cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Network Externalities and Friendly Neighbors: When Firms Choose to Invite Competition

Economic theory on the subject of barriers to entry focuses almost exclusively on firms working to preserve market power and economic profits. In this paper, we propose that under certain circumstances firms may instead choose to reduce barriers to entry as a profit-maximizing mechanism. We model these conditions and predict that in some industries, an increase in the number of participating firms will induce enough growth in the industry to allow existing firms to increase profit by enticing other firms to enter the market. Using data on the National Football League, we demonstrate that firms (teams) do in fact engage in behavior to reduce barriers to entry for competitors and thereby increase their own profits. This model differs from the standard agglomeration models by proposing that firms deliberately lower fixed costs for their competitors as a rational act, instead of suggesting that fixed costs are incidentally reduced due to concentration of firms.
The Influence of Friction Between Football Helmet and Jersey Materials on Force: A Consideration for Sport Safety

Context: The pocketing effect of helmet padding helps to dissipate forces experienced by the head, but if the player's helmet remains stationary in an opponent's shoulder pads, the compressive force on the cervical spine may increase. Objective: To (1) measure the coefficient of static friction between different football helmet finishes and football jersey fabrics and (2) calculate the potential amount of force on a player's helmet due to the amount of friction present. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Helmets with different finishes and different football jersey fabrics. Main Outcome Measure(s): The coefficient of friction was determined for 2 helmet samples (glossy and matte), 3 football jerseys (collegiate, high school, and youth), and 3 types of jersey numbers (silkscreened, sublimated, and stitched on) using the TAPPI T 815 standard method. These measurements determined which helmet-to-helmet, helmet-to-jersey number, and helmet-to-jersey material co...
Training Tomorrow's Environmental Journalists: Assessing the Extent of Environmental-Themed Training in College-Level Journalism Programs.

While the scale of the environmental problems facing the planet mean that effective environmental journalism is now more important than ever, the environmental beat can be extremely challenging for...
Influence of model and marker on digesta kinetic estimates for sheep.

Several models and markers are available for digesta kinetic studies. In this study, kinetic estimates derived from chromium-mordanted hay or pellets were compared to estimates derived from rare earth markers (Yb, Dy, or Er) applied individually to samples. Twelve yearling rams (52 kg) were given ad libitum access to either hay or a commercial pelleted diet in a crossover experiment. Digesta kinetic estimates were obtained both by nonlinear analysis with two age-independent rates (G1G1) or with gamma time dependency in the fast compartment (G2G1 to G4G1) and by linear regression of natural log transformed fecal marker concentrations (LN method of estimate). Model did not influence total tract (P > .21) or ruminal mean retention times (P > .87). Partitioning of total retention time was similar (P > .21) for the LN, G3G1, and G4G1 models, but the G1G1 and G2G1 models did not adequately fit these data. Nonlinear models overestimated, and LN underestimated, fecal DM output by 9% (SEM = 4.7) for the hay diet. All the nonlinear models provided fecal DM output estimates that were within 5% of actual fecal DM output, but the LN model underestimated it by 18% (SEM = 3.3) for the pelleted diet. Ruminal outflow rate was slower (P < .01) and both ruminal and total mean retention time estimates were longer (P < .01) for Cr than for the rare earths. Despite the marker chosen, relative diet effects were similar. The three rare earth markers gave identical results for digesta kinetic estimates, indicating that they are useful for simultaneous study of more than one ingredient or particle, but direct comparison of rare earth and Cr-mordant passage rates is not advisable.
Zonal flow generation in inertial confinement fusion implosions

A supervised machine learning algorithm trained on a multi-petabyte dataset of inertial confinement fusion simulations has identified a class of implosions that robustly achieve high yield, even in the presence of drive variations and hydrodynamic perturbations. These implosions are purposefully driven with a time-varying asymmetry, such that coherent flow generation during hotspot stagnation forces the capsule to self-organize into an ovoid, a shape that appears to be more resilient to shell perturbations than spherical designs. This new class of implosions, whose configurations are reminiscent of zonal flows in magnetic fusion devices, may offer a path to robust inertial fusion.
Feasibility of using a video diary methodology with older African Americans living alone

ObjectivesThe goal of this research was to determine whether video diary, a qualitative, self-recorded, video-ethnographic method, is feasible for use among older African Americans (AAs) who live a...
THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF NON-TRAUMATIC MAJOR LOWER EXTREMITY AMPUTATIONS IN TEXAS

Lower extremity non-traumatic amputations (LEA) carry significant risk of morbidity and mortality. The rates of LEA in the State of Texas remain higher than the United States national average. The purpose of this study was to evaluate data from the Texas Inpatient Hospital Discharge dataset to
The Role of Quality Metrics in Improving Oncologic Survival

Clinical quality metrics have become ubiquitous in modern health care. The primary goal is to improve patient care delivery and overall outcomes, but they have also been tied to reimbursement and general quality improvement efforts. Numerous organizations have developed and/or promoted the use of quality metrics, including many for oncology. Ultimately, the hope is that increased use of well-conceived quality metrics will lead to improved survival. This chapter outlines the approach taken by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC), and highlights recent data on the relationship between quality measures and improvements in survival.
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma originating in the spermatic cord.

ABSTRACT:An otherwise healthy 57-year-old man was found to have an early stage, high-grade, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of the spermatic cord. A plan of treatment involving surgery, radiation therapy, combination chemotherapy, and central nervous system prophylaxis was recommended. He did not compl
Ribulosebisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase in Marine Organisms*

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the general characteristics of the ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase enzyme in marine organisms. The different approaches adopted to use Rubisco as a tool are examined to determine the biochemistry and physiological ecology of a diverse array of marine organisms. The sites and rates of autotrophic CO and fixation in different marine ecosystems are also discussed. Rubisco is the key catalytic enzyme in the primary synthesis of organic C, which fuels all living systems. It is the most abundant protein in the world. Rubisco functions as either a carboxylase or an oxygenase; the relative activities of the two reactions are controlled by the proportion of CO 2 to O 2 , the kinetics of the enzyme, and the metabolism of the cell. In marine habitats, Rubisco is found in photoautotrophic prokaryotes and eukaryotes and various chemoautotrophic bacteria, which fix CO 2 through the energy released from oxidizing an inorganic compound. It is feasible to determine the in situ rate of chemoautotrophic CO 2 fixation by marine nitrifying bacteria from Rubisco carboxylase activity. Combined autoradiography–immunofluorescence techniques are used with enzyme measurements to establish the variations in rates of chemoautotrophic CO.
The impact of chlorhexidine gluconate bathing on skin bacterial burden of neonates admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

To assess the impact of chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing on skin bacterial burden in neonates. In this prospective observational study, arm and groin skin bacterial growth was measured in 40 CHG-exposed and nonexposed neonates admitted to the NICU. Exposed neonates received 2% CHG baths per protocol for central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) prevention or Staphylococcus aureus decolonization. Forty neonates were enrolled, 18 of whom were CHG-exposed. Mean baseline Gram-positive (GP) bacterial burden was 2.19 log CFU/ml on the arm and 1.81 log CFU/ml on the groin. Bacterial burden decreased after the first bath, but returned to baseline by 72 h. Residual skin CHG concentration declined over time, with a corresponding increase in GP bacterial burden. CHG bathing reduces skin bacterial burden, but burden returns to baseline after 72 h. Twice weekly CHG bathing may be inadequate to suppress skin bacterial growth in hospitalized neonates.
Usefulness of the Echocardiographic Calcium Score to Refine Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events Beyond the Traditional Framingham Risk Score.

Echocardiographic calcifications are associated with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). A recently described semiquantitative Global Cardiac Calcium Score (GCCS) has been associated with mortality and stroke, with increasing scores associated with increasing risk. This score assigns points for calcium in the aortic root and valve, mitral valve and annulus, and submitral apparatus, with additional points for restricted leaflet mobility. We tested the hypothesis that the GCCS could improve prediction of MACE beyond traditional risk scores. This was a retrospective study of 216 subjects from a general echocardiography database (mean age 59 ± 15; 51% male). Follow-up was 3.8 ± 1.7 years. The Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE) were applied to each patient. Mean GCCS was 3.2 ± 2. In the total cohort, GCCS predicted MACE (myocardial infarction, stroke, all-cause mortality), even after adjusting for FRS (odd ratio 1.19, p = 0.03). There were 106 subjects (49%) in the low-risk FRS group, 71 (33%) in the intermediate-risk group, and 39 (18%) in the high-risk group. GCCS ≥3 was associated with increased MACE (vs
A Critical and Intersectional Model of LGBTQ Microaggressions: Toward a More Comprehensive Understanding.

This article summarizes a proposed critical and intersectional model of LGBTQ microaggressions that can be used by scholars and practitioners from multiple disciplines. Drawing on critical and inte...
Post-partum Hemorrhage: Embolization and Endovascular Management

• Post-partum hemorrhage (PPH) is the most common cause of maternal mortality world-wide. • PPH is defined as greater than 500 ml blood loss for vaginal deliveries or greater than 1000 ml for cesarean deliveries. • PPH generally occurs in the immediate peri-partum period. • Most common etiology is uterine atony (occurs in 5% of deliveries). • Other etiologies: genital tract lacerations, episiotomy, retained products of conception, abnormal placentation, intra-uterine pseudoaneurysm or arteriovenous fistula.
Repeat presentation of large rectal foreign body requiring surgical intervention

Irretrievable rectal foreign bodies can cause significant distress and generally require emergency medical attention. While smaller objects can often be removed trans-anally, larger objects typically require more invasive intervention. Here, we report the case of a 57-year-old man who had previously presented to the emergency department with a baseball lodged in the rectosigmoid that required a laparotomy. One year later, he represented with a significantly larger object also affixed in the rectosigmoid. Exploratory laparotomy revealed an edematous, inflamed bowel with extensive adhesions from the pervious surgery. Given the degree of tissue damage and large size of the object, the decision was made to perform a Hartmann's procedure. The object, an 11 × 10 cm rubber chew toy, was successfully removed and the patient was referred to the appropriate mental health professionals during follow-up.
Is there a benefit to patients using wearable devices such as Fitbit or Health Apps on Mobiles?: A systematic review

Wearable devices have become a standard health care intervention with emerging health care technologies. These devices are designed to promote healthy behaviors and decrease risk for chronic disease like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The purpose of this study was to provide evidence of the benefit of wearable devices in chronic disease outcomes among adults. Systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, World Health Organization international clinical trials registry platform, BMC ISRCTN registry, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers was performed based upon the PRISMA guideline. Included articles were randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental studies with health outcomes published in English up to October 2018. Studies focusing on adults were selected. Three investigators reviewed the selected publications and made agreement on final selection. Of a total of 550 publications extracted, 6 studies met the final criteria. There was little indication that wearable devices provide a benefit for health outcomes. Of the 6 studies examined, only one study showed a significant reduction for weight loss among participants who used wearable devices. No significant reduction was discovered in cholesterol or blood pressure. Among the 6 studies, only one study examined hemoglobin A1c, and it showed a significant reduction in older patients with type 2 diabetes. The current literature evaluating wearable devices indicates little benefit of the devices on chronic disease health outcomes. Wearable devices play a role as a facilitator in motivating and accelerating physical activity, but current data do not suggest other consistent health benefits.
Physiological Demands of Extreme Obstacle Course Racing: A Case Study.

Obstacle course races are a popular source of recreation in the United States, providing additional challenges over traditional endurance events. Despite their popularity, very little is known about the physiological or cognitive demands of obstacle course races compared to traditional road races. The purpose of this study was to investigate the physiological effects of participation in an extreme obstacle course race. The participant was a 38-year-old Caucasian male, who completed an extreme obstacle course race over a 24-h period. Exercise intensity, steps taken, energy expenditure, and heart rate were recorded over the event’s duration using an Actigraph Link GT9X-BT accelerometer and a Polar heart rate monitor. Results reflected the unique nature of obstacle course racing when compared to traditional endurance events, with ups-and-downs recorded in each variable due to the encountering of obstacles. This case study provides a glimpse into the physiological demands of obstacle course racing, and suggests that the cognitive demands placed on competitors may differ to traditional endurance events, due to the challenges of obstacles interspersed throughout the event. With the popularity of obstacle course racing, and to enhance training opportunities, improve performance, and decrease the incidence of injuries, future research should further investigate the physiological and cognitive demands of obstacle course races of various distances and among diverse populations.
The use of support vectors from support vector machines for hydrometeorologic monitoring network analyses

Abstract Hydrometeorologic monitoring networks are ubiquitous in contemporary earth-system science. Network stakeholders often inquire about the importance of sites and their locations when discussing funding and monitoring design. Support vector machines (SVMs) can be useful by their assigning each monitoring site as either a support or nonsupport vector. A potentiometric surface was created from synthetic data and 800 random observation locations (sites) as an analog to a groundwater-level network. Using generalized additive models for potentiometric surface prediction, simulations show that a subsample of support vectors from the 800 sites will out perform random samples of sample size equaling the support vector count. Support vector percentages from simulation quantify the recurrence that SVMs assign each site as a support vector, and these percentages in turn measure site importance. An example application of support vector percentages identifies important monitoring sites needed to regionalize the 0.1 annual exceedance probability peak streamflow. The results indicate that 152 of 283 streamgages with support vector percentages equalling 100 percent have not operated since about 2000 and generally have much smaller drainage areas than the greater streamgage network in Texas. The drainage area disparity is an indication of historical imbalance in peak streamflow data acquisition from various stream sizes in Texas.
DPP4 Inhibition, NPY1-36, PYY1-36, SDF-1α and a Hypertensive Genetic Background Conspire to Augment Cell Proliferation and Collagen Production: Effects That Are Abolished by Low Concentrations of 2-Methoxyestradiol

By reducing their metabolism, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibition (DPP4I) enhances the effects of numerous peptides including neuropeptide Y1-36 (NPY1-36), peptide YY1-36 (PYY1-36), and SDF-1α Studies show that separately NPY1-36, PYY1-36 and SDF-1α stimulate proliferation of, and collagen production by, cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), preglomerular vascular smooth muscle cells (PGVSMCs), and glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs), particularly in cells isolated from genetically hypertensive rats. Whether certain combinations of these factors, in the absence or presence of DPP4I, are more profibrotic than others is unknown. Here we contrasted 24 different combinations of conditions (DPP4I, hypertensive genotype and physiologic levels [3 nM] of NPY1-36, PYY1-36, or SDF-1α) on proliferation of, and [3H]-proline incorporation by, CFs, PGVSMCs, and GMCs. In all three cell types, the various treatment conditions differentially increased proliferation and [3H]-proline incorporation, with a hypertensive genotype + DPP4I + NPY1-36 + SDF-1α being the most efficacious combination. Although the effects of this four-way combination were similar in male versus female CFs, physiologic (1 nM) concentrations of 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME; nonestrogenic metabolite of 17β-estradiol), abolished the effects of this combination in both male and female CFs. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that CFs, PGVSMCs, and GMCs are differentially activated by various combinations of NPY1-36, PYY1-36, SDF-1α, a hypertensive genetic background and DPP4I. We hypothesize that as these progrowth conditions accumulate, a tipping point would be reached that manifests in the long term as organ fibrosis and that 2ME would obviate any profibrotic effects of DPP4I, even under the most profibrotic conditions (i.e., hypertensive genotype with high NPY1-36 + SDF-1α levels and low 2ME levels). SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This work elucidates combinations of factors that could contribute to long-term profibrotic effects of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors and suggests a novel drug combination that could prevent any potential profibrotic effects of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors while augmenting the protective effects of this class of antidiabetic agents.
Prolapsed Umbilical Cord

A 28-year-old woman, G1P0, and in labor at term, ruptures her amniotic membranes while the fetal head is still floating high up and well out of the pelvis. Amniotic fluid gushes out of her vagina and something else comes out as well—the umbilical cord! (L-1) The nurse dons sterile gloves and puts her right hand into the patient’s vagina to feel for the fetal head. She feels the umbilical cord pulsating against her right wrist as her finger tips touch the baby’s head and she pushes the head gently upward to keep it from coming any lower and compressing the cord against the pelvis (L-2). She calls for help in a loud voice since she cannot reach the Code Blue button from her current position.
Perioperative Considerations for the Fontan Patient Requiring Noncardiac Surgery

Children and adults with congenital heart disease undergoing noncardiac surgery are at higher risk of perioperative adverse events. Patients have significant comorbidities and syndromic associations that increase perioperative risk further. The complexity of congenital heart disease requires a thorough understanding of lesion-specific pathophysiology in order to provide safe care. Comprehensive multidisciplinary planning and the use of skilled and experienced teams achieve the best outcomes. The anesthesiologist is a perioperative physician charged with providing safe anesthesia care, instituting appropriate hemodynamic monitoring, and determining appropriate postoperative disposition on an individual basis.
Utility of radiographic measurements to predict echocardiographic left heart enlargement in dogs with preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease.

Background Evaluation of left heart size helps determine disease severity in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). Hypothesis/objectives Determine the ability of radiographic vertebral heart size (VHS) and vertebral left atrial size (VLAS) to predict LHEECHO in dogs with preclinical MMVD. Animals Seventy client-owned dogs with MMVD and no historical or present clinical or radiographic evidence of congestive heart failure (CHF). Methods Retrospective cross-sectional study of dogs with same-day echocardiography and thoracic radiography. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the ability of VHS, VLAS, and VHS + VLAS to discern dogs with and without LHEECHO , and clinically relevant cutpoints for these radiographic measurements were selected. Results The ability of VHS and VHS + VLAS to predict LHEECHO was moderate (area under the curve [AUC]VHS = 0.851; 95% CI, 0.762-0.941; AUCVHS + VLAS = 0.865; 0.783-0.947), and performance of VLAS and VHS + VLAS was not different from that of VHS alone. A VHS cutpoint of >10.8 had sensitivity = 91.1% (76.3%-98.1%) and specificity = 69.4% (51.9%-83.7%) for predicting LHEECHO . A cutpoint of >11.7 had sensitivity = 32.4% (17.4%-50.5%) and specificity = 97.2% (85.5%-99.9%) for predicting LHEECHO . Thirty (43%) of the 70 dogs had a VHS value of 10.9 to 11.7. Conclusions and clinical importance Vertebral heart size >11.7 identified dogs with LHEECHO and VHS ≤ 10.8 excluded dogs with LHEECHO . A large percentage of dogs had VHS values intermediate to these cutpoints.
Quality of Diabetes and Hypertension Management at the DAWN (Dedicated to Aurora's Wellness and Needs) Student-Run Free Clinic.

Introduction Student-Run Free Clinics (SRFCs) are part of the safety-net healthcare system. Given variable settings and models, relatively little is known about the quality of care in these settings. Methods A mixed-methods evaluation of diabetes and hypertension management was conducted for patients initiating care from March 1, 2015, to September 31, 2016, at the DAWN (Dedicated to Aurora's Wellness and Needs) SRFC. Retrospective chart review assessed whether patients received recommended screening tests (process outcomes) and achieved disease control (short-term outcomes). These outcomes were compared to a local community health center (CHC), a local federally qualified health center (FQHC) network, and Colorado Medicaid (CoM) using one proportion t-tests. In-depth case studies of randomly selected individuals with good and poor disease control identified targets for quality improvement through nominal group technique. Results Diabetic patients (n=30) were recommended screening, including HbA1c (93.3%) (vs. 77.8% with CoM, p=0.04), nephropathy care (70%) (vs. 85.4% with CoM, p=0.02), retinopathy examination (30%) (vs. 40.47% with CoM, p=0.24). Diabetic short-term outcomes showed 46.6% with poor control (vs. 61.1% at the CHC, p=0.10; vs. 30.62% at the FQHC, p=0.06; vs. 55% with CoM, p=0.10). Patients with hypertension (n=75) 33.3% had controlled (<140/90) blood pressure (vs. 49.2% at the CHC, p<0.01; vs. 61.1% at the FQHC, p<0.01; vs. 58.9% with CoM, p<0.01). Themes for quality improvement included improving follow-up, documentation and data collection, clinic processes, and addressing barriers to care. Discussion DAWN outcomes were comparable to other safety-net providers for diabetes, similar to findings in evaluations conducted by other SRFCs. However, DAWN did not have equivalent outcomes for hypertension in contrast to other published findings from SRFCs. Poor access to care and baseline chronic disease control among DAWN patients may have contributed to these findings. Conclusions While this study is not directly generalizable to all SRFC models and communities, these results contribute to the growing body of data around SRFCs and chronic disease management and indicate that SRFCs may have a role in the safety-net healthcare system. However, more study is needed to ensure that SRFCs can provide high-quality care because otherwise efforts should focus on other strategies to expand access within the safety-net system.
Long-range propagation of plasmon and phonon polaritons in hyperbolic-metamaterial waveguides

We study photonic multilayer waveguides that include layers of materials and metamaterials with a hyperbolic dispersion (HMM). We consider the long-range propagation of plasmon and phonon polaritons at the dielectric–HMM interface in different waveguide geometries (single boundary or different layers of symmetric cladding). In contrast to the traditional analysis of geometrical parameters, we make an emphasis on the optical properties of constituent materials: solving dispersion equations, we analyze how dielectric and HMM permittivities affect propagation length and mode size of waveguide eigenmodes. We derive figures of merit that should be used for each waveguide in a broad range of permittivity values as well as compare them with plasmonic waveguides. We show that the conventional plasmonic quality factor, which is the ratio of real to imaginary parts of permittivity, is not applicable to the case of waveguides with complex structure. Both telecommunication wavelengths and mid-infrared spectral ranges are of interest considering recent advances in van der Waals materials, such as hexagonal boron nitride. We evaluate the performance of the waveguides with hexagonal boron nitride in the range where it possesses hyperbolic dispersion (wavelength 6.3–7.3 μm), and we show that these waveguides with natural hyperbolic properties have higher propagation lengths than metal-based HMM waveguides.
Early Recanalization of a Traumatic Coronary Artery Dissection With Medical Therapy Alone.

Abstract We describe a patient who presents with chest discomfort 30 h after having an accident with an all-terrain vehicle. His follow-up coronary computed tomography angiogram revealed early reca...
Neural Vulnerability Factors That Predict Future Weight Gain.

The current article discusses five neural vulnerability theories for weight gain and reviews evidence from prospective studies using imaging and behavioral measures reflecting neural function, as well as randomized experiments with humans and animals that are consistent or inconsistent with these theories. Recent prospective imaging studies examining predictors of weight gain and response to obesity treatment, and repeated-measures imaging studies before and after weight gain and loss have advanced knowledge of etiologic processes and neural plasticity resulting from weight change. Overall, data provide strong support for the incentive sensitization theory of obesity and moderate support for the reward surfeit theory, inhibitory control deficit theory, and dynamic vulnerability model of obesity, which attempted to synthesize the former theories into a single etiologic model. Data provide little support for the reward deficit theory. Important directions for future studies are delineated.
Optical Identification of Phytoplankton Groups in the Chesapeake Bay: Toward Application of a Hyperspectral Algorithm to Aid Resource Managers

Multi- to hyperspectral evolution of satellite ocean color sensors is advancing space- based coastal ocean science and applications. An approach for optically partitioning phytoplankton (microalgae) communities into component groups is being developed for the Chesapeake Bay.
A hybrid system model and overlapping decomposition for vehicle flight formation control

The overlapping control design approach has recently been extended by Iftar and Ozguner to cover hybrid systems. In this paper we demonstrate the utility of the approach with a new example from flight formation control. A group of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are required to fly in some desired formations in some situations. However, coordination and management within a close formation flight group is still a critical issue. Because of the interconnection and interactions of subsystems in a formation flight group, it is difficult to design the controllers. In this paper, we first introduce a hybrid system model and consider a triangle as a basic element of flight formation, so that a more general configuration is decomposed into several triangular subsystems. By applying the inclusion and extension principles from overlapping control theory, the system is expanded into several triangular subsystems that do not interconnect with each other. Upon contraction, examples show that the controllers work effectively.
Recent trends in cesarean section use in California.

Abstract Cesarean section use in the United States has increased to 24.7% of deliveries in 1988 and is the most common hospital surgical procedure. California cesarean section rates were examined to measure recent trends in obstetric practices and to project future patterns of cesarean section use. Using discharge abstracts from 1983 to 1987 California hospital deliveries, total cesarean section rates were found to increase from nearly 22% in 1983 to 25% in 1987, an increase of 15%. Using a series of least-squares regression models, time trends in the distribution of indications associated with cesarean section among all deliveries and indication-specific cesarean section rates were evaluated. Increases in the number of women with previous cesarean section and fetal distress contributed to rising cesarean section rates. In addition, indication-specific cesarean section rates increased for breech presentation and dystocia. These trends were counterbalanced, in part, by declining rates of repeat cesarean sections. Trends noted for July 1985 through 1987 did not differ substantially from those observed for January 1983 to June 1985, suggesting that recent policy attempts to alter cesarean section use have not had a measurable effect on existing trends. Projections suggest that California cesarean section rates will rise to a level of 34% by the year 2000.
Culture and corruption: A concurrent application of Hofstede's, Schwartz's and Inglehart's frameworks

Purpose – This study aims at investigating the effects of cultural values on corruption by integrating Hofstede's, Schwartz's, and Inglehart's frameworks. Design/methodology/approach – First, corruption is conceptualized and Schwartz's, Hofstede's and Inglehart's cultural dimensions are presented. In the second part, the relationships among concepts are discussed and the hypotheses, variables, and theoretical models are presented. Then, the empirical tests are conducted, the theoretical/managerial implications are discussed, and an integrative model is proposed. Findings – The empirical analysis confirms that after controlling for the effects of socio-economic development, cultural values have considerable influence on the level of perceived corruption. More specifically, it is found that Hofstede's High Power Distance, High Uncertainty Avoidance, Masculinity and Collectivism, Schwartz's Conservatism and Harmony, and Inglehart's Survival and Traditional-religious dimensions are associated with the corrupt...
Hedge Funds: The Misunderstood Investment Vehicle

Surprisingly enough, the financial crisis of 2008 has put a bright spotlight on hedge funds once again. In fact, Title IV of the Dodd-Frank act of 2010 places a host of additional regulations on hedge funds through modifications of the Investment Advisor Act of 1940. Yet, hedge funds had little to do with the crisis and fared better than most other investment classes. In this chapter, we examine the misunderstood asset class known as hedge funds. We review the basics of what makes a hedge fund, including legal characteristics, business characteristics, and the types of strategies that different hedge funds engage in. We also compare hedge funds with other closely related alternative assets: private equity funds and venture capital funds. We then re-examine the often-raised question of whether hedge funds add value or not and discuss whether hedge funds are really dangerous, whether they need more regulation, and whether regulations would do anything to benefit society. We find, as found in previous analyses, that hedge funds offer investors both diversification benefits and excess returns.
The New Russian Army, by Mikhail Barabanov, (ed.)

Anatoly Serdukov became Russia's first civilian Defense Minister in 2007, carrying in his hands a plan—backed by political and financial support from the Kremlin—for the reform of the Russian milit...
Banking on the FED: QE1-2-3 and the Rebalancing of the Global Economy

Growing income inequality in most countries in the 1990s and 2000s led to a global shortfall between supply and demand. The US economy bridged this shortfall domestically and globally by blowing successive equity market and housing bubbles, but these produced ever more severe financial crises. Rebalancing after the 2008 crisis required trade surplus countries to expand their non-traded sectors, but rebalancing is never immaculate. Instead, the Federal Reserve Bank's three rounds of Large-Scale Asset Purchases, or quantitative easing, shifted investment flows towards some developed and developing economies. As a matter of accounting, capital inflows led to shrinking trade surpluses in those countries. However, their relatively undeveloped securities markets mean that rebalancing largely occurred through rising housing prices, mirroring the same unsustainable phenomenon the USA experienced in the 2000s. In effect, the USA shifted part of its unsustainably large non-traded sector back to trade surplus countr...
Fidelity to the Housing First Model and Variation in Health Service Use Within Permanent Supportive Housing.

Objective:Permanent supportive housing (PSH) programs are being implemented throughout the United States. This study examined the relationship between fidelity to the Housing First model and health service use among clients in PSH programs in California.Methods:Data from a survey of PSH program practices were merged with administrative data on service utilization to examine the association between fidelity to a benchmark program, the Housing First model, and health service use among 5,067 clients in 77 PSH programs. Regression analyses were used to compare inpatient, crisis and residential, and outpatient mental health service use between high-, mid-, and low-fidelity programs in a pre-post design.Results:During the preenrollment period, clients in mid- and high-fidelity PSH programs, compared with low-fidelity programs, used inpatient and crisis and residential services more but used outpatient mental health services less. Postenrollment, patients in high-fidelity programs showed the largest increase in ...
The Effects of Variations of the Conducting Media Inhomogeneities on the Electroretinogram

A mathematical model was developed to simulate the spatially varying ERG field at an arbitrary instant of time (e. g., the peak of the b-wave). The retina was depicted as a bioelectric source consisting of an axially symmetric double (or dipole) layer covering a little more than a hemisphere and having a spatially uniform strength. The passive volume conductor was represented in the model by electrically homogeneous regions possessing shapes and relative dimensions corresponding to the anatomy of the human eye.
Pigeons and perceptrons

Abstract The laboratory pigeon is able to classify images into natural categories such as people, trees, fish, etc. A series of experiments suggested that the pigeon does so by cueing on specific features. There was no tolerance of noise or of perspective distortion, and no recovery of the three-dimensional target. It appeared that the pigeon's capacity could be described by a diameter-limited perceptron. A second series of experiments revealed that feature detection was, in fact, translation invariant: responding extended to any permutation of the feature set. Thus, the pigeon can be more accurately described as extracting the first order invariants from an image class. This first order limitation may be tied to the near-field grain acquisition system, and may not apply to the far-field flight control system.
Microwave technology and careers in transition: the interests and activities of visitors to the Sperry Gyroscope Company's klystron plant in 1939-40

The story of the origin and impetus for the outside financial support, and to some extent the industrial effort that first made the klystron available for use in systems, is reconstructed from the visitor register for the Sperry Gyroscope Company plant in San Carlos, California, which operated only from June 1939 through November 1940 and where klystron tubes were first manufactured. The facility never had more than 12 employees, but it was a crossroads for visitors with widely different levels of interest and responsibility. The background to the activities at Sperry is given. Many of the 115 visitors who signed the register were contacted, and valuable information was obtained from them. This information is combined with information from other sources to form a historical mosaic created around individuals who played important roles in bringing new systems and equipment into being between 1940 and 1945. >
Reexpression of the type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor inhibits the malignant phenotype of simian virus 40 T antigen immortalized human prostate epithelial cells

Type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) expression is decreased in prostate cancer compared to that in noncancerous prostate epithelium. We have demonstrated that as the simian virus 40 T antigen (SV40T) immortalized human prostate epithelial cell line, P69SV40T, undergoes transformation from a poorly tumorigenic to a malignant phenotype, the M12 subline, there is a significant decrease in IGF-1R expression. In the present study, we examine the effects of reexpression of the IGF-1R on the malignant phenotype of M12 cells. The IGF-1R was reexpressed in M12 cells using a retroviral vector containing a 7-kilobase coding sequence for the IGF-1R, LISN, to create several clones of the M12-LISN cell line. As a control, M12 cells were also infected with a retroviral vector (LNL6) without the 7-kilobase IGF-1R insert (M12-LNL6 clones). Functional assays were performed with two separate clones each of M12-LNL6 and M12-LISN cells. Each clone of M12-LISN cells regained the proliferative response to IGF that was lost in the transition from P69SV40T cells to M12 cells. In addition, M12-LISN clones had a significantly decreased growth rate compared to the M12-LNL6 cells when injected s.c. in athymic/nude mice (P < 0.001). Tumorigenicity, as assessed by anchorage-independent growth of colonies in soft agar, was also decreased by 75% in the M12-LISN clones compared to that in the M12-LNL6 control cells. These data demonstrate that reexpression of the IGF-1R in a malignant human prostate epithelial cell line results in decreased tumor growth and decreased anchorage-independent colony formation independent of an increased proliferative response to IGF. Reexpression of the IGF-1R may be associated with reacquisition of the regulation of cellular proliferative and differentiation functions mediated by the IGF-1R that are lost as prostate epithelial cells undergo conversion to a malignant phenotype.
Theoretical predictions and experimental verification of surface grain structure evolution for AA6061 during hot rolling

Abstract Finite element modeling of a hot-rolled 6061 aluminum alloy was performed with the software package DEFORM TM 2-D in order to predict the localized state variables: temperature, strain, strain rate and stress. The state variables were then incorporated into a new dynamic recrystallization (DRX) model that considers both continuous dynamic recrystallization and geometric dynamic recrystallization to predict grain structure evolution near the rolled surface. The performed DRX simulation was verified by experimental results from hot-torsion and hot-rolling experiments from the literature. The recrystallized grain structure evolution along the surface of hot-rolled AA6061 was predicted with reasonable accuracy.
Trading spaces: A promissory note to solve relational mapping problems

Clark & Thornton (C&T) have demonstrated the paradox between the opacity of the transformations that underlie relational mappings and the ease with which people learn such mappings. However, C&T's trading-spaces proposal resolves the paradox only in the broadest outline. The general-purpose algorithm promised by C&T remains to be developed. The strategy of doing so is to analyze and formulate computational mechanisms for known cases of recoding.
Resonance raman analysis of chromophore structure in the lumi-R photoproduct of phytochrome

Resonance Raman vibrational spectra of the Pr, lumi-R, and Pfr forms of phytochrome have been obtained using low-temperature trapping and room temperature flow techniques in conjunction with shifted-excitation Raman difference spectroscopy (SERDS). The Pr to lumi-R photoconversion exhibits a thermal barrier and is completely blocked at 30 K, indicating that thermally assisted protein relaxation is necessary for the primary photochemistry. When Pr is converted to lumi-R, new bands appear in the C = C and C = N stretching regions at 1651, 1636, 1590, and 1569 cm-1, indicating that a significant structural change of the chromophore has occurred. The photoconversion also results in an 18 cm-1 decrease in the N-H rocking band in lumi-R. Normal mode calculations correlate this frequency drop with a change in the geometry of the C15 methine bridge of the phytochromobilin chromophore. Additionally, a C = N stretching mode marker band shifts from 1576 cm-1 in Pr to 1569 cm-1 in lumi-R and to 1552 cm-1 in Pfr. Normal mode calculations show that the frequency drop of this band in the lumi-R-->Pfr interconversion is an indication of a C14-C15 syn-->anti conformational change. Moderately intense hydrogen out-of-plane modes that occur at 805 cm-1 in Pr shift to 829 and 847 cm-1 upon photoconversion to lumi-R and are replaced by a very intense mode at 814 cm-1 in Pfr. These observations indicate that the C and D rings of the chromophore in Pr and lumi-R are moderately planar but that they become highly distorted in Pfr. This information suggests that the primary photochemistry in phytochrome is a Z-->E isomerization of the C15 = C16 bond of Pr giving lumi-R. This is followed by a thermal syn-->anti C14-C15 conformational relaxation to form Pfr. A four-state model is presented to explain the chromophore structural changes in Pr, lumi-R, and Pfr that uses hydrogen bonding to the surrounding protein to stabilize the high-energy Pfr C15 = C16, C14-C15, E,anti chromophore structure. This implicates an anchor and release mechanism between the chromophore and protein that might lead to altered biological signaling in the plant.
AVIRIS image feature separation and image data compression and reconstruction

This paper presents results for the application of the orthogonal projection (OP) filter to AVIRIS hyperspectral images of the Lunar Crater Volcanic Field in Nevada. The OP filter is a special case of the simultaneous-diagonalization (SD) filter, developed to enhance a selected feature while suppressing other features and noise in an image scene. The SD filter applies to sets of images that are e spatially invariant (SI) and in which the individual features in the image scene and noise contribute linearly and additively (LA) to the recorded pixel image intensities. The OP filter uses the original LA SI image set and the signatures of the individual features to generate a new set of images in which the distinct features are separated. Applied to AVIRIS hyperspectral images, the OP filter performs spectral unmixing. The resulting filtered images are estimates of the spatial distributions, or endmembers, of the original image features, and can be used to reconstruct estimates of the original image. Since the number of individual features is much smaller than the number of images in the original set, this represents significant data compression. However, the filtered images are not perfect due to images are not perfect due to imaging system noise and imperfections in the fit of the LA SI model to the actual AVIRIS images. As a test of the accuracy of the compression method, this paper investigates the reconstruction of the original AVIRIS images from the small set of individual feature images.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Analyzing Lists of the Characteristics of Effective Professional Development to Promote Visionary Leadership.

In recent years, different researchers and research agencies, teacher associations, national education organizations, and the U.S. Department of Education have published lists of the characteristics of effective professional development to guide school leaders in their improvement efforts. This study analyzed 13 of the better known of these lists to determine whether they were derived through similar procedures, based on similar frames of reference, and included the same elements or characteristics. Results show that individual characteristics vary widely in their frequency of inclusion in the lists and that no characteristic is consistently named in all lists. In addition, research evidence supporting most of the identfied characteristics is inconsistent and often contradictory. Implications for leaders interested in improving professional development activities are discussed, as well as ways to enhance efforts to identify the characteristics of effective professional development.
Electromagnetic radiations and cancer cause and prevention

The various types of electromagnetic radiation differ considerably in their ability to induce cancer. The potential of radiofrequency or microwave radiation and low-frequency electromagnetic radiation to alter DNA is very limited, because their energy is too low to produce substantial ionizations. They are therefore unlikely to be carcinogenic by any direct mechanism. Epidemiologic studies of the carcinogenicity of microwave radiation are basically negative. Studies of workers with relatively high exposures to low-frequency electromagnetic fields have suggested that such persons may be at somewhat elevated risk for leukemia, especially of the acute myeloid type, but the studies have had methodologic weaknesses and mixed results. The association is not proven at this point, but neither can it be ruled out. For ionizing radiation, which is clearly carcinogenic, major questions pertain to how to define the magnitude of risk from low doses and low dose rates, how to identify subgroups of people who are especially susceptible to the effects of ionizing radiation, and how to minimize radiation exposure. When fortuitous radiation exposure from manmade sources, such as radioactive releases from nuclear power plants, are examined in the context of the total exposure people receive from natural sources, medical irradiation, etc., they are almost always found to be small by comparison. Quantitatively, two sources of radiation provide the greatest opportunities for exposure reduction: abatement of radon levels in homes, and reduction in medical radiation exposures.