cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patient Demand Management through Prioritized Access with Time Windows Access Protocol

Problem definition: We consider appointment scheduling workflows for providing access to new patients seeking appointments at specialty group-practice departments and offer a novel demand management mechanism that enables the best use of care capacity through prioritization of requests. Relevance: Considering the increasing demand for healthcare, it is imperative that capacity-constrained specialty departments intentionally manage demand, particularly during the new patient intake process. Methodology: The novel Time Windows Access Protocol (TWAP) prioritizes appointment requests considering the corresponding patient population’s sensitivity to access delays. Under TWAP, scheduling agents are provided, for each patient priority class, a distinct contiguous portion of the booking horizon (i.e., time window) that they can use to search for an available appointment upon a request from Priority n. High priority classes are incentivized to book and attend appointments with low wait offers, while sufficient dilution of requests from lower priority classes are induced with higher (but still, medically safe) levels of wait. Results: We develop a closed-form, computationally efficient model to determine the optimal set of time windows to use for given delay-dependent appointment realization probabilities. We demonstrate the calculation and use of TWAP under strict prioritization and compromised prioritization objectives for a number of experimental settings and a real-life case study. Managerial Implications: TWAP allows direct control of access delays for different priority classes. Due to patients’ sensitivity to wait (characterizable through available data) this is equivalent to controlling fill rates of different priority classes, allowing us to manage patient demand and match it to care capacity. Under TWAP, slot utilization or overbooks are observed, and can be used as signals to self-correct. Other reservation-type prioritization mechanisms are generally effective, but they are hard to compute. They are also hard to implement since they attempt to control or protect capacity and observe access delays or fill rates.
A Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (OPK-88004) in Prostate Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Trial

BACKGROUND Androgen deficiency is common among prostate cancer survivors, but many guidelines consider history of prostate cancer a contraindication for testosterone replacement. We determined the safety and efficacy of a selective androgen receptor modulator (OPK-88004) in symptomatic, testosterone-deficient men who had undergone radical prostatectomy for low-grade, organ-confined prostate cancer. METHODS In this placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind trial, 114 men, ≥19 years of age, who had undergone radical prostatectomy for low-grade, organ-localized prostate cancer, undetectable PSA (<0.1 ng/mL) for ≥2 years after radical prostatectomy and testosterone deficiency were randomized in stages to placebo or 1, 5, or 15 mg OPK-88004 daily for 12 weeks. Outcomes included PSA recurrence, sexual activity, sexual desire, erectile function, body composition, muscle strength and physical function measures, mood, fatigue, and bone markers. RESULTS Participants were on average 67.5 years of age and had severe sexual dysfunction (mean erectile function and sexual desire domain scores 7.3 and 14.6, respectively). No participant experienced PSA recurrence or erythrocytosis. OPK-88004 was associated with a dose-related increase in whole-body (P < 0.001) and appendicular (P < 0.001) lean mass and a significantly greater decrease in percent body fat (P < 0.001) and serum alkaline phosphatase (P < 0.001) than placebo. Changes in sexual activity, sexual desire, erectile function, mood, fatigue, physical performance, and bone markers did not differ among groups (P = 0.73). CONCLUSIONS Administration of OPK-88004 was safe and not associated with PSA recurrence in androgen-deficient men who had undergone radical prostatectomy for organ-confined prostate cancer. OPK-88004 increased lean body mass and decreased fat mass but did not improve sexual symptoms or physical performance.
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Donor Screening Updates and Research Gaps for Solid Organ Transplant Recipients.

In this review, we discuss stool donor screening considerations to mitigate potential risks of pathogen transmission through fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. SOT recipients have a higher risk for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and are more likely to have severe CDI. FMT has been shown to be a valuable tool in the treatment of recurrent CDI (RCDI), however guidelines for screening for opportunistic infections transmitted through FMT are underdeveloped. We review reported adverse effects of FMT as they pertain to an immunocompromised population and discuss current understanding and recommendations for screening found in the literature while noting gaps in research. We conclude that while FMT is being performed in the SOT population, typically with positive results, there remain many unanswered questions which may have major safety implications and warrant further study.
The Real Effects of Liquidity: Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment in Puerto Rico

Research has found that negative liquidity shocks contract bank lending and amplify economic downturns. This paper investigates a reverse scenario — the effects of a flooding of liquidity on financial markets, using the case of Puerto Rico as a quasi-natural experiment. The U.S. Tax Reform Act of 1976 implemented tax incentives (through IRC Section 936) to stimulate economic development in Puerto Rico. In combination with local incentives, Section 936 corporations generated significant funds, most of which were deposited in local (PR) banks. The tax incentives were repealed in 1996, allowing for a 10-year phase-out period. I analyze the effect that the 936 funds had on Puerto Rico’s banking industry between 1984 and 2016. I find that 936 funds did stimulate loan growth — in particular, C&I lending, and real estate loans. However, the stimulus appears to have been “too much” — the incidence of troubled loans (90 day past due) among banks that received 936 funds was significantly higher after Section 936 tax subsidy was repealed, indicating that a sizable portion of the projects those banks were financing were inefficient. The implementation and subsequent removal of these tax incentives introduced an extended boom-bust cycle that dislocated Puerto Rico’s economic structure, contributing to the ongoing economic crisis.
Accutane and the evolution of a warning.

The practice of informed consent has played a critical role in the evolution of the use of isotretinoin therapy and appropriate warning labels. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Men’s Violence Against Women: An Overview

Men’s violence against women is a widespread problem across cultures, socioeconomic groups, and religions. Although most men are not violent, most violent offenders are men. Violence against women is the product of masculine socialization, individual pathology, sexism, peer support, cultural beliefs, media influences, and other sources of power imbalances between the sexes, most notably economic inequality. There is a strong tendency for both men and women to blame victims of interpersonal violence for their own suffering, and this widespread attribution of responsibility for violence to the victim is reflected in the low allocation of resources to managing the problem compared with situations like terrorism, where the violence is attributed to the offender. As inequality between the sexes erodes, so will gender-based violence.
2-D IFIR structures using generalized factorable filters

The extension of the idea of Interpolated FIR filters to the two-dimensional case is presented. Such systems allow for lower computational weight, in terms of number of elementary operations per input sample. We have considered 2-D IFIR filters with parallelogram-shaped spectral support. To design the filters in the two stages, we have used a technique recently developed by Chen and Vaidyanathan. The resulting filters belong to the class of Generalized Factorable filters, for which an efficient implementation exists. An interesting problem peculiar to the multidimensional case is the choice of the sublattice which represents the definition support of the first-stage filter. We present a strategy for choosing (given the spectral support of the desired frequency response) the optimal sublattice, and to design the second-stage (interpolator) filter in order to achieve low overall computational complexity.
Symmetry in Visual and Linguistic Perception

Like linguistic perception, visual perception is an active process in which the mind makes use of innate structural principles in the computational process. It is therefore useful to ask whether the visual and linguistic computational systems make use of the same or similar principles. This article describes the role played by principles of symmetry in visual perception as suggested by researchers in that field, and suggests that a subset of those principles play a strong role in the perception of linguistic structure. It is claimed that a distinction should be made between the construction of linguistic structure and its perception in the computational system, and that principles of sym-metry apply in subtly different ways in each. It is argued that movement’s inherent locality, successive-cyclicity, has a bipartite nature, being sensitive only to certain barrier nodes in the construction of structure while adjoining to every intermediate projection in the perception of structure.
Abstract T P318: Comparative Effectiveness of tPA on 6 Month, Patient-Centered Outcomes: A Pilot Analysis

We examined the real-world benefit of tPA, delivered as part of usual care, on patient-centered outcomes. All persons with a diagnosis of stroke or TIA from our hospital are contacted for telephone follow-up at 6 mos. after the event. The survey includes the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS), Patient Health Questionnare-9 (PHQ9), and other questions about aspects of daily life. This study retrospectively compared outcomes in patients who received tPA as part of usual care with patients who would have received tPA had they arrived at the hospital within the time window, i.e. criteria other than time were met. From hospital records, we acquired demographic and medical data. Patients in each group with completed surveys were matched on initial NIHSS score, age, race, gender, and date of stroke. Staff conducting surveys were independent from staff determining matches and were blinded to the others data. Matching was done with 1:2 ratio of tPA to controls. Results were compared between groups with 1-tailed tests due t...
Relating Fault Mechanics to Fault Zone Structure

Abstract The fault zone of a mature large-displacement fault may be idealized as a nested hierarchical structure consisting of a core of extremely fine grained material surrounded by coarser granulated gouge and breccia which is in turn bordered by fracture-damaged wall rock in which the fracture density decreases with distance to a regional background level. While there are significant variations in the symmetry of this structure, virtually all fault zones have a core of deformed granular rock within which most of the displacement appears to have occurred, often on an extremely narrow prominent slip surface. In many faults, the gouge and breccia layer is missing from one or both sides of the fault zone. For strike-slip faults, this appears to be associated with variations in the lithology of the wall rock. For dip-slip faults it is most likely a consequence of the exhumation of only one wall by the fault motion. In normal faults, the layered structure appears on the footwall while the hanging wall shows almost no damage. For reverse faults it is the hanging wall which contains the layered structure. Mechanisms proposed to explain the formation of these fault zone structures are reviewed with an eye toward whether they shed any light on the earthquake process. Conversely, mechanical models for earthquake nucleation, propagation, and arrest are reviewed to see how fault zone structure might affect these processes. A key parameter in these models is the characteristic displacement D c required to reduce friction from its static to its dynamic value. In nucleation, D c determines the size of the smallest earthquake. The observation of magnitude zero earthquakes, implies D c is on the order of microns, comparable to values measured in the laboratory. For propagation, D c is closely related to the fracture energy, which is the integrated value of stress times displacement from zero to D c . Dynamic models of large earthquakes find fracture energies on the order of 1 MJ/m 2 and D c on the order of centimeters. The implication is either that only large earthquakes nucleate on large faults, or that the D c which controls nucleation is different from that which controls propagation because they reflect different processes. Two such processes that might produce a larger D c for propagation are the frictional heating of pore fluid and off-fault damage. Finally, models for earthquake arrest based on barriers requiring large values of fracture energy also yield fracture energies on the order of MJ/m 2 .
Constitutionalization and the Common Good

The article analyses the meaning and the remarkable carrier of "constitutionalisatization" as a concept of public law. It argues that the concept, far from being ideologically neutral, fits an individualistic conception of public authority.
Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deficiency decreases autoimmune disease in MRL-Fas(lpr) mice.

The neonatal Ab and TCR repertoires are much less diverse, and also very different from, the adult repertoires due to the delayed onset of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) expression in ontogeny. TdT adds nontemplated N nucleotides to the junctions of Igs and TCRs, and thus its absence removes one of the major components of junctional diversity in complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3). We have generated TdT-deficient MRL/ lpr , Fas-deficient (MRL- Fas lpr ) mice, and show that they have an increased lifespan, decreased incidence of skin lesions, and much lower serum levels of anti-dsDNA, anti-chromatin, and IgM rheumatoid factors. The generalized hypergammaglobulinemia characteristic of MRL- Fas lpr mice is also greatly reduced, as is the percentage of CD4 − CD8 − B220 + (double-negative) T cells. IgG deposits in the kidney are significantly reduced, although evidence of renal disease is present in many mice at 6 mo. CDR3 regions of both IgH and TCR from peripheral lymphocytes of MRL- Fas lpr mice are shorter in the absence of TdT, and there is a paucity of arginines in the IgH CDR3 regions of the MRL- Fas lpr TdT −/− mice. Because the amelioration of symptoms is so widespread, it is likely that the absence of N regions has more of an affect than merely decreasing the precursor frequency of anti-dsDNA B cells. Hence, either the T or B cell repertoires, or more likely both, require N region diversity to produce the full spectrum of autoimmune lupus disease.
Multiscale analysis of the murine intestine for modeling human diseases

When functioning properly, the intestine is one of the key interfaces between the human body and its environment. It is responsible for extracting nutrients from our food and excreting our waste products. It provides an environment for a host of healthful microbes and serves as a first defense against pathogenic ones. These processes require tight homeostatic controls, which are provided by the interactions of a complex mix of epithelial, stromal, neural and immune cells, as well as the resident microflora. This homeostasis can be disrupted by invasive microbes, genetic lesions, and carcinogens, resulting in diseases such Clostridium difficile infection, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and cancer. Enormous strides have been made in understanding how this important organ functions in health and disease using everything from cell culture systems to animal models to human tissue samples. This has resulted in better therapies for all of these diseases, but there is still significant room for improvement. In the United States alone, 14000 people per year die of C. difficile, up to 1.6 million people suffer from IBD, and more than 50000 people die every year from colon cancer. Because these and other intestinal diseases arise from complex interactions between the different components of the gut ecosystem, we propose that systems approaches that address this complexity in an integrative manner may eventually lead to improved therapeutics that deliver lasting cures. This review will discuss the use of systems biology for studying intestinal diseases in vivo with particular emphasis on mouse models. Additionally, it will focus on established experimental techniques that have been used to drive this systems-level analysis, and emerging techniques that will push this field forward in the future.
Search for strange quark matter

Abstract We present results of a search for charged and neutral strangelets produced on collisions of 11.6 A GeV/c Au beams with Pt or Pb targets. Yields of light nuclei and hypernuclei produced by coalescence were measured. Penalty factors were measured for the addition to a fragment of a nucleon or strange hadron. These are useful in planning future searches for strange quark matter.
Visions of Vancouver: Ideology, Democracy, and the Future of Urban Development.

Urban landscapes cannot be understood solely by material or symbolic criteria, but only by a close examination of their various interlinkages. The production of ideological meanings concerning a city's identity, development, and future trajectory are both constitutive and reflective of material processes and desires. In this paper, I examine the economic and political context in which a vision of one city's future identity was promoted. I argue that a 1990 newspaper series concerning the future of Vancouver, British Columbia, can be read as an important thread within a broader tapestry of hegemonic formation—a formation profoundly interlinked with the entrenchment of a neo-liberal agenda in Canada. I also suggest that this effort to shape a hegemonic vision of the city's future draws on and helps to transform broader, common-sense understandings of Canadian democracy and of the role of citizens within a liberal welfare state.
Composite Spectra Paper 2: HD 88021/2

HD 88021/2 (ADS 7662) is a very close visual binary. The accepted visual orbit, which is of very high eccentricity and graded “reliable”, led to the expectation of a periastron passage in 1981, when there should have been a large difference in radial velocity between the components. No such event took place, and there is little indication that it is likely to occur in the near future. A new interpretation of the visual orbital data leads to an orbit of a different character from those hitherto proposed. A decision between the competing orbits should be possible within a very few years. Meanwhile, the method of spectral subtraction developed in Paper 1 has enabled us to separate the spectra of the two components and to show that their spectral types are K0 III and A2m.
Excited states and photochemistry of saturated molecules. extended basics calculations on the 1B1 (1T2) state of methane

Abstract The surface of the lowest excited singlet state in methane is analyzed using a basis set composed of 4-31G augmented by a set of one s and three p Rydbergs. The state (1T 2 in T d symmetry, 1B 1 in C 2v ) is found to be dissociative to 1B 1 CH 2 and ground state H 2 . Vertically a Rydberg state, 1B 1 rapidly becomes a valence state on distortions from tetrahedral symmetry. Avoided crossings with higher B 1 states are discussed.
Simple technique for mesh placement during laparoscopic ventral hernia repair

Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair has many advantages over the open approach. Mesh placement and orientation to overlap the hernia defect is a crucial step. The current techniques for mesh placement are time-consuming. A simple technique for mesh placement during laparoscopic ventral hernia repair is described.
An alternative approach to housing market segmentation using hedonic price data

Abstract Much empirical research has been devoted to housing market segmentation and the implications for the application of the Hedonic Price Model. Market segmentation is demonstrated empirically in ( J. Urban Econ. , 3 :2, 146–166 (1976); J. Urban Econ. , 7 :1, 102–108 (1980); Rev. Econ. Statist. , 66 :3, 404–406 (1974)). There appears to be theoretical evidence ( J. Pol. Econ. , 82 :1, 34–55 (1974)) that such empirical efforts may have been less than adequate. Unfortunately, the empirical applications of Rosen's model ( J. Environ. Econ. Manag. , 5 , 81–102 (1978); J. Urban Econ. , 5 , 3, 357–369 (1978)) do not seem to effectively account for the complexity of the factors which cause multiple equilibria (market segmentation). This paper demonstrates empirically that market segments can be defined along more dimensions than hitherto have been included in any analysis.
Dendritic-targeting GABA neurons in monkey prefrontal cortex: comparison of somatostatin- and calretinin-immunoreactive axon terminals.

Different subclasses of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) cortical neurons can be distinguished by their content of neuropeptides such as somatostatin (SST), or calcium-binding proteins such as calretinin (CR). SST, but not CR, neurons have been reported to be altered in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of subjects with schizophrenia. Understanding the functional significance of the SST neuron disturbances in schizophrenia requires knowledge of the specialized synaptic circuitry of these neurons relative to that of CR neurons. Consequently, we used immuno-electron microscopy to examine the synaptic type and postsynaptic targets of SST-immunoreactive (IR) axon terminals in monkey PFC and compared these findings with similar data for CR-IR axon terminals. SST-IR axon terminals formed exclusively symmetric synapses and contacted only dendritic shafts (86%) and dendritic spines (14%), whereas CR-IR terminals also formed synapses with cell bodies. The postsynaptic targets of SST-IR axon terminals also differed across layers with synapses onto dendritic spines more frequent in the superficial (20%) than in the deep (8%) layers. Dual-label immunoelectron microscopy revealed that CR-IR axon terminals targeted GABA-IR dendritic shafts with a greater frequency (60%) than did SST-IR axon terminals (21.5%). Conversely, SST-IR axon terminals contacted unlabeled dendritic shafts, presumably belonging to pyramidal neurons, more frequently than did CR-IR axon terminals (57% vs. 19%, respectively). This specialized synaptic circuitry of SST neurons in the primate PFC suggests that the alterations of these neurons in schizophrenia is likely to have distinct functional consequences. Synapse 62:456–465, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Mechanisms of transcriptional repression by the t(8;21)-, t(12;21)-, and inv(16)-encoded fusion proteins.

AML-1 is one of the most frequently translocated genes in human leukemia. AML-1 binds DNA and activates or represses transcription, while the chromosomal translocation fusion proteins in acute myeloid leukemia subvert these functions. The t(8;21) is the second most frequent translocation in acute myeloid leukemia and creates a fusion between the DNA binding domain of AML-1 and the ETO (also known as MTG8) corepressor. The t(12;21) is found in up to 25% of pediatric B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias and fuses the ETS family transcription factor TEL to the amino terminus of AML-1. In addition, the inv(16), the most frequent translocation in acute myeloid leukemia, fuses the AML-1 cofactor CBFβ to the smooth muscle myosin heavy chain MYH11. Both the t(8;21) and t(12;21) create transcriptional repressors that impair AML-1 target gene expression. We demonstrated that the fusion proteins encoded by these translocations contact the nuclear hormone corepressors (N-CoR/SMRT), mSin3A, and histone deacetylases. We have also found that both TEL and AML-1 interact with mSin3A. TEL also binds N-CoR and histone deacetylase-3, indicating that wild-type TEL is a transcriptional repressor. The t(12;21) fuses the mSin3A interaction domain of TEL to AML-1 to transform AML-1 from a regulated to an unregulated transcriptional repressor. The recognition that AML-1 interacts with mSin3A to repress transcription suggested that the inv(16) fusion protein might also repress the transcription of AML-1-target genes. In fact, the inv(16) encodes a protein that cooperates with AML-1 to repress transcription. The inv(16) fusion protein was found in a ternary complex with AML-1 and mSin3A, suggesting that the inv(16) also acts by recruiting transcriptional corepressors and histone deacetylases.
Endodontic perforations which resulted in alveolar bone loss: Report of five cases

Five cases in which perforations of mandibular molars into the furca occurred during endodontic instrumentation of the canal are presented. This resulted in alveolar bone loss. All were relatively asymptomatic, which could present a problem in diagnosis of the periodontal defect. The prognosis is questionable. The only tooth retained was treated surgically by an apically positioned flap and opening of the furca area to make it accessible to cleansing. The best treatment is the avoidance of the perforation. This is accomplished by considering the configuration of the canals and the size of the reamer than can follow it. Overinstrumentation with an endodontic instrument that is too large in diameter should be avoided.
Instruction and cognition

When teachers provide instruction to students, they provide opportunities for students to learn information. To be maximally effective, these opportunities should present information in ways that are compatible with the way the mind works. Using a US Department of Education Practice Guide as a structure for our review, we review 'second wave' cognitive science research on spaced learning, worked examples, coordinating visual and verbal representations, coordinating and concrete representations, quizzing, delayed Judgment of Learning, and explanatory reasoning. We also contextualize these lines of research within the contemporary K-12 classroom environment and constraints on teachers and school administrators. We close by advocating that all stakeholders in the instructional process also remember 'first wave' cognitive science findings, and also recommend more research on how specific motivational constructs could be brought to bear to encourage students to use these proven but effortful learning principles. WIREs Cogn Sci 2012 doi: 10.1002/wcs.1192 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
On a Multiplicative–Additive Galois Invariant and Wildly Ramified Extensions

Abstract We investigate the Galois module structure of wildly ramified extensions. We are interested in particular in the second invariant of an extension of number fields defined by Chinburg via the canonical class of the extension and lying in the locally free class group. We show that in Queyrut's S -class group, where S is a (finite) set of primes, the image of Chinburg's invariant equals the stable isomorphism class of the ring of integers and thus extend Chinburg's result for tame extensions.
Ethics in Family and Non‐Family Owned Firms: An Exploratory Study

Limited research on ethics in family business leads to competing arguments regarding whether family firms are more, less or equally as ethical as non-family controlled firms. Comparing structured i...
A spectral mapping theorem and invariant manifolds for nonlinear Schrödinger equations

A spectral mapping theorem is proved that resolves a key problem in applying invariant manifold the- orems to nonlinear Schr- odinger type equations. The theo- rem is applied to the operator that arises as the linearization of the equation around a standing wave solution. We cast the problem in the context of space-dependent nonlineari- ties that arise in optical waveguide problems. The result is, however, more generally applicable including to equations in higher dimensions and even systems. The consequence is that stable, unstable, and center manifolds exist in the neighborhood of a (stable or unstable) standing wave, such as a waveguide mode, under simple and commonly verifiable spectral conditions.
Prostate Cancer Immunotherapy: Beyond Immunity to Curability

Metastatic prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. It is the first prevalent cancer in which overall survival in advanced disease is modestly, but objectively, improved with outpatient delivered dendritic cell–based immunotherapy. More prostate cancer patients have enrolled through Facebook and trusted-site Internet searches in clinical trials for prostate cancer vaccine–based immunotherapy than in immunotherapy trials for lung, breast, colon, pancreas, ovarian, and bladder cancer combined in the past 7 years. Exceptional responses to anti–CTLA-4 treatment have been documented in clinics, and prostate cancer neoantigen characterization and T-cell clonotyping are in their research ascendancy. The prostate is an accessory organ; it is not required for fertility, erectile function, or urinary continence. The true evolutionary advantage of having a prostate for male mammalian physiology is a topic of speculation in seminar rooms and on bar stools, but it remains unknown. Hundreds of prostate lineage-unique proteins (PLUP) exist among the >37,000 normal human prostate lineage-unique open reading frames that can be targeted for immunologic ablation of PLUP + prostate cancer cells by prostate-specific autoimmunity. This bioengineered graft-versus-prostate disease is a powerful strategy that can eliminate deaths from prostate cancer. Immunologic tolerance to prostate cancer can be overcome at every clinical stage of presentation. This Cancer Immunology at the Crossroads article aims to present advances in the past two decades of basic, translational, and clinical research in prostate cancer, including bioengineering B-cell and T-cell responses, and ongoing prostate cancer immunotherapy trials. Cancer Immunol Res; 2(11); 1034–43. ©2014 AACR .
Learning the Chemical Language of Cell-Surface Interactions

Harvesting, training, and domesticating living organisms to apply their intrinsic capabilities to desired applications is one of the most fundamental of human accomplishments. Extending this concept to the cellular level requires precise control of the chemical interface between live cells and synthetic materials. One great challenge is to progress from empirically surveying cellular behaviors to the predictive design of synthetic substrates that communicate specific signals to cells. This requires a detailed understanding of cell signaling mechanisms as well as the ability to synthesize hybrid materials that incorporate biological molecules in precisely defined ways. A number of promising advances in the development of synthetic interfaces with cells suggest that the move to predictive design is under way.
Exhaustive testing of almost all devices with outputs depending on limited number of inputs

The problem is considered of efficient test design for combinational devices with large numbern of input variables, where each output depends on at mosts input variables. It is shown that the number of test patterns can be reduced drastically if we allow a small fraction? of all possible outputs not to be tested exhaustively. The effect holds even if? approaches zero with the increase ofn. Upper and lower bounds for the number of test patterns in such tests (called (?, s)-exhaustive tests) are derived and constructions of the tests are suggested.
A note on 'Economic conditions and alcohol problems'.

This paper reexamines the effect of the business cycle on alcohol consumption using U.S. state-level analysis introduced by Rhum [Ruhm, C.J., 1995. Economic conditions and alcohol problems. Journal of Health Economics 14, 583-603]. Using an extended panel, this analysis finds that Ruhm's estimates are biased and inconsistent due to the problem of non-stationarity in alcohol consumption and state economic condition time series. Corrected estimation using logarithmic first differences confirms Ruhm's original finding of pro-cyclical alcohol consumption, but these results, unlike Ruhm's, are robust to sample period.
The Use of Reasons in Thought (and the Use of Earmarks in Arguments)

Here I defend my solution to the wrong-kind-of-reason problem against Mark Schroeder’s criticisms. In doing so, I highlight an important difference between other accounts of reasons and my own. While others understand reasons as considerations that count in favor of attitudes, I understand reasons as considerations that bear (or are taken to bear) on questions. Thus, to relate reasons to attitudes, on my account, we must consider the relation between attitudes and questions. By considering that relation, we not only solve the wrong-kind-of-reason problem, but we also bring into view rational agency—the use of reasons in thought.
Composition and kinetics of oil generation from non-isothermal oil shale retorting

Oil shale retorting has been carried out under non-isothermal conditions between 623 and 773 K and at different pressures(78 and 765 kPa). The shale oil is separated into five individual components: polar, weak polar, saturates, aromatics and olefin, using a comprehensive analytical procedure. The effects of retorting pressure and heating rate have been studied. The oil yield under high pressure (765 kPa) is ≈10% less than the oil yield under ambient pressure (78 kPa). Much of this reduced yield can be accounted for by the reduced amount of polar component formed at high pressure. Heating rates of 1.67 × 10−2, 6.67 × 10−2and 8.33 × 10−2Ks−1 have been used; a higher heating rate causes a delay in the appearance of the oil. A simplified kinetic scheme is proposed which includes the distribution of liquid products and pressure effects. The activation energies and frequency factors of generation reactions for total oil and individual components have been obtained.
Tribological investigation of titanium-based materials for brakes

Abstract Titanium alloys and their composites have the potential to reduce truck disc brake component weight and improve their resistance to road-salt corrosion. A titanium alloy rotor can weigh approximately 37% less than a conventional cast iron rotor with the same dimensions, while offering good high-temperature strength and much better resistance to corrosion from road-deicing salts. Friction coefficients and temperature rise data were obtained for two commercial Ti alloys, four experimental Ti-based hard particle composites, and a thermally spray-coated Ti alloy. Several commercially produced lining materials were used as counterfaces. Using a flat block pressed against a rotating disc, tests consisted of repetitive on-and-off drags at sliding speeds from 2 to 15 m/s, using nominal contact pressures of 1.0 or 2.0 MPa. Friction coefficients were affected by the choice of counterface (semi-metallic versus highly metallic lining composition) and by the friction-induced wear track temperature, which at times exceeded 800 °C. The wear rates of the Ti metal matrix composites exceeded that of the reference cast iron, but were significantly better that that of two Ti alloys. A thermal conversion parameter was used to compare the efficiency by which various material combinations convert frictional work into temperature rise. Several of the tested material combinations provided friction coefficients within the typical range for brake materials (0.35–0.55) and some showed excellent resistance to fade, a phenomenon in which braking effectiveness decreases as temperature rises. The thermally spray-coated Ti disc exhibited the least wear and merits further attention as a lightweight, corrosion-resistant brake rotor material.
Organ Transplantation: The Role of the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Across the Spectrum of Health Care

Organ transplantation has become an accepted treatment method for a multitude of conditions once deemed untreatable. Increasing numbers of patients are treated by nurse practitioners before and after transplantation in a variety of settings, such as primary and specialty care clinics, urgent care, critical care units, and long-term care facilities. This article outlines the role of the acute care nurse practitioner in the management of adult transplant recipients in a variety of health care settings and reviews the problems and interventions specific to this patient group. Emphasis is placed on the referral process and collaboration with the transplantation team in patient management.
Amplification-spectrophotometric determination of arsenic

Arsenic in submicroamounts is determined by use of the iron(II) ferrozine complex and measurement of the absorbance of the complex at 562 nm. The arsenic in the sample is converted into 12-arsenomolybdic acid and extracted into a mixture of butyl acetate and ethanol. The extracted complex is decomposed with sodium hydroxide and the Mo(VI) liberated is reduced to Mo(III) with a Jones reductor, then oxidized back to Mo(VI) with Fe(III). The resulting Fe(II) is complexed with ferrozine, and the absorbance measured. The high sensitivity of the method is due to the chemical amplification (factor of 36) that is involved in the procedure. The apparent molar absorptivity for this method is 9.44×105 1· mole−1·cm−1, compared to the theoretical value of 10.04×105. The overall efficiency of the conversion is 94%.
Analysis of co-axial transmission lines with arbitrary cross-section

A numerical model for the determination of electromagnetic fields and characteristic impedance of co-axial cables with arbitrary cross-section is developed, based on dyadic Green's functions and the moment method. The advantages of the method are generality, simplicity and accuracy of its results. Besides this, the fields are represented as series over orthogonal functions, which can be useful in the solution of some problems, such as discontinuity between lines of different cross sections. A numerical application to cables of rectangular cross-section shows the accuracy of the method. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Computational model of alpha-decay damage accumulation in zircon

Abstract Atomic-scale computer simulations are used to study defect accumulation and amorphization due to alpha decay in zircon (ZrSiO4). The displacement cascades, which represent 234U recoil nuclei from alpha decay of 238Pu in zircon, are generated using a crystalline binary collision model. The stochastic production of defects in the crystal lattice, recombination of defects, and the identification of amorphous regions are followed within the framework of a kinetic Monte Carlo simulation. Within the model, amorphous regions are identified as those having a critical density of Zr vacancies. The simulation predicts the interstitial content and amorphous fraction as functions of dose that are consistent with experimental data at 300 K for 238Pu-doped zircon, which indicates that the simulation model for behavior in zircon at 300 K is reasonable.
Growth Kinetics of Molecular Beam Epitaxy on Non-Singular Surfaces

Growth kinetics on non-singular surfaces were studied by Monte Carlo simulations. In contrast to the growth on singular and vicinal surfaces, the sticking coefficient on the non-singular surfaces was found to decrease with increase of the surface roughness. Simulations of annealing processes showed that surface diffusion of atoms leads to a stationary surface roughness, which is explained by multiple configurations having the lowest energy in the non-singular surface.
Matching, discrimination, and payoffs

Abstract Five different models for matching judgments are described. Each one is applied to an experiment employing both matching and ordered discrimination tasks, three payoff matrices, and three levels of stimulus discriminability. Under the matching instructions, subjects indicated whether two patterns of lights had the same or a different number of lights. Under the ordered discrimination instructions, subjects indicated which one of two patterns had more lights. One of the models consistently gives a better account of the individual and the pooled group data than the others, but even for this model the goodness-of-fit chi-squares are generally too large.
Management of Draining Wounds in Vascular Surgery

Drainage from a wound overlying a prosthetic vascular graft is a source of major concern in vascular surgery, often heralding serious complications in cluding hemorrhage, thrombosis or infection. D...
Mapping the ECG in the live rabbit heart using Ultrasound current source density imaging with coded excitation

Ultrasound current source density imaging (UCSDI) is a noninvasive technique for mapping electric current fields in 4D (space + time) with the resolution of ultrasound imaging. This approach can potentially overcome limitations of conventional electrical mapping procedures often used during treatment of cardiac arrhythmia or epilepsy. However, at physiologic currents, the detected acoustoelectric (AE) interaction signal in tissue is very weak. In this work, we evaluated coded ultrasound excitation (chirps) for improving the sensitivity of UCSDI for mapping the electrocardiogram (ECG) in a live rabbit heart preparation. Results confirmed that chirps improved detection of the AE signal by as much as 6.1 dB compared to a square pulse. We further demonstrated mapping the ECG using a clinical intracardiac catheter, 1 MHz ultrasound transducer and coded excitation. B-mode pulse echo and UCSDI revealed regions of high current flow in the heart wall during the peak of the ECG. These improvements to UCSDI are important steps towards translation of this new technology to the clinic for rapidly mapping the cardiac activation wave.
Is climate change an ethical issue? Examining young adults' beliefs about climate and morality

Moral philosophers argue that climate change poses an ‘ethical problem’ for humanity and thus that humans have moral obligations to respond. Little empirical research has explored whether non-philosophers agree with these conclusions. This is unfortunate, because non-experts’ moral intuitions (or lack thereof) about climate change likely hold important implications for willingness to engage cognitively, emotionally and behaviorally with the issue. After reviewing the moral philosophical position on climate change, I present results of two studies conducted with a total of 922 U.S. undergraduate students that explored beliefs about the ‘ethics of climate change.’ Forty-five percent of the students sampled stated unequivocally that climate change represents a moral or ethical issue; a full quarter of students said it was not an ethical issue and roughly 30% were unsure. Participants’ beliefs regarding the causes of climate change were predictive of intentions to perform pro-environmental actions, and this relationship was fully mediated by ascriptions of personal moral obligation to respond. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Performance of chip-size wavelength detectors

Chip-size wavelength detectors are composed from a linear variable band-pass filter and a photodetector array. The filter converts the incident spectral distribution into a spatial distribution that is recorded by the detector array. This concept enables very compact and rugged spectrometers due to the monolithic integration of all functional components on a single chip. This type of spectrometer reveals its most convincing advantages through appropriate systems integration. We discuss the advantages of this concept for spectroscopy of light distributions that are hard to focus onto the entrance slit of a conventional spectrometer, namely large light emitting areas and moving point-like light sources. The excellent spectral performance of the system is demonstrated for both light input geometries.
Short-term acceptability of the PATH Woman's Condom among couples at three sites.

Abstract Purpose The objective of this study is to evaluate acceptability of the PATH Woman's Condom among user populations in Mexico, South Africa and Thailand. Methods A nonrandomized, nonblinded, nonsignificant risk study was conducted among 20 couples per site. Data were collected via structured questionnaires after the first, second and third condom uses and through in-depth interviews after all condoms were used. Results Women from all sites reported that the PATH Woman's Condom was easy and comfortable to insert, and the pouch and ring were very stable during use. Both women and men reported that the comfort and sensation of sex while using the condom was acceptable. Conclusions The PATH Woman's Condom is easy to use, stable during use, comfortable and satisfactory during sex among users from diverse populations and cultures. The iterative user-driven product development process helped ensure that this new product addresses a wide range of user preferences.
The dominant morphology of fractionated atrial electrograms has greater temporal stability in persistent as compared with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

Background: Measurements of both the dominant frequency (DF) and the time series morphology of complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAE) are useful to distinguish persistent from paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). In this study, an algorithm was devised to extract morphologic components according to frequency, and its usefulness for distinguishing CFAE was shown. Method: CFAE of length 16s were obtained at two sites each from the four pulmonary vein ostia (PV), and from anterior and posterior left atrial free wall (FW), in nine paroxysmal and 10 longstanding persistent AF patients. The DF was computed for each of two 8s CFAE segments in each 16s recording. Each CFAE segment was then transformed into a set of basis vectors, which represent electrogram morphology at each frequency. The dominant morphology (DM) is defined as the ensemble average of sequential signal segments, with the segment length equal to the period at the DF. The DMs of the two 8s pairs were correlated. Normalized correlation coefficients were tabulated for all data, and separately for PV and FW. The means and coefficients of variation of the DM correlation coefficients were then plotted, and a linear discriminant function was used to classify persistent versus paroxysmal AF data. For comparison with DM results, CFE-mean and interval confidence level (ICL) were also calculated for persistent versus paroxysmal AF data. Results: Mean correlation of the DM, 1st 8s versus 2nd 8s data, was 0.62+0.22 for persistent versus 0.50+0.19 for paroxysmal CFAE for all recording sites (p<0.001). At single anatomical locations, correlation was greater in persistents than paroxysmals at all sites, but achieved significance only at the left superior (p<0.001) and right superior (p<0.05) PV. Spatial variation in correlation coefficient was greater in paroxysmal than persistent AF (not significant). Using the means of DF correlation coefficients, 17/19 patients were classified correctly. The CFE-mean parameter averaged 89.01+/-20.99ms in persistents versus 93.96+/-33.81ms in paroxysmals (p<0.05), while ICL averaged 94.54+/-18.52 deflections/8s for persistents versus 90.70+/-19.28 deflections/8s for paroxysmals (p<0.05). Conclusions: In CFAE recordings, the DM parameter was found to have greater temporal morphologic variation in paroxysmal as compared with persistent AF data (p<0.001). In contrast, only moderate significance between paroxysmal versus persistent AF data was found when using the of CFE-mean and ICL parameters (p<0.05). The DM parameter may thus be useful as a new measure to discern both temporal and spatial variations in CFAE in paroxysmal versus persistent AF recordings.
Conduction electron spin resonance of silver clusters in zeolite AgY

Silver clusters have been prepared in zeoliteY by ion exchange and subsequent reduction. The intensity of the strong conduction electron spin resonance atg=1.960±0.002 follows a Curie-Weiss law, with Φ=−80 K.