cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of positive and negative moods on helping tasks having pleasant or unpleasant consequences

A field study investigated the effects of positive and negative moods on subjects' willingness to perform helping tasks having pleasant or unpleasant consequences. Results indicated that procedures designed to induce either positive or negative moods facilitate helping when the task has pleasant consequences, but tend to inhibit helping when the task is likely to be unpleasant. The findings are consistent with the notion that many everyday acts of kindness (altruism) are interpretable as a form of hedonism. The implications of these outcomes for an activation model of mood-induced altruism are discussed.
Iranian perceptions and a wider world

Abstract Since the advent of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, most outside observers have explained Iranian developments exclusively in terms of Islam, as in the past they attributed them to Iran's imperial traditions. They have also tended to see Iran's Islamic Revolution in its present form as both inevitable and irreversible. Yet none of these judgments have been completely correct. Rather, they have reflected neglect of those essential factors that over the centuries have shaped Iranians’ perceptions of themselves and the outside world and that have determined their national aspirations. Also neglected have been both the gap between elite and mass perceptions during most of Iran's modern history and the resulting tensions within Iranian society. In fact, a number of essential factors, including Iran's geopolitical conditions and its historical experience, have affected Iranian perceptions. Paramount have been Islam, nationalism, and the search for social justice. In addition, Iran's recent social and p...
Orchard agriculture in the high mountain region of Southern Sinai

Bedouin of the Middle East have been considered to subsist exclusively as nomadic herders. A regional approach to the subsistence economy of Bedouin considers their articulation with agricultural systems. The economy of Jebaliyah Bedouin of the southern Sinai is unusual in that they directly practice both herding and orchard agriculture. A survey of historical records and contemporary data explicates the thesis that Jebaliyah Bedouin were not and are not an isolated and economically autonomous group.
An Analysis of Three Mixed Dentition Analyses

The accuracy of prediction of three mixed dentition analyses was compared. Hixon and Oldfather's method was found to be the most accurate. A simplified version of the analysis obviates referral to a table, allowing assessment of the size of the unerupted teeth prior to eruption of the lateral incisor.
OSCAR Testing with Xen

The development of new OSCAR packages and of new releases is difficult because of the testing required for the ever growing set of supported Linux distributions. Each time, a new cluster has to be setup, including the full installation of the headnode system. At the same time, some paravirtualization software, like Xen, allows one to create a set of virtual machines on a single physical machine. Therefore, the use of Xen for cluster virtualization and OSCAR testing may be interesting. This document presents Xen-OSCAR, a framework based on Xen, which aims at providing a solution to create a virtual OSCAR cluster.
CONTINUOUS-FLOW PREPARATION OF BIODIESEL USING MICROWAVE HEATING

The continuous-flow preparation of biodiesel using a commercially available scientific microwave apparatus offers a fast, easy route to this valuable biofuel. The methodology allows for the reaction to be run under atmospheric conditions and performed at flow rates of up to 7.2 L/min using a 4 L reaction vessel. It can be utilized with new or used vegetable oil with methanol and a 1:6 molar ratio of oil/alcohol. Energy consumption calculations suggest that the continuous-flow microwave methodology for the transesterification reaction is more energy-efficient than using a conventional heated apparatus.
Stress-directed adaptive mutations and evolution.

Summary Comparative biochemistry demonstrates that the metabolites, complex biochemical networks, enzymes and regulatory mechanisms essential to all living cells are conserved in amazing detail throughout evolution. Thus, in order to evolve, an organism must overcome new adverse conditions without creating different but equally dangerous alterations in its ongoing successful metabolic relationship with its environment. Evidence suggests that stable longterm acquisitive evolution results from minor increases in mutation rates of genes related to a particular stress, with minimal disturbance to the balanced and resilient metabolism critical for responding to an unpredictable environment. Microorganisms have evolved specific biochemical feedback mechanisms that direct mutations to genes derepressed by starvation or other stressors in their environment. Transcription of the activated genes creates localized supercoiling and DNA secondary structures with unpaired bases vulnerable to mutation. The resulting mutants provide appropriate variants for selection by the stress involved, thus accelerating evolution with minimal random damage to the genome. This model has successfully predicted mutation frequencies in genes of E. coli and humans. Stressed cells observed in the laboratory over hundreds of generations accumulate mutations that also arise by this mechanism. When this occurs in repair-deficient mutator strains with high rates of random mutation, the specific stress-directed mutations are also enhanced.
The Clp1/Cdc14 phosphatase contributes to the robustness of cytokinesis by association with anillin-related Mid1

Cdc14 phosphatases antagonize cyclin-dependent kinase–directed phosphorylation events and are involved in several facets of cell cycle control. We investigate the role of the fission yeast Cdc14 homologue Clp1/Flp1 in cytokinesis. We find that Clp1/Flp1 is tethered at the contractile ring (CR) through its association with anillin-related Mid1. Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching analyses indicate that Mid1, unlike other tested CR components, is anchored at the cell midzone, and this physical property is likely to account for its scaffolding role. By generating a mutation in mid1 that selectively disrupts Clp1/Flp1 tethering, we reveal the specific functional consequences of Clp1/Flp1 activity at the CR, including dephosphorylation of the essential CR component Cdc15, reductions in CR protein mobility, and CR resistance to mild perturbation. Our evidence indicates that Clp1/Flp1 must interact with the Mid1 scaffold to ensure the fidelity of Schizosaccharomyces pombe cytokinesis.
Reliability and validity of the longitudinal interval follow-up evaluation for assessing outcome of anxiety disorders

The LIFE-UP, an instrument for prospectively following course for psychiatric disorders, has been extended to include Psychiatric Status Ratings (PSRs) for the DSM-III-R anxiety disorders panic (with and without agoraphobia), agoraphobia without panic, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, and simple phobia. This paper reports data on the reliability and validity of the LIFE-UP as used in the Harvard/Brown Anxiety Disorders Research Program. We found generally good reliability for the PSRs, both inter-rater and long-term test-retest. The reliability coefficients for the rater-administered instruments were very similar to those for the self-reports, suggesting that a large proportion of the variance was due to subject variability rather than rater variability. Reliability for the beginning of the year of follow-up was very similar to that for the time just before the interview. In addition, correlations with other measures of psychosocial function or anxiety symptomatology provided evidence for the external validity of the PSRs as measures of psychiatric morbidity.
Robust quadratic performance analysis and synthesis for time-delayed uncertain linear systems

In this paper, the analysis and control synthesis problems were studied for a class of uncertain linear systems with variable time delay. It is assumed that the structured time-varying parametric uncertainties enter the system description in a linear fractional fashion. The generic quadratic performance metric encompasses many types of dynamic system performance measure. Using the mechanism of full-block scaling, it was shown that the analysis and state-feedback synthesis conditions for such time-delayed uncertain systems can be formulated as linear matrix inequality (LMI) optimization problems, which in turn is solvable using efficient interior-point algorithms.
Patterns of dental development in Homo, Australopithecus, Pan, and Gorilla

Smith ([1986] Nature 323:327-330) distinguished patterns of development of teeth of juvenile fossil hominids as being "more like humans" or "more like apes" based on statistical similarity to group standards. Here, this central tendency discrimination (CTD) is tested for its ability to recognize ape and human patterns of dental development in 789 subadult hominoids. Tooth development of a modern human sample (665 black southern Africans) was scored entirely by an outside investigator; pongid and fossil hominid samples (59 Pan, 50 Gorilla, and 14 fossil hominids) were scored by the author. The claim of Lampl et al. ([1993] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 90:113-127) that Smith's 1986 method succeeds in only 8% of human cases was not sustained. Figures for overall success of classification (87% humans, 68% apes) mask important effects of teeth sampled and age class. For humans, the power of CTD varied between 53% and 92% depending on the number and kind of teeth available--nearly that of a coin toss when data described only two nearby teeth, but quite successful with more teeth or distant teeth. For apes, only age class affected accuracy: "Infant" apes (M1 development or = root 1/4), however, were correctly discriminated in 87% of cases. Overall, CTD can be considered reliable (accuracy of 92% for humans and 88% for apes) when data contrast development of distant dental fields and subjects are juveniles (not infants). Restricting analysis of fossils to specimens satisfying these criteria, patterns of dental development of gracile australopithecines and Homo habilis remain classified with African apes. Those of Homo erectus and Neanderthals are classified with humans, suggesting that patterns of growth evolved substantially in the Hominidae. To standardize future research, the computer program that operationalizes CTD is now available.
Speaking Like a State: Environmental Justice and Fish Consumption Advisories

ABSTRACT Government agencies fail to communicate effectively to key audiences about the hazards of eating self-caught, contaminated fish. As a result, government is not protecting African Americans, Latinos, and other ethnic groups that are disproportionately exposed to chemicals that contaminate the catch of recreational anglers. This review argues that remedying this environmental injustice requires agencies to change “government-speak” (bland, generic communication) to communication that is culturally relevant to minority audiences. We summarize research indicating that these audiences understand the meaning and significance of properly targeted risk communication. Finally, we explore the organizational problems within government that may hinder effective communication, perpetuating this environmental injustice.
A confusion of tongues: competence, insanity, psychiatry, and the law.

Psychiatrists share with the public some confusion and uncertainty about two highly visible forensic psychiatric examinations: competence to stand trial and criminal responsibility (insanity). The author reviews the content and context of these examinations, examines legal issues that define and underlie them, and clarifies commonly encountered areas of ambiguity and misunderstanding. The competence examination, which assesses a defendant’s ability to participate in the trial process, focuses on the present state of the defendant’s mental capacities. Two standards generally used are whether the defendant has a rational and factual understanding of the charges and penalties and has the ability to cooperate with the defense attorney. The examination for insanity is one of the most challenging and comprehensive in forensic psychiatry. The criteria in general address the defendant’s awareness of the fact that the act was illegal, wrong, or a crime. Additional criteria address the defendant’s ability to control behavior. (Psychiatric Services 50:767–773, 1999) distorted, or ignored outright in media coverage of high-profile trials. Although the performance of the two examinations usually requires specialized study and training, the understanding conveyed in this paper is meant to be available to all practitioners.
Risedronate for the Prevention and Treatment of Corticosteroid-Induced Osteoporosis

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the role of risedronate in corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis.DATA SOURCES:Clinical literature was accessed through MEDLINE (1966–February 2001). Key search terms included risedronate, corticosteroid, osteoporosis, and bisphosphonate.DATA SYNTHESIS:Corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis (CIO) is clinically challenging and can lead to fractures. Risedronate, an oral bisphosphonate, has been studied for use in CIO. Trials focusing on the use of risedronate in these patients were reviewed.CONCLUSIONS:Risedronate 5 mg/d increased bone mineral density at lumbar, femoral neck, and trochanter skeletal sites in patients recently initiated on or receiving long-term corticosteroid therapy. Further investigation is needed to determine risedronate's effects on fracture prevention. The drug was well tolerated.
Maternal speech: strategy or response?

The existing data concerning the effects of maternal speech on child language development are so conflicting that it is difficult to draw even tentative conclusions about this relationship. One potential contributor to this problem is our lack of information concerning the determinants of maternal speech. The present study was designed to separate those elements of maternal speech which are heavily influenced by child language levels from those that seem to represent the mother's consistent style or strategy for ‘teaching’ language. Syntactic, discourse, and communicative functions of mothers' speech were examined. Mothers of high-and low-level language children were compared when talking to their daughters and to another girl the same age as their daughter. Analysis indicated a striking amount of similarity and consistency in high vs. low mothers' speech to both their daughters and the other child. Those elements of maternal speech that did show differences tended to be features that are fairly easily monitored by mothers or are directly tied to child utterances.
Feldspathic lunar meteorites Pecora Escarpment 02007 and Dhofar 489 : Contamination of the surface of the lunar highlands by post-basin impacts

Abstract PCA (Pecora Escarpment) 02007 and Dhofar 489 are both meteorites from the feldspathic highlands of the Moon. PCA 02007 is a feldspathic breccia consisting of lithified regolith from the lunar surface. It has concentrations of both incompatible and siderophile elements that are at the high end of the ranges for feldspathic lunar meteorites. Dhofar 489 is a feldspathic breccia composed mainly of impact-melted material from an unknown depth beneath the regolith. Concentrations of incompatible and siderophile elements are the lowest among brecciated lunar meteorites. Among 19 known feldspathic lunar meteorites, all of which presumably originate from random locations in the highlands, concentrations of incompatible elements like Sm and Th tend to increase with those of siderophile elements like Ir. Feldspathic meteorites with high concentrations of both suites of elements are usually regolith breccias. Iridium derives mainly from micrometeorites that accumulate in the regolith with duration of surface exposure. Micrometeorites have low concentrations of incompatible elements, however, so the correlation must reflect a three-component system. We postulate that the correlation between Sm and Ir occurs because the surface of the Feldspathic Highlands Terrane has become increasingly contaminated with time in Sm-rich material from the Procellarum KREEP Terrane that has been redistributed across the lunar surface by impacts of moderate-sized, post-basin impacts. The most Sm-rich regolith breccias among feldspathic lunar meteorites are about 3× enriched compared to the most Sm-poor breccias, but this level of enrichment requires only a few percent Sm-rich material typical of the Procellarum KREEP Terrane. The meteorite data suggest that nowhere in the feldspathic highlands are the concentrations of K, rare earths, and Th measured by the Lunar Prospector mission at the surface representative of the underlying “bedrock;” all surfaces covered by old regolith (as opposed to fresh ejecta) are at least slightly contaminated. Dhofar 489 is one of 15 paired lunar-meteorite stones from Oman (total mass of meteorite: ⩾1037 g). On the basis of its unusually high Mg/Fe ratio, the meteorite is likely to have originated from northern feldspathic highlands.
High intensity effects in Raman scattering

A theoretical framework for describing high intensity multilevel rotational Raman scattering is presented. The formalism, which employs the multipole form of the density matrix equations, is valid at low as well as high intensities, in transient and steady state regimes and, allows for coupling of arbitrary polarizations of the various Stokes/anti-Stokes fields. Several examples are discussed to illustrate the degeneracy effects, effects of a.c. Stark shifts and multilevel effects in rotational Stokes/anti-Stokes Raman conversion.
A Replicator Dynamics Analysis of Difference Evaluation Functions

A key difficulty in Cooperative Coevolutionary Algorithms (CCEAs) is the credit assignment problem[1]. One solution to the credit assignment problem is the difference evaluation function, which produces excellent results in many multiagent domains. However, to date, there has been no prescriptive theoretical analysis deriving conditions under which difference evaluations improve the probability of selecting optimal actions. In this paper, we derive such conditions.
Geologic Traverse Planning for Planetary EVA

We describe a process for planning planetary extravehicular activity (EVA) traverses. It enables predictive and parametric analysis of planned traverses, and would improve uncertainty management and realtime replanning of traverses by space-suited astronauts. Using a traverse from the Apollo 14 mission as a case study we show how the same traverse might have benefited from our new approach to EVA planning. Finally, we discuss operational implementation challenges based on our experiences in the development of digital tools for geologic mapping, and on past experimentation with the NASA class III ground suit.
Selective turn-on ammonia sensing enabled by high-temperature fluorescence in metal-organic frameworks with open metal sites.

We show that fluorescent molecules incorporated as ligands in rigid, porous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) maintain their fluorescence response to a much higher temperature than in molecular crystals. The remarkable high-temperature ligand-based fluorescence, demonstrated here with tetraphenylethylene- and dihydroxyterephthalate-based linkers, is essential for enabling selective and rapid detection of analytes in the gas phase. Both Zn2(TCPE) (TCPE = tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)ethylene) and Mg(H2DHBDC) (H2DHBDC2– = 2,5-dihydroxybenzene-1,4-dicarboxylate) function as selective sensors for ammonia at 100 °C, although neither shows NH3 selectivity at room temperature. Variable-temperature diffuse-reflectance infrared spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography are coupled with density-functional calculations to interrogate the temperature-dependent guest–framework interactions and the preferential analyte binding in each material. These results describe a heretofore unrecognized, yet po...
Sensor Webs for Science: New Directions for the Future

Sensor webs for science have evolved considerably over the past few years. New breakthroughs in onboard autonomy software have paved the way for space-based sensor webs. For example, an autonomous science agent has been flying onboard the Earth Observing One (EO-1) Spacecraft for several years. This software enables the spacecraft to autonomously detect and respond to science events occurring on the Earth. The package includes software systems that perform science data analysis, deliberative planning, and runtime robust execution of the generated plans. This software has demonstrated the potential for space missions to use onboard decision-making to detect, analyze, and respond to science events, and to downlink only the most valuable science data. This paper will briefly summarize this experiment as well as describe how the software has been used in conjunction with other satellites and ground sensors to form an autonomous sensor-web. In addition to these applications, which represent the current state of the art for autonomous science and sensor webs, we will describe the future research and technology directions in both Earth and Space Science. Several technologies for improved autonomous science and sensor webs are being developed at NASA. This paper will present an overview of these technologies. Each of these technologies advances the state of the art in sensorwebs in different areas, allowing for increased science within the domain of interest. Demonstration of these sensorweb capabilities will enable fast responding science campaigns of both spaceborne and ground assets.
New Initiatives in Allied Health in North Carolina

In addition to providing a well-prepared and diverse workforce of allied health professionals, North Carolina universities are helping to improve access to care and outreach to underserved communities. This commentary will discuss workforce preparation initiatives and innovations that help all North Carolinians access timely and high-quality services.
Preovulatory follicular fluid steroid levels in stimulated and unstimulated cycles triggered with human chorionic gonadotropin.

The purpose of this study was to analyze follicular fluid (FF) samples for steroid levels from stimulated and unstimulated cycles triggered with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and to assess the influence of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and luteinizing hormone/hCG on these levels. Spontaneous ovulatory cycles were monitored with serial ultrasound examinations, and hCG 10,000IU was given when the lead follicle was mature. Fourteen FF samples yielding fertilizable oocytes were compared with 13 FF samples from controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles. Progesterone (P) was higher in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation than in unstimulated cycles (9.0±1.2 μ g/mL versus 4.4±0.6 μ g/mL; mean±SEM), whereas estradiol (E 2 ) was lower(0.8±0.1 μ g/mL versus 1.3±0.2 μ g/mL), resulting in a higher P:E 2 ratio (15.5±3.3 versus 4.4±0.7). Androstenedione (A), testosterone (T), and T:E 2 ratios were all higher in unstimulated than controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles. We conclude that controlled ovarian hyperstimulation is associated with increased FF P, decreased FF E 2 , T, and A levels, and decreased T:E 2 ratios, suggesting altered steroidogenesis and enhanced follicular aromatase activity.
Improving Population Health by Incorporating Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention Into Value-Based Care Models

Today's health system transformation provides a prime opportunity to leverage the capacity of public health to reduce the burden of chronic disease and injury, improve population health, and contain health care costs. Health care settings and organizations should support public health capacity as a key investment in population health.
Metabolic Responses of Plant Cells to Stress

Plants are routinely exposed to a bewildering variety of environmental stresses. Considering the extremes of temperature, salinity, moisture level, etc. that must be overcome, it is perhaps surprising that plant life is distributed as widely as it is. The key to survival lies in the remarkable capacity of many plants to acclimate to changing conditions. Such an acclimation is necessary because the patterns of cellular composition and metabolism favoring productive growth under one set of conditions usually do not suffice under different conditions.
Escherichia coli in Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs), caused primarily by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), are among the most common bacterial infections in humans, costing billions of dollars annually in medical expenses and causing significant morbidity with recurrent and chronic disease. Many details of the molecular pathogenesis of UPEC UTI have been unveiled through recent advances in a murine model of cystitis. Following ascension to the bladder, UPEC bind and invade superficial facet cells of the uroepithelium via type 1 pili. Uropathogens are able to evade innate cellular defences, in part, by proceeding through an intracellular cascade in which UPEC replicate within the facet cell cytoplasm, forming densely packed intracellular bacterial communities (IBCs). Egress of filamentous bacteria from IBCs can initiate subsequent rounds of IBC formation, thereby perpetuating acute infection. UPEC also invade the transitional epithelium, establishing latent, non-replicating reservoirs that resist antibiotic therapy and may initiate same-strain recurrent infection. UPEC employ a variety of additional molecular strategies to facilitate infection and to delay and subvert the host immune response. Finally, novel therapeutic and preventive strategies such as antivirulence compounds and vaccines may be necessary to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.
Active sites for methanol partial oxidation on nanoporous gold catalysts

Abstract Nanoporous gold is a complex material comprised of a small amount of silver that is the residual from the dealloying process used in its formation. This material activates dioxygen and selectively self-couples methanol. The dissociative adsorption of O2 and the subsequent reaction of methanol with the adsorbed atomic oxygen are critical steps in this selective oxidation. The density of sites for O2 dissociation was determined to be 0.1% of the total surface (3 × 1012 per cm2) using both transient and steady flow measurements. The activation energy for O2 dissociation was measured to be 5.0 kcal/mol and is similar in magnitude to that on metallic Ag and much lower than expected for Au surfaces. The area-averaged dissociation probability of O2 at 423 K is ∼1 × 10−7, commensurate with the active site density and the activation barrier to dissociation. The reactive oxygen is immobile under reaction conditions. The collisional reaction probability of methanol striking an adsorbed O atom is 10−4–10−5, which corresponds well with the measured turnover frequency for methanol conversion to form methylformate of ∼160 s−1 at 423 K. Taken together, these results strongly indicate that Ag is an integral part of the active site for O2 activation and the subsequent activation of methanol.
Birth Anomalies and Risk of Childhood CNS Tumors

Researchers at Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics and Neurosurgery, Stanford University, CA linked 3733 patients aged 0 to 14 years with CNS tumors listed in the California Registry to a California birth certificate.
Modeling of black phosphorus vertical TFETs without chemical doping for drain

A new vertical tunnel FET design based on black phosphorus is presented in this paper adopting asymmetric layer numbers for top and bottom layer with undoped drain. The results show that the SS and I on /I off can be maintained below 10 mV/dec and beyond 105, respectively, when channel length is down to 3 nm.
A Simulation Environment for Computational Neuroscience

The development of more efficient modeling environments is critical to Computational Neuroscience where many problems are analytically intractable and model building is the only available conceptual tool that enables us to critically evaluate alternative hypotheses. UCLA-SFINX is a neural network simulation environment which enables users to simulate a wide variety of neural network models at various levels of abstraction. Small, structurally irregular networks can be modeled by explicitly defining each “neuron” and corresponding connections. Very large networks with regular connectivity patterns can be implicitly specified using array constructs. Graphics support, based on X Window System, is provided to visualize simulation results. Details of the simulation environment are described and simulation examples are presented to demonstrate SFINX’s capabilities.
Enforcing Mediated Settlement Agreements: Contract Law Collides with Confidentiality

This article explores competing policies between accurately enforcing mediated settlement agreements and maintaining the confidentiality of the mediation process. Attempts to enforce or resist enforcement of settlement agreements are an increasingly common source of challenges to mediation confidentiality in two contexts: claims of oral settlement agreements and defenses to agreements such as fraud, duress, or lack of authority. In both these settings communications and events that took place during mediation are often relevant to evaluting the validity of settlements, yet this evidence would undermine the promise of confidentiality associated with the mediation process. State legislatures and courts have taken a myriad of approaches to this inherent conflict in deciding if mediated agreements are enforceable. Professor Deason considers the policy choices in light of the potential harms from disclosure to the process of mediation, the values expressed in traditional contract rules, and the central role of party autonomy in mediation. In her view, the importance of mediation confidentiality justifies requiring a signed writing or some other form of record to show the existence of a mediated settlement. The draft Uniform Mediation Act also takes this approach. For contract defenses, however, she supports a case-by-case balancing, despite the uncertainty it introduces. The article also proposes ways for courts to minimize the need to consider mediation disclosures and suggests proceduress to maintain confidentiality during the decision process when it is necessary.
Comparison of Wound Infiltration With Ketorolac versus Intravenous Regional Anesthesia With Ketorolac for Postoperative Analgesia Following Ambulatory Hand Surgery

Background and Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess the analgesic effectiveness of ketorolac administered with lidocaine via intravenous regional asesthesia (IVRA) or via wound infiltration following ambulatory hand surgery. Methods The patient population in this double-blind study consisted of 60 patients scheduled for elective ambulatory hand surgery, who were divided into three groups of 20 each. All patients received IVRA with 40 mL 0.5% lidocaine and 5 mL 1% lidocaine infiltrated into the surgical site. Group 1, the control group, received no additional medications; group 2 had 60 mg ketorolac added to the lidocaine used for IVRA; and group 3 had 60 mg ketorolac added to the lidocaine used for wound infiltration. Postoperative pain was assessed by a 10-cm visual analog scale, VAS) 1 hour and 2 hours after tourniquet deflation. In the postanesthesia care unit analgesia was provided with fentanyl until the VAS score reached 3 or lower. Patients were instructed to take one Tylenol No. 3 (acetaminophen with codeine) tablet every 4 hours as needed at home. They were contacted the next day, and the time to first additional narcotics and the total number of tablets taken were recoded. Results No differences in demographic variables or in operative, tourniquet, or discharge times were noted among the groups. The VAS scores were significantly lower in the two groups who received ketorolac than in the control group (P Conclusion Ketorolac provides similar postoperative analgesia after ambulatory hand surgery when administered with lidocaine either by IVRA or by wound infiltration.
Analysis of a Grid-Connected Shoot-Through Current Immune Three-Phase Converter Topoloy under Unbalanced Loading Conditions

The analysis of a shoot-through-proof converter topology designed to eliminate the need for a dead time between switching transitions is presented. Shoot-through-proof is done by splitting each leg of a normal converter and inserting an inductor to limit the current during transitions. Matlab/Simulink™ simulations based on a 10-kVA laboratory test setup, which was built to validate the proposed ideas, are used to evaluate the system performance. In particular, simulations were used to predict losses associated with the topology and reduce the harmonics injected by the converter. The control system was implemented in a TMS320F28335 DSP, and the results of both the simulations and prototype testing showed very good agreement.
Singular perturbations of two-point boundary problems for systems of ordinary differential equations

Asymptotic solutions of linear systems of ordinary differential equations are employed to discuss the relationship of the solution of a certain “complete” boundary problem. $$\begin{gathered} \left\{ \begin{gathered} {\text{ }}\frac{{d{\text{ }}x_1 }}{{d{\text{ }}t}} = A_{11} (t,\varepsilon ){\text{ }}x_1 (t,\varepsilon ){\text{ }} + \cdots + A_{1p} (t,\varepsilon ){\text{ }}x_p (t,\varepsilon ) \hfill \\ \varepsilon ^{h_2 } \frac{{d{\text{ }}x_2 }}{{d{\text{ }}t}} = A_{21} (t,\varepsilon ){\text{ }}x_1 (t,\varepsilon ){\text{ }} + \cdots + A_{2p} (t,\varepsilon ){\text{ }}x_p (t,\varepsilon ) \hfill \\ {\text{ }} \vdots {\text{ }} \vdots {\text{ }} \vdots \hfill \\ \varepsilon ^{h_p } \frac{{d{\text{ }}x_2 }}{{d{\text{ }}t}} = A_{p1} (t,\varepsilon ){\text{ }}x_1 (t,\varepsilon ){\text{ }} + \cdots + A_{pp} (t,\varepsilon ){\text{ }}x_p (t,\varepsilon ) \hfill \\ \end{gathered} \right\} \hfill \\ {\text{ }}R(\varepsilon ){\text{ }}x(a,{\text{ }}\varepsilon ){\text{ }} + {\text{ }}S(\varepsilon ){\text{ }}x(b,{\text{ }}\varepsilon ) = c(\varepsilon ){\text{ }} \hfill \\ \end{gathered}$$ as ɛ→0+ and the elated “degenerate” problem obtained by setting ɛ = 0. Here the hi are integers, 0 0.
Interventionsmöglichkeiten bei Shuntstenosen – chirurgisch vs. interventionell: Patch oder PTA

Die interventionelle perkutane Therapie vaskularer Probleme hat seit Jahren einen festen Stellenwert bei der Versorgung von Dialysepatienten. Dabei werden unterschiedliche Techniken, sei es z. B. die perkutane transluminale Angioplastie (PTA), die Thrombektomie oder die Stenteinbringung, oft kombiniert, eingesetzt. Sie vermag mit hohem technischen Erfolg Gefasstenosen und -okklusionen erfolgreich zu therapieren und ermoglicht damit eine dauerhaftere Nutzung von Hamodialyseshunts. Die nicht ausbleibenden Rezidivalterationen konnen auch mehrfach interventionell angegangen werden. Die beiden unterschiedlichen Therapieansatze (interventionell und gefaschirurgisch), bestenfalls in einem interdisziplinaren Dialysezugangszentrum durchgefuhrt, erganzen sich und fuhren insgesamt zu einer Verbesserung der Versorgung von Dialysepatienten.
On the limits of using randomness to break a dynamic program's curse of dimensionality

Rust (1997) discovered a class of dynamic programs that can be solved in polynomial time with a randomized algorithm. Insulated from the curse of dimensionality, this walled garden of tractable dynamic problems is intriguing, if not useful. Unfortunately, I find that the class is more limited than we initially thought, as it requires all but a vanishingly small fraction of state variables to behave arbitrarily similarly to i.i.d. uniform random variables. However, in this special case, his approach can be tremendously powerful.
8-kW single-stage all-fiber Yb-doped fiber laser with a BPP of 0.50 mm-mrad

Single-mode fiber lasers with excellent beam quality and several-kilowatts output power are expected to realize both extraordinary processing speed and high aspect ratio in the material processing field. In this paper, we report an 8-kW output single-stage Yb-doped fiber laser with a BPP of 0.50 mm-mrad. The laser has a delivery fiber with a length of 3 m. To realize an 8-kW single-mode output without excess a stimulated Raman scattering threshold, fibers with a considerably large effective core area are employed. An ytterbium doped fiber is directly pumped by newly developed high-power laser diode modules with a total available pump power over 10 kW through a bi-directional pumping scheme. The laser has a high slope efficiency of 81%. The power of the SRS light around 1120 nm was 22 dB smaller than the fundamental laser power at 1070 nm. To the best of our knowledge, it is the smallest BPP with more than 8 kW output power pumped by an end-pumping regime. We believe the laser will contributes laser processing using a galvano scanner for high speed and high aspect ratio welding.
Integrating community health workers into HIV care teams: Impact on HIV care outcomes

To assess the impact of a Community Health Worker (CHW) intervention within HIV primary care on patient outcomes. We evaluated a 10-site initiative integrating CHWs into HIV care, examining changes...
The Dying Wind around HD 56126, a Post-Asymptotic Giant Branch Carbon Star

We have used the Keck I telescope to resolve at mid-infrared wavelengths the dust emission from HD 56126 (IRAS 07134+1005), a post-asymptotic giant branch carbon star with a detached dust shell. The gross morphology of the image can be explained by a strong wind that started to die about 1500 yr ago. If the star had an effective temperature T* near 2600 K when it was losing ~3 × 10-5 M☉ yr-1, then during the past 1500 yr, the average value of dT*/dt has been 2.2 K yr-1. With such a time variation of the effective temperature, the 11.7 μm image can be approximately reproduced if the mass-loss rate varied as T, as proposed in recent models for dust-driven winds. Since the mass-loss rate appears to be very sensitive to the effective temperature of the star, we speculate that the observed deviations from spherical symmetry of the dust shell can be explained by plausible variations in the surface temperature of the mass-losing star caused by rotation and/or magnetic fields.
Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines on Covid-19 Incidence and Mortality in the United States (preprint)

Background: Despite safe and effective vaccines to prevent Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and disease, a substantial minority of the US remains resistant to getting vaccinated. It is imperative to know if expanding vaccination rates could reduce community-wide Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease, not just among those vaccinated. Methods: Negative binomial models were used to estimate associations between U.S. county-level vaccination rates and county-wide COVID-19 incidence and mortality between April 23rd and September 30th, 2021. A two-week lag and a four-week lag were introduced to assess vaccination rate impact on incidence and mortality, respectively. Stratified analyses were performed for county vaccination rates >40%, and before and after Delta became the dominant variant. Findings: Among 3,070 counties, each percentage increase in population vaccination rates reduced county-wide COVID-19 incidence by 0.9% (relative risk (RR) 0.9910 (95% CI: 0.9869, 0.9952)) and mortality by 1.9% (RR 0.9807 (95% CI: 0.9745, 0.9823)). Among counties with vaccination coverage >40%, each percentage increase in vaccination rates reduced COVID-19 disease by 1.5%, RR 0.9850 (95% CI: 0.9793, 0.9952) and mortality by 2.7% (RR 0.9727 (95% CI: 0.9632, 0.9823)). These associations were not observed among counties with <40% vaccination rates. Increasing vaccination rates from 40% to 80% would have reduced COVID-19 cases by 45.4% (RR 0.5458 (95% CI: 0.4335, 0.6873)) and deaths by 67.0% (RR 0.3305 (95% CI: 0.2230, 0.4898)). An estimated 5,989,952 COVID-19 cases could have been prevented and 127,596 lives saved had US population vaccination rates increased from 40% to 80%. Interpretations: Increasing U.S. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination rates results in population-wide reductions in COVID-19 incidence and mortality. Furthermore, increasing vaccination rates above 40% has protective effects among non-vaccinated persons. Given ongoing vaccine hesitancy in the U.S., increasing vaccination rates could better protect the entire community and potentially reach herd immunity. Funding: National Cancer Institute
Experimental testing, computational analysis and analytical formulation for the remaining capacity assessment of bridge plate girders with naturally corroded ends

Abstract Aging bridges are prone to malfunctioning expansion joints, allowing water and deicing mixtures to seep trough deteriorate the superstructure components. This paper evaluates experimentally, computationally and numerically the residual load carrying capacity of plate girders containing corrosion-deteriorated ends. A full-scale laboratory test was conducted on a decommissioned bridge beam, and experimental data is used to validate a composite girder-level finite element model able to capture deteriorated beam strength. An extensive computational sensitivity analysis is performed to study the corrosion related parameters which significantly affect the residual capacity of plate girders. Moreover, analytical tools for residual strength evaluation are developed based on more than 1.000 scenarios of unique beam geometries and corrosion topologies. The efficiency of the developed closed form equations is numerically validated providing overall improved estimations compared to the current provisions in bridge design manual.
A consistent hierarchy of generalized kinetic equation approximations to the master equation applied to surface catalysis

We develop a hierarchy of approximations to the master equation for systems that exhibit translational invariance and finite-range spatial correlation. Each approximation within the hierarchy is a set of ordinary differential equations that considers spatial correlations of varying lattice distance; the assumption is that the full system will have finite spatial correlations and thus the behavior of the models within the hierarchy will approach that of the full system. We provide evidence of this convergence in the context of one- and two-dimensional numerical examples. Lower levels within the hierarchy that consider shorter spatial correlations are shown to be up to three orders of magnitude faster than traditional kinetic Monte Carlo methods (KMC) for one-dimensional systems, while predicting similar system dynamics and steady states as KMC methods. We then test the hierarchy on a two-dimensional model for the oxidation of CO on RuO2(110), showing that low-order truncations of the hierarchy efficiently capture the essential system dynamics. By considering sequences of models in the hierarchy that account for longer spatial correlations, successive model predictions may be used to establish empirical approximation of error estimates. The hierarchy may be thought of as a class of generalized phenomenological kinetic models since each element of the hierarchy approximates the master equation and the lowest level in the hierarchy is identical to a simple existing phenomenological kinetic models.
The Transmission Mechanism in Armenia: New Evidence from a Regime Switching VAR Analysis

The introduction of inflation targeting in 2006, together with important economic developments such as dedollarization, marked the beginning of a new macroeconomic framework in Armenia, which is likely to have changed the effectiveness of monetary policy. This paper is the first attempt to analyze whether the transmission mechanism in Armenia has been subject to a structural break by employing a Markov-Switching VAR framework. Results support the existence of such a structural break around the time inflation targeting was introduced and reduced levels of dollarization were observed. Results from introducing a threshold variable into this framework furthermore show that reduced levels of dollarization are an important determinant of the effectiveness of monetary policy.
Securing Jobs or the New Protectionism?: Taxing the Overseas Activities of Multinational Firms

Tax policy toward American multinational firms would appear to be approaching a crossroads. The presumed linkages between domestic employment conditions and the growth of foreign operations by American firms have led to calls for increased taxation on foreign operations - the so-called end to tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas. At the same time, the current tax regime employed by the U.S. is being abandoned by the two remaining large capital exporters - the UK and Japan - that had maintained similar regimes. The conundrum facing policymakers is how to reconcile mounting pressures for increased tax burdens on foreign activity with the increasing exceptionalism of American policy. This paper address these questions by analyzing the available evidence on two related claims - i) that the current U.S. policy of deferring taxation of foreign profits represents a subsidy to American firms and ii) that activity abroad by multinational firms represents the displacement of activity that would have otherwise been undertaken at home. These two tempting claims are found to have limited, if any, systematic support. Instead, modern welfare norms that capture the nature of multinational firm activity recommend a move toward not taxing the foreign activities of American firms, rather than taxing them more heavily. Similarly, the weight of the empirical evidence is that foreign activity is a complement, rather than a substitute, for domestic activity. Much as the formulation of trade policy requires resisting the tempting logic of protectionism, the appropriate taxation of multinational firms requires a similar fortitude.
Gaps in the System

Deborah Seltzer-Kelly et al, created a most interesting symposium which was the basis for the Feature Article in this issue, (Re)imagining teacher preparation for conjoint democratic inquiry in complex classroom ecologies. True to the heart of complexity and post-modern thought, the article has selected a series of perspectives that, while compatible, cannot really be resolved into a single meta-narrative. I find that a very Batesonian approach in that Gregory Bateson (2000) believed so strongly in what he called gappiness. Complex systems and complex ideas, by their nature, cannot be easily described except metaphorically and when we try to get too specific, when we try to eliminate the messiness, we flatten the system. Metaphor, for Bateson and perhaps for this SIG, is the heart of description for complex ideas and, like Bateson, we should perhaps refuse to explain our metaphors. There were two threads in the paper to which I would like to respond: the fault lines in systems related to schooling and some places we might look for remedy.
Strategic alignment of key partners in e-government initiatives: the internet payment platform pilot

Challenges and risks associated with large-scale information technology implementations increase when multiple partners are involved, as in many e-government initiatives. Some risk can be addressed by careful alignment of internal and external business and information technology strategies. This study examines the technical, political, economic and operational process motivations of government agencies collaborating in the pilot implementation of the Internet Payment Platform.
Evaluation of Multithreaded Processors and Thread-Switch Policies

This paper examines the use of coarse-grained multithreading to lessen the negative impact of memory access latencies on the performance of uniprocessor on-line transaction processing systems. It considers the effect of switching threads on cache misses in a two-level cache system. It also examines several different thread-switch policies. The results suggest that multithreading with a small number (3–5) of active threads can significantly improve the performance of such commercial environments.