cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Health System’s Journey toward Better Population Health through Empanelment and Panel Management

The USA is steadily moving towards a health system that emphasizes ‘wellness’ over ‘sickness’ care. An effective wellness program utilizes a ‘population health’ approach that ensures that all patients who seek care from a health system receive the services recommended by evidence and best practice. This means attending not just to patients who are seen for care, but also to patients who have not yet been seen. A key strategy for population health is empanelment and panel management for patients in primary care. This article relates the experience of UW (University of Washington) Medicine in implementing such a program.
Some Observations on Drag Reduction in Polyacrylic Acid Solutions

Polyacrylic acid was chosen as the model polyelectrolyte for drag reduction experiments designed to study selected variations in solution pH and salt concentration. Measurements were carried out in both a turbulent pipe system and a rotating disk apparatus. The observed drag reduction had a strong dependence on solution pH; it increased with pH up to 6 and then leveled off at higher pH values. Progressive addition of salt (sodium chloride) to the polymer solutions decreased the percent drag reduction sharply. The shear stability of polyacrylic acid was shown to be superior to that of polyethylene oxide.
A Caveat for Partial Differential Equations

This chapter focuses on a caveat for partial differential equations. To solve partial differential equations correctly, a good understanding of the nature of the partial differential equation is required. This requires more than knowledge of the “physics” of the problem, a thorough understanding of the type of partial differential equation is needed. The chapter presents views of Collatz that an investigation of the situation is absolutely essential is revealed even by quite simple examples; they show that formal calculation applied to partial differential equations can lead to false results very easily and that approximate methods can converge in a disarmingly innocuous manner to values bearing no relation to the correct solution. The chapter also analyzes a wave equation and its solution.
Male Field Cricket Songs Are Altered After Aggressive Interactions

To address the hypothesis that male acoustic sexual advertisement signals might be indicators of aggressiveness, in addition to chemical signals, we examined the relationship between levels of aggression/dominance status and acoustic sexual advertisement signals in the field cricket Gryllus integer. Males were paired in aggression trials and recorded the night before and the night after the trial. This allowed us to test whether aggression is inherently linked to song phenotypes, or whether aggressive interactions cause males to alter their songs. We found that dominant (winning) males signaled with higher energy, amplitude and power the night after winning an aggressive encounter, but not before the encounter. Time spent calling and the number of calling bouts were unrelated to aggression, whereas whereas winning males increased their bout lengths after winning, and losing males decreased their bout lengths after losing.
The effect of content and tone of maternal evaluative feedback on self-cognitions and affect in young children.

Abstract Feedback that young children receive from others can affect their emotions and emerging self-views. The current experiment tested the effect of negative content (criticism) and negative tone (hostile) of the feedback on children’s affect, self-evaluations, and attributions. We also explored whether maternal history of depression and children’s temperament moderated these relations. Participants were 152 mothers and children (48% girls) aged 4 and 5 years (M = 61.6 months, SD = 6.83). The task involved three scenarios enacted by dolls; a child doll made something (e.g., picture, house, numbers) that had a mistake (e.g., no windows on the house) and proudly showed it to the mother doll, who then gave feedback (standardized, audio recorded) to the child. Children were randomized to one of four maternal feedback conditions: negative or neutral content in either a negative or neutral tone. Negative content (criticism) produced significantly more negative affect and lower self-evaluations than neutral content. When the tone of the feedback was hostile, children of mothers who had been depressed during the children’s lifetimes were significantly more likely to make internal attributions for mistakes than children of nondepressed mothers. In addition, among children with low temperamental negative affectivity, in the presence of negative tone, negative content significantly predicted more internal attributions for the errors. Findings are discussed in terms of understanding the role of evaluative feedback in children’s emerging social cognitions and affect.
Flip-Flopping, Intense Primaries and the Selection of Candidates

We present a model of two-stage elections in which candidates can choose different platforms in primaries and general elections. Voters do not directly observe the chosen platforms, but rather infer the candidates' ideologies from signals made during the campaign (debates, speeches), where a larger number of signals corresponds to a higher-intensity campaign. This model captures two patterns: (1) the "post-primary moderation effect," in which candidates pander to the party base during the primary and shift to the center in the general election; and (2) the "divisive-primary effect," which refers to the detrimental effect of intense primaries on a party's general-election prospects. These effects are obtained in spite of the fact that primary voters are forward-looking and take into account that a more extreme candidate has a smaller chance of winning the general election than a moderate one does.
Camembert-type cheese quality and safety implications in relation to the timing of high-pressure processing during aging

Bloomy rind cheeses, including Brie, Camembert, and related varieties, are at high risk of contamination by environmental pathogens during manufacture and ripening. This risk is particularly high during ripening due to open-air exposure of the product. Currently, no kill step is applied after manufacture or post ripening to control food safety risks associated with Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Instead, cheesemakers must rely on sanitation and environmental monitoring to reduce this risk. High-pressure processing (HPP) is a nonthermal food-processing technology that can effectively reduce bacterial contaminants with minimal impact on the organoleptic properties of various foods. The objective of this study was to evaluate HPP as a potential intervention to maintain Camembert cheese quality and reduce risk associated with L. monocytogenes. Timing of HPP treatments (3, 11, and 45 d after manufacture) was based on the growth of L. monocytogenes during Camembert cheese ripening. High-pressure processing treatment of fully ripened cheeses (45 d) resulted in destruction of the surface mold, which caused browning and yellowing of the cheese rind. Applying HPP treatment earlier in the ripening process (11 d) resulted in a similar degradation of cheese appearance, which did not improve with continued ripening. Applying HPP treatment shortly after production (3 d; before the surface flora developed) delayed the development of the cheese rind and the textural ripening of the cheese. This early treatment time also resulted in free whey being expelled from the cheese, creating a firmer body. Applying HPP 11 d after manufacture resulted in >5 log reduction of L. monocytogenes at 450 and 550 MPa with holding times of 10 min. Although HPP was effective at reducing L. monocytogenes associated with bloomy rind cheeses, the quality deterioration would be unacceptable to consumers. Cheesemakers must continue to emphasize sanitation and environmental monitoring to reduce the risk of L. monocytogenes in bloomy rind cheeses.
Past forward: Recommendations from historical ecology for ecosystem management

Abstract In the context of accelerating environmental change, there is an urgent need to identify ecosystem conservation, restoration, and management strategies likely to support biodiverse and adaptive ecosystems into the future. The field of historical ecology has generated a substantial body of recommendations for ecosystem management, yet these insights have never been synthesized. We reviewed >200 historical ecology studies and analyzed recommendations for ecosystem management emerging from the field. The majority of studies (∼90%) derived from North American and Europe, with forests being the focus of nearly half (48%) of all papers. Papers emphasized the need to protect and restore both habitat remnants and modified ecosystems in management, the value of ecosystems as cultural landscapes, and the importance of adopting a landscape-scale perspective for ecosystem management. Nearly one-quarter contained a recommendation that challenged status quo management, underscoring the value of a historical perspective in setting management goals, strategies, and targets. Fewer than 12% of papers contained recommendations that explicitly addressed ongoing or projected climate change, suggesting opportunities to integrate findings from historical ecology with other perspectives to create forward-looking management strategies that are rooted in place and past.
Bayesian hierarchical models for service-life prediction of polymers

Abstract Service-life prediction for polymers remains an elusive goal. In this chapter, we describe efforts toward it for two polymers, polyethylene (PE) and a sealant. For both polymers, samples were weathered under accelerated laboratory conditions to characterize degradation as a function of ultraviolet radiation dose in MJ m−2. Samples were also weathered outdoors in Homestead Florida (FL), United States. Our intent was to predict the outdoor degradation using only the laboratory measurements. A Bayesian hierarchical model was used as a generative model for the laboratory measurements of degradation. It enabled predictions of outdoor degradation and the propagation of uncertainties associated with those predictions. The results of the exercises were mixed. The predictions were accurate for PE, including predictions of the high variability in the outdoor degradation measurements. The predictions were not accurate for the sealant. Potential reasons for this are discussed, and changes to our approach that improve the agreement between the outdoor predictions and the measurements of degradation are contemplated.
Another Look at Platysmaplasty in Facelifting

Over the history of facial rejuvenation surgery there has been a progressive assimilation of knowledge about the anatomy of neck structures that are central to the manifestations of the aging neck. These advances in knowledge have been accompanied by the innovation and introduction of several surgical techniques to restore the neck to a more youthful appearance. The rejuvenation of the aging neck frequently incorporates a consideration and execution of accepted methods to restore the platysma muscles to a more aesthetic form. Lasting and dependable surgical techniques remain somewhat elusive and late failures in the neck continue to be a frustration for both patients and surgeons.In this manuscript, the author reviews some of the more enduring and innovative methods to manage the platysma in facelifting and cites the rationale and limitations of the various techniques. The concept of the restoration of an effective platysma "sling" in the upper neck to eliminate platysma bands and recreate a defined jawline is highlighted. A framework of patient evaluation and decision making is presented, and a suggested individualized application of accepted surgical maneuvers is suggested.
Promising Macro Strategies to Minimize Harm to Toxin Handlers

This chapter examines what the research tells us about the most effective strategies to deal with the impact from an organizational and systemic perspective. In addition, this chapter will expand on the findings from the study to incorporate relevant and contemporary literature. Takeaways for Practitioners An understanding of evidence-based strategies that organizations can take to minimize the negative impact of this work An understanding of available strategies for creating optimal organizational conditions which serve to minimize the creation of toxic emotions
Del proselitismo a la melancolía: las dos etapas de la poesía quechua-español de William Hurtado de Mendoza

En este ensayo voy a analizar la trayectoria poetica bilingue (en quechua y en espanol) del William Hurtado de Mendoza. Propongo una division en dos etapas claramente diferenciadas por los temas tratados y por el tono del discurso: una primera etapa proselitista y milenarista, representada por el poemario Yanaykipaq taki/Cancion para que aprendas (1977), y una segunda etapa intima y melancolica, que empieza con el poemario Sunquypa Harawin/Harawi del corazon (1992). Con respecto a la primera etapa, van a discutirse los alcances y limitaciones de la lectura de Julio Noriega Bernuy sobre la “utopia andina”. Ademas, se va a identificar la influencia de la poesia en quechua de Andres Alencastre y de Jose Maria Arguedas, asi como la poesia en espanol de Cesar Vallejo. En lo que concierne a la segunda etapa, se van a ubicar las innovaciones formales y tematicas (como la recuperacion de la forma indigena harawi) dentro del contexto del neoliberalismo y las politicas de identidad del cambio de siglo.
Risk of Severe COVID-19 Among Workers and Their Household Members.

This survey study uses prepandemic data to estimate how many adults at increased risk of severe COVID-19 held essential jobs and could not work at home or lived in households with such workers.
The single portal percutaneous epiphysiodesis technique for treatment of leg length inequality stops growth as expected.

One technique for distal femur and proximal tibia epiphysiodesis to treat leg length inequality is a single-incision percutaneous technique using reamers and curettes. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the efficacy and reliability of this technique by quantifying the growth arrest produced from this method. Patients who underwent distal femur and proximal tibia epiphysiodesis with a single-incision percutaneous technique were retrospectively reviewed. Using scanogram data, derivative formulas of both the multiplier and arithmetic methods were used to predict bone length after physeal arrest at maturity. Patients included had at least 2-year follow-up after surgery. Predicted bone lengths were then compared to actual bone lengths obtained via scanogram at final follow-up. A total of 46 patients were included in the study (27 males; 19 females). Average age at surgery was: males 14.5 years, females 12.4 years. Surgery was performed on 40 distal femurs and 25 proximal tibias. Postoperative femurs demonstrated an actual mean length of 44.75 cm. Predicted femur bone lengths utilizing the multiplier and arithmetic methods were 45.08 and 44.08 cm, respectively. Postoperative tibias demonstrated an actual mean length of 38.12 cm. Predicted tibia lengths utilizing the multiplier and arithmetic method were 38.30 and 38.02 cm. No significance was found between actual and predicted bone lengths for both tibias and femurs. This study demonstrates that a single-incision percutaneous epiphysiodesis technique reliably arrests the growth as expected. Surgeons can confidently and accurately employ this technique to successfully treat leg length inequality.
Current understanding of the surface contamination and contact transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare settings.

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has rapidly spread across the world and was subsequently declared as a pandemic in 2020. To overcome this public health challenge, comprehensive understanding of the disease transmission is urgently needed. Recent evidences suggest that the most common route of transmission for SARS-CoV-2 is likely via droplet, aerosol, or direct contact in a person-to-person encounter, although the possibility of transmission via fomites from surfaces cannot be ruled out entirely. Environmental contamination in COVID-19 patient rooms is widely observed due to viral shedding from both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients, and SARS-CoV-2 can survive on hospital surfaces for extended periods. Sequence of contact events can spread the virus from one surface to the other in a hospital setting. Here, we review the studies related to viral shedding by COVID-19 patients that can contaminate surfaces and survival of SARS-CoV-2 on different types of surfaces commonly found in healthcare settings, as well as evaluating the importance of surface to person transmission characteristics. Based on recent evidences from the literature, decontamination of hospital surfaces should constitute an important part of the infection control and prevention of COVID-19.
Let’s be Buddhists for the Next Few Weeks! : Costs and Benefits of Making Students Explore Buddhism from the Inside

This paper discusses the risks and rewards of integrating theory and practice in the study of yoga and meditation in college classes. It focuses on a case study of my Yoga, mindfulness, and Indian philosophy course. The course combines hatha yoga and meditation practice with the study of those practices and their origins. We use yoga and meditation to relieve stress and anxiety. We study Buddhist and Hindu worldviews. We examine ethical issues in the ways that yoga and meditation are appropriated and removed from their religious contexts (including the ways we’re using them in the course itself), we reflect on the ways in which our practice differs from traditional practices, we assess different types of contemporary practice, and we weigh the benefits and the costs of our Western embrace of yoga and meditation.
Perceptions of Infertility and Semen Analysis Testing Among American Men Without Children.

Abstract Objective To determine whether health-conscious men are more likely to be concerned about infertility and self-initiate semen analysis at a laboratory/clinic or through a direct-to-consumer at-home product without a health care provider recommendation. Methods Cross-sectional survey conducted online via ResearchMatch.org between November 2019 and January 2020. Men age 18 and older without children (n = 634) were included for analysis. Outcomes were likelihood of self-initiating a semen analysis, prevalence of infertility concern. Results Of the 634 participants, 186 expressed concern about infertility but only 29% were likely to discuss these concerns with a health care provider. More men would self-initiate a semen analysis using an at-home product than through a traditional laboratory/clinic (14.2% vs 10.4%, P = .04). Odds of self-initiating a traditional semen analysis were higher for men concerned about low testosterone (odds ratio [OR] 2.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-4.74, P = .023) and infertility (OR 3.91, 95% CI 2.14-7.15, P Conclusion Many men were unlikely to discuss infertility concerns with a health care provider. Middle aged men and those who used fitness trackers were more likely to self-initiate fertility evaluation through at-home semen analysis. Concern about low serum testosterone was pervasive and strongly associated with concern for being infertile and self-initiating a semen analysis of any kind.
On the Relevance and Moral Impediment of Digital Data Management, Data Sharing, and Public Open Access and Open Source Code in (Tropical) Research: The Rio Convention Revisited Towards Mega Science and Best Professional Research Practices

Resources of this world are to be managed in an optimal fashion using good and well-balanced science. Science is inherently to be based on transparency, repeatability, and progress. An unbiased international peer review and a consistent challenge of existing hypotheses make for the essential ingredient to improve and generally overcoming existing problems. Adhering to these concepts will allow for reason, objectivity, and best-possible transparent decision making for the benefit of the wider good, and people. (One should take note that most people happen to live in the tropics, and thus data-driven governance structures are very relevant there, but still achieved not much on the agenda.) Most of these concepts are part of the ruling paradigm in the Western world (and practiced in almost any successful human society). Such governance mandates are found in the constitutions of many nations, including the UN. The Convention of Biodiversity (CBD) of 1992 put it all into the online world. Such principles are difficult to reject and become essential for a better and more optimal management of natural resources for the benefit of mankind. These policies were meant to overcome the digital divide. If good governance is ignored or violated, resources get destroyed, and warfare and human suffering are typically the result . Smart societies can avoid it through proactive policies, and the digital opportunity must be used for its good potential. Computer-aided strategic conservation decision making, basically another form of sustainable operations research based on a global level, offers us a good framework. However, these activities should be based on the best-available research data. This would make sense financially and for progress in society and for the environment. Secondly, all data and tools (code) used should be publicly available so that the entire global community can join, understand, and participate, shaping their own future in harmony with nature.
Spectroscopic identification of a galaxy at a probable redshift of z = 6.68

The detection and identification of distant galaxies is an important goal of observational cosmology, as such galaxies are seen at a time when the Universe was very young. The development of new techniques and instrumentation permits the search for ever-fainter galaxies, and so aids attempts to determine when the first stars and galaxies formed. Here we report the identification of a galaxy at a probable redshift of 6.68, the most distant object yet detected. The galaxy's spectrum is characterized by an abrupt discontinuity at a wavelength λ≈ 9,300 A, which we interpret as arising from the absorption of light at shorter wavelengths by hydrogen gas along the line of sight (the Lyman-α decrement), and by an emission line at λ≈ 9,334 A, which we interpret as the Lyman-α line at a redshift of 6.68. The galaxy is relatively bright: the ultraviolet luminosity density contributed by this one galaxy is almost ten times the value measured at z = 3.
An Extended Bayesian Belief Network Model of Multi-agent Systems for Supply Chain Managements

In this paper, we describe our on-going research on uncertainty analysis in Multi-agent Systems for Supply Chain Management (MASCM). In a MASCM, an agent consists of automation processes within a legal entity in the specific supply chain network. It conducts supply chain planning, execution and cooperation on behalf of its owner. Each day these agents have to process a large volume of data from different sources with mixed signals not to be anticipated in advance. Thus, one challenge every agent has to face in this volatile environment is to quickly identify the impact of unexpected events, and take proper adjustments in both local procedures and related cross-boundary interactions. To facilitate the study of uncertainty in the complex system of MASCM, we model agent system behaviors by abstracting its significant operational aspects as observation, propagation and update of uncertainty ifnromation. The resulting theoretical model, called an extended Bayesian Belief Network (eBBN), may serve as the basis for developing an uncertainty management component for a large-scale electronic supply chain system. We also briefly describe ways this model can be used to solve different supply chain tasks and some simulation results that demonstrate the power of this model in improving the system performance.
The thalamic lesion which abolishes tremor and rigidity of Parkinsonism: A radiologico-clinico-anatomic correlative study☆

Abstract Ten cases have been presented in which one or more thalamic lesions were surgically induced in order to alleviate tremor and rigidity of Parkinsonism. In each case it was possible to correlate the position of the brain cannula during thalamic surgery, as determined roentgenographically during the operative procedure, with the subsequent clinical course of the patient. Furthermore, a correlation of these two factors with the exact anatomic location of the thalamic lesion, determined by post mortem examination, was carried out. The relevance of these findings to a relatively simple set of ventriculographic landmarks for localization of the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus has been discussed.
The Injustice of Inclusion and Fair Opportunity: Exploiting Children In Medical Research for the Benefit of an Unworthy Society

The history of pediatric medical research has been characterized as a history of child abuse. Usually, the debate regarding the use of children in medical research has centered on questions of Autonomy (informed consent) and Beneficence (the best interest of the child based on a benefit risk analysis). The debate has rarely focused on the question of which children should participate in medical research by discussing the legal principle of Justice (prohibits use of vulnerable populations for medical research who are already overly burdened for medical research unrelated to health issues affecting them and requires that populations who participate in medical research receive a benefit). My article begins to fill this void by critically analyzing the Justice Principle’s prohibition against targeting and exploitation, which is the use of overburdened populations (minorities, children, and impoverished) because of their easy availability, their compromised position, or manipulability (targeting) for research that will not benefit them or their population (exploitation). Specifically, I discuss how researchers continued targeting and exploitation of children, in particular economically disadvantaged minority children who have been and continue to be used more in non-therapeutic and dangerous therapeutic medical research studies than other children, in the United States and abroad results in part from a misapprehension of the Justice Principle. To prevent the continued targeting and exploitation of these children, I suggest that the government adopt the Human Development Approach, which requires researchers to take into consideration the social conditions, such as lack of access to health care, that make children susceptible to targeting and exploitation in medical research. If researchers decide to use children as subjects they have a duty to provide a benefit directly to the children and to their population that alleviates some of their underlying problems, such as lack of access to medical care.
Intraoperative monitoring of recurrent laryngeal nerve function.

Abstract Intraoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve identification is sometimes difficult in reoperative cervical dissection or operation for inflammatory thyroid disorders. Three modalities have been described to intraoperatively assess nerve function: vocal cord visualization with fiberoptic bronchoscopy or direct laryngoscopy, electromyelographic surveillance of arytenoid muscle function, and cord function assessment with an electromyelogram-electrode endotracheal tube. Our study focused on patients requiring cervical dissection for thyroid or parathyroid disease in which intraoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve function was monitored by nerve stimulation with a concentric bipolar probe. Impulses were tracked via a specialized electrode-bearing endotracheal tube with signal transduction to a recording monitor. No operative nerve injuries occurred in the patients of our study group. This surveillance technique's several advantages include use of standard intubation techniques with no increase in operative time, nerve stimulation tracings that are quantifiable and reproducible with production of a permanent record, and less subjectivity due to observer variability. We believe these factors make the electromyelogram-electrode endotracheal tube approach to intraoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve assessment the optimal technique.
Radio and optical variability in blazars

We have investigated the statistical properties of the optical and radio monitoring observations and the correlation between the variability in these wavebands for BL Lac objects and OVV quasars. Variations between any two radio bands are well correlated with time lags measured in weeks to months. Optical variations precede radio variability with a time delay of 1–2 years with a broad correlation width of about 1 year. This demonstrates that radio components, seen to exhibit superluminal motion, are initiated by the optical activity that occurs close to the central source.
Mutants of Escherichia coli with Cold-Sensitive Deoxyribonucleic Acid Synthesis

Ten cold-sensitive mutants defective in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis at 20 C have been identified among 218 cold-sensitive mutants isolated from a mutagenized population of Escherichia coli K-12. Four of the ten mutant alleles, dna-339 dna-340, dna-341, and dna-342, cotransduce with serB+ and hence may be dnaC mutants. Two of these, dna-340 and dna-341, are recessive to their wild-type allele. The gene product of their wild-type allele is trans acting. Complementation tests have demonstrated that dna-340 and dna-341 are in the same cistron. The mapping of the remaining six mutations is in progress. In an attempt to determine whether LW4 and LW21 were initiator mutants, cultures of these strains were starved of an essential amino acid at 37 C and then incubated at 15 C with the essential amino acid. The amount of DNA synthesis observed under these circumstances was insignificant. These data are consistent with the idea that LW4 and LW21 are initiator mutants. However, attempts to integratively suppress LW4 and LW21 with F′ factors were unsuccessful. To resolve the question of whether or not LW4 and LW21 are initiator mutants, more specific tests and criteria are required. Cultures of LW4 and LW21 were toluene treated and used to measure in vitro DNA synthesis. If the cells were incubated either at 15 or 20 C before toluene treatment, they were capable of markedly less DNA synthesis than if preincubation had not occurred. The amount of in vitro DNA synthesis is directly proportional to the amount of DNA synthesis occurring during preincubation in vivo; i.e., more DNA synthesis is observed at 20 than at 15 C. The fact that the cold-sensitive mutants are unable to synthesize DNA when supplied with deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates, DNA precursors, is evidence they are not defective in precursor synthesis.
A Dynamic Energy-Aware Algorithm for Self-Optimizing Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks are distributed ad-hoc networks that consist of small sensor devices collecting and transmitting data. In such devices, optimizing power consumption due to sensing and routing data is an open area for researchers. In earlier works, approaches based on the Gur game, ant algorithms and evolutionary algorithms were introduced. These approaches have been employed to control the number of active sensors in wireless networks required to guarantee high performance parameters while taking energy conservation into consideration. These studies though ignored the coverage redundancy, which is a key issue in sensor networks. In this paper, we use the mathematical paradigm of the Gur Game in order to achieve the optimal assignment of active sensors while maximizing the number of regions covered by sensor nodes. We use a dynamic clustering algorithm that employs the concept of connected dominating sets. The proposed algorithm addresses this problem by playing Gur Game among the cluster nodes. We also further develop the earlier developed ants algorithm and genetic algorithm to take into consideration node addition and deletion. A simulation study was used to test the proposed algorithms under different network scenarios.
Semantic database for geographic information systems

A practical geographic information system necessitates the manipulation of an extensive amount of spatially referenced data. From the retrieval process to the display function, the burden on both the hardware and software of the target system to process the data in a time restrictive manner is considerable and creates the impetus for the development of new techniques in data handling. The methods must ensure that the representation to the user is believable, useful, versatile and accomplishes the understood tasks of a GIS: to represent graphically or pictorially, either statically or dynamically, in a determinate span of time, what would be exhausting if not impossible to accomplish textually. A key facet in the achievement of these goals is how data are represented on a virtual storage medium and the manner in which these data are retrieved. The systematic coordination between the data access method and the application that processes a highly detailed visual representation must be time-tolerant for the user when the data are time relative. The challenge is to implement these ideals with the technology most prevalent to current potential users (research facilities, libraries, municipalities), with serious consideration towards all users with a desktop computer.
Book Review: Critical Disability Theory: Essays in Philosophy, Politics, Policy, and Law

Authors: Dianne Pothier and Richard Devlin (Eds.) Publisher: University of British Columbia Press, 2006 Reviewer: Carrie Griffin Basas Cloth, ISBN: 9780774812030, 352 pages Paperback, ISBN: 9780774812047, 352 pages Cost: Cloth, $85.00 USD; Paperback, $32.95 USD
Multifunctional Oval-Shaped Gold-Nanoparticle-Based Selective Detection of Breast Cancer Cells Using Simple Colorimetric and Highly Sensitive Two-Photon Scattering Assay

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, and it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women today. The key to the effective and ultimately successful treatment of diseases such as cancer is early and accurate diagnosis. Driven by the need, in this article, we report for the first time a simple colorimetric and highly sensitive two-photon scattering assay for highly selective and sensitive detection of breast cancer SK-BR-3 cell lines at a 100 cells/mL level using a multifunctional (monoclonal anti-HER2/c-erb-2 antibody and S6 RNA aptamer-conjugated) oval-shaped gold-nanoparticle-based nanoconjugate. When multifunctional oval-shaped gold nanoparticles are mixed with the breast cancer SK-BR-3 cell line, a distinct color change occurs and two-photon scattering intensity increases by about 13 times. Experimental data with the HaCaT noncancerous cell line, as well as with MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line, clearly demonstrated that our assay was highly sensitive to SK-BR-3 and it was abl...
Adjuvant therapy for breast cancer — results from the USA consensus conference

The National Institutes of Health, USA sponsored a Consensus Development Conference on November 1-3, 2000 to review several major questions regarding the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. A non-governmental group of oncology experts was selected to review clinical trial data and judge the evidence presented by 33 breast cancer researchers. Their conclusions resulted in the following recommendations: (1) Prognostic factors critical for determining risk of recurrence are age, axillary lymph node status, tumor size, histologic type and grade and hormone receptor status. (2) Tamoxifen, administered for 5 years, significantly improves long-term survival for women of all age groups with hormone receptor-positive tumors. Ovarian ablation also prolongs survival in premenopausal women. (3) Multi-agent chemotherapy of 4-6 months duration is associated with an improvement in survival in both hormone receptor-positive and -negative tumors. Anthracyclinecontaining regimens offer the greatest survival advantage. The role of taxanes is uncertain but they may be useful in selected patients with node-positive tumors. Women with small, node-negative tumors, women over age 70, and those with tumors of favorable histologic subtype (mucinous or tubular) may not require chemotherapy. (4) Adjuvant radiotherapy to the regional lymph nodes and chest wall following mastectomy is indicated for women with 4 or more axillary nodes. (5) Physicians should employ effective visual aids to help them present a complete and balanced view of the absolute benefits versus the side-effects of adjuvant treatments. Important avenues of future research were also discussed and suggestions were made.
Parent Perspectives of Health Related Quality of Life for Adolescents With Bladder Exstrophy-Epispadias as Measured by the Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Form 50™

Purpose: Few groups have examined health related quality of life for adolescents with bladder exstrophy-epispadias. We studied parent reported health related quality of life for adolescents with bladder exstrophy-epispadias using the Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Form 50.Materials and Methods: We recruited 11 to 17-year-old participants with bladder exstrophy-epispadias and their parents. Parents served as proxy respondents for the adolescents by self-administering a validated generic health related quality of life instrument, the Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Form 50. We collected urinary incontinence, catheterization status, and medical and surgical history data. Mean questionnaire scores were compared to population based norms.Results: Median age of the 55 patients was 14 years, 69% were male and 84% were white. Diagnoses included bladder exstrophy in 48 cases and epispadias in 7. Of the participants 29 (53%) reported urinary incontinence. The median number of lifetime surgeries was 9. Although...
RADIOGRAPHY OF THE BOVINE CRANIOVENTRAL ABDOMEN

This study consists of a review of 115 consecutively accrued bovine cranial abdomial radiographs. The sensitivity and specificity of radiography in detecting traumatic reticuloperitonitis or pericarditis was 83% and 90%, respectively. Increased reticular size was associated with vagal indigestion. Increased reticulo-diaphragmatic separation did not correlate with a specific disease process, 25/35 (71%) cattle presented for radiographic examination with a 1 cm or longer metallic reticular foreign body unattached to a magnet had traumatic reticuloperitonitis. Standing lateral abdominal radiographs were determined to be a valuable tool in the diagnosis of cranial abdominal disorders in the bovine.
Cooperation and Competition Between Twins: Findings from a Prisoner’s Dilemma Game

Abstract Attention to factors influencing cooperation and competition during human social interaction has increased within recent years. This study tested the hypothesis that higher levels of cooperation would be associated with increased genetic relatedness between interactants, and explored questions concerning the expression of cooperative behavior over time. A Prisoner’s Dilemma game, in which participants elect to display cooperative, competitive, or exploitative behaviors relative to a partner, was administered to 59 monozygotic and 37 dizygotic twin pairs, between 10.92 and 82.67 years of age. Results from multivariate analysis of variance procedures, cross-lag sequential analyses, and hierarchical linear modeling supported associations between zygosity, and frequency and continuity of cooperation. Mechanisms by which zygosity may affect cooperation were explored by examining relationships between response combinations, and twins’ IQ similarity and social closeness. The findings are considered with reference to an evolutionary perspective on behavior that offers a theoretical basis for considering how the relative genetic relatedness of social partners affects their social-interactional processes and outcomes. This report is the first in a series of studies designed to address mechanisms underlying differences in cooperation among pairs who vary in average genetic commonality.
Robust medical ad hoc sensor networks (MASN) with wavelet-based ECG data mining

Heart disease is the top elder killer in the world. To reduce the healthcare cost, it is a necessary tendency to deploy self-organized, wireless heart disease monitoring hardware/software systems. Telemedicine platform based on ad hoc interconnection of tiny ECG sensors, called medical ad hoc sensor networks (MASN), can provide a promising approach for performing low-cost, real-time, remote cardiac patient monitoring at any time. The contribution of this research is the design of a practical MASN hardware/software platform to perform real-time healthcare data collections. It has reliable, cluster-based communication scheme. Due to the radio broadcasting nature of wireless networks, a MASN has the risk of being attacked. This research also designs a low overhead medical security scheme to achieve confidential ECG data transmission in the wireless medium. Finally, our MASN system has the capability of keeping track of cardiac patients and extracting ECG features based on wavelet theories. Our MASN platform is very useful to practical medical monitoring applications.
Preparation and characterization of molybdenum and tungsten nitride nanoparticles obtained by thermolysis of molecular precursors

Treatment of Mo(NtBu)2Cl2 with [K(Ph2pz)(THF)]6 (pz = pyrazolyl) in tetrahydrofuran afforded Mo(NtBu)2(Ph2pz)2 (85%), while treatment of W(NtBu)2(NHtBu)2 with 3,5-diphenylpyrazole afforded W(NtBu)2(Ph2pz)2 (97%). The complexes M(NtBu)2(Ph2pz)2 were characterized completely by spectral and analytical data, and by an X-ray crystal structure determination for Mo(NtBu)2(Ph2pz)2. Thermolysis of M(NtBu)2(Ph2pz)2 at 800 °C under nitrogen afforded 2–3 nm metal nitride nanoparticles that were embedded in an amorphous carbon–oxygen matrix, as determined by X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy also revealed the presence of metal oxide phases, which were amorphous by X-ray powder diffraction. The nanoparticles prepared at 800 °C were insoluble. Thermolysis of M(NtBu)2(Ph2pz)2 at 425 °C afforded amorphous 2–3 nm nanoparticles, as determined by X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggested a molybdenum(IV) nitride and W2N/WN, as well as MoO3 and an oxidized tungsten nitride. Materials prepared at 425 °C were not embedded in a matrix, and were soluble in tetrahydrofuran. Infrared and NMR spectroscopy suggested the presence of surface organic fragments that contain alkyl-substituted phenyl groups. Such surface groups are most likely derived from decomposition of the heterocyclic ligands. Simultaneous differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the amorphous nitride materials convert to crystalline nanoparticles consistent with M2N phases between 600–700 °C, along with a weight loss that may correspond to dinitrogen evolution. The amorphous carbon–oxygen matrix also forms upon heating from 425 to 800 °C. This work provides the first description of tungsten nitride nanoparticles, as well as the first description of soluble group 4–6 nanoparticles.
Pollen Deposition in Lakes as Measured by Sediment Traps

Sediment traps submerged in lakes were used to measure the numbers of pollen grains falling through the water toward the lake bottom. The traps are open, wide-mouth gallon bottles enclosed in wire mesh cages and suspended upright approximately 2 m above the lake bottom between an anchor and a submerged float. The numbers of grains captured in traps having openings 25-100 sq cm in area were directly proportional to the mouth area, demonstrating that these sizes trap with equal efficiency. Deposition rates measured at different stations within each of the three lakes studied were similar; however, different rates (29,000 and 53,000 grains per sq cm) were measured during the same year in two lakes only 11 km apart in Vermont. In a lake in Massachusetts the rate was 13,000 per sq cm one year and 28,000 the next. Differences in deposition rates may be related to differences in the pollen input to the lake from the air or from inflowing streams, or to differences in the amount of resuspension, mixing, and subsequent redeposition of pollen from the surface layer of sediment. The latter could explain the uniform intensity of the pollen rain measured by traps within each lake and the apparent independence of pollen percentage values from the absolute numbers deposited.
Simplification of large linear systems using a two-step iterative method

Abstract A simple iterative technique, which is free of certain shortcomings of the previous methods, is proposed for the approximation of large linear systems by a lower- order model. Here, the measure of the goodness of the approximate model is taken to be the value of the integral-square error between the step responses of the exact and the simplified systems. The proposed technique consists of a two-step iterative scheme. In the first step, the optimum residues are obtained by the minimization of the objective function, while the poles (or eigenvalues) are kept constant. In the second step, the poles are optimized while the residues remain fixed. This procedure is continued cyclically until the objective function is satisfactorily minimized. The necessary and sufficient conditions for existence of an optimum are satisfied in each step. The residues, poles and objective functions converge monotonically. The resulting reduced-order model obtained by this method is stable if the original system is stable. The method can also be applied to systems with repeated poles and to multivariable systems. The results are superior to those obtained previously in the steady-state, the point-by-point transient response, and the value of the integral-square error. Illustrative examples are presented.
Synthetic glycobiology : Exploits in the Golgi compartment

The challenge of engineering glycosylation has been confronted by synthetic chemists, biochemists and cell biologists, each with the primary goal of optimizing glycoconjugates for therapeutic applications. In nature, glycans are constructed by glycosyltransferases that are organized in an assembly line in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi compartment. Recent insights into the domain architecture, localization and regulation of glycosyltransferases have provided a platform for engineering their position within the secretory pathway and access to substrates. Using this knowledge, glycosyltransferase assembly lines have been redesigned for the production of specific glycan structures using protein engineering and chemical approaches. These efforts epitomize the emerging field of 'synthetic glycobiology'.
Zonal Jets in Wide Baroclinically Unstable Regions: Persistence and Scale Selection

Abstract Extremely persistent, equivalent barotropic zonal jets are observed in statistically steady quasigeostrophic two-layer beta-plane turbulence. Flows are forced by an imposed unstable vertical shear, horizontally uniform over domains several tens of Rossby radii wide. Damping is by surface drag, small-scale mixing, and for some runs, radiative relaxation. When dissipation is weak, zonal jets emerge with a meridional scale related to beta and the equilibrated eddy energy level as suggested by Rhines. Spinup behavior suggests a priori prediction of this level will be difficult. The scale of energy conversion also cannot be determined a priori, and while upscale energy transfer is important, (reverse) energy cascading ranges of any significant extent do not occur. Time scales considerably longer than those simply related to model parameters are prominent. The choices of doubly periodic boundary conditions and spatially homogeneous forcing and dissipation emphasize that the low-frequency behavior is du...