cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fluvastatin inhibits intimal hyperplasia in wild-type but not Thbs1-null mice.

Abstract Background Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is functionally important to intimal hyperplasia (IH) development. Statin drugs have beneficial pleiotropic effects, including reduced IH; however, the effect of statins on IH in a TSP-1–independent setting is unknown. Hypothesis: Statins will be less effective in attenuating IH after vascular injury in TSP-1–null ( Thbs1 −/− ) mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice. Materials and methods Carotid artery ligation was performed on WT and Thbs1 −/− mice. Each strain was divided into two groups: no statin control or standard chow containing fluvastatin (10 or 40 mg/kg/d). After 28 d, analysis included morphometric analysis and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction on the arteries and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay on plasma (TSP-1 WT, TSP-2 WT, and Thbs1 −/− ). Comparisons were made by analysis of variance, with P Results In no statin controls, WT mice had more IH than Thbs1 −/− mice (0.46 ± 0.09 versus 0.15 ± 0.04). Fluvastatin reduced IH in the WT (0.46 ± 0.09 versus 0.23 ± 0.06), but not in Thbs1 −/− groups (0.15 ± 0.04 versus 0.22 ± 0.07). No difference in IH existed between Thbs1 −/− no statin controls and fluvastatin WT and Thbs1 −/− groups. Statin dose did not affect IH. TSP-1 plasma levels were increased in fluvastatin WT. TSP-2 levels were decreased in fluvastatin WT and elevated in fluvastatin Thbs1 −/− . Fluvastatin had no effect on tissue Thbs1 or Thbs2 gene expression. Conclusions TSP-1 is necessary for robust IH after arterial injury. Because fluvastatin had no effect on IH in Thbs1 −/− , the data suggest that the statin effect on IH may be largely TSP-1 dependent. Both statins and the presence of TSP-1 affect TSP-1 and TSP-2 plasma levels.
Newborn Dried Blood Spot Polymerase Chain Reaction to Identify Infants with Congenital Cytomegalovirus-Associated Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

Objective To determine the utility of dried blood spot (DBS) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in identifying infants with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection–associated sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Study design Newborns at 7 US hospitals between March 2007 and March 2012 were screened for CMV by saliva rapid culture and/or PCR. Infected infants were monitored for SNHL during the first 4 years of life to determine sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios of DBS PCR for identifying CMV-associated SNHL. Results DBS at birth was positive in 11 of 26 children (42%) with SNHL at age 4 years and in 72 of 270 children (27%) with normal hearing (P = .11). The sensitivity (42.3%; 95% CI, 23.4%-63.1%) and specificity (73.3%; 95% CI, 67.6%-78.5%) was low for DBS PCR in identifying children with SNHL at age 4 years. The positive and negative likelihood ratios of DBS PCR positivity to detect CMV-associated SNHL at age 4 years were 1.6 (95% CI, 0.97-2.6) and 0.8 (95% CI, 0.6-1.1), respectively. There was no difference in DBS viral loads between children with SNHL and those without SNHL. Conclusions DBS PCR for CMV has low sensitivity and specificity for identifying infants with CMV-associated hearing loss. These findings, together with previous reports, demonstrate that DBS PCR does not identify either the majority of CMV-infected newborns or those with CMV-associated SNHL early in life.
The Lost Republic? A Review of Lawrence Lessig's Republic, Lost

Lawrence Lessig's book Republic, Lost argues that a new type of corruption has overcome the modern Congress. Unlike the venal corruption of earlier periods, for example the gilded age, the 21st Century Congress has become corrupt in entirely legal ways. The pressures of campaign finance, and of making connections in the influence economy, distract and distort elected officials from serving the public interest. Voters perceive the electoral system to be corrupt, losing trust in government. Lessig proposes reforms remove elected officials from having a role in campaign finance. Through mechanisms such as the "democracy voucher", Lessig proposes to spend more in aggregate on elections, but have the composition be much less concentrated. This review critically reviews Lessig's argument by comparison to the received empirical literature in the social sciences. While drawing attention to important yet underappreciated aspects of these problems, Lessig book warrants a strong audience. However, the corruption narrative is not supported by the literature, and the reform proposals like previous reforms can be strategically circumnavigated.
The emerging market for supplemental long term care insurance in Germany in the context of the 2013 Pflege-Bahr reform ☆ ☆☆

The growing cost of long term care is burdening many countries' health and social care systems, causing them to encourage individuals and families to protect themselves against the financial risk posed by long term care needs. Germany's public long-term care insurance program, which mandates coverage for most Germans, is well-known, but fewer are aware of Germany's growing voluntary, supplemental private long-term care insurance market. This paper discusses German policymakers' 2013 effort to expand it by subsidizing the purchase of qualified policies. We provide data on market expansions and the extent to which policy goals are being achieved, finding that public subsidies for purchasing supplemental policies boosted the market, although the effect of this stimulus diminished over time. Meanwhile, sales growth in the unsubsidized market appears to have slowed, despite design features that create incentives for lower-risk individuals to seek better deals there. Thus, although subsidies for cheap, low-benefit policies seem to have achieved the goal of market expansion, the overall impact and long-term sustainability of these products is unclear; conclusions about its impact are further muddied by significant expansions to Germany's core program. The German example reinforces the examples of the US and France private long term care insurance markets, to show how such products flourish best when supplementing a public program.
Statistical properties of four effect-size measures for mediation models

This project examined the performance of classical and Bayesian estimators of four effect size measures for the indirect effect in a single-mediator model and a two-mediator model. Compared to the proportion and ratio mediation effect sizes, standardized mediation effect-size measures were relatively unbiased and efficient in the single-mediator model and the two-mediator model. Percentile and bias-corrected bootstrap interval estimates of ab/s Y , and ab(s X )/s Y in the single-mediator model outperformed interval estimates of the proportion and ratio effect sizes in terms of power, Type I error rate, coverage, imbalance, and interval width. For the two-mediator model, standardized effect-size measures were superior to the proportion and ratio effect-size measures. Furthermore, it was found that Bayesian point and interval summaries of posterior distributions of standardized effect-size measures reduced excessive relative bias for certain parameter combinations. The standardized effect-size measures are the best effect-size measures for quantifying mediated effects.
Abstract 20869: Preservation of Transplant Organ Function and Recipient Survival With Thrombin-Targeted Perfluorocarbon Nanoparticles Perfused Ex Vivo

Introduction: Methods to improve functionality of excised organs harvested for transplant could extend the time available for selection and implantation and enhance transplant opportunities for millions of potential organ recipients. For proof of concept, we elected to test kidney preservation with use of methods that could be applicable to all other tissues such as the heart, liver and lungs. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that perfusion of explanted allografts with thrombin-targeted perfluorocarbon nanoparticles (PFC-NP) could attenuate organ inflammation, prevent ischemic injury by inhibiting microvascular thrombosis, and thereby improve graft function. Methods: Male Lewis rats underwent left renal explantation followed by perfusion with 0.3 ml of untargeted PFC-NP (N=4), 0.3 ml thrombin-targeted PFC NP functionalized with the anti-thrombin molecule PPACK (phenylalanine-proline-arginine-chloromethylketone), an irreversible thrombin inhibitor, (N=4) or standard perfusate (N=3). Kidneys then underwent 60 minutes of warm ischemia and 6 hours of cold incubation, followed by transplantation into recipients and native nephrectomy. Blood was collected at 48 hours post-transplant and the animals were euthanized. Kidney biopsies were processed for blinded histologic analysis. A survival experiment was then performed using the protocol as above in Male Lewis rats with standard perfusate (N=3), empty nanoparticle (N=3) and PFC-PPACK (N=6). Results: Serum Cr at 48 hrs was substantially improved for the PPACK PFC NP groups as compared to control groups: 6.3 vs 5.2 vs 1.9 mg/dl for control, PFC-NP, and PPACK NP (p Conclusions: Nanoparticles targeted to thrombin preserved explanted organ function in a syngeneic transplant model and extended survival, offering a simple approach for preserving tissue integrity under conditions of even extreme prolonged ischemia.
Asymmetric Dual Arm Approach For Post Stroke Recovery Of Motor Functions Utilizing The EXO-UL8 Exoskeleton System: A Pilot Study

In a dual arm therapeutic regime aiming to rehabilitate motor functions post stroke, both the affected arm (paretic) and the unaffected (non-paretic) arm are involved. In this context, the leading idea is that motor functions of the affected arm during a reaching task may be improved if the unaffected arm has already reached the target. As part of this pilot study, one chronic post-stroke patient with weakness and spasticity on his right arm conducted reaching tasks to virtual targets arranged in a $5\times 3$ matrix located parallel to his frontal plane, in two different configurations: (1) affected arm only (without assistance from the exoskeleton); (2) unaffected arm first followed by the affected arm (2a) without, and (2b) with assistance. A force field attracting the wrist of the affected arm to the target was used in the assistive mode. The data post-processing and analysis included task completion time, reachable task space, joint range of motion, human-robot interaction force/torque and power exchange at multiple sensors along the arm - visualized in a series of interaction maps. The data validated the robotic system's basic functionality in facilitating post-stroke unilateral and asymmetric bilateral training. Future work would be expanded to clinical trials with more subjects to be recruited and additional features to be implemented.
Addressing the Pacing Problem

The central conclusion from the cumulative insights of the contributions to this volume is that existing regulatory systems and ethical frameworks are inadequate to provide effective, meaningful and timely oversight of the current and future generations of emerging technologies. Technologies such as genetics, robotics, information technologies, nanotechnology, synthetic biology, and neuroscience are racing forward at a pace of technology development that has never before been experienced in human history. In contrast, our traditional government oversight systems are mired in stagnation, ossification and bureaucratic inertia, and are seriously and increasingly lagging behind the new technologies accelerating into the future.
Nuclear Models, Particle Correlations, and Internal Conversion Coefficients

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the place of internal conversion coefficient measurements in the current picture of nuclear structure to anticipate some of the future developments. The internal conversion coefficients (ICCs)—the ratio of the transition rates for electron compared to photon emission accompanying a change of state of an atomic nucleus—have been of great importance and interest in nuclear structure studies. No new systematic dynamic structure effects in internal conversion coefficients have shown up during the past five or so years of advance in the understanding of particle correlations in terms of new modes of motion. When the gamma transition takes place, but is hindered, the conversion coefficient sometimes differs from the value calculated from a static model. The deviation in the ICCs is smaller than in the gamma transitions.
Geomorphic and geochemical evidence for the source of sand in the Algodones dunes, Colorado Desert, southeastern California

The Algodones dunes of southeastern California comprise one of the largest active dune fields in the United States. The source of sand of the Algodones dunes is controversial, and the source of stabilized aeolian sand in the adjacent East Mesa area has not been investigated at all. We used mineralogical compositions and trace element concentrations to ascertain the most likely source of sand for these active and stabilized dunes. Results indicate that alluvium derived from the San Bernardino Mountains, which enters the Salton trough to the northwest of the dune fields, and alluvium derived from the Chocolate Mountains, which is deposited immediately to the northeast of the dunes, do not appear to be significant sources of sediment for the Algodones and East Mesa dunes. Both active aeolian sand from the Algodones dunes and stabilized aeolian sand on East Mesa are probably derived from sediments of ancient Lake Cahuilla, which formerly occupied part of the Salton Trough and left sandy shoreline sediments to the west and northwest of where the dune fields are now found. Lake Cahuilla sediments, in turn, were apparently derived from the Colorado River, when the river shifted its course and emptied into the Salton Trough, rather than the Gulf of California.
Title IX Feminism, Social Justice, and NCAA Reform

This Article discusses social justice feminism as it applies to gender discrimination in collegiate and scholastic athletics in the context of Title IX requirements. Title IX activists today are primarily concerned with securing equal resources and opportunities for women in a college athletic environment. Today, that environment is becoming increasingly commercialized; this presents a Title IX problem because it creates an incentive to invest more athletic department resources into certain men’s athletic programs instead of distributing them equitably to women’s (and other men’s) programs. In addition, the NCAA is presently considering or has recently undertaken deregulation initiatives in a variety of areas, further increasing the incentives for college athletic departments to devote more resource to favored men’s sports.The Article looks to social justice feminism as a lens through which to imagine Title IX advocates’ response to the system's trend toward growing commercialization and deregulation. This position takes into account race-based and other forms of subordination created by that system in addition to gender discrimination. To make its case, the Article explores the history of athletics as a tool of white patriarchy and the “inter-relationships between interlocking oppressions” inherent in the commercialized model of college athletics. Ultimately, the Article argues that college athletics reform should be understood not only as a Title IX issue, but as a social justice issue as well.
Development of a Fourier-Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance (FTICR) Mass Spectrometry Method for Studies of Metal Ion Excited States

Studies of ion-molecule reaction chemistry of gas-phase transition metal ions have rapidly expanded and the field of gas phase organometallic chemistry has emerged [1]. Eller and Schwarz have compiled an amazingly comprehensive review of this entire field that covers the period 1973 to 1992 [2]. The pioneering gas-phase ion chemistry studies emphasized the type of reactions, product ion distribution, and speculation on reaction mechanisms; however, the most important contribution of much of this work is to the understanding of reaction energetics and bond energies to metal centers [3]. In the last few years, several groups have placed considerable attention on the specific electronic state(s) of the reacting metal ion (M+) and how the reactivity of M+ might change if different excited states are formed by the ionizing process.
Exploring Uncertainty in Uncalibrated Bioretention Models

Using SWMM 5.0.016, a case study of a street right-of-way bioretention system (ROWB) configured as a storage node is compared against SWMM’s “LID Controls”. Through a series of 1-yr continuous simulations, the uncalibrated models indicate that a storage node representation of a media-filled system substantially underestimates stormwater retention and detention compared to the LID Control. This is because the latter explicitly accounts for dynamic flow through porous media. Lined/underdrained ROWB may provide significant stormwater mitigation because the majority of storms are small, thus fully captured by the media without the need for exfiltration. As the storage node approach is typical of the current (USA) industry for green infrastructure or low impact development modeling, outcomes raise concern around over-design (and misspent resources). Sensitivity analysis of the LID Control parameterization indicates that the relative difference between the engineered media’s porosity and field capacity have the most significant influence on performance. This may be an artefact of the calculation procedure rather than actual physical phenomenon. Future work should prioritize calibration with observed data sets from multiple sites (i.e. multiple media), and actual measurement of field capacity and porosity for multiple examples of bioretention.
ABNORMAL KARYOTYPE FINDINGS IN BONE MARROW AND LYMPH NODE ASPIRATES OF A PATIENT WITH MALIGNANT LYMPHOMA.

A patient with lymphoblastic lymphosarcoma, leukocytosis, eosinophilia, and granulocytic hyperplasia of the bone marrow was treated with chemotherapy and radiation with many changes in her clinical state but maintained a consistent chromosome abnormality in the bone marrow before and during treatment. A lymph node aspirate obtained before treatment showed the same abnormality. There were consistently two chromosomes missing, one each in group 6-12 and 13-15 respectively. These were replaced by two new chromosomes: one was very similar to pair 3 and the other was acrocentric and slightly longer than pair 21. The skin and peripheral blood leukocyte culture had a normal female karyotype. The leukemoid blood picture was differentiated from chronic myelocytic leukemia by the absence of the Ph 1 chromosome, normal serum B 12 , and normal leukocyte alkaline phosphatase activity.
Organocatalytic Strategy for Hydrophenolation of Gem-Difluoroalkenes.

Abstract Gem-difluoroalkenes are an easily accessed fluorinated functional group, and a useful intermediate for elaborating into more complex fluorinated compounds. Currently, most functionalization reactions of gem-difluoroalkenes, with or without a transition metal-based catalyst system, involve the addition or removal of a fluorine atom to generate trifluorinated or monofluorinated products, respectively. In contrast, we present a complementary “fluorine-retentive” reaction that exploits an organocatalytic strategy to add phenols across gem-difluoroalkenes to deliver β,β-difluorophenethyl arylethers. The products are produced in good to moderate yields and selectivities, thus providing a range of compounds that are underrepresented in the synthetic and medicinal chemistry literature.
Studies on Thrombus Prevention in an Extracorporeal Arteriovenous Microshunt

Although venous thrombosis in man is effectively prevented by anticoagulants, arterial thrombosis, a leading cause of death and illness, remains refractory to any pharmacologic management. This paradox is probably related to the essential role played by platelets in arterial but not venous thrombosis. It would seem reasonable, therefore, to look for agents which inhibit the ability of platelets to adhere to one another and to “foreign” surfaces such as glass. The ubiquitous nature of adenosine diphosphate (ADP), its release at sites of tissue injury, and its potency in initiating aggregation of platelets as well as their adhesion to foreign surfaces have led us to search for inhibitors of these reactions as potential antithrombotic agents.
Antiarrhythmic Drugs or Catheter Ablation in the Management of Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias in Patients With Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: In patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), shocks are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Therefore, we conducted this study to evaluate the effica...
Self-Reactive Planning of Multi-Robots with Dynamic Task Assignments

Multi-Robot Systems and Swarms are intelligent systems in which a large number of agents are coordinated in a distributed and decentralized way. Each robot may have homogeneous or heterogeneous capabilities and can be programmed with several fundamental control laws adapting to the environment. Through different kinds of relationships built using the communication protocols, they present various behaviors based on the shared information and current state. To adapt to dynamic environments effectively, and maximize the utility of the group, robots need to cooperate, share their local information, and make a suitable plan according to the specific scenario. In this paper, we formalize the problem of multi-robots fulfilling dynamic tasks using state transitions represented through a Behavior Tree. We design a framework with corresponding distributed algorithms for communications between robots and negotiation and agreement protocols through a novel priority mechanism. Finally, we evaluate our framework through simulation experiments.
Analyzing Transfer Learning Methods For UXO Classification In Varying Shallow Water Environments

This paper investigates and compares two different transfer learning methods for the purpose of classifying underwater objects in sonar data from different environments and operating conditions. The popular efficient lifelong learning algorithm (ELLA) is used to perform this classification task. Two different learning strategies are then proposed for ELLA. As a benchmark the Matched Subspace Classifier (MSC) was also used together with an incremental dictionary learning and sparse coding. The comparison is carried out on low frequency sonar spectral features extracted from different underwater unexploded ordnances (UXOs) and non-UXO objects in two different environmental conditions.
Regenerative Approaches for the Treatment of Large Bone Defects

A variety of engineered materials have gained acceptance in orthopedic practice as substitutes for autologous bone grafts, although the regenerative efficacy of these engineered grafts is still lim...
recurrence in skew products

The rate of recurrence to measurable subsets in a conservative, ergodic infinite-measure-preserving system is quantified by generic divergence or convergence of certain sums given by a function -valued functions: first the generic situation is studied and recurrence quantified, and then certain specific skew products over rotations are shown to violate this generic rate of recurrence.
Enhancing mental health literacy in schools through staff training: An integrative review

Students who are not well cannot learn. As the prevalence of adolescent anxiety, depression, and behavioural dissorders continues to rise, it is important to identify children who suffer silently, ...
Collecting Domain-Relevant Tweets: Creation and Application of a New Framework

Social networks are used extensively nowadays to connect with friends and family and to communicate information and opinions. Twitter is one of the most influential platforms for sharing ideas and opinions. Unfortunately, the information circulating in the Twitter universe is not always valid and truthful. Some people are using this platform to spread misleading or fake information, especially around hotly debated topics such as elections, climate change, and vaccines. For social science researchers, collecting tweets on a specific topic for further analysis is an important task and, surprisingly, there is little research or consensus on a methodology to conduct collection so as to obtain a relevant and maximal tweet sample set. In this paper, we present an approach to identify a "good" set of keywords to query Twitter by for a given topic (our case study topic is vaccination); the determined keyword set can then be used by researchers to collect a reliable set of domain-relevant tweets via Twitter Free Streaming API with filtering.
Engaging End-Users in Electronic Health Record (EHR) Updates: Social Workers’ Opinions on Integrating a Psychosocial Acuity Scale at a Large Urban Pediatric Hospital

The objective of this study was to examine end-user opinions on electronic health record (EHR) modifications related to social work documentation of psychosocial acuity and provision of social care...
Physical and functional properties of ancient grains and flours and their potential contribution to sustainable food processing

Sustainable agricultural practices supporting food diversification and value addition of underutilized crops can support global food security and nutrition. Rediscovered ancient seed grains and flo...
Optogenetic control of the Bicoid morphogen reveals fast and slow modes of gap gene regulation

Developmental patterning networks are regulated by multiple inputs and feedback connections that rapidly reshape gene expression, limiting the information that can be gained solely from slow genetic perturbations. Here we show that fast optogenetic stimuli, real-time transcriptional reporters, and a simplified genetic background can be combined to reveal quantitative regulatory dynamics from a complex genetic network in vivo. We engineer light-controlled variants of the Bicoid transcription factor and study their effects on downstream gap genes in embryos. Our results recapitulate known relationships, including rapid Bicoid-dependent expression of giant and hunchback and delayed repression of Kruppel. In contrast, we find that the posterior pattern of knirps exhibits a quick but inverted response to Bicoid perturbation, suggesting a previously unreported role for Bicoid in suppressing knirps expression. Acute modulation of transcription factor concentration while simultaneously recording output gene activity represents a powerful approach for studying how gene circuit elements are coupled to cell identification and complex body pattern formation in vivo.
One-Shot Learning with Bayesian Networks

Humans often make accurate inferences given a single exposure to a novel situation. Some of these inferences can be achieved by discovering and using near-deterministic relationships between attributes. Approaches based on Bayesian networks are good at discovering and using soft probabilistic relationships between attributes, but typically fail to identify and exploit near-deterministic relationships. Here we develop a Bayesian network approach that overcomes this limitation by learning a hyperparameter for each distribution in the network that specifies whether it is non-deterministic or near-deterministic. We apply our approach to one-shot learning problems based on a real-world database of immigration records, and show that it outperforms a more standard Bayesian network approach.
Chapter 1 Magnetism in artificial metallic superlattices of rare earth metals

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the magnetism in artificial metallic superlattices of rare earth metals. Magnetostriction refers to any dimensional changes of a magnetic material caused by changes in its magnetic state. Magnetostriction can originate from changes in magnitude or direction of the applied field or from changes in temperature. Artificial metallic superlattices of the heavy lanthanide elements with yttrium exhibits incommensurate (except Gd) periodic magnetic order that is coherent over several bilayer periods. The features of the ordering, including the phase and chirality coherence observed in [Dy[Y] systems, suggest that the order is propagated by a spin density wave in the Y conduction bands stabilized by the 4f spins. Superlattices with the S-state ion Gd behave similarly, except that the interlayer coupling is only collinear ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic. The existence of the long-range propagating order is found to be independent of the direction of the net moment component as long as the stacking direction of the superlattice is parallel to the propagation vector of the magnetic structure. In the [Dy[Y] superlattices, the magnetic coherence length is found to be proportional to the reciprocal thickness of the intervening Y layer.
Development of TSV-based inductors in power electronics packaging

This paper describes the design of a Through-Silicon-Via (TSV) based high-density 3D toroidal type inductor with two different ferromagnetic materials (nickel and Ni-Zn-ferrite) in the core. 3D inductors with different structural dimensions are simulated and compared.
Chapter 15: Health and the Economy, 3rd Ed.

Health and healthcare systems interrelate with the economy in a number or ways, but the multiple causal mechanisms that define this relationship divide naturally into two categories. The first comprises the linkages between health and the growth rate and distribution of income. The second concerns the relationships among healthcare delivery institutions, health finance policies, and economic outcomes. The two major sections of this chapter follow this division of topics.
Natural Mentors, Racial Identity, and Educational Attainment Among African American Adolescents: Exploring Pathways to Success

The present study explored how relationships with natural mentors may contribute to African American adolescents’ long-term educational attainment by influencing adolescents’ racial identity and academic beliefs. This study included 541 academically at-risk African American adolescents transitioning into adulthood. The mean age of participants at Time 1 was 17.8 (SD = .64) and slightly over half (54%) of study participants were female. Results of the current study indicated that relationships with natural mentors promoted more positive long-term educational attainment among participants through increased private regard (a dimension of racial identity) and stronger beliefs in the importance of doing well in school for future success. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.
An Elementary Construction of Unsolvable Word Problems in Group Theory

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an elementary construction of unsolvable word problems in group theory and introduces a new approach to constructing finitely presented groups with unsolvable word problems. The argument has a concrete motivation that makes it easy to follow. The chapter also discusses arrow notation and presents a proof of the Novikov–Boone theorem that states that there exists a finitely presented group whose word problem is not recursively solvable.
Bacteremia associated with central venous catheter infection is not an independent predictor of outcomes.

Abstract Background: Infection is the leading complication of central venous catheters. In the setting of suspected line infection, the CDC recognizes only catheter-related bloodstream infection but not catheter infection without bacteremia, which is designated "colonization." To evaluate the hypothesis that catheter-related bloodstream infection has worse outcomes than catheter infection without bacteremia, we compared demographics, clinical data, and outcomes. Study Design: Analysis of catheter infections was performed on data collected prospectively for all episodes of infection occurring from December 1996 to September 1999 on the surgical services at a university hospital. Catheter tips were cultured only when infection was suspected. Catheter infection without bacteremia was defined as systemic evidence of infection, the presence of at least 15 colony-forming units on the catheter tip by a semiquantitative technique, and absence of bloodstream infection with the same organism as the catheter. Catheter-related bloodstream infection required the presence of bacteremia with the same organism as the catheter tip. Results: The 59 patients with catheter-related bloodstream infection had more coexistent infections than the 91 patients with catheter infection without bacteremia (2.9 ± 0.1 versus 1.7 ± 0.1; p=0.0001), most commonly pneumonia (37.3% versus 16.5%, p=0.004) and urinary tract infections (28.8% versus 8.8%, p=0.001). Catheter-related bloodstream infection was associated with an increased proportion of gram-negative organisms compared with catheter infections without bacteremia (29.5% versus 16.9%, p=0.04) and a trend toward fewer gram-positive organisms (61.5% versus 73.7%, p=0.07). There were no differences in APACHE II score, WBC, length of hospital stay, time from admission to fever, time from fever to treatment, normalization of WBC, days of antibiotics, defervescence, gender, presence of comorbidities, occurrence of colonization while in an ICU, or mortality rate (18.6% with bacteremia, 24.2% without; p=0.42). Conclusions: The presence of bloodstream infection in addition to catheter infection does not appear to alter outcomes. The definition of catheter infection perhaps should be extended to include catheter infections without bloodstream infection in the presence of systemic illness without another source.
Customer responsibility for ensuring usability: requirements on the user interface development process

Abstract An organization developing an interactive system will often find usability a compelling, but elusive, goal. The goal of ensuring usability becomes even more difficult to attain when the system is contracted to an outside developer, and control of both process and product becomes remote. Without a clear statement of requirements for the user interface of the system, this control may be lost from the beginning. Further, the cost of interactive system usage is especially significant in the case of contracted-out development, because the customer—the organization that lets a contract for interactive system development—bears the costs of training and poor user productivity. In spite of the good publicity that usability has received lately, most customers still do not state requirements for the user interface of an interactive system. Although it has been shown that the process by which a user interface is developed has an overwhelmingly large effect on usability of the product , almost never are requirements for the interface development process included in the overall system requirements. How, then, can a customer hope to ensure usability in an interactive system that the customer is contracting out for development? We propose a solution: The customer establishes requirements for the user interface development process , even as early as a Request for Proposal (RFP). To successfully write and enforce such requirements, the customer (or a knowledgeable representative of the customer) must be well informed about human-computer interaction, usability, and existing user interface development techniques. As a case study, we describe how one customer organization, the Bureau of Land Management, produced user interface development process requirements and included them in an RFP. We also discuss how a customer can use product requirements in an RFP to describe the desired general interface style without constraining the developer to a specific design.
Non-surgical drainage of intra-abdominal and mediastinal abscesses: A report of twelve cases

Twelve patients with intra-abdominal or mediastinal abscesses were treated by percutaneous drainage. Three abscesses were subphrenic, three were adjacent to enteric leaks, two were intrahepatic, two were pancreatic pseudocysts, one was a pancreatic abscess extending to the lesser sac, and one was an infected adrenal hematoma. All 12 lesions were entered percutaneously using fluoroscopic guidance without traumatizing the adjacent normal tissue. Localization was frequently aided by computed tomography. Various catheters were positioned using basic angiographic techniques. Following drainage all patients had a favorable clinical response. Seven of the 12 patients required no surgical management. Careful radiologic follow-up and frequent changing of catheters was necessary in six of the patients. Two patients benefited from the addition of auxiliary drains. Five of the 12 patients were electively operated upon because of incomplete drainage of the abscess cavity. Causes of failure were: persistent anastomotic leak (two patients), sequestered, loculated extension of abscess cavity (two patients), or necrotic, viscous hepatic tissue requiring removal at laparotomy (one patient).
Microstructure Of Optical Thin Films

The microstructure of ortical thin films is strongly columnar with a large internal surface area and void volume. This structure has great influence on the optical and mechanical properties of the films and is responsible for many of the difficulties experienced with the fabrication and subsequent performance of optical coatings. The microstructure, some of its effects on film properties, and the latest ideas on its origins are surveyed.
Risk assessment of bird–aircraft strikes at commercial airports submodel development

Bird strikes are a continuing problem in aviation. Despite the number and severity of reported bird strikes, quantification of the effect of contributory factors has been limited because of the absence of data, especially data on bird activity around airfields. The purpose of this study is to provide initial insight into this important problem by combining a number of databases and information resources available at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington, including airplane operations, bird strike reports, and the avian radar data on bird movements. Logistic regression and multinomial regression models were used to analyze, respectively, bird strike occurrence and severity. The results indicate that bird track density and airplane movement frequency significantly correlate with bird strike occurrence. High altitude and cloudy weather increase the probability of serious damage. Airplanes weighing less than 27,000 kg and those with turbofan engines and struck positions including tail and light move the propensity toward minor damage compared with no damage. Factors such as single-engine airplanes, medium and large birds, and strikes occurring at engines and wings increase the chance of both serious and minor damage. The findings of this study could provide support for potential changes in airport bird hazard management, airplane operations, and engineering designs of engines and airframes. The study highlights the importance of managing accurate bird strike reports and applying new statistical approaches as more data become available.
Drug discovery for inflammatory diseases

Drug Discovery for Inflammatory Diseases was a 3-day conference organised by the IBC Life Sciences as part of their Drug Discovery Series. The meeting featured a keynote presentation by Edward Keystone (University of Toronto) on the new strategies in managing rheumatoid arthritis, followed by five themed sessions: protein kinase inhibition, cytokines, chemokines, Toll-like receptors/innate immunity and transcription factors. The programme included a good mix of speakers from academia and biotechnology, and covered a wide spectrum of topics, ranging from developing strategies to suppress immune responses in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, to novel means of stimulating the immune system for vaccine development and cancer therapy. Fundamental basic science questions were addressed along with the new approaches to drug design and clinical studies. Overall, the meeting included over 25 presentations, and there was ample time to exchange ideas in an informal setting. This review will focus on five talks r...
The Equilibrium Concept in Geomorphology

Abstract Equilibrium is a single word that embraces multiple concepts. The largely qualitative use of equilibrium within geomorphology has fostered imprecision and even outright error; as a result the term, for many, has degenerated to the status of a non-corrigible regulative principle. Although a few geomorphologists make precise use of equilibria terminology, their precision is invariably lost on the larger audience. Equilibrium is associated with force in dynamics, with energy in thermodynamics (and probability by extension), and with pure numerical behavior in mathematics. In General System Theory, equilibrium is derived from thermodynamics but applied, by analogy, almost exclusively to mass. In addition, a purely geomorphic version of equilibrium (dynamic equilibrium) stems from the work of G. K. Gilbert (1876; 1877) and is based on sediment flux at the basin scale. Unfortunately, Gilbert's concept/term has been distorted by some geomorphologists in their attempt to establish linkage between equilib...
Somatic embryogenesis from immature embryos in meadowfoam ( Limnanthes alba )

Developing embryos from immature seeds were excised and cultured. Optimal proliferation of differentiated secondary embryos occurred on Murashige-Skoog media containing 7% sucrose, 0.1 μM 2,4-D, and 0.1–1.0 μM zeatin. Higher levels of auxins inhibited embryo proliferation. Secondary embryos were subcultured to produce more embryos. The results indicate the feasibility of clonal propagation of meadowfoam.
Cyclic Compression of Chondrocytes Counteracts Pro-Inflammatory Tissue Remodeling Induced by Interleukin-1

Chondrocytes in tissue engineered constructs face challenging environments when first transplanted into a synovial joint, including high levels of compression/shear and pro-inflammatory cytokines. The joint level of interleukin 1 (IL-1) after trauma injury and in a repaired joint is acutely elevated. Matrix remodeling in tissue engineered constructs can be easily affected by the elevation and activation of aggrecanases (ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) [2–4, 7–9, 11]. Several recent studies suggest that tensile loading and unconfined compression of chondrocytes has some anti-inflammatory effects against interleukin 1 (IL-1) by the downregulation of COX-2 and iNOS genes [1, 5, 6]. However, the role of loading in tissue repair at physiological levels is not clear. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of cyclic confined compression on the gene expression of MMPs and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in agarose-embedded chondrocytes in the presence of interleukin 1 (IL-1).Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Passivation of GaAs FET's with PECVD silicon nitride films of different stress states

The passivation of GaAs MESFETs with plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor-deposited (PECVD) silicon nitride films of both compressive and tensile stress is reported. Elastic stresses included in GaAs following nitride passivation can produce piezoelectric charge density, which results in a shift of MESFET characteristics. The shift of MESFET parameters due to passivation was found to be dependent on gate orientation. The experiments show that nitride of tensile stress is preferable for MESFETS with (011-bar) oriented gates. The shifts in V/sub TH/,I/sub DSS/, and G/sub M/ of the devices before and after nitride passivation are less than 5% if the nitride of appropriate stress states are used for passivation. The breakdown voltage of the MESFETs after nitride deposition was also studied. It is found that the process with higher hydrogen incorporation tends to reduce the surface oxide and increase the breakdown voltage after nitride deposition. In addition, the passivation of double-channel HEMTs is reported for the first time. >
Detection of D-glucose-derived pyrrole compounds during Maillard reaction under physiological conditions.

Abstract 5-Hydroxyl-1-neopentylpyrrole-2-carbaldehyde, 2-(2-hydroxyacetyl)-1-neopentylpyrrole, and 2-acetyl-1-neopentylpyrrole, in decreasing order of abundance, have been isolated and the structures characterized. These compounds were obtained from the reaction of a mixture of d -glucose and neopentylamine under physiological conditions of pH and temperature. In addition, 4 H -dihydropyran-4-one, a known intermediate product of the Maillard reaction, was detected. The neopentylamine adducts were already detectable after one week of incubation, but rapid acid and alkaline degradation explains the lack of detection in body proteins.
Tea consumption is inversely associated with weight status and other markers for metabolic syndrome in US adults

Purpose Tea (Camellia sinensis) is a widely consumed beverage, and laboratory and some intervention studies have indicated the potential health benefits of hot tea. The present study examines the association between tea consumption (evaluating hot and iced tea independently) and markers for metabolic syndrome adults in a sample of 6,472 who participated in the 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination surveys.
Fast Consistent Chernoff Fusion of Gaussian Mixtures for Ad Hoc Sensor Networks

This correspondence examines the Chernoff rule for robust decentralized fusion of non-Gaussian pdfs in dynamic ad hoc sensor networks. Although theoretically appealing, the Chernoff rule is challenging to implement since it leads to fusion pdfs that cannot be obtained in closed-form and requires analytically intractable optimizations. Existing heuristic approximations to the Chernoff rule are generally inconsistent and do not accurately represent the fusion pdf. A fast new procedure based on Monte Carlo importance sampling, convex optimization and weighted expectation maximization is presented here to overcome these drawbacks and enable accurate online Chernoff fusion for ad hoc distributed sensor networks with Gaussian mixtures. Numerical experiments demonstrate the superiority of the proposed procedure.
Simple Algorithms for Multimessage Multicasting With Forwarding

We consider Multimessage Multicasting over the $n$ processor complete (or fully connected) static network ($MM_{C}$) when the Forwarding of messages is allowed. We present an efficient algorithm that constructs for every degree $d$ problem instance a communication schedule with total communication time at most $2d$, where $d$ is the maximum number of messages that each processor may send (receive). Our algorithm consists of two phases. In the first phase a set of communications are scheduled to be carried out in $d$ time periods in such a way that the resulting problem is a multimessage unicasting problem of degree $d$. In the second phase we generate a communication schedule for this problem by reducing it to the Makespan Openshop Preemptive Scheduling problem which can be solved in polynomial time. The final schedule is the concatenation of the communication schedules for each of these two phases. For $2 \le l \le d$ we present an algorithm to generate a communication schedule with total communication time at most $\lfloor ( 2 - \frac{1}{l} ) d \rfloor +1$, for problem instances where each processor needs to send messages to at most $ld$ destinations.