cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Stakeholder Model of Organizational Leadership

Organizations are evolving from the bureaucratic form based upon hierarchy to the new-form or radix organization that has the value chain as its relatively fluid foundation. This article explores the relationship between the radix organization and leadership, viewed through an organization-environment coevolution framework. It explicates the changes in the leader's role-sets and relationships brought about with the evolution from bureaucracy to the radix organization, developing a model of leadership that is referred to as the stakeholder model of organizational leadership. Stakeholder theory provides the appropriate theoretical basis for this model, as it offers the flexibility to accommodate various leader relationships. The stakeholder model of organizational leadership helps to predict leader effectiveness in organizations characterized by fuzzy organizational boundaries, flattened hierarchies, and work relationships sometimes brought about through contracts instead of employment.
Rape as a Weapon of Hate: Discursive Constructions and Material Consequences of Black Lesbianism in South Africa

When the violent years of apartheid ended in South Africa in the early 1990s, the nation reinvigorated a commitment to equality. Despite institutional gains and the constitutional recognition of gay rights, violence against gay and lesbian people in South Africa persists. This critical rhetorical analysis reveals that much media coverage about the nation constructs Black lesbianism in South Africa as especially liminal. Discursively marginalizing these women positions them such that they become vulnerable to physical/material disciplining in the form of “corrective rape.”
The Vertical Structure and Development of the ENSO Anomaly Mode during 1979–1989

Abstract The latest two Pacific basinwide warm episodes (1982–83 and 1986–87) exhibit some common features in their development and vertical structure. These features are examined by multivariate empirical orthogonal function analysis of the interannual variability of the ocean-atmosphere system along equatorial Indian and Pacific oceans. The updraft and downdraft branches of the anomalous Walker circulation originate over the western Pacific and the eastern Indian Ocean, respectively. The early development of basinwide warming is characterized by the strengthening of a cross-equatorial low-level southerly component over the eastern Pacific and the enhancement of convection and boundary-layer westerlies over the western Pacific. The structure of the ENSO anomaly mode changes from the cold to the warm phase of the Southern Oscillation. This is attributed to its eastward migration and the intrinsic longitudinal dependence of the vertical structure. The latter results from the east–west contrast of the air–s...
Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition in the Elderly Patient

The past two decades have witnessed a dramatic change in our ability to provide adequate nutrition for our patients. At the present time, this frequently involves the use of enteral tube feedings or intravenous alimentation. This chapter will provide a practical background for the use of these advanced enteral and parenteral nutritional support techniques in the geriatric patient.
Computational Technique for Detecting Errors in Network-Level Pavement Condition Data

Errors in pavement condition data can affect not only the assessment of current and predicted performance of the network but also the quality of pavement maintenance and rehabilitation plans. The large size of pavement condition databases makes manual error detection methods difficult to implement. This paper provides a new computational technique for detecting errors in network-level pavement condition data sets. The technique integrates conventional statistical methods and heuristics. The statistical methods are used to identify outliers in uniform performance families, and the heuristics are used for delineating potential errors from extreme, yet valid, behavior within these outliers. The new technique was validated with field data from Texas on pavement cracking. Of 9,166 audited pavement sections, 681 sections having potentially erroneous cracking data were detected. These potential errors are randomly distributed across the Texas roadway network and are not related to a specific geographic region, d...
Where Speech Loses its Luster: Campaign Finance Laws and the Constitutional Downgrading of Political Speech

The Supreme Court has stated that political speech should receive the highest Constitutional protections. However, this notion of the primacy of political speech has not prevailed in the Court's recent campaign finance decisions, which have upheld significant restrictions on the most political form of speech, political campaign advertising. Not only are these restrictions significant in themselves, but they are even more dramatic when compared with the kind of restrictions the Court has refused to allow on sexually explicit television entertainment, clearly not the kind of speech that the framers intended to be protected by the First Amendment. This Article, by focusing primarily on the Court's decision in McConnell v. Federal Election Commission, outlines the types of restraints that have been allowed on political advertising. The Article also compares these restraints to those allowed on what the Court has termed indecent speech.
Conjugation of Gold Nanorods with Bovine Serum Albumin Protein

We used polarized fluctuation correlation spectroscopy (p-FCS) to study the interaction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) stabilized gold nanorods (AuNRs). The translational (DT) and rotational diffusion (DR) of the BSA-NR conjugate were determined in varying concentrations of BSA. The measured diffusion coefficients were analyzed to determine the change of the hydrodynamic size of the particle due to protein adsorption. We found that the saturation coverage is less than one monolayer of protein at a BSA concentration of ≈1 mM. The adsorption isotherm was compared with the Langmuir and anticooperative binding models to quantify BSA-NR association. Our data can be interpreted in terms of hydrophobic interaction between the imperfect CTAB coating and the buried hydrophobic residues of the protein, which results in the loss of protein native conformation. We compared our study with previous experiments involving carboxylic-acid-stabilized nanosphere interaction with BSA...
Incorporation of DL-lysine-2-C14 into melanin pigment of turkey poult feathers.

SummaryThe melanin isolated from feathers of turkey poults injected with DL-lysine-2-C14 was radioactive. Part of the radioactivity was lost when melanin was autoclaved with 6N HCl. With the protein removed, “melanin'was only slightly soluble in 0.05N NaOH. Radioactivity was also distributed in aspartic acid, glutamic acid and lysine of the feather keratin.
Beta Decay of the Λ

In the course ot studying a large number of decays of hyperons, produced in a hydrogen bubble chamber by 1.23 Bev/c pious, an uanambiguous case or a LAMBDA undergotng beta decay was found. Tbe events at the various vertices in the photograph are analyzed. (W.D.M.)
Negative urgency and reward/punishment sensitivity in intermittent explosive disorder.

Abstract Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is the sole psychiatric diagnosis in which affective aggression is the cardinal symptom. Previous research has been equivocal with regard to the relationship between IED and impulsivity. This inconsistency may reflect the varied facets of impulsivity, with some aspects of impulsivity (e.g. negative urgency) as well as some overlapping, albeit distinct constructs (e.g. reward and punishment sensitivity) yet to be studied. Methods The present study compared individuals diagnosed with IED (n=81) with psychiatric controls (PCs; n=52) and healthy volunteers (HVs; n=58) on the impulsivity domains of negative and positive urgency, perseverance, sensation seeking, and premeditation, as well as on reward and punishment sensitivity. We hypothesized that individuals with IED would show greater negative and positive urgency, reward sensitivity, punishment sensitivity, with negative urgency independently predicting IED status. We also hypothesized that negative urgency would predict levels of anger, aggression, and aggression control among those with IED. Results The IED participants reported greater negative urgency than both comparison groups, and greater levels of positive urgency, reward sensitivity, and punishment sensitivity compared to HVs. Further, heightened negative urgency was the sole predictor an IED diagnosis. Within the IED group negative urgency uniquely predicted decreased aggression control and increased trait anger. Limitations Limitations included reliance on self-report measures to assess RS/PS, impulsivity, and aggression. Conclusions These findings suggest that negative urgency is a key factor associated with IED and is associated with dampened control of aggression within those with IED.
Technique for Repair and Replacement of the Mitral Valve

Whenever possible, the patient's own mitral valve mechanism should be preserved. Successful mitral valve repair offers excellent benefits in terms of hemodynamic function, clinical improvement, and longevity. Open mitral commissurotomy or valvuloplasty for localized defects or ruptured chordae tendineae constitutes our best reparative efforts. Today, mitral valve replacement can be accomplished with less than a 5 per cent operative mortality, but should be reserved for patients who are not in desperate terminal condition. In our experience, aggressive tactics undertaken at the endstage of the disease have had little or no long-term success. At the Cleveland Clinic, isolated mitral valve repair or replacement is performed under normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass and anoxic arrest. Generally, the valve is exposed through an atriotomy behind the interatrial groove. Valvular replacement is accomplished by interrupted suture technique, seating the prosthesis at the level of the annulus or below it. Risk is influenced mainly by the chronicity of the valve dysfunction. Patients who have not yet reached a Functional Class IV status or sustained massive cardiomegaly and low cardiac output fare better in both early and late follow-up periods.
Correlation between the linearized Frank-Starling relationship and myocardial energetics in the ejecting heart: Afterload independence and sensitivity to inotropic state

Previous studies suggest that the relationship between end-diastolic volume and stroke work calculated as the area of the pressure-volume work loop is linear, afterload independent, and sensitive to the inotropic state. The correlation of myocardial oxygen consumption with this stroke work could provide an integrated measure of cardiac performance and metabolism to assess perturbations induced by ischemia or pathologic loading conditions. Fourteen canine hearts instrumented for computerized acquisition of instantaneous pressure-volume data and quantitation of myocardial oxygen consumption were studied during progressive volume infusion on right heart bypass (1.5 to 3.5 L/min in 250 ml/min increments). Data acquisition both in the control state and during continuous infusion of calcium chloride (0.03 mEq/kg/min, n = 7) to increase contractility or phenylephrine (2 micrograms/kg/min, n = 7) to alter afterload facilitated the construction of stroke work versus end-diastolic volume and myocardial oxygen consumption versus stroke work relationships by least-squares regression analysis. The cardiac mechanics assessment for this group of dogs confirmed a highly linear (mean r = 0.984) work versus preload relationship that was unaffected by changes in afterload but sensitive to increased contractility (71% increase in slope). The myocardial energetics correlation was also linear (mean r = 0.939) and demonstrated an increased oxygen utilization characteristic of the higher inotropic state produced by calcium chloride infusion (0.047 +/- 0.003 versus 0.070 +/- 0.008 ml oxygen/beat/100 gm left ventricular weight, p = 0.008). Although phenylephrine administration produced variable perturbations of myocardial oxygen consumption, the energetics relationship for this subgroup was not statistically altered by changes in afterload. The features of this cardiac energetics assessment suggest its value as a biological marker to evaluate the postischemic, hypertrophied, or failing heart.
The Soil Fungi: Occurrence, Phylogeny, and Ecology

We review the phylogeny and ecology of the Kingdom Fungi, with particular emphasis on their diversity, distribution, and roles in soil. The fungi fall within the Opisthokonta and are divided into 14 lineages above the class level, including eight phyla. Relationships among the basal phyla remain uncertain, and new major branches are still being discovered. Geographically aligned, genetic breaks among myriad, cryptic species appear to be more common than truly cosmopolitan species. Fungi occur in nearly every habitat on Earth, including deep ocean sediments, salterns, permafrost, and the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, yet the greatest biomass is achieved in forest litter and organic soil horizons. Plant communities, soil horizon, and other edaphic factors are strongly correlated with fungal community composition, which is also structured by competition, predation, and mutualism. Strong (ligno) cellulose degrading capacities are best developed in the Dikarya , but are found in other phyla as well, while the gene families encoding these capabilities have undergone complex and dynamic evolution.
Linking worker-parent working alliance to parent progress in child welfare: A longitudinal analysis

Abstract Using a national data set of child welfare cases, we asked how parent progress in a case plan was related to four factors: collaborative engagement, child welfare history, parent characteristics, and social worker characteristics. Our secondary analysis employed a sample extracted from nationally representative longitudinal records of 3185 children and their parents. Results of generalized least squares random-effects modeling showed that parent progress was associated positively with five specific variables: collaborative engagement, maintenance of effective working relationship, parent receipt of assistance in achieving goals, parent satisfaction with collaborative engagement, parent Hispanic ethnicity, and child welfare worker with MSW or degree in other major. Associated negatively with parent progress were parent receipt of assistance with obtaining needed services, out-of-home placement, multiple problems, and family income. Practice implications are discussed.
Multidimensional Poverty and Deprivation: An Introduction

This chapter introduces the topic of multidimensional poverty, focusing on its emergence as a metric to gauge deprivation and on the shortcomings of income- and consumption-based measures. Having established a basis for examination of deprivation as a multidimensional phenomenon, we close the chapter with a “road map” for the remainder of the volume.
In Justice and Love: The Christian Life in a Home with Mental Health Needs

Through personal narrative, theological and ethical reflection, and public health analysis this essay seeks to open the conversation on the spiritual needs and ethics of parenting a family with a special needs child. Davila argues that, in a family with an “explosive child,” questions about fairness and justice abound in the home, the church, and society. While a number of theologians have paved the way for thinking theologically about physical and mental challenges, for families with children who require psychiatric and emotional assistance, these topics remain dangerously taboo. Davila suggests that church and society can begin to empower parents in these situations by shedding light on the problem, extending appropriate pastoral care to families, and offering supportive communities where our stories and our children are understood and welcome. This essay thus reimagines a vision of justice in the home when circumstances may feel like chaos and unfairness rule.
“try telling yourself / you are not accountable”: Adrienne Rich as Citizen Poet

(2017). “try telling yourself / you are not accountable”: Adrienne Rich as Citizen Poet. Women's Studies: Vol. 46, Adrienne Rich, pp. 684-703.
Characteristics Associated With Decreased or Increased Mortality Risk From Glycemic Therapy Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and High Cardiovascular Risk: Machine Learning Analysis of the ACCORD Trial

OBJECTIVE Identifying patients who may experience decreased or increased mortality risk from intensive glycemic therapy for type 2 diabetes remains an important clinical challenge. We sought to identify characteristics of patients at high cardiovascular risk with decreased or increased mortality risk from glycemic therapy for type 2 diabetes using new methods to identify complex combinations of treatment effect modifiers. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The machine learning method of gradient forest analysis was applied to understand the variation in all-cause mortality within the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial (N = 10,251), whose participants were 40–79 years old with type 2 diabetes, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥7.5% (58 mmol/mol), cardiovascular disease (CVD) or multiple CVD risk factors, and randomized to target HbA1c RESULTS The analysis identified four groups defined by age, BMI, and HGI with varied risk for mortality under intensive glycemic therapy. The lowest risk group (HGI CONCLUSIONS Age, BMI, and HGI may help individualize prediction of the benefit and harm from intensive glycemic therapy.
System-Level Analysis of Phase Noise in Full-Duplex Wireless Transceivers

A system-level analysis of phase noise in full-duplex wireless transceivers is presented. It quantitatively relates phase-noise-induced residual self-interference (SI) noise power spectral density with full-duplex system design parameters, such as the amount of SI suppression in the antenna and RF domains, the SI channel delay, voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) phase noise and figure of merit, and VCO power consumption. Full-duplex transceiver noise simulations and SI cancelation measurements validate our results.
Concluding Thoughts and Recommendations

The BP/Deepwater Horizon oil spill is the biggest single-incident disaster for the aquatic environment in U.S. history. It is estimated that more than 200 million gallons of crude oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico, soiling shores from Texas to Florida. The coastal wetlands of Louisiana have been particularly hard-hit. Billions of dollars will be spent on litigation, remediation, and compensation, but that money will not offset the damage to the environment and the ecosystem services lost.
Connection Problems Arising from Nonlinear Diffusion Equations

A central feature in the study of many partial differential equations is the existence of special solutions. In this paper we consider two such examples. These are the existence of traveling wave solutions of reaction diffusion systems and the existence of radial solutions of semilinear elliptic equations. Both of these problems can be reduced to finding a particular solution of a system of ordinary differential equations. As we shall see, the particular solution corresponds to a trajectory in phase space which “connects” two equilibrium points. That is, the particular solution satisfies a system of ordinary differential equations of the form $$U'\left( z \right) = F\left( U \right),\quad U \in {R^{n}}$$ (1.1a) , together with boundary conditions $$\underline {\mathop{{\lim }}\limits_{{z \to - \infty }} } \;\,U\left( z \right) = A\;and\;\underline {\mathop{{\lim }}\limits_{{z \to + \infty }} } \;\,U\left( z \right) = B $$ (1.1b) where A and B are equilibria of (1.1a). We refer to a solution of (1.1) as an “A → B connection” or just “connection”.
A comparison of midazolam and zolpidem as oral premedication in children, a prospective randomized double-blinded clinical trial.

Background Anxiety associated with pediatric surgery can be stressful. Midazolam is a well-accepted anxiolytic in this setting. However, there are cases in which this medication is not effective. Zolpidem is a short-acting nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic drug that is administered orally and has quick onset of action (~15 minutes), and 2-3 hour duration. Aims Based on the theory that impaired perception following oral zolpidem administration would suppress the development of anxiety, we sought to compare zolpidem to midazolam for pediatric preoperative anxiety. Methods This prospective randomized double-blinded clinical trial was designed to compare the effectiveness of oral midazolam and zolpidem for anxiety premedication. Eighty ASA class I-II pediatric patients between 2 and 9 years old, surgery >2 hours, and at least 23 hours postoperative admission were included in the study. Randomization was done with 0.5 mg/kg midazolam or 0.25 mg/kg zolpidem administered orally. The primary outcome measure was between group difference in patient anxiety at the time of separation using the Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale. Secondary outcomes included emergence delirium and mask acceptance at induction. Results There was no significant difference in Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale scores at separation between midazolam (median/interquartile range = 26.7/23.3-36.6) and zolpidem (median/interquartile range = 30.0/23.3-56.6) groups, difference 0.01 (95% CI -3E-5 , 3E-2 ; P = 0.07). Mask acceptance score was significantly better in the midazolam group. There was no significant difference in emergence delirium scores between groups. Conclusion This study demonstrates that zolpidem, as dosed, was similar to midazolam with regard to anxiety scoring, and inferior with regard to mask acceptance scores.
Human Behavioral Ecology and Plant Resources in Archaeological Research

Research on diet choice in archaeology has benefitted from the use of human behavioral ecology (HBE) models that serve as a bridge between archaeological data and natural selection theory. Partly for historical reasons, these benefits have been more fully realized in studies that emphasize hunting than in those that focus on plant resources. Nonetheless, HBE-themed analyses of plant foraging have yielded useful insights into the economic logic of subsistence decisions. Creative modifications of simple models have brought them into better alignment with the distinctive characteristics of human actors and their plant resources. Other elaborations have taken into account the requirements of central place foraging, the effects of processing costs on return rates, and the implications of deferred consumption. More recently, researchers have revised classic foraging models to incorporate the effects of niche construction. Agent-based modeling is a particularly promising approach to understanding the complex social-ecological systems in which plant resource use is embedded.
3014 Examining Disparities In Route Of Hysterectomy for Benign Indications within an Integrated Healthcare SysteM

Study Objective Racial disparities exist in routes of benign gynecological surgery within the United States. Compared to open abdominal hysterectomies, minimally invasive hysterectomies (MIH), including laparoscopic, vaginal, and robotic, reduce pain, blood loss, and recovery time. We questioned if such disparities would be mitigated within an integrated healthcare system. Design Data-only retrospective single-institution cohort study. Setting A metropolitan-based integrated health system surgical center. Patients or Participants Between 2008 to 2015, 31,385 women underwent hysterectomies. Preoperative malignant indications or pregnancy related procedures were excluded. During this period, our surgeon pool strategically decreased by nearly half. Interventions N/A Measurements and Main Results Unadjusted odds ratios (OR), adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were estimated using the simple logistic regression for the crude association between MIH and individual risk factors (Black race, uterine weight [proxy for fibroids], low income, and medical benefit plan), and multivariable logistic regression analyses for the additive effect of risk factors. Among the study population 49% were White, 13% Black, 21.4% Hispanic, 11.5% Asian, and 5.1% other. 72.9% were MIH, of those 74.5% were White and 65.8% were Black (P Conclusion Within an integrated healthcare system, racial disparities are markedly reduced when compared to other settings Our high-volume, uniform teams likely aided this outcome. Further research is needed to identify determinants of racial disparities.
Z2 Photonic Topological Insulators in the Visible Wavelength Range for Robust Nanoscale Photonics.

Topological photonics provides an ideal platform for demonstrating novel band topology concepts, which are also promising for robust waveguiding, communication, and computation applications. However, many challenges such as extremely large device footprint and functionality at short wavelengths remain to be solved which are required to make practical and useful devices that can also couple to electronic excitations in many important organic and inorganic semiconductors. In this letter, we report an experimental realization of Z2 photonic topological insulators with their topological edge state energies spanning across the visible wavelength range including in the sub-500 nm regime, which requires highly optimized nanofabrication. The photonic structures are based on deformed hexagonal lattices with preserved 6-fold rotational symmetry patterned on suspended SiNx membranes. The experimentally measured energy-momentum dispersion of the topological lattices directly shows topological band inversion by the swapping of the brightness of the bulk energy bands, and also the helical edge states when the measurement is taken near the topological interface. The robust topological transport of the helical edge modes in real space is demonstrated by successfully guiding circularly polarized light beams unidirectionally through sharp kinks without significant signal loss. This work paves the way for small footprint photonic topological devices working in the short wavelength range that can also be utilized to couple to excitons for unconventional light-matter interactions at the nanoscale.
Leakage detection in water pipelines using supervised classification of acceleration signals

Abstract Loss of treated water through buried pipeline leakage is one of the pressing challenges faced by water utilities across the world. Many current pipeline inspection techniques are ad-hoc in nature and only provide a snapshot status of the system. Although a few embedded sensor-based systems offer promise for continuous monitoring, they are limited in their ability to detect leakages of all magnitudes. Lack of a comprehensive understanding of the pipeline system's structural dynamics and the correlation to leakage detection is a primary challenge. To overcome this challenge, a deep learning algorithm that uses scalogram images of vibration signals collected from accelerometers attached to the pipeline surface is developed and validated in this study. The advantage is that the complex structural features of the water pipeline systems need not be modeled if sufficient leak-based vibration signal data is available for training purposes. A convolutional neural network (CNN) model adapted from a pre-trained AlexNet network is leveraged to demonstrate the proposed approach using vibration data collected from an experimental pipeline test bed. The CNN model is found to be able to detect leakages on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipelines with up to 95% accuracy. A maximum accuracy of 98% is observed with acceleration signal data collected from carefully selected locations. The approach presented in this study can be adapted for effective leakage detection in real world scenarios with minimum human intervention.
Polypyrrole/Metal oxides-based composites/nanocomposites for corrosion protection

Corrosion is of paramount interest of researchers all around the world owning to its disastrous impact on economy and safety. New strategies based on novel materials have been employed to mitigate corrosion. Conducting polymer-based nanocomposites is a class of materials which has shown promise for corrosion protection. This paper will focus on the specific case of the Conducting polymer-based nanocomposites for corrosion protection and one important case will be discussed in detail. Corrosion protection offered by Polypyrrole (PPy)/Fe2O3 based composite coating for cold rolled substrate is characterized in this paper by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Open Circuit Potential (OCP) measurements. It was found that PPy/Fe2O3 based composite coating provides better corrosion performance after 40 days exposure to ASTM B117 salt fog test conditions. This improved performance was attributed to the increased surface area of PPy and passivating nature of composite resulting from the redox activity provided by PPy.
Dual Experiences—Tenure and Networks in the House of Representatives

In this article, I argue that members of Congress are strategic in who they hire and how they decide to assign certain legislative portfolios. Using a novel dataset of all House of Representatives ...
Topological superconductivity in nanowires proximate to a diffusive superconductor–magnetic-insulator bilayer

We study semiconductor nanowires coupled to a bilayer of a disordered superconductor and a magnetic insulator, motivated by recent experiments reporting possible Majorana-zero-mode signatures in related architectures. Specifically, we pursue a quasiclassical Usadel equation approach that treats superconductivity in the bilayer self-consistently in the presence of spin-orbit scattering, magnetic-impurity scattering, and Zeeman splitting induced by both the magnetic insulator and a supplemental applied field. Within this framework we explore prospects for engineering topological superconductivity in a nanowire proximate to the bilayer. We find that a magnetic-insulator-induced Zeeman splitting, mediated through the superconductor alone, cannot induce a topological phase since the destruction of superconductivity (i.e., Clogston limit) preempts the required regime in which the nanowire's Zeeman energy exceeds the induced pairing strength. However, this Zeeman splitting does reduce the critical applied field needed to access the topological phase transition, with fields antiparallel to the magnetization of the magnetic insulator having an optimal effect. Finally, we show that magnetic-impurity scattering degrades the topological phase, and spin-orbit scattering, if present in the superconductor, pushes the Clogston limit to higher fields yet simultaneously increases the critical applied field strength.
Running Code as Part of an Open Standards Policy

Governments around the world are considering implementing or even mandating open standards policies. They believe these policies will generate economic, socio-political, and technical benefits. In this article, we analyze the failure of Massachusetts’s open standards policy as applied to document formats. We argue that it failed due to the lack of “running code.” Running code refers to multiple, independent, interoperable implementations of an open standard. With running code, users have a choice in their adoption of a software product, and consequently, gain from the economic and technological benefits that accrue and which were, at the outset, the objectives behind the creation of the open standard. Hence, we urge governments to incorporate a “running code” requirement when adopting an open standards policy.
Association of low-income subsidy, medicaid dual eligibility, and disability status with high-risk medication use among Medicare Part D beneficiaries.

Abstract Background Low-income subsidy/dual eligibility (LIS/DE) status and disability status may be associated with high-risk medication (HRM) use but are not usually accounted for in medication-use quality measures. Objective To examine the association of: 1) LIS/DE status and HRM use; and 2) disability status and HRM use, while controlling for both health plan level effects and patient characteristics for Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans (MA-PD) and stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans (PDP). Methods This retrospective cross-sectional study used 2013 Medicare data to determine if LIS/DE status and disability status were independently associated with HRM use (using the Pharmacy Quality Alliance HRM measure) in MA-PDs and PDPs. Multivariable generalized linear mixed models assessed the association of LIS/DE and HRM use, and disability and HRM use, after adjusting for health plan effect and patient-level confounders for MA-PD and PDP beneficiaries. Results Of 520,019 MA-PD beneficiaries, 88,693 (17.1%) were LIS/DE and 48,997 (9.4%) were disabled. Of 881,264 PDP beneficiaries, 213,096 (24.2%) were LIS/DE, and 83,593 (9.5%) were disabled. LIS/DE beneficiaries had a higher percent of HRM users compared to non-LIS/DE MA-PD (13.3% vs. 9.7%, p Conclusions The association of LIS/DE and disability with higher HRM use in both MA-PD and PDP beneficiaries, when controlling for health plan effects and patient characteristics, suggests these factors should be considered when comparing health plan performance on HRM measures.
Nonmarine Mass Extinctions

A critical review of putative nonmarine mass extinctions associated with the so-called “Big 5 mass extinctions” of marine invertebrates (Late Ordovician, Late Devonian, end Permian, end Triassic and end Cretaceous) as well as a likely sixth mass extinction in the marine realm, the end-Guadalupian extinction, reveals little evidence of coeval marine and nonmarine mass extinctions. Little lived on land during the Ordovician other than a bryophyte-like flora that appears to have been diversifying, not going extinct, during the Late Ordovician. No case can be made for mass extinctions on land coeval with the marine extinctions of the Late Devonian-land plant diversity increased into the Carboniferous, and the tetrapod fossil record is inadequate to identify any mass extinctions. A case can be made for coeval plant/tetrapod extinctions and the end-Guadalupian marine extinctions, so this may be the first coeval marine-nonmarine mass extinction. However, problems of timing and questions about the extent of the nonmarine late/end-Guadalupian extinctions indicate that further research is needed. There were no mass extinctions of land plants, insects or tetrapods across the Permo–Triassic boundary. The Late Triassic was a time of low origination and high extinction rates on land and in the seas; there was no single end-Triassic mass extinction in either realm. The end-Cretaceous provides the strongest case for coeval land–sea mass extinctions, but there is no mass extinction of land plants, evidence of insect extinction is based on assumption-laden analyses of proxies for insect diversity and the tetrapod extinction was very selective. So, whether the nonmarine extinction at the end of the Cretaceous was a mass extinction is worth questioning. Part of the inability to identify nonmarine mass extinctions stems from taphonomic megabiases due to the relatively poor quality and uneven sampling of the nonmarine fossil record. Extinction resistance and resilience of terrestrial organisms is also a likely factor in the dearth of nonmarine mass extinctions, and this merits further investigation.
Synthesis and characterization of ferrite materials for thermochemical CO2 splitting using concentrated solar energy.

The Sunshine to Petrol effort at Sandia aims to convert carbon dioxide and water to precursors for liquid hydrocarbon fuels using concentrated solar power. Significant advances have been made in the field of solar thermochemical CO{sub 2}-splitting technologies utilizing yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)-supported ferrite composites. Conceptually, such materials work via the basic redox reactions: Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} {yields} 3FeO + 0.5O{sub 2} (Thermal reduction, >1350 C) and 3FeO + CO{sub 2} {yields} Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} + CO (CO{sub 2}-splitting oxidation, <1200 C). There has been limited fundamental characterization of the ferrite-based materials at the high temperatures and conditions present in these cycles. A systematic study of these composites is underway in an effort to begin to elucidate microstructure, structure-property relationships, and the role of the support on redox behavior under high-temperature reducing and oxidizing environments. In this paper the synthesis, structural characterization (including scanning electron microscopy and room temperature and in-situ x-ray diffraction), and thermogravimetric analysis of YSZ-supported ferrites will be reported.
The pervasive applications of computer science in biomedicine

An interdisciplinary computer science educational program is introduced in the field of biomedicine. The program is designed to be implemented in Kingsborough Community College (KCC), a two-year college, and Brooklyn College (BC), a four-year college. Motivation and various applications of the field of bioinformatics are presented. The educational structure of the program is presented and the models of a community college and four year college are discussed.
Chronic graft-versus-host disease in 52 patients: adverse natural course and successful treatment with combination immunosuppression

Fifty-two of 175 (30%) survivors of allogeneic marrow transplantation developed chronic graft-versus-hose diseases (GVHD). Five with limited chronic GVHD had an indolent clinical course with involvement of only the skin and liver. Forty-seven with extensive chronic GVHD had an unfavorable multiorgan disorder that resembled several autoimmune diseases. Thirteen patients with extensive disease (group I) were not treated and only 2 survive with Karnofsky scores >- 70%. Mortality resulted from infections and morbidity from sica syndrome, pulmonary and hepatic insufficiency, scleroderma-like skin disease, and contractures. Another 13 (group II) received a median of 8 mo prednisone and/or a brief course of antithymocyte globulin, and 3 survive without disability. The other 21 (group III) were treated with a combination of prednisone (1.0 mg/kg/q.o.d.) and either cyclophosphamide, procarbazine, or azathioprine (all 1.5 mg/kg/day) for a median of 13 mo. Combination therapy was well tolerated with only modest myelotoxicity. Fifteen in group III had a good and 4 a fair response to treatment while 2 with no response died. Azathioprine and prednisone was the most effective regimen. All therapy has been discontinued in 12 group III patients: GVHD returned in 5 (including 2 who died in spite of retreatment) while 7 remain free of GVHD for a median of 11 (range 6-30) mo observation. Only I group III survivor is disabled and 16 of the original 21 are alive 2-4 yr after transplant with Karnofsky scores of 70%-100%. Thus, combination immmunosuppression appears to favorably affect and, in some cases, premanently arrest the adverse natural course of extensive chronic GVHD.
Electromagnetic Transitions in Hypernuclei

The interaction of electromagnetic radiation with the nucleus has provided classical nuclear physics with an indispensible tool for illuminating the structure of nuclei. Similarly, for the study of hypernuclei, the observation of γ-ray transitions is essential in the interpretation of hypernuclear level schemes.
LQR Control of Shell Vibrations via Piezoceramic Actuators

A model-based LQR method for controlling vibrations in cylindrical shells is presented. Surface-mounted piezoceramic patches are employed as actuators which leads to unbounded control input operators. Modified Donnell-Mushtari shell equations incorpo-rating strong or Kelvin-Voigt damping are used to model the system. The model is then abstractly formulated in terms of sesquilinear forms. This provides a framework amenable for proving model well-posedness arid convergence of LQR gains using analytic semigroup results combined with LQR theory for unbounded input operators. Finally, numerical examples demonstrating the effectiveness of the method are presented.
Correlation of lactoferrin with neutrophilic inflammation in body fluids.

We have reported that lactoferrin, a 77-kDa iron-binding glycoprotein found in secondary neutrophil granules, provides a useful marker of fecal leukocytes in fecal specimens from patients with inflammatory diarrhea (R. L. Guerrant, V. Araujo, E. Soares, K. Kotloff, A. A. M. Lima, W. H. Cooper, and A. G. Lee, J. Clin. Microbiol. 30:1238-1242, 1992). In order to determine the usefulness of this marker of neutrophilic inflammation in different body fluids, we examined blood, gingival swabs, sputum, and saliva using antilactoferrin antibodies (lactoferrin latex agglutination [LFLA]). LFLA titers in whole blood samples were 8,000). While the overlap precludes a useful role in the identification of neutropenia, these data confirm that lactoferrin titers of > 1:100 indeed indicate inflammation in fluid specimens. On quantitative elution of lactoferrin from gingival swabs, all 7 patients with dental plaque had titers of 1:200 to 1:400; 9 of 12 patients with clinical gingivitis had LFLA titers of 1:200 to 1:1,600, while all 7 individuals with healthy gums and teeth and 4 edentulous patients had LFLA titers of or = 1:400 (7 were 1:1,600) while 11 normal saliva samples showed titers of < or = 1:100. Lactoferrin titers in sputum, gingival swabs, and whole blood correlate with the presence of neutrophils or inflammation in these specimens and may offer a convenient rapid test for inflammatory processes.
The CcrM DNA methyltransferase is widespread in the alpha subdivision of proteobacteria, and its essential functions are conserved in Rhizobium meliloti and Caulobacter crescentus.

The Caulobacter crescentus DNA methyltransferase CcrM (M.CcrMI) methylates the adenine residue in the sequence GANTC. The CcrM DNA methyltransferase is essential for viability, but it does not appear to be part of a DNA restriction-modification system. CcrM homologs are widespread in the alpha subdivision of gram-negative bacteria. We have amplified and sequenced a 258-bp region of the cerM gene from several of these bacteria, including Rhizobium meliloti, Brucella abortus, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and Rhodobacter capsulatus. Alignment of the deduced amino acid sequences revealed that these proteins constitute a highly conserved DNA methyltransferase family. Isolation of the full-length ccrM genes from the aquatic bacterium C. crescentus, the soil bacterium R. meliloti, and the intracellular pathogen B. abortus showed that this sequence conservation extends over the entire protein. In at least two alpha subdivision bacteria, R. meliloti and C. crescentus, CcrM-mediated methylation has important cellular functions. In both organisms, CcrM is essential for viability. Overexpression of CcrM in either bacterium results in defects in cell division and cell morphology and in the initiation of DNA replication. Finally, the C. crescentus and R. meliloti ccrM genes are functionally interchangeable, as the complemented strains are viable and the chromosomes are methylated. Thus, in both R. meliloti and C. crescentus, CcrM methylation is an integral component of the cell cycle. We speculate that CcrM-mediated DNA methylation is likely to have similar roles among alpha subdivision bacteria.
The contribution of African easterly waves to monsoon precipitation in the CMIP3 ensemble

[1] African easterly waves (AEWs) are a major source of synoptic-scale rainfall variability throughout West Africa. Given the persistent uncertainty in the response of precipitation over West Africa to enhanced greenhouse forcing, we analyze the contribution of AEWs to the simulation of precipitation over West Africa in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 3 (CMIP3) ensemble of general circulation models. Nearly all models that simulate weaker-than-observed AEW activity exhibit a lack of coupling between AEWs and precipitation. Only those models that employ a convective parameterization with a moisture convergence-based closure or trigger, or a prognostic closure with a convective suppression scheme, demonstrate a consistent connection between AEWs and precipitation. The strength of simulated AEW activity is largely dependent on the simulated magnitude and positioning of the African easterly jet and low-level westerlies. We find a strong positive relationship between the magnitude of simulated AEW activity and seasonal- and synoptic-scale precipitation. Models with weaker-than-observed AEW activity exhibit a disproportionately low percentage of precipitation variability at AEW timescales. Conversely, in those models that simulate stronger-than-observed AEW activity, dynamical forcing associated with the wave tends to produce overly intense individual precipitation events. Our results suggest that the simulation of AEWs contributes substantially to the spread in mean seasonal precipitation across the CMIP3 ensemble during the 20th century, and that improved understanding of the effect of enhanced greenhouse forcing on the relationship between AEWs and precipitation could help to narrow the uncertainty in the response of West African rainfall to continued global warming.
Selective versus routine intraoperative shunting during carotid endarterectomy: a multivariate outcome analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The use of intraluminal shunting during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) remains controversial. Over the years, different shunting strategies have been used. More recently, the use of intraoperative electroencephalography and somatosensory evoked potential monitoring with selective intraluminal shunting has been explored. No studies have assessed the independent association of selective versus routine intraluminal shunting to outcomes after CEA. METHODS: The clinical and radiological records of all patients undergoing CEA from 1994 to 2006 at an academic institution were reviewed retrospectively to assess outcomes at 72 hours. The independent association of selective intraluminal carotid artery shunting during CEA and perioperative stroke within 72 hours was assessed through multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In 1411 patients with both symptomatic and asymptomatic extracranial carotid artery disease, there were a total of 49 (3.5%) perioperative strokes after CEA. There were two (1%) cases of perioperative strokes among 194 patients in the selective shunting group compared with 47 out of 1217 (4%) in the routine shunting group (P = 0.04). Symptomatic carotid artery disease was associated with a twofold increase in the odds of experiencing perioperative stroke (odds ratio, 1.95; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-3.52; P = 0.03). Patients undergoing electrophysiological monitoring with selective intraluminal carotid artery shunting were more than seven times less likely to experience a perioperative stroke (odds ratio, 0.05; 95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.40; P < 0.01). Increasing cumulative surgical volume, particularly more than 200 total cases, was associated with more than a twofold decrease in perioperative stroke (odds ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.20-0.74; P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Regardless of symptomatic carotid artery disease or cumulative surgical volume, patients undergoing CEA with intraoperative electroencephalography and somatosensory evoked potential monitoring with selective intraluminal carotid artery shunting had a stroke rate lower than that of the routine shunting group. Selective shunting based on electroencephalography and somatosensory evoked potential monitoring may be superior to the nonselective strategy.