cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intermediation in Online Advertising

In online advertising, impressions are sold via real-time auctions which are organized by central platforms referred to as ad exchanges. For technological or operational reasons, advertisers generally participate in the auctions run by exchanges through intermediaries which acquire impressions on their behalf. Intermediaries are specialized entities that provide targeted services for a particular segment of the market, and typically there are multiple stages of intermediation. Moreover, an advertiser may have private information, e.g., budget, targeting criterion or value attributed to an impression. The presence of intermediaries and this information asymmetry introduce several new research questions. In the first part of this chapter, we study the mechanism design problem of an intermediary who offers a contract to an advertiser with a private budget and a private targeting criterion. We characterize the optimal mechanism and establish that the presence of the intermediary results in simpler bidding policies. In the second part of this chapter, we study the strategic interaction among intermediaries organized in a chain network. We characterize a subgame perfect equilibrium of the resulting game among intermediaries and show that the most profitable position in the intermediation chain depends on the underlying value distribution of the advertiser.
Phenology-adjusted dynamic curve number for improved hydrologic modeling.

Abstract The Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN, or CN) is a widely used method to estimate runoff from rainfall events. It has been adapted to many parts of the world with different land uses, land cover types, and climatic conditions and successfully applied to situations ranging from simple runoff calculations and land use change assessment to comprehensive hydrologic/water quality simulations. However, the CN method lacks the ability to incorporate seasonal variations in vegetated surface conditions, and unnoticed landuse/landcover (LULC) change that shape infiltration and storm runoff. Plant phenology is a main determinant of changes in hydrologic processes and water balances across seasons through its influence on surface roughness and evapotranspiration. This study used regression analysis to develop a dynamic CN (CNNDVI) based on seasonal variations in the remotely-sensed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to monitor intra-annual plant phenological development. A time series of 16-day MODIS NDVI (MOD13Q1 Collection 5) images were used to monitor vegetation development and provide NDVI data necessary for CNNDVI model calibration and validation. Twelve years of rainfall and runoff data (2001–2012) from four small watersheds located in the Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas were used to develop, calibrate, and validate the method. Results showed CNNDVI performed significantly better in predicting runoff with calibrated CNNDVI runoff increasing by approximately 0.74 for every unit increase in observed runoff compared to 0.46 for SCS-CN runoff and was more highly correlated to observed runoff (r = 0.78 vs. r = 0.38). In addition, CNNDVI runoff had better NSE (0.53) and PBIAS (4.22) compared to the SCS-CN runoff (−0.87 and −94.86 respectively). In the validated model, CNNDVI runoff increased by approximately 0.96 for every unit of observed runoff, while SCS-CN runoff increased by 0.49. Validated runoff was also better correlated to observed runoff than SCS-CN runoff (r = 0.52 vs. r = 0.33). These findings suggest that the CNNDVI can yield improved estimates of surface runoff from precipitation events, leading to more informed water and land management decisions.
112 Trends in treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis: 2006–2016

Background Glucocorticoids, anti-malarials and conventional immunosuppressive agents have been the mainstay of therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis (LN); more recently biologic agents have been introduced for their treatment. We evaluated utilization trends in SLE and LN therapy over the past decade. Methods Using 2006–2016 data from a large administrative database of commercially insured and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries, we identified patients with SLE and a subset of patients with LN based on validated claims-based algorithms. Included patients had at least one year of enrollment in the cohort. We estimated the annual age- and sex- standardized proportion of patients who filled prescriptions for at least one of the drugs of interest (table). Results A total of 30 787 patients with prevalent SLE were identified, of whom 5267 had LN. Mean age (SD) was 49.3 (14.1) years for SLE and 51.9 (17.2) years for LN. Ninety percent were female, 61.0% White, 17.4% Black, 11.2% Hispanic, 3.0% Asian and 7.0% other/unknown. Use and time trends of therapeutic agents for 2006–2016 are included in the table. Anti-malarials were the most frequently used drug class, with some temporal change over the course of the study; 50.1% in 2006 to 47.5% in 2016 for SLE, and 38.8% in 2006 to 45.1% 2016 for LN. Prednisone was the second most frequently used drug, decreasing from 40.0% in 2006 to 34.7% in 2016; use of methylprednisolone and other systemic glucocorticoids increased during that time period. Methotrexate was the most commonly used nonbiologic immunosuppressive drug in SLE (8.0%), while MMF was most frequently prescribed in LN (15.0%). Cyclophosphamide use declined over the last decade for SLE (1.2% to 0.3% in 2016) and LN (4.2% to 1.3% in 2016). Belimumab was the most commonly used biologic for SLE with a slight uptrend since approval. Rituximab use increased in SLE and was the most commonly used biologic for LN. At any point in time ~24% of the patients were not receiving any of the medications of interest. Conclusions Over the past decade, a substantial proportion of patients with SLE and LN continued to receive glucocorticoids. The proportion of patients receiving nonbiologic immunosuppressants remained stable, however there was a progressive decline in the use of cyclophosphamide. Since 2011 the proportion of patients receiving rituximab is higher than for cyclophosphamide. The increasing use of rituximab, which is not currently approved for SLE or LN, highlights the need to clarify its therapeutic role in these diseases. Funding Source(s): None
Effect of Antibiotic-Impregnated Bone Cement in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of commercially available antibiotic-impregnated bone cement (AIBC) on (1) prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) and (2) surgical site infections (SSIs) after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS A review of primary TKAs between 2014 and 2017 from an institutional database was conducted. This identified 12,541 cases which were separated into AIBC (n = 4337) and non-AIBC (8,164) cohorts. Medical records were reviewed for PJIs and SSIs (mean 2-year postoperative period). Infection rates between the cohorts were compared with univariate analyses followed by subanalysis of high risk patients (defined as having 2 or more of the following characteristics: >65 years, body mass index >40, or Charlson Comorbidity Index score >3). To control for confounders, multivariate analyses were performed with regression models adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, comorbidities, year, operative times, and lengths of stay. RESULTS On univariate analysis, PJI rates were higher in the AIBC cohort (1.0%) compared to the non-AIBC cohort (0.5%, P < .001). Subanalysis of the high risk patients also showed that PJI rates were higher in the AIBC cohort (1.9% vs 0.6%, P < .01). After adjusting for potential confounders, no significant associations between PJIs and AIBC use were found (odds ratio 1.4, 95% confidence interval 0.9-2.3, P = .133). Similarly, no significant differences in SSI rates were observed between the AIBC (2.9%) and non-AIBC cohorts (2.4%, P = .060) and no significant associations between SSIs and AIBC were found with multivariate analysis (odds ratio 1.0, 95% confidence interval CI 0.8-1.3, P = .948). CONCLUSION This study found that there was no clinically or statistically significant decrease in infection rates with AIBC in primary TKAs.
Friend Selection and Influence Effects for First Heavy Drinking Episode in Adolescence

Objective:Heavy alcohol consumption has both immediate and longer-term risks for adolescents. Using a dynamic network modeling approach, this study investigated the role of adult supervision and af...
Simulation-based design and characterization of a microwave applicator for MR-guided hyperthermia experimental studies in small animals.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to design and characterize a 2.45 GHz microwave hyperthermia applicator for delivering hyperthermia in experimental small animals to 2 – 4 mm diameter targets located 1 - 3 mm from the skin surface, with minimal heating of the surrounding tissue, under 14.1 T MRI real-time monitoring and feedback control. Materials and methods: An experimentally validated 3D computational model was employed to design and characterize a non-invasive directional water-cooled microwave hyperthermia applicator. We assessed the effects of: reflector geometry, monopole shape, cooling water temperature, and flow rate on spatial-temperature profiles. The system was integrated with real-time MR thermometry and feedback control to maintain temperature elevations in the range of 4 – 5 °C at 1 - 3 mm from the applicator surface. The quality of heating was quantified by determining the fraction of the target volume heated to the desired temperature, and the extent of heating in non-targeted regions. Results: Model-predicted hyperthermic profiles were in good agreement with experimental measurements (Dice Similarity Coefficient of 0.95 – 0.99). Among the considered criteria, a reflector aperture angle of 120 °, S-shaped monopole antenna with 0.6 mm displacement, and coolant flow rate of 150 ml/min were selected as the applicator design. The temperature of circulating water and input power were identified as free variables, allowing considerable flexibility in heating target sizes within varying distances from the applicator surface. 2 - 4 mm diameter targets positioned 1 – 3 mm from the applicator surface were heated to hyperthermic temperatures, with target coverage ratio ranging between 76 - 93 % and 11 – 26 % of non-targeted tissue heated. Conclusion: We have designed an experimental platform for MR-guided hyperthermia, incorporating a microwave applicator integrated with temperature-based feedback control to heat deep-seated targets for experimental studies in small animals.
The effects of muscle vibration on gait control: a review

Background: The purpose of the review is to summarize the literature surrounding the use of muscle vibration as it relates to modifying human gait. Methods: After a brief introduction concerning historical uses and early research identifying the effect of vibration on muscle activation, we reviewed 32 articles that used muscle vibration during walking. The review is structured to address the literature within four broad categories: the effect of vibration to 'trigger' gait-like lower limb motions, the effect of vibration on gait control of healthy individuals and individuals with clinical conditions in which gait disorders are a prominent feature, and the effect of vibration training protocols on gait. Results: The acute effects of vibration during gait involving healthy participants is varied. Some authors reported differences in segmental kinematic and spatiotemporal measures while other authors reported no differences in these outcome measures. The literature involving participants with clinical conditions revealed that vibration consistently had a significant impact on gait, suggesting vibration may be an effective rehabilitation tool. All of the studies that used vibration therapy over time reported significant improvement in gait performance. Conclusions: This review highlights the difficulties in drawing definitive conclusions as to the impact of vibration on gait control, partly because of differences in walking protocols, site of vibration application, and outcome measures used across different investigative teams. It is suggested that the development of common investigative methodologies and outcome measures would accelerate the identification of techniques that may provide optimal rehabilitation protocols for individuals experiencing disordered gait control.
Systematic gene silencing identified Cryptosporidium nucleoside diphosphate kinase and other molecules as targets for suppression of parasite proliferation in human intestinal cells.

Cryptosporidiosis is a major cause of diarrheal disease. The only drug approved for cryptosporidiosis has limited efficacy in high-risk populations. Therefore novel drugs are urgently needed. We have identified several enzymes as potential targets for drug development and we have optimized a rapid method to silence genes in Cryptosporidium. In this study, we knocked down expression of the four selected genes: Actin (Act), Apicomplexan DNA-binding protein (Ap2), Rhomboid protein 1 (Rom 1), and nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDK). After gene silencing, we evaluated the role of each target on parasite development using in vitro models of excystation, invasion, proliferation, and egress. We showed that silencing of Act, Ap2, NDK, and Rom1 reduced invasion, proliferation, and egress of Cryptosporidium. However, silencing of NDK markedly inhibited Cryptosporidium proliferation (~70%). We used an infection model to evaluate the anticryptosporidial activity of ellagic acid (EA), an NDK inhibitor. We showed that EA (EC50 = 15–30 µM) reduced parasite burden without showing human cell toxicity. Here, we demonstrated the usefulness of a rapid silencing method to identify novel targets for drug development. Because EA is a dietary supplement already approved for human use, this compound should be studied as a potential treatment for cryptosporidiosis.
Degradation of polysaccharides from Lycium barbarum L. leaves improves bioaccessibility and gastrointestinal transport of endogenous minerals.

Acidic heteropolysaccharide (LP) from Lycium barbarum L. leaves has compact globular structure which wrapped abundant endogenous minerals inside by ionic interactions with uronic acid. This study investigated the efficacy of chemical degradation of LP on the bioaccessibility and transport of endogenous minerals in simulated gastrointestinal fluids. Results showed that the degradation using vitamin C and hydrogen peroxide mildly decreased LP molecular weight from 162.0 kDa to 94.3 kDa, and the structure of degraded LP (LPD) was converted to loose coil. After the simulated intestinal digestion, the accessibility of Ca, Fe, Zn, and Mg in LPD increased by119%, 52%, 103% and 112.5% compared with the intact LP, respectively, and in particular, the uptake rate increased by 15.8%, 8.1%, 23.4% and 21.6% for Ca, Fe, Zn, and Mg, respectively. These results demonstrated that the chemical degradation is a helpful strategy to improve the uptake of endogenous minerals wrapped in polysaccharide.
Feasibility and Accuracy of a Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewing Instrument to Ascertain Prior Immunization With Human Papillomavirus Vaccine by Self-Report: Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Background: Ascertaining history of prior immunization with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can be challenging and resource-intensive. Computer-assisted self-interviewing instruments have the potential to address some of the challenges of self-reporting, and may also reduce the time, costs, and efforts associated with ascertaining immunization status. Objective: This study assesses both the feasibility and the accuracy of a computer-assisted self-interviewing instrument to ascertain a patient’s history of immunization with the HPV vaccine. Methods: We developed both a survey and a Web-based data collection system using computer-assisted self-interviewing to ascertain self-reported HPV vaccine immunization history. We implemented the instrument in a sample of adult women enrolled in an ongoing study of the HPV vaccine. Vaccine records from prior sources of care were reviewed to verify reported immunization history. Results: Among the 312 participants who provided HPV vaccine immunization history by self-report, almost all (99%) were able to do so using the computer-assisted self-interviewing instrument. The median survey completion time was 10 minutes (IQR 7-17). The accuracy of self-report was 84%, sensitivity was 89%, specificity was 80%, and the negative predictive value was 92%. Conclusions: We found that it is feasible to collect a history of immunization with the HPV vaccine using a computer-assisted self-interviewing instrument. This approach is likely to be acceptable to adult women and is reasonably accurate in a clinical research setting.
Tidal Instability and Superhump in Dwarf Novae Described by a Wave-Wave Resonant Process

On a disk deformed to a non-axisymmetric form, a set of oscillations can be excited by their resonant interaction through the disk deformation (Kato et al. 2011). This resonant instability process has been proposed to suggest a possible cause of the high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (HFQPOs) observed in black-hole low-mass X-ray binaries. In the present paper, we examine whether the above-mentioned wave-wave resonant process can describe the tidal instability and superhump in dwarf novae. The results show that the process seems to well describe the observations. If this process is really the cause of the tidal instability and superhump, a two-armed oscillation with high frequency roughly on the magnitude of three-times the orbital frequency is present on disks, although its expected amplitude may be small.
Meta Learn on Constrained Transfer Learning for Low Resource Cross Subject EEG Classification

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signal has large variance and its pattern differs significantly across subjects. Cross subject EEG classification is a challenging task due to such pattern variation and the limited target data available, as collecting and annotating EEG data for a new user is costly and involve efforts from human experts. We model the task as a transfer learning problem and propose to tackle it with meta learning on constrained transfer learning (MLCL). MLCL is an end to end trainable learning paradigm that trains on large standard datasets of known subjects and then quickly adapt to a new subject with minimal target data. The transfer process is accelerated by applying model-agnostic meta-learning (MAML) algorithm, performed under a novel constrained setting which keeps enough flexibility to adapt to new subject while significantly reducing number of parameters to transfer. This enables the adaptation done with a small amount of target data. The method can be applied to all deep learning oriented models. We performed extensive experiments across three public datasets. The proposed model outperforms current state of the arts in terms of both accuracy and AUC-ROC score for low target resource configurations. We further conducted interpretation analysis on the model, which reveals detailed information at the resolution of individual channels for the transfer process.
Equipped for Inclusion: Western Theological Seminary’s Graduate Certificate in Disability and Ministry

Seminary provides a primary training ground for future church and ministry leaders. Yet substantive attention to disability has long been limited within the theological curriculum. Western Theologi...
The use of roller swabs for Salmonella detection in poultry litter

Summary Litter sampling is utilized as a noninvasive and practical method to determine broiler flock Salmonella status. The common methods include boot cover/sock (BC), drag swab (DS), or litter grab sampling (LG). Roller swabs are a new research method that can be used to sample litter without entering research pens. This study aimed to assess the use of roller swabs (RS) for Salmonella (S) detection in comparison to BC, DS, and LG. For Experiment 1, litter was sampled for two weeks following a broiler flock that was challenged at 6 days of age with 1 × 107cfu of a nalidixic acid resistant strain of Salmonella Enteritidis to establish a high litter prevalence of S. In Experiment 2, sampling occurred after a subsequent flock was raised on the same litter. In Experiment 1, S was detected by RS less frequently (81%) than DS (95%), BC (97%), and LG (98%; P
Acute Spinal Cord Injury Is Associated With Prevalent Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

Abstract Objectives To (1) describe the prevalence of cardiometabolic disease (CMD) at spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation discharge; (2) compare this with controls without SCI; and (3) identify factors associated with increased CMD. Design Multicenter, prospective observational study. Setting Five National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Model SCI Rehabilitation Centers. Participants SCI (n=95): patients aged 18-70 years, with SCI (neurologic levels of injury C2-L2, American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale grades A-D), and enrolled within 2 months of initial rehabilitation discharge. Control group (n=1609): age/sex/body mass index–matched entries in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Education Survey (2016-2019) (N=1704). Interventions None Main Outcome Measures Percentage of participants with SCI with CMD diagnosis, prevalence of CMD determinants within 2 months of rehabilitation discharge, and other significant early risk associations were analyzed using age, sex, body mass index, insulin resistance (IR) by fasting glucose and Homeostasis Model Assessment (v.2), fasting triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, and resting blood pressure (systolic and diastolic). Results Participants with SCI had significantly higher diastolic blood pressure and triglycerides than those without SCI, with lower fasting glucose and HDL-C. A total of 74.0% of participants with SCI vs 38.5% of those without SCI were obese when applying population-specific criteria (P Conclusions Individuals with SCI have an increased CMD risk compared with the general population; obesity, IR, and low HDL-C are the most common CMD risk determinants; age is significantly associated with early CMD.
Sirtuin 3 mediates neuroprotection of ketones against ischemic stroke.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death. Growing evidence indicates that ketone bodies have beneficial effects in treating stroke, but their underlying mechanism remains unclear. Our previous study showed ketone bodies reduced reactive oxygen species by using NADH as an electron donor, thus increasing the NAD+/NADH ratio. In this study, we investigated whether mitochondrial NAD+-dependent Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) could mediate the neuroprotective effects of ketone bodies after ischemic stroke. We injected mice with either normal saline or ketones (beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate) at 30 minutes after ischemia induced by transient middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. We found that ketone treatment enhanced mitochondria function, reduced oxidative stress, and therefore reduced infarct volume. This led to improved neurologic function after ischemia, including the neurologic score and the performance in Rotarod and open field tests. We further showed that ketones' effects were achieved by upregulating N...
Rings and Fields

In this chapter we describe a number of axioms for sets on which addition and multiplication are defined. These axioms were originally found by isolating the basic properties of addition and multiplication which are common to all or most of the examples we already know: ℤ, ℚ, ℝ, ℂ. A ring, a commutative ring, or a field will be defined as a set with addition and multiplication satisfying certain of the axioms.
Influence diagrams and multiple experts: a preliminary model

: This paper examines the problem of eliciting expertise from multiple experts without using group techniques and then using that expertise in a meaningful manner. The solution proposed preserves the input of the experts in two problem areas: (1) where there is disagreement among the experts and (2) where there is unequal weighting of the experts. The model proposed has the benefit of robustness and of retaining the reliability and validity of the underlying expertise.
Disulphide trapping of an in vivo energy‐dependent conformation of Escherichia coli TonB protein

In Escherichia coli, the TonB system transduces the protonmotive force (pmf) of the cytoplasmic membrane to support a variety of transport events across the outer membrane. Cytoplasmic membrane proteins ExbB and ExbD appear to harvest pmf and transduce it to TonB. Experimental evidence suggests that TonB shuttles to the outer membrane, apparently to deliver conformationally stored potential energy to outer membrane transporters. In the most recent model, discharged TonB is then recycled to the cytoplasmic membrane to be re-energized by the energy coupling proteins, ExbB/D. It has been suggested that the carboxy-terminal 75 amino acids of active TonB could be represented by the rigid, strand-exchanged, dimeric crystal structure of the corresponding fragment. In contrast, recent genetic studies of alanine substitutions have suggested instead that in vivo the carboxy-terminus of intact TonB is dynamic and flexible. The biochemical studies presented here confirm and extend those results by demonstrating that individual cys substitution at aromatic residues in one monomeric subunit can form spontaneous dimers in vivo with the identical residue in the other monomeric subunit. Two energized TonBs appear to form a single cluster of 8-10 aromatic amino acids, including those found at opposite ends of the crystal structure. The aromatic cluster requires both the amino-terminal energy coupling domain of TonB, and ExbB/D (and cross-talk analogues TolQ/R) for in vivo formation. The large aromatic cluster is detected in cytoplasmic membrane-, but not outer membrane-associated TonB. Consistent with those observations, the aromatic cluster can form in the first half of the energy transduction cycle, before release of conformationally stored potential energy to ligand-loaded outer membrane transporters. The model that emerges is one in which, after input of pmf mediated through ExbB/D and the TonB transmembrane domain, the TonB carboxy-terminus can form a meta-stable high-energy conformation that is not represented by the crystal structure of the carboxy-terminus.
The Fusion of Subjective and Objective Realities in Gabriel Garcia Mârquez's "Nabo: The Black Man Who Made the Angels Wait"

"Nabo: The Black Man Who Made the Angels Wait," first published in 1951, seems because of its setting and its subject matter to represent an anomaly in the work of Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The story of a negro servant and his white masters is set presumably in the Faulknerian atmosphere of the Southern United States, during the early twentieth century, and several critical studies have pointed out this story's atypical focus on a foreign reality. In fact, however, the unique setting of "Nabo" serves merely as a backdrop for a more important exploration of individual, subjective, interiorized realities, for an exploration of the solitude and lack of communication which form the base of the author's mature fiction. Much of this later fiction adopts an objective narrative stance; because of that more distanced narrative focus, the characters are seldom seen from within, and thus a central issue of the texts, the characters' apparently self-imposed solitude and inability to communicate, is never fully decipherable. On the other hand, the types of self-enclosure and isolation found in the early writings, because they are narrated either in the first person or via an interiorized perspective, reveal the characters' power to create or maintain their own reality, and then that reality's imprisoning power over them. These concepts are not discarded in the later writing of such works as One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967), but rather remain as implicit assumptions which can best be understood in light of the earlier fiction.
McMillan v. McMillan: Choice of Law in a Sinkhole

IN McMillan v. McMillan,' the Supreme Court of Virginia reaffirmed its adherence to the place-of-injury rule in resolving choice-of-law problems in tort cases and rejected the modern choice-of-law methodology now used in a majority of jurisdictions. The Court based its decision on the "uniformity, predictability, and ease of application of the Virginia rule,"2 even though application of the rule in McMillan gave effect to an interspousal immunity that the Court had previously abandoned as a matter of Virginia law.3 This article discusses the place-of-injury rule and the more flexible modern approach.4 It then examines the McMillan decision and concludes that the Supreme Court missed an excellent opportunity to overrule an anachronistic doctrine.
The Effect of Heat Upon the Biological Value of Meat Protein

heat or toasting were not so well utilized for growth and did not allow such favorable nitrogen balances as did the raw cereal and casein. Since the digestibility of the toasted pro teins was but little different from that of the raw, the dif ference in the value of the two could not be attributed to this source and so must have been due to the detrimental action of the heat on metabolic availability. Ingvaldsen ( '29), Daniel and McCollum ( '29), Maynard and Tunison ('32), Schneider ('32) and Maynard, Bender and McCay ('32) have all conducted experiments on fish meals
Sampling and Reality

At the beginning of Chapter 7 I asserted that sampling was at the very heart of the statistical principles applied in this book. I hope the chapters that lie between there and here have made clearer just what that means. Whether the task is estimating the population mean or proportion, comparing means in several batches, comparing proportions in several batches, or investigating the relationship between two measurements, the logic of the approaches statisticians take involves thinking about the batches of numbers we are working with as samples from a larger population. It is this larger population that really interests us. Sometimes this is literally and obviously true. If, for example, we excavate an entire rock shelter site and recover 452,516 pieces of lithic debitage, we might well select some kind of random sample of this debitage for detailed analysis with the objective of characterizing the entire population of 452,516 waste flakes. In this case we would have a sample of waste flakes that we would use to make statements about the population of all debitage at the site from which the sample was selected. The sampling design we used might well be rather complicated. For instance, we might want to be able to compare one stratum in the site to the others, so we might separately select a sample from each stratum. The techniques discussed in Chapters 9–11 would enable us to determine approximately how large each of these samples would need to be in order to accomplish our aims, and they would enable us to estimate means of measurements we might make and the proportions of different categories we might define in the several populations consisting of debitage from each stratum. We could attach error ranges to these estimates that would help us to know at what confidence level and with what precision we could discuss these means and proportions (Chapters 9–11). We could compare the means of the measurements in different strata using these estimates and error ranges or using t tests and analysis of variance (Chapters 15 and 13). We could compare the proportions of the categories in different strata using the estimates and error ranges or using chi-square (Chapter 14). We could evaluate the strength and significance of relationships between measurements with a regression analysis (Chapter 15). If we had ranks rather than true measurements, we could use a rank correlation (Chapter 16). We could combine samples from different strata to say things about the debitage from the site as a whole (Chapter 17). If there were some category of material that just did not appear in our sample, we could evaluate the confidence with which we could talk about its rarity in the population from which the sample came (Chapter 19). All these analyses would provide us with ways to say how much confidence we had that some observation of interest in the sample reflected something that occurred in the population from which the sample was selected as well. This is a very straightforward application of the principles in Chapters 9–18.
Health literacy: the sixth vital sign.

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this project was to describe the concept of health literacy, and to assess health literacy levels in diabetic patients receiving care in primary care settings. Data sources: Health literacy was measured by the Newest Vital Sign (NVS), an assessment tool that was developed for use in primary care settings. The sample consisted of 54 participants of whom 22% were Caucasian, 43% Black, and 35% Latino/Latina. Health literacy scores ranged from 0–6, with a mean of 2.87. Nearly 2/3 of the participants obtained scores of 3 or less, indicating a strong possibility of limited literacy. Significant correlations were obtained between health literacy and educational level, and between health literacy and ethnicity/race. Conclusions: Limited health literacy is so common that health literacy assessment needs to be considered in all clinical practice settings. Health literacy is considered the sixth vital sign—along with temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, and pain level. Implications for practice: The NVS takes about three minutes to administer and the assessment is easily accomplished during the initial visit for each patient. Healthcare providers will then be aware of the health literacy level of each patient and base their communication appropriately.
Existence and non existence of capillary surfaces

A general criterion for existence of solutions of the capillary equation, introduced by Concus and Finn [1] and by Giusti [7], is shown to be equivalent to the question of existence of certain vector fields. The result is applied to particular boundary configurations, and it is shown that in some cases the local “corner condition” of [1] is both necessary and sufficient in the global configuration. In other situations a different kind of unstable dependence on the boundary geometry appears, that could not have been predicted by previous results.
An Examination of Written Expression in Bilingual Students'"Non-Academic" Language: Assessment of Sense of Story Structure and Interlinguistic Transfer.

Four classes of bilingual children from grades three and five, speakers of Spanish and Nahuatl (in central Mexico), participated in a study of literacy development focused on interlinguistic transfer and the application of narrative schemata as seen in writing samples produced in both languages. The paper reports on: 1) a methodological approach that appears to be relatively effective in eliciting connected discourse in an indigenous language which normally does not form part of classroom literacy instruction; 2) borrowing and code-switching features in students’written production, in contrast with the application of discourse and text organization strategies available to bilinguals in either language. The assessment of indigenous bilingual students’language and literacy development is discussed, with particular consideration given to the circumstances of the classroom teacher who may not be proficient in the community's language, a situation that is typical of the majority in indigenous community schools.
Compositional studies of coal tar by capillary gas chromatographymass spectrometry

Abstract High-temperature coal-tar samples were fractionated by a liquid-liquid partition scheme to provide aromatic, aliphatic, basic, acidic and ‘neutral polar’ fractions which were subsequently analysed by an optimum methodology for each compound class. Combined glass-capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used for the analysis. The results verifty some earlier identifications and also report constituents identified for the first time. Crude-tar samples derived from coals of different geographical origin were found to be similar in their major constituents.
Quantum well laser operation at low temperature in strong magnetic fields

Experimental results on quantum well laser operation in magnetic fields B < 12 T are reported. For B perpendicular (B⊥) to the quantum well a shĩft toward higher photon energy of ~ 0.5 meV/T is observed, with the laser threshold current decreasing significantly. In parallel magnetic fields (B∥) no significant effect is measured, thus confirming the built-in two-dimensional character of the electron gas.
Proton magnetic resonance study of 8-(6-aminohexyl)-aminoadenosine 5′-monophosphate

Abstract The nucleotide 8-(6-aminohexyl)-amino adenosine 5′-monophosphate (8-AHA-AMP) has been investigated by 220-MHz proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The conformation and ionization state of the nucleotide have been determined. The anti -conformation about the glycosyl bond is the preferred form. The interaction between the hexyldiamino chain and the ribose moiety in this conformation gives rise to unusual ribosyl conformation results. The distribution of conformations about the glycosyl bond has little influence on the effectiveness of this nucleotide analog in the purification of dehydrogenases by affinity chromatography. The chemical shift dependence on pH has been carried out on 8-methylaminoadenosine 5′-monophosphate. The 8-aminoadenine ring is protonated at N1 (p K α 5.0) and at N7 (p K α 1.5) in acidic solutions. The protonation at N7 is apparently stabilized by a delocalization of charge onto the 8-amino group. The neutrality of the 8-aminoadenine ring at physiological pH is consistent with the effcient binding of the nucleotide by dehydrogenases. An improved method for the preparation of the 8-AHA-AMP is described.
Trends of specialisation in rodents: the hamsters, subfamily Cricetinae (Cricetidae, Rodentia, Mammalia)

An ecomorphological analysis was applied to hamsters, Cricetinae. This subfamily includes seven genera and 18 species which inhabit forest-steppes, steppes, and semi-deserts of Palaearctic Eurasia. The main goals of this study were: (1) to reveal the morphological peculiarities of hamsters and the ecological meaning of these peculiarities, (2) to estimate the levels of specialisation in different hamster species, (3) to reveal the ecomorphological diversity of Cricetinae, and (4) to reconstruct the course of adaptive evolution in hamsters. Hamsters possess a specific combination of ecomorphological traits: a relatively broad head, moderately developed external sense organs, cheek pouches, short hind feet, and a short tail. These and other morphological traits are predominantly associated with nocturnal activity, non-bounding locomotion, relatively good digging ability, poor climbing ability, aggressiveness, granivory with a tendency to herbivory, and hoarding behaviour. The least specialised hamster is Ts...
Use of an internal control for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis of bacteria

A method to aid in the analysis of bacterial samples of unknown concentration by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry is demonstrated. It is shown that in MALDI analysis of bacteria, the intensities of resulting peaks in spectra are sensitive to the microbial concentration. At the high and low ends of the concentration range, no signal can be obtained, leaving very concentrated or very dilute samples indistinguishable. The addition of cytochrome c as an internal control allows the differentiation of these concentrated and dilute samples. The presence of the internal control causes only a 20% to 30% decrease in signal intensity when the bacterial concentration is optimum. However, the signal quality is improved when the internal control is added to some low concentrations of bacteria.
Atomic-Level Molecular Modeling of AOT Reverse Micelles. 1. The AOT Molecule in Water and Carbon Tetrachloride

The anionic surfactant bis(2-ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate (Aerosol OT or AOT) is studied by atomic-level molecular modeling, using the second-generation ESFF (extensible systematic force field). The geometries of seven representative conformers are analyzed. The energies of these conformers correspond to those of the most probable ones based on random-sampling statistics and differ by, at most, 10 kcal/mol. Thus, these conformers should be available for the system under typical ambient conditions. Interactions with water and carbon tetrachloride modify the geometries only to a modest extent. The solvation by water is found to be exoergic, and the analysis of individual AOT−water interactions identified four strongly bound water molecules (with >10 kcal/mol of interaction energy), in accordance with experimental results. A CCl4 box was generated for the investigation of the effects of carbon tetrachloride as a solvent. A truncated-cone-geometry model of the AOT molecule yields 14.5 as the estimated ag...
High-dose cisplatin with dacarbazine and tamoxifen in the treatment of metastatic melanoma

In an attempt to increase the antitumor effect of cisplatin (50 mg/m2) and dacarbazine (350 mg/m2), each repeated on days 1 to 3 every 4 weeks in patients with metastatic melanoma, tamoxifen was added to the regimen. Before the first course of chemotherapy, the patients received a loading dose of tamoxifen (100 mg orally twice a day for 7 days), followed by a maintenance dose of 10 mg orally twice a day and continued throughout the treatment. Aspirin (325 mg orally every other day) was administered at the same time as the tamoxifen in an attempt to reduce the risk of thromboembolic events. The activity of high-dose cisplatin with dacarbazine and tamoxifen was disappointing. Of 23 evaluable patients, only three responded--an overall response rate of 13% (95% confidence limits, 0% to 27%). These responses consisted of one pathologic complete remission in a patient with nodal metastases, one clinical complete remission in a patient with a very large pelvic mass, and one partial response in another patient with nodal metastases. The duration of responses was 12+, 4, and 4 months, respectively. These data do not support a significant interaction between tamoxifen and cisplatin or dacarbazine. Assuming that tamoxifen is important in the cisplatin, dacarbazine, and carmustine combination, as suggested by others, the most relevant interaction may be between tamoxifen and carmustine.
Simple eddy viscosity relations for three-dimensional turbulent boundary layers

forms the basis of an outer function which is comported with an inner function to describe turbulent boundary layers has now been extensively applied in many engineering research and design studies since it was first introduced (in Ref. 3, a composite function of inner and outer functions is formally described). The technique has limitations but at the same time is a simple basis for surprisingly good numerical predictions of turbulent boundary-layer behavior. Equation (1) was originally conceived by Clauser for two-dimensional boundary layers where u = u(x,y) and ue = u(xt \. For three-dimensional boundary layers, Eq. (1) has been extended by Cebecci et al. (where the reader will find other relevant references) to read
The use of large water and sediment diversions in the lower Mississippi River (Louisiana) for coastal restoration

Summary This study examines the use of large sediment and water diversions in the lower Mississippi River (e.g., South Louisiana) as a tool for coastal restoration. Herein we provide a review, new analysis and synthesis of existing work, much of it previously only available in government reports, and integrate our recent research on the topic. We outline critical knowledge gaps that need to be addressed by the time that construction begins on any future large diversions. The focus of this study is on “river side” issues and the policy considerations that arise from them. The study includes a quantitative examination of the sediment budget of the Lower Mississippi River as a region of potential diversion construction in South Louisiana, due to its critical control on any future management plans that include large diversions. We conclude that development of a coordinated system of diversions and other restoration strategies for land-building will require parceling this sediment budget out between individual projects. However, this is only possible if the input function and its variability is well understood. It is clear that numerical simulations are the only way to adequately predict the combined effects of multiple diversions and other restoration projects, such as dredge-fed pipelines, on the river channel for navigation, flood control and sediment regime. Numerical models also provide the only way to properly examine diversion structures to maximize their sediment capture and minimize any negative impacts. The status of these models and their application to lower Mississippi River channel hydrodynamics and sediment transport is examined herein.
Hippocampal Neurodegeneration, Spontaneous Seizures, and Mossy Fiber Sprouting in the F344 Rat Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

The links among the extent of hippocampal neurodegeneration, the frequency of spontaneous recurrent motor seizures (SRMS), and the degree of aberrant mossy fiber sprouting (MFS) in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) are a subject of contention because of variable findings in different animal models and human studies. To understand these issues further, we quantified these parameters at 3-5 months after graded injections of low doses of kainic acid (KA) in adult F344 rats. KA was administered every 1 hr for 4 hr, for a cumulative dose of 10.5 mg/kg bw, to induce continuous stages III-V motor seizures for >3 hr. At 4 days post-KA, the majority of rats (77%) exhibited moderate bilateral neurodegeneration in different regions of the hippocampus; however, 23% of rats exhibited massive neurodegeneration in all hippocampal regions. All KA-treated rats displayed robust SRMS at 3 months post-KA, and the severity of SRMS increased over time. Analyses of surviving neurons at 5 months post-KA revealed two subgroups of rats, one with moderate hippocampal injury (HI; 55% of rats) and another with widespread HI (45%). Rats with widespread HI exhibited greater loss of CA3 pyramidal neurons and robust aberrant MFS than rats with moderate HI. However, the frequency of SRMS (approximately 3/hr) was comparable between rats with moderate and widespread HI. Thus, in comparison with TLE model using Sprague-Dawley rats (Hellier et al. [1998] Epilepsy Res. 31:73-84), a much lower cumulative dose of KA leads to robust chronic epilepsy in F344 rats. Furthermore, the occurrence of SRMS in this model is always associated with considerable bilateral hippocampal neurodegeneration and aberrant MFS. However, more extensive hippocampal CA3 cell loss and aberrant MFS do not appear to increase the frequency of SRMS. Because most of the features are consistent with mesial TLE in humans, the F344 model appears ideal for testing the efficacy of potential treatment strategies for mesial TLE.