cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Subclinical myocardial injury identified by cardiac infarction/injury score and the risk of mortality in men and women free of cardiovascular disease.

Previous studies have explored the ability of the Cardiac Infarction/Injury Score (CIIS) to identify individuals who are high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. However, its prognostic significance among those without CVD in the United States general population has not been established. This analysis included 6,298 participants (mean age 59 ± 13 years, 53% women, 51% nonwhites) from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, excluding participants with a history of CVD or electrocardiographic evidence of old myocardial infarction or ischemic ST depression at baseline. Subclinical myocardial injury was defined as CIIS ≥10. Mortality data were ascertained using the National Death Index. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for the association between subclinical myocardial injury and CVD and all-cause mortalities. Subclinical myocardial injury was detected in 1,376 participants (22%). A total of 1,928 deaths occurred during a median follow-up of 14 years of which 765 (40%) were due to CVD. In a multivariate model adjusted for demographics, traditional CVD risk factors, and other medical co-morbidities, subclinical myocardial injury was associated with an increased risk of CVD (HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.56) and all-cause (HR 1.42, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.63) mortalities. In conclusion, subclinical myocardial injury in those without manifestations of CVD is associated with an increased risk of CVD and all-cause mortalities. These findings highlight the important role of CIIS to identify subclinical myocardial injury and its association with mortality among men and women in the United States.
Perceived path of oblique motion: horizontal-vertical and stimulus-orientation effects.

Subjects adjusted the path of moving stimuli to produce apparent slopes of 45° with respect to horizontal. The stimulus was either a single moving dot or a vertical or horizontal bar. In separate experiments either the stimuli were tracked or fixation was maintained on a stationary fixation target positioned 8 deg to the right of the center of stimulus motion. In both experiments the selected path slopes were in general more horizontal than 45°. This pattern indicates that subjects overestimate the vertical component of motion along an oblique path, and is interpreted as a manifestation of the spatial anisometropy generally termed the ‘horizontal-vertical illusion’. Additionally, paths selected for horizontal bars were more vertical than those for vertical bars. This finding is interpreted in the context of a previous report of the influence of stimulus orientation on perceived velocity.
On the adjustment matrix in error correction models

Abstract This paper explores the determinants of the adjustment matrix in error correction models within two intertemporal models of the firm. In a production smoothing model of inventories, it is shown that the adjustment matrix contains the speed of adjustment of inventories as conjectured in previous work but this parameter matrix also contains the parameters from the autoregressive polynomials associated with the stochastic, unobservable shocks in the model. Two empirical examples are provided suggesting that these unobservable shocks cannot be assumed to be serially uncorrelated. In a flexible wage model of a labor market, the impact upon the adjustment matrix of normalizing the cointegrating matrix is studied. In contrast to one-state variable problems, normalization of the cointegrating matrix is arbitrary on economic and statistical grounds in this model and it is shown that, even with serially uncorrelated shocks, estimating the elements of the adjustment matrix may not provide an estimate of the speed of adjustment under some normalizations of the cointegrating matrix. The implication of the analysis is that without guidance from an economic model about the interpretation of elements of the adjustment matrix under alternative normalizations of the cointegrating matrix, or when unobservable shocks are serially correlated, economic interpretation of estimates of the adjustment matrix will be hazardous.
Improved mask-based CD uniformity for gridded-design-rule lithography

The difficulties encountered during lithography of state-of-the-art 2D patterns are formidable, and originate from the fact that deep sub-wavelength features are being printed. This results in a practical limit of k 1 ≥0.4 as well as a multitude of complex restrictive design rules, in order to mitigate or minimize lithographic hot spots. An alternative approach, that is gradually attracting the lithographic community's attention, restricts the design of critical layers to straight, dense lines (a 1D grid), that can be relatively easily printed using current lithographic technology. This is then followed by subsequent, less critical trimming stages to obtain circuit functionality. Thus, the 1D gridded approach allows hotspot-free, proximity-effect free lithography of ultra low- k 1 features. These advantages must be supported by a stable CD control mechanism. One of the overriding parameters impacting CDU performance is photo mask quality. Previous publications have demonstrated that IntenCD TM - a novel, mask-based CDU mapping technology running on Applied Materials' Aera2 TM aerial imaging mask inspection tool - is ideally fit for detecting mask-based CDU issues in 1D (L&S) patterned masks for memory production. Owing to the aerial nature of image formation, IntenCD directly probes the CD as it is printed on the wafer. In this paper we suggest that IntenCD is naturally fit for detecting mask-based CDU issues in 1D GDR masks. We then study a novel method of recovering and quantifying the physical source of printed CDU, using a novel implementation of the IntenCD technology. We demonstrate that additional, simple measurements, which can be readily performed on board the Aera2 TM platform with minimal throughput penalty, may complement IntenCD and allow a robust estimation of the specific nature and strength of mask error source, such as pattern width variation or phase variation, which leads to CDU issues on the printed wafer. We finally discuss the roles played by IntenCD in advanced GDR mask production, starting with tight control over mask production process, continuing to mask qualification at mask shop and ending at in-line wafer CDU correction in fabs.
“Where's Whitey?”: Black Mass, ethnic criminality, and the problem of the informant

The essay is an interdisciplinary examination of the popular American tradition of organized-crime narratives based on the testimony of criminal informants. Primarily, it examines the most prominent current instance of this tradition: a book entitled Black Mass: The Irish Mob, the FBI, and a Devil's Deal (2000), depicting the recent scandal involving James “Whitey” Bulger. While this book is often received as a contemporary expose of the ethical perils of informant use in combating organized crime, it actually reiterates the chronic interpretive pitfalls of more traditional “gangland” informant narratives like Murder, Inc. (1951) or Peter Maas's The Valachi Papers (1968). Black Mass's adoption of a classical “noir” literary form, meanwhile, imports certain traditional assumptions that often make these popular narratives immune to recent academic revisions: assumptions about the “Fordist” character of criminal organization, about the uncanny but invisible skills of modern ethnic gangsters, and about the relationship of the state to organized crime.
The 50 most influential original articles in vascular surgery during the last 25 years

Objective We have compiled a list of the 50 most-cited original articles in the field of vascular surgery during the last 25 years to highlight the important changes in practice that have occurred during this interval and provide surgical trainees in vascular surgery ready access to such influential articles. Methods A Web of Knowledge Citation Index Search was performed in December 2013 for the most-cited journal articles in the discipline of vascular surgery. We searched the term "vascular" in the cited reference search area and then further narrowed our results to exclude all categories except "surgery," "general internal medicine," and "cardiac/cardiovascular systems." We included only documents labeled as "articles" and those published in English. Articles dealing with cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology, and cardiovascular biology were excluded. Our search period was from January 1, 1988, through December 3, 2013. The 50 most frequently cited works were chosen, and a citation density was calculated for each, reflecting the average number of citations each received per year since publication. The articles were then sorted into a defined category, based on the clinical subject to which they pertained. Results The Citation Index Search resulted 80,379 articles, of which the top 50 were indexed and organized according to their citation density and area within the scope of clinical vascular surgery. The number of citations ranged from 218 to 3593. The median citation density was 50.2 (range, 11.3-201.3). Conclusions This report is a representation of the most-cited original publications in the field of clinical vascular surgery during the last 25 years. This is an effort to highlight the seminal works that have shaped the discipline of vascular surgery as well as to provide a concise reference list for the surgical trainee in the process of his or her education.
SOME FUTURES ARE BRIGHTER THAN OTHERS: THE NET BENEFITS RECEIVED BY FLORIDA BRIGHT FUTURES SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Using a choice-based sample of households in Florida, the authors provide new empirical evidence on the budgetary incidence of lottery-funded merit scholarships. Specifically, they estimate the benefits received from the Florida Bright Futures (FBF) scholarship and the lottery taxes paid for three typical households in Florida. They find that high socioeconomic (SES) households receive a net program benefit of almost $2,200, whereas low SES households incur a net programloss of almost $700. This result obtains because lower SES households tend to pay more in lottery taxes but are less likely to receive scholarships. Also, the lower SES households with members who do receive the FBF scholarship are more likely to receive the 75% partial scholarship (vs. the 100% full scholarship) than the higher SES households. The results indicate that lottery-funded merit scholarships redistribute income from lower income, non-White, and less educated households to higher income, White, well-educated households.
Sustained reduction in antimicrobial use and decrease in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile infections following implementation of an electronic medical record at a tertiary-care teaching hospital

OBJECTIVES we evaluated the effect of implementation of an electronic medical record (EMR) on the use of antimicrobial agents and on the rates of infections with Clostridium difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). METHODS this was a retrospective, observational study conducted between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2009. Antimicrobial drug use, rates of nosocomial C. difficile infection (CDI) and MRSA infection, the number of medical charts reviewed and number of antimicrobial recommendations made and accepted were compared before and after implementing the EMR utilizing interrupted time-series analysis. RESULTS compared with the 10 quarters prior to implementing the EMR, there was a 36.6% increase in the number of charts reviewed (P < 0.0001), a 98.1% increase in the number of antimicrobial recommendations made (P < 0.0001) and a 124% increase in the number of recommendations accepted (P < 0.0001). There was a 28.8% decrease in the use of 41 commonly used antibacterial agents (P < 0.0001). Nosocomial CDI decreased by 18.7% (P = 0.07) and nosocomial MRSA infections decreased by 45.2% (P < 0.0001) following implementation of the EMR. CONCLUSIONS adoption of an EMR facilitated a significant increase in chart reviews and antimicrobial recommendations, which resulted in a sustained decrease in antimicrobial use. There were decreased nosocomial infections with MRSA and a trend towards decreasing CDIs following implementation of the EMR.
Design of a secure packet voice communication system in wide area networks

The design issues related to the voice packet construction, encryption, transmission, decryption, and reconstruction of original speech signals for secure packet voice communication between source and destination end user systems in a packet switched wide area network are presented. A data encryption standard (DES) algorithm is used for encryption and decryption of voice packets and the public key cryptographic algorithm is used for session key distribution using a key distribution center. These issues may be considered for use in the design of a secure packet voice communication system in wide area networks. >
gender, language, and modernity: toward an effective history of Japanese women's language

"Women's language" is a critical cultural category and an unavoidable part of practical social knowledge in contemporary Japan. In this article, I examine the genealogy of Japanese women's language by locating its emergence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when state formation, capitalist accumulation, industrialization, and radical class reconfiguration were taking off. I show how particular speech forms were carved out as women's language in a network of diverse modernization practices. I theorize the historical relationship between Japan's linguistic modernity—language standardizati on, the rise of the novel, and print capitalism—and the emergence of Japanese women's language, [gender and language, modernity, language ideology, metapragmatics, reported speech, Japan, Japanese women, effective history] Japanese women's language is a socially powerful truth.1 By this, I do not mean that the phrase refers to the empirical speech patterns of women but that Japanese women's language is a critical cultural category and an unavoidable part of practical social knowledge in contemporary Japan. By using the phrase "Japanese women's language," I refer to a space of discourse in which the Japanese woman is objectified, evaluated, studied, staged, and normalized through her imputed language use and is thus rendered a knowable and unified object. Doxic statements, such as "Women speak more politely than men" or "Women are not capable of speaking logically," are commonly heard in daily conversation. Scholars, too, have produced a highly reflexive and abstract—and therefore privileged—knowledge of how women speak differently from men. They have systematically located male-female differentiation at all levels of language—phonology, semantics, morphology, syntax, speech acts, and discourse (in the technical linguistic sense), as well as extralinguistic features such as pitch; they have explained how female-specific values, attributes, and social roles are registered in speech forms and in the management of conversation.2 Women's language also is a national issue, a reflexive parameter oi civil order and social change. Nationwide opinion polls are regularly conducted on whether women's language is becoming corrupted, and, if so, how corrupted. National sentiments over the perceived disappearance of women's language are thereby crystallized and circulated in the form of numbers and statistics.3 This linguistic consciousness of how women speak is closely connected with notions of culture and tradition in the assumption that women's language is uniquely Japanese, with unbroken historical roots in an archetypical Japanese past, and inescapably linked to an equally traditional and archetypical Japanese womanhood. Kindaichi Kyosuke, pne of the founders of modern Japanese linguistics, noted in his discussion of women's language:
Online sexuality education pedagogy: translating five in-person teaching methods to online learning environments

As higher education expands online course offerings, it is essential that sexuality educators strive to translate success from in-person courses into online pedagogy. While many educators remain anxious about, or sceptical of, the benefits of online sexuality education, the popularity of online courses demands engagement if educators are not to miss out on the opportunity to educate growing numbers and different types of students. Building on the authors' previous work addressing foundational best practices for online sexuality education at college and university level, this paper focuses specifically on translating successes from in-person classrooms to the online learning environment. Through consideration of core learning objectives and commonly available learning technologies, it identifies five popular in-person teaching methods (brainstorming, forced choice, demonstration, films and videos, and role play) and explains how these can be successfully translated into online learning environments. Each o...
Relation of First Lactation Production and Conformation to Lifetime Performance and Profitability in Jerseys

Abstract Dairy Herd Improvement lactation records of 305 days or less for cows first calving from 18 through 35 mo were combined with American Jersey Cattle Club conformation (type) data for cows scored before 43 mo of age. Cows without opportunity for production through 72 mo were eliminated. Initial production and type scores were from 1967 through 1972, but lifetime measures continued through 1978. There were 10,139 cows in 1014 herd-years of calvings. Number of lactations averaged 3.4, lifetime yield of milk was 13,813kg, lifetime fat was 699kg, and days in milk were 942. A profit function considered income from milk and calves and costs (fixed, operating, and cow depreciation). Multiple correlations for predicting net income per day of productive life (interval between first calving and last day of lactation) were .56 for first lactation yield, .27 for final score, .36 for all type traits, .57 for yield plus final score, and .58 for yield plus all type traits. Type traits increasing multiple correlations the most when added to milk and fat yield were final score, suspensory ligament, and mammary system.
A note on estimating drift and diffusion parameters from timeseries

Abstract Estimating the deterministic drift and stochastic diffusion parameters from discretely sampled data is fraught with the potential for error. We derive a simple way of estimating the error due to the finite sampling rate in these parameters for a univariate system using a straightforward application of the Ito–Taylor expansion. The error is calculated up to first order in the finite sampling time increment Δt . We then compare the approximate results with the analysis of numerically generated timeseries where the answer is known. Furthermore, a meteorological real world example is discussed.
Belligerent Recognition as de Facto Recognition of the Insurgent Government

During the course of the American Civil War attention was devoted to the question as to whether belligerent recognition implied the recognition de facto of the insurgent government. Seward made strong representations to the British government for holding informal intercourse with Confederate agents. Lord Russell demurred by arguing that when the subjects or property of a state are injured by “a de facto government,” the aggrieved state has a right to claim redress and reparation from that de facto government.1 In order to make demands for reclamations it was necessary for states to enter into communication with the de facto authorities, and such action could not be construed as violating international law. “It maybe necessary in the future, for the protection of the interests of Her Majesty’s subjects in the vast extent of country which resists the authority of the United States, but such communication will not imply any acknowledgment of the Confederates as an independent State… ”2 Russell’s perspicacity was vindicated when in the course of the War, belligerent recognition involved carrying on nearly all the international intercourse that normally exists between independent states. The lorms of diplomacy, however, were studiously avoided.3
Mortality and Macroeconomic Fluctuations in Contemporary Sweden

Recent research has provided strong evidence that, in the United States in particular and in high- or middle-income economies in general, mortality tends to evolve better in recessions than in expansions. It has been suggested that Sweden may be an exception to this pattern. The present investigation shows, however, that in the period 1968–2003 mortality oscillated procyclically in Sweden, deviating from its trend upward during expansions and downward during recessions. This pattern is evidenced by the oscillations of life expectancy, total mortality, and age- and sex-specific mortality rates at the national level, and also by regional mortality rates for the major demographic groups during recent decades. Results are robust for different economic indicators, methods of detrending, and models. In lag regression models macroeconomic effects on annual mortality tend to appear lagged 1 year. As in other countries, traffic mortality rises in expansions and declines in recessions, and the same is found for total cardiovascular mortality. However, macroeconomic effects on ischemic heart disease mortality appear at lag two and are hard to interpret. Reasons for the procyclical oscillations of mortality, for inconsistent results found in previous studies, as well as for the differences observed between Sweden and the United States are discussed.
The JAZ Proteins Link Jasmonate Perception with Transcriptional Changes

The oxylipin jasmonic acid (JA) and its metabolites, collectively known as jasmonates, are important plant signaling molecules that mediate biotic and abiotic stress responses as well as aspects of growth and development. Although it is well known that JA regulates transcription, the mechanism of
Management of secretions in esophageal cancer patients with glycopyrrolate

Summary Background There has been little emphasis in the past upon management of excessive secretions in patients with esophageal cancer. We used the drug glycopyrrolate for controlling secretions in patients with esophageal cancer. Patients and methods Between January 1991 and September 1995, 45 patients with esophagus cancer were referred for evaluation. Seven of these patients were treated with glycopyrrolate for increased secretions. Secretions were measured in suction canisters which were used by patients. Results All the patients showed a decrease in secretions within 24–48 hours of administration. The incidence of side effects was minimal. Conclusions Glycopyrrolate is quite effective in palliating esophageal cancer patients with excessive secretions.
Cognitive processes and the persistence of aggressive behavior

Recent data from several longitudinal studies including one spanning 22 years suggest that aggression is quite stable over time and situation. Early measures of intellectual competence predicted concurrent and later aggression, but early aggression was independently a good predictor of reduced intellectual achievement as an adult. Over a shorter period of years cognitive rehearsal of aggressive behaviors predicted overt aggression, was predicted by overt aggression, and correlated with the child's TV viewing. In combination, these data suggest a circular process in which scripts for aggressive behavior are learned at an early age and become more firmly entrenched as the child develops, so that aggression becomes self-perpetuating in children with certain cognitive characteristics.
Charmed bottom baryon spectroscopy

The arena of doubly and triply heavy baryons remains experimentally unexplored to a large extent. This has led to a great deal of theoretical effort being put forth in the calculation of mass spectra in this sector. Although the detection of such heavy particle states may lie beyond the reach of experiments for some time, it is interesting to compare results between lattice QCD computations and continuum theoretical models. Several recent lattice QCD calculations exist for both doubly and triply charmed as well as doubly and triply bottom baryons. In this work we present preliminary results from the first lattice calculation of the mass spectrum of doubly and triply heavy baryons including both charm and bottom quarks. The wide range of quark masses in these systems require that the various flavors of quarks be treated with different lattice actions. We use domain wall fermions for 2+1 flavors (up down and strange) of sea and valence quarks, a relativistic heavy quark action for the charm quarks, and non-relativistic QCD for the heavier bottom quarks. The calculation of the ground state spectrum is presented and compared to recent models.
Scattering and distortion of the unsteady motion on transversely sheared mean flows

It is shown that the pressure and velocity fluctuations of the unsteady motion on a transversely sheared mean flow can be expressed entirely in terms of the derivatives of two potential functions. One of these is a convected quantity that can be specified as a boundary condition and is related to a transverse component of the upstream velocity field. The other can be determined by solving an inhomogeneous wave equation whose source term is also a convected quantity that can be specified as a boundary condition in any given problem. The general theory is used to study the interaction of an unsteady flow with a semi-infinite plate embedded in a shear layer. The acoustic field produced by this interaction is calculated in the limits of low and high frequency. The results are compared with experimental one-third octave sound pressure level radiation patterns. The agreement is found to be excellent, especially in the low frequency range, where the mean-flow and convective effects are shown to have a strong influence on the directivity of the sound.
Properties of Reactively Sputter Deposited SrTiO3 Films for IR Detector Readout Electronics

The effects of film thickness, oxygen partial pressure, electrode type, substrate temperature, and position on the room temperature and 77 K dielectric properties of SrTiO3 (ST) films were studied. The film composition and properties vary with radial position and oxygen partial pressure. A maximum in dielectric constant occurs near the same position where stoichiometric films are obtained. The room temperature and 77K dielectric constants increase with increasing thickness, while the capacitance density decreases. Capacitance densities as high as 4 fF/μm2 were observed for films deposited at low temperature and subsequently crystallized. Elevated temperature deposition, however, results in better properties than room temperature deposition followed by annealing. Dielectric constants as high as 200 with capacitance densities up to 9 fF/μ2 were observed. For optimized deposition conditions, no dielectric break-down of the capacitors was observed at 20V after 111 days of testing. The properties of capacitors with n+Si bottom electrodes were not as good as those with Ti/Pt electrodes, however, integration with Si integrated circuit processing is expected to be much simpler.
The effects of dictyostelids on the formation and maturation of myxomycete plasmodia

Dictyostelids (cellular slime molds) and myxomycetes (plasmodial slime molds) are two groups of mycetozoans usually present and often abundant in the soil and litter microhabitats of terrestrial ecosystems. Because they utilize the same food resource and occur together in a spatially limited and clearly defined microhabitat, the potential for ecological interactions would seem to exist. However, relatively few previous studies have considered this aspect of mycetozoan ecology. In the present study twenty-eight isolates (8 species) of dictyostelids were co-cultured in all possible pair-wise combinations with fourteen isolates (7 species) of myxomycetes to determine if there were any effects on the production of fruiting bodies. Dictyostelids showed little or no delay in culmination and only random and inconsistent reductions in sorocarp abundance when co-cultured with myxomycetes. In contrast, myxomycetes displayed a number of specific effects. The heterothallic isolates exhibited delays in plasmodial formation and/or maturation, with some pairings showing little to no effect, while others displayed nearly complete inhibition of plasmodial formation or maturation. Apomictic isolates, in general, were much less affected, with only a few combinations displaying significant delays in both formation and maturation of plasmodia.
Injuries associated with falls from beds

Objectives—To assess the severity of injuries due to falls from upper bunks and lower beds and cots, and to ascertain the age group most at risk of such injuries. Setting—The accident and emergency (A&E) department in the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital which has the only paediatric A&E department in the north east of Scotland, serving a catchment area of over half a million people. Methods—All children attending with an injury sustained due to a fall from a bed or top bunk over five months had their case notes reviewed by the author. Results—Eighty five children were identified, a majority of whom were reported to have fallen out of bed while sleeping. Twenty five sustained a fracture, 27 a head injury, 12 a laceration requiring treatment, and 21 sustained a soft tissue injury to a limb. Fourteen (16%) required admission. Sixty six (78%) of the injuries occurred in children under the age of 6 years. Conclusion—These results show a higher incidence of significant injury than previously reported, and demonstrate the inadvisability of letting children under the age of 6 years sleep in upper bunks. In an attempt to make parents more aware of the risks it is recommended that these dangers should be brought to public attention.
Effects of Warpage on Fatigue Reliability of Solder Bumps: Experimental and Analytical Studies

Out-of-plane displacement (warpage) has been a major thermomechanical reliability concern for board-level electronic packages. Printed wiring board (PWB) and component warpage results principally from coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch among the materials that make up the PWB assembly (PWBA). Warpage occurring during surface-mount assembly reflow processes and normal operations may lead to severe solder bump reliability problems. In this research, the effect of initial PWB warpage on the low cycle thermal fatigue reliability of the solder bumps in plastic ball grid array (PBGA) packages was studied using experimental and analytical methods. A real-time projection moire? warpage measurement system was used to measure the surface topology of PWBA samples at different temperatures. The thermal fatigue reliability of solder bumps was evaluated from experimental thermal cycling tests and finite element simulation results. Three-dimensional (3-D) models of PWBAs with varying board warpage were used to estimate the solder bump fatigue life for different types of PBGAs mounted on PWBs. In order to improve the accuracy of FE results, the projection moire? method was used to measure the initial warpage of PWBs, and this warpage was used as a geometric input to the finite element method. The simulation results were validated and correlated with the experimental results obtained using the projection moire? technique and accelerated thermal cycling tests. An advanced prediction model was generated to predict board level solder bump fatigue life based on the initial PWB warpage, package dimensions and locations, and solder bump materials.
Risk-Constrained Generation Asset Arbitrage in Power Systems

A competitive generating company (GENCO) can maximize its payoff by optimizing its generation assets. This paper considers the GENCO's arbitrage problem using stochastic price-based unit commitment while considering the associated risks. The GENCO may consider arbitrage opportunities in purchases from qualifying facilities (QFs) as well as simultaneous trades with spot markets for energy, ancillary services, fuel, and emission allowance. The tradeoff between maximizing expected payoffs and minimizing risks due to market price uncertainties is modeled explicitly by including the expected downside risk as a constraint. The downside risk is defined as the unfulfilled profit. The Monte Carlo simulation is applied to generate scenarios, and scenario reduction techniques are applied to reduce the number of scenarios while maintaining a good approximation of the exact solution. The proposed case studies illustrate the significance of arbitrage in multi-commodity markets and the importance of considering the uncertainty of market prices.
Sometimes you can't make it on your own: the impact of a professionalism curriculum on the attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors of an academic plastic surgery practice

Abstract Introduction Professionalism is now recognized as a core competency for graduate medical education and maintenance of certification. However, few models exist in plastic surgery that define, teach, and assess professionalism as a competency. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a professionalism curriculum in an academic plastic surgery practice. Methods We created and conducted a 6-wk, 12-h course for health care professionals in plastic surgery (faculty, residents, nurses, medical students). Teaching methods included didactic lectures, journal club, small group discussions, and book review. Topics included: (1) Professionalism in Our Culture, (2) Leadership Styles, (3) Modeling Professional Behavior, (4) Leading Your Team, (5) Managing Oneself, and (6) Leading While You Work. Using Kirkpatrick methodology to assess perception of the course (level 1 data), learning of the material (level 2 data), effect on behavior (level 3 data), and impact on the organization (level 4 data), we compiled participant questionnaires, scores from pre- and post-tests, and such metrics as incidence of sentinel events (defined as infractions requiring involvement by senior administrators), number of patient complaints reported to Patient Relations, and patient satisfaction (Press Ganey surveys), for the 6 mo before and after the course. Results Thirty health care professionals participated in a 6-wk course, designed to improve professionalism in plastic surgery. Level 1 data: Although only 56.5% of respondents felt that the course was a “good use of my time,” 73.9% agreed that the course “will help me become a better professional” and 82.6% “would recommend the course to others.” Level 2 data: Post-test scores increased from 48% to 70% ( P P Conclusions A focused curriculum in professionalism may improve the knowledge of participants and overall behavior of the group, but may not affect individual attitudes. Nevertheless, efforts toward assessing, teaching, and influencing professionalism in plastic surgery are very valuable and should be pursued by educators to help satisfy Graduate Medical Education/Maintenance of Certification requirements and to improve the performance of the organization.
“A Doubt is at Best an Unsafe Standard”: Measuring Sugar in the Early Bureau of Standards

In 1900, measuring the purity of sugar was a problem with serious economic consequences, and Congress created the Bureau of Standards in part to create accurate standards for saccharimetry. To direct the Polarimetry Section, Director Stratton hired the young chemist Frederick Bates, who went on to make significant contributions to the discipline of sugar chemistry. This paper explores four of Bates’s greatest accomplishments: identifying the error caused by clarifying lead acetate, inventing the remarkable quartz-compensating saccharimeter with adjustable sensibility, discovering the significant error in the prevailing Ventzke saccharimetric scale, and reviving the International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis to unify the international community of chemists after the tensions of World War One. It also shows how accomplishments in saccharimetry reflected the growing importance and confidence of the Bureau of Standards, and how its scientific success smoothed the operation of American commerce.
Multiple Chronic Conditions and Heart Failure: Overlooking the Obvious?

“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.” —Aldous Huxley [(1)][1] The overwhelming majority of patients with heart failure (HF) are older adults with multiple chronic conditions (MCC). If you doubt this fact, open the electronic chart of any hospitalized patient with HF or
Borreliosis (Lyme Disease)

The expanding skin lesions known as erythema migrans (EM) were first described in 1909 in Sweden. Over 65 years later, the characteristic “bull’s eye” rash of EM was noted in a group of children in Lyme, Connecticut, all of whom subsequently developed an arthropathy and a constellation of systemic signs and symptoms referred to as Lyme disease. Ixodes ticks were soon implicated as the vector of Lyme disease, but it was not until 1982 that the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi was identified as the causative agent. Lyme disease typically begins with EM, a sign of localized infection (stage 1), followed thereafter by disseminated (stage 2) and persistent (stage 3) infection if untreated.
Mechanisms of action of endothelin 1 in maturing rabbit airway smooth muscle.

Maturational differences in the effects and mechanisms of action of endothelin 1 (ET-1) on airway contractility were investigated in tracheal smooth muscle (TSM) segments isolated from 2-wk-old and adult rabbits. In TSM under passive tension, ET-1 elicited dose-dependent contractions, with a potency of action that was significantly greater (P less than 0.001) in the 2-wk-old vs. adult tissues (i.e., mean +/- SE - log 50% of maximal response values: 8.59 +/- 0.17 vs. 7.79 +/- 0.15 - log M, respectively). In TSM half-maximally contracted with acetylcholine (ACh), however, ET-1 elicited dual and opposing dose-dependent effects. At lower doses (less than or equal to 10(-9) M), ET-1 induced TSM relaxation that was significantly greater in the adult vs. 2-wk-old TSM segments (i.e., approximately 100 vs. 26.5% decrease in active tension, respectively). The relaxant responses were associated with significantly enhanced (P less than 0.001) ET-1-induced release of prostaglandins E2 and I2 in the adult tissues. At higher doses (greater than 10(-9) M), ET-1 induced TSM contractions that were 1) attenuated to a relatively greater extent by the Ca2+ channel blocker, nifedipine (10(-5) M) in the 2-wk-old tissues and 2) associated with significantly (P less than 0.001) enhanced ET-1-stimulated accumulation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] in the immature TSM. Moreover, the TSM contractions were inhibited by the protein kinase C (PKC) antagonist, H-7, and the latter effect was more potent in the immature TSM. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that ET-1 exerts a potent duality of action in rabbit TSM which varies significantly with maturation, wherein 1) age-dependent differences in airway relaxation are associated with changes in the evoked release of bronchodilatory prostaglandins and 2) maturational differences in airway contraction are associated with changes in Ins(1,4,5)P3 accumulation and extracellular Ca2+ mobilization, coupled to differences in PKC activation.
Variations in Oncologist Recommendations for Chemotherapy for Stage IV Lung Cancer: What Is the Role of Performance Status?

Purpose:Chemotherapy prolongs survival in patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer. However, few studies have included patients with poor performance status. This study examined rates of oncologists’ recommendations for chemotherapy by patient performance status and symptoms and how physician characteristics influence chemotherapy recommendations.Methods:We surveyed medical oncologists involved in the care of a population-based cohort of patients with lung cancer from the CanCORS (Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance) study. Physicians were queried about their likelihood to recommend chemotherapy to patients with stage IV lung cancer with varying performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 [good] v 3 [poor]) and presence or absence of tumor-related pain. Repeated measures logistic regression was used to estimate the independent associations of patients’ performance status and symptoms and physicians’ demographic and practice characteristics with chemother...
Cavity-backed Vivaldi array antenna

A development of Vivaldi antenna array fully recessed inside a metallic cavity is investigated. The antenna is first designed in free space with reflection coefficient < −10dB and a consistent gain better than 4 dB over 2 – 7 GHz bandwidth. The size of the cavity is varied and its interaction with the antenna is analyzed. The use of carefully placed high impedance surfaces and absorber is seen to dampen the cavity resonances and mitigate their negative impact on antenna performance. The proposed cavity-backed antenna demonstrates better performance than its free space counterpart and is more suitable for flush mounted implementation.
Acene-linked covalent organic frameworks as candidate materials for singlet fission

Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a versatile class of porous materials that can be tailored for solar energy conversion applications through the incorporation of organic chromophores as linker units. In this work we examine whether such COFs can be engineered to support singlet fission (SF), the generation of two triplet excitons from a single photoexcitation. We simulate the structural and electronic properties of a series of COFs possessing embedded polyacene linkers from benzene through pentacene. Detailed electronic structure calculations suggest that necessary conditions on the energy and electronic coupling for SF can be met with COF architectures closely related to those already synthetically achieved. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the embedded acenes preferentially adopt orientations at an angle relative to the COF plane at room temperature, modifying the energy levels and electronic couplings relative to their minimum energy conformations at 0 K. Charge mobility through the COFs is quantified as a function of the length of the embedded acene through application of a recently introduced charge transport index. Implications for the future design of porous materials supporting singlet fission are discussed.
Epoetin alfa as an adjunct to autologous blood donation in patients with a low hematocrit scheduled for elective orthopedic surgery.

Predonation of autologous blood (AB) represents an attractive alternative to allogeneic blood transfusion in patients scheduled for elective orthopedic surgery. However, anemic patients may not be able to donate sufficient AB prior to surgery, thus increasing the risk of exposure to allogeneic blood. This group of patients may benefit from the administration of epoetin alfa to facilitate AB donation. A recent multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 204 patients with a low hematocrit (Hct; or = 4 AB units. Furthermore, epoetin alfa attenuated the decrease in Hct associated with AB donation and significantly (P = .027) reduced allogeneic blood exposure in these patients.
Cost—benefits of health promotion

Health promotion programmes at work involve: the periodic or continuing delivery of materials and activities for educational and/or behavioural change that are designed to maintain or improve the workers’ fitness, health and well-being; and changes in organizational practices and policies conducive to health promotion. Cost—effectiveness analysis and cost—benefit analysis suggest that such programmes can provide financial benefits to work organizations through reduced health-care costs, occupational injuries and absenteeism, and through increased worker productivity (Fries et al., 1993; Pelletier, 1993; Kaman, 1995).
Other Regional Actors

Apart from the most significant Asian-Pacific actors we have already discussed, there are a number of medium-level powers who have interests at stake in the discussions of missile defence. The United States, the USSR, and the PRC share interests in such nations as the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, the ASEAN countries, and the Micronesian island states. This chapter will investigate the implications of global or tactical missile defences for these countries.
Toward the promise of microRNAs - Enhancing reproducibility and rigor in microRNA research.

ABSTRACTThe fields of applied and translational microRNA research have exploded in recent years as microRNAs have been implicated across a spectrum of diseases. MicroRNA biomarkers, microRNA therapeutics, microRNA regulation of cellular physiology and even xenomiRs have stimulated great interest, which have brought many researchers into the field. Despite many successes in determining general mechanisms of microRNA generation and function, the application of microRNAs in translational areas has not had as much success. It has been a challenge to localize microRNAs to a given cell type within tissues and assay them reliably. At supraphysiologic levels, microRNAs may regulate hosts of genes that are not the physiologic biochemical targets. Thus the applied and translational microRNA literature is filled with pitfalls and claims that are neither scientifically rigorous nor reproducible. This review is focused on increasing awareness of the challenges of working with microRNAs in translational research and re...
Forward Modeling of Ventricular Electromechanical Interactions: Normal and Failing Hearts

The goal of this study was to develop and validate a forward three-dimensional computational model of the dilated failing heart with left bundle branch block (LBBB) to investigate how BiV pacing can improve systolic mechanical performance and synchrony. Specialized finite element methods are used for simulating three dimensional electrical propagation and mechanics.
Scaling the bulk-driven MOSFET

This paper investigates the impact of device scaling on the bulk-driven MOSFET. In particular, the behavior of g mb is observed across process technology and it is shown that the g mb /g m ratio falls from 0.38 to 0.12 between IBM's 0.25 μm and 65 nm bulk CMOS processes via simulation. Delta and step doping are then proposed to enable the scaling of bulk-driven MOSFETs down to a channel length of 80 nm on a one volt supply. Using 2-D device simulations in ATLAS, it is shown that the intrinsic gain of a bulk-driven MOSFET can be enhanced by as much as 78% for a step doping profile and 106% for a delta doping profile in an NMOS device when compared to a uniform substrate.
Monitoring Dopamine Responses to Potassium Ion and Nomifensine by in Vivo Microdialysis with Online Liquid Chromatography at One-Minute Resolution

Recently, our laboratory has demonstrated the technical feasibility of monitoring dopamine at 1 min temporal resolution with microdialysis and online liquid chromatography. Here, we monitor dopamine in the rat striatum during local delivery of high potassium/low sodium or nomifensine in awake-behaving rats. Microdialysis probes were implanted and perfused continuously with or without dexamethasone in the perfusion fluid for 4 days. Dexamethasone is an anti-inflammatory agent that exhibits several positive effects on the apparent health of the brain tissue surrounding microdialysis probes. Dopamine was monitored 1 or 4 days after implantation under basal conditions, during 10 min applications of 60 mM or 100 mM K+, and during 15 min applications of 10 μM nomifensine. High K+ and nomifensine were delivered locally by adding them to the microdialysis perfusion fluid using a computer-controlled, low-dead-volume six-port valve. Each day/K+/dexamethasone combination elicited specific dopamine responses. Dexamet...