cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Background and Local Charcoal in Sediments: Scales of Fire Evidence in the Paleorecord

Stratigraphic charcoal data are used to interpret combustion at a range of spatial and temporal scales. Interpretation is based on assumptions regarding how charred particles are transported to and deposited in sedimentary basins and how the variance structure of stratigraphie profiles is affected by transport. Here we examine evidence for “background” and “local” signals in stratigraphie data based on total abundances of particles and on distributions of particle sizes. Distributions of particle sizes in sediments and in the atmosphere show remarkable consistency, with a ~ 2% decrease in frequency for a 1% increase in particle diameter. Relatively large differences in source distance are required to produce differences in particle size distributions. Thus, stratigraphie samples with disproportionate representation of large particles are likely to represent a nearby source. Simple transport models suggest particles 100 to 101 μm have substantially longer atmospheric residence times than do particles > 102 μm. Several factors can produce a “dichotomy” (background vs local) in total abundances of charred particles. Transport during a single experimental burn shows abrupt decline in accumulation at a burn edge and relatively constant values out to 102 m. Saltation and redistribution of particles in surface runoff following fire are expected to focus accumulation within a catchment (local scale). The amount of transport that occurs by these modes is unstudied. The stratigraphie record appears to support a distinction between local, catchment sources vs. fires burning at greater distance. Charcoal profiles often show distinct peaks when fires burn within a lake catchment but are unaffected by fires that occur at greater distance. Broad subcontinental scale patterns in particle accumulation indicate shifts in regional importance of fire. The low frequency variance can be extracted from charcoal profiles and used to differentiate local from background changes in burning. Although the empirical data are still far too few to permit good characterization of particle transport, the evidence suggests utility in the concepts of background and local signals in profiles.
Common Themes in the Life Stories of Unaccompanied Homeless Youth in High School: Implications for Educators

In this study, we explored the life stories of unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY) who continued to attend high school despite no longer being in the custody of a parent or guardian. A qualitative approach allowed participants to share their life stories in their own words. Nine students (five males, four females) ranging in age from 17 to 20 were recruited from a community-based organization serving homeless youth to participate in individual interviews. Thematic analysis revealed nine themes reflecting chaotic, impoverished family environments marked by multiple forms of abuse juxtaposed with individual and extrafamilial factors promoting resilience. Implications for supporting UHY in schools are discussed.
Nephrotic Syndrome as a Complication of Immune Tolerance in Hemophilia B

To the Editor: Inhibitors to factor IX (fIX) develop in approximately 1.5% to 3% of persons with severe hemophilia B and are commonly associated with the complete absence of fIX antigen due to large gene deletions or nonsense mutations.[1][1] The occurrence of high-titer inhibitors severely
Local Strategies: Creating and Nurturing Collaborative Communities of Practice

In 2006 the faculty at Champlain College were charged by a new president to design and implement, within a year, a new interdisciplinary general education curriculum for all traditional undergradua...
Randomized controlled trial comparing the supraglottic airway to use of an endotracheal tube in sinonasal surgery.

Background The supraglottic airway (SGA) represents an alternative to endotracheal intubation (endotracheal tube [ETT]) in many types of ambulatory surgery. Adoption of the SGA has progressed slowly in sinonasal surgery due to concerns about airway protection. The purpose of this study was to compare quality of life measures and indices of airway protection between patients undergoing sinonasal surgery who were ventilated via an SGA or ETT. Methods Patients undergoing outpatient sinonasal surgery were enrolled into a randomized, single-blind study in which patients would be ventilated with either an SGA or ETT. At the first postoperative visit, a symptom severity and quality of life questionnaire was completed. Additional objective metrics were extracted from the anesthesia record. Results A total of 102 patients were enrolled; 49 assigned to the SGA group and 53 assigned to the ETT group. No significant differences in swallowing function or cough were identified. SGA patients reported more difficulty returning to a normal diet (p = 0.03) with a trend toward reduced throat pain (p = 0.07) and improved phonation (p = 0.06). No significant difference in perioperative oxygen desaturations, emesis, recovery time, or airway blood penetration were identified. Conclusion While the use of the SGA results in patient diet modification postoperatively, it may also be associated with a reduction in throat pain and dysphonia. SGA use had no appreciable effect on postanesthesia recovery times, oxygen desaturations, or emesis. Use of the SGA in sinonasal surgery appears to be a safe and reliable option for airway management in selected adult patients undergoing routine ambulatory sinonasal surgery.
Linking asteroid detections from the large synoptic survey telescope

We have conducted a detailed simulation of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) in order to understand the system's ability to link detections of asteroids within and across nights in order to populate a catalog of asteroid orbits. We show that LSST, using its baseline survey cadence, should be able to successfully link and catalog asteroids. In our simulation of a single monthly observing cycle, LSST produced 66 million candidate detections of main belt asteroids (MBAs) and near-Earth objects (NEOs), of which 77% were spurious detections related to detector noise or image processing. Using the Moving Object Processing System (MOPS, Denneau et al. 2013, PASP 125, p. 357), we were able to assemble single-night “tracklets” with negligible losses, but a purity of only 43%. The next stage of linking led to three-night orbits with data sets no more than 12 days in length, and it is at this stage that the false detections are readily removed from the data stream. Main-belt linkages were essentially complete and 99.8% pure. Similarly, only 0.02% of linked detections involving NEOs were spurious. On the other hand, NEO linking was 93.6% complete, indicating that 6.4% of potentially findable NEOs were not successfully linked. We believe that this rate can be improved with careful tuning of the MOPS linking algorithms. The NEO catalog was affected by main-belt confusion so that mis-linked MBAs appeared as NEOs, and many correctly linked MBAs were consistent with NEO orbits. We show that these cases arise primarily from MBAs detected at lower solar elongations and we postulate that this is an artifact of a one month simulation that will be readily resolved by surveying over many months.
Botulinum Toxin Injection for Prostate Disorders

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with its related symptoms is a common condition that affects nearly half of men over age 50 and 90% of men over the age of 80 (McVary 2006). Lower urinary tract symptoms caused by BPH which include nocturia, frequency, urgency, hesitancy, intermittency, and incomplete emptying can be very bothersome, affect an individual’s lifestyle significantly, and are costly (Wei et al. 2005). The condition is associated with a reduced quality of life and sleep disturbance. BPH may lead to urinary retention, bladder stones, renal insufficiency, and urinary tract infections. The anatomical location of the human prostate and the urethra lend itself to the development of lower urinary tract symptoms including both obstructive and irritative symptoms. The initial evaluation of BPH includes administration of a validated symptom index that evaluates the presence and severity of the main components of lower urinary tract symptoms. The importance of symptoms in the pathophysiology of BPH is underscored by the fact that symptom measurements comprised 78% of all endpoints from the recent Medical Treatment of Prostate Symptoms trial, compared to 22% of endpoints for objective measures such as urinary retention and urinary tract infection (Gormley et al. 2002). BPH, in a large part, is a neural phenomenon given that sensory symptoms such as frequency, urgency, and nocturia are key factors that push patients to seek treatment.
Advances in the Treatment of Acute Myocardial Infarction

Before the 1970’s 1 in 5 people that actually made it to the emergency room of major hospitals in this country, were destined to die from Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI). Over the next two decades, major changes took place in the way we treat AMI that has significantly decreased the overall mortality rate.
The Fragility of Goodness: Conclusion to Part I

Our discussions of tragedy so far have started from our second question, about the plurality of the values and the possibility of conflict among them. This has led, in turn, to some discussion of our first question, about the vulnerability of certain values taken singly, and also of our third, about the disrupting power of the passions. For it turns out that some very vulnerable single values are also dangerous grounds of conflict and occasions for passional upheaval; and stratagems for eliminating conflict have also rendered each of these more stable in its own right. (These connections among the problems will be further elaborated in the chapters that follow: especially Chapter 4, pp. 116–17; Chapter 5, §v; Chapter 6, pp. 181 and 196–7; and Chapter 7, p. 221.) It might, however, seem more symmetrical and systematic if, at this point, we devoted an entire chapter to tragedy's perception of the vulnerability of individual values, such as love, friendship, and political commitment. We shall not do this here, for two reasons. First, Chapter 13 is just such a reading of a (Euripidean) tragedy: it asks about the fragility of a good human life through its commitment to love and to social values. This chapter can be read at this point rather than later by any reader interested in pursuing the issues in chronological sequence. Its argument in no way relies on later material.
A GA-based method for function approximation using adaptive interpolation

We are developing GA-based tools for use in constructing high quality approximations to continuous functions. In this paper we report on a GA-based method for adaptively selecting effective interpolation points. We evaluate our approach on a variety of test functions, and we compare are results to more traditional approaches. The results are quite promising and suggest directions for further improvements.
Nonmarket Strategy in India

With over 1.3 billion people, India is the world’s second most populous country. Nonetheless, its economy struggles to compete with those of smaller Western European nations like France, Germany, and the UK, all of which benefit from more stable political situations and greater freedom. Although India’s economy ranks 130 in the Index, the country has made significant progress in an initiative toward liberalization and deregulation (see Table 6.1). Consider that in 1995, India’s economic freedom score was only 45.1, which fell into the Index’s “repressed” category. Nonetheless, the nation continues to be undermined by corruption, overregulation, irresponsible spending, and a lack of commitment to the rule of law (Miller et al. 2018).
Use of a meta-research team to facilitate evidence-based medicine to the next generation.

Physicians are increasingly required to implement evidence-based clinical decision-making, underpinning the importance of an evidence-based medical curriculum. Some medical schools in the USA have incorporated training in evidence-based medicine (EBM) into their preclinical curricula in an attempt to prepare students for evidence-based practice. Evidence supports the incorporation of EBM training into the preclinical medical school curricula, as increased exposure to EBM during these years has been found to increase both the medical students’ perceived self-efficacy in practising EBM and the likelihood that they will continue to implement evidence-based practices.1 Despite these benefits, there is also evidence that current curricula are incomplete and only partially effective. For example, one study found that prior to graduation, US medical students in their final year of medical school were only able to demonstrate an understanding of 50% of the EBM principles that were evaluated.2 Furthermore, underdeveloped research skills may leave healthcare professionals unable to implement evidence-based clinical decisions since they are unable to evaluate the accuracy, reliability and credibility of research findings.3 To address step four of the Evidence-Based Medicine Manifesto,4 we have implemented a research team at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences composed of medical students and physicians …
Predicting Student Success in Computer Science – A Reproducibility Study

(Research Category/Full paper) — A recent study conducted at the University of Oklahoma, a large research university attempted to use the grades on initial Computer Science courses to predict the success of Computer Science majors. We attempted to reproduce this study in a mid-sized liberal arts institution. We analyzed 15 years of data of students (majors as well as non-Computer Science majors) who had taken introductory Computer Science courses. We found that the better the grade on Computer Science I, the introductory course in the major, the better the cumulative GPA of the student upon graduation, and this applied to Computer Science majors as well as non-majors. All the students who had successfully graduated with a Computer Science degree had earned at least a C grade in the first three required courses: Computer Science I, Computer Science II and Data Structures. When we considered grades on six of the required courses in the Computer Science sequence, we found that students generally earned the same or lower grade on each subsequent course. Therefore, the performance of Computer Science majors on the first three courses in the required course sequence can reasonably be used as predictors of their success in the major. Finally, we found that Math SAT score was a good predictor of student success in Computer Science I as well as obtaining an undergraduate degree regardless of the major. Our study generalizes the results of the previous study and strengthens the results by finding that they are statistically significant. (Abstract)
A Prospective, Blinded Study Comparing In-hospital Postoperative Pain Scores Reported by Patients to Nurses Versus Physicians.

Introduction: Referred to as the “fifth vital sign”, pain is unique in that it cannot be obtained accurately by objective measurements. Instead, providers rely on patient-reported scales, such as the numerical rating scale (NRS), to determine a patient’s pain level. Research has shown that patients report different pain scores to nurses and physicians in the clinic setting. It is unknown if this also occurs in the acute postoperative period. We hypothesized that patients report similar pain scores to the nursing staff and physician postoperatively. The primary aim of this study was to examine the degree of agreement between these patient-reported pain scores. Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 90 postoperative patients. During rounds, the surgeon collected a patient-reported pain score using the 11-point verbal NRS. Following rounds, the nursing staff obtained a pain score using the same scale. The patient was blinded to the study. Results: The median score reported to both the surgeon and nurses was 3 (range: 0-10), with a median difference of 0 (range: -2.5 to 7). Fifty-four percent of patients reported the same score to both the surgeon and the nurse and 88% of patients reported scores within a 1-point difference. This corresponded to an interclass correlation coefficient of 0.90, indicating very good agreement. The degree of agreement in pain scores reported to surgeons and nurses was consistent according to sex and age. Conclusion: The results of the study demonstrate a high degree of agreement between the pain scores reported by the patients to both the nursing staff and the surgeon postoperatively, with 88% of the scores at most being 1-point different.
Entrepreneurship and Firm Formation Across Countries

The World Bank Group Entrepreneurship Survey measures entrepreneurial activity around the world. The database includes cross-country, time-series data on the number of total and newly registered businesses for 84 countries. This paper finds significant relationships between entrepreneurial activity and indicators of economic and financial development and growth, the quality of the legal and regulatory environment, and governance. The analysis shows the importance of electronic registration procedures to encourage greater business registration. These results can guide effective policymaking and deliver new capabilities for identifying the impact of reforms.
Parametric Analysis of an Optical Fiber–Based Gamma Thermometer for University Research Reactors Using an Analytic Thermal Model

This paper describes the parametric analysis of an optical fiber–based gamma thermometer (OFBGT) that is intended to be used to infer the power distribution in the Ohio State University Research Re...
The effect of mixing and free-floating carrier media on bioaerosol release from wastewater: a multiscale investigation with Bacillus globigii

Aeration tanks in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are significant sources of bioaerosols, which contain microbial contaminants and can travel miles from the site of origin, risking the health of operators and the general public. One potential mitigation strategy is to apply free-floating carrier media (FFCM) to suppress bioaerosol emission. This article presents a multiscale study on the effects of mixing and FFCM on bioaerosol release using Bacillus globigii spores in well-defined liquid media. Bioaerosol release, defined as percentage of spores aerosolized during a 30 minute sampling period, ranged from 6.09 × 10−7% to 0.057%, depending upon the mixing mode and intensity. Bioaerosol release increased with the intensity of aeration (rotating speed in mechanical agitation and aeration rate in diffused aeration). A surface layer of polystyrene beads reduced bioaerosol released by >92% in the bench-scale studies and >74% in the pilot-scale study. This study discovered strong correlations (R2 > 0.82) between bioaerosol release and superficial gas velocity, Froude number, and volumetric gas flow per unit liquid volume per minute. The Reynolds number was found to be poorly correlated with bioaerosol release (R2 < 0.5). This study is a significant step toward the development of predictive models for full scale systems.
Predicting Individual Cell Division Events from Single-Cell ERK and Akt Dynamics

Abstract Predictive determinants of stochastic single-cell fates have been elusive, even for the well-studied mammalian cell cycle. What drives proliferation decisions of single cells at any given time? We monitored single-cell dynamics of the ERK and Akt pathways, critical cell cycle progression hubs and anti-cancer drug targets, and paired them to division events in the same single cells using the non-transformed MCF10A epithelial line. Following growth factor treatment, in cells that divide both ERK and Akt activities are significantly higher within the S-G2 time window (∼8.5-40 hours). Such differences were much smaller in the pre-S-phase, restriction point window which is traditionally associated with ERK and Akt activity dependence, suggesting unappreciated roles for ERK and Akt in S through G2. Machine learning algorithms show that simple metrics of central tendency in this time window are most predictive for subsequent cell division; median ERK and Akt activities classify individual division events with an AUC=0.76. Surprisingly, ERK dynamics alone predict division in individual cells with an AUC=0.74, suggesting Akt activity dynamics contribute little to the decision driving cell division in this context. We also find that ERK and Akt activities are less correlated with each other in cells that divide. Network reconstruction experiments demonstrated that this correlation behavior was likely not due to crosstalk, as ERK and Akt do not interact in this context, in contrast to other transformed cell types. Overall, our findings support roles for ERK and Akt activity throughout the cell cycle as opposed to just before the restriction point, and suggest ERK activity dynamics are substantially more important than Akt activity dynamics for driving cell division in this non-transformed context. Single cell imaging along with machine learning algorithms provide a better basis to understand cell cycle progression on the single cell level.
Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy After Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy for Recurrent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy targeting cluster of differentiation (CD)19 has had a transformative impact on patient outcomes in a subset of patients with relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma. We present a patient with refractory large B-cell lymphoma in complete remission for 2 years following treatment with CD19-targeted CAR T-cell therapy, who presented with 2 weeks of progressive aphasia. Imaging revealed a left occipital brain lesion and biopsy demonstrated features diagnostic of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Further evaluation revealed severe hypogammaglobulinemia and a low CD4 count. She was treated with pembrolizumab and intravenous immunoglobulin resulting in decreased cerebrospinal fluid viral load without clinical improvement and died 8 weeks after presentation. This case highlights that there is potential for severe opportunistic infections after CAR T-cell therapy, including fatal progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Strategies to enhance post-treatment immune reconstitution are essential to further harness the unique potency of CAR T-cell therapy.
On the usability of user interfaces for secure website authentication in browsers

Public Key cryptography has become, in many environments, a fundamental building block for authentication purposes. Although many applications already support the usage of Public Key Certificates (PKCs), the usability of the many security features and their understanding by users is still not fully addressed. Moreover, with the increasing number of services offered via Internet and their impact on many aspects of everyday life of millions of users, the need to address usability of security is compelling. In our work we provide a usability study that highlights the status of the current User Interfaces (UIs) in browsers. In particular we focus our attention on the effectiveness of the messages related to website authentication. We also provide a set of guidelines aimed at improving the user experience and the incisiveness of security-related warnings. A prototype of a user interface is provided and analyzed.
Matroid automorphisms of the F 4 root system

Let $F_4$ be the root system associated with the 24-cell, and let $M(F_4)$ be the simple linear dependence matroid corresponding to this root system. We determine the automorphism group of this matroid and compare it to the Coxeter group $W$ for the root system. We find non-geometric automorphisms that preserve the matroid but not the root system.
Pattern Recognition: Statistical, Structural and Neural Approaches

STATISTICAL PATTERN RECOGNITION (StatPR). Supervised Learning (Training) Using Parametric and Nonparametric Approaches. Linear Discriminant Functions and the Discrete and Binary Feature Cases. Unsupervised Learning and Clustering. SYNTACTIC PATTERN RECOGNITION (SyntPR). Overview. Syntactic Recognition via Parsing and Other Grammars. Graphical Approaches to SyntPR. Learning via Grammatical Inference. NEURAL PATTERN RECOGNITION (NeurPR). Introduction to Neural Networks. Introduction to Neural Pattern Associators and Matrix Approaches. Feedforward Networks and Training by Backpropagation. Content Addressable Memory Approaches and Unsupervised Learning in NeurPR. Appendices. References. Permission Source Notes. Index.
Diathesis‐Stress Models

Diathesis-stress models provide useful ways to think about and organize information about how external factors (e.g., life stress) and internal factors (e.g., constitutional vulnerability) may operate together in causing disorder and disease. In actuality there are several types of diathesis-stress model. For example, there are several ways in which both the stress and the diatheses may be conceptualized and defined, and these may vary with respect to the particular kinds of disorder investigated. Furthermore, there are distinctly different ways in which stress and diatheses may operate in relation to one another to bring about illness. Recent advances in molecular genetics, as well as intriguing conceptual extensions of the diathesis-stress model, hold promise for enhancing the utility of this general approach for better understanding the causes of mental and physical disorders. Keywords: psychopathology; predisposition; psychobiology; stress
Photosynthesis and the Charles F. Kettering Research Laboratory

A review of the establishment and subsequent demise of the Charles F. Kettering Research Laboratory (in Yellow Springs, Ohio) is presented here.
Mean Field and Collisions in Hot Nuclei

Collisions between heavy nuclei produce nuclear matter of high density and excitation. Brueckner methods are used to calculate the momentum and temperature dependent mean field for nucleons propagating through nuclear matter during these collisions. The mean field is complex and the imaginary part is related to the “two-body” collisions, while the real part relates to ”one-body” collisions. A potential model for the N-N interactions is avoided by calculating the Reaction matrix directly from the T-matrix (i.e. N-N phase-shifts) using a version of Brueckner theory previously published by the author. Results are presented for nuclear matter at normal and twice normal density and for temperatures up to 50 MeV.
The Political (and Other) Safeguards of Religious Freedom

This essay is a contribution to a symposium marking the 20th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s still-controversial decision in Employment Division v. Smith. That decision, it is suggested, should not be read as reflecting or requiring hostility or indifference towards claims for legislatively enacted accommodations of religion. Smith is not an endorsement of religion-blind neutrality in constitutional law; instead, it assigns to politically accountable actors the difficult, but crucially important, task of accommodating those whose religious exercise would otherwise be burdened by generally applicable laws. The essay goes on to suggest several things that must be true of our law and politics if this assignment is to work well, that is, to in fact promote and protect religious freedom. Among other things, it is proposed that governments should attend carefully to the “infrastructure” of religious freedom, and should work to create and sustain the institutional and other conditions that are conducive to religious liberty. And, notwithstanding Smith, courts should enforce vigorously, using judicially manageable standards, the church-autonomy principle and the institutional separation of religious and political authority. After all, the “political safeguards” of religious freedom can be effective only if there are work in society associations and authorities that are not merely political.
Expressibility results for linear-time and branching-time logics

We investigate the expressive power of linear-time and branching-time temporal logics as fragments of the logic CTL*. We give a simple characterization of those CTL* formulas that can be expressed in linear-time logic. We also give a simple method for showing that certain CTL* formulas cannot be expressed in the branching-time logic CTL. Both results are illustrated with examples.
Visual Recognition of Activities, Gestures, Facial Expressions and Speech: An Introduction and a Perspective

Computer vision has started migrating from the peripheral area to the core of computer science and engineering. Multimedia computing and natural human-machine interfaces are providing adequate challenges and motivation to develop techniques that will play key role in the next generation of computing systems. Recognition of objects and events is very important in multimedia systems as well as interfaces. We consider an object a spatial entity and an event a temporal entity. Visual recognition of objects and activities is one of the fastest developing area of computer vision.
Targets to prevent prolonged length of stay after endovascular aortic repair

Objective Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is a commonly performed vascular operation. Yet, postoperative length of stay (LOS) varies greatly, even within institutions. The present study reviewed the morbidity, mortality, and the financial effect of increased LOS to establish modifiable factors associated with prolonged hospital LOS, with the goal of improving quality. Methods The Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative database was used to identify all patients undergoing primary, elective EVAR at a single institution between January 1, 2011, and May 28, 2014. Preoperative patient characteristics, intraoperative details, postoperative factors, long-term outcomes, and cost data were reviewed using an Institutional Review Board-approved prospectively collected database. Multivariate analysis was used to determine statistical difference between patients with LOS ≤2 days and >2 days. Results Complete 30-day variable and cost data were available for 138 patients with an average follow-up of 12 months; of these, 46 (33%) had a LOS >2 days. Variables determined to be statistically significant predictors of prolonged LOS included aneurysm diameter ( P = .03), American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification score ( P P = .01), and increased postoperative cardiac ( P P = .01) complications. Specifically, modifiable risk factors that contributed to increased LOS included performance of a concomitant procedure ( P P = .05), increased volume of intraoperative crystalloid ( P = .05), placement in an intensive care unit ( P P P P = .01) and costs ($27,000 ± $10,000 vs $45,000 ± $19,000 P = .01) were significantly higher in patients with prolonged LOS; however, there was no difference in physician charges ($8000 ± $5700 vs $12,000 ± $12,000; P = .09). Increased LOS after EVAR was associated with an increase in mortality at 1 month (0% vs 4% P = .05) and 12 months (3% vs 13% P = .03). Conclusions This study highlights several modifiable risk factors leading to increased LOS after EVAR, including performance of concomitant procedures, admission to the intensive care unit, and postoperative renal and cardiac complications. Further, increased LOS was associated with increased charges, costs, morbidity, and mortality after EVAR. This study highlights specific areas of focus for decreasing LOS after EVAR and, in turn, improving quality in vascular surgery.
Engaging researchers and decision makers to develop usable climate information

In this plenary panel, speakers from academia and government present their past efforts to engage researchers and decision makers in determining and delivering information needed for climate change action. The primary goal of the panel presentations and discussion is to envision new ways for decision makers, scientists and information technology developers to work together to define and carry out public policy. After moderators present some background about the role of science in approaching wicked problems that face governments and society, scientists and decision makers who have worked together on these issues, as well as software developers engaged in delivering the desired information technology, will present their experiences with ongoing projects. The panel session concludes with questions and comments from the audience, and discussion among panel members.
Advances in lung cancer surgery

The last few years have witnessed an explosion of the use of minimally invasive techniques for the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of all stages of lung Cancer. The use of these techniques has improved the risk-benefit ratio of surgery and has made it more acceptable to patients considering lung surgery. They have also facilitated the delivery of multi-modality therapy to patients with advanced lung cancer. This review article summarizes current surgical techniques that represent the "cutting edge" of thoracic surgery for lung cancer.
Soy isoflavones--benefits and risks from nature's selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs).

Phytoestrogens have become one of the more topical areas of interest in clinical nutrition. These non-nutrient bioactive compounds are ubiquitous to the plant kingdom and possess a wide range of biological properties that contribute to the many different health-related benefits reported for soy foods and flaxseeds—two of the most abundant dietary sources of phytoestrogens. Reviewed is the recent knowledge related to their pharmacokinetics and clinical effects, focusing mainly on isoflavones that are found in high concentrations in soy foods. Arguments are made for considering soy isoflavones as natural selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) based upon recent data of their conformational binding to estrogen receptors. Rebuttal is made to several key and important issues related to the recent concerns about the safety of soy and its constituent isoflavones. This article is not intended to be a comprehensive review of the literature but merely highlight recent research with key historical perspectives.
Frontal branch of the facial nerve: galeal temporal relationship.

Background: Risks to the frontal branch of the facial nerve, especially at the juncture of the zygomatic arch, have been well studied in connection with aesthetic procedures. The use of bicoronal incisions led to the observation that there is a second area in which injury to the frontal branch of the facial nerve is at risk: the transition plane between the area over the temporalis muscle and the pericranial region. Objective: A study was conducted to map out the frontal branch of the facial nerve as it passes through the dense galeal temporal fascia, because this is a zone of potential injury. Methods: Ten fresh frozen cadaver halves were dissected by use of a standard surgical bicoronal approach with surgical instrumentation and loupe magnification × 2.5. Results: In the area of interest, which included the region overlying the zygomatic arch, as well as the galeal frontalis fusion point, the nerve was found to be deep and within the fusion point. The nerve was cephalad to the sentinel vein in each instance, and the tissue was freely dissected medial and lateral to the fusion point of the galea and the temporal fascia. The fusion plane was dense and in a direct line in the vertical direction with the loose areolar plane on either side. Conclusion: The dense tissue within the galeal temporal region needs to be approached with caution, avoiding electrocautery and using sharp dissection. The cadaver study demonstrates the close proximity of the nerve in the deeper portion of the elevated superficial flap.
Effects of tridiphane on growth and structure of soybean leaf tissue

Abstract The herbicide tridiphane [2-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-(2,2,2-trichloroethyl)oxirane] inhibited plant growth and damaged developing soybean ( Glycine max L.) leaf tissues. Resulting symptoms resembled those produced by chloroacetamide herbicides and may indicate similar mechanisms of action. Parenchyma cells along the midrib of the developing trifoliate leaflet exhibited an irregular shape 14 hr after exposure to tridiphane, while cells in the leaf lamella appeared uninjured. This preceded nearly complete necrosis of the leaflet apex 44 hr after herbicide application. A heart-shaped deformation of the treated leaflet was evident at 10 days and may have been due to tissue expansion around necrotic areas at the apex. Unifoliate leaves were fully developed at herbicide application and appeared less susceptible to injury.
Type 2 diabetes: identifying high risk Asian American subgroups in a clinical population.

Aims We compared the prevalence and treatment of type 2 diabetes across Asian American subgroups (Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese) and Non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs) in a Northern California healthcare system.
Integrals in the Theory of Electron Correlations

Two integrals occurring in the theory of a degenerate electron gas are evaluated exactly. These integrals represent the zero point plasma energy and second order exchange energy respectively.
Acquisition and Licensing of Intellectual Property

Explores the issue of global licensing of technological advancement. Deals particularly with the legal side of things, minimizing risk in particular. Indicates that the fastest and best way of penetrating foreign markets is to use a local branch already established in the foreign market, or, alternatively, establish a subsidiary or joint venture. Focuses then on licensing and some of the problems that can arise from that – piracy, exploitation, competition and financial implications if things go wrong. Suggests ways to circumvent this through licensing agreements, patents, trademarks, copyright, technology transfer agreements, and/or national intellectual property laws. Defines a licensing agreement, covering the subject matter of the license, technical assistance provisions, specification of the scope of the license, royalty compensation, quality standards and warranties, infringement of licensed rights, and duration and termination of the agreement. Mentions, also, antitrust considerations and the tax aspects of licensing. Recommends this approach as it spells out terms and conditions clearly to all parties, thereby, hopefully, reducing misunderstanding and disputes.
Shaping Education through Diverse Funds of Knowledge: A Look at One Latina Paraeducator's Lived Experiences, Beliefs, and Teaching Practice

We examine the experiences of one Mexican immigrant paraeducator and how these translate into beliefs and teaching. Generally, the concept of "funds of knowledge" has been used with respect to students. We use this concept more broadly to consider the experiences of teachers as critical to their teaching and as resources for instruction. This paraeducator had markedly different experiences from those of the mainstream teaching force yet numerous factors mitigated against using these for instruction. Our work documents how the multiple sociocultural contexts of teachers' lives and their later beliefs and practices interact in particular institutional settings to impact teaching practices. Increased attention to the study of teachers' cultural beliefs and practices has important implications for the study of schooling and teacher education.
Repeated ketamine exposure induces an enduring resilient phenotype in adolescent and adult rats.

Background Major depressive disorder afflicts up to 10% of adolescents. However, nearly 50% of those afflicted are considered nonresponsive to available treatments. Ketamine, a noncompetitive N -methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist has shown potential as a rapid-acting and long-lasting treatment for major depressive disorder in adults. Thus, the effectiveness and functional consequences of ketamine exposure during adolescence were explored. Methods Adolescent male rats (postnatal day [PD] 35) received two ketamine (0, 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg) injections, 4 hours apart, after exposure to day 1 of the forced swim test (FST). The next day, rats were reexposed to the FST to assess ketamine-induced antidepressant-like responses. Separate groups were exposed to chronic unpredictable stress to confirm findings from the FST. After these initial experiments, adolescent naive rats were exposed to either 1 or 15 consecutive days (PD35–49) of ketamine (20 mg/kg) twice daily. Ketamine's influence on behavioral reactivity to rewarding (i.e., sucrose preference) and aversive (i.e., elevated plus-maze, FST) circumstances was then assessed 2 months after treatment. To control for age-dependent effects, adult rats (PD75–89) were exposed to identical experimental conditions. Results Ketamine (20 mg/kg) reversed the chronic unpredictable stress–induced depression-like behaviors in the FST. Repeated ketamine exposure resulted in anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like responses 2 months after drug exposure. None of the ketamine doses used were capable of inducing drug-seeking behaviors as measured by place preference conditioning. Conclusions Repeated ketamine exposure induces enduring resilient-like responses regardless of age of exposure. These findings point to ketamine, and its repeated exposure, as a potentially useful antidepressant during adolescence.
Natural variation of ascospore and conidial germination by Fusarium verticillioides and other Fusarium species

Fusarium verticillioides and other Fusarium species were examined for their spore germination phenotypes. In general, germinating spores of F. verticillioides formed germ tubes that immediately penetrated into agar. Such invasive germination was the predominant growth phenotype among 22 examined field isolates of F. verticillioides from a broad range hosts and locations. However, two of the field isolates were unique in that they formed conidial germ tubes and hyphae that grew along the surface of agar before penetration eventually occurred. Conidia of 22 other Fusarium species were assessed for their germination phenotypes, and only some strains of F. annulatum, F. fujikuroi, F. globosum, F. nygamai, and F. pseudoanthophilum had the surface germination phenotype (21% of the strains assessed). Sexual crosses and segregation analyses involving one of the F. verticillioides surface germination strains, NRRL 25059, indicated a single locus, designated SIG1 (surface vs. invasive germination), controlled the germ tube growth phenotypes exhibited by both conidia and ascospores. Perfect correlation was observed between an ascospore germination phenotype and the germination phenotype of the conidia produced from the resulting ascospore-derived colony. Recombination data suggested SIG1 was linked ( approximately 7% recombination frequency) to FPH1, a recently described locus necessary for enteroblastic conidiogenesis. Corn seedling blight assays indicated surface germinating strains of F. verticillioides were less virulent than invasively germinating strains. Assays also indicated pathogenicity segregated independently of the FPH1 locus. Invasive germination is proposed as the dominant form of spore germination among Fusarium species. Furthermore, conidia were not necessary for corn seedling disease development, but invasive germination may have enhanced the virulence of conidiating strains.
Crotamiton lotion in pruritus.

: The authors studied the antipruritic effects of 10% crotamiton lotion in 31 patients with bilaterally symmetrical pruritic dermatoses. In this double-blind, paired-comparison clinical trial, there was no significant difference in relief of pruritus between the crotamiton lotion and its vehicle. The study does not confirm the results of previous uncontrolled studies indicating that crotamiton has an antipruritic effect.
Collagen production rates following acute lung damage induced by butylated hydroxytoluene

Abstract Treatment of mice intraperitoneally with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) results in the formation of a diffuse, dose-dependent lung lesion. At high doses of BHT, pulmonary flbrosis becomes evident. The rate of collagen production was measured in vitro in normal and BHT-damaged lung tissue by quantitating the formation of acid-insoluble [ 3 H]hydroxyproline from [ 3 H]proline at 1, 2, 3 and 4 hr of incubation. Collagen production was elevated 2 days after BHT (400 mg/kg) and reached a maximum rate of 150 pmoles · (mg dry wt) −1 · hr −1 at day 7. The rate then declined but was still significantly above control levels of 57 pmoles · (mg dry wt) −1 · hr −1 at day 14. Expressing these data as a percentage of total protein synthesis committed to collagen demonstrated a specific stimulation of collagen synthesis. A maximum level of 1.5% of total protein synthesis was committed to collagen 7 days after BHT. Control mice committed 0.6% to collagen synthesis. Both the maximum and control percentages of collagen synthesis were the same as those previously reported in vivo following BHT (400 mg/kg). Doses of BHT as low as 200 mg/kg produced a significant increase in both the in vitro rate and percentage of pulmonary collagen synthesis. Only at doses of BHT of 300 mg/kg or greater could the deposition of excess collagen be detected as an increase in total lung hydroxyproline. There was a linear dose-response relationship between BHT and the rate of collagen synthesis. Pulmonary DNA synthesis, another index of lung damage, exhibited a steep, non-linear dose-response relationship with BHT. These data show that increases in the rate and percentage of collagen production are readily detected at levels of lung damage which do not result in the deposition of a measurable excess of hydroxyproline and that in vitro rates of collagen synthesis are, therefore, a sensitive index of lung damage which may be used to extrapolate to “non-toxic” dosage levels. This study also shows that the percentage of protein synthesis devoted to collagen is the same in vivo and in vitro in both normal and BHT-damaged lung tissue.
Estimation in Phase-Shift and Forward Wireless Sensor Networks

We consider a network of single-antenna sensors that observe an unknown deterministic parameter. Each sensor applies a phase shift to the observation and the sensors simultaneously transmit the result to a multi-antenna fusion center (FC). Based on its knowledge of the wireless channel to the sensors, the FC calculates values for the phase factors that minimize the variance of the parameter estimate, and feeds this information back to the sensors. The use of a phase-shift-only transmission scheme provides a simplified analog implementation at the sensor, and also leads to a simpler algorithm design and performance analysis. We propose two algorithms for this problem, a numerical solution based on a relaxed semidefinite programming problem, and a closed-form solution based on the analytic constant modulus algorithm. Both approaches are shown to provide performance close to the theoretical bound. We derive asymptotic performance analyses for cases involving large numbers of sensors or large numbers of FC antennas, and we also study the impact of phase errors at the sensor transmitters. Finally, we consider the sensor selection problem, in which only a subset of the sensors is chosen to send their observations to the FC.
Heavy Alcohol use Compared to Alcohol and Marijuana Use: Do College Students Experience a Difference in Substance use Problems?

This study examines the risk for alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems resulting from alcohol plus marijuana use compared to alcohol-only use. Data are from telephone interviews with 1113 randomly selected college students attending two large urban universities in the southwestern United States. Alcohol and marijuana users (dual users) were more likely to be younger and report a higher mean number of drinks per occasion and experiencing all AOD problems studied compared to alcohol-only users. Multivariate logistic regression analysis findings reveal the relationship between dual-substance use and increased risk for AOD problems remained after controlling for demographics and alcohol use behaviors. Such problems include greater odds of legal problems and riding with or being an intoxicated driver. College students using alcohol and marijuana are at much higher risk for AOD problems than are students who use alcohol only, even when heavy drinking is taken into account.