cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A sparse convex AC OPF solver and convex iteration implementation based on 3-node cycles

Abstract In this paper, we exploit sparsity technique and strengthen second-order cone programming (SOCP) relaxation of alternating current optimal power flow (AC OPF) through enforcing submatrices corresponding to maximal cliques and minimal chordless cycles in the cycle basis positive semi-definite (PSD). The proposed method adds virtual lines in minimal chordless cycles to decompose each of them into 3-node cycles. By enforcing the submatrices related to 3-node cycles PSD, the resulting convex relaxation has a tight gap. For majority of the test instances, the resulting gap is as tight as that of a semi-definite programming (SDP) relaxation, yet the computing efficiency is much higher. Further, convex iteration is implemented on the proposed solver to achieve exactness by enforcing all submatrices corresponding to lines and virtual lines rank-1. Test results from small size to large size with thousands of buses demonstrate the capability of the proposed solver and the feasibility of the convex iteration implementation.
Length of Hospital Stay and Charges Attributable to Clostridioides Difficile Infections in Arizona, 2018

Background Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of infectious diarrhea and the most common healthcare-associated infection in hospitalized patients. Clostridioides difficile is recognized as an urgent threat given its clinical and economic impact on public health. Patients with CDI face increased healthcare charges not only as a result of the charges associated with diagnosis and treatment, but also due to charges associated with extended hospitalizations and readmissions that can occur. The Arizona Department of Health Services analyzed non-federal hospital discharge data to estimate the associated charges for CDI-related hospitalizations in Arizona. Methods All hospital discharges for year 2018 containing the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision code for intestinal infection due to Clostridioides difficile were extracted from the Arizona Hospital Discharge Database (AHDD). The number of days hospitalized, the total hospital charges, hospital and emergency room utilization, and mortality rates for each CDI case were analyzed. Discharges were stratified by diagnosis level such as principal diagnosis vs. other diagnosis. Results The number of CDI-related hospital discharges in 2018 was 8,629. Among those, 15% (1288) were categorized as recurrent CDI. Among all CDI discharges, 4% (389) of patients died during their hospital visit. Among non-recurrent discharges, 29% were attributed to CDI as the principal diagnosis. Among recurrent discharges, 47% were attributed to CDI as the principal diagnosis. Among those with a principal diagnosis of CDI, recurrent CDI cases showed higher mean hospital charges and number of hospitalized days ($47,608 and 5 days) compared to non-recurrent cases ($36,263 and 4 days). Conclusions CDI continues to have a significant clinical impact among hospitalized patients in Arizona. CDI results in considerable healthcare charges especially among those who experience recurrent CDI. The impact of antibiotic stewardship programs in Arizona should be further explored in light of numerous studies demonstrating cost savings without compromising patient outcomes.
Art as a Point of Departure for Understanding Student Experience in Learning to Code

Background/ContextComputer science has been making its way into K–12 education for some time now. As computer science education has moved into learning spaces, research has focused on teaching comp...
Architects of Memory: Information and Rhetoric in a Networked Archival Age: Nathan R. Johnson. Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press, 2020. 205 pages. $49.95 hardcover.

How often do we view the Google search bar as a mnemonic device? It recalls information, follows associative pathways, identifies patterns, and distinguishes between what is relevant in the moment ...
Targeting Top Terrorists: Understanding Leadership Removal in Counterterrorism Strategy: Targeting Top Terrorists: Understanding Leadership Removal in Counterterrorism Strategy, by Bryan C. Price, New York, Columbia University Press, 2019, 288 pp., $90 (hardback), ISBN: 9780231188227

To kill the snake, simply cut off its head. Leadership decapitation tactics—which aim to disrupt or eliminate militant organizations by removing the individual at the top of the chain of command—ar...
Toward a validated diagnostic test with machine learning algorithm for interstitial cystitis

Diagnosing interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is difficult as there is no definitive test for IC/BPS. Instead, the diagnosis is based on urinary symptoms and cystoscopy may be recommended. However, cystoscopic diagnosis is associated with potentially exacerbating painful side effects and is highly subjective among physicians. Furthermore, IC/PBS symptoms overlap with symptoms of bladder cancer, urinary tract infection, or overactive bladder. As a result, many patients may go years without a correct diagnosis and proper disease management. The goal of our current IC/BPS research is to develop a simple diagnostic test based on several urine proteins called the IC-risk score (IC-RS). A machine learning (ML) algorithm uses this information to determine if a person has IC/BPS or not; if they have IC/BPS, whether their IC/BPS is characterized by Hunner's lesions. We are currently in the middle of a grant to collect urine samples from 1000 patients with IC/BPS and 1,000 normal controls from across the United States. We are using social media such as Twitter and Facebook and working with patient advocacy organizations to collect urine samples from across the country. We hope to validate the IC-RS and apply for regulatory approval. Having a validated diagnostic test for IC/BPS would be a major advancement to help urology patients. In addition, drug companies developing new drugs and therapies for IC/BPS would have a better way to determine who to include in their clinical trials, and possibly another way to measure if their drug or therapy is effective. We will hereby review the steps that have led us in urine biomarker discovery research from urine protein assessment to use crowdsourcing stakeholders participation to ML algorithm IC-RS score development.
Decentralized Brain Age Estimation using MRI Data

Recent studies have demonstrated that neuroimaging data can be used to predict brain age, as it captures information about the neuroanatomical and functional changes the brain undergoes during development and the aging process. However, researchers often have limited access to neuroimaging data because of its challenging and expensive acquisition process, thereby limiting the effectiveness of the predictive model. Decentralized models provide a way to build more accurate and generalizable prediction models, bypassing the traditional data-sharing methodology. In this work, we propose a decentralized method for brain age estimation and evaluate it on three different feature sets, including both volumetric and voxelwise structural MRI data as well as resting functional MRI data. The results demonstrate that a decentralized brain age model can achieve similar performance compared to the models trained with all the data in one location.
Initial Validation and Findings From the Willing/Ready Subscale of the Church Addiction Response Scale.

Addiction has been a global health crisis over recent decades and worsened substantially during COVID-19 lockdowns. We report on the development, validation, and findings from an instrument developed to assess the readiness of churches in the Appalachian Highlands to address addiction. The Church Addiction Response Scale (CARS) is a 41-item, three section measure assessing “What are your views about addiction?” (14 items), “What are your views about interacting with people who are addicted to drugs?” (11 items), and “What do you think the church’s role is in addressing addiction?” (16 items). The CARS was found to be unidimensional with strong internal consistency and initial evidence of construct validity was positive. Most respondents reported willingness to assist people living with addiction, but many reported that they felt underprepared, thus were not ready. Areas of preparation were largely those that could be addressed through training, such as understanding the physiology and psychology of addiction, available treatment options, and how to avoid doing harm. Thus, with adequate training, the likelihood of equipping a church-based workforce to provide support for people living with addiction seems attainable.
Comparative study of the collapsed cone convolution and Monte Carlo algorithms for radiation therapy planning of canine sinonasal tumors reveals significant dosimetric differences.

Computer-based radiation therapy requires high targeting and dosimetric precision. Analytical dosimetric algorithms typically are fast and clinically viable but can have increasing errors near air-bone interfaces. These are commonly found within dogs undergoing radiation planning for sinonasal cancer. This retrospective methods comparison study is designed to compare the dosimetry of both tumor volumes and organs at risk and quantify the differences between collapsed cone convolution (CCC) and Monte Carlo (MC) algorithms. Canine sinonasal tumor plans were optimized with CCC and then recalculated by MC with identical control points and monitor units. Planning target volume (PTV)air , PTVsoft tissue , and PTVbone were created to analyze the dose discrepancy within the PTV. Thirty imaging sets of dogs were included. Monte Carlo served as the gold standard calculation for the dosimetric comparison. Collapsed cone convolution overestimated the mean dose (Dmean ) to PTV and PTVsoft tissue by 0.9% and 0.5%, respectively (both P < 0.001). Collapsed cone convolution overestimated Dmean to PTVbone by 3% (P < 0.001). Collapsed cone convolution underestimated the near-maximum dose (D2 ) to PTVair by 1.1% (P < 0.001), and underestimated conformity index and homogeneity index in PTV (both P < 0.001). Mean doses of contralateral and ipsilateral eyes were overestimated by CCC by 1.6% and 1.7%, respectively (both P < 0.001). Near-maximum doses of skin and brain were overestimated by CCC by 2.2% and 0.7%, respectively (both P < 0.001). As clinical accessibility of Monte Carlo becomes more widespread, dose constraints may need to be re-evaluated with appropriate plan evaluation and follow-up.
Past and Future of Construction Equipment — Part II

Basic earthmoving machine concepts were developed before 1950. In the early 1950's, three advancements initiated major refinements of construction machines: High-strength steel, nylon cord for tires, and high-speed lightweight high-output diesel engines. This expansion of technology led to larger capacity machines in the 1950's, expanded product lines in the 1960's, and machines with more productivity in the 1970's. Machine evolvement, a day-to- day year-to-year process, ends when man has no further need to move the earth he lives on. The end is not in sight, for there is only the future. /ASCE/
Field and Simulated Field Experience

This chapter discusses the field and simulated field experience of high-temperature metallic thermal barrier coatings. Overlay coatings provide the flexibility of tailoring the composition of the coating to the specifics of each application. Typical high-temperature overlay coatings have the general composition of NiCoCrAlY. The total reservoir of aluminum in coatings can be increased either by enhancing the aluminum content in the composition or by increased thickness of the coating. Both of these options increase oxidation resistance of the coated hardware. It is found that increased coating thickness raises the risk of cracking of the coating and crack propagation into the substrate alloy. It is observed that the susceptibility of the coating to cracking and to propagation of the crack into the alloy, demonstrated by the number of cracked blades, is reduced significantly by the post-coating diffusion heat treatment, which decreases the aluminum content from between 37% and 40% to between 25% and 30%. The mission profiles of military, commercial, and marine engines for both external surface and internal passages were simulated by controlling the time-temperature profile and injection of salt and SO 2 gas in the hot or cold gas streams. The post-test evaluation consists of visual and microscopic observation. The oxidation and hot corrosion in industrial gas turbines are also elaborated in the chapter.
Step-Up Versus Top-Down Therapy in Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by a heterogeneous disease course, unpredictable disease activity, and variable response to treatment. Disease classification is based on clinical features such as number of stools with or without blood, abdominal pain, signs of systemic toxicity, and laboratory or imaging abnormalities. UC usually develops in a younger population with few comorbidities and carries significant potential to adversely affect a patient’s welfare, thus presenting a protracted challenge for healthcare providers to stave off its debilitating consequences. Patients with UC more frequently reported lower health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and selection of appropriate therapy is crucial.
Forgiving Guin Garcia: Women, the Death Penalty and Commutation

Guinevere Garcia was forgiven, and blamed for that forgiveness, because she was a woman. Her sentence was commuted not because women enjoy discriminatory mercy, but because, like many men who are not forgiven, she deserved mercy. It was because of her sex that she was convicted and received the death penalty. While there may be a gender difference in punishment and commutation, it should not exist unless gender is a valid proxy (which it will be in many cases) for the sum of excuses and explanations that demand mercy, and that women who benefit from this genuine effort at tailoring punishment should not be blamed. Moreover, any penalty, but especially the death penalty, demands contextual reasoning. If we strive for just punishment, the best justice is that which considers all relevant facts, and conclusions. Since under our jurisprudence of commutation, "good and sufficient reason exists to pardon a person who is guilty under the law but is not morally blameworthy,..." we need to move toward applying the "female" standard of empathy and principles of mitigating both responsibility and punishment for crime.
Treating the Developing versus Developed Brain: Translating Preclinical Mouse and Human Studies

Behaviors and underlying brain circuits show characteristic changes across the lifespan that produce sensitive windows of vulnerability and resilience to psychopathology. Understanding the developmental course of these changes may inform which treatments are best at what ages. Focusing on behavioral domains and neurobiological substrates conserved from mouse to human supports reciprocal hypothesis generation and testing that leverages the strengths of each system in understanding their development. Introducing human genetic variants into mice can further define effects of individual variation on normative development, how they contribute to risk and resilience for mental illness, and inform personalized treatment opportunities. This article emphasizes the period of adolescence, when there is a peak in the emergence of mental illness, anxiety disorders in particular. We present cross-species studies relating fear learning to anxiety across development and discuss how clinical treatments can be optimized for individuals and targeted to the biological states of the developing brain.
Ensemble forecasting of coronal mass ejections using the WSA‐ENLIL with CONED Model

The combination of the Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) coronal model, ENLIL heliospherical model version 2.7, and CONED Model version 1.3 (WSA-ENLIL with CONED Model) was employed to form ensemble forecasts for 15 halo coronal mass ejections (halo CMEs). The input parameter distributions were formed from 100 sets of CME cone parameters derived from the CONED Model. The CONED Model used image processing along with the bootstrap approach to automatically calculate cone parameter distributions from SOHO/LASCO imagery based on techniques described by Pulkkinen et al. (2010). The input parameter distributions were used as input to WSA-ENLIL to calculate the temporal evolution of the CMEs, which were analyzed to determine the propagation times to the L1 Lagrangian point and the maximum Kp indices due to the impact of the CMEs on the Earth's magnetosphere. The Newell et al. (2007) Kp index formula was employed to calculate the maximum Kp indices based on the predicted solar wind parameters near Earth assuming two magnetic field orientations: a completely southward magnetic field and a uniformly distributed clock-angle in the Newell et al. (2007) Kp index formula. The forecasts for 5 of the 15 events had accuracy such that the actual propagation time was within the ensemble average plus or minus one standard deviation. Using the completely southward magnetic field assumption, 10 of the 15 events contained the actual maximum Kp index within the range of the ensemble forecast, compared to 9 of the 15 events when using a uniformly distributed clock angle.
An XML model for small business e-commerce

This paper proposes a model based on the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) for small businesses e-commerce. The ideas behind this paper grew from the authors' and other Southern Oregon University students' experiences working with lesser-funded, technically unsophisticated small businesses wishing to jump onto the e-commerce bandwagon. The model stems from an observed fundamental disconnect between the needs of companies who come to small colleges for advice and talent in e-commerce ventures and the solutions small college students are typically trained to deploy. Small businesses (for our purposes, businesses with no Information Technology staff) typically seek an e-commerce solution that requires no investment in infrastructure (no dedicated RDBMS server, no T1 line) and no increase in staffing (no Oracle DBA or Unix system administrator.) Yet, these are precisely the e-commerce solutions most small college graduates feel confident deploying. Our XML model promises to act as a kind of poor man's web enabled database, enabling small businesses to automate web content revision, order processing and fulfillment, and credit card charge verification without disconnecting themselves from the Internet or letting go of the dream of new revenue generated by low cost, digital solutions.
Programming with Constructor Classes (Preliminary Summary)

As functional programmers, we are comfortable with the idea of mapping a function across the members of a list to obtain a new list of values. But there are very similar ways of mapping functions across other kinds of data structure, so what is special about lists? Why can’t we use the same name for each of these functions leaving the type system to determine which is appropriate in a particular situation? This is not just a matter of aesthetics or syntax since it would allow us to write general functions for any data structure that has an associated map function without having to repeat essentially the same definition in each case.
Glucuronic acid- and branched sugar-containing glycolipid antigens of Mycobacterium avium.

Abstract The pentasaccharide hapten of the dominant glycopeptidolipid antigen of serovariant 19 of the Mycobacterium avium complex is noteworthy because of the uniqueness of its distal glycobiose, the presumed antigen determinant, which contains a 3,4-di-O-methyl glucuronic acid and a novel branched sugar. The detailed structure of the entire pentasaccharide has been established by high field 1H and 13C NMR, fast atom bombardment/mass spectrometry, and various specific degradations as 3,4-di-O-Me-beta-D-GlcAp-(1----3)-2,4-di-O-Me-3-C-Me-3,6-dideox yhexosyl-(1----3)-alpha-L-Rhap-(1----3)-alpha-L-Rhap-( 1----2)-6-dT al; the extreme acid lability of the novel penultimate sugar presented special structural challenges. Thus, the task of defining the variable epitopes of M. avium serovariants in order to charter the epidemiology of opportunistic mycobacterial diseases continues to reveal an unexpected order of sugar diversity and complexity.
Synthesis of the sterically encumbering terphenyl silyl and alkyl amines HN(R)ArMes2 (R = Me and SiMe3), their lithium derivatives LiN(R)ArMes2, and the tertiary amine Me2NArMes2

Abstract Reaction of the terphenyl derivative BrMgAr Mes 2 ( Ar Mes 2 = C 6 H 3 - 2 , 6 - Mes 2 ) (synthesized in “one pot” directly from BrMgMes and 1-lithio-2,6-dichlorobenzene) with p-toluenesulfonyl azide afforded the azide N 3 Ar Mes 2 ( Ar Mes 2 = C 6 H 3 - 2 , 6 - Mes 2 ) (1) in 43% yield. Treatment of 1 with LiAlH4 gave the amine H 2 NAr Mes 2 (2) in high yield (88%). Reaction of 2 with 1.1 equivalents of n-BuLi afforded the lithium derivative Li ( H ) NAr Mes 2 (3), which was quenched with excess SiMe3Cl to yield the silyl amine HN ( SiMe 3 ) Ar Mes 2 (4). Reaction of 4 with n-BuLi gave LiN ( SiMe 3 ) Ar Mes 2 (5) in 65% yield. The related secondary terphenyl methyl amine HN ( Me ) Ar Mes 2 (6) was synthesized by reaction of 2 with five equivalents of methyl iodide in refluxing acetonitrile. In addition, the tertiary amine Me 2 NAr Mes 2 (7) was formed. Reaction of 6 with n-BuLi in hexane solvent provided the lithium derivative [ LiN ( Me ) Ar Mes 2 ] 2 (8). All compounds were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Compounds 2, 4, and 6 were found to be monomeric and 8 dimeric in the solid state by X-ray crystallography. Compound 8 featured a dimeric Li2N2 core, where the Li ions are two coordinate.
Edge-localized-mode--induced transport of impurity density, energy, and momentum.

High temporal and spatial resolution measurements of impurity dynamics associated with an edge-localized mode (ELM) indicate that the ELM perturbation consists of two distinct parts: a rapid ($l300\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$) expulsion of impurity density at the time of the instability followed by a slower time scale ($l1\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{ms}$) decrease in the ion temperature. While the density perturbation remains nearly constant over a wide range of plasma collisionality, the temperature perturbation decreases as the collisionality increases. Analysis of the radial electric field ${E}_{r}$ evolution indicates that the ${E}_{r}$ well normally present in $H$-mode plasmas is modified strongly by the ELM and that the size of the temperature perturbation is correlated with the associated change in the $E\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}B$ shear.
Testing to enhance retention in human anatomy.

Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical School, Houston, TexasRecent work in cognitive psychology has shown that repeatedly testing one’s knowledgeis a powerful learning aid and provides substantial beneﬁts for retention of the material.To apply this in a human anatomy course for medical students, 39 ﬁll-in-the-blankquizzes of about 50 questions each, one for each region of the body, and four about thenervous system, were developed. The quizzes were optional, and no credit was awarded.They were posted online using Blackboard, which provided feedback, and they were verypopular. To determine whether the quizzes had any effect on retention, they were givenin a controlled setting to 21 future medical and dental students. The weekly quizzesincluded questions on regional anatomy and an expanded set of questions on the nervoussystem. Each question about the nervous system was given three times, in a slightly dif-ferent form each time. The second quiz was given approximately half an hour after theﬁrst one, and the third was given one week after the second to assess retention. Thequizzes were unpopular, but students showed robust improvement on the questions aboutthe nervous system. The scores increased by almost 9% on the second quiz, with nointervention except viewing the correct answers. The scores were 29% higher on thethird quiz than on the ﬁrst, and there was also a positive correlation between the gradeson the quizzes and the ﬁnal examination. Thus, repeated testing is an effective strategyfor learning and retaining information about human anatomy.
Spontaneous and Induced Čerenkov Emission in a Turbulent Medium

It is shown that the presence of spatially random fluctuations in refractive index, about a mean exceeding unity, influences the power output of Cerenkov waves emitted by a charged particle in several ways.
Defining general surgery and the core curriculum

The tremendous growth of medical knowledge that has driven specialization has raised concerns about graduate surgical education. Creating an objectives/competency-based curriculum is important in addressing these concerns. Such a curriculum may improve the efficiency of training and help resolve the dilemmas of generalist versus specialist training. General surgeons often have heterogeneous practices that fill diverse needs of their patients. These needs are likely to continue to require training in a broad array of knowledge and skills.
Optional unrelated-question randomized response models

We propose a generalization of Greenberg’s unrelated-question randomized response model allowing subjects the option of giving a correct response if they find the survey question nonsensitive, and to give a scrambled response if they find the question sensitive. Models are provided for both the binary response and the quantitative response situations. Mathematical properties of the proposed models are examined and validated with computer simulations.
Rapid evolution of a young L1 (LINE-1) clade in recently speciated rattus taxa

L1 elements are retrotransposons that have been replicating and evolving in mammalian genomes since before the mammalian radiation. Rattus norvegicus shares the young L1mlvi2 clade only with its sister taxon, Rattus cf moluccarius. Here we compared the L1mlvi2 clade in these recently diverged species and found that it evolved rapidly into closely related but distinct clades: the L1mlvi2-rm clade (or subfamily), characterized here from R. cf moluccarius, and the L1mlvi2-rn clade, originally described in R. norvegicus. In addition to other differences, these clades are distinguished by a cluster of amino acid replacement substitutions in ORF I. Both rat species contain the L1mlvi2-rm clade, but the L1mlvi2-rn clade is restricted to R. norvegicus. Therefore, the L1mlvi2-rm clade arose prior to the divergence of R. norvegicus and R. cf moluccarius, and the L1mlvi2-rn clade amplified after their divergence. The total number of L1mlvi2-rm elements in R. cf moluccarius is about the same as the sum of the L1mlvi2-rm and L1mlvi2-rn elements in R. norvegicus. The possibility that L1 amplification is in some way limited so that the two clades compete for replicative supremacy as well as the implications of the other distinguishing characteristic of the L1mlvi2-rn and L1mlvi2-rm clades are discussed.
Genotype and Environment Effects on Quality Characteristics of Hard Red Winter Wheat

Improvement of end-use quality in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) depends on thorough understanding of the influences of environment, genotype, and their interaction. Our objectives were to determine relative contributions of genotype, environment, and G×E interaction to variation in quality characteristics of hard red winter wheat. Eighteen winter wheat genotypes were grown in replicated trials at six locations in Nebraska and one site in Arizona in 1988 and 1989. Harvested grain was micromilled to produce flour samples for evaluation of protein concentration, mixing characteristics, and sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) sedimentation(.)
Critical periods to ethanol exposure during early neuroembryogenesis in the chick embryo: cholinergic neurons.

Abstract The acute and chronic effects of ethanol on cholinergic neuronal expression were studied in the chick embryo during early neuroembryogenesis using choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity as a cholinergic marker. Ethanol administered to embryos in ovo on day 1 (E1) produced a 30% decrease in ChAT activity, while ethanol administration on day 3 elicited no significant change. Similar effects were produced by ethanol on ChAT activity in the spinal cord. The decrease in ChAT activity in both brain and spinal cord was not accompanied by a significant change in protein content. Of significance were our findings with chronic ethanol treatment: in embryos treated from E1 to E5 and sacrified at E6, ChAT activity was decreased. In contrast, in embryos treated similarly but sacrified at E8 ChAT activity was increased. These findings establish that the critical period of cholinergic neuronal sensitivity to ethanol is confined to E1. Moreover, the increase in ChAT activity observed after chronic ethanol treatment indicates that the developing neurons have the capability to adapt to ethanol. This apparent adaptation results in overcompensation, as reflected by the increase in ChAT activity. Whether this overcompensation is at the expanse of another neuronal population remains to be investigated.
Quadriceps muscle activation and radiographic osteoarthritis following ACL revision.

Quadriceps strength and activation may play an important role in the recovery from ACL revision surgery. The purpose of this study was to describe quadriceps strength and central activation ratio (CAR) and correlate with radiographic findings in patients with ACL revision surgery. Twenty-one patients who were on average 47.5 ± 21.1 months [range: 14–85 months] post-revision ACL reconstruction. We performed knee joint physical examination and radiographic evaluation. Quadriceps strength testing consisted of maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) with the knee bent to 90-degrees bilaterally. We calculated quadriceps central activation ratio using the superimposed burst technique. Radiographs (bilateral standing antero-posterior in knee flexion and lateral in full extension) were evaluated by a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon using the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) grading system. Mean CAR was 83.9 ± 12.0% on the reconstructed limb and 85.5 ± 9.5% on the contralateral limb. Average, normalized MVIC torque was 2.5 ± 1.0 Nm/kg on the reconstructed limb and 2.7 ± 1.0 N m/kg for the contralateral limb. Patient age at the time of follow-up evaluation was related to severity of knee joint degeneration, particularly the medial, anterior and patellofemoral compartments. Younger patients with lower CARs tended to have more severe degeneration in the patellofemoral joint. Older patients with lower normalized MVIC torque values tended to exhibit more severely graded degeneration in the patellofemoral joint. Bilateral quadriceps central activation deficits and radiographic osteoarthritis are evident in patients with revision ACL reconstruction.
Complications related to pubic hair removal

Objective We investigated the prevalence and correlates of complications related to pubic hair removal among a diverse clinical sample of women attending a public clinic. Study Design Women (aged 16-40 years) who received care from April to June 2012 at 2 publicly funded clinics completed an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire (n = 369). After excluding women with missing data, analyses were conducted on 333 women. Additional measures were retrieved through a medical chart review. A χ 2 and a multivariable logistic regression were used to analyze participant characteristics, pubic hair removal behaviors, and complications related to pubic hair removal. Results Most women (87%) admitted to current removal of at least some pubic hair, whereas the remainder responded that they had removed pubic hair in the past. Under- or normal-weight women were more likely to report total pubic hair removal than overweight or obese women. The majority (60%) had experienced at least 1 health complication because of the removal, of which the most common were epidermal abrasion and ingrown hairs. Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to report complications. Overweight or obese women were almost twice as likely to report a complication and almost 3 times as likely if they also had total hair removal. Only 4% had seen a health care provider for a complication related to hair removal and only 4% discussed safe removal practices with their doctor. Conclusion Minor complications commonly occur as a result of pubic hair removal. Gynecological visits could provide a safe environment for women to discuss pubic hair removal practices.
Diffusion-accommodated sliding of irregularly shaped grain boundaries

The diffusion-accommodated sliding of irregularly shaped grain boundaries in two-dimensional bicrystals is considered. The following assumptions are made: the grains adjoining the boundaries are rigid, the boundaries do not support any shear stresses, sliding displacements are infinitesimal, and sliding is accommodated only by grain boundary diffusion. The solution to this problem is illustrated for a bicrystal with a grain boundary consisting of three segments. The results of calculations involving up to 35 segments agree with Raj and Ashby's theory for the sliding of periodic boundaries. The influence of boundary conditions on the normal stress distributions along grain boundaries is examined. Zero-flux conditions at the intersection of a grain boundary with a free surface, which correspond to low surface diffusivities, can lead to high normal grain boundary stresses. The stress distributions and sliding rates of boundaries containing randomly spaced equisized bumps, or equispaced bumps of random size are compared to the periodic case (i.e., equispaced equisized bumps). Substantial normal stresses can build up at such nonperiodic grain boundaries.
LP-BM5 virus–infected mice produce activating autoantibodies to the AMPA receptor

Autoantibodies to alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors may contribute to chronic hyperexcitability syndromes and neurodegeneration, but their origin is unclear. We examined LP-BM5 murine leukemia virus-infected mice, which manifest excitotoxic brain lesions and hypergammaglobulinemia, for the presence of AMPA-receptor Ab's. Endogenous IgG accumulated upon neurons in the neocortex and caudate/putamen of infected mice and interacted with native and recombinant AMPA-receptor subunits with the following relative abundance: GluR3 > or = GluR1 > GluR2 = GluR4, as determined by immunoprecipitation. In a radioligand assay, IgG preparations from infected mice specifically inhibited [(3)H]AMPA binding to receptors in brain homogenates, an activity that was lost after preadsorbing the IgG preparation to immobilized LP-BM5 virus. These IgGs also evoked currents when applied to hippocampal pyramidal neurons or to damaged cerebellar granule neurons. These currents could be blocked using any of several AMPA receptor antagonists. Thus, anti-AMPA-receptor Ab's can be produced as the result of a virus infection, in part through molecular mimicry. These Ab's may alter neuronal signaling and contribute to the neurodegeneration observed in these mice, actions that may be curtailed by the use of AMPA-receptor antagonists.
Which components of a primary care affiliated home visiting nurse program are associated with disability maintenance/improvement?

A process evaluation of a primary care affiliated home visiting nurse intervention was performed to determine which intervention components were associated with disability maintenance/improvement. This secondary analysis (N = 238) used data recorded in intervention databases and patient interviews among community-dwelling elders with disability. Intervention components were examined in descriptive, correlational, bivariate, and logistic regression analyses. Results demonstrated that two structure components—physician-patient-family-nurse conference visits and intervention (education) materials—and three process components—disease management activities, goal setting, and medication management activities—were linked to maintaining/improving activities of daily living disability status. Confirmation of these findings may help home care nurses to delay disability worsening.
Insolubility and redistribution of GPI-anchored proteins at the cell surface after detergent treatment.

A diverse set of cell surface eukaryotic proteins including receptors, enzymes, and adhesion molecules have a glycosylphosphoinositol-lipid (GPI) modification at the carboxy-terminal end that serve...
Effect of duration of hepatitis B virus infection on the association between human immunodeficiency virus type-1 and hepatitis B viral replication.

This study examined the effect of duration of hepatitis B virus infection on the association between human immunodeficiency virus type-1 infection and hepatitis B viral replication. Twenty-five chronic HBsAg carriers were studied. Presence of hepatitis B virus DNA and expression of HBeAg were more frequent among 20 chronic HBsAg carriers positive for human immunodeficiency virus type-1 antibody compared with five chronic HBsAg carriers negative for human immunodeficiency virus type-1 antibody, but the associations were not statistically significant. Hepatitis B virus DNA and HBeAg were inversely related to duration of hepatitis B virus infection (p < 0.001). Stratifying for duration of hepatitis B virus infection, the presence of viral replication was similar among patients negative and positive for antibody to human immunodeficiency virus type-1. Hepatitis B virus DNA levels did not increase with the decline of cellular immunity over time. In conclusion, hepatitis B virus replication among chronic carriers may be a function of duration of hepatitis B virus infection rather than of an effect of human immunodeficiency virus type-1. (Hepatology 1992;15:590–592).
Teaching with Television: Assessing the Potential of Distance Education

Management education within business schools has been slower than other educational sectors in adapting television as a delivery system for nonresidential students. This article reviews diverse literatures and reports interviews with business school leaders to uncover the advantages and challenges of television instruction. Special attention is given to comparative learning outcomes and the extent to which televised instruction can or should deviate from normal classroom methodology.
DYNAMIC INTERACTION OF PRICE AND DESIGN QUALITY FOR PRODUCTS WITH CONVEX PRODUCTION COSTS

Price and design quality define value for customers and are often used by firms to position products in the marketplace. Setting price and quality level on a new product for the first time and making appropriate changes over time to these variables to reflect changing conditions in the market requires careful coordination of design, manufacturing, and marketing variables. We present a control theoretic model to study the complex interaction among price, quality, and cost during the life cycle of a product. Our model considers the major design-manufacturing-marketing tradeoffs and helps determine optimal pricing, design quality, and production strategies in a dynamic environment with convex production costs.
On anonymity in an electronic society: A survey of anonymous communication systems

The past two decades have seen a growing interest in methods for anonymous communication on the Internet, both from the academic community and the general public. Several system designs have been proposed in the literature, of which a number have been implemented and are used by diverse groups, such as journalists, human rights workers, the military, and ordinary citizens, to protect their identities on the Internet.In this work, we survey the previous research done to design, develop, and deploy systems for enabling private and anonymous communication on the Internet. We identify and describe the major concepts and technologies in the field, including mixes and mix networks, onion routing, and Dining Cryptographers networks. We will also review powerful traffic analysis attacks that have motivated improvements and variations on many of these anonymity protocols made since their introduction. Finally, we will summarize some of the major open problems in anonymous communication research and discuss possible directions for future work in the field.
Radiotherapy of primary intracranial germinomas: The case against routine craniospinal irradiation

A retrospective study was performed on all patients with biopsy-proven intracranial germinomas and unbiopsied suprasellar or pineal region tumors treated during the past 30 years in the Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco. A total of 33 patients were treated: 13 with biopsy-proven germinomas, and 20 others who were unbiopsied. All patients were treated with megavoltage equipment; total dose varied between 40-55 Gy. Only two patients were treated with prophylactic spinal irradiation. No patient received initial or adjuvant chemotherapy. Follow-up times for biopsy-proven patients ranged from 0.5 to 16.7 years with a median 5.3 years. No biopsy-proven patient had a recurrence of the tumor or died; thus, actuarial relapse-free and determinate survivals at 5 years were 100%. Although only one patient in this group received prophylactic spinal irradiation, no patient failed in the spinal axis. The 20 unbiopsied patients had follow-up times ranging from 0.1 to 27.5 years with a median of 5.5 years. Six unbiopsied patients died: two from recurrent disease at the primary site, one from distant peritoneal metastases, two from complications of treatment, and one from intercurrent disease. For this group, actuarial relapse-free survival at 5 years was 72%; the corresponding determinate survival was 73%. Nineteen unbiopsied patients were treated without craniospinal irradiation. Only one developed spinal metastases. The results from this and other series indicate that the risk of spinal metastases from intracranial germinoma is too low to warrant routine prophylactic spinal irradiation. However, patients with gross tumor spill causing contamination of the CSF, malignant CSF cytology, or documented subependymal or subarachnoid metastases presumably are at higher risk for leptomeningeal failure. Craniospinal irradiation is recommended for these patients.
Full Closure or Partial Closure? Evaluation of Construction Plans for the I-5 Closure in Downtown Sacramento

Three alternative construction plans with full highway closures and limited capacity closures (partial closures) are evaluated for a large-scale freeway reconstruction project in the Sacramento metropolitan area. By using a dynamic network analysis tool, the potential impact resulting from different construction plans is estimated and analyzed measured by changes in total demand, travel delays, vehicle miles/hours traveled (VMT/VHT), fuel consumptions, and emissions. The results show that, for this Interstate 5 closure, if only user delay costs are considered, the actual full closure plan is the best. It produces considerably less total system travel delay than the two partial closure plans although it closed more lanes. This plan, however, may induce more VMT than the other two. In fact, the other two partial closure plans produce slightly fewer emissions and consume slightly less fuel. The outcome of which plan comes out on top crucially depends on two other factors, besides the chosen objective: the amount of demand reduction a plan induces and the availability of alternative routes to divert traffic away from the work zone area. Developing efficient demand management measures will be the key to improving the network performance and to reduce the emissions. Moreover, when data are available, construction costs and emissions produced by construction activities should also be included in the evaluations, in addition to the user costs considered in this study.
Swiss cheese disease of the breast: macroscopic appearance of microscopic slides offers a diagnostic clue.

Coxsackie viruses, which causes the worst kinds of sniffles (is named after) a town in upstate New York, and Junin virus, causing a hemorrhagic fever, is linked to a town near Buenos Aires. At a time when General Motors advertisements were calling for customers to get “Pontiac fever,” a bacterial infection spread in Pontiac, Michigan, and immediately became known as Pontiac fever. Lyme arthritis is named after the town in Connecticut where the flu-like symptoms were first observed. Lyme is nowhere near the Rocky Mountains, where spotted fever was supposedly confined; in fact, more cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever occur in the East.
Activity and selectivity of Group VIII, alkali-promoted Mn-Ni, and Mo-based catalysts for C2+ oxygenate synthesis from the CO hydrogenation and CO/H2/C2H4 reactions

Abstract Activity and selectivity of Group VIII metal catalysts, H2S-treated Group VIII metal catalysts, alkali-promoted Mn-Ni catalysts, and Mo-based catalysts toward higher oxygenates via the CO hydrogenation and ethylene hydroformylation (CO/H2/C2H4) reactions at 545 K and 1 MPa have been studied. The catalysts exhibited a wide range of activity and selectivity for C2 oxygenate synthesis. The selectivity toward C2 oxygenates is attributed to the CO insertion capability of the catalyst. All of the catalysts tested, except H2S-treated Os, exhibited CO insertion activity in the CO/H2/C2H4 reaction leading to C3 oxygenate formation. Rh and Ru exhibited exceptionally high activity and selectivity for C2 oxygenates in the CO/H2 reaction and C3 oxygenates in the CO/H2/C2H4 reaction. Sulfur treatment of the catalysts poisoned CO dissociation and hydrogenation capability to various degrees for the Group VIII catalysts. Coprecipitated alkali–Mn-Ni catalysts showed low hydrogenation activity and good oxygenate selectivity. Mo-based catalysts showed the poorest activity and selectivity toward higher oxygenates at 1 MPa. Optimization of C2 oxygenate activity and selectivity requires a proper balance between CO dissociation activity, CO insertion activity, and hydrogenation activity.
First measurements and modeling of Δ17O in atmospheric nitrate

[1] Atmospheric nitrate is anomalously enriched in both the 18O/16O and 17O/16O isotopic ratios, with Δ17O = 20–30.8‰ (Δ17O = δ17O − .52 × δ18O). We have modeled the seasonal variation in Δ17O by utilizing the transfer of Δ17O from ozone to HNO3 during NOx oxidation reactions and by evaluating the relative source strengths of heterogeneous and homogenous HNO3 production. The implications for new insights into the global nitrogen cycle, N2O production and paleoclimate studies are discussed.
Sequential comparisons of one-month and three-month depot leuprolide regimens in central precocious puberty.

Background: Dosing of monthly depot leuprolide (DL) in central precocious puberty (CPP) varies considerably. U.S. practitioners use 7.5–15 mg, in contrast with the international standard of 3.75 mg. Pubertal suppression using the newer 3-month DL also has been reported from Europe. To date there have been no direct comparisons of these different DL doses. Objectives: In an open 12-month protocol, we tested the efficacy of three DL doses (7.5 mg- and 3.75 mg-1 month and 11.25 mg-3 month) given sequentially to subjects treated for CPP. Primary outcome measures were stimulated gonadotropin (Gn) levels at 12-wk intervals. The null hypothesis was no difference among doses. Methods: Both existing and new patients with CPP received our standard therapy (DL 7.5 mg every 4 wk) for a minimum of 24 wk. In subjects with DL-stimulated LH 2 IU/liter or less, the dose was changed to 3.75 mg every 4 wk and evaluated 12 wk later. Subjects who met LH criteria (<4.5 IU/liter) on 3.75 mg then received a single dose of 11.25 ...