cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dark Money and Trumpism

Dark Money, political expenditures that are veiled by exemptions from disclosure rules, is not just one more manifestation of the inadequacy of regulation of campaign finance rules, but denotes a sphere of politics in which super-wealthy elites engage in operational conspiracies not only to influence elections but also to reshape political culture. Recent investigative reporting and academic research on stealth campaigns and projects by the Koch brothers and other billionaire families uncovers a pattern of activity on their part that fits the definition of conspiracy. However, the self-disciplining regime of truth (See Chapter 2) discourages authors and reviewers from naming these operations as such. Conservative critics, however, have no hesitancy about using “conspiracy theory” in attempts to discredit research uncovering these stealth operations, a case of using conspiracy panic in an attempting to place muckraking research beyond the pale of the regime of truth.
Texture analysis of magnetic resonance images of the human placenta throughout gestation: A feasibility study

As fetal gestational age increases, other modalities such as ultrasound have demonstrated increased levels of heterogeneity in the normal placenta. In this study, we introduce and apply ROI-based texture analysis to a retrospective fetal MRI database to characterize the second-order statistics of placenta and to evaluate the relationship between heterogeneity and gestational age. Positive correlations were observed for several Haralick texture metrics derived from fetal-brain specific T2-weighted and gravid uterus T1-weighted and T2-weighted images, confirming a quantitative increase in placental heterogeneity with gestational age. Our study shows the importance of identifying baseline MR textural changes at certain gestational ages from which placental diseased states may be compared. Specifically, when evaluating for placental invasion or insufficiency, findings should be evaluated in the context of the normal placental aging process, which occurs throughout gestation.
Composing tweets to increase retweets

Abstract Brands tweet not only to communicate with followers but also to reach large audiences rapidly when the tweets are retweeted by the followers. People however will retweet only if they recognize within a few seconds that the tweet is on an interesting topic. Brands therefore need insights into how to compose tweets to facilitate topic recognition even when they are just scanned. This is the issue that we address in this research. Specifically, drawing on findings in psycholinguistics, we empirically investigate if tweets composed such that they include more topic-related words that are located closer to the start get more retweets. Results from an investigation of sales-promotional tweets by sixty brands in four categories indicate that tweets that are composed as above do get more retweets. We repeat the investigation using tweets on several other topics from a natural experiment that generated pairs of tweets where each pair is on the same topic but each tweet in the pair is composed differently. This investigation reconfirms the findings from the analysis of retweets of sales-promotional tweets. We conclude by presenting an approach for how social media managers can compose tweets based on our findings.
Cognitive function after surgery with regional or general anesthesia: A population-based study.

Abstract Introduction Our aim was to examine whether surgery with regional anesthesia (RA) is associated with accelerated long-term cognitive decline comparable with that previously reported after general anesthesia (GA). Methods Longitudinal cognitive function was analyzed in a cohort of 1819 older adults. Models assessed the rate of change in global and domain-specific cognition over time in participants exposed to RA or GA. Results When compared with those unexposed to anesthesia, the postoperative rate of change of the cognitive global z-score was greater in those exposed to both RA (difference in annual decline of −0.041, P = .011) and GA (−0.061, P Conclusions Older adults undergoing surgery with RA experience decline of global cognition similar to those receiving GA; however, memory was not affected.
Relative shedding of glycosaminoglycans from the endothelial glycocalyx during inflammation and their contribution to stiffness of the glycocalyx.

Background The endothelial (EC) surface layer (glycocalyx) has been shown to act as a barrier to transvascular exchange of solutes, and adhesion of leukocytes (WBCs) during the inflammatory process. It is a labile structure whose components are readily shed by the action of proteases and endoglycosidases. Details of shedding of specific constituents of the glycocalyx remain to be determined. Objectives To review the contributions of the primary glycosaminoglycans that comprise the glycocalyx, heparan sulfate (HS), chondroitin sulfate (CS) and hyaluronan (HA), as barrier to WBC-EC adhesion, and elucidate the rates of shedding of each component in response to an inflammatory stimulus. Assess the potential role that stiffness of the glycocalyx plays in resisting infiltration by WBCs during the adhesion process. Methods Quantitate shedding of the glycocalyx in post-capillary venules of rat mesentery in response to superfusion of the tissue with 10-6 M fMLP. The presence and loss of HS, CS and HA was assessed by labeling all components with fluorescently labelled lectin (BS-1) or HS antibodies, and HA with fluorescently labelled hyaluronan binding protein (HBP). Results Following a 30 min exposure of the mesentery to fMLP about 50% of HBP was lost in contrast to a previously shown loss of 20% of lectin labelled GAGs, and 25% loss of Mab labelled HS. The time constant for HBP shedding (5.8 min) was one-third that for BS-1 labelled GAGs (14.3 min). An attempt was made to assess stiffness of the glycocalyx by observing the motion of adhered lectin coated fluorescently labelled microspheres (FLM) under oscillatory flow conditions. Estimates of the elastic modulus of the glycocalyx revealed a value of 26 mPa, which was orders of magnitude below published data obtained by atomic force microscopy. Conclusions The relatively rapid shedding of HA compared to HS was consistent with the hypothesis that HA may form the dominant barrier to WBC-EC adhesion. Prior observations that HA lies closer to and parallel to the endothelial membrane, compared to HS suggests that the compact layer of HA near the EC membrane surrounds WBC adhesion receptors that are much shorter in length than the total thickness of the glycocalyx. The relatively low elastic modulus of the glycocalyx under shear is consistent with the hypothesis that the FLMs adhered to strands of HS normal to the EC surface that extended above the relatively more compact and stiffer HA layer below. Gradients of stiffness within the glycocalyx may not be detected by compressive indentation tests published to date.
Hybrid deep-learning model for volume segmentation of lung nodules in CT images

We are developing quantitative image analysis methods for early diagnosis of lung cancer. We designed a hybrid deep learning (H-DL) method for volume segmentation of lung nodules with large variations in size, shape, margin and opacity. In our H-DL method, two UNet++ based DL models, one used a 19-layer VGG network and the other used a 201-layer DenseNet network as backbone, were trained separately and then combined to segment nodules with wide ranges of size, shape, margin, and opacity. A data set collected from LIDC-IDRI containing 430 cases with lung nodules manually segmented by at least two radiologists was split into 352 training and 78 independent test cases. The 50% consensus consolidation of radiologists’ annotation was used as the reference standard for each nodule. For the 78 test cases with 167 nodules, our H-DL model achieved an average 3D DICE coefficient of 0.732±0.158 for all nodules. For the nodules with size larger than 9.5 mm, nodules with margin described by LIDC-IDRI as sharp or spiculated, or nodules with structure described as lobulated or having solid opacity, the segmentation accuracy achieved by our H-DL model were not significantly different from the average of radiologists’ manual annotation in terms of the DICE coefficient. The results demonstrated that our hybrid deep learning scheme could achieve high segmentation accuracy comparable to radiologists’ average segmentations for the wide variety of nodules.
On the Existence of (,,) Difference Sets with

We combine Turyn's self-conjugacy result, variance technique, Dillon dihedral trick, and Sylow theorem to investigate the existence of (𝑣,𝑘,𝜆) difference sets in which 𝑘−𝜆 is a square and 𝑘<1250.
Who are My Family Members? A Solution Based on Image Processing and Machine Learning

Image creation and retention are growing at an exponential rate. Individuals produce more images today than ever in history and often these images contain family. In this paper, we develop a framew...
Lameness in Dairy Cattle: A Debilitating Disease or a Disease of Debilitated Cattle?

Lameness is the most significant challenge for the dairy industry to overcome given its obvious disruption of animal welfare and severe economic losses. Sole ulcers and white line abscesses are ubiquitous diseases with chronic nature and with the highest associated economic losses amongst all foot lesions. Their underlying causes are still not fully understood. The objectives of the study were to assess the association of digital cushion thickness (DCT), the risk of claw horn disruption lesions, and to assess the dynamics of DCT by stage of lactation and body condition score (BCS). It was hypothesized that DCT would be negatively associated with the risk of digital lesions and that DCT would be positively associated with BCS.
Correlation Between Ophthalmology Market Saturation and Medicare Utilization Rates.

ABSTRACT Purpose To characterize usage of ophthalmologic services by Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) beneficiaries relative to geography-specific market saturation, demographics, and contextual factors Design Cross-sectional study Methods Data sets from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, US Census Bureau, US Department of Agriculture, and Housing and Urban Development, were used to calculate county- and state-level ophthalmologic service usage, market saturation, and demographic characteristics. Negative binomial regression models were used to evaluate the association between results and demographic or population-specific variables. Results Ophthalmologic service usage ranged from 58.2% to 15.2%, whereas saturation ranged from 21,763 to 91.4 FFS beneficiaries per registered ophthalmologist. Usage was significantly associated with demographic characteristics in each geography: lower proportion of African American (P = .009), Hispanic (P There was no significant correlation between the usage of ophthalmologic services and the geographic market saturation of ophthalmologists (Spearman rho, –0.030, P = .227). Conclusions and Relevance Ophthalmologic service usage is significantly influenced by population demographics; however, increased provider density alone appears insufficient to promote the usage of eye care services.
Development, Implementation, and Outcomes of a Global Infectious Disease Training Course:

Background:Skilled healthcare professionals are critical for providing quality healthcare for children with cancer globally. Training curricula addressing the knowledge needs in infection care and ...
Ovary Development: Insights From a Three-Dimensional Imaging Revolution

The ovary is an indispensable unit of female reproduction and health. However, the study of ovarian function in mammals is hindered by unique challenges, which include the desynchronized development of oocytes, irregular distribution and vast size discrepancy of follicles, and dynamic tissue remodeling during each hormonal cycle. Overcoming the limitations of traditional histology, recent advances in optical tissue clearing and three-dimensional (3D) visualization offer an advanced platform to explore the architecture of intact organs at a single cell level and reveal new relationships and levels of organization. Here we summarize the development and function of ovarian compartments that have been delineated by conventional two-dimensional (2D) methods and the limits of what can be learned by these approaches. We compare types of optical tissue clearing, 3D analysis technologies, and their application to the mammalian ovary. We discuss how 3D modeling of the ovary has extended our knowledge and propose future directions to unravel ovarian structure toward therapeutic applications for ovarian disease and extending female reproductive lifespan.
Diversity and perception of equity and respect in the Society of Skeletal Radiology (SSR)

To assess the perception of equity and respect in the workplace and within the SSR. We hypothesized that responses would differ by gender and minorities underrepresented in medicine (URiM) status. An electronic survey was sent to 1,531 SSR members between January 2020 and March 2020 to determine perception of equity and respect. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and analysis of differences in response by gender/minority status was performed using the Fisher’s exact test. The study was exempt from IRB approval. There were 176 responses (11.5%). Most respondents (61.9%) were between 30 and 50 years. Members identified as male (M) in 74.4%, as female (F) in 25.0%, and as “other” in 0.6%. URiM comprised 9.1% of members. Women worked more commonly in academia (p = 0.005), had the perception of unequal opportunities for leadership positions within the institution (p = 0.006), and emphasized the importance of having a mentor of the same gender (p = 0.001). URiM members were less likely to hold a leadership position (p = 0.1, trend), had a perception of unequal opportunities for leadership positions within the institution (p = 0.06, trend), and reported the importance of having a mentor of the same race (p = 0.06, trend). There were no significant differences between gender or URiM status and perception of the SSR to provide an inclusive environment and leadership opportunities (p ≥ 0.39). While survey participation was limited and potentially biased, respondents perceived that women and minorities have fewer opportunities and are treated with lower regard in the workplace compared to male, non-minority colleagues.
Corporate Investment and Stock Return Momentum

We investigate the link between corporate investment and the momentum effect in stock returns. We argue that the momentum effect in a firm’s stock returns tends to be generated as a result of a series of information exchanges between stock market investors and firm insiders regarding the firm’s investment opportunities. Our theoretical setup predicts that past winners (losers) are likely to increase (decrease) their net investment, and the more they invest (disinvest) the more likely they are to realize positive (negative) returns in subsequent periods. Our empirical tests using a large sample of firms in 1984-2017 provide support for our hypotheses. We further design a momentum trading strategy, which buys past winners with positive predicted changes in net investment and sells past losers with negative predicted changes in net investment, and demonstrate that this trading strategy generates superior returns compared to a simple momentum trading strategy.
Deregulated Rac1 Activity in Neural Crest Controls Cell Proliferation, Migration and Differentiation During Midbrain Development.

Mutations in RAC1 allele are implicated in multiple brain tumors, indicating a rigorous control of Rac1 activity is required for neural tissue normal development and homeostasis. To understand how elevated Rac1 activity affects neural crest cells (NCCs) development, we have generated Rac1 CA ;Wnt1-Cre2 mice, in which a constitutively active Rac1 G12V mutant is expressed specifically in NCCs derivatives. Our results revealed that augmented Rac1 activity leads to enlarged midbrain and altered cell density, accompanied by increased NCCs proliferation rate and misrouted cell migration. Interestingly, our experimental data also showed that elevated Rac1 activity in NCCs disrupts regionalization of dopaminergic neuron progenitors in the ventral midbrain and impairs their differentiation. These findings shed light on the mechanisms of RAC1 mutation correlated brain tumor at the cellular and molecular level.
Virtual Quake: Statistics, Co-seismic Deformations and Gravity Changes for Driven Earthquake Fault Systems

With the ever increasing number of geodetic monitoring satellites, it is vital to have a variety of geophysical simulations produce synthetic datasets. Furthermore, just as hurricane forecasts are derived from the consensus among multiple atmospheric models, earthquake forecasts cannot be derived from a single comprehensive model. Here we present the functionality of Virtual Quake (formerly known as Virtual California), a numerical simulator that can generate sample co-seismic deformations, gravity changes, and InSAR interferograms in addition to producing probabilities for earthquake scenarios.Virtual Quake is now hosted by the Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics. It is available for download and comes with a user manual. The manual includes a description of the simulator physics, instructions for generating fault models from scratch, and a guide to deploying the simulator in a parallel computing environment. http://geodynamics.org/cig/software/vq/.
THE GEOMETRY SURROUNDING THE ARNOLD-LIOUVILLE THEOREM

We explain how a generalized completely integrable hamiltonian system on a symplectic manifold (MΩ) can be viewed as a generalized Duistermaat fibration: i.e. a fibration π:M 2n —>W n of a symplectic 2n-dimensional manifoldMover annmanifold W with isotropic tori of various dimensions as fibers. This definition, which contains as particular cases, completely integrable hamiltonian systems, hamiltonian actions, and Duistermaat (lagrangian) fibrations, is extended to the contact category, and the following famous results: Arnold-Liouville theorem, Atiyah-Guillemin-Sternberg convexity of the moment map theorem, Delzant realization theorem, Duistermaat theory have been shown to admit a generalization to the contact category in the paper [6] to which this expository paper may serve as an introduction. In short, this work traces the paths along the search of the “correct” definition of the complete integrability in Contact Geometry.
Speech recognition using filter-bank features

Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) have been shown to be very useful in tasks of speech recognition and are the preferred features in state of the art speech recognition systems. The author present features derived from filter bank outputs whose performance is comparable to that of MFCCs for connected digit recognition using a hidden Markov model (HMM) based speech recognition system. The feature extraction method we present is easily implementable in floating gate analog VLSI circuitry which makes it a viable option for low power speech recognition tasks.
Vertical array passive geo-acoustic inversion in range-dependent environments

Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW) is often conducted in littoral, shallow-water areas, where hostile subsurface enemies pose a constant threat and where seabed geophysical properties are complicated, and to a great extent unknown to us. Accurate estimates of seabed interface roughness and sediment geophysical properties are critical for proper prediction of sensor and weapon system performance. In the absence of good seabed characterization, tactical mission planning is seldom optimal or efficient. Current data collection survey techniques for geo-acoustic bottom characteristics are expensive, time consuming, and they suffer from time latency (months to years) between collection, processing, analysis, and tactical use. In response to this problem, the Space and Naval Systems Command and the Naval Air Systems Command have investigated several new inversion techniques to characterize littoral seabed sediments. Most of these techniques use an active sonar approach that is not covert and is usually limited to seabed areas near the receiver. Purely passive techniques offer the potential to remain covert and greatly extend the coverage of the seabed characterization. The research described here concerns a new set of algorithms called Passive Geo-Acoustic Inversion Techniques (PGAIT) that act on passive acoustic signals and thus allow non-provocative operations in forward areas and geo-acoustic characterization at ranges well beyond a local footprint. PGAIT uses coherent and incoherent matched-field processing on signals from passing ships received on a vertical aperture in shallow water. There is no need to know the source spectrum. Broadband and temporal averaging techniques are used to reduce ambiguities and to increase the output Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). The algorithms are robust to environmental mismatch and usually produce an output with at least 10 dB SNR, which is sufficient to identify sediment types. A key element of PGAIT is to consider a range-dependent environment as a sequence of range-independent slabs. The performance of PGAIT is demonstrated at frequencies between 30 and 50 Hz in several sediment conditions, ranging from very soft to very hard. The results show that: 1) the vertical aperture should contain at least 3 hydrophones per wavelength to ensure high quality inversions; 2) coherent (phase-only) matched-field processing outperforms standard intensity processing by about 2 dB in good input SNR conditions; 3) incorrect assumptions about the sound-speed profile (e.g., a bias or incorrect mixed-layer-depth) do not significantly affect the inversion results; and 4) the new range-independent slab approach is computationally intensive, but it can resolve discrete sediment boundary discontinuities.
Histidine Regulation in Salmonella typhimurium XV. Procedure for the Selection of Mutants Unable to Derepress the Histidine Operon

Abstract A general search has been made for mutants defective in their ability to derepress the histidine operon. The procedure was to select for mutants with an increased sensitivity to the false feedback inhibitor, 2-thiazolealanine. Five mutant strains defective in derepression have been isolated. All five strains are unable to derepress normally because of mutations located in the operator-promoter region of the histidine operon.
High Temperature Deactivation of Three-Way Catalyst

Mechanisms of catalyst deactivation were studied for a (gamma-alumina) bead supported Pt/Rh three-way catalyst during the course of a high temperature accelerated test. Results of the laboratory aging experiments showed that loss of three-way conversion efficiency occurred readily under oxidizing conditions but not under neutral or reducing conditions. Oxidation of Rh was found to be the predominant deactivation mechanism in oxidizing conditions
Mutations to Sulfonamide Resistance in STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS.

In this paper, Luria and Oakberg reported their findings of studies in which they determined that at least five different mutations affect the sulfonamide resistance of S. aureus. Luria spent the 1945-1946 academic year on leave in Cold Spring Harbor, directing a government research project on bacterial resistance to antibiotics. The research produced several papers, including this one.
Unlimited War and Social Change: Unpacking the Cold War's Impact

This paper is a draft chapter of a short book critically examining the way assumptions about the temporality of war inform American legal and political thought. In earlier work, I show that a set of ideas about time are a feature of the way we think about war. Historical progression is thought to consist in movement from one kind of time to another (from wartime to peacetime, to wartime, etc.). Wartime is thought of as an exception to normal life, inevitably followed by peacetime. Scholars who study the impact of war on American law and politics tend to work within this framework, viewing war as exceptional. This conception of war does not capture the predominant nature of American war, at least since World War II, characterized not by cataclysmic battles and great military victories, but by “small wars,” surveillance, and stalemate.The ambiguity of the Cold War might have signaled that the conventional categories no longer fit – that wartime and peacetime coexisted or had melted together. But rather than viewing the Cold War years as rupturing the older categories of war and peace, contemporary thinkers find ways to fit the experiences of that era into pre-existing conceptual boxes. The Cold War becomes for some writers a “wartime,” complete with a dramatic ending.This paper examines historical and contemporary thinking about the Cold War. Turning to scholarship on war and rights, my focus is not on the way particular rights or lines of case law develop, but instead on the way writers conceptualize the world within which rights are framed. Ultimately I argue that a wartime frame persists in our thinking about the Cold War, and this obscures our understanding of the impact of war on domestic law and politics. It reinforces the idea that war is a discreet historical experience, and that “peacetime” is the norm, when instead ongoing limited war has become the American experience. The years of the Cold War are one moment in a longer pattern of ongoing war.NOTE: This chapter has been significantly revised, but the revised version is not posted. The book is scheduled for publication in January 2012.
Abusive supervision and feedback avoidance: The mediating role of emotional exhaustion

Summary The occurrence of abusive supervision is steadily rising. Extant literature continues to expand the number of destructive consequences linked to such improper workplace behavior. This study tested a model linking abusive supervision to feedback avoidance through emotional exhaustion. We invoked conservation of resources theory in our examination of the role that the loss of valued resources plays in instances where abuse is perceived. Results from three rounds of matched data from 460 nurses and 220 working adults demonstrated support for our model, suggesting a mediating effect for exhaustion on the relationship between abuse and feedback avoidance. Findings also revealed that feedback avoidance was associated with subsequent exhaustion, representing a loss spiral. These findings are important as they reveal the link between a subordinate's reactions (exhaustion) and coping behavior (feedback avoidance) when supervisory abuse is perceived. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and directions for future research are offered. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Force production and flow structure of the leading edge vortex on flapping wings at high and low Reynolds numbers.

The elevated aerodynamic performance of insects has been attributed in part to the generation and maintenance of a stable region of vorticity known as the leading edge vortex (LEV). One explanation for the stability of the LEV is that spiraling axial flow within the vortex core drains energy into the tip vortex, forming a leading-edge spiral vortex analogous to the flow structure generated by delta wing aircraft. However, whereas spiral flow is a conspicuous feature of flapping wings at Reynolds numbers (Re) of 5000, similar experiments at Re=100 failed to identify a comparable structure. We used a dynamically scaled robot to investigate both the forces and the flows created by a wing undergoing identical motion at Re of ~120 and ~1400. In both cases, motion at constant angular velocity and fixed angle of attack generated a stable LEV with no evidence of shedding. At Re=1400, flow visualization indicated an intense narrow region of spanwise flow within the core of the LEV, a feature conspicuously absent at Re=120. The results suggest that the transport of vorticity from the leading edge to the wake that permits prolonged vortex attachment takes different forms at different Re.
Immunizations for renal transplant candidates and recipients

Vaccine-preventable diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in renal transplant candidates and recipients. Assessing the need for and providing appropriate vaccinations can greatly reduce the infectious complications associated with solid organ transplantation. This Review outlines the basic tenets of vaccination in solid organ transplant candidates and recipients and summarizes the available literature on the efficacy and safety of the most relevant vaccines for patients who are scheduled for or who have undergone renal transplantation.
Relation between vein length and aperture

Veins formed in a variety of rock types and tectonic environments were measured at seven field locations to determine a general scaling relationship between the length and opening displacement (aperture). For these naturally formed extension fractures displacement-length profiles for both single- and multiple-segment veins display centrally located maxima and gently tapered displacement gradients at the tips. This geometry is consistent with elastic-plastic crack growth models, which also predict linear scaling between length and displacement. The geometry is used to estimate stresses of formation for the veins. Length-maximum displacement plots for single-segment fractures show data clustered along linear trends. Similar plots for multiple-segment fractures show greater scatter and are marginally better fit by a square root function than by a line. The geometries of multiple-segment veins are consistent with elastic models for crack-tip stress interactions. Aspect ratios for single-segment fracture sets vary between 1 × 10−3 and 8 × 10−3, consistent with tensional fracture strengths roughly an order of magnitude lower than compressive shear strengths implied by shear displacement-length ratios recorded for faults, which are about 10−2.
Ethics, pricing and the pharmaceutical industry

This paper explores the ethical obligations of pharmaceutical companies to charge fair prices for essential medicines. The moral issue at stake here is distributive justice. Rawls' framework is especially germane since it underlines the material benefits everyone deserves as Kantian persons and the need for an egalitarian approach for the distribution of society's essential commodities such as health care. This concern for distributive justice should be a critical factor in the equation of variables used to set prices for pharmaceuticals.
A 1-Piece Shape-Metal Nitinol Intramedullary Internal Fixation Device for Arthrodesis of the Proximal Interphalangeal Joint in Neuropathic Patients With Diabetes

A common complication associated with diabetes is the development of a rigid structural lesser toe contracture, which, when combined with peripheral sensory neuropathy, can lead to ulceration, infection, and amputation. Surgical correction of lesser toe contractures in persons with diabetes has been advocated to decrease the potential for ulceration and amputation. Lesser toe proximal interphalangeal joint arthrodesis employing myriad joint preparation and fixation methods is commonly performed to correct a rigid structural toe contracture. The author performed a retrospective, observational, cohort study involving 10 patients (30 toes) with diabetes, dense peripheral neuropathy, and rigid structural toe contracture treated with a 1-piece shape-memory Nitinol intramedullary internal fixation device for arthrodesis of the proximal interphalangeal joint. Successful fusion was achieved in 28 of 30 toes (93%), with a stable nonunion achieved in the remainder. Complications that arose occurred early in the author's experience with this implant and consisted of secondary contracture of the distal interphalangeal joint (23%), displaced fixation (13%), and malunion (7%). No patient developed ulceration, and no additional surgery has been required to date. When properly performed, the use of this implant for arthrodesis of the proximal interphalangeal joint in neuropathic patients with diabetes appears safe and reliable.
Models for measuring performance of medical expert systems

Abstract Scoring schemes for measuring expert system performance are reviewed. Rule-based classification systems and their error rates on sample data are considered. We present several models of measurement that are categorized by four characteristics: mutual exclusivity of classes, unique answers provided by the system, known correct conclusions for each case, and use of confidence factors to weight the system's conclusions. An underlying model of performance measurement is critical in determining which scoring strategy is appropriate for a system and whether a comparison of different medical expert systems can be made.
Engagement: A Path to Disarmament or Disaster?

This article argues that under certain conditions the United States can play an important role in peacefully resolving a conflict involving an ally and a nationalist terrorist organization (NTO) by engaging the NTO. An American policy of engagement can bring both parties to the table by convincing them that they are trapped in a mutually hurting stalemate and that negotiations offer the only way out of this situation. In addition, engagement provides the U.S. with significant leverage over both of the disputants, enabling it to push both parties to make the concessions necessary to realize a settlement. However, engagement can only have these effects if the U.S. bias towards its ally is tempered and if its policy is serious, sustained, and conditional. For these conditions to hold, there must be significant domestic support within the United States for a policy of engagement. These arguments are illustrated with case studies of the U.S. engagement of Sinn Fein between 1994 and 2005 and the U.S. dialogue with the Palestine Liberation Organization between 1988 and 1990.
Peripheral Augmentation Index is Associated With the Ambulatory Arterial Stiffness Index in Patients With Hypertension

Background: Vascular dysfunction is highly prevalent if not ubiquitous in patients with hypertension. We compared two different measures of vascular function obtained from digital volume waveforms with measures of ventricular-vascular load derived from 24-hour blood pressure (BP) recordings in patients with hypertension. Methods: Digital pulsatile volume waveforms were captured via plethysmography (peripheral arterial tone, PAT) and used to derive augmentation index (a measure of ventricular-vascular coupling) and the pulse wave amplitude-reactive hyperemia index (a measure of microvascular reactivity). Ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) and the BP variability ratio (BPVR) were derived from 24-hour ambulatory BP recordings. Results: There was a positive association between PAT-AIx and AASI (r = 0.52, P 0.05). PWA-RHI was not associated with AASI or BPVR (P > 0.05). Conclusions: PAT-AIx is associated with ambulatory measures of vascular function and may offer clinical insight into vascular burden and cardiovascular disease risk in patients with hypertension independent of information obtained from PWA-RHI. Cardiol Res. 2011;2(5):218-223 doi: https://doi.org/10.4021/cr92w
Drunk and angry is no way to enjoy the outdoors: An examination of game wardens and the use of force

This research seeks to understand what suspect characteristics may increase the likelihood of game wardens using physical force. The data come from 241 self-reports from the Florida Fish and Wildli...
THE ADSORPTION AND REACTION OF ACETALDEHYDE ON CLEAN Ag(111)

The adsorption of acetaldehyde has been studied on clean Ag(111) using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and reflection–absorption infrared (RAIRS) spectroscopies. Acetaldehyde adsorbs at 80 K via the oxygen lone pair in an η1(O) configuration. It is found that a portion of the adsorbed acetaldehyde desorbs at low temperatures (~ 160 K) and also polymerizes. Based on this and other work, it is proposed that the surface polymer consists of an open chain with a desorption temperature that shifts with coverage.
Factors That Support School Change to Enhance the Use of Microcomputers in Rural Schools

This study examines how a national model for integrating microcomputers into science teaching was implemented in rural school districts. The implementation of a national model for rural school districts required several adaptations. The organizational, procedural, community, and personal factors that led to those adaptations and influenced microcomputer usage in rural science teaching are discussed.
The infrared vibrational intensity of gaseous dioxygen monofluoride

Abstract The gas phase equilibrium between dioxygen difluorie, dioxygen monofluoride and oxygen has been studied in a very long pathlength FTIR cell at 286 K. The infrared vibrational intensity of dioxygen monofluoride was determined by analysis of the equilibrium data.
Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1A (HNF1A) as a possible tumor suppressor in pancreatic cancer.

Background HNF1A (Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 alpha) is a transcription factor that is known to regulate pancreatic differentiation and maintain homeostasis of endocrine pancreas. Recently, genome-wide association studies have implicated HNF1A as a susceptibility gene for pancreatic cancer. However, the functional significance and molecular mechanism of HNF1A in pancreatic carcinogenesis remains unclear. Methods Using RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry methods, we examined HNF1A gene expression in eight pancreatic carcinoma cell lines and in paired tumor and normal tissue samples from patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. We knocked down the HNF1A gene expression in two cancer cell lines using three siRNA sequences. The impacts on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle as well as the phosphorylation of Akt signaling transduction proteins were examined using ATP assay, flow cytometry and Western blot. Results HNF1A was expressed in three out of eight pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines and the level of HNF1A mRNA and protein expression was significantly lower in tumors than in normal adjacent tissues by both RT-PCR and Western Blot analyses. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the level of HNF1A expression was significantly lower in tumor tissues than in non-tumor tissues. Selective blocking of HNF1A by specific siRNA conferred a 2-fold higher rate of cell proliferation, 20% increased S phase and G2 phase cells, and 30-40% reduced apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cell lines. We further demonstrated that HNF1A knockdown activated Akt and its downstream target, the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in pancreatic cancer cells. Conclusion These observations provide experimental evidence supporting a possible tumor suppressor role of HNF1A in pancreatic cancer.
Elucidating the role of nutraceuticals in overexpressing antiapoptotic proteins in prostate cancer.

Nutraceuticals are naturally derived, bioactive compounds that have health-promoting, disease-preventing, or medicinal properties and have an impact on human genes that control cellular metabolisms.1,2 Fruits, vegetables, common beverages, grains, marine products, medicinal plants, and herbs possess diversified pharmacologic properties and contain nutraceuticals with the potential to protect against heart diseases and stroke and to prevent human cancers.3–11 Herbs and medicinal plants have been used throughout the world for centuries to treat many diseases, and 80% of the world population relies on botanical preparations as medicines for their health needs.12,13 The biological activity of a natural product is very often believed to be the result of the combined action of several of its constituents. However, in most cases, the active ingredient of the natural product has not been completely characterized. An estimated 25% of all modern pharmaceutical drugs are derived from herbs, including aspirin (from white willow bark), the heart medication digitalis (foxglove), and the cancer treatment drug, Taxol (pacific yew tree). Approximately 15 million Americans take herbs at the same time as prescription medications.14 Epidemiologic studies have shown that the environmental factors, especially food components, have a major impact on hormone-related cancer prevention, and a low intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with high mortality in cardiovascular disease.15,16 One class of substances suggested to be responsible for these cancer protective effects is the isoflavones, which are abundant in soy products.17–19 Many of the herbs, foods, and spices contain flavonoids, phytoestrogens, and unidentified phytochemicals with estrogenic activity in prostate patients.20,21 Although flavonoids and phytoestrogens are generally considered to be non-nutritive agents, interest in these nutraceuticals has arisen because of their potential role in the prevention of human cancer.22 Chemoprevention through the consumption of nutraceuticals, e.g., resveratrol from grapes,23,24 lycopene from tomato,25 and genistein from soy,26 may reduce morbidity and mortality in cancer. The foods and herbs that possess anticancer activity include garlic, soybeans, cabbage, ginger, licorice, onions, flax, turmeric, cruciferous vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, brown rice, wheat, and the umbelliferous vegetables such as carrot, celery, cilantro, parsley, and parsnips.27 Natural products and their isolated constituents have been shown to possess strong chemopreventive activity in animal models.28–30 The effect of nutraceuticals on apoptotic pathways, signaling pathways, or different targets in cancer would be helpful in the design and development of novel cancer-preventive agents.
Unpacking the Demoralization Thesis

American psychotherapies use a variety of explanations for their practices. From an anthropologist's point of view, one of the most sophisticated of these explanations is the demoralization thesis proposed by the psychiatrist Jerome Frank. Frank's thesis is that (1) no psychotherapy has been shown to be more efficacious than any other psychotherapy, and (2) claims about the special efficacy and validity of particular traditions and techniques are equivalent to myths. Because the demoralization thesis appears to be making radical claims, it seems paradoxical that it also enjoys a favored position in psychiatric discourse. This article unpacks the thesis and finds that, appearances notwithstanding, its implications are consistent with the cultural particularisms of the eclectic mainstream of contemporary psychiatry.
Behavioral and arterial pressure effects of pimetime in conscious dogs

Abstract Pimetine, 1-dimethylaminoethyl-4-benzylpiperidine, was investigated for activity in two experimental models using conscious dogs which have demonstrated high predictive ability in discerning psychotropic agents and categorizing them into tranquilizer or antidepressant classes. Pimetine treatment produced a dose-related reversal of the Ditran Rating Scale score at dose levels devoid of apparent direct behavioral effects. This drug also produced a moderate pressor effect associated with a potentiated acetylcholine arterial pressure response and inhibited responses to serotonin, bilateral carotid occlusion, tyramine and histamine. A clinical study of the antidepressant effects of pimetine is indicated by the results.
Reading magazine articles about dieting and associated weight control behaviors among adolescents.

The purpose was to examine the sociodemographic characteristics of adolescents who read magazine articles about dieting/weight loss and the relationship between reading these types of magazine articles and psychosocial well-being and weight control behaviors. Dieting-related magazine exposure was associated with indicators of psychosocial distress and unhealthy dieting; interventions that address media consumption should reach out to all youth regardless of ethnic and social backgrounds
Role of iron in the incorporation of uranium in ferric garnet matrices

The structural relaxations and electronic structure of U-containing Ca${}_{3}$(Ti,Zr,Hf,Sn)${}_{2}$(Fe${}_{2}$Si)O${}_{12}$ garnet systems have been investigated using ab initio methods within density functional theory (DFT) in the generalized gradient approximation with a Hubbard correction $U$ (GGA + $U$). The calculations provide a fundamental understanding of the role of Fe in the incorporation and stability of U in the garnet structure. The atomic relaxations around U are controlled by a delicate balance between the Coulomb interactions among the ions and the size effect of the large U atom. The relaxation pattern indicates that when U occupies the $A$ site, a charge transfer occurs from U to its nearest-neighbor (NN) Fe atom. This is further verified by the detailed analysis of the electronic band structures and charge density distribution. The double exchange coupling of the U $f$ and the NN Fe $d$ shells via the transfer of electrons lowers the energy of the system when the spins of the $f$ and $d$ shells are antiparallel. The incorporation energy of U at the $A$ site (substituting Ca) increases dramatically with the decrease in the number of Fe atoms in the neighboring tetrahedral sites. The presence of Fe is crucial, since it accommodates the extra valence electrons introduced by U and the electron transfer allows the lowering of the total energy of the structure. Comparing the incorporation energies at the $A$ and $B$ site (octahedral site), U clearly prefers the A site, provided that there are sufficient Fe atoms in its vicinity to facilitate the charge transfer.
Randomized view planning and occlusion removal for mosaicing building facades

We present two key parts of an ongoing robotic, vision-based architectural modeling project. The first component is a randomized approach to view planning for a single ground robot scanning a building perimeter to recover a series of texture map mosaics. This algorithm generates paths that simultaneously address coverage and quality (i.e., real-valued distance and foreshortening factors). The second part is a technique for "cleaning" the captured texture maps in the presence of occlusions caused by trees, signs, people, and other foreground objects. When such occlusions comprise a minority of views a background feature can be recovered via temporal median filtering, but when they are in the majority, appearance information from other visible portions of the facade provides a critical cue to correctly complete the mosaic. We describe a novel spatiotemporal timeline-based inpainting algorithm that identifies and corrects such areas.
Numerical study of truncated Green's-function equations

We develop a Green's-function approximation scheme for the $\ensuremath{\lambda}{\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{2N}$ quantum field theory as an alternative to the usual perturbation expansion in powers of $\ensuremath{\lambda}$. The approximation scheme consists of introducing a source term into the Lagrangian, generating a sequence of coupled Green's function equations by repeated differentiation with respect to this source, and forcing the sequence to close by discarding the dependence on higher Green's functions. The validity of this procedure is then checked by using it to calculate the two-point Green's function in $\ensuremath{\lambda}{\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{4}$, $\ensuremath{\lambda}{\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{6}$, $\ensuremath{\lambda}{\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{8}$ theories in one-dimensional space-time. We compare our predictions of the locations of the low-lying poles with previously published tabulations of the eigenvalues of the equivalent quantum-mechanical anharmonic oscillators. The agreement is impressive.