cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fluoride-ion solvation in non-aqueous electrolyte solutions

Understanding the factors that influence ion-solvent properties for the fluoride ion in organic solvents is key to the development of useful liquid electrolytes for fluoride-ion batteries. Using both experimental and computational methods, we examined a range of chemical and electrochemical properties for a set of organic solvents in combination with dry N,N,N-trimethylneopentylammonium fluoride (Np1F) salt. Results showed that solvent electronic structure strongly influences Np1F dissolution, and the pKa of solvent protons provides a good guide to potential F− reactivity. We found a number of organic solvents capable of dissolving Np1F while providing chemically-stable F− in solution and characterized three of them in detail: propionitrile (PN), 2,6-difluoropyridine (2,6-DFP), and bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) ether (BTFE). Arrhenius analysis for Np1F/PN, Np1F/DFP, and Np1F/BTFE electrolytes suggests that DFP facilitates the highest F− ion mobility of the three neat solvents. Electrolyte mixtures of BTFE and amide co-solvents exhibit higher ionic conductivity than the neat solvents. This improved ionic conductivity is attributed to the ability of BTFE:co-solvent mixtures to partition between Np1+ and F− ion-aggregates, promoting better ion dissociation.
How Behavioral Economics and Nudges Could Help Diminish Irrationality in Suicide-Related Decisions:

People regularly make decisions that are not aligned with their own self-interests. These irrational decisions often stem from humans having bounded rationality (e.g., limited computational power), which produces reliable cognitive biases that occur outside of people's awareness and influences the decisions people make. There are many important decisions leading up to a suicide attempt, and it is likely that these same biases exist within suicide-related decisions. This article presents an argument for the likely existence of cognitive biases within suicide-related decision making and how they may influence people to make irrational decisions. In addition, this article provides new evidence for using a behavioral economic intervention-nudges-as a potential way to combat rising suicide rates. We explore how nudges can help increase means safety, disseminate suicide prevention skills/materials, diminish well-known biases (e.g., confirmation bias), and uncover biases that may be occurring when making suicide-related decisions.
5 – Voting Power

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses voting power, which is the most suggestive concept in the vocabulary of political scientists. It is also one of the most intractable concepts, bristling with apparently contradictory meanings and implications. For example, one implication of most definitions of power is that the greater the proportion of resources that an actor controls, the greater is his or her power. The resources that an actor possesses are chimerical in achieving better outcomes. A chair in a voting body who presumably can cast a tie-breaking vote in addition to a regular vote may be at a disadvantage vis-a-vis the regular members when the preference rankings of outcomes by the members all differ. This phenomenon is called the paradox of the chair's position. The chapter explores possible ways by which a chair may circumvent this paradox either through deception or under different voting rules.
Physics as a Form of Life

In the Crisis of the European Sciences Husserl raised a fascinating question, namely (broadly paraphrasing), why is it that the axioms of mathematical physics are not self-evident despite the evidence and clarity that is gained through the deductive processes that flow from them? In this chapter, I hope to illuminate Husserl’s foundational question by pursuing the idea that physics is a form of life. This idea should not be taken in a naive metaphorical sense but quite literally. The meaning of life must not be restricted to a biological definition but should be construed broadly as a manifold phenomenon appearing in historical contexts and linguistic frameworks. I will argue that nature manifests certain of her aspects to us, but that in her totality (including ourselves as observers of nature), crucially, she resists our insight. This being hidden of the totality nature, or her desire or necessity to hide herself, explains why the axioms of mathematical physics must appear to our intuition as obscure, according as Husserl noted. It is because they point us to nature as a totality, or put in another way, because nature cannot know herself in her totality. A phenomenologically oriented physics is grounded in diverse mathematical styles that evolve in history and are ultimately rooted in natural languages and in the life-worlds of the physicists. From this phenomenological viewpoint physics is not concerned with truth in the sense of a psychophysical parallelism (the conformity of mind and reality). Indeed, axioms cannot be true in this psychophysical sense given their unintelligibility and unobservability. Rather physics is a form of life coming to be in history and language.
Sanctuary Health Care

Eleven million undocumented immigrants in the United States, including children, face barriers to health. By practicing 4 elements of sanctuary health care, clinicians and organizations can help.
Evaluation of the skin-sensitizing potential of gold nanoparticles and the impact of established dermal sensitivity on the pulmonary immune response to various forms of gold.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) are largely biocompatible; however, many studies have demonstrated their potential to modulate various immune cell functions. The potential allergenicity of AuNP remains u...
Reliability of Differential Item Functioning in Alcohol Use Disorder: Bayesian Meta-Analysis of Criteria Discrimination Estimates.

Numerous studies leverage item response theory (IRT) methods to examine measurement characteristics of alcohol use disorder (AUD) diagnostic criteria. Less work has examined the consistency of AUD ...
'Diversity, transformative knowledge, and civic education: selected essays': by James Albert Banks, New York & London, Routledge, 2020, 221 pp., US $39.96 (paperback), ISBN 9780367863197

In the 21st century, the ideals and practices of liberal democracies face challenges and discreditation in tandem with the rise of authoritarianism and questioning of what constitutes a national id...
Cerebral Venous Thrombosis.

Cerebral Venous Thrombosis Cerebral venous thrombosis is characterized by infarction with focal neurologic deficits and increased intracranial pressure. As a very rare complication of some vaccines...
Fine feature retention of magnetic resonance images using intensity inhomogeneity weighted non-local filtering

Electronic noise in the presence of intensity inhomogeneity severely inhibits the robustness of many traditional filtering algorithms. We propose an adaptive filter that utilises the intensity inhomogeneity bias field often observed in magnetic resonance imaging as a map for directing the magnitude of smoothing. This adaptive filter allows for controlled filtering of images where high signal-to-noise (SNR) regions are smoothed less, while low SNR regions are smoothed more intensely. We validated our method with a phantom and MRIs of the lumbar spine. Results showed that the proposed algorithm improved filtering of noise in the presence of intensity inhomogeneity.
Preservation of Foods and Drugs Ionizing Radiations

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the preservation of foods and drugs by ionizing radiations. Radiation does not impart some miraculous self-sterilizing property to foods; therefore, treated foods must be protected against recontamination. Irradiation preservation offers a new and different process to the food and drug industry. The production of irradiation odors and flavors is probably the major obstacle to its use in some meat products. Research leads to methods of preventing or masking them. Radiation does not replace the conventional methods of thermal processing, freezing, and drying but supplements them in restricted areas, depending upon many parameters. Sterilizations of sutures, heat-sensitive medicinal, and army field rations are examples of special applications that are now in use. It appears unlikely that irradiation costs can compete with current methods where the conventional product is satisfactory.
Structure-activity relationships in immunochemistry--V. The interaction of phenylsuccinamates and pyridine haptens with anti-3-azopyridine antibody.

Abstract Substituent constants and regression analysis have been used to formulate structure-activity relationships for the interaction of two groups of haptens (phenylsuccinamates and pyridines) with anli-3-azopyridine antibodies. The strength of the interactions of both types of haptens is primarily governed by dispersion forces of the substituents as modeled by molar refractivity. The most important conclusion is that the binding sites of the antibody do not appear to be typically hydrophobic in so far as this can he assessed by the parameter π which suggests that the binding sites are composed of hydrophilic ami no acid residues rather than hydrophobic. This result confirms a similar earlier finding for benzoates acting as haptens.
Breaking out of the biomed box: an audit assessment and recommendations for an in-house biomedical engineering program.

Abstract In order to assess the current performance and to identify future growth opportunities of an in-house biomedical engineering (BME) program, senior management of Lehigh Valley Hospital (Allentown, Penn) engaged (in July 2001) the services of a clinical engineering consultant. Although the current in-house program was both functionally and financially sound, an independent audit had not been performed in over 4 years, and there were growing concerns by the BME staff related to the department's future leadership and long-term support from senior management. After an initial 2-month audit of the existing program, the consultant presented 41 separate recommendations for management's consideration. In order to refine and implement these recommendations, 5 separate committees were established to further evaluate a consolidated version of them, with the consultant acting as the facilitator for each group. Outcomes from each of the committees were used in the development of a formal business plan, which, ...
Shifting balance of thermokarst lake ice regimes across the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska

[1] The balance of thermokarst lakes with bedfast- and floating-ice regimes across Arctic lowlands regulates heat storage, permafrost thaw, winter-water supply, and over-wintering aquatic habitat. Using a time-series of late-winter synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery to distinguish lake ice regimes in two regions of the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska from 2003–2011, we found that 18% of the lakes had intermittent ice regimes, varying between bedfast-ice and floating-ice conditions. Comparing this dataset with a radar-based lake classification from 1980 showed that 16% of the bedfast-ice lakes had shifted to floating-ice regimes. A simulated lake ice thinning trend of 1.5 cm/yr since 1978 is believed to be the primary factor driving this form of lake change. The most profound impacts of this regime shift in Arctic lakes may be an increase in the landscape-scale thermal offset created by additional lake heat storage and its role in talik development in otherwise continuous permafrost as well as increases in over-winter aquatic habitat and winter-water supply.
Recognition enhancement by linear tournament verification

The recent significant enhancement of OCR systems recognition rates has been driven mainly by combining different feature sets or by adopting a voting scheme using multiple independent algorithms. Voting is effective but computationally expensive. A general framework for economical enhancement of recognition rate that focuses on a critical reordering of a few top candidates is described. After the execution of the base OCR algorithm (a three-layer neural network), a linear tournament verification is executed using one-to-one small network verifiers to improve the ordering of the top candidates. Thirty-four one-to-one verifiers were developed for the uppercase English alphabet. Fourteen of these use special features; however, the rest use the same features as those in the base algorithm. On the NIST uppercase data set, the recognition rate for the new system is 95.8%, showing a 1.2% improvement over the system without verification. Although the improvement is modest, the costs in both efficiency and development effort are small. >
The Principles of Freedom and Government Intervention in American Economic Expansion

The laissez-faire theory in its various European forms is not as simple or clearcut as it is sometimes presented. Nor is it merely the converse of another theory equally complex but which is often taken simply as one of organization and complete state intervention. From the Physiocrats on, the exponents of the theory of laissez-faire, or freedom of industry, set themselves the task not only of freeing the economy and the individual, but also of directing and nurturing activity designed to improve the economy. This aim took the form of the advocacy of a wide variety of social and state actions; for example, the promotion of a stable currency, science and invention, education of the labor force, humanitarian reforms, especially in penology, and cultural, ideological, and even aesthetic advances. In short, the issue of individualism often became the broader issue of civilization.
Assessment of the acute cardiotoxic potential of sodium nitroprusside infusions in beagle dogs.

Abstract Fourteen unanesthetized dogs were infused with nitroprusside for 30 min (10 or 100 μg/kg/min), 3 hr (25 μg/kg/min), or 6 hr (12.5 or 25.0 μg/kg/min) on two consecutive days. Two animals died following the high-dose 6-hr infusion. Minimal left papillary muscle necrosis was detected in one of the four hearts taken from the dogs infused with 12.5 μg/kg/min for 6 hr. In four anesthetized dogs the 12.5- and 25.0-μg/kg/min doses depressed blood pressure by an average of 20–27% and 45–48%, respectively. Both doses increased heart rate approximately 20%. The effect of 60-min nitroprusside infusion of 3.5–28.0 μg/kg/min on a variety of cardiovascular functions was assessed in 10 dogs. The most consistently observed changes were a dose-related decrease in blood pressure (19–50%) and an increase in coronary blood flow (30–300%). In spite of the hypotensive response, only minor changes in heart rate, cardiac output, and ventricular force of contraction occurred. The results indicate that the secondary cardiovascular actions of nitroprusside are not as prominent as with other vasodilators. Consequently nitroprusside appears to possess less acute cardiotoxic potential than other agents such as minoxidil, diazoxide, or hydralazine.
Modular Lattice for C0-Operators

We prove modularity of the lattice Lat (T) of closed invariant subspaces for a C 0-operator T with property (P).
Monocularly and binocularly evoked visual responses to patterned half-field stimulation ☆

Visual evoked responses to half-field stimulation were recorded in 18 normal subjects to determine the most suitable techniques for use in detecting hemianopic deficits. The most consistent results were obtained by recording from a transverse array of electrodes using the midfrontal region as reference and stimulating with a reversing checkerboard pattern, each check subtending 50 min of visual angle. Responses recorded from electrodes ipsilateral to the half-field stimulated consisted of an N70, P105, N165 complex. Responses from contralateral electrodes demonstrated the presence of an N100 which divided the P105 seen ipsilaterally into a P85 and a P120. The contralateral predominance of the N100 was further documented by plotting the ratio of the N100 to the immediately preceding P wave. Consideration of the ipsilateral P105 and the contralateral N100 together was found to be more reliable in detecting lateralization of the visual evoked potential than either wave alone. Crossed and uncrossed pathways made equal contributions to the visual evoked potential produced by half-field stimulation. Good correspondence was found between algebraic summation of homonymous monocular hemifield responses when compared to binocular hemifield stimulation. This finding supports the use of binocular hemifield stimulation for the detection of subtle congruous homonymous field defects.
Elemental toxicity effects on germination and growth of pearl millet seedlings 1

Abstract Variability in millet stands in West Africa is clearly visible as early as three weeks after planting. The objectives of this study were to determine the influence of pH and chemical toxicities on millet germination and seedling growth and to compare varietal tolerance of toxic conditions. A nutrient solution study was carried out with a series of Hoagland‐based nutrient solutions. Germination percentage was calculated, and root and shoot lengths were measured for one week. Critical values were determined for toxic elements. The only treatment which reduced germination percentage significantly was copper (Cu) concentrations >0.05M. Solution pH values between 5 and 7 resulted in the best root growth, though shoot growth was unaffected by pH. The roots were more sensitive than the shoots to several [aluminum (Al), boron (B), zinc (Zn)] of the elemental toxicities studied. Soil Al and manganese (Mn) levels may be high enough to have toxic effects on millet roots. However, natural soil iron (Fe), Cu,...
Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy: Effects of Learning Curve on Surgical Outcomes

Abstract Our objective was to determine the effect of an experienced laparoscopic surgeon’s learning curve with laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) on patient outcome and graft function. Materials and Methods Retrospective review of the medical records of the initial 73 consecutive LDN patients and corresponding transplant recipients was performed. All of the LDN were performed by a single, experienced laparoscopic surgeon (C.P.S.). The method of LDN was slightly different between the groups. Results Patients were divided into early and late groups with 37 and 36 patients, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in mean estimated blood loss (245 ± 671.2 vs 84.7 ± 63.9 mL), warm ischemia time (159.7 ± 66.3 vs 150.8 ± 63.0 seconds), postoperative creatinine levels (1.34 ± 0.24 vs 1.29 ± 0.26 mg/dL,), recipient mean creatinine level at 1 month (1.57 ± .98 vs 1.53 ± 0.46 mg/dL), and hospital stay (2.49 ± 0.87 vs 2.47 ± 0.56 days) between the early and late groups. However, the difference in mean operative time between early and late groups was statistically significant (255.2 ± 42.4 vs. 209.1 ± 30.8 minutes, P Conclusion There is a significant decrease in operating time and incidence of delayed graft function following the first 37 patients who underwent LDN by an experienced laparoscopist. Improvement in operative technique decreased operative time and improved perioperative graft function as evidenced by decreased slow graft function and delayed graft function in the late group.
Inferences concerning anatomy and physiology of the human brain based on its magnetic field

Research in the evoked magnetic field reported in the last two years is reviewed. The studies have shown that the magnetic technique may be used 1) to reveal complementary aspects of the current sources common to evoked potential, 2) to identify the organization of the cerebral cortex and subcortical areas of the brain and 3) to measure functional properties of the active neural areas whose locations are identified.
Cohesive strength of corneal lamellae.

Abstract Strips of rabbit stroma were prepared, and the force required to tear them apart along their length was determined. This amounted to an average of 10 g mm −1 width of tissue and it is independent of the depth of the plane in which the splitting of the cornea takes place. It could not be determined, however, whether the cohesive strength of the tissue is due to occasional collagen fibrils binding it together, interweaving of the lamellae or enmeshing of the collagen fibrils by ground substances. Other corneas were split by blunt dissection in vivo and allowed to recover for various periods of time, when the reformed strength of the split was measured. It was found to be negligible for about 5 days and rose quickly to 0·25–0·5 of the value of the untouched cornea. No increase in the force of adhesion of the split stroma was observed if an extract of corneal epithelium or a suspension of platelets was injected into the wound.
Formation of a Preinitiation Complex by S-phase Cyclin CDK-Dependent Loading of Cdc45p onto Chromatin

Cdc45p, a protein essential for initiation of DNA replication, associates with chromatin after "start" in late G1 and during the S phase of the cell cycle. Binding of Cdc45p to chromatin depends on Clb-Cdc28 kinase activity as well as functional Cdc6p and Mcm2p, which suggests that Cdc45p associates with the prereplication complex after activation of S-phase cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). As indicated by the timing and the CDK dependence, binding of Cdc45p to chromatin is crucial for commitment to initiation of DNA replication. During S phase, Cdc45p physically interacts with minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins on chromatin; however, dissociation of Cdc45p from chromatin is slower than that of MCMs, which indicates that the proteins are released by different mechanisms.
Repeat Litigators and Agenda Setting on the Supreme Court of Canada

The expanding public policy role of high courts heightens concerns over whether societal and political inequalities affect the outcomes of litigation. However, comparative research on this question is limited. This article assesses whether status inequalities between parties and differences in the experience and resources of attorneys influence the selection of cases for judicial review in the Supreme Court of Canada. A series of statistical models reveal that governments are more likely than other parties to influence whether leave is granted but that the experience and resources of lawyers, unlike in the United States, have little impact. The decentralized, low volume and high access features of the Canadian process may explain this finding.
On the stability of solitary kinetic Alfvén waves

Abstract The stability of the solitary kinetic Alfven wave is investigated. In the one-dimensional fully nonlinear case the wave is shown to be stable against perturbations in the amplitudes.
A superfast 3D lithography simulator and its application for ULSI printability analysis

Printability challenges are already one of the key limits of new technology generations and the situation will become even worse with the delay in the introduction of 157nm lithography. To optimize the set-up of RET and verify their efficiency within a photo process window, it has become necessary to run detailed lithography simulations. While some 1-D test patterns can be simulated using the 2-D software tools, patterns such as line-ends, corners and metal islands should be evaluated by 3-dimensional simulators. Such a simulator can be calibrated using a small number of in-line measurements and then employed to analyze the “difficult to print patterns”. However, until recently the computational efficiency of such a 3-D tools has not been sufficient for practical applications. Since a lot of features under study are axial-symmetric, symmetry of the 3-D structures can be used to reduce computational complexity. To address this issue, we have developed a method to simulate three-dimensional axial-symmetrical structures. This method is based on the observation that scattering in and out of axial symmetrical structure can be classified into four kinds of scattering waves and each kind of scattering wave can be computed separately. Based on this observation, we have greatly reduced the run time and memory usage of the rigorous waveguide method without any loss of accuracy. According to our experiments, memory usage was reduced to one-forth and run time was shortened to 3~5% of the original simulation. (20-30 times speed up) In this paper, we will discuss applications of the new symmetrical simulator METROPOLE-3D to lithography simulation and layout analysis. We will discuss the fast calibration of METROPOLE-3D simulator. The simulated CD data was compared with experimental FEM wafer data to calibrate the parameters used in PEB and photoresist development. We are now able to analyze a lot of axial symmetrical dense and isolated 2-D structures with unprecedented speed. In this paper, wee will present a full lithography analysis example from a real product manufactured in the state-of-the-art lithography process.
Left Bundle-Branch Block With Technical Right-Axis Deviation

Figure 1 shows complete left bundle-branch block (LBBB) with marked right-axis deviation. The tracing was obtained during a routine clinic visit from an asymptomatic 64-year-old man with systemic hypertension and primary conducting system disease. All previous tracings had consistently shown LBBB with slight left-axis deviation. Because of the latter and the fact that the person obtaining the ECG was an insufficiently trained pulmonary technician, electrode misplacement was suspected. Fortunately, the electrodes were still attached to the patient. Surprisingly, we found that the technician …
Management of Atrial Fibrillation: Translating Clinical Trial Data into Clinical Practice

Atrial fibrillation is a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia with significant consequences in terms of morbidity and mortality. In light of the limitations of available pharmacologic treatment options (suboptimal efficacy plus safety and tolerability issues), atrial fibrillation management should be individualized based on patient characteristics and comorbidities that could influence response to specific management approaches. The importance of adequate anticoagulation should not be overlooked. This review provides a practical guide for primary care physicians, internists, and cardiologists on current management strategies for atrial fibrillation, based on recent guidelines and current clinical data.
Simulation of Acoustic Streaming in a Resonator

Formation of vortical flow structures in a rectangular enclosure due to acoustic streaming is investigated numerically. The oscillatory flow field in the enclosure is created by the vibration of a vertical side wall of the enclosure. The frequency of the wall vibration is chosen such that a standing wave forms in the enclosure. The interaction of this standing wave with the horizontal solid walls leads to the production of Rayleigh type acoustic streaming flow patterns in the enclosure. All four walls of the enclosure considered are thermally insulated. The fully compressible form of the Navier-Stokes equations is considered and an explicit time-marching algorithm is used to explicitly track the acoustic waves. Numerical solutions are obtained by employing a highly accurate flux corrected transport (FCT) algorithm for the convection terms. A time-splitting technique is used to couple the viscous and diffusion terms of the full Navier-Stokes equations. Non-uniform grid structure is employed in the computations. The simulation of the primary oscillatory flow and the secondary (steady) streaming flows in the enclosure is performed. Streaming flow patterns are obtained by time averaging the primary oscillatory flow velocity distributions. The effect of the amount of wall displacement on the formation of the oscillatory flow field and the streaming structures are studied. Computations indicate that the nonlinearity of the acoustic field increases with increasing amount of the vibration amplitude. The form and the strength of the secondary flow associated with the oscillatory flow field and viscous effects are found to be strongly correlated to the maximum displacement of the vibrating wall. Total number of acoustic streaming cells per wavelength is also determined by the strength and the level of the nonlinearity of the sound field in the resonator.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
James Madison High A School at the Crossroads

This case tells the story of James Madison High School, which became the epicenter of a debate over the future reorganization and control of large secondary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The LAUSD, recently taken over by the newly elected mayor, was fighting for control of this 3,000-student high school with a charter school company. Both entities offered plans for restructuring James Madison, which amid this larger debate was dealing with racial tension and poor academic performance. Students must analyze the political climate and determine how the school's new principal should approach the situation and what actions should be taken.
A generalization of the Π-theorem and dimensional analysis

This article introduces a generalization of dimensional analysis and its corollary, the Π-theorem, to the class of problems in which some of the quantities that define the problem have fixed values in all the cases that are of interest. The procedure can reduce the number of dimensionless similarity variables beyond the prediction of Buckingham's theorem. The generalized Π-theorem tells when and how large a reduction is attainable.
Hollow Microneedle-based Sensor for Multiplexed Transdermal Electrochemical Sensing

The development of a minimally invasive multiplexed monitoring system for rapid analysis of biologically-relevant molecules could offer individuals suffering from chronic medical conditions facile assessment of their immediate physiological state. Furthermore, it could serve as a research tool for analysis of complex, multifactorial medical conditions. In order for such a multianalyte sensor to be realized, it must be minimally invasive, sampling of interstitial fluid must occur without pain or harm to the user, and analysis must be rapid as well as selective. Initially developed for pain-free drug delivery, microneedles have been used to deliver vaccines and pharmacologic agents (e.g., insulin) through the skin.1-2 Since these devices access the interstitial space, microneedles that are integrated with microelectrodes can be used as transdermal electrochemical sensors. Selective detection of glucose, glutamate, lactate, hydrogen peroxide, and ascorbic acid has been demonstrated using integrated microneedle-electrode devices with carbon fibers, modified carbon pastes, and platinum-coated polymer microneedles serving as transducing elements.3-7,8 This microneedle sensor technology has enabled a novel and sophisticated analytical approach for in situ and simultaneous detection of multiple analytes. Multiplexing offers the possibility of monitoring complex microenvironments, which are otherwise difficult to characterize in a rapid and minimally invasive manner. For example, this technology could be utilized for simultaneous monitoring of extracellular levels of, glucose, lactate and pH,9 which are important metabolic indicators of disease states7,10-14 (e.g., cancer proliferation) and exercise-induced acidosis.15
Retinal sensitivity is a valuable complementary measurement to visual acuity--a microperimetry study in patients with maculopathies.

To evaluate changes in macular sensitivity, as measured with microperimetry, among patients with maculopathy and stable visual acuity (VA). Macular sensitivity was assessed using the Spectral OCT/SLO™ microperimetry (OCT/SLO, Optos Plc., Dunfermline, UK) in 25 eyes (16 patients) with maculopathy and stable VA (<5 letters change in ETDRS score) at two consecutive clinic visits. To take the limits of the test–retest repeatability of the OCT/SLO into account, coefficient of repeatability (CoR) was employed to estimate the probability of the sensitivity changes being secondary to measurement noise. The point sensitivity changes were statistically significant (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, P < 0.001). Seventy-seven points (11 %) out of a total of 700 sensitivity points had a genuine sensitivity change, with a mean increase of 8.6 ± 2.6 dB in 35 points and a mean decrease of 7.9 ± 2.2 dB in 42 points. Point-to-point change in macular sensitivity can be used as a biomarker of changes in disease activity in patients with maculopathy, and can be more accurate than either mean sensitivity or BCVA in detection of changes in macular function. The measurement variability should be considered when observing the local sensitivity changes.
Clinimetric evaluation of the disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) and QuickDASH questionnaires for patients with shoulder disorders

AbstractBackground:The disability of the shoulder, arm, and hand (DASH) and shortened version QuickDASH instruments are self-report questionnaires designed to measure physical function and symptoms in patients with upper-extremity disorders. An understanding of the clinimetric properties of these instruments may guide clinicians and researchers in their use.Objective:To systematically review the clinimetric properties of the DASH and QuickDASH for use among individuals with shoulder disorders.Methods:A search was conducted using Medline, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, AMED, and PEDro from 1996 to July 2013 using the following keywords independently and in combination: disabilities of the shoulder, arm, and hand; DASH, QuickDASH, and shoulder. Articles retained were inclusive of at least one clinimetric property of the DASH or QuickDASH as the main focus of the study. Articles retained for review after meeting inclusion criteria were then cross referenced.Results:Eighteen articles were ultimately retained for the re...
THE BENFORD-NEWCOMB DISTRIBUTION AND UNAMBIGUOUS CONTEXT-FREE LANGUAGES

For a string w ∈ {0,1, 2,…, d-1}*, let vald(w) denote the integer whose base d representation is the string w and let MSDd(x) denote the most significant or the leading digit of a positive integer x when x is written as a base d integer. Hirvensalo and Karhumaki [9] studied the problem of computing the leading digit in the ternary representation of 2x ans showed that this problem has a polynomial time algorithm. In [16], some applications are presented for the problem of computing the leading digit of AB for given inputs A and B. In this paper, we study this problem from a formal language point of view. Formally, we consider the language Lb,d,j = {w|w ∈ {0,1, 2,…, d-1}*, 1 ≤ j ≤ 9, MSDb(dvalb(w))) = j} (and some related classes of languages) and address the question of whether this and some related languages are context-free. Standard pumping lemma proofs seem to be very difficult for these languages. We present a unified and simple combinatorial technique that shows that these languages are not unambiguo...
Cultural analysis of the organizational consequences of information technology

Abstract For over 30 years, the literature on organizations has carried accounts of the potential for information technology to transform organizational structures and processes. Despite this enduring interest in the relationship between information technology and organizations, the variety of actual consequences for organizations has not been satisfactorily explained. In this paper, we propose the use of cultural analysis to understand the organizational consequences of information technology. Analyses that use the construct of culture meet two important requisites for understanding and resolving the contradictory empirical findings. First, cultural analysis emphasizes the importance of socially constructed meanings and their relationship to information technology's material properties. From this perspective, technology's social consequences are largely indeterminate because of the variety of meanings that technology can assume. Cultural analysis thus removes the temptation to consider information technology as an autonomous determinant of organizational form and process. Second, cultural analysis can address information technology's role in both the persistence and the transformation of organizations. Information technology can help preserve institutionalized practices in an organization, and it can operate as a catalyst for change. Because cultural analysis encompasses these opposing organizational processes, it helps to explain the diversity of outcomes experienced after information technology is implemented.
The Principal's Role in School Restructuring and Reform: An Examination of Self-Perceived Leadership Styles

Research and literature has suggested that the school leader be one who empowers others, encourages creativity and flexibility, promotes collaborative planning and shared decision-making in an effort to develop trust throughout the school setting, and utilizes these qualities as a catalyst for successful school resturcturing and reform. A study of the leadership styles of school principals in the Detroit metropolitan area of Wayne County, Michigan was conducted to determine the extent to which principals are applying these recommended styles of leadership for restructurning schools to serve students in the 21 st century. The article includes an examination of responses received from school principals as they relate to leadership training and school reform issues. Recommendations for development and improvement of leadership preparation and professional development programs are presented.
Using a Multinomial Logit Specification to Model Two Interdependent Processes with an Empirical Application

Theories in sociology and other social sciences often postulate reciprocal causal relationships. Yamaguchi advanced a model for the interdependence of two discrete-time, discrete-state endogenous processes. The Yamaguchi model is introduced with a discussion of its advantages over conventional methods and a comparison with recently developed relevant models. To overcome the obstacle that existing statistical software cannot directly estimate the Yamaguchi model, the author has developed a method that converts estimated parameters from standard multinomial logit estimation into parameters of the Yamaguchi model. This method makes it possible and easier for researchers to estimate the Yamaguchi model using standard statistical software and a simple programming of linear transformation. The method is simple and straightforward and thus merits application to an analysis of interdependence with panel data. This article also provides a detailed empirical example to illustrate an application of the method.
Limitations of Lymph Node Ratio, Evidence-Based Benchmarks, and the Importance of a Thorough Lymph Node Dissection in Melanoma

Stage III melanoma is currently stratified by number of lymph nodes (LNs) involved. However, given the variability of LN retrieval counts we hypothesize that lymph node ratio (LNR) may also provide prognostic information. Retrospective cohort study of 411 patients with stage III melanoma were divided into two groups based on LNR ( 8 inguinal, >15 axillary, or >20 cervical LNs examined had fewer same nodal basin recurrences (26 [8 %] vs. 20 [20 %], p = 0.0009) and for N1 patients an improved OS (3-year OS 84 % vs. 76 %, 10-year OS 53 % vs. 34 %, p = 0.06) compared with N1 patients who had fewer LNs examined. LNR is an important prognostic factor in stage III melanoma; however, it was not independent over the current AJCC TNM staging system. Diligence by the surgeon and pathologist to retrieve and examine >8 inguinal, >15 axillary, or >20 cervical LNs is associated with fewer same nodal basin recurrences and improved survival and is critical to reliable prognostication.
Origin of the subgeneraCyclampterium, Paralampterium andSciadiopeplus fromLophocyrtis (Lophocyrtis) (Radiolaria, Theoperidae)

Abstract Work on the exceptionally well-preserved, rapidly accumulating Bath Cliff Section, Barbados and supplementary Deep Sea Drilling Project samples, has revealed the evolutionary origins of three stratigraphically useful species in the Cryptoprora ornata Zone straddling the Eocene/Oligocene boundary and demonstrated the origin of the genus Cyclampterium . Elucidation of the origin of Cyclampterium milowi necessitates a revision of the genera Lophocyrtis and Cyclampterium . Lophocyrtis ( Lophocyrtis ) jacchia is the ancestor of L. ( Cyclampterium ) hadra , the earliest member in the subgenus Cyclampterium which comprises the anagenetic lineage leading from L. ( C. ) hadra to L. ( C. ) neatum . The monotypic subgenus Sciadiopeplus branches off from an early member in the Cyclampterium lineage. The new species L. ( L. ) exitelus and L. ( S. ) oberhaensliae terminate the subgenera Lophocyrtis and Sciadiopeplus , respectively. During the investigation it also became clear that morphotypes resembling early L. ( C. ) milowi could be found in mid and high latitude assemblages in the late Early and late Middle Eocene. The origin of one these morphotypes was also traced to L. ( Lophocyrtis ) jacchia giving rise to the new subgenus Paralampterium . This lineage includes the new species L. ( Paralampterium ) dumitricai and two species questionably assigned to it, L. ( Paralampterium )? longiventer and the new species L. ( Paralampterium ) ? galenum . The relationship of L. ( P. ) dumitricai to L. ( P. ) ? longiventer and L. ( P. ) ? galenum is unknown.
Discrete Conductance Fluctuations in Lipid Bilayer Protein Membranes

Discrete fluctuations in conductance of lipid bilayer membranes may be observed during the initial stages of membrane interaction with EIM ("excitability inducing material"), during destruction of the EIM conductance by proteolysis, and during the potential-dependent transitions between low and high conductance states in the "excitable" membranes. The discrete conductance steps observed during the initial reaction of EIM with the lipid membranes are remarkably uniform, even in membranes of widely varying lipid composition. They range only from 2 to 6 x 10-10 ohm-1 and average 4 x 10-10 ohm-1. Steps found during destruction of the EIM conductance by proteolysis are somewhat smaller. The transition between high conductance and low conductance states may involve steps as small as 0.5 x 10-10 ohm-1. These phenomena are consistent with the formation of a stable protein bridge across the lipid membrane to provide a polar channel for the transport of cations. T6he uniform conductance fluctuations observed during the formation of these macromolecular channels may indicate that the ions in a conductive channel, in its open state, are largely protected from the influence of the polar groups of the membrane lipids. Potential-dependent changes in conductance may be due to configurational or positional changes in the protein channel. Differences in lipid-lipid and lipid-macromolecule interactions may account for the variations in switching kinetics in various membrane systems.
An approach to surveillance an area using swarm of fixed wing and quad-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles UAV(s)

This paper presents an approach to obtain surveillance through a swarm of fixed wing airplanes and quad-rotor UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). The approach is presented on a realistic situation where an autonomous fixed wing airplane and semi-autonomous swarm of quad-rotor UAV(s) work together to surveillance an area. The fixed wing airplane UAV determines the altitude, surveillance area, GPS location and provides communication and image recognition capabilities among the swarm and the ground station. The swarm quad-rotor UAV(s) are autonomous and can accept directives from the ground station and the fixed wing. Sensors deployed from the quad-rotor UAVs, directly communicate with the quad-rotors swarm. In this scenario, heterogeneous systems and human control interact in a system of systems architecture.
Construction of two-phase equilibria in a non-elliptic hyperelastic material

This work focuses on the construction of equilibrated two-phase antiplane shear deformations of a non-elliptic isotropic and incompressible hyperelastic material. It is shown that this material can sustain metastable, two-phase equilibria which are neither piecewise homogeneous nor axisymmetric, but, rather, involve non-planar interfaces which completely segregate inhomogeneously deformed material in distinct elliptic phases. These results are obtained by studying a constrained boundary value problem involving an interface across which the deformation gradient jumps. The boundary value problem is recast as an integral equation and conditions on the interface sufficient to guarantee the existence of a solution to this equation are obtained. The contraints, which enforce the segregation of material in the two elliptic phases, are then studied. Sufficient conditions for their satisfaction are also secured. These involve additional restrictions on the interface across which the deformation gradient jumps — which, with all restrictions satisfied, constitutes a phase boundary. An uncountably infinite number of such phase boundaries are shown to exist. It is demonstrated that, for each of these, there exists a solution — unique up to an additive constant — for the constrained boundary value problem. As an illustration, approximate solutions which correspond to a particular class of phase boundaries are then constructed. Finally, the kinetics and stability of an arbitrary element within this class of phase boundaries are analyzed in the context of a quasistatic motion.
Computing effective doses to pediatric patients undergoing body CT examinations.

The computation of patient effective doses to children is of particular interest given the relatively high doses received from this imaging modality, as well as the increased utilization of CT in all areas of medicine. Current methods for computing effective doses to children are relatively complex, and it would be useful to develop a simple method of computing pediatric effective doses for clinical purposes that could be used by radiologists and technologists. To obtain pediatric effective doses for body CT examinations by the use of adult effective doses obtained from effective dose (E) per unit dose length product (DLP) coefficients, and energy imparted to a child relative to an adult. Adult E/DLP coefficients were obtained at 120 kV using the ImPACT CT dosimetry spreadsheet. Patients were modeled as cylinders of water, and values of energy imparted to cylinders of varying radii were generated using Monte Carlo modeling. The amounts of energy imparted to the chest and abdomen of children relative to adults (Ren) were obtained. Pediatric effective doses were obtained using scaling factors that accounted for scan length, mAs, patient weight, and relative energy imparted (Ren). E/DLP values were about 16 μSv/mGy cm for males and about 19 μSv/mGy cm for females. Ren at 120 kV for newborns was 0.35 for the chest and 0.49 for the abdomen. At constant mAs, the effective dose to 6-month-old patients undergoing chest CT examinations was found to be about 50% higher than that to adults, and for abdominal examinations about 100% higher. Adult effective doses can be obtained using DLP data and can be scaled to provide corresponding pediatric effective doses from body examinations on the same CT scanner.
The Effect of Long-Term In Vitro Incubation on the Intermediates of Red Cell Metabolism

Whole human blood was incubated for periods of up to 70 hours at 37 C under conditions that would cause minimal modifications in normal metabolic controls. Insofar as possible, the conditions utilized were similar to those found in vivo. Control of pH within the limits of 7.2 to 7.5 was achieved by the addition of isotonic Tris buffer or isotonic TES buffer. Glucose, inorganic phosphate, adenine, and pyruvate were added as needed throughout the incubation period. The ADP/ATP ratio and levels of ATP, total adenine nucleotides, 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and other metabolic intermediates were maintained near those of fresh erythrocytes. The maintenance and control of red blood cell adenine nucleotide levels are discussed, with particular emphasis on factors affecting the rate of incorporation of adenine into adenine nucleotides.