cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement Invariance of the Five Factor Model of Personality: Facet-Level Analyses Among Euro and Asian Americans.

Relative to broad Big Five domains, personality facets provide incremental value in predicting life outcomes. Valid between-group comparisons of means and correlates of facet scores are contingent upon measurement invariance of personality measures. Research on culture and Big Five personality has been largely limited to cross-national comparisons of domains, without assessing measurement invariance across ethnoracial groups within the same country. Using the NEO Inventories, we tested facet-level measurement invariance between Euro (N = 418, 63.2% women, Mage = 18.43) and Asian Americans (N = 429, 56.6% women, Mage = 18.00). Multigroup exploratory factor analysis within a confirmatory factor analysis framework showed partial strong invariance. Assertiveness and activity did not load onto extraversion as strongly for Asian Americans. Self-consciousness showed a stronger cross-loading onto extraversion among Asian Americans than Euro Americans. Achievement striving, competence, warmth, tender-mindedness, and excitement seeking showed noninvariant intercepts across groups. Collectivistic values emphasizing interpersonal harmony and modesty should be considered when examining narrow and broad traits among Asian Americans.
Renal cystic disease

Renal cystic disorders have long represented an area of diagnostic confusion. We have attempted to correlate renal microdissection findings with clinically established renal cystic disorders by examining each disorder in sequential fashion. The clinical presentation of a child with a multicystic kidney is followed by a review of the cystic diseases with emphasis on clinical presentation, distinguishing factors, course, and prognosis.
Coordinating Tire Forces to Avoid Obstacles Using Nonlinear Model Predictive Control

In order to safely navigate highly dynamic scenarios, automated vehicles must be able to react quickly to changes in the environment and be able to understand trade-offs between lateral and longitudinal forces when limited by tire-road friction. We present a design and experimental validation of a nonlinear model predictive controller that is capable of handling these complex situations. By carefully selecting the vehicle model and mathematical encodings of the vehicle and obstacles, we enable the controller to quickly compute inputs while maintaining an accurate model of the vehicle's motion and its proximity to obstacles. Experimental results of a test vehicle performing an emergency double lane change to avoid two “pop-up” obstacles demonstrate the ability of the controller to coordinate lateral and longitudinal tire forces even in emergency situations when the tires are at their friction limits.
Identification of mycobacterial pathogens utilizing colony characteristics.

Morphologic properties of colonies growing on either 7H10 or corn meal glycerol agar plates, or both, are of assistance in identification of mycobacterial pathogens. By examination of microscopic colonies, early reporting of Mycobacterium tuberculosis may be made, and common difficulties from contaminated cultures can be avoided. Colonies of M. kansasii have a distinctive SR morphology and exhibit crystal production as well as photochromogenicity. Colonies of Battey bacilli are usually sharply distinct, being thin, smooth, and translucent. M. xenopi is recognized by slowly developing yellow colonies which, by microscopic examination, can be seen to be surrounded with projecting filaments. M. abscessus can most easily be distinguished from the other common rapid grower, M. fortuitum , by the absence of branching filamentous extensions from its colonies.
Follicular lymphoma: 2020 update on diagnosis and management.

Disease overview Follicular lymphoma (FL) is generally an indolent B cell lymphoproliferative disorder of transformed follicular center B cells. Follicular lymphoma is characterized by diffuse lymphadenopathy, bone marrow involvement, and splenomegaly. Extranodal involvement is less common. Cytopenias are relatively common but constitutional symptoms of fever, night sweats, and weight loss are uncommon in the absence of transformation to diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Diagnosis The diagnosis is based on histology from a biopsy of a lymph node or other affected tissue. Incisional biopsy is preferred over needle biopsies in order to give adequate tissue to assign grade and assess for transformation. Immunohistochemical staining is positive in virtually all cases for cell surface CD19, CD20, CD10 and monoclonal immunoglobulin, as well as cytoplasmic expression of bcl-2 protein. The overwhelming majority of cases have the characteristic t(14;18) translocation involving the IgH/bcl-2 genes. Risk stratification The Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) uses five independent predictors of inferior survival: age > 60 years, hemoglobin normal, Ann Arbor stage III/IV, number of involved nodal areas >4. The presence of 0-1, 2, and ≥ 3 adverse factors defines low, intermediate, and high-risk disease. There are other clinical prognostic models but the FLIPI remains the most common. Other factors such as time to relapse of less than 2 years from chemoimmunotherapy and specific gene mutations may also be useful for prognosis. Regardless of the prognostic model used, modern therapies have demonstrably improved prognosis. Risk-adapted therapy Observation continues to be appropriate for asymptomatic patients with low bulk disease and no cytopenias. There is no overall survival advantage for early treatment with either chemotherapy or single agent rituximab. For patients needing therapy, most patients are treated with chemoimmunotherapy, which has improved response rates, duration of response and overall survival (OS). Randomized studies have shown additional benefit for maintenance rituximab. Lenalidomide was non-inferior to chemoimmunotherapy in a randomized front-line study and, when combined with rituximab, was superior to rituximab alone in relapsed FL. Kinase inhibitors, other immunotherapies, and stem cell transplantation (SCT) are also considered for recurrent disease.
Leveling of the playing field and corporate financing patterns around the world

Abstract The level of parity between management of firms and their shareholders vary around the world. In many countries, the playing field is tilted in favor of management, which can withhold information or selectively choose when and how to release it. Self-interested managers may also expropriate from shareholders. The legal, judicial, and political systems are also often in favor of those with wealth and power, and interested parties with the resources to level the playing field may be absent or ineffective. These countries lack the monitors, from large institutional shareholders to financial analysts, to limit management's advantage over the shareholders. In this paper, we investigate how managers in these two regimes differ in their financing decisions. We posit that: a) when management has the upper hand, they will exploit their advantage by offering inferior or overvalued securities; and b) on the other hand, in countries wherein the playing field is more level, managers cannot expect to consistently gain against outside investors in rounds of financing. We find evidence in support of the hypothesis above. Firms in countries wherein management have the playing field advantage issue securities before a price reversal; i.e., at or near high. The same is not observed on a level playing field. Nevertheless, managers in both types could act behaviorally. Also consistent with the behavioral version of corporate financing, firms at times issue new equity in hot markets or when recent share prices are rising, regardless of the playing field.
Fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair with concomitant horseshoe kidney.

Abstract Horseshoe kidney (HSK) is a rare anatomic anomaly that poses surgical challenges in the setting of abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. An endovascular approach is safer for patients yet carries technical challenge because of variable renal vasculature. We present the case of a patient with an infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm and concomitant HSK who underwent successful repair with a custom fenestrated endograft with preservation of a midaortic renal artery. Complex endovascular aneurysm repair options for HSK include chimneys and fenestrated stent grafts. We suggest that the availability of custom fenestrated grafts and ongoing skill enhancement among vascular surgeons may make this approach more favorable.
Regret Minimization in Partially Observable Linear Quadratic Control

We study the problem of regret minimization in partially observable linear quadratic control systems when the model dynamics are unknown a priori. We propose ExpCommit, an explore-then-commit algorithm that learns the model Markov parameters and then follows the principle of optimism in the face of uncertainty to design a controller. We propose a novel way to decompose the regret and provide an end-to-end sublinear regret upper bound for partially observable linear quadratic control. Finally, we provide stability guarantees and establish a regret upper bound of $\tilde{\mathcal{O}}(T^{2/3})$ for ExpCommit, where $T$ is the time horizon of the problem.
Identification of linkages between urban heat Island magnitude and urban rainfall modification by use of causal discovery algorithms

Abstract This study is the first, purely data-driven technique to assess the classical urban climatological problem of the relation between urban heat island (UHI) and urban rainfall modification. Urban areas affect regional climate. This knowledge is based on studies involving observations or process-scale models. These studies, while important for understanding the dynamic processes, come at a cost (time, resources). In this paper, we explore the potential of using statistical algorithms for conducting such urban climate studies. Taking an example of the UHI and rainfall dataset, we test six different causal discovery algorithms in their search for a relation between UHI and urban rainfall. This study aims to highlight that a causal algorithm can provide us computationally efficient results that can be useful for urban rainfall studies. In terms of the causal techniques, the constraint versus score-based models provided different causal links, and the score-based models were found to be more realistic (IMaGES). The results provide a promise for the simple, data-centric models to be used as a screening mechanism for identifying cities and cases to study the influence of urban rainfall modification; and, can prove to be useful for further in-depth analysis using computationally intense numerical models, or field studies.
Effects of Soybean Cultivar, Foliar Application of Azoxystrobin, and Year on Seed Vigor and Microflora Under Delayed Harvest Conditions.

The effects of cultivar and foliar fungicide applications on soybean seed germination, vigor, microflora, and yield after delayed harvest were determined at the University of Arkansas Vegetable Res...
Recognition of Emotions from Situational Contexts and the Impact of a Mind Reading Intervention in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The present research examined recognition of basic (happy, fear, sad) and self-conscious (pride, embarrassment, guilt) emotions from situational contexts in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and neurotypical children (Study 1). Results showed that children with ASD were less accurate in recognizing fear, embarrassment, and guilt situations than neurotypical children. Additionally, the research explored whether recognition of these emotions from situational contexts could be improved in children with ASD after a 4-week computerized emotion intervention (Study 2). Following the intervention, children showed better recognition of embarrassment and guilt, but no improvement in recognizing fear. In children with ASD, significant negative relations were found between ASD symptomatology and recognition of guilt (Study 1), although ASD symptomatology did not impact the intervention’s efficacy (Study 2). Additional explanations for these findings are provided.
Lubricant Effects on Articular Cartilage Sliding Biomechanics Under Physiological Fluid Load Support

Articular cartilage maintains phenomenally low friction and strains in intact joints during articulation, yet after a century of study, the mechanisms underpinning cartilage’s in vivo functions remain uncertain. We recently re-introduced a unique benchtop testing system, the convergent stationary contact area (cSCA), to investigate frictions and strains in cartilage explants; the cSCA differs from other benchtop testing configurations by enabling sliding-induced hydrodynamic-driven fluid flows to influence interstitial hydration and lubrication during sliding. This study aimed to elucidate several points regarding cartilage tribomechanics and joint lubrication, including the following: (i) if the presence of putative lubricants alters the ability of sliding to drive tribological rehydration (i.e., sliding-driven compression recovery under loading); (ii) how lubricant presence influences the frictional behavior of articular cartilage when tested under physiologically representative sliding conditions (e.g., moderate-to-high hydration and fluid load support, low-to-moderate tissue strains, and fast sliding speeds); and (iii) interpreting these behaviors with respect to lubricant rheology at shear rates reflecting those found in cSCA tests and intact joints (> 104 s−1). We found that synovial fluid and hyaluronic acid solutions (i) were at most 3–10 × the viscosity of saline lubricants at physiological shear rates, (ii) substantially enhanced the rates of fluid and lubrication recovery during sliding, and (iii) minimized the amount of time the explants experienced detrimental ‘pathophysiological’ frictions by fostering tissue hydration recovery. Additionally, we show that when non-lubricating solutions and high sliding speeds are utilized, the cSCA can facilely replicate ‘semi-physiological’ strains and frictions, while the use of lubricant-containing baths fosters ‘physiologically consistent’ tribomechanical behaviors, improving the physiological relevance of long-term benchtop sliding tests.
Court Authority and the University: Networks, Recipes, and Things-in-the-Making vs. the Abstractions of Made Things.

Making things by means of alchemical know-how, and the habits of knowledge used to sort, classify, and explain alchemy’s made things relied upon different traditions of learning and functioned as p...
THE PREVALENCE OF WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM IN COLLEGIATE AVIATION FLIGHT EDUCATION

The purpose of this paper is to report on the use of writing assignments and the prevalence of Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) in collegiate aviation flight programs. Researchers report a variety of results with the incorporation of writing and speaking assignments in different fields, but similar study in aviation is not well reported. Of 115 University Aviation Association institutions surveyed, 37 responded to a battery of questions regarding the use of writing assignments in their aviation flight programs and WAC. While the majority of respondents indicate that their institution does not have an established WAC program, collegiate aviation flight programs do employ a variety of communicationfocused courses to address communication training and assignments to teach/practice communication skills. Additionally, the majority of responding institutions indicate that writing assignments are required.
Texas A&M Department of Statistics

The Department of Statistics was formed in 1962 as the Graduate Institute of Statistics with the mandate of providing statistical research, consulting, and instruction for Texas A&M University. The Institute was authorized from its inception to grant MS and Ph.D. degrees. Herman Otto Hartley arrived in the fall of 1963, and was the Institute’s first Director. In the 1980s the Institute became the Department of Statistics under the leadership of William B. Smith. In 2012, the Department has grown to a faculty with 34 tenure/tenure track positions and 5 lecturers. Since its inception, there have been nearly 500 MS degrees and 300 PhD degrees awarded.
A Novel Apical Corpuscle in Hyphae of Mucor rouxii

Abstract Median longitudinal sections of germ tube apices of Mucor rouxii revealed the presence of a single, roughly hemispherical, electron-dense organelle, in intimate contact with the apical cell wall. Conceivably, this “apical corpuscle” may be responsible for the emission of the germ tube and its continued apical growth.
Analysis and optimization of heat loss for water-cooled furnace roller

A heat transfer model of furnace roller cooling process was established based on analysis of furnace roller’s structure. The complicated model was solved with iteration planning algorithm based on Newton search. The model is proved logical and credible by comparing calculated results and measured data. Then, the relationship between water flow velocity, inlet water temperature, furnace temperature and roller cross section temperature, outlet water temperature, water temperature rise, cooling water heat absorption was studied. The conclusions and recommendations are mainly as follows: 1) Cooling water temperature rise decreases with the increase of water flow velocity, but it has small relationship with inlet water temperature; 2) In order to get little water scale, inlet water temperature should be controlled below 30 °C. 3) The cooling water flow velocity should be greater than critical velocity. The critical velocity is 0.07 m/s and water flow velocity should be controlled within 0.4–0.8 m/s. Within this velocity range, water cooling efficiency is high and water temperature rise is little. If cooling water velocity increases again, heat loss will increase, leading to energy wasting.
Conceptual framework for patient-important treatment outcomes for pelvic organ prolapse

Aims To develop a comprehensive conceptual framework representing the most important outcomes for women seeking treatment for pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Methods Twenty-five women with POP were recruited and participated in four semi-structured focus groups to refine and assess the content validity of a conceptual framework representing patient-important outcomes for POP. Specifically, the focus groups addressed the following three aims: (1) to evaluate the content and appropriateness of domains in our framework; (2) to identify gaps in the framework; and (3) to determine the relative importance of our framework domains from the patient perspective. Sessions were transcribed, coded, and qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed using analytic induction and deductive analysis to identify themes and domains relevant to women with POP. Results Our focus groups confirmed the importance of vaginal bulge symptoms (discomfort, bother, and adaptation), and the overarching domains and subdomains of physical (physical function and participation), social (social function, relationships, and sexual function), and mental health (emotional distress, preoccupation, and body image). Patients ranked outcomes in the following order of importance: (1) the resolution of vaginal bulge symptoms, (2) improvement in physical function; (3) improvement in sexual function; (4) improvement in body image perception; and (5) improvement in social function. Conclusions We developed a conceptual framework for patient important outcomes of women seeking treatment for POP. This framework can improve the transparency and interpretation of POP study findings from the patient perspective. Vaginal bulge and its associated discomfort are most important for the definition of POP treatment success from the patient perspective. Neurourol. Urodynam. 33:414–419, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Gálvez Family and Spanish Participation In the Independence of the United States of America

Este articulo examina el papel que la familia de Galvez jugo en cada etapa de la participacion y aplicacion de la politica de Espana en el proceso de la Revolucion Americana. Los miembros de la familia de Galvez tuvieron un papel importante en cada etapa de la intervencion de Espana en el conflicto. Se analizan las actividades de Jose de Galvez como ministro de las Indias, de su hermano Matias de Galvez como comandante en la America Central, y del hijo de Matias, Bernardo de Galvez, como gobernador de la Luisiana. Sus actividades tuvieron tambien que ver con el comienzo de las relaciones diplomaticas entre Espana y los Estados Unidos, cuando Jose de Galvez mando a Juan de Miralles y Franciso de Rendon a Filadelfia como observadores en el Congreso Continental. La actuacion de la familia de Galvez genero una situacion que condujo a la ayuda material espanola a los Estados Unidos, y sus maniobras y gestiones fueron un factor a tener en cuenta en el triunfo de la Revolucion y en la derrota de Gran Bretana.
Energy Absorption for Short Duration Impacts.

Abstract : The objective of this study is to relate energy absorption characteristics to selected material properties and to establish a methodology that allows one to determine some of the material properties for maximum energy absorption. The finite element program DYNA-3D and its associated pre and post processors were used. The model used is a hollow square column. Five properties of the materials were included in the analysis: (1) Density (2) Elastic Modulus (3) Tangent Modulus (4) Yield Strength, and (5) Poisson Ratio. The Response Surface Method in conjunction with the canonical analysis were employed to locate the optimum or near optimum levels of the properties and then to determine the equation of the response surface in an area near the vector of optimum levels. For the given levels of three out of five material properties used in the study, one can calculate the remaining two material property levels to achieve the near-optimal energy absorption.
Accuracy and time requirements of a bar-code inventory system for controlled substances

The effect of a bar-code system on personnel time requirements and data-entry accuracy in an existing automated controlled substances inventory system was determined. In the previous system, technicians used a keyboard and alphanumeric codes to enter into the computer data about the physical transfer of controlled substances among hospital areas. A system for barcode data entry was adapted for use with the existing procedure. After learning to use the bar-code system, four experienced technicians entered data by the keyboard method for eight days and the bar-code method for eight days during a 32-day study period. The amount of time required to enter all transactions and the accuracy of data entry were measured. Mean data-entry times for the keyboard and bar-code methods were not significantly different, most likely because of the greater number of manipulations needed for bar-code data entry. The mean percentage error associated with the bar-code method (0.79%) was significantly less than the error associated with the keyboard method (1.53%). For this particular computer system in which bar-code data entry was adapted to existing procedures, use of bar codes to enter controlled substances inventory data was not substantially faster but was more accurate than a traditional key-board data-entry method.
Diasporic Brotherhood: Freemasonry and the Transnational Production of Black Middle‐Class Masculinity

This essay examines the relationship between two black Freemasons in the Gold Coast and New York in the 1930s. Drawing on the correspondence of D. K. Abadu Bentsi and Harry A. Williamson, this essay argues that fraternal voluntary associations operated as sites for the formation of a gendered diasporic identity. In doing so, it suggests that we need to complicate our understanding of diaspora by considering the ways in which the development of diasporic subjectivity and consciousness, as a dynamic process, is inextricably bound up in the formation of class and gender identities and the maintenance of class and gender boundaries.
Hybrid checkpointing using emerging nonvolatile memories for future exascale systems

The scalability of future Massively Parallel Processing (MPP) systems is being severely challenged by high failure rates. Current centralized Hard Disk Drive (HDD) checkpointing results in overhead of 25p or more at petascale. Since systems become more vulnerable as the node count keeps increasing, novel techniques that enable fast and frequent checkpointing are critical to the future exascale system implementation.In this work, we first introduce one of the emerging nonvolatile memory technologies, Phase-Change Random Access Memory (PCRAM), as a proper candidate of the fast checkpointing device. After a thorough analysis of MPP systems, failure rates and failure sources, we propose a PCRAM-based hybrid local/global checkpointing mechanism which not only provides a faster checkpoint storage, but also boosts the effectiveness of other orthogonal techniques such as incremental checkpointing and background checkpointing. Three variant implementations of the PCRAM-based hybrid checkpointing are designed to be adopted at different stages and to offer a smooth transition from the conventional in-disk checkpointing to the instant in-memory approach. Analyzing the overhead by using a hybrid checkpointing performance model, we show the proposed approach only incurs less than 3p performance overhead on a projected exascale system.
Properties of the interaction between phosphofructokinase and actin

The interaction of rabbit skeletal muscle phosphofructokinase (PFK) with actin is characterized in terms of the binding of PFK to actin in the presence and absence of tropomyosin and troponin, the effect of PFK on actin polymerization, and the involvement of adenylates in the binding of PFK to actin. The thin filament proteins, tropomyosin and troponin, are associated with skeletal muscle actin and reduce the binding of PFK to actin, thus influencing the probable distribution of PFK in skeletal muscle. The binding of PFK to actin is inhibited by ATP and ADP but not by fructose 6-phosphate or fructose 2,6-bisphosphate. This specific inhibition, plus evidence from fluorescence quenching and photoaffinity labeling, suggests that actin binds at the adenosine activation sites of PFK. Light scattering measurements used to monitor actin polymerization indicate that PFK dramatically increases the level of light scattering produced by the polymerization of actin, indicative of a superaggregate of PFK and actin. PFK inhibits the polymerization of actin when polymerization is induced by low concentrations of added salts. Although PFK binds to actin with high affinity, it seems to have little effect on the high shear viscosity of actin filaments.
Fungispecificity of fluconazole against Candida albicans.

Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen of human mucosal surfaces. Colonization of oral and vaginal mucosa by this yeast is antagonized by the resident normal bacterial population. However, antibacterial therapy can alter the normal flora to allow fungal cells to attach, grow and invade host tissues. We studied the antimicrobic activity of fluconazole against clinical isolates of oral and vaginal bacteria and Candida albicans in vitro and in vivo by scanning and transmission electron microscopy; we also compared the bactericidal activity of fluconazole with clotrimazole in vitro by microbiologie assay. Fluconazole lysed fungi but did not change the ultrastructure of bacteria. Clotrimazole, but not fluconazole, was bactericidal against lactobacillus and streptococcus, the principal species of the oral and vaginal cavities. We conclude that Candida albicans, but not oral and vaginal bacteria, is susceptible to fluconazole. These observations help explain the antimycotic specificity of fluconazole and its efficacy against candidiasis in humans.
In vitro transcription and processing of a yeast tRNA gene containing an intervening sequence

Abstract A gene for Saccharomyces cerevisiae tRNA Trp has been sequenced which contains an intervening sequence of 34 bp (H.S. Kang and J. Abelson, unpublished results). The mutant yeast strain ts-136 accumulates a precursor to tRNA Trp which contains mature ends and is colinear with the tRNA Trp gene. A nuclear extract from Xenopus oocytes is capable of supporting transcription of the tRNA Trp gene contained on plasmid pBR313. The products are precursor tRNAs which contain the intervening RNA sequence. The Xenopus extract accurately splices the precursor transcript to mature-sized tRNA Trp .
A GENERALIZED QUARTIC EQUATION OF STATE: SIMPLIFICATION AND PERFORMANCE ON MIXTURES

In previous work, a generalized quartic equation of state has been developed and extended to polar fluids. There are forty general regressed coefficients used in the four parameters in the equation of state. Simplification of the quartic equation of state has been done by setting fifteen of those coefficients to zero and obtaining the remaining twenty-five coefficients from regression on the original data base of non-polar and polar fluids. The results of simplification show that the quartic equation of state can achieve similar accuracy with fewer coefficients. The quartic equation of state was tested on thirty-five binary systems and four ternary systems to see the performance of the quartic equation of state on mixtures. The results show that the performance of the quartic equation of state on mixtures is generally comparable to that of the Peng-Robinson equation of state.
Vendor performance evaluation: Numeric formula

Abstract The Acquisitions Department of Reed Library at State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia conducted a study of the performance of its four major vendors using randomized distribution of titles. The study was designed to show which of its vendors performed best in terms of fulfillment, speed of delivery, and discount. A numerical formula based on aggregate of ranks and value judgement was formulated and used for overall performance ranking.
Cardiovascular manifestations in patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: A single-center experience

Background Cardiovascular manifestation in patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Hypothesis The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, and mortality in patients hospitalized for thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). Methods Thirty-eight patients (27 women and 11 men), mean age 44 years, were hospitalized with the diagnosis of TTP confirmed by a hematologist. We investigated the incidence of AMI which developed during hospitalization for TTP. AMI was diagnosed by new electrocardiographic changes, increased serum cardiac troponin I levels, and clinical symptomatology. The patients with AMI were also monitored for development of arrhythmias during hospitalization. Results Of the 38 patients, 8 (21%) developed new Q-wave AMI. There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics between patients who developed AMI and those who did not develop AMI. Of the 8 patients with AMI, 2 (25%) developed atrial fibrillation, 1 (13%) developed atrial flutter, 1 (13%) developed supraventricular tachycardia, and 2 (25%) developed congestive heart failure. Death occurred in 3 of 8 patients (38%) with AMI and in 1 of 30 patients (3%) without AMI (P < 0.01). Conclusions New Q-wave AMI developed in 21% of 38 patients hospitalized with TTP. Supraventricular tachyarrhythmias developed in 50% of 8 patients with TTP who developed AMI. Patients hospitalized for TTP should be monitored for adverse cardiac events due to the high incidence of new AMI, supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, and mortality. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
State of the Art in Carotid Artery Stenting: Trial Data, Technical Aspects, and Limitations

The volume of carotid artery stenting (CAS) safety and efficacy data has grown exponentially over the last decade. Recent comparative data with carotid endarterectomy, the utility of embolic protection devices, peri-procedural medications, basic technical aspects of CAS, developments in carotid stent design, potential complications of CAS, and complication risk factors are discussed in this review.
Localization of a peptide identified by antibodies to gastrin/CCK in the gut of Cancer magister

A gastric peptide from the Dungeness crab (Cancer magister), extracted and characterized previously (Larson and Vigna 1983b), was localized in the foregut (stomach) of this species by immunocytochemistry using antisera specific for the bioactive carboxy-terminal amino acid sequence common to gastrins and cholecystokinins (CCKs). Immunoreactivity was found in all gastric epithelial cells and in the procuticle. Electron microscopy revealed an absence of peptidergic secretory granules in the gastric epithelial cells. The pattern of immunostaining suggests that the gastric epithelial cells secrete this peptide apically where it is incorporated into the cuticle lining the lumen. Specific immunostaining could not be demonstrated in various neural ganglia or in the hypodermis. The distribution of this peptide is different from that of gastrin/CCK in vertebrates and other invertebrates. This suggests that the crab gastric peptide is sufficiently similar to gastrin/CCK to react with C-terminal specific antisera, but may be anatomically, functionally, and possibly phylogenetically otherwise unrelated.
The Teutonic Knights and Baltic Chivalry

(1994). The Teutonic Knights and Baltic Chivalry. The Historian: Vol. 56, No. 3, pp. 519-530.
Defenders in the North American aphid Pemphigus obesinymphae

Gall-inhabiting individuals of the aphidPemphigus obesinymphae act as defenders, protecting other colony members against attack by dipteran and neuropteran larvae that are the primary predators of this species. As first instar nymphs, the progeny of the fundatrix patrol surfaces of galls and adjoining leaves. These first instar nymphs attack potential predators by mounting and grasping them and inserting their stylets. This defensive behavior, which is not exhibited by nymphs in later instars, appears to be effective in reducing predation. The fundatrix typically produces defenders throughout the extended gall-inhabiting phase, and her progeny delay development beyond the defensive first instar stage. By August, galls contain an average of 101 defenders. Early death of the fundatrix reduces the number of defenders in the gall and advances maturation of defenders into winged migrants, which otherwise mature in September and October. InPemphigus, defensive behavior by first instar nymphs appears to have evolved in the context of several types of derived life cycle, each involving an extended gall-inhabiting phase.
Race, socioeconomic status and survival in three female cancers

Abstract Objectives. Although many studies have reported that socioeconomic status (SES) and race affect cancer survival, researchers have not established whether SES and race affect survival independently. The research reported here addresses this question with special attention to cancers affecting large numbers of women in the US. Methods. The authors analyzed data on survival among patients in the Centralized Cancer Patient Data System (CCPDS) with cancers of the breast (n = 6896), cervix (n = 2209) and uterine corpus (n = 1492). Results. According to Cox proportional hazards models, race predicted survival in all three cancers, while socioeconomic status predicted survival for cancers of the breast and uterine corpus. Interaction effects between race and SES were generally not statistically significant. This study includes larger numbers of observations within specific forms of cancer and covers a broader patient population than most previous investigations. These features promote detectability of SE...
Traumatic diaphragmatic injury in the American College of Surgeons National Trauma Data Bank: a new examination of a rare diagnosis

Abstract Background Traumatic diaphragmatic injury (TDI) is a rarely diagnosed injury in trauma. Previous studies have been limited in their evaluation of TDI because of small population size and center bias. Although injuries may be suspected based on penetrating mechanism, blunt injuries may be particularly difficult to detect. The American College of Surgeons National Trauma Data Bank is the largest trauma database in the United States. We hypothesized that we could identify specific injury patterns associated with blunt and penetrating TDIs. Methods We examined demographics, diagnoses, mechanism of injury, and outcomes for patients with TDI in 2012 as this is the largest and most recent dataset available. Comparisons were made using chi-square or independent samples t test. Results There were a total of 833,309 encounters in the National Trauma Data Bank in 2012. Three thousand eight hundred seventy-three patients had a TDI (.46%). Of those, 1,240 (33%) patients had a blunt mechanism and 2,543 (67%) had a penetrating mechanism. Patients with blunt TDI were older (44 ± 19 vs 31 ± 13 years, P P P P P P P Conclusions Diaphragmatic injury is an uncommon but significant diagnosis in trauma patients. Blunt injuries may be more likely to be occult; however, a pattern of associated injuries to the aorta, lung, spleen, and bladder should prompt further workup for TDI.
Figure of merit and fundamental range limitations in surface sensing direct-detection mid-infrared random-modulation continuous-wave lidar

We perform maximum range calculations for surface sensing direct-detection mid-infrared Random-Modulation Continuous- Wave (RM-CW) lidar, and propose a system's figure of merit. In this type of lidar, noise can be additive and determined by detector's noise given by its specific detectivity D, area, and integration time. Fundamental limits of the sensing range are then imposed by diffraction, provided that the Background-Limited Infrared Photodetection (BLIP) limit (controlled by the field-of-view) is not exceeded. There is no dependence on a specific pseudorandom code (PRC) used since noise spectral density is assumed to be independent of frequency. Under most favorable conditions, including no losses due to optics or atmospheric attenuation, an object of angularly uniform unity reflectance and size not less than the laser beam can be detected within 1s with a 20-cm diameter telescope and a signal-to-noise ratio of one from a distance of about 200 km if a cooled detector and a laser emitting 500 mW cw at 5 micrometers are used. For an integration time of 0.1 ms (which is well below a typical atmospheric correlation time), or a room-temperature detector, the maximum range reduces to about 20 km. As the technology of Quantum-Cascade lasers (QCLs) advances, the maximum range of several tens of kilometers can be expected in this type of lidar with all-thermoelectrically-cooled semiconductor components, and, perhaps after some modifications in the technique, about 1 km with all-room-temperature components.
Hybrid energy storage and generation planning with large renewable penetration

Energy storage is important in a power grid with high penetration of renewable energy, especially for isolated grids or micro-grids. Considering the different characteristics of energy storage devices and the different availability of renewable energy sources, planning a good portfolio of them is important for efficient system operation and investment cost minimization. In this paper we consider the planning problem as a chance-constrained optimization problem and solve the problem using scenario approximation. To reduce the computational time, we formulate the original problem as a consensus problem, and employ the alternating directional method of multipliers to solve the optimization problem in a distributed manner. The results potentially help make decisions on energy storage and renewable generation planning, and guide policy making related to renewable energy sources.
Small Intestinal Perforation and Necrotizing Fasciitis After Abdominal Liposuction

Liposuction, the most common aesthetic procedure performed in the United States, is not without risk, but the overall complication rate in the literature varies from less than 1% to 9.3%. A 55-year-old woman who had undergone abdominal liposuction with bilateral breast augmentation was hospitalized in a state of profound septic shock. A diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis was made on the basis of findings that included abdominal skin discoloration, subcutaneous emphysema, and air in the subcutaneous plane seen on abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan. During the operative procedure for abdominal wall debridement, extensive necrosis of abdominal wall fascia with leakage of bilious fluid from defects in the rectus sheath was found. Subsequent peritoneal cavity exploration showed two perforations in the mid ileum with gross peritoneal cavity contamination.
Fluorescent Liposomes for Differential Interactions with Glycosaminoglycans

We have successfully synthesized a lipid containing the pyranine dye as the hydrophilic head group. This lipid was incorporated into liposomes with 1-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine as the major component. The resultant liposomes displayed differential enhancements in fluorescence emission intensity in the presence of nanomolar concentrations of different glycosaminoglycans. Linear discriminant analysis of the fluorescence response data demonstrate that the liposomes are able to distinguish between different GAGs. In addition, we also demonstrate that the liposomes incorporating the pyranine lipid are able to distinguish between dilute serum from healthy individuals and serum containing elevated chondroitin sulfate (simulated serum from an Alzheimer’s disease patient).
Characteristics of plasmonic Bragg reflectors with insulator width modulated in sawtooth profiles

We present a new metal-insulator-metal (MIM)-based plasmonic Bragg reflector (PBR) design that solves the technical problems of conventional step profile MIM PBRs through the use of sawtooth profiles. Our numerical study revealed that the sawtooth PBRs exhibit lower insertion loss, narrower bandgap, and reduced rippling in the transmission spectrum when compared with the step PBRs. The defect mode of the sawtooth PBR also exhibits a higher transmission, narrower linewidth, and higher Q-factor.
Interdialytic weight gain and nutritional parameters in chronic hemodialysis patients

The extent of interdialytic weight gain (IDWG) in chronic hemodialysis patients is usually attributed to the level of compliance with fluid restriction. However, in view of the substantial water content of food (and caloric content of beverages), IDWG also may be a function of calorie and protein intake and may reflect the nutritional state of patients. To investigate this theory, the relationship between 2-day IDWG and body weight, normalized protein catabolic rate (nPCR), serum albumin, and delivered Kt/V urea was assessed in a prospective, randomized study of 860 chronic hemodialysis patients in 56 dialysis units. Compared with patients having 3 kg IDWG (n = 138) weighed more (dry weight, 76.8 v 61.7 kg), had higher nPCR (1.15 v 0.96 g/kg/d), and had higher serum albumin levels (3.96 vs 3.79 g/dL) (all P 4.5% of dry weight (n = 151) had higher nPCR (1.17 v 0.94 g/kg/d) but weighed less (60.1 v 70.0 kg) and had a higher Kt/V (1.14 v 1.01) than patients with IDWG < 3% of dry weight (n = 355) (all P < 0.001). Artifactual association between IDWG and nPCR attributable to an accentuated two-pool effect from differing ultrafiltration requirements was unlikely as assessed by the relationship between modeled Kt/V and prescribed Kt/V determined using an anthropometric urea volume.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Individual differences in disgust sensitivity and health-related avoidance: Examination of specific associations

Abstract This present study examined the specificity of disgust sensitivity in predicting health-related anxiety and behavioral avoidance. Participants (n = 60) completed self-report measures of disgust sensitivity, health anxiety, anxiety, and depression. They then completed three randomly presented health-related behavioral avoidance tasks (BATs) that consisted of potential exposure to the common cold, the flu, and mononucleosis. Results indicated that disgust sensitivity was significantly associated with anxious and avoidant responding to the health-related BATs. This association also remained largely intact after controlling for gender, anxiety, depression, and health anxiety. These findings indicate that disgust sensitivity has a specific and robust association with health-related anxiety and avoidance commonly observed among those with excessive health anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. The unique role of disgust sensitivity in relation to health anxiety is discussed in the context of a disease-avoidance model.
Method of estimating the amount of in situ gas hydrates in deep marine sediments

Abstract The bulk volume of gas hydrates in marine sediments can be estimated by measuring interval velocities and amplitude blanking of hydrated zones from true amplitude processed multichannel seismic reflection data. In general, neither velocity nor amplitude information is adequate to independently estimate hydrate concentration. A method is proposed that uses amplitude blanking calibrated by interval velocity information to quantify hydrate concentrations in the Blake Ridge area of the US Atlantic continental margin. On the Blake Ridge, blanking occurs in conjunction with relatively low interval velocities. The model that best explains this relation linearly mixes two end-member sediments: hydrated and unhydrated sediment. Hydrate concentration in the hydrate end-member can be calculated from a weighted equation that uses velocity estimated from the seismic data, known properties of the pure hydrate, and porosity inferred from a velocity-porosity relationship. Amplitude blanking can be predicted as the proportions of hydrated and unhydrated sediment change across a reflection boundary. Our analysis of a small area near DSDP 533 indicates that the amount of gas hydrates is about 6% in total volume when the interval velocity is used as a criterion and about 9.5% when amplitude information is used. This compares with a calculated value of about 8% derived from the only available measurement in DSDP 533.
The Riddle of Paul de Man

The discovery in 1987 of Paul de Man’s pro‐Nazi literary activities in wartime Belgium prompted a debate over the fact that de Man neither publicly declared his collaboration, nor clarified the relationship between his wartime experience and his post‐war work. De Man’s detractors argued that he insidiously hid his past. The evidence of his concealment, they maintained, was his silence and unwavering conviction in his mature work that the meaning of every text contains its opposite. De Man guaranteed the impossibility of knowing the original meanings of his wartime articles. In contrast, de Man’s supporters argued that what appeared to be de Man’s silence masked his life‐long critique of his wartime errors. His heroic analysis, they maintained, was expressed in his post‐war work. In contrast to these interpretations, it is argued that de Man’s silence and post‐war work resulted from his rejection of his former self and the influence of its unacknowledged presence. The unintentional presence of his past cau...
The role of β-lactamases

Summary The role of β-lactamase as a resistance mechanism to β-lactam agents is, perhaps, only one of several roles. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that the role of resistance greatly eclipses any other roles. The diversity of β-lactamases found in nature as well as the adaptability of these enzymes to alterations in the substrate profiles of target β-lactam agents is remarkable and has allowed these enzymes to repeatedly meet new challenges from pharmaceutical research laboratories. Moreover, each facet of these enzymes, from their irreversible enzymatic properties to their strategic location in the cell wall, appears to act in consort and maximizes the effectiveness of these enzymes as a resistance mechanism. It is little wonder that β-lactamases have been, and remain, the most important resistance mechanism against β-lactam agents.