cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Prescribing Practices and Outcomes Using Direct-acting Oral Anticoagulants After Cardiac Surgery.

ABSTRACT Purpose Cardiac surgery patients frequently require anticoagulation. Warfarin remains the preferred agent, and a few trials have reported negative outcomes with the use of direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in these patients. Therefore, limited literature exists that supports the dosing, safety, and efficacy of DOACs within the cardiac surgery population. Methods This single-center, retrospective analysis was conducted at a tertiary academic medical center. All data were extrapolated from electronic medical records of qualifying patients from August 2017 to August 2019. Adult patients were included if they received at least 1 of 4 DOACs (apixaban, rivaroxaban, edoxaban, or dabigatran) after undergoing one of the following cardiac surgeries: coronary artery bypass graft, bioprosthetic valve replacement, aortic surgery, or valve repair. The composite safety end point included major bleeding and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding, as defined by the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis. The composite efficacy outcome of thromboembolic events included deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, ischemic stroke, and intracardiac thrombus. Findings A total of 305 patient charts were identified for analysis; 229 patients met the inclusion criteria. The composite safety outcome occurred in 12 patients (5.2%) within 90 days after cardiac surgery. One patient (0.4%) experienced a thromboembolic event within 90 days after cardiac surgery. The most commonly prescribed DOAC was apixaban (79.0%). US Food and Drug Administration–approved dosing was used in 91.3% of patients, and DOACs were primarily used for the indication of stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter (88.2%). Implications These data provide insight into the prescribing practices, efficacy, and safety of DOACs in cardiac surgery patients.
New Formulation for Estimating the Moment Capacity of Rocking Shallow Foundations Resting on Partially Saturated Soil

Abstract The ability of shallow bridge foundations to dissipate earthquake energy via rocking has gained significant attention by bridge engineers owing to recent efforts to quantify the performanc...
Comparison of histalog and histamine as stimulants for maximal gastric secretion in human subjects and in dogs

Summary Acid secretion in response to subcutaneous injection of 0.04 mg. of histamine acid phosphate per kilogram of body weight (augmented histamine test) and of 50 mg., 100 mg., or 200 mg. of Histalog was compared in human subjects. The mean peak rate of secretion was almost identical with the augmented histamine test and with 50 mg. of Histalog. Histalog in doses of 100 mg. or 200 mg. produced peak rates of secretion higher than those obtained with 50 mg. of Histalog or the augmented histamine test. In dogs with Heidenhain pouches or gastric fistulas the maximal rates of secretion in response to histamine and to Histalog were not significantly different.
Elements of the random walk : an introduction for advanced students and researchers

Preface 1. Introduction to techniques 2. Generating functions I 3. Generating functions II: recurrence, sites visited, and the role of dimensionality 4. Boundary conditions, steady state, and the electrostatic analogy 5. Variations on the random walk 6. The shape of a random walk 7. Path integrals and self-avoidance 8. Properties of the random walk: introduction to scaling 9. Scaling of walks and critical phenomena 10. Walks and the O(n) model: mean field theory and spin waves 11. Scaling, fractals, and renormalization 12. More on the renormalization group References Index.
Plinian eruptions à la Eta Carinae

Eta Carinae is at once our most notable LBV but also a doubtful LBV, because its Great Eruption observed 150 years ago was so unique. Since that event exceeded other major LBV outbursts by orders of magnitude in ejected mass and energy, we are not certain that it really was an example of S Dor, P Cyg, R127-type behavior. But even if it turns out to be a freak,ŋCar has provided either the original example or one of the earliest hints for several facets of the LBV phenomenon, e.g.:
The Ambiguous Moral Foundations of the Underground Economy

Most treatments of the underground economy presuppose that underground economies cannot be morally justified. This moral condemnation is suggested by the conventional taxonomy of activities comprising the underground economy itself: illegal, unreported, unrecorded, and informal. A recent U.S. Department of Labor publication, for example, defines the illegal sector of the underground economy as "economic activities pursued in violation of legal statutes defining the scope of legitimate forms of commerce," presenting examples such as prostitution or the trade in drugs. The same publication defines the "unreported economy" as comprising "those economic activities that circumvent or evade . . . the tax code"; "the unrecorded economy" as those "that circumvent the institutional rules that define the reporting requirements of government statistical agencies"; and "the informal economy" as "those economic activities that circumvent the costs of . . . the laws and administrative rules covering property relationships, commercial licensing," or other governmental regulations.' These various activities are obviously similar in their circumvention of rules or regulations, but they are similar in a deeper sense because their existence is presumed to directly impede legitimate government actions, as well as broader values of the citizenry. For example, in a recent essay, Professor Feige, the most prominent scholar of the underground economy, explains the "conceptual linkage among underground economies" as comprising two elements: concealment and immorality. The intentional concealment of this set of economic activities from government and policymakers biases and distorts economic data-data which the government relies upon to control the economy.
Automating human information agents

We describe a software agent technology capable of automating the entire functionality of such human information agents as insurance agents, travel agents and loan officers of banks, and many, many others. This includes negotiating in natural language, accessing databases, adhering to numerous policies, and producing products. The technology is based on a psychological theory of consciousness implemented with modules for perception, associative memory, action selection, deliberation, etc. The case study herein describes an agent whose task is to assign new billets to sailors at the end of their current duty assignment.
Urban Revitalization and Eminent Domain: Misinterpreting Jane Jacobs

This article reviews the implications for land use policy of Jane Jacobs’ The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Fifty years after its publication in 1961, Death and Life remains a clarion call for resistance to monolithic development and to the reigning paradigm of urban planning in the mid-20th century. The article asserts, however, that government officials and planners have learned the wrong lesson from Jacobs. Their emphasis on the top-down imposition of what purports to be varied development is evident in the growth of condemnation for retransfer for private economic redevelopment. Such policies are directly contrary to Jacobs’ insistence on bottom-up organic development.The article further describes the muddled state of the U.S. Constitution’s Public Use Clause, evident in Kelo v. City of New London and in state cases such as Goldstein v. New York State Urban Development Corporation. It asserts that judicial unwillingness to provide meaningful scrutiny to condemnation for private redevelopment is based, in part, on acceptance of the revisionist, and incorrect, reading of Jacobs’ work.
Review: Current status of therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma:

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing worldwide. A multi-disciplinary approach is required for its management. Screening high-risk patients allows for earlier diagnosis and the use of potentially curative therapies. Current recommendations for HCC screening for patients with cirrhosis are an abdominal ultrasound and serum alpha fetoprotein level every 6 to 12 months. Treatment choice depends on tumor stage, liver function and the patient's overall functional status. Curative therapies include surgical resection, liver transplantation (LT), transarterial chemoembolization, and radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Surgical resection, either primary resection or LT, is the treatment most likely to result in cure of HCC. Which option to pursue is based on multiple factors. LT has the potential benefit of treating both HCC and the underlying cirrhosis; however, long wait times incur the risk of tumor progression. Firm recommendations regarding the role of living donor LT for HCC are not yet possible because of conflicting data. HCC recurrence after LT is 8–11% and several adjuvant therapies have been investigated to reduce this. Bridging therapy and tumor downsizing are techniques that also may be considered to deal with long waiting periods and qualification for LT, respectively. If neither LT nor primary resection is possible, loco-regional therapies such as RFA and TACE should be considered. Systemic chemotherapies have proved disappointing for the treatment of HCC; however, newer targeted therapies such as sorafenib and cetuximab have provided new hope for the future.
From fantasy to reality: Transformation of native visitor experiences

Abstract This article is a thesis of a native visitor to Austria. The article illustrates the associated cognitive and affect constructs experienced in a host community during an extended visitation period. The design methodology employed for this article combined the confirmatory personal introspection (CPI) approach (Woodside, 2004) with three methods to elicit a native visitor's view of living in a host country. The methods used for the data collection process are researcher self-introspection, the Zaltman Metaphoric Elicited Technique (ZMET), and inside auditor verification of concepts and the thinking–doing process from an indigenous perspective. CPI was employed to uncover the native visitor behavioral process resulting from an extended visit in a different culture setting. A total of 21 constructs were identified. The mental model of native resident living abroad while participating in a Fulbright academic program was developed. Three themes of a native resident experience were identified. They are quality of the Fulbright program, cultural exchange, and comparison of fantasy with reality. This study reflects the use of CPI in consumer research. The causal relationships among each of the three themes provide insights to understanding different levels of a native visitor experience. This thesis serves to emphasize the substantial value in utilizing CPI to explain the native visitor experience derived from a Fulbright international exchange education program.
American Society for Engineering Education - Transforming Engineering Education

In this paper, a description of what the American Society for Engineering Education is doing to transform engineering education in the United States and the world is presented. With the many challenging and complex problems the world faces, it is critical that educational institutions are producing talented, innovative engineering graduates to improve the quality of life throughout the world. The paper begins with some background information on the American Society of Engineering Education and continues with a discussion of several activities aimed at transforming engineering education.
Bubble growth by coalescence in gas fluidized beds

Bubble size and distribution of bubble sizes were studied in an air fluidized bed, 11.5 in. in diam. and 3 ft. high, by taking motion pictures of the bubbles breaking the top surface of the bed and by determining the size of the bubbles from the film. The distribution of bubble volumes at a given bed height was expressed as a gamma distribution with parameters obtained from the observations. A statistical mechanical method proposed by Hulburt and Katz for studies in agglomeration of particles was used in the mathematical formulation of the problem. A proposed mechanism of bubble growth by coalescence in gas fluidized beds resulted in a one parameter model. Comparisons of the distributions predicted by the model to the experimentally obtained profiles yielded the parameter of the model.
Why are state-of-the-art flash-based multi-tiered storage systems performing poorly for HTTP video streaming?

MLC flash memory is a promising technology for building a high-performance and cost-effective video streaming system when it is used as an intermediate level cache in a multi-tiered storage hierarchy. Therefore, we were quite surprised when through extensive measurements we found that two state-of-the-art flash-based multi-tiered storage systems (namely, flashcache and ZFS) have quite disappointing performance for HTTP video streaming using the DASH protocol. We have conducted a thorough analysis to understand the reasons for the poor performance of these two systems. In a nutshell, unless attention is paid to the unique performance characteristics of flash memory-based SSDs, we could end up with suboptimal or even poor performance as we discovered through experimentation with these two systems. Based on the analysis, we present design guidelines for building a cost-effective high-performance HTTP video streaming server.
Compositions of pegmatoids beneath the J-M Reef of the Stillwater Complex, Montana, U.S.A.

Abstract Pegmatoids sporadically occur in the cumulates of the Ultramafic series and Norite zone I and Gabbronorite zone I the Lower Banded series below the level of the platiniferous J-M Reef of the Stillwater Complex, but are less common in Norite zone II and Gabbronorite zone II above the reef. The pegmatoids are composed of the same minerals (plagioclase, orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene) as the host cumulates and in approximately the same proportions, but with grains that may be in excess of several tens of centimeters in length. Whole-rock compositions show the pegmatoids to be modestly enriched in lithophile incompatible major and trace elements relative to the host cumulates. Whereas average host cumulates of Norite zone I and Gabbronorite zone I have a whole-rock molar Mg (Mg + Fe) ratio of 81 ± 1.5 and a normative An content of 85 ± 1.5%, almost all pegmatoid samples have lower values with Mg (Mg + Fe) ratios as low as 71 and normative An content as low as 58%. These results are confirmed by electron microprobe analyses. Ratios of soluble/insoluble lithophile trace elements (e.g., Ba/Zr) show inconsistent trends. Excess sulfide in some pegmatoids strongly affects chalcophile-element abundance. If it is accepted that the pegmatoids define pods where late-stage volatile-rich fluids were locally enriched, or channel-ways by which fluids migrated up through the cumulate sequence, then it is clear that such fluids differ from the host assemblages only in that the fluids were in equilibrium with a slightly more evolved bulk-rock compositions. Calculated fluid compositions are relatively rich in Fe and Na and poor in Ca and Mg, and are consistent with the compositional features of the pegmatoids. The lack of significant difference in the ratios of soluble/insoluble lithophile trace elements between the pegmatoids and the host cumulates suggests that it could be difficult to detect geochemical signatures for the former presence of igneous fluid in nonpegmatoidal cumulate rocks using these elements alone.
Mechanical Compaction of Porous Sandstone

In many reservoir engineering and tectonic problems, the ability to predict both the occurrence and extent of inelastic deformation and failure hinges upon a fundamental understanding of the phenomenology and micromechanics of compaction in reservoir rock. This paper reviews recent research advances on mechanical compaction of porous sandstone, with focus on the synthesis of laboratory data, quantitative microstructural characterization of damage, and theoretical models based on elastic contact and fracture mechanics. The mechanical attributes of compaction in nominally dry and saturated samples have been studied under hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic loadings over a broad range of pressure conditions. Specific topics reviewed herein include: comparison of mechanical and acoustic emission data with continuum plasticity theory; microstructural control of onset and development of compaction; strain hardening and spatial evolution of damage during compaction; and the weakening effect of water on compactive yield and porosity change.
Evaluation of methods to remove inertial force from measured model wave impact force signals

Abstract The subject of wave impact on offshore structures and their components is important to vessel designers and operators for many reasons. They are often required to quantify these impact loads. Standard methods for wave load prediction will underestimate the forces on these structures due to intermittent loading. This necessitates the use of physical model tests to establish wave impact loads. The model measurement systems are designed to have high stiffness. This ensures that the natural frequency of the structure is above the wave frequency. However, it is widely believed that impacting waves contain high-frequency energy components that cause the structure to vibrate at its modal frequencies. This impact-induced vibration is recorded by the measuring system as a force (inertial force), and corrupts the actual applied force measurement. Before scaling can occur, the inertial force must be removed from the measured signal. A number of techniques for removing inertial force from measured signals are described in the published literature. Three methods are discussed, implemented and compared in this paper. The algorithms and procedures are presented. Each technique contains inherent and unique problems, while some are common to all methods. Neither of the techniques produced results that are fully satisfactory. The main problem is unwanted high-frequency content after the application of the methods. While neither method offers the perfect solution, the use of digital filtering techniques is recommended based on their relative performance and ease of implementation.
Resonant ultrasound spectroscopic techniques for measurement of the elastic moduli of solids

Abstract The mechanical resonant response of a solid depends on its shape, density, elastic moduli and dissipation. We describe here instrumentation and computational methods for acquiring and analyzing the resonant ultrasound spectrum of very small (0.001 cm3) samples as a function of temperature, and provide examples to demonstrate the power of the technique. The information acquired is in some cases comparable to that obtained from other more conventional ultrasonic measurement techniques, but one unique feature of resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) is that all moduli are determined simultaneously to very high accuracy. Thus in circumstances where high relative or absolute accuracy is required for very small crystalline or other anisotropic samples RUS can provide unique information. RUS is also sensitive to the fundamental symmetry of the object under test so that certain symmetry breaking effects are uniquely observable, and because transducers require neither couplant nor a flat surface, broken fragments of a material can be quickly screened for phase transitions and other temperature-dependent responses.
Domestic bird bites.

c c p o w In B ri ef COMPANION ANIMAL BITE wounds pose a notable health care concern, with an incidence of 2 million cases per year, and they account for approximately 00,000 emergency department visits annually. Most of these wounds are due to cat and dog bites, making up approximately 95% of all animal bite wounds, with considerable literature available regarding management of these wounds. Little literature exists, however, regarding the treatment of domestic avian wounds. An estimated 6.4 million U.S. households own at least one pet bird; therefore, individuals in these households are at risk for a number of zoonotic infections. The majority of domesticated birds belong to the order psittaciform, which includes parrots, cockatiels, and parakeets. Similar to cats and dogs, untrained or poorly trained companion birds can develop aggressive behaviors such as biting, which can inflict a large variety of wounds, from simple puncture wounds to open tuft fractures owing to the crushing ction of the bird’s beak (Fig. 1). Previous literature has stated that bites by all other omestic animals besides dogs should be treated in a imilar manner to cat bites, with proper irrigation and ebridement and appropriate antibiotic coverage. Understanding the potential flora present in an avian bite can help guide medical management. The typical oral and respiratory flora of the psittacine bird has been well documented. In one study of various caged psittacine birds, 40% of oral swabs grew Escherichia coli, 33% grew Salmonella, 53% grew various Staphylococcus species, 40% were positive for Pasteurella, and 15% were positive for Proteus. These data have been replicated in several studies showing that E coli is the most commonly isolated bacteria over ll from healthy psittacine birds (Table 1). Infection from respiratory secretions found in birds’ hoana, which is the slit connecting the roof of the
Social development of stumptail macaques ( Macaca arctoides ): Momentary touching, play, and other interactions with aunts and immatures during the infants' first 60 days of life

Interactions of seven infant stumptail macaques with aunts and immatures were observed during the infants' first 60 days of life in colony groups. Data were collected using 14 interaction categories, including typical maternal behaviors, play, and five categories of momentary touching. Aunts and immatures rarely engaged in maternal behaviors such as clinging, carrying, or retrieving. Both aunts and immatures were recorded momentarily touching the infants; aunts groomed them and immatures began playing with them during the second month. Such play was primarily between age-mates and rarely between infants and yearlings. Adult males engaged in more maternal behavior than aunts during the infants' first two months of life.
The Relation Between Emotional Dysregulation and Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms, Pain-Related Anxiety, and HIV-Symptom Distress Among Adults with HIV/AIDS

The current study investigated the relations between emotional dysregulation and anxiety and depressive symptoms, pain-related anxiety, and HIV-symptom distress among individuals living with HIV/AIDS. This research is important in its explanatory value regarding the unique effects of emotional dysregulation as it relates to psychological and disease-specific distress given high rates of distress specific to HIV infection (e.g. medicatin side-effects, stigma). Participants included 164 adults (17.1 % female, Mage = 48.40, SD = 9.57) with HIV/AIDS. Results indicated that emotional dysregulation was significantly and positively related to anxiety and depressive symptoms, pain-related anxiety, and HIV-symptom distress. All emotional dyregulation effects were evidenced above and beyond the variance accounted for by demographic and HIV-specific characteristics, and the main effects of anxiety sensitivity and distress intolerance. Findings are discussed in terms of the importance of emotional dysregulation in negative affective experiences within the HIV/AIDS population.
Robotic Transaxillary Thyroid Lobectomy of a Follicular Neoplasm

Purpose Minimally invasive thyroid surgery using various techniques is well described. The purpose of this video is to show a robotic-assisted transaxillary right thyroid lobectomy for a follicular neoplasm with intraoperative nerve monitoring and stimulation of recurrent laryngeal nerve. Herein, we show our experience with the technique and its safety and feasibility.
The influence of adrenergic and cholinergic agents on the chemiluminescent and mitogenic responses of leukocytes from the rainbow trout, Oncorhyncus mykiss

In a previous report, it was shown that agonists of cholinergic or alpha-adrenergic receptors enhance, whereas beta-adrenergic agonists suppress, in vitro antibody responses by splenic leukocytes from rainbow trout. The present study addresses the mechanisms by which autonomic neurotransmitters (or their analogs) could affect this antibody response. Possibilities include an influence on accessory cell function, on the clonal proliferation of antigen-stimulated lymphocytes, and/or on the synthesis and secretion of antibody. Epinephrine and selective beta-adrenergic agonists suppressed whereas both alpha and cholinergic receptor agonists enhanced the ability of stimulated pronephric leukocytes (mainly macrophages and neutrophils) to produce reactive oxygen species, suggesting that accessory cells may be a target of these agents in the antibody response. Beta-adrenergic agonists also suppressed the proliferative response of splenic leukocytes to LPS, Con A, and PHA. There was no effect, however, of alpha-adrenergic or cholinergic-receptor agonists on mitogenic responses.
Microsatellite instability and mismatch repair target gene mutations in cell lines and xenografts of prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND Mismatch repair (MMR) and microsatellite instability (MSI) occur in prostate cancer, but their role has not been well documented. METHODS In 6 cell lines and 22 xenografts from prostate cancer, PCR and gel electrophoresis were performed to detect MSI by analyzing microsatellite markers BAT-25 and BAT-26 and to detect frameshift mutations in mononucleotide repeats in BAX, IGF2R, MSH3, MSH6, and TGFBR2. RESULTS Four of 6 (67%) cell lines and 3 of 22 (14%) xenografts showed MSI. At least 1 frameshift mutation was detected in the same 4 (67%) cell lines and in 5 of 22 (23%) xenografts. While MSH3 was frequently mutated in cell lines, BAX and TGFBR2 showed frequent alterations in both cell lines and xenografts. CONCLUSIONS MSI related to MMR deficiency is relatively frequent in high-grade tumors, and mutations in MSI target genes involved in cell death and proliferation appeared to be selected for during prostatic carcinogenesis. Prostate 66:660–666, 2006. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Intermodulation distortion (F2-F1) in inner hair cell and basilar membrane responses.

Round window (RW) recordings in guinea pigs show a large response at the frequency of the quadratic difference tone (QDT) at F2−F1 for high‐frequency (≳8 kHz) tone pairs. The magnitude of the RW response is dependent on frequency and level of the primaries. The QDT cochlear microphonic produced is largest for primaries with a frequency separation of approximately 900 Hz. Its source is probably the local activity of hair cells in basal cochlear locations where the high‐frequency tones interact. QDT measurements from locations inside the organ of Corti show that the magnitude of the QDT is largest in the inner hair cell (IHC) region and monotonically increases as the difference in the frequency of the primaries decreases. Measured as IHC intracellular ac receptor potential, the QDT appears to be the result of a mechanical stimulus to the cell rather than as an inherent property of the nonlinear transduction in the IHC. However, QDT of the same form is not evident in the velocity responses of the basilar mem...
The Other Transformation in Econometric Practice: Robust Tools for Inference

Angrist and Pischke highlight one aspect of the research that has positively transformed econometric practice and teaching. They emphasize the rise of experiments and quasi-experiments as credible sources of identification in microeconometric studies, which they usefully term "design-based research." But in so doing, they miss an important part of the story: a second research strand aimed at developing tools for inference that are robust to subsidiary modeling assumptions. My first aim in these remarks therefore is to highlight some key developments in this area. I then turn to Angrist and Pischke's call for adopting experiments and quasi-experiments in macroeconometrics; while sympathetic, I suspect the scope for such studies is limited. I conclude with some observations on the current debate about whether experimental methods have gone too far in abandoning economic theory.
Family Structure and the Benefits of Participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a food assistance program designed to help pregnant (or postpartum) women and young children consume a nutritious diet. Food, however, is often a communal commodity shared by all household members; thus, family structure may impact the health benefits received by a WIC participant. This paper uses data from the 2010 wave of the National Health Interview Survey to quantify the effect family structure has on the benefits received by an active WIC participant. Results suggest that an only child who participates in WIC receives a health benefit from their participation. The benefits received by children with siblings, however, are dependent on the age, gender, and number of siblings with whom they share a residence.
Serial discrimination reversal learning in pigeons as a function of signal properties during the delay of reinforcement

Pigeons learned a series of reversals of a simultaneous red–green discrimination with a 6-s delay of reinforcement. The signal properties during the 6-s reinforcement delay were varied across blocks of reversals, such that the delay was either unsignaled (intertrial interval conditions during the delay) or signaled by illumination of the center key. Four different signal conditions were presented: (1) signals only after S+ responses, (2) signals only after S– responses, (3) differential signals after S+ versus S– responding, and (4) the same nondifferential signals after S+ and S– responses. (A zero-delay control condition was also included.) Learning was at a high level in the S+ -only and differential-signal conditions, and learning was at a low level during the unsignaled, nondifferentially signaled, and S– signal conditions. Thus, a differential stimulus contingent on correct choices was necessary for proficient learning-to-learn, even though within-reversal learning occurred in all conditions. During the S+ and differential-signal conditions, improvement in learning continued to occur even after more than 240 reversals (more than 38,000 trials).
Anharmonic effects on the dynamics of two-dimensional anisotropic melting

Anharmonic effects on the critical dynamics of two-dimensional anisotropic melting arising from the existence of a large regime of smecticlike behavior right above the melting temperature are studied and shown to be irrelevant, despite the strong relevance of such effects for three-dimensional smectics. This irrelevance is due to the finite persistence length of smectic fluctuations in two dimensions.
Homogeneous Ice Nucleation and Supercooled Liquid Water in Orographic Wave Clouds

This study investigates ice nucleation mechanisms in cold lenticular wave clouds, a cloud type characterized by quasi-steady-state air motions and microphysical properties. It is concluded that homogeneous ice nucleation is responsible for the ice production in these clouds at temperatures below about -33 C. The lack of ice nucleation observed above -33 C indicates a dearth of ice-forming nuclei, and hence heterogeneous ice nucleation, in these clouds. Aircraft measurements in the temperature range -31 to -41 C show the following complement of simultaneous and abrupt changes in cloud properties that indicate a transition from the liquid phase to ice: disappearance of liquid water; decrease in relative humidity from near water saturation to ice saturation; increase in mean particle size; change in particle concentration; and change in temperature due to the release of latent heat. A numerical model of cloud particle growth and homogeneous ice nucleation is used to aid in interpretation of our in situ measurements. The abrupt changes in observed cloud properties compare favorably, both qualitatively and quantitatively, with results from the homogeneous ice nucleation model. It is shown that the homogeneous ice nucleation rates from the measurements are consistent with the temperature-dependent rates employed by the model (within a factor of 100, corresponding to about 1 C in temperature) in the temperature range -35 deg to -38 C. Given the theoretical basis of the modeled rates, it may be reasonable to apply them throughout the -30 to -50 C temperature range considered by the theory.
Feedback of Information About the Values and Attitudes of Self and Others as Determinants of Long-Term Cognitive and Behavioral Change1

Previous experiments designed to modify persons' values and subsequent attitudes and behavior have used direct self-confrontation procedures to arouse self-dissatisfaction in subjects. The present study compared the effects on values and behavior of the previously used self-confrontation procedure with a modified value-change procedure which did not confront subjects with information about their own values. Both procedures resulted in college students significantly increasing their ranking of the values equality and freedom. These changes were evident 4 weeks after the experimental procedures. Four months after the experimental treatments subjects were solicited to behaviorally support various activities of the Committee to End Racism, and subjects in both experimental groups showed a significantly greater behavioral effect than did control subjects. Thus, significant long-term value and behavioral change may be experimentally induced even when subjects are not provided objective information about their own value-attitude system.
Atenolol developmental toxicity: animal-to-human comparisons.

BACKGROUND Atenolol, 4-2′-hydroxy-3′-isopropyl-aminopropoxy) phenylacetamide, is a beta-adrenoreceptor blocker used for treatment of hypertension in pregnancy. Beta-blockers are reported to cause fetal harm (such as decreased birth weight) when administered to a pregnant woman. We evaluate published human and animal evidence of atenolol developmental toxicity and compare the manifestations in humans and in routinely-used animal models. METHODS The comparison is based on the following criteria: comparability of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic characteristics, type of adverse outcome, lowest adverse effect levels, and specificity and selectivity of effect. RESULTS Manifestations of atenolol prenatal toxicity (placental changes, intrauterine growth retardation and changes in fetal weight in the absence of structural malformations) are similar in the tested animal species (rats and rabbits) and humans. The human seems to be more sensitive, however, because adverse embryo-fetal effects are reported at doses much lower than those in the tested species. In humans and rats, adverse embryo-fetal effects are induced by doses that are not maternally toxic. In the rabbit, however, such effects are seen only at maternally toxic doses, suggesting that in this species, developmental toxicity may be maternally mediated. CONCLUSIONS The available data suggest animal–human concordance with regard to the nature and manifestations of atenolol prenatal toxicity. The animal models “predicted” developmental toxicity manifests as placental changes, intrauterine growth retardation and fetal weight decrease in the absence of structural malformations. Thus far, this is concordant with the data from humans, in whom intrauterine growth retardation has been observed but not structural abnormalities. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 67:181–192, 2003. Published 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effect of neck range of motion limitations on the use of head controls

Computer head controls provide an alternative means of computer access for people with disabilities. Reduced neck range of motion due to disability was found to be correlated with reduced accuracy and speed in icon selection using head controls. Five alternative interfaces were developed and evaluated to determine their potential to compensate for a user's reduced neck range of motion. Based on the final results of this evaluation, one interface method will be selected. The parameters of this interface will be automatically tuned to an individual user's limitations and abilities. The interface will be further evaluated in order to determine its effectiveness in helping people operate a computer using head controls.
A comparison of architectural support for messaging in the TMC CM-5 and the Cray T3D

Programming models based on messaging continue to be an important programming model for parallel machines. Messaging costs are strongly influenced by a machine's network interface architecture. We examine the impact of architectural support for messaging in two machines --- the TMC CM-5 and the Cray T3D --- by exploring the design and performance of several messaging implementations. The additional features in the T3D support remote operations: memory access, fetch-and-increment, atomic swaps, and prefetch.Experiments on the CM-5 show that requiring processor involvement for message reception can increase the communication overheads from 60% to 300% for moderate variations in computation grain size at the destination. In contrast, the T3D hardware for remote operations decouples message reception from processor activity, producing high-performance messaging independent of computation grain size or variability.In addition, hardware support for a shared address space in the T3D can be used to solve the output contention problem (output hot spots), producing messaging implementations that are robust over a wide variety of traffic patterns. Atomic swap hardware can be used to build a distributed message queue, enabling a "pull" messaging scheme where the destination requests data transfer upon receive. This scheme uses prefetches to mask receive latency. While this yields performance robust over output contention, its base cost is competitive only for small messages (up to 64 bytes) because of the high cost of issuing and resolving prefetches in the T3D. Emulation shows that if the interaction costs can be reduced by a factor of eight (250ns to 31ns), perhaps by moving the prefetch queue on chip, and there is a corresponding increase in the prefetch queue size, the pull scheme can give superior performance in all eases.
Design methods for ethical persuasive computing

Value Sensitive Design and Participatory Design are two methodological frameworks that account for ethical issues throughout the process of technology design. Through analysis and case studies, this paper argues that such methods should be applied to persuasive technology---computer systems that are intended to change behaviors and attitudes.
Relationships between surface soil organic carbon pool and site variables

Abstract Surface soil organic carbon pool (SOCP) and turnover time are particularly sensitive to site variables and land use change. An understanding of influences of site variables on surface SOCP is important to planning future land use for C sequestration and sustaining agricultural production. This study was conducted to clarify relationships between the SOCP in the upper 30-cm mineral soil and site variables (soil taxon, texture, drainage class, slope gradient and elevation) under cropland, grassland and forestland in Ohio, USA. The data of the SOCPs and site variables of 2137 pedons were derived from the Ohio Soil Survey Database and analyzed using SAS. The results showed that mean SOCP values significantly varied with soil order within each land use system: mollisols were 9.4 (kg m −2 ), followed by inceptisols 7.2, entisols 5.6, alfisols 5.4 and ultisols 4.6. Generally, the SOCP was highly correlated with all site variables ( p drainage>texture≫slope>elevation, of which elevation was proven ignorable under cultivation but significant under forests. Relatively weak correlations and less explainable variance observed in forestland suggest that actual controlling factors over SOCP differ from those in cultivated lands.
A Low Power, Low Distortion Single-bit Sigma-Delta Audio DAC with Distributed Feedback from Analog Output

A single-bit low power, low-distortion digital-to-analog converter (DAC) using distributed feedback structure for low output impedance audio application is presented. The current structure is a modified forth-order inversed follow-the-leader feedback (IFLF) emphasizing on achieving high system performance with much reduced power consumption. This structure utilizes the distributed feedback from analog output to attenuate the nonlinear distortions from both the discrete time to continuous time interface and the output stage, and finite-impulse response (FIR) filter to attenuate the out-band quantization noise. The power consumption is reduced by the class-AB operation in the last stage OTA design. Systematic comparisons of the performance and power consumption are simulated by both Cadence and Matlab/Simulink. The results indicate that the proposed structure can achieve high SNDR with very low power consumption. Typically, the distortion can be attenuated at least by 95dB at 5 KHz input. To compare different DAC designs, the new Figure of Merit (FOM) is introduced and the current design shows significant improvement comparing the results in the literature. This proposed structure will be potentially useful for low-impendence low-power audio applications.
HAMARTOMATOUS POLYPOSIS SYNDROMES

Hamartomatous polyposis syndromes are a diverse group of inherited conditions grouped together because they exhibit hamartomatous rather than epithelial polyp histology. Each syndrome exhibits characteristic polyp histology, gastrointestinal polyp distribution, gastrointestinal cancer risks, extra-intestinal benign findings and often extra-intestinal cancer risks. Identifying individuals at risk for these syndromes and accurately defining the precise diagnosis are necessary for planning surveillance and management in order to prevent the benign and malignant complications. Characteristic syndrome features including gastrointestinal findings, pathology, genetics, and management options for the three most common hamartomatous polyposis syndromes, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, PTEN hamartoma tumour syndrome, and juvenile polyposis will be presented in this review.
Subjective applicant qualifications and interpersonal attraction as mediators within a process model of interview selection decisions

Abstract Past research comparing the relative influence of objective and subjective applicant qualifications within the interview context suggests a dominant influence of subjectively assessed applicant qualifications. However, methodological concerns cast doubt upon this conclusion. The present investigation overcomes previous methodological limitations by reanalyzing data from Kinicki and Lockwood (1985) using covariance structural modeling. Twenty-four professional recruiters interviewed 91 college seniors. Results indicate interviewers differentiate between applicant objective and subjective qualifications, but perceptions of applicant subjective qualifications and interviewing skills are indistinguishable. The interviewer's subjective impression of the applicant completely mediates the effect of applicants’ relevant experience levels, but not academic achievement. This finding suggests the possibility that academic achievement be entered into the final hiring decision independently of interviewer judgments. The current results indicate a positive relationship between interpersonal attraction and interview outcomes, perhaps suggesting interviewers are measuring applicant fit in addition to job skills.
The order of a zero of a Wronskian and the theory of linear dependence

Every root of the top Wronskian of a Wronskian matrix whose rank at the root is equal to the number of columns, is of integer order even if the highest derivatives exist only at the root. If the rank of a Wronskian matrix is constant and smaller than the number of rows, then the number of independent linear relations between the functions in the first row is equal to the number of functions minus the rank. These results were proved under additional assumptions by Bocher, Curtiss, and Moszner. Their proofs are simplified.
Multi-species laser absorption sensors for in situ monitoring of syngas composition

Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy sensors for detection of CO, CO2, CH4 and H2O at elevated pressures in mixtures of synthesis gas (syngas: products of coal and/or biomass gasification) were developed and tested. Wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) with 1f-normalized 2f detection was employed. Fiber-coupled DFB diode lasers operating at 2325, 2017, 2290 and 1352 nm were used for simultaneously measuring CO, CO2, CH4 and H2O, respectively. Criteria for the selection of transitions were developed, and transitions were selected to optimize the signal and minimize interference from other species. For quantitative WMS measurements, the collision-broadening coefficients of the selected transitions were determined for collisions with possible syngas components, namely CO, CO2, CH4, H2O, N2 and H2. Sample measurements were performed for each species in gas cells at a temperature of 25 °C up to pressures of 20 atm. To validate the sensor performance, the composition of synthetic syngas was determined by the absorption sensor and compared with the known values. A method of estimating the lower heating value and Wobbe index of the syngas mixture from these measurements was also demonstrated.
Naked singularities in Tolman–Bondi–de Sitter collapse

We study the formation of central naked singularities in spherical dust collapse with a cosmological constant. We find that the central curvature singularity is locally naked, Tipler strong, and generic, in the sense that it forms from a non-zero-measure set of regular initial data. We also find that the Weyl and Ricci curvature scalars diverge at the singularity, with the former dominating over the latter, thereby indicating the non-local origin of the singularity.
Reoperation for recurrent carotid stenosis: early results and late outcome in 199 patients.

Abstract Purpose: This study was undertaken to determine the safety and efficacy of reoperations for recurrent carotid stenosis (REDOCEA) at the Cleveland Clinic. Materials and Methods: From 1989 to 1999, 206 consecutive REDOCEAs were performed in 199 patients (131 men, 68 women) with a mean age of 68 years (median, 69 years; range, 47-86 years). A total of 119 procedures (57%) were performed for severe asymptomatic stenosis, 55 (27%) for hemispheric transient ischemic attacks or amaurosis fugax, 26 (13%) for prior stroke, and 6 (3%) for vertebrobasilar symptoms. Eleven REDOCEAs (5%) were combined with myocardial revascularization, and another 19 (9%) represented multiple carotid reoperations (17 second reoperations and 2 third reoperations). Three REDOCEAs (1%) were closed primarily, and nine (4%) required interposition grafts, whereas the remaining 194 (95%) were repaired with either vein patch angioplasty (139 [68%]) or synthetic patches (55 [27%]). Three patients (2%) were lost to follow-up, but late information was available for 196 patients (203 operations) at a mean interval of 4.3 years (median, 3.9 years; maximum, 10.2 years). Results: Considering all 206 procedures, there were 7 early ( P =.024). The presence of pulmonary disease ( P =.036), diabetes ( P =.01), and advancing age ( P =.006) was found to be significantly associated with stroke after REDOCEA. Causes of 53 late deaths were cardiovascular problems in 25 patients (47%), unknown in 14 (26%), renal failure in 4 (8%), stroke in 3 (6%), and miscellaneous in 7 (13%). Conclusions: We conclude that REDOCEA may be safely performed in selected patients with recurrent carotid stenosis and that most of these patients enjoy long-term freedom from stroke. (J Vasc Surg 2001;34:5-12.)