cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Motivations to Pursue Physical Therapy Residency Training: A Q-Methodology Study of Stakeholder Perspectives

Background Residency training is recognized as a valuable form of professional development and pathway to specialization. Currently residency is voluntary for physical therapists, with less than 12% of DPT students choosing to apply upon graduation. Motivations that drive the decision to pursue residency are currently unknown as is the extent of similarity and difference in perspective among various stakeholders. Objective The purpose of this study was to identify the dominant perspectives on motivations to pursue residency held by various stakeholders. Design This study was conducted using Q Methodology, which incorporates aspects of quantitative and qualitative techniques into the examination of human subjectivity. Methods Program directors, faculty, and current residents from all accredited physical therapy residency programs were invited to complete a forced-choice sorting activity where potential motivations for residency were sorted by perceived level of importance. Principal component analysis was used to identify dominant perspectives, which were interpreted based on emergent themes in the cluster of motivations identified as most important. Results Four dominant perspectives were identified: (1) desire to provide better patient care, (2) preparation for specialty practice, (3) fast track to expert practice, and (4) career advancement. These perspectives provided context and utility to 2 broad meta-motivations: improved clinical reasoning and receiving mentoring. Both within- and between-group differences among stakeholders were identified. However, subsets from each role-group population were found to share similar perspectives. Limitations Results from this study may not apply to potential residents in all specialty areas, and the implications of having a particular perspective are unknown. Conclusions Identification of the dominant perspective on motivations for pursuing residency may aid in promoting participation, program development, matching residents to programs and mentors, and future research.
Force production of human cytoplasmic dynein is limited by its processivity

Cytoplasmic dynein is a highly complex motor protein that generates forces toward the minus end of microtubules. Using optical tweezers, we demonstrate that the low processivity (ability to take multiple steps before dissociating) of human dynein limits its force generation due to premature microtubule dissociation. Using a high trap stiffness whereby the motor achieves greater force per step, we reveal that the motor's true maximal force ("stall force") is ~2 pN. Furthermore, an average force versus trap stiffness plot yields a hyperbolic curve that plateaus at the stall force. We derive an analytical equation that accurately describes this curve, predicting both stall force and zero-load processivity. This theoretical model describes the behavior of a kinesin motor under low-processivity conditions. Our work clarifies the true stall force and processivity of human dynein and provides a new paradigm for understanding and analyzing molecular motor force generation for weakly processive motors.
Late-onset fungal interface keratitis following endothelial keratoplasty with positive donor fungal culture.

Abstract Purpose To describe late-onset fungal keratitis after Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) with positive fungal culture of the donor corneal rim. Observations A case report of a patient undergoing DSEK is described whereby the donor corneal rim culture grew fungus. No infection was initially noted, but the patient developed fungal keratitis 1 year after the original DSEK procedure, despite prophylactic treatment at the time of the positive donor culture. The patient responded to antifungal therapy, but fungal keratitis recurred following completion of a 1-year course of antifungal treatment. The patient eventually underwent full thickness keratoplasty. Conclusions and importance A positive fungal culture of the donor rim tissue at the time of endothelial keratoplasty is a risk factor for fungal keratitis. Even with prophylactic antifungal treatment, fungal keratitis may eventually develop as late as 1 year after the initial endothelial keratoplasty procedure. Treatment may need to be aggressive, but keratitis may recur despite resolution with antifungal treatment.
Finite Difference Heat Exchanger Model: Flow Maldistribution with Thermal Coupling

Channels not receiving the same amount of flow (flow maldistribution) is an important effectiveness loss for high effectiveness heat exchangers. This paper develops a finite difference model of a c...
A Formal Specification of Access Control in Android with URI Permissions

A formal specification of access control yields a deeper understanding of any operating system, and facilitates performing security analysis of the OS. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive formal specification of access control in Android (ACiA). Prior work is limited in scope, furthermore, recent developments in Android concerning dynamic runtime permissions require rethinking of its formalization. Our formal specification includes three parts, the user-initiated operations (UIOs) and app-initiated operations (AIOs) - which are distinguished based on the initiating entity, and the URI permissions which are utilized in sharing temporary access to data. We also studied the evolution of URI permissions from API 10 (Gingerbread) to API 22 (Lollipop), and a brief discussion on this is included in the paper. Formalizing ACiA allowed us to discover many peculiar behaviors pertaining to ACiA. In addition to that, we discovered two significant issues with permissions in Android which were reported to Google.
Exploring the extent of source imaging: Recent advances in noninvasive electromagnetic brain imaging

Abstract Electrophysiological source imaging (ESI) has been successfully employed in many brain imaging applications during the last 20 years. ESI estimates of underlying brain networks provide millisecond resolution of dynamic brain processes; yet, it remains to be a challenge to further improve the spatial resolution of ESI modality, in particular on its capability of imaging the extent of underlying brain sources. In this review, we discuss the recent developments in signal processing and machine learning that have made it possible to image the extent, i.e. size, of underlying brain sources noninvasively, using scalp electromagnetic measurements from electroencephalogram (EEG) and magnetoencephalogram (MEG) recordings.
On the nature of exotic matter in Morris-Thorne wormholes

It is well known that phantom energy, which is characterized by the equation of state $p=\omega\rho$, $\omega <-1$, can support Morris-Thorne wormholes since it leads to a violation of the null energy condition. The purpose of this note is to show that the converse is also true in the following sense: for a typical shape function, the equation of state of exotic matter in the vicinity of the throat is given by $p_r=\omega\rho$, $\omega <-1$, where $p_r$ is the radial pressure. Some implications thereof are also considered.
The Toxic Time Bomb: Municipal Liability for the Cleanup of Hazardous Waste

This article analyzes how the United States Environmental Protection Agency may be mis-allocating the monumental clean-up burden under the Superfund statute and thereby increasing the burden on other potentially liable parties. At issue is municipal and regional governmental liability for the handling and disposal of municipal solid waste. This article analyzes a widespread EPA non-prosecution practice and argues that under the current statute it violates federal hazardous substances laws. This article dissects the municipal waste stream, assessing the volume, toxicological, and hazardous constituents of those substances America discards as waste. On a per capita basis, each American is responsible for the creation of approximately 2.5 to 4 pounds of MSW each day. Municipal garbage collected from households is designated as municipal solid waste (MSW) and is appropriately disposed of in sanitary landfills. Approximately 1% by volume of MSW is hazardous, instead of non-hazardous, waste. The article unravels the intertwined double helix of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Superfund. The article analyzes the federal Superfund/CERCLA treatment of MSW, as well as the developing federal common law strictly defining liability associated with the disposal of hazardous substances, with particular emphasis on municipalities and the constituents in their municipal solid waste. The article analyzes the exercise of EPA prosecutorial discretion in federal hazardous waste enforcement, which creates a "Catch-22" bind that grips hazardous waste law and disadvantages a class of parties who are left with no interlocutory judicial review. In conclusion, the article sets out criteria for the administration of an environmental decision rule that would allow a flexible and fair approach to municipal liability for the hazardous substances in MSW.
Hybridization of Biomolecular Crystals and Low-Dimensional Materials

In cellular environments, metabolites, peptides, proteins, and other biomolecules can self-assemble into planar and fibrilar molecular crystals. We use atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to show that such biomolecular crystals coupled with low-dimensional materials can form stable hybrid superstructures. We discuss enantiopure and racemic TRP and PHE amino acid crystals adsorbed on or intercalated between graphene, phosphorene, and carbon nanotubes. While racemic biomolecular crystals tend to stay straight in solutions and when adsorbed on flat and cylindrical nanosurfaces, enantiopure crystals undergo twisting. Mixed material properties of these hybrid superstructures can be attractive in many applications.
To Pack a Nose: High-Fidelity Epistaxis Simulation Using 3D Printing Technology

BACKGROUND Initial management and stabilization of epistaxis is managed by a diverse offset of clinical providers with variable levels of training. OBJECTIVE To determine the anatomic and clinical fidelity and ease of use of a novel simulator for the training and assessment of epistaxis management skills. STUDY DESIGN Qualitative Research Study using expert questionnaire's for validation of a newly developed simulator. METHODS We performed a quasi-experimental intervention with 22 otolaryngology faculty and 10 trainees who independently evaluated the simulator. Data were collected in three phases: phase 1 (preliminary evaluation), phase 2 (final expert evaluation), and phase 3 (trainee evaluation). We designed a three-dimensional (3D) printed model from a de-identified patient computed tomography scan. Artificial blood was circulated through catheters to simulate bleeding from three distinct sites (sphenopalatine, Kiesselbach's plexus, and anterior ethmoid). Four domains were assessed: "Physical and anatomic attributes," "Realism of experience," "Ability to perform tasks," and "Value and clinical relevance." Internal structure and validity were measured with Cronbach's alpha and item outfit mean-square statistics. RESULTS Results from otolaryngology faculty showed very high median ratings for "Value of the simulator as a training tool" (4.0/4) and high ratings for "Relevance to practice" (4.0/4), and realism of experience (4.0/4). Responses from otolaryngology trainees demonstrated high value for clinical training (4.0/4) and high likelihood to recommend use for future trainees (4.0/4). Confidence in managing epistaxis before (1.0/4) and after (3.0/4) simulator use was statistically improved (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS Using 3D printing technology, we created a novel simulator for epistaxis management. Preliminary evidence suggests the model is cost-effective, anatomically realistic, relevant to trainees' educational needs, and valuable as a training tool. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3 Laryngoscope, 2021.
Intellectual property protection for plant innovation: unresolved issues after J.E.M. v. Pioneer.

Although the US Supreme Court upheld the patent eligibility of plants, issues remain concerning the decision's implementation and other forms of plant IP protection.
Vascularized Prelaminated Thermoplastic Bioabsorbable Scaffold in Tracheal Reconstruction.

Successful tracheal reconstruction remains a challenging task for the reconstructive surgeon. A variety of techniques have been previously employed, using both autografts and allografts. The authors present a novel method for tracheal reconstruction utilizing a prelaminated fascial flap in conjunction with a bioabsorbable scaffold. Laryngoscope, 2021.
Computational sensors: The basis for truly intelligent machines

Publisher Summary This chapter focusses on sensory acquisition and processing stages. It describes computational sensors followed by a broad overview of the current state-of-the-art computational sensors with a few current examples. The role of neural processing is discussed because neural networks with their cognitive capabilities are expected to play an important role in information processing systems. The role of computational sensors is to transduce the physical world and generate signals. It also transforms the data to eliminate redundant information and to extract simple features. This is usually done in parallel and in real time before the data goes into the processor. Computational sensors span the whole spectrum of sensing applications including visual, acoustic, mechanical (tactile), chemical, magnetic sensors, etc. In uni-plane computational sensors, sensors, and processing elements are distributed over the sensing plane. The processor is usually relatively simple, dedicated to a specific task, and connected to its neighbors. Preferably, the processing is done in the analog domain in order to take full advantage of the analog nature of the sensor signals and to allow truly parallel and simultaneous operation. In the case of optical sensors, the uni-plane is usually referred to as the focal plane. Another approach to computational sensors is through the functional geometric and mechanical structure of the sensors. Spatio-geometrical sensors allow new architectures where computing is now assisted by the geometry of the sensor.
Does Purchase Without Search Explain Counter-Cyclic Pricing?

Basic economic theory tells us to expect that an increase in demand should lead to an increase in price. However, studies have found the opposite trend in the prices of seasonal goods, such as canned soup. I propose an explanation of this phenomenon: consumers are more likely to purchase without search in low demand periods, reducing the gains of temporary price reductions, and decreasing estimated price sensitivity. Purchase without search is consistent with consumers using shopping lists to make their purchase decisions before observing prices. I test this explanation using a novel dynamic, structural inventory model where consumers make decisions on whether to search, which reveals price promotions, and which products to purchase given their search decision. I find that consumers with no inventory search for soup 39% of the time in winter, compared to 23% in summer. This causes price elasticities that are more than 64% larger in winter then they are in the summer. I find that the dominant cause of seasonal search is seasonal price variation, rather than seasonal consumption utility.
Complexity and Nicety of Fluted Logic.

Fluted Logic is essentially first-order predicate logic deprived of variables. The lack of variables results in reduced expressiveness. Nevertheless, many logical problems that can be stated in natural language, such as the famous Schubert's Steamroller, can be rendered in fluted logic. Further evidence of the expressiveness of fluted logic is its close relation to description logics. Already it has been shown that fluted logic is decidable and has the finite-model property. This paper shows that fluted logic has the exponential-model property and that deciding satisfiability is NEXPTIME-complete. It is shown further that fluted logic is 'nice’, that is, it shares with first-order predicate logic the interpolation property and model preservation properties.
Labor Market Competition and Anti‐Immigrant Sentiment: Occupations as Contexts

This paper explores the impact of labor market competition measured within occupations on attitudes toward immigrants in the U.S. including perceived group threat and policy preferences. Multilevel analyses of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, O* NET, and the General Social Survey demonstrate that labor market competition accounts for threat perceptions - threat is lower in occupations with greater expected employment growth. Individual-level characteristics also explain differences across occupations. Perceived group threat is higher in some occupations because job incumbents have less education. Occupational differences in threat perceptions account for all occupational differences in policy attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Can We Learn Finite State Machine Robot Controllers from Interactive Demonstration

There is currently a gap between the types of robot control polices that can be learnt from interactive demonstration and those manually programmed by skilled coders. Using regression-based robot tutelage, robots can be taught previously unknown tasks whose underlying mappings between perceived world states and actions are many-to-one. However, in a finite state machine controller, multiple subtasks may be applicable for a given perception, leading to perceptual aliasing. The underlying mapping may then be one-to-many. To learn such policies, users are typically required to provide additional information, such as a decomposition of the overall task into subtasks, and possibly indications of where transitions occur. We examine the limits of a regression-based approach for learning an FSM controller from demonstration of a basic robot soccer goal-scoring task. While the individual subtasks can be learnt, full FSM learning from this data will require techniques for model selection and data segmentation. We discuss one possibility for addressing these issues and how it may be combined with existing work.
Marginalized in the Middle

Marginalized in the Middle. Alan Wolfe. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. 291 pp.
Distributed knowledge worker (DKW): a personal conferencing system

This paper describes Distributed Knowledge Worker (DKW): a prototype multi-point desktop conferencing system that enables users to initiate and conduct business meetings using an ordinary computer and standard communications hardware. We present a statement of the problem that led to the development of DKW; the research strategy undertaken; a brief review of the literature; a description of the selected market segment; and a discussion of how the project was designed and implemented.
Rectal cancer: do protons have prospects?

Preoperative chemoradiation and preoperative short course radiotherapy have widely been accepted as standards of care for stage II and III rectal cancer. However, pelvic radiotherapy can lead to significant rates of acute and late toxicity. Advances in radiation therapy technique and newer radiation therapy modalities could potentially reduce acute and late toxicity rates, by limiting radiation exposure to normal tissues. In this issue, Colaco et al. report a dosimetric study comparing proton therapy with 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), in an effort to lower treatment-related toxicity (1).
An exploration of broader influence maximization in timeliness networks with opportunistic selection

The goal of classic influence maximization in Online Social Networks (OSNs) is to maximize the spread of influence with a fixed budget constraint, e.g. the size of seed nodes is pre-determined. However, most existing works on influence maximization overlooked the information timeliness. That is, these works assume that the influence will not decay with time and the influence could be accepted immediately, which are not practical. Second, even the influence could be passed to a specific node in time, whether the influence could be delivered (influence take effect) or not is still an unknown question. Furthermore, if let the number of users who are influenced as the depth of influence and the area covered by influenced users as the breadth, most of research results only focus on the influence depth instead of the influence breadth. Timeliness, acceptance ratio and breadth are three important factors neglected before but strongly affect the real result of the influence maximization. In order to fill the gap, a novel algorithm that incorporates time delay for timeliness, opportunistic selection for acceptance ratio, and broad diffusion for influence breadth has been investigated in this paper. In our model, the breadth of influence is measured by the number of communities, and the tradeoff between depth and breadth of the influence could be balanced by a parameter ?. Empirical studies on different large real-world social networks show that high depth influence does not necessarily imply broad information diffusion. Our model, together with its solutions, not only provides better practicality but also gives a regulatory mechanism for the influence maximization. It also outperforms most of the existing classical algorithms.
Simulation of fault impacts for vapor compression systems by inverse modeling. Part II: System modeling and validation

This article describes the integration of component models developed in a companion article (Cheung and Braun 2013) into a system model that can predict the impacts of faults on vapor compression equipment performance. The system model is part of a tool that is being developed to evaluate the performance of fault detection and diagnostics tools (Yuill and Braun 2012). Models of various faults, including non-standard charging, heat exchanger fouling, compressor valve leakage, and liquid line restriction, are assembled into the system model. Charge tuning was conducted with a new tuning equation to improve the accuracy of charge estimation. The simulation results were validated with experimental observations for eight cooling systems, and the model provided very good accuracy over a wide range of conditions under both normal and faulty conditions. The model correctly predicts the effects of faults on states and overall performance indices and can be used in place of measurements for fault detection and diag...
Simulation and testing of an optical interconnection system using fiber image guides

We describe the design, simulation and testing of an optoelectronic interconnection system that uses fiber image guides (FIGs) to transfer optical data packets among network nodes having both optical and electrical input-output (I/O) ports. FIGs are a tightly packed array of thousands of optical fibers, and are capable of 2D parallel image transmission with more flexible alignment and packaging than free-space alternatives. We have designed printed circuit boards (PCBs) for the system demonstration. The PCB has optoelectronic components such as: vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) and metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) detector arrays for optical I/O, and transimpedance amplifier receiver (TIAR) arrays for converting photodetected current signals into 2.5V CMOS compatible signals. Using FIGs our system demonstrates high data transmission rates over 16 channels with low crosstalk. We discuss various techniques for coupling the FIGs to the optical I/O array and optimizing the coupling distance for low crosstalk and insertion loss. We also present 3D waveguide propagation simulations of FIGs based on the beam propagation method and compare the results with experiments. Both experiment and simulation show that the coupling distance and alignment are critical to achieve the best output optical power profile.
Use of COMPARE Analysis to Discover New Natural Product Drugs: Isolation of Camptothecin and 9-Methoxycamptothecin from a New Source

Analysis of cytotoxicity data of extracts from the National Cancer Institute's Active Repository by the COMPARE protocol was carried out using camptothecin as a reference point. Extracts identified by this process were further characterized by a selective yeast bioassay for inhibitors of topoisomerase I and by a biochemical assay for compounds that stabilize the topoisomerase I-DNA covalent binary complex. Five of the extracts were positive in the yeast bioassay, and eight extracts showed activity on the assay that monitors stabilization of the topoisomerase I-DNA complex. Four of the latter extracts were inactive in the yeast bioassay, and thus would not have been identified as hits without the COMPARE preselection process. One of the extracts, from Pyrenacantha klaineana, was selected for detailed investigation, and fractionation of this extract yielded camptothecin and 9-methoxycamptothecin as the bioactive constituents.
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE OF THE SUPERCONDUCTING TRANSITION TEMPERATURE OF POTASSIUM FULLERENE, KXC60

Abstract The pressure dependence of the superconducting transition temperature in K x C 60 is determined using solid He pressure techniques to be d T c /d P =-0.63±0.08 K/kbar. Crude scaling would predict Rb x C 60 and CsC 60 to have T c values of ∼35 and ∼60 K, respectively.
An Historical Approach to Objectivity and Professionalism in American News Reporting

How these concepts served to legitimize the role of the commercial prese as the “protector of the public good.”
Cloning, expression, and characterization of a type II 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase gene from Streptomyces hygroscopicus

Abstract A gene encoding dehydroquinate dehydratase (DHQase) was cloned fromStreptomyces hygroscopicusvar.ascomyceticus.The 528-bp open reading frame specified a primary translation product of 175 amino acids with a calculatedMrof 18,789. The predicted amino acid sequence of the DHQase showed similarities to bacterial and fungal type II DHQases. Overexpression of thedhqgene was accomplished inEscherichia coliusing a gene fusion technique in which amalE,the gene encoding the maltose binding protein (MBP), was fused via a short oligonucleotide region to the beginning ofdhq.The recombinant MBP–DHQase fusion protein was purified by affinity chromatography and cleaved using thrombin. The resulting DHQase, separated from the MBP, demonstrated typical properties of a type II DHQase: a relatively highKmfor the dehydroquinate substrate (650 μM) and extreme thermal stability. The subunitMrestimated by SDS–PAGE was 19,000, and the nativeMrestimated by gel-exclusion chromatography and sucrose-density centrifugation was 130,000, suggesting that the enzyme is a homoheptamer (type II DHQases are typically homododecamers). The MBP–DHQase complex also adopted a heptameric structure and was a thermostable, fully active DHQase, indicating that the N-terminus is not involved in formation of protomer–protomer complexes. Previous analyses have supported positioning the N-terminus of type II DHQases close to the active site and a conformational change in this region coincident with ligand binding. Nonetheless, theKmand relativekcatobtained for MBP–DHQase were indistinguishable from those observed for DHQase. Inactivation data of the DHQase fromS. hygroscopicuswith the arginine-specific reagent phenylglyoxal showed that a modified Arg residue(s) is likely close to the N-terminus and active site of DHQase, but does not play an essential role in catalysis.
Reactions at the rhodium vertex of isomeric closo-bis(triphenylphosphine)hydridorhodacarboranes, alkenyl acetate cleavage and subsequent reactions

The isomeric hydridophosphinorhodacarboranerhodium(III) clusters, [closo-3,3-(PPh3)2-3-H-3,1,2-RhC2B9H11] (1a); [closo-2,2-(PPh3)2-2-H-2,1,7-RhC2B9H11] (1b); and [closo-2,2-(PPh3)2-2-H-2,1,12-RhC2B9H11] (1c) react with isopropenyl acetate and vinyl acetate under mild conditions to give ester CO bond scission, expulsion of alkene, and formation of bidentate or monodentate acetate complexes of the form (PPh3)(η2-CH3COO)RhC2B9H11 or (PPh3)2(η1-CH3COO)RhC2B9H11. These acetate complexes react readily with hydrogen to regenerate the parent compounds. A very stable alkyl complex chelated through the carbonyl oxygen could be isolated from the reaction of 1b with vinyl acetate at lower temperatures, whereas the reaction of 1a with either isopropenyl acetate or vinyl acetate at higher temperatures led to the formation of an ortho-metallated complex whose crystal structure is reported. When allyl acetate was employed as substrate, complexes of the form (PPh3)(η3-C3H5)RhC2B9H11 resulted with concomitant elimination of acetic acid. The relevance of the novel compounds reported here to the catalytic hydrogenolysis of alkenyl acetates using 1a–1c as catalyst precursors is discussed.
A Performance Map for Ideal Air Breathing Pulse Detonation Engines

The performance of an ideal, air breathing Pulse Detonation Engine is described in a manner that is useful for application studies (e.g., as a stand-alone, propulsion system, in combined cycles, or in hybrid turbomachinery cycles). It is shown that the Pulse Detonation Engine may be characterized by an averaged total pressure ratio, which is a unique function of the inlet temperature, the fraction of the inlet flow containing a reacting mixture, and the stoichiometry of the mixture. The inlet temperature and stoichiometry (equivalence ratio) may in turn be combined to form a nondimensional heat addition parameter. For each value of this parameter, the average total enthalpy ratio and total pressure ratio across the device are functions of only the reactant fill fraction. Performance over the entire operating envelope can thus be presented on a single plot of total pressure ratio versus total enthalpy ratio for families of the heat addition parameter. Total pressure ratios are derived from thrust calculations obtained from an experimentally validated, reactive Euler code capable of computing complete Pulse Detonation Engine limit cycles. Results are presented which demonstrate the utility of the described method for assessing performance of the Pulse Detonation Engine in several potential applications. Limitations and assumptions of the analysis are discussed. Details of the particular detonative cycle used for the computations are described.
A rapid, reproducible, noninvasive predictor of liver graft survival.

Abstract Background Clinical and laboratory criteria are not reliable predictors of deceased donor liver graft quality. Intraoperative assessment of experienced surgeons is the gold standard. Standardizing and quantifying this assessment is especially needed now that regional sharing is the rule. We prospectively evaluated a novel, simple, rapid, noninvasive, quantitative measure of liver function performed before graft procurement. Materials and methods Using a portable, finger-probe–based device, indocyanine green plasma disappearance rates (ICG-PDR) were measured in adult brain-dead donors in the local donor service area before organ procurement. Results were compared with graft function and outcomes. Both donor and recipient teams were blinded to ICG-PDR measurements. Results Measurements were performed on 53 consecutive donors. Eleven liver grafts were declined by all centers because of quality; the other 42 grafts were transplanted. Logistic regression analysis showed ICG-PDR to be the only donor variable to be significantly associated with 7-d graft survival. Donor risk index, donor age, and transaminase levels at peak or procurement were not significantly associated with 7-d graft survival. Conclusions We report the successful use of a portable quantitative means of measuring liver function and its association with graft survival. These data warrant further exploration in a variety of settings to evaluate acceptable values for donated liver grafts.
A finite element model of ferroelastic polycrystals

A finite element model of switching in polycrystalline ferroelastic ceramics is developed. It is assumed that a crystallite switches if the reduction in mechanically driven potential energy of the system exceeds a critical value per unit volume of switching material. Stress induced (i.e. ferroelastic) switching is a change of permanent strain in characteristic crystallographic directions. Martensitic twinning is one example, but the strain response of ferroelectric materials has the same characteristics. The model is suitable for representing ferroelastic systems such as shape memory alloys and as a preliminary model for ferroelectric/ferroelastic materials such as perovskite piezoelectrics. In the simulations, each crystallite is represented by a finite element and the crystallographic principal direction for each crystallite is assigned randomly. Different critical values for the energy barrier to switching are selected to simulate stress vs strain hysteresis loops of a ceramic lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) at room temperature. The measured stress versus strain curves of polycrystalline ceramics designated PZT-A and PZT-B are also reproduced by the model.
The self-association of jack bean urease and its modification by silver ions

Abstract At low ionic strength urease has been found to dissociate at protein concentrations below 1 × 10 8 m . The inhibition of enzyme activity by Ag + has been used to demonstrate this. The inhibition by Ag + has been shown to be independent of dissociation but, at dilutions where dissociation occurs, silver ion modifies the process. Urease is aggregated by Ag + at high Ag + :protein ratios. Such inactive aggregates can be solubilized and reactivated by dithiothreitol. Further evidence has been obtained indicating the similarity of the (8 n ) and (16 n ) forms of urease. The phenomena of inhibition and aggregation in the presence of the heavy metal ion have been shown to be separate processes.
Local control in ductal carcinoma in situ treated by excision alone: incremental benefit of larger margins

Abstract Background Margin width has been shown previously to be the most important predictor of local treatment failure after breast conservation for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Methods Five variables thought to be associated with local recurrence were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis in 455 nonrandomized patients with DCIS treated with excision alone. Results Multivariate analysis showed that margin width, age, nuclear grade, and tumor size all were independent predictors of local recurrence, with margin width as the single most important predictor. After adjusting for all other predictors the likelihood of local recurrence for patients with margins less than 10 mm was 5.39 times as much as that for patients with margins of 10 mm or more (95% confidence interval, 2.68–10.64). Conclusions Margin width, the distance between DCIS and the closest inked margin, was the single most important predictor of local recurrence. As margin width increases, the risk for local recurrence decreases.
Ionospheric modifications in high frequency heating experiments

Featured observations in high-frequency (HF) heating experiments conducted at Arecibo, EISCAT, and high frequency active auroral research program are discussed. These phenomena appearing in the F region of the ionosphere include high-frequency heater enhanced plasma lines, airglow enhancement, energetic electron flux, artificial ionization layers, artificial spread-F, ionization enhancement, artificial cusp, wideband absorption, short-scale (meters) density irregularities, and stimulated electromagnetic emissions, which were observed when the O-mode HF heater waves with frequencies below foF2 were applied. The implication and associated physical mechanism of each observation are discussed and explained. It is shown that these phenomena caused by the HF heating are all ascribed directly or indirectly to the excitation of parametric instabilities which instigate anomalous heating. Formulation and analysis of parametric instabilities are presented. The results show that oscillating two stream instability and parametric decay instability can be excited by the O-mode HF heater waves, transmitted from all three heating facilities, in the regions near the HF reflection height and near the upper hybrid resonance layer. The excited Langmuir waves, upper hybrid waves, ion acoustic waves, lower hybrid waves, and field-aligned density irregularities set off subsequent wave-wave and wave-electron interactions, giving rise to the observed phenomena.
A Failure of Imagination: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and International Security

This article analyzes recent advances in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology and draws three conclusions. First, conventional military forces are highly vulnerable to armed UAVs. A small force of UAVs could decimate entire divisions of soldiers, armor, and artillery, eliminate the ability to resupply and sustain armies in the field, destroy all aircraft in a given theater, and put Nimitz-class carriers out of action. Second, urban population centers are highly vulnerable to UAVs controlled by terrorists. Third, enormous cost savings could be achieved by replacing highly vulnerable and expensive weapon systems with UAVs.
AphasiaBank: Methods for Studying Discourse.

Background: AphasiaBank is a computerised database of interviews between persons with aphasia (PWAs) and clinicians. By February 2011 the database had grown to include 145 PWAs and 126 controls from 12 sites across the United States. The data and related analysis programs are available free over the web. Aims: The overall goal of AphasiaBank is the construction of a system for accumulating and sharing data on language usage by PWAs. To achieve this goal we have developed a standard elicitation protocol, and systematic automatic and manual methods for transcription, coding, and analysis. Methods & Procedures: We present sample analyses of transcripts from the retelling of the Cinderella story. These analyses illustrate the application of our methods for the study of phonological, lexical, semantic, morphological, syntactic, temporal, prosodic, gestural, and discourse features. Outcomes & Results: AphasiaBank will allow researchers access to a large, shared database that can facilitate hypothesis testing an...
THYROID-OVARIAN RELATIONS IV. EFFECT OF INTERMITTENT AND CONTINUOUS INJECTIONS OF ESTRONE ON HYPOPHYSEAL WEIGHT IN THYROHYPERPLASTIC ALBINO RATS1

IN A PRELIMINARY REPORT (1) dealing with the action of estrone on breast and genital tissues it was stated that large doses of estrone increased pituitary weight. This phenomenon, first described by Hohlweg (a) for normal rats, was subsequently confirmed by various investigators (3–7). Following publication of the report referred to it was discovered that certain dietary alterations had produced a thyroid hyperplasia in the animals used in this experiment. Further studies indicated that the presence of this condition had altered the response of the thyroid and ovaries to changes in the estrogen levels. It was demonstrated (8) that thyroid hyperplasia was affected neither by castration alone nor by the administration of estrone2 to castrates and non-Castrates. However, castration with subsequent progesterone replacement resulted in a decrease of the hyperplastic state. This morphologic change was accompanied by a corresponding decrease in weight (9). It also was shown that 400-day-old sexually intact rats ...
Real films to believe in: Richard Broadman

Karilyn Crockett, American Studies Program, Yale University Richard Broadman's documentary films are a revelation. They make visible the people and processes essential to modern American life while...
Comparison of a videotape instructional program with a traditional lecture series for medical student emergency medicine teaching

An emergency medicine faculty has reported that the use of the videotape medium for presenting curricular material to medical students is both cost effective and well suited to the educational milieu of the emergency department. In order to compare the effectiveness of videotape instruction with that of a traditional lecture, groups of students received instruction in one topic by videotape and in another topic by lecture. The students' retention of material was tested by a multiple-choice examination administered ten days later. The students scored 76.1% (683 of 898 questions) on material taught by lecture and 76.2% (673 of 883 questions) on material taught by videotape (P > 0.7). We conclude that videotape instruction is as effective an educational tool as the traditional lecture for an emergency medicine course.
Exact analytical solutions for free vibrations of thick sectorial plates with simply supported radial edges

Abstract The first known exact analytical solutions are derived for the free vibrations of thick (Mindlin) sectorial plates having simply supported radial edges and arbitrary conditions along the circular edge. The general solutions to the Mindlin differential equations of motion contain noninteger order ordinary and modified Bessel functions of the first and second kinds, and six arbitrary constants of integration. By exercising a careful limiting process, three regularity conditions at the vertex of the radial edges are invoked to yield three equations of constraint among the six constants for sector angles exceeding 180° (re-entrant corners). Three additional linearly independent equations among the six constants are obtained by satisfying the three boundary conditions along the circular edge. Frequency determinant equations are derived for Mindlin sectorial plates with circular boundaries which are clamped, simply supported, or free. Nondimensional frequency parameters are presented for over a wide range of salient and re-entrant sector angles (30° ⩽ α ⩽ 360°), and thickness-to-radius ratios of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4. Frequency results obtained for Mindlin sectorial plates are compared to those determined for classically thin sectorial plates, and the results are found to be considerably different than those derived from thin plate theory, particularly for the fundamental frequencies of plates having sector angles slightly greater than 180° when the circular boundary is free. The frequencies for 360° sectorial plates (i.e. circular plates having a hinged crack) are compared with those for complete circular ones.
Auger and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic and electrochemical characterization of titanium thin film electrodes

Abstract Auger (AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) characterizations of electrochemically oxidized titanium are described. Surface oxides on thin (200–250 A) vacuum deposited titanium films were formed under conditions of linear potential scan in 1 N KClO4, 1 N HClO4 and 1 N H2SO4. Current/voltage, capacitance/voltage and surface conductance/voltage relationships confirmed the irreversible formation of the surface oxide at thickness of 20–30 A/V, for low applied potentials. Post moretem analysis of the thin films by AES and XPS indicated a mixture of metal and metal oxides (TiO2, Ti2O3, TiO) on each surface, with the higher oxide states predominating on the electrochemically oxidized films. Observation of the LIIIM2,3M4,5, N(E) signal shape in the Auger spectra of the potentially oxidized oxidized films showed a suboxide TiO-like surface rather than an TiO2 surface state. Deconvolution of the Ti (2 p 1 2 , 3 2 ) XPS spectra confirmed the coexistence of multiple oxidation states of Ti during electrochemical or atmospheric oxidation of the films. Ion sputtering of each surface was used to characterize the subsurface metal/metal oxide composition and to correlate the oxygen to metal atomic ratio with electrochemical pretreatment.
A counterfactual p-value approach for benefit-risk assessment in clinical trials.

Clinical trials generally allow various efficacy and safety outcomes to be collected for health interventions. Benefit-risk assessment is an important issue when evaluating a new drug. Currently, there is a lack of standardized and validated benefit-risk assessment approaches in drug development due to various challenges. To quantify benefits and risks, we propose a counterfactual p-value (CP) approach. Our approach considers a spectrum of weights for weighting benefit-risk values and computes the extreme probabilities of observing the weighted benefit-risk value in one treatment group as if patients were treated in the other treatment group. The proposed approach is applicable to single benefit and single risk outcome as well as multiple benefit and risk outcomes assessment. In addition, the prior information in the weight schemes relevant to the importance of outcomes can be incorporated in the approach. The proposed CPs plot is intuitive with a visualized weight pattern. The average area under CP and p...
Internal wire fixation of facial fractures; a fifteen-year follow-up report.

Summary This report is presented to re-emphasize a method of treatment of facial fractures which we have used routinely for the past fifteen years. Results have proved that this is the ideal method of management of facial fractures. With the advent of new antibiotics, the incidence of complications has been further reduced.
Metastable decompositions of cyclopentanol ions and [C5H10O]+˙ ions with the oxygen on the first carbon

Ionized cyclopentanol and [C5H10O]+˙ ions with the oxygen on the first carbon lose methyl, ethylene, ethyl, ethane and water in their metastable decompositions. We show by collisionally activated decompositions of the products that the losses of ethyl form CH3CH2CO+, the losses of ethylene form , and the losses of methyl probably yield . Deuterium labeling indicates that ethyl loss from ionized cyclopentanol occurs following α-cleavage of the ring, isomerization to the enol isomer of ionized n-pentanal and subsequent isomerization to the 3-pentanone ion.
Understanding Person-Centered Therapy A review of Paul Wilkins' Person-Centred Therapy in Focus / Personzentrierte Therapie verstehen Comprendiendo a la terapia centrada en la persona

Abstract Person-Centred Therapy in Focus by Paul Wilkins addresses common criticisms of person-centered therapy. These include criticisms having to do with issues of culture and difference; that person-centered theory has no theory of development; that the core relationship conditions are not ‘necessary and sufficient’ for therapeutic change—more is needed, such as techniques and interventions; that non-directivity is a fiction; that there is no theory of psychopathology; and that person-centered therapists are sloppy about boundaries. Wilkins fairly reviews and evaluates the controversies. He usually does not provide closure on any issue; rather, he writes to invite thought on the part of the reader.
Powering the cellphone revolution: findings from mobile phone charging trials in off-grid Kenya

Can human-powered devices solve the electricity gap for the millions of rural Africans adopting mobile phones? Findings from our long-term evaluation of two personal crank-based charging systems in Kenya reveal that small hand and leg-powered devices do have potential to meet the needs of rural mobile phone users. Unfortunately, device breakage, theft and incompatibility with handsets, coupled with lack of consumer credit and poorly functioning markets for these goods mean these represent only a partial solution to the mobile phone charging problem. Drawing from our fieldwork, we motivate a HCI4D/ICTD design and evaluation agenda that better accounts for unique individuals' geographic, financial, and economic circumstances or their human computer ecosystem. Key strategies for implementing this agenda are engaging with diverse users on their own terms and conducting long-term qualitative evaluations to reveal how acceptance and usability change over time.