cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional Assessment of Bioprosthetic Aortic Valves by CMR

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) phase-contrast (PC) measures of a bioprosthetic aortic valve velocity time integral (PC-VTI) to derive the effective orifice area (PC-EOA) and to compare these findings with the clinical standard of Doppler echocardiography. Background Bioprosthetic aortic valve function can be assessed with CMR planimetry of the anatomic orifice area and PC measurement of peak transvalvular systolic velocity. However, bioprosthetic valves can create image artifact and data dropout, which makes planimetry measures a challenge for even experienced CMR readers. Methods From our institutional database, we identified 38 patients who had undergone 47 paired imaging studies (CMR and Doppler) within 46 days (median 3 days). Transvalvular forward flow volume by CMR was determined by 3 methods: ascending aorta flow, transvalvular flow, and left ventricular stroke volume. PC-EOA was derived as flow divided by PC-VTI, calculated with a semiautomated MATLAB (Mathworks, Natick, Massachusetts) application for integration of the instantaneous peak transvalvular velocity. Doppler EOA was assessed by the continuity method. Results PC-EOA by all 3 flow approaches demonstrated a strong correlation with Doppler EOA (r = 0.949, 0.947, and 0.874, respectively; all p 1.2 cm2), 12 of 14 possibly stenotic valves (0.8 Conclusions We describe a new CMR-based method to derive the EOA for bioprosthetic aortic valves. This method compares favorably to traditional Doppler methods and might be an important additional parameter in the evaluation of prosthetic valves by CMR, particularly when Doppler methods are suboptimal or considered discordant with the clinical presentation.
Effect of internal limiting membrane abrasion on retinal tissues in macular holes.

Idiopathic macular holes are full-thickness neurosensory retinal defects in the fovea that typically result in moderate to severe vision loss.1–3 Central to the pathogenesis of macular holes is anomalous vitreomacular traction and incomplete posterior vitreous detachment, which often leaves remnants of the vitreous cortex on the internal limiting membrane (ILM) surface.4–6 Vitrectomy is a highly successful procedure for achieving macular hole closure and improved visual acuity.7–11 As surgical methods have evolved to include gas tamponade, epiretinal membrane (ERM) peeling, and ILM peeling, rates of macular hole closure now exceed 90%, with low recurrence rates in most reported series.12–16 Various surgical techniques involve peeling the ILM from the superficial retina. Most use creation of a defect in the ILM, grasping an exposed edge with intraocular forceps, and extending a circumferential tear around the hole. Alternatively, the ILM can be directly grasped with forceps and peeled from the retinal surface. Dissection of the transparent 10-μm-thick ILM is a surgically challenging step and may be facilitated by the use of adjuvant dyes such as indocyanine green to improve visualization and surgical success.17 Adjuvant stains may also alter the ILM structure and assist in creating a cleavage plane between the ILM and underlying retinal layers.18 Application of dyes, however, may be toxic to the retinal cells and/or retinal pigment epithelium, resulting in reduced postoperative visual acuity despite successful hole closure.19 In this report, we describe a technique of ILM abrasion performed to address elements of tangential traction on the retinal surface to achieve successful macular hole closure without complete removal of the ILM. Such a technique may limit the loss of adjacent tissue of the inner retina and eliminate the risk of adjuvant dye toxicity. The technique uses a Tano diamond-dusted membrane scraper (DDMS; Synergetics, Inc., O'Fallon, MO, USA) to abrade the ILM.20 Recently, we showed a 94% success rate in 100 eyes that underwent ILM abrasion with a DDMS as an alternative to traditional ILM peeling at the time of macular hole repair.21 Abrasion of the ILM with a DDMS at the time of pars plana vitrectomy is sufficient to achieve high rates of macular hole closure, and this technique avoids complete removal of the retinal ILM basement membrane and subjacent tissues and provides hole closure rates that are comparable to those in traditional ILM peeling.21 In this study, we used two methods to ascertain the effect of ILM abrasion on the retina, and we describe the immunohistochemical characteristics of retinal tissue removed by the DDMS from surgical specimens with macular holes. We also used electron microscopy to examine the retinal tissue remaining in human donor eyes with macular holes following the same ILM abrasion technique.
Linking the green and brown worlds through nonconsumptive predator effects

Predators can indirectly affect lower trophic levels by either consuming their prey (consumptive effect, CE) or by changing the physiology or behavior of their prey (nonconsumptive effect, NCE). Cascading effects of predators on primary producers are common, and can be propagated by CEs, NCEs, or a combination of both mechanisms. Predator impacts in detrital food webs (the ‘brown world’) have received considerably less attention than their effects on systems with primary producers at the base (the ‘green world’), and only recently have we begun to appreciate the importance of above-ground predators indirectly impacting below-ground processes. Numerous studies reveal the total impact (CEs and NCEs) of predators in brown food webs, but our understanding of the role of isolated NCEs is limited. Many habitats and major taxa have not been studied, and patterns are difficult to distinguish due to frequent reporting of mixed effects. Predators play an important role as connectors between brown and green worlds when they feed from both food webs (multichannel feeding). We are only beginning to understand how NCEs influence detrital food webs, and it is unknown whether multichannel fear is an essential component of predator–prey ecology that regulates ecosystem function.
Ultrashort light pulses: life in the fast lane

Perhaps the most defining characteristic of modern society is its ever-increasing pace. New technological capabilities, such as computing and telecommunications, are making people more efficient. While these advances increase our standard of living, they also place new demands on our lives and make it all the more important that we maintain the pace of technological change. Of course, we sometimes wonder whether this rate of change will slow down. More specifically, what is the ultimate speed limit in our world? At what point will our computers and communications devices reach fundamental physical limits? And how close is our technology to reaching this ultimate speed limit?
Valproic Acid and Carnitine Metabolism

Plasma total, free, and acyl carnitine levels were determined in children treated with valproic acid at the Valley Children’s Hospital and University of California, San Francisco, Fresno, CA.
Mobile communication and pro sports: Motivation and fan loyalty

The main focus of the current study is on professional (pro) sport fans' loyalty development through mobile phone use. The mobile phone offers a spatiotemporal interface where sport fans present individual and collective responses to teams and players. Guided by uses and gratifications theory, the study assumes that motive types of mobile phone use for pro sports to be potential predictors of attitudinal/behavioural loyalty and sport fandom. Mobile competence and size of strong-tie networks are also taken into account as interactive components in the examination. From a national panel survey of 405 respondents, the results found that mobile phone use was classified into either instrumental or ritualistic motives. The instrumental motives predicted behavioural loyalty and sport fandom. The ritualistic motives were associated with attitudinal loyalty. Mobile competence was interactive with the instrumental motives to predict behavioural loyalty and sport fandom. Instrumental mobile phone users in a large strong-tie network had high behavioural loyalty. Implications and suggestions are discussed.
Comments on M24 representations and CY3 geometries

We show using string dualities that Mathieu moonshine controls Gromov-Witten invariants and periods of the holomorphic 3-form Ω for certain CY 3 manifolds. We also discuss how the period vectors appear in flux compactifications on these CY 3 manifolds and work out the connection between the sporadic group M24 and the Yukawa couplings in four dimensional theories that arise from heterotic string theory compactifications on these CY 3 manifolds.
Dynamical boundary control of two-dimensional Petrovsky system: vibrating rectangular plate

The mathematical model of dynamical force and moment control on the boundary of an isotropic rectangular elastic plate is formulated as an abstract evolutionary equation via the Friedrichs extension of the coupled symmetric and coercively accretive differential operator. By the approach of infinite dimensional LaSalle invariance principle combined with the spectrum analysis, it is shown in Theorem 1 that the boundary damping feedback of velocity and angular velocity can strongly stabilize the evolutionary system. Consequently in Theorem 2 it is proved that the concerned dynamical boundary control system is approximately controllable.
Cognitive-Behavioral Financial Therapy

This chapter explores the use of cognitive-behavioral theory and techniques in financial planning and financial therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy concepts, such as automatic thoughts, underlying beliefs, behavioral techniques, homework, schemas, and thought records are introduced. Research on the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy to treat gambling disorder, hoarding disorder, and compulsive buying disorder is presented.
Reactivity of a Pd(II) carbene towards 2,6-dimesitylphenyldiazomethane and 2,6-dimesitylphenylazide

Abstract The reactivity of a nucleophilic palladium carbene, [{PC(sp2)P}HPd(PMe3)] (1, [PC(sp2)P] = bis[2-(di-iso-propylphosphino)phenyl]methylene), towards 2,6-dimesitylphenyldiazomethane ((dmp)CHN2) and 2,6-dimesitylphenylazide ((dmp)N3) was explored. When treated with (dmp)CHN2, the carbene complex was fully consumed to generate a 3-coordinate Pd(0) complex [{PC( N N CH(dmp))P}HPd(PMe3)] (2), with a newly formed double bond between the backbone carbon and the terminal nitrogen of the diazo compound. Similar reactivity occurred between [{PC(sp2)P}HPd(PMe3)] and (dmp)N3 to yield [{PC( N N N(dmp))P}HPd(PMe3)] (3); in this instance, there is an interaction between the newly formed C N moiety and the Pd(0) metal center, resulting in a 4-coordinate distorted tetrahedral complex.
+50 Years of Terrestrial Hydroclimatic Variability in Africa's Transboundary Waters.

GRACE Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS) provides unique and unprecedented perspectives about freshwater availability and change globally. However, GRACE-TWS records are relatively short for long-term hydroclimatic variability studies, dating back to April 2002. In this paper, we made use of Noah Land Surface Model (LSM), and El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) data in an autoregressive model with exogenous variables (ARX) to reconstruct a 66-year record of TWS for nine major transboundary river basins (TRBs) in Africa. Model performance was evaluated using standard indicators, including the Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency criteria, cumulative density frequency, standardized residuals plots, and model uncertainty bounds. Temporally, the reconstruction results were evaluated for trend, cycles, and mode of variability against ancillary data from the WaterGAP Model (WGHM-TWS) and GPCC-based precipitation anomalies. The temporal pattern reveals good agreement between the reconstructed TWS, WGHM-TWS, and GPCC, (p-value < 0.0001). The reconstructed TWS suggests a significant declining trend across the northern and central TRBs since 1951, while the southern basins show an insignificant trend. The mode of variability analysis indicates short storage periodicity of four to sixteen-month in the northern basins, while strong intra-annual variability in the central and southern basins. The long-term TWS records provide additional support to Africa’s water resources research on hydroclimatic variability and change in shared transboundary water basins.
A model of identity development: Life-course narratives of North Korean youth resettling in South Korea.

Abstract Introduction Identity development is a convoluted process for youth experiencing traumatic interruptions in their lives. This study aimed to build a model of identity development in an understudied cultural group of trauma-exposed youth who fled North Korea and resettled in South Korea. Methods Sixteen participants (75% female, Mage = 26.63 years, Mdefection age = 16.29 years, Mdefection duration = 5.72 years) produced life-course narratives, as guided by the life-lines they drew to depict their high and low points and future trajectories. The cross-sectional qualitative data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Themes of identity, trauma, and turning points were derived and coded, and then organized sequentially to classify stages of identity development. Results The Vulnerable stage defined a sense of helplessness during an early life of deprivation in North Korea. Their identity entered the Invisible stage during their hiding in China. Upon reaching South Korea, they traversed four stages: The Renewal stage signaling a fresh outset; the Turmoil stage characterized by acculturative stress, rejection, and family disruption; the Achieved stage of relative stability; and the Self-Transcendence stage in which youth extended beyond their immediate views of self and focused on meaning and purpose across the themes of social change, reconciliation, and spirituality. Discussion The six-stage model of identity development demonstrates that North Korean youth who defect to South Korea undergo a multifaceted identity development process as they navigate adversities, interruptions, and turning points. Results suggest that traumatic experiences can spur positive identity development and provide implications for professionals working with youth affected by intense and prolonged social conflict.
Mesoproterozoic burial of the Kaapvaal craton, southern Africa during Rodinia supercontinent assembly from (U-Th)/He thermochronology

Abstract We present THe and ZHe data for basement samples across the Kaapvaal craton to investigate the cratonic burial and erosion history during the assembly and breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent. THe and ZHe dates vary from 1187 to 135 Ma and 997 to 32 Ma, respectively. Both are negatively correlated with effective U concentration, consistent with lower He retentivity at higher radiation damage dose. The oldest THe dates, combined with volcanic rocks that document the basement was at the surface at ∼1.4 Ga, require heating to ≥130 °C at ∼1.0-1.2 Ga to cause complete He loss from the titanites. We attribute this Mesoproterozoic heating event to widespread burial of the craton during Rodinia supercontinent assembly by sediments shed from the Namaqua-Natal orogen on the craton's margin. Later Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic erosion re-exhumed the basement to the surface. Spatial variability in ZHe data patterns can be explained by geologically-reasonable differences in Phanerozoic Karoo basin burial and erosion. The Mesoproterozoic and Karoo burial phases are analogous in that their detritus was derived from similarly-located orogens during two different supercontinent cycles. Mesoproterozoic deposition across the Kaapvaal craton may be part of a more global signal of burial and erosion during Rodinia assembly and breakup. Our dataset illustrates the power of THe and ZHe thermochronology for detecting missing Proterozoic depositional events in the rock record.
The Principal, the Agent, and the Culture: Potential Impacts of Culture on Financing Contracts

Entrepreneurs are vital for the success of any country, especially that of emerging and newly emerging economies. In this article, we look at how financial information sharing by entrepreneurs impa...
Nanoscale flaw tolerance behaviour of polycrystalline tetragonal zirconia nanopillars

Abstract Flaw tolerance behaviour of polycrystalline tetragonal zirconia nanopillars under compression is investigated by completing a series of large-scale atomistic simulations. Our simulation results show that the observed tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation in zirconia does not necessarily nucleate around a pre-existing defect. A competing mechanism between grain boundary (GB)-induced and void-induced phase transformation is revealed. This work is the first direct atomistic simulation of flaw tolerance behavior in shape memory ceramics that offers a pseudo Griffith relationship between the strength, void size, and average grain size. The key finding is that the mechanical properties, particularly the strength, can become insensitive to a pre-existing defect in certain conditions depending on the average grain size and defect size. The obtained results provide new insight into the deformation mechanisms of defective polycrystalline tetragonal zirconia nanopillars.
Graphitic nanopetals and their applications in electrochemical energy storage and biosensing

Crystalline graphitic nanopetals (GPs), containing a few layers of graphene that grow roughly perpendicularly to a substrate, have attracted much attention in energy storage and sensing applications because of the unique advantages such as large surface area, ultrasharp and exposed edges, fast electron transfer kinetics, and outstanding mechanical, chemical, and electrochemical properties. GPs can be deposited on various substrates using a wide range of precursors (e.g., solids, liquids, or gases) by a catalyst-free plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. This review provides insights into the growth mechanisms of GPs and their unique properties, and summarizes the latest development of GP-based functional devices for many applications such as electrochemical energy storage and biosensing. Finally, challenges and perspectives for future work are also discussed in this article to fully exploit the potential of the unique graphene material. This review will encourage the applications of GPs in diverse fields and inspire new studies on the exploration of other unique two-dimensional nanostructures.
Chapter 9 – Summary and Future Outlook

Joining of the high-strength aluminum alloys via solid-state friction stir welding (FSW) has been exceedingly successful. An overall summary of the book and probable future directions are discussed briefly in this chapter.
A meta-analysis of cocaine use disorder treatment effectiveness

Background: In both the U.S. and U.K., after a period of decline, prevalence of cocaine use has been increasing since 2012 and is now the second leading cause of overdose death from an illicit drug. However, psychosocial treatments for cocaine use disorders are limited, and no pharmacotherapy is approved by regulatory bodies in the U.S. or Europe. We performed a comprehensive meta-analysis to assess treatments impacts on cocaine use. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of clinical trials that included the word "cocaine" in the title and were published between 31/12/1995 and 31/12/2017. All studies of outpatient adults with active cocaine use and reporting urinalysis results were included. Treatment approaches were clustered into 11 categories. Missing data were imputed using multiple imputation by chained equations. We calculated intention-to-treat log-odds ratios (OR) for the change in proportion of patients testing negative for cocaine at the end of each study and performed multivariate mixed-effects meta-regression. This study was prospectively registered on covidence.org on 31/12/2015, study 8731. Findings: One hundred fifty-seven studies with 15,842 participants were included. Only contingency management was significantly associated with increased odds of testing negative for cocaine (OR of 2.13, 95% CI 1.62-2.80) and remained significant after all sensitivity analyses. Interpretation: This meta-analysis is unique in its broad inclusivity of treatment types and trial designs over a two-decade period of investigation. Our results converge with focused meta-analyses on treatments for cocaine use disorders; thus, research efforts and policy changes that expanded implementation of contingency management programs are expected to reduce cocaine use in active users and the associated individual, community, and societal burdens associated.
Challenges in BCOM: Student and Faculty Perceptions on English as an Additional Language:

Business remains a popular major for international students in the United States. Little is known, however, about how these students fare in business communication (BCOM) classes. This qualitative ...
Composing CPs: Evidence from disjunction and conjunction

In this paper we compare CP disjunction to TP disjunction and CP conjunction to TP conjunction, and conclude that CPs and TPs do not have identical meanings (cf. similar observations reported in Szabolcsi 1997 , 2016 ; Bjorkman 2013 ). We argue that this result is incompatible with the view that the CP layer of embedded clauses is semantically vacuous. We propose that the differences between CPs and TPs can be explained under a particular implementation of Kratzer's approach to the semantics of clausal embedding ( Kratzer 2006 , 2016 ; Bogal-Allbritten 2016 , 2017 ; Moulton 2009 , 2015 ; Elliott 2017 ), according to which CPs denote predicates of events whose content equals the embedded proposition.
Racial and ethnic differences in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma survival among an underserved, urban population

Racial/ethnic differences in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) survival have focused on non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) and non-Hispanic Blacks (NHB), often excluding Hispanics/Latinos. To further as...
Contemporary Management and Natural History of Aberrant Right Subclavian Artery.

ABSTRACT Objective Aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) is the most common congenital anomaly of the aortic arch. There is a paucity of literature regarding the management of these patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate contemporary management strategies and natural history of ARSA in these patients. Methods A single-center retrospective review of patients diagnosed with ARSA from 2009 to 2019 was performed. CT imaging was analyzed and aortic and ARSA diameters were measured at 10-different segments. Demographic data, comorbidities, and operative interventions were collected. Patients were categorized into those that were intervened upon, and those that were managed expectantly. Linear mixed effect models were used to estimate annual ARSA diameter changes. Results Thirty patients with ARSA were identified. Seventeen (57%) were female. Average age for the cohort was 54.5 ± 14.6 years. Twenty patients (67%) underwent operative repair at the time of presentation and 10 patients (33%) were initially observed. The most common presenting symptom was dysphagia (30%). Four of the 10 patients, which were initially managed expectantly, subsequently required intervention. Thirteen (13/24, 54%) of the operative interventions performed were hybrid procedures involving right carotid-subclavian bypass or transposition and thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). Mean diameter of ARSA at its origin was 20.4 ± 5.7 mm and the mean cross-sectional aortic diameter at the level of ARSA was 31.8 ± 8.5mm for the entire cohort. In patients that were initially observed and subsequently required intervention, the largest change in ARSA cross-sectional diameter was observed 1-cm distal to vessel ostium at a rate of 3.05 mm per year (95% CI [1.54-4.56], p = 0.05). Conclusion The decision to intervene on an ARSA should be individualized based on presence of symptoms (e.g., dysphagia lusoria) or complications (dissection, concomitant aortic aneurysmal disease, or enlarging Kommerell diverticulum). Asymptomatic patients with non-aneurysmal ARSA may not require any intervention and maybe safely observed. Measurement of cross-sectional ARSA diameter 1-cm distal to the ostium of the vessel might aid in surveillance of vessel diameter changes. Additional studies are needed to determine specific size criteria as an indication for operative repair of asymptomatic KD.
Retroviruses: Nature’s Genetic Engineers

I am going to describe a family of viruses that have an incredible ability to alter themselves and to alter organisms. These viruses are called retroviruses because of their ability to go back and forth between the external world and the chromosome, i.e., ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the external world and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) inside the cell. Furthermore, these viruses use error-prone processes, and so they have evolved into many different forms and varieties and have helped to shape the nature of eukaryotic genomes. Viruses are shaped by the forces of evolution, not by history. Viruses affect humans in ways shaped by human behavior, which is reflected in history as epidemics [1]. As emphasized by Eigen (this volume), viruses exist as populations or swarms with each individual unique [2]. However, this description also applies to most populations of organisms, including the human population.
Effects of maternal hypoxia on fetal cardiovascular hemodynamics

Abstract The effects of hypoxia on fetal cardiovascular hemodynamics were monitored in 24 near-term pregnant ewes and their fetal lambs. In one group of animals, effects of hypoxia on fetal effective cardiac output (ductus + aortic flows) were studied; in another group, the effects of hypoxia on pulmonary hemodynamics were investigated. Mild or early hypoxia produces a fall in fetal cardiac output largely because of a decrease in ascending aortic flow; ductus arteriosus flow may increase slightly or remain unchanged. During severe or prolonged hypoxia, the fetal effective cardiac output decreases more because of a fall in both the ductus and ascending aortic flows. The fetal systemic vascular resistance increases during hypoxia. Both severe and moderate hypoxia decrease net pulmonary blood flow (main pulmonary artery-ductus flows) and strikingly increase fetal pulmonary vascular resistance. The right and left ventricular output falls during hypoxia. A new approach for defining maternal and fetal hypoxia has been devised which, in our view, provides a more realistic way of correlating oxygen tension of the blood with cardiovascular changes.
Management of Mental Disorders

We are placing information about patient management at this point so the student has the information to apply towards care of individuals with different disorders.
Abstract 333: Poloxamer 188 Prevents the Impairment in Mitochondrial Respiration Induced by ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Introduction: Poloxamer 188 (P188) is a nonionic copolymer shown to protect neurons, skeletal muscle, and potentially cardiac muscle from ischemia/reperfusion injury. P188 is proposed to seal stress-induced gaps in cell membranes, but its mechanism remains unproven. We hypothesized that P188 would improve mitochondrial function after ischemia and reperfusion in a porcine model of ST segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). Methods: Occlusion of the second obtuse marginal artery was performed in 12 pigs using an intracoronary balloon catheter. Animals were randomized to P188 or Control. After 45 minutes of ischemia, the balloon was removed. The P188 group received an intra-coronary bolus of P188 (250 mg/kg) into the left main coronary artery followed by a continuous intravenous P188 infusion (500 mg/kg) over 4 hours. Controls received equivalent volumes of normal saline. After 4 hours of reperfusion, heart tissue was harvested from the infarct zone and the non-ischemic anterior wall. Mitochondria w...
Diffused resistor mismatch modeling and characterization

This paper presents a novel, physically based model and method for the characterization of diffused resistor mismatch. It is shown that the mismatch does not follow the 1/(/spl radic/(LW)) dependence as reported in other publications. We also demonstrate that there is an optimum sheet resistance for resistor mismatch as determined by a trade-off between the ion implant dose concentration and the junction depth mismatch.
Comparison of timing recovery schemes for optical storage systems

Timing recovery (also called bit synchronization) is indispensable for the signal processing in recording systems. As readback signals always suffer from unknown time-varying delays due to mechanical disturbances, timing recovery is needed to keep track of those delays and provide correct time instants for sampling and bit detection. Timing recovery is usually implemented with a phase-locked loop containing a timing error detector (TED), a loop filter and a voltage control oscillator (VCO). Three timing schemes can be seen in data storage channels. Among them, binary logic method dominates optical storage systems such as CD-ROM and DVD-ROM. It is comparatively simple, but degrades in high intersymbol interference (ISI) situations.
Nutrition and metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fifth most common human cancer worldwide, with an overall 5-year survival in the range of 10%. In addition to the very substantial role of chronic viral hepatitis in causing hepatocellular carcinoma, nutritional status and specific nutritional factors appear to influence disease risk. This is apparent in the increased risk associated with non-alcoholic hepatic cirrhosis occurring in the context of obesity, the metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Specific nutrients and ingested toxins, including ethanol, aflatoxin, microcystins, iron, and possibly components of red meat, also are associated with increased hepatocellular carcinoma risk. Other dietary components, including omega-3 fatty acids and branched chain amino acids, may have protective effects. Recent data further suggest that several metabolic regulatory drugs, including metformin, pioglitazone, and statins, may have the potential to decrease the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. The available data on these nutritional and metabolic factors in causing hepatocellular carcinoma are reviewed with the goal of identifying the strength of current knowledge and directions for future investigation.
Blood, lust and love: Interrogating gender violence in the Twilight phenomenon

This paper interrogates the construction of gender relations in the Twilight books and films, vis-a-vis issues of implicit and overt gender violence. A combination of ideological analysis, semiology, and feminist critique is used to examine the verbal and visual codes at work in these texts. Five dominant themes emerge: (1) the representation of violence as an inherent characteristic of masculinity; (2) the portrayal of male violence as a justifiable by-product of heterosexual relationships; (3) the definition of masculinity in terms of a dualism wherein “good” boys repudiate their own “instinctive” predilection for violence and “bad” boys allow it to go unchecked; (4) the continual imperilment of girls in situations from which they are rescued by boys; and (5) the assertion of control by boys over girls' crucial life decisions. I conclude that Twilight works ideologically and visually to coax audiences to expect boys to be violent and girls to be compliant in regard to violence in the context of heterose...
Tris(pentafluorophenyl)alane

[168704-96-9] C18F15Al (MW 528.16) InChI = 1S/3C6F5.Al/c3*7-2-1-3(8)5(10)6(11)4(2)9; InChIKey = POHPFVPVRKJHCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N (strong organo Lewis acid used as catalyst or cocatalyst for abstractions of alkyl, alkoxide, and halide ligands; for additions, CH activation, and formation of adducts with Lewis bases; and for polymerization catalysis) Alternate Name: aluminum, tris (2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenyl)-. Physical Data: mp 173–175 °C for Et2O·Al(C6F5)31 or 197 °C for THF·Al(C6F5)3.2 Solubility: soluble in benzene or toluene (with formation of weak Lewis acid–base (solvent) adducts) and polar donor solvents (with formation of strong Lewis acid–base (solvent) adducts); also soluble in polar weakly or none coordinating halogenated solvents, but avoiding CH2Cl2 (with decomposition). Form Supplied in: white solid in the form of (toluene)·Al(C6F5)3 (crystallized)3 or (toluene)0.5·Al(C6F5)3 (vacuum dried).4 Preparative Methods and Purification: Al(C6F5)3 as a toluene or (toluene)0.5 adduct or in its unsolvated form can be readily prepared from the aryl-B/alkyl-Al ligand exchange reaction5 between B(C6F5)3 and AlMe3 or AlEt3 (for the preparation of the unsolvated form in hexanes) in hydrocarbon solvents.6 Any excess amount of AlR3 must be avoided as AlR3 undergoes rapid alkyl/aryl ligand exchange with Al(C6F5)3 to produce various dimeric aluminum species, depending on the ratio of these two reagents.5 Al(C6F5)3 can be purified by crystallization from a 1/3 solvent mixture of toluene and hexanes. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: extra caution should be exercised when handing this compound, especially the unsolvated form (due to its thermal and shock sensitivity)! An explosion was reported in an attempt to sublime the crude etherate prepared from the reaction of AlCl3 and 3 equiv of C6F5MgBr in ether or in an attempt to prepare the unsolvated Al(C6F5)3 by heating a mixture of B(C6F5)3 and AlEt3 to 70 °C.1 Store the solid alane under inert (argon or nitrogen) atmosphere in a glove box and its solutions in a refrigerator inside the glove box.
Model-based principal component techniques for detection of buried landmines in multiframe synthetic aperture radar images

Here we consider the use of model-based methods for the detection of buried objects from a sequence of synthetic aperture images obtained by a radar sensor moving linearly down a track. The scattering physics of the underlying sensing modality cause the relevant target signatures to change in a complex yet predictable manner from one image to the next. To arrive at a tractable processing scheme that exploits these motion-induced changes, we develop a flexible parametric model capable of capturing the full variation of these signatures. A detection scheme based on a principal components analysis of estimated model vectors is then derived. Results are demonstrated using field data from a forward-looking sensor.
Coding for noisy feasible channels

Summary form only given. The author proves a constructive version of Shannon's fundamental theorem of information theory. The new theorem holds for any feasible channel. A channel is feasible provided it is computable by a polynomial time computation.
Best-so-far vs. where-you-are: implications for optimal finite-time annealing

Abstract The simulated annealing (SA) algorithm is widely used for heuristic global optimization due to its high-quality results and its ability, in theory, to yield optimal solutions with probability one. Standard SA implementations use monotone decreasing, or ‘cooling’ temperature schedules that are motivated by the algorithm's proof of optimality as well as by an analogy with statistical thermodynamics. In this paper, we challenge this motivation. The theoretical framework under which monotone cooling schedules are ‘optimal’ fails to capture the practical performance of the algorithm; we therefore propose a ‘best-so-far⌉ (BSF) criterion that measures the practical utility of a given annealing schedule. For small instances of two classic combinatorial problems, we determine annealing schedules that are optimal in terms of expected cost of the output solution. When the goal is to optimized the cost of the last solution seen by the algorithm (the ‘where-you-are⌉ (WYA) criterion used in previous theoretical analyses), we confirm the traditional wisdom of cooling temperature schedules. However, if the goal is to optimize the cost of the best solution seen over the entire algorithm execution (i.e., the BSF criterion), we give evidence that optimal schedules do not decrease monotonically toward zero, and are in fact periodic or warming . These results open up many interesting research issues, including the BSF analysis of simulated annealing and how to best apply hill-climbing to difficult global optimizations.
The Plasma-Side Wall Interactions During Femtosecond Laser Drilling of High-Aspect-Ratio Microholes

The drilling of high-aspect-ratio microholes has very important applications in automotive, aerospace, electronics and other areas. However, this is difficult to realize with conventional mechanical machining or electrical discharge machining approaches. Femtosecond laser ablation can potentially provide a good solution to this, but it also involves many technical difficulties. One of these is that the laser-induced plasma, as it expands out of the microhole, may transfer its energy to the side wall of the hole, which may affect the hole size and geometry. In this paper, the plasma – side wall interaction has been studied using a physics-based model, and the discovered characteristics of the interaction are discussed.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Nucleation of calcium oxalate monohydrate: use of turbidity measurements and computer-assisted simulations in characterizing early events in crystal formation☆

Abstract To examine the nucleation of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystallization, we have determined the time interval from initial formation of a supersaturated COM solution to the first appearance of turbidity or crystals. The turbidity measurements were conducted with the unaided eye, whereas crystal formation was analyzed using an inverted and an image analysis system. The lag time kinetics were compared with previous nucleation studies using computer simulations with the Gibbs-Thomson nucleation equation and the parabolic growth rate law. The nucleation behavior can be described as homogeneous or heterogeneous depending on the range of initial relative supersaturation. The calculated interfacial energies for homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation agreed rather well with earlier investigations. Moreover, this investigation provided the opportunity to verify the utility of our particle size distribution program for simulating precipitating systems, and the experimentally determined surface energy was obtained from simulations of the nucleation kinetics.
Update on bullying at school: Science forgotten?

Abstract Research on bullying has increased dramatically worldwide, from only 62 citations in PsycINFO from 1900–1990, to 289 in the 1990s, to 562 from 2000–2004. Much has been learned, including that bullying takes many forms (physical, verbal, relational), is prevalent in every school, with long-lasting consequences. It is not known how genes, parents, peers, cultural values, and school practices interact to affect bullying and victimization nor why some schools fail to reduce the harm. This paper reviews past findings on school bullying, notes a slowing of publication, reminds readers of the need for the scientific process, and highlights the reasons for additional research, especially in data collection, evaluation, developmental understanding, and prevention.
Siegel zeros and the Goldbach problem

Abstract It is generally known that under the generalized Riemann hypothesis one could establish the Goldbach conjecture by the circle method provided one could obtain a certain estimate for the integral of the representation function over the minor arcs. Here it is first shown that the generalized Riemann hypothesis in the above statement can be weakened to the assumption that Siegel zeros do not exist. The case when Siegel zeros do exist is then considered.
FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE SOIL SEED BANK SIZE OF TWO OBLIGATE SEEDING CEANOTHUS SPECIES IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

ABSTRACT In fire-prone vegetation, non-sprouting, obligate-seeding species depend on a persistent seed bank to reestablish post-fire populations. Thus, for such seeds, seed development and survival in the soil are critical life history stages. The objectives of our study were to examine the structure and composition of Ceanothus seed banks, analyze the viability of seeds in the soil, and determine rates of predation before and after seed dispersal. This study focused on populations of Ceanothus jepsonii var. albiflorus (J. Howell), which is restricted to serpentine soils. We also included data on Ceanothus cuneatus (Hook.) Nutt., a widespread, non-restricted species, for comparison. We found that the seed bank of C. jepsonii loses seeds due to destruction or removal at several stages of development. Pre-dispersal seed predators attacked 37% of inflorescences included in experimentation and up to 50% of shrubs from which fruits were collected, post-dispersal predators removed over 70% of seeds in the litte...
Analyzing the New York Global History and Geography Exam

Education Week's report "Quality Counts" judges New York State's curriculum and assessment policy efforts to be an "A." Surface-level reviews such as "Quality Counts" tell something about the workings of state policy, but they are more useful as snapshots than as well-developed portraits of curriculum and assessment change. In this article, I analyze the new New York State Global History and Geography standards and tests using a set of social studies-specific criteria which inquire deeply into the implications for real instructional change. From that vantage, I argue that New York's policy efforts, while seemingly well-intentioned and reflective of surface-level change, fail to promote powerful teaching and learning in social studies. Teachers intent on producing ambitious teaching and learning will find little to interfere with their efforts. But as a set of reforms intended to encourage substantive change, the new global history test falls short.
Removal of an amalgam tattoo using a subepithelial connective tissue graft and laser deepithelialization.

Background: A 56-year-old female presented for periodontal treatment with a large amalgam tattoo located in alveolar mucosa on the facial aspect of her maxillary central incisors. The lesion had been present for 42 years since having endodontic surgery at teeth #8 and #9 after a traumatic childhood incident.Methods: A two-stage surgical approach was used to eliminate the lesion, beginning with a subepithelial connective tissue graft to increase tissue thickness subjacent to the amalgam tattoo. After 6 weeks of healing, the overlying pigmented tissue was removed using laser surgery to expose the underlying grafted connective tissue.Results: After 2 months of healing following laser surgery, the amalgam pigmentation was completely removed, with good color match and an increased width of keratinized tissue at the surgical site.Conclusion: A relatively large amalgam tattoo in the esthetic zone can be adequately removed by a two-stage procedure using grafted palatal connective tissue and laser deepithelialization.
Pediatric cardiovascular intensive care: Arrhythmia management

Abstract Cardiac arrhythmias in children in the pediatric cardiovascular intensive care unit are a function of the interaction between the intrinsic disease, complications of successful palliation and treatment, and the moment-to-moment homeostatic state of the patient (autonomic tone, electrolyte balance, hemodynamic status, therapeutic agents). Knowledge regarding all three factors are critical for the successful management of arrhythmias in patients in the pediatric cardiovascular intensive care unit. Continuous electrocardiographic monitoring with an archival system is essential for instantaneous and accurate detection of potentially life-threatening tachy and bradyarrhythmias. Intensivists, cardiologists and intensive care nursing personnel must constantly process data that lead to rapid diagnosis and definitive management of an abnormal cardiac rhythm in these highly vulnerable children.
Engaged scholarship: a guide for organizational and social research

Engaged scholarship: a guide for organizational and social research, by A.H. Van de Ven, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2007, 352 pp., £18.99/US$35.00 (paperback), ISBN-10: 019922630X, ISBN-13: 9...
Preparation and properties of boron-doped silicon films grown at low temperature by chemical vapor deposition

Abstract Silicon films were deposited in the temperature region 300°–550°C using diborane as a catalyst. The B/Si gas stream ratio was varied from 2x10 −3 to 2.4x10 −2 . Electron diffraction, electron microscopy, infrared absorption and resistivity studies were made on the films. The film structure was primarily determined by the deposition temperature; below 500°C all films were amorphous. The amorphous to crystalline transition was near 525°C. All the 550°C films were crystalline with preferred orientation. All of the amorphous films had resistivities too high to be measurable on oxide substrates. However, the resistivity dropped rapidly with the onset of crystallinity and preferred orientation. The resistivities of films grown at 550°C show that the conductivity increases with an increase in the B /Si gas stream ratio until saturation sets in at about 6x10 −3 All of the amorphous films showed no infrared absorption. However, the crystalline films had extremely poor infrared properties. This could be due to scattering, grain boundary and particulate, and free carrier absorption. This absorption increases with increasing B /Si gas stream ratio.
Structural Basis for Effector Control and Redox Partner Recognition in Cytochrome P450

Cytochromes P450 catalyze a variety of monooxygenase reactions that require electron transfer from redox partners. Although the structure of many P450s and a small handful of redox partners are known, there is very little structural information available on redox complexes, thus leaving a gap in our understanding on the control of P450-redox partner interactions. We have solved the crystal structure of oxidized and reduced P450cam complexed with its redox partner, putidaredoxin (Pdx), to 2.2 and 2.09 angstroms, respectively. It was anticipated that Pdx would favor closed substrate-bound P450cam, which differs substantially from the open conformer, but instead we found that Pdx favors the open state. These new structures indicate that the effector role of Pdx is to shift P450cam toward the open conformation, which enables the establishment of a water-mediated H-bonded network, which is required for proton-coupled electron transfer.