cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparing algorithms for composite measures of intra-disease multiple medication adherence: The case of diabetes.

Abstract Background Adherence to multiple medications (i.e., separate dosage forms) intended for a disease can be measured by different single estimators, termed as composite estimators of intra-disease multiple medication adherence: 80% days covered (a) by at least one medication (“at least one”); (b) by both medications (“both”); (c) by each medication measured separately (“all”); and (d) computing an average of the individual medication adherence estimates (“average”). Objectives (a) Assess different composite adherence estimators regarding their ability to predict healthcare utilization; (b) compare and contrast composite estimators. Methods Using MarketScan 2002–2003 data, 6043 nonelderly patients who filled separate prescriptions of sulfonylurea [SU] and thiazolidinedione [TZD] were identified. Adherence was measured by the proportion of days covered (PDC) over periods of 90 days, 30 days, and cumulatively over such periods. Cox proportional hazards models analyzed all-cause and diabetes-related emergency room (ER) visits as the outcome variables. Results All composite measures predicted hazards of all-cause or diabetes ER visits (P Conclusions Each composite estimator showed the fundamental quality of a good measure. Although ‘average’ and ‘all’ approaches offer ease of measurement, there was no clear trend in superiority of one measure over the others. Clinical and practical considerations should dictate the choice of measure.
Speech-Language-Hearing Health Disparities in Young Children

Abstract Communication disorders are among the most prevalent disabilities in young children. This research examined the effectiveness of a consultative model for providing speech, language, and he...
Correlation between NDI, PROMIS and SF-12 in cervical spine surgery.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT As the focus in spine surgery shifts from radiographic to patient-centric outcomes, patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) are becoming increasingly important. They are linked to patient satisfaction, and are used to assess health care expenditures, determine compensation and evaluate cost-effectiveness. Thus, PROMs are important to various stakeholders, including patients, physicians, payers and health care institutions. Thus, it is vital to establish methods to interpret and evaluate these outcome measures. PURPOSE To evaluate the correlation between Neck Disability Index (NDI), Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Physical Function (PROMIS-PF) and Short Form-12 Physical Health Score (SF-12 PHS) in cervical spinal surgery. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. PATIENT SAMPLE Patients undergoing cervical spinal surgery. OUTCOME MEASURES PROMs -NDI, PROMIS-PF, SF-12 PHS. METHODS PROMs collected preoperatively and 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months postoperatively were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlation. RESULTS Of the 112 patients included, 58 underwent ACDF, 37 cervical disc replacement, 5 posterior cervical fusion and 16 posterior cervical decompression. NDI decreased from 36.70+19.45 preoperatively to 21.61+17.71 at 6 months. Similarly, PROMIS-PF and SF-12 PHS improved from 39.65+7.66 to 46.85+8.81 and 37.59+9.42 to 41.81+11.48, respectively. A statistically significant negative correlation was seen between NDI and PROMIS-PF, which was moderate preoperatively(r=-0.483, n=83, p CONCLUSIONS While NDI and SF-12 have been used for several years, the new PROMIS outcome measure is increasingly implemented. In our study, the correlation between SF-12 PHS and PROMIS-PF, and SF-12 PHS and NDI is stronger than the correlation between NDI and PROMIS-PF. These findings suggest that PROMIS is a better indicator of overall physical health rather than impairment due to cervical spine disease, as demonstrated by a strong correlation with SF-12 PHS, but a moderate correlation with NDI. Prior studies have shown PROMIS to be correlated with legacy measures, and computer adaptive testing allows for faster administration and reduced patient burden. Despite these advantages, it is important to keep in mind that PROMIS was designed to be used across diseases and it may not adequately capture the impact of disease-specific disability in all patient populations. Thus, larger studies are warranted to determine the utility and applicability of PROMIS-PF in common cervical spinal conditions. FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs.
Improving brain power by applying a cool TRPM8 receptor agonist to the eyelid margin.

Abstract Heat impairs human learning and work output when environmental temperatures increase from 18 °C → 25+°C. The hypothesis here is that if the localized, ambient milieu around the upper eyelid margin is perceived as being ~15 °C in coolness, then the adverse effects of heat can be attenuated. This is achieved by topical wipe of a solution to the closed eyelid skin above the eyelashes. The receptor target is TRPM8, an integral membrane protein that transduces the sense of coolness/cold to the central nervous system. The wipe solution contains a TRPM8 agonist called cryosim-3 (1-diisopropylphosphorylnonane) at 1–3 mg/mL in water and designed for delivery to the eyelid margin. Other sensory systems negatively affected by heat, such as the surfaces of the nasal cavity, can also be treated with the TRPM8 agonist as an adjunct to relieve discomfort from the heat.
The Politics of Anticolonial Resistance: Violence, Nonviolence, and the Erosion of the British Empire

This paper studies conflict in a hierarchical international system, the British Empire. How did the British Empire respond to violent and nonviolent resistance within its colonies? I develop a theory explaining how and why the metropole becomes involved in and grants concessions to its colonies. In contrast to more recent work, I find that violence was more effective at coercing metropolitan concessions to the colonies in the British Empire than nonviolence. This theory is supported with a wide range of data, including yearly measures of anticolonial resistance, every colonial concession made by the British Empire after 1918, daily measures of metropolitan discussions of colonial issues from cabinet archives, and web-scraped casualty data from British death records. My findings show that the effectiveness of resistance is conditional on the political structure that it is embedded in and that hierarchy matters for understanding state responses to resistance.
Scaling Data from Multiple Sources

We introduce a method for scaling two datasets from different sources. The proposed method estimates a latent factor common to both datasets as well as an idiosyncratic factor unique to each. In addition, it offers a flexible modeling strategy that permits the scaled locations to be a function of covariates, and efficient implementation allows for inference through resampling. A simulation study shows that our proposed method improves over existing alternatives in capturing the variation common to both datasets, as well as the latent factors specific to each. We apply our proposed method to vote and speech data from the 112th U.S. Senate. We recover a shared subspace that aligns with a standard ideological dimension running from liberals to conservatives, while recovering the words most associated with each senator’s location. In addition, we estimate a word-specific subspace that ranges from national security to budget concerns, and a vote-specific subspace with Tea Party senators on one extreme and senior committee leaders on the other.
Circuit Breakers and the COVID-19 Crisis

Designed to curb extraordinary volatility, (stock-level) circuit breakers lead to unnecessary trading halts, which have been prevalent during the recent COVID-19 crisis. More importantly, while created to accommodate the dissemination of fundamental information to market participants, most trading halts turn out to be illiquidity events. Halts further lead to decreases in liquidity, and impede short-term price efficiency, with results being more pronounced in smaller, less liquid securities. Finally, trading halts in (some of the) S&P500 constituents are associated with jumps in SPY (SPY is an ETF that tracks the S&P500), a finding that has further implications for risk management. The paper concludes by providing some guidance on how to improve the existing market mechanism design in dealing with rare events such as the COVID-19 crisis.
Screening electrolytes designed for high voltage electrochemical capacitors

Abstract Standard acetonitrile/tetraalkylammonium-tetrafluoroborate-based electrochemical capacitor electrolytes were modified with both fluorinated additives (including fluorinated analogs of ethylmethyl carbonate and diethyl carbonate, lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate, and tris(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) phosphite) and spiro(1,1′)-bipyrrolidinium tetrafluoroborate salt, to improve stability at higher voltages (>2.7 V). Compounds investigated included (2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) methyl carbonate (TFEMC), ethyl(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) carbonate (ETFEC), bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) carbonate (bTFEC), lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB), and tris(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) phosphite (TTFEPi). Screening of modified electrolytes in prototype coin cells using constant current cycling and voltage hold test protocols revealed good retention of capacitance and a reduced cell internal resistance growth when operating at maximum voltages between 3.5 and 4.0 V. These results suggest new strategies for increasing the operating limits of electric double-layer type supercapacitors, to increase stored energy and improve their compatibility with lithium-ion battery cells for use in hybrid configurations.
Assessment of hepatic reserve for indication of hepatic resection: how I do it.

Background/purpose Hepatic resection may result in liver failure in patients with cirrhotic livers. Preoperative evaluation of liver function in cirrhotic patients, to prevent postoperative liver failure, is very important. Methods Sixteen patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic livers were enrolled in this study. Liver function was determined quantitatively by monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) formation from the metabolism of lidocaine. The whole liver volume and tumor volume were measured by computed tomographic volumetry. The volume of resected liver was recorded by water displacement. The relationship between liver function and remnant liver volume was determined. Results A relationship between the percentage remnant liver volume and ratio of MEGX formation after hepatectomy was found. The regression equation was: (postoperative MEGX formation/preoperative MEGX formation) × 100% = (0.688 × percentage remnant liver volume + 0.179) × 100% (r2 = 0.49). A relationship between MEGX formation after hepatectomy and the international ratio (INR) of prothrombin time was also found. The regression equation was INR = 1.99 – 0.01 × MEGX (r2 = 0.30). Conclusions Post-hepatectomy liver function can be estimated for an individual patient by the appropriate regression equations. Prevention of post-hepatectomy liver failure for patients with cirrhotic livers is feasible.
Are surgeons still performing primary total knee arthroplasty in the morbidly obese

Aims The purpose of this study was to assess total knee arthroplasty (TKA) volume and rates of early complications in morbidly obese patients over the last decade, where the introduction of quality...
Apple (Computer) Inc: Whither the Mac?

A product manager at Apple examines the past, present, and future of the PC industry in September 2011 in the wake of Steve Jobs's resignation and HP's announcement that it was exiting the PC industry in favor of enterprise software solutions and consulting. The protagonist thinks through current forces in the PC industry, including market share trends, mobile computing, ultrabooks, and cloud computing services—as well as the position of the Mac in Apple's product portfolio—and is faced with making a decision about the future of the Mac. Excerpt UVA-S-0202 Rev. Jan. 28, 2015 Apple (Computer) Inc.: Whither the Mac? A Double Whammy It was August 30, 2011. James Rollins, a product development manager at Apple Inc., reread Steve Jobs's resignation letter and leafed through some news coverage regarding the Hewlett-Packard (HP) announcement. He felt as though he was in the center of a maelstrom. Six days earlier, Jobs had announced his resignation as CEO of Apple. Jobs had said in a brief letter: “I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.” Six days before that, HP CEO Leo Apotheker had announced that HP would spin off its industry-leading personal computer (PC) business—including all its desktops, laptops, and even touchpads and smartphones—in favor of investing resources in the areas of enterprise software and information management solutions. In support of this strategy, HP also announced its intention to purchase Autonomy, a British enterprise software company, at a premium. Apotheker said on an analyst conference call, “We believe this bold action will squarely position HP in software and information to create the next-generation information platform…This is about a transformation to position HP for a new future and driving shareholder value.” . . .
Identities for squared central binomial coefficients

We prove four identities for the squared central binomial coefficients. The first three of them reflect certain transformation properties of the complete elliptic integrals of the first and the second kind, while the last one is based on properties of the Lagrange polynomials.
Computing Generalized Rank invariant for 2-Parameter Persistence Modules via Zigzag Persistence and its Applications

The notion of generalized rank invariant in the context of multiparameter persistence has become an important ingredient for defining interesting homological structures such as generalized persistence diagrams. Naturally, computing these rank invariants efficiently is a prelude to computing any of these derived structures efficiently. We show that the generalized rank invariant over a finite interval $I$ of a $\mathbb{Z}^2$-indexed persistence module $M$ is equal to the generalized rank invariant of the zigzag module that is induced on the boundary of $I$. Hence, we can compute the generalized rank over $I$ by computing the barcode of the zigzag module obtained by restricting the bifiltration inducing $M$ to the boundary of $I$. If $I$ has $t$ points, this computation takes $O(t^\omega)$ time where $\omega\in[2,2.373)$ is the exponent for matrix multiplication. Among others, we apply this result to obtain an improved algorithm for the following problem. Given a bifiltration inducing a module $M$, determine whether $M$ is interval decomposable and, if so, compute all intervals supporting its summands. Our algorithm runs in time $O(t^{2\omega})$ vastly improving upon existing algorithms for the problem.
An Agent-OS for Autonomous Cooperative Systems

We are interested in providing an agent infrastructure for truly distributed control. Requirements include multiple language implementations so that this agent host environment can exist in real-time controllers. Our first infrastructure, the Autonomous Cooperative System (ACS) was built as a low, priority control task within the operating system of the automation controllers. The environment added the, functionality to host a set of agents This ACS kernel evolved for a long time almost independently of the controller operating system. New releases of the controllers will cause complications in the integration of the software and adoption of new functionality. We need to evolve ACS to be seamless integrated with the controllers. These changes will affect the infrastructure. In this document, we discuss the implications and results of the transformation.
Development of a high-density cranberry SSR linkage map for comparative genetic analysis and trait detection

Since its domestication 200 years ago, breeding of the American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) has relied on phenotypic selection because applicable resources for molecular improvement strategies such as marker-assisted selection (MAS) remain limited. To enable MAS in cranberry, the first high-density SSR linkage map with 541 markers representing all 12 cranberry chromosomes was constructed for the CNJ02-1 progeny from a cross of elite cultivars, CNJ97-105-4 and NJ98-23. The population was phenotyped for a 3-year period for total yield (TY), mean fruit weight (MFW), and biennial bearing index (BBI), and data were analyzed using mixed models and best linear unbiased predictors (BLUPs). Significant differences between genotypes were observed for all traits. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analyses using BLUPs identified four MFW QTL on three linkage groups (LGs), three TY QTL on three LGs, and one BBI QTL which co-localized with a TY QTL. Local BLAST of a cranberry nuclear genome assembly identified homologous sequences for the mapped SSRs which were then anchored to 12 pseudo-chromosomes using the linkage map information. Analyses comparing coding regions (CDS) anchored in the cranberry linkage map with grape, kiwifruit, and tomato genomes were performed. Moderate micro-synteny between the cranberry and kiwifruit genomes was detected, although none of the regions overlapped with the QTL identified in this study. The linkage map, QTL, and elite genotypic constitutions identified herein may be applied in subsequent cranberry MAS programs for the development of new cultivars, and potential marker transferability should allow for comparative genomic studies within economically important Vaccinium species.
A lineage-specific gene encoding a major matrix protein of the sea urchin embryo spicule: I. Authentication of the cloned gene and its developmental expression☆

The developing sea urchin embryo forms endoskeletal CaCO3 containing spicules which are elaborated by the primary mesenchyme cells, descendants of the micromeres, beginning at gastrulation. In this and the accompanying paper [H. M. Sucov, S. Benson, J. J. Robinson, R. J. Britten, F. Wilt, and E. H. Davidson (1987) Dev. Biol. 120, 507-519] the isolation and characterization of a gene that encodes a 50-kDa spicule matrix glycoprotein that we call SM50 are described. A cloned cDNA isolated from a lambda gt11 library was used in hybrid-selected translation and hybrid arrest of translation experiments to verify that the cDNA encodes a spicule matrix protein. The cognate RNA transcript encodes a 50-kDa protein which is precipitated by polyclonal antisera against spicule matrix proteins and is present only in polyadenylated RNA at stages known to be making a spicule. The cloned cDNA sequence described in the accompanying paper was used to follow the time of expression of the cognate gene by RNA blotting analysis. The 2.2-kb mRNA is first detected at late cleavage stages and rapidly accumulates as the primary mesenchyme forms, reaching an apparent maximum concentration in the late gastrula and pluteus stages. The cDNA was also used to identify the cells that contain the transcripts by hybridization in situ. Hybridization to cellular transcripts is first detected in primary mesenchyme cells as they enter the blastocoel, and transcripts are confined to these cells during spicule formation and subsequent development.
Effect of chemical protection and bone marrow treatment on radiation injury in mice.

Doses of 450 mg./Kg. and 250 mg/Kg. of compound were used. Chemical studies revealed that at neutral pH, AET rearranges to 2-mercaptoethylguanidine.HBr ( MEG ) #{149}2 Preparation and injection of MEG prepared by neutralization of at least 8.8 mg. of AET resulted in 95 per cent 30-day survival of 150 C3H mice exposed to 800 r of total-body x-radiation.3 Early deaths resulting from lethal irradiation are attributed in large part to the injury suffered by the hematopoietic tissues. To aid in further evaluating the manner in which MEG is capable of reducing the effects of irradiation, its effect onthe response of the hematopoietic system to lethal and sublethal irradiation in mice was studied. The object of this investigation, therefore, was a determination of the quantitative changes in the response of the bone marrow, peripheral blood leukocytes, hematocrit, spleen weight, thymus weight, and body weight, and the histologic appearance of the hematopoietic organs in mice treated with MEG and then x-irradiated. The effects on the same parameters by combining MEG given before irradiation with isologous bone marrow injected after irradiation were also studied. This type of treatment increases the LD50/30-day exposure from 700 to 1800 r in mice.4
Indigenous Language Revitalization and Documentation in the United States: Collaboration Despite Colonialism

In this article, Hermes brings together literature from disparate areas to give a perspective of indigenous language revitalization and documentation efforts in the United States as situated in the context of global revitalization. Much of the narrative surrounding indigenous languages has been dominated by the idea of language death. In stark contrast to the picture of impending doom, the author brings attention to long-standing efforts of change characterized by community building and collaboration with academics across disciplines, cultures, and ideologies. In this narrative of change, indigenous languages are central to a sustainable future rather than relics from a dying past.
An integrated circuit solution of thermal noise thermometer with cascaded pre-amplifier and 6-bit resolution analog-to-digital converter

A solution of thermal noise thermometer in integrated circuit (IC) is presented in this paper. By limiting the dynamic range and bringing in IC solution, bottlenecks of high resolution and high speed requirements are broken. In this design, a multi-stage pre-amplifier is added to magnify the noise and predictions of output noise power from different sources are given after mathematical analysis. Consequently, the design conditions of the amplifier for maintaining the thermometers accuracy are generated. A 6-bit resolution analog-to-digital converter will be used to sample the signal and statistical theories are explored to develop methods which help acquire power and temperature information from the sampled codes. The design concepts are eventually verified by simulations. After one-point calibration at 27°C, the integral non-linearity of this method is 0.59°C over a temperature range from −40°C to 105°C.
Comparative study of ED mortality risk of US trauma patients treated at level I and level II vs nontrauma centers

Abstract Background Prior studies of undertriage have not made comparisons across multiple trauma levels. Methods Emergency department data was extracted from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample for major trauma patients. We considered patients with moderate injuries (Injury Severity Score, ISS=16-24) and severe injuries (ISS=25-75) separately. Conditional logistic regression modeling was used to compare the odds of ED mortality for level I trauma centers (TC I) vs. nontrauma centers (NTC) and level II trauma centers (TC II) vs. NTC. An innovative 1:1:1 optimal matching (an extension of the traditional pair matching) was used to balance patient characteristics in three groups. To facilitate matching of all NTC patients, 3 subgroups were developed for ISS=16-24 and 2 subgroups for ISS=25-75. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the strength of the association between trauma center designation and ED mortality. Results For ISS=16-24, 2 of 3 subgroups had marginally significant reduced odds of ED mortality when properly triaged (TC I vs. NTC [T1:OR=0.63; 95%CI: 0.45 - 0.89, T2:OR=0.71;95%CI:0.51-0.99]). For ISS=25-75, both subgroups had significantly reduced odds of emergency department mortality when properly triaged (H1: TC I vs. NTC [OR=0.61; 95%CI: 0.50-0.74]; TC II vs. NTC [OR=0.49; 95%CI: 0.38 - 0.63]; H2: TC I vs. NTC [OR=0.50; 95%CI: 0.41 - 0.60]; TC II vs. NTC [OR=0.42; 95%CI: 0.33 - 0.53]). Conclusions for ISS 25-75 were robust to a hypothesized unobserved confounding variable as shown in sensitivity analysis. Conclusions Trauma patients with ISS≥25 received most benefit from proper triage. Efforts to reduce undertriage should focus on this population.
Computerization of the strength versus w/c relationship

In the December 1994 issue of Concrete International, the technological aspects of the extension of the strength vs. water-cement ratio (w/c), and the water-cementitious material ratio (w/(c+m)), beyond the ACI 211.1 Standard Practice were established. Numerical extensions of Abrams' formula were suggested for the cases of high-strength concretes, Type I and Type III cement concretes, and concretes containing chemical or mineral admixtures such as fly ash, superplasticizers, or silica fumes. This paper is the continuation of the earlier one in that the same extensions are discussed, but from the standpoint of computer application. The development of a Windows-based software package implementing the proposed extensions is in progress.
Banks’ Non-Interest Income and Systemic Risk

This paper documents that banks with higher non-interest income (noncore activities like investment banking, venture capital and trading activities) have a higher contribution to systemic risk than traditional banking (deposit taking and lending). After decomposing total non-interest income into two components, trading income and investment banking and venture capital income, we find that both components are roughly equally related to systemic risk. These results are robust to endogeneity concerns when we use a difference-in-difference approach with the Lehman bankruptcy proxying for an exogenous shock. We also find that banks with higher trading income one-year prior to the recession earned lower returns during the recession period. No such significant effect was found for investment banking and venture capital income.
Absolute calibration of a variable attenuator using few-photon pulses

We demonstrate the ability to calibrate a variable optical attenuator directly at the few-photon level using a superconducting Transition Edge Sensor (TES). Because of the inherent linearity of photon-number resolving detection, no external calibrations are required, even for the energy of the laser pulses, which ranged from means of 0.15 to 18 photons per pulse at the detector. To verify this method, calibrations were compared to an independent conventional calibration made at much higher photon fluxes using analog detectors. In all cases, the attenuations estimated by the two methods agree within their uncertainties. Our few-photon measurement determined attenuations using the Poisson-Influenced K-Means Algorithm (PIKA) to extract mean numbers of photons per pulse along with the uncertainties of these means. The robustness of the method is highlighted by the agreement of the two calibrations even in the presence of significant drifts in the optical power over the course of the experiment.
Global behaviour analysis of a DC-DC boost power converter operating with constant power load

This paper addresses the closed-loop behaviour of a boost power converter feeding a constant power load. This configuration is present in DC-DC converters feeding power converters tightly regulated in multi-converter power electronic systems. The dynamic properties of a boost converter operating with a constant power load differ from when the converter is loaded by resistors. Based on a large-signal model of the converter, the local behaviour around the operating point and its basin of attraction are defined. This region of attraction, in general, excludes the low range of the output voltage affecting the transient stability and forcing proper coordination between the converter and loads during start-up.
Nucleotide specificity of the Na + -stimulated phosphorylation and ( 3 H)ouabain-binding reactions of (Na + + K + )-dependent adenosine triphosphatase.

ATP, CTP, and ITP supported a rapid initial rate of [3H]ouabain binding to rat brain (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, up to 4 times that supported by ADP. These nucleotides also prevented the rapid initial incorporation of the [γ-32P]phosphate of [γ-32P]ATP into the enzyme. [γ-32P]Cytidine triphosphate labeled the enzyme to the same extent as [γ-32P]ATP, suggesting that nucleotides other than ATP phosphorylate this enzyme. In support of this, the phosphorylation from [γ-32P]CTP required Mg2+, was stimulated by Na+, and was not observed in the presence of K+, and the label incorporated into the enzyme from [γ-32P]CTP turned over at the same rate as that from [γ-32P]ATP. In other experiments the initial rates of hydrolysis of ATP, ITP, UTP, and ADP in the absence of added K+ matched the initial rates of [3H]ouabain binding supported by these substrates. The results suggest that these substrates give rise to sufficient phosphoenzyme to account for the initial rates of [3H]ouabain binding supported by them. Concentrations of ADP sufficient to inhibit the phosphorylation of this enzyme by ATP also inhibited the initial rate of the ATP-supported binding of [3H]ouabain, suggesting that ADP can bind to this enzyme without stimulating [3H]ouabain binding. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors wish to thank Mrs. Annie Han and Mr. Roxy So for excellent technical assistance.
Coupled-Channel Schrödinger-Equation Model for High-Energy Peripheral Collisions

We have considered a model for high-energy pion-nucleon scattering in which there are 3 (or 4) open channels---$\ensuremath{\pi}N$, $\ensuremath{\rho}N$, $\ensuremath{\pi}{N}^{*}$ (and $\ensuremath{\rho}{N}^{*}$)---and in which the scattering is determined by coupled Schr\"odinger equations with Yukawa potentials corresponding to exchange of a single $\ensuremath{\pi}$ or $\ensuremath{\rho}$ meson. All particles are considered spinless for simplicity, and relativistic kinematics are used. The calculations are done numerically on a CDC-3600 computer, in the partial-wave representation, for all values of the orbital angular momentum that contribute significantly to the cross sections. The results are compared with those of 4 other approximations: (1) simple Born approximation, (2) Born approximation modified by absorption parameters taken from elastic scattering, (3) the unitary $S$ matrix obtained by identifying the Born approximation with the $K$ matrix, (4) Born approximation modified by absorption parameters determined in a self-consistent way from the optical theorem. We find that none of the approximate methods agree in detail with the coupled-channel Schr\"odinger-equation results, but that methods (2), (3) and (4) agree qualitatively with the coupled-channel method for the reaction $\ensuremath{\pi}N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\rho}N$ near the forward direction.
Crossover and the breakdown of hyperscaling in long-range bond percolation

The problem of long-range bond percolation (LRBP) is studied both with scaling arguments and simulation methods. New scaling relations are proposed for the mean-field region and the fractal properties of the LRBP clusters are also investigated.
Solar Cycle Variation of Planetary Exospheric Temperatures

THIS communication shows that a simple scaling law, based on an approximate solution of the heat balance equation, can be used to determine the variation of exospheric temperature T∞ over a solar cycle. T∞ is defined as the temperature of the isothermal region (on account of heat conduction) extending into the exosphere and so T∞, also controls the escape of gases from planetary atmospheres.
Sur submarine slide, Monterey Fan, central California

The Sur debris slide and associated debris flow cover more than 1000 km2 of the eastern part of Monterey submarine fan and extend from the base of the continental slope near the apex of the fan to the Monterey fan valley. The flow is generally confined between the continental slope and remnants of an older channel (Monterey East fan valley). The hummocky surface of the debris slide and diffuse echo returns from the surface of the nearly acoustically transparent debris flow, as seen in 3.5 kHz profiles, are common to large submarine slides described from passive-margin continental-slope and rise deposits. Piston cores from the Sur slide recovered contorted and sheared fan turbidite units as well as clast- and matrix-supported mudlump debris flows. The cores show that the slide debris is overlain by 0.23–0.87 m of mud and turbidite sand that limit the age of the slide to latest Holocene, although more than one stage of emplacement is possible.
Subjective judgments of acceptable error

Abstract Three of four groups of subjects were given problems of the form, “What is X % of Y ?” for which they subjectively estimated the answers. Then, without either the problems or their answers present, they were read a list of the correct answers and were asked to state an interval around each correct answer within which they would regard an estimate as essentially correct. The fourth group made no estimates but saw both the problems and the correct answers while stating intervals of acceptable error. The estimates were extremely accurate. The intervals, I , were a constant proportion, k , of the correct answers, C ; I C = k . The constant was about .25 for most problems but dropped to .02 for problems that the fourth group could interpret as being of little difficulty. The results are discussed in terms of subjective evaluation of error and achievement.
FTIR Analysis of Mouse Urine Urea Using IR Cards

Abstract Urea in mouse urine results from the normal breakdown and use of protein. A variation in its content may indicate a change in the way the mouse's metabolism, liver, and kidney are functioning. To demonstrate the feasibility of using FTIR–IR cards for urine urea analysis, urine samples were obtained from two control females and four pregnant mice during their pregnancy. An internal standard, potassium thiocyanate (KSCN), was added to each of the urine samples in a 3:1 ratio. Dry urea/KSCN films were obtained by spreading the urine/KSCN samples onto the polyethylene windows of the IR cards. Sample transmission spectra were obtained using a Genesis II FTIR spectrometer (Mattson). Urea content was indicated by the ratio of the peak due to urea at 3458 cm−1 to the peak due to KSCN at 2060 cm−1. The urea molarities were determined based on a FTIR analysis of a set of standard urea/KSCN solutions. Results showed that the urea content remained at a constant level for the control mice: (3.9 ± 0.2) M for c...
Brain injury in autonomic, emotional, and cognitive regulatory areas in patients with heart failure.

Background Heart failure (HF) is accompanied by autonomic, emotional, and cognitive deficits, indicating brain alterations. Reduced gray matter volume and isolated white matter infarcts occur in HF, but the extent of damage is unclear. Using magnetic resonance T2 relaxometry, we evaluated the extent of injury across the entire brain in HF.
The study of structural system dynamic problems by recursive estimation method

This paper presents the recursion-relation algorithm to determine the input forces of beam structures and the individual node displacement. The system state equations of the beam structures are based on the average acceleration method, and a dynamic beam matrix equation is constructed by using the finite element method. Implementation of this method involves handling various systems' parameters such as the measurement noise, the modeling error, and the external disturbance. The Kalman filter is used to predict the applied forces and adjusted at each time step according to the measured dynamic response data of structures. The estimator employs a recursive least-squares algorithm to compute the magnitudes of the impulsive loads. The accuracy of the present method is demonstrated by the numerical simulations for loads applied along the axis of a beam on different time frames.
Medico‐legal Commentary

In the article accompanying this commentary, “Medico-Legal Issues and Alleged Breaches of ‘Standards of Medical Care’ in Opioid Rotation to Methadone” by Dr. David Fishbain and colleagues [1], the untimely death of the patient, Mr. X, within 36 hours of admission to a detoxification facility led to a lawsuit alleging multiple departures from the standard of care of a patient undergoing treatment for opioid withdrawal. While the case presentation raises a host of clinical issues related to the practice of utilizing methadone as the agent of choice for detoxifying a patient from opioids, I limit the discussion and analysis in this commentary to several core medico-legal considerations that are implicated by the care provided to the patient. Those considerations are: 1) Assessment of the applicable standard of care; 2) Informed consent; and 3) The influence of cost containment and managed care on clinical decision making. The benchmark by which the performance of a physician in the care of a patient is evaluated is generally that which a reasonably prudent and competent physician with the same or similar training would do in the same or similar circumstances [2]. During the 1960s and 1970s, most state courts made the transition from the locality rule to a national standard of care. As a result, it is no longer essential that an expert witness practice in the same or a similar community in order to offer an opinion as to whether the defendant physician's treatment was within the standard of care. Because medical schools are accredited by national organizations and all students are required to pass national examinations in order to graduate from medical school and be licensed by a particular state, the rationale for the proposition that the standard of acceptable care might vary markedly from one locale to another has …
Stabilized images: Functional relationships among populations of orientation-specific mechanisms in the human visual system

Two experiments are presented in which fading rates of stabilized line stimuli were measured following prolonged adaptation to nonstabilized grating patterns in various orientations. Results indicated that some orientation-specific effects are sensitive to small variations of orientation around an optimal orientation, as well as to stimuli rotated 90 deg from the optimal orientation. These data were interpreted in terms of interactions among populations of orientation-specific mechanisms in the human visual system.
Corticosteroid skin atrophogenicity: assessment methods

Background/aims: Skin atrophy manifests itself as fragile and easily bruised skin, telangiectasia and striae distensae. Methods: Various methods have been used to predict the atrophogenicity potential of topical corticosteroids in man. Assay standardization, including reference corticosteroid, anatomic site, method of administration, and quantification, has not been accomplished. Results/Conclusion: This report reviews the literature and proposes a standard assay method.
ASHP resources for new practitioners.

Transitioning from student life into a pharmacy residency or a new job can be challenging for many new practitioners. Organizations such as the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) provide several services and networking opportunities to make the transition a little easier. ASHP has
Conflict resolution in sentence processing is the same for bilinguals and monolinguals: The role of confirmation bias in testing for bilingual advantages

Abstract The primary purpose of this study was to test for bilingual advantages in conflict resolution during sentence processing. Experiment 1 examined the time-course of a homograph-interference effect when test words were either presented immediately after the sentence-final word or after a delay. Bilinguals and monolinguals were equally adept at using the extra time to suppress the context-inappropriate meaning when the sentence-final word was a homograph. Experiment 2 tested the hypothesis that bilingual advantages in inhibitory control enable bilinguals to close the performance gap in a sentence grammaticality task compared to a sentence acceptability task. The critical group by task interactions were not significant across four different behavioral measures. Recent studies offering opposing conclusions were examined for the influence of confirmation bias.
Synergistic Activation of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase in Human Dermal Fibroblasts by Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase and Transforming Growth Factor-β1

Background Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is primarily known for its ability to elongate telomeres for maintaining chromosomal integrity and delaying cellular senescence. Recently, hTERT has emerged as having a role in promoting cellular proliferation that is independent of telomere elongation. How hTERT elicits this novel function is a fundamental question in cell biology. Understanding this question may have therapeutic implications in regenerative medicine for patients with damaged organs or tissues, cardiovascular disorders, stroke, ischemic chronic wounds, and other ischemia-reperfusion injuries. Toward this end, we treated hTERT-transfected human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) with transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and investigated the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2, vital mediators of cell proliferation. Materials and methods Primary HDFs were transfected with either recombinant adenovirus expressing hTERT (Ad-hTERT) or control adenovirus (Ad-NULL) and subsequently treated with TGF-β1 (2 pg/mL). ERK 1/2 activation was determined by Western blotting using an antibody recognizing only activated ERK 1/2 that is dually phosphorylated at Thr 202 and Tyr 204 . TGF-β1, TGFβ-RI, TGFβ-RII, and Col1 A1 mRNA levels were analyzed by real-time PCR. Results Ad-hTERT-transfected HDFs showed more than 7-fold up-regulation of phospho-ERK 1/2 over Ad-NULL-transfected HDFs upon TGF-β1 treatment. The synergistic ERK 1/2 activation in Ad-hTERT-transfected HDFs occurred as early as 10 min and was sustained for at least 30 min after TGF-β1 treatment. There were no statistically significant differences in TGF-β1, TGFβ-RI, TGFβ-RII, and Col1 A1 mRNA levels between HDFs that were transfected with Ad-hTERT and those that were transfected with Ad-NULL after TGF-β1 treatment. Conclusions hTERT and extremely low concentrations of TGF-β1 (2 pg/mL) synergistically activate ERK 1/2 in HDFs by a mechanism that is independent of the autocrine TGF-β1 loop.
The unionization of professionals: A case study

In 1999 the U.S. economy concluded its ninth year of expansion, and the GDP increased by 4.3 percent while the rate of unemployment remained at 4.1 percent, its lowest level in thirty years. However, there has not been a corresponding expansion in the rate of unionization. Recognizing that they can no longer depend on their traditional base of members, unions have targeted the rapidly expanding area of professional employment as a potential growth area. If unions can adapt to the needs of these workers and achieve organizing successes in nontraditional areas, rapid growth of the union movement could occur. Utilizing the case study methodology, I explore the motivations of a group of professional employees to turn to union representation to address their dissatisfaction with the workplace.
TRENDS IN INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS (IE) INCIDENCE AND MICROBIOLOGY BEFORE AND AFTER 2007 IDSA/ACC/AHA IE PROPHYLAXIS GUIDELINES CHANGE

The goal of this study was to evaluate the trend in incidence and the microbiology associated with before and after the change in IE prophylaxis guideline in 2007 by IDSA/ACC/AHA. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project – National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was used to perform a
Dick and Jane meet HTML

Abstract Learning to read is an essential prerequisite for actively participating in a literate society. The challenge of designing meaningful, effective pedagogies becomes increasingly complex with the proliferation of new forms of technology (from tape recorders and television to computers) that may be enlisted in the process. As contemporary teachers are bombarded with suggestions about how best to initiate their charges into literacy, it is instructive to step back and reflect on what the evolving world of scholarship tells us about past and present thinking on teaching reading. Gerard Giordano’s Twentieth-Century Reading Education: Understanding Practices of Today in Terms of Patterns of the Past offers a straightforward review of pedagogical theory and practice in American reading over the past century. Ann Watts Pailliotet and Peter B. Mosenthal’s edited collection Reconceptualizing Literacy in the Media Age situates reading instruction within the modern discourse of media literacy. Together, the two volumes, though published in 2000, contain enough insightful nuggets to engage readers interested in mapping new directions for teaching this critical skill.
Health status of preweaned dairy heifers in the United States

The first national estimates of mortality and morbidity for preweaned dairy heifers in the US were generated from monitoring heifers from 906 operations in 28 states prospectively using a daily diary card system. Results indicated that the cumulative mortality incidence risk from birth to 8 weeks of life was 6.3% with a peak of 1.9% during the first week of life. Season of birth was significantly associated with cumulative mortality incidence risk, and mortality risk was highest in the periods January to March and October to December. Cumulative incidence risk of diarrhea to 8 weeks of age was 24.6% with a peak of 15.4% during the second week of life. Diarrhea incidence risk varied by region, with the West having the highest incidence risk (30.5%) and the Northeast the lowest (19.2%), as well as by herd size, with the smallest herd size having the lowest reported incidence risk of diarrhea to 8 weeks of age (18.8%). Other reported 8 week cumulative disease incidence risks included listlessness, 10.0%; respiratory disease, 8.4%; dehydration, 4.1%; lameness or joint problems, 1.1%.
Insect pest management in forest ecosystems

Understanding the role of insects in forest ecosystems is vital to the development of environmentally and economically sound pest management strategies in forestry Most of the research on forest insects has been confined to phytophagous species associated with economically important tree species The roles of most other insects in forest environments have generally been ignored, including the natural enemies and associates of phytophagous species identified as being important In the past few years several investigations have begun to reevaluate the role of phytophagous species responsible for perturbation in forest ecosystems, and it appears that these species may be playing an important role in the primary productivity of those ecosystems Also, there is an increasing awareness that forest pest managers have been treating the symptoms and not the causes of the problems in the forest Many insect problems are associated with poor sites or sites where trees are growing poorly because of crowding As a result, there is considerable emphasis on the hazard rating of stands of trees for their susceptibility to various phytophagous insects The next step is to manipulate forest stands to make them less susceptible to forest pest complexes A thinning study in California is used as an example and shows that tree mortality in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) attributable to the western pine beetle (Dendroctonus brevicomis) can be reduced by commercial thinning to reduce stocking