cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
When Good Instruments Go Bad

This note examines the instrumental variables method used by Neumark, Zhang, and Ciccarella (2005) to analyze Wal-Mart's effect on retail labor markets, and exposes major flaws in that methodology. Neumark, Zhang, and Ciccarella use an interaction between distance from Wal-Mart's headquarters and time effects to predict Wal-Mart's presence in a county, and find that each Wal-Mart store destroys, on average, approximately 200 retail jobs. These findings are in stark contrast to Basker (2005) who found a small, but positive and statistically significant, effect on jobs. I show that the IV estimates obtained by Neumark, Zhang, and Ciccarella confound Wal-Mart's causal effect with other factors. To illustrate the problem, I show that their methodology implies a large impact of Wal-Mart not only on retail employment but also on county manufacturing employment. Reduced-form estimates of the regressions show statistically and economically indistinguishable effects in counties with and without Wal-Mart presence, implying that other factors are most likely driving the results.
Surfactant Scavenging by Microbubble Clouds: Consequences for Capillary Wave Damping

Soluble surfactants adsorb to rising clouds of micro-bubbles and are subsequently deposited on the surface of the bulk liquid. The adsorbed surfactant leads to strongly increased damping of capillary waves, when compared to the damping rate of capillary waves on a clean surface. A theory is developed for the nonlinear dynamics of a bubble cloud, surfactant scavenging, and capillary wave damping. The main ingredients are: (i) an understanding of the connections between spatial structure in the bubble cloud and its mixing properties, deduced from numerical simulation and scaling analysis, (ii) horizontally averaged equations for the surfactant dynamics, and (iii) a (complex) dispersion relation that connects surface properties modified by the presence of surfactants to capillary wave damping.
Participation and Fertility Behavior of Italian Women: The Role of Market Rigidities

Economic models of household behavior typically yield the prediction that increases in schooling levels and wage rates of married women lead to increases in their labor supply and reductions in fertility. In Italy, as well as in other Southern European countries, low labor market participation rates of married women are observed together with low birth rates. Our proposed explanation for this apparent anomaly involves the Italian institutional structure, particularly as reflected in rigidities and imperfections in the labor and housing markets and characteristics of the publicly-funded child care system. These rigidities tend to simultaneously increase the costs of having children and to discourage the labor market participation of married women. We analyze a model of labor supply and fertility, using panel data from the Bank of Italy which have been merged with regional data describing the available opportunities in each sample household’s environment. The empirical results show that the availability of child care and part time work increase both the probability of working and having a child. Policies which would provide more flexible working hours choices and greater child care availability would aid in reducing the financial burden of children.
Delay Analysis in Synchronous Programs

Linear relation analysis [CH78, Hal79] has been proposed a long time ago as an abstract interpretation which permits to discover linear relations invariantly satisfied by the variables of a program. Here, we propose to apply this general method to variables used to count delays in synchronous programs. The “regular” behavior of these counters makes the results of the analysis especially precise. These results can be applied to code optimization and to the verification of real-time properties of programs.
Forced Rossby waves in a basin with a meridional barrier and bottom friction

The forced, linear, Rossby wave solution for a barotropic fluid in a square basin on a b plane containing a thin, continuous but pierced meridional barrier is examined. The forcing is zonally localized and vorticity is removed through bottom friction. The forcing is applied east of the barrier and is periodic in time. To the north and south of the barrier there are small gaps of equal width d separating the barrier from the basin walls. The value of the stream function on the walls of the basin is zero while the value of the stream function on the barrier, CI , is a function of time, the forcing structure and the forcing frequency. CI is determined by an application of Kelvin’s theorem on a contour about the barrier and its value gives the flux between the two sub-basins that are formed by the barrier. The variance of the stream function is explored as a function of the forcing frequency for different meridional structures of the forcing. We investigate symmetric, antisymmetric, and asymmetric forcings about the mid-latitude of the basin. Peaks in the variance occur at frequencies where the solution is dominated by a full basin or sub-basin mode. It was found that modes which were antisymmetric about the mid-latitude could not propagate past the barrier, while modes which were symmetric about the mid-latitude always had some propagation past the barrier. For the case of eastern sub-basin modes which are symmetric about the mid-latitude this propagation is minute. The sensitivity of the solutions to bottom friction is also discussed. As friction is increased, the peaks in the variance become broader and begin to merge. At sufficiently high values of bottom friction a combination of modes, rather than one single mode, dominates the solution at a peak frequency.
Gastroesophageal reflux during gastrostomy feeding

Background/Aims: Aspiration pneumonia is one of the most serious complications of gastrostomy tube feeding, with a reported incidence of 10%–20% in nursing home patients. The aims of this prospective study were to examine lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure before and after placement of gastrostomy tubes and to examine the effects of rapid intragastric bolus and slow, continuous feeding on LES pressure. Methods: Ten subjects were enrolled in the study. Basal LES pressure was measured before and after placement of gastrostomy tubes. Thereafter, LES pressure was measured for 15 minutes during rapid intragastric infusion of 250 mL of an enteral feeding formula and 100 mL water and continuous infusion of the enteral feeding formula at 80 mL/h. Scintigrams evaluating gastroesophageal reflux were obtained during each method of feeding. Results: Placement of gastrostomy tubes had no effect on basal LES pressure. Rapid intragastric bolus infusion led to a reduction in LES pressure to incompetent levels at 2.1 ± 2.0 mm Hg (P 0.05) or show free gastroesophageal reflux by scintigraphy. Conclusions: Gastroesophageal reflux and aspiration in patients fed via the gastrostomy tube may be caused by LES relaxation secondary to gastric distention caused by distention of the stomach.
Abstract 174: Organization of Cardiologists in the United States - An Early View in the Era of Accountable Care Organizations

Objective: To understand the organization of cardiologists in the United States and territories with an emphasis on identifying the characteristics of practices where cardiologists practice. Data: The Healthcare Organization Services database, which provides information on the designation, specialties and business associations, or affiliations, of healthcare professionals across the US and territories. These data were updated as of September 2013. Methods: Cardiologists were defined as providers with an MD or DO, who have an active clinical practice, and either: (1) have Cardiology as primary specialty, or (2) who have Internal Medicine, Pediatrics or Family Medicine indicated as primary specialty, with Cardiology as secondary specialty. Cardiologists were linked to businesses and descriptive analyses were conducted to characterize the organization of cardiologists. Findings: We identified 33,745 cardiologists; 22,461 of these cardiologists had at least one affiliation with an ambulatory practice or independent physician association (AP/IPA), while 30,567 had at least one hospital affiliation. Approximately 57.6% (19,453 of 33,745) of cardiologists were affiliated with both the AP/IPA and hospital settings. The overwhelming majority of ambulatory practices linked to hospital-AP/IPA affiliated cardiologists are medical groups (7,839 of 9,838), while independent physician practices comprise the next largest category (1,498 of 9,838). Of the 7,839 medical groups, 3,809 are cardiology specialty, 1,316 are multispecialty group practices, and 2,060 are family practice, general practice, geriatric medicine, internal medicine, pediatric medicine or primary care. Among all non-multispecialty medical groups (n=6,523), 59.2% (3,862 of 6,523) have 1-2 affiliated cardiologists, 21.7% (1,413 of 6,523) have 3-5, 12.6% (821 of 6,523) have 6-10 and 6.5% (427 of 6,523) have more than 10 affiliated cardiologists. Focusing at the provider level, 17,639 hospital-AP/IPA cardiologists had any affiliation with a medical group (MG), with 12,840 cardiologists with any cardiology specialty MG affiliation, 3,215 with any multispecialty group practice MG affiliation, and 3,051 with any family practice, general practice, geriatric medicine, internal medicine, pediatric medicine or primary care MG affiliation. Overall, 15,476 hospital-AP/IPA cardiologists had any affiliation with at least one non-multi-specialty group practice (non-MSGP), with 4,279 affiliated with one or more non-MSGP(s) with 1-2 cardiologists, 4,378 with one or more non-MSGP(s) with 3-5 cardiologists, and 4,861 and 5,099 affiliated with one or more non-MSGP(s) with 6-10 and >10 cardiologists, respectively. Conclusion: The majority of cardiologists were affiliated with both a hospital and ambulatory practice or IPA. Of this subset, most cardiologists were affiliated with at least one group practice.
Phosphorylation-facilitated sumoylation of MEF2C negatively regulates its transcriptional activity

Sumoylation has emerged as an important posttranslational regulatory mechanism for transcription factors and cofactors. Sumoylation of many transcription factors represses their transcriptional activities. The myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) family of transcription factors plays an important role in regulating gene expression during myogenesis and has been recently shown to be sumoylated. Consistent with earlier reports, we show that sumoylation of MEF2C at K391 inhibits its transcriptional activity. Sumoylation of MEF2C does not block its DNA-binding activity. A small C-terminal fragment of MEF2C containing K391, referred to as delta-N2-MEF2C, is efficiently sumoylated and, when targeted to DNA, represses transcription at neighbouring promoters. Because delta-N2-MEF2C lacks the binding site for class II histone deacetylases (HDACs), this result suggests that sumoylation of MEF2C may help to recruit transcriptional repressors other than these HDACs. Intriguingly, we show that phosphorylation of S396 in MEF2C, a residue in close proximity to the major sumoylation site (K391) and known to be phosphorylated in vivo, enhances sumoylation of delta- N2-MEF2C in vitro. The S396A mutation reduces sumoylation of MEF2C in vivo and enhances the transcription activity of MEF2C in reporter assays. We propose that phosphorylation of MEF2C at S396 facilitates its sumoylation at K391, which in turn recruits yet unidentified co-repressors to inhibit transcription. Our studies further suggest that sumoylation motifs containing a phosphorylated serine or an acidic residue at the +5 position might be more efficiently sumoylated.
A receptor binding assay for paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins: recent advances and applications.

We recently described a high throughput receptor binding assay for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins, the use of the assay for detecting toxic activity in shellfish and algal extracts, and the validation of 11-[3H]-tetrodotoxin as an alternative radioligand to the [3H]-saxitoxin conventionally employed in the assay. Here, we report a dramatic increase in assay efficiency through application of microplate scintillation technology, resulting in an assay turn around time of 4 h. Efforts are now focused on demonstrating the range of applications for which this receptor assay can provide data comparable to the more time consuming, technically demanding HPLC analysis of PSP toxins, currently the method of choice for researchers. To date, we have compared the results of both methods for a variety of sample types, including different genera of PSP toxin producing dinoflagellates (e.g. Alexandrium lusitanicum, r2 = 0.9834, n = 12), size-fractioned field samples of Alexandrium spp. (20-64 microm; r2 = 0.9997, n = 10) as well as its associated zooplankton grazer community (200-500 microm: r2 = 0.6169, n = 10; >500 microm: r2 = 0.5063, n = 10), and contaminated human fluids (r2 = 0.9661, n = 7) from a PSP outbreak. Receptor-based STX equivalent values for all but the zooplankton samples were highly correlated and exhibited close quantitative agreement with those produced by HPLC. While the PSP receptor binding assay does not provide information on toxin composition obtainable by HPLC, it does represent a robust and reliable means of rapidly assessing PSP-like toxicity in laboratory and field samples. Moreover, this assay should be effective as a screening tool for use by public health officials in responding to suspected cases of PSP intoxication.
ON THE CALCULATION OF MELTING TEMPERATURES FOR LOW-TEMPERATURE PHASES OF POLYMORPHIC METALS

Abstract Methods for the calculation of experimentally indeterminable melting points are discussed. It is shown that these melting temperatures can be significantly lower than normal melting points and must be used in such parameters as the reduced temperature, T T m , whenever this parameter pertains to the low-temperature phase of a polymorphic metal. A principle for the accurate location of such melting points is rigorously established from the fact that changes in thermodynamic state functions are independent of the path connecting the initial and final states. An empirical rule is proposed which enables rapid estimation of these melting temperatures, and in addition greatly facilitates the application of the rigorous procedure.
Disruption of the single tropomyosin gene in yeast results in the disappearance of actin cables from the cytoskeleton.

Abstract The yeast tropomyosin gene, designated TPM1 , is present in a single copy per haploid genome and encodes a protein with a predicted molecular weight of 23.5 kd. The protein sequence is homologous to higher cell tropomyosins, including the characteristic hydrophobic-hydrophilic pseudoheptapeptide repeats. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy reveals that tropomyosin is localized with actin cables in wild-type cells. Disruption of TPM1 is not lethal, but results in a reduced growth rate and disappearance of actin cables. Strains carrying the conditional actin mutation act1–2 also lack actin cables; overexpression of tropomyosin in these strains partially restores actin cables. These results strongly suggest that tropomyosin interacts with F actin in vivo and may play an important role in assembling or stabilizing actin cables in yeast.
Effect of corn leaf sampled on N, P, K, Ca and Mg content and calculated DRIS indices

Abstract The indices calculated from the Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) are used to interpret previously published data on the variation in N, P, K, Ca and Mg content in corn leaves. The results indicate that the DRIS approach is able to make consistent diagnoses of the order of requirement of the above elements by the plant irrespective of position of the leaf on the plant and portion of leaf sampled within certain limits. The diagnoses are completely consistent if any whole leaf from the middle of the plant is sampled.
Position Paper: Locality-Driven Scheduling of Tasks for Data-Dependent Multithreading

Implementing locality-aware scheduling algorithms using fine-programming models may generate scheduling overheads due to the potential elevated number of tasks. In order to reduce such overhead, while increasing at the same time data locality in multithreaded applications, this paper proposes a new technique named Locality-Driven Code Scheduling (LDCS). LDCS uses the data dependency graph of an application to identify the tasks writing to a common chunk of data and groups them into a single coarse-grain construct called super-task. LDCS uses fine-grain synchronization to start the execution of a super-task, but relaxes the constraints of classical macro-dataflow models by signaling a super-task in the middle of its execution to fire each of its internal phases. Since all the phases of a super-task process the same block of data and the scheduling of work to hardware threads is made in terms of super-tasks, long latency operations are significantly reduced. Preliminary results show that LDCS can improve the performance of a linear algebra kernel by 72% on average for weak scaling in comparison with a dynamic scheduling version of the kernel when using an architecture with software-managed memory hierarchy.
Principles of the law of software contracts

An overview of a new set of legal principles for software contracts developed by the American Law Institute.
Modification of antisense phosphodiester oligodeoxynucleotides by a 5' cholesteryl moiety increases cellular association and improves efficacy.

Abstract Phosphodiester oligodeoxynucleotides bearing a 5' cholesteryl (chol) modification bind to low density lipoprotein (LDL), apparently by partitioning the chol-modified oligonucleotides into the lipid layer. Both HL60 cells and primary mouse spleen T and B cells incubated with fluorescently labeled chol-modified oligonucleotide showed substantially increased cellular association by flow cytometry and increased internalization by confocal microscopy compared to an identical molecule not bearing the chol group. Cellular internalization of chol-modified oligonucleotide occurred at least partially through the LDL receptor; it was increased in mouse spleen cells by cell culture in lipoprotein-deficient medium and/or lovastatin, and it was decreased by culture in high serum medium. To determine whether chol-modified oligonucleotides are more potent antisense agents, we titered antisense unmodified phosphodiester and chol-modified oligonucleotides targeted against a mouse immunosuppressive protein. Murine spleen cells cultured with 20 microM phosphodiester antisense oligonucleotides had a 2-fold increase in RNA synthesis, indicating the expected lymphocyte activation. Antisense chol-modified oligonucleotides showed an 8-fold increase in relative potency: they caused a 2-fold increase in RNA synthesis at just 2.5 microM. The increased efficacy was blocked by heparin and was further increased by cell culture in 1% (vs. 10%) fetal bovine serum, suggesting that the effect may, at least in part, be mediated via the LDL receptor. Antisense chol-modified oligonucleotides are sequence specific and have increased potency as compared to unmodified oligonucleotides.
Intussusception of a fallopian tube

Abstract Intussusception of the fallopian tube is a rare condition which has been described in the world literature several times [1–5]. A case is described in a fifteen year old girl with abdominal pain. The precipitating cause appeared to be a paraovarian cyst which was engulfed by the tube.
Developmental changes in brain function underlying the influence of reward processing on inhibitory control

Adolescence is a period marked by changes in motivational and cognitive brain systems. However, the development of the interactions between reward and cognitive control processing are just beginning to be understood. Using event-related functional neuroimaging and an incentive modulated antisaccade task, we compared blood-oxygen level dependent activity underlying motivated response inhibition in children, adolescents, and adults. Behaviorally, children and adolescents performed significantly worse than adults during neutral trials. However, children and adolescents showed significant performance increases during reward trials. Adults showed no performance changes across conditions. fMRI results demonstrated that all groups recruited a similar circuitry to support task performance, including regions typically associated with rewards (striatum and orbital frontal cortex), and regions known to be involved in inhibitory control (putative frontal and supplementary eye fields, and posterior parietal cortex, and prefrontal loci). During rewarded trials adolescents showed increased activity in striatal regions, while adults demonstrated heightened activation in the OFC relative to children and adolescents. Children showed greater reliance on prefrontal executive regions that may be related to increased effort in inhibiting responses. Overall, these results indicate that response inhibition is enhanced with reward contingencies over development. Adolescents’ heightened response in striatal regions may be one factor contributing to reward-biased decision making and perhaps risk taking behavior.
Hydrogen impurities and shallow donors in SnO 2 studied by infrared spectroscopy

Hydrogen has been found to be an important source of $n$-type conductivity in the transparent conducting oxide SnO${}_{2}$. We have studied the properties of H in SnO${}_{2}$ single crystals with infrared spectroscopy. When H or D is introduced into SnO${}_{2}$ by annealing in an H${}_{2}$ or D${}_{2}$ ambient at elevated temperature, several O-H and O-D vibrational lines are produced, along with the low-frequency absorption characteristic of free carriers. To probe the relationship between H and the free carriers it introduces, the thermal stability of free carrier absorption and its relationship to the thermal stabilities of O-H lines have been examined. Two H-related donors are found: one is stable at room temperature on a time scale of weeks, and a second is stable up to 600 ${}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}$C. These electrically active defects are found to interact with other O-H centers and can be converted from one to another by thermal treatments. The vibrational modes have been found to have distinctive polarization properties that provide an important test of microscopic defect models for the several O-H and (O-H)${}_{2}$ centers we have observed.
Bankrupt stocks, reorganization plans and market efficiency: Are bankrupt stocks overpriced?

Abstract Recent newspaper articles have reported cases where exchange-listed stocks of bankrupt companies have traded at prices well above the value allocated to shareholders under the reorganization plan submitted to the Bankruptcy Court. The articles provide examples of stocks trading at over a dollar a share, when “everybody knows” that the stockholders will receive less than a dime under the terms of the reorganization. Can the stock market be as woefully inefficient as these articles suggest, or do investors in these securities have some reasonable hope that the terms of the reorganization will be modified to their benefit? In this study we examine a large sample of bankrupt companies who have submitted reorganization plans. Our evidence indicates that stockholders of these companies have unreasonably high expectations about their future prospects.
Electrostatic interactions in micro-electro-mechanical resonant oscillators

Resonant mode operation is common in many MicroElectroMechanical (MEM) applications including accelerometers, gyroscopes and filters [Kovacs (1998), Nguyen (1999)]. When electrostatic transduction is used in these applications, concerns about cross talk and fringing field effects due to geometry are major issues. In this paper, an electrostatically coupled system is briefly introduced, modeled and the dynamic response due to small parametric (displacement dependant) electrostatic force is analyzed using perturbation methods. The presence of coupled parametric resonance has a very significant effect on the dynamic response. Experimental verification of the occurrence of this phenomenon is also presented here. The coupled oscillator system can also be used as an in situ test device to understand the electrostatic parameters in a system. The method of modeling and analysis presented here is simple, yet captures the dynamic behavior of a system due to a small force. This method can be generalized and will be a useful tool in any resonant MEM system design.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Using a biological fingerprint for server authentication

Verifying authentication credentials remains a challenge for most login protocols. An application has no definitive way to verify that a requesting service is coming from a trusted computer. This paper proposes a protocol that gives two servers a unique certificate based on a biological protein that cannot be duplicated. The proposed methodology is meant to be used as a secure authentication scheme and in a server-to-server environment.
An Evaluation of Index Medicus and MEDLARS in the Field of Ophthalmology

An evaluation of the performance of Index Medicus and MEDLARS in the field of ophthalmology is presented, using data generated by a separate study. MEDLARS performance figures gave a screened precision ratio of 54% and a recall ratio of 42%. Over the same set of questions Index Medicus had a screened precision ratio of 53 % and a recall ratio of 46%. Results for Index Medicus alone over a larger set of questions gave a 73 % screened precision ratio and a 47% recall ratio. A random sample of MEDLARS and Index Medicus precision and recall failures showed that most of the Index Medicus recall failures resulted from manual searcher omissions. The major causes of MEDLARS precision failures were inadequate indexing terminology to express concepts and attempts at providing too exhaustive a search.
Discussion of “common dilemmas in combined individual and group treatment” by Anne Alsonso and J. Scott Rutan

This article provides an excellent discussion of the dilemmas therapists face when practicing combined treatment. I would like to add to the authors' work by elaborating on one of the dilemmas they mention. I shall also discuss another kind of dilemma these authors do not mention, but one that I believe many of us struggle with when practicing combined therapy. Under the rubric of privacy versus secrecy, Alonso and Rutan note a problem whereby patients reveal material in the individual session that they are reluctant to expose to the group. The problem for therapists is one of maintaining silence to avoide shaming the patient, but, at the same time, risking a collusion with the patient's resistance to the group. This dilemma raises for consideration the more general issue of how to work effectively with shame and humiliation affects. The role of these affects in the therapeutic process has been historically underestimated. Helen Block Lewis (1971) has done much to change this by sucessfully demonstrating the omnipresence of shame and shame-related affects in the therapeutic situation. Especially, she has shown how they are frequently mishandled by therapists and that this contributes powerfully to resistance and/or early termination. Lewis points out that both patients and therapists strive to avoid shame experiences because they are more profound and debilitating than the more easily managed feelings of guilt. Typically, in the guilt experience people feel bad for something they have done, while with shame people feel bad because of who they are. When shame is the dominant experience, the person is full of self-loathing, and this leads to withdrawal from confident interaction with the environment. There is the wish to disappear, sometimes for good. This point has particular relevance for those of us doing combined individual and group therapy because exposing oneself to both therapist and fellow group members is thought to be the central activity leading to change in such therapies (Bloch & Reibstein, 1980). This very same exposing, however, is what triggers powerful shame reactions. I would like to demonstrate this phenomenon, as well as some of the attendant transference and countertransference feelings and behaviors, with a
The pulmonary ultrastructure in septic shock

Abstract The ultrastructural alterations in the lungs of the monkey after intravenously administered lethal injections of live E. coli organisms or endotoxin are markedly similar. Edema of the perivascular space was seen in all lung tissues examined. Pulmonary capillaries were engorged with polymorphonuclear leukocytes undergoing fragmentation 15 minutes after injections of endotoxin or E. coli organisms. The endothelial cytoplasm contained large vacuoles and many vesicles, but there was no evidence of actual rupture of the cytoplasmic membranes. Endothelial cellular membranes appeared fuzzy and indistinct at sites where polymorphonuclear leukocytes were adhering. Fragmentation and loss of specific granules in polymorphonuclear leukocytes were noted 1 hour postinjection. The loss of specific granules, fragmentation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and focal areas of pulmonary edema were observed 4 hours after the injection of endotoxin or live E. coli organisms. In marked contrast to a previous report on the primate administered endotoxin, this investigation revealed no evidence for intravascular coagulation of fibrin and platelet aggregates. The widespread morphological alterations could explain some of the functional derangements previously observed in monkeys in shock.
Sialic acid lyase in human promyelocytic leukemic cells (HL-60) during phorbol-ester-induced differentiation

There is a marked increase in the activity of sialic acid lyase (N-acetylneuraminate lyase; EC 4.1.3.3; also known as sialic acid aldolase) in HL-60 cells induced to differentiate into macrophages by the phorbol ester, tetradecanoylphorbol 12-myristate 13 acetate (TPA). Exposure of HL-60 cells to retinoic acid, butyric acid or dimethyl sulfoxide has little or no effect. The level of the enzyme remains unaltered in HL-60 cells grown in the presence of an inactive analog of TPA, nor does it change in variants of HL-60 cells resistant to TPA.
Nutritional Modulation of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly worldwide. It affects 30-50 million individuals and clinical hallmarks of AMD are observed in at least one third of persons over the age of 75 in industrialized countries (Gehrs et al., 2006). Costs associated with AMD are in excess of $340 billion US (American-Health-Assistance-Foundation, 2012). The majority of AMD patients in the United States are not eligible for clinical treatments (Biarnes et al., 2011; Klein et al., 2011). Preventive interventions through dietary modulation are attractive strategies because many studies suggest a benefit of micro- and macronutrients with respect to AMD, as well as other age-related debilities, and with few, if any, adverse effects (Chiu, 2011). Preservation of vision would enhance quality of life for millions of elderly people, and alleviate the personal and public health financial burden of AMD (Frick et al., 2007; Wood et al., 2011). Observational studies indicate that maintaining adequate levels of omega-3 fatty acids (i.e. with 2 servings/week of fish) or a low glycemic index diet may be particularly beneficial for early AMD and that higher levels of carotenoids may be protective, most probably, against neovascular AMD. Intervention trials are needed to better understand the full effect of these nutrients and/or combinations of nutrients on retinal health. Analyses that describe effects of a nutrient on onset and/or progress of AMD are valuable because they indicate the value of a nutrient to arrest AMD at the early stages. This comprehensive summary provides essential information about the value of nutrients with regard to diminishing risk for onset or progress of AMD and can serve as a guide until data from ongoing intervention trials are available.
Exploration of Cocatalyst Effects on a Bimetallic Cobalt Catalyst System: Enhanced Activity and Enantioselectivity in Epoxide Polymerization

Organic ionic compounds were synthesized and investigated as cocatalysts with a bimetallic cobalt complex for enantioselective epoxide polymerization. The identities of both the cation and the anion were systematically varied, and the subsequent reactivity was studied. The nature of the ionic cocatalyst dramatically impacted the rate and enantioselectivity of the catalyst system. The ionic cocatalyst [P(N═P(N(CH2)4)3)4+][tBuCO2–] in combination with a bimetallic cobalt complex produced a catalyst system that exhibited the greatest activity and selectivity for a variety of monosubstituted epoxides.
Verifiable secret sharing in a total of three rounds

Verifiable secret sharing (VSS) is an important building block in the design of secure multi-party protocols, when some of the parties are under the control of a malicious adversary. Henceforth, its round complexity has been the subject of intense study. The best known unconditionally secure protocol takes 3 rounds in sharing phase, which is known to be optimal, and 1 round in reconstruction. Recently, by introducing a negligible probability of error in the definition of VSS, Patra et al. [CRYPTO 2009] have designed a novel protocol which takes only 2 rounds in sharing phase. However, the drawback of their protocol is that it takes 2 rounds in reconstruction as well. Hence, the total number of rounds required for VSS remains the same. In this paper, we present a VSS protocol which takes a total of 3 rounds only-2 rounds in sharing and 1 round in reconstruction.
Continuous heating transformation (CHT) cure diagram of an aromatic amine/epoxy system at constant heating rates

The overall reaction kinetics of a high-Tg tetrafunctional aromatic diamine/difunctional epoxy system (maximum glass transition temperature, Tg∞ = 182°C), which can satisfactorily describe the rate of the reaction in both kinetically and diffusion-controlled regimes, had been determined earlier from isothermal conversion/Tg data by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The mathematical expression of the kinetics, together with the unique one-to-one relationship between Tg and chemical conversion, is used to calculate the material's Tg vs. time under heating at constant rates. For a heating scan from below Tg0 (the glass transition temperature of the unreacted material), initial devitrification corresponds to the reaction temperature (Tcure) first passing through the Tg of the reacting material; vitrification corresponds to Tg becoming equal to the increasing Tcure after initial devitrification; and finally, upper devitrification corresponds to Tg eventually falling below the rising Tcure. The results of the calculation correlate well with the available experimental data of the dynamic mechanical behavior of the material during temperature scans at constant rates that were obtained by the torsional braid analysis (TBA) technique. Tg is calculated to remain slightly higher than Tcure after vitrification due to the influence of diffusion control, the difference being greater for lower heating rates. The limiting heating rate with no initial devitrification and that with no vitrification are also calculated.
‘Ignorance’ as a rhetorical strategy: how Japanese language learners living in Japan maneuver their subject positions to shift power dynamics

Traditionally, the goal of foreign language education has been to teach learners linguistic and cultural knowledge so that they could function successfully in the target language and cultural envir...
Combination chemotherapy for metastatic carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater—report of three cases

Three patients with metastatic carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater received celiac artery infusion of 5-fluorouracil, adriamycin, mitomycin-C, and streptozotocin followed by intravenous administration of the same combination. In two patients with measurable disease, one partial (6.0 months) and one complete response (16.0 + months) occurred. Two out of three patients remain alive at 30.0+ and 21.0+ months. Carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater may be a neoplasm responsive to combination chemotherapy.
Cavernous sinus thrombosis complicating sinusitis.

Background Septic cavernous sinus thrombosis is a rare complication of paranasal sinusitis. Objective To familiarize the clinician with the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and appropriate management of septic cavernous sinus thrombosis. Design Case report and literature review. Setting Pediatric intensive care unit in a university hospital. Patient We present a 12-yr-old female with a 1 wk history of an upper respiratory tract infection with worsening dyspnea, cough, and swelling of the left eye progressing to adult respiratory distress syndrome. Secondary to the need for significant mechanical ventilatory support, venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was initiated. Computed tomography scan of the head and neck with contrast revealed bilateral cavernous sinus thrombosis. After broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics and aggressive supportive care in conjunction with surgical intervention (maxillary sinus lavage and right orbital exploration) and anticoagulation therapy, the patient recovered. Blood cultures were positive for Viridans streptococcus. At discharge 3 wks later, the patient had improved, but had right-eye blindness. Conclusions The diagnosis of septic cavernous sinus thrombosis requires a high index of suspicion and confirmation by imaging; early diagnosis and surgical drainage of the underlying primary source of infection in conjunction with long-term intravenous antibiotic therapy are critical for an optimal clinical outcome.
The effect of baricity of intrathecal morphine in children receiving tetracaine spinal anaesthesia for cardiac surgery: a preliminary report.

Background: This prospective, randomized study examined the effect of baricity of intrathecal preservative-free morphine on the duration of postoperative analgesia and incidence of side-effects in infants and children receiving high spinal anaesthesia with hyperbaric tetracaine in combination with a light general anaesthetic. Methods: Fourteen infants and children, aged 7–91 months, undergoing repair of either uncomplicated atrial or ventricular septal defects, were randomized to receive either 10 μg·kg–1 of intrathecal morphine in combination with 0.5% tetracaine D10 (hyperbaric morphine group) or intrathecal morphine mixed with saline and injected sequentially after the administration of 0.5% tetracaine D10 (hypobaric morphine group). After spinal injection, patients were positioned in 30° of Trendelenburg for a minimum of 10 min. Postoperatively, patients were monitored for a minimum of 12 h. Pain scores and the incidence and severity of side-effects were recorded every 1 h. Results: All patients were extubated at the conclusion of surgery without any incidence of respiratory depression. There was a decreased incidence of vomiting in the hypobaric morphine group and no significant difference in the duration of analgesia. Conclusions: When intrathecal morphine is administered in conjunction with a hyperbaric tetracaine spinal to paediatric cardiac patients in the head down position, sequential administration of the hypobaric solution may mitigate side-effects.
College First-Year Seminars: What are We Doing, What Should We Be Doing?:

The modern concept of first-year seminars was introduced in 1972. Ninety-four percent of America's accredited 4–year colleges and universities offered a seminar by 2002. First-year seminar defines ...
Validation of the measures of the transtheoretical model for exercise in an adult African-American sample.

Abstract Purpose. African-Americans have high rates of physical inactivity–related morbidity and mortality, thus effective interventions to increase exercise are necessary. Tailored interventions show promise, but measures need validation in this population. This study validated transtheoretical model measures for exercise in an African-American sample. Design. Cross-sectional measure development. Setting. Telephone survey of individuals in North Carolina. Subjects. 521 African-American adults. Measures. Stages of change, decisional balance (pros and cons), self-efficacy and processes of change (POC) for regular exercise. Analysis. Confirmatory factor analyses tested measurement models. Multivariate analyses examined relationships between each construct and stages of change. Results. For decisional balance, the two-factor uncorrelated model was the most parsimonious good-fitting model (χ235 = 158.76; comparative fit index [CFI], .92; average absolute standardized residual [AASR], .04), and alphas were g...
Optical nanoswitch: an engineered plasmonic nanoparticle with extreme parameters and giant anisotropy

Naturally available optical materials are known to provide a wide variety of electric responses, spanning from positive to negative permittivity values. In contrast, owing to drastically modified conduction properties at the microscopic level, at such high frequencies magnetism and conductivity are very challenging to realize. This implies that extreme (high or low) values of permittivity, although highly desirable for a wide range of optical applications, are difficult to realize in practice. Here, we suggest the design of an engineered resonant nanoparticle composed of two conjoined hemispheres, whose optical response may be changed at will from an ideal electric conductor to an ideal magnetic conductor. Near the nanoparticle internal resonant frequency, we derive a closed-form solution that describes the electromagnetic response of this nanoparticle, showing how its light interaction may become dramatically dependent on the local field polarization, passing through all possible impedance values (from zero to infinity) by a simple mechanical or polarization rotation. Considering realistic frequency dispersion and loss in optical materials, we further show that these concepts may be applied to different geometries, with possibility for future experimental feasibility. We forecast various applications of this geometry as an optical nanoswitch, a novel nanocircuit element and as a building block for novel optical metamaterials.
Lagrange's Theorem Revisited

(1975). Lagrange's Theorem Revisited. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 82, No. 3, pp. 270-273.
Sharing experience, conveying hope: Egalitarian relations as the essential method of Alcoholics Anonymous

The predictions of Max Weber's “iron cage” of bureaucracy and Michels's “iron law of oligarchy” failed to materialize in Alcoholics Anonymous. AA has maintained an alternative form of collectivistic-democratic voluntary organization for more than seventy years. Its organizational form was developed within its first five years and articulated in its foundational text, Alcoholics Anonymous, published in 1939. Based on detailed histories of its early years, an analysis of AA's crucial ingredients suggests that six factors interacted to avoid the temptations of power, money, and professionalization that would have resulted in a bureaucratic form of organization or oligarchic leadership. In order to avoid death and to obtain or maintain abstinence, the desperate cofounders stumbled on the essential method: egalitarian peers share their lived experiences, conveying hope and strength to one another. In the context of the essential method, the two cofounders, from the Midwest and New York City, held similar spiritual beliefs and practiced a self-re?exive mode of social experiential learning gained from the Oxford Group, a nondenominational group that advocated healing through personal spiritual change; they downplayed their charismatic authority in favor of consulting with and abiding by the consensus of the group.
The Utility of a Composite Index for the Evaluation of Ovarian Torsion

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Ovarian torsion (OT) is a clinical diagnosis with a variable presentation. The aim of this study was to develop a practical scoring system to predict patients with OT in the pediatric population to facilitate more accurate diagnosis. METHODS: A retrospective study evaluating menarchal pediatric patients (1998 to 2005) with surgically confirmed OT (n = 28) compared with patients with abdominal pain and surgically confirmed non-OT (n = 26). Histogram analysis was performed to determine threshold values and used to generate the OT composite index (OT-CI). RESULTS: Four factors were independently associated with OT: ovarian ratio, ovarian volume, nausea, and duration of pain. Arterial and venous Doppler flows were not associated with OT. The OT-CI was more accurate than any individual factor. There were no cases of OT in patients with OT-CI scores < 3. Patients with score ≥ 3 had 100% sensitivity and 65.3% specificity. A score ≥ 5 has 100% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The OT-CI is a practical scoring system combining clinical and radiologic findings to more accurately predict OT. An OT-CI score < 3 is strong evidence against OT in pediatric menarchal patients, which may minimize unnecessary surgical intervention. In contrast, scores ≥ 3 should be considered for surgical intervention to maximize ovarian salvage.
Tissue Levels of Vitamin E (α-Tocopherol) in Response to Continuous Intravenous Multivitamin Infusion

Weanling rats were made vitamin E deficient over a 10-week course. Vitamin E was then provided at 4 IU/kg/day as a continuous infusion of the alpha-tocopherol in Berocca PN. Tissue samples of heart, lung, liver, and perinephric fat and plasma were analyzed for vitamin E levels at 24 and 72 hr. Compared to experimental controls that received a rat chow containing 372 IU/g mixed tocopherol, normal levels were achieved in the test group within 24 hr in plasma and liver. Lung and heart muscle levels were within the normal range by 24-72 hr, although significantly below the control level; fat levels did not normalize. Continuous infusion of vitamin E as tocopherol in a multivitamin preparation results in normal tissue levels in lung and liver in a fashion similar to that achieved by previously described methods of single bolus intravenous infusion or repeated subcutaneous injection.
Spacecraft Swarm Guidance Using a Sequence of Decentralized Convex Optimizations

This paper presents partially decentralized path planning algorithms for swarms of spacecraft composed of hundreds to thousands of agents with each spacecraft having limited computational capabilities. In our prior work, J2-invariant orbits have been found to provide collision free motion for hundreds of orbits. This paper develops algorithms for the swarm reconfiguration which involves transferring from one J2-invariant orbit to another avoiding collisions and minimizing fuel. To perform collision avoidance, it is assumed that the spacecraft can communicate their trajectories with each other. The algorithm uses sequential convex programming to solve a series of approximate path planning problems until the solution converges. Two decentralized methods are developed: a serial method where the spacecraft take turn updating their trajectories and a parallel method where all of the spacecraft update their trajectories simultaneously.
Selective oxidation of methane and ethane over Li+-MgO-Cl− catalysts promoted with metal oxides

Abstract The addition of SnO 2 , La 2 O 3 , Nd 2 O 3 or Dy 2 O 3 to a Li + -MgO-Cl − catalyst significantly improves the activity for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane, while maintaining a high selectivity for ethylene. Over a Dy 2 O 3 /Li + -MgO-Cl − catalyst 75% conversion of ethane with 76% selectivity to ethene was achieved at 570 °C after 25 h on stream. This catalyst also is reasonably active and selective for the oxidative coupling of methane at 600 °C.