cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linear Invariance, Order and Convex Maps in

We continue the study, begun by the first author, of linear-invariant families in . We obtain the unexpected result that the Cayley transform (the analogue of the half-plane mapping in the complex plane) does not give the maximum or minimum distortion among all mappings of the unit ball of n≥ 2, onto convex domains. In addition a result analogous to that of Pommerenke that a linear invariant family has order 1 (the smallest possible order) if and only if it consists of convex mappings of the disk does not hold for the ball in n≥ 2. Finally, we extend these ideas to the polydisk in . The theory for this case bears some similarity to the theory for the ball but there are some striking differences as well. For example it is true that the family of convex holomorphic mappings of the polydisk in has minimum order (which is nin this case) but it is not true that for n>1 every linear-invariant family of minimum order consists of convex mappings.
Application of neural networks to nondestructive evaluation

This paper proposes the use of massively parallel learning networks for classifying signals from electromagnetic transducers used in nondestructive evaluation. A brief description of the application problem is given. A distributed processing network is developed for preprocessing the transducer signal. Preprocessing is required for achieving invariance under rotation, translation and scaling of the signal. Issues relating to implementation of the preprocessing network are presented. The complete architecture and the learning algorithm are described. Finally, results of implementing the network and a brief discussion on its performance are presented. >
A Comparison of the Welfare Gains to the Households of South Indians Migrating for Jobs within India versus Internationally

This study compares the welfare gains to households in Kerala, India from two types of labor migration: moving overseas versus moving within India for employment. It draws on panel data from waves of a representative household survey conducted in 1998 and 2003. Migrant households as a whole experienced higher asset gains than non-migrant families over this five-year period. Yet contrary to theoretical expectations, welfare gains were similar for households with an overseas migrant and those with a domestic migrant. Although less educated individuals tend to venture overseas, a wage premium over non-migrants enables them to earn as much in low-skill jobs abroad as more educated workers relocating within India can.
High resolution hydric soil mapping using LiDAR digital terrain modeling.

The recent availability of 1-m laser imaging, detection, and ranging (LiDAR) data in Pennsylvania provides a high resolution digital elevation model (DEM) which could improve on existing USDA-NRCS Order 2 soil survey mapping. The ability of LiDAR derived terrain indices to predict hydric soil presence was evaluated across the Northern Appalachians. We developed a logistic regression model to predict hydric soil presence using a dataset of 1153-field data points and several terrain indices derived from LiDAR DEMs. The best performing regression model included slope derived from a 1-m LiDAR DEM, depressions derived from a 5-m LiDAR DEM, and physiographic region. This model was able to successfully predict 67% of hydric soils and 73% of non-hydric soils from a validation dataset. The model performed better at predicting non-hydric soils compared with hydric soils and was not as effective in low slope areas. This suggests that the 1-m LiDAR hydrologic variables used in the study cannot completely account for soil hydric status.
Numerical Value Analysis of the Length of Pipeline Failure under Static Load of Gulch and Collapse

A finite element numerical model of buried pipeline is built by using ANSYS finite cell analysis program.The length of pipeline failure under static load of gulch and collapse is given by the issue of the collapse of the static load analysis.
Cancer Recurrence After Esophagectomy: Impact of Postoperative Infection in Propensity-Matched Cohorts

Background Postoperative infection increases cancer recurrence and worsens survival in colorectal cancer, but the relationship for esophagogastric adenocarcinoma after esophagectomy is not well defined. We aimed to determine whether recurrence and survival after minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophagogastric adenocarcinoma were influenced by postoperative infection using propensity-matched analysis. Methods We abstracted data for 810 patients (1997–2010) and defined exposure as at least 1 in-hospital or 30-day infectious complication (n = 206 [25%]). Using 29 pretreatment/intraoperative variables, patients were propensity-score matched (caliper = 0.05). Time to cancer recurrence and survival (Kaplan-Meier curves and the Breslow test), and associated factors (Cox regression with shared frailty) were assessed. Results After propensity matching (n = 167 pairs), median bias across propensity-score variables was reduced from 12.9% ( p p = 1.000). Postoperative infection was not associated with rate (n = 60 versus 63; McNemar p = 0.736) or time to recurrence in those in whom disease recurred (median, 10.7 versus 11.1 months; Wilcoxon signed-rank p = 0.455) but was associated with shorter overall survival (n = 124 versus 102 deaths; median, 26 versus 41 months; Breslow p = 0.002). After adjusting for age, body mass index, neoadjuvant therapy, sex, comorbidity score, positive resection margins, pathologic stage, R0 resection, and recurrence, postoperative infection was associated with a 44% greater hazard for death (hazard ratio, 1.44; 95% confidence interval, 1.10–1.89). Conclusions In patients with esophagogastric adenocarcinoma, infections after esophagectomy were not associated with an increased rate or earlier time to recurrence when baseline characteristics associated with infection risk were balanced using propensity-score matching. Despite this, overall survival was shorter in patients with infectious complications. After adjusting for other important survival predictors, infections after esophagectomy continued to be independently associated with worse survival.
World Order and Welfare Provision : A Multidimensional Scaling Analysis

This article proposes and verifies a new relational measure of world order that uniquely identifies countries' positions in the global network of economic international governmental organizations (IGOs). Using multidimensional scaling, the study shows that multiple distinct dimensions of the world order position can be identified reflecting core location, export market concentration, externality from the IGO networks, and regional interdependence. These four dimensions are significantly correlated with conventional measures of economic features of states. Panel regression is used to demonstrate that the multidimensional scaling of world order is useful in predicting social welfare performance, having its major effects indirectly by determining the economic resources of states.
Complex Semisimple Groups

We begin this section by reviewing some basic facts about semisimple groups and Lie algebras which we will need in the rest of this book. For further information the reader is referred to [Bour], [Bo3], [Hum], [Se1], and [Di].
Maternal AED Treatment and Neonatal Behavior

The relationship between antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment during pregnancy, neurobehavior of the neonate, and the neurological outcome in later life of 40 children exposed in utero to a single AED (phenobarbital, phenytoin, valproic acid) was studied at Children’s Hospital, Virchow Klinikum of the Humboldt University Berlin: Institute of Toxicology and Embryopharmacology, Free University Berlin; and Department of Neuropediatrics, Children’s Hospital, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
Factors Affecting Missed Appointments in a Pediatric Urology Outpatient Clinic

Abstract Introduction Missed appointments can have an adverse effect on patient care and clinic efficiency. We hypothesized that increased fuel costs and travel distance, nonchronic health conditions, different seasons, government subsidized insurance and older age would result in higher no-show rates in our pediatric urology outpatient clinic. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 1,315 consecutive scheduled visits from 514 patients during 2008 to 2009. Patient arrival status was recorded, as well as demographic data, chief complaint, type of visit, the month and day of the week of the scheduled appointment, and distance traveled. The average gas price at the time of the appointment was also recorded. A logistic regression model analysis fitted by the method of generalized estimating equations was used to determine correlations of the outcome with a single independent variable. Factors that had an association with p Results The overall rate of no-shows was 39%. On multifactor analysis the variables associated with higher rates of missed appointments included increasing patient age (p Conclusions No-show rates varied by multiple factors such as age, insurance status, chief complaint and new or return status. Contrary to conventional wisdom, distance traveled and gas prices were not associated with missed appointments. This pilot information may present an opportunity to improve clinic efficiency and improve patient access.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair and Biologic Innovations.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are currently treated with allografts and autografts.Advancements in tissue engineering and biosynthetics are improving ACL repair techniques.ACL repair may offer a viable option for skeletally immature patients.U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved
A novel adaptive transmission algorithm for Device-to-Device Direct Discovery

In this paper we study and improve one service used for Proximity Services and Device-to-Device (D2D) communications: D2D Direct Discovery. As defined in the Third Generation Partnership Project, for both in-coverage and out-of-coverage cases, resource pool parameters, including the transmission probability (in UE-Selected mode), are configured in advance. This means that they are independent of the network conditions and the number of users. Thus, we propose an adaptive algorithm which takes into account the available resources and the number of nearby users as they are being discovered, and adapts the transmission probability accordingly. This algorithm improves the overall performance of the discovery process. It reduces the time needed to complete the discovery within a group of UEs and makes it dynamic and adaptable to changing environments.
Personalized Lifestyle Medicine

Abstract Lifestyle medicine is the application of exercise, nutrition, and other lifestyle habits to maintain and improve human health. It is becoming clear that the typical elements of pharmacologic medicine apply to lifestyle medicine. These include the following principles: dosing is important; not every agent works identically in all individuals; variations in response are partly related to genetic factors. An equally important concept is apparent: the interaction between pharmacologic therapy and lifestyle approaches is just now becoming important in the application of the principles of personalized lifestyle medicine in clinical practice. Also, the principles of personalized or precision medicine apply to lifestyle medicine—the goal is the right therapy, for the right person, for the right condition, at the right time. Predicting who will respond in what manner to what lifestyle intervention in the presence or absence of pharmacologic therapy will enable precision lifestyle medicine in the future.
Safety and Efficiency of Intravenous Push Lacosamide Administration

Intravenous (IV) lacosamide use for status epilepticus has increased in recent years and is recommended for refractory status epilepticus by current guidelines. Per the lacosamide package labeling, the preferred route of administration is diluted and infused over 30–60 min; however, administration undiluted is also acceptable and recent literature demonstrated safety at a maximum rate of 80 mg per minute (Kellinghaus et al. in Acta Neurol Scand 123:137–141, 2011). Undiluted administration as an IV push has potential to increase efficiency of administration to patients needing urgent seizure control since it may be dispensed from automatic dispensing cabinets in patient care areas. This study aims to compare safety outcomes and efficiency of administration in patients receiving lacosamide IV push compared to IV piggyback. We present a single-center, retrospective cohort study of patients receiving lacosamide via IV piggyback or IV push from June 2016 to July 2017. Baseline characteristics, data related to potential safety concerns and timing of ordering, verification, and administration were collected. The primary safety outcomes were incidence of infusion site reactions, hypotension (systolic blood pressure [SBP] 0.05). Only one patient in each group had documented PR prolongation, and no documented infusion reactions occurred. Median time from order verification to administration was significantly reduced in the IV push group (35 min vs. 1 h 49 min; p < 0.001). Administration of lacosamide via IV push results in similar adverse effect rates to IV piggyback preparations with more efficient time to administration.
Sodic soil reclamation

Sodic soil reclamation generally involves the application and incorporation of gypsum into the soil followed by leaching. The rate of reclamation depends on the water intake rate. This rate can become very slow due to inadequate electrolyte concentration in the soil solution to counteract the effects of exchangeable sodium on aggregate stability, clay swelling, and dispersion. Use of successive dilutions of concentrated salt solutions, the high-salt dilution method, has been shown to increase infiltration rates of a sodic soil and to provide sufficient divalent cations for its reclamation. The water requirement for the high-salt dilution method can be reduced to about 1.7 cm of water per cm of soil. The high-salt dilution technique should be considered in irrigated areas with saline drainage waters or in areas close to saline inland lakes and ocean estuaries.
Expedient FE analysis of concrete masonry walls subjected to blast loads

Publisher Summary In this chapter, concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls subjected to blast pressure are analyzed with the finite element method, with the goal of developing a computationally efficient and accurate model. Computational results are compared in the chapter to high-speed video images and debris velocities obtained from experimental data. It is found that the model has the ability to reproduce experimental results with good agreement. It is also found that wall behavior is sensitive to material properties. The exterior frames of buildings are commonly in-filled with CMU blocks. In a typical high-energy blast in close proximity to this type of wall, the CMUs may break apart and enter the structure as projectiles, potentially injuring building occupants. The accurate prediction of this behavior is a subject of great interest in protective technology research to evaluate the performance of existing structures and to suggest appropriate retrofit options or designs for new structures. A number of researchers have modeled CMU wall behavior, typically with the finite element (FE) method.
On Jurisdictional Elephants and Kangaroo Courts

In Beyond Guantanamo: Obstacles and Options, Professor Greg McNeal balances a nuanced critique of the existing military commission structure with an understanding of the difficulties Article III courts would face in trying the same defendants for the same offenses. Moreover, Professor McNeal is rightly skeptical of the increasingly common calls for a hybrid national security court to handle the prosecution of a class of terrorism-related offenses and offenders, suggesting that there are significant obstacles in the way of any transition to such a model. In this Response, I do not disagree with Professor McNeal's cogent analysis. Instead, I suggest that his analysis gives short shrift to the sweeping personal and subject-matter jurisdiction conferred upon the commissions by the Military Commissions Act of 2006, and the potential repercussions of such dangerously overbroad authority. As I explain in this brief Response, these shortcomings are perhaps the most serious defects in the proposals for a national security court, because any such institution would necessarily encounter analogous jurisdictional issues: namely who could be tried by such courts, and for what. Professor McNeal is unquestionably correct that major obstacles stand in the way of post-Boumediene reform, but any meaningful discussion of reforms must also focus on the broader - and perhaps more intractable - jurisdictional issues.
Molecular Genetics Studies of Gene Expression and Protein Structure/Function Relationships in Photosynthetic Bacteria

This introductory chapter provides an overview of the topics currently studied in photosynthetic bacteria with the tools of molecular genetics, and comments on the appropriate matching of tools and tasks.
Hispanic Families' Action Plans for a Healthier Lifestyle for Diabetes Management.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to conduct focus groups with Hispanic patients with type 2 diabetes and their family members who participated in a culturally tailored, family-based diabetes in...
Chicken Broth AAC1 as a Dietary Supplement Inhibits Pain Transmission and Decreases Serum C-Reactive Protein Levels In a Model of TMJ Disorder

ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to determine if the dietary inclusion of the commercially available chicken broth AAC1 could repress nocifensive behaviors and PKA expression associated with a c...
Structure−Property Relationships in Trimethylenemethane-Type Biradicals. 2. Synthesis and EPR Spectral Characterization of Dinitroxide Biradicals†

Several trimethylenemethane-type (TMM-type) dinitroxide biradicals have been prepared that differ in tert-butylaminoxylphenyl ring torsion angles by virtue of different steric demands of their “spin-protecting groups”. In addition, the synthesis of a TMM-type dinitroxide having a planar π-system is reported. The synthetic route employed for the planar TMM-type biradical is general and should therefore expand the utility of TMM-type biradicals that are susceptible to bond torsions that attenuate exchange coupling. The compounds presented are designed to be effective to map out J-coupling/conformation space in TMM-type biradicals. EPR spectroscopic parameters (hfcc and D-values) were compared to determine if their values reflected differences in conformation in the series of biradicals. Interestingly, neither N- nor H-hfcc varied within our series of biradicals/monoradicals in a regular fashion, indicating that there is no apparent relationship between N- or H-hfcc and conformation (as judged by molecular m...
Effects of 5-Androstenediol on Survival, Clonogenicity, and Expression of IL-6 and NFKB in Irradiated Human Osteoblast and Hematopoietic CD34+ Cells.

We previously reported that 5-androstenediol (5-AED) administration enhanced survival in mice exposed to whole-body ionizing-radiation (IR). 5-AED also induced hematopoiesis and hematopoietic growth factor expression in blood-forming tissue. Since osteoblasts comprise an important part of the hematopoietic niche, we evaluated the radioprotective effects of 5-AED in a human fetal osteoblast cell line (hFOB) and primary human hematopoietic CD34+ progenitor cells. 5-AED (1000 ng/ml) increased hFOB cell survival from 39% (vehicle-treated) to 85% 3 days after a radiation dose of 2 Gy, and from 56% to 64% after 4 Gy. In clonogenic assays of CD34+ cells starting with 10 4 cells/dish, BFU-E colonies in 5-AED (1000 ng/ml)-treated cultures increased from 163±17 (vehicle-treated) to 418±20 24 h after 2 Gy, and from 59±5 to 118±11 after 4 Gy. CFU-GM colonies in 5-AED-treated cultures rose from 89±6 to 177±13 after 2 Gy, and from 27±3 to 51±3 cells after 4 Gy. Furthermore, 5-AED administration to irradiated CD34+ cell cultures led to an elevated frequency of CD11b+ cells (granulocytes, monocytes and NK cells) as determined by flow cytometry 22 days after irradiation. To test our hypothesis that 5-AED acts via initiation of a cytokine cascade in hematopoietic cells, endogenous IL-6 protein expression was evaluated using ELISA. Administration of 5-AED before and after IR elicited a 10-fold increase in IL-6 levels in CD34+ cultures 24 h after IR. In contrast, IL-6 levels were not elevated in 5-AED-treated, unirradiated CD34+ cells. Recent studies showed that nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB) may play an important role in IR induced damage. We assessed NFkB activation in human FOB and CD34+ cells and now report for the first time that NFkB subunit NFkB 1 (p50) expression was significantly inhibited by IR in CD34+ cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, 5-AED at least partially blocked the downregulation of NFkB 1 expression in irradiated cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate that 5-AED counters the effects of IR in human hematopoietic CD34+ and osteoblast cells, and that these effects may be mediated by modulation of IL-6 and NFkB.
Black and White Self-Identified Latinx Respondents and Perceived Psychological Distress and Impairment:

The influence of racial differences on perceived psychological distress and impairment was examined with a nationally representative sample of Black and White Latinxs. The study sample was selected...
Vulnerability Assessment and Classification based on Influence Metrics in Mobile Social Networks

In emerging 5G wireless systems, Mobile Social Networks (MSN) will play an important role for providing data services and offloading data traffic from cellular networks. MSNs are vulnerable to various security attacks because of the ways users move and collaborate. Since most protocols for MSNs are designed based on social behaviors of users, it is important to understand the impact of user behavior on network vulnerability. This can provide valuable insights into crucial factors, such as how easily a network loses its connectivity, or a network's ability to form strong communities. We present a novel vulnerability assessment and classification scheme based on structural, social and influence distribution metrics in mobile social networks. We design a vulnerability index metric (VI) to investigate the level of damage inflicted when networks are subjected to both targeted and random attacks. Then, we use influence distribution metrics and various machine learning based classifiers to determine the vulnerability levels for various network states. Finally, we define a Mean Information Diffusion index to determine the information dissemination capability of a network, given the vulnerability state. Our results revealed that campus WLAN traces, represented by the Time Variant Community model, exhibit highly vulnerable states that reduce the network's ability to disseminate information by up to 16%.
Development of clinical care guidelines for faculty and residents in the era of COVID-19.

Author(s): Park, Jason S; El-Sayed, Ivan H; Young, VyVy N; Pletcher, Steven D | Abstract: BackgroundThe global COVID-19 pandemic brings new challenges to otolaryngology resident education. Surgical volume and clinic visits are curtailed, personal protective equipment for operating room participation is restricted, and the risk of COVID-19 disease transmission during heretofore routine patient care is the new norm.MethodsWe describe a small-team "cohorting" protocol including guidelines for faculty and resident in common clinical scenarios with attention paid to the risk of common otolaryngologic procedures.ResultsA rotating small-team approach was implemented at each clinical site, limiting interaction between department members but providing comprehensive coverage. Faculty were involved at the earliest phase of clinical interactions. Guidelines delineated faculty and resident roles based on risk stratification by patient COVID status and anticipated procedures. Special consideration was given to high-risk procedures such as endoscopy and tracheotomy.ConclusionsA small-team-based approach with guidelines for faculty/resident roles may mitigate risk while optimizing patient care and maximizing education.
Comparative Study of Species Diversity in different Land Use Units of the Borana Lowlands, Southern Oromia, Ethiopia

Quantitative study of species diversity across different land use units and districts is important to document status of local plant biodiversity, to evaluate impact of management and for planning future management. This study aimed at determining impacts of land use units on species diversity and spatial distribution of species in two districts of Borana zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. Stratification and systematic random sampling techniques were used for data collection. Plot size of 500 m2 for woody species and subplots of 0.25 m2 for herbaceous species and soil samples were used. Data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Shannon diversity index and Simpson index were determined. Relationships between vegetation and environmental variables were analysed using Redundancy Analysis (RDA) and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). The overall mean alpha, beta and gamma diversities were 29.2, 2.5 and 102.6, respectively. Average total number of species in enclosures and open access grazing sites was 113 and 96 species, respectively. Enclosures or relatively protected land use units (Kalos) had more species diversity than their corresponding open access grazing lands (Worras). Shannon diversity index ranged from 3.11 in the grazing land for dry livestock to 3.78 in the Web grazing land for lactating cattle. Similarly, Simpson index of dominance ranged from 0.034 in the Web Worra to 0.089 in grazing land for dry livestock (Foora). Kalos had higher Simpson diversity index than their corresponding Worras. Soil nutrients varied across land use units. Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) was higher in enclosed than in open access grazing land use units. The study also showed that there was significant variation in P, Ca, CEC, silt and sand across the two districts (p<0.05). RDA and CCA results revealed that altitude, OM, K and N were the most important environmental variables that significantly accounted for the spatial distribution and abundance of species. It was concluded that enclosures had contributed to increased species diversity. Promoting the area enclosure as a viable strategy for biodiversity management and rehabilitation of rangelands were recommended as a result of this study.
Ineffective CPAP Treatment After Effective CPAP Titration.

Case Presentation A 67-year-old woman was evaluated for snoring, frequent awakenings, excessive sleepiness, nocturia, headaches, witnessed apneas, and choking and gasping from sleep. Medical history included OSA, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, depression in remission, and mild intermittent asthma. Epworth sleepiness scale score was 22 (abnormal is ≥10, maximum score is 24; increasing scores represent increasing sleepiness). She had been prescribed CPAP therapy. She reported initial nasal mask discomfort (ResMed AirFit N20 nasal mask), which improved with change to an oronasal mask. Patient used nightly, with acceptable tolerance. Sleep onset and wake times remained consistent, with an average total sleep time of 7 hours. She denied alcohol intake, sedative medication use, or changes in weight.
The Impact of Product Recalls on Future Product Reliability and Future Accidents: Evidence from the Automobile Industry

Abstract Although the goal of a product recall program is to enhance safety, little is known about whether firms learn from product recalls. This study tests the direct effect of product recalls on future accidents and future recall frequency and their indirect effect through future product reliability in the automobile industry. The authors test the hypotheses on 459 make/year observations involving 27 automobile makers between 1995 and 2011. The findings suggest that increases in recall magnitude lead to decreases in future number of injuries and recalls. This effect, in turn, is partially mediated by future changes in product reliability. The results also suggest that the positive relationship between recall magnitude and future product reliability is (1) stronger for firms with higher shared product assets and (2) weaker for brands of higher prior quality. The findings are robust across alternate measures and alternate model specifications and offer valuable insights for managerial practice and public...
Comparison between dual time point FDG PET imaging and partial volume correction of the standardized uptake value in the evaluation of pulmonary nodules

610 Objectives: The purpose of this study is to compare the diagnostic accuracy of two methods used for characterizing lung nodules in FDG PET: Dual time point imaging and partial volume correction for the first time point SUV. Methods: Two hundred sixty eight patients were included in this study (161men, 107 women, age range: 41–92 years). All patients had pulmonary nodules (0.5- 3 cm) discovered by computed tomography (CT), and the diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy or by follow up CT scanning. All patients underwent PET of the thorax at 2 time points: first scan at 60min post injection and second scan at 90 minutes post injection. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) was calculated for both time points. Partial volume correction for the first scan was applied as described in the literature using lung nodule size on CT to obtain volume corrected SUV (corSUV). Results: Biopsy and follow up revealed 72 patients with malignant lung nodules, and 196 patients with benign nodules. With dual time point scanning, when we considered any increase in SUV between initial and delayed images as the criterion for malignancy, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 81%, 95% ,and 91% respectively. When we considered any increase or no change in SUV between initial and delayed images as the criterion for malignancy, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 92%, 92%, and 92% respectively. When considering corSUV of 3 as a threshold for malignancy using the partial volume correction of SUV (at time point 1), the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 82%, 87%, and 86% respectively. For a threshold corSUV of 2.5 the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 90%, 80% and 83% respectively, whereas, for a threshold corSUV of 2.0 sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 96%, 74% and 80% respectively. Conclusions: Dual time point FDG PET imaging using any increase and/or no change in SUV between initial and delayed images as the criterion for malignancy, has significantly higher accuracy in the characterization of malignant lung nodules as compared to single time point corSUV.
Atomistic modeling of plastic deformation in B2-FeAl/Al nanolayered composites

In this work, the deformation response of the B2-FeAl/Al intermetallic composites, as a model material system for nanolayered composites comprised of intermetallic interfaces, has been explored. We use atomistic simulations to study the deformation mechanisms and the interface misfit dislocation structure of B2-FeAl/Al nanolayered composites. It is shown that two sets of dislocations are contained in the interface misfit dislocation network and are correlated with the initial dislocation nucleation from the interfaces. The effects of layer thickness on the uniaxial deformation response of the B2-FeAl/Al multilayers are investigated. We observed that under compressive loading the smaller proportion of the FeAl layers leads to the lower overall flow stress. Under tensile loading, the void formation mechanism is investigated, suggesting the interface structure and the dislocation activities in the FeAl layers playing a significant role to trigger the strain localization which leads to void nucleation commencing at the interface. It is also found that the deformation behavior in the “weak” Fe/Cu interface behaves substantially different than that of the “strong” FeAl/Al interface. The atomistic modeling study of the nanolayered composites here underpinned the mechanical response of “strong” intermetallic interface material systems. There is no void nucleation during the entire plastic deformations in the Fe/Cu simulations, which is attributed to much higher dislocation density, more slip systems activated, and relative uniformly distributed dislocation traces in the Fe phase of the Fe/Cu multilayers.
Aging, Caregiving, and COVID-19

Most older adults have a critical need for better support to age well; however, only a limited number of professionals exist in the field of caregiving. Thus, older adults are often forced to live alone and are exposed to various helpless situations, such as lack of physical, social, emotional, and financial support. The Americans with Disabilities Act, assuring equal protections, extended its coverage to all persons with disabilities in the United States, while the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act made it a legal responsibility for children and heirs to provide care to older adults in India, at least by providing a monthly allowance. However, everywhere, the practical scenario is different. Both in-home and institutional care, such as nursing home care, for older adults should be accessible, equitable, inclusive, safe, secure, and supportive. Is this available? The current pandemic has further compounded these challenges, both for caregivers and care recipients. Therefore, it is essential to generate awareness in the general population and implement strict monitoring of the existing laws to protect older adults living within or outside families. This chapter discusses different facets of caregiving, whether it is healthcare or regular care for basic activities or to provide emotional and financial care.
Restoring Fire-Adapted Forests in Eastern North America for Biodiversity Conservation and Hazardous Fuels Reduction

Fire-adapted ecosystems have degraded over the past 100 years as fuel accumulation and changes in species composition have resulted from fire suppression and altered disturbance regimes. Species that are dependent on or adapted to fire are in decline as fire intolerant species become established, altering stand structure, species diversity, fire susceptibility and fire behavior, nutrient cycling, and other ecosystem properties. Efforts to understand the effects of these changes on fire-adapted communities and to restore biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, through the re-introduction of fire and (or) the use of alternative silvicultural techniques for hazard fuel reduction, are important issues for land managers. These topics and other associated challenges as they are related to fire-adapted forests in eastern North America are discussed in this chapter. In general, re-introduction of fire alone provided mixed results for obtaining restoration goals. Silvicultural treatments can be used in some situations where fire may not be a feasible option (e.g. wildland urban interface), but these treatments do not provide ecosystem functions associated with fire.
Coordinating distributed operations

In this manuscript, we discuss the need for, and present a new system architecture for cross collaboration among multiple service enterprises. We demonstrate the importance and inevitability of such collaboration along with challenges in its proper realization through several real-life examples taken from different business domains. We then show that these challenge are rooted in two key factors: unpredictability and responsiveness. The key contribution of this manuscript is the presentation of a new model, centered on an intelligent hub, for coordinating the logistics of cross enterprise collaboration. This hub is constructed in a manner intended to directly identify and solve the two key fundamental challenges of cross enterprise collaboration. As such, we expect it to outperform other means of collaboration across service providers. We demonstrate the potential for such performance using field examples.
Good cop, bad cop: federal prosecution of state-legalized medical marijuana use after United States v. Lopez.

The Supreme Court's recent decisions in United States v. Lopez and United States v. Morrison articulate a vision of federalism under which Congress's regulatory authority under the Commerce Clause is severely limited in favor of returning traditional areas of state concern, particularly criminal law enforcement, to local or state control. The Court's decisions in these cases coincide with ballot initiatives legalizing the medical use of marijuana garnering a majority of the vote in California, Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Maine, and Washington D.C. Those who use marijuana for medical purposes under sanction of state law, however, still face the threat of federal prosecution under the Controlled Substances Act. Medical marijuana proponents have traditionally, and unsuccessfully, contested federal prosecution using individual rights arguments under theories of equal protection or substantive due process. This Comment argues that after Lopez and Morrison, the federal government's authority to regulate intrastate use of marijuana for medicinal purposes is not the foregone conclusion it once was. The author suggests that proponents of medical marijuana use should invoke the federalism arguments of Lopez and Morrison and argue for state legislative independence from the federal government on this issue.
A DAA scheme using batch proof and verification

Direct anonymous attestation (DAA) is an attractive cryptographic primitive, that is not only because it provides a balance between user authentication and privacy in an elegant way, but also because it is a part of the trusted computing technology from the Trusted Computing Group (TCG). However, in the TCG related community, DAA has a bad reputation of its cost for the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) resources. Researchers have recently worked out a number of DAA schemes, which require much less TPM resources than the one used by TCG. Our contribution in this paper is a new DAA scheme that makes use of an efficient batch proof and verification scheme to reduce the TPM computational workload. In our scheme, for the DAA Signing operation, the TPM needs only to perform one exponentiation (when linkability is not required) and two exponentiations (when linkability is required). This operation requires at least three exponentiations in the existing DAA schemes that provide the same functionality.
Apolipoprotein E isoforms and apolipoprotein AI protect from amyloid precursor protein carboxy terminal fragment‐associated cytotoxicity

Inheritance of the apolipoprotein (APO) E gene e 4o re2 allele alters the risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD), while increased alpha-tocopherol (AT) intake appears to lower the risk of AD. As APOE is a major apolipoprotein in the CNS and AT in vivo is transported in lipoproteins, we tested the hypothesis that CNS lipoproteins, as modeled by relevant concentrations of high density lipoprotein (HDL), and AT would interact to suppress neurotoxicity in a cell culture model of amyloid beta (Ab)- related toxicity. These cells conditionally express C99-derived peptides, proposed to be a key step in AD pathogenesis; this expression is closely associated with subsequent cell death. We found that physiologic concentrations of lipoproteins present in the CNS protected from C99-associated toxicity and provided evidence for two mechanisms of protection. The first was AT-independent, APOE isoform-dependent, and most potent for the APOE2 isoform. The second was a synergistic protection afforded by a combination of APOAI, or less so APOE, and AT. These data provide a novel explanation for the apparent AD-protective effect of inheriting an e2 APOE allele, and suggest that optimizing AT enrichment of CNS lipoproteins or devising APOAI mimetics may augment AT efficacy in treating AD.
An Emotional High for Stocks

Irrational Exuberance . Robert J. Shiller. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2000. 318 pp. $27.95, £17.50. ISBN 0-691-05062-7. In addition to arguing that the current U.S. stock market is overvalued, Shiller makes a strong case for interpreting the financial economics from a behavioral perspective that emphasizes psychological factors rather than rational choices.
Esterification of fatty acids at room temperature by chloroform-methanolic HCl–cupric acetate

A new procedure for the preparation of methyl esters from free fatty acids under mild conditions was investigated. Free fatty acids are dissolved in a mixture of chloroform-methanolic HCl-cupric acetate and kept at room temperature for 30 min for complete esterification. The method is suitable for esterification of long-chain acids, such as 18:0, and for very long chain acids, such as 24:0. Fatty acids from brain glycerophosphatides, which included a high concentration of polyenes such as 20:4 (n - 6), 22:4 (n - 6), and 22:6 (n - 3), were also esterified by the same procedure, and neither artifact formation nor loss of unsaturated acids was observed.
Computational Creativity in the Culinary Arts

This work examines the potential for computational creativity in the culinary arts. In particular, we present the outcome of our efforts to create an artificial chef that produces novel salad recipes with limited human assistance. Our system was designed in two steps: first, we constructed a statistical model to rank recipes. Then, we experimented with various search algorithms to explore the salad recipe space and discover novel ingredient combinations. Surprisingly, we discovered that the top ranked recipes from a randomly generated population were already of high quality, obviating the need for search. To validate the quality of our automatically generated salads, we conducted a blind taste test pitting three computer-designed and three human-designed salads against each other. We discovered that the best performing computer salad was competitive with the human generated salads.
Current applications of in utero intervention for lower urinary tract obstruction.

Summary Purpose Since the early 1980s with the inception of fetal intervention for obstructive uropathy, there have been creative attempts to improve both perinatal and long-term outcomes. Despite advances in technology and an improved understanding of lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO) in the fetus, the results for these therapeutic interventions remain guarded and the long-term renal morbidity among survivors remains problematic. Recent findings Fetal LUTO represents a range of disorders but the most common of these is posterior urethral valves (PUVs). Selection criteria for candidates of possible intervention have improved with our understanding of fetal renal physiology. Serial urinalysis has marginally improved our ability to predict those that may ultimately respond to treatment [1,2], but the potential in the development of biomarkers for renal development or maldevelopment holds greater promise [3]. Advancements in fetal surgery may result in less fetal and maternal morbidity, but limited long-term improvement in outcomes highlights the controversial nature of the various interventions [4–10]. We must counsel families that fetal surgery offers hope but we cannot allow them to hold unrealistic expectations for cure. Summary In appropriately selected fetuses, intervention may improve perinatal survival but not without risk to mother and fetus. Long-term renal outcomes remain problematic amongst survivors. In the case of PUV, postnatal primary valve ablation remains the cornerstone of treatment for nephron preservation; however, our ability to mimic these results in the prenatal population remains poor [11]. Disease severity has likely predetermined those that will survive through the perinatal period with or without intervention. Nonetheless, our drive to assess and manage fetal obstructive uropathy perseveres so that we may ultimately relieve obstruction and preserve renal and lung function. We must maintain optimism that continued advances will ultimately improve outcomes, but also be realistic with our current expectations. This paper reviews the status of current in utero interventions and outcomes.
Potentially preventable medical hospitalizations among Maryland residents with mental illness, 2005-2010.

ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to assess the association between mental illness and potentially preventable ambulatory care–sensitive (ACS) hospitalizations among children, adults, and older adults.MethodsThis was a retrospective, cross-sectional study that used 2005–2010 Maryland hospital discharge data (N=508,142 hospitalizations). Logistic regression was used to assess the associations between mental illness and ACS hospitalizations.ResultsAny mental illness diagnosis was associated with heightened odds of ACS hospitalization in all three age groups. Any mental illness diagnosis was associated with 84% higher odds of ACS hospitalization among children, 32% higher odds of ACS hospitalization among adults, and 30% higher odds of ACS hospitalization among older adults.ConclusionsMental illness was associated with increased odds of ACS hospitalization across the life span. Future research should examine the potential for integrated medical and behavioral health care models to address the poorly contro...
Immobilized Leucine Aminopeptidase Applications in Protein Chemistry

Abstract Leucine aminopeptidase (EC 3.4.1.1) has been covalentiy bound to porous glass through an azo linkage. For the hydrolysis of leucine p-nitroanilide at pH 7.3 and 25°, Km(app) for the immobilized enzyme is higher than that of the soluble enzyme: 1.30 ± 0.2 and 0.53 ± 0.03 mM, respectively. However, at saturating levels of substrate the immobilized derivative and free enzyme have similar activities; k. values for the bound and free enzymes are 46 ± 5 and 46 ± 2 sec−1, respectively. In addition, the pH and temperature dependences of the two enzyme forms are quite similar. These data suggest that the environment and conformation of the enzyme are not significantly changed after coupling. The apparent decrease in the substrate binding ability could be explained by a decrease in the effective diffusion coefficient of the substrate. The insoluble enzyme is also active against peptide substrates. After treatment to remove contaminating proteases, immobilized leucine aminopeptidase was used successfully in...
Propofol potentiates the depressant effect of alfentanil in isolated neonatal rat spinal cord and blocks naloxone-precipitated hyperresponsiveness

Abstract Our previous studies have shown that a benzodiazepine potentiates opioid actions on spinal cord by blocking a hyperresponsiveness that may be related to the development of opioid tolerance and withdrawal. The present study was designed to test whether propofol, which like benzodiazepines acts on GABA A receptors, displays similar interactions with opioids. Spinal cords isolated from 1–7 day old rats were arranged to record the slow ventral root potential (sVRP) elicited by stimulating a lumbar dorsal root. A concentration of propofol which by itself did not depress sVRP significantly enhanced the apparent potency of alfentanil and blocked the increase in sVRP observed when alfentanil is followed by naloxone. The results suggest that enhancement of GABA inhibition may increase opioid potency by inhibiting the development of acute tolerance.
Finite temperature correlations of the Ising chain in a transverse field

Recent work on the finite temperature correlators of the Ising chain in a transverse field is reviewed. The crossover phase diagram in the coupling-constant and temperature plane is discussed, and various exact results and conjectures for static and dynamic correlators are presented.