cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Formal Design of Cache Memory Protocols in IBM

We describe the formal design techniques currently used in IBM to develop cache protocol controllers for high-end servers. In our approach to formal design, formal specification and verification methods are incorporated into the hardware design process, starting from the earliest stages of a hardware project. We describe collaborations between a formal methods expert and hardware designers on two high performance server projects. Properties of the design are verified using both manual proof techniques and model checking. We discuss the modelling and model checking techniques we have developed and indicate future directions.
Hyperbolic Conservation Laws with Umbilic Degeneracy, I

In this paper a compactness framework for approximate solutions to nonlinear hyperbolic systems with umbilic degeneracy is established by combining techniques of compensated compactness with some classical methods, and by a detailed analysis of a highly singular equation of Euler-Poisson-Darboux type. Then this framework is successfully applied to prove the convergence of the viscosity method and to prove the existence of global entropy solutions for the Cauchy problem with large initial data for a canonical class of the systems with quadratic flux form.
An operationally optimized ocean-bottom seismometer capsule☆

Abstract A new free-fall ocean-bottom seismometer capsule has been designed which is more versatile, lower cost, and easier to deploy than previous versions. The pressure case consists of a 1.3 m long 15.24 cm inside diameter aluminum tube. Positive buoyancy is provided by three 33 cm diameter glass spheres. Release is accomplished with dual explosive bolts which screw directly into the end cap of the pressure housing. The electronics consist of 3-component geophones, gain-ranging amplifiers and filters, multiplexer, 12-bit analog to digital converter, microprocessor controller, digital cassette tape deck, and acoustic transponder and command system. The gain-ranging amplifiers result in 128 dB of dynamic range. The batteries will power the electronics for three months. Checkout, data playback, and battery charging can be accomplished without opening the pressure case, considerably reducing the effort required to recover and redeploy the capsule. The microprocessor controller enables the system to be adapted to a wide variety of sophisticated oceanographic data sampling and recording experiments. The mechanical design is consistent with deployments of 1 year or longer. Its total estimated parts cost is U.S. $ 13,000.
Initiation of AIHA: a study in scarlet

Knocking out the immunodominant antigen (Band 3) in a spontaneous model of mouse autoimmune hemolytic anemia demonstrates that full pathology still occurs even in the absence of the normal target of autoantibodies.
Behavioral relations of medullary reticular formation cells.

Abstract The movement correlates of unit activity in medullary reticular formation cells were observed in unrestrained cats. Fifty-four percent of these cells had “laterally asymmetrical” movement relations and 38% had “laterally symmetrical” movement relations. All cells that discharged in relation to active lateral movement of the spinal column discharged preferentially in relation to ipsilateral movements, while all cells responding to passive lateral movement discharged preferentially in relation to contralateral movement. Cells related to movements of the vertebral column in the vertical plane and a small number of units related to facial, laryngeal, paw, and other movements were also found. The specific motor relations of reticular formation cells may explain the findings of previous lesion, stimulation, and recording studies.
Oral and maxillofacial surgery : Considerations in cleft nasal deformities

Oral and maxillofacial surgery approaches and techniques are important considerations in the comprehensive management of cleft nasal deformities. Establishing a proper bony base for the soft tissues can involve secondary procedures such as alveolar cleft grafting and orthognathic surgery. The cleft deformity itself, but particularly previous surgery, usually dictate modifications of orthognathic surgery techniques. Distraction osteogenesis potentially allows for earlier intervention as well as more extensive bony changes with decreased surgical risk.
A note on syntactic symmetry and the manipulation of formal systems by machine

In the past few years, digital computer programs that depart from the traditional numerical computation and data processing for which these machines were conceived have become increasingly commonplace. In many of these programs, the computer is called upon to manipulate a complex formal logistic system as a tool to implement the solution of a problem. This paper is concerned with the problem of efficient machine manipulation of formal systems in which the predicates display a high degree of symmetry. The solution to the problem, embodied in a theorem and a rule of syntactic symmetry is specified in Section I. The theorem is in fact a metatheorem concerning formal systems, and is used in the synthesis of proofs. On the other hand, the rule is an invaluable aid in the search for a proof by the so-called analytic method. In Section II, the set of all syntactic symmetries for a given set of formulas is constructed and displayed in a form conducive to minimum effort programming for a computer.
Kinematic evidence of satellite galaxy populations in the potential wells of first-ranked cluster galaxies

The velocities of 38 centrally positioned galaxies (r much less than 100 kpc) were measured relative to the velocity of the first-ranked galaxy in 14 rich clusters. Analysis of the velocity distribution function of this sample and of previous data shows that the population cannot be fit by a single Gaussian. An adequate fit is obtained if 60 percent of the objects lie in a Gaussian with sigma = 250 km/s and the remainder in a population with sigma = 1400 km/s. All previous data sets are individually consistent with this conclusion. This suggests that there is a bound population of galaxies in the potential well of the central galaxy in addition to the normal population of the cluster core. This is taken as supporting evidence for the galactic cannibalism model of cD galaxy formation.
Computer analysis identifies sequence homologies between potential gene products of Maize Streak Virus and those of Cassava Latent Virus and Tomato Golden Mosaic Virus

The amino acid sequences of the putative polypeptides of maize streak virus (MSV) have been systematically compared with those of cassava latent virus (CLV) and tomato golden mosaic virus (TGMV) using the programme DIAGON (8).
Left ventricular thrombi: In vivo detection by indium-111 platelet imaging and two dimensional echocardiography

Abstract Indium-111 platelet Imaging, which can Identify sites of active intravascular platelet deposition, and two dimensional echocardlography, which can identify intracardiac masses, can both be used to detect left ventricular thrombi noninvasively. We compared these techniques in 44 men at risk for thrombi from remote transmural myocardial infarction (31 patients) or cardiomyopathy (13 patients). All 44 patients underwent platelet imaging; 35 underwent echocardlography. On platelet imaging nine patients had thrombi and one had a possible thrombus. Of these 10 studies, none were positive at 2 hours, 5 were positive at 24 hours and all were positive 48 or 72 hours after platelet labeling. Nine of these patients underwent echocardlography, and all had an intraventricular mass. The findings on platelet scanning were negative in six patients who had positive (four patients) or equivocally positive (two patients) findings on echocardiography. All patients with thrombi detected by either noninvasive method had transmural anterior myocardial infarction with ventricular aneurysm. Of the seven patients who underwent cardiac surgery or autopsy, three had thrombi. Platelet imaging failed to Identify one thrombus in a patient in whom imaging was performed only at 24 hours after labeling. There were no false positive platelet images in this group. Five of these seven patients (two with thrombi, three without) underwent echocardiography; in all cases the echocardiographic findings agreed with the pathologic findings. Both platelet Imaging and echocardiography detect ventricular thrombi. Platelet imaging may detect only the most hematologically active thrombi. Both techniques may help define patients at risk of embolization and may be useful for in vivo assessment of antithrombotic drugs.
Creep mechanisms in Ti–3Al–2.5V alloy tubing deformed under closed-end internal gas pressurization

Abstract Creep tests were carried out on Ti–3Al–2.5V alloy tubing in the temperature range of 723–873 K under closed-end internal pressurization. The data thus obtained were analyzed to obtain the mechanistic creep parameters (stress exponent and activation energy). Transitions in creep mechanisms were noted as the stress exponent varied from a lower value of 1 through 2 to a higher value of 5 with increasing stress where the activation energy assumed values of 232 and 325 kJ mol −1 , respectively. The creep mechanisms were elucidated in the light of standard creep models supported by the substructures studied by transmission electron microscopy. Newtonian viscous creep ( n = 1) at lower stresses was identified to be in accordance with a slip band model named after Spingarn and Nix. Grain boundary sliding with n = 2 was noted in an intermediate stress region while climb of edge dislocations was observed to control creep at higher stresses. Microstructural observations along with parametric variations of creep rates were useful in identifying the underlying deformation mechanisms.
Change in the rate of oxygen saturation of the arterial blood associated with induced asthmatic attacks

Abstract The rate at which the blood of asthmatic subjects, purposely rendered hypoxic, became saturated upon breathing 100 per cent oxygen was determined using the Millikan oximeter. A continuous record of respiration was obtained by having the subjects breathe in a closed system with spirometer and kymograph. The findings indicate that information concerning the functional state of the lungs may be obtained by this means. The rate of saturation was readily modified by varying the degree of asthma with epinephrine injected subcutaneously or with aerosolized histamine.
Transcriptional regulation of brain gene expression in response to a territorial intrusion

Aggressive behaviour associated with territorial defence is widespread and has fitness consequences. However, excess aggression can interfere with other important biological functions such as immunity and energy homeostasis. How the expression of complex behaviours such as aggression is regulated in the brain has long intrigued ethologists, but has only recently become amenable for molecular dissection in non-model organisms. We investigated the transcriptomic response to territorial intrusion in four brain regions in breeding male threespined sticklebacks using expression microarrays and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Each region of the brain had a distinct genomic response to a territorial challenge. We identified a set of genes that were upregulated in the diencephalon and downregulated in the cerebellum and the brain stem. Cis -regulatory network analysis suggested transcription factors that regulated or co-regulated genes that were consistently regulated in all brain regions and others that regulated gene expression in opposing directions across brain regions. Our results support the hypothesis that territorial animals respond to social challenges via transcriptional regulation of genes in different brain regions. Finally, we found a remarkably close association between gene expression and aggressive behaviour at the individual level. This study sheds light on the molecular mechanisms in the brain that underlie the response to social challenges.
Prostaglandin F2α and α-Adrenergic Agonists Regulate Parathyroid Cell Function via the Inhibitory Guanine Nucleotide Regulatory Protein

Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and α-adrenergic agonists inhibit cAMP production and PTH secretion in dispersed bovine parathyroid cells. We have tested the mechanism of these effects utilizing pertussis toxin which catalyzes ADP ribosylation and inactivation of the inhibitory adenylate cyclase coupling protein Ni. Dispersed bovine parathyroid cells treated with or without 0.5 μg/ml pertussis toxin were tested with stimulatory (epinephrine, isoproterenol) or inhibitory (PGF2α) agonists for responses in cAMP accumulation (5-min incubation) or PTH (90-min incubation) release. Pertussis toxin produced an enhanced response to epinephrine (a mixed α-adrenergic and β-adrenergic agonist) in cAMP production and in PTH secretion. PGF2α inhibited intracellular cAMP by 40% and PTH secretion by 35%. Pertussis toxin treatment of bovine parathyroid cells reduced the PGF2α inhibition. We conclude that: 1) inhibition of PTH release by PGF2α and α-adrenergic agonists parallels inhibition of cAMP production; 2) pertussis toxin ...
Some Missing Data Patterns for Multidimensional Scaling

Most tasks used to gather information for multidimen sional scaling analysis are quite difficult for people to perform. An experiment was run to determine if sys tematic limits existed in such data collection situations and to determine the form that these limitations as sumed. The solution obtained from a complete order ing of stimuli to targets, using the conditional rank or der paradigm, was compared to solutions obtained from certain partial orders, constructed from the com plete orders by setting certain rankings equal. The par tial orders were found to reproduce the complete order solution quite accurately when about one half of the information was eliminated. The information elimi nated about similar items produced more differences in the obtained solutions than did the information about dissimilar stimuli. Suggestions about efficient techniques for gathering information for multidimen sional scaling purposes are discussed.
The Influence of the White-Wing Feather Plumage Gene Ww on Various Quantitative Traits in Chickens

The white-wing plumage color gene Ww which acts as an embryonic lethal in homozygotes was studied to determine its pleiotropic effects on various quantitative traits. Two groups of birds Ww/ww+ and ww+/ww+ were compared for mortality, body weight, age to sexual maturity, egg production, egg weight and shape, and egg shell thickness. During 0 to 8 weeks of age, the Ww/ww+ birds showed three times greater mortality than did the ww+/ww+ birds. From 8 to 71 weeks of age their mortality was similar, although during the 36 to 71 week period the Ww/ww+ birds did show a somewhat higher level of mortality. The cause of the mortality was not determined. Body weight was consistently depressed for the Ww/ww+ birds; however, it was not always significantly so. No significant differences were noted among the other traits measured.
More bang for your research buck: toward recommender systems for visual analytics

We propose a set of common sense steps required to develop a recommender system for visual analytics. Such a system is an essential way to get additional mileage out of costly user studies, which are typically archived post publication. Crucially, we propose conducting user studies in a manner that allows machine learning techniques to elucidate relationships between experimental data (i.e., user performance) and metrics about the data being visualized and candidate visual representations. We execute a case study within our framework to extract simple rules of thumb that relate different data metrics and visualization characteristics to patterns of user errors on several network analysis tasks. Our case study suggests a research agenda supporting the development of general, robust visualization recommender systems.
Should uncontrollable worry be removed from the definition of GAD? A test of incremental validity

In its current instantiation in DSM–IV, a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) requires the presence of excessive and uncontrollable worry. It has been proposed that the uncontrollability criterion be removed from future editions of the DSM, primarily on the basis of empirical and conceptual overlap between excessiveness and uncontrollability and a relative lack of research on uncontrollability. However, no research has directly investigated the incremental validity of the uncontrollability criterion—that is, the extent to which uncontrollability predicts important clinical information over and above excessiveness. This question was examined in a community sample of 126 adults diagnosed with GAD. After controlling for excessiveness, uncontrollability explained a significant proportion of additional variance in a variety of relevant clinical measures, including GAD severity, clinician-rated anxiety, number and severity of comorbid disorders, and use of psychotropic medication and psychotherapy. The results remained statistically significant even when other features of GAD were controlled. By contrast, excessiveness did not significantly predict any clinical measure over and above uncontrollability. These findings suggest that uncontrollability contributes to the validity of the GAD diagnosis and should be retained as a core feature of pathological worry.
Light-Chain–Mediated Acute Tubular Interstitial Nephritis: A Poorly Recognized Pattern of Renal Disease in Patients With Plasma Cell Dyscrasia

Abstract Context.—Acute renal failure may be the first clinical presentation in patients with plasma cell dyscrasia. Recognition of the unusual interstitial inflammatory lesion associated with monoclonal light chains and renal failure described herein is important to guide clinicians in requesting appropriate tests to confirm plasma cell dyscrasia and providing adequate treatment. Objective.—To describe an unusual pattern of tubular interstitial nephritis in patients with underlying plasma cell dyscrasia characterized by an interstitial inflammatory reaction associated with deposition of light chains along tubular basement membranes. Design.—Eight cases of light-chain–mediated acute tubular interstitial nephritis were identified from the archives of 4296 kidney biopsy specimens. In all cases, routine light microscopic examination, direct immunofluorescence, and electron microscopic examination were performed. Ultrastructural immunogold labeling was performed in specimens with inconclusive findings and in ...
Two cases of statin-induced myopathy caused by induced hypothyroidism.

ABSTRACT Objective To present information regarding the potential danger of performing levothyroxine withdrawal radioiodine scans and treatment in patients with thyroid cancer who are concurrently taking lipid-lowering agents. Methods We review the clinical history, serial laboratory data, and radiologic findings in 2 patients with multifocal papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. Results Both study patients had substantial elevations of muscle enzymes or myopathies (or both) when they were withdrawn from levothyroxine therapy, during treatment with lipid-lowering agents, in preparation for radioiodine scanning and treatment. Conclusion Extreme caution should be exercised when levothyroxine therapy is withdrawn from patients taking lipid-lowering agents. Such patients should be monitored very closely or, when appropriate, recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone injections should be used rather than levothyroxine withdrawal in this setting. (Endocr Pract. 2008;14:726-731)
Preoperative Radiation Therapy for Upper Rectal CancerT3,T4/Nx: Selectivity Essential

This review explores the current available literature regarding the role of neoadjuvant therapy for upper locally advanced rectal cancers (≥10 cm-15 cm). Although there is a paucity of data evaluating the outcomes of preoperative chemoradiation for upper rectal cancers the authors suggest that T3N0 tumors will not likely benefit from radiation and that treatment of T4N0 should be individualized.
Granular Cell Tumors of the Larynx: Diagnosis and Management

In this case study, a retrospective review of chart and literature was done to discuss the presentation and treatment of granular cell tumors of the larynx. One patient was diagnosed and treated successfully with surgical resection of a laryngeal granular cell tumor. Excellent voice recovery was obtained and there is no evidence of recurrence 6 months after surgery. Granular cell tumors should be considered in the differential diagnosis of laryngeal masses, particularly in the posterior glottis.
Predicting biomedical document access as a function of past use.

Objective To determine whether past access to biomedical documents can predict future document access. Materials and methods The authors used 394 days of query log (August 1, 2009 to August 29, 2010) from PubMed users in the Texas Medical Center, which is the largest medical center in the world. The authors evaluated two document access models based on the work of Anderson and Schooler. The first is based on how frequently a document was accessed. The second is based on both frequency and recency. Results The model based only on frequency of past access was highly correlated with the empirical data (R2=0.932), whereas the model based on frequency and recency had a much lower correlation (R2=0.668). Discussion The frequency-only model accurately predicted whether a document will be accessed based on past use. Modeling accesses as a function of frequency requires storing only the number of accesses and the creation date for the document. This model requires low storage overheads and is computationally efficient, making it scalable to large corpora such as MEDLINE. Conclusion It is feasible to accurately model the probability of a document being accessed in the future based on past accesses.
A fast algorithm for MDL-based multi-band image segmentation

We consider the problem of image segmentation and describe an algorithm that is based on the Minimum Description Length (MDL) principle, is fast, is applicable to multi-band images, and guarantees closed regions. We construct an objective function that, when minimized, yields a partitioning of the image into regions where the pixel values in each band of each region are described by a polynomial surface plus noise. The polynomial orders and their coefficients are determined by the algorithm. The minimization is difficult because (1) it involves a search over a very large space and (2) there is extensive computation required at each stage of the search. To address the first of these problems we use a region-merging minimization algorithm. To address the second we use an incremental polynomial regression that uses computations from the previous stage to compute results in the current stage, resulting in a significant speed up over the non-incremental technique. The segmentation result obtained is suboptimal in general but of high quality. Results on real images are shown. >
Characterizing Seiche and Tide-driven Daily Water Level Fluctuations Affecting Coastal Ecosystems of the Great Lakes

Seiches in the Great Lakes probably play a role similar to that of tides in estuaries in organizing the structure and function of coastal wetlands and embayments, but information needed to test this idea is lacking. Past Great Lakes work has focused on enumerating frequencies of oscillation but without addressing their combined influence. Information on seiche magnitude is sparse and focused on extremes rather than typical levels, and tools that integrate magnitude and frequency components to derive net day-scale effects are lacking. This study uses water level time series to characterize daily fluctuation regimes for 51 stations around the Great Lakes. Distributions of fluctuation magnitude typically had long upper tails, with some level of activity always present. Logarithmic mean daily water level range varied from ∼4 cm in Lake Ontario to > 20 cm in Lake Erie, with largest values at the ends of lakes and in large bays. Oscillation frequency patterns were spatially variable and had both seiche and tide components. One-half the daily sum of water level increments is a computationally tractable metric of fluctuation intensity that integrates magnitude and frequency. This metric is directly interpretable as the column of water moved by all seiche and tide modes combined, which when multiplied by an area of interest yields the volume of water involved. Logarithmic mean values for this metric ranged from ∼10 cm in Lake Ontario to > 50 cm in Lake Erie. Data and tools provided will support future efforts to establish seiche and tide influences on Great Lakes wetlands and embayments.
Transmission electron microscope studies in the surface oxide on the La-containing AB2 metal hydride alloy

Abstract La-addition to a Laves-phase based AB2 metal hydride alloy improves the high-rate discharge and −40 °C charge-transfer resistance significantly. Surface oxide formation and embedded Ni inclusions of the alloy were studied using magnetic susceptibility, BET surface area and pore size measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). BET measurements correlate with the double-layer capacitance measured at −40 °C, indicating a factor 3 increase in surface area with 5 at.% La replacement of Zr. Surface catalytic ability of the same alloy improves by a factor of 13. TEM reveals the surface of the La-free sample as lightly oxidized Ni, Ti, and Zr, while the La-containing sample is randomly distributed and heavily-oxidized (Ni, Cr)Ox coating the grain/oxide channel wall. These catalytic channels are believed to be the source of improvement in the low-temperature performance of these La-containing AB2 metal hydride alloys.
DNA Mismatch Repair Interacts with CAF-1- and ASF1A-H3-H4-dependent Histone (H3-H4)2 Tetramer Deposition

DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is required for the maintenance of genome stability and protection of humans from several types of cancer. Human MMR occurs in the chromatin environment, but little is known about the interactions between MMR and the chromatin environment. Previous research has suggested that MMR coincides with replication-coupled assembly of the newly synthesized DNA into nucleosomes. The first step in replication-coupled nucleosome assembly is CAF-1-dependent histone (H3-H4)2 tetramer deposition, a process that involves ASF1A-H3-H4 complex. In this work we used reconstituted human systems to investigate interactions between MMR and CAF-1- and ASF1A-H3-H4-dependent histone (H3-H4)2 tetramer deposition. We have found that MutSα inhibits CAF-1- and ASF1A-H3-H4-dependent packaging of a DNA mismatch into a tetrasome. This finding supports the idea that MMR occurs before the DNA mismatch is packaged into the tetrasome. Our experiments have also revealed that CAF-1- and ASF1A-H3-H4-dependent deposition of the histone (H3-H4)2 tetramers does not interfere with MMR reactions. In addition, we have established that unnecessary degradation of the discontinuous strand that takes place in both DNA polymerase δ (Pol δ)- and DNA polymerase ϵ (Pol ϵ)-dependent MMR reactions is suppressed by CAF-1- and ASF1A-H3-H4-dependent deposition of the histone (H3-H4)2 tetramers. These data suggest that CAF-1- and ASF1A-H3-H4-dependent deposition of the histone (H3-H4)2 tetramers is compatible with MMR and protects the discontinuous daughter strand from unnecessary degradation by MMR machinery.
Genetic analysis of subgynoecious in bitter gourd

According to NCⅡ mating design,4Subgynoecious lines were mated with 6normal inbred lines and 24 combinations were obtained.In spring and autumn season,the female flower proportion of 35 sections in main vine,in10 parents and 24 combinations were analyzed. Using additive-dominant genetic model,genetic parameters were estimated.The results showed that bitter strong female genetic was mainly controlled by additive effects,and there existed the interaction effect between alleles,between genotype and environment.The ratio of genetic variance components were in sequence of additive(48.63%)dominant× environment interaction(21.73%) dominant(17.64%)additive× environment interaction(1.81%).
Massive Gas Injection Valve Development for NSTX-U

NSTX-U research will offer new insights by studying gas assimilation efficiencies for massive gas injection (MGI) from different poloidal locations using identical gas injection systems. In support of this activity, an electromagnetic MGI valve has been built and tested. The valve operates by repelling two conductive disks due to eddy currents induced on them by a rapidly changing magnetic field created by a pancake disk solenoid positioned beneath the circular disk attached to a piston. The current is driven in opposite directions in the two solenoids, which creates a canceling torque when the valve is operated in an ambient magnetic field, as would be required in a tokamak installation. The valve does not use ferromagnetic materials. Results from the operation of the valve, including tests conducted in 1-T external magnetic fields, are described. The pressure rise in the test chamber is measured directly using a fast time response Baratron gauge. At a plenum pressure of just 1.38 MPa ( $\sim 200$ psig), the valve injects 27 Pa $\cdot \text{m}^{\mathrm {\mathbf {3}}}$ ( $\sim 200$ torr $\cdot $ L) of nitrogen with a pressure rise time of 3 ms.
O27-1 Analysis of straight metalworking fluids and end-stage renal disease in autoworkers, adjusted for healthy worker survivor bias

Background Few studies have examined occupational risk factors for kidney disease. Oil-based metalworking fluids contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are suspected causes of end-stage renal disease. This study analysed a cohort of autoworkers, with special attention to healthy worker survivor bias. Methods Workers who remain employed accumulate more occupational exposure and also experience adverse outcomes later than workers who leave work for health-related reasons. This can result in underestimates of the harmful effects of exposure if proper methods are not used to adjust for time-varying confounding. G-estimation of an accelerated failure time model overcomes this problem. A cohort of workers in three General Motors plants in Michigan (USA) was followed for end-stage renal disease from 1973, when the state’s registry for dialysis patients is considered complete, through 2009. Exposure was lagged by 15 years, because end-stage renal disease develops over time and because exposure data were not available after 1994. The analysis adjusted for sex, race, age, calendar time, plant, employment status, intermittent time off work, and previous exposures to both oil- and water-based metalworking fluids. Confidence intervals were computed using the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles from 500 bootstrap samples. Results Exposed workers were estimated to have reached end-stage renal disease an average of 2.0 years earlier (95% CI: −0.3, 5.1) than they would have if they had not been exposed to straight metalworking fluids. Conclusions Oil-based metalworking fluids appear to speed the development of end-stage renal disease. Further analyses using models that estimate relative risk (rather than time to event among those who fail) should supplement these results, with continued attention to time-varying confounding affected by prior exposure.
Benedetto Cotrugli, Book of the Art of Trade (Libro del’arte dela mercatura)

In any airport bookshop from Boston to Beijing you will find entire shelves of books on how to succeed in business, the more credible of them written by authors who have themselves done so. It is a sign of just how long capitalism has been around that one of the earliest such books was written over half a millennium ago. It is a sign of how little business has changed that Benedetto Cotrugli’s Book of the Art of Trade should still repay reading.
Collective Bargaining is Not the Cause of State Budget Problems

Although the political discussion in Wisconsin and other states has suggested that government employees’ pay and benefits are the cause of the state budget problems and that elimination of collective bargaining will help solve it, the data show otherwise. As to pay, holding education and other human capital factors constant, government employees are paid on average slightly less than their private sector counterparts. Nor are pension costs the cause of the states’ fiscal problems: on average, pension contributions account for only about 2.1 percent of the states’ annual budgets. The unfunded pension liabilities are a result of the massive economic downturn in 2008-2009, will shrink as the stock market recovers, and in most states can be funded over many years through reasonable measures. The data on state budgets and state labor costs shows that across all 50 states and the District of Columbia there is no correlation between the size of a state’s budget problems and whether or the extent to which its government employees bargain collectively. Some states with no public employee bargaining rights have severe budget problems; other states with expansive bargaining rights do not have substantial budget problems. Having demonstrated that public employee collective bargaining is not the cause of state fiscal problems, we suggest ways in which collective bargaining could nevertheless facilitate the search for solutions. After first dispelling the notion that states could solve their budget crises by slashing public sector compensation through repudiating existing labor agreements or seeking to discharge them in bankruptcy, we offer examples of ways in which public employees, through their unions, have partnered with governments to reduce costs and suggest other ways in which they could do so.
Understanding Harmful Speech Online

This paper offers reflections and observations on the state of research related to harmful speech online. The perspectives outlined here are grounded in the lessons from a year of exploratory work in the field by researchers at the Berkman Klein Center and collaborating researchers and institutions. Our review includes an assessment of the efforts of civil society organizations to address racist speech in Brazil and Colombia; a study of the legal foundations of harmful speech regulation in India; a mixed methods look at discourse among white identity groups in the United States; an attempt to track offensive speech online in Tunisia; and a paper that explores the definitional and framing questions that complicate efforts to study and address harmful speech online. We also highlight a small selection of other recent efforts in the field.A key element of this initiative is to explore different approaches to the study of harmful speech and to draw lessons from comparative analysis. We chose to pursue this diverse set of research efforts in our first year in order to better understand the strengths and limitations of various research strategies and to assess why different types of interventions exist in some contexts and are missing in others. We hope to accumulate enough experiences to begin to answer what has worked and what has not, to define what constitutes success, whether in government, private sector, or community responses such as counter speech.We come away from this review with a plethora of questions that are worthy of further exploration. Our work over the past year leaves us with a greater appreciation of the complexity of the topic covering a wide range of social phenomena that are manifest in distinctly different ways across different groups and contexts. Each of the methodological approaches described here have strengths and weaknesses and are positioned to help answer different subsets of the many policy questions facing policymakers, companies, and civil society organizations. The continuation and extension of this multifaceted research approach applied to additional countries and topics will help to further refine these methods and provide a basis for robust comparative assessments.
Simulations for Plasma and Laser Acceleration

Computer simulations have had a profound impact on the design and understanding of past and present plasma acceleration experiments, and will be a key component for turning plasma accelerators from a promising technology into a mainstream scientific tool. In this article, we present an overview of the numerical techniques used with the most popular approaches to model plasma-based accelerators: electromagnetic particle-in-cell, quasistatic and ponderomotive guiding center. The material that is presented is intended to serve as an introduction to the basics of those approaches, and to advances (some of them very recent) that have pushed the state of the art, such as the optimal Lorentz-boosted frame, advanced laser envelope solvers and the elimination of numerical Cherenkov instability. The particle-in-cell method, which has broader interest and is more standardized, is presented in more depth. Additional topics that are cross-cutting, such as azimuthal Fourier decomposition or filtering, are also discussed, as well as potential challenges and remedies in the initialization of simulations and output of data. Examples of simulations using the techniques that are presented have been left out of this article for conciseness, and because simulation results are best understood when presented together, and contrasted with theoretical and/or experimental results, as in other articles of this volume.
THE U-SHAPED RELATIONSHIP OF BODY MASS INDEX WITH ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY AT EIGHT YEARS IN THE ALLHAT

Background: Two types of relationships between risk factors and cardiovascular outcomes have been described: linear, as is the case with smoking where even one cigarette is worse than total abstinence, and U- or J-shaped as is the case for body mass index (BMI). Using data from the Antihypertensive
Hardware failure in patients with metastatic cancer to the spine.

Abstract Background The spine is the most common site of skeletal metastases, affecting approximately 30% of individuals with cancer. The aim of surgical treatment for metastatic spine disease is generally palliative to address pain and/or neurologic compromise, significantly improving patients’ quality of life. Patients with metastatic spine disease, however, represent a vulnerable cohort and may have comorbidities or previous treatments that impair the structural integrity of spinal hardware. As such, identifying factors that may contribute to hardware failure is an essential component in treating individuals with metastatic spine disease. Objective The aim of this study was to identify pre-operative risk factors associated with hardware failure in patients undergoing surgical treatment for metastatic spine disease. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted to include patients surgically treated for metastatic spine tumors between 2003 and 2013, at a single institution. A univariate analysis was initially performed to identify associated factors. Any associated factor with a p-value Results 3 patients (1.9%), of the 159 patients included in the study, had failure of the spine instrumentation. 1 patient had metastatic prostate cancer, and 2 had metastatic breast cancer. Patient demographics, co-morbidities, tumor location, and primary tumor etiology were not found to be statistically significant, with respect to hardware failure. Predictive factors included in the multivariate model were other bone metastasis, visceral metastasis, brain metastasis, Modified Rankin scale, previous systemic chemotherapy, previous radiation to the spine, and mean survival. Previous radiation to the spine was the only factor to be significantly associated (p = 0.029), present in all three patients with hardware failure. Of note, there was a trend indicating that patients with longer life expectancies were more likely to experience hardware failure (mean survival of 16.7 months in non-failure cohort vs. 33 months in failure cohort), though this did not achieve statistical significance due to the limited sample size of patients with hardware failure. Conclusion Hardware failure is a risk for all patients who undergo instrumentation following resection for metastatic spine tumors. This study identified that pre-operative radiation may increase the risk for hardware failure in this population.
The Vertical Rectus Abdominis Musculocutaneous Flap As a Versatile and Viable Option for Perineal Reconstruction.

P1: VLM EPLASTY-D-17-00004 eplasty.cls January 9, 2017 Interesting Case Series The Vertical Rectus Abdominis Musculocutaneous Flap As a Versatile and Viable Option for Perineal Reconstruction Demetrius M. Coombs, BS, a Nirav B. Patel, MD, MS, JD, b Matthew R. Zeiderman, MD, b and Michael S. Wong, MD b a Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pa; and b Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, University of California, Davis, Sacramento Correspondence: dmcoombs@mac.com Keywords: perineal reconstruction, VRAM, squamous cell carcinoma, radiation-induced tissue damage, wound healing Figure 1. Ulcerated right thigh lesion and persistent necrotizing soft-tissue infection upon presentation, despite multiple previous debridements (the patient in lithotomy).
Evaluation of Rapid, Early Warning Approaches to Track Shellfish Toxins Associated with Dinophysis and Alexandrium Blooms.

Marine biotoxin-contaminated seafood has caused thousands of poisonings worldwide this century. Given these threats, there is an increasing need for improved technologies that can be easily integrated into coastal monitoring programs. This study evaluates approaches for monitoring toxins associated with recurrent toxin-producing Alexandrium and Dinophysis blooms on Long Island, NY, USA, which cause paralytic and diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (PSP and DSP), respectively. Within contrasting locations, the dynamics of pelagic Alexandrium and Dinophysis cell densities, toxins in plankton, and toxins in deployed blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) were compared with passive solid-phase adsorption toxin tracking (SPATT) samplers filled with two types of resin, HP20 and XAD-2. Multiple species of wild shellfish were also collected during Dinophysis blooms and used to compare toxin content using two different extraction techniques (single dispersive and double exhaustive) and two different toxin analysis assays (liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and the protein phosphatase inhibition assay (PP2A)) for the measurement of DSP toxins. DSP toxins measured in the HP20 resin were significantly correlated (R2 = 0.7–0.9, p 0.05), were highly correlated (R2 = 0.98–0.99; p < 0.001) and provided complete recovery of DSP toxins from standard reference materials. Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa) were found to accumulate DSP toxins above federal and international standards (160 ng g−1) during Dinophysis blooms while Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and soft shell clams (Mya arenaria) did not. This study demonstrated that SPATT samplers using HP20 resin coupled with PP2A technology could be used to provide early warning of DSP, but not PSP, events for shellfish management.
The impact of management ability and market structure on the performance of agricultural banks in Iowa

The effects of management ability and market structure on the performance of agricultural banks are assessed using observations on 444 Iowa banks from the years 1976 and 1978. Management ability is measured by the ratio of assets to employees, market structure is measured by a Herfindahl index and a market share variable, and bank performance is represented by the ratio of loans to total assets and the ratio of time and savings deposits to total deposits. Ordinary least squares analysis indicates that market structure strongly influences the ratio of time and savings deposits to total deposits but does not influence the ratio of loans to total assets. Management ability strongly influences the ratio of time and savings deposits to total deposits and weakly influences the ratio of loans to total assets. Two-stage and three-stage least squares analyses indicate that coefficients on market structure variables are not invariant to estimation method, but there is no strong evidence that market structure variables should be treated as endogenous rather than exogenous variables. A Chow test reveals that market structure variables do not measure market concentration in single bank communities and multiple bank communities equally well when banks from both types of communities are contained in the sample. Empirical results also indicate that Production Credit Associations influence the ratio of time and savings deposits to total deposits at agricultural banks but do not influence the ratio of loans to total assets;Changes in banking market structure that result from financial deregulation apparently will affect the liability side of agricultural bank balance sheets more strongly than the asset side. In order to mitigate the negative impacts of financial deregulation, bank owners and managers should seek ways of improving management ability. Future research should continue to explore the relationship between management ability and agricultural bank performance, but that research must be preceded by, or include, development of innovative measures of banking market concentration and exploration of relationships between Production Credit Association activities and bank performance.
Atomic-Scale Adhesion

The interaction of a metal tip with a metal surface is investigated in terms of the known theory of metal adhesion and experimentally by means of force-gradient sensing with scanning tunneling microscopy. Experimental results are presented for the interaction of an Ir tip with an Ir surface, and atomic-scale resolution capability is demonstrated in the attractive force regime. Furthermore, we show experimental evidence for adhesion-promoted, entropy-driven local disordering.
Multiscale Modeling of Mechanoresponsive Polymers

Mechanically-induced reactivity is a promising means for designing self sensing and autonomous materials. Mechanically sensitive chemical groups called mechanophores can be covalently linked into polymers in order to trigger specific chemical reactions upon mechanical loading. Here, glassy PMMA and rubbery PMA each linked with mechanochromic molecules, are used as representative polymer architectures for building both understanding and quantitative models of mechanophore activation in bulk polymers.
Exporting the Ownership Society: A Case Study on the Economic Impact of Property Rights

Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto is a favorite of the World Bank, numerous world leaders, and politicians in both parties in the United States. His work has been so influential that he has been considered for the Nobel Prize in Economics. Perhaps de Soto's prescription for the ills of developing economies is so influential because it seems so simple. He claims that if poor people in the Third World are given formal title to the assets they currently hold extra-legally, they will be able to generate capital, the surplus value that produces wealth. This article raises some cautionary notes, concluding that things are not so simple. It examines whether poor people who have formal title to their homes in the US, the country de Soto uses as his paramount example, experience the benefits that de Soto attributes to formal ownership. The article finds that the expansion of the ownership society to include the poor does produce many of the benefits de Soto claims. The greatest benefit is increased access to the markets for both residential real estate and mortgage loans. However, much of the wealth accruing from poor people's participation in these markets goes to market participants other than the poor. For example, many poor homeowners who seek to enhance their wealth by accessing more credit are victimized by predatory lenders who capture the wealth. For many also, the conversion of debt into long-term improvement of welfare is an uncertain and difficult process. For those who epitomize de Soto's hypothesis by using their formal title as an aid in starting small businesses, the path is especially complex and uncertain. In the end, there is no clear connection between property formalization and greater social welfare. This lesson in turn provides useful information about what it is reasonable to expect from rule of law reforms.