cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advances in the Chemistry of Tumor-Inhibitory Natural Products

The discovery of the antileukemic activity of nitrogen mustard in the 1940’s is considered by many to have been the start of modern cancer chemotherapy2. An enormous amount of work has followed on the synthesis and evaluation of biological alkylating agents25-28. Although the preparation of modifications of presently-known alkylating agents continues, some pessimism is evident among workers in the field. The extensive synthetic efforts to date have led only to minimal improvements over the prototype drugs. Evidently, the high degree of reactivity of simple alkylating agents leads to indiscriminate reactions with many cell constituents and, consequently, narrow therapeutic indices. There exists a need for new prototypes for the synthetic organic chemist to use in the design of selective alkylating agents.
Delirium in Pediatric Critical Care

Delirium occurs frequently in the critically ill child. It is a syndrome characterized by an acute onset and fluctuating course, with behaviors that reflect a disturbance in awareness and cognition. Delirium represents global cerebral dysfunction due to the direct physiologic effects of an underlying medical illness or its treatment. Pediatric delirium is strongly associated with poor outcomes, including increased mortality, prolonged intensive care unit length of stay, longer time on mechanical ventilation, and increased cost of care. With heightened awareness, the pediatric intensivist can detect, treat, and prevent delirium in at-risk children.
Gender and sexual violence, forced marriages, and primitive accumulation during the Cambodian genocide, 1975–1979

Between 1975 and 1979 approximately two million men, women, and children died during the Cambodian genocide. These deaths are attributed to specific administrative policies and practices initiated ...
Assessing US Foreign Policy in the Junta Era

The book concludes with a summation of its main themes, particularly the ways in which the US, though initially surprised by the coup, quickly worked to fashion a working relationship with the colonels in Athens. Despite a consistent concern to promote liberalization in Greece, in the end, the Cold War security imperative of supporting a NATO ally in a strategic part of the world triumphed. However, the chapter also considers what this book has not thoroughly addressed. In this regard, it focuses on the possibility that other US governmental agencies—particularly the CIA—might have played a role in fomenting and supporting the 1967 coup. It also points to other important topics yet to be fully analyzed, including the foreign policies of countries other than the US, as well as the impact of diasporic communities on shaping attitudes toward the colonels’ regime.
The Cost and Benefits of Voluntary Disclosures by Nonprofit Organizations

Nonprofit organizations can make voluntary disclosures useful to donors through annual reports that describe their accomplishments and thank donors for their support. Donors may be motivated to make future contributions to a nonprofit organization based on either the content of the annual report or the increased level of transparency that the production of an annual report signals. To examine whether voluntary disclosure within an annual report is associated with tangible benefits in the form of donations, we look to a line of research that began with Weisbrod and Dominguez (1986). In these models donations represent the demand for nonprofit goods and services. As with any economic model, demand is negatively related to the price of giving but fundraising (advertising) can increase demand. By adding a voluntary disclosure variable to a demand model, we find that voluntary disclosure level is significant in predicting donations received in the following year. We then examine the differences between nonprofit organizations that distribute an annual report and those that do not. While nonprofit organizations that do not distribute an annual report are generally smaller and younger, the important differences appear to be higher fundraising costs and lower efficiency statistics. After controlling for management style, administrative costs, ability to meet industry efficiency norms, and industry group, we find no difference in contributions in the following year. This suggests that proprietary costs do affect the voluntary disclosure decision.
Hegel — Marx — Lukács

Lukacs’ thought stands somewhere at the convergence of the Mandan and the Hegelian tradition of thought. Some people claim that Lukacs is the greatest living disciple of Marx; others again that he is one of the most knowledgeable of the living Hegelians.1 From these claims alone one could infer that Lukacs is a synthetic exponent of the two nineteenth century thinkers who in so many ways dominate various trends of thought in the present century.
Explicit burnable absorber modeling for pressurized water reactor core reload design applications

A model is developed to generate homogenized, two-group cross-section data for pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel assemblies loaded with burnable absorbers by explicitly incorporating the effects of the neutron poison into the unpoisoned group constants. This provides the calculational freedom to use the assembly burnable absorber loading as an independent variable in dynamic search methods for optimizing low-leakage PWR core reloads. To achieve an accuracy of better than 0.2% in the assembly kinfinity/sub , separate consideration is given to the absorption and scattering perturbations, as well as to the spectrum-hardening effects caused by the presence of burnable absorbers in the assembly. The model was validated first by comparison of unit assembly cross sections to data from reference calculations and then by use of the model in the Electric Power Research Institute nodal code SIMULATE-E and comparison to reference core power distributions.
A Cost-Benefit Analysis of a Routine Varicella Vaccination Program for United States Air Force Academy Cadets

The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is one of the nation's military universities, with the mission to educate and motivate cadets to be career Air Force officers. This diverse population arrives at the USAFA with varying immunization records and disease histories. A review of USAFA cadet medical records identified an alarming cost of treating a simple, preventable, generally childhood disease: chickenpox. In July 1995, a cost-benefit analysis was performed on the use of varicella vaccine among cadets and preparatory school students at the USAFA. Based on this analysis, the USAFA implemented a strategy of serologic screening and vaccination. Although this study does not establish causation, follow-up data showed a dramatic decrease in cases, associated hospitalizations, and therefore costs during the first year after implementation. Fiscal projections indicate that these costs savings should increase through year 4 of the program and continue thereafter. At year 4, the total cadet population will have been serologically screened and/or vaccinated against chickenpox.
Landau-Ginzburg Theories

In this chapter we study the simplest large class of (0,2) QFTs: the (0,2) Landau-Ginzburg theories. While they are interesting in their own right, the main goal is to introduce useful notions relevant to general (0,2) theories in the context of these simple examples.
Trajectories of Willingness to Compromise and Critical Marital Conflict Behaviors after Childbirth

Contemporary research has used group-based trajectory modeling to uncover distinct trajectories of marital conflict behaviors after childbirth. However, most studies have focused on conflict freque...
Rate of venous thromboembolism after surgical treatment of proximal humerus fractures.

The rate of venous thromboembolism following surgical treatment of proximal humerus fractures is not well established. A retrospective review of all patients undergoing surgical treatment for proximal humerus fractures from September 2011 to May 2017 was performed. Included patients received only mechanoprophylaxis using sequential compression devises. All patients had at least 6 months follow-up. The primary outcome of interest was the rate of postoperative DVT and PE. 131 patients underwent 139 surgeries for proximal humerus fracture. After exclusion criteria were applied, 92 patients who underwent 92 surgeries were included. There were 47 females and 45 males. Five (5.4%) were taking Aspirin 81 mg preoperatively. There were 76 cases of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), 8 cases of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, 4 cases of hemiarthroplasty, 3 cases of closed reduction percutaneous pinning (CRPP), 1 case of open reduction without fixation. 53.3% of patients had one or more risk factors for VTE. There were no cases of fatal PE or DVT. There were two cases of symptomatic PE (2.2%) following one ORIF and one CRPP. There was one additional case of asymptomatic PE found incidentally after ORIF. Overall VTE rate was 3.3%. Fisher’s exact test yielded that there was no significant association between the presence of VTE risk factors and prevalence of VTE postoperatively (p = 0.245). The incidence of symptomatic VTE after surgery for proximal humerus fractures is low. Chemical VTE prophylaxis in patients after surgical fixation for proximal humerus fractures is not universally indicated. Selective prophylaxis for patients with systemic risk factors may be warranted.
Competitive Teamwork: Developing a Team-Based Selling Competition in an Undergraduate Professional Selling Class: An Abstract

The purpose of this work is to discuss how to develop, refine, and improve team-based role-playing competitions that could be used as a pedagogical tool in undergraduate selling courses. Specifically, we explore and test three factors—external competition rewards, student role-play and feedback involvement, and utilizing cases written by industry professional—that increase competiveness among undergraduate students, and consequently how those factors influence role-play performance and post-graduation job placement. Since there is an increasing demand for sales professionals across multiple industries and there is a trend toward more marketing students starting careers in jobs focused on sales, we explore how to improve upon known best practices in sales education. Bringing realism to the classroom required implementing techniques learned at intercollegiate sales competition and from sales professionals in the field.
Analyzing the Effect of Soft Arm Design on Obstacle Navigation through Collision

The study of soft robot arms is often motivated by safe operation in contact or collision, such as an arm reaching into a tube, squeezing under a barrier or wrapping around an object. Existing work focuses on soft grasping, while collision-allowed navigation is neglected. Soft arms are not guaranteed to successfully push past obstacles simply because the arms are soft, but design rules for arms in collision have not been developed. This paper presents an initial empirical examination of planar arms in collision and specifically studies the relationship between key arm design variables – length, number of segments, taper – and the arm’s ability to push past a semi-circular obstacle. Fourteen variants of a planar arm design were built and tested to determine the pressure required to push past the obstacle at a set of known locations. The pressure required was measured for actuation of one and multiple segments. The results were used to develop an empirical collision success model, which can be used with collision-allowed planning algorithms. Soft arms that balance flexibility, or range of motion, and applied force successfully push past obstacles in the largest range of locations. Flexibility and force are opposing traits driven by arm width; wider arm segments produce more force but have a smaller angular stroke and are harder to passively bend. This work serves as a foundation for future studies with a broader set of obstacle types and locations, which could be used to develop a robust collision model.
1D and 2D Time-Resolved Emission Measurements of Circuits Fabricated in 14 nm Technology Node

Time-Resolved Emission (TRE) measurements for circuit debugging, fault localization, and circuit characterization are discussed along with recent detectors developments that have improved their low-voltage sensitivity, while maintaining an excellent jitter and low noise performance. Advantages and disadvantages of TRE methodologies are discussed and contrasted with laser probing techniques. 14 NM test cases are presented for logic debug, SRAM characterization, and early technology development. Finally, several advanced applications that are mostly unique to TRE are summarized. TRE has a unique capability to contribute to test and diagnostics applications, especially when conditions make laser-based technique difficult to use due to its invasiveness and the lack of resolution.
Tachyarrhythmias and neurologic complications.

Abstract Tachyarrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms with a ventricular rate of 100 or more beats per minute. These rhythms are classified as either narrow or wide-complex tachycardia with further subdivision into regular or irregular rhythm. Patients are frequently symptomatic presenting with palpitations, diaphoresis, dyspnea, chest pain, dizziness, and syncope. Sudden cardiac death may occur with certain arrhythmias. Recognizing tachyarrhythmia and understanding its management is important as a wide spectrum of neurologic complications have been associated with such arrhythmias. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive overview on the neurologic complications of tachyarrhythmias, neurologic adverse events of antiarrhythmic interventions, and neurologic conditions that can precipitate tachyarrhythmia.
Ambiguity Rate of Hidden Markov Processes

Author(s): Jurgens, Alexandra M; Crutchfield, James P | Abstract: The $\epsilon$-machine is a stochastic process' optimal model -- maximally predictive and minimal in size. It often happens that to optimally predict even simply-defined processes, probabilistic models -- including the $\epsilon$-machine -- must employ an uncountably-infinite set of features. To constructively work with these infinite sets we map the $\epsilon$-machine to a place-dependent iterated function system (IFS) -- a stochastic dynamical system. We then introduce the ambiguity rate that, in conjunction with a process' Shannon entropy rate, determines the rate at which this set of predictive features must grow to maintain maximal predictive power. We demonstrate, as an ancillary technical result which stands on its own, that the ambiguity rate is the (until now missing) correction to the Lyapunov dimension of an IFS's attractor. For a broad class of complex processes and for the first time, this then allows calculating their statistical complexity dimension -- the information dimension of the minimal set of predictive features.
Choice of Social Music Systems in China: A Study of NetEase Cloud Music

Social music is gaining popularity, but there is still little understanding of why it is popular in China. In this study, we applied mixed methods and used NetEase Cloud Music (a popular social music app) as the research platform for a preliminary exploration of user’s motives and their relationship with technology acceptance and social presence. The interview study (N=21) shows that users preferred NetEase Cloud Music rather than other services because of five reasons (recommended by acquaintance, good UI design, accurate recommendation and classification system, wonderful comments and a sense of community, and user relation activities). The survey study (N=246) shows that wonderful comment and a sense of community is strongly related to social presence; good UI design is strongly related to ease of use; accurate recommendation and classification system is strongly related to usefulness. We discuss the practical implications for designers and the platform.
"The Depths of Fictional Fathers and the Sea for Sylvia Plath": A Portal to the Afterlife

The text explores the correlation between Otto Plath and the ocean in Sylvia Plath’s works, including: “Ocean 1212 – W,” “Among the Bumblebees,” “Full Fathom Five,” and “The Colossus.” The author aims to identify specific excerpts from Plath’s literature that employ such ideas. Through the examination of poetry and prose, it will be shown how Sylvia Plath was heavily influenced by her father’s life and death, especially with its connection to the sea.
Progress and Disparities in Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 2002-2016.

Objective Early identification can improve outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We sought to assess changes in early ASD identification over time and by co-occurring intellectual disability (ID) and race/ethnicity. Method Using data for 2002 through 2016 from a biennial population-based ASD surveillance program among 8-year-old children in the United States, we defined identification as a child’s earliest recorded ASD diagnosis or special education eligibility. Unidentified children had characteristics meeting the ASD surveillance case definition but no recorded identification by age 8 years. We calculated median age at identification among identified children, median age at identification including unidentified children, and cumulative incidence of identification by age 48 months. Results ASD identification by age 48 months was 4 times (95% CI: 3.6–4.3) as likely in 2016 as in 2002, with the largest increases among children without ID. Median age at ASD identification among identified children decreased 3 months during this time. Children of every race/ethnicity were more likely to be identified over time. There were racial disparities stratified by ID: in 2016, Black and Hispanic children without ID were less likely to be identified with ASD than were White children (both groups risk ratio: 0.7; 95% CI: 0.5–0.8), but Black children were 1.5 times (95% CI: 1.3–1.9) as likely as White children to be identified with ASD and ID. Conclusion Substantial progress has been made to identify more children with ASD early, despite minimal decrease in median age at diagnosis. Considerable disparities remain in early ASD identification by race/ethnicity and co-occurring intellectual disability.
Strategic opportunities in information technology

In an empirical investigation affirms of all sizes within the manufacturing, service, and retail industries, the applications of information technology (IT) with respect to key external and internal strategic areas were examined. It was found that the effectiveness of IT in accom­ plishing strategic objectives varied among manufacturing, retail, small and medium-size com­ panies, but not between service-oriented and large companies. Furthermore, the level of suc­ cess in using IT applications, measured in terms of whether it has achieved organizational objectives, was not significantly different among industry sectors nor among organizations of different sizes. INTRODUCTION The role of IT within the business community has changed from being merely a supporting tool in the back office to a weapon that can affect an organization's competitive position (Bakos & Treacy, 1986; Cash & Konsynski, 1985; Ives & Learmonth, 1984; Johnston & Carrico, 1988; McFarlan, 1984; Notowidigdo, 1984; Parsons, 1983; Porter & Millar, 1985; Pybum, 1983). This change in the role of IT requires that executives understand the uses of IT in achieving the strategic goals of the firm. Executives must be able to assess where IT fits into their organization. In some cases IT may play a supporting role and can add only modestly to the value of a firm's products, while in other settings it is at the core of an organization's competitive survival (McFarlan, 1984). Understanding where an organization fits on this spectrum can help executives determine both the proper level of investment and the proper management structure for IT. Most studies in the area of IT have used anecdotal case evidence to illustrate the strategic accomplishments of IT. In addition, such studies have tended to focus on large firms. Examples of these include American Hospital Supply (Barrett, 1986; Gibson & Jackson, 1987; Ward et al., 1990), Canon (Porter & Millar, 1985), Merrill Lynch (Benjamin, et al., 1984), and Wal-Mart (Barmash, 1984). Unfortunately, the sad truth is that there are few, if any, empirical studies which have comprehensively examined the effectiveness of utilizing IT in different strategic ar­ eas. Wyman, in a 1985 article, coined the words "Technological myopia" to describe a condition of affliction found in organizations. Technological myopia happens when a company fails to comprehend the extent of technological progress thus failing to utilize technology's full power through lack of adoption or inappropriate use of developments. Therefore, a primary objective
Social organization of raiding and emigrations in army ants

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses the results of field and laboratory research on the relationship between food supply and emigrations, on chemical communication and orientation, and on other behavioral processes that relate to brood stimulation theory. The goal of these studies is to understand how processes occurring inside the nest interact with factors in the colony's external environment in influencing differences in colony behavior between the nomadic and statary phases, as well as behavioral variations within each phase. The chapter discusses army ants in perspective by briefly reviewing their evolution and taxonomic status. Army ants comprise approximately 300 species of tropical and subtropical ants, whose behavior is uniquely characterized by the combination of group predation and nomadism. The two behavioral characteristics of army ants, group predation and nomadism, well known to many of the early naturalists, and usually postulated food exhaustion as the proximate cause of the ants' periodic emigrations. By emphasizing the process of recruitment, raid site location, food supplies, and other factors whose primary influence takes place outside of the bivouac, this chapter extends and not replaces, Schneirla's concept of army ant social organization.
A quantitative object-level metric for segmentation performance and its application to cell nuclei

We present an object-level metric for segmentation performance which was developed to quantify both over- and under-segmentation errors, as well as to penalize segmentations with larger deviations in object shape. This metric is applied to the problem of segmentation of cell nuclei in routinely stained H&E histopathology imagery. We show the correspondence between the metric terms and qualitative observations of segmentation quality, particularly the presence of over- and under-segmentation. The computation of this metric does not require the use of any point-to-point or region-to-region correspondences but rather simple computations using the object mask from both the segmentation and ground truth.
Magnetic field topology during July 14-16 2000 (Bastille Day) solar CME event

[1] The July 14–16, 2000 (Bastille Day) event was marked by an extraordinary level of geomagnetic activity following the impact of a large magnetic cloud onto the Earth's magnetosphere at 14:38 on July 15, 2000. The strong increase of the solar wind speed, and density and the large amplitude and variability of By and Bz gives rise to dramatic topological changes of unexpected magnitude in the magnetic field of the near-Earth magnetosphere. This event is one of the first real events comprehensively modeled with the adaptive grid MHD simulation scheme BATS-R-US. Magnetic field line integrations were performed with the model output to obtain the three-dimensional magnetic topology and the magnetic mapping between the northern and the southern hemisphere of the Earth.
Effects of a Single Histoplasmin Skin Test on the Serological Diagnosis of Histoplasmosis

Numerous reports have indicated that a single histoplasmin skin test may stimulate humoral antibodies to Histoplasma capsulatum antigens in histoplasmin-hypersensitive individuals. Although these investigations concur that antibody elevations are evoked, they vary in the reported degree of incidence and response induced, and they cast doubt on the interpretation of serological tests in the diagnosis of histoplasmosis. Histoplasmin-hypersensitive subjects (114) were bled prior to administration of the skin test, 2 days later, at the time this test was read, and 15 and 30 days after testing. No significant antibody titers were observed at 2 days. At 15- and 30-day intervals, only 17 (15%) of the subjects demonstrated circulating antibodies. All 17 showed agar gel bands; 5 demonstrated no complement-fixation (CF) titers, 10 produced CF antibodies ranging from 1:8 to 1:16, and 2 demonstrated titers of 1:32. The data suggest that skin testing does not interfere significantly with antibody levels in sera drawn approximately 2 days after administration of antigen. However, since titers as high as 1:32 were obtained at later intervals, such reactions should be evaluated cautiously and only after consideration of clinical findings.
Ionic‐strength effects on colloid transport and interfacial reactions in partially saturated porous media

[1] Contaminant migration through the vadose zone may be influenced by the presence of mineral colloids that are mobilized during infiltration events. In this work, we report model calculations and experimental data on the role of pore water ionic strength in the transport of silica colloids through water-saturated and unsaturated porous media. The transport model solves the advection-dispersion equation, together with kinetics equations for straining, air-water interface capture, and mineral-grain attachment. Parameters for air-water and solid-water interfacial area required by the transport model are derived through the application of a published liquid-vapor configuration model that accounts for dual-phase (i.e., air and water) occupancy of pore spaces. Comparison of experimental and modeled results reveals that the dominant colloid-immobilization mechanism transitions from straining, to air-water interface capture, and finally, to mineral-grain attachment as the ionic strength increases from 2 × 10−4 M to 0.2 M. The results of this research provide a basic framework for interpreting how interactions between moisture content and pore water chemistry affect colloid mobility in the vadose zone.
Modelling timing assumption with trace theory

An extension of trace theory is described that allows for the verification of asynchronous circuits that are not speed-independent, but instead rely on assumptions about the delays of their components for correct operation. The theory has been implemented in an automatic verifier that checks whether a circuit satisfies a given formal specification in time linear in the number of states of both the specification and the circuit. The ability of the verifier to model timing assumptions greatly expands the class of circuits that can be automatically verified, making the verifier a more useful tool in the design of asynchronous circuits. The verifier is demonstrated on a self-timed queue element. >
Antigen Presentation by the CD4 Positive Monocyte Subset

Although CD4 antigen is expressed on monocytes (MO), its functional role is uncharacterized. In this study, isolated human MO were separated into CD4+ and CD4- MO subsets and assessed for presentation of tetanus toxoid. The CD4- MO subset had decreased antigen presenting cell (APC) capacity as well as increased PGE2 production when compared to the CD4+ MO subset. Addition of a cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor (Indomethacin) did not restore the CD4- MO subset's APC capacity to that of the similarly treated CD4+ MO subset, eliminating differential PGE2 production as the primary cause of differential APC capacity. Production of monokines such as IL-1 and plasminogen activator, which affect APC capacity, was similar in the CD4 MO subsets. However, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production (IFN gamma plus MDP-induced) of the CD4+ MO subset was slightly greater than that of the CD4- MO. CD4- MO's lower APC capacity is not totally explained by their differential IL-1, TNF, or PGE2 production.
O DESAFIO AUTOR X EDITOR: a censura dentro de casa em Ariel de Sylvia Plath

A obra Ariel , de Sylvia Plath, teve sua primeira versao publicada em 1965 e traz uma relacao conflituosa nesse contexto de publicacao. A autora antes de se suicidar deixou a obra completa, praticamente pronta para ser impressa. Contudo seu esposo - Ted Hughes, apos a morte da poetisa, levou ao publico duas edicoes da obra com algumas alteracoes do que ela havia proposto. Estudar a relacao entre editor e autor pode nos levar a entender os ideais de um e as necessidades do outro no processo de producao e publicacao de uma obra. Para isso, tomamos como pressupostos teoricos as contribuicoes da Historia Cultura, principalmente os trabalhos do historiador frances Roger Chartier.
China's land cover and land use change from 1700 to 2005: Estimations from high‐resolution satellite data and historical archives

[1] One of the major limitations in assessing the impacts of human activities on global biogeochemical cycles and climate is a shortage of reliable data on historical land cover and land use change (LCLUC). China had extreme discrepancies in estimating contemporary and historical patterns of LCLUC over the last 3 centuries because of its geographical complexity, long history of land use, and limited national surveys. This study aims to characterize the spatial and temporal patterns of China's LCLUC during 1700–2005 by reconstructing historical gridded data sets from high-resolution satellite data and long-term historical survey data. During this 300 year period, the major characteristics of LCLUC in China have been shrinking forest (decreased by 22%) and expanding cropland (increased by 42%) and urban areas (including urban and rural settlements, factories, quarries, mining, and other built-up land). New cropland areas have come almost equally from both forested and nonforested land. This study also revealed that substantial conversion between forest and woodland can be attributed to forest harvest, forest regeneration, and land degradation. During 1980–2005, LCLUC was characterized by shrinking cropland, expanding urban and forest areas, and large decadal variations on a national level. LCLUC in China showed significant spatial variations during different time periods, which were caused by spatial heterogeneity in vegetation, soils, and climate and regional imbalance in economy development. During 1700–2005, forests shrunk rapidly while croplands expanded in the northeast and southwest of China. During 1980–2005, we found a serious loss of cropland and urban sprawl in the eastern plain, north, and southeast regions of China and a large increase in forested area in the southeast and southwest regions. The reconstructed LCLUC data sets from this study could be used to assess the impacts of land use change on biogeochemical cycles, the water cycle, and the regional climate in China. To further eliminate uncertainties in this data set and make reliable projections of LCLUC for the future, we need to improve our understanding of the drivers of LCLUC and work toward developing an advanced, spatially explicit land use model.
A multilevel REI-based aggregation/disaggregation method for fast parallel power flow computation

A multilevel aggregation/disaggregation approach to solving large-scale power flow problems is introduced. This approach makes use of REI-type network equivalents in building the system models for each level. The modeling procedure is explained, and the utilization of parallel processors to further improve the performance of the approach is described. Several examples to illustrate the effectiveness of the method in solving large size power flow problems are given. >
Attributes of carnegie medalists performing acts of heroism and of the recipients of these acts

Abstract The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission recognized 676 acts of heroism during the years 1989 through 1995. About 92% of the acts of heroism were performed by males, and about 60% of the recipients of the acts were males. A higher proportion of women rescued relatives or people they knew, and a higher proportion of males rescued people they did not know. Close to one in five rescue attempts by both male and female rescuers resulted in their deaths. Deaths were more likely to occur in rescuers of persons they knew than of those they did not know. Younger relatives were more likely to be rescued than older ones but, for the sample as a whole, age differences between rescuers and those rescued and between sexes in each group were slight. However, as might be expected in terms of ability and need, higher proportions of persons rescued (compared to rescuers) were among the very young and the old. Rescuers were working-class rural or small-town residents more often than would be expected from general population data. All of the data presented above is based on information concerning awards. Results may be influenced by variables affecting the likelihood of being nominated or, if nominated, receiving an award. A possible basis of altruism directed toward nonkin and even strangers is discussed.
Rethinking collaboration in networked music

This paper argues that today's sampling culture, emerging out of pioneering efforts in electroacoustic music in the 1950s carries a similar ethos of autonomy found in many significant advances in music instrumentation throughout history. By looking at the evolution of musical instruments, the author hopes to address these continuous effort towards autonomy, which, if proves legitimate should be of great concern for networked music research that deals with all forms of music praxis of varying reciprocity and group dynamics. By further looking into what sets collaboration apart from cooperation and collective creation, and elaborating on the 'social' of music, this paper hopes to extend the discourse on current trends of accessing, shaping and sharing music in solitude, from something often seen as unfortunate and anti-social, to something less so.
Body image and HIV risk among college students

OBJECTIVES: To focus on the role of sex race/ethnicity and body image in HIV-protective behaviors. METHODS: Undergraduates (N = 277; 53% women; M = 19.27 years old) from the United States completed a survey on HIV-related behaviors and body image (appearance orientation and appearance evaluation). RESULTS: Women and African Americans/ Blacks were more likely to have ever had an HIV test. African Americans/Blacks and individuals who had more positive evaluations of their appearance were more likely to have ever asked a partners HIV status and to have asked a partner to get tested for HIV. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate low rates of HIV testing and communication with a partner about HIV suggesting the importance of sexual health intervention and education programs for college students.
Resolution of a Holliday junction by vaccinia topoisomerase requires a spacer DNA segment 3' of the CCCTT/ cleavage sites.

Vaccinia virus DNA topoisomerase catalyzes reso­lution of synthetic Holliday junctions in vitro. The mechanism entails concerted transesterifications at two recognition sites, 5′-CCCTT↓, that are opposed within a partially mobile four-way junction. Efficient resolution occurs on a junction with a 10 bp segment of branch mobility (5′-GCCCTTATCG) that extends 4 bp 3′ of the scissile phosphate. Here we report that resolution is decreased when branch mobility is limited to an 8 bp segment extending 2 bp 3′ of the cleavage site and then eliminated when branch mobility is confined to the 6 bp GCCCTT sequence 5′ of the scissile phosphate. We surmise that a spacer region 3′ of CCCTT is needed for simultaneous cleavage at two opposing sites at the junction. Branch mobility is not required for reaction chem­i­stry at a junction, because topoisomerase cleaves a single CCCTT site in a non-mobile four-way junction where the scissile phosphate is at the crossover point. The junction resolvase activity of topo­isomerase may be involved in forming the hairpin telomeres of the vaccinia genome.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Cerebrovascular Arterial and Venous Thromboembolic Events in 4 Pediatric Patients: A Case Series and Review of the Literature

Inflammatory bowel disease has been linked to cerebrovascular lesions, but the mechanisms of these vascular complications and their frequency among children with inflammatory bowel disease are unclear. We present 4 children with inflammatory bowel disease who developed ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke or cerebral sinovenous thrombosis. All 4 patients were female; 3 had Crohn's disease and 1 had indeterminate colitis. All of the patients had additional risk factors for thrombosis including thrombocytosis, severe dehydration attributable to an inflammatory bowel disease exacerbation, and, in 2 instances, genetically mediated coagulation defects. It is believed that the occurrence of thrombotic complications in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease is attributable to multifactorial causes. The current literature on cerebrovascular complications and treatment in the setting of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease is reviewed.
The Impact of Direct Democracy on Governance: A Replication and Extension

DOI 10.1515/cjpp-2012-0021 Calif. J. Politics Policy 2013; 5(1): 30–46 Ly T. Lac and Edward L. Lascher Jr.* The Impact of Direct Democracy on Governance: A Replication and Extension Abstract: Does the state ballot initiative process affect American states’ ability to meet widely accepted standards of “good governance?” This question is rel- evant in many places, but especially in California which makes the heaviest use of the popular initiative. While much recent non-academic work suggests the process has ill effects in the Golden State and elsewhere, there has been little systematic scholarly investigation of this topic; the notable exception is R.J. Dalton’s work in 2008. Building on, updating, and extending his study, we examine whether the presence and extent of ballot initiative use affects Govern- ment Performance Project grades. Controlling for many other variables, we find a generally negative relationship between initiative use and such grades. This has worrisome implications for governance. Keywords: direct democracy; initiative process; government performance; quan- titative analysis. *Corresponding author: Edward L. Lascher Jr., Department of Public Policy and Administra­tion, California State University, Sacramento, CA, USA, E-mail: tedl@csus.edu Ly T. Lac: Department of Housing and Community Development, State of California, Sacramento, CA, USA 1 T he Impact of Direct Democracy on Governance: A Replication and Extension In their recent book advocating a drastic restructuring of California government, Joe Mathews and Mark Paul (2010, pp. 170–171) attribute much of the blame for the state’s woes to the initiative process. They claim that ballot measures have hamstrung the legislative process, led to an inflexible taxing and spending system, and reduced accountability. They write: “California has the most powerful – and thus the most inflexible – initiative process in the world. The legislature has no constitutional power to stop an initiative from reaching the ballot. Nor does the governor or any member of the executive branch… Such an inflexible system has many problems. Budget priorities can be locked in easily, and they persist even when revenues
A critical appraisal of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in the treatment of advanced and recurrent ovarian cancer.

Abstract Objective Our objective was to review the published experiences of the use of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in the treatment of advanced and recurrent ovarian cancer with a focus on survival outcomes. Methods A search of the PubMed database (2008–2014) for articles specifically addressing the topic "HIPEC and ovarian cancer" was performed. We found a total of 22 publications that included 1450 patients. A final group of eleven studies (248 patients with advanced ovarian cancer) and eight publications (499 patients with recurrent sensitive ovarian cancer) that included information about survival were reviewed. Results Among patients with primary ovarian cancer who were treated with primary debulking and HIPEC, the weighted median overall survival was 37.3months (range 27–78), the median disease-free survival was 14.4months (range 12–30), and the 5-yr-survival rate was 40% (range 28–72). In the recurrent cohort, the overall survival after HIPEC was 36.5months (range 23–62), and the median disease-free survival was 20.2months (range 11–29). The rates of severe morbidity were 25 and 19% in the primary and recurrent groups, respectively. Conclusion Although randomized trials are ongoing, the recently published retrospective data regarding the use of HIPEC for primary advanced and for recurrent ovarian cancer do not indicate any apparent advantage of this treatment in terms of the survival outcomes in these patients. Therefore, HIPEC cannot be considered a standard treatment and should not be offered outside of clinical trials.
Does aspirin use reduce cardiovascular risk in diabetes

The use of aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is controversial. According to the findings of a Japanese trial, aspirin does not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in this group of patients, unless they are aged 65 years and above.
First Is Best

We experience the world serially rather than simultaneously. A century of research on human and nonhuman animals has suggested that the first experience in a series of two or more is cognitively privileged. We report three experiments designed to test the effect of first position on implicit preference and choice using targets that range from individual humans and social groups to consumer goods. Experiment 1 demonstrated an implicit preference to buy goods from the first salesperson encountered and to join teams encountered first, even when the difference in encounter is mere seconds. In Experiment 2 the first of two consumer items presented in quick succession was more likely to be chosen. In Experiment 3 an alternative hypothesis that first position merely accentuates the valence of options was ruled out by demonstrating that first position enhances preference for the first even when it is evaluatively negative in meaning (a criminal). Together, these experiments demonstrate a “first is best” effect and we offer possible interpretations based on evolutionary mechanisms of this “bound” on rational behavior and suggest that automaticity of judgment may be a helpful principle in clarifying previous inconsistencies in the empirical record on the effects of order on preference and choice.
Lung cancer screening with low-dose CT (LDCT) is ready for prime time in the USA

Commentary on: Humphrey LL, Deffebach M, Pappas M, et al. Screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography: a systematic review to update the US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation. Ann Intern Med 2013;159:411–20.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] The US Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) has published their long-awaited, updated systematic review of low-dose CT (LDCT) screening for lung cancer. Last reviewed in 2004, lung cancer screening has been under intense study worldwide for the past decade. The issue of lung cancer screening is important because lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the USA and any method that improves lung cancer early detection and diagnosis has the potential to significantly impact … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DAnn%2BIntern%2BMed%26rft.volume%253D159%26rft.spage%253D411%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.7326%252F0003-4819-159-6-201309170-00690%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F23897166%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.7326/0003-4819-159-6-201309170-00690&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=23897166&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F19%2F4%2F150.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000325625900017&link_type=ISI
Excess Electrons Bound to Small Ammonia Clusters

Dipole-bound anions of small water clusters (H2O) N− (N ≥ 2) are well-known from experiment and theory. In contrast, the smallest ammonia cluster anion detected so far is the 13-mer (NH3)13−. Here ...
Phase Dependent Tool Wear in Turning Ti-6Al-4V Using Polycrystalline Diamond and Carbide Inserts

Tool wear of polycrystalline diamond inserts was analyzed in turning experiments on Ti-6Al-4V. Evidence of phase transformation in turning titanium work material is presented and its impact on tool wear is discussed. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to analyze the rake face of the turning inserts. At cutting speed of 61 m/min, the rake face exhibited scalloped-shaped, fractured wear, characteristic of typical attrition wear. At cutting speed of 122 m/min, a smooth crater was observed, which is a typical characteristic of diffusion/dissolution wear. At the cutting speed of 91 m/min, the wear features were a combination of those observed at speeds of 61 m/min and 122 m/min. A comparison of the wear on the polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tools to that of WC-6Co from our earlier work is also discussed. Microstructural analysis of the of both the undeformed work material and the chip using electron-backscatter diffraction provided evidence to support the phase transformation. Temperature estimates on the rake face of the tool previously extracted from Finite Element Method (FEM) support the possibility of phase transformation at the high cutting speed tested. The difference in the wear pattern was also linked to the extent of recrystallization in the titanium work material. At 61 m/min there was more alpha phase in the work material without much recrystallization, which generated uneven scalloped wear. At 122 m/min, phase transformation of the existing alpha phase to the beta phase in the work material and recrystallization increased the dissolution/diffusion wear process.
First Report of Peronospora farinosa f. sp. spinaciae Race 5 Causing Downy Mildew on Spinach in Florida.

Downy mildew, caused by Peronospora farinosa f. sp. spinaciae, is an economically important disease in most areas where spinach is grown. This disease has become increasingly important in production fields for prepackaged salad mixes where plant densities typically are very high. In Florida, spinach production for these markets has reached approximately 200 ha. Currently, seven physiological races of the downy mildew pathogen have been described (1). Downy mildew was observed in several commercial spinach fields in the Everglades agricultural area of Palm Beach County, Florida in January 2003 on cvs. Unipak 151 and Merlo Nero. Symptoms appeared as chlorotic and necrotic leaf spots. Disease incidence reached approximately 25% in some field locations. Economic losses were significant, since entire plantings in several fields were not harvested as a result of diminished quality. The race of a field isolate recovered from the cv. Unipak 151 was determined following greenhouse inoculation procedures and using ...
Nonlinear, resistive, countably infinite electrical networks †

Nonlinear infinite electrical networks can be analysed by using Hilbert-space techniques when the total power in the network is finite. This work attacks the case where the total power is not finite. Graph-theoretic methods are used to show that a unique current flow occurs in a countably infinite, nonlinear, resistive network after the voltage-current pairs in certain specified branches are arbitrarily assigned. The currents and voltages throughout the entire network can be determined by computing them recursively in a sequence of finite subnetworks that partition the network. The main theorem requires that the resistances and conductances in the network satisfy sufficiently strong Lipschitz conditions.