cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relation and Non-relation

In this chapter Johns attempts to show that the conditions of reality (whether physical, material, transcendental or otherwise) are themselves irreconcilable and necessarily so. The dialectical aporia between a moment in time and time itself, and a location in space and space itself, indicates that the philosophical concept of ‘substance’ is itself both in and out of itself simultaneously, both existing as part property and part relation, but never reconcilable to exclusively one of these terms. Johns then suggests that the notion of relation has been misunderstood and must be revised because a relation cannot fully relate to itself nor to what it is relating to, hence relation should already be construed as having a dualistic nature. Johns then concludes that the irreducibility of relation is what comprises that of reality and hence reality itself is also irreducible. He will then, finally, show how certain relations relate to—or withdraw from—other relations using examples as varied as snowmen, roses, humans, seashells, lipstick marks and socks.
Expanding N-Glycopeptide Identifications by Fragmentation Prediction and Glycome Network Smoothing

Abstract Accurate glycopeptide identification in mass spectrometry-based glycoproteomics is a challenging problem at scale. Recent innovation has been made in increasing the scope and accuracy of glycopeptide identifications, with more precise uncertainty estimates for each part of the structure. We present a layered approach to glycopeptide fragmentation modeling that improves N-glycopeptide identification in samples without compromising identification quality, and a site-specific method to increase the depth of the glycoproteome confidently identifiable even further. We demonstrate our techniques on a pair of previously published datasets, showing the performance gains at each stage of optimization, as well as its flexibility in glycome definition and search space complexity. These techniques are provided in the open-source glycomics and glycoproteomics platform GlycReSoft available at https://github.com/mobiusklein/glycresoft.
Temperature and Concentration Effects on Oscillatory Flow for Variable Viscosity Carreau Fluid through an Inclined Porous Channel

The aim of this paper is to study the combined effects of the concentration and the thermo-diffusion on the unsteady oscillation flow of an incompressible Carreau fluid through an inclined porous channel. The temperature is assumed to affect exponentially the fluid's viscosity. We studied fluid flow in an inclined channel under the non-slip condition at the wall. We used the perturbation series method to solve the nonlinear partial differential equations. Numerical results were obtained for velocity distribution, and through the graphs, it was found that the velocity of fluid has a direct relation with Soret number, Peclet number, and Grashof number, while it has a reverse variation with chemical reaction, Schmidt number, frequency of oscillation, and Froude number.
Higher altitude leads to increased risk of venous thromboembolism after acetabular and pelvic ring injury.

Abstract Introduction There is a high post-operative incidence of venous thromboembolisms (VTEs), specifically deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), in pelvic ring and acetabular fractures, and identification of risk factors for VTEs is crucial to decrease this highly morbid complication. High altitudes have a known physiological effect on the body that may predispose patients to developing VTEs in the postoperative period. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between pelvic ring and acetabular fractures occurring at high altitudes and the development of postoperative VTEs. Methods In this retrospective study, the Truven MarketScan claims database was used to identify patients who underwent surgical fixation of a pelvic ring and/or acetabular fracture from January 2009 to December 2018 using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. Patient characteristics, including medical comorbidities, were collected. The zip codes of where the surgeries took place were used to determine recovery altitude and patients were separated into either the high altitude (>4000 feet) or low altitude ( Results In total, 68,923 patients were included for analysis. At 30-days postoperatively, a higher altitude was associated with increased odds of developing a PE (OR 1.47, p = 0.019). At 90-days postoperatively, a higher altitude was associated with increased odds of DVT (OR 1.24, p = 0.029) and PE (OR 1.63, p Conclusion Surgical fixation of pelvic ring and acetabular fractures performed at a higher altitude (>4,000feet) are associated with increased odds of developing a PE in the first 30 days as well as developing a DVT or PE at 90 days postoperatively. Future prospective studies are needed to further elucidate the causality of altitude on the development of postoperative VTEs.
Prospective quality of life outcomes in pediatric fecal incontinence following bowel management.

Abstract Background Severe fecal incontinence (FI) is common in patients both with and without anorectal malformations. Whether a formal bowel management program (BMP) has significant effects on FI, psychosocial development of the child, and caregiver stress is poorly understood. We hypothesize that BMP participation results in long-term clinical and quality of life (QOL) improvements for patients and caregivers. Methods Using a prospective cohort study over three years, 342 children (age 3–12 years) and caregivers were followed for one year after attending a week-long BMP, during which a regimen was tailored to promote daily stool evacuation.FI QOL was measured with the validated Cincinnati Fecal Incontinence Scale (CINCY-FIS), evaluating multiple subscales, including parental stress. Scores were obtained at multiple timepoints following BMP (baseline, 2 weeks, 3 months, 1 year). Results Within 2 weeks, BMP participation significantly improved FI with increased frequency of daily daytime voluntary bowel movements (20%–70%, p Conclusions BMP results in significant and sustained improvement in FI and QOL for patients and caregivers.
Improved SPSA Using Complex Variables with Applications in Optimal Control Problems

Consider minimizing a general objective function when only the noisy function measurements are available. Such a problem has a broad range of applications in practice, including optimal control, operation research, and machine learning. Based on the simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA) algorithm and complex-step (CS) gradient approximation, this work proposes a new algorithm called the complex-step simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (CS-SPSA) algorithm. The proposed algorithm is shown to have inherited not only the high efficiency of SPSA for stochastic optimization problems, but also the superior accuracy and stability of CS gradient approximation for deterministic numerical algorithms when compared with the classic finite-difference (FD) method. Theoretical results show that the sequence of the estimates generated by CS-SPSA converges almost surely to the optimal point. An application of a data-driven linear-quadratic regulator (LQR) optimal control problem is demonstrated, which shows the successful performances of CS-SPSA compared with other algorithms.
Fragile Frontiers in the Abyss

The Silent Deep. The Discovery, Ecology, and Conservation of the Deep Sea. By Tony Koslow. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2007. 292 pp. $35, £22.50. ISBN 9780226451251. University of New South Wales Press, Sydney, Australia. Aus $49.95. ISBN 9780868404158. Koslow describes how and what we have learned of abyssal organisms and ecologies as well as the threats human activities pose to this ecosystem.
Isolation, nucleotide sequence, and preliminary characterization of the Escherichia coli K-12 hemA gene.

Abstract The Escherichia coli hemA gene, essential for the synthesis of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), was isolated and sequenced. The following criteria identified the cloned gene as hemA. (i) The gene complemented a hemA mutation of E. coli. (ii) The gene was localized to approximately 26.7 min on the E. coli chromosomal linkage map, consistent with the location of the mapped hemA locus. Furthermore, DNA sequence analysis established that the cloned gene lay directly upstream of prfA, which encodes polypeptide chain release factor 1. (iii) Deletion of the gene resulted in a concomitant requirement for ALA. The hemA gene directed the synthesis of a 46-kilodalton polypeptide in maxicell experiments, as predicted by the coding sequence. The DNA and deduced amino acid sequences of the E. coli hemA gene displayed no detectable similarity to the ALA synthase sequences which have been characterized from a variety of organisms, but are very similar to the cloned Salmonella typhimurium hemA sequences (T. Elliott, personal communication). Results of S1 nuclease protection experiments showed that the hemA mRNA appeared to have two different 5' ends and that a nonoverlapping divergent transcript was present upstream of the putative distal hemA transcriptional start site.
Three-Dimensional Active Noise Control Using a Direct Feedback Approach

Most active noise control systems reported in the recent literature are based on adaptive signal processing approaches. From a control systems viewpoint, these systems can also be described as adaptive feed forward controllers. A more general controller that includes both feed forward and feedback components is proposed. This paper focuses specifically on the direct feedback component of the proposed controller. The simulation and implementation of a direct feedback controller is described.
Postoperative analgesia after minimally invasive thoracoscopy: What should we do?

Many of the thoracic operations that previously required a thoracotomy incision can now be performed with several small incisions and video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). Although there have been reports of less pain and less impairment of pulmonary function with VATS compared with thoracotomy, 1 many VATS patients report significant acute and chronic postoperative pain. Treating thoracoscopic pain effectively and minimizing the later development of chronic pain requires familiarity with a wide spectrum of analgesic techniques. An important variable in the analgesic plan for VATS is the likelihood of converting to an open thoracotomy. Conversion may be due to technical difficulties, inadequate lung separation, or bleeding, and may be more likely when the surgeon has less experience with VATS. The likelihood of conversion to an open procedure must be assessed preoperatively. If a VATS procedure is converted to a thoracotomy and analgesia (such as an epidural) is not in place, the patient’s recovery may be impaired. If not wellcontrolled, postoperative thoracic pain can lead to splinting and may impair the patient’s ability to take deep breaths following thoracic surgery. It is difficult to state precisely the incidence of pain following thoracoscopy, as the extent and severity varies according to surgical technique, patient sensitivity, and anesthetic pain management. In a recent survey of Dutch thoracic surgery patients, 47% of the VATS patients reported chronic pain. 2 In an earlier study, the incidence of chronic pain was reported to be 36% in VATS patients undergoing wedge resection. 3 It might seem intuitive that performing the surgery by thoracoscopy, which utilizes small incisions, would lead to less postoperative pain. However, the introduction of trocars during thoracoscopy may injure intercostal nerves, and additional manipulation of these instruments during the surgery may traumatize these nerves further by compression against ribs. 4 If a lobectomy is being performed, an incision will need to be enlarged in order to extract the specimen, and a rib retractor may be required. Also, the duration of the surgery may be greater using VATS. Ipsilateral shoulder pain is a common complaint following VATS, and in one study, it was reported to be chronic in 10% of patients. 5
Some issues in the design of market-oriented agents

In a computational market, distributed market agents interact with other agents primarily through the exchange of goods and services. Thanks to a well-developed underlying economic framework, we can draw on a rich source of analytic tools and theoretical techniques for designing individual agents and predicting aggregate behavior. For many narrowly scoped static problems, design of a computational market is relatively straightforward. We consider some issues that arise in attempting to design computational economies for broadly scoped, dynamic environments. These issues include how to specify the goods and services being exchanged, how these market-oriented agents should set their exchange policies, and how computational market mechanisms appropriate for idealized environments can be adapted to work in a larger class of non-ideal environments.
Focus on...Tax-Sheltered Annuity Plans Under Code Section 403(b): Part 1 - General Rules and Limitations on Contributions

Subject to a complex set of rules, tax-sheltered annuity plans (TSAs) have recently come under increased scrutiny by the IRS. This outline of the general rules and limitations on contributions for TSAs will help benefits managers ensure that their plans are in compliance with the byzantine regulations that govern them.
The Continuity of Scientific Discovery and Its Communication: The Example of Michael Faraday

This paper documents the cognitive strategies that led to Faraday’s first significant scientific discovery. For Faraday, discovery is essentially a matter seeing as, of substituting for the eye all possess the eye of analysis all scientists must develop. In the process of making his first significant discovery, Faraday learns to dismiss the magnetic attractions and repulsions he and others had observed; by means of systematic variations in his experimental set-up, he learns to see these motions as circular: it is the first indication that an electro-magnetic field exists. In communicating his discoveries, Faraday, of course, takes into consideration his various audiences’ varying needs and their differences in scientific competence; but whatever his audience, Faraday learns to convey what it feels like to do science, to shift from seeing to seeing as, from sight to insight.
Autotrophic and Heterotrophic Metabolism of Hydrogenomonas: Regulation of Autotrophic Growth by Organic Substrates

The effects of a number of organic substrates on the autotrophic metabolism of Hydrogenomonas eutropha were examined. Dual substrate (mixotrophic) cultivation in the presence of hydrogen plus either fructose or alanine allowed autotrophic growth to begin immediately after the exhaustion of the organic substrate. On the other hand, the presence of acetate, pyruvate, or glutamate caused a lengthy lag to occur before autotrophic growth commenced. With acetate or pyruvate this lag (plateau) in the dicyclic growth curve was due to the repression of ribulose diphosphate carboxylase (RDPC) synthesis during mixotrophic growth. During heterotrophic growth with glutamate, RDPC was partially repressed; however, during mixotrophic growth, RDPC activity was high. Thus the delay of autotrophic growth was not due to a repression of RDPC by glutamate. The data suggest that glutamate interferes with autotrophic metabolism by repressing the incorporation of inorganic nitrogen. The repression of these vital autotrophic functions by acetate, pyruvate, and glutamate occurred both in the presence and absence of hydrogen, i.e., during both heterotrophic and mixotrophic cultivation. The derepression of the affected systems during the plateau phase of the dicyclic growth curves was demonstrated. Carbon dioxide assimilation by whole cells agreed well with the RDPC activity of extracts from cells grown under similar conditions.
Clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical characterization of wart-like lesions on the paw pads of dogs: 24 cases (2000–2007)

OBJECTIVE- To determine clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical findings for dogs with wart-like lesions involving the paw pads. DESIGN- Retrospective case series. ANIMALS- 24 dogs (18 Greyhounds and 6 dogs of other breeds). PROCEDURES- Medical records were reviewed for information on signalment, physical examination findings, concurrent disease processes, location of all lesions, and, when available, results of histologic examination of biopsy specimens. Available biopsy specimens (n = 11) were submitted for immunohistochemical staining and a PCR assay to identify viral inclusion bodies. RESULTS- In Greyhounds, most lesions involved the pads of the third and fourth digits, had a consistent histologic appearance without evidence of inflammation, were negative for papillomavirus, and had an unsatisfactory response to treatment. In other breeds, lesions often involved the pads of non-weight-bearing digits, had histologic evidence of inflammation, were positive for papillomavirus, and responded to surgical treatment. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE- Results suggested that wart-like lesions involving the paw pads of Greyhounds were a distinct clinical entity with features resembling porokeratosis plantaris discreta in humans. In Greyhounds, these lesions were not associated with an underlying viral etiology and, therefore, should not be considered plantar warts. Alternative treatments should be investigated because current treatments were generally unsuccessful in Greyhounds. Wart-like lesions of the paw pads in other breeds were often associated with papillomavirus, and surgical excision appeared curative.
An experimental evaluation of arteriography and imaging ultrasonography in detecting arterial defects at operation

Abstract Vascular lesions resembling those which might occur in arterial reconstructive surgery were produced in canine aortas and examined by portable arteriography, serial biplane arteriography, and B-mode real-time ultrasonography. The lesions established were intimal flaps, thrombi, strictures, and intimal defects. The accuracy and sensitivity of imaging ultrasonography was higher than both portable and serial biplane arteriographies for detecting 2 × 5-mm intimal flaps, 5 × 5-mm, intimal flaps and thrombi. There was no difference for aortic segments with strictures. Serial arteriography was more sensitive than portable arteriography for 2 × 5-mm flaps and for thrombi. Sensitivity for intimal defects was higher for both types of arteriographies than for ultrasonography. The specificity for all three procedures was high and without significant difference among them. This experimental study indicates that operative ultrasonography is more precise for detecting intravascular defects than both portable and serial biplane arteriographies. Clinical application and evaluation of this diagnostic procedure is warranted.
The Death Penalty: An International View

Abstract: This research explores the use and non-use of capital punishment in various regions of the world. This is a descriptive analysis of the ultimate penal policy that any nation can give in its operation and administration of justice. In 1965 Patrick published his research on the death penalty. He found 86.6% of the nations he studied retained the death penalty. Amnesty International found 84.6% for 1985. The two figures are very close even though they are over 20 years apart. The research briefly explores the increases in the death row population in the United States (over 2,000 since 1967). Great Britain tried to reinstate the death penalty to solve its ‘terrorist problem’ in 1987. Spain executes by a ‘garrote’. The Soviet Union and some other Soviet aligned nations retain the penalty for the economic crimes of: counterfeiting, speculation in currency, stealing state property, and taking bribes by an official. France abolished the death penalty and the guillotine in 1971. They tried to reinstate the penalty in 1976 to deal with ‘major drug crimes’. Australia eliminated the penalty in 1985 when its Western region finally abolished it. South Africa did execute an average of 111 per year for the years 1980 to 1985. Japan retains the penalty for 17 crimes. Malaysia has recently executed several people for drug offences and arms violations. In Latin America, one-half of the nations retain the penalty. The article concludes with recent events surrounding World War II Nazi Criminals recently sentenced to death in Israel and Russia.
Generation of the 40-Hz auditory steady-state response (ASSR) explained using convolution

Abstract Objective In this study, the superposition theory of the 40-Hz auditory steady-state response (ASSR) generation is investigated using auditory brainstem response (ABR) and middle latency responses (MLRs) obtained with 40Hz jittered sequences with the continuous loop averaging deconvolution (CLAD) algorithm. Methods Click sequences at around 40Hz with high (maximum length sequence), medium and low jitters were presented to normal hearing awake adult subjects monaurally. Overlapping MLR responses were deconvolved using the frequency domain CLAD method. In addition, conventional auditory MLRs at 4.88Hz and ASSRs at 39.1Hz were obtained in all subjects. Synthetic ASSRs were constructed using different rate and jitter MLRs as base recordings. Contributions of the primary components were investigated by wave elimination using phasors. Results Findings indicate that the generation of the 40-Hz ASSRs can be explained successfully by the superposition of the ABR and MLR waves generated at that stimulation rate. N a –P a and N b –P b components of the MLR contribute about equally (45% each), while the wave V of the ABR contributes a lesser amount (10%). Conclusions Forty-Hertz ASSRs are composite responses generated by the superposition of the major waves of the ABR and the MLR. Dramatic amplitude increase of the ASSR at 40Hz is primarily due to the superposition of the resonating P b component to the P a wave. Significance Several unexplained properties of the 40-Hz ASSR can be explained by the stimulus and brain state dependent characteristics of the slow ABR, the P a and the P b components of the MLR.
Endobronchial Ultrasound and Lymphoproliferative Disorders: A Retrospective Study

Background Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has been shown to have excellent diagnostic performance for mediastinal staging of lung cancer. The utility of EBUS-TBNA for the diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disorders involving the mediastinum or hila, or both, is unclear. Methods A retrospective analysis was completed of all patients diagnosed with a lymphoproliferative disorder involving the mediastinum or hila, or both, who underwent an EBUS-TBNA within 3 months of the diagnosis. Results Sixty-five patients with mediastinal or hilar lymph node, or both, involvement of their lymphoproliferative disorder underwent EBUS-TBNA within 3 months of their diagnosis. The initial EBUS-TBNA was nondiagnostic in 34 (52%), 11 were subsequently diagnosed by mediastinoscopy, and the remaining 23 were diagnosed by biopsy of a distant site, with involvement of the mediastinum or hilum assumed from preestablished radiographic criteria. A EBUS-TBNA specimen in 31 patients (48%) was interpreted as consistent with or suspicious for a lymphoproliferative disorder. The overall sensitivity of EBUS-TBNA for establishing a definitive diagnosis was 25 of 65 (38%). The sensitivity was lower for new patients, at 7 of 32 (22%), and better for patients with recurrence, at 18 of 33 (55%). Conclusions Contrary to previous studies, our findings suggest that EBUS-TBNA does not provide sufficient diagnostic material for accurate lymphoproliferative disorder subtyping in a significant number of patients and performs especially poorly when evaluating new patients. Mediastinoscopy should still be considered as the initial diagnostic procedure of choice when the clinical suspicion for a lymphoproliferative disorder is high, unless the patient is being evaluated for a recurrence of prior disorder.
Road Map to the E-Revolution

Abstract Clearly, E-commerce is revolutionizing both IT and business. What may not be so evident for IT managers is the direction in which this revolution will take their organizations. This article helps IT managers determine this direction by showing how to develop a road map to chart their organizations' course through the E-revolution.
Material encounters with mathematics: The case for museum based cross-curricular integration

Abstract This paper reports on research from a network of high school and museum partnerships designed to explore techniques for integrating mathematics and physics learning experiences during the first year of high school. The foundation of the curriculum is a problem-based, museum-based, and hands-on approach to mathematics and physics. In this paper, we ask: How does the materiality of this curriculum allow students to think about mathematics in different ways? We first discuss advantages associated with museum-integrated curriculum, and point to how these are related to materialist and embodied theories of learning. We then focus on video data collected during a wing-design lesson, and discuss patterns in students’ participation. We show how (1) integrated curriculum creates opportunities for embodied learning experiences in mathematics, (2) gesture and touch are important facets of learning abstract concepts in mathematics and physics, and (3) museum-situated activities contest philosophical assumptions about the nature of mathematics.
Radiographic and clinical outcomes in cavernous carotid fistula with special focus on alternative transvenous access techniques

Carotid cavernous fistulae (CCF) are dangerous entities that may cause progressive cranial neuropathy, headache and blindness. Endovascular therapy for CCF is the treatment of choice and can be accomplished with minimal morbidity, but optimal treatment strategies vary according to CCF anatomy. We aimed to define a tailored endovascular treatment algorithm for CCF with a focus on traditional and aberrant venous anatomy. Retrospective cohort analysis of data for 57 patients (age range, 18–90 years, mean 53 years) with CCF (35 direct, 22 indirect) was performed. Treatment was transarterial (n = 31), transvenous (n = 18), combined (n = 2), or observation (n = 6). Non-conventional transvenous access (that is, via the facial vein, pterygoid plexus, or via direct puncture of the inferior ophthalmic or frontal vein) was employed in five patients. Mean follow-up period was 12 months. Radiographic cure rate in treated CCF was 96%. Forty-five patients presented with ophthalmic symptoms (chemosis, proptosis, eye pain); all resolved within 6 weeks of successful treatment. Forty-three patients presented with cranial nerve III, IV and/or VI palsy; complete recovery was seen in 54% and partial recovery in 18%. Five patients presented with blindness and five with declining visual acuity. No patient with blindness regained sight after treatment, but all five patients with declining vision recovered some visual acuity. The complication rate was 10.6% (one transient abducens nerve palsy, two symptomatic cerebral infarctions, and three groin hematomas). The permanent complication rate was 3.5%. Multimodal treatment of CCF, including non-traditional routes of transvenous access, results in excellent outcomes and low morbidity.
Avant Garde Fatty Acid Synthesis by Trypanosomes

In this issue of Cell, Lee et al. (2006) report that the parasite Trypanosoma brucei synthesizes fatty acids in an unconventional way. T. brucei and two other trypanosomes use enzymes called elongases to synthesize myristate, a fourteen carbon (C14) fatty acid essential for pathogenesis. This is an unexpected finding as these enzymes were thought only to elongate already long (C16 or C18) acyl chains.
Embryologic basis for lower ureteral anomalies: A hypothesis

Abstract A hypothesis for the embryogenesis of lower ureteral anomalies invokes variations in location and number of ureteral buds on the mesonephric duct. Such vagaries determine the length of the common nephric duct and the time of meeting of the ureteral bud (or buds) with the urogenital sinus. These factors in turn affect the density of the mesenchymal tissue and its mass in relation to the adjoining structures and, ultimately, the musculature of the trigone as well as the level of the ureteral hiatus and the musculature of the bladder base. Primary reflux, ureteral ectopy, ureteral duplication, ureterocele, functional ureteral obstruction, and congenital ureteral strictures are viewed and possibly explained in the light of the embryonal variations mentioned.
PROSPECT-PSPP: An automatic computational pipeline for protein structure prediction

Knowledge of the detailed structure of a protein is crucial to our understanding of the biological functions of that protein. The gap between the number of solved protein structures and the number of protein sequences continues to widen rapidly in the post-genomics era due to long and expensive processes for solving structures experimentally. Computational prediction of structures from amino acid sequence has come to play a key role in narrowing the gap and has been successful in providing useful information for the biological research community. We have developed a prediction pipeline, PROSPECT-PSPP, an integration of multiple computational tools, for fully automated protein structure prediction. The pipeline consists of tools for (i) preprocessing of protein sequences, which includes signal peptide prediction, protein type prediction (membrane or soluble) and protein domain partition, (ii) secondary structure prediction, (iii) fold recognition and (iv) atomic structural model generation. The centerpiece of the pipeline is our threading-based program PROSPECT. The pipeline is implemented using SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), which makes it easier to share our tools and resources. The pipeline has an easy-to-use user interface and is implemented on a 64-node dual processor Linux cluster. It can be used for genome-scale protein structure prediction. The pipeline is accessible at http://csbl.bmb.uga.edu/protein_pipeline.
Deposition of exotic bird-dispersed seeds into three habitats of a fragmented landscape in the northeastern United States

Dispersal by frugivorous birds facilitates invasion by many exotic plants. We measured the seed rain of ornithochorous native and exotic plants at three habitats of a fragmented landscape of the northeastern United States for 1 year. We studied maple-beech forests, old fields, and abandoned conifer plantations. Across all sites we collected 2,196 ornithochorous seeds, including seeds from six exotic species and 10 native species. The majority (90%) of collected seeds were from exotic species. Seed dispersal was broadly similar among habitats, though seed rain of exotic species was higher in old fields than forested habitats. Seed rain was not strongly influenced by artificial perches for most species. However, seeds of exotic species were more commonly found in traps under an artificial perch in old fields. Seed rains for the exotic Elaeagnus umbellata, Rhamnus cathartica, and Rosa multiflora were positively associated with local density of mature plants. Seed rain of R. cathartica was positively associated with abundance of seedlings but not saplings, suggesting that post-dispersal mortality was important. Seed dispersal of the exotic Lonicera spp. was high in all habitats, accounting for 66% of all seeds collected. With the exception of Lonicera spp., seed rain of common exotic invaders was affected by the abundance of seed sources, and these species might be effectively controlled by elimination of local fruiting plants. Fruits of Lonicera morrowii, which has extensively invaded our area, are apparently a common component in the diet of frugivores.
Implementation of two-level coarse-mesh finite difference acceleration in an arbitrary geometry, two-dimensional discrete ordinates transport method

The coarse-mesh finite difference (CMFD) formulation is applied as an efficient means of acceleration of the heterogeneous whole-core transport calculation. The CMFD formulation enables dynamic hom...
Diffusion of Innovations and Policy Decision‐Making

This article presents a general mathematical model of the diffusion of innovations, which incorporates mass media and interpersonal influence. The model is applied to three classic diffusion data sets: (a) use of hybrid corn, (b) knowledge of Eisenhower's stroke, and (c) doctors’prescription of a new drug. Nonlinear regression is used to estimate the mathematical model. The results show that diffusion of hybrid corn occurred via interpersonal influence, whereas the diffusion of knowledge of Eisenhower's stroke occurred via the mass media. For the diffusion of the new drug, the model shows that doctors who subscribed to few medical journals learned about the drug primarily through interpersonal influence, while doctors who subscribed to many medical journals learned about the drug through both mass media and interpersonal channels. Policy decision-makers can use diffusion models to (a) evaluate the effectiveness of media versus interpersonal campaigns, (b) make comparisons between subgroups, and (c) evaluate the effect of a policy.
Mechanism-Based Inactivation of Dopamine β-Monooxygenase in Adrenal Chromaffin Cells

Dopamine beta-monoxygenase (DBM, E.C. 1.14.17.1) is an attractive target point for possible modulation of adrenergic activity, and a variety of DBM-targeted pseudosubstrates and inhibitors have been developed in this laboratory and other laboratories. We now demonstrate the efficacy of a DBM-targeted mechanism-based inactivator, as well as enzymatic processing of two alternate DBM substrates, within functional adrenal chromaffin cells. When cultured adrenal medullary chromaffin cells were incubated with the mechanism-based inactivator 1-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)-1-(aminomethyl)-ethene (HOPAME), vesicular DBM activity was markedly decreased. Similarly, the alternate substrates 4'-hydroxyphenyl-2-aminoethyl sulfide and 4'-hydroxyphenyl-2-aminopropyl selenide each undergo uptake and DBM-catalyzed oxygenation within these cells. The simultaneous action of both the mechanism-based inactivator and an alternate substrate within functional chromaffin cells was also demonstrated. These results provide support for a direct mechanistic link between the enzymological properties of DBM-targeted adrenergic agents and their in-vivo pharmacological activities.
Strategic scope, flexible manufacturing, and plant location in high technology firms

Abstract We theoretically argue that product-specific, inflexible manufacturing places important constraints on corporate strategy. Introducing flexible systems releases a firm from these constraints and provides an opportunity to develop new strategies. It encourages the internalization of scope economies, provides an incentive for basic R&D investment, and allows for inter-plant substitution and multiplant strategies, and broader diversification strategies. Empirical analyses of 128 high technology firms provides partial support.
Enhancing the transfer of knowledge resources through effective utilization of labor and technology in a global organization: a case study of Bovis Lend Lease Inc.'s global knowledge transfer system

Management initiatives have increased their intensity on enhancing operating efficiency and productivity across functional areas of the organization. Early efforts focused on investment in information technologies as organizations sought to transform their capital infrastructures to become more IT intensive. To more fully achieve productivity gains, however, management tactics have recently focused on more effectively utilizing the available knowledge resources that reside in their organization that exist in their employee base. The process of effectively identifying and transferring value-added knowledge existing in the firm to functional areas which require the resource in a timely manner often involves the incorporation of labor and technology. The following paper illustrates current trends in knowledge management initiatives for a global real estate investment and construction services company. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Legal schizophrenia and the mental health lawyer: Recent trends in civil commitment litigation

Mental disability law is among the most conflicted fields in American jurisprudence, whose essential adversarial structure has accentuated a natural degree of tension between the interests of the disabled and those of society at large, and created a largely needless division between legal rights and human needs. Practitioners in this field, whether lawyers or mental health services providers, exhibit the deleterious symptoms of this conflicted state of things which range from an indiscriminate hyperactivity to nearcatatonia. This overview of recent developments in commitment-related litigation traces the persisting conflicts over admission criteria, outpatient treatment alternatives, conditional release, transfer procedures, remedies for inappropriate commitment, and the scope of confidentiality rights. It draws a picture of practitioners who continue to be at the mercy of the law's contradictory pushes and pulls. While a degree of conflict in mental disability law is inevitable, the article suggests that by focusing on the best particular interests of the disabled client, practitioners can do social good and avoid the damage that results when other interests are allowed to dominate. Language: en
An easily overlooked cause of abdominal pain

A 63 year old female presented to the emergency department with a several month history of intermittent right upper quadrant abdominal pain, early satiety with loss of appetite, and an unintentional weight loss of 8. She underwent a battery of tests that returned negative and subsequently sent for Computed tomographic angiography (CTA) of the abdomen revealing luminal stenosis of the proximal 1 cm of the celiac axis estimating 90% occlusion and a patent SMA and IMA with, typical for median arcuate ligament syndrome. The symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options are discussed. Keywords: Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS); postprandial pain; unintentional weight loss (Published: 25 November 2014) Citation: Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 2014, 4 : 25083 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jchimp.v4.25083
IMPACT--Integrative Medicine PrimAry Care Trial: protocol for a comparative effectiveness study of the clinical and cost outcomes of an integrative primary care clinic model.

Background: Integrative medicine (IM) is a patient-centered, healing-oriented clinical paradigm that explicitly includes all appropriate therapeutic approaches whether they originate in conventional or complementary medicine (CM). While there is some evidence for the clinical and cost-effectiveness of IM practice models, the existing evidence base for IM depends largely on studies of individual CM therapies. This may in part be due to the methodological challenges inherent in evaluating a complex intervention (i.e., many interacting components applied flexibly and with tailoring) such as IM. Methods/Design: This study will use a combination of observational quantitative and qualitative methods to rigorously measure the health and healthcare utilization outcomes of the University of Arizona Integrative Health Center (UAIHC), an IM adult primary care clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. There are four groups of study participants. The primary group consists of clinic patients for whom clinical and cost outcomes will be tracked indicating the impact of the UAIHC clinic (n = 500). In addition to comparing outcomes pre/post clinic enrollment, where possible, these outcomes will be compared to those of two matched control groups, and for some self-report measures, to regional and national data. The second and third study groups consist of clinic patients (n = 180) and clinic personnel (n=15-20) from whom fidelity data (i.e., data indicating the extent to which the IM practice model was implemented as planned) will be collected. These data will be analyzed to determine the exact nature of the intervention as implemented and to provide covariates to the outcomes analyses as the clinic evolves. The fourth group is made up of patients (n = 8) whose path through the clinic will be studied in detail using qualitative (periodic semi-structured interviews) methods. These data will be used to develop hypotheses regarding how the clinic works. Discussion: The US health care system needs new models of care that are more patient-centered and empower patients to make positive lifestyle changes. These models have the potential to reduce the burden of chronic disease, lower the cost of healthcare, and offer a sustainable financial paradigm for our nation. This protocol has been designed to test whether the UAIHC can achieve this potential. Trial registration: Clinical Trials.gov NCT01785485.
Molecular g-value, magnetic susceptibility anisotropy, molecular quadrupole moment, and sign of the electric dipole moment in chloroacetylene

Abstract The high-field molecular Zeeman effect has been examined in 35 ClC 2 H and 37 ClC 2 H yielding the molecular g -values, 35 g ⊥ = −0.00630 ± 0.00014 and 37 g ⊥ = −0.00601 ± 0.0008; the magnetic susceptibility anisotropy, (x|-X⊥) = (9.3 ± 0.5) x 10 −6 erg/G 2 mole; the quadrupole moment. Q | = (8.8 ± 0.4) × 10 −26 esu cm 2 , and the electric dipole moment sign of −ClC 2 H+.
Novel formulations of microscopic boundary-value problems in continuous multiscale finite element methods

Abstract This article explores the use of a homogenization method inspired by the classical Irving–Kirkwood procedure in the continuous multiscale modeling of elastic solids within the context of the finite element method. This homogenization method gives rise to a broad range of allowable boundary conditions for the RVE, which, in turn, yield a rich spectrum of estimates of the macroscopic stress response for two representative problems involving heterogeneous elastic bodies.
Haemophilus influenzae type b disease in twins.

B. catarrhalis is detected by the rapid acidometric assay only after prolonged periods of incubation (30 to 60 minutes) with penicillin, 7 in contrast to the almost immediate detection of the 13-1actamase of H. influenzae. This finding indicates that the/3-1actamase is present in small amounts, is "inducible," or as Doern et al. 7 believe, is strongly cell associated rather than extracellular. Regardless, it is important that observation for color change be continued for at least one hour before it is concluded that a strain of B. catarrhalis is /3-1actamase-negative, because preliminary clinical decisions may be based on this information. Although we have shown that strains of B. catarrhalis can possess a wide range of susceptibility to ampicillin, the size of our sample did not allow correlation of the failure rate or rapidity of clinical improvement with the M I C or inoculum size. Prospective studies assessing the role of ~3-1actamase-positive B. catarrhalis in persistent or recurrent otitis media are in progress. These data, along with a comparison of otitis caused by B. catarrhalis with that caused by other pathogens, may be important in future recommendations for antibiotic therapy.
Microcavity Effects in Thin Film Electroluminescence

Abstract Putting thin-film electroluminescent device stacks of the dielectric-sandwiched type on top of a dielectric reflector modifies the spectral and angular distribution of emission by introducing the Fabry-Perot mode structure into the final state density of the matrix elements. Experimental results for Fabry-Perots of about 10-quarter wavelength optical thickness are given.
Repression of myoblast proliferation and fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 promoter activity by KLF10 protein

Skeletal muscle development is controlled by regulation of myoblast proliferation and differentiation into muscle fibers. Growth factors such as fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and their receptors (FGFRs) regulate cell proliferation and differentiation in numerous tissues, including skeletal muscle. Transcriptional regulation of FGFR1 gene expression is developmentally regulated by the Sp1 transcription factor, a member of the Kruppel-like factor (KLF) family of transcriptional regulators. Here, we show that another KLF transcription factor, KLF10, also regulates myoblast proliferation and FGFR1 promoter activity. Expression of KLF10 reduced myoblast proliferation by 86%. KLF10 expression also significantly reduced FGFR1 promoter activity in myoblasts and Sp1-mediated FGFR1 promoter activity in Drosophila SL2 cells. Southwestern blot, electromobility shift, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that KLF10 bound to the proximal Sp factor binding site of the FGFR1 promoter and reduced Sp1 complex formation with the FGFR1 promoter at that site. These results indicate that KLF10 is an effective repressor of myoblast proliferation and represses FGFR1 promoter activity in these cells via an Sp1 binding site.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Practical Theory and Clinical Relevance

Clinical cases illustrate the diagnostic potential of MRI. Magnetic resonance imaging can be a valuable diagnostic tool. Some fundamental concepts behind MRI are discussed, using clinical cases to illustrate the potential of this imaging system.
The aggressive low density lipoprotein lowering controversy

Recent clinical trials have provided unequivocal evidence of major cardiovascular benefits from low density lipoprotein (LDL) lowering with statins. However, the three critical unresolved questions about aggressive LDL lowering are the shape of the curve relating cardiac events to LDL, the best surrogate measurement for assessing therapeutic efficacy and the best target for LDL therapy. The relation between cardiac events and LDL is curvilinear, both epidemiologically and during therapy. The benefit of lipid lowering diminishes progressively and becomes difficult to detect at lower LDL levels without a very large sample size. Assessment of the benefits of lipid lowering is further confounded by differences in the level of pretreatment LDL and by the non-LDL lowering effects of statins. Both epidemiologic studies and large randomized clinical trials have produced conflicting results concerning the best LDL target. Failure to reduce the event rate in patients with pretreatment LDL <125 mg (Cholesterol And Recurrent Events [CARE] trial) alerts us to the risk of extrapolating epidemiologic data to clinical practice, yet subset analysis of some clinical trials suggests the greatest benefit appears in those patients with the lowest on-treatment LDL levels (Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study [4S]). This controversy should be resolved in the next few years by several important on-going trials. In the face of seemingly contradictory data from current clinical trials, we can only speculate that very aggressive LDL lowering to <80 mg/dl could be accompanied by a modest therapeutic benefit beyond the current recommendations of the National Cholesterol Education Program. If any benefit is observed, it will have to be balanced against a small potential for increased adverse events.