cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract A37: ‘Touch-and-go' behavior of cancer cells in spatially-confined, fiber-like microenvironments

In a crowded, fibrillar tumor microenvironment (TMEN), invading cancer cells encounter and interact with many other cells and cell types. Whether cancer cells stop migrating or reverse direction at every encounter with another cell, or circumnavigate and slide around the encounter, will affect the efficiency of the invasion process. We find that breast cancer cells migrating along fiber-like micropatterns (FLMs) respond differently to cell-cell encounters than what is expected based on the classically-established phenotype of contact-inhibition of locomotion (CIL). Cancer cells are remarkable efficient at sliding around other cancer cells, even along FLMs much narrower than their own cell body. In contrast, non-transformed breast epithelial cells reverse direction upon encountering other normal cells. Differences in cell size fail to predict these outcomes. Interestingly, the participation of normal cells in invasive sliding behavior increases when interacting with a cancer cell rather than another a normal cell. This induction of cancer-like behavior in normal cells suggests that heterotypic interactions between disparate cell types in the TMEN may produce synergistic, disease-promoting collective behaviors. Furthermore, using a series of individual and combinatorial genetic perturbations, we show that genetic factors (ErbB2, E-cadherin, PARD3, TGFbeta) quantitatively shift the ability of normal cells to slide. Specifically, successive genetic perturbations enable normal cells to slide on progressively narrower FLMs. These results suggest that as fibers align and mature during cancer progression, coincident genetic perturbations enable cells to take advantage of the widening fibrillar tracks to execute slides and achieve more efficient dispersion in a crowded microenvironment. Citation Format: Daniel Milano, Senthil Muthuswamy, Anand Asthagiri. ‘Touch-and-go9 behavior of cancer cells in spatially-confined, fiber-like microenvironments. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Engineering and Physical Sciences in Oncology; 2016 Jun 25-28; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A37.
The Seal of Biliteracy: Variations in Policy and Outcomes

he Seal of Biliteracy is an award that recognizes students who have demonstrated proficiency in English and one or more other world languages. In participating school districts in states that have adopted the Seal of Biliteracy, students who demonstrate proficiency in both English and a world language are eligible to earn a seal that is affixed to their high school diploma or transcript. With scant research conducted to date on the Seal of Biliteracy, this study aimed to understand the variation in policies across participating states. Documentation and interview data were collected and analyzed from each state offering the Seal of Biliteracy. Findings revealed that substantial variation existed across states regarding minimum required levels of proficiency, world language proficiency requirements, and English language proficiency requirements. These variations in policy influenced the types of schools offering the award and the percentage of students earning it. This article offers implications for those in the process of policy adoption or revision and for those who are interested in researching efforts to increase equity and access to the Seal of Biliteracy.
On the Formation of Capital and Wealth: IT, Monopoly Power and Rising Inequality

Our underlying hypothesis is that technological progress (even neutral) has a big effect on distribution, not only on growth, since rising waves of technical progress cause rising monopoly power. We test it by showing that, since the 1970's, information technology (in short IT) has caused rising monopoly power, which explains rising inequality, slow growth of wages and low level of investment since the 1970's. This monopoly power is legally protected by patent laws, intellectual property rights and by our policy which aims to promote innovations. Our reasoning proceeds in five steps. Step 1 examines surplus wealth - the difference between firm’s wealth (equity and debt) and capital employed. Surplus wealth rose from -$0.59 Trillion in 1974 to $24 Trillion in 2015 which is 82% of total stock market value, reflecting sharply increased monopoly power 1974 - 2015. In step 2 we test the hypothesis surplus wealth is associated with IT transformed firms, establishing an empirical link of IT with monopoly power. Step 3 is theoretical, explaining why theory shows we should expect these results, by studying IT properties that enable erection of barriers to entry and facilitate their maintenance and, once a monopoly power is established, these properties support expansion and consolidation of that power. In step 4 we show why monopoly power causes rising functional inequality and explain that the unique properties of IT also cause rising personal inequality. In step 5 we show that rising monopoly power explains more than rising inequality; it also explains other observed microeconomic phenomena. To carry this out we develop a general equilibrium model where firms have rising monopoly power. For simplicity of analysis monopoly power is exogenous since the link between technology and monopoly power is not essential here. Three independent methods estimate the share of monopoly profits in output to be about 21%-23% in 2015, rising from 0 in early 1980s. Using the model we prove that rising monopoly power lowers permanently equilibrium wage rate, investment, capital stock, output and consumption. In an economy with embodied technical change it also lowers the growth rate of the economy and its equilibrium interest rate.
Experimental L-Band Airborne SAR for Oil Spill Response at Sea and in Coastal Waters

Satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is frequently used during oil spill response efforts to identify oil slick extent, but suffers from the major disadvantages of potential long latency between when a spill occurs and when a satellite can image the site and an inability to continuously track the spill as it develops. We show using data acquired with the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle SAR (UAVSAR) instrument how a low noise, high resolution, L-band SAR could be used for oil spill response, with specific examples of tracking slick extent, position and weathering; determining zones of relatively thicker or more emulsified oil within a slick; and identifying oil slicks in coastal areas where look-alikes such as calm waters or biogenic slicks can confound the identification of mineral oil spills. From these key points, the essential features of an airborne SAR system for operational oil spill response are described, and further research needed to determine SAR’s capabilities and limitations in quantifying slick thickness is discussed.
Cost effectiveness of vitamin c supplementation for pregnant smokers to improve offspring lung function at birth and reduce childhood wheeze/asthma

To determine the implications of supplemental vitamin C for pregnant tobacco smokers and its effects on the prevalence of pediatric asthma, asthma-related mortality, and associated costs. A decision-analytic model built via TreeAge compared the outcome of asthma in a theoretical annual cohort of 480,000 children born to pregnant smokers through 18 years of life. Vitamin C supplementation (500 mg/day) with a standard prenatal vitamin was compared to a prenatal vitamin (60 mg/day). Model inputs were derived from the literature. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses assessed the impact of assumptions. Additional vitamin C during pregnancy would prevent 1637 cases of asthma at the age of 18 per birth cohort of pregnant smokers. Vitamin C would reduce asthma-related childhood deaths and save $31,420,800 in societal costs over 18 years per birth cohort. Vitamin C supplementation in pregnant smokers is a safe and inexpensive intervention that may reduce the economic burden of pediatric asthma.
Apollo Spacecraft Guidance System

The guidance and navigation problems inherent in the Apollo mission are discussed. The phenomena to be employed in the solution of these problems are considered. Many of the design features of the equipment which will implement the solutions of these problems are described. The system organizations and the installation configurations for this hardware in both the Apollo Command Module and the Apollo Lunar Excursion Module are presented. In the discussions, elements of the development program and design improvements of Block II over Block I hardware will be revealed.
Immunodeficiency and Autoimmunity

Immunodeficiencies are inherited and acquired defects in immune function that produce increased susceptibility to infection and, often, increased reactivity to self (autoimmunity) and environmental antigens (allergy/hypersensitivity). The primary immunodeficiency diseases are an ever-widening group of genetic disorders with defects in innate or adaptive immunity or both. Increasingly, it is becoming recognized that primary immune deficiency disorders are associated with immune dysregulation and autoimmune phenomena. This chapter will review current knowledge about those primary immune deficiency disorders that are associated with autoimmunity and the diverse underlying mechanisms of pathogenesis involved in the loss of self-tolerance that are responsible for these associations.
Own your energy: motivating people to use energy more efficiently through meta-design environments and cultures of participation

For my PhD research, I am investigating how meta-design software systems and cultures of participation can be used to motivate people to use energy more efficiently. My research is based on and extending two theories from social psychology and computer science, namely Psychological Ownership and Cultures of Participation. Combining these with the meta-design framework, I am building an integrated system in which users are being motivated to use energy more efficiently by supporting them to take an active role in the relevant decision processes.
Relationship Between Regulatory Pathways in Pluripotent Stem Cells and Human Tumors

Embryonic stem cells have the ability to undergo unlimited self-renewal and retain the pluripotent capacity to differentiate into all of the cell types of the body. Their pluripotency is maintained by the core transcription factors Nanog, Oct4, and Sox2, as well as signaling pathways, which include Wnt, FGF, and TGFβ. Recent studies have shown that somatic cells can be reprogrammed into the pluripotent state with defined reprogramming factors, including Oct4, Sox2, Nanog, and c-Myc. Considering the oncogenic potential of the reprogramming factors, the induced pluripotency mimics the cellular transformation process and is inhibited by the tumor suppressor p53. Since the Wnt/FGF/TGFβ pathways are implicated in human cancers and pluripotency/reprogramming factors Oct4/Sox2/Nanog/c-Myc/Lin28 are overexpressed in some human cancers, there is a possibility that dedifferentiation is a mechanism for the generation of tumor-initiating cells in human cancer. Therefore, there appears to be a strong link between the regulatory pathways in pluripotent stem cells and human tumors.
Mössbauer Studies with the Rare-Gas Isotope 83Kr

The isomer shift and other hyperfine-interaction parameters depend largely on the electron configuration of the Mossbauer atom in the host lattice, which in most cases is not sufficiently well known. One way to overcome this problem is to study isolated atoms trapped in rare-gas matrixes, where it is assumed that these isolated atoms have a free-atom electron configuration. Studies on rare-gas matrix isolated molecules of 125Te compounds are presented at this symposium by Montano and coworkers.
Students Are Rarely Independent: When, Why, and How to Use Random Effects in Discipline-Based Education Research.

Observations are rarely independent in many common discipline-based education research designs. Specifically, students may be clustered (e.g., within sections or courses) and student outcomes may b...
Challenges optimizing the after visit summary.

Abstract Background The after visit summary (AVS) is a paper or electronic document given to patients after a medical appointment, which is intended to summarize patients’ health and guide future care, including self-management tasks. Objective To describe experiences of health systems implementing a redesigned outpatient AVS in commercially available electronic health record (EHR) systems to inform future optimization. Materials and Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with information technology and clinical leaders at 12 hospital and community-based healthcare institutions across the continental United States focusing on the process of AVS redesign and implementation. We also report our experience implementing a redesigned AVS in the Epic EHR at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, NY. Results Health systems experienced many challenges implementing the redesigned AVS. While many IT leaders noted that the redesigned AVS is easier to understand and the document is better organized, they claim the effort is time-consuming, Epic system upgrades render AVS modifications non-functional, and primary care and specialty practices have different needs in regards to content and formatting. Our team was able to modify the document by changing the order of print groups, modifying the font size, bolding section headers, and inserting page breaks. Similar to other health systems, our team found that it is difficult to achieve some desired features due to limitations in the EHR platform. Conclusion Health IT leaders view the AVS as a valuable source of information for patients. However, limitations to AVS modifications in EHR systems present challenges to optimizing the tool. EHR vendors should incorporate learning from healthcare systems innovation efforts and consider building more flexibility into their product development.
Chemistry of alkali metal-unsaturated hydrocarbon adducts

Abstract The chemical behavior of alkali metal adducts of α,β-unsaturated organosilanes was investigated by generating the adducts with lithium or potassium metal in donor solvents at −78°C and studying the ensuing reduction, bimolecular coupling, cleavage and isomerization processes. Chosen for study were the triphenylvinyl derivatives of silicon, germanium and tin, as well as other vinyl-, phenyl-, allyl-, 1,3-alkadienyl-, 1-alkynyl- and cyclopropyl-silanes. By assessing gradations in substituent reactivity toward alkali metal, an empirical ordering of electron affinity for these substituents on silicon was determined: 1,3-alkadienyl > 1-alkynyl > 1-alkenyl > phenyl > > 2-alkenyl or cyclopropyl. Where available, ESR data were used to explain the reactivity and the reaction pathway observed for radical anion intermediates. Where such information was unobtainable, the behavior of unstable radical anions was ascribed to variations in p π → d π stabilization.
Implementation Fidelity of Culturally Responsive School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports in a Spanish-Language Magnet School: A Case Study Emphasizing Context.

AbstractSchool-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is a broad set of evidence-based strategies designed to create school environments that promote and support appropriate b...
The Effect of Small Learning Communities on the High School Experience for At-risk Students

From elementary schools to universities, small learning communities (SLCs) are cropping up all over the place. While SLCs sound like a good idea, there is little viable research to support their implementation at the high school level. There seems to be an inherent assumption that collaboration between teachers is good, and that a more personalized environment will enrich the learning experience. Despite the optimism of these presumptions, there is a dearth of program evaluation research to support the effectiveness of SLCs in the high school setting. In order to establish and maintain these programs, teachers, parents and administrators will rightly demand a solid body of evidence to support the assertion that SLCs enhance the student learning experience and lead to measurable results. The most vulnerable population at any high school are the at-risk students. This paper specifically focuses on the impact SLCs have on these at-risk students and their learning experience during their first and second years of high school. This research is to articulate the benefit of SLCs for at-risk students by presenting relevant literature and then data from a high school in the San Francisco Bay Area in order to evaluate a program in action. An interview with a district administrator establishes the district’s perspective on existing SLCs as well as existing responses to intervention for at-risk students. This research utilizes a sample of convenience of high school sophomores using in depth interviews to collect qualitative data and examine the benefits of enrollment in an SLC for students identified as at-risk.
Damping Selection Strategy for Maximum Energy on Wave Energy Power Converters

An optimal damping selection strategy on the power electronics in wave energy application is introduced to increase the total energy produced from the power converter in a wave energy converter (WEC) system. A damping map for maximum energy is built for the selection. The map is based on an irregular wave-to-wire simulation and reliability analysis on the IGBT module. From the yearly wave mission profile, the damping selection strategy is proved to provide 40% more energy than the conventional optimal power with passive damping selection in the WEC power converter.
Discovering a Hidden Figure of Service and Leadership: The Reverend Charles Edgar Newsome, MD.

Collaborative research between the University School of Medicine Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Health Sciences Library and Department of African and African American Studies recently identified Dr. Charles Edgar Newsome as the institution's first African American physician graduate in 1893. Born May 25, 1856 in the town of Buffalo within Putnam County of Northwest Virginia, he served for 3 years and 6 months as a member of the Regimental Band of the United States Army 25th Infantry, also known as the Buffalo Soldiers, became Grand Master of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, and served communities of the state as a reverend, physician, and civic leader. Archival records and photographs uncover the remarkable life of Reverend Charles Edgar Newsome, MD, a hidden figure in history.
Missing Data Imputation for Classification Problems

Imputation of missing data is a common application in various classification problems where the feature training matrix has missingness. A widely used solution to this imputation problem is based on the lazy learning technique, $k$-nearest neighbor (kNN) approach. However, most of the previous work on missing data does not take into account the presence of the class label in the classification problem. Also, existing kNN imputation methods use variants of Minkowski distance as a measure of distance, which does not work well with heterogeneous data. In this paper, we propose a novel iterative kNN imputation technique based on class weighted grey distance between the missing datum and all the training data. Grey distance works well in heterogeneous data with missing instances. The distance is weighted by Mutual Information (MI) which is a measure of feature relevance between the features and the class label. This ensures that the imputation of the training data is directed towards improving classification performance. This class weighted grey kNN imputation algorithm demonstrates improved performance when compared to other kNN imputation algorithms, as well as standard imputation algorithms such as MICE and missForest, in imputation and classification problems. These problems are based on simulated scenarios and UCI datasets with various rates of missingness.
Internet of Robotic Things in Industry 4.0: Applications, Issues and Challenges

The widespread availability of network resources and the development of new generation devices allowed the industry to pass into the so-called Industry 4.0 era. In this fourth industrial revolution, Internet of Things (IoT) and robotic systems closely cooperate, reshaping their relations. This way of integration of robotic agents and IoT leads to the concept of Internet of Robotic Things (IoRT). Such disruptive technology opens new possibilities also in research fields other than manufacturing, such as agriculture, health, surveillance, and education. This paper reviews the key technologies of Industry 4.0 and the way they are implemented in IoRT architectures. In addition, it sheds light on the impact of the IoRT on other research fields, focusing on the main open challenges of the integration of robotic technologies into smart spaces.
The influence of perceptions of intentionality and controllability on perceived responsibility: Applying attribution theory to people's responses to social transgression in the COVID-19 pandemic

Weiner's (1985) attribution theory explains how people interpret and react to causes of events Perceived responsibility plays a central role in this model Weiner (2006) considers perceived intentionality and controllability as crucial antecedents of perceived responsibility Although perceived controllability has been assessed cross-culturally and cross-situationally, perceived intentionality has not received similar levels of attention among those assessing Weiner's model The goal of the current research effort is to use Weiner's framework, with a focus on perceived controllability and intentionality, to explain responses to problematic behaviors associated with COVID-19 Recently, people who intentionally or carelessly transmitted the coronavirus have enraged the public The current study reports on an experiment (N = 271) that successfully manipulated perceived intentionality and controllability using a Chinese sample in the context of spreading COVID-19 on an airplane Perceived intentionality and controllability were empirically demonstrated as distinct attribution variables Stronger perceptions of intentionality and controllability increased perceived responsibility, anger, and the desire to punish Higher perceived controllability also decreased sympathy toward those who transmitted coronavirus Furthermore, analyses revealed an interaction between perceived intentionality and controllability Perceived controllability increased anger only when perceived intentionality was low;however, when intentionality was high, participants were angered regardless of perceived controllability A path analysis supported the qualitative universality of Weiner's attribution theory The current research illustrates the potential benefit of investigating perceived intentionality in attribution research The utility and applicability of Weiner's attribution theory in the COVID-19 pandemic in a collectivistic culture were supported (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)
From ira to imagen: the Virgin of the Antigua as a ‘space for correlation’ in seventeenth-century Lima

A large, gilded painting of the Virgin of the Antigua (Figure 1) stands out amidst a nineteenth-century altar in Lima’s cathedral. Generally believed to be a copy sent from Seville to Lima in 1544,...
Resource Discovery for the Twenty-First Century Library: Case Studies and Perspectives on the Role of IT in User Engagement and Empowerment

Resource Discovery for the Twenty-First Century Library: Case Studies and Perspectives on the Role of IT in User Engagement and Empowerment explores the evolution of information technology, focusin...
Ideological proximity, issue importance, and vote choice

Abstract This paper investigates what proportion of voters select their candidate based on policy proximity in a spatial voting framework and evaluates policy proximity's importance for vote choices. We develop a novel procedure to identify proximity voting and directly estimate the weights of policies from vote choices. Using the American National Election Studies (ANES) for 1996–2008 and nationally representative replication data from Leeper and Robison’s (2020) survey experiments, we find that more than 80% of voters choose the most policy proximate candidate. Among these voters, we find that a one standard deviation change in relative proximity for an extremely important issue has a similar substantive effect on vote choice as partisan identification (moving from Independent to a Not Very Strong Democrat or Republican). Together, these findings suggest that policy positions and issue importance influence citizens' vote choices even after controlling for party identification and demographic characteristics.
Progress in Radiology: Dual‐Energy Radiographic Absorptiometry for Bone Densitometry

Bone mineral analysis plays an important role in both detecting and managing osteoporosis and other forms of metabolic bone disease. However, the concept of bone density measurement, particularly as applied to screening for osteoporosis, has recently been challenged by the internal medicine community, owing in part to the suboptimal nature of existing methods [1 , 2]. The most widely used of these currently include single-photon absorptiometry (SPA), dual-photon absorptiometry (DPA), and quantitative CT [3, 4]. SPA is used to measure bone mineral content of the distal radius and os calcis, and some investigators have found that measurements made at these anatomic sites do not correlate well with measurements made in the spine and hip, which are much more important sites of fracture in osteopenic states [5]. Quantitative CT can measure only the spine without sophisticated data processing, uses an expensive piece of equipment in demand for other studies, involves high radiation doses, and is subject to measurement errors (single-energy) owing to varying fat content of the marrow [6,7]. DPA, which measures an integral of cortical and trabecular bone in the spine or hip, has problems including less-than-ideal precision and image spatial resolution, periodic expensive source replacement, and a long examination time [8, 9]. In response to these dilemmas, an innovative approach to noninvasive bone densitometry, dual-energy radiographic absorptiometry (DRA), has recently been introduced by three independent manufacturers (Hologic, Inc., Waltham, MA; Lunar, Madison, WI; and Norland, Fort Atkinson, WI). This report describes the background, design, performance, and preliminary results derived by DRA, with comparative reference to conventional methods. The emphasis on the system developed by Hologic reflects the authors’ personal experience and is in no way intended to suggest its superiority over other equipment of this type.
Maximizing ESD design window by optimizing gate bias for cascoded drivers in 45nm and beyond SOI technologies

In advanced SOI technologies, the bottom gate voltage plays an important role in achieving the maximum trigger voltage Vt1 of the cascoded drivers. A comparable MOSFET and BJT current handling is needed to ensure maximum Vt1. The minimum and maximum Vt1 window for cascoded driver is shown to range between a single FET Vt1 and twice single FET Vt1.
In vitro studies on the reactivation by oximes of phosphylated acetylcholinesterase—II: On the formation of O, O-diethyl phosphorylated AChE and O-ethyl methylphosphonylated AChE and their reactivation by P2S

Abstract The y in vitro reactivation profiles of O , O -diethyl phosphorylated ACh E and O -ethyl methyl phosphonylated AChE by P2S (2-hydroxy iminomethyl-1-methyl-pyridinium methane sulphonate) have been determined. Whilst reinhibition of the reactivated AChE by phosphorylated oxime (POX) is not important in determining the reactivation profile of O , O -diethyl phosphorylated AChE, reinhibition of the reactivated AChE by phosphonylated oxime can, however, be important in determining the reactivation profile of O -ethyl methylphosphonylated AChE and the extent of this reinhibition is determined by the initial concentration of phosphonylated AChE. Kinetic analysis of the reactivation profiles demonstrated that the generally accepted scheme for this reactivation process is incorrect and that phosphylated AChE cannot be considered as a single species although an adequate description of the present data is afforded by a model using a 1:1 mixture of two species each with its own rate of reactivation. In the case of O , O -diethyl phosphorylated AChE the main kinetic difference between these two species is found not in the formation or stability of the phosphorylated AChE-P2S complex but in its subsequent reaction. From results with O -ethyl methylphosphonylated AChE prepared from two pairs of enantiomers as well as from the racemic fluoridate it was concluded that phosphonylation of AChE may not always occur via a mechanism involving inversion of configuration at phosphorus but can also occur with retention of configuration. Reactivation by P2S of O -ethyl methylphosphonylated AChE prepared from (5) organophosphates proceeds with inversion of configuration at phosphorus. Inversion also occurs in the reinhibition of AChE by the POX produced in the initial reactivation.
The Far Enemy: Why Jihad Went Global

Since September 11, Al Qaeda has been portrayed as an Islamist front united in armed struggle, or jihad, against the Christian West. However, as the historian and commentator Fawaz A. Gerges argues, the reality is rather different. In fact, Al Qaeda represents a minority within the jihadist movement, and its strategies have been criticized and opposed by religious nationalists among the jihadis, who prefer to concentrate on changing the Muslim world rather than taking the fight global. Based on primary field research, the author unravels the story of the jihadist movement and explores its philosophies, its structure, the rifts and tensions that split its ranks, and why some members, like Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri, favored international over local strategies in taking the war to the West. Gerges asks where the jihadist movement is going, and whether it can be transformed into a non-violent, socio-political force.
A 45nm 48-core IA processor with variation-aware scheduling and optimal core mapping

This paper describes energy benefits from variation-aware dynamic voltage frequency scaling (VA-DVFS) schemes & presents measured within-die core-to-core maximum operational frequency (Fmax), leakage & thermal variations for a 45nm 48-core IA processor. On-package voltage regulators (OPVR) supplying 8 independent voltage rails combined with 24 frequency islands enable VA-DVFS to exploit these variations for improved performance or energy efficiency. Measurements with industry standard benchmarks on a real system show that the proposed VA-DVFS & optimal core mapping schemes (VA-L & VA-LV) improve core computation energy by up to 21% & chip energy by up to 14.5% across varying voltage/frequency (V/F) operating points & core counts.
Magnetic effects in Mn‐doped CdSe nanocrystals

The concentration dependence of magnetic order of Mn-doped CdSe nanocrystals is studied. The distance between two Mn atoms imitates the concentration dependence. To do more accurate calculations, we cut three fragments out of a quantum dot and calculate the magnetic order of the ground state. We find that the DFT calculations provide unreliable results where the magnetic order depends on a chosen exchange correlation functional. Then, a more accurate ab initio CASSCF method is applied with a multideterminant basis set. The obtained results indicate the strong sp–d hybridization with the magnetic order oscillations depending on the distance between the Mn atoms. At small and intermediate distances between the Mn atoms, we see a ferromagnetic order, while at larger distances it is antiferromagnetic. Such a dependence can be fitted by the RKKY formula where the parameters for the sp–d exchange constant and are found from the fitting procedure.
Equivocal Pediatric Appendicitis: Unenhanced MR Imaging Protocol for Nonsedated Children-A Clinical Effectiveness Study.

Diagnostic performance with MR imaging appears to be comparable to that of CT for detection of pediatric appendicitis and appendiceal perforation, with similar rates of alternative diagnoses and appendiceal visualization.
SU‐FF‐I‐29: Comparison of Dedicated Cone‐Beam Breast CT with Conventional CT for Detection of Micro‐Calcification

Purpose: To compare the visibility of micro‐calcifications in cone‐beam breast CT with that in conventional CT.Material and method: CalciumCarbonate grains (ranging from 180–200 to 250–280 microns) were used to simulate calcifications. Two bowl shaped plastic containers filled with paraffin were used to simulate a breast. The phantom was scanned with a bench‐top experimental CBCTsystem, configured for breast imaging. The system consists of a conventional tungsten target x‐ray tube (G‐1592) and an a‐Si:H/CsI flat panel detector (Paxscan 4030CB). The source to image and source to iso‐center distances are 100 and 75 cm, corresponding to a magnification factor of 1.33 at the iso‐center. A conventional CTsystem (GE Discovery STE PET/CT Scanner) was used to scan one phantom by itself and with two phantoms on an anthropomorphic chest phantom. Result: The visibility of the calcifications in CBCTimages was found to be significantly better than that in the conventional CTimages. Calcifications as small as 180–200μm were visible in the CBCTimages. While calcifications of 212–224μm were visible in the conventional CTimages when only breast phantom was scanned. None of the calcifications studied (280 μm or smaller) were visible when the two breast phantoms were placed on the anthropomorphic chest phantom for scan. Conclusion: Our results indicated that CBCT is capable of imaging calcifications as small as 180 μm. This is due to the intrinsic high spatial resolution of the detector used and the pendant geometry used which allowed the breast to be scanned and imaged by itself. The conventional CT is intrinsically lower in spatial resolution. An important disadvantage is the inclusion of the entire chest in the scan which results in degraded spatial resolution as well as overall higher radiation dose to the patient.
The effects of separability on incentive-based instrument performance

Abstract In this note the effects of separability between output and emissions on alternative instruments for pollution control are analyzed. The potential consequences of alternative separability assumptions on both the marginal costs of control and the potential efficiency gains are illustrated.
Perceptions and Reflections of Administrators: Community Colleges Transitioning to Baccalaureate Colleges

Community colleges in a number of states are expanding their roles to include baccalaureate degree programming. While the lower cost for delivery of these programs is often a motivating reason for community college baccalaureate, other factors also make these programs attractive alternatives. This article reports the findings of a case study that was used to assess the factors other than costs that could make community college baccalaureate programs a more attractive alternative than the current university baccalaureate programs. Using a comprehensive literature search and the voices and work experiences of five community college administrators a total of 8 major themes were identified or emerged: (a) political, (b) location and access, (c) ranking within the state, (d) quality, (e) growth, (f) salary structure, (g) expense allocation, and (h) a funding model. The study also identified several factors that could make the community college baccalaureate a more attractive alternative and concluded with reco...
Update in hospital medicine for the general internist 2010-2011.

This update in hospital medicine summarizes the most recent evidence relevant to the management of hospitalized patients. Our aims were (1) to describe and interpret advances in hospital medicine that have practical implications for patient care, and (2) to describe and interpret recent evidence that has teaching implications for attending physicians on general medicine ward services.
Statin Exposure Is Associated with Decreased Asthma-related Emergency Department Visits and Oral Corticosteroid Use

Rationale: Statins, or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, may aid in the treatment of asthma through their pleiotropic antiinflammatory effects. Objectives: To examine the effect of statin therapy on asthma-related exacerbations using a large population-based cohort. Methods: Statin users aged 31 years or greater with asthma were identified from the Population-Based Effectiveness in Asthma and Lung population, which includes data from five health plans. Statin exposure and asthma exacerbations were assessed over a 24-month observation period. Statin users with a statin medication possession ratio greater than or equal to 80% were matched to non–statin users by age, baseline asthma therapy, site of enrollment, season at baseline, and propensity score, which was calculated based on patient demographics and Deyo-Charlson conditions. Asthma exacerbations were defined as two or more oral corticosteroid dispensings, asthma-related emergency department visits, or asthma-related hospitalizations. The association between statin exposure and each of the three outcome measures was assessed using conditional logistic regression. Measurements and Main Results: Of the 14,566 statin users, 8,349 statin users were matched to a nonuser. After adjusting for Deyo-Charlson conditions that remained unbalanced after matching, among statin users, statin exposure was associated with decreased odds of having asthma-related emergency department visits (odds ratio [OR], 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53–0.77; P < 0.0001) and two or more oral corticosteroid dispensings (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.81–0.99; P = 0.04). There were no differences in asthma-related hospitalizations (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.66–1.24; P = 0.52). Conclusions: Among statin users with asthma, statin exposure was associated with decreased odds of asthma-related emergency department visits and oral corticosteroid dispensings.
Adventures with Substances Containing Metals in Negative Oxidation States

A brief history of substances containing s,p- and d-block metals in negative oxidation states is described. A classification of these species and discussions of formal oxidation state assignments for low-valent transition metals in complexes are included, along with comments on the innocent and noninnocent character of ligands in metalates. Syntheses of highly reduced carbonyl complexes formally containing transition metals in their lowest known oxidation states of III− and IV− are discussed. Atmospheric-pressure syntheses of early-transition-metal carbonyls involving alkali-metal polyarene-mediated reductions of non-carbonyl precursors have been developed. In the absence of carbon monoxide, these reactions afford homoleptic polyarenemetalates, including the initial species containing three aromatic hydrocarbons bound to one metal. In several instances, these metalates function as useful synthons for “naked” spin-paired atomic anions of transition metals.
Dependable virtual machine allocation

The difficulty in allocating virtual machines (VMs) on servers stems from the requirement that sufficient resources (such as CPU capacity and network bandwidth) must be available for each VM in the event of a failure or maintenance work as well as for temporal fluctuations of resource demands, which often exhibit periodic patterns. We propose a mixed integer programming approach that considers the fluctuations of the resource demands for optimal and dependable allocation of VMs. At the heart of the approach are techniques for optimally partitioning the time-horizon into intervals of variable lengths and for reliably estimating the resource demands in each interval. We show that our new approach allocates VMs successfully in a cloud computing environment in a financial company, where the dependability requirement is strict and there are various types of VMs exist.
Implications of the new American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association cholesterol guidelines for primary atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease event prevention in a multi ethnic cohort: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Background The impact of replacing the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)/Adult Treatment Program (ATP) III cholesterol guidelines with the new 2013 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease is unclear. Methods We used risk factor and 10-year clinical event rate data from MESA, combined with estimates of efficacy of moderate and high-intensity statin therapy from meta-analyses of statin primary prevention trials to estimate (a) the change in number of subjects eligible for drug therapy and (2) the anticipated reduction in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events and increment in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) associated with the change in cholesterol guidelines. Results Of the 6,814 MESA participants, 5,437 were not on statins at baseline and had complete data for analysis (mean age 61.4±10.3). Using the NCEP/ATP III guidelines, 1,334 (24.5%) would have been eligible for statin therapy compared with 3,015 (55.5%) under the new ACC/AHA guidelines. Among the subset of newly eligible, 127/1,742 (7.3%) had an ASCVD event during 10years of follow-up. Assuming 10years of moderate-intensity statin therapy, the estimated absolute reduction in ASCVD events for the newly eligible group was 2.06% (number needed to treat [NNT] 48.6) and the estimated absolute increase in T2DM was 0.90% (number needed to harm [NNH] 110.7). Assuming 10years of high-intensity statin therapy, the corresponding estimates for reductions in ASCVD and increases in T2DM were as follows: ASCVD 2.70% (NNT 37.5) and T2DM 2.60% (NNH 38.6). The estimated effects of moderate-intensity statins on 10-year risk for ASCVD and T2DM in participants eligible for statins under the NCEP/ATP III were as follows: 3.20% (NNT 31.5) and 1.06% (NNH 94.2), respectively. Conclusion Substituting the NCEP/ATP III cholesterol guidelines with the 2013 ACC/AHA cholesterol guidelines in MESA more than doubled the number of participants eligible for statin therapy. If the new ACC/AHA cholesterol guidelines are adopted and extend the primary prevention population eligible for treatment, the risk-benefit profile is much better for moderate-intensity than high-intensity statin treatment.
Compiler Algorithms for Synchronization

Translating program loops into a parallel form is one of the most important transformations performed by concurrentizing compilers. This transformation often requires the insertion of synchronization instructions within the body of the concurrent loop. Several loop synchronization techniques are presented first. Compiler algorithms to generate synchronization instructions for singly-nested loops are then discussed. Finally, a technique for the elimination of redundant synchronization instructions is presented.
How might spatial nonuniformity of dose in a homogeneous biological system affect its total response

The total response of a homogeneous biological system to a fixed total dose of a biological agent is modeled by dividing the system into N cubical voxels, each of which can be associated with an individual dose D(n) and an individual response R(n) =F(D(n)). Among the results shown are the following: A. (Voxel Theorem). Let the average dose D(avg) be held fixed as the dose distribution is shifted from uniform u to arbitrary a. Then, if F' > or = 0 over [D(min), D(max)] and R = summation operator (n = 1)(N) R(n), a sufficient condition that NF(D(avg)) = R(u) or = 0 over [D(min), D(max)]. B. If F' is constant over [D(min), D(max)], then R(a) = R(u). That is, the total response is a function of D(avg) only. The applications of these (and other) results are illustrated by examples from bioelectromagnetics.
Multiscale simulation reveals a multifaceted mechanism of proton permeation through the influenza A M2 proton channel

The influenza A virus M2 channel (AM2) is crucial in the viral life cycle. Despite many previous experimental and computational studies, the mechanism of the activating process in which proton permeation acidifies the virion to release the viral RNA and core proteins is not well understood. Herein the AM2 proton permeation process has been systematically characterized using multiscale computer simulations, including quantum, classical, and reactive molecular dynamics methods. We report, to our knowledge, the first complete free-energy profiles for proton transport through the entire AM2 transmembrane domain at various pH values, including explicit treatment of excess proton charge delocalization and shuttling through the His37 tetrad. The free-energy profiles reveal that the excess proton must overcome a large free-energy barrier to diffuse to the His37 tetrad, where it is stabilized in a deep minimum reflecting the delocalization of the excess charge among the histidines and the cost of shuttling the proton past them. At lower pH values the His37 tetrad has a larger total charge that increases the channel width, hydration, and solvent dynamics, in agreement with recent 2D-IR spectroscopic studies. The proton transport barrier becomes smaller, despite the increased charge repulsion, due to backbone expansion and the more dynamic pore water molecules. The calculated conductances are in quantitative agreement with recent experimental measurements. In addition, the free-energy profiles and conductances for proton transport in several mutants provide insights for explaining our findings and those of previous experimental mutagenesis studies.
Capacitated-Vehicle Routing Problem with Backhauls on Trees: Model, Properties, Formulation, and Algorithm

The capacitated-vehicle routing problem (CVRP) is a classical problem that has been well studied by the transportation science community. A special case of the CVRP in which the network is constrained to have a tree structure (TCVRP) is studied here. Such tree networks arise when the cost of constructing and maintaining roads is much more than the routing cost—or when the transportation network consists of a main highway (e.g., Interstate system) and the customer locations are located off the highway. A new variant of the TCVRP, in which the customers are divided into two subsets—line haul and backhaul customers (TCVRPB)—is introduced in this paper. Line haul customers require delivery from the depot, and backhaul customers have supply that needs to be delivered to the depot. In any vehicle tour, line haul customers must be serviced before backhaul customers. The TCVRPB's relationship to the two-dimensional bin-packing problem is studied and, with the use of that problem, conditions for the lower bound on...