cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heuristic Evaluation of Compensations for a Wheelchair Mounted Robotic Arm

For individuals who rely on assistive mobility technology (e.g. wheelchairs), functional dependence can often be augmented through supplementary technologies. One such technology is a wheelchair mounted robotic arm (WMRA), consisting of an "arm" portion that ends with a gripper or "hand." Certain perceptual, visual, and physical abilities have been shown to impact an individual's proficiency in completing simulated activities of daily living (ADLs) using the WMRA. However, the interfaces for traditional WMRAs have minimal adaptive capabilities to ameliorate any perceptual deficiencies of the user. Working with the UCF MANUS robot, a 6 degree of freedom device with a touch screen and 3-dimensional mouse controls, engineers implemented compensations, or interface adaptions, which are proposed to aid users who have limitations in spatial ability and working memory. The compensations include button highlighting to suggest the next move, "true north" indicator to aid in robot realignment, easier object detection whereby contrast between the object and its background is increased, and a text box reminder of the task at hand. In preparation for user testing, a heuristic evaluation was conducted using Nielsen's Heuristics (Nielsen, 1995). Heuristic violations were identified related to specific compensations as well as in the overall system and suggestions for improvements are provided. Future research will focus on implementing and evaluating compensations for the additional individual differences identified as contributing to performance in using a WMRA.
Butterfly cartilage tympanoplasty outcomes: A single-institution experience and literature review.

Abstract Purpose In 1998, Dr. Eavey described the trans-canal inlay butterfly cartilage tympanoplasty technique, also known as cartilage button tympanoplasty. Many retrospective studies have since demonstrated its efficacy and decreased operative time when compared to underlay and overlay tympanoplasty techniques. The butterfly cartilage tympanoplasty approach uses only a cartilage graft to repair tympanic membrane perforations. The aim of this study was to review the literature for studies that examined butterfly cartilage tympanoplasty success rates and outcomes and compare them to outcomes from our cohort. Materials and methods Butterfly cartilage tympanoplasties were performed in 23 pediatric patients and 7 adult patients. We evaluated the tympanic membrane perforation closure rate and hearing results measured by closure of the air-bone gap. Results The reviewed studies evaluating butterfly cartilage tympanoplasties demonstrated perforation closure rates between 71%–100%. The hearing outcomes in the reviewed literature varied, although the majority reported improved hearing. In our cohort, 21 of the 32 repaired tympanic membrane perforations demonstrated complete perforation closure. The mean follow-up length was 13.4 months. The mean air-bone gap decreased from 13.4 dB to 6.9 dB. Conclusions The butterfly cartilage/cartilage button technique is effective in closing tympanic membrane perforations and decreasing the air-bone gap in both adults and children.
Case Report: Double Oberlin Nerve Transfer to Restore Elbow Flexion Following C5-C6 Avulsion Injury.

Background and importance The use of nerve transfers to restore nerve function following traumatic avulsion injuries has been described, though there is still a paucity in the literature documenting technique and long-term outcomes for these procedures. The double Oberlin nerve transfer involves transferring fascicles from the median and ulnar nerves to the musculocutaneous nerve to restore elbow flexion in patients with a C5-C6 avulsion injury. The purpose of this case report is to present our indications and technique for a double Oberlin transfer in addition to exhibiting video footage at follow-up time points documenting the incremental improvement in elbow flexion following the injury. Clinical presentation The patient is a 25-yr old, left-hand dominant male who presented 5 mo following a motor vehicle accident. He had 0/5 biceps muscle strength on the left with a computed tomography myelogram that demonstrated pseudomeningoceles from C2-C3 to C7-T1 with root avulsions of C5 and C6. He was subsequently indicated for a double Oberlin nerve transfer to restore elbow flexion. Conclusion In this case report, we present our technique and outcomes for a double Oberlin transfer with restoration of elbow flexion at 1-yr follow-up for a patient with traumatic brachial plexus injury. We believe that the double Oberlin transfer serves as a safe and effective method to restore elbow flexion in this patient population.
Status of NASA's deep space optical communication technology demonstration

With NASA funding, the Deep Space Optical Communication (DSOC) Project at JPL is planning a system level technology demonstration of optical communications from deep space. A 22 cm diameter flight laser transceiver (FLT) is being developed for space flight. The FLT will be designed to transmit an average laser power of 4W at 1550 nm and receive a weak 1064 nm laser signal (> 100 femtowatts). Use of the Hale telescope at Palomar Mountain, CA, retrofitted with a photon-counting receiver to detect the downlink from space, is planned. The Optical Communication Telescope Laboratory (OCTL) at Table Mountain, CA will transmit a 1064 nm laser beacon to serve as a pointing reference for the FLT and support low-rate uplink data-rates. The DSOC FLT is part of the baseline payload for the Psyche mission spacecraft recently selected for flight by NASA, providing link demonstration opportunities during the mission cruise phase. Link demonstration opportunities at distances of approximately 0.1 to 2 astronomical units (AU) are expected. The DSOC system is being designed to support downlink data-rates of 0.2 to > 200 Mb/s and uplink data rates of approximately 1.6 kb/s. A status update of DSOC Project activities on flight and ground development will be summarized in this paper.
Hallucinations and Clouding of Sensorium in Acute alcohol Withdrawal Syndromes — Dependent and Independent relationships Including Evidence for Cultural Hallucinogenic Mechanisms

The intention of this communication is to shed light on the hallucinogenesis and psychopathology of the acute alcoholic psychoses. It is also our intention to present additional evidence to challenge the simplistic view that the hallucinogenic mechanism in acute alcoholic psychoses is either the organic disturbance reflected in clouding of sensorium or an underlying schizophrenia. This is the main underlying assumption in the widely held concept of a schizophrenic etiology for acute alcoholic hallucinosis (which persists inspite of evidence to the contrary [1-6] and none in support) and a true alcohol withdrawal etiology for delirium tremens. The challenging evidence is the demonstration that while hallucinations and clouding of sensorium are significantly related to each other, they are each independently related to five additional variables examined in this study.
Adherence of Bacteria to Human Foreskins

Abstract The mucosal surface of the human foreskin from newborns shows a propensity to be colonized by pathogenic bacteria. Bacteria with P fimbriae and type 1 fimbriae adhere. However, hydrophobic interaction as well as electrostatic charge appear to be as important in this adherence as are fimbriae. Since bacterial adherence has been shown to precede urinary tract infection in female patients it is assumed that this adherence to the foreskin in male patients also may be necessary before initiation of the disease. The high incidence of urinary tract infection in uncircumcised male patients combined with these findings of adherence of pathogenic bacteria to the mucosal surface of the foreskin, thus, would seem to be related. Prevention of urinary tract infection and acute pyelonephritis in male neonates then may require either circumcision or the prevention of bacterial adherence to the human foreskin. ( J. Urol., 140: 997–1001, 1988 )
Epidemiology of Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma represents about 0.8% of all cancer cases worldwide, with incidence rates ranging from 0.4 to 5 per 100,000 persons in different parts of the world. 1 The highest rates of myeloma are observed in Australia, New Zealand, North America, northern and western Europe, while the lowest rates are seen in Asia. Modest increases in both incidence and mortality for myeloma have been observed over the last few decades, without an apparent explanation. 1
Evaluation of offline adaptive planning techniques in image-guided brachytherapy of cervical cancer

Modern three‐dimensional image‐guided intracavitary high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy is often used in combination with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) to manage cervical cancer. Intrafraction motion of critical organs relative to the HDR applicator in the time between the planning CT and treatment delivery can cause marked deviations between the planned and delivered doses. This study examines offline adaptive planning techniques that may reduce intrafraction uncertainties by shortening the time between the planning CT and treatment delivery. Eight patients who received EBRT followed by HDR boosts were retrospectively reviewed. A CT scan was obtained for each insertion. Four strategies were simulated: (A) plans based on the current treatment day CT; (B) plans based on the first fraction CT; (C) plans based on the CT from the immediately preceding fraction; (D) plans based on the closest anatomically matched previous CT, using all prior plans as a library. Strategies B, C, and D allow plans to be created prior to the treatment day insertion, and then rapidly compared with the new CT. Equivalent doses in 2 Gy for combined EBRT and HDR were compared with online adaptive plans (strategy A) at D 90 and D 98 for the high‐risk CTV (HR‐CTV), and D 2 cc for the bladder, rectum, sigmoid, and bowel. Compared to strategy A, D 90 deviations for the HR‐CTV were −0.5 ± 2.8 Gy, −0.9 ± 1.0 Gy, and −0.7 ± 1.0 Gy for Strategies B, C, and D, respectively. D 2 cc changes for rectum were 2.7 ± 5.6 Gy, 0.6 ± 1.7 Gy, and 1.1 ± 2.4 Gy for Strategies B, C, and D. With the exception of one patient using strategy B, no notable variations for bladder, sigmoid, and bowel were found. Offline adaptive planning techniques can shorten time between CT and treatment delivery from hours to minutes, with minimal loss of dosimetric accuracy, greatly reducing the chance of intrafraction motion.
Set and forget sensing with applets on IFTTT

Rich data sets can be collected trivially by bootstrapping off mobile phones and cloud services. We describe an end-to-end system built with IFTTT that requires no code to collect arrival and departure times from a geographic area on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. This system was configured and deployed in less than one half hour, cost nothing to deploy or run, and functioned without interruption for seven months, taking 463 measurements of a single participant. Along with providing the data set, which provides some insight into the working life of a graduate student, we describe each part of the system architecture and discuss how a model of sensing-as-an-applet enables data streams with de-facto standardized, high reliability, and close-to-no-barrier of entry.
Review Article All together now: Writing, activism, and museum engagement

This article reviews two books: Labadi, Sophia . Museums , Immigrants, and Social Justice. Abingdon, Oxon.: Routledge, 2018, hardback £105, pp. x+149. Message, Kylie. The Disobedient Museum: Writing at the Edge. Abingdon, Oxon.: Routledge, 2017, hardback £45, ebook £45, pp. xi+115.
Connecting the Dunham Expansion to the Dissociation Limit for Interatomic Potentials: Application to Lennard-Jones m–n Potentials

Dunham generated the expansion for energy levels of a rotating, vibrating diatomic molecule from an expansion of the potential about the equilibrium position. For partition functions, however, the ...
Social Support Exchange and Nurses’ Musculoskeletal Injuries in a Team Context: Anger as a Mediator:

Work-based musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are prevalent among health-care workers, particularly the nursing staff. The authors focused on the perceived social support exchange imbalance or the co...
Use of the PulseRider Device in the Treatment of Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: A Case Series

Background Wide-necked intracranial aneurysms present unique treatment challenges in the setting of subarachnoid hemorrhage. New generations of endoluminal devices (stents) have expanded our ability to treat complex aneurysms. The PulseRider Aneurysm Neck Reconstruction Device (PulseRider [Cerenovus, Irvine, California, USA]) is new to the U.S. market after receiving Food and Drug Administration approval in June 2017. Official recommendation for use of the PulseRider is with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). Its design has been hypothesized to carry a lower risk of thromboembolic complications in the circumstance that DAPT needs to be discontinued. Methods Between March and June 2018, we treated 4 cases of ruptured wide-necked basilar tip aneurysms at the University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora, Colorado, with PulseRider-assisted coil embolization. Imaging and chart reviews were performed retrospectively on each of these patients. Results All 4 aneurysms were successfully treated with PulseRider-assisted coil embolization. There were no periprocedural hemorrhages and no postprocedural reruptures. Two patients developed nonocclusive thrombi in the posterior cerebral arteries at the time of coiling, which was resolved with intra-arterial glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists. Two patients developed external ventricular drain-associated hemorrhages, only one of which developed after the administration of DAPT. All patients were eventually discharged to home. Conclusions The PulseRider device represents a novel design for stent-assisted coil embolization. We report a small but promising series of its successful use in the acute treatment of wide-necked, ruptured basilar artery aneurysms. Additional experience is needed to determine if this device has a place in our armamentarium for treatment of ruptured aneurysms.
Integrating Biotechnology into Woody Plant Breeding Programs

Breeding and biotechnology are being integrated in plant genetic improvement programs. Such integration may be more important in programs for woody than herbaceous species because of the former’s often long sexual generations. Main focal points for integration are the two major bases of genetic improvement: selection and genetic recombination. In discussing these foci, we have considered and illustrated three broad genetic conditions: desired gene(s) present in the target species, desired gene(s) absent in the target species but present in a sexually compatible species, and desired gene(s) absent in the target species and also in sexually compatible species. Examples illustrate that an integrated approach to genetic improvement uses one technology (breeding or biotechnology) to foster the other, to the overall long-term benefit of both- and, most importantly, to the benefit of plant genetic improvement.
Free chlorine induced phototransformation of graphene oxide in water: Reaction kinetics and product characterization

Abstract Herein, the reaction of graphene oxide (GO) in the presence of free chlorine, exploring a variety of water chemistries, is described under both dark and ultraviolet (UV) irradiated conditions. For all conditions evaluated, GO reacts with free chlorine and the reaction rates are considerably enhanced under UV irradiation. Relative reaction kinetics are observed to be pseudo second order overall, while being first order to GO and pseudo first order to initial chlorine concentration. In addition to UV light irradiation, relative rate constants and reaction extents are affected by pH, dissolved oxygen, and the size of initial GO coupon itself. Advanced product characterizations using UV–vis spectroscopy, TEM, FTIR, TOC, Raman spectroscopy, mass spectrometry (MALDI), and XPS indicate GO is significantly transformed, being further oxidized – including significant mineralization to CO2 in some cases. Further, a fraction of the product(s) is identified to eventually stop reacting with free chlorine, suggesting a final, relatively recalcitrant portion of products. For all reactions, carbon mass conservation between the gas (as CO2) and liquid (as GO products) phases is established. Observed reactivity has direct implications for GO life cycle assessments and for material performance in water treatment technologies, such as membrane and disinfection processes, which utilize chlorine and/or UV irradiation, in addition to other GO based technologies.
Common Nail Disorders

Nail disorders are commonly found in the population. The most common seen disorders are onychomycosis, paronychia, and periungual warts. Onychomycosis is a common disorder that has to be differentiated from onycholysis. It is usually treated with oral medications. Paronychias are bacterial infections of the nail bed. Treatment can vary from soaks to incision and drainage. Warts in the nail region are very common and often very difficult to treat.
Privacy Concerns and Remedies in Mobile Recommender Systems (MRSs).

A mobile recommender (or recommendation) system (MRS) is a type of recommendation system that generates recommendations for mobile users in a mobile Internet environment. An MRS collects users’ information through users’ mobile devices via inbuilt sensors, installed mobile apps, running applications, past records etc. Although collecting such data enables MRSs to construct better user profiles and provide accurate recommendations, it also infringes users’ privacy. This study intends to provide a comprehensive review of privacy concerns associated with data collection in MRSs. This study makes three important contributions. First, it synthesizes the literature on sources of data collection in MRSs. Second, it provides insights into privacy concerns associated with data collection in MRSs. Third, it offers insights into how these privacy issues can be addressed.
Water and Sediment Act as Reservoirs for Microbial Taxa Associated with Invasive Dreissenid Mussels

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are invasive, filter-feeding, bivalves that have disrupted the ecology of thousands of freshwater biomes across North America. Due to their efficient filter-feeding activity, zebra mussels (ZMs) and other bivalves are extensively used to detect chemical contamination in waterways. In this study, we evaluated whether water and sediment serve as major sources of ZM tissue-associated microbiota, and whether ZMs serve as a reservoir for potentially pathogenic microbes in aquatic systems. High-throughput DNA sequencing of 16S rRNA gene was done to characterize the microbial community structure in 472 environmental samples, comprising ZMs, sediment, and the water column, collected from 15 lakes during the summer and fall months. Sequence analyses, done using the SourceTracker program, predicted that water and sediment contributed up to 91 and 86%, respectively, to the structure of microbiota within ZMs, and that mussels from the same site showed nearly identical source microbiota profiles. The relatively high local source contribution suggests that the microbiota in ZM tissue has the potential to reflect biological contamination and this phenomenon can be used to monitor microbial water quality. A preferential enrichment of several taxa was also observed in ZM tissues, including potential pathogenic groups such as Aeromonas, Enterobacteriaceae, and Pseudomonas. Taken together, our results contribute to an improved understanding of ZMs as a sentinel species in aquatic habitats and its potential impact to water quality management.
Fundamental Issues of Teachers’ Training in Laboratorial Teaching

This article presents the theoretical basis and certain results of an experiment on creating a learning community and at the same time a community of practice among teachers of vehicle mechanics in VET, built around a school laboratory. The conceptual tool of the distinction between tacit and explicit knowledge has been used as a criterion for the codification of the curriculum, during the external didactic transformation, in order to adapt professional knowledge to the educational environment. For the internal transformation, the conceptual tool of socially framed knowledge is used to design actions for the systematic dissemination of knowledge created by teachers among themselves.
Axis-specific analysis and predictors of endocrine recovery and deficits for non-functioning pituitary adenomas undergoing endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery

Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (ETSS) is a well-established treatment for patients with nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs). Data on the rates of pituitary dysfunction and recovery in a large cohort of NFPA patients undergoing ETSS and the predictors of endocrine function before and after ETSS are scarce. This study is purposed to analyze the comprehensive changes in hormonal function and identify factors that predict recovery or worsening of hormonal axes following ETSS for NFPA. A retrospective review of 601 consecutive patients who underwent ETSS between 2010 and 2018 at one institution was performed. Recovery or development of new hypopituitarism was analyzed in 209 NFPA patients who underwent ETSS. Patients with preoperative endocrine deficits (59.8%) in one or more pituitary axes had larger tumor volumes (P = 0.001) than those without preoperative deficits. Recovery of preoperative pituitary deficit occurred in all four axes, with overall mean recovery of 29.7%. The cortisol axis showed the highest recovery whereas the thyroid axis showed the lowest, with 1-year cumulative recovery rates of 44.3% and 6.1%, respectively. Postoperative hypopituitarism occurred overall in 17.2%, most frequently in the thyroid axis (24.3%, 27/111) and least frequently in the cortisol axis (9.7%, 16/165). Axis-specific predictors of post-operative recovery and deficiency were identified. Dynamic alterations in pituitary hormones were observed in a proportion of patients following ETSS in NFPA patients. Postoperative endocrine vulnerability, recovery, and factors that predicted recovery or loss of endocrine function depended on the hormonal system, necessitating an axis-specific surveillance strategy postoperatively.
Investigation on newborns hepatitis b vaccine immunization and management in zhongshan city

Objective To provide corresponding foundation and formulate the preventive measures for Hepatitis B Immunization by investigating the situation and management of hepatitis B vaccine integrating into plan immunization.Methods By checking the register tables and monthly forms of the hepatitis B vaccine inoculation. Cross-sectional study on the workers who inoculated hepatitis B vaccine for the new-borns about safe immunization and delivery situation of datas. Rvsults All the special outlay of HB vaccine immunization were used perfectly and the timely. In the resident new-horns, the birth-dose coverage was above 98.0%, so was the three injection courses. In the temparary new-borns, the birth-close coverage and the three injection courses were above 98.0%, But the timeliness coverage of the birth-dose of hepatitis B vaccine was only 88.4%. The vaccination rate and timeliness rate of temporary new-horns were significantly lower than that of resident new-horns. The workers who inoculated the hepatitis B vaccine have mastered the knowledage of immunization. Their work course was safety and standard. Conclusion Integrating the new-born hepatitis B vaccine into plan immunization has begun completely. Free inoculate hepatitis B vaccine for the new-horns has made progress smoothly. The timeliness of birth-dose coverage of the temparary children remain to he improved. Key words: Hepatitis B vaccine ; Plan immunization and management ; Investigation ;
The response of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 to micro-/nano polyethylene particles - Investigation of a key anthropogenic stressor

Microplastics or plastic particles less than 5 mm in size are a ubiquitous and damaging pollutant in the marine environment. However, the interactions between these plastic particles and marine microorganisms are just starting to be understood. The objective of this study was to measure the responses of a characteristic marine organism (Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002) to an anthropogenic stressor (polyethelene nanoparticles and microparticles) using molecular techniques. This investigation showed that polyethylene microparticles and nanoparticles have genetic, enzymatic and morphological effects on Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002. An RT-PCR analysis showed increases in the expression of esterase and hydrolase genes at 5 days of exposure to polyethylene nanoparticles and at 10 days of exposure to polyethylene microparticles. A qualitative enzymatic assay also showed esterase activity in nanoparticle exposed samples. Cryo-scanning electron microscopy was used to assess morphological changes in exopolymer formation resulting from exposure to polyethylene microparticles and nanoparticles. The data from this paper suggests that microplastic and nanoplastics could be key microbial stressors and should be investigated in further detail.
Identifying and Predicting Intentional Self-Harm in Electronic Health Record Clinical Notes: Deep Learning Approach

Background: Suicide is an important public health concern in the United States and around the world. There has been significant work examining machine learning approaches to identify and predict intentional self-harm and suicide using existing data sets. With recent advances in computing, deep learning applications in health care are gaining momentum. Objective: This study aimed to leverage the information in clinical notes using deep neural networks (DNNs) to (1) improve the identification of patients treated for intentional self-harm and (2) predict future self-harm events. Methods: We extracted clinical text notes from electronic health records (EHRs) of 835 patients with International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for intentional self-harm and 1670 matched controls who never had any intentional self-harm ICD codes. The data were divided into training and holdout test sets. We tested a number of algorithms on clinical notes associated with the intentional self-harm codes using the training set, including several traditional bag-of-words–based models and 2 DNN models: a convolutional neural network (CNN) and a long short-term memory model. We also evaluated the predictive performance of the DNNs on a subset of patients who had clinical notes 1 to 6 months before the first intentional self-harm event. Finally, we evaluated the impact of a pretrained model using Word2vec (W2V) on performance. Results: The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for the CNN on the phenotyping task, that is, the detection of intentional self-harm in clinical notes concurrent with the events was 0.999, with an F1 score of 0.985. In the predictive task, the CNN achieved the highest performance with an AUC of 0.882 and an F1 score of 0.769. Although pretraining with W2V shortened the DNN training time, it did not improve performance. Conclusions: The strong performance on the first task, namely, phenotyping based on clinical notes, suggests that such models could be used effectively for surveillance of intentional self-harm in clinical text in an EHR. The modest performance on the predictive task notwithstanding, the results using DNN models on clinical text alone are competitive with other reports in the literature using risk factors from structured EHR data.
Main and Interactive Effects of Nicotine Product Type on Sleep Health Among Dual Combustible and E‐Cigarette Users

Background and objectives E-cigarette use is associated with concurrent use of combustible cigarettes among adults and may increase the risk of future combustible cigarette use in adolescents and young adults. Detrimental effects of combustible cigarette use on sleep health are well documented, but little is known about the additive effects of concurrent e-cigarette use. The current study examined the main and interactive effects of daily nicotine product frequency on various components of sleep health. Methods Two hundred and twenty-seven dual-product users (54.2% female, Mage = 36.89, SD = 10.17) completed questionnaires regarding demographic information, average number of cigarettes smoked per day, average number of times e-cigarettes used per day, and sleep health. Results Combustible cigarette frequency uniquely predicted shorter sleep duration, whereas e-cigarette frequency uniquely predicted increased daytime dysfunction due to sleepiness. Further, there was an interactive effect of combustible and electronic cigarettes on the use of sleeping medications. Discussion and conclusions Findings may suggest differential adverse effects on sleep, depending on the type of nicotine product used, and highlight potential intervention targets for users. Future work should examine these associations prospectively and/or use objective measurements of sleep and nicotine use to further elucidate the nature of these relationships. Scientific significance This is the first study to explore the main and interactive effects of dual-product use on various dimensions of subjective sleep quality. This is important to investigate, given that dual nicotine users are at greater risk for physical health problems as well as the adverse effects of nicotine on sleep health. (Am J Addict 2020;00:00-00).
Institutional Trading and Stock Pinning

This paper investigates the impact of institutional trading activity on stock pinning effect for both monthly and weekly equity options. After the introduction of weekly options over seven years, it shows the pinning effect with weekly options is stronger in comparison to monthly options. Furthermore, this paper shows that stock pinning remains pervasive on the expiration days and the effect is powerful with higher concentrated firm proprietary trading. We explore and find evidence that hedge rebalancing by firm traders might be a possible cause for stock pinning on option expiration days. The higher the fraction of firm trading, the more significant the clustering effect is.
Assessment of Malingering Among Head Injury Litigants with the MMPI-2, MMPI-2-RF, and MMPI-3

Evaluating head injury litigants requires thorough consideration of malingering and response bias. These evaluations are particularly complicated by the multiple domains in which symptoms and impairment are present. Consequently, response bias in these evaluations must be considered along these various symptom domains (e.g., psychological, neurocognitive, somatic). The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and its subsequent versions, MMPI-2 and MMPI-2-RF, have a long history of use in head injury evaluations. The MMPI instruments assess a broad array of psychological symptoms (internalizing symptoms, thought dysfunction, behavioral proclivities, personality traits) and include embedded Validity Scales that detect various threats to protocol validity (consistency in responding, over and underreporting). The current chapter will focus on the ways in which the MMPI instruments can assess response bias in head injury litigation cases. Each of the standard Validity Scales from the instruments are covered in terms of how the scales were developed. Guidance in interpreting these scales is also provided based on the extensive research base supporting their use in these evaluations. The chapter concludes with a review of the recent developments of the measure (i.e., the MMPI-3).
Oh Baltimore: Incarceration and Re-entry in Marginalized Communities

After years of decay, Baltimore City’s urban poor face disparities within an economic and political climate that demands austerity and personal responsibility. This qualitative research project aimed to identify the impact of deindustrialization on the socioeconomic changes within the community, the subsequent disparate incarceration rates, and burden on affected individuals, communities, and organizations. We also theorized the best practices for advocacy and community organizing. The findings suggest that in many communities, the nature of social capital has transformed in relation to local and national processes, such as recession, unemployment, declines in industries, and exposure to surveillance. Though fragile, the existing community cultural and social capitals, networks critical to family functioning and daily survival, must be reappraised and integrated in participatory collaboration with stakeholders. Traditional community organizing tools must be re-examined and reframed to reach larger audiences and to build alliances.
The Reduced Address Space (RAS) for Application Memory Authentication

Memory authentication is the ability to detect unauthorized modification of memory. Existing solutions for memory authentication are based on tree structures computed over either the Physical Address Space (PAS tree) or the Virtual Address Space (VAS tree). We show that the PAS tree is vulnerable to branch splicingattacks when providing memory authentication to an application running on a potentially compromised operating system. We also explain why the VAS tree generates initialization and memory overheads so large as to make it impractical, especially on 64-bit address spaces. To enable secure and efficient application memory authentication, we present a novel Reduced Address Space(RAS) containing only those pages that are useful to a protected application at any point in time. We introduce the Tree Management Unit(TMU) to manage the RAS tree, a dynamically expanding memory integrity tree computed over the RAS. The TMU is scalable, enabling tree schemes to scale up to cover 64-bit address spaces. It dramatically reduces the overheads of application memory authentication without weakening the security properties or degrading runtime performance. For SPEC 2000 benchmarks, the TMU speeds up tree initialization and reduces memory overheads by three orders of magnitude on average.
Transitioning the public switched telephone network into the 21st century

The public switched telephone network has served as a universal backbone of human communications for more than 130 years. It is not only an important technological achievements, but has also been governed by a social contract including universal service, competition and public safety. As the traditional circuit-switched, copper-based landline technology is replaced by packet-switched fiber and wireless and technology, we need to revisit fundamental aspects of the PSTN to make sure we can maintain the key aspects that have worked well for the past century. I will discuss the issues, choices and opportunities we have for overall architecture, universal service, numbering and naming, security, public safety and competition.
Serological Diversity of Nitrobacter spp. from Soil and Aquatic Habitats

Serotypic diversity among Nitrobacter spp. isolates is greater than previously reported. Typing with fluorescent antibodies prepared against 11 Nitrobacter spp. cultures isolated from soil and water placed the isolates into six serogroups. When these fluorescent antibodies were applied to a group of 16 additional isolates, 8 were identifiable by cross-reaction to 3 of the 11 fluorescent antibodies. Some nitrite-oxidizing enrichment cultures from different habitats contained cross-reacting strains of Nitrobacter spp.
Egypt’s Popular Uprising and the Stakes of Medical Neutrality

Amidst the recent political uprisings in the Arab region, physicians and other healthcare workers have found themselves in the crossfire. This paper focuses on Egypt's doctors, paying special attention to how many have both appealed to and practiced medical neutrality as its own potent and contested political stance, particularly since the period of military rule following Mubarak's removal from power. Our paper draws on interviews with physicians who served as volunteers in the field hospitals in the days of unrest and violence, and with others who played a major role in documenting protesters' injuries, police brutality, and other forms of state violence against unarmed citizens. Based on interviews with doctors who belong to organizations such as "Tahrir Doctors" and "Doctors Without Rights," our paper reveals how these doctors' commitment to professional ethics put them at odds with the orders of military personnel, rendering their appeal to "medical neutrality" a weighty political act in and of itself.
Arm muscle activation for static forces in three-dimensional space.

1. Muscle activity was related to the direction of a static force at the human wrist. For each muscle the force direction of maximal activity and the directional tuning characteristics were determi...
Pedagogy of Liminality? The Case of Turkish Teachers’ Union Egitim-Sen

In this article, I examine the impacts of neoliberal restructuring of national education and its infiltration into teacher unions. Throughout the article, the arguments are posited by applying the concept of liminality/liminal space, which is defined, according to cultural anthropologist Victor Turner, as a site of transformation and a space where different networks come into conflict (Turner, 2004). In this way, the pedagogy of liminality as an encompassing frame is discussed within the policy context of global neo-liberal capitalism in order to situate the socio-political and pedagogical revolts of teacher unions in Turkey. The article critically examines the case of Egitim-Sen, a trade union of teachers and academicians and one of the largest workers' institutions of Turkey. First, the notion of liminality is examined. Second, a brief explanation of the historical agenda of the 1980s is presented as a starting point for the Turkish neo-liberal experience. In the methodology, information gathered from informal interviews with union members is presented to capture the shared codes that undergrid the current political and economic agenda of Turkey. These interviews, in the first place, help to address the borders within and around the teacher unions, and in the second place, enlighten the liminal spaces in which union members situate themselves sites of transformation.
The complete nucleotide sequence of the Bacillus licheniformis NM105 S-layer-encoding gene.

Abstract A protein present on the cell surface of Bacillus licheniformis (Bl) NM105 was identified as an S-layer (OlpA in this paper), a protein present on many bacterial cell surfaces. Purification, SDS-PAGE and isoelectrofocusing showed one 94-kDa, slightly acidic (pI 6.5) protein band (defined as OlpA). The pure protein OlpA, has a tetragonal symmetry of its morphological subunits. Following Edman degradation, three 17-mer oligodeoxyribonucleotide (oligo) probes corresponding to the N-terminal sequence of OlpA were synthesized and used for gene cloning. The nucleotide (nt) sequence of the cloned gene (olpA) showed an ORF and encoded an 874 amino acid (aa) protein. In the promoter region of olpA, there appear to be -10 and -35 ∂ A -binding sites, as well as -10 and -35 regions specific for∂ H . The existence of these two potential promoters suggests that OlpA would be produced during both the vegetative and sporulating stages of growth. The ribosome-binding site (RBS) sequence perfectly matched its consensus sequence, suggesting a high efficiency of translation of olpA. A typical 29-aa leader peptide, characteristic of secretory proteins in Bacilli , is present in the OlpA pre-protein sequence. In olpA, there are two stem-loop structures in tandem, downstream from the stop codon. These stem-loops are probably involved in prolonged olpA expression, by extending the half life of the mRNA.
CAN ULTRASOUND PREDICT DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME IN INFANTS WITH GRADE III IV IVH

We studied the usefulness of realtime ultrasound scan (US) in predicting developmental outcome in infants with Grade III and IV IVH. US were done prior to discharge from NICU in the coronal plane only. Infants were classified into 5 groups depending on size of ventricles, visible dilated temporal horns and asymmetry in size of ventricles or presence of porencephalic cysts. Developmental assessment was made using Denver Developmental and Bayley Scales of Infant Assessment. 36 infants were studied. The mean birthweight of the infants is 1240±498gms. and gestational age is 29.1 weeks (range 24 to 40). The mean postnatal age at follow-up is 16.25±7.7 months. All infants with a DQ > 85 are considered normal, 75-85 suspicious and <75 abnormal. Statistically significant differences are noted in the DQ between infants in the classes of A and B to infants in the classes of D and F (P= <.001). Our results indicate that US scans done prior to discharge are useful in predicting developmental outcome in infants with severe IVH using our classification.
A Novel Light-Scattering Technique to Study Gas-Flow Dynamics in an ICP Torch

A new technique for studying gas-flow dynamics in unlit ICP torches is presented. This technique allows direct visualization of the gas-flow pattern of any one of the three argon flows employed by an ICP torch. The gas-flow patterns are observed by introducing a light-scattering medium into one of the argon flows and passing a thin plane of light through the gas above the torch. Because a thin plane of light is employed for visualization, direct radial and vertical gas-flow patterns can be observed in a direction perpendicular to the plane. Flow patterns for the coolant, plasma, and central gases were studied, as was the effect of argon flow rates in conventional and low-argon-consumption torches.
A methodology for predicting high impact shock propagation within bolted-joint structures

Abstract The development of accurate and efficient numerical methodology for predicting shock propagation in bolted-joint structures is an important problem. Bolted joints have multiple nonlinearities such as friction, contact stiffness, and impact loading. Joint models are typically complex and computationally expensive. These problems become even more challenging when the bolted joint is experiencing high impact shock. This paper examines the issues associated with developing an accurate model for shock propagation within bolted joint structures. A combined Lagrangian-SPH (Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics) approach is used to develop a finite element simulation that can capture both the physical damage of the structure as well as the shock propagation across the bolted joint. This modeling approach is shown to produce favorable results when compared with experimental data from ballistic impact testing of bolted joint structures with a two-stage light gas gun.
GABAb receptors differentially regulate hippocampal CA1 excitatory synaptic transmission across postnatal development in the rat

Abstract Depression of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) by the GABA b agonist, baclofen, was compared in hippocampal slices from juvenile (postnatal day (P) 15–21) and young adult (P28–35) rats. EPSP inhibition following baclofen application was not different between age groups, however, paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) increased more in young adults relative to juveniles. The differential effect of baclofen on PPF was not due to tonic receptor activity, since the GABA b antagonist, saclofen, did not differentially modify PPF. The baclofen-mediated increase in PPF for juvenile slices could be enhanced by first increasing transmitter release through an increased bath Ca 2+ concentration. These findings suggests that ligand-mediated presynaptic depression is inversely related to the level of transmitter release and maturation of presynaptic inhibition is related to development of release.
Effect of articular step-off and meniscectomy on joint alignment and contact pressures for fractures of the lateral tibial plateau.

ObjectivesTo determine the effects of intraarticular step-off and lateral meniscectomy on the alignment of the articular axis, contact area, and pressures for lateral tibial plateau fractures.DesignBiomechanical cadaver study.InterventionSix fresh cadaveric knees were used. A simulated split fractur
Right upper lobe obstruction with right-sided double-lumen endobronchial tubes: a comparison of two tube types.

Abstract Twenty-nine patients undergoing left thoracotomy consecutively were intubated with right-sided double-lumen endotracheal tubes in the conventional “blind” fashion. The first 20 received Leyland red-rubber double-lumen tubes, and the subsequent nine received Mallinckrodt polyvinylchloride double-lumen tubes. The patency of the right upper lobe bronchial orifice was then assessed by flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Right upper lobe obstruction occurred in 89% of the polyvinylchloride tube intubations and in 10% of the red-rubber tube intubations.
Multifocal glioblastoma multiforme with synchronous spontaneous hemorrhage: case report

We report a 65 year old man who presented with left hemiparesis, and was found to have multiple, discrete, peripherally enhancing, hemorrhagic intra-axial masses in the right hemisphere of the brain. Workup for malignancy elsewhere in the body was negative, and biopsy confirmed glioblastoma multiforme. The patient responded clinically to treatment with radiation therapy and temozolomide. We discuss the unusual aspects of this case and stress the importance of tissue diagnosis in managing suspected intracranial malignancies.
Wideband bandpass filter using microstrip ring

A simple design for a wideband bandpass filter is presented.A compact filter structure is achieved by placing a microstrip ring between two parallel coupling gaps. 3D electromagnetic simulation and measurement of the proposed filter validate its wideband characteristics. The proposed filter exhibits good insertion loss <1.2 dB and group delay variation <0.2 ns. Both simulated and measured results show good agreement. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:154–155, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25678
Source-country social programs and the age composition of legal US immigrants

Abstract In this study we use the concept of the marginal migrant to develop a theoretical model of the age composition of US immigration. Two age classes of immigrants are distinguished, 20–34 and 50 and over, along with sex and entry class (numerically restricted, numerically exempt). Annual data (1972–1991) for 109 source countries are pooled, and the Hausman–Taylor instrumental variable technique is employed to estimate regressions that satisfy adding-up restrictions. Along with measures of differential economic opportunities, migration costs, and US institutional controls, we incorporate into the analysis a unique set of variables relating to social programs in source countries. Such programs prove to be significant determinants of the age composition of US immigrants.
Flight Energetics in Birds

SYNOPSIS. Some birds can fly for more than 1000 kilometers without feeding. Are these distances compatible with the fuel reserves and the power requirements that flying birds are thought to have? The fuel for flight is primarily fat, which can make up 50% of the total body mass of a bird prior to a long distance flight. As the bird uses up fuel during the flight and becomes lighter, the power requirements of flight probably decrease. However, a constant power requirement can be assumed throughout the flight without introducing serious errors into the estimate of maximum flight distance at a given flight speed. Various methods that have been used to estimate the power requirements of flight are reviewed. Estimates based on indirect calorimetry indicate that the maximum flight distances of birds, when a given proportion of body mass is used as fuel, are directly proportional to body mass raised to the 0.227 power. Calculated values of range suggest that birds have small margins of safely in long, over-water flights unless they are aided by winds or vertical air currents.