cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The association between patient sharing network structure and healthcare costs.

STUDY QUESTION While physician relationships (measured through shared patients) are associated with clinical and utilization outcomes, the extent to which this is driven by local or global network characteristics is not well established. The objective of this research is to examine the association between local and global network statistics with total medical spending and utilization. DATA SOURCE Data used are the 2011 Massachusetts All Payer Claims Database. STUDY DESIGN The association between network statistics and total medical spending and utilization (using standardized prices) is estimated using multivariate regression analysis controlling for patient demographics and health status. DATA COLLECTION We limit the sample to continuously enrolled commercially insured patients in Massachusetts in 2011. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Mean patient age was 45 years, and 56.3% of patients were female. 73.4% were covered by a health maintenance organization. Average number of visits was 5.43, with average total medical spending of $4,911 and total medical utilization of $4,252. Spending was lower for patients treated by physicians with higher degree (p<0.001), eigenvector centrality (p<0.001), clustering coefficient (p<0.001), and measures reflecting the normalized degree (p<0.001) and eigenvector centrality (p<0.001) of specialists connected to a patient's PCP. Spending was higher for patients treated by physicians with higher normalized degree, which accounts for physician specialty and patient panel size (p<0.001). Results were similar for utilization outcomes, although magnitudes differed indicating patients may see different priced physicians. CONCLUSIONS Generally, higher values of network statistics reflecting local connectivity adjusted for physician characteristics are associated with increased costs and utilization, while higher values of network statistics reflecting global connectivity are associated with decreased costs and utilization. As changes in the financing and delivery system advance through policy changes and healthcare consolidation, future research should examine mechanisms through which this structure impacts outcomes and potential policy responses to determine ways to reduce costs while maintaining quality and coordination of care. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS It is unknown whether local and global measures of physician network connectivity associated with spending and utilization for commercially insured patients?In this social network analysis, we found generally higher values of network statistics reflecting local connectivity are associated with increased costs and utilization, while higher values of network statistics reflecting global connectivity are associated with decreased costs and utilization.Understanding how to influence local and global physician network characteristics may be important for reducing costs while maintaining quality.
Trademark Law and Social Norms

At the most general level, trademark law is classically motivated by the goal of protecting understandings that consumers have developed regarding the source or quality of goods or services. This is a rather simple, if conventional, account of trademark law. In fact, contemporary uses of trademarks implicate a far more complex set of social concerns than the protection of consumer understanding. But even this simple statement of the purpose and remit of trademark law begs many questions. These questions fall into two basic groups. First, because trademark law does not seek to prevent all forms of confusion, the consumer protection rationale presents a series of essentially prescriptive questions regarding the nature and level of confusion that should be actionable, along with the forms of consumer understanding that are properly protected against such confusion. And, once those prescriptive choices are made, trademark law confronts a second set of questions that on their face are more positivistic dilemmas: how to determine consumer reaction to a symbol used purportedly to mark goods (the question of protectability, or distinctiveness) and the effect of unauthorized third party use of that symbol (the question of infringement, classically involving assessment of the likelihood of confusion). These inquiries have the appearance of purely empirical assessments, and indeed doctrine regarding distinctiveness and likelihood of confusion is heavily driven by the factual context of particular disputes that have reached the courts. Courts in trademark cases devote substantial time developing doctrinal rules designed to facilitate this second set of empirical inquiries, but rarely discuss the prescriptive questions upon which the empirical inquiries are based. Courts typically treat consumer understanding as a largely pre-determined, relatively fixed, fact to which the template of trademark law can be applied and from which, therefore, the answers to the relevant legal questions of association and confusion easily provided. This Article challenges this dominant analytical approach to trademark lawmaking as descriptively false and prescriptively harmful. It masks important prescriptive choices that courts are making about trademark law without any explicit discussion of those choices. Thus, the prevalent form of trademark decisionmaking prevents proper development of a normative debate about the nature and scope of trademark law. To highlight the nature of the descriptive flaws and prescriptive perils of this approach, I explore the insight that scholars and courts are insufficiently attentive to whether trademark law should simply react to consumer behavior or whether instead the law should proactively seek to influence and construct consumer (and producer) behavior. Stated differently, what is the relationship between trademark law and the social norms by which trademark law purports to be guided?
A Note on the Convergence of Two Time Window Discretization Methods for Time Constrained Vehicle Routing and Scheduling Problems

In this paper, we discuss the convergence of two time window discretization methods for vehicle routing problems with time windows. The first method provides a feasible solution for the minimization problem while the second, newly developed by the authors, provides a lower bound. Analysis shows that the lower bounding method is guaranteed to converge to the optimal solution while the method used to develop feasible solutions is not. This result reveals an inherent optimality gap that exists in the traditional discretization methods. In addition, we analytically examine conditions under which the traditional discretization method does converge. We further analyze the convergence of the linear programming relaxation of the lower bounding method in order to obtain a lower bound efficiently. We highlight a need to enhance this lower bound by introducing the sub-tour polytope into the formulation. While the problem examined in this paper is the single vehicle traveling salesman problem with time windows, the results apply to a general class of time constrained vehicle routing and scheduling problems.
Stanford’s Flamel System

The Flamel system was Trickey’s thesis work at Stanford University. Flamel includes transformations, scheduling, and data path synthesis.
Kids of character: A guide to promoting moral development.

When psychologists Shumaker and Heckel wrote their earlier book on Children Who Murder, it became clear to them that society-specifically a significant portion of its young members-is in crisis. Focused on this crisis, these authors found an everyday issue that makes life more challenging for parents who are trying to raise kids of good character. The issue is this: There are extensive differences now in the family, the school environment, the community and even religious institutions, compared to previous generations. For example, familes of today rarely have a coherent extended family. And by far in most regions, dual working parents are common, as are single parents and stepfamilies. Church activities, events and agents are not as evident in the community as they were in the past. Schools under increasing demand for testing and measurement take less time to devote to issues of character. Altogether, the changes are significant, and can leave parents searching for ways to instill character in their kids. Shumaker and Heckel spotlight these historical changes, and also ways parents today are succeeding in creating kids of character nonetheless. When authors Shumaker and Heckel wrote their earlier book on Children Who Murder, it became clear to them that society-specifically a significant portion of its young members-is in crisis. Focused on this crisis, these authors found an everyday issue that makes life more challenging for parents trying to raise kids of character. The challenge is this: there are extensive differences now in the family, the school environment, the community and even religious institutions, compared to previous generations. For example, families of today rarely have a coherent extended family. Dual working parents are common. Church activities, events and agents are not nearly as evident in the community as they were in the past. And schools, under increasing demand for testing and measurement, devote far less time to issues of character than they did in the past. Altogether, the changes are significant and can leave parents at a loss for how to best develop character intheir kids. Shumaker and Heckel show us how some parents are creatively handling this challenge. The authors do not argue that most American kids are out of hand, cruel, or immoral. They are neither cynics nor prophets of doom. What they do see is a disappearance of supports for parents, making the adults'job more demanding. Yet they pinpoint ways some parents are succeeding in this new millennium. This book begins by explaining the basics of moral development in children reviewing recent research findings. If offers parents, teachers, professors, administrators, clergy, and legislators helpful tools to promote character.
Hypothermic potassium cardioplegia impairs myocyte recovery of contractility and inotropy

Acute postoperative left ventricular dysfunction after hypothermic, crystalloid potassium cardioplegia occasionally occurs. This project examined myocyte contractility and inotropic responsiveness after hypothermic arrest with and without potassium cardioplegia. Isolated swine left ventricular myocytes were placed in a thermostatically controlled chamber (37° C that contained a standard cell medium, pulse stimulated at 1 Hz, and steady-state contractions were measured by computer-assisted video microscopy with and without isoproterenol (25 nmol/L). After baseline measurements were taken the myocytes were randomly assigned to the following treatments: (1) control group with infusion of 37° C crystalloid solution and maintained at 37° C for 3 hours ( n = 23), (2) hypothermia group with infusion of 4° C crystalloid without potassium and stored at 4° C for 3 hours ( n = 22), (3) hypothermic cardioplegia group with infusion of a crystalloid cardioplegia (oxygenated, buffered 4° C Ringer's solution with 24 mEq/L K + ) and then stored at 4° C for 3 hours ( n = 35). After treatment the myocytes were then rewarmed to 37° C by infusion of medium, and contractile measurements were repeated. In the control group, the percent and velocity of shortening were identical to those in baseline measurements: 6.4 % ± 0.4 % and 53 ± 5 μm/sec, respectively, and these values remained unchanged in the hypothermia group: 6.5% ± 0.4% and 51 ± 3 μm/sec, respectively. However, in the hypothermic cardioplegia group, the percent and velocity of shortening were significantly lower with rewarming: 4.8 % ± 0.4 % and 35 ± 3 μm/sec, respectively, p
Domains of Diversity

Theories abound as to why the tropics harbor such amazing biodiversity compared to higher latitudes. In their Perspective, Pimm and Brown discuss the pros and cons of three popular hypotheses.
The hazards of off-road motor sports: Are four wheels better than two?

BACKGROUND: Off-road motorsports are an increasing popular activity, yet the relative safety profile of all-terrain vehicles (ATV) to off-road motorcycles (ORMC) has not been compared. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of the 2002-2006 US National Trauma Data Bank of ATV and ORMC crash victims. Patients were described according to demographic (age, sex, race and ethnicity, insurance status) and injury characteristics (Injury Severity Score, hypotension, motor component of the Glasgow Coma Score, presence of a severe head or extremity injury) known to affect trauma outcomes. Logistic regression evaluated the independent effect of an ATV vehicle on mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and placement on a ventilator relative to ORMC. The anatomic distribution of severe injuries was compared between survivors and decedents within each vehicle type. RESULTS: A total of 34,457 patients met inclusion criteria, of whom, 24,582 were ATV patients and 9875 were ORMC patients. ATV patients had 51% higher risk-adjusted odds of death (OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.03-2.20), 55% higher risk-adjusted odds of being admitted to an ICU (OR 1.55; 95% CI 1.42-1.70), and 42% higher risk-adjusted odds of being placed on a ventilator (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.17-1.72) compared to ORMC crash victims. Decedents in both vehicle types were more likely to suffer severe head, thoracic, and abdominal injuries relative to their surviving counterparts. CONCLUSION: For injured riders, ATVs are associated with increased mortality and higher resource utilisation compared to ORMCs. Both groups suffer distinct anatomic injuries, suggesting the need for focused areas of injury prevention planning and research. Language: en
Effect of maternal smoking on hemoglobins and hematocrits of the newborn.

The progeny of smokers had higher 48-hour hemoglobin and hematocrit levels than that of nonsmokers in this study based on 10399 clinically-normal term white infants. This effect could not be accounted for by 1) per capita income; 2) maternal pre-pregnancy weight or maternal stature; or 3) placental weight/birth-weight ratio and was found to be proportionately related to the level of maternal smoking. The response of the progeny in utero to maternal smoking during pregnancy clearly is an increase in 1) red cell volume suggesting oxygen deprivation during gestation and 2) hemoglobin concentration; consequently the progeny are likely to enter the postnatal period with a larger fetal iron reserve. This result is considered nutritionally relevant.
The Impact of Coconut and Safflower Oils on Body Composition

Twelve postmenopausal women (58.8+3.7 yr, 26.4+4.6 kg/m2) were randomized in a cross-over design trial to consume 30 g of virgin coconut oil (CO) or high oleic safflower oil (SO) for 28 days, with a 28-day washout between interventions. Anthropometrics measured included body weight, hip and waist circumference. Fat percent (%) for total body, android and gynoid, fat mass and lean mass were measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at each measurement period. Women maintained their typical diet recording 28 days of food records over the span of the project. Results were analyzed with SPSS using the mixed model ANOVA. Comparisons are reported as paired t-test since no intervention effect was seen. Changes in anthropometrics were minimal and no significant differences were seen in any anthropometric variables between pre and post oil consumption at p<0.05 or between oils except for weight. Differences in weight were seen between CO and SO (+0.45+0.76 vs. -0.09+0.90, p=0.05), although these differ...
Solution techniques for the vorticity–streamfunction formulation of two‐dimensional unsteady incompressible flows

A review of the solution techniques of Tezduyar et al. (1988 and 1989) for the vorticity-streamfunction formulation of two-dimensional incompressible flows is presented. While both the viscous and inviscid cases are considered, the derivation of the proper finite-element formulations for multiply connected domains is emphasized. In all formulations associated with the vorticity transport equation, the streamline upwind/Petrov-Galerkin method is used. The adaptive implicit-explicit and grouped element-by-element solution strategies are employed to maximize the computational efficiency. The solutions obtained in all test cases compare well with solutions from previously published investigations. The convergence and benchmark studies performed in this paper show that the solution techniques presented are accurate, reliable, and efficient.
Verruculotoxin potentiation of twitch tension in skeletal muscle.

Abstract Verruculotoxin [1-oxo-3-benzyl-octahydro-2H-pyrido(1,2-α)pyrazinel, a mycotoxin, was shown to act directly on both isolated mammalian and amphibian skeletal muscles to potentiate twitch tension. After 10 min exposure to a concentration of 0.4 m m , the twitch tensions of the rat diaphragm and frog sartorius muscles were enhanced to 152 and 150% of controls, respectively. In the isolated frog sartorius muscle, 10 min exposure to verruculotoxin (VTX, 0.4 m m ) significantly increased the rate of contraction ( dP dt , 120%), contraction time (CT, 127%), and half-relaxation time ( 1 2 RT , 126%) without significantly changing the twitch duration; in the rat diaphragm preparation, 10 min exposure to VTX (0.4 m m ) significantly increased both dP dt (141%) and CT (112%) without altering 1 2 RT and twitch duration. Of the C-15 substituted analogs tested, two analogs, fluoroverruculotoxin and methoxyverruculotoxin, enhanced twitch tension with a potency comparable to that of VTX, while chloroverruculotoxin increased twitch tension to only 120% of control. Hydroxyverruculotoxin and analogs lacking the C-3 benzyl group did not alter the twitch amplitude from control. VTX (0.4 m m , 10 min exposure) reduced twitch tension in the isolated cat papillary muscle to 33% of control. VTX (0.4 m m ) was nondepolarizing in endplate and nonendplate regions. Thirty minute exposure to VTX irreversibly increased both the rising phase (sodium influx, 115% of control) and the repolarization phase (115% of control) of the muscle action potential. The results of this study indicate that VTX is a new muscle potentiator with properties similar to caffeine and the other Type A muscle potentiators.
Alkene epoxidation catalyzed by manganese complexes with electronically modified 1,10-phenanthroline ligands

Abstract The syntheses and alkene epoxidation activities of four manganese(II) complexes with electronically modified 1,10-phenanthroline ligands are reported. Each phenanthroline has a different substituent in the 5-position; the placement ensures that the modifications influence the reactivity through largely electronic effects. All four manganese complexes catalyze the conversion of alkenes to epoxides by commercially available peracetic acid. With each of the four alkenes investigated, the yield of the epoxide product is greater when the 5-substituent on the catalyst is strongly electron-donating, contrary to what has been observed with reactions catalyzed by manganese–salen complexes.
Junctions in the meninges and marginal glia

The meninges of various mammals were prepared for examination with the electronmicroscope by thin sectioning or freeze-fracturing. Particular attention was given to the distribution of tight junctions in order to determine the basis for the meningeal barrier between the blood circulating in dural vessels and the cerebrospinal fluid in the subarachnoid space. While some dural blood vessels are fenestrated, those in the subarachnoid space are not and their component endothelial cells are joined by an extensive system of tight junctions. An extensive and continuous system of tight junctions was also found in a layer of specialized cells at the border of the arachnoid with the dura. This arachnoid barrier layer is apparently the only basis of the meningeal barrier because often cellular layers in the dura and arachnoid lack tight junctions although they are linked by gap junctions and desmosomes. In particular, tight junctions are lacking at the border of the "subdural space" which is actually a fascial plane within the dura. Tight junctions are also lacking between astrocytes at the surface of the brain but these cells are linked by gap junctions and a new type of intercellular junction. The distribution of these junctions, as well as assemblies of intramembranous particles at the astrocytic border, raises the question whether this layer might have a role in the exchange of certain substances between the brain and cerebrospinal fluid.
Financial Parenting, Financial Coping Behaviors, and Well-Being of Emerging Adults

The goal of this study was to consider the role of parents in the development of their children's financial independence by the time the children are old enough to enter college. Using data from 2,098 first-year university students, we examined two pathways to emerging adults' financial, psychological, and personal well-being, combining research on the positive effects of family financial environment and future-oriented coping behaviors. Two findings are of particular note. The quality of parent-child communication regarding financial topics proved to be the most potent predictor of children's financial, psychological, and personal well-being. Further, parents' expectations had a significant indirect influence (via financial coping behaviors) on their children's well-being. Implications for promoting financial self-sufficiency among young adults are discussed.
144 PREGNANCY RETENTION OF BOVINE RECIPIENTS FOLLOWING TRANSFER OF EMBRYOS EXPOSED TO A PROSTAGLANDIN2ALPHA RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST DURING COLLECTION

Increasing efficiency and success of MOET continues to be a goal of researchers and practitioners. Although numerous studies report success in establishing pregnancies, fewer evaluate term development and report number of live calves born. In a previous study, Scenna FN et al. (2008 Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 20, 154) exposed embryos to 3 different medium treatments while being collected from superovulated beef donors on Day 7. Medium treatments consisted of a commercially available medium plus 1 mL of DMSO (Control), commercial medium plus 100 nm of AL-8810 (AL100), or a commercial medium plus 1000 nm of AL-8810 (AL1000). Embryos were evaluated for grade and stage according to IETS guidelines. Embryos (n = 1734 at 6 locations across 13 replicates) were transferred (fresh or frozen in ethylene glycol) by 4 experienced technicians. Pregnancy rates were determined by ultrasonography 28 to 35 days after transfer and were increased in recipients receiving embryos collected in media containing AL100 (65%) and AL1000 (60%) compared with Control (50%; P 0.10); therefore, these groups were combined (AL) for subsequent analysis of PRR. Regardless of treatment, overall PRR were 88 ± 0.01% for fresh and 85 ± 0.03% for frozen embryos (P > 0.10). Additionally, gestation length (days) was similar between recipient animals receiving Control (282 ± 1.19), AL100 (281 ± 1.30) or AL1000 (281 ± 1.17; P > 0.10). However, addition of AL to collection medium of embryos increased PRR compared with Control (90 ± 0.03% v. 83 ± 0.03%, respectively; P = 0.06). Currently, an interaction was not noted between freezing method and media treatment (P > 0.10). Although collection of data continues, addition of a prostaglandin F2α receptor antagonist to the collection medium of embryos improves PRR of recipient animals without altering gestation length.
A 20‐year view of trying to develop emotional, social and cognitive intelligence competencies in graduate management education

Purpose – Development of competencies needed to be effective managers and leaders requires program design and teaching methods focused on learning. The paper presents an update and a view of 20 years of attempting to develop these competencies.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 14 longitudinal studies of the impact of a particular MBA program on developing emotional, social and cognitive intelligence competencies are reviewed. Three new studies are to complete a 20‐year perspective. This is a value added design. It asks how are the graduates different from when they entered the program?Findings – Emotional, social and cognitive intelligence competencies that predict effectiveness in management and leadership can be developed in adults through a graduate management program. These improvements can sustain out as far as seven years. But this degree of value added can be eroded by a tumultuous organizational climate.Research limitations/implications – It is a series of 17 longitudinal studies on one sch...
Role of IL-6 in an IL-10 and IL-4 double knockout mouse model uniquely susceptible to acetaminophen-induced liver injury.

Drug-induced hepatitis remains a challenging problem for drug development and safety because of the lack of animal models. In the current work, we discovered a unique interaction that makes mice deficient in both IL-10 and IL-4 (IL-10/4-/-) highly sensitive to the hepatotoxic effects of acetaminophen (APAP). Male C57Bl/6 wild type (WT) and mice deficient in one or more cytokines were treated with 120 mg/kg APAP. Within 24 h after WT, IL-10-/-, IL-4-/-, or IL-10/4-/- mice were administered APAP, 75% of the IL-10/4-/- mice died of massive hepatic injury while all other genotypes were resistant to liver toxicity at this dose of APAP. The unique susceptibility of IL-10/4-/- mice was associated with reduced levels of liver glutathione and remarkably high serum levels of IL-6 and several proinflammatory factors including TNF-α, IFN-γ, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), and osteopontin (OPN) as well as nitric oxide (...
Impaired mammary gland and lymphoid development caused by inducible expression of Axin in transgenic mice

Axin is a component of the canonical Wnt pathway that negatively regulates signal transduction by promoting degradation of β-catenin. To study the role of Axin in development, we developed strains of transgenic mice in which its expression can be manipulated by the administration of doxycycline (Dox). Animals carrying both mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)–reverse tetracycline transactivator and tetracycline response element (TRE)2–Axin–green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenes exhibited Dox-dependent Axin expression and, when induced from birth, displayed abnormalities in the development of mammary glands and lymphoid tissues, both sites in which the MMTV promoter is active. The transgenic mammary glands underwent normal ductal elongation and side branching during sexual maturation and early pregnancy, but failed to develop lobulo-alveoli, resulting in a defect in lactation. Axin attenuated the expression of cyclin D1, a Wnt target that promotes the growth and differentiation of mammary lobulo-alveoli. Increased apoptosis occurred in the mammary epithelia, consistent with the inhibition of a Wnt/cyclin D1 survival signal by Axin. High levels of programmed cell death also occurred in the thymus and spleen. Immature thymocytes underwent massive apoptosis, indicating that the overexpression of Axin blocks the normal development of T lymphocytes. Our data imply that the Axin tumor suppressor controls cell survival, growth, and differentiation through the regulation of an apoptotic signaling pathway.
A numerical study of heat and mass transport in fibre suspensions

Using slender body theory, periodic boxes, and the periodic solution to Laplace’s equation we develop a set of integral equations that are numerically solved to determine the effective conductivity of suspensions of highly conducting fibres and the effective reaction rate coefficient for the classical diffusion-controlled reaction problem. Our problem formulation explicitly considers all fibre–fibre interactions. It is valid for suspension concentrations up through the semi-dilute regime and for a wide variety of fibre shapes, including blunt-ended bodies. For the effective conductivity problem, fibre–fibre interactions act to substantially enhance the effective conductivity beyond dilute theory predictions at suspension concentrations of nl 3 ≽ O (1), where n is the number density of fibres and l is the characteristic fibre half-length. The corresponding condition for the diffusion-controlled reaction problem is nl 3 ≽ O (10 -5 ). It is shown that for nl 3 > O (1), the non-dimensionalized screening length in the suspension depends only on the volume fraction of the inclusions both for aligned and isotropic suspensions. We believe this is the first computational verification of this prediction made originally by E. S. G. Shaqfeh and G. H. Fredrickson. The conductivity and reaction rate coefficients of the suspensions both through the dilute/semi-dilute transition and well into the semi-dilute regime are well predicted by dilute theories that consider some fibre–fibre interactions. The same scaling behaviour for the transport coefficients and screening lengths is observed for both suspensions of spheroidal and cylindrical inclusions.
A Remarkable Phenomenon.—Natural Snowballs

I TAKE the liberty of inclosing a copy of an account of natural snowballs which I furnished to the Courant newspaper this place. It may be well to state that the distance from Long Island Sound to Massachusetts is some seventy miles, and that the Connecticut Valley Railroad is about fifty miles long, and runs close to the bank of the Connecticut River for some forty miles; the rolls of snow on the frozen river are said to have been very large and handsome.
Rapid tolerance induction by hematopoietic progenitor cells in the absence of donor-matched lymphoid cells.

Abstract Background Donor specific hematopoietic cell transplantation has long been recognized for its potential in tolerance induction for subsequently transplanted organs. We have recently published that co-administration of Myeloid Progenitor (MP) and third party Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSC) can induce MP-specific tolerance for subsequently transplanted organs [1]. Methods Mice received an allogeneic HSC and third party MP transplantation simultaneous with placement of a MP-matched skin graft. Variants tested include time of graft placement, MP genotype and source of cells. Results Using B10;B6-Rag2 −/− Il2rg −/− mice, we demonstrate that specific tolerance can be induced by MP given simultaneous with the skin graft in the complete absence of MP-donor-matched lymphoid cells. Ex vivo expanded MP function as well as sorted cells in inducing tolerance. In addition we demonstrate that tolerance can be induced by MP in the context of autologous HSC transplantation. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that the previously observed expansion of organ donor matched Treg is not essential for tolerance, and that MP tolerance protocols can be envisioned in most clinical settings, including those involving deceased donor organs.
Thermodynamic study of the complexation of uranium(VI) with nitrate at variable temperatures

Abstract Complexation of uranium(VI) with nitrate was studied at variable temperatures by spectrophotometry and microcalorimetry. The complexation is weak and the stability constant of a 1:1 complex, UO 2 NO 3 + , was found to slightly increase as the temperature was increased from 25 to 70 °C. The molar enthalpy of complexation at 25 °C was determined by microcalorimetry to be small and positive, (3.9 ± 0.5) kJ · mol−1, in good agreement with the trend in the stability constant at different temperatures. Discussions were made on topics including weak complexation vs. ionic medium effect and outer sphere vs. inner sphere complexes. Specific ion interaction (SIT) approach was used to obtain the stability constants at infinite dilution and variable temperatures.
Sequential gene function in the initiation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA synthesis

Abstract Four steps are known to be required for the initiation of DNA synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Three of these are mediated by the products of genes cdc 4, 7, and 28 and the fourth is identified by the inhibition exerted on haploid α cells by the mating pheromone, α factor. These four steps have been ordered by a combination of two methods and found to be: initiation of DNA synthesis The two sequencing methods are described in detail. Experiments involving the shift of mutant cells from the restrictive to the permissive temperature in the presence of cycloheximide demonstrated that the protein synthesis requirement for yeast DNA replication can be completed before the cdc 7-mediated step.
Nozzle characteristics in the transition regime between continuum and free molecular flow

Experimental measurements were made of the flow characteristics of a convergent-divergent nozzle, two convergent nozzles, and an orifice Data were obtained on the variations of the mass flow rate of argon with pressure ratio across the test specimens and the vaiiations of discharge coefficient with Reynolds number and Knudsen number The results are partially explained, and, in view of the scarcity of experimental data in this transition regime between continuum and free molecular flow, they should be of value to fluid dynamicists who are attempting to design in this flow regime and to those individuals who are attempting to theoretically analyze this flow regime
Professional Roles in Community Mental Health Practice: Generalist Versus Specialist

Major trends in the mental health field, including the transition toward deinstitutionalization and community-based care, the increased focus on cost-effectiveness and accountability, and the rise of consumer-based health care have had significant impacts on mental health practice. With the shift to community-based mental health, multidisciplinary teams and generic interventions have become the dominant means of providing client services. This shift to generic interventions has had detrimental effects on professional identity and self-efficacy, client care, and interdisciplinary team collaboration.
Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome and Atopy: Is There a Common Link?

Numerous reports during the last 60 years have reported a strong association between idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and atopic disorders. Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome can be precipitated by allergic reactions and has been associated with both aeroallergens (pollens, mold, and dust) and food allergies. Patients with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome also may show increased serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels. A review of the literature suggests that although some idiopathic nephrotic syndrome cases may be associated with allergies, evidence that it is a type of allergic disorder or can be induced by a specific allergen is weak. Rather, it is likely that the proteinuria and increased IgE levels in patients with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome are caused by increased levels of interleukin 13 observed in these patients. Recent studies suggest that interleukin 13, a known stimulator of IgE response, may mediate proteinuria in patients with minimal change disease because of its ability to directly induce CD80 expression on the podocyte.
Limb Salvage and Abductor Reattachment Using a Custom Prosthesis With Porous Tantalum Components

Segmental bone loss secondary to trauma and infection often requires prosthetic components to provide for limb salvage and functional restoration. Current limb salvage techniques and implants are associated with up to a 46% rate of loosening and eventual failure [Clin Orthop Rel Res 1999;358:8]. This case report describes the use of a custom prosthesis for salvage total hip arthroplasty after a proximal femoral resection, for a patient with a history of a comminuted hip fracture and subsequent postoperative infection. Two component parts of the salvage prosthesis were a modular porous tantalum sleeve (Trabecular Metal, Zimmer TMT, Allendale, NJ) and a porous tantalum inset and washer intended for reattachment of the abductors. Throughout the 3-year follow-up of this patient, functional recovery and pain relief were obtained with few limitations.
The longitudinal course of recurrent affective illness: Life chart data from research patients at the NIMH

Using data gathered in a naturalistic study of 95 research patients at the NIMH, a retrospective method of documenting the life course of recurrent affective illness is presented, along with a partial prospective validation of this method. In these patients, the severity, frequency, and duration of manic and depressive episodes, as well as their pattern and distribution, are characterized. These variables are examined in different patients subgrouped according to gender and age of onset, polarity, and rapidity of cycling of illness. The findings are compared with data on the life course of affective illness found in studies from the pre-pharmacologic era.
Biotechnology: Can the transatlantic trade and investment partnership reconcile EU and US differences on GMOs?

The USA and EU have announced negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) to be completed by end of 2014. While tariff barriers between the two entities are limited, their trade is encumbered with non–tariff barriers (NTBs), one of them being their diverging approach to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the agriculture and food industries. The USA operates from a science–based perspective while the EU relies on the precautionary principle. This paper reviews the developments of GMOs in both the USA and EU and draws on measures outlined in international organisations and recent trade agreements to explore options for the USA and EU to reconcile their different perspectives within the framework of the transatlantic trade and investment partnership (TTIP).
Concept for the subresolution measurement of earthquake strain fields using SPOT panchromatic imagery

The use of satellite-derived imagery for measuring subresolution horizontal terrain displacments associated with present-day earthquakes is discussed with reference to data from the French SPOT satellite whose sensor array provides 10-m panchromatic imagery. The measured terrain displacements can be up to several meters, but usually no more than 6-8 m even for major earthquakes. The general approach is to spatially match the after image to the before image at each point on a half-kilometer grid by iteratively interpolating one and testing its correlation with the other. The discussion covers the basic algorithm, results of initial tests, error types and limitations, and future work.
Increased lipid peroxidation occurs during development in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) embryos.

Abstract The growth of the avian embryo is paralleled by an exponential increase in the rate of whole-embryonic oxygen consumption, which potentially increases oxidative damage.Age-related patterns of tissue lipid peroxidation were characterised in brain, liver and heart tissue of developing Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) embryos between 9 and 15 d of age, over which embryo mass increased by a factor of 6. Lipid peroxidation was quantified in each tissue by spectrophotometric measurement of malondialdehyde using the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay.In all tissues, lipid peroxidation increased greatly as development proceeded. Concentrations of malondialdehyde increased in parallel with the cumulative amount of oxygen consumed by the developing embryo consistent with the hypothesis that oxidative stress results from the production of free radicals due to oxidative metabolism.This study describes in vivo oxidative stress in developing avian embryos and suggests that rates of embryonic growt...
Unhealthy weight control behaviors and MDMA (Ecstasy) use among adolescent females.

Abstract Purpose To estimate the prevalence of past year laxative use or vomiting weight control behaviors among adolescent females in the general population and to examine the relationship between these behaviors and substance use among adolescent females, with a specific focus on past year 3–4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) ("Ecstasy") use. Methods Secondary analyses were conducted using a nationally representative sample of females aged 12 to 17 years (n = 4292) from the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). Logistic regression was used to examine bivariate relationships between past year laxative use or vomiting weight control behaviors and substance use and the multivariate relationship between unhealthy weight control behaviors and Ecstasy use. Results Approximately 10% of adolescent females had used laxatives or vomited to lose weight in the past year. Adolescent females who had used laxatives or vomited to lose weight in the past year were more likely than those who had not to have used substances during the past year, including Ecstasy, inhalants, nonmedical psychotherapeutics, marijuana, cigarettes, and alcohol. After controlling for demographics and other substance use, past year laxative use or vomiting weight control behaviors were positively associated with past year Ecstasy use (OR = 1.81; 95% CI=1.05, 3.14; p = 0.04). Conclusion Laxative use or vomiting weight control behaviors are a significant problem among the general population of adolescent females and are related to an increased risk of Ecstasy use.
New approach to palette selection for color images

We apply the vector quantization algorithm proposed by Equitz to the problem of efficiently selecting colors for a limited image palette. The algorithm performs the quantization by merging pairwise nearest neighbor (PNN) clusters. Computational efficiency is achieved by using k- dimensional trees to perform fast PNN searches. In order to reduce the number of initial image colors, we first pass the image through a variable-size cubical quantizer. The centroids of colors that fall in each cell are then used as sample vectors for the merging algorithm. Tremendous computational savings is achieved from this initial step with very little loss in visual quality. To account for the high sensitivity of the human visual system to quantization errors in smoothly varying regions of an image, we incorporate activity measures both at the initial quantization step and at the merging step so that quantization is fine in smooth regions and coarse in active regions. The resulting images are of high visual quality. The computation times are substantially smaller than that of the iterative Lloyd-Max algorithm and are comparable to a binary splitting algorithm recently proposed by Bouman and Orchard.
Design and analysis of mechanical face seals

Abstract An analytical study of the characteristics of mechanical face seals with misalignment is presented. The complete pressure equation was solved without using the narrow bearing assumption. Results are presented and it is concluded that simplified treatments overestimate the load and the moments particularly at touch. Design charts are given to calculate the separating force, the leakage rate, the moment and coefficient of friction for different tilt parameters ϵ and the ratio r i r o of the inner radius to the outer radius.
Classical mechanics on group manifolds and applications to hybrid Monte Carlo

We formulate classical mechanics on a general group manifold, defining the natural symplectic structure as the 2-form ω ≏ -Σid(piθi), with p being the momentum and θ the left-invariant coframe. We verify that our formulation has the desired invariance properties and satisfies Lioville's theorem, and thus satisfies the conditions required for use in the hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm. We show that the equations of motion reduce to those previously hypothesized when written in terms of the constrained variables usually used to formulae lattice gauge theories, and discuss their discretization.
Puppy Federalism and the Blessings of America

Federalism is a system of governmental organization that grants subunits of a polity definitive rights against the central government. It allows these subunits to maintain different norms, or policies, from those of the central government. Thus it differs from decentralization, which is a strategy that the central government adopts in order to carry out its norms or policies more effectively. Federalism is a useful approach when people in a given area have such basic disagreements that they will not agree to live together in a single polity and be bound by its decisions. The United States is blessed with a sense of national unity that makes federalism unnecessary. This was not the case prior to the Civil War, however, and our continued nostalgia for that period induces us to adopt puppy federalism, which looks like the real thing but isn't. Legal scholars should not allow themselves to be fooled; however, as current legislation by the Republican Congress indicates, real federalism garners no support in ou...
Using Angle Measures In Pattern Recognition

Templates in pattern recognition are typically derived by averaging a number of patterns from the same class. An average distance is usually computed using the Euclidean metric. In this paper we investigate the use of an angle measure when deriving templates for angle tests. Applications of angle tests to check waveform similarity in recognizing printed letters and in remote medical diagnosis are illustrated.© (1979) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
State-by-state variations in high-tech employment through the great recession

Abstract This paper explores the relationship between state-level high-tech employment and state economic development, labor, and tax policies over the 2007–2012 period. During this period national high-tech manufacturing employment decreased, national high-tech service employment increased and the nation experienced a severe recession. Overall high-tech employment grew very little during this time period but changes in high-tech employment varied substantially from state-to-state. This paper asks why. A two-stage empirical model is developed and estimated. Among other things the results indicate that these policies did influence employment in the period although perhaps in unexpected ways.
Hematologic and serum biochemical profile of the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris): variation with age, sex, and season

The foraging success, and thus the survival and reproductive success, of deep-diving pinnipeds such as the northern elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris, depends on the ability to withstand repetitive breath-hold dives. Health parameters can be incorporated as potential explanatory variables for differences observed in diving and migratory performance of individual seals. Furthermore, biomedical samples from apparently healthy individuals can provide valuable baseline data for evaluating effects of natural or anthropogenic threats to individuals and populations. We evaluated 42 blood parameters in 134 northern elephant seals during the breeding and molting seasons (1992-1999) to test for age, sex, and seasonal differences and to develop reference ranges. Adult males sampled during the breeding season differed from all other adult groups for a suite of parameters often associated with inflammation, infection, or other stressors: lower hematocrit, higher white blood cell count, higher band neutrophils, higher neutrophil count, lower albumin, and lower serum iron. Adult females during the breeding season differed from all other adult categories for two parameters (lower platelet counts, lower alanine aminotransferase activity). Molting males had higher blood urea nitrogen than all other classes; creatinine did not differ between breeding and molting adult males, but was higher in males than in females in both seasons. We found significant differences among age classes for 24 of 42 parameters measured, including higher levels of triglycerides, total protein, calcium, and iron in pups than we found in juveniles or adults. Unlike other mammals which undergo substantial decreases in energy expenditure during prolonged fasting (e.g., hibernation), northern elephant seals defend territories, give birth and suckle large offspring, mate, and molt during their bi-annual fasts. Nonetheless, many studies have described physiologic homeostasis during fasting in elephant seals. The genus Mirounga is superbly adapted to going without feeding for extended periods, and this is reflected in our hematologic and serum biochemical profiles.