cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Local antibiotics in posterior lumbar fusion procedures for neuromuscular scoliosis: a case for their use.

Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT Surgical site infections (SSIs) are medically devastating and financially costly complications after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for neuromuscular scoliosis (NMS). Many strategies exist to reduce their occurrence. The efficacy of intraoperative antibiotics in the wound or bone graft is gaining in popularity, but this practice has not been well-studied in the PSF NMS population. PURPOSE To assess the potential utility of intraoperative local antibiotics in patients with NMS undergoing PSF. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. PATIENT SAMPLE Pediatric patients who underwent PSF for NMS were identified from the 2016–2018 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) pediatric spinal fusion datasets. OUTCOME MEASURES Perioperative adverse outcome variables assed included the occurrence of SSI, renal complications, and adverse hospital metrics. METHODS Patient demographic factors, comorbidities, and the use of intraoperative antibiotics in the wound were recorded (a specifically assessed variable in the dataset). The association between the use of intraoperative antibiotics and the occurrence of adverse outcomes/infection was assessed for the entire study population and higher risk sub-populations. RESULTS In total, 1,990 patients met the inclusion criteria, of which 87% received local antibiotics. Higher risk patients were more likely to receive local antibiotics in the wound as part of their procedure. When controlling for potentially confounding factors, the use of local antibiotics was not statistically significantly associated with any of the studied adverse outcomes for the overall study population. Subgroup analysis of higher risk patient populations (≥13 levels fused, osteotomy performed, prior deformity surgery, nonasthma lung condition) revealed a significantly decreased risk of SSI in patients undergoing ≥13 level fusions (relative risk: 0.48, 95% confidence interval: 0.25–0.91). CONCLUSIONS With no increased overall risks and reduced SSIs in higher risk NMS patients undergoing PSF, the use of intrawound antibiotics appears to be supported by this dataset.
Between Defense Autarky and Dependency: The Dynamics of Turkish Defense Industrialization

Defense autarky has always been the main goal of the Turkish defense industrialization since the 1980s. Contemporary Turkish defense industry seems to be moving in the right direction. It is expanding and becoming more capable of producing sophisticated weapons systems. According to IHS data, Turkey reached 52% local involvement in 2011 and assembled 60% of equipment that was delivered to its military in 2014. In the light of encouraging defense industrial developments, Turkey declared aims to reach defense industrial autarky in 2023. While the possibility of reaching defense autarky is analyzed in terms of cost-effectiveness and technological capabilities of the state in relation to market forces and competition in the globalized arms production, I argue that Turkey would not reach defense autarky, not because of its technological capabilities, but because of the interplay of three main factors that shape the structure of Turkish defense industry and procurement practices. First is the institutional deficiencies in the defense industry and procurement policies, which are born out of lack of planning/prioritizing military capabilities, and civil-military rivalry. Second is the dependency of Turkish defense industrial development on the co-operation with the foreign firms and the constant search for exportable weapon systems. Third is the continuation of the United States influence over Turkey through military doctrines, training, and defense industrial relations.
Increased tissue-level storage modulus and hardness with age in male cortical bone and its association with decreased fracture toughness

Abstract The incidence of bone fracture increases with age, due to both declining bone quantity and quality. Toward the goal of an improved understanding of the causes of the age-related decline in the fracture toughness of male cortical bone, nanoindentation experiments were performed on femoral diaphysis specimens from men aged 21–98 years. Because aged bone has less matrix-bound water and dry bone is less viscoelastic, we used a nanoindentation method that is sensitive to changes in viscoelasticity. Given the anisotropy of bone stiffness, longitudinal (n = 26) and transverse (n = 25) specimens relative to the long axis of the femur diaphysis were tested both dry in air and immersed in phosphate buffered saline solution. Indentation stiffness (storage modulus) and hardness increased with age, while viscoelasticity (loss modulus) was independent of donor age. The increases in indentation stiffness and hardness with age were best explained by increased mineralization with age. Indentation stiffness and hardness were negatively correlated with previously acquired fracture toughness parameters, which is consistent with a tradeoff between material strength and toughness. In keeping with the complex structure of bone, a combination of tissue-level storage modulus or hardness, bound water, and osteonal area in regression models best explained the variance in the fracture toughness of male human cortical bone. On the other hand, viscoelasticity was unchanged with age and was not associated with fracture toughness. In conclusion, the age-related increase in stiffness and hardness of male cortical bone may be one of the multiple tissue-level characteristics that contributes to decreased fracture toughness.
Bd MIXING AND PROSPECTS FOR Bs MIXING AT DØ

Measurement of the Bs oscillation frequency via Bs mixing analyses provides a powerful constraint on the CKM matrix elements. The study of Bd oscillations is an important step towards Bs mixing and preliminary measurements of Δmd have been made with ~250 pb-1 of data collected with the upgraded Run II DO detector. Different flavor tagging algorithms have been developed and are being optimized for use on a large set of Bs mesons that have been reconstructed in different semileptonic decay modes.
Potential for Selection Bias in Studies of the Association of Hormonal Contraception and Chronic Vulvar Pain

Background: Hormonal contraceptive use is common among reproductive-aged women, but research evaluating its etiological relationship to vulvodynia remains mixed. We sought to evaluate this associat...
CogSense: A Cognitively Inspired Framework for Perception Adaptation.

This paper proposes the CogSense system, which is inspired by sense-making cognition and perception in the mammalian brain to perform perception error detection and perception parameter adaptation using probabilistic signal temporal logic. As a specific application, a contrast-based perception adaption method is presented and validated. The proposed method evaluates perception errors using heterogeneous probe functions computed from the detected objects and subsequently solves a contrast optimization problem to correct perception errors. The CogSense probe functions utilize the characteristics of geometry, dynamics, and detected blob image quality of the objects to develop axioms in a probabilistic signal temporal logic framework. By evaluating these axioms, we can formally verify whether the detections are valid or erroneous. Further, using the CogSense axioms, we generate the probabilistic signal temporal logic-based constraints to finally solve the contrast-based optimization problem to reduce false positives and false negatives.
Illuminating the Fc dependence of SARS-CoV-2 neutralization.

Monoclonal antibodies show efficacy in treating COVID-19, but the functional requirements for protection are unclear. In this issue of Immunity, Ullah et al. (2021) develop a stable SARS-CoV-2 reporter virus and use bioluminescence imaging to longitudinally monitor infection and assess neutralizing monoclonal antibody interventions in mice. They find that antibody-mediated protection depends on the Fc domain and Fc-gamma receptor-expressing immune cells.
« Souvenir d’horizons, qu’est-ce, ô toi, que la Terre? » : Écopoétique chez Bonnefoy et Mallarmé : lieu, sens, présence.

Few studies have compared Mallarme and Bonnefoy. We will explore in this study the importance that each attributes to the earth in their work. If poetry endows our earthly sojourn with authenticity...
Thinking, feeling, and giving: The effects of scope and valuation on consumer donations

Abstract Through a replication and extension of Hsee and Rottenstreich (2004), we examine how scope impacts consumer donation behavior. We find that consumers are more insensitive to scope when making donations if valuations are based on emotions as opposed to calculation. We then demonstrate how a consumer's ability to understand emotional information impacts their sensitivity to scope. Specifically, the less able consumers are to understand their emotions, the more likely they are to rely on scope when donating to charity.
The Role of Sodium and Chloride in Heart Failure: Does It Take Two to Tango?

The cardiac retains salt and water because the kidneys do not excrete sodium normally. —Eugene Stead, Jr. [(1)][1] The last century saw some of the giants in medicine meticulously unearth key mechanisms of cardiorenal connections in heart failure (HF); nonetheless, the precise role of the heart
Cellular lipoproteins. I. The insoluble lipoprotein of whole liver cells.

Abstract The insoluble lipoprotein of whole calf liver cells was prepared as a residue by breaking the cells and extracting exhaustively with molar salt solutions. This lipoprotein residue was divided by centrifugation into three fractions, which were found to have the same crude lipid, phosphorus and hexosamine content and almost the same nitrogen content. It is concluded that the insoluble cellular residue is composed of lipoprotein essentially homogeneous in composition.
Pyridine nucleotide requirements of fatty acid synthetases.

Abstract The multienzyme fatty acid synthetase complexes from Mycobacterium phlei, Euglena gracilis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae require both TPNH and DPNH for optimal efficiency. In the presence of both nucleotides, the Km values for TPNH and for DPNH for all three synthetase complexes are less than 5 µm. By measuring the formation of triacetic acid lactone in the presence of either DPNH or TPNH, it has been possible to show that in M. phlei TPNH is the specific coenzyme for the β-ketoacyl reductase step while DPNH is preferentially utilized in α,β-enoyl reduction.
Molecular interactions of competitive inhibitors with bovine liver glutamate dehydrogenase.

Abstract Four structural analogues of l-glutamate (glutaric acid, thiodiglycolic acid, oxydiglycolic acid, and iminodiacetic acid) were tested for inhibition as a function of pH, of coenzyme NADP+ or NAD+, and of their electronic properties as determined from molecular orbital theory considerations. Plots of pVmax and p(Km/Vmax) versus pH for the uninhibited and inhibited reaction of the oxidative deamination of l-glutamate with NADP+ indicated an ionizable group or groups in the enzyme complex with a pK of 7.7 to 7.8. Double reciprocal plots of velocity versus glutamate concentrations in the presence of NADP+ or NAD+ showed that each structural analogue of glutamate was a competitive inhibitor with respect to glutamate. NAD+ increased the affinity of inhibitor for enzyme in comparison with NADP+. The relative effectiveness of each inhibitor as determined by apparent Ki values, calculated from Dixon plots, was correlated inversely with the absolute sigma charge density of the "meso" atom of the inhibitor. This suggested that desolvation of this atom may be important for the combination of inhibitor with enzyme. A high degree of solvation as indicated by the magnitude of absolute charge density could have decreased the interaction of inhibitor with enzyme.
Searching for Non‐B DNA‐Forming Motifs Using nBMST (Non‐B DNA Motif Search Tool)

This unit describes basic protocols on using the non-B DNA Motif Search Tool (nBMST) to search for sequence motifs predicted to form alternative DNA conformations that differ from the canonical right-handed Watson-Crick double-helix, collectively known as non-B DNA, and on using the associated PolyBrowse, a GBrowse-based genomic browser. The nBMST is a Web-based resource that allows users to submit one or more DNA sequences to search for inverted repeats (cruciform DNA), mirror repeats (triplex DNA), direct/tandem repeats (slipped/hairpin structures), G4 motifs (tetraplex, G-quadruplex DNA), alternating purine-pyrimidine tracts (left-handed Z-DNA), and A-phased repeats (static bending). The nBMST is versatile, simple to use, does not require bioinformatics skills, and can be applied to any type of DNA sequences, including viral and bacterial genomes, up to an aggregate of 20 megabasepairs (Mbp).
Heavy Vehicle Propulsion Materials: Recent Progress and Future Plans

The Heavy Vehicle Propulsion Materials Program provides enabling materials technology for the U.S. DOE Office of Heavy Vehicle Technologies (OHVT). The technical agenda for the program is based on an industry assessment and the technology roadmap for the OHVT. A five-year program plan was published in 2000. Major efforts in the program are materials for diesel engine fuel systems, exhaust aftertreatment, and air handling. Additional efforts include diesel engine valve-train materials, structural components, and thermal management. Advanced materials, including high-temperature metal alloys, intermetallics, cermets, ceramics, amorphous materials, metal- and ceramic-matrix composites, and coatings, are investigated for critical engine applications. Selected technical issues and planned and ongoing projects as well as brief summaries of several technical highlights are given.
The Geysers Dry-Steam Power Plants, Sonoma and Lake Counties, California, USA

The Geysers, the world's largest geothermal power complex, has been the subject of numerous books, articles, technical papers, theses, conferences and workshops. Geothermal chronicler Susan Hodgson has divided the history of The Geysers into five distinct eras beginning with the time when it was in its natural state. The Geysers steam field lies some 80 miles north of San Francisco in the Mayacamas Mountains. The reservoir is hosted in fractured greywacke, characterized by a matrix porosity associated with veins, which lies above a deep felsite intrusion. The reservoir is hosted in fractured greywacke, characterized by a matrix porosity associated with veins that lies above a deep felsite intrusion. This chapter shows diagrams of the piping used at the Geysers between the wells and the power house. It provides a summary of information on all Geysers plants that have ever been in operation. To illustrate the impact of the steam purchase agreement on the design of a geothermal plant, the study considers the case of the 72 MW SMUDGEO #1 plant, now called Sonoma. Under this arrangement, SMUD should try to generate as much electricity as is feasible from each pound of steam. This drove the design to include many features that could not be economically justified under the PG&E-type of contract. One of the problems in the management of a dry steam field is the replenishment of the fluid that is withdrawn through production. The Geysers' history of power generation demonstrates that geothermal energy may be used in a manner that allows it to approach sustainability, or it can be overexploited resulting a premature demise of the resource. The study describes the life cycle of a geothermal field as passing through four distinct phases or periods: development, sustaining, declining, and renewable.
The dimension of a point: computability meets fractal geometry

Recent developments in the theory of computing give a canonical way of assigning a dimension to each point of n-dimensional Euclidean space. Computable points have dimension 0, random points have dimension n, and every real number in [0,n] is the dimension of uncountably many points. If X is a reasonably simple subset of n-dimensional Euclidean space (a union of computably closed sets), then the classical Hausdorff dimension of X is just the supremum of the dimensions of the points in X. In this talk I will discuss the meaning of these developments, their implications for both the theory of computing and fractal geometry, and directions for future research.
Computer Identification of Bacteria on the Basis of Their Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns

A computer program utilizing a Baysean mathematical model was developed to identify bacteria solely on the basis of their antibiotic sensitivities. The model contains probability data on the antibiotic sensitivity patterns for 31 species of bacteria, which account for over 99% of all isolates submitted to our laboratory for testing. During a 4-month test period, antibiotic sensitivity data on 1,000 clinical isolates were processed by the program. The identification achieved by using the model was the same as that of the laboratory for over 86% of the isolates.
INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND FINANCIAL MARKET CYCLES

While hard data is difficult to find, the financial crisis appears to have had a substantial negative effect on investors’ willingness to finance innovative entrepreneurship. This dearth of capital is particularly worrisome in light of the widely recognised need for innovative ventures—the so-called “green shoots”— to reignite economic growth after the world-wide recession. A growing body of evidence suggests a strong relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic growth. This document first reviews the evidence concerning the relationship between innovation and entrepreneurship. It then turns to understanding the consequences of market cycles for these activities. We look at the way that financial considerations impact the innovation investment decision, and innovation in entrepreneurial ventures specifically.
From Foraging to Planting

Behavioral Ecology and the Transition to Agriculture . Douglas J. Kennett and Bruce Winterhalder, Eds. . University of California Press, Berkeley, 2006. 408 pp. $60, £38.95. ISBN 0-520-24647-0. The contributors, who include both archaeologists and ethnographers, explore the origins of agriculture from the perspective of human behavioral ecology.
Accretion, Reliction, Erosion, and Submergence

A body of water is frequently the boundary between two coterminous estates. Natural occurring, slow, and imperceptible (nonavulsive) changes in the location of the body of water will operate to change the title of the contiguous estates. The location of the body of water may change through such processes as (1) accretion (e.g., deposition of alluvial material), (2) reliction or dereliction (e.g., recession of water to expose dry land), (3) erosion (e.g., removal of material by tides, currents, or wave action, which allows water to cover a previously dry area), and (4) submergence due to rising water levels (inundation) or by lowering the level of the land (subsidence). The processes of accretion and reliction add land to the contiguous upland estate while erosion and submergence subtract land from the contiguous upland estate. If these physical changes are nonavulsive and naturally occurring, there will be changes in the legal title to the estate. A riparian owner will stand to gain title to land when his estate experiences accretion or reliction. He will stand to lose title when his estate experiences erosion or submergence [see County of Hawaii v. Sotomura,517 P. 2d 57 (1973), Garrett v. State, 289 A. 2d 542 (1972)]. There is, however, some authority to the effect that land lost by a nonavulsive process might be reclaimed [Gilbert v. Eldridge, 49 N.W. 679 (1891)].
Severe convection and lightning in subtropical South America

Satellite radar and radiometer data show that subtropical South America has the world's deepest convective storms, robust mesoscale convective systems, and very frequent large hail. We determine severe weather characteristics for the most intense precipitation features seen by satellite in this region. In summer, hail and lightning concentrate over the foothills of western Argentina. Lightning has a nocturnal maximum associated with storms having deep and mesoscale convective echoes. In spring, lightning is maximum to the east in association with storms having mesoscale structure. A tornado alley is over the Pampas, in central Argentina, distant from the maximum hail occurrence, in association with extreme storms. In summer, flash floods occur over the Andes foothills associated with storms having deep convective cores. In spring, slow-rise floods occur over the plains with storms of mesoscale dimension. This characterization of high-impact weather in South America provides crucial information for socioeconomic implications and public safety.
Classical Theory of Cyclotron Resonance for Holes in Ge

Cyclotron resonance line shapes for holes have been calculated in the classical limit. The magnetic field was taken in the (001) direction. Because the cyclotron resonance frequency depends on the component of $k$ parallel to the magnetic field (${k}_{H}$), the line is shifted and broadened as compared to the simple theory with ${k}_{H}=0$. The shift of the maximum is about 3%, and the broadening (which is asymmetric) is about 40% for Ge, if $\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\tau}$ is taken as 7.5.
Sensitivity of the rat gustatory system to the rate of stimulus onset

Responses of the rat chorda tympani nerve were obtained to stimulation of the tongue with both linearly rising anodal current of varying intensity and rate of rise and NaCl presented at different concentrations and rates of flow. The amplitude of the transient portion of the integrated chorda tympani response was a power function of the rate of current rise. The duration of the transient response paralleled the rising phase of the current and the neural response fell to a tonic level proportional to current intensity when the rising current reached its plateau. Anodal currents of different final intensities but presented at the same rate of rise produced transient responses of the same amplitude. Responses of single chorda tympani fibers exhibited the same phasic and tonic components that were characteristic of the whole nerve. When NaCl was presented to the tongue at different rates of flow, the chorda tympani response reflected a sensitivity to stimulus onset rate paralleling that shown to linearly rising current.
Effect of parental family history of Alzheimer's disease on serial position profiles.

Abstract Background An exaggerated recency effect (ie, disproportionate recall of last-presented items) has been consistently observed in the word list learning of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our study sought to determine whether there were similar alterations in serial position learning among asymptomatic persons at risk for AD as a result of parental family history. Methods Subjects included 623 asymptomatic middle-aged children of patients with AD (median, 53 years) and 157 control participants whose parents survived to at least age 70 without AD or other memory disorders. All participants were administered the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, which requires learning and recall of 15 unrelated nouns. Results There was no significant difference in total words recalled between the AD children and control groups. However, compared with controls, AD children exhibited a significantly greater tendency to recall words from the end (recency) versus beginning (primacy) of the list. Serial position effects were unrelated to apolipoprotein allele epsilon 4 or depressive symptoms. Conclusions Asymptomatic persons at risk for AD by virtue of family history do not show a difference in total words recalled compared with controls, but they exhibit a distinctly different serial position curve, suggesting greater reliance on immediate as opposed to episodic memory. This is the same serial position pattern observed in mild AD, seen here in reduced severity. Longitudinal follow-up is planned to determine whether changes in serial position patterns are a meaningful marker for preclinical detection of AD.
Malabsorption as a complication of congestive heart failure

Abstract Fat absorption by using radioactive neutral fat and fatty acid technics, has been measured in 25 patients with chronic congestive heart failure. In 56 per cent of the group definite mal-absorption was present with evidence of both a digestive as well as a primary absorptive defect. Treatment with diuretics or pancreatic supplements resulted in improved absorption. Histologic examination of the pancreas and small intestine in several of these patients demonstrated the presence of mucosal and interstitial congestion and edema which may help explain the results obtained.
Organ Transplantation in HIV Patients: Current Status and New Directions

Combination antiretroviral therapy has resulted in longer life expectancies in persons living with HIV; however, end organ disease and death from organ failure have become growing issues for this population. With effective therapies for viral suppression, HIV is no longer considered an absolute contraindication to organ transplantation. Over the past decade, studies of transplantation in patients with HIV have had encouraging results such that patients with organ failure are pursuing transplantation. This review focuses on the current status of organ transplantation for HIV-infected persons.
A Rhetorical Approach to Hugo's Dieu

Dieu: solitudines: coeli is a verse epic of 3677 lines that has never achieved the popularity of other Hugolian works such as Les Contemplations or Les Châtiments. Although readers commonly associate Dieu with the notion of progress, an ascent from atheism to affirmation of God's presence, rhetorical structures in the text undercut this upward movement, demonstrating that within seemingly linear poetics, underlying oppositions in language exist. An examination of the poetic structures in Dieu: Solitudines Coeli shows it to be a complex network of literary composition worthy of the attention of modern readers.
Geometrical study on two tilting arcs based exact cone-beam CT for breast imaging

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women in the United States. Currently, X-ray mammography is the method of choice for screening and diagnosing breast cancer. However, this 2D projective modality is far from perfect; with up to 17% breast cancer going unidentified. Over past several years, there has been an increasing interest in cone-beam CT for breast imaging. However, previous methods utilizing cone-beam CT only produce approximate reconstructions. Following Katsevich's recent work, we propose a new scanning mode and associated exact cone-beam CT method for breast imaging. In our design, cone-beam scans are performed along two tilting arcs for collection of a sufficient amount of data for exact reconstruction. In our Katsevich-type algorithm, conebeam data is filtered in a shift-invariant fashion and then backprojected in 3D for the final reconstruction. This approach has several desirable features. First, it allows data truncation unavoidable in practice. Second, it optimizes image quality for quantitative analysis. Third, it is efficient for sequential/parallel computation. Furthermore, we analyze the reconstruction region and the detection window in detail, which are important for numerical implementation.
Quantitative olivine-defect chemical model: insights on electrical conduction, diffusion, and the role of Fe content

Summary By simultaneously solving the governing equations for defect formation and the relevant conservation laws, a general calculation of equilibrium concentrations of point defects in olivine as functions of temperature, oxygen fugacity (fO2), and Fe content is made. We present calculations both for olivine buffered by either pyroxene or magnesiowustite and for unbuffered olivine having fixed (Fe + Mg)/Si of 2 and Fe/(Fe + Mg) up to 0.1. the aim of this work is to better understand the mechanisms that control the transport processes of electrical conduction and diffusion. the following controlling mechanisms are consistent with calculated defect populations and experimental transport property data. Electrical conduction is dominated at low fO2 by electrons and at high fO2 by polaron hopping involving Fe3+ on Mg sites (FeMg·) and Mg vacancies. Mg diffuses by a vacancy mechanism whereas O and Si more likely diffuse via interstitial mechanisms. We define the intrinsic-extrinsic division as the concentration of Fe at which the concentrations of other defects are perturbed; this division depends strongly on fO2 and temperature. Thus, even minute amounts of Fe (i.e. Fe/(Fe + Mg) = 1 ppm) may affect material properties at temperatures below 1000 K and fO2 above 10−17 MPa, whereas at temperatures above 2000 K and fO2 below 10−9 MPa, material properties may be unaffected up to Fe/(Fe + Mg) = 0.01. Although the energy parameters in the current model are probably not unique, calculated defect populations over wide ranges of temperature, fO2, buffer condition, and Fe content agree well with available experimental data.
Bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) growth and feeding as estimated by δ13C techniques

Tissue δ13C of bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus, varies seasonally in response to geographic variations in the δ13C of prey organisms consumed along the annual migratory route between the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Seasonal changes in body δ13C of whales taken in 1986 from Alaskan waters provide a means of estimating energy intake from the different habitats in which the whales feed. Adult bowheads do not show significant seasonal shifts in the δ13C of muscle and visceral fat. Their enrichment in 13C relative to subadult whales suggests that they acquire most of their food from fall and winter feeding or from unsampled parts of the summer range where zooplankton are enriched in 13C. Young individuals however, undergo marked seasonal shifts indicating that they feed heavily both in the summer and autumn or winter. Oscillations in δ13C along the length of the baleen also provide a measure of age. Baleen growth rates decline as the whales age and provide a means of correcting for wear loss and allow aging of individuals less than ∼ 12 yr old. Although body length is a poor indicator of age in young bowhead whales, baleen length is closely correlated. Growth rates of bowheads after Year 1 are slow (∼ 0.4m yr-1) and up to 20 yr are required to reach the assumed length of sexual maturity at 13 to 14m.
The pearls of using real world evidence to discover social groups

In previous work, we introduced a new paradigm called Uni-Party Data Community Generation (UDCG) and a new methodology to discover social groups (a.k.a., community models) called Link Discovery based on Correlation Analysis (LDCA). We further advanced this work by experimenting with a corpus of evidence obtained from a Ponzi scheme investigation. That work identified several UDCG algorithms, developed what we called "Importance Measures" to compare the accuracy of the algorithms based on ground truth, and presented a Concept of Operations (CONOPS) that criminal investigators could use to discover social groups. However, that work used a rather small random sample of manually edited documents because the evidence contained far too many OCR and other extraction errors. Deferring the evidence extraction errors allowed us to continue experimenting with UDCG algorithms, but only used a small fraction of the available evidence. In attempt to discover techniques that are more practical in the near-term, our most recent work focuses on being able to use an entire corpus of real-world evidence to discover social groups. This paper discusses the complications of extracting evidence, suggests a method of performing name resolution, presents a new UDCG algorithm, and discusses our future direction in this area.
Temperature dependence of electron bombardment enhanced reactivity of different types of graphite

Abstract Methane yield enhancements due to simultaneous electron bombardment of graphite reacting with atomic hydrogen have been studied in the temperature range 300 to 820 K for incident electron energies from 40 to 210 eV. From 300 to 600 K, relatively small changes in yield enhancements are observed as temperature is varied, with values of the order of 10 −3 to 10 −2 CH 4 /electron observed. Above 600 K, methane yield enhancements are greater (10 −2 to 10 −1 CH 4 /electron) and increase with temperature up to the highest temperature studied, 820 K. Both thermal reaction rates and electron yield enhancements are strongly dependent on the reaction history of the sample, with significantly higher values for fresh surfaces than for reacted surfaces. Overestimation of wall erosion is possible if rates derived from fresh samples are used for calculating long term erosion. C 2 -hydrocarbon production increases relative to CH 4 production as temperature increases and is also enhanced by electron bombardment. Papyex and POCO graphites exhibit similar behavior, while oriented pyrolytic graphite exhibits some differences.
Global structure of the standard model, anomalies, and charge quantization.

Lie groups with the same Lie algebra as the standard model but different global topology are considered, and the possibilities are reduced to four viable alternatives for the true symmetry group of the standard model: SU(3){times}SU(2){times}U(1), U(3){times}SU(2), SU(3){times}U(2), and S(U(3){times}U(2)). It is demonstrated that the last three groups require hypercharge quantization for their allowable representations, and that S(U(3){times}U(2)) is the most likely candidate for the true symmetry group of the standard model because it offers the best explanation of the observed hypercharges of the elementary fermions. Explicit S(U(3){times}U(2)) tensor representations of the quarks and leptons are given and are compared to the standard SU(5) assignments. The spontaneous symmetry breaking of S(U(3){times}U(2)) to an electrostrong U(3) is briefly discussed, and electric charge quantization follows from weak hypercharge quantization and the existence of the standard Higgs doublet with nonzero vacuum expectation value. Lastly, it is shown that combining the conditions imposed by anomaly cancellation with the S(U(3){times}U(2)) hypercharge quantization condition uniquely determines the ratios of the hypercharges in a standard quark-lepton family.
Image Construction in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina

Organizations as well as political leaders have a vested interest in shaping images for their own advantage. From this perspective, Katrina represents a classic case of reality construction. This article will describe efforts at reality construction that surrounded the response to Hurricane Katrina. Attempts to shape public perceptions by the media and key stakeholders such as the Mayor of New Orleans, Governor of Mississippi, Governor of Louisiana, President of the United States, and the Director of FEMA are described. The article concludes that all of the key actors had a vested interest in shaping perceptions. Clear winners and losers emerged from the battle to construct the reality of the disaster response.
Low Temperature Aspects of a Cryogenic Accelerator

The object of this paper is to identify the many low temperature aspects of a cryogenic accelerator and to indicate how these are related to the operating characteristics which might ultimately be achieved.
The Socio-Nature of Local Organic Food

Abstract: The concept of socio-nature asserts that social relations are inherently ecological and that ecological relations are inherently social. This paper examines how, and with what consequences, discourses and practices of support for local and organic food reflect this idea. It argues that proponents of local organic agriculture view the food they promote as simultaneously social and the product of human labor. However, advocates’ understanding of the concept is partial and constrained by social privilege. It does not extend to industrial agriculture or paid farm labor. The literature on socio-nature coheres around the revelation that what is understood as natural is also social and vice versa. In contrast, this paper takes a new approach, examining socio-nature as a practice-shaping discourse already embedded in social life. Investigating the on-the-ground ideological work performed by the concept also allows for assessment of its political consequences.
Abelian and Tauberian theorems relating the local behavior of an integrable function to the tail behavior of its Fourier transform

Abstract We describe the precise relationship between the local smoothness behavior of an integrable function and the asymptotic tail behavior of its Fourier transform. This has special relevance for probability and spectral density functions with a discontinuous m th derivative. Simply stated, if the function's Fourier transform behaves asymptotically as the product of the Fourier series for a discrete complex measure and a regularly varying function, then an m th derivative of the function behaves at its discontinuities like the density of a regularly varying function. With side conditions, the converse also holds.
A Spatiotemporal Interpolation Method Using Radial Basis Functions for Geospatiotemporal Big Data

This research designs and implements the Radial Basis Function (RBF) spatiotemporal interpolation method to assess the trend of daily PM2.5 concentration for the contiguous United States over the year of 2009, at both the census block group level and county level. This research also compares the performance of the RBF spatiotemporal interpolation with the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) spatiotemporal interpolation. Traditionally, when handling spatiotemporal interpolation, researchers tend to treat space and time separately and reduce the spatiotemporal interpolation problems to a sequence of snapshots of spatial interpolations. In this paper, PM2.5 data interpolation is conducted in the continuous space-time domain by integrating space and time simultaneously under the assumption that spatial and temporal dimensions are equally important when interpolating a continuous changing phenomenon in the space-time domain. The RBF-based spatiotemporal interpolation methods are evaluated by leave-one-out cross validation. More importantly, this study explores computational issues (computer processing speed) faced during implementation of spatiotemporal interpolation for huge data sets. Parallel programming techniques and an advanced data structure named k-d tree are adapted in this paper to address the computational challenges.
Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma: an update of therapeutic management.

BACKGROUND: Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) is a benign tumor of the nasopharynx composed of fibrous connective tissue and an abundance of endothelium-lined vascular spaces. The name of the disease is derived from the fact that it occurs during adolescence, almost exclusively in boys. METHODS: This study examines the natural characteristics of JNA, the imaging techniques used to diagnose and stage the neoplasm, and the treatment approaches used to manage the disease. RESULTS: Forty-three cases of JNA diagnosed and treated at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center over a 38-year period were reviewed for the study. The cases were divided into two groups, those occurring between 1955 and 1974 and those occurring between 1975 and 1991, to accurately represent the developments in diagnostic and treatment methodology during those time periods. CONCLUSION: The results of our study show that: (1) the imaging techniques used after 1965 (angiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging) greatly improve the staging of JNA; (2) morbidity, recurrence, and intraoperative complications decrease when preoperative embolization and skull-based surgical approaches are used; and (3) surgical resection is the most common primary treatment, with chemotherapy and radiotherapy recommended as possible other options.
Demonstration of saturated high repetition rate tabletop soft x-ray lasers at wavelengths down to 13.2 nm

We have demonstrated gain-saturated operation of high repetition rate table-top soft x-ray lasers producing microwatt average powers at wavelengths ranging from 13.2 to 32.6 nm in transitions of Ni-like and Ne-like ions. Lasing was also observed for shorter wavelength transitions of the 4 d 1 S 0 →4 p 1 P 1 Ni-like isoelectronic sequence, with amplification approaching gain saturation in the 11.9 nm line of Ni-like Sn and progressively reduced gain for wavelengths as low as 10.9 nm in Ni-like Te. The results were obtained heating a pre-created plasma with a picosecond optical laser pulse with an energy of only 1 J impinging at optimized grazing angles of incidence for maximum pump energy deposition efficiency. This pumping geometry takes advantage of the refraction of the pump beam to increase the energy deposition efficiency of the pump beam into the gain region, making it possible to operate soft x-ray lasers in this wavelength range at significantly increased repetition rates. The results demonstrate the feasibility of producing high average powers of coherent radiation in the 100 eV spectral region for applications using a table-top source.
Tapentadol extended release in the management of peripheral diabetic neuropathic pain

Tapentadol, a μ-opioid agonist and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, has been found to be an effective medication for a wide variety of chronic pain conditions, including back pain, cancer-related pain, and arthritic pain. It has also been found to have fewer gastrointestinal side effects than more traditional opioid-based therapies. More recently, tapentadol extended release has been demonstrated to be effective in the management of painful diabetic neuropathy, an often debilitating condition affecting approximately one-third of all patients with diabetes. This review highlights the most up-to-date basic and clinical studies by focusing on the mechanisms of action of tapentadol and its clinical efficacy, especially with regard to painful diabetic neuropathy.
Refusal of Out-of-hospital Medical Care: Effect of Medical-control Physician Assertiveness on Transport Rate

Objective: Previous studies have shown that contacting an on-line medical-control physician increases the transport rate of patients who attempt to refuse medical assistance. The authors studied the physician-patient interaction to determine the type of interaction that was more likely to result in patient transport. Methods: A prospective, observational study of patient-initiated refusals of medical assistance (RMAs) was performed in a suburban volunteer emergency medical services (EMS) system, with 12 receiving hospitals county-wide. Medical-control contact was required for all patient-initiated RMAs. Consecutive patients who attempted out-of-hospital RMA over a 3-month period were monitored. Structured data instruments were completed by the medical-control operator and medical-control physician for all patients who attempted RMA. Data collected included patient demographics and contact information, scene characteristics, history and physical examination data, length of time of interaction, and the physician's assessment of the need for transport and the patient's capacity to refuse transport. The operator and physician independently graded the physician's assertiveness in talking to the patient on a continuous 10-point scale. Results: There were 130 patients who attempted RMA; 69 (53%) refused transport even after discussion with the medical-control physician, while 61 (47%) were transported to a hospital. The patients who were transported did not differ from those not transported with respect to age, chief complaint, vital signs, or presence of police on scene. Using the operators' independent assessments, the physicians were more assertive when they graded the patient as being more ill (needs transport, 8.8; may need transport, 7.7; doesn't need transport, 4.1; p 8, 81% transport; assertiveness <8, 19% transport; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Contact with a medical-control physician appears to markedly improve the transport rate for patients who initially attempt to refuse out-of-hospital medical care. This is especially so when physicians are more assertive in recommending transport.
Border crossing delay prediction using transient multi-server queueing models

As a result of the continued increase in travel demand coupled with the need for tighter security and inspection procedures after September 11, border crossing delay has recently become a critical issue with tremendous economic and social costs. The current paper develops multi-server queuing models to estimate border crossing delay in support of a predictive traveler information system for the crossings. Two classes of multi-server models are considered: (1) models with exponential inter-arrival times and Erlang service times; and (2) a more generic model with a Batch Markovian Arrival Process (BMAP) and phase types (PH) services. As a case study, the models are developed based on real-time traffic volume and inspection time data collected at one of the major US–Canada border crossings, the Peace Bridge, and their transient solution is obtained using heuristic methods. For validation, the queueing models’ estimates are compared to the results from a detailed microscopic traffic simulation model of the Peace Bridge border crossing. The comparison shows that the transient queueing model, along its heuristic solution algorithm, is capable of predicting border crossing delay. Finally, a set of sensitivity analysis tests are conducted, and the developed models are incorporated within an optimization framework to help inform border crossing management strategies.
The morphing properties of a vascular shape memory composite

This work investigates the fabrication, experimentation, testing, and modeling of shape memory composites consisting of two-way shape memory alloy (SMA) tubes embedded in a shape memory polymer (SMP) matrix. The hybrid system here investigated is thermally activated via internal transport of thermal fluids through the SMA vascular system. The resulting shape memory composite (SMC) combines the high modulus and high specific actuation force of SMAs with the strong shape fixing and variable stiffness of SMPs to create a light-weight composite capable of controllably and rapidly achieving two shape memory states. Specifically, a 25° thermally induced out-of-plane bending state is achieved with a 2% volume fraction of SMA in the composite after 2 min of being activated by an internal thermal fluid. Here, while the thermal structural design of the SMC was not optimized and the thermal cycling was significantly restricted by the low thermal conduction of the SMP, the deflection of the composite was within 20% of the expected value modeled by the thermal–mechanical finite element analysis (FEA) here performed. The close agreement between the experimental performance and the modeled composite response suggests that morphing composites based on SMAs and SMPs are promising structures for adaptive applications.
Gamma radiation effects on Li-ion battery electrolyte in neutron depth profiling for lithium quantification

This paper reports the observable effects of induced radiation on lithium-ion batteries when electrochemical cells are exposed to γ-irradiation at dose up to 2.7 Mrad. A visual discoloration is noted at post-irradiation and chemical changes in the electrolyte solution are determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. While battery degradation is noted in this study upon the applied gamma dose, the battery characterized by neutron depth profiling for Li quantification will only receive gamma dose at a fraction of Rad to a few Rad, depending on the irradiation time. This finding established a threshold beyond which the battery’s performance maybe affected and concluded that the neutron-based method is nonintrusive and does not affect the fidelity of the acquired data.