cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Politics at the margins: alternative sites of political involvement among young people in Cameroon

AbstractThis paper analyses young people’s political discourses and experiences, highlighting their disillusionment with the postcolonial state. Drawing on ethnographic data and interviews with young people in the city of Bamenda, the article argues that young people’s perspectives and discourses on politics constitute alternative forms of political involvement and resistance. Their actions, inactions and discourses about politics and political personalities are informed by their specific identities and positionalities. However, taken collectively, these voices reveal current national anxieties about the postcolonial state whose legitimacy is widely believed to have eroded.
Microstructure And Oxidation Properties Of Laser Clad Ni70AL20Cr7Hf3 Alloys With Extended Solid Solution Of Hf

Alloys coatings for superalloys for improved higher temperature (1200°C) service life under aggressive atmospheres are of great interest at present. There is a general consensus that addition of rare earths such as hafnium (Hf) to these alloys has a pronounced effect on the oxidation resistance properties at high temperatures. In situ laser cladding technique was used to produce Ni-Al-Cr-Hf alloys with extended solid solution of Hf in a near stoichiometric Ni3Al matrix. A 10 kW CW CO2 laser was used in conjunction with a screw-feed powder dispenser to perform the in situ cladding process.
IceCube’s astrophysical neutrino energy spectrum from C P T violation

The six-year data set of high-energy starting events (HESEs) at IceCube indicates a spectrum of astrophysical neutrinos much softer than expected from the Fermi shock acceleration mechanism. On the other hand, IceCube's up-going muon neutrino data set and Fermi-LAT's gamma-ray spectrum point to an ${E}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ neutrino spectrum. If the HESE data above 200 TeV are fit with the latter flux, an excess at lower energies ensues, which then suggests a multicomponent spectrum. We show that the HESE data set can be explained by a single ${E}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ power-law neutrino flux from a muon-damped $p\ensuremath{\gamma}$ source if neutrino interactions are modified by $CPT$ violation. The low-energy excess is naturally explained by the pileup of events from superluminal neutrino decay, and there is no cutoff at high energies due to the contribution of subluminal antineutrinos. The best-fit scenario with $CPT$ violation also predicts the observation of Glashow resonance events in the near future.
Conformal Radiotherapy for Spinal Lesions

In the spine, as elsewhere, conventional doses and treatment schedules in radiotherapy have been titrated to the clinical tolerance of normal tissues. Protracted treatment courses delivered over several weeks, “fractionated schedules,” are a radiobiological compromise employed to permit normal tissue repair between multiple small doses of radiation with the goal of reducing morbid late effects of treatment. Radiotherapy is widely used because this approach is often successful in dealing with microscopic disease or particularly radio-sensitive tumors, however, for bulky disease or radio-resistant tumors, sterilizing tumoricidal doses may never be reached owing to limitations imposed by nearby critical structures such as the spinal cord.
The SCF-Xα Scattered-Wave Method

The recently developed SCF-Xα scattered-wave theory of molecular electronic structure and localized states in solids is reviewed. Calculations of the electronic structures and cohesive properties of small and medium sized molecules are described. The ionization energies and optical properties are interpreted, using the transition-state procedure, which accounts for the effects of spin-orbital relaxation. Emphasis is on applications to more complex systems, and as illustrative examples, results for metal complexes and biological macromolecules are described. In the latter applications, the electronic structure of a macromolecule is built up from the SCF-Xα charge distributions of suitably chosen component polyatomic clusters. The final section is devoted primarily to a summary of applications to localized states in solids, including those associated with crystal defects, excitons, magnetism, and chemisorption.
Perspectives on Food Safety and Biotechnology

Expert views of food safety closely parallel those of the FDA, which has concluded that the greatest potential risk associated with food is microbiological contamination followed closely by nutritional imbalance. The emotionally-charged issues of environmental contamination, pesticide residues, and food additives are much less important. Consumers characteristically invert this ranking, believing that the latter three are major causes of human illness, but this does not negate the FDA's position. Hence it is important in the development of new food products and ingredients to consider posible microbiological and nutritional ramifications. Safety evaluation should also include assessment of the potential toxicological significance of changes in composition from the traditional food or food ingredient counterparts.
Cosmetic Facial Anatomy

As a major determinant of facial expression and an important source of support for the eyelids, the eyebrows should be included in any evaluation of eyelid dysfunction. Eyebrow position strongly influences eyelid position and architecture; and many cases of upper eyelid ptosis and apparent dermatochalasis are, in fact, a consequence of eyebrow ptosis. Similarly, frontalis muscle recruitment can mask significant blepharoptosis. In these situations, addressing only the lids may lead to an inadequate or undesirable surgical result.
Guanxi and Organizational Performance: A Cost-Benefit Perspective: An Abstract

Conventional wisdom posits that a long-term orientation with important partners such as key suppliers and clients is essential for superior performance. This study critically examines this business tenet by studying the relationship between the duration of partnerships with major suppliers and clients and company performance. The purpose of this study is threefold. First, based on social capital theory, the role guanxi plays in building relationships with key business partners is examined. Second, the relationship between duration of cooperation with alliances and firm performance is scrutinized. Finally, the role R&D may play in relationship management is explored, and this effort will shed light on the intricacies of interfirm partnerships.
Association of Maternity Care Practices and Policies with In-Hospital Exclusive Breastfeeding in the United States

Abstract Background: Experiences during the birth hospitalization affect breastfeeding outcomes. In the United States, hospital policies and practices supportive of breastfeeding are routinely asse...
The right to learn our (m)other tongues: indigenous languages and neoliberal citizenship in El Salvador and Mexico

This article critically examines bilingual, intercultural education policies and practices in El Salvador and Mexico. In the context of legacies of assimilation and neoliberal homogenization, certa...
Perioperative Complications in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Following Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: An Analysis of 102,898 Patients.

There are conflicting results regarding the impact of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on total knee arthroplasty (TKA) outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare outcomes of patients with and without RA undergoing primary TKA. Specifically, we assessed (1) 90-day medical complications, (2) 90-day readmission rates, (3) short-term implant-related complications, (4) 1-year mortality, and (5) total global 90-day episode-of-care costs. The authors of the study hypothesize that RA would increase the rate of medical- and implant-related complications, readmission rates, and costs. A retrospective level of evidence III study was conducted using the Medicare standard analytical files from the PearlDiver database. Patients were queried using the International Classification of Disease, ninth revision codes. Patients with RA were randomly matched 1:1 to controls according to age, gender, and Charlson's comorbidity index. Two mutually exclusive cohorts were formed. Medical- and implant-related complications, readmission rates, and costs were analyzed and compared between the cohorts. Statistical analysis using logistic regression was performed calculating odds ratios (OR), 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), and their respective p-values. The query returned 102,898 patients with (n = 51,449) and without (n = 51,449) RA undergoing primary TKA within the Medicare database from 2005 to 2014. Patients with RA had greater odds of medical complications (OR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.98-2.20, p < 0.001), implant complications (OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.24-1.36, p < 0.001), 1-year mortality (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 0.68-2.70, p = 0.39), total 90-day episode-of-care costs ($16,605 vs. 15,716.53; p < 0.001), and 90-day readmission rates were similar between cohorts (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.05-1.12, p < 0.001). RA increases postoperative complications and costs following primary TKA within Medicare patients. Comprehensive preoperative optimization for patients with a diagnosis of RA may mitigate perioperative complications, thus improving patient outcomes, and ultimately reducing episode-of-care costs.
Commentary: Old enough to know better.

Abstract As both cardiomyocytes and children grow they achieve recognizably standardized milestones.
Neurobiological Functioning and the Personality-Trait Hierarchy: Central Serotonergic Responsivity and the Stability Metatrait

Trait domains of the five-factor model are not orthogonal, and two metatraits have often been estimated from their covariation. Here, we focus on the stability metatrait, which reflects shared variance in conscientiousness, agreeableness, and (inversely) neuroticism. It has been hypothesized that stability manifests, in part, because of individual differences in central serotonergic functioning. We explored this possibility in a community sample (N = 441) using a multiverse analysis of (a) multi-informant five-factor-model traits and (b) stability as a predictor of individual differences in central serotonergic functioning. Differences in serotonergic functioning were assessed by indexing change in serum prolactin concentration following intravenous infusion of citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Results were mixed, showing that trait neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, as well as the stability metatrait, were significantly associated with prolactin response but that these findings were contingent on a number of modeling decisions. Specifically, these effects were nonlinear, emerging most strongly for participants with the highest levels (or lowest, for neuroticism) of the component traits.
[The applications of periodontal gingival surgery. II: alternative materials].

The main purposes of periodontal graft surgery include achieving root coverage, improving the clinical attachment level and keratinized tissue, and advancing the procedure of periodontal plastic surgery. Autogenous graft, such as subepithelial connective tissue graft-based procedure, provide the best outcomes for mean and complete root coverage, as well as increase in keratinized tissue. However, a disadvantage of the procedure is in the location of the operation itself: the additional surgical site (palate). Therefore, clinicians are always looking for graft substitutes. This article will discuss the evidence supporting the use of 1) acellular dermal matrix (ADM); 2) xenogeneic collagen matrix (XCM); 3) recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor (rhPDGF); 4) enamel matrix derivative (EMD); 5) guided tissue regeneration (GTR); 6) living cellular construct (LCC), all of which are used in conjunction with coronally advanced flaps as alternatives to autogenous donor tissue. The decision tree for treatments of Miller recession-type defects are also discussed.
22 From no show to arrived: using machine learning to bolster patient attendance for resident continuity-clinic appointments

Background Resident continuity-clinic (RCC) is a crucial component of ambulatory training in primary care.The no-show rate (NSR) in a large academic center with 60 residents averaged 27% in academic year (AY) 2018, despite an automated phone/text reminder system 3 days prior to appointment, resulting in fragmented care, reduced access and decreased learning opportunities for residents. Objectives To determine whether telephone outreach targeting patients predicted to be at high-risk to no-show can reduce NSR for RCC appointments. Methods A validated machine-learning prediction model developed by data scientists at UPMC for Primary care, generated a daily list of high-risk patients (i.e. =20% risk to no-show). Starting Oct 2018, these patients received a phone-call reminder from a clinical staff, 48 hours prior to their scheduled appointment. The outcomes of the call recorded were confirmed, cancelled, rescheduled, voicemail, not reached. Monthly NSR was tracked from July 2017 through June 2019 and analyzed using control charts. Results Fifty-nine percent (1206/2046) of targeted patients were reached. Of those 89% confirmed and 10% canceled or rescheduled their appointment. The overall no-show rate for RCC appointments in (AY) 2019 decreased to 23%, p Conclusions To our knowledge this is the first study showing that targeted phone outreach for high-risk patients can decrease NSR for RCC appointments, augmenting resident learning opportunities and revenue.
Determination of Diesel Fuel and Motor Oil in Water and Wastes by a Modified Diesel-Range Organics Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon Method

The American Petroleum Institute method for determination of diesel-range total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) by gas-liquid chromatography with flame ionization detection was modified to allow simultaneous determination of motor oil. Motor oil elutes as a broad hump of unresolved alkanes and can be distinguished readily from diesel fuel and other fuel oils by its profile. The boiling point ranges for No. 2 diesel fuel and motor oil are C{sub 10{minus}} C{sub 21} and C{sub 21}-C{sub 38}, respectively, and these ranges define TPHs in diesel fuel (TPH-D) and motor oil (TPH-M). By this convention, less than 6% of No. 2 diesel is characterized as TPH-M, and less than 9% of motor oil is quantitated as TPH-D. Inlet discrimination was observed when motor oil was injected with a splitless injector. Accurate motor oil quantitation with splitless sample introduction requires calibration with the product or triacontane, which has a similar response factor. Detector response to motor oil (and other petroleum products) and a homologous series of n-alkanes was nearly constant when on-column injection was used. Instrument detection limit for motor oil was about 0.5 {mu}g (splitless injection, total area under the curve), and the widest linear range (up to 100 {mu}g) was obtained bymore » subtracting the solvent chromatogram. Procedures for isolation of motor oil from oil-in-water (O/W) and water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions are described. Method detection limits for diesel fuel and motor oil in purified water were 0.041 and 1.5 mg/L, respectively. 11 refs., 6 figs., 6 tabs.« less
Comparison of the time required for manual (visually read) and semi-automated POCT urinalysis and pregnancy testing with associated electronic medical record (EMR) transcription errors.

Abstract Background POCT urinalysis (UA) and urine pregnancy tests (UPT) are routinely performed in obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn) clinics by dipstick and pregnancy test kit methods respectively. In this study, we compared the time, efficiency and accuracy of these tests using manual, visually read methods and a semi-automated analyzer that was not interfaced to the EMR. Methods We prospectively enrolled 2525 patients at five Ob/Gyn clinics. Urine samples were tested using three different dipsticks for UA (2, 7 and 10 test pads) and the Sure-Vue™ urine pregnancy test kit. The samples were analyzed on the CLINITEK Status® Connect System and results compared for time taken and errors in results’ transcription. Results Using the CLINITEK Status Connect System, average test time and average total test time for UA dipsticks 7 and 10 test pads was significantly less than the manual, visually read method (0.77 and 0.64 min, respectively; p Conclusion The CLINITEK Status Connect System was more efficient than the manual, visually read process and if interfaced with the EMR would eliminate errors and non-documentation of results.
Dynamic $(\mathrm{Bi}_{\mathrm{x}}\mathrm{Sb}_{1-\mathrm{x}})_{2}\mathrm{Te}_{\mathrm{3}}$ Synaptic Devices with Programmable Spatio-Temporal Responses

Neuromorphic computing has emerged as a new computing paradigm to tackle the von Neumann bottleneck and enable a more energy-efficient processing of today's large-scale datasets, especially for data-intensive applications such as image and pattern recognition, speech recognition, and autonomous machines1. Despite the staggering success of deep neural networks (DNNs), their need for labelled data and the energy intensive training process are limiting their widespread usage. Recently, spiking neural networks (SNNs), which resembles more closely to biological neural networks via their coupled spatio-temporal dynamics, have attracted intense research interests1,2 in hope of mimicking the superb energy efficiency of the human brain, which exceeds the petaflop mark in performance with a power consumption as low as 20 W.
CHAPTER 3 – Recurrence Relations for Powers

Publisher Summary This chapter explains the recurrence relations for powers. It presents the solution of equations of the form xp = N, where N is a given number, 0 < N < 1, and p is a real number, ½, ⅓, −1, for instance. The chapter discusses various sequences {xn} whose limit is the solution and whose terms are defined by recurrence relations, usually of the form xn+1 = f(xn), where f is a polynomial or the ratio of two polynomials. The chapter describes the general equation and Newton's method to provide a single source for the schemes. It provides the distinction between theoretical arithmetic and practical computation. In the first case, one is not concerned with the size of the numbers that occur in computation; in the second case, one must be sure that all intermediate results of the computation remain within scale, that is, they do not cause overflow or underflow on the machine being used.
Pediatric Hospitalists’ Lessons Learned From an Innovation Award to Improve Care for Children With Medical Complexity

Children with medical complexity experience frequent hospitalizations and pose a unique challenge for the pediatric hospitalist and their healthcare team. Pediatric hospitalists are ideally positioned to champion improved care coordination for CMC and to address the areas of need in clinical practice, quality improvement and research. Lessons learned from programs who were Healthcare Innovation Award recipients from Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation that were aimed at improving care for this population are presented. We focused on care coordination activities implemented during hospitalization. Through a series of meetings with the participating programs, we identified common themes across awarded programs. Programs described key aspects of care coordination during the hospital stay, beginning on admission (multidisciplinary team goal setting, family partnership and action planning), through hospitalization (integrating outpatient and inpatient care), as well as during and after discharge (linking to community-based systems and supports, expanding the transition concept). Finally, we present actionable steps for inpatient providers seeking to improve care for this patient population at the time of hospitalization.
Molecular Variation and Biogeography of the Common North American Turtle Leech, Placobdella parasitica

Placobdella parasitica (Say, 1824) is one of the most commonly encountered turtle leeches in North America. Molecular analysis of individuals of P. parasitica representing various populations throughout its range in North America using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene, revealed the presence of nine distinct groups: (1) P. parasitica sensu stricto containing members, including the neotype specimen, occurring broadly throughout the central United States westward from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and throughout southern Ontario, Canada, and the upper midwestern United States as far east as New York State; (2) West Virginia; (3) Mississippi/Alabama; (4) Northeast, including New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont; (5) New England, including Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut; (6) North Carolina/West Virginia; (7) South Carolina; (8) Tennessee; and (9) Florida. Both neighbor-joining and maximum likelihood analyses recovered an east-west split along the Appalachian Mountains with groups 1–3 clustering together and groups 4–9 clustering separately, with the exception of group 8 (Tennessee) that placed with the eastern groups. Group 1 includes specimens from a broad geographic distribution, yet with relatively low genetic variation, a pattern observed in other glossiphoniid species in North America. The groups with members east of the Appalachian Mountains are more tightly clustered by locality. This leech species is known to parasitize several turtle species, including Chrysemys picta, the painted turtle that originated in the central Gulf Coast region and dispersed northward representing a recolonization after Pleistocene glaciation. The neighbor-joining tree and pairwise distance data could suggest that P. parasitica has a similar phylogeographic pattern and dispersal history with its turtle hosts. In view of the morphological uniformity among the various groups, P. parasitica is provisionally considered to be a widely distributed, molecularly variable species.
Staging of Thyroid Cancer

This chapter describes the significance of staging of thyroid cancers as it reflects the size and extent of tumor and ultimately its prognosis, especially in regard to mortality. Thus, staging differs from risk of recurrence which is specifically linked to the American Thyroid Association risk stratification classification system of so-called “low risk”, “intermediate risk”, and “high risk”. Staging provides physician with insights into potential outcome and may govern the intensity of both follow-up and therapy.The chapter describes the various different staging systems that have been developed and their respective utility, and how staging differs for medullary thyroid carcinoma and anaplastic carcinoma.In general, the “stage” of a cancer refers to a phase in the course of the tumor when it has reached some defined level of extent. The extent of the tumor is a measure of its size and whether it has spread elsewhere. As thyroid cancers grow, they are first confined to the thyroid gland and then may extend in variable degrees to the subcutaneous tissues and lymph nodes of the neck and finally, potentially to distant sites of the body. Staging a tumor allows a more accurate description of the extent of disease in a given patient in objective and standardized terms. Staging permits communication between patients and physicians about their prognosis.
Impact and correlates of sub-optimal social support among patients in HIV care.

Social support (SS) predicts health outcomes among patients living with HIV. We administered a brief, validated measure of SS, the Multifactoral Assessment of Perceived Social Support, within a pat...
Thromboelastography as a point-of-care guide for spinal anesthesia in an eclamptic patient: a case report

Neuraxial anesthesia is a standard of care during parturition. Since bleeding diathesis is a contraindication to neuraxial techniques, data about its safe administration in a thrombocytopenic milieu is limited and evolving. Thrombocytopenia associated with preeclampsia or eclampsia and hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count (HELLP) syndrome leads to significant maternal and neonatal morbidity. We present a case of uneventful spinal anesthesia for urgent cesarean section in an eclamptic patient with a precipitous drop in platelet count from 124,000 to 97,000 per cubic millimeter under thromboelastography (TEG) guidance.
British Southern Cameroons Nationalist Resistance in Cameroon Republic

Abstract This article explores British Southern Cameroons nationalist resistance in Cameroon Republic through a letter by the British Southern Cameroons Peoples Conference in North America (SCPC-NA) to Cameroon Republic's Prime Minister on a State visit to the United States. The paper examines the willingness of a people who, through protests and struggle, want to narrow the gap between the promise of freedom and independence and a re-colonized existence of their homeland. The methodology involves text analysis of the letter from British Southern Cameroons' exiles to a senior government official, and data drawn from primary and secondary sources. Important to the analysis is the fact that British Southern Cameroons' nationalists at home and in exile are not bound to an unjust historical past which impacts their present as they imagine the independence of their territory, a former UN trusteeship. From Galtung's structural conflict framework related to the satisfaction of human needs in peace studies, the paper concludes with the need in qualitative research to use data collection forms and methods of causal analysis to enhance the struggles of less powerful peoples and groups.
Race, Socioeconomic Status and Healthcare: An American Tragedy

Despite significant progress in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases, African Americans continue to exhibit disproportionately higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke when compared to other racial and ethnic groups in the United States (Adler and Newman K 2002). A significant body of literature suggests race may be a contributing factor in misdiagnosis, late diagnosis, as well as, the scope and veracity of treatment once diagnosed with a chronic illness (Peterson, Wright, Daley and Thibault, 1994). More importantly, African Americans have a higher mortality rate than white Americans which are often curable or at least treatable (Hayward, Crimmins, Miles and Yu, 2000). This paper examines the extent to which race and socioeconomic status impacts the rate at which African Americans acquire chronic illnesses, access to healthcare and mortality rates for specific chronic illnesses.
Analysis of Two-Dimensional Incompressible Flow Past Airfoils Using Unsteady Navier-Stokes Equations

The flow over streamlined lifting airfoils has been a subject of considerable interest to fluid dynamicists, and to date, significant progress has been made towards the design of airfoils, wings, etc., by drawing together resources from experimental, numerical, analytical, and empirical studies. The detailed flow structure of airfoils and wings near maximum lift in low-to-high Reynolds-number (Re) flows still remains unresolved. The increasing interest in these flows stems from the desire for better control in civilian aircraft, and for high maneuvering capability in high-performance military aircraft. The improved performance can be realized from the potential of increasing maximum lift and simultaneously reducing drag under this condition. For some combination of flow parameters, the flow field around an airfoil experiences significant separation, which degrades its performance and leads to stall. The nature of the stall may be characterized by various phenomena such as separation, unsteadiness, transition, and turbulence. The present study is directed towards accurately simulating this flow field and providing further insight into this class of flows. Other important fluid-dynamics applications involving unsteady flows include blade rows in turbomachinery, marine propellers, helicopter rotor blades, and bluff bodies such as buildings, towers, underwater cables, etc., in cross flows. For this class of bluffy-body flows, understanding the vortex-shedding characteristics is very significant. The simulation technique presented here can also provide guidelines for analyzing some of these flow fields.
SHP1 Protein-tyrosine Phosphatase Inhibits gp91PHOXand p67PHOX Expression by Inhibiting Interaction of PU.1, IRF1, Interferon Consensus Sequence-binding Protein, and CREB-binding Protein with Homologous Cis Elements in the CYBB andNCF2 Genes

The CYBB and NCF2 genes encode the phagocyte respiratory burst oxidase proteins, gp91PHOX and p67PHOX. Previously, we identified homologous CYBB and NCF2 cis elements that are necessary for lineage-specific transcription during late myeloid differentiation. We determined that these homologous cis elements are activated by PU.1, IRF1, interferon consensus sequence-binding protein (ICSBP), and the CREB-binding protein (CBP). Since expression of PU.1 and ICSBP is lineage-restricted, our investigations identified a mechanism of lineage-specific CYBB and NCF2transcription. Since PU.1, IRF1, ICSBP, and CBP are expressed in undifferentiated myeloid cells, our investigations did not determine the mechanism of differentiation stage-specific CYBB andNCF2 transcription. In the current investigations, we determine that SHP1 protein-tyrosine phosphatase (SHP1-PTP) inhibits gp91PHOX and p67PHOX expression, in undifferentiated myeloid cell lines, by decreasing interaction of PU.1, IRF1, ICSBP, and CBP with the CYBB and NCF2genes. We also determine that IRF1 and ICSBP are tyrosine-phosphorylated during interferon γ differentiation of myeloid cell lines, and we identify IRF1 and ICSBP tyrosine residues that are necessary for CYBB and NCF2transcription. Therefore, these investigations identify a novel mechanism by which SHP1-PTP antagonizes myeloid differentiation and determine that tyrosine phosphorylation of IRF1 and ICSPB mediates stage-specific transcriptional activation in differentiating myeloid cells.
Artifact-Based Transformation of IBM Global Financing

IBM Global Financing (IGF) is transforming its business using the Business Artifact Method, an innovative business process modeling technique that identifies key business artifacts and traces their life cycles as they are processed by the business. IGF is a complex, global business operation with many business design challenges. The Business Artifact Method is a fundamental shift in how to conceptualize, design and implement business operations. The Business Artifact Method was extended to solve the problem of designing a global standard for a complex, end-to-end process while supporting local geographic variations. Prior to employing the Business Artifact method, process decomposition, Lean and Six Sigma methods were each employed on different parts of the financing operation. Although they provided critical input to the final operational model, they proved insufficient for designing a complete, integrated, standard operation. The artifact method resulted in a business operations model that was at the right level of granularity for the problem at hand. A fully functional rapid prototype was created early in the engagement, which facilitated an improved understanding of the redesigned operations model. The resulting business operations model is being used as the basis for all aspects of business transformation in IBM Global Financing.
Transformation and Oncogenesis by Jaagsiekte Sheep Retrovirus

Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) is an exogenous retrovirus of sheep that induces a contagious lung cancer, ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA). JSRV is a potent carcinogen in the experimental setting, inducing end-stage tumors at around 6 weeks of age when newborn lambs are inoculated intratracheally. Despite this rapid oncogenesis, inspection of the JSRV genome sequence does not reveal any obvious viral oncogenes. In this review, recent advances in studies of JSRV oncogenic transformation are described. Molecular cloning of an infectious and oncogenic JSRV provirus was instrumental in the studies. DNA transfection of JSRV proviral DNA into mouse NIH3T3 cells results in morphological transformation, indicating that the JSRV genome carries an oncogene. Further experiments identified the JSRV envelope protein as the transforming gene, and a PI3 kinase docking site in the cytoplasmic tail of the transmembrane (TM) protein was shown to be necessary for transformation. Avian DF-1 cells infected with an avian retroviral vector (RCAS) expressing the JSRV envelope protein also undergo tumorigenic transformation. Possible mechanisms of transformation are discussed, and a cooperating role for insertional activation of proto-oncogenes in tumorigenesis is also considered. The transforming potential of the JSRV envelope protein may be necessary for JSRV infection and replication in vivo.
Characterization of the electrolytically induced isomerization of 1-phenyl-1-hexyne: Part II. Hydrodynamic voltammetry with rotating disk and ring-disk electrodes

Studies of the electrolytically induced, base-catalyzed isomerization of 1-phenyl-1-hexyne to 1-phenyl-1, 2-hexadiene in dimethylformamide containing tetra-n-butylammonium perchlorate have been performed with a glassy carbon rotating ring-disk electrode. With the disk and ring potentials properly set, the alkyne is reduced at the disk and the kinetically formed allene can be detected at the ring. Measurements of the collection efficiency have established a lower limit of 1.7 × 103 M−1 s−1 for the second-order rate constant for the self-protonation reaction between 1-phenyl-1-hexyne and its electrogenerated radical-anion, which is the process that controls the alkyne-to-allene rearrangement. In addition, evidence that the isomerization is occurring is seen in the appearance of an unusual pre-peak for the kinetically controlled reduction of allene at the rotating disk. Furthermore, through the use of simulated Levich plots to describe the four-electron reduction of 1-phenyl-1-hexyne to 1-phenylhexane at a rotating disk electrode, under conditions where no alkyne-to-allene rearrangement occurs, protonation of the electrogenerated radical-anion of 1-phenyl-1-hexyne appears to be a pseudo-first-order process with respect to water and the second-order rate constant for this reaction has been found to be approximately 1.5 × 104 M−1 s−1.
Robust coherence analysis in the frequency domain

In this paper, a new cross periodogram, called Laplace cross periodogram, is introduced for robust coherence analysis of multiple time series in the frequency domain. It is derived by replacing the ordinary Fourier transform that defines the ordinary cross periodogram with what we call the Laplace-Fourier transform obtained from trigonometric least-absolute-deviations (LAD) regression. Under certain stationarity assumptions, the Laplace cross periodogram is found through an asymptotic analysis to be associated with what we call the Laplace cross spectrum, a function proportional to the Fourier transform of cross zero-crossing rates. Robustness of the Laplace cross periodogram and the corresponding coherency estimator is demonstrated by numerical examples.
Protein synthesis in Bacillus subtilis. I. Hydrodynamics and in vitro functional properties of ribosomes from B. subtilis W168.

On the basis of their sedimentation properties, the ribosomal particles in crude extracts of Bacillus subtilis W168 are characterized as pressure-sensitive couples, pressure-resistant couples, or non-associating subunits. Pressure-sensitive couples dissociate into subunits, yielding a peak at 60 S in the gradient profile, on sedimentation at high speed in the presence of 10 to 15 mm-Mg2+. Under the same conditions, pressure-resistant couples sediment at 70 S. Under certain conditions, pressure-resistant couples apparently aggregate, possibly in 70 S · 70 S dimers. Procedures are described for the isolation of pressure-sensitive couples from B. subtilis. The isolated couples are shown by chemical fixation experiments to require approximately twice the Mg2+ concentration required by Escherichia coli couples to remain associated at atmospheric pressure. All three types of B. subtilis ribosome incorporate amino acids into acid-insoluble material in the presence of B. subtilis cellular RNA, B. subtilis ribosomal salt wash fraction, and E. coli post-ribosomal supernatant. Overall incorporation, dependence on added RNA, and dependence on salt wash fraction are greatest with pressure-sensitive couples. The products of protein synthesis in vitro stimulated by total B. subtilis RNA appear to be a low molecular weight subset of the proteins synthesized most abundantly in vivo. Incubation of pressure-sensitive couples with cellular RNA from B. subtilis, fMet-tRNAfMet, ribosomal salt wash fraction and GTP results in their conversion to pressure-resistant couples, with concomitant and stoichiometric binding of fMet-tRNA to the 70 S species. It is concluded that in B. subtilis as in E. coli, pressure-sensitive couples are “vacant”, while pressure-resistant couples are “complexed” with messenger RNA. fMet-tRNA-bearing complexed couples are interpreted as initiation complexes in which ribosomes have bound mRNA, presumably at initiation sites. Their formation in vitro is strictly dependent on RNA, salt wash fraction and fMet-tRNA when vacant ribosomal couples are used.
Estrogen protects transgenic hypertensive rats by shifting the vasoconstrictor-vasodilator balance of RAS.

In pursuit of the hypothesis that estrogen shifts the vasoconstrictor-vasodilator balance of the renin-angiotensin system, we investigated the cardiovascular responses to administration of angiotensin-(1-7) [ANG-(1-7)] and angiotensin II (ANG II) in female transgenic (mRen2)27-positive [Tg(+)] and -negative [Tg(-)] rats in the presence and absence of 3 wk of estrogen replacement therapy. Fifty-three female Tg(-) and Tg(+) rats were oophorectomized and received either 17 beta-estradiol (1.5 mg/rat s.c. for 3 wk) or vehicle. At the end of 3 wk of estrogen treatment, mean blood pressure was lowered in freely moving chronically cannulated Tg(+) (159 +/- 4 vs. 145 +/- 5 mmHg, P < 0.05) and Tg(-) (119 +/- 4 vs. 108 +/- 2 mmHg, P < 0.05) rats. Moreover, the magnitude of the depressor component of the biphasic response to ANG-(1-7) was significantly enhanced in estrogen-treated Tg(+) rats, whereas the pressor component to ANG-(1-7) was attenuated in both Tg(+) and Tg(-) rats. Estrogen replacement significantly attenuated the pressor response to ANG II in both Tg(+) and Tg(-) rats. In addition, estrogen replacement therapy significantly reduced plasma ANG-converting enzyme activity in association with a reduction in circulating levels of ANG II. Tissue levels (kidney and aorta) of ANG-converting enzyme were also reduced with chronic estrogen replacement therapy. On the other hand, estrogen augmented the levels of plasma ANG-(1-7) in Tg(+) animals. Plasma renin activity was unchanged with estrogen treatment. These findings provide the first evidence demonstrating that estrogen is protective against hypertension, possibly by amplifying the vasodilator contributions of ANG-(1-7), while reducing the formation and vasoconstrictor actions of ANG II.
Cyanide-induced transition from endogenous carbohydrate to lipid oxidation as indicated by the carbon-13 content of respiratory CO2.

The respiration of thin aerated discs of potato tuber tissue rises sigmoidally through 24 h. Aged disc respiration is ostensibly resistant to concentrations of cyanide which inhibit the respiration of fresh discs. It has been shown that cyanide-resistant respiration does not represent indifference to the inhibitor, but is rather due to the suppression of one respiratory carbon path and the evocation of another. The predominant respiratory carbon path of aged discs in the absence of cyanide comprises glycolysis linked to the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The carbon path mediating the cyanide-induced respiration reflects tricarboxylic acid cycle-independent lipid degradation. The respiratory substrate at any time was deduced by comparing the 13C/12C ratio of respired CO2, collected from discs in the presence or absence of cyanide, with the 13C/12C ratios characterizing endogenous potential metabolites. The determination of the predominant respiratory substrate in potato discs, which have an endogenous substrate reserve, proved possible because the relative concentrations of the stable carbon isotopes in endogenous compounds such as lipid and starch are widely different.
A review of orthostatic blood pressure regulation and its association with mood and cognition.

This paper will review literature that examines the psychological and neuropsychological correlates of orthostatic blood pressure regulation. The pattern of change in systolic blood pressure in response to the shift from supine to upright posture reflects the adequacy of orthostatic regulation. Orthostatic integrity involves the skeletal muscle pump, neurovascular compensation, neurohumoral effects and cerebral flow regulation. Various physiological states and disease conditions may disrupt these mechanisms. Clinical and subclinical orthostatic hypotension has been associated with impaired cognitive function, decreased effort, reduced motivation and increased hopelessness as well as dementia, diabetes mellitus, and Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, inadequate blood pressure regulation in response to orthostasis has been linked to increased depression and anxiety as well as to intergenerational behavioral sequalae. Identifying possible causes and consequences of subclinical and clinical OH are critical in improving quality of life for both children and older adults.
Flicker noise characterization and modeling of MOSFETs for RF IC design

This paper reviews the recent results of the flicker noise characterization and modeling of MOSFETs for RF IC design. The dependences of flicker noise characteristics to process parameters, such as the thickness and quality of gate oxide, and the device parameters, such as the channel length/width and fingers, have been summarized to better understand the flicker noise bahavior and develop physical and accurate flicker noise models. The physical origin of the flicker noise and the issues of the existing compact models in predicting the flicker noise characteristics have been also discussed. Furthermore, the impact of flicker noise to the phase noise of RF circuits is studied while looking for either process or circuit approaches to reduce the influence of flicker noise contribution to the circuit noise. Finally, some modeling approaches are proposed to improve existing compact flicker noise models to predict the noise behavior of RF circuits well.
Economic Effects of Mitigating Apple Maggot Spread

Apple maggot is an economically important apple pest that is native to the East Coast of North America, including Canada and the United States. Introduced to the West Coast of the United States in 1979, the pest is spreading rapidly in the region, threatening the major apple production area of Washington State, as well as British Columbia. A dynamic simulation model for perennial fruit production is developed to study the potential economic impact of a pest species, such as apple maggot. The model is designed to provide essential information, including the intertemporal distribution of welfare, to aid the design of effective and efficient policy response to pest outbreaks. This model is used to simulate the economic impact of apple maggot spread in Washington State on apple price, trade flows, and welfare changes. La mouche de la pomme est un ravageur originaire de la cote Est de l'Amerique du Nord (canadienne et etatsunienne) qui cause des pertes economiques considerables. Ce ravageur, qui s'est introduit sur la cote Ouest des Etats-Unis en 1979, se propage rapidement et menace les principales zones de production de pomme de l'Etat de Washington et de la Colombie-Britannique. Nous avons elabore un modele de simulation dynamique pour la production pluriannuelle de fruits afin d'etudier l'incidence economique potentielle d'especes ravageuses telles que la mouche de la pomme. Le modele a ete concu pour fournir de l'information essentielle, dont la distribution du bien-etre intertemporel, en vue de contribuer a l'elaboration d'une reaction politique efficace de lutte contre les pullulations de ravageurs. Ce modele est utilise pour simuler l'incidence economique de la propagation de la mouche de la pomme dans l'Etat de Washington sur le prix des pommes, le flux des echanges commerciaux et les changements touchant le bien-etre.
An Algorithm for Fast Recovery of Sparse Causal Graphs

Previous asymptotically correct algorithms for recovering causal structure from sample probabilities have been limited even in sparse causal graphs to a few variables. We describe an asymptotically...
A brief history of dislocation theory

Early developments leading to the concept of a dislocation are discussed. The discoveries of 1934 are described. The subsequent evolution of various aspects of dislocation theory is outlined.
OnabotulinumtoxinA Injections for the Treatment of Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome.

Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is a disorder characterized by episodes of nausea and vomiting lasting 1 to 5 days, followed by asymptomatic periods. The etiology and pathophysiology of CVS are unknown, but CVS shares similar characteristics to those of migraine headaches. Tricyclic antidepressants have the most evidence and are generally effective for prophylaxis of further episodes in patients with CVS. Second-line pharmacotherapies typically target specific comorbid symptoms or conditions and may include antiepileptic or antimigraine drugs, benzodiazepines, antispasmodics, proton pump inhibitors, antiemetics, and analgesics. OnabotulinumtoxinA (ONABoNT-A) injections have not been studied in the population with CVS but are regarded as a pharmacotherapeutic option for migraine headaches. We describe a 45-year-old woman with a 5-year history of CVS who had failed previous typical prophylactic migraine and CVS pharmacotherapies and was referred to the neurology clinic for management of both of these conditions. On review, the neurologist noted a correlation of the patient's headaches with her CVS symptoms. ONABoNT-A injections were started at 155 units intramuscularly every 12 weeks for her migraine headaches, which also dramatically improved her CVS. The main adverse effect reported by the patient was numbness and weakness in her left shoulder after the injections, which are symptoms consistent with ONABoNT-A injection use; however, these symptoms typically resolved a few days later. Regarded as a pharmacotherapeutic option for migraine headache prophylaxis, ONABoNT-A injections have demonstrated modest efficacy in preventing migraine headaches. Clinicians should be aware that ONABoNT-A injections may also have a role in the prophylaxis of CVS.
Polarization Losses under Accelerated Stress Test Using Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Supported Pt Catalyst in PEM Fuel Cells

The electrochemical behavior for Pt catalysts supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes and Vulcan XC-72 in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells under accelerated stress test at 1.2 V was examined by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and polarization technique. Pt catalyst supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes exhibited a highly stable electrochemical surface area, oxygen reduction kinetics, and fuel cell performance under highly oxidizing conditions, indicating multiwalled carbon nanotubes have a high corrosion resistance and a strong interaction with Pt nanoparticles. Further analyses were conducted using Tafel slope, ohmic resistances, and limiting current density were conducted for the multiwalled carbon nanotube supported Pt catalyst from the actual polarization curve to differentiate kinetic, ohmic, and mass-transfer polarization losses. It was found that kinetic contribution to the total overpotential was the largest throughout the stress test. However, during accelerated stress test, the fraction of kinetic overpotential decreased, the fraction of ohmic overpotential increased, and the fraction of mass-transfer overpotential remained relatively constant. The increased fraction of ohmic overpotential suggests increased proton transport limitation in the catalyst layer.