cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dimensional Strategies and the Minimization Problem: Barrier-Avoiding Algorithms

In the present paper the authors examine the role of dimensionality in the minimization problem. Since it has such a powerful influence on the topology of the associated potential energy landscape, the authors argue that it may prove useful to alter the dimensionality of the space of the original minimization problem. The general idea is explored in the context of finding the minimum energy geometries of Lennard-Jones clusters. It is shown that it is possible to locate barrier-free, high-dimensional pathways that connect local, three-dimensional cluster minima. The performance of the resulting, barrier-avoiding minimization algorithm is examined for clusters containing as many as 55 atoms.
Predictors of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization at hospital admission.

Background The best strategy for active surveillance for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remains unclear. We attempted to identify a risk factor score to predict MRSA colonization at hospital admission. Methods Data on 9 variables reported as risk factors for MRSA colonization were analyzed, and a risk factor score to predict MRSA colonization was generated using multivariable logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. This risk score was then prospectively validated. Results Four risk factors (nursing home residence, diabetes, hospitalization in the past year, and chronic skin condition/infection) were significantly associated with MRSA colonization (c-statistic = 0.846). A cut-off score of 8 or greater would result in screening 20% of admissions and would detect 71% of MRSA-colonized patients. In the prospective validation study, a cut-off score of 8 or greater required screening 21% of admissions and detected 54% of MRSA. Nursing home residence was the best predictor of MRSA colonization. Conclusion A similar risk factor-based screening strategy could be used to predict MRSA colonization in other institutions. Our data support routine screening of nursing home patients at hospital admission.
Catalunya: crisis, autonomía, independencia / Catalunya: crisis, autonomy, independency

This article examines the separation of Catalonia, a process sparked by Spain’s economic crisis, the political forces operating within the country and other motivations, while also highlighting the different interpretations of the concept of nation at play in this case. Keywords : Spain, Catalunya, Nation Received on November 30, 2012. / Accepted on December 15, 2012.
Solid phase synthesis of neutral oligonucleotide analogues

Abstract The combination of an anchor for solid phase synthesis which allows release of fully protected oligonucleotide analogues from the solid support and base protective groups which provide water solubility has been shown to facilitate isolation, purification, and characterization of neutral oligonucleotide analogues derived from morpholine nucleosides.
Trying to Understand Low-income Housing Subsidies: Lessons from the United States

This article asks why nations subsidise their low-income housing sectors and offers five reasons: to improve public health; to reduce societal injustice; to preserve the social order; to increase e...
Perestroikas of shocks in optimal control

Shocks in optimal control are formed by points where two or more extremal trajectories end. Their generic bifurcations happening in the course of time (perestroikas) are topologically classified in two and three dimensions for the classical optimal control problem with a smooth Hamiltonian.
Molecular Geometry of cis - and trans -Polyacetylene by Nutation NMR Spectroscopy

The carbon-carbon bond lengths in polyacetylene have been directly measured with use of nutation NMR spectroscopy. 1.36 and 1.44 \AA{} were found for the double and single bonds, respectively, in trans-${(\mathrm{CH})}_{x}$, and 1.37 \AA{} was found for the double bond in the cis isomer. Over the temperature range 4.2-300 K, the dynamical single-double bond interchange predicted for chains in trans-${(\mathrm{CH})}_{x}$ containing a mobile soliton defect was not observed.
Murine Cytomegalovirus-Induced Congenital Defects and Fetal Maldevelopment

The effects of congenital infection with cytomegalovirus on fetal development were studied by injection of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) into the endometrial lumina of mice in the early stages of pregnancy. The mice were later killed, and the sites of embryonic implantation were examined. Litter size was reduced and the incidence of abnormal fetuses was significantly increased among MCMV-infected animals. Morbid, moribund, severely growth-retarded, asynchronously developed, and malformed fetuses were found. Virus was reisolated from infected mothers, placentas, and fetal tissues but not from control animals that had received either heat-inactivated virus or culture medium. The recovered virus was identical to the original virus, as verified by restriction enzyme analysis. MCMV-specific DNA was detected in experimental tissue sections by in situ nucleic-acid hybridization. Seroconversion occurred in infected female mice. Thus, the presence of MCMV in the genital tract at the time of embryonic implantation causes not only embryonic infection but also fetal maldevelopment.
Clinical Genetics and Genetic Counseling in Alzheimer Disease

Abstract ▪Because of growing evidence for genetic causes of Alzheimer disease, clinicians are often asked about risks for this disorder among relatives of patients. This paper briefly reviews the e...
Intermediate restoratives from n-hexyl vanillate-EBA-ZnO-glass composites.

Vanillate esters such as n-hexyl vanillate (HV) dissolved in a suitable chelating agent - e.g., o-ethoxybenzoic acid (EBA) - react with zinc oxide, aluminum oxide, and hydrogenated rosin powder to yield non-eugenol-containing cements that do not inhibit polymerization and are compatible with acrylic monomers. These cements can be modified by adding methyl methacrylate, or the less-volatile, higher-molecular-weight dicyclopentenyloxyethyl, or cyclohexyl methacrylate to the HV-EBA liquid, and silanized glass to the powder. On incorporating a suitable initiator-accelerator system, one can prepare powder-liquid mixes that have good working properties and harden in five to 10 min. The cured materials containing monomethacrylate ingredients have compressive and tensile strength one and one-half to three times that of eugenol-based intermediate restoratives. Cements with even better mechanical properties are obtained using dimethacrylates as monomeric components. Storage stability of the liquids comprising vanil...
Bayesian Inference for Finite Population Parameters in Multistage Cluster Sampling

Abstract Assuming a model appropriate for many multistage sample surveys, Bayesian predictive inference for a general linear function, ω, of the finite population elements is described. In a broad class of linear estimators of ω, the posterior mean, E″(ω), of ω is shown to have the optimal frequentist property of minimal bounded mean squared error. For the special case of three-stage sampling, E″(ω) is described in detail. Also presented are the results of an investigation of the effect on inferences of alteration of the values of some parameters in the prior distribution.
Combined Neutron Diffraction, NMR, and Electrochemical Investigation of the Layered-to-Spinel Transformation in LiMnO2

The conversion that occurs from layered LiMnO2 to spinel on electrochemical cycling has been studied by neutron diffraction and NMR. Neutron diffraction results indicate that the tetrahedral sites in the Li layers that share faces with octahedral sites in the transition metal layers are occupied even following the first charge to 4.6 V. NMR results are consistent with the conversion from the monoclinic, Jahn−Teller distorted, to the rhombohedral, layered phase on charging. On subsequent discharging, clear evidence for the monoclinic phase is seen by NMR indicating the presence of Jahn−Teller distorted domains in the material at 3.5 V and below. The fraction of monoclinic phase decreases gradually as a function of cycle number and disappears by 35 charge−discharge cycles. Diffraction patterns obtained as a function of cycle number were refined with a structural model that included both a layered phase (with octahedral and tetrahedral site occupancy) and a spinel phase, with the fraction of spinel increasin...
Carotid and cardiopulmonary baroreceptor control of splanchnic and forearm vascular resistance during venous pooling in man

1. This study evaluated the contribution of carotid and cardiopulmonary baroreceptors to reflex splanchnic and forearm vascular adjustments during venous pooling in man. We compared (a) responses to lower body suction which produces venous pooling with (b) responses to lower body suction plus simultaneous application of neck suction. The rationale was that simultaneous application of neck suction, which stretches carotid baroreceptors, would minimize the contribution of carotid baroreceptors to circulatory adjustments produced by lower body suction. 2. Lower body suction at 40 mmHg decreased central venous pressure and arterial pulse pressure and increased forearm vascular resistance (plethysmography), splanchnic vascular resistance (indocyanine green dye clearance), and heart rate. Simultaneous application of neck suction prevented the tachycardia and most of the splanchnic vasoconstriction during lower body suction, but did not significantly attenuate the forearm vasoconstriction. 3. The major findings in this study are first, that the splanchnic vasoconstrictor response during venous pooling is mediated primarily through carotid baroreceptors, and secondly, that carotid and cardiopulmonary baroreceptors produce strikingly contrasting and non-uniform regional vascular responses during venous pooling. Cardiopulmonary baroreceptors exert the predominant influence on forearm vascular resistance, but appear to have only a minor influence on splanchnic vascular resistance. Carotid baroreceptors produce most of the splanchnic vasoconstriction during venous pooling. but have a minor role in the forearm vasoconstriction.
Non-electrolyte solute permeabilities of human placental microvillous and basal membranes.

1. Permeability to non-electrolytes of isolated microvillous and basal membranes from human term placenta was measured using stopped-flow light-scattering techniques. The studied solutes were urea, ethylene glycol, glycerol, creatinine, erythritol, arabitol and mannitol. 2. At 37 degrees C, permeability of the microvillous membrane to mannitol and urea was 0.30 +/- 0.02 x 10(-6) cm/s (mean +/- S.E.M.) and 3.2 +/- 0.2 x 10(-6) cm/s, respectively. The corresponding permeabilities for the basal membrane were 1.2 +/- 0.1 x 10(-6) cm/s (mannitol) and 4.4 +/- 0.3 x 10(-6) cm/s (urea). The basal membrane was substantially more permeable to hydrophilic solutes than the microvillous membrane. This is probably due to differences in lipid composition, as illustrated by membrane cholesterol content, which was found to be approximately 50% lower in the basal as compared to the microvillous membrane. 3. Similarities between permeabilities in placental membranes and lipid bilayers and the linear relationship noted between solute hydrophobicity and placental permeability suggested that solutes permeate both human syncytiotrophoblast membranes by a solubility/diffusion mechanism. In the microvillous membrane this was supported by data obtained for activation energies (> 10 kcal/mol) and reflection coefficients (close to 1). In the basal membrane, low activation energies for glycerol and urea and a low reflection coefficient for urea indicated that these solutes may, in part, share a common pathway with water. 4. It was estimated that the placental permeability to molecules with a molecular weight under 200 observed in vivo can, to a great extent, be accounted for by transcellular permeation.
A comparison of various normal-mode initialization schemes and the inclusion of diabatic processes

The field changes produced by various normal mode initialization schemes are compared. Dynamically balanced data are obtained from a climate simulation using a forecast model. The data are first degraded by a linear initialization, and then a nonlinear initialization is used in an attempt to recover the original fields. The nonlinear initializations include both diabatic and adiabatic schemes, applied to various sets of modes defined using both equivalent depths and natural periods as criteria. Results indicate that diabatic initialization improves specification of the meridional mass streamfunction (i.e., the zonal wavenumber zero Hadley circulation) compared with adiabatic initialization. However, for zonally varying fields, the difference is less dramatic. An exception occurs when shallow modes are initialized, in which case near-surface fields are better specified using diabatic initialization. Errors in the tropical divergent wind field are typically half their true value, for either diabatic or adiabatic initializations. For vertical modes 1–2, errors in specification of mode coefficients are typically less than 20% of their true r.m.s. values. For shallower modes whose natural periods are less than one day, these errors are greater than 40%, but for those longer period modes, errors are greater than 80%. The prognostic equation for a single mode coefficient is examined. Results suggest that, for medium depth, large horizontal scale tropical modes, a significant error source is the balance condition itself. For these modes, the time scales of their diabatic forcing, observed behavior, and natural (linear) behavior are all similar. In this case, the tendency term in the equations is not negligible. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0870.1988.tb00327.x
Multiuser facilities for microscopic imaging

During the last ten years, microscopy as a scientific tool has reinvented itself. It has changed from a group of principally descriptive methodologies, to a wide range of primary tools and techniques to investigate the molecular organization of organs, tissues and cells. Advances in microscope and camera design, fluorescent dye technologies as well as the advent of inexpensive powerful computers, has made the simultaneous resolution and quantification of multiple concurrent molecular markers for both protein and DNA at a sub-micron resolution a reality. Furthermore, it is possible to probe living cells using a rapidly expanding repertoire of dyes sensitive to changes pH or concentration of specific intracellular ions. An essential extension of these techniques has been the development of methods which allow the distribution of proteins and mRNA to be studied within cells at a molecular resolution by EM. However, concurrent with these developments there has been a more dramatic increase in the level of expertise needed to successfully design experiments, implement these technologies and costs involved in purchasing and maintaining instrumentation. These developments have resulted in a situation such that it is no longer tenable for individual departments or possibly institutions to maintain independent imaging facilities, and centralized resources have become mandatory in order to stay at the cutting edge. This presentation will discuss the problems, pitfalls and advantages of a centralized system, and will focus on implementation, design, data handling, and management of a multi-user facility.
The development of improved vanadium-base alloys for use at temperatures up to 1800°F☆

Abstract Vanadium-base sheet alloys containing titanium and/or columbium, molybdenum, tantalum, and tungsten exhibit excellent strength at elevated temperatures and weldability. Since oxidation protection was not an aim of this program, tensile and creep properties were determined in inert atmospheres. These alloys with outstanding cold fabricability are superior to the best nickeland cobalt-base sheet materials on a density-corrected tensile strength basis at temperatures above 1500°F.
Quality of Treatment Data Reliability Over Time of Self-Reports Given by Clients in Treatment for Substance Abuse

Abstract This study examines the reliability over a 2-month period of self-reports of drug use, sexual behaviors, and use of treatment services provided by 2,968 clients participating in a large, multisite, prospective study of drug treatment in the United States-the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study (DATOS). Analyses focus on responses to 62 pairs of logically related questions that were asked at two points in time: (1) 1 month after entry into treatment, and (2) 3 months after entry into treatment. Subjects' responses to questions asked at these two time points are assessed for logical consistency. Prior analyses of self-reports provided by DATOS clients at one point in time (entry into treatment) found surprisingly high levels of within-interview consistency in their reporting of alcohol use (Turner & Hubbard, 1995) and cocaine use (Adair, Craddock, Miller,Turner, 1995). The crosstemporal tests of consistency reported in this article eliminate several potential sources of artifactual consistency that may have affected prior analyses, (e.g., consistency imposed by an interviewer or constructed by a respondent during the course of a single interview). Contrary to expectations, crossternporal comparisons reveal high levels of logical consistency in clients' responses. The mean percent of substantively inconsistent responses ranges from 0.7%for questions asking about frequency of drug use to 4.4%for questions asking about sexual behaviors.
Low Income Housing Tax Credits: Does targeting limit their use to high income counties?

The Tax Reform Act of 1986 created the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program (LIHTC). The LIHTC program appears to be intended to replace not only prior tax incentives for low income rental housing but other low income subsidy programs as well. Thus, the LIHTC program shifts the approach to low income housing toward providing assistance to low income renters indirectly through investor tax incentives rather than through direct subsidies to builders or tenants. This paper investigates whether the LIHTC program is sufficient in itself to create low income housing on a national level. We conclude that it is not. More specifically, we contend that targeting problems not addressed by previous analyses limit the use of low income housing tax credits to high income (i.e., urban) areas. Empirical evidence from the state of Florida is provided that supports this contention.
Comparative studies on glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase in bees and wasps

Abstract Electrophoresis of tissue extracts has shown the presence of multiple electrophoretic forms of glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.8) in many Hymenoptera. The patterns are most complex in the two bumblebee genera, Bombus and Psithyrus , where from five to six variants are observed. Homogeneous preparations of the major flight muscle variant of glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase have been isolated from thoraces of three bumblebee species and of yellow jacket. The amino acid compositions of these four enzymes plus that from the honeybee have been determined and compared. The Michaelis constant for dihydroxyacetone phosphate was measured for the honeybee, bumblebee, and yellow jacket enzymes. Differences were observed between species but not between bumblebee isozymes. B. nevadensis glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase binds reversibly to both B. nevadensis and honeybee actin. The alar-muscular variants bind more strongly than the omniregional variants.
Intimate Partner Violence around the Time of Pregnancy: Association with Breastfeeding Behavior

Objective: To assess associations of experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) and breastfeeding behaviors among a large, population-based sample of U.S. women. Methods: Data were collected fr...
Nanoscopic Templates from Oriented Block Copolymer Films

cylindrical microdomains, an orientation normal to the substrate surface is desirable. Two different approaches are used to this end. In thin films, random copolymers anchored to a substrate can be used to produce a neutral surface. [5] For entropic reasons, the microdomains orient normal to the substrate surface. [6] In a second approach, electric fields were used to orient the cylindrical microdomains parallel to the field lines. [7‐10] The approach relies on the orientation-dependent polarization energy induced when an anisotropic body is placed in an electric field. An anisotropic microphase structure will orient such that the interfaces between the two blocks are aligned parallel to the electric field. In this article it is shown that cylindrical microdomains of a copolymer film can be used to generate an array of ordered nanoscopic pores with well-controlled size, orientation, and structure. To this end, selective etching procedures and a characterization of the samples by quantitative analysis of the X-ray scattering along with electron (EM) and atomic force microscopies (AFM) are described. The processes outlined are shown to be operative over a very large range in sample thickness ranging from 40 nm up to several micrometers. The resulting nanoporous films are promising candidates as membranes with specific transport properties and as templates for electronic and magnetic nanostructured materials. Figures 1A and 1B show AFM images obtained from a
Stratosphere-mesosphere coupling during stratospheric sudden warming events

Abstract In this review article we summarize recent results in the coupling of the stratosphere–mesosphere during stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) events. We focus on the role of planetary and gravity waves in driving the middle atmosphere circulation and illustrate the stratosphere–mesosphere coupling during undisturbed wintertime circulation, during an SSW event, and after an SSW event during the formation of an elevated stratopause using simulations of past Arctic and Antarctic winters from the Specified Dynamics version of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (SD-WACCM). We illustrate the transition of the polar stratopause from being a gravity wave driven phenomena to a planetary wave driven phenomena during SSW events and its subsequent reestablishment and control by gravity waves. We also examine the synoptic structure of the stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere using SD-WACCM data fields that show the structure of the vortex during specific dynamical events in both hemispheres. We illustrate the longitudinal asymmetry in the thermal structure in the stratosphere and mesosphere driven by differences in circulation over the polar cap regions during an SSW event. We complement this analysis of the middle atmosphere circulation with a classification of both the Arctic and Antarctic winters since 1979 into major, minor, elevated stratopause or quiet winters based on the level of disturbance using the Modern Era-Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalysis data. From the MERRA data we find that the combined occurrences of both major and minor warmings in the Arctic have remained constant over the past three decades while we find a minor increase in their occurrences in the Antarctic.
Thermal Conductivity of Starch Granules

Data were obtained at 25°C on thermal conductivities of slurries of starch in a carbon tetrachloride-ethyl benzene mixture having a density equal to that of the starch. The thermal conductivity of granular ordinary corn starch was estimated to be 0.125 B.t.u.-foot per hour-foot2-0 F by calculation and by extrapolation from the slurry data. The thermal conductivities of granular corn starches decreased with increasing amylose content.
A Comparison of Heritability Maps of Cortical Surface Area and Thickness and the Influence of Adjustment for Whole Brain Measures: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Twin Study

Understanding the genetic and environmental contributions to measures of brain structure such as surface area and cortical thickness is important for a better understanding of the nature of brain-behavior relationships and changes due to development or disease. Continuous spatial maps of genetic influences on these structural features can contribute to our understanding of regional patterns of heritability, since it remains to be seen whether genetic contributions to brain structure respect the boundaries of any traditional parcellation approaches. Using data from magnetic resonance imaging scans collected on a large sample of monozygotic and dizygotic twins in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging, we created maps of the heritability of areal expansion (a vertex-based area measure) and cortical thickness and examined the degree to which these maps were affected by adjustment for total surface area and mean cortical thickness. We also compared the approach of estimating regional heritability based on the average heritability of vertices within the region to the more traditional region-of-interest (ROI)-based approach. The results suggested high heritability across the cortex for areal expansion and, to a slightly lesser degree, for cortical thickness. There was a great deal of genetic overlap between global and regional measures for surface area, so maps of region-specific genetic influences on surface area revealed more modest heritabilities. There was greater inter-regional variability in heritabilities when calculated using the traditional ROI-based approach compared to summarizing vertex-by-vertex heritabilities within regions. Discrepancies between the approaches were greatest in small regions and tended to be larger for surface area than for cortical thickness measures. Implications regarding brain phenotypes for future genetic association studies are discussed.
Identification of bovine prolactin in seminal fluid, and expression and localization of the prolactin receptor and prolactin-inducible protein in the testis and epididymis of bulls exposed to ergot alkaloids.

The objectives of this study were to determine (1) the presence and expression levels of bovine prolactin receptor (PRLR) and prolactin-inducible protein (PIP) in bovine testis and epididymis, and (2) the presence and concentrations of prolactin (PRL) present in semi- niferous fluid in bulls consuming diets with (Eþ) or without (E� ) ergot alkaloids. Bulls (n ¼ 8) were sacrificed after 126 days (group A) of Eþ or Etreatment or 60 days after all bulls (n ¼ 6) were switched to the Eration (group B). End point and real-time quanti- tative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were conducted on testis and epididymis samples to establish the presence and relative expression of PRLR and PIP. Seminal fluid samples obtained from bulls consuming Eand Eþ diets were subjected to RIA for PRL. Both PIP and PRLR were present in testis and epididymis as determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Prolactin-inducible protein mRNA abundance was affected by time of slaughter in testis and epididymis head, respectively (P < 0.05). Prolactin receptor mRNA expression was affected by time of slaughter in the epididymis (P < 0.05) and differed in testis samples because of treatment (P < 0.05). Radioimmunoassay establishes the presence of PRL in seminal fluid; however, differences in the concentration of PRL over two separate studies were inconsistent, possibly because of differences in diet. The pres- ence and localization of the PRLR are consistent with expression data reported for other species, and the presence of PIP and PRL in seminal fluid is consistent with data generated in humans.
Effectiveness of the Promotora (Community Health Worker) Model of Intervention for Improving Pesticide Safety in US/Mexico Border Homes

A variety of environmental health issues occur within homes along the US/Mexico border region. Individuals living in this region are often not aware that specific issues, including pesticide safety, occur in their homes and may not understand the potential adverse effects of pesticide use on their families’ health. The Environmental Health/Home Safety Education Project created by the Southern Area Health Education Center at New Mexico State University, utilizes promotoras (community health workers) to educate clients on pesticide safety issues. Data from 367 pre/post tests and home assessments were collected from 2002-2005. The data were analyzed to detect changes in clients’ knowledge or behavior as they related to protecting themselves and their families against unsafe pesticide use and storage. Statistically significant changes occurred with both knowledge and behavior in regards to safe pesticide use. Through this culturally appropriate intervention, the promotoras provide practical information allowing clients to make their homes safer.
A complex guided spectral transform Lanczos method for studying quantum resonance states

A complex guided spectral transform Lanczos (cGSTL) algorithm is proposed to compute both bound and resonance states including energies, widths, and wavefunctions. The algorithm comprises of two layers of complex-symmetric Lanczos iterations. A short inner layer iteration produces a set of complex formally orthogonal Lanczos polynomials. They are used to span the guided spectral transform function determined by a retarded Green operator. An outer layer iteration is then carried out with the transform function to compute the eigen-pairs of the system. The guided spectral transform function is designed to have the same wavefunctions as the eigenstates of the original Hamiltonian in the spectral range of interest. Therefore, the energies and/or widths of bound or resonance states can be easily computed with their wavefunctions or by using a root-searching method from the guided spectral transform surface. The new cGSTL algorithm is applied to bound and resonance states of HO2, and compared to previous calculations.
Comparing surgical infections in National Surgical Quality Improvement Project and an Institutional Database.

Background Surgical quality improvement requires accurate tracking and benchmarking of postoperative adverse events. We track surgical site infections (SSIs) with two systems; our in-house surgical secondary events (SSE) database and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP). The SSE database, a modification of the Clavien–Dindo classification, categorizes SSIs by their anatomic site, whereas NSQIP categorizes by their level. Our aim was to directly compare these different definitions. Materials and methods NSQIP and the SSE database entries for all surgeries performed in 2011 and 2012 were compared. To match NSQIP definitions, and while blinded to NSQIP results, entries in the SSE database were categorized as either incisional (superficial or deep) or organ space infections. These categorizations were compared with NSQIP records; agreement was assessed with Cohen kappa. Results The 5028 patients in our cohort had a 6.5% SSI in the SSE database and a 4% rate in NSQIP, with an overall agreement of 95% (kappa = 0.48, P < 0.0001). The rates of categorized infections were similarly well matched; incisional rates of 4.1% and 2.7% for the SSE database and NSQIP and organ space rates of 2.6% and 1.5%. Overall agreements were 96% (kappa = 0.36, P < 0.0001) and 98% (kappa = 0.55, P < 0.0001), respectively. Over 80% of cases recorded by the SSE database but not NSQIP did not meet NSQIP criteria. Conclusions The SSE database is an accurate, real-time record of postoperative SSIs. Institutional databases that capture all surgical cases can be used in conjunction with NSQIP with excellent concordance.
Adaptive precision setting for cached approximate values

Caching approximate values instead of exact values presents an opportunity for performance gains in exchange for decreased precision. To maximize the performance improvement, cached approximations must be of appropriate precision: approximations that are too precise easily become invalid, requiring frequent refreshing, while overly imprecise approximations are likely to be useless to applications, which must then bypass the cache. We present a parameterized algorithm for adjusting the precision of cached approximations adaptively to achieve the best performance as data values, precision requirements, or workload vary. We consider interval approximations to numeric values but our ideas can be extended to other kinds of data and approximations. Our algorithm strictly generalizes previous adaptive caching algorithms for exact copies: we can set parameters to require that all approximations be exact, in which case our algorithm dynamically chooses whether or not to cache each data value.We have implemented our algorithm and tested it on synthetic and real-world data. A number of experimental results are reported, showing the effectiveness of our algorithm at maximizing performance, and also showing that in the special case of exact caching our algorithm performs as well as previous algorithms. In cases where bounded imprecision is acceptable, our algorithm easily outperforms previous algorithms for exact caching.
A Plurality of Pluralisms: Collaborative Practice in Archaeology

Innovative modes of collaboration between archaeologists and Indigenous communities are taking shape in a great many contexts, in the process transforming conventional research practice. While critics object that these partnerships cannot but compromise the objectivity of archaeological science, many of the archaeologists involved argue that their research is substantially enriched by them. I counter objections raised by internal critics and crystalized in philosophical terms by Boghossian, disentangling several different kinds of pluralism evident in these projects and offering an analysis of why they are epistemically productive when they succeed. My central thesis is that they illustrate the virtues of epistemic inclusion central to proceduralist accounts of objectivity, but I draw on the resources of feminist standpoint theory to motivate the extension of these social-cognitive norms beyond the confines of the scientific community.
Phylogeny and biogeography of Croton alabamensis (Euphorbiaceae), a rare shrub from Texas and Alabama, using DNA sequence and AFLP data

Croton alabamensis (Euphorbiaceae s.s.) is a rare plant species known from several populations in Texas and Alabama that have been assigned to var. texensis and var. alabamensis, respectively. We performed maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analyses of DNA sequences from the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 5.8S regions and chloroplast trnL-trnF regions from collections of the two varieties of C. alabamensis and from outgroup taxa. C. alabamensis emerges alone on a long branch that is sister to Croton section Corylocroton and the Cuban endemic genus Moacroton. Molecular clock analysis estimates the split of C. alabamensis from its closest relatives in sect. Corylocroton at 41 million years ago, whereas the split of the two varieties of C. alabamensis occurred sometime in the Quaternary. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analyses were performed using two selective primer pairs on a larger sampling of accessions (22 from Texas, 17 from Alabama) to further discriminate phylogenetic structure and quantify genetic diversity. Using both neighbour joining and minimum evolution, the populations from the Cahaba and Black Warrior watersheds in Alabama form two well-separated groups, and in Texas, geographically distinct populations are recovered from Fort Hood, Balcones Canyonlands, and Pace Bend Park. Most of the molecular variance is accounted for by variance within populations. Approximately equal variance is found among populations within states and between states (varieties). Genetic distance between the Texas populations is significantly less than genetic distance between the Alabama populations. Both sequence and AFLP data support the same relationships between the varieties of C. alabamensis and their outgroup, while the AFLP data provide better resolution among the different geographical regions where C. alabamensis occurs. The conservation implications of these findings are discussed.
Response rates among control subjects in case-control studies

Response rates are an important component of epidemiologic research. The purposes of this study are (a) to evaluate how response rates are defined and calculated for control subjects in epidemiologic case-control studies, and (b) to explore factors that may impact response in epidemiologic studies. Our results show that the method of control subject selection has an impact on study response. Gender of respondent does not appear to impact response rates. However, response rates are generally worse for individuals less than 45 years old. Methods used to calculate response have a great impact on "response rate"; therefore, it is important for researchers to define exactly what the reported response rates represent and how they are derived so that data can be interpreted appropriately.
To iterate or not?-That's the question

A discussion is presented of some of the criteria used to decide between iterative and direct approaches for solving the operator equations arising in electromagnetics. Iterative techniques provide the alternative approach to Gaussian elimination and similar direct techniques for constructing the solution in the context of the method of moments (MOM). Accuracy, convergence, and numerical efficiency are considered. It is concluded, that there are conditions under which iterative techniques are superior to direct MOM schemes and one that should take every advantage of the situation by using these techniques for the problems with these conditions. >
Pomegranate Polyphenols and Extract Inhibit Nuclear Factor of Activated T-Cell Activity and Microglial Activation In Vitro and in a Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer Disease

Alzheimer disease (AD) brain is characterized by extracellular plaques of amyloid β (Aβ) peptide with reactive microglia. This study aimed to determine whether a dietary intervention could attenuate microgliosis. Memory was assessed in 12-mo-old male amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1 (APP/PS1) transgenic mice via Barnes maze testing followed by division into either a control-fed group provided free access to normal chow and water or a treatment group provided free access to normal chow and drinking water supplemented with pomegranate extract (6.25 mL/L) for 3 mo followed by repeat Barnes maze testing for both groups. Three months of pomegranate feeding decreased the path length to escape of mice compared with their initial 12-mo values (P < 0.05) and their control-fed counterparts (P < 0.05). Brains of the 3-mo study pomegranate-fed mice had lower tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) concentrations (P < 0.05) and lower nuclear factor of activated T-cell (NFAT) transcriptional activity (P < 0.05) compared with controls. Brains of the 3-mo pomegranate or control mice were also compared with an additional control group of 12-mo-old mice for histologic analysis. Immunocytochemistry showed that pomegranate- but not control-fed mice had attenuated microgliosis (P < 0.05) and Aβ plaque deposition (P < 0.05) compared with 12-mo-old mice. An additional behavioral study again used 12-mo-old male APP/PS1 mice tested by T-maze followed by division into a control group provided with free access to normal chow and sugar supplemented drinking water or a treatment group provided with normal chow and pomegranate extract-supplemented drinking water (6.25 mL/L) for 1 mo followed by repeat T-maze testing in both groups. One month of pomegranate feeding increased spontaneous alternations versus control-fed mice (P < 0.05). Cell culture experiments verified that 2 polyphenol components of pomegranate extract, punicalagin and ellagic acid, attenuated NFAT activity in a reporter cell line (P < 0.05) and decreased Aβ-stimulated TNF-α secretion by murine microglia (P < 0.05). These data indicate that dietary pomegranate produces brain antiinflammatory effects that may attenuate AD progression.
Proactive Supply Management: The Management of Risk

IN BRIEF Proactive supply management is a frequently used phrase, yet no agreement exists about its precise meaning. This article argues that proactive purchasing management is risk management, a perspective that evolved from case studies of the purchasing function. To better understand risk management from the perspective of purchasing management, it is analyzed within the context of transaction cost theory and the resource dependency model. Evidence is provided from the case studies that risk management is an appropriate framework for understanding proactive purchasing management. Examples of risk management through proactive purchasing activities are presented.
Superhelix density heterogeneity in closed circular intracellular PM2 DNA

Covalently closed intracellular DNA obtained from Pseudomonas BAL 31 20 min after infection with PM2 phage has been shown to be heterogeneous in superhelix density. Analytical band sedimentation, in the presence of low concentrations of ethidium bromide, has been carried out on fractions centripetal and centrifugal to the mode of a single band of closed circular DNA in a preparative propidium iodide–CsCl buoyant density gradient. Different average sedimentation rates, as well as different band shapes, have been observed for upper and lower fractions centrifuged at a dye concentration near the minimum in s° versus ethidium bromide concentration titrations performed on DNA from proximate intermediate fractions. Similar differences, although not as pronounced, have been obtained at a dye concentration corresponding to a point in the steep region of the titrations. Differential band sedimentation experiments performed on the same fractions have confirmed these results. Differential band sedimentation experiments on similarly fractionated mature PM2 I DNA (closed circular form) have shown slight differences in the relative sedimentation rates of upper and lower fractions at dye concentrations corresponding to the steep regions in the titrations. The same experiments, when performed on nicked circular DNA obtained from heating both the mature and intracellular fractions, showed no evidence of differences in sedimentation coefficients. Such results may indicate slight heterogeneity in the superhelix density of viral PM2 I DNA; however, the degree of this heterogeneity would be somewhat less than that of the intracellular DNA. The possibility that superhelix density heterogeneity may arise from displacement loops, which have been found at low levels in intracellular PM2 DNA, has been subjected to experimental tests. Unless such structures are originally present and removed by the isolation procedure, this possibility may be rejected.
Addiction and the Americans with Disabilities Act

On July 26, 1990, the U.S. Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was intended as a broad, national, civil rights-oriented mandate "for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities," both physical and mental. ADA protection is extended, in limited form, to those with addiction disorders. However, many addicted individuals are denied ADA protection because of exclusionary criteria in the ADA itself and because of increasingly restrictive interpretations of the ADA in recent cases. The benefit to the addicted persons, and to the larger society, is lost when unfair discriminatory practices preclude employment of otherwise qualified, though stigmatized, individuals. The ADA currently falls short, in many respects, of preventing such discrimination against those with addictions.
An experimental study of ball lightning

This paper presents a study of one possible form of ball lightning. Plasma spheres several centimeters in diameter were produced in atmospheric pressure air. These spheres persisted for up to a half-second after the power supply was turned off. A mathematical theory was derived that predicts the observed lifetime. The theory predicts that the sphere lifetime should scale as the sphere radius squared, which means that large spheres should persist for many seconds.
On the Theory of Dispersion of X-Rays

After a brief summary of the ideas underlying the quantum theory of dispersion it is shown that it can be applied to the refraction of x-rays, although the assumption that the number of atoms in a wave length cube is large is no longer satisfied. A general formula for the index of refraction in terms of the atomic absorption coefficient α and the critical frequencies is given. From the condition, experimentally verified, that the electrons in the atom for impressed frequencies, large compared to their natural frequencies, shall act like free electrons as far as the index of refraction is concerned, a relation is obtained for α. From the failure of this relation when applied to the groups of electrons separately, conclusions are drawn as to the coupling of the groups. Some considerations on the origin of the Compton shifted radiation are added, from which it appears that in the wave description this radiation must be regarded as coming from all the atoms and as being coherent with the incident waves; a result suited to stress the difficulty of harmonizing the wave picture with that of quantum processes in the atoms.1
Eddy current heating in the cold structure in TPX

The toroidal field end cases and support structure for the TPX are at cryogenic temperatures. The time varying currents in the poloidal field coil system will induce eddy currents in these structures. The associated Joule dissipation will cause local heating and require heat removal which will show up as a load on the cryogenic system. Knowledge of the heat load distribution in both space and time is important to the design of the system. Analyses have been performed using programs EDDYCUFF and ANSYS and the results presented. >
HORMONE VARIATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH QUANTITATIVE FAT MEASURES IN THE MENOPAUSAL TRANSITION.

AbstractObjective Reproductive hormone levels are associated with body size, and the association between estradiol and body size varies over the menopausal transition. This study aims to delineate these relationships using quantitative measures of visceral and subcutaneous fat.Methods Early follicular hormones (follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, luteinizing hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, testosterone) and T-1 weighted abdominal MRI images were obtained in a cross-sectional assessment of 77 women in the Penn Ovarian Aging Study. Fat volume (cm3) was quantified using validated software (Amira) and divided into tertiles of visceral and subcutaneous fat volume for analysis. Multivariable linear regression models compared hormone values between tertiles adjusting for race, age, and menopausal status.Results In adjusted models, estradiol was positively associated with visceral fat tertiles (geometric mean (GM) estradiol (pg/ml): Low 13.0, Mid 17.5, High 26.7, p = 0.006) while FSH was inver...
Combining different mRNA capture methods to analyze the transcriptome: analysis of the Xenopus laevis transcriptome

mRNA sequencing (mRNA-seq) is a commonly used technique to survey gene expression from organisms with fully sequenced genomes. Successful mRNA-seq requires purification of mRNA away from the much more abundant ribosomal RNA, which is typically accomplished by oligo-dT selection. However, mRNAs with short poly-A tails are captured poorly by oligo-dT based methods. We demonstrate that combining mRNA capture via oligo-dT with mRNA capture by the 5’ 7-methyl guanosine cap provides a more complete view of the transcriptome and can be used to assay changes in mRNA poly-A tail length on a genome-wide scale. We also show that using mRNA-seq reads from both capture methods as input for de novo assemblers provides a more complete reconstruction of the transcriptome than either method used alone. We apply these methods of mRNA capture and de novo assembly to the transcriptome of Xenopus laevis, a well-studied frog that currently lacks a finished sequenced genome, to discover transcript sequences for thousands of mRNAs that are currently absent from public databases. The methods we describe here will be broadly applicable to many organisms and will provide insight into the transcriptomes of organisms with sequenced and unsequenced genomes.