cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Bayes empirical-Bayes model for software reliability

The authors present a model for the behavior of software failures. Their model fits into the general framework of empirical Bayes problems; however, they take a proper Bayes approach for inference by viewing the situation as a Bayes empirical-Bayes problem. An approximation due to D.V. Lindley (1980) plays a central role in the analysis. They show that the Littlewood-Verall model (1973) is an empirical Bayes model and discuss a fully Bayes analysis of it using the Bayes empirical-Bayes setup. Finally, they apply both models to some actual software failure data and compare their predictive performance. >
Prevention of CO2 laser—Induced endotracheal tube fires with the laser-guard protective coating

Abstract Study Objective : To determine how well Laser-Guard protects polyvinyl chloride (PVC) endotracheal tubes from the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) laser. Design : Bare and Laser-Guard-protected PVC endotracheal tubes were tested with 5 L/min of oxygen (Oz) passing through them. Setting : Research laboratory of a university-affiliated metropolitan medical center. Interventions : After moistening the Laser-Guard-protected endotracheal tubes, we subjected the tubes to CO 2 laser radiation at 10 and 70 watts until combustion occurred or 60 seconds had elapsed. Measurements and Main Results : The bare PVC tube ignited and a "blowtorch" fire occurred after 3 seconds of CO 2 laser use at 70 watts. The moistened Laser-Guard-protected PVC endotracheal tubes were not significantly damaged by 1 minute of laser use at 70 watts. Conclusions : Laser-Guard protects the shafts of combustible PVC endotracheal tubes from direct, high-power, continuous CO 2 laser radiation.
Using Gossip for Dynamic Resource Discovery

Resource discovery is the process of locating shared resources on a computer network. Previously studied examples include efficiently finding files with a given title on a file sharing system. New developments in the application of networked computers raise the issue of dynamic resource discovery, the process of locating shared resources that are always changing. An example application is peer-to-peer computing, where a user wishes to locate idle CPU time anywhere on the network. Peer-to-peer computing is an exciting new computing paradigm. There are vast amounts of idle CPU resources scattered through the globe. We envision a peer-to-peer system to harness those resources, where every member of the network can both share their own CPU and utilize others? CPUs. In a network of hundreds of thousands of computers, resource discovery will play an important role. To avoid debilitating amounts of excess network traffic it is imperative that an efficient resource discovery algorithm be chosen. This paper?s contribution to this topic is the use of gossip to reduce network traffic without sacrificing effectiveness. This project has investigated piggybacking gossip messages on other communications to increase the intelligence of searching protocols. The overhead of piggybacking the small amount of data needed is very small, and a case study by simulation shows that it can reduce network traffic by 71-84 percent.
Defect clusters in multicrystalline silicon: Their nature and influence on the solar cell performance

This paper presents theoretical and experimental results of our studies to determine the performance limitations set by defect clusters (DCs) in multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) solar cells. DCs in mc-Si wafers are manifested as spatially localized, large regions of high dislocation density, around grains of certain preferred orientations. The presence of DCs strongly influences material properties and cell performance. The objective of our comprehensive study is to understand their nature, influence on cell performance, and to assess the performance improvement that can be realized if the influence of DCs can be eliminated. The effect of grain orientation on the defect density is also investigated. Finally, we explore possibilities of eliminating the formation of DCs during crystal growth or treating them during cell processing to minimize their electronic influence.
Effect of Backrest Elevation on the Development of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

• BACKGROUND Ventilator-associated pneumonia is a common complication of mechanical ventilation. Backrest position and time spent supine are critical risk factors for aspiration, increasing the risk for pneumonia. Empirical evidence of the effect of backrest positions on the incidence of ventilatorassociated pneumonia, especially during mechanical ventilation over time, is limited. • OBJECTIVE To describe the relationship between backrest elevation and development of ventilatorassociated pneumonia. • METHODS A nonexperimental, longitudinal, descriptive design was used. The Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score was used to determine ventilator-associated pneumonia. Backrest elevation was measured continuously with a transducer system. Data were obtained from laboratory results and medical records from the start of mechanical ventilation up to 7 days. • RESULTS Sixty-six subjects were monitored (276 patient days). Mean backrest elevation for the entire study period was 21.7o. Backrest elevations were less than 30o 72% of the time and less than 10o 39% of the time. The mean Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score increased but not significantly, and backrest elevation had no direct effect on mean scores. A model for predicting the Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score at day 4 included baseline score, percentage of time spent at less than 30o on study day 1, and score on the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, explaining 81% of the variability (F=7.31, P=.003). • CONCLUSIONS Subjects spent the majority of the time at backrest elevations less than 30o. Only the combination of early, low backrest elevation and severity of illness affected the incidence of ventilatorassociated pneumonia. (American Journal of Critical Care. 2005;14:325-333)
Fabrication of a complex-shaped mirror by arranging silicon mirror elements

We propose a method for the fabrication of the mirror elements that compose the complex-shaped fly-eye mirrors for use in an extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) system. In this method, silicon blocks are polished to have a spherical shape and smoothness, from which the mirror elements are cut out by wire electrical discharge machining. Thus, this method enables more effective fabrication of the mirror elements than the method proposed previously. To evaluate the effectiveness of the present method, the mirror elements having a flat reflective surface are fabricated as a preliminary experiment. The resultant mirror elements have highly accurate and smooth surfaces, although they have a unique shape compared to that of general optics. Moreover, to construct the fly-eye mirror, we propose a method for arranging the mirror elements, in which mirror elements are fixed to a base plate containing magnets. This allows the accurate arrangement of all the reflective surfaces relative to the base plate. To enable their attraction to the magnets, the bottom of the silicon mirror elements is plated with metal. Experiments confirm the mirror elements are accurately arranged. Thus, we demonstrate that the proposed methods are useful in realizing the fly-eye mirror.
Climate Discrepancy: Refining the Concepts of Psychological and Organizational Climate

Most climate research has emphasized either psychological or organizational climate without addressing the conceptual and empirical relationships between these concepts. This research e-xamined the performance and satisfaction correlates of discrepancies between individuals' psychological climates and the multiple aggregate organizational climates present in their work settings. Climate discrepancy was found to be the better predictor of work satisfaction, whereas membership in aggregate organization climates was the better predictor of job performance. Organization climates were identified on the basis of similarity of multidimensional psychological climate scores using hierarchical and nonhierarchical clustering methods. The implications of thesefindingsfor refining the concepts of psychological and organizational climate are discussed.
Permeability–selectivity analysis for ultrafiltration: Effect of pore geometry

The effects of pore size on the performance of ultrafiltration membranes are fairly well understood, but there is currently no information on the impact of pore geometry on the trade-off between the selectivity and permeability for membranes with pore size below 100 nm. Experimental data are presented for both commercial ultrafiltration membranes and for novel silicon membranes having slit-shaped nanopores of uniform size fabricated by photolithography using a sacrificial oxide technique. Data are compared with theoretical calculations based on available hydrodynamic models for solute and solvent transport through membranes composed of a parallel array of either cylindrical or slit-shaped pores. The results clearly demonstrate that membranes with slit-shaped pores have higher performance, i.e., greater selectivity at a given value of the permeability, than membranes with cylindrical pores. Theoretical calculations indicate that this improved performance becomes much less pronounced as the breadth of the pore size distribution increases. These results provide new insights into the effects of pore geometry on the performance of ultrafiltration membranes.
On the Optimality of the Simple Bayesian Classifier under Zero-One Loss

The simple Bayesian classifier is known to be optimal when attributes are independent given the class, but the question of whether other sufficient conditions for its optimality exist has so far not been explored. Empirical results showing that it performs surprisingly well in many domains containing clear attribute dependences suggest that the answer to this question may be positive. This article shows that, although the Bayesian classifier‘s probability estimates are only optimal under quadratic loss if the independence assumption holds, the classifier itself can be optimal under zero-one loss (misclassification rate) even when this assumption is violated by a wide margin. The region of quadratic-loss optimality of the Bayesian classifier is in fact a second-order infinitesimal fraction of the region of zero-one optimality. This implies that the Bayesian classifier has a much greater range of applicability than previously thought. For example, in this article it is shown to be optimal for learning conjunctions and disjunctions, even though they violate the independence assumption. Further, studies in artificial domains show that it will often outperform more powerful classifiers for common training set sizes and numbers of attributes, even if its bias is a priori much less appropriate to the domain. This article‘s results also imply that detecting attribute dependence is not necessarily the best way to extend the Bayesian classifier, and this is also verified empirically.
Exact representations from feed-forward networks

We present an algorithm to extract representations from multiple hidden layer, multiple output feedforward perceptron threshold networks. The representation is based on polytopic decision regions in the input space and is exact not an approximation like most other network analysis methods. Multiple examples show some of the knowledge that can be extracted from networks by using this algorithm, including the geometrical form of artifacts and bad generalization. We compare threshold and sigmoidal networks with respect to the expressiveness of their decision regions, and also prove lower bounds for any algorithm which extracts decision regions from arbitrary neural networks.
Anterior Chamber-Associated Immune Deviation

The eye possesses a critical method of self-preservation in response to intraocular antigen presentation. Instead of conventional immunity by means of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), the eye participates in a systemic immune response involving the thymus and spleen, ultimately leading to suppression of cell-mediated (T helper 1) immunity. The immune response begins with intraocular capture of antigen by specialized ocular antigen-presenting cells (APCs). These activated APCs then migrate preferentially to the marginal zone of the spleen, where they become part of an intricate and highly specific cluster of immune cells. The end result is the emergence of a population of antigen-specific T-regulatory lymphocytes that return to the eye and suppress DTH.
Getting in Under the Radar A Dyadic View of Invisible Support

There are many ways in which the provision of social support can be ineffective. Recent research suggests that the benefits of support may be maximized when it is provided invisibly. What remains unknown, however, is whether invisible support reflects the skillful behavior of support providers or recipients' blissful unawareness, as well as how invisible support is delivered during spontaneous social interactions. We hypothesized that both providers' skillful behavior and recipients' unawareness are necessary for invisible support to be effective, and we sought to document what effective invisible support looks like. Eighty-five couples engaged in a videotaped support interaction in the lab. Support recipients whose partners provided more invisible practical and emotional support (coded by observers) but who reported receiving less support experienced the largest preinteraction-to-postinteraction declines in negative emotions. In the case of practical invisible support, the combination of more support and less awareness of that support also predicted increases in self-efficacy. These results indicate that invisible support is a dyadic phenomenon.
Recovery from glucocorticoid inhibition of the responses to corticotrophin-releasing hormone.

SUMMARY We have characterized the recovery of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis from inhibition by short-term prednisolone administration. Predni-solone was given in a dosage averaging 25 mg at 12 h intervals orally for up to 2 weeks to adult volunteers. Human corticotrophin releasing hormone (hCRH) tests were performed at 0901 h using a bolus injection of 1 μg/kg before and 24–48 h after discontinuing the prednisolone. In the initial control study, hCRH stimulated a two-fold rise in plasma ACTH and a 30% rise in plasma cortisol within 30 min (ACTH rose from 18.5 ± 4.5, SEM, pg/ml to 36.5 ± 12.6 pg/ml and cortisol from 415 ± 58 to 531 ± 69 nmol/l in response to hCRH. One dose of prednisolone had no effect on the ACTH or cortisol response to hCRH administered 24 h later. Twenty-four hours after discontinuing a 1 week course of prednisolone, baseline plasma ACTH (3.9 ± 0.6 pg/ml) and cortisol (146 ± 17 nmol/l) were markedly suppressed, as was the cortisol response to hCRH (peak 198 ± 22). However, the plasma ACTH response to hCRH was not significantly suppressed. Forty-eight hours after discontinuing prednisolone, the recovery of ACTH secretion was complete (baseline 10.9 ± 4.2, peak 36.4 ± 14.8 pg/ml), but the cortisol response to hCRH was still depressed (peak 294±66 nmol/l). Recovery from a 2 week course of prednisolone had similar characteristics except plasma cortisol was depressed more profoundly. Plasma dehydroepian-drosterone (DHA) during hCRH tests and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHAS) paralleled plasma cortisol. We interpret these data to suggest that the sequence of recovery from 1 to 2 weeks of glucocorticoid inhibition is characterized first by return to normal of ACTH secretion, followed by sequential returns to normal of CRH and adrenal steroid secretion. During recovery from this relatively short course of glucocorticoids, the events reported to be characteristic of withdrawal from chronic glucocorticoid therapy appear to occur in foreshortened sequence.
The Study and Use of Policy Research in State Legislatures

The literature on knowledge utilization generally reveals limited use of social science research in policymaking, and the proliferation of information sources and access suggests further erosion of traditional sources of expertise. However, many studies of knowledge utilization assess whether policymakers consider written research- articles, books, reports - in reaching decisions. This emphasis on the written research product neglects an important vehicle for transmitting research to policymakers: the researchers themselves and their intermediaries. I argue that social science and policy research do influence public policymaking, yet the influence of research is mediated through think tanks and other boundary individuals and organizations that digest and transmit information to policymakers. Scholars studying research utilization should recognize the importance of people apart from written research, and scholars hoping to influence policymaking should recognize that publications alone are unlikely to sway...
Sequence and timing of conditions on early Mars

The geological record of early Mars displays a variety of features that indicate fundamental differences from more recent conditions. These include evidence for: (1) widespread aqueous alteration and phyllosilicate formation, (2) the existence of an active magnetic dynamo, (3) the erosion of extensive valley networks, some thousands of kilometers long, (4) a much more significant role of impact cratering, forming structures up to the scale of large basins, and (5) the construction of much of the Tharsis volcanic province. Mars also is likely to have had a much thicker atmosphere during this early period. We discuss and review the temporal relationships among these processes and conditions. Key observations from this analysis suggest the following: (1) the last large impact basins, Argyre, Isidis, and Hellas, all pre-date the end of valley network formation, potentially by several hundred million years, (2) the magnetic dynamo is likely to be ancient (pre-Hellas), since the center of Hellas and other young basins lack magnetic remanence, and (3) the period of phyllosilicate formation is not readily connected to the period of valley network formation. Concepts for the possible formation and evolution of life on Mars should address this time sequence of conditions.
Immobilizing affinity proteins to nitrocellulose: a toolbox for paper-based assay developers

To enable enhanced paper-based diagnostics with improved detection capabilities, new methods are needed to immobilize affinity reagents to porous substrates, especially for capture molecules other than IgG. To this end, we have developed and characterized three novel methods for immobilizing protein-based affinity reagents to nitrocellulose membranes. We have demonstrated these methods using recombinant affinity proteins for the influenza surface protein hemagglutinin, leveraging the customizability of these recombinant "flu binders" for the design of features for immobilization. The three approaches shown are: (1) covalent attachment of thiolated affinity protein to an epoxide-functionalized nitrocellulose membrane, (2) attachment of biotinylated affinity protein through a nitrocellulose-binding streptavidin anchor protein, and (3) fusion of affinity protein to a novel nitrocellulose-binding anchor protein for direct coupling and immobilization. We also characterized the use of direct adsorption for the flu binders, as a point of comparison and motivation for these novel methods. Finally, we demonstrated that these novel methods can provide improved performance to an influenza hemagglutinin assay, compared to a traditional antibody-based capture system. Taken together, this work advances the toolkit available for the development of next-generation paper-based diagnostics.
Comparative transcriptomes between viviparous1 and wildtype maize developing endosperms in response to water deficit

Abstract Maize kernel development is particularly sensitive to water stress at the early post-pollination phase. Endosperm plays an essential role in support of embryo development and represents the bulk of carbohydrate storage in the kernel. In the present study, we compared transcriptomes of developing maize endosperms between an ABA-insensitive mutant, viviparous1 (vp1), and wild type (wt) under water deficit. A total of 122 and 164 transcripts were significantly affected by water deficit in vp1 and wt, respectively. Transcript profiles indicated that the Vp1 transcription factor contributed to regulation in response to water stress at early stages of maize endosperm development. Genes involved in transcriptional regulation and signal transduction were particularly dependent on presence of a functional Vp1 allele, as 83% the stress-affected genes in these categories were up-regulated by water stress in the wt, but only 34% were up-regulated in the mutant. This suggests that the loss of ABA sensitivity altered signaling networks in response to water deficit such that the mutant was unable to up-regulate the expression of many genes that normally play regulatory roles. Thus, the Vp1 gene plays a role in regulating transcript expression in maize endosperm development in response to water deficit, and this regulation is likely modulated via ABA signaling pathway.
Global Assimilation of Multiangle and Multipolarization SMOS Brightness Temperature Observations into the GEOS-5 Catchment Land Surface Model for Soil Moisture Estimation

AbstractMultiangle and multipolarization L-band microwave observations from the Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission are assimilated into the Goddard Earth Observing System Model, version 5 (GEOS-5), using a spatially distributed ensemble Kalman filter. A variant of this system is also used for the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Level 4 soil moisture product. The assimilation involves a forward simulation of brightness temperatures (Tb) for various incidence angles and polarizations and an inversion of the differences between Tb forecasts and observations into updates to modeled surface and root-zone soil moisture, as well as surface soil temperature. With SMOS Tb assimilation, the unbiased root-mean-square difference between simulations and gridcell-scale in situ measurements in a few U.S. watersheds during the period from 1 July 2010 to 1 July 2014 is 0.034 m3 m−3 for both surface and root-zone soil moisture. A validation against gridcell-scale measurements and point-scale measurements from ...
Pregnancy among women with physical disabilities: Unmet needs and recommendations on navigating pregnancy.

Background Despite concerns raised in the literature on the adverse pregnancy outcomes of women with physical disabilities, there is little information about unmet needs of women with physical disabilities during pregnancy and childbirth. Objective This article provides an in-depth examination of unmet health care needs during and around the time of pregnancy among a sample of women with physical disabilities. It also offers recommendations to other women with physical disabilities who are considering pregnancy. Methods Twenty-five phone interviews were conducted with women with physical disabilities from across the United States who had a baby in the past ten years. Individual semi-structured qualitative interviews lasting about 2 h were conducted. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using an iterative, interpretive process. Results Women reported a wide range of disabling conditions. Analysis revealed three broad themes related to unmet needs during pregnancy among women with physical disabilities. They included (1) clinician knowledge and attitudes, (2) physical accessibility of health care facilities and equipment, (3) need for information related to pregnancy and postpartum supports. The women also provided recommendations to other women with disabilities who are currently pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant. Recommendations related to finding a clinician one trusts, seeking peer support, self-advocating, and preparing oneself for the baby. Conclusions This study sheds light on the unmet needs and barriers to care of women with mobility disabilities during pregnancy and childbirth. The study findings highlight the need for policy and practice recommendations for perinatal care of women with mobility disabilities.
Debunking the instant messaging myth

Overall, IM-ing does not significantly affect work performance.Data appear to show IM-ers type faster to compensate for lost time due to IM-ing.No significant difference in completion time to type a post-hoc character number.No significant differences when examining cumulative effects of 18 IM exchanges.Separation of work and personal IMs demonstrated no performance differences. Instant messaging is a beneficial tool in the workplace that aids communication and decision-making, yet it's widely accepted that productivity suffers due to frequent interruptions. Previous research conducted with surveys and atypical IM interactions support such claims; however, prior research demonstrated with a systematic study and behavioral measures that IM-ing is not detrimental to quality and timeliness of work. The current study expands the research literature by examining the effects of frequent IM-ing on productivity, quality of work, and time on-task in a laboratory setting. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and independent samples t-tests for group and IM type. Data demonstrated little performance differences between those who received IMs and those who did not. This research appears to suggest that IM-ing has some impact on overall task completion time but IM-ers productivity time was faster. Therefore, it may be more harmful to resort to the commonly held notion that all off-task behavior equates negative effects and unproductive employees. Future directions for researchers and managers are discussed.
Smoking, cessation, and cessation counseling in patients with cancer: A population-based analysis.

Background Smoking is known to be carcinogenic and an important factor in the outcome of cancer treatment. However, to the authors' knowledge, smoking habits and smoking cessation counseling in patients with cancer have been poorly studied. The authors sought to analyze smoking habits among Americans diagnosed with cancer in a nationally representative dataset. Methods The cancer supplement of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) in 2010 was used to obtain information regarding self-reported smoking behavior in a representative sample of the US population. Cancer history, smoking history, quitting behavior, cessation counseling, cessation approaches, and sociodemographic variables were analyzed. Results A total of 27,157 individuals were interviewed for the NHIS in 2010, representing 216,052,891 individuals, 7,058,135 of whom had ever smoked and 13,188,875 of whom had been told that they had cancer. Approximately 51.7% of individuals diagnosed with cancer and who were active smokers reported being counseled to quit smoking by a health professional within the previous 12 months. Cancer survivors were no more likely to quit smoking than individuals in the general population. Those diagnosed with a tobacco-related cancer were found to be no more likely to report quitting smoking than those with other types of cancers. Rates of quitting did not appear to vary based on the type of smoking cessation method used (P = .50). Conclusions Patients with cancer, including those diagnosed with a tobacco-related cancer, do not appear to be more likely to quit smoking than the general population. Only approximately one-half of patients with cancer who smoke are counseled to quit. Smoking cessation in patients with cancer is an important area for intervention and investigation.
Black-White Differences in Inter-Generational Economic Mobility in the U.S.

Traditional measures of inter-generational mobility such as the inter-generational elasticity are not useful for inferences concerning group differences in mobility with respect to the pooled income distribution. This paper uses transition probabilities and measures of “directional rank mobility” that can identify inter-racial differences in inter-generational mobility. The study uses two data sources including one that contains social security earnings for a large inter-generational sample. I find that recent cohorts of blacks are not only significantly less upwardly mobile but also significantly more downwardly mobile than whites. This implies a steady-state distribution in which there is no racial convergence in income. A descriptive analysis using co-variates reveals that test scores in adolescence can explain much of the racial difference in both upward and downward mobility. Family structure can account for some of the racial gap in upward mobility but not downward mobility. Completed schooling and parental wealth also appear to account for some of the racial gaps in inter-generational mobility.
beta-Adrenergic regulation of cholecystokinin secretion in STC-1 cells

Previously, it has been shown that an increase in adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) levels stimulates intestinal secretion of cholecystokinin (CCK); however, the mechanisms for increasing...
A People Blinded from Birth: American History According to Sacvan Bercovitch

For Perry Miller, American Puritanism was a demanding and uncompromising theology. A severe and even terrifying religion, it offered to the eyes of the faithful a dark and searing vision of the fault that lies within. It was a kind of grim poetry, a somber and elegant meditation on the power of blackness. But it was also a redemptive discipline, a way of thinking against ourselves, even of transcending ourselves. And it was an indispensable guide for sojourners in the wilderness, counseling, as it did, perpetual doubt and the good that may come of a broken heart. If it demanded harsh and unrelenting self-interrogation, it also knew the dangerous deceptions of self-reliance; if it reminded us that we are all "strangers and pilgrims on the earth," it also made us see those around us as fellow sufferers.1 It provided a necessary corrective to the pleasing pretensions of American culture, and it gave us our best ideas about what we should value and how we should live. Historical fashions come and go, of course. In our more optimistic moments we think of this coming and going as a process of natural growth, a form of intellectual renewal. We forget that like everything else of value, a particular way of thinking can fall under the wheel of time and be lost forever, that even the most richly imaginative forms of historical reflection can wither and die. Some part of Miller's vision may still survive, but it has been driven into exile. It has become the wandering outcast of professional historiography, its wounding power departed, its redemptive possibilities forgotten, its vision of the past reduced to a patchwork quilt of motley remnants and irrelevant fragments. We no longer think about history the way Miller taught us to think about it. A practiced and developed way of thinking about the American past has been emptied of power, drained of meaning, and finally abandoned. What William Carlos Williams once said of American culture might now be said of Miller's history:
An Algorithmic Approach to Management of Venous Thromboembolism

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Factors such as the presence of transient risk factors for VTE, risk of bleeding, and location of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) determine the duration of anticoagulation. Extended anticoagulation is offered to patients with unprovoked pulmonary embolism (PE) or proximal DVT and a low risk of bleeding. Anticoagulation for 3 months is advised in patients with provoked DVT or PE, high risk of bleeding, and isolated distal or upper extremity DVT. In patients with unprovoked PE or proximal DVT and a low risk of bleeding, who want to stop anticoagulation after 3 months, further risk stratification is necessary. Clinical scoring system, and thrombophilia testing otherwise not routinely performed, may be considered to measure risk of annual recurrence in such cases. Short-term anticoagulation may be considered in subsegmental PE and superficial vein thrombosis, particularly if patients are at low risk of bleeding and have persistent risk factors for recurrent VTE. In cases of catheter-associated thrombosis, the catheter need not be removed routinely, and the patient may be anticoagulated for 3 months or longer if the catheter is maintained in patients with cancer. Extensive screening for occult cancer in cases of unprovoked VTE is not beneficial. New oral anticoagulants such as apixaban, rivaroxaban, or dabigatran may be preferred to vitamin K antagonists in patients without cancer or renal failure, more so after the development of reversal agents such as idarucizumab and andexanet alfa.
Morbidity and mortality associated with rewarming hypothermic very low birth weight infants.

OBJECTIVES In very low birthweight (VLBW) infants, hypothermia is associated with poor outcomes. The goal of this study is to assess the relationship between the rate of rewarming these babies and their outcomes. METHODS This is a retrospective cohort study of 98 inborn VLBW infants who were hypothermic (<36°C rectally) upon admission to the NICU. A logistic regression model was used to examine the relationship between the rates of rewarming and time to achieve euthermia and the following outcomes: death, intraventricular hemorrhage, severe intraventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis and retinopathy of prematurity. RESULTS Prolonged rewarming time was associate with increased odds of mortality (OR 1.273 95% CI 1.032-1.571). No associations between rewarming rates and any of the outcomes were seen. Once birthweight was included in a multiple logistic regression model, the association between mortality and rewarming time was no longer significant. Outcomes that were not associated with either rate or time of rewarming (even in a univariate model) were: bronchopulmonary dysplasia, intraventricular hemorrhage, severe intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis and retinopathy of prematurity. CONCLUSION In moderately hypothermic VLBW infants, after accounting for birthweight, no association between rewarming and outcome is seen.
On the extent of mantle hydration caused by plate bending

When bent at subduction zones, oceanic plates are damaged by normal faulting, and this bending-related faulting is widely believed to cause deep mantle hydration, down to ∼20–30 km deep. The buoyancy of water (or equivalently, confining pressure), however, makes it difficult to bring water down even if faulting is deep. Extension associated with plate bending generates negative dynamic pressure, but the magnitude of such dynamic pressure is shown to be insufficient to overcome confining pressure. Seismic velocity anomalies that have been used to infer the extent of mantle hydration are reviewed, and it is suggested that small crack-like porosities, which can be produced by thermal cracking and further enhanced by bending-related faulting, is sufficient to explain such velocity anomalies. The presence of such porosities, however, does not necessarily lead to the substantial hydration of oceanic plates because of confining pressure. Whereas the depth extent of bending-generated porosities is uncertain, the theory of thermal cracking can be used to place a lower bound on the amount of water contained in the slab mantle (0.03–0.07 wt% H2O), and this lower bound is suggested to be more than sufficient to explain the lower-plane earthquakes of the double seismic zone by dehydration embrittlement.
¿Es Realmente Importante el Género? La Lectura en una Segunda Lengua a Nivel Intermedio

Reading provides L2 learners access to cultural and linguistic information, making it an important part of second language acquisition. At the intermediate-level, learners should have the skills needed to start reading lengthier and more complex texts. However, this is not always the case. This study analyzed the effect of gender on L2 reading comprehension in Spanish at the third semester of instruction in a U. S. university. Two types of assessment were used: multiple choice and written recall. Also, the cognitive strategies used by students to understand the texts provided were evaluated. The statistical analyses revealed a significant difference between female and male participants as to reading comprehension as well as in the cognitive strategy in this process.
Calculation of a permitted daily exposure value for the solvent 2-methyltetrahydrofuran.

Abstract In response to increasing concerns around the potential environmental impact of industrial chemicals, the pharmaceutical industry is seeking alternatives for traditional solvents used during the manufacturing process. Taking into consideration the principles of green chemistry, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) is proposed as a suitable replacement for the structurally similar solvent tetrahydrofuran (THF). 2-MeTHF is derived from renewable sources and is more easily recovered thereby facilitating its reuse. However, 2-MeTHF is currently not included in the International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) Q3C residual solvent guidelines and there is no Permitted Daily Exposure (PDE) limit proposed below which there would be negligible safety concerns for patients exposed to it as a residual impurity in a drug product. To enable the calculation of a PDE, a GLP compliant 3-month repeat-dose oral toxicity study in rats with a 1-month recovery period was conducted with doses of 2-MeTHF of 0, 80, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg/day. Administration of doses of up to 1000 mg/kg/day was tolerated. Based upon minimal observed effects on the liver at ≥500 mg/kg/day, the NOAEL in this study was considered to be 250 mg/kg/day. Inclusion of this NOAEL, and a safety factor of 250 a PDE of 50 mg/day was derived to support the safe use of 2-MeTHF in the pharmaceutical industry.
mGluR2/3 activation of the SIRT1 axis preserves mitochondrial function in diabetic neuropathy.

Objectives There is a critical need to develop effective treatments for diabetic neuropathy. This study determined if a selective mGluR2/3 receptor agonist prevented or treated experimental diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) through glutamate recycling and improved mitochondrial function. Methods Adult male streptozotocin treated Sprague-Dawley rats with features of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) or Low Capacity Running (LCR) rats with insulin resistance or glucose intolerance were treated with 3 or 10 mg/kg/day LY379268. Neuropathy end points included mechanical allodynia, nerve conduction velocities (NCV), and intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD). Markers of oxidative stress, antioxidant response, glutamate recycling pathways, and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) associated proteins were measured in dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Results In diabetic rats, NCV and IENFD were decreased. Diabetic rats treated with an mGluR2/3 agonist did not develop neuropathy despite remaining diabetic. Diabetic DRG showed increased levels of oxidized proteins, decreased levels of glutathione, decreased levels of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and OXPHOS proteins. In addition, there was a 20-fold increase in levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and the levels of glutamine synthetase and glutamate transporter proteins were decreased. When treated with a specific mGluR2/3 agonist, levels of glutathione, GFAP and oxidized proteins were normalized and levels of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), SIRT1, PGC-1α, TFAM, glutamate transporter proteins, and glutamine synthetase were increased in DRG neurons. Interpretation Activation of glutamate recycling pathways protects diabetic DRG and this is associated with activation of the SIRT1-PGC-1α–TFAM axis and preservation of mitochondrial OXPHOS function.
Classifying Language Contact Phenomena: English Verbs in Texas German

While the transfer of English nouns into Texas German has received substantial scholarly attention, there currently exist no detailed studies on the transfer of English verbs into Texas German in particular and German-American dialects in general. This paper therefore discusses English verbs that are code-switched and loan-translated into Texas German from both a synchronic and diachronic perspective, using data collected by the Texas German Dialect Project since 2001. The analysis serves two purposes. The first is to provide an overview of English verbs used by Texas German speakers: how these verbs are integrated into German structures, and whether they have become established in the Texas German lexicon. The second goal is to show how analyzing verbal transfers in contact situations underscores the dynamic, interactive nature of language contact and structure. This part of the analysis is motivated by Backus & Dorleijn’s (2009) discussion of loan translation, which emphasizes that existing classifications of language contact phenomena must be rethought, as many instances of transference are not clearly captured by existing categories. Thus, this study goes beyond a lexical analysis of English verbs in Texas German by discussing how lexical transfer interacts with morphology, semantics, and syntax. *
Vacuum-assisted Closure (Turtle VAC) in the Management of Traumatic Shell Defects in Chelonians

ABSTRACT Wound management is an important and challenging aspect of care in the chelonian patient. Shell injuries are slow to heal and wound management is labor intensive. While shell fractures can be reduced with screws and wire or metal bridging, shell defects exposing underlying soft-tissue are usually treated with wet-to-dry bandages. These bandages need to be changed twice a day and continuous care is generally needed for weeks to months due to the slow healing process of chelonians. Vacuum-assisted closure has been shown to increase the rate of wound healing in humans, and offers an alternative to wet-to-dry bandages. This technique is particularly well suited for use in chelonians. We report the use of vacuum-assisted closure in 13 chelonian patients with traumatic shell defects, where underlying tissue was exposed.
Precarious Sexuality: How Men and Women Are Differentially Categorized for Similar Sexual Behavior:

Are men and women categorized differently for similar sexual behavior? Building on theories of gender, sexuality, and status, we introduce the concept of precarious sexuality to suggest that men’s—...
Does rural development aid reduce international migration

Abstract In recent years, interest has emerged in policy circles and among academics about the use of foreign aid to reduce international migration. Scholars have investigated this aid-migration nexus, but results have been mixed and questions remain. This paper contributes to the literature by comparing the effects of rural and urban development aid on international migration. Specifically, we hypothesize that while increases in rural development aid to developing countries reduce emigration from those countries, greater urban aid produces the opposite effect – higher rates of emigration. These hypotheses are informed by two theoretical mechanisms. The first mechanism focuses on the divergent preferences of rural and urban populations regarding emigration. Aid targeting these respective populations provides each with resources to follow through on their migratory ambitions, or lack thereof. The second mechanism focuses on contrasting impacts of rural and urban aid on agricultural sector development and the effects of this sort of development on emigration. We analyze cross-national time series data to test our hypotheses regarding rural and urban development aid, finding that countries that receive larger amounts of rural development aid have lower emigration rates. Then we turn to survey data from the Arab Barometer to assess whether the attitudes of survey respondents match our theorized mechanisms. Results from survey data suggest that investments in agricultural sector capacity building will lead to reductions in emigration from developing countries; however, these findings do not indicate that rural and urban populations differ in terms of their desire to emigrate.
Pathways to Power in Presidential Cabinets: What are the Norms for Different Cabinet Portfolios and Do Female Appointees Conform to the Norm? A Study of 5 Presidential Democracies

This paper is part of a larger project that explores pathways to different types of cabinet posts in presidential democracies drawing on a study of all cabinet ministers in the 2-3 most recent presidential cabinets in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and the United States. In particular, in this paper we assess minister's backgrounds to determine whether there is evidence of a gendered nature to cabinet appointments when the data come from a comparative study of several presidential countries. We analyze data about political experience, education and career backgrounds, and interest group connections of cabinet ministers, plus whether ministers have experience related to their portfolio. We begin by presenting findings with respect to gender for individual traits of ministers and portfolio expertise, followed by multivariate analysis to determine traits that correlate with appointment to portfolios in “masculine,” “feminine,” and unclassifiable policy domains. We then present mini-bios of pairs of female and male ministers in “masculine domain” posts to compare credentials in greater detail. Based on individual traits, for the dataset overall, female ministers are generally similar to male ministers; but the traits where differences occur are traits typically associated with appointment to masculine domain posts which is consistent with social control theory. Therefore, we conclude that at this point in time there is a gendered nature to appointments to some portfolios in the cabinet.
Human immunodeficiency virus 2 retropepsin

Publisher Summary This chapter elaborates the structural chemistry and the biological aspects of human immunodeficiency virus 2 retropepsin (HIV-2 retrospin) more commonly known as HIV-2 proteinase. HIV-2 retropepsin has been prepared by expression in bacterial and yeast recombinant systems, and by chemical synthesis. The protein from either source can be purified by gel filtration and refolded by dilution from GuHCl solutions into a buffer of pH 5.5–7.5. Final purification can be achieved by an additional gel filtration step. A number of chromogenic or fluorescent substrates are available for a routine assay of HIV-2 retropepsin. The type 2 enzyme cleaves the same substrates as HTV-1, although frequently at slightly reduced rates. The optimal pH range for activity assays is pH 4.5–5.5. If HIV-2 protease is oxidized, Met76 and Met95 are converted to methionine sulfoxide, and activity is completely abolished; activity is partly restored by methionine sulfoxide reductase. Residues 31–37 are important in determining enzyme specificity.
ABOUT A SOLAR HYDROGEN ECONOMY

The part which energy plays in our lives, particularly in respect to living standards, are outlined. The limitations of the fossil fuels left in the ground are stated, and the relation to future living standards in technologically advanced countries is shown in diagram form. The time needed to develop new technology is discussed. The possibilities of safe and efficient atomic reactors are outlined. The position of fusion is briefly touched upon. Solar energy is the most abundant source. Facts are given. The conversion of solar energy to use for fuels is outlined in respect to photovoltaics, ocean thermal energy gradients and the power tower method. Household energy from the sun, electricity from solar energy, energy storage and transmission in hydrogen, are treated. How may this energy be stored? Storage in hydrogen may allow its transmission and use. Factors which will affect transition to a solar-hydrogen economy are discussed.