cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrons, life and the evolution of Earth's oxygen cycle

The biogeochemical cycles of H, C, N, O and S are coupled via biologically catalysed electron transfer (redox) reactions. The metabolic processes responsible for maintaining these cycles evolved over the first ca 2.3 Ga of Earth's history in prokaryotes and, through a sequence of events, led to the production of oxygen via the photobiologically catalysed oxidation of water. However, geochemical evidence suggests that there was a delay of several hundred million years before oxygen accumulated in Earth's atmosphere related to changes in the burial efficiency of organic matter and fundamental alterations in the nitrogen cycle. In the latter case, the presence of free molecular oxygen allowed ammonium to be oxidized to nitrate and subsequently denitrified. The interaction between the oxygen and nitrogen cycles in particular led to a negative feedback, in which increased production of oxygen led to decreased fixed inorganic nitrogen in the oceans. This feedback, which is supported by isotopic analyses of fixed nitrogen in sedimentary rocks from the Late Archaean, continues to the present. However, once sufficient oxygen accumulated in Earth's atmosphere to allow nitrification to out-compete denitrification, a new stable electron ‘market’ emerged in which oxygenic photosynthesis and aerobic respiration ultimately spread via endosymbiotic events and massive lateral gene transfer to eukaryotic host cells, allowing the evolution of complex (i.e. animal) life forms. The resulting network of electron transfers led a gas composition of Earth's atmosphere that is far from thermodynamic equilibrium (i.e. it is an emergent property), yet is relatively stable on geological time scales. The early coevolution of the C, N and O cycles, and the resulting non-equilibrium gaseous by-products can be used as a guide to search for the presence of life on terrestrial planets outside of our Solar System.
Path visualization for adjacency matrices

For displaying a dense graph, an adjacency matrix is superior than a node-link diagram because it is more compact and free of visual clutter. A node-link diagram, however, is far better for the task of path finding because a path can be easily traced by following the corresponding links, provided that the links are not heavily crossed or tangled. We augment adjacency matrices with path visualization and associated interaction techniques to facilitate path finding. Our design is visually pleasing, and also effectively displays multiple paths based on the design commonly found in metro maps. We illustrate and assess the key aspects of our design with the results obtained from two case studies and an informal user study.
A high-speed parallel computer board for color image processing, compression and transmission

A high-speed parallel computer board has been designed for use as a module in a color image compression and transmission system. The computer board's architecture provides high computational power, improved input/output (I/O) of image data, and flexibility for a variety of image processing applications. While the initial application of the board is as a testbed for image compression algorithms, other applications include image enhancement, fusion of data from different sources, and stereoscopic image processing. >
Green's function in the color field of a large nucleus.

We compute the Green's function for scalars, fermions, and vectors in the color field associated with the infinite momentum frame wave function of a large nucleus. Expectation values of this wave function can be computed by integrating over random orientations of the valence quark charge density. This relates the Green's functions to correlation functions of a two-dimensional, ultraviolet finite, field theory. We show how one can compute the sea quark distribution functions and explicitly compute them in the kinematic range of transverse momenta, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathit{s}}^{2}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}^{2}$\ensuremath{\ll}${\mathit{k}}_{\mathit{t}}^{2}$\ensuremath{\ll}${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}^{2}$, where ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}^{2}$ is the average color charge squared per unit area. When ${\mathit{m}}_{\mathrm{quark}}^{2}$\ensuremath{\ll}${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}^{2}$\ensuremath{\sim}${\mathit{A}}^{1/3}$, the sea quark contribution to the infinite momentum frame wave function saturates at a value that is the same as that for massless sea quarks.
Duloxetine in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: an open‐label pilot study

Objective To assess the efficacy of duloxetine for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Methods We conducted an open-label 12-week trial of duloxetine 60 mg daily in 15 patients with IBS without concurrent major depressive disorder. The primary outcome measure was average abdominal pain. Secondary measures included IBS symptoms, Clinical Global Impression-Severity, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, IBS Quality-of-Life Scale, and Sheehan Disability Scale. We analyzed changes using random regression and one-sample t-tests. Results Fourteen patients completed at least one post-baseline evaluation; eight completed the study. Duloxetine was associated with significant improvement (p < 0.05) in pain, severity of illness, quality of life, loose stool, work and family disability, and anxiety. However, duloxetine did not improve hard stool. Although we found no evidence of serious duloxetine toxicity, seven participants withdrew over the course of the study because of adverse drug events. Conclusions In this small, open-label study, duloxetine appeared to be effective for many features of IBS, but its adverse effects, most notably constipation, limited its use. Since our study excluded individuals with concurrent major depression, it appears that duloxetine may benefit IBS independently of its antidepressant effects. These encouraging but preliminary open-label findings support further investigation of duloxetine treatment in placebo-controlled trials of IBS. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the Optimality of the Binary Algorithm for the Jacobi Symbol

We establish lower bounds on the complexity of computing the following number-theoretic functions and relations from piecewise linear primitives: (i) the Legendre and Jacobi symbols, (ii) pseudoprimality, and (iii) modular exponentiation. As a corollary to the lower bound obtained for (i), an algorithm of Shallit and Sorenson is optimal (up to a multiplicative constant).
Ground-based all-sky mid-infrared and visible imagery for purposes of characterizing cloud properties

Abstract. This paper describes the All Sky Infrared Visible Analyzer (ASIVA), a multi-purpose visible and infrared sky imaging and analysis instrument whose primary function is to provide radiometrically calibrated imagery in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) atmospheric window. This functionality enables the determination of diurnal fractional sky cover and estimates of sky/cloud temperature from which one can derive estimates of sky/cloud emissivity and cloud height. This paper describes the calibration methods and performance of the ASIVA instrument with particular emphasis on data products being developed for the meteorological community. Data presented here were collected during the Solmirus' ASIVA campaign conducted at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) Climate Research Facility from 21 May to 27 July 2009. The purpose of this campaign was to determine the efficacy of IR technology in providing reliable nighttime sky cover data. Significant progress has been made in the analysis of the campaign data over the past several years and the ASIVA has proven to be an excellent instrument for determining sky cover as well as the potential for determining sky/cloud temperature, sky/cloud emissivity, precipitable water vapor (PWV), and ultimately cloud height.
Abstracting the hardware/software boundary through a standard system support layer and architecture

Reconfigurable computing is often lauded as having the potential to bridge the performance gap between computational needs and computational resources. Although numerous successes exist, difficulties persist bridging the CPU/FPGA boundary due to relegating hardware and software systems as separate and inconsistent computational models. Alternatively, the work presented in this thesis proposes using parallel programming models to abstract the CPU/FPGA boundary. Computational tasks would exist either as traditional CPU bound threads or as custom hardware threads running within the FPGA. Achieving an abstract parallel programming model that spans the hardware/software boundary depends on: extending an existing software parallel programming model into hardware, abstracting communication between hardware and software tasks, and providing equivalent high-level language constructs for hardware tasks. This thesis demonstrates that a shared memory multi-threaded programming model with high-level language semantics may be extended to hardware, consequently abstracting the hardware/software boundary. The research for this thesis was conducted in three phases, and used the KU-developed Hybridthread Computational Model as its base operating system and platform. The first phase extended the semantics of a running thread to a new, independent and standard hardware system support layer known as the Hardware Thread Interface (HWTI). In this phase hardware threads are given a standard interface providing communication between the hardware thread and system. The second phase of the research extended and augmented the initial design to support a meaningful abstraction. Mechanisms in this phase include globally distributed local memory, a standard function call stack including support for recursion, high level language semantics, and a remote procedure call model. The third phase evaluated the HWTI by comparing the semantic and implementation differences between hardware and software threads, by using an adapted POSIX conformance and stress test-suite, and by demonstrating that well-known algorithms may be translated and ran as hardware threads using the HWTI. This thesis concludes that parallel programming models can abstract the hardware/software boundary. Creating a meaningful abstraction depends both on migrating the communication and synchronization policies to hardware, but also providing high level language semantics to each computational tasks.
Measuring Homework Utility in Psychotherapy: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adult Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as an Example

Homework, or practice of skills learned in treatment, is a critical component of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). However, no matter how much effort clients put into their therapy homework, this effort can only be useful if adherence to homework is related to improvement in symptoms. Although homework adherence (the extent to which clients practice skills learned in therapy outside of sessions) has been studied with respect to psychotherapy outcomes, ‘homework utility’, a potentially important mechanism of action in cognitive behavioral treatments, has yet to be operationally defined as a distinct construct, and it has yet to be studied with respect to psychotherapy outcome. We therefore propose an operational definition of therapy homework utility: the extent to which homework adherence is associated with parallel symptom improvement across time throughout treatment for each individual client. In this capacity, an indicator of homework utility is operationalized as the within subject correlation of session-by-session homework adherence with session-by-session symptom change. We used a sample of clients who underwent CBT for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in adulthood as an example to quantify homework utility and examine its association to treatment outcome. Consistent with our hypotheses, homework utility was significantly associated with overall therapy outcome. Homework utility may be an important construct relevant to the mechanism of action of structured psychotherapies, and examining within subject sessions-by-session correlations with symptomatic change may be a useful way to examine other psychotherapy process variables.
Fractional Optimal Control of a Distributed System Using Eigenfunctions

This paper presents a formulation and a numerical scheme for Fractional Optimal Control (FOC) for a class of distributed systems. The fractional derivative is defined in the Caputo sense. The performance index of a FOCP is considered as a function of both the state and the control variables, and the dynamic constraints are expressed by a Partial Fractional Differential Equations (PFDEs). Eigenfunctions are used to eliminate the space parameter, and to define the problem in terms of a set of state and control variables. This leads to a multi FOCP in which each FOCP could be solved independently. Several other strategies are pointed out to reduce the problem to a finite dimensional space, some of which may not provide a decoupled set of equations. The Calculus of Variations, the Lagrange multiplier, and the formula for fractional integration by parts are used to obtain Euler-Lagrange equations for the problem. The numerical technique presented in [1] is used to obtain the state and the control variables. In this technique, the FOC equations are reduced to Volterra type integral equations. The time domain is descretized into several segments and a time marching scheme is used to obtain the response at discrete time points. For a linear case, the numerical technique results into a set of algebraic equations which can be solved using a direct or an iterative scheme. The problem is solved for different number of eigenfunctions and time discretizations. Numerical results show that only a few eigenfunctions are sufficient to obtain good results, and the solutions converge as the size of the time step is reduced. The formulation presented is simple and can be extended to FOC of other distributed systems.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Sunday School: The Formation of an American Institution, 1790-1880

This engrossing book traces the social history of Protestant Sunday schools from their origins in the 1790s-when they taught literacy to poor working children-to their consolidation in the 1870s, when they had become the primary source of new church members for the major Protestant denominations. Anne M. Boylan describes not only the schools themselves but also their place within a national network of evangelical institutions, their complementary relationship to local common schools, and their connection with the changing history of youth and women in the nineteenth century. Her book is a signal contribution to our understanding of American religious and social history, education history, women's history, and the history of childhood.
Chromosome instability in colorectal tumor cells is associated with defects in microtubule plus-end attachments caused by a dominant mutation in APC

The attachment of microtubule plus ends to kinetochores and to the cell cortex is essential for the fidelity of chromosome segregation. Here, we characterize the causes underlying the high rates of chromosome instability (CIN+) observed in colorectal tumor cells. We show that CIN+ tumor cells exhibit inefficient microtubule plus-end attachments during mitosis, accompanied by impairment of chromosome alignment in metaphase. The mitotic abnormalities associated with CIN+ tumor cells correlated with status of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC). Importantly, we have shown that a single truncating mutation in APC, similar to mutations found in tumor cells, acts dominantly to interfere with microtubule plus-end attachments and to cause a dramatic increase in mitotic abnormalities. We propose that APC functions to modulate microtubule plus-end attachments during mitosis, and that a single mutant APC allele predisposes cells to increased mitotic abnormalities, which may contribute to tumor progression.
Stacking for the frequencies and Qs of 0S0 and 1S0

Summary. Using nine IDA records for the Indonesian earthquake of 1977 August 19, we have formed an optimal linear combination of the records and have measured the frequency and Q of 0S0 and 1S0. The frequency was measured using the moment ratio method. The attenuation was measured by the minimum width method and by the time-lapse method. The frequency and attenuation were measured simultaneously by varying them to obtain a best fit to the data. A 2000-hr stack, the sum of nine individual records, for 0S0 gave a frequency of 0.814664 mHz±4 ppm. The values for the Q of 0S0 for the three different methods of measurement were 5600,5833 and 5700, respectively. The error in the estimates of Q-1 is about 5 per cent for the minimum power method. For 1S0 a 300-hr stack yielded a frequency of 1.63151 mHz±30 ppm. The values of Q for this mode were 1960, 1800 and 1850, respectively, with an error in Q-1 of about 12 per cent for the minimum power method.
Structure–property relationships of poly(urethane urea)s with ultra‐low monol content poly(propylene glycol) soft segments. I. Influence of soft segment molecular weight and hard segment content

Structure–property relationships in poly(urethane urea)s synthesized with ultra-low monol content poly(propylene glycol) soft segments were investigated as soft segment molecular weight (2000, 4000, and 8000 g/mol) and hard segment content (6.3 and 9.0 wt %) were varied. Morphological features such as interdomain spacing and interphase thickness were quantified and revealed with small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The thermal and mechanical behavior was assessed with a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) and by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and stress-strain tests. Hard segment content, over the limited range studied, had little effect on the morphology and soft segment thermal and mechanical properties. The molecular weight of the soft segments had considerably more influence on the morphology and mechanical properties. Increasing soft segment molecular weight resulted in greater interdomain spacings, as shown by SAXS, and a noticeable change in the structure, as shown by AFM. Additionally, as soft segment molecular weight decreased the soft segment glass transition broadened and rose to higher temperatures. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 229–243, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10168
Reproductive outcome following two ectopic pregnancies

Consideration of reproductive potential following multiple ectopic pregnancies is important in counseling patients and when choosing a conservative surgical approach (salpingotomy, salpingostomy), partial salpingectomy, or in vitro fertilization. The cases of 336 patients at Yale-New Haven Hospital who had ectopic pregnancies between 1976 and 1981 were evaluated. Thirty-two patients (9.5%) had two ectopic pregnancies. Twenty-three patients (71.8%) were followed. Six of these (26.1%) were not able to conceive because of surgical sterilization, and four (17.4%) were not trying to conceive. Of those 13 patients (56.5%) actively trying to conceive and having at least one tube remaining, 4 (30.8%) had term intrauterine gestations. One had a third ectopic gestation, which represented 20% of all conceptions, or 7.7% of those individuals trying to conceive. Our results indicate that although the reproductive potential after two ectopic pregnancies is poor, viable pregnancies do occur, and the repeat ectopic pregnancy rate is not high enough to preclude a repeat conservative surgical approach.
Abstract T P316: Are AHA/ASA Stroke Guidelines Evident Enough?

Background and Purpose: Professional society statements and practice guidelines are commonly used in clinical decision-making and to establish benchmarks for quality of care. However a small percentage of recommendations are based on high levels of evidence. We sought to determine temporal trends in the strength of guideline recommendations by comparing the current Level of Evidence and Class of Recommendation assigned to recommendations in current vs. previous American Stroke Association (ASA) Flagship Guidelines. Methods: We assessed 3 current (2011-2013) ASA practice guidelines for acute stroke, primary prevention and secondary prevention and the prior version (2006-2007) of each guideline. Class (I, IIa, IIb, III) and Level of Evidence (A, B, C) for all recommendations (total of 503) were abstracted. The percentages of recommendations in each of the categories for each guideline were compared between the recent and prior guidelines using a chi-square test. Results: Comparisons between the Class and Le...
A Closer Look at Business Education - Finance

According to Wikipedia, Finance "studies and addresses the ways in which individuals, businesses and organizations raise, allocate and use monetary resources over time." To many people, finance is business. Many of the brightest stars in the business world - from Wall Street bankers to hedge fund managers to corporate CEOs - made their names (and fortunes) in the realm of finance. And finance is seductive. It is numbers-intensive, based on fundamental mathematic principles, and seems values-neutral, almost scientific. Yet finance involves substantial moral judgments about the world in which we live. And financial tools can help to solve deep social and environmental problems. This paper sought innovation in the teaching of Finance, with the following questions in mind: - How does the penetration of social and environmental issues into the Finance discipline compare to other disciplines? - When such issues are present, what forms to they take? - What teaching resources are available to faculty who want to broaden the scope of their classes? - What are the key social and environmental issues as regards Finance?
Past and Future Developments in Geopotential Modeling

This paper reviews the development and estimation of geopotential models over the past 96 years, starting from simple ellipsoidal normal gravity models to complex high degree (360/500) spherical harmonic expansions. The paper is written to show the evolutionary changes that have taken place in the mathematical models and data used. The discussion considers geopotential models from surface gravity data, satellite tracking data, and combination solutions that incorporate numerous data types including satellite altimeter data. A number of questions are posed that relate to future modeling efforts.
Re-Optimized Energy Levels and Ritz Wavelengths of (198)Hg I.

The procedure of level optimization for the (198)Hg I spectrum emitted by electrodeless discharge lamps is revisited. Wavelength-measurement uncertainties and systematic shifts caused by interactions with the buffer gas and by calibration procedures are carefully analyzed and accounted for. Based on this extended analysis of the original measurements, the energy levels are re-optimized, which results in an improved set of level values consistent with the revised measured wavelengths. The newly obtained reliable Ritz wavelengths can be used as secondary wavelength standards in the wide range from 1200 A to 65 000 A.
Acquired Tolerance to Skin Homografts in Mice of Different Strains.

SummaryMice of the Ce, ZBC, and ZCe F1 stocks have been made tolerant to homologous skin transplantation of Z(C3H), Ce. C57 Bl and CBA strains by intravenous injection at birth of homologous spleen cells. However, the same procedure failed to induce tolerance in ZCe F1 mice when treated with homologous cells of either BALB/C or A strains.
Effects of extraction protocols on the oxygen isotope composition of conodont elements

Abstract Oxygen isotopic measurements of conodont elements can provide important paleoclimatic, paleoecological, and paleoenvironmental information. However, preparation techniques are often cited as a potential, albeit poorly constrained, source of error. Prior to isotopic measurements, conodont elements are typically liberated from a calcium carbonate matrix using dilute solutions of acetic or formic acid. These extraction techniques are well established for paleontological studies, but the protocols were established before conodonts became a common target for isotopic analyses. Whereas concerns are often raised about the possibility of bias introduced through phosphate leaching, especially with stronger acid, empirical observations regarding error in isotopic measurements introduced due to the preparation techniques used are limited and generally anecdotal. This study was designed to constrain the effects different types of acids used for carbonate digestion have on the measured oxygen isotopic compositions of bioapatite (specifically, conodont elements and brachiopod shells). We performed parallel analyses on splits from seven Late Ordovician samples that were processed with both buffered and unbuffered solutions of acetic and formic acid. In addition, to further assess the potential for δ18O alteration related to partial apatite dissolution, we forced partial dissolution of isolated conodont elements by placing them in an unbuffered formic solution for varying intervals of time prior to analysis. Measured δ18O values from conodont elements and brachiopod shell fragments show no statistically significant differences related to processing technique, but isolated conodont elements with visible evidence of partial dissolution due to prolonged exposure to unbuffered formic acid record consistently offset δ18O values. Such partially dissolved elements should be avoided in geochemical studies. If specimens exhibiting apparent etching are avoided, though, we conclude that standard digestion protocols for conodont element extraction from carbonates do not introduce a bias (either a systematic offset or an increase in variance) on measured δ18O values from phosphate-bound oxygen in bioapatite above the limits of the resolution of this study.
NONLINEAR ANALYSIS OF STABILITY AND CONTROL FOR AN F-16 CONFIGURATION

A synthetic method for nonlinear analysis of flight stability and control is presented. In this method, the bifurcation analysis is used to predict the aircraft global stability. Motions from the bifurcate points or equilibrium surfaces are calculated with a fourth-order Runge-Kutta integration scheme which is also recast in the form of state disturbance propagation matrices. The eigenvalues of these matrices provide a means to predict the variation of system stability with time. In addition, necessary control inputs to satisfy specified response characteristics in terms of frequencies and dampings can also be estimated by using these state disturbance propagation matrices. Example calculations for an F-16 configuration are presented.
Scaling high-order harmonic generation from laser-solid interactions to ultrahigh intensity.

Coherent x-ray beams with a subfemtosecond ($l{10}^{\ensuremath{-}15}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{s}$) pulse duration will enable measurements of fundamental atomic processes in a completely new regime. High-order harmonic generation (HOHG) using short pulse ($l100\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{fs}$) infrared lasers focused to intensities surpassing ${10}^{18}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{W}\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ onto a solid density plasma is a promising means of generating such short pulses. Critical to the relativistic oscillating mirror mechanism is the steepness of the plasma density gradient at the reflection point, characterized by a scale length, which can strongly influence the harmonic generation mechanism. It is shown that for intensities in excess of ${10}^{21}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{W}\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ an optimum density ramp scale length exists that balances an increase in efficiency with a growth of parametric plasma wave instabilities. We show that for these higher intensities the optimal scale length is $c/{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$, for which a variety of HOHG properties are optimized, including total conversion efficiency, HOHG divergence, and their power law scaling. Particle-in-cell simulations show striking evidence of the HOHG loss mechanism through parametric instabilities and relativistic self-phase modulation, which affect the produced spectra and conversion efficiency.
Characterization,variation and evolution of the polymerase a gene in human avian infleuenza virus H_5N_1 strain in 2006

The characterization,variation and evolution of the polymerase A(PA) gene in human avian infleuenza virus H5N1 strain were analyzed on its variation in nucleotide sequence and the amino acids encoded by this gene,in which the nucleotide sequence of the PA gene in human avian influenza viruses isolated from Guangdong province in 2006 was sequenced and the PA genes of the global strains were searched out from internet.The variations of these PA genes were analyzed by MEGA 4.0 software and their evolutionary speed was studied by means of epidemiological data.It was found that the PA protein appeared to be acidic with an isoelectric point of pH 5.4.The 52 strains of virus with PA genes isolated from 1997 to 2006 could be divided into two groups according to their homology in nucleotide sequences,in which the strain isolated from Hongkong in 1997 belonged to the first group(G1),while those isolated from Vietnam,Thailand,Indonesia,China mainland,Turkey,Iraq,Azerbaijan and Egypt during 2003-2006 were included in the second group(G2).There were 114 substitutions on amino acid loci in PA genes of all strains,accounting to 15.9%(114/716),whereas there were 17 amino acid loci different from those strains isolated in 1997.In the synonymous variation,the Ks and Kavalues of the PA gene were 30.9×10-6-46.1×10-6 Nt/d and 4.50×10-6-8.13×10-6 Nt/d respectively.Meanwhile,the speed of the synonymous mutation were 5.7-6.9 times more rapid than those of the missense mutation,indicating that less human immunological pressure and the negative selective pressure existed as demonstrated by biological tests.The seven potential glycosylated domains in PA protein in strains isolated during 1997-2006 appeared to be considerably stable,except the cysteine substitution(S224C) occurring in the PA gene of strain IDNS-569H-06.From these observations,it is apparent that the PA gene of human avian influenza virus evolves rapidly in the spontaneous mutation,but shows less human immunological pressure.PA gene,in comparison with other polymerases of the virus,such as PB1 and PB2,its nucleotide sequence homology and the evolutionary characteristics in times and places were considerably consistent.The evolution of strains isolated in China mainland is worthy of further investigation,because the PA gene of human avian influenza virus strain H5H1 evolves rapidly in nature,which may have impact on the pathogenesis and the capacity of human to human transmission.
Ambiguous Financial Responsibilities: Second Wives and Alimony Reform Activism in the United States:

Alimony, which involves financial transfers from mostly men to women after a divorce, has recently received more scrutiny in the United States by members of an emerging social movement. These activists are attempting to change alimony policy in ways that economically benefit them. One important part of this movement are second wives, who ally themselves with their new husbands and against first wives in the pursuit of alimony reform. This analysis examines how these second wives articulate their objections to alimony by introducing the concept of economic boundary ambiguity, meaning in this case, a state of human relationships where financial obligations between first and second wives are contested. In addition to creating several tangible stressors, economic boundary ambiguity can also have important consequences for women’s own social identities as well as the collective identity and the success of the social movement overall.
Irradiation of blood products: do we need to do that?

Background: Leukocytes transmitted in blood products exert a variety of immunological side-effects. Experience with bone marrow transplant recipients has shown that these can be induced even by very few cells. In liver transplant recipients, who usually receive large amounts of blood products, the effects of transfused leukocytes with regards to the rates of rejection and infection have not yet been investigated. Material/Methods: Twenty liver transplant recipients were prospectively randomized to receive blood products (red blood cells, thrombocytes, fresh frozen plasma) through a leukocyte depletion filter, either irradiated with 40 Gy or not irradiated (10 patients, respectively). During the observation period of 90 days, the incidences of infections and rejections were analyzed. In addition, liver function tests, markers of infection (C reactive protein, lipopolysaccharide binding protein), and subpopulations of lymphocytes (total cell count, CD4/CD8 ratio, CD8CD45RO) were determined. Results: Only one episode of mild rejection occurred (irradiated group). Rates of persistent graft dysfunction and severe infections were similar in both groups. The same applied to liver function tests, parameters of infection, and subpopulations of lymphocytes. Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest that irradiation of already leukocyte-depleted blood products may not be necessary and beneficial in liver transplant recipients.
Perceptions and Utilization of Lung Cancer Screening Among Primary Care Physicians

Abstract Introduction Lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is effective at reducing lung cancer mortality in high-risk current and former smokers. Despite the fact that screening is recommended by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF), few eligible patients are screened. We set out to study the barriers to LCS by surveying primary care physicians (PCPs). Methods We surveyed a randomly selected sample of 1384 eligible PCPs between January and October 2015, using the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile, though surveys sent by mail, fax, and e-mail. The survey included questions regarding knowledge of LCS guidelines, utilization of LCS over the prior 12 months, and perceptions of barriers to LCS. Training background, years in practice, practice type, and demographics were also collected. Results The survey response rate was 18%. Responders and nonresponders did not differ by practice or demographic characteristics. Of the respondents, 47% indicated that LCS was recommended by the USPSTF, 52% had referred at least one patient for LDCT, and 12% had referred at least one patient to a LCS program over the prior 12 months. Perceived barriers to LCS included uncertainty regarding ther benefit of LCS, concern regarding insurance coverage, and the harm of LCS. Conclusions Although LCS is recommended by the USPSTF, LDCT is utilized in a minority of eligible patients, as reported by surveyed PCPs. Approximately half of PCPs are familiar with USPSTF recommendations for LCS and a number of physician barriers to adherence to guidelines exist. Additional study of physician- and system-based interventions to improve adherence to LCS recommendations is needed.
State-of-the-Art and Current Controversies in the Detection and Quantitation of Tissue Factor-Bearing Microparticles

Abstract SCI-11 Microparticles are submicron vesicles that circulate in blood and are derived from a variety of vascular cells. Microparticles expressing tissue factor have been shown in animal thrombosis models to contribute to thrombus formation in vivo, which has led to the evaluation of tissue factor bearing microparticle populations in a variety of thrombotic disorders including malignancy, sepsis, and coronary thrombosis. Central to the evaluation of tissue factor-bearing microparticle populations in health and disease is the establishment of accurate means for qualitative or quantitative assessment of circulating microparticles. Whilst there is considerable interest in evaluating whether pathologic disturbances in tissue factor-bearing microparticles contribute to thrombosis, analytic techniques for microparticle measurement remain in the validation stage. The method most commonly employed for the detection of tissue factor-bearing microparticles is light-scatter flow cytometry, which relies on the sizing of particles based on light-scatter profile. Light scatter, however, is also influenced by variables independent of particle size, including the wavelength of incident light, particle shape, presence of surface absorptive material, and relative refractive indices of particles and suspension medium. A number of potentially more sensitive methodologies are currently under investigation such as impedance-based flow cytometry, quasi-elastic light scattering based on Brownian movement, and atomic force microscopy. Alternatively, assays have been developed that measure tissue factor antigen or activity following isolation of microparticles from plasma or whole blood but without determination of particle size. Absent a gold standard for the measurement of tissue factor-bearing microparticle populations by which these approaches can be validated, the development of accurate methodology will require inter-assay and intra-assay precision as well as validation of clinical relevance in human studies. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Intrinsic coincident full-Stokes polarimeter using stacked organic photovoltaics

An intrinsic coincident full-Stokes polarimeter is demonstrated by using strain-aligned polymer-based organic photovoltaics (OPVs) that can preferentially absorb certain polarized states of incident light. The photovoltaic-based polarimeter is capable of measuring four Stokes parameters by cascading four semitransparent OPVs in series along the same optical axis. This in-line polarimeter concept potentially ensures high temporal and spatial resolution with higher radiometric efficiency as compared to the existing polarimeter architecture. Two wave plates were incorporated into the system to modulate the S3 Stokes parameter so as to reduce the condition number of the measurement matrix and maximize the measured signal-to-noise ratio. Radiometric calibration was carried out to determine the measurement matrix. The polarimeter presented in this paper demonstrated an average RMS error of 0.84% for reconstructed Stokes vectors after normalized to S0. A theoretical analysis of the minimum condition number of the four-cell OPV design showed that for individually optimized OPV cells, a condition number of 2.4 is possible.
Quality Colorectal Cancer Screening: Endoscopic Performance Measures and Beyond

The rationale behind and implementation of quality measures around colonoscopy for colorectal (CRC) screening are important topics for endoscopists to understand to deliver exemplary care with the goal of decreasing the incidence of this disease. This article will evaluate recent data on this subject and summarize pertinent findings in the growing field of quality improvement research surrounding colonoscopy for CRC screening. Both pre- and intra-procedural metrics have been studied across a variety of practice models and patient populations. Contemporary metrics include adequate bowel preparation, cecal intubation rate, adenoma detection rate, polypectomy rate, proximal serrated polyp detection rate, withdrawal time, and patient satisfaction. Multiple quality metrics have been formally evaluated regarding colonoscopy, and others have recently been proposed. Additional validation is necessary to determine which quality metrics serve as practical and implementable to improve endoscopic performance and overall delivery of care.
What Is the Cause of Graduates’ Unemployment? Focus on Individual Concerns and Perspectives

The graduate unemployment rate is one of the current issues being discussed by higher education scholars. College students spend their time and money in order to receive educational advantages unavailable to high school graduates. So if they face unemployment, they are more vulnerable to unfavorable economic conditions because they have already spent their resources pursuing higher education. This paper examines the reasons why college graduates are facing unemployment in the competitive market. There are several factors that explain their unemployment status, and this paper identifies each component at an individual level. With specific analysis of the unemployment phenomena, this paper provides direction for further research.
The impact of unemployment and economic risk perceptions on attitudes towards anthropogenic climate change

This study uses public opinion data from 2006 to 2014 to examine the effect of unemployment and partisan identity on attitudes towards anthropogenic climate change. Results show that while Republican partisanship and conservative ideology are strongly associated with lower reported belief in anthropogenic climate change, these attitudes are also shaped by subjective perceptions of economic risk and increased local unemployment rates. I find that exposure to economic risk increases the likelihood of climate change denial among both Democrats and Republicans. These findings help explain trends in environmental public opinion over the past decade, in particular the increase in reported denial or skepticism about climate change after the 2008 economic recession.
The Ethics of Conducting Clinical Trials With Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors in Heart Failure: Is Placebo Assignment Justified in Patients With Comorbid Diabetes Mellitus and Heart Failure?

Several randomized clinical trials have recently started enrolling patients or are in the planning stages to assess the impact of treatment with various sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in patients with heart failure, many of whom will have comorbid diabetes mellitus. The impetus for these trials comes from the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial (Empaglifozin-Reducing Excess Glucose CV Outcomes), in which treatment with empagliflozin in patients with type II diabetes mellitus with a known history of cardiovascular diseases was shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular death by 38%.1 This led to the US Food and Drug Administration approval of a new indication for empagliflozin, ie, “to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and established cardiovascular disease.” Also, the 2016 European Society of Cardiology heart failure guidelines issued a IIa-B recommendation stating that “empagliflozin should be considered in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in order to prevent or delay the onset of heart failure or prolong life.” No recommendation was made for treatment in patients with established heart failure. Recently, the CVD-REAL study (Comparative Effectiveness of Cardiovascular Outcomes in New Users of SGLT-2 Inhibitors) assessing the impact of 3 different SGLT2 inhibitors in real-life clinical practice from 6 different countries also showed mortality benefit with these agents in patients with diabetes mellitus.2 Although the results of the cardiovascular outcomes trials with several other SGLT2 inhibitors will be presented …
Case 12—Something More Important Than Life

A 25-year-old woman, newly engaged to a man who was a life-long Jehovah’s Witness, was a candidate for heart valve replacement in a hospital’s bloodless surgery program. Complications due to the patient’s Turner Syndrome caused extreme blood loss, and the patient’s fiance refused to allow a transfusion to take place.
Accelerating biophysical neural network simulation with region of interest based approximation

Modeling the dynamics of biophysical neural network (BNN) is essential to understand brain operation and design cognitive systems. Large-scale and biophysically plausible BNN modeling requires solving multiple-terms, coupled and non-linear differential equations, making simulation computationally complex and memory intensive. This paper presents an adaptive simulation methodology in which neurons in the region of interest (ROI) follow high biological accurate models while the other neurons follow computation friendly models. To enable ROI based approximation, we propose a generic template based computing algorithm which unifies the data structure and computing flow for various neuron models. We implement the algorithms on CPU, GPU and embedded platforms, showing llx speedup with insignificant loss of biological details in the region of interest.
Effectiveness of a Rural Emergency Department (ED)-Based Pain Contract on ED Visits Among ED Frequent Users.

Abstract Background Caring for patients with chronic pain in emergency departments (EDs) can be particularly challenging, for both patients and physicians. Objective This study sought to determine, in a rural setting, the effect of an ED-based pain contract on the rate of ED visits among patients with frequent visits for pain not related to cancer. Methods This is a multi-ED, retrospective, before-and-after chart review assessing the effect of a rural ED-based pain contract on the frequency of ED visits. The study setting consisted of four rural EDs representing over 85,000 annual visits. Medical records of patients eligible for a standardized pain contract during a 10-year period (December 2005–December 2015) were reviewed. Only visits involving complaints of pain were included. The number of visits during the year prior to contract initiation was compared with the number of visits during the year after enrollment, using a paired t-test. Results We enrolled 314 patients, 185 (59%) of whom were female. The study group's median age was 48 years. The mean number of ED visits was 12.4 visits (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.5–13.3) 1 year prior to the pain contract and 6.5 (95% CI 5.6–7.3) 1 year afterward (p Conclusion A pain contract protocol was associated with a significant reduction in the number of ED visits to multiple rural EDs.
Leukemia in Fanconi's anemia: cytogenetic and tumor virus susceptibility studies.

Fanconi’s anemia is an inherited disorder characterized by multiple congenital abnormalities, chromosome anomalies and irreversible aplastic anemia. Patients, and possibly family members, have been noted to have an increased incidence of leukemia and other tumors. A family with two affected male children, one of whom developed acute myelomonocytic leukemia, is described. Chromosome preparations in both parents showed abnormalities, a previously unreported finding. Fibroblast cultures from both parents and one brother inoculated with Simian Virus 40, a known oncogenic agent, developed increased numbers of transformed colonies, compared with normal control cultures similarly inoculated. The presence of chromosome abnormalities and cellular susceptibility to oncogenic agents appear to be related to an increased risk of malignancy.
The Expression of Cholinergic and Adrenergic Properties by Autonomic Neurons in Tissue Culture

Both circumstance and paradox dictate that this chapter should center primarily on the autonomic adrenergic (sympathetic) neuron in tissue culture. The particular circumstance is the availability of a well-defined trophic factor, nerve growth factor (NGF), for this neuron, allowing its long-term culture isolated from all other tissues; no comparable factor has been characterized for neurons from other portions of the autonomic nervous system. The paradox is that adrenergic neurons in tissue culture have provided much new information on the development of cholinergic mechanisms: when taken for culture from the perinatal animal, the adrenergic neuron has the unexpected property of developing the ability to synthesize and release acetylcholine and to establish cholinergic interactions with adjacent neurons of its own type. Because of the intense interest in exploring the nature and mechanism of this transmitter shift, a substantial portion of recent work on the adrenergic neuron in culture is centered on these problems. The sympathetic neuron may also provide adrenergic Innervation to a variety of target tissues in culture and thus has been useful for the study of both adrenergic and cholinergic mechanisms.