences in Lifespan Variability in the United States

This study is the first to investigate whether and, if so, why Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites in the United States differ in the variability of their lifespans. Although Hispanics enjoy higher life expectancy than whites, very little is known about how lifespan variability-and thus uncertainty about length of life-differs by race/ethnicity. We use 2010 U.S. National Vital Statistics System data to calculate lifespan variance at ages 10+ for Hispanics and whites, and then decompose the Hispanic-white variance difference into cause-specific spread, allocation, and timing effects. In addition to their higher life expectancy relative to whites, Hispanics also exhibit 7 % lower lifespan variability, with a larger gap among women than men. Differences in cause-specific incidence (allocation effects) explain nearly two-thirds of Hispanics' lower lifespan variability, mainly because of the higher mortality from suicide, accidental poisoning, and lung cancer among whites. Most of the remaining Hispanic-white variance difference is due to greater age dispersion (spread effects) in mortality from heart disease and residual causes among whites than Hispanics. Thus, the Hispanic paradox-that a socioeconomically disadvantaged population (Hispanics) enjoys a mortality advantage over a socioeconomically advantaged population (whites)-pertains to lifespan variability as well as to life expectancy. Efforts to reduce U.S. lifespan variability and simultaneously increase life expectancy, especially for whites, should target premature, young adult causes of death-in particular, suicide, accidental poisoning, and homicide. We conclude by discussing how the analysis of Hispanic-white differences in lifespan variability contributes to our understanding of the Hispanic paradox.
Bradycardia-Associated Torsade de Pointes and the Long-QT Syndromes: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

We report a case of bradycardia-associated torsade de pointes in which the underlying long-QT syndrome appeared to be attributable to primary cardiac conducting system disease. Our patient presented complaining of presyncope and syncope. Serial electrocardiograms obtained over a period of 10 years demonstrated slowly progressive conduction system abnormalities, and evaluation revealed no other cause. The patient's dysrhythmia was refractory to magnesium but abated with cardiac pacing at a moderate rate. A review of the relevant literature on congenital and acquired long-QT syndrome is included.
Examining “suicide by cop”: A critical review of the literature

Abstract Suicide by cop (SbC), or evidencing intentionally life-threatening behaviors in order to coerce a law enforcement officer to respond with lethal force (American Association of Suicidology, 2013), is a phenomenon that has recently emerged as an area of scholarly interest, but little consensus has been reached regarding perpetrator demographics or intervention efficacy during SbC incidents. The present paper critically reviews the SbC research of the last 20 years with focus given to individual characteristics, situational variables, and legal intervention outcomes. Eighteen studies representing both early and more recent empirical work from 1994 to 2014 were selected for review after meeting inclusionary criteria. Results indicated that the typical SbC perpetrator is a younger adult, White male experiencing a romantic relationship conflict who has a significant mental health and criminal history and who often is intoxicated at the time of the offense. Typical legal interventions, including use of less-lethal means and verbal negotiation strategies, are not effective at preventing subject death due to officer response—unless the officer focuses verbal negotiation strategies on the perpetrator's problems. Common methodological limitations include inconsistent definitions of SbC, varying typologies of SbC intent, inadequate coding procedures, and reliance on convenience samples. Future research is needed to examine international trends in SbC perpetration, suicidal motivation in averted SbC cases, and to empirically validate SbC intervention efficacy.
Driving Entrepreneurial Intentions by Integrating Self-efficacy and Identification

Based on Bandura’s theories on self-efficacy and behavior, past literature has proposed and found strong evidence that one’s self-efficacy enhances his or her entrepreneurial intentions. Yet, paradoxically, many highly efficacious individuals do not show any slight intentions to become entrepreneurs. We address this conundrum by theoretically integrating an important cognitive factor to the above Bandura-based model, entrepreneurial identification. Our study advances entrepreneurship research by theorizing that individuals’ cognitive/perceptual mechanisms of entrepreneurial identification—together with entrepreneurial self-efficacy—mediate the relationships between Bandura’s three antecedents of self-efficacy—personal experience (mastery experience), family entrepreneurs (vicarious learning), and social support (social persuasion)—onto entrepreneurial intentions. Our data analyses of survey data with over 6,000 college students corroborate our conjectures, but most importantly suggest a counter-intuitivel...
Predictors of Clergy's Ability to Fulfill a Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Role.

Catholic, Jewish and Protestant clergy (n = 801) completed a survey to identify predictors of clergy's ability to fulfill a suicide gatekeeper role. Exploratory backward stepwise regression identified predictors of risk identification including suicide knowledge, religion, conducting suicide funerals, having an attitude that people have a right to die, age, and race. Predictors of ability to intervene include suicide knowledge, training, religion, right to die attitude, and ethnicity. Recommendations include more suicide training and clergy self-care.
The Impact of American Technology

While the word ‘technology’1 was little used by the Americans in the eighteenth century, in comparison to the term ‘the Useful Arts’, the role of applied science has been basic in the formation and progress of the American commonwealth; for the United States is the only nation to have taken shape at a time when a technical, power-driven civilisation was spreading from Europe to the rest of the world.
Marketing of Health Care Services: The Physicians’Perspective

There is a monumental battle being waged to provide health care services. While the traditional physician referral system is still dominant, the growth of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) has been significant. While much of the previous research regarding attitudes towards HMOs and the traditional system has been gathered from the general public, the focus of this paper was to survey the physicians themselves. Personal interviews were conducted with a small sample of physicians, representing diverse specialties and both traditional and HMO systems. The results from this study are significantly pertinent and offer some unique insights not found in other research attempts.
Introduction: The Responsibility of Awkwardness

The thought of the limit has in its genetics the questioning of time and place. The essays in this collection, African Thinking and/at Its Limits , demonstrate this essential interrogation (how time and space both belong to a certain critical modality); their address of (and at) the limits of African thinking is inevitably also one that presents us with the limitedness of temporal and spatial understandings. For the limit signals the very reach(es) of time and place, and enables the possibility of territory, control, management, and measure – possibilities that can seem at once infinite and inordinately restricted. Possibility, the very provocation of the limit, can itself be formulated in terms of time and place—What can (yet) be done? Where is it possible to go? Where do we from here? The limit signifies both expiration, the farthest point a thinking can take one, and consolidation, the demarcation and establishment of a territory. These questions of time and place are, as such and for these very reasons, bound up in any thinking of Africa. This, too, is clear from the issues addressed by the contributions to this collection, not the least of which are the very historicity of the concepts commonly used to assess or explain state crisis, the hangovers of colonial paradigms, and how to think, address, and analyze the crisis of the postcolony.
PROMIS Sleep Disturbance and Sleep-Related Impairment in Adolescents: Examining Psychometrics Using Self-Report and Actigraphy.

Background The National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) has self-reported health measures available for both pediatric and adult populations, but no pediatric measures are available currently in the sleep domains. Objective The purpose of this observational study was to perform preliminary validation studies on age-appropriate, self-reported sleep measures in healthy adolescents. Methods This study examined 25 healthy adolescents’ self-reported daytime sleepiness, sleep disturbance, sleep-related impairment, and sleep patterns. Healthy adolescents completed a physical exam at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (Bethesda, MD), had no chronic medical conditions, and were not taking any chronic medications. The Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Questionnaire (CASQ), PROMIS Sleep Disturbance (v. 1.0; 8a), and PROMIS Sleep-Related Impairment (v. 1.0; 8b) questionnaires were completed, and sleep patterns were assessed using actigraphy. Results Total scores on the three sleep questionnaires were correlated (all Spearman’s r > .70, p < .001). Total sleep time determined by actigraphy was negatively correlated with the CASQ ( p = .01), PROMIS Sleep Disturbance ( p = .02), and PROMIS Sleep-Related Impairment ( p = .02). Discussion The field of pediatric sleep is rapidly expanding, and researchers and clinicians will benefit from well-designed, psychometrically sound sleep questionnaires. Findings suggest the potential research and clinical utility of adult versions of PROMIS sleep measures in adolescents. Future studies should include larger, more diverse samples and explore additional psychometric properties of PROMIS sleep measures to provide age-appropriate, validated, and reliable measures of sleep in adolescents.
Psychophysiological Tracking of a Female Physique Competitor through Competition Preparation.

Natural physique competitions are based on subjective judgments of how a competitor appears on show day. Prior to competition, there is a prolonged dieting phase referred to as contest preparation. The primary goal is to reduce body fat levels while maintaining skeletal muscle mass. The study tracked the physiological and psychological changes for a 24 year old female preparing for a physique competition. PURPOSE The study was conducted to describe the physiological and psychological changes of a female physique competitor who engages in long-term contest preparation. METHODS Diet, body composition, blood work, energy expenditure, mood, and performance were evaluated through contest preparation. RESULTS The participant lost 10.1kg throughout contest preparation in a strong weekly linear pattern (R2=0.97). Body fat was reduced from 30.45% to 15.85% while fat free mass was maintained. Mood for the participant remained stable until month five, when an observed variation occurred, with performance maintaining. CONCLUSIONS Contest preparation was successful in reducing the body fat in the participant while having a minimum effect on both performance and fat free mass. For athletes looking to lose large amounts of body fat with minimal performance decrements a prolonged diet period with moderate exercise and food restriction can be an effective solution.
Latino Neighborhood Choice

The de- and re-territoralization couplet of the global-informational economy has brought with it economic and demographic changes across many metropolitan regions in the U.S. that have altered the contexts of educational reform. The dispersion of immigrant families across metropolitan regional areas has become a pervasive trend as global economies have amplified the employment opportunities beyond central cities (Castles & Miller, 2003; Singer, 2008; Wells et al., 2014).
Learning Clinical Workflows to Identify Subgroups of Heart Failure Patients

Heart Failure (HF) is one of the most common indications for readmission to the hospital among elderly patients. This is due to the progressive nature of the disease, as well as its association with complex comorbidities (e.g., anemia, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hyper- and hypothyroidism), which contribute to increased morbidity and mortality, as well as a reduced quality of life. Healthcare organizations (HCOs) have established diverse treatment plans for HF patients, but such routines are not always formalized and may, in fact, arise organically as a patient's management evolves over time. This investigation was motivated by the hypothesis that patients associated with a certain subgroup of HF should follow a similar workflow that, once made explicit, could be leveraged by an HCO to more effectively allocate resources and manage HF patients. Thus, in this paper, we introduce a method to identify subgroups of HF through a similarity analysis of event sequences documented in the clinical setting. Specifically, we 1) structure event sequences for HF patients based on the patterns of electronic medical record (EMR) system utilization, 2) identify subgroups of HF patients by applying a k-means clustering algorithm on utilization patterns, 3) learn clinical workflows for each subgroup, and 4) label each subgroup with diagnosis and procedure codes that are distinguishing in the set of all subgroups. To demonstrate its potential, we applied our method to EMR event logs for 785 HF inpatient stays over a 4 month period at a large academic medical center. Our method identified 8 subgroups of HF, each of which was found to associate with a canonical workflow inferred through an inductive mining algorithm. Each subgroup was further confirmed to be affiliated with specific comorbidities, such as hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.
Approximate Communication: Techniques for Reducing Communication Bottlenecks in Large-Scale Parallel Systems

Approximate computing has gained research attention recently as a way to increase energy efficiency and/or performance by exploiting some applications’ intrinsic error resiliency. However, little attention has been given to its potential for tackling the communication bottleneck that remains one of the looming challenges to be tackled for efficient parallelism. This article explores the potential benefits of approximate computing for communication reduction by surveying three promising techniques for approximate communication: compression, relaxed synchronization, and value prediction. The techniques are compared based on an evaluation framework composed of communication cost reduction, performance, energy reduction, applicability, overheads, and output degradation. Comparison results demonstrate that lossy link compression and approximate value prediction show great promise for reducing the communication bottleneck in bandwidth-constrained applications. Meanwhile, relaxed synchronization is found to provide large speedups for select error-tolerant applications, but suffers from limited general applicability and unreliable output degradation guarantees. Finally, this article concludes with several suggestions for future research on approximate communication techniques.
Effects of Caloric Restriction on Aflatoxin B1 Metabolism and DNA Modification in Fischer 344 Rats

Laboratory animals maintained on a reduced calorie, but nutritionally adequate diet have extended life spans and a lowered incidence of spontaneous and chemically induced cancers compared to ad libitum-fed counterparts (Allaben et al., Chapter 4; Kritchevsky and Klurfeld 1987). Results obtained from early studies, such as the pioneering work of Tannenbaum (1942) on the effect of caloric restriction (CR) on mouse skin tumors induced by benzo(a)pyrene, and from the numerous recent studies employing a variety of restriction levels and different carcinogens to induce tumors at different tissue sites (Kritchevsky et al., 1986; Sarkar et al. 1982; Gross 1988; Lagopoulous and Stadler 1987; Newberne and Rogers 1986) demonstrate the profound impact of caloric restriction on tumorigenesis. Although mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effect of CR on carcinogenesis are still not clear, a variety of hypotheses have been proposed which generally focus on the promotion stage (Pariza and Boutwell 1987; Sarkar et al. 1982; Kritchevsky et al. 1984). Recent reports which demonstrate that CR alters xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme activities (Sachan 1982; Sachan and Das 1982; Hasmi et al 1986; Koizumi et al. 1987; Leakey et al. 1989a,b, see also this volume; Table 5.1), decreases 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) binding to dermal DNA in mice (Pashko and Schwartz 1983), inhibits carcinogenesis induced by indirect- but not direct-acting chemical carcinogens in rats (Pollard and Luckert 1985; Table 5.2), and reduces the binding of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) to hepatic DNA in rats (Pegram et al. 1989) indicate that in addition to cancer promotion, the initiation of stage of carcinogenesis can be significantly inhibited by CR.
A Middleware for Managing Big-Data Flows

Hadoop is being used for various diverse kinds of applications over diverse kinds of data. This makes developing and managing data flows over Hadoop MapReduce a complex task. Various scripting languages such as Hive, Pig, Jaql, etc., have been developed to hide the complexity of MapReduce applications from the user. But, even these high level query languages can get complex over-time and it is a non-trivial task even for a user proficient in these languages to develop, debug, and maintain these scripts. This paper presents a middleware for developing and maintaining MapReduce data flows. This middleware can be used to Extract data from diverse data sources, Load it into distributed file system, and Transform in a format which can be easily analyzed by the subsequent systems in a user friendly manner. MetaOperators are the backbone of our middleware. Using MetaOperators one can express a data-flow only by specifying the relevant inputs rather than worrying about data schema and the query syntax. A data-flow written using such MetaOperators localizes schema specific parts of the query to the MetaOperator parameters making the flow easier to develop, debug, and maintain. Using these MetaOperators we show how one can express operations over hierarchical as well as flat data in a similar manner, track data schema as it flows through the operators, and add a drag-and-drop GUI layer on top of this framework. This brings MapReduce application development in the realm of middle management.
DNA Repair Processes in Mutant Cells Deficient in Poly (ADP-Ribose) Synthesis

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase is a eukaryotic enzyme that uses NAD as substrate to synthesize homopolymers of ADP-ribose which are covalently linked to protein acceptors such as the enzyme itself (Carter and Berger, 1982). The enzyme is predominantly located in the nucleus in an inactive form; it is activated by DNA strand breaks that result from a variety of treatments that cause DNA damage (Berger, et al., 1979; Cohen and Berger, 1981). Treatment of cells with agents such as 3 aminobenzamide (3AB) to inhibit poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase interferes with the repair of DNA strand breaks and suggests that poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis is required for DNA repair (Durkacz, et al., 1980). Other studies suggest that poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis may also be involved in DNA replication and cell differentiation (Hayaishi and Ueda, 1977). Since many of these studies are based on the use of enzyme inhibitors which also affect other cellular process, the function of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase has not yet been determined with certainty.
Bad Samaritans: Religion and Anti-Immigrant and Anti-Muslim Sentiment in the United States*

Objectives Negative sentiment toward immigrants helps fuel preferences for restrictive immigration policy. Religious commitments have been linked to both positive and negative dispositions toward immigrants, Muslims, and immigration. This study tests how religious factors impact negative sentiments toward immigrants and Muslims, and preferences for more restrictive immigration policy. Methods We analyze data from the 1996 and 2004–2016 General Social Surveys (GSS), examining scales for negative sentiment toward immigrants, civil liberties for Muslims, and preferences to restrict immigration. Ordinary least squares and ordinal regression models are used to examine the effects of religious factors net of social background and political identifications. Results Sectarian Protestants, white Catholics, and biblical literalists were found to have more hostile views of immigrants and Muslims, while nonwhite Catholics, non‐Christians, the unaffiliated, and those with secular beliefs held more positive views of immigrants and immigration. Conclusions While elite sectarian Protestants and the Catholic Church hierarchy have urged tolerance for immigrants and immigration, our findings suggest that the sectarians, white Catholics, and biblical literalists hold negative views of immigrants, Muslims, and immigration. Subscription to Christian nationalism also appears to play a role in structuring negative views of immigrants and Muslims.
New approach for proportioning of controlled low strength materials

Abstract Controlled Low Strength Material (CLSM) can be a valuable application for the safe and efficient use of recycled and by-product materials. These nonstandard materials affect the mixture properties in less predictable ways, and hence, increase the number of trial batches required to attain the desired CLSM characteristics. In the present study, a laboratory experiment was carried out to explore an efficient methodology for proportioning CLSM mixtures without an extensive trial and error process. In the new methodology, CLSM mixture are proportioned using relative ratios between constituent materials, including the paste volume ratio to the total volume of mixture (PVR), mass ratios of water to cementitious materials (w/cm) and portland cement to cementitiuos materials (pc/cm). These parameters can be adjusted independently, and therefore, the proposed methodology allows for better understanding of the effects of the above parameters on mixture properties. The experimental results showed that the relative ratio parameters can provide adequate control over the relevant CLSM properties in terms of the ability to flow and compressive strength. The PVR parameter had a more significant effect on flowability compared to the w/cm ratio; though, it had little effect on strength development of CLSM mixtures. A mixture design procedure based on the new methodology is provided.
Preparation and radiolabelling of CP-96,345, the first non-peptide substance P antagonist

Abstract The preparation of CP-96,345, a potent, non-peptide Substance P antagonist, in both enantiomerically pure and radiolabelled forms is described. In addition, the absolute configuration of CP-96,345 was determined to be 2S,3S.
Upregulation of p53 through induction of MDM2 degradation: Anthraquinone analogs.

Abstract In a previous study, a novel anthraquinone analog BW-AQ-101 was identified as a potent inducer of MDM2 degradation, leading to upregulation of p53 and apoptosis in cell culture studies. In animal models of acute lymphocytic leukemia, treatment with BW-AQ-101 led to complete disease remission. In this study, we systematically investigated the effect of substitution patterns of the core anthraquinone scaffold. Through cytotoxicity evaluation in two leukemia cell lines, the structure-activity relationship of thirty-two analogs has been examined. Several analogs with comparable or improved potency over BW-AQ-101 have been identified. Western-blot assays verified the effect of the potent compounds on the MDM2-p53 axis. The study also suggests new chemical space for further optimization work.
Angioleiomyoma of the Hand: A Case Series and Review of the Literature.

Background: Angioleiomyomas are rare tumors arising from vascular tissue that can occasionally present in the hand.Reports of angioleiomyomas in this location are highly limited. Here, we describe the presentation and outcomes of aseries of cases of angioleiomyomas.Methods: A retrospective case review of five patients with angioleiomyomas arising in the hand was performed. Patientswere identified via International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revision (ICD-9 and ICD-10) diagnosiscodes and were reviewed through the electronic medical record for demographic information, tumor characteristics,management, and outcomes. A literature review was also conducted of angioleiomyomas.Results: Five patients were diagnosed with angioleiomyoma at our institution between 1992 and 2015. Patientspresented with a painful, slow-growing hand mass in all cases. The majority of patients were male and of middle-age.All of the patients were successfully treated with marginal excision and had full return to functional status withoutrecurrence.Conclusion: Angioleiomyomas are rare tumors that can arise in the hand and should be included in the differentialdiagnosis of a patient presenting with a painful hand mass. They can be successfully treated with marginal excision.Level of evidence: IV
Uncovering Alternate Ethnic Identity Trajectories: A Cluster Analysis of the MEIM and Psychological Well-Being

There is vast support in the racial-ethnic identity literature that there is a positive association between racial-ethnic identity and psychological well-being. The current study calls attention to the possibility that there may actually be heterogeneity among racial-ethnic minority group members regarding this link whereby the pathway to psychological well-being may involve an alternate identity that accords limited importance to race and ethnicity. We utilized cluster analysis with two independent datasets (N = 414, N = 506) to examine trends within the data based on the most frequently referenced measure of ethnic identity—Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM; Phinney in J Adolesc Res 7(2):156–176, https://doi.org/10.1177/074355489272003, 1992)—several of which are in-line with the findings of extant research. A four-cluster solution fits the data the best. The first two clusters we observed fit with identify profiles already observed in the literature. Cluster 1 (High) included participants with high levels of ethnic identity and high levels of well-being. Cluster 2 (Low) was comprised of participants with low levels of ethnic identity and well-being. Of interest was Cluster 3 (Alternate), which revealed a pattern not recorded in previous research whereby participants had low levels of ethnic identity and high levels of well-being. Cluster 4 (Enhanced) presented an ethnicity-mental health connection similar to that of Cluster 1, but participants in this group had high scores on the MEIM with even more elevated ratings of well-being. Therefore, simple linear depictions of the association between the MEIM and indicators of well-being may not fully capture the complexity of the relationship. In contrast to what has been previously asserted, some individuals may achieve well-being through something other than ethnicity.
A Republic—If You Can Keep It: Choice II

This chapter “A Republic —If you Can Keep It: Choice II” considers the second most critical choice the Framers made, what type of democracy they would adopt. The Framers were committed to creating a democratic state in which the people were sovereign. At the time, the type of democracy familiar to most people was the pure/direct variety that had been used in and by the Greek city-states. Fewer people were familiar with the alternative, a republic or representative democracy. This chapter delves into the Framers decision to adopt the latter and focuses particular attention on James Madison’s defense of and argument for Republican democracy in Federalist #10. In addition, it addresses the positive and negative aspects of this choice, including the critical issues of scale, exclusivity, and ignorance; focusing not just on their historical but current implications. The chapter ends by focusing on the so-called bouillabaisse of ignorance problem that is frequently leveled against Americans and asks whether the problem is that Americans are ignorant or that we are working with an unrealistic concept of democracy which does not meet or match the times in which we are living? It is an issue which we circle back to again in Part III.
Perventricular Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Implantation in a Symptomatic 3-Year-Old Child With Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot.

Abstract In select patients, transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement through a percutaneous approach can be challenging because of complicated anatomy or small patient size. In these patients, especially those weighing
Primary MCP Arthroplasty

Inflammatory and post-traumatic arthritis and osteoarthritis of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint can result in substantial pain and compromised function. Arthrodesis is an option for the arthritic MCP joint but less applicable to other joints of the fingers such as the proximal interphalangeal and distal interphalangeal joints, owing to the loss of abduction and adduction that results from fusion of the MCP joint. Arthroplasty has remained the primary surgical option for many years. Silicone implants have been the most long-standing arthroplasty choice in the treatment of the arthritic MCP joint and remain the gold standard. The silastic implants are hinged and provide inherent stability, which compensate for patients with poor soft-tissue stabilizers. They are fairly straightforward in their insertion and function effectively as a “spacer.” Unfortunately, durability and fracture of the implant is common, and the patient is vulnerable to recurrent deformity. Thankfully, implant fracture does not necessarily correlate with patient dissatisfaction or the need for reoperation. Newer-generation modular designs, with alternative materials, have followed over the more recent years. These include metal-plastic surface replacement implants (SRA) and pyrolytic carbon arthroplasties. The material properties of these implants are favorable compared to silicone, with greater strength and durability. In addition, these implant designs are modular and non-constrained. They are kinematically more anatomic and closely resemble the function of the native MCP joint. However, the lack of inherent stability increases the strain on the adjacent joint stabilizers such as the collateral ligaments, volar plate, and capsule. Insertion of the surface gliding implants is also more technically demanding, and care is taken to protect the soft-tissue stabilizers. These implants fare better in patients with competent soft-tissue stabilizers of the MCP joint and have been proven to be more applicable in the treatment of noninflammatory arthritis.
Comparing asset pricing models: an investment perspective

Abstract We investigate the portfolio choices of mean-variance-optimizing investors who use sample evidence to update prior beliefs centered on either risk-based or characteristic-based pricing models. With dogmatic beliefs in such models and an unconstrained ratio of position size to capital, optimal portfolios can differ across models to economically significant degrees. The differences are substantially reduced by modest uncertainty about the models’ pricing abilities. When the ratio of position size to capital is subject to realistic constraints, the differences in portfolios across models become even less important and are nonexistent in some cases.
Solid-state additive manufacturing of tantalum using high-pressure cold gas-dynamic spray

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM) of refractory metals, including tantalum (Ta), is highly valued due to the wide application of these materials in different industrial sectors where outstanding mechanical properties at elevated temperatures are required. Among metal AM processes, newly introduced cold gas-dynamic spray or, more commonly, cold spray (CS) offers a unique opportunity for solid-state consolidation of refractory metals. This research presents the CS process as a method for additive manufacturing of Ta. Following the successful manufacturing of free-standing Ta, an extensive mechanical characterization at the macro and nano levels has been carried out to evaluate the material's structural integrity. Anisotropy in the mechanical properties, which is one of the major concerns in the AM-produced materials, was extensively analyzed at both the macro and nano levels. The produced Ta's resistance against the pre-existing crack was studied by evaluating the far-field J-integral versus the crack extension (J-R curve). The influence of microstructural characteristics and process-induced defects such as pores and micro-cracks on the Ta's mechanical and fracture properties was studied to explain the performance-microstructure linkage. The macro and nanomechanical testing results indicated an elastic modulus and ultimate tensile strength in the range of vacuum-arc melted or electron-beam melted Ta ingots following cold-working. The microstructure analysis demonstrated a mixture of ultrafine grains and highly elongated coarse grains, explaining the CS-produced Ta high strength. Moreover, excellent isotropy in the mechanical properties was observed at both the macro and nano levels. This finding distinguishes the CS process from the laser-based AM process in which mechanical properties highly depend on the build direction. On the other hand, the CS-produced Ta exhibited brittle characteristics during uniaxial tensile loading and ductile behavior during the uniaxial compression test. Also, stable crack growth accompanied by crack branching was observed in the CS-produced Ta. The crack branching and formation of secondary cracks have been identified as the mechanisms retard crack extension. Overall, this research revealed that the CS process is a promising AM technique for producing tantalum-based components.
A case of infected intracranial aneurysm with Nocardia meningitis treated with endovascular therapy: Case report and literature review

Abstract Cerebral mycotic aneurysms are rare and account for a small percentage of all intracranial aneurysms. Fungal aneurysms occur less often than bacterial aneurysms and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Risk factors include an immunocompromised state, prior hematologic or solid organ malignancy, and chronic chemotherapy or steroid use. We present the fourth known case of an intracranial infectious aneurysm associated with Nocardia infection in a middle-aged male patient with previous Nocardia meningitis, and the only known case treated with endovascular coiling of aneurysm. We offer a literature review, case presentation, discussion, and considerations for treatment and management of these patients.
Grasping in the pigeon (Columba livia): final common path mechanisms.

Abstract A combination of cinematographic and denervation procedures were used to analyse the mechanisms involved in the adjustment of gape size during grasping in the pigeon. Gape size was found to vary directly with seed size and to reflect the operation of two variables, jaw opening velocity and jaw opening duration. Effects upon duration are mediated, indirectly, by the effect of seed size upon head height, which, in turn, controls the velocity of head descent. The data suggest that the control of gape during grasping may involve two different effector systems (jaw muscles, neck muscles). Analysis of the displacement of individual jaws (maxilla, mandible) during grasping indicates that both opener muscles take part in the control of gape. Denervation experiments (motor nerve section) identified these opener motoneurons as contributors to the final common path for the opening phase of grasping. A comparison of the kinematics of pecking/grasping in pigeons and reaching/grasping in humans reveals a number of similarities in the topography and spatiotemporal organization of these behaviors.
Lithium ion beam experiments on PBFA II

Summary form only. Experiments are underway on the applied-B ion diode in Sandia's Particle Beam Fusion Accelerator II (PBFA II) with the goal of generating and focusing intense lithium ion beams. Several lithium ion sources, including field-enhanced solid LiF, liquid lithium nitrate, and liquid Li are under investigation. With PBFA II operating at half-energy, 9.2 TW of power and over 300 kJ of energy have been coupled into ions from the LiF source, with an 87% ion current efficiency. However, bringing an Li/sup +/ beam to focus in the diode requires attention to a number of problems. First, the B-field topology required to focus lithium is quite different from the topology required to focus protons. Second, at low energies, energy loss and small-angle scattering in the gas-cell foil and in the neutralizing gas itself significantly affect beam transport efficiency. Third, nonuniformities in the diode magnetic field and the effects of the time-dependent self-magnetic-field of the ion beam must be compensated for. In the initial experiments, these problems prevented all but about 1% of the ion beam from reaching the diode axis. >
Majoritarianism and Majority Rule

Majoritarianism and majority rule prove to be an aspiration for regimes in upcoming decades. In comparison with minority rule, majority rule proves to favor political equality and is efficient at coordinating voter preferences to outcomes. In addition, majority rule can trump formal rationality in terms of voting preferences and become skewed when incorporated with proportional representation and other complex institutions. In context to the shifting economic power occurring in the world, many states throughout the world have been slow to incorporate majority rule in their respective states. Through case studies, one sees the struggles and limits of introducing majoritarianism in political regimes.
The Financial Crisis of 2007/2008: Misaligned Incentives, Bank Mismanagement, and Troubling Policy Implications

After briefly reviewing the major changes in the financial structure as well as the focal events that characterized the 2007-2008 global financial crisis, this paper considers the evidence for the crucial role played by misaligned incentives. Presumably because compensation was predicated on short-term performance to the neglect of long-term outcomes, participants in the mortgage funding and investment banking industries as well as among credit-rating agencies focused only on their annual activities and disregarded the future impact of their actions on their own firms. Evidence that such indeed is the case is amply spelled out in the text at least for those not serving in senior executive capacities. However, this paper argues that while senior management and especially CEOs were ultimately responsible for such pay policies and handsomely benefited from them, they themselves were not driven by the short-term/long-term pay conflict. The collapse and near-collapse of many financial institutions cannot be attributed to incentive issues at the leadership level, especially as the compensation structures were pervasive throughout the industry while collapse was not. Moreover, CEOs in the investment banking industry were all intelligent, hard-working, inspirational, and successful – at least until 2008. Hence, in explaining why some CEOs succeeded and others failed – and examining the CEOs of Lehman and Goldman Sachs in limited detail – an alternative explanation emerges. The paper rejects the suggestion that risk management staff, especially Chief Risk Officers, were able to restrain some CEOs from overly-risky behavior. Nor did boards of directors make a difference. Instead, for a few CEOs and their firms, the wheel of fortune stopped at “Collapse,” while for most others, the pointer landed on “Safe for Now.” Luck rather than skill determined outcomes. Hence, the paper suggests that constraints on compensation policies both in the US and the EU as well as the broad reforms mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 will be of limited value.
The Social Dimension of Distance Learning by Interactive Television: A Qualitative Study

This qualitative study examined instructorsâ€™ and studentsâ€™ perceptions of social relationship in distance learning. Interview and observational data were collected and analyzed to generate theories. Factors influencing a sense of distance were analyzed. Findings revealed greater difficulty establishing a social relationship in interactive television environments than in face-to-face environments. Both instructors and students found it more important to build a personal connection between them. Instructorsâ€™ preference for course delivery and building rapport with students was to travel and teach at the remote sites. The study implies that faculty and administrators should seriously consider, in their decision-making, both the gains and losses of interactive television as a delivery format.
Mythos oder Realität: Win-win Situationen in Civil-Private Partnerships mit Unternehmen aus der Perspektive von europäischen Nonprofit-Organisationen

Kooperationen zwischen Nonprofit-Organisationen (NPO)2 und Unternehmen sind kein Mythos. Sie sind gelebte Realitat in Civil-Private Partnerships4 (CPP) zwischen Sektoren, die in ihrer Orientierung (Pro- vs. Nonprofit) kaum unter-schiedlicher sein konnten (vgl. Habisch 2003: 97-134). Die „ideologische und organisatorische Pluriformitat“ (Kleinfeld 1993: 237) des Nonprofit-Sektors druckt sich in der formalen Fulle des Engagements zwischen den Sektoren aus. In Teilen des Nonprofit-Sektors herrscht ‚Goldgraberstimmung‛. Die Projektideen sind zahlreich, die Mitwirkenden kompetent und der Wille zu einer dauerhaften Zusammenarbeit ist gegeben. Jedoch ist die Zufriedenheit mit dem gesellschaftlichen Engagement von Unternehmen durch NPO und die Bereitschaft zum Qualitatsmanagement gering und bilden so einen ‚Stolperstein‛ fur intensivere Zusammenarbeit – Wunsch und Wirklichkeit behindern sich gegenseitig.
Effect of osmotic-release oral system methylphenidate on different domains of attention and executive functioning in children with attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

Aim This study investigated whether components of attention and executive functioning improve when children with attention-deficit–hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are treated with osmotic-release oral system (OROS) methylphenidate. Method Thirty children (24 males, six females; mean age 8y 6mo, SD 1y 11mo; range 6y 5mo –12y 6mo) with ADHD combined type participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial with the child’s clinically most effective dose as identified with a systematic open-label titration procedure. After 1 week on each treatment (placebo and OROS methylphenidate), a neuropsychological battery that assessed sustained attention, selective attention, attentional control, response inhibition, and working memory was administered. This battery included the Gordon Diagnostic System, seven subtests of the Test of Everyday Attention for Children, and two tests of working memory. Results Performance on two of three tests of response inhibition improved on OROS methylphenidate compared with placebo (p<0.01). Performance on one of two tasks assessing attentional control and one of five measures assessing sustained attention demonstrated clear improvement. There was no improvement on the two tasks assessing selective attention or the two tasks assessing working memory. Interpretation When OROS methylphenidate was used to treat children with ADHD at the clinically most effective dose, general improvement was noted on tasks requiring response inhibition; response to treatment in other domains was either variable or not demonstrated.
Assessing Tracer Transport Algorithms and the Impact of Vertical Resolution in a Finite-Volume Dynamical Core

AbstractModeling the transport of trace gases is an essential part of any atmospheric model. The tracer transport scheme in the Community Atmosphere Model finite-volume dynamical core (CAM-FV), which is part of the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s (NCAR’s) Community Earth System Model (CESM1), is investigated using multidimensional idealized advection tests. CAM-FV’s tracer transport algorithm makes use of one-dimensional monotonic limiters. The Colella–Sekora limiter, which is applied to increase accuracy where the data are smooth, is implemented into the CAM-FV framework, and compared with the more traditional monotonic limiter of the piecewise parabolic method (the default limiter). For 2D flow, CAM-FV splits dimensions, allowing overshoots and undershoots, with the Colella–Sekora limiter producing larger overshoots than the default limiter.The impact of vertical resolution is also explored. A vertical Lagrangian coordinate is used in CAM-FV, and is periodically remapped back to a fixed Euler...
Single Molecule Studies of Dynamics in Polymer Thin Films and at Surfaces: Effect of Ambient Relative Humidity

The temporal emission characteristics of nile red (NR) single molecules in and on hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymer films are studied as a function of ambient relative humidity (RH), and hence, the film hydration level. The materials studied include poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The temporal emission characteristics for NR in and on PVA are shown to be very sensitive to the ambient RH. Autocorrelation of the single-molecule fluorescence transients reveal signal fluctuations on two distinct time scales: 0.1−1 s and 1−2 ms. The fast fluctuations become slower and the slow fluctuations faster with increasing RH. In stark contrast, data obtained from NR in and on PMMA show these films to be almost completely insensitive to ambient moisture. These results point to the important role played by material hydrophilicity in the sensitivity of single-molecule experiments to RH variations. The chemical and physical origins of the RH-dependent signal fluctuations are explored in de...
Test of Gregory's Constancy Scaling Explanation of the Müller–Lyer Illusion

MUCH of the recent interest in geometrical illusions has centred on a size constancy explanation by Gregory1–3. Size constancy occurs when the apparent size of an object remains constant, independent of the distance of the object from the observer, even though the size of the retinal image varies with the distance. The mechanism which produces size constancy has been called constancy scaling2.
MEAT SCIENCE AND MUSCLE BIOLOGY SYMPOSIUM: Ecological and dietary impactors of foodborne pathogens and methods to reduce fecal shedding in cattle

Pathogenic bacteria can live asymptomatically within and on cattle and can enter the food chain but also can be transmitted to humans by fecal or direct animal contact. Reducing pathogenic bacterial incidence and populations within live cattle represents an important step in improving food safety. A broad range of preslaughter intervention strategies are being developed, which can be loosely classified as 1) directly antipathogen strategies, 2) competitive enhancement strategies (that use the microbiome's competitive nature against pathogens), and 3) animal management strategies. Included within these broad categories are such diverse methods as vaccination against foodborne pathogens, probiotics and prebiotics, bacterial viruses (i.e., bacteriophages), sodium chlorate feeding, and dietary and management changes that specifically alter the microbiome. The simultaneous application of 1 or more preharvest strategies has the potential to reduce human foodborne illnesses by erecting multiple hurdles preventing entry into humans. However, economic factors that govern producer profitability must be kept in mind while improving food safety.