cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlated Maps for Regional Multi-Hazard Analysis: Ideas for a Novel Approach

The modeling of multiple hazards for regional risk assessment has attracted increasing interest during the last years, and several methods have been developed. Traditional hazard maps concisely present the probabilistic frequency and magnitude of natural hazards. However, these maps have been developed for the analysis of individual sites. Instead, the probabilistic risk assessment for spatially distributed systems is a much more complex problem, and it requires more information than what is provided by traditional hazard maps. Engineering problems dealing with interdependent systems, such as lifeline risk assessment or regional loss estimation, are highly coupled, and thus it is necessary to know the probability of having simultaneously certain values of the intensity measure (e.g., peak ground acceleration) at all locations of interest. Therefore, the problem of quantifying and modeling the spatial correlation between pairs of geographically distributed points has been addressed in several different ways. In this chapter, a brief review of some of these approaches is provided. Then, a new methodology is presented for the generation of an optimal set of maps, representing the intensity measure of a natural disaster over a region. This methodology treats the intensity measures as two-dimensional, non-homogeneous, non-Gaussian random fields. Thus, it can take advantage of probabilistic tools for the optimal sampling of multidimensional stochastic functions. Even with few sample maps generated in this way, it is possible to capture accurately the hazard at all individual sites, as well as the spatial correlation among the disaster intensities at the various locations. The framework of random field theory enables a very elegant formulation of the problem, which can be applied to all types of hazards with minimal adjustments. This makes the proposed methodology particularly appropriate for multi-hazard analysis.
The Expansion and Contraction of Rights: Through the Eyes of Justice Marshall

Justice Thurgood Marshall served on the Supreme Court as it made its first decisions defining prisoners’ rights at the end of the 1960s. He played a key role in the expansion of rights by writing majority opinions establishing a right of access to prison law libraries (Bounds v. Smith 1977) and applying the Eighth Amendment to prison conditions in the establishment of a limited right to medical care (Estelle v. Gamble 1976). Marshall subsequently remained on the Court as its composition changed and new justices acted to limit rights for imprisoned offenders. Marshall’s Supreme Court career illustrates the rise and contraction of prisoners’ rights within the span of two decades.
Modular deductive verification of sampled-data systems

Unsafe behavior of cyber-physical systems can have disastrous consequences, motivating the need for formal verification of these kinds of systems. Deductive verification in a proof assistant such as Coq is a promising technique for this verification because it (1) justifies all verification from first principles, (2) is not limited to classes of systems for which full automation is possible, and (3) provides a platform for proving powerful, higher-order modularity theorems that are crucial for scaling verification to complex systems. In this paper, we demonstrate the practicality, utility, and scalability of this approach by developing in Coq sound and powerful rules for modular construction and verification of sampled-data cyber-physical systems. We evaluate these rules by using them to verify a number of non-trivial controllers enforcing safety properties of a quadcopter, e.g. a geo-fence. We show that our controllers are realistic by running them on a real, flying quadcopter.
Turing, Alan Mathison (1912–1954)

Alan Turing (1912–1954), one of the most important logicians and mathematicians of the 20th century, developed the basic theory for computer science and participated in the breaking of the German secret codes during World War II. Turing's contributions to linguistics usually go unnoticed. As an abstract thinker, his achievements cross disciplinary boundaries.
154 Alternatives to gun policy?: a bayesian analysis of county-level firearm mortality

Statement of Purpose Policymakers often propose restrictive gun laws to reduce firearm-associated mortality. However, research suggests the relationship between tighter gun policy and preventing gun deaths is complex. We examined whether several other factors were associated with firearm-related mortality as they may be less contentious routes to improving health in this domain. Methods/Approach We used CDC data to calculate firearm-related mortality in US counties in 2012. The INLA package in R was used to run Bayesian Poisson mixed effects models for two county-level outcomes: counts of gun suicides and gun homicides. Predictors included urban development, healthcare access, gun policy leniency, and several demographic covariates. A random effect was placed on state to account for clustering; a non-informative prior was used. Results Stricter gun policy was associated with fewer gun suicides, but not homicides. In addition, living in a rural county was protective against both gun suicide and homicide. With factor analysis, the healthcare access variables condensed into factors that describe each county’s prevalence of 1) large healthcare system infrastructure (e.g., tertiary care hospitals) and 2) smaller-scale healthcare infrastructure (e.g., Conclusions Stricter gun policy was not associated with lower gun mortality, and a complex urban/rural dynamic exists. Planned future analyses will include a spatial framework, longitudinal data, and examination of urban/rural subpopulations to further evaluate these relationships. Significance and Contributions to Injury and Violence Prevention Science There may be several channels by which policymakers can decrease rates of firearm-associated mortality at the county level. Importantly, the best policy approach may differ between urban and rural settings.
Randomnicity: Randomness as a Property of the Universe

This paper is a concept paper, which discusses the definition of randomness, and the sources of randomness in the mathematical system as well as in the physical system (the Universe). We document that randomness is an inherited property of mathematics and of the physical world, shaping all observed forms and structures, and we discuss its role.
Plasmon Dispersion in a Multilayer Solid Torus in Terms of Three-Term Vector Recurrence Relations and Matrix Continued Fractions

Toroidal confinement, which has played a crucial role in magnetized plasmas and Tokamak physics, is emerging as an effective means to obtain useful electronic and optical response in solids. In particular, excitation of surface plasmons in metal nanorings by photons or electrons finds important applications due to the engendered field distribution and electromagnetic energy confinement. However, in contrast to the case of a plasma, often the solid nanorings are multilayered and/or embedded in a medium. The non-simply connected geometry of the torus results in surface modes that are not linearly independent. A three-term difference equation was recently shown to arise when seeking the nonretarded plasmon dispersion relations for a stratified solid torus (Garapati et al 2017 Phys. Rev. B 95 165422). The reported generalized plasmon dispersion relations are here investigated in terms of the involved matrix continued fractions and their convergence properties including the determinant forms of the dispersion relations obtained for computing the plasmon eigenmodes. We also present the intricacies of the derivation and properties of the Green's function employed to solve the three term amplitude equation that determines the response of the toroidal structure to arbitrary external excitations.
Transvenous Phrenic Nerve Stimulation for Central Sleep Apnea

Abstract Central sleep apnea (CSA) is highly prevalent, especially in patients with cardiovascular and neurological disorders. It has important detrimental effects on sleep quality and oxygenation, resulting in daytime sleepiness and fatigue, impaired quality of life, and in some instances, increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Treatments are limited currently to oxygen and positive airway pressure breathing, which suffer from compliance issues and lack of randomized long-term data. In certain patient populations (e.g., heart failure with reduced ejection fraction patients), certain forms of positive airway pressure breathing are contraindicated due to observed increases in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. This observation may be due to the nonphysiological mechanism of positive airway pressure breathing and its deleterious hemodynamic effects in patients with reduced ejection fractions. Thus, additional approaches to treating CSA are critically needed. One possible alternative approach is phrenic nerve stimulation. Phrenic nerve stimulation represents a more physiological means for restoring nocturnal breathing. Surgically implanted phrenic nerve stimulation systems have been around for many years, but due to their highly invasive nature, they have only been used for extreme situations such as ventilator-dependent tetraplegia. Over the past decade, a transvenous phrenic nerve stimulation system has been developed and evaluated for the treatment of CSA. A series of studies have demonstrated the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of transvenous phrenic nerve stimulation for the treatment of CSA.
Examining the Relationship Between Religious and Spiritual Motivation and Worry About Alzheimer's Disease in Later Life.

As awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders and diagnosis rates rise, concern about developing such conditions may also increase, referred to here as dementia worry (DW). Few studies have examined DW and potential protective factors. Religiosity provides diverse psychological benefits and may be associated with lower DW; however, intrinsic/extrinsic motivations were expected to differentially relate to DW. Among 83 older adults (M = 69.48 years), both greater intrinsic and extrinsic-social religious motivation were associated with lower DW. Results suggest internalizing one’s religious beliefs and building a social network within a religious community may provide a psychological buffer against DW.
Parents' educational beliefs and children's early academics: Examining the role of SES

Abstract In this study, associations between parents' educational beliefs and growth in their children's kindergarten achievement were examined to determine whether relations differed across levels of socioeconomic status (SES) among contemporary kindergarten students, with a particular focus on whether this moderation effect was mediated by parental enrichment practices. Participants included 13,399 children drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–11 (ECLS-K:2011) and their parents. Educational beliefs included parents' beliefs about the skills necessary for a child entering kindergarten and parents' expectations for their children's eventual educational attainment. SES was operationalized as both income status and parental educational attainment, and enrichment was measured as educationally-related practices in the home and extracurricular activities. Educational beliefs were significantly and positively related to achievement, such that children whose parents rated early skills as important and held higher expectations for their children showed higher math and reading scores at the end of kindergarten. In addition, both school readiness beliefs and expectations were positively related to enrichment practices, and a significant interaction between school readiness beliefs and education was detected, such that school readiness beliefs were more strongly predictive of enrichment among parents with lower levels of education. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Subcellular Imaging of Cancer Cells in Live Mice

Dual-color fluorescent cells, with one color in the nucleus and the other in the cytoplasm, enable real-time nuclear-cytoplasmic dynamics to be visualized in living cells in vivo as well as in vitro. To obtain the dual-color cells, red fluorescent protein (RFP) is expressed in the cytoplasm of cancer cells, and green fluorescent protein (GFP) linked to histone H2B is expressed in the nucleus. Nuclear GFP expression allows visualization of nuclear dynamics, whereas simultaneous cytoplasmic RFP expression allows visualization of nuclear-cytoplasmic ratios as well as simultaneous cell and nuclear shape changes. This methodology has allowed us to show that the cells and nuclei of cancer cells in the capillaries elongate to fit the width of these vessels. The average length of the major axis of the cancer cells in the capillaries increased to approximately four times their normal length. The nuclei increased their length 1.6 times. Cancer cells in capillaries over 8 microm in diameter were shown to migrate at up to 48.3 microm/h. With the use of dual-color fluorescent cells and the Olympus OV100, a highly sensitive whole-mouse imaging system with both macrooptics and microoptics, it is possible to achieve subcellular real-time imaging of cancer cell trafficking in live mice. Extravasation can also be imaged in real time. Dual-color imaging showed that cytoplasmic processes of cancer cells exited the vessels first, with nuclei following along the cytoplasmic projections. Dual-color in vivo cellular imaging was also used to visualize trafficking, nuclear-cytoplasmic dynamics, and the viability of cancer cells after their injection into the portal vein of mice.
Anxiety Sensitivity and the Situational Antecedents to Drug and Alcohol Use: An Evaluation of Anxiety Patients with Substance Use Disorders

Although anxiety and substance use disorders co-occur at a high rate, little is known about the cause of this association. Relations between anxiety sensitivity (AS), posited to play an important role in the development of anxiety disorders and some substance use problems, the situational antecedents of drug and alcohol use, and substance preference, were evaluated in inpatients with anxiety or mood disorders and concurrent substance use disorders. AS predicted substance use even after controlling for variance attributable to trait anxiety and diagnostic status. AS was more strongly associated with the use of depressants in situations involving negative reinforcement. If AS proves to be a reliable risk factor for anxiety disorders co-occurring with substance use disorders, interventions structured to reduce AS would become important components of treatment and prevention programs.
The Vestibulo-ocular Reflex and Head Impulse Testing

The major role of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is to stabilize the eyes for clear vision during movement in daily life. Periodic head movements during normal life activities move the head at fundamental frequencies of 2–4 Hz, with harmonics extending above these frequencies. The other ocular control systems are relatively insensitive above 2 Hz and therefore the VOR functions as the primary control system for visual stabilization during locomotion. Traditional testing using caloric stimulation of the lateral semicircular canal is limited to a very low-frequency response, and only one canal of the labyrinth is tested. Traditional rotational chair systems test only the lateral semicircular canal and at relatively low-frequency levels. At a constant rotational velocity, the semicircular canals are not stimulated, only with acceleration or deceleration. This chapter is to cover active and passive head movements to test the VOR from 2 to 6 Hz, using the autorotational test and the video head impulse test (vHIT) that simulates more authentic daily VOR challenges.
Guidelines for medical practice: necessary but not sufficient.

In his accompanying article, Dr. Alper points out that the intellectual and economic foundations of the practice of internal medicine are under attack. The intellectual foundations of many routine practices certainly are under attack. The attack comes from within the profession, although its historical antecedents come from society as a whole. The “attack” is simply the scientific method being applied to practices that have not yet been studied carefully. The present generation of practice guidelines are an important beginning, but they are often based on limited data that have been obtained in referral centers. The long-range solution should be based upon data obtained from community physicians’ practices. There is every reason to predict success when academic physicians join forces with community physicians to answer these fascinating questions about the practice of medicine.
Cerebral Venous Thrombosis After a Possible Inadvertent Dural Puncture for Labor Epidural Analgesia

Pregnancy is a hypercoagulable state that increases the risk of thrombotic complications. A 32-year-old gravida 4 para 3 (G4P3) had a dural puncture during epidural catheter placement for labor analgesia. A positional headache started after delivery and continued for several days. A week after the delivery, she developed non-positional headaches along with seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance venography (MRV) lead to the diagnosis of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). A factor V Leiden mutation was also found; that was suspected to contribute to the development of CVT along with dural puncture and pregnancy. CVT can present with non-positional headaches a week after the dural puncture.
Toward Connectedness: Aesthetically Based Research

In this article, I suggest that aesthetics is at the heart of both artistic experience and qualitative research, and that artistic processes, in particular, the space surrounding art experiences, can illuminate significant aspects of qualitative research, including data collection, data analysis, and writing. Examining the ways in which the arts provide rich and powerful models for perception, conceptualization, and engagement for both makers and viewers, I highlight their potential to cultivate habits of mind that are directly relevant to the processes and products of qualitative research. I focus on the research goal of empathic understanding which is based on an I-Thou connection within an aesthetic, cognitive/affective space. These dialogical relationships are intensified by the expectation to communicate to an audience, creating a tri-directional relationship. I conclude with reflections on ethical implications for aesthetically based research.
Compositionally graded high entropy alloy with a strong front and ductile back

Abstract Material components with graded properties can be ideal for many advanced applications due to their seamless nature of microstructural transition, cost reduction and high resistance of failure. A compositionally graded AlXCoCrFeNi (x = 0.3–0.7) high entropy alloy composite build was additively manufactured using laser engineered net shaping (LENS™). In this high throughput production process, the elemental composition of Al-Co-Cr-Fe-Ni powders in the hoppers were varied and the feed rates were tuned to create a laminate of Al0.3CoCrFeNi and Al0.7CoCrFeNi layers, with a 500 μm wide transition zone of intermediary composition. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy along the build direction verified the elemental composition matching closely with the targeted compositions. X-ray diffraction revealed the Al0.3CoCrFeNi to be a single-phase face centered cubic (fcc) structure whereas Al0.7CoCrFeNi had dual phase fcc + B2. Scanning electron microscopy was used to capture the microstructural features in the two layers as well as the transition zone. The massive shift in mechanical properties of hardness, dynamic strength and work hardening rates in this graded composite have been discussed. With this endeavor, microstructural complexity of HEAs has been combined with unique advantage of LENS™ to achieve ingenious path to fabricate materials suited applications demanding variable strength and ductility/toughness.
Relationship Between Body Habitus and Aggression Subtypes Among Healthy Young Adults from the American Midwest.

This study examined associations between body habitus and functions of aggression, in a sample of 474 college students from the Midwestern region of the United States (age range = 18-25y; 73% Cauca...
Embedding Z in R

We have now defined two number systems, Z and R. Intuitively, we think of the integers as a subset of the real numbers; however, nothing in our axioms tells us explicitly that Z can be viewed as a subset of R. In fact, at the moment we have no axiomatic reason to think that the integers we named 0 and 1 are the same as the real numbers we named 0 and 1. Just for now, we will be more careful and write 0 Z and 1 Z for these special members of Z, and 0 R and 1 R for the corresponding special members of R. Informally we are accustomed to identifying 0 Z with 0 R R and identifying 1 Z with 1 R . We will justify this here by giving an embedding of Z into R, that is, a function that maps each integer to the corresponding number in R. Before You Get Started. How could such an embedding function of Z into R be constructed? From what you know about functions, what properties will such a function have?
Evaluating Amblyopia Treatment Success Using the American Academy of Ophthalmology IRIS50 Measures.

Abstract We report the first real-world analysis of AAO’s IRIS50 outcome measures, evaluating 1817 amblyopia patients and comparing with IRIS7. Of 238 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 81% were successful. No variables independently correlated with success.
Disparagement humor and anti-obesity attitudes

People with obesity are often the target of disparaging humour. The typical derision of obesity found in everyday life also extends into the realm of the media. Many assumptions have been made about the effects this type of humour may have on the public’s attitudes toward people with obesity, but little empirical research exists. In the present research, two studies sought to uncover whether jokes and humorous media depictions of people with obesity affect individuals’ attitudes. In Study 1, participants (N = 271) either read a list of derogatory jokes about obesity, read a list of derogatory comments about obesity, or read a list of jokes that were unrelated to obesity. All participants were then asked to report their 1) attitudes toward people with obesity in several domains, 2) level of belief in stereotypes about obesity and 3) judgement of the social acceptability of jokes about obesity. Participants’ scores on these dependent measures did not differ across groups suggesting obesity jokes do not have an immediate impact on attitudes. In Study 2, participants (N = 146) were shown video clips from film and television programmes that featured derogatory humour targeting obese characters. Again, participants’ scores on dependent measures did not differ across groups. The results of these studies suggest that brief exposure to derogatory weight-related humour may not affect individuals’ attitudes toward people with obesity as might be assumed. Longer exposure to disparaging humour may be required to shift individuals’ attitudes about people with obesity
Chapter 93 – Exopterygota

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses Exopterygota, which is a division of the class Insecta in the phylum Arthropoda. The orders of insects in this division have wings that develop externally during the maturation of the larva, which is variously referred to as a larva, nymph, or naiad. There are two superorders in this division: the Orthopteroidea, which includes the orders Blattodea, Dermaptera, Embiidina, Grylloblattodea, Isoptera, Mantodea, Mantophasmatodea, Orthoptera, Phasmatodea, and Plecoptera; and the Hemipteroidea, which includes Hemiptera, Phthiraptera, Psocoptera, Thysanoptera, and Zoraptera.
Recent Results from the High Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Gamma-Ray Observatory, anextensive air shower detector consisting of 300 water Cherenkov tanks located at 4100m in Puebla, Mexico, has been surveying the TeV gamma-ray sky for almost five years. HAWC can observe steady sources, variable sources, transients, which allows for probes of both astrophysical and particle physics phenomena. This includes the production and propagation of cosmic rays, studies of Lorentz invariance violation, and dark matter searches. I will discuss recent HAWC results as well as the future of the observatory.
Quantum Buzzwords

Many scientists seeking to understand the quantum mechanics of measurement situations (Copenhagen quantum theory) agree on its overwhelmingly successful algorithms to predict the outcomes of laboratory measurements but disagree on what these algorithms mean and how they are to be interpreted. Some of these problems are briefly described and resolutions suggested from the decoherent (or consistent) histories quantum mechanics of closed systems like the Universe.
“I Didn’t Want to Be Ignorant”: An Exploration of Why Preservice Teachers Sometimes Choose Silence in Critical Conversations About Texts With Elementary Children:

Discussions about texts can offer valuable opportunities for critical conversations about power and privilege. While we know such conversations are important to have in school, many teachers report...
Nationalism from Below: State Failures, Nollywood, and Nigerian Pidgin

The Nigerian film industry known as “Nollywood” was shaped (and even created) by profound weaknesses of the Nigerian state, but it inherited and carried forward one of the state’s major accomplishments: the creation of a national culture on and through television. This mission was reinterpreted in the context of a low-budget feature-film industry grounded in the informal sector of the economy. Twenty-five years on, governmental failures continue to structure the industry, even as new distribution technologies and the transnational corporations that have entered with them have created a whole new sector of production alongside the original one and have fractured the audience along class lines, adding to original linguistic and cultural divisions. Still, through its storytelling, Nollywood remains a powerful unifying cultural force on the national and Pan-African levels. In this context, Nigerian Pidgin is more important than ever as a linguistic medium of communication and as a symbol of national, regional, and Pan-African unity and communicability.
Optimal reduced-order solution to the 3D deterministic parabolic wave equation

In weakly scattering media, the parabolic wave equation is often utilized to develop approximate solutions to the Helmholtz equation. However, in three dimensions, at high frequencies, and when the computational domain becomes very large, computational cost grows quickly. We propose using a reduced-order modeling approach for the deterministic 3D parabolic wave equation via the dynamical low-rank approximation. This approach is similar in spirit to the normal-mode technique; however, instead of using fixed modes for the entire computational domain, we instantaneously optimally evolve the modes in range according to the PDE dynamics. This dynamic order reduction provides a more accurate low-rank approximation to the parabolic wave equation. We demonstrate the efficacy of this technique on realistic ocean acoustic test cases.
Proinflammatory chemokine induction in keratocytes and inflammatory cell infiltration into the cornea.

Purpose To determine the effect of interleukin (IL)-1alpha and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha on cytokine, chemokine, and receptor expression in corneal stromal cells; the effect of corneal scrape injury on monocyte chemotactic and activating factor (MCAF) expression and monocyte-macrophage influx into the stroma; and the effect of MCAF and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) microinjection on inflammatory cell infiltration into the stroma. Methods Gene array technology was used to evaluate changes in cytokine, chemokine, and receptor gene expression in stromal fibroblasts in response to IL-1alpha and TNFalpha. Expression of MCAF mRNA and protein was monitored with an RNase protection assay and Western blot analysis, respectively. Keratocyte MCAF protein expression in the rabbit cornea was detected with immunocytochemistry. After epithelial scrape injury, monocytes-macrophages were detected in rabbit corneas, by immunocytochemistry for monocyte-macrophage antigen. Inflammatory cell infiltration after MCAF and G-CSF microinjection into the stroma of mouse corneas was monitored with hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results IL-1alpha or TNFalpha upregulated the expression of several proinflammatory chemokines in stromal fibroblasts in culture. These included G-CSF, MCAF, neutrophil-activating peptide (ENA-78), and monocyte-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor (MDNCF). MCAF mRNA upregulation was confirmed by RNase protection assay, and MCAF protein was detected by Western blot analysis. MCAF protein was detected in keratocytes at 4 hours and 24 hours after epithelial injury, but not in keratocytes in the unwounded cornea. Corneal epithelial injury triggered the influx of monocytes-macrophages into the corneal stroma in the rabbit. Microinjection of MCAF and G-CSF into mouse cornea resulted in the influx of monocytes-macrophages and granulocytes, respectively, into the stroma. Conclusions Proinflammatory chemokine induction in keratocytes is mediated by IL-1alpha and TNFalpha. The proinflammatory chemokines produced by the keratocytes probably trigger the influx of inflammatory cells into the stroma after epithelial injury associated with corneal surgery, contact lenses, or trauma.
Parathyroid hormone in neonates

Aim The goal of this study is to describe secondary hyperparathyroidism in extremely low birthweight (ELBW) neonates and their response to enteral calcium carbonate (CaCO3) supplementation. Methods A retrospective case series was conducted on extremely low birth infants, <1000 g birthweight, who survived hospitalisation, had no major congenital anomalies and had all their care in our institution Results During this 6-year period, 231 ELBW infants survived hospitalisation at our institution. Of the 231 patients, parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were performed in 66 of these patients (29%) and were elevated in 54 patients (82% of those tested). The timing of this testing was sporadic and was often performed after recognising osteopenia on radiography. Of the 54 patients with high PTH levels, 44 (81%) were treated with CaCO3 and PTH levels were monitored while on therapy. The average duration of therapy was 41 ± 28 days, with 64% of PTH levels returning to normal before discharge. Conclusions PTH is a major hormone responsible for bone resorption, and serum levels may be a useful marker in identifying ELBW neonates at risk for metabolic bone disease. ELBW neonates with secondary hyperparathyroidism may benefit from enteral supplementation with CaCO3. Further studies are needed to better evaluate the incidence, timing and potential treatment of hyperparathyroidism in ELBW infants.
Risk Assessment and Prophylaxis for VTE in Cancer Patients

The frequency of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is rising in patients with cancer. VTE contributes to mortality and morbidity, but the risk for VTE can vary widely between individual patients. Clinical risk factors for VTE in cancer include primary site of cancer, use of systemic therapy, surgery, and hospitalization. Biomarkers predictive of VTE include platelet and leukocyte counts, hemoglobin, D-dimer, and tissue factor. A recently validated risk model incorporates 5 easily available variables and can be used clinically to identify patients at increased risk of VTE. In high-risk settings, including surgery and hospitalization, thromboprophylaxis with either unfractionated heparin or low-molecular-weight heparins has been shown to be safe and effective. Recent studies have also suggested a potential benefit for thromboprophylaxis in the ambulatory setting, although criteria for selecting patients for prophylaxis are not currently well defined. This article focuses on recent and ongoing studies of risk assessment and prophylaxis in patients with cancer.
Key frame selection by motion analysis

This paper describes a new algorithm for identifying key frames in shots from video programs. We use optical flow computations to identify local minima of motion in a shot-stillness emphasizes the image for the viewer. This technique allows us to identify both gestures which are emphasized by momentary pauses and camera motion which links together several distinct images in a single shot. Results show that our algorithm can successfully select several key frames from a single complex shot which effectively summarize the shot.
Accommodating protein flexibility in computational drug design.

The need to account for the dynamic behavior of a receptor has long been recognized as a complicating factor in computational drug design. The use of a single, rigid protein structure—usually from a high-quality X-ray crystal structure—still is the standard in most applications ([Zheng and Kyle
Emerging areas of nursing science and PhD education for the 21st century: Response to commentaries

We respond to commentaries from the American Academy of Nursing, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and the National Institute of Nursing Research on our thoughts about integrating emerging areas of science into nursing PhD programs. We identify areas of agreement and focus our response on cross-cutting issues arising from cautions about the unique focus of nursing science and how best to proceed with incorporation of emerging areas of science into nursing PhD programs.
Evidence for a Surface-State Exciton on GaAs(110)

Synchrotron-radiation photoemission data are obtained from GaAs ($\overline{1}\overline{1}0$) and (110) faces for $s$ and $p$ polarization which show an enhancement of valence-electron emission for initial states at and below the valence-band maximum when the photon energy is scanned through the threshold for Ga-$3d$-core to intrinsic-surface-state excitations. The enhancement is interpreted as a core surface exciton associated with the Ga dangling bonds.
Spatial Regulation and Activity Modulation of Plasmin by High Affinity Binding to the G domain of the α3 Subunit of Laminin-5 *

Abstract Cells in complex tissues contact extracellular matrix that interacts with integrin receptors to influence gene expression, proliferation, apoptosis, adhesion, and motility. During development, tissue remodeling, and tumorigenesis, matrix components are modified by enzymatic digestion with subsequent effects on integrin binding and signaling. We are interested in understanding the mechanisms by which broad spectrum proteinases such as plasmin are targeted to their extracellular matrix protein substrates. We have utilized plasmin-mediated cleavage of the epithelial basement membrane glycoprotein laminin-5 as a model to evaluate molecular events that direct plasmin activity to specific structural domains. We report that plasminogen and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) exhibit high affinity, specific binding to the G1 subdomain of the N terminus of the laminin-5 α3 subunit, with equilibrium dissociation constants of 50 nm for plasminogen and 80 nm for tPA. No high affinity binding to the G2, G3, and G4 subdomains was observed. As a result of binding to the G1 subdomain, the catalytic efficiency of tPA-catalyzed plasminogen activation is enhanced 32-fold, leading to increased matrix-associated plasmin that is positioned favorably for cleavage within the G4 subdomain as we have reported previously (Goldfinger, L. E., Stack, M. S., and Jones, J. C. R. (1998) J. Cell Biol. 141, 255–265). Thus, physical constraints dictated by interaction of proteinase and matrix macromolecule control not only enzymatic activity but may regulate substrate targeting of proteinases.
CHANGES IN RAILROAD FINANCIAL STRUCTURES 1929–1958

THIS DISSERTATION IS an inductive study of railroad financial structures for the period 1929-58. The purpose is to go beyond the casual, survey-type studies for a time period and for a selection of railroads that are economically and financially significant, in order to demonstrate not only the changes that have occurred but also the manner in which these changes came about. A detailed picture of the organic evolution of the financial structures of twenty-seven leading Class I railroads is educed. Primary emphasis is placed on those major issues of debt securities outstanding at the end of 1928 and issued subsequent thereto. Capital stock flotations, because of their relative insignificance to the total of railroad finance, and equipment securities, because they have been treated adequately in other recent studies, do not receive extensive treatment. A number of pertinent relationships for each road are presented and analyzed. To add perspicuity to the contemporary scene, a brief history of railroad finance is given. The data are then presented in a number of ways, to bring out pertinent relationships regarding the general pattern of use of long-term debt and equity funds and the relative importance of different financing patterns for particular roads and regions. It was found that there was a decline in the use of mortgage debt and a substantial increase in equipment securities, although there was no substantial change in secured debt as a whole. In particular cases, income securities and unsecured debt were important, while the collateral form of debt declined in importance. While almost every road used each type of debt security included in the study, a few roads as well as a few types dominated over all. Extensive usage of equipment securities was in evidence in almost every case. This was more prevalent in the last decade of the period than in the first two, indicating the preoccupation of contemporary railroad finance with the replacement of and additions to rolling stock. Similarly, much of railroad non-equipment finance centered on
Elective cerclage versus cervical sonography in the management of women with prior midtrimester loss

Abstract Objective: To compare the outcome of women with a history of midtrimester loss (MTL) when managed with elective cerclage (EC) versus serial cervical sonography (CS). Methods: Over a 7-year period, we identified 199 women with a prior MTL carrying singleton gestations. We compared pregnancy outcomes between 114 women managed with serial CS between 15 and 24 weeks of gestation and 85 women who received EC. In the group who were followed with serial CS, a rescue cerclage or restricted physical activity as the only treatment was considered when the cervical length shortened to 2.0 cm or less. Values were reported as median (range). Results: Results are reported in the following table. Elective cerclage (N = 85) Cervical sonography (N = 114) Cerclage rate 100% 35% Gestational age (GA) at delivery (weeks) 37 (23–41) 38 (18–42) GA less than 37 weeks 44.1% 25.4% ( P = 0.009) GA less than 33 weeks 21.0% 17.5% Preoperative cervical length — 0.88 (0.0–2.0) Conclusion: Women with prior midtrimester loss managed with serial cervical sonography have equal or better perinatal outcomes with lower utilization of cerclage than those treated with elective cerclage.
Production functions relating crop yield, water quality and quantity, soil salinity and drainage volume

Abstract Data from a long-term lysimeter experiment were used to estimate a set of production functions describing relationships between yield, water quantity and quality, soil salinity and drainage volume. The experiment simulated a variety of conditions prevailing in the San Joaquin and Imperial Valleys of California currently suffering salinity and drainage problems. Coefficients for the various estimated functions are statistically significant and the functions describe the relative effects of input water quality and quantity on yield, soil salinity, and drainage volumes for wheat, sorghum and tall wheatgrass. Possible use of these functions for decision making is discussed.
Computed tomography correlates with improvement with ivacaftor in cystic fibrosis patients with G551D mutation

Abstract Background Ivacaftor corrects the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gating defect associated with G551D mutation and is quickly becoming an important treatment in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) due to this genetic mutation. Methods A single-center study was performed in CF patients receiving ivacaftor to evaluate the usefulness of high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the chest as a way to gauge response to ivacaftor therapy. Results Ten patients with CF were enrolled for at least one year before and after starting ivacaftor. At time of enrollment, mean age was 20.9±10.8 (range 10–44) years. There were significant improvements from baseline to 6months in mean %FVC (93±16 to 99±16) and %FEV1 (79±26 to 87±28) but reverted to baseline at one year. Mean sweat chloride levels decreased significantly from baseline to one year. Mean weight and BMI improved at 6months. Weight continued to improve with stabilization of BMI at one year. Chest HRCT showed significant improvement at one year in mean modified Brody scores for bronchiectasis, mucous plugging, airway wall thickness, and total Brody scores. Elevated bronchiectasis and airway wall thickness scores correlated significantly with lower %FEV1, while higher airway wall thickness and mucus plugging scores correlated with more pulmonary exacerbations requiring IV and oral antibiotics respectively. Conclusions Based on our findings, HRCT imaging is a useful tool in monitoring response to ivacaftor therapy that corrects the gating defect associated with the G551D-CFTR mutation.
The SPECTer of Commercial Neuroimaging

In their article, Farah and Gillihan (2012) discuss many of the issues that make the use of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans in psychiatric diagnosis a tenuous proposition, ...
Non-invasive indicators of pulmonary hypertension from pulmonary veins quantification in sickle cell disease

Pulmonary hypertension is a common cause of death among patients with sickle cell disease. This retrospective study investigates the use of pulmonary vein analysis to diagnose pulmonary hypertension non-invasively with CT-Angiography images. Ten images from patients with pulmonary hypertension were matched with controls. An adaptive fast marching approach is applied in order to segment the left atrium and pulmonary veins, followed by a geodesic active contour to isolate the atrium. The ostia of the pulmonary veins are determined by computing the skeleton and finding the intersections with the contour of the atrium. 96.3% of the ostia are identified correctly by the technique. The diameters of the veins are then measured and their sum is computed at fixed distances from the ostium. These quantitative indicators are significantly larger in patients as compared to controls (p-values < 0.01). Furthermore, the non-invasive estimations of the method present a high and significant correlation with the clinical hemodynamics measurements obtained from right heart catheterization.
Radiation Therapy for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Several recent reports have described stabilization of visual acuity and regression of subfoveal neovascular membranes in response to modest doses of ionizing radiation in patients with the exudative form of age related macular degeneration (ARMD). This paper provides a concise review of clinical radiation therapy and surveys the published literature regarding the use of ionizing radiation to test ARMD.
Pairing fluctuations in cuprate superconductors: universal properties and trends

The effects of thermal pairing fluctuations on the phase transition in extreme type II superconductors with pronounced uniaxial anisotropy are examined in zero magnetic field. Approaching T c from below, there is the crossover from quasi-2D to 3D xy-behavior, which belongs to the universality class of an uncharged superfluid. Because phase fluctuations destroy long-range order in strictly 2D systems the fluctuation dominated regime is rather large. Approaching from above, the same crossover occurs, but in this regime the fluctuations in the magnitude of the pairing field dominate. Using the Gaussian approximation we obtain the relevant correlation lengths and show the importance of fluctuations and anisotropy.
Purification and Properties of Thyrotropin from Functional Pituitary Tumors in Mice

Thyrotropin was isolated from transplantable pituitary tumors of mice by a combination of percolation, gel filtration and adsorption on and elution from carboxymethyl cellulose and diethylaminoethyl cellulose. Peak activity was 73 IU/mg. Relative to the bovine international standard, m-TSH had a potency 50% higher in the Querido mouse assay than it had in the chick assay. Murine TSH had an S20,w of 2.9–3.0. The molecular weight was 28,500 by density gradient centrifugation. In general, the amino acid composition of murine TSH was similar to that of bovine TSH. Galactose (6 residues\ mol) was the principal hexose in m-TSH, whereas mannose (4 residues\mol) predominated in b-TSH. The most striking difference in composition was found with respect to the hexosamine content: m-TSH contained only 3 residues of glucosamine\mol, whereas there were 8 residues\mol in b-TSH; no galactosamine could be found in m-TSH in contrast to 3 residues\mol in b-TSH. (Endocrinology 85: 453, 1969)
Colouring isoparametric contours

A procedure presented for displaying variables in colour on an isoparametric surface. It utilizes isoparametric interpolation functions to produce continuous colour variations on the surface. It can also be employed on standard printers for non‐colour displays.
Phosphatidohydrolase activity in a solubilized preparation from rat brain particulate fraction

Abstract Phospholipase D activity (phosphatidylcholine phosphatidohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.4) was demonstrated in vitro in a solubilized preparation from rat brain particulate fraction which also possessed the transphosphatidylation activity. The preparation attacked a phosphatidylcholine microdispersion and cleaved the terminal phosphate diester bond of this phospholipid resulting in the formation of phosphatidic acid. The pH optimum for the phosphatidohydrolase activity was broad with an apparent peak aroung 6.0 whereas the transphosphatidylation showed a sharp pH optimum at 7.2 Ca2+ was not essential for the hydrolysis, but merely stimulated slightly with an optimum about 5 m m , however, it could be replaced by Mg2+. The hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine by the enzyme was almost completely inhibited in the presence of either diethyl ether (20% by volume) or p-chloromercuriophenyl sulfonate (6 × 10 −5 m ). The latter inhibition was reduced by the addition of dithiothreitol (6 × 10−4 m ). The result suggests an essential role of sulfhydryl group in the formation of the enzyme-substrate complex. The apparent Km for phsophatidylcholine for the phosphatidohydrolase activity was about 8.3 × 10 −4 m .
NIR Characterization and Measurement of the Cotton Content of Dyed Blend Fabrics

Near infrared (NIR) techniques for the measurement of cotton-polyester (PET) blend content have concentrated on yarn slivers and greige fabrics rather than the more difficult application to dyed or printed fabrics. The need for a robust and rapid measurement of the fiber content in dyed cotton-PET fabrics has been expressed by several organizations. Investigations were initiated to develop NIR techniques to measure the cotton content of dyed blend fabrics. NIR measurements were made on dyed or pigmented cotton-PET fabrics that comprised a wide range of cotton content, fabric parameters, and patterns/colors. The samples were analyzed on two NIR instruments at two locations with various reflectance NIR sampling systems. Significant spectral differences were observed for 100% cotton and 100% PET samples, and these spectral differences carried over to the dyed cotton-PET samples with changing cotton content. The impacts of significant differences in baseline were minimized with the use of advanced chemometric...