cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exercise training and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks in patients with heart failure: results from HF-ACTION (Heart Failure and A Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise TraiNing).

Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine whether exercise training is associated with an increased risk of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy in patients with heart failure (HF). Background Few data are available regarding the safety of exercise training in patients with ICDs and HF. Methods HF-ACTION (Heart Failure and A Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise TraiNing) randomized 2,331 outpatients with HF and an ejection fraction (EF) ≤35% to exercise training or usual care. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to examine the relationship between exercise training and ICD shocks. Results We identified 1,053 patients (45%) with an ICD at baseline who were randomized to exercise training (n = 546) or usual care (n = 507). Median age was 61 years old, and median EF was 24%. Over a median of 2.2 years of follow-up, 20% (n = 108) of the exercise patients had a shock versus 22% (n = 113) of the control patients. A history of sustained ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.93 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.47 to 2.54]), previous atrial fibrillation/flutter (HR: 1.63 [95% CI: 1.22 to 2.18]), exercise-induced dysrhythmia (HR: 1.67 [95% CI: 1.23 to 2.26]), lower diastolic blood pressure (HR for 5-mm Hg decrease l60: 1.35 [95% CI: 1.12 to 1.61]), and nonwhite race (HR: 1.50 [95% CI: 1.13 to 2.00]) were associated with an increased risk of ICD shocks. Exercise training was not associated with the occurrence of ICD shocks (HR: 0.90 [95% CI: 0.69 to 1.18], p = 0.45). The presence of an ICD was not associated with the primary efficacy composite endpoint of death or hospitalization (HR: 0.99 [95% CI: 0.86 to 1.14], p = 0.90). Conclusions We found no evidence of increased ICD shocks in patients with HF and reduced left ventricular function who underwent exercise training. Exercise therapy should not be prohibited in ICD recipients with HF. (Exercise Training Program to Improve Clinical Outcomes in Individuals With Congestive Heart Failure; NCT00047437 )
An EM-algorithm approach to open challenges on correlation of intermediate and final measurements

Product testing is a key element in the quality control. To ensure the final product quality, taking the intermediate measurements for identifying defects is an important step. However, when the me...
Have Residents Produced More Research Since the Inception of the 80-Hour Workweek?

BACKGROUND This study hypothesizes that resident involvement in research has increased since institution of the maximum 80-hour workweek in 2002. METHODS All 571 papers published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) in 1997 and 2007 (five years before and after the start of the 80-hour workweek) were reviewed. To identify resident authors, a search was performed in the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) database for any U.S. author with a medical doctorate (MD). Any authors who were board-certified more than two years after the publication date were identified as "residents." Two-tailed Fisher's exact tests were used to assess proportional changes over time. RESULTS Between 1997 and 2007, the percentage of U.S. MD authors who were orthopaedic residents increased significantly from 12% to 18% (p = 0.01). U.S. publications with a resident first-author increased from 17% to 27% (p = 0.02), and contributions from foreign nations also increased significantly (p < 0.001). The number of total authors per paper increased (p < 0.001), but linear regression showed that this had no particular association with the proportion of residents (p = 0.20). The relative proportions of MD and non-MD authors did not change between years. The LOE of resident-authored papers improved significantly over time (p = 0.005), while that of international papers did not. CONCLUSIONS Proportional resident authorship has increased significantly in one of the highest-impact, peer-reviewed orthopaedic journals. LOE of resident-authored papers has improved, and basic science papers are more likely to have a resident first author. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III, retrospective cohort study.
Eventual Consensus: Applications to Storage and Blockchain : (Extended Abstract)

Consensus is one of the most important primitives in large-scale distributed systems due to its wide applications. Consensus has been studied and applied extensively in diverse areas including control systems, optimization, distributed computing, and emerging areas such as robotics, Blockchain, and Internet-of-Things. However, one common issue in practical systems is the misuse of consensus algorithms that are impossible to achieve in asynchronous systems with failures. We propose an alternative formulation that is achievable in such a scenario and easy to understand compared to other versions of relaxed consensus formulation. Concretely, inspired by the asymptotic (approximate) consensus in control systems and applications in storage systems, we introduce a new consensus problem – Eventual Consensus (or Asymptotic Exact Consensus). Two distinctive features are “exact agreement“ and “eventual agreement“ on the state values of fault-free nodes. Eventual property allows us to solve the problem in asynchronous systems with crash or even Byzantine failures. Exact agreement property makes it useful for applications like storage systems which require replicas (or servers) to reach exactly the same state (eventually). Followed by the definition, we explain how eventual consensus is different from prior problems and how it might reduce the misuse by non-experts and practitioners. We then present simple algorithms to solve eventual consensus in static and dynamic systems. Finally, we provide two applications in distributed storage systems and Blockchain.
Verification Is an Integral Part of Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test Quality Assurance.

With interest we read the commentary of Kirby and colleagues, which advocated implementing antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) for new drugs without verification ([1][1]). We agree with the authors that new drugs should not be used clinically without an accompanying AST. Implementing AST for
Using diabetes technology in older adults

Abstract Older adults with diabetes may interact with technology differently than younger people do. This difference is due in part to changes in cognitive abilities, physical abilities, perception, and motivation. They may have had less exposure to technologies. This chapter reviews the research and describes older adults’ use of digital technologies (blood glucose monitors, remote sensors, insulin pumps, digital memory aids), mobile health, and telehealth. Technology provides many options to manage diabetes in older adults but barriers and facilitators exist to using technology. Understanding developmentally relevant barriers and facilitators can enhance the development of technologies and subsequent education to meet the needs of older adults using diabetes technology. Many technologies can assist with age-related changes and improve quality of life. Diabetes health-care teams can recommend the use of technology-related devices. Technology recommendations should be tailored to older adults’ needs by adapting to changes in cognitive abilities, physical abilities, perception (e.g., sight and hearing) and motivation.
Hyperpolarizability Dispersion Measured for CS2 Vapor

The second hyperpolarizability ($\gamma$) of carbon disulfide (${{\rm CS}_2}$) is measured by gas-phase electric-field-induced second-harmonic generation for laser wavelengths in the range 765–1064 nm. The observed hyperpolarizability is decomposed into electronic (${\gamma ^e}$) and vibrational (${\gamma ^v}$) contributions, and the dispersion curve for ${\gamma ^e}$ is extrapolated to the static limit, with the result of $\gamma _0^e = 12558 \pm 93$ atomic units $= 7.83 \pm 0.06 \times {10^{- 61}}\,{{\rm C}^4}{{\rm m}^4}{{\rm J}^{- 3}} = 6.33 \pm 0.05 \times {10^{- 36}}$ esu (Taylor series convention). The results of this experiment agree with other recent nonlinear optical measurements and theoretical calculations.
Paleomagnetism in SE Asia: Sinistral Shear Between Philippine Sea Plate and Asia

Paleomagnetic data from the Philippine Sea Plate indicate clockwise rotation since Oligocene time. This has rotated the Central Basin Spreading Center from being parallel to the Asian shoreline to its present NW/SE strike. The initial configuration is consistent with a back-arc origin of the West Philippine Sea Province. The subsequent clockwise rotation has defined a sinistral shear zone between the Philippine Sea Plate and Asia.
Civic Education and Democratic Backsliding in the Wake of Kenya's Post- 2007 Election Violence

This article examines two unexplored questions concerning the impact of civic education programs in emerging democracies: (1) whether such programs have longer-terms effects and (2) whether civic education can be effective under conditions of democratic “backsliding.” We investigate these questions in the context of a large-scale civic education program in Kenya just before the disputed 2007 election that sparked a wave of ethnic clashes and brought the country to the brink of civil war. Analysis of a survey of 1,800 “treatment” and 1,800 “control” individuals shows that the program had significant long-term effects on variables related to civic competence and engagement, with less consistent effects on democratic values. We also find that participants who subsequently were affected by the violence were less likely to adopt negative beliefs about Kenya’s political system, less likely to support the use of ethnic or political violence, and more likely to forgive those responsible for the post-election viol...
Las fuentes cubanas del Nuevo diccionario de la lengua castellana, de Vicente Salvá

El filologo y editor valenciano Vicente Salva elaboro una edicion mejorada del diccionario academico de 1843, la cual publico bajo el titulo de Nuevo diccionario de la lengua castellana (1846). Salva corrigio el diccionario de la RAE, pero a la vez le incorporo una muestra de voces regionales provenientes de Hispanoamerica. Salva selecciono numerosos cubanismos a partir de dos diccionarios elaborados en la isla, pero tambien se apoyo en otras fuentes escritas y orales. Este articulo se enfoca en esas fuentes y la seleccion de voces hecha por Salva.
Remote Video Collaboration During COVID-19

This paper presents a case study showing how Assembly and Test factory equipment installations, maintenance, and training can happen on schedule, or without extended delays, and even be improved by the implementation of Remote Video Collaboration (RVC), including Augmented Reality. This solution replaces in-person support when resources are not able to travel due to COVID-19, or when resources are needed elsewhere.
Rotorcraft-Borne 3-D Forward-Looking MIMO SAR Imaging

This paper considers the three-dimensional (3-D) imaging problem for a rotorcraft-borne forward-looking multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system. The conventional imaging methods, such as the back-projection (BP) algorithm, are computationally expensive, due to the large amount of data obtained from the two-dimensional (2-D) synthetic aperture. To address this problem, we introduce a two-step fast hybrid imaging algorithm, referred to as FHybrid, to enhance the computational efficiency of the conventional BP algorithm for 3-D MIMO SAR imaging. The proposed fast hybrid imaging algorithm combines the efficient pseudo-polar format imaging approach with the classical BP method. We also develop a relaxation-based imaging algorithm, referred to 3DRELAX for the 3-D forward-looking MIMO SAR imaging. FHybrid is used in the 3DRELAX iterations to improve the computational efficiency of 3DRELAX. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed imaging algorithms are demonstrated by using several numerical examples of targets at various ranges.
Investigation of iron–ammine and amido complexes within a C3-symmetrical phosphinic amido tripodal ligand

The primary and secondary coordination spheres can have large regulatory effects on the properties of metal complexes. To examine their influences on the properties of monomeric Fe complexes, the tripodal ligand containing phosphinic amido groups, N,N',N''-[nitrilotris(ethane-2,1-diyl)]tris(P,P-diphenylphosphinic amido) ([poat]3-), was used to prepare [FeII/IIIpoat]-/0 complexes. The FeII complex was four-coordinate with 4 N-atom donors comprising the primary coordination sphere. The FeIII complex was six-coordinate with two additional ligands coming from coordination of O-atom donors on two of the phosphinic amido groups in [poat]3-. In the crystalline phase, each complex was part of a cluster containing potassium ions in which KO[double bond, length as m-dash]P interactions served to connect two metal complexes. The [FeII/IIIpoat]-/0 complexes bound an NH3 molecule to form trigonal bipyramidal structures that also formed three intramolecular hydrogen bonds between the ammine ligand and the O[double bond, length as m-dash]P units of [poat]3-. The relatively negative one-electron redox potential of -1.21 V vs. [FeIII/IICp2]+/0 is attributed to the phosphinic amido group of the [poat]3- ligand. Attempts to form the FeIII-amido complex via deprotonation were not conclusive but isolation of [FeIIIpoat(NHtol)]- using the p-toluidine anion was successful, allowing for the full characterization of this complex.
The Place of the Prosecutor in Abolitionist Praxis

Progressive prosecutors have been widely hailed as the solution to mass incarceration. While scholars critique police and call to defund and dismantle them, they overlook prosecutors. This Article argues, to the contrary, that the legal arm of law enforcement can never be the full answer to its problems. The Article builds on the work of abolitionist organizers to theorize and critique progressive prosecutors. In so doing, it asks two key questions that scholars have left unanswered: 1. Should the system be changed from within? and 2. Can the system be changed from within. In other words, can reformers prosecute and can prosecutors transform? I answer the first question with cautious optimism, concluding that prosecutors’ institutional power and ethical mandate to “do justice” can be repurposed to start reversing decades of building the carceral state. As to whether prosecutors can transform the system, I conclude they cannot. Transformation entails ceding power to communities, divesting criminal system resources, and investing in societal supports that actually keep people safe. Prosecutors’ essential function to convict and punish people cannot meaningfully achieve the dismantling of the carceral state or the buildup of alternatives. Three pitfalls in particular impede them: exceptionalism, net-widening, and the hero complex. This inquiry is particularly timely as the progressive movement grows and some of the first wave face reelection. Despite their changes and rhetoric, progressive prosecutors are not shrinking their own footprint. None are decreasing their budgets; indeed most are asking for more resources to “help” people. This Article demonstrates that these prosecutors are not the “magic bullet.” They are at best a half-measure to achieve real change, and at worst, a ‘reformist reform’ which risks reentrenching and relegitimating the criminal system under new cover. I conclude by gesturing to the limits of all lawyers in fixing the carceral monster they largely created, and a call for greater attention to grassroots bottom-up change.
Localized Corrosion Attack on Carbon Steel—Case Histories of Service Failures

Four case histories of service failures attributable to some form of localized corrosion attack are reviewed. The initial case history covers a problem that developed because of the failure to follow operational procedures and because the wrong chemical was used for the inhibitor. The second case history covers an instance where the conjoint actions of the environment and cyclic loading (fatigue) promoted accelerated localized pitting attack rather than the usual loss in fatigue strength generally associated with corrosion fatigue. The third case history presents the potential concerns in using an improperly controlled corrosion protection system. The final case history reveals the perils of allowing systems to remain partially filled with stagnant solutions. A major concern is the possibility that the same type of failures will recur. An approach for possible actions in programs for the prevention of premature corrosion failures is recommended.
Hypergeometric _3F_2(1/4) evaluations over finite fields and Hecke eigenforms

Let H denote the hypergeometric 3 F 2 function over F p whose three numerator parameters are quadratic characters and whose two denominator parameters are trivial characters. In 1992, Koike posed the problem of evaluating H at the argument 1/4. This problem was solved by Ono in 1998. Ten years later, Evans and Greene extended Ono's result by evaluating an infinite family of 3 F 2 (1/4) over F q in terms of Jacobi sums. Here we present five new 3 F 2 (1/4) over F q (involving characters of orders 3, 4, 6, and 8) which are conjecturally evaluable in terms of eigenvalues for Hecke eigenforms of weights 2 and 3. There is ample numerical evidence for these evaluations. We motivate our conjectures by proving a connection between 3 F 2 (1/4) and twisted sums of traces of the third symmetric power of twisted Kloosterman sheaves.
Dynamics of disease resistance polymorphism at the Rpm1 locus of Arabidopsis

The co-evolutionary 'arms race' is a widely accepted model for the evolution of host-pathogen interactions. This model predicts that variation for disease resistance will be transient, and that host populations generally will be monomorphic at disease-resistance (R-gene) loci. However, plant populations show considerable polymorphism at R-gene loci involved in pathogen recognition. Here we have tested the arms-race model in Arabidopsis thaliana by analysing sequences flanking Rpm1, a gene conferring the ability to recognize Pseudomonas pathogens carrying AvrRpm1 or AvrB. We reject the arms-race hypothesis: resistance and susceptibility alleles at this locus have co-existed for millions of years. To account for the age of alleles and the relative levels of polymorphism within allelic classes, we use coalescence theory to model the long-term accumulation of nucleotide polymorphism in the context of the short-term ecological dynamics of disease resistance. This analysis supports a 'trench warfare' hypothesis, in which advances and retreats of resistance-allele frequency maintain variation for disease resistance as a dynamic polymorphism.
Transaction generators: root kits for web

Current phishing attacks focus primarily on stealing user credentials such as passwords. In response, web sites are deploying stronger authentication and back-end analytics systems that make it harder for phishers to extract value from stolen passwords. As defenses against traditional phishing improve, we expect to see huge growth in the use of a different type of malware called a Transaction Generator (TG). Instead of relying on stolen credentials, a TG simply waits for the user to log in to his account and then issues transactions on behalf of the user. Since strong authentication is ineffective against TGs, mitigation must focus on transaction integrity. We discuss rootkit-like methods that allow TGs to hide their tracks, and explore a number of mitigation techniques, including transaction confirmation. These results suggest that recent identity systems such as CardSpace and OpenID must also address transaction integrity.
Shock-Based Reaction-Diffusion Bubbles for Image Segmentation

Figure-Ground segmentation is a fundamental problem in computer vision. Active contours in the form of snakes, balloons, and level-set modeling techniques have been proposed that satisfactorily address this question for certain applications, but require manual initialization, do not always perform well near sharp protrusions or indent ations, or often cross gaps. We propose an approach inspired by these methods and a shock-based representation of shape. Since initially it is not clear where the objects or their parts are, they are hypothesized in the form of fourth order shocks randomly initialized in homogeneous areas of images which then form evolving contours, or bubbles, which grow, shrink, merge, split and disappear to capture the objects in the image. In the homogeneous areas of the image bubbles deform by a reaction-diffusion process. In the inhomogeneous areas, indicated by differential properties computed from low-level processes such as edge-detection, texture, optical-flow and stereo, etc., bubbles do not deform. As such, the randomly initialized bubbles integrate low-level information, and in the process segment figures from ground. The bubble technique does not require manual initialization, integrates a variety of visual information, and deals with gaps of information to capture objects in an image, as illustrated on several MRI and ultrasound images in 2D and 3D.1.
Impact of end-diastolic and end-systolic phase selection in the volumetric evaluation of cardiac MRI.

Author(s): Contijoch, Francisco; Witschey, Walter RT; Rogers, Kelly; Gorman, Joseph; Gorman, Robert C; Ferrari, Victor; Han, Yuchi | Abstract: PurposeTo evaluate the impact of end-diastolic (ED) and end-systolic (ES) cardiac phase selection methods, since task force recommendations have neither provided quantitative evidence nor explored errors introduced by clinical shortcuts.Materials and methodsMultislice, short-axis cine images were collected in 60 clinical patients on a 1.5T scanner. User-initialized active contour segmentation software quantified global left ventricular (LV) volume across all cardiac phases. Different approaches for selection of ED and ES phase were evaluated by quantification of temporal and volumetric errors.ResultsFor diastole, the mid-ventricular maximum slice volume coincided with maximum global volume in 82.1% of patients with ejection fraction (EF) ≥55% (P = 0.66) and 71.9% of patients with EF l55% (P = 0.28) and is an accurate approximation of maximum global volume while the first and last phases in a retrospectively electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated acquisition introduced differences in cardiac phase selection (P l 0.001) which led to large errors in measured volume in some patients (12.7 and 10.1 mL, respectively). For systole, post-systolic shortening occurred in a significantly higher number of patients with EF l55% (18.9%) compared to 3.6% of patients with EF ≥55% (P = 0.001), which differentially impacted end-systolic volume estimation.ConclusionFor end-diastolic phase selection, our results indicated that the use of the mid-ventricular slice volume maximum provided accurate volume estimates, while selection of the first or last cardiac phase introduced differences in measured volume. For end-systolic phase, patients with EF l55% had a higher prevalence of post-systolic shortening, which suggests aortic valve closure should be used to estimate end-systolic volume.
Ceramics, Nonlinear Optical and Electrooptic Ceramics

Nonlinear optical (NLO) and electrooptic (EO) processes are events that take place in transparent materials where refractive indexes can vary with electric field intensity. The field elicits a polarization response in which terms dependent on second and higher orders of the field intensity become significant contributions to the overall polarization response. As light propagates through a transparent solid, liquid, or gas, it encounters the electric fields associated with the valence electrons, polarizing them and creating oscillating electric dipoles. These oscillators in turn act as antennas to broadcast or propagate the electric field through the medium. NLO materials possess a high degree of optical nonlinearity, physical durability and chemical inertness, and high threshold to optical damage. In addition, it must be possible to process the materials into the form required by the intended application. Optically nonlinear ceramics all contain highly polarizable bonds. In the case of oxide ceramics, such polarizable bonds are often found between oxygen and early transition metals, eg, BaTiO3, SrNb2O6. Nonoxide NLO ceramics include Si and compound semiconductors having the silicon structure, eg, GaAs, InP, and InSb, as well as ferrelectrics such as SbSI. All-optical wavemixing applications generally require single crystals. Electrooptic (EO) materials are optical media in which birefringence can be readily induced or altered by an externally applied electric field. As with NLO ceramics, good EO materials tend to be ferroelectrics. EO materials are generally used as either bulk optical elements or guided wave devices. Keywords: Nonlinear optical effects; Frequency conversion; Materials; Processing; Electrooptic devices
PDAs and Lab Works—A New Way to Make Chemical Measurements

Computer-controlled data acquisition is rapidly becoming the rule rather than the exception in general chemistry laboratories. The LabWorks learning system is one of many computer-controlled data acquisition interfaces that allow students to quickly obtain and analyze chemistry data. This article explains how communication is established between a personal digital assistant (PDA) and the LabWorks interface. This project continues work previously accomplished using an HP 48 calculator to communicate with the LabWorks interface. The PDA has more computing power, more storage ability, and the Windows CE operating system provides a more user-friendly interface than the handheld graphing calculator. Sample experimental data is provided as an example of how this LabWorks/Palm PC combination can be applied to inexpensively enhance laboratory learning.
Coulomb gap in a two-dimensional electron gas with a close metallic electrode.

The tunneling density of states of a classical two-dimensional electron gas with large external disorder and strong electron-electron interaction is studied by computer modeling and by solving a self-consistent equation. The Coulomb interaction is supposed to be strongly suppressed at large distances by a parallel metallic plane. At low temperatures the Coulomb gap is found to exist even if the metallic plane is at a smaller distance from the electron gas than the electron-electron separation. These results are explained in terms of a self-consistent equation. The tunneling density of states as obtained from computer modeling is compared to recent experimental data by Ashoori et al. For a strong magnetic field our results are in a good agreement with the experiment.
Virtual Team Effectiveness An Experiential Activity

Although the topic of virtual teams has created interest within the academic and practitioner literature, there is a lack of research on how to teach or train individuals to be effective members of...
Endometrial cancer in the oldest old: Tumor characteristics, patterns of care, and outcome.

Abstract Objective Despite the fact that endometrial cancer commonly occurs in elderly women, little is known about the outcome of the oldest old, those >80years of age. We examined the patterns of care and outcome of the oldest old women with endometrial cancer. Methods An analysis of women >65years of age with endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the uterus diagnosed between 1988 and 2006 and registered in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was performed. Patients were stratified by age into the following groups: 65–69, 70–74, 75–79, 80–84, and ≥85years of age. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to examine treatment while adjusting for other confounders. Cancer-specific survival was examined using Cox proportional hazards models. Results A total of 37,718 women including 5289 aged 80–84 and 3446 ≥85years of age were identified. Older women had higher grade tumors ( p p Conclusion Women >80years of age receive less aggressive care than younger women. Even after adjusting for treatment differences, cancer-specific mortality is higher in the oldest old women.
The Teacher–Student Writing Conference Entangled: Thinking Data With Material Feminisms

In this article, we seek to un-think the teacher-student writing conference, a venerable and essential pedagogy of the K-12 writing workshop. We do this by thinking data with “material feminisms.” Using this literature, we read our data as intra-activity, noting the relationships between the human and the nonhuman. We read our data as a Deleuzean event of becoming. Our journey in methodology includes the use of writing as inquiry through the writing and rewriting of memory stories based on data collected while conducting writing conferences in a fourth-grade classroom. Throughout this writing process, we use diffractive methodology and elements from rhizomatic discourse analysis to produce invitational data in the form of a memory story, a story written as a Deleuzean art form, to invite the reader to unthink the teacher–student writing conference as an entanglement of the discursive and the material.
Low HDL cholesterol is associated with suicide attempt among young healthy women: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Background Serum cholesterol is reported to be associated with suicidality, but studies conducted among general healthy population are rare. We examined the association between serum cholesterol and suicidality in a national sample of the general population of US. Methods We used the data of 3237 adults aged 17 to 39 years, who completed a mental disorder diagnostic interview and had blood specimens collected after a 12-h fast, as a part of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988–1994. The serum concentrations of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were dichotomized according to the recommended levels of the National Cholesterol Education Program. A polytomous logistic regression was employed to control for covariates. Results Independent of socio-demographic variables, health risks and nutrition status, and a history of medical and psychiatric illness (including depression), a significant association between low HDL-C (≤ 40 mg/dl) and increased prevalence of suicide attempts was observed in women (OR = 2.93, 95% CI = 1.07–8.00). No significant evidence was found to support an association between cholesterol and suicide ideation in women. Serum cholesterol was unrelated with either suicide ideation or attempts in men. Limitation The inherent limitation of cross-sectional design prevented the authors from investigating causality. Conclusions Low HDL-C is significantly associated with suicide attempts in women. Further studies are necessary to explore the clinical application of serum cholesterol as an indicator for suicide attempts among high risk population.
Radar Polarization Power Scattering Matrix

Because the polarization sense of an electromagnetic wave is changed when the direction of propagation is reversed, a new type of polarization vector which is directionally dependent is introduced. The scattering matrix formulation is then introduced in terms of directional vectors and directional transformation matrices, and the transformation of the scattering matrix under a unitary change of polarization basis transformation is shown to be a congruent transformation. The congruent sub-group of unitary transformations of the polarization basis is then discussed, and it is shown that the scattering matrix can be reduced to diagonal form by this sub-group of transformations. A new matrix, called the polarization power scattering matrix, is then introduced and its relation to the scattering matrix is discussed. The power matrix gives the total power back-scattered from the target for any transmitted polarization. It specifies the scattering matrix up to two phase angles (one of which is of no importance), and is more easily measured. The total power scattering matrix can be determined for any target by measuring only the total power in the backscattered return; no phase measurement is necessary and only plane polarizations need be transmitted.
Delay analysis of signal control policies for an isolated intersection

In this paper, we analyze the delay performance of three traffic signal control algorithms that can attain maximum system throughput, for a single four-way intersection. The first is a static (state-independent) fixed-time scheduling (FTS) policy which is followed in current practice. The second is a dynamic maximum weight (backlog) scheduling (MWS) policy that determines the traffic signal phase (the set of collision-free lanes chosen to be scheduled) based on the backlogs (number of queued vehicles) in the different lanes of the intersection, but the schedule length (green time) is kept fixed. The third is adaptive length MWS (aMWS), a variant of MWS in which the schedule length (green time of the phase) is also adjusted based on the backlogs, in addition to the phases. We show that while the dynamic signal control policies (MWS and aMWS) outperform the static (FTS) policy in general, the performance of a fixed-length schedule like MWS can be seriously affected when loss of scheduling time due to “lag effects” is considered. However, with adaptive adjustment of the schedule lengths (green times), a dynamic signal control policy (like aMWS) can outperform the FTS policy at all traffic loads.
Happy people thrive on adversity: Pre-existing mood moderates the effect of emotion inductions on creative thinking

Abstract Past research on the relationship between affect and creativity has yielded contradictory results. Most of the evidence has tended to show that brief positive emotions as well as more enduring positive moods enhance creativity. No study to date, however, has attempted to determine whether the influence of momentary emotions on creativity depends on pre-existing moods. In the present study, 96 undergraduates completed one of two creative tasks (generating or evaluating captions for photographs) on three occasions, after watching videos designed to induce positive, neutral, or negative emotions. Participants also completed a questionnaire assessing depressed mood. Results confirmed that the effect of emotion inductions on creativity depended on pre-existing mood. Participants low in depression wrote more creative captions and rated captions more accurately with induced negative emotion than with induced positive emotion. In contrast, participants high in depression appeared impervious to the effect of emotion inductions.
Feasibility of EUVL thin absorber mask for minimization of mask shadowing effect

Conventional EVUL mask has 80nm absorber height which brings considerable shadowing effect. H-V CD bias of 40nm line and space by shadowing effect is more than 4nm, and that is expected to increase much more for narrower patterns by simulation. However various reports have been presented on mask shadowing bias correction, experimental results are not reliable to derive required mask bias correctly. Even more difficulty will arise when complex 2D structures are taken into account. Therefore minimization of shadowing effect by reducing absorber thickness is desirable. To transfer EUV lithography from experimental stage to HVM era, we need to find optimum absorber height of EUVL mask which allows us less shadowing effect with minimum loss of process window. In this paper, we present optimal absorber height of EUV mask which has been found in terms of shadowing effect and process window by simulation and exposure. To find minimized absorber height experimentally, we will compare the printing result of conventional and thin mask stack using simple 1:1 line and space and island patterns. Simulated H-V CD bias and process window will be presented.
Pb diffusion in rutile

Diffusion of Pb was measured in natural and synthetic rutile under dry, 1 atmosphere conditions, using mixtures of Pb titanate or Pb sulfide and TiO2 as the sources of diffusant. Pb depth profiles were then measured with Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS). Over the temperature range 700–1100 °C, the following Arrhenius relation was obtained for the synthetic rutile: D=3.9 × 10−10exp(−250 ± 12 kJ mol−1/RT) m2s−1. Results for diffusion in natural and synthetic rutile were quite similar, despite significant differences in trace element compositions. Mean closure temperatures calculated from the diffusion parameters are around 600 °C for rutile grains of ∼100 μm size. This is about 100 °C higher than rutile closure temperature determinations from past field-based studies, suggesting that rutile is more resistant to Pb loss through volume diffusion than previously thought.
Effects of protein malnutrition on liver cytochrome p450s

Abstract Microsomal cytochrome P450s (CYPs) are the key enzymes that control the rate of drug metabolism. In turn, hepatic drug biotransformation is influenced by dietary macronutrients. We examined the effects of protein malnutrition on hepatic CYP1A and 3A in rats. Weanling male rats were fed protein-restricted diets with either 0.5% or 1.0% lactalbumin for 13 weeks. Control rats were fed similar diets but with 18% lactalbumin. Severe protein malnutrition resulted in rats fed the 0.5% and 1.0% lactalbumin diets as evidenced by stunting of growth, lowering of hematocrit and plasma albumin concentrations. Protein malnourished rats had a reduction in their hepatic microsomal concentrations only when expressed as per gm tissue but not as per protein concentration. Western blot analyses showed that protein malnutrition had no effect on hepatic CYP1A1 and only affected CYP1A2 at the most severe conditions (ie. in rats fed the 0.5% lactalbumin diet). Protein malnutrition however, led to >50% reduction in hepatic microsomal CYP3A proteins. Liver microsomal steroid metabolizing enzyme activities were evaluated by quantitation of specific metabolites formed following incubation with 4-C 14 progesterone and TLC separation. Protein malnutrition led to reductions in both 6β- and 16 α- progesterone hydroxylase, but did not affect either 17α-hydroxylase or 5α-reductase activity. Protein malnutrition, thus, modulates the various CYPs differently. Such changes in hepatic CYP concentrations might be the cause of altered drug metabolism accompanying protein malnutrition.
Issues affecting nursing's support for children with cancer

During the past 17 years, pediatric oncology nursing has evolved from an unknown specialty into an organization exemplary of advanced nursing practice. Pediatric oncology nursing is now recognized as a distinct subspecialty within pediatric nursing. The Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses (APON), organized in 1976, has grown from an initial 10 members to 1200 members in 1990. The growth of pediatric oncology nursing as a specialty is due largely to a group of nurses responsible for the organization of APON. These individual's vision in the early 1970s shaped the future of pediatric oncology nursing by promoting the development of nursing standards that increased nursing's accountability for the care of children with cancer. Today, nurses play a major role in the complex management of childhood cancer. Issues facing the nursing profession during the next decade will have a direct impact on the specialty of pediatric oncology nursing. The nursing shortage, nursing's changing image, and emerging nursing roles will influence pediatric oncology nursing's ability to care for children with cancer and their families in the future. As pediatric oncology continues to advance, innovative nursing roles must evolve to meet the health care needs of children with cancer.
Probing Surface Oxidation of Reduced Uranium Dioxide Thin Film Using Synchrotron Radiation

The work presents a study of the formation of defects created by argon ion sputtering of UO{sub 2} thin film surfaces using high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with photon energy of 625 eV. Stable-defected surfaces of UO{sub 2-x} were monitored by the uranium core level lines found at the low-binding energy side of the U{sup +4} features. The lower end of these states gave binding energies at 377.1 and 387.7 eV attributed to U4f{sub 7/2} and U4f{sub 5/2} core levels peaks, respectively, for metallic uranium (U{sup {circ}}). In between both states (U{sup {circ}} and U{sup +4}), the clear presence of other electronic states is observed. These lines are attributed to intermediate, metastable states of uranium ions between U{sup {circ}} and U{sup +4}. Temperature-programmed X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is performed to observe the oxidation process of these reduced states with increasing temperature. The increase in the U{sup +4} intensity is not correlated with the decrease of U ions signal with lower oxidation states indicating that the limitation is the photoelectron escape depth. In other words, sputtering has created reduced clusters or ridges on the surface of average dimensions larger than the escape depth of the 4f photoelectron with kinetic energy of 225 eV.more » The activation energy for surface oxidation to U{sup +4} is {approx}20 kJ mol{sup -1}. This value is close to other values reported for vacancy-type diffusion mechanism in the fluorite structure.« less
Rediscovery of the nucleolinus, a dynamic RNA-rich organelle associated with the nucleolus, spindle, and centrosomes

The nucleolinus is an RNA-rich compartment, closely apposed to or embedded within the nucleolus. Discovered over 150 y ago, fewer than two dozen articles have been published on the nucleolinus, probably because complex histochemical stains are required for its visualization in the great majority of cells. The nucleolinus has been reported in invertebrate oocytes, mammalian and amphibian epithelial cells, neurons, and several transformed cell lines. A prominent nucleolinus, clearly visible with transmitted light microscopes at 10× magnification, is present in each oocyte of the surf clam, Spisula solidissima. We observed a consistent relationship between the nucleolinus and the developing meiotic apparatus following Spisula oocyte activation. Through sonication and sucrose gradient fractionation of purified oocyte nuclei, we isolated nucleolini, extracted their RNA, and prepared an in situ riboprobe (NLi-1), which is associated specifically with the nucleolinus, confirming its unique composition. Other in situ observations revealed a NLi-1 and nucleolinar association with the developing spindle and centrosomes. Laser microsurgery that targeted the nucleolinus resulted in failed meiotic cell division in parthenogenetically activated oocytes and failed mitosis in fertilized oocytes. Although the nucleolinus may be a forgotten organelle, its demonstrated role in spindle formation suggests it deserves renewed attention.
Soil geomorphology on bedrock and colluvial terrain with permafrost in central Alaska, USA

Abstract The depth to permafrost, thickness of the surface organic layer, and strength of redoximorphic features are closely correlated in soils on low-relief bedrock hills and colluvial slopes near Hughes, Alaska. Soils can be arrayed along a morphological gradient from warm-dry-mineral to cold-wet-organic, and the ranks of soils along this gradient correlate with topographic parameters and mineral soil texture. The warm-dry-mineral soils tend to occur on coarse-textured materials, convex slopes, steep slopes, and south-facing slope aspects, while the cold-wet-organic soils tend to occur on fine-textured materials, concave slopes, gentle slopes, and north-facing aspects. Slope shape and mineral soil texture are the geomorphic factors most closely associated with the ranking of soils along the morphological gradient from warm-dry-mineral to cold-wet-organic.
Five per cent of the time it works 100 per cent of the time: the erroneousness of the P value

Those of us who have performed, read, or critiqued research have been forced to consider the P value in some form or fashion. We have read chapters on the concept and discussed the merits of this notorious cut point. We have even used the P value to guide us when determining the size a study needs to be. We have used the P value to qualify a finding or verify the non-significance of one. In truth, the P value, this pillar of statistics, has been both our friend and our enemy. The ubiquitous P value has taken a beating over the last 50 years1–7 and it is my goal to further that beating in this editorial. Two brothers in arms are the P value and alpha. Alpha is a conservative standard for a researcher to claim a compelling discovery of influence. Alpha is an a priori selection set during study development. In contrast, the P value is a product of significance testing and is an indication of how extreme the data are. The idea of using the alpha and P value was advocated by Fisher in the 1920s.8 Fisher targeted a P value as an element to measure strength of evidence against a null hypothesis, but also argued that the interpretation of the P value was dependent on the situation and the researcher.8 An alpha value of 0.05 was arbitrarily selected: Rumor has it that Fisher determined that statistical significance should be set at 5% while lying in his bathtub. As the water drained from the tub he spotted five toes and made the decision based on that observation.9 His supposition was that at the level of 0.05, results are only 5% likely or less, given that the null hypothesis is true, are deemed extraordinary. Nonetheless, the use of the P value, which was originally designed as a basis for behavioral decision making, not for a description of results, falls flat in this regard.10 Rather than making behavioral decisions, the P value makes erroneous assumptions and can lead to incorrect findings.
Ethical Responses to Public Allegations of Skin Tone Manipulation in Print Advertising: Consumer Indifference or Consumer Concern?

This study examines the effect of consumer prejudice on ethical responses to public allegations of skin tone manipulation in print advertising. A sample of 156 undergraduate business students read a fictitious news story in which an advertising watchdog group accused business executives of using digital manipulation to lighten the skin tone of a Black female model featured in a product print ad. Participants then answered questions on ethical perceptions, behavioral intentions, and prejudice toward Blacks. Results suggest that low-prejudice consumers have stronger ethical concerns toward the digital lightening of ethnic models in print ads than do high-prejudice consumers. The authors discuss the findings, limitations, and directions for future research.
Bandgap engineering in vertical P-MOSFETs

Abstract Bandgap engineering in vertical P-MOSFETs has been investigated in view of suppressing the short channel effects, floating body effect, and improving the drive current. SiGe source heterojunction P-MOSFETs have been used to suppress the short channel effects for sub-100 nm devices. While the leakage is reduced, the drive current is also reduced due to the use of a heterojunction. In this paper, we discuss a SiGe source heterojunction vertical P-MOSFET with a few nanometers thick Si cap. With this device structure, the absence of the heterojunction-induced potential barrier right below the oxide interface improves the drive current substantially while the drain induced barrier lowering effect and floating body effect are still suppressed. To further improve the drive current of the device, a SiGe/Si cap was added to the SiGe heterojunction P-MOSFET. We call this device a high mobility heterojunction MOSFET (HMHJT). Compared with the Si control device, the HMHJT has higher drive current and less off-state current at the same time.