cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dielectric Modulation of Ion Transport near Interfaces

Ion mobility and ionic conductance in nanodevices are known to deviate from bulk behavior, a phenomenon often attributed to surface effects. We demonstrate that dielectric mismatch between the electrolyte and the surface can qualitatively alter ionic transport in a counterintuitive manner. Instead of following the polarization-induced modulation of the concentration profile, mobility is enhanced or reduced by changes in the ionic atmosphere near the interface and affected by a polarization force parallel to the surface. In addition to revealing this mechanism, we explore the effect of salt concentration and electrostatic coupling.
Recurrent seascape units identify key ecological processes along the western Antarctic Peninsula

The western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is a bellwether of global climate change and natural laboratory for identifying interactions between climate and ecosystems. The Palmer Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) project has collected data on key ecological and environmental processes along the WAP since 1993. To better understand how key ecological parameters are changing across space and time, we developed a novel seascape classification approach based on in situ temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a, nitrate + nitrite, phosphate, and silicate. We anticipate that this approach will be broadly applicable to other geographical areas. Through the application of self-organizing maps (SOMs), we identified eight recurrent seascape units (SUs) in these data. These SUs have strong fidelity to known regional water masses but with an additional layer of biogeochemical detail, allowing us to identify multiple distinct nutrient profiles in several water masses. To identify the temporal and spatial distribution of these SUs, we mapped them across the Palmer LTER sampling grid via objective mapping of the original parameters. Analysis of the abundance and distribution of SUs since 1993 suggests two year types characterized by the partitioning of chlorophyll a into SUs with different spatial characteristics. By developing generalized linear models for correlated, time-lagged external drivers, we conclude that early spring sea ice conditions exert a strong influence on the distribution of chlorophyll a and nutrients along the WAP, but not necessarily the total chlorophyll a inventory. Because the distribution and density of phytoplankton biomass can have an impact on biomass transfer to the upper trophic levels, these results highlight anticipated links between the WAP marine ecosystem and climate.
Time reversed elastic nonlinearity diagnostic applied to stress corrosion cracking in stainless steel

The Time Reversed Elastic Nonlinearity Diagnostic (TREND) is an inspection technique that enables one to locate damage in a structure using time reversal processing. TREND has been used to detect various types of damage in metals and rocks, but little has been done specific to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) other than the work of Anderson et al. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 141, EL76–EL81 (2017). SCC in stainless steel, especially around welds, is produced as a result of elevated temperature and saline conditions, and so has different properties from fatigue cracking or delaminations, both of which have been studied with TREND. In current research, welded steel samples exposed to a magnesium chloride bath were created. A number of samples were exposed for successively longer durations in order to study the corrosion damage level versus exposure time. Using TREND, samples were scanned then evaluated for indicators of local cracking at each scan point. Specific changes in spectral characteristics that are indicator...
Mammalian Prion Protein

The discoveries of prion disease transmission in mammals and a non-Mendelian type of inheritance in yeast has led to the establishment of a new concept in biology, “the prion hypothesis.” This hypothesis postulates that an abnormal protein conformation propagates itself in an autocatalytic manner by recruiting the cellular isoform of the same protein, and, therefore, acts either as transmissible agent of disease (in mammals) or as heritable determinant of phenotype (in yeast and fungus). While the prion biology of yeast and fungus supports this idea strongly, the direct proof of the “protein-only” hypothesis in mammals, the generation of PrPSc in vitro, de novo from noninfectious PrP, has been difficult to achieve despite many years of effort. The current review discusses potential strategies for generation of prion infectivity de novo and summarizes our current knowledge about biophysical mechanisms of prion conversion.
Perception of 3-D objects by a robotic stereo eye-in-hand vision system

A 3-D machine perception technique is presented using stereo intensity images and an anthropomorphic robot. Multiple stereo views allow the perception of the third dimension by the solution of a correspondence problem defined in two stereo pairs. The zero crossing technique is used to detect edges on the images and to classify them in order to reduce the number of possible solutions. By the eye-in-hand configuration, several stereo pairs of a scene can be taken moving the robot arm. For a limited number of objects, stationary on the robot table, this technique allows the derivation of a set of three-dimensional sample points that correspond to the physical object edges. The technique mainly consist in a geometrical match, in the 3-D space, of some hypothesized solutions formulated on a couple of stereo pairs, taken from two points of view. Considering objects with straight edges and with no highly textured surfaces, some geometrical properties are statistically verified for the most solution points, so the correspondence problem can be robustly solved.
Differential Impact of Hospital and Community Factors on Medicare Readmission Penalties

OBJECTIVE To identify hospital/county characteristics and sources of regional heterogeneity associated with readmission penalties. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING Acute care hospitals under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program from fiscal years 2013 to 2018 were linked to data from the Annual Hospital Association, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare claims, Hospital Compare, Nursing Home Compare, Area Resource File, Health Inequity Project, and Long-term Care Focus. The final sample contained 3,156 hospitals in 1,504 counties. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS Data sources were combined using Medicare hospital identifiers or Federal Information Processing Standard codes. STUDY DESIGN A two-level hierarchical model with correlated random effects, also known as the Mundlak correction, was employed with hospitals nested within counties. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Over a third of the variation in readmission penalties was attributed to the county level. Patient sociodemographics and the surrounding access to and quality of care were significantly associated with penalties. Hospital measures of Medicare volume, percentage dual-eligible and Black patients, and patient experience were correlated with unobserved area-level factors that also impact penalties. CONCLUSIONS As the readmission risk adjustment does not include any community-level characteristics or geographic controls, the resulting endogeneity bias has the potential to disparately penalize certain hospitals.
Rigged-Election Rhetoric: Coverage and Consequences

Using content analysis and original survey data, we investigated the news coverage and consequences of Donald Trump’s “rigged-election” claims during the 2016 presidential election. We added to previous literature by showing that the effects of such claims were highly contingent on individual partisan affiliation. Republicans and Independents who believed that the elections were rigged via voter fraud or media bias were more likely to report that they intended to vote or had already voted. Democrats and Independents who believed that Hillary Clinton would benefit from voter fraud or media bias were more likely to vote for Donald Trump.
Sleep and meal timing influence food intake and its hormonal regulation in healthy adults with overweight/obesity.

Studies associate sleeping and eating late in the day with poor dietary quality and higher obesity risk but differences in sleep duration confound this association. We aimed to determine whether sleep and meal timing, independent of sleep duration, influenced food intake in healthy adults. This was a controlled, 2 × 2 inpatient crossover study with normal (0000-0800 h) or late (0330-1130 h) sleep and normal (1, 5, 11, and 12.5 h after awakening) or late (4.5, 8.5, 14.5, and 16 h after awakening) meals. Food intake was controlled while blood samples were obtained for determination of appetite-regulating hormones on days 3-4. Self-selected food intake was assessed on day 5. Data were analyzed using linear mixed model analysis with sleep, meal, and sleep x meal interaction as dependent variables. Five participants completed all phases (mean age 25.1 ± [SD] 3.9 y, body mass index 29.2 ± 2.7 kg/m2). There was a significant sleep x meal interaction on energy intake (P = 0.035) and trends on fat and sodium intakes (P < 0.10). Overnight ghrelin concentrations were higher under normal sleep and meal conditions relative to late (P < 0.005) but lower when both were combined (P < 0.001). Overnight leptin concentrations were higher under normal meal conditions (P = 0.012). There was a significant sleep x meal interaction on ghrelin (P = 0.032) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (P = 0.041) concentrations, but not leptin (P = 0.83), in response to a test meal. Our results suggest that alignment of sleep and meals may influence food choice and energy balance. Additional research is necessary to expand and confirm our findings.
Ciprofloxacin resistance among Campylobacter jejuni isolates obtained from shelter dogs in Texas

There are few epidemiologic studies on the shedding of Campylobacter among dogs in the United States, despite the potential public health implications. Our objectives were to estimate the prevalence of faecal Campylobacter shedding among Texas shelter dogs as detected by culture methods and to characterize the isolates by species and antimicrobial susceptibility. Using a cross-sectional study design, faecal samples were collected from 185 dogs in six animal shelters throughout Texas between May and December 2014. Four culture methods were used to isolate Campylobacter from samples, and isolates were characterized. The prevalence of Campylobacter shedding was 45.4% (84/185; 95% CI, 38.1%-52.9%). Of 294 isolates from the 84 positive dogs, 26 (8.8%) isolates from seven dogs were identified as Campylobacter jejuni. Two of the isolates from one dog demonstrated resistance to ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid. Direct plating on mCCDA-CAT agar without enrichment identified the highest number of positive dogs (62%; 52/84). Incidence of ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter infections among humans has increased over the last several years. Canine shedding of Campylobacter is a potential source of zoonotic transmission.
Perspectives on Parenting Behavior: Origins, Mechanisms, and Future Opportunities: Editorial for the Supplement on Parenting.

Reflecting its rich theoretical and empirical traditions in psychological science, parenting behavior features prominently in models of child and family development. Not only is parental care neces...
The road to sociality: brood regulation of worker reproduction in the simple eusocial bee Bombus impatiens

Eusocial societies, in which egg laying is monopolized by one or a few females, have evolved multiple times during the evolution of insects but were always rooted in a simple family structure. Female reproduction in such families is often characterized by a trade-off between reproduction and brood care, yet most work on the regulation of reproduction in social insects has focused on signals and traits exhibited by adults: particularly on the behaviour and chemical signals produced by the queen and nestmate workers. Here we examined the role of brood in regulating worker reproduction in Bombus impatiens, an annual eusocial species whose reproduction is monopolized by the queen via an unknown mechanism. We found that the presence of young larvae reduced workers' egg laying, whereas the presence of pupae stimulated egg laying. The effect of young larvae was quantity dependent, with nearly complete suppression of egg laying in cages containing a pair of workers and more than 10 young larvae, and replicable regardless of worker age, relatedness to brood or brood parentage/sex. The findings that any larvae can regulate worker reproduction in this simple, yet eusocial, species highlight the role of brood in the evolution of advanced eusocial insects as a mechanism for regulating worker sterility. These findings also provide the first holistic explanation for the regulation of worker reproduction in B. impatiens, suggesting that the queen inhibits worker reproduction through her brood.
Examining Early Childhood Language and Literacy Learning Opportunities in Relation to Maternal Education and Children’s Initial Skills

In the present study, we examined relations between children’s language and literacy learning opportunities, initial skills, and maternal education. We assessed children’s (n = 1,751 in 461 early c...
Reply to Comment on “Comparison of the Lateral Retention Forces on Sessile, Pendant, and Inverted Sessile Drops”

We address the issues raised in the Tadmor article (Tadmor, T., et al. Comment on “Comparison of the Lateral Retention Forces on Sessile, Pendant, and Inverted Sessile Drops”. Langmuir 2019, 10.102...
TRMM-based rainfall temporal analysis over Italy

Rainfall is an irregular phenomenon showing large spatial variability. Unfortunately, spatially distributed data are not always available, because rain gauge networks are not continuously dense and adequately distributed, and they provide only point measurements. In this work, the temporal variability of rainfall in Italy has been investigated using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission monthly product for the period 1998–2018. Within this aim, more than 650 grid points falling within the Italian territory have been selected. In order to evaluate the presence of trends and their significance, the monthly, seasonal and annual rainfall series were analysed at each grid point with the Mann–Kendall nonparametric test and the Theil–Sen estimator. The broad extension of the area under investigation allowed a better understanding of rainfall trend patterns over space. At annual scale, results evidenced few relevant trends, either positive or negative, involving central Italy (negative trend) and southern Italy (positive trend). A similar trend behaviour has been identified, at seasonal scale, in autumn, with a clear spatial difference between the north and the south of Italy, in winter for the negative trend and in spring for the positive one. In summer, only few grid points in central Italy showed a significant increasing trend.
Comprehensive Metabolic Phenotyping Refines Cardiovascular Risk in Young Adults

Background: Whereas cardiovascular disease (CVD) metrics define risk in individuals >40 years of age, the earliest lesions of CVD appear well before this age. Despite the role of metabolism in CVD ...
A Course on the Future of Work: Building the Scaffold* While Standing on It:

We have entered the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Disruption is coming—in fact, it is here. New paradigms are forming, which will bring significant change to the workplace. It is unclear what...
Non-Newtonian Fluid-Like Behavior of Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Diacrylate Hydrogels Under Transient Dynamic Shear

Hydrogels exhibit a fluid-like viscous response under high shear strain rates with significant rate- and microstructure-dependent rheological properties. In this study, the transient shear response of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels is characterized by application of the power-law fluid model to incompressible Navier–Stokes equation of start-up planar Couette flow. To impart the necessary boundary conditions for model calibration, a split-Hopkinson pressure bar based single-pulse dynamic simple shear experiment is developed, in which unsteady momentum diffusion between two shear plates is measured using two-dimensional digital image correlation (DIC). The measured shear profiles and their characteristic self-similarity under these boundary conditions are utilized to calculate power-law exponent and transient-state viscosity via finite difference simulations.
Russian Industry in January 2022: Recovery of Demand Forecasts

The dynamics of demand, moderately negative in comparison with the pessimistic forecasts, allowed the industry to avoid a reduction in output in January, to revise the production and sales plans for the better. However, according to regular polls by the Gaidar Institute, these factors also resulted in the intensive increase in prices for the enterprises products compared to the previous month and contrary to forecasts. In December, the industry expecting a deteriorating epidemiological situation and a drop in demand, was prepared to sacrifice growth of prices to maintain sales. However, this was not required in January, enterprises were able to raise their prices and revise the forecasts for their changes. The personnel policy of industrial enterprises demonstrates great resistance to the impacts of the actual and expected epidemiological situation.
An examination of the sentence task through in-person and online administrations

Abstract The Sentence Task (Rachman et al., 1996) has respondents write “I hope ___ is in a car accident,” filling the blank with a loved one. Used in many laboratory-based studies of Thought-Action Fusion (TAF), it is unclear whether the induced distress is TAF-specific. Four studies (total N = 405 undergraduates) examined the extent to which Task-induced anxiety is empirically correlated with conceptually relevant self-report measures. We also explored using the Task in an online format; two studies were in-person, two were online. First, completion of the Task resulted in significant (ps .05) between the magnitude of pre-to post-Task anxiety change and baseline measures (Thought-Action Fusion Scale, Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale). This suggests that the Task-induced anxiety may not be specific to TAF. Second, there were no significant mean-level differences for any variables whether assessed in-person vs. online. However, Task refusal was significantly higher for online (21.2%, 24.1%) vs. in-person (5.4%, 6.0%) administrations. Findings contribute to a better understanding of the Task and offer mixed support for use in an online format.
Modeling and Identification of the Human-Exoskeleton Interaction Dynamics for Upper Limb Rehabilitation

A number of machines have been developed for the upper limb rehabilitation to meet patients’ needs for upper limb rehabilitation exercises. As active exercise has proven to be effective and necessary for neural rehabilitation and motor recovery, it is suggested to be implemented to the rehabilitation machines. Toward this goal, the human motion desire should have been recognized exactly first. Because the muscle strength of the patient’s upper limb may not be able to supply the gravity of the arm and the rehabilitation machines, some torques coming from the rehabilitation machines will be needed to supply the exercise. This paper is focused on modeling and identifying the human-exoskeleton interaction (HEI) dynamics, so that the motion desire is able to be recognized exactly based on it. First, the human arm can be taken as two links with three degrees of freedom (two DOF in shoulder, one in elbow). By combining the dynamics model of the human arm and the exoskeleton, the HEI dynamic model was formed. Meanwhile, the joint angles and torques of human arm can be measured indirectly by using the position and torque sensors mounted on the joints of the exoskeleton. In this way, a 19-parameter HEI dynamic model has been established using the Lagrange method based on the pseudo inertia matrix. The model can be used to estimate the torques during rehabilitation exercises after identifying the underdetermining dynamic parameters. The motion desire can be recognized by comparing the measured joint torques to the estimated ones. Finally, the feasibility of the HEI dynamic model is validated by simulation experiments.
2001: A Global Odyssey Prompted by the Merritt-Cihon Upper Level Curriculum Report of the AALS

* Professor of Law, University of Miami School of Law; Associate Dean 1986-87. The j urnal of the American Association of Law Schools ( ALS) declined to publish this reply to their printing of the Curriculu Committee's findings as reported by Professors Merri t and Cihon. The reply is based on a generic market problem facing law c ool m mbers of the AALS and upon the author's observations of acti ns taken at a number f schools and does not represent any specific faculty or its choices. This is reply to the profes io of law professor as a voice not raised by the Report of the AALS which sh uld be cons dered. This is not the first time, nor is it an original idea, at the interest of aw t a hers and the interests of law schools a e not necessarily the same even if defined in both in ta ces by law professors. See generally Kenneth Caseb er, Runni g on Empty: Justice Brennan, The Empty State, The City of Richmond, and the Profession, 43 U. MIAMI L. REV. 989 (1989).
Results of Treatment of the Multiple-Ligament-Injured Knee

Knee dislocations are rare injuries, but are among the most serious of all traumatic extremity injuries. Initial assessment of vascular status is critical due to the potential for injury to the popliteal artery. Late complications include decreased range of motion (ROM), instability, pain, and the inability to return to previous activities and sport. Given the rarity and heterogeneity of this injury, high-quality clinical studies and randomized clinical trials are largely lacking to help guide treatment. Continued areas of debate surrounding the operative treatment of the multi-ligament-injured knee include early vs. delayed reconstruction, repair vs. reconstruction of the posterolateral corner (PLC), and preferred treatment of the medial side. Prognostic factors associated with improved outcomes include younger patients, injuries sustained secondary to sports rather than motor vehicle accidents, and the use of functional rehabilitation. The optimal timing for surgical intervention remains controversial. Specific factors on initial assessment that may guide treatment include vascular status, concomitant injuries, and skin condition. Although many authors report improved outcomes with surgical intervention, arthrofibrosis remains an important concern. In general, the specific structures injured dictate early vs. delayed reconstruction. The literature reviewing the outcomes after surgical treatment is difficult to assess and is inconclusive due to several factors, including limited subject number, lack of objective measures, heterogeneity of injury patters, and varying surgical procedures utilized. Here we present the best evidence in the literature regarding the outcomes of treatment of the multi-ligament-injured knee including outcomes specific to the treatment of injuries to the medial side of the knee and the PLC.
Colorant Usage from Antiquity to the Perkin Era

Images of butterflies, cats, dogs, fairies, ghosts, witches, wizards… kids of all ages love having their faces painted in these fanciful ways. They stand in a long tradition. From ancient times, body and face paints have been used for cosmetic, ceremonial, military, and religious reasons. There is reliable archaeological evidence that human beings have painted faces and bodies since the very beginning. The ancient Picts used red ochre, as well as woad (an indigo-bearing native plant). Julius Caesar remarked in book five of De Bello Gallico, “All Britons paint themselves with woad, which grows wild and produces a blue dye. This gives them a terrifying appearance in battle”.
Sodium requirements, balance and tissue composition of growing pigs.

The sodium requirements, balance, excretion, patterns and composition of some pig tissues were studied in two feeding trials and a balance trial followed by an additional feeding period with terminal tissue composition analysis. The growth of pigs fed a corn-soybean meal diet without added salt was severely restricted. Results confirm that a sodium requirement of .09% of the diet is adequate and that .20% NaCl supplementation is adequate for any natural diet for swine. Diets containing .065% sodium caused about a 25% reduction in growth when fed to 10-kg pigs but no significant reduction when fed to 27-kg pigs. Dietary retention was 96% for pigs fed .032% or .067% sodium. Retention was less per unit gain (gain was greater per unit sodium retention) fo9r pigs fed .032% sodium than for pigs fed .067% or more sodium. Those fed .032% sodium had a greater PCV after 1 week on trial and a smaller plasma sodium concentration after 2 weeks. The terminal tissue analyses showed that the pigs fed the lowest sodium diet had lower concentrations of sodium in plasma, muscle and bone, lower concentrations of chloride in plasma and muscle and a greater plasma potassium concentration. Crystal sodium of bone was not significantly affected.
A Data-Flow Platform for Implementing Algorithm-Dependent ASIC Hardware Using Data-Driven Processors

The design details of a new data driven processor (DDP) which simplifies data management and processor hardware is demonstrated. The processor consists of an input port for handling external real-time data, a second input port for exchanging networked inter-processor data, a multi-port RAM, a flag memory, an ALU and a controller. The key benefit of this processor is to be able to handle real-time streaming data through a dedicated port while exchanging data with other processors on a network. Each processor is identical with the exception of the ALU which is custom-tailored for a specific task to simplify processor hardware. Algorithm-dependent wireless communication and multimedia tasks can be implemented using software development on a network of DDPs. This work implements the base-band portion of a simple direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) transmitter using a software platform that requires four networked DDP cores. The transmitter design produced one chip for every 15 clock cycles and 225 clock cycles to process one symbol. This resulted in 11 MBit/sec transmission bandwidth which required 825 MHz clock frequency to reach 802.11b WLAN rate
Neural redundant robotic trajectory optimization with diagnostic motor control

The joint commands of a simulated redundant PUMA robot and hand are allocated via a suggested command weight neural network for each DC motor. Three inputs of this network are diagnostic outputs of the neural network motor controller. Commands minimize time, energy expended, and error while attempting to reduce stress on motors experiencing extremes in loading, friction, or stiffness. This diagnostic control, combined with knowledge of a best vector of approach provided by an object grasp category network, enables the hand to attempt an accurate and stable first grasp of an object. >
Dysfunctional fat cells, lipotoxicity and type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. Considerable evidence implicates altered fat topography and defects in adipocyte metabolism in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. In individuals who develop type 2 diabetes, fat cells tend to be enlarged. Enlarged fat cells are resistant to the antilipolytic effects of insulin, leading to day-long elevated plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels. Chronically increased plasma FFA stimulates gluconeogenesis, induces hepatic and muscle insulin resistance, and impairs insulin secretion in genetically predisposed individuals. These FFA-induced disturbances are referred to as lipotoxicity. Enlarged fat cells also have diminished capacity to store fat. When adipocyte storage capacity is exceeded, lipid 'overflows' into muscle and liver, and possibly the beta-cells of the pancreas, exacerbating insulin resistance and further impairing insulin secretion. In addition, dysfunctional fat cells produce excessive amounts of insulin resistance-inducing, inflammatory and atherosclerosis-provoking cytokines, and fail to secrete normal amounts of insulin-sensitizing cytokines. As more evidence emerges, there is a stronger case for targeting adipose tissue in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) agonists, for example the thiazolidinediones, redistribute fat within the body (decrease visceral and hepatic fat; increase subcutaneous fat) and have been shown to enhance adipocyte insulin sensitivity, inhibit lipolysis, reduce plasma FFA and favourably influence the production of adipocytokines. This article examines in detail the role of adipose tissue in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and highlights the potential of PPAR agonists to improve the management of patients with the condition.
The Cigarette Century: The Rise, Fall, and Deadly Persistence of the Product that Defined America

The invention of mass marketing led to cigarettes being emblazoned in advertising and film, deeply tied to modern notions of glamour and sex appeal. It is hard to find a photo of Humphrey Bogart or Lauren Bacall without a cigarette. No product has been so heavily promoted or has become so deeply entrenched in American consciousness. And no product has received such sustained scientific scrutiny. The development of new medical knowledge demonstrating the dire harms of smoking ultimately shaped the evolution of evidence-based medicine. In response, the tobacco industry engineered a campaign of scientific disinformation seeking to delay, disrupt, and suppress these studies. Using a massive archive of previously secret documents, historian Allan Brandt shows how the industry pioneered these campaigns, particularly using special interest lobbying and largesse to elude regulation. But even as the cultural dominance of the cigarette has waned and consumption has fallen dramatically in the U. S. , Big Tobacco remains securely positioned to expand into new global markets. The implications for the future are vast: 100 million people died of smoking-related diseases in the 20th century; in the next 100 years, we expect 1 billion deaths worldwide.
Identifying factors associated with disability-related differences in breast cancer screening (United States).

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify factors that could explain breast cancer underutilization among women age 40 and older with disabilities. Methods: The data are part of the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a nationally representative sample of medical care use and expenditures in the United States. Two different definitions of disability were used: limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) and limitations in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Annual mammography was used as the outcome measure. The data are restricted to noninstitutionalized women at least 40 years of age. Results: Crude odds ratios showed that women with long-term limitations in their ADLs or IADLs were less likely to be screened for breast cancer compared to those without such limitations. These associations remained while controlling for possible confounders and were observed among women age 40 or older, those 50–69, and among women 70 years of age and older. Conclusions: Reasons for the underutilization of breast cancer screening among women with long-term disabilities remain elusive. Future studies need to examine additional factors in order to improve screening use, especially among women with long-term disabilities who are 50–69 years of age, for whom screening has been shown to be beneficial in terms of reduced risk of mortality from breast cancer.
Advanced base station precoding and user receiver designs for LTE-Advanced networks

One of the key challenges to enable high data rates in the downlink of LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) is the precoding and receiver design. In this work, we focus primarily on the UE and the base station (BS) processing, particularly on estimating and using the interference resulting from strong neighboring stations. In this paper, we propose a novel receiver design that performs well in the presence of interference. Furthermore, we present a precoding scheme that the BS can use to maximize the signal-to-interference plus noise-ratio (SINR). The proposed algorithm performs well under high speed channels. The limitations of the Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) receiver have been discussed and it was used for comparison purposes with the proposed approach. Finally, an interference free scenario is used as a benchmark to evaluate the proposed system performance.
Coronal Structures, Local and Global

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the magnetic topology and physical properties of the sun’s corona, as revealed primarily by X-ray imagery.
Hexamethyl Dewar Benzene

Hexamethyl dewar benzene reactant: 100 g (1.85 mol) of 2-butyne product: hexamethyl Dewar benzene Keywords: addition, to CC; annulation, carbocyclic-[M,N]; cyclization, cycloaddition; aluminum trichloride; benzene; hexamethyl dewar benzene
The Elusive Embryo: How Men and Women Approach New Reproductive Technologies; Ideologies and Technologies of Motherhood: Race, Class, Sexuality, Nationalism

The Elusive Embryo: How Men and Women Approach New Reproductive Technologies. Gay Becker. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000.x. 320 pp. Ideologies and Technologies of Motherhood: Race, Class, Sexuality, Nationalism. Helena Ragone and France Winddance Twine. eds. New York: Routledge, 2000. xvii. 330 pp.
Quantitative analysis of three-dimensional tubular tree structures

Quantitative assessment of tree structures is very important for evaluation of airway or vascular tree morphology and its associated function. Our skeletonization and branch-point identification method provides a basis for tree quantification or tree matching, tree-branch diameter measurement in any orientation, and labeling individual branch segments. All main components of our method were specifically developed to deal with imaging artifacts typically present in volumetric medical image data. The proposed method has been tested in a computer phantom subjected to changes of its orientation as well as in a repeatedly CT-scanned rigid plastic phantom. In all cases, our method produced reliable and well positioned centerlines and branch-points.
Submonolayer island formation and the onset of multilayer growth during Ag/Ag(100) homoepitaxy

Abstract Results from a scanning tunneling microscopy study are presented for the initial stages of Ag/Ag(100) homoepitaxy, and behavior is analyzed via Monte Carlo simulations of an appropriate lattice-gas model. Submonolayer nucleation and growth of two-dimensional islands is examined for substrate temperatures, T, between 295 and 370 K. The variation with flux of the mean island density, Nav, reveals that island formation is effectively irreversible at 295 K, and leads to an estimate of 0.38 eV for the terrace diffusion barrier (using an attempt frequency of 1013/s). The variation of Nav with T reveals a transition to reversible island formation at around 320 K. This transition temperature (and the T-dependence of Nav) are used to extract an effective value of 0.3 eV for the bond energy of an adsorbed dimer, assuming nearest-neighbor pairwise-additive interactions between adsorbed atoms. We indicate how the actual dimer bond energy could differ, e.g. in the presence of biased diffusion of separated adatom pairs which enhances their recombination, and thus increases effective dimer stability. The onset of multilayer growth, and specifically the formation of second-layer islands, is examined at 295 K to assess the degree of interlayer transport. Comparison with simulations yields an estimate of 30 meV for the effective value of an additional step-edge barrier (using an attempt frequency of 1013/s). Using this result, subsequent multilayer kinetic roughening is predicted, consistent with experimental observations.
Multivariate predictors of failed prehospital endotracheal intubation.

Objectives: Conventionally trained out-of-hospital rescuers (such as paramedics) often fail to accomplish endotracheal intubation (ETI) in patients requiring invasive airway management. Previous studies have identified univariate variables associated with failed out-of-hospital ETI but have not examined the interaction between the numerous factors impacting ETI success. This study sought to use multivariate logistic regression to identify a set of factors associated with failed adult out-of-hospital ETI. Methods: The authors obtained clinical and demographic data from the Prehospital Airway Collaborative Evaluation, a prospective, multicentered observational study involving advanced life support (ALS) emergency medical services (EMS) systems in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Providers used standard forms to report details of attempted ETI, including system and patient demographics, methods used, difficulties encountered, and initial outcomes. The authors excluded data from sedation-facilitated and neuromuscular blockade-assisted intubations. The main outcome measure was ETI failure, defined as failure to successfully place an endotracheal tube on the last out-of-hospital laryngoscopy attempt. Logistic regression was performed to develop a multivariate model identifying factors associated with failed ETI. Results: Data were used from 45 ALS systems on 663 adult ETIs attempted during the period June 1, 2001, to November 30, 2001. There were 89 cases of failed ETI (failure rate 13.4%). Of 61 factors potentially related to ETI failure, multivariate logistic regression revealed the following significant covariates associated with ETI failure (odds ratio; 95% confidence interval; likelihood ratio p-value): presence of clenched jaw/trismus (9.718; 95% CI = 4.594 to 20.558; p < 0.0001); inability to pass the endotracheal tube through the vocal cords (7.653; 95% CI = 3.561 to 16.447; p < 0.0001); inability to visualize the vocal cords (7.638; 95% CI = 3.966 to 14.707; p < 0.0001); intact gag reflex (7.060; 95% CI = 3.552 to 14.033; p < 0.0001); intravenous access established prior to ETI attempt (3.180; 95% CI = 1.640 to 6.164; p = 0.0005); increased weight (ordinal scale) (1.555; 95% CI = 1.242 to 1.947; p = 0.0001); and electrocardiographic monitoring established prior to ETI attempt (0.199; 95% CI = 0.084 to 0.469; p = 0.0003). This model was the most parsimonious of the models evaluated and demonstrated good fit (Hosmer-Lemeshow test p = 0.471) and discrimination (area under ROC curve = 0.906). There were no significant interaction terms. Conclusions: The authors used multivariate logistic regression to identify a set of factors associated with failure to accomplish ETI in adult out-of-hospital patients. Findings from this analysis could provide the basis for clinical protocols or decision rules aimed at minimizing the incidence of out-of-hospital ETI failure.
Characterizing regional economic impacts and responses to climate change

Abstract While much progress has been made in recent years in modeling the impacts of greenhouse gases on global climate and impacts of global climate change on regional climates, much less progress has been made in modeling economic impacts and responses to climate change, particularly at a regional level. This lack of progress is due, in large part, to the fact that there is no generally accepted framework for characterizing the regional economic impacts of, and responses to, climate change. The objective of this paper is to make a start at such a framework. We divide economic impacts at a regional level into four broad categories: direct impacts on production of market goods and services; direct impacts on production of nonmarket goods and services; indirect impacts on other economic sectors within the region; and indirect impacts operating through other regions and countries. We go on to consider two modeling frameworks for responses to climate change: static, in which regional capital stocks, technologies, and public and private institutions are exogenous; and dynamic, in which these variables are endogenous. Dynamic responses in capital stocks, technologies, and institutions are likely to be the most important adaptations to climate change and its effects on ecosystems, but also the least well understood at the present time.
The Applications of In Situ Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy to the Study of Electron Beam Nanofabrication

An in situ electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) technique has been developed to investigate the dynamic processes associated with electron-beam nanofabrication on thin membranes. In this article, practical applications germane to e-beam nanofabrication are illustrated with a case study of the drilling of nanometer-sized pores in silicon nitride membranes. This technique involves successive acquisitions of the plasmon-loss and the core-level ionization-loss spectra in real time, both of which provide the information regarding the hole-drilling kinetics, including two respective rates for total mass loss, individual nitrogen and silicon element depletion, and the change of the atomic bonding environment. In addition, the in situ EELS also provides an alternative method for endpoint detection with a potentially higher time resolution than by imaging. On the basis of the time evolution of in situ EELS spectra, a qualitative working model combining knock-on sputtering, irradiation-induced mass transport, and phase separation can be proposed.
Signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging after allograft double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Purpose To evaluate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) graft signal intensity after allograft double-bundle (DB) anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and determine the relationship between signal intensity and time from surgery.
Há alternativas ao uso dos transgênicos

A existencia ou nao de alternativa ao uso de transgenicos capaz de satisfazer a demanda mundial por alimento e nutrientes e uma questao que permanece aberta a investigacao cientifica. A importância dos transgenicos ainda nao esta bem fundamentada no conhecimento cientifico disponivel, em parte porque as conquistas e o potencial da agroecologia nao foram objeto de atencao cientifica suficiente.
The market effects of acquisition-related foreign direct investments in the U.S.

Abstract Theories of foreign direct investment (PDI) indicate that both location and firm specific advantages must be present for FDI to be feasible. These advantages can be readily exploited by expansion through the utilization of external markets. Therefore, international acquisitions can best be explained by the perceived benefits associated with intemalization. Acquisitions allow bidders to capture partially the gains associated with internalization of markets for their products and services, and to partially distribute them to target firm shareholders. The results of this study support the hypothesis that target shareholders receive abnormal positive returns. However, returns to bidder stockholders are zero, indicating that either investors do not price positively the benefits of FDI, or that costs associated with managerial perquisites, the winner's curse, and ineffective utilization of free cash flow outweigh positive FDI benefits.
Leo Strauss and Relativism: the Critique of Max Weber

Abstract Leo Strauss criticizes Max Weber as an historicist whose relativism mars the ethical quality of his work. Strauss suggests that Weber escapes this presumptive relativism by a religious route, namely, by grounding values in revelation and by professing to await another revelation which would save us from relativism. This paper argues, in Weber's defence, against the charges of relativism and historicism. Strauss slights Weber's own understanding of ‘value free’ scientific inquiry. Value freedom can be interpreted not only as a methodological principle but also as a moral purpose.
Spectroscopic Study of Ionic Adjustments in the Electric Double Layer of Montmorillonite

Abstract Prior studies with clays have shown that σδ, the charge density in the Outer Helmholtz Plane (OHP), becomes increasingly negative as the electrolyte concentration is increased. This change in σδ could be due to (1) movement of cations out of the Stern layer, (2) movement of anions into the Stern layer, or (3) the inward displacement of the OHP. Ions in the Stern layer of a 2:1 clay mineral should be close enough to its surface oxygens, which are the basal oxygens of silica tetrahedra, to affect the Si-O vibrations in these tetrahedra. Therefore, infrared spectroscopy was used to determine how the Si-O vibrations in montmorillonite were affected by increasing the concentration of LiCl, NaCl, and KCl when the adsorbed cations were Li+, Na+, and K+, respectively, and by increasing the concentration of NaCl, NaBr, and NaI when the adsorbed cation was Na+. The results showed that the molar absorptivity, ϵ, at the frequency of Si-O stretching, decreased with increasing electrolyte concentration in all cases, that the values of ϵ at any electrolyte concentration varied with the species of adsorbed cation in the order Li+ > Na+ > K+, and that the value of ϵ at any electrolyte concentration was the same when the anions were Cl-, Br-, and I-. Reference to the literature shows that the adsorption intensities of the three cations on montmorillonite are in the order K+ > Na+ > Li+. Consequently, the increasing negativity of σδ with increasing electrolyte concentration could not have been due to either the movement of cations out of the Stern layer or the movement of anions into the Stern layer. It must have been due to the inward displacement of the OHP.
Comparison of the solubilizing capacities of ionic and nonionic surfactants for camphor.

The solubilizing capacities for camphor of one anionic, one cationic, and three nonionic surfactants have been investigated. The relative amounts of camphor solubilized were determined by measuring the areas under the ultraviolet absorption peaks. In solubilizing capacities the ionic agents, potassium laurate and dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride, were similar at low concentrations, but the anionic agent was superior at higher concentrations. The three nonionic agents, polysorbate 80, polysorbate 60, and polysorbate 40, were partially purified by ethyl acetate extraction before use. Their critical micelle concentrations were determined by a dye method to be 6.0 × 10 −3 , 4.6 × 10 −3 , and 5.5 × 10 −3 Gm./100 ml., respectively. With increasing surfactant concentrations, the amount of camphor solubilized increased similarly but in differing degrees for each of the nonionic agents. Polysorbate 60 exhibited the greatest capacity and polysorbate 80 the least. Over the range of concentrations studied, the nonionic agents exhibited greater solubilizing capacities for camphor than the ionic agents when compared on a molar basis.
Matrix model approach to the Script N = 2 U(N) gauge theory with matter in the fundamental representation

We use matrix model technology to study the = 2 U(N) gauge theory with Nf massive hypermultiplets in the fundamental representation. We perform a completely perturbative calculation of the periods ai and the prepotential (a) up to the first instanton level, finding agreement with previous results in the literature. We also derive the Seiberg-Witten curve and differential from the large-M solution of the matrix model. We show that the two cases Nf < N and N ≤ Nf < 2N can be treated simultaneously.