cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Politics of Fossil-Fuel Subsidies

Summary: governments spend staggering sums of money subsidizing fossil fuels, with many harmful consequences for public budgets, energy markets, and pollution. While there is widespread agreement among analysts that most of these subsidies serve no legitimate purpose, cutting subsidies has proved extremely difficult. This paper explores the politics of subsidy creation and reform and suggests some strategies for improving the odds that reformers will be politically successful. Subsidies exist often because they are the only reliable mechanism available to governments that are under pressure to provide benefits to politically well-organized groups. Not understanding the political economy of subsidy policies can prevent successful reform, and the report argues that successful subsidy reforms often require broader reforms and improvement in public administration to create mechanisms that can compensate political losers. It is available at: http://www.globalsubsidies.org/en/research/political-economy
Financial openness and entrepreneurship

Abstract Using a panel data set of 62 countries from 1995 through 2013, the effects of financial openness on changes in entrepreneurship rates in the economy are estimated for emerging and developed markets. Controlling for the effects of political risk in conjunction with capital controls, capital controls have a negative effect on entrepreneurialism in emerging market countries, but can have a positive effect on entrepreneurialism in developed markets. The imposition of financial controls have a greater effect in magnitude in developed markets than in emerging markets, indicating that development of the internal financial system plays a role in extenuating the effects of capital controls. The effect of the imposition of financial controls is not uniform across the various financial instruments. In particular, the imposition of capital controls on derivatives and real estate in developed markets is associated with a negative effect on entrepreneurialism, unlike for other financial instruments in developed markets. However, in emerging markets, the effects on entrepreneurialism of financial controls seems to be more uniform when controlling for the interaction of political risk and financial controls. In controlling for the effects of political risk on financial liberalization, the effects of financial controls between emerging markets and developed markets are not the same. In general, the imposition of financial controls in emerging markets is associated with a decline in entrepreneurialism, while the imposition of such controls in developed markets is associated with an increase in entrepreneurial activity.
The significance of cooking for early hominin scavenging.

Abstract Meat scavenged by early Homo could have contributed importantly to a higher–quality diet. However, it has been suggested that because carrion would normally have been contaminated by bacteria it would have been dangerous and therefore eaten rarely prior to the advent of cooking. In this study, we quantified bacterial loads on two tissues apparently eaten by hominins, meat and bone marrow. We tested the following three hypotheses: (1) the bacterial loads on exposed surfaces of raw meat increase within 24 h to potentially dangerous levels, (2) simple roasting of meat on hot coals kills most bacteria, and (3) fewer bacteria grow on marrow than on meat, making marrow a relatively safe food. Our results supported all three hypotheses. Our experimental data imply that early hominins would have found it difficult to scavenge safely without focusing on marrow, employing strategies of carrion selection to minimize pathogen load, or cooking.
HIF Inactivation of p53 in Ovarian Cancer Can Be Reversed by Topotecan, Restoring Cisplatin and Paclitaxel Sensitivity

Ovarian cancer growth under hypoxic conditions results in hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1α) stabilization. HIF1α is an adverse prognostic factor that may contribute to worse outcomes via its capacity to bind to p53, potentially blocking p53-mediated apoptosis. We determined whether HIF1α-p53 binding occurred in hypoxic ovarian cancer cell lines, and if this blocked p53 transcriptional activity. Topotecan (TPT), used in the treatment of ovarian cancer, inhibits HIF1α translation via a topoisomerase-1 (TOPO1)-dependent mechanism. We examined if TPT knockdown of HIF1α restored p53 transcriptional function. TPT effects on HIF1α and p53-related transcriptional targets were assessed by PCR. Associations between TPT effects and TOPO1 expression levels were examined by Western blots and knockdown by siRNA. RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation was used to assess if TOPO1 was resident on HIF1α mRNA. We determined if sublethal doses of TPT, used to knockdown HIF1α, reversed hypoxia-related cisplatin and paclitaxel resistance (XTT assay). Flow cytometry was used to assess HIF1α-mediated upregulation of ABCB1 and ABCB5 efflux pump expression. We found that HIF1α binding to, and inhibition of, p53 transcriptional activity in hypoxic ovarian cancer cells was associated with drug resistance. TPT-mediated downregulation of HIF1α in hypoxic cells required TOPO1 resident on HIF1α mRNA, restored p53 transcriptional activity, downregulated ABCB1/ABCB5 cell surface expression, and reversed hypoxia-related cisplatin and paclitaxel resistance. IMPLICATIONS: TPT-mediated reduction of HIF1α accumulation in hypoxic ovarian cancer cell lines restores p53 tumor-suppressor function, offering a novel approach to reverse chemoresistance. Further clinical investigation is warranted.
When Do Motives to Sexually Please a Male Partner Benefit Women’s Own Sexual Agency?

Motivation to please a partner sexually, also known as sexual communal strength (SCS), has been positively associated with sexual and relationship functioning, particularly for partners. We used a critical sexuality studies approach to examine SCS as it relates to women’s own sexual agency. We also examined the potential moderating role of partner sexual coercion, defined as persistent pressure to attain sex. Specifically, we investigated whether frequency of partner sexual coercion moderates the effect of SCS on three different aspects of women’s sexual agency: sexual desire, sexual refusal assertiveness, and relational power. Participants were 172 U.S. women in dating relationships with men who responded to self-report measures. Results showed that SCS was positively related to women’s own sexual desire, regardless of how often women experienced partner sexual coercion. SCS and partner sexual coercion frequency were associated with sexual refusal assertiveness: The least assertive women reported both higher SCS and more frequent partner coercion. Sexual coercion frequency was negatively related to women’s relational power, regardless of their own SCS. These findings support educational and clinical interventions to reduce sexual coercion and suggest the concept of SCS be further refined to better account for the potential roles sexual coercion and heterosexual norms play more broadly.
Evolving identities: exploring leaders’ positioning in the birth of a professional literacy collaboration

This qualitative investigation used positioning theory and discourse analysis as tools to explore the evolution of the first year of a leadership team partnership between a group of university rese...
Careers in Critical Care Nephrology: Opportunities and Challenges.

For the last few decades, advances in medicine have enabled physicians to alter the natural history of previously terminal diseases. These innovations have led to a population of patients with severe chronic illness at risk for acute life-threatening deterioration, which often requires multiple
Chemical Orthogonality in Surface-Patterned Poly(ethylene glycol) Microgels.

Because of its widely known antifouling properties, a variety of lithographic approaches has been used to pattern surfaces with poly­(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to control surface interactions with biomolecules and cells over micro- and nanolength scales. Often, however, particular applications need additional functions within PEG-patterned surfaces. Monofunctional films can be generated using PEG modified to include a chemically functional group. We show that patterning with focused electron beams, in addition to cross-linking a monofunctional PEG homopolymer thin-film precursor and grafting the resulting patterned microgels to an underlying substrate, induces additional chemical functionality by radiation chemistry along the polymer main chain and that this second functionality can be orthogonal to the initial one. Specifically, we explore the reactivity of biotin-terminated PEG (PEG-B) as a function of electron dose using 2 keV electrons. At low doses (∼4–10 μC/cm2), the patterned PEG-B microgels are reactive with streptavidin (SA). As dose increases, the SA reactivity decays as biotin is damaged by the incident electrons. Independently, amine reactivity appears at higher doses (∼150–500 μC/cm2). At both extremes, the patterned PEG microgels retain their ability to resist fibronectin adsorption. We confirm that the amine reactivity derives from the PEG main chain by demonstrating similar dose response in hydroxy-terminated PEG (PEG-OH), and we attribute this behavior to the formation of ketones, aldehydes, and/or carboxylic acids during and after electron-beam (e-beam) patterning. Based on relative fluorescent intensities, we estimate that the functional contrast between the differentially patterned areas is about a factor of six or more. This approach provides the ability to easily pattern biospecific functionality while preserving the ability to resist nonspecific adsorption at length scales relevant to controlling protein and cell interactions.
Absence of complement factor H reduces physical performance in C57BL6 mice.

Abstract Complement (C) system is a double edge sword acting as the first line of defense on the one hand and causing aggravation of disease on the other. C activation when unregulated affects different organs including muscle regeneration. However, the effect of factor H (FH), a critical regulator of the alternative C pathway in muscle remains to be studied. FH deficiency results in excessive C activation and generates proinflammatory fragments C5a and C3a as byproducts. C3a and C5a signal through their respective receptors, C5aR and C3aR. In this study, we investigated the role of FH and downstream C5a/C5aR signaling in muscle architecture and function. Using the FH knockout (fh-/-) and fh-/-/C5aR-/double knockout mice we explored the role of C, specifically the alternative C pathway in muscle dysfunction. Substantial C3 and C9 deposits occur along the walls of the fh-/- muscle fibers indicative of unrestricted C activation. Physical performance assessments of the fh-/- mice show reduced grip endurance (76 %), grip strength (14 %) and rotarod balance (36 %) compared to controls. Histological analysis revealed a shift in muscle fiber populations indicated by an increase in glycolytic MHC IIB fibers and reduction in oxidative MHC IIA fibers. Consistent with this finding, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and citrate synthase (CS) expression were both reduced indicating possible reduction in mitochondrial biomass. In addition, our results showed a significant increase in TGFβ expression and altered TGFβ localization in this setting. The architecture of cytoskeletal proteins actin and vimentin in the fh-/- muscle was changed that could lead to contractile weakness and loss of skeletal muscle elasticity. The muscle pathology in fh-/- mice was reduced in fh-/-/C5aR-/- double knockout (DKO) mice, highlighting partial C5aR dependence. Our results for the first time demonstrate an important role of FH in physical performance and skeletal muscle health.
Rock glaciers of the contiguous United States: GIS inventory andspatial distribution patterns

Abstract. Continental-scale inventories of glaciers are available, but no analogous rock glacier inventories exist. We present the Portland State University Rock Glacier Inventory (n = 10,343) for the contiguous United States, derived from the manual classification of remote sensing imagery (Johnson 2020, https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.918585 ). Individually, these rock glaciers are found across widely disparate montane environments, but their overall distribution unambiguously favors relatively high, arid mountain ranges with sparse vegetation. While at least one rock glacier is identified in each of the 11 westernmost states, nearly 88 % are found in just five states: Colorado (n = 3889), Montana (n = 1813), Idaho (n = 1689), Wyoming (n = 850), and Utah (n = 834). Mean rock glacier area is estimated at 0.10 km2, with cumulative rock glacier area totaling 1008.91 km2. Rock glaciers are assigned to a three-tier classification system based on area thresholds and surface characteristics known to correlate with downslope movement. Class 1 features (n = 7052, average area = 0.12 km2) appear to be highly active, Class 2 features (n = 2416, average area = 0.05 km2) appear to be intermediately active and Class 3 features (n = 875, average area = 0.04 km2) appear to be minimally active. This geospatial inventory will allow past rock glacier research findings to be spatially extrapolated, help facilitate further rock glacier research by identifying field study sites, and serve as a valuable training set for the development of automated rock glacier identification and classification methods applicable to other large regional studies.
The method(s) of cases

Experimental philosophy has focused attention on the role that intuitive responses to philosophical cases play in philosophical argumentation. The method of appealing to such cases has been dubbed ...
Ultrasonic Communication in Solid Channels using OFDM

Using an ultrasonic signal for communication is an alternate solution when electromagnetic waves are not feasible for carrying the information through the channel. We can use the ultrasonic signal to conduct communication in different types of media such as solid, liquid, and gas. In this study, we use ultrasound for communication through a metal plate channel. A metal plate is a highly dispersive and frequency selective channel with a severe multipath effect. The OFDM modulation method is customized for the ultrasonic communication channel to enhance communication reliability and reduce the bit error rate. With the channel frequency response, we adaptively map the transmitted information to optimize the selection of subcarriers frequency bands for the highest possible throughput.
Ideal class (semi)groups and atomicity in Prüfer domains

We explore the connection between atomicity in Prufer domains and their corresponding class groups. We observe that a class group of infinite order is necessary for non-Noetherian almost Dedekind and Prufer domains of finite character to be atomic. We construct a non-Noetherian almost Dedekind domain and exhibit a generating set for the ideal class semigroup.
Analysis of absolute lymphocyte count in patients with COVID-19.

Abstract Introduction Symptoms of COVID-19 vary in severity and presentation. When admitting patients to the hospital, it is desirable to isolate patients with COVID-19 from those without the disease. However, reliably identifying patients with COVID-19 in the emergency department before hospital admission is often limited by the speed and availability of testing. Previous studies determined a low lymphocyte count is commonly found in patients with COVID-19. We sought to explore the sensitivity of absolute lymphocyte count in patients presenting to the emergency department requiring subsequent hospitalization who were found to have COVID-19. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed on 312 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who were admitted to the hospital from the emergency department. The absolute lymphocyte count for these patients was used to calculate sensitivities at various cut-off values. The relationships between absolute lymphocyte count and variables, including age, sex, need for intubation, and mortality, were also explored. Results Cut-off values for absolute lymphocyte count ranged from 1.1 K/uL to 2.0 K/uL, with sensitivities of 72% and 94%, respectively. Additionally, lower mean absolute lymphocyte counts were identified in males, patients who required intubation, and patients who died. Conclusion Knowing the sensitivity of absolute lymphocyte count in patients with COVID-19 may help identify patients who are unlikely to have the disease. Additionally, absolute lymphocyte count can be used as a marker of disease severity in patients with COVID-19.
Co-packaged optics for HPC and data center networks

We have witnessed a tremendous evolution in the switch industry over the past decade, which has led to a 40x increase in terms of switch Input/Output (I/O) bandwidth (BW). However, as we start reaching the physical limits of Ball/Land Grid Arrays (BGA/LGA), continued BW scaling is getting more and more challenging. A promising solution to overcome BW density and thermal cooling limits is the integration of optics onto the 1st-level package, a.k.a., copackaged optics (CO). The increased escape BW offered by CO can enable high-radix switch implementations of >150 ports, which can be combined with high data rates of ≥400 Gb/s per port. From the network design perspective, there are two key benefits of using CO: (a) the ability to build large-scale fat-tree topologies of >11,000 end points with only two switch layers, and (b) the ability to provide 4x higher bisection BW, reducing at the same time the number of required switch ASICs by an order of magnitude. CO can enable both reduced energy consumption and packet delays since fewer hops are required, i.e., packets traverse fewer SerDes lanes and visit fewer buffers, which reduces network contention and improves the tolerance to network congestion. Simulation results for synthetic traffic patterns with hotspots suggest that CO can enable linear BW scaling and can significantly reduce the mean packet delay and its standard deviation, with improvements reaching up to 71% and 79% for high-load conditions, respectively.
An Exploration of Mental Health Discussions in Live Streaming Gaming Communities.

Live streaming is a unique form of media that creates a direct line of interaction between streamers and viewers. While previous research has explored the social motivations of those who stream and watch streams in the gaming community, there is a lack of research that investigates intimate self-disclosure in this context, such as discussing sensitive topics like mental health on platforms such as Twitch.tv. This study aims to explore discussions about mental health in gaming live streams to better understand how people perceive discussions of mental health in this new media context. The context of live streaming is particularly interesting as it facilitates social interactions that are masspersonal in nature: the streamer broadcasts to a larger, mostly unknown audience, but also can interact in a personal way with viewers. In this study, we interviewed Twitch viewers about the streamers they view, how and to what extent they discuss mental health on their channels in relation to gaming, how other viewers reacted to these discussions, and what they think about live streams, gaming-focused or otherwise, as a medium for mental health discussions. Through these interviews, our team was able to establish a baseline of user perception of mental health in gaming communities on Twitch that extends our understanding of how social media and live streaming can be used for mental health conversations. Our first research question unraveled that mental health discussions happen in a variety of ways on Twitch, including during gaming streams, Just Chatting talks and, through the stream chat. Our second research question showed that streamers handle mental health conversations on their channels in a variety of ways. These depend on how they have built their channel, which subsequently impacts how viewers perceive mental health. Lastly, we learned that viewers’ reactions to mental health discussions depend on their motivations for watching the stream such as learning about the game, being entertained, and more. We found that more discussions about mental health on Twitch led to some viewers being more cautious when talking about mental health to show understanding.
Allostatic Load and the Wear and Tear of the Body for LGBTQ PoC

To examine the physiological impact of intersectional discrimination for LGBTQ PoC, this chapter introduces the allostatic load framework to allow for such conceptualization. Indeed, substantial evidence supports a relationship between chronic stress exposure and negative health outcomes. Socially marginalized groups within the U.S. experience unique psychosocial stressors that pose serious psychological and physiological health risks. Using the minority stress framework, and specifying the importance of intersectionality, this chapter also details the available literature on the cumulative effects of marginalization on physiological functioning for LGBTQ PoC, by highlighting the limited literature on health outcomes linked to intersectional discrimination. Thus, this chapter focuses on using the AL model to conceptualize the cumulative impact of marginalization and discrimination for LGBTQ PoC.
Pandemic Consciousness and Narrative Perspective in Sheri Holman’s The Dress Lodger

Sheri Holman’s neo-Victorian novel The Dress Lodger (1999) depicts the beginning of the 1831 cholera epidemic in Britain. The novel skilfully manipulates the conventions of nineteenth-century reali...
The Need to Be a Leader of Research in the United States: Take the Risk and Move Beyond Your Opponents

This chapter is designed to explore how researchers, when conducting sensitive inquiries, could face many risks within an institution of higher education, a research think tank, or another agency. Researchers need to take on more of a leadership role when conducting studies that might be too risky for others, while other complacent researchers explore repetitive and irrelevant issues. In the case of status quo researchers, they remain within a safe course of action and never address some of the most important, yet sensitive, issues, which are problems facing organisations, communities, and even possible medical breakthroughs. If researchers combine leadership strategies with research to take risks, they will advance their competitive edge in grants, and uncover solutions to problems facing our societies, politics and world events.
Turnover, Turnout, and Input Legitimacy in the EU

Does turnover among members of the European Parliament (MEPs) affect the behavioral dimension of input legitimacy? We address this question by analyzing turnout in EP elections. We consider the theoretical connection between personnel turnover and voter turnout and outline four hypotheses. Two of the hypotheses derive from the populist critique of EU politics; the other two derive from the feminist critique. Analysis of election results from 1984 through 2019 provides no support for the populist-inspired hypotheses and limited support for the feminist-inspired hypotheses. Voter turnout (and, therefore, EU input legitimacy) is likely to be higher when voters have propelled more women to office in previous elections and when EP delegations become more gender-balanced.
Leveraging human oversight and intervention in large-scale parallel processing of open-source data

The popularity of cloud computing along with the increased availability of cheap storage have led to the necessity of elaboration and transformation of large volumes of open-source data, all in parallel. One way to handle such extensive volumes of information properly is to take advantage of distributed computing frameworks like Map-Reduce. Unfortunately, an entirely automated approach that excludes human intervention is often unpredictable and error prone. Highly accurate data processing and decision-making can be achieved by supporting an automatic process through human collaboration, in a variety of environments such as warfare, cyber security and threat monitoring. Although this mutual participation seems easily exploitable, human-machine collaboration in the field of data analysis presents several challenges. First, due to the asynchronous nature of human intervention, it is necessary to verify that once a correction is made, all the necessary reprocessing is done in chain. Second, it is often needed to minimize the amount of reprocessing in order to optimize the usage of resources due to limited availability. In order to improve on these strict requirements, this paper introduces improvements to an innovative approach for human-machine collaboration in the processing of large amounts of open-source data in parallel.
"Being certain": Moral distress in critical care nurses

“BEING CERTAIN”: MORAL DISTRESS IN CRITICAL CARE NURSES By: Marian Lynn Baxter, PhD, RN A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012 Major Director: D. Patricia Gray, PhD, RN Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Adult Health and Nursing Systems, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing, Richmond, Virginia Moral distress is the suffering that occurs when one is unable to do what that individual believes to be the right thing, based on personal values and world view. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experience and meaning of becoming certain of the right course of action in the context of moral distress. The study design was an interpretative approach incorporated with narrative analysis as developed by Clandinin and Connelly. A maximum variation sample of 10 critical care nurses from three medical centers included diversity of gender, ethnicity, age, years of practice, and education. Face to face interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Analysis focused on constructing and reconstructing a shared narrative. Participants “recognized” or “knew” the right action as they considered the situation within its context and their own personal context, and they determined what was right, from their own perspective of “doing good” and avoiding a sense of failure that would come from “not doing good”. Results highlighted an absence of resources to provide an alternate to individual determinations of the “right course of action”, creating an environment, in which participants had to rely on what they knew for themselves. Moral certitude, an unintended consequence, resulted from a lack of alternate knowing. Recommendations for practice and future research were addressed.
Influence of Pollen Location in the Hive on its Utilization by the Honeybee Colony

SummaryPollen mixtures placed in the brood nest of honeybee colonies in proximity to brood of known ages disappeared (and were presumed to have been consumed) most rapidly when they were near unsealed brood. Consumption was greater near older larvae than near sealed brood. Pollen supplement placed above honey combs adjacent to brood was also consumed, but more slowly.
Introduction to techniques in developmental electrobiology.

Publisher Summary This chapter introduces electrobiological techniques and outlines the general principles involved. It points out limitations and possible pitfalls. The sensitive monitoring power of electrobiological techniques promises continuing new insights into the development of organisms in general and of the nervous system in particular. Because the nervous system utilizes electrical changes as the basis for its major functional activity, electrical recording methods are uniquely advantageous in monitoring its functional development. In addition, intracellular electrical recordings, particularly the more refined approaches such as voltage clamping and membrane noise analysis, provides a means for investigating the basic ionic mechanisms underlying neuron or cell membrane function as well as for studying the development of the various membrane properties during differentiation. Examples from developmental biology are used in the chapter to illustrate the application of some of the methods.
Taste or Taboo: Dietary Choices in Antiquity: By Michael Beer

(2011). Taste or Taboo: Dietary Choices in Antiquity: By Michael Beer. Food, Culture & Society: Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 613-616.
Capitalizing on Nature: Ecosystems as Natural Assets

List of figures List of tables List of boxes Preface Acknowledgements 1. Ecological scarcity as an economic problem 2. Ecosystem services and ecological landscapes 3. The basic natural asset model 4. Spatial variation in ecosystems 5. The open economy 6. Ecological collapse 7. The way ahead 8. Policies in the age of ecological scarcity Index.
Regulation of CD28 Costimulation in Human CD8+ T Cells

Optimal stimulation and prevention of anergy in T cells requires signaling through the CD28 molecule. During HIV disease progression, CD28 expression is lost, particularly on CD8+ T cells. Because alterations in cytokine production patterns occur during HIV infection, we determined whether CD8+ T cell phenotype or function was affected by cytokine environment. Treatment of CD8+ T cells with IL-4 decreased levels of both CD28 surface expression and message and increased CD8 expression. Furthermore, CD8+ T cells that had down-regulated CD28 had reduced proliferative capacity. The inhibitory effects of CD28 reduction could be compensated either by increased anti-CD3 or by exogenous IL-2, suggesting that the strength of T cell signaling necessary for the production of IL-2 and subsequent proliferation is negatively regulated by IL-4. CD8+ subpopulations with differential CD28 expression produced different patterns of cytokines, particularly IL-2 and IFN-gamma. Furthermore, CD8+ T cells that had reduced CD28 levels but made their own IL-2 were able to proliferate in response to TCR stimulation. These results suggest that loss of CD28 expression and CD8 T cell function can be regulated by the cytokine environment, which may be altered during HIV disease progression. Whether the dysfunction of CD8+ T cells in HIV infection occurs by such a mechanism is the subject of future investigation.
Inferior vena caval filter insertion prior to bariatric surgery: a systematic review of the literature

Placement of inferior vena cava filters (IVCFs) is considered in many patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Their placement is driven by a high rate of pulmonary embolism (PE), uncertainty as to the effectiveness of pharmacologic prophylaxis, and a lack of alternate methods to prevent pulmonary embolism. We performed a systematic review of the literature to evaluate the evidence supporting placement of IVCFs in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Eleven studies were identified; none were randomized trials. Descriptive analysis suggests that IVCFs reduced PE; however, the strength of this observation is tempered by the lack of use of effective forms of prophylaxis and the failure to account for complications of IVCF placement. We conclude, pending the results of controlled studies, that the use of IVCFs cannot be recommended for routine patients undergoing bariatric surgery.
Powerless to stop myself

Therapists say that the first step in overcoming an addiction is to admit that one has a problem and needs help. OK, I admit it: I have a problem, and I need help. I really need help. I'm addicted to PowerPoint. PowerPoint, for those of you who have spent the last five years on some other planet, is a computer program for the creation, organization, and presentation of slide shows. Although not the only software for this purpose (Apple, Inc.'s Keynote is among a handful of quite good competitors), PowerPoint - from the same sadists at Microsoft who gave us the maddeningly supercilious word-processing program Word - is the best-known presentation program (there are over 400 million copies in circulation, many of which actually, sort of, work as advertised) and its name, like that of Xerox, has become synonymous with its function, so I shall use it exclusively here.
Timescale dependence of glacial erosion rates: A case study of Marinelli Glacier, Cordillera Darwin, southern Patagonia

[1] Erosion rates have been estimated for a number of glaciated basins around the world, mostly based on modern observations (last few decades) of sediment fluxes to fjords. We use time-constrained sediment volumes delivered by Marinelli Glacier (55°S), an outlet glacier of the Cordillera Darwin ice cap, southern Patagonian Andes, Tierra del Fuego, to determine erosion rates across different timescales. Sediment volumes are derived using a dense grid of high- and low-frequency single channel seismic data and swath bathymetry data along with piston and Kasten cores. Our results show dramatic differences in erosion rates over different timescales. Erosion rates at Marinelli Glacier diminish about 80% (or by factor of ∼5) with each ten-fold increase in the time span over which erosion rates are averaged: 29.3 mm/yr for the last 45 years, 5.3 mm/yr for the last 364 years, and 0.5 mm/yr for the last 12,500 years. These results indicate that modern sediment yields and erosion rates from temperate tidewater glaciers can exceed long-term values over the time of deglaciation after the Last Glacial Maximum (centennial and millennial timescales) by up to 2 orders of magnitude. In view of the low exhumation rates of Cordillera Darwin (∼0.07 mm/yr average for the last 30 Myr), modern erosion rates could be up to 3 orders of magnitude higher than rates over geological time. We conclude that the pattern of erosion rate variation with time reflects the sensitivity of glaciers to climate variability.
Locus of Control and Human Capital Investment Revisited.

This paper examines the effect of teenagers’ outlooks—specified as their locus of control—on educational attainment and labor market outcomes. I replicate the study of Coleman and DeLeire (2003) and test the predictions of their theoretical model using a different data set—National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). The findings fail to support the predictions of the model and suggest that locus of control is not a significant determinant of educational outcomes once cognitive ability is controlled for; however, locus of control is rewarded in the labor market later in life.
Influence of carbon nanofiber clustering on the chemo-mechanical behavior of cement pastes

Abstract The influence of carbon nanofiber (CNF) clustering on the chemo-mechanical behavior of cement pastes subjected to a decalcifying environment was studied. Portland cement pastes with and without CNFs were exposed to a concentrated solution of ammonium nitrate to accelerate decalcification. Microstructural changes and evolution of the porosity were examined as a function of exposure duration. Changes in the flexural response of the cement paste with CNFs were studied and reviewed in relation to CNF clustering and microstructural evolution. Results showed a strong coupling between decalcification, CNF clustering, microstructural evolution, and the flexural properties of the cement paste. After 7 days of decalcification by NH4NO3, the CNF clusters acted as weak zones that reduced the flexural strength retention of the cement paste. However, after 125 days of decalcification by NH4NO3, a dissolution-filling mechanism within the clusters created a better bond with the surrounding cement paste, slowing down the loss of flexural strength and providing added ductility to the cement paste.
Hyperactivity, Learning Problems, and the Attention Deficit Disorders

Everybody probably knows at least one child considered to be hyperactive, and this child is most likely to be a school-age boy. These youngsters often behave impulsively or act before thinking, a pattern that may lead both to social friction and to academic failure. They have difficulty focusing on a single activity and often shift erratically from one task to another without finishing those projects they begin. Many of these children tend not to maintain the behaviors expected of them for more than a few minutes—whether this involves sustained attention to a task or game, patient waiting for a desired event, or modulation of spontaneous verbal and motor behaviors. They seem to have remarkably high energy levels, approaching activities with striking and sometimes formidable intensity.
Internal change and regime stability

When the Shah of Iran was forced to leave his country in January 1979 two knowledgeable and prominent Americans publicly offered strikingly different interpretations of what had caused his political downfall.
Unilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation contralateral to thalamic stimulation in Parkinson disease

The effects of unilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation contralateral to thalamic stimulation in Parkinson disease (PD) have not been previously reported. We are reporting a patient who developed left arm tremor in 1994, at age 62, as her first PD symptom. She underwent right thalamic DBS surgery in 1999 that resulted in complete resolution of left arm tremor. Her PD symptoms progressed and she developed severe motor fluctuations and disabling dyskinesias. In 2003, she underwent left STN electrode implantation. Left STN stimulation improved contralateral motor scores in the medication OFF state, and allowed for reduced medication doses and less dyskinesia. However, there was no significant improvement in activities of daily living (ADL), motor scores in the medication ON state, gait, or postural stability.
High Atwood Number Effects in Buoyancy Driven Flows

High Atwood number (non-dimensional density difference) effects in buoyancy driven flows are discussed. Buoyancy driven (natural convection) flows may be treated as Boussinesq for small Atwood number, but as Atwood number increases (>0.1, i.e. large temperature differences) the Boussinesq approximation is no longer valid and a distinct "bubble" and "spike" geometry of Rayleigh-Taylor buoyant plumes is formed. Aside from asymmetry in the flow the Atwood number also affects key turbulent mix parameters such as the molecular mix, and heat transfer coefficients. This paper presents recent experimental work being performed in the buoyancy driven mix laboratory at Texas A&M University, using air/helium as mixing components (upto At ~ 0.5). Corresponding numerical simulations of the experiments performed at Los Alamos is also presented, and future directions for the research discussed.
Effect of epigallocatechin gallate supplementation in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Objectives:Strategies that focus on the reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation may have therapeutic benefit for the treatment of schizophrenia. This clinical trial sought to determine, in a...
Chondrocranium morphology of northern Red Sea triakid sharks and relationships to feeding habits

The structure of the neurocranium, mandibular arch and hyoid arch of I. omanensis (Norman) and M. mosis Hemprich & Ehrenberg is described. Comparisons between these species and other triakids and between triakids and carcharhinoids are given. Differences in the size, weight and structure of the mandibular arch, including its associated ligaments and jaw suspension, are shown to be related to feeding habits. Dental characters for both species are examined and differences are considered in relation to diet. Structural elaborations of the nasal capsules in I. omanensis are described in relation to protrusion of the upper jaw during biting. Comparable neurocranial features are poorly developed in M. mosis where the upper jaw shows little discernable anterior movement. The optic region is enlarged in both species in relation to nasal and otic areas of the neurocranium.
Treatment of Child Victims of Incest.

Abstract A descriptive review of three treatment methods—individual, group and family therapy—used over a five-year period for child incest victims. Common themes, issues and pitfalls that arose during therapy are presented, and the potential benefits of psychotherapy to this population are stressed.
Partnering for quality

This article discusses efforts being made by multiple stakeholders to improve quality and safety in intensive care units (ICUs). The Leapfrog Group (Washington, DC), a consortium of purchasers, is reaching for quality by implementing safety standards. One standard, staffing ICUs with intensivists, is associated with a 30% reduction in hospital mortality and a 40% reduction in ICU mortality. While Leapfrog is addressing quality improvements on a structural level, JCAHO is developing empiric measures for ICU quality, which are being beta tested, to complement Leapfrogs' efforts. JCAHO used rigorously defined processes to develop and refine these measures. These measures include deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis, peptic ulcer disease prophylaxis, catheter-related blood stream infections, mortality and length of stay-APACHE III risk adjustment. Finally, ICU providers at Hopkins implemented an 8-step unit-based safety program. This comprehensive program is run at the unit level, works to improve safety culture, addresses staff safety concerns, partners hospital leaders with unit workers, helps staff implement improvement initiatives, uses rigorous data collection methods, and easily disseminated in other clinical areas. Providers can frame their efforts after 3 fundamental concepts from these initiatives: create a culture that supports quality and safety, standardize work processes by reducing complexity and using independent redundancy, and automate. The take home message is, when we come to work every day, we must be committed to quality and safety, and lead our teams to do the same.
A triangular tube proportional wire chamber system

Abstract We report on the characteristics of the proportional tube chamber system which has been constructed for muon identification in the PEP-4 experiment at SLAC. The mechanical and electrical properties of the extruded aluminum triangular tubes allow these detectors to be used as crude drift chambers.
Heterogenization of a Water-Insoluble Molecular Complex for Catalysis of the Proton-Reduction Reaction in Highly Acidic Aqueous Solutions

Our long-held interest in the resiliency of electrochemical functionalities upon surface immobilization has herded us from directly chemisorbed electroactive moieties, to anchor group-leashed redox-active couples and to surface-tethered enzyme-inspired molecular catalysts. The latter represent the most intricate because the electrocatalytic activities involve mixed-valence states and may require certain entatic (fractionally rotated) configurations. In this regard, we recently investigated the proton-reduction electrocatalysis by hydrogenase-inspired di-iron complexes at polycrystalline and (111)-faceted Au electrodes.
Resonant tunneling through an Anderson impurity. I. Current in the symmetric model.

We compute the nonlinear current-voltage characteristic for resonant tunneling through an Anderson impurity. For the symmetric Anderson model with the impurity equally coupled to the two leads the differential conductance has structure similar to the zero-bias spectral function. The nonlinear current-voltage characteristic is thus a useful probe of the Kondo resonance. In fact, because a finite voltage tends to destroy the Kondo resonance, the differential conductance is actually sharper than the zero-bias spectral function. A finite voltage is, however, not equivalent to raising the temperature, since the distribution function at the impurity for a finite bias is not a Fermi function. Throughout the paper we emphasize that not all approximations for the spectral function or self-energy lead to a current conserving approximation. In particular, the order ${\mathit{U}}^{2}$ self-energy of Yosida and Yamada, and Horvatic and Zlatic does not, in general, lead to a current-conserving approximation. Only in the case considered here of the symmetric Anderson model with the impurity equally coupled to the two leads does it conserve current. In the process of computing the current we develop a formula for tunneling between two perfect leads through a central site containing an arbitrary many-body interaction. This formula agrees with earlier expressions for the current in the limit where the scattering rate onto the central site is independent of energy; however, in the most general case it is not a simple generalization of the noninteracting result.
Insert copy number, chromosome number, pollen stainability, and crossability ofAgrobacterium-transformed diploid potato

Two 2n-pollen producing cultivated diploid, 2n = 24, potato genotypes DM56.4 and US-W5337.3 were inoculated with binaryAgrobacterium vectors. The T-DNA contained a neomycin phosphotransferase II coding region fused to a nopaline synthase promoter providing gene expression in plants and resistance to kanamycin. A total of 28 clones regenerated as adventitious shoots from callus tissue, growing on medium with kanamycin, was analyzed for chromosome number, pollen stainability, and crossability. Several clones were tested and found to retain crossability with diploid and tetraploid clones. Nine out of 10 of the regenerants from DM56.4 had been doubled; seven of these were tetraploids with 2n = 48, one clone had 2n = 49, and another 2n = 46. Five of 14 regenerants of US-W5337.3 had been doubled, and three of these had fewer than 2n = 48. Pollen stainability revealed that the tetraploid regenerants from DM56.4 were male sterile, whereas tetraploids from US-W5337.3 had stainable pollen. All of the diploid regenerants produced 2n pollen. Crossability of several diploid and tetraploid regenerants was high. The number of T-DNA inserts revealed by Southern blot analysis was also determined. Six, 10, and 9 regenerants had 1, 2, and 3 inserts of T-DNA, respectively. There were single regenerants each with 5, 6, or 7 inserts. Selection for higher insert number among regenerants should be feasible based on the range of insert number found. Identical restriction patterns within three groups of clones indicated that the 28 clones analyzed emerged from only 21 cells derived from independent transformation events. The variability in chromosome number and pollen stainability suggests that variation in other traits would be obtainable.
A comparison of suspended particulate matter from nepheloid and clear water

Abstract Particulate matter from the nepheloid layer and from regions of clearer water have been examined under the light microscope to determine particle concentration, size and composition. The total count of suspended particles is a basic difference between water samples from nepheloid layers of the North American and Brazil basins, and samples from the clearer water over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in both the North and South Atlantic. The nepheloid layer of the North American Basin has four times, and the Brazil Basin three times the particle density of clearer water over the mid-ocean ridge. A greater percentage of particles of μ size prevails in nepheloid water ranging from 85–96% as compared to a range of 76–87% in the clear water. Non-opaque mineral grains form the major constituent.