cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cost-effectiveness of implantable ventricular assist devices in older children with stable, inotrope-dependent dilated cardiomyopathy

Background In a stable, inotrope-dependent pediatric patient with dilated cardiomyopathy, we evaluated the cost-effectiveness of continuous-flow VAD implantation compared to a watchful waiting approach using chronic inotropic therapy. Methods We used a state-transition model to estimate the costs and outcomes of 14-year-old (INTERMACS profile 3) patients receiving either VAD or watchful waiting. We measured benefits in terms of lifetime QALYs gained. Model inputs were taken from the literature. We calculated the ICER, or the cost per additional QALY gained, of VADs and performed multiple sensitivity analyses to test how our assumptions influenced the results. Results Compared to watchful waiting, VADs produce 0.97 more QALYs for an additional $156 639, leading to an ICER of $162 123 per QALY gained from a healthcare perspective. VADs have 17% chance of being cost-effective given a cost-effectiveness threshold of $100 000 per QALY gained. Sensitivity analyses suggest that VADs can be cost-effective if the costs of implantation decrease or if hospitalization costs or mortality among watchful waiting patients is higher. Conclusions As a bridge to transplant, VADs provide a health benefit to children who develop stable, inotrope-dependent heart failure, but immediate implantation is not yet a cost-effective strategy compared to watchful waiting based on commonly used cost-effectiveness thresholds. Early VAD support can be cost-effective in sicker patients and if device implantation is cheaper. In complex conditions such as pediatric heart failure, cost-effectiveness should be just one of many factors that inform clinical decision-making.
Market Entry into the Newly Opened Indian Market: Recent Experiences of U.S. Companies in the Soft drinks Industry

This paper examines the experiences of two U.S. companies which recently entered the Indian soft drinks sector. This review is framed in the context of a detailed profile of the Indian economic liberalization program, its causes and results. Managerial implications for companies in other sectors are drawn regarding mode of entry,choice of local partner, timing of market entry, and size of investment needed to penetrate the Indian market.
The Cambridge Introduction to Tom Stoppard

Tom Stoppard is widely considered to be one of the most important dramatists of contemporary theatre. In this Introduction, William Demastes provides an accessible overview of Stoppard's life and work, exploring all the complexity and variety that makes his drama so unique. Illustrated with images from a diverse range of Stoppard productions, the book provides clear evaluations of his major works, including Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Travesties, Arcadia and The Coast of Utopia, to provide the most up-to-date assessment available. Detailed chapters situate each play in the context of its sources, which include Shakespeare and contemporary existential thought, espionage, quantum physics, chaos theory, romanticism, landscape design, nineteenth-century European intellectual thought and European totalitarianism. The book also includes a section on Stoppard's Academy Award-winning film Shakespeare in Love.
MO-FG-BRA-01: Development of An Image-Guided Dosimetric Planning System for Injectable Brachytherapy Using ELP Nanoparticles

Purpose: To develop, validate, and evaluate a methodology for determining dosimetry for intratumoral injections of elastin-like-polypeptide (ELP) brachytherapy nanoparticles. These organic-polymer-based nanoparticles are injectable, biodegradable, and genetically tunable. We present a genetically encoded polymer-solution, composed of novel radiolabeled-ELP nanoparticles that are custom-designed to self-assemble into a local source upon intratumoral injection. Our preliminary results of a small animal study demonstrate 100% tumor response, effective radionuclide retention-rates, strong in vivo stability, and no polymer-induced toxicities. While our approach is therefore highly promising for improved brachytherapy, the current workflow lacks a dosimetry framework. Methods: We are developing a robust software framework that provides image-guided dosimetric-planning capabilities for ELP brachytherapy. The user graphically places ELP injection sites within a µCT-planning-image, and independently defines each injection volume, concentration, and radioisotope to be used. The resulting internal dosimetry is then pre-determined by first modeling post-injection ELP advection-diffusion, and then calculating the resulting dose distribution based on a point- dose-kernel-convolution algorithm. We have experimentally measured ELP steady-state concentrations via µSPECT acquisition, and validated our dose calculation algorithm against Monte Carlo simulations of several radioactivity distributions. Finally, we have investigated potential advantages and limitations of various ELP injection parameters. Results: The µSPECT results demonstrated inhomogeneous steady-state distributions of ELP in tissue, and Monte Carlo radioactivity distributions were designed accordingly. Our algorithm yielded a root-mean-square-error of less than 2% for each distribution tested (average root-mean-square-error was 0.73%). Dose-Volume-Histogram analysis of five different plans showed how strategic injection placement, and an injection volume-tapering technique, could be used to achieve D95% target coverage. Conclusion: We have preliminarily developed a novel planning framework for ELP brachytherapy. Its dosimetry accuracy has been validated against Monte Carlo, and we have started to investigate the potential advantages of injection-based planning. This system, once fully developed, will serve as the technical foundation for our novel approach.
Antiproliferative Effects of Gastrin Receptor Antagonists and Antibodies to Gastrin on Human Colon Carcinoma Cell Lines

The gastrointestinal hormone gastrin has been shown to stimulate the growth of normal colonic mucosa. To examine for a possible role of gastrin in the proliferation of cultured colon tumor cells, we have studied the effects of two gastrin receptor antagonists, proglumide and benzotript, and of antibodies to gastrin. We find that proglumide (50% effective concentration, 2 to 5 mm) and benzotript (50% effective concentration, 0.4 to 0.8 mm) inhibit the monolayer growth of six human colon cancer cell lines. Addition of exogenous gastrin abrogated the growth-inhibitory effect of proglumide. The anchorage-independent growth of colon carcinoma cells was also inhibited by the two gastrin antagonists. Also, a dose-dependent increase in carcinoembryonic antigen secretion was observed upon treatment with proglumide and benzotript in three cell lines examined. Half-maximal inhibition of labeled gastrin binding was observed at concentrations of 0.4 mm benzotript and 8.6 mm proglumide. In addition, antigastrin antiserum added to HCT 116 cells adapted to growth in serum-free medium resulted in a concentration-dependent inhibition of cellular proliferation. These data suggest that gastrin may function as an autocrine growth factor in colon carcinoma.
Topological Vulnerability Analysis

Traditionally, network administrators rely on labor-intensive processes for tracking network configurations and vulnerabilities. This requires a great deal of expertise, and is error prone because of the complexity of networks and associated security data. The interdependencies of network vulnerabilities make traditional point-wise vulnerability analysis inadequate. We describe a Topological Vulnerability Analysis (TVA) approach that analyzes vulnerability dependencies and shows all possible attack paths into a network. From models of the network vulnerabilities and potential attacker exploits, we compute attack graphs that convey the impact of individual and combined vulnerabilities on overall security. TVA finds potential paths of vulnerability through a network, showing exactly how attackers may penetrate a network. From this, we identify key vulnerabilities and provide strategies for protection of critical network assets.
Acquiring Input for Rendering at Appropriate Levels of Detail: Digitizing a Pietà

We describe the design of a system to augment a light striping camera for three dimensional scanning with a photometric system to capture bump maps and approximate reflectances. In contrast with scanning an object with very high spatial resolution, this allows the relatively efficient and inexpensive acquistion of input for high quality rendering. This system is being used in a project to digitize a Michelangelo Pieta in Florence, Italy.
Apoptosis in leukemias: regulation and therapeutic targeting.

Nearly 25 years after the seminal publication of John Foxton Kerr that first described apoptosis, the process of regulated cell death, our understanding of this basic physiological phenomenon is far from complete [39]. From cardiovascular disease to cancer, apoptosis has assumed a central role with broad ranging therapeutic implications that depend on a complete understanding of the molecular events involved in orchestrating cellular demise. More than 145,301 (as of April 2008) published works on this subject have increased our understanding of this process, yet have also identified an incredibly complex regulatory system that is critical for development and is at the core of many diseases, challenging scientists and clinicians to step into its molecular realm and modulate its circuitry for therapeutic purposes. This chapter will review our understanding of the molecular circuitry that controls apoptosis in leukemia and the pharmacological manipulations of this pathway that may yield therapeutic benefit.
An investigation of myocardial metabolism by means of isotopes. 60Co-vitamin B12-retention capacity of normal and injured myocardium, and its significance. The effect of a heart muscle extract.

Abstract 1. 1. The Vitamin B 12 -retention capacity of the myocardium rapidly diminishes in female rats chronically poisoned with CC1 4 . 2. 2. Animals receiving simultaneously the heart muscle extract Recosen, show a significantly higher ( P 12 retention of the myocardium. 3. 3. The cell organelles (nucleus, mitochondria, microsomes) being vehicles of enzymes, are also tlic site of Vitamin B 12 ; it is therefore concluded that Recosen protects the heart muscle from the toxic action of CCl 4 , thus preventing the decrease of Vitamin B 12 retention, or alternatively promoting regeneration of the enzyme system. In both cases, definite metabolic effects are concerned. 4. 4. The investigations show new possibilities in experimental investigation of the very complicated metabolism of the heart and other organs.
The configuration of the polyoxymethylene chain

The polyoxymethylene chain (POM) is discussed in terms of trans and gauche rotational states and is compared with polyethylene (PE) and poly-(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS). Examination of distances between non-bonded atoms and groups in various conformations suggests dispersion interactions between O and CH2 as being primarily responsible for preference for the gauche states; coulombic interactions also favor the gauche conformation, but should be comparatively small. Gauche rotations of opposite sign in the pair of bonds adjoining a CH2 group are effectively precluded by steric interactions of CH2 groups separated by four bonds. The analogous rotational states about an O atom are probably partially suppressed by Coulombic repulsions, analogous to those operative in PDMS, between two O atoms separated by four bonds. The characteristic ratio 〈;r2〉0/nl2 therefore exceeds its free rotation value despite the preference for the gauche form. A negative temperature coefficient of 0/nl2 is predicted. Die Polyoxymethylen-Kette (POM) wird hinsichtlich ihrer trans- und gauche- Rotations-zustande diskutiert und mit Polyathylen (PE) und Polydimethylsiloxan (PDMS) verglichen. Die Prufung der Abstande zwischen nicht verbundenen Atomen und Atomgruppen in verschiedenen Konformationen weist auf Dispersionskrafte zwischen O und CH2 als hauptverantwortlich fur die Bevorzugung der gauche-Zustande hin: COULOMB-Krafte begunstigen zwar auch die gauche-Konfirmation, aber sie durften verhaltnismasig schwach sein. Gauche-Zustande entgegengesetzten Vorzeichens in dem Bindungspaar, das eine CH2-Gruppe einschliest, werden wirksam durch sterische Krafte verhindert, die CH2-Gruppen aufeinander ausuben, welche durch vier Bindungen voneinander getrennt sind. Die entsprechenden Rotationsabstande in Nachbarschaft eines O-Atoms werden wahrscheinlich teilweise durch COULOMBsche Abstosungskrafte unterdruckt, die – wie beim PDMS – zwischen zwei O-Atomen wirksam sind, welche durch vier Bindungen voneinander getrennt sind. Das charakteristische Verhaltnis 〈r2〉0/nl2 ubertrifft deshalb trotz der Bevorzugung der gauche-Form den Wert fur freie Rotation. Es wird ein negativer Temperaturkoeffizient o/nl2 vorausgesagt.
Woody debris and tree regeneration dynamics following severe wildfires in Arizona ponderosa pine forests

Severe forest fires worldwide leave behind large quantities of dead woody debris and regenerating trees that can affect future ecosystem trajectories. We studied a chronosequence of severe fires in...
Analysis of failures on memories using expert system techniques

An expert system to assist in the diagnosis of failures on VLSI memories is presented. This expert system, using Prolog and implemented on an IBM PS/2, is intended to assist low-skilled people in finding and analyzing the faulty blocks responsible for the failures, as well as the data sheet parameters, which are sensitive. After a review of the requirements which dictated this technical choice, the expert system is described in detail. The level of performance is discussed, along with possible extensions. >
Retinoic acid alters EGF receptor expression during palatogenesis

Various growth factors are necessary for normal embryonic development and EGF receptors are present in developing palatal shelves of embryonic/fetal mice at least from day 12 of gestation. The medial epithelium of the palatal shelf undergoes a series of developmental events which do not occur in the oral and nasal epithelia. In utero and in organ culture, the control palatal medial epithelium shows a developmental decline in EGF receptors, demonstrated both by a decrease in the binding of antibody to EGF receptors and a decrease in the binding of 125I-EGF; decreases which are not observed in cells of the adjacent oral or nasal epithelium. During this period, medial cells cease DNA synthesis and undergo programmed cell death. Medial epithelial cells exposed to all-trans-retinoic acid continue to express EGF receptors, bind EGF, proliferate, fail to undergo programmed cell death and exhibit a morphology typical of nasal cells. The data suggest that this disturbance by retinoic acid of EGF receptor localization and subsequent alterations in differentiation of the epithelial cells plays a role in the retinoic-acid-mediated induction of cleft palate.
Gold nanoparticle integrated with nanostructured carbon and quantum dots: synthesis and optical properties

Multilayer graphene shell encapsulated gold nanoparticle—quantum dot hybrids were derived by combining wet-chemical, thermal, and covalent chemistry approaches. Uniformly patterned gold nanoparticles on a silicon substrate were obtained via gold film deposition in an electroless method followed by a thermal dewetting process. The resulting gold nanoparticles were further surface oxidized and utilized as catalysts for the chemical vapor deposition growth of multilayer graphene shell encapsulated on the gold nanoparticles (referred as “multilayer graphene shell encapsulated Au nanoparticle” or graphene nanoparticles (GNPs)). As a next step, the surface of GNPs was modified to result in carboxylic (−COOH) functionalities, which enabled carbodiimide-based covalent linking of amine-terminated CdS x Se1-x @ZnS quantum dots (QDs) on the GNP surface. The GNPs and GNP-QD heterostructures were characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopy for size, morphology, spatial distribution, and crystal structure evaluation. In addition, UV-vis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and discrete dipole approximation (DDA) modeling were utilized for understanding the band gap energies, fluorescence quenching, and light-matter interactions of the derived hybrids/heterostructures.
On the Existence of the MLE for a Directed Random Graph Network Model with Reciprocation

Holland and Leinhardt (1981) proposed a directed random graph model, the p1 model, to describe dyadic interactions in a social network. In previous work (Petrovic et al., 2010), we studied the algebraic properties of the p1 model and showed that it is a toric model specified by a multi-homogeneous ideal. We conducted an extensive study of the Markov bases for p1 that incorporate explicitly the constraint arising from multi-homogeneity. Here we consider the properties of the corresponding toric variety and relate them to the conditions for the existence of the maximum likelihood and extended maximum likelihood estimators or the model parameters. Our results are directly relevant to the estimation and conditional goodness-of-fit testing problems in p1 models.
The impact of splay faults on fluid flow, solute transport, and pore pressure distribution in subduction zones: A case study offshore the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

Observations of seafloor seeps on the continental slope of many subduction zones illustrate that splay faults represent a primary hydraulic connection to the plate boundary at depth, carry deeply sourced fluids to the seafloor, and are in some cases associated with mud volcanoes. However, the role of these structures in forearc hydrogeology remains poorly quantified. We use a 2-D numerical model that simulates coupled fluid flow and solute transport driven by fluid sources from tectonically driven compaction and smectite transformation to investigate the effects of permeable splay faults on solute transport and pore pressure distribution. We focus on the Nicoya margin of Costa Rica as a case study, where previous modeling and field studies constrain flow rates, thermal structure, and margin geology. In our simulations, splay faults accommodate up to 33% of the total dewatering flux, primarily along faults that outcrop within 25 km of the trench. The distribution and fate of dehydration-derived fluids is strongly dependent on thermal structure, which determines the locus of smectite transformation. In simulations of a cold end-member margin, smectite transformation initiates 30 km from the trench, and 64% of the dehydration-derived fluids are intercepted by splay faults and carried to the middle and upper slope, rather than exiting at the trench. For a warm end-member, smectite transformation initiates 7 km from the trench, and the associated fluids are primarily transmitted to the trench via the decollement (50%), and faults intercept only 21% of these fluids. For a wide range of splay fault permeabilities, simulated fluid pressures are near lithostatic where the faults intersect overlying slope sediments, providing a viable mechanism for the formation of mud volcanoes.
Outcomes of Coronary Stenoses Deferred Revascularization for Borderline Versus Nonborderline Fractional Flow Reserve Values

Current evidence supports deferral of revascularization for lesions with fractional flow reserve (FFR) values >0.80. The natural history after deferral of revascularization of lesions with borderline FFR values is unknown. This study evaluated the outcomes of patients after deferred revascularization of coronary stenoses based on a borderline FFR value. We retrospectively studied 720 patients with 881 intermediate-severity coronary stenoses who underwent FFR assessment from October 2002 to July 2010 and were deferred revascularization. Patients were divided into gray zone (0.75 to 0.80), borderline (0.81 to 0.85), and nonborderline (>0.85) FFR groups. Any subsequent percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting of a deferred stenosis during follow-up was classified as a deferred lesion intervention (DLI). Patient and/or lesion characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared between the FFR groups using univariate and propensity score–adjusted inverse probability of weighting Cox proportional hazards analyses. During a mean follow-up of 4.5 ± 2.1 years, 157 deferred lesions (18%) underwent DLI by percutaneous coronary intervention (n = 117) or coronary artery bypass grafting (n = 40). No statistically significant differences were observed in clinical outcomes between the gray zone and borderline FFR groups. Lesions with a borderline FFR were associated with a significantly higher risk of DLI compared with lesions with nonborderline FFR values (hazard ratio 1.63, 95% confidence interval 1.14 to 2.33, p = 0.007). Lesions deferred revascularization because of a borderline FFR (0.81 to 0.85) were associated with a higher risk of DLI compared with lesions with a nonborderline FFR (>0.85). Further study is needed to determine the optimal management of coronary stenoses with a borderline FFR value.
Protein kinase signaling in the modulation of microvascular permeability

The permeability of exchange microvessels is regulated through complex interactions between signaling molecules and structural proteins in the endothelium. Endothelial barrier integrity is maintained by adhesive interactions occurring at the cell–cell and cell–matrix contacts via junctional proteins and focal adhesion complexes that are anchored to the cytoskeleton. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) and cAMP-dependent kinase counteract with the nitric oxide (NO)–cyclic GMP (cGMP) pathway to protect the basal barrier function. Upon stimulation by physical stress, growth factors, or inflammatory agents, endothelial cells undergo a series of intracellular signaling reactions involving activation of protein kinase C (PKC), protein kinase G (PKG), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), and/or protein tyrosine kinases. The phosphorylation cascades trigger biochemical and conformational changes in the barrier structure and ultimately lead to an opening of the paracellular pathway. In particular, myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) activation and subsequent myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation in endothelial cells directly result in cell contraction and shape changes. The phosphorylation of β-catenin may cause disorganization of adherens junctions or dissociation of vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin–catenin complex from its cytoskeletal anchor, leading to loose or opened intercellular junctions. Additionally, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) phosphorylation-coupled focal adhesion assembly and redistribution provide an anchorage support for the conformational changes occurring in the cells and at the cell junctions. The Src family tyrosine kinases may serve as common signals that coordinate these molecular events to facilitate the paracellular transport of macromolecules. The critical roles of protein kinases in endothelial hyperpermeability implicate the therapeutic significance of protein kinase inhibitors in the prevention and treatment of diseases and injuries that are associated with microvascular barrier dysfunction.
ULTRASTRUCTURE AND DESCRIPTION OF CYANOPHORA BILOBA, SP. NOV., WITH ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS ON C. PARADOXA (GLAUCOPHYTA)

The cell structure of Cyanophora biloba, sp. nov. and C. paradoxa Korschikoff was examined using scanning electron microscopy, freeze-fracture, and sectioned material. The new species description was based on differences in cell micromorphology, in the cell covering, and in cyanelle structure and number. Cyanophora biloba is characterized by having flat, bilobed cells, with each lobe containing a cyanelle. Each cyanelle invariably has a central constriction that probably represents an arrested cytokinesis. A longitudinal groove or furrow is present between the lobes. The flagella arc inserted ventrally and subapically, and the area near the flagellar insertio is flanked by two short folds. Both flagella bear fine fibrillar hairs. The nucleus is horseshoe-shaped, conforming to the cell shape, and is located in the posterior of the cell. The cell covering in C. biloba consists of overlapping vesicles situated underneath the plasma membrane, and each vesicle contains a thin plate. Freeze fracture revealed that the plates appear to have a crystalline arrangement of subunits. For comparative purposes, the surface architecture and cell covering of C. paradoxa were re-examined and some features were found to be new or slightly different than previously described. The cell covering of C. paradoxa also consisted of overlapping vesicles with plates, but the vesicles were smaller than those in C. biloba. In addition, the cell had an anterior furrow that can be partially covered by two long folds near the site of flagellar insertion.
From goods to service(s): Divergences and convergences of logics

Abstract There are two logics or mindsets from which to consider and motivate a transition from goods to service(s). The first, “goods-dominant (G-D) logic”, views services in terms of a type of (e.g., intangible) good and implies that goods production and distribution practices should be modified to deal with the differences between tangible goods and services. The second logic, “service-dominant (S-D) logic”, considers service – a process of using ones resources for the benefit of and in conjunction with another party – as the fundamental purpose of economic exchange and implies the need for a revised, service-driven framework for all of marketing. This transition to a service-centered logic is consistent with and partially derived from a similar transition found in the business-marketing literature — for example, its shift to understanding exchange in terms value rather than products and networks rather than dyads. It also parallels transitions in other sub-disciplines, such as service marketing. These parallels and the implications for marketing theory and practice of a full transition to a service-logic are explored.
Reversible long-period change during the annealing of crystalline polymers

Abstract A large reversible change in small-angle X-ray diffraction spacing and intensity in both bulk and drawn polyoxymethylene is found for samples carried through a heating and cooling cycle. The diffraction measurements were made at the annealing temperatures. The reversible changes are in addition to the more usual irreversible changes found during annealing experiments in which the scattering is measured at room temperature. Upon recycling the same sample, the changes can be almost completely reversible. Similar reversible changes are not observed for polyoxymethylene single crystals but are observed for drawn polyethylene terephthalate and nylon 6.
On Indigeneity, Change, and Representation in the Northeastern Ecuadorian Amazon:

Neoliberal reforms throughout Latin America are intended to promote development by opening up economies and encouraging market-oriented practices. These reforms have deeply affected the lives of indigenous peoples and their relationship with extralocal actors. Today, in the Ecuadorian Amazon, some indigenous peoples participate in oil-extraction negotiations, tourism, and intensive cattle ranching and agriculture as part of increased market integration. In the midst of these changes, questions about what ‘indigeneity’ means, both in integrating into and in resisting neoliberal reforms, are increasingly important for understanding social justice and environmental conservation issues in the Amazon region. The author explores how engagement with neoliberal practices and ways of knowing the world has opened up spaces for questioning fixed notions of indigenous identities and their role in representing, imagining, and developing indigenous alliances and rights claims in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Abdominal vein thrombosis in essential thrombocythemia: prevalence, clinical correlates, and prognostic implications.

: Among 460 consecutive patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) seen at our institution, 19 cases (4%) of abdominal vein thrombosis (AVT) were documented either at (n = 9) or after (n = 10) diagnosis. Women (P = 0.03) and the young (P = 0.002) were preferentially affected. Accordingly, clinical comparisons were performed among three groups of female patients: those with AVT (group A; n = 17), a control group without AVT but closely matched to group A in terms of age and year of diagnosis (group B; n = 34), and all female patients without AVT (group C; n = 288). As expected from the consequences of AVT-associated portal hypertension and anticoagulant therapy, patients in group A experienced significantly higher rates of hemorrhage, palpable splenomegaly, and anemia. Unexpectedly, however, compared with group B, group A displayed both a higher conversion rate into myelofibrosis/acute leukemia (P = 0.0008) and a shorter median survival (116 vs. 156 months; P = 0.0012). Multivariable analysis including all female patients with ET identified AVT, along with advanced age, leukocytosis, and tobacco use, as an independent risk factor for inferior survival. Groups A, B, and C did not differ in either JAK2V617F mutational frequency or incidence of non-abdominal thrombosis. We conclude that AVT in ET is a marker of aggressive disease biology.
ANOTHER PSYCHOMETRIC EVALUATION OF THE JUST WORLD SCALE

The psychometric properties of the Just World Scale developed by Rubin and Peplau in 1975 has been debated in the literature as some results are conflicting. The present investigation provides anot...
Iso-C3D Imaging System

Intraoperative imaging modalities are frequently utilized in spinal surgery to improve the accuracy of instrumentation, assess alignment, and evaluate fracture reduction. The Iso-C 3D is an isocentric C-arm that provides high-resolution fluoroscopic images in multiple planes, which may preclude the need for additional pre- or postoperative studies. This system may be preferable to other intraoperative imaging techniques because it does not involve a time-consuming manual registration process and may subject the patient and surgical staff to less radiation. When paired with navigation software, Iso-C 3D may also facilitate image-guided procedures by visualizing the surgical anatomy in real time.
Nitric oxide chemiluminescence enhancement by substituted benzenes

Abstract Enhancement of NO( A 2 Σ + → X 2 Π ) chemiluminescence is reported for the 532-nm irradiation of an HC/NO 2 mixture, where HC is toluene, ethylbenzene, or xylene. Evidence is presented for the HC triplet state playing a key role in enhancing the fluorescence. The rate constants for production of NO( A 2 Σ + ) were determined as well as the quenching rate constants for each hydrocarbon. Using the latter, the NO( A 2 Σ + ) depletion rate constants were calculated for each reaction mixture. From this data, the nascent NO( A 2 Σ + ) yields were determined and compared to the observed chemiluminescence yields. Little difference was observed between the chemiluminescence yields for each of the hydrocarbons. However, comparison of the nascent NO( A 2 Σ + ) yields showed an increase for the xylenes that was twice that of benzene, toluene, or ethylbenzene. The lower formation rate constants and higher chemiluminescence/[NO(A)] 0 yields for the xylenes are explained by differences in the details of NO(A) production. The triplet-state argument is bolstered by the observation of NO( A 2 Σ + ) chemiluminescence following the focused 532-nm irradiated mixture of NO 2 and acrylaldehyde.
Imperfect insurance and differing propensities to consume across households

Abstract This paper extends previous tests of consumption insurance by splitting the sample to examine whether the marginal propensity to consume (MPC) out of idiosyncratic income shocks is larger for low-wealth households than it is for high-wealth households. Using data from the PSID, I find: (1) The MPC of low-wealth households is higher than that of high-wealth households. There are indications that both precautionary savings behavior and liquidity constraints contribute to this difference. (2) Splitting the data using two different measures of wealth indicates that households perceive housing equity as illiquid. (3) When low-wealth households are split into two subgroups, the MPC of the very-low-wealth group is smaller, reflecting the insurance aspects of means-tested safety-net programs.
Democracy as problem-solving: civic capacity in communities across the globe

by Xavier de Souza Briggs, Cambridge, MA, MIT Press, 2008, 315 pp., $70.00 (hardback), ISBN 0262026414This work, by the sociologist and urban planner Xavier Briggs, argues democratic governance can...
Diminished cortisol levels in subordinate female marmosets are associated with altered central drive to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Background: Female marmosets offer a promising primate model of stress-related hypocortisolism, as they undergo chronic reductions in circulating cortisol after becoming subordinate in a social group. In this study, we treated dominant and subordinate female marmosets with the cortisol synthesis inhibitor metyrapone and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) to characterize the effects of subordination on central regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Methods: Seven dominant and six subordinate female marmosets received CRF (6 g/kg, intravenous [IV]), following pretreatment with metyrapone (75 mg/kg, by mouth [PO]) or water. Plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol concentrations were determined before metyrapone or water treatment and before, 1 hour after, and 2 hours after CRF treatment. Results: Following metyrapone treatment, subordinates had similar cortisol levels to dominants but significantly higher ACTH levels. During CRF challenges, cortisol concentrations were lower and ACTH concentrations higher in subordinates, although net integrated responses to CRF did not differ. Cortisol-to-ACTH ratios were consistently lower in subordinates. Conclusions: These results confirm previous findings of low cortisol concentrations and blunted adrenal responsiveness in subordinates and suggest that when differences in cortisol levels are eliminated, subordinates exhibit exaggerated hypothalamic drive to the pituitary. These neuroendocrine alterations in subordinate marmosets resemble those in posttraumatic stress disorder patients and adult survivors of child abuse.
A note on unsteady gas absorption with chemical reaction

Abstract Gas absorption with chemical reaction and time-dependent bulk liquid concentration is considered. A modified diffusion equation including a first-order reaction between solute and solvent is solved using an extension of Dankwerts' method and the Duhamel theorem. Assuming a simple residence time distribution for gas bubbles in the liquid, results are related to liquid phase diffusional effects in stirred-tank reactors in which generalized gas-absorption rates are shown to depend on four dimensionless parameters, α, θ c , N v , N k .
Don’t Call Me NIMBY Public Attitudes Toward Solid Waste Facilities

With an ever-expanding stream of solid waste, and limited possibilities for disposal, communities increasingly have to make difficult decisions about where to store these by-products of daily livin...
Design and implementation of move-based heuristics for VLSI hypergraph partitioning

We summarize the techniques of implementing move-based hypergraph partitioning heuristics and evaluating their performance in the context of VLSI design applications. Our first contribution is a detailed software architecture, consisting of seven reusable components, that allows flexible, efficient and accurate assessment of the practical implications of new move-based algorithms and partitioning formulations. Our second contribution is an assessment of the modern context for hypergraph partitioning research for VLSI design applications. In particular, we discuss the current level of sophistication in implementation know-how and experimental evaluation, and we note how requirements for real-world partitioners - if used as motivation for research - should affect the evaluation of prospective contributions. Two "implicit decisions" in the implementation of the Fiduccia-Mattheyses heuristic are used to illustrate the difficulty of achieving meaningful experimental evaluation of new algorithmic ideas.
Computation-tuple sequences and object histories

A record-based, algebraically-oriented model is introduced for describing data for “object histories” (with computation), such as checking accounts, credit card accounts, taxes, schedules, and so on. The model consists of sequences of computation tuples defined by a computation-tuple sequence scheme (CSS). The CSS has three major features (in addition to input data): computation (involving previous computation tuples), “uniform” constraints (whose satisfaction by a computation-tuple sequence u implies satisfaction by every interval of u), and specific sequences with which to start the valid computation-tuple sequences. A special type of CSS, called “local,” is singled out for its relative simplicity in maintaining the validity of a computation-tuple sequence. A necessary and sufficient condition for a CSS to be equivalent to at least one local CSS is given. Finally, the notion of “local bisimulatability” is introduced for regarding two CSS as conveying the same information, and two results on local bisimulatability in connection with local CSS are established.
A Boolean topological orthomodular poset

Wilce introduced the notion of a topological orthomodular poset and proved any compact topological orthomodular poset whose underlying orthomodular poset is a Boolean algebra is a topological Boolean algebra in the usual sense. Wilce asked whether the compactness assumption was necessary for this result. We provide an example to show the compactness assumption is necessary.
Transportation information: a review of grey literature by format, language and availability

This article describes a research study that was replicated to confirm the research methodologies and search strategies of transportation engineers in their primary databases as the formats for access changed due to electronic releases in CD‐ROM and via the Internet. An empirical snapshot of the available transportation literature recognizing how much of it is described as grey literature is demonstrated by the retrieval of five search statements replicated in the TRIS and TRANSPORT databases. Recommendations include that libraries increase their participation in TAG and working with government agencies to encourage them to electronically publish their data for end‐user searching and that more continue to participate in cooperative collection development ventures.
Attorney Perspectives and Decisions on the Presentence Investigation Report: A Research Note

Presentence investigation reports (PSIRs) are still used as an important component in some sentencing recommendations. Perspectives on the utility of the PSIR have typically focused on probation officers and less so on attorneys who use the document in plea negotiations and in sentencing recommendations. This study examines the importance of the PSIR for 57 prosecutors and 16 defense attorneys. Findings indicate that adult record, history of probation/parole, victim-impact statements, official version of offense, gang affiliation, and pending cases were viewed as important for prosecutors than for defense attorneys when preparing sentencing recommendations using the PSIR. Implications of these findings will be discussed.
Stable carbon isotope ratios in the biota, soils and tidal water of a Georgia salt marsh

Abstract The stable carbon isotope composition of the biota, soils and tidal water particulate material was surveyed in a salt marsh near Sapelo Island, Georgia. Samples were taken in six intertidal zones: bare creekbank, Spartina alterniflora low marsh, S. alterniflora high marsh, Salicornia virginica high marsh, sand flat and high marsh mixed vegetation stands. The marsh plants analyzed segregated into three groups with respect to their 13 C 12 C ratios. The grasses, including S. alterniflora, had δ13C values of −12.3 to −13.6‰; the other vascular plants had values between −22.8 and −26.0‰; and benthic diatoms had intermediate values of −16.2 to −17.9‰. Marsh soils and to some extent the invertebrate fauna reflected the carbon isotope composition of the major primary producer species in the various zones. Five samples of the particulate organic carbon (POC) in marsh tidal water showed δ13C values of −19.8 to − 22.8‰. These values fell within the range of δ13C found for offshore POC, most of which is presumed to originate from phytoplankton photosynthesis. This result requires a re-examination of the assumption that the bulk of detrital carbon in Georgia estuaries is derived from S. alterniflora production.
Some questions for the field of violence risk assessment and forensic mental health: Or, "back to basics" revisited.

This paper addresses two related questions: (1) How can we best evaluate and compare clinical and actuarial assessments of dangerousness? (2) Should there not be more systematic qualitative (narrative and descriptive) studies in the field of forensic mental health (including violence risk assessment)? It is argued that adequate studies of both clinical and actuarial assessments of dangerousness have yet to be done, and that more qualitative studies of clinical assessments are necessary to better elucidate and evaluate clinical assessments and to better compare them to actuarial assessments. Furthermore, it is argued, many other areas of forensic mental health are also in need of systematic descriptive (i.e., qualitative and narrative) studies.
Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Disproportionately Benefits High-Risk Patients

Background It is not known which patient subgroups may benefit most from off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) rather than coronary artery bypass grafting on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods The Society of Thoracic Surgeons database was queried for all isolated, primary coronary artery bypass graft cases between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 2007, at a US academic center. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality (PROM) was calculated by a formula based on 30 preoperative risk factors. It was used in three ways to compare 30-day operative mortality between patients treated with OPCAB versus CPB. First, patients were divided into quartiles based on their PROM, and mortality rates were compared between OPCAB and CPB patients within each PROM quartile. Second, a logistic regression model tested for an interaction between surgery type and PROM; a significant interaction would indicate that the relative mortality risk of OPCAB versus CPB varied with different PROM levels. Finally, locally smoothed kernel regression curves were used to visually estimate a threshold PROM point at which mortality rates diverge for the surgery types. Results There were 14,766 consecutive patients, 7,083 OPCAB (48.0%) and 7,683 CPB (52.0%). There was no difference in operative mortality between OPCAB and CPB for patients in the lower two risk quartiles. In the higher risk quartiles there was a mortality benefit for OPCAB (odds ratio, 0.62 and 0.45 for OPCAB in the third and fourth risk quartiles). Logistic regression analysis confirmed a significant interaction between surgery type and PROM (p = 0.005) meaning that OPCAB is especially beneficial to patients with higher PROM. This benefit is most significant for patients with PROM values above 2.5% to 3%, where mortality curves sharply diverge. Conclusions Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting is associated with lower operative mortality than coronary artery bypass grafting on CPB for higher risk patients. This mortality benefit increases with increasing PROM.
Purpuric manifestations occurring in measles in childhood.

Summary Purpura as a complication of measles is not of common occurrence. Ten instances were found in a review of the pediatric case records of the Mayo Clinic for a period of thirty years, and one case is reported herein. Purpura may afford evidence of an underlying blood dyscrasia. Of eleven reported patients in whom purpuric manifestations followed measles, four were found to have thrombocytopenic purpura and two, leucemia. The remaining five patients showed little or no increase in the size of the liver, spleen, or lymph nodes. Only one of these had a definite thrombocytopenia with prolongation of the bleeding time. There were two deaths in the eleven cases reported. The outlook for the ultimate recovery of patients who exhibit purpuric manifestations following measles is good. However, one must be certain that such purpura is not an evidence of a blood dyscrasia or the accompaniment of a severe infection.
Acute toxicity of some hydrazine compounds to salamander larvae, Ambystoma spp.

Although hydrazine compounds have been used extensively by industry for a very long time, they have become important in recent years as propellants for aerospace operations. The study of hydrazine compounds in this laboratory began about two decades ago and developed into a large pharmacological and toxicological research program that included also environmental considerations. Subsequently, acute toxicity studies were conducted on the common guppy (Lebistes reticulatus Peters) using four hydrazine compounds of interest. The toxicity of these propellants were evaluated next on other species of aquatic organisms such as mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis) and amphibians. Two different studies were conducted on amphibians: One utilized amphibian eggs and the other amphibian larvae. The larvae of spotted and marbled salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum and A. opacum, respectively) were used primarily in numerous static bioassays to determine the acute toxicity of hydrazine, UDMH and Aerozine-50 on these organisms. The remaining larvae were used in other tests mainly to corroborate previous experimental results (e.g., to see whether toxicity is affected by organism size, aeration of test solutions, and water hardness). The results on the larvae are presented in this paper.
Convective quasi‐equilibrium in the tropical western Pacific: Comparison with midlatitude continental environment

[1] This study examines the nature of convective quasi-equilibrium in the tropical western Pacific using the Tropical Ocean and Global Atmosphere/Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE) sounding data. Results are compared with those in midlatitudes using data from the southern Great Plains in the United States. It is shown that precipitation is highly correlated to the free tropospheric large-scale forcing in both the tropics and midlatitudes. In the tropics, but not in the midlatitudes, precipitation is also highly correlated to the total large-scale forcing that includes surface fluxes. This is because the surface sensible and latent heat fluxes are small over the tropical ocean; thus their contribution to the total large-scale forcing is relatively small compared to the free tropospheric forcing. The opposite is true for midlatitude continental convection. It is also shown that the free tropospheric quasi-equilibrium between convection and large-scale forcing recently proposed by the author for midlatitude continental convection is equally accurate for tropical oceanic convection. The quasi-equilibrium proposed by Arakawa and Schubert is less accurate in depicting convective stabilization for data averaged from 3 to 24 hours. On timescales longer than 24 hours the two are comparable. Comparisons are made with other studies that use the Arakawa-Schubert quasi-equilibrium concept, and seemingly contradictory results are reconciled.
SELF-INDUCED WATER INTOXICATION IN MENTAL PATIENTS '

Research on self-induced water intoxication in mental patients, although limited, is reviewed and invites investigation of causes, relation to psychotropic drugs, and effective treatment procedures.