cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patient-centered communication and outcomes in heart failure.

OBJECTIVES To measure the impact of patient-centered communication on mortality and hospitalization among patients with heart failure (HF). STUDY DESIGN This was a survey study of 6208 residents of 11 counties in southeast Minnesota with incident HF (first-ever International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code 428 or International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision code I50) between January 1, 2013, and March 31, 2016. METHODS Perceived patient-centered communication was assessed with the health care subscale of the Chronic Illness Resources Survey and measured as a composite score on three 5-point scales. We divided our cohort into tertiles and defined them as having fair/poor (score < 12), good (score of 12 or 13), and excellent (score ≥ 14) patient-centered communication. The survey was returned by 2868 participants (response rate: 45%), and those with complete data were retained for analysis (N = 2398). Cox and Andersen-Gill models were used to determine the association of patient-centered communication with death and hospitalization, respectively. RESULTS Among 2398 participants (median age, 75 years; 54% men), 233 deaths and 1194 hospitalizations occurred after a mean (SD) follow-up of 1.3 (0.6) years. Compared with patients with fair/poor patient-centered communication, those with good (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.51-0.97) and excellent (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.51-0.96) patient-centered communication experienced lower risks of death after adjustment for various confounders (Ptrend = .020). Patient-centered communication was not associated with hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS Among community patients living with HF, excellent and good patient-centered communication is associated with a reduced risk of death. Patient-centered communication can be easily assessed, and consideration should be given toward implementation in clinical practice.
The tall order of teaching measurement reliability: Introducing classical test theory through observations of human height

Communication Research Methods.This activity provides students with an experiential introduction to measurement theory and the methods for assessing measurement reliability. First, multiple measure...
Dual Digitally Guided Crown Lengthening in Esthetic Area Compromised by Disharmonic Implant Crown.

Introduction A disharmonious smile results from excessive gingival exposure or gingival margin misalignment is a frequent finding in patients. The most common cause is altered passive eruption; however, in the case presented here, the esthetics of the smile is compromised also due to an inadequate implant placement and crown fabrication. Case presentation This case presented a combination of altered passive eruption and a buccally as well as deeply placed implant crown (#10) that led to disproportionate dimensions of an upper lateral incisor. Dual digitally guided crown lengthening surgical procedure for teeth #5 to #12 was performed aiming a better harmony of the smile. Treatment also included placement of tooth veneers and re-made of implant crown. A pleasant smile with appropriate colors and proportions was achieved. All esthetic and periodontal health parameters were maintained throughout the follow-up period (1 year). Conclusion The use of dual digitally guided crown lengthening help to accomplish precision and stability of esthetic outcome, as it guides for both, bone and soft tissue removal. Particularly, in challenging cases with high esthetic demand and complicated factors present, such as the case presented here, the digital approach provides tools to attain excellent treatment outcome.
Exploring women's childbirth experiences and perceptions of delivery care in peri-urban settings in Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenya continues to have a high maternal mortality rate that is showing slow progress in improving. Peri-urban settings in Kenya have been reported to exhibit higher rates of maternal death during labor and childbirth as compared to the general Kenyan population. Although research indicates that women in Kenya have increased access to facility-based birth in recent years, a small percentage still give birth outside of the health facility due to access challenges and poor maternal health service quality. Most studies assessing facility-based births have focused on the sociodemographic determinants of birthing location. Few studies have assessed women’s user experiences and perceptions of quality of care during childbirth. Understanding women’s experiences can provide different stakeholders with strategies to structure the provision of maternity care to be person-centered and to contribute to improvements in women’s satisfaction with health services and maternal health outcomes. A qualitative study was conducted, whereby 70 women from the peri-urban area of Embakasi in the East side of Nairobi City in Kenya were interviewed. Respondents were aged 18 to 49 years and had delivered in a health facility in the preceding six weeks. We conducted in-depth interviews with women who gave birth at both public and private health facilities. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and translated for analysis. Braune and Clarke’s guidelines for thematic analysis were used to generate themes from the interview data. Four main themes emerged from the analysis. Women had positive experiences when care was person-centered—i.e. responsive, dignified, supportive, and with respectful communication. They had negative experiences when they were mistreated, which was manifested as non-responsive care (including poor reception and long wait times), non-dignified care (including verbal and physical abuse lack of privacy and confidentiality), lack of respectful communication, and lack of supportive care (including being denied companions, neglect and abandonment, and poor facility environment). To sustain the gains in increased access to facility-based births, there is a need to improve person-centered care to ensure women have positive facility-based childbirth experiences.
Startups and Upstarts

We study a continuous-time R&D race between an established firm and a startup under asymmetric information. R&D investment brings success stochastically but only if the innovation is feasible. The only asymmetry between the firms is that the established firm has better information about the feasibility of the innovation. We show that there is an equilibrium in which the poorly-informed startup wins more often, and has higher expected profits, than the better-informed incumbent. When the informational asymmetry is large, this is the unique equilibrium outcome. Even though better information is a competitive disadvantage, the value of information is positive.
Detecting and Measuring In-The-Wild DRDoS Attacks at IXPs

Distributed reflective denial of service (DRDoS) attacks are a popular choice among adversaries. In fact, one of the largest DDoS attacks ever recorded, reaching a peak of 1.3 Tbps against GitHub, was a memcached-based DRDoS attack. More recently, a record-breaking 2.3 Tbps attack against Amazon AWS was due to a CLDAP-based DRDoS attack. Although reflective attacks have been known for years, DRDoS attacks are unfortunately still popular and largely unmitigated.
COVID-19 in Pediatrics

This article reviews the diagnosis and treatment of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which causes coronavirus disease 2019, as well as a new inflammatory syndrome after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.
Estimating Venusian thermal conditions using multiring basin morphology

Despite their critical roles in Venus’s geological evolution, neither heat flow through the Venusian lithosphere nor the corresponding tectonic regime in its geological past is well constrained. However, because impact basin formation is sensitive to thermal conditions at depth, studying large basin development can provide crucial insights into the past geological conditions of a planet. Here we model the formation of Mead Basin, the largest impact structure on Venus, and its two ring faults at approximately 190 km and 270 km diameter, to determine the thermal conditions in Venus’s crust and upper mantle at the time of impact. For present-day surface temperatures, we find that lithospheric thermal gradients no higher than 14 K km−1, corresponding to surface heat fluxes of 28 mW m−2, are required to reproduce the morphology of Mead Basin. These values are less than half of what is expected for an active lid planet, implying that Venus may have had a stagnant lid when Mead Basin formed, between 0.3 and 1 billion years ago. Modelling of Mead Basin, the largest impact feature on Venus, shows that it could only have got its shape, with the two ring faults at the correct position, if Venus were in a stagnant lid regime at the time of Mead Basin formation, between 0.3 and 1 billion years ago.
Risk Factors Explaining Military Deaths From Suicide, 2008–2017: A Latent Class Analysis:

Military suicide prevention efforts would benefit from population-based research documenting patterns in risk factors among service members who die from suicide. We use latent class analysis to ana...
Civil Engineering through the Ages

The history of civil engineering is best visualized by tracing the engineer himself—his works and his traditions, his influence on his environment, culminating in the mighty accomplishments of the ...
Comparative Growth Rates of Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas fragi on Cooked Chicken Loaf Stored Under Air and Two Modified Atmospheres.

Chicken loaves (25g) were prepared from manually deboned broiler leg quarters, sterilized, and cooled. The loaves were inoculated with approximately log CFU/g 3.0 each of Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas fragi , and stored under air and two modified atmospheres (MA) at 3, 7, and 11°C. The MA gas mixes contained 50% CO2 and 10% O2 (MA1) and 80% CO2 and no O2 (MA2), balance proprietary. L. monocytogenes and P. fragi grew under air at all three temperatures, with growth of P. fragi being more rapid. The MA1 reduced growth of both species at all three temperatures. However, L. monocytogenes growth was less severely affected and exceeded growth of P. fragi at 7 and 11°C. The MA2 inhibited growth of both species with P. fragi growth being inhibited more than growth of L. monocytogenes at 3, 7, and 11°C. L. monocytogenes grew somewhat faster under MA1 than under MA2. Neither MA1 nor MA2 appeared to be effective at inhibiting growth of L. monocytogenes on cooked poultry loaf.
Scheduling Nested Transactions in Real-Time Database Systems

In this paper, we consider real-time database systems (RTDBMSs) with firm deadline transactions and deal with the problem of scheduling real-time nested transactions. Timeliness is the key issue in scheduling transactions in a RT-DBMS. For a RTDBMS where transactions have firm deadlines, transactions are useless once they expire their deadlines and, therefore, are aborted and their work is undone (rolled back) once they reach their deadlines before committing.
VISTA deficiency synergizes with a non-redundant immune checkpoint pathway and leads to enhanced immune activation (IRM10P.744)

V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA) is a novel negative checkpoint ligand that suppresses T-cell mediated immune responses. Previous studies using VISTA-neutralizing monoclonal antibody show that VISTA-blockade enhances T cell-activation in an inflammatory disease model EAE, as well as in murine tumor models. Current study describes a comprehensive characterization of VISTA knockout (KO) mice. We show that despite the apparent normal hematopoietic development in young ko mice, VISTA genetic deficiency leads to a pro-inflammatory phenotype in aged animals, as well as enhanced T-cell activation in response to acute antigen immunization. In addition, we show that VISTA deficiency significantly enhanced disease development in a spontaneous model of autoimmune disease, which is correlated with the spontaneous activation of auto-antigen specific CD4+ T cells. Lastly, when combined with the genetic deficiency of another checkpoint molecule, synergistic or additive immune activation was observed.
Nonlinear Control Strategies for Continuous Fermentors

In this paper nonlinear control strategies based on exact linearization are designed and evaluated for continuous fermentors. The dilution rate and the feed substrate concentration are considered as potential manipulated inputs in single-input single-output schemes for productivity control. The resulting controllers are compared theoretically and via simulation. It is shown that the nonlinear controllers provide superior regulatory control compared to simple PI controllers.
Traumatic Brain Injury and Suicidal Ideation Among U.S. Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with suicidal behavior among veterans, and gender differences in the strength of associations may exist. Almost all research has been limited to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients, and it is unclear if findings generalize to veterans who do not use VHA services. We examined gender- and VHA-user-specific associations between TBI related to deployment and postdeployment suicidal ideation in a U.S. national sample of 1,041 female and 880 male Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans. Path analysis was used to estimate TBI and suicidal ideation association, and examine PTSD and depression symptomatology in these associations. TBI was associated with suicidal ideation among male VHA users, OR = 3.64, 95% CI [2.21, 6.01]; and male and female nonusers, OR = 2.24, 95% CI [1.14, 4.44] and OR = 2.65, 95% CI [1.26, 5.58], respectively, in unadjusted analyses. This association was explained by depression symptoms among male and female nonusers. Among male VHA users an association between TBI and suicidal ideation remained when accounting for depression symptoms, OR = 2.50, 95% CI [1.33, 4.71]. Our findings offered evidence of an association between TBI and suicidal ideation among male OEF/OIF VHA users.
Selecting the most appropriate treatment for each patient

Reviews the emergence of research on fitting treatment procedures to the unique needs and proclivities of patients. Traditional research on efficacy of psychotherapy focuses on the role of interventions and theoretical brands, minimizing factors that cannot be randomly assigned. This line of research has not realized its initial and desired promise, perhaps because it fails to incorporate into the study of psychotherapy important and effective treatment variations that are associated with therapist and non-diagnostic patient factors. Contemporary efforts to "fit" treatments to patients emphasize the roles of interventions, participant factors, and contextual/relationship factors. For these complex interactions, any of which reflect factors that cannot be randomly assigned, randomized clinical trials (RCT) protocols are inappropriate as a "gold standard". Several studies are presented which illustrate not only the predictive power of incorporating both treatment mediators and moderators into the realm of psychotherapy study, but the value of a multi-method approach to research. Converging studies moreover, provide a way to incorporate matching algorithms into decisions about assigning optimal treatments.
Using Patient Safety Science to Explore Strategies for Improving Safety in Intravenous Medication Administration

Abstract Harm is more likely to result from errors in intravenous (IV) administration than through any other routes of administration. Infusion therapies are delivered in a variety of settings every day, including hospitals, home care settings, long-term care facilities, occupational health facilities, outpatient clinics, and physician offices. Understanding the basic principles of patient safety and developing strategies to reduce risk and severity are critical to improving the safety of IV medication administration. Consistent implementation of accepted strategies to prevent error is long overdue in the practice of IV medication administration. This article challenges the reader to develop a better understanding of patient-safety science, thoroughly investigate the causes of IV medication administration errors, and develop processes to mitigate the recurrence of similar errors.
Rapid Solid-Phase Syntheses of Conjugated Homooligomers and [AB] Alternating Block Cooligomers of Precise Length and Constitution.

A new iterative divergent/convergent solid-phase synthesis of precisely defined oligomers is described. The starting monomer is affixed to the solid support so that both ends are free for growth. The polymer-supported n-mer bearing α,ω-terminal iodides is divided into two portions. The smaller portion is converted to the polymer-supported (n + 2)-mer by coupling an α,ω-dialkyne to the two iodide ends. The larger portion is liberated from the polymer support and then coupled with the polymer-supported portion to form a polymer-supported (3n + 2)-mer with new α,ω-terminal iodide end groups. The process is then repeated. The solid-supported material thereby grows in two directions, unlike the common approach of unidirectional growth. This polymer-supported strategy serves as a pseudo high dilution system so that unwanted polymerization does not ensue. Therefore, after each iteration, the oligomer length is more than tripled, making this a rapid growth methodology for precise oligomer syntheses. The methodolo...
Multiservice vertical handoff decision algorithms

Future wireless networks must be able to coordinate services within a diverse-network environment. One of the challenging problems for coordination is vertical handoff, which is the decision for a mobile node to handoff between different types of networks. While traditional handoff is based on received signal strength comparisons, vertical handoff must evaluate additional factors, such as monetary cost, offered services, network conditions, and user preferences. In this paper, several optimizations are proposed for the execution of vertical handoff decision algorithms, with the goal of maximizing the quality of service experienced by each user. First, the concept of policy-based handoffs is discussed. Then, a multiservice vertical handoff decision algorithm (MUSE-VDA) and cost function are introduced to judge target networks based on a variety of user- and network-valued metrics. Finally, a performance analysis demonstrates that significant gains in the ability to satisfy user requests for multiple simultaneous services and a more efficient use of resources can be achieved from the MUSE-VDA optimizations.
Migration of hydrous fluids in the upper mantle and potassium variation in calc-alkalic rocks

None of the existing explanations for increase in potassium in calc-alkalic rocks away from convergent plate boundaries is entirely satisfactory, and a new model is proposed for future testing based on a demonstrable mobility of incompatible constituents in the upper mantle. It is postulated that hydrous fluids derived from the descending oceanic crust migrate upward into the overlying wedge of mantle, thereby scavenging and zone melting potassium and other incompatible elements from peridotite during ascent. Progressively greater amounts of potassium are abstracted from increasingly thicker vertical sections of the mantle wedge. It is immaterial to the model whether the fluids are hydrous silicate melts derived by partial melting of the crust, which subsequently become calc-alkalic magma, or whether they are subsolidus aqueous solutions derived by dehydration of the crust, which eventually are assimilated by partial melts of the mantle and yield calc-alkalic magma. The scavenging-zone-melting process is an efficient mechanism for irreversible chemical differentiation of the upper mantle.
Slow strain rate tensile tests on irradiated austenitic stainless steels in simulated light water reactor environments

Abstract Irradiation stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) is a critical degradation mechanism for reactor internal components that contributes to the safe and economic operation of reactors. As nuclear power plants age and irradiation dose increases, IASCC becomes an increasingly important issue because of its potential impact on the integrity of reactor internal components. In this study, slow strain rate tensile tests were conducted on irradiated tensile specimens at strain rates between 3 and 7 × 10 −7 s −1 to evaluate cracking susceptibility of austenitic stainless steels in simulated light water reactor (LWR) environments. Significant increases in yield strength were observed for all irradiated specimens and a dose dependence of irradiation hardening was obtained at temperatures relevant to LWRs. Ductility and strain hardening capability were also found decrease rapidly with the increase of dose. After the tests, the specimens were examined using a scanning electron microscopy to characterize fracture morphology. The area fractions of non-ductility fracture were used to evaluate the IASCC susceptibility along with the tensile properties. IASCC susceptibility was also compared for several stainless steels irradiated in the Halden and BOR-60 reactors. A possible neutron spectrum effect was discussed.
Rogues in the ranks of selling organizations: using corporate ethics to manage workplace bullying and job satisfaction

The literature recognizes that the sales profession is an inherently competitive and self-interested occupation that can be negatively impacted by deviant behavior and rationalizations of unethical conduct. The unique boundary-spanning nature and autonomy of such work means that there is often little management oversight of sales professionals' behavior, which may lead to misbehavior and poor work attitudes. Yet, evidence suggests that the development of corporate ethical values (CEVs) can mitigate concerns about unethical conduct, suggesting that these principles might be used to reduce workplace bullying and enhance job satisfaction. Using a self-report questionnaire, information was collected from national and regional samples of selling professionals employed in different organizations located in the USA (N = 356). While controlling for the effects of sampling and social desirability, results indicated that increased communication of an ethics code was associated with stronger perceptions of CEVs, whi...
Effects of step length on stepping responses used to arrest a forward fall

This study investigated effects of step length on the stepping response used to arrest an impending forward fall. Twelve healthy young (mean age 22, S.D. 3.3 years) males participated by recovering balance with a single step following a forward lean-and-release. Participants were instructed to step to one of three floor targets representing small, natural, and large step lengths. The effect of step length was examined on the primary outcome variables: pushoff time, liftoff and landing time, swing duration, balance recovery time, landing impulse, and center of mass (COM) characteristics. Pushoff and liftoff times were not affected by step length, although swing phase duration, landing and recovery times and the anterior-posterior (AP) impulse at landing increased with increasing step length. The results support the idea of an invariant step preparation phase. Given that our participants naturally chose not to utilize a step as short as they were capable of employing, healthy young individuals do not minimize recovery time nor strength requirements when selecting their step length.
Principles and controversies in lymphoscintigraphy with emphasis on breast cancer.

In 1977, Cabanas 3 described patients with penile carcinoma and used lymphangiography to evaluate what he called the sentinel lymph node (SLN). He postulated that penile cancer would spread in an orderly manner to a first node, the SLN. Cabanas studied 100 patients (ten normal controls, ten patients with benign disease, and 80 with penile cancer) and showed the importance of using the SLN as an operative tool and for predicting those with positive or negative SLNs. Cabanas stated, "In all of our patients with penile carcinoma who had metastases, this SLN was found to contain metastases. Thus, the SLN was the first filter in the penile lymphatic pathway." 3 He found the five-year follow-up was 90% survival in patients with negative SLNs and 70% in those whose SLN was the only positive node. In patients with SLNs involved with other inguinal nodes, the survival rate was 50%, and when iliac metastases were present, only 20%. There were 15 patients with SLNs that were positive. In 12 patients it was the only positive node, and in three others with positive SLNs, malignant disease was found in other nodes. The concept of the sentinel node lay fallow for many years before Morton et al 27 developed the concept of the SLN in patients with melanoma. Wong, Cagle, and Morton, 49 using a feline model, worked to define lymphatic drainage. Using blue dye, they found that the drainage to the nodes in the cat groin was reproducible. Morton 27 and his colleagues postulated that the findings on the SLN could be used to determine which patients would need a total lymph node dissection. Morton et al 49 used lymphatic mapping with blue dye in early stage melanoma. With the use of blue dye, they were unable to find 194 SLNs in 237 mapping procedures. There were 40 patients with positive nodes in the total lymph node dissection. Thirty-eight patients were found to have a positive SLN, and two patients presented with "skip" metastases. Skip metastasis is defined as a negative SLN while other node(s) are positive. In Morton's study, there was a 5% miss rate. The concept of the sentinel was reborn, and Morton and his group are credited for its resurgence and development in sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND).
Media in performance: interactive spaces for dance, theater, circus, and museum exhibits

The future of artistic and expressive communication in the varied forms of film, theater, dance, and narrative tends toward a blend of real and imaginary worlds in which moving images, graphics, and text cooperate with humans and among themselves in the transmission of a message. We have developed a "media actors" software architecture used in conjunction with real-time computer-vision-based body tracking and gesture recognition techniques to choreograph digital media together with human performers or museum visitors. We endow media objects with coordinated perceptual intelligence, behaviors, personality, and intentionality. Such media actors are able to engage the public in an encounter with virtual characters that express themselves through one or more of these agents. We show applications to dance, theater, and the circus, which augment the traditional performance stage with images, video, music, and text, and are able to respond to movement and gesture in believable, aesthetical, and expressive manners. We also describe applications to interactive museum exhibit design that exploit the media actors' perceptual abilities while they interact with the public.
X-ray microanalysis with transmission electron microscopy determined presence and movement of tracer (lanthanum chloride) at blood-neuron barrier of Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera : Drosophilidae) larva

In studying the larval Drosophila (Diptera : Drosophilidae) blood-brain barrier, it was important to determine if even minute amounts of tracer ultimately seeped through the septate junctions between perineurial cells to reach the neuronal region. Concurrent TEM with X-ray microanalysis was undertaken to resolve that issue. Ultrathin sections of Drosophila nervous tissue in LR White embedment were exposed to ionic tracer (lanthanum chloride) and assayed for presence or absence of lanthanum extracellular to the perineurium and glia making up the nerve sheath. Tracer filled the distal interseptal lattice of pleated sheet-septate junctions, but was contained prior to reaching the proximal paracellular space. No detectable tracer passed through septate junctions to enter the glial-neuronal domain. Based on our present data and the research of others, septate junctions in immature Drosophila are multifunctional structures that enforce spatial relationships between cells, seal intercellular spaces, and control cell proliferation in the epithelia. Septate junctions in Drosophila with the (dlg) gene also exhibit protein homologies to the Z0–1 human tight junction component.
Grammar-driven generation of domain-specific language tools

Domain-specific languages (DSLs) assist an end-user programmer in writing programs using idioms that are closer to the abstractions found in a specific problem domain. Language testing tool support for DSLs is lacking when compared to the capabilities provided in standard general purpose languages (e.g., Java and C++). For example, support for debugging a program written in a DSL is often nonexistent. This research abstract describes a grammar-driven technique to build a testing tool generation framework through automated transformation of existing DSL grammars. The modified grammars generate the hooks needed to interface with a supporting infrastructure written for an Integrated Development Environment that assists in debugging, testing, and profiling a DSL program.
Splitting and reduction heuristics in automatic theorem proving

A theorem proving program has been written in LISP which attempts to speed up automatic theorem proving by the use of heuristics. Some of these heuristics are of a general nature, applicable to the proof of any theorem in mathematics, while others are designed for set theory. Their effect is to break the theorem into parts which are easier to prove. The proof of these parts is then attempted by resolution. Resolution, when used, is relegated to the job it does best, proving relatively easy assertions. This program has been used to proe a large number of theorems in set theory, many of which would be impossible (because of time and storage restrictions) by current resolution methods.
Decomposition and nitrogen mineralization from legume and non-legume crop residues in a subarctic agricultural soil

An understanding of the C and N dynamics of crop residues is important for efficient nutrient management. The present experiment was conducted to determine the rate of mass and N loss from alfalfa, faba bean, barley, and rape crop residues in a subarctic agricultural soil. Mass, C, and N losses were measured from residues contained in mesh bags and placed on the soil surface or buried 15 cm below the surface. The mass loss from October, 1988, to May, 1989, was the same for surface and buried alfalfa, barley, and rape residues, averaging 40, 20, and 61%, respectively, while surface and buried faba bean residue sustained 30 and 40% mass loss, respectively. The mass loss of the buried residues continued over the summer but not of those placed on the soil surface, resulting in an average 23% greater mass loss of the buried materials after 1 year. The N loss from October to May was similar from the surface and from the buried placements for the alfalfa, faba bean, and rape residues, averaging 11.3, 10.3 and 38.4 g N kg-1 residue, respectively, while the surface and buried barley lost 2.9 and 4.2 g N kg-1, respectively. The C:N ratio of all of the residues increased during the winter. These data indicate that the rate of decomposition and N mineralization from crop residues in subarctic environments can equal that measured in temperate climates. Furthermore, the concurrent loss of mass and N combined with an increase in the C:N ratio of the residues suggests that physical rather than biological processes were functioning during the winter. Most of the mass and N loss from these residues occurred during the winter, out of phase with crop demand, thereby creating the potential for N loss from the system and inefficient use of crop residue N.
PLANT AND MICROBE CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITY RESILIENCE IN A DIRECTIONALLY CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

To understand the role biota play in resilience or vulnerability to environmental change, we investigated soil, plant, and microbial responses to a widespread environmental change, increased nitrogen (N). Our aim was to test the plant-soil threshold hypothesis: that changed biotic structure influences resilience to accumulated changes in N. For six years, we removed one of two codominant species, Geum rossii and Deschampsia caespitosa, in moist- meadow alpine tundra in Colorado, USA. We also manipulated nutrient availability by adding carbon (C) or N, separately and in combination with the species removals. Consistent with our hypothesis, Geum was associated with soil feedbacks that slowed rates of N cycling and Deschampsia with feedbacks that increased rates of N cycling. After a four- year initial resilience period, Geum dramatically declined (by almost 70%) due to increasing N availability. In contrast, Deschampsia abundance did not respond to changes in N supply; it only responded to the removal of Geum. Forbs and graminoids responded more positively to Deschampsia removal than to Geum removal, indicating stronger competitive effects by Deschampsia. The changed biotic interactions appear to have community-level consequences: after six years of Geum (but not Deschampsia) removal, evenness of the community declined by over 35%. Increased N affected the soil-microbial feedbacks, particularly in association with Geum. Microbial biomass N declined at higher N, as did the activities of two C-acquiring and one N- acquiring extracellular microbial enzymes. In the presence of Geum, N fertilization slowed the activity of phenol oxidase, a tannin-degrading enzyme, suggesting that microbes shift from degrading Geum-derived compounds. In the absence of Geum, acid phosphatase activity increased, suggesting increased phosphorus limitation in association with Deschampsia. With continued N deposition forecast for this system, these results suggest that initial resilience of Geum to increased N will be overwhelmed through elimination of microbial feedbacks. Once Geum declines, the loss will indirectly facilitate Deschampsia via competitive release. Because Deschampsia exerts strong competitive effects on subordinate species, increased Deschampsia abundance may be accompanied by a community-wide drop in diversity. We conclude that plant-soil feedbacks through the microbial community can influence vulnerability to exogenous changes in N and contribute to threshold dynamics.
Quantitative Easing: Financial Impact across and within Asian Economies

The U.S. Federal Reserve System, wanting to stimulate economic recovery within the country, instituted a system of buying bonds, generating a trillion dollars of financial liquidity and new money. ...
Structure‐property correlations in stretched LLDPE films using oblique incidence small‐angle X‐ray scattering

This paper demonstrates the use of oblique incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to characterize microstructure in linear low-density polyethylene films subjected to biaxial deformation in a TM Long stretcher. Differences in tear strength and impact properties were found when two different deformation temperatures were used. SAXS was used to characterize the nanometer scale microstructure of these films. Since the microstructure was expected to be anisotropic, SAXS data were collected in normal incidence, T (transverse) oblique incidence and M (reference direction) oblique incidence. The sections through the three-dimensional SAXS pattern collected in these three orientations are combined to provide clues to the nature of the complete 3-D SAXS pattern, which can be interpreted to characterize the changes wrought by deformation.
Proper Care and Cleaning of the Microscope

Keeping the microscope optics clean is important for high-quality imaging. Dust, fingerprints, excess immersion oil, or mounting medium on or in a microscope causes reduction in contrast and resolution. DIC is especially sensitive to contamination and scratches on the lens surfaces. This protocol details the procedure for keeping the microscope clean.
THE USE OF BANDING RECOVERY DATA TO ESTIMATE DISPERSAL RATES AND GENE FLOW IN AVIAN SPECIES: CASE STUDIES IN THE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD AND COMMON GRACKLE'

Dispersal resulting in gene flow strongly affects the evolution of genetic structure in populations. This report describes statistical estimators of dispersal parameters based on USFWS banding recovery records. Finite-area studies of avian species yield estimates of root-mean-square (RMS) dispersal along a transect of about 1 km per generation. In contrast, estimates of RMS dispersal for the Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) and Com­ mon Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula), based on USFWS banding recovery records, are 94.6 and 111.4 km per generation, respectively. Distributions for both species are extremely lepto­ kurtic, and confidence intervals based on jackknife statistics are large because the estimators are sensitive to outlying values. Dispersal rates can also be estimated from gene frequency data. Although all three kinds of data are not available for any one avian species, genetic­ based estimates for several species are consistent with our estimates for Red-winged Black­ birds and Common Grackles in inferring that gene flow is generally high in North American birds-probably closer to 100 km than 1 km per generation. High' gene flow also implies that where geographic variation is observed, such as plumage patterns across hybrid zones, selection plays a role in maintaining the pattern of geographic variation.
Correlations between Binary Outcomes and Probabilistic Predictions

Abstract The correlation coefficient between a binary dependent variable and its predicted value is restudied.
Comparison of Two Different Low-Profile Gastrostomy Enteral Feeding Devices in Pediatric Oncology Patients

Purpose: To describe the occurrence and type of complications in two low-profile enteral feeding devices (LPFD) at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (SJCRH). Methods: The medical records of 36 patients who received gastric feedings via the Bard® or MIC-KEY® devices between 1994 and 1997 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Patients began tube feedings at a median age of 12.1 years (range, 1 month to 18.7 years). Twenty-four patients were at nutritional risk at time of gastrostomy tube (GT) placement. Although 29 patients received GTs originally, 11 eventually received a Bard® Button and 19 eventually received a MIC-KEY®. Six never received a low-profile device. Nutrition support continued for a median of 8.3 months (range, 17 days to 23 months). One or more complications occurred in 30 patients and were categorized as mechanical (leakage, 8; broken balloon, 5; deflated balloon, 1; dislodged tube, 11; clogged tube, 1; valve malfunction, 1; damaged cover, 1) or feeding related (nausea/vomiting, 12; nausea/constipation, 4; diarrhea, 3). Twenty patients (56%) achieved or maintained ideal body weights with nutrition support. Conclusions: Both feeding devices are effective in improving or maintaining the nutritional status of pediatric oncology patients undergoing cancer therapy. Mechanical complications were higher in the MIC-KEY® group due to the balloon. Awareness of the incidence and type of complications allowed us to select one LPFD for use at our institution and to develop uniform standards of care. Despite the higher complication rate, the MIC-KEY® is preferred because of the decreased level of pain associated with accessing the stoma and ease of care.
Collagen crosslinking in lungs of rats with experimental silicosis.

Abstract Rats were intratracheally instilled with 50 mg of size-fractionated crystalline quartz to induce silicosis. Lungs were analyzed 1, 4, 6, and 9 months after instillation for their content of the reduced difunctional collagen crosslinks dihydroxylysinonorleucine (DHLNL) and hydroxylysinonorleucine (HLNL), of the nonreducible trifunctional (mature) crosslink, hydroxypyridinium (OHP), and of hydroxylysine. Ratios of DHLNL : HLNL were elevated in silicotic lung collagen at all times sampled, due both to increased levels of DHLNL and decreased amounts of HLNL. Hydroxylysine content of collagen in the silicotic lungs was also increased as compared with age-matched control rats. Hydroxypyridinium content of silicotic lung collagen was less than control values at 1 month, but was significantly increased to about 120%, 150%, and 175% of the age-matched control values at 4, 6, and 9 months after silica instillation, respectively. The increased levels of OHP in lung collagen were temporally correlated with the appearance of mature silicotic nodules in these lungs. We conclude that the large amounts of excess collagen deposited in silicotic lungs differs biochemically from normal lung collagen despite maintenance of the normal ratio of major collagen types in silicotic lungs.
EFFECT OF INSOLUBLE EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX MOLECULES ON FAS EXPRESSION IN EPITHELIAL CELLS

Fas, which functions to initiate a signal causing apoptosis, is expressed in epithelia, thus, suggesting a role in controlling cell number during states of cell and matrix turnover. In view of this, we hypothesized that cell-matrix interactions may be an important determinant of Fas expression in epithelial cells. To investigate this, we examined the effect of insoluble extracellular matrix molecules on Fas expression in murine lung epithelial (MLE) cells, a transformed mouse lung epithelial cell line. We report that 1) insoluble extracellular matrices increased Fas mRNA in a time and concentration-dependent manner; 2) induced increases in Fas mRNA were associated with concomitantly increased Fas protein; and 3) nonspecific adherence to a polylysine substrate did not induce Fas mRNA. Consistent with these findings, Fas-induced apoptosis was significantly enhanced in cultures plated on type IV collagen. Employing rat hepatocytes, we confirmed that the insoluble extracellular matrix also increases Fas expression in primary epithelial cells. By amplifying Fas-mediated apoptosis, these data suggest a mechanism whereby the extracellular matrix regulates the fate of specific epithelial cell populations.
Stimulation of nuclease activity by thymine starvation

Extracts of thymine-starved Escherichia coli contain an endonuclease activity not found in unstarved cells. The activity of DNA ligase is unaffected by thymine starvation; this is contrary to an earlier hypothesis.
Ingress of blood-borne macrophages across the blood-brain barrier in murine HIV-1 encephalitis

Blood-borne macrophage ingress into brain in HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders governs the tempo of disease. We used superparamagnetic iron-oxide particles loaded into murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM) injected intravenously into HIV-1 encephalitis mice to quantitatively assess BMM entry into diseased brain regions. Magnetic resonance imaging tests were validated by histological coregistration and enhanced image processing. The demonstration of robust BMM migration into areas of focal encephalitis provide 'proof of concept' for the use of MRI to monitor macrophage ingress into brain.
Impurity scattering and residual resistivity of transition metals

We derive an expression for the residual resistivity of impurities in metals that incorporates both the Bloch-wave character of the electron states and backscattering by the host lattice. This expression, which involves the Friedel phase shifts, is closely analogous to a familiar relation for the jellium model, but its derivation is much more general. Calculations of impurities in noble-metal hosts based on our formula are in excellent agreement with the numerical calculations of Coleridge, Holzwarth, and Lee.
Offering and soliciting collaboration in multi-party disputes among children (and other humans)

This paper has aimed to remedy a neglect of multi-party disputes by addressing how those involved in a two-party argument may collaborate with others who are co-present. Collaboration is a complex phenomenon. In the first place, we have seen that disputes, although initially produced by two parties, do not consist simply of two sides. Rather, given one party's displayed position, stance, or claim, another party can produce opposition by simply aligning against that position or by aligning with a counterposition. This means that parties can dispute a particular position for different reasons and by different means. It is therefore possible for several parties to serially oppose another's claim without achieving collaboration. A second complexity, then, is just that collaboration is a negotiated phenomenon. For example, while it is possible for an outside party to produce an uninvited alignment display that is sympathetic to an already-stated position in a two-party dispute, the party whose position it supports can agree or disagree with that display. Thus, outsiders' uninvited alignment displays that occur subsequent to those of the insiders or principals in a two-party dispute must be considered as collaboration offers, which can be accepted or rejected. But that is not the end of it, for an outside party can offer alignments that now align with a principal party's position and then, addressing a different aspect of the principal's talk, align against it. Finally, in addition to being offered, collaboration can also be solicited. A principal in a two-party dispute solicits collaboration by inviting an outsider to display an alignment favorable to inviter's own position or to participate in a joint activity that supports that stance. Such solicits can be accepted, rejected, or, again, handled in such a way as to exhibit neutrality. Argumentative collaboration, in short, is a specific, momentary, and delicate state of affairs that is also an organized, technical achievement.
Fast Monitoring of Epileptic Seizures Based on Recurrence Time Analysis of EEGs

Epilepsy is one of the most common disorders of the brain. Currently, studies of epileptic seizures often involve tedious and time-consuming visual inspection of multi-channel long EEG data by medical experts. To better monitor seizures and make medications more effective, we propose a recurrence time based approach to characterize brain electrical activity. Unlike many other nonlinear methods, the proposed approach does not require that the EEG data be chaotic and/or stationary. It only contains a few parameters that are largely signal-independent, and hence, is very easy to use. The method detects epileptic seizures with accuracy close to 100% (when subclinical seizures are not counted) and false alarm rate per hour close to 0. Most critically, the method is very fast: with an ordinary PC (CPU speed less than 2 GHz), computation of the recurrence time from one channel EEG data of duration one hour with sampling frequency of 200 Hz takes about 1 minute CPU time. Therefore, with an ordinary PC, the method is able to process all 28 channels of 1-hour EEG data in about half an hour, and thus faster than the data being continuously collected. The method can also effectively monitor propagation of seizures in the brain. Therefore, it has the potential to be an excellent candidate for real-time monitoring of epileptic seizures in a clinical setting.© 2011 ASME
A solvent extraction study of molybdenum chloride and molybdenum thiocyanate complexes

The effect of reducing agents on molybdenum(VI) solutions in hydrochloric acid was studied by a solvent extraction technique to elucidate the composition of the colored molybdenum thiocyanate complex. Neither copper(I) chloride nor ascorbic acid have any effect on the extraction of MoO2Cl2; it is inferred that tin(II) chloride reduces Mo(VI) stepwise to a polynuclear Mo(V)·Mo(VI) complex and then to Mo(V). The colored thiocyanate complex produced by copper(I) and by ascorbic acid differs only slightly in extraction characteristics from the uncolored Mo(VI) complex. It is suggested that the color may be produced by an isomerization reaction of MoO2(SCN)2, and thus that the colored species may be a hexavalent rather than pentavalent molybdenum complex.