cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A lens and aperture camera model for synthetic image generation

This paper extends the traditional pin-hole camera projection geometry, used in computer graphics, to a more realistic camera model which approximates the effects of a lens and an aperture function of an actual camera. This model allows the generation of synthetic images which have a depth of field, can be focused on an arbitrary plane, and also permits selective modeling of certain optical characteristics of a lens. The model can be expanded to include motion blur and special effect filters. These capabilities provide additional tools for highlighting important areas of a scene and for portraying certain physical characteristics of an object in an image.
On Continuously Defective Elastic Crystals

We analyze mathematical underpinnings of Davini's theory of defective crystals (1) when the defectiveness of a kinematic state may be material point dependent. We show how the underlying space can be identified with a suitably chosen homogeneous space and how the uniformly defective structure is just a special case. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 53Z05, 74B99
Recent advances in the IBM GALE Mandarin transcription system

This paper describes the system and algorithmic developments in the automatic transcription of Mandarin broadcast speech made at IBM in the second year of the DARPA GALE program. Technical advances over our previous system include improved acoustic models using embedded tone modeling, and a new topic-adaptive language model (LM) rescoring technique based on dynamically generated LMs. We present results on three community-defined test sets designed to cover both the broadcast news and the broadcast conversation domain. It is shown that our new baseline system attains a 15.4% relative reduction in character error rate compared with our previous GALE evaluation system. And a further 13.6% improvement over the baseline is achieved with the two described techniques.
Photoelectron Emission from Interstellar Grains

Photoelectric emission from interstellar dust grains due to ultraviolet starlight is reinvestigated. Ejection of photoelectrons can make a substantial contribution to the heating of standard interstellar clouds. Both positive and negative grain charges are shown to be possible.
NFATc1 Identifies a Population of Proximal Tubule Cell Progenitors

Recovery from acute kidney injury requires regeneration of tubule cells. Because calcineurin induces nuclear transport of NFATc proteins, whose expression pattern correlates with the nephron segments injured by calcineurin inhibitors, we hypothesized that NFATc1 plays a role in modifying epithelial regeneration after injury. To test this, we induced proximal tubular cell (PTC) injury in Balb/c mice and Nfatc1(+/-) mice with mercuric chloride; the PTCs of Nfatc1(+/-) mice demonstrated increased apoptosis, sustained injury, and delayed regeneration. To attenuate NFATc1 activity further, we injected cyclosporin A daily. Cyclosporin A-treated Nfatc1(+/-) mice demonstrated rapid and severe injury after administration of mercuric chloride, with increased serum creatinine, increased apoptosis, decreased PTC proliferation, and increased mortality compared with similarly treated wild-type mice. Using a novel NFATc1 transgenic line that reports activation of an NFATc1 enhancer domain critical for NFATc1 autoamplification, we demonstrated accentuated NFATc1 expression in a PTC subpopulation after mercuric chloride-induced injury. In addition, NFATc1-labeled, apoptosis-resistant PTCs proliferated to repair the damaged proximal tubule segment. These data provide evidence for a resident progenitor PTC population and suggest a role for NFATc1 in the regeneration of injured proximal tubules.
False-Negative Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Surface Antigen in a Vaccinated Dialysis Patient with a High Level of HBV DNA in the United States

ABSTRACT Screening with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is highly recommended for at-risk individuals. Mutations in the HBsAg can result in an inability to detect the virus during routine screening. We describe a hemodialysis patient found to have high levels of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and HBV antibody but negative HBsAg on two routine assays.
A Study Of The Impact Of Filing Of IPO Class-Action Lawsuits On Stockholder Wealth

Companies undertaking initial public offering, in order to heighten public interest, sometimes disclose overly optimistic details and/or fail to disclose adverse information, in violation of the Securities and Exchange Commission's Rule 10(b)-5. This study examines the stock market reaction to the 71 Initial Public Offerings (IPO)-related lawsuits, filed in the period 1991-98. We find that the filing of these lawsuits is associated with a significant loss of shareholder wealth. This study also reveals that firms that misrepresent their future prospects and fail to disclose bad news experience the most significant decline in equity value
Physiology course for secondary school biology teachers.

The Department of Physiology at the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University offered a human physiology course to middle school and high school science teachers in the Richmond,...
Responses in Non-Specific Systems as Studied by Averaging Techniques

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the responses in nonspecific systems as studied by averaging techniques. Some of the results that have emerged from the studies in the midline region close to the transition between midbrain and thalamus are presented in this chapter. The animals were tested in a sound-reducing box lined with a reflecting metal foil, with one end replaced by transparent lucite. At the frontal plane, in the unanesthetized animal, the response to flash usually consists of a relatively small negative-positive component, followed by a large negative deflection usually beginning about 25–37 ms after the flash and rising to a plateau having a duration of about 40 ms. The superior colliculus has a timing comparable to the earlier negative wave in the center median (CM) but has no later negativity and hence would appear unrelated to the third component of the CM. The visual cortex experiences its primary potential before any of the subcortical centers begins to respond. The time relationships of the response to the click in the CM to those in the inferior colliculus and auditory cortex are also elaborated in the chapter.
Physical, Cognitive, and Psychological Disability Following Critical Illness: What Is the Risk?

Critical illnesses affect millions of individuals annually in the United States. As advances in patient care continue to improve, the number of survivors is rapidly growing. Critical illness survivors endure profoundly severe illnesses and live through often frightening experiences throughout the course of ICU hospitalization, resulting in a variety of “survivorship” challenges, expressed through a condition known as post–intensive care syndrome (PICS). Questions abound regarding the ideal protocols for ensuring the best physical, cognitive, and psychological outcomes for these survivors. Organizational change is likely to be a key factor, though the specific components have not yet been established. Throughout this article, we highlight some of the barriers and facilitators to enhancing patient care across the spectrum of critical care environments, while also highlighting the challenges inherent to studying a complex patient population. We address each of the areas potentially affected by critical illness and ICU hospitalization—physical, cognitive, and psychological functional domains—experienced by patients as well as their family caregivers.
Perinatal enhancement of cardiac myofibrillar creatine kinase activity without change in enzyme Km

Myofibrillar creatine kinase (CK) serves as one microcompartment of the phosphorylcreatine shuttle by providing ATP as substrate for adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase). During perinatal heart development, augmentations of myofibrillar ATPase and CK occur in concert with increased contractile performance. The maximal reaction velocity (Vmax) for CK doubles during development in both intact native myofibril and enzyme extracted from myofibril. The absence of alterations in ADP and creatine phosphate substrate Michaelis constants (Km), isoenzyme composition, or total number of -SH groups suggests active site function (Vmax) is influenced indirectly via a subunit domain effect on enzyme conformation.
Modelinig of Dopant Diffusion and Associated Effects in Silicon

Research in the area of dopant diffusion in Si has focused on identifying the specific mechanisms and point defects involved. Recent approaches include observing the effects of diffusion and doping on oxygen precipitation, stacking fault growth or shrinkage, enhanced/retarded diffusion of one dopant in the presence of another. Very few of these studies have yielded unambiguous interpretations as a result of the indirect nature of the experiments. However, taken together we can infer the relative importance of vacancies versus Si selfinterstitials in the diffusion of each dopant species.
Structure and mode of action of organophosphate pesticides: A computational study

Abstract Six organophosphate pesticides of high to moderate toxicity (dichlorvos (DCV), dicrotophos (DTP), ethoprophos (EPP), methamidophos (MAP), mevinphos (MVP) and omethoate (OMT)) are computationally studied to determine their structure and up to 12 different mechanisms of reaction with methanol. Methanol is chosen as a surrogate molecule to represent the serine residue and imidazole to represent histidine in the active site of acetylcholinesterase, the target enzyme in the central nervous system of organisms. Transition states (first order saddle points) and intermediates along several plausible reaction pathways are computed, along with activation enthalpies, entropies, and free energies. Pathways for different leaving groups are also analyzed. All geometry optimizations of products, reactants, intermediate complexes, and saddle points were performed using hybrid density functional theory method mPW1B95-44 in conjunction with the 6-31+G(d,p) basis set, with and without a polarized continuum model of implicit solvation. Composite rate constants were calculated using a steady-state analysis for mechanisms with more than one activation barrier. Mechanisms explored fall into two main categories, direct and indirect, all involving proton transfer from the methanol hydroxyl group to the oxygen or sulfur of the leaving group. The indirect proton-transfer mechanism is a Wright-type mechanism (Wright and White, 1998) which relays the proton through the phosphinyl oxygen, and the leaving group is positioned on the opposite side to the incoming hydroxyl nucleophile in a distorted trigonal bipyramidal transition state. We explored mechanisms in which one or two water molecules and/or an imidazole molecule assisted in the proton transfer. Generally speaking, whether direct or indirect, the lowest activation energies were obtained for mechanisms in which the phosphinyl oxygen plays a role in transfer, and additionally water assistance (ubiquitous in the enzyme active site) lowers activation barriers.
Improving the Accuracy of Laplacian Estimation with Novel Variable Inter-Ring Distances Concentric Ring Electrodes

Noninvasive concentric ring electrodes are a promising alternative to conventional disc electrodes. Currently, the superiority of tripolar concentric ring electrodes over disc electrodes, in particular, in accuracy of Laplacian estimation, has been demonstrated in a range of applications. In our recent work, we have shown that accuracy of Laplacian estimation can be improved with multipolar concentric ring electrodes using a general approach to estimation of the Laplacian for an (n + 1)-polar electrode with n rings using the (4n + 1)-point method for n ≥ 2. This paper takes the next step toward further improving the Laplacian estimate by proposing novel variable inter-ring distances concentric ring electrodes. Derived using a modified (4n + 1)-point method, linearly increasing and decreasing inter-ring distances tripolar (n = 2) and quadripolar (n = 3) electrode configurations are compared to their constant inter-ring distances counterparts. Finite element method modeling and analytic results are consistent and suggest that increasing inter-ring distances electrode configurations may decrease the truncation error resulting in more accurate Laplacian estimates compared to respective constant inter-ring distances configurations. For currently used tripolar electrode configuration, the truncation error may be decreased more than two-fold, while for the quadripolar configuration more than a six-fold decrease is expected.
Intraosseous Access Techniques in the ICU

Intraosseous infusions and injections involve using a rigid needle that is inserted into a long bone for the purpose of administering medications and fluids. Any medication that may be given intravenously may be given via the intraosseous route. The bone marrow includes venous sinusoids that drain into emissary and nutrient veins. This chapter will describe two approaches to intraosseous injections.
A Holistic Approach for Link Prediction in Multiplex Networks

Networks extracted from social media platforms frequently include multiple types of links that dynamically change over time; these links can be used to represent dyadic interactions such as economic transactions, communications, and shared activities. Organizing this data into a dynamic multiplex network, where each layer is composed of a single edge type linking the same underlying vertices, can reveal interesting cross-layer interaction patterns. In coevolving networks, links in one layer result in an increased probability of other types of links forming between the same node pair. Hence we believe that a holistic approach in which all the layers are simultaneously considered can outperform a factored approach in which link prediction is performed separately in each layer. This paper introduces a comprehensive framework, MLP (Multiplex Link Prediction), in which link existence likelihoods for the target layer are learned from the other network layers. These likelihoods are used to reweight the output of a single layer link prediction method that uses rank aggregation to combine a set of topological metrics. Our experiments show that our reweighting procedure outperforms other methods for fusing information across network layers.
Ray tracing through a grid of blobs

In this paper we describe two ray tracing algorithms for images represented using spherically symmetric basis functions (blobs) on regular grids. The method presented here allows more realistic modeling of the forward projection by considering tube shaped kernels, rather than simple lines. Each kernel is a function of the radial distance r from its center and can vary with the position l along the projection line. The forward projections are computed by convolutions of the kernel with the blob line integrals. Both ray tracing procedures presented incrementally compute the square distance r/sup 2/ for each visited blob enabling the appropriate resolution kernel to be used. The second variant also computes the l coordinate along the line of response axis allowing for longitudinal variations of the resolution kernel to be considered as well as time-of-flight (TOF) modeling.
An update on type 2 diabetes management in primary care

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease impacting glucose metabolism. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) stems from the inability of the body to utilize endogenous insulin properly. Approximately 90% to 95% of newly diagnosed cases of diabetes are T2DM. This article focuses on the initial treatment of T2DM based on the 2017 American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American College of Endocrinology clinical practice guidelines. The 2017 update includes changes and additions regarding psychosocial management, physical activity, surgery, and hypoglycemia.
Geometries and Groups. By V. V. Nikulin and I. R. Shafarevich

(1989). Geometries and Groups. By V. V. Nikulin and I. R. Shafarevich. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 96, No. 4, pp. 370-373.
The Application of Laminar Flow Rooms to Patient Isolation

The need for providing ultraclean environments for hospital patients with reduced immune defense mechanisms is rapidly increasing. Cancer chemotherapy and organ transplantation are two medical procedures which require extreme measures to protect recipients from infection.
Emergency Personnel, Stress in*

Emergency service personnel are at greater risk for developing the symptoms of acute stress disorder or posttraumatic stress disorder, which appear to affect both psychological and biological processes. Immediate psychological reactions are the best predictors. Debriefing is widely used to try to mitigate these effects, with varying success.
Modeling and Simulation of Post Processed Foundry Fabricated Large, Out-of-Plane MEMS Energy Harvester

This research effort is focused on the development of a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) energy harvesting device using large, out-of-plane bimorph MEMS structures fabricated in the PolyMUMPs™ foundry process. In general, MEMS designers have limited options for commercial device fabrication, each bringing the advantage of quick prototyping, and repeatable results but also unique limitations. The design rules limit the designers to specific materials, structural layers, and fabrication processes to those of the fabrication facility. In previous work we have shown that the PolyMUMPs™ process will provide an adequate foundational structure for the device, meeting the initial out-of-plane deflection and flexibility requirements. However, it will require some post-processing to add the required mass and piezoelectric material layers to the structures. COMSOL™ finite element modeling software is used to evaluate various mass sizes, orientations, and materials as well as to explore different piezoelectric materials and configurations to produce optimal results from the in-house post-processing of these designs. Initial modeling of the structures illustrates unique design flexibility such that the operational frequency can be tailored to meet specific resonances enabling these devices to be adapted for a multitude of applications. Lastly, since the device provides the added benefit and flexibility, they can easily be integrated into an array for increased output voltage making them a prime candidate for micro power generation circuits.
Perceptions and Patterns in Academic Publishing: A Survey of United States Residents in Radiation Oncology.

Abstract Purpose We aimed to assess perceptions of, and training regarding, the publishing process among US radiation oncology (RO) residents, focusing on awareness and understanding of criteria for selecting appropriate and legitimate peer-reviewed journals for academic publishing. The growing challenge of predatory publication in the broader scientific realm and its relevancy to resident training is also briefly discussed. Methods and Materials A survey was opened to residents of all Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education–accredited RO programs in the United States, focusing on 3 categories: (1) demographics; (2) submission, peer review, and publication of academic research; and (3) subjective ranking of factors for choosing an appropriate publisher/journal. Results were stratified by level of training and number of publications. Results Overall, 150 of 690 residents (19.8%) responded, with a 98% (147 of 150) completion rate. Twenty of 150 residents (13.3%) reported formal training in manuscript preparation and choosing academic journals. Only 3.4% of residents reported departmental guidelines regarding publication in “predatory” journals; 57.7% were unsure. The 3 most important factors influencing publisher and journal choice were impact factor (ranked first for 59.0%), whether a journal is found in a major index (ranked first for 18.0%), and association with a reputable organization (ranked first for 17.0%). Importance of impact factor increased with number of publications (50% with 0 publications, 48.3% with 1-5, 63.9% with 5-10, 76.2% with 10-15, and 70.6% with >15). Cost considerations influenced journal choice at least once for 79 (52.7%) residents. Conclusions Impact factor was the most important consideration for residents when choosing an appropriate publisher, with increased emphasis with increasing number of publications. A minority had formal training in choosing appropriate academic journals and knowing how to identify so-called predatory journals or were aware if their department has proscriptions regarding publication in such journals. Additional emphasis on formal training for RO residents in manuscript preparation and choosing academic journals is warranted.
Fulfilling Our Potential: Libraries Supporting Civic Engagement in Virginia

Libraries have long been seen as essential institutions to democracy and integral in supporting the civic life of their communities. This column explores how library workers and libraries in Virginia are supporting democracy through intentional support and promotion of civic engagement and civic literacy in their communities.
UNIT 1.2 Fluidics

The use of fluidics is implicit in a technology named “flow cytometry,” which flows a cell or particle through a sensing volume to obtain serial analysis of particles on a one by one basis. This flow of particles enables flow cytometry to collect information on multiple particle populations, giving it a distinct advantage over bulk analysis approaches. Moreover, flow cytometers can analyze thousands of particles per second in a single flowing stream. Additionally, use of volumetric sample delivery makes it possible for flow cytometers to accurately count cells and particles. Furthermore, the analysis results can be coupled with a fluidic diversion mechanism to sort and collect particles based on desired properties. Finally, when high-throughput sampling technologies are employed to rapidly change the input of the sample stream, a flow cytometer can become an integral tool for high-throughput screening. The above properties have made flow cytometry useful in a wide range of biomedical applications. In this unit we will present an overview of fluidic systems that make flow cytometry possible. This will introduce historical approaches, explanations of the commonly implemented current fluidics, and brief discussions of potential future fluidics where appropriate. Curr. Protoc. Cytom. 65:1.2.1-1.2.14. © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: cell analysis; cell sorting; high-throughput screening; fluidic systems; flow cytometry; FACS; microfluidics
Regional Analgesia-Anesthesia

In the past three decades there has been an impressive progressive increase in the use of regional analgesia-anesthesia during labor and for delivery, not only in the United States but in many other countries where heretofore pharmacologic obstetric anesthesia has been avoided. The most common techniques used are 1. paracervical-pudendal blocks, 2. subarachnoid (saddle) block, 3. continuous epidural block and 4. continuous caudal block. The reason for the widespread popularity of this method is that when each of these techniques is properly applied, it affords the following significant advantages: 1. In contrast to narcotics regional analgesia produces complete relief of pain; 2. the hazard of pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents during general anesthesia is virtually eliminated; 3. provided no complications occur, regional anesthesia causes no maternal or neonatal depression; 4. administered at the proper time, it does not impede the progress of labor; 5. continuous techniques can be extended for the delivery and may even be modified for cesarean section if this becomes necessary; 6. regional analgesia permits the mother to remain awake during labor and delivery so that she can experience the pleasure of actively participating in the birth of her child. However, regional analgesia does have certain disadvantages: 1. It requires greater skill to administer than do systemic drugs or inhalation agents; 2. technical failures occur, even in experienced hands; 3. certain techniques produce side effects which, if not properly treated, can progress to complications; 4. techniques that produce perineal muscle paralysis interfere with the mechanism of internal rotation and increase the incidence of persistent posterior positions; 5. these procedures can only be carried out in the hospital.
EDAPHIC LIMITATION OF A BRAZILIAN RAINFOREST PALM: THE ROLE OF ENERGY ALLOCATION AND COMPETITION FOR SUNLIGHT

Tropical forest palms are often associated with specific soil conditions, yet the ecological role of edaphic limitation in Palmae has seldom been considered. In the Atlantic Coastal Forest Biome of eastern Bahia, Brazil, the piassava palm (Attalea funifera) inhabits coastal podzolic soils but not nearby latosols. This paper examines the role of changing edaphic conditions and access to sunlight in the restriction of this species to tropical podzols.
IMEX HDG-DG: A coupled implicit hybridized discontinuous Galerkin and explicit discontinuous Galerkin approach for shallow water systems

Abstract We propose IMEX HDG-DG schemes for planar and spherical shallow water systems. Of interest is subcritical flow, where the speed of the gravity wave is faster than that of nonlinear advection. In order to simulate these flows efficiently, we split the governing system into a stiff part describing the gravity wave and a non-stiff part associated with nonlinear advection. The former is discretized implicitly with the HDG method while an explicit Runge-Kutta DG discretization is employed for the latter. The proposed IMEX HDG-DG framework: 1) facilitates high-order solutions both in time and space; 2) avoids overly small time-step sizes; 3) requires only one linear system solve per time stage; 4) relative to DG generates smaller and sparser linear systems while promoting further parallelism; and 5) suppresses the fast modes in the system with a large time-step size. Numerical results for various test cases demonstrate that our methods are beneficial for applications where non-stiff terms are accurately treated while stiff terms are less accurately handled.
How Do Different Forms of Foreign Aid Affect Government Legitimacy? Evidence from an Informational Experiment in Uganda

Local public goods and social services are delivered through a variety of funding and implementing channels in aid-dependent countries. Existing research proposes that international aid to governments undermines government legitimacy and the fiscal contract between citizens and their rulers. We outline how the implications of fiscal contract theory differ depending on whether aid takes the form of donors funding projects through the government, donors funding projects through NGOs, or the government outsourcing project implementation to NGOs. We test these predictions using an informational experiment among N = 2446 Ugandan adults in 18 communities with foreign-funded, NGO-implemented projects. We randomize the amount of information that we provide about these projects. Our results suggest that donor-to-government funding has limited effects on citizens’ opinions about their government. Only bypass aid (i.e., donor aid to NGOs) undermines citizens’ assessments of government performance, while only NGO implementation reduces the willingness of citizens to pay fees to the government or to donate to community funds. Government legitimacy, as measured by individuals’ willingness to comply with government instructions, is very low to begin with and is not influenced by information about different forms of aid.
Is hypofractionated radiation associated with improved timely completion of adjuvant radiation in breast conserving therapy? A National Cancer Database study.

539Background: Timely completion (TC) of adjuvant radiation therapy following breast conservation therapy (BCT) has been associated with improved mortality and disease-free survival (DFS). Little d...
Adjacent lane dependencies modulating wave velocity on congested freeways-An empirical study

Abstract Much of traffic flow theory and highway design is based upon the fundamental relationship, FR, between speed, flow, and density. Traditionally, the FR is assumed to be a static curve over time and space. This paper presents new empirical findings that show the FR in one lane of a freeway can actually change shape in a rapid and systematic response to conditions in the adjacent lanes. This paper demonstrates the dependencies for a general purpose freeway lane that is operating in the congested regime. The drivers become more conservative in response to slower speeds in either adjacent lane, conversely, they become less conservative in response to higher speeds in either adjacent lane. It is also shown that as drivers become more conservative the signals and waves move upstream slower. So this inter-lane dependency has a direct impact on how fast signals propagate through the traffic stream. For the study site the empirical relationship between the wave speed and relative speed is close to linear. This interdependence between lanes is an important factor that it is absent from most traffic flow and car following models. Given these findings the discussion explores hypothetical examples showing how the inter-lane dependencies can give rise to mechanisms for waves in adjacent lanes to synchronize, as well as a mechanism for a queue spreading from one lane to another without any lane change maneuvers. Finally, this work closes with an exploration of the possible physiological mechanisms that might be occurring in the drivers.
The Relative Option to Stock Volume and Market Response to Earnings Surprises

This study examines the effect of option volume relative to stock volume (O/S) on market response to earnings surprises. The market reaction per unit of earnings surprise is lower for firms that have high O/S prior to earnings announcement than for firms with low O/S prior to earnings announcement. The difference is exacerbated for higher levels of pre-announcement returns. Results suggest informed trading by option traders stimulates preemption of the information content of earnings releases and makes earnings surprises less of a surprise. Overall, results are consistent with the view that options improve informational efficiency. Results are robust to several controls.
Family Heterogeneity, Human Capital Investment, and College Attainment

From 1995 to 2015, the aggregate college completion rate in the US increased from 22.9% to 33.5%. Yet, completion trends differed markedly for individuals from different family backgrounds. This paper considers the extent to which trends in college preparedness contributed to the growth in aggregate completion, as well as the variation in completion trends across family backgrounds. We first document parallel empirical patterns in pre-college investments, college preparedness, and college completion. We then evaluate the quantitative importance of pre-college investments and preparedness for completion trends in a structural model of intergenerational human capital investment with heterogeneous families. Within the model the human capital investment channel generates half of the empirical increase in college completion; shifts in the composition of family types over time are also important. Finally, we use our model to show that subsidizing pre-college investment for low resource families has a larger impact on college completion and lifetime earnings compared to alternative interventions like tuition subsidies or cash transfers.
Human evolution: Ancient DNA steps into the language debate

Two studies of ancient human DNA reveal expansions of Bronze Age populations that shed light on the long-running debate about the origins and spread of Indo-European languages. See Article p.167 & Letter p.207 Was the Bronze Age of a period of major cultural changes because of circulation of ideas or because of large-scale migrations? The authors sequence and analyse low-coverage genomes from 101 ancient humans from across Eurasia to reveal large-scale population migrations and replacements during this time. Analyses indicate that light skin pigmentation was already frequent among Europeans in the Bronze Age but not lactose tolerance, indicating a more recent onset of positive selection on the latter trait than previously believed. The reported findings are also consistent with the spread of Indo-European languages during the Early Bronze Age reported on page 207 of this issue. David Reich and colleagues generated genome-wide data from 69 Europeans who lived between 8,000 and 3,000 years ago. Their analyses reveal that closely related groups of early farmers — different from indigenous hunter-gatherers — appeared in Germany, Hungary and Spain at around 8,000 to 7,000 years ago. At the same time Russia was inhabited by a distinctive population of hunter-gatherers with high affinity to a 24,000-year-old Siberian. By 6,000 to 5,000 years ago, a resurgence of hunter-gatherer ancestry had occurred throughout much of Europe, apart from in Russia. Western and Eastern Europe came into contact about 4,500 years ago, leaving traces of steppe ancestry in present-day Europeans. In addition to providing new insights into Neolithic population dynamics, these analyses lend support to the theory of a steppe origin of at least some of the Indo-European languages of Europe. The reported findings are also consistent with a study of 101 Bronze Age genomes reported on page 167 of this issue.
Significance of multiple uptake measurements in I-123 thyroid protocols

2202 Objectives To determine if a 6 hour standard uptake measurement for I-123 thyroid protocols correctly correlates with the standard 24 hour uptake. Methods Percent uptake values were reviewed from 98 patient charts using the hospital’s electronic medical records. Analysis was based on 6 hour thyroid uptake alone versus the standard protocol of using both 6 and 24 hour uptakes. In standard protocol, normal 6 hour uptake values have a range between 7-15%. Percentages less than 7 demonstrate hypothyroidism; whereas uptakes greater than 15% indicate hyperthyroidism. Normal 24 hour uptake values have a range of 10-30%. Hypothyroidism is considered any percentage less than 10; whereas uptake values greater than 30 indicate hyperthyroidism. Results Greater variability was demonstrated within the 6 hour uptake compared to the 24 hour uptake. Patient uptake measurements at 6 hours ranged between 5-28% for euthyroid, less than 1-6% indicating hypothyroidism, and 6-86% for hyperthyroidism. At 24 hours, the uptake values ranged from 11-36% for euthyroid, less than 3-7% indicating hypothyroidism and 11-90% for hyperthyroidism. At 6 hours, 24 out of the 98 patient’s uptakes did not correlate with their diagnosis when compared with the standard protocol ranges. There was a rapid turnover time for 3 of the 53 hyperthyroid patients who had a higher uptake at 6 hours than at 24. Conclusions The 6 hour uptake did not correlate with the 24 hour standard uptake in diagnosing thyroid disease. Values best correlate with final diagnosis using an optimal measurement time of 24 hours. For patients who encountered a rapid turnover, a 6 hour uptake can be beneficial for determining I-131 treatment dose.
A simple non-termination test for the Knuth-Bendix method

We propose a simple test for nontermination in the Knuth-Bendix completion algorithm. This test has the property that if there exists a simplification ordering that can generate a completion S of a set R of rules, then S may be generated from R using this test. Also, this test is “user friendly” in that it does not require any detailed knowledge of termination orderings. However, this technique may generate completions S that are not terminating; therefore, traditional methods for proving termination need to be used on the locally confluent sets S of rewrite rules that are obtained. We show that this test may be implemented in reasonable time and space bounds.
Modelling and Control of Crystallizers

The modelling, measurement, and control problems associated with continuous, well-mixed crystallizers are discussed in this paper. The crystallizer model consists of an integro-partial differential equation, the population balance, coupled with a set of ode's describing the overall reactor balances, such as solute concentration and temperature. Efficient methods for reducing this distributed model to a lumped model are formulated. A methodology for determining the stability of the population balance is developed and compared with the standard stability analyses of the approximate lumped models. Finally, the effect of simple feedback control on the crystallizer's stability is discussed.
Digital Distraction: Consumer Mobile Device Use and Decision Making

This research investigates the impact of consumer-owned mobile device use on decision-making. We build on the limited prior research on mobile technology in consumer research by considering the differing ways consumers utilize mobile devices at the point of decision. In particular, we conceptualize and examine two major categories of mobile device use: task-unrelated and task-related use. This demarcation is based upon the relationship between the mobile device usage and the decision situation. Using data from both field and experimental settings, we demonstrate that depending on use, mobile devices can act as a double-edged sword with either positive or negative implications for consumers. From a substantive perspective, this work is important because mobile technologies are a fast-growing communications medium and consumers are becoming increasingly reliant on these technologies in their daily lives. From a theoretical perspective, understanding the negative role that mobile technologies play in shaping consumer decision-making extends the research on distraction beyond the context of driving. In particular, we demonstrate the general deleterious effect of mobile use on decision-making even for routine decisions. Furthermore, we identify positive effects on decision-making by highlighting mobile device’s utility as a decision aid.
Barriers to Treatment

The treatment of obesity is unlike the medical management of any other disease. It is a chronic, alarmingly common, and incurable disease that is remarkably easy to diagnose with appalling associated disabilities. Nevertheless, for almost all overweight people, the traditional medical care system is irrelevant for the management of their problem (1); and its treatment, therefore, has traditionally followed a format outside the typical care patterns of other chronic diseases.
Proton dynamics in La0.8Ba1.2GaO3.9 · nH2O studied by quasielastic incoherent neutron scattering

Abstract La 0.8 Ba 1.2 GaO 3.9 · nH 2 O presents an interesting system with tetrahedral network of GaO 4 , and high oxide ion and proton conductivities. High-resolution quasielastic incoherent neutron scattering experiments were performed to gain better understanding of the proton conduction mechanism in tetrahedral systems. Translational long-range proton diffusion was observed. The activation energy for this process is 0.5 eV. Mean-square-displacement of 0.7 A 2 for protons was obtained for the temperature range where the long-range proton diffusion occurs.
Diagnosis of Placenta Accreta by Uterine Artery Doppler Velocimetry in Patients With Placenta Previa

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the potential value of uterine artery Doppler velocimetry in diagnosing placenta accreta. METHODS Clinical records of all deliveries between April 1991 and March 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Cases of intrauterine growth restriction, pregnancy-induced hypertension, multiple pregnancies, fetal anomalies, chromosomal abnormalities, and maternal medical illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, renal disease, and diabetes mellitus were excluded. A total of 11,210 cases were evaluated, including 403 cases of placenta previa without accreta (placenta previa) and 39 cases of placenta previa with accreta (placenta accreta). All patients underwent uterine artery Doppler velocimetry to measure the mean resistive index and pulsatility index (PI) in the third trimester. The analysis included participant characteristics such as age, parity, abortion history, previous cesarean delivery, gestational age at delivery, neonatal sex, and birth weight. RESULTS The mean uterine artery PI was significantly lower in the placenta accreta group compared to previa alone (0.51 versus 0.57; P = .002). The odds ratios for placenta accreta were 2.4 for 2 or more previous abortions (P = .011) and 5.3 and 7.0 for 1 and 2 or more previous cesarean deliveries (P = .001 and .005). With an increase in the mean PI by 0.01, the odds ratio for placenta accreta decreased by 0.94 (P < .001). The area under the receive operating characteristic curve was 0.72 for previous cesarean delivery alone, increasing to 0.77 with the combination of the mean PI and previous cesarean delivery (P = .047). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that the mean PI measured by uterine artery Doppler velocimetry is reduced in patients with placenta accreta compared to those without accreta. The diagnostic accuracy of placenta accreta can be potentially improved if uterine artery Doppler values and the history of cesarean delivery are combined.
International Law and Administrative Insulation: A Comparison of Refugee Status Determination Regimes in the United States, Canada, and Australia

International law provides nations with a common definition of a refugee, yet the processes by which countries determine who should be granted refugee status look strikingly different, even across nations with many institutional, cultural, geographical, and political similarities. This article compares the refugee status determination regimes of three popular asylum seeker destinations—the United States, Canada, and Australia. Despite these nations' similar border control policies, asylum seekers crossing their borders access three very different systems. These differences have less to do with political debates over admission and border control policy than with the level of insulation the administrative decision-making agency enjoys from political interference and judicial review. Bureaucratic justice is conceptualized and organized differently in different states, and so states vary in how they draw the line between refugee and nonrefugee.
Hyperglycemia Secondary to Megestrol Acetate for Endometrial Neoplasia

Two patients with endometrial neoplasia developed severe hyperglycemia secondary to megestrol acetate. Patients who receive progestational therapy with megestrol acetate for endometrial neoplasia should be monitored closely for potentially severe hyperglycemia, especially if they have a history of abnormal glucose metabolism.
Informational properties of infinite numbers of objects in concurrent discriminations by monkeys

Eight rhesus monkeys were trained on a counterbalanced series of concurrent, two-ehoice, dis­ crimination tasks that provided different numbers of correct or incorrect objects as lists of dis­ criminanda. Small, large, or infinite lengths of correct or incorrect object lists were combined in different tasks, and acquisition performances were compared. When tasks had an infinite num­ ber of objects in their correct list and a small number (4) in their incorrect list, acquisition en­ tailed significantly less error than was seen when a small number of correct objects was paired with an infinite incorrect list. This pattern of outcomes seemed attributable to novelty prefer­ ence. However, comparison of error distributions from tasks with infinite list lengths to distribu­ tions from analogous tasks with fixed list lengths provided some basis for interpreting the way monkeys integrated information that emerged from the temporally discriminative properties of the tasks. One prospective concern was whether or not these performances represented behaviors like those seen in human cognitive discriminations of frequency of occurrence. Multiple-problem learning procedures have provided valuable techniques for investigating information-process­ ing charaeteristics from a eomparative perspective. An especially important outcome hasbeen noted with monkeys trained on aequisitions of aseries of different two-choice discrirnination problems. The attendant development of improved facility in problem solution with exposure to a succession of problems has provided evidence for the now classie phenomenon of learning sets (Harlow, 1949), and the issue has reeeived continuing eonsideration in ap­ plieations and modifieations ofthis basie multiple-problem test (e.g., Rumbaugh & Pate, 1984). Another distinetive variant of multiple-problern learn­ ing has entailed the aequisition of several different prob­ lems with their trials interrnixed within a training session
The queen Christina tie‐ups: Convergence of show window and screen

(1989). The queen Christina tie‐ups: Convergence of show window and screen. Quarterly Review of Film and Video: Vol. 11, Female Representation and Consumer Culture, pp. 35-60.
The Teaching-Family Model: A Replicable System of Care

SUMMARY For nearly 30 years, the Teaching-Family technology of treatment, staff training, and program evaluation has been faithfully applied within diverse human service agencies throughout the country. The model serves as a means to organize and orient child care agencies and direct care providers, to provide a common ground for dealing with youngsters in residential treatment settings. The philosophy of care derives from the natural strengths of families bolstered by knowledge able, accessible, and helpful support staff. The Teaching-Family Model was developed over a 20 year period through the collaborative efforts of NIMH, the Achievement Place Research Project at the University of Kansas, and several community-based group homes in Kansas. Within the Teaching-Family model of residential treatment for difficult youth, problem behaviors are dealt with by creating supportive family-style home environments staffed by professional teaching-parents serving 6 to 8 residents. The homes are typically affiliated...
Magnetic hysteresis and flux creep of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub x/ grown by the melt-powder-melt-growth (MPMG) process

Magnetic hysteresis and flux creep of melt-powder-melt-growth (MPMG) YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub x/ containing nominal 0, 25, and 40 mole% Y/sub 2/BaCuO/sub 5/
BMI affects presenting symptoms of achalasia and outcome after Heller myotomy.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and worldwide. The impact of obesity on health is increasingly recognized; however, its impact on achalasia has not been established. The present study was undertaken to determine the impact of body mass index (BMI) on the symptoms of achalasia and outcome after myotomy. In our institution, 262 patients have undergone laparoscopic Heller myotomy and scored their symptoms before and after myotomy on a Likert scale (frequency: 0 = never to 10 = every time I eat/always; severity 0 = not bothersome to 10 = very bothersome). Patients were stratified by BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 or BMI < 30 kg/m2, and preoperative symptom scores and postmyotomy outcomes were compared. Patients with BMI ≥ 30 had higher symptom scores for frequency of choking and vomiting before myotomy (p < 0.05). All symptom scores improved significantly after myotomy, except heartburn frequency and severity for patients with BMI ≥ 30. By regression analysis, increasing BMI tended to exacerbate the frequency of choking and vomiting before myotomy and the frequency of heartburn after myotomy. Among the patients with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, 73% reported excellent or good outcomes compared to 91% for patients with BMI < 30 kg/m2 (p = 0.02, Fisher’s exact test). However, 96% of patients with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, as well as 93% of patients with BMI < 30 kg/m2 would still elect to have the operation if they were asked to make the decision over again. Although some preoperative symptoms are exacerbated by elevated BMI, all symptoms of achalasia are improved with myotomy, even when undertaken for obese patients.