cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stochastic approximation with correlated data

New almost sure convergence results for a special form of the multidimensional Robbins-Monro stochastic approximation procedure are developed. The results are applicable to cases where the "training data" is heavily correlated. No conditional expectation properties or boundedness assumptions are required to apply the new results. For example, when the data sequence is normal and i) M -dependent, ii) autoregressive moving average, or iii) "band-limited", the results can be used to establish the almost sure convergence of each algorithm treated. The special form of the Robbins-Monro procedure considered is motivated by a consideration of several algorithms that have been proposed for discrete-time adaptive signal-processing applications. Most of these algorithms can also be viewed as stochastic gradient-following algorithm. The ease with which the new results can be applied is illustrated.
Bispyrrolotetrathiafulvalene-containing [2]catenanes.

Two [2]catenanes incorporating bispyrrolotetrathiafulvalene (BPTTF) and weaker aryl donors, hydroquinone (HQ) and 1,5-dioxynaphthalene (DNP), respectively, have been prepared and characterized. These [2]catenanes show a predominant amount (>95:5) of the co-conformation in which either the HQ or the DNP unit is encircled by a tetracationic cyclophane, cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) (CBPQT4+), contrary to what is observed in systems based on the parent tetrathiafulvalene (TTF). These new [2]catenanes act effectively as molecular switches which are always configured in the “on” state.
Occupational fatalities, injuries, illnesses, and related economic loss in the wholesale and retail trade sector

BACKGROUND: The wholesale and retail trade (WRT) sector employs over 21 million workers, or nearly 19% of the annual average employment in private industry. The perception is that workers in this sector are generally at low risk of occupational injury and death. These workers, however, are engaged in a wide range of demanding job activities and are exposed to a variety of hazards. Prior to this report, a comprehensive appraisal of the occupational fatal and nonfatal burdens affecting the retail and wholesale sectors was lacking. The focus of this review is to assess the overall occupational safety and health burden in WRT and to identify various subsectors that have high rates of burden from occupational causes. Ultimately, these findings should be useful for targeted intervention efforts. METHODS: We reviewed Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2006 fatality, injury, and illness data for the WRT sector and provide comparisons between the WRT sector, its' subsectors, and private industry, which serves as a baseline. The BLS data provide both counts and standardized incidence rates for various exposures, events, and injury types for fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. In an effort to estimate the economic burden of these fatalities, injuries, and illnesses, a focused review of the literature was conducted. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In 2006, WRT workers experienced 820,500 injuries/illnesses and 581 fatalities. The total case injury/illness rate for the retail sector was 4.9/100 FTE and for the wholesale sector 4.1/100 FTE. The WRT sector represents 15.5% of the private sector work population in 2006, yet accounts for 20.1% of nonfatal injuries and illnesses of the private sector. In 2003, the disparity was only 2% but increased to 3% in 2004 and 2005. Three WRT subsectors had injury/illness rates well above the national average: beer/wine/liquor (8.4/100); building materials/supplies (7.6/100); and grocery-related products (7.0/100). Occupational deaths with the highest rates were found in gasoline stations (9.8/100,000), convenience stores (6.1/100,000), and used car dealers (5.5/100,000). In terms of actual numbers, the category of food and beverage stores had 82 fatalities in 2006. Based on 1993 data, costs, both direct and indirect, in the WRT sector for fatal injuries were estimated to exceed $8.6 billion. The full economic loss to society and the family has not been adequately measured. Overexertion and contact with objects/equipment represent the top two events or exposures leading to injury or illness. Together they account for 57% of the events or exposures for nonfatal WRT injuries and illnesses. This sector is important because it is large and pervasive as a result, even a relatively small increase in injury rates and accompanying days away from work will have significant impact on working families and society. Language: en
Potentiation of barbiturate hypnosis by certain uncoupling agents.

SummaryIt has been demonstrated that certain uncoupling agents increase the hypnotic effects of certain barbiturates. Potentiation by uncoupling agents is not the result of inhibition of detoxication mechanisms nor is epinephrine release implicated since the effect is not prevented by adrenergic blocking agents. The nature of this effect and its relationship to the mechanism of action of the barbiturates is discussed.
Electro-optic polymer modulators

Electro-optic polymer modulators are an exciting technology that offer many benefits compared to alternative modulator technologies. In this paper we discuss recent advances in polymer modulator technology and their implication to current and future optical networks. Current research efforts into high bandwidth modulators, >100GHz, are also summarized.
Inhibition of Gonadotropin Secretion During Lactation in the Rat: Relative Contribution of Suckling and Ovarian Steroids

The relative effects of the suckling stimulus and ovarian steroids on gonadotropin inhibition during lactation were studied in 3 groups of rats: lactating-intact (Group 1) lactating-ovariectomized (Group 2) and nonlactating-ovariectomized (Group 3). On Day 2 postpartum litter sizes were adjusted to 0 or 8 pups and ovariectomy performed. Serum luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations in Group 1 were significantly lower (5X) than basal cycling levels. Serum and pitutitary concentrations of LH in Group 2 gradually increased but did not differ markedly from Group 1 until 15-20 days postpartum. At all times the postcastration rise in serum and pituitary LH was inhibited in Group 2 compared with Group 3. Serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations in Group 1 remained similar to basal cycling levels while pituitary FSH concentrations gradually increased. Serum and pituitary FSH concentrations in Group 2 increased dramatically throughout lactation but did not equal Group 3 until Days 15-20. Serum progesterone concentrations increased during lactation reaching maximal values on Day 10 and declining to basal levels by Day 20. Estradiol concentrations increased from low levels on Day 2 to reach basal values by Day 10 and diestrous-2 levels by Day 20. These findings indicate that in the absence of ovarian steroids the suckling stimulus: 1) can effectively inhibit the postcastration rise in LH and FSH secretion for at least 15 days postpartum; 2) is a less potent inhibitor of FSH than LH secretion; 3) and cannot maintain serum LH and FSH below basal cycling values.(Authors modified)
Helium isotopes in geothermal and volcanic gases of the Western United States, II. Long Valley Caldera

Abstract Systematic trends in helium isotope ratios and gas compositions in Long Valley caldera hot-spring and fumarole gases reflect subsurface processes and conditions in the hydrothermal system. High 3 He 4 He ratios (to 6.5 × atmospheric) indicate a magmatic helium source diluted to varying degrees by crustal radiogenic helium, as observed in western United States geothermal systems in general. Helium isotope ratios increase eastward across the caldera, which we interpret as an input of magmatic helium to the hydrothermal fluid as it flows eastward over the caldera. Decreasing He/condensible-gas (≈ He/CO2) ratios accompanying this trend suggest that CO2 addition and/or preferential helium loss due to boiling are also occurring, although near-surface, pH-related CO2HCO3 equilibria obscure the nature of this effect. Substantial changes in 3 He 4 He ratios were observed in Long Valley gases between 1978 and 1985. Helium isotope ratios increased by 15% in the Hot Creek thermal vent, with maximum ratios achieved in 1983. Helium isotope ratios subsequently decreased in this and other hot vents in the caldera. These observations indicate that substantial changes in the mixing ratio of radiogenic and magmatic helium may occur over relatively short periods of time in magmatically active systems.
Future altruism: Social discounting of delayed rewards

Social discounting assesses an individual's willingness to forgo an outcome for the self in lieu of a larger outcome for someone else. The purpose of the present research was to examine the effect of adding a common delay to outcomes in a binary choice, social discounting procedure. Based on the premise that both social and temporal distances are dimensions of psychological distance, we hypothesized that social discounting should decrease as a function of delay to the outcomes. Across two within-subject experiments, participants indicated preference between a hypothetical money reward for the self or for someone else. The outcomes were associated with no, short, and long delays. Both studies confirmed our hypothesis that adding any delay to the receipt of outcomes decreases social discounting, though no significant differences were observed between short and long delays. These results are discussed in the context of some existing literature on altruism.
SCALP syndrome: Sebaceous nevus syndrome, CNS malformations, aplasia cutis congenita, limbal dermoid, and pigmented nevus (giant congenital melanocytic nevus) with neurocutaneous melanosis: A distinct syndromic entity

Nevus sebaceus syndrome (SNS) is a constellation of nevus sebaceus with extracutaneous findings, including the ophthalmologic nervous, and musculoskeletal systems. Didymosis aplasticosebacea is a recently described entity consisting of aplasia cutis congenita and nevus sebaceus, implying twin spotting (didymosis). We describe a neonate with a nevus sebaceus on the scalp and a limbal dermoid on her left eye. Contiguous with the nevus sebaceus was a giant congenital melanocytic nevus and numerous areas of membranous aplasia cutis congenita. We propose the acronym SCALP (nevus sebaceus, central nervous system malformations, aplasia cutis congenita, limbal dermoid, pigmented nevus) to summarize the unique features of this case and review the two similar cases in the literature.
Mobile home parks and crime: Does proximity matter?

Mobile home communities are viewed negatively, as non-residents and municipalities often see them as being a source of declining property values and escalating rates of crime and other social maladies in surrounding areas. Despite the prevalence of such beliefs, empirical tests of their veracity have been rare. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the presence of mobile home communities significantly affects violent and property crime in surrounding blocks. Using official reports of crime and Census data from Omaha, Nebraska, results of bivariate and multivariate analyses showed minimal evidence that crime spills over around mobile home communities. The implications of these findings for researchers as well as cities, towns, and other municipalities considering the development of mobile home communities are also explored.
Quantification of the Reduction of Wet Weather Accidents Using Porous Friction Courses (PFC)

Porous friction courses (PFCs) are surface layers of open-graded hot-mix asphalt used to improve wet-weather safety. This paper reports results of analyses done to investigate the safety benefits of PFCs under wet conditions. A number of sections from across Texas constructed between 2003 and 2011 were evaluated. Accident rates on these sections using data from the Crash Records Information System (CRIS) were compared before and after construction of the porous surface. Inconsistencies in the CRIS wet-weather accident data prompted the use of weather station information from around Texas to more accurately identify weather conditions at the time of accidents. This information clearly indicated the benefits of PFC in reducing accidents, injuries and fatalities on roads in Texas, encouraging the continued use of these mixes. A slight but consistent increase in accidents immediately following construction of porous asphalt surfaces was also observed.
The detailed method of optimal regions

The detailed method of optimal regions is an extended form of the method of optimal regions which has been found effective in solving the personnel classification problem when the number of job categories is small. The automatic determination of the successive values of thev i , made possible by the more exact techniques of the detailed method, provide easier solutions for the more complex problems and provide solutions, which, for the most part, can be mechanized. In a sense the detailed method of optimal regions is more than a detailed form of the method of optimal regions. It is essentially a method of transformations by which the original matrix is reduced to a matrix from which the solution is easily obtained.
Balloon Dilation of Severe Aortic Stenosis in the Fetus Potential for Prevention of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: Candidate Selection, Technique, and Results of Successful Intervention

Background— Preventing the progression of fetal aortic stenosis (AS) to hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) requires identification of fetuses with salvageable left hearts who would progress to HLHS if left untreated, a successful in utero valvotomy, and demonstration that a successful valvotomy promotes left heart growth in utero. Fetuses meeting the first criterion are undefined, and previous reports of fetal AS dilation have not evaluated the impact of intervention on in utero growth of left heart structures. Methods and Results— We offered fetal AS dilation to 24 mothers whose fetuses had AS. At least 3 echocardiographers assigned a high probability that all 24 fetuses would progress to HLHS if left untreated. Twenty (21 to 29 weeks’ gestation) underwent attempted AS dilation, with technical success in 14. Ideal fetal positioning for cannula puncture site and course of the needle (with or without laparotomy) proved to be necessary for procedural success. Serial fetal echocardiograms after intervent...
SMART: Lightweight distributed Social Map based Routing in Delay Tolerant Networks

Previous Delay Tolerant Network (DTN) routing algorithms exploit either past encounter records (probabilistic routing) or social network properties (social network based routing) to derive a node's probability of delivering packets to their destinations. However, they only have a local view of the network, which limits the routing efficiency. Also, when two nodes meet, they have to exchange the delivery probabilities to the destinations of all packets in the two nodes, which incurs high resource consumption. In a social network, the people a person frequently meets are usually stable, which makes them play a more important role in forwarding message for the person. Based on this, we propose a lightweight distributed Social MAp based Routing algorithm in delay Tolerant networks (SMART). In SMART, each node builds its own social map consisting of nodes it has met and their frequently encountered nodes in a distributed manner. Based on both encountering frequency and social closeness of the two linked nodes in the social map, we decide the weight of each link to reflect the packet delivery probability between the two nodes. The social map enables more accurate forwarder selection through a broader view. Moreover, nodes exchange much less information for social map update and need fewer updates due to social map stability, which reduces resource consumption. Trace-driven experiments and tests on the GENI ORBIT testbed demonstrate the high efficiency of SMART in comparison with previous algorithms.
The perceived clinical value of NMR measurements on biopsy specimens. Part I. Interval estimates of diagnostic error rates and a note on an effect of the law of small numbers.

There are currently two conflicting views concerning the value of NMR measurements (in vivo and in vitro) of the proton T1 and T2 relaxation times in tissues, in discriminating between normal (Ca) and malignant (Ca) conditions. Damadian repeatedly asserted that a linear combination of these two measurements, the so-called malignancy index, can, "...discriminate between normal and cancer tissue on a case-by-case basis...considerably better than 90%" and thus "...the technique is now ready for use by pathologists as an adjunct to present methods of diagnosing malignancy." On the other hand, Hollis countered that, "Neither nmr nor any other method requiring surgical biopsy is likely to replace or even supplement the standard histopathological techniques." Part I of the present paper examines the relation between the first of these two views and the sample data presented in their support. Part I is a "cautionary tale" in which the procedures used by Koutcher to obtain point estimates of the misclassification rates from these data are shown to be incorrect. (These procedures are identical to those used two decades earlier by Ternberg in an advocacy of the diagnostic use of EPR measurements on biopsied tissues.) It is also shown that the interval estimates of the misclassification rates obtained from these data, which have not previously been reported, are large enough to embrace both views; these data are "user-friendly"--a characteristic of small samples. It is shown that, in accordance with the Tversky-Kahneman (1971) Law of Small Numbers, the disparity in the two views can be accounted for by, "...underestimates of the breadth of confidence intervals" (due to the small sample sizes) by each group. The appropriate statistical procedures for determining point and interval estimates of such misclassification rates are also described and illustrated with the Koutcher, data. Part II describes a Discriminant Analysis of these data. It is, of course, still possible that proton T1 and T2 measurements can be used to reliably distinguish between normal and malignant tissues since absence of evidence is not always evidence of absence for an effect.
A time-sharing computerized data program for a community hospital burn unit

Abstract Computerized data storage and retrieval assists in the analysis of care provided to burn patients. An affordable program using an on-line computer service has been implemented by the Miami Valley Hospital Burn Unit which is applicable to most community hospital based burn units.
Concentrations of radioactive materials in the air during 1957.

ABS>Data are tabulated on the geographical distribution of atmospheric radioactivity during 1957. The bulk of the radioactivity is shown to be due to radon and its decay products, which result from radioactive decay of radium in the soil and the consequent diffusion of the gaseous radon daughter into the air. Radioactivity due to fission productu amounted to only 1.2 per cent of the radon concentration. (C.H.)
Constructing opposition in the age of globalization: the potential of ATTAC

This article examines the movement ATTAC and assesses its potential to function as a vital part of the emerging global opposition to neoliberal globalization. We analyze the agenda of the movement and assess its coherence, both in terms of policy evaluations and prescriptions and in terms of the fit of the movement's organizational structure with its substantive mission and official aims. To this end, we explain the emergence and stellar rise of the movement, compare the particularly successful nation-wide organizations of ATTAC in France and Germany, and examine the movement's transnational activities. We find ATTAC to be coherent in terms of agenda as well as organizational practices and to make a laudable effort to reflect its agenda of democratic empowerment in its political praxis. Acknowledging the enormous challenges faced by transnational civic opposition, we nonetheless conclude optimistically that ATTAC has the potential of serving as a core movement around which such opposition might usefully r...
Distal limb malformations: underlying mechanisms and clinical associations

Congenital malformations of the extremities are conspicuous and have been described through the ages. Over the past decade, a wealth of knowledge has been generated regarding the genetic regulation of limb development and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Recent studies have identified several of the signaling molecules, growth factors, and transcriptional regulators involved in the initiation and maintenance of the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) as well as the molecular markers defining the three axes of the developing limb. Studies of abnormal murine phenotypes have uncovered the role played by genes such as p63 and Dactylin in the maintenance of AER activity. These phenotypes resemble human malformations and in this review we describe the underlying mechanisms and clinical associations of split hand/foot malformation and ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia-cleft lip/palate syndrome, which have both been associated with mutations in the p63 gene.
Kant and the right to lie reviewed essay: On a supposed right to lie from philanthropy, by Inmanuel Kant (1797)

Kant’s strict views on lying have been regularly cited as a reason for thinking there is something fundamentally wrong with Kantian ethics. Some of Kant’s statements here seem so excessive that most Kantians who have dealt with the topic have tried to distance themselves from them, usually claiming that they do not (or need not) follow from Kant’s own principles. In this chapter, I will do a little of that, partly by questioning whether the famous example of the “murderer at the door” really fits the principles Kant applies to it. By and large, however, I will argue Kant’s views about veracity are reasonable or at least defensible, if not selfevident. This is mainly because I also think some of them –especially his position in the brief, late and famous (or notorious) essay On a Supposed Right to Lie from Philanthropy (1797)– have been badly misunderstood. My principal aim here will be to correct that misunderstanding.
Automatically restructuring programs for the Web

The construction of interactive server-side Web applications differs substantially from the construction of traditional interactive programs. In contrast, existing Web programming paradigms force programmers to save and restore control state between user interactions. We present an automated transformation that converts traditional interactive programs into standard CGI programs. This enables reuse of existing software development methodologies. Furthermore, an adaptation of existing programming environments supports the development of Web programs.
Functional Characterization of cis and trans Activity of the Flavivirus NS2B-NS3 Protease

Flaviviruses are serious human pathogens for which treatments are generally lacking. The proteolytic maturation of the 375-kDa viral polyprotein is one target for antiviral development. The flavivirus serine protease consists of the N-terminal domain of the multifunctional nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) and an essential 40-residue cofactor (NS2B40) within viral protein NS2B. The NS2B-NS3 protease is responsible for all cytoplasmic cleavage events in viral polyprotein maturation. This study describes the first biochemical characterization of flavivirus protease activity using full-length NS3. Recombinant proteases were created by fusion of West Nile virus (WNV) NS2B40 to full-length WNV NS3. The protease catalyzed two autolytic cleavages. The NS2B/NS3 junction was cleaved before protein purification. A second site at Arg459↓Gly460 within the C-terminal helicase region of NS3 was cleaved more slowly. Autolytic cleavage reactions also occurred in NS2B-NS3 recombinant proteins from yellow fever virus, dengue virus types 2 and 4, and Japanese encephalitis virus. Cis and trans cleavages were distinguished using a noncleavable WNV protease variant and two types of substrates as follows: an inactive variant of recombinant WNV NS2B-NS3, and cyan and yellow fluorescent proteins fused by a dodecamer peptide encompassing a natural cleavage site. With these materials, the autolytic cleavages were found to be intramolecular only. Autolytic cleavage of the helicase site was insensitive to protein dilution, confirming that autolysis is intramolecular. Formation of an active protease was found to require neither cleavage of NS2B from NS3 nor a free NS3 N terminus. Evidence was also obtained for product inhibition of the protease by the cleaved C terminus of NS2B.
Aerobic glycolysis in the primate brain: reconsidering the implications for growth and maintenance

Glucose metabolism produces, by oxidative phosphorylation, more than 15 times the amount of energy generated by aerobic glycolysis. Nonetheless, aerobic glycolysis remains a prevalent metabolic pathway in the brain. Here we review evidence suggesting that this pathway contributes essential molecules to the biomass of the brain. Aerobic metabolism is the dominant metabolic pathway during early postnatal development when lipids and proteins are needed for the processes of axonal elongation, synaptogenesis, and myelination. Furthermore, aerobic metabolism may continue into adulthood to supply biomolecules for activity-related changes at the synapse and turnover of constituent structural components of neurons. Conversely, oxidative phosphorylation appears to be the main metabolic support for synaptic transmission, and, therefore, this pathway seems to be more dominant in brain structures and at time points in the lifespan that are characterized by increased synaptic density. We present the case for differing relationships between aerobic glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation across primates in association with species-specific variation in neurodevelopmental trajectories. In doing so, we provide an alternative interpretation for the assessment of radiolabeled glucose positron emission tomography studies that regularly attribute increases in glucose uptake to neural activity alone, and propose a new model for the contribution of metabolic pathways for energetic demand and neural tissue growth. We conclude that comparative studies of metabolic appropriation in the brain may contribute to the discussion of human cognitive evolution and to the understanding of human-specific aging and the etiology of neuropsychiatric diseases.
An enhanced-performance CMOS imager with a flushed-reset photodiode pixel

A new front-end for photodiode-based CMOS imagers is presented. Degradation in imaging performance due to conventional hard- and soft-reset of pixels is analyzed. To overcome these limitations, the design and operation of a flushed-reset pixel is described. The flushed-reset pixel combines the best of hard- and soft-reset to simultaneously provide excellent radiometric accuracy, high linearity, no image lag, high saturation level, and reduced read-noise. The new front-end is implemented by changes to the column-circuitry only, leaving the pixel unchanged, preventing degradation of any unrelated imaging performance. It is compatible with large format imager implementation, has minimal impact on the frame-rate, and does not introduce any additional hot-carrier stress in the pixel. Data from a large format (512/sup 2/) imager demonstrates the efficacy of the flushed-reset pixel approach.
Shuffling Leaf Litter Samples Produces More Accurate and Precise Snapshots of Terrestrial Arthropod Community Composition

Understanding the accuracy of sampling techniques is critical to accurate interpretation of local and global ecological patterns. Over the past 20 yr, Winkler leaf litter extractors have become one of the most common techniques used to collect terrestrial arthropods. Although the original description of this technique recommends the use of disturbance during extraction to increase extraction efficiency, most published studies do not follow this recommendation. Here we test experimentally how disturbing, or “shuffling” leaf litter during extraction affects collection efficiency for four groups of arthropods: ants, micro-Hymenoptera, beetles, and spiders. Our results show that extraction efficiency for abundance and richness of ants is increased with disturbance. Disturbance also improves extraction efficiency for beetle abundance, but does not affect micro-Hymenoptera and spider abundance or richness. Significantly, our results also demonstrate that shuffling litter can greatly reduce the variability of extraction efficiency between different sites. Because of this greater efficiency, we recommend use of the shuffling technique, when sampling leaf litter via Winkler extractors to maximize the collection of ants and beetles, especially for studies that compare abundance and richness across multiple sites.
Determining Malignancy of Brain Tumors By Analysis of Vessel Shape

Vessels supplying malignant tumors are abnormally shaped. This pa- per describes a blinded study that assessed tumor malignancy by analyzing ves- sel shape within MR images of 21 brain tumors prior to surgical resection. The program's assessment of malignancy was then compared to the final histologi- cal diagnosis. All tumors were classified correctly as benign or malignant. Of importance, malignancy-associated vessel abnormalities extend outside appar- ent tumor margins, thus allowing classification of even small or hemorrhagic tumors.
Paratesticular Solitary Plasmacytoma

Primary solid neoplasms of the extratesticular tissues are rare. The reported prevalence rate of paratesticular neoplasms is between 3% and 16% of all patients referred for scrotal ultrasonography. A plasmacytoma is a discrete, solitary mass of malignant monoclonal plasma cells that can arise in any part of the body. In this report, we present a case of a paratesticular solid mass detected in an 80-year-old patient that proved to be primary extraosseous plasmacytoma on surgery, and discuss its sonographic features.
Utility of post-transplant anti-HLA antibody measurements in pediatric cardiac transplant recipients

Background Studies have associated anti-HLA antibodies detected by panel-reactive antibody (PRA) with increased risk for rejection and transplant coronary artery disease (TCAD) in adults, but the role of PRAs in monitoring immunologic status after pediatric cardiac transplantation has not been described. Methods We reviewed post-transplant PRAs in 96 pediatric heart recipients. PRAs were performed concurrently with endomyocardial biopsy and if rejection was suspected. The presence of anti-HLA IgG antibodies was defined as >10% reactivity. Pre-transplant variables, including age, race, gender, pre-transplant PRAs and presence of a mechanical assist device, were correlated with post-transplant PRAs. Outcome variables included rejection history, TCAD incidence and survival. Results The mean age of patients was 9.0 ± 6.8 years. A mean of 8.1 ± 5.3 PRAs were measured over a follow-up period of 4.8 ± 2.7 years. There was a mean of 0.55 ± 0.71 rejection events per patient-year, and TCAD was detected in 19 (22%) patients. Nineteen patients (20%) had anti-HLA Class I antibodies and 37 (39%) had Class II antibodies detected after transplant. There was no association between Class I antibodies and survival, TCAD or rejection. Class II antibodies were associated with worse survival and a decreased time-free of TCAD. Class II antibodies were also associated with rejection at the time of measurement (sensitivity 17%, specificity 94%) and for the ensuing 3 months (sensitivity 12%, specificity 94%). Conclusions Class II anti-HLA antibodies correlate with worse patient outcomes and rejection episodes after pediatric cardiac transplant. A low sensitivity precludes use as a sole diagnostic tool, but post-transplant PRAs may be an important adjunct in a multi-faceted algorithm to assess immunologic status.
A Passage toward the Other: The Legacy of Jacques Derrida (1930–2004)

Derrida: ‘In general, I try to distinguish between what one calls the future and ‘l’avenir.’ The future is that which—tomorrow, later, next century—will be. There's a future that is predictable, pr...
Migration Inhibitory Factor and Type II Interferon in the Circulation of Mice Sensitized with Mycobacterial Components

Migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and Type II interferon were released into the circulation after mice had been sensitized i.v. with a bacillus of Calmette and Guerin (BCG) cell-wall-in-oil vaccine and then challenged four weeks later with 50 mg old tuberculin. At least two components of BCG, protein (PPD) and lipid (P 3 ), have been identified which are essential for the type of sensitization in which mediators are released after appropriate challenge. The route of sensitization had a marked effect on the development of delayed footpad reactions, release of lymphokines, and resistance to infection with virulent tubercle bacilli. Sensitization by the subcutaneous route tended to induce more pronounced delayed footpad reactions, whereas the i.v. route of sensitization was associated with maximum release of mediators. A close correlation existed between the conditions of sensitization that resulted in maximum production of lymphokines (MIF and Type II interferon) and those that caused protection against aerosol challenge with a virulent strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Overview and Epidemiology of Venous Thromboembolism

Venous Thromboembolism (VTE), including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is the third most common cardiovascular disorder after myocardial infarction and stroke. VTE is a common complication of hospitalization and is the most preventable cause of death among hospitalized patients. While the majority of patients who develop VTE do so as outpatients, many have been hospitalized for medical or surgical illness within 3 months preceding the diagnosis of VTE. VTE is frequently a recurrent disease, with patients who suffer unprovoked VTE having the highest risk of future events.
Characteristics and outcomes of grievance arbitration decisions in hospitality firms

Abstract The establishment of a grievance arbitration process in the collective bargaining agreement remains the principal method for resolving contractual disputes in unionized settings in the US. This study presents an analysis of grievance arbitration cases in the hospitality industry published during the period from January 1985 through December 1995. It examines some of the unique characteristics of arbitration in this industry. Included is a discussion of the significant implications of arbitration cases for the training of managers and supervisors responsible for the application of the discipline process, and the resolution of disciplinary grievances.
Rituximab dosing and monitoring strategies in neuromyelitis optica patients: creating strategies for therapeutic success:

Background:Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an autoimmune condition that predominantly causes severe optic neuritis and transverse myelitis. Rituximab therapy has dramatically improved patient care, but standardized dosing regimens and guidelines are lacking.Objectives:The objective of this study was to define a rituximab dosing strategy for NMO patients that achieves the lowest rate of relapses.Methods:This was a retrospective chart review of patients treated with various doses of rituximab.Results:Combining data from the NMO and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, identified that the mean number of days after a 100 mg dose of rituximab until the CD19 population was greater than 2% was 99 days (standard deviation 36, range 43–172). When allowed to rise, the mean number of days after a 1000 mg dose of rituximab until the CD19 population was greater than 2% was 184 (standard deviation 72, range 52–288). The median number of days until a CD19 percentage of 2% was achieved was 133 days in the 100 mg dosing arm an...
Helping Staff Nurses Care for Women Seeking Saline Abortions

To help concerned nurses understand the psychosocial and practical problems of staff nurses caring for saline abortion patients, attitudinal, philosophical, cultural, and functional conflicts are identified and discussed. Solutions are proposed and guidelines for improving patient care are presented.
Adaptation techniques for ambience and microphone compensation in the IBM Tangora speech recognition system

Conventional speech recognition systems such as the IBM Tangora tend to be adversely influenced by external factors such as background noise and microphone characteristics. This paper discusses some adaptation techniques to counteract such influences. We also consider ways to reduce computation so that the methods may be implemented for real time Tangora operation. The adaptation strategy utilized two sets of VQ codebooks derived from the training data, one representing the ambience and the other characterizing the speech domain. A speech versus ambience decision was made by examining several factors, such as a comparison of the overall energy in a frame with a percentile point of a running energy histogram. We include results to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. >
Moonlighting: Pros and Cons for Fellows

Moonlighting, or the voluntary delivery of medical care outside of the training institution in exchange for compensation, is a common activity of cardiology fellows. Despite the prevalence of moonlighting, there is a surprising scarcity of published data on the topic. A PubMed search for “
During and after World War II

Throughout most of the war Silesia had been a kind of air-raid shelter for all Germany. Many evacuees from the West found a refuge here and a number of administrative departments were transferred to the Silesian mountains. The population also increased considerably through the relocation of industrial plants, Breslau thus grew from 626,ooo to about one million inhabitants.
Automated detection of unstable glacier flow and a spectrum of speedup behavior in the Alaska Range

Surge-type glaciers are loosely defined as glaciers that experience periodic alterations between slow and fast flow regimes. Glaciers from a variety of mountain ranges around the world have been classified as surge type, yet consensus of what defines a glacier as surge type has not always been met. A common source of dispute is the lack of a succinct and globally applicable delimiter between a surging and nonsurging glacier. The attempt is often a Boolean classification; however, glacier speedup events can vary significantly with respect to event magnitude, duration, and the fraction of the glacier that participates in the speedup. For this study, we first updated the inventory of glaciers that show flow instabilities in the Alaska Range and then quantified the spectrum of speedup behavior. We developed a new method that automatically detects glaciers with flow instabilities. Our automated results show a 91% success rate when compared to direct observations of speedup events and glaciers that are suspected to display unstable flow based on surface features. Through a combination of observations from the Landsat archive and previously published data, our inventory now contains 36 glaciers that encompass at least one branch exhibiting unstable flow and we document 53 speedup events that occurred between 1936 and 2014. We then present a universal method for comparing glacier speedup events based on a normalized event magnitude metric. This method provides a consistent way to include and quantify the full spectrum of speedup events and allows for comparisons with glaciers that exhibit clear surge characteristics yet have no observed surge event to date. Our results show a continuous spectrum of speedup magnitudes, from steady flow to clearly surge type, which suggests that qualitative classifications, such as “surge-type” or “pulse-type” behavior, might be too simplistic and should be accompanied by a standardized magnitude metric.
Picosecond TRIR Studies of M3(CO)12 (M = Fe, Os) Clusters in Solution

The picosecond photochemical dynamics of two group 8 transition metal carbonyl clusters, Fe3(CO)12 and Os3(CO)12, have been studied using ultrafast time-resolved infrared spectroscopy. In both the ...
Investigations of Transonic Flow over a Hemisphere using DES and hybrid RANS/LES Turbulence Models

This research effort addresses the use of numerical simulations to predict the flow physics over an airborne turret, represented by a hemisphere. Computational fluid dynamics codes, Loci-Chem, Kestrel and OVERFLOW were used in this study with different high fidelity turbulence models, including DES, DDES, D-MS and hybrid RANS/LES, to determine their capabilities of predicting these complex flow features. These numerical simulations were compared against the experiment conducted at Auburn University, in terms of wall-pressure data, instantaneous density contour images, and optical path difference (OPD). Among the three codes, Loci-Chem using the hybrid RANS/LES turbulence model was able to capture the unsteady flow structures, such as shear-layer fluctuations, and the rolling motions of the vortex shedding. Both Kestrel using DDES+SST and OVERFLOW using the DES, DDES, and D-MS turbulence models were able to predict certain levels of shear-layer oscillations; however the presence of the vortex motions behind the wake region were not fully captured. Therefore, the results from Kestrel and OVERFLOW predicted limited OPD values as compared to the experimental data. Since the solution from Loci-Chem was able to produce the vortex shedding, the OPD analysis was able to follow the most of the trends, except that under-predicted the vortex motion shown in the experiment.
Aristotelian character education. By Kristján Kristjánsson

It is difficult to find fault with Aristotelian Character Education by Kristjan Kristjansson. In eight engagingly written and thoroughly researched chapters, he introduces the reader to Aristotelia...
Fully-coupled hydrologic processes for modeling landscape evolution

Although current landscape evolution models can predict landscapes with specific concave-convex slopes, regolith thicknesses, drainage densities and relief, these models rarely include realistic groundwater and overland flows, and channel-hillslope interactions. To overcome the potential drawbacks, this study couples hydrologic processes with hillslope and channel sediment transport processes to form a new hydrologic-morphodynamic model (LE-PIHM) for regolith formation and landscape evolution. Two scenarios with and without groundwater flow are presented to demonstrate the importance of this coupling. Comparison of the steady state landforms indicates that hillslopes are steeper and relief is higher with groundwater flow. The sensitivity of the solution to mesh geometry is tested and it is shown that model simulations maintain the characteristic features of a landscape over a reasonable range of maximum area and minimum interior angle. To predict long-term landscape change, a morphological acceleration technique is presented and a method for choosing an optimal morphological scale factor is introduced. A new fully-coupled hydrologic-morphodynamic model is presented.Slopes and relief of the landscape shows the importance of coupling subsurface flow.Erosion rate reaches the peak at the moment of exfiltration and then decreases.A morphological acceleration technique is introduced for morphological simulation.Numerical experiments shows the existence of an optimal morphological scale factor.
Can the consequences of universal cholesterol screening during childhood prevent cardiovascular disease and thus reduce long-term health care costs?

Abstract The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Expert Panel in the United States (US) recently published its report, Integrated Guidelines for Cardiovascular Health and Risk Reduction in Children and Adolescents. The Panel's goals were to develop comprehensive, evidence-based strategies for use by general practitioners in the primary and primordial prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). These Guidelines have been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Many of the recommendations restate existing lifestyle guidance similar to those proposed by the Committee on Nutrition in 2008. However a debate has emerged because for the first time, universal and comprehensive childhood dyslipidemia screening and treatment is now recommended by these new Guidelines. Because of universal screening, dyslipidemia attributed to both lifestyle and genetic factors could potentially be ascertained. The recommendations to screen for serum lipids and glucose have stimulated heated discussions among pediatricians, subspecialists, and policy-makers. This commentary discusses the medical, psychosocial and economic benefits and risks of universal cholesterol screening in children.
The Myth of “Speaking Truth to Power”

This chapter outlines the historical and conceptual basis for the true and at times false dichotomy between truth seekers (and speakers) and those in power (primarily politicians). It covers the shift from Socrates the martyr to Plato’s vision of a philosopher-king. In conflating the two roles (philosopher and king), it is possible for the position of public intellectual (whose various conception will be covered in the next chapter) to surface. There is, though, an assumption about Truth that is contested in the postmodern age. With this in mind, certain instances of revelations of truths (by whistleblowers and hacktivists) are critically analyzed so as to differentiate them from the standard views of public intellectuals.
What’s Home? (Re)integrating Children Born of Trafficking

ABSTRACTSome trafficked women return home either pregnant or with children born while exploited. These children are exposed, from birth, to the violence and violations of human trafficking and, moreover, witness their mothers’ exploitation. They also face challenges and complications when they “return home” with their mothers. This article discusses four levels at which integration takes place—1) in the child’s relations with the trafficked mother; 2) in family relationships; 3) in community interactions; and 4) in the formal society into which they integrate—and explores the tensions and challenges that trafficked mothers and their children face in the integration process.
Linear feature encoding for reinforcement learning

Feature construction is of vital importance in reinforcement learning, as the quality of a value function or policy is largely determined by the corresponding features. The recent successes of deep reinforcement learning (RL) only increase the importance of understanding feature construction. Typical deep RL approaches use a linear output layer, which means that deep RL can be interpreted as a feature construction/encoding network followed by linear value function approximation. This paper develops and evaluates a theory of linear feature encoding. We extend theoretical results on feature quality for linear value function approximation from the uncontrolled case to the controlled case. We then develop a supervised linear feature encoding method that is motivated by insights from linear value function approximation theory, as well as empirical successes from deep RL. The resulting encoder is a surprisingly effective method for linear value function approximation using raw images as inputs.