cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stare Decisis and the Brady Doctrine

An array of federal district court judges frustrated with the limited scope of the Supreme Court’s approach to constitutionally mandated disclosure - otherwise known as the Brady doctrine - has reinterpreted it so as to eliminate the materiality requirement in the pretrial context. After witnessing the prosecutorial abuse and chronic underdisclosure that Brady’s materiality requirement invites, as well as observing the failure of discovery reformers to remedy the doctrine’s shortcomings through other channels, these judges have provided a judicial solution by ignoring Supreme Court precedent in order to avoid the limitation on the government’s disclosure obligation that the materiality requirement creates. This practice amounts to nothing less than an abrogation of stare decisis based on the view that policy concerns necessitate this much-needed reform of the criminal discovery system. The question that remains - and that I explore in this Essay - is whether the instrumentalism underlying their decisions is acceptable, or even desirable, in light of the constitutional and normative foundations upon which stare decisis rests. This Essay proceeds in three parts. Part I provides a brief introduction to the Brady doctrine with a particular emphasis on the problems caused by the materiality standard’s application in the pretrial context, and then discusses the unsuccessful efforts that have been made to reform the rules of discovery governing the pretrial disclosure of evidence in criminal cases. Part II first contrasts the Supreme Court’s post-Brady cases with the doctrinal approach that some trial judges have taken to eliminate Brady’s materiality requirement in the pretrial context, and then concludes with a discussion of several federal district and appellate court decisions that have rejected this approach to Brady reform. Part III presents the doctrine of stare decisis and discusses its constitutional foundations as well as the rule of law and judicial economy benefits it redounds to our legal system. With these benefits in mind, I then explore the viability of the instrumentalist approach to stare decisis employed by the trial judges who have eliminated the materiality requirement. I conclude that it is not viable, and that criminal discovery reform must therefore proceed through other means.
A Review of the Clinical Indications for the Plasma Heparin Assay

The basis for the clinical indications for the use of the plasma heparin assay for anticoagulation control are reviewed, and alternatives for currently used laboratory methods of monitoring heparin therapy in selected clinical situations are recommended. Many literature references support the role of plasma heparin assay with combined heparin and warfarin therapy, with combined heparin and recombinant tissue plasminogen activator therapy, in situations in which heparin resistance is noticed in the presence of a circulating anticoagulant, and in patients receiving heparin in an unrecognized manner, as well as with the use of the low molecular weight heparins. For now, however, in the absence of any prospective clinical trials establishing the superiority of the plasma heparin assay compared with the APTT, the recommendations outlined are presented as guidelines for the more specific monitoring of heparin therapy using currently available techniques.
Predictors of acute care utilization and acute pain treatment outcomes in adults with sickle cell disease: The role of non-hematologic characteristics and baseline chronic opioid dose.

Despite its rarity in the United States, sickle cell disease accounts for a disproportionate amount of healthcare utilization and costs. The majority of this is due to acute care for painful crises. A small subpopulation of patients accounts for most these costs due to frequent visits to emergency departments and acute care facilities. Previous investigations have found that these high utilizing patients are distinguished by both a more severe disease course and certain non-hematologic characteristics, which may include higher socioeconomic status and some psychiatric and psychological characteristics. This prospective observational cohort study was undertaken to test the ability of these characteristics to prospectively predict acute pain care outcomes, including visit frequency, total opioid doses, and pain improvement at the Johns Hopkins Sickle Cell Infusion Center (SCIC). Seventy-three participants were followed for 12 months and SCIC utilization and treatment outcomes were tabulated for 378 visits. Participants who visited the SCIC most frequently had markedly worse pain improvement despite higher within-visit opioid doses. Higher utilization was associated with indicators of greater illness severity, more aggressive treatment for sickle cell disease, higher baseline opioid doses, higher socioeconomic status, greater pain-related anxiety, and a history of psychiatric treatment. Overall, poor acute pain treatment response was associated with higher utilization and higher baseline opioid doses. The pattern of association between high utilization, poor acute care outcomes, and higher baseline opioid doses is discussed in terms of prior research and future directions.
A classical analogy for quantum band formation

Electrons in an atom are confined to distinct, quantized energy levels. When atoms form solids, the interaction of the electrons causes their energy levels to split into multiple closely spaced levels, or bands, separated by forbidden regions called band gaps. Each band contains a number of energy levels equal to the number of atoms in the solid. This model of the origin of band structure can be reproduced by using a classical array of harmonic oscillators (masses connected by springs). In this system, each oscillator plays the role of an atom and its resonant frequencies play the roles of electronic energy levels. When coupled, a system of oscillators yields a spectrum of resonant frequencies and when the number of oscillators becomes sufficiently large, the system exhibits the formation of “resonant frequency bands,” similar in structure to the energy bands of an atomic solid. We experimentally demonstrate band formation using coupled harmonic oscillators and highlight the effects of both number of osci...
Canopy management of macadamia trees and understory plant diversification to reduce macadamia felted coccid (Eriococcus ironsidei) populations

Abstract The macadamia felted coccid, Eriococcus ironsidei Williams, is an invasive pest in Hawaii that causes severe damage and yield losses in macadamia nuts. Developing integrated pest management options including effective conservation biological control is essential. Combining techniques of canopy thinning with the provision of nectar and pollen plant sources for beneficial insects in the understory may result in improved E. ironsidei suppression. The role of canopy modification and understory habitat in enhancing natural enemy effectiveness to reduce E. ironsidei populations was investigated. Plots with pruned trees plus wild plants had up to 48% less E. ironsidei than the control plots, and the pruned-only plots had up to 32% less E. ironsidei compared to the control plots. A greater abundance of natural enemies was found in the treated plots than in the control plots. Predatory beetles were up to 62% more abundant in the pruned trees plus wild plants than in the control plots, and in the pruned-only plots there were up to 54% more predatory beetles than in the control plots. Encarsia lounsburyi (Berlese and Paoli), a wasp that parasitizes E. ironsidei was up to 73% more abundant in the pruned plus wild-plant plots, and up to 50% more abundant in the pruned-only plots than in the control plots. Pruning macadamia trees potentially enhanced natural enemy populations within the orchards increasing predation from 36% to 60% and parasitism from 1.3% up to 4.3% compared to control plots. Yields of macadamia trees were not affected by the pruning during the period of the study, and current results suggest a potential increase in yields over time after pruning. This study provides evidence that pruned macadamia trees and understory plant species diversification support natural enemy populations and may provide enhancement of biological control of E. ironsidei in macadamia nut orchards.
RELAÇÃO ENTRE A CAPACIDADE ESPACIAL E A EFICÁCIA DE DUAS DIFERENTES PEDAGOGIAS DE ENSINO DOS ECLIPSES

This article examines whether an active engagement kinesthetic classroom lesson or visual-immersive verbal-participatory planetarium lesson led to increased eclipse knowledge for students (aged 10-15 years) in the United States. Using a multiple-measures research design, a pre/post eclipse test and a three-part spatial ability test was administered to students who participated in either a kinesthetic classroom lesson (n=56) or visual-immersive planetarium lesson (n=82) about the nature of eclipses. Quantitative data was gathered immediately after the treatments, and again five months after the treatment. The authors compared each instructional treatment’s effectiveness with students’ spatial ability levels. A statistically significant increase in students’ knowledge was observed in both treatments, but no statistically significant score difference between the two treatment groups. These results imply that students can increase their knowledge on eclipses independent of lesson style. Further results of this study strongly suggest that transformational spatial ability is related to learning about eclipses, independent of lesson pedagogy, as those students with higher spatial abilities exhibited higher achievements.
Management of the potential paediatric organ donor

Abstract Paediatric organ donors remain a critically scarce and precious resource at a time of ever increasing demand for donor organs. The early recognition and management of the potential paediatric organ donor can increase the number of viable donor organs available. Managing the cardiovascular instability that follows brain death requires a systematic intensive care approach in order to preserve viability of the potential donor organs. Careful consideration of the fluid status and inotrope requirements in addition to supplementation of the hormonal and haematological axes helps to optimize tissue perfusion. This paper seeks to summarize the physiology that occurs following death and review current management strategies within the paediatric intensive care setting.
Application of Channeling to Particle Physics

One of the major motivations to study channeling at multi-hundred GeV energies is the expectation that it may become an unusual tool for carrying out experiments in particle physics. A breakthrough is often triggered in particle physics by a new technology.
An acoustic study of stress in L2 production of German and Spanish

The auditory study of stress in L2 production of German and Spanish was carried out. The experimentally established acoustic cues of word stress include vowel duration, pitch, and intensity changes, along with laryngeal features. The study found that the magnitude of vowel duration differences between stressed and unstressed syllables were greater in the English NSs' speech than in the L2 Spanish learner's speech. The pilot study included three NSs of German, five American students in an advanced German language class, and five American students in a beginner class. The results of the study show that the analysis of the German vowels, the stressed tense (ST T) vowels were distinguished from the unstressed tense vowels (UN T), as were the stressed lax (ST L) and the unstressed lax (UN L) vowels.
How Graduate-student or Recent Graduate Psychotherapists Experience and Manage Errors in Psychotherapy

We explored how graduate-student/recent graduate psychotherapists managed errors committed in psychotherapy, using consensual qualitative research (CQR) to analyze interview data. The 13 graduate-s...
Periodontal Health and Systemic Conditions

According to the new classification proposed by the recent 2017 World Workshop on Periodontal and Peri-implant Diseases and Conditions, periodontitis, necrotizing periodontal diseases, periodontitis as a manifestation of systemic diseases, and systemic diseases or conditions affecting the periodontal supporting tissues, are considered as separate entities. Scientific evidence has demonstrated that periodontal diseases are not just simple bacterial infections but rather complex diseases of multifactorial complexity that interplay with the subgingival microbes, the host immune, and inflammatory responses. Despite dental plaque biofilm being considered the primary risk factor for periodontitis in the vast majority of patients that dentists encounter on a daily basis, there are other factors that can also contribute and/or accelerate pathologic progressive attachment loss. In this article, the authors aim to briefly review and discuss the present evidence regarding the association between periodontal diseases and systemic diseases and conditions.
Conjugation- and Aggregation-Directed Design of Covalent Organic Frameworks as White-Light-Emitting Diodes

2D covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as a promising class of organic luminescent materials due to their structural diversity, which allows the systematic tuning of organic building blocks to optimize emitting properties. However, a significant knowledge gap exists between the design strategy and the fundamental understanding of the key structural parameters that determine their photophysical properties. In this work, we report two highly emissive sp2-C-COFs and the direct correlation of the structure (conjugation and aggregation) with their light absorption/emission, charge transfer (CT), and exciton dynamics, the key properties that determine their function as luminescent materials. We show that white light can be obtained by simply coating COFs on an LED strip or mixing the two COFs. Using the combination of time-resolved absorption and emission spectroscopy as well as computational prediction, we show that the planarity, conjugation, orientation of the dipole moment, and interlayer aggregation not only determine the light-harvesting ability of COFs but also control the exciton relaxation pathway and photoluminescent quantum yield.
Authentic Leadership for the Christian Woman

Contemporary Christian women often struggle with challenges related to organizational leadership. Within the church, denominational bylaws can be restrictive of the capacity in which a female parishioner can serve. In the secular workplace, stereotypes and other challenges can be restrictive for a woman in leadership. However, the Christian woman can look to the Bible for guidance and examples of women acting in the role of authentic leaders. Authentic leadership results from a leader embracing positive psychological capacities and possessing a greater self-awareness, self-regulation, and openness with honesty in relationships with others. Authentic leaders focus more on the value of what is right and good than the opinions and approval of others.
Chronic relapsing pancreatitis in childhood

Abstract As a result of our own experience and a review of the literature, early investigation by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography (ERCP) and surgical intervention is recommended in chronic relapsing pancreatitis in childhood.
Be it therefore resolved: Cosmological simulations of dwarf galaxies with 30 solar mass resolution

Author(s): Wheeler, C; Hopkins, PF; Pace, AB; Garrison-Kimmel, S; Boylan-Kolchin, M; Wetzel, A; Bullock, JS; Keres, D; Faucher-Giguere, CA; Quataert, E | Abstract: We study a suite of extremely high-resolution cosmological Feedback in Realistic Environments simulations of dwarf galaxies (Mhalo ≲ 1010 M☉), run to z = 0 with 30 M☉ resolution, sufficient (for the first time) to resolve the internal structure of individual supernovae remnants within the cooling radius. Every halo with Mhalo ≳ 108.6 M☉ is populated by a resolved stellar galaxy, suggesting very low-mass dwarfs may be ubiquitous in the field. Our ultra-faint dwarfs (UFDs; M∗ l 105 M☉) have their star formation (SF) truncated early (z ≳ 2), likely by reionization, while classical dwarfs (M∗ g 105 M☉) continue forming stars to z l 0.5. The systems have bursty star formation histories, forming most of their stars in periods of elevated SF strongly clustered in both space and time. This allows our dwarf with M∗/Mhalo g 10−4 to form a dark matter core g200 pc, while lower mass UFDs exhibit cusps down to ≲100 pc, as expected from energetic arguments. Our dwarfs with M∗ g 104 M☉ have half-mass radii (R1/2) in agreement with Local Group (LG) dwarfs (dynamical mass versus R1/2 and stellar rotation also resemble observations). The lowest mass UFDs are below surface brightness limits of current surveys but are potentially visible in next-generation surveys (e.g. LSST). The stellar metallicities are lower than in LG dwarfs; this may reflect pre-enrichment of the LG by the massive hosts or Pop-III stars. Consistency with lower resolution studies implies that our simulations are numerically robust (for a given physical model).
A population health approach to insomnia using internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.

Study Objectives: To determine if a population health approach to insomnia using internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (ICBT-I) affects dispensed medications and provider encount...
Gendered Differences in Teaching Performance Evaluations of Obstetrics and Gynecology Residents.

OBJECTIVE Teaching performance evaluations are commonly used for career development and advancement. Due to possible gendered expectations, implicit or explicit bias may emerge in evaluations completed by learners. This study investigated how third-year medical students evaluated teaching performance of obstetrics and gynecology resident physicians based on resident gender. SETTING This study was conducted at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. DESIGN This retrospective mixed methods study examined teaching performance evaluations of obstetrics and gynecology resident physicians from 2010 to 2018, completed by third-year medical students. A two-sample, two-sided t-test was used to compare numerical scores. Deductive content analysis of written comments focused on specific categories: positive or negative agentic or communal demeanors and characteristics, teaching skills, character and professionalism, leadership abilities, clinical skills and knowledge, and frequency of words and phrases used to describe residents. SETTING This study was conducted at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. RESULTS Of 83 residents (71 females, 12 males), there was no statistical significance in the teaching performance evaluation scores between male and female residents (n = 10,753 total completed evaluations). Female residents had lower scores than male residents; males tended not to score below 4 (5-point response scale; 5 = outstanding). Of 3,813 written comments, male residents had more positive comments, with statistical significance in communal characteristics (71.4% male, 53.9% female, p = 0.01). Female residents received more negative comments, with statistical significance in communal characteristics (7.5% female, 2.8% male, p = 0.01). Frequency of words presented that male residents had more “standout” traits (“outstanding,” “excellent,” “exemplary”), “ability” terms (“intelligent,” “bright,” “talented,” “smart”), and were often considered “fun,” “funny,” and “humorous.” Female residents were described by “compassion” terms (“kind,” “compassionate”). CONCLUSION Student-completed teaching performance evaluations are a valuable assessment of teaching skills and influence department recognition, award distribution, fellowship and employment opportunities. This study found that medical students did evaluate female residents differently than male residents. Understanding gendered expectations may assist in findings ways to address discrepancies between male and female physician evaluations.
Technology as a Lens for Investigating Social and Cultural Norms in Japan

Today more than ever, technology is ubiquitous in our everyday lives, whether in public spaces or at home. While we tend to take our interactions with various mundane technologies for granted, they can reflect socio-cultural values, and in turn technology becomes a lens to investigate particular cultural contexts. In this research paper, using a qualitative approach, I investigate Japanese cultural mores and norms through individual narratives of interactions with mundane technology. In order to understand the role of technology in contributing to a certain perceived culture, I focused on three particular examples which emerged from my interviews: vending machines, air conditioners, and rice cookers. In doing so, I hope to demonstrate the reflective and conversational aspects of technology within socio-cultural contexts.
A Z-Class LCC-P Compensated IPT System with a Reverse Coupled Compensation Inductor

This digest proposes a cross-coupled LCC-P coil structure to improve the misalignment tolerance of a Z-class compatible inductive wireless power transfer system for electric vehicles (EVs) described in J2954. The standard specifies the misalignment distances in the x-y-z plane to which the system will be exposed. Misalignment induces large variations in coupling coefficients between the primary and secondary sides of the coupler, resulting in proportionally large power fluctuations. The design uses a reversed coupled filter inductor to improve misalignment performance. Compared to previously proposed designs, the proposed LCC-P topology offers good performance, while reducing the size and complexity of the vehicle side coupler. Additionally, all the coils in the coupler are unipolar, further reducing the overall system complexity. A prototype is designed and constructed to validate the proposed solution. Experiments have achieved 3kW power transfer with 95.8% efficiency.
Role of Complement in Acute Lung Injury

Because the respiratory tract is continuously exposed to pathogens and/or particles in the inhaled air, appropriate immune defense mechanisms have evolved to prevent lung inflammatory injury. The tight interplay between the cellular defense system and the complement system is linked by the lung inflammatory response. Complement-enhanced generation of chemokines and complement-related recruitment of leukocytes have been demonstrated to play important roles in the progression of the inflammatory response, which often leads to progressive lung injury and irreversible scarring with consequent impairment of respiratory function. Complement is also involved in the triggering events that lead to repair and remodeling of the lung parenchyma with the ultimate resolution of the inflammatory process. This review focuses on the impact of complement activation products, especially C3a, C5a, and C5b-9 membrane attack complex (MAC), on the lung inflammatory response and addresses the implications for novel therapeutic approaches to acute lung injury (ALI).
What's the use? Measuring the frequency of studies of information outcomes

Several prominent scholars suggest that investigations of human information behavior or "information needs, seeking, and uses" rarely measure how received information is applied or its effects on the recipient, that is, its outcomes. This article explores this assertion via systematic analysis of studies published in journals between 1950 and 2012. Five time periods and four journals were sampled, including 1,391 journal articles, 915 of which were empirical studies. Based on these samples, the percentage of studies of information outcomes climbed from zero in the 1950s and 1960s, to 8% in recent research reports. The barriers to studying information outcomes and possible future research on this topic are explored.
Leísta Spanish and the Syntax of Clitic Doubling

This dissertation introduces clitic doubling data from Leista Spanish (a dialect spoken in the North of Spain). In this dialect, the dative form clitic is used as a direct object clitic when the referent (or associated overt or covert NP) is animate (sometimes also restricted to masculine). Like other doubling dialects, Leista Spanish shows a (doubling) asymmetry between direct objects and indirect objects. Direct object doubling manifests animacy and specificity restrictions that do not hold of indirect object doubling. In Chapter 2 I show that this data presents a problem for past analyses of clitic doubling which tie these interpretive restrictions to a particular clitic form. As a first step to solving the interpretive puzzle, I argue that dative and accusative clitics should receive different analyses. Dative clitics are agreement markers (a la Sportiche 1993); accusative clitics are determiners (see Torrego 1988; Uriagereka 1988). The questions raised by Chapter 2 are: (1) How should dative-form accusative clitics in Leista Spanish be analyzed? and (2) What is the internal structure of the direct object in a clitic doubling construction? These questions are answered in Chapter 4, where I argue that clitic doubling in Leista Spanish should be analyzed as an instance of possessor raising. In both clitic doubling and possessor raising, a DP-internal constituent raises to be in a spec-head relationship with a dative clitic. Chapter 3 lays the groundwork for this analysis. Here, the internal structure of possessor DPs is established, and it is demonstrated that movement of a possessor DP out of a direct object DP is possible. Chapter 5 addresses the question of the relationship between the prepositional accusative marker a and clitic doubling, known as Kayne’s Generalization. The generalization is that clitic doubling cannot occur without amarking. I explore two possible accounts for this relationship. The first possibility is that the relationship is syntactic. The a-marked element is a dative marked DP internal possessor. Given the hypothesis that clitic doubling involves the raising of a DP-internal possessor, if that possessor is necessarily a-marked, it follows that clitic doubling implicates a-marking. The second hypothesis is that the relationship arises due to the independent semantic properties of the two constructions, and that there is no direct dependence of one on the other. On this view, the semantic properties associated with a-marking are a subset of those associated with clitic doubling. The apparent dependence, then, is due to this subset relationship. Neither of these hypotheses is without problems, and these are discussed in the chapter. Comments University of Pennsylvania Institute for Research in Cognitive Science Technical Report No. IRCS-00-02. This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/ircs_reports/33 LEISTA SPANISH AND THE SYNTAX OF CLITIC DOUBLING
Sensitivity to Interaural Temporal Disparities of Low- and High-Frequency Neurons in the Superior Olivary Complex. II. Coincidence Detection

Batra, Ranjan, Shigeyuki Kuwada, and Douglas C. Fitzpatrick. Sensitivity to interaural temporal disparities of low- and high-frequency neurons in the superior olivary complex. II. Coincidence detec...
Using Information about DNA Structure and Dynamics from Experiment and Simulation to Give Insight into Genome-Wide Association Studies

Abstract A wide variety of experimental and simulation approaches have converged to provide an atomic level and a detailed view of DNA structure and dynamics and how these properties are altered as a function of sequence and environment. Here we present a series of DNA characteristics observed as a function of sequence. This information can be used to further understand the structural and dynamic implications of single-nucleotide polymorphisms found in genome-wide association studies.
Withdrawal from Long-Term Methamphetamine Self-Administration ‘Normalizes’ Neurometabolites in Rhesus Monkeys: A 1H MR Spectroscopy Study

1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy has demonstrated alterations in several neurometabolites in methamphetamine (METH)-dependent individuals in brain regions implicated in addiction. Yet, it is unclear whether these neurochemicals return to homeostatic levels after an individual abstains from drug use, a difficult question to address due to high recidivism and poor study retention in human subjects. We thus utilized a non-human primate model of addiction to explore the effects of long-term drug exposure and withdrawal on brain neurochemistry. Ten rhesus macaque monkeys on an active METH self-administration protocol (average use 4.6 ± 0.8 years, average daily intake between 0.4 and 1.2 mg/kg) and 10 age- and sex-matched drug-naive controls (CONT) served as subjects. Concentrations of several neurochemicals were evaluated at several timepoints following withdrawal from drug availability (10 monkeys at 1 week and 1 and 3 months, and 6 monkeys at 6 and 12 months; CONT examined at one timepoint). At 1 week following METH withdrawal, we found increases in myo-inositol in anterior cingulate cortex in the METH group relative to CONT. These alterations showed a linear pattern of decreased levels (‘normalization’) by 1 year of abstinence. We also found decreases in glutamine and Glx (composed mainly of glutamate and glutamine) in the caudate-putamen of the same animals at early withdrawal that showed a similar linear pattern of increasing concentration by 1 year. These results demonstrate that despite protracted, long-term use, neurochemical changes seen following long-term drug administration do not persist following prolonged abstinence, suggesting therapeutic effects of long-term withdrawal from drug use.
Crystal structure of outer surface protein C (OspC) from the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi.

Outer surface protein C (OspC) is a major antigen on the surface of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, when it is being transmitted to humans. Crystal structures of OspC have been determined for strains HB19 and B31 to 1.8 and 2.5 A resolution, respectively. The three-dimensional structure is predominantly helical. This is in contrast to the structure of OspA, a major surface protein mainly present when spirochetes are residing in the midgut of unfed ticks, which is mostly β-sheet. The surface of OspC that would project away from the spirochete's membrane has a region of strong negative electrostatic potential which may be involved in binding to positively charged host ligands. This feature is present only on OspCs from strains known to cause invasive human disease.
Trading cost expectations: Evidence from S&P 500 index replacement stock announcements

This paper tests the effect on stock value of an expected change in future trading costs. The capitalized value of a reduction in trading costs is hypothesized to increase the stock value, a trading cost effect. Improved liquidity reduces trading costs. Inclusion as an S&P 500 Index replacement stock is an event hypothesized to increase liquidity. We use 114 observations between January 1, 1983 and October 12, 1989 of stocks added to the Index as replacements for stocks removed. The abnormal return of each stock is regressed against the ratio of the bidask spread to the price of the stock, the change in trading volume of the stock, and the open interest in the Index futures contracts at the close of the month prior to the replacement announcement.
A new equivalence based metric for predictive check to qualify mixed-effects models.

The main objective of any modeling exercise is to provide a rationale for effective decision making during drug development. The aim of the current simulation experiment was to evaluate the properties of predictive check as a covariate model qualification technique and, more importantly, to introduce and evaluate alternative criteria to qualify models.
Amide Cis−Trans Isomerization in Aqueous Solutions of Methyl N-Formyl-d-glucosaminides and Methyl N-Acetyl-d-glucosaminides: Chemical Equilibria and Exchange Kinetics

Amide cis−trans isomerization (CTI) in methyl 2-deoxy-2-acylamido-d-glucopyranosides was investigated by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Singly 13C-labeled methyl 2-deoxy-2-formamido-d-glucopyranoside (MeGlcNFm) anomers provided standard 1H and 13C chemical shifts and 1H−1H and 13C−13C spin-coupling constants for cis and trans amides that are detected readily in aqueous solution. Equipped with this information, doubly 13C-labeled methyl 2-deoxy-2-acetamido-d-glucopyranoside (MeGlcNAc) anomers were investigated, leading to the detection and quantification of cis and trans amides in this biologically important aminosugar. In comparison to MeGlcNFm anomers, the percentage of cis amide in aqueous solutions of MeGlcNAc anomers is small (∼23% for MeGlcNFm versus ∼1.8% for MeGlcNAc at 42 °C) but nevertheless observable with assistance from 13C-labeling. Temperature studies gave thermodynamic parameters ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS° for cis−trans interconversion in MeGlcNFm and MeGlcNAc anomers. Cis/trans equilibria depended on...
Finite element methods for flow problems with moving boundaries and interfaces

This paper is an overview of the finite element methods developed by the Team for Advanced Flow Simulation and Modeling (T*AFSM) [http://www.mems.rice.edu/TAFSM/] for computation of flow problems with moving boundaries and interfaces. This class of problems include those with free surfaces, two-fluid interfaces, fluid-object and fluid-structure interactions, and moving mechanical components. The methods developed can be classified into two main categories. The interface-tracking methods are based on the Deforming-Spatial-Domain/Stabilized Space-Time (DSD/SST) formulation, where the mesh moves to track the interface, with special attention paid to reducing the frequency of remeshing. The interface-capturing methods, typically used for free-surface and two-fluid flows, are based on the stabilized formulation, over non-moving meshes, of both the flow equations and the advection equation governing the time-evolution of an interface function marking the location of the interface. In this category, when it becomes neccessary to increase the accuracy in representing the interface beyond the accuracy provided by the existing mesh resolution around the interface, the Enhanced-Discretization Interface-Capturing Technique (EDICT) can be used to to accomplish that goal. In development of these two classes of methods, we had to keep in mind the requirement that the methods need to be applicable to 3D problems with complex geometries and that the associated large-scale computations need to be carried out on parallel computing platforms. Therefore our parallel implementations of these methods are based on unstructured grids and on both the distributed and shared memory parallel computing approaches. In addition to these two main classes of methods, a number of other ideas and methods have been developed to increase the scope and accuracy of these two classes of methods. The review of all these methods in our presentation here is supplemented by a number numerical examples from parallel computation of complex, 3D flow problems.
Distribution of the Products of Photosynthesis between Powdery Mildew and Barley

The photosynthetic assimilation of 14 CO 2 has been studied in healthy and mildew-infected barley. The parasite was separated from the host by removing the mycelium with a camel9s hair brush. The ethanol soluble metabolites of the parasite, infected host and healthy host were extracted, separated by paper chromatography and individually identified. From this work it appears that there is a rapid movement of label from host to parasite mainly in the form of sucrose which is then quickly metabolized into many compounds. The majority is converted into mannitol, and lesser amounts are converted into trehalose, arabitol, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid. In conidia the major carbon reserve is arabitol instead of mannitol, with lesser amounts of trehalose and mannitol. Photosynthetic uptake of 14 CO 2 by the complex decreases steadily after inoculation as compared with healthy leaves. However, the ethanol soluble metabolites of the infected host tissue differ only slightly from those of healthy host tissue. The major differences are a slight decrease in the amount of sucrose and increases in malic acid and serine.
Migration Patterns of Double-Crested Cormorants Wintering in the Southeastern United States

Abstract. Migration patterns of Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) wintering in the southeastern U.S. are poorly understood. Movement data were analyzed from 28 cormorants captured in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi and equipped with satellite transmitters. Four (three immature, one adult) cormorants did not migrate and stayed in the southeastern U.S. throughout the year. During spring, cormorants captured in Alabama migrated east of the Mississippi River and primarily west of the Appalachian Mountains. Cormorants from Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi migrated north along the Mississippi River Valley, the Missouri River Valley and/or the Ohio River Valley. The earliest departure for spring migration was 26 March, whereas the latest departure was 12 May. Adult cormorants departed for spring migration earlier than immature cormorants. The average departure date for fall migration was 1 October. Mean duration of spring migration was twelve days, and cormorants traveled an avera...
Dose-Ranging Effects of Intrathecal Epinephrine on Anesthesia/Analgesia: A Meta-Analysis and Metaregression of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background and Objectives Intrathecal epinephrine has been examined by clinical studies, but its effects on analgesia/anesthesia outcomes as well as on undesirable adverse effects is not clearly defined. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of intrathecal epinephrine on intrathecal anesthesia/analgesia. Methods We performed a meta-analysis, using a random-effects model. Effects of intrathecal epinephrine dose were evaluated by pooling studies into 3 dosage groups: low (1–100 µg), intermediate (101–200 µg), and high (≥200 µg). Metaregression analyses were also performed to examine the presence of a linear association between intrathecal epinephrine dose and effect size on evaluated outcomes. Results Twenty-four randomized clinical trials with 1,271 subjects were included. The mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) combined effects favored intrathecal epinephrine over placebo for duration of analgesia, 27.0 mins (20.8–33.3 mins); sensory, 35.0 mins (22.8–47.3 mins); and motor block, 32.2 mins (26.2–38.2 mins). The incidence of hypotension and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) was greater for the low dose (1–100 µg) intrathecal epinephrine group compared with placebo (odds ratios [95% CI], 3.0 [1.5–5.9] and 2.7 [1.5–4.8], respectively). A greater incidence of hypotension and PONV was not detected for the intermediate-dose group (101–200 µg): odds ratios (95% CI) of 0.9 (0.5–1.7) and 1.6 (0.6–4.6), respectively. Conclusions Intrathecal epinephrine has dose-dependent clinical and adverse effects. Doses of 100 µg or less prolonged sensory and motor block duration but were associated with greater incidence of hypotension or PONV. Intrathecal epinephrine doses greater than 100 µg prolonged sensory and motor block and were not associated with greater incidence of hypotension and PONV.
Evaluation of Left Ventricular Contractile State in Children With a Chronic Left Heart Pressure Overload

Recent animal investigations have indicated that myocardial hypertrophy may be accompanied by a depression of muscle function as analyzed in terms of length-tension and force-velocity relationships. Myocardial function was evaluated in these terms in 14 children with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) secondary to aortic stenosis or coarctation of the aorta and 10 children with normal left hearts who were undergoing diagnostic cardiac catherization. Serial left ventricular volumes were calculated from biplane cineanangiocardiograms exposed at 60/frames sec, and left ventricular pressure was recorded simultaneously using a catheter tip transducer. Left ventricular circurrferential stress (LVS), LV circumference at the equator (LVC), and LV contractile element velocity (VCE) were calculated. Mean values for VCE at isostress points during isovolumic contraction were not different from normal in 9 patients with moderate LVH (LV Mass 115±13 vs. normal 82±10 g/M2). In 5 patients with more severe LVH and LV Mass averaging 156±31 g/M2, VCE was significantly depressed from normal during isovolumic systole indicating a depressed force-velocity relationship. In addition 4 of the 5 patients with severe LVH had depressions of LV stress at isocircumference points at end-systole when compared with normal children suggesting a depressed length-tension relationship. These date indicate that severe left ventricular hypertrophy in children may be accompanied by impaired muscle function when expressed in terms of basic muscle mechanics.
The Human Organic Cation Transporter (hOCT2) Recognizes the Degree of Substrate Ionization

The organic cation transporter, OCT2, plays a role in renal secretion of a broad array of weak bases. To determine whether the degree of ionization of these compounds plays a role in their interaction with OCT2, we examined the influence of external pH values on the activity of the human ortholog of OCT2, as expressed in Chinese hamster ovary-K1 cells. Importantly, changing the pH value from 7.0 to 8.0 had no effect on the rate of transport of the fixed cations, tetraethylammonium and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium,i.e. the pH value did not have an effect upon the transporter itself. Cimetidine (pK a 6.92), a competitive inhibitor of hOCT2, displayed a 3.5-fold increase in IC50 as pH values increased from 7 to 8. hOCT2-mediated cimetidine transport decreased over this pH range, the consequence of an increase in K t and decrease inJ max at the higher pH value. The weak bases trimethoprim and 4-phenylpyridine showed a similar pattern of pH-sensitive interaction with hOCT2. The non-ionizable sterol, corticosterone, also inhibited hOCT2 activity, although it was neither competitive in nature nor was it sensitive to pH in the manner observed with weak bases. We conclude that the degree of ionization plays a critical role in binding of substrate to organic cation transporters.
Decorrelation of L- and M-cone signals

For a large sample of broadband lights reflected from natural and man-made objects, the correlation between L- and M-cone absorptions was found to be 0.99. The correlation between L+M and L-M signals was 0.21. The early recombination of cone signals in the visual system thus leads to a substantial decorrelation [Proc. R. Soc. London Ser. B220, 89 (1983)].
Selection and characterization of scFv antibodies against the Sin Nombre hantavirus nucleocapsid protein

Rodent-borne hantaviruses cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in the old world and hantavirus cardio-pulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in the new. Most cases of HCPS in North America are caused by Sin Nombre Virus (SNV). Current viral detection technologies depend upon the identification of anti-viral antibodies in patient serum. Detection of viral antigen may facilitate earlier detection of the pathogen. We describe here the characterization of two single-chain Fv antibodies (scFvs), selected from a large naive phage antibody library, which are capable of identifying the Sin Nombre Virus nucleocapsid protein (SNV-N), with no cross reactivity with the nucleocapsid protein from other hantaviruses. The utility of such selected scFvs was increased by the creation of an scFv-alkaline phosphatase fusion protein which was able to directly detect virally produced material without the need for additional reagents.
Detection and significance of occult axillary node metastases in patients with invasive breast cancer

Blocks of axillary lymph nodes from 78 patients with invasive breast cancer, which after “routine”pathological examination were regarded as negative for metastases, were step-sectioned at 20 u intervals. Occult metastases were detected in 24% of the cases. A significant association between such metastases and a lack of or slight degree of an intraductal carcinomatous component of the dominant cancer was noted. There was no relationship between occult metastases and 15 other histopathological and 3 clinical features investigated, including an average 5 year survival rate. Similarly there was no correlation between any of the possible discriminants investigated in the 24% of patients who have died of their diseases or are living with recurrence regardless of the presence of occult metastases. Factors accounting for the lack of universal survival in patients with Stage I (and those with occult metastases that might be designated as Stage 1 1/2) remain enigmatic. It is concluded that attempts to detect occult metastases by extending histopathological methods may be more academic than practical or therapeutically significant. Cancer 42:2025–2031, 1978.
Ultra high aspect ratio penetrating metal microelectrodes for biomedical applications

Studying the functioning of the brain through the use of penetrating microelectrodes has revolutionized our understanding of the brain and has the potential to treat physical conditions such as the aftermath of a stroke, disease or other neural problems. Cochlear implant electrodes have transformed the lives of people who were suffering from cochlear auditory disorders. However, limitations of manufacturing procedures restrict the choice of work materials to mostly silicon based materials, and biocompatibility issues have constrained the extensive use of these devices. Metal microelectrodes can absolve this limitation and enable extensive study of the neural centers. In this paper we report the fabrication of tungsten penetrating microelectrodes using electrochemical machining. Ultra high aspect ratio penetrating metal microelectrodes with diameters 10 μm and below, with surface roughness (Ra) values in the range of 300–500 nm, have been fabricated by electrochemical machining process. Details regarding the fabrication process and a mathematical model developed for the electrochemical machining process are discussed in this paper.
A DETERMINATION OF THE RATE OF THYROID HORMONE SECRETION AT VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURES1

THERE ARE many observations which suggest that the thyroid secretesits active principle more rapidly in cold than in warm environments. For example, physiological investigations have demonstrated increased metabolic rates after exposure to cold (Ring, 1939) and decreased rates after exposure to heat (MacGregor and Loh, 1941). Similarly, histological evidence of stimulation may be seen in thyroids removed from rats maintained in cold environments, while evidence of diminished secretion is apparent in glands of rats kept at high temperatures (Cramer, 192,8). Moreover, it has been pointed out that hyperthyroid crisis is a more common clinical occurrence in geographical regions where the temperature shows wide fluctuations than in areas with a more gentle climate (Petersen, 1937). As these observations are based on diverse criteria and are in agreement that the thyroid gland is stimulated by cold, this conclusion may be accepted with considerable confidence.