cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulating Supreme Court Decision Making.

Students of the judiciary have long been concerned with the factors that contribute to decision-making at the individual and institutional levels. In particular, analysts have focused a great deal of attention on the Supreme Court and the behavior of its members. Despite this attention, analysts have differed as to the relative influence of the factors justices rely upon when making their decisions. Even the courses taught in a standard political science undergraduate curriculum send mixed signals about these factors to students. Basic constitutional law courses tend to overestimate the role of doctrinal interpretation and precedent and underestimate the impact of the values and attitudes of the Court's members. Courses on the judicial process and politics err in the opposite direction. When the decision-making literature is viewed as a whole, five basic determinants of judicial decisions emerge: the background of the justice (Tate 1981), the justice's attitudes and values (Rohde and Spaeth 1976), the dynamics inherent in small-groups (Murphy 1964; Woodward and Armstrong 1979), the member's conception of the role of the Court (Howard 1977), and the impact of external stimuli (Casper and Posner 1974). Some of these variables can be measured, but some are very difficult to gauge. As a consequence, analysts cannot accurately assess the relative impact of these five factors upon the individual's decision.
Trophic differences, originations and extinctions during the Cenomanian and Maastrichtian stages of the Cretaceous

Time normalized analyses of the feeding strategies of marine metazoan families which both originated and terminated during the Cenomanian and Maastrichtian shows that more primary consumers suffered extinction in the Maastrichtian than in the Cenomanian. Each family was assigned a percentile “trophic score ”based on the feeding strategies that they employed. The trophic categories are: Photosymbionts (P), which use the physiological products of endosymbionts and in some cases the endosymbionts themselves; first order consumers (C1); second order consumers (C2); third order consumers (C3) and detritus feeders (S). The trophic scores were analyzed as a bivariate plot of trophic categories versus percentages of origination/extinction. The Cenomanian and Maastrichtian origination plots are similar in total percentages. However, the extinction graphs show differences between the C1 and C2 categories. The Cenomanian extinction graph shows a greater C2 value relative to C1, whereas the Maastrichtian extinction graph shows a C1 peak twice the value of the C2 peak.
A dynamic model for an optimal specific import tariff

The existing literature on optimal specific import tariff only compares the pre- and the post-tariff market equilibriums to account for the efficiency losses. However, when the government imposes a...
A comparison of cellular DNA repair rates of different cell lines using the TUNEL assay

804 Cells possess several DNA repair systems to counteract the damage produced by endogenous and exogenous agents. Repair of DNA damage is significant in preventing genetic modifications involved in the progression of carcinogenesis. Inefficient repair systems facilitate an increased risk of developing cancer, supporting the prospective study of DNA repair in relation to the onset of cancer. The aim of this project was to develop a simple and accurate method of detecting DNA damage and measuring repair rate. Identification of DNA fragments in situ using the terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase (TDT)-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay is normally applied to investigate active cell death (apoptosis). Using this staining technique, we developed a method of measuring cellular DNA repair rates. We selected H202 as our primary damaging agent because of its reported ability to induce a large number of single-strand breaks (ssb>36000/cell) without impairing cell survival. (Int J Radiat Biol. 2000 Jan: 67-75). After damaging various lymphocyte cancer cell lines with H202, cells were allowed to repair in media at 37°C for 0, 5, 15, 30, or 60 minutes. Following the different repair incubation time points, the cells were fixed with 4% paraformaldahyde and then stained using TUNEL, followed by flow cytometry. The TUNEL repair assay was conducted on different mononuclear leukocyte cell lines, which revealed specific trends in DNA repair rates among the various cell lines. The Raji cell line with no repair time (0 minutes) had a damage population at 12.8 percent. As the time of repair increased, the damage population continued to decrease, reaching a percentage of 11.4 at a 15 minute repair time, and 8.4 at a 60 minute repair time. By analyzing the equation of the graphed line, the slope, or repair rate, was determined to be -.07 for Raji cells. The U937 cell line had a damage population of 4.7 percent at 0 minutes, 2.3 at 15 minutes, and 1.9 at 60 minutes, resulting in an overall repair rate of -.03 for U937 cells. Our results from the flow cytometer revealed a significant decrease in the amount of DNA damaged as the time for repair increased, indicating that TUNEL is an accurate method of determining and measuring DNA repair. This technique will be useful in further analysis of DNA repair and its contribution to the progression of cancer.
Madmen in Authority: Adolf Hitler and the Malthusian Population Thesis

Keynes fatuously asserted that deacf economists exert influence on madmen in authority. For Hitler, the economist appears to be Malthus. Hitler was obsessed with the Malthusian idea that the amount ofavailable land Jim.its population. Hitler never gave credit to anyone else for his ideas, so it is impossible to be certain about their origin. A case can be made that Hitler was influenced by Malthus as interpreted by Arthur Moeller van den Bruck, whose book The Third Reich captivated the Nazi party (B 10, N44).
Fundamental Bounds on the Age of Information in General Multi-Hop Interference Networks

This paper studies the “age of information” of status updates in a general multi-source multi-hop wireless network with time slotted transmissions and general interference constraints. Specifically, the scenario considered in this paper assumes that each node in the network is both a source and a monitor of information and that all nodes wish to receive fresh status updates from all other nodes in the network. Lower bounds for the instantaneous peak and average age of information are derived for three interference models using properties of each interference model's family of feasible activation sets. These bounds generalize prior results derived for the “global” interference model where only one node transmits in each time slot. Achievability results are presented through the development of explicit schedules for ring networks in three specific interference models: (i) global interference, (ii) interference free, i.e., all nodes can transmit simultaneously without interference, and (iii) topologically-dependent interference where multiple nodes transmit simultaneously if they share no one-hop neighbors. Numerical examples are presented to quantify the gap between the achieved age and the bounds.
Experimental constraints on subglacial rock friction

Subglacial rock friction is an important control on the sliding dynamics and erosive potential of hard-bedded glaciers, yet it remains largely unconstrained. To explore the relative influence of basal melt rate, effective stress and ice temperature on frictional resistance, we conducted abrasion experiments in which limestone beds were slid beneath a fixed slab of ice laden with granitic rock fragments. Shear stress scales linearly with melt rate and cryostatic stress, confirming that both viscous drag and effective stress are first-order controls on the contact force in drained conditions. Furthermore, temperature gradients in the ice increase the contribution of viscous drag on basal shear stress. In all experiments, the relationship between melt rate and shear stress is best explained by a model that accounts for the effects of regelation and viscous creep on the bed-normal drag force. We interpret this to mean fluid flow around entrained clasts contributed to basal drag even at subfreezing temperatures. Incorporating premelting dynamics into the Watts/Hallet model for subglacial rock friction, we find that the predicted debris-bed drag decreases by approximately an order of magnitude, with a corresponding ~3.5 × increase in the transition radius. This is lower than we observe for ice slightly below the pressure melting point.
Decreased Tongue Volume Post Radiation

Objectives:To evaluate volume changes within the tongue post chemoradiation therapy (CRT)Study Design:Retrospective reviewSetting:Academic Medical CenterSubjects and Methods:Subjects included 19 pa...
UBQLN2 Promotes the Production of Type I Interferon via the TBK1-IRF3 Pathway

Mutations of Ubiquilin 2 (UBQLN2) or TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal degeneration (ALS/FTD). However, the mechanisms whereby UBQLN2 or TBK1 mutations lead to ALS and FTD remain unclear. Here, we explored the effect of UBQLN2 on TBK1 in HEK-293T cells or in CRISPR-Cas9-mediated IRF3 and IRF7 knockout (KO) cells. We found an interaction between TBK1 and UBQLN2, which was affected by ALS/FTD-linked mutations in TBK1 or UBQLN2. Co-expression of UBQLN2 with TBK1 elevated the protein level of TBK1 as well as the phosphorylation of TBK1 and IRF3 in a UBQLN2 dose-dependent manner, and this phosphorylation was reduced by mutant UBQLN2. In addition, the cellular production of IFN1 and related pro-inflammatory cytokines was substantially elevated when UBQLN2 and TBK1 were co-expressed, which was also decreased by mutant UBQLN2. Functional assay revealed that mutant UBQLN2 significantly reduced the binding affinity of TBK1 for its partners, including IRF3, (SQSTM1)/p62 and optineurin (OPTN). Moreover, complete loss of IRF3 abolished the induction of IFN1 and related pro-inflammatory cytokines enhanced by UBQLN2 in HEK-293T cells, whereas no significant change in IRF7 knockout cells was observed. Thus, our findings suggest that UBQLN2 promotes IRF3 phosphorylation via TBK1, leading to enhanced IFN1 induction, and also imply that the dysregulated TBK1-IRF3 pathway may play a role in UBQLN2-related neurodegeneration.
Equitable training equals equitable care: Cultural competency training of healthcare providers for sexual minorities

Abstract Introduction: The hierarchy of the American medical system and it’s disconnect of recognition beyond the binary of sexual minorities has created systematic inequitable care because of lack of appropriate cultural competency training. Healthcare providers are not adequately taught appropriate cultural competencies in standardized academic training. Methods: Given an online survey of varied health care providers (N = 208), the research examined “culturally competent health care delivery” knowledge, stage of change; precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance; as per the work of Prochaska & DiClemente, (1983) for taking action to be culturally sensitive, culturally competent, culturally appropriate, and future training desirability. Results: The sample population reported a high self-rating for aligning with definition of cultural competency; prevalence of 6 to 10 hours of engagement in cultural competence training; rating 3.97 (SD = .741) of quality for cultural competence training; Pre-Survey Stage of Change (N = 208) mean was 4.32 between action and maintenance, but closest to action (SD = 1.21); and with 71.2% already in maintenance it is noted that the research captured providers who have received equitable training, offering equitable care. Conclusions: Affirmation for LGBT clients is a critical adaptive response for practitioners recognizing the overt social injustices that have occurred historically as personal injustices and responding in a positive and accepting manner can dramatically improve patient engagement. Training within the confines of a grounded evidenced based theory can support appropriate and culturally competent equitable care. Keywords: healthcare providers, cultural competency, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT), stages of change, transtheoretical model
Cardiovascular Physiology and Support

Failure of the circulatory system leads to organ dysfunction and ultimately to death. A basic understanding of the physiologic principles of cardiovascular control is essential for early recognition and appropriate treatment of cardiovascular dysfunction. This chapter will provide an abbreviated discussion of physiological control mechanisms that affect the function of the heart and circulatory system. In addition, the concept and shock and its management will be discussed. Readers are referred to references provided at the end of this chapter for a more in-depth discussion of cardiovascular physiology.
Variation in Species Composition, Size and Fitness of Two Multi-Species Sea Turtle Assemblages Using Different Neritic Habitats

The neritic environment is rich in resources and as such plays a crucial role as foraging habitat for multi-species marine assemblages, including sea turtles. However, this habitat also experiences a wide array of anthropogenic threats. To prioritize conservation funds, targeting areas that support multi-species assemblages is ideal. This is particularly important in the Gulf of Mexico where restoration actions are currently ongoing following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. To better understand these areas in the Gulf of Mexico, we characterized two multi-species aggregations of sea turtles captured in different neritic habitats. We described species composition and size classes of turtles, and calculated body condition index for 642 individuals of three species captured from 2011-2019: 13.6% loggerheads (Caretta caretta), 44.9% Kemp’s ridleys (Lepidochelys kempii) and 41.4% green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Species composition differed between the two sites with more loggerheads captured in seagrass and a greater proportion of green turtles captured in sand bottom. Turtles in sand bottom were smaller and weighed less than those captured in seagrass. Although small and large turtles were captured at both sites, the proportions differed between sites. Body condition index of green turtles was lower in sand habitat than seagrass habitat; there was no difference for Kemp’s ridleys or loggerheads. In general, smaller green turtles had a higher body condition index than larger green turtles. We have identified another habitat type used by juvenile sea turtle species in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In addition, we highlight the importance of habitat selection by immature turtles recruiting from the oceanic to the neritic environment, particularly for green turtles.
Response to Open Peer Commentaries: Distinguishing the “Gift” from “Donation” as a Path toward Reciprocity and Relational Ethics

I am thankful to those who commented on “Obligations of the “Gift”: Reciprocity and Responsibility in Precision Medicine” (Lee 2020). This target article focuses on justice and inequities in precis...
Toward a neurobiological model of human performance under pressure.

In the penalty shootout of the 2020 Euro soccer championship, Marcus Rashford—a highly talented English player—approached the ball, took a stutter step, and blasted the ball off the side of the goalpost, missing a relatively easy shot that led to England’s defeat. Paradoxically, when the stakes were highest, he performed far below his abilities. Such diminished performance during high-pressure real-time situations, termed “choking under pressure,” extends well beyond sports. For example, someone might prepare extensively for an important presentation yet deliver it poorly in the moment of truth. Various psychological explanations have been offered for this phenomenon; however, no explanation has been established conclusively (1). In PNAS, Smoulder et al. (2) advance an intriguing nonhuman primate model of performance decrements under pressure, complementing previous investigations in humans. Smoulder et al. (2) trained three Rhesus monkeys ( macaca mulatta ) to perform a difficult motor reaching task in which both speed and accuracy were required to obtain a reward (Fig. 1). Rewards were given on a trial-by-trial basis in increments of small, medium, and large, but on rare trials the monkeys were cued that an enormous “jackpot” reward would be showered upon them should they perform successfully. For all animals, performance improved with reward size—except on jackpot trials, when it sharply decreased. This pattern persisted after prolonged exposure to the task. Controls demonstrated the necessity of both magnitude and rarity for eliciting performance decrements. The authors thus concluded that this failure to perform the task on jackpot trials is analogous to choking under pressure in humans. Fig. 1. Choking under pressure. ( A ) In practice, a soccer player scores his penalty kick. … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: kharoush{at}stanford.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
The Amish Gemeinschaft Community: Pro-woman?

With the recent, high-profile cases of abuse in Amish communities, it is important to examine the unique structure of these communities. This structure honors women but at times it may also make them vulnerable. How does the leadership handle abuse cases, and when might these leaders seek outside help for the purpose of dealing with perpetrators or for aiding victims in their recovery? Amish social structure provides unique ways in which women are valued and protected. However, in the most serious cases of abuse, this same structure may encourage delayed action against perpetrators and delayed help for victims. Several case studies illustrate how the Amish church has responded to abuse, and how, in recent years, the church has become more open to outside help.
Constructive polynomial approximation in Sobolev spaces

A simple, constructive proof of the so-called Bramble--Hilbert Lemma is presented. This result is frequently used in establishing the approximation properties of finite-element function spaces, and several of the extensions studied here are directed to this type of application. Some examples of the uses of these results are presented.
A conceptual framework of antecedents of information search in exporting: Importance of ability and motivation

Purpose – The most commonly used segmentation approach to understand information acquisition behavior in the exporting context is to group individuals/firms on a variety of demographic and psychographic variables. This paper argues that while psychographic and demographic segmentation provide descriptive information about who are likely to engage in information search, they are insufficient to provide insights into why individuals search.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing upon the applied psychology literature, an integrative framework using the key constructs of motivation and cognitive ability is developed that conceptualizes the influences of and outcomes from information acquisition.Practical implications – By studying information acquisition within the context of the interactions between motivation and ability, normative insights can be gained on the likelihood of management's active participation in information search. The author develops a typology for the nature of information acquisition to ex...
Remembrance of Eyewitness Testimony: Effects of Emotional Content, Self‐Relevance, and Emotional Tone1

This experiment concerned the effects of emotional content, self-relevance, and emotional tone of testimony on memory. Eyewitness accounts of 4 events were constructed that systematically differed in emotionality and self-relevance. The testimony, captured on videotape, was expressed with or without negative emotion. After viewing one of the videotaped accounts, participants were administered cued-recall and recognition memory tests. Significant main effects indicated that participants best remembered testimony that was emotional in content, self-relevant, and negatively expressed. Although emotional content and self-relevance interacted to affect state anxiety, the latter did not mediate memory effects. Overall, significant gender differences in state anxiety but not memory emerged. Implications for understanding the influence of emotion on juror memory are discussed.
Osgood, Charles Egerton

Born in 1916 and destined to become one of the most important psychologists of the twentieth century, Charles E. Osgood made contributions in numerous fields, such as psycholinguistics, synesthesia, multiple personality, speech hesitation, suicide notes, aphasia, language universals, facial expressions, color, metaphor, and cross-cultural psychology. Keywords: cross-cultural psychology; emotion; methodology; semantics
Reconceiving Patents in the Age of Venture Capital

The case for patent enforcement driving innovation is far from clear. But patents may serve myriad other purposes besides excluding competitors. We should focus more of our attention on how patents are used outside traditional litigation and licensing.
Ingested ethanol and binocular rivalry

Purpose. An early study claimed that ethanol ingestion can attenuate binocular rivalry and, in some cases, may produce the phenomenal fusion of normally rivalrous stimuli. The current study examined those claims in an experiment incorporating key controls that were lacking in the earlier study. Methods. There were two conditions, one in which observers consumed ethanol and the other in which they consumed a placebo. Observers reported the course of binocular rivalry for several hours after drink consumption using two types of rivalry stimuli, one consisting of a continuously illuminated set of stimuli, the other consisting of dichoptic afterimages. Results. Ingestion of ethanol resulted in a decrease in rivalry alternation rates, although there was no evidence of phenomenal fusion. Results were essentially identical for both stimulus types. Conclusion. It is suggested that this effect is not caused by ethanol-induced changes in oculomotor mechanisms but may be caused by ethanol-induced decreases in contrast sensitivity. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1995 ;36 :1548-1554.
How Do Stock Returns on the U.S. Manufacturing Industry Respond to Raw Materials Price Shock

This paper analyses how stock returns on the U.S. manufacturing industry respond to raw materials price shock. Using monthly excess return data of the U.S. manufacturing industry and the percentage change of the U.S. raw materials price commodity index from 1960:M2 to 2012:M12, the vector auto regression (VAR) analysis shows that excess returns on the manufacturing industry are positive in the first few months following raw materials commodity price shock. The excess returns then negatively respond to the price shock in the seventh month (after two quarters). The variance decomposition and the Wald causality tests are also estimated.
Evolution of transverse matrix cracking in cross-ply laminates

The objective of this paper is to develop a micromechanics model for the onset and subsequent multiplication of transverse cracks in the 90° layers of a cross-ply laminate under uniaxial tension. The micromechanics study of transverse matrix cracking is performed by a combination of finite element and analytical analyses. Based on the Griffith fracture criterion, the evolution of transverse matrix crack density is predicted. The prediction compares well with existing experimental data in the literature. Analytical expressions of the non-linear effective stress-strain curves are also obtained for a wide range of material systems. In addition, an analytical expression of the effective stiffness is derived based on the differential self-consistent method. The analytical results agree very well with the finite element calculations.
The relationship of Lake Michigan waterbird mortalities to naturally occurring Clostridium botulinum type E toxin.

Gulls were force fed Clostridium botulinum type E toxin. Their susceptibility varied with the strain of C. botulinum type E toxin, and the LD50, for gulls to a toxic strain was calculated to be approximately 20,000 mouse MLD. Type E botulinal toxin was present in dead alewives taken from the beach and water of Lake Michigan, and thus a vehicle for waterbird intoxication is available.
Heat Shock and Caloric Restriction have a Synergistic Effect on the Heat Shock Response in a sir2.1-dependent Manner in Caenorhabditis elegans

The heat shock response (HSR) is responsible for maintaining cellular and organismal health through the regulation of proteostasis. Recent data demonstrating that the mammalian HSR is regulated by SIRT1 suggest that this response may be under metabolic control. To test this hypothesis, we have determined the effect of caloric restriction in Caenorhabditis elegans on activation of the HSR and have found a synergistic effect on the induction of hsp70 gene expression. The homolog of mammalian SIRT1 in C. elegans is Sir2.1. Using a mutated C. elegans strain with a sir2.1 deletion, we show that heat shock and caloric restriction cooperate to promote increased survivability and fitness in a sir2.1-dependent manner. Finally, we show that caloric restriction increases the ability of heat shock to preserve movement in a polyglutamine toxicity neurodegenerative disease model and that this effect is dependent on sir2.1.
The Classification of Nontherian Mammals

On the basis of a unique specialization of the braincase the four nontherian orders of mammals—the living Monotremata and the extinct Tricono-donta, Docodonta, and Multituberculata—are united into a single subclass, Prototheria. The Triconodonta and Docodonta are closely related and are grouped together in the infraclass Eotheria. The Monotremata and Multituberculata are only remotely allied to all other mammals and are each placed in a separate infraclass—Ornithodelphia for the monotremes and Allotheria for the Multituberculates. A classification of prototherian mammals to family is presented.
High efficiency CuInSe2 based heterojunction solar cells: fabrication and results

Abstract A process for fabricating CuInSe2/CdS solar cells is described. A data set of 202 substrates each containing 12 cells from 129 separate deposition runs is used to examine the processing parameters for fabricating high efficiency cells. The data show a broad range of CuInSe2 compositions over which high efficiency cells can be made. The use of a thin CdS layer, less than 2 μm in thickness, can increase the short-circuit current by more than 3 mA cm−2. High efficiency devices have also been made on low cost sodalime glass. Air heat treatments at 200 °C for between 8 and 60 h are required to optimize the output of the CuInSe2/CdS cells.
Suicide in the elderly: etiology and assessment

In the United States the suicide rate for those aged 65 and older is 50% higher than the rate for teens or the national rate. Elders most at risk for suicide are white males, particularly if they a...
Glutamate receptors and learning and memory.

Glutamate receptors have long been implicated in neurological processes underpinning learning and memory. A new study now shows that mutations in genes encoding glutamate receptor subunits can cause variable neurodevelopmental phenotypes including intellectual disability and epilepsy.
Dawn song of the eastern kingbird: an honest signal of male quality?

To be used as honest signals of quality, phenotypic traits must vary markedly within populations and show repeatable differences between individuals. Eastern kingbirds, Tyrannus tyrannus, sing a distinctive dawn song in the predawn darkness, and one hypothesis for its function is that it serves as an honest signal of male quality that females use during choice of within-pair or extrapair mates. Over a 2-year period, we quantified dawn songs of males to measure between- and within-season repeatability of the timing (start and end time) and length of song bouts, and song rate. We also measured morphological characters to measure repeatability and describe individual differences in body size and plumage quality. All song traits varied considerably among males, start time and song rates were repeatable between years, and all song rates were repeatable within both years. All morphological characters were significantly repeatable between years. Moreover, early singing males were larger and had relatively long flight feathers, and males that sang at high rates had relatively long flight feathers. Early singing males were also paired to the earliest breeding females, and in one year, male song rate was positively correlated with their social mate's clutch size. Relatively long flight feathers in other species are typical of older males and individuals of higher body condition, suggesting that, despite being suboscine passerines with relatively simple and innate songs, eastern kingbirds use song performance as an honest signal of male quality that females may use during mate choice.
Fixation of the tibial components of condylar replacement knee prostheses

Abstract The effect of compressing tibial plateaux against the cancellous bone of the upper tibia was studied. The amount of bending in plastic plateaux was measured for centrally applied loads, with the plateau on hard and soft cancellous bone. The deformations caused by a non-central load were measured for a rigid plateau, to measure any tilting which might occur. The pull-out strengths of anchor holes into the bone were measured. It was found that plastic plateaux bent in a U-shape when mounted on soft bone, but by a very small amount. Tilting of the anterior of the plateau occurred with a load applied posteriorly, but this could be countered effectively by anchoring holes for the cement.
EUV Photochemical Production of Unsaturated Hydrocarbons: Implications to EUV Photochemistry in Titan and Jovian Planets †

The EUV photochemistry of methane is one of the dominant chemical processes in the upper atmospheres of Titan and Jovian planets. The dilution of CH4 with N2 significantly changes the subsequent hydrocarbon chemistry initiated by EUV photoionization. At wavelengths below 80 nm, the presence of the dominant N2 species in a N2/CH4 gas mixture (=95/5) selectively enhances the formation of unsaturated hydrocarbons, such as benzene and toluene, while pure CH4 gas leads to a wide mixture of saturated/unsaturated hydrocarbon species. This enhanced formation of unsaturated hydrocarbons is most likely initiated by the generation of CH3+ via a dissociative charge-transfer reaction between N2+ and CH4. This mechanism was further confirmed with the dilution of CH4 with Ar, which shows similarly enhanced formation of unsaturated species from an Ar/CH4 (=95/5) gas mixture. In contrast, the depleted generation of unsaturated species from a H2/CH4 gas mixture (=95/5) suggests that the CH5+ ion generated via a proton-tran...
Work as a Service Meta-model and Protocol for Adjustable Visibility, Coordination, and Control

The Work-as-a-Service (WaaS) paradigm models work engagements as compositions of interconnected service requests, where there is a separation between the coordination of work and the actual work enactment. Here we revisit the WaaS conceptual meta-model and extend it to enable work decomposition and adjustable management/control of how work is coordinated and how it is done. In particular, we propose a specific WaaS protocol for decomposition, delegation, and control of work engagements, using ideas from the area of Business Artifacts. The goal is to enable simple communication and coordination between requestors and providers of work; and to support clear management and coordination during both planning and enactment of work. Importantly we introduce a new notion of a coordination lifecycle, consisting of loosely coupled milestones, domain-specific information attributes, and sets of abstract observable activities to be performed. Algebraic operations on coordination lifecycles when encapsulated service requests are torn, merged, paused, and resumed are defined and valid operations are specified. The meta-model and protocol are independent from the specific coordination enactment model which may employ centralized coordination, fully distributed coordination, or other models under various optimization objectives.
Penicillin skin testing in cardiac surgery

Background Penicillin is the most commonly reported allergy in cardiac surgical patients and a history of penicillin allergy frequently results in the use of vancomycin for antibiotic prophylaxis. However, clinical history is unreliable and true allergy is rare. Penicillin allergy testing has the potential to reduce vancomycin use and indirectly the potential for selection of vancomycin-resistant organisms, a national priority. Methods After the publication of the 2007 Society of Thoracic Surgeons practice guideline report, we initiated a penicillin allergy testing service for cardiac surgical patients in 2009. We sought to determine the true incidence of penicillin allergy in the tested population, whether testing availability reduced vancomycin use in those tested, and if vancomycin use was reduced in the entire cardiac surgical population as a whole. Results A total of 276 patients were skin tested for allergy to penicillin or cephalosporin. Testing recommended no penicillin use in 13.8% of those tested giving a true penicillin allergy incidence of 0.9%. Only 24 of the 276 patients tested (9%) received vancomycin. However, given the small percentage of the total population that underwent allergy testing, the overall use of vancomycin in the cardiac surgery practice was not reduced in the posttesting period. Conclusions The true rate of contraindication to penicillin in a cardiac surgical population is very low. Penicillin allergy testing can reduce vancomycin use in the tested population, but better means of conducting the testing and making the results available are necessary to reduce unnecessary vancomycin use in a broader cardiac surgical population.
Short-Lived Radioactivities Induced in Fluorine, Sodium and Magnesium by High Energy Protons

On the basis of simple theoretical considerations it is expected that short-lived positron emitters should be produced in fluorine, sodium, and magnesium under bombardment with 6-Mev protons. These activities have been found and ascribed to ${\mathrm{Ne}}^{19}$, ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{23}$, and ${\mathrm{Al}}^{25,\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}26}$. Half-lives, positron spectra and threshold investigations have been made and found to compare very well with the theory. It is concluded that for isobars of the type $(n\ensuremath{-}p)=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1$ the difference in binding energy is due solely to the effect of Coulomb forces up to at least mass number 25. The half-lives are found to depend on the inverse fifth power of the upper limit of the positron spectra in agreement with the theory.
Electronic Measurement of Plant Cell Number and Size in Suspension Culture

The rapid and accurate determination of cell number and size is very desirable for obtaining data on growth kinetics and changes in the physiological state of a culture. The Coulter Counter has been widely applied to bacterial and animal cell suspension cultures to determine electronically cell number and cell size. The application of such techniques to plant cell suspension cultures is discussed in the following paper and demonstrated for cultures of Pauls Scarlet Rose (Rosa sp.) and soybean (Glycine max L.). A new formula for coincidence corrections is suggested.
The Stony Brook 600 the Experience of a Sleep Disorder Center

AbstractIn recent years, sleep disorder centers have become increasingly available as a resource to the clinician. This article is an overview of more than 600 consecutive admissions to the Sleep Disorder Center at Stony Brook. Of approximately 500 patients who had a sleep study performed, specific diagnoses were made and treatment interventions were indicated for 96%. Emphasis is placed on the multiplicity of presentations of sleep apnea syndromes and depression, and the importance of nonpsychopharmacological drugs in inducing sleep disturbance. Treatment with sedatives was instituted in less than 8% of patients, emphasizing the availability of specific interventions for specific sleep disorders.
The Wheelchair's Rhetoric: The Performance of Disability

How can the wheelchair be other than a placeholder for tragedy or negativity? Kuppers examines the wheelchair as a prop and as a playground of multiple intersecting narratives, desires, textures, and signs in Murderball, Guillermo Gomez-Pena's Museum of Fetishized Identities, and the X-Men movies.
Mechanistic Studies of the 5-Iodouracil Chromophore Relevant to Its Use in Nucleoprotein Photo-Cross-Linking

The photoreactivity of the 5-iodouracil chromophore was investigated toward understanding photo-cross-linking of nucleic acids bearing the chromophore to functionality in associated proteins. Irrad...
A commercial perspective on the growth and development of the quadrupole ICP-MS market

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has grown rapidly since its commercial introduction in 1983 to become the premier technique for trace metals analysis. While the researchers in academia that pioneered the technique of ICP-MS have become well known, virtually nothing has been written about the role played by scientists working in the instrument companies that commercialized the technique. Certainly the speed of development in the early years of ICP-MS was phenomenal, when viewed retrospectively. In 2006, ICP-MS as a technique has matured: all currently available mainstream ICP-MS instruments perform well for a range of applications and there are few obvious areas where new developments are urgently required. Yet if we consider that the first ICP-MS paper was published in 1980 (R. S. Houk, V. A. Fassel, G. D. Flesch, H. J. Svec, A. L. Gray and C. E. Taylor, Anal. Chem., 1980, 52, 2283–2289), it is incredible to conceive that the first commercial ICP-MS was introduced just 3 years later at Pittcon in 1983, and that the first benchtop ICP-MS was introduced only 11 years after that. This is an account of the work of the manufacturer R&D teams responsible for the development of commercial ICP-MS in the early years, and the design features of the early instruments.
Multiple taxon multiple locality approach to providing oxygen isotope evidence for warm-blooded theropod dinosaurs

Oxygen isotope ratios of fossil remains of coexisting taxa from several different localities can be used to help investigate dinosaur thermoregulation. Focusing on the Late Cretaceous, oxygen isotope ratios of crocodile tooth enamel from four separate localities exhibit less of a decrease with latitude than do ratios of tooth enamel from coexisting theropod dinosaurs. A shallower latitudinal gradient for crocodiles is consistent with how oxygen isotope ratios should vary for heterothermic animals having body temperatures coupled with their environments (“cold blooded”), while a steeper gradient for theropods is consistent with how these ratios should vary for homeothermic animals having constant body temperatures independent of their environments (“warm blooded”). This inferred homoethermy in theropods is likely due to higher rates of metabolic heat production relative to crocodiles and is not an artifact of body size.
Psychosocial Measures for Clinical Trials in Spinal Cord Injury: Quality of Life, Depression, and Anxiety

Psychosocial measures including quality of life, depression, and anxiety are critical in assessing overall functioning of individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs). Unfortunately, there has been little agreement among researchers regarding which instruments most validly capture these constructs. The current article examines clinical trials focusing on psychosocial measures in SCI that have been conducted in the last several years. Because of the variety of instruments used in assessing psychosocial dimensions, comparisons drawn across clinical trials may be problematic. Strengths and shortcomings of several popular measures are described.
Potency and sterility of anesthetic drugs in obstetric anesthesia

In order to estimate how long a medication can remain prepared before the integrity or concentration of the drug is compromised, we assessed the sterility and potency of medications commonly used in our obstetric anesthesia practice. Our goal was to evaluate the following drugs over a 30-day period: epinephrine, atropine, lidocaine, succinylcholine, and ephedrine. The medications were prepared by various medical staff, drawn into sterile plastic syringes and left at room temperature unprotected from light for the duration of the study. The syringes were collected daily, stored and randomly sampled after 7, 14, 21 and 30 days by research personnel. Potency and sterility of atropine, ephedrine and lidocaine were maintained over the study period. Succinylcholine and epinephrine could not be assayed but the solutions remained sterile for 30 and 14 days respectively. Data were incomplete for epinephrine. These findings suggest that some drugs that are commonly used in obstetric anesthesia are stable for long periods of time. Modification of current standards of practice could result in a significant reduction in drug waste and therefore cost.
Recurrent stenosis and contralateral occlusion: high-risk situations in carotid endarterectomy?

Carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) has been proposed as a treatment option for carotid occlusive disease in high-risk patients including those with recurrent stenosis (RS) and contralateral occlusion (CO). This study reviews the results of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in patients with RS and CO. We conducted a retrospective review from our vascular registry of 1670 patients who underwent CEAs (n = 1950) from January 1990 through December 2001. Procedures included RS 86 (4.4%), CO 112 (5.7%), and control 1752 (89.9%). There were 37 strokes in the entire group (1.9%). Among the high-risk group with RS and CO, there were 6 strokes, (RS n = 2, CO n = 4) 3%. There were 31 strokes in the control group 1.8% (p = NS). Postoperative TIAs were observed more frequently in patients with CO (n = 2) or RS (n = 2), 1.8% and 2.3%, respectively (p < 0.05). Neck hematomas, intracerebral hemorrhages, and myocardial infarctions did not differ between groups. Three deaths occurred within 30 days (0.15%); one was a patient with CO. Renal failure and symptomatic disease were each associated with a higher risk of perioperative stroke; among patients with renal failure there were 6 strokes (4.6%) p < 0.05, in symptomatic patients there were 26 strokes (2.7%) p < 0.05. Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that preoperative renal disease and surgery for symptomatic disease were both significant predictors of perioperative stroke (p < 0.05; odds ratio 2.177 and 2.943 respectively) while neither RS nor CO was from these results we concluded that the presence of RS and CO do not increase the risk of perioperative stroke in CEA.
Current concepts in posterior chamber lens technology.

Abstract Although extracapsular cataract extraction and posterior chamber lens technology is of unrivaled safety and efficacy, the following aspects command considerable attention: chronic postoperative inflammation, inhibition of posterior capsular opacification, facilitation of YAG-laser posterior capsulectomy, prevention of ultraviolet radiation exposure, and sulcus versus capsular-bag fixation of posterior chamber lenses. The differential diagnosis of lens-induced and intraocular-lens-induced inflammation is presented, along with recommendations for the treatment and management of the second eye. Use of the complete laser-ridge lens to create a barrier for migrating cells capable of causing posterior capsular opaciflcation is discussed. Using it to create a space between the posterior surface of the optic and the posterior capsule to facilitate YAG-laser posterior capsulectomy is also described. The status of ultraviolet blockers in intraocular lenses is discussed. The transition to capsular-bag fixation is recommended based on the following problems with sulcus-fixated lenses: mechanical disruption of the blood-aqueous barrier with release of inflammatory mediators, hemorrhage from or obstruction in the major arterial circle, the danger of polypropylene in metabolically active tissue, and the posterior iris chafing syndromes.
Long-term follow-up of prophylactic greenfield filters in multisystem trauma patients.

Purpose: The efficacy of prophylactic Greenfield filter (PGF) placement in multisystem trauma patients at high risk for venous thromboembolism has been established. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the long-term safety and durability of PGFs placed in young, active trauma patients. Methods: Starting January 1992, all trauma patients at high risk for development of venous thromboembolism were identified for placement of PGFs. These included patients with ISS > 9 and severe closed head injury, spinal injury, pelvic fracture, multiple long bone fracture, or direct iliofemoral venous injury. Four patients with PGFs placed before the study protocol in 1992 were also included. Follow-up was attempted in all patients with at least 5 years' duration since placement of PGF using physical examination, duplex ultrasound (US), and plain abdominal radiograph. Results: There were 108 patients who had a PGF placement during the period of January 1992 to June 1994 that were eligible for the study. Eighteen of these 108 (17%) patients died. Twelve of them (67%) had autopsies and medical records available to determine the cause of death, none from a pulmonary embolism. The average time of death was 2.7 months after injury. The remaining 90 patients and the 4 patients with PGFs placed before 1992 were sought for follow-up, but only 36 patients could be contacted, 33 of which returned for evaluation (35%). The mean time of follow-up from the time of injury to the time of examination was 67.7 months, and the mean age at follow-up was 38.1 years. Although six patients had mild to moderate lower extremity edema on physical examination, none of them had a deep venous thrombosis by US. Radiographs obtained in 19 of the 33 patients showed no migration or breakdown of the Greenfield filters in place. Conclusion: Prophylactic Greenfield filters in high-risk trauma patients are safe and durable. There appears to be no significant consequence in over 5 years of follow-up.
Some evidence on the interdependence of national stock markets and the gains from international portfolio diversification

Gains from international portfolio diversification may be limited if national stock markets are cointegrated. In addition, the implied Granger-causality would be consistent with inefficiency. This possibility is discussed and the relationships between stock market indices of the US, the UK, Japan, West Germany and the Netherlands are investigated using bivariate and multivariate techniques. Contrary to some earlier empirical results, with the exception of the UK and Japan, there is no convincing evidence that international stock markets were cointegrated in the period following the abolition of exchange controls in the UK