cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microbial metagenomes and metatranscriptomes during a coastal phytoplankton bloom

Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic time-series data covering a 52-day period in the fall of 2016 provide an inventory of bacterial and archaeal community genes, transcripts, and taxonomy during an intense dinoflagellate bloom in Monterey Bay, CA, USA. The dataset comprises 84 metagenomes (0.8 terabases), 82 metatranscriptomes (1.1 terabases), and 88 16S rRNA amplicon libraries from samples collected on 41 dates. The dataset also includes 88 18S rRNA amplicon libraries, characterizing the taxonomy of the eukaryotic community during the bloom. Accompanying the sequence data are chemical and biological measurements associated with each sample. These datasets will facilitate studies of the structure and function of marine bacterial communities during episodic phytoplankton blooms.
Dagga and Prohibition: Markets, Animals, and the Imperial Contexts of Knowledge, 1893–1925

ABSTRACTFollowing a petition by the South African Union government of Prime Minister Jan Christiaan Smuts to the League of Nations in 1923, cannabis or dagga became entwined in diplomatic negotiati...
Less guessing, more evidence in identifying patients least fit for cytoreductive surgery in advanced ovarian cancer: A triage algorithm to individualize surgical management

Abstract Objective We previously reported an algorithm that identifies women at high risk of postoperative morbidity & mortality (M/M) as a tool to triage between neoadjuvant chemotherapy and primary surgery for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). We sought to independently validate its performance using multicenter data. Methods Women who underwent surgery for stage IIIC/IV EOC between 1/1/2014 and 12/31/2017 were identified from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database and classified as “high risk” or “triage appropriate” using our algorithm. Outcomes were compared between triage appropriate and high-risk women using the chi-square test. Results 1777 women met inclusion criteria; the mean age was 62.6 years and 81.9% had stage IIIC disease. Nationally, the surgical complexity scores were low (69.8% low, 25.2% intermediate and 5.0% high). “High risk” women had 2-fold higher rate of severe 30-day complication or death (6.2% vs 3.5%; p = 0.01), a 3-fold higher rate of 30-day mortality (1.4% vs 0.5%; p = 0.08), and a higher risk of death following a severe complication (11.1% vs. 0%, p = 0.11). A sensitivity analysis excluding women with unknown albumin who didn't meet other high risk criteria showed similar results: severe 30-day complications or death (6.2% vs 3.5%; p = 0.02) and 30-day mortality (1.4% vs 0.3%; p = 0.04) for “high risk” vs “triage appropriate” women. Conclusions Primary cytoreductive surgery to minimal residual disease remains the goal for EOC. We verify that our algorithm can identify women at risk of M/M using national multicenter data, despite a low complexity surgical setting and using 30-day mortality (vs. 90-day). Objective surgical risk assessment for ovarian cancer should be standard of care and can be incorporated into practice using the Mayo triage algorithm.
The Inherent Unfairness of COVID-19 Drug Access Pathways

Webb et al. (2020) propose a novel process regarding how to prioritize the allocation of COVID-19 drugs via emergency use authorization (EUA) and pre-approval access (PAA) pathways such as Expanded...
Hourly Power Grid Variations, Electric Vehicle Charging Patterns, and Operating Emissions

Light-duty vehicles emit ∼20% of net US greenhouse gases. Deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) can reduce these emissions. The magnitude of the reduction depends significantly on EV charging patterns and hourly power grid variations. Previous US EV studies either do not use hourly grid data, or use data from 2012 or earlier. Since 2012, US grids have undergone major emission-relevant changes, including growth of solar from ∼1 to ∼20% of generation in California, and >30% reduction of coal power countrywide. This study uses hourly grid data from 2018 and 2019 (alongside hourly charging, driving, and temperature data) to estimate EV use emissions in 60 cases spanning the US. The emission impact of charging pattern varies by region. In California and New York, respectively, overnight EV charging produces ∼70% more and ∼20% fewer emissions than daytime charging. We quantify error from two common approximations in EV emission analysis, ignoring hourly variation in grid power and ignoring temperature-driven variation in fuel economy. The combined error exceeds 10% in 30% of cases, and reaches 50% in California, home to half of US EVs. A novel EV emission approximation is introduced, validated (<1% error), and used to estimate EV emissions in future scenarios.
Early Ideas on Hysteria

Early theories on the cause of hysteria evolved from ancient ideas of a wandering uterus and vapors to medieval beliefs in evil spirits and the supernatural to early nineteenth century ideas of spinal reflex irritation activated by excessive sensory signals originating from the female reproductive organs. Symptoms ranged from paralysis, bizarre behaviors and fits to fasting, abdominal pain and difficulty swallowing to generalized pain, fatigue and dizziness. Treatments focused on the female reproductive organs, ranging from advice to increase sexual activity and decrease masturbation to surgical ablation of the clitoris, uterus or ovaries. With the development of scientific medicine in the nineteenth century, these early theories were questioned and even ridiculed. Regardless, many of these ancient misogynistic concepts still pervade the public perception of hysteria.
Using real estate data to improve business student interpretation in regression

Multiple regression is a statistical technique used in many disciplines for the purpose of predicting a quantitative dependent variable. In this regard, business and economics are not exceptions. H...
SARS-CoV-2 Infection Challenge Experiments in Nonhuman Primates: An Ethical Perspective.

The COVID-19 pandemic has stimulated massive investment in biomedical research with the aims of understanding the disease and developing effective vaccine and therapeutic interventions. What role should animal research play in this scientific endeavor? Both the urgency to evaluate candidate interventions for human use and growing societal concern about ethical treatment of (nonhuman) animals put into question the justifiability of animal research as a precursor to clinical trials. Yet forgoing animal research in the rush to undertake human testing might expose human research participants to unacceptable risks. In this article, we apply a recently developed framework of principles for animal research ethics in exploring ethical questions raised by a SARS-CoV-2 infection challenge experiment involving rhesus macaques, which evaluated the protective efficacy of the mRNA-1273 vaccine that was recently approved for emergency use. Our aim is to illuminate the ethical issues while introducing, and illustrating the use of, the framework.
A study of longitudinal trends in time-frequency transformations of EEG data during a learning experiment

Abstract EEG experiments yield high-dimensional event-related potential (ERP) data in response to repeatedly presented stimuli throughout the experiment. Changes in the high-dimensional ERP signal throughout the duration of an experiment (longitudinally) is the main quantity of interest in learning paradigms, where they represent the learning dynamics. Typical analysis, which can be performed in the time or the frequency domain, average the ERP waveform across all trials, leading to the loss of the potentially valuable longitudinal information in the data. Longitudinal time-frequency transformation of ERP (LTFT-ERP) is proposed to retain information from both the time and frequency domains, offering distinct but complementary information on the underlying cognitive processes evoked, while still retaining the longitudinal dynamics in the ERP waveforms. LTFT-ERP begins by time-frequency transformations of the ERP data, collected across subjects, electrodes, conditions and trials throughout the duration of the experiment, followed by a data driven multidimensional principal components analysis (PCA) approach for dimension reduction. Following projection of the data onto leading directions of variation in the time and frequency domains, longitudinal learning dynamics are modeled within a mixed effects modeling framework. Applications to a learning paradigm in autism depict distinct learning patterns throughout the experiment among children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their typically developing peers. LTFT-ERP time-frequency joint transformations are shown to bring an additional level of specificity to interpretations of the longitudinal learning patterns related to underlying cognitive processes, which is lacking in single domain analysis (in the time or the frequency domain only). Simulation studies show the efficacy of the proposed methodology.
Establishment of Reliability of the Occupation-Based Practice Assessment.

The profession's foundational construct; occupation, is therapeutically effective, but there remains inconsistent use as a therapeutic medium. A psychometrically strong tool can measure and maximize the use of occupation. This study establishes preliminary psychometric properties of the Occupation-Based Practice Assessment (OBPA). This methodological study tested inter-rater reliability using simulated video cases to examine the OBPA. Overall reliability was acceptable with at .868. All subsections were acceptable including Meaning and Purposeful Occupation (.871), Therapeutic Intent (.819), and Engaged Participation (.807). Two items, Context (.946) and Actual Doing (.981), demonstrated excellent reliability; while three items, Meaning (.747), Adaptation (.799), and Participation (.735), fell slightly below the acceptable level. Preliminary investigation of the OBPA reveals acceptable inter-rater reliability and suggests potential for use following additional in-vivo testing to measure therapeutic interactions to enhance student learning, optimize clinical practice, facilitate professional development, evaluate programs, and quantify occupation-based practice in research.
Authoring the Dialogic Self: Gender, Agency and Language Practices

This book offers a truly interdisciplinary perspective on key socio-cultural aspects of second language learning. Building on Bakhtin’s philosophy of language and the self, it examines the complex intersections among gender, culture, and agency in the everyday discursive practices of immigrants. Bakhtin’s dialogic framework still remains on the periphery of second language acquisition research. The book embraces not only Bakhtin’s well-known notion of dialogue but also his core concepts of responsibility and ethics in the analysis of immigrants’ narrative samples. The significance of narratives is underscored throughout the book, and a dialogic, discourse-centered approach to narrative as a genre is suggested. Authoring the Dialogical Self targets a range of disciplines. Scholars in applied linguistics, narrative studies, cultural psychology, and communication studies will find the discussed concepts relevant. The rich data samples and detailed analysis make the book appropriate for graduate courses in TESOL, language and identity, or language and gender.
Classification models for subthreshold generalized anxiety disorder in a college population: Implications for prevention.

a b s t r a c t Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders on college campuses and often goes unidentified and untreated. We propose a combined prevention and treatment model composed of evidence-based self-help (SH) and guided self-help (GSH) interventions to address this issue. To inform the development of this stepped-care model of intervention delivery, we evaluated results from a population-based anxiety screening of college students. A primary model was developed to illustrate how increasing levels of symptomatology could be linked to prevention/treatment interventions. We used screening data to propose four models of classification for populations at risk for GAD. We then explored the cost considerations of implementing this prevention/treatment stepped-care model. Among 2489 college students (mean age 19.1 years; 67% female), 8.0% (198/2489) met DSM-5 clinical criteria for GAD, in line with expected clinical rates for this population. At-risk Model 1 (subthreshold, but considerable symptoms of anxiety) identified 13.7% of students as potentially at risk for developing GAD. Model 2 (subthreshold, but high GAD symptom severity) identified 13.7%. Model 3 (subthreshold, but symptoms were distressing) identified 12.3%. Model 4 (subthreshold, but considerable worry) identified 17.4%. There was little overlap among these models, with a combined at-risk population of 39.4%. The efficiency of these models in identifying those truly at risk and the cost and efficacy of preventive interventions will determine if prevention is viable. Using Model 1 data and conservative cost estimates, we found that a preventive intervention effect size of even 0.2 could make a prevention/treatment model more cost-effective than existing models of "wait-and-treat."
Technology Benchmarks for Sustained Economic Growth

An economic growth theory model is developed in which worldwide economic and population growth is optimistically allowed to be increasing in current population-and-economy size, but degradation of environmental quality can cause eventual population-and-economic collapse. The existence of an environmental technology time path that guarantees sustained growth (dY/dt >= 0) is proven. This time path is labeled a technology benchmark, a path of environmental technology in use that society must achieve to ensure against population-and-economic collapse. The World3 global simulation model, developed by an interdisciplinary team of scientists to analyze global growth and its relation to environmental issues, is used to derive estimates of the requisite time path for several key technologies. The estimated time paths are compared with available information on actual rates of technological change. Such technology benchmarks could serve as measurable goals for national and international policy.
ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010 Final Qualitative Determination

A final qualitative analysis of all addenda to American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)/Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) Standard 90.1-2007 (Standard 90.1-2007 or 2007 edition) that were included in ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2010 (Standard 90.1-2010 or 2010 edition) was conducted. All 109 addenda processed by ASHRAE in the creation of Standard 90.1-2010 from Standard 90.1-2007 were evaluated by DOE for their impact on energy efficiency. DOE determined whether each addendum would have a positive, neutral, or negative impact on overall building efficiency.
Bacterial transformations of and resistances to heavy metals.

Bacteria carry out chemical transformations of heavy metals. These transformations (including oxidation, reduction, methylation, and demethylation) are sometimes by-products of normal metabolism and confer no known advantage upon the organism responsible. Sometimes, however, the transformations constitute a mechanism of resistance. Many species of bacteria have genes that control resistances to specific toxic heavy metals. These resistances often are determined by extrachromosomal DNA molecules (plasmids). The same mechanisms of resistance occur in bacteria from soil, water, industrial waste, and clinical sources. The mechanism of mercury and organo- mercurial resistance is the enzymatic detoxification of the mercurials into volatile species (methane, ethane, metallic Hg0) which are rapidly lost from the environment. Cadmium and arsenate resistances are due to reduced net accumulation of these toxic materials. Efficient efflux pumps cause the rapid excretion of Cd2+ and AsO4 3−. The mechanisms of arsenite and of antimony resistance, usually found associated with arsenate resistance, are not known. Silver resistance is -due to lowered affinity of the cells for Ag+, which can be complexed with extracellular halides, thiols, or organic compounds. Sensitivity is due to binding of Ag+ more effectively to cells than to CI−.
Space Station Environmental Control and Life Support System Test Facility at Marshall Space Flight Center

Different aspects of Space Station Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) testing are currently taking place at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Unique to this testing is the variety of test areas and the fact that all are located in one building. The north high bay of building 4755, the Core Module Integration Facility (CMIF), contains the following test areas: the Subsystem Test Area, the Comparative Test Area, the Process Material Management System (PMMS), the Core Module Simulator (CMS), the End-use Equipment Facility (EEF), and the Pre-development Operational System Test (POST) Area. This paper addresses the facility that supports these test areas and briefly describes the testing in each area. Future plans for the building and Space Station module configurations will also be discussed.
Head and Neck Trauma

The overwhelming majority of craniofacial traumatic injuries however are caused by motor vehicle accidents with about 70 % of these including some type of facial injury. The objectives of this chapter are to review the standard imaging techniques used to evaluate craniofacial trauma, discuss the various patterns of facial fractures with emphasis on the pertinent findings and relevant anatomical considerations, and finally present some special considerations pertaining to pediatric patients.
Biosynthesis of the peptidoglycan of bacterial cell walls. XX. Identification of phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin as cofactors for isoprenoid alcohol phosphokinase.

Abstract The butanol-soluble long chain isoprenoid alcohol phosphokinase from Staphylococcus aureus has been separated into a protein and phospholipid component by chromatography on a column of diethylaminoethylcellulose. The phospholipid is a mixture of phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin, either of which is effective alone in restoring the activity to the enzyme. Several detergents will also restore the activity, but these are less effective than the natural cofactors.
Computer science and state machines

Computer science is largely about computation. Many kinds of computing devices have been described, some abstract and some very concrete. Among them are: Automata, including Turing machines, Moore machines, Mealy machines, pushdown automata, and cellular automata. Computer programs written in a programming language. Algorithms written in natural language and pseudocode. von Neumann computers. BNF grammars. Process algebras such as CCS. Computer scientists collectively suffer from what I call the Whorfian syndrome the confusion of language with reality. Since these devices are described in different languages, they must all be different. In fact, they are all naturally described as state machines.
Chapter 5.2: Five-Membered Ring Systems: Pyrroles and Benzo Analogs

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses pyrroles and benzo analogs. Pyrroles and indoles are amongst the most studied heterocyclic ring systems because of their diverse biological activity and materials science applications. Pyrrole rings are important structural subunits and recognition elements found in a number of bioactive materials, including small molecule natural products and tetrapyrroles (i.e., porphyrins) and related macrocycles. The chapter also discusses the recent activity in the implementation of traditional methods and the development of novel strategies for the synthesis of indole alkaloids. The isolation and characterization of new indole alkaloids remains a fruitful avenue for the discovery of agents with the potential for biomedical application. Oxindoles and spirocyclic variants represent a general class of indole alkaloids that have received considerable attention as synthetic targets, as well as key intermediates in natural product synthesis. Strategies for the synthesis of the core structures of several natural products have been reported. In developing a biomimetic approach toward the synthesis of haplophytine, Corey and co-workers have investigated the direct coupling of two indole partners in the form of an aspidophytine mimic and a tetracyclic canthiphytine analog.
A chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan may influence the direction of retinal ganglion cell outgrowth

In the developing retina, retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons elongate toward the optic fissure, even though no obvious directional restrictions exist. Previous studies indicate that axon-matrix interactions are important for retinal ganglion cell axon elongation, but the factors that direct elongation are unknown. Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CS-PG), a component of the extracellular matrix, repels elongating dorsal root ganglion (DRG) axons in vitro and is present in vivo in the roof plate of the spinal cord, a structure that acts as a barrier to DRG axons during development. In this study, we examined whether CS-PG may regulate the pattern of retinal ganglion cell outgrowth in the developing retina. Immunocytochemical analysis showed that CS-PG was present in the innermost layers of the developing rat retina. The expression of CS-PG moved peripherally with retinal development, always remaining at the outer edge of the front of the developing axons. CS-PG was no longer detectable with immunocytochemical techniques when RGC axon elongation in the retina is complete. Results of studies in vitro showed that CS-PG, isolated from bovine nasal cartilage and chick limb, was inhibitory to elongating RGC axons and that RGC growth cones were more sensitive to CS-PG than were DRG neurites tested at the same concentrations of CS-PG. The behavior of retinal growth cones as they encounter CS-PG was characterized using time-lapse video microscopy. Filopodia of the RGC growth cones extended to and sampled the CS-PG repeatedly. With time, the growth cones turned to avoid outgrowth on the CS-PG and grew only on laminin. While numerous studies have shown the presence of positive factors within the retina that may guide developing RGC axons, this is the first demonstration of an inhibitory or repelling molecule in the retina that may regulate axon elongation. Taken together, these data suggest that the direction of RGC outgrowth in the retina may be regulated by the proper ratio of growth-promoting molecules, such as laminin, to growth-inhibiting molecules, like CS-PG, present in the correct pattern and concentrations along the retinal ganglion cell pathway.
Differential evolution of lifespan and fecundity between asexual and sexual females in a benign environment

Here we report one of the first investigations of evolvability of lifespan and reproduction in metazoans, examining both extrinsic and intrinsic factors. We tested effects on senescence of an environmental variable (simulated lake hydroperiod, the length of time an aquatic habitat is inundated), female reproductive physiology (asexual females that reproduce by ameiosis, versus sexual females reproducing by meiosis), and time in a benign culture environment (minimal, if any, external mortality factors). To do this we established chemostat cultures of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis s.s., and maintained the cultures for 385 d. Hydroperiod alone or in interaction with the effects of time in the benign environment (season) or reproductive physiology had no significant effect on the net reproductive rate, generation time, or rate of aging. Yet combining animals from both ephemeral and permanent hydroperiods revealed a 26% increase in asexual female lifespan across seasons (23% decrease in the rate of aging) and a 56% increase in asexual fecundity, suggesting that maintenance in benign laboratory conditions leads to slower aging. The relative stasis of traits for sexual females implies an impact of reproductive physiology on evolvability. In addition we found a positive correlation between fecundity and lifespan, suggesting an absence of trade-offs in life history traits in the benign laboratory environment.
Selective Attrition and the Age-Crime Relationship

One of the most widely accepted findings in criminology is the strong curvilinear association between age and crime. Studies have indicated that involvement in criminal behavior rises throughout the teenage years until it levels off during the late teenage and early adult years and then declines throughout the remainder of the life span. Many of these studies, however, have relied on cross-sectional or repeated cross-sectional officially recorded data. In recent years, researchers investigating changes in self-reported criminal behavior among the same individuals as they age have discovered that involvement in criminal behavior actually declines during the adolescent years. Although there are a number of possible explanations for this phenomenon, we explore the extent to which this decline can be attributed to selective or non-random panel attrition.
Hydrolytic Activity toward Pyridoxine-5′-β-d-Glucoside in Rat Intestinal Mucosa Is Not Increased by Vitamin B-6 Deficiency: Effect of Basal Diet Composition and Pyridoxine Intake

Pyridoxine-5'-beta-D-glucoside (PNG), a glycosylated form of dietary vitamin B-6, is partially hydrolyzed in the small intestine by the cytosolic enzyme pyridoxine-5'-beta-D-glucoside hydrolase (PNG hydrolase) and by the brush border enzyme lactase phlorizin hydrolase (LPH) to release free pyridoxine (PN). This laboratory has previously shown that PNG hydrolase activity is inversely related to dietary vitamin B-6 in rats and guinea pigs. The current investigation was done to examine the effect of dietary PN on PNG hydrolytic activity and its distribution. Nutrient compositional differences between the AIN-76A and AIN-93G purified diets that were unrelated to vitamin B-6 were also examined in relation to PNG hydrolysis in rat small intestinal mucosa. Study one included rats (n = 29) that were fed the AIN-93G diet providing a range of PN concentrations for 5 wk. Rats (n = 49) in study two were fed either AIN-76A or AIN-93G each with graded concentrations of PN. In both studies, rat growth and plasma and liver pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) concentrations increased (P < 0.05) with increasing concentrations of dietary PN. PNG hydrolytic activity localized to the brush border membrane was five times that measured in the cytosol. Cytosolic PNG hydrolytic activity increased significantly with increasing dietary PN concentration in rats fed the AIN-76A, but not AIN-93G diet. Activity in the mucosal total membrane fraction did not increase in proportion to dietary PN concentration for either diet. Regardless of dietary PN concentration, the basal nutrient composition of the diets affected growth and PNG hydrolytic activity in intestinal mucosa. In contrast to previous results from this laboratory, intestinal hydrolytic activity toward PNG did not increase in vitamin B-6-deficient rats.
Challenges and opportunities for integrated optics in computing systems

The confluence of highly integrated computation chips, huge off-chip interconnectivity requirements, increasingly high channel speeds, and the large spatially extended systems being considered for future high end servers, together with the looming issues of thermal and power management offer an opportunity for optical interconnects to become the preferred solution for many interconnect domains. Optical interconnects are already the technology of choice for the longer length links required in computing systems (10's of meters). However, to achieve this status for link distances at the backplane and card level will require increasingly integrated optical interconnect solutions, which presents many challenges as well as opportunities. The primary inhibitor to adoption of optical interconnects in this ultra-short distance regime is poor cost competitiveness with electrical links. The cost reductions possible with evolutionary enhancement of today's parallel optical modules will not be enough. Potential technologies which could break this cost barrier include the use of waveguides on card to eliminate the optical "module," and chip integrated photonics plus electronics. This paper will discuss the issues and challenges for optics in this short distance regime and present some of the technical solutions that we are pursuing.
Clinical perspective on celiprolol: cardioprotective potential.

Abstract β-Adrenergic blockers have had widespread use in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Some agents of this class have been shown to reduce the incidence of total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, sudden death, and nonfatal reinfarction in survivors of acute myocardial infarction. The mechanism for this cardioprotective action is not known. Antiarrhythmic action and hemodynamic alterations have been suggested as possible mechanisms. An anticoagulant mechanism is another possiblity, although the antiplatelet effects of β-blockers are weak. It is now believed that antithrombotic effects may be related to the prevention of coronary artery plaque rupture and the subsequent propagation of an occlusive arterial thrombus rather than a direct anticoagulant action. The therapeutic ability β-blockers to attenuate the hemodynamic consequences of catecholamine surgers, as they do in aortic dissection, may protect a vulnerable plaque from fracture, reducing the risk of coronary thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and death. Celiprolol, a third-generation β 1 -selective adrenergic blocker with partial β 2 -agonist activity, is comparable to other β-blockers in antihypertensive and antianginal activity. It has additional actions that may be beneficial to patients: (1) it does not adversely affect lipids and lipoproteins; (2) it does not appear to depress the myocardium in patients with left ventricular dysfunction; (3) it can lower serum fibrinogen levels; and (4) it can cause regression of myocardial mass in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy.
Scheduling networks of queues: heavy traffic analysis of a simple open network

We consider a queueing network with two single-server stations and two types of customers. Customers of type A require service only at station 1 and customers of type B require service first at station 1 and then at station 2. Each server has a different general service time distribution, and each customer type has a different general interarrival time distribution. The problem is to find a dynamic sequencing policy at station 1 that minimizes the long-run average expected number of customers in the system. The scheduling problem is approximated by a dynamic control problem involving Brownian motion. A reformulation of this control problem is solved, and the solution is interpreted in terms of the queueing system in order to obtain an effective sequencing policy. Also, a pathwise lower bound (for any sequencing policy) is obtained for the total number of customers in the network. We show via simulation that the relative difference between the performance of the proposed policy and the pathwise lower bound becomes small as the load on the network is increased toward the heavy traffic limit.
Linburg-Comstock Anomaly

BACKGROUND Linburg-Comstock anomaly consists of tendinous interconnections between the flexor pollicis longus (FPL) muscle belly or tendon and the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP), usually of the index finger. Tendon slips connecting the FPL and the FDPwere recognized by anatomists as early as the 1800s. In 1979, Linburg and Comstock found the variant unilaterally in 31% of their study population and bilaterally in 16%. The tendinous interconnection can range in size from 1 mm to a diameter comparable with that of the FDP tendon itself, and typically, it is hidden within a common, thickened tenosynovium. This connection prevents independent flexion of the thumb interphalangeal (IP) joint and the index finger distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint, occasionally the middle and ring fingers are also involved. Typically, this variant does not cause symptoms. In a study byLow et al, 35% of patients were found to have the variant, and none of these patients had recognized the lack of independent thumb flexion prior to participation in the study.
Adherence to HIV Medications in a Cohort of Men Who Have Sex With Men: Impact of September 11th

Adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens remains a challenge for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Severe traumas like that of September 11, 2001, can exacerbate the difficulties already associated with adherence. A community-based sample of 68 HIV-seropositive men who have sex with men (MSM) living in New York City who were on protease inhibitor HAART regimens completed quantitative assessments to examine adherence in the aftermath of September 11th. Data were drawn from a larger study of drug use and HIV medication adherence. Assessments conducted from September 24, 2001 to October 24, 2001 were compared to assessments taken 2–4 months prior to September 11th. Repeated measures analyses of variance were used to analyze the number of missed and suboptimal doses (doses taken outside the prescribed time by ±4 hours) reported in the 2 weeks prior to each respective assessment. The results indicated a significant increase in the number of missed doses and the number of suboptimal doses immediately after the events of September 11th. Differences in adherence were not influenced, however, by sociodemographic characteristics. These results suggest that the events of September 11th had an impact on adherence to HIV medications among MSM in New York City and provide further support for the notion that the events of September 11th may have adversely impacted the lives of seropositive individuals. Attention should be paid by clinicians working with HIV-positive individuals on how this event has been incorporated into lives of individuals already burdened by a chronic and demanding disease.
The Matrifocal Family and Patriarchal Ideology in Cuba and the Caribbean

La matrifocalidad tiene en el Caribe raices historicas profundas, como modalidad familiar alternativa que surgio en la clase popular afrocaribena, donde los lazos consanguineos eran mas fuertes que los conyugales. Como en el resto del Caribe, la matrifocalidad esta aumentando en Cuba, no obstante el apoyo que da el estado socialista al matrimonio legal y la familia nuclear. La reduccion de las desigualdades clasistas y raciales tras la revolucion, junto con la mayor autonomia de las mujeres, erosiona la importancia del matrimonio legal y contribuye a una mas amplia aceptacion de las uniones consensuales.
Intensity of the Continuous Spectrum of Hydrogen

In order to construct a most intense source of the continuous spectrum of hydrogen, the most favorable conditions were systematically investigated. The intensity varied linearly with the current density except for very high current densities where it varied less rapidly. The pressure for a maximum of intensity was found to be a function of the current density and practically varied from 1 to 2 mm. A study of the relation of the intensity to length, surface, and cross section of the capillary was made. On the basis of these results a powerful source of the continuum was constructed. This source was compared with the positive crater of the carbon arc and found to be superior in intensity below 2925A.
An End-Use Approach to Demand Forecasting

Detailed end-use models are increasingly popular for forecasting energy requirements for electric utility systems. This paper describes an extension of the end-use approach to demand forecasting and loadshape analysis. In the approach a clear distincting between the pattern of usage and the level of usage is made. The pattern of usage for a particular end-use is defined by a sequence of use factors. For weather insensitive end-uses, the use factors are functions of time (i. e., time of day, day type, and month); while for the weather sensitive end-uses, they are functions of time as well as a camposite weather variable. The model structure has been implemented successfully for a number of utilities to analyze and simulate system loadshapes under different assumptions.
Some refinements in austrian trade-cycle theory

Changes in the apparent rate of interest have different effects upon different types of firms, causing the onset of the business cycle to be initiated in specialty suppliers to high-order capital goods manufacturers. These specialty manufacturers utilize bank loans to finance inventories, so they are sensitive to changes in market rates, while consumer-goods manufacturers finance capital projects using long-term sources of funds, which are less sensitive. The abandonment of capital projects by lower-order manufacturers is also less sensitive to interest rate movements than the manufacturing operations of the high-order suppliers.
Nocardia pneumonia in a patient with Crohn's disease receiving 6-mercaptopurine and infliximab.

Dear Sir, An 81-year-old man with fistulizing Crohn's disease on mesalamine, 6-mercaptopurine for 2 years and infliximab for the past 6 months presented to the hospital with a three month history of cough, progressive exertional dyspnea and after several failed outpatient antibiotic courses for community-acquired pneumonia. He was afebrile on presentation, but exam was notable for tachypnea, right lower sided and diffuse left-sided crackles. While the hematocrit was 25.1% and albumin level was 2.3 g/dl, the remainder of labs including white cell count was normal. Chest x-ray (Fig. 1A) suggested multi-focal pneumonia, and chest CT (Fig. 1B) confirmed bilateral, multi-focal consolidations and scattered tree-in-bud opacities. Mediastinal and hilar adenopathy was also …
Against a parameter-setting approach to typological variation

The dominant position among generative grammarians with respect to typological variation is that it should be captured by parameters, which are either directly tied to principles of Universal Grammar (UG) or to functional projections provided by UG. Parameter-setting approaches, however, have failed to live up to their promise. They should be replaced by a model in which language-particular rules take over the work of parameter settings and in which most typological variation follows from independently-needed principles of performance. In such a model, UG specifies the class of possible languages, but not the set of probable languages.
On Ahlfors' finiteness theorem

Abstract Ahlfors' finiteness theorem and its two complements, namely the area-inequalities of Bers and the finiteness of the cusps due to Sullivan, are some of the central results in the modern theory of Kleinian groups. Their proofs are analytic whereas their conclusions have a geometric flavor. In this paper we have attempted to explain the topological and group-theoretic genesis of these theorems. Our approach is based on a relative version of the theorem “a finitely generated 3-manifold groups is finitely presented” due to Scott and Shalen.
Income over Investment in Semen

Abstract Methodology was developed for assessing differences between sires in artificial insemination in net worth to a dairyman taking into account: a) sire's genetic merit, b) semen cost per first service, c) conception rate of service sire, d) price of milk per kilogram, e) rate of calf management of the dairyman, f) discount rate, and g) number of years of discounting. Equations to predict differences between sires in return over investment and percent return on investment for heifer sales and milking cows were developed for technician service and direct service. Sire's genetic merit, cost per first service, and conception rate of sire were the most useful predictors of differences between sires in economic return. Each 100 kg of milk in a sire's proof is worth no more than $3.30 per first service or a .18 and .14 increase in conception rate for technician service and direct service, respectively. Expressions relating value of conception rate of service sire to cost of semen and sire's milk superiority indicate direct service is more sensitive to conception rate than technician service.
Nutrition in Pregnancy: Some Current Concepts and Questions

ABSTRACT: Adequate nutritional preparation of women for pregnancy includes the information on individualized weight gain ranges, which may be as little as 20 lb or as much as 35 lb gained gradually over the course of pregnancy. Discussions with mothers should focus on their possible reluctance to gain or to accept normal fat deposits laid down during pregnancy, as well as how to deal with edema, nausea, indigestion and other discomforts. Changes in requirements for individual nutrients include those for protein, iron, folic acid, several vitamins, calcium, phosphorous and sodium. Discussions may include the potential teratogenic effects of food additives and contaminants, and, most importantly, the suspected effects of deficits and specific excesses. Concerns about excess relate in particular to vitamins A, D, and C, caffeine, alcohol and selected minerals.
Individual and social resources predicting well-being and functioning in the later years: Conceptual models, research and practice

With increasing age, older adults need to draw on their individual and socioeconomic resources to adapt to challenges in daily life. A resource model of developmental adaptation is proposed as a conceptual guide for studies emphasizing the importance of psychosocial resources as mediators and moderators of adjustment. Empirical evidence supporting the resource model of developmental adaptation based on findings from the Georgia Centenarian Study suggests that cumulative adverse events drain socioeconomic resources and increase levels of anxiety. Socioeconomic resources exert a stronger effect on mental and functional health than individual resources. Finally, cumulative events predict functional health only for anxious individuals and those with extreme levels of support. Practical implications of this work suggest that those working with older adults need to consider the entire biography of older adults to understand adaptation in later life. Furthermore, service providers and policy makers are challenged to help increase or maintain the level of socioeconomic resources, particularly in the oldest-old population.
Cuban immigration and the Cuban‐American experience: a selective annotated bibliography

Cuba’s 1959 Revolution brought about dramatic changes not only in that island‐nation but also in the USA. Cubans, and later Cuban‐Americans, have changed the face of Miami and south Florida. The economic and social successes of Cuban‐Americans, the third largest Latino group in the USA, are prevalent in scholarly and popular literature. In this annotated bibliography, the author presents journal articles, chapters in books, books, and human rights reports, published between 1990 and 1998, as well as World Wide Web sites, that discuss the Cuban‐American experience. Articles from the popular literature are not included, nor are materials that deal primarily with Cuba or Cuba‐USA relations.
Structural and optical investigations of GaN-Si interface for a heterojunction solar cell

In recent years the development of heterojunction silicon based solar cells has gained much attention, lead largely by the efforts of Panasonic's HIT cell. The success of the HIT cell prompts the scientific exploration of other thin film layers, besides the industrially accepted amorphous silicon. The band gap, mobilities, and electron affinity of GaN make it an interesting candidate to solve problems of parasitic absorption while selectively extracting electrons. Using a novel MBE based growth technique, thin films of GaN have been deposited at temperature significantly lower than industry standards. Crystalline measurements and absorption data of GaN are presented. Additionally, effects of deposition on the silicon wafer lifetimes are presented
Quantifying the variability of financial disclosure information reported by authors presenting at annual spine conferences.

Abstract Background context In recent years, greater attention has been directed toward determining how potential financial conflicts of interest may affect the integrity of biomedical research. To address this issue, various disclosure policies have been adopted in an attempt to increase the transparency of this process. However, the consistency of such reporting among spine surgeons remains unknown. This study quantifies the variability in the self-reported disclosures of individual authors presenting at multiple spine conferences during the same year. Methods The author disclosure information published for the 2008 North American Spine Society (NASS), Cervical Spine Research Society (CSRS), and Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), conferences were compiled into a database. We evaluated the disclosure policy for each society and compared the disclosure listings of authors who presented at more than one of these meetings. Results Disclosure records were available for 1,231 authors at NASS, 550 at CSRS, and 642 at SRS. Of these individuals, 278 (NASS), 129 (CSRS), and 181 (SRS) presented at one of the other conferences and 40 presented at all three conferences. North American Spine Society and CSRS required disclosure of all financial relationships, whereas SRS only requested disclosures pertinent to authors’ presentations. Of the 153 authors who presented at the NASS and CSRS meetings, 51% exhibited discrepancies in their disclosure information. In contrast, only 9% of the 205 individuals whose data was listed at both the NASS and SRS conferences demonstrated irregularities. Similarly, 18% of the 56 authors who had provided information to both CSRS and SRS were inconsistent in their reporting. Conclusions These findings emphasize the significant variability that currently exists in the reporting of financial conflicts of interest by authors who presented at three major spine conferences within the past year. We believe these discrepancies are likely because of confusion regarding what relationships should be acknowledged in certain situations and the clear lack of uniformity among the disclosure policies established by these various associations. Clinical relevance This study evaluates financial conflicts of interests in clinical research.
Detection of partial-thickness tears in ligaments and tendons by Stokes-polarimetry imaging

A Stokes polarimetry imaging (SPI) system utilizes an algorithm developed to construct degree of polarization (DoP) image maps from linearly polarized light illumination. Partial-thickness tears of turkey tendons were imaged by the SPI system in order to examine the feasibility of the system to detect partial-thickness rotator cuff tear or general tendon pathology. The rotating incident polarization angle (IPA) for the linearly polarized light provides a way to analyze different tissue types which may be sensitive to IPA variations. Degree of linear polarization (DoLP) images revealed collagen fiber structure, related to partial-thickness tears, better than standard intensity images. DoLP images also revealed structural changes in tears that are related to the tendon load. DoLP images with red-wavelength-filtered incident light may show tears and related organization of collagen fiber structure at a greater depth from the tendon surface. Degree of circular polarization (DoCP) images exhibited well the horizontal fiber orientation that is not parallel to the vertically aligned collagen fibers of the tendon. The SPI system's DOLP images reveal alterations in tendons and ligaments, which have a tissue matrix consisting largely of collagen, better than intensity images. All polarized images showed modulated intensity as the IPA was varied. The optimal detection of the partial-thickness tendon tears at a certain IPA was observed. The SPI system with varying IPA and spectral information can improve the detection of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears by higher visibility of fiber orientations and thereby improve diagnosis and treatment of tendon related injuries.