cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Red cell life span in sickle cell-hemoglobin C disease with a note about sickle cell-hemoglobin O ARAB

Red cell survival was measured in ten subjects with S-C disease and one with S-O Arab (alpha 2 beta 2-121 glu yields lys) disease using both DF32p and 51Cr as tags. Red cell volume was slightly reduced in most patients (87% plus or minus 20% of predicted normal). In nine SC patients, mean red cell life (DF32p) was 28.9 plus or minus 4.0 days. For one SC subject it was significantly longer (47.9 days), as it was for the one with S-O Arab. The S-O Arab subject had irreversibly sickled cells in the peripheral blood, shereas those with SC had few (less than 1/1000 red cells) or none. The S-O Arab hemolysate gelled at a hemmoglobin concentration (16.2 g/100ml) near that for sickle cell anemia hemolysates (15.9 plus or minus 1.0 g/100 ml; n equals 8) but significantly lower than that for SC hemolysates (21.6 plus or minus 1.9 g/100 ml; n equals 5). It seems likely that properties of S-C red cells other than their relative ease of sickling contribute significantly to their rate of hemolysis.
Incidence, Results, and Our Current Intraoperative Technique to Control Major Vascular Injuries During Minimally Invasive Robotic Thoracic Surgery.

Background Our objective is to report our incidence, results, and technique for the control of major vascular injuries during minimally invasive robotic thoracic surgery. Methods This is a consecutive series of patients who underwent a planned robotic thoracic operation by one surgeon. Results Between February 2009 and September 2015, 1,304 consecutive patients underwent a robotic operation (lobectomy, n = 502; segmentectomy, n = 130; mediastinal resection, n = 115; Ivor Lewis, n = 103; thymectomy, n = 97; and others, n = 357) by one surgeon. Conversion to thoracotomy occurred in 61 patients (4.7%) and in 14 patients (1.1%) for bleeding (pulmonary artery, n = 13). The incidence of major vascular injury during anatomic pulmonary resection was 2.4% (15 of 632). Of these, 13 patients required thoracotomy performed in a nonurgent manner while the injury was displayed on a monitor, 2 had the vessel repaired minimally invasively, 2 required blood transfusion (0.15%), and 1 patient had 30-day mortality (0.16%). Techniques used to minimize morbidity include having a sponge available during vessel dissection and stapling, applying immediate pressure, delaying the opening until the bleeding is controlled without external pressure, and ensuring there is no bleeding while the chest is opened. Conclusions Major vascular injuries can be safely managed during minimally invasive robotic surgery. Our evolving technique features initial packing of the bleeding for several minutes, maintaining calmness to provide time to prepare for thoracotomy, and reexamination of the injured vessel. If repair is not possible minimally invasively, the vessel is repacked and a nonhurried, elective thoracotomy is performed while the injury is displayed on a monitor to ensure active bleeding is not occurring.
My Childhood (1970–1984)

Lutherville, Maryland, is a hilly network of twisted streets dotted with nearly identical 1960s-era single-family split-level homes. Our neighborhood was home to baseball legends Mark Belanger, Jim Palmer, and Brooks Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles. I loved the Orioles. Their victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1983 World Series is one of the most cherished memories of my life in Lutherville. Little else from my childhood resembles anything that would have been considered normal in my neighborhood.
Detection and Isolation of Batch-to-Batch Parametric Drift in Crystallization Using In-Batch and Post-Batch Measurements

In this work, we focus on the development of a parametric drift detection and isolation (PDDI) method for the handling of batch-to-batch parametric drifts in a batch crystallization process used to produce hen egg-white (HEW) lysozyme crystals. We consider that the batch crystallization process is controlled by an in-batch model predictive control (MPC) system and is subject to batch-to-batch parametric drifts in the solubility, growth rates, continuous-phase mass and energy balance parameters, and nucleation rate. The proposed PDDI scheme consists of two parts: preparatory stage before batch-to-batch operation and post-batch stage during batch-to-batch operation. The goal of the preparatory stage is to compute the threshold values and signatures for each parametric drift using simulations and batch process common cause variance described by noise. During batch-to-batch operation, the proposed PDDI system monitors closed-loop process residuals, which are computed by taking the difference between the time ...
Radiofrequency ablation for the management of occluded biliary metal stents.

Background and study aim: Obstruction of biliary self-expandable metal stents (SEMSs) is seen frequently. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) causes tissue necrosis. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of RFA for management of occluded SEMS. Patients and methods: Patients with biliary malignancy and treated for an occluded SEMS were retrospectively reviewed. The study group comprised patients treated with RFA using an Habib endoprobe inside the SEMS. The control group comprised patients treated only with insertion of a plastic stent into an occluded SEMS. The end points were; 90-day stent patency rate, time to stent reocclusion, 30-day mortality, and 3 – and 6-month survival rates. Results: During the 5-year study period 25 patients with an occluded SEMS underwent RFA and 25 patients underwent a plastic stent placement only. Both groups were matched for age and diagnosis. Immediate biliary drainage was restored in all patients. In the RFA group, the stenosis was ablated successfully in 14 patients (56 %); ablation failed in 11 and a plastic stent was then inserted into the SEMS for these. The control group had only placement of a plastic stent across the stenosis. Stent patency rate at 90 days was 56 % and 24 % in the RFA and control groups, respectively (P = 0.04). The mean stent patency time was significantly longer in the RFA group compared to the control group (119.5 vs. 65.3 days, P = 0.03). Conclusion: The application of RFA for occluded SEMS improves stent patency. RFA is an alternative treatment of tissue ingrowth in malignant biliary obstruction.
Combined Carfilzomib and Selective PI3Kδ Inhibition (TGR1202) Results In Enhanced Myeloma Cell Apoptosis

Introduction The PI3K signaling pathway plays a vital role in regulating cell growth, proliferation and survival in multiple myeloma (MM) as well as in many other cancers. TGR-1202, an isoform-specific PI3Kδ inhibitor, with efficacy in preclinical models of hematologic malignancies, is currently in Phase I clinical development. In multiple myeloma, PI3K signaling appears to be very important for many extracellular signals, yet inhibition with -pan PI3K inhibitors have not exhibited significant activity. However, literature reports indicate that there are several MM cell lines that express PI3K -δ, and do appear to have differential sensitivity to specific isoform inhibition as opposed to pan PI3K inhibition. In this report, we sought to evaluate the effects of TGR-1202 alone and in combination with the proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib, with the intent of further understanding the mechanism of action and evaluating the impact of the combination. Methods Human myeloma cell lines (MM.1S, MY5, RPMI8226, U266, KMS11, ARH-77, OPM1, OPM2, LP1, JJN3 and L363) were treated with TGR-1202 alone, carfilzomib alone, or with the combination of TGR-1202 and carfilzomib. Annexin V/PI staining and Western blot were used to identify the cellular and molecular sequelae of the combination. Result 10 µM TGR-1202 alone did not cause significant cell death in the MM cell lines tested at 48 hours. When cells were treated with the combination of TGR-1202 and 3 nM carfilzomib, we observed enhanced apoptosis in all of the tested cell lines. In the U266 cell line, 3 nM carfilzomib and 10 µM TGR-1202 induced 16% and 14% cell apoptosis respectively. In the combination treatment, apoptosis increased to 75%. To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the combination, we used a Western blot assay to evaluate the impact of the combination on the mTOR signaling pathway, a known reciprocal feedback loop when PI3K is blocked. TGR-1202 alone did not have an obvious effect on the mTOR signaling pathway, yet combining TGR-1202 with carfilzomib, significantly inhibited phospho-mTOR, suggesting total pathway blockade. Conclusion The combination of TGR-1202 with carfilzomib induces synergistic apoptosis in MM cell lines. Preliminary data suggests that this occurs through blockade of the entire reciprocal feedback loop of mTOR activation. Additional data from primary patient samples and underlying mechanisms will be presented at the meeting. These findings support the rationale for future clinical studies of TGR-1202, a selective PI3K-δ inhibitor in combination with the proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib. Disclosures: Boise:Onyx: Consultancy. Lonial:Millennium: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Sanofi: Consultancy; Onyx: Consultancy.
Neurocognitive Function as a Treatment Target for Tobacco Use Disorder

Novel approaches are needed to improve the treatment of tobacco use disorder (TUD). Two distinct literatures have examined the impact of cognitive function in the maintenance of TUD. One approach has focused on automatic cognitive processes, and the second approach has addressed the role of executive cognitive processes. This review focuses on interventions that target automatic and cognitive processes for TUD. There appears to be evidence that attention re-training (AR) reduces automatic cognitions, but the effect on smoking requires further research. Several medications including varenicline, bupropion, and galantamine can improve executive processes and potentially reduce craving and smoking. However, whether the beneficial effects of these medications are mediated by cognitive improvement remains to be determined. Other strategies including the approach-avoidance task, transcranial direct current stimulation, and exercise require further study. Most research focuses on targeting automatic and controlled cognitive processes, separately in relatively small samples. Future research should consider targeting both processes simultaneously.
Risk factors for oropharynx cancer in a cohort of HIV-infected veterans

Abstract Objective To evaluate HIV-related and other clinical risk factors associated with oropharynx cancer (OPSCC) in HIV-infected U.S. Veterans. Methods Retrospective cohort study utilizing Veterans Affairs HIV Clinical Case Registry (CCR) data from 1985 to 2010. Outcome was incident OPSCC as indicated by 1 inpatient or 2 outpatient ICD-9 codes. Cox proportional hazard models were used to determine hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each risk factor on the time to OPSCC diagnosis. Results A total of 40,996 HIV-infected male veterans were included in the cohort with 97 cases of OPSCC. The age adjusted incidence rate was 23.2/100,000 [95% CI 17.8–29.2]. Age > 50 (aHR = 3.8, 95% CI 1.9–7.8), recent CD4 Conclusion Patients who were older at beginning of follow up, had lower CD4 counts around the time of OPSCC diagnosis, and moderate HIV viral control during follow-up had an increased risk of OPSCC. Other HPV-related diseases such as SCCA and condyloma did not increase the risk for OPSCC.
Alternative Facts in the War on Immigrants

This short online essay analyzes the recent use of propaganda and manufactured facts by the Trump Administration to stigmatize immigrants as dangerous.
Chapter Twelve - Phytophthora Viruses

Phytophthora sp. is a genus in the oomycetes, which are similar to filamentous fungi in morphology and habitat, but phylogenetically more closely related to brown algae and diatoms and fall in the kingdom Stramenopila. In the past few years, several viruses have been characterized in Phytophthora species, including four viruses from Phytophthora infestans, the late blight pathogen, and an endornavirus from an unnamed Phytophthora species from Douglas fir. Studies on Phytophthora viruses have revealed several interesting systems. Phytophthora infestans RNA virus 1 (PiRV-1) and PiRV-2 are likely the first members of two new virus families; studies on PiRV-3 support the establishment of a new virus genus that is not affiliated with established virus families; PiRV-4 is a member of Narnaviridae, most likely in the genus Narnavirus; and Phytophthora endornavirus 1 (PEV1) was the first nonplant endornavirus at the time of reporting. Viral capsids have not been found in any of the above-mentioned viruses. PiRV-1 demonstrated a unique genome organization that requires further examination, and PiRV-2 may have played a role in late blight resurgence in 1980s–1990s.
Evidence-Based Orthotic Therapy

The origins of orthotic therapy in sports medicine began in the early 1970s when authors Jim Fixx, M.D. (The Complete Book of Running) [1], and Harry F. Halvac, D.P.M. (The Foot Book: Advice for Athletes) [2], provided both the public and the medical community anecdotal information about the mechanical origins of foot pathology in athletes and the possible value of custom functional foot orthoses. Most of the American medical community was overwhelmed by the injuries sustained during the latest fitness craze, jogging, and wanted medical solutions to the large numbers of complaints arising from runners.
Improved Tl-Ca-Ba-Cu-O Thin-Film Superconductors

We discuss two novel safe techniques for forming high quality superconducting Tl-Ca-Ba-Cu-O thin films by incorporation of the Tl by vapor phase reaction into precursor films. The first technique consists of Tl incorporation from bulk unreacted Tl-Ca-Ba-Cu-O and has produced films with critical temperatures above 110K. The second consists of oxidation of metal alloy precursors and subsequent Tl-incorporation from a Tl vapor phase reaction. The latter technique has demonstrated highly oriented c-axis 2212 films with critical temperatures of 100K.
Effort, incentives, and culture in the Czech Senate

This paper uses the natural experiment of seat allocation in the first Czech Senate to assess the effects of incentives on legislative effort. Contrary to previous work using similar research designs, the incentive of longer terms has little effect on the effort levels of legislators. This may reflect the parliamentary context, the newness of the Czech Senate, or, most interestingly, political culture.
Patterns in Faculty Learning Management System Use

Technology in Higher Education affects teaching and learning excellence while being a significant expense for universities. There is a need for evaluation of current instructional technology use when planning for renewal or adoption of a new learning management system (LMS). This study was conducted to understand the patterns of course tools used by faculty in a commercial LMS used at a large public research university. Course data was extracted from 2562 courses with 98,381 student enrollments during the Fall of 2016. A latent class analysis was conducted to identify the patterns of LMS tool use based on the presence of grade center columns, announcements, assignments, discussion boards, and assessments within each course. Three latent classes of courses were identified and characterized as Holistic tool use (28% of the courses), Complementary tool use (51%), and Content repository (21%). These classes differed in the mean number of students per course and whether courses were exclusively online. These descriptions provided data-based information to share with deans across the university to facilitate discussion of faculty needs for LMS tools and training.
A Brochure to Improve Understanding of Incomplete Mammogram Results Among Black Women at a Public Hospital in Miami, Florida.

OBJECTIVES Black women are at increased risk of being called back for additional studies after a screening mammogram. With focus group input, we developed a brochure to improve awareness of the frequency of abnormal results. This study explored the brochure's acceptability and effect on understanding risk and breast cancer fears among black mammography patients at an urban safety-net breast imaging center in Miami, Florida. METHODS A randomized controlled trial of the brochure (plus the standard result notification letter) versus usual care (standard notification letter alone). Black English-speaking women with an incomplete mammography result were randomized to the intervention or control group. Consenting participants completed a telephone questionnaire. Outcomes included awareness of result, anxiety level, and brochure acceptability. The χ2 or Fisher exact test was used and a univariate logistic regression was performed for intervention and control odds ratios. RESULTS A total of 106 women were randomly selected to receive the brochure plus the letter or the letter alone. One chose to opt out; a minimum of three attempts were made to reach each of the remaining 105 women by telephone. Verbal communication was established with 59 of the randomized women, and 51 of those women agreed to participate in a survey to evaluate the brochure. There was no significant difference between the surveyed groups in knowledge of the result and follow-up plan. Surveyed intervention subjects were more likely to agree that "it is very common for women to have to follow up after a mammogram" (odds ratio [OR] 25.91, P = 0.029) and less likely to agree with the statement "getting a follow-up mammogram is scary" (OR 0.24, P = 0.021). Most intervention subjects said the pamphlet helped them understand their result "a lot" (79%, 19) and viewed it as "extremely" or "mostly" clear (96%, 23). Intervention subjects also voiced greater awareness of a telephone number they could call for more information about cancer (OR 11.38, P = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS A culturally tailored brochure explaining the frequency of abnormal mammograms was well received by women at a large safety-net health system. Pilot testing suggests that it may improve patient perception of risk and awareness of informational resources. This strategy should be considered to enhance result communication.
Movers and shakers: Bumble bee foraging behavior shapes the dispersal of microbes among and within flowers

Dispersal is central to the ecology and evolution of spatially structured communities. While flower microbial communities are spatially structured among floral organs, how dispersal vectors distribute microbes among floral organs is unknown. Pollinators are recognized as key microbial vectors, but effects of their different foraging behaviors on transfer dynamics among flowers or different floral organs are not known. We asked how foraging behaviors of a model pollinator (Bombus impatiens) affect acquisition and dispersal of microbes among flower organs. We used monkeyflowers (Mimulus guttatus) to examine dispersal within a natural context and artificial flowers to test how common bee foraging behaviors (nectaring, buzzing, or scrabbling) shaped dispersal of a green fluorescent protein‐labeled bacteria, Pseudomonas fluorescens. Bees acquired 1% of a flower's microbes and dispersed 31% of acquired microbes to the next flower. All bees acquired microbes, and 85% and 76% of bees dispersed microbes to live and artificial flowers, respectively. Microbes acquired from the corolla were mainly deposited on the corolla, followed by the stamens, and least on the nectary/pistil. Bee foraging behavior affected acquisition, with scrabbling for pollen resulting in 23% more microbes acquired than nectaring, and with buzzing for pollen resulting in a 79% slower rate of microbial acquisition relative to scrabbling. Bee foraging behavior also affected deposition but depended on the floral organ: Scrabbling and buzzing for pollen led to greater deposition than nectaring for corolla and stamen but not nectary. Our results have implications for transmission of beneficial and pathogenic microbes among plants and pollinators, and thus the ecology and evolution of floral microbial communities.
Universal Policies to Learn Them All.

We explore a collaborative and cooperative multi-agent reinforcement learning setting where a team of reinforcement learning agents attempt to solve a single cooperative task in a multi-scenario setting. We propose a novel multi-agent reinforcement learning algorithm inspired by universal value function approximators that not only generalizes over state space but also over a set of different scenarios. Additionally, to prove our claim, we are introducing a challenging 2D multi-agent urban security environment where the learning agents are trying to protect a person from nearby bystanders in a variety of scenarios. Our study shows that state-of-the-art multi-agent reinforcement learning algorithms fail to generalize a single task over multiple scenarios while our proposed solution works equally well as scenario-dependent policies.
Child Sex Abuse and Recovered Memories of Abuse: Looking Back, Looking Ahead:

Sexual abuse of children has garnered a substantial amount of empirical research, state and federal legislation, and media coverage in the past several decades. This article briefly examines the hi...
Psychological and Physiological Effects of Applying Self-Control to the Mobile Phone

This preregistered study examined the psychological and physiological consequences of exercising self-control with the mobile phone. A total of 125 participants were randomly assigned to sit in an unadorned room for six minutes and either (a) use their mobile phone, (b) sit alone with no phone, or (c) sit with their device but resist using it. Consistent with prior work, participants self-reported more concentration difficulty and more mind wandering with no device present compared to using the phone. Resisting the phone led to greater perceived concentration abilities than sitting without the device (not having external stimulation). Failing to replicate prior work, however, participants without external stimulation did not rate the experience as less enjoyable or more boring than having something to do. We also observed that skin conductance data were consistent across conditions for the first three-minutes of the experiment, after which participants who resisted the phone were less aroused than those who were without the phone. We discuss how the findings contribute to our understanding of exercising self-control with mobile media and how psychological consequences, such as increased mind wandering and focusing challenges, relate to periods of idleness or free thinking.
Negotiating Glocal Narratives

This chapter argues that even in an increasingly globalized world, artists cannot escape their standard root of initially substantiated concepts. A person’s local narrative establishes his or her base of world knowledge. Globalization, however, presents layered narratives beyond a local point of reference. Artist identities form through a negotiation of local, transnational, and emerging global narrative identifications. Artists today see a series of networks connecting a chain of varying notions of time and space, causing art in a global context to be multicultural and nomadic. Artists, however, are still rooted in particular locales even while engaging and passing through myriad cultural surroundings. Artists aid in cultural flattening within the globalization project, yet add distinctive local narratives to the artworld as well. A glocal theory of art admits and amalgamates both local frames and networks of competing frames.
Technical Literacy versus Critical Literacy in Adult Basic Education

The demands placed upon Adult Basic Education programs in the United States are more rigorous and involve more people than ever before in our history. Government-supported programs as well as priva...
Rhythms of magnesium.

The diel cycle controls the rhythmic changes in photosynthesis. Now, magnesium levels in the chloroplast are shown to follow a diurnal rhythmic change, and a transporter appears to facilitate such a fluctuation, thereby fine-tuning plant photosynthesis on a diel basis.
Abstract P751: Global Analyses of Protein and Microrna Cargo in Neural Stem Cell Derived-Exosomes After Brain Ischemia

Background: Adult neurogenesis facilitates brain remodeling after stroke. Exosomes derived from neural stem cells (NSCs) promote ischemic neurovascular remodeling including angiogenesis and axonal ...
Firm Heterogeneity, Demand for Quality and Prices: Evidence from India

Markups vary systematically across firms and are an important cause of productivity dispersion. However, whether markup dispersion represents mis-allocation depends on sources driving the dispersion. This paper provides evidence on the role of demand-side factors in shaping the dispersion of markups. Using data on Indian manufacturing firms, I first document two key correlations: prices and markups are increasing in firm size. I then explore how these correlations are driven by two factors: the assortative matching of wealthier consumers to larger firms, and the lower demand elasticity of wealthier consumers. Guided by this observation, I examine how firms adjust prices to income shocks to poor households. Using weather-driven exogenous changes to local rural income, I find that average prices decrease when demand from poor households increases relative to wealthier households. These effects are driven by changes in markups for firms that sell to both rich and poor households. Higher rural income changes the demand composition and increases the demand elasticity for these firms, and they lower markups in response. The results are supportive of the demand-based markup channel: selling to wealthier and less demand elastic households leads larger firms to charge higher markups. The channel accounts for at least 8 percent of the observed productivity dispersion across the Indian manufacturing sector.
Publication Benchmarking Data Based on Faculty Promoted at the Top 75 U.S. Accounting Research Institutions

ABSTRACT: The primary purpose of this study is to update the Glover et al. (2006) publication benchmarking study by providing benchmarking statistics of faculty promoted to associate and/or full p...
Indeterminacy, Demand Shocks, and International Business Cycles

This study develops a two-country, two-good endogenous business cycle model to account for several empirical regularities of international business cycles, some of which are well-known “puzzles” that cannot be explained by the existing literature. The model has two novelties. One is mild increasing returns in production that give rise to indeterminate, multiple equilibria. The other is a persistent shock to consumer demand. The model can resolve the “crosscountry correlation puzzle” while matching other key features of international business cycles. Simulation of the calibrated model shows that indeterminacy is crucial in generating humpshaped responses of output to demand shocks and the “J-curve” property of the terms of trade. JEL classification: E3, E13, E32, F4
When Can We Expect a Corporate Leniency Program to Result in Fewer Cartels

Leniency programs have become widespread and are generally quite active as reflected in the number of applications. What is not well understood is how they affect the number of cartels. This paper develops and explores a theoretical framework to help understand when leniency programs are likely to be effective in reducing the presence of cartels. Plausible conditions are derived whereby a leniency program can result in more cartels. On a more positive note, we identify situations and policies that a competition authority can pursue that will make it more likely that a leniency program will have the intended effect of reducing the number of cartels.
Salpeter's approach to the relativistic two - body problem

We apply Salpeter’s approach to the calculation of relativistic two‐body bound states. In addition to the intermediate propagation of two particles, Salpeter’s approach allows for the propagation of two antiparticles As a consequence, Salpeter’s equation becomes identical in structure to a random phse approxiamtion (RPA) equation familar from the study of nuclear collective excitations. Thus, for a sufficiently attractive interaction, Salpeter’s equation might give rise to imaginary eigenvalues. The occurrence of imaginary eigenvalues is an indication of a pairing instability against the formation of strongly bound particle and antiparticle pairs. This pairing instability develops once the energy gap between two‐particle and two‐antiparticle states, originally at 4M, disappears. To illustrate Salpeter’s approach, we calculate the relativistic two‐body amplitude and bound state energy for the deuteron in Walecka’s scalar‐vector model.
The power of abstraction

Abstraction is at the center of much work in Computer Science. It encompasses finding the right interface for a system as well as finding an effective design for a system implementation. Furthermore, abstraction is the basis for program construction, allowing programs to be built in a modular fashion. This talk will discuss how the abstraction mechanisms we use today came to be, how they are supported in programming languages, and some possible areas for future research.
Anti-nutritive effects of dietary tin.

Tin is usually present in foods at levels of less than 4 μg/g. Higher levels may be found in some processed foods due to the addition of tin-based preservatives and stabilizers or to corrosion and leaching of the metal from unlacquered cans or from tin foils used in packaging. Estimates of dietary intake range from about 0.2 to > 5 mg Sn/day. Diets including a high proportion of canned vegetables and fish could supply > 30 mg Sn/day. Although intakes from dietary sources are generally considered to be harmless, a variety of adverse effects of tin have been reported, including effects on serum and bone alkaline phosphatase, lactic dehydrogenase, heme oxygenese, and 5-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase. Perturbations in glutathione metabolism have been reported, as have adverse effects on metabolism of essential trace minerals such as copper, zinc, and iron. Specific effects on calcium content of bone, serum, and kidney have also been described. Reported effects vary with the chemical form, dose of tin, and route and frequency of administration. Effects of tin in animal systems and on essential trace mineral absorption and excretion in human volunteers are reviewed. A summary of recent investigations on dietary tin-copper interactions and effects of tin on rat hepatocellular antioxidant protection are also presented.
Combined Angular Rate and Linear Acceleration Multiple Sensors for Stabilization and Midcourse Guidance Applications

Abstract Multiple sensors (multisensors) provide a distinct cost and logistical advantage over single sensing instruments. This paper covers the design description, operation and preliminary evaluation of a multiple sensing device that is capable of measuring two axes of angular rate and two axes of linear acceleration from a single instrument. The equations for obtaining three axes of angular rate and three axes of linear acceleration from a single instrument are also developed. Test data is presented that illustrates state-of-the-art performance on available multisensors. Finally, methods of improving the performance of multisensors are discussed.
Combination of “combinations of p values”

We investigate the impact of an uncertain number of false individual null hypotheses on commonly used p value combination methods. Under such uncertainty, these methods perform quite differently and often yield conflicting results. Consequently, we develop a combination of “combinations of p values” (CCP) test aimed at maintaining good power properties across such uncertainty. The CCP test is based on a simple union–intersection principle that exploits the weak correspondence between two underlying p value combination methods. Monte Carlo simulations show that the CCP test controls size and closely tracks the power of the best individual methods. We empirically apply the CCP test to explore the stationarity in real exchange rates and the information rigidity in inflation and output growth forecasts.
High-repetition rate relativistic electron beam generation from intense laser solid interactions

Relativistic electron beams have applications spanning materials science, medicine, and home- land security. Recent advances in short pulse laser technology have enabled the production of very high focused intensities at kHz rep rates. Consequently this has led to the generation of high ux sources of relativistic electrons- which is a necessary characteristic of these laser plasma sources for any potential application. In our experiments, through the generation of a plasma with the lambda cubed laser system at the University of Michigan (a 5 × 1018W=cm2, 500 Hz, Ti:Sapphire laser), we have measured electrons ejected from the surface of fused silica nd Cu targets having energies in excess of an MeV. The spectrum of these electrons was measured with respect to incident laser angle, prepulse timing, and focusing conditions. While taken at a high repetition rate, the pulse energy of the lambda cubed system was consistently on the order of 10 mJ. In order to predict scaling of the electron energy with laser pulse energy, simulations are underway which compare the spectrum generated with the lambda cubed system to the predicted spectrum generated on the petawatt scale HERCULES laser system at the University of Michigan. © (2015) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Development and Validation of a Prediction Model for Admission After Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography

Background & Aims In outpatients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with anesthesia, rates of and risk factors for admission are unclear. We aimed to develop a model that would allow physicians to predict hospitalization of patients during postanesthesia recovery. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of data from ERCPs performed on outpatients from May 2012 through October 2013 at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Medical records were abstracted for preanesthesia, intra-anesthesia, and early (within the first hour) postanesthesia characteristics potentially associated with admission. Significant factors associated with admission were incorporated into a logistic regression model to identify subgroups with low, moderate, or high probabilities for admission. The population was divided into training (first 12 months) and validation (last 6 months) sets to develop and test the model. Results We identified 3424 ERCPs during the study period; 10.7% of patients were admitted to the hospital, and 3.7% developed post-ERCP pancreatitis. Postanesthesia recovery times were significantly longer for patients requiring admission (362.6 ± 213.0 minutes vs 218.4 ± 71.8 minutes for patients not admitted; P Conclusion By using factors that can be assessed through the first hour after ERCP, we developed a model that accurately predicts which patients are likely to be admitted to the hospital. Rates of admission after outpatient ERCP are low, so a policy of prolonged observation might be unnecessary.
Mesogranulation and Turbulence in Photospheric Flows

Below the scale of supergranules we find that cellular flows are present in the solar photosphere at two distinct size scales, approximately 2 Mm and 4 Mm, with distinct characteristic times. Simultaneously present in the flow is a non-cellular component, with turbulent scaling properties and containing 30% of the flow energy. These results are obtained by means of wavelet spectral analysis and modeling of vertical photospheric motions in a 2-hour sequence of 120 SOHO/MDI, high-resolution, Doppler images near disk center. The wavelets permit detection of specific local flow patterns corresponding to convection cells.
Syzygies using vector bundles

This paper studies syzygies of curves that have been embedded in projective space by line bundles of large degree. The proofs take advantage of the relationship between syzygies and spaces of section of vector bundles associated to the given line bundles.
Lipoxygenase and lipid oxidation in foods

Abstract: Lipoxygenases (LOXs) are enzymes found in plants, animals and microorganisms that catalyze the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids and lipids containing a cis,cis-l,4-pentadiene structure. This reaction produces lipid hydroperoxides, which decompose and form secondary oxidation products that give strong undesirable flavors, causing food deterioration. LOXs are also involved in development and self-defense of plants and the production hormone-like eicosonoids in animals. In this chapter, the mechanism of this enzyme-catalyzed reaction and its implication in quality changes in soybeans and soy foods, in rice bran, in meats and fish, in dairy products, in fruits and vegetables, and in nuts are reviewed. Several means of prevention of this enzyme-catalyzed oxidation are also discussed.
The ghost of financing gap : how the Harrod-Domar growth model still haunts development economics

The ghost of a long-dead growth model still haunts aid to developing countries. The Harrod-Domar growth model supposedly died long ago. But for more than 40 years, economists working on developing countries have applied- still apply- Harrod-Domar model to calculate short-run investment requirements for a target growth rate. They then calculate a financing gap between the required investment and available resources and often fill the "financing gap" with foreign aid. Easterly traces the intellectual history of how a long-dead model came to influence today's aid allocation to developing countries. He asks whether the model's surprising afterlife is attributable to consistency with the 40 years of data that have accumulated during its use. The answer is "no." This paper-a product of the Development Research Group-is part of a larger effort in the group to study the determinants of economic growth.
Online Perfect Matching and Mobile Computing

We present a natural online perfect matching problem motivated by problems in mobile computing. A total of n customers connect and disconnect sequentially, and each customer has an associated set of stations to which it may connect. Each station has a capacity limit. We allow the network to preemptively switch a customer between allowed stations to make room for a new arrival. We wish to minimize the total number of switches required to provide service to every customer. Equivalently, we wish to maintain a perfect matching between customers and stations and minimize the lengths of the augmenting paths. We measure performance by the worst case ratio of the number of switches made to the minimum number required.
Decision-Making Under a Norm of Consensus: A Structural Analysis of Three-Judge Panels

This paper estimates a structural model of decision making in judicial panels under a norm of consensus. Using data from asylum and sex discrimination cases in the courts of appeals, the model estimates ideology parameters for individual judges as well as a cost of dissent. I show that a positive cost of dissent for both the majority and the minority is necessary to reconcile the high rate of unanimity with the variation in individual judges' voting records. The parameter estimates of the structural model show that the dissent rate substantially understates the actual level of disagreement within panels and that consensus voting obscures the impact of ideology on case outcomes. A significantly positive cost of dissent for the majority also implies that judges will sometimes compromise to avoid a dissent by another judge, and hence, that case outcomes are not determined purely by majority rule. The methodology developed in this paper can also be used to derive more accurate estimates of judicial ideology that account for the collective nature of judicial decision-making.
Conflicts and returns to stability in developing countries : a comparative analysis

Sub-Saharan Africa's dismal development outcomes -- growth collapse and declining real income -- are often used to highlight its sharp development contrast with other regions of the developing world. Drawing on a large cross-section analysis, this paper shows that Africa's underlying dismal records can also be largely accounted for by the skewed distribution of growth in the post-independence era. In particular, structurally low investment rates in a context of high political risk and uncertainty undermined growth prospects in the region. However, counterfactual simulations based on a variation of neoclassical growth models and under the hypothetical equalization of political risk profile alternative result in large economic returns, reflected in the significantly higher level of aggregate output and income in the subset of conflict-affected countries. Income gets even higher when the hypothetical reduction of political risks alternative is accompanied by sustained increases in capital accumulation.
Covariances versus Characteristics in General Equilibrium

We question a deep-ingrained doctrine in asset pricing: If an empirical characteristic-return relation is consistent with investor “rationality,” the relation must be “explained” by a risk factor model. The investment approach changes the big picture of asset pricing. Factors formed on characteristics are not necessarily risk factors: Characteristics-based factor models are linear approximations of firm-level investment returns. The evidence that characteristics dominate covariances in horse races does not necessarily mean mispricing: Measurement errors in covariances are more likely to blame. Most important, the investment approach completes the consumption approach in general equilibrium, especially for cross-sectional asset pricing.
A Metacognitive ACT-R Model of Students’ Learning Strategies in Intelligent Tutoring Systems

Research has shown that students’ problem-solving actions vary in type and duration. Among other causes, this behavior is a result of strategies that are driven by different goals. We describe a first version of a computational cognitive model that explains the origin of these strategies and identifies the tendencies of students towards different learning goals. Our model takes into account (i) interpersonal differences, (ii) an estimation of the student’s knowledge level, and (iii) current feedback from the tutor, in order to predict the next action of the student – a solution, a guess or a help request. Our long-term goal is to use identification of the students’ strategies and their efficiency in order to better understand the learning process and to improve the metacognitive learning skills of the students.
Flocking-based Document Clustering on the Graphics Processing Unit

Analyzing and grouping documents by content is a complex problem. One explored method of solving this problem borrows from nature, imitating the flocking behavior of birds. Each bird represents a single document and flies toward other documents that are similar to it. One limitation of this method of document clustering is its complexity O(n 2). As the number of documents grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to receive results in a reasonable amount of time. However, flocking behavior, along with many naturally inspired algorithms such as ant colony optimization and particle swarm optimization, are highly parallel and have found increased performance on expensive cluster computers. In the last few years, the graphics processing unit (GPU) has received attention for its ability to solve highlyparallel and semi-parallel problems much faster than the traditional sequential processor. Some applications see a huge increase in performance on this new platform. The cost of these high-performance devices is also marginal when compared with the price of cluster machines. In this paper, we have conducted research to exploit this architecture and apply its strengths to the document flocking problem. Our results highlight the potential benefit the GPU brings to many naturally inspired algorithms. Using the CUDA platform from NIVIDA®, we developed a document flocking implementation to be run on the NIVIDA® GEFORCE 8800. Additionally, we developed a similar but sequential implementation of the same algorithm to be run on a desktop CPU. We tested the performance of each on groups of news articles ranging in size from 200 to 3000 documents. The results of these tests were very significant. Performance gains ranged from three to nearly five times improvement of the GPU over the CPU implementation. Our results also confirm that each implementation is of similar complexity, confirming that gains are from the hardware and not from algorithmic benefits. This improvement in runtime makes the GPU a potentially powerful new platform for document analysis.
Health effects and pesticide perception as determinants of pesticide use : evidence from Bangladesh

In a recent survey of 820 Boro (winter rice), potato, bean, eggplant, cabbage, sugarcane, and mango farmers in Bangladesh, over 47 percent of farmers were found to be overusing pesticides. With only 4 percent of farmers formally trained in pesticide use or handling, and over 87 percent openly admitting to using little or no protective measures while applying pesticides, overuse is potentially a threatening problem to farmer health as well as the environment. To model pesticide overuse, the authors used a 3-equation, trivariate probit framework, with health effects and misperception of pesticide risk as endogenous dummy variables. Health effects (the first equation) were found to be strictly a function of the amount of pesticides used in production, while misperception of pesticide risk (the second equation) was determined by health impairments from pesticides and the toxicity of chemicals used. Pesticide overuse (the third equation) was significantly determined by variation in income, farm ownership, the toxicity of chemicals used, crop composition, and geographical location. The results highlight the necessity for policymakers to design effective and targeted outreach programs that deal specifically with pesticide risk, safe handling, and averting behavior. Ideally, the approach would be participatory in nature to address key informational gaps, as well as increasing a farmers' awareness retention. The results also point to specific crops and locations experiencing a higher prevalence of overuse-bean and eggplant in general-and overall production in the districts of Chapainawabganj, Chittagong, Comilla, Jessore, Narshingdi, Rajshahi, and Rangpur. Focusing efforts in these crop and geographical areas may have the most measurable effects on pesticide overuse.
Solution to the Fission Recoil Energy Deposition In a Slurry by a Monte Carlo Technique

AbstractA Monte Carlo technique was developed for predicting the mode of energy transfer from fission fragments liberated within spherical solids to the fluid or neighboring particles in a slurry. Random location energy liberation for a large number of fissions within the solids and subsequent absorption was followed by means of a high-speed digital computer program. The fraction of recoil fragments and energy spectrum deposited in the fluid was characterized as a function of concentration and particle size of the solids.From these results, a useful correlation equation was developed.
A Modeling Language for Program Design and Synthesis

Software engineers define structures called programs and use tools to manipulate, transform, and analyze them. A modeling language is needed to express program design and synthesis as a computation, and elementary algebra fits the bill. I review recent results in automated software design, testing, and maintenance and use the language of elementary mathematics to explain and relate them. Doing so outlines a general and simple way to express and under stand the relationships between different topics in program synthesis.