cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient data structures for tamper-evident logging

Many real-world applications wish to collect tamperevident logs for forensic purposes. This paper considers the case of an untrusted logger, serving a number of clients who wish to store their events in the log, and kept honest by a number of auditors who will challenge the logger to prove its correct behavior. We propose semantics of tamper-evident logs in terms of this auditing process. The logger must be able to prove that individual logged events are still present, and that the log, as seen now, is consistent with how it was seen in the past. To accomplish this efficiently, we describe a tree-based data structure that can generate such proofs with logarithmic size and space, improving over previous linear constructions. Where a classic hash chain might require an 800 MB trace to prove that a randomly chosen event is in a log with 80 million events, our prototype returns a 3 KB proof with the same semantics. We also present a flexible mechanism for the log server to present authenticated and tamper-evident search results for all events matching a predicate. This can allow large-scale log servers to selectively delete old events, in an agreed-upon fashion, while generating efficient proofs that no inappropriate events were deleted. We describe a prototype implementation and measure its performance on an 80 million event syslog trace at 1,750 events per second using a single CPU core. Performance improves to 10,500 events per second if cryptographic signatures are offloaded, corresponding to 1.1 TB of logging throughput per week.
Identifying and exploiting weak-information inducing actions in solving POMDPs

We present a method for identifying actions that lead to observations which are only weakly informative in the context of partially observableMarkov decision processes (POMDP). We call such actions as weak- (inclusive of zero-) information inducing. Policy subtrees rooted at these actions may be computed more efficiently. While zero-information inducing actions may be exploited without error, the quicker backup for weak but non-zero information inducing actions may introduce error. We empirically demonstrate the substantial computational savings that exploiting such actions may bring to exact and approximate solutions of POMDPs while maintaining the solution quality.
Maximum norm convergence analysis of extrapolated Crank-Nicolson orthogonal spline collocation for Burgers' equation in one space variable

Burgers' equation in one space variable is a classical example of a non-linear parabolic problem. We discretize this equation in space using orthogonal spline collocation with splines of degree r≥3...
Experimentally Evaluating Bias-Reducing Visual Analytics Techniques in Intelligence Analysis.

Intelligence analysis is a complex process that not only requires substantial training and deep expertise, but is heavily impacted by human cognitive factors. Studies have shown that even experienced, highly-trained personnel sometimes commit serious errors in judgment as a result of heuristic thinking and the impact of judgment bias in matters of national security can be catastrophic. Developing effective debiasing techniques requires addressing a number of daunting challenges. While intuitively appealing, the ability to construct suitable methods to test behaviour under actual work conditions is limited and the generalisability of findings from laboratory settings to work settings is a serious concern. To date, researchers have performed only limited investigations of a small number of debiasing techniques in the workplace. There is still a strong need for experimentally validated debiasing techniques that can be incorporated into analytic tradecraft so that foreseeable thinking errors can be avoided. Drawing from the useful features of prior studies, a reference framework has been developed for the experimental evaluation of bias mitigations applied to problems of an intelligence nature.
Rapid progression of disease in two cases of undifferentiated endometrial carcinoma

Undifferentiated endometrial carcinoma, a rare histopathologic diagnosis, has a poor prognosis with high risk of progression during or shortly after completion of adjuvant treatment. We present two cases of undifferentiated endometrial carcinoma: one in a postmenopausal female who experienced recurrent disease immediately after completion of adjuvant treatment and one in a premenopausal female who experienced disease progression while receiving adjuvant treatment. These cases exemplify the aggressive behavior of undifferentiated endometrial carcinoma and suggest the need for a more effective treatment in the upfront setting than the current standard of care for endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma.
Costly Signaling Theory in Archaeology

Why do people engage in seemingly wasteful behaviors and invest in extravagant material displays? Since its introduction into anthropological archaeology two decades ago, costly signaling theory (CST) has been used to provide an answer to this question. With broad origins in biology and social theory, costly signaling theory seeks to provide an evolutionary explanation for why humans engage in seemingly wasteful behaviors. In this chapter, I take stock of costly signaling theory in archaeology by (1) tracing its theoretical origins and history of adoption into anthropological archaeology, (2) highlighting key issues that archaeologists have been wrestling with in order to make CST applicable to the past, (3) discussing the breadth of uses of CST in the recent archaeological literature, and (4) presenting an analytical framework that can make CST more rigorous and in the future. Despite persistent doubts about the explanatory utility of CST, the study of signaling from an evolutionary perspective remains a key aspect of evolutionary archaeology.
A new technique for monitoring pecan weevil emergence (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

An inexpensive pyramidal-shaped trap was designed and demonstrated to effectively monitor the emergence of pecan weevil adults Curculio caryae (Horn). The trap is constructed of masonite and uses a modified boll weevil eradication trap top as a collecting container. Weevils were preferentially attracted to brown traps when traps were painted brown vs. white. Brown traps positioned adjacent to pecan trees having whitewashed trunks also were more attractive to weevils than when positioned beneath non-white washed trees. Tall traps attracted more weevils than short traps having the same surface area. Two traps per tree captured twice as many weevils as one trap. This report describes the new trap design and presents information to which its effectiveness could possibly be attributed.
Crosstalk between leukocytes triggers differential immune responses against Salmonella enterica serovars Typhi and Paratyphi

Enteric fevers, caused by the Salmonella enterica serovars Typhi (ST), Paratyphi A (PA) and Paratyphi B (PB), are life-threatening illnesses exhibiting very similar clinical symptoms but with distinct epidemiologies, geographical distributions and susceptibilities to antimicrobial treatment. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which the host recognizes pathogens with high levels of homology, such as these bacterial serovars, remain poorly understood. Using a three-dimensional organotypic model of the human intestinal mucosa and PA, PB, and ST, we observed significant differences in the secretion patterns of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines elicited by these serovars. These cytokines/chemokines were likely to be co-regulated and influenced the function of epithelial cells, such as the production of IL-8. We also found differing levels of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) migration among various infection conditions that either included or excluded lymphocytes and macrophages (Mϕ), strongly suggesting feedback mechanisms among these cells. Blocking experiments showed that IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α and CCL3 cytokines were involved in the differential regulation of migration patterns. We conclude that the crosstalk among the lymphocytes, Mϕ, PMN and epithelial cells is cytokine/chemokine-dependent and bacterial-serotype specific, and plays a pivotal role in orchestrating the functional efficiency of the innate cells and migratory characteristics of the leukocytes.
A variational problem in Hilbert space

Letℋ be a Hilbert space over the field of complex numbers, with inner product (g,h). Letf be a fixed element inℋ, and letH be a compact, self-adjoint linear operator onℋ. We find the maximum value ofQ f (u)=|(f,u)|2 in the classU of elementsu inℋ for which (u,u)=1, (u, Hu)=0.
Relationship between Duration of Infant Exposure to a Moderate-to-Large Patent Ductus Arteriosus Shunt and the Risk of Developing Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia or Death Before 36 Weeks

Objective This study was aimed to examine the relationship between duration of infant exposure to a moderate-to-large patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) shunt and the risk of developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) or death before 36 weeks (BPD/death). Study Design Infants Results In multivariable regression models, BPD/death did not appear to be increased until infants had been exposed to a moderate-to-large PDA for at least 7–13 days: OR (95%CI) (referent = closed or small PDA): moderate-to-large PDA exposure for Conclusion Infants
An orthogonal seryl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pair for noncanonical amino acid mutagenesis in Escherichia coli.

Abstract We report the development of the orthogonal amber-suppressor pair Archaeoglobus fulgidus seryl-tRNA (Af-tRNASer)/Methanosarcina mazei seryl-tRNA synthetase (MmSerRS) in Escherichia coli. Furthermore, the crystal structure of MmSerRS was solved at 1.45 A resolution, which should enable structure-guided engineering of its active site to genetically encode small, polar noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs).
Vessel Wall Magnetic Resonance Imaging Biomarkers of Symptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerosis: A Meta-Analysis.

Background and Purpose: Intracranial atherosclerotic disease is a common cause of stroke worldwide. Intracranial vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging may be able to identify imaging biomarkers of...
Contemporary Assessment of the Most Cited Clinical, Basic Science, and Guidelines Papers in Urology: A Reference for Urology Journal Club

Abstract Objective To perform bibliometric analysis of the top cited articles in urology as a guide for journal club article selection. Methods Bibliometric citation analysis was performed using Scopus. Tables illustrating the top cited clinical, basic science, and guidelines/position statements papers were constructed. Linear regression was used to determine association between h-index and number of citations. Results A total of 3,188,861 publications from 1788 to 2020 were analyzed. The top 100 cited clinical papers from 1788 to 2020, top 100 cited contemporary clinical papers from 2000 to 2020, top 25 cited basic science papers, and the top 25 cited guidelines/position statement papers were reported. Median number of citations in the top 100 cited clinical papers was 1463 (interquartile range 1186-1821). Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (12), Johns Hopkins University (6), and Harvard University (6) contributed the most top cited clinical papers in urology. Urologic oncology was the most represented subspecialty in both clinical (75%) and basic science (96%) papers. First author and last author h-index were found to correlate with the number paper citations in the top 100 cited clinical papers from 1788 to 2020 (first author β:5.3, P= .003, last author β:4.5, P= .03). Only 7% of the most cited clinical papers in urology were from female first authors, which was not statistically significantly different from those reported in prior publications published in 2009 and 2013. Conclusion Contemporary citation analysis of indexed manuscripts in urology may serve as a valuable educational tool for urologists and trainees.
Improving Metric Dimensionality Reduction with Distributed Topology.

We propose a novel approach to dimensionality reduction combining techniques of metric geometry and distributed persistent homology, in the form of a gradient-descent based method called DIPOLE. DIPOLE is a dimensionality-reduction post-processing step that corrects an initial embedding by minimizing a loss functional with both a local, metric term and a global, topological term. By fixing an initial embedding method (we use Isomap), DIPOLE can also be viewed as a full dimensionality-reduction pipeline. This framework is based on the strong theoretical and computational properties of distributed persistent homology and comes with the guarantee of almost sure convergence. We observe that DIPOLE outperforms popular methods like UMAP, t-SNE, and Isomap on a number of popular datasets, both visually and in terms of precise quantitative metrics.
Synchronous Artificial Urinary Sphincter and Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Implantation: Short-Term Outcomes from a Statewide Claims Database

AbstractPurpose:The 2 most common adverse effects of radical prostatectomy are erectile dysfunction and stress urinary incontinence which often require surgical management with penile prosthesis (P...
The Impact of Crisis-Period Interest Rate Declines on Distressed Borrowers

We measure the causal impact of reductions in benchmark interest rates on the renegotiation and performance of distressed loans, using 2000s subprime adjustable-rate mortgages as a laboratory. Subprime borrowers treated with larger benchmark Libor rate declines benefited from increased debt-renegotiation and lower debt-service payments. The estimated effects are similar across both current borrowers and those in default. Renegotiation of mortgage debt also reduced foreclosures over the longer term. However, following debt-renegotiation, surviving treated borrowers re-entered and lingered in serious delinquency. Findings suggest that while policy may effect reductions in benchmark rates and spur debt-renegotiation, such interventions may not lead to longer-run curative outcomes.
Screening for Atrial Fibrillation in Older Adults at Primary Care Visits: the VITAL-AF Randomized Controlled Trial

ABSTRACT Background Undiagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) may cause preventable strokes. Guidelines differ regarding AF screening recommendations. We tested whether point-of-care screening with a handheld single lead electrocardiogram (ECG) at primary care practice visits increases diagnoses of AF. Methods We randomized 16 primary care clinics 1:1 to AF screening using a handheld single-lead ECG (AliveCor KardiaMobile) during vital sign assessments, or usual care. Patients included were aged ≥ 65 years. Screening results were provided to primary care clinicians at the encounter. All confirmatory diagnostic testing and treatment decisions were made by the primary care clinician. New AF diagnoses over one-year follow-up were ascertained electronically and manually adjudicated. Proportions and incidence rates were calculated. Effect heterogeneity was assessed. Results Of 30,715 patients without prevalent AF (n=15,393 screening [91% screened], n=15,322 control), 1.72% of individuals in the screening group had new AF diagnosed at one year versus 1.59% in the control group (risk difference [RD] 0.13%, 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.16–0.42, P=0.38). New AF diagnoses in the screening and control groups differed by age with the greatest effect observed for those aged ≥ 85 years (5.56% versus 3.76%, respectively, RD 1.80%, 95% CI 0.18–3.30). The difference in newly diagnosed AF between the screening period and the prior year was marginally greater in the screening versus control group (0.32% versus −0.12%, RD 0.43%, 95% CI −0.01–0.84). The proportion of individuals with newly diagnosed AF who were initiated on oral anticoagulants was similar in the screening (n=194, 73.5%) and control (n=172, 70.8%) arms (RD 2.7%, 95% CI −5.5–10.4). Conclusions Screening for AF using a single-lead ECG at primary care visits was not associated with a significant increase in new AF diagnoses among individuals aged 65 years or older compared to usual care. However, screening may be associated with an increased likelihood of diagnosing AF among individuals aged 85 years or older and warrants further evaluation. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03515057 Funding Bristol Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance
Ways of Analyzing the Spontaneous Speech of Children with Mental Retardation: The Value of Cross-Domain Analyses

Publisher Summary This chapter analyzes the traditionally used assessment measures for child language. These assessment methods take into account, the measures to represent the array of language skills crucial to a full understanding of language development. Measures appropriate for use with older children are also outlined. The chapter presents three major points; first, it argues both on theoretical and on empirical grounds, that language must be seen as a componential structure rather than as a single domain of development. Second, it demonstrates with data from a group of normally developing children and developmentally delayed populations that the componential structure of language imposes alternative procedures for assessing language development and for matching children on language skills. Third, it demonstrates that the componential model of language helps in making sense of the available descriptive data about the language development of children with mental retardation.
Test of Scour Protection for Bridge Piers

If flood velocities concentrated by the area constriction at bridges remove material from under the bridge pier foundations, the pier may settle or collapse. The maximum depth of scour occurring during the passage of a flood peak is difficult to ascertain or to estimate by empirical formulas or model tests. To explore further the method of limiting the depth of scour by surrounding the pier with prototype material, model tests were made covering a range of constriction percentages, depths of flow, and Froude numbers, using both round and elongated piers. After determining the extent of the scour hole formed during the passage of a simulated flood, the protection afforded by a layer of protective material was tested with a repetition of the same flood. If the material of the layer was large enough to resist being moved and had a grain-size distribution capable of preventing leaching, no scour hole formed. A special test showed protection remaining intact despite stream bed degradation.
A Light-Weight Permutation Based Method for Data Privacy in Mobile Cloud Computing

Cloud computing paradigm provides virtual IT infrastructures with a set of resources that are shared with multi-tenant users. Data Privacy is one of the major challenges when users outsource their data to a cloud computing system. Privacy can be violated by the cloud vendor, vendor's authorized users, other cloud users, unauthorized users, or external malicious entities. Encryption is one of the solutions to protect and maintain privacy of cloud-stored data. However, encryption methods are complex and expensive for mobile devices. In this paper, we propose a new light-weight method for mobile clients to store data on one or multiple clouds by using pseudo-random permutation based on chaos systems. The proposed method can be used in the client mobile devices to store data in the cloud(s) without using cloud computing resources for encryption to maintain user's privacy. We consider JPEG image format as a case study to present and evaluate the proposed method. Our experimental results show that the proposed method achieve superior performance compared to over encryption methods, such as AES and encryption on JPEG encoders while protecting the mobile user data privacy. We review major security attack scenarios against the proposed method that shows the level of security.
A summary of recent VLSI SEU and latch-up testing (for space application)

As the complexity of satellite systems increases, interest in using highly integrated microelectronic devices also increases. The SEU and latch-up characteristics of these devices are usually not known. Therefore, thorough testing should be performed on an VLSI device that is considered for use in space systems. The authors detail the results of a series of SEU and latch-up tests on VLSI devices of interest for use in future satellite systems and describe their test system designed to efficiently perform these tests. >
Embryonic Neurons Adapt to the Inhibitory Proteoglycan Aggrecan by Increasing Integrin Expression

The primary mediators of cell migration during development, wound healing and metastasis, are receptors of the integrin family. In the developing and regenerating nervous system, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) inhibit the integrin-dependent migration of neuronal growth cones. Here we report that embryonic sensory neurons cultured on the growth-promoting molecule laminin in combination with the inhibitory CSPG aggrecan rapidly adapt to inhibition. Adaptation is associated with a two- to threefold increase in the levels of RNA and surface protein for two laminin receptors, integrin alpha6beta1 and alpha3beta1, indicating that integrin expression is regulated by aggrecan. Increased integrin expression is associated both with increases in neuronal cell adhesion/outgrowth and with decreases in the ability of aggrecan to inhibit cell adhesion. Directly increasing integrin expression by adenoviral infection is sufficient to eliminate the inhibitory effects of aggrecan, indicating that upregulation of integrin receptors may promote neuronal regeneration in the presence of inhibitory matrix components.
Maturation of cultured embryonic CNS tissues during chronic exposure to agents which prevent bioelectric activity

Summary Fetal rodent cerebral cortex and spinal cord tissues were explanted at stages prior to the onset of synaptic function. The culture media contained chemical agents which produced sustained depression of the characteristic bbioelectric excitability of the neurons. Addition of xylocaine (50 μg/ml) or a 10-fold increase in Mg 2+ concentration were effective in blocking all complex bioelectric activities—or, at least, in markedly raising the threshold for triggering such synaptically mediated phenomena. They did not, however, appear to interfere with the characteristic morphologic growth and development of the tissues in vitro , as observed by light microscopy. Representative CNS cultures tested at various intervals during chronic exposure (5–30 days) to these blocking agents showed no spontaneous, or evoked, complex bioelectric activity, although simple action potentials could be triggered, in some cases, at unusually high stimulus intensities. These CNS tissues have, therefore, been cultured under conditions which apparently prevent all spontaneous, as well as fortuitously evoked, bioelectric discharges during the critical period when synaptic networks normally form in control cultures. Nevertheless, within minutes after removing the blocking agent from the bathing fluid, the first electric stimulus applied to such a virginal explant often evoked a complex bioelectric response similar to those seen in mature control explants. The mimicry of these responses to patterns characteristic of organized multisynaptic networks, in situ , suggests that ontogenetic development of some types of complex interneuronal CNS functions may be programmed to occur independent of prior bioelectric excitation of the cellular elements composing the system. Moreover, after endogenous formation of such a neuronal cell assembly it can be maintained in a quiescent state for at least several weeks and, yet, remain organized with characteristic bioelectric excitability.
Automatic voice onset time detection for unvoiced stops (/p/,/t/,/k/) with application to accent classification

Articulation characteristics of particular phonemes can provide cues to distinguish accents in spoken English. For example, as shown in Arslan and Hansen (1996, 1997), Voice Onset Time (VOT) can be used to classify mandarin, Turkish, German and American accented English. Our goal in this study is to develop an automatic system that classifies accents using VOT in unvoiced stops. VOT is an important temporal feature which is often overlooked in speech perception, speech recognition, as well as accent detection. Fixed length frame-based speech processing inherently ignores VOT. In this paper, a more effective VOT detection scheme using the non-linear energy tracking algorithm Teager Energy Operator (TEO), across a sub-frequency band partition for unvoiced stops (/p/, /t/ and /k/), is introduced. The proposed VOT detection algorithm also incorporates spectral differences in the Voice Onset Region (VOR) and the succeeding vowel of a given stop-vowel sequence to classify speakers having accents due to different ethnic origin. The spectral cues are enhanced using one of the four types of feature parameter extractions - Discrete Mellin Transform (DMT), Discrete Mellin Fourier Transform (DMFT) and Discrete Wavelet Transform using the lowest and the highest frequency resolutions (DWTlfr and DWThfr). A Hidden Markov Model (HMM) classifier is employed with these extracted parameters and applied to the problem of accent classification. Three different language groups (American English, Chinese, and Indian) are used from the CU-Accent database. The VOT is detected with less than 10% error when compared to the manual detected VOT with a success rate of 79.90%, 87.32% and 47.73% for English, Chinese and Indian speakers (includes atypical cases for Indian case), respectively. It is noted that the DMT and DWTlfr features are good for parameterizing speech samples which exhibit substitution of succeeding vowel after the stop in accented speech. The successful accent classification rates of DMT and DWTlfr features are 66.13% and 71.67%, for /p/ and /t/ respectively, for pairwise accent detection. Alternatively, the DMFT feature works on all accent sensitive words considered, with a success rate of 70.63%. This study shows that effective VOT detection can be achieved using an integrated TEO processing with spectral difference analysis in the VOR that can be employed for accent classification.
Characterization of Wolfgram proteolipid protein of bovine white matter and fractionation of molecular weight heterogeneity.

— Wolfgram proteolipid protein fraction (WPF) was prepared as the insoluble pellet resulting from the extraction of myelin three times with chloroform-methanol (CM, 2:1, v/v). Amino acid composition analysis showed that the WPF described here is comparable to that described by Wolfgram (1966) and by Enget al. (1968). Disc gel electrophoresis in two different buffer systems revealed three major protein bands, W1, W2 and W3, having apparent mol. wt of 23,500, 54,000 and 62.000 daltons respectively. The 54,000–62,000 doublet is stable to performic acid oxidation and to reduction with β-mercaptoethanol. Characterization of WPF by sedimentation velocity revealed two peaks having S20, w values of 1 96 and 0 84. In comparison, water soluble Folch-Lees proteolipid apoprotein (APL) prepared in this laboratory (Hendricksonet al., 1972) differs from WPF in its amino acid composition and in its behavior on disc gels and in the ultracentrifuge. We employed preparative electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels containing sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) in order to separate and purify heterogeneous components observed in WPF. We obtained a fraction containing essentially pure W1 protein and determined that it has a unique amino acid composition. Various fractions containing partly purified high molecular weight components were also recovered. Gel filtration chromatography on columns of Sephadex G-200 was also successfully employed in this study of WPF.
Playing Follow the Leader: Status-Determining Traits in Relation to Collective Efficacy across Cultures.

Increasing pressure on managing international teams has created a need for further understanding culturally relevant group processes. In this study, the cultural context of power distance is examined in relation to the status characteristics possessed by group members and their influence on group efficacy estimations and performance. Data obtained from 288 senior managers coming from England, France, Thailand, and the United States were used to test the hypothesis that power distance would moderate the influence of member status on collective decisions made by a group. Results demonstrate that in high power distance cultures, collective judgments of group capability are more strongly tied to higher rather than to lower status group members' personal judgments. In low power distance cultures, members appear to contribute comparably to collective efficacy judgments. The implications of the study are discussed in terms of status differentials and group decision making across cultures.
Deuterated ammonia toward the Orion Nebula

The detection of transitions in NH2D at 85926.2 and 110153.4 MHz from the Orion molecular cloud is reported. An 11-m radio telescope with an 80-120 GHz cooled Cassegrain receiver and a tunable quasi-optical rejection filter was used in the investigations. Equations of statistical equilibrium for the lowest 34 energy levels of NH2D were solved. It seems unlikely that the observed lines arise in the very extended CO cloud. However, they could originate either in the molecular 'ridge' or the unresolved (Kleinmann-Low) core of the cloud or both. A column density of about 50 trillion/sq cm is deduced. The NH2D spectra, with 1 MHz resolution, are shown in a graph. Using previously reported column densities for NH3, a value of 0.05 with an estimated maximum uncertainty factor of 10 is found for the ratio NH2D/NH3.
Metabolomics Analysis Identifies Intestinal Microbiota-Derived Biomarkers of Colonization Resistance in Clindamycin-Treated Mice

Background The intestinal microbiota protect the host against enteric pathogens through a defense mechanism termed colonization resistance. Antibiotics excreted into the intestinal tract may disrupt colonization resistance and alter normal metabolic functions of the microbiota. We used a mouse model to test the hypothesis that alterations in levels of bacterial metabolites in fecal specimens could provide useful biomarkers indicating disrupted or intact colonization resistance after antibiotic treatment.
Expected Utility and Peace Science: An Assessment of Trade and Conflict:

In this paper, I attempt to tease out the implications of expected utility models on conflict resolution and peace science. I also consider the trade-conflict model of Polachek (1980) and its extensions, as one example of expected utility in international relations. I raise three questions concerning the impact of expected utility: (1) when does trade mitigate conflict? (2) can trade provoke conflict? (3) can trade induce cooperation? From a review of empirical findings, I consider the political content of the trade-conflict model in particular, and of expected utility models, in general. Subsequently, I discuss two additional questions: (4) how do exchange norms influence trade and conflict? and (5) what incentives exist to foster cooperation from trade under expected utility? I advance the critique that while expected utility underrepresents political actions and motives, the implicit content of politics in the trade-conflict model is predominantly realist. Given this tendency, expected utility in confl...
Preretirement Planning of Female Registered Nurses

Knowledge of preretirement planning among women has not been a major focal point for researchers. The purpose of this study was to test a model for understanding preretirement planning among working women and to describe and explain preretirement health and financial plans. A multivariate method of analysis was used with a sample of 145 working female registered nurses, 40 years of age or older, from a major health sciences institution. Data were collected with a mailed questionnaire that measured knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of women regarding health and financial preretirement planning. The results of this study indicated that formal and informal methods of planning for retirement were limited. Knowledge of health maintenance issues and economic issues were found to be helpful in making plans for the retirement years. This study identifies strengths and weaknesses in the preretirement planning process of working women and contributes to the expansion of knowledge to reduce problems during retirement.
Patient willingness to participate in a clinical trial with preimplantation genetic diagnosis

Objective To investigate patients' interest in preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) as a method for aneuploidy screening and their willingness to participate in a clinical trial using PGD. Design Anonymous questionnaire. Setting University infertility clinic. Patient(s) Women seeking treatment for infertility at the study clinic. Intervention(s) Subjects completed a two-part structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included demographic and fertility history questions, followed by opinion questions on testing for genetic diseases. The second portion of the questionnaire included opinion questions about willingness to use PGD and to participate in a clinical trial using PGD after reading a document explaining PGD. Main Outcome Measure(s) Patients' interest in using PGD and willingness to participate in a clinical trial involving PGD. Result(s) Before reading a description of PGD, 84% of participants indicated that they were interested in having their embryos tested. The majority (86%) remained interested in testing their embryos with PGD after reading the informational paragraph. Most (91%) of the women who remained interested in PGD also indicated a willingness to participate in a clinical trial involving PGD. Of the patients who initially were not interested in testing their embryos, nearly half of them (47%) indicated an interest in PGD after reading the informational paragraph, and nearly all of those who changed their mind were willing to be in a trial. Conclusion(s) Many women undergoing IVF are interested in the possibility of utilizing PGD for aneuploidy screening. Better evidence is needed regarding outcomes using PGD for this indication before it can be routinely incorporated into practice. A clinical trial using PGD in this setting appears possible because a majority of the patients, in this survey, would be willing to participate.
Stereoselective Stobbe condensation of ethyl methyl diphenylmethylenesuccinate with aromatic aldehydes.

The E configuration of benzylidene(diphenylmethylene)succinic anhydride (R = H), obtained by the Stobbe condensation of ethyl methyl diphenylmethylenesuccinate with benzaldehyde, was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Noncovalent π stacking interaction between two stacked phenyl groups is suggested as a stabilizing energy for the highly crowded molecule. The nature and the position of substituents (R) on the aromatic rings of substituted benzaldehydes showed no effect on the E stereoselectivity in the condensation.
Evaluation of a rapid optical immunoassay-based test for group B streptococcus colonization in intrapartum patients.

Objective : To compare an optical immunoassay (OIA) rapid diagnostic kit to standard culture for the diagnosis of vaginal colonization with group B streptococcus (GBS) and to assess the accuracy and reproducibility of the OIA results. Method : A total of 301 patients in labor were prospectively evaluated for GBS colonization with a test approved by the Food and Drug Administration (STREP B OIA kit, Biostar, Boulder, CO, USA) and by culture. The vagina was simultaneously sampled with two swabs. Rectal culture was obtained separately. Results : By the criterion of a positive culture, the vagina was colonized by GBS in 33 of 301 (11%) patients; and the rectum in 42 of 301 (13.9%). The vagina or rectum or both were colonized by GBS in 54 of 301 (17.9%) of patients. The OIA had sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 63.6%, 86.3%, 37.5% and 94.8%, respectively. The OIA had a kappa statistic score of 0.59. Conclusion : The OIA is not an adequately sensitive rapid kit...
The Patient Satisfaction Survey: What does it mean to your bottom line?

The primary objective of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to improve the health care delivery system for all Americans. In April 2011, a reward system initiative for hospitals was announced that focused enhanced reimbursement incentives to hospitals that improved overall care and maintained patient satisfaction. This initiative begins in fiscal year 2013 for Medicare insured patients and is anticipated that private insurers will soon follow this standard. Patient satisfaction has become one of the determinants of health care. Its measures include access, outcome, effectiveness of service provided, and other variables intended to improve population health. Important economic decisions are being influenced with this data. This study explores the impact of the patient satisfaction survey instrument with reimbursement and how this process has influenced care decisions of one large health system in the northeast. It identifies strengths and weaknesses within this health system that have affected the bottom line. Key Words: Patient satisfaction, quality of care, financing, Medicare reimbursement, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, Affordable Care Act, Partnership for Patients
Development of concentration thresholds for fetal swallowing and arginine vasopressin stimulation in the preterm ovine fetus.

We previously demonstrated that fetal swallowing was stimulated by intracarotid saline injections in the near term (130 ± 1 days gestation) ovine fetus. In order to examine the ontogeny of the regulation of thirst-mediated swallowing behavior and arginine vasopressin (AVP) secretion, the present study examined fetal swallowing and AVP secretory responses to hypertonic NaCl and sucrose in preterm (115 days gestation) ovine fetuses. Five fetuses were chronically prepared with thyrohyoid, nuchal and thoracic esophagus, and diaphragm electromyogram (EMG) electrodes, an esophageal flow probe, and vascular catheters. Fetuses received intracarotid injections (0.15 ml/kg) of increasing concentrations of NaCl (0.15–2.55 M), administered at 2-min intervals. The threshold saline concentration for swallowing was defined as the minimum NaCl dose eliciting swallow responses (within 20 s) following 4 of 5 injections at each dose. In 2 fetuses, the threshold dose was 0.75 M (confirmed by 4 of 5 injections resulting in sw...
The relationship between temporomandibular disorders and stress-associated syndromes.

Abstract Objectives. The purpose of this study was to determine the comorbidity of temporomandibular disorders and other stress-associated conditions in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Study Design. Of 92 patients who fulfilled the criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia (or both), 39 (42%) reported a prior diagnosis of temporomandibular disorder. Further questionnaires were sent to the members of this group, and 30 patients responded. Results. Of the original 92 patients, of whom 42% reported temporomandibular disorders, 46% had histories of irritable bowel syndrome, 42% of premenstrual syndrome, and 19% of interstitial cystitis. Of the patients with temporomandibular disorders, the great majority reported an onset of generalized symptoms before the onset of facial pain. Despite this, 75% had been treated exclusively for temporomandibular disorders, usually with bite splints. Conclusions. Patients appearing for treatment with chronic facial pain show a high comorbidity with other stress-associated syndromes. The clinical overlap between these conditions may reflect a shared underlying pathophysiologic basis involving dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress hormone axis in predisposed individuals. A multidisciplinary clinical approach to temporomandibular disorders would improve diagnosis and treatment outcomes for this group of patients.
State interests and institutional rule trajectories: A neorealist interpretation of the Maastricht treaty and European economic and monetary union

(1996). State interests and institutional rule trajectories: A neorealist interpretation of the Maastricht treaty and European economic and monetary union. Security Studies: Vol. 5, Realism: Restatements and Renewal, pp. 261-306.
Modulation of B16 melanoma growth and metastasis by anti-transforming growth factor β antibody and interleukin-2

Earlier evidence suggests that transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) plays a significant role in tumor progression and metastasis. The most likely mechanism of the action of TGF beta is induction of immunosuppression in the host, allowing for unchecked tumor growth and metastasis. We attempted to test that hypothesis and to compare antitumor effects of anti-TGF beta antibody alone and in combination with interleukin-2 (IL-2). Six- to 8-week-old female C57B1-6 mice were induced with murine B16 melanoma by tail vein injection. Therapy was started 48 h after tumor injections. Monoclonal anti-TGF beta antibody (2G7) was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) at 500 micrograms every other day, and IL-2 at 10,000 U i.p. twice daily, for 21 days. A threefold decrease in the number of lesions in the anti-TGF beta/IL-2 treatment group compared with the control group was observed, a highly significant statistical difference (p = 0.002). No statistically significant differences were seen between the control group and other studied groups (IL-2 alone, anti-TGF beta alone). Analysis of TGF beta levels in plasma by the TGF beta-1 Quantikine assay indicated normal levels in the control and IL-2 groups, and significantly diminished levels in the two groups that received TGF beta antibody. However, acid-ethanol extraction of plasma (to reverse antibody binding before assay) showed normal plasma TGF beta levels in all groups, suggesting that the antibody may alter the availability of TGF beta in vivo. Microscopic analysis of metastases revealed a decrease in the average size of lesions in the groups treated with IL-2. Thus, combination therapy using anti-TGF beta antibody and IL-2 may be a novel, less toxic approach to tumor immunotherapy.
Femtosecond optical rectification from semiconductor surfaces and quantum wells

A theoretical model based on the nonlinear optical rectification at semiconductor surfaces and quantum wells is reviewed. The theory explains the experimental observations including the crystal orientation dependence of the terahertz signal on the crystal growth axis. Interesting properties, such as (1) the polarization of the radiated electromagnetic pulse is mostly in the plane of incidence (TM polarization), (2) the polarity of the radiation field changes in sign from an n-type doped sample to a p-type doped sample, (3) the radiated field decreases with increasing temperature, (4) the radiation field decreases with increasing doping concentration, and (5) the frequency response of the radiation field peaks near the terahertz range, can all be explained using the optical rectification theory. We also discuss how the same theory can explain the experimentally observed terahertz signals from coupled quantum-well structures. The theory shows that both optically rectified signals and quantum beats are generated.
Fraternity and a global difference principle: A feminist critique of Rawls and Pogge

Despite recent cracks in the dominant Hobbesian world picture of international relations (IR) – as the resurgence of neo-Kantianism in the area of ‘global justice’ bears witness – a discussion of friendship still remains absent. This article focusses on the important debate concerning the possibility of a global ‘difference principle’: that principle which John Rawls in A Theory of Justice considers an ‘expression of fraternity’ between citizens. Although in his later work Rawls explicitly denies that his difference principle applies worldwide and between ‘people’, others (most famously Charles Beitz and Thomas Pogge) defend a global version of it nonetheless. Yet, there is no talk of fraternity by these latter thinkers. I argue that both these positions are mistaken. Not only is an analysis of friendship necessary for any adequate account of justice – whether domestic or global – but the form this political friendship takes emerges as critical to the substantive debate.
Chromatographic Analysis of Chlorpheniramine, Pyrilamine, and Methapyrilene in Combination

A partition chromatographic method is presented for the separation and quantitation of chlorpheniramine, methapyrilene, and pyrilamine in combination.A solution of p-toluenesulfonic acid and potassium chloride on a column of diatomaceous earth is used to effect the separation.The isolated chlorpheniramine is determined by UV spectrophotometry.The methapyrilene and pyrilamine are separated and determined by GLC.
Optimization of glides for constant wind fields and course headings

Theory and experiment are presented for optimal combinations of glide speeds and crab angles that minimize the glide slope at any arbitrary angle to the wind along a constant course heading. The optimization scheme is formulated for constant wind speeds, wind direction, and air mass sink rates. An analytic solution is found in the asymptotic limit of a small crosswind component. A general solution is obtained by seeded iterations with a Taylor series expansion about that limit. The solution was verified in test flights with quartering tailwinds and direct crosswinds at the 700, 500, and 300 mb levels. It was concluded that relatively small pilot-induced speed errors result in significant glide slope degradations with unnecessary and potentially dangerous altitude losses. Applications of the results are considered for wind fields that vary slowly in space, such as lee waves and Rossby
The response of the rabbit subsynovial connective tissue to a stress-relaxation test.

The subsynovial connective tissue (SSCT) in the carpal tunnel may play a role in the etiology of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), yet the material properties of the SSCT remain unclear. Thus, we investigated the mechanical response of the SSCT in a rabbit model. Twenty-four rabbit cadaver paws were used for mechanical testing; two paws were used for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging. After testing normal tendon excursion, the divided third digit flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) tendon was pulled to displacements of 2, 3.5, 5, or 8 mm, maintained at that position until force decay, and then the process was repeated. Normal excursion of the FDS averaged 4.8 mm. The ratio of the second peak force to the first peak force in the 2 mm group was 0.98 (SD = 0.16), which was significantly higher than the other groups (3.5 mm: 0.74, 5 mm, 0.63, and 8 mm: 0.59; p 2 mm suggests damage to the SSCT within the physiological tendon excursion. These data may be useful in understanding SSCT mechanics in CTS, which is associated with SSCT fibrosis.
Step‐by‐step progress toward understanding the hepatitis C virus RNA helicase

Helicases are a ubiquitous class of enzymes involved in nearly all aspects of DNA and RNA metabolism. Despite recent progress in understanding their mechanism of action, limited resolution has left inaccessible the detailed mechanisms by which these enzymes couple the rearrangement of nucleic acid structures to the binding and hydrolysis of ATP. Observing individual mechanistic cycles of these motor proteins is central to understanding their cellular functions. Here we follow in real time, at a resolution of two base pairs and 20 ms, the RNA translocation and unwinding cycles of a hepatitis C virus helicase (NS3) monomer. NS3 is a representative superfamily-2 helicase essential for viral replication, and therefore a potentially important drug target. We show that the cyclic movement of NS3 is coordinated by ATP in discrete steps of 11 +/- 3 base pairs, and that actual unwinding occurs in rapid smaller substeps of 3.6 +/- 1.3 base pairs, also triggered by ATP binding, indicating that NS3 might move like an inchworm. This ATP-coupling mechanism is likely to be applicable to other non-hexameric helicases involved in many essential cellular functions. The assay developed here should be useful in investigating a broad range of nucleic acid translocation motors.